The lawsuit actions against Blackberry was a big heat on them. This opened my eyes to harm the software patent policy could do, when it backfires. Infact, research has shown that software patents are a big threat to innovation and benefit large companies at the expense of small ones. Failing to fulfill their original purpose to promote and disseminate innovation.
Moreover, there’s also a new habbit of smaller companies acquiring patents based on the sole purpose to make money from them - by suing larger companies. Many see patents as a positive thing…as it’s suppose to be….but this is totally a wrong perception.
In addition, based on a research article i read written by Ovum: a Technology service company, researcher say that there is fundamentally no economic case for software patents.
The article says more about the harm that’s being caused to the software industry;
“* It is harming competition: patents are increasingly used ’strategically’ as weapons against potential competitors, or as a defence against threats from other patent-holding companies.
* It is biased against small software companies: the patent regime is strongly biased towards large software companies that have the resources and legal expertise to create an arsenal of patents.
* It hampers innovation: the proliferation of patents makes it harder for companies to innovate; it is almost impossible to create a significant software product today without infringing one or (more likely) more patents.
* It limits end-user choice: the anti-competitive impact of the current software patenting regime means that users have less choice and pay more for software.”
Above all, it concludes that the software industry could face huge difficulties in the future.
As a tech savvy, and an experiencer…well, to an extent…i usually love gadgets. You know, having an ipod, Treo smart phone, laptop, flash drive, camcorder, digicam…all at once. Sounds crazy but i guess some people are in the same shoes as i am. 
I carry all these stuff with me and it becomes so uncomfortable. Besides, i just found a new “love” and added that to my list of daily activities - Forex Trading. It’s really fun. It’s something that i love doing not only to make money but as a hobby because I always have new unique experiences everytime i trade. So i started looking for a gadget to enable me trade on the move. I also need a device to make me work, check my mails and do other things with the same user experience i have on my PC.
…i began my quest..searching…searching and searching…but i couldn’t get one device that gave me all. I needed a device as small as a handheld with the functionality of a laptop. I analyzed various products from palm, HP iPaq, iMate, Motorola, Nokia, Dell…but i couldn’t find my exact taste. Even the greatly talked about Ultra mobile PC from microsoft and partners wasn’t too imressive. It had no traditional keyboard.
Fortunately, i bumped into a news article about the new Sony UX series. Though it’s expensive, it’s worth the value for me. Everything you get on your PC is what you get on this master piece. Windows vista capability. AWESOME!!!
…It’s engineering at its best
I recommend this device!
MORE PICTURES
The more i keep reading these news updates the more my prediction seems to come to live. Even though this technology is still under development, it gives us a tip of the iceberg of what is to come, in the future.
For those still thinking about what this technology is all about, Broadband over Power Lines is a technology that enables users to use electricity networks for data and voice transmission. This will be done by superimposing analog signals over Alternative Currents. IMPRESSIVE, right??!!
So i guess once you plug your computer to the wall, you dont only get electricity but you also get broadband. Awesome!
So how does this tell us more about the future of technology and our society? How does it relate to Social networks? How does this predict an A.I. community or the internet evolving into the next operating systems and PC just being Terminals like present day ATM machines.
…if we can have our broadband at the speed of electricity, then what else can’t the internet offer. This will enable present day traditional applications like computer games, and office applications run directly from the internet. This implies that you wouldn’t need to buy an off-the-shelf application like microsoft word, instead you will run it directly from the internet, do your work, and save it online.
…and if you still doubt, check this link http://www.upstartle.com/. Writely is a firm, Google just acquired, that made a web word processor. It’s free, try it and have a feel.
Now, a firm like google is positioning itself to take full advantage of this future opportunity.
for more detailed information on BPL, check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_line_communication
With its “strategic” move to attain the No.1 position in the Enterprise Software market, Oracle still has lots of hurdles to jump. It has spent so much money acquiring other companies like Siebel - the declining No.1 company in CRM software - and Peoplesoft. Now, oracle is trying to buy up the Open Source JBoss. One big challenge that Oracle faces, and is trying to solve, is seemlessly integrating the different technology platforms of Oracle, Siebel and Peoplesoft into One, in which they codenamed the project FUSION.
