] A Pentagon project to develop a digital super diary that
] records heartbeats, travel, Internet chats — everything a
] person does — also could provide private companies with
] powerful software to analyze behavior.

A very strong article about the coming conflicts between Ubicomp and Privacy. I wrote a paper on this in 1999. Search my MemeStream.

Pentagon Project Could Put Powerful Software in Private Hands (TechNews.com)

Decius wrote:
] ] However, there have also been a number of people who
] ] claim I'm overstating the case and that it's not possible
] ] to build a real cruise missile without access to
] ] sophisticated gear, specialist tools and information not
] ] readily available outside the military.
] ]
] ] So, in order to prove my case, I decided to put my money
] ] where my mouth is and build a cruise missile in my own
] ] garage, on a budget of just US$5,000.

Oh how I'd have been the envy of everyone in the Rocket Club back in JR high armed with THIS info! ;)

Laughing Boy

RE: Fux0ring 3133t Cruise Missile d00d3s

Laughing Boy wrote:
] ] Heavy-metal band Metallica, a vociferous opponent of
] ] Internet song-swapping sites, is turning to the Web as a
] ] way to encourage fans to buy the band's new music.
] ]
] ] Metallica, whose first album in six years is scheduled to
] ] be released on June 5, is offering exclusive music tracks
] ] online as well through a partnership with Speakeasy, the
] ] Seattle-based high-speed Internet access provider said.
] ]
] ] Customers who buy Metallica's new compact disc, St.
] ] Anger, will find a code inside the packaging allowing
] ] them to view, listen to and download exclusive,
] ] unreleased music tracks from a Metallica Web site.
]
] What I've been saying for years... want to encourage people to
] BUY your CD vs. download the tracks online? You have to give
] some "value added" as incentive. Granted, these "exclusive,
] unreleased music tracks" will appear soon on a P2P network
] near you, but this is a step in the right direction.
]
] Now start adding some "VA" that can not be pirated. Ideas off
] the top of my head... random drawings for concert tix, back
] stage passes, t-shirts and other swag, etc...

Yeah, but a lot of artists feel like that's 'paying for your fan base' and will be reluctant to do it. I'll just take the enhanced CDs that are coming out with video, lyrics, added tracks, etc. I'm digging Weird Al's new one with a whole lot of great extras!

RE: 'Anger' leads Metallica to the Internet

] The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association
] counted 140 million cellphone subscribers in this country
] in 2002 %u2014 a number that is sure to keep rising as
] cellphones become smaller, lighter and more versatile.
]
] One of the most popular new configurations is the
] cellphone with a built-in personal digital assistant. But
] that combination represents only a small fraction of what
] telecommunications or computer companies and independent
] inventors say cellphones can do.

Fascinating stuff.

New Functions for Cellphones

] Move over Spider-Man -- mere mortals may soon be coming
] to a ceiling near you.
]
] Researchers at the University of Manchester say they have
] cracked the secret of one of the reptile world's greatest
] climbers, the gecko, and produced a sticky tape that can
] mimic the lizard's gravity-defying abilities.
]
] Soon, people could walk on walls like comic-book
] superhero Spider-Man, the university said.
]
] "The new adhesive -- gecko tape -- contains billions of
] tiny plastic fibres which are similar to natural hairs
] covering the soles of geckos' feet," the University said
] in a statement.
]
] "The research team believes it won't be long before
] Spider-Man gloves become a reality."

Sign me up!

CNN.com - Scientists defy gravity with 'Spider-Man' gloves - Jun. 2, 2003

] The city of Munich said on Wednesday it would switch
] 14,000 computers from Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news -
] people) Windows operating system to rival Linux in a deal
] estimated to be worth tens of millions of euros.
]
]
] The decision is a blow to U.S. giant Microsoft, whose
] chief executive Steve Ballmer had personally campaigned
] for Microsoft's counter-offer to the city, based on
] Windows XP.
]
]
] Microsoft has created two funds to discount its products
] against the emerging Linux software, which is eating into
] its most profitable business.
]
]
] "This strategic decision makes Munich less dependent on
] one IT supplier and sets a trend towards more
] competition," Munich mayor Christian Ude said in a
] statement.
]
]
] Analysts said Munich's decision to choose open source
] software, which means Linux, was a breakthrough.
]
]
] "It is one of the largest desktop migrations to Linux
] ever seen," said Gartner Dataquest analyst Nikos Drakos
] in London.

Microsoft even underbid IBM/SUSE by $3m, and Munich still went for Linux. Interesting.

Forbes.com: UPDATE 2-Microsoft loses city of Munich deal to Linux

] I know this whole SCO/Linux thing can be very confusing,
] so I created this summary page to explain what's going
] on.
]
] To make it easier to understand, I put it in familiar
] terms.
]
]
] Cast:
]
] Daisy - Linux
]
] Roscoe P. Coltrane - SCO
]
] Boss Hogg - Microsoft
]
] Bo - Free Software Foundation
]
] Luke - Open Source Initiative
]
] Cooter - Bruce Perens
]
] Uncle Jesse - Novell

Someday the mountain might get 'em, but the law never will.

] Microsoft pulled a security improvement for its Windows
] XP operating system after it apparently crippled many of
] the Internet connections of the roughly 600,000 users who
] installed it. According to this Associated Press report,
] the patch ('recommended' update 818043) was posted on the
] Windows-Update service last Friday, but didn't quite get
] along with Symantec products. The patch was intended to
] modify the way IPSec encryption was utilized by machines
] behind firewalls, as well as to improve the support of
] virtual private network VPN clients behind network
] address translation (NAT) hardware.

So what else is new?

broadband » News » MS Recalls Troublesome Patch - Windows XP Update pulls internet plug for many

] When June Medford came up with the idea to use tiny weeds
] as weapons in the war against terrorism, she figured most
] people would call it a joke. But the federal government
] didn't laugh.
]
] Now, armed with a half million-dollar grant from the
] Pentagon, the Colorado State University plant biologist
] is trying to genetically engineer Arabidopsis plants to
] change color rapidly if they sense a biological or
] chemical agent.
]
] If her plan works, the technology could be used to turn
] forest evergreens, backyard shrubs or even pond algae
] into sentinels for scientists. One day, everyone in
] America might be able to use a cheap houseplant as an
] early-warning system. It could be the proverbial canary
] in a coal mine for the post-Sept. 11 age.

Bugs, weeds, houseplants could join the war on terror

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