Technology

It's important that we remember what makes the Internet so interesting and unique. There are two crucial characteristics: It's fundamentally decentralized, meaning you can cut out any part without affecting the rest, It allows freedom of access, meaning you have the same ability to access and write it as anyone else. Because they permit extraordinary flexibility and rapid growth, both of these characteristics have brought the Internet way beyond any other network. Today, they are endangered. How come, and what can we do about it? ...

As Apple's Steve Jobs is announcing that they suddenly "want native third-party applications on the iPhone", something its users have been yearning to have ever since they started buying these phones (even if it meant hacking them), Steve justifies their prior resistance to this kind of openness by security threats. As he says, they are "trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once — provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc." ...

In our earlier article, "Facts and Friction on Open Source and Free Software" we have explained where "Open Source" is coming from and what is its relation to Free Software and the Free Software Foundation that represents it. One of the points made was that the term Open Source deliberately de-emphasized a certain aspect of what defines Free Software as originally specified by the FSF in order to make Free Software, albeit under the new term, better appeal to the business world. ...

Have a look at [url=http://openlina.com/]LINA[/url]. It's a really clever idea - it solves the same problem as Java tries to solve: making all operating systems equivalent using a virtual machine so developers won't have to support multiple platforms. But there's a difference: LINA doesn't require the developer to work with different tools than he is used to, such as the Java compiler, because LINA is linux. Also, there will be a large amount of software available for it from the start, again because LINA is linux....

There are people, like Ray Kurzweil, who believe that it will be inevitable for humans to start merging with our own technology in order to improve our capabilities. Ever since humans existed we created tools, even before we started calling these tools "technology", and it was always essentially an extension of ourselves which allows us to do more with less therefore growing our capabilities. ...

Technology is neutral, by all means. It is how we used it that matters. However: Fact 1: Technology is becoming more and more powerful at rates nobody seems to be fully aware off. Fact 2: Some humans ARE using technology in evil ways. Fact 3: When technology gains a certain amount of autonomy it can use itself. Observation: The ultimate challenge of humanity in 21st century may be to stay in control of its own progress or be devoured by it. Question: What do you get if you combine googlebot, which scans the entire internet (which is close to all knowledge humanity possesses)...

I'm always impressed with the way Apple handles marketing. A big part in their success so far has been in the fact that they are selling an experience in addition to the actual functional products. They sell that "feel good" effect. The same is happening with iPhone and the whole hype campaign around this smartphone is gonna reach its peak at June 29, its launch date. Is anyone here actually planning to buy it? Well, I would strongly suggest against it. Just read this. It's just a quick glance over what this phone actually represents.. another golden cage. Who is really in control of ...

TgDaily has a rather disappointing news about the performance of AMD in the last quarter (Q1 2007): How AMD plans to sail through the "perfect storm". This has been one of their worst quarters ever. They have lost a significant amount of market share despite significantly reducing their prices. Core 2 Duo by Intel simply crushed them for the time being. And when this happens it is always worrying. Will AMD survive this time around? If it doesn't Intel becomes a monopoly and that would be a disaster. I'll just quote one of the comments to this story: ...

An [b]Open Source unconference[/b] that aims at creating a platform for discussing FOSS and Mobile Technologies in India. The unconference isbeing organised as a part of the International Conference on Communication, Convergence and Broadband Networking. Come and Join us on 19th July 2008 and be a part of a phenomenon that is changing FOSS and India at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Visit: [url=http://www.osscamp.in/index.php/OSScamp_Bengaluru_Mobile_2008]OSSCamp Bengaluru Mobile! 2008[/url]...

At some point, in the relatively soon future, the average citizen will begin to watch and realize that all of this stuff we call technology, has evolved throughout the ages, into what was needed for a computer system to actually be called the beast to emerge onto the scene as a capable entity, controlling all aspects of everything. And, it all came together from all points to become this thing. ...

A very engaging, although from some point of view a bit geeky story showing why we love GNU/Linux. Of course, you don't have to be a geek to benefit from the bottom line benefit that the story is pointing to: "It comes down to the most basic principle for the design of any operating system: it must enable you."> That's what it's all about. It puts you into the drivers seat. If you're not an advanced user, somebody else is and that somebody is in a community which has the freedom to and is willing to help you too have a great ride! ...

yet another non-IT FUD: Greater use of plant-based biofuels will push oil prices "through the roof," according to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec)....