I was saddened to read on www.timetriallingforum.co.uk that Sheldon Brown had died (see this obituary). Sheldon Brown's website is a fabulous source of bike information, particularly related to fixed wheel and tandems. He'll be missed worldwide.
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I've just received a FrogPad portable keyboard, to use with the OQO UMPC I bought recently. It's Bluetooth enabled. The manufacturers claim one can reach 40wpm quite quickly, even for those who aren't already touch typers. I'm most definitely a "hunt and peck typist", so it'll be interesting to see how this gets on. Besides using the keyboard with the UMPC, I plan to use it with my (hopefully soon to be resurrected) iPaq hx4700 Pocket PC.
This is what a Righty FrogPad looks like (if you click on the image, you should see a life-size version). I bought the Lefty version, in white, with the intention that this would leave my right hand free for mouse or stylus use.
Physically, the unit seems pretty robust, with a slide on cover. It comes with a CD with a typing tutor (for Windows and Mac, but the Windows version seems to work OK on Linux under Wine), a retractable USB power cord and mains adaptor, and several leaflets and manuals.
Because I was concerned that the OQO might not run the UAB version, and because my iPaq doesn't have a USB connection, I chose the Bluetooth version. So far, connecting the device hasn't been difficult, at least with the OQO, which is running XP Pro SP2. I have yet to see how to pair it with the Linux laptop (but this is less of a priority). Unfortunately my iPaq is off at the workshop awaiting attempts to re-attach the sync/power socket to its motherboard.
I'm not going to get much opportunity to play with it this weekend, as I'm off to ride my first time trial of the new season, over in South Wales. But I'll update this article as I learn to use it. Here's what it's like in use (by an experienced user, obviously!).
4th March - I decided to practice for 15 minutes a day, beginning yesterday evening. By buying a Lefty, I may have bitten off more than I could chew given that I am right handed. Still, learning the letter positions is coming along well, and this may be the first time I've tried to touch type...another practice later today!
Groklaw has a story linking the current MSOOXML deliberations to a Microsoft strategy document that's in the public domain thanks to at least one anti-trust case. (Note that it's a big pdf file, and that the groklaw story has it as text). The Groklaw story has many comments, and is worth reading. Is this normal behaviour for a company, or am I just naive?
Having looked at that document, this news story (Gates to tap young minds) sent shivers down my spine.
Well, actually, a bunch of American Baptists burnt an effigy of Richard Dawkins. It is pretty impressive that standing up for your views on life and religion can provoke such a response. On the other hand, they also burnt an effigy of Hillary Clinton (reportedly described by the fruitcakes as "a Hitler named Hillary Clinton – the anti-God baby killer who plans to turn the United States into Sodom and Gomorrah").Wild stuff in the realms of a "god" who's believers claim is kind and benificent. Me, I rather like Dawkins' portrayal of the Old Testament god in The God Delusion. I notice the amazon.co.uk listing has garnered 700 reader reviews, which seem on first glance to be very polarised...
My friend and colleague Lynne Cox is chairing the organising committee of a meeting to be held at Oriel College, Oxford, in July 2008. This meeting promises to be an excellent opportunity for networking and establishing collaborations in this field. Lynne asked me to join the committee and design a website.Click on the meeting logo to visit the conference website.