This weekend a worldwide event called Software Freedom Day will be held to publicise open source and free software. Here in New Zealand, we have a handful of events being organised by local enthusiasts. So, if you want to find out more about open source and free software, then go along to one of the events.

Software Freedom Day is a global, grassroots effort to educate the public about the importance of software freedom and the virtues and availability of free and open source software. Local teams from all over the world organise events on the third Saturday in September.

It turns out we’re not the only ones who think NZS.com is tops…

Hitwise have announced that NZS.com has earned a place as a Top 10 Award winner for the quarter running from April to June 2007. Ranked against other Business Directories, we came in at #4. Not bad, eh? Winning websites are determined by the percentage of user visits received, as compared to other sites in their category, during the time period.

Hitwise are online competitive intelligence experts who offer Web geeks a feast of daily insights on the behaviour of 25 million people and 1 million websites, spanning more than 160 industries globally. Tracking Internet usage around the world, Hitwise can help website owners with online branding, search promotion and content strategies.

If you’re interested in seeing how your website measures up against others in your industry, find out more about the Hitwise Top Ten Award Program.

Ever heard of a fellow called Jack Parsons?

He was a dedicated occultist who co-founded America’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It has been reported that “before each rocket test launch, Parsons would invoke the god Pan.” The New Zealand relationship? Sir William Pickering of New Zealand is the most famous Director of JPL.

Wernher von Braun is widely recognised as the leading figure in the development of rocket technology in America, but he held Jack Parsons in high regard… “von Braun remarked that Parsons, and not he, should be regarded as the father of the American space program.”

In 1952, Jack Parsons died in an accidental explosion of fulminate of mercury at his home laboratory, but there is an interesting connection between Pan and Apollo. “Once Pan had the audacity to compare his music with that of Apollo, and to challenge Apollo, the god of the lyre, to a trial of skill.” Of course, the US went on to name their most influential rocket program Apollo (originally meaning “the destroyer”). In addition, the new Orion (God of Hunting) capsule designed to carry people to the moon will be launched by the new series of rockets Ares (God of War).

Why has America gone for such provocative names for their rockets? Why didn’t they choose some nicer Gods like Eros, Aphrodite or Hestia? Why did they choose Greek Gods as a naming convention in the first place?

All in all, a series of interesting coincidences and I’m sure Jack Parsons will be smiling in his grave. There’s little wonder conspiracy theorists have a lot of fun in America!

Courtesy of the well known New Zealand blogger Rod Drury an Auckland based group, Kordia, is planning on launching Wi-Fi hotspots which will cover the entire CBD in cities around New Zealand.

Set to roll out at first across Auckland and Taupo, the company is describing the system as “a nationwide network of smart radio nodes that will deliver wireless access ‘hot-zones’ across target areas like university campuses, city CBD’s, shopping precincts, transportation hubs and more.”

It was at least three years ago that I first came across free Wi-Fi while travelling through the US (staying in Beverley Hills) which was supported by adverts surrounding the web-browsing experience. Hopefully this type of advert sponsored wireless Internet access could take off in New Zealand one day.

Book geeks unite! New Zealand can be collectively proud of having a Kiwi on the prestigious Booker Prize shortlist.

For those who don’t follow such literary things, the Booker is THE fiction writing prize to top all prizes. I mean, lordy, it must be good if their own site says the award has “the power to transform the fortunes of authors and even publishers.” Previous winners have shot to fame from obscurity (not to mention shooting to the top of bestseller lists worldwide).

Lloyd Jones is a great writer (I recommend The Book of Fame, a semi-fictional account of the 1905 All Black tour of Europe). His latest work, Mister Pip, has reached the prestigious top six finalists for the Booker Prize. Set in Papua New Guinea amidst some serious civil strife, the book interweaves personal stories with political upheaval; violence with tenderness; and native perspectives with white views. Language-wise, it’s a gem and easy to read. It’s a tale with great momentum, but be ready for some tragic moments.

The odds of a win for our Kiwi writer are put at 2:1. The last time a New Zealand writer won was in 1985 with Keri Hulme’s the bone people. Golly, it’s been more than twenty years. Must be time for a win, eh?

The full 2007 shortlist is:

• Darkmans by Nicola Barker
• The Gathering by Anne Enright
• The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
• Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
• On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
• Animal’s People by Indra Sinh

And if you want to sneak in a bit of light reading, try reading past Booker Prize winners - you can buy them from all good New Zealand bookshops.

