I'm writing in stunned disbelief after discovering that, mere hours ago, the Atlassian team dealt an awful blow to JIRA users around the world; they've decided once and for all to mark Field level security permissions as "Won't Fix".

4+ year old feature request...
400+ votes...
200+ watchers...

The workarounds are rather hacky and frankly don't cut it. I guess we'll have to suck it up or come up with our own hacky solution. Ugh.

I just came across Google Gears (gearsblog.blogspot.com). It basically queues and persists outbound network traffic and automatically sends it when network connectivity is restored. There are several error / exception scenarios I can think of, but overall this is a cool idea.

I found this website a while ago, Blade Your Ride. It's a physical device that bolts onto your tailpipe that both reduces emissions and improves fuel economy. Seems reasonable, the emissions reduction part anyway. But improving fuel economy?

The only thing the Blade can do is restrict exhaust airflow, which in turn should have the effect of reducing power output from the engine. I combed through their website for any mention of power loss, but found nothing. So I emailed customer support, and today they wrote back with this:

Thank you for your interest in the Blade. Our tests showed that we lost 4% in horsepower which effects the top speed of the vehicle, but in the operating range 2000 to 4000 RPMs it showed an increase in torque.

Their website mentions an average fuel economy savings of 11 to 34%.

Based on variable driving conditions when using the Blade, vehicles achieved 11% - 34% increases in fuel economy.

I'm not sure if the fuel economy vs. power output reduction numbers agree with each other, but I'm glad they conceded there's a reduction in power. The laws of physics do still apply. :)

A co-worker found these guys a while back, L.A. Computer Company Store. They sell AppleCare at discount prices. It's legitimate, too - he bought one, registered with Apple, all is well. All of the options are "web special only", but that's fine.

AppleCare for a MacBook Pro is only $225.

The same product - purchased directly from Apple - is quite a bit more...
$349. And if you have an Apple Store anywhere in your state of residence, you might have to pay sales tax on top of $349.

L.A. Computer also sells AppleCare for iPods, Apple TV, iPhone, etc.

After watching Undercover In North Korea, I've also found several other free online movies about North Korea...

• Welcome to North Korea
• Children of the Secret State
• Nuclear Nightmare: Understanding North Korea
• Undercover in the Secret State

Jörg Jaksche, himself an admitted doper, recently said:

"There are still lots of possibilities to cheat, without anybody proving it. Right now you have to say: Only the dumb ones get caught. Or the poor ones, who can't afford the expensive doping."

On the surface, his comment appears to express a sense of hopelessness in the fight against doping. Namely, there are still many riders who are cheating and getting away with it. But look again! He's given us two important new tests for doping: intelligence and financial status.

Jaksche's insider information into the hidden practices of dopers is extremely valuable. Using this formerly secret information, I propose the UCI, WADA, and ASO add the following new rules to their anti-doping code:

1. If a rider is smart, as determined by a general skills or aptitude test, and all doping controls return negative results, then the rider is guilty of doping. Only smart riders can cheat and get away with it. Immediate two-year ban, possible lifetime ban if rider is not a French national.

2. If a rider is financially comfortable, then they are guilty of doping. One indication of sufficient financial stability is whether the rider signed the UCI's anti-doping charter, which includes a clause that the rider must pay one year's salary if found guilty of a doping offence. Surely, only those riders who are both cheating and can afford to pay a year's salary if caught would agree to such a clause. Therefore, all riders who signed the UCI charter are guilty of doping. Immediate two-year ban, possible lifetime if rider is found to have ever talked with, looked at, or been mentioned with another rider who is suspected (not necessarily guilty) of doping.

It is self-evident that these new rules would solve many of the doping problems in our sport by helping us catch the cheaters, and we would be foolish to ignore Jaksche's insights in the fight against doping.

(Yes, I'm being sarcastic.)

We just found www.moviesfoundonline.com

There's a section of documentaries, including this oddball film - Guys and Dolls (2006) - which is about the relationships guys have with their Real Dolls.

Weird, weird, weird.

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As part of the 10-year anniversary for Slashdot, they're selling a bunch of stuff online to raise money for EFF. And one of their coveted items is a 3 or maybe even 2 digit UID on Slashdot.org. Current high bid: $2,000. And that's with 7 days 22 hours remaining. Unbelievable.

