Cory Doctorow:
Instructables has a super-smart plan for turning a Carbonit Hane Solo action-man into a chocolate-bar mold.
(Thanks, Chris!)
Update: Tyler sez, “I read your post about the Han Solo shaped chocolate bars, and it
reminded me of another Instructables. My best friend made an
Instructable on how to create a Han Solo ‘En-Queso’d In Carbonite’.”
Originally posted by Cory Doctorow from Boing Boing
Cory Doctorow:
Disney’s 1958 short “Magic Highway” is a retro-future look at the highways of tomorrow that never were. It is a perfect storm of goofy futurism (imagining the future to be just like the present, only more so) and crazy, angular pop art visuals. This makes me terribly nostalgic for the future.
Originally posted by Cory Doctorow from Boing Boing
Cory Doctorow:
HotelChatter has just published its annual best-of list for hotels with wireless Internet access. Marriott’s budget hotels took top honors. In my experience, Americans have it good here — in Europe, it’s often the case that hotels have execrable, punitively expensive Internet access from the likes of Eurospot — one time I ended up spending €90 for one day’s access at a hotel in Amsterdam that used Eurospot!
Residence Inn, Courtyard, Springhill Suites by Marriott
Marriott is so close to doing WiFi right. Residence Inns, SpringHill Suites, and Courtyard all have strong, free, fast, working wireless in the rooms and the lobbies.
Furthermore, the rooms at the above hotel brands will give you an ethernet cable, and a free tethered connection if the WiFi in your room is spotty or not preferred.
The lobbies at the above mentioned Marriott’s are also perfectly outfitted for meetings–meaning they offer plenty of power outlets and places to sit down and log on. The above video was shot at a Residence Inn and it shows you the mood and situation that is featured in most Residence Inn lobbies.
Finally, in our WiFi hotel testing, we have noticed that newer construction hotels, and low lying hotels, are much more apt to have strong wireless signals. Those old, multi-story buildings can be hard to optimally configure for wireless access.
What does all this mean? Marriott, you are so close. Just offer free wireless access at every Marriott property and you will be the first and only hotel brand to have a consistent free wireless policy.
tp://consumerist.com/”>The Consumerist)
Update: Michael sez, “Just this morning Wayport (the ISP for many Marriott brand hotels) blocked my Internet access for using video chat, despite the fact that Marriott advertises guests using video chat in their television adverts. In general Wayport reserves the right to block guests based on Mac address for ‘excessive bandwidth’ despite the fact that they refuse to explain what their bandwidth limitations are. This would be like a police officer taking away your keys for speeding on a highway without a posted speed limit. ‘But officer, what’s the speed limit on this road?’ ‘I’m not allowed to tell you that ma’am, but I will impound your vehicle.'”
Originally posted by Cory Doctorow from Boing Boing