WTF 2.0

Russell Beattie Notebook - WTF 2.0

Russell spawns a great new buzz word and gets to the root of the Web 2.0 problem: Many folks just don't get it. Businesses need to make money, otherwise they can't be called a business.

Wanted: Global GSM cell tower id database

Forget GPS, for some time there has been a way for any application on your cell phone to know exactly where you are, kind of. Every cell tower has an id which your phone knows about. The problem is that it doesn't tell you where that is geographically. Some developers have realized that many services only need to know this much, such as the excellent miniGPS from Psiloc for Symbian phones. Every phone should be able to switch profiles like this so that I don't have to listen to yet another idoits amusing ringtone while I am in a meeting. Also some interesting work at MIT.

What we really need is an open online database and webservice of all available cell towers. There are some folks out there trying to make this happen, such as cellspotting.

Yahoo's new Zonetag service for flickr is attempting to make it happen over time by having users tag their photos with the location.

There are probably another hundred projects like this out there trying to accomplish the same thing. Maybe someone is closer than I realize. For now I guess I just have to wait for GPS.

Sony to release new PSP with 8GB NAND Memory

Sony to release new PSP with NAND Memory

I guess I will have to upgrade. I use my PSP mainly for audio and video and swapping out my various 1GB memory sticks is driving me crazy.

The death of the screenplay?

Confessions of a Bedroom Filmmaker - How I learned to love making movies on my computer. By Bidisha Banerjee

Very interesting article on Machinima. The ability for people to make their own movies at home is not going to impact the mainstream movies for a long time, but as more people get their entertainment online, there is certainly a market for this.

The more interesting impact on the movie business will likely be the way screenplays are pitched and optioned. Think of the number of people taking countless screenwriting classes. Imagine them all not just writing screenplays, but animating them. It makes movie making more like the music business with directors and screenwriters trying to get the attention of Movie A&R. Imagine a huge indie business being built up around these movie demos or pilots, each building a cult following before even being made into a mainstream picture.

The Buddha Machine

Most people will look at this and ask what the big deal is, why anyone would want one. Not me. For me this appeals to the gadget geek in me and the electronic music freak in me. Its retro and cutting edge all at the same time. Just wish I had done it first.

Build A Monster DVR

Just read an article in PC Magazine on constructing your own HD DVR. I thought that was pretty cool until I found this. 11 tuners which can all be used simultaneously!

Meet The Makers

MakeZine.com: Maker Faire

April 22-23, San Mateo fairgrounds, CA



Just found out this was happening. Had no idea it was going to be local. Sounds like a lot of fun. The MythBusters will be there too.

iPod Bashing

You either love them or hate them but ipods definitely spur some funny articles. Here is one of the better ones:

Convert your Pocket PC into an iPod in seven easy steps

Interstellar snail mail

Late 2007 sees the launch of Keo. What makes Keo unusual is that it is effectively a very slow, very expensive, postal delivery system capable of carrying six billion letters. Not only that, the delivery destination is the same place it is departing from, and it will circle its destination for thousands of years before actually delivering any mail.

So what is the point. Well this is where it gets really interesting and worth a little bit of your time, because Keo is a satellite which is to return to the earth 50,000 years from now and deliver those six billion messages to our descendants. And to make sure they see it coming, it is equipped with a special thermal shield which will create an ionization phenomenon similar to the Northern Lights on re-entry. It will orbit the earth at an altitude of 1,400km in a circular orbit of less than 57 degrees in an effort to try and reach the 50,000 year goal while sustaining the radiation and resisting debris impact.

Visit the site and leave your message of no more than 6000 words. You must also provide some additional information and answer some questions. They also are trying to assemble a contemporary library of Alexandria and are collecting other documents and information. A great project for schools too.