upfrontSteampunk’d in ‘08Every new technology has its own adoption-curve.Early adopters start speakinga language few understand—while theytry to snare venture capital. Then a few enterprisesdeploy the technology as part of their businessprocesses. If “critical mass” is achieved, the techreceives mainstream-acceptance.All technology was new and unproven at somepoint. When I started using email in 1994, few businesses(even in Silicon Valley) viewed it as a businesstool. BBSs (bulletin board services) were theprecursor to Use<strong>net</strong> forums, which preceded today’sblogs and forums. Every technology you takefor granted was unproven at some point in time, andplagued with detractors and nay-sayers.This includes the electric powergrid. In the early 20th century, manyenterprises had a CxO-level employeewhose job was to monitor electricalpower and liaise with authorities toensure a consistent supply. Nowadayswe just plug in our gear and expect itto work. But there was a point wherecaptains of industry argued overwhether AC or DC would become thestandard, and whether a steady supply of electricalpower would ever be trustworthy.Which brings me to “steampunk.” If, like me (ormy colleague John Tanner), you’re a regular readerof boingboing.<strong>net</strong>, you know about this cultural phenomenon:a melding of pre-electric Victorian-era“steam-powered” technology with an edgy moder<strong>net</strong>hos. People have modified laptops, desktops andiPods with “steampunk” styling: brass fittings, agedwood-effects, welded metal-pipe accents.Steampunk is an aesthetic, not a functionality, soyou won’t see it in your server center. But it recallsa fascinating part of computer history—the preelectriccomputer invented by Charles Babbage.As early as 1822, Babbage noted the high degreeof error introduced by humans calculating complextables by hand, and invented a machine called the“Difference Engine.” A bit of Wikipedia text sumsit up nicely: “Although Babbage’s machines weremechanical and unwieldy, their basic architecturewas very similar to a modern computer. The dataand program memory were separated, operationwas instruction based, the control unit could makeconditional jumps and the machine had a separateI/O unit.”Could such a fantastic device ever work? It does,present tense: “Based on Babbage’s original plans,the London Science Museum constructed a workingDifference Engine No. 2 from 1989 to 1991...to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Babbage’sbirth. In 2000, the printer which Babbage originallydesigned for the difference engine was also completed...boththe engine and its printer worked flawlessly,and still do. The difference engine and printerwere constructed to tolerances achievable with19th century technology, resolving a long-standingdebate whether Babbage’s design would actuallyhave worked.” You can see photos of the workingDifference Engine at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference_engine, and if you visit the Museum inLondon, you can see the actual device.How important was Babbage’s creation? From abusiness standpoint, engineers for UNIVAC (thefirst mass-produced computer—made in the early50s, it used vacuum tubes or “valves” to representdigits), credited Babbage as an inspiration. Andfrom a creative standpoint, sciencefictionwriters Bruce Sterling and WilliamGibson co-wrote a novel (“TheDifference Engine”) where London inthe 1850s has transited to a computerbasedbusiness economy, with firmsrunning massive Difference Enginesaround the clock to streamline theirbusiness processes, in offices lit bygas lamps. It’s a terrific read.But while it took over a century forBabbage’s vision to have business applications,things move now with electric speed. Ayear ago, technologies we report on today—flashmemory-basedlaptops, social <strong>net</strong>working sites—weren’t well known, today they’re mainstream.So prepare to be steampunk’d in 2008. Preparefor your employees to be more socially <strong>net</strong>worked,more agile, more mobile. Some of the enterprisemobile apps I saw in 2007—especially mashupscombining customized data with Google Maps—arerevolutionary, and switched-on Hong Kong enterprisesshould critically examine their use of mobiledevices. There are competitive edges to be gained.Another less savory aspect of steampunk-eraspeed: security vulnerabilities, malware and exploits.Read this issue’s interview with Bruce Schneier,founder and CTO of Counterpane, for a nononsenselook at IT security today.We at CWHK wish all our readers a smooth ridein 2008, no matter how steep the curve of new enterprisetech. While the concept of steampunk dazzleswith its view of a “future-past,” we enjoy the luxuryof living in interesting times. Good and bad by turnsperhaps, but never dull.Stefan HammondEditorshammond@questexasia.comhttp://www.cw.com.hkComputerworld Hong Kong is published by Questex Asia Ltd, 501Cambridge House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, HongKong.EDITORIALEDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chee Sing Chan cchan@questexasia.comEDITOR Stefan Hammond shammond@questexasia.comSENIOR REPORTER Teresa Leung tleung@questexasia.comSALESASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Simon Yeung syeung@questexasia.comACCOUNT DIRECTOR Connie Yip cyip@questexasia.comADMINISTRATIONART DIRECTOR Eric Lam elam@questexasia.comPRODUCTION & Agnes Ng ang@questexasia.comDESIGN MANAGERCIRCULATION & John Lam jlam@questexasia.comDISTRIBUTION DIRECTORASSISTANT CIRCULATION Allie Mok amok@questexasia.comMANAGERMANAGEMENTGROUP PUBLISHER Robert I. 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