Wise comments from Doc Searls: Like we said.

Om Malik: AOL Saga: Microsoft wins again, for no reason. Sez Om: Bill Gates is not only smart, his rivals are stupid.

I said pretty much the same thing in The Shrinking Subject, in Linux Journal, back in August, '00:

For a year or two, Netscape looked like it could do no wrong. It was a Miata being chased down a mountain road by a tractor trailer. As long as it moved fast and looked ahead, there was no problem with the truck behind. But at some point, Netscape got fixated on the rear-view mirror. That's where they were looking when they drove off the cliff.

Somehow AOL got this idea that they were a media company, rather than an Internet company. Dead wrong, it turns out.

11:41:47 PM  #   your two cents []

California comes clean. State expands protection for personal data stored online [InfoWorld: Top News]
11:34:37 PM  #   your two cents []

 Also, a small update/disclaimer to the browser details below: I am reporting this from memory and wasn't taking notes so it is what I can recall; I also can't vouch for anything except the research credentials of the person who saw this as I don't understand the tech details myself and would never claim otherwise (thus this report may seem vague to some people but that's not some sneaky avoidance technique). Documentation was given to the judges, & the judges checked this out with University College Dublin's comp sci people, so whatever its eventual merits or lack of them, it isn't as if the browser was simply evaluated on the day, without background supporting info, by uninformed people. The researcher noted that even if the efficiency angle wasn't there, there was so much creativity and hard work and thoughtfulness in this project that it should have taken first prize in this particular competition. And I'm not trying to be terribly secretive about the person I spoke too -- it's just that this was not a formal on-the-record conversation -- though I told him I'd put his observations on the blog, which was fine by him.

Some discussion of this topic across the net has implied that 1) the judges hyped the project; 2) the media hyped it; 3) the student hyped it. Please. Two -- count 'em, two -- very general articles appeared the day after the event, reporting on the event and the winner. Very straightforward. Very standard for local reporting. No judges' comments, even. And Adnan comes across in both reports as relatively surprised about the whole thing. You, oh audience of curious readers, have supplied the hype. That's not a criticism -- that's what happens when lots of people are intrigued by a subject and it steamrolls, gets reported, gets blogged, gets slashdotted. But the 'hype' did not originate with 'the media' (all of two reporters, one un-bylined!!), the student, or the competition. Keep some perspective.

11:26:54 PM  #   your two cents []

The Irish browser story: Ok folks, here's the scoop. I am just back from talking to one of MIT Media Lab Europe's researchers, who both checked out the browser and talked to Adnan. He says the browser is 'absolutely extraordinary'. He says that what Adnan has done is re-engineer the efficiency of how a browser operates, which allows it to run up to six times faster (but usually not that much faster -- two to four times faster is more common). So it's not managing bandwidth but managing the way the browser itself handles and presents information.  The researcher (whom I know and will vouch for) says that instead of simply tinkering with existing code he went down to the socket layer and reworked it at the protocol level (now, many of you guys will know the significance of this better than me, I'm just reporting the conversation). CORRECTION, 24/1/03 -- 'reworked' is an incorrect term. He addressed/reconsidered  the problem at the protocol level). He added that it is incredibly clever work and stunning that a 16 year old has done this (I am not scrimping on the superlatives because that is what was said). (NB: A conversation in a group ensued that this work perhaps suggests that because the browser market is a virtual monopoly, there's been little incentive to improve efficiency in this way -- indeed, it might be beneficial to product development to just eke out a leeeetle more efficiency now and then and advertise it as continuing innovation... but I leave that to further discussion among the well-informed).

And Adnan has indeed worked in existing media players (or formats to a single player -- am not clear on this) AND a DVD player so you can watch a DVD while surfing. And incorporated in a voice agent that will speak web pages, for young children or for the sight-impaired. The improved efficiency angle got the notice of the few media reports done on this so far, but it's really not what Adnan himself was emphasising -- it's the whole package, said the MIT guy.

Not surprisingly Adnan now has more than one university interested in him. And he has apparently told the numerous companies who saw the browser in action and who wanted to commercialise it that, at least for now, he has no interest in commercialising it.

I will note that the MIT researcher had a big grin on his face and it was clear he found the whole project a pleasure to talk about. He also said he'd heard about the browser before he arrived at the Young Scientist exhibition and made a beeline to see it. Adnan apparently didn't really think it would necessarily win an award --the researcher told me it was clear that it HAD to win. So there you go. I'm sure we'll hear a lot more about all this soon.

And yes, he has copyrighted it (whoops, should be patented, typing too fast and was too hungry to recheck this til now, after a very late and fast dinner). NB: Further update here, Tuesday 13th Jan. And another update on Wed, 15th Jan here.

8:54:18 PM  #   your two cents []

A reminder: There's fresh interest in re-launching an Irish branch of EFF. With copyright, data retention, spam, privacy, biometrics and other issues looming in Ireland, this would be very timely. If you are in Ireland and interested in getting involved, email me (via the little yellow envelope on the left margin) and I'll put people in touch.

