This New Scientist article - Balloon beams broadband internet from stratosphere - says "a blisteringly fast data downlink provided by a stratospheric balloon floating 24,000 metres above the Earth has been tested for the first time.The untethered, 12,000-cubic-metre helium balloon was tested on 31 August for several hours. Analysis now shows the test was a success and sent data to the ground at 1.25 gigabits per second. That is thousands of times the capacity of a home broadband internet connection and the first time such a link has been tested from the stratosphere.The test craft was developed by the Capanina Consortium – 14 European academic and industry partners funded mainly by the European Union. They hope the craft may be able to provide communications in disaster zones or low-cost internet access in the developing world".The article also has video footage (28MB Mpeg) recorded at the test site.
So, are we going to get our fast downloads through balloons now rather than the low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites? Whatever happened to the Gates consortium on this? Any news anyone? (Ed)
Monday, October 24, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
ReachMedia
Again, RFID finds an innovative niche; interesting this -
TRN Research News reports "researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a hands-free and eyes-free system that allows people to find information about objects without having to actively scan them, use a keypad, or use a speech interface in noisy or socially awkward settings. The system, dubbed ReachMedia, consists of a bracelet that reads radio frequency identification tags to detect objects the user is holding, an accelerometer to detect hand gestures and a cell phone that connects to the Internet, plays sounds when objects and gestures are recognized, and provides audio information about the object in hand. A person could, for example, pick up a book to search for reviews of the book online. She would hear a sound from her phone indicating information was available about the book, and would use gestures -- a downward flick and right and left rotation -- to select or go to the previous or next menu item of available information".
TRN Research News reports "researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a hands-free and eyes-free system that allows people to find information about objects without having to actively scan them, use a keypad, or use a speech interface in noisy or socially awkward settings. The system, dubbed ReachMedia, consists of a bracelet that reads radio frequency identification tags to detect objects the user is holding, an accelerometer to detect hand gestures and a cell phone that connects to the Internet, plays sounds when objects and gestures are recognized, and provides audio information about the object in hand. A person could, for example, pick up a book to search for reviews of the book online. She would hear a sound from her phone indicating information was available about the book, and would use gestures -- a downward flick and right and left rotation -- to select or go to the previous or next menu item of available information".
Bluetooth ads an emerging trend
This was bound to come - advertising on mobile media!!
In a Smartmobs blog:
According to Emerce two Dutch software companies launche a Bluetooth advertising service for retailers as an enabler to reach the masses on the street with an advertisement and seduce them to enter their store.
The first demonstration was of Blink Media that launched their so-called Mobile Catch on October 5th on POP 2005 . This was followed by Inspiro on Emerge Day.
Inspiro's technology recognizes via the Bluetooth chip the type of cellular that is being used. In the future the company intends to include a Near Field Communication (NFC) service to carry messages across a longer distance. The NFC chip is not yet available in cellulars.
The British company Filter UK had the world's primer in August with a Bluetooth advertising service.
In a Smartmobs blog:
According to Emerce two Dutch software companies launche a Bluetooth advertising service for retailers as an enabler to reach the masses on the street with an advertisement and seduce them to enter their store.
The first demonstration was of Blink Media that launched their so-called Mobile Catch on October 5th on POP 2005 . This was followed by Inspiro on Emerge Day.
Inspiro's technology recognizes via the Bluetooth chip the type of cellular that is being used. In the future the company intends to include a Near Field Communication (NFC) service to carry messages across a longer distance. The NFC chip is not yet available in cellulars.
The British company Filter UK had the world's primer in August with a Bluetooth advertising service.
Cities Unleash Free Wi-Fi
In November, Dianah Neff will go to Africa for the first time in her life.
She’s not going for a safari or to buy souvenirs. Instead, she’ll be meeting with local officials in Douala, Cameroon, to discuss how they might set up a municipal Wi-Fi network
"They have no wired infrastructure," explains Neff. "They’re looking to wireless to connect the entire town."
Neff should know. As the chief information officer in Philadelphia Mayor John Street's Office of Information Services, she heads a $49-million project -- known as Wireless Philadelphia -- to blanket the city in a broadband wireless network. The city plans to begin construction by year-end, administering the network through a nonprofit group that will partner with private vendors and ISPs.
