In today's digest, we have:
* [Rival] MSBBC Busted by Parliament for the MS iPlayer Scam
* KDE 4.0 is Released! (Wired: "...Puts Windows Vista to Shame")
* Linux-based MTube: World's Smallest Consumer PC?
* Infecting the MBR is now back in fashion
* OLPC Technology to Reach Stores Soon
* Examples of Free Software That is Funded by Corporations
* The Anti-Linux FCC Comes Under Congress Investigation
* Busting Microsoft's FUD About ODF, More Office Suites Are Born
* US (Now MS) Library of Congress Becomes Windows-only?
* [Rival] Schneier Gives More Information About Claimed NSA Backdoors
* New Version of Wine Released with RunOnce
* PCLinuxOS Digital Photography Edition Introduced; Mandriva Linux
2008 Reaches Alpha2
* Economist Recommends GNU/Linux for Old PCs
* Toshiba Turning Away from x86 to Cells?
* OLPC Beats WintelMate PC, Using GNU/Linux
* Can Windows Ever Do What Fedora Does? (No)
* Another New mobile Internet Device Runs GNU/Linux
* Palm's 'Nova Linux' in the Making, Archos Made Linux-based Flexible
* [Rival] Microsoft Elite Exodus Not Eveb Over Yet!
* Lots of Open Source IPOs on the Way, According to Fortune Magazine
* Asus Eee Gets Good Review and Has NO MICROSOFT PATENT TAX
* [Rival] Microsoft Might Get Deeper into Hardware Business with
Logitech Takeover
* Web Applications 'Replace' the Web Browser, Desktop Applications
* [Rival] Windows Vista's UAC is Ineffective
* Many/All Your Publications Are Belong [sic] to Microsoft?
* Germany Hammers Another Nail into the MS HDDVD Coffin
* AgfaPhoto Builds Unique Gadget with Linux
* [Rival] Microsoft Can't Build Own Software (OneCare Fails Again)
* Two Linux Success Stories in Industry: Asterisk, Wind River
* KDE 4.0 is Ahead of Windows Vista
* The 'Desktop' is Dead, Long Live GNU/Linux (and Thrive)
* [Rival] Early Signs of Trouble for Longhorn (Windows Server 2008)?
* Verizon Might Think It's Above the (Free Software) Law
* Sebastian Kuegler Pleased with KDE 4.0 Release, Liquidat Looks
at Progress
* Early Reviews of KDE 4.0.0 Final
* A Closer Look at the Splashtop Embedded Linux Environment from Asus
* Firefox Reaching Out to More Markets, Faces Dirty Microsoft Tricks
* Mandriva 2008 Flash Gets Good Review, Gaming Remaster
* Review of TinyFlux 1.0, PCLinuxOS 2007 and Mint 4.0 on a Laptop
* New Linux Releases in Italy (Voltalinux) and Iran (Parsix 1.0 Beta)
* Computing Becomes Fun Again with Linux-based Bug, OLPC
* Tribbox Released, Runs on Top of Linux
* Mark Shuttleworth Invites Professionals to Ubuntu Linux Conference
This is a digest of the previous 24 hours (GMT day) of [News] postings
in comp.os.linux.advocacy. If you have any comments, suggestions or
remarks, please reply to this message and I will take account of all
that I can. The digest is created from my leafnode news spool, which is
pre-filtered, so some posters' articles might not appear.
Try the faq at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/
for more information about cola.
Just like other public, unmoderated discussion fora, cola has
its share of disruptive posters. This blog has been created by
a concerned cola netizen to assist newcomers in identifying them:
http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/
In order to find the last week's digests, try:
http://groups.google.co.uk/groups/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&num=10&q=group%3Acomp.os.linux.advocacy+insubject%3Alinux+insubject%3Anews+insubject%3Adigest+author%3Amark.kent%40demon.co.uk&as_drrb=q&as_qdr=w&safe=off&qt_s=Search
Alternatively, you can start at the first one, posted 3/Sep/06, and
work fowards:
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/comp.os.linux.advocacy/browse_thread/thread/204520deb472e5ef/fa8c1f5e12433243?&hl=en#fa8c1f5e12433243
I very much hope that you find this digest useful. I also run a blog in
which I post occasionally, which you can find at http://thereisnomagic.org
It does tend to the philosophical end of free software, engineering and
economics, you have been warned!
You can email me at: echo mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, removing
the obvious bit.
Happy reading, Mark Kent, Digest Editor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message-ID: <10730141.esZ5GhvSkV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] [Rival] MSBBC Busted by Parliament for the MS iPlayer Scam
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:26:20 +0000
BBC Director General grilled by MPs on iPlayer
,----[ Quote ]
| During the meeting there is discussion of iPlayerâ??s total cost to the licence
| fee-payer - the BBC representatives are unable to give a figure, but start
| the bidding at £20m, excluding staff costs. Thomson gives incorrect
| information - that Mac and Linux versions of iPlayer have the same
| functionality as Windows versions - and has to change his evidence at the
| end. Perhaps it was this confusion that prompted Dr John Pugh MP to follow up
| the encounter with a letter direct to Mark Thomson today discussing platform
| neutrality in greater detail. A copy of this letter has been passed to the
| Open Rights Group.
`----
http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/01/10/bbc-director-general-grilled-by-mps-on-iplayer/
What took them so long? The 'smoking guns' have been out there for ages.
[ Fantastic. The OSC is having a positive effect here in pulling out the
corruption at the BBC. Amazing that the £100Million has dropped magically
down to £20Million, for a *skin* for Microsoft Silverlight... Ed. ]
Related:
BBC Corrupted
,----[ Quote ]
| Today the BBC made it official -- they have been corrupted by Microsoft. With
| today's launch of the iPlayer, the BBC Trust has failed in its most basic of
| duties and handed over to Microsoft sole control of the on-line distribution
| of BBC programming. From today, you will need to own a Microsoft operating
| system to view BBC programming on the web. This is akin to saying you must
| own a Sony TV set to watch BBC TV. And you must accept the Digital Â
| Restrictions Management (DRM) that the iPlayer imposes. You simply cannot be
| allowed to be in control of your computer according to the BBC. Â Â Â
`----
http://defectivebydesign.org/blog/BBCcorrupted
BBC iPlayer Protests
,----[ Quote ]
| Who are the people responsible for creating this mess?
|
| Â Â * Mark Thompson, BBC director general (DG)
| Â Â * Erik Huggers, group controller at BBC Future Media & Technology
| Â Â * Ashley Highfield, director of new media and technology
|
| Right now, there is very considerable concern within the BBC that the actions
| of the Director General and his team are sending the corporation in the wrong
| direction. The BBC has been embroiled in a number of recent controversies,
| all linked back to the DG's leadership. Â
`----
http://www.defectivebydesign.org/iPlayerProtest
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2305172.3abF24Jfm3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] KDE 4.0 is Released! (Wired: "...Puts Windows Vista to Shame")
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:29:03 +0000
KDE 4 Brings Improvements Galore to the Linux Desktop
,----[ Quote ]
| The next generation of KDE, the popular Linux desktop environment, has
| arrived. KDE 4.0 features a completely re-written core with new multimedia
| libraries, better hardware abstraction and
| desktop eye candy that puts Windows Vista to shame.
`---- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2008/01/kde-4-brings-im.html
The Linux Desktop Paradox
,----[ Quote ]
| Your average computer user is used to either the Microsoft Windows or Apple
| Mac paradigm, in which the OS and the desktop are not disparate items.
| Microsoft has THE Windows desktop and Apple has THE Mac Desktop.
|
| But when it comes to running Linux, there is no Linux desktop. Rather, users
| have a choice of a collection of technologies, including GNOME, KDE, Xfce and
| others. Each respectively offers a different choice and a different Linux
| desktop. This is not just about choosing a different theme or screensaver;
| these are distinctly different technologies with different tools and
| applications.
`----
http://www.internetnews.com/reporters_notebook/article.php/3721116
KDE 4.0 (Today Released) Screenshots Tour
http://www.debianadmin.com/kde-40-today-released-screenshots-tour.html
TCS :: KDE 4.0
http://www.thecodingstudio.com/opensource/linux/screenshots/index.php?linux_distribution_sm=KDE%204.0
Related:
KDE 4.0 Release Event Contest
,----[ Quote ]
| The KDE 4.0 Release Event Team is pleased to announce a contest for the KDE
| 4.0 Release Event.
`----
http://dot.kde.org/1191506286/
Akademy 2008 to be Held in Belgium
,----[ Quote ]
| The annual KDE World Summit, Akademy, has found a home for 2008 in the heart
| of Europe, Belgium.
`----
http://dot.kde.org/1191001763/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1452145.nQ3R1loZ7I@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Linux-based MTube: World's Smallest Consumer PC?
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:30:42 +0000
MTube, the Smallest PC in the World in Action
,----[ Quote ]
| Maybe we missed the MTube at CES because at 3.34 x 3.34 x 0.78 inches and 5.3
| ounces, this Linux-based WiMax- and Wi-Fi-enabled UMPC is the smallest "full
| featured" computer in the world.
`----
http://gizmodo.com/343711/mtube-the-smallest-pc-in-the-world-in-action
Related:
MTube: 2.8" VGA pocketable Linux prototype
,----[ Quote ]
| Mtube UltraMobileLife shares a pic of a new VIA-based handheld called the
| MTube. At this point, it's simply a prototype out of Taiwan's Science and
| Technology Advisory Group, but it shows where ultraportables could be headed
| in the future. The MTube offers a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen and runs on Linux
| with a 1 GHz VIA CPU under the hood. Â Â
`----
http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkontherun/2007/10/mtube-28-vga-po.html
PCs step asideâ?¦ smarter mobiles are coming
,----[ Quote ]
| Citing the examples of the companyâ??s single core solutions for smart phones,
| consumer electronics and automotive entertainment and ARM Mali graphics
| processors, and its collaboration for Linux mobile computing, Mr Keith said
| mobile phone makers are taking to a platform approach which offers
| flexibility to add new features. Â Â
`----
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/11/05/stories/2007110550450200.htm
Linux Sees 'Astronomic' Growth in Mobile Devices
,----[ Quote ]
| "We were very aware that the growth in mobile for Linux was huge, but we
| didn't know it was so astronomic," Amanda McPherson, marketing director for
| the Linux Foundation, told LinuxInsider. "These are very encouraging
| numbers." Why Linux has drawn significant support from the community of
| handset manufacturers can be explained on several fronts, McPherson said. Â Â
`----
http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/59162.html
PCs being pushed aside in Japan
,----[ Quote ]
| The PC's role in Japanese homes is diminishing, as its once-awesome monopoly
| on processing power is encroached by gadgets such as smart phones that act
| like pocket-size computers, advanced Internet-connected game consoles,
| digital video recorders with terabytes of memory. Â
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071104/ap_on_hi_te/bye_bye_pcs
------------------------------
Message-ID: <ftkl55-0j3.ln1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: The Ghost In The Machine <ewill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Infecting the MBR is now back in fashion
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:23:11 -0800
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7183008.stm
Warning on stealthy Windows virus
Security experts are warning about a stealthy Windows
virus that steals login details for online bank
accounts.
In the last month, the malicious programme has racked
up about 5,000 victims - most of whom are in Europe.
Many are falling victim via booby-trapped websites
that use vulnerabilities in Microsoft's browser to
install the attack code.
Experts say the virus is dangerous because it buries
itself deep inside Windows to avoid detection.
Old tricks
The malicious programme is a type of virus known as a
rootkit and it tries to overwrite part of a computer's
hard drive called the Master Boot Record (MBR).
This is where a computer looks when it is switched
on for information about the operating system it will
be running.
[...]
Once installed the virus, dubbed Mebroot by Symantec,
usually downloads other malicious programmes, such as
keyloggers, to do the work of stealing confidential
information.
[...]
Although the password-stealing programmes that Mebroot
installs can be found by security software, few
commercial anti-virus packages currently detect its
presence. Mebroot cannot be removed while a computer
is running.
Independent security firm GMER has produced a utility
that will scan and remove the stealthy programme.
Computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows
Server 2003 and Windows 2000 that are not fully patched
are all vulnerable to the virus.
[end excerpt]
Yipes. Again.
[1] Will Microsoft's patches work against this horror?
[2] Will Microsoft want to use this virus as an excuse to
implement Trusted Computing?
[3] Will GRUB or LILO be counted thereby as a "virus"?
[4] Can we scream loudly enough? ;-)
Stay tuned.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1518784.LdP7COekhs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] OLPC Technology to Reach Stores Soon
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:51:08 +0000
New screen technology may hit stores Dec-designer
,----[ Quote ]
| Computers and cell phones with screens that can be read in direct sunlight
| could be on store shelves by the end of this year, the designer of the
| breakthrough display technology said.
|
| The high-resolution monitors switch from colour to black and white, allowing
| the screens to be clearly viewed in direct sunlight, a feature unavailable in
| current high-end laptop computers that cost thousands of dollars.
`----
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN1128857220080111?pageNumber=1
[ Technical development for low-cost computing... Ed. ]
Related:
Designer of laptop for poor kids starts company
,----[ Quote ]
| Jepsen invented a low-cost, low-power sunreadable screen while at the
| foundation from 2005 to 2007. She also co-invented its power management
| system. Â
`----
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKN1019897920080110?rpc=44
Intel-powered XO is too expensive and consumes too much power
,----[ Quote ]
| 2 days before Intel CEO Paul Otellini would unveil the Classmate 2 or the
| Intel-powered XO at the CES, Intel announced that they are quitting the OLPC
| board.
|
| Intel claims that they are quitting because of Nicholas Negroponte wanting
| them to stop the promotion of the Classmate/Eee to education in third world
| countries, but I think that the real reason is that Intel does not have a
| good enough processor for the OLPC project to use as an alternative to the
| AMD Geode LX-700. Intel has not been able to develop a processor to match the
| price, power consumption and performance requirements of the OLPC project.
| Paul Otellini could have looked like a fool at the CES if he had to unveil an
| Intel powered XO that was performing worse in terms of price and power
| consumption compared to the AMD powered one.
`----
http://charbax.com/2008/01/04/intel-diamondville-and-menlow-processors-not-low-costpower-enough/
Intel: doing the dirty on OLPC
,----[ Quote ]
| Intelâ??s agreement with the OLPC Foundation included a â??non disparagementâ??
| clause, under which Intel and One Laptop promised not to criticise each
| other, according to Nicholas Negroponte in the latest article in the Wall
| Street Journal.
|
| Still Intel tactics have violated that repeatedly to kill OLPC efforts in
| Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, India, China and Intel is also still trying to pull
| those tactics in Mexico, Brazil.
| This is simply disgracefull of Intel, scandalous.
|
| But Negroponte has signed an agreement saying that he is not allowed to
| criticise Intel, so he is not allowed to talk about these shameless tactics
| even though Intel is the one violating the agreement.
|
| So only independant voices on the Internet can get those messages of truth
| out about Intels tactics.
|
| In Nigeria, Intel came and donated 3000 laptops to counter OLPC efforts, then
| sells 17 thousand Classmates to Nigeria at a loss.
|
| Then Microsoft corrupted Nigerian officials with 400 thousand dollars to
| install Windows XP on those instead of Mandriva Linux.
`----
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/14124
------------------------------
Message-ID: <25549106.u3N3ZhTYXM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Examples of Free Software That is Funded by Corporations
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:55:26 +0000
Coders Going Mercenary: From Community to Corporation
,----[ Quote ]
| "I'm sure there are developers who make this transition, but they are
| generally not the ones I know. Many, if not most open source developers I
| know -- including many Linux kernel developers -- work on open source for
| their [corporate] companies as well as during their own time," Amanda
| McPherson, marketing director for Linux Foundation, told LinuxInsider.
|
| [...]
|
| Coders who make the transition from community to corporate software
| development often find little difference in the process. Software development
| has two main components: the code and its methodology, according to Sameer
| Verma, a professor of information systems at San Francisco State University.
`----
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/61147.html
WSO2 bringing Ruby to SOA
,----[ Quote ]
| With open-source software being formally introduced Monday, WSO2 seeks to
| bridge the Ruby programming language and the Ruby on Rails Web framework with
| service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web services.
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyId=11&articleId=9056979&intsrc=hm_topic
http://tinyurl.com/364m4s
Quote for the day:
"If it [the timing of the donation] had anything to do with the antitrust case,
we would have told someone."
--Ms. Stonifer, director William H. Gates Foundation
[Comment on the above: yes, they would openly tell someone if they subverted
justice. They pulled similar stunts for OOXML on the face of it.]
Related:
Top 10 Projects to Come Out of Googleâ??s Summer of Code
,----[ Quote ]
| Every summer since 2005, Google has offered what is essentially a paid
| internship to open source groups. Students are offered the opportunity to
| work with open source development groups to complete projects, often
| resulting in significant advances for both the studentâ??s knowledge and the
| developments theyâ??ve worked on. These projects, combined or otherwise, are
| some of the biggest successes weâ??ve seen come out of Googleâ??s Summer of Code. Â Â
|
| # Gaim: The Gaim instant messaging project benefited greatly from Summer of
| Code, getting helpful updates that made it into the clientâ??s 2.0 version,
| Pidgin. Â
| # Neuros OSD: This audio/video recording and playback device is committed to
| open source, but had non-open source DSP code in order to get on the market
| faster. Google Summer of Code students created an open source â??bridgeâ?? that
| enabled open source codecs to be used... Â
`----
http://www.virtualhosting.com/blog/2008/top-10-projects-to-come-out-of-googles-summer-of-code/
The Google Highly Open Participation Contest
,----[ Quote ]
| Following on from the success of the Google Summer of Code programme, Google is
| pleased to announce this new effort to get young people involved in open
| source development. Â
`----
http://code.google.com/opensource/ghop/2007-8/
Open-source software gamble for Google
,----[ Quote ]
| Can something you give away for free turn into a gold mine? That's the
| multimillion-dollar question Google Inc. is betting on with its push into
| open-source software. Â
`----
http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=308cccac-dbe3-46ad-bc9e-a06a1130a510&k=51155
Amarok's Summer of Code Review
,----[ Quote ]
| Read on to learn about two innovative additions to the Amarok project.
`----
http://dot.kde.org/1190246519/
Google Summer of Code
,----[ Quote ]
| Accepted student applications for Google Summer of Code have been
| announced! We accepted over 900 student applicants from a pool of
| nearly 6,200 applications.
`----
http://code.google.com/soc/#a
Google Launches "Google Developer Day"
,----[ Quote ]
| The intention behind Google Developer Day sounds somewhat similar to "Hack
| Day" -- an annual one day gathering that rival Yahoo has been hosting in
| its Sunnyvale, California abode inviting software developers to get
| together and experiment with Yahoo applications.
`----
http://www.sda-asia.com/sda/news/psecom,id,15238,srn,4,nodeid,4,_language,Singapore.html
http://tinyurl.com/2vhyu3
Google Grants - Free Advertising for Open Source Non-profits
,----[ Quote ]
| Programmes like Google Summer of Code can really help raise awareness of
| your project, but you may want to learn about another Google programme
| that may be able to help give your project more visibility.
|
| The Google Grants programme, currently in beta release, uses Google
| AdWords to help nonprofits spread their messages to a wider audience
| by providing them with free advertising on Google.com.
`----
http://google-code-updates.blogspot.com/2007/04/google-grants-free-advertising-for-open.html
http://tinyurl.com/34py7c
(Google) Speaking of Summer
,----[ Quote ]
| Google Summer of CodeTM 2007 is on! Last year, Google funded over
| 600 students in 93 countries to work with 100 open source groups.
| We're extremely happy to announce that we'll be holding Google
| Summer of Code again this year.
`----
http://google-code-updates.blogspot.com/2007/02/speaking-of-summer.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1464295.boDOLgWlyx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] The Anti-Linux FCC Comes Under Congress Investigation
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 04:03:45 +0000
Congress to probe FCC with red hot questions
,----[ Quote ]
| The FCCâ??and Chairman Kevin Martin in particularâ??are in hot water with
| Congress over the way that the Commission is run. While Martin was at CES,
| telling all who would listen that the FCC will investigate Comcast's
| traffic-shaping practices, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced
| a formal investigation of the FCC. The news couldn't be more welcome to the
| industries that the FCC regulates.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080109-congress-to-probe-fcc.html
Comcast are close to Microsoft. Only a month ago they had some partnership that
is somewhat of an anti-Google alliance (see the link at the very bottom).
Comcast, the FFC, and Microsoft appear to be generally close (again, links at
the bottom).
Quote for the day:
"The core of this trial is consumer choice and the premise is that consumers
ought to make that decision, not Microsoft. Microsoftâ??s argument that says
Java would have died anyway is a little bit like saying if somebody shoots you
they can defend [themselves] by saying you have cancer."
--David Boies, lead trial attorney DOJ
Related:
The Spectrum Swindle Â
,----[ Quote ]
| This is not a call for a privatisation or reformation of the FCC; it is a
| recommendation for its abolition.[20] Along with alternative arbitration
| venues, the current court system could handle any disputes arising from this
| action.[21] Â
|
| The FCC should not be in the business of gerrymandering the electromagnetic
| spectrum; rather, it should be left to private firms to homestead the
| infinitesimal frequencies and solve any and all problems in courts: just like
| property disputes on parcels of land. Â
|
| The FCC sells something it neither created nor homesteaded and has
| historically been found incompetent at managing. Worse, it has necessarily
| been partisan in its actions. In addition, the Treasury Department (through
| the FCC) stands to make billions of dollars for something they never made,
| never homesteaded, and have shown gross incompetence at managing. And yet, in
| January, they will both make out like bandits. Â Â
`----
http://www.mises.org/story/2815
Is FCC destroying the open Internet?
