Connecting to the world from home

Tech tips -

A reader left a comment on my last week's column at www.gulfnews.ca . Greg suggested that "Newfoundland expand high speed internet to enable remote rural economies [to] engage on a global scale."

Well, then that confirms there are at least two of us who recognize that the information highway is becoming as important to our communities as the paved road into town. I am sure that many others realize this as well.

I spend a lot of time online. It is a big part of how I make a living. And, I tell you this, there are more and more services and innovation online everyday. Everything is moving to the Web.

The internet is going to force this planet to realize it is one big community. If you don't accept anything else you read in my columns, believe me when I tell you that Newfoundland has to embrace this fact and strive to be a part of it.

Now that I have made that over the top introduction, here are a few websites and innovations you might find interesting.

Check out www.qik.com . Cell phones and web are becoming best friends. If you are 13 years or older, this site allows you to stream live video from you phone to this website or as they put it, "go live with your life by streaming anytime, anywhere-right from your phone." You need to check that your phone is supported and install a little piece of software to make it happen.

More phone web innovation is on its way with Google Sync for iPhone, Windows Mobile and SyncML capable devices. The idea is to have you synchronizing your Google calendar and contacts with our phone so they are available all the time without connecting your phone to your computer.

You can change, or edit on the web or on your phone and the synchronization is done automatically. The list of devices is small right now, and the service is a beta, but it is an interesting idea none the less. Check it out at google.com/mobile/default/sync.html .

Another new site, a little closer to home, www.yaffle.ca provided by Memorial University lets you search research happening at the school. Of course you know I searched the terms broadband and internet to see what was happening on that front but, I also searched topics like wind power and cancer.

It's fantastic to be able to browse what the great minds of this province are interested in. I think MUN's goal with this site is to make their research and expertise more accessible to the community.

Do you want to know what projects are on the go at MUN concerning the fishery or human rights? Surf on over to yaffle and browse projects by category. Don't forget to check out the opportunities listed. You just might find something you would like to be involved with yourself.

toddmusseau@gmail.com