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I was very happy with Sony Clies, and the company stopped making them. (Why do they insist on killing their best tech?) Then I dropped mine. I happened to have a plan that had it replaced, but I decided to upgrade. To get another Clie, I spent an insane week on eBay trying to get an NX80v. It's almost 3 years old, but nothing on the market has all its features. After seeing several go for over $300, I settled on a new Palm T|X for $250. Similar specs to the NX80, but no camera, and I constantly used the camera in my Clie TJ27. Also no keyboard.

A bigger concern is that if they stop making Palm devices altogether, we're stuck with Windows.

If you think zonk is bad, Just think different for a minute, and remember when apple bashed many 'shuttle PCs' for using Intel Integrated graphic, when the mac mini g4 used a full video card slot... and now the Mac mini intel has Intel Extreme Integrated Graphics... intel's graphic controllers onboard are a complete joke for gaming, and nothing has changed about that since apple first bashed them...

16.2 fps in doom 3 @ 640x480, nice. the Intel GMA950 is about equivalent to a voodoo 5500 in my estimation. 6 year old graphic performance, and the mac mini has no graphic card slot. the mac mini is only going to be useful for CPU intensive tasks, like video editing, or for PVR usage, portable diagnostic/file backup computer (when a firewire/usb 2.0 ide/sata enclosure is added).

If you believe they have free speech, try distributing neo-nazi pamphlets in France. Free speech is, by definition, for everyone... except the French and similarly oppressed peoples.

I don't know about you guys but I just wanna watch Bill show this off and watch history repeat itself. Windows 98 Windows Live CES - XBox.

I'm probably just very very dense, but ... out of the description, how is that a security hole?

Basically - you don't want someone to be able to send you javascript that will execute when you read a message. It can allow the attacker far to much leeway (within the confines of your browser)

Here's an (old) example that affected Microsoft's hotmail service that gives you an idea of why you don't want want javascript sent to you to execute.

Less seriously - it makes it trivial for spammer to verify that someone is opening their spam.

But there are no specific instructions in Intel's current Pentium D or Core Duo chips that enhance the performance of VoIP applications, an Intel representative said. Skype is using an operation called "Get CPU ID" to identify the type of processor running on the PC. The Skype software has been preset to only accept Intel's chips as having the performance necessary to host conference calls of more than five people, the representative said.

i'm sorry:
"Now this is pure BS on skype's part as it's common knowlage that even a single core AMD fx 64 will out perform an intel core duo in most real world apps esp in something that requires memory bandwidth."

can you link to a test using Skype?

however, it is for a limited time only:
from the original article:
"Intel and Skype's deal is for a limited time only, Gomez said, after which AMD is expected to get a crack at opening up its chips to the advanced conference calling feature."
http://news.com.com/Intels+mantra+Lets+make+a+deal +-+page+2/2100-1006_3-6038282-2.html?tag=st.num

"Over clockers also must be upset over this since I personally have gotten sempron 64s to OC to 2.8 to 3ghz and still remain stable."
maybe I'm too old school, be a less then 10% increase hardle seems like overclocking. To me it doesn't even seem worth the effort. Won't even be noticable in most real world apps.

In fact, Apple's new MacBook Pro marks the first time one of their machines has been assembled in China..

Earnie Ball, for one.

C|net had a story on this a while back too, and with pictures. Can't help feel that these are not going to offer the rock solid reliability that IBM's are/were known for.

C|net had a story on this a while back too, and with pictures. Can't help feel that these are not going to offer the rock solid reliability that IBM's are/were known for.

It's all about marketing , getting the name and message into the minds of the people.

But you also have to fight what I like to call the name gobbling effect. For example, when you tell people about X Windows, what is their response? "you mean Windows XP?" how about Linux Live CDs? "you mean Windows Live?" Or how about, I run X on my box? "you have an xbox?"

Getting people to remember the name is important, but often difficult, look what happened to Corel Linux before it even had much of a chance? Sure, it's now Xandros, but you see, people knew Corel, and a name like Corel Linux would've stuck easily. It was Debian based and even had a GUI installer. But you see, here again the name was too powerful, and sure enough "Corel Sells Out To Microsoft" * and following shortly after with "Corel to Spin Off Desktop Linux Unit" and "Xandros Buys Corel's Linux".