,----[ Quote ]
| The fact of a shared monopoly is, in many places, just that â?? a fact. When
| carriers are given an exclusive right to provide service on lines they â??own,â??
| the public network-of-networks becomes merely a private network. Â
|
| Such monopolies, whether public or private, provide enormous temptation for
| mischief. No matter how good the motives of those who create such temptation,
| it follows as night does day that others with less pure motives will follow
| them. Â
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=1737
FCC ignores more than 100 years of wisdom
,----[ Quote ]
| In 1883 French cryptographer Auguste Kerckhoffs published a set of six
| design principles for military encryption systems. The second of these
| principles is generally known today under the observation that security
| through obscurity is not security. The Federal Communications Commission
| (FCC) seems not to have read the history books or to be aware of how its
| Â sister federal agencies develop security standards....
`----
http://www.infoworld.nl/idgns/bericht.phtml?id=002570DE00740E1800257313005EC092
The FCC, FOSS, and software radios: a mixed bag
,----[ Quote ]
| After studying the new rules -- published in the Federal Register last month
| and taking effect today -- the SFLC concluded that the laws are not
| FOSS-restrictive because they "apply to hardware manufacturers who distribute
| SDR devices, regardless if they use FOSS in them or not." And the Centre says
| that since the rules specifically mention the GNU/Linux operating system, the
| FCC is actually acknowledging the importance of open source. Â Â
`---- Â
http://www.linux.com/feature/116769
Is The FCC Blocking Wireless Competition?
,----[ Quote ]
| With the nationwide expansion of fibre-optic wiring and digital delivery at
| the turn of the century, the federal government reclaimed and is still
| reclaiming large amounts of spectrum. Â
`----
http://www.webpronews.com/insiderreports/2007/09/07/is-the-fcc-blocking-wireless-competition
Congressman to Comcast: Stop interfering with BitTorrent
^^^^^^^
,----[ Quote ]
| While a class action lawsuit is definitely one way to get Comcast to behave,
| another perhaps more productive way to do so is to have politicians step in
| and regulate.
|
| On Tuesday, I discussed the issue of Comcast's anti-BitTorrent "network
| management" with Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., who is a strong supporter of
| consumer rights and has led the battle to undo the damage caused by the
| Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA.
`----
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9804158-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Consumer groups want Comcast fined for thwarting the Bible
^^^^^^^
,----[ Quote ]
| A number of consumer groups are petitioning the FCC to fine Comcast $195,000
| for every customer affected by their BitTorrent-throttling practices. The FCC
| has said in the past that service providers can't "block" customers from
| using certain applications or websites, but it hasn't enforced that policy. Â
`----
http://valleywag.com/tech/politics/consumer-groups-want-comcast-fined-for-thwarting-the-bible-317960.php
Comcast reported to FCC
^^^^^^^ ^^^
,----[ Quote ]
| P2P throttling breaks FCC 'net neutrality' policy
|
| [...]
|
| Among the consumer groups who have approached the FCC are the Consumer
| Federation of America, the Consumers Union, the Media Access Project and
| professors at the Internet practices of the Yale, Harvard and Stanford law
| schools. Â
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/02/comcast-reported-fcc
Comcast, Microsoft team up to serve smaller firms
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's move to offer the online software suite appears designed to
| ^^^^^^^^^^^
| compete with a similar offering from rival Google Inc (GOOG.O: Quote,
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| Profile, Research) known as Google Apps. Â
`----
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKN1361814420071114?rpc=44
The FCC turns a blind eye to Comcast just like like the DoJ, which apparently
has Microsoft insiders, ignores Microsoft crimes and refused to listen the the
States' complaints.
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2340680.GOOJgD7f53@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Busting Microsoft's FUD About ODF, More Office Suites Are Born
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:34:00 +0000
Dispelling Myths Around ODF
,----[ Quote ]
| Recent articles, reports and documents show that there are still a lot of
| misperceptions regarding ODF in the market. Apparently, many people are still
| not well informed about ODF even though they choose to write about ODF.
| Therefore, I thought it can't hurt trying to dispel a couple of myths around
| ODF.
`----
http://blogs.sun.com/dancer/entry/dispelling_myths_around_odf
Part of the Microsoft smear campaign against ODF. Another example (among so
many) of OOXML/ODF lies at the bottom.
China develops world's 1st Tibetan-language office software
,----[ Quote ]
| China has released the world's first Tibetan-language office software, in an
| effort to facilitate the use of computers among Tibetans.
|
| The newly released "Neo-shine Tibet Office 3.0", jointly developed by China
| Standard Software Corporation (CSCC) and Tibet University, will push the
| development of Tibet's information industry, said Chen Ying, an official with
| China's Ministry of Information Industry.
`----
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/09/content_7394879.htm
Related:
Microsoft Loses, Spins Open XML Vote
,----[ Quote ]
| ISO issued a statement that makes plain what Microsoft tried to spin as a
| victory.
`----
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2178917,00.asp
Microsoft FUD Watch: OOXML Edition
,----[ Quote ]
| Apparently, there is more than one way to stuff the ballot box.
|
| In all my years working as a journalist, I've never seen any technology
| company spin information the way Microsoft did today. The press release on
| OOXML ratification is a blueprint for spinning semantics, and the stringing
| together of truths and half-truths to seemingly make the outcome of one event
| something else altogether.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/business_applications/microsoft_fud_watch_ooxml_edition.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
Microsoft spins OOXML loss as a win
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft lost its effort to win â??fast trackâ?? approval of its OOXML (which it
| calls Open XML) as an international standard, but you wouldnâ??t know that
| from reading much of the press coverage.
|
| * Microsoft claims global support for Open XML.
| * Microsoft reports victory in preliminary ISO ballot.
| * Microsoft takes big step toward OOXML approval.
| * Microsoft is seen winning an international standard vote.
| * Strong global support for Open XML.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/?p=1382
Why Microsoft deserved to lose the OOXML standards vote
,----[ Quote ]
| 1. Lobbying is legal. But certain lobbying tactics are not. Microsoft
| officials admitted that one of the companyâ??s employees behaved
| inappropriately in Sweden,
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=694
Lord, what fools these mortals be!
,----[ Quote ]
| No kidding. Microsoft continues to steam-roll the competition, as illustrated
| by its latest attempt to ram acceptance of OOXML through ISO by the blatantly
| rigging the vote. And of course the European's really love Microsoft's
| business practices. Not. No, Microsoft has the DoJ in their hip pocket thanks
| to the "pro-business" stance of the Bush administration, and as long as
| Bushites remain in power and the Democrats remain inept and impotent, it's
| going to stay that way. Which leaves those of use who really believe in a
| free and fair market to fend for ourselves.
`----
http://blogbeebe.blogspot.com/2007/09/lord-what-fools-these-mortals-be.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <21835038.gyq5NCmE8B@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] US (Now MS) Library of Congress Becomes Windows-only?
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:36:31 +0000
Microsoft to provide virtual access to Library of Congress
,----[ Quote ]
| Interactive presentation software for kiosks will run on Windows Vista and
| its Web equivalent, built using Microsoft Silverlight. The project will also
| use Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Web content management software.
`----
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/10/Microsoft-to-provide-virtual-access-to-Library-of-Congress_1.html
"[Vista's] Web equivalent," eh?
Same utter BS in the British Library and National Archives. They try to lock
national assets to the existence of Microsoft. And who's the head of National
Archives? A Microsoft executive. Corruption does not get any deeper (yet
shallow for an outsider to see).
[ It's another way of exacting the "Microsoft Tax". Governments and
major institutions used to ensure citizens must buy from Microsoft. Ed. ]
Related:
British Library calls for digital copyright action
,----[ Quote ]
| In a manifesto released on Monday at the Labour Party Conference
| in Manchester, the United Kingdom's national library warned that the
| country's traditional copyright law needs to be extended to fully
| recognise digital content.
|
| "Unless there is a serious updating of copyright law to recognise
| the changing technological environment, the law becomes an ass,"
| Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library, told ZDNet
| UK.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6119043.html
Vista and British Library put da Vinci online
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft and the British Library have digitised two of Leonardo da
| Vincis' notebooks.
|
| [...]
|
| The British Library has created an updated version of its application
| called "Turning the Pages" which allows people to browse parts of
| its 150 million piece collection via a web browser. We heard how
| this works better using Vista.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/30/vinci_notebooks_vista/
Publish And Perish
,----[ Quote ]
| Alexander Rose, the executive director of the futurist Long Now
| Foundation, worries about the impermanence of digital information.
| "If you save that computer for 100 years, will the electrical plugs
| look the same?" he asks. "The Mac or the PC--will they be around?
| If they are, what about the software? " So far there's no business
| case for digital preservation--in fact, for software makers like
| Microsoft, planned obsolescence is the plan.
|
| "The reality is that it's in companies' interest that software should
| become obsolete and that you should have to buy every upgrade,"
| Rose says. We could be on the cusp of a turning point, though, in the
| way businesses and their customers think about digital preservation.
| "Things will start to change when people start losing all of their personal
| photos," Rose said.
`----
http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/30/books-information-preservation-tech-media_cx_ee_books06_1201acid.html?partner=yahootix
http://tinyurl.com/yyjqoh
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6265976.stm
Microsoftâ??s 4th of July Trans-Atlantic assault on document standards
,----[ Quote ]
| With OOXML and XPS, Microsoft has chosen to not work with existing standards,
| but to create new ones, as they have in their recent announcement on Web3S
| instead of working with the rest of the industry on the Atom Publishing
| Protocol. In the case of OOXML, this is a logical move on Microsoftâ??s part,
| since it is an evolution of Microsoftâ??s XML strategy started with the
| Microsoft Office 2003 version and ODF will be a technology diversion from
| that strategy. With Microsoft controlling 90% of the office productivity
| tools market and OOXML being the default file format for Microsoft Office
| 2007, OOXML is likely to be widely-used. Â Â Â Â
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Newton/?p=16
Microsoft criticised for Open XML petition
,----[ Quote ]
| The petition is an attempt to make it appear that Open XML
| has "pseudo-grassroots" support, argues Mark Taylor, the
| founder of the Open Source Consortium.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6173625.html
Microsoft calls on UK public to raise the Office standard
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is calling on the Great British public to join its campaign
| to get the XML Office format adopted as an international standard.
|
| [...]
|
| It is not clear if the UK is an opponent. However, a representative
| of fellow member the Bureau of Indian Standards recently reportedly
| complained to the IndiaTime.com over Microsoft's decision to dump
| 6,000 pages of documentation on them.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/04/microsoft_office_standards_petition/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3276053.qAmIskGeCo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Schneier Gives More Information About Claimed NSA Backdoors
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:38:35 +0000
NSA Backdoors in Crypto AG Ciphering Machines
,----[ Quote ]
| We don't know the truth here, but the article lays out the evidence pretty
| well.
|
| See this essay of mine on how the NSA might have been able to read Iranian
| encrypted traffic.
`----
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/01/nsa_backdoors_i.html
Related:
Dual_EC_DRBG Added to Windows Vista
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has added the random-number generator Dual_EC-DRBG to Windows
| Vista, as part of SP1. Yes, this is the same RNG that could have an NSA
| backdoor. Â
|
| It's not enabled by default, and my advice is to never enable it. Ever.
`----
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/12/dual_ec_drbg_ad.html
Microsoft Sells Out to NSA... again!
,----[ Quote ]
| So before you go to the store and get that shiny new laptop, consider asking
| the retailer to not put Windows on there because not doing so could end up
| being a serious mistake. Â
`----
http://binaryfreedom.info/node/282
Why proprietary code is bad for security
,----[ Quote ]
| Tho Skype is using an encrypted protocol, itâ??s still their own, non-disclosed
| code and property. So we donâ??t know what it contains.
|
| [...]
|
| Itâ??s time to stop accepting that we are the bad guys, and to stop consuming
| things we just donâ??t understand (and cannot, because they are proprietary, Â
| closed-source systems).
|
| Say no to companies, or even governments who treat you like this. Start using
| open sourced products and protocols wherever you can. Even if you could
| still never understand the code used in these systems, there are still lots
| of people who can, and who will examine it. The magic word here is â??peer
| reviewâ?? - your friend or buddy or neighbour may be able to understand all
| that, and to help. No, not with Skype or Windows or any black box from Cisco. Â Â Â
`----
http://wolfgang.lonien.de/?p=394
Did NSA Put a Secret Backdoor in New Encryption Standard?
,----[ Quote ]
| Which is why you should worry about a new random-number standard that
| includes an algorithm that is slow, badly designed and just might contain a
| backdoor for the National Security Agency. Â
`----
http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2007/11/securitymatters_1115
,----[ Quote ]
| "Is this a good idea or not? For the first time, the giant software maker
| is acknowledging the help of the secretive agency, better known for
| eavesdropping on foreign officials and, more recently, U.S. citizens as
| part of the Bush..."
`----
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/01/nsa_helps_micro_1.html
Animal Rights Activists Forced to Hand Over Encryption Keys
,----[ Quote ]
| If you remember, this was sold to the public as essential for fighting
| terrorism. It's already being misused.
`----
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/11/animal_rights_a.html
Microsoft could be teaching police to hack Vista
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft may begin training the police in ways to break the
| encryption built into its forthcoming Vista operating system.
`----
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2150555/microsoft-teaching-police-hack
UK holds Microsoft security talks
,----[ Quote ]
| "UK officials are talking to Microsoft over fears the new version of
| Windows could make it harder for police to read suspects' computer files."
`----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4713018.stm
For Windows Vista Security, Microsoft Called in Pros
,----[ Quote ]
| The NSA also declined to be specific but said it used two groups â?? a â??red
| teamâ?? and a â??blue teamâ?? â?? to test Vistaâ??s security. The red team, for
| instance, posed as â??the determined, technically competent adversaryâ?? to
| disrupt, corrupt or steal information. â??They pretend to be bad guys,â?? Sager
| said. The blue team helped Defence Department system administrators with
| Vistaâ??s configuration . Â Â
|
| Microsoft said this is not the first time it has sought help from the NSA.
| For about four years, Microsoft has tapped the spy agency for security
| expertise in reviewing its operating systems, including the Windows XP
| consumer version and the Windows Server 2003 for corporate customers. Â
`----
http://www.manpreet.co.in/tech-stuff/microsoft-vista-developed-with-help-from-us-national-security-agency/
Microsoft patents the mother of all adware systems
,----[ Quote ]
| The adware framework would leave almost no data untouched in its quest to
| sell you stuff. It would inspect "user document files, user e-mail files,
| user music files, downloaded podcasts, computer settings, computer status
| messages (e.g., a low memory status or low printer ink)," and more. How could
| we have been so blind as to not see the marketing value in computer status
| messages? Â Â
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070717-microsoft-patents-the-mother-of-all-adware-systems.html
Spy Master Admits Error
,----[ Quote ]
| Intel czar Mike McConnell told Congress a new law helped bring down a terror
| plot. The facts say otherwise.
`----
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20749773/site/newsweek/
FBI ducks questions about its remotely installed spyware
,----[ Quote ]
| There are plenty of unanswered questions about the FBI spyware that, as we
| reported earlier this week, can be delivered over the Internet and implanted Â
| in a suspect's computer remotely.
`----
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9747666-7.html
United States Government Online Watchdogs? Part of the war on terror?
,----[ Quote
| Is there anyone in the abandonia community with a US based connection who is
| experiencing this watchdog behaviour? Are any foreign Vista users experiencing
| similar attacks from their own countries ministries and governing agencies?" Â
`----
http://www.whitedust.net/news/3984/United_States_Government_Online_Watchdogs?_Part_of_the_war_on_terror?.../
On back doors in Windows XP...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGlNTEQ0RzM
Vista as the mother of all spyware...
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Forget-about-the-WGA-20-Windows-Vista-Features-and-Services-Harvest-User-Data-for-Microsoft-58752.shtml
Police eats your CPU cycles and disk space...
,----[ Quote ]
| Vistaâ??Microsoftâ??s latest operating systemâ??may prove to be most
| appropriately named, especially for those seeking evidence of how a
| computer was used.
`----
http://www.abanet.org/journal/ereport/jy13tkjasn.html
Will Microsoft Put The Colonel in the Kernel?
,----[ Quote ]
| "The kernel meets The Colonel in a just-published Microsoft patent
| application for an Advertising Services Architecture, which delivers targeted
| advertising as 'part of the OS.' Â
`----
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/14/043200
Austria OKs terror snooping Trojan plan
,----[ Quote ]
| Austria has become one of the first countries to officially sanction the use
| of Trojan Horse malware as a tactic for monitoring the PCs of suspected
| terrorists and criminals. Â
|
| [...]
|
| Would-be terrorists need only use Ubuntu Linux to avoid the ploy. And even if
| they stuck with Windows their anti-virus software might detect the malware.
| Anti-virus firms that accede to law enforcement demands to turn a blind eye
| to state-sanctioned malware risk undermining trust in their software, as
| similar experience in the US has shown. Â Â
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/23/teutonic_trojan/
Schäuble renews calls for surreptitious online searches of PCs
,----[ Quote ]
| In his speech towards the end of the national conference of the Junge Union,
| the youth organisation of the ruling conservative Christian Democratic Union
| (CDU), in Berlin the Federal Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble has
| again come out in favour of allowing authorities to search private PCs
| secretly online and of deploying the German Armed Forces in Germany in the
| event of an emergency. Â Â
`----
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/97755/from/rss09
Is My Boss Reading My Personal E-mail?
,----[ Summary ]
| Your employer can monitor all electronic communication
| to and from work equipment, especially when it's sent
| over the corporate network
`----
http://yahoo.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2006/tc20061025_457356.htm
Botnet 'pandemic' threatens to strangle the net
,----[ Quote ]
| Cerf estimated that between 100 million and 150 million of the
| 600 million PCs on the internet are under the control of hackers,
| the BBC reports.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/26/botnet_threat/
Encrypted E-Mail Company Hushmail Spills to Feds
,----[ Quote ]
| Hushmail, a longtime provider of encrypted web-based email, markets itself by
| saying that "not even a Hushmail employee with access to our servers can read
| your encrypted e-mail, since each message is uniquely encoded before it
| leaves your computer." Â
|
| But it turns out that statement seems not to apply to individuals targeted by
| government agencies that are able to convince a Canadian court to serve a
| court order on the company. Â
`----
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/11/encrypted-e-mai.html
No email privacy rights under Constitution, US gov claims
,----[ Quote ]
| This appears to be more than a mere argument in support of the
| constitutionality of a Congressional email privacy and access scheme. It
| represents what may be the fundamental governmental position on
| Constitutional email and electronic privacy - that there isn't any. What is
| important in this case is not the ultimate resolution of that narrow issue,
| but the position that the United States government is taking on the entire
| issue of electronic privacy. That position, if accepted, may mean that the
| government can read anybody's email at any time without a warrant. Â Â Â
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/04/4th-amendment_email_privacy/
Can FOSS save your privacy?
,----[ Quote ]
| Well, the Bush regime has already claimed "we don't need no steenkin
| warrant" to listen to your phone calls, see what websites you visit,
| scan your emails, and now, with the revelation of a new
| "signing statement", it?s even claiming the authority to read your
| physical mail. When the government becomes the biggest threat to
| your privacy, you better take advantage of the legion of privacy
| advocates creating FOSS to help you retain what little bit of privacy
| you can still have.
|
| [...]
|
| However, just because your privacy is being threatened doesn't mean
| you have to accept it. There is a growing array of FOSS being
| developed to provide us with the ability to control our privacy.
| It's about time we all start using it.
`----
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/blogs/can_foss_save_your_privacy
Polippix: The Political Linux Distribution of Denmark
,----[ Quote ]
| From what I have been able to determine, PROSA, the Association of
| Computer Professionals, is the group responsible for its development
| and distribution. Their feelings on how privacy is being affected in
| the country of Denmark are rather obvious, and it looks as if they
| are not going to take these concerns lying down.
