What Bruce Eckel really taught me.

I remember on the late 90's when I was in college we were going to start learning Java. Java 1.1x was on the market for some time and version 1.2 was very new and we were very excited to learn that version of Java.

The teacher told us we can download an eletronic book from the internet called "Thinking In Java" by Bruce Eckel. This was a great book and was a free download, so everyone on the class got it.

But the first pages of the book has a strange dedication:

Dedication:

To the person who, even now,

is creating the next great computer language

What? The author wrote a huge book about Java on and the first pages of it is promoting for someone else to create another computer language? Instead of saying "Java is great", "you rock by using Java" or "nothing can beat Java", the author is trying to say that there is something better coming on the future. 

That was a huge lesson for me. Java is a great computer language and I think it had evolved over time like no other language. I think that Java is "open enough" to be used freely and that's why it had defeated several other languages on the market. 

But Bruce Eckel taught me on the phrase the basic of computer science. Everything is changing, everything is evolving, when you think that nothing can beat a specific technology, someone else will prove that you are wrong. 

So today, when I see Android, iOS, C#, Java, or something else, I remember Bruce Eckel's book dedication and it the end I have the certainly that "nothing is here to stay" and I need to always keep my eyes open for change.

Blueworks Live and Websphere Business Modeler 2013 Wish list

Dear Santa:

I know you are somewhere in the north pole making toys for the next Christmas, but for this time I want to request your elves to do some development work and try to improve a software that I like a lot which is “IBM Websphere Business Modeler” (WBM) and “BlueWorks Live”. 

WBM is a great “on premise” tool for process diagram, documentation and simulation, while Blueworks is an excellent tool for the cloud.  Both have their good and bad, but it will be great if you can found a way to make them work together. 

These are things that I miss about Websphere Business Modeler (WBM) on Blueworks:

• WBM has two ways of showing a process graphics, swim lines and from “left to right”. On Blueworks you can only see it in swim lines.

• On WBM you have freedom to move the lines (connection lines) of the activities. Blueworks is very hard on that. WBM has “Auto-layout Left to right” and options to shrink and expand the canvas size. (Link: Websphere Business Modeler - Spliting the Line  (June 2013))

• On WBM you can document more things about the roles involved in a process.  Blueworks seems limited there (Link: What is BlueWorks Live missing against Websphere Business Modeler - Part 1 (May 2013))

• On WBM you can document a lot of things about the “Business Item”. Blueworks has a very basic glossary.  (Link: The crime against BPMn that works (May 2013))

• The WBM Reports Template manager for reports may not be the best thing on earth, but it offers a lot of functionality when you want to generate al document process doc/pdf file to share it.  

• In WBM you can play a lot on how you want to process to be displayed. Colors, tags on the upper and bottom parts of the activities.

o   Ex: Show the activities that the Human Resource Manager does in green color.

o   Ex: Create a color for a custom variable on the activity tasks

If you have some hard working elves I will like to request some improvements for Websphere Business Modeler too.

• Update the eclipse version

• Add Rational Team Concert client/support, or maybe real IBM BPM Process Center support.

• Improve the Reports Template manager. Make it easy to use.

• Don’t be afraid to steal some ideas from Blueworks and IBM BPM (Lombardi). Came on, you are Santa, we know it is not it is not stealing :)

o   Blueworks export to PowerPoint looks very cool.

o   Blueworks collaboration rocks

But I know Santa can do miracles, so why don’t make a challenging wish list then.  Let’s make WBM and Blueworks live together.

• Real integration between WBM and Blueworks.  Turn IBM Blueworks into the server repository for WBM just like it was Websphere Compass. (Link: Exporting from Websphere Business Modeler to .bpmn and Importing to BlueWorks Live. (May 2013))

• Turn WBM in the alternative for the customers that don’t want process modeling on the cloud.

