|
 |
Monday, November 18, 2002 |
Computerworld: Future of the Notebook. Strange and wondrous hybrids will hit the market, too, but most will quickly disappear or find niche applications. But whatever type of portable PC they prefer, users will be the winners because they'll see more choices, more capabilities and lower prices. [Tomalak's Realm]
9:09:42 PM 
|
|
Information Convergence. Phil Wolff has some interesting speculations about the future of blogging in his post titled From .blog to converged client." An excerpt:
"Blogging is a form in transition.
Personally, I think blogging as a form will merge with all the other forms of digital expression. With email and IM first. With voice/video conferencing, streaming videos, browsing, and PowerPointing later.
Watch it change:
- as more people blog from their foto-mobiles
- as devices start to blog ("My car's day")
- as audiobloggers create radio shows and videobloggers create televsion programming
- as Sims characters start to blog.
Moving forward, see a convergent software client emerge.
Source: evanwolf group, 2002....
We're on our way. Blogging tools are starting to interact with email and sounds. PIMs are managing contact information across multiple applications. Community and collaboration features are as critical to games as traditional gameplay.
I'm calling it: 2003-2005 will see many clients converge, weblogs among them. The challenges? Immense. The rewards? Many and rich. The fun? Deep and lasting." [a klog apart]
Lots of implications. Lots of opportunities, especially for people that specialize in organizing information. Like, say, I don't know... librarians. [The Shifted Librarian]
8:51:11 PM
|
|
If you'd read Smart Mobs, http://www.smartmobs.com you'd already know about this.
RFID Going Mainstream. Gillette Buys Half a Billion RFID Tags
"Slashdot is carrying a story this morning on Gillette's intent to purchase a huge batch of RFID tags from Alien Technology:
The company expects to introduce RFID tags into its pallets and cases, according to the article. Alien Technology was the first company to introduce an RFID tag with price lower than 10 cents, even though some people claimed it could not be done.
RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification, and is a means to place a unique, wireless, addressable tag on an item....
While it doesn't appear that Gillette is going to use these tags directly on consumer items just yet, but rather on shipping containers, this seems to me to pretty clearly be a first step in the direction of the Auto-ID Center's vision. Even this step has some staggering implications - consider the inventory and shipment tracking costs that can be eliminated if Gillette can tell, in real time, exactly what products and how many of them are in every warehouse and store in the world. Consider the manufacturing implications when you have real-time, constantly updating data on what products are being sold and at what rates.
The era of disposable, ubiquitous computing may well have taken a giant leap forward with this purchase. RFID has the potential to be a very disruptive technology, particularly when coupled with other technologies like WiFi and Bluetooth." [Erehwon Notebook]
I'm fascinated by the idea of RFIDs because of all of the implications, both good and bad. Of course, libraries and some of our trade's vendors have been working with RFID for some time now. For example, 3M does lots of stuff in this area and at the PLA conference in March I saw a demo of their system that tracks materials as a patron walks in and out of the library (the implication being that a patron can check out items just by walking out through the security gates).
I think I'd like to tackle this topic as part of my next "Product Pipeline" column, so please send me any info or links about specific projects, products, and technologies, especially as related to libraries. [The Shifted Librarian]
8:48:12 PM
|
|
This would be cool for us city folk.
 As a registered member of segway.com I receive regular updates via email. Appaently there's a big announcement planned this morning on Good Morning America. Nothing about it on the yet. [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]
8:44:02 PM
|
|
Tools for the Global Citizen. Being lucky to have one of the more internationally compatible jobs, I am taking advantage of the situation by living and working sometimes in this county, sometimes in that one. Because of the (sometimes less than smooth) transitions between countries and because of leaving behind a trail of friends and business opportunities, I often have to communicate and make business across borders. Now what 21st century space age technology is available to make this easier to the globe trotting individual? [kuro5hin.org]
8:35:33 PM
|
|
We're drinking coffee from our new Bunn Coffee Maker. After having a Starbucks Barista for about a year and a half, it finally started leaking and had out lived it's usefulness. Back to the good, and quick Bunn.
6:31:53 AM
|
|
Something to ponder on a monday Morning. I've noticed this in looking for new Cell service also. Add-ons do add alot.
Add-Ons Add Up [Slashdot]
5:38:22 AM
|
|
© Copyright 2002 Paul W. Swansen.
|
|
|