"The terms of the Microsoft investment included an option under which Microsoft could request that Corel translate Microsoft's next-generation .Net server software to Linux. Hanlon said that regardless of the restructuring options it selects, the company will fulfill its contractual requirements." - quote source Yeah, I bet.

* = "It isn't quite as strange as Microsoft 's investment in Apple Computer several years ago, but it ranks right up there."

In tin foil hat speculation mode, look what erupted in the press about Google via the censorship/China/web issue, even though Microsoft itself and Yahoo were also mentioned in news articles regarding the same issue, but the outcry was all against Google, and what did this follow? The wide news coverage of a possible "Goobuntu".

How many corporations are going to tolerate pressure from an outside source to stop selling Linux if they start? Especially when the millions of dollars are wiggled in their direction. We need someone with actual balls to stand up and market Linux to the masses that won't back down under pressure. On their way to success, you can bet every skeleton in their closet will be brought out for parade when they turn down offers for buyouts.

As others have suggested elsewhere, the fight needs to be taken via EFF or some other means to break up the grip that exists at the OEM level and bring choice to the people when they purchase their computer to begin with.

Every time I see one of these articles about "when will Linux be ready for the desktop" or "what can we do to excite people about Linux on the desktop", I just substitute "laptop" for "desktop". Given that some analysts are reporting that a majority of PCs sold are in notebook form factors, it's important that the user experience be seamless -- and in most cases, it isn't. Folks wanting to know what it will take to make Linux mainstream need look no further than the laptop in front of them.

Similarly, a good Linux port will share processes over the 8 cores optimally - is Linux for Cell available yet? Benchmarks? I'm keen to see the Cell blade servers coming soon!

Note that Sun Studio compilers were freely available before their new T1-powered servers were launched.

Without the right toolsets, hot tech is not so cool. Let's hope Cell and T1 are not burried in the Alpha/Itanium graveyard!

here is a non-registration article at news.com explaining the reasons why google may be in trouble over their book scanning. to quote:
""I think the judge's decision completely sets up the case the authors have against Google," said Karen Frank, a partner at Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin, a San Francisco law firm, who is not involved in the lawsuit."
I still disagree though, and feel what google is doing constitutes fair use.

I'm not a buisness expert, but can't you uninstall anything the hell you want from windows ('cept IE, admittedly) and make an image from that disk, and image it to 50,000+ PC's you sell? Also, can you put firefox on that 1st pc, and make it the default before you make the image? They do it with Symantec/Norton Security Suite all the time. And, can't Dell write a program to present the user with choices of defaults to use?

How much other stuff does OS X stuff in to an operating system? Safari. iChat, iTunes, iWeb, f**king DVD authoring. MS doesn't include half that stuff, and the Mac folks see iLife as a feature. You have to feel sorry for Microsoft.

I haven't RTFA, but how is MS penalising computer makers for including 3rd party IM programs, media players, etc?

Other charges allege that Microsoft used contractual restrictions and financial incentives to "force PC makers to accept Windows PC operating systems with the bundled Windows Media Player and to restrict the ability of PC makers to preinstall or promote competing digital media players."

According to the suit, PC makers told Real that their contracts with Microsoft kept them from removing or changing the status of a Windows Media Player; promoting RealOne subscription services during the first run of a new PC; and providing a desktop icon for Real Networks. "Microsoft's agreements with PC makers are exclusionary and anticompetitive," the suit concludes.

RIM sues Handspring, Good

RIM wins patent, sues rival

and from Lawsuits In Motion files suit against Xerox:

Of course, it's all rather ironic given RIM's history of using the courts to challenge what it claims are other firms' attempts to cash in on its intellectual property. During the first quarter of its current fiscal year, the company - better known, perhaps, as Lawsuits In Motion - saw the cost of its litigation rise from $700,000 to $8.2 million.

