On The Net - Computing News

with Chris Goh

Past and Future: Part 2

2004 in this the year of the Monkey for the Chinese - an auspicious time. There's a lot in IT that I'm looking forward to.

The Human Genome project is due to be completed this year - an important landmark in our human history.

2004 will also see the introduction of the High Density DVD. Quick acceptance will depend on player support and whether the format is adopted by film and software companies.

I think we'll hear more about Quantum computing, although its practical application for desktop consumers won't be felt for many years. The real question will be whether it's the start of the new generation of 64-bit computing.

Apple kicked things off last year, but applications taking full advantage of it are still few and far between.

The phasing in of 3GigaHertz processing began at the end of last year. The next 12 months will most likely herald 6 GigaHertz and 1 Gigabyte of memory in the top machines.

I think the headline grabber will be the debate over privacy versus security. American airports will have biometric devices to check foreign visitors. Big brother is no longer just a voyeuristic reality television production anymore. Corporations, governments and individuals have the ability to observe and pry into the affairs of others.

Copyright and intellectual property issues will provide a gold mine for lawyers as commercial interests and entrepreneurial opportunists grapple with their rights over knowledge sharing and information ownership.

The most devalued human commodity, trust, will continue to take a beating, and will be challenged by the very people who tell us they defend it.

Trust is one of the key elements of a successful, functioning society. If we don't have it, our ability to work, communicate and interact becomes non-existent.

It often seems the more we learn about ourselves and others, the more appalling our own humanity is becoming. In the centuries since the Magna Carta, it seems we've worked hard to undermine the very principles that inspired it.

But there are many positives. Global community projects are coming to prominence as Internet-connected computers allow scientists to work together on problems. Social movements become more focused in delivering their messages and acting in a globally coordinated manner.

Nations that fear the freedom of expression provided by the Internet will certainly face the hardest dilemmas - and a better informed global community.

Broadband take up is expected to grow exponentially as it becomes more affordable (although recent surveys show Australian users are understandably upset that their service providers can change their contract anytime without consultation).

And this may be 3G's year - aka wireless technology - now that there's a stable product base and agreed standards so devices can talk with one another.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the Australian launch of Panasonic's new digital camera, the DMC-FZ10 with a Leica lens with 12x optical with image stabiliser. Launched late last year in the US, it's the only digital camera with more than 7 optical zoom that incorporates a stabiliser. I'll review it and other digital cameras soon, including the new Canon EOS SLR, which is causing a bit of a stir, because it sold like hotcakes, despite the $2000 price tag.

The most important things to be aware of this year are spam, scams and viruses. Alas, their perpetrators are getting better in disguising them. The days of poor spelling, bad syntax and dodgy artwork are over - the new plague of scams will be more carefully crafted.

If an email asks you to send any private information or do things to your PC, then beware. And if you get nasty email from someone you don't know, don't assume it's from that person. Fake hate mail sent under the names of an organisation or individual who's the first victim of the attack is the new growth industry.

HotNews

While George Bush is offering bread and circuses, declaring that the US will put a space station on the moon and a man on Mars, he's said little about the decommissioning of Hubble telescope, which has made more startling revelations about the universe than any of NASA's other programs.

NASA, due to new safety protocols for shuttle missions, will no longer upgrade or maintain the space telescope. It means in four years, the degradation of its orbit will see it re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. Obviously the new space program is more interested in making a statement than learning and exploration.

A US man on death row, is one of many incarcerated criminals haunting their victims or their family via the Internet. It seems the freedom of speech, in some instances, is valued more than the freedom of peace of mind of those affected by crime.

Whilst Sun is converting its Unix applications to run on Microsoft operating systems, they are joining forces with Nokia to keep Microsoft at bay in the mobile phone market. With Pocket PC phones becoming more popular, Nokia is opening up the source code for its phone to encourage developers to create applications for them.

Bill Gates doesn't like neighbours - or he's decided to buy the USA (although it's probably his privacy he's worried about). Gates has bought 11 properties adjoining his Seattle lakeside estate since settling down, and has instructed local real estate agents to buy any others that come up for sale.

Telstra has begun selling music online. New site www.destramusic.com gives discounts to Bigpond subscribers and allows users to charge music downloads to their phone bill.

HotSites

www.dcviews.com

Digital cameras are making serious inroads into general photography. This site offers excellent reviews of digital cameras and as well as very good tutorials on how to use them.

www.fatfreekitchen.com/home.html

Too much ham and turkey over the festive season? Although this site has an annoying banner, it has some top information on food contents and its nutritional value. Click on junk food, then McDonalds to find what you are eating in a Big Mac. And the vitamin charts tell you which foods have plenty of good stuff, like vitamin C.

www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/

If you want to pay more attention to what you eat, the Food and Nutritional information centre is a good portal to bookmark. More than that, it gives dietary advice to those with illnesses like HIV/Aids, as well as advising breastfeeding mothers on right foods to promote healthy milk. A wonder through will reveal just how comprehensive it is.