Archive - Feb 2010
February 20th
MeeGo Community Dynamics: The Battle for the Third Estate of Mobile Devices
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 10:22Ever since the announcement that Moblin and Maemo would be merging into MeeGo, there has been a raging discussion about whether rpm or deb packages should be used. At times, this has led to some good discussions about the technical merits of different packaging and distribution systems and the package formats they support. However, more often, it seems to be a heated exchange of religious viewpoints. Initially, I thought this was simply a traditional open source religious feud, but I’m beginning to think that it is much more than that. I now believe it is a battle for the third estate of mobile devices.
It seems as if the mindshare battles over mobile operating systems have settled down to iPhone versus Android. Yes, there are lot smartphones out there with their proprietary operating systems, and new ones coming every day. But it seems like iPhone and Android have captured the attention of most. They are, in the mobile world, the new Mac and PC. Sorry, Microsoft, I just don’t see the Windows Mobile stuff lasting. Like the desktop and laptop world where people argue about Mac or Windows, and there is a third estate of various forms of Linux, it seems like the same is happening in the mobile world. Two of the most credible Linux efforts in the mobile world seem to be Moblin and Maemo. The merger of the two seems like a good thing for the future of the Linux third estate in mobile devices.
Yet when any two communities merge, there are interesting dynamics. Over on the Nokia side, people seem to believe that Maemo Harmattan will be the first version of MeeGo. People argue whether or not this will run on the N900. These are the two topics in what is now called the MeeGo / Harmattan thread in the OS /Platform section of the Maemo Talk system.
Meanwhile, LG is trying to position their Intel Moorestown powered LG GW 990 as one of the first Meego based mobile devices. This is be based on the Intel Moblin platform. One Moblin developer has written How to build Meego images (a.k.a moblin 2.2) and another has information on updating the Broadcom drivers for running Moblin on a Dell Mini.
In a related post, he writes,
Nokia, in my opinion, have decided to abandon the Maemo platform and move their application stack over to Moblin. This was obviously bound to cause uproar in the maemo community. So in my opinion the MeeGo project and the portrayal as a merger is a PR stunt to try and save Nokia some face.
Based on the discussions on the Nokia based forums, this does not seem to be the case, but it does, perhaps illustrate the real reason for all the heat in the deb versus rpm debates. The MeeGo community will be made up of people paid by Intel and Nokia as well as enthusiasts for both the Moblin and MeeGo platforms. People are fighting for turf. They are fighting to feel not abandoned.
I would also suggest that they are fighting based on a narrow view of MeeGo. MeeGo’s website tries to position it as the platform for Netbooks, Pocketables, In-Vehicle, Connected TVs as well as ‘media phones’. As people fight for their little bit of mobile Linux turf, they are missing the bigger picture.
What might it be like to have the same operating system on the screen in the back of the minivan, on the navigation display on the dashboard, on the cable set top box, on the Blu Ray DVD player, on the Digital TV, on a netbook, an eReader, and a smartphone? Each of these devices have different user interface requirements, different connectivity requirements, different location requirements and other differences affecting what the operating system presents to the user. As an example, I don’t need GPS on my Blu Ray player, but I would really like to be able to download videos off the Internet that I could record to Blu Ray, play on my TV, my smartphone or the screen in the back of the minivan.
Likewise, different devices might want Bluetooth connectivity, wired internet connectivity, WiFi internet connectivity, 3G data connectivity, or different types of cable data (DOCSIS) connectivity. Some may provide for lots of data storage, some for much less.
Can MeeGo deliver an Operating System that will nicely meet all these needs? An open source Operating System that will get other smartphone manufacturers to use MeeGo instead of Android? Get in-vehicle manufacturers and various television manufacturers to use MeeGo? If so, MeeGo has a very interesting future. On the other hand, it might just get derailed by people more concerned about whether MeeGo looks similar enough to their current Moblin or Maemo operating system. I hope this won’t be the case.
February 19th
Please Scare Me
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 14:11In 1982, I invited unknown masked men to my apartment in New York City via the Internet. Seven years later, the apartment I was living in was burglarized and my portable computer was stolen. The Internet was much smaller then. I had been working at Bell Laboratories and the unknown masked men where people on a Usenet group coming to a Halloween party. Between 1982 and 1989, I moved several times, so I don’t believe there was any correlation between the two events.
Since then, I’ve started blogging and writing details about when I would be away from my home. In 2006, I started using Twitter. I’m not sure how long I’ve been on BrightKite, but it has probably been about two years. I’ve been on Foursquare for quite a while, but never started using it until I upgraded to my latest phone. With that, I’ve posted many times when I’ve been away from my house.
However, the vast majority of the times that I’ve made posts like that, someone else has been home, the neighbors have been watching the house, the dog has been standing guard, the alarm system has been on, and/or many other factors have made it so that if anyone managed to connect my online message with my real address and headed over to case out my house, they would have been disappointed at best.
So, it is with some interest that I’m reading all the posts about the latest sensational fear-mongering website, PleaseRobMe. “The goal of this website is to raise some awareness on this issue and have people think about how they use services like Foursquare”. That is an important goal. However, the sensationalism and one-sided nature of it detracts from the goal.
Yes, people should think about all the content they put online, their location, their activities, pictures of what they are doing, and so on. Everything has a risk and reward profile. There are risks of letting everyone know when you are not home. I believe those risks are much less than people writing about PleaseRobMe indicate. Just because you’re not home doesn’t mean that the house is empty or unprotected. For that matter, letting your neighbors know that you are not home may even encourage them to keep a closer eye on your home and you may, in fact, be better protected than if you hadn’t let your neighbors via an online service that you are not home.