RIM is currently suing NTP and Good Technology for alleged intellectual property violations. Last year, it pursued legal action against Palm and Handspring - both firms latter settled out of court. Microsoft and Symbian signed have signed licensing deals with the company.

"It turned out to be not good enough," RIM lawyer Henry Bunsow said outside court, adding he was "cautiously optimistic" a settlement could still be reached.

"They basically want it all. God bless RIM, they refuse to be extorted under these circumstances, which is why we're here."

RIM sues Handspring, Good

RIM wins patent, sues rival

and from Lawsuits In Motion files suit against Xerox:

Of course, it's all rather ironic given RIM's history of using the courts to challenge what it claims are other firms' attempts to cash in on its intellectual property. During the first quarter of its current fiscal year, the company - better known, perhaps, as Lawsuits In Motion - saw the cost of its litigation rise from $700,000 to $8.2 million.

RIM is currently suing NTP and Good Technology for alleged intellectual property violations. Last year, it pursued legal action against Palm and Handspring - both firms latter settled out of court. Microsoft and Symbian signed have signed licensing deals with the company.

"It turned out to be not good enough," RIM lawyer Henry Bunsow said outside court, adding he was "cautiously optimistic" a settlement could still be reached.

"They basically want it all. God bless RIM, they refuse to be extorted under these circumstances, which is why we're here."

No actually it was Sony that made the claim. Do some research before you open your pie hole you fucking fat ass.

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+got+game+Xbox+unveil ed/2100-1040_3-250632.html

Maybe you should follow your own advice, "you fucking fat ass."

PS:

The other thing that I think the Apple marketing people have figured out is that Apple no longer has a monopoly on upscale "fashion statement" laptops. Consider these for example:

http://news.com.com/2300-1044_3-6042908-3.html?tag =ne.gall.pg

Long ago Apple actually MADE computer systems, but economics drove them to spec them out to China (mainland, Taiwan, Singapore, etc). Those same economics are squeezing them out of the design business as well, and ultimately (or maybe already) Apples involvement will be no more than as a shopper for what is available wholesale over there, and THAT, my fellow Apple loving friends is what is more behind this move than anything else. At any given time there are hundreds of ready made designs (almost exclusively Intel compatible of course) available that the manufactures will customize only insofar as the external appearance (and only then to a limited extent).

Apple wants to "simplify" its profit making to nothing more than a commissioned sales rep with their own logo. Bye bye firewire or anything else that makes an Apple computer truly unique.

Apple is positioning itself as three more and more independent profit centers: hardware, OS and related software, iTunes (media). As far as I know, each leg of this stool is profitable. But each leg also has foreseeable problems that could make them money losers.

Clearly they are preparing themselves to jettison whichever profit center goes negative first. They have given up on the synergistic effects of the Apple product suite, and are now quite happy to have iTunes run on Windows, OS X to run on non-Apple equipment or Windows run on Apple equipment. This flexibility is a good thing in a way, but can also be a very bad thing which can get rapidly worse as this synergy breaks down.

I just ordered a gig of memory for my PB 1.5 G. This will be my computer for everyday use for another few years I expect. When Apple support for the PowerPC starts to get weak (which I'm afraid could happen really quickly as it becomes a second class citizen) I'll switch over to Linux and get an immediate supercharged effect. In the mean time I'll probably get a fairly fast AMD desktop system for under 1K for gaming, and by the time I'm in the market for another notebook, I'll have my choice of models in fine Corinthian leather graphite, or for all I know, nano-particles.

As for the "small list of supported hardware", I'm going to have to cry fowl again. I can go down to my local computer store and buy just about anything in there. Any monitor will work with my Mac. Any hard drive. Any thumb drive. Any digital camera (over $30). Any mouse. Any keyboard (even if the symbols on the keys are wrong).

You must be talking about Powermacs, since the iMac and eMac have almost zero CIP support beyond RAM, and even then you won't know what works until you try it, short of one or two major brands which list themselves as Apple compatible. I remember when a firmware update to the 400Mhz G4 Powermac rendered a bunch of third party RAM incompatible, error beeps and all. There was no explanation from Apple, or a fix. The RAM which was installed before had run several nights through Apple's Hardware Test, and passed. Of course, there wasn't any explanation or fix from Apple. We stopped updating after we two servers, and had to buy direct from Apple replacement RAM for 14 others, which needed the firmware update. Gotta love that thinking different! Apple knowledge base had some lengthy rants about it.

