HTNet - A Notepad of Tech, Business, Science and Self Improvement

I don’t know whether this is proven, as many of you already know, Google keeps a very tight lid on its algos, but on the surface, it does seem correct (I did a comparison with my own PR):

Amount of Links for Amount of Pagerank.

Google has added another feature to it’s arsenal of web tools; Google Blog Search. This search engine wants to help you find blogs on your favourite topics.

Results are pretty targetted… now we wouldn’t expect less from Google anyway, right

Update: Google Blog Search can also be accessed at http://blogsearch.google.com

…with these ultra-special glasses for finding golf balls! Talk about really specific function devices! Here’s a quote from the gizmag article (which has a picture of the glasses):

The special lenses are claimed to make the lost ball almost appear to glow, making it easy to locate and resume play quickly.

When I read the article, the first thing that popped in my mind was, “How the heck is this possible?!”. I then noticed a link to the manufacturer’s web site; Visiball. Naturally, the first page I looked for was some sort of a demo on how the world looks like through the glasses; I found them here. Pretty interesting! My interest peaked, even though I’m not really a golfer… I’m just amused by useful technologies

I’m happy that Visiball included a page devoted to the Science of Visiball; in other words, how the glasses work. It’s really an interesting read… and when you’ve done with that, read up on what Purkinje Shift means.

And if you work for Visiball, kindly ask your boss to post me one of those glasses… These things might sell well in Malaysia

I’m using a prepaid mobile service myself, and frankly, I don’t find this issue of “compulsory registration“ to be troublesome at all. Heck, most operators have some sort of “club” available for users of their prepaid service, and many people register for the perks or just for being part of some “community”. Being a member of the Hotlink Club, I know for a fact that my personal details are already known to my operator.

However, what I find disturbing is the main reason why the Malaysian government is suddenly very keen on prepaid mobile service user registration. While the “official” reason given is for “security”; ie. to avoid prepaid lines to be used as anonymous bomb triggers… many Malaysians know that the probable “real” reason is to stop, or more likely, reduce the number of SMS “rumour-mongering“ that is becoming more popular in Malaysian politics. Understandable choice of action, ulterior motives.

However, what I do like about this move by the government, is that it could probably stem the usage of prepaid service by loan sharks, or more lovingly known as Ah Longs by the Malaysian public. The Ah Longs are known to operate using multiple mobile phone lines (and virtually all are prepaid lines) and using different pseudonyms which they publicise using “name cards” that their “promoters” place in our mailboxes or stick between our car’s windshield and wipers. I guess now we can really know whether Jacky, Ah Leong, Mr. Wong, Alfred and Kok Chen are really the same guy

It seems that this issue is so big, that even the BBC is covering it as well

If what Texas Instruments‘ Chairman Tom Engibous has said is to be believed. Basically, TI’s strategy to achieve this is by implementing a single-chip mobile phone solution, which by itself, will reduce the manufacturing cost of mobile phones by 30%.

Although this technology will make mobile phones more affordable to the masses, I’m really wondering about the features that this “budget moby” will have. Will it really be single-purpose purpose device, like our classic telephones, which can only be used to make or receive calls? (Eh, that’s two purposes, but what the heck :P). The reason for me wanting to know this is because my mobile phone is not only a communications device, it’s also my watch (I haven’t worn a wristwatch since owning my first moby), calendar, organiser, notepad and ad-hoc camera, among others.

Maybe I’m just not part of this budget moby’s targeted demographics