Category: Technology

Introducing Apple’s New i-Lightning

Post author By Rabbi Jason Miller
Post date July 13, 2007

I saw this on the news yesterday and then read the Reuters article on Jeremy Fogel’s blog. This poor guy in Vancouver back in 2005 was jogging when lightning struck his i-Pod and severely injured him.

The complete article is available here.

In the article by Gene Emery, doctors explained that the jogger was wearing an iPod and was burned on his chest, neck and face after he and a nearby tree were struck by lightning. The burns traced the path of the earphones. The patient’s eardrums were ruptured and the tiny bones in his middle ears were dislocated. His jawbone broke in four places as well.

The doctors explained that the combination of sweat and metal earphones directed the current to, and through, the patient’s head. Since the accident, more than half the patient’s hearing is gone and he cannot hear high frequency sounds, even with hearing aids.

Of course, he still jogs and bought a new iPod… he just doesn’t use it when he jogs anymore!

Humor Technology

Google’s April Fools Joke

Post author By Rabbi Jason Miller
Post date April 1, 2007

Google spent some time with their April Fool’s joke this year. They announced a free broadband high-speed internet service available to anyone. Read a little further and you see it connects through your toilet and that TiSP stands Toilet Internet Service Provider.

TiSP Kit

Google TiSP (BETA) is a fully functional, end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access by connecting your commode-based TiSP wireless router to one of thousands of TiSP Access Nodes via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines.

Gaming Judaism and Technology Rabbi Rabbi Jason Miller Rabbis Technology

New Video Game Stars Rabbi

Post author By Rabbi Jason Miller
Post date December 13, 2006

More and more these days we see rabbis in TV shows and movies, but I didn’t think the time would come anytime soon that we would see a rabbi starring in a video game. I’ve never been much of a fan of video games (I guess I’ve always like to play some of those retro games like PacMan, Arkanoid, Frogger, etc.), but I’ve got to check out this one. It’s called “The Shiva” and I guess that means you have to sit to play it (typical rabbi joke #1). Also, you’re not allowed to play it on Shabbat (typical rabbi joke #2). Maybe my idea for the video game “Rabbi Cop” will finally see the light of day now. And thank you to the guys at Bangitout.com for posting my “Rabbi Cop” creation to their site.

From Yahoo! News:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – While Christian games like the newly released “Left Behind: Eternal Forces” gain mainstream attention, Manifesto Games in New York City is billing “The Shiva” as the first to star the leader of a Jewish congregation.

In the murder-mystery game named after the Jewish mourning ritual, protagonist Rabbi Stone is having a crisis of faith and his congregation on New York’s Lower East side is losing members and cash.

When he inherits a small windfall from a controversial congregant, Rabbi Stone must solve the mystery behind the gift and make sure it is not cursed.

Manifesto, which announced the title via e-mail, said “The Shivah” plays on personal computers and is the first commercial game from creator Dave Gilbert.

Representatives from Manifesto, which sells downloadable games, were not immediately available for comment. “The Shivah” sells for $5.

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God bless the Bedouin People

Post author By Rabbi Jason Miller
Post date December 30, 2004

Ten-and-a-half years ago I came to Mamshit Camel Ranch, a Bedouin Village, close to Demona in the Negev desert in Israel. I was a participant on USY Israel Pilgrimage (Group 3) and celebrated my 18th birthday in the Bedouin tent. To my young eyes it appeared to be a fairly realistic Bedouin experience complete with Bedouin food, sleeping in a tent, and camel rides. I wasn’t naive — of course I knew that the Bedouins who worked at Mamshit lived in the nice homes nearby and didn’t live as the Bedouins of ages past.

Now, as a staff member on a birthright israel trip with University of Michigan and Harvard students, I am sitting in the main office of Mamshit (Israeli owned) checking my e-mail and posting to my Blog on a high-speed DSL connection.

I’d write more but there’s a camel-riding Bedouin waiting to check his stock portfolio online!