You can read a bit more about it here:

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-255413.html

You don't mention video cards. Do you think you can just pick up any video card, slap it into your powermac, and have it be supported?

What about sound cards? Oh wait, why would anyone want to use anything but what Apple ships with?

And about that keyboard compatibility, we bought 30 USB Aopen keyboards, which don't work worth a shit for a lab of Mac Minis unless they're hotplugged.

What about SCSI adapters? I guess no one uses anything but SATA on the Mac these days.

WIFI adapter support? Oh wait, you have Airport, why would you want anything else that does the same thing for 1/3 the cost.

Try using a few generic gigabit NIC's and get back to me on your results. It would be nice if Apple published some sort of hardware compatibility list instead of making every hardware purchase a freaking easter egg hunt.

You can't forget about the shitty way Powermacs are designed to accomodate expansion. Case in point, you want to add an IDE 300gb hard drive to a 2Ghz G5 powermac. There's one spare drive bay, but the only cords run to the bay are SATA. Shit. There is an IDE header leading to the DVD-ROM, but only one molex power adapter, so the only real way to mount it is with double sided sticky tape and a power splitter, or tear apart the entire god damn chassis and rerun the wires. That's thinking different! Thanks Apple. The G4 powermacs weren't much better, often shipping with under powered PSU's.

Microsoft's general counsel said "Transparency is vitally important in what can be a very opaque process in Brussels. We've decided to open this up so people can understand the issues."

Also a ZDNet article, FSF berates apathy over Microsoft antitrust case , reports that the FSFE has criticised EU IT firms for not supporting the EC in its antitrust case against Microsoft.

ZDNet report that George Greve said in a blog entry that "[the] FSFE has been working on this case for many years, from the original investigation, over the 2004 decision, to the European Court case where it is now one of two [active] remaining third parties on the side of the European Commission. I only hope that more companies will help us defending their interests in this -- to this date, FSFE has received virtually no support for this case from the industry. Consequently, all the credit belongs to the free software community, including in particular the Fellows of the FSFE."

Greve also responds to the new EU complaint by ECIS applauding it, but pointing out that this may seem inconsistent as Microsoft has already reached individual settlements with ECIS members such as RealNetworks and Sun.

Also there is a good Guardian article from a few days ago which summarises and criticises recent rebuffs by MS to the EC's decision.

Also there is an entry on Tod Bishop's Microsoft Blog, Lessig advocates Microsoft , reporting that Lessig supports Microsoft's InfoCard project.

Link to anyone from Sony ever claiming the PS2 was capable of 'Toy Story' graphics or shut the fuck dipshit.

Try hard, idiots like you have been searching for five years...

One idiot linking to another idiot making a claim means nothing.

Here's the retarded Microsoft claim:

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-250632.html

One of the basic premises of the Xbox is to put the power in the hands of the artist," Blackley said, which is why Xbox developers "are achieving a level of visual detail you really get in 'Toy Story.'"

Give it a rest dumbfuck. Most xbots have moved on to newer lies.

WTF to make yourself look like an idiot!

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-250632.html

"One of the basic premises of the Xbox is to put the power in the hands of the artist," Blackley said, which is why Xbox developers "are achieving a level of visual detail you really get in 'Toy Story.'"

I can't believe you were stupid enough to try to pull that shit with your real login.

Microsoft got a pansy settlement with the DoJ because the DoJ "won" by too large of a margin.

It's almost like they shot the moon in the legal system; by loosing as badly as they did, they drove the judge to literally foam at the mouth, and even though the appeals court did not find any errors in Judge Jackson's decision making, they revoked his judgement because of his extreme behavior unbecoming of a federal judge.

