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This is about Google's always-on spectacles, right?  Which allow users to video anything and upload it, regardless of privacy concerns?

A writer in a UK magazine suggested that users should be termed "glassholes..."

Privacy aside, it has it's good uses. Police have an uncanny record for dashboard camera failures and not having a 'videoing' officer around whenever some illegal or overzealous enforcement activity occurs. Look at the Occupy Wall Street cases where independent observers and news reporters have numerous videos of police officers acting in an illegal manner (and obviously videoing the event) where the police have later claimed (in court) that there were no police videos being recorded at the time of the incidents.

Now imagine a live upload from somebody who has been illegally stopped and is being harassed by the police...That POV footage would sure clear up any questions about what was done or said in a courtroom. Especially if the video were being uploaded in realtime so that taking the glasses away from the victim suspect wouldn't matter.

Wonder how long it's going to take US police agencies to demand a mechanism be inserted that allows the police to shut Google's glasses down in areas where there is an ongoing "police action." Purely for the usual "officer safety and security" concerns, mind you.

It will also be interesting to see if Google goes along with such a demand voluntarily.

Did they find a way around the First Sale clause? "You can sell your hardware but we'll turn off the service and service isn't sold etc etc"?

This isn't the consumer release so I don't think the "first sale" rule applies here. This is an advance test/dev release. Since the product isn't being sold as a regular consumer product at this point, I think they're probably well within their rights to put restrictions on the device.

Besides, it all depends on what you agreed to. If you voluntarily waived some legal right as a condition of getting one you're SOL. (At least in the US you are.)

+1 and agree w/f0dder. AFAICT that restriction was put on the "Explorer" group's hardware since they're intended for devs.

I can't see them trying to do the same for consumer purchased sets - although being Google, they might be that crazy - since it would be virtually impossible to enforce. Unless...they're planning on keying the hardware to the user's retina pattern?

Hmm...retina patterns...

Ok, maybe it isn't really impossible to enforce single person use after all?

@40hz - my wife would like to get you started on the horses!  Personally speaking, I know they are smart and wonderful creatures, but I am just intimidated by the size.

  I've got 9 horses, and sometimes I think they're dumber than a box of rocks....  

That pretty much matches my experience too.

Some are smarter than others. But as a collective group, they're not the world's smartest creatures as we measure smart. But that's just to us. As horses sans human involvement goes, they understand everything they need to understand to do what horses do. (Which is mostly: walk, run, look around, drink water, reproduce, sleep, eat, and secrete waste.)

But to their credit, horses certainly are interesting 'people' to get to know. And they sure are pretty to look at.
 

@X16wda - tell you what... why don't we just pair up the horse nuts and let them get started while the rest of us head out for drinks. They won't even notice we're gone.

[review]

It all comes down to who you trust to provide you with this type of service.

UK PCAdvisor did a review and seemed to like it. A similar review (which seems to be a condensed version of what was posted on PCAdvisor) was posted on PC World.

I probably wouldn't want to try it out on my main (or on a mission critical) PC at this point since the reviews indicate there are still some rough edges to it.

But it looks like something that might be be worth watching and possibly experimenting with on a VM.

@x16wda - I suspected as much. My hat is off to you sir!

Our past and present pet lineup included: eight cats + seven dogs (save for two who came from breeders) + one lop-ear rabbit who came to us as rescue animals. Please don't even get me started about the horses.

@x16wda - are all yours "rescue" greyhounds?

^Thx. I'll use any excuse to put Milla up on a webpage.

She's from Kiev originally too. Makes me happy to see a 'local girl' do well.

5 Minutes! How are you that fast!
 :tellme

Maybe because I don't have that much on my plate?

More seriously, it got shorter the more often I did it. It originally took about 15-20 minutes. Now (since I'm more focused) I don't feel the need to write as much down. I'm not compiling documentation for a biography. Or for somebody else. These are purely notes to help me.

I've found once you stop making notes for posterity they tend to be short and to the point. And not all of them are written. Little sketches, diagrams, my collection of purely personal hieroglyphs and symbols, etc. also make up a lot of my entries. The journal book I chose has 1/4" graph paper for precisely that reason. Next one I get will probably have blank pages to provide a psychological cue for me to keep it all loose and fluid.

It's also a daybook. I'll throw anything in there I think I should be attending to at various times of the day. The only rule is that I do at least one summary entry per day. The rest I play by ear. My GF refers to this book as my "other other head."   That's a very accurate description of the function it serves.
 

I've tried a lot of things over the years (Franklin-Covey/Dayrunner/Sharkware/MyLifeOrganized) and came to eventually realize they made for more work and complexity than they're worth. At least when it comes to the sort of life I live.

Simple truth is: my life really isn't all that complicated or difficult to manage. Except when I decided to make it so. It took me a while to admit to that to myself. Because I somehow felt it should be.