Meanwhile i think SAP, the No.1 company ERP Software, has an advantage in this market. For some time, SAP softwares were been run on oracle database platforms which made it extremely expensive for customers. Can you imagine implementing a SAP solution for roughly $320,000, then running it on the Oracle database, say Oracle 9i for another huge amount of money. Besides, they’ll also have to hire Consultants and Professionals to maintain the implemented solution. This cost outragious amounts of money.
But now, SAP has its own database platform, SAP DB…now MaxDB, which is open source and does what the Oracle database systems does. It’s also easy to use, unlike Oracle DB. It was developed to compliment the popular MySQL open source database. I believe this has strategically positioned SAP to have a competitive advantage over oracle. Besides, SAP DB being open source will open an opportunity for innovation due to the millions of developers constantly improving and adding value to it. Moreover, Oracles database development is only limited to Oracle’s developers.
For more information on SAP’s open database; http://www.sapdb.org/
For more information on the SAP vs Oracle battle; http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/27/technology/workingtech0126/
I just finished watching the finale of The Apprentice 4. I must confess that the whole season was extremely interesting. Infact i didn’t only get entertained but i learnt alot from each team players.
Moreover, I fully agree with the final decision on choosing Randal as the final Apprentice. Based on the facts from history, he has an outstanding record from his education, and also his start-up businesses. In addition, he showed tremendous skills (leadership, people, analytical..etc) through out the season. He won all projects he lead and he had a superb relationship with all team mates at any moment.
At the same time, i loved the strength of Rebecca. With “age” and experience against her, relative to the other team mates, she proved herself worthy to be the last lady standing. She’s a real tough lady, i must say. She has great potentials and i’ll say that Mr. Trump should hire her too on the side. After all her combination with Randal is awesome. they work well together.
The Apprentice Official Site
Sometimes i wonder if this is innovation or “insanity”. It’s a concept thought totally out-of-the-box. 3 entreprenuers start a cut-rate outsourcing plant for software development three miles off the coast of Los Angeles aboard a used cruise ship moored in international waters. from the readings, its known that they will be hiring mostly non-americans to work for them.
…i call this the MOBILE office. :-0….u know..where ever business is, you can literally drive your company there to position yourself.
somethings got me thinking deeply…like for instance: to run 24/7 on these criusers will be a fortune. i think its better investing that money on buying a building and setting up the firm there. Another thing is that will these guys be paying taxes??!!
Anyways, the full story is here…[full story]
This is especially for the gamers…u need to feel this piece of innovation here. One of the amazing attributes of the Call of duty 2 (by activision) is its high level of Artificial Intelligence. Every object in the game has a unique character. Though i know nothing about how to develop games, but i sure know what it takes to develop an outstanding game. In my own words, i call this game a movie… 
I also had an opportunity to watch the making of the game. I can tell you that developing games are more demanding than movies…it takes more than a lot.
“Since the team size nearly tripled in anticipation of Call of Duty 2, so did the budget, and Collier gave out a rare concrete cost figure for a next-gen game - the title was made in two years in a $14.5 million budget, and the game shipped on time.
Some major changes made to the sequel game were the addition of “portable concealment” (or smoke weapons), enhanced weather effects, a new health system (the player can only die in a limited number of specific ways), and a “battle chatter system.”… gamasutra
Full Story
Cyberposium is the premier MBA technology conference in the world. Held annually at Harvard Business School, Cyberposium facilitates an interactive network of current and future business leaders to engage in a provocative dialog about technology and its impact on business and society.
The conference is organized entirely by current MBA students at the Harvard Business School and is the primary campus event of the school’s TechMedia Club.
Join to see how the world’s business leaders debate two important questions at Cyberposium 11, Technowledge for Tomorrow.
(1) What technology-driven products, applications, and innovations are most important for tomorrow’s business leaders to understand today?
(2) What opportunities are being created in both traditional and nascent industries will that most profoundly change the way people live, work, and play?
http://www.cyberposium.com
Guess everyone has had frustrating issues with Microsoft products…u know, the “pop-up” error messages boxes.
