All Shows

Show of 7-26-2003

  • Seminar Series
    • Last Week: Trends in Information Systems
      • Networking Standards
      • Software Standards
    • Deciding what is worth learning
    • Next Seminar: Trends in Open Systems, Billy Ball, August 26th, 2003
    • Trends will cover a wide range of technical areas
  • Intel Supports UWB (802.16a) for Local Wireless Broadband
    • Seeking to standardize the industry like it did in the 80s and early 90s with modems
      • Created flash memory cards that would support all European standards as well as US
      • Got country-by-country approval, then it sold the flash memory to modem vendors
    • Intel wants built into a single wireless chip on your PC
      • Wi-Fi, UWB, GSM, CDMA, or any other standard
      • It will be reconfigured based on software demands.
    • 802.16 is support fixed wireless in the 10-66Ghz frequency range for long range distribution.
  • Congress May Trump FCC
    • Powell pushed for loosening restrictions on media consolidation
    • Populist rejection of media giants prompted Congress (even Republicans) to object
  • Privacy may be the next big battle
    • Ubiquitous Sensor networks (wireless monitors are possible)
    • Networks of things (RFID) ? Already used for toll cards, automobile keys
      • Mid-1990 proposal by MIT robotic scientists
      • Now pushed by Gillette for inventory tracking
      • Gillette razor blades are the most stolen product
      • Wal-Mart will is RFID to track pallets and shipments
      • Can be used to track inventory at home and at the store
    • Data consolidation standards (XML, Middleware, etc.)
      • Expect? consolidation of purchases (videos, clothes, travel, hotel), location (GPS OnStar, RFID), taxes, medical records
    • How will this information be used and by whom
  • Verizon Fixes Glitch
    • Text message confirmation could be used to get additional numbers
    • Discovered 3 months ago by ThreeZee
    • Crudely fixed last week
  • China Developing Cell Phone Standard
    • Rejecting CDMA and GSM 3G standards
    • Wants to give local companies an advantage
    • Standards will be developed by TD-SCDMA Industry Alliance
      • Alliance of Chinese companies
    • Cisco, Ericson, Motorola, and Nokia may be loosers
  • DVD Standards
    • DVD-R and DVD-RW (first and most prevalent)
    • DVD+R and DVD+RW (a close second)
    • DVD-RAM (data backup only
    • What to buy?
      • Latest multi-standard writers are the best bet
      • Get a Dual DVD Writer (+ and -) if backup is not important
      • Get multi-DVD writer (+, -, and RAM) if backup is important
  • States Rated for Broadband Regulatory Ease
    • State Broadband Index Available from TechNet
    • An Assessment of State Policies Impacting Broadband Deployment and Demand
    • Michigan Number 1 (Reduced right-of-way red tape, costs, and hassle)
    • Virginia Number 8
  • Americans For Dean
    • A Distributed System to Raise Money for Dean
      • "It’s an autonomous, self-organizing, grassroots campaign network," said Zack Rosen, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign computer science student who cooked up the idea. "We’re giving people a Web tool to organize the campaign network. We want to help get this man elected."
      • Rosen said about 15 developers are working to get the tools up and running in the next few weeks, but anyone is welcome to contribute.
      • They’re building on Drupal (www.drupal.org), an open-source content-management system, for the project.
    • Uses RSS [Rich Site Summary] Feed
      • A format designed for sharing web content [articles, blogs, calendar info, etc.
      • Think of it as a way to distribute "What’s New."
      • Originated by UserLand in 1997, and subsequently used by Netscape
    • RSS has evolved into a popular means of sharing content between sites [including the BBC, CNET, CNN, Disney, Forbes, Motley Fool, Wired, Red Herring, Salon, Slashdot, ZDNet and more].
  • Hopkins Students Review Source Code for Voting Machines
    • The Voting Machine in question
      • Diebold AccuVote-TS
      • Maryland has purchased 11,000 for $55.6M
      • Machines will be installed by March
    • Source code found on unprotected FTP server
      • Vulnerable to programmable SmartCard hacks
    • Making the case for open source code
    • Baltimore County feels vindicated. They are the only county to ask for a waiver.
  • Sex.com Prevails in Domain Suit
    • Court ruled that Network Solutions (now Verisign) is liable for damages
    • 5-year old legal battle when Gary Kremen sued to regain control of sex.com from Stephen Micheal Cohen, an ex-con who used a forged letter to steal the domain
      • Kremen registered the name in 1994
      • Kremen won the suit against Cohen who fled the country with millions.
      • He then sued Network Solutions for damages. He won on appeal.
  • Tech Talk Mail Bag
    • What about DVD standards (Kathleen Ballard)
      • DVD+RW, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM
    • How do it set up a Wi-Fi community network (Steve Eunpu)
      • Check out www.cawnet.org
    • Letter for Baghdah (Dr.Fawzi Alnaima)
      • Professor FAWZI AL-NAIMA
      • Dean of the College of Engineering
      • AL-NAHRAIN UNIVERSITY,  BAGHDAD  IRAQ
  • Stratford University News
    • Corporate Training
    • Masters Programs
    • Undergrad Program
    • Seminar July 23th, Trends in Technology
    • Next Start August 4t