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Facebook & Personal Privacy

It seems as if personal privacy is becoming an endangered species. Almost all companies talk about privacy, many - including Facebook -- even have a "Chief Privacy Officer." But as Facebook users found out recently when the company introduced its Beacon service, business plans and personal privacy can sometimes clash.

How To Trash Tech Toys

I love technology as much as anyone and a tech reviewer, I get to play with more than my share of new gadgets but, as cool as these tech toys are, there is a downside. At some point, they must be discarded and when they finally do end their useful life, many of these items wind up in landfills either here or in the developing world.

Consumer Electronics Show 2008

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)What do you get when you combine elements of the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and TV's "Get Smart"? Well, the Consumer Electronics Show or CES 2008, of course, which is now in it's 41st year. For me, it's number six. Yeah, there'll be big crowds all fighting for the first look at the most coveted devices to contain a microchip. (By the way, is a gadget more desirable if it's "cool" or if it's "hot"? Discuss.) Once the show starts Monday morning there's very little wiggle room anywhere; prepare to queue up for everything from food to taxis to bottled water to getting your hands on the flashiest doodad.

CES Wrap Up

Describing CES is like a vacationer trying to describe Europe. You can"t see it all in one trip. Still, I was able to pick up on some trends including wireless video, increased use of touch interface, tech going green and the emergence of affordable high-end digital cameras.

Eye On MacWorld Expo

Now that the Consumer Electronics Show is over, the tech world turns its attention to San Francisco and the MacWorld Expo. As he does every year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs will kick off the event with his keynote address Tuesday morning. The room will be full of three constituencies: Apple employees, press and Apple aficionados. Some of those aficionados will be there with press passes because they"re also bloggers.

These Days, News Travels At Click-Speed

Within an hour I found out through an e-mail circulated within the newsroom. I then contacted my wife (who is a fellow Australian) via Gmail on her iPhone. She already knew. Minutes later I was chatting with two of my friends online, and the word continued to spread within my immediate sphere of contacts and colleagues. Heath Ledger was dead at age 28. It's another reminder of how many people are plugged into their digital data wherever they are, and just how rapidly news can travel.

The Sounds Of Silence

It's hard to imagine what's going on behind the scenes at peer-to-peer download site Qtrax, but it can't be good. Last week the media was quick to echo Qtrax's claim of a massive catalogue of free downloadable music. But by Monday night several record labels including Sony BMG, Warner, EMI Music, and Universal Music were reportedly hitting the pause button. Evidently these deals had either not been finalized, had expired, or had not been signed. The key stumbling block was the new ad-based (free) model that Qtrax is proposing. Where does the initiative go from here?

'Jumper' And Super Tuesday Bloggers

Quick entry today -- we're moving ahead with a story for the Evening News with Katie Couric that looks at the science behind the new movie "Jumper," starring Hayden Christensen. What sci-fi fan hasn't dreamed of one day living in a world where "Beam me up, Scotty!" was a reality? Naturally, Hollywood expands on the idea and takes some (actually, a lot) of dramatic license but, hey, so what. We all know human teleportation is not going to happen any time soon (if ever), as much as we could all think of a good time to use it in our lives. You know what I'm talking about. But photons -- well, that's a different story.

Follow The Links -- If You Dare!

It's Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. Approximately 253 days have passed since the season finale of "Lost" aired. But who's counting? In the spirit of my, I mean, that sci-fi-fantasy-mystery obsession may I present a little Web exploration. Actually, I have no idea how they're connected. Well, sort of. Anyway, as incentive there's a secret "Lost" site embedded in the words below. (Come on, play along and don't just drag your cursor over the links!) Ready, set, click...

Groundhog Day For E-Voting?

We're working on a story for tonight's Evening News about the sense of deja vu with electronic voting machines. Ever since the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 newer touchscreens have faced increased scrutiny and concern from some security experts and academics. A few states -- including Ohio, Colorado, California and Florida are planning to abandon touchscreens and likely move towards optical scanner machines. As a Canadian (full disclosure) I'm not allowed to vote. But I can certainly understand the current problems and frustrations associated with every adult American's right to case a ballot. Where do we go from here?