Month: April 2004
Lots of Tutorials
PHP5 and XML?
I keep meaning to have a complete look at the advanced features of PHP5 when it comes to XML. So this is reminding me to do so.
OQO maybe not vaporware
Guys in the BBC saw a arcticle in the latest Wired about the OQO. Havent checked it out for a while, interesting to see there now using a built in keyboard with a 5 inch screen, use to be 4 inch and no keyboard. Shame there still using USB 2 and no 802.11g. Che found more upto date info on TechTV. And of course theres lots of photos on the OQO site.
New mobile RSS readers
Read on my feeds a while back, there are some more RSS readers for PocketPC, Smartphone and even the palm.
Nokia Lifeblog is now here
Just a quick note to say Nokia's Lifeblog is now nearing its launch date.
Audio searching with speechbot
I have no idea what to make of Speechbot. This is so typical of the cutting edge work HP research labs are doing. I havent done any real research into it but even the concept alone makes me feel very sick.
Ok I've just done tests, and it couldnt find for example Mpeg4, which it should have found if its indexed content from streamingmedia.com. However streaming did match 200 items. Wow, the show me extract part is pretty slick… It also seems speechbot isnt working on semantics. As its picked up non streamingmedia.com content too. HP Labs have done it again… Kudos from the BBC.
Take this for a great example.
Search for any words with streaming in it like above. And got a link to public interest transcript, here is the section taken from the actual stream. Yes believe it…
Skype comes to Pocket PCs
Just read on infosync, Skype is coming the PocketPC. And now I'm interested… Just wish Skype used standards like H323 or even SIP.
Skype Technologies, the company behind the increasingly popular Skype P2P Voice over IP (VoIP) application for Windows desktops, today launched a beta version of PocketSkype for the Windows Mobile 2003 platform. Owners of Wi-Fi enabled Pocket PCs with 400 MHz or higher processors can now make free, unlimited and unmetered calls to friends, family and colleagues using Skype on the desktop or similar devices.
PocketSkype retains the same core features of regular Skype software including free Skype to Skype worldwide calling to any Skype user, ability to participate in free Skype conference calling, instant messaging, access to the Global Decentralised Directory, online presence and contact lists. Skype Technologies recommended that a headset be used with the software to achieve the best quality.
Wlanevent.com
This is the way forward, sitting in a seminar with tons of wireless around me. Looking at my scanner, theres actually 5 just in this area. There was 20 hubs on the way from the registeration part to the seminar. Anyway I some interesting things i heard…
UltraWideBand isnt the same as Wimax, duhh me! Ultrawideband can support 1.2 gigabits download and 480 megbits upload per node. Its 802.15.3 and is currently made up of 3 different types. UWB Wireless Lan, UWB Electric and UWB Cable. The Wireless Lan is obviously your usual Wireless for home and office use. The Electric, is a rival to the Home plug standard. And the Cable is used for home to home and metro area networks. Almost cable rival to 802.16 – WiMAX. On the UWB Electric front, you can get up to 100megabits a second if all the items communicating are using the same electric point. If it goes through the house electric system, it drops down to 20megabits per second.
The talks then went into Wireless Mesh technology from locust. Which is interesting, but I'm more interested in how to do it with free or opensource software, hardware. Some of the Applications of Mesh technology are vast networks, tempory networks and self healing meshes.
The public sector, commercial ISP's and Coop community's are very interested in using them more. Some places which have already done this…
Hayfiled derbyshire, North Norfolk, University of putra,
Fastline internet in louisiana, Vivian Louisiana, British Army Base in germany, Lauris provence in france and Drymen in scotland.
The only other thing of real interest was the white hat wireless hacking was kinda of lame, but the actual guy did know a lot and was well worth talking too.
Microsoft’s Apple store killer?
I've noticed Microsoft are working on a all you can listen type system for there next online music store. When I first read it I was thinking, humm not really interested. Till I read this and thought this would be great as a digital dj… and hey who really wants to own tons of tunes?
Online-music insiders have debated for years about whether future services will ultimately resemble a traditional CD store–requiring consumers to purchase each single song–or a new model in which subscribers pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to all available music, without the right to keep the music after they stop subscribing.