Another new show for your indulgence!

November 2nd, 2009 Show #24

Google Wave

I was recently invited by one of our listeners to get into the Google Wave beta program. Having signed up and watched the hour and a half video demoing the products features I was very excited to give it a try.

Google Wave is being touted as the new way to email. In other words what email would be if it was invented today. A summary done in the key note speech demonstrating the abilities of wave explained that Email was originally designed as just that, mail. The simple ability to send messages back and forth electronically without the need for threaded conversations, media, or any other extensions that we value today.

Wave took this thought process a step further by allowing users to collaborate in real time. Meaning you can actually see as someone types inside the wave letter by letter. The dev team also integrated the ability (with the help of Google gears) to drop media from your desktop directly into the wave. Creating a seamless transition between your hard drive and the internet. This media can be updated real time to wiki's and photo sites.

One of the more exciting features of wave is the ability to easily separate thought processes into what wave calls "blips". These blips are simply a way of showing input from multiple users on one subject in a very clear way. If one were to be discussing a cooking recipe for example, anyone involved in the wave would be able to add updates to the contents of the blip in any part of the wave. Put more simply the wave allows a clear dissection of any information put into it. Wave takes a threaded message board approach to showing the contents of the blip and who added what.

They also included a play back feature. Which acts as a recording of whatever was inputted into the wave. You can press the forward or back button within wave to see word-by-word all edits done within the wave, and the order in which the conversation was formed. This makes it very easy to catch up on the conversation if you were added later in the wave.

Really one must experience what wave can do to really appreciate its simple approach to collaboration. Currently wave is still in beta with invites from other users being the only way in. I'm excited to explore the many features it offers and will be attempting to get invites internally to the FDOT crew.

Discussion:

* Will Google be able to revolutionize the way people approach email?
* Will wave be able to compete and perhaps draw away from the AOL friendly atmosphere that social networks like facebook provide?
* Are any of you interested in getting into the beta? I will send out invites once I receive them.
* Is Google putting too much stock into this idea? Fixing something that isn't really broken?

http://wave.google.com/help/wave/about.html

Older CNET article:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10250742-2.html

Mozilla Labs Raindrop
http://labs.mozilla.com/raindrop
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/22/mozillas-raindrop-looks-to-make-you...

* Similar to Google Wave, but not exactly

Updates from previous shows (mentioned last week)
Wilson, NC and Greenlight Cable/Internet/Phone
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/42954.html
http://www.greenlightnc.com/index/

* No updates yet, will have to wait until 2010 and the next session of the NC legislature
* Relevent quote from the article:
o

"Time Warner Cable, which offers its own phone and Internet service, is pushing for rules that North Carolina town officials say would kill municipal telecom service by raising its cost. This week, after Time Warner's request hit a wall of opposition, legislative committees in the General Assembly put off debate for more study, buying a year's reprieve for municipal broadband advocates."

Oakland County, MI; Free countywide Wi-Fi
http://www.oaklandcountywifi.com/
http://www.oakgov.com/wireless/faq/

* Every page of this site says "Because of the poor Michigan Economy, Oakland County had to cancel its planned free WiFi program."
* They are trying to sell the domain name, its currently full of ads.
* No time frame for trying to bring plan to fruition.

TOSback a beer or two
http://www.tosback.org/timeline.php

* Website still going strong
* 56 website policies under watch

RIP GeoCities, You probably won't be missed but will never be forgotten
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/26/geocities.closing/index.html?eref=igo...
http://thecoffeedesk.com/news/index.php/2009/10/26/geocities-archive-tri...

New... In Your Eye!
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/brother-nec-look-to-invade-your-retin...
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/10/22/brother_rid_specs/
http://www.fareastgizmos.com/other_stuff/nec_develops_worlds_first_retin...

* What do you think of this concept?
* Would you use something like this?
* I personally find it kind of creepy.

Canonical cutting the distribution of free CDs of Ubuntu
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/352798/canonical-limits-free-ubuntu-cds

* Due to the growing popularity of Ubuntu
* Could this potentially hinder the growth of Ubuntu?

Disney is going to lock up your movies for you
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB2000142405274870381620457448565002694522...

* About access rights, not physical ownership
* Cloud computing type of logic, permits people to access media anywhere
* Another initiative Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem, or DECE has similar goals
o Could we see a VHS/BetaMax HDDVD/Blu-Ray fight out of this?
* Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs is Disney's largest shareholder, could we see an iKeychest?
* "To be sure, other movie studios may be hesitant to put a competitor in charge of access to their content. And Keychest would allow movie studios to dictate how many devices, connected to which distribution networks, a given title can be played on. That could limit consumer choice and make the system confusing."
* "The Keychest process is enabled by a system that generates a unique "key" when the movie is purchased, then stores that key in a repository. Other distribution services that are Keychest participants automatically query that repository and learn what movies the consumer has paid for."
o And what if Keychest goes out of business? Or if Disney (et al) discontinue the service?

I always knew Indian food could kill something...
Odd/Interesting News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091028/sc_nm/us_cancer_curry_1;_ylt=AmH6iJ7...

* Good news for smokers

CYBERTERRORISM! bom bom bommmmmm!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10385230-83.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksAr...

* Thought?
* How rampant is cyberterrorism?
* Does it pose a threat to safety or just personal information theft?