May 2007

Wired News: by Cyrus Farivar 05.07.07 | 2:00 AM While large-scale quantum computers remain in the domain of science fiction, a joint team from Japan announced Thursday that it has been able to take a small but crucial step in pursuit of this advanced goal. NEC, the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, or RIKEN, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency, published a paper in the May 4 issue of the journal Science, outlining the ability to “controllably couple…

Note: I have mixed feelings about Walt Mossberg, ever since I was told by another veteran technology journalist whom I respect that Mossberg does consulting for companies that he covers, before the products actually come out. Also, I get the impression that there’s a bit of jealousy amongst almost every journalist that I know — the guy commands probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a million dollars annually. As I’ve written more, my non-techie family sometimes asks me my opinion…

So here I am, minding my own business, reading The New York Times online, when I come across this article about Bush’s upcoming dinner with the Queen of England. The article mentions that it’s a “white tie” dinner, and not knowing what that is, I go look it up. Then I continue reading the article, and come across this line: Even so, as it does for every official state visit, the White House has been consulting with the State Department…

My cousin Martin is about to embark, in about four weeks, on a solo two-month journey across Mexico. He’s just finishing his sophomore year at American University, where he’s majoring in Latin American Studies. I’m going to join him for four full days in Mexico City in late June. Technically I’ve been to Mexico once before (I went on a church trip when I was in 8th grade to help build houses outside Tijuana, but that doesn’t really count) —…

The Left’s New Machine How the netroots became the most important mass movement in U.S. politics. by Jonathan Chait The New Republic Post date: 05.01.07 Issue date: 05.07.07 Reporter recalls the layers of truth told in Iraq After 4 1/2 years ‘in country,’ The Times’ Borzou Daragahi looks back on what it took each day to get to the story and get out alive. By Borzou Daragahi Times Staff Writer April 10, 2007 The Conciliator Where is Barack Obama coming…

My longtime friend Nick Freilich, aka Epicte, has just come out with his first full-length electronica CD. At $10, (shipping including), it’s a bargain. I’ve just ordered mine — and so you should too. You may recall that one of the tracks, “Celtic Glass Glitch,” I remixed with Dan Skeels’ auctioneering talents last year.

So I made it back to the good ol’ US of A, and I was greeted with these two events: First, an Oakland freeway connector collapses. I take this stretch pretty much every time I drive home from San Francisco. Now I’ll have to take a different route via surface streets, which will make my drive home take an extra 10-15 minutes or so. But I’m glad that I don’t have to drive over this area every day. Second, today…