I gave a fifteen minute speech last year at the first Web 2.0 conference, called "Does Web2.0=AOL 1.0? How the sneaky forces of darkness are criminalizing the Web in smoke-filled rooms that you can't get into." IT Conversations has put the audio online. Link (Thanks, Doug!)

These laptops have all of the plastic chassis components removed and replaced with handcrafted wooden pieces made from old Sicilian wine-cases. Link (Thanks, Uber-Review!)

Many readers have written to point out that AOL's new Terms of Service for AIM "include the right for AOL to use anything and everything you send through AIM in any way they see fit, without informing you. A sample passage: '...by posting Content on an AIM Product, you grant AOL, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, assigns, agents and licensees the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote this Content in any medium. You waive any right to privacy.'" Link

Check out the amazing craftspersonship in this Doom 3 casemod, complete with exhaustive build-notes. Link (Thanks, Brandon!)

One of the security assumptions in Bluetooth is that attackers need to be quite close-by if they want to gain access to your phone or other device. Here's simple instructions for building a handsome, effective Bluetooth "sniper rifle" whose high-gain antenna will give you access to devices from miles away.

After a few seconds, John pointed the gun at the Library Tower / US Bank Building, which is the tallest building in Los Angeles. The building was .75 miles (a little over 1 km) from our position.

As more Bluetooth devices started appearing, John said, "This building is full of Bluetooth! Look we got some Blackberries!" He also explained that, with multiple guns, it would be possible to track a single Bluetooth device as the person walked around. In less than a few minutes, twenty devices were detected—all at distances over a half mile away! We decided to quickly conclude the scan, given police activity in the area earlier in the day from a bomb scare.

Link (via MAKE Blog)