`----
http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/?m=show&id=7822
Microsoft exec calls XP hack 'frightening'
,----[ Quote ]
| "You can download attack tools from the Internet, and even script kiddies can
| use this one," said Mick.
|
| Mick found the IP address of his own computer by using the XP Wireless
| Network Connection Status dialogue box. He deduced the IP address of Andy's
| computer by typing different numerically adjacent addresses in that IP range
| into the attack tool, then scanning the addresses to see if they belonged to
| a vulnerable machine. Â Â
|
| Using a different attack tool, he produced a security report detailing the
| vulnerabilities found on the system. Mick decided to exploit one of them.
| Using the attack tool, Mick built a piece of malware in MS-DOS, giving it a
| payload that would exploit the flaw within a couple of minutes. Â
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6218238.html
Duh! Windows Encryption Hacked Via Random Number Generator
,----[ Quote ]
| GeneralMount Carmel, Haifa â?? A group of researchers headed by Dr. Benny
| Pinkas from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Haifa
| succeeded in finding a security vulnerability in Microsoft's "Windows 2000"
| operating system. The significance of the loophole: emails, passwords, credit
| card numbers, if they were typed into the computer, and actually all
| correspondence that emanated from a computer using "Windows 2000" is
| susceptible to tracking. "This is not a theoretical discovery. Anyone who
| exploits this security loophole can definitely access this information on
| other computers," remarked Dr. Pinkas. Â Â Â Â
|
| Editors Note: Â I believe this "loophole" is part of the Patriot Act, it is
| designed for foreign governments. Â Seriously, if you care about security,
| privacy, data, trojans, spyware, etc., one does not run Windows, you run
| Linux. Â
`----
http://www.linuxelectrons.com/news/general/14365/duh-windows-encryption-hacked-via-random-number-generator
"Trusted" Computing
,----[ Quote ]
| Do you imagine that any US Linux distributor would say no to the
| US government if they were requested (politely, of course) to add
| a back-door to the binary Linux images shipped as part of their
| products ? Who amongst us actually uses the source code so helpfully
| given to us on the extra CDs to compile our own version ? With
| Windows of course there are already so many back-doors known and
| unknown that the US government might not have even bothered to
| ask Microsoft, they may have just found their own, ready to
| exploit at will. What about Intel or AMD and the microcode on
| the processor itself ?
`----
http://tuxdeluxe.org/node/164
,----[ Quote ]
| In relation to the issue of sharing technical API and protocol
| information used throughout Microsoft products, which the
| states were seeking, Allchin alleged that releasing this
| information would increase the security risk to consumers.
|
| Â Â Â Â "It is no exaggeration to say that the national security is
| Â Â Â Â also implicated by the efforts of hackers to break into
| Â Â Â Â computing networks. Computers, including many running Windows
| Â Â Â Â operating systems, are used throughout the United States
| Â Â Â Â Department of Defence and by the armed forces of the United
| Â Â Â Â States in Afghanistan and elsewhere."
`----
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Allchin
How NSA access was built into Windows
,----[ Quote ]
| A careless mistake by Microsoft programmers has revealed that
| special access codes prepared by the US National Security Agency
| have been secretly built into Windows.
|
| [...]
|
| The first discovery of the new NSA access system was made two years
| ago by British researcher Dr Nicko van Someren. But it was only a
| few weeks ago when a second researcher rediscovered the access
| system. With it, he found the evidence linking it to NSA.
`----
http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/5/5263/1.html
NSA Builds Security Access Into Windows
,----[ Quote ]
| A careless mistake by Microsoft programmers has shown that special access
| codes for use by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) have been secretly
| built into all versions of the Windows operating system.
`----
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990903S0014
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1591904.q4Jl4n3qGf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] New Version of Wine Released with RunOnce
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:41:17 +0000
Wine 0.9.53 Released
,----[ Quote ]
| This is release 0.9.53 of Wine, a free implementation of Windows on Unix.
|
| What's new in this release:
| - RunOnce and Run entries now executed on startup.
| - Beginnings of support for emulated disk devices.
| - Many Richedit improvements.
| - Nicer looking colour dialogue.
| - Lots of bug fixes.
`----
http://winehq.org/?announce=0.9.53
Related:
Does WINE + Linux support more Windows apps than Vista?
,----[ Quote ]
| WINE supports most of the applications which are made for Windows
| 2.0 up to Windows XP. WINE has the ability to run different versions
| of IE, run most of Adobe's products, run World of Warcraft, Half Life
| 2, Microsoft Office 2003, XP, 2000 and 97, Visio, Quicken,
|
| * Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars
| * Need for Speed Carbon
|
| [...]
|
| What about drivers, hardware support, and upgrades?
|
| Want to upgrade you XP to Vista? no chance. might as well do a fresh
| install and shell out $300.
`----
http://jagtalon.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/does-wine-linux-support-more-apps-than-vista/
Stop Wine From Beating Your Windows Apps With The Ugly Stick
,----[ Quote ]
| Ubuntu 8.04 is planned to have usability improvements for Wine, among these
| improvements is a theme for Wine applications that matches the GTK theme.
| Canâ??t wait until April?
`----
http://tombuntu.com/index.php/2008/01/04/stop-wine-from-beating-your-windows-apps-with-the-ugly-stick/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1295688.s6c5esbhxX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] PCLinuxOS Digital Photography Edition Introduced; Mandriva Linux 2008 Reaches Alpha2
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:43:18 +0000
New Mandrake/PCLOS derivative:
PCLinuxOS Digital Photography Edition
http://www.pbase.com/newmikey/pclinuxos_2008_digital_photography_edition
Mandriva Linux 2008 Spring Alpha 2
,----[ Quote ]
| The second alpha, codenamed Neottia, for Mandriva Linux 2008 Spring (2008.1)
| is now available.
`----
http://wiki.mandriva.com/en/2008.1_Alpha_2
Related:
[Mandriva CEO:] An open letter to Steve Ballmer
,----[ Quote ]
| Wow! Iâ??m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their
| mind like this? Itâ??s pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone.
| How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live? In my
| place, they give it various names, Iâ??m sure you know them. Â
|
| Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?
|
| Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one.
| You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics
| you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win
| too. Â
`----
http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/
Lessons from Africa: How to Kill Your Own FUD
,----[ Quote ]
| So, even as Microsoft claims superior quality over Linux, they act as if they
| don't even buy their own FUD. If they really believed that Windows was
| superior to Linux, they wouldn't have to bribe people with â??marketing helpâ??
| to get them to choose Windows. Â
`----
http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2007-11-09-030-26-OP-MD-MS
Linux wins Nigerian school desktops back from Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| "We are sticking with that platform," said the official, who would not give
| his name.
`----
http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/government-law/public-sector/news/index.cfm?newsid=6124
http://tinyurl.com/27ycq9
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1998539.IiG6l7NCBr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Economist Recommends GNU/Linux for Old PCs
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:46:00 +0000
Life after cyber-death
,----[ Quote ]
| But thanks to improvements in desktop versions of Linux, we can now do
| something better.
|
| Apart from being able to run easily on clunky old machines, the great thing
| about Linux is the way thousands of the worldâ??s most professional programmers
| have volunteered their spare time to improving the breedâ??with nothing to gain
| save personal satisfaction and the respect of their peers. Thanks to their
| efforts, thereâ??s recently been a flood of slick desktop versions of the
| rugged open-source operating system.
`----
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10500554
Quote for the day:
"If you agree that Windows is a huge asset, then it follows quickly that we are
not investing sufficiently in finding ways to tie IE and Windows together."
--Jim Allchin
[ Excellent magazine, The Economist. Ed. ]
Related:
Turn Your Old PC into a Webapp Monster with gOS
,----[ Quote ]
| But I'm a power-user, you say, if I'm going to run Linux it's not going to be
| this kiddie web crap. Be that as it may, gOS is actually running full-on
| Ubuntu with a paint job in the form of the Enlightenment window manager. You
| still get access to the rest of the wealth of Linux applications available.
| The main difference is the focus of gOS, and that's webappsâ??more
| specifically, Google webapps. Â Â
`----
http://lifehacker.com/software/hack-attack/turn-your-old-pc-into-a-webapp-monster-with-gos-318346.php
How to keep your old PC alive
,----[ Gist ]
| Firewall ââ?¬â?? Proxy server
| Development server
| Storage Server
| Media Station
| P2P Download Machine
| Small Workstation
| Thin Client
| Cluster
`----
http://www.pramnos.com/story69-2331.html
Stop! Don't trash those old PCs
,----[ Quote ]
| Interestingly enough, there is another operating system that most people are
| not familiar with called Linux. Linux (and its earlier version UNIX) have
| been around for a long time helping us place phones calls and providing
| access to the Internet. Linux, up until this point, has been mostly behind
| the scenes just doing its job and doing it well. You can get started with
| Linux at www.linux.org. Ã? Â Ã? Â
`----
http://www.reporter-times.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=91254&format=html
Linux For An Old Laptop
,----[ Quote ]
| I have such a machine (Pentium 266 MMX, 80 MB RAM, 4 GB HD) which still
| sports a "Designed for Windows 95" sticker.
`----
http://www.pcdailytips.com/2007/07/23/linux-for-an-old-laptop/
Turn your computer into a media centre PC with GeeXBoX 1.1
,----[ Quote ]
| GeeXBoX 1.1 is a mere 8.9MB ISO download. Its hardware requirements are
| minimal -- a Pentium II 400MHz processor and 64MB of RAM are enough to power
| GeeXBoX -- and of course you'll need a CD/DVD drive to play your media. Ã?
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/118210
Performance Duel: Koolu 500 MHz vs. Pentium III 666 MHz
,----[ Quote ]
| We also use Ubuntu in our Monastery office. If you read the minimal
| specifications for Ubuntu Fiesty Fawn, it states you need at least a 500 MHz
| machine. We are interested in using computers that are low power, so a
| modern, general-purpose Operating System that has such modest requirements
| suits us fine, as it will run on older, less power-hungry computers. Ã? Â Ã?
`----
http://ca.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-RkGSoVA1brWtXrVH9Gr5CzgVujwwGg--?cq=1&p=61
The Year Of The Small Distro
,----[ Quote ]
| 2007 may well be the year of the small distro.
`----
http://www.oreillynet.com/linux/blog/2007/08/the_year_of_the_small_distro.html
ReviewLinux.Com: First Look at MEPIS AntiX 7.0 Beta 2
,----[ Quote ]
| I am always looking for a faster Linux OS that just does the basics. I want a
| low-overhead Linux distro that can run on almost any machine be it a Pentium
| 2 to a Pentium 4. MEPIS AntiX 7.0 Beta 2 might just be the one. Check out my
| short little review about this Linux distro plus my flash video showing off
| this fast and lightweight Linux OS. Ã? Â Ã?
`----
http://www.reviewlinux.com/index.php?m=show&id=6903
10 ways Linux can breath life into your old PCs
,----[ Gist ]
| # MythTV
|
| # Firewall
|
| # Photo Frame
|
| # CNC Controller
|
| # Classic Game Console
|
| # Home Server
|
| # Kitchen Computer
|
| # Mp3 JukeBox
|
| # Webcam Feed
|
| # Asterisk Home PBX
|
`----
http://icanhaslinux.com/2007/09/07/10-ways-linux-can-breath-life-into-your-old-pcs/
Put your old machine to good use
,----[ Quote ]
| PCLinuxOS, which, along with Kubuntu and Ubuntu is one of the best
| Linux distributions around, only requires an old Pentium II (!) to
| run nicely. The entire cost of Linux is the cost of the blank disk
| you'll need to burn yourself a copy, so it's worth it to play around.
| There's a good chance you'll like what you see.
`----
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/andrewkantor/2007-05-25-old-machine_N.htm?csp=34
http://tinyurl.com/292b73
How To Revive An Old PC With Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| Sure, it could go to the landfill, or you might be able to get a
| tax deduction from donating it to a local school. Or, using a
| Linux-based operating system, you could turn it into a
| functional desktop, browser, and e-mail client, and put it
| back to work.
`----
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198500289
How to revive an old PC
,----[ Quote ]
| For better performance, most LiveCD distros can be installed onto a hard
| disk, but the process isn't as easy as it is with a conventional distro.
| There's still some hope, though. Currently the Ubuntu Lite project is working
| on a special customised release of Ubuntu for very low-end PCs. Similarly,
| the RULE Project offers a way to install current and recent releases of Red
| Hat's Fedora on low-end machines. Ã? Â Ã? Â
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40532
How to revitalise mature pentiums
,----[ Quote ]
| Hardware that is obsolete in Windows World is not obsolete in the real
| world!
`----
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/free_computing
Build This Cheap But Effective Firewall
,----[ Quote ]
| Fight the bad guys without busting your budget. Here's all you'll
| need to create a low-cost, super-secure firewall using
| Linux-based freeware and an old PC.
`----
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197001131&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All
http://tinyurl.com/ypqfrz
Expert shares secrets to saving thousands with K12LTSP
,----[ Quote ]
| The K12 Linux Terminal Server Project (K12LTSP) is a thin client
| distribution designed for use in schools.
|
| [...]
|
| Arkiletian estimates that his lab cost only $4,000 to set up --
| about a tenth the cost of buying replacement workstations.
`----
http://enterprise.linux.com/article.pl?sid=07/01/16/1717243&tid=23&tid=46
Column: Linux lets you avoid upgrading computer
,----[ Quote ]
| Combine the alternative of using a Linux desktop with being able
| to use older computers often donated by Fortune 500 companies when
| they cycle to new systems every three to four years and you start
| to have a financially compelling argument for not having the same
| technology as everyone else.
|
| If you have a very large network, the finance picture needs to take
| into account the fact that your technicians would need to be familiar
| with another technology, but for smaller nonprofits and schools
| systems, I would seriously consider this desktop platform.
`----
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070108/NEWS01/701080307
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1925890.SlGsxyHSzT@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Toshiba Turning Away from x86 to Cells?
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:48:23 +0000
Crave TV: Toshiba Spurs Engine puts PS3 Cell chip in a laptop
,----[ Quote ]
| Ever wondered what would happen if you put the PlayStation 3's Cell processor
| into a laptop? Us too, and now we know the answer: you get the Toshiba Spurs
| Engine, a system that turns a normal laptop into a motion-sensing, video
| indexing, face morphing, standard-def to hi-def converting super machine.
`----
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/video/0,139101587,49295004,00.htm
UNIX and Linux support Cell processors. Windows does not, AFAIK. Another Linux
laptop in the making maybe?
Quote for the day:
"I have been shown what you produced and it doesnâ??t make any sense to be. Itâ??s
gibberish."
        --Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson [about Microsoft 'cooperation']
Related:
Terra Soft Carries the Torch for Cell and Power Platforms
,----[ Quote ]
| Since launching Yellow Dog Linux for the PLAYSTATION3 (PS3) last year, Terra
| Soft has been busy expanding its presence in the Cell processor ecosystem. Â
`----
http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1761435.html
Open Source Programmers, Developers to Hold First Power Powwow
,----[ Quote ]
| Staats will present one of several dozen technical conferences. He will
| discuss clustering PS3s. Terra Soft Solutions has constructed a growing Cell
| cluster from PlayStation 3 appliances. This lightweight, low-cost cluster
| solution offers a balance of limitations and performance using Yellow Dog
| Linux and Y-HPC. Â Â
`----
http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/59243.html
PS3 Real-time Ray-tracing
,----[ Quote ]
| IBM Interactive Ray-tracer (iRT) using three Sony Playstation3s (PS3)
| to render a model that is 75x more complex then those used in
| today's games.
`----
http://www.n4g.com/ps3/NewsCom-33982.aspx
What Are You Going To Do With Your FLOPS?
,----[ Quote ]
| It is now possible to buy a system capable of 15 Giga Floating Point
| Operations Per Second (GFLOPS) for about $750. That works out to $50/GFLOPS.
| If you are doubting this number, price out a minimal Intel Core 2 Duo (E6550)
| system with 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive, DVD, and load Linux on it.
| Then run the HPL benchmark using the Goto libraries. You should see at least
| 15 GFLOPS for your investment, an astounding amount of power for so little
| cash. Â Â Â
`----
http://www.linux-mag.com/launchpad/business-class-hpc/main/4088
Analysts predict 80gb PS3 pricedrop
,----[ Quote ]
| Sony dropped the price of the 60GB PlayStation 3 to $499 in the hope that it
| would get rid of what it had in its store room. The 60 GB machine has since
| been axed. Â
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=42162
Top 500 Supers: Moore's Law Is Alive and Well
,----[ Quote ]
| There are two Windows-based clusters, and 42 machines that run a mix
| of operating systems--and one of those operating systems in the mix is
| always a Linux and the other is a variant of Unix. If you want to be
| fair, Linux is represented on 86 percent of the machines...
`----
http://www.itjungle.com/tlb/tlb071007-story02.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <7201166.zjBiANtjgM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] OLPC Beats WintelMate PC, Using GNU/Linux
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:41:49 +0000
Why the XO Laptop is better than the Classmate
,----[ Quote ]
| There's been some awful FUD flying around the OLPC world in the last few
| days, with misquotes, misinformation, and flat out lies being propagated left
| and right. Even Engadget, one of the better geektech blogs out there, got it
| completely wrong regarding OLPC CTO Mary Lou Jepsen's departure from the
| project.
|
| [...]
|
| Classmate is more expensive, consumes 10 times the power, has 1/3 the wifi
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| range, and can't be used outside. Also, the Classmate doesn't use neighboring
| laptops to extend the reach of the internet via hopping (mesh-networking)
| like the XO does. So not only is the XO cheaper than the Classmate, the XO
| requires less infrastructre expenditure for electricity and for internet
| access.
`----
http://planet-geek.com/archives/004331.html
Remember that Intel had to dump (cover the cost of) its product to suppress
OLPC (charity, so therefor cannot sell at a loss), e.g. in Nigeria.
It's like a subtle form of bribe, just like those kickbacks they used against
AMD... and then faced lawsuits for in at least three continents, including
this new one:
Today's Lesson: Do Not F**k with the Negroponte Brothers
,----[ Quoet ]
| My own speculation: with his brother in a high position, Nicholas Negroponte
| is not in the mood to lie down to Intel's (Microsoft's) co-manipulations here
| at the low end of the important education laptop segment. Not calling in a
| favour from the Empire State, or from Andrew Cuomo personally, may be too hard
| to resist, but it is the Negroponte's responsibility to apply pressure on the
| ugly establishment in whatever ways they are able. (I have no information
| that John Negroponte has involved himself in this matter. That conclusion is
| purely speculation on my part.)
|
| Intel's cash costs and opportunity costs (in terms of further management
| distractions) are going up just through the New York State lawsuit, alone.
| That will proceed whatever the outcome, whether Intel joins OLPC and plays
| fair (which it may have to do to achieve the best outcome for itself).
`----
http://fussnotes.typepad.com/plexnex/2008/01/do-not-fk-with.html
Related:
Intel-powered XO is too expensive and consumes too much power
,----[ Quote ]
| 2 days before Intel CEO Paul Otellini would unveil the Classmate 2 or the
| Intel-powered XO at the CES, Intel announced that they are quitting the OLPC
| board.
|
| Intel claims that they are quitting because of Nicholas Negroponte wanting
| them to stop the promotion of the Classmate/Eee to education in third world
| countries, but I think that the real reason is that Intel does not have a
| good enough processor for the OLPC project to use as an alternative to the
| AMD Geode LX-700. Intel has not been able to develop a processor to match the
| price, power consumption and performance requirements of the OLPC project.
| Paul Otellini could have looked like a fool at the CES if he had to unveil an
| Intel powered XO that was performing worse in terms of price and power
| consumption compared to the AMD powered one.
`----
http://charbax.com/2008/01/04/intel-diamondville-and-menlow-processors-not-low-costpower-enough/
Intel: doing the dirty on OLPC
,----[ Quote ]
| Intelâ??s agreement with the OLPC Foundation included a â??non disparagementâ??
| clause, under which Intel and One Laptop promised not to criticise each
| other, according to Nicholas Negroponte in the latest article in the Wall
| Street Journal.
|
| Still Intel tactics have violated that repeatedly to kill OLPC efforts in
| Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, India, China and Intel is also still trying to pull
| those tactics in Mexico, Brazil.
| This is simply disgracefull of Intel, scandalous.
|
| But Negroponte has signed an agreement saying that he is not allowed to
| criticise Intel, so he is not allowed to talk about these shameless tactics
| even though Intel is the one violating the agreement.
|
| So only independant voices on the Internet can get those messages of truth
| out about Intels tactics.
|
| In Nigeria, Intel came and donated 3000 laptops to counter OLPC efforts, then
| sells 17 thousand Classmates to Nigeria at a loss.
|
| Then Microsoft corrupted Nigerian officials with 400 thousand dollars to
| install Windows XP on those instead of Mandriva Linux.
`----
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/14124
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3640594.d4LRocINau@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Can Windows Ever Do What Fedora Does? (No)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:45:50 +0000
Upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit Fedora Linux without a system reinstall
,----[ Quote ]
| Updating from Fedora 7 i386 to Fedora 8 x86_64 isn't supported, and many
| folks will tell you to just reinstall in order to move to a 64-bit Linux.
| However, I managed to resolve the main problems when doing a yum update in a
| single day. Your mileage will vary depending on what third-party repositories
| you're using, how much software you've installed by hand, and how dependent
| your software is on the system libraries.
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/123800
Fedora has been doing spins for quite some time. Where is Vista? Where is
it? "Gadgets"? Translucency?
Related:
Tour of GNOME Online Desktop
,----[ Quote ]
| Hereâ??s a tour of the pre-alpha demo release of GNOME Online Desktop included
| in Fedora 8.
`----
http://www.redhatmagazine.com/2007/11/13/tour-of-gnome-online-desktop/
Fedora 8 renews tradition of innovations
,----[ Quote ]
| This release makes it obvious that the Fedora community prides itself on
| innovation.
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/119998
PulseAudio to bring earcandy to Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| PulseAudio provides the infrastructure needed to bring a next-generation
| audio experience to the Linux desktop.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2007/10/17/pulseaudio-to-bring-earcandy-to-linux
Fedora Core 6 (Zod) Re-Spins from Fedora Unity
,----[ Quote ]
| Fedora Unity has taken up the Re-Spin task to provide the community
| with the chance to install Fedora Core with recent updates already
| included. These updates might otherwise comprise more than 700MB
| of downloads for a default install.
