Human-looking robot
Well, we’re getting closer to creating a ‘real’ Data. Check out this Japanese robot.
Flattening Barriers to Communications
In a bold move to modernize America’s outdated communications laws, this week Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) introduced the Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act. It’s about time Congress embraced this issue, particularly since technology has vastly changed the way communications
Tech Closeup interview
I was interviewed by Tech Closeup on a bunch of tech issues recently. The producers of the TV show were nice enough to grant me permission to post it for those of you who don’t watch traditional TV anymore. Here’s
Canada wins dumbest government award
What can I say? This is a long time coming… Here’s the story. Thanks to KH for bringing this important fact to my attention.
I want my IPTV
What’s that — Hawaiian noises? Bangin’ on the bongos like a chimpanzee… Fortunately, we’ve moved past the 80’s and on to bigger and better things like IPTV. But while the tech has accelerated, policymakers are holding back progress. Read all
Digital Village: A Lesson from London
The subway and bus bombings in London on July 7th added new fuel to the continued debate over security and liberty in a high-tech world. But it remains an open question whether the two must be opposites. “They that can
xMax — broadband over narrowband?
The latest buzz in the telecommunications community surrounds xMax, a tool designed to provide broadband over narrowband wireless channels. Some are still in disbelief over the tech, but it looks promising. Here’s a link to an article on it and
Map of men and women who have died in Iraq
A friend sent me this map today. It’s updated as of June 29th.
Canadian Ambassador Takes on Fox News?
Did you know that: – Canada is the largest source of imported crude oil in the U.S., bigger than Saudi Arabia or the yet untested reserves of Iraq. -Canada has rotated 13,500 troops in the war on terror, has committed
Clear up misinformation about electronic voting
That’s right. Read what Vince Vasquez and I have to say about evoting in this Houston Chronicle op-ed.
X Marks Start of Broadband Reform
The United States Supreme Court this week ruled against Brand X, a small California company that sells Internet access. This ruling is good for consumers and marks the beginning of what could be much-needed reform in broadband policy. To read
Happy Canada Day!
Today is Canada Day. If you knew that, you might want to try out this test of Canadian history.
E-voting is a good solution to Election Day voting woes
Today PRI released a study on e-voting authored by me and Vince Vasquez. We point out that Internet-fed rumors of conspiracy theories, widespread fraud, and rigged elections are unwarranted and we suggest ways to deal with the real issues involved
Making P2P a Capitalist Tool
This month the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide MGM vs. Grokster, the case that could determine whether or not a peer-to-peer (P2P) company can be held liable for illegal activity on its network. The decision is key, but
PETA and the culture of death
Two employees of PETA, aka “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” were recently charged with 31 felony counts of animal cruelty after authorities found them dumping the dead bodies of 18 animals they had just picked up from a
Special Interests Threaten Telecom’s Future
California began a series of public hearings on the SBC/AT&T merger in Oakland, Calif., last week. While the purpose is to gather public input, in reality, special interests dominate, putting the real public interest at risk. An hour before the
YES
Last night I went to a screening for the new film Yes, hosted by my ultra-cool friend Mark Pincus. The film was absolutely amazing for a few reasons, the first of which was its prose. The entire script was a
Future Humans
New technologies will allow longer lifespans and greater somatic choice, but some people hope tech will also re-order society. Click here to see what I think.
Media bias & social security
I attended a breakfast lecture by Bob Kohn this morning where he discussed his book Journalistic Fraud. He made the case that the NYT and other media outlets distort the news by how they report and what they include and
Freakonomics
The book Freakonomics has been getting a lot of attention recently, and here’s a well done article by Max Borders on the original Freaks.