• Unify the drawing standard between Blueworks and WBM.  Improve WBM to support a closer BPMn 2.0 standard. (But not too much, the “business item” rules). (link: Websphere Business Modeler: The Business Items "Rules". (June 2013))

Ok, Santa, I’m stopping here. But I want to tell you that you have a real good product called IBM Websphere Business Modeler and has a lot of potential left. Use is as inspiration for Blueworks live, or keep improving it to support the IBM BPM and IBM BPA strategy.

Regards

 
Martín.

¿Puede "La Máquina" reclamar derechos de author?

Qué pasará cuando la inteligencia artificial evolucione a tal grado de poder crear obras y trabajos autónomos sin intervención humana.

En la actualidad la antigua generación de computadoras esta ayudando a la creación de la nueva generación, pero esto es un trabajo con la intervención humana. Si la computadora empezaría a adquirir experiencia y tomar sus propias decisiones de diseño, escritura y estilo empezaríamos a ver obras creadas 100% sin intervención humana. Y por supuesto que al día de hoy tenemos poesía digital ¿pero que pasará cuando las computadoras realmente tenga un motivo para crear tales obras?

• ¿Querrán las máquinas reclamar la propiedad intelectual sobre sus obras?
• ¿Cuál será el motivo?

¿Porqué reclamar los derechos de autor?

1.- ¿Derechos Robóticos?

¿Podrá la inteligencia artificial llegar a solicitar sus derechos como un ser vivo? Si lo llega a ser uno de los puntos a su favor sería aplicar a la autoría de una obra propia. Un derecho que actualmente tienen individuos y empresas (pertenecientes a individuos).

Posiblemente una pequeña parte de su lucha social por ser reconocido como un ser vivo sea el obtener los derechos de autor de un libro, dibujo u alguna otra obra. Sería solamente un "statement político" en donde mostraría su aceptación de autoría como un paso más hacia su reconocimiento .

2.- ¿Dinero?

Creería que la inteligencia artificial vería al dinero como uno de los tantos recursos requeridos para mantener su existencia. Se requiere hardware, software, energía, espacio físíco, etc. En la sociedad que conocemos el dinero es un recurso que nos permite adquirir cosas. Por lo tanto lo tanto un ser digital va a reconocer que necesita el dinero para su existencia.

Debería crear un libro tan exitoso como Harry Potter para garantizar sus recursos monetarios. Vender secuelas, crear alianzas para películas y mercancías varias (merchandizing).

3.- ¿Ego?

Que pena sería que la inteligencia artificial evolucionara de tal manera de replicar aspectos negativos de los humanos. Aunque el Ego es un componente importante en el ser humano, un Ego desmedido puede ser negativo tanto para humanos como para máquinas. Una inteligencia artificial que quiera poseer la propiedad intelectual de algo, simplemente por capricho o porque considera su autoría importante.

Pero posiblemente no quiera dinero, solo reconocimiento. 

(fotos originales tomadas del Internet)

Why you have to stay away of "Locked Bootloaders" and DRM software on Phones and Tablets

• What is a BootLoader ?
• What is DRM?

When you have a locked bootloader you are running the risk that a software problem in Android turn your tablet into a piece of useless hardware. (bricked tablet). Yes, everybody knows about this, but now I have a real life case that happened to me.

This is the case of the "Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 1". Some editions of this Android Tablet has the bootloader locked. So, when Android miss behave and the recovery menu gets broken, the user does not have access to recover the tablet because the bootloader is locked by the manufacturer.


The only solution that Lenovo gives you is to pay for a new motherboard (if you are not under warranty). Changing a hardware components because of a software error? Sounds strange but that's the "magic" of the locked bootloaders.

 After that I started to escalate inside Lenovo. I was put in contact with the "QA Team" in North America. After giving me some hope that they are going to check the problem and look for a solution I got this response:

"Hi Mr. Iturbide.  I apologize for not responding sooner, but I wanted to review the feedback with the software engineers again. 

The only solution Lenovo has to offer for this issue is to replace the motherboard.  This is due to the fact that portions of the Android image contain Lenovo proprietary code.  Additionally, there are licensed and DRM protected content that cannot be shared.

