Here are some more of my articles from www.emqus.com.
Google Latitude: Tracking your whereabouts with your mobile device
Joost: Get your entertainment on the go
New report shows that organizations want to green their data centers
Redemtech has a zero tolerance policy for e-waste
The past month has been an exciting one for Amazon's Kindle
Internet Explorer 8: What is new and improved with Microsoft's browser
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Joost: Get your entertainment on the go
Why wait to get home before you watch your favorite TV show?
As more and more people invest in smart phones, Mp3 players, laptops and netbooks, mobile electronic devices that provide viewing capabilities with a Wi-Fi connection, companies are finding ways to entertain people on the go. Web sites like You Tube, Hulu and Joost are providing a platform for that entertainment. Internet users in the US viewed a record 14.3 billion videos in December. A recent survey by Integrated Media Measurements Inc. found that of the 3,000 prime-time TV watchers they tracked, they found 20 percent had watched some TV online. People watched over 24 million videos on Hulu in December, a record for the company. And Joost users viewed 818,000 hours of video in January, up 25 percent from the previous month.
In late January, Joost announced that more than one million iPhone and iPod Touch users had downloaded their free application from Apple’s App Store. It enables users to enjoy thousands of hours of anime, comedy, drama, movies, music, documentaries, sci-fi and sports over their Wi-Fi connections. Joost has more than 400 television series, 1,200 movie and short film titles and 18,000 music videos. Mike Volpi, CEO of Joost, explained why he thinks their app has become so popular. “The Joost iPhone app has taken off because people want to be entertained, and there are many situations – like standing in line, waiting at the airport or doctor’s office or commuting on a train – when TVs and computers can’t be found.”
People will be able to take their entertainment with them everywhere. There will be no cables tying you down to your favorite television shows, movies or music videos. Though the industry is still in the early stages, people are confident that this technology will be embraced. “The Internet as a TV provider is in its infancy. We believe that [in the future] the majority of TV will be viewed over the Internet. It’s mostly cost, but it’s also convenience. People want to be able to travel and move about while watching TV,” said CEO of Joost, Mike Volpi.
Even as TVs are getting bigger and bigger, people are finding that mobility and convenience are as important to their entertainment experience. Why wait to watch your favorite show at home, when you can watch it on your commute home from work? Why pay for cable and a DVR, when you can watch online content for free? These and other questions will be answered in the next few years as Internet Protocol Television players continue to fight for the eyeballs of an increasingly tech savvy and mobile audience.
As more and more people invest in smart phones, Mp3 players, laptops and netbooks, mobile electronic devices that provide viewing capabilities with a Wi-Fi connection, companies are finding ways to entertain people on the go. Web sites like You Tube, Hulu and Joost are providing a platform for that entertainment. Internet users in the US viewed a record 14.3 billion videos in December. A recent survey by Integrated Media Measurements Inc. found that of the 3,000 prime-time TV watchers they tracked, they found 20 percent had watched some TV online. People watched over 24 million videos on Hulu in December, a record for the company. And Joost users viewed 818,000 hours of video in January, up 25 percent from the previous month.
In late January, Joost announced that more than one million iPhone and iPod Touch users had downloaded their free application from Apple’s App Store. It enables users to enjoy thousands of hours of anime, comedy, drama, movies, music, documentaries, sci-fi and sports over their Wi-Fi connections. Joost has more than 400 television series, 1,200 movie and short film titles and 18,000 music videos. Mike Volpi, CEO of Joost, explained why he thinks their app has become so popular. “The Joost iPhone app has taken off because people want to be entertained, and there are many situations – like standing in line, waiting at the airport or doctor’s office or commuting on a train – when TVs and computers can’t be found.”
People will be able to take their entertainment with them everywhere. There will be no cables tying you down to your favorite television shows, movies or music videos. Though the industry is still in the early stages, people are confident that this technology will be embraced. “The Internet as a TV provider is in its infancy. We believe that [in the future] the majority of TV will be viewed over the Internet. It’s mostly cost, but it’s also convenience. People want to be able to travel and move about while watching TV,” said CEO of Joost, Mike Volpi.
