OLPC Laptops Shipping

The OLPC, or "One Laptop Per Child", is now shipping. Envisioned by MIT's Nicholas Negroponte, the $100 laptops are designed for students in Third-World nations. By incorporating radical cost-cutting innovations, the laptops are supposed to provide students with cheap, reliable access to the same information and learning tools enjoyed by First-World students. The New York Times explains:

"Mary Lou Jepsen, the chief technologist for the project, likes to refer to the insight that transformed the machine from utopian dream to working prototype as "a really wacky idea."

Ms. Jepsen, a former Intel chip designer, found a way to modify conventional laptop displays, cutting the screen's manufacturing cost to $40 while reducing its power consumption by more than 80 percent. As a bonus, the display is clearly visible in sunlight."

The New York Times article on the device can be read here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/30/technology/30laptop.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

November 27, 2006 Untitled

THis is my first entry. It is merely a test.

This is a test of a a blog posting widget.


IT IS ONLY A TEST.

Is it real, or is it GPS?

It seems as if Sony hasn't lost its' touch completely -- check out their next-generation GPS navigation system. It plots where you are in a virtual three-dimensional environment, complete with buildings, trees, posters and billboards. What's cool about this is the virtual environment corresponds to the exact location where you are.

I can imagine so many cool things we'll be able to do with this technology. We're getting close to having a God's eye view of the people, places and things around us. From Linux Devices website (with more screenshots):

Sony debuts Linux-based in-car nav / infotainment line in Japan: "The 3D mapping interface shows actual buildings, and knows street addresses, enabling it to identify destination addresses. In the picture at right, it has identified a gas station belonging to a promotional partner. Advertising for many other businesses, such as fast food outlets, appears to be built into the maps."

Essay: A Design Epiphany: Keep It Simple

Good NYT essay on how technology is getting harder, not easier, to use as it introduces more complexity:


The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > Essay: A Design Epiphany: Keep It Simple: "Simplicity is hardly a new idea. 'Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler,' Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying. His actual wording was a tad more convoluted, but in any case, few in Silicon Valley heeded his advice. Conventional wisdom held that to sell the latest version or next generation of a product, you had to add new functions. 'That's not the only thing driving the industry,' says Walter Bender, the executive director of the Media Lab. 'But I don't think I've ever seen a piece of commercial software where the next version is simpler rather than more complex.'"

David Pogue Ponders WiFi Parnoia

Here's an excerpt from a David Pogue article that puts wireless security in perspective:

Some articles imply that passing evildoers can peer into your
files, delete important folders and release viruses. For
example, according to an Extreme Tech article, leaving your
security password turned off "is an invitation for someone to
pay you a visit anytime."

But I don't get it. Even somebody physically connected to my
network doesn't have access to my files! How would they have
any more access if they were parked in a car outside with a
wireless laptop?

In the end, neither Brian, Mani, nor I have ever heard of a
hacker accessing the files on someone's computer wirelessly.
So the next time you read any of the wireless-security
articles, keep these points in mind. First, any evildoer has
to be within wireless range of your base station, usually
about 150 feet. Brian Jepson, who lives in semi-rural New
England, points out that "I'd notice someone parked in my
driveway... I'd probably go over and talk to them or
something. :)"

Sony's "iPod Killer": Too Much, Too Late?

I used to LOVE Sony products -- I can remember reading their catalogs in High School and wanting nearly everything they sold. Nobody beat Sony when it came to portability, cool design, ease-of-use, high-quality and just plain "gotta have it" factor. Where did they go wrong? It seems like somewhere along the way Sony lost its focus and thought it was a "player" in the entertainment industry rather than a producer of cool devices on which to watch entertainment. For more thoughts on how Sony lost its' way, here's a good analysis from iPodlounge:


iPodlounge | All Things iPod: "When Sony first disclosed the concept for the PlayStation Portable last year and called it the 'Walkman of the Future,' it was clearly jabbing at Apple's global success with the iPod. But after using and learning more about the PSP last week, we're now convinced that Apple, not Sony, has already landed the knock-out punch in the Walkman wars. Only time will tell whether Sony will keep trying for a rematch, or take the wiser road and join forces with a clear winner. The sooner it abandons its obsession with proprietary encryption and storage mediums, the sooner consumers will return en masse to its products. In the meanwhile, the digital music revolution definitely won't be waiting around for Sony."


Sony's supposed "iPod Killer" looks like an overpriced computer peripheral ...

Moore's New "Farhenheit 911" Gets 20-Minute Standing Ovation

Soon to get distribution, Moore's new film promises to be as controversial as it is informative -- and I'm pretty sure it won't get a screening at the White House ;)

Hollywoodreporter.com: "At its 4 p.m. screening In Competition at the Palais, the movie occasioned an enthusiastic standing ovation -- onlookers placed it at 15-20 minutes -- punctuated by cries of 'bravo!' The crowd included a phalanx of Endeavor agents, led by Ari Emmanuel, along with Mick Jagger, Daryl Hannah and a smattering of French stars and industry insiders.

'It was the longest standing ovation I've seen in over 25 years,' said Harvey Weinstein, whose Miramax Films funded the project over the objections of parent company Walt Disney Co. and who has an exec producer credit on the film, along with Miramax's Agnes Mentre."

Modernist Prefab Dwellings

Check out this site -- I hope the "movement" catches on -- cool, affordable housing without having to live in a sterile tract home:

fabprefab - modernist prefab dwellings: "Predominant mass-market housing programs such as project homes or tract housing largely fail to meet the desires of people who appreciate a modernist design aesthetic. Custom-designed modernist architecture is beyond the financial reach of many people and so prefab is viewed as a design and production ideology that has the potential to deliver affordable modernism. While kit or prefab homes have been available in a range of either 'traditional' or 'alternative' forms for many years, surprisingly few prefab homes exist that truly embrace modernist ideals."