BIT320 Remix: December 2005 Archives

Inserting code: now easier than ever!

I just discovered an even easier way of displaying code on the community engine site. Instead the laborious process of inserting the character codes for the opening and closing brackets or taking screenshots, you can just insert all the code into an HTML textbox, as shown below:
guaranteed to display correctly. To do this, I
would recommend inserting a textbox in Microsoft FrontPage and then pasting
your code into the textbox. Then copy and paste all the HTML from
FrontPage to Wordpress.

In Kevin's Blog, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Seems like webpages don’t like adding either.

Funny thing. I noticed on del.icio.us that if I post through the post tag on my home page then the count is immediately refreshed. But lately i’ve been using the toolbar tag of “remember this.” I thought it would update the total automatically on my home page but it has stuck at the maximum before my last tagging. Not sure why it hasn’t updated, though not to worry, it has updated to the community engine webpage. I tried refreshing every single time i get to home but it still doesn’t update the total. I wonder what’s going on…

In Pink Footsie, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Microsoft Joining the Fray with Live.com

The other day while surfing the internet I came across a new portal called Live.com. It seems to be an improvement over the personalization features offered by both Yahoo and Google IG. Similar to start.com (also a Microsoft web site), Live.com takes it a step further by allowing visitors to save search queries and data from their PC. The site is tied to the desktop, allowing people to share file folders with instant messaging buddies or view recently opened documents. Additionally, several interesting gadgets can be added to the site through microsoftgadgets.com. It’s good to see Microsoft start delivering software as a service. Keep in mind that it’s still in beta and has much to be desired.

In Kevin's Blog, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Christmas Lights

This is something I only wish I could do with my Christmas lights. Click this link to view the video. While it does not directly relate to the class material, I thought it would be appropriate to post something to get us into the holiday spirit. Enjoy!

In Kevin's Blog, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

TiVo becomes more than DVR

TiVo adds movie tickets, photos to offerings

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Microsoft offers classifieds

Microsoft develops classified service to compete with services such as craigslist etc

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Blog Wild

Some cool design related blogs. Check 'em out.

In del.icio.us/pinkfootsie, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Digital pen lets fly

Digital pen lets fly with high-tech cool

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

FCC: Let viewers choose

FCC: Let users set cable TV lineups

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

HITSphere Health IT Blogs

a network of blogs devoted to IT and the healthcare industry

In del.icio.us/jbartko, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Want a video revolution?

Websites dive into video iPod revolution

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

The Healthcare IT Guy

blog by a healthcare/IT professional devoted to healthcare IT news and views

In del.icio.us/jbartko, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Economy levels off

Economic Indicators fall to pre-hurricane levels

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

healthcare IT follow-up

For anyone who’s interested, here’s a follow-up to my post on IT in the healthcare industry. I received a comment from a healthcare/IT professional who is actually devoted to working on this issue:

Your points are well taken and folks like me are trying to solve the problem but the issues are immense and there are some huge hurdles to overcome. If you’re interested in learning more check out the health IT launch page known as HITSphere (http://www.hitsphere.com) and my health IT blog called The Healthcare IT Guy (http://www.healthcareguy.com).

I checked out his blog and the launch page, which is a network of similar blogs. It’s great to know that so many people are concerned and working on this issue.

In jb's blog, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

BBC NEWS | Technology | Skype adds in video to net calls

You can see me now in Europe, yeay.

In del.icio.us/pinkfootsie, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

New Orleans launches free wireless Internet

Who would think that a natural disaster would speed up a technological revolution.

In del.icio.us/pinkfootsie, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Electronic Voting Examined as the Deadline Nears

Inability to produce a receipt of a vote (double counting worse than in florida) among others is causing major issues as January 1st is approaching.

In del.icio.us/pinkfootsie, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Time Warp 2000 - Forbes.com

dot-com companies are spending a lot of money on TV advertising - for example, pets.com

In del.icio.us/jbartko, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Re-design my life

It seems like blogs are still my favorite topic so I’d like to expose you to this cool new phenomenon of design blogs. Webpages like ApartmentTherapy with cool ideas on how to spruce up your place, DesignSponge that adds a little bit of quirky and a bit of unique to your space and Funfurde which is my personal favorite that has the weirdest visual teasers that are actual furniture/accessories.

