EarthDesk

I downloaded the examination version of this program and it's pretty cool. It gives you a real time picture of what the earth looks like right now--what's light and dark and clouds and storms. You can change the projection of the map and do a satellite or political map.

Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know (Telegraph)

Interesting stuff.

game theory

I found out a week ago that I passed the second chance question--it helped that it was a question I'd studied the previous day and then a question that built on that. This didn't keep me from making a stupid algebra error combining inequalities. Anyhow, I kept forgetting to pass on the good news (which came on the heels of other, much more important, good news). So now I just need to propose a book and then write it and I'll have a Ph.D.

poor (wo)man's iPhone

You can send text messages to Google and get replies with info. For example, if I type "chinese 27510" it gives me addresses and phone numbers for Chinese restaurants in Carrboro. "Weather "99577" tells me how cold it is in Eagle River and "define superfluous" will send me a definition. It only takes a few seconds. I'm grandfathered in on a deal for UNC students where I get 250 text messages and might as well use them when this is the most convenient way to get information.