When I read this BBC News article I thought, “Wow! I could totally do that job!” Plus it would really feed into my James Bond fantasies. (Smile)

Here is a snippet…

“The US government has begun a project to develop ways to spot terrorists who are using virtual worlds.
Codenamed Reynard it aims to recognise “normal” behaviour in online worlds and home in on anomalous activity.

It is likely to develop tools and techniques for intelligence officers who are hunting terrorists and terror groups on the net or in virtual worlds.

The project was welcomed by experts tracking terror groups using the net to organise or carry out attacks.”

Read: US seeks terrorists in web worlds

Tags: espionage, governement, spies, Technology, terror, terrorist cell, virtual terror, virtual worlds

Found out what YouTube is up to courtesy of a post on Beta News. Take a peek

While YouTube is best known for its work in promoting social video, the company is looking to live video as its next format. In an interview with NewTeeVee, YouTube founder Steve Chen said that the company plans to introduce a new live feature sometime this year. He said that the company had always wanted to do it, but didn’t have the resources. Now that YouTube is owned by Google, Chen said the resources are now at their disposal.

Analysts say that YouTube is likely to quickly build momentum in the marketplace, which is primarily due to its already strong presence in social video. “Like video, content creators want to be on the service that gives them the most exposure, no matter how good the alternatives are,” Duncan Riley wrote for TechCrunch. “YouTube already has the user base; live video streamers will flock to YouTube like a moth to a flame.”

I agree with the analysts on this one. YouTube going live is going to be H-U-G-E for no other reason than that they have a large fanbase already in place. Keeping my eyes on this development. Make me wonder how long before they begin showing Hi-definition on their channels as well. Or, are they leaving that up to my other favorite video hosting company- Vimeo.

What? You did not know that you could post high definition videos on the web and let others embed them on their sites? Well… now you you know. Check out a sample video below.

Oooohh… Don’t that look purrdee?! ( I love Hi Def )

Tags: social, user generated content, Video, vimeo, youtube

Oooohh!!!! I found out about movies on flash memory cards from an article on CNet. I like this one and I think it will fly once it hits the malls in America. (At least, among those early adopters like myself.) This is why I think (or hope) movies on flash memory cards is a good thing.

1. Unlimited inventory! Imagine having access to thousands of movies with new titles coming in every hour (if not minute) to a kiosk near you. I could review a bunch of trailers, make a selection of one (or several titles) and then download them instantly to a drive. A lot quicker than my beloved Netflix (sorry guys) and just as convenient.

2. It won’t matter how fast my computer can download huge files. Although I download a lot of things, many people are adverse to downloading files as large as movie files. I think the idea of renting (or buying) a bunch of movies in one sitting and then they sit on a device for me to play whenever I want to is too irresistible. Plus, I can store more Flash drives on my shelf that DVD covers; somewhat the same way DVD covers replace those big VCR tapes I still have scattered about.

My only wish is that Comicbook companies would jump on this bandwagon. I would LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT if I could buy say… the last decade of Batman comics and have them on a flash drive for me to read at my leisure. Pretty much like I do now with my MP3s, but hey, maybe that’s just me.

Anyways, here is a clip from an article that sparked off my little rant…

***

GALWAY, Ireland–PortoMedia is probably the only start-up in the world inspired by the movie Carlito’s Way.

Company founder Chris Armstrong explains: Four years ago, he set out to his local DVD store to rent a movie. First, he stopped at the ATM to get cash. The store didn’t have Twelve Angry Men, the movie Armstrong wanted. He settled for Carlito’s Way instead. He then waited in line, paid for his rental, and returned to his car.

Then he remembered another movie, Gone in Sixty Seconds, the title of which got him wondering why the process of renting movies, from start to finish, can take so long.

While other companies see the Internet as the answer to that question, Armstrong has another idea. PortoMedia is setting up kiosks that will let consumers download movies to a flash memory key or portable hard drive.

The kiosks will be packed with hard drives that can hold 350 to 5,000 titles. Users then plug in a memory device from the company, enter a PIN code, and buy or rent a movie. When consumers get home, they simply slide the memory device into a dock connected to a TV.

(Click here for the rest of the story)

If anybody stumbles across this tech in a mall, please send me a video? I would love to see it in action. And in case you had no idea what a flash card looks like, a picture is posted below.

Tags: consumer technology, movies, Technology, Video