1:38:35 PM  #   your two cents []

Dublin City Council will launch a parking payments by mobile system on Wednesday. Irish mobile operators are supporting the scheme, which will let drivers pay for city parking wirelessly, via mobile. The press release says the software is provided by Itsmobile (ugly website alert!), and the service will be fully operational as of Wednesday.
1:21:12 PM  #   your two cents []

 Dear Penis [Flash needed]. As Industrial Technology and Witchcraft says, "A  ballad about a man and his best and oldest friend."

12:25:46 PM  #   your two cents []

War spam?! From LawMeme:

As "part of a psychological war mounted by elite U.S. Special Operations who also have been broadcasting messages from planes over the past month", the U.S. government has used email to dispatch warning messages to key Iraqis. In other words, war spam.

As long as it doesn't tell them how to last all night, investigate enemies or embrace energy markets.

11:40:33 AM  #   your two cents []

Here's an astonishly presumptive and patronising bit of 'analysis' by Slate of why European/Japanese teens are mad about mobiles and US teens, er, aren't. When is the last time this man went abroad? This runs, even as Lessig is writing about Japan's low broadband pricing and high capacity (12 mbs for $25 monthly. 100 mbs for $50), and even as just about ALL of Europe has flat rate, with a population as equally affluent as the US. This reminds me of Americans who, in the mid-90s,  wondered if Ireland had fax machines yet. This picture of US teenagers doesn't even match the one I'd know (they all rush home to their bedroom entertainment centres rather than the local mall? Yeah, right!). And comparing SMS to instant messaging by PC is to really Not Get It.

If these are truly the reasons that US teens don't want SMS, new mobiles, or mobile internet, then that suggests problems for US competitiveness in a mobile world that will leave it far behind -- as well as making US teenagers look a pretty sad bunch (driving everywhere, sitting around the house IMing all day, pampered by parents who buy them their own PCs and electronics. Well, I guess that's a nice, small, privileged slice of the American youth population, but what about the rest?).

11:30:52 AM  #   your two cents []

The two faces of Linux. Cost-effective open-source OS carries security burdens of its own [InfoWorld: Top News]
11:02:44 AM  #   your two cents []

My favourite letter in today's Irish Times:

Madam, - The old method of human procreation is the best and the most enjoyable. To challenge this by cloning humans will upset people and generate resistance.

I hope the latest cloning claim is a figment of some over-active imagination, because the prospect of two Eamon Dunphys, two Daniel O'Donnells or two David Beckhams is terrifying. - Yours, etc.,

B. NEWMAN, Greenfields, Limerick.

11:01:57 AM  #   your two cents []

Ian Mayes: Between Cilla and Charybdis. The readers' editor on the collaboration and collision of artists and journalists. [Guardian Unlimited] ...Ian Mayes's column is always one of the best reads in the Guardian, I think. I had to include this item just because of the headline -- you'd almost suspect the paper ran the controversial image of Cilla in order to have the opportunity to run the headline later on.

I write on and off for the Guardian and sometimes used to pop over for a long weekend in London and help edit the Thursday technology section, called OnLine, if a sub-editor was taking some time off. The very best part of subediting was writing the headlines, which the paper is justifiably famous for. They're challenging  to do not just because the Guardian likes them best when they're snappy and intelligent but also because the font used for headlines is quite beefy and the space limited, so you must be very concise (the Guardian is truly one of the most beautifully-designed, visually satisfying newspapers in the world). We'd all be sitting there deeply pondering, trying to come up with a groan-making pun or witty turn of phrase or perfect reference. Anyone who got a good caption or headline got grins of congratulation and a good belly laugh. Really, really fun and when the section ran I was often prouder of some small headline than a long feature I'd written.

10:02:00 AM  #   your two cents []

Groucho Marx. "I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book." [Quotes of the Day]
9:51:14 AM  #   your two cents []

Blogs refine enterprise focus. Companies are leveraging blogs to streamline business processes [InfoWorld: Top News]
9:50:02 AM  #   your two cents []

MPs in child porn inquiry. Former ministers reported to be under investigation in same operation which embroiled rock star Pete Townshend. [Guardian Unlimited]
9:49:42 AM  #   your two cents []

Sniffing with a credit card-sized device: This small card detects the presence of a Wi-Fi network. [via Gizmodo] [80211b News]

9:46:46 AM  #   your two cents []

LawMeme: "Google claims that PageRank is commercial speech, protected by the First Amendment." [Scripting News]
9:45:16 AM  #   your two cents []

Case steps down: AOL Chairman Quits His Post Amid Criticism. Stephen Case, the former chief executive of AOL who engineered its acquisition of Time Warner, will remain a board member. [New York Times: Technology]
9:42:10 AM  #   your two cents []

Steal This Book? A Publisher Is Making It Easy. Prentice Hall is publishing a line of computer books under the Open Publication License which allows people to copy, modify and redistribute works.  [New York Times: Technology]
9:41:34 AM  #   your two cents []

From Boing Boing Blog: NYC's best dive bars: the definitive guide.

Link ...I say: what's not to like? I love dive bars! One of the real problems in Dublin is that we've got rid of them all, all turned into hideous retro-design drinking establishments with too-loud music and nary a barman or -woman who ever remembers your usual. This looks like a great companion for the next trip to NYC.

Another entertaining BoingBoing link for the moments when the boss is out of the room: a Belgian has an online gallery featuring pictures of the navels of Brussels residents.

9:40:42 AM  #   your two cents []