Read at Wired
She’s not going for a safari or to buy souvenirs. Instead, she’ll be meeting with local officials in Douala, Cameroon, to discuss how they might set up a municipal Wi-Fi network
"They have no wired infrastructure," explains Neff. "They’re looking to wireless to connect the entire town."
Neff should know. As the chief information officer in Philadelphia Mayor John Street's Office of Information Services, she heads a $49-million project -- known as Wireless Philadelphia -- to blanket the city in a broadband wireless network. The city plans to begin construction by year-end, administering the network through a nonprofit group that will partner with private vendors and ISPs.
Read at Wired
Wireless technology changing work and play
Ahh - now the academic work life is like a mobile office!
'Geoffrey Bowker, executive director of a research institute at Santa Clara University, remembers a time when going to academic conferences meant leaving office concerns behind, hearing provocative lectures and getting to experience a new city. He especially liked visiting art galleries.
No longer.
Now, wherever Bowker goes, his office goes with him. E-mails, phone calls and office documents float into his hands, demanding his attention at all hours of the day. Through a cell phone and his laptop computer, Bowker is as connected to his office at conferences as when he is there in person.
The eroding distinction between work and play is one of the many paradoxes at the heart of our increasingly wireless world.'
Read this article in full at CNN
'Geoffrey Bowker, executive director of a research institute at Santa Clara University, remembers a time when going to academic conferences meant leaving office concerns behind, hearing provocative lectures and getting to experience a new city. He especially liked visiting art galleries.
No longer.
Now, wherever Bowker goes, his office goes with him. E-mails, phone calls and office documents float into his hands, demanding his attention at all hours of the day. Through a cell phone and his laptop computer, Bowker is as connected to his office at conferences as when he is there in person.
The eroding distinction between work and play is one of the many paradoxes at the heart of our increasingly wireless world.'
Read this article in full at CNN
Social Tapestries
Social Tapestries:public authoring and civil society
By Giles Lane
"Social Tapestries is a two year research project developing experimental uses of public authoring* to demonstrate the social and cultural benefits of local knowledge sharing enabled by new mobile technologies."
Further
"....Agency and Authorship'... stories are becoming private and sink into the secluded places in neighbour-hoods, families or individuals... while the rumours propagated by the media cover everything...'Michel de Certeau, "Walking in the City" in The Practice of Everyday Life
As we move into a new century, new paradigms of communications are beginning to take hold. The range of sources of information have multiplied exponentially with the arrival of satellite communications and the internet. No longer are we reliant on a single or limited number of sources that define our understanding and opinions, but we may gather information from a heterogeneous collection of places. Although much of it is the same, we now have at our
disposal an unprecedented ability to see from other perspectives, through different eyes.Not only that, but it is two way: people do wish to comment, to communicate their interpretation of events, to participate in the culture they are part of. I believe that this radical shift in information flow and control away from large institutions (both public and private) to ordinary people could have a profound social and cultural impact on the uses and implications of wireless and mobile technologies in daily life, as well as social and community relations....."
[Social Tapestries:public authoring and civil society]PDF file
By Giles Lane
"Social Tapestries is a two year research project developing experimental uses of public authoring* to demonstrate the social and cultural benefits of local knowledge sharing enabled by new mobile technologies."
Further
"....Agency and Authorship'... stories are becoming private and sink into the secluded places in neighbour-hoods, families or individuals... while the rumours propagated by the media cover everything...'Michel de Certeau, "Walking in the City" in The Practice of Everyday Life
As we move into a new century, new paradigms of communications are beginning to take hold. The range of sources of information have multiplied exponentially with the arrival of satellite communications and the internet. No longer are we reliant on a single or limited number of sources that define our understanding and opinions, but we may gather information from a heterogeneous collection of places. Although much of it is the same, we now have at our
disposal an unprecedented ability to see from other perspectives, through different eyes.Not only that, but it is two way: people do wish to comment, to communicate their interpretation of events, to participate in the culture they are part of. I believe that this radical shift in information flow and control away from large institutions (both public and private) to ordinary people could have a profound social and cultural impact on the uses and implications of wireless and mobile technologies in daily life, as well as social and community relations....."
