Monday, February 27, 2006

New Addition To The Google Universe

Well here it is, yet another Google service. Google Page Creator has been released as beta and having worked with it a bit yesterday and some more today I have to say, it is rather easy to use. Nothing really fancy in terms of raw HTML options, just a simple and quick way to set up a personal website. You get 100MB of storage space at the moment, which is plenty for a basic home page set up but not enough to get too excited about.

I set up a simple site that will extend the NET9 brand even further than it is here. The site is Foundations Of The Future, and you can find some of the stuff I am into and thinking about. I think I will continue articles from NET9 on this platform as it is more flexible to work with than Writely. However, I will continue to provide links here to the articles.

If you have a Gmail account, check it out. It has some minor connection issues, but other than that I think it has the potential to become something big.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Microsoft's Origami Project

Engadget has the scoop on this mysterious Microsoft project

Okay, now this is very interesting stuff. If this news has any truth to it, we could very well be seeing the start of a new era in mobile devices.

Here's a link to the Origami Project page where you can grab an RSS feed and find out when more details are to be revealed.

Update: I just saw a video of what appears to be a commercial for the device and damn, that thing is huge!

read more | digg story

Friday, February 24, 2006

Next PSP to get built-in camera, PS3 video streaming

The next version of Sony's PSP will sport an integrated digital video camera that will allow users to stream live video to the PlayStation 3. The feature, which will take advantage of the PSP's Wi-Fi support, will be targeted at younger users as the new way to chat with friends while on the go.

Note: This is just a rumor to me until it is proven otherwise.

It would make at least one of my 2006 predictions correct if it is true though.

read more | digg story

Thursday, February 23, 2006

U.S. Grants Patent For Using AJAX

Now any site that uses rich-media technology implementations, including Flash, Flex, Java, Ajax, and XAML, when the rich-media application is accessed on any device over the Internet, including desktops, mobile devices, set-top boxes, and video game consoles will need a licence.

Further proof that the world is on the way to total chaos.

read more | digg story

Google releases new Page Creator

"Google Page Creator is a free online tool that makes it easy for anyone to create and publish useful, attractive web pages in just minutes." Looks good to me!

read more | digg story

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Quantum computer solves problem, without running

Using an optical-based quantum computer, a research team led by physicist Paul Kwiat has presented the first demonstration of "counterfactual computation," inferring information about an answer, even though the computer did not run.

read more | digg story

Monday, February 20, 2006

Welcome To The Future...

I apologize to my readers for staying away from the blog for so long. I have been getting used to my Nokia 770 and am still amazed at how mobile the web has become because of it. It is the ultimate debate ender thanks to sites like Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, and Google. It is great to check the local weather and traffic conditions before heading off to work. It is awesome to be able to compare online prices with mall prices while shopping. It's funny watching people get jealous of my instant on (from standby), slick mobile tablet to check email, news, and surf the web in coffee shops. I love to know that I can jump on the net, check my email, check what's new, and collect interesting article clippings all before the average notebook or PC boots up to the desktop. It has been great to take down quick notes where I used to carry a pencil and paper (save the trees!). It used to be I would want to know the answer to a question, or the name of a movie an actor played in, or who did what whenever. I'd say to my self "I'll check it latter". For all those times I would forget what it was I was supposed to check out, they are no more. The process of my evolution as an Internet user has been set into motion and there is hardly anything I can't do now on the go that I had to do stationary before. It seems like living a part in a Sci-fi movie or book. The stuff geeky dreams are made of. But here it is, the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, and I have a feeling it is only the beginning.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Digg Updates "Add Digg News To Your Site" Feed

Now you have more options on creating your digg feed. Also a HTML preview of how the digg feed will look like on your site. This is great! Keep it up digg.

read more | digg story

Friday, February 10, 2006

More Web 2.0 Madness

New Article: "Putting It All Together"

With most of the web application bases covered, I think we will now begin to see the fusion, expansion, and optimization of the various services out there.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Opera 9 TP2 First Impressions

Opera 9 TP2 Review

Widgets
A welcome addition to the browser. There aren't many to play with at the moment, but in time I think this feature will become a very good reason to use the Opera browser instead of or in addition to other browsers.

