object

Maintaining journalistic integrity while handling human remains

A reporter is sent on an unusual assignment. A distraught women claims to have a deceased man's scalp and the reporter has been chosen to cover the story. Upon his arrival, the teary-eyed women implores the reporter to take the man's remains to the coroner. It sounds like the plot for an episode of Picket Fences, but for police reporter Steve Lannen at the Herald-Leader in Kentucky this perplexing scenario was far more than just a plot device.

As reported by metro editor Peter Baniak for the Behind the Headlines blog:It was one of the strangest phone calls I've taken as metro editor at the Herald-Leader -- and I've taken plenty of odd phone calls over the years. The woman on the line was despondent because she said the county coroner had left her friend's scalp in wooded area along Newtown Pike. The man had died there, apparently under accidental circumstances, and the coroner had removed the rest of the body several days earlier. But the woman said a piece of her friend's scalp, including hair, had been left behind. Further, she said she couldn't get the coroner's office to come out and get it.… Read more

Objectivity, transparency, and the future of journalism

Traditional journalism values objectivity above almost all other principles. Many contracts prohibit journalists from becoming active in politics and some reporters actually decline to vote in order to avoid undermining their objectivity. Sports columnist John Canzano at The Oregonian, however, has recently taken a job working for Paul Allen, the owner of the Trail Blazers. Can Canzano still be objective while simultaneously being employed by Allen's NewsRadio 750 KXL?

The Open Source CEO: Paul Doscher (Part 18)

Paul Doscher, CEO of JasperSoft, has proved me wrong. Two years ago when I joined as an advisor to JasperSoft, I worried that a company so new to open source (despite the Jasper community on which it was built) would struggle to truly get open source religion.

Paul, however, has adeptly made the shift from CEO to open source CEO, with JasperSoft doing exceptionally well in the market in consequence. In this eighteenth installment of our Open Source CEO Series, I talked with Paul about the transition.

Name, position, and company of executive Paul Doscher, President and CEO, JasperSoft, an open source Business Intelligence company.… Read more

The Open Source CEO: John Powell, Alfresco (Part 4)

For the fourth installment in the Open Source CEO Series, I walked over to the next virtual cubicle of John Powell, CEO and Co-founder of Alfresco. I've worked with John for the past 1.5 years (Disclaimer: He's my boss), and have greatly appreciated the perspective he brings to the company. John is perhaps the most experienced of any of the open source CEOs out there, with a strong background with several leading (proprietary) software companies.

But as John intimates below, sometimes that experience can be a curse as much as it's a blessing:… Read more

Desktop gardening

It always starts with the best of intentions: an attempt to bring the nature of New Jersey into my city apartment or office. It usually ends with dried-out seedlings or mold.

The AeroGarden from AeroGrow is a computerized garden with a lamp that will allow the most negligent gardener to successfully grow plants. You fill the bottom with water, add the little seeded cones and nutrient tablets, and plug the AeroGarden into any regular outlet. That's it. This "smart" appliance self-regulates the amount of light, water and nutrients it allows the plants to receive. A warning light … Read more

DIY smart objects kit

Was there anything cooler than an Erector Set when you were ten? Twenty?

Billed by Thames and Kosmos as a "computer systems engineering kit," the Microcontroller appeals to those same instincts for constructive adventure. It comes with circuits and prewritten programs that will allow you to turn ordinary objects into "smart objects."

Actually, this $150 toy for kids is also a cool way for adults to mess around and learn how to assemble circuits and write computer programs.

The microcontroller contains a computer processor, storage for memory, timers and ports. The kit comes with 100 programs … Read more

Cream and sugar? Weather?

MSN Direct and Melitta released a whole-bean coffeemaker that displays the weather in real time Thursday. It is also an FM receiver that links to the MSN Direct data service.

The Melitta Smart Mill & Brew Coffee Maker with MSN Direct Region-Specific Weather displays the temperature, chance of rain, time of sunrise and sunset, and the daily forecast. Gadget freaks and caffeine addicts alike can buy the coffeemaker on Amazon.com and in Sharper Image stores for about $200.

The coffeemaker joins a series of smart objects on the market that act as widgets. MSN Direct also offers WeatherNow, a … Read more