22 November

Tell me if this is worth reading.  A Forbes commentary on the Microsoft ruling and here is a little taste:

Judge Jackson--who writes in longhand and discovered PCs about 30 seconds ago--says Microsoft has been inquisitioning innovation and kicking customers in the groin since it acquired its monopoly status around 1990. All this assumes the bulbous barrister would recognize computer innovation if it fell on his head. Right. Look at the facts.

It actually does give some history in this piece.  By the way I already got a huge e-mail rebuke already about even thinking Microsoft might have a some good in them.   :)    And if you have to find this later in the archives at the Forbes site look for "Fat, Florid, Farcical"

Another one that may disappear - this time at USA Today.  If it isn't on the page then look for "High-Yield Crop" in their archive.  A case study for how fast the net is taking off in all directions.  In this case its farming - but its a better read than that if you are into e-business at all - or trends.

Here is a little blurb on this article exploring men's and women's sites and the pursuit of the web "need specific" portals

It's a shame that a medium that was once so promisingly devoid of silly gender-stereotyped portals has reverted to the most banal of guy-isms. These days, the dudes online get sports and sex, while chicks can head over to Women.com or iVillage -- which grow more like Cosmopolitan and Redbook every day -- to participate in polls like "Do you wear makeup to the gym?" and read 65 tips for beauty emergencies.

21 November

As always, only women can write about women :)   Here is an article asking why in this crazy age of E-Commerce and big entrances, there aren't any women charging into the big adventure.

This is about an outstanding forum built on the idea that creativity is produced best, by looking everywhere for inspiration.  Synthesis is still a growing art.  A convention like SciArt '99  is a sign of the times.  An expansion of awareness of how the brain works has to be a part of every discipline or system.

Don't overlook this intro - revolutionary delivery of your web is the subject.  The man who started Direct X and wants to make the preeminent 3D web driver, Alex ST. John.  His Wild Tangent company will undoubtedly go public offering in the next year or 2.  Wild Tangent will stir up the whole web industry.  Here is an interview telling us his (always pretty balanced views) on the Microsoft Monopoly and his visions for the future of the web (unconnected subjects).  This interview might also make you think he still works for Microsoft, but not the case.  Here is  the intro:

It's been a long time in the making but we're finally ready to present you one of the most exciting technologies in recent memory.  Wild Tangent and their Web Driver could literally change the way we surf and play. In addition to what you see below I also asked Alex about his thoughts on the ruling that Microsoft is a monopoly. 

20 November

Lets start off with a short article with lots of embedded links about racial issues and the personal computer/Net.  The digital divide is weighing on a lot of minds because the computer is seen as a personal tool versus just entertainment.  The haves and the haves not becomes an even bigger issue on every level of the globe.

Mentioned the Microsoft X-Box earlier - now you can get some insight (insight is the word of the day BTW [by the way]) - And why do we care?  Anything Microsoft does, either legitimizes the new market they are entering, and occasionally it is a market where they are the pioneers.  Either way, they are still the yard/meter stick.  The X-Box is one of those products the industry calls the "Great Convergence" where the personal computer and Net access merges with the smaller convenience and low price of the "set top" game "console".  "Set top", "console", and X Box (or its eventual product name) will be the vocabulary within 1 to 2 years.  More of that computer coming to your living room stuff.

Some more on the importance of Microsoft's X -Box:  The mainstream public wants decisions made for them.  They don't really know if they want 2 Gigapixel graphics capability.  But they do know that if the industry giants are in it - then it must be good and fairly hassle free.  There is a reason why most of us are on Windows.  Oops starting to slip into the Microsoft monopoly issue...

This is a light note.  Do you have cat troubles with your keyboard when you look away?  Read this news blurb from Wired News  or go straight to the source.    Somehow buying this product would be including your cat into your virtual world.  Or at least an excuse to post a smiley    J

19 November

This one to laugh about - I don't think a lot of Republicans will take our slant on this wrong - Most republicans can probably see the following web site is pretty extreme.  Here is the caption from "Insight Magazine"

The League of Women Voters is pushing a lofty left-wing political agenda for the 2000 elections while cloaking itself in a nonpartisan image it relies on for influence.

Sad to see this organization is still a threat to the establishment after how many decades of work?  Wouldn't it be great if someday a women's organization isn't accused of unfairly pushing its agenda?  See the rest of this propaganda at Insightmag.com.   While I was looking over this site to see what they are about, I noticed that this article is on a page named "story4.html".  So this story may get shuffled to another page - if this is the case then look for an article titled "The (left wing) League of Women's Voters".  By the way - if you want instant insight into a web sites leanings, then scanning their links page is the place to go.

