Digital Apocrypha

Joi Ito: “I think the US is going down the slippery slope of becoming one of the most hated nations in the world when it still possible for it to be one of the most loved nation if only it learned to listen to, respect and understand the rest of us.”

Disposable digital camera hacked (via Gizmodo). “That $11 disposable digital camera that Ritz Camera sells has been hacked. Someone’s figured out how to get the images off of it without having to take it back to Ritz for processing”. Neat. A hack in the real meaning of the word.

Entropy: a Freenet-compatible peer-to-peer client with nttp browsing and message boards. They claim its faster than Freenet because it isn’t written in Java; an opinion that I have a great deal of sympathy with. (Via Declan McCullagh’s excellent Politech list.)  #

Identity Cards – The Next Steps (pdf) A “Consultation” paper from our own Reichminister of State Security, the Rt Hon David Blunkett MP.

Disposable digital camera hacked (via Gizmodo). “That $11 disposable digital camera that Ritz Camera sells has been hacked. Someone’s figured out how to get the images off of it without having to take it back to Ritz for processing”. Neat. A hack in the real meaning of the word.

NY Times: Does Science Matter?  #

This is interesting: 15 Trends Taking Shape In Logo Design

Private Charles R Hawkins. 7th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. Died 21st March 1918, age 26. My great-uncle. Just one of 8 1/2 million.&nbsp

Private Charles R Hawkins. 7th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. Died 21st March 1918, age 26. My great-uncle. Just one of 8 1/2 million.&nbsp

Regex Coach: An interactive tool for testing regular expressions. Enter a pattern specification and a test string, and it shows the matches, groups, etc. This has been so useful recently. Awesome!&nbsp

Guardian: “Pillage is forbidden. Why the privatisation of Iraq is illegal.” #

Rober Scoble points to ProFont, a font designed for code editing. #

Guardian: “Smash the Windows. To be truly free in the 21st century, we have to ignore the flashy graphics and really get inside our computers.” #

cnet.com: Five reasons not to buy an iPod. Obviously, I disagree. Well okay, longer battery life would be nice. 

I was reading Chris Anderson’s blog earlier, and he mentions “third places” – a term I’d not heard of before. A “third place” is basically a friendly, accessible place with some sense of community where you can hang out and have something good to eat or drink. Think something like a really relaxed coffee shop or cafe.

I’m saddened that can’t think of any such place within walking distance of where I live or work. “Third places” are, almost by definition, privately-owned, and I don’t think we do a good job of making such places welcoming in this country. A good example is the deli not far from my home. They sell reasonable coffee and food, but the cups are made of paper, you have to eat the food out of a bag because they don’t give you a plate, the furniture is uncomfortable, they have a loud radio tuned to a crap music station, and the staff are surly. Result: I don’t wanna go there.

Okay, so we have pubs. A good pub can be absolutely great, but who wants to leave with their clothes stinking of smoke? I live in one of the most expensive parts of this city. Why can’t we at least have a Starbucks? With WiFi, obviously.&nbsp