Wednesday, August 23, 2006
The recent casual, unintentional invasion of AOL user privacy highlights the vulnerability of every Google user. Every search is tracked, stored, etc. and with enough time and research those records can easily be pointed back to an individual. The threat of the U.S. Government invading privacy through these means is also readily evident. However, there are solutions such as search proxies. Better yet, the use of a search engine not controlled by a private organization is another way the vulnerabilities could be avoided.
A major challenge to creating an independent search enginage is the question of how to replicate the massive resources brought to bear by a company like Google. Majestic 12 puts forth a potential solution: use distributed computing techniques for spidering. Details on the architecture are available, as is the client software should you wish to become a node. Most importantly, an alpha version of the search portal is operational.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
A website is attempting to collect 10,000 reasons the human race is doomed. Now that I’ve found the site, they’re going to have to up the limit…
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Most people probably don’t have any interest in biking the streets of New York given the aggresive nature of the drivers there. However, if you insist, you might find Bicycling Street Smarts a useful guide to saving your ass.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Speedtest.net is a great, new tool for testing your ping, download, and upload speed against an number of servers located around the world.
Before the giant bunny, Jeff Koons, in an act of extraordinary narcissism made some pornography (photographs and statues) with his erstwhile wife, Ilona Staller, aka Cicciolina. Unsurprisingly, it looks just like hardcore pornography, but was it art?
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Science blog pharyngula has yet another disturbing post regarding attitudes about evolution. The results of a new study, indicates that Americans are lagging far behind (second only to Turkey) the rest of the world in terms of sophistication about (i.e. acceptance of) the theory of evolution. The study suggests that in addition to being uneducated on basic genetics, that science has become increasingly politicized. PZ Myers, author of the pharyngula blog, thinks that God and the Republicans are to blame.
Fascinating interview with Sergio Messina about ‘Realcore.’ Most of here in the states refer to it as homemade or lo-fi porn, as the designation ‘amateur’ has been clearly co-opted by the ‘professionals.’ Messian (who the author refers to as the Margaret Mead of porn) like to study realcore images he finds on usenet. This is very, very NSFW and some of the images are disturbing and indelible (I, for one will not forget the image of a man fucking a running shoe anytime soon.) Messina has his own website, where you can get details on booking him for your next party or his upcoming book, or should you have the appetite for more of this, he has recently started the ‘Realblog.’
Â
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Livescience.com covers the top 10 mysterious diseases.