commandN #138 (June 23rd, 2008)

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headLINES
Firefox 3 launches
Oldest computer music unveiled
LinkedIn valued at $1B
Reddit goes open source
Write your MP about bill C61
Glassdoor shows you where employees are happiest

techTIPS
Surge Protection (PDF)

webPICKS
Tumblr the Doc
Evernote
Diabetic Days

Comments

[blipfish]

Great show, as usual. I really enjoy CommandN and make it part of my weekly ritual.

Next week, maybe you could do an entire show from within an elevator with the doors behind you? ...just completely ignore everyone that comes and goes while you do your program? :)

Keep up the great work.

ps: Thanks to Jeff for helping me along in my decision making for getting my first Mac laptop - MBP.

[david]

Thanks for the remind on FF3 I still have to download it. I didn't think there would be much of a difference but now I have seen the reviews. I recently upgraded my internet service from 1meg to 5 megs. I am going to go order a shirt now.

[Mike]

I listened to the recording of the "Oldest computer generated music" at the BBC website and I had to laugh when it started playing "God Save the King"... that always makes me think of the "Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen" anthem from Ren & Stimpy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZXfy6CfmBY&feature=related

[Herb Crosby]

400v is too high for Let through voltage, 330v is typical of good one's But I still think that is high for 120Volt system. I would pay more attention to the clamp voltage and have it as close to your max wanted.

[Raj]

Look Mum, I'm on TV :) Great show guys, thanks for letting me tag along!

[Sgt Ret]

This time there was only one background extra. Nicely done. He appeared to just casually appear and walk behind you. Good casting!

Coming off a bus, or out of a car into the camera shot is another good entry as well.

Another winner!

[Gene]

Hey episode 138, they're my three lucky numbers for life. By the way Amber, excellent presentation but I was mostly interested in your blue jeans.

[Adam F.]

Hey Will,
Mind sharing with us your reddit username, I want to add you a friend there. (so i can spy on you ;))

[petey pablo]

Hey Will: It's not sakeee it's sak-eh

Pronounce it right. geez

[Ed]

good energy. This is first episode I remember with no commercial. Mozilla and reddit should pay you; you certainly gave them great props.

[vance]

Nice new look!...

[Ian]

Hey hey,

Great episode (as always), and you mentioned my fav' web2.0 app of the moment (well, apart from qik.com/ianinthetubes) - Evernote.

If you have a tablet pc then you *really*[1] want to checkout Evernote. I notice it is out of invite-only too.

Keep up with the great shows.

Pip Pip!

Ian.
(www.twitter.com/ianinthetubes)

[1] Yes.. I am that sure... I used asterisks.

[Paul]

Something about your web site
http://commandn.typepad.com/
is crashing my desktop and laptop.

[SteveintheUK]

@Amber, so was this episode filmed in the building that your studio/office is based in? I do like those corridors, I do like commercial buildings that don't try and hide away all they services behind fake walls and ceiling. It make it a lot easier to spot any problems earlier. Anyway, Linkedin is worth $1billion, why? it's a good site/service but if anybody paid $1b for it how would they every make their money back? They only have a limited number of ads on they site, and are the people who use Linkedin to look for a contact really going to be interested in any type of ads on that site?

@Will, good to see you back, and many thanks for the Evernote invite.

@Jeff, Was wondering if you had seem this article about surge protectors, it's from 1996 but I don't think anything major has changed since then?

http://www.powerqualityanddrives.com/transient_surge_protection/

It explains why the clamping voltage for your 120/110volts system is set at 330volts. Basically, from what I can make out, 330volts is the max voltage that will go though when stuck by lighting. The lower the incoming voltage the lower the clamping voltage is, ie 6,000 volts in will be clamped to 192 volts, and 1,000 volts in will be clamped to 159 volts. The save max peak for things like computers is 339.36 volts, ie they should not catch fire below this level.

So although surge protector are great for normal use and protect computers from frying chips when ever the washing machine turns on of off, if you get stuck by lighting the only protection it will give is to stop your home from burning down due to your computer catching fire. But you will still need to buy a new computer.

So thanks Jeff, next time we have a lighting storm around here I will not only stop using my computers but will unplug them from the wall to. I always though that as long as you used a surge protector if you got hit by lighting all you would have to do was find another power source, plugin you computer and all would be fine.

@Amber, Happy belated Birthday, I did send you a Twitter but not sure if you would have seem it with the thousands of Twitters that you would have got. Hope you have a great time shopping at the bestofpei.com store. I hear they sell the best fresh beef on PEI. It must be bbq/patio weather over there by now?

[Jeff MacArthur]

Thanks for the additional surge protection tips, everyone - always good to get some more info in the comments!

Jeff

[Jeremy]

My company plans on utilizing Reddit's code for our next project, and I hope them being open gives Reddit a chance at challenging Digg for top spot in the bookmarking space.

I wish everyone used Firefox because it's so much better than IE overall, and it would make it easier on developers and web companies having one standard browser to build apps and platforms on.

LinkedIn has a very bright future (if Facebook is worth $15 billion, LinkedIn is for sure worth $1 billion), I think they will likely offer an IPO sometime next year, 2009.

Good show guys.

[command pgp line]

i saw a video similar to this on BBC although these women were much prettier than the BBC anchors.

[1248703978]

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