`----
http://www.linuxlookup.com/2007/jan/19/fedora_core_6_zod_re_spins_from_fedora_unity
Community Welcomes Fedora 8 With Strong Download Numbers
,----[ Quote ]
| Fedora 8 offers both GNOME and KDE-based Live CDs and a general-purpose
| installable DVD for workstations and servers. It also includes improved Live
| USB support, making it possible to install, boot and run the entire
| distribution off of a USB key without touching the computer's hard disk at
| all. This enhancement makes Fedora attractive to those who wish to experiment
| with Linux without risking their data. Â Â
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071112/20071112005990.html?.v=1
Fedora 7 Test 1 Release Notes
,----[ Quote ]
| This test release includes significant new versions of many key
| components and technologies. The following sections provide a
| brief overview of major changes from the last release of Fedora.
`----
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/F7Test1/ReleaseNotes
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1563416.GLlteGL1NK@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Another New mobile Internet Device Runs GNU/Linux
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:49:19 +0000
Korean Linux MID boasts digital-TV
,----[ Quote
| A non-profit Korean government-funded research organisation has demonstrated
| a prototype mobile Internet device (MID) based on its Qplus embedded Linux
| distro. Korea-based Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute's
| (ETRI's) "Mobile Convergence Communicator" (MCC) boasts 802.11b/g and 3.5G
| cellular networking, along with digital TV reception and Bluetooth.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS4809169576.html
Why is everybody just tracking the desktop anyway? Also new:
Four billion embedded systems shipped in '06
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3686249103.html
Four billion. 4,000,000,000. Who cares about the desktop?
Related:
PCs being pushed aside in Japan
,----[ Quote ]
| The PC's role in Japanese homes is diminishing, as its once-awesome monopoly
| on processing power is encroached by gadgets such as smart phones that act
| like pocket-size computers, advanced Internet-connected game consoles,
| digital video recorders with terabytes of memory. Â
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071104/ap_on_hi_te/bye_bye_pcs
Research and Markets: Symbian and Linux Enjoy the Highest Penetration in the
Japanese Smartphone Market
,----[ Quote ]
| Symbian and Linux enjoy the highest penetration in the Japanese smartphone
| market and appear to be the beneficiaries in any expansion of smartphone use
| there.
`----
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080102005331&newsLang=en
http://tinyurl.com/34ns9q
After the Desktop -- What?
,----[ Quote ]
| I would suggest that the open source community should stop obsessing
| with the battle for the desktop, and start focusing on the battle for
| the platform that will replace it. As I have said before, the day
| will soon come when the notion of having to go to a particular
| machine on a particular room every time you need access to
| information or computer power will be as obsolete as the notion
| of having to go to the hand pump over the well in the front
| yard every time you need water.
`----
http://trevors-trinkets.blogspot.com/2007/02/after-desktop-what.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <9464560.ecBATQchqc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Palm's 'Nova Linux' in the Making, Archos Made Linux-based Flexible
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:52:39 +0000
Palm Codenames Linux-Based Palm OS II Nova
,----[ Quote ]
| Now comes word from Palm Infocenter that the PDA pioneer not only has yet
| another, third, smartphone in the works, but that that device is being used
| to test its long-delayed Linux-based follow up to the Palm OS, which now has
| an internal codename of its own.
`----
http://www.smartphonetoday.com/articles/2008/1/2008-1-11-Palm-Codenames-Linux.html
Archos 605 WiFi Linux hack
,----[ Quote ]
| Personally, I think the Archos 605 WiFi is a cool enough gadget on its own,
| but there's always something to be said for hacking a gadget just to explore
| the possibilities.
`----
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9848934-1.html
Related:
Run the Palm OS on your Nokia Internet Tablet
,----[ Quote ]
| The Garnet VM Beta for Nokia Nseries was created by ACCESS, who is the
| company that bought PalmSource. You can now run virtually all your favourite
| Palm OS applications on the Nokia Internet Tablets and I canâ??t wait to try
| out a few of my favourite apps. Â
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/mobile-gadgeteer/?p=683
30,000 Palm apps coming to Nokia webpads
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS7820486239.html
Palm Says Foleo 2 Still on Track
,----[ Quote ]
| Palm FoleoAccording to the Wireless Week industry trade journal, a new
| version of the cancelled Foleo Mobile Companion running on Palm's
| next-generation Linux OS is still very much in Palmâ??s future product plans...
`----
http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/8197/palm-says-foleo-2-still-on-track/
Palm shakes hands with Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| Back to the Palm and Linux. Now that I have the Palm working in Debian and
| Ubuntu/Xubuntu, I'm pretty happy, and I'll probably be using my
| Debian-equipped 233 MHz Compaq laptop a bit less. There's something about
| hitting a button on the Palm and being able to write within a half-second
| that totally works for me. Â Â
`----
http://www.insidesocal.com/click/2007/09/palm_shakes_hands_with_linux.html
The Linux-based Archos 604
,----[ Quote ]
| Geeks.com sent us in one of their consumer electronics, the Linux-based
| Archos 604 PMP for a whirl, and we surely gave it one. This 30 GB PMP is the
| fourth generation video product from Archos, one of the biggest names in that
| market. Â
`----
http://www.osnews.com/story.php/18948/The-Linux-based-Archos-604/
Archos über wireless movie player rides in
,----[ Quote ]
| French media-player maker Archos has begun selling what it claims is
| the only handheld video player with a 7in display and wireless
| connectivity, all for just $550 (£286/420 Euro).
`----
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/07/archos_unveils_704_wifi/
Archos 705 "Mobile DVR" with WiFi unveiled, thanks FCC
,----[ Quote ]
| Very little is known about the functionality so far, but that whole
| "Mobile DVR" tag on the name could imply that Archos is packing a
| bit more TV-centric functionality into the device -- rumours have
| mentioned the possibility of a built-in TV tuner -- or perhaps just
| trying to position the same old, same old a tad bit better in the market.
`----
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/07/archos-705-mobile-dvr-with-wifi-unveiled-thanks-fcc/
http://tinyurl.com/369w4z
Linux-Based Mobile TV Phone: Courtesy CyberLink, Compal
Â
,----[ Quote ]
| The phone offers high-performance and low power consumption.
|
| CyberLink Corp. and Compal Communications Inc (CCI), a mobile
| device manufacturer, have released a mobile TV phone design supporting
| DVB-H and GSM services running on the Linux platform.
`----
http://www.efytimes.com/efytimes/fullnews.asp?edid=14195
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1774579.BL7LmPfbgR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Elite Exodus Not Even Over Yet!
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:54:34 +0000
The Microsoft reorg week in review
,----[ Quote ]
| So whatâ??s one to make of all this churn? Brain drain? Panic over Gatesâ??
| impending role change? Or just â??if itâ?? January, it must be time for yet
| another Microsoft reorgâ??? Word is there are still some more reorg shoes to
| drop in the next week or so, so stay tunedâ?¦.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1104
Microsoft shake-up: The e-mails on President Raikesâ?? depature
,----[ Quote ]
| The anonymous blogger Mini-Microsoft raised some interesting points about
| Microsoftâ??s choice of a largely unknown outsider (â??Stephen â??Whoâ?? Elop?â??) for
| the top MBD job. Maybe Microsoft decided it needed an injection of fresh and
| communications-centric blood in its enterprise software business. But as Mini
| notes:
|
| â??I found it ironic that while Mr. Ballmer in the announcement email was
| praising Mr. Raikes ability to recruit, mentor and nurture Microsoft
| leadership, Raikes was not being replaced by someone he groomed. I tell you,
| if I was a Raikes direct I would seriously be considering whether I was ready
| for a new challenge, at Microsoft or elsewhere.â??
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1103
Oh boy! Poor Mary will need a career change.
Yesterday:
Juniper Networks exec to succeed Microsoft Business Division President Raikes
,----[ Quote ]
| Another reason I consider the Raikes announcement timing odd: Why announce
| Raikesâ?? departure a day after acknowledging the defection of your mergers and
| acquisitions chief Bruce Jaffe? You could make the argument that Microsoft
| wants to get all its defection/churn announcements out of the way at once.
| But Iâ??m not sure Iâ??d look at things the same way, if I were one of the
| companyâ??s â??image makersâ??â?¦. Â Â
|
| Microsoft also announced on January 10 that Bob Muglia, the Senior Vice
| President in charge of Microsoftâ??s Server and Tools Business, is going to
| move out of the Business Division and report directly to CEO Steve Ballmer. Â
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1101
Microsoft loses top executive in China
,----[ Quote ]
| "Li Gong is currently exploring other career opportunities," Microsoft said
| in a statement to News.com.
|
| [...]
|
| In a September 2005 Business Week interview, Ballmer touted Gong as
| one of several key hires that Microsoft had made.
|
| Most recently, Gong has served as managing director of Windows LiveC
| hina and as Vice President of Microsoft China R&D Group.
|
| Gong's name came up in the case over Kai-Fu Lee, the top Microsoft
| executive whose hiring by Google sparked a multistate legal battle.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6149735.html
Microsoft losing acquisition playmaker
,----[ Quote ]
| In a previous life Jaffe was the CFO for Microsoft's MSN division, and also
| had roles overseeing acquisitions related to Microsoft's consumer business,
| groups like MSNBC and Microsoft Games. Â
`----
http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9847376-37.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Microsoftâ??s OEM chief defects to Lenovo
,----[ Quote ]
| While so many of us Microsoft watchers were preoccupied with the hasty
| departure of former Microsfot CIO Stuart Scott, the resignation of the
| companyâ??s OEM chief slipped right by most of us. Â
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=999
Microsoft Windows hardware leader takes a â??vacationâ??
,----[ Quote ]
| Veteran Softies are dropping like flies lately. The latest Microsoft exec to
| leave is Jawad Khaki, Corporate Vice President of the Windows Hardware
| Ecosystem. Â
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1002
Danny Thorpe quits the Windows Live development team
,----[ Quote ]
| Danny Thorpe, one of the higher-profile hires Microsoft made to its Windows
| Live team, has decided to leave for greener pastures.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=806
Microsoftâ??s open source chief takes on Windows server marketing
,----[ Quote ]
| The change comes amid a long-building storm that exploded in May, when the
| company said that Linux violates 235 Microsoft patents.
`----
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/100807-microsoft-open-source-windows-server.html
Microsoft says Zune executive will leave company
,----[ Quote ]
| Bryan Lee, corporate vice president at Microsoft's entertainment
| and devices division, also played a key role in shaping the Xbox
| game console business and the introduction of its Internet
| Protocol television software.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6155200.html
Yet another Microsoft search exec calls it quits
,----[ Quote ]
| In March, Blake Irving, the Corporate VP in charge of the Windows
| Live platform, announced his plans to leave Microsoft, effective
| this summer. Payne announced his resignation from Microsoft shortly
| after Irving made his announcement.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=407
at least no chairs were thrownâ?¦
,----[ Quote ]
| A friend of mine was walked out of Microsoft today.
|
| Iâ??m not talking about Stuart Scott, the now former Microsoft CIO who was
| canned for â??violating company policies.â?? No, another friend decided to leave
| the MSN Live Search team and join Google Kirkland. Â
`----
http://selberg.org/2007/11/06/at-least-no-chairs-were-thrown/
Another Microsoft Search reorg: Shum now leads engineering
,----[ Quote ]
| That same month, Windows Live Platform VP Blake Irving resigned, as did Chris
| Payne. the Corporate Vice President in charge of Windows Live Search.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=927
Former Microsoft Search Chief Bill Bliss On Early Search Missteps
,----[ Quote ]
| Bill's biggest regret? Not bypassing middle management that wasn't
| listening to him scream about the coming threat of Google and going
| right up to Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.
`----
http://searchengineland.com/070309-094930.php
Microsoft Search Leader To Leave Company
,----[ Quote ]
| The Microsoft Corp. vice president who led the company's push into
| Internet search is leaving the software giant as the effort he
| helped launch loses ground against lead competitor Google Inc.
`----
http://online.wsj.com/preview_login.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB117329976478329930.html%3Fmod%3Dyahoo_hs%26ru%3Dyahoo
http://tinyurl.com/2jran7
Microsoft Businesss Solutions Group's Burgum to resign
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corp.'s Business Solutions group senior vice president Doug
| Burgum will resign, effective June 30, and leave the company to pursue
| other opportunities, the company said on Tuesday.
`----
http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20060912:MTFH70760_2006-09-12_16-35-37_N9C318839&type=comktNews&rpc=44
http://tinyurl.com/h4coe
Database head to leave daily duties at Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| Paul Flessner, who leads Microsoft's data storage and platform
| division, will step down from his daily duties after the new year.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6131496.html
XBLA's Ross Erickson leaves Microsoft, heads over to Sierra Online
,----[ Quote ]
| Of course, this follows XBLA General Manager Greg Canessa's
| departure a couple weeks back. While having two of the most
| senior Xbox Live Arcade execs jump ship in a two week time
| span after a particularly long string of subpar Wednesdays
| -- nothing, Ms. Pac-Man, Lumines add-on, nothing, Root Beer
| Tapper, Paperboy, nothing -- might seem to imply certain
| disaster, Ross insisted that he and Greg's decided to
| leave under entirely different circumstances.
`----
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/20/xblas-ross-erickson-leaves-microsoft-heads-over-to-sierra-onli/
http://tinyurl.com/25s6he
XBLA main man jumps ship
,----[ Quote ]
| In somewhat surprising news, Greg Canessa, the big guy behind
| Xbox Live Arcade, has left the Microsoft compound for PopCap Games.
`----
http://www.destructoid.com/xbla-main-man-jumps-ship-29716.phtml
Microsoft Windows Live VP to resign
,----[ Quote ]
| Blake Irving, a Corporate Vice President in Microsoft's Windows
| Live Platform group, is resigning his post, according to sources
| close to the company.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=296
Evangelist Gartenberg back to being analyst
,----[ Quote ]
| After only three weeks at Microsoft as an "evangelist," Michael
| Gartenberg is returning to his old job as vice president and
| research director at JupiterResearch.
`----
http://news.com.com/2061-10805_3-6165381.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
Will Microsoft Survive the Next 10 Years?
,----[ Quote ]
| I am not really an expert in this but when I read all the negative
| headlines and articles I ask myself if Microsoft really will survive
| the next 10 years.
|
| [...]
|
| I am pretty sure that the Open Source Community, the new Ubuntu,
| Google and of course Apple are those companies that are ready for
| our century and they will get more and more people that know what
| they really want.
`----
http://websquirrel.blogspot.com/2007/03/will-microsoft-survive-next-10-years.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1238241.8TMPoi4C7z@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Lots of Open Source IPOs on the Way, According to Fortune Magazine
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:56:15 +0000
Here come the open source IPOs
[ IPO = Stock Market Flotation. Ed. ]
,----[ Quote ]
| Fortune magazine has published a list of its hot IPO tips for 2008. Three out
| of the five - MySQL, Ingres and SugarCRM - are open source companies, while
| another - Parallels - is an open source project sponsor (for the record, the
| other Fortune tip is ExactTarget).
`----
http://blogs.the451group.com/opensource/2008/01/11/here-come-the-open-source-ipos/
Related:
MySQL might steal spotlight
,----[ Quote ]
| Similar to Linux, the MySQL software was hatched by visionary hobbyists in
| Finland, in this case two Swedes and a Finn who met at Helsinki University of
| Technology in the 1980s. Twenty years later, after the software was widely
| used and refined by companies and enthusiasts, MySQL started growing as a
| company. Â Â
`----
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004048958_brier03.html
MySQL: OEM Partners Key to Business
,----[ Quote ]
| The open source database vendor is signing more and more ISV partnerships
| every day.
`----
http://www.channelinsider.com/article/MySQL+OEM+Partners+Key+to+Business/216998_1.aspx
Cream 3.0 released, switches to MySQL
,----[ Quote ]
| Campware has released a new version of Cream, an open source customer
| relationship management (CRM) system for media organisations. The new release
| sports a switch to MySQL and a number of other new features and changes. Â
|
| [,,,]
|
| All Campware applications are released under the GNU General Public Licence
| (GPL).
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/118382
Open source here to stay, says MySQL CEO Marten Mickos
,----[ Quote ]
| "Microsoft can use [its] money in other ways to threaten free and open-source
| software, and I'm sure that they have," Mickos said. "But I think we will see
| less of that in the future because they've done it and it hasn't helped
| them." Many Microsoft customers use open-source products and find it
| challenging when the company makes it harder to integrate Microsoft products
| and open-source software, he said. Â Â
|
| "I'm not too worried," Mickos said. "This open source movement is so strong
| that nothing can stop it anymore." Â
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=operating_systems&articleId=9027662&taxonomyId=89&intsrc=kc_top
http://tinyurl.com/2rjmtn
MySQL Set For IPO?
,----[ Quote ]
| Investor says maker of crucial Web 2.0 component has reached the stage when
| the world expects it to list.
`----
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=22940&hed=MySQL+Set+For+IPO%20§or=Industries&subsector=Computing
------------------------------
Message-ID: <11230854.lHMDcFY80G@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Asus Eee Gets Good Review and Has NO MICROSOFT PATENT TAX
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:58:56 +0000
Review: Tiny Asus Eee packs a big punch
,----[ Quote ]
| The Asus Eee PC has been heralded as a groundbreaking new computing
| experience and great for children. While the computer didn't bowl me over, my
| kids were another matter.
|
| [...]
|
| The Eee PC is appropriate for people who are always on the go and for whom a
| smartphone just isn't smart enough. It seems to fit neatly in the gap left
| between smartphones that do little more than push email and full-blown
| laptops that are overkill in many mobile situations. I could easily see
| myself giving up my BlackBerry for a portable computer like this one and an
| EVDO card so I can truly work from anywhere. Perhaps in a future iteration
| the Eee PC will be exactly what I'm looking for.
|
| If I were in the market to equip my children with a computer to call their
| own, there's no question -- the Eee PC gets my vote.
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/124240
Someone important from Xandros got in touch with me. Apparently, there's no
Microsoft tax in Eee PC. Asus owns the distro. Xandros and Microsoft get
nothing.
Related:
Review: Eee laptop PC shreds the rules
,----[ Quote ]
| Unencumbered by Windows, the Eee boots up so quickly I didn't bother counting
| the seconds. Its Wi-Fi chip links with the Web in a flash, and its webcam â?? a
| feature missing from many laptops triple the price â?? turns it into a video
| messaging device with the help of eBay Inc.'s Skype, which comes pre-loaded.
| There are USB ports for peripherals, a port to connect to a monitor, and â??
| most essential â?? a flash memory slot to expand its meager storage. Battery
| life is advertised at 3.5 hours. Â Â Â
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080110/ap_on_hi_te/techtest_asus_eee
Little Linux Laptops: Build It and People Will Come
,----[ Quote ]
| Verdict
|
| You can hardly go wrong in getting a notebook computer for less than $400.
| Any one of these units represents a highly compact and usable computer for a
| very reasonable price. The prevailing wisdom in computing has always been â??Go
| smaller, pay moreâ??, but these latest Linux laptops are battling that
| philosophy nicely. But then Linux has always gone against the wind. Â Â
`----
http://www.performancepccanada.com/?defaultarticle=1117&defaultnode=516&layout=20&pagefunction=Load%20Layout&formfields[sect_title]=Reviews
Asus Says Eee PC is Most Successful Product Ever
,----[ Quote ]
| An interesting piece of news from Asusâ??s press conference is that the Eee PC
| is their â??most successful product ever,â?? according to Engadget. This is
| potentially huge news for Linux on two levels. Â
`----
http://www.linuxloop.com/news/2008/01/07/asus-says-eee-pc-is-most-successful-product-ever/
Asustek Eee PC shipments beat expectations
,----[ Quote ]
| Asustek has shipped almost 350,000 units of the Eee PC in the quarter, ahead
| of the 300,000 estimated, according to Taiwan's DigiTimes.
`----
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/12/21/asustek_eee_pc_shipments_beat_expectations.html
2007's most important IT lesson is spelt with an Eee
,----[ Qote ]
| The Eee shows too just how out of date the 'is Linux ready for the desktop?'
| argument is. Yes it is. Anyone can pick up an Eee with its standard Linux
| distro - or with a number of freely available alternatives - and just use it.
| That alone revitalises the 'is this paid-for operating system value for
| money?' question. Â Â
`----
http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10006830o-2000331777b,00.htm?new_comment
Asustek ups Eee PC sales f'cast by two-thirds
,----[ Quote ]
| Asustek had said that it hoped to become the world's fifth-largest laptop PC
| vendor by 2010.
