Google to Replace Everyones Massive Storage Hardrives

Wired magazine touched on this last year, and noted that the 'Goog had moved it's headquarters not far from where I am along the Columbia river for it's abundant low cost hydroelectric access (needed to power it's massive server farms).

According to a report today from the WSJ Google will be offering mass storage for free and larger amounts at a fixed cost and could be operating within a few months.

I have investigated it and if I spend $100-$250 per year on upgrading my drives to bigger and bigger storage formats I am losing money and have less security than storing on a semi-dedicated server with one of the big company's who offer scalable solutions. This is hard for many people to wrap their minds around as we are so used to physical memory hardware. The other benefit is you can access your info anywhere in the world. Security? You are far more vulnerable at home then at a clean room with armed guards, video surveillance, redundant backups, and a team of technicians and 24 hours support.

The biggest hold-up? Now that broadband is readily available for most it's good FTP software. Firefox seems to have that licked though with it's latest in-browser plugin.

I am now looking at a terabyte as the minimum size drive I would purchase. 1000 gigs just doesn't seem like that much if you consider a DVD is just under a gig. Mind boggling.

Culled from Smartmobs

The Pondering Primate questions the Goog's commitment to service.

Green Cycle Could Catch On

Cool recumbent manga-style electric motorcycle charges in six hours goes 180K before needing recharge. via StrangeThingsFromJapan

North Korea Needs Segways?

via thedaytheytriedtokillme

banksy

Personal information of 25 million people lost

Guilty of not regularly backing up your files? HMRC doesn't back up it files either apparently.

Living breathing humans known as individual citizens:0 Ministry of Information: -2. Orwellian debacle: Priceless. For everything else there's Socialism.

"They simply can not be trusted with people's personal information,"


In other news I noticed that according to the websitevaluecalculator.com Whuffie blog is worth $71,518,847. How does one cash in on that value?

I am thinking on moving this blog to wordpress.

Super Cool "Inviso Helmet"

The new JSF x-35 helmet is being developed to where the entire plane is invisible, no longer limiting the pilot to a mere cockpit display. The first plane without a Heads Up Display (HUD) in 50 years.

via nu

Book Release: "Darwin’s Paradox"

Fellow blogger and author Nina Munteanu's book "Darwin's Paradox" has just been released a by Canadian publisher Dragon Moon Press. "It's a sci-fi thriller that explores co-evolution, artificial intelligence, nature's 'intelligence' and destiny."

The novel is available online through Amazon and Buy.com.
And at the following retailers: Barnes & Noble , Borders.com , Wal-Mart, and Target.

Nina's literature has been nominated for the Gaylactic Spectrum Award, Ecataromance Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Aurora Prix, and the Foundation of Speculative Literature’s Fountain Awards.

I will have to see if I can get a hold of a copy and give it a review. In a unique turn of events it will likely cost less to purchase in Canada then here in the US. :)

Newspapers Answer

Whuffie Ring

It shows the number of Google hits you get, when you search for the name of the person who wears it. Need I say more? This Berlin college project is looking for investors.

Lampooner of Worlds

You know I thought Bored with Boing Boing was a funny idea. So many people read Boingx2, I thought that a little cerebral satire would do the world good. Okay it made laugh. Maybe at the expense of the hard working folk at that site. But funny just the same. The author known only as "The Advocate" was wacky, zany, and from left field. In a good way. But alas it was a "FIPS". Flash In the Pan Site. So I bid you a dieu, and hope all is well in your freaky little world, and while you are likely on your way to important stuff; don't forget us here ion the interwebs.

Samsung releases 64 gig chips for memory in MP3 players. Hold off on buying the new Ipod?

"Satellites could also heat the cloud tops (of hurricanes) by beaming microwaves from space."

Screens Screens Everywhere in your Glasses and in the Air

Many moons ago I blogged about a Seattle start-up that claimed it's new eye-glass monitor would replace all video monitors. The folks at Futursimic have dug up this from Scaler by way of the Pink Tentacle claiming that "in few years" they will be as ubiquitous as earbuds. Hmnnn. I predict rocket packs, eyeglass screens, and watch phones will converge simultaneously when Steve Jobs wants them to. Boom! Your teenagers flying through the air watching videos and talking to thier wrists.

Seriously though, we get it, in the future everything is a display, a processor, connected via internet. Everyman is an engineer, movie maker, journalist, and broadcaster.

New Online Trust Exposes Rotten Neighbors

I expected to hear the standard "Crack Addict" or "Domestic Violence" lables. What I read on the site seemed a little gossipy, and tell all.

Although the use of Googlemaps with pins that say things like "White Trash With Loud Dogs: Beer bottles in the yard, trash strewn about, 12 year olds smoking on the front porch. These people are ridiculous" seems interesting.

I think if I was going to purchase a home I would check the map for bad whuffie.

via therawfeed

Tron and Logan's Run To be Remade!

Hollywood Reporter sez Joseph Kosinski is slated to do remakes of both Tron circa 1982 and the 1976 film Logan's Run.

Readers of this blog know that I post as often as possible about one of my all time favorite sci-fi flicks and have mentioned previously that Logan's Run is a favorite too.

Now if "they" would only make a movie from Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom, I could die and go to heaven. (BTW- if your are an Orwell fan you will know the book title to be a call out to Orwell's first book Down and Out in Paris and London.) It would need to be dark- maybe David Lynch? Jules should be played by Jack Black okay maybe Edward Norton or Johnny Depp.

Let's see: Matt Damon or Ben Stiller as Tron, Clive Owen or Luke Wilson as Kevin Flinn. Jim Carey as Ram. John Travolta as Sark or maybe William Shatner or Al Gore.

Jo Ko' is a great choice. Preview the videos below (Run Runner- run!) that he produced and decide for yourself.
Saab video

Cell Phone Monitor's Health

MyWay reports Japanese company DoCoMo Inc. is protyping a cell phone that monitors your health. The phone has a "sensor that can tell whether you're walking, running, climbing stairs, or resting, and counts the calories accordingly to tally daily totals".

Quote: Federal Witness Intimidation at Port Authority

"I felt like a character in a Philip K. Dick novel who wakes up and has had his identity completely replaced with a hardened criminal’s and everyone knows but himself."

from post about an encounter while waiting for the subway at I am Not Lying blog

Blog Silence For Liberty In Burma

George Orwell (Eric Blair) was a member of the Indian Imperial Police in Burma 80 years ago. Today the country continues to under dictorian rule. (Below China in between India and Thailand)

Despite our human failures, democracy is still desired amongst those who love freedom.

Do something with your money that matters, I did. Support the the people.

The Burmese Refugee Project.

The Halocaust

Dystopian mocumentary about the future of gaming.

via TooMuchNick

Woophy

Woophy is a Social Networking photo map from the Netherlands.

Sounds like "whuffie" but stands for "World Of Photgraphy".

"The goal of Woophy's founders is to create an accessible, visual, current, democratic and collective work of art comprised of a database picturing our remarkable world."

Kinda fun to look at photos from your area.