Discussion Items from Today's Metrotalk:
What's New and interesting in the high tech world?
Network on Wheels (NOW): Auto makers to create car-to-car wireless networks by 2006
BMW, Audi, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Renault and Fiat won a German government grant to help develop the a standard method for car-to-car wireless data.
- The money will be used by Network on Wheels (NOW), a project that focuses on 802.11 wireless network technology to develop ways that moving vehicles can automatically set up temporary links with other cars, bikes and trucks in the vicinity, and share information about traffic slow-downs, bad weather, accidents and other road problems.
- The idea is that as soon as two or more vehicles are within radio communications range, they connect automatically and establish an ad hoc network. Because the range of a WLAN link is limited to a few hundred meters, every vehicle also serves as a router, allowing messages to be sent via a multi-hop process to vehicles farther away. The routing algorithm is based on the position of the vehicles and is able to handle the typically fast changes of ad hoc networks.
- Thought 1: Alongside the rewards there's a risk to personal liberties, as the potential is once again opened for government and law-enforcement agencies to track vehicle movement.
- Thought 2: Maybe the Car doesn't need to be smart, because cell phones could perform the functions instead!
A community for online New Year's Resolutions: There's a great new project called Hugster (hugster.43things.com) that allows you to share a list of things you want to do with your life.
This site is most accurately described as a marketplace for accomplishing goals.
- You can see the goals of other people listed, with larger type goals being the more popular ones. You can add your own goals. When you see a goal listed on the site, you have 2 ways to join that goal: "I want to do this" or "I've done this". This information then becomes part of your identity on the site--you are a collection of the things you've done and things you want to do (including your progress). Of course, you can create a new goal at any time.
- At the core it's about finding and working with people who share your specific goals. Plus, people who have accomplished goals become resources for those who haven't.
New To Me: Excercise Machines connected to the Internet: I got a few week head start on my new years resolutions by going down to the YMCA for some excercise. I was surprised to learn about Fitlinxx, a company that connects each machine to a computer, and to the internet, so that all my tagets, weights, and actual performance is stored on a personal web page automatically.
Great New Concept: The Wiki:
- Imagine a web site where every page has a link that says "edit this page..." and then imagine that everybody has permission to change everything. Chaos, right?
- WRONG! Check out the Wikipedia for a great example of a free encyclopedia, with millions of articles, completely edited by volunteers.
- Check out JotSpot for an upcoming Wiki that you'll be able to buy as a monthly service. JotSpot will also offer many enhancements over the standard Wiki including structured data, email links, subscriptions via RSS and many, many sample applications to quickly develop your own GroupWare. For the small company or organization, it will be a great way to harness the creative power of your staff or volunteers.
Finding the un-outsourceable job? What should you do?
- Consider jobs that require hands-on presence: Data Center manager, help desk, deskside coaching, nursing-home aides, janitors,
gardeners, dentists, massage therapy.
- Consider jobs that leverage your cultural fluency, communication skills
- The other sort of jobs destined to remain here are high-end jobs. Some require exchanging information in ways that e-mail and teleconferencing don't handle well. Think about teaching first grade or selling a mansion to a multimillionaire or conceiving new forms of software. Others demand such intimate knowledge of the U.S. that it's hard to see foreigners doing them from afar. Think about marketing to American teenagers or lobbying Congress.
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