Experimental Space

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:46:28 GMT

Radio 8.1 and Macbook: Current Platform

Coming Soon: improved left navigation!

This summer I've started a blog improvement plan so stay tuned for further moves and content plans.

Blogs Falling in an Empty Forest. Why do blogs have a higher failure rate than restaurants? [NYT > Technology]

Sat, 09 May 2009 04:29:42 GMT

University Computers Hacked

UC Berkeley computers hacked, 160,000 at risk. Attackers access public health center Web site, then break into secured databases on the same server, stealing some 97,000 Social Security numbers. [CNET News.com]

We've seen this headline "University Computers Hacked" before. Knowing the curiosity of university students it's bound to be tried. As this story unfolds we'll see the weak point(s) in this system: anything from a weak admin password to an unpatched vulnerability to social engineering.

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:27:17 GMT

Changing Communication

You might enjoy a Whitehouse slideshow significantly hosted on Flickr under a Creative-Commons-license!

The Queen's message by e-mail for the first time. More used to communicating by letter and telegram, the Queen has taken the unusual step of sending e-mails to 23 young Commonwealth citizens. [BBC News | Technology | UK Edition]

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:53:07 GMT

New Media Literacy: what's involved

Short video, less than 3 minutes will give you some new media skills ideas.

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:44:52 GMT

Ubuntu's New Features

Why Microsoft should fear Ubuntu's Cloud efforts. Ubuntu is soon to feature 'cloud-computing inside'. Microsoft must take this threat seriously before they lose more control of cloud platforms. [CNET News.com]

Alternative operating systems and cloud computing: the nexus of two interests I have. We could all use the same operating system only if we all did the same work.

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:29:39 GMT

Open Source in Government

UK government backs open source. The UK government says it will accelerate the use of open source software in public services. [BBC News | Technology | UK Edition]

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:26:35 GMT

Cloud Cost Savings: Open-source and Virtualization Savings also

With cloud computing, open-source software and virtualization, we all could save some money in our personal computing as well as government computing on all levels. Personal I use some cloud and open source only because they work so well from day one.

Study: U.S. gov't could save billions with cloud computing, open-source. The U.S. government could save billions of dollars by moving to more open-source software, cloud computing and virtualization, a recent study suggests.
[Latest from Computerworld]

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:49:12 GMT

UK Government Report on Digital Future

Mixed reaction to digital plans. Official plans to prepare the UK's digital infrastructure for the future need fleshing out, say experts. [BBC News | Technology | UK Edition]

"An action plan to secure the UK's place at the forefront of innovation, investment and quality in the digital and communications industries will be developed by Stephen Carter, the first Minister for Communications, Technology and Broadcasting. " Full Report

BBC, part of the report's subject, write(s):

The 86-page report sets out ambitious targets for the government to make broadband ubiquitous across the UK, reform radio spectrum, and sort out public broadcasting.

Some have been positive about its conclusions but opposition politicians criticised the wide-ranging report, saying it was light on specifics.

"We're very disappointed," said Jeremy Hunt, shadow culture minister. [me: isn't that a great title "Shadow Culture Minister" that the U.S. and California are missing?]

"We thought the report was going to contain a strategy," he said. "In France and Germany they are laying fibre, in Japan they already have it. In Britain the average broadband speed is 3.6Mb so what [Andy Burnham] is talking about is getting half the current speed."

[Emphasis mine.]

For the US consider the 2008 'Digital Future Report' from the Center for Digital Future at the University of Southern California. Now in its seventh year, this report forms part of a longitudinal study on the impact of computers, the Internet, and related technologies.

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:29:17 GMT

Accessiblity
Wonder call. Stevie Wonder's plea on gadgets [BBC News | Technology | UK Edition]