A full-stop has been put to delaying twists and turns
Dear Editor,Now that Justice Ret’d Claudette Singh has awoken out of her slumber and issued the statement that elections have to be held before the year’s end, immediately heads start to roll, because the PNC Commissioners at GECOM have realised that this is it, this is the end of the road for them.A full stop has been put to their shenanigans and delaying twists and turns.We must respect the Constitution, and that entails free and fair elections this present year, not a futuristic fantasy election of next year as proposed by the PNC. Elections have to be held within the time frame stipulated by the Constitution and our courts. For too long, we have been bogged down by this illegal Government and its Commissioners stifling the rights of the people at every turn. It is time for this nonsense to come to an end.We look forward to a headway straight into the Claims and Objections period and the production of a verified, updated, national voters’ list in time for election. As a nation, we have waited, too long to be exact, and here we are at the brink of a new day. Let us be vigilant and never let our guards down, we have to be constantly on the alert.However, there are two other major obstacles in our path on our way to a free and fair election. These two shackles I shall explain as we move swiftly forward to that healthy place called freedom.Respectfully,Neil Adams
Defendant Christopher Hayes Onanuga has been granted medical leave to travel to Nigeria and later to the U.S. between December 14 and January 14.Questions abound whether he will abscond as GT Bank manager did recently There are reportedly growing fears amongst prosecution lawyers about the likelihood of Christopher Onanuga, one of those accused in the Sable Mining US$950,000 alleged bribery case, who was granted permission to travel to Nigeria for medical purposes that he would jump bail as done by dismissed Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank) Liberia, Managing Director Ayodeji Bejide, also a Nigerian national.Bejide, who was granted two weeks’ medical leave by the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice, is yet to return to stand trial for allegedly assaulting one of the bank’s staff, identified as Edward Freeman, who sustained serious cuts to his lip, on August 28, 2018, when the defendant hurled a calculator at the victim.In the case of Onanuga, he was accused along with several other present and past public officials, including Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County in the Global Witness’ report alleging that Sable Mining, a UK-based mining company, through its Liberian lawyer, Sen. Sherman of the Sherman and Sherman Law Firm, had advised the company that the only way to have the Wologizi Mountain in Lofa County awarded to it without competitive bidding was to insert a provision in the revised Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) Act.The government alleges that Onanuga consulted, advised, facilitated and conspired with Sable Mining and Senator Sherman to induce public officials to violate the public trust during the amendment process of the PPCC Act to give undue advantage to the company for the Wologizi Mountain. Onanuga had initially denied the charges against him prior to his permission to travel for medical attention in the United States.In the court’s permission letter addressed to Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe, of the Sherman and Sherman Law Firm, a copy of which is in the possession of the Daily Observer, it said “I wish to inform you that the request contained in your letter addressed on December 7, relative to co-defendant Christopher Onanuga’s travel to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and subsequently to the United States of America is hereby granted.”It further said, “Your client is hereby granted permission to depart Liberia for the Federal Republic of Nigeria and subsequently to the United States of America, on December 14 and to return to the Republic of Liberia on Monday, January 14, 2019.”As to whether Onanuga will return or not, it depends on how concrete his base in Liberia is. Onanuga is the founder and CEO of Kool FM radio station in Paynesville, as well as the chairperson of the National Excellence Awards Secretariat, which produces the National Excellence Awards. While Onanuga could not be reached for comment, the Daily Observer reliably learnt that he was in talks earlier this year to sell a majority stake in Kool FM to an investor.In Bejide’s case, Magistrate Kennedy had at the time said his court decided to grant the medical leave to the defendant because the defendant had filed a valid criminal insurance bond of US$ 50,000 by the Insurance Company of Africa that far exceeded the actual amount of US$1,000 bond needed as the legal requirement for the crime of aggravated assault.Bejide was charged on August 28, 2018, by the police and forwarded to the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice for prosecution based on the complaint by victim Freeman, an employee of the bank who alleged that he was assaulted by Bejide while at work at the bank’s 13th Street branch office.Police claimed that during the investigation conducted with defendant Bejide it was gathered that on August 28 at the hour of 8:30 am, the victim and the accused were involved in an “investigation which established that the allegation levied against defendant Bejide is truth beyond all reasonable doubt, as evidenced by the injury on the victim’s lips and the voluntary admission of defendant Bejide himself during the course of the investigation,” the police charge sheet said.
