In today's digest, we have:
* Dell to boost Linux PC offerings
* [Rival] Microsoft Broke the Law in China, 'Buys' Populations
* Linux Partitioning is Easy, But Myths/Lies Being Spread
* Dell's Drive to Imporve Linux Drivers Goes Further
* French Politician Receive Their Linux Laptops
* Reviews of Pardus Linux 2007.2 ans CentOS 5
* New Version of Linux CE Released
* Asia-Pacific Free Software Business is Growing, Future Looks Bright
* [Rival] Microsoft Forced to Catch Up with Google, Investors and
Analysts Nervous and Impatient
* New Zealand Open Source Startup Gets Google Backing
* [Rival] Microsoft Misleads Public with Made up Figures (Again)
* [Rival] Windows Zombies Keep Slaughtering E-mail
* "Linux is actually winning the bling war"
* Sun Insists OpenSolaris is Not a Linux Ripoff
* Firefox 3 and KDE 4 Get Advanced Zooming Functions
* [Rival] iPhone and Vista Security Breached
* [Rival] Microsoft's Monopoly Enabler Has Proprietary 'Extensions',
Stifles Competition
* Ubuntu Inspires Other Linux Distributions, Adds New features
* [Rival] Customers Upgrade New PCs... to XP (and/or Linux)
* Michael Tiemann on Microsoft's OSI Invasion Attmept
* ABC Pulled a BBC, Snubs Linux Users
* Wikia Turns Proprietary Software to Free Software
* Distro Rivalry Heats Up as Shops Start Stocking GNU/Linux PCs
* More SAP Software Warms up to Linux
* Wind River Delivers New Linux Software
* Hackers Bring Linux to Palm Handhelds
* Review of Lesser-known Desktop Environments for Linux, New GNOME
Feature Introduced
* [Rival] Microsoft Gamble Worries Investors, Gates is Leaving
* GPLv3 FUD Watch - Follow the Money...
* KDE 4 Keeps Getting Prettier, Fonts Management Improved
* Croatian Schools and Raised Free Software/Linux Awareness
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=g...p%3Acom
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message-ID: <1185756345.499297.80750.TakeThisOut@d30g2000prg.googlegroups.com>
From: "John Bailo, Texeme.Construct" <jabailo.TakeThisOut@texeme.com>
Subject: [News] Dell to boost Linux PC offerings
Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 17:45:45 -0700
http://techlogg.com/content/view/327/31/
"Big US retailer happy with initial Ubuntu PC sales, more on the way
says Canonical's Shuttleworth."
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1447304.ERpJf82YJd.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Broke the Law in China, 'Buys' Populations
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:18:38 +0100
How Microsoft bought China
,----[ Quote ]
| When all is said and done, the real reason why Microsoft is "winning" in
| China and has won elsewhere is that Microsoft is willing to break the law,
| pay the fines, dump products on the market at far below cost, and continue on
| in the belief that in the long run the costs of doing business the Microsoft
| way will win out over the higher quality, security and features of Mac OS X
| and the Linux desktop.
`----
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS9526259887.html
Fake Vista’s can look real too... Pirated Hologramed Vista DVD’s
,----[ Quote ]
| The Chinese Public Security Bureau and the FBI announced the largest bust of
| counterfeit software manufacturing or distribution ever.
`----
http://www.mtechxp.net/main/fake-vistas-can-look-real-toopirated-holog...ed-vist
Watch the photos. Funny how Microsoft bragged about the value of the software
in a press release about these raids when it's in fact dumping.
Watch how Microsoft and the Chilean government conspired to sell the citizens.
This received no press coverage in the West.
Intel faces antitrust charges in the EU at the moment. Similar crimes
("dumping") are assumed.
Last week:
Linux gains ground in China
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux has been riding on a wave in China, topping the growth of all operating
| systems in the first quarter of 2007, says an industry analyst.
`----
http://www.zdnetasia.com/insight/specialreports/0,39044853,62028679,00.htm
The day Chile was Bought by Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| Just today, a secret agreement between MS and the Chilean Government came to
| light. In it, every citizen was sold as a potential user of a Windows Live
| Spaces model where every SSN is linked to, overbypassing any privacy term and
| cashing Bill some bucks. It wouldn't be so awful to all if that agreement
| wasn't aprooved yet (Spanish follows).
`----
http://digg.com/microsoft/The_day_Chile_was_Bought_by_Microsoft
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2351128.vA7ttJ6aRX.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Linux Partitioning is Easy, But Myths/Lies Being Spread
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:21:37 +0100
GNU/Linux Partitioning: A Myth
,----[ Quote ]
| It’s annoying to read so much about partitioning under GNU/Linux being hard.
| Though I have installed various distributions (and still installing) for
| about 50 times in a year (without exaggeration) for myself, my friends and
| known people; this claim about “Partitioning under GNU/Linux is hard” is
| really baseless since I’ve never faced such complication till now even though
| I am not an extremely advanced user.
`----
http://linuxevangelist.blogspot.com/2007/07/gnulinux-partitioning-myth.html
It's important for shills to make up such lies because it makes people afraid
of installing Linux (on a second partition). Windows goes as far as sabotaging
the MBR.
Related:
Vista scoots to new boot, but it's still kinda rooted
,----[ Quote ]
| While Microsoft would like the world to believe that anyone running Windows
| has no need of any other operating system, that attitude doesn't cut much
| mustard with many of its users.
|
| Why settle for one OS when your PC is easily capable of running two or
| more?
|
| [...]
|
| One of the more questionable tactics that Microsoft has implemented in
| Vista is to automatically overwrite any existing MBR during the
| installation process without asking if you mind or giving you an option
| to back up.
|
| Microsoft says that the Windows installation system can't intelligently
| interrogate an existing non-MS MBR, although such features are quite
| common in the install routine for other OSes.
|
| It also argues that an "official" Vista MBR is required for security
| features -- such as measured boot, which works with Trusted Platform
| Module (TPM)-enabled chips to check that the OS hasn't been hacked or
| altered each time it boots -- to work correctly.
