Can good information go bad?

Google's quest to scan and digitize millions of books. So what about copyright? What about the benefits of access to information? Isn't it time we started to develop some new economic theories about information, reputation, and how we will make money when goods are secondary to ideas? Inside Higher Ed :: Google's Not-So-Simple Side

MySpace: Claiming more visitors than it really gets?

I have written frequently about CyWorld the Korean home of the"minihompy" and millions of users. I was pretty blown away to see MySpace make claims that it had more vivits than Cyworld. Since there is about 80% broadband penetration in Korea, and maybe 64% in the USA, it seemed like big numbers for MySpace. This story questions the MySpace numbers and suggests that for MySpace, publicity and MSM attention my lead to a chilling of the coolness factor. I will check with my students for anecdotal updates. myspace

UAE Gave $1 Million to Bush Library

Do you remember "Occam's Razor?" It is a rule that scientists use when they analyze information. My version of Occam's Razor is that when you have several ways of explaining something, choose the simplest and most obvious explanation. Here we have the UAE giving $1 million to Geo. Bush senior's library. Now the President is willing to go against the advice of the Republican Leadership and threatens to veto a bill that would slow down the deal that will let the UAE, that owns Dubai Port Co. take over management of 6 ports in the USA from London-based Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. This would be the President's first veto. Do we need to look any further for an explanation of the Bush's actions? A million may not be much, but could that donation be the tip of a monetary ice-berg? This is going to be a difficult one to explain with complexity, in my opinion. UAE Gave $1 Million to Bush Library

London, England plans a wireless blanket

From Edmonton which is near London, Ont. comes this news about what Canuks call "Big London." But Londoners will be connected wherever they go. Vue Weekly : Articles

Chicago Bloggers get a review

You might need to register to see the facsimile page of Tempo for February 24, 2006. It features a story by Steve Johnson about the Chicago Blogger meetups that I have been organizing. Steve included lots of good information about some of the bloggers' sites and our meetings. If you came here from the story, you can sign up to be notified about blogger meetups in the future.

What the meeting suggested was, in fact, the opposite of blogger stereotypes about shut-ins, agoraphobics and tech geeks. If you accept the fact that maintaining a blog is a form of reaching out -- something that's being done by more than 25 million blogs nowadays, according to the tracking site, Technorati -- then it's almost natural that bloggers would want to get together.

chicagobloggers

Recommended reading

Here is a discussion of the value of Kevin Sites, The Hot Zone. Sites is a journalist hired by Yahoo to cover the Mideast. The article from editorsweblog notes that Kevin is doing stories no one else is doing in mainstream media. BUT, he needs more readers. Why not try adding The Hot Zone to your reading diet?

Ohmynews, citizen journalism publication is 6 years old.

Rhonda Hauben remembers Ohmynews on its birthday. Happy Birthday to OhmyNews - OhmyNews International

When Cheney shot, what happened? See it in a simulation.

This is a great example of video produced by journalists who aren't necessarily the most accomplished videographers that is spot-on journalism. The NRA disses reporters routinely because few of them hunt or are gun-owners. Here is a newspaper photographer who is an avid hunter who explains the how and why of the gun Cheney used, and demonstrates its effect on the poor victim. Good work, George and Caller-Times.Hunting accident simulation

EDELMAN HIRES TOP ADVERTISING BLOGGER

EDELMAN HIRES TOP ADVERTISING BLOGGER: "The move is yet another blogger-makes-it-big tale..." Steve Rubel who writes "Micropersuasion" the top ad blog according to Technorati, has been hired by the Edelman agency. PR bloggers are in demand, too,

Edelman recently has also hired Michael Krempasky, a public-affairs blogger, and Phil Gomes, who writes about online communications. Others agencies have gone a similar route. Weber Shandwick, the world’s largest PR firm, recently hired Jeremy Pepper, writer of popular PR blog Pop PR Jots as group manager in its San Francisco office.

MySpace users to get their own cell phones - Wireless World - MSNBC.com

MySpace users to get their own cell phones - Wireless World - MSNBC.comMySpace website connected via S K Communication phones. Those are the folks who run CyWorld in Korea.

A Human Face for WiFi

Wonderful world of WiFi - The Boston Globe

Don't use it--You could lose it

I would consider this story, but you have to take it with a grain of salt as it brings up Lamark (you know the guy who thought that if you cut off the tails of mice, their descendents would have not tails...) but have you ever forgot your cell and then realized you didn't remember anyone's number? Call it digital dementia or technology amnesia, it might be a problem. But it might just be because we never bother to commit numbers to memory anymore.The Korea Times : Digital Dementia Hits Youth

Patriot Act "not a liberal issue" say Arizona librarians.

Arizona Daily Sun-

Truthiness in Science

Scientific American reports that American Association of Petroleum Geologists has honored Michael Crichton with its Journalism Award though his books are FICTION. Here is what their spokesman said,

"State of Fear," dismisses global warming as a largely imaginary threat embraced by malignant scientists for their own ends. "It is fiction," conceded Larry Nation, communications director for the association. "But it has the absolute ring of truth."

The Journalistic Triumph of Michael Crichton: BLOG: SciAm Observations

Bruce Sterling on "rootkits" and corporate bad behavior

Wired 14.02: Posts

Sun-Times, not Trib is bringing back the "Daybook."

