Microsoft’s Creepy Brain Scan Patent App
I think before the robots take over everything and use us for batteries, it will appear that humans have hyper-evolved into mechanically enhanced super-sapiens. But that’s really just to build false confidence in us. A recent Microsoft patent application is perhaps the next step toward that digitally created human battery soup dream.
More from Scoble on the Facebook Situation
I’m getting dozens of emails asking for my script. See, there’s a ton of people who WANT to be deleted from Facebook. So far Facebook has been denying them, saying it’s impossible to delete everything you’ve ever done from Facebook. Well, if you go over to Rodney Rumford’s blog you can see that’s totally hogwash. Facebook CAN totally delete you from Facebook IF IT WANTS!
Plaxo Interested In Selling Itself
We’re in a quiet time of year – not much happens during the holiday season or for a short period afterwards. Plaxo is reportedly trying to sell itself, though, and discussions about the company’s reputation and its asking price have stirred things up a bit.
UK Aims to Stop Hackers by Banning Tools
In what could be a bad day for United Kingdom pen testers, stress testers, and other systems security folks, the UK is getting ready to ban the creation and distribution of tools that could be used by hackers. This generally unpleasant concept could make it not only impossible to create the next nessus or nmap by anyone in the UK, it could also send them to jail for distributing the tools they make as well. This ought to set back UK computer security by decades.
Topix Co-Founder Taking On Google
Rich Skrenta has a new startup called Blekko in the works, and plans to make a run at the search engine world with it.
Talking And Driving Clogs Traffic
People using mobile phones while driving contribute to traffic congestion, according to a University of Utah study. Regardless of whether they use a handset or Bluetooth, the conversation itself causes motorists to drive slower on the freeway and to be less likely to pass slower-moving vehicles.
Mobile Advertising Growing Fast In Japan
In 2007, the Japanese online advertising market was projected to be worth between $3.4 billion (Dentsu) and $4.1 billion (PricewaterhouseCoopers). By 2011, Dentsu estimates that Japan’s online ad market value will be $6.8 billion; PrivewaterhouseCoopers says it will be slightly more at $7 billion.
28 Things Didn’t Happen In 2007
A lot of predictions were made about 2007, just like every other year. Some came true, some didn’t. Here’s a list of what didn’t happen.Vertical search and niche social networks didn’t take off
Best Posts of the Year for Analytics
Dennis Mortensen, COO of Index Tools and author of the blog Visual Revenue, has summarized the 18 most popular web analytics posts of 2007. His list includes posts from 6 different authorities in the Web Analytics industry including: Occam’s Razor, Web Analytics Demystified, Web Metrics Guru, Visual Revenue, Web Analytics World, and Luna Metrics.
Facebook Popular In Canada
Toronto is the first North American city to have more than one million subscribers to Facebook according to Calgary based Zinc Research.