The first private space ship took its place Wednesday next to Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, a hoped-for symbol of a new era of space tourism alongside the icon of trans-Atlantic flight.
Watch video and photos of SpaceShip One’s appearance at the recent Oshkosh EAA AirVenture here.
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Walking a bit on campus and State Street this evening, I was struck by the extent to which we’re connected all the time. These photos are a small snapshot of the scene, which included cell phone use everywhere, ipods and wifi computers.
Following in the footsteps of defunct webvan as well as Sentry Hilldale’s ongoing web shopping service, Sheboygan based Fresh Brands will rollout online grocery services starting 10/10.
Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew speaks with Der Spiegel on Asia’s rise to economic power, China’s ambitions and the West’s chances of staying competitive:
Mr. Lee: Right. In 50 years I see China, Korea and Japan at the high-tech end of the value chain. Look at the numbers and quality of the engineers and scientists they produce and you know that this is where the R&D will be done. The Chinese have a space programme, they’re going to put a man on the Moon and nobody sold them that technology. We have to face that. But you should not be afraid of that. You are leading in many fields which they cannot catch up with for many years, many decades. In pharmaceuticals, I don’t see them catching up with the Germans for a long time.
Bruce Schneier on “Trusted” Computing:
The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) is an industry consortium that is trying to build more secure computers. They have a lot of members, although the board of directors consists of Microsoft, Sony, AMD, Intel, IBM, SUN, HP, and two smaller companies who are voted on in a rotating basis.
The basic idea is that you build a computer from the ground up securely, with a core hardware “root of trust” called a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Applications can run securely on the computer, can communicate with other applications and their owners securely, and can be sure that no untrusted applications have access to their data or code.
This sounds great, but it’s a double-edged sword. The same system that prevents worms and viruses from running on your computer might also stop you from using any legitimate software that your hardware or operating system vendor simply doesn’t like. The same system that protects spyware from accessing your data files might also stop you from copying audio and video files. The same system that ensures that all the patches you download are legitimate might also prevent you from, well, doing pretty much anything.
Ryan J. Foley writes from Madison, WI:
What makes UW-Madison’s lab unique is its collaboration with industry and its focus on the physics and engineering behind the technology, said Sweeney, who has visited other RFID labs elsewhere.
Critics worry, however, that UW-Madison is contributing to technology that could ultimately track humans.
One such fear involves the use of tags in clothing and shoes. If the chips aren’t deactivated at the time of sale, unsuspecting consumers might essentially be carrying around information about their buying habits, allowing stores to target them with intrusive marketing pitches the next time they visit.
“When I see the move of RFID into universities, it concerns me,” said Katherine Albrecht, a privacy advocate who specializes in RFID technology and shoppers. “It is sending a message that not only do we not have to worry about privacy but you can profit from it by a career perspective.”
Channel3000 posted several podcasts (mp3 audio files available via a RSS NewsReader) including an interview with Governor Jim Doyle.
These small xml icons are popping up all over the internet. Clicking on them allows the reader to view a link to the site’s RSS (Really Simple Syndication) page and subscribe to them using a NewsReader. These “feeds” allow the reader to quickly scan headlines and, if interested, view a summary (or in some cases the entire) article. RSS is a very efficient method of reading and sharing information.
Sites can have many RSS feeds, such as Channel3000 or the Washington Post. Isthmus’s Daily Page has a feed, as does WisPolitics.
Getting Started:
Download a NewsReader:
RSS FAQ.
I’ve also posted a brief screencast that demonstrates my use of a RSS NewsReader (NetNewsWire). 13MB Quicktime
Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager issued a press release encouraging residents to help curtail identity theft by opting out of receiving unsolicited credit card offers by mail. You may call the Federal Trade Commission’s Opt Out number 888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688) or log on to their website www.optoutprescreen.com to stop mailings for 5 years or permanently.
Legislators from both political parties have authored a bill that would require that electronic voting machines in Wisconsin produce a paper ballot that could be reviewed by the voter and that would be kept in case a recount is needed.
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, Rep. Steve Freese, R-Dodgeville, and Sen. Jeff Plale, D-South Milwaukee, are circulating the bill among fellow legislators in the hope of obtaining co-sponsors.