In the world of agile development, context is key.

Agile processes are not a technology, not a science, not a product. They constitute a space somewhat hard to define. Agile methods, or more precisely agile software development methods or processes, are a family of approaches and practices for developing software systems. Any attempt to define them runs into egos and marketing posturing.

Voyage in the Agile Memeplex

Abstract: Real-time Transfer Protocol (RTP) is used by nearly all Voice-over-IP systems to provide the audio channel for calls. As such, it provides ample opportunity for the creation of a covert communication channel due to its very nature. While use of steganographic techniques with various audio cover-medium has been extensively researched, most applications of such have been limited to audio cover-medium of a static nature such as WAV or MP3 file audio data. This paper details a common technique for the use of steganography with audio data cover-medium, outlines the problem issues that arise when attempting to use such techniques to establish a full-duplex communications channel within audio data transmitted via an unreliable streaming protocol, and documents solutions to these problems. An implementation of the ideas discussed entitled SteganRTP is included in the reference materials.

A recording of the presentation given at DefCon is also available.

Real-time Steganography with RTP

One way that architects determine the livability of a house or office building is through post-occupancy evaluation (Brand 1994, 65-66). Once the new owners have moved in, representatives from the architect, builder, or developer ask a series of questions. Does the roof leak? Is there enough parking? Is the kitchen big enough? Are there enough electrical outlets? Is there room for expansion or reconfiguration to meet changing needs? What do those who live and work in the building like and not like about it? Which design features work well, and which don't? What could have been done better? Are the occupants happy or unhappy with the structure?

Such evaluations are rare enough in the building trade, since architectural artistes would rather move on to new challenges than learn from their past mistakes; but they are unknown when it comes to worldviews. What would a philosophical post-occupancy evaluation look like?

When faced with change, it is better to bend before you break. The best buildings learn. So do the best philosophies. It remains to be seen whether Objectivism can be taught to learn.

The House That Rand Built

Although social networking sites are in their infancy, we are seeing their impact culturally: in language (where to friend is now a verb), in politics (where it is de rigueur for presidential aspirants to catalogue their virtues on MySpace), and on college campuses (where not using Facebook can be a social handicap). But we are only beginning to come to grips with the consequences of our use of sites like MemeStreams: for friendship, and for our notions of privacy, authenticity, community, and identity. As with any new technological advance, we must consider what type of behavior online social networking encourages. Does this technology, with its constant demands to collect (friends and status), and perform (by marketing ourselves), in some ways undermine our ability to attain what it promises—a surer sense of who we are and where we belong?

... In investing so much energy into improving how we present ourselves online, are we missing chances to genuinely improve ourselves?

Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism

TSA also plans to train screeners in the art of observing slight facial movements that indicate a person is lying.

Although civil libertarians and top Democrats in Congress say the techniques raise serious questions about privacy rights and racial and ethnic profiling, TSA officials say the behavior-detection officers may play a more important role in thwarting terrorist attacks than traditional screening techniques.

Kip Hawley: "A behavior-detection officer will detect somebody no matter what the weapon is."

To become a behavior-detection officer, screeners undergo four days of classroom training and three days of supervised on-the-job work.

Let me get this straight: in four days, you, too, can outperform an X-ray?

Searching Passengers' Faces For Subtle Cues to Terror

I don’t know anyone who’s really satisfied with the quality of the mobile Net experience. Surely there’s something more interesting than Blackberry-style mail?

Here’s one problem: fixed-rate data plans.

The conventional wisdom is that businesses ought to focus on their core competences. For mobile network operators, those would be bandwidth and billing. So, here’s a recipe for blowing up the mobile-network business and making the world better and also a whole lot of money.

I am a fan of flat rate access to content, but this is an interesting perspective.

Flat Rate Considered Harmful

This spring, we invited readers to respond to the following question: What does it mean to be scientifically literate in the 21st century? How do we measure the scientific literacy of a society? How do we boost it? What is the value of this literacy? Who is responsible for fostering it?

Our panel of judges comprised Adam Bly, editor-in-chief and founder of Seed, Chris Mooney, Seed's Washington correspondent, PZ Myers, Seed columnist and author of the popular blog Pharyngula, and the editors of Seed.

Here, we are pleased to announce the First and Second Prize Winners.

Seed: The Second Annual Seed Science Writing Contest

Intel Mash Maker is an extension to your existing web browser that allows you to easily augment the page that you are currently browsing with information from other websites. As you browse the web, the Mash Maker toolbar suggests Mashups that it can apply to the current page in order to make it more useful for you. For example: plot all items on a map, or display the leg room for all flights.

Intel Mash Maker learns from the wisdom of the community. Any user can teach Mash Maker new mashups, using a simple copy and paste interface, and once one user has taught Mash Maker a mashup, this mashup will be automatically suggested to other users. Intel Mash Maker also relies on the community to teach it about the structure and semantics of web pages, using a built in structure editor.

Intel Mash Maker: Mashups for the Masses

Collect them all!

66 stills from various episodes of The Simpsons, each one beside the still from the movie scene to which it refers

If you liked Time Wasted? Perhaps It’s Well Spent, you may also like this.

Most meetings drive us crazy. They drive productive people especially crazy. But most meetings aren't as wasteful as they seem.

Meetings publicize information about status. They bestow social intelligence.

Meetings, like Facebook, are a kind of running social theater.

If you simply try to make meetings shorter or less frustrating, you don't get what meetings are about.

In Favor of Face Time, by Tyler Cowen | Forbes