According to court papers filed last month, Federal contractor T.R. Systems workers, supporting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, were moving the server from a freight truck into its warehouse in Alexandria, Va., when the accident occurred.

“The rear wheels of their forklift hit the raised surface at the entry door of the warehouse, causing the forklift to rock, and subsequently causing the server to rock, as a result of the rocking motion, the base of the pallet and the crate broke and the crate fell onto the curb, damaging the server packed inside.”

T.R. Systems claimed ‘defective packaging’ by IBM and is seeking damages in excess of $1.4 million. IBM disagreed. Lawyers were retained.

This news certainly heightens the anticipation of moving our data-center a mile and a half down the road.

(See also: InformationWeek)

Today CBRI begins a new initiative to develop a resource hub called ‘bioinformatics.umn.edu’. The focus will be on collaborative and programmer-oriented resources. These services will be available on a subscription basis.

I’m excited by the idea of promoting Semantic and RESTful services.

More as this develops.

(See also: http://das.bioinformatics.umn.edu/)
(See also: http://decypher.bioinformatics.umn.edu/)
(See also: http://inquiry.bioinformatics.umn.edu/)

(Developing: http://flowlims.bioinformatics.umn.edu/)
(Developing: http://openclinica.bioinformatics.umn.edu/)

(See also: http://www.tdbspecialprojects.com/)

Components include:

• Mobile Phone: Blackberry Pearl 8100
  
  
  
  • Firmware version 4.2.0.64
    
  • 2GB MicroSD card
    
  • T-Mobile unlimited data plan.
    

• Bluetooth GPS receiver: Holux GPSlim240
  
  
  
  • 20 parallel satellite-tracking channels.
    
  • Dual function (Bluetooth and Serial connection options)
    
  • Compatible with Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP).
    
  • Built-in rechargeable Li-Ion battery.
    
  • SiRF III chip-set.
    
  • Support NMEA0183 v2.2 data protocol and SiRF binary code.
    

• Google Maps
  
  
  
  • Google Services 1.3.0
    
  • Application Version 1.5.2 (#1025)
    

Maps are available as long as you maintain an ‘EDGE’ network connection. This became a problem as we drove through Yellowstone. I did have some luck when I requested routing information and zoomed in on the length of the route at a greater magnification. The system appeared to cache the maps needed. Your milage may vary.

The application did throw the occasional JAVA exception and there is a problem moving to and from other applications. I had to use the Blackberry menu for Google Maps to Quit the app before moving to some other application or risk freezing the Pearl. Recovery from this condition requires removing the battery to restart the phone.

Despite these caveats, Google Maps for the Blackberry Pearl is a tremendously useful application and a comparatively inexpensive and compact answer to the mobile GPS routing question.

(See also: http://www.google.com/gmm/)
(See also: Google Maps on Blackberry a “religious experience”.)
(See also: A Thing of Beauty.)

(See also: RudyMaxa.com)
(See also: RudyMaxa.com: bio)