He liked MS (and MS executives) to the Mob. He's accused them of lying and deceiving intentionally. Even after he was removed from the case, he didn't change his tune; they little drove him to the "blood boiling angry" point.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Index.cfm?Art icleID=20269&DisplayTab=Article

Here's some good quotes: (http://news.com.com/2100-1001-253250.html )
Among the examples, in the Jan. 8 issue of The New Yorker, Jackson said Microsoft founder Bill Gates "has a Napoleonic concept of himself and his company, an arrogance that derives from power and unalloyed success, with no leavening hard experience, no reverses." He added that company executives "don't act like grown-ups!"

In the book, "World War 3.0: Microsoft and Its Enemies," author Ken Auletta writes that Jackson took aim at the appeals court that is now hearing the Microsoft case. The court "made up about 90 percent of the facts on their own," Jackson said of the appellate judges' decision in another case.

Also in that book, Auletta writes that Jackson likened Microsoft's "proclamation of innocence to those of four members of the Newton Street Crew convicting in a racketeering, drug-dealing and murder trial he had presided over five years before."

Notice that the appeals court said that although the appearance of bias was enough for them to return the case to a lower court, they "did not find evidence of bias."

Perhaps if Microsoft had not of been so brazen, if they had not gotten Judge Jackson quite so riled up, Microsoft would have been broken up. It's bizarre; but they didn't win the case on merit; they got the judgement overturned on the fact that their trial judge was so furious with them he couldn't hold his tongue.

They shot the moon, and it actually worked out. Bizarre; but you can bet your ass the next Microsoft antitrust judge will not operate like that.

It's too bad, really; Judge Jackson showed a surprising grasp of the issues. One can only hope the next judge has similar technical aptitude.

MS certainly doesn't want to get DoJ investigations restarted again

Do you think Alberto Gonzales wants to open up that can of worms? I have not heard of any such threats since Microsoft has been lagging in its obligations under the 2002 consent decree

So I guess there is a little breathing space yet ;-)

Interestingly, if you RTFA and scroll down to the other links, you'll see "windows leads server OS pack for first time" last november !

dupe or astroturf - you decide ...

Not that slashdotters need to worry about this, but there should be a fairly large demand for this type of accessory. Especially since this nice scary study came out:

http://news.com.com/Study+Laptop+heat+a+threat+to+ fertility/2100-1044_3-5485763.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd= Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=1559108 7&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum
http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/ 20/2/452

The study showed laptop use can significantly increase scrotal temperature. Previous studies have shown regular increased temperature can reduce sperm count for weeks or months.

I'm switching back to a desktop.

--David

Egad! Look at the clunkiness of that thing - more akin to a foosball table or pinball machine than a coffee table.

Micros~1 knows very well windows can't really compete against solaris, aix and all the unix vendors when it comes to quality

Micros~1 wanted to take the server market, but they don't like competing. What server do? Give services to clients. Who are clients? Desktops. Who ows 95% of the desktop market share? Microsoft. So just integrate windows server and clients so tighly, that people will choose windows as server. Not because windows is a better server OS, but because it allows good integration with clients, which is what servers are about. (Unix fragmentation didn't help to fight Micros~1 either). Unix dominates in the field where there're open protocols and there's a lack of licenses, patents, and shit: HTTP, FTP, email, etc. In other words: where companies can compete freely. But when it comes to integrating windows clients, nothing can do it better than a windows server.

This wouldn't be a problem if Microsoft weren't using propietary and closed technologies to forbid other companies from competing. It's not a coincidence that the European Commison asked micros~1 "to disclose complete and accurate interface documentation which would allow non-Microsoft work group servers to achieve full interoperability with Windows PCs and servers. This will enable rival vendors to develop products that can compete on a level playing field in the work group server operating system market. The disclosed information will have to be updated each time Microsoft brings to the market new versions of its relevant products" and fining Micros~1. It's not a coincidence that IBM, red hat, sun, nokia and real are complaining to the European commission either.

This is in europe, in eeuu people tried this and failed. It's somewhat ironic that the country which is supposed to love capitalism is quickly becoming a place where companies can't compete and users are told waht and how they must see ej: a film (DRM). Communists have not gone away, but it's not russia where they're this time....

