Plecebo

The top command is a utility to see what processes and resources are being used on a system in real time via a terminal. Personally I use it constantly to check on the health of my web server when connecting remotely.

The Geek Stuff has a writeup: Can You Top This? 15 Practical Linux Top Command Examples on 15 great things you can do with the top command.

Even though I use this command all the time I seldom use these more advanced features, but I will certainly keep the article around for reference.

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these devices and play around with it. The next few years are going to result in some REALLY cool new phone/computer mashups in the device world.

This is really neat. Especially if you consider the irony of a robot doing the forms perfectly, but robots don't have any Chi... or do they!?

Thanks to Sara for sharing!

Occasionally people ask me why I use Ubuntu?

The simple and fairly complete answer is choice. The thing that really appeals to me about the open source software movement is the fact that if I don't like the direction my distribution is moving, I can change to another without loosing out on much functionality. If you don't like the way your IM app works, try another one, or write your own. If you don't like something you are free to change it.

An interactive, tactile hologram? SWEEET!

Keep Reading for more super cool interfaces.

The makers of the Opera web browser have released an Alpha of their new technology to change the landscape of the internet. They call it Opera unite and the basic idea is to decentralize the content of the internet so that every connected computer is a server providing content for its users. It is certainly an interesting concept, but I'm not sure it will revolutionize the web the way Opera is intending. Here is a video that explains a bit better:

This is a great music video from the Fleet Foxes. Stop motion rocks!

Mykonos from Grandchildren on Vimeo.

Take a small cardboard robot that moves in one direction only, afix an indication of its final destination and let people make sure it gets there.

This is the concept behind TweenBots. This is a really cute example of the "wisdom of crowds" concept. Basically the same principals that make things like Wikipedia or the Mechanical Turk Dollar Bill (also known as Ten Thousand Cents ) possible.

In this case instead of the robot developer building in expensive navigation equipment, she uses a simple flag to indicate the robots final destination and let people help it out along the way. It is probably not the most efficient path, but if you consider the time invested in total by the developer and all the 29 people who intervened to navigate the robot through the park and compare that to the effort it would take to incorporate navigation... well you begin to see how competitive a proposition like this becomes.

The result is a very cute video, and a super cool concept.

Nichole Young talking with Fredrick Van about her experiences with Istockphoto

Nicole Young - iStockphoto Contributor from Frederick Van Johnson on Vimeo.