`----
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTP4901620071128
Asus Eee PC as 'hard to get your hands on as a Wii'
,----[ Quote ]
| Asus' elfin Eee PC is coming to Japan and it's going to get 16GB of
| solid-state storage, it has been claimed. Meanwhile, in the UK availability
| has reached Wii-like limits, according to insiders. Â
`----
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/12/18/eee_pc_wii_japan/
Microsoft's Big Problem in a Small Box
,----[ Quote ]
| Vista is a big operating system that demands monster graphics and dual-core
| processors. But what if the market pines for a whole lot less? Â
|
| [...]
|
| The mass move to mobile computing is a destabilising force and harbinger of
| change. Microsoft's position would be better if Vista didn't demand so much
| when the market wants so little. Â
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/desktop_mobile/microsofts_big_problem_in_a_small_box.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
http://tinyurl.com/2sg6xy
Linux is about to take over the low end of PCs
,----[ Quote ]
| Opinion -- Sometimes, several unrelated changes come to a head at the same
| time, with a result no one could have predicted. The PC market is at such a
| tipping point right now and the result will be millions of Linux-powered PCs
| in users' hands. Â
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft will fight this trend tooth and nail. It will cut prices to the
| point where it'll be bleeding ink on some of its product lines. And Windows
| XP is going to stick around much longer than Microsoft ever wanted it to.
| Still, it won't be enough. By attacking from the bottom, where Microsoft can
| no longer successfully compete, Linux will finally cut itself a large slice
| of the desktop market pie. Â Â Â
`----
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS2414535067.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1378649.KUuy9PPC3M@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Might Get Deeper into Hardware Business with Logitech Takeover
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:01:47 +0000
Microsoft Might Buy Logitech
,----[ Quote ]
| Opinions seem to be split over whether the idea is either practical
| or "good," and as a further problem, there's not much evidence that the idea
| is being seriously considered. Still, it's Friday, and a rumour that
| Microsoft will buy Logitech is making the rounds.
`----
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/11/microsoft-might-buy-logitech
Only 2 divisions at Microsoft are truly profitable (see below).
[ Microsoft very much need alternative positive margin sources. Ed. ]
Yesterday:
Raikes Steps Aside
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is shuffling its executive ranks, with today's surprise
| announcement that Jeff Raikes, president of the Business division, will leave
| the company. Uh-oh. He's not the only executive on the way out the door. Â
|
| Raikes departure will have huge impact on Microsoft as it completes its 2008
| fiscal year on June 30. His division is one of two responsible for nearly all
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| Microsoft's profits. Â
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/corporate/raikes_steps_aside.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
http://tinyurl.com/34mq2a
Related:
Microsoft Looks Within to Design and Test Chips
,----[ Quote ]
| For more than two decades, Microsoft's software and
| Intel's processors were so wedded that the pairingc
| ame to be known as Wintel. But as that computing era
| wanes, Microsoft is turning to a new source of chip
| design: its own labs.
`----
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/19/technology/19soft.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin
http://tinyurl.com/ydtq7k
The importance of Zune to Microsoft Corp.
,----[ Quote ]
| Zune is Microsoft's attempt to integrate hardware and software *and*
| to become the channel for (music) content -- thus creating an integratedp
| lay far-different from its Window's OS business model where Microsoft
| mainly provides OS & important application software while hardware an
| content for users is provided by other companies.
`----
http://www.thebizofcoding.com/2006/09/the_importance_of_zune_to_micr.html
China's Changhong seeks $136 mln stake in Huayi
,----[ Quote ]
| Sichuan Changhong Electric Co, a Chinese electrical appliance maker partly
| owned by Microsoft Corp, said it will bid for a controlling stake in Huayi
| Compressor Co 000404.SZ in a deal that could be worth about 1 billion yuan
| ($136 million).
`----
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINPEK15028120071224?rpc=44
How will Windows survive the death of the PC?
,----[ Quote ]
| For Microsoft, the answer is critical, since Windows is still not a
| natural fit for a mobile platform that has no PC heritage.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/16/samsung_runcom_help_microsoft/
Microsoft to join municipal Wi-Fi fray
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is jumping into the municipal wireless space with a deal
| to provide local content and ads for MetroFi's free wireless
| Internet service in Portland, Ore., by the end of this year,
| the companies are expected to announce on Wednesday.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6135679.html
Gates to generate your electricity
,----[ Quote ]
| His personal investment vehicle -- a nice drive if you can afford
| it -- Cascade Investments is today expected to partner with New
| Mexico-based PNM Resources on electricity generation and trading.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35521
Microsoft takes it to the bank
,----[ Quote ]
| Is the world ready for Microsoft Banking? Banks are traditionally
| very conservative with their software and hardware choices, and
| most still rely on expensive mainframes with multiple levels of
| failure protection. However, banks are also making a huge push
| to expand into other services, such as investment planning, and
| all these new services require new software. If they are
| successful, Microsoft will be laughing all the way to the, er, bank.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2006/11/14/5956
Microsoft Refuses To Acknowledge Major Wireless Headset Flaws
,----[ Quote ]
| Weeks after the release of the new Wireless 360 headset, many
| customers have complained about hundreds upon hundreds of documented
| flaws with no official response or product recall from MS.
`----
http://www.2old2play.com/News/Microsoft_Refuses_To_Acknowledge_Major_Wireless_Headset_Flaws
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pottsc/129800718/in/set-72057594107882520/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2109319.OiktfWiOhk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Web Applications 'Replace' the Web Browser, Desktop Applications
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:04:43 +0000
The Web's unfortunate fetish with the browser
,----[ Quote ]
| I like the way Google does it on my BlackBerry. Can I access Google Maps,
| News, etc. in a browser? Yes. But I like having separate icons for them on my
| BlackBerry. I like to think of them as distinct applications, in other words.
`----
http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9848794-16.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=TheOpenRoad
This is very true.
The future of enterprise software: Bungee's in the cloud, for the cloud model
,----[ Quote ]
| Open source and SaaS dramatically change the way enterprises consume
| software. But today I heard this taken to the nth degree, with a shift in a
| company's revenue model, as well. Bungee Labs helps enterprises (of any size,
| but with a particular focus on the tens of thousands-strong SMB market) build
| rich Internet applications (RIAs) in the cloud, for the cloud.
`----
http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9848774-16.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=TheOpenRoad
Related:
SaaS and the packaged software appliance
,----[ Quote ]
| resident and CTO Scott Dietzen (pictured below) told me this week
| the company initially adopted the appliance model because some of
| its smaller customers in the education market didnâ??t have Linux
| skills in-house. By using a prepackaged appliance, Zimbra
| effectively packages in all its own Linux implementation
| skills so that the customer can just get on with using the application.
|
| [Zimbra president and CTO Scott Dietzen] Zimbra uses
| appliance technology from rPath to do the packaging.
| Because it only packages up the elements of the underlying
| Linux, Apache and mySQL platforms that the Zimbra application
| actually uses,
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/SAAS/?p=346
What the world needs now is Google Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| Following Microsoft's inking of agreements with Linux hawkers,
| offering to shield them from lawsuits over the 235 patents it
| reckons versions of Linux infringe, a gathering of open sorcerers
| is assembling at Google HQ to debate what is to be done.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40365
Firm picks Oracle 10g on Red Hat Enterprise Linux for the long haul
,----[ Quote ]
| When it came time for fleet tracking and management software provider Cadec
| Global LLC to rebuild its software as a Software as a Service (SaaS)
| offering, Cadec's chief architect, Heimir Sverrisson, knew it had to be
| deployed on Linux, not Microsoft Windows or a proprietary Unix flavour like
| Sun Microsystems' Solaris or IBM's AIX. Â Â
`----
http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci1277719,00.html
Lumen gives open source some SaaS
,----[ Quote ]
| Lumen says it is going after a critical mass of PHP developers --
| over 5 million worldwide -- and burgeoning demand for SaaS; it cites
| an IDC survey, where 15% of SMBs said they?re considering a
| move to SaaS.
`----
http://www.linuxworld.com/newsletters/linux/2007/0423linux2.html
Is the mainstream ready for SaaS?
,----[ Quote ]
| IT departments need to recognise this and work out what place it holds
| today in their operations and where it will be utilised tomorrow, for
| services hosted inside the company and for those that can/should/should
| not be hosted outside it. The mainstream is more than ready for SaaS.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/26/mainstream_ready_for_saas/
Is Microsoft Office Doomed?
,----[ Quote ]
| Browser-based productivity tools may be the way of the future.
| But today, they're a promising, intriguing, sometimes
| infuriating mixed bag.
`----
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127641-page,1/article.html
Microsoft's big nightmare: free online apps
,----[ Quote ]
| A new generation of browsers is about to make Web
| applications better than downloadable desktop software.
|
| [...]
|
| No software will be downloaded to your hard drive, and
| everything is free. You could be working on a document
| on an office computer, hit "Save," go home, and resume
| work. You could be using Windows, Mac OS X, or Ubuntu
| Linux; the application is agnostic, so long as you
| have the latest browser.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2006/10/01/8387120/index.htm?postversion=2006102307
http://tinyurl.com/y7caq8
IBM beefs up SOA business
,----[ Quote ]
| IBM is beefing up its software and services to capture interest
| in services-oriented architecture, a technology shift the company is
| intent to capitalise on.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6122222.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1301179.xHpulep1X7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Windows Vista's UAC is Ineffective
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:06:02 +0000
Security design: Why UAC will not work
,----[ Quote ]
| Pinning all your end-point security hopes on UAC assumes that criminals are
| not as smart as they really are
`----
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/11/02OPsecadvise-user-account-control_1.html
Related:
Learning to Live with UAC
,----[ Quote ]
| Like most veteran Windows users, I balked when I first encountered the User
| Account Control (UAC) mechanism in the latter BETAs of Vista. The constant
| interruption of nearly every system or maintenance related task was
| unbearable. Finally, after one particularly frustrating bout of "move the
| file/yes I really want to move the file/please let me move the file/sorry, do
| dice buddy," I did what many early Vista users did: I turned UAC off. Â Â
|
| Hint: For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, the option to disable
| UAC is buried under the User Accounts sub-section of the Control Panel.
|
| Ah, the bliss of no UAC! I could now do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted!
| It was just like Windows XP, but with a cooler UI!
`----
http://weblog.infoworld.com/enterprisedesktop/archives/2007/07/learning_to_liv.html
Researcher Reveals 2-Step Vista UAC Hack
,----[ Quote ]
| A Web application developer has uncovered a two-step process
| (PDF) for exploiting Windows Vista's User Account Control,
| essentially by having a Trojan piggyback on what could be al
| egitimate download.
`----
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2131595,00.asp
Vista User Account Control and the Linux Superuser
,----[ Quote ]
| So, when I was researching the way to determine the shadow storage
| size on Windows Vista for my February 23rd entry, I wasn't too surprised
| when I got an error message about needing to elevate my privilege after
| I tried to run vssadmin from a standard command shell. What a Linux
| system would have done right there would be to ask me for the
| administrator password.
`----
http://weblog.infoworld.com/stratdev/archives/2007/03/vista_user_acco.html
Vista's UAC needs an overhaul. Ideas?
,----[ Quote ]
| It seems like everyone, other than possibly Microsoft's Vista team
| itself, seems to believe that the User Account Control (UAC) in
| Vista already needs an overhaul.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=277
Windows Vista: Secure Or Just Frustrating?
,----[ Quote ]
| The problem with Vistaâ??s security implementation is that lots of warning
| dialogue boxes don't provide security. Users get frustrated and eventually stop
| reading them altogether. They think of them as annoyances, an extra click
| required to get a feature to work. Is Windows Vista really more secure than
| the operating systems that preceded it, or simply more frustrating? Since
| Microsoft left us with no choice but to buy a PC with Vista pre-installed,
| weâ??re inevitably stuck with it. Let the frustration begin. Â Â Â
`----
http://www.theitarticles.com/windows-vista-secure-or-just-frustrating/264/
,----[Quote ]
| "Oh, excuse me, is this supposed be a joke? We all remember all those
| Microsoft's statements about how serious Microsoft is about security in
| Vista and how all those new cool security features like UAC or Protected
| Mode IE will improve the world's security. And now we hear what?
`----
http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2007/02/vista-security-model-big-joke.html
Vista's Faux Security
,----[ Quote ]
| At the end of the new Apple ad, the security guard finally asks the
| hapless PC: "You are coming to a sad realisation. Cancel or allow?"
|
| Unfortunately, after conditioning the world to click "allow," all
| Microsoft will have accomplished is to pass the buck to the hapless
| PC user, trying to make the user responsible for anything bad that
| happens because they ultimately chose to allow it.
|
| While that may allow Microsoft?s security engineers to sleep at night,
| the rest of us won't rest as easy until Vista's holes are plugged
| with something more substantial than a dialogue box.
`----
http://www.esecurityplanet.com/article.php/11162_3660976_2
Vista's UAC security is hopeless, says Symantec
,----[ Quote ]
| A key security feature of Windows Vista, User Account Control (UAC) is
| still nearly unusable, Symantec has said.
|
| At a press presentation last week, Symantec vice president of
| engineering Rowan Trollope said Symantec's customers had found the
| feature so "chatty", that it was a burden on users, potentially
| creating new help-desk calls.
`----
http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=7769
Windows Vista set to overwhelm helpdesks
,----[ Quote ]
| The Windows Vista features that will most benefit end users are
| likely to cause a flood of calls to enterprise IT help desks, it
| was claimed today.
|
| SupportSoft predicted that one of the main areas in which
| end-users are likely to experience problems will be dealing
| with Vista's security features.
`----
http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=44424
Windows Forces you to use UAC to Add a Printer
,----[ Quote ]
| Another bug that got past the extensive RTM testing process? Nope.
| It's a bug that came into existence during the finalisation process.
| This bug wasn't there in RC2, but it's most definitely there now. All
| we can say is, hopefully this gets patched before SP6.
`----
http://neosmart.net/blog/archives/326
Vista: Slow and Dangerous
,----[ Quote ]
| Most of the time I spent testing Vista was with sluggish pre-release
| versions. I expected things to improve when I ran the finished software
| on PCs configured for the new Windows version. I now realise that
| Vista really is slow unless you throw a lot of hardware at it.
| Microsoft claims it will run with 512 megabytes of memory. I had
| recommended a minimum of a gigabyte, but 2 GB is more like it if
| you want snappy performance.
|
| [...]
|
| The most exasperating thing about Vista, though, is the security
| feature called User Account Control. UAC, satirised in an Apple
| ad as a security guy who constantly interrupts a conversation,
| appears as a pop-up asking permission before Windows...
`----
http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/BusinessWeek/2007/03/26/3124001
Your expense = my revenue
,----[ Quote ]
| "Windows is a money making machine for everyone involved" - but
| describing it as really a kind of work for welfare scheme in which
| everyone wins -except the customer to whom it's a cost, and the
| national economy for which it's a productivity sink.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Murphy/?p=803
Analyst slams Vista's 'backward' UI
,----[ Quote ]
| Windows Vista is a step back in usability, researcher claims
`----
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&newsID=17334
Windows Vista Tip: Run as administrator
,----[ Quote ]
| This will make every admin operation prompt you for credentials
| while it is great if you do a lot of remote operations it can
| become tedious if you are performing a lot of local admin operations.
`----
http://windowsconnected.com/blogs/joshs_blog/archive/2006/12/01/windows-vista-tip-run-as-administrator.aspx
http://tinyurl.com/y64c6r
Microsoft: Turn off Vista's UAC to fix problems
,----[ Quote ]
| I've been fairly critical of the new User Access Control (UAC) in
| Windows Vista, as I feel it is too secure to be usable, which will
| probably result in many users and corporations turning off and
| losing out on what could have been Vista?s best feature.
|
| [...]
|
| He recommends turning UAC back on after fixing the problem, but
| when users need to do this more than a couple of times to get a
| usable system, they will just leave it turned off.
`----
http://beta.amanzi.co.nz/2006/11/13/microsoft-turn-off-vistas-uac-to-fix-problems/
'Vista's Account Protection: One Click and It's Gone'
,----[ Quote ]
| One of Vista's big security features is 'User Account Protection'
| (or 'User Account Control') which pops up and asks for user
| authentication before software can make any administrative changes to
| the system. But the TweakVista utility can turn off UAP in one click...
`----
http://securitydot.net/news/exploits/vulnerabilities/articles/2661/news.html
The Truth About User Privileges
,----[ Quote ]
| Has the time finally come for the least-privilege user -- you know,
| setting your Windows client machines to run without system
| administrator rights?
|
| [...]
|
| Today, some Windows applications just won't run properly on a
| desktop without administrative rights. "It's a dirty little
| secret people sweep under the rug because they're not able to
| do much about the problem. A lot of applications and pieces
| of environments won't work if users aren't given admin rights,"
| says Steve Kleynhans, vice president for Gartner's client
| platforms group. "If you can get applications to function
| with lower rights, in a lot of cases it hampers the user
| experience."
`----
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=110225&WT.svl=news1_1
Opinion: 'Vista Casts A Pall On PC Gaming'
,----[ Quote ]
| In the interest of full disclosure I should make it clear that in a
| previous life time I was responsible for all of Microsoft's OS
| strategy for games and media, from writing the original DirectX
| development plan, to managing Microsoft?s relationships with the
| industries leading game developers. 10 years after launching DirectX
| 1.0, I still have strong opinions and feelings about how to make
| Windows a great game platform, and probably feel a stronger sense
| of pique than most when I see Microsoft making careless or callous
| mistakes that impact game developers.
`----
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=12314
------------------------------
Message-ID: <20355706.u78UNGvvfd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Many/All Your Publications Are Belong [sic] to Microsoft?
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:09:02 +0000
Microsoft and Elsevier may become partners
http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/2008/01/microsoft-elsevier.html
OA=OSS, Elsevier=Microsoft
http://opendotdotdot.blogspot.com/2006/06/oaoss-elseviermicrosoft.html
This seems to break their promise. Maybe a reason to steer away from Elsevier
journals and do IEEE instead?
Related:
Elsevier duo say the future is open
,----[ Quote ]
| Two senior publishers have departed Elsevier and joined rival Biomed
| Central, placing their bets on an open access future for scientific
| research.
`----
http://www.iwr.co.uk/information-world-review/news/2171597/elsevier-duo-say-future-open
OUP wants me to pay for my own Open Access article
,----[ Quote ]
| The journal wishes to charge me 48 USD to:
|
| Â Â * USE MY OWN ARTICLE
| Â Â * ON WHICH I HOLD COPYRIGHT
| Â Â * FOR NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES (TEACHING)
|
| The journal is therefore
|
| Â Â * SELLING MY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
| Â Â * WITHOUT MY PERMISSION
| Â Â * AGAINST THE TERMS OF THE LICENCE (NO COMMERCIAL USE)
|
| I am lost for words...
`----
http://wwmm.ch.cam.ac.uk/blogs/murrayrust/?p=529
Academia's Open Access movement mirrors FOSS community
,----[ Quote ]
| Free and open source software (FOSS) has roots in the ideals of academic
| freedom and the unimpeded exchange of information. In the last five years,
| the concepts have come full circle, with FOSS serving as a model for Open
| Access (OA), a movement within academia to promote unrestricted access to
| scholarly material for both researchers and the general public.
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/118139
------------------------------
Message-ID: <4630690.jfmHiOjdl1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Germany Hammers Another Nail into the MS HDDVD Coffin
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:12:22 +0000
Deutsche Constantin Film to back Blu-ray Discs
,----[ Quote ]
| Following the Hollywood-based Warner Bros. studio's decision to discontinue
| HD DVDs, German film production and rental company Constantin Film AG has
| also decided to offer high-definition movies on Blu-ray Disc only in the
| future. The company announced March 1, 2008 as its cut-off date.
`----
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/101667/from/rss09
Some poor people wasted money on a HDDVD player and videos that will
probably 'expire'.
Related:
Blu-ray supporters scent victory
,----[ Quote ]
| HD DVD, which is backed by Microsoft and Toshiba, now has support from only
| Universal and Paramount among the big film studios.
