Dell attempts to trademark Cloud Computing

DON'T BUY DELL, EVER

• Industry Standard article: Dell tries to trademark "cloud computing"
• Official US Patent Office Status of Application

Here at "Cloud Computing Advocacy" the writers and commenters have up to this moment never mentioned nor used a Dell computer while actively engaged in cloud computing. We have used or mentioned the OLPC, Asus, VIA, and Apple iMacs ( I am currently using a new Apple iMac to write this text which is then going to be stored in the Google cloud infrastructure ).

For me, the term has brought to mind first and foremost Google -more specifically their blogger, gmail, app engine, and Google docs. At U of Washington, Google has helped create the new cloud computing courses. While there are competitors that are truly providing cloud computing services ( Amazon S3 and EC2, GoGrid, and AppNexus ), I've had a hard time caring about these because there is an entrance fee for use. But since Amazon is the essential infrastructure of long tail economics, which is a revolution equal to cloud computing, it is worth noting they use HP Proliant Servers and not Dell.

The point I am making is plain and obvious, go out to where cloud computing has been taking place -to the companies associated with the obligatory server farms, and the home computer enthusiasts who usually use Linux or Apple because Windows does not abide by the standards cloud computing operates on ( Internet Explorer fails at a lot of javascript functions, and javascript is essential in cloud client side programming ). A plain old Dell running Windows, or a Dell server -not much to do with cloud computing.

Hey Dell, note this new slogan being passed around in cloud computing culture: DON'T BUY DELL, EVER.

English & Cloud Computing?

The main client to the cloud will be the cell phone. I have already seen Mexicans with cell phones who didn't know English or how to use a computer. Therefore I suspect there is a barrier to the "global average cellphone user" and fully utilizing the advantages of the internet: English. The good news is there's only one language that everyone needs to know: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhmp57dh_595mwwtkcv

gPC mini, the MySpace machine

Everex is advertising the gPC mini, a very compact $499 desktop computer (keyboard, mouse and monitor not included) customized for ... MySpace. MySpace? That's right, MySpace: "The limited edition gPC mini provides MySpace users with a customized platform to easily collaborate, modify and update webpages on the world's most popular social networking site." The gPC mini is a bit longer but thinner than a Mac Mini. While it doesn't have as much RAM or CPU power as Apple's machine, the gPC Mini does have a bigger hard drive, DVD writer, S-Video out and 2-in-1 media card reader.

Android: thin client to the Cloud

As you probably know, the Android SDK has been released. If you haven't already, make sure you watch all of the videos on: http://code.google.com/android/

I have been window shopping for PDA's lately. All but the very worst physical interfaces (mice, keyboards, screen size, etc.) are sufficient for my needs. The problem comes from the software end. Like Sugar, the software just fails to be able to handle tasks in a way that I find useful, the worst software being the most essential software for my needs: the web browsers. The closest thing out there to what I need is that ultimate failure known as the iPhone (compare $15 extra per month for unlimited web data from Sprint, to the $60 per month minimum from AT&T: all SKD postponement and objective C dependency aside, the iPhone is not an economically sustainable option, like most other Mac products.)

Laptops with their hinges, hard drives and wide flat builds have too fragile of a feel for me to feel safe in investing in. I also need web/cloud access that I can get as easily and dependably as I get cell phone voice service, so that I can quickly and regularly review and modify web content while commuting or while being paid to do something completely unrelated. I suspect my job-hopping, boot-strapping, trash-talking life style is not that different from the "average" cloud user of the future, and I believe Android is the gateway to that future.

-BFGalbraith

Documentary Proposal

Seth Galbraith's "Cheap, Green Freedom: Cloud Computing as a Weapon" is an dramatic explanation of how the new wave of inexpensive portable networked computing devices is the new "AK 47" of the global justice movement.

Can this 1000 word essay be reduced to a 250 word script and turned into a 5 minute Youtube documentary for this blog?

• It seems like there are a lot of images in there, I could throw a script together somewhat easily.
• I've never composed anything that could be uploaded to Youtube, so using the software to take this from a short script to a 5 minute video could be more work than I think it is.
• This might be an overly militaristic message that we may not want to be promoting (though I think it's dramatic power should be considered.)

Google App Engine

Google App Engine

This is the greatest leap forward in history. If aliens study our world they will take notice of this innovation. Write in Python, utilize the Google Cloud Computing Infrastructure. Paradigm shift, done.

• http://code.google.com/appengine/docs/gettingstarted/helloworld.html

• Google's google-app-engine-samples

• /usr/local/google_appengine/new_project_template/
  • index.yaml
  • app.yaml
  • main.py

Posse: Portland Open Source Software Entrepreneurs

POSSE is dedicated to helping businesses in the Portland area and beyond reduce costs, mitigate risk, and make software choice easy by utilizing open source software.

POSSE members meet once a month to network with other open source software entrepreneurs, engineers and enthusiasts.

http://www.possepdx.org/