I do apologize for the inconvenience caused by this issue, and understand you feel we are over-correcting.  Your feedback will go into future consideration as we develop our next line of consumer products.

Thanks for your support and please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.

Regards,"

Yes, the evil DRM software/content is the reason why Lenovo can not open the bootloader keys to the public. In other words, you can not fix your tablet for this software problem, you need to change (and pay) the mainboard.

So, the Thinkpad Tablet is just one example why you have to stay away from "Locked Bootloaders" on the Android platform and DRM protected Software/Content.

 Locked Bootloaders + DRM protected content = Can't recover from Brick.

On my case (after more than 120 days bricked) Lenovo accepted to replace my motherboard free of charge, and I'm still waiting for the part that should arrive to my country on July 25 (2013). But there is no warranty that in the future other software problem will cause another brick, plus all the other Thinkpad Tablet owner that has a locked bootloader are under the same risk.

Take Care !!!


Sources: Lenovo Forum.

Samsung Blu-ray E5400 update BSP-E5400WWB-1014.1

Today I noticed an update for the Samsung Blu-ray E5400. This blu-ray used to have a very slow menu interface, but with this update it got a good speed improvement.

Google TV – YouTube Live – The Missing potential.

I recovered this from the archive, too bad I lost the pictures.

Warnings:

• This article represents my point of view. You may think whatever you want.
• My native language it is not English.
• Wrote on 2012-Jun

After some months testing Google TV, I started to think why devices like Google TV, Apple TV and Samsung Smart TV still do not hit hard on the market. The devices are be solid, interesting and contains a lot of apps, but I came to think why people does not need them as a “Must-Have”.
First we need to think that this device has competition against traditional TV. On the air programming and cable services had been available for years and people are used to it. When the Smart TV devices shows up, they try to open up a different alternative “On Demand Programming”, instead of trying to compete with other services “Local Live TV” and “Cable Subscription Live Programming”.
Hipsters may say that “On Demand TV” will make every other service obsolete, and believing this (at 100%) may not be the optimal thing. I think that there are still things for what “Local Live TV” and   “Cable Subscription Live programming” are good for, and are not going to turn obsolete. These two services will change with time, but I think that people still want it.
Don’t get me wrong, “On Demand TV” is very good, and it is something that is going to grow. Services like Netflix are very interesting and usefull (and in sometimes displaced a home TV). But I’m against the idea of that “On Demand” is all that we need, and all that should exist.
I still see joy (believe it or not) on swapping channels and look a little bit of anything around to see if I can get hook up with the programming using the “Cable Subscription Live programming” service. In the mourning a like to watch the local news channel to see politicians and lawyers fighting each others and rushing who is going to be the first to make the world a better place to live ;P
I think that all TV platforms (Apple TV, Google TV, Samsung SmartTV) are still weak on this two services:

• Local Live TV
• Cable Subscription Live programming

It seems that this platforms only want to compete on the “On Demand programming” and having cool apps and games for the users. But they had to take the leap to take over the last two mentioned services.

The power is on the catalog, not in the platform or the apps.
I’m a believer that to succeed on this “Smart TV” market the manufacturer has to put its chips on the “Catalog of Contents”. It is needed a catalog that contains “On Demand”, “Local Live TV” and “Cable Subscription live Programming”.

Local Live TV Service

Let see some examples of “Local Live TV” service on the internet:

• TVUPlayer by TVUNetworks (Windows app / Web Live/) - UPDATE.- Discontinued.
  • Based on Flash
  • Allow users to create their own TV channel and stream it to their Catalog. (for non-commercial, personal use)
  • Broadcast: Has a Windows and Linux client to help broadcaster.
  • Clients for Windows / Android / Browser
  • http://www.tvunetworks.com/  (

• JustIn TV
  • Based on Flash
  • User can broadcast from Browser (Flash), iPhone, Android, Windows Desktop and Wirecast
  • Used a lot to stream video games playing.
  • http://www.justin.tv/

Let’s see other examples, but only for viewing Live TV. Not broadcast. (There are a lot on the internet).