Even as TVs are getting bigger and bigger, people are finding that mobility and convenience are as important to their entertainment experience. Why wait to watch your favorite show at home, when you can watch it on your commute home from work? Why pay for cable and a DVR, when you can watch online content for free? These and other questions will be answered in the next few years as Internet Protocol Television players continue to fight for the eyeballs of an increasingly tech savvy and mobile audience.
These companies have never laid off an employee
This story really gave me some hope for corporate America. I have been wondering if any corporations cared about their employees anymore. All I hear about these days is about corporations laying people off -- good people, loyal people, people who have given these organizations their time and expertise. Well, some companies put people over profit, but ironically, these companies seem better able to weather economic downturns. It seems that being loyal to your employees gives your organization good business karma.
No Layoffs -- Ever!
by Christopher Tkaczyk
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
provided by CNN Money.com
The global financial crisis has led many companies to slice payrolls, but these employers are staying loyal. Meet 9 of this year's Best Companies that, as of mid-January, have never had a layoff.
Nugget Markets
Best Companies rank: 10
81-year old grocery chain has been able to avoid layoffs through careful job placement and shrewd labor management.
For example, in troubled times when the company anticipates it will need fewer workers, it stops replacing employees who leave voluntarily.
To make it easier to fill gaps, store locations within 15 miles of each other share staff.
Also, employees are cross-trained: A deli clerk may also work as a bagger, allowing for more work hours, and still get the (higher) deli pay rate.
Meanwhile, the company relies on past employees (such as college students home on break) for temporary work, rather than staff up during busy times like the holidays.
Devon Energy
Best Companies rank: 13
This fiscally conservative energy company has a strong portfolio of oil and natural gas deposits that bring in $11.3 billion annually. Still, Devon adheres to the philosophy that its holdings would be worthless without a talented workforce.
The company has been able to avoid layoffs by making sure it keeps costs low during economic downturns and booms alike. Before the current crisis, Devon chopped its operating budget to match its cash flow from oil and gas production.
Devon also takes a prudent approach to hiring, maintaining an efficient workforce of highly trained employees. Voluntary turnover is a steady 4% a year. And instead of the traditional annual salary review, the company's compensation process is flexible: In slow years, employees sometimes forego raises, and in good times, they may be rewarded with midyear pay increases.
Aflac
Best Companies rank: 26
Aflac, which sells supplemental insurance, has never had a layoff, living up to the mandate of founders John, Paul, and Bill Amos: "If we take care of our employees, the employees take care of the business."
Well-known for its quacking-duck ads, the company says remaining fiscally responsible, keeping a watchful eye on its budget, and listening to employee suggestions -- called "Bright Ideas" -- have helped keep it in good financial shape.
Indeed, the company has experienced double-digit sales growth each year since Dan Amos became CEO in 1990.
Options like telecommuting and flex schedules -- programs which resulted from employee suggestions -- have helped streamline the organization and save millions of dollars. Four recently approved "Bright Ideas" projects are expected to save $3 million annually.
QuikTrip
Best Companies rank: 27
This 24-hour convenience store chain is privately held, allowing it to pour profits back into stores instead of divvying them up among shareholders. Meanwhile, its strong balance sheet has helped it to weather economic downturns without having to cut staff.
Before he retired in 2002, former CEO Chester Cadieux expanded the empire by opening new stores and remodeling older locations, creating new jobs and providing promotion opportunities for existing employees. (Son Chester "Chet" Cadieux III is CEO now.) To keep costs low, the company rejects proposed expenditures that don't benefit customers or employee growth.
The Container Store
Best Companies rank: 32
While most of the retail sector was hit hard during last year's fourth quarter, Container Store actually saw its November and December earnings increase over 2007 -- although that was the company's hardest in its 30 years.
It stuck to expansion plans despite the downturn -- opening four new stores last year, and adding 70 employees to its 4,000-strong workforce.
Those staffers get lots of training, too (average is 241 hours per employee per year).
The retailer has avoided layoffs in this economy by freezing salaries and keeping a watchful eye on the balance sheet. Famous for its "open door" communication-driven culture, Container Store asked employees to do all they could to ensure the company's strength during a tough retail climate.