`----
http://www.apcstart.com/site/akidman/2006/09/1656/vista-scoots-to-new-...t-but-i
Geek in Paradise - Vista Upgrade
,----[ Quote ]
| As the HP Advisor disc was in the process of finishing, the machine
| froze solid. After giving it 5 minutes of no disk activity, I reset
| the machine to be greeted by a lovely blinking cursor. I put the
| Vista disc in and booted into a repair installation, where I ran the
| Repair tool. My hunch was proved correct when it returned a corrupted
| MBR, which it had fixed. Thinking all was well, I rebooted to be
| greeted with a black screen (no blinking cursor). Well, there's
| something more going on so I rebooted into the repair tool and let
| it do it's thing. This time, it found a Corrupted Partition table
| which it then said it repaired. Awesome! Next reboot was greeted by
| the same black screen, so I figured the other partition was corrupt
| as well and let the repair tool run again and fix the partition
| table again. Reboot, same thing...
`----
http://geekinparadise.com/2007/04/05/vista-upgrade/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3301610.6pYc8rmOTv.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Dell's Drive to Imporve Linux Drivers Goes Further
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:25:00 +0100
Dell pushes for better Linux drivers
,----[ Quote ]
| Amit Bhutani told a session at the Ubuntu Live 2007 conference that Dell has
| several "areas of investigation" when it comes to Linux.
`----
http://www.crn.com.au/story.aspx?CIID=87745&src=site-marq
Related:
Dell Wants Better ATI Linux Drivers
,----[ Quote ]
| At Ubuntu Live 2007, Amit Bhutani had a session on Ubuntu Linux for Dell
| Consumer Systems, where he had shared a slide with Dell's "area of
| investigation", which Amit had said is essentially their Linux road-map. Amit
| had also stated that the NVIDIA 2D and 3D video drivers were "challenges in
| platform enablement". Dell wants to offer ATI Linux systems, but first the
| driver must be improved for the Linux platform (not necessarily open-source,
| but improved).
`----
http://www.phoronix.com/?page=news_item&px=NTkxOA
Ubuntu plus Dell equals better support for devices in Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| One of the best things that has happened to Linux enthusisasts the world over
| is the confluence of two big players one in the Linux arena (Ubuntu aka
| Canonical) and the other in the PC hardware space (Dell). And the end users
| have already started reaping the benefits.
`----
http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/2007/07/ubuntu-plus-dell-equals-better-s...ort.htm
Dell's Small Software Acquisition Has Big Implications
,----[ Quote ]
| So, how does Silverback benefit Dell? It's rather simple: The same way that
| big outsourcing firms like Electronic Data Systems manage Fortune 500
| networks, Dell can now remotely manage thousands of individual customer
| sites.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070719/41564_id.html?.v=1
Pre-loaded Linux = Increased adoption?
,----[ Quote ]
| "I think Dell pre-loading Linux will have a significant impact on
| Linux adoption, although not necessarily because so many end
| users comfortable with Windows will decide to switch. Rather,
| Dell's involvement will motivate many hardware manufacturers
| to make reliable Linux drivers available, the lack of which
| has significantly retarded the adoption of Linux by many
| individuals and organisations interested in trying out Linux.
| By reducing the barrier of drivers and thereby enabling these
| trials, Linux will start to achieve some momentum, which will
| in turn increase its adoption rate. So, I applaud Dell for
| moving forward on this initiative."
`----
http://enterpriselinuxlog.blogs.techtarget.com/2007/05/01/pre-loaded-l...x-incre
Linux: Driver Support is Key
,----[ Quote ]
| Dell recognises the importance of open source, GPL-licensed drivers
| which are maintained upstream in kernel.org. They allow users the
| widest choice of Linux distributions, effectively taking the
| specific hardware and distribution out of the decision-making
| process and let you focus on solving your business problems. We
| will work with our hardware partners to develop, test, and
| maintain Free drivers, and continue to make progress towards
| that goal for all drivers.
`----
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/03/28/9655.aspx
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2026717.l6fq8OYhAI.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] French Politicians Receive Their Linux Laptops
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:35:06 +0100
French National Assembly receives first open source laptops
,----[ Quote ]
| The laptops come loaded with a customised version of Ubuntu 7.04 and
| productivity applications that include Firefox 2.0, OpenOffice.org 2.1,
| Thunderbird 2.0, Lightning, VLC Media Player and Adobe Reader.
`----
http://mozillalinks.org/wp/2007/07/french-national-assembly-receives-f...t-open-
[ Of course, the BBC will not be serving them, not if Ashley Highfield
and Microsoft have their way. Ed. ]
The world's poor will have GNU/Linux laptops as well.
A Look at the One Laptop Per Child Computer
,----[ Quote ]
| This machine runs a version of the Fedora distribution of Linux that few
| Linux veterans would recognise, devoid of menus and all but a minimal set of
| of toolbar icons and onscreen buttons.
`----
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2007/07/post_5.html
Related:
The French Parliament switches to Ubuntu
,----[ Quote ]
| The French Parliament looks to be the next big Ubuntu switcher according to
| reports. Recently the Parliament produced an official government report
| that recommended the use of free software over proprietary software. The
| switch to free software is expected to provide a substantial savings to the
| tax-payers according to the government study.
`----
http://fridge.ubuntu.com/node/814
Linux reaches the Italian Parliament
,----[ Quote ]
| As reported by the Italian newspaper Repubblica on July 10th, 2007, a plan
| suggested by the left deputies Pietro Folena and Franco Grillini to migrate
| all the computers of the Parliament from Windows to Linux was approved by the
| Chamber.
|
| The migration will affect about 3500 boxes of the Chamber, both desktops and
| servers, and each Deputy/Party may also ask to migrate his/its (private)
| computers to the Free System.
