Hippo, birdie, two ewes...

...to the lovely and talented allisona!!! Have a great one!!

Cute, but overpriced

Bili Inc - Page/Score Turner

Few people have taken actions trying to find a solution, but failed for various reasons, until now. It's disappointing that for a long time there was no easy and inexpensive way to fix this frustrating problem faced by millions of music players eveyday, across the world, and in Internet age.

"Come on! Where have all the inventors gone?" We hear you, and here you go: Finally, a simple (2-button pedal), effective (1 tap, 1 page, by foot!), and affordable (just $59) gear, FOOTIME page/score turner, is coming to the rescue.

(From Gizmodo.)

We will ignore the fact that the company's web site appears to have been written by somebody whose native language is something other than English, and simply note that $59 is too darned much for two buttons on the end of a USB cable. I'm thinking maybe a hacked-up mouse...

And if I'm going to replace my filkbook with a laptop, I'm going to want a page viewer that works when the system is rotated 90 degrees CCW.

Ancient Chinese melody -- updated

Gibson launching self-tuning guitars, rockers rejoice - Engadget

Gibson's Powertune system has been in the works for quite awhile, and although there are other axes out there that claim to tune themselves, only a Gibson will do for some. Reportedly, the firm is readying a "new line of instruments" that are equipped with the system, which includes "an additional set of pickups mounted underneath the strings that are used specifically for the tuning process." By using all sorts of digital electronics and fancy algorithms, the equipment is able to automatically tune the strings, but it only activates when users pull out the Master Control Knob. Purportedly, the system can have have all six strings back in tune "within a few seconds," and you can even utilize a number of pre-programmed alternate tunings if that's your bag. 'Course, it's certainly debatable whether the hands-off approach to tuning is worth the extra $899 or so, but it's sure sweet to have the opion. Click on for more pictures.

The hardware itself is actually Powertune, from tronical, and it only works with a smallish set of electric guitars. Still, it would be convenient to be able to change tunings effortlessly in the middle of a set.

About bleeding time

Techdirt: Court Slaps Down Software And Business Model Patents

This case involved a guy who was trying to patent the concept of "mandatory arbitration involving legal documents." The USPTO denied the patent. After a failed appeal, the guy went to court, and CAFC is also saying that his concept does not deserve patent protection, with this being the key quote: "The routine addition of modern electronics to an otherwise unpatentable invention typically creates a prima facie case of obviousness." In other words, simply taking a common process and automating it on a computer should be considered obvious -- and thus, not patentable. This doesn't rule out business model or software patents by any means -- but it at least suggests that the courts are beginning to recognize that the patent system has gone out of control. The court also specifically addresses its own earlier State Street decision, suggesting that people had been misinterpreting it to mean any business model was patentable -- when the USPTO and the courts should still be applying the same tests to see if the business models are patentable. It then notes that a business model on its own shouldn't be patentable unless it's tied to some sort of product, and then states: "It is thus clear that the present statute does not allow patents to be issued on particular business systems -- such as a particular type of arbitration -- that depend entirely on the use of mental processes."

(Emphasis added.)

Cute, but overpriced: the sequel

Suissa: Suissa's Wooden Enlighten PC - Gizmodo

Like other Suissa PCs, the Enlighten's case is made of wood meant to last through many cycles of component gutting and upgrading. Unlike the others, this one is built around a MicroATX mobo. This qualifies as art, and is therefore above a certain amount of practical criticism, but I can't get over the fact that wood isn't going to dissipate heat nearly as well as aluminum. Did I mention it is $16,500?

The product page is here, where we learn that it's a limited edition. Of 10.

Wonder if he can sell that many?

15 more minutes in cyberspace

Copied most of the remaining directories -- all the ones that matter, anyway. The filksong directory was the big one; there was a nasty moment when I realized that I'd copied it onto itself by way of a symlink I'd forgotten about, but yesterday's mirror confirmed that there was no harm done.

You can plan a move like that for weeks, but as Patton said, no battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy. There's a reason why I make backups. And why the mirror is mounted read-only except when I'm copying into it.

There will be a fair amount of cleanup later: chasing down all the myriad symlinks, cross-references, and so on. Let's hear it for grep and find.