LOOKING for computer-aided design software, Quentin Macdonald was pleased at the greatly enhanced performance promised by AutoCAD 2010, which according to online vendor Studica 鈥渉as never been easier鈥� to use, thanks to 鈥渢he invaluable addition of 3D printing鈥� (see ).
Could you use that to print something shaped like an egg, say? Or the Eiffel tower? Or Michelangelo鈥檚 David? It turns out that you can print anything in 3D 鈥� so long as it鈥檚 smallish and made of plastic or some metals (11 July, p 20). We鈥檙e sold, though we鈥檇 still like to print a pint.
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鈥淪een by Alan Hickman in BBC East Midlands news: 鈥淕overnment minister John Healey announced 2000 new homes will be built in England on Wednesday.鈥� Prefabricated homes, presumably鈥�
TALKING of extra dimensions, Richard Hudson tells us that his family has replaced the gutters on their house with a system from Lindab. How could they not, given that, according to , 鈥淟indab Rainline is a truly complete system. With gutters in four dimensions, down pipes in five dimensions and an extensive range of components, the system offers solutions for any type of building鈥︹��
Shampoo intensifies space-time
MEANWHILE, it seems Clairol is not the only company under the impression that its hair product can affect the topology of space-time (3 October). Holidaying in Australia, Tjasa Boh bought a , which declares on the front that it 鈥渋ntensifies multi-dimensional shine鈥�.
Are they perhaps talking about intensity in boring old four-dimensional space-time 鈥� for example by suggesting that it makes your hair shine earlier, or for longer?
SO IMPORTANT do a group called the Kabalarians consider the influence of your first name on your life that they offer a free analysis of its effect at .
Hugh Grady tried the name 鈥淛esus鈥� and found, among other things, that people with this name appreciate the finer things in life but lack confidence, have a tendency to procrastinate and a fixation on money and appearances.
On the other hand, Hugh discovered, the name 鈥淔eedback鈥� indicates that 鈥渁ll too often, you express yourself in a matter-of-fact or awkward way鈥�, which seems a bit of a drawback in our line of work. What鈥檚 more, Hugh says he wasn鈥檛 surprised to learn that we 鈥減refer positions that鈥� are not too demanding in work-load or responsibility鈥� since 鈥渢his section of your excellent magazine has always struck me as being a tad frivolous and a definite time-waster鈥�.
Ouch! Perhaps we had better get down to something serious that makes good use of our time 鈥� like looking up analyses of names on the Kabalarian website. It offers us a new, 鈥渂alanced鈥� name for a mere $195.
EMAILS sent by the Metropolitan Police Service in London (known to most Londoners as the 鈥淢et鈥�, but as the 鈥淢PS鈥� in its private language) have a long addendum. 鈥淢PS personnel (or agents working on behalf of the MPS) must not,鈥� it proclaims, 鈥渦se MPS systems to author, transmit or store documents such as electronic mail (e-mail) messages or attachments containing racist, homophobic, sexist, defamatory, offensive, illegal or otherwise inappropriate material.鈥�
Excellent 鈥� and a great way to avoid court cases. But Feedback fears it might hinder all prosecutions, including those that police are paid to encourage. Had an officer written colleagues an email saying 鈥渋t looks like that chap Bernie Madoff has committed fraud, let鈥檚 investigate鈥�, that would 鈥� before either his confession or his conviction 鈥� have been defamatory, and could not be sent, and he could not have been investigated, unless officers communicated exclusively orally.
It goes on, in the opaque jargon which the Plain English Campaign . The Met鈥檚 operatives must not send emails 鈥渃ontaining personal data for use other than in accordance with the notification(s) under the Data Protection Act, 1998鈥�. Feedback , the 鈥淐ommissioner for the Metropolis鈥�, under the UK鈥檚 Data Protection Act and, yes, the Met has given notification that it will use computers and documents to apprehend offenders 鈥� as well for such purposes as 鈥渁dvertising or marketing the business鈥�. So their emails aren鈥檛 self-forbidding on that ground.
But then things get muddier. The policy concludes: 鈥淭his Email message has been scanned for viruses and contents.鈥� Feedback isn鈥檛 quite sure whether both viruses and contents are forbidden.
VISITING Atlanta, state capital of Georgia, Hannah Adams was impressed by a billboard reading 鈥淩eal time travel anywhere in Georgia鈥�. But why can you only visit Georgia鈥檚 past and future, she wonders: why not, say, Arizona鈥檚?
Trial postponed until last April
MEANWHILE, London free paper Metro had this to say in its 4 November issue: 鈥淟awyers have delayed a High Court case after claiming they will be too busy stacking supermarket shelves to prepare鈥� The trial was put back until April 13, 2009.鈥�
That, says John Barker, 鈥渋s really putting things back.鈥