From Daily Mail…
Computer users were promised better and cheaper products yesterday after Microsoft lost a three-year European legal battle.
In a ruling described as a major victory by consumer groups, a Brussels court confirmed that the software giant must make it easier for rival systems to work with its Windows operating system.
It means that [...]
Archive for the ‘General Interest’ Category
Microsoft ordered to hand over Windows secrets after losing appeal over record ‘monopoly’ fine
Posted in General Interest on September 18, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Yahoo Acquires Zimbra for $350 Million
Posted in General Interest on September 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
TechCrunch is reporting that Yahoo has acquired the open source office suite Zimbra for $350 Million in cash. Zimbra has been in and out of the news over the last couple of years for their office suite, and recently launched offline capabilities.
“The company has raised $30.5 million over three rounds of funding from Benchmark [...]
Google welcomes ISO decision on OOXML
Posted in General Interest on September 16, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Google – Code…
Google welcomes the ISO decision to not approve the fast track of Office Open XML (OOXML) proposed standard DIS 29500 (ECMA 376).
Our engineers conducted an independent analysis of the OOXML specification and found several areas of concern, which we communicated both to the ISO and to the public. These include and are [...]
OLPC Cost Rises To $188 Per Laptop
Posted in General Interest on September 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
“The amazing ‘$100 laptop’ designed by the ‘One Laptop Per Child’ program isn’t going to make it out the door for that price. CNN reports that the laptops are now expected to cost $188 apiece when they come out later this fall. This is expected to make the program’s appeal potentially much smaller, since [...]
Defendant: RIAA abusing courts to shore up “failing business model”
Posted in General Interest on September 14, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Ars Technica…
Another file-sharing defendant who says she has never installed or used file-sharing software is fighting back against the RIAA, accusing the music industry of waging war in the US court system to “shore up the American recording industry’s failing business model.”
The action this time is in the US District Court for South [...]
US health insurance costs rise nearly twice as fast as pay: survey
Posted in General Interest on September 13, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From The Raw Story…
The cost of health insurance in the United States climbed nearly twice as fast as wages in the first half of 2007, with family coverage costing employers around 1,000 dollars (714 euros) a month, a poll showed Wednesday.
Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose an average of 6.1 percent in 2007, while [...]
Microsoft and Novell Open Interoperability Lab
Posted in General Interest on September 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
“Located in Cambridge, the 2,500-square-foot lab and workspace will be home to a combined team of the best and brightest Microsoft and Novell engineers focused on making Windows Server and SUSE Linux Enterprise work better together. The first priority for the lab team will be to ensure interoperability between Microsoft and Novell virtualization technologies. [...]
Brain Differences In Liberals and Conservatives
Posted in General Interest on September 11, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
“Scientists from NYU and UCLA report in Nature Neuroscience that the brains of Democrats and Republicans process information differently. This new study finds that the differences are apparent even when the brain processes common information, not just political topics. From the study, liberals were more likely to be accurate and showed more brain activity [...]
Solar Craft Flies Through Two Nights
Posted in General Interest on September 10, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
“A solar-powered, unmanned craft has flown for 54 hours — a record for both unmanned aerial vehicles and solar craft. None before has managed to store enouhh solar energy to fly through more than one night. There is also a video showing the 18m carbon fiber wing craft being launched.”
Storm Worm Evolves To Use Tor
Posted in General Interest on September 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
“Seems like the Storm botnet that was behind the last two waves of attacks is also responsible for this new kind of social-engineering based attacks, using spam to try and convince users of the necessity of using Tor for there communications. They ‘kindly’ provide a link to download a trojaned version of Tor. This [...]
Political attacks knock wind out of Kennedy’s sails
Posted in General Interest on September 8, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From The Seattle Times…
Once upon a time, Ted Kennedy could count on his daily dose of veneration. The right wing hated the Massachusetts Democrat, but progressives honored him as a defender of old-school liberalism.
In a remarkable turnaround, liberals are now heaping scorn on the 73-year-old senator. Young audiences boo at his name, and the leftish [...]
Indian Software Firm Outsourcing Jobs to US
Posted in General Interest on September 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
“NPR is reporting Indian software maker Wipro is outsourcing positions to a development office opening in Atlanta, Georgia. Although, it sounds good for US job growth, the implication is that firms outside the US appear to be dominating more and more in the global economy, even from developing and underdeveloped regions of the world. [...]
New Way of Extending Satellite Life Saves Millions
Posted in General Interest on September 6, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
“A new technique to save aging satellites promises to save millions of dollars by extending the life of communications spacecraft. A process developed by researchers from Purdue University and Lockheed Martin has already saved $60 million for unnamed broadcasters by extending the service life of two communications satellites. In a nutshell the technique works [...]
Why Microsoft deserved to lose the OOXML standards vote
Posted in General Interest on September 6, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From ZD Net…
Microsoft lost its bid to fast track its Office Open XML (OOXML) file-format specification. (It’s next-to-impossible to tell from Microsoft’s press release announcing “Strong Global Support for Open XML as It Enters Final Phase of ISO Standards Process,” but it did lose.)
As readers of this blog know, I believe that the world is [...]
States and DoJ Divided On Microsoft Antitrust Success
Posted in General Interest on September 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
From Slashdot…
“Computer Business Review is reporting that the US Department of Justice and five States have declared themselves satisfied with the antitrust enforcement efforts taken against Microsoft despite a further seven States maintaining they have had ‘little or no discernible impact in the marketplace.’ While the US DoJ and five States — New York, Louisiana, [...]