`----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7176185.stm
Another nail hangs over HD-DVD's coffin
,----[ Quote ]
| The Warner Bros.' move gives Blu-ray about 70 per cent of Hollywoodâ??s output,
| although the format's grip on film content will even increase further when
| Paramount comes aboard. Â
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/08/hd-dvd-declared-dead
DVD sales plummet
,----[ Quote ]
| USA Today points out that the the movie download market could be another
| killer. That industry is expected to double from $689 million in 2006 to $1.6
| billion in 2008. Â
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/08/dvd-sales-plummet
Microsoft to bypass High Def disc war with Mediaroom on Xbox 360
,----[ Quote ]
| This is why Microsoft is not overly worried about Warner Bros jumping ship
| from the HD DVD that they back, to Blu-Ray high definition disc format. Â They
| know that in the long run, the physical media will be bypassed. Â
`----
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16006/1063/
,----[ Quote ]
| "That is the dirty secret no one is talking about," said Bay, director of the
| recent hit film "Transformers." "They want confusion in the market until they
| perfect the digital downloads." Microsoft sells HD movie and TV show
| downloads to its video game consoles through its Xbox Live Marketplace. Â Â
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/071224/tech.html?.v=1
Director: Microsoft fueling HD wars
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is deliberately feeding into the HD disc format wars to ensure that
| its own downloads succeed where physical copies fail, says movie director
| Michael Bay in a response to a question posed through his official forums.
| The producer contends that Microsoft is writing "$100 million dollar checks"
| to movie studios to ensure HD DVD exclusives that hurt the overall market
| regardless of the format's actual merit or its popularity, preventing any one
| format from gaining a clear upper hand. Bay's own Transformers is available
| on disc only in the less popular HD DVD format despite his stated preference
| for Blu-ray. To the director, this is primarily a stalling tactic while
| Microsoft refines its own online-only technology. Â Â Â Â
`----
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/12/04/bay.on.microsoft.hd/
CES: Toshiba Standing Firm Supporting HD-DVD
,----[ Quote ]
| I would note that there is a big HD-DVD logo on the wall above the stage;
| they are not giving up exactly. They started the even by talking about
| HD-DVD, it turns out. Â
`----
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2008/01/06/ces-toshiba-standing-firm-supporting-hd-dvd/?mod=yahoobarrons
Two Studios to Support HD DVD Over Rival
,----[ Quote ]
| Â Â But money talks: Paramount and DreamWorks Animation together will receive
| Â Â about $150 million in financial incentives for their commitment to HD
| Â Â DVD, according to two Viacom executives with knowledge of the deal but
| Â Â who asked not to be identified. Â
|
| Â Â The incentives will come in a combination of cash and promotional
| Â Â guarantees. Toshiba, for instance, will use the release of â??Shrek the
| Â Â Thirdâ?? as part of an HD DVD marketing campaign. Â
|
| Â Â Paramount and DreamWorks Animation declined to comment. Microsoft, the
| Â Â most prominent technology company supporting HD DVDs, said it could not
| Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ^^^^^^^^^
| Â Â rule out payment but said it wrote no checks. â??We provided no financial
| Â Â ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Â Â
| Â Â incentives to Paramount or DreamWorks whatsoever,â?? said Amir Majidimehr,
| Â Â the head of Microsoftâ??s consumer media technology group. Â Â
`----
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/21/technology/21disney.html?ei=5088&en=d4e1f285e2f41437&ex=1345348800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1187698143-B5wO3L/F+4r1NyAsum87vQ
Cringely the Unemployable on the fallacy of Web 2.0, Microsoft ruthlessness,
and the CB radio of our decade
,----[ Quote ]
| Davidson: Which software company would you hate to compete against? What
| makes you single them out?
|
| Cringely: Microsoft of course. They have the deepest of pockets, unlimited
| ambition, and they are willing to lose money for years and years just to make
| sure that you don't make any money, either. And they are mean, REALLY mean. Â
|
| Davidson: Why do you think Microsoft is mean? Are you implying some kind of
| malicious intent rather than just ruthlessness?
|
| Cringely: Maybe "mean" is the wrong word to use for Microsoft. "Ruthless" is
| good. The company is built in the image of Bill Gates and Bill is a guy who
| gets caught-up in the game of business and doesn't typically see its personal
| cost. To use what might seem to be an obscure example, just look at all the
| various partnerships and industry consortia that Microsoft has announced
| through the years that never produced a product or even a usable
| specification. There have been literally dozens of these operations that are
| intended solely to freeze the competition until Microsoft can figure what the
| heck it actually wants to do. To Microsoft its a PR exercise that helps them
| compete but to customers it is just a damned lie. That's ruthless. There are
| plenty of other examples I can give but you get the point. I represent the
| concerns of users, not vendors, and Microsoft doesn't really care about
| users. Â Â Â Â Â Â
`----
http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/2007/07/cringely-the-un.html
,----[ Quote ]
| "Let me be clear, ladies and gentlemen, there is one company that will
| have to change its illegal behaviour as a result of this ruling, and
| that is Microsoft," Kroes said at a news conference.
`----
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/332064_msfteu18.html?source=mypi
PS3 + Linux + Firefox = Office 2.0 computing
,----[ Quote ]
| Sony and a technology site are using a conference to show off a confluence of
| next-generation, monopoly-bypassing technology: a Sony Playstation 3
| videogame console running Linux and Firefox as a foundation for
| Web-based "Office 2.0" applications. Â
|
| IT|Redux, a site run by blogger and tech adviser Ismael Ghalimi, is showing
| off the system at the Office 2.0 Conference in San Francisco. IT|Redux is the
| show organiser. Â
`----
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9772115-1.html
PS3 available pre-installed with Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| TerraSoft is now taking direct pre-orders with no delivery
| time guarantees for a Sony PS3 pre-installed with Linux,
| priced at $650.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS7863481537.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2131482.jZMYYUZEIm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] AgfaPhoto Builds Unique Gadget with Linux
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:13:42 +0000
Linux-based photoframe boasts WiFi, video support
,----[ Quote ]
| AgfaPhoto is shipping a Linux-based digital photoframe developed by Sagem
| Communications and powered by Freescale Semiconductor's i.MX31 system-on-chip
| (SoC). The AgfaPhoto AF5080W is said to offer an 8-inch, 800x600 SVGA
| display, WiFi, and playback of MP3 music and MPEG 1/2/4 video.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS8833552024.html
Related:
The Ultimate Wallet-Sized Photograph
,----[ Quote ]
| EmTrace has created the Widget One, a wallet-sized device that will gladly
| show photos and do all sorts of Linux-powered goodness.
`----
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/336/C14155/
E-paper support for Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| One of the electrophoretic display controllers for which Linux support has
| been posted (tarball) is a controller from E-Ink called Apollo. This
| controller is interfaced to the host through 8-bit data and 6-bit control
| over General Purpose IO (GPIO) interfaces. Â
`----
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;833313752;fp;4;fpid;1968336438
Linux-based eBook reader leverages lightweight browser
,----[ Quote ]
| The NetFront browser enables users to click through to linked reference
| sites, such as Wikipedia, while they are reading. Â
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5175136365.html
Amazon's Kindle eBook Reader
,----[ Quote ]
| But in the final analysis, the point of the thing is to be a better book. It
| does this very well. Everything else is just icing on the cake, which is, in
| this case, not a lie. Â
`----
http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/36063
Down with paper: A review of the Sony Reader
,----[ Quote ]
| Not only does the new Reader sport an SD card slot alongside the Pro Duo
| slot, but it plays AAC and MP3 files; ATRAC doesn't even make an appearance
| on the spec sheet. Oh, and did I mention that the Reader is Penguin-powered? Â
`----
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/sony-reader-review.ars
Sharp intros RD-CX100 dictionary / e-book reader
,----[ Quote ]
| It may not boast quite the versatility of its souped-up
| Linux-based "electronic dictionary," but if you're just looking for
| some basic e-book reading capabilities along with your
| multi-lingual dictionary, Sharp's new RD-CX100 looks like it
| may fit the bill.
`----
http://digg.com/gadgets/Sharp_intros_RD_CX100_dictionary_e_book_reader
HP offers peek at next-gen gadgets
,----[ Quote ]
| HP has unveiled some of the gadgets it is working on in its worldwide
| laboratories.
|
| [...]
|
| The e-book attracted most interest from delegates at the HP Mobility
| Summit in Shanghai. It uses touch sensitive strips on the base of
| the rectangular unit to select books and turn pages, runs a Linux
| OS and has a USB port to install new titles.
`----
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2189600/hp-plans-touchscreen-ebook
Kindle sold out
,----[ Quote ]
| There is no telling if this is a consequence of consumer demand exceeding
| Amazon's forecasts as to how many people would want this thing, or if Amazon
| is taking a page out of Nintendo's book and creating a little product
| scarcity to drum up business. All I know is I got mine in the mail today, and
| I'm already in love. Â Â
|
| Flop? I think not.
`----
http://blog.blankbaby.com/blankbaby/2007/11/kindle-sold-out.html
Amazon.com Launches Wireless Reader
,----[ Quote ]
| The Linux-based device weighs 10.3 ounces, can store 200 titles on its 250 MB
| of onboard flash memory, and its battery can hold a charge for two days with
| the wireless feature on and seven days with it off, Amazon said. The reader
| is made by a Chinese OEM and can be purchased on Amazon.com for $399. Â
`----
http://sony.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=237306
------------------------------
Message-ID: <4648512.8ZO5rm1S3P@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Can't Build Own Software (OneCare Fails Again)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:18:26 +0000
OneCare upgrade brings headaches
,----[ Quote
| Since November, Microsoft has been slowly rolling out an update to its
| Windows Live OneCare security software. Although the update was designed to
| bring in new features, such as the ability to monitor the health of multiple
| PCs, some say the new version has brought only headaches.
|
| Robert Webb of North Carolina said he started having problems from the moment
| his software was upgraded in early December.
`----
http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9848831-56.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Microsoft buys software, it rarely develops any. It shows.
Yesterday:
Vista Update Craters Microsoft Word
,----[ Quote ]
| Keeping your software up to date is very important from a security
| perspective, but when doing so blows away your productivity because of poor
| installation or compatibility quality issues, life is very painful. Â
|
| Microsoft. You get a grade of F for this round of patches.
`----
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/23685
Related:
,----[ Quote
| Asked about these problems, Arno Edelmann, Microsoft's European business
| security product manager, told ZDNet UK on Thursday that the code itself
| has pieces missing.
| "Usually Microsoft doesn't develop products, we buy products. It's not a bad
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| product, but bits and pieces are missing," said Edelmann.
`----
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39286351,00.htm
I'm Getting More Concern than (One)Care
,----[ Quote ]
| Apparently, OneCare doesn't think too much of my corporate connection
| and switches status from "automatic" to "restricted" during VPN
| connection. This has been the case since I installed OneCare last
| week. So, why the futz now?
`----
http://www.seopher.com/articles/30_considered_a_move_to_linux_over_vista
Microsoft confirms OneCare zaps Outlook, Outlook Express e-mail
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Corp. has acknowledged that a bug in its Windows Live
| OneCare security suite has been causing users' e-mail to vanish
| from Outlook and Outlook Express.
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9012499
Windows Live Onecare beta ate my hard disk
,----[ Quote ]
| So when the 90 day trial expired, he thought it well worth the
| $90 or so which Microsoft asked for a licence. When he rung up,
| he was surprised to be informed that the Beast isn't yet selling
| the product outside America.
|
| So he was suddenly left with an XP machine that was defenceless
| and with plenty of data that was now unreadable.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36111
Microsoft using early Vista users as guinea pigs?
,----[ Quote ]
| Interesting to read in the International Herald Tribune this week
| about Microsoft hitting a 'crisis of confidence' with its new Vista
| operating system.
|
| [...]
|
| Sounds familiar? Your bet - it's almost an exact re-run of the
| security issues that affected Windows XP in its earliest days.
|
| Microsoft wouldn't be using its Vista users - as it did with XP -
| as guinea pigs, now would it?...
`----
http://securityblog.itproportal.com/?p=646
Microsoft shipped OneCare unfinished?
,----[ Quote ]
| Since shipping in May, OneCare has failed industry tests and exposed
| users to attack because of a security flaw in the antivirus engine.
| The application also incorrectly flagged Gmail as a virus and in some
| cases quarantined or even deleted complete in-boxes when a single
| e-mail was laden with a virus.
`----
http://news.com.com/2061-10789_3-6168629.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2920720.WqDT4gysxH@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Two Linux Success Stories in Industry: Asterisk, Wind River
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:20:42 +0000
Growth and Acceptance of Asterisk Driving Open Source Telephony Growth
,----[ Quote ]
| Since its founding in 1999, Digium, has grown to become a primary open source
| alternative to traditional communication providers, with offerings that cost
| as much as 80 percent less than proprietary voice communication platforms.
| Digium makes Asterisk open source telephony software available to the open
| source community under the GNU General Public Licence (GPL) and uses
| business-class Asterisk to power a broad family of products for small, medium
| and large businesses. The company's product line includes a wide range of
| hardware to enable resellers and customers to design their own voiceVoIP
| systems. This year alone, more than six billion minutes of calls will be made
| using Asterisk.
`----
http://voipservices.tmcnet.com/feature/articles/18131-growth-acceptance-asterisk-driving-open-source-telephony-growth.htm
Wind River with Wind River Linux, Development and Management Suites
,----[ Quote ]
| Wind River Linux will include an advanced cross-build system that
| incorporates a structured framework for managing device software components
| as independent â??layers.â?? These layers act as building blocks for developers
| to manage and organise Linux packages; source code or binaries; metadata or
| configuration files; test suites, or even extra files. A new release of Wind
| River Real-Time Core for Linux will also be available. It will include
| support for numerous BSPs, including 64-bit targets across all architectures.
`----
http://www.openpr.com/news/35201/Wind-River-with-Wind-River-Linux-Development-and-Management-Suites.html
Related:
C3PC.com Servers Now Available with Elastix Asterisk and CentOS-based VoIP PBX
,----[ Quote ]
| New Ideas Corp. announced the availability of Elastix, an Asterisk and CentOS
| based VoiP PBX, preloaded on their custom built C3 PBX servers.
`----
http://www.c3pc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=2
Any CIO not using open source "should be fired": a conversation with CIOs
,----[ Quote ]
| Great stuff. Open source is changing the way we think about software, and our
| interactions with it. This is particularly true if you're a CIO.
`----
http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13505_1-9815015-16.html
Digium preps Asterisk Linux distribution
,----[ Quote ]
| "We developed our own GUI [which is] similar to Trixbox [distribution],
| but the purpose of AsteriskNow is to provide a distribution built
| around Asterisk technology so people can use it without the GUI," he
| said. "The GUI is the same as the Asterisk Appliance that looks
| like a Linksys router that runs Asterisk and has analogue ports."
`----
http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;1047335524;fp;2;fpid;1
Linux dominating VoIP devices?
,----[ Quote ]
| Trolltech says its development framework and software stack for mobile
| devices was selected by Skype as the preferred platform for Skype-certified
| VoIP (voice-over-IP) phones. Additionally, the Qtopia framework/stack has
| been used in about 40 VoIP devices, making it the "dominant Linux
| development platform for VoIP/WiFi devices," according to Trolltech.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS9974606142.html
Digium Takes Best of Open Source Software Award
,----[ Quote
| Bossie judges singled out Digium for being the â??most mature and scalableâ?? IP
| PBX currently available.
`----
http://www.voip-news.com/blog/20070918/digium-takes-best-of-open-source-software-award/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2742408.XiN45pGxBJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] KDE 4.0 is Ahead of Windows Vista
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:04:24 +0000
Goodbye Vista, KDE 4.0 Has Arrived!
,----[ Quote ]
| There are only few people who know that if you look out of your 'Windows',
| the world is much more vivid and beautiful. Apple is known for its good
| looks, but itâ??s excessively expensive, while Vista is a big disappointment
| (check Tech Cold War 2007!). Now, there is GNU/Linux which, in fact, is free
| and offers much more options and freedom than Windows or Mac. One of the most
| popular desktop environments on GNU/Linux platform has come out in a new
| flavour - KDE 4.0.
`----
http://www.efytimes.com/efytimes/24071/news.htm
Related (yesterday):
KDE 4 Brings Improvements Galore to the Linux Desktop
,----[ Quote ]
| The next generation of KDE, the popular Linux desktop environment, has
| arrived. KDE 4.0 features a completely re-written core with new multimedia
| libraries, better hardware abstraction and
| desktop eye candy that puts Windows Vista to shame.
`---- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2008/01/kde-4-brings-im.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1522563.HSxCSuEj98@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] The 'Desktop' is Dead, Long Live GNU/Linux (and Thrive)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:06:59 +0000
Consumer Darwinism and the Rise of FOSS
,----[ Quote ]
| One of the recurring themes that keeps popping up in the Linux community is
| this pressing need to get Linux on the desktop. I have often pondered in the
| past that such a goal is indeed worthy--once we actually figure out just
| exactly what "desktop" means.
|
| Watching the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) coverage this week, it was once
| again hammered home that in a very real sense, it doesn't matter
| what "desktop" means. The true opportunity for Linux and the rest of the
| free/open source software (FOSS) developers and business people is to
| anticipate what the customers want and get in front of their needs in time to
| deliver the goods. The term "desktop" is, I believe, an anachronistic term
| held over from the days when one company had the means and the chutzpah to
| dictate to the market what the customer needed, instead of the other way
| around.
|
| [...]
|
| Look at the events of CES, or even the consumer technology news in the months
| leading up to 2008. Over and over, we see announcements of popular computing
| devices: laptops , UMPCs, inexpensive PCs at Wal-Mart, smartphones... all
| running Linux. More importantly, all running Linux, and no one cares. Because
| these systems work.
|
| [...]
|
| It is the curse and the blessing of ubiquity that's being bestowed on Linux.
| The news from CES made that abundantly clear.
`----
http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2008-01-11-017-26-OP-DV
Four Areas That Show Why Consumer Tech Show Matters To Business IT
,----[ Quote ]
| Ultramobile PCs: UMPCs came out in droves at CES, from the likes of
| Hewlett-Packard, iRiver, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, and Wibrain. National
| Taiwan University showed a 1-GHz Linux machine prototype that's as small as a
| smartphone. Microsoft announced the Origami Experience 2.0, an update to its
| user interface for UMPCs, and Intel released new chips built for them.
|
| UMPCs were out last year, but they haven't caught on. The latest models may
| have the selection, power, and variety--from bare-bones Linux-plus-browser
| versions to ones running Windows Vista Premium--to fill far more business
| needs, especially in mobile jobs where laptops are too bulky and smartphones
| aren't powerful enough. Maybe combined with a tiny projector?
`----
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205602185
Yesterday:
Four billion embedded systems shipped in '06
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3686249103.html
Related:
PCs being pushed aside in Japan
,----[ Quote ]
| The PC's role in Japanese homes is diminishing, as its once-awesome monopoly
| on processing power is encroached by gadgets such as smart phones that act
| like pocket-size computers, advanced Internet-connected game consoles,
| digital video recorders with terabytes of memory.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071104/ap_on_hi_te/bye_bye_pcs
Research and Markets: Symbian and Linux Enjoy the Highest Penetration in the
Japanese Smartphone Market
,----[ Quote ]
| Symbian and Linux enjoy the highest penetration in the Japanese smartphone
| market and appear to be the beneficiaries in any expansion of smartphone use
| there.
`----
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080102005331&newsLang=en
http://tinyurl.com/34ns9q
After the Desktop -- What?
,----[ Quote ]
| I would suggest that the open source community should stop obsessing
| with the battle for the desktop, and start focusing on the battle for
| the platform that will replace it. As I have said before, the day
| will soon come when the notion of having to go to a particular
| machine on a particular room every time you need access to
| information or computer power will be as obsolete as the notion
| of having to go to the hand pump over the well in the front
| yard every time you need water.
`----
http://trevors-trinkets.blogspot.com/2007/02/after-desktop-what.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1487415.cvdvBPD98X@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Early Signs of Trouble for Longhorn (Windows Server 2008)?
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:10:31 +0000
Microsoft web developers branded pants
,----[ Quote ]
| The strokers of beards and Volish nay-sayers have been claiming that reason
| is Windows Server 2008. They claim this on the very safe assumption that
| since Microsoft installed it, vole.com has been running like a condemned man
| with his legs cut off on his way to his own execution.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/11/microsoft-web-developers-pants
The curse of Vista codebase or just a bad deployment? Either way, it has been
predicted (even expected) before that Longhorn would stink as much as Vista.
They share the same DNA.
Related:
The Flash preloader here uses the Fedora Spinner (Microsoft.com uses Linux):
https://www. microsoft.com/ servers/ faces/default.aspx
This eWeek [on Servers]
,----[ Quote ]
| I asked Jason about Windows Server's newfound security: "The first time
| I heard about this new feature," he said, "I thought it was clearly a
| response to Linux.
|
| Windows Server 2008 isn't quite there yet, according to Jason's tests.
`----
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2134429,00.asp
Microsoft cuts Windows virtualisation features
,----[ Quote ]
| The company is changing three key features of the hypervisor
| technology to try to stick to its schedule of releasing the
| technology within 180 days of completing its Windows Server
| "Longhorn" operating system, due to be finalised before the
| end of the year.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6182852.html
MS Insider: The Office Crew Isn't Smart Enough to Supplant Real Windows
Developers
,----[ Quote ]
| "With Alchin retiring, MarkL and MarkZ, two of the most talented
| architects in MS already having left, the picture gets really
| ugly for the Windows division," my friend claimed, and the BV's
| core team members, Ian McDonald, Jack Mayo, Todd Wanke, Clyde
| Rodriguez and others are starting to connect the dots.
|
| [...]
|
| He concluded ominously. "A trainwreck of biblical proportions looms.
| Pick a good seat on the sidelines, trainwrecks this large take
| awhile to complete. Vista may be the last MS OS for some time to
| come, especially if Cutler decides to play hardball."
`----
http://www.emailbattles.com/2006/09/11/ms-insider-the-office-crew-isnt-smart-enough-to-supplant-real-windows-developers/
http://tinyurl.com/35eqrt
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2434462.T5a5lkZkhp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Verizon Might Think It's Above the (Free Software) Law
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:13:32 +0000
Palamida Exec Chides Verizon For Not Responding On GPL Suit
,----[ Quote ]
| "I'm a little surprised by it, to tell you the truth," Tolliver said in a
| recent interview. Palamida is a supplier of risk management software for
| managing an enterprise's software assets. Its auditing system scans code and
| identifies its origins, from open source projects or other known sources.
|
| "Usually these issues can be resolved before pretty promptly," he added. But
| Verizon had no response to the centre when it sent a letter notifying Verizon
| of a violation, and it's had no response since the centre filed a suit Dec. 7
| in federal District Court for the Southern District of New York.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20080112/tc_cmp/205602460
Related:
Member review of Verizon FIOS
,----[ Quote ]
| For the broadband installation, one thing I really didnâ??t want was to have
| Verizon install a bunch of junk software on my computer. So when it was time
| to set up the connection I offered the tech a linux laptop. He said, â??Linux,
| whatâ??s that?â?? I said, let's try it anyway. The normal procedure is to connect
| your computer, go to a special website and download a bunch of software, then
| set up your account username and password and agree to a terms of service. Of
| course, going to the special website we get the message, â??your operating
| system is not supportedâ??. I asked the tech to call his support, who laughed
| when he heard the word linux, but then relented and gave us an extra special
| website with login and password where we could set everything up without
| downloading software. Yay! The TV and phone setup were completely
| straightforward.
