Before we go through the next batch of interesting news stories, I want to clear up a common misconception:
Wolfram Alpha is not Google
The new search engine is not another Cuil (yeah remember them? They still don’t think I exist). Instead it’s a great learning tool that provides some interesting information for research.
Not every query you put in will get results, but the ones that do will get you some very intriguing information.
Sports fans, math geeks, this is for you. I was absolutely enthralled looking at the SF Giants history of wins, homeruns, etc.
The best way to understand Wolfram Alpha is to use your curiosity.
Now onto the news and such. I’m digging through the annals of my never-before-posted links tonight.
RealNetworks’ CEO called out Hollywood studios for being frightened of technology. To that I say good on you sir.
For the same reason I’m worried about banks having open Internet terminals in their buildings, I’m also concerned about hospitals doing the same. Good to know my fears were justified at the RSA security conference last month when Conficker was found on heart monitors and MRI machines.
How much would you pay for Wall-E? $15? $20? $62,000? An uncle who wanted to download the movie on his computer while in Mexico racked up a huge bill in roaming costs.
Deep packet inspection should scare the living daylights out of you, especially since Comcast thinks it’s a wonderful idea. Targeted ads sounds great from an ISP perspective, but there’s a massive privacy risk and worries about how the companies will keep track of that data.
The Final Fantasy franchise has moved 85 million copies worldwide. One game I’m happy I rented instead of buying it and realizing what a load of crap it was: Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Still waiting for my original Final Fantasy on my Wii’s Virtual Console.
Turn off the lights when you read this horror story about the oncoming downfall of civilization at the hands of a devastating solar storm from Wired.
On that frightening note, I’ll bid adieu for the day.