Boy in the Bubble

For as much talk as Voice-over-IP (VoIP) has been getting, I had largly ignored it. I had considered it only practical for special scenarios as a result of the case studies I had done in my classes, and until everyone had it, I probably wouldn't use it. But I took another look at it when Molly asked me if I had Skype on my PC. I connected the dots pretty quickly. "Of course! We could talk over the internetjust between the two of us and I couldn't have to pay for long distance!" I'm not ready to replace my regular phone with VoIP, but for "special scenarios" such as, my friends overseas, this would work great.
Molly and I couldn't get her microphone to work, but Erin and I did, and we tested it while she was in town.

"You know, with this, it doesn't feel as though we're so far apart..." (Paraphrasing here)

Those words rung with me like a bell. I have so long believed that technology, especially communications technology will bring people together, but I've never heard it from anyone expect in an academic or professional setting. But I think hearing it from a friend who I've historically had trouble keeping close to echoed with a purity that really struck me as magnificant. The magic of hearing someone's voice from across the ocean can be easily overlooked since it's so ubiquitious today, but when I consider all of the factors involved to make it happen I really become amazed. It was one of those moments of clarity in which I reaffirmed that I'm on the right track to be doing what I really want to be doing, and that it will make a difference in people's lives.



Macworld started yesterday, and Apple announced both their new line of iMacs and laptops, dubbed the "Macbook" that run on Intel processors. I'm reading this morning that both Apple and Microsoft will not prevent Windows from being installed on these machines, which suddenly makes it a tantalizing possibility. Mac OS X and Windows XP on the same box! Or Linux too! I have to say, I'm looking at Apple with a whole lot more respect these days. ::gasp::

Don't worry, it's not the end of the world yet. So long as there's Windows Server System, I'll still be PC oriented.

Oh, and one of the handlers at isc.sans.org posted a link to this gallery. Excellent work.

Oh, and Mac users (I'm looking at you Erin.) Flip4Mac is now being distributed by Microsoft, letting you play any Windows Media file in Quicktime. Horray! (Now if only they had a plugin to let me play my Windows Media Lossless files in iTunes, we'd be set!)