Thursday, October 26, 2006

What's the video threshold for face-reading?. Why isn't videoconferencing more compelling? When we say we want to look the other person in the eye, what we really want to do is read the microexpressions of the face. As Malcolm Gladwell points out in Blink, people adept at reading faces can literally read minds. And at a sufficient frame rate the visual channel can transmit those microexpressions. [Full story at InfoWorld.com] This week's column is a follow-up to an earlier one about corporate PR use of Second Life, parodied here. While that column was in the pipeline, Cisco announced its new high-end teleconferencing system, videoblogged by Robert Scoble here. That got me thinking again about what the minimum requirements for emotionally effective telepresence might actually be. ... [Jon's Radio] 8:57:32 AM      Google It!.

Hacker Unlocks Apple Music Download Protection . SAN FRANCISCO - A hacker who as a teen cracked the encryption on DVDs has found a way to unlock the code that prevents iPod users from playing songs from download music stores other than Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes, his company said on Tuesday. By Reuters. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] 8:55:20 AM      Google It!.

Oracle Takes Aim at Red Hat . SAN FRANCISCO -- Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Larry Ellison is shaking up the software industry again, only this time a takeover bid isn't involved _ yet. By MICHAEL LIEDTKE. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] oracle to offer support for RedHat products but it begins to look like the database will perhaps come with a linux operating system in the future as  a more out of the box style system.  This could pave the way for education specific bundles in the future as Oracle moves more strongly forward on their ePortfolio system -- BL 8:54:12 AM      Google It!.

Entering the Era of Smart Card ID . The government begins issuing a new identification card tomorrow, the kickoff of a multiyear effort to provide all government workers and many contractors with a "smart card" that can be used to verify their identity when they enter a building or log onto computer networks.  By Stephen Barr. [washingtonpost.com - Technology - Industry News, Policy, and Reviews] 8:42:13 AM      Google It!.