Archive 5. January 2006

code.enthought.com - Enthought Tool Suite - sounds like an interesting GUI library that builds on WxPython and enables even more comfortable application development. Particularly interesting is the use of the "Traits" concept for the automatic creation of interfaces.

morons.org - Anti-Gay Preacher Arrested for Soliciting Sex from Male Undercover Cop - the biggest critics of the elephants, are themselves ...

/my/cssQuery/ - the IE7 author (not the one from Microsoft, but the compatibility hacker) has split out his CSS Query Engine as a standalone program. A very powerful way to find parts of documents using CSS selectors in JavaScript.

News from Lego Mindstorms

Live From CES: Lego Mindstorms NXT - Gizmodo - wow. I actually wanted to hold back on Lego purchases, especially since I don't have time for them anyway, but this sounds really too good:

The new NXT “brick” is a 32-bit microprocessor that can be programmed using a PC or, for the first time, a Mac. It’s Bluetooth enabled, which makes the instructions you plug into the LabView software easy to transfer to your bot, and even control it from a PDA or mobile phone. It’s got three servo motors with inbuilt rotation sensors for precise speed control (one of the demo units on display walked quite fluidly). An ultrasonic sensor lets the robot see, it will recognize sound patterns and tones, the light detector is sensitive to both color and intensity variations, and there is a touch sensor to let the bot feel its way around as well.

This definitely sounds like a must-have factor in the range of 100%

Let's just throw the money into the tank

New metrology regulations: Less gasoline for the same money?:

As "Kontraste" reports, measuring devices for the dispensing of heating oil and fuel are to be calibrated to larger tolerances from October onwards. As a result, fuel pumps may in future dispense up to one percent less fuel than displayed. Previously, only 0.2 percent was allowed. The background to the EU directive is that every manufacturer should be allowed to freely sell their fuel pumps in every EU country - even if they work very inaccurately.

Sometimes even shaking your head doesn't help with the nonsense that is being served up in the EU ...