RSI and similar problems are widely believed to be much more likely to occur when working at a laptop for extended periods. In my opinion, any institution that is mandating the use of laptops, should be seriously considering what advice and facilities it is providing to its students. For more info see relevant advice to students at MIT and Is your laptop a pain in the neck?.

Didn't we hear just a while ago, in relation to all of the OpenOffice controversy, that IBM was developing some sort of thin-client office productivity suite? I distinctly remember hearing something about it. Actually I remember thinking that it sounded much more Google's style than IBM ... but it was cool nonetheless.

I'm not really sure who they were/are planning on marketing it to -- developing countries, perhaps? -- and I'm not sure that the recent past has really shown much support for the whole "the network is the computer" concept, but maybe they could sell it to people as a cost savings. Get one reasonably priced server, and a dozen or so diskless thin clients, and you could outfit a whole classroom with computers without buying a single copy of Windows or Microsoft Office. And nobody ever has to worry about moving their work from one computer to another, it's always stored and available.

There are a lot of good things that could be said for such a system. It would take me a while to get over my hesitation to use a web browser for anything BUT web browsing, though.

Here is the article I think I heard about it from:
http://news.com.com/2100-1012_3-5208998.html

MaxDB is indeed a huge mountain of source code and software. And furthermore, it is again joint,
this time with SAP, not their very own piece of software they now surely get with Jim Starkey.
(Not that SAP would be bought by Oracle, though :).

And by the way, Oracle tried to buy MySQL too:

http://news.com.com/Oracle+tried+to+buy+open-sourc e+MySQL/2100-7344_3-6040197.html

The problem is only that at the time the will get it, probably this will be 3 years away ... a lot
of time for all competitors ...

... ability to use javascript is for simple things like form validation and contacting websites. It can be used to authenicate a user trying to read a document with a security server, for example.

Because what the world really needs is yet another document and/or image format that lets you include code or download code when the document is opened.

One day they'll learn. Apparently it isn't today.

Who said what?
California Institute of Technology Professor Carver Mead was the one who dubbed it Moore's Law, a lofty title Moore said he was too embarrassed to utter himself for about 20 years. David House, a former Intel executive, extrapolated that the doubling of transistors doubles performance every 18 months. Actually, performance doubles more like every 20 months. Moore emphatically says he never said 18 months for anything.

The rule also doesn't apply to hard-drive densities or to the growth of other devices. "Moore's Law has come to be applied to anything that changes exponentially, and I am happy to take credit for it," Moore joked.

"What exactly is the DoJ "fishing" for exactly? Is there some information you believe that the DoJ is trying to obtain beyond anonymous usage data and statistics?"

http://news.com.com/Google+to+feds+Back+off/2100-1 030_3-6041113.html?tag=nefd.top

[...]
Another reason for objecting to the subpoena, Google says in its brief authored by Al Gidari and Lisa Delehunt at the law firm of Perkins Coie, is that government lawyers might share the information with the FBI for criminal prosecution--say, of people who typed in search terms like "marijuana cultivation" or "directv hacking."
[...]

Even more than that, I see the DoJ using this information to go after "subversives", just like Nixon did.

"That's the DoJ's reply to Google's reply. Though I would recommend reading it, as they express the same puzzlement over Google's objections as I do."

Sorry.

http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.i.c om.com%2Fcnwk.1d%2Fpdf%2Fne%2F2006%2Fgoogle-doj%2F notice.of.stark.declaration.pdf&siteId=3&oId=2100- 1030-6041113&ontId=1023&lop=nl.ex

"All of their arguements are contrived and nonsensical, and the only conclusion I can draw is that they've misinterpreted the information being requested by the subpoena. If this were Microsoft or Yahoo making these arguements you'd be asking what kind of crack they were smoking ..."

Right. All of their lawyers are stupid.

Actually, that wouldn't be that hard to believe. Lawyers routinely routinely do and say outrageuous and unbelieveable things, but I don't see that in this case.

"So you're saying that because some people are dumbasses that nothing should be done about real terrorists or kiddie pornographers?"

No. What I am saying is that these "terrorist" (think Patriot Act) and "kiddie porn" laws shouldn't, but are routinely used by LEAs against NON-terrorists and NON-kiddie porners (against the spirit and intentions of the lawmakers) rather than real terrorists and real kiddie pornographers.

