Firefox reaches 1 billion downloads
Congratulations are in order to Mozilla following their announcement that
Firefox has been downloaded 1 billion times in total and that market share is now around 31%. Now onwards to 2 billion!
The full story can be found
here.
Labels: Technology, Web tools
BBC clip on the ANPR database
The BBC has an interesting video on
ANPR here which eloquently summarises the pros and cons of the system.
As you might expect, whilst I can acknowledge the benefits of the system in all manner of crime fighting, I fear the scheme is the precursor to things like road charging, extended congestion/emission charging and additional driving laws/restrictions with far tougher enforcement.
Moreover it enables the government to comprehensively track innocent people travelling - whether to go on holiday or on a business trip or simply to meet with friends. Add this to the extensive public transport surveillance infrastructure, air and port surveillance and additional general monitoring cameras and suddenly it has become extremely difficult to travel without being recorded.
This is not necessarily a bad thing if we can trust the people working in the government to
behave responsibly and not
lose data.
However if we were to get people in the government willing to abuse their positions and compromise national security and individual liberty, then the flood gates open for stalkers. All it would take is a few well positioned people and suddenly people in government protection would become vulnerable (as they frequently travel by car). Violent partners with connections could conceivably track down their relocated Exs and their children. Debt collectors could hunt for evaders and company activities could be extensively scrutinised, perhaps by competitors.
Sometimes it is important to be anonymous and have privacy for legitimate reasons, not simply to cover up your expenses, for example. So a message to the Labour party, not that I expect it to be heeded at this late hour: if you want to protect yourself, protect others.
Labels: My philosophy, Politics, Privacy, Technology
Tfl to trial speed control devices in cars
According to this
bbc video Transport for London is going to fit 20 cars/buses with machines that know the speed limit of all roads within the M25 and display a green smiley face when a driver is under the limit, an orange straight face when the driver is slightly over and a red sad face when the driver is over by more than a few miles per hour.
There is also a "voluntary" mode in which drivers can have the device restrict the maximum speed of the car to the limit.
What do you think about these devices? Another authoritarian measure to enforce unnecessarily slow limits/raise revenue or a legitimate attempt to improve safety?
My opinion is this: when the speed limit is reasonable then it should be respected. However I know of not one speed limit anywhere which has been raised. They are only going down - meaning that there is no reward for safety, only punishment for danger.
Based on this philosophy the end point is that we all get out and walk.
Labels: Politics, Technology
The London underground tube is too slow
I've been ranting a lot lately but I think today's topic is a good one.
In 2007 approximately
1.1 billion journeys were taken on the tube. The people on the tube are some of the most powerful and productive in Britain who contribute massive amounts to the economy.
However whilst Livingstone and Boris have promised upgrades to the tube, rarely do they address, what is for me, the biggest priority. Speed.
Certainly if you play with TFL's
journey planner you'll be forgiven for thinking all is well. But the journey planner significantly underestimates the time trips take and always assumes buses run to schedule and the tube "average journey times" are extremely optimistic and do not include the time it takes to get from the platform level to street level, which can add several minutes.
Lets take for example a trip from Notting Hill Gate at the western edge of zone one to Liverpool Street which is near the eastern edge using the central line. According to Transport for London's journey planner you can do the journey in just 18 minutes. It is 11 stops along. This means that the train can take no more than 1.6 minutes (or 1 min 36 secs) to travel between each station and offload and pick up all the passengers. Dream on.
So realistically lets say that the journey could be done in 25 minutes, allowing 2.2 minutes (or 2 mins 12 secs). The walking distance between the stations is around 5.4 miles according to Google Maps (if you want to repeat this experiment).
So if we take TFL's estimate of 18 minutes over a distance of 5.4 miles gives an average speed of 18mph (though you would need to factor in stopping times to be fair, in which case (allowing 30 seconds per station) the speed is 18 minutes minus 5.5 minutes equals 12.5 minutes. The distance is 5.4 miles. So distance divided by time gives us a speed of 25.9mph.)
Using the realistic times 25 minutes - 5.5 minutes = 19.5 minutes. This gives an average speed including stops of 20.9mph
Once you factor in the waiting times, train changes, walking down to the station level and up to street level, getting through the barriers, buying a ticket and any other inconveniences your average speed is going to be very low indeed. TFL hopes that we don't realise just how slow we are going. It is simply the short gap between each station that creates the illusion of speed.
