Aside

Engadget: Gotta love how TechWeb can publish two stories about the Tablet PC with completely conflicting headlines within hours of each other. Better still, both have the same source, namely a research firm called In-Stat. One article focused on In-StatÕs recent report about the state of the Tablet PC (which talked about how after three years of mixed success Tablet PC sales were about to start growing), while the other was based on a chat with an In-Stat analyst about…

For those of you wanting to make a statement about exerting your constitutional rights over unwarranted search and seizure (ie, if you’re riding the NY subway these days), you can sport these cool-looking shoulder bags that have the Fourth Amendment printed right on the side. And for those of you who do consent to another type of more pleasureable “search and seizure”, you may want to invest in a pair of these (for women) or these (for men). via Boing…

So I was wrong for the remark about it being bad form to layoff people on a Monday. Writes Paul Boutin: Mondays are actually the recommended best time for layoffs, because it gives people the maximum amount of consecutive weekdays to get moving on finding new work and for remaining coworkers to spend time working together, rather than sending them home for a weekend to sulk/drink/ shoot themselves. Look it up or better yet call some sources if you don’t…

Apple unveiled a update to its Mac mini Tuesday that doubled the installed memory of the slim desktop and introduced AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth as built-in features on some models. But if you think thatÕs all there is to the mini, you need to take a closer look. ThatÕs what we do in the latest installment of the Geek Factor Podcast, as Macworld Editorial Director Jason Snell and I crack open a Mac mini and take you on a tour…

Paul Boutin points to the fact that Wired News is hitting tough times. The layoffs, announced to employees on Monday, leave the iconic technology Web site Wired.com with no employees bearing the title “staff writer.” In all, three reporters, an unknown number of production employees and two business-side people lost their jobs. The two remaining staff writers had their titles changed to editor. On the one hand this isn’t that surprising, it wasn’t but several months ago that they reduced…

So as I was walking to work today I saw one of these driving down 2nd St. My journalistic instincts kicked in — STORY! — but a quick Net research proved that all the big pubs out there covered it. Somehow I missed it when it debuted late last year. Still, looks rather cool and seems pretty fun. Anyone want to try it with me?

WashPost: The Pentagon plans to train thousands of African troops in battalions equipped for extended desert and border operations and to link the militaries of different countries with secure satellite communications. The initiative, with proposed funding of $500 million over seven years, covers Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia — with the U.S. military eager to add Libya if relations improve. . . . Green Berets are trained to navigate foreign cultures, but both teams lacked…

WashPost: [Peter Clarke, head of Scotland Yard’s antiterrorist branch] said the containers that held the explosives — 6.25-liter models made of clear plastic with white lids and bearing the brand name Delta — were imported from India and sold at 100 outlets. He urged any shopkeepers who sold five or more at the same time or to the same customer to contact police. Ok, I’m no anti-terrorism expert or anything, but is this really what we’ve come to? That we’re…

Because the the chowhounds seem to be down on the Gilroy Garlic Festival next weekend, someone also mentioned the Lamb Festival in Dixon, CA (towards Sacramento) on Saturday instead. It’s smaller, cheaper ($1/person), and closer (at least from Berkeley). Who’s interested?

Metafilter: A guest from a Daily Show joke piece was fired from the Broward Art Guild (which still lists her as the exec. director). The strange thing about this story is that in the original piece, the artists involved in a guild show were the source of controversy (for this (NSFW) and this), the director was simply subjected to a few goofball questions from Ed Helms. She was fired in a secret session because, I assume, from the bad press.