the GNU General Public License (GPL v3)
27 January '06 - 01:20. Category: default
A draft of the newest version (v3) of the open source software license known as the GNU GPL currently contains a digital rights provision that has generated some controversy.
Linus Torvalds, an open source guru, recently indicated that the Linux kernel is currently unlikely to adopt GPL v3 because of the proposed license provision on DRM is too burdensome. The GPL v3 DRM provision prevents GPL-licensed software from being used in DRM copy-protection software.
It's too early in the review process of the proposed GPL v3 to determine how serious objections to DRM provisions could impact the GPL or, more broadly, the open source community, but this early debate reflects an increasing sense that the GPL will no longer carry the influence it once did within the free software/open source community.
DRM = DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT.
(For an explanation...hmm...why not see,
Open Source Software Law by Rod Dixon available on Amazon.com)
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Lasting relationships online and off...
27 January '06 - 00:25. Category: default
What! No fear mongering about how technolgy harms everyone? Apparently, for what it's worth, another study concludes that digital and online communications strengthen relationships between friends and family rather than detract from those relationships.
"...all the wikis, e-commerce, and entertainment we have now -- is basically here so that we can stay in touch with old friends and make new ones." -
Brad King (for Technology Review)
The Report is titled: "How the Internet affects the groups where we live and work, including how they grow and change, their social dynamics, and the activities we do there."
You can get it here.
A writ of habeas codus
17 January '06 - 12:59. Category: default
Samir Chopra, a computer science professor at Brooklyn College of CUNY, has coined an interesting
open source phrase that may catch on:
habeas codus. Habeas corpus, of course, refers to a well-known writ that, if issued, requires a government body to bring forth a body. Similarly, habeas codus refers to an imperative explicit in most open source licenses to bring forth the source code; make the code available, show the code, produce the code, bring the code to me, release the code at once, set the code free...you get the idea.
Professor Chopra has been reading my book as part of his research for a forthcoming book he is co-authoring (with Dr. Scott Dexter) on the Open Source Community, which I am really looking forward to reading.
As a result of his research, Professor Chopra has recognized how the meaning of open source concepts too often are fuzzy because they are cloaked in legalese. Legal writing should add precision to legal meaning when its done right, but, admittedly, imprecision is often the result. Speaking of imprecision and fuzzy concepts, a number of factors have rendered v. 2 of the popular open source software license, the GPL, fuzzy and unclear. Work on a new version has been underway for some time, and materiaal results of that work has finally surfaced for community comment.
For updated information on the development of version 3 of the GPL, point your browser to http://www.fsf.org
Martin Luther King Day
16 January '06 - 06:37. Category: default
Today's United State's national holiday celebrates the birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
TOP 10 Receiving Most Patents - 2005
11 January '06 - 08:06. Category: default
The 2005
top 10 global private sector patent recipients (those receiving the most U.S. patents for inventions in 2005) according to the
U.S. patent office are:
1 International Business Machines Corporation
2 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
3 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
4 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
5 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
6 Micron Technology, Inc.
7 Intel Corporation
8 Hitachi, Ltd
9 Toshiba Corporation
10 Fujitsu Limited
No doubt the information technology industry is capturing a significant share of U.S. patents and, presumably, this means a significant mind-share of innovation is ocurring within multinational technology and conumer electronics companies that are headquartered outside of the United States. Of course, the connection between obtaining a U.S. patent and producing genuine innovation is increasingly doubtful. Nonetheless, the patent rights of these companies are clearly substantial and, hence, noteworthy.
Treo Smartphone: a must-have for lawyers
09 January '06 - 12:08. Category: default
Is a Treo Smartphone a must-have for lawyers? For tech-savvy lawyers, yes!
Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC, a Chicago-based law firm, points out that:
"If you could measure the stress in a law firm and then see how much is relieved by the Treo delivering the necessary knowledge," you would agree that the Treo Smartphone is a "must have" technology acquisition for lawyers. Of paticular use for lawyers: mobile web searching, push email, 3-way teleconferencing, anywhere calendaring, and the ability to view pdf files from anywhere...
more...
Treo 700w should not be ignored
09 January '06 - 09:43. Category: default
Time's review of the new Treo 700w is quite favorable, finding that: "...the
bonus features Palm has built into the new Treo add up to a whole new,
improved version of Windows Mobile. Earlier Windows Mobile devices may have
forgotten they were phones; this Treo, like past Treos, puts calling first..."
