Subzero Blue

toot goes live…

A while back, while checking my blog’s statistics, I found a number of visitors coming from a site called “toot” that I didn’t know about.
When I checked the site, which was still in test mode, and not even in alpha, as they put it. I really liked the site’s idea and got all excited about the project.

I also found out that most of the people behind it are good friends of mine: Ahmad, Jad, Wael and Roba.

So what is toot?
toot is a handpicked aggregator for the Arab blogosphere to provide quality reading, both in Arabic and English.
What is quality reading or not is decided through a voting system through which people show their interests.

After the initial test period, then another phase of further development, the switch was turned on at toot on 01/01/06. It’s still not even alpha, I guess they’re borrowing a page from Google’s Betas here, but the site is up and functional.
Only 50 blogs have been chosen for this initial period. Luckily for me, both my English and Arabic blog have made it into the selection. Hooray 😉

I’m personally very excited about this project, as I’ve already expressed to my friends, and I congratulate them on this great idea, and on a successful implentation of it.

I love the site’s design, it rocks big time. But then again, what else could I expect from the guys at Syntax, but a beautiful, usable, tasty design?

I wish the toot team all the best of luck, and again guys, if there is anything I can help with, please do not hesitate to ask.

Bloggies 2006 Nominations

The 2006 Bloggie Awards have started and they’re accepting nominations.

So please pass by their site and nominate my blog 🙂
You can choose to nominate it for whatever category you want, but the main categories I’m aiming for are: Best African or Middle Eastern weblog, Best tagline of a weblog and maybe Weblog of the year :P.
So please nominate me there at least.

Here’s the link: 2006 Bloggies.

The name of this blog is: Subzero Blue
and the address of course is: http://www.subzeroblue.com
The blog tagline is: Echoing the voices inside my head…

For the past 2 years, my blog was a finalist for “Best African or Middle Eastern weblog”. So maybe this year with your help, I could win it.

Thanks a bunch in advance…
I’m counting on you guys 🙂

Google PC, Google Cubes?

Rumour has it that Google will this week unveil a no-frills personal computer costing as little as $200.

Despite its low price it would enable users to collect and store internet-delivered content such as films, music and photos then show it on TV.

Speculation is mounting that Google co-founder Larry Page will use a keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Friday to unveil details of this low-cost computer or internet-enabled device that will run on a new operating system developed by Google.

According to the LA Times, Google will announce details of the new device at CES, where it could also unveil its partnership with Wal Mart to sell the machines.

The report follows comments made by US analysts just before Christmas, suggesting Google would expand into hardware.

In a briefing note, Bear Stearns analyst Robert Peck said the US online giant would launch Google Cubes – simple network-based boxes that could link and control home entertainment, computer and automation systems.

If this turns out to be true, it’ll be a very very interesting development in the PC world. Google would be directly taking on Microsoft and their Windows OS, and that promises to be one hell of a show.

[Source: Guardian Unlimited]

Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

“Memoirs of a Geisha” is one of the books I’ve been wanting to read for a very long time, and the fact that a movie based on the novel is out, only made me want to do it faster, because seeing the movie before reading the book would kind of put me off reading it for a while.

Last night, I finished reading the novel, and well, I just loved it. It’s written in such a great style, and takes you through this amazing journey, which is the life of the Geisha Sayuri Nitta.

The book totally sucks you in and makes it so hard to put it down. You basically live through the story, through the flood of emotions and experiences, you visit this fascinating and exotic world, and you draw all these characters and places in your imagination so clearly.

This is certainly one of the best books I’ve read and I fully recommend it to everyone.

My score for it would be: 9.5/10

I can’t wait to see the movie. I saw the trailer yesterday and it looked really cool.

Coldplay’s New CD DRM Rules

Coldplay’s new CD comes with an insert that discloses all the rules enforced by the DRM they included on the disc. The rules are only visible after you’ve paid for the CD and brought it home, and as the disc’s rules say, “Except for manufacturing problems, we do not accept product exchange, return or refund,” so if you don’t like the rules, that’s tough.

Some of the other rules go as follows: “This CD can’t be burnt onto a CD or hard disc, nor can it be converted to an MP3” and “This CD may not play in DVD players, car stereos, portable players, game players, all PCs and Macintosh PCs.” Best of all, the insert explains that this is all “in order for you to enjoy a high quality music experience.”

Now, I understand why record companies want to implement DRM technologies in their CDs, but to do it at the expense of the paying consumer and the experience he has with the CD is complete nonsense and so disrespectful.
I for one listen to most of my music in my car, so imagine how pissed off I’d be if I bought an original CD and it didn’t work in my car!
In fact, my original copy of Natalie Imbruglia’s album “White Lillies Island” doesn’t work in my car CD player, because of another stupid DRM technology, and everytime I feel like listening to it and I can’t, I get pissed off like hell.
Is that the kind of quality experience they want us to be going through?
Do what you have to do to protect your rights, but don’t step on our rights as consumers while doing so!

I wonder how Coldplay feel about all this?

[Via: Boing Boing]

Happy New Year 2006

A year has ended, and a new year is just starting.
And so, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year 2006. I hope it’s a great and happy year for you all, and that it’s full of joy and success.

My friend Evil Drako said something to me yesterday, that I would like to pass on to you too: may the best thing that happened to you in 2005, be the worst thing in 2006.

Another thought I have lurking around in my mind is that: ok, we ended a year yesterday, and started a new one today, but in reality it’s just like every other day of the year, we end one day and start a new one. So every night when we go to sleep, we’re ushering in a new day, new possibilities, another new start, and it’s really up to us what to do with it.
So I guess what I’m saying is that every day is a new day, every day is the first day of a new year ahead of us, and I’ll allow myself to borrow the saying, every day is the first day in the rest of our lives, so we should make the best of it and live the lives we want to live and that will make us happy.

I’ll stop rambling now and just wish everyone again an extremely great and happy new year 2006.