From the vault: Electronic Life: How to Think About Computers by Michael Crichton. First published in 1983, this is the famed writer/doctor’s early bird take on the computer revolution then getting underway in the United States. All these years later, Crichton’s advice and observations make for some unintentionally funny reading. I wish you the good fortune of finding your own used copy for $1. Meantime, here’s a taste from the dust-jacket tease and some other goodies: In Electronic Life, (Crichton) shares his knowledge and his love of computers. His message: Don’t be afraid of them, they’re only machines, they’re here to make your life easier, and, what’s more, they can be a lot of fun! Choice chapter titles, with opening sentences: Afraid of Computers - “Everybody is.” Error Messages - “Beginners get a lot of error messages, inevitably accompanied by a sharp electronic beep.”Power - “‘I have 40K of ROM!’ ‘I have 256 K of RAM!’ ‘I have a high-speed color printer!’ ’ I have a 16-bit CPU!’” … There’s only one response to this kind of bragging. Your big powerful machine is only as good as what you do with it - which is another matter entirely/” Bonus: you’ll also learn what the following are: floppy diskscomputer skillsgamesprinters
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From the vault: Electronic Life: How to Think About Computers by Michael Crichton. First published in 1983, this is the famed writer/doctor’s early bird take on the computer revolution then getting underway in the United States.

All these years later, Crichton’s advice and observations make for some unintentionally funny reading. I wish you the good fortune of finding your own used copy for $1. Meantime, here’s a taste from the dust-jacket tease and some other goodies:

In Electronic Life, (Crichton) shares his knowledge and his love of computers. His message: Don’t be afraid of them, they’re only machines, they’re here to make your life easier, and, what’s more, they can be a lot of fun!

Choice chapter titles, with opening sentences:

Afraid of Computers - “Everybody is.”

Error Messages - “Beginners get a lot of error messages, inevitably accompanied by a sharp electronic beep.”

Power - “‘I have 40K of ROM!’ ‘I have 256 K of RAM!’ ‘I have a high-speed color printer!’ ’ I have a 16-bit CPU!’” … There’s only one response to this kind of bragging. Your big powerful machine is only as good as what you do with it - which is another matter entirely/”

Bonus: you’ll also learn what the following are:

floppy disks
computer skills
games
printers

Who needs an iPad now?

Thanks, India.

Aircraft finishes first solar-powered night flight

An impressive achievement. Solar Impulse, a piloted solar-powered plane, stayed aloft for more than a full day using energy gathered during the day to power it through the overnight hours. 

Exact length of flight: 26 hours and 9 minutes
Highest altitude reached: 28,543 feet
Number of solar cells on aircraft: 12,000
Pilot: Andre Borschberg, a Swiss air force pilot with 40 years experience

Aircraft’s wingspan: 64.3 meters, same as an Airbus A340

(slideshow via Reuters)