"What exactly is the DoJ "fishing" for exactly? Is there some information you believe that the DoJ is trying to obtain beyond anonymous usage data and statistics?"

http://news.com.com/Google+to+feds+Back+off/2100-1 030_3-6041113.html?tag=nefd.top

[...]
Another reason for objecting to the subpoena, Google says in its brief authored by Al Gidari and Lisa Delehunt at the law firm of Perkins Coie, is that government lawyers might share the information with the FBI for criminal prosecution--say, of people who typed in search terms like "marijuana cultivation" or "directv hacking."
[...]

Even more than that, I see the DoJ using this information to go after "subversives", just like Nixon did.

"That's the DoJ's reply to Google's reply. Though I would recommend reading it, as they express the same puzzlement over Google's objections as I do."

Sorry.

http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.i.c om.com%2Fcnwk.1d%2Fpdf%2Fne%2F2006%2Fgoogle-doj%2F notice.of.stark.declaration.pdf&siteId=3&oId=2100- 1030-6041113&ontId=1023&lop=nl.ex

"All of their arguements are contrived and nonsensical, and the only conclusion I can draw is that they've misinterpreted the information being requested by the subpoena. If this were Microsoft or Yahoo making these arguements you'd be asking what kind of crack they were smoking ..."

Right. All of their lawyers are stupid.

Actually, that wouldn't be that hard to believe. Lawyers routinely routinely do and say outrageuous and unbelieveable things, but I don't see that in this case.

"So you're saying that because some people are dumbasses that nothing should be done about real terrorists or kiddie pornographers?"

No. What I am saying is that these "terrorist" (think Patriot Act) and "kiddie porn" laws shouldn't, but are routinely used by LEAs against NON-terrorists and NON-kiddie porners (against the spirit and intentions of the lawmakers) rather than real terrorists and real kiddie pornographers.

Microsoft are planning to release their own Hypervisor next year, and you're right, their version will be built into the Windows Server product.
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+hypervisor+plan+take s+shape/2100-1016_3-5735876.html

"Sure, let's go another round: I can't figure out how a request for anonymous usage data comprises their user's privacy."

First of all, like I wrote, the DoJ is not entitled to Google's information. It's THEIRS to do with as they wish.

Secondly, giving this "anonymous usage data" is a slippery slope and a fishing expedition. Let's say they get this "anoymous usage data", next time they come back and want a little more. Go read Google's reply to the DoJ's request... it's pretty well spelled out in there.

"I also can't figure out how they figure censorship is better than kiddy porn."

"Kiddie porn" is like "terrorism". It's one of those terms designed to elicit an emotional response without thinking. The problem is those words mean whatever the DoJ wants them to mean.

Shine a penlight laser up at a plane, you are a "terrorist." Have pictures of your 8 month old son taking a bath, you got "kiddie porn."

Today sees the discovery of a Mac OS X Bluetooth worm.

This post will be moderated to hell so watch Slashdot. They'll me reporting this worm in an official article in the next day or two.

It's only a matter of time now until Tivo will go away

http://news.com.com/TiVo,+Comcast+reach+DVR+deal/2 100-1041_3-5616961.html

1. Security, security, security
This has never be a paramount feature of Windows V.anything. In fact, it's been anything but the 3 s's. We are still waiting for the IE fix as well as the grandiose top priority on security.

2. Internet Explorer 7: IE gets a much-needed, Firefox-inspired makeover
See #1 .. we are still waiting. Can we cut the shit and focus on a more secure browser instead of glitz and tabs?

3. Righteous eye candy:
See #2.. Could we get something to nip that little spyware problem please? Enough with the froof.

4. Desktop search:
hot tip: [START] -> right click -> explore -> F3 (above the #4 key). if your 1eet, dir /s

5. Better updates:
Can we get that XP patch first? Maybe if you weren't dicking with the eye-candy, we could have this before 2007.

6. More media:
Ok, this looks like a good fix. Oh, wait.. no mention of fixing it I guess. How long has this been a problem?

