] This week the South Huntington Public Library on Long
] Island, New York, became one of the first public
] libraries in the country to loan out iPod shuffles.

] For the past three weeks, the library ran a pilot program
] using the portable MP3 devices to store audio books
] downloaded from the Apple iTunes Music Store. They
] started with six shuffles, and now are up to a total of
] 10. Each device holds a single audio book.

] The few library patrons that have checked them out seem
] to have had positive experiences.

] Lee Jacknow, 61, a retired professor of engineering who
] currently has one iPod shuffle checked out with the new
] John Grisham novel on it, said that having the iPod has
] changed the way he listens to audio books.

] "It's changed the books on tape from a car-only
] experience to a bring-it-with-you experience," he said.

] Ken Weil, the library's director, said that the library
] had been looking for a way to share digital audio content
] with its patrons for some time, and that until recently,
] the existing iPods were far too expensive.

] "It's the right product with the right price," he said.
] "We said that this is a great way of getting these out to
] the public."

] Instead of having an entire book take up several CDs, one
] book fits within several MP3 files, usually ranging from
] 150 MB to 350 MB, he said. The library currently stocks
] both of the two versions of the iPod shuffle -- six of
] the 1-GB model, and four of the 512-MB model.

] In addition, the library has the potential to save a
] great deal of money. Latini said that most titles on CDs
] cost the library around $75, whereas in MP3 format, they
] range from $15 to $25.

] "In the end, obviously, we're literally saving money," he
] said. "The units are paying for themselves."

] The library even throws in a cassette adapter and an FM
] transmitter for use in a car.

Library Shuffles Its Collection

] CHICAGO (CBS 2) Wireless Home Computer Networks, called
] Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), are very popular. Internet
] access without wires sounds like a good idea, but you'd
] better protect your computer network from Wi-Fi Spies.

Short but accurate and easy to understand article about how mainstream America needs to protect their home wi-fi networks. The attached video features the reporter doing a wardrive around Chicago with Mike Dahn, who some of the Memestreams regulars may recognize from Def Con and PhreakNIC.

CBS 2 Chicago: Protect Your Computer From Wi-Fi Spies

] Recently, while giving away yet another $1.00 of my
] hard-earned money for the privilege of driving into town,
] I wondered: how flexible are they about the tolls? So I
] decided to undertake a series of experiments.

] There are three ways to pay tolls on the "Mass Pike," as
] we call it:

] 1) You can drive through the "Fast Lane," which is a
] computerized system that detects a small device that you
] keep on your windshield, while pelting your car with
] gamma rays and slowly giving you cancer of the prostate.
] All Fast Lanes require that you slow your car to 15 mph,
] and some make you stop completely, giving new meaning to
] the word "Fast."

] 2) You can pay cash to the friendly toll booth operator,
] who will give you change, and, if you're lucky, a surly
] grunt.

] 3) If you have exact change, you can use the "baskets,"
] which are big scoop-shaped buckets into which you throw
] your money. The money slides down a chute, where it is
] then processed by either highly efficient money-sorting
] machinery, or financially astute elves. It's a mystery.

If you have a few minutes read through it. It is rather funny. I especially like the last experiment and letters.

Avoiding Tolls On The Massachusetts Turnpike

] Magnetic Stripe Snooping at Home
]
] Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday March 01, @09:59AM
] from the because-you-can dept.
]
] pbrinich writes "Have you ever wondered what information
] is actually stored on all those cards you have in your
] wallet? Well, it turns out you can find out yourself! An
] excellent project, Stripe Snoop started by Billy Hoffman,
] a Georgia Tech computer science student, contains
] schematics, source code and a wide variety of information
] about the standards used to store all sorts of
] information on your magnetic cards."

[ Billy makes the front page of /. Go billy! -k]

StripeSnoop on /.

] This "voodoo" knife rack, which depicts a human form
] pierced by your knife collection in many strategic
] locations, is the best kitchen thinggy I've ever seen.

Umm. Wow. I could see some people I know owning this and loving it.

Knife Rack

] As Japan produces fewer children and more retirees,
] toymakers are designing new dolls for the lonely elderly --
] companions which can sleep next to them and offer caring words
] they may never hear otherwise.

] The Yumel doll, which looks like a baby boy and has a
] vocabulary of 1,200 phrases, is billed as a "healing
] partner" for the elderly and goes on the market Thursday
] at a price of 8,500 yen (80 dollars).

] The 37-centimeter (15-inch) Yumel is equipped with six sensors and
] an IC chip which keep track of the owner's sleeping time.

] "I feel so good, g-o-o-d n-i-g-h-t," the doll says before
] falling asleep if the owner pats it on the chest gently.

] Or Yumel may ask, "Aren't you pushing yourself too hard?"
] when it judges the owner has been going to bed too
] irregularly or not spending enough time playing with it.

] Some customers are so much in love with the doll that
] they are troubled by casual questions it asks.

] "I thought that you need to enjoy the night together if
] you really hope to live with a doll."

Does anyone else find this statement deeply disturbing?

I find it interesting that there is such a big market for this. Lets get analytical about it and ask...What does that say about society? It just doesn't seem like a logical solution. Plus it would really creep me out to have a doll tell me when to go to sleep. I guess overall it just doesn't make sense to me.

Unusual new companion for elderly

"I was shocked reading the interview. Everything fits into place that this is an unintentional oversight and the interviewed student appears to be one of the most honest people on this planet. I have to question who is most right in this case. I wish that Apple could find some way to drop the matter. In my opinion, more than appropriate punishment has already been dealt out. In this age of professional spammers and telemarketers making fortunes, we're misusing our energies to pursue these types of small time wrongdoers. I will personally donate $1,000 to the Canadian student's defense."

Woz donates to Apple leak lawsuit target

] The eloquence of a few lines of verse can be a powerful
] thing. Poetry can cause you to pause and think about
] life. It can incite feelings of rage. A good poem can
] even bring you to tears. We're not sure where this one
] lies in the spectrum of emotional reactions, but we're
] thinking somewhere between a chuckle and a look of
] heartfelt confusion.

I found this awhile back but don't think I got around to posting it.

Geek Love Poem

] Hacker - A popular term for someone who accesses computer
] information either legally or illegally.

I was assigned to do a lesson on internet safety. This is part of the definition section in a packet for children.

Internet definitions

] Virginia Harmon of Chevy Chase, Md., was born with
] Klinefelter Syndrome, where instead of the X and Y
] chromosome of males, people have an extra X chromosome.
] She was raised as a boy, but at age 14 began developing
] breasts and "began negotiating with my parents"
] to transition to a girl. At 25, she had female
] sex-assignment surgery.

] But law in Texas, where she was born, doesn't allow
] her to change her birth certificate, which still states
] that she is male-so she couldn't marry a man
] there.

This is part of an article on intersex babies which has nothing to do with this issue. This section happened to jump out at me. Here is a non gay person whose life is adversely affected by gay marriage bans. We need to remember no issue is black and white. No matter which side of this issue you are on, you need to be aware of innocent bystanders.

Gay Marriage ban hurts non gays