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Slow-moving zombie technologies that refuse to die
Fax machines, Copper phone lines, Proprietary memory cards, Useless error codes, Text based BIOS settings, Paper receipts, Bulging wallets, Teletype, etc.
Aurich Lawson / Thinkstock
But underneath, there are the technologies that just keep hanging on. Every flesh wound, every injury, every rupture of their carcass levied by a new device or new method of doing things doesn't merit even so much as a flinch from them. They keep moving, slowly but surely, eating away at our livelihoods. They are the undead of the technology world, and they're coming for your brains. Below, you'll find some of technology's more persistent walkers—every time we seem to kill them off, more hordes clinging to their past relevancy lumber up to distract you. It's about time we lodged an axe in their skulls. |
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Zombie-tech That Won't Die
An Internet WithOUT Servers???
A Future Internet Might Not Use Servers
You'd think that given how pervasive the internet is, we'd be stuck with the fundamental architecture it uses: servers that many devices connect to for their information fix. But a team of Cambridge University scientists wants to shake things up—and remove servers altogether.
A project named Pursuit aims to make the internet faster, safer and more social by implementing a completely new architecture. The system does away with the need for computers to connect directly to servers, instead having individual computers being able to copy and re-publish content on receipt. That would allow other computers to access data—or, at least, fragments of data—from many locations at once.
If that sounds like peer-to-peer sharing, it's because it is. But the difference here is that it would be rolled out on a huge, unprecedented scale: it would be internet-wide. Dirk Trossen, one of the researchers from the University of Cambridge Computer Lab, explains why that's a good thing:
"Our system focuses on the way in which society itself uses the internet to get hold of that content. It puts information first. One colleague asked me how, using this architecture, you would get to the server. The answer is: you don't. The only reason we care about web addresses and servers now is because the people who designed the network tell us that we need to. What we are really after is content and information."
Essentially, the idea is to remove the concept of the URL from the internet. In fact, the researchers explain that online searches would stop looking for URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) and start looking for URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers). URIs, then, specify where data is—and where to go in order to find it—rather than being the single point of call.Trossen explains what that means for the user:
"Under our system, if someone near you had already watched [a] video or show, then in the course of getting it their computer or platform would republish the content. That would enable you to get the content from their network, as well as from the original server... Widely used content that millions of people want would end up being widely diffused across the network. Everyone who has republished the content could give you some, or all of it. So essentially we are taking dedicated servers out of the equation."
The upshot? Speed, efficiency, and reliability, with no central server to buckle under the load of demand. Admittedly, it's a very bold aim—but if it can be pulled off, it could radically change our experience of the internet. [Pursuit via PhysOrg]
Image by nrkbeta under Creative Commons license
Let Amazon Sell your Used Junk...
Sell Your Used Junk for More Money by Letting Amazon Store and Ship It
We've shown you all kinds of ways tosell your unwanted crap for real money, and many of them involve selling through Amazon, since it's a natural place people go to shop. Take it a step further and let Amazon store and ship that stuff. You'll sell faster and for more money, and you get rid it immediately.
Ben Guild explains that one of the things holding most people back from selling their stuff is keeping it around while they wait for it to sell. Amazon fixes that by allowing you to ship your unwanted stuff to them, where they'll store it until it sells. When it does, they'll ship it too, and the seller can even use Amazon Prime if they're a subscriber—all to get your unwanted stuff. At that point you won't even have to lift a finger—just keep an eye on things to make sure there are no return or customer service issues, or the buyer doesn't try to scam you.
Amazon's seller fees can take a bite out of your profits for sure, but Ben explains that his experience selling everything from computers to old cables he packed up and labeled individually from the bottom drawer of his computer desk was a good one, and allowed him to essentially declutter his house, box up all the things he didn't want anymore, ship them to Amazon (who gives you a break when shipping to their own warehouses), and then let them handle the sale, shipping, and transactions. He gets a clean house and some extra income, someone else gets a bargain on some slightly used gear, and it's all saved from the landfill. It's a win-win.
Hit the link below to read the full story, along with some tips for dealing with customer service issues, and the things you probably shouldn't try to sell at Amazon at all.
Photo by Amazon, via IB Times.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Lifehacker Pack for Windows: Our List of the Best Windows Apps
Came across this today and wanted to share this great list of most excellent Windows apps. Many of these I use to this very day and highly recommend.
Enjoy!
http://lifehacker.com/5924859/lifehacker-pack-for-windows-our-list-of-the-best-windows-apps
Enjoy!
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