I’ve been playing with one of these ‘ere tiny Casio Exilim EX-S2 digital cameras for a week or so now, and I’ve got to say that I’m very impressed. Now it’s important to realise that I’m no photographer, nor am I a camera buff at all. I’m what you might call a happy snapper, and what I look for in a digicam reflects that. And I’ve got to say that the Casio has come up trumps in just about everything…

This is actually a text ad I stumbled across on Metafilter recently, but I thought it was worth a post. It appears – I say appears because the Flash site is not that informative – that this 81X site is the start of some sort of Geocities type Web community. It’s based around a ‘keep it simple’ type Web page building tool, which is very interesting and innovative. A two page site is free of charge, but there are subscription…

So some guy has come up with a bit of software that can ‘analyse’ a scan of the surface of a record (aka album, long playing disk, vinyl platter – c’mon you can’t be that old!) and transcribe the result into a digital MP3 file. Now you may ask why he didn’t just record and burn like normal people, but who are we to question the vagaries of geek genius, eh? [via slashdot]

Seems like some folks would like to re-brand broadband as ‘permanet’ to emphasise the coolest part of the technology which is that it is ‘always on’ rather than focus on the fact that it is super fast (which we users know is just not true for your average home 512K set up). ‘So when are you gettin’ your permanet connection installed then?’ Doesn’t have quite the same ring though, does it?

Wow, how neat. I just booked a car with Avis online and at the end of the process was presented with a link box to the Future Forests site. Apparently Avis has become a member of this initiative and will make a donation to the ecology as part of its corporate ethics policy. As part of its commitment to the environment, Avis is setting CO2 reduction targets across its European operations. It is also funding tree planting and carbon-efficiency projects…

It’s a De Lorean, ma, but not as we know it! [via Fark] Update: Whoa, there are actually people who attend De Lorean car shows. I think I need a lie down!

The Keo Project. At the end of 2003 the satellite Keo will be launched into space. Some 50,000 years later it will return to Earth, intact, to offer our faraway, future, distant great grandchildren a collection of our messages destined for them. Uh huh, I see!

The Sierra 750 GSM/GPRS PC Card (big breath) is a cool card which gives mobile phone functionality to a laptop. Just plug it in, slip in a phone SIM card, install the software and off you go, instant GPRS and GSM roaming without having to use a mobile phone. Priced at �316.00 in the UK). [via the register]

Where do old Palms go to die? I’m not sure really, but this site sure gives some pointers to how they bite the dust. [via madville]

Here’s an interesting article which points out what I’ve long suspected (but never had the time or energy to test) – that printer speeds displayed on the box in fact bear little relation to the actual speed of the product. The one thing that the article misses though, is that for many people (myself included) the ultimate print speed is less of a factor than the quality of the resulting output. As long as the page doesn’t take too long…

You have a mobile phone (cell phone to you transatlantic-ians!) and you’re worried about the battery life? Then invest in one of these spiffy Sunpower Systems solar powered batteries. Clip ’em onto your Nokia, Samsung or Motorola handset and let the sunlight of London in December keep your phone trickle charged as you go. Or not. They don’t cost that much more than standard batteries, but you have to wince a little at the design I reckon.

The SeaLife ReefMaster is apparently the world’s first digital camera range designed specifically for underwater work. Actually it’s a camera and waterproof case combo, but who’s quibbling? The DV200 featured here is priced somewhere around $500. Here’s a review of an earlier model from Steve’s Digicams.

Just how paranoid are you? Enough to invest several million dollars in a converted missile silo home? Well here’s your chance. This little underground beauty is on sale on Ebay with the current bid standing at $2.1 million. Hurry, only 16 days to go.

For those souls who absolutely, totally must have the right time at all…er….times, here’s the LaCrosse Atomic Digital Watch. Actually that’s not strictly speaking correct. What I should have said is here is a complete bucket load of atomic (aka radio controlled) timepieces in all shapes, sizes and configurations. There’s obviously a demand for being on time then?

Sony has upgraded it’s rather clever little memory stick mouse – the MSAC-US5 – to a newer version (on the right above), the MSAC-US7. To be honest I can’t tell what the difference is in specification terms, but then again what do I know?