If TFL increased the average tube speed they could have greater capacity and improve the London economy because if everybody saved 5 minutes on their commute (10 minutes daily), in a 310 day working year that's an extra 3100 minutes, or 51.666 hours, or to put it another way, an extra day at work and an extra day at home with friends and family, with a couple of hours left over to grab a drink and read the paper.
Multiply that by everybody using the tube and suddenly the arguments become very compelling indeed.
Labels: Miscellaneous, My philosophy, Politics, Technology
Mozilla firefox nagging
I've been a long term fan of Mozilla, back when Mozilla was the name of its browser and I think it is still the best browser. However today I discovered several problems with firefox and the community websites which were frustrating.
I'd been playing around with a beta version of Firefox, and decided to uninstall it and revert back to the stable release. Firstly I ended up with a duplicate Firefox entry in my add/remove programs list. Then I opted to remove my preferences whilst uninstalling the beta version and lost my preferences for the stable version of firefox I also had installed. Doh!
So I went about setting up my browser again. I wanted to add some less common searches (such as youtube) to the dropdown list within firefox which are not available on the main addon site, so I had to hunt around for
mycroft.mozdev.org. Then I wanted to installed a "paste and go" addon, but discovered because it was "experimental" I would have to register. Normally I'd download it from another site, but it seems the alternative download locations are drying up.
Then I tried to re-install Adblock, and found that a hash key error meant I couldn't, even after I tried a manual installation. Then for some reason I wanted to connect to https://addons.update.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10 and got a "Secure Connection Failed" warning. Eventually I found a second install location and got it working.
All in all, Firefox today was a pain. But I still love you.
Labels: My philosophy, Technology, Web tools
Massive Google error
Today as I searched for information on "environmentalism" on Google, I recieved a page of results where every link had a "this site may harm your computer warning". I did a search for Internet Explorer and Microsoft and the same error occured. Come on Google, you could try being fair. Then I did a search for Google and the same message came up. Back to Yahoo I guess. ;)
News articles:
Google BreaksGoogle taking security a little too seriouslyUpdate 1: The problem has been fixed.
Update 2: The cause of the problem was a "/" in Google's list of harmful sites according to
The Register.
Labels: Technology, Web tools
Online verification to post comments
How often have you attempted to post a message online and been met with a frustrating "online verification" box. Now this is an important measure for site owners to prevent spam messages being published, however the text messages should be reasonably easy to read. Increasingly however I'm finding the verification methods hard to read/decode and the disabled sound clip options resemble bleating sheep watching terrestrial tv in Wales - *krzzBAAkrrzzzz* - and they are set to become increasingly more difficult to decipher as spammers become more sophisticated.
Things websites could try:
Easy random IQ tests.
Pictures of things and users have to describe what they see e.g. cat, boat, car.
A word with all the characters split in half in two separate images. The user then simply matches them together.
Gah. I don't know. How can a computer create something which is random, easily readable to the public, but not other computers?
Please send your solutions to the problem to Yahoo, Google and all the others using such verification techniques (once you've patented it) because it could be worth quite a bit of money and make things easier for the rest of us.
Labels: Miscellaneous, Technology, Web tools
Firefox download day reminder
If you aren't already aware, today
Mozilla is attempting to
start a new world record of the most software downloaded in a 24 hour period to correlate with the release of Firefox 3. After some early problems with their servers due to a
massive demand, things are now running smoothly. Grab your new version by 6pm tonight (UK time) and help make history. You can also check the progress of the record attempt with the live
download counter. At the time of writing the count stands at 6.3 million! Pretty good for a not-for-profit organization.
Labels: Technology
Linux dependencies make me hurt
In Windows when you decide to install something new, you look at the box/case/website of the software and read the system requirements, and if you've got those then 99% of the time things go smoothly when doing an installation.
However every time I try to install something on my Linux machine I get a dependency error - one or numerous small files are missing - and they have to be installed before I can add in the software I've been trying to get to use.
Unfortunately what the Linux advocates don't tell you is that because of the differing release schedules and different rates of development every program requires a different version of the programs which the program I am trying to install is dependent on.
If that is unclear let me also add that if you upgrade (or downgrade) the dependency program so that the software you are trying to install will work, this then registers to all the existing software on your computer using that dependency that it is no longer installed! GAH!
So basically to install one new program, I need to upgrade my entire operating system. It is because of issues like this that Linux is unnecessarily difficult to live with. Perhaps some clever genius could come up with a solution and save all Linux users a lot of time and stress!
Labels: Technology
Should Microsoft buy Yahoo? I don't think so.