`----
http://3v1n0.tuxfamily.org/blog/linux-docs/italian-parliament-moves-to-linux/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <18838560.GsfCqtktBH.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Reviews of Pardus Linux 2007.2 ans CentOS 5
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:42:35 +0100
Review: Pardus Linux 2007.2
,----[ Quote ]
| Friendliness: 4/5- The team clearly put some effort into usability.
| Performance: 4/5- KDE slows it down, but just a bit.
| Features: 5/5- Uber-complete single-CD install.
| Packaging: 3.5/5- Interesting proprietary installer. It would work well with
| a bigger repository.
| Artwork: 2.5/2.5- Custom icons look good, and Kaptan allows you to get the
| desktop set up exactly the way you want it.
| Community: 1.5/2.5- It's a Turkish distribution, and the English community
| isn't all that big. Yet.
| Overall: 4.1/5- A distribution worth watching.
| From Pardus 2007.2,
`----
http://distrogue.blogspot.com/2007/07/review-pardus-linux-20072.html
Review: CentOS 5
,----[ Quote ]
| CentOS 5.0 gets high marks from me for a lot of what they do, but loses a
| few points for some of the things they either forgot to do, or chose not to
| do. For business use, it’s a well rounded Linux distribution that’s ready for
| the desktop for certain. But for the portable user and the home user, I feel
| that it needs to grow a bit more before it will find its way onto my
| shortlist of recommended Linux distributions. With what I’ve seen, I’d really
| love for it to reach that level at some point, but for now it’s not. But I
| must say, the developers have done well and I look forward to future versions
| and all the great new things that they will be bringing about in the years to
| come!
`----
http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&aid=277&pid=1
Related:
A First Look At CentOS 5
,----[ Quote ]
| After what has become a few weeks with it, I believe CentOS 5 is a
| worthy successor to previous versions. If you're in the market for
| an easy to use Linux operating system, you will find me suggesting it.
`----
http://linuxronin.com/content/view/41/9/
CentOS 5 as a Desktop System
,----[ Quote ]
| CentOS 5 is a stable system which can be user either as a server OS or
| as a desktop system for a normal user. The latter requires a few
| modifications in the default installation (like the performance
| fixes mentioned in the article), but after the tweaking is done,
| it works great and is worth recommending.
`----
http://polishlinux.org/redhat/centos-5-free-redhat/
CentOS The Red Hat Clone
,----[ Quote ]
| The release of the free, community-based CentOS 5 Enterprise Linux so
| soon after the RHEL 5 release is hardly a surprise; the same thing
| happened with RHEL 4 two years ago. Nor does Red Hat consider CentOS
| a competitor, but rather a distribution that fills a need. The
| company also said CentOS will help it grow its business.
`----
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3671841
------------------------------
Message-ID: <12241295.iJ6fsxOxrC.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] New Version of Linux CE Released
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:51:59 +0100
Ubuntu Christian Edition v3.3 (Feisty)
,----[ Quote ]
| Ubuntu Christian Edition is easy to download.
`----
http://www.whatwouldjesusdownload.com/christianubuntu/2006/07/download.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1858197.evKVrFWrfq.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Asia-Pacific Free Software Business is Growing, Future Looks Bright
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:55:29 +0100
Asia-Pacific to be the ‘Silicon Valley’ for Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| The Open Source movement is creating a new business organisation paradigm,
| which will soon shift the centre of software development from Silicon Valley
| to the Asia-Pacific, including the Philippines, according to a balikbayan
| technopreneur whose Open Source applications house, Gluecode had been
| purchased by IBM Corp. in 2005.
`----
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/july/30/yehey/techtimes/20070...tech1.h
Related and recent:
Asia now biggest consumer of open source software
,----[ Quote ]
| Asia is now the largest consumer of open source applications in the world
| based on the number of downloads recorded, open source experts said.
`----
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view_article.php?ar...le_id=7
Open source take-up booming in APAC
,----[ Quote ]
| Open source accounts for between 25 and 70 percent of all software in
| Australian, Chinese, Indian and Korean companies, according to a recent IDC
| survey.
`----
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Open-source-take-up-booming-...APAC/0,
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2477038.fcVKypkfgr.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Forced to Catch Up with Google, Investors and Analysts Nervous and Impatient
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:01:03 +0100
Microsoft Sees a Mix of Desktop and Delivered In Software's Future
,----[ Quote ]
| Steve Ballmer says Microsoft has "no choice" but to embrace the web app
| revolution. But his company plans to do so while keeping both feet firmly on
| the Windows desktop.
`----
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/07/microsoft-sees-.html
Microsoft Investment Needs Too Much Patience - Barron's
,----[ Quote ]
| Some of the issues that worry analysts: 1) It was clear from the presentation
| that many of the growth prospects will take 5-10 years to bear fruit. 2) The
| company overspends ("nothing would delight analysts more than a nice big
| round of cost-cutting.") 3) The businesses MSFT says it's entering (e.g.
| advertising and consumer electronics) are far more cut-throat than its
| current mix. 4) Microsoft's focus on building internet infrastructure rather
| than building sites that bring in users is "backward." 5) Bill Gates's plan
| to pass control of product development to Ray Ozzie "will not be a smooth
| one." Bullish analysts say the company has gained operational clarity.
| Perhaps, Barron's Eric Savitz says, but investors won't likely have the
| patience to wait around.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070729/42754_id.html?.v=1
The chart show very well just when they began the massive buybacks.
Related:
Microsoft Continues to Lose Online Popularity
,----[ Quote ]
| This week's Emarketer and Comscore reports drive home Microsoft's
| continuing fall from online
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070326/30668_id.html?.v=1
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.c...2Fartic
http://tinyurl.com/2jran7
Microsoft's Futile Attempt at Search Engines
,----[ Quote ]
| An article in Seattle-Post Intelligencer displays a graph showing the
| growth and number of queries of Google and Microsoft, as well as Yahoo.
| The most apparent conclusion that can be drawn from this picture is
| that Microsoft can not start a battle with Google until it defeats
| Yahoo first. Bill Gates? company trails Yahoo by nearly a billion
| queries. Yahoo has also shown growth over the past couple of years,
| while MSN/Live search has stagnated and floundered under 700 million
| queries.
|
| Microsoft's inability to gain a significant market share, despite a
| growth in the market of over 3 billion queries in the past two years,
| just typifies how the company has shown little inability to shoo
| away the gnat that has become a real nuisance in Google.
`----
http://blog.fastcompany.com/archives/2007/03/07/microsofts_futile_atte..._at_sea
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
Friday roundup: Troubles in Microsoft Live land
,----[ Quote ]
| It hasn't been such a great Friday for the Live teams over at Microsoft.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=281
Software Notebook: Microsoft falls further behind in Web search
,----[ Quote ]
| "If I looked at this, and I were a Microsoft executive, I would
| definitely be concerned that MSN is not showing nearly the kind
| of growth that Google and Yahoo are," said Matt Rosoff, an analyst
| at the independent Directions on Microsoft research firm.
|
| The statistics demonstrate the ongoing struggle that Microsoft
| faces in Web search. The situation is notable in part because of
| the ad revenue that hinges on the number of people using a
| particular search site.