Ayodeji Bejide, ex-Managing Director, GT Bank Liberia, was allowed by a judge to seek medical care outside Liberia and has yet to return to face charges of aggravated assault.The government has alleged that Onanuga consulted, advised, facilitated and conspired with Sable Mining and Senator Sherman to induce public officials to violate the public trust during the amendment process of the PPCC Act to give undue advantage to the company for the Wologizi Mountain. Onanuga had initially denied the charges against him prior to his permission for medical attention in the United States.In the court’s permission letter addressed to Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe, of the Sherman and Sherman Law Firm, a copy of which is in the possession of the Daily Observer, it said “I wish to inform you that the request contained in your letter addressed on December 7, relative to co-defendant Christopher Onanuga’s travel to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and subsequently to the United States of America is hereby granted.”It further said, “Your client is hereby granted permission to depart Liberia for the Federal Republic of Nigeria and subsequently to the United States of America, on December 14 and to return to the Republic of Liberia on Monday, January 14, 2019.”As to whether Onanuga will return or not, it depends on how concrete his base in Liberia is. Onanuga is the founder and CEO of Kool FM radio station in Paynesville, as well as the chairperson of the National Excellence Awards Secretariat, which produces the National Excellence Awards. While Onanuga could not be reached for comment, the Daily Observer reliably learnt that he was in talks earlier this year to sell a majority stake in Kool FM to an investor.In Bejide’s case, Magistrate Kennedy then said his court decided to grant the medical leave to the defendant because the defendant had filed a valid criminal insurance bond of US$ 50,000 by the Insurance Company of Africa that far exceeded the actual amount of US$1,000 bond needed as the legal requirement for the crime of aggravated assault.Bejide was charged on August 28, 2018, by the police and forwarded to the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice for prosecution based on the complaint by victim Freeman, an employee of the bank who alleged that he was assaulted by Bejide while at work at the bank’s 13th Street branch office.Police claimed that during the investigation conducted with defendant Bejide it was gathered that on August 28 at the hour of 8:30 am, the victim and the accused were in an “investigation which established that the allegation levied against defendant Bejide is truth beyond all reasonable doubt, as evidenced by the injury on the victim’s lips and the voluntary admission of defendant Bejide himself during the course of the investigation,” the police charge sheet said.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Two elderly persons were hospitalised and a family of four now homeless following a fire which destroyed a building at North East La Penitence, Georgetown.The fire of unknown origin erupted in at around 03:00hrs.The elderly couple, the landlords, were residing in the upper-flat while the family, the tenants, was living downstairs. Reports are that the tenants were alerted by their neighbour that a fire had started upstairs and they quickly tried to vacate their home.However, they soon realised that their landlords were trapped upstairs and had to break open the door to rescue the couple. The owners reportedly suffered burns and were rushed to the hospital where they are presently seeking medical attention.
Buncrana senior hurlers with new jersey sponsor Supervalu Buncrana.BUNCRANA CLG NOTESWell done to our senior teams this weekend with wins for our footballers and hurlers. Buncrana senior footballers took on Aodh Ruadh in the Scarvey. Both sets of footballers were in winning form. Our reserves squeezed a win and our senior team put in ax excellent performance to beat the table toppers Aodh Ruadh.Our senior hurlers saw the hard work of many years pay off with a championship win over Aodh Ruadh on Sunday. Some bright days ahead for this team.Senior Hurling ReportWhat a performance ,Buncrana made another step forward in our short Senior Hurling history,when they pulled of a shock win over Ballyshannon in the first round of the senior championship,This young side started strong and won most of the early physical battles and showed the Aodh Ruadh boys that The Scarvey boys