Link Dump

Is it time for more links? Yes, I think it is.

• Magic Burger Crystals – Amazingly weird but fascinating video depicting a product with a bunch of plastic molds and packets of crystals. If you follow the instructions, you end up with a tiny meal – two burgers, some fries, and a soda. I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be eating a burger (including bun and cheese) that was grown out of microwaved wet crystals, but apparently it is edible and tastes like a real burger. It is, of course, from Japan. (via Chizumatic)
• More on DRM and ebooks – After Charlie Stross’s last musings on ebooks, in which he recommended that publishers remove DRM in order to compete with Amazon’s monopolistic position in the market, it seems that Tor books announced that they will be removing DRM in order to compete with Amazon’s monopolistic position in the market. Ok, they didn’t actually say that, but it was an encouraging move, and Stross goes into some more detail about DRM and ebooks. As always, an interesting read.
• Biometric Passports Make it Harder for Undercover CIA Officers – An interesting and probably unintentional effect of requiring biometrics when people enter your country. Technologies like iris scanners are cleaner than fingerprints, and they work faster, and they hurt spycraft: “For a clandestine field operative, flying under a false name could be a one-way ticket to a headquarters desk, since they’re irrevocably chained to whatever name and passport they used.” Huh.
• In Comfortable Retirement, and Getting Tired of It – Trevor Pryce played in the NFL for 14 years. He’s now 36 years old and retired. And bored. I always wondered what these folks do after their (usually shorter than 14 year) career has ended, and I guess this is the answer. I also wonder if I would fall into the same category if I were to retire in a couple of years. My fear is that I’d be a little like Peter from Office Space and be happy doing nothing. I suspect I’d figure something out though.
• Wanderlunch – College Humor sent someone to Dubai so they could eat that disgusting looking Pizza Hut thing with mini cheeseburgers in it. I don’t know whether to applaud this or do a facepalm.
• Alternate Movie Posters – Most of these are really beautiful, Mondo-quality posters.

That’s all for now…