File under the "maybe we can make money from old-fashioned news" department. Online daybook coming out on STNG web (kudos to Sun-Times for a cool name.)Sun-Times to launch its version of City News | Crain's Chicago Business

The Gen X and Millenials need a new way to look at their world

Characterized as "The broke generation" the 18-34 year olds are much worse off than the Boomers who came of age in the 60s and 70s. The causes of their economic insecurities lie in social and economic conditions that affect everyone. For this generation, raised with that Regan-era "personal responsibility" ethos, economic problems signal personal failings. These people need to wake up and get their heads around the fact that they exist in a society where decisions made in political circles determine economic conditions. It doesn't matter how "good" they are, without health insurance, they are economically crushed. Social networks like facebook and myspace are fine for distracting members with amusements, but its time for them to be put to use raising some sense among a class of people that they are indeed a class, and can be hurt or helped through collective action. Little princes and princesses, get into the streets with the people. It will do us all good.

Koreans cybertrip to a tailor-made world - Breaking - Technology - theage.com.au

Koreans cybertrip to a tailor-made world as they use Cyworld. This article describes what Cyworld is, what its "mini-hompys" are, and has a screen shot of what one user's mini-me or hompy looks like. Think that this is just child's play? It is making about $200,000 per day (US) and nearly every 20 year old in S. Korea has tried it. Reports say that Cyworld is coming to the English speaking part of cyberspace this spring (e.g. SOON) so you might want to know what to expect. And cellphone providers found Cyworld profitable too,

It launched a service enabling its subscribers to log on to the nation's most popular cyberspace community "Cyworld," upload pictures and write and check Web posts by using a wireless mobile Internet connection. The service, "Mobile Cyworld," attracted 1.3 million members last year, reaping 50 billion won ($51 million).

accoding to JoongAng Daily. Cyworld

Watch out Drivers, Car Makers eyeing WiFi

Are you wondering what WiFi is? When you hear "ZigBee" do you think it's a new skin disease? You can use the search bar on my blog to look at the entries I have posted about WiFi and Zigbee over time. I also write about RFID (radio frequency identification devices) that are showing up in our clothing and identification cards and such, so you can search for RFID too. I guess it is time to go back myself and write a short tech paper on the subject and how its been developing. Why should you care? Your RFID passport or credit card will be broadcasting your personal information for short distances wherever they are. Wal-Mart is mandating RFID tags from all of its suppliers, so they are going to be everywhere. A wireless world means invisible to the eye connections, but it means we are in a net or surveillance, too. Zigbee is one of the wireless systems, as is Bluetooth, WiMax, etc. Some WiFi (wireless fidelity) devices in cars might be a good thing, but there are lots of drivers who lack the ability to multi-task. If cellphones caused accidents, what havoc might a WiFi connected car lead to?

Wireless technologies gaining momentum include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, WiMax, UWB, ZigBee, DSRC, radio frequency and near field communications. Frost & Sullivan noted that potential applications are vehicle safety (such as collision avoidance), entertainment (music streaming and downloading), voice applications, tracking functions, remote monitoring and diagnostics, and inter-vehicle communication.

WiFi

Committee to Protect Bloggers :: World's Youngest Blocked Blogger

Omid Habibinia is an Iran exile journalist and blogger. I met him at the Citizen Journalist Forum last summer. He started a blog for his baby son recently, but it is being blocked by the powers that be in Iran. Omid thinks that makes Datis, his son, at 8 months, the world's youngest blogger dissident. Committee to Protect Bloggers :: World's Youngest Blocked Blogger

Geeks + fashion = too cool ideas for wearables

"Chindogu Winner" MIT students let loose with technology and fashion and the results are wonderful. The fashion show is a webcast movie. The announcer is great, good tunes and a nice light show. The suit with sound modulation, a magnetic skirt (helps with urban recycling)--even "safety" in an audio helmet for biking or loud discos. Human tissue that creates jewelry? Lace patterns that "grow" on you. How cool is that??? "Anyone with a sewing machine and a soldering iron can do this." says the M.C. Chindogu is Japanese and means "ingenious everyday gadgets that, on the face of it, seem like an ideal solution to a particular problem. However, Chindogu has a distinctive feature: anyone actually attempting to use one of these inventions, would find that it causes so many new problems, or such significant social embarrassment, that effectively it has no utility whatsoever." (from Wiki) This site gets a currentbuzz "chindogu" thumbs up as you an see from the image of "KC the Chindogu symbol." geekfashion

Measuring the President's Words - Los Angeles Times

Qn interesting way to consider or analyze the State of the Union Speech. Word clouds are a tool that I like, though some of my colleagues prefer and alphbetized list. I guess I like to get the the thing and a measure of the thing simultaneously. Measuring the President's Words - Los Angeles Times

Belgium: paper to test e-ink device with readers - Editors Weblog

One of my favorite topics: e-ink and e-paper. Plus Belgium is in the news. So this looks like an actual move from vaporware to a real device. Belgium: paper to test e-ink device with readers - Editors Weblog

Whiskey Bar: Davos Discovers the Blogs

Whoa, this is pretty scary. I guess it is to be expected. Whiskey Bar: Davos Discovers the Blogs Technorati tags: blogs davos

What is going on in the "Blue Hous?"

South Korea is an important balance and power in Asia today. The "Blue House" is where their president lives, like our "White House." Roh's politics seem to be to go toward transparency and rationality. soutkorea