New Scientist Premium- Calls to end US domination of the internet - Technology: "US control of the internet may be locking out poorer parts of the world and hindering the fight against cyber-crime
WHENEVER you surf the web, send emails or download music, an unseen force is at work in the background, making sure you connect to the sites, inboxes and databases you want. The name of this brooding presence? The US government.
Some 35 years after the US military invented the internet, the US Department of Commerce retains overall control of the master computers that direct traffic to and from every web and email address on the planet.
But a group convened by the UN last week to thrash out the future of the net is calling for an end to US domination of the net, proposing that instead a multinational forum of governments, companies and civilian organisations is created to run it. "
Monday, August 22, 2005
Friday, July 29, 2005
Personal Tech Pipeline | 40-inch LCD-TV Drop Under $1,000
Personal Tech Pipeline | 40-inch LCD-TV Drop Under $1,000: "Prices of 40 and 42 in. liquid crystal display (LCD) TV panels declined to an average of $1,125 in July, with some prices falling to as low as $950, according to market research firm iSuppli Corp."
Thinking inside the box: Buildings get a brain - 7/21/2005 - EDN - CA624945
Thinking inside the box: Buildings get a brain - 7/21/2005 - EDN - CA624945: "Stuck in a highly fragmented industry, building-automation designers are formulating new initiatives to provide interoperability, simplify management, conserve energy, provide security, and reduce costs."
Thursday, July 28, 2005
The Mobile Technology Weblog - "Location Based Services and all about Mobile Marketing" - Go Wireless! (weblog that is)
The Mobile Technology Weblog - "Location Based Services and all about Mobile Marketing" - Go Wireless! (weblog that is)
IEEE Introduction
UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING MADE POSSIBLE BY ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA A ubiquitous environment, in which information about electronically labeled objects within an area can be accessed from a mobile device, could one day be possible, according to Russel Buckley's article "A Manifesto for Taking Wikipedia into the Physical World." Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia in which anyone can contribute information, would provide educational information about electronically labeled objects within a given environment, from the history of a local building to the genus of a tree.
IEEE Introduction
UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING MADE POSSIBLE BY ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA A ubiquitous environment, in which information about electronically labeled objects within an area can be accessed from a mobile device, could one day be possible, according to Russel Buckley's article "A Manifesto for Taking Wikipedia into the Physical World." Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia in which anyone can contribute information, would provide educational information about electronically labeled objects within a given environment, from the history of a local building to the genus of a tree.
Wired News: See If You're a Good Friend
Wired News: See If You're a Good Friend
IEEE Introduction
PDA, PHONE SOFTWARE TO MAKE USERS MORE AWARE OF SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
A graduate design student is testing a prototype of "The Social Fabric," a software project for mobile phones and PDAs, is designed to help people see at a glance how well they're managing their social networks. Steven Blyth created software that displays avatars on a mobile device's screen, representing individuals in a group of friends or acquaintances. The avatars use body language to show how recently users have contacted each person. Blyth hopes the software will make users more aware of the state of their social interactions, and the repercussions of not nurturing relationships.
IEEE Introduction
PDA, PHONE SOFTWARE TO MAKE USERS MORE AWARE OF SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
A graduate design student is testing a prototype of "The Social Fabric," a software project for mobile phones and PDAs, is designed to help people see at a glance how well they're managing their social networks. Steven Blyth created software that displays avatars on a mobile device's screen, representing individuals in a group of friends or acquaintances. The avatars use body language to show how recently users have contacted each person. Blyth hopes the software will make users more aware of the state of their social interactions, and the repercussions of not nurturing relationships.
Wired News: A Tool to Wake Up Wi-Fi Zombies
Wired News: A Tool to Wake Up Wi-Fi Zombies: "The problem: Computers are fabulous at connecting people over a long distance, but they can become a wall between people who are sitting right next to each other."
IEEE Introduction
VIRTUAL TOOL TO PROMOTE REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS
It's a scene familiar to anyone who has ever been in a coffee shop: laptop
users absorbed in their machines and ignoring the people next to them.
Berkeley grad Sean Savage wants to change all that with PlaceSite, a web
application that combines online social networking with real-life
networking in Wi-Fi cafes. Wi-Fi users in a certain cafe would encounter a
login window when they first sign on, which will prompt them to enter a
Friendster-like profile that then lets others in the cafe know they are
present. Savage has already conducted tests in one Berkeley coffee shop,
and says he will begin rolling out PlaceSite at a few locations in the San
Francisco Bay Area by October.
IEEE Introduction
VIRTUAL TOOL TO PROMOTE REAL-LIFE ENCOUNTERS
It's a scene familiar to anyone who has ever been in a coffee shop: laptop
users absorbed in their machines and ignoring the people next to them.