7-10.. add your own

That was telling google et al to locate their servers offshore to avoid China asking for information from them or asking them to filter content in their search engines......which is it????
I hate this Congress.....they claim that it would be ok for us to do to another country, but not to our own. I guess their mothers never taught them the golden rule. "Treat others as you want to be treated"

Screw them.

I love how everyone has become constitutional scholars these days. Anyways...

Unfortunately it's not a cut and dry issue. Ex-CIA chief James Woolsey (appointed by Clinton) believes that the President actually has greater powers than the ones they're asking for. The only thing he believes should be looked at is whether or not a judge needs to be involved once the NSA program starts targetting specific American citizens.

He said he staunchly believes that Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes the president's role as commander-in-chief and implicit wartime powers, permits the president to do the kind of "electronic mapping of the battlefield" that the NSA program appears to do.

Have a gander at:

http://www.digital-cp.com/home/HDCPLicense01262006 .pdf

Obviously, ATi and nVidia licensed to make "inactive robust" devices. That would let them put "HDCP-ready" in the lit.

How are what forces these to become "active", I wonder? Technically, its Vista. Now, we have to dig into Vista HDCP plans: A quote from Microsoft:

".. video resolution will need to be set to 480p. Display device drivers must support the DirectX Video Acceleration Certified Output Protection Protocol (COPP) for software signaling of HDCP ..."

And how do we support COPP?

Vista support IAMCertifiedOutputProtection class. Method KeyExchange() returns the driver cert (including public key) to Vista.

And how do we obtain such a driver cert?

From Microsoft, who also signs the driver.

So, there should be no problem supporting driver-based HDCP.

Now this link tells us that the cable industry has to sign off on the whole thing:

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+inks+cable+deal+for+ HDTV+support/2100-1042_3-5956408.html

Which they JUST have. But, I can't get my hands on a copy of that agreement.

What this boils down to:

- You can be compliant with HDCP as an "inactive" device

- You can be compliant with HDCP as an "active" device

- The difference seems to be the "trust" level that Microsoft has in your device driver, and the presence of another chip

- The entire secure path in XP/2 and VISTA appears to require the vetting of the copyright interests (CableLabs, others?)

- There appears to be agreement in that area, but exactely what, we are not sure

- Even if you have an HDCP "ready" video card, it may not be able to participate, UNLESS Microsoft keys and certifies a new driver.

- Even if you have an HDCP video card WITH a key-chip, it STILL requires a Microsoft certified driver.

- Drivers are probably going to be "time-stamped" (my read on the HDCP licensing, but I may be wrong -- my head started to hurt). Expiry based on certificate expiry.

And, no, I don't know for sure that the HDCP will be retrofitted, or not. Mostly because I can't get my mitts on the Cable/MS agreement.

Ratboy.

somehow i doubt it

The CNN piece is an opinion piece, and factually incorrect.

The first link above was by 'the Packet Rat' - not a great source, given that the author prefers anonymity.

The second uses a quote by a graphic artist as the only reference to Apple. Another opinion.

The third link is a tongue-in-cheek piece collating a bunch of 'death knell' reports printed about Apple over the years. Nothing to see there - Apple somehow survived despite the dire predictions of pundits across the industry.

Have a look at Apple's filings from NASDAQ, or find *real* news articles.

http://news.com.com/2100-1001-202143.html
"Analysts said that Microsoft's assurance of providing its latest applications on the Macintosh may be more important to the company's long-term viability than the $150 million investment."

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1997/aug9 7/msmacpr.mspx

http://www.allbusiness.com/periodicals/article/657 002-1.html

As an aside, when Microsoft bought those shares, they were around $26. I think when they sold three years later they made a pretty good profit.

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit19970814. html
Even Cringely doesn't get on board this bizarre "Microsoft Saved Apple" theory!

The facts don't fit your case, and the links you provide aren't solid enough to either. Microsoft didn't save Apple with their money. You could make a case that promising Office support saved Apple (and it's a much more solid case, to which I partially subscribe) but the money was irrelevant.

I'm pretty sure this tradition continues... (yikes)