The Runoff

Announced at the beginning of February, the 18-megapixel Canon EOS 550D
(marketed as the EOS Rebel T2i in North America) is the successor to last year’s
15-megapixel 500D / T1i. Putting aside the increase in pixel count, the 550D /
T2i offers a 1,040,000-dot LCD screen with an aspect ratio of 3:2, a 63-zone
metering sensor – identical to the one used in the higher-specified EOS 7D –
subtly redesigned controls, standard ISO settings of 100-6,400 (expandable to
12,800), simplified Live View focusing and an improved video mode featuring
1080p Full HD recording at 24/25/30fps and 720p HD capture at your choice of
either 50 or 60fps, with full manual control over exposure and gain. Supporting
SD, SDHC and even SDXC memory cards, the Canon EOS 550D / T2i is currently
available priced at £699.00 / $799.99 for the body in the UK / US, respectively.

Photography Blog has a great, in-depth review of the new Canon EOS T2i.

I’ve been coveting this thing since its release in February; this review only makes me want it more. Who knew THAT was possible?!

Photo: Commodore USA

The vintage Commodore 64 personal computer is getting a makeover, with a new design and some of the latest computing technologies, as the brand gets primed for a comeback.

 

The Commodore 64 was a home computer running on an 8-bit processor released by Commodore International in 1982. The computer was one of the most popular models of all time, selling close to 17 million units between 1982 and 1994, according to the Computer History Museum.

The revamped computer will be available through the Commodore USA online store, which is set to open June 1, according to the company’s Web site. The computer will be an all-in-one keyboard, with Intel’s 64-bit quad-core microprocessors and 3D graphics capabilities, according to the site.

To conform with the times, the PC also offers up to 500GB of hard drive storage and 4GB of RAM. Also included are a DVD-RW drive, a touchpad, four USB ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) port to connect monitors. No price information was given on the Web site.

I have some great memories of playing on the Commodore 64 at my friend Jon’s house when I was little. How can I not be excited to see this hallmark of my childhood return?

All nostalgia aside, this is a decent looking machine. Nothing to knock your socks off, but for everyday computing and even a little gaming, this has potential, if the price is right.

Image copyright © 2010 The Muppet Madness
Tournament!

Winner take all! Who will climb to the top of the Muppet Madness Tournament?

I was a huge fan of The Muppet Show, it’s great to see them making a come back online.

My money’s on Kermit, but I’d love to see Animal win it all.

How to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the United States: Cover
yourself in green (bonus points for shamrocks), put a smiling leprechaun cut-out
on your front door, head to your local “Irish Pub” after work, get rowdy and
wasted.

How to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in England: Eh, maybe pop down to
the local pub for a nice pint.

How to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland: Go to church.

Those who recognize St. Patrick’s Day celebrate it very differently depending
on where they’re from, and believe it or not, it’s the United States that has
turned the Emerald Isle’s namesake tradition into a huge party scene, when its
original intent was to be observed as a religious holiday.

This was an interesting read. I knew the story about the snake, but not much else.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day all.

Generally a headstone conveys two very basic facts about the person interred
below it – their name plus the two most important dates of their life. Thanks to
some new technology, headstones can now convey much more that: a photo and note
written by the deceased, delivered right to your phone.

How long until people start war driving cemetaries and hacking the messages people left.

I love the idea of the ability to leave something personal behind, but you know someone will hack these chips and change the picture or message you hope to leave behind.

I can see it now, “Here lies Chris, ALL YOUR HEADSTONE ARE BELONG TO US!” with a picture of LOLcats.