Charcoal Design Articles

Singularity-Shmarity (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About a Robot Apocalypse)

2010-01-04T10:02:57Z

AI isn't just around the corner and it isn't going to bring about the end of humanity.

Defending the Indefensible

2007-12-15T20:07:22Z

Many users and developers alike would like to see Microsoft improve its browser, or replace it with something better, but should this really be a legal matter? Is it right to force them to do this in a court of law?

The Backlight is On, But Nobody's Home

2007-07-29T20:07:22Z

Environmentalism is turning the world mad. Obvious nonsense suddenly becomes gospel truth if it is uttered in the course of "saving the world". Apparently even Google is not safe from the ravages of the environmentalist movement. So where will it all end?

An Unachievable Goal?

2007-07-23T20:07:22Z

According to Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple), "we never will see a robot that makes a cup of coffee". Could he be right? Is it possible that AI is an unachievable dream? That we will never see robots that can even perform basic household chores, let alone outsmart us?

The Forecast for Broadcasts

2007-07-20T19:21:56Z

Just as video killed the radio star, the Internet is set to kill radio, TV, and telephone, or at least change them beyond recognition. It's just a matter of time. This article details why scheduled broadcasting is about to fall hard, and what we can expect to replace it.

Where are the Widgets?

2007-07-19T21:12:31Z

When Steve Jobs announced that Apple had provided a 3rd party development environment for the iPhone, he was met with rapturous applause. This soon turned to scorn when he revealed that the "development environment" was really just a web browser. But was this scorn justified, or are web apps the future for the iPhone?

The Drive of Progress

2007-05-17T13:11:23Z

Acclaimed science fiction author Charles Stross has published his predictions for how our future will be shaped by technology. In his books he describes a fabulous utopian future, but his vision of how imminent technologies will change our lives demands a sacrifice of personal freedoms that I find difficult to stomach...

It's a Mini Adventure

2007-05-11T01:20:57Z

When Apple released the new line of Intel Minis a year ago I decided to take the plunge and buy one for use as a media centre or living room PC . In some ways it has surpassed my expectations, and in others I've been bitterly disappointed. Here is the good, bad and ugly of the Media Centre Mini ...

How the Mighty Have Fallen

2007-04-11T19:55:01Z

According to Paul Graham, Microsoft is dead. So if he's right, what killed them? And what conclusions can we draw from this? Was Microsoft just too slow to keep up with the advances around them, or was their vision of the future fundamentally flawed from the start?

Spacial Awareness

2007-03-20T18:13:02Z

Mozilla has been used as the basis of a revolutionary web browser and email client. Now it seems set to take on the operating system too. But is the Mozilla brand of innovation really what is needed to inject new life into desktop operating systems, or do we need to look backwards, not forwards to make progress...?

Patently Ridiculous

2007-03-07T20:07:19Z

For 500 years the patents system has protected innovation by allowing inventors to capitalise on their ideas. But with the changing pace of technology, and the rise of patents for software concepts and algorithms, are cracks appearing in this venerable institution...?

The Next Big Thing

2007-03-05T20:07:19Z

In the last 25 years we have seen a number of key technologies emerge that have revolutionised how we work, play and interact with each other. Could these innovations be part of a grander design? And if so, what's the next piece in the puzzle...?

Standard Bearers

2007-01-29T21:48:11Z

For most of its history, Microsoft has relied on a mix of secrecy and litigation to protect the workings of its software and file formats. In light of mandates prohibiting the use of proprietary formats for government documents, Microsoft has pledged to change its ways... but has it?

Viva Amiga

2007-01-23T10:46:21Z

The Amiga, a cherished computing platform from the 80s - 90s era, which was finally killed off by the dominance of the PC market, may be about to undergo a revival with the release of Amiga OS 4. But is a new OS release really the best way to continue the Amiga legacy?

Of Historical Interest?

2007-01-05T10:11:21Z

Since his execution, Saddam Hussein is more popular than ever, with apologists just about falling over themselves to say how dignified he was in death, and how much worse the allies are than he ever was. Surprisingly however, Richard Dawkins has actually managed to say something original on the subject...

Beyond Belief

2006-11-24T18:14:46Z

What is belief? Is absence of proof the same as proof of absence, or is it just as misguided to disbelieve something without evidence as it is to believe in it? This article explores the touchy subject of dogmatic belief, and explains why atheism is not just "religion for the nonbelievers" .

Just Say No!

2006-11-09T21:14:08Z

When Microsoft announced that they were finally updating the aged Internet Explorer with a new version, many were initially skeptical. Could this be a glorious turn in the road for the world's worst (and most popular) browser, or would this be just another rushed-out bodge job like IE6 before it...?

Six Word Limit? That's Easy, I'll...

2006-10-26T06:13:37Z

Wired recently ran an article in which they challenged some contemporary sci-fi and fantasy authors to produce interesting literary works in a maximum of six words, with some amusing results. I thought it might be fun to join in, so here are my efforts...

A Hard(ware) Act to Follow

2006-10-23T21:48:13Z

Gartner, a prominent industry analyst believes that Apple would be better off if it abandoned the hardware business and concentrated on selling OS X to the established PC user base. Is this really the way forward for Apple? And if not, why do people keep thinking they know how to run Apple better than Apple does...?

The Phantom Menace

2006-10-18T17:20:27Z

Some would have us believe that software piracy is a terrible threat to the industry, to the consumer and to the whole of civilisation. I cannot help but wonder if software piracy is not simply the predictable symptom of the need for the industry to adapt to meet the changing face of information technology. Yarrrr...

Read it and Weep

2006-09-27T19:02:01Z

Sony recently unveiled its new e-book reader, imaginatively entitled the Sony Reader . I have to admit that when I saw it my first thought was that this was the coolest thing I'd seen. Sadly, a closer examination reveals a lack of design forethought - a shame because it is clear that the technology has real potential...

So Wwwhat's the Point?

2006-09-14T21:32:49Z

No-www.org have taken a stand against the largely redundant requirement of many websites that you prefix their domain with www. While I applaud their efforts to save us all several characters worth of typing every day, I believe that they have missed out on some more subtle benefits of the www prefix...