So you actually don't need 57 trillion squares. The surface area of the globe is (only) 510 billion m^2. Diving that into 3m^2 blocks like what3words did, you end up with 170 billion squares, a far cry from 57 trillion. This means you only need 5,540 unique words to generate all 3 word address possibilities.
So yes, you could still stick with 3 word addresses with an optional 4th check word.
what3words maps 57 trillion squares to 3 word addresses by shipping a 40,000 word list. Due to the sheer size of the word list, it's cluttered with problems:
Plurals
Homonyms
Compound words
Obscure words
Lexeme forms
Long edit distances
Unnecessarily long words
A smaller word list could easily address all these issues by adding one more word. Something like 4,096 words is more than enough to reach all 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares on the globe with 4 word addresses.
One of the problems is the lack of error detection. A more tightly, curated list would greatly minimize that risk, but a "check word" could eliminate it. Simply hash the 4 words with SHA-256, read the 12 least or most significant bits to deterministically pick the 5th check word, similar to BIP39. The person on the phone would then communicate five words to emergency services, and the risk they're sent to the wrong location is non-existent.
Granted, 5 words is more to manage than 3, I admit. But it should not be hard to build a list of 4,096 common words of say 3-8 characters. The what3words word list minimum length is 4 characters, and the maximum is 18 characters. This is actually the breakdown:
4 characters: 1342 words
5 characters: 2849 words
6 characters: 4799 words
7 characters: 6496 words
8 characters: 6842 words
9 characters: 6002 words
10 characters: 4735 words
11 characters: 3164 words
12 characters: 1962 words
13 characters: 1121 words
14 characters: 439 words
15 characters: 202 words
16 characters: 39 words
17 characters: 7 words
18 characters: 1 word
The average character count is unnecessarily heavy in its current implementation, where few characters per word with one or two more words could on average be the same length to type.
I wish people would understand that there are two different roles at work here, and fingerprints really should only be used for one of them: identification and authentication. Your fingerprint should only be used as an identifier of who you are. IE: present a list of users, and swiping your fingerprint picks the right user from the list. Then, and only then, should you provide a token that authenticates you to the system, such as a PIN code, password, or secure key card.
The fact that companies the world over continue to use fingerprints as a method of authentication shows a lack of understanding how easy it is hack, and the difficulty required in "changing your fingerprint".
Remember, if someone has your phone, they have your fingerprint, but they don't necessarily have your PIN or password. Too bad Apple didn't recognize this.
Just to be extra clear, if Apple paid for access to Xerox technology with stock, then why did Xerox sue Apple in 1989 claiming that their GUI intellectual property was stolen?
"Xerox contends that the Lisa and Macintosh software stems from work originally done by Xerox scientists and that it was used by Apple without permission."
You have to know what the code will do for you, before you use it. Think of UPC. They are on your groceries. The store uses them to lookup and manage prices for individual products, and to manage inventory. So, as a consumer, when you see a UPC, you know what the code is doing for you.
QR Codes are no different. It has to actually work for me if I am to get any satisfaction out of it. Things like virtual grocery stores in subway stations or bus stops. If I know that scanning a QR Code means ordering some cereal online, and having it delivered to my doorstep, then I'll scan the code.
Putting the code on an advertisement doesn't tell me anything. What is the code going to do for me? Take me to another advertisement? Take me to a page to purchase the product they are advertising? Give me more information about the ad? What? If it's not 100% clear how the code will actually work for you, then yeah, you're not going to scan it.
Just like email coming from unknown sources, I don't scan randomly generated QR codes. I need to be sure about the content it's going to deliver, and it needs to work to my benefit, or I'm not going to use it.
I just sent an email off to Vibram to see if they would remove the JavaScript. I doubt anything will come of it, but it's worth the try. I also gave them the link to this post.
Way to make the rest of us in the Free and Open Source community look like elitist pricks. Quit giving us a bad name.
For the record, I'm on Debian GNU/Linux in KDE using Opera, Chromium and Iceweasel, and guess what- if you actually read the post, and click the link, you'll see the JavaScript banner in all three browsers.
It has nothing to do with your operating system, and everything to do with JavaScript in your browser.
For those who didn't click the link in the post, but instead tried searching for Vibram FiveFingers in Google, and got sent to the .com page, it doesn't work there. The script is only installed on the .it, or Italian site.
This reminds me of the scripts that are installed on Snopes. They won't let you select text or right click. They want the ad revenue of people going to their site, rather than you just emailing the results to your friends. Of course, disable JavaScript, use NoScript, view source, Save Page As..., many, many ways to get around it. Of course, with all the chain email, it makes you wonder who the real source is...
Anyway, this sort of JavaScript crap is annoying at best, and all it does is piss off the honest. Well played Vibram, well played.
People balk at the "Web 2.0" tools like it's some sort of trend, when in reality, tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, Friendfeed, Identi.ca and others are all about keeping in touch with those you care about.
And of those I follow, it's not so much the broadcasting, as it is conversation. My family and friends on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere don't broadcast that they're going to the bathroom, then having a sandwich, or they just got up, and getting ready for work. Instead, they say things like how much they love their kids, why a certain employee is driving them nuts, or why they like the Celtics over the Lakers. Most of these spark comments, creating a genuine, real-time conversation.
