Posts Tagged ‘Tech Watch’
Twitter as a Tool for Journalism
ReadWriteWeb’s Marshall Kirkpatrick wrote an interesting piece this week on journalists the potential benefits they might see by adding Twitter to their bag of tricks.
Kirkpatrick advocates the use of Twitter for among other things: obtaining leads, interviewing and gaining feedback on stories as they are being written. Kirkpatrick and other writers for ReadWriteWeb have also used Twitter to develop a question set and to carry out a “public interview” process for some of their stories.
I find this idea very interesting, particularly the use of the “public interview” process. In my opinion, ReadWriteWeb’s writers are more apt to use this sort of process than say someone from the New York Times.
I wonder if there are any other journalists out there who have used Twitter or some other social networking / communication tool to perform a public interview for a piece top be published later? Chatting with viewers on MTV’s TRL doesn’t count.
I am curious.
Read the full story on how ReadWriteWeb uses Twitter for journalism. here.
Amateur Radio Assists in Bridge Collapse Aftermath
John Baichtal, wrote a nice piece in GeekDad reminding us of the important role that amateur radio operators play in times of crisis and disasters; particularly when the traditional civilian and emergency services communications nets become saturated.
The recent Minneapolis bridge collapse once again highlighted the important role of RACES, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service and other communications volunteers play in times of crisis.
Armed Robots on Patrol
Wired.com’s DangerRoom report’s that the US Army is close to sending in to battle in Iraq… armed robots.
[Courtesy of DangerRoom is this YouTube link to a Future Weapons segment on the robots.]
Can any one else hear the faint strains of “Danger Will Robinson… Danger!”?
Here is more on the story on GizModo.
The Freesound Project
The Freesound Project is a database of free sounds and sampling files available under Creative Commons licensing. Everything from riffs to bleeps to burps are available under a released under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus License.
French Find New Ways to Innovate
Apparently upset by America usurping or (worse) ignoring such French innovations as French Fries, French Toast, and the world just plain refusing to drink French Wine like water, the French have decided if they can’t innovate, they’ll just stop the rest of us from innovating. Of course I am being (somewhat) factious here, but I suggest reading more about American tech companies’ concerns over French moves to reign in technology companies’ proprietary rights.
read on…
New French law attacks all technology innovators: US group from PhysOrg.com
A US technology association has labeled a new French law requiring “interoperability” of devices like Apple’s iPod music player as “attack on intellectual property rights” of all companies. [...]
European Space Images
Continuing in my space theme today, I present the following image and multimedia resources from the European Space Agency:
NASA Improves It’s Image
For the true space geeks in all of us:
Berners-Lee on Net Neutrality
A lot of crap has been written about the Net Neutrality issue. It is then refreshing in light of all the chaff and strafing that is going on around all the rhetoric on both sides to read Tim Berners-Lee's (a pioneer developer of the Internet) opinion on the subject.
"When I invented the Web, I didn't have to ask anyone's permission. Now, hundreds of millions of people are using it freely. I am worried that that is going end in the USA."
Spaceport Dreams
Stock Tip: Buy your shares in Spacely's Sprockets now and buy 'em often. Get in early cause soon we'll all be heading out space to make our Spaceport Dreams and Caviar Wishes come true.
This may not be as far fetched as it may seem.
Several companies are in the process of finding funding or actually breaking ground and building commercial spaceport facilities around the country.
"There's nothing here now," admits Bill Loomis, 58, a member of New Mexico's Spaceport Authority, "but I get excited thinking what this place will be like in 20 or 50 years." ~ from Seed: "Eat My Contrails, Branson" an article providing an overview of aspirations for a Spaceport in New Mexico and efforts in other states.
Say “No” to Voicemail!
If you want to get a hold of me, the phone is not the way to do it. If you wish to communicate in any meaningful way that does not involve a face to face, don't call me, I probably won't answer. I am even less likely to pay attention to you if you leave me a voicemail. I am not afraid of the phone I just don't find it to be a very pleasant way to communicate with other sentient creatures.
If you have something to say to me that you can't say it in person, please send me an e-mail.
Otherwise, to be totally frank I am likely to forget the conversation, or worse: totally tune it out.
That is why, when I read in the on-line edition of The Guardian, one writer's opinion of voice-mail as useless a medium of communication, I must say that I wholeheartedly agreed with his premise.
Voicemail sucks!
