“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.” (Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949)

It’s no wonder my laptop feels so heavy sometimes!

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Just a heads up to any developers out there considering using GIF images in their programs – read this first. I was not aware of this but will certainly be vigilant in the future.

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I sometimes cringe when I read an article that deals with technical issues in mainstream media sources. More often than not critical technical specifications are incorrectly interpretted. I found the overall tone of this article to be contentious and needlessly damaging to the Apple iPod as well. FireWire (IEEE 1394) peripherals have been around for awhile now, even for Windows-based PCs (Apple computers are personal computers too!). These include video cameras, hard drives, and anything that requires a fast connection and usually a power source. FireWire has already been included on many Windows-based PCs from mainstream manufacturers. I have an IEEE 1394 connection on my Dell Inspiron 8100 laptop (but no USB 2.0). It was included as a standard feature. Sony computers also usually include IEEE 1394. Note: as far as I know Apple has a trademark on FireWire (so I should write FireWire™ instead…) which is why many manufacturers call it IEEE 1394 instead, it is the same thing. The iPod is not the cause of this “dilemma”. The article confuses MBps and Mbps. While this may seem insignificant, it is actually very important, as MBps is eight times greater than Mbps. This is an essential distinction that is learned very quickly by even those newest to bandwidth calculations. The article states that USB 2.0 and FireWire are very similar in performance (USB 2.0 is “every bit as fast”). They are not. FireWire provides better performance as it communicates directly with other hardware. USB 2.0 must always go through the CPU. FireWire also sends more power to devices sometimes eliminating the need for an external power cord (another expense for the manufacturer). The article states that the cost of a FireWire card is about $50. A quick search reveals several FireWire cards for about $25. While the upgrade may be “relatively simple” (relative to what?) the process of installing the hardware is certainly the deterring factor, not the price. Many warranties today are voided if you open your computer case (absurd, but a topic to write about another day). The article even has a type in the headline (“PluggedIn”, fixed on Mayron.net, not on Yahoo). Regardless, the iPod is an interesting product.

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Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia. What makes it unique is that it is created by its users – anyone may add or edit an article. The benefit is that the encyclopedia is far more updated than anything else I’ve seen. Definitely worth the visit.

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This site is a fantastic resource. You can use it to find previous versions of web sites. Here are some interesting pages I found:

The Liam Mayron Web Site – this was the first web site I ever created, back in 1995. Impressive, eh?

Mayron.net – the original site.

Yahoo! – When Yahoo was the best search engine out there.

From Adrian:

Hey you forgot I am canadian too. We will all miss you when you go up to Gainsville. But to my luck I am going up there with you.

I’ve added a greeting to the top of the news page that changes slightly depending on the time of day. The sidebar has also been expanded to include the number of days Mayron.net has been running as well as the date of your last visit to this site.

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Yes, I am Canadian. I was born in Montreal but have been happily living in Florida for the past 6 years.

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Before I comment on this I should explain my background. I have never used illegal file sharing software and am opposed to the illegal transfer of computer programs and other media. As a programmer and as a musician illegal trading can hurt me too. Still, I find this proposal to be ridiculous and insulting to anyone who uses the Internet. Legalising any kind of intrusion like this is opening a can of worms. I am offended that such powers are ever considered for corporate alliances such as the RIAA. It’s like saying you’re allowed to break into your neighbor’s house (or their personal data on their computer) if you simply suspect they copied something of yours. Illegal networks should be disabled, but only with a proper warrant or court order. I find this proposal to be an outrageous infringement generated by the association everyone likes, the RIAA.

I’ve redone the left side navigational menu with a new font and added a new area called the ‘Sidebar’ (for now) which will contain news on site updates, etc. I’ve also removed the survey from it. You can now access it form the interactive section of the site menu. The guestmap is also available there.