The World Wide Web Consortium announced recently its formal policy for ensuring that key Web technologies, even if patented, are made available on a royalty-free basis. You might wonder why this is important — here’s why: Companies that built the web in its first decade made the business decision that they, and the entire world, would benefit most by contributing to standards that could be implemented ubiquitously, without royalty payments. Throughout the last decade though, this has changed, for example with Microsoft’s java language module (somehow I’m not surprised…). Anyway, the new policy essentially forces developers (that want their technology to become a standard) to agree up-front that they will license the technology to other contributors, removing any last minute surprises. Read more…

Staying with the recent theme of the latest Matrix release: Hackers of the world have united in their praise for ‘Matrix Reloaded’s’ realistic depiction of an attempt at hacking using futuristic version of tools and techniques used by real hackers, says a report published on the BBC News website. Read more…

Normally, Modern Drug Discovery carries only a few articles worth your time, so I was pleasantly surprised when I read a piece on caffeine. As it turns out, it is still not completely understood how caffeine and related compounds work, but most current thinking on its effect on wakefulness and intellectual activity involves its direct chemical impact upon the brain. Contrary to intuitive thinking, caffeine does not act to wake people up. Its real effect is to block the action of the natural relaxation compound adenosine. Under normal conditions, as adensosine builds up during the day and binds to membrane proteins in the brain (primarily the A2A adenosine receptor), loss of concentration and sleepiness occur at some variable threshold point. Caffeine, however, competitvely binds to these adenosine receptors, preventing the sleepiness signal from getting through. Hence, caffeine helps to improve mental performance, but only when other bodily conditions such as fatigue, pain, or sleepiness have diminished it — and then only to unimpeded levels, not as a sudden IQ pill.

As reported yesterday, masses are streaming to see the Wachowski brothers’ latest work, Matrix Reloaded. The science fiction thriller raked in a record $42.5 million at domestic box offices in its first day, surpassing last year’s smash hit Spider-Man. What’s more, the follow up to the 1999 Matrix is playing on 8500 screens throughout the US, roughly a quarter of all screens. In an attempt to thwart online piracy, the studio decided to release the movie globally on May 15. Check out the official website for trailers and more…

After posting a few days ago an article on chemist’s career choices, I came across another interesting one: Does it really matter where you start your industrial career as a medicinal chemist? Simon Frantz and Paul Smaglik have investigated this question, and polled a number of people from both big pharma, biotech and small businesses. Check out their verdict….

Visited last weekend the Guggenheim Museum to check out Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Cycle. Much talked about — but much less understood — Barney’s epic (1994-2002) is a self-enclosed aesthetic system consisting of five feature-length films that explore processes of creation. I won’t talk about the meaning of his work (I am not sure I understand it), but the visual stuff is the work of some seriously twisted mind. I have the suspicion that Giuliani isn’t amused. Check out Barney’s Cremaster.net for more info.

Reading through the last issues of Nature Reviews in Drug Discovery, I came across an interesting article discussing chemists’ career choices. If you are interested in medicine and chemistry and you are serious about transferring your skills from academia to industry, then the message is loud and clear: get a good grounding in synthetic organic chemistry. Read on….

Animators are usually passed finished storyboards and told to turn them into 30 seconds of visual splendour. They then begin the complex task of bitching about the concept, moaning about the deadline and carefully rearranging their Star Wars figures. So when they are given the opportunity to see a project through from concept to delivery, they’re a blinding ball of creative fire….. Well, you decide. I found it a little tricky to get the movies to play, so look towards the bottom of the page, right underneath the two Heineken images, where is says “High(2Mb) Low(578kb)” - click on either one.

During my recent travel on the World Wide Wow, I browsed through the Australian INfront Directory, a collection of the best of the best - at least when it comes to web design down under. I found a bevy of stunning web portfolios, and I made a mental note to let my future clients hunt for ideas in that directory. Whether you’re up for personal or corporate sites, education, fashion or resources - this site has it all. Pre-selected, to offer you only the best of the best.

Found some time to surf around, all the while listening to various streaming radio stations. If you don’t know what I am talking about - check out the Ambient section in the iTunes radio tuner. At any rate, GrooveSalad is one program that I really liked. Broadcasted by SomaFM, a listener-supported, commercial-free, underground/alternative radio station from San Francisco.