That's when I finally tossed all those nifty software packages and fancy planner books I had.

These days I just take five or so minutes near the end of each day to jot down (in a very informal paper journal book) what's been happening with me, and what I've been thinking about.

That simple exercise provides all the focus I need. Although I suppose I do have an advantage in that I still have a very good memory - and probably more importantly, have always had a good idea of what I was doing, and where I wanted to go. (Most times, anyway! )

That journal plus my (paper) appointment calendar and (paper) list of contact information and I'm set to go.
 

^What can I say? Your case is unique!

I've probably dealt with a few hundred issues with NET Framework over the years. And with one exception (where Windows was already borked to begin with) one or more of the above three worked the charm.

Like the old song says: YMMV.

[@pilgrim/T-man]

@pilgrim/T-man - um...I think you made a lot more work for yourselves than you needed to.

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Microsoft has tools available to deal with NET Framework installation problems.

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.NET Framework Verification Tool (download here)

The  .NET Framework setup verification tool is designed to automatically perform a set of steps to verify the installation state of one or more versions of the .NET Framework on a computer.  It will verify the presence of files, directories, registry keys and values for the .NET Framework.  It will also verify that simple applications that use the .NET Framework can be run correctly.

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.NET Framework Repair Tool (info and download here)

Overview

The .NET Framework repair tool detects frequently occurring issues with the .NET Framework setup or updates. The tool tries to resolve those issues by applying known fixes or by repairing the installed version of the .NET Framework. The tool can also be used to repair corrupted installations of supported .NET Framework versions. This includes .NET Framework 4 language packs. The tool is wizard-based and is easy to use.

The .NET Framework repair tool follows a four-step process:

    

• Tries to troubleshoot setup issues.
•    Applies the fixes (with user consent).
•    Tries to repair the installed versions of the .NET Framework (the .NET Framework 4, the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, the .NET Framework 3.0 SP2, and the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2).
•    Collects logs (with user consent).[

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And if both the above fail, there's always the absolute last resort:

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.NET Framework Cleanup Tool (Download link here)

This .NET Framework cleanup tool is designed to automatically perform a set of steps to remove selected versions of the .NET Framework from a computer.  It will remove files, directories, registry keys and values and Windows Installer product registration information for the .NET Framework.  The tool is intended primarily to return your system to a known (relatively clean) state in case you are encountering .NET Framework installation, uninstallation, repair or patching errors so that you can try to install again.

There are a couple of very important caveats that you should review before using this tool to remove any version of the .NET Framework from your system:

    

• This tool is designed as a last resort for cases where install, uninstall, repair or patch installation did not succeed for unusual reasons.  It is not a substitute for the standard uninstall procedure.  You should try the steps listed in this blog post before using this cleanup tool.
•    This cleanup tool will delete shared files and registry keys used by other versions of the .NET Framework.  If you run the cleanup tool, you will need to perform a repair/re-install for all other versions of the .NET Framework that are on your computer or they will not work correctly afterwards.

If you need to run the cleanup tool, I'd recommend you download a copy of the most recent version (currently .NET Framework 4 Client Profile) of the .NET Framework installer before you remove anything. In most cases all you'll need is the most recent version of .NET since there's a good amount of backwards compatibility between versions - although there are some poorly coded programs that will insist on a specific version of .NET. If that's the case, they can always be installed later.

You can find all the .NET redistributable download links here.

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Hope the above is helpful.

Dana Fuchs doing Songbird Fly Me to Sleep. IMHO nothing more need be said. 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehuD65vJZU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ehuD65vJZU</a>

The lady is amazing. Looking forward to seeing her again on May 11th at StageOne!

[You Oughta Know]

One of my long time favorites: Suzanne Vega performing Small Blue Thing.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBFG372HsW8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBFG372HsW8</a>

and Marlene on the Wall

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHZV7NOqEY4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHZV7NOqEY4</a>

....and an now for something completely different: an absolutely psychotic version of one of the (arguably) most psychotic songs ever written - Alanis Morrisette performing You Oughta Know live at the Nulles Part Ailleurs in 1995. (For best effect crank it up to "the threshold of pain" as Spinal Tap once put it. This version is meant to be played loud.)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR6mEu5-egA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR6mEu5-egA</a>

 

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Better dead than read I suppose?

[Alongside Night]

If anybody cares to read a real Libertarian wet dream novel about an economic revolution succeeding, take a gander at Schulman's book Alongside Night.

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The story is set in United States experiencing economic collapse, with inflation increasing rapidly and the government struggling to keep its power. Trading in foreign currency has become illegal and many shops are subject to rationing. As a result there is a black market for most goods. The setting represents the world as Samuel Edward Konkin III conceived it would be just prior to a successful agorist revolution.