This is cool:

It’s a new movement aimed to release some creative in everyone and share some wacky to completely conservative ideas. This could be simply a diary of the imaginative paths of your brain or an outlet that could catch the right person’s attention (a way to change from your dilapidating, energy draining job that you oh so hate into the career of your dreams if you’re so artistically inclined). I think it’s simply cool to see the awesome things people can come up with and their ability through blogging to share it with everybody without the need to be a name brand of their own.

In Pink Footsie, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Rush expected on EU domain name

EU becomes the new domain name: will those with nationalistic identity use it? Will it mean that .fr .pl .uk are going to disappear...or does it just mean expansion at its best?

In del.icio.us/pinkfootsie, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive

Don’t be so bitter

Imagine Cup is Microsoft’s annual competition seeking new ideas and talent. You spend months trying to come up with something new and workable in the hopes of winning $33,000 and a trip to India. Kevin Shockey, an O’Reilly blogger, seems to think that this is begrudgingly unfair. Why? Well his point is well taken that after you win you have to sign away your project to Microsoft, or any other corporation that has a similar competition, when that company could be earning millions of dollars if your product (probably much altered, since the competition is for young inventors) wins with the customer. I would say that’s fine. But (come on it’s me, there’s always a but) it’s a choice. Afterall, life is not meant to give you credit and all the benefits because you came up with a basis for an idea. If that is what you’d like to do with your life, then you become an engineer and sing your life away on tweeking your little ideas in an office setting where you can annually benefit from your inventive genius. But let’s get real, this is for young people and quite frankly they do it because they do have an idea and that’s it. They are spending the time to win the trip and win the money. If you find yourself thinking that’s not fair then don’t do it, no one made you, nor anyone has asked you to make this your career. At the end of the day it’s business and the ending product would most likely involve way more complicated inputs than what some young mind can come with as an idea. For the idea, they get a trip and some nice cash.

In Pink Footsie, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Oh Wireless, Oh Wireless for everyone!

I ran across a really interesting article talking about the rebuilding of New Orleans. They are going to put wireless in the city, starting in the city center and french quarter and then slowly work its way out. They are placing points on top of the street lamps so that the signal will be faster. This is mainly to jump start the city back up and bridge the digital divide for low income families.

I know that there have also been talk of wireless also in the Seattle area and Ann Arbor, but I haven’t seen anything. I think this is going to be an interesting area in the future, not only because of the technology applications but the consequences that will come about, intended and unintended of having the ability to access the internet anywhere anytime. One such consequence is that the internet providors are complaining because it is the state governments entering the market in providing wireless.

And even at the sametime, wireless is provided so freely, if a family cannot afford to spend money on a computer that has wireless….the real question is, what’s the point then?

In Shady Waters, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Verizon’s new plan=Bad news

Verizon is venturing into broadcasting TV networks on mobile phones. I have verizon, and actually got a free month of their VCast service. This showed small show clips and songs which were updated weekly. It was a waste of my life. I never used it, even though it was completely free! Why?

1) A mobile phone screen is too small. You know they aren’t going to be getting any bigger. People are constantly looking for the next way to make it even smaller (may it even be implanting it in your ear)

2) It killed my battery. Watching two minutes of something basically meant my phone would have to be charged again otherwise it would die. I’m sure Verizon cell phone makers (I think its Qualcom who is going in on this venture) are aware of the battery issue, but really how much longer can they extend the battery? Is that going to increasingly raise the price of the phone itself?

3) I didn’t use it when it was free..and Lord knows I’m not going to pay $10.00 a month for a 2 minute clip of the guy from Sugar Ray on E!telling me about Paris Hilton’s new monkey. I’m sure the tv show subscription is going to cost more than $10.00.

I think more than just upping its services, verizon needs to figure out how to have better calling plans. They have the best reception of any cellphone provider, yet their plans are terrible. People are turning to lower costing providers such as T-Mobile or Virgin. (Which btw, T-mobile can totally implement this tv network service and they already have their sidekicks which are big and popular enough for people to jump on it). Verizon needs to sit back and think about what their customers (and potential customers) really are looking for when signing a contract. Here’s a hint: It’s not tv shows!

