David Burbridge posted an interesting note on GNXP about birth rates.  The key point is that women's average fertility is only one factor in the growth of populations.  (This reminds me that someday I have to get going on Unnatural Selection again...)

I've been hearing a lot of positive buzz about Altered Carbon, a debut science fiction novel by Richard Morgan.  I'm going to taste it, stay tuned...

The NYTimes reviews iChat AV, Apple's new video conferencing software.  "In iChat AV, video is as crisp, clear, bright and smooth as television."  Man, I'm going to have to try this.  I experimented with video conferencing using Microsoft NetMeeting about three years ago, and it was a total failure.  But it seems like Apple has a winner.

And here's something cool - the world's smallest printer.  You just wave this handheld device around over a piece of paper, and it prints.  Much like a mouse, it figures out by your movement where it is, and prints accordingly.  Very cool!  {I remember when handheld scanners first came out; it seemed like they wouldn't work, but they did...}

Scoble's not going to join the national "do not call" registry.  So be it.  I did.

I said I was going to leave Echo alone, and I mean to, but Jon Udell posted a must read: Mr conversation with Mr. Safe.  As usual Jon is the man in the middle, considering both sides and shedding light.

Mr. Safe himself [Tim Bray] comments: Stamp out creativity now.

By the way, here's the Echo Wiki itself.  ("Pie" was an early maybe-name, as in "easy as pie".)

BusinessWeek considers the implications of Tivo's monitoring of your surfing habits: A horror show for TV ads.  (As you read this keep in mind that Tivo only reports aggregate behavior, nothing you do is directly monitored.)