`----
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/306054_software05.html?source=rss
Microsoft profit on slide
,----[ Quote ]
| Some analysts are looking for any signs of improvement from
| Microsoft's internet division, which continues to lose market
| share in web search to Google.
|
| Microsoft's online services group saw revenue fall for the last
| four quarters and posted a loss in the past three quarters while
| it shifted to a new internet advertising platform and overhauled
| the company's web properties.
`----
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21109542%5E15306%5E%5E...%5E,00.
Is Windows Live dying?
,----[ Quote ]
| Over the last year, Microsoft's Windows Live service lineup has
| grown exponentially. At one point months ago, it seemed clear
| that every service Microsoft brought online would fall under the
| Live brand, but lately the trend seems to be moving slowly in
| the opposite direction. What's happening to Windows Live?
`----
http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2007/2/20/7154
Windows Live Shopping no more - MSN Shopping to remain
,----[ Quote ]
| From today Windows Live Shopping beta will be taken offline, with users
| being sent to MSN Shopping, available at shopping.msn.com.
`----
http://www.liveside.net/blogs/main/archive/2007/02/19/windows-live-sho...ng-no-m
http://tinyurl.com/287gy6
Sources: Several Windows Live Projects Halted
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's Windows Live desktop search project has been
| shelved "indefinitely," although not much reasoning has been
| given as to the reason for its demise.
`----
http://www.betanews.com/article/Sources_Several_Windows_Live_Projects_...ted/116
Office Live: Better Off Dead?
,----[ Quote ]
| Last month I killed Office Live in an act of self defence, after
| repeated access problems and attempts to move my domain to another
| registrar. Judging from the comments to that post, there's an Office
| Live killing spree going on. Not surprisingly, Microsoft wants to put
| an end to the wanton killing.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/web_services_browser/office_liv...etter_o
http://tinyurl.com/ybsz2o
Connecting the dots on Windows 7
,----[ Quote ]
| I would have asked one more follow up: Was Gates hinting that
| Microsoft will build more of its currently standalone Windows
| Live services right into the operating system?
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=241
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssX4RL24HT4
Where Should Vendors Stick Their Services?
,----[ Quote ]
| Wondering if you noticed the news over at Microsoft Watch this week
| that Microsoft has done what many considered inevitable: Started
| using Windows as a way to hawk Windows Live Services?
|
| It's not too surprising to me that Microsoft is splashing all over
| its Welcome to Vista screen (at least in one of the latest Vista test
| builds, No. 5506) promotional links, inviting users to download Windows
| Live Messenger, Windows Live OneCare, Windows Live Mail Desktop, and more.
| But I was surprised the Redmondians would be so bold as to actually
| embed Windows Live Messenger into Vista. After all the antitrust
| lawsuits Microsoft has been slapped with here, there and everywhere ?
| many of which have focused on its "innovative integration" (a k a,
| bundling) strategies, you'd think they'd be a little more cautious.
|
| With the actual Windows Live Messenger code (not just a download link)
| being integrated right into Vista, I think Microsoft might be really
| going out on a limb. When backed into a corner before about its
| integration strategy, Microsoft's defence was that removing any of
| the integrated components (Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player,
| etc.) would break the OS. But if Vista test builds have been working
| just fine (well, middling, maybe, based on some not-so-happy tester
| comments) without Windows Live Messenger, how can Microsoft make a
| case for it being part of Windows?
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,2005413,00.asp?kc=MWRSS...29TX1K0
Welcome to college, here's your Windows Live account
http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2006/4/23/3719
Software rivals say Microsoft's Vista illegal in Europe
,----[ Excerpt ]
| Software manufacturers, citing 2004 European Commission finding,
| contend the operating system violates server laws in Europe.
`----
http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/26/news/international/bc.vista.microsoft....reut/in
Microsoft rivals file second European complaint
,----[ Quote ]
| ...Microsoft was preventing access to Vista's programming interfaces
| and hindering the development of compatible products, thus repeating
| anti-competitive violations the commission had identified three
| years ago in a previous operating system.
`----
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7bAF5B8FB2-488F...68-80B8
http://tinyurl.com/2ybdot
------------------------------
Message-ID: <8865917.UzcdC5ItaF.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] New Zealand Open Source Startup Gets Google Backing
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:03:51 +0100
Open source firm reaps Google benefits
,----[ Quote ]
| Mr Magnusson hopes SilverStripe will help pave the way for other New Zealand
| open source software firms to take part in Google's summer of code.
`----
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4145849a28.html
The article calls Safari "open source browser".
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2634527.emBlvCiGfx.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft Misleads Public with Made up Figures (Again)
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:05:49 +0100
One billion Windows users can be wrong
,----[ Quote
| Misleading because Ballmer is talking about Windows as a whole, everything
| out there including the die-hard Windows 95 users for example. The prediction
| might be very different were he to concentrate on the numbers of users likely
| to be running Vista within a year.
`----
http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry1563.html
Related:
How Microsoft Clubs to Search Gains
,----[ Quote ]
| We checked with Hitwise, and they explained that June gains include “searches
| automatically generated from a promotion on club.live.com,” up to June 9,
| 2007. After that they stopped counting the data.
`----
http://gigaom.com/2007/07/27/how-microsoft-clubs-to-search-gains/
Tracking Internet Use Remains Difficult
,----[ Quote ]
| For example, this month Nielsen said search-engine queries for No. 3-ranked
| Microsoft Corp. jumped about 80 percent in June, a curious development for a
| search engine that had been continuously losing market share.
|
| Microsoft said the gains were the result of a word game promotion, in which
| players had to form words out of a jumble of letters. As part of the game,
| Microsoft's search engine automatically hunted for Web pages that contained
| the word being guessed at.
|
| The promotion raises the question of whether these clicks were the result of
| using automated means, and therefore shouldn't be counted.
|
| Nielsen product manager Scott Ross said the company sees no need to change
| the June search-engine rankings. Yet, he conceded that critics -- including
| Yahoo, operator of the world's second most popular search engine -- may also
| have a point about Microsoft using questionable means to spark the surge in
| popularity.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070725/tracking_internet_usage.html?.v=1
Microsoft’s Club Live fiasco
,----[ Quote ]
| People were using the macro on more than 3 games at a time, on more than 2
| accounts at a time, why Microsoft didn’t pick up on the fact that in the
| first few days some people had accumulated enough for 3 Zunes each is beyond
| us. Some were lucky, others, not so much.
|
| [...]
|
| So far no one has been banned from using their accounts, which they needed to
| sign up, probably because they did not break any laws, or probably because
| Microsoft didn’t want that hassle and liked their new found traffic.