A memo to staff from president Melissa Reiff read: "We have to be more responsive, more adaptable and much more efficient with our resources." A contest with cash incentives was held to boost sales.
NuStar Energy
Best Companies rank: 44
The philosophy at this pipeline operator (a spinoff of Valero): If you do a good job, you'll always have a job. Chairman Bill Greehey and CEO Curt Anastasio have maintained a no-layoff policy and consider employees their most valuable asset. They cite layoffs as "counterproductive," since they "erode morale, create fear and reduce productivity."
NuStar has avoided cuts even as other oil and gas companies are experiencing layoffs, by managing costs and constantly looking for ways to improve profits.
The dedication to keeping staff has paid off in a loyal workforce. After Hurricane Ike hit in September, the company's Texas City terminal sustained major damage. Many workers lost their homes in the storm but still reported to work the following day to help get the facility back up and running.
Says one employee: "It's an honor and pleasure to work for a company that considers you a valuable individual."
Stew Leonard's
Best Companies rank: 53
The privately held grocery chain doesn't have to focus on quarterly earnings, allowing it to weather economic downturns and rising food prices without resorting to layoffs.
The company intends to maintain sales growth without raising prices, even in the current economy, by focusing on customer service and pushing top-selling items with lively store displays.
"We'd rather grow and develop our people and not lay them off just to increase short-term earnings," says CEO Stew Leonard, Jr., adding: "We are fortunate that we are in a business that does not have dramatic swings in sales due to the economy.
When the economy is great we don't see a big increase in sales and conversely, when the economy is bad, we don't see a big drop. One of the benefits of being in the food business is that people have to eat."
Scottrade
Best Companies rank: 60
No surprise that the online discount stock brokerage has faced challenges during the economic downturn. And while CEO Rodger Riney acknowledges that layoffs might be a conventional step to take, he was committed to retaining a talented workforce.
Because Scottrade is a privately held company with a conservative growth strategy, there's room for flexibility and a strong focus on the happiness -- and longevity -- of employees, he says. Lower profits have sometimes meant smaller bonuses some years, but associates have always received them despite the tough economy. According to one thankful employee: "Job security is priceless, not just for your pocketbook, but for your peace of mind."
Publix Super Markets
Best Companies rank: 88
The company has seen sales increase during the downturn while competitors have endured layoffs and store closures.
Publix, which enjoys a strong balance sheet with no long-term debt, has focused on operational efficiency, managing costs, employee development, and store growth and expansion.
Last year, Publix acquired 49 stores closed by Albertson's and hired more than 1,250 people in those locations.
This grocery chain has never had a layoff in its 79 years in business. Since Publix is 100% employee-owned, it prides itself that "owners never want to lay off other owners."
Nearly 6,000 of the company's "associates" have made a career at Publix, having served 20 years or more.
No Layoffs -- Ever!
by Christopher Tkaczyk
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
provided by CNN Money.com
The global financial crisis has led many companies to slice payrolls, but these employers are staying loyal. Meet 9 of this year's Best Companies that, as of mid-January, have never had a layoff.
Nugget Markets
Best Companies rank: 10
81-year old grocery chain has been able to avoid layoffs through careful job placement and shrewd labor management.
For example, in troubled times when the company anticipates it will need fewer workers, it stops replacing employees who leave voluntarily.
To make it easier to fill gaps, store locations within 15 miles of each other share staff.
Also, employees are cross-trained: A deli clerk may also work as a bagger, allowing for more work hours, and still get the (higher) deli pay rate.
Meanwhile, the company relies on past employees (such as college students home on break) for temporary work, rather than staff up during busy times like the holidays.
Devon Energy
Best Companies rank: 13
This fiscally conservative energy company has a strong portfolio of oil and natural gas deposits that bring in $11.3 billion annually. Still, Devon adheres to the philosophy that its holdings would be worthless without a talented workforce.
The company has been able to avoid layoffs by making sure it keeps costs low during economic downturns and booms alike. Before the current crisis, Devon chopped its operating budget to match its cash flow from oil and gas production.
