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  • Google Alternatives
    published on April 28th, 2012 at 11:06 AM


    Google is a behemoth. I wrote sometime ago about the neural aspects of Google and last night started getting into Deep Analytics. Big data analytics are scary and intrusive, and governments want a slice - that is certain - hence the India and China putting up defences against Google.

    Sooner or later Joe Public is going to realise that G is just another Big Brother. The public is fickle and hugely connected, and the days of Google being a funky search engine are over (if they were ever here).  Joe just needs a better alternative. Google collects too much personal data.

    I'm old enough to remember big tech paradigm shifts as hit IBM with the PC. ATT, IBM, Microsoft - there are plenty of examples of market domination being curtailed. The bigger they get, they more they are hidebound by bureaucracy, regulation and sluggish response; then, the harder they fall.

    Web infrastructure is open (give or take), we have so many open source apps. Now we just need a killer portal.

    I’ve been checking out a new search engine www.greensrch.com

    It’s new, it’s a bit slow – but improving rapidly. They buy all their energy from renewable sources, and for every 500 searches by a registered user, they plant a tree. I for one am switching.

    I have no commercial affiliations with the site or anybody associated with it.

    Finally, this blog is hosted by Google, and sooner ot later I'm going to bite the bullet and move to wordpress...

  • The Other Side of My Life
    published on April 10th, 2012 at 11:06 AM
    What a couple of weeks it has been! Insanely busy with various writing projects: Energy and renewables consulting, a stack of ebook editing projects, an investigation of mobile website technology and some articles about German tax for freelancers - the life of a writer is entertaining and stretching! And people ask where I get material from...
  • Cathy Stucker Interview
    published on April 8th, 2012 at 11:06 AM
    My interview by Cathy Stucker just been posted on her blog - thanks Cathy! http://t.co/glDWtAlA
  • China / Pacific Rim - the Future
    published on March 28th, 2012 at 11:06 AM
    Those who have been observing the posturing of the US and China over the Pacific will have seen the political temperature and rhetoric increasing over the last year or so. Australia is a massive supplier of commodities to China, and has always been nervous about Oriental politics. A few days ago I commented on reports about Australia banning Chinese components from their web infrastructure. Now Agence France Presse is reporting that the US is planning to fly UAVs (drones) from Australian Territory - specifically the Cocos Islands.

    In 'Gate of Tears' I explored 'Bab el Mandab' - one of the major world shipping 'Straits' - there are 38 defined in international treaties. The Straits of Malacca are one of the most significant, being a major oil and trade conduit. This Strait might be one of the key areas for US drone activity, though they are used mainly for close in tactical operations - satellites are not optimal for that. I shall be looking at this region in 'Malacca Mission', the next in my series of Steve Baldwin adventures. Grist for the mill. First, though, Baldwin has some tidying up to do in 'Sicilian Channel', which is now in pre-production.

    Full story at: http://www.defencetalk.com/us-could-fly-spy-drones-from-australian-territory-41210/

  • Chinese Chips with Malice For A Town Called Alice
    published on March 27th, 2012 at 11:06 AM
    I wrote about it in 'Gate of Tears' - cheap Chinese chips with malice and aforethought! According to Agence France Press today, Australia has banned components made by Chinese manufacturer Huaewi from the country's broadband infrastructure. There are concerns that the ordinary citizen in towns like Alice Springs might have their communications intercepted, or even that the Australian web could be trashed in times of crisis, due to code embedded in Huaewi microciruitry.

    Gate of Tears also speculated about US code snippets in antivirus and firewall software, not necessarily placed there for the benefit of mankind!

    I have at least 3 Huaewi dongles within 6 feet of me now...

    Full story here:
    http://www.defencetalk.com/chinas-huawei-hits-back-at-australian-cyber-fears-41166/

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