General
The state of the news media
The reports keep coming in- print journalism is in dire straits. You can read all about it in the report of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. At CNET, Charles Cooper summarizes the report:
The 180,000-word report by he Project for Excellence in Journalism comes against a backdrop of newspaper closings and staff reductions around [...]
Technological ignorance
The proper functioning of a democracy depends on an informed electorate. Unfortunately, the US seems to have reached a state where neither the electorate nor the elected have the background knowledge to make reasonable judgments about the large scientific and technological issues that face us. Given how important a role technology plays in everyone’s life, [...]
Is there hope for US patent reform?
US patent and trademark law is clearly out of step with technological developments. A fight is about to develop in the US Congress over attempts to reform the patent mess. Entrenched vested interests and patent trolls are trying to block reform. Ars Technica has an account of the situation:
Over 50 years after its last major [...]
Another computer magazine goes down
Another venerable print magazine has bitten the dust. Computer Shopper will be online only after its April issue. PaidContent reports:
You’re reading it here first … paidContent has learned that Computer Shopper will cease print publication with its April issue, due off the press next week, and become online only at ComputerShopper.com.
At Technologizer, Harry McCracken comments:
Shopper’s [...]
Home PCs are too complicated
For years I have been saying that home PCs are too complicated for the needs of the average user. Recently, I have even been going around giving a talk on Why Home Computing is a Mess. As far as I can tell, most computing professionals are unaware of the vast difference between their world and [...]
Assuming technology customers are stupid
At Internetnews, Mike Elgan uses the recent flap about Facebook’s terms of service to comment on how often technology companies treat their customers as dumb. For example, he says:
Companies of all sorts insult our intelligence when, for example, they sell wasteful and toxic gadgets as “green”; or when they slap the buzzword du jour, such [...]
Selection of links
There’s no way to get around to discussing everything that’s interesting on the Web but here are some links for your Sunday reading:
Not All Information Wants to Be Free A discussion at Slate about whether people will pay for online information.
H.P.’s Hunk of Burning LightThe New York Times looks at what HP research in optical [...]
Downloading software to your car
Automobiles today contain a lot of computing functions. However, the software never gets updated. That may be changing, according to an article at ScienceDaily:
Computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices regularly download software updates to keep obsolescence at bay. That’s not the norm for cars. But that could change thanks to an automotive software architecture [...]
The search for intelligent life
ScienceDaily has an article, “Baboons And Pigeons Are Capable Of Higher-level Cognition, Behavioral Studies Show”. Too bad we can’t say the same about politicians and bankers.
Inflight Internet may be a mixed blessing
Airlines are beginning to offer Wi-Fi on board their flights. Judging from my experience on trains, I’m not sure this is necessarily a good thing. Sure, it may mean a long flight can be less boring but it may also mean that a flight can be even more aggravating than it is now. The New [...]
Digital TV switchover delayed
The change to all digital over-the-air TV has been put off to June 12.