`----
http://www.blogthe.net/2007/07/16/microsofts-club-live-fiasco/
Bots Helped To Boost Microsoft Live Search Gains
,----[ Quote ]
| In a blog post, Compete analyst Steve Willis attributed Microsoft's
| search gains to prizes awarded to users participating in Live Search
| Club, which features games that post queries to Microsoft's search
| engine.
|
| [...]
|
| Microsoft is essentially being DDoSed by thousands of people hundreds
| of times per minute, but they are mistaking this rise in traffic for
| people actually using Live Search."
`----
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201001092
Is that 1 Million Zunes Shipped or Sold?
,----[ Quote ]
| Stephen Baker, NPD's vice president of industry analysis, says he believes
| that Microsoft could have shipped 1 million Zunes. "They have not sold 1
| million players through nor do I believe they will by the end of June," he
| said. "That number is likely to be around 750,000."
|
| Microsoft's modest sales goal--at least compared to more than 100
| million iPods--may or may not be in sight, depending on whether
| that number is shipped or sold.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/games_consumer/is_that_1_millio...hipped_
Rumour: Is Microsoft cheating their [Xbox 360] sales?
,----[ Quote ]
| All in all, there are some sobering thoughts with very broad implications
| for any company if that were true. That being said, would you buy
| from Microsoft, or any other company for that matter, if they were
| cheating their sales?
`----
http://xbox360.qj.net/Rumor-Is-Microsoft-cheating-their-sales-/pg/49/aid/89595
Uh-Oh, Vista! PC Sales Levels Are Normal
,----[ Quote ]
| "Vista hasn't been a catalyst for PC sales," he said. "Looking at the
| weekly data, there really isn't anything happening with sales that
| has anything to do with Vista."
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/vista/oh_oh_vista_pc_sales_leve...are_nor
,----[ Quote ]
| "This is a relic of old-line consumer products companies like Philip
| Morris, or fraudsters like Miniscribe who literally shipped bricks in
| lieu of disk drives to hit sales targets.
|
| [...]
|
| Channel stuffing is the business practice where a company or a sales
| force within a company inflates its sales figures by forcing more
| products through a distribution channel than the channel is capable
| of selling to the world at large.
|
| [...]
|
| We have a game we play around the office here with Microsoft press
| releases. The game is, "Find the words that make the headline true."
| It's not always easy.
|
| [...]
|
| Sony, like Microsoft, announces units shipped, not actually sold.
| This allows both companies to advertise sales numbers based on how
| many units they can force retailers to accept, not on how many units
| customers actually buy; both have considerable market power to push
| excess unsold inventory into the channel."
`----
http://www.informationarbitrage.com/2007/04/microsoft_phili.html
Open Source Fights Back
,----[ Quote ]
| Question: The OpenSourceParking.com announcement cites a Netcraft
| report, which found that GoDaddy.com's migration from Linux to Windows
| caused Apache to lose server share. Was this event the sole impetus
| for OpenSourceParking.com?
|
| Perens: Not the first. It's part of a continuing behaviour pattern by
| Microsoft that I think it's fair to call "dirty fighting." GoDaddy was
| using Apache (I assume on Linux) because it was a great technical
| solution. They didn't switch to IIS on Windows Server 2003 for any
| technical reason. The switch was accompanied by a press release by
| GoDaddy, containing Microsoft promotional language. Now, I've changed
| many servers from one thing to another, but I've never made a press
| release about it. GoDaddy wouldn't be doing that unless Microsoft had
| offered them something valuable in return. There has been talk in the
| domain business that Microsoft has been offering the large domain
| registries a wad of cash to switch their parked sites. There is no
| other reason to do this than to influence the Netcraft figures.
`----
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=15108
------------------------------
Message-ID: <4344548.yBWezdI2Q2.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Windows Zombies Keep Slaughtering E-mail
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:08:35 +0100
What Is A Botnet?
,----[ Quote ]
| Usually, the zombies in use of a botnet are compromised computers running the
| Microsoft Windows operating system that have been infected with some sort of
| malware.
`----
http://www.yoursdaily.com/science_tech/what_is_a_botnet
Watch this:
http://sharjeelsayed.googlepages.com/linux_mailer_marked_as_spam.JPG
Some can confirm that Hotmail has lost its way (see below). 2 days ago, my
grandfather sent me photos from Hotmail, but the message was intercepted.
Related:
If Intent Can Be Proven, Microsoft Could Face Millions Of Mail Fraud Charges
,----[ Quote ]
| The final results bore out the "conventional wisdom." If emails were donuts,
| Hotmail would be HomerSimpsonMail. I don't need to reiterate the figures,
| there they are in blue and red. But for a Hotmail account to destroy up to
| 81% of all emails with attachments prior to their delivery to a "generic" ISP
| email account is nothing short of absurd, as these Hotmail accounts were not
| the free variety, but the fully paid ones. Compare those figures to the ones
| where the generic ISP email accounts exchanged emails with attachments and
| you will clearly see the difference. The worst performance was in making 2%
| Vanish.
`----
http://hubpages.com/hub/Hotmail_Fails_To_Deliver_Up_To_81_Of_All_Attac...nt_Emai
Hotmail still riddled with spam
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has admitted that up to 98 per cent of messages sent to
| Hotmail addresses are spam.
|
| [...]
|
| The findings will disappoint Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, who
| predicted at the 2004 Davos World Economic Forum that spam would
| be "eliminated" within two years.
`----
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2188226/hotmail-riddled-spam-admits
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-...subj=ne
Microsoft is the world's biggest cause of zombie remailers
,----[ Quote ]
| In China, it would take about one and one-half years wages (for the
| average Chinese) to buy a legitimate copy of Windows Vista. If you
| could find it here.
|
| Microsoft is the biggest cause of zombie remailers in the world,
| because they make noises, but do not do anything to address the
| real digital inequities in the world.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38202
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/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1844011.ZXG6HfhlU7.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] "Linux is actually winning the bling war"
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:15:34 +0100
"Pretty much anything [Mac] has, Linux can do better." Hogwash. Can we kill the
zealotry?
