To the right side of the blog, there is now an RSS feed widget. The feed for this is generated programatically every day by using a modified spam filter written in Python to gauge my interest in any particular article from about a dozen different sources, and grabbing the 20 “most interesting” articles. Enjoy!

Share knowledge and skills to continue the innovative process both to and from people and communities.

In my work as a software developer, I have found that it is often more important to know where to look for information, rather than having all possibly relevant information memorized. The first step, then, is to allow greater access to information.

At first glance, the internet would be perfect for this. The sum total of humanity’s knowledge, available for the taking, mostly free of charge. However, accessing the internet requires a huge cost in infrastructure. The required infrastructure can be broken down as follows:
A device capable of accessing the internet, usually a computer of some variety
An active network connection
The first requirement can be satisfied by something like the OLPC Project’s XO Laptop. This is a computer which is designed to be used in the middle of nowhere, capable of being powered by a foot-treadle similar to old-fashioned sewing machines. It is capable of surviving shocks and drops that would cause a normal computer to die, as it has no moving parts. It is also capable of both 802.11b/g networking (the type of wireless access many of you no doubt have in your homes) or 802.11s “mesh networking”, to allow users to connect to the internet over much further distances than normal by routing the signal through other connected machines. The laptop is available through a unique “buy one get one” plan, where the only way someone in a developed country such as Canada, the U.S., or most of Europe can buy a machine is by also donating one to a developing country such as most of Africa.

The second requirement, however, is much more difficult to satisfy. The underlying network infrastructure that we all take for granted is horrendously expensive to create and maintain, and most companies aren’t willing or able to dedicate the time and money required to install it in developing countries where the potential subscriber base is low and the income of the average person is lower. The obvious choice is satellite-based communications, with one sat-modem capable of being shared between many XO Laptops, however bandwidth pricing on satellite communications is still very expensive, and very slow especially for a shared connection. This can be ameliorated somewhat with a filtering proxy sitting on the remote end of the connection — a system which strips all images, videos, and other high-bandwidth data out of the connection unless an administrator overrides it, leaving only plain-text which can be easily compressed to minimize data usage. The above setup would allow people to search for things like plans for an artesian well, and only download the diagrams which are actually needed to complete the project.

Global access to information is becoming more and more important as time goes on. Some countries, such as France, have even declared access to the internet a basic human right. Despite this, there are many problems which must be addressed before such access can be made truly universal. This is one solution; what is yours?

Today I purchased a 500w “power assist electric bicycle” online. It essentially looks like a Vespa, and since it qualifies as a “power assist” bicycle in Canada, I don’t need a drivers license for it, and it doesn’t need to be registered! Hooray!!

Just a simple update, I changed the layout of my blog (I think it looks better this way, anyways).  Hopefully soon there’ll be a massive update and a new project, but I don’t want to say too much about it right now except that it’ll be a boon for lazy people everywhere.

So, I have a 12 page paper to finish for a class in computer ethics, due on Tuesday.  I also have to study for my final stats quiz (tomorrow night), and get in applications for the Google Summer of Code (I hope to be employed by either FreeNet or Linden Labs — FreeNet because I’m doing a lot of research into the underlying technology for the aforementioned paper, and Linden Labs because I’m doing a lot of work based around their technology for Dante’s Second Life and for the Mageforge Virtual Sanctum — so I’d be getting paid to do what I am fully prepared to spend most of my free time for the summer doing anyways).  There isn’t much hope of me being accepted, as I didn’t bother to do research into the SoC project before now, and the application deadline is April 5 — not enough time to talk to the organizations before I submit my applications.  As a result of my classes, I get to miss my friend’s wedding tomorrow night.  By the way, if you read this, Congrats Fern and Adrian!  I’m also trying to plan around my tax return so I can finish the hardware side of some of the projects I’m working on — wearable computing and robotics.  If anyone knows a cheap source for MCQV111AFB ASIC chips, let me know — I have about 40 Kopin 320M lcd panels which I can’t use until I find the chips, and I can’t find the chips for less than $70 a piece.  Work on Dante’s Second Life is continuing, but slowly — next update will include either multi-threading or random motion code, as the mood takes me.  Anyways, tomorrow is rapidly becoming today, so I should wrap this up.

Ciao!