Steve Jobbs Is Violating Technology

Yesterday Apple were granted a patent covering unlocking a touchscreen device using a gesture. This patent was applied for in 2009, when Steve Jobbs was trying do quash all opposition by claiming thay owned the intellectual rights to every piece of touchscreen technology (including laying out a menu in a grid!)

This is appalling.

Technology should be available for everyone to use, and make of it what they will. It should be power to the masses, not money in the pockets of a few.

Sir Tim Bernards Lee, inventor of the internet, holds no intellectual rights over his creation, possibly the greatest creation by man kind. He gave it to the world and let people make and create, what has become an incredible resource. He saw the power of technology, and what it can create. Steve Jobs saw it, and his only aim has been to make money.

Technology is power to the people, something that many civilisations crave for, and something that is widely recognised to improve the world (look at the scientific method)

I am by no means saying that a closed system, which is what Apple try to run, is a bad thing. Infact for many less technology savvy people it is ideal because it is simple to use and easy to understand; but when that closed system's sole purpose is to make money and not to spread freedom and liberty, then the core purpose and meaning of technology is being violated.

Steve Jobbs is not a hero, he no different from 19th century mill owner. He is only interested in technology if it makes him money.

Dan Wheldon: An Accident Waiting To Happen

Firstly, and most importantly, Dan Wheldon will me missed, and the loss of any life is tragic, especially in sport which is something designed for people to enjoy, not for people to die for.

Henry Surtees, son of John, died in a Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch in 2009 after a freak accident. Dan Wheldon died in an accident waiting to happen. 34 cars going at well over 200mph was never going to end well. Racing in Europe is incredibly safe. In Formula 1 there are massive run-off areas (that many fans despise) but these make it actually rather safe (apart from freak accidents that cannot be avoided) Whereas IndyCars may have greatly improved the safety of the cars in recent years, the oval circuits haven't changed in most of our lifetimes, but the cars have got faster and more numerous.

Everything else about the race, like the $5 million prize, pales into insignificance when you consider the structural safety issues in high speed oval racing, issues that IndyCars have done nothing to address.

Until IndyCars address the serious safety issues, there should be no more racing. Something radical must be done, before someone else is killed.

European Banking Crisis: How The ****!?

This isn't a question that I'm planning on answering, more just mull over.

A global banking crisis and already happened and you'd think that the people who run the world would have done something to stop anything similar from happening again; well, if those who run the world are true politicians.

There are two reasons, that I can think of, that would explain why sufficient action wasn't taken. First, that politicians are not doing thier job to improve the lives of the poeple they represent, but for some other gain. Money and power possibly? Secondly, that banks and countries couldn't help themselves from trying to make a quick buck.

Either way, it would appear that capitalism rules the world; but I would posit that this isn't a disaster as whilst capitalism may cause bust, it also causes boom.

So if you like an unstable life, with periods of artificial weath built upon borrowed money then by all means, support "The Man" but if you like a bit of stability in your life, the stick it to the man. (He is also causing me to miss out on cancer treatment. See the post entitled: Capitalism and Cancer)

Trust Our Elders?

As my previoud post suggested, I'm in the process of applying to university and today I was at Newcastle's open day (and I loved it but that's not the point) and my dad is full of advice, most of which is worthless.

A rather silly example of this is his claim that "Newcastle is a cold place, you need to think about that." I quickly moved the conversation onto other matters but he also seems to believe that university league tables are always totally correct and should be looked at very seriously.

My belief is that is league tables do have a use, but should never be taken seriously. For example; Durham are 36th for engineering in the UK; and Bath and Surrey are both in the top ten. I'm not saying these are bad, but Newcastle have placed all of last years mechanical engineering students (and are still getting requests from businesses for more) but yet are outside of the top ten!

Despite all of these inaccuracies, my dad, a man of 50+ and who didn't go to university him self, still regards them as vital, and as a result, believes that I shouldn't go to Newcastle (a course and place that I love) and should go to Nottingham, because onr league table puts them 4th in the country. Rubbish.

People of a certian generation don't appear to understand what we want from our universities, or the fact that not all official data is totally reliable (unless it supports his political agenda) It is my decision, and yes, advice is useful, but the overwhelming sense that he thinks I'm wrong it really not very helpful, or nice.