Devon also takes a prudent approach to hiring, maintaining an efficient workforce of highly trained employees. Voluntary turnover is a steady 4% a year. And instead of the traditional annual salary review, the company's compensation process is flexible: In slow years, employees sometimes forego raises, and in good times, they may be rewarded with midyear pay increases.
Aflac
Best Companies rank: 26
Aflac, which sells supplemental insurance, has never had a layoff, living up to the mandate of founders John, Paul, and Bill Amos: "If we take care of our employees, the employees take care of the business."
Well-known for its quacking-duck ads, the company says remaining fiscally responsible, keeping a watchful eye on its budget, and listening to employee suggestions -- called "Bright Ideas" -- have helped keep it in good financial shape.
Indeed, the company has experienced double-digit sales growth each year since Dan Amos became CEO in 1990.
Options like telecommuting and flex schedules -- programs which resulted from employee suggestions -- have helped streamline the organization and save millions of dollars. Four recently approved "Bright Ideas" projects are expected to save $3 million annually.
QuikTrip
Best Companies rank: 27
This 24-hour convenience store chain is privately held, allowing it to pour profits back into stores instead of divvying them up among shareholders. Meanwhile, its strong balance sheet has helped it to weather economic downturns without having to cut staff.
Before he retired in 2002, former CEO Chester Cadieux expanded the empire by opening new stores and remodeling older locations, creating new jobs and providing promotion opportunities for existing employees. (Son Chester "Chet" Cadieux III is CEO now.) To keep costs low, the company rejects proposed expenditures that don't benefit customers or employee growth.
The Container Store
Best Companies rank: 32
While most of the retail sector was hit hard during last year's fourth quarter, Container Store actually saw its November and December earnings increase over 2007 -- although that was the company's hardest in its 30 years.
It stuck to expansion plans despite the downturn -- opening four new stores last year, and adding 70 employees to its 4,000-strong workforce.
Those staffers get lots of training, too (average is 241 hours per employee per year).
The retailer has avoided layoffs in this economy by freezing salaries and keeping a watchful eye on the balance sheet. Famous for its "open door" communication-driven culture, Container Store asked employees to do all they could to ensure the company's strength during a tough retail climate.
A memo to staff from president Melissa Reiff read: "We have to be more responsive, more adaptable and much more efficient with our resources." A contest with cash incentives was held to boost sales.
NuStar Energy
Best Companies rank: 44
The philosophy at this pipeline operator (a spinoff of Valero): If you do a good job, you'll always have a job. Chairman Bill Greehey and CEO Curt Anastasio have maintained a no-layoff policy and consider employees their most valuable asset. They cite layoffs as "counterproductive," since they "erode morale, create fear and reduce productivity."
NuStar has avoided cuts even as other oil and gas companies are experiencing layoffs, by managing costs and constantly looking for ways to improve profits.
The dedication to keeping staff has paid off in a loyal workforce. After Hurricane Ike hit in September, the company's Texas City terminal sustained major damage. Many workers lost their homes in the storm but still reported to work the following day to help get the facility back up and running.
Says one employee: "It's an honor and pleasure to work for a company that considers you a valuable individual."
Stew Leonard's
Best Companies rank: 53
The privately held grocery chain doesn't have to focus on quarterly earnings, allowing it to weather economic downturns and rising food prices without resorting to layoffs.
The company intends to maintain sales growth without raising prices, even in the current economy, by focusing on customer service and pushing top-selling items with lively store displays.
"We'd rather grow and develop our people and not lay them off just to increase short-term earnings," says CEO Stew Leonard, Jr., adding: "We are fortunate that we are in a business that does not have dramatic swings in sales due to the economy.
When the economy is great we don't see a big increase in sales and conversely, when the economy is bad, we don't see a big drop. One of the benefits of being in the food business is that people have to eat."
Scottrade
Best Companies rank: 60
No surprise that the online discount stock brokerage has faced challenges during the economic downturn. And while CEO Rodger Riney acknowledges that layoffs might be a conventional step to take, he was committed to retaining a talented workforce.
Because Scottrade is a privately held company with a conservative growth strategy, there's room for flexibility and a strong focus on the happiness -- and longevity -- of employees, he says. Lower profits have sometimes meant smaller bonuses some years, but associates have always received them despite the tough economy. According to one thankful employee: "Job security is priceless, not just for your pocketbook, but for your peace of mind."