were up for this.A strong showing in defence from Donal og, Aedan Stokes and the impressive Daniel Wilson keep things tight.Captain Jack o loughlin was outstanding and gave a display way above his age.Conor Grant only back after breaking his collar bone hit 2 great points from from play and gave his usual industrious game.County players Paul Nelson and Sam Doherty were relentless and caused Ballyshannon no end of trouble.This game was won by heart and desire, tipified by the performance of the minor players in the panel.James Doherty, Kevin Vaughan and Daniel Deery.Tom Clare was unarring in his freetaking registering 10 points in total.final score Buncrana 0:14 to Aodh Ruadh 0:8.Team:David Guilfoyle,Kevin Vaughan,Donal og mac Lochlainn, James Doherty,Aedan Stokes, Jack o loughlin(0:1), Daniel Wilson,Paul Nelson,Stephen Dean mc Fadden,Ronan Walsh,Sam Doherty(0:1),Stephen Nelson,Daniel Deery,Tom Clare(0:10),Conor Grant(0:2) and Mickey Gallagher. NEED YOUR HELP Folks….Here is a great opportunity for us to received much need gear for our underage…..and it’s you that can help….Here’s how it worksWith every €40 you spend with your real rewards card over the next 8 weeks you will received a voucher for the club of your choice (preferably Buncrana Gaa Club Og) drop this voucher into the box at the entrance to the toilets, if we manage to get 2000 vouchers we will all the mentioned gear FREE courtesy of our local Supervalu…..Please Start Collecting FolkRecycling BinBuncrana GAA has a recycle bin at The Scarvey. Anyone who wishes to place old clothes, shoes, curtains, towels etc… can do so. This helps raise funds for the club. Open for anyone to use.Bord Na nOgU12 Hurling.Well Done to our U12 Hurlers who had a convincing win over Burt last Thursday…. A great performance by every player on the night … Keep up the Good Work….. training as normal on Wednesday at 7pmU8/U10 HurlingU8 U10 Hurling Blitz in Beart teams Beart Carn Buncrana first gameagainst Carn some good ground hurling by both teams second game wasagainst Bert this was a bit tougher end to end game everyone givingthere best and great to see every player improving from game to gamebest on the day for under U8 were Carl Mallon Jack Breisley OranDoherty Roe Jay Huston Stephen Carey Ryhs McGoryU10 FootballFinals day started off very wet on Saturday morning in Malin but it didn’t deter our U10 boys our A team got off to a unlucky start against a strong physical Steelstown and a quick firing Carndonagh. However when these boys found their shooting boots they didn’t lay down and went on to win the next 3 game and their cup….Our Development team started out better beating Steelstown, Burt and Urris, getting through to the Final but a stronger St Eunans won 4-2…. well done to players manager Marty Coyle and his coaches Paul, Adrain & Kevin…. Thank You to Inishowen GAA for another great finals Days and to all parents for great support throughoutGaelic footballBoys & GirlsU6 Fundamentals Fridays at 6.30pmBoysU8 Boys Friday from 6.30pm – 7.30pmU10 Boys Friday from 6.45pm – 8.00pmU12 Boys Friday from 6.30pm – 8.00pmU14 Boys Friday from 7.00pm – 8.30pmU16 Boys Monday 7.00pmGirls:Reminder to everyone that our underage girls training has moved outdoors!U10s girls on Friday from 3:30 to 4:30pmU8s girls on Friday from 4:30 to 5:30pmU12, & U16 Girls on Monday 6.30pmU14 Girls Wednesday 4.00pmTraining in The Scarvey, Bring gum shield and water and €2 for training contribution. GAA NEWS: BUNCRANA HURLERS IN SHOCK WIN OVER AODH RUADH was last modified: July 11th, 2016 by John2Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)
JOB VACANCY: One of Donegal’s most successful service stations requires a ‘Shop Assistant’ to join their professional, dynamic and hardworking team.Management at the multiple award-winning Tobin’s Service Station are looking to hire a ‘Shop Assistant’ to join their team. Job Title: Full-time Cashier/ Shop Assistant ref: FC13You will be expected to consistently deliver high standards of customer service.Duties will include receiving payments from customers and forecourt staff. Flexibility is essential as working hours will include evenings and weekends.You will also be required to stock shelves and maintain a clean and tidy environment in the store.Experience preferred but not essential as full training will be provided.Applicants must be reliable with a mature attitude and demonstrate:A passion for the delivery of excellent customer serviceEnjoy working as part of a high performance teamAn ability to learn quicklyAn ability to work under pressure in a fast moving environmentA flexible attitude to working hours.Applicants MUST be over 18 years of age.Applications will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Please forward an up to date CV and cover letter to Eddie@tobins.ieOr alternatively to the address below:Eddie TobinManager,Tobin’s Service Station,Port Road,Letterkenny Closing date for applications is 5.30pm Wed 12th October 2016Job Vacancy: Award-winning Donegal service station need Shop Assistant was last modified: October 5th, 2016 by Elaine McCalligShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)
