This is why I love blogs and the Internet so much. Where else could you read about and see pictures of such a freak accident? Check out how this guy was nearly killed by his stupid apartment neighbor.

Everyone seems to have a tiny flash drive these days. They can be worn like a necklace, and some can even double as an MP3 player. Imation decided to combine the latest craze in plastic wristbands with the flash drive craze and came up with a drive that you wear on your wrist or backpack. Fun stuff.

The future of home entertainment is fully connected devices. You’ll be able to retrieve any type of content (music, photos, and video) from anywhere in the house using an array of networked devices. While most of today’s TV activity focuses on the set-top box, there is a new breed of television starting to appear that has this connectivity built in. Check out HP’s newest offering, the SLC3760N, that includes wired and wireless network connections and can stream content from an in-house server in addition to sources on the Internet.

Oh, this is so cool. Chip PC has announced a new thin-client PC that resides inside a standard dual-gang outlet box. Plug a monitor, keyboard, and mouse into the JackPC, and you have a complete networked PC. The company has a standard wall box that has contacts on the upper inside edge. You run network cable (which also handles power) to this box when you install it, and put a blank cover over it until it’s time to use it. When you want to install a PC, it simply slides into the box, making contact with the connector inside. There is also a wifi access point that can be installed in the same box instead of the PC. If you simply need network connectivity, there is a slide-in module that gives you that as well.

Imagine installing these boxes all over the house or other building during construction as you might install ordinary network jacks. When you need a PC at some location, simply slide it into the box and you’re done. Very nice.

When I hear the Kurzweil name, I always think of the wonderfully advanced voice recognition and OCR systems from the 1980s and 1990s. The company continues its cutting edge technology march, and at its helm, founder Ray Kurzweil continues his forward thinking. In this essay I found, he looks at how technology has progressed over the past century and, given its exponential growth, where it could go in just the next few decades. Fascinating and exciting stuff.

Wow. Here’s a new twist. When Connecticut’s Episcopal bishop Drew Smith took over St. John’s Bristol claiming that their rector had abandoned the parish, he also dissolved the sitting vestry and assigned a new rector. The die-hard members of St. John’s started calling themselves “St. John’s in Exile” and are worshipping at nearby Trinity Bristol. When members of the “Connecticut Six” filed a lawsuit against Drew, the diocese, and the state, members of St. John’s in Exile were listed among the plaintiffs.

Now, the members of St. John’s who stayed behind have elected a new vestry that canonically speaks for the parish of St. John’s in all day-to-day matters. They have officially withdrawn from the AAC and the Anglican Communion Network, and have distanced themselves from the lawsuit. It should be interesting to see what happens now that you have two disparate groups claiming to represent the same parish. Many have claimed that Drew overstepped his authority in taking control of St. John’s. I’m sure similar charges will be levied claiming that he put a “puppet” vestry in place to do his bidding. I’m anxious to see what a court has to say.

Have you ever wondered just how much money you’re missing out on by not acting on all those hot stock tips you receive in your e-mail inbox? Someone decided to find out. He started tracking what he’d spend if he purchased 1000 shares of every stock recommended by incoming spam, then how much he’d make or lose on that stock over time. I thought about doing this myself a few times, but he was able to automate it so anybody can check it in nearly real time. The results are just about as you’d expect.

I am subscribed to a whole bunch of e-mail lists. They are all on subjects that I’m interested in, but I don’t always have time to read everything that comes along. Once in a while, though, I force myself to read through a few, and it seems I always come away with a few gems.

I came across the transcript of a keynote given at the Spring 2005 Embedded Systems Conference in San Francisco that really hits home. Given by the CEO and chairman of Wind River, Ken Klein makes a lot of good points. I know I’m going to take to heart much of what he says. Check it out.

It’s ironic that just last night I was talking with another Cub Scout parent who had his wallet picked at the Mohegan Sun casino, then this morning I came across this good information. I made a list of credit card phone numbers several years ago, but it’s time to update that. The credit reporting agency phone numbers are also priceless.

I carry a bundle of little barcoded store cards on a keychain in my pocket. Cards for area grocery stores, pharmacies, and other specialty stores. For me, the discounts outweigh privacy concerns. I also have a Mobil Speedpass on the same keychain, making it a snap to pay for gas or convenience store items. I never thought I’d see the day that I could put a credit card on that same chain.

Visa is introducing a mini version of their card in Australia and some asian markets. It makes a lot of sense. Gone are the days of manual imprints, so having large raised numbers is much less important. What really counts is the mag stripe on the back, and you don’t need a full-size card for that. It can only be used in places where you manually swipe the card through a slot, but those readers are used in more than half the places I use my card, so it could be fun to try. They include a companion regular card that you can dig out when the mini won’t work. Apparently Visa has distributed 11 million of these things in the U.S., but I have yet to see one.