Merlins Tower

How Well do you Know your Google Search

Posted on December 12th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Anything Else, Game, Web Service, Weird Stuff.

I like to use Google for most of my searches and I think I am pretty good at preforming a good search. But how well do you know from a group of 20 photos what term was searched for on Google - That is where Guess the Google comes in to play. I played today and got into the Top 10 Top Scorers. What really makes this game hard is you have a time limit and get better scores the faster you can type in the word. Each round there was at least one that I could not identify.  

So what is your best score - Post it here for all to see.

Merlin

TAGS: Google game search top score adult

0 comments.

Free Printable Rulers

Posted on December 4th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Craft, GTD, Gadgets, Hack, Journaling, Miquelrius, Moleskine, Toy, Web Service, Weird Stuff.

How many times have you been out and don’t have a Ruler to measure something you saw at the store or to see if it will fit an application you are working on at home.

Well I have found an easy solution for you. What you need to do is to keep with you is a paper ruler in your wallet/organizer. And Mitchell Charity’s Site he has placed several different versions that you can print out on your printer (as long as you don’t allow the printer software to resize it) that you can cut out and keep with you in your organizer.

I printed out the Metric and Inch Ruler. Hey you really never know when you need an exact measurement (well a pretty darn close measurement). I put these up against my nice metal ruler that I keep on my desk and these are really close.

This is a nice cheap  inexpensive way to add a measurement device to your organizer.

Here is the Link to Print out the Free Printable Rulers: FREE Printable Rulers

You Need to click on the PDF version and Download it to your Computer and Use Adobe PDF Viewer to print these to your InkJet or Laser Printer. The PS Version is the PostScript Version that can be used to edit. But not easy to do. The Following Rulers are available on Vendian.or:

One Foot - Metric - centimeter - Multiple on one page - etc…
Remember to Print these click on the above link and use ADOBE PDF Viewer to print to your own inkjet or laser printer.

UPDATE - - Check out this new Post on Top Free Productive Tools

TAGS: Analog paper ruler organizer hack gtd

17 comments.

TSA Selling Surplus on Ebay

Posted on December 3rd, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Gadgets, Web Service, Weird Stuff.

Would you like to buy 10 pounds of tools? How about 25 pounds of stainless steel scissors? 15 pounds of Craftsman's tools? Well the TSA sends over all of the confiscated items to the PA Surplus Property to sell - And they sell it on ebay. You can find alot of interesting items for sale - Hey this might make a great place to purchase a few Christmas gifts. Give all your friends a nice multitool or a swiss army knife.

TAGS: TSA EBAY SURPLUS AUCTION CONFISCATED KNIFES TOOLS

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Cool Tool: The Memory Board - Post It Notes Replacement

Posted on October 11th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Anything Else, Communication, Craft, Gadgets, Hack, Weird Stuff.

Ok this really is a cool tool!

Are you tired of putting the little post-it notes all over you monitor to have them fall off and loose an important note to the bottom of your shoe. Or does your cat think you put the post it notes on the monitor as a play toy for their enjoyment? - Well, I saw this as I was searching around the net once again and stumbled upon "The Memory Board"

The Memory Board - The Monitor Organizer

This is something that I need to get my hands on - While I am working I will scratch down notes that I take on those small post-it's as little reminders and things to remember or to note an interesting page, or just various pieces of info. Usually these notes are not something I would write down in my notebook/journal as I don't need a permanent record of these types of data but they are definitely important at the time. I don't have space for a whiteboard at my desk. Hey, if you saw my desk you would understand. But putting a white board around the monitor where I normally put the post-it is a fantastic idea. This is a great organizational tool.

And the cost is not that bad $12.95 and $13.95 depending on the size - The order page lists all the sizes available 15 Inch, and  17 Inch Versions are available now and 19 and 21 inch monitors are stated as coming soon. 

