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It is possible to use a Windows personal computer on an iPhone. Of course, the computer isn’t inside the phone. WebEx, a Cisco company that offers remote computing services, now supports iPhone on its PCNow service.

That will let users search and retrieve files on a remote desktop computer. The remote computer needs a LAN or broadband connection to the Internet, of course. Users can also edit, create, send, view and receive Outlook email, contacts and appointments.

As a bonus, WebEx connects iPhone users to Skype to allow VoIP telephone calls using an iPhone.

One nice benefit of this approach is that the WebEx iPhone client isn’t giving the user direct access to the Windows desktop.

Of course, anyone who can get access to that iPhone and the user’s passwords could get access to that remote PC. WebEx allows users to remotely connect one or two PCs to their iPhone for US$11.95 a month. For a small business, this might be a nice option.

Larger companies may not want their employees to breach the corporate firewall in this manner, though.

This ZDnet article has some additional details.

I have 4 more papers to mark this evening, but I’m almost done with the IS 6100 Paper 2 drafts.

Meanwhile, here’s an article from Engadget. There’s a new Blackberry model that offers WiFi connectivity on T-Mobile’s network: the Blackberry Curve 8320.

A similar model (the 8310) offers GPS capabilities instead of the WiFi feature. There’s only so much room inside the phone, so it’s one chipset or the other – not both.

It’s up to the carrier to offer the GPS, WiFi or both versions. So T-Mo went with WiFi.

Engadget also ran articles about a GPS service for iPhones last Wednesday. It’ll do until Apple adds real GPS hardware to the next iPhone.

My readers who don’t live in the state of Hawaii probably haven’t heard much about the Hawaii Superferry. I won’t bore them with the details. Yesterday, the Superferry announced it was suspending its Kauai service indefinitely, according to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

But the Economist published an article about this affair this week. That article was republished in the print edition of the Star-Bulletin’s Sunday editorial page.

That’s a bad sign. The Economist, a well-respected current affairs magazine with a worldwide audience, is questioning Hawaii’s ability to deal with change. This a weekly magazine that CEOs and top government officials read regularly in its print and web editions.

The Economist frames the Superferry debacle in the context of the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Summit, which just concluded. The Honolulu Advertiser discussed the summit today, and I participated in the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce’s meeting on sustainability last Thursday.

The Advertiser published its own front page story today about the growing divide among the islands. The Superferry debate is only the most recent tipping point that has set neighbors against each other. It’s more than politics or business.

I just have one question.

If the Superferry traveled a regular route between Maui and Kauai without ever docking on Oahu, would there still be protesters, lawsuits and general governmental chaos?

Maybe the Superferry wouldn’t make as much revenue with that route – but they’re not making any money right now.

Keep the comments polite, please.

Both of my courses have peer reviews that are due Monday at noon HT (IS 6100 details are here; the IS 7010 details are here).

Students can get to the peer review feature by following these instructions.

Log in to TurnItIn.com.

Click on the link for our course.

Click on the link labeled “Peer review”. Click the screenshot below for an example. The screenshots are more legible when clicked.

On the next screen, click on the yellow-and-black pencil icon to start the review. See the blue arrow in the screenshot below.

Scroll through the paper. Remember that graphics or images in the original paper might not appear, because TurnItIn.com only displays formatted text.

The mark feature is a bit awkward to use, so I have included a plain old text field for written comments. I suggest that students write their written comments in Word or a text editor, then copy-n-paste the comments in the browser’s text field.

Please rate each paper by using the radio buttons on the top of the screen.

Remember that 1 means “poor”, 3 is “average” and 5 is “excellent”.

Here’s another screenshot with an example.

After completing the ratings, press “Submit” to move to the next paper.

On some computers, TurnItin.com might not show that a review has been completed. This is a bug in their system that we discovered in class last night. As long as the “Submit” button was pressed, I should be able to see the reviews.

Students who have more questions should take a look at pages 12-15 in the TurnItIn.com student manual at http://www.turnitin.com/static/pdf/tii_student_qs.pdf. It’s a nice overview.

My IS 6100 will be fascinated to learn that this web-based application is also an example of a group support system or groupware, as discussed in chapter 7 on page 260.

Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Lotus Notes and many other applications have tools that allow individuals to add comments, ratings, and other content to another user’s documents.

This is helpful when working in a group, as the software allows participants to make edits and comments without altering the original document. A supervisor or group member with appropriate rights can review the changes, and then edit, return, reject or accept the changed items into the document as needed.

TurnItIn’s peer review system is about as usable a web-based system as I’ve seen. Limitations in web browsers and operating systems make the design of a web-based reviewing application quite challenging.

On the other hand, students do not need to install additional software to use the peer review system. This kind of peer review would be difficult to manage on WebCT, and quite a burden in email.

It’s 19 September, and that means it’s International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day. Time to break out your iPatch, wish me a happy birthday, shiver your timbers, and really tick off those pesky ninjas.

Here’s a Wikipedia article about the day, with no mention of me at all. I’m not famous enough for Wikipedia, and that’s probably a good thing!

Seriously, TLAP Day is one of several Internet-fueled holidays that have gained popularity through social networking, blogs, and word-of-mouth marketing. Another favorite of mine is Yuri’s Night on 12 April. It’s a series of small global parties to honor the first manned orbital spaceflight. Of course, the Soviet Union was celebrating Cosmonautics Day long before there was a World Wide Web. I wish Yuri’s Night was more like a Cinco de Mayo for space. Maybe next year!

In the meantime, let’s party like it’s 1807.