NOW watch this 4 min video about how Microsoft is solving all our headaches. This is really some good innovation
WATCH THIS: It’s Show time, by Microsoft Technet
Bumped into the Tech Buzz Game, created by Yahoo! its a fantasy prediction market for high-tech products, concepts, and trends. You are to predict the technologies people will be searching the web for in the future. It kind of simulates the stock exchange market place
“…Put your (fantasy) money where your mouth is by buying stock in the
technologies you believe will be popular and selling stock in the technologies you
think will flop….” Yahoo!
In fact, i think i’m getting addicted to it already. I intend to top the chats of player rankings.
You can try it out on http://buzz.research.yahoo.com/bk/index.html
late last night i was just pondering on some major movements in the IT industry and i noticed some things which i assume people or rather a lot of people haven’t taken note of….THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS MINIATURIZATION.
Now take a deep look at the trends…lets do that together;
- Mainframes
- Personal Computers (PCs)
- Mobile Devices
According to my own perception, i would infer that these three “MACHINES” have been a major determinant in whatever has and will happen in IT today.
During the MAINFRAME era, every thing was design for “the mainframe”, from applications, business practices/methods and networks. And even our social practices were affected or should i say limited cos it depended on a “rigid” technology.
the PCs then came into existence and also had effects on applications, networks, business methods, social practices e.t.c. Things became more “flexible”.
Now, we have the mobile devices. Every BIG PLAYER is trying to fit into that niche now. Develop mobile seemless applications and networks, REDUCE business process, and create a whole new experience for CONSUMERS. Right now, we can see the effect of mobile devices like Sony’s PSP, and Apple’s iPod and how they are changing the way people get entertained.
i would want to conclude that the next big thing, as i have posted earlier, is going to be not on software, hardware but on “SOCIAL INSTITUTION” with technology as its foundation. Technology is a culture and what PLAYERS should put in mind should be this.
The seemless integration of everything Technology…making up a perfect A.I system and directly affecting our social environment.
take care guys and have a nice day. cheers
U know i’ve always been thinking about the next BIG wave to come, in technology. Following the various graphical peaks from the past, we had; the hardware wave (IBM and its main frames), then followed by the software wave (Microsft and its operating system). I also think about the network boom, bringing about the internet and all that followed it.
But the BIG question is, WAT NEXT?
We should ask ourselves this very BIG question, cos its a major determinant in our lives. Technology has affected and shaped every aspect of our culture and lives….commonly termed GLOBALIZATION. Whether we like it or not, the world would soon be a PERFECT global village….its in the making.
So back to our question, whats the next wave? Well, u may say its still software or “THE RETURN OF THE HARDWARE” or may be bigger and more complex networks with the internet as a spear head.
I can go on and on mentioning these “strange terms” but i totally have a different opinion to these HYPE.
My Opinion
I strongly believe that the next big wave will be focused on CONSUMERS. It’ll be a technology that will create a NEW SOCIAL INSTITUTION. A ubiquitous cross cultural solution, seemlessly integrating all forms of technology, a Complex network of A.I systems.
With AJAX technology now in the lime light, due to its impressive web application developement techniques, the shift of power from the Traditional Operating systems to the Internet has begun.
The power of AJAX makes it possible for web applications to seem like they reside or are running directly from your computer. If you use Gmail, you’ll understand what i’m talking about. In fact, this technology is a great step for the internet because it’ll reduce overhead on client computer systems and increase web application speed.
With this, I sense the evolving of the next generation Operating Systems….THE INTERNET OS. Where applications like word processors, spreadsheets and so on will be run through the web, in real time. This would make computing EXTREMELY CHEAP and KILL the traditional desktop applications that are currently existing.
……and I suspect that Google is moving in this direction….
Right now, Google has launched a whole lots of POWERFUL applications that gives a sense of what the future is. WATCH OUT FOR THESE GUYS! The only advise i have for Microsoft is that they should WAKE UP!!!
To Learn more about AJAX check the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AJAX
http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/AJAX/index.html?cid=59754
http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/AJAX