The story begins with Elliot Vreeland, son of Nobel Laureate economist Dr Martin Vreeland (an economist of the Austrian school) hearing of his father's apparent death and being rushed home from school. He discovers quickly that the death is fake, a plot concocted by his father (after receiving a tip-off) to escape arrest by the FBI who are collecting "radicals" accused by the government of worsening the economic crisis...

It's a fun read that fits right into the long tradition of picaresque storytelling. It's also less likely to get you put on a government 'watch list' than online purchases of old Loompanics titles probably will.
 

I understand they're also making a movie which is due out in July of this year. Be interesting to see where you'll be able to catch it. I'm guessing it will end up going straight to DVD.

Ask anybody who's tried minting their own stable-resource-backed money, like the banks used to do in the good/bad old days.  

Uh-huh. Back in the late counter-culture/commune days (1969-1975) it was tried fairly often. I had...um...a friend...who was involved with some folks who made a very serious attempt at doing just that.

The only result was a rather sharp lesson in realpolitik, the mind-bogglingly awesome power of government, and what sort of response you can expect from 'authority challenged.'

That's when I lost my girlish laughter and romantic illusions about social activism. Bringing about social change is not a polite parlor game. It's a tough, often ugly, and very very real struggle at the best of times. And when it succeeds, it invariably comes with a pretty steep price tag attached.

That hasn't stopped me from still getting involved from time to time. But when I do, I no longer have any illusions about the other side playing fair or being constrained either by its own laws or constitutional limits. When sufficiently questioned and challenged, virtually every government goes into "wounded rhino" mode and viciously attacks everything in sight.

That's why I thought that the bitcoin revolutionaries and Libertarians had no idea of what they were getting themselves into if they planned on pursuing a "pirate" agenda when it came to money. Anything which might destabilize national currencies simply won't be tolerated. Period.

When I first heard of BitCoins, I said to myself that this was eventually going to happen.
It always does...

Yep. Always.

Something my...uh...friend learned first hand some years ago.

[here]

much the same way it once outlawed individual possession of gold coins and bullion.

wait...what?  You guys can't own gold?!  Since when? o.0

@Stephen - we can now. Couldn't for a good number of years starting in 1933 and ending in 1975. See here.

Remember, this is the land of the "free" and the home of the brave.

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Wonder how many metal filings you might be getting from that back and forth move he used to make the initial puncture. 

^Taxes are the least of your worries if there's concerns about possible money laundering or wire fraud. Which opens you up to such fun things as racketeering charges and RICO. And visits from nicely dressed (and sometimes heavily armed) postal inspectors and federal marshals.

That sort of legal heat makes an IRS tax enforcement action seem like a love tap.

I'm still wondering about that cryptic remark about how their US bank account is "scheduled to be closed."

I can't say I've ever heard of anything like that before. Closed or shutdown? Yes. That can happen for a variety of reasons. But scheduled to be closed? That's really odd. Almost sounds like they've been served with a 'cease & desist' order and have been given a short grace period to cash out their bitcoin account holders before shutting down.

Which sounds like the government has stepped in with an ultimatum to either stop or face prosecution.

^Of course the US government could just outlaw bitcoins and cryptocurrencies for US citizens in much the same way it once outlawed individual possession of gold coins and bullion. That wouldn't be enough to stop some people - although it would certainly up the consequences rather drastically for those people unfortunate enough to get caught.


If things like bitcoins are going to succeed, they're going to have to make some attempt to reach an accommodation with current government backed currencies. If they're presented primarily as a way of evading regulation, or creating an underground economy, they're going to get stepped on pretty severely.

The one big problem with would-be Libertarian economic revolutionaries (from what I've seen) is their tendency to be overly romantic and somewhat naive. Direct confrontation is the one thing most global powers are well equipped to deal with. So while direct confrontation and nose thumbing may be cathartic, they don't do much to further social change - unless the target institution is already weakened and has lost the bulk of its own public's support. None of the major world governments are in that position yet - and likely won't be any time soon.

If cryptocurriencies are the wave of the future, those pushing for them are going to need to take a longer view, and play a much more mature political, economic, and social 'game' than they have so far.

I wish them well. But I don't hold out much hope because of the way so many of their advocates have been conducting themselves lately...
 

[Seconds]

@App - Wow! That looks very cool. Can't believe I missed that when it came around.

Something I'd like to suggest is a weird little B&W 1966 movie by John Frankenheimer starring Rock Hudson called Seconds.

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Suppose you received a message from a dead friend telling you there was a way to start your adult life over - except this time around you'd get to do it in style. How high a price tag would you be willing to to pay for a crack at something like that? And what would you do if it turned out you could afford it?

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Seconds is one of those quietly chilling movies (like Videodrome) that doesn't hit you right away. It's only after a day or two when you find yourself still thinking about it that the creepiness of the story becomes fully manifest.

Skip IMDB if you don't want too much of a spoiler. Seconds is a much more eerie movie experience if you just go into it cold.

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(People in my musical role get no respect. )