Conversations with people, that had these tools not existed, would not be taking place.
For me, I'm a conversation-aholic. I'm in IRC, IM, Facebook, Twitter, Identi.ca, Buzz, Google Reader, email, RSS and a number of others. It's not about followers, as much as it is about finding those who are important to me, or those I have an interest in keeping contact with, and then getting the relevant data from their lives.
It is indeed conversation. Sometimes too, it's arguments, political commentary, Q & A, sympathy, celebrations and so much more.
As with anything, these can be abused, but the great thing with many of these tools, is you can stop following them, and the abuse is no longer a problem for you. You get the data that's interesting to you, and cut out all the rest of the noise.
This isn't something I would expect to read on Techdirt, and the quality of the post shocks me. It's not unknown that the heads-side of an American coin is heavier. It's the case with every coin in production. I would have expected this to be researched before the post was published.
I'll personally be looking forward to the HTC Hero launch on Oct 11 from Sprint. IMO, the Android is a killer platform, and the Pre is no iPhone killer. I guess we'll see, but I bet the Android will put Sprint back on the map.
When I traveled for a living, I was on the road 30-35 weeks per year. Not bad, compared to some. However, I would say that it was only about 1/2 of the hotels I stayed at that tried forcing US Today on me. I just left it at the door step, while leaving the Do Not Disturb notice hanging on my door latch all day every day. It was comforting to know that when I came back to my room in the evening, the hotel cleaning crew had taken it away.
There are a couple reasons for not reading the paper. First, it doesn't carry the news I'm interested in. I'm a Unix/Linux system administrator, and I taught system administrators how to do their job. I'm just not that interested in finance, sports, obits and other sections that came in the paper. Second, I get all my news through RSS in Google Reader, most of which is tech-related, such as this site. So, when I was out the door at 7:45 each morning, I had already caught up on everything I was interested in, and didn't have to worry about thumbing through pages that I wasn't.
Re: Re: Re: Mathematical distance theorems...
So you actually don't need 57 trillion squares. The surface area of the globe is (only) 510 billion m^2. Diving that into 3m^2 blocks like what3words did, you end up with 170 billion squares, a far cry from 57 trillion. This means you only need 5,540 unique words to generate all 3 word address possibilities. So yes, you could still stick with 3 word addresses with an optional 4th check word.
Re: Mathematical distance theorems...
what3words maps 57 trillion squares to 3 word addresses by shipping a 40,000 word list. Due to the sheer size of the word list, it's cluttered with problems:
- Plurals
- Homonyms
- Compound words
- Obscure words
- Lexeme forms
- Long edit distances
- Unnecessarily long words
A smaller word list could easily address all these issues by adding one more word. Something like 4,096 words is more than enough to reach all 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares on the globe with 4 word addresses. One of the problems is the lack of error detection. A more tightly, curated list would greatly minimize that risk, but a "check word" could eliminate it. Simply hash the 4 words with SHA-256, read the 12 least or most significant bits to deterministically pick the 5th check word, similar to BIP39. The person on the phone would then communicate five words to emergency services, and the risk they're sent to the wrong location is non-existent. Granted, 5 words is more to manage than 3, I admit. But it should not be hard to build a list of 4,096 common words of say 3-8 characters. The what3words word list minimum length is 4 characters, and the maximum is 18 characters. This is actually the breakdown:- 4 characters: 1342 words
- 5 characters: 2849 words
- 6 characters: 4799 words
- 7 characters: 6496 words
- 8 characters: 6842 words
- 9 characters: 6002 words
- 10 characters: 4735 words
- 11 characters: 3164 words
- 12 characters: 1962 words
- 13 characters: 1121 words
- 14 characters: 439 words
- 15 characters: 202 words
- 16 characters: 39 words
- 17 characters: 7 words
- 18 characters: 1 word
The average character count is unnecessarily heavy in its current implementation, where few characters per word with one or two more words could on average be the same length to type.Identification, not authentication
I wish people would understand that there are two different roles at work here, and fingerprints really should only be used for one of them: identification and authentication. Your fingerprint should only be used as an identifier of who you are. IE: present a list of users, and swiping your fingerprint picks the right user from the list. Then, and only then, should you provide a token that authenticates you to the system, such as a PIN code, password, or secure key card.
The fact that companies the world over continue to use fingerprints as a method of authentication shows a lack of understanding how easy it is hack, and the difficulty required in "changing your fingerprint".
Remember, if someone has your phone, they have your fingerprint, but they don't necessarily have your PIN or password. Too bad Apple didn't recognize this.
Re: mining bitcoins takes energy and resources!
Depends on its value and who is footing the power bill for you to do the mining.
Re:
Just to be extra clear, if Apple paid for access to Xerox technology with stock, then why did Xerox sue Apple in 1989 claiming that their GUI intellectual property was stolen?
"Xerox contends that the Lisa and Macintosh software stems from work originally done by Xerox scientists and that it was used by Apple without permission."
