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TechTV shifts programming focus. The cable channel plans to trade high-tech visionaries and digital music trends for features on the technology behind food processing, football and other everyday phenomena. [CNET News.com]
Silicon Spin? Dead! AudioFile? Dead! (Hi Edward!) Ok, it's not that bad, but they are moving away from the hardcore shows and going with more everyday information. Silicon Spin always seemed more like a Sunday Morning roundtable show to me than a daily dose. AudioFile I enjoyed, and I'd like to see some of their segments rolled into other shows, since the reporting was solid. Pity.
11:31:09 PM 
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Interesting counterpoint to the article the other day about Sirius petitioning the FCC for an injunction against the 2.4 Ghz spectrum interference. Motorola, Intersil, and others all have something to say about it, none of which is in Sirius' favor.
10:25:25 PM
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Time for lunch. It's been a busy morning, and the afternoon looks to be more of the same. I wouldn't have it any other way.
1:25:52 PM
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Sony's New Bi-Pedal Robot [Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters] Also on FoxNews and BBC Sci Tech (with pictures) and SmartMoney.com
Very cool tech.
Higgins in a can? Or a walking version of the Teddy Bear that I commented on a while back? Simple versions of future search and rescue bots that will be ableto dig through rubble and find people? Imagine a team of sensor equipped AIBO dogs that report to a future version of the SDR-4X, who in turn feeds info to the humans who control them. The Aibos are equipped with infared sensors and have some sense of smell, looking out for urea, e coli, and blood. since they are smaller than most S&R dogs, and are literally built for this work, they can get into places that normal dogs can't, and can be fitted with sensors appropriate for their environments. Radiation, heat, biological, bombs, whatever you need. Need to scope out a building for anthrax? Tent it up and send in the bots.
Future versions of this bot could also serve as the personification of your own Major Domo/home server, following you around.
1:09:56 PM
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Pay for Content? Ha, Say Users. Online publishers who think subscriptions are the key to their success are wrong, wrong, wrong, according to a panel at the Jupiter Media Forum. Noah Shachtman reports from New York. [Wired News]
I guess I'm in the minority. I would gladly pay for content, to be served ad free, for a reasonable fee. For example: To get the Wall Street Journal and the NY Times, ad free, in either PDF or HTML format, with access to their archives going back as far as they have their stories stored, I'd pay $50.00 a year, no more.
The New York times offers a 6 week seven day subscription for $26.80 USD. but, they want me to use their newsreader software, and I cannot dig into their archives. Cutomized news? No can do. Give me the data I want, in the format I want, or else I will find someone who will. Thumbs down.
Contrast this with the Wall Street Journal. You get the online Journal for $59.00 USD a year, you can find older articles going back 30 days, and can view still older articles at $2.95 a pop. You can customize the articles that you see, and manitain a portfolio of your investments to see how they are doing. Price is higher than I would like, but their news customization and market tracking more than make up for it. Thumbs up.
12:37:57 PM
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What if the net was as free as air?. Forget monthly subscriptions. What if the net was as cheap as turning on a radio? Dot.life looks at a pioneering UK scheme that could make that dream real. [BBC News: sci/tech]
Interesting use of a free (as in speech) wireless network setup. I'm sure there will be more networks like this popping up (and already existing) as time goes on.
12:03:55 PM
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How Coder Cornered Milosevic. Using sophisticated, open-source software and running numbers to support his theories, a hacktivist pins Slobodan Milosevic against the wall in his war crimes trial. By Farhad Manjoo. [Wired News]
One of the goals of Avi in Cryptonomicon was a means of stopping ethnic cleansing. he wanted to distribute a packet of information that would allow people to defend themselves and get the help they needed. Patrick Ball is working the other end of it, using standard scientific methods to analyize data and show that who was responsible for the slaughter of refugees in Kosovo. He is the Deputy Director of the Science and Human Rights Program [link] at The American Association For The Advancement Of Science [link]. He just testified at the war crimes trial of Slobodan M, and pretty much nailed him to the wall. Go Science!
