The misuse of software patents has become rife in the software industry, with common software features being claimed as proprietary "intellectual property". Worse, these claims are being used by large companies like Microsoft and Apple to extort payment from other companies. In my mind, this is a virtual statement by those companies that they are no longer capable of innovation.
The latest such misuse is in the form of a lawsuit by Microsoft against Barnes & Noble, claiming that its Nook eBook reader infringes on Microsoft patents due to its use of the Android operating system. Seriously, is there ANYTHING more pathetic than a company like Microsoft attacking a book selling company in this economy because they won't hand over their figurative lunch money?
This article is the best summary of the situation that I have seen recently:
Drunk On Licensing Fees And Patents, Microsoft Has Become A Joke.
Other companies have been down this road before. For example, SCO. In 10 years, will anyone except former employees and a lot of lawyers remember SCO or Darl McBride, Microsoft's former anti-Linux sock puppet?
Snap out of it, Microsoft. Go back to your roots and focus on innovation again (you have the people with the smarts for it) or age with dignity but stop acting like a high school bully, either way.
Sincerely, Don
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Social Networking for Book Lovers
Social networking sites seem to be all the rage these days, from general conversational/reconnecting sites to blogs to specific interest sites. For example, there are loads of sites dedicated to specific interests, e.g., television shows, photography, sports.
Given that popularity, I started wondering what sites existed for book lovers. Books don't seem to get a lot of love from the public, compared to interests like television and sports, and so we in the book-loving tribe need to stick together! While looking around, I found a few interesting sites and also had an idea of my own that I'm debating as a project...
Virtual bookshelves:
Personally, I enjoy both eBooks and paper books and hope that both continue to be available indefinitely. However, there are a lot of books that I'd like to buy for my Nook Color that haven't been published in eBook format yet. And you CAN go to B&N or Amazon and click a link that sends a message to the publisher indicating interest in that book in eBook format but who knows how much weight that carries?
What I was thinking, though, is that if I could get a few friends to click those links (and in exchange, I'd do the same for their links), and they could get a few friends to click the links, then maybe we could generate some real interest in publishing some very cool books in eBook format.
So how about these steps:
Given that popularity, I started wondering what sites existed for book lovers. Books don't seem to get a lot of love from the public, compared to interests like television and sports, and so we in the book-loving tribe need to stick together! While looking around, I found a few interesting sites and also had an idea of my own that I'm debating as a project...
Virtual bookshelves:
- LibraryThing: Book reviews and discussions.
- Shelfari: Book reviews and discussions. Published authors participating as well.
- Goodreads: Book reviews and discussions.
- BookCrossing:This site has a REALLY cool gimmick. It's sort of a combination of a book club and a geocaching/travel bug site, in which you tag a book and leave it in a public place for others to find. They can then enter its tagged information online, so that the book's progress as it travels around, from person to person, can be tracked. This is one that I'll be participating in myself!
Personally, I enjoy both eBooks and paper books and hope that both continue to be available indefinitely. However, there are a lot of books that I'd like to buy for my Nook Color that haven't been published in eBook format yet. And you CAN go to B&N or Amazon and click a link that sends a message to the publisher indicating interest in that book in eBook format but who knows how much weight that carries?
What I was thinking, though, is that if I could get a few friends to click those links (and in exchange, I'd do the same for their links), and they could get a few friends to click the links, then maybe we could generate some real interest in publishing some very cool books in eBook format.
So how about these steps:
- a site is created where you can register a new account of your own, with your eBook reader(s) of choice specified
- once you have an account, you can search for favorite books and add them to your profile. Perhaps these choices are then available when friends navigate to your current profile; perhaps they're content you can embed in a mashup page. Maybe the content lists your top 5 requests and the top 5 requests of 2-3 of your friends.
- other friends click on those links, which (for example) send a vote for B&N to release a Nook version of "Double Rainbows for Dummies" or Amazon to release a Kindle version of "Can I Take My @#%& Vote Back, Please?"
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
March 1, 1917 - The Zimmerman Telegram
94 years ago today, the headline below was dropped like a bomb on the front page of the New York Times. Its news that Germany had proposed an alliance with Japan and Mexico against the US finally nudged a waffling Woodrow Wilson over the edge, leading to a declaration of war against Germany and her allies.