Publix Super Markets
Best Companies rank: 88
The company has seen sales increase during the downturn while competitors have endured layoffs and store closures.
Publix, which enjoys a strong balance sheet with no long-term debt, has focused on operational efficiency, managing costs, employee development, and store growth and expansion.
Last year, Publix acquired 49 stores closed by Albertson's and hired more than 1,250 people in those locations.
This grocery chain has never had a layoff in its 79 years in business. Since Publix is 100% employee-owned, it prides itself that "owners never want to lay off other owners."
Nearly 6,000 of the company's "associates" have made a career at Publix, having served 20 years or more.
Fired executive says that Starbucks "saved his life"
This is a great story about overcoming obstacles and making the most out of what life throws at you.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Michael Gates Gill was a high-flying, six-figure-earning advertising executive years ago before he was abruptly fired. He had created huge campaigns for companies like Christian Dior and Ford and lived an even bigger life, with luxury automobiles, lavish vacations and fabulous clothes.
Michael Gates Gill's book about how working at Starbucks changed his life became a bestseller.
These days, however, he's traded his $3,000 Brooks Brothers suits for khakis and a green apron; the big bucks for a $10 an hour job as a barista at Starbucks. But Gill says he couldn't be happier.
"Losing my job turned out to be a gift in disguise."
After 26 years at J. Walter Thompson, a leading advertising agency, the then 63-year-old Gill was invited to an early breakfast and was told that he was getting the boot. He made too much money. Someone younger would work for less, he was told.
"Never go out to breakfast," he warns before bursting into laughter. "It's like the Mafia. You will never return." Watch the happy barista »
He can joke about it now, but Gill says he was devastated by his firing.
"I remember walking outside and bursting into tears," he says over a steaming cup of coffee at his current place of employment, a Starbucks in Bronxville, New York. "I was stunned. I knew that that part of my life was over."
That was just the start of a terrible reversal of fortune. In a few short years, Gill, the Yale-educated son of the famed New Yorker writer Brendan Gill, closed the consulting business he started after he was laid off, got divorced and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had hit both the rock and the bottom and was continuing to fall.
A trip to Starbucks would irrevocably change his life, he says. Unbeknownst to him, the coffee shop was holding a hiring fair the morning he walked in for his daily dose of caffeine. A manager approached him and asked if he would like to apply for a job. Without thinking, he said yes.
That was five years ago. These days, when the divorced father of five is not whipping up a caramel macchiato or perfecting his latte foam, he's sweeping floors and scrubbing toilets.
"I still have trouble with some of the drinks," he admits, "but I'm a good cleaner.... I can make a toilet shine like a Ferrari."
If life continues on an upswing for Gill, he may one day be able to purchase a Ferrari. His memoir, "How Starbucks Saved My Life," became a New York Times bestseller. The actor Tom Hanks has plans to produce and star in the film version. Gus Van Sant has agreed to direct.
"When I lost my job I thought my life was over," he says. "I didn't realize it was just the beginning." He smiles contentedly and declares, "I may have a part-time job, but I have a full-time life."
He is also sharing everything he has learned, hitting the lecture tour with his "uplifting tale of personal transformation."
Home for Gill is now a modest apartment in the attic of an old house about five minutes away from the 25-room mansion where he was raised.
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Michael Gates Gill was a high-flying, six-figure-earning advertising executive years ago before he was abruptly fired. He had created huge campaigns for companies like Christian Dior and Ford and lived an even bigger life, with luxury automobiles, lavish vacations and fabulous clothes.
Michael Gates Gill's book about how working at Starbucks changed his life became a bestseller.
These days, however, he's traded his $3,000 Brooks Brothers suits for khakis and a green apron; the big bucks for a $10 an hour job as a barista at Starbucks. But Gill says he couldn't be happier.
"Losing my job turned out to be a gift in disguise."
After 26 years at J. Walter Thompson, a leading advertising agency, the then 63-year-old Gill was invited to an early breakfast and was told that he was getting the boot. He made too much money. Someone younger would work for less, he was told.