Berkeley grad Sean Savage wants to change all that with PlaceSite, a web
application that combines online social networking with real-life
networking in Wi-Fi cafes. Wi-Fi users in a certain cafe would encounter a
login window when they first sign on, which will prompt them to enter a
Friendster-like profile that then lets others in the cafe know they are
present. Savage has already conducted tests in one Berkeley coffee shop,
and says he will begin rolling out PlaceSite at a few locations in the San
Francisco Bay Area by October.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
VoIP on a bike | InfoWorld | Column | 2005-07-19 | By Ephraim Schwartz
VoIP on a bike | InfoWorld | Column | 2005-07-19 | By Ephraim Schwartz: "The mission of Inveneo, a nonprofit group of inveterate high-tech adventurers, is to bring developing communities that never reached a 20th century level of infrastructure into the 21st century. Its bicycle-powered system brings not just VoIP but also e-mail and Web browsing to remote areas, using a combination of Linux and the Asterisk (Overview, Articles, Company) open source PBX. "
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
MIT starts second wireless revolution - MIT News Office
MIT starts second wireless revolution - MIT News Office: "Technology being developed at MIT promises to pave the way for the next generation of wireless networks, saving consumers hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 20 years."
Steve's Commentary
This technology could further the likelihood of ubiquitous wireless access. The biggest barriers appear to be more political than technical. There are a lot of local governments that have pursued a city-wide public wireless service, but they are being met by lobbyists for the private ISPs. One example is Philidelphia. Telecom companies say that it is unfair for the government to compete with the private sector.
Steve's Commentary
This technology could further the likelihood of ubiquitous wireless access. The biggest barriers appear to be more political than technical. There are a lot of local governments that have pursued a city-wide public wireless service, but they are being met by lobbyists for the private ISPs. One example is Philidelphia. Telecom companies say that it is unfair for the government to compete with the private sector.
Friday, July 15, 2005
SEAS Homepage
SEAS Homepage: "SEAS is a software tool developed for intelligence analysts
That records analytic reasoning and methods
That supports collaborative analysis
Across contemporary and historical situations and analysts
and has broad applicability beyond intelligence analysis
Approach
The survival of an enterprise often rests upon its ability to make correct and timely decisions, despite the complexity and uncertainty of the environment. Because of the difficulty of employing formal methods in this context, decision makers typically resort to informal methods, sacrificing structure and rigor. We have developed a new methodology that retains the ease-of-use, familiarity, and (some of) the free-form nature of informal methods, while benefiting from the rigor, structure, and potential for automation characteristic of formal methods. Our approach aims to foster thoughtful and timely analysis through the introduction of structure, and collaboration through access to the corporate memory of current and past analytic results."
Steve's Commenatry
This system is a government sponsored tool to support collaboration and decision making for US Intelligence Agencies. It appears that their is a commercial version available called "High SEAS".
That records analytic reasoning and methods
That supports collaborative analysis
Across contemporary and historical situations and analysts
and has broad applicability beyond intelligence analysis
Approach
The survival of an enterprise often rests upon its ability to make correct and timely decisions, despite the complexity and uncertainty of the environment. Because of the difficulty of employing formal methods in this context, decision makers typically resort to informal methods, sacrificing structure and rigor. We have developed a new methodology that retains the ease-of-use, familiarity, and (some of) the free-form nature of informal methods, while benefiting from the rigor, structure, and potential for automation characteristic of formal methods. Our approach aims to foster thoughtful and timely analysis through the introduction of structure, and collaboration through access to the corporate memory of current and past analytic results."
Steve's Commenatry
This system is a government sponsored tool to support collaboration and decision making for US Intelligence Agencies. It appears that their is a commercial version available called "High SEAS".
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
� Shining the light on WeatherBug | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com
� Shining the light on WeatherBug | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com: "The cool news for WeatherBug was an API, giving developers access to the data for building applications that integrate weather data and alerts. any developer to build rich applications that integrate live, local weather information and alerts. WeatherBug also has a 'Backyard Network,' which allows consumers to install a sophisticated weather station (for about $500), hook it up to a home automation system as well as share data with the extensive WeatherBug "
Steve's Commentary
This "Backyard Network" is a good example of collective and distributed systems. Many consumers will take pride in contributing to a national grid of weather sensors. This model has a lot of potential for innovation and profit. The larger this network grows, the better it will be, thus adding more value and attracting more consumers.
Steve's Commentary
This "Backyard Network" is a good example of collective and distributed systems. Many consumers will take pride in contributing to a national grid of weather sensors. This model has a lot of potential for innovation and profit. The larger this network grows, the better it will be, thus adding more value and attracting more consumers.
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