,----[ Quote ]
| Linux has the bling. In my opinion, Linux is actually winning the bling war.
| Just check out Beryl/Compiz/Fusion.
`----
http://www.oreillynet.com/onlamp/blog/2007/07/pretty_much_anything_mac...s_l.htm
AWN Applet Dialogue test case
,----[ Quote ]
| Here's a quick video of my first test case of a "Topaz" style dialogue in my
| AWN Monitor applet.
`----
http://aarobone.blogspot.com/2007/07/awn-applet-dialog-test-case.html
Widget Plugin [for Compiz-fusion]
,----[ Quote ]
| Now another problem you may have is that the screenlets may only appear on
| one desktop. To fix this, go to the Window Rules plugin and add this
| to ‘Sticky’
`----
http://smspillaz.wordpress.com/2007/07/27/widget-plugin/
MultiScreen Madness!
http://smspillaz.wordpress.com/2007/07/27/multiscreen-madness/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3011299.5GMY4i2TuS.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Sun Insists OpenSolaris is Not a Linux Ripoff
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:21:49 +0100
Sun's 'Project Copy Linux' not a Linux copy
,----[ Quote ]
| Murdock also refused to talk about Sun's FISHworks project – billed as a
| NetApp killer.
|
| Sun has put some of its top Solaris engineers in charge of a
| software/hardware effort meant to create a solid network attached storage
| (NAS) appliance. The company demoed this project to analysts early this year,
| although it refuses to give reporters the same honour.
|
| We did track down Adam Levanthal, one of the FISHworks leads and co-authors
| of DTrace, at OSCON. He revealed that the product should ship early next year
| and that it includes some special sauce above Solaris for handling storage.
|
| "I'm not going to talk to you about it more than that," he said, rather
| bluntly.
|
| Why not just slap us in the face?
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/29/sun_projectindiana_oscon/
Recent:
Sun CEO: "Proprietary"...did more damage to sun than any market downturn
,----[ Quote ]
| Sun has discovered the exact same thing. Freedom sells. Or, rather,
| services around freedom sell. The freedom itself is, well, free.
`----
http://weblog.infoworld.com/openresource/archives/2007/04/sun_ceo_proprie.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <47447403.fiJuA5oIjI.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Firefox 3 and KDE 4 Get Advanced Zooming Functions
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:19:07 +0100
Firefox 3 gets full-page zoom
,----[ Quote ]
| The much-anticipated page zoom feature has finally landed in Firefox 3
| nightly builds. Firefox 3 will now be able to zoom the entire page, including
| images as well as text, just like Opera and IE 7.
`----
http://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2007/07/27/firefox-3-gets-fu...page-zo
Desktop zooming
,----[ Quote ]
| Note that desktop zooming is different from resising individual plasmoids to
| show more or less detail in them. and yeah, i'll try and get this into a
| future screencast.
`----
http://aseigo.blogspot.com/2007/07/desktop-zooming.html
New screenshot from KDE 4, with SuperKaramba:
http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/2903
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1403808.mgV7nSnx4P.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] iPhone and Vista Security Breached
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:46:10 +0100
First iPhone 3rd Party GUI App Compiles
,----[ Quote ]
| Of course, it is the standard "Hello, world." application, but it's native to
| the iPhone and uses the iPhone's GUI.
`----
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/29/1252223&from=rss
Pirated Vista: Faster, One-click-Install, Optimisation
,----[ Quote ]
| Well, I got to said, this post is not encouraging software piracy. I haven’t
| downloaded and installed this Deep Vista. I am satisfied with my XP, and I
| have no plan to upgrade to Vista. I am recently learning Ubuntu, and I am
| going to write a tutorial about Wubi.
`----
http://zecharyw.com/435/pirated-vista-faster-one-click-install-optimization/
Pwned:
http://spicy.cirtexhosting.com/~bob/
Related:
IPhone Flaw Lets Hackers Take Over, Security Firm Says
,----[ Quote ]
| The researchers, working for Independent Security Evaluators, a company that
| tests its clients’ computer security by hacking it, said that they could take
| control of iPhones through a WiFi connection or by tricking users into going
| to a Web site that contains malicious code. The hack, the first reported,
| allowed them to tap the wealth of personal information the phones contain.
`----
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/technology/23iphone.html?_r=1&adxnnl...adxnnlx
How secure are Linux, Window and Mac OS?
,----[ Quote ]
| Overall it looks like the Linux kernel turns out to be the most
| secure system. Not only does it have virtually no security holes
| that lead to system access, it's also very resilient to remote
| attacks, two areas where both Windows and Mac OS X aren't doing
| very well.
`----
http://www.masuran.org/node/29
Apple iPhone issue highlights security debate
,----[ Quote ]
| Most early iPhone adopters have bought into the Apple mythology which
| convinces them that anything blessed by Steve Jobs is automatically
| desirable, so we won't see a mass return of the shiny devices with their
| slick interface.
`----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6911756.stm
IPhone Contract Is Long and Legally Murky
,----[ Quote ]
| The bad news: The iPhone contract may not be the last word in overly long and
| complex user agreements. Terms-of-service contracts promise to grow even more
| dense, legal experts warn, making them even more difficult to understand than
| they already are.
`----
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/news/2007/07/iphone_contract
iPhone matures the "free your phone" movement
,----[ Quote ]
| This is why FreeTheIPhone.org project is born, but even better, why OpenMoko
| project exists. While some are trying to free the locked down device, others
| are creating a free unlocked device from the start, and a whole software
| framework to go with it.