In zee124, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Bendable Fendable Fibers?

I recently ran across info about flexible electronic paper It has been created by Fujitsu and this site, provides very specific information on it. Pretty much it is a think flexible screen that does not change color when touched or flexed. I’m so excited about this newest invention because of the possible applications.

A few weeks later I also found information on a 360 LCD TV screen that’s mainly being used for advertisements. Honestly its just so cool. Up till now, everythings needed to be flat and can’t bend, but now you can put TV’s in odd corners and bend them at funny angles to fit. Oh the possibilities of having display screens in areas one wouldn’t think of The link for the 360 TV provides a ton of shots of different examples and its just fascinating because really….it looks like a huge banner printed but its not….it’s a TV. And with that enlightening statement I’m going to hole up and gaze at my little TV screen that is folded and bent up underneath my bed.

In Shady Waters, 12/01/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

GizMag

Online magazine focusing on emerging technology... very intriguing site

In del.icio.us/kevlers, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive

OSNews

News, reviews, and blogs on the future of computing and operating systems

In del.icio.us/kevlers, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive

Null indicator and why it comes in handy

The xsql:query can have many different attributes, one being the null-indicator attribute. In the XSQL2 guide, Bud asked us to speculate why adding null-indicator=”yes” is useful. When set to yes, the null-indicator attribute is used on the element for any column whose value is NULL. Without this, the element would otherwise be omitted. In some cases NULL values are essential to represent missing data. For example, the actual ship date on an order may be unknown and is left as NULL until the goods are shipped out and a date is assigned to the column. Without using the null-indicator=”yes”, we would be unable to see these elements containing NULL values.

In Kevin's Blog, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Google Base

http://www.storyhost.com/kevin/googleBase.gif alt=”Google Base”>
The November 24th issue of Nature has an interesting article on Google Base, which prompted me to search for it on the web. Google Base is described as “a place where you can add all types of information that we’ll host and make searchable online.” All types of information includes jobs, products, recipes, reviews, wanted ads, etc. Based on how relevant a listing is, Google may decide to include these listing in their search index or on Froogle. This link has a more detailed description of the service. Of course, Microsoft is following Google with the release of Fremont, which will focus on classified announcements of products and services for sale, by either individuals or commercial entities. Both of these services harness the power of databases and allow users to enter details of personal items. The database is then searchable by the general public or a restricted group of personal contacts.

In Kevin's Blog, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

OnStar technology backfires

Two Michigan men were pulled over by police after an OnStar operator notified 911 that the mirror-mounted button in the men’s Cadillac Escalade had been pushed several times without any feedback from the passengers. Apparently the owner of the Escalade, Gavin Grant, was too drunk to drive, so he gave the keys to his “more sober” buddy Brent Farmer, who subsequently blew a .30 (over three times the legal limit) when the police breathalyzed him. When asked why these two geniuses kept pressing the OnStar help button, Farmer told the cops that they were “just messing around.” This being Farmer’s third-offense drunken driving arrest, at least now he’ll have to keep his messin’ to the bus or sidewalk for awhile. You can find other stupid criminal stories on this link. They’re kind of funny!

In The Blogstar, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

No More BlackBerrys?

BlackBerry has completely revolutionized the corporate world in the recent years. Working at a Wall Street firm this past summer, I noticed the extra-ordinary dependence of every single employee on the BlackBerry. In the elevators, formal meetings or even at the train stations - the BlackBerry viral effect cannot be ignored. However, I read an article on CNN regading the ongoing patent dispute. The article reads:

The patents being challenged by RIM are at the center of a long-running legal battle with patent holding company NTP Inc. that could force RIM to settle the case or face a court-ordered shutdown of most U.S. BlackBerry sales and service.

I almost cannot imagine the impact of no more BlackBerrys on the corporate world. In particular, continuous communication is inevitable in the Wall Street firms, and the BlackBerry has met this need exceedingly well. Here’s an interesting comment by a Lazard employee:

“The person that means a lot to me that complains the most loudly about my BlackBerry use is my wife. I realized a lot of executives were having the same problem so I came up with the perfect solution. I gave her one too, and I suggested they do the same.”