"Never go out to breakfast," he warns before bursting into laughter. "It's like the Mafia. You will never return." Watch the happy barista »
He can joke about it now, but Gill says he was devastated by his firing.
"I remember walking outside and bursting into tears," he says over a steaming cup of coffee at his current place of employment, a Starbucks in Bronxville, New York. "I was stunned. I knew that that part of my life was over."
That was just the start of a terrible reversal of fortune. In a few short years, Gill, the Yale-educated son of the famed New Yorker writer Brendan Gill, closed the consulting business he started after he was laid off, got divorced and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had hit both the rock and the bottom and was continuing to fall.
A trip to Starbucks would irrevocably change his life, he says. Unbeknownst to him, the coffee shop was holding a hiring fair the morning he walked in for his daily dose of caffeine. A manager approached him and asked if he would like to apply for a job. Without thinking, he said yes.
That was five years ago. These days, when the divorced father of five is not whipping up a caramel macchiato or perfecting his latte foam, he's sweeping floors and scrubbing toilets.
"I still have trouble with some of the drinks," he admits, "but I'm a good cleaner.... I can make a toilet shine like a Ferrari."
If life continues on an upswing for Gill, he may one day be able to purchase a Ferrari. His memoir, "How Starbucks Saved My Life," became a New York Times bestseller. The actor Tom Hanks has plans to produce and star in the film version. Gus Van Sant has agreed to direct.
"When I lost my job I thought my life was over," he says. "I didn't realize it was just the beginning." He smiles contentedly and declares, "I may have a part-time job, but I have a full-time life."
He is also sharing everything he has learned, hitting the lecture tour with his "uplifting tale of personal transformation."
Home for Gill is now a modest apartment in the attic of an old house about five minutes away from the 25-room mansion where he was raised.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Google Latitude: Tracking your whereabouts with your mobile device
I always feel like somebody's watching me
Google introduced new software today called Google Latitude. It lets people with wireless devices automatically share their whereabouts with family and friends with the press of a button. It expands upon a tool introduced in 2007 that allowed mobile phone users to check their location on a Google map. Google is hoping to prove that they can track people on the go as effectively as they can conduct searches on the Internet.
Google Latitude plots a user’s location on a Google map, marked by a personal picture, by using a combination of cell phone tower transmissions, GPS and a Wi-Fi connection to estimate their location. The software is accurate within a few yards using GPS but is off several miles when using cell phone towers to track someone’s position. Google’s tracker covers travel in the United States and 26 other countries.
The user of Google Latitude determines who can monitor their location, but this tracking feature still raises some serious privacy concerns. Google tried to address those concerns with the software. The user manually turns on the tracking software, and it is easy to turn off or limit access to the service. In addition, the user can choose to display only the city instead of the specific neighborhood. Google says that they will only store the last location picked up by the tracking service on their computers. But what could stop law enforcement or even the government from soliciting this tracking information under the guise of the Patriot Act. Cell phone providers did not hesitate to provide confidential information to the government when they were pressed to do so.
As of today, Google Latitude works with Research In Motion’s Symbian software that runs on all BlackBerry devices, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software and any T-1 Mobile phone running Google Android. If you have an idevice such as the iPhone or the iPod Touch, you are out of luck for now. Google is also offering their tracking software for the PC as well. The PC user can be watched if they are connected to the Internet through Wi-Fi. It is only a matter of time before this software is used to target marketing on your mobile device to your specific location. That could be good for Google, but is it good for you? Only you can decide how much privacy you are willing to give up to stay connected.
Google introduced new software today called Google Latitude. It lets people with wireless devices automatically share their whereabouts with family and friends with the press of a button. It expands upon a tool introduced in 2007 that allowed mobile phone users to check their location on a Google map. Google is hoping to prove that they can track people on the go as effectively as they can conduct searches on the Internet.
Google Latitude plots a user’s location on a Google map, marked by a personal picture, by using a combination of cell phone tower transmissions, GPS and a Wi-Fi connection to estimate their location. The software is accurate within a few yards using GPS but is off several miles when using cell phone towers to track someone’s position. Google’s tracker covers travel in the United States and 26 other countries.
