In this information-laden world, who really wants to deal with addresses, ss#'s, a bevy of phone numbers, even more account numbers, part numbers, and on and on? It seems we sometimes need the precision afforded by (usually non-mnemonic!!!) names, but we don't like it. What if it's not necessary?
[Read More!]

My boss has blog on blogger, which I gather is now owned by Google. Hard to believe that the “Don't be evil” folks have a hand in this monstrosity. [Read More!]

'Consumers Union launched a web site (www.hearusnow.org [love the title! -H]) that is
designed to provide consumers with information on telecom and media
industry developments, help them shop for products and services, and
make it easier to lobby lawmakers and policy-makers on issues. “This
web site addresses the explosion of activist groups and energized
consumers who are frustrated by the government's hands-off approach
when it comes to dealing with their concerns over higher bills, poorer
service, and the fact a handful of companies control their
communications,” said Gene Kimmelman, senior director-public policy
for Consumers Union.'

SOURCE: TR Daily, AUTHOR: Paul Kirby pkirby@tr.com

It appears to be my day to pick on poor Esme at the truly amazing and wonderful Muniwireless website. Recently, she published this article on Ohio House Bill 591. Esme and others think it is the next in a series of bills like the recent HB 30 signed into law by Governor Rendell. Me, I'm not so sure. My analysis of Ohio's 591 (and why, even if stupid, it is not evil) below. [Read More!]

Esme Vos comments on a WSJ article suggesting that WiFi and cell phones are mortal enemies. Sorry, but such a simplistic view of the world doesn't hold water for me. Sadly, I think the cell phone companies believe it. [Read More!]

Here's a glimpse of the future. Can't wait 'till Croquet is ready to play.

There's a new PlayStation 2 game called Karaoke Revolution. You sing into the computer while an animated character lip-syncs. The game grades you on your pitch and timing, and the animated crowd goes wild or boos you off stage as appropriate. [Read More!]

I saw an article about the Pixies in the freebie paper “Metro”.

The Pixies, of course, are the art-noise-punk-pop band out of Boston. They reunited after 13 years. (If you don't know this band, by golly, stop reading Wetmachine right now and go find them.)

I couldn't find the story online (but I did find a bunch of nifty stories by googling for “pixies metro”). So let me retype the interesting part relative to Wetmachine themes of the media ecology: [Read More!]

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

Worried about persistent security flaws in Microsoft's Internet Explorer, officials at the Pennsylvania State University system have taken the unusual step of recommending that students, professors, and staff members stop using the popular Web browser.

“The threats are real, and alternatives exist,” the university said in an announcement posted on its Web site this week.

Penn State appears to be the first American college to recommend against the use of Internet Explorer. However, the CERT Coordination Center, a federal computer-security center operated by Carnegie Mellon University, made a similar recommendation to the public earlier this year.

Internet Explorer, which is distributed free by the Microsoft Corporation, has more than 90 percent of the worldwide browser market. ...

So, you're managing security at an airport. How do you train your bomb sniffing dogs? Well, you might just set up some dummy luggage at a remote site and let the dogs check them out. Or, you could actually put explosives in people's bags, just to give the dogs something to find...

Which works nicely, in theory... train like you work is a good idea. But what happens when they don't find the explosives? Right, they get loaded on aircraft, and present a rather nasty surprise for the unsuspecting airline passenger.

Neurologists at the Wadsworth Center in Albany have designed a cap that allows people to manipulate a cursor on a screen by just thinking. Previously, this has been achieved only by invasive methods where small wire arrays were placed within the brain to monitor individual brain regions.

The focus of the research is on helping the disabled be able to control computers and by extensions, lights, robotic arms, etc. Personally, I can't wait until they just release the cap for general use. Not having to push a mouse around would be a big relief to my wrist, but I wouldn't want to have brain surgury just to be free from the threat of carpal tunnel syndrome.