Stuff I Missed Last Week

James Robertson

Sorry for my absence last week.  I'm still getting used to this blogging thing, so please forgive me as I adjust to my busy schedule.

But, so you don't miss out, here's the stuff I wanted to talk about last week.

February 9:

• Walter Isaacson proposes going to a micropayment model for online news in Time.  My colleague Meera, addressed the issue in her blog, so head over there for a good discussion.
• President Obama takes a question from The Huffington Post at his first prime-time news conference as President.  Will this have a legitimizing effect on online news outlets?
• CERN announces the Large Hadron Collider is facing more delays before it becomes operational.  Are the costs the LHC has racked up worth the benefit to the scientific community?  Did humanity dodge another bullet (suits were filed against CERN to stop them from turning it on, citing concerns it will create a black hole that will swallow the Earth)?  

February 10:

• Two communications satellites collide in orbit, creating lots of space-junk which could be dangerous to future space missions.  Are we making space research and travel difficult by being messy? 

February 12:

• Microsoft offers a $250,000 reward for a tip on who created the Conficker/Downadup computer worm.  Will it work this time (it worked once before, with the Sasser worm).
• In more Microsoft news, they announce they'll be opening retail stores, like Apple.  Is this really necessary?  Doesn't Microsoft still have an overwhelming  percentage of the market anyway, despite Apple's recent popularity?
• News breaks that Samsung is developing a solar-powered mobile phone.  Are there more solar-powered devices on the way? 

That's all the big news that might possibly speak to larger technology issues for last week.  We'll start afresh this week!

Cross posted to JamesGRobertson.com.