The user of Google Latitude determines who can monitor their location, but this tracking feature still raises some serious privacy concerns. Google tried to address those concerns with the software. The user manually turns on the tracking software, and it is easy to turn off or limit access to the service. In addition, the user can choose to display only the city instead of the specific neighborhood. Google says that they will only store the last location picked up by the tracking service on their computers. But what could stop law enforcement or even the government from soliciting this tracking information under the guise of the Patriot Act. Cell phone providers did not hesitate to provide confidential information to the government when they were pressed to do so.
As of today, Google Latitude works with Research In Motion’s Symbian software that runs on all BlackBerry devices, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software and any T-1 Mobile phone running Google Android. If you have an idevice such as the iPhone or the iPod Touch, you are out of luck for now. Google is also offering their tracking software for the PC as well. The PC user can be watched if they are connected to the Internet through Wi-Fi. It is only a matter of time before this software is used to target marketing on your mobile device to your specific location. That could be good for Google, but is it good for you? Only you can decide how much privacy you are willing to give up to stay connected.
Monday, February 2, 2009
$10 laptop: The cheapest laptop ever unvelied by Indian government
Bringing the digital age within reach for millions of poor
The Indian government is unveiling a prototype laptop tomorrow that is purported to cost a mere $10 (or 500 rupees, 7 euros). This would make it the cheapest laptop ever, far outstripping the laptop developed by Nicholas Negraponte for his One Laptop per Child project (OLPC), which ended up costing around $200. The $10 laptop was on the drawing board for over three years, and it will be the centerpiece at the launch of India’s new National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology. The mission is a scheme to boost learning in rural areas through the Internet.
The low price hinges on the use of domestic technology. The $10 laptop is the result of collaboration between several elite technology institutions in India. The Vellore Institute of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science, and the Bangalore and Semiconductor Laboratory, a part of India’s Space Department, were all involved in the process of creating the laptop. It will have 2GB of memory, wi-fi, Ethernet and expandable memory with a screen, keyboard and USB port. Some technology experts are saying that a $10 laptop is impossible. One technology site, Arstechnica.com, says “No way.” They point out that Merrill Lynch estimated that for the OLPC laptop’s screen alone, the cost came out to around 20 euros per unit.
The One Laptop per Child project set out initially to produce a laptop for $100. It ran into problems when large companies, including Intel, the world’s biggest chip manufacturer, refused to cooperate. The XO has a screen that can hold in direct sunlight, wireless mesh networking and a Linux-based Sugar platform. It is durable and energy-efficient. It remains to be seen if the laptop being unveiled by the Indian government can really cost as little as $10. Officials had previously said that the machine would cost 14 euros, but that the price could come down if mass produced.
Whatever the actual cost of the prototype $10 laptop turns out to be, seeking to provide educational tools for the millions of poor children in India, in addition to other developing countries, is a laudable goal. It was Nicholas Negraponte’s conviction that affordable computing for children would help developing countries “leapfrog” into the future, and that it was necessary given that children in the developed world are now “digital natives,” having grown up in a wired world. Even if India’s laptop ends up costing more than $10, it and other low-priced computers, including netbooks, will help bring the digital age to the millions of poor who are seeking a way in to the wireless world.
The Indian government is unveiling a prototype laptop tomorrow that is purported to cost a mere $10 (or 500 rupees, 7 euros). This would make it the cheapest laptop ever, far outstripping the laptop developed by Nicholas Negraponte for his One Laptop per Child project (OLPC), which ended up costing around $200. The $10 laptop was on the drawing board for over three years, and it will be the centerpiece at the launch of India’s new National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology. The mission is a scheme to boost learning in rural areas through the Internet.
The low price hinges on the use of domestic technology. The $10 laptop is the result of collaboration between several elite technology institutions in India. The Vellore Institute of Technology, the Indian Institute of Science, and the Bangalore and Semiconductor Laboratory, a part of India’s Space Department, were all involved in the process of creating the laptop. It will have 2GB of memory, wi-fi, Ethernet and expandable memory with a screen, keyboard and USB port. Some technology experts are saying that a $10 laptop is impossible. One technology site, Arstechnica.com, says “No way.” They point out that Merrill Lynch estimated that for the OLPC laptop’s screen alone, the cost came out to around 20 euros per unit.
