Dutch cowboys refers to an interesting article on data keeping. The article highlights that besides the privacy concerns and cultural effects there actually should be enough commercial motivation for the development of an ICT equivalent of the swiss banking secret. John Battelle coins it Data Switzerland. Sort of suggesting the advantages where multi-nationals are known for:
” The concept is simple: why can’t companies that hold massive amounts of our personally identifying information – companies like Yahoo, AOL, Google, Verizon, etc – simply warehouse that information in a country that has consumer-friendly data privacy laws?
The multi-national Yahoo did hand over privacy information even when it was in a consumer privacy friendly area with its data. That didn’t make a difference, so how is this different? Other ideas mentioned are Havenco or some P2P equivalent. Developing story I guess.
In related news, the swiss bank (privacy) secret wasn’t that save either.
RoomWare is a software application running in a defined space. The people in a RoomWare enabled space can use the services running on a local server through their mobile phone (Bluetooth), laptop (Wifi) or other means (RFID). Possible services range from live interaction with the music or video screens to introducing parts of an online profile into the local space.
This project is aimed at providing developers, artists and other interested parties with a plug and play server installation that they can use to jumpstart the development of their room based mobile installations.
The second installment of the Roomware project is this coming weekend. Join in!
An apparently infamous 1964 US political tv ad by Lyndon Johnson. Johnson’s first words in the ad are: “”These are the stakes.” (via)
We mentioned before The Lyceum Project as the WordPress variant for especially multiple blogs. Now we are happy to see that the other well known version is consumption ready too.
Downloadsquad has a small review, have a look.
(responses @ technorati)
Bonus:
Vlogcast Toni Schneider (Oct 16), Podcast Matt Mullenberg (Jul 28)
Another month, another DevHouse. Part two has come to an end yesterday, and i guess you can say we ended with a bang. On sunday evening around nine o’clock we had a working server + application running on the local network! Work will continue in the coming month(s) so we can have a more stable & polished version of the server and the different modules running at the next event.
Anno 2006
The US Congress has passed a new bill banning “grave breaches” of the Geneva Conventions, including torture and anything that causes “serious” mental pain or suffering but it leaves it to President Bush to determine what constitute a breach.
Already some city councils, including Amsterdam are changing back to the red marker. The elections are approaching.
Update: Since the dutch government seems to take steps of tackling the problem lawsuits are called off (dutch). Being reasonable is just as important as getting your point accross, way to go. Curious what solutions are going to be after the elections. Meanwhile “die bold” rather does everything to end in lawsuits. Cooperation maybe a cheaper (both financial and public opinion) idea guys?
