War Games 25 Years Later

On July 29th, MGM will release a 25th Anniversary edition of War Games. This movie was an icon to geeks the world over. We longed to find an open line with our war dialers. Finding some unprotected computer system and taking a look around was the ultimate prize.

By the way, a war dialer was a program that automatically dialed numbers and checked for a modem tone on the other end. If a tone was found, the number would be captured for later use.

I must admit my VIC 20 and Commodore 64 paled in comparison to Matthew Broderick's computer of the day, but I didn't let that stop me from trying to hack into a few computer systems myself.

Most of today's kids would not get the significance, or even care that your could, connect to other computers through the phone. Bulletin Board Systems, or BBS for short, were the precursors to public Internet access. BBS's allowed people to share information and files, start discussions, and were basically very early social networks.

The movie didn't have any impact on technology, but it did give the audience a glimpse of what the United States Government was using to run its defense systems. The WOPR, a mainframe type computer, depicted in the movie as a very large metal box with a bunch of LED lights, was the master mind, or central computer. This computer took on a life of it's own, when a young kid, played by Matthew Broderick, some how finds a back door using a war dialer, and starts a war simulation.

Eventually the computer completes the simulation, but nearly started world war three in the process. The movie plays on the attitude, and fear, most Americans had at the time, about an all out nuclear war with the Russians. Interesting how the use of geeky technology was used to make some sort of political statement.

If its been a while since you've watched War Games, go rent it, or download it. If you've never seen the movie before, go rent it, you'll be glad you did. But most of all, buy the anniversary edition when it comes out at the end of the month.

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Star Trek: The Experience To Close

Captains log, star date, well, today. It's sad to learn that Star Trek: The Experience will be closing its doors at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 1st.

This attraction was a unique opportunity to see Star Trek memorabilia, get sick on a few rides, and spend some of your hard earned cash in the souvenir shops. I was able to take a couple of photos with a Borg and a Klingon Woman when I was there not too long ago. It was a blast. I really hope CBS listens to the fans and finds a new home for the attraction in Las Vegas, and even expands it. Great time to do this with a new movie coming out. I really hope the fans aren't screwed again by Paramount and CBS.

Long Live Star Trek!

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CouchCast With Sterling Okura Of BizLift.com

The Internet is about getting things done easier, better, faster, cheaper. Sterling Okura of BizLift.com will walk us through how any small business can capitalize on internet tools to do more business on less budget.

On the show, we talked about Sterling’s Mixed Martial Arts experience, his blog post 5 Cage-Fighting Tips for Self-Employed, some of his tips and hints for putting together a good online business, how his business (Bizlift) is setup, his appreciation for Open Source tools and technologies, and more.

Visit CouchCast.org for all of our shows. Come and be part of this sometimes wacky, sometimes funny, and sometimes techie podcast. Hosted by Robert Merrill, Matthew Reinbold and Thom Allen.

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CouchCast Podcast With Edublogger Kelly Dumont

It's been called the Digital Divide, the gap between those people with effective access to digital information technology... and those who don't. We're talking with Kelly Dumont, Curriculum technology teacher specialist at Jordan School District, in the Salt Lake City, Utah area. He's a self-proclaimed edublogger and podcaster. What's happening in education today that will help students prepare for an increasingly hyper-connected world that's ever flattening.



Visit CouchCast.org for all of our shows. Come and be part of this sometimes wacky, sometimes funny, and sometimes techie podcast. Hosted by Robert Merrill, Matthew Reinbold and Thom Allen.

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Bill Gates Last Week At Microsoft Ends An Era

There comes a time in any business, when the original founders either retire, move on, and in some cases are pushed out. Bill Gates is no exception. I don't think it matters who you are, running any business for as long as Bill Gates has run Microsoft, and the time for change is now.

Fortunately for everyone on the planet, Bill (can I call him Bill?) will make his final trip to the Microsoft campus as a full time employee this week. Sure he's the Chairman and will still be involved in corporate decisions, but he really is walking away.

I've had a long time love hate relationship with Microsoft. And at times with Bill. However, the software his company makes has allowed me to build my business and make a living, and that's something I'm thankful for. This isn't a sappy retrospective of Microsoft or Bill Gates, but it is a momentous occasion for everyone, for two reasons.

First I think Microsoft will become need to be a leaner meaner company. As stated in Steve Levey's Newsweek article:

Since Gates and his partner Paul Allen invented the PC software industry (they formed Microsoft to write the first program for the very first personal computer, the Altair), one can say that an era is truly ending. On the other hand, critics of Microsoft contend that Gates's departure is anticlimactic—because the company is past its prime. "The Gates era has already ended—this is the coda," says Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus, the spreadsheet giant humbled by Microsoft in the 1980s. "Today, Google is the defining company in the industry."

I agree with this statement. Google, and companies like Google, are the future of global technology. Not being tied to one specific operating system or computer platform, Google is able to move with the demand of its customers and the market. But Microsoft can survive if it wants too.

I think in order for this new Microsoft to take shape, it needs to shed its old image, and old management style, and take queues from the faster, smarter start up community. With the vast amount of resources Microsoft has at its disposal, they could reduce overhead, split up into multiple companies, and, as bizarre as this may sound, focus more on non-os or platform specific software, and build products that everyone can use.

Many of you may think I'm living in fantasy land, and that may be, some of the time, but I truly think Microsoft can make changes and compete, but will they? I doubt it.

Second, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is exactly where I would expect Bill to spend the rest of his working life. The people of this planet will benefit from his success for the foreseeable future. I know this is where he can make the biggest impact. I would also hope he becomes an advocate for other wealthy individuals to follow his foot steps. I know some have, but there is so much to be done.

I wish Bill luck in his new, or rather different, life.

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