What's the weather report in hell these days? Flurries? Yea, this one was certainly long in the coming.

From Change.Org:

"Bring Government into the 21st Century: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will use technology to reform government and improve the exchange of information between the federal government and citizens while ensuring the security of our networks. Obama and Biden believe in the American people and in their intelligence, expertise, and ability and willingness to give and to give back to make government work better. Obama will appoint the nation's first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st century. The CTO will ensure the safety of our networks and will lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices."

Maybe the Chinese military hackers will pwn our goverment's infrastructure less if the above person is successful. We can only hope.

Decius/Rattle/Acidus/W1ld, there is a convenient form to apply for the CTO job here: http://change.gov/page/s/application (hint, hint...)

Also long in the coming that is mentioned on the page:

"Deploy a Modern Communications Infrastructure

* Deploy Next-Generation Broadband: Barack Obama believes that America should lead the world in broadband penetration and Internet access. As a country, we have ensured that every American has access to telephone service and electricity, regardless of economic status, and Obama will do likewise for broadband Internet access. Obama and Biden believe we can get true broadband to every community in America through a combination of reform of the Universal Service Fund, better use of the nation’s wireless spectrum, promotion of next-generation facilities, technologies and applications, and new tax and loan incentives."

Thratchen

President Elect: The USA to get a CTO and Modren Telcom Infrastructure

This is the cat's ass. I absolutely love the fact that we are bailing out these companies and they are still doing the bonuses...

My fav -- "At one point last week the Morgan Stanley $10.7bn pay pot for the year to date was greater than the entire stock market value of the business. In effect, staff, on receiving their remuneration, could club together and buy the bank."

Thratchen

10% of Bailout going to bonuses...

This is a very interesting way to limit the radio field of the network used for authentication via transmission of the signal through flesh. I feel like making a Hell Raiser quite like "The flesh calls out for authentication". Cool stuff.

There have been some stories on this on sites. But, you should be able to buy it now via Japanese sites and there are re-shipping companies if someone really wanted these in the US to mess with. Email me if you want info on one. I'm trying to decide if I want to order a kit.

Release: http://www.ntt.co.jp/news/news05e/0502/050218.html
Japanese Kit Link: http://www.ntt.co.jp/news/news08/0804/080423a_2.html
Translated: http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ntt.co.jp%2Fnews%2Fnews08%2F0804%2F080423a_2.html&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=ja&tl=en

Thratchen

NTT Starts Selling a Human Area Network Authentication Device

Ok, this is just cool. You will soon be able to get a KORG Music Synthesizer for the Nintendo DS. The cool thing is that there is no locality controls on the DS. So, as soon as this shows up on PlayAsia, you can use it on your DS.

Thratchen

Bring the Noise with your Nintendo DS!

Wow, this is just too strange. I don't know where to start on the jokes. Things like Sanrio going on a mascott killing ramage comes to mind.

Thratchen

Does Hello Kitty now have diplomatic immunity?

Ok, first off, I wonder what Microsoft intends for this piece of work and why is the closed source empire posting it to codeplex? Will this become the underpinnings for some future version of Windows?

Microsoft appears to have been working on this since 2005, at least and a major new release of it was posted this month.

I'm sure we could all spin lots of X-Files theories on this one. But, I'm going to forgo coming up with any for now. I'll take the look and see (with concern) view on this one for now.

Microsoft's Next OS Architecture?

It's all over kids and Sony won. The big losers where Microsoft and Walmart who embraced the format. I wonder how many HD-DVD players Walmart will be dumping in land fills?

HD Format War Officially Ended

Too freaking cool. I wonder if you can submit your own race track if you are lucky enough to own one.

Thratchen

Nissan GT-R disables speed limiter on race tracks via GPS

Peter Jackson, Oscar-winning director of the Lord of the Rings movies, has signed a deal to produce two films based on JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.... wait a minute... Two Movies?!?!?

Thratchen

Jackson to produce Hobbit movies

Very interesting research of the mental and cognitive values of being bilingual.

Being bilingual protects against some age-related cognitive changes, says new research