Category: Quickhit

[A map of Australia like the ones in the front of the Lord of the Rings books](http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2007/11/18/204-one-ring-to-rule-them-all-mate/). I take slight exception to the ‘Witch Realm of Canbrar’ bit, but given that it’s just about the clverest adaptation on the map I’ll let it go.

[A new electronic book reader from Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA/ref=cm_taf_title_featured?ie=UTF8&tag=tellafriend-20). Kinda interesting. But not available in Australia. And probably won’t be for some time, given the reliance on EV-DO. I do a lot of book reading on my mobile phone, and I’ll be getting something bigger to replace it in that role as soon as there’s one that…

[TV networks want to ensure you can’t fast forward adverts too quickly](http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/networks-want-to-nobble-fast-forward/2007/11/19/1195321672583.html?s_cid=rss_news). If fast forward is outlawed, only outlaws will have fast forward buttons! Actually, the big problem here (as pointed out in the story) is that Australia is a tiny minnow when it comes to consumer electronics like this. The manufacturers would rather say…

[CEO facts](http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/09/facts-about-ceo.html), including the fact that if their wife dies their company’s value falls by fifteen per cent. It’s easy to look at the salaries of some CEOs and wonder what they can do that deserves the big pay. But evidence like this suggests that, just maybe, there might be something other than a cargo…

[One US company has improved productivity by banning email on Fridays](http://lifehacker.com/software/email/companies-limit-email-use-to-boost-productivity-294026.php). About one-fifth of the actual solution, I think.

[New research shows that richer countries *are* happier](http://andrewleigh.com/?p=1584). I’d always suspected the answer to the Easterlin paradox was that we just couldn’t measure happiness well enough, but this is an interesting new bit of analysis.

[Teach yourself some stupid pen tricks](http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/08/stupid_yet_cool_pen_trick.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890). You’ll probably need some dexterity, of course.

[The typical Web2.0 meeting](http://valleywag.com/tech/clips/collegehumor-reenacts-pretty-much-every-meeting-in-the-dot+com-industry-292342.php). By now, every time I hear ‘Web 2.0’ I run the other way. It’s become one of those dangerous buzzwords that largely mean ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’.

[A box that unwinds wings to land like a helicopter when dropped from a plane](http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2007/08/copterbox_spin_cargo.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890). Clever. And potentially a lot of use when delivering more delicate humanitarian aid.

[Brian the Brain looks like he may well try to conquer the earth in his spare time](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/brainiac-buddy/brian-the-brain-possibly-blams-brain-in-toy-form-295814.php). Either that, or he’ll turn out to be misunderstood and really just hear for peaceful purposes.