[Social Tapestries:public authoring and civil society]PDF file
Search engine class
Professor Marti Hearst,at UC Berkeley,has put together an fantastic line-up of speakers for her Search Engines:Technology,Society,and Business class
[Search Engines:Technology,Society,and Business]
[Search Engines:Technology,Society,and Business]
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Forum to promote future mobile communication
A forum organization had its first meeting on Monday in Shanghai, to "boost the development of technology beyond the third generation mobile communication (3G)."
The organization, or namely Future Mobile Communication Forum, has 26 co-founders including nine multinationals, Siemens, Nokia, Ericsson, Philips, Shanghai Bell-Alcatel, Motorola, Sumsung, France Telecom and NTT Docomo from Japan.
Four Chinese telecom operators of China Telecom, China Mobile, China Netcom and China Unicom are also members of the forum, along with domestic equipment manufacturers of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, ZTE and Datang Telecom.
"The forum symbolizes that the future development of mobile communication technology following 3G has aroused the attention from the telecom operators and the manufacturers," said Wen Ku, official with the Ministry of Information Industry.
According to artilce on China View
The organization, or namely Future Mobile Communication Forum, has 26 co-founders including nine multinationals, Siemens, Nokia, Ericsson, Philips, Shanghai Bell-Alcatel, Motorola, Sumsung, France Telecom and NTT Docomo from Japan.
Four Chinese telecom operators of China Telecom, China Mobile, China Netcom and China Unicom are also members of the forum, along with domestic equipment manufacturers of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, ZTE and Datang Telecom.
"The forum symbolizes that the future development of mobile communication technology following 3G has aroused the attention from the telecom operators and the manufacturers," said Wen Ku, official with the Ministry of Information Industry.
According to artilce on China View
Dumpsville
ABC Science Online says "'U R dumped', or 'I H8 U' are fairly blunt ways to end a relationship, but an Australian study of our SMS habits shows text messages are now a common way to say it's over.Clinical psychologist Dr Natalie Robinson from Macquarie University in Sydney asked a group of 100 young adults how they used SMS.She was surprised to find at least 15% percent had ended a relationship with a text message.And some people are more likely to reach for their mobile's keypad than others, especially when relationships get rocky, says Robinson.She conducted the study with students either in relationships, engaged or married, surveyed their personality traits, then used attachment profiling, a way of understanding roles in romantic relationships.Robinson noticed that participants with an 'anxious attachment' style are likely to favour SMS messages in difficult emotional situations. And saying goodbye provides just such a situation."SMS gives people a way of ending relationships without having to confront the other person," she says.Robinson also noticed that of the 18-35 year-olds in her group, it tended to be the younger ones who had dumped a boyfriend or girlfriend via text.But only 7% of the same group had been on the receiving end of a 'U R dumped' text themselves. And as one might expect, being dumped via SMS is not particularly pleasant".
[Ending a relationship with SMS]
[Ending a relationship with SMS]
Monday, October 17, 2005
Wireless Communication and Development: A Global Perspective
As a follow up to our post on August 13th:
The annual research workshop focused this year on "Wireless Communication and Development: A Global Perspective." This year's gathering brought together many of the world's leading researchers, including participants from India, Kenya, Indonesia, Chile, Mexico, China, and England. They represented NGOs, governments, academic institutions, and international corporations. The workshop was a chance to begin a systematic analysis of wireless policies, deployment strategies and user practices across the developing world.
Papers and presentations from the workshop are available here
Thanks François!
The annual research workshop focused this year on "Wireless Communication and Development: A Global Perspective." This year's gathering brought together many of the world's leading researchers, including participants from India, Kenya, Indonesia, Chile, Mexico, China, and England. They represented NGOs, governments, academic institutions, and international corporations. The workshop was a chance to begin a systematic analysis of wireless policies, deployment strategies and user practices across the developing world.
Papers and presentations from the workshop are available here
Thanks François!
Social Networks and Social Networking
This article provides an historical and scientific background on social networking, and includes good links and resources.
