Year: 2009

Google Wave vs. Adobe Wave

I know that smart people tend to think the same and that naming collisions happen once in a while, but is this just a mere coincidence or is there more to the story?

Here is a description of Google Wave as per Wikipedia:

Google Wave is “a personal communication and collaboration tool” announced by Google at the Google I/O conference, on 27 May 2009. It is a web based service and computing platform designed to merge e-mail, instant messaging, wiki, and social networking. It has a strong collaborative and real-time focus supported by robust spelling/grammar checking, automated translation between 40 languages, and numerous other extensions. It is expected to be released later in 2009.

And here is a description of Adobe Wave as per Adobe web site (no Wikipedia description yet):

Displaying a desktop notification is as easy as sending an email.  Adobe® Wave™ is an Adobe AIR application and Adobe hosted service that work together to enable desktop notifications. It helps publishers stay connected to your customers and lets users avoid the email clutter of dozens of newsletters and social network update messages. Adobe Wave is a single web service call that lets publishers reach users directly on their desktop: there’s no need to make them download a custom application or build it yourself.

Of course, once you get into it things get more obvious, but can you really tell the difference between the two without reading more about each technology and watching preview videos?

History of the world through a game

We had a few discussions about Civilization IV game today in the office.  I wasn’t paying much attention as I am not a big fan of strategy games, especially turn-based strategy games.  But at some point I was looking at this technology research tree diagram (click for full-sized version, source).

Civilization IV technology tree
Civilization IV technology tree

And I couldn’t help to get impressed on how far the world has come in terms of research.  And also how much was actually discovered in the last few decades.

Yes, I know, not everything on that diagram is a technology, and not everything was actually researched.  But, on the other hand, there are many technologies which were researched and worked on, and they aren’t on that tree diagram.

A diagram like this provides a perspective on how much people knew back in the early days and how much more complex (not necessarily complicated) the modern world is.  Of course, when playing such a game against a few opponents, the perspective becomes even more realistic – the more stuff you have researched, the more you can do and more powerful is your nation.

If only now we could incorporate these games with history classes somehow …

Technology helping criminals

The Next Web reports that a Dutch insurance company is warning its clients to not blog or Twitter their vacations.

According to the company criminals are using social networking tools to find possible victims. In the past, these criminals used to check mailboxes (full mailbox = probably away for the week) which houses they could break into. Now they use digital means to find their victims.

While I understand the concern, I don’t agree with it.  Technology is a just a tool, making people more efficient at certain things.  If you don’t blog or Twitter your vacation plans, there’s still a billion ways to find out about them.

Criminals have been doing their stuff for years.  And if they don’t mind digging through the social networks and geo-locating your house, they definitely don’t mind talking to your neighbours, colleagues, and family, calling your home and mobile phones, monitoring your entrance door, and whatever else it takes to break-in and steal stuff from you.

Does the technology make it easier for them? Maybe for some and not for the other.  But regardless, if you want to let your friends and family know that you won’t be available in the next few days, because you are going on vacations, I think you should.  If you think that your blog, Twitter, or any other social network is the appropriate tool for that, then use it.

I’m all for keeping it safe and all, but I’d hate to live with constant fear of becoming a victim.  Stuff happens, and often we don’t have control over it.  But it’s not a good enough reason to lock ourselves in the basement.

Are you a WordPress geek?

Weblog Tools Collection lists a few things to check for whether you are a WordPress geek.  Here is the list with bold items indicating the ones that are true for me.

  1. When the first thing you do at a new blog is scroll down to see who did the theme.
  2. When you mention Dexter Gordon, you have to qualify that he is a saxophonist and not the WordPress release.
  3. More than one of your Twitter saved searches includes the word “wordpress”. (I don’t use saved searches, but if I was, I would have a few about wordpress for sure).
  4. You read Weblog Tools Collection daily and have withdrawal when we do not have a release post.
  5. You visit a well known publisher and can instantly recognize the permalinks as created by WordPress. Heck, if you know what a permalink is.
  6. If all your vacations are to WordCamps. (Not all, no, but I once was at Greek Blogger Camp, which was practically the same thing).
  7. If the word “dashboard” reminds you of the WordPress admin panel.
  8. If you have multiple Google Alerts setup with the word “WordPress” in it. (I used to have it for some time, but now it’s just way too much to handle for me).
  9. If your toddler has a “W” t shirt. (My toddler grew up faster than I ordered one).
  10. If your browser homepage is set to the WordPress Planet.  (No, I don’t have it as a homepage, however I am subscribed to RSS and read through all posts. And I mark this one bold for actually having of my blogs on WordPress Planet)
  11. If you bitch when Matt writes about the Kindle and not about WordPress. (No, I don’t bitch, but I definitely prefer WordPress posts).
  12. If you have tried to convert your day job’s website to WordPress. (Yes, I did. Heck, I even had a couple of day jobs around WordPress)
  13. If you know of Kubrick but do not know who he was. (I know the Kubrick theme and who Kubrick was, but only because I am into movies)
  14. If you spend more time on WordPress Extend looking for plugins and themes than writing posts.
  15. If you have ever met Matt and had a picture taken with him. (Here it is)
  16. If you know what Akismet is. (Who doesn’t?)
  17. If you met most of your friends because of WordPress. (All? No, I’m much older than WordPress. But I met a few, yes.)
  18. If you make your living from WordPress. (Not any more, but I had a period like this in my life)
  19. If your significant other complains that WordPress gets more attention. (Not any more, but I had a period like this in my life)
  20. If you have ever suggested WordPress to others. (Suggested?  I basically push it down their throats.  Every time.)

This can go on forever, indeed.  Have you ever developed a WordPress plugin?  How about a theme?  A widget?  Have you used WordPress for a non-blog web site?  Have you ever used WordPress Mu? Blah blah blah.

And how about you?  Are you a WordPress geek?

Is it OK to take pictures in public places?

Google Blogoscoped asks the question:

If your country’s police were to drive around town with cam-equipped cars, automatically taking photos of all public spaces, would you mind? If so, why? If not, why not?

I guess that has something to do with their earlier posts on issues related to Google Street View (one, two, three, four, etc).

I think that public places should be open for non-commercial photography, whether that is by police, mass media, amateur photographers, aliens, terrorists, or anyone else.

When I was in London earlier this year, I was at first shocked by the number of CCTV cameras.  It seems like every square meter is covered from several cameras at once.  And it wasn’t very welcoming.  However, less than a day later I simply got used to them.  I couldn’t even see them no more.  That hopefully illustrates the extent to which I don’t care.

What about you?