The telegram in code below is the fatal VERSION of the telegram that was presented by Britain to the United States. But there's much more interesting history behind the story...
You see, that's not the version of the telegram that Britain's cryptanalysts in Room 40 initially intercepted and decoded. On January 16,1917, German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman transmitted the original version from Berlin to Germany's embassy in the US. However, the telegram didn't go straight to the US. You see, on the first day of WW I, the British ship Telconia cut German's transatlantic cables, a farsighted move that forced Germany to communicate via other nations' cables or via radio...both options rendering them much more vulnerable to interception.
So Zimmerman sent that fateful telegram by way of Sweden to the US, using a US code (more Wooodrow Wilson brilliance). And when Britain intercepted and decrypted it, they had to step carefully and not raise questions of how they were intercepting neutral Sweden's cables or decrypting American cyphers.
What they did is arrange to have an operative in Mexico intercept the version that was sent there and have it decyphered again. Then they sat on that telegram until it became clear that only a serious nudge would bring the US into World War I. In the end, they revealed the SECOND version of the Zimmerman telegram to the US, leading us to make war against Germany after an infuriated American public demanded it.
The facts in this story are one of many fascinating anecdotes from history found in David Kahn's fantastic book, "The Codebreakers".
The telegram in code below is the fatal VERSION of the telegram that was presented by Britain to the United States. But there's much more interesting history behind the story...
You see, that's not the version of the telegram that Britain's cryptanalysts in Room 40 initially intercepted and decoded. On January 16,1917, German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman transmitted the original version from Berlin to Germany's embassy in the US. However, the telegram didn't go straight to the US. You see, on the first day of WW I, the British ship Telconia cut German's transatlantic cables, a farsighted move that forced Germany to communicate via other nations' cables or via radio...both options rendering them much more vulnerable to interception.
So Zimmerman sent that fateful telegram by way of Sweden to the US, using a US code (more Wooodrow Wilson brilliance). And when Britain intercepted and decrypted it, they had to step carefully and not raise questions of how they were intercepting neutral Sweden's cables or decrypting American cyphers.
What they did is arrange to have an operative in Mexico intercept the version that was sent there and have it decyphered again. Then they sat on that telegram until it became clear that only a serious nudge would bring the US into World War I. In the end, they revealed the SECOND version of the Zimmerman telegram to the US, leading us to make war against Germany after an infuriated American public demanded it.
The facts in this story are one of many fascinating anecdotes from history found in David Kahn's fantastic book, "The Codebreakers".
Sunday, February 13, 2011
See "North Face"!
I just finished watching the movie North Face and enjoyed it so much, I had to post here right away and suggest others look at this movie. It hasn't garnered a fraction of the attention it deserves here in the US. (Official site: link. IMDB: link Wikipedia: link)
The North Face to which the title refers is the North Wall of the Eiger, one of the last mountains in the Alps to be successfully climbed. In 1936, as Hitler was preparing to annex Austria, his Berlin PR machine was eager for publicity showing the superiority of the Aryan blah blah blah. The Berliner Zeitung was hoping to report news of a successful German climb of the Nordwand and when a woman working at the paper (the excellent Johanna Wokalek from the Baader Meinhof Complex movie) mentions that she know two mountaineers who might be considering a climb of the mountain, she gets her big break as a reporter. As it turns out, she has been in love with one of these two since they grew up in the mountains together.
In one review that I read, the comment was made that the movie starts slow. This may be true for those cursed with the attention span of a gnat but personally I found that the time wasted on the wacky notion of character development made me care what happened to them later, when they're fighting for their lives on a cold-hearted killer of a mountain.
Dumb reviews aside, there is plenty of climbing drama throughout the movie, well before the assault on the Eiger. To give a little background, I visited the Eiger in a non-climbing visit 25 years ago, buying this postcard at the Jungfraujoch. Notice the label for the Hinterstoisser traverse about a third of the way up. Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser are the two primary climbers and the Hinterstoisser traverse gets its name from a maneuver Hinterstoisser used, running/swinging along the face of the mountain in an increasing arc in order to reach an inaccessible route upwards. Early in the movie, you see Hinterstoisser nearly die using this maneuver on a more pedestrian mountain, so when you see him start to go for it on the bloody Eiger, the suspense is amazing.
In the movie, Hinterstoisser and Kurz unfortunately team up with a pair of Austrians, one of whom suffers some