Recommended Reading

An abundance of sources on the Semantic Web
Source: World Wide Web Consortium

The World Wide Web Consortium, an international group that works on Web standards and guidelines, offers a good starting point for anyone looking to brush up on Semantic Web technology.

The W3C Web site includes a basic explanation of the technology, sometimes referred to as Web 3.0, and points to articles and interviews from various technical publications. It also posts presentations by Tim Berners-Lee and other experts.

If you want to delve even deeper, visit W3C’s library of case studies or follow a link to one of seven other groups that focus on Semantic Web developments.

A collection of collaboration tools
Source: InformationWeek

InformationWeek’s Serdar Yegulalp highlights seven Web-based applications that enable multiple users to collaborate on documents in real time.

Google Docs is familiar to many people, but Yegulalp said Zoho Writer is a good alternative. That tool offers both full collaboration and read-only modes. In read-only, other users view the document as a static Web page. The application also comes with a chat function.

Another option is Dabbleboard. More of a whiteboard application, it enables users to draw pictures, insert images and text, and, like Zoho Writer, chat while they work. An added bonus for ambitious brainstormers: Whiteboard presentations can span multiple pages, Yegulalp said.

Gorgeous gadgets: A retrospective
Source: PC World

PC World’s Dan Tynan highlights 15 of the greatest tech designs ever, products that combine practical functionality with something close to beauty.

To qualify, a product must be generally available and sized to fit on a desktop (more or less), with extra points awarded for historical significance and/or goofiness.

First on the list is Motorola’s StarTAC cell phone, circa 1996. “The world's first flip phone is also the first gadget based on technology originally imagined in ‘Star Trek’: the handheld communicator,” Tynan wrote.

Next up is Apple’s MacBook Air laptop PC from last year. “When Steve Jobs pulled this paper-thin, titanium beauty out of a plain manila envelope in January 2008, the gasp could be heard from Cupertino to Kalamazoo,” Tynan wrote.

Gadgets on the go
Source: Network World

Network World reviews 12 products that are perfect for summer travelers who don’t want to leave their gadgets behind.

Consider the Kensington Portable Power Pack ($60), a device slightly smaller than a BlackBerry and capable of recharging a cell phone, an iPod or other USB-based product when there is no outlet in sight.

Meanwhile, the Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset ($130) is perfect for users trying to conduct business while on the road. Besides being comfortable and stylish, the headset does a good job of filtering background noise.

For the serious traveler, Network World recommends the Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 ($400), a shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof camera capable of withstanding Arctic temperatures. You never know.