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/15/business/company-news-xerox-sues-apple-computer-over-macintosh-copyright.html?scp=3&sq=apple+xerox&st=nyt
They must be predictable
You have to know what the code will do for you, before you use it. Think of UPC. They are on your groceries. The store uses them to lookup and manage prices for individual products, and to manage inventory. So, as a consumer, when you see a UPC, you know what the code is doing for you.
QR Codes are no different. It has to actually work for me if I am to get any satisfaction out of it. Things like virtual grocery stores in subway stations or bus stops. If I know that scanning a QR Code means ordering some cereal online, and having it delivered to my doorstep, then I'll scan the code.
Putting the code on an advertisement doesn't tell me anything. What is the code going to do for me? Take me to another advertisement? Take me to a page to purchase the product they are advertising? Give me more information about the ad? What? If it's not 100% clear how the code will actually work for you, then yeah, you're not going to scan it.
Just like email coming from unknown sources, I don't scan randomly generated QR codes. I need to be sure about the content it's going to deliver, and it needs to work to my benefit, or I'm not going to use it.
Sent an email to Vibram
I just sent an email off to Vibram to see if they would remove the JavaScript. I doubt anything will come of it, but it's worth the try. I also gave them the link to this post.
Re:
Way to make the rest of us in the Free and Open Source community look like elitist pricks. Quit giving us a bad name.
For the record, I'm on Debian GNU/Linux in KDE using Opera, Chromium and Iceweasel, and guess what- if you actually read the post, and click the link, you'll see the JavaScript banner in all three browsers.
It has nothing to do with your operating system, and everything to do with JavaScript in your browser.
.it, not .com and Snopes
For those who didn't click the link in the post, but instead tried searching for Vibram FiveFingers in Google, and got sent to the .com page, it doesn't work there. The script is only installed on the .it, or Italian site.
This reminds me of the scripts that are installed on Snopes. They won't let you select text or right click. They want the ad revenue of people going to their site, rather than you just emailing the results to your friends. Of course, disable JavaScript, use NoScript, view source, Save Page As..., many, many ways to get around it. Of course, with all the chain email, it makes you wonder who the real source is...
Anyway, this sort of JavaScript crap is annoying at best, and all it does is piss off the honest. Well played Vibram, well played.
Conversation and keeping in touch
People balk at the "Web 2.0" tools like it's some sort of trend, when in reality, tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, Friendfeed, Identi.ca and others are all about keeping in touch with those you care about.
And of those I follow, it's not so much the broadcasting, as it is conversation. My family and friends on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere don't broadcast that they're going to the bathroom, then having a sandwich, or they just got up, and getting ready for work. Instead, they say things like how much they love their kids, why a certain employee is driving them nuts, or why they like the Celtics over the Lakers. Most of these spark comments, creating a genuine, real-time conversation.
Conversations with people, that had these tools not existed, would not be taking place.
For me, I'm a conversation-aholic. I'm in IRC, IM, Facebook, Twitter, Identi.ca, Buzz, Google Reader, email, RSS and a number of others. It's not about followers, as much as it is about finding those who are important to me, or those I have an interest in keeping contact with, and then getting the relevant data from their lives.
It is indeed conversation. Sometimes too, it's arguments, political commentary, Q & A, sympathy, celebrations and so much more.
As with anything, these can be abused, but the great thing with many of these tools, is you can stop following them, and the abuse is no longer a problem for you. You get the data that's interesting to you, and cut out all the rest of the noise.
That's my thoughts anyway.
Really?
This isn't something I would expect to read on Techdirt, and the quality of the post shocks me. It's not unknown that the heads-side of an American coin is heavier. It's the case with every coin in production. I would have expected this to be researched before the post was published.
Stopping Setences
Dan Bull knows how to properly stop a sentence- ONE space after the period (full stop), not two. Good work Dan!
Sprint Android
I'll personally be looking forward to the HTC Hero launch on Oct 11 from Sprint. IMO, the Android is a killer platform, and the Pre is no iPhone killer. I guess we'll see, but I bet the Android will put Sprint back on the map.
Stepped on
When I traveled for a living, I was on the road 30-35 weeks per year. Not bad, compared to some. However, I would say that it was only about 1/2 of the hotels I stayed at that tried forcing US Today on me. I just left it at the door step, while leaving the Do Not Disturb notice hanging on my door latch all day every day. It was comforting to know that when I came back to my room in the evening, the hotel cleaning crew had taken it away.
There are a couple reasons for not reading the paper. First, it doesn't carry the news I'm interested in. I'm a Unix/Linux system administrator, and I taught system administrators how to do their job. I'm just not that interested in finance, sports, obits and other sections that came in the paper. Second, I get all my news through RSS in Google Reader, most of which is tech-related, such as this site. So, when I was out the door at 7:45 each morning, I had already caught up on everything I was interested in, and didn't have to worry about thumbing through pages that I wasn't.
Who should be in carge?
PJ over at Groklaw.
Re: A frequent flyer
Who's Joe? Looks like American Airlines has kicked off the WiFi on 1 jet so far.
http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/369991897/