Social networks
January 24, 2004
I've been interested in the dynamics of social networks for some time at both a professional personal level. I've finally decided to test out one of the social network sites, namely Orkut as it was designed at Google and is invitation only. Thus far, with only two friends signed in, I am linked to over 5000 people. If you are interested in signing up, please email me and I'll add you to my list.
Latest News
January 15, 2004
At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual, later discovered to be a public school teacher, was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide rule, and a calculator. At a morning press conference, Attorney general John Ashcroft said he believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
This fascinates me…
December 24, 2003
John Perry Barlow and Joi Ito create an ambient connected environment while one is in Colorado and the other is in Japan. Description from Barlow. iChatAV is an amazing piece of software and one that makes me wish Macs had a larger market share so I could take advantage of it more. Several of my staff will be working from home tomorrow and will use IM to chat throughout the day. This just adds a whole new dimension.
Hussein Captured
December 14, 2003
See the Terrorism Research Center site for more details. My personal opinions are in the Premium Content forums.
The future of man/machine interfaces
December 11, 2003
I am using a Touchstream keyboard right now, both at work and at home. It is a zero resistance keyboard with mouse and gesturing. What can I do with gesturing? A more appropriate question is what can't I do. If you seen the movie Minority Report, you've seen a gesturing interface when Tom Cruise interacts with gloves. Well, with this keyboard, there are no gloves, but all gestures are conducted via finger interactions with the keyboard. For example, I can minimize windows, search, cut, paste and about 100 other things simply by moving my hands on the keyboard or gently touching it with certain finger combinations. Pretty amazing stuff that you have to see to believe. Don't get me wrong, this keyboard requires a lot of work to get…
Codefellas – Tech Support for the Mob
November 21, 2003
Interesting story from Wired. Doesn't provide a lot of juicy details but addresses a reality that has been present for a decade...even organized crime needs tech support. "On a traffic-clogged street in midtown Manhattan - sandwiched among the bars, massage parlors, and cheap diners - there's a small glass door that leads to my office. The building has no doorman, no front desk, and no video surveillance cameras. We don't go in for that type of security. I walk through the door, down a long corridor to an elevator. When I press the button, the elevator starts with a jump, and a bell on the third floor rings. Now the boys upstairs know that someone's coming." Full Story
Mom finds out about blog
November 17, 2003
MINNEAPOLIS, MN—In a turn of events the 30-year-old characterized as "horrifying," Kevin Widmar announced Tuesday that his mother Lillian has discovered his weblog. Above: Widmar, whose blog was recently discovered by his mother Lillian (inset). "Apparently, Mom typed [Widmar's employer] Dean Healthcare into Google along with my name and, lo and behold, PlanetKevin popped up," Widmar said. "I'm so fucked." In an e-mail sent to Widmar Monday, Lillian reported in large purple letters that she was "VERY EXCITED :)!!!" to find his "computer diary," but was perplexed that he hadn't mentioned it to her. Too Funny!
Important Information Regarding your Citibank Account
November 14, 2003
This is a great article regarding a series of online fraud initiatives targeting customers of financial institutions. Despite the fact the public is becoming better educated regarding these scams, the methods themselves are getting more sophisticated and in some cases, downright elegant. Full Story
The problems with abundance
October 28, 2003
I found this story to be quite interesting. It discusses the impact of technology on the otherwise natural occurence of scarcity. Worth a read. Full Story
Get a Mac!
September 24, 2003
Computer security experts issued a joint report on Wednesday saying that the ubiquitous reach of Microsoft Corp.'s software on desktops worldwide has made computer networks a national security risk susceptible to "massive, cascading failures." Full Story
Looking a little too far…
September 20, 2003
We survived Isabel. I think I have systems up and running to pre-storm levels, so let me know if you get a bounced email or if one of the websites is down.
Bracing for Bella!
September 17, 2003
Here in Northern Virginia we are getting ready for heavy winds and rain tomorrow afternoon and evening. Most offices and schools are shut down, and I sure the video stores are running low on movies. In the event of a power outage, the typepad blog will be fine, but all my other domains and email will go down. If you can't reach me, it is because the Devost family is reading by candlelight!
Terror Experts Warn of New Attacks
September 13, 2003
US terrorism experts are warning that more work needs to be done to avoid further attacks by extremists. The warning comes as the second anniversary of September 11 draws near. The US Department of Homeland Security said it was confident the country was now protected like never before. But Matthew Devost, the head of the Terrorism Research Center, a private research firm, said it would be some time before the Homeland Security Department as a fully functioning, integrated unit. He said: "We always use the analogy of trying to build an aeroplane during take off. "They're taking all these pieces and components, trying to integrate them into one department and still at the same time effectively increase the level of homeland security…
Blackout, Viruses Concern Congress
September 13, 2003
When modern life halted for millions in the Northeast last month, people throughout the country asked if a blackout could strike them. Members of Congress have a more frightening question: Could someone cause such havoc on purpose?