Broadband and Me

Timescape

Just finished reading Gregory Benford's Timescape - From the blurb on the Masterworks cover it highlights that it is one of the few Sci Fi novels which truely depict a scientist's work accurately. To this I can't comment but it does feel real. The writing for some reason feels dated, perhaps the slowness of the narrative is to blame however maybe this is deliberate but I wanted the plot to move on faster. Perhaps that's why I am not a scientist :)

Overall though I enjoyed the book. Its certainly not a fast paced thriller or a space opera but it does convey a sense of doom and discovery as the future doomed through an environmental disaster tries to communicate with the past to change events. There is also a clash of cultures between new and old, East and West coast America and the US and UK, which all add to the interest and background of the story. Probably give this overall a 6 out of 10 which is a little harsh but I would still recommend it as a read to anyone who enjoys sci fi.

Smart Homes to take care of us?

BBC NEWS | Technology | Smart homes offer a helping hand

Researchers at the technology consultancy Accenture are working on ways to help homes watch what their occupants are doing.

The work is aimed at helping older people by spotting when they get into difficulties, to diagnose health problems before they become serious and to combat loneliness by making it easier to keep in touch with their family.

Good to see people are looking at Smart Homes. Its not the type of technology I usually have in mind when Smart Homes are discussed but interesting nevertheless. A mirror which changes its image to show me thinner...

Private Spaceship nearly a reality

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Private spaceship almost in space

More and more news on privateers heading for the heavens! Congratulations to this team for reaching space. Keep going and we'll explore the stars yet! (Well the solar system first anyway).

Halflife 2: Fact or Fantasy

BBC NEWS | Technology | Half-Life 2 keeps gamers guessing

When, when, when??????

BT lower Wholesale Broadband Price

BBC NEWS | Business | BT set to reduce broadband charge

Good news for DSL subscribers and companies that currently buy network from BT. It looks very much like OfCom forced their hand in terms of LLU (Local Loop unbundling - allowing other companies access to the BT network).

It may also pave the way for bandwidth increases to come into the price range of people who couldn't curently afford it.

Have to wait and see what impact it will have on the cable companies but ntl seem to be doing okay given the 1st Quarter report.

Quote of the Day

Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?
Henry Ward Beecher

Oh how true...

My update: Where is human nature so weak as when browsing Amazon?

Space: The final private company frontier?

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | X-Prize 'will be won this year'

The X-prize - a prize for non-public firms to get a three-person craft into orbit (well its got more rules than that but have a look) is close to being won. The prediction is that this will be won later this year by one of three competing teams and good luck to them!

One of my regrets in life is not being able to visit space. I would be scared witless mind you but being able to view the world from space is one of my ambitions. This prize could ultimately lead to that kind of experience for a wider audience than currently allowed by ntaional and international space programmes. Perhaps more importantly, this prize injects an element of competition and urgency into developing alternative means of reaching space and maybe will see more done in terms of exploration for the future.

While I agree that scientific research isn't everything, commercial reseaarch my open up new possiblities that until ytet haven't been considered because fo governemental constraints - Britain's biggest being it abandoned its space programme years ago and now contributes less to space research than Italy.

Given the recent conflicts on Earth, you may well ask why I think efforts should be placed here? Well, I believe we will only develop beyond our current state if we do seek to transcend barriers, physical, scientific, religious, social or whatever. One may to do this (though by no means the only) is to establish a common goal, an element of competition though not exclusivity and the vista of unimagined possibilites. Slightly into the realms of dreams and utopia but its what I believe.

E3: Hype and Holding

BBC NEWS | Technology | Games showcase hits Los Angeles

The clash between expected new hardware and to be shown software is the central theme of this article on the Beeb. The balancing act between keeping your current punters happy and continuing to extract their money against getting the to 'save' up for the next technology layer and then take more of their money! I think I am being a little cynical.

There are certainly a number of games I have bought into the hype about: Halo2, Doom 3 and Half Life 2 being the prime candidates.

I guess though that primarily I am awaiting the announcement of the so called 3rd wave gaming technology, to see what additional functionality they wil have that will make me pay attention - impulse purchase of full games over a braodband connection? Pay per view? Make me lunch (or tea) while I game? I don't expect these answers from E3 this year but still its fun to see what's coming out.

E-Books

Fictionwise: Excellence in eBooks.

I've been using Fictionwise for a while now to purchase my e-books. I discovered that I actually did sit and read them on the computer much to my surprise. I especially find Fictionwise useful for short stories (Sci-Fi based) although it has a wide variety of eBooks.

Still need to get a decent gadget to view the books on, preferably portable and relatively cheap. I don't really need a PDA as such so a dedicated gadget would be ideal. If anyone knows of anything yet, let me know...