Pictured above is a prototype of a solution we are offering some of our customers. The case above contains a MiniITX board with a dual PCI riser card.  The system can integrated a variety of networking components such as wireless access point, router, ADSL, UPS and Power Over Ethernet .  The case is dustproof and splashproof.  The system is completely fanless.  The case is designed to allow organizations to put a complete datacenter on the wall or even use the system in a vehicle.  

Curt Wishman from IRD-Thailand is now designing mobile power supplies.  His supplies provide up to 100 watts without the need for external heat sinks or fans. He is offering intelligently controlled power supplies that can communicate with the motherboard or external programs that control the operation of the power supply.  

NorhTec has assembled the basic building blocks that allow them to build custom computer solutions for organizations that need cost effective and highly reliable solutions.  NorhTec's website is at www.norhtec.com.

Podcasting

As I am not a native of Thailand and Thai is my second language, I am often looking for sources of information in English -- my first language. For years, I have used streaming audio as a source of getting information directly from radio broadcasts from the United States. I am able to listen to music as well as news while it is broadcasted real time.

Last year, I amazed some of my friends showing them that using a HP IPAQ 6365, I could stream audio over GPRS and listen to radio from the United States just as easily as I could carry a transistor around. Now a new technology makes it even easier to listen to broadcasts from around the world -- no matter where you are.

The technology is called Podcasting. Podcasting allows users to subscribe to files automatically. The primary use is to allow people to download files into portable MP3 players. The name Podcasing comes from combining broadcasting with the name of Apple Computer’s iPod. This name might confuse some people to believe that you need to have an Apple iPod to listen to Podcasts. Any device that can support MP3 audio files can be used to play Podcasts.

Podcasting piggybacks on the same technology that allows bloggs to work, RSS file format. Adam Curry, best known for having been an early VJ on MTV proposed the idea of Podcasting and has thus inherited the nickname Podfather.

In order to receive Podcasts, a software package, referred to as a podcather is required. The most popular podcatcher is the open source iPodder. iPodder is available for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and BSD. A Java version of iPodder is available called jPodder.

Once you have your podcatcher software, you will be able to choose from a variety of subscription offerings in your iPodder Podcast directory. You can select from hundreds of different podcasts and subscribe to them. You can set iPodder so that it will automatically download new podcasts at a specified time. You can then sync your downloaded MP3 files to your portable MP3 player.

ABC News (US) and ABC (Austrailian) and NBC (US) offer daily podcasts. With a little searching, it is likely that you will find a variety of podcasts in your local language.

Podcasting is very inexpensive to do so it is very likely that in the future, very local community podcasts will be likely. It will be possible for churches, town meetings, school board meetings and other community based services to be shared internationally using podcasts.

Several radio stations are now offering podcasts. Some of these are focused on music while others offer entertainment and talk programs.

The world of podcasting is new and growing very fast. Ex-pats will find that podcasting is a very practical way to keep up with events back home and that the technology allows you to take your news, music and information with you just about anywhere.

Creative Commons Music

Through listening to podcasts (see above), I learned about something very exciting that is happening across the Internet, Creative Commons Music. Creative Commons is an updated way for artists to protect their work yet gives permission up front on how the music can be used.  In the past, the © symbol was used to protect original works. Without the © symbol were automatically assumed to be open sourced.  In the US, Congress passed a law that stated that works no longer needed to have the © symbol in order to be protected.  Therefore, as soon as a person finished writing or saving a work, it was automatically copyrighted.  The problem is that while the © assures that "all rights are reserved", it doesn't provide what permissions are given.  Therefore, we wind up with the confusing and conflicting set of circumstances where a library can loan out a CD or a book but an individual may or may not be able to share music with a friend.  Creative Commons also has a symbol of their own. Their symbol looks like the © symbol but has two letter c's in the circle.  To learn more information on Creative Commons, you can go to their website at www.creativecommons.org. 

I learned about Creative Commons Music by listening to the very entertaining but geeky podcast, Slashdot Review.  Slashdot Review  provides an entertaining overview of what was covered on the technology news website Slashdot. Slashdot is so popular that being mentioned on the site creates what is called the "Slashdot effect".  That means that websites become bombarded with new hits once the site is mentioned.  A couple years ago, NorhTec was mentioned on Slashdot and we got 700,000 hits in one day.

At the end of every Slashdot Review podcast, they play a music that is free to share under a Creative Commons Music Sharing License.  What is surprising is that I have liked just about every song they have selected.  These songs can all be downloaded in MP3 format for free.

Of the bands I listened to on Slashdot Review, my favorite was "Who's Tumbling Now?" by the Minisota band FLAVOR.  What is cool is that if you want to download this song, you can do so without restriction.  Simply go to the following website (http://www.garageband.com/artist/genuineflavor/songs), select the song "Who's Tumblin Now" on the right. Right click on the MP3 symbol in the box labled DOWNLOAD to download the song.  If you like this song, you might want to grab "Secret Solution", another song by FLAVOR that you can download without restriction.  Thank you very much FLAVOR for recording this song and letting me listen to it.  Thank you for allowing me to share this song with my readers. FLAVOR has one more song available for download which is "Where here is".  While the first two songs are funky sounding, "Where here is" is sort of a cross between Led Zepplin and the Moody Blues. 

FLAVOR is by no means the only artists sharing their music using the Creative Commons Music Licensing Scheme.  Another fantastic song mentioned on Slashdot Review is "Summer Days" by Redd_Soul.  If you like soulful tunes by Marvin Gay or Stevie Wonder, then you really should download Summer Days at http://www.garageband.com/artist/Redd_Soul. FrodoCPU was a band from LA that was also highlighted on Slashdot Review.  FrodoCPU's stated goal is a studio band that is focused on trying to create music with the production values of Steely Dan.  The music is quite good if not outstanding.  You can download five songs from their album at http://www.garageband.com/artist/frodocpu.  The best song for download is It's Time (Club Remix). 

For people who are more pop oriented, Tweachzone is the product of independent producer and songwriter Craig Neil.   The song, Everytime I go Away is a very slickly produced Pop song that is good enough to have you running the lyrics through your head after two or three plays.  You can download two songs from Tweachzone at  http://www.garageband.com/artist/craigneil.

The Creative Commons licensing approach is a fantastic alternative to the Nazi style copyright enforcement of the RIAA. In contrast to the RIAA's approach of making criminals out of college students who try to share music, the Creative Commons licensing approach encourages people to listen and share music.  The artists who release under this license retain their creative rights and only the artists can legally sell their works. 

In the spirit of Creative Commons, please feel free to share this article with anyone.