Web Log

Compiled by JOHN COLLINS

INSTALL

Summly for iPhone

Most of us might think Google has the search market sewn up, but not 16-year-old Australian prodigy Nick D’Aloisio, who has been causing a stir with his free Summly app. Using machine learning, Summly summarises search results on different topics so you get real information on your search term, not just a page of web links. It’s not perfect, but it’s unlikely to be the last useful tool D’Aloisio gives to the web.

[ summly.com ]

SEARCH

#OpIreland #stopSopAIreland

Twitter and Facebook were abuzz this week with talk about Ireland’s equivalent of the US Stop Online Piracy Act. While the discussion uses the #stopSOPAIreland hashtag, users claiming to represent Anonymous are using #OpIreland to discuss attacks against Irish websites. Fascinating conversation to watch in real time.

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READ

Piracy is part of the digital ecosystem

This essay by Frédéric Filloux has been attracting lots of attention online this week. He argues that a level of piracy is desirable by creative industries as they introduce new artists and products to the world. The nub of his argument is that “creating legitimate commercial alternatives” is the only long-term solution to piracy.

Filloux’s weekly Monday Note newsletter is worth subscribing to if you have any interest in tech and media.

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