The One Laptop per Child project set out initially to produce a laptop for $100. It ran into problems when large companies, including Intel, the world’s biggest chip manufacturer, refused to cooperate. The XO has a screen that can hold in direct sunlight, wireless mesh networking and a Linux-based Sugar platform. It is durable and energy-efficient. It remains to be seen if the laptop being unveiled by the Indian government can really cost as little as $10. Officials had previously said that the machine would cost 14 euros, but that the price could come down if mass produced.
Whatever the actual cost of the prototype $10 laptop turns out to be, seeking to provide educational tools for the millions of poor children in India, in addition to other developing countries, is a laudable goal. It was Nicholas Negraponte’s conviction that affordable computing for children would help developing countries “leapfrog” into the future, and that it was necessary given that children in the developed world are now “digital natives,” having grown up in a wired world. Even if India’s laptop ends up costing more than $10, it and other low-priced computers, including netbooks, will help bring the digital age to the millions of poor who are seeking a way in to the wireless world.
For what it is worth...
My thoughts on Facebook
Enough is enough. I am not putting up a profile on Facebook. I already tried MySpace, and it made me feel like I was in high school all over again, with people only interested in how many friends they had, not in the quality of their friendships. And besides, how well can you really get to know someone with only digital communication? People can and do lie all of the time to your face, why would it be any better, if not much worse, if you only knew someone’s profile? What motivation do people have to tell the truth if the goal is to have as many friends as possible? Anyway, I deleted my MySpace profile after a month or so of dissatisfaction. Now I do have two blogs and a LinkedIn profile. The LinkedIn profile is purely for professional purposes. I also have three e-mail addresses (five if you count the two addresses I have for work). This seems like more than enough for me. I have a hard time keeping my blogs and profile up to date as it is. And the more I hear about employer’s searching for people’s profiles online, the only profile I want to present is the professional me. My personal blog does not contain personal info about me either, though my blog on green living does (though it is not a controversial subject). People need to concentrate on their real relationships with people they see everyday, like their family, co-workers, significant other, and the people on the bus. If we all spent more time cultivating those, maybe we would not feel the need to cultivate relationships with people over the Internet.
My thoughts on doughnuts
This can really apply to all junk food. If I eat something that I know is bad for me, like doughnuts, then I will spend far more time regretting the act of eating the donut then the time I will spend actually enjoying the donut. I will ruminate all day when I eat something I know to be bad for me. I think that we should view our bodies like the temples that they are and start treating them well. We only (as far as we know) get one shot at life and one body to live this life in.
Enough is enough. I am not putting up a profile on Facebook. I already tried MySpace, and it made me feel like I was in high school all over again, with people only interested in how many friends they had, not in the quality of their friendships. And besides, how well can you really get to know someone with only digital communication? People can and do lie all of the time to your face, why would it be any better, if not much worse, if you only knew someone’s profile? What motivation do people have to tell the truth if the goal is to have as many friends as possible? Anyway, I deleted my MySpace profile after a month or so of dissatisfaction. Now I do have two blogs and a LinkedIn profile. The LinkedIn profile is purely for professional purposes. I also have three e-mail addresses (five if you count the two addresses I have for work). This seems like more than enough for me. I have a hard time keeping my blogs and profile up to date as it is. And the more I hear about employer’s searching for people’s profiles online, the only profile I want to present is the professional me. My personal blog does not contain personal info about me either, though my blog on green living does (though it is not a controversial subject). People need to concentrate on their real relationships with people they see everyday, like their family, co-workers, significant other, and the people on the bus. If we all spent more time cultivating those, maybe we would not feel the need to cultivate relationships with people over the Internet.
My thoughts on doughnuts
This can really apply to all junk food. If I eat something that I know is bad for me, like doughnuts, then I will spend far more time regretting the act of eating the donut then the time I will spend actually enjoying the donut. I will ruminate all day when I eat something I know to be bad for me. I think that we should view our bodies like the temples that they are and start treating them well. We only (as far as we know) get one shot at life and one body to live this life in.
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