Donegal residents are being encouraged to play a part in World Suicide Prevention Day through awareness and action. The impact of suicide on all communities is being highlighted today, 10th September, as Pieta leads a ‘Light a Candle’ campaign.People are being asked to light a candle (with caution and supervision) near a window in their home at 8:00pm this Tuesday night as a symbol of support for suicide prevention and in memory of loved ones lost to suicide. Pieta CEO, Elaine Austin, stresses the importance of taking a moment to think about how to support someone who may need help; “From rural towns and villages, to major cities across Ireland, suicide impacts all communities. It is very concerning that last year we lost one person a day to suicide. The only way we can tackle this crisis is together – in our communities, in our places of work, in our schools and sports clubs.Ms Austin continued: “We can all play a part – together we can make a positive change, we can raise the awareness of looking after your mental health, we can reduce the stigma, we can improve the level of services, we can make the difference, we can help to prevent suicide.” The Pieta charity shared some signs or behaviour to watch out for if you are concerned about a family member, friend, colleague, or associate: sleep disturbance, isolation, giving away possessions, lack of interest in anything and speaking of no future. When you find the most appropriate time to ask them how they are feeling and if they are considering suicide, it’s really important to take them seriously. “Never be afraid to say to someone, are you ok? Need to talk?,” says Leigh Kenny, Clinical Regional Manager of Pieta. Ms Kenny is asking people to “explore why you feel the way you feel and learn the tools to cope with how you feel. Be heard, be supported be empowered by your own strength. You would be surprised at how many people feel the same.” Pieta House National 24hr suicide helpline 1800 247247Pieta runs a range of services nationwide to support people and communities in crisis, including free counselling services and support for those who are at the risk of suicide, engaging in self-harm and those bereaved by suicide. In 2018, over 220 Pieta therapists and clinical staff, working across 15 centres and 3 outreach centres nationwide, supported over 8,000 clients and handled over 16,000 calls through its 24/7 crisis helpline 1800 247 247. Donegal people invited to play their part in World Suicide Prevention Day was last modified: September 10th, 2019 by Rachel McLaughlinShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:world suicide prevention day
Striker Scott Hogan and teenager Tom Field make their first starts for Brentford in the west London derby against Fulham, for whom Moussa Dembele is only on the bench.Field, 19, starts at left-back with Jake Bidwell out injured, while Maxime Colin replaces Josh Clarke on the other flank.Hogan, who had been restricted to five substitute appearances since returning from a serious knee injury, finally starts a game for the Bees almost two years after joining.Sam Saunders and Konstantin Kerschbaumer come into midfield, with Alan McCormack and John Swift making way.Fulham make four changes from the side that lost to Nottingham Forest last weekend, with Ashley Richards and Richard Stearman slotting into the back four.Ryan Tunnicliffe is in for Emerson Hyndman, while Dembele’s absence from the starting line-up allows boss Slavisa Jokanovic to strengthen midfield with Lasse Vigen Christensen.Brentford: Button; Colin, Dean, Barbet, Field; Yennaris, Woods; Saunders, Kerschbaumer, Canos; Hogan.Subs: Bonham, Clarke, O’Connell, Cole, Swift, Gogia, Hofmann.Fulham: Bettinelli, Richards, Stearman, Amorebieta, Ream; Parker, Ince; Cairney, Christensen, Tunnicliffe; McCormack. Subs: Lonergan, Fredericks, Burn, O’Hara, Hyndman, Dembele, Smith.
