Had the good fortune yesterday to share a coffee with Leila from Idée Inc. They are a company with some very cool technology for finding and tracking images. Leila mentioned about how she find herself on a “web 2.0” panel at Mesh. She joked with me that she’s struggling there with what she’s going to say as what first comes to mind for her is “Web 2.0 equals no revenue model”. Reminds me of a few other CEOs I know who also bristle at the label. Should be an interesting pannel 🙂
Just caught this news story over on Anandtech. “Apple Patents Method to Create Displays that Can Take Pictures and Videos“. Okay a bit scary, but also very exciting. If it ever works, I think camerascreens could be nearly as big a change for how we build software and interact with each other and computers as was the mouse. Two potentially killer applications mentioned:
1) Video conferencing where you can actually make eye contact with someone
Just think about that for a second, imagine the changes to the way we work and live if video conferencing could go just that little bit further to have almost the same quality and immediacy of real face-to-face interaction?
2) computer screens and content therein that could recognise gestures. Imagine scrolling or clearing those windows off your desktop with a wave of your wrist. Gestures I think have enormous potential. Sure it exists today to some extent, but with a mouse gestures are a bit clumsy. With my tablet though, being able to point and “flick” links to open in a new firefox tab is a beautiful thing. I’d love to see gestures used more widely on a larger scale. Of course, nintendo is also a company that is about to show us some very cool things you can gestures.
now, just one little issue to get out of the way, are you ready for your computer to be watching you at all the times?
I’d love to see apple try to launch this another great advertisement referencing 1984…
A new coalition of musicians and songwriters have come out swinging against the music lobby in canada saying “lobbyists for major labels are looking out for their shareholders, and seldom speak for Canadian artists. Legislative proposals that would facilitate lawsuits against our fans or increase the labels’ control over the enjoyment of music are made not in our names, but on behalf of the labels’ foreign parent companies.” The coalition is made up a wide gamut of Canadian artists including big names like Barenaked Ladies and Avril Lavigne through to indie stalwarts Broken Social Scene and *Stars* (further reinforcing my opinion that they are the best band ever)
Find out more on the web site here: http://www.musiccreators.ca/ Be sure also to check out the clip of a very well spoken Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) on CanadaAM.
So, wow, first MP Sam Bulte is ousted, then actual civilized and progressive conversation about copyright policy occurs at the iSummit industry conference and now this. Is Canada finally turning the corner towards an enlightened perspective on copyright?
Let’s hope the new government in Ottawa is listening.
Update: The coalition will be holding an event on Monday at (the legendary) horseshoe tavern. I don’t know exactly what’ll be happening but I expect many of the artists as well as media will be there. I’ll post again here if I can get more information.
Where: The Horseshoe Tavern,
370 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario
When: Monday, May 1, 2006. 10:30 am – 12 noon
To RSVP, or receive further information about the event, please
contact [email protected].
Update2: Word is the event is supposed to be media-only. So if you were thinking of going down to attend, you may not get in without credentials.