Tag: Uncategorized

A bit of fairly well aimed Wi-fi cynicism from Richard Wray in The Guardian. Wray’s principle objections are: the total lack of roaming and a potential boom in laptop theft. I’m certain that Wray is on the money as far as roaming is concerned. Without (almost) universal roaming (use your Wi-fi-equipped device in any hotspot, not just your provider’s) Wireless Access is going nowhere.

Sat down today in Starbucks in Tottenham Court Road (a branch without Wi-fi service) and found myself, for the first time, within reach of three Wi-fi networks ? two of them apparently public. Wound up connecting to the neighbouring Caffe Nero’s Surf And Sip network ? ?5 for a day’s access ? much cheaper than Starbucks’ own service (from TMobile). That’s the kind of network density we’re going to need if this is going to become a real and popular phenomenon.

I’ve been sarcastic about Steven Pinker’s knee jerk Darwinism in the past but this piece from today’s Guardian is the best debunking yet of the apocalyptic strain of genetic futurology that dominates the pop consciousness at the moment.

“But when it comes to direct genetic enhancement – engineering babies with genes for desirable traits – there are many reasons to be sceptical. Not only is genetic enhancement not inevitable, but it is not particularly likely in our lifetimes. This skepticism comes from three sources: the limits of futurology, the science of behavioural genetics, and human nature itself.”

Check editor’s credentials carefully. HANNAH ARENDT’S NAZI EDITOR. From Amygdala

A lovely tribute to Cambridge University’s Roger Needham from John Naughton in The Observer.

I’ve always liked Cafe Press – a really simple way of creating and selling custom merchandise without actually having to do anything – so I thought I’d have a play with it and make some bowblog merch based on drawings by my son Oliver. Since there really is no good reason for you buy this stuff I’m providing an incentive to do so. If you buy something from the bowblog shop, I’ll give all the profit to UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency. Cafe Press ship the merch from the USA so you’ll have to allow a few weeks for delivery if you don’t live there.

Max Hastings, veteran war correspondent and editor – a thoughtful hawk – doesn’t want a war but doubts that we have a choice in The Sunday Telegraph.

“I feel deeply uncomfortable about war against Iraq, but I now see no alternative to British participation. This is scarcely a dignified intellectual position. But the alternative, a decisive breach with the US when the West faces grave threats to its security, seems too painful to contemplate. I suspect Mr Blair thinks the same.”

The cyber-gerrymanderers (I’m going to keep saying that until it catches on) at STAND have done an extraordinary thing. They’ve reversed the voting for entitlement cards in the UK Government’s consultation. What they haven’t done is shown that the general public is opposed to entitlement cards (the general public – at best – doesn’t care about entitlement cards and – at worst – can’t see what’s wrong with them). What they have done is made it impossible to claim that they like them. This is important work and will make the Government’s job more difficult – what more could a campaigning group want?