9.09.2008

More on "The Move"

The move is not yet entirely complete (several months later) but I have established the host, and the platform, and have recently published the new graphics. (Which I think are cool because I designed them. And THEY ROCK!)

I am currently pimping the CSS and am about to update links and blogroll. If you specifically would like to be listed or not please let me know.

In the meanwhile be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed for the "Whuffie Stream" which is a microblog feed, that you cannot afford to be missing.

2.10.2008

Moving

Alas,
5 years now with Blogger. I have outgrown Blogger and the software (though free) is not versatile enough for what I am wanting out of this site. So I am moving it to a managed Wordpress site on my own server. This is going to be a neat upgrade and I am excited about the future of this channel, I hope you will be excited as well. Please update your bookmarks and subsribe to the new RSS feed.

I am moving this blog to whuffie.esaukessler.com, and adding three side channels, one is a Tumblr blog that will contain short form media which will leave the front page for longer form journalistic endeavors (In theory). The other two channels will be public group called "Hiveminded" and a private group. Pretty much anyone is welcome to take part in the groups public or private. The only limitation, at this point, is you will need to have your own Tumblr account (It is free, easy, and requires only an email address). If you already have one you will know what I am talking about. If you do not I will explain in better detail on the new site soon. I really recommend you look into the Tumblr application. My wife and I have been using it for over a year and it is a robust, easy to use, social networked, media tool that I expect to use for some time.

DataPortability


DataPortability - Connect, Control, Share, Remix

This video is a continuation of a previous conversation about Google's Server Farms and how people will store information in the future.

2.08.2008

Failure of the Watchers?

When personal information continues to aggregate at blinding speeds in the hands of our government, sentient people ask, what is privacy and why should it be valued? Transparency is the manifesto for those on the cluetrain, and many are espousing that privacy is only for criminals. Truly valuable men and women have nothing to hide and therefore freely give away privacy to anyone?

This is fine if you trust the content holders. Google with it's massive usership continues to uphold high whuffie ratings and is considered "trusted" at this point. Microsoft is not. Apple is for now.

This news item about corruption and mismanagement of information technology reminds me of the intrinsic weakness of government systems: all are weak.

"..the District may be unable to reliably answer the most important security questions: which servers were found, how many laptops were connected to them, what was the chain of custody and who had access to them."


Healthy information boundaries should be well thought out, tested, implemented, and reconfigured in today's citizen governemnt democracies.

2.07.2008

"My Own Kind of Freedom" Fanfiction

The Future of Color

Soon metal may never require paint. Researchers are now testing high output laser abrasions that refract light to a controllable color. Black or blue gold, aluminum, even multi color. The article suggests one could have their family laser etched on to the hood of the car at the factory. Never requiring paint, polish, or maintenance.

This is good for our environment. While the power requirements are likely energy intensive, diminishing all those toxic paint chemicals would be nice. full story

via shawnblog

2.04.2008

Manned Cloud


Manned Cloud is a flying hotel proposed by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud

via Futurismic

FBI Criminal Fingerprint Database Merges with Biometric Public Database?

"This had started out being a program to track or identify criminals," he said. "Now we're talking about large swaths of the population -- workers, volunteers in youth programs. Eventually, it's going to be everybody."

Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Technology and Liberty Project

Obviously updating our technology is an imperative. However the power of that new technology questions: are lawful citizens safe, afforded their rights, and have reasonable privacy? Who pays when "mistakes are made"?

Who watches the watchers?

Also, what type of unfair advantages or imbalance of power would be created if democratic nations where far more sensitive to individual rights resulting in more privacy for citizens and extreme aggregation of information in their repressive government counter parts?

1.31.2008

Ebay Removes Whuffie/The Demise of Ebay?

According to this info from Ebay about changes in 2008 negative and neutral feedback will be removed from Feedback for sellers and buyers. They claim that too many people were afraid to leave negative feedback for fear of retaliation.

Brilliant. Theres a trust metric shot to hell. I guess that leaves an open door for a new auction site based on Ebay's model with an intact use of social trust. Or just a stand alone site that allows feedback for Ebay users...or better yet the implementation of true Whuffie!

This is a step backwards. The reasoning is wrong, as is the action. Corporate bureaucracy at it's best. Next they will say that to be fair to other bidder's sellers can only name one price and the first one to bid pays that amount.

I give Ebay negative feedback.

1.30.2008

Creative Economy Workshop: Robot man Caleb Chung

I recently attended Creative Economy workshop Luncheon featuring keynote presentation from Caleb Chung owner of Ugobe's Robo pet "Pleo". (Prior to the luncheon Artie Gogats presented from his book Business Creativity.) The event was held at the Capital City Development Corp Office in downtown Boise, Idaho.

Mr.Chung's presentation was fractal in that the sum of his life's work to date is comprised of the varied parts. These parts were fervently and nakedly displayed with slide show, in riveting and entertaining style. Caleb Chung has done this before. While he says he is no teacher, he brought the packed office up to speed on his life, his learnings, his reasons, and his crowning achievement the artificial life form "Pleo". This product which has met and exceeded sales goals to date, despite set backs and last minute improvements, stands apart from most off the shelf toys. More than a toy, Pleo is a household pet based on several years of R&D. I read about it, I had seen pictures, but nothing prepared me for watching the instant pupy-luv and rockstar appeal it generated among event participants. You see we are used to things that do stuff. Not used to things that are "beings" interacting with what we do. We are talking new territory here people.

The future of robotics will never be the same. Caleb Chung has taken all the magic of Hollywood and delivered it in a $350 dinosaur package. The robot is a little unbelievable, a little mystic and a chock full of cute overload. I watched several people nearly drown in the cuddle chemical oxytocin. What is more is Caleb knows it. He and his company know that they have punched through an AI membrane that few have the multi disciplinary skill, resources, and track record to duplicate.

The presentation begged my two part question: Will robotics be the next tech explosion, and is Boise, Idaho a candidate for the epicenter?

Caleb was frank about the definitive steady but slow growth and investment power of robotics and the not quite there business climate of Boise and small pop count. He did point out that he could get anyone to relocate here, but that it would take dramatic creative preparation from key stakeholders in order for that growth to occur. Suggesting that seeding creative powerhouses like Pixar by providing satellite frontage on BSU's college campus with a dedicated building for teaching and recruiting in the field of rendering, filmography , and animation would be the first step in the right direction. Both Ugobe and Mr.Chung are at the top of their game burping creativity on their way to making Pleo a household name. But then there are the next 3 Ugobe ventures...

Thank you Dr. Nancy Napier and Create!Idaho for demonstrating why creativity and science are essential to successful economies.

1.22.2008

Wireless Memory Card

If this is a legitimate product, this is a big deal. Sending photos and video automatically to your computer, blog, or Flickr will become a standard. Automating captured data changes things.

via aleeshka.com

1.21.2008

NYT: Israel Goes Electric

“With $100 a barrel oil, we’ve crossed a historic threshold where electricity and batteries provide a cheaper alternative for consumers,” Mr. Agassi said. “You buy a car to go an infinite distance, and we need to create the same feeling for an electric car — that you can fill it up when you stop or sleep and go an infinite distance.” full story