So the rumors are flying hard and fast that the new Mac Mini will be released tomorrow. I hope so; I've had an empty spot on my TV stand for one for months now...

Non-pro members can now upload videos to Flickr: [link]

So I've learned something new about the monitor situation.

When I turn it on, everything is in color until it gets to the sign on screen where it wants my password, then it's all gray scale.

I'm frustrated becuase this computer is not that old and also, I can't afford to replace it. And then there's this lady at work who bought a new Mac laptop, I'm not sure which one but it was $1900. She kept it, sealed in the box, for a month and then decided she didn't really want a Mac and of course the store wouldn't take it back and now she wants to sell it.

I'm trying to imagine a life where I have the kind of money I can just, basically, throw away $2000. She's trying to sell it at cost. But still, to spend that much money and then just let something sit, never opening the box.

I hope I never get that wasteful.

until it gets to the sign on screen where it wants my password, then it's all gray scale.

That would seem to confirm it's a personal setting or theme, not a system or hardware problem.

To confirm, try creating a new account, see if it looks and works normally?

In the old account, try changing to a different theme?

Okay I did a restore point and now I have color again.

So the rumors are flying hard and fast that the new Mac Mini will be released tomorrow

Yep! [link]

In non-Apple news, Asus dual-screen laptop ditches the keyboard for a touchscreen

WePC.com managed to bear fruit, which Asus showed off at the CeBit 2009 show in Germany. It's another dual-screen laptop concept, but with a touchscreen instead of a keyboard, opting for a virtual 'board just like the iPhone. Having two screens makes it pretty versatile in the company's eyes, giving it extended functionality like you'd have with a tablet without having to bulk up the laptop to accommodate the second screen.

Ya gotta see the pictures.

So I know there aren't blu-ray standalone recorders available outside of Japan. But are there blu-ray players that are dvd recorders? Our Toshiba is making complaining noises all the time. We've been through four dvd recorders at this point, Liteons and ones with HD recorders as well. They just don't seem very durable.

So we need to replace the dvd burner soon. But I wish I could futureproof at least a little bit. I think my other option is to go to the past instead and buy one of Sony's refurbished dvd/vcr recorders to streamline the conversion process we've been going through and get rid of one more box on our tower. Right now it's kind of ridiculous, with the vcr, dvd burner, generic hd recorder (which also was a dvd burner, but that bit's broken), and tivo/directv box. Plus the Wii. And the projector.

So any standalone dvd recorder recs?

Before Google became Google: The original setup at Stanford University

One picture of all the proto-Google hardware, with descriptions.

And here is what must be one of the very first tries at a Google logo, from back in 1997, a year before the actual Google website went live:

Cool logo, except it makes my eyes hurt.