`----
http://www.mobiliberty.com/iphone_matures_free_your_phone_movement
OpenMoko Neo1973 - an open source Linux based iPhone killer in the making ?
http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/2007/07/openmoko-neo1973-open-source-linux.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1248273.itfJB8evn8.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Microsoft's Monopoly Enabler Has Proprietary 'Extensions', Stifles Competition
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:41:50 +0100
[OOXML:] Competition Optional
,----[ Quote ]
| In previous posts I have pointed out numerous "features" in OOXML which
| cannot be implemented by anyone else but Microsoft. These stem from a variety
| of causes, including elements lacking definition ("lineWrapLikeWord6") to
| features that are tied to Windows or Office (e.g., Windows Metafiles) to
| items that are "merely referenced (OLE, digital ink) to items that although
| featured prominently in Office marketing materials, are curiously not
| mentioned at all in the OOXML text (scripts, macros, DRM, SharePoint, etc.).
| When these issues are raised, the typical response from Microsoft has been
| along the lines of, "Don't worry, these features are optional. You don't need
| to implement them. They are there for implementations that know what they
| mean. If you don't understand them, you can ignore them."
`----
http://www.robweir.com/blog/2007/07/competition-optional.html
Here are his comments about the reasons why OOXML is madness.
My comments on the ETRM 4.0 draft
,----[ Quote ]
| This was my response to the call for public comments on the Information
| Technology Division's (ITD) Enterprise Technical Reference Model (ETRM) 4.0
| draft.
`----
http://www.robweir.com/blog/2007/07/my-comments-on-etrm-40-draft.html
Related:
,----[ Quote ]
| From: Bill Gates
| Sent Sunday, October 06, 1996 11:54 AM
| To: Bob Muglia
| Cc: Aaron Contorer; Richard Fade; Steven Sinofsky; Paul Maritz; Nathan
| Myhrvold; Brad Silverberg; Adam Bosworth
| Subject: Access, Internet studio, VB and other overlapping products
|
| ..
|
| Why is the difference between Internet studio and Access? I can't detect
| any reasonable difference. Internet studio has taken an approach of
| putting onto HTML pages the most ugly Microsoft garbage ever seen since
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| COM/OLE programming in C++ was declared a success in order to block
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| language invocation. i am still blown away by seeing all those ugly
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| PARAM statements in the HTML totally confusing anyone who tries to do
| anything. If something isn't part of the WYSIWYG output then it should
| be succinct and understandable. This was the opposite of that.
`----
http://edge-op.org/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/2000/PX02563.pdf
------------------------------
Message-ID: <4297679.mX4C0jbrzy.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Ubuntu Inspires Other Linux Distributions, Adds New features
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:49:25 +0100
Linux: Redirecting Core Dumps
,----[ Quote ]
| Neil pointed to Ubuntu's Apport, "Ubuntu has implemented lots of their
| functionality with some patches that they never pushed upstream (and IMHO,
| have some security issues). This is my attempt to do what their doing sanely,
| so the other distro's (primarily fedora) can take advantage of this
| technology." Will Woods reiterated, "we're using it for doing a system-wide
| crash dump handler. Currently Ubuntu's using it with their Apport tool for
| this purpose; I'm adapting that for Fedora."
`----
http://kerneltrap.org/node/14010
Ubuntu "Gutsy Gibbon" Alpha Adds New Features
,----[ Quote ]
| Among the highlights:
|
| * By popular demand, the various theme, background and other
| appearance related tools have now been merged into a single dialogue,
| allowing faster access to more settings...
`----
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/07/ubuntu-gutsy-gi.html
Related:
Ubuntu's new Linux sports debugging tool
,----[ Quote ]
| "We've built infrastructure which allows us to detect whenever an
| application crashes...gather detailed information like a stack trace
| and ask the user if he's willing to give it back to us," Shuttleworth said.
`----
http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-6175365.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <1926391.aaLDxzx3jU.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] [Rival] Customers Upgrade New PCs... to XP (and/or Linux)
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:02:10 +0100
Vista Flops, Users "Upgrading" to XP
,----[ Quote ]
| There’s no demanding reason to buy Vista especially considering the
| complaints. Therefore those of you with Vista, stop the frustration and
| upgrade to XP in order to enjoy your PC again!
`----
http://www.marvquin.com/blog/vista-flops-users-upgrading-xp
Vista-incapable PC:
http://www.doingitwrong.com/wrong/wrong26.jpg
Never relying on Windows reliability:
http://solyoung.blogspot.com/2007/07/fast-and-furious-windows-error-please.html
The BBC still in bed with Microsoft:
http://flickr.com/photos/burningairlinesgiveyousomuchmore/945517892/
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3688040.UtT8bWYeI3.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Michael Tiemann on Microsoft's OSI Invasion Attmept
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:08:24 +0100
Microsoft not so 'open' after all?
,----[ Quote ]
| Head of open-source group says more than half of licences don't pass muster
|
| [...]
|
| Michael Tiemann, president of the non-profit Open Source Initiative, said
| that provisions in three out of five of Microsoft's shared-source licences
| that restrict source code to running only on the Windows operating system
| would contravene a fundamental tenet of open-source licences as laid out by
| the OSI. By those rules, code must be free for anyone to view, use, modify as
| they see fit.
|
| [...]
|
| By his count, the OSI has rejected "two dozen" or so licence applications for
| language that restricted the use or redistribution of software and its source
| code, even when the restrictions were written with what Tiemann
| called "moral" intent. For instance, the OSI has rejected licence
| applications from Quakers and other pacifists who sought to prevent the use
| of software for weapons such as landmines.
|
| "I am highly sympathetic to that point of view," he said. "But the OSI is not
| in the business of legislating moral use. We allow all use, commercial or
| non-commercial, mortal or medical."
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasi...rticleI
Board Member Talks About Newly Formed Open-Source Group
,----[ Quote ]
| Barry Klawans, an OSA board member and chief technology officer at JasperSoft
| Corp., spoke with Computerworld at the O’Reilly Open Source Convention here
| last week.
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasi...axonomy
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2513292.13jT4L6Wg8.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] ABC Pulled a BBC, Snubs Linux Users
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:13:45 +0100
ABC Starts Streaming "Lost" in HD
,----[ Quote ]
| There are still some kinks to be worked out, and we wouldn't suggest
| bothering with this service unless your broadband service downloads over 2
| Megabits per second. Also, forget about watching if you just bought yourself
| one of those nice new Ubuntu powered Dells -- there's no support for linux.
`----
http://www.switched.com/2007/07/27/abc-starts-streaming-lost-in-hd/
They at least cover an interesting story:
From Trash, He Delivers New Computers
,----[ Quote ]
| Fifteen-year-old tech wiz Jacob Komar is making his mark by making a
| difference -- turning trash into working computers for needy families.