Will RIM lose this case and will it have to shut down its popular BlackBerry service? What do you think the impact will be on the corporate world? Will other competitors quickly replace the BlackBerry? Any opinions?

In supriya, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Microsoft to compete with Craigslist.

I read an interesting article on CNN, which talks about how Microsoft will now be competing with classified ad services like Craigslist. For a quick background, here’s a gist from the article:

Microsoft is developing an online classified service to compete with the likes of Craigslist and becoming the latest company to capitalize on growing consumer interest in buying and selling everything from cars to baby-sitting services on the Web.

I think what is particularly interesting is how MS is tying up the ad service with other products like its Instant Messaging service. For example, if someone is trying to buy a product from you, you will be alerted through you IM Service. Another feature which will set it apart from Craiglist is the high level of geographical personalization it will offer.

I think that the new classifieds service will not only be an innovative product for MS but it will also help them to cross-sell their other products. However, I was just wondering if entering into such diverse lines of business leads to brand dilution? Essentially, MS is most famous for its software suites like the MS Office. Should it focus more on its core competencies rather than entering into other business lines?

In supriya, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Inserting Code: Thanks Kevin

Kevin wrote a really good post on how to write code on the community engine website. I remember that the first time I posted code on the remix site, I just typed it directly in WordPress, not realizing that it would execute the command. As a result, the result of my code got posted rather than the actual code I was asking about. And I felt pretty silly about it since I could not go back and edit it either as the post would not show the updated changes.

But I like Kevin’s idea:

I would recommend inserting a textbox in Microsoft FrontPage and then pasting your code into the textbox. Then copy and paste all the HTML from FrontPage to Wordpress.

Using the Front Page text box would save a lot of time and energy used by the cumbersome character codes. Thanks Kevin

In supriya, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

A Trend towards “Girly” phones

Its interesting to see how handset manufacturers are specially making phones to cater to their female consumers. The Motorola Razr, which in my opinion is over-rated, was recently released in pink. Personally, I like how the pink Razr looks. However, the CL75 Poppy phone by Siemens is kind of overdone. Click here to see a picture of the phone. The phone is not only pink, but also has a poppy flower impression on it with Swarovski crystals. Its interesting to see the trend towards “Girly” phones. I haven’t seen any phones out there which are spefically catered to the male consumers.

I wonder how much money is invested in designing each of these handsets, as they are designed by world’s top designers and what kind of profits these companies make!

In supriya, 12/02/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

hackdiary: Using Wikipedia and the Yahoo API to give structure to flat lists

A nice explanation of how to link together a bunch of terms using publicly available sources. Those guys at the BBC are doing a lot of great work here. The hack uses wikipedia and the yahoo (REST) API.

In del.icio.us/fpgibson, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

How to build on bubble-up folksonomies... (plasticbag.org)

A nice practicum on using domain knowledge + user input to create business directed folksonomies. Suggests at the end of the post that knowledge workers are essentially going to become data analysts.

In del.icio.us/fpgibson, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

The MySpace Generation

Bolsters my perception that the world is becoming an online one. In essence, online is holding court with the real world.

In del.icio.us/fpgibson, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

A Year in the Life of a Subway Commuter.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Lomat.org

Lomography

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Messy Pics

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

DIOPTER

Photographer from San Juan, Puerto Rico

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Photoblogs.org

Photoblogs.org is a resource designed to help people find all kinds of photoblogs.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

photos.klavina.com

This is the photoblog of a freelance web designer Gunta Klavina currently living in Riga, Latvia.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Floderblog

Folderblog is a free PHP script that automatically displays the images placed in a given directory, no database needed. It can be used as a blog or gallery — and anything in between.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Chromasia

Photographer from Blackpool, UK

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Zenphoto

Zenphoto is an answer to lots of calls for an online gallery solution that just makes sense. After years of bloated software that does everything and your dishes, zenphoto just shows your photos, simply.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

CollaborativeRank

CollaborativeRank is an attempt at building a search engine for del.icio.us that returns helpful/timely search results. The central idea behind CollaborativeRank is to motivate people to provide helpful/timely URLs by rewarding them for doing so.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

FindSounds

a free site where you can search the Web for sound effects and musical instrument samples

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

American Rehetoric

Top 100 Speeches

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Project Gutenberg Online Book Catalog.

Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Leftbooks.com

the people's resource for progressive and alternative books, videos and gifts

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Protest.Net

A calendar of protest, meetings, and conferences.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Preshrunk

A calendar of protest, meetings, and conferences.

In del.icio.us/hiccups, 12/03/2005 | Original | Archive

Templates Rule!

Matt recently inquired about the difference between xsl:value-of and xsl:apply-templates and when to use which one. Xsl:value-of inserts the value of an expression into the result tree. Similarly, Xsl:apply-templates with a select attribute processes the expression and places the value into the result tree. However, the primary difference is that if select is not defined with xsl:apply-templates, then the current node and all child nodes will be processed.

In Kevin's Blog, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

EECS 183 and why you should take it

Chapter 7 in the XSLT Dummies book brought back fond memories of EECS 183 - Elementary Programming Concepts. If any of you are interested in learning basic programming skills in a high-level language (C++), I would highly recommend taking EECS 183 before graduating. While it may not be the easiest course to take during your last semester at Michigan, you will learn all about flow of control, data structures, good program design, testing and debugging, etc. The course has two 1.5 hour lectures and a 1 hour discussion session every week, for a total of 4 credits. You are assigned seven programming projects throughout the semester, each project getting more difficult as the semester progresses. The last few projects can be very time consuming but are very fulfilling. Some of the programs I wrote included: a Blackjack game, a program that identifies palindromes, an automated stock brokerage program… just to name a few. Having a basic understanding of programming concepts is a very valuable skill to have regardless of what field you ultimately decide to enter. For example, if you ever need to throw together a quick program to automate an arduous task, programming can help.

In Kevin's Blog, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

My Evaluation of BIT 320

As we approach the end of the semester, I always like to reflect on all of the courses I’m finishing up. I’ve learned a great deal of material in BIT 320, as I’m sure all of you have. If you asked me about the X-Team a few months ago, I probably would have said they were characters in an action movie. Now I feel like I have a solid understanding of not only all the X-Team members (XML, XSLT, XSL, XPath), but also ER diagrams, functional notation, SQL, Oracle databases, and much more. Most importantly, I truly understand the power and value of cutting edge database platforms. I feel that with this newly acquired lingo, I can now wipe the bead of sweat off my head and feel confident when conversing with techies at Microsoft. I definitely will recommend this course to others.

In Kevin's Blog, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

.xxx Domain

ICANN postponed approval of the .xxx Domain proposed by the online adult entertainment industry. This article is pretty interesting in that it outlines the benefits and misconceptions people have about the domain. The online pornography industry is not going anywhere as long as they have the First Amendment under their belt. So to cut down on children’s accessibility to the websites and decrease the spam involved, an organized structure must be put into effect.

Now I don’t know what this does for those advocating for the removal of such websites. An approval of the domain would increase the amount of websites and show that ICANN is supportive of the content on these websites. This is also tricky. Even though I feel as though all this should be put away, I know that in reality that this is not possible. So instead of fighting a lost cause, why not improve the bad aspects of it?

In zee124, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Digital Music News

Pretty Interesting website on Digital Music Going-Ons

In del.icio.us/zeenah, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Top 15 Richest Fictional Characters

I always wanted to swim in a pile of money like Scrooge McDuck!

In del.icio.us/zeenah, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

CNSNews.com -- Special Reports--> Mecca clothing on bases

Just seems dumb to me..

In del.icio.us/zeenah, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Error message for project 2. Please Help!

We have been working on project 2 and we have an error with one of our views:

select DISTINCT brand, flavor from brand, BCF where brand.brandID=BCF.brandIDORA-00904: invalid column name

The select statement works in Oracle but when we tried viewing the webpage it came up with the above. Also, we took the distinct command out and it still had an error, so I do not think that is the cause. Any suggestions?

In Tigerlily's Blog, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Errors in Project 2

Tigerlilly observes:

We have been working on project 2 and we have an error with one of our views:

select DISTINCT brand, flavor from brand, BCF where brand.brandID=BCF.brandIDORA-00904: invalid column name

The select statement works in Oracle but when we tried viewing the webpage it came up with the above. Also, we took the distinct command out and it still had an error, so I do not think that is the cause. Any suggestions?