Google Alerts offers insight into Google
05 January '06 - 08:42. Category: default
Google has been beta-testing a number of new services that extend the usefulness of its powerful search engine. I suspect many Internet users will find a number of these services (froogle's shopping comparisons, answers to Internet questions, quick access to maps, to name just a few of them) interesting and useful. One that I have been recently exploring is called "Google Alerts."
Google Alerts are a type of push-technology that uses emails automatically sent to you when there are new Google results for your search terms. Currently, Google offerss three types of alerts: 'News,' 'Web,' and 'News & Web.'
A 'News' alert is an email that lets users know if new articles make it into the top ten results of a user-specified Google search query. Similarly, a 'News & Web' alert lets you know when new articles related to your search term make it into the top ten results of your search query. Google says users can use these alerts to keep up on the latest news concerning a favorite celebrity, keep current on a competitor or industry, or monitor a developing news story. Of course, there are a number of other uses. Your imagination practically is the only limitation.
One of the fascinating aspects of Google Alerts is the insight it offers over time into the nature of the search engine, itself. If you follow a query long enough, you’ll be able to compile statistical and anecdotal evidence on the quality of Google’s search results. I may post some interesting examples I have come across in the future. In the meantime, if you have not become acquainted with this service, it is worthy of the effort. You may become a far more informed user of the search engine.
Treo 700w is a Frankenstein...
04 January '06 - 23:13. Category: default
A
New York Times review of the NEW PALM-WINDOWS TREO Cell phone
"is a Frankensteinian mishmash."
What's wrong with the new Treo 700w smartphone? The answer is
simple, according to the Times, the problem with the new Treo is that
"you're basically running Windows." This could be a serious problem
indeed. Afterall, as smart looking as the Treo 600/650 is, what
really set the Treo apart from other smartphones is the efficiencies
brought out through having robust software running on a smart operating
system, the Palm OS.
Google Responds to Critics
04 January '06 - 14:00. Category: default
For folks like
myself who questioned whether it makes strategic business sense for Google to partnership with AOL or, more troublesome, whether an AOL-GOOGLE partnership is good for Internet users,
Google recently responded by reaffirming its principle aim to "never compromise the integrity or objectivity of our search results" and to "organize all of the world's information."
This means Google does not agree with its critics, which is not surprising, but it also is somewhat reassuring to Google's management go out on a limb with unambiguous assurances that the search engine's mission has not changed much. Still, the proof will be in performance, and the stakes are significant indeed. Moreover, I am still befuddled with the idea that AOL is worth Google's 1 billion dollar investment, but the marketplace will addres that matter in the short and long-term.
unsettled and unsettling partnerships - CES 2006
03 January '06 - 10:11. Category: default
There will be a lot of ink and/or bits spilled this week covering the upcoming annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. I am unsure whether there will be any surprises about what future consumer technologies may be on store shelves by December 2006, but this year it looks like we will be surprised to find an assortment of corporate alliances where traditional competitors agree to joint ventures and partnerships.
The increasing appearance of partnerships among major consumer products manuafactures and other information technology companies may be reflective of the global marketplace, but the real impact of these corporate relationships on competition as well as on the consumer (and, perhaps, the investor) seems unsettled and unsettling. For example, it will be interesting to watch whether traditional competitors - - such as multinational corporations like Sony and Samsung - - will navigate their increasingly mutually dependent partnerships wisely.
Of course,
CES 2006 is almost certainly likely to be a great opportunity to see the latest future technologies coming online. I suspect for the most part, however, CES will show interesting incremental enhancements of "future" technologies that already exist such as: Flat panel displays for televisions, feature-packed cell phones or smartphones, portable wireless technologies, and various surveillance technologies masquerading as consumer products.
Mistakes to Avoid When Blogging in 2006
03 January '06 - 09:34. Category: default
Mistakes to Avoid When Blogging in 2006? Although the calendar has changed, the mistakes to avoid have not. These are the same mistakes bloggers were advised to avoid in 2005. The start of a new year seems an appropriate time to refresh our collective recollection. Last February Blogarama published the
top 10 mistakes to avoid.