Steve Symington’s Blog

I suppose a better way to put it would be “Toyota’s expanding demographic.” That is, at least, what they’re going for as of late. Most notably, they seem to have their sites set on blue-collar America with their 2007 Tundra pickup.

Previously labeled as “almost full-sized,” the Tundra never really caught my eye until this year; according to Toyota’s execs, there’s little to link the new Tundra to its 2006 counterpart (it’s now five inches taller, four inches wider, 10 inches longer, includes a V8 option, and can tow 10,800 lbs).

Additionally, last year became the final All-American NASCAR when Toyota made its debut entry this year, which “predictably stirred up some debate among racing enthusiasts and evoked some red, white and blue patriotism.” Many people don’t seem to like the fact that Toyota, a Japan-based company, is digging it’s way deeper into American culture.
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A short while ago, some folks at my beloved University of Montana put a neat little Java applet online and dubbed it the “Grizcam”. In short, a camera sits atop the Jesse Dorm [campus map (.pdf)] and allows web visitors to “take control” for a minimum of 20 seconds to pan the University area. If some other web visitor doesn’t steal control after your 20 seconds of fame, you continue to hold the power glove until you’re forced to give it up (it’s basically a nice way to teach college students how to share).

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I love my gmail account. It has effective spam filters, an ever-increasing account size limit, awesome email search capability, Google Chat (like a better MSN or Yahoo Messenger), and…well…it’s Google. As of my birthday (yesterday), it looks like Google opened Gmail to all. The service was previously accessible by invitation only. Now, armed with only a cell phone, you can ask Google for their wondrous email service. (Note: per Google’s privacy policy, your phone number won’t be sold for marketing purposes unless you tell them to use it.) Update, 2-16-07: You no longer need a phone. Just visit Gmail.com, click the “Sign up for Gmail” link, and create your account.
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