Universal Rule

Book Reviews

Monday, December 23, 2002

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Many Tools of Big Brother Are Now Up and Running: "The government already has eyes and ears observing people's everyday activities, but that data is not currently gathered or analyzed comprehensively in a way that would be useful to intelligence agencies. The Internet, as well as new Web technologies such as XML, have helped to link of thousands of information warehouses with different types of data--email, cellular phone usage data, toll booth data, e-commerce stats, and banking information. The controversial Total Information Awareness project would enable the government to tap into these various sources, compare the data, and alert authorities to possible terrorist activity. Besides drawing on conventional digital transactions, the Total Information Awareness project also uses commercially available technology, such as the Groove collaboration software created by Lotus Notes creator Ray Ozzie. Groove enables real-time remote collaboration between intelligence analysts at different agencies and hooks up various data analysis software. Critics say such a system compromises civil liberties, while others argue it is unworkable. Dorothy Denning, a Naval Postgraduate School professor in Department of Defense Analysis, doubts the government can connect the right dots fast enough to avert a terrorist strike since it does not know exactly what to look for."

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Microsoft, Adobe in document showdown?: "Adobe Systems readies a new business push as industry giant Microsoft moves ahead with plans for software that could nibble at the edge of Adobe's market." [CNET News.com]

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Apple Nabs 5.2% Of Desktop Market: "NPD Techworld reports that Apple garnered 5.2 percent of retail desktop sales in October. However, sales of the company's portable computers didn't warrant a top-five listing." (Insanely Great Mac via MyAppleMenu.) [MyAppleMenu]

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Year In Review : Apple's Harvest: "Apple unveils new products, struggles with sales." (CNET News.com via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu]

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Washington salutes its new Blog Overlords: "When Trent Lott finally fell from (g)race last friday, the ensuing MeFi thread discussed how Lott's statements were at first a sleeper in the mainstream media but that the blogosphere forced the story onto the front pages. However, this theory was met with some scepticism However, the theory of blog ascendancy has legs. In fact, the story is all over the place this morning. With this level of discussion, right or wrong, Blogs just arguably went mainstream. (It might also be the end of our golden era of blogging.) There are greater and lesser blogs. Its hard to tell which blog deserves the credit for toppling Lott. How will they determine the alpha blog?" [MetaFilter]