`----
http://www.broadbandreports.com/comment/2568/66067
Verizon Embraces Google's Android
,----[ Quote ]
| In yet another sudden shift, Verizon Wireless plans to support Google's
| (GOOG) new software platform for cell phones and other mobile devices.
`----
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2007/tc2007123_429930.htm
Verizon to support the Linux desktop, but only if your rich...
,----[ Quote ]
| Verizon has been supporting the linux desktop for Red Hat for
| various applications for a while now. It wasn't until recently
| that with the help of some unpaid employees that they got it
| working for Ubuntu.
`----
http://www.treeninjas.com/?p=12
Verizon Business Expands OS Support for Enterprises
,----[ Quote ]
| "Windows is our most deployed system, but Linux is our fastest-growing
| one..."
|
| [...]
|
| He also said that AIX and UX also have strong cross-platform
| compatibility with systems like Linux, and are well designed to
| handle applications requiring huge memory and scalability.
`----
http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/53095.html
Verizon takes over Microsoft TV code
,----[ Quote ]
| Unhappy over the memory footprint of applications and delays in rolling
| them out, Verizon has ditched some of Microsoft's television software and
| has chosen instead to write its own.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060914-7742.html
Verizon sues FCC over open-access auction
,----[ Quote ]
| Media reform group Free Press, a supporter of the open-access rules, accused
| Verizon Wireless of sending "lawyers, FUD and money" in an attempt to
| overturn the FCC's decision.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20070914/tc_infoworld/91833
Google vs. Verizon: The 'open access' saga continues
,----[ Quote ]
| First with Net neutrality and now with so-called "open access" rules for
| forthcoming wireless networks, there seems to be no end to the discord
| between Google and Verizon.
`----
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9778508-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
BusyBox Developers, SFLC Sue Verizon for GPL Infringement
,----[ Quote
| The same two principal developers already successfully sued Monsoon Media,
| and they have litigation pending against Xterasys Corporation and High-Gain
| Antennas, LLC. Here is the press release from the Software Freedom Law Centre
| on the Verizon suit, followed by the complaint as text. Â
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=2007120713435029
Verizon Being Sued for GPL Infringement
,----[ Quote ]
| According to the SFLC, Verizon can be added to the list of companies
| infringing on the GPL. They filed a lawsuit in New York yesterday (pdf)
| alleging that the company is handing out routers using the GPL'd
| software 'BusyBox' without accompanying source code. Â Â
`----
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/12/07/1953217&from=rss
Verizon: Open access should cut costs
,----[ Quote ]
| Verizon Communications Inc.'s plan to open its wireless network to any
| devices, not just Verizon cell phones, is partly motivated by a desire to cut
| costs, the company's chief operating officer said Wednesday. Â
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071205/ap_on_hi_te/verizon_open_network
Thin clients in, PCs out at Verizon Wireless
,----[ Quote ]
| Sun's Sun Ray is unique among thin clients, many of which still use
| some kind of embedded Windows or Linux operating system, even though
| the applications are shifted to servers.
|
| [...]
|
| With about 5,000 Sun Ray terminals installed at three Western call
| centres, and a fourth in progress, Verizon has seen a 60% to 70%
| drop in desktop problems and a 30% decline in electrical use at
| each centre.
`----
http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2007/050407-thin-client-verizon.html?fsrc=rss-linux-news
Second Round of GPL Infringement Lawsuits Filed on Behalf of BusyBox Developers
,----[ Quote ]
| The Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) today announced that it has filed two
| more copyright infringement lawsuits on behalf of its clients, two principal
| developers of BusyBox, alleging violation of the GNU General Public Licence
| (GPL). The defendants in the lawsuits are Xterasys Corporation and High-Gain
| Antennas, LLC. BusyBox is a lightweight set of standard Unix utilities
| commonly used in embedded systems and is open source software licensed under
| GPL version 2. Â Â Â
`----
http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2007/nov/20/busybox/
Is the Monsoon settlement a missed opportunity?
,----[ Quote ]
| Certainly more was hoped for from the first US GPL lawsuit. â??This case is
| very important because it will establish what type of remedies (either
| contract or copyright) are available to licensors for breach of the GPLv2,â??
| wrote Mark Radcliffe at the time the complaint was filed. Â
|
| However, for those looking for legal precedent, all may not be lost. â??Stay
| tuned, however, as this is likely not the last lawsuit we will see here in
| the U.S. to enforce the terms of the GPL,â?? notes Haislmaier. Â
`----
http://blogs.the451group.com/opensource/2007/10/31/is-the-monsoon-settlement-a-missed-opportunity/
Do Microsoft's EULAs have any real legal basis?
,----[ Quote ]
| "Microsoft has no special exemption from the sale of goods act." Well,
| no, probably not - but it might still be selling you "services"
| instead of "goods". But the real point to remember is that it doesn't
| matter a jot what the "logical" position is, it is what the courts
| decide that matters.
|
| As far as I know, no one has tested Microsoft's EULAs in a UK court
| and, until someone does, Microsoft will just go on assuming that they
| work. And I don't fancy the risk of taking on Microsoft's expensive
| lawyers in court myself...
`----
http://www.regdeveloper.co.uk/2007/04/25/microsoft_eula/
BusyBox Developers and Monsoon Multimedia Agree to Dismiss GPL Lawsuit
,----[ Quote ]
| The Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC) and Monsoon Multimedia today jointly
| announced that an agreement has been reached to dismiss the GPL enforcement
| lawsuit filed by SFLC on behalf of two principal developers of BusyBox. Â
`----
http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2007/oct/30/busybox-monsoon-settlement/
And Just Like That, The Games End â?? First Ever GPL Lawsuit Dismissed
,----[ Quote ]
| In the agreement to dismiss the lawsuit, the SFLC is reporting that Monsoon
| Multimedia has agreed to appoint an â??Open Source Compliance Officerâ?? within
| its organisation â??to monitor and ensure GPL compliance, to publish the source
| code for the version of BusyBox it previously distributed on its web site,
| and to undertake substantial efforts to notify previous recipients of BusyBox
| from Monsoon Multimedia of their rights to the software under the GPL. Â Â
|
| [...]
|
| Stay tuned, however, as this is likely not the last lawsuit we will see here
| in the U.S. to enforce the terms of the GPL.
`----
http://thinkingopen.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/and-just-like-that-the-games-end-first-ever-gpl-lawsuit-dismissed/
SFLC: Setting Legal Precedent Not the Goal of GPL Case
,----[ Quote ]
| Software Freedom Law Centre co-founder Dan Ravicher says the Centerâ??s
| copyright infringement case against Monsoon Multimedia on behalf of the Â
| creators of BusyBox is not about setting legal precedent for the use and
| interpretation of the GNU General Public Licence. Â
`----
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/osb/?p=241
GPL defenders say: See you in court
,----[ Quote ]
| The licence also requires anyone distributing GPL software, in an executable
| form that a computer can run, to make the complete source code available. One
| example: Cisco Systems subsidiary Linksys, which  shares the GPL software
| used in its wireless networking equipment. Â
`----
http://www.news.com/GPL-defenders-say-See-you-in-court/2100-7344_3-6210837.html
First U.S. GPL lawsuit heads for quick settlement
,----[ Quote ]
| The first U.S. GPL-related lawsuit appears to be headed for a quick
| out-of-court settlement. Monsoon Multimedia admitted today that it had
| violated the GPLv2 (GNU General Public Licence version 2), and said it will
| release its modified BusyBox code in full compliance with the licence. Â
`----
http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS3761924232.html
New Method To Detect and Prove GPL Violations
,----[ Quote ]
| "A paper to be presented at the upcoming academic conference Automated
| Software Engineering describes a new method to detect code theft and could be
| used to detect GPL violations in particular. While the co-called birthmarking Â
| method is demonstrated for Java, it is general enough to work for other
| languages as well..." Â
`----
http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/25/1648253&from=rss
German Court convicted Skype of violating the GPL
,----[ Quote ]
| German district court Munich has convicted Skype of violating the GPL. One of
| the VoIP telephones sold by Skype run Linux, but the GPL text was not handed
| out together with the phone, although the GPL requires that. Â
`----
http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2007/07/24/german-court-convicted-skype-of-violating-the-gpl/#comment-27057
German GPL defender claims legal victory
Â
,----[ Quote ]
| Open-source programmer Harald Welte said Thursday he won a civil court
| case in Germany centered on the General Public Licence (GPL). The licence
| governs many open-source projects and permits anyone to use software
| covered by it, but requires that companies incorporating GPL software
| make the underlying source code available.
`----
http://news.com.com/2061-10795_3-6113453.html?part=rss&tag=6113453&subj=news
gpl-violations.org project prevails in court case on GPL violation by D-Link
,----[ Quote ]
| D-Link Germany GmbH, a subsidiary of D-Link Corporation, Taiwan R.O.C.,
| distributed DSM-G600, a network attached storage (NAS) device which uses a
| Linux-based Operating System. Â However, this distribution was incompliant
| with the GNU General Public Licence (GPL) which covers the Linux Kernel and
| many other software programmes used in the product.
`----
http://gpl-violations.org/news/20060922-dlink-judgement_frankfurt.html
Wallace's Appeal Firmly Rejected - GPL Has Nothing to Fear [pdf]
,----[ Quote ]
| PJ: "Just so you know, Daniel Wallace's appeal of the ruling
| against him in his pro se quest to overthrow the GPL on antitrust
| grounds, one of SCO's daydreams too, has been firmly rejected by
| the appeals court, as I knew it would be."
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/pdf/WallaceAppealRejected.pdf
Would Dostoevsky Use the GPL?
,----[ Quote ]
| I get nervous whenever large software shops talk up the virtues of a licence
| with fewer protections of developer and user rights. In the linked articles
| above, there is talk of permissive licences being the path of least
| resistance, with the premise that it's "easier" to gravitate towards them. My
| question is - easier for whom? Easier for the developers or easier for the
| companies who wish to make use of it without those annoying obligations to
| the greater free software ecosystem? As is often mentioned by others smarter
| than me, a scenario where developers gravitate towards permissive licences
| makes it easier for companies to avoid community reciprocity. Â Â Â Â
`----
http://tinosc.blogspot.com/2007/09/would-dostoevsky-use-gpl.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1695713.ITMcFHTv1s@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Sebastian Kuegler Pleased with KDE 4.0 Release, Liquidat Looks at Progress
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:15:51 +0000
The Start of Something Amazing with KDE 4.0 Release
,----[ Quote ]
| Several years of design, development and testing came together today for the
| release of KDE 4.0. This is our most significant release in our 11 year
| history and marks both the end of the long and intensive development cycle
| leading up to KDE 4.0 and the start of the KDE 4 era.
`----
http://dot.kde.org/1200050369/
KDE 4.0 is out - a look back
,----[ Quote ]
| The beginning of 2007 brought a pleasant surprise for most users: Troy Unrau
| started his famous â??Road to KDE 4" series and kept everyone informed about
| the development around KDE 4. This was one of the most important KDE 4
| related PR moves and showed everyone how much development was going on and
| what really could be expected. This series was great. And indeed, the year
| 2007 was the year of polishing, shaping up - and showing! 2007 was the year
| of the screenshots, screencasts and reviews. But of course it was alos the
| year of Alphas, Betas, cooperation with Trolltech and another conference.
| 2007 was the year which prepared the world for the launch.
`----
http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/kde-40-is-out-a-look-back/
Issue 92 - 6th January 2008 - by Danny Allen
,----[ Quote ]
| Final commits for KDE 4.0 Final before the tagging freeze. KDE 4.0 Final
| tagged for release. Lots of optimisations and bugs fixed across KDE. Kickoff
| menu items can now be added to the Plasma desktop or panel. Improved resise
| and rotate for Plasma applets. Document list sorting in Kate.
`----
http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-01-06/
Related:
KDE 4 Brings Improvements Galore to the Linux Desktop
,----[ Quote ]
| The next generation of KDE, the popular Linux desktop environment, has
| arrived. KDE 4.0 features a completely re-written core with new multimedia
| libraries, better hardware abstraction and
| desktop eye candy that puts Windows Vista to shame. Â
`---- Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2008/01/kde-4-brings-im.html
KDE 4 Plasmoid Fun
,----[ Quote ]
| Well, it is almost bedtime, but before I went, I wanted to show off my KDE 4
| desktop as it stands right now. Note, I do not use all of those plasmoids, I
| was just playing to see what all was working.
`----
http://blog.nixternal.com/2007.11.23/kde-4-plasmoid-fun/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1769434.xhoa679dIv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Early Reviews of KDE 4.0.0 Final
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:17:55 +0000
A First Look at the Final Release of KDE 4.0
,----[ Quote ]
| After five long months of development, the most expected project of 2007, KDE
| 4, has finally seen the light today! KDE 4 is the next generation of the
| popular K Desktop Environment, which seeks to fulfill the need for a powerful
| yet easy-to-use desktop, for both personal and enterprise computing. KDE
| project's goal for the 4.0 release is to put the foundations in place for
| future innovations on the FREE desktop
`----
http://news.softpedia.com/news/A-First-Look-at-the-Final-Release-of-KDE-4-0-75967.shtml
KDE4 with Ubuntu Gutsy (first impressions)
,----[ Quote ]
| Conclusions
|
| There are lots of features I havenâ??t discovered yet and thereâ??s still a lot
| of polishing to do on it, but its beautiful, fun and safe to use. Iâ??ve been
| using KDE4 at work for the whole day, and I know its very premature to say
| it, but I think its a great release, great changes, and with a very, very
| promising future ahead.
`----
http://blog.nethazard.net/2008/01/11/kde4-with-ubuntu-gutsy-first-impressions/
Related:
KDE 4 'consumes 39% less memory than its predecessor'
,----[ Quote ]
| Not mine, but one Korneliusz Jarzebski (in Polish) has done the numbers
| (pro-linux coverage in German) and produced a chart showing exactly how the
| RAM consumption of comparable KDE4 and KDE3 sessions measure up. Â
`----
http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3138
   Â
KDE 4: like a dream on 256Mb/1Ghz/Intel!
,----[ Quote ]
| And I was pleasantly surprised with how well it all works. With a "debugfull"
| build from SVN. With kwin_composite 3d eye candy, on Intel. With KDE 3
| libraries loaded too (for KPowerSave, since it's not ported yet). As they
| like to say here in Franconia, it's like "a'Traum". Â
`----
http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3137
Unveiling the winners of the Oxygen contest for wallpapers
,----[ Quote ]
| With the announcement of the Oxygen Wallpaper Contest in August, we, the
| Oxygen Team, intended to have the KDE community give the brand new KDE 4
| desktop its face - and the response was overwhelming! Artists and KDE
| enthusiasts submitted around 2000 high quality pictures, most of them being
| fantastic wallpapers.
`----
http://blog.ruphy.org/?p=23
A first look at KDE 4.0 release candidate 2
,----[ Quote ]
| KDE 4 uses a completely new visual style and icon set called Oxygen. The
| Oxygen widget theme uses a lot of subtle gradients, light shadows, round
| edges, and background highlighting. Â
`----
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071213-afirst-look-at-kde-4-0-release-candidate-2.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3348523.e8MY4F8cBq@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] A Closer Look at the Splashtop Embedded Linux Environment from Asus
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:20:51 +0000
CES 2008: DeviceVM's Splashtop
,----[ Quote ]
| We caught up with DeviceVM at CES to see what's new with their Splashtop
| embedded Linux environment, which we first saw on the ASUS P5E3 Deluxe
| motherboard. As we found out, development has been steady with many new
| features implemented and ready for deployment with notebooks.
`----
http://techgage.com/article/ces_2008_devicevms_splashtop
Asus EeePC spotted running SplashTop instant-on OS
,----[ Quote ]
| You probably remember the SplashTop instant-on, Linux-based OS from past
| posts or perhaps developer DeviceVM's demo at last October's reader meetup in
| San Francisco.
`----
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/09/asus-eeepc-spotted-running-splashtop-instant-on-os/
Related:
Embedded Linux goes Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| DeviceVM, the maker of Splashtop software which features embedded Linux "Fast
| Boot" products like featured in the Asus P5E3 Deluxe WiFi-AP @n has just
| released the source code to its software under GPL.
`----
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/11/21/asus_p5e3_embedded_linux_goes_open_source/1
SplashTop Source Code Released
,----[ Quote ]
| These patches are for Bootsplash,
| DVM, getting the CMOS time, adjusting the max loop, the sk98lin networking
| driver, and SquashFS. Presently, the Linux kernel that SplashTop uses is
| Linux 2.6.20.11.
`----
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=915&num=1
ASUS add WiFi-N, quick-boot Linux to P5E3 motherboard
,----[ Quote ]
| hat last part is perhaps the most interesting; ASUS are calling it Express
| Gate, but itâ??s basically a fast-boot alternative that, in just five seconds,
| bypasses Windows and gives you a web-browser running in a custom Linux OS.
`----
http://www.slashgear.com/asus-add-wifi-n-quick-boot-linux-to-p5e3-motherboard-267643.php
Review: Tiny Asus Eee packs a big punch
,----[ Quote ]
| The Asus Eee PC has been heralded as a groundbreaking new computing
| experience and great for children. While the computer didn't bowl me over, my
| kids were another matter. Â
|
| [...]
|
| The Eee PC is appropriate for people who are always on the go and for whom a
| smartphone just isn't smart enough. It seems to fit neatly in the gap left
| between smartphones that do little more than push email and full-blown
| laptops that are overkill in many mobile situations. I could easily see
| myself giving up my BlackBerry for a portable computer like this one and an
| EVDO card so I can truly work from anywhere. Perhaps in a future iteration
| the Eee PC will be exactly what I'm looking for. Â Â Â
|
| If I were in the market to equip my children with a computer to call their
| own, there's no question -- the Eee PC gets my vote. Â
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/124240
Review: Eee laptop PC shreds the rules
,----[ Quote ]
| Unencumbered by Windows, the Eee boots up so quickly I didn't bother counting
| the seconds. Its Wi-Fi chip links with the Web in a flash, and its webcam â?? a
| feature missing from many laptops triple the price â?? turns it into a video
| messaging device with the help of eBay Inc.'s Skype, which comes pre-loaded.
| There are USB ports for peripherals, a port to connect to a monitor, and â??
| most essential â?? a flash memory slot to expand its meager storage. Battery
| life is advertised at 3.5 hours. Â Â Â
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080110/ap_on_hi_te/techtest_asus_eee
Little Linux Laptops: Build It and People Will Come
,----[ Quote ]
| Verdict
|
| You can hardly go wrong in getting a notebook computer for less than $400.
| Any one of these units represents a highly compact and usable computer for a
| very reasonable price. The prevailing wisdom in computing has always been â??Go
| smaller, pay moreâ??, but these latest Linux laptops are battling that
| philosophy nicely. But then Linux has always gone against the wind. Â Â
`----
http://www.performancepccanada.com/?defaultarticle=1117&defaultnode=516&layout=20&pagefunction=Load%20Layout&formfields[sect_title]=Reviews
Asus Says Eee PC is Most Successful Product Ever
,----[ Quote ]
| An interesting piece of news from Asusâ??s press conference is that the Eee PC
| is their â??most successful product ever,â?? according to Engadget. This is
| potentially huge news for Linux on two levels. Â
`----
http://www.linuxloop.com/news/2008/01/07/asus-says-eee-pc-is-most-successful-product-ever/
Asustek Eee PC shipments beat expectations
,----[ Quote ]
| Asustek has shipped almost 350,000 units of the Eee PC in the quarter, ahead
| of the 300,000 estimated, according to Taiwan's DigiTimes.
`----
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/12/21/asustek_eee_pc_shipments_beat_expectations.html
2007's most important IT lesson is spelt with an Eee
,----[ Qote ]
| The Eee shows too just how out of date the 'is Linux ready for the desktop?'
| argument is. Yes it is. Anyone can pick up an Eee with its standard Linux
| distro - or with a number of freely available alternatives - and just use it.
| That alone revitalises the 'is this paid-for operating system value for
| money?' question. Â Â
`----
http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10006830o-2000331777b,00.htm?new_comment
Asustek ups Eee PC sales f'cast by two-thirds
,----[ Quote ]
| Asustek had said that it hoped to become the world's fifth-largest laptop PC
| vendor by 2010.
