Farmer, thermal dynamics researcher, and DIY pro, Andy Schroder created a “mobile, automated fluid dispenser that accepts Bitcoin as a payment mechanism.” This is an amazing look at the future of P2P service delivery. I’m particularly impressed with depth of thought Andy gave to the capabilities of his demonstration. If you want to skip the explanation,… Continue reading Mobile Automated Fluid Dispenser that Accepts Bitcoin as Payment Mechanism
Swartz vs Snowden OR Resist Restrictions that Seem Arbitrary or Capricious
MIT released its report on Aaron Swartz (.pdf) this morning. It is interesting to read about the amount of energy and concerted effort around Swartz, in contrast to Edward Snowden. Swartz’ prosecution and MIT’s “neutrality” to that effort seem sad when taken in the context of President Obama’s comment on June 27th where he said “No,… Continue reading Swartz vs Snowden OR Resist Restrictions that Seem Arbitrary or Capricious
Steve Jobs on Loyalty
This isn’t exactly Steve Jobs on loyalty, but rather comments from Joshua Michael Stern, director of the new Steve Jobs film JOBS: “… I think that he was loyal to his vision and he was loyal to the one thing he wanted to bring to the world … I think he was loyal to what he… Continue reading Steve Jobs on Loyalty
Rockonomics
I’ve greatly enjoyed Alan Krueger’s “Land of Hope and Dreams: Rock and Roll, Economics and Rebuilding the Middle Class” speech given at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past June. In the speech, Krueger compares the economics of the music industry to what is happening in the U.S. economy as a whole. It… Continue reading Rockonomics
I’m on Your Roadz, Scanning Your License Plates
For a long time, I’ve imagined what it would be like if you could see information about other drivers around you in real-time. For example, if you are driving down the freeway you would see a red arrow over cars that are known to have been involved in bad driving practices. This information would be… Continue reading I’m on Your Roadz, Scanning Your License Plates
Things happen fairly slowly, you know. They do.
“Things happen fairly slowly, you know. They do. These waves of technology, you can see them way before they happen, and you just have to choose wisely which ones you’re going to surf. If you choose unwisely, then you can waste a lot of energy, but if you choose wisely it actually unfolds fairly slowly.… Continue reading Things happen fairly slowly, you know. They do.
Obama on PRISM
I very much respect our President, Barack Obama. I watch his speeches and press conferences with great interest. I am impressed by his thoughtfulness around issues and ability to craft language and sentiment that offers digestible feedback for the public on complex civic issues. I’ve voted for him twice and hope to meet him one… Continue reading Obama on PRISM
Yeezus Comes. Into and Out of Kanye West
I first got into Kanye West in 2005 with the release of Late Registration. There is a Grammy winning track on that album called Diamonds from Sierra Leone. It was originally a solo recording for Kanye but Jay-Z extended the track with his own verse and it was included as the final track as a “remix” of… Continue reading Yeezus Comes. Into and Out of Kanye West
Terrorists Make Mistakes and Bitcoin as a Technological Tour De Force
Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen have a new book coming out called The New Digital Age. They did an interview with CNBC on the book and at one point it focused on Illicit networks. In the book it reads, “The real challenge will be a combination of virtual currency with anonymous networks that hide the… Continue reading Terrorists Make Mistakes and Bitcoin as a Technological Tour De Force
Unlocking a Verizon iPhone 4S for International Travel
Are you planning to travel internationally and want to unlock your iPhone? This post explains steps related to unlocking an iPhone 4S using the United States carrier, Verizon. It may also work for Android phones on the service, but my experience is with the iPhone. The process takes between 10 and 20 minutes to complete.… Continue reading Unlocking a Verizon iPhone 4S for International Travel