The cables run the length of the living room using eye-hooks, cable clamps and tensioners. The cables are securely fixed to the walls six inches apart at the picture rail. The transformer is now wired with a 3 point plug, and the next step is to wire the transformer 12v output to the cables. The final step will be to buy the lamps for up to 300 watts of bright and focused light.
After CES and MacWorld I feel overwhelmed by technology. It's time to get the most out the gadgets I already own.
So this weekend's project will be to install cable lighting in the front room (Our building originally had gas lighting and the front room still doesn't have any ceiling lights).
The main cost was $80 for the transformer and cable at $1.50 per foot. It's a commercial transformer and I'll be wiring the input for 120volts myself (If postings to this blog stop, call the ambulance).
Tomorrow I'll go to OSH for a 3-point plug and steel hardware to support the cables. Shouldn't cost more than $20.
Progress report tomorrow.
I'm high on the new iMac with Dual core Intel processor that runs 2-3 times faster than the iMac G5. People were three deep trying to get a look at the new machines, but we already know what the case looks like and we can imagine it running faster, so I didn't bother elbowing my way to the front. I'll wait for the dust to settle then buy one later this year.
I still love my iMac G4, but the 15" screen looks small after a day at MacWorld.
The Mustang fills a huge gap in the car market for affordable 2 door V8 rear wheel drive cars.
Now Chrysler and GM want a slice of this market segment
with the Challenger and Camaro. Their Detroit Motor Show concept cars look similar to me, so they better add lots of speed stripes,chrome and cheap plastic so we can tell them apart. Perhaps the vinyl roof will make a comeback.
Thanks AutoBlog
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Offer is good until January 31st.
By now you've heard about the MacBook Pro and Intel iMac, but no one has mentioned these my-vu 'video glasses' from MicroOptical. They come with earphones and they plug into a video iPod. There's a small screen in front of each eye, and the image is great! Because they're so narrow you can still see some of what's going on around you. According to the booth babe they'll be $300 in April.
They had no handouts, and the glasses aren't listed on the MicroOptical website. But they are mentioned on this Korean gadget news site.
CES in Las Vegas is over and MacWorld San Francisco opens Tuesday.
The Consumer Electronics Show exhibited some very nice large screen TVs, and I'd be happy to own any one of them.
But most of the other goods on display were tacky. The manufacturers need to hire product design consultants (or first year design school students) to examine the aesthetics of their products. Most of the gadgets looked like shiny rubbish because of their cluttered random design and chrome plastic (including my beloved Treo 650 and 700W). Now consider the iPod. The iPod is functionally no better than the dozens of other mp3 players on the market, but we want it because it's nice to touch, and a pleasure to look at. Designers, wake-up and pay attention!
The MoGo Mouse. This Bluetooth mouse deserves mention. It stores and recharges inside your laptop's PC slot. Simple, useful.
The Sony Reader. At first glance it's just another LCD screen pretending to be a book. But read the details and you'll find it's a new type of display that is viewable in bright sunlight and uses no energy to display a page. It might succeed, but not at the projected price of $300-$400. Available in the Spring.
In SF vacant buildings sell for more money than occupied buildings because the new owners can set any rent they want.
Our rent controlled three unit building was sold 6 months ago for $M1.1 after our neighbours and we (really me) baulked at $M1.05 (My decision not to buy was based on my lack of love for the building). Now the new owners plan to resell in the Spring and they've offered to buy us out of our lease so they can sell it as a vacant building.
Until now, our plan was to stay in our rent controlled apartment. But it's a gamble. If we stay, we might be evicted under the Ellis Act, and we'd have to move anyway. If we take the buy-out money and move, we'll be paying much higher rent elsewhere in the City.
Of course any decision will be made in cooperation with our neighbours, who are pretty savvy about such things.
The Triumph car company was devastated during WW2, and the Standard car company bought the name. (I can just remember my father's Standard Vanguard like this one. Was this 'ute' only made for Australia/NZ?)
Now Rumour is, BMW is building a prototype Triumph sports car, and plans to sell the car through their MINI division. If true, the car would take 3-4 years to make it to market.
Here in America, the Triumph name means a traditional 2 seater sportscar like this:
For the rest of the world Triumph made the 2000, Herald, Toledo and Dolomite . They were all rwd, except for the Toledo.
If I could own just one Triumph, it would be the Dolomite Sprint(1973-1980). It's a small car by todays standards, with typical Triumph wood dashboard/door-caps and luxury interior. It was the first modern production car with a four valve engine, and used a SOHC and 2 liters to make 127hp. It had a 4speed gearbox with overdrive in 3rd and 4th.
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