In which I offer a potential model for monetizing 3D printers. In case you don’t obsessively scour the Web for insights into new and nascent technologies, there is one you may soon become aware of: 3D printing. This is a manufacturing technique that’s been around a while, mostly in rapid prototyping. Consequently, it’s been quite [...]
technology
How to Borrow a Public Library Kindle Book Forever
This is undoubtedly a bug, one discovered quite accidentally; the accuracy of this information may be time-sensitive, so standard disclaimers apply. Nevertheless, it is currently possible to borrow a Kindle-formatted ebook from your public library indefinitely. I am not advocating that you do this; I am merely reporting the what and how. If you’re just [...]
Google Currents: A Review
Yesterday, Google unveiled its latest product, Google Currents. It is a mobile app, available on iOS and Android, that presents your news reading in a magazine-like format and aids in the discovery of new content. I’ve tried it out and have some thoughts on it. If you don’t care to read the entire article, I [...]
On Magic as Technology
This isn’t a new subject for me. I’ve been thinking for a while about technological explanations for fantasy-style magic, and I’ve even gone to the trouble of developing one of my own. Credit for this discussion goes to Arthur C. Clarke, of course, via Charlie Stross. What I am about to explore are the ramifications [...]
Google Plus … Some Enhancements
After one week with Google+, I can say I genuinely like using it. Even in beta, it feels mostly polished, with a few rough patches here and there. I am not going to reiterate what Google+ does well, or rehash its features, but I would like to spend some time musing on what features it [...]
Google+: A Quick Guide
Google rolled out its latest attempt at social on Tuesday, June 28th, called Google+ (or Google Plus). Unlike its previous attempts (Orkut, Buzz, and Wave), this one actually looks usable. It’s got some great features, some OK features, and some downsides. This article is my own take on the usefulness and implementation quality of the [...]
Breaking the Loop: Facebook’s Phone Verification
I just had an utterly frustrating experience with Facebook’s mobile phone verification process, in which I was trapped in the step where Facebook expected me to enter the code it had sent me via text message. I managed to get free of this trap, however, and that is the topic of this post. My hope [...]
Why You Should Read The Master Switch
With one paragraph in his new book The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires (Borzoi Books), Tim Wu sums up the ills of the corporatist strategy and has vaulted himself into my own list of most important books of the 21st century to date. Seriously, you need to read it. He says [...]
Too Slow to Succeed?
Perhaps it is always like this at conferences and events attended by mixed crowds of federal employees and private enterprise, but I am always amazed at the universally unquestioned and oft-stated suggestion that government agencies and their staff are too slow, too bureaucratic, to achieve their own innovations in software development. Further, these same rooms [...]
Stuxnet as a Movie Plot
It goes around and around (and around and around). If you haven’t heard of it yet, let me fill you in. Stuxnet is a particularly crafty computer worm that targets a very specific piece of software that interfaces with a very specific programmable logic controller that just happens to be used in nuclear (power) facilities. [...]
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