`----
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTP4901620071128
Asus Eee PC as 'hard to get your hands on as a Wii'
,----[ Quote ]
| Asus' elfin Eee PC is coming to Japan and it's going to get 16GB of
| solid-state storage, it has been claimed. Meanwhile, in the UK availability
| has reached Wii-like limits, according to insiders. Â
`----
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/12/18/eee_pc_wii_japan/
Microsoft's Big Problem in a Small Box
,----[ Quote ]
| Vista is a big operating system that demands monster graphics and dual-core
| processors. But what if the market pines for a whole lot less? Â
|
| [...]
|
| The mass move to mobile computing is a destabilising force and harbinger of
| change. Microsoft's position would be better if Vista didn't demand so much
| when the market wants so little. Â
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/desktop_mobile/microsofts_big_problem_in_a_small_box.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
http://tinyurl.com/2sg6xy
Linux is about to take over the low end of PCs
,----[ Quote ]
| Opinion -- Sometimes, several unrelated changes come to a head at the same
| time, with a result no one could have predicted. The PC market is at such a
| tipping point right now and the result will be millions of Linux-powered PCs
| in users' hands. Â
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft will fight this trend tooth and nail. It will cut prices to the
| point where it'll be bleeding ink on some of its product lines. And Windows
| XP is going to stick around much longer than Microsoft ever wanted it to.
| Still, it won't be enough. By attacking from the bottom, where Microsoft can
| no longer successfully compete, Linux will finally cut itself a large slice
| of the desktop market pie. Â Â Â
`----
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS2414535067.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3975643.rZx8KzVuPY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Firefox Reaching Out to More Markets, Faces Dirty Microsoft Tricks
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:23:50 +0000
Mozilla Takes on Microsoft in China
,----[ Quote ]
| Internet Explorer has held a virtual monopoly on the mainland, home to 160
| million Internet users. Now, Firefox is pushing for more market share
`----
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2008/gb20080111_084224.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_global+business
>From their manager in Europe
Open Enterprise Interview: Tristan Nitot
,----[ Quote ]
| Marketing: Unfortunately the best product does not always win and
| unfortunately, getting open-source products in the hands of users is a hard
| task. Also, established, closed-source software vendors do their best to
| prevent open-source from spreading. They use a number of techniques to
| achieve this.
|
| The first is about formats and interoperability. The game here is to prevent
| competing products accessing files data (files or documents) created by a
| proprietary application. For a long time, this issue was more important in
| the office applications realm. Now we are in a connected world, this issue
| has extended to new domains like network protocols (SMB/CIFS for printing and
| file sharing, for example), Internet applications (Microsoft Silverlight
| applications running in the browser, requiring a proprietary plug-in) and
| Digital Rights Management.
|
| The second technique used by proprietary players is in the legal field, using
| software patents and royalty schemes and open source software is often unable
| to respond. For example, embedding a piece of software requiring a
| royalty-fee codec (such as a video) breaks the open source nature of the
| code, because it prevents redistribution.
|
| Right now, such methods are being used by some vendors and are threatening
| the open source model. I think open source has a great future if it manages
| to â??avoidâ?? these threats. As individual users, we need to make sure that the
| products we adopt are open source: In todayâ??s world we are ever more
| dependent on technology and keeping it open is the best way to master it in
| the long term.
`----
http://www.computerworlduk.com/toolbox/open-source/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=356&blogid=14
Related:
Barclays says no to Firefox
,----[ Quote ]
| A READER ATTEMPTING to log into a Barclays web site here found himself with a
| little bit of a problem.
|
| Heâ??s running some operating system called Linux and using Fireferret but gets
| an annoying message from Barclays and Mind Leaders (motto: e-learning that
| works) telling him to go away and use Internet Exploder. Â
|
| We tried it using Windows XP and Fireferret and got the same result too, as
| you can see below.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/03/barclays-firefox
Microsoft's Silverlight Promises to Disrupt Linux Web Users
,----[ Quote ]
| Just as it seemed that Linux users (especially 64-bit users) would
| finally be able to enjoy streaming content with a minimum of
| hassle, Microsoft's new Silverlight software promises to throw a
| wrench in the works. Because of sites like Google Video and
| Youtube, Flash video has become a common means of streaming
| multimedia over the Internet.
`----
http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1418.html
Microsoft's 'Everywhere' excludes Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| This browser add-on enables rendering of WPF content, but
| "Everywhere" doesn't include Linux.
`----
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/7794/53/
ECIS Accuses Microsoft of Plotting HTML Hijack
,----[ Quote ]
| An industry coalition that has represented competitors of Microsoft
| in European markets before the European Commission stepped up its
| public relations offensive this morning, this time accusing
| Microsoft of scheming to upset HTML's place in the fabric of
| the Internet with XAML, an XML-based layout lexicon for
| network applications.
`----
http://www.betanews.com/article/ECIS_Accuses_Microsoft_of_Plotting_HTML_Hijack/1169824569
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1266306.nB6cqJgcaK@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Mandriva 2008 Flash Gets Good Review, Gaming Remaster
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:26:52 +0000
Mandriva 2008 Flash: A Review
,----[ Quote ]
| Mandriva Flash will cost you around £60 (79 Euros) but it's worth every
| penny.
| All the hard work has been done for you and Mandriva Flash offers a
| full-featured desktop with all the frills and fancy trimmings.
| If Mandriva do something about that bootloader issue, it could be all the
| computer you need â?? on a tiny, pocketable USB stick.
`----
http://reddevil62-techhead.blogspot.com/2008/01/tech-review-review-mandriva-2008-flash.html
MIB Live Games
,----[ Quote ]
| MIB Live Games is a treasure trove for Linux gamers; at last count over 100
| games, 48 in arcade alone. As it is based on Mandriva 2008, the setup (and
| possible installation) are a breeze; to say that everything is included out
| of the box on this remaster of Mandriva 2008 â??Oneâ?? would be an understatement
| indeed.
|
| [...]
|
| For those in Asia, using the original Mandriva 2008 â??Oneâ?? Asia edition is
| preferable as this remaster only offers major European languages at the
| starting configuration screen, though again they are not that difficult to
| add once the system is installed.
`----
http://fareast.linuxdiary.com/2008/01/11/mib-live-games/
Related:
Mandriva teams up with TransGaming to release gaming-enhanced MandrivaLinux
2007
,----[ Quote ]
| TransGaming Inc., a leading developer of software portability products
| for the electronic entertainment industry, announced today that
| MandrivaLinux 2007 will include direct integration of their Cedega
| portability engine along with Empire Interactive's popular game FlatOut.
| This OEM agreement brings the thrill of electronic entertainment to
| Mandriva's growing Linux user-base.
|
| The combination of Cedega and FlatOut is seamlessly integrated within
| the MandrivaLinux 2007 installer, giving Linux users access to top tier
| titles as part of the operating system, while also allowing them to play
| hundreds more games, right out of the box. In addition to FlatOut, users
| will be able to play blockbuster titles with Cedega such as Battlefield
| 2, World of WarCraft, Civilisation IV, Need for Speed: Most Wanted,
| Madden 2006 and more.
`----
http://www.linuxlookup.com/2006/sep/28/mandriva_teams_up_with_transgaming_to_release_gaming_enhanced_mandrivalinux_2007
Mandriva Flash 2008 First Look
,----[ Quote ]
| Both the Metisse and Compiz Fusion 3D desktops worked well on the laptop, but
| were disabled on the old desktop. I'm not sure why people really want 3D
| desktops, however: it's just eye-candy. Â
`----
http://weblog.infoworld.com/stratdev/archives/2007/12/mandriva_flash.html
Mandriva Flash 2008: Bigger and better
,----[ Quote ]
| While several other distros are designed specifically to run off external USB
| drives, Mandriva Flash still offers a good alternative worth paying for.
| First of all, you don't have to get your hands dirty installing a Linux
| distro on a USB stick and spend time configuring it. Unlike other distros,
| Mandriva Flash offers a full-featured desktop with all the frills and fancy
| trimmings, including 3-D desktop effects.
`----
http://www.linux.com/feature/122980
New 2008 Mandriva Flash 4GB Released today
,----[ Quote ]
| Mandriva today introduced the 2008 Mandriva Flash 4GB, the newest member of
| the Mandriva Flash family that lets you take your entire desktop with you
| wherever you go. 2008 Mandriva Flash includes a new functionnality: ezBoot
| which reboots under Linux without going through BIOS settings, and the double
| utilisation of Windows and Linux system.
`----
http://www.mandriva.com/enterprise/en/company/press/new-2008-mandriva-flash-4gb-released-today
[Mandriva CEO:] An open letter to Steve Ballmer
,----[ Quote ]
| Wow! Iâ??m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their
| mind like this? Itâ??s pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone.
| How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live? In my
| place, they give it various names, Iâ??m sure you know them. Â
|
| Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?
|
| Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one.
| You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics
| you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win
| too. Â
`----
http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/
Lessons from Africa: How to Kill Your Own FUD
,----[ Quote ]
| So, even as Microsoft claims superior quality over Linux, they act as if they
| don't even buy their own FUD. If they really believed that Windows was
| superior to Linux, they wouldn't have to bribe people with â??marketing helpâ??
| to get them to choose Windows. Â
`----
http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2007-11-09-030-26-OP-MD-MS
Linux wins Nigerian school desktops back from Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| "We are sticking with that platform," said the official, who would not give
| his name.
`----
http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/government-law/public-sector/news/index.cfm?newsid=6124
http://tinyurl.com/27ycq9
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1299802.DlHUh2sPnZ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Review of TinyFlux 1.0, PCLinuxOS 2007 and Mint 4.0 on a Laptop
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:29:48 +0000
Review: TinyFlux 1.0
,----[ Quote ]
| TinyFlux has earned my respect, and while I can't suggest it to new users, I
| can suggest it to the more seasoned user out there without hesitation. It
| should also be good to use on all those computers that have low hardware
| specs, or anything that is older and has seen greener pastures.
`----
http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&aid=363
PCLinuxOS 2007 and Mint 4.0: ELDs?
,----[ Quote ]
| Even though these are not officially supported for Linux by Dell, both of
| these computers run it without issue. The Ubuntu Linux supported hardware is
| an Inspiron 530 N at this writing. Other than the GRUB thing on the 340, both
| these distros work great. Either one is viable as an Enterprise Linux
| desktop.
`----
http://talk.bmc.com/blogs/blog-carl/steve-carl/pclos07-and-mint4
Related:
Fluxbuntu 7.10 RC review
,----[ Quote ]
| Itâ??s Linux. Itâ??s lightweight. You have access to Ubuntu repositories. Good
| choice of default applications. â??> itâ??s a very good choice for old computers.
| Iâ??m going to install it on my parentâ??s computer (P2 @ 400 MHz, 128 MB RAM).
| As they use it for internet browsing, Fluxbuntu seems almost the perfect
| choice. Â Â
|
| Also, some of the programmes included with Fluxbuntu may be better, in some
| cases, than â??classicâ?? applications that do the same thing (Claws Mail vs
| Thunderbird or Evolution, AbiWord vs OpenOffice.org), on any distribution,. Â
`----
http://distroblog.com/fluxbuntu-710-rc-review/
Fluxbuntu 7.10 RC on 450Mhz K6-2, 256Mb
,----[ Quote ]
| In short, this is something that has been needed for a long time â?? a cool and
| clean Ubuntu derivative thatâ??s at once lightweight and comprehensive. If
| youâ??re a past Ubuntu user and you have a 500Mhz machine in the closet, this
| is what youâ??d want on it. I would recommend this over Xubuntu for anyone in
| the sub-1Ghz range, any day of the week. Â Â
|
| Try it. Youâ??ll like it.
`----
http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/fluxbuntu-710-rc-on-450mhz-k6-2-256mb/
A weekend with fluxbox.
,----[ Quote ]
| My biggest problem with using fluxbox is not fluxbox itself. I wanted it to
| be able to save some resources for my aging computer but I still needed to
| use KDE programmes. So I checked my resource usage with pure KDE and then with
| fluxbox and KDE programmes. There was no difference in resource usage. Â Â
`----
http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/linux/locutus/archives/a-weekend-with-fluxbox-18594
Fluxbox on Gutsy, just to be different
,----[ Quote ]
| Just for giggles, I installed Fluxbox on Gutsy today ... which isn't
| really very daring, since the repositories have only been open for
| a day or two, and there?s very little in there that has changed.
`----
http://kmandla.wordpress.com/2007/04/26/fluxbox-on-gutsy-just-to-be-different/
Fluxbuntu - Light weight Ubuntu-based Linux distribution featuring Fluxbox
window manager
,----[ Quote ]
| Fluxbuntu is a light-weight, standards-compliant, Ubuntu-based Linux
| distribution featuring the Fluxbox window manager.The project's primary
| goal is to develop an operating system that would run on a wide range
| of mobile devices and computers, both low-end and high-end.Recently
| since they started development on the PowerPC Architecture they also
| started development on support for the sony Playstation 3.
| Fluxbuntu now Officially supports most of the major architectures
| plaforms: i386, PowerPC, AMD 64bit & Intel 64bit and Itanium 64bit.
`----
http://www.debianadmin.com/fluxbuntu-light-weight-ubuntu-based-linux-distribution-featuring-fluxbox-window-manager.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1255953.2qFtcaKvp6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] New Linux Releases in Italy (Voltalinux) and Iran (Parsix 1.0 Beta)
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:32:26 +0000
First release from this Italian distromaster in 1.5 years:
Voltalinux 2.0 is out
,----[ Quote ]
| After long time...
`----
http://voltalinux.sicurezzarete.com/?p=34
Parsix Linux 1.0 Test 3 Has Been Released
,----[ Quote ]
| Highlights: GNOME 2.20.3, Linux kernel 2.6.23.9 with CK, TuxOnIce, CFS v24,
| iwlwifi with led support and mactel patches, OpenOffice 2.2.1 and GNU
| Iceweasel 2.0.0.11.
`----
http://linuxmini.blogspot.com/2008/01/parsix-linux-10-test-3-has-been.html
Related:
Parsix 1.0 has Been Released
,----[ Quote ]
| The first testing release of Parsix GNU/Linux 1.0r0 code name `Ramon` has
| been released. This version brings lots of improvements and new features
| integrated with the latest open source technologies right to your laptop and
| desktop computers. Â
`----
http://linuxmini.blogspot.com/2007/12/parsix-10-has-been-released.html
Parsix GNU/Linux 0.90r1 has been released
,----[ Quote ]
| Highlights: GNOME 2.18.3, Linux kernel 2.6.20.1 with CK and Suspend2 patches,
| read/write mode is default for NTFS partitions, improved hardware detection
| system and hard disk installer and replaced Totem with VLC. Â
`----
http://www.parsix.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=59
Parsix GNU/Linux 0.90r0 codename 'Barry' has been released
,----[ Quote ]
| We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of the most
| perfect version of Parsix GNU/Linux ever, 0.90r0 codename 'Barry'.
| This version brings the recent open source technologies bound into
| a quality live/installation CD-ROM right to your desktop/laptop PC.
`----
http://www.parsix.org/html/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=55
Parsix 0.90 Test 3
,----[ Quote ]
| The third test release of Parsix GNU/Linux 0.90 is now available. New in
| this LiveCD is GNOME 2.18.2, Sun Java replaced by GCJ, added the Parsix
| Book to the LiveCD, several bug fixes, glibc 2.5, and many other
| improvements.
`----
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=746&num=1
Parsix GNU/Linux 0.85.1 Released
,----[ Quote ]
| An updated version of Parsix GNU/Linux is available now. This version
| merges all published updates on the Parsix and Debian repositories
| since December 1, 2006 to Mar 1, 2007 into a rock solid collection
| and fixes all reported bugs.
`----
http://www.parsix.org/html/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=45
Centres established to observe open source software copyright
,----[ Quote ]
| The Deputy ICT Minister in Infrastructure IT Affairs added, "The
| expansion of open source software production is seen mainly as
| the activity of the country's universities and we intend to
| subdivide its various fields of activities among countries with
| IT faculties."
`----
http://www.taliyanews.com/en/archive/2007/05/centers_established_to_observe.php
Science and Art Foundation's wonderful work in Bam
,----[ Quote ]
| The classes started on 16th December 2006 and they began to
| learn about Sharif Linux. Â This is an open source operating
| system, which enables Persian speakers to use the net
| effectively, as all the menus and help are in Persian.
`----
http://www.payvand.com/news/07/may/1099.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1236996.7AmAVE8q12@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Computing Becomes Fun Again with Linux-based Bug, OLPC
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:34:44 +0000
Geeks Build Gadget With Bug
,----[ Quote ]
| The gadget, which runs on the Linux operating system, is purchased as a blank
| slate. Because it's an open source gadget, programmers can develop
| applications for it that can turn it into an MP3 player or a mobile text
| device, among a variety of other things. So far, a community of programmers
| has developed several applications for the device that can be downloaded from
| the company's Web site.
`----
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=4118258&page=1
What if...
OLPC turns cranky
,----[ Quote ]
| Just kidding, that will never happen, but OLPC should sell these to the
| mainstream market in a buy one give one type programme. They could quickly
| become the next iPlod earphone for the eco set.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/12/olpc-gets-cranky
Adults review children's PC:
One Laptop Per Child Looking for a Friend
,----[ Quote ]
| I know the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) computer - small, portable, green and
| inexpensive - was designed to bring knowledge and Internet access to the
| poorest children of the world. As someone first exposed to computers as an
| Explorer Scout at Mamaroneck High School, typing out punch cards at
| a "computer lab" on a field trip in 1968, I don't qualify as a child or a
| poor person.
`----
http://www.larchmontgazette.com/2008/techtalk/20080110onelaptop.html
Related:
Hack: The Bug
,----[ Quote ]
| Technology Review takes apart Bug Labs' modular open-source hardware system
| and explains how it works.
|
| [...]
|
| Linux Computer
| Most electronic devices, because of their limited memory and processing
| power, must be programmed using languages and techniques that are difficult
| to master. But the Linux computer at the heart of Bug Labs' modular device
| provides tools that let users programme applications more easily. The
| technically inclined can programme in Java, a widely known language, and make
| their programmes available to other users. The device has enough memory to
| store multiple programmes, so it can perform many different functions when the
| proper modules are connected. Â Â Â
`----
http://www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/19873/
Open Source Hardware Gift Guide
,----[ Quote ]
| Open source 3D printers, TV-turn-off devices, iPod chargers, music players,
| wi-fi companions, educational electronic kits, and more! Let's get gifting!
`----
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/12/open_source_hardware_gift.html
Open source hardware comes out of closet
,----[ Quote ]
| EVER SINCE open-source software created a buzz, people have stroked chins,
| pondered and pontificated about the possibility of open-source hardware â?? and
| now itâ??s becoming a reality. Â
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/02/open-source-hardware-coming
The Future of Hardware is Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| Open Hardware is the future of technology, and all we need to kick off this
| next great revolution in technology is to have the right tools in the right Â
| place at the right time. Â After that, the skyâ??s the limit! Â
`----
http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&aid=315
Perens set to tackle open-source hardware
,----[ Quote ]
| On Monday, Perens plans to announce the TAPR Open Hardware
| License, a document written by John Ackerman designed
| specifically to govern hardware designs that can be
| modified and redistrubuted. Perens plans to submit the
| license to the Open Source Initiative for its as an
| open-source licence.
`----
http://news.com.com/2061-10795_3-6156093.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
http://tinyurl.com/2noydh
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2124043.VXZL6Ghn4r@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Tribbox Released, Runs on Top of Linux
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:36:35 +0000
TRIBBOX
,----[ Quote ]
| The Tribbox is based on STMicroelectronics' ST7109 HDTV single chip H264
| decoder, embedding a real time Linux OS.
`----
http://www.tribbox.com/tribbox-officially-released-for-the-public/
Yesterday:
Four billion embedded systems shipped in '06
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3686249103.html
Related:
Linux to grow 278% in embedded/mobile/real-time apps
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux use in "next" embedded, mobile, and real-time projects will grow 278
| percent over that in "previous" projects, suggests a recent survey by Venture
| Development Corp. (VDC). Â
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS7115758310.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1808773.fIrWF1kiQn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [News] Mark Shuttleworth Invites Professionals to Ubuntu Linux Conference
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:38:22 +0000
Ubuntu Live - Call for Papers
,----[ Quote ]
| Oâ??Reilly, the organisers of Ubuntu Live, have just issued the call for papers
| for Ubuntu Live 2008. The theme of the event is â??Taking it Furtherâ??, which I
| think is perfect for Ubuntu this year!
`----
http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/137
Related:
Shuttleworth: Microsoft Fracturing the Open-Source Community
,----[ Quote ]
| "That's extortion and we should call it what it is," he said. "To say, as
| [Microsoft CEO Steve] Ballmer did, that there is undisclosed balance sheet
| liability, that's just extortion and we should refuse to get drawn into that
| game. On the other side, if Microsoft is concerned about its intellectual
| property, there is no one in the free software community that wants to
| violate anyone's IP. Disclose the patents and we'll fix the code.
| Alternatively, move on." Â Â Â
|
| Microsoft has said it does disclose which patents are being violated, but
| only in one-on-one conversations with vendors. To Shuttleworth, that is not
| disclosure, because patents are public documents. Â
`----
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2167193,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03129TX1K0000616
[Mark Shuttleworth Interview]
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft is asking people to pay them for patents, but they won't
| say which ones. If a guy walks into a shop and says: "It's an
| unsafe neighbourhood, why don't you pay me 20 bucks and I'll make
| sure you're okay," that's illegal. It's racketeering. What Microsoft
| is doing with intellectual property is exactly the same. It's a great
| company and I have great admiration for it, but this was not a
| well considered position.
|
| So you wouldn't do a deal?
|
| No, absolutely not. But the time will come when the folks at
| Microsoft who have a clear vision for the company as a participant
| in this community, rather than as a hostile antagonist, will win.
`----
http://mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=6672
------------------------------
End of Cola Digest
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| News Digester |
|
|