Across the net I've heard numerous advocates of the proposed deal between Yahoo and Microsoft. Here is why I think it is not a good idea:
1) Yahoo is fantastic the way it is - Yahoo Answers, Yahoo Email, Yahoo Search, Yahoo Games, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo News, My Yahoo, Yahoo Geocities, Yahoo Briefcase and hundreds of other services are all good to outstanding. It has developed an awesome internet culture.
There is a reason it is the world's most popular page.
Of course the reason Google is currently more successful than Yahoo is because of Yahoo's failure to create a proper advertising service like Google. That is Yahoo's single biggest weakness and it has prevented it from really cashing in.
2) Web competition
Currently there are three major services, Google, Yahoo & MSN/Live. Would two be better? No. No it wouldn't.
Of course from a shareholder business perspective this is not the case - big cash deal - better prospects for Microsoft - great. Well no actually - if Yahoo stood alone it could monetize far better rather than be absorbed by a cumbersome giant which hasn't had a good idea in a long time.
Furthermore do we really want one giant company ruling the entire technology field? Wasn't the internet concept based on different ideals.
3) Privacy
None of the current three powerhouses have anywhere close to reasonable privacy policies for user data - the Americans lack a data protection act - Reducing user choice means it is highly likely these companies will be able to collect more about people - for Microsoft this means complete control over a large number of users' computing experience.
4) Corporate culture
Microsoft has traditionally built up a reputation of being against free markets and fair competition - Google too - for all those people who argue this will improve the net, I suspect it will actually restrict innovation in the long-term. What if the two agree on certain standards for websites? How will issues like file sharing and copyright management be addressed? Will search results be influenced? How many people will migrate from Yahoo to Google?
Ultimately though Microsoft is being lazy here. The way to success on the internet is to win the hearts and minds of the users - like it did with MSN messenger or too a lesser extent Hotmail for example. It should stop following and start leading again.
If it has the services and people aren't using them, then after ensuring their product is suitable and getting some
customer feedback, perhaps it should spend some of its $40+ billion on some marketing and regaining the trust of the public by committing to respecting its users.
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
Labels: My philosophy, Technology, Web tools
The last day of Winter: time for PC Spring Cleaning
This year Winter has been fairly mild and I'm happy about that. Although the novelty of snow is fun, early mornings when it is freezing and you've got a long journey ahead are definitely not!
So as today is the
Vernal equinox and the end of winter, I've compiled a list of "spring cleaning" tasks for all computer users.
1) Do a back-up of any essential data.
2) Patch up your system fully and check to see if there is a new version of your operating system or any key programs you use.
3) Buy yourself a few new games
4) Uninstall one program you rarely use
5) Perform a complete anti-virus scan and anti-spyware scan (using a program like
Spybot for windows)
6) Reorganise your folders/bookmarks if things are getting messy.
7) Change your desktop background to something appropriate (See:
here,
here and
here)
A few bonus extras you might like: if your OS permits, change your theme and start-up sound.
Now to prepare for Easter...
Labels: Miscellaneous, Technology
Helping good causes: Distributed Computing
Its nice to help good causes, but rather than just giving money, why not give your computer's time and power?
That's the idea behind distributed computing; a user downloads and installs software which utilizes spare processing power for a project of their choice. These projects can include anything from disease research to searching for extra-terrestrial life (SETI).
If it sounds like something you'd like to do take a look at the
BOINC site (the standard software used for distributed computing projects) and then
distributedcomputing.info for a list of projects to choose from.
If that doesn't sound appropriate for you however, then don't forgot to visit
thehungersite.org and make your donation for free.
Labels: Technology
The search engine I've switched to.
I decided to do a simple experiment a short time ago and not delete my history for a long time. However the results were alarming. It became very clear to me that I was far too dependent on Google, which despite their motto "Don't be evil", may actually prove to be extremely evil. Its not a chance I want to take with all my search information. So I went hunting for a better search engine with a decent privacy policy. Instantly this ruled out Yahoo, MSN/Live and AOL.
I eventually stumbled upon a meta search engine called
Ixquick who make a pledge on their homepage to protect user privacy and delete IP addresses from their log files within 48 hours. This is very good and unique amongst the major search engine players.
The search performance is generally good for global/US queries. However if you want to find local information then Ixquick doesn't currently deliver. Nonetheless for standard queries it is certainly worthy of your time and their algorithms do rank pages pretty effectively in my opinion.
Try it.
Labels: Privacy, Technology
Firefox 2 out now.
The title said it all really. I think its a great improvement and a worthy submission from the Mozilla corporation. Unfortunately I don't know whether it will be enough to combat IE7. You can get Firefox 2
here.
Labels: Technology
Is the internet losing its diversity?
