Ideas around implanting RFID chips are nothing new, here's a story about a guy who had it done for personal use. When I think about having a chip implanted in my hand I always wonder about a situation where I would get robbed and the thieves would cut off my hand in order to access my house or withdraw money from my bank. "Give me your money or I'll shoot" will never be the same again I guess....
"Ideally, what sort of accessibility do you hope to see this implant give you in the future? Well, because I’m writing my own software and soldering up my own stuff, pretty much anything I want. Well, more accurately, anything I have the time and inspiration to do. Ultimately though, I think true keyless access will require an implantable chip with a very strong encryption system; right now I’m only looking at this type of thing in a personal context."
zaterdag 9 april 2005
Never ending copyfight
Clay Shirky writes about a personal experience that clearly demonstrates the stupidity of certain (c) laws and the people who are responsible for (not changing) them.
"Got that? I am in possession of a video, of me, shot by a friend, copied to a piece of physical media given to me as a gift. In the video, I am speaking words written by me, and for which I am the clear holder of the copyright. I am working with said video on a machine I own. Every modern legal judgment concerning copyright, from the Berne Convention to the Betamax case, is on my side. AND I CAN'T MAKE A COPY DIRECTLY FROM THE DEVICE. This is because copyright laws do not exist to defend the moral rights of copyright holders -- they exist to help enforce artificial scarcity."
"Got that? I am in possession of a video, of me, shot by a friend, copied to a piece of physical media given to me as a gift. In the video, I am speaking words written by me, and for which I am the clear holder of the copyright. I am working with said video on a machine I own. Every modern legal judgment concerning copyright, from the Berne Convention to the Betamax case, is on my side. AND I CAN'T MAKE A COPY DIRECTLY FROM THE DEVICE. This is because copyright laws do not exist to defend the moral rights of copyright holders -- they exist to help enforce artificial scarcity."
zondag 3 april 2005
Only you can save television
TV economics are amazing, industry execs probably stupid. There are an estimated 31 million hours of original television content produced each year, but you'll see almost nothing of that even when you'd want to...
"Thus the ratio of produced content to available content is the highest of any industry I've looked at. Other industries may produce more content--print, for instance--but it's far more available (see Google). Only television treats its premium content as disposable. True, a lot of it actually is. But not all, and not as much as is effectively thrown away after a brief moment in the sun. "
"Thus the ratio of produced content to available content is the highest of any industry I've looked at. Other industries may produce more content--print, for instance--but it's far more available (see Google). Only television treats its premium content as disposable. True, a lot of it actually is. But not all, and not as much as is effectively thrown away after a brief moment in the sun. "
Opening m-commerce to physical goods
Operators are key to (blocking) so much innovation....
"Picture this. On the way to work, you're reading a review of your favourite band's latest album. At the foot of the review, it says "to have this album delivered to your home 'text U2 to 80222' to bill the CD to your phone bill". The next morning you open your CD to find an invitation on the sleeve to go online to watch the band's latest video by texting 'U2 video' to 80222. You're then sent a pin code via SMS, again billed to your account, which you enter on the Web site to watch the video."
"Picture this. On the way to work, you're reading a review of your favourite band's latest album. At the foot of the review, it says "to have this album delivered to your home 'text U2 to 80222' to bill the CD to your phone bill". The next morning you open your CD to find an invitation on the sleeve to go online to watch the band's latest video by texting 'U2 video' to 80222. You're then sent a pin code via SMS, again billed to your account, which you enter on the Web site to watch the video."
Online gamer killed for selling cyber sword
Virtual is real, no doubt about that.
"The online game features heroes and villains, sorcerers and warriors, many of whom wield enormous swords. Qiu and a friend jointly won their virtual weapon last February and lent it to Zhu, who then sold it for 7,200 yuan. Qui went to the police to report the theft but was told the weapon was not real property protected by law. "Zhu promised to hand over the cash but an angry Qui lost patience and attacked Zhu at his home, stabbing him in the left chest with great force and killing him," the court heard."
"The online game features heroes and villains, sorcerers and warriors, many of whom wield enormous swords. Qiu and a friend jointly won their virtual weapon last February and lent it to Zhu, who then sold it for 7,200 yuan. Qui went to the police to report the theft but was told the weapon was not real property protected by law. "Zhu promised to hand over the cash but an angry Qui lost patience and attacked Zhu at his home, stabbing him in the left chest with great force and killing him," the court heard."
Being part of the discussion
The Wall Street Journal has always been an example of a traditional newspaper being able to charge for their content because it was so good, relevant and in a way even unique. But something is changing that will force a strategic change at the WSJ.
"He also claims that "publishers in all mediums have tended to devalue their brands," which is missing the point (by a wide margin). If anyone has "devalued" their brand, it's the Wall Street Journal, by taking itself out of the discussion. People don't just consume the news any more, they are a part of the process, and that includes the ability to help spread the news."
"He also claims that "publishers in all mediums have tended to devalue their brands," which is missing the point (by a wide margin). If anyone has "devalued" their brand, it's the Wall Street Journal, by taking itself out of the discussion. People don't just consume the news any more, they are a part of the process, and that includes the ability to help spread the news."
zaterdag 2 april 2005
On the internet, 2nd (and 3rd and . . . ) opinions
Reviewing reviews, aggregating reviews or filtering reviews is a common activity on the web. And it adds value I believe.
"Sometimes the Internet is like that. The traditional objects of culture - books, movies, art - are becoming ever more distant. In their place are reviews of reviews, museums of museums and many, many lists."
"Sometimes the Internet is like that. The traditional objects of culture - books, movies, art - are becoming ever more distant. In their place are reviews of reviews, museums of museums and many, many lists."
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