"Most contemporary lay discussion of social networking seems to center on online interactions via the Internet and focus on "hooking up" with others to get a job, get a date, or share stories with people who have, say, the same breed of dog. Yet, for decades researchers in the behavioral sciences have been systematically studying social networks of all kinds — "offline" interactions (face to face, letters, telephone, and so on) as well as online to determine how social networks are developed and maintained and how socialnetwork connections affect our lives."
Read at IEEE
"Most contemporary lay discussion of social networking seems to center on online interactions via the Internet and focus on "hooking up" with others to get a job, get a date, or share stories with people who have, say, the same breed of dog. Yet, for decades researchers in the behavioral sciences have been systematically studying social networks of all kinds — "offline" interactions (face to face, letters, telephone, and so on) as well as online to determine how social networks are developed and maintained and how socialnetwork connections affect our lives."
Read at IEEE
Issues of RFID
According to a recent article titled: 'Chip on Your Shoulder'
"Radio frequency technology offers government some breakthrough possibilities. It also scares people...
If the United States were more like Japan, it might be reasonable to predict that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) would soon be all over America’s schools and other public institutions, now that the technology is safe, reliable and relatively simple to install. But no matter how efficient RFID becomes, adoption is not going to come easily here. Almost any time the subject comes up, privacy advocates go ballistic. The Brittan School episode in California led to serious legislative proposals this year to strictly limit the use of RFID tags. California legislators argued that the tags should not be connected in any way to an identity card such as a school ID or a driver’s license."
This article is a recommended read on the multiple uses of RFID.
Personally, I am wary about the uses this technology may be appropriated for.
"Radio frequency technology offers government some breakthrough possibilities. It also scares people...
If the United States were more like Japan, it might be reasonable to predict that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) would soon be all over America’s schools and other public institutions, now that the technology is safe, reliable and relatively simple to install. But no matter how efficient RFID becomes, adoption is not going to come easily here. Almost any time the subject comes up, privacy advocates go ballistic. The Brittan School episode in California led to serious legislative proposals this year to strictly limit the use of RFID tags. California legislators argued that the tags should not be connected in any way to an identity card such as a school ID or a driver’s license."
This article is a recommended read on the multiple uses of RFID.
Personally, I am wary about the uses this technology may be appropriated for.
How computer maps will help the poor
By using high-tech tools, San Jose residents hope to gain a stronger voice in planning decisions.
This winter, residents from some of the poorest areas of this city will canvass their communities with pocket PCs, GPS receivers, and digital cameras. The goal: to survey some of San Jose's most neglected neighborhoods and build a map of 19 underserved communities.
Full article at Christian Science Monitor
So now grassroots action is mapping the neighbourhood in a bid to increase local ties: and I see this as a growing phenomenon
This winter, residents from some of the poorest areas of this city will canvass their communities with pocket PCs, GPS receivers, and digital cameras. The goal: to survey some of San Jose's most neglected neighborhoods and build a map of 19 underserved communities.
Full article at Christian Science Monitor
So now grassroots action is mapping the neighbourhood in a bid to increase local ties: and I see this as a growing phenomenon
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Broadband-enabled hotels
A recent report states that "worldwide, the ranks of broadband-enabled hotels will grow from 14,300 properties in 2004 to nearly 54,000 properties in 2009, according to a report from technology market research firm In-Stat".It says "North America is currently the largest region for hotel broadband, representing approximately two-thirds of total properties connected.In terms of total market, defined as all travel accommodations worldwide, broadband will have only penetrated 3.4 per cent in 2004, growing to 11.4 per cent in 2009".
Shouldn't all public places offer free enabled broadband at the very least? When will the time come when all places/spaces are Wi-Fi enabled? Come on policy!
Anyway - read at Digital Media News
Shouldn't all public places offer free enabled broadband at the very least? When will the time come when all places/spaces are Wi-Fi enabled? Come on policy!
Anyway - read at Digital Media News
Missouri May Track Cell Phones for Traffic Data
In what would be the largest project of its kind, the The Missouri Department of Transportation is finalizing a contract to monitor thousands of cell phones, using their movements to map real-time traffic conditions statewide on all 5,500 miles of major roads, reports The Associated Press.