Here is a photo taken from their site of the memory board in action:

Memory Board in Action

Links: The Memory Board Website 

Tags: PostIt, Post, It, Notes, Organization, Organizer, Monitor, Gadget, Tech, Whiteboard, Office, Pron 

3 comments.

Top Ten: Worst Tech Based Movies

Posted on September 22nd, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Anything Else, Computing, Gadgets, Movies, Weird Stuff.

Yup, I love movies - You know I love Tech - But I find it fun to make fun at the bad portrayal of tech in movies. Below is a list of the Worst Portrayals of Technology in Film - This list is from GideonTech.

10) Wargames (1983) - Talking Computers Thru Hacking and It was the 80’s
09) The Italian Job (2003) - One Word NAPSTER!
08) Antitrust (2001) - Bill Gates ish Movie - Security Ideas
07) Hackers (1995) - Pre Internet - Lack of Believable Tech
06) Transporter 2 (2005) - Car Gadgets
05) Swordfish (2001) - Ultimate Hacker - Computer Virus that look like germs
04) Goldeneye (1995) - Boris and Ability to “Spike” a computer
03) Mission: Impossible (1996) - Strange Formatted Email Address (Max@Job 3:14)
02) Jurassic Park (1993) - 10 Year old girl in 1993 knowing UNIX
01) ………. Visit the site ………

Not a bad list and I would recommend checking out GideonTech for the complete list with Screen Shots and more detail about what is happening.

Tags: Movies, Technology, Top, Ten, Worst

0 comments.

Happy Birthday: Hard Drive

Posted on September 18th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Anything Else, Computing, Weird Stuff.

Well - Belated Birthday !

On Sept 13th, 1956 - The First IBM Hard Drive - RAMAC (Random Access Method of Accounting and Control) - Drive was Shipped and Installed. - This date was the begining of it all.

For a comparison:
Your MP3 Player -
    Size: 2" x 1" x 5" Aprox depending on player.
    Cost: $300 dollars
    Capacity: 40 GB (Enough for Several Thousand songs 7,500 Again Aprox)

OR USB Drive:
    Size: 1" x .25" x .5"
    Cost: $35
    Capacity:  2 GB or 2,000 MB Aprox

The First RAMAC Drive:
    Size:  This thing weighed a ton - Yes, a full ton and the size of two large refrigerators.
    Cost:  Only $250,000 in todays dollars PER Year (This device was leased from IBM)
    Capacity: 5 Million 7-Bit Characters or about 4.4 MBin todays standards or     (About 1 to possibly 2 MP3 songs)
    Note: This drive did require an air compressor to protect the moving heads.
    this drive had 50 24 Inch - iron-oxide-coated disks
    This was the first device that allowed true random access to the data - before this all data was stored on data tapes and had to wind backwards and forwards to get to the requested data.

This is what it would have looked like:

Technorati Tags: History, Birthday, IBM, Hard Drive, Hard, Drive, Comparison

0 comments.

Cool, a bit quirky site - Little People Street Art Project

Posted on September 16th, 2006 by Merlin.
Categories: Art, Communication, Photography, Weird Stuff.

I just love some projects some people do - The Little People Site is one of them. The Official Name is “Little People - A Tiny Street Art Project” It is about very tiny possibly HO size figures that are hand painted and put into the street in very cool action scenes. 

Here is an example of a Person going on a lift (elevator for us americans) set at the bottom of a real lift in London I believe. This is truly Art imitating Life.

I have been looking for quirky - cool sites - I am helping a friend get his new site (To be revieled in about a week or so) - We are looking for Cool Site - Cool Videos - Strange Things that are found on the web - So if you have any email them to me   (Alan  (at)  MerlinsTower (dot) Com) - You know the drill Remove the space and replace the words with the correct symbol - Sorry to do it this way but I hate spam and email hordes….  And if you submit any cool sites to us - We will be sure to mention your name and or blog on the new site.

Technorati Tags: art, project, minitures, life, ho, london

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