One thought I have is that you may need to quit your sqlplus session. Have you dropped and recreated your tables in that session? If you have, the changes could be masked until you quit the session.

Also, are you running the queries in one account and the web pages from another?

Try both these things.

If those do not work, try just running a command like select * from brand in your web page. Does that work?

Finally, always include the URL of the page that is throwing the error message. That way, I can go peek at it.

In Blogonautic Solutions, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

AOL accused of illegally billing subscribers

AOL in trouble for creating secondary accounts for users without their consent

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

IE flaw gooses Google

IE flaw lets intruders into Google Desktop

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Will Google's bubble burst?

Google stock: Bargain or bubble?

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Video game ban shot down

Federal court strikes down Illinois video game law

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Mileage deduction lowered

As gas prices fall so does mileage deduction

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

AOL sued over billing

Lawsuit: AOL cheats customers with illegal billing

In del.icio.us/rasheff, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

E-mail glitch hits MSN, Hotmail users

Emails were delayed from being sent due to increase in email traffic, partially caused by a virus that sent out a lot of mail

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

San Jose teen arrested for text message threat

Kid sent a text message telling a girl that he would murder her

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Microsoft

The company Microsoft's website

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Western Digital

The company Western Digital's websites - external hard drives

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Blackjack Tutorial

Explanation of strategy to winning at blackjack

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

The Used Book Connection

My website/business that I created, but needs to be renewed

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

Booz Allen Hamilton

Consulting firm

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

DiamondCluster

Consulting firm

In del.icio.us/williamhmacy3, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive

External Hard Drive Question

I am planning on purchasing an external harddrive. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on which harddrive to purchase. I’ve heard that Western Digital is good. Is there another brand that is of the same quality?

Also, does anyone know if the difference in quality between expensive and inexpensive external hard drives is significant?

In musings of william h, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

Message Boards Cross Barriers

Message boards have changed the barrier between the musician and fans. On the band Soulive’s message board, fans discuss matters relating to the band. Two members of the band are active participants on the boards. They interact with fans and discuss sensitive topics.

This is an interesting change in society. Kids can go see a concert, and speak to and interact with their idols. This is a huge change from previous communications and provides a new way of for novices to learn how to master their instruments and talk to their heros.

In musings of william h, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

VCAST, Videoconferencing, and 3G networks

Zee’s blog recently talked about Verizons new vcast service offering. She brought up some good points when she says.

1) A mobile phone screen is too small. You know they aren’t going to be getting any bigger. People are constantly looking for the next way to make it even smaller (may it even be implanting it in your ear)

2) It killed my battery. Watching two minutes of something basically meant my phone would have to be charged again otherwise it would die. I’m sure Verizon cell phone makers (I think its Qualcom who is going in on this venture) are aware of the battery issue, but really how much longer can they extend the battery? Is that going to increasingly raise the price of the phone itself?

However there are some important things that are left out. The first is the technology that is used to make the vcast service happen. Verizon has spent over $1 billion dollars in the past 3 years creating 3G service. This upgraded network can support true broadband with speed at 150 kilobytes per second (average is 40-60). This new network offers consumers real speed which they will eventually be able to harness over and above the limited service offering now.

The second is the wireless service providers. In the marketplace wireless service providers are making less and less profits from their voice services. For this reason, these providers are looking to their data services to generate revenue for the customer. VCAST is one such service. They have the fixed cost of the network already paid for so they can offer this service at very low cost.

Third, TMobile can not do this! Tmobile, although the only service provider that offers the Sidekick, does not have a 3G network, and the installation of their 3G network will not be finished until the middle of 2006. By this time Verizon, Cingular, and Sprint will be focused on release their 4G networks. I have TMobile data service and they are incredibly slow (less than 10kps) from my experience.

Also remember that no one will like everything. I know that to you this may seem like a waste but to a business traveler stuck at the airport this can provide some entertainment. I think it is service like these that bring us to potentially the next level where we will actually video conference on our cell phones. It would appear that now that cell phones have video cameras and a high speed network it is only a matter of time before people can video conference.

In SuperMatt, 12/04/2005 | Original | Archive | Post to del.icio.us | Technorati

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