Best of the Web - 13 Nov 06

Web 2.0 again dominates our round up of the rest of the web

Hosted applications join Web 2.0 line-up While much of the emphasis on Web 2.0 has related to user-contributed content, which for businesses can mean sharing information over wikis and other collaborative tools, another facet is utilising lightweight applications hosted on the Web and accessed by a standard browser. Wired reports on new Web 2.0 tools that can take the place of traditional heavyweight data analysis applications.
The Business SIde of Web 2.0

Enter Web 3.0? Most of us are probably still trying to get to grips with Web 2.0 and how the technology can benefit business. However the New York Times is already talking about Web 3.0. This was picked up by Tim O'Reilly, who suggests that for most of us ‘systems that combine human and machine intelligence’ would be considered at the heart of Web 2.0. Maybe we should forget the acronyms and focus more on the end results?
Web 3.0? Maybe when we get there
Promise of safe, green batteries
Batteries, mainly the exploding variety, have been dominating the news lately. It’s a significant technology for mobile working but ideally needs to be both safe and environmentally friendly. This may be achievable, according to Wired, thanks to a Korean company that has created eco-friendly batteries made of paper.
Korean Paper Battery Safe, Dry and Noncombustible

Hand signals to control computers
Input devices, such as mice and keyboards, rarely feature any significant innovations and wouldn’t appear to have much impact on the bottom line. However, some new optical control software, which enables control using hand gestures, could enable us to become more creative and productive with computers, reports New Scientist.
Hand-gesture to control computers