Dale’s Web Log

Lightwave - NeoPhotonics announces GA of its 2-degree ROADM module

Hearings about nuclear-powered Mars probe planned

Why must we rehash the same old issue here every time a new deep space probe is launched? There have been several nuclear powered probes launched and every time we have to spend taxpayer money to debate the merits of the safety involved. Has anything changed? I am personally familiar with the safety protocols in place at Cape Canaveral and believe me. They will not launch is there is even a 0.00001 chance there will be a failure of some sort. Get over it.

‘Google‘ your tax dollars

President Bush said Tuesday that Americans will now be able to “Google their tax dollars,” as he signed a law to create an online database for tracking about $1 trillion in government spending on grants and contracts.

This is sure to cause mass confusion and even more political jockeying on each side of the fence. It’s a rather stupid - if not a waste of the very taxpayer money we will be able to Google - idea if you ask me.

Recording Industry vs The People

Another interesting twist in the P2P DRM saga that is the music industry. Hopefully this won’t take 3-5 years to settle. By then, we will have already lost all ownership rights. The RIAA will turn to the software model of “renting” songs to you with specific restrictions. To play a song on a CD and an MP3 player, you will need to “rent” or license the song TWICE - thus increasing their litigation coffers even more.