If you're wondering where computer memory and storage will go after flash memory, the phrase to remember is "phase change memory" (PCM). It "reads and writes 100 times faster than flash, stays reliable for millions of write-cycles (as opposed to just thousands with flash), and is cheap enough to be used in anything from enterprise-level servers all the way down to mobile phones." Based on chalcogenide glass (glass containing a chalcogenide elements such as sulfur, selenium or tellurium) phase change memory stores data by switching glass cells between two phases, crystalline and amorphous. [Comment] [Direct Link] [Tags: Wikipedia]

CBC's radio coverage said it best: net neutrality for now, but not necessarily net neutrality. This seems to be the outcome of the FCC decision today to sort of tenuously grant a sort of compromise version of net neutrality. We are being told that the 'open internet' is just a pipe dream'. Meanwhile, we're getting some glimpses of what the carriers would like to do. They'd basically like a stranglehold on everything that's delivered, charging differentiated and premium service charges for access to things like Skype, YouTube, and Facebook. What's worse - from my perspective - is that those are the services they support. The sort of services we want - like free, open and non-commercial education - would simply not be available. But the carriers don't have that yet. So I guess that's the good news. [Comment] [Direct Link] [Tags: YouTube, Video, Audio Chat and Conferencing]

Just what the world doesn't need: apps that work only in Google Wave (just like we didn't need Apps that work only on the iPhone, just like we didn't need Apps that work only on Internet Explorer). [Comment] [Direct Link] [Tags: Microsoft, Google]

A bit of a tempest has been launched with an announcement that Princeton University will now be selling DRM-enabled textbooks. "So let’s see — your laptop gets fried? Gotta buy a new book. Going home for break and the book is on your dormroom desktop machine? Tough luck — no printing, neither, y’hear? No returns or buybacks, either. Wow, what a deal!" Here is more coverage. It's not clear that this initiative is an official Princeton initiative, and several commentators wrote in to note many professors' anti-DRM stance. Bottom line? As one commentator reports, "Wow! I'm glad I'm not going to Princeton." Instructions on how to crack the DRM may be found in comment number 41. Princeton's response, meanwhile, was to have someone from the office of communications tell engadget to remove the image of the Princeton shield from the website. Yeah, atta make friends in the community. [Comment] [Direct Link] [Tags: Portable Computers, Books, Digital Rights Management (DRM)]

Podcasting is moving very fast - this site discusses how they embed text links and images and even GPS into their MP3, so that people listening can follow along with non-audio content. Here is the MP3 (9 megabytes). [Comment] [Direct Link] [Tags: Video, Podcasting, Audio]