When the internet was first conceived there was millions of small websites all adding their bit. Now there are a select few. Search is covered by Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask. blogging is covered by blogger and wordpress, videos are covered with youtube, flash with newgrounds and so on. In the past if I wanted a driver for a piece of hardware I would have searched several small websites, now there are just a few databases. Virtually every subject has been covered by a few major sites.
I used to like hearing the views from lots of different people running their own sites. Search engines however are often dismissive of small sites (fewer people link to them) and we are amidst the age of the web portal. Of course, in many instances this has improved the web and reduced duplication, but several small sites have gone in recently times. However there is one force increasing diversity: social networking and blogs. Loads of small sites created by the people but hosted by larger companies. Maybe this is where the future lies?
Labels: My philosophy, Technology
Flash player 9 beta version!!!
Flash Player 9 beta version has arrived! Check out
Penguin.swf for full information. It seems to work well and makes some huge improvements to flash player performance under linux. I think the best part is that Adobe has shown it is prepared to support the linux and open source community, and who knows where it will stop!! Shockwave player for linux? All their software working on linux? Maybe not that far, but this action is certainly a move in the right direction and has made Adobe very popular with the linux community, which, if history is anything to go by, is a very smart move indeed.
Labels: Technology
Microsoft claims they can defend pcs alone?
Microsoft are making claims that they have changed. They are working with the hacking community a lot more now and claim to have learnt lessons from groups such as mozilla and the various Linux vendors. However they are systematically attempting to control all aspects of PC security. They now have anti-spyware, a firewall package and are working on anti-virus software. They've also locked down a lot more of the Vista operating system (apparently..). I am sceptical. The reasons for this are that I don't think a company like Microsoft is going to devote enough energy into creating a truly secure package because they have too many other interests. They also do not have the real world experience of Symantic or Zone labs and most software by Microsoft is targetted. Also let's not forget how infrequently they patched IE6. So essentially I think their aim to provide complete pc security is fine for beginning home users, but I doubt anybody serious about security will be disabling their own firewall/anti-virus program any time soon...
Labels: Technology
Web 2.0: what is it and who owns it?
Like many web users I try and keep informed about the latest developments. One particular term that has been floating around for some time now is
Web 2. We are promised great things and companies give us buzz words and their "visions" of a world dependent on them. But essentially Web 2.0 as I see it is simply a natural evolution. If I were to be really cynical, its an attempt for people in the technology industry to look good simply by documenting what has already happened.
However what about the
Web 2 conference? Did you notice the only way to get in is
by invitation? A fine way to betray the Internet's open model. Yet if we are totally realistic, the internet has grown successful because everybody contributes a little, not because of a few companies. If Google didn't exist do you really think there would be no search engines? If Myspace hadn't emerged do you believe social networking wouldn't have happened. Of course not.
So as far as I can see Web 2.0 is a meaningless term used by technology companies and a few enthusiasts to determine how best they can get money out of us in the future. True innovation will not arrive from these already successful companies, but from new start-ups somewhere in the world...
Who owns "web 2.0"? Legally its O'Reilly. Who actually owns the web? Everybody.
Labels: My philosophy, Technology
Firefox 2 beta 2 released
Rearrange the segments to make a word: ive pre ss im When a new browser beta is released you don't expect that much... normally. This beta however is far from normal.
They've fixed a multitude of bugs, redesigned the theme, improved the search box functionality, improved the performance of feeds and live bookmarks, added a session restore feature like Opera and all these
others things.
Alas a few bugs remain. The spell check "add languages" goes to an extension page when Mozilla already have
suitable language packs from Thunderbird which could be used instead. To use these in Firefox, simply download your preferred language, extract the contents of the .xpi file using any archiving program, then place the .aff and .dic files into ...Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 2 Beta 2\dictionaries
There is no reason I can think of why Mozilla couldn't have already done this for each of the localised builds.
Regardless the update overall is very good and I think it will prove considerably popular with the web community.
Download it today for a taste of the future.
Answer: Impressive Labels: Technology
AOL: malware!?
According to every other technology site on the web
AOL is now "badware" according to
stopbadware.orgIn my experience, it is better to install as little as possible from your ISP to ensure you maintain control of your browser, favourites and system overall. In the rare instance they provide a truly useful program gift (such as a free firewall/popup blocker), look for a "custom" option in the installer to make sure you only get what you want and also check whether the program is actually available for free on the web anyway (sometimes the web version will install less extras).
Good luck cleaning your system if you have AOL software you decide to uninstall.
Labels: Technology