Kiwis are an adventuresome lot. We’re always designing, building, finding, competing and exploring.

Steve Fossett is one of those people who has carried this spirit of exploration and innovation in whatever he has done. Sadly, today, he’s missing in action after taking off from a Nevada ranch in a single engine Citabria Super Decathlon. The plane was reportedly carrying enough fuel for four to five hours of flight. Air crews are currently looking for the plane, although no flight plan was lodged and no distress signal has been received.

The American adventurer is famous for his achievements in solo flight: he was the first person to fly solo around the world by balloon in 2002 and then by airplane in 2005. All in all, Fossett has set 116 world records, from ballooning to sailing boats and flying in aeroplanes, gliders and airships.

So, what makes this guy so gutsy? As one commentator has noted:

Despite his wealth and achievements, Fossett is soft-spoken, unassuming and easily lost in a crowd. He is also determined and persistent as hell.

Let’s hope he is safe and well, and soon ready to add more records to his impressive tally.

Where in New Zealand can you go tramping? There are many, many places available for tramping in New Zealand to suit all experience levels. From low-land coastal walks to high mountain passes. From popular “Great Walks” with well-provisioned huts, to seldom-visited valleys that are two days or more of difficult tramping from any semblance of track.

The most comprehensive information on where to go can be found on the excellent Department of Conservation website. There, you can find out a great deal of information on many of the most popular tracks in New Zealand. Relevent information includes how to get to the track, a description of the route (time estimates and difficulty), information about any huts on the route, what particular skills may required for that tramp (such as river-crossing skills or ice axes), and what maps are needed.

Another popular resource is the New Zealand Tramper site, with many user-added descriptions of tramps. This website has a number if tramps not mentioned in the DoC website. After a doing a tramp, why not write it up and add it to the site?

Don’t forget guide books. One exists for most regions, and the books may well be available at your local library. Be sure to check in with DoC before you go to get any updates on track and hut conditions. Sometimes guide books have a companion website on which updates are posted, for example Sven Brabyn’s site.

Finally, for the adventurer looking for somewhere remote, check out Remote Huts. You have to be physically fit, experienced, and prepared for often very rugged and difficult travel to get to some of these locations.

I’m getting some pretty annoying emails from Aussie email lists talking up the Wallabies’ chances in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. They keep talking about how the All Blacks are going to choke again and how the Aussies will reign supreme. Nuts, it’d be damn hard to stomach another four years as Rugby World Cup title wannabes.

If there is any natural order to the universe, the All Blacks will reach their potential on the paddock this year. We won’t be smug about it, we won’t gloat, we’ll just have four years to quietly enjoy the victory, until the 2011 Rugby World Cup is played in New Zealand. Then after the 2011 World Cup, a rightful balance will return to the universe with the New Zealand All Blacks holding three Rugby World Cup titles. Ahhh, nice.

On March 29^th, 2007, The European Space Agency (ESA) signed an agreement for the installation of a transportable telemetry station at Awarua. Southland is located on the launch trajectory of ESA’s Spaceport launch facility in Kourou, French Guiana. Located just south of Invercargill, the tracking station will be used to track the Ariane 5 launcher as it manoeuvres its payloads to the International Space Station.

After extensive preliminary analysis, the Awarua site was selected due to its excellent visibility of the Ariane 5’s trajectory. Civil works, road adaptation, concrete platform, power, telecommunications and fence construction started in January, 2007.

It’s superb to see Venture Southland take an active interest in pursuing space science projects. Robin McNeill from Venture Southland sums it up nicely in a Listener article quote:

“Most Kiwi kids feel that space science is something that happens overseas. But it’s happening here in Southland - that’s inspiring!”

When his team faced off against Waikato on Saturday night, Canterbury captain Corey Flynn had a feeling something special was in store.

The mainlanders scored an impressive five tries in the first half, giving them a 33-13 lead at halftime. By the end of the game, Waikato had gained some ground, but only enough to bring the final score to 33-20 and not enough to hold onto the prized Ranfurly Shield.

In excellent form, the Canterbury Crusaders dominated the match (three tries in fifteen minutes isn’t half bad!) even in the presence of a near-capacity home crowd in Hamilton. Their win brought to an end Waikato’s seven day Ranfurly Shield tenure (the shortest on record in the history of the prize) and was a sweet victory for the Crusaders after losing the Shield to North Harbour last year. Stand-out performances were seen from Stephen Brett, Hamish Gard and Scott Hamilton.

Check out information on regional rugby in New Zealand on NZS.com.