TV for Google Chrome

• Uses Windows Media Player
• https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lambangeielkjcnmioccboaphdfcffib?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

Other “TV for Google Chrome”.

• https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/licccgnfdlgmmmgaddmbcepikfadcmpe?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

Google’s Missing Potential

The Live TV content catalog has too much fragmentation on the Internet. There is not solid single catalog where users can watch Live TV. Sometimes the broadcaster put their Live Channel on their websites, and sometime they register to other catalog.

Google opportunity here is to create a catalog of Live TV embedded to YouTube.

What about YouTube Live?

Currently:

• There is no categories on the Live Content
• There is no way for the user to broadcast Live Content yet.  ( I just can’t find any information no how to do this).

YouTube Live is missing an opportunity to be the “King”, “Owner”, “Master” of the online Live TV catalog on the web. It seems that the “YouTube Live” project is getting delay.

What Google has to do, is offer everyone (individuals, TV Networks) the opportunity to be attached to this “Live Catalog” and it has to be done now, before someone else (with money) does it first.

Google can also offer the user/TV network a set of tools (maybe based on open source) to stream, set the TV programming chart and create their own TV channel on the YouTube Live Catalog.

The next step on YouTube Live (also very logical) is on charging money for special Live Channels that offers more exclusive content. Not only on demand events, but full live cable channels (Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, etc). (or is this Google Play area?)

Where does it fit Google TV?

Google TV may become the client by excellence of the “YouTube Live” service. Right now Google TV has a YouTube app, but it does not support YouTube Live yet.

By making available live content on YouTube Live and Google TV, the “Local Live TV” service breach/issue may be overcome. Local TV Networks may have the alternative stream their video on the internet and attach it to the “YouTube Live Catalog” to raise their potential viewer’s base.

Cable Subscription Live programming Service

Uhm… Cable TV may be going forward to the transformation. When you have the providers of TV series providing content on demand (Like Netflix), and Local Live TV Networks streaming their content to the internet, what can they offer?

Well, maybe they will have to compete with YouTube Live (if YouTube Live worked as I like to) and Netflix.

The Cable TV provider will evolve to show their content over the internet (that’s obvious). Possible they will have to create their own Android/iOS TV app that shows their catalog of Live Content and on demand TV series, instead of bringing the cable and providing the cable box for your TV.

Maybe the entire cable company street infrastructure (taking about TV) can be replaced with a Web/Android/iOS app and a UserID and password.

On this case will have to compete with NetFlix and try to give more value added to the content/price they provide. They will try to bring together everything, Local Live TV, Cable Network Live Channels and On Demand contents.

TV Networks are now Global

There is an important issue here. Local TV Networks was not thought to be global from the beginning. When they buy a content to show it on the air, it is very possible that this content has regional restrictions. But the Internet does not have regional restrictions.

This may be a problem for local TV Networks that want to stream their content on the internet. And the Hollywood industries are having a hard time trying to evolve about this.

Just let me show it like this. Is it legal for “ECTV” (http://www.ecuadortv.ec ), a local government Ecuadorian TV Network, to stream live “Mickey Mouse Fun House” or “Iron Man” on their web site?

I don’t have the details of the TV content negotiation of know if it legal or not. But I wanted to set the doubt as an example.

Conclusion

There is potential on YouTube Live, Google TV to finally give what is missing to the SmartTV Devices. “Live TV” and “Cable TV”.

Before buying an Android device....

If are a geek or technical guy before buying and Android device you have solve this question.

Is the bootloader unlocked?

If the bootloader is not unlocked you may have this problems:

• Once the manufacturer drop the support of the device you will not be able to install custom ROMs under you own risk
• The product may have a software brick and you will not be able to recover it. 

So, always asks for a unlocked bootloader.