No, instead the site and the responses people have had to it sound an awful lot like the famous movie ‘Reefer Madness’, or the warnings from parents to kids not to make faces because their faces might get stuck that way, or not to masturbate because they might go blind.
By the way, as I write this, my wife and daughter are out running errands. Our dog is sleeping, but I’m sitting at my computer in my home office. Watch out everyone.
Connecticut Winter Festivals
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 11:14A couple weeks ago, I wrote the crowd sourcing winter vacation contest asking for suggestions from my online social network for suggestions about winter vacation ideas. I received a few comments about dogsledding at The Rocks Estate and various winter festivals in Maine, but not a lot to go on.
As my family talked about it more, we decided for a more frugal path and doing various day trips to different events in Connecticut. The State Department of Environmental Protection has an interesting program called No Child Left Inside. This week, they are running a set of programs at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill which seem interesting.
Visit Connecticut lists many events going on including a Chinese New Year Celebration Show in New Haven , Hansel and Gretel in Bridgeport , Bite Week at Mystic Aquarium, Dinosaur Camp for Children in Oakdale, a Penguin Party in New London , and the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show in Hartford.
Yet for the most wintery fun, three things hop out at us. This weekend is the Winterfest at Lyman Orchards. It will include an ice carving demonstration, igloo making, sled dog mushing and lots of food.
Chester is also having their 20th Annual Winter Carnivale this weekend, which also includes ice carving and good food. It is also a great time to go look for bald eagles along the Connecticut River and the Connecticut Audubon Society has Bald Eagles on the CT River boat trips and The Audubon Shop in Madison has Eagle Watches on the Connecticut River.
After the last of the winter vacation playdates ends, we will gather as a family and discuss which events to visit. Hopefully, I’ll have some good stories for the blog early next week.
February 18th
Drawing the Line
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 17:38When does ‘off campus’ speech become ‘on campus’ speech? This is a question that the defense in the Doninger trial has been trying to blur. A key argument in the case is that when Avery Doninger wrote her infamous blog entry criticizing the school administration, she posted it on the Internet, and anything on the Internet has the potential to be brought on campus, and should be considered on campus speech.
However, if the Doninger case is about blurring a line, a new case is about obliterating the line between home and school. Outside of Philadelphia, a suit has been filed against the Lower Merion School District for allegedly activating the webcams on laptops provided by the school without students' knowledge or permission while the students were at home.
Let’s just hope that the school didn’t capture recordings of students calling the folks at the central office douchebags.
Um, Can We Talk About the Issues Now?
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 02/18/2010 - 14:18Recently, there have been plenty of discussions about the Connecticut Gubernatorial candidates. Ned’s campaign manager complained about ‘insider’ politicians. The Malloy campaign made comments about other gubernatorial candidates getting tired of their polo ponies. My wife and I joked that Rudy Marconi, who has had the best videos of this election cycle so far, should do one with Ned Lamont and Dan Malloy in the backseat of a car squabbling. “Insider… Polo Ponies… Insider… Polo Ponies”. Then, Rudy would turn to the back seat and say, “If you kids don’t start behaving, I’m pulling this car over right now.”
Of course, that doesn’t really move the discussion ahead a lot either. Meanwhile, the blogs are starting to ask what’s really going on. Over on My Left Nutmeg, Branford Boy wrote, CT-Gov: Ned <yawn%gt; Lamont Announces for <snore%gt; Governor asking where all the excitement is. Even in Virginia, they are picking up on this since Ned Lamont has hired Creigh Deeds’ former campaign manager, Joe Abbey. Deeds, and by extension Abbey are both perceived as being a bit to the right of Lamont and there has been a discussion there about whether or not Lamont is running to the right.
After that, I had an interesting discussion with Ned about his campaign. He wanted to address some of the issues that I’m concerned about and I applaud him for that. First and foremost, we discussed the Citizens Election Program. He spoke about his support for that, if everyone is participating, but with some of the Republican candidates opting out, and even running advertisements already, he spoke about the importance about responding now instead of waiting until after the primary.
Another issue we talked about was the Sick Pay bill. He focused on the importance of job creation and how it is important to make sure that the hundred thousand people on longer term unpaid leave find new jobs. He suggested addressing the unemployment issues first and then addressing sick pay issues. As to the bickering between campaigns, Ned said that he has told his staff not to engage in those sorts of discussions.
So, let’s talk about the issues. How do we make sure that people can afford their houses, their health care, their heat, their food, and other things necessary to get by in our great state? How do we make sure there are enough good jobs, enough good doctors, and a wise use of energy in our state?
Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro is visiting the Flabeg Solar US Corporation’s Naugatuck manufacturing location. What can Rep. DeLauro, and the next Governor of Connecticut do to make sure that Connecticut is well placed for job growth in the emerging green economy? Yesterday, State Sen. Colapietro and Senate President Pro Tempore Williams met with a tailor and drycleaner to highlight their views about legislative plans to grow jobs in Connecticut by providing assistance to small businesses. How do we provide this sort of aid while addressing the budget issue?
Earlier this month, Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi called for medical tort reform in Connecticut, expressing a concern about a “full-fledged doctor shortage”. How will his proposals protect patients from malpractice and at the same time protect doctors from frivolous lawsuits, excessive damages, and the related high premium prices?
In my mind, we have some great candidates for Governor that are well qualified and have great ideas. I want to hear those ideas. I want to see the ideas compete in the marketplace of ideas, and see new ideas emerge to even better address the issues of our state, so, can we talk about the issues now?
