A new site will launch this month that will permit you to find data and information related to it more easily than traditional web search.  A friend just twittered about a demonstration video the site, called Wolfram Alpha (don't blame me, I didn't name it).  Wolfram Alpha allows access to a vast database of information, which can be manipulated using either plain text or formulas.  Since the site isn't live yet, I can't tell you a lot more about it.  But after watching the video, I can't wait to play with it. Have a look:

http://www.wolframalpha.com/screencast/introducingwolframalpha.html

Oh and for those who tweet, follow me on twitter:  twitter.com/tomgerace

Since September 11, 2001, security experts have warned about the possibility of an attack on our national infrastructure.  This season, the television series 24 depicted what an attack of that sort might look like.

Yesterday, life imitated art (albeit in a far smaller way) when the people of Santa Cruz County saw their communications infrastructure disabled by a pair of attacks by vandals.  The San Jose Mercury News details the incident: Santa Cruz County in a black hole amid phone, Internet outage.

My friend (and Gather's CTO) John is a ham radio operator.  When he published a piece on his ham radio system two years ago, I couldn't help but wonder whether the new telecom infrastructure made ham radio obsolete.  The Merc News piece made me realize that, due to technology convergence, we have been increasingly concentrating our infrastructure (telephony, cellular, internet, cable) across fewer and fewer sets of cables.

Perhaps John's ham radio makes more sense today than a decade ago.  What would you do if you woke up tomorrow to find your phone, cell phone, cable, and Internet connection all unavailable? The question felt like the stuff of fiction to me, until I read today's news.

A now-departing LA Times journalist calls for a government bail out of newspapers.  Her article mentions several proposed alternatives, including a tax credit for those subscribing to papers or allowing papers to restructure as not-for-profits similar to public radio. 

Bail out journalism - Los Angeles Times

Do you think that traditional journalism is a critical component to a functioning democracy or do sites like Google News fulfilll the news requirement while Gather or Twitter provide space for commentary?  And if traditional journalism is a requirement, would you support a public bail out of the industry?

It is no secret that the newspaper industry needs a new business model.  Television is likely close on its heals. The New York Times reports today that:

With the recession battering advertising online, in print and on television, media executives are contemplating a tougher trick: making the consumer pay.

The Free-Versus-Paid Debate for Online Web News Heats Up - NYTimes.com

Would you pay for good national news?  How about local news, information and investigative journalism in your city and town.  If so, how much would you pay for each?  One dollar/week?  Two?  What is good news reporting worth to you, fellow Gatherers?  And what will you do for local information if your local paper closes its doors this year?