Communications

Broadband pipes

Great ad for broadband pipes in Hong Kong (just 45 seconds):

Hong Kong Broadband Networks (HKBN) offers 1 Gbps symmetric Internet access as well as lesser speeds.  Their 100 Mbps service costs HK$238 or about US$30 per month. 

However, HKBN has to pay substantially more for IP Transit than an ISP in the US or EU, so their real offer comes in two parts: 

• 100 Mbps for local traffic, but only 20 Mbps for "overseas" traffic. 

(And there are some complaints about the actual bandwidth available for overseas connections).

Hacking the Boeing 787 -- cartoon

As a frequent traveler, I couldn't help being a little worried by this post on Bruce Schneier's Security blog which discusses several news articles including this:

According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aeroplane may have a serious security vulnerability in its on-board computer networks that could allow passengers to access the plane's control systems.

But reading his post reminded me of a great cartoon by Ritsch and Renn, originally published in the German IT magazine C'T.

The full original (in German of course) is here.  The English adaption is from the ComPilots website.

What the iPhone needs: a mirror!

This would never have occurred to me, but then I'm a guy.  In the past 48 hours I've heard directly and indirectly from three completely unrelated women that they want a mirror for the back of their iPhone.  By this I gather they mean a "pocket mirror" or "purse mirror", not the quarter inch reflective dot on the back of some camera phones and not the synchronization software of the same name.

There's certainly plenty of space, assuming you don't mind covering the Apple logo.

All you have to do is avoid the camera lens in the upper left corner.  I'm surprised the 3rd party market hasn't jumped on this.

Broadband retrospective (humor)

This is The Future

Ah, if only...
From blaugh.com, comics of the blogosphere, where you can see other great panels like this.