Is this the VA Tech Shooter?
April 16, 2007
Early leads are pointing to this page as the alleged shooter for today. Either they are right, or this poor guy is about to go through media hell. Update: A new posting says he is not the shooter, was going to wait until he got adsense on his site, but couldn't wait.
School shootings again
April 16, 2007
If you missed it the first time, this analysis is still worth checking out....Link---> This week always worries me: April 19 - Waco anniversary April 19 - OKC bombing April 20 - Colombine shooting
Bruce Sterling and William Gibson as Interpreted by the Brits…
April 9, 2007
I honestly believe that science fiction can provide some reasonably provocative insights into the future. It was William Gibson, after all, that gave us the term cyberspace. I also spend a lot of time thinking about emergent and disruptive technologies, which is why I've included a section on "Flash Mobs" in my briefings for four years. It shouldn't be surprising that I found this article of great interest: Information chips implanted in the brain. Electromagnetic pulse weapons. The middle classes becoming revolutionary, taking on the role of Marx's proletariat. The population of countries in the Middle East increasing by 132%, while Europe's drops as fertility falls. "Flashmobs" - groups rapidly mobilised by criminal gangs or terrorists…
Nokia N95 – First Impressions
April 8, 2007
I've been testing a Nokia N95 recently. Overall, this is a fantastic phone with a lot of really cool features. In fact, it is hard to believe they packed so many features into this form factor. Based on my initial usage, here are some thoughts regarding the different features: Phone: The N95 is a great phone. It is obtaining signal in areas that are known trouble spots. I was able to easily transfer my contacts from my N80i directly into the N95 via bluetooth. The interface is almost identical to the N80 so there really wasn't a learning curve before efficiently using the phone. The only problem I had was my phone didn't reconnect with the network after exiting a parking garage with no signal for at least 10 minutes. A power…
The Umbrella Man
April 1, 2007
My friend Scott Albert Johnson has released his new album entitled "Umbrella Man". It draws on many styles and I hear songs that are reminiscent of Blue's Traveler, John Taylor and a full-spectrum of old fashion blues with great lyrics and wonderful harmonica solos. The family favorite thus far is "Turn Out Fine", which is a fast-paced upbeat ode to a former lover. Support this hard-working independent musician by picking up your copy today.
Pulling the Twitter thread a bit more….
March 12, 2007
Andy Carvin writes a more detailed post on how Twitter could save lives. Karoli doesn't get it and issues the following challenge "If someone could leave a comment giving me one truly practical reason to use Twitter, I’ll sign up and add them as my first friend, because I seriously don’t understand the buzz around it." My earlier post on Twitter was enough to convince her.
Physical attacks against digital targets
March 11, 2007
Anyone who has seen me present or has been a student in my class is familiar with the matrix below. In fact, this matrix was the guiding principle for an entire conference session in Sweden 18 months ago and I've briefed on it least 300 times to thousands of people. Now read this article: SCOTLAND YARD has uncovered evidence that Al-Qaeda has been plotting to bring down the internet in Britain, causing chaos to business and the London Stock Exchange. Link ---> This is the beginning of what will be an interesting trend as some emergent terrorist cells push the boundaries and decide to engage in physical attacks on financial infrastructures. When you are in Nigeria all your targets look like oil pipelines, so when you are in London, what…
Second Grade Second Life
March 11, 2007
My daughter (and wife) seem to be hooked on the second grade version of Second Life called Webkinz. With Webkinz the cost of entry is the purchase of a physical stuffed animal that is bundled with a unique code that allows you to go online and virtually care for your pet. You can create a house for your pet, complete with bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and a trampoline in the back yard. You then engage in lots of virtual activities like taking baths, making food, playing games and working (you can only work one job every 8 hours, perhaps so they stay compliant with child labor laws - kidding). You can also engage in limited interaction with other Webkinz, though it seems to be closely controlled (perhaps to prevent child exploitation).…
What are you doing right now?
March 11, 2007
Twitter wants to know. After hearing about it on at least 20 podcasts, I decided to check it out. It seems to be nothing more than the next step in the pervasive social networking meme that takes the geek culture by storm every few months. Twitter allows you to use IM and SMS messages to post what you are doing and to track what others are doing as well. I haven't tested the SMS version, but thus far the only thing the IM component seems to do for me is allow me to send updates about myself. It doesn't IM me when a friend I am tracking updates their Twitter. If the SMS version doesn't send me friend updates, I'd say that Twitter is not even close to reaching its potential. There are a few interesting uses for Twitter to create…
Total Intelligence Solutions Launched
March 10, 2007
Total Intelligence Solutions launched recently. You can learn more about the company at the TotalIntel.com website. I co-manage this company with Rob Richer (former Assistant Deputy Director of Operations (ADDO) at the Central Intelligence Agency) and serve as President. We are poised to change the landscape in this industry and have brought together world-class capabilities and leadership team to do it.
Puddle of mud…
March 10, 2007
I managed to go on vacation without taking my Mac Book Pro with me. Instead, I relied on my Sony UX390N and my Nokia n800 for all my Internet needs. The UX and n800 both worked great for surfing the web and the UX did double duty with email as well. While on travel I managed to drop my N80i cell phone in a big puddle. Fortunately, it never stopped working the entire time and seems to be okay after a frantic cleaning with paper towels. It is a tough little cell phone and performed well on the trip obtaining good coverage in some pretty desolate areas.
And now for something completely different….
March 6, 2007
Second Life terrorism. Link---> Is voice chat the killer app of Second Life? It could be: Link---> Also listen to the PodCast regarding how voice will integrated: Link--->
Sony UX380N
February 17, 2007
I've spent a good deal of time using the Sony UX380N. I was a fan of the original UX180, but could never quite get used to how slow it was. It always felt more like a PDA than a portable computer to me. The UX380N is certainly a marked improvement on the device, which is quite an accomplishment in just six months. Some things I like: It is running Windows Vista Business. I don't like Windows, in particular Windows XP. Vista is a great improvement to the OS and this device comes with Vista pre-installed. It is fast. The 380N is using a solid state hard disk, has 512meg more memory and is running an Intel Core Solo processor. All of these seem to contribute to a much faster system. In fact, it is downright snappy. Integrated…
Terrorism Index
February 16, 2007
I participate in this index as one of the 100 experts polled. Interesting reading....Link--->
EU confirms deadly bird flu in UK
February 3, 2007
An outbreak of bird flu on a farm run by Europe's biggest turkey manufacturer Bernard Matthews is the highly pathogenic H5N1 version of the virus which can kill humans, the European Commission said on Saturday.Government veterinary experts were called to the farm near Lowestoft in eastern England late on Thursday. Preliminary tests showed the birds were killed by the H5 strain of avian flu. Link---> Is it the Coming Flupocalypse...