And just in case - here is the link to the Women's League of Voters

Here is another one from the same web site that manages to name drop  their political foes into the witches cauldron - why is conflict such great reading?    Behind the Goddess Cults  (notice how I managed to implicate incite mag with slams on the women voters and witchcraft in the same column)   J

Links, Links, Links.  The more you do - the more you see.  On other levels.  I directly link this to one of the underlying themes from the article above.  And here is the blurb I found the most interesting, one question and answer:

Geri Wittig: On the surface it doesn't appear that the GameGirlz site has any overt feminist stance (no links to feminist sites, etc.) and there's definitely not a separatist ideology, but in looking at your site, I would say that the GameGirlz are a phenomenon that is expanding the feminist front through their engagement with technology and through a forum that displays that engagement on many levels - what do you see as the GameGirlz place in or relationship to feminist discourse and movements?

Vangie Beal: This is certainly a topic I've spent a lot of time discussing with our Lead Editor, Damon. In all honesty, the common connotation of feminism isn't really what GameGirlz is about... or should I say the connotation that is accepted by chauvinistic males. I think Mur, our weekly GameGirlz columnist, said it best when she said that her view of it is equality. Not pro-women, or pro-men; just equality. That may look like pro-women right now, but only because at this point they are currently not treated as equals. But equality is really the underlying goal.

For the rest of it go here (although it looks framed and may disappear - go to their "Query" page and try "gamegirlz")

About half way through designing this site I read Steven Johnson's book which he mentions in the following link.  Outstanding insight.  Here he gathers some ideas on the future of the interface from industry insiders - as usual from Feedmag.com it is intellectual stuff - but short.

Another interview from Rhizome - this one titled "internet jamming" but really about the artists work and ephemeral nature even in the digital age - and speaking of art here is one of the projects linked 2 web sites away from this interview -  the BOMB project

18 November

A lot of news this year futurising all gadgets connecting to the net.  And if you have the money you can already start now - the microwave has already hooked up.  The one feature we haven't heard much of is complete communication between the devices themselves - and why would we want that?  The examples given are just more daily details of our life, we already take for granted, like that VCR, or is it DVD?  Is this webzine all about interface or what?  More interface with the world everyday, that is what the Net and hyper communications bring us.         Blue Tooth

Yes.   Been looking for this.  A cultural slant on the Microsoft ruling.  Does the author get a little overdramatic by saying the frontier days of the Net are over?  Not in the sense he uses.  In the adventure sense of course it is completely unknown where the whole ride is taking us.  Enjoy the POV (point of view - an acronym coming of age in the 3D world)

Want the tech side of of the Comdex convention in Las Vegas?  Here is a page from TechWeb covering the events daily with 5 to 10 articles

Here is just one of the articles futurising the use of images and how stockpiling pays off eventually - The message I get continually hammers that when we are ready, the tech will be there - Corbis Offers Picture Of The Future

I ripped this right out of Gamasutra's (premiere game development resource) - I think the great convergence of the personal computer and the set top (TV console) is taking off with the product below and the "x box" from Microsoft

Sony at Comdex
Sony used a keynote address at Comdex to outline how Sony plans to use the Playstation 2 to help the world become better networked. The company hopes that the Playstation 2 will speed the adoption of high speed network access in the home, which will then be taken advantage of by Sony's new generation of set-top boxes and Vaio desktop computers. Stated Sony Computer Entertainment of America president Kazuo Hirai, "We believe it is the Playstation2 and its compelling software which will accelerate the deployment of broadband networks into consumers homes." Sony demonstrated the new console, and announced that there would be 250 titles available for the system for its March 2000 Japanese release. Sony also used the Comdex forum to announce a deal to license the Palm OS for use in a series of portable networked devices.

And also here is a great article from Gamasutra for those in the game biz and looking to push their latest creation to the publishers - Negotiating a Great Advance and Royalty Deal

17 November

Today we have nothing but ABC news and conventions - but don't let that scare you.  Here is a very interesting slant on how the Net is top priority at the WTO gathering in Seattle.  Mostly getting China to allow faster inroads

ABC News polls the experts at the Comdex convention about the status of the flat-panel display (beautiful quality - healthy on the eyes - future of huge wide-screen in home) and what you need to set up for today's voice recognition

The new CEO of Hewlet Packard announces at Comedex the Net needs to be a warmer place - is she cultural or what?  Check out what she is up to

16 November

Here is another chance to stay in touch and a way to fulfill Newmoon.  Just do one thing every moon cycle.

Things that make you go hmm - when are we going to empower the United Nations anyway?

Actions for children

We have a ways to go before we can support mass online purchase.  Both credit security, and download speed issues, are holding us down.  But the pioneers are here to start that market as early as possible.  And when we eventually download software (pay per use) as a daily matter, then the virtual worlds (need the definition?) will get one of its first chances to go main stream and then later for very little cost.       The Download future

In related news: why is Microsoft buying up those cable connections?  This is old news but now Mark Anderson offers an explanation beyond the simple desire to get into the Net    The Download future 2

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