Bittorrent
A great tool for Bittorrent power users. It works without a hitch. This feature could probably be added to a browser like Firefox through an extension, but to be built in to the browser itself seems like the way to go here.

Other UI Improvements
- The content blocking feature is interesting, but I have no idea what I would need it for.
- The search shortcut editor is cool, but I think the Firefox implementation is more organized and less of a hassle.
- The site specific preferences option is great. It creates a whole new dimension of web customization to the browser.
- Thumbnails in the switching of tabs using Ctrl+Tab is good to have.

Although there are some other little things that make Opera better these are the ones that caught my eye and held it. To sum up my thoughts on the added features, The Opera team did a great job on the more anticipated features like Widgets and Bittorrent, and fairly well in other improvements of the browser. Some features elude my comprehension, while others are way ahead of my thinking as far as browser security goes. I think Opera is becoming an excellent alternative to IE and a formidable competitor for Firefox. But It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings.

(Sorry about the late review. I guess I had more on my plate yesterday than I could chew.)

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Bell South Doesn't Care About Geek People

There has been a lot of talk about where is our Fiber Optic that we have been promised. Well here in my home town of Lafayette Louisiana we are installing our own Fiber to the House network. But why is Bell South, Cox Cable and others suing us and are trying to stop this form happening?

- I love that title

read more | digg story

News 02.07.2006

Tech News
- Google Merges Gmail With Chat - Very good! One more reason for me to enjoy using Gmail.

- Opera 9.0 Technology Preview 2 For Windows Released - I'll be testing this all day to post my quick review tomorrow.

- Firefox 2.0 Alpha 1 To Be Released Friday - I look forward to testing this release to get a feel for how it performs.

- The Furture Of The iPod - As long as iTunes and the iTunes Store continue to get better, the iPod will continue to sell and as a result evolve into an amazing device (or range of devices). Great article by the way.

- WebServUSB Server On A Thumbdrive - I wonder how many of these things you can set up per computer. It's only a matter of time before we see wifi-enabled servers with built-in routers and GPS functionality this size that can be placed anywhere there is a power outlet (power may not be an issue once we find an efficient and easily renewable source).

- IBM: Moore's Law Not Dead After All - No, but it's hurting...really badly.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Feds Propose Tax on Wifi Use!

President Bush has proposed taxing the use of wifi (wireless), and is proposing a "user fee" for "un-auctioned" radio spectrum use.

The proposal is in the president's 2007 proposed budget, and is believed to be aimed at the unlicensed radio spectrum used for, among other things, wifi.

- I seriously doubt this story is true, but who cares. The comments are what matters.

The Best Comments From Digg Users:

"This is what happens when governments make laws for technology without actually understanding the technology."

"My microwave oven "broadcasts" on the 2.4GHz band too. Does that mean I have to pay every time I turn it on?"

"ALL YOUR WI-FI ARE BELONG TO US"

"Wow the inevitable wifi tax, whats next air?"

"Every time I say that I'm moving to Canada, I say it with a little bit more seriousness..."

"I Believe it because its on the Internet!"

read more | digg story

Blogger Outages And The Way We Roll

NET9 Forever!
Well, after a week of on and off Blogger outages I decided to use my Bloglines Blog features to make up for lost time. This is not a replacement the NET9 Blogger account, it's merely a suplement/alternative source for the NET9 content. So be sure to check out what's been on our minds at the "other" NET9, and staytuned as we will have more updates here as well.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Great Minds Think Alike

Nokia 770 owner and fan ThoughtFix has recently posted an interesting article about why Google should be developing for the Internet Tablet. Being a 770 owner myself, I obviously agree to the extent that once a company like Google begins to support these new devices, others will inevitably follow. The hardware is here, the platform is open, and the demand for such devices and services has been around for quite some time now. I see a shift in the thinking of early adopters of gadgets as we begin to more easily develop our own software and services for these new and more open platforms. We are just beginning to be given the tools we are accustom to build with, and all we need is the desire to make the devices work the way we want.

I especially like how ThoughtFix seems to think the same as myself due to a ironic similarity to some ideas in my article "A Google Life".