Google and friends release net neutrality tools
There about page says "The goal of M-Lab is to advance network research and empower the public with useful information about their broadband connections. By enhancing Internet transparency, M-Lab helps sustain a healthy, innovative Internet."
If you haven't been keeping up with all the heat and legal issues in the US recently involving Comcast et al, Net Neutrality refers to how free a network is of restrictions on content, sites and the kinds of equipment that can be connected. Basically the idea that all traffic on the network should be treated as equal - not singling out p2p traffic for example and slowing it down.
So a neutral Internet would be an Internet connection without restrictions and limitations based on content downloaded/uploaded or sites accessed.
Proponents of net neutrality state that this will ensure the Internet remains a "free and open technology, fostering, amongst others, democratic communication." I side with the proponents.
So let's use these tools on NZ ISP networks and see what happens! I tried, but they're all too busy with 30 minutes waits or slashdotted. Fail.
On sleep, I think?
Prometheus, I have no Titan's might,
Yet I, too, must each dusk renew my heart,
For daytime's vulture talons tear apart
The tender alcoves built by love at night.
--Philip José Farmer
I think this refers to sleep. Either way I found it cool as I've been reading a lot about sleep recently for pre-study reasons. I had to look up the Greek myth references though...
Prometheus was a God, of the race Titans, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to the mortals. Understandably, Zeus was pissed off so he punished Prometheus by having him bound to a rock while an eagle ate his liver every day only to have it grow back to be eaten again the next day. Seems fitting.
woo water
Recently a company called Big Blue Limited was fined $25,000 for making false claims about its mineral water products. It's great to see stories like this.
The purified water was claimed to be 'energised' using what was described as Wasser 2000 Vibration Technology, and another product of theirs supposedly had minerals from South Korea added back in to it. Right...
I've seen a few so-called magical water products with pseudo-scientific claims of effectiveness pop up over the past few years. These guys went too far with their claims, far enough to breach the Fair Trading Act.
Big Blue claimed that the Wasser technology process "neutralises the harm caused by toxins through re-programming the waters polarity and restoring it to its 'primordial' or natural state. This natural state provides beneficial health giving frequencies." One of the main problems with their claim, apart from the fact that its pseudo-scientific crap, is that in their process the water did not actually come into contact with the substance apparently responsible for giving the water these properties.
The process involved passing of water through a pipe to which was attached a small, sealed, stainless cartridge supposedly containing "spring water" enhanced with life-essential "sea trace" minerals, trace elements and mineral bound oxygen. According to Big Blue, simply running the water through this tube encased in part by the so-called active ingredient is enough. Auckland District Court says no.
Not that it matters whether the water touches these life-essential minerals or not. What the court should have done is get Big Blue to define and explain under oath exactly how these minerals are life-essential, what exactly is mineral bound oxygen, how water in a 'primordial' or natural state differs from tap water, and very importantly, how water in such a state releases (if that is the right verb?) "health giving frequencies."
All of these claims questioned above are typical woo/magic/pseudo-scientific/BS claims made by magic water manufacturers. Water is water. Two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. Sure it can have small quantities of minerals and micronutrients mixed in for taste but remember, water + energy = steam...not magic health giving properties.
The investigating commission did however test the water and found that the minor traces of minerals found bore no resemblance to what was supposed to be there. The conclusion? It was, after all, just normal water that has gone through a standard purification process.
Really...$25,000 isn't enough of a fine against a SME like this when the law allows for up to $200,000. Additionally, even months after the ruling, and the consequent labelling change, investigators found products with the old label still being prominently sold. They should get fined again in this case!
The bottled water industry is in and of itself an inherent scam by making bottled water into the fashionable and healthy choice. This is especially true in NZ where we generally have such high standards of tap water. And then there are the environmental issues of all those plastic bottles we weren't producing or disposing of only 15 years ago.
But alas, for shame. As I type this I'm sipping out of my Pump bottle. At least it's the same Pump bottle I've had for nigh on 3 months now.