iFawn

So, I got an iPhone. I offset the $300 cost of the 4GB version, now discontinued, by selling my Motorola PEBL and Palm Zire for $180 (not counting eBay's and PayPal's growing 'take'). Plenty of music fits into 4 GB so I could also sell my old 20 GB iPod but it probably isn't worth much.

Honestly, the PEBL is smaller and feels better in the hand and the Palm has a better camera and is fully programable. But it's the connections between all the functions that makes the iPhone the clear winner. After owning it for 3 weeks, I still occasionally say “ah!” in genuine pleasant surprise. Here are a few examples:
* The phone book has full contact information, including notes for info that doesn't fit into a standard category, and you can even easily link a Google map.
* Someone calls and you want to add the number to a contact, or make a new contact? That's one-button easy instead of trying to remember the manual.
* Someone calls while you are talking to someone else and you want to connect the calls? That's one-button easy.
* Connected to Bluetooth headset but want to disconnect and use the phone handset? That's one-button easy.
* Traveling? ATT Edge is not as bad as some say so you don't need to find an open wifi for email or web access. Find your hotel on the web and you can click to call the telephone number or click on the address to link to Google maps. Too cool.
* Listening to music when a call arrives? The click on the headphone button and the music quiets and you answer the phone.
* Best of all: the caller ID text is big enough for a 50 year old to see without glasses!

Sure, my old phone could do some of these things but I could never remember how to do any of them. Many additional applications were written for the iPhone but the latest software bug fix/upgrade killed them, generating much negative press. Now Apple plans to support development of non-Apple applications, so "All is well...and all will be well...in the garden".

Living in the Greenhouse

Dramatic and scary effects of global warming will occur long before nations coordinate their efforts to reduce their release of greenhouse gasses. (Even the Bush administration dullards and puppets have abandoned denial and are now willing to “do their part”... so long as no sacrifice is required.) Congress' idea of dramatic action is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 15% by 2020. By that time, it will be far too late for reductions to have much effect on the course of warming over the following 50-100 years. What is to be done?

We will have to think of direct ways to slow and reverse global warming itself. For example, we could compensate for the warming of greenhouse gasses by reflecting more sunlight from earth into space or by shading parts of the planet from space. Such ideas will have to be tested on a huge scale to see an effect.

Every technology is eventually used in war, if not actually invented as a weapon. Weather manipulation could be used as a weapon to cause draught or floods, for example. That will get the attention of the Pentagon. It's unlikely the military meteorologists will be better than the civilian ones – correct about half the time.