utah

No bells and whistles

We're not really sure what the common theme of this toolbar is supposed to be, but after putting it to the test, we found it that provided us with a functional, but basic toolbar.

Nothing about Utah Search Toolbar's appearance differentiates it from the pack; it looks like every other toolbar on the market. The interface can be customized to add your favorite applications and gadgets, and you can remove the buttons that you don't want. We thought that perhaps the name was in reference to the state of Utah, but the list of available links provided … Read more

Computer science moves toward the Mac

In a sign that Apple's Mac OS X operating system has gone truly mainstream, computer science programs like that at the University of Utah have formally announced classes like "Mac OS X Deployment v10.5" focused on administering Mac OS X.

While a quick scan of computer science courses at Harvard and Stanford doesn't reveal any Mac OS X-centric courses, and a quick Google search doesn't reveal much more, it's possible that the University of Utah, which has several OS X classes, is the vanguard for OS X's classroom uptake and a clear signal of enterprise adoption.… Read more

Call for Papers for Open Source Business Conference is now live

Driving through Provo Canyon with my family today, I saw ski season peeking through the clouds. It's hard to tell from this picture, but everything above 7,000 feet got drenched in snow this past week.

Early October and Mother Nature is already preparing for a season of the greatest snow on the planet. The Open Source Goat Rodeo may end up riding earlier than expected....If you're into open source, or you simply want to talk shop, I hope to see you out here this year for the OSGR or simply to ski.

I'd love to … Read more

Initiative pushes enterprises to share code, fight disease

Most of the software in the world is written by enterprises that never intend to sell it. They write it for internal use.

Think of all the good that would come by sharing that code between enterprises with similar needs. Think long enough and you'll come up with Stuart Cohen's Collaborative Software Initiative (CSI).

CSI hit the news this week for some intriguing work with the state of Utah, which promises to deliver the world's first open-source infectious disease management system and break down the walls between enterprises to introduce a new era of sharing code.

At least, that's the promise. It starts with one state. Where it goes next is what CSI (and open source) is all about. According to CSI's statement:… Read more

Day in the life of an open sourceror

Let's face it. Utah rocks.

Snowbird with 12 inches of new powder in the morning (Bryce Roberts of O'Reilly Alpha Tech Ventures and Fabrizio Capobianco of Funambol joined me for a half-day of wicked snow). Pie in the afternoon while doing the weekly Alfresco team reviews. Maybe a little biking in the evening?

You don't live here...why? I mean, the software sells itself, right? :-)… Read more

Two more reasons to move to Utah

Reason #1: We will be skiing through July this year.

Reason #2: Shirl, my neighbor.

I found Shirl in my house when I got back from Grand Targhee. His wife called us during our drive home to inform us that our front door had been open for some time, perhaps as long as a day (she had just seen it). This is Utah, so I wasn't overly worried about any of our stuff missing. We almost never lock our doors.

Our front door has had problems in staying closed. We must have not locked it before we left and … Read more

Judge orders reporter to produce public interest story or go to jail

We've all heard the story of Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who was recently convicted of two counts of rape and is facing life in prison, but there is another legal saga that originated in that same case which hasn't garnered much national attention.

Katie Baker was covering Jeffs case for the Salt Lake City television station KUTV. She interviewed a number of individuals involved in the case, including Mo Webb, a potential juror. Unfortunately for Baker, her interview with Webb violated a decorum order issued by Judge … Read more

At 4,000 miles, a stunning vista

ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah--I've been on Road Trip 2007 long enough now that I've reached 4,000 miles of driving. And while the actual spots where I hit 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 were nothing to speak about, that was certainly not the case when the odometer rolled over from 3,999.9 to 4,000.0.

That's because I was in the middle of this incredible national park when all those zeroes appeared, with gorgeous sandstone and shale cliff faces surrounding me.

Now, to be perfectly honest, when I hit 4,000 miles on … Read more

Off-topic: One more reason to move from the Valley

You're stuck in wall-to-wall traffic and home prices that you cannot hope to afford your home (even, apparently, if you're a millionaire). Why not move out to Utah? The grass isn't greener, but the mountain biking trails are awesome.

Here's a glimpse of my favorite: The Bobsled. I rode it this morning with my helmet cam on. Sheer bliss.… Read more