"It's just one of a number of initiatives to more intelligently manage traffic flow through wireless data collection.
Officials say there's no Big Brother agenda in the Missouri project — the data will remain anonymous, leaving no possibility to track specific people from their driveway to their destination.
But privacy advocates are uneasy nonetheless."
Will this be the beginning to further trials of traffic monitoring?? (Ed. wonders...)
Read full at Yahoo News
"It's just one of a number of initiatives to more intelligently manage traffic flow through wireless data collection.
Officials say there's no Big Brother agenda in the Missouri project — the data will remain anonymous, leaving no possibility to track specific people from their driveway to their destination.
But privacy advocates are uneasy nonetheless."
Will this be the beginning to further trials of traffic monitoring?? (Ed. wonders...)
Read full at Yahoo News
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Our security may be in our walk
A new type of phone security is being matched to the way a person walks:
"Whether you stride purposefully or shuffle along, your unique mode of locomotion could soon be used to secure your cell phone against theft and unauthorised use",New Scientist reports."Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed a prototype of a cell phone that uses motion sensors to record a user's walking pattern of movement, or gait. The device then periodically checks to see that it is still in the possession of its legitimate owner, by measuring the current stride and comparing it against that stored in its memory".
Well - at least it means we'll have to keep walking in a physical sense! :-)
Via New Scientist
"Whether you stride purposefully or shuffle along, your unique mode of locomotion could soon be used to secure your cell phone against theft and unauthorised use",New Scientist reports."Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed a prototype of a cell phone that uses motion sensors to record a user's walking pattern of movement, or gait. The device then periodically checks to see that it is still in the possession of its legitimate owner, by measuring the current stride and comparing it against that stored in its memory".
Well - at least it means we'll have to keep walking in a physical sense! :-)
Via New Scientist
Friday, October 14, 2005
Finding your place in 'placeopedia'
Placeopedia is a new site that allows visitors to layer links to Wikipedia articles over Google maps. The site is new so it doesn't have that many places labelled yet, but anyone that visits can make their contribution. I would be interesting to see Wikipedia articles layed out on timelines, genealogies of creative influence (for artists, poets, authors, etc.), or conceptual maps also.
If this takes off anything like Wikipedia, we could see our collaborative knowledge base having physical connections (Ed)
If this takes off anything like Wikipedia, we could see our collaborative knowledge base having physical connections (Ed)
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Study: The impact of mobile phone use immediately before bedtime on the brain and sleep patterns
Although the results showed there were differences in the brain's electrical activity in the initial part of sleep as a result of using a mobile before bedtime, this had no affect on sleep variables such as the time it takes to get to sleep, the length of time asleep or whether the person slept lightly or deeply and therefore does not affect the overall quality of a person's sleep.
Conducted by Swinburne's Brain Sciences Institute as part of a larger investigation funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the study examined the impact of mobile phone use immediately before bedtime on the brain and sleep patterns.
Read Via Cellular-News
Conducted by Swinburne's Brain Sciences Institute as part of a larger investigation funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the study examined the impact of mobile phone use immediately before bedtime on the brain and sleep patterns.
Read Via Cellular-News
Japan preparing Voice over Internet telephony for mobile phones in 2007
Japan is readying a new network for cell phones that will allow people to connect to the Internet to talk over the phone more cheaply and transmit data more quickly.
Read more on this via textually.org
Read more on this via textually.org
Students trusting the Web Search?
A new study by Yahoo! Search Marketing says "college students rely on search engines more than any other media,including magazines, newspapers, and television ads,"this article says."For the study, Yahoo! and Hall & Partners surveyed 486 college students in August, and Greenberg Brand Strategy conducted in-depth interviews with 12 students. Researchers asked students to rate various information sources--including search, family and friends, and traditional media--on a five-point scale". Also,"When it came to trustworthiness, search came in second to family and friends--but by a small margin. Sixty-five percent of students said that family and friends were the most credible source of information, but 63 percent said the same about search; only 35 percent rated traditional media as most credible".
Yes - they may trust the Net but does this stop them from plagiarising their trust?? (Ed)
Yes - they may trust the Net but does this stop them from plagiarising their trust?? (Ed)
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