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The Worldwide Lexicon: Adding Collaborative Translation to Your Site Publish Date: Sep. 28, 2007
The Worldwide Lexicon is an open source project that has recently published a suite of collaborative translation tools that enable readers to create, edit and share translations to and from almost any human language. This article explains how you can use WWL to make your site or content accessible in many languages.
Why I Stopped Coding and Why I'd Start Again Publish Date: Jan. 18, 2007
What happens when programming stops being fun? What do you do when juggling dependencies and worrying about installation issues takes all of the joy out of writing code for other people? You can stop coding... or you can try to address the underlying problems. Brian McConnell postulates an enhancement of the Python language to make programming as fun as it was in the BASIC-in-ROM minicomputer days.
Subspace Networks: Hiding Circuit Switched Networks in a Packet Switched Network Publish Date: Nov. 14, 2006
Brian McConnell describes a trick that he calls "subspace networking," which can be used to embed circuit switched networking within packet switched LAN hardware, while applications are unaware that this is going on behind the scenes.
Building Advanced Telecom Apps on a Shoestring Publish Date: Sep. 12, 2006
With the development of open standards telephony, VoIP, and hosted, on-demand computing services, it is finally possible to use a low-cost development track to create next-generation telecom services.
For SARS Press 1, for Bird Flu Press 2... Publish Date: May. 2, 2006
One of the key things we can do during a pandemic is to move in-person congregations and meetings online, creating electronic surrogates for daily social activities such as classes, business meetings, and social outings. Brian McConnell examines how organizations can use the latest telecom technology to help keep society functioning and diminish the spread of disease if this kind of a disaster takes place.
What Is Asterisk Publish Date: Sep. 30, 2005
Asterisk is an open source PBX (private branch exchange) that provides all the functionality of high-end business telephone systems, and much more. Brian McConnell explains how Asterisk works and where to get it, and provides an overview of its feature set and its platform capabilities.
The PBX Is Dead; Long Live VoIP Publish Date: Jun. 23, 2005
The private branch exchange has been the reference standard for business telephone systems for decades, but the technology is on the verge of obsolescence, thanks in large part to open source VoIP technology. Brian McConnell delves into Asterisk, a Linux-based open source softswitch, and why it may herald the end of PBX.
Revitalizing the Pay-Per-Call System Publish Date: Apr. 19, 2005
The 900 number, long associated with porn and psychics, is a technology that was ahead of its time. Despite its reputation, pay-per-call service is a proven and practical way to collect micropayments and create a competitive marketplace for information services. Brian McConnell suggests that third-party wireless providers use pay-per-call as a means to build and profit from voice and data services.
RSDP: A Really Simple Proposal Publish Date: Apr. 11, 2005
Anybody who has written software knows that communicating with databases is a nettlesome task because of difficulties with installing and configuring them. Brian McConnell proposes a Really Simple Database Protocol (RSDP) that would provide developers with a way to prototype and build database-driven applications that are more independent of back-end systems. Weigh in with your thoughts on his proposal via the Talkback section at the end of the article.
Renewable Energy - The Next Opportunity for Silicon Valley Publish Date: Dec. 10, 2004
There are striking parallels between the renewable energy industry today and the personal computing industry circa 1980. Brian McConnell argues that the same basic dynamics that fueled the PC boom in Silicon Valley apply to renewable energy, and this represents an important opportunity, especially as the computing industry matures and becomes a commoditized consumer product business.
Hacking Your Way Off The Utility Grid Publish Date: Dec. 3, 2004
Brian McConnell describes how he retrofitted his home to generate its own energy and significantly reduce its energy footprint. Learn how he installed a grid-intertied solar electric system, as well as solar water heating and solar forced air heaters.
Collecting E-Commerce Taxes Door-to-Door Publish Date: Aug. 5, 2004
For about a decade, web stores have been exempt from collecting local sales and use taxes for deliveries outside their local jurisdictions. For most web stores, especially those based in sparsely populated states, this amounts to de facto tax-free status when shipping to most of the country. While online stores get a free pass from many taxes, storefront operations are universally expected to collect local taxes at the point of sale. This article discusses one possible solution to the e-commerce taxation problem: simply requiring couriers to collect local taxes at the point of delivery.
What if SETI@home Gets Lucky? Publish Date: Mar. 19, 2003
Brian McConnell, author of Beyond Contact , looks at the latest developments in SETI@home and describes what will happen if a meaningful signal is found.
Smart Phones: Finally, Computer Integration Is Real Publish Date: Sep. 19, 2002
Instead of tying a computer to a telephone, which was the original vision of computer telephony, the telephone has become a computer. Brian McConnell provides an update on this convergence of technologies and highlights the Treo Communicator that uses the Sprint PCS new voice/data network.
Building a Worldwide Lexicon Publish Date: May. 10, 2002
Brian McConnell proposes an open source, peer-to-peer system for making connections among online dictionaries via a SOAP interface.
