coffee.geek.nz

something eye opening -- checkout where you rank on the Global Rich List (and report back in the comment is you'd like to share)

With that in mind, here's where i acquired the few gifts we're sending this year:

https://www.kiva.org/
Kiva is micro loans -- you can loan amounts like US$25, to an individual on some of the world's poorest regions. You get a small window into their life, seeing what they do with the funds. I've loaned to help buy more stock for shops, to buy a motorcycle taxi, and to repair a home of someone who has a steady job but no access to funds needed.

http://www.oxfamunwrapped.org.nz/
Oxfam unwrapped lets you buy livestock (pigs, goats, donkeys) or training (midwives) or equipment (mosquito nets, soap) that instead of receiving, it will be sent to someone/somewhere that really needs it.

Checkout Ponoko's well deserved fame in the recent issure of Inc. Magazine:

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20091001/the-future-of-manufacturing.html

if you quote or estimate time to do things for a living -- then checkout out this lighting talk video on youtube.

Michael Schwern's "How Long Is Five Minutes?", OSCON 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9smvof85xOc

OLPC Viewfinders - made on Reprap, originally uploaded by Br3nda.

Checkout out these thingies.

They're viewfinders - slot them into the OLPC XO laptops's top right hand usb port, and they're now in perfect position to be a viewfinder for the laptop's camera.

These were made on a reprap, the open source, open hardware 3d printer that's capable of printing copies of itself.

They're made from a milk byproduct polymer/plastic. They cost a fraction of a cent each.

These were printed by Vik Olliver, who also painted them XO green. THANKS VIK!! :-D

Get in contact with OLPC NZ if you'd like a copy of the file that prints these.

Twitter falls over -- i'm not sure how often as i'm not a daily user (anymore) but it's alot.

It's crazy everyone using twitter's service - it's like the whole world using one email provider. A healthy ecosystem needs diversity.

So, checkout Open Microblogging (OMB). It's the same thing but distributed.

That means you (or a tame geek friend) can set up your own twitter -- *AND* communicate / subscribe and publish to the timeline of other users on completely different servers.

I'm the only user of my server - yet i see all the people i've subscribed to on dozens of other OMB servers

check it out here: http://micro.br3nda.com/br3nda/all

If you want to move on from the central point of failure, then try out http://identi.ca, a free omb platform powered by StatusNet (an open source project).

exhibit A: the twitter fail whale image

it's in Wellington New Zealand - 18th Jan to 23rd Jan.

There's still time to submit a speaking proposal to a miniconf:
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/programme/miniconfs

There are 3 funding programmes, if you're an open source contributor and need $$$ to get to Wellington for the conference.
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/media/news/89

The Programme is out - checkout the speakers and topics:
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/programme/schedule

There's is a partner's programme -- details coming soon.

Accomodation - there's student-style accomodation (which I reccomend) - also 4 star, 5 star, and apartments for groups/families.
This year there are couple and family accomodations available.
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/register/accommodation

The primary sponsors, who you should all be thinking good thoughts about now, are: Internet NZ and Google....

other sponsors: Catalyst, Canonical, Egressive, 3months, amberDMS, Dreamhost, Ingres, iwantmyname.com.

This new television technology is amazing! never be sad while watching television again!

Checkout out this LG keynote + demo video

this is my funky shell prompt.

Large View

includes user @ pwd
also, in brackets, which branch the current git checkout is on
the time
what partition i'm on, and how full it is ..
and then the current load

Te Papa is New Zealand's national museum. The name "Te Papa" can be poetically translated as "Our place".

It's our place, but we're not allowed to use any photographs or content from their website without permission. Very copyrightwing. I'd like to copy some of the photos of New Zealand birds that are now extinct, so I checkout out how to get permission.

Then I found this on Te Papa's website.

Te Papa reserves the right to approve the use of hypertext links to the Te Papa website and you must remove or cease any link at Te Papa’s request. Written permission is required before a link to any part of the Te Papa site is established from an external site.

yeah right!!!

here's a handy link to the relevant page on te papa's website

I wonder if you need Te Papa's permission to give someone in the street directions to the Museum too?

UPDATE: Te Papa has updated their copyright page and now allow you to link to them... heh.