This is such a weird, weird thing to sell, and even weirder to buy.

The power of a low user id is that it proves you've been around a long time, and it carries with it (in /. discussions, anyway...) a sense of respect. Low user ids tend to make comments only when they have something really important (or funny) to say. And whoever wins this surely will not fit that stereotype. Basically they're just trying to buy coolness.

I've got a 5-digit user id - around 89,000 I think - and cannot imagine spending any money whatsoever to lower that number. Anyone signing up now will get a 7-digit id, as they're over the 1,000,000 mark for registered users.

Update: As of Oct. 20, the auction is up to $2,813.00, bidding closes in 5 days.

Update: The auction closed on Oct. 25 with a winning bid of $3,050.00.

There's been a flurry of news about Medtronic's implantable heart devices. Apparently there are some serious problems, and not just with the devices themselves. The oversight, regulation, testing, and overall necessity of an ICD does not appear to attract as much attention as it should.

We talked to a cardiologist about this stuff and he told us about a patient with an ICD that fritzed out and shocked him 50 times before the battery finally died and it couldn't shock him anymore. As a result of the impromptu Medtronic-induced shock therapy, the man was so upset and freaked out that he spent one month in a psychiatric ward.

I found another article in The New York Times explaining that a woman in Palo Alto had 25 shocks in a one hour period before it stopped (not sure if the battery died on hers or not). She opted to remove the ICD altogether, only to have her doctor recommend a replacement a few months later.... with the exact same thing.

Last year, there were 296 patient reported injuries in 2006. During the same period in 2007, there have been 1,194 reported injuries. It's possible that the overall number of ICD patients increased but the rate of injuries stayed the same. Of course, it's also possible that the number of patients was similar and the failure rates increased, but I doubt it.

Medtronic heart device injuries up in 2007

I found this a while ago, then forgot about it, then someone asked recently and I thought I'd add it here to help others find it (including me after I've forgotten about it again).

The Matrox DualHead2Go will let you connect two external displays to your laptop, although after reading the details more closely it's not quite as great as I thought.

The setup is this:
Mac -> analog (not DVI) -> box -> DVI -> two external displays

More info on their website, but basic details are Mac+Windows compatible, lots of resolution support options, and it costs $229.

They also make a 3-display version for $329... Matrox TripleHead2Go

I keep ending up in chats about North Korea, how odd they are, etc. A friend just sent this video link: Undercover In North Korea. I haven't watched it yet, but apparently it's fascinating.

Update: I've watched it now, and I can confirm that it is indeed fascinating.

I recently read in The Economist that the national flower of North Korea is a type of begonia named "kimjongilia". It's almost too absurd to be true!

When the Nordschleife is open to the public, you can take any street legal vehicle (car, motorcycle, bus, van), but the common car rental companies (Avis, Hertz, etc.) do not allow their vehicles to drive on the track. There are lots of stories where they (Avis or whoever) somehow found out and charged the driver a 2,000 Euro penalty. Check out Ben Lovejoy's page for more car rental info: http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/carhire.html

Anyway, if you don't have your own vehicle, or want to rent one for some other reason, check out Rent-Racecar (www.rent-racecar.de/gb). The owners - Theo and Heide - are very nice and just a pleasure to deal with, and they both speak English very well so there's no language barrier (assuming you speak English...).

They have a huge selection of cars including a BMW 318, BMW 325, BMW M3 (both E36 and E92), Nissan 350Z, and Porsche Cayman S. Check out their website for pricing details, and send email for vehicle availability.

I recently rented the BMW 325i E36 race car and had a great time. I had to change my reservation thanks to bad weather and they were very helpful in lining up another car for me on short notice. Also, they allowed me to take one extra lap in a 2nd car (a non-race car with back seats!) so I could take my wife and kid along for one lap of the Nordschleife.

I'm already looking forward to the next time I can take a trip out there, and I would gladly give my business to Rent-Racecar again.

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We just got back from a trip to Germany which included a day at Nürburgring driving on the Nordschleife. I also picked up a few stickers from the gift shop for a cool 6 Euro each (it's like they've invented their own form of currency, it seemed like everyone in the gift shop stopped by the sticker section and bought a few).

Since we all drove on the track (including one lap with the kiddo!), I think we've earned the right to put a sticker on each of our cars. :)