11:27:39 AM
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Editors' Newswire for 18 March, 2002. Newswire stories, including: Business 2.0 on Web Services; "Fear and loathing of Web services"; DL: A "pure" Data Language; Weblog article : Macromedia reinvents the Web; Non-XML RELAX NG syntax to become official; XML Serialization for Ruby. [xmlhack]
Two excellent [Business 2.0] articles [Infoworld] on web services. How do I get my machines to talk to your machines? Web services. It's a babel fish for business that allows transactions to take place as well as data migration. Need to get off that big iron mainframe? Set up a web service to funnel the data off that iron and onto a set of smaller servers, or a single one if it can handle the traffic.
Digression: Some genius is probably working on a way to set up private we services so that you can have a shop that is running out of your personal site. This is another tie into the avatar/personal assistant/Major Domo that I have been on about. Being able to schedule meetings, vacations, and travel setting certain parameters as to the times and qualities you desire (First class or business, morning flight or red eye, 5 star hotel or bed and breakfast, luxury car or convertible?) with some voice commands would be fantastic.
User:"Higgins, I need to fly to Hawaii, two months from now. Two week stay, and I'll need a rental car. "
Assistant:"Yes sir. Are you travelling alone?"
User:"No, plan for the whole family. Five of us total, see if there is suite available, or any townhouses for rent, two bedrooms, two baths if possible."
Assistant:"Noted. Given the number in your party, do you want a minivan?"
User:"No, let's go with an SUV, the larger the better."
Assistant:"Noted. The last time you went to Hawaii, you stayed in San Francisco for three days on the way there, do you wish to do that again?"
User:"Not this time, thank you Higgins"
Assistant:"You are welcome. How would you like the results?"
User:"Email them to myself and my spouse, we'll need to discuss this."
Assistant:"Done sir. FYI - there is a special that expires by 4:00 PM today that you may want to review. "
User:"Thank you Higgins, Remind me about that at 2:00 PM"
Assistant:"Noted. Will that be all?"
User:"Yes Higgins, thank you."
Assistant:"You are welcome, sir."
User then confirms their itinerary with Higgins, who searches for the best fares. Assuming that the vendors that are being dealt with are using some form of CRM, the web services are going to know that it's Higgins checking prices and give it a better price than otherwise, and Higgins is going to learn that FLY ME AIR has the best prices, so it'll check that vendor first. Likewise, vendor managed bonus programs (frequent flyer etc) will weight results one way or another, as will user input form experience with the various vendors.
User:(via cell phone)"Higgins!"
Assistant"Yes Sir?"
User:"FLY ME AIR has lost our baggage, rescheduled our flight, and we are now on a layover in Chicago. We need a hotel, a limo to get there, and the next flight to Hawaii, canceling our tickets and rescheduling our existing reservations based on the changes. Take first available, price is not an issue."
Assistant:"(Noting new rules Higgins looks it up) One moment sir."
User:"(muttering)sonofa"
Assistant:"(Notes language, starts weighting against using FLY ME AIR given current circumstances and User's language, Higgins ) Sir? I have a limo on the way, you will be staying at the Hilton in downtown, there was a suite available "
User:"Thank you Higgins. Flight time?"
Assistant:"10:00 AM, direct to Seattle, one hour layover, then direct to Hawaii. FYI - Tickets are business class, with an option to upgrade to First Class should seating be available. Hotel reservation ahs been shifted, and you are in the same suite. Should I arrange for dinner at the hotel?"
User:"Umm, yes. Something light, please."
Assistant:"Noted. Will you require toiletries, or anything else?"
User:"No Higgins, thank you."
Assistant:"6:00 AM wake up call sir?"
User:"Yes. Thank you."
Assistant:"You are welcome, sir."
11:00:08 AM
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Ugh, up late last night so it's a slow start today. Off to get some coffee, then lots to report on. Expect first publish around 11:00 AM Eastern, not much earlier.
9:44:33 AM
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© Copyright 2003 Ryan Greene.
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