Are you as …

Are you as confused as I am about the different cell phone technologies between Europe, Asia and the America? I found Steven Den Beste’s in-depth explanation to be very informative. It cleared up a lot of confusion for me. So the question I ask now is, if Europe is abandoning the GSM network that was established in the 1990’s, isn’t it possible to start thinking about alternative uses for such an established network? Perhaps it can be converted to be used as an emergency communication network. I don’t know if GSM and 802.11b are compatible at all, but a continent-wide WiFi network would be pretty damn cool.

   

Funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

This comes from the very funny Christian Republican Evangelical Teaching International Network (CRETIN) web site.

Update: I am told by a Russian friend that the word kretin in Russian means “idiot.” From the French.

Stories like this one make me think that laws in this country are out of control. A teacher who makes and collects hunting knives sells a knife to a student who is also a collector. The teacher gets permisison from the principal of the school and the student gets written permission from his mother. No harmful intent or ulterior motive is present. Yet, because the sale of the knife happens on school property, the student is expelled and the teacher is forced to resign after 11 years of teaching. I understand why such laws regarding weapons on school property exist, but this is clearly an example of two people making a mistake and being punished for it because the laws are zero-tolerance.

CMU HCI Research: Automatic Sign Translation. Wow, this technology could be very profitable. Imagine being able to carry around a PDA-like device that is able to automatically translate any sign in any language for you. Amazing.

Kevin Werbach responded to my note about the differing costs of technology conferences. He makes some good points about corporate sponsorship and how a more-focused event costs more.

It’s a matter of different business models. One option is to try to get a lot of people at a low price, the other is to have a more focused event, but requires a higher price to recoup expenses. Unfortunately, the first option often doesn’t make up the difference on volume, given the fixed cost of an event, unless you have several thousand people. SXSW has the advantage of combining the interactive event with the film and music festivals.

Also, the lower-priced events almost always have corporate sponsors (which opens up its own set of issues), or are done on basically a non-profit basis. I tried to make Supernova as affordable as possible (it’s less than half what we charged for PC Forum last year), but I understand the price is a barrier for many people.

David Chess is brilliantly funny:

FROM:PRNCSS. L ORGANA
DEAR friend.
I AM PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA ONLY SURVIVOR OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF ALDERAN (ALDRN). I AM MOVED TO WRITE YOU THIS LETTER, THIS WAS IN CONFIDENCE CONSIDERING MY PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCE AND SITUATION. I WAS FALSLEY IMPRISONED UPON THE IMPERIAL BATTLESTATION (“DEATH STAR”) WHEN MY PLANET WAS HIDEOUSLY DESTROYED AND ENDED BY THE BVERY BAD SITH LORD VADER.

Wired: Spam Masquerades as Admin Alerts. Yet another security flaw in Microsoft technology that allows unethical marketers and advertisers to take advantage of your home computer and invade your privacy.

The most recent K Chronicles comic strikes a chord of truth for me. I know I am not the only non-religious person in the world who is sick and tired of this kind of be religious behavior. The world would be a better place if religion were kept behind closed doors.

DevShed has a great 5-part article called The Art of Software Development. Worth bookmarking.

Flipping around the TV tonight I started watching Monster Machines on TLC, and was fascinated to learn that the director of Caterpillar’s Training Center called his machines by the masculine pronoun he. Like the D11R Carrydozer, which is a damn big machine but only half the size as the Komatsu D575-3 Super Dozer, whose blade is as big as a one-story house. It’s interesting how people use the feminine pronouns she and her for automobiles but the masculine pronouns for heavy equipment.

Posted by Cameron Barrett at October 16, 2002 12:47 PM

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