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FireWireWorld.com has a nice analysis of the PC World article here.

Home FireWire/1394 Networking Takes Giant Leap Forward

Friday, March 31st, 2000 [3:00 PM]

PC World is reporting on a research project in Japan that has successfully transmitted 1394 data across 100 meters at 400 Mbps, the current limit to FireWire/1394 transmission speeds. This is significantly faster than was considered possible at those distances, and, more importantly, could lead to home networking. According to PC World:

A Japanese government research project headed by the Electronic Industries Association of Japan has succeeded in sending IEEE 1394 signals--an emerging standard for digital home networks--over a long distance at high speed.

The breakthrough confirms the system's suitability for use as a network around the home and opens up new possibilities for its use beyond the home, the EIAJ says in a statement.

IEEE 1394 interfaces are increasingly being built into home electronics equipment like video cameras, televisions, and PCs, sometimes under the FireWire or iLink [sic] brand names. But most incorporate electrical interfaces that can send the 400-megabits-per-second IEEE 1394 data stream over 4.5 meters through metallic cables only. While this is adequate for connecting a series of devices located close to one another, it is not sufficient for running a network around a typical house.

The Japanese trials, which were headed by Keio University's Yasuhiro Koike, succeeded in sending data at 400 mbps, which is fast enough for digital video, over a distance of 100 meters.

You can find more information in the PC World article, which we recommend.

The FireWireWorld Analysis: This is fantastic news. Home wiring is an important part of the future of FireWire/1394. Home entertainment as well as centralized control of appliances could easily adopt the FireWire/394 standard. This would have huge implications for all areas of FireWire/1394 use as economies of scale would brings more advances more quickly, across the board.

This is one of the most significant developments in FireWire/1394 so far this year.

At the last BLU meeting I attended, someone said the desktop queston (whether Linux will ever replace Windows) was irrelevant. I can't help but disagree.

I've been running Mandrake 6.0 since November '99. I've found software to do everything I used to do with Windows except file my taxes (WebTurbotax doesn't like my browser). The only things I miss from Windows are certain plugins (like Quicktime and Shockwave). Plus, my printer(an Okidata) and ex-modem aren't Linux compatible.

Promoting Linux for non-techies is a good thing. I'm a techie, and I'm still learning a lot. My sister, who is definitely not a techie and uses my computer for web surfing, is getting the hang of Linux. It does what she wants it to (except printing), and she's happy.

As far as using computers as an "appliance", both BeOS and Linux are being used in "web appliances" . With their ease of use compared with Linux's stability, Linux may come out on top in a few years.

At the last BLU meeting I attended, someone said the desktop queston (whether Linux will ever replace Windows) was irrelevant. I can't help but disagree.

I've been running Mandrake 6.0 since November '99. I've found software to do everything I used to do with Windows except file my taxes (WebTurbotax doesn't like my browser). The only things I miss from Windows are certain plugins (like Quicktime and Shockwave). Plus, my printer(an Okidata) and ex-modem aren't Linux compatible.

Promoting Linux for non-techies is a good thing. I'm a techie, and I'm still learning a lot. My sister, who is definitely not a techie and uses my computer for web surfing, is getting the hang of Linux. It does what she wants it to (except printing), and she's happy.

As far as using computers as an "appliance", both BeOS and Linux are being used in "web appliances" . With their ease of use compared with Linux's stability, Linux may come out on top in a few years.

As noted on Ars Technica, there is a meaty aritle about EE over on PCWorld: "The Sony Emotion Engine: We're Talking Gigaflops " More informative than CNN.

You can read the replys on the other stuff, but as for upgrading your kernel, it's not too hard....if nothing goes wrong. I myself have only reconfigured it, still haven't gotten a full kernel upgrade to work for me. But it's different for everyone. But one article that helped me a lot (especially if you're using red hat or Mandrake (as they talk about RPM's)) can found found here.

I'm not sure if this is y2k related... but PCWorld's search isn't showing anything... you try

Doug Engelbart

Inventor of the computer as we use it today. Gave the famous mother of all demos.

Leonard Euler

Analysis Incarnate. Best mathematician of the 19th century.

Isaac Newton

"The laws of motion and gravity lay hid darkness.
God said let Newton be and all was light"

Nikoli Copernicus

Cracked open the firmament. Started the scientific revolution still going today.

Alan Turing

We are still trying to understand his ideas.

Daniel Dennet

Developing the science of consciousness.

Louis Pasteur

Brought science to biology.

Linus Pauling.

Only person ever to win two unshared Nobel Prizes.

Ilya Prigogine

The thermodynamics of self-assembly.

Rene Descartes

Publication of La Géométrie in 1637 is first use of fully symbolic mathematics.

Robert A. Mundell - American born Professor of Economics at Cornell University. Granted the 1999 Nobel Prize in Economics. Did the basic research showing the importance of freely exchangable currencies to economic growth. His work has led to the startling growth of international trade improving prosperity for most of mankind as countries changed their currency policies according to his research. Also known as the grandfather of the Euro because of his development of the idea of "optimal currency areas". Few people have had a more profound impact on the world, yet are so little known outside academia.

Douglas Englebart - The ubergeek. Most famous for the invention of the mouse, but in fact had a far more profound influence. He envisioned computers as a revolution because of their potential to extend and enhance the fundamental intellectual processes of man. On December 9, 1968 he gave what has come to be known as the 'mother of all demos'; the first public demonstration (beore Xerox PARC was founded) of a computer that offered a windows interface, videoconferencing, internet connectivity, black on white text, context-sensitive help, and a mouse.

While a lot of other people give Timothy Berners-Lee credit for deveoping the world wide web, it is notable that all of the technologies used in a web connected computer were demonstrated by Doug Engelbert 25 years earlier.

Microsoft was "awarded" the People's Choice Award by Privacy International, on April 8, 1999, for being the most frequent nominee presented by the public for intrusive practices and invasion of privacy.

Funny you should say that. I read this article on Yahoo just today. It talks about a similar "Law enforcement only" program called DIRT. It mentions BO, too, but was just a little condescending. Scary to think of law enforcement using this on a regular basis.

When BO was released, Microsoft didn't suffer, ordinary users suffered. To try to influence MS by hurting users is nothing more than terrorism.

The only way to prevent users from suffering is to have secure software. I understand that users did suffer from BO, but I think the blame lies with the people who used the program maliciously, and the people who created a product that allows such tools to be so successful.

"But why create tools that others can use maliciously?" When security holes exist and remain unfixed, they will be found and exploits will be created; it is merely a question of who knows about the hole, and who knows about the exploits. Before Back Orifice was released, how many users already knew that this sort of thing could happen to their computer? How many knew that similar tools already existed? As a system administrator, I appreciate the work these groups do because it helps me protect my systems and users; every security hole that they find and yell about publically is a security hole that I can prevent from being very harmful.

"So why not just let the vendor know about the hole in advance?" I want the people who write my software to care about security before the product ships, so I think it's important for security holes to be an embarrassment to the vendor. Anyway, when security holes are publically known, anyone who has important data to protect has the opportunity to protect it--the damage is limited to those who don't care about security, or those who think they care but are unwilling to put any effort into protecting themselves (and in this case, the "effort" could be nothing more than choosing products with a good reputation for security).

In 18 months or so it might just be possible to run java apps and applets without going for a coffeebreak while they execute... On this great machine