`----
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Voices/story?id=3425076&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
Related:
16,000 Linux computers delivered - for free
,----[ Quote ]
| With his non-profit organisation called Alameda County Computer Resource
| Centre, he built up a volunteer organisation, collects donated stuff from the
| companies who provide them, strips any proprietary OS and software off the
| drives, re-installs everything with Linux and free applications, and then
| gives them to schools or other not-for-profit organisations or individuals
| without too much cash.
|
| A great man with a great mission. CNN called him a hero already.
`----
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/89792/index.html
WEEE directive threatens Microsoft OEM sales
,----[ Quote ]
| There's a possibility Microsoft may well dump the OEM scheme and that
| could prompt small firms that don't want to be WEEEing to install Linux
| or even pirate OSes.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40305
------------------------------
Message-ID: <25794371.vibjgsUZrC.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Wikia Turns Proprietary Software to Free Software
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:15:32 +0100
Search Wikia open sources Grub
,----[ Quote
| Wikia's web search project will use the Grub distributed search engine it has
| acquired from LookSmart and released as an open source project.
`----
http://www.itwire.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=137...Itemid=
It is a side effect of a bigger story:
Wikia Search To Take On Google
http://www.sda-asia.com/sda/news/psecom,id,17236,srn,4,nodeid,4,_langu...,Singap
------------------------------
Message-ID: <3745761.jmut881IF5.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Distro Rivalry Heats Up as Shops Start Stocking GNU/Linux PCs
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:19:44 +0100
On the Mark: Shift to Web Has Just Begun
,----[ Quote ]
| But as IT shops continue to embrace Linux, this united front will surely
| crack, as the different vendors strive to position their distributions as the
| best in order to win lucrative service deals. After all, history shows that
| the Protestants eventually went to war with one another.
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasi...axonomy
In-fighting a threat to free software
,----[ Quote ]
| Nathan Momsen of Business Data Solutions (BDS) believes that infighting
| between various distributions has negatively affected the uptake of open
| source software in local, provincial and national government.
`----
http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?src=rss&id=1658
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2275615.RVLPkZVStc.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] More SAP Software Warms up to Linux
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:21:30 +0100
SAP certifies Netweaver for Red Hat Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| SAP's certification helps ensure full interoperability of Red Hat systems
| with all modules of SAP Netweaver, said Red Hat.
`----
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/07/30/225867/sap-certifies...tweaver
Related:
SAP Certifies Its Applications to Run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced
Platform
,----[ Quote ]
| All features included in Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Platform,
| representing the ideal foundation for enterprise-critical server
| applications, fulfilled SAP's certification criteria.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070718/20070718005069.html?.v=1
------------------------------
Message-ID: <2826813.1LHuFGXhst.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Wind River Delivers New Linux Software
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:23:10 +0100
Wind River Enhances Lab Diagnostics 2.1 And Delivers Innovative Automated Test
Capability
,----[ Quote ]
| Building embedded devices with Linux often means working with a vast code
| base, which can introduce a level of uncertainty into the development
| process. With the updated version of Lab Diagnostics, Linux developers will
| be able to resolve some of the risk and uncertainty.
`----
http://www.laboratorynetwork.com/content/news/article.asp?docid=%7B500...D6-96DD
Related:
NASA tests Linux for spacecraft control
,----[ Quote ]
| On the software side, embedded Linux vendor Wind River says it was selected
| to "support the development of NASA's New Millennium Programme Space Technology
| 8 (ST8) Dependable Multiprocessor." As part of its role in supporting the
| project, the company will supply its Platform for Network Equipment, Linux
| Edition (PNE-LE) for use on the DM system.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5714800202.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <9428046.QU6iujmK19.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Hackers Bring Linux to Palm Handhelds
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:25:23 +0100
krainian hackers don't wait for Palm's Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about Palm OS PDAs and devices
| running Linux, but it seems it's not only possible, but that these talented
| coders have been doing so for quite a while. While the early attempts started
| a few years ago, with a determined geek porting the micro
| embedded-Linux "uCLinux" to the early Sony Clie PDAs, these efforts had a
| short life. But now, with the availability of more powerful devices like the
| Palm TX sporting high-res screens, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the idea of running
| Linux on them is much more attractive.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41310
Related:
A Close Up View of Access Linux Platform at 3GSM ( with Video)
,----[ Quote ]
| Several shots show a smartphone emulator running the Access Linux
| Platform (ALP). Here you can see ALP's Today Screen, Applications
| Launcher (see top image), Garnet VM controls and a number other
| status and preference screens. Next up is an actual developer
| phone shown running ALP in a screen shot and a minute-and-a-half
| video.
`----
http://www.pdastreet.com/articles/2007/2/2007-2-14-A-Close-Up.html
Palm Foleo with Linux threatens the Laptop
,----[ Quote ]
| The Palm Foleo is joining a list of MID (Mobile Internet Devices) like the
| Nokia N800 and Asus Eee that use a lightweight version of Linux but the main
| advantage of the Foleo is its instant on feature. While traditional “Linux”
| may be too difficult for the average user to handle, these highly integrated
| implementations of Linux have no problem being adopted by the masses. That
| could pose a problem for Microsoft in the long run if these devices ever get
| widespread adoption.
`----
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=562
Palm Foleo First Thoughts
,----[ Quote ]
| If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video should be worth a
| whole volume. That's why Brian Beeler and I recorded a brief video
| overview of the Foleo, which will hopefully give you a better idea of
| what it will be like to use the first mobile companion yourself.
`----
http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=13139
Pair of Palm ISVs promise Foleo ports
,----[ Quote ]
| Two ISVs (independent software vendors) have announced plans to port
| their commercial applications to Palm's forthcoming Linux- and
| ARM-based miniature laptop.
`----
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3040432303.html
------------------------------
Message-ID: <7160313.yKIK6RAAS3.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups.TakeThisOut@schestowitz.com>
Subject: [News] Review of Lesser-known Desktop Environments for Linux, New GNOME Feature Introduced
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:29:03 +0100
Wide world of desktops
,----[ Quote ]
| With that in mind, here’s a look at some of my favourite alternative desktops
| for Linux. They range from comprehensive to minimal, but they’re all great,
| and well worth a look if you want to try something new.
`----
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/feature.aspx?CIaFID=3741
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