It’s safe to use the Bible in secular science as long as you don’t read it and endorse it.The good book: Bible helps researchers perfect translation algorithms (Science Daily). Researchers in artificial intelligence at Dartmouth wanted to teach their algorithms about style in different languages. Aha, they thought: the Bible has lots of translations. Seeing how styles would compare from one translation to another, they got inspired:In search of inspiration for improving computer-based text translators, researchers at Dartmouth College turned to the Bible for guidance. The result is an algorithm trained on various versions of the sacred texts that can convert written works into different styles for different audiences.The wide availability of Bible translations worked out better than using Shakespeare or Wikipedia, they decided. Hopefully they stopped to read some passages from time to time.Internet tools to translate text between languages like English and Spanish are widely available. Creating style translators — tools that keep text in the same language but transform the style — have been much slower to emerge. In part, efforts to develop the translators have been stymied by the difficulty of acquiring the enormous amount of data required. This is where the research team turned to the Bible.In addition to being a source of spiritual guidance for many people around the globe, the Dartmouth-led team saw in the Bible “a large, previously untapped dataset of aligned parallel text.” Beyond providing infinite inspiration, each version of the Bible contains more than 31,000 verses that the researchers used to produce over 1.5 million unique pairings of source and target verses for machine-learning training sets.If they use their algorithm to translate Darwin next, all this inspiration will have been for nought. How many ways can you translate “stuff happens” with style?Dead Sea Scroll Fragments in Museum of the Bible Are Fake (Live Science). This is not about the Bible, but about the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC. The Museum has removed some Dead Sea Scroll fragments after researchers determined that seven of them were forgeries. The purchases required some trust in handlers that turned out to be untrustworthy, which is understandable; this was not a case of deliberate fraud, and it was corrected. Nevertheless, science news sites enjoy pointing out errors by Bible believers.Rare ‘Lunar Bible’ That Visited the Moon Is Up for Auction (Space.com). A rare microfilm Bible that went to the moon on Apollo 14 was auctioned for $50,000. Reading it and gaining spiritual benefit, though, would require a microscope. The article mentions some interesting anecdotes about Bibles taken on Apollo missions.The role of the Bible in the space program provides some relief from the constant secularism at NASA. Astronaut Edward White wanted to take a Bible to the moon, but died in the disastrous Apollo 1 fire. The Apollo 8 astronauts read from Genesis on Christmas Eve 50 years ago while orbiting the moon. Buzz Aldrin took communion as his first act after Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Several Apollo astronauts took Bibles on their missions. 300 of the microfilm Bibles were taken by Apollo 14, and only a few survive. Apollo 15 astronaut James Irwin quoted his favorite Bible verse (Psalm 121:1) on the moon, and Apollo 15 commander Dave Scott left a full-size Bible on the moon on the dashboard of the lunar module.(Visited 389 times, 1 visits today)FacebookTwitterPinterestSave分享0
23 June 2014 The remains of exiled writer and journalist Nat Nakasa are to be repatriated from the United States for reburial at his home in South Africa, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced during the annual Nat Nakasa Awards for Bravery in Journalism in Cape Town on Friday. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to inform you that we have now obtained permission to exhume and repatriate Nat Nakasa’s mortal remains back to home soil,” Mthethwa said. “The Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester, issued a court order granting us permission a few weeks ago. “This momentous occasion happens exactly fifty years since Nakasa left South Africa, and on the twentieth anniversary of our freedom and democracy.” Nathaniel Ndazana Nakasa, better known as Nat Nakasa, was a South African short story writer and journalist. He was born in Durban in 1937 but moved to Johannesburg to work as a journalist for Drum magazine. He also worked for the Golden City Post and was the first black journalist to work at the Rand Daily Mail, where he provided a black perspective for the newspaper’s predominantly white readership. He was awarded a Nieman Fellowship in 1964 to study journalism at Harvard College in the US. However, the apartheid government rejected his application for a passport. As a result, he was forced to leave South Africa on an exit permit, which meant that he could not return. Nakasa soon found that racism existed in America as well, albeit in a more subtle form. He did not like New York and soon moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he spent his time at Harvard steeped in the sombre business of education. His death by suicide was an apartheid tragedy, and a tragedy of exile. He wrote articles for several newspapers after leaving Harvard, appeared in the television film The Fruit of Fear and was planning to write a biography of Miriam Makeba. But two days before his death, he told a friend: “I can’t laugh any more, and when I can’t laugh, I can’t write.” As it was not possible to bring his body home, he was buried at the Ferncliff cemetery in upstate New York. Also speaking at Friday’s awards ceremony, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said Nakasa was more than a reporter and a storyteller. “He was an activist, intellectual and opinion maker – one of those few individuals of whom could be said that without him, we would have been infinitely poorer.” Ramaphosa said the repatriation of Nakasa’s mortal remains to South Africa would stand as a victory over those who had denied him the right to return to the land of his birth. “It is a defeat for those who sought to turn Nakasa, like the majority of his people, into temporary sojourners in the country of their birth. Finally, his soul will rest in his ancestral land.” Ramaphosa said journalists should remember Nakasa by pausing and reflecting on the role of the media in the new South Africa that was achieved in 1994. “We need to do this so that we can consider where we will be or desire to be tomorrow. As a society, we expect many things of the media … but at its most basic, we ask you to communicate the story of South Africa and its people.” The media needed to tell stories that were good and also tell stories that were “difficult, painful and troublesome”, Ramaphosa said. Journalists should write of the experience of a woman who had been freed from the burden of collecting firewood because she now had electricity. “Tell us how this has enabled them to go out and find work, and how their lives have improved. But also be the voice of many people who have not yet had such opportunities.” Minister Mthethwa said the South African and US authorities were still finalising the logistics for Nakasa’s remains to be returned to SA. He said plans were being made to rebury Nakasa in Heroes’ Acre in Chesterville, Duban, adding that the reburial date would be announced at a later stage. SAnews.gov.za and SAinfo reporter
Top Reasons to Go With Managed WordPress Hosting Related Posts Fluid Voice Use CasesThe goal of Fluid Voice is to coordinate people in outdoor settings, using their mobile phones. According to a white paper, use cases include “spreading news during emergency responses and supporting impromptu social exchanges.” The name of the product, Fluid Voice, derives from the fact that “users can transition from live to asynchronous audio communication in a fluid manner depending on the wireless environment.” To appreciate what this kind of system might be used to enable, here’s a description from the paper of how CB radio was used in the 70’s:“CB radios enabled a cooperative social culture on the highways for friendly conversations in addition to providing road assistance and accident prevention among the drivers. As cell phones and multi-band WiFi enabled cell phones are becoming ubiquitous in the 21st century, an exciting opportunity arises for supporting opportunistic social collaboration within a local area.”One imagines that software like this may become a common feature in next generation mobile phones. I used the example of a sensor-enabled bookstore in this week’s post about Cross Reality applications – the store pinging your mobile phone about a book on your wish list that it happens to have in stock. We can similarly forsee that Fluid Voice, on your mobile phone, could be used to meet like-minded people at the bookstore. You could even continue to chat with that group after you left the bookstore. Social networking 3.0 anyone? Breaker 1-9!Image credits: get directly down; slworking2 8 Best WordPress Hosting Solutions on the Market Fluid Voice is described in a white paper as “a proximity based mobile group communication system for opportunistic social exchanges.” This makes one think of a mobile app for picking up members of the opposite sex. But being an academic project, I’m sure that’s not the point of it. So what is it? Lippman described Fluid Voice to me as a new type of messaging system that engages a group. He said that it’s like a telephone system that defaults to a conference call all of the time, which he termed “push to listen.” It has similarities to party-line telephone systems, instant messaging chat rooms and conferencing bridges for business people. It’s also like the Citizen’s Band (CB) radios used by truck drivers in the 1970s. Fluid Voice can be both a live and asynchronous experience – i.e. you don’t need to be participating live to receive and leave messages. It isn’t just audio and text messaging either: audio polls and wish lists are a part of the product. Here is a UI screenshot: “The communication industry is in an upheaval equivalent to that caused by the advent of personal computers in the early 1980’s. In that earlier revolution, traditional giants who held to mainframe technologies and centralized services were outpaced by newcomers with new ideas about individual ownership, incremental adoption and instant turnover. This will now happen with communications.”Examples of new forms of communications are sensors and open 802.11 networks, which are “renegades: unlicensed, personalized, digital, and embedded.” [the guy in the glowing 802.11 detector shirt to your right is not Andrew Lippman btw]This all brings about new types of social interactions with media, which Lippman seems particularly keen on right now. He mentioned the intersection with mobility: “It’s not about you anymore, it’s about you plus your context.”Fluid Voice: A Mobile Group Communication System The theory of viral communications is a bit hard for the layman (this writer included) to grok, so I asked Lippman for some examples. One of his group’s projects is Fluid Voice, a research project that has been prototyped on the Nokia N810. It runs, initially at least, using the 802.11s wireless mesh. Tags:#Analysis#Internet of Things#web A Web Developer’s New Best Friend is the AI Wai… richard macmanus Why Tech Companies Need Simpler Terms of Servic… During my recent trip to MIT I met with Andrew Lippman, an Associate Director at the MIT Media Lab and a Senior Research Scientist. Lippman heads up the Lab’s Viral Communications program, which “examines scalable, real-time networks whose capacity increases with the number of members.” Among other things, we discussed an interesting new product his students are working on called Fluid Voice. In a way it works similar to how CB radio did for truck drivers in the 1970s – providing a mobile group communication system.Re-Thinking CommunicationsFirst a little background. Lippman explained that his Viral Communications group aims to “symmetricize media” – in other words, balance it. He used an analogy of the radio system. The power to broadcast over the radio is still tightly controlled, spectrum is limited. So in that sense it is asymmetrical, unbalanced. The MIT Viral Communications group aims to re-think the way media works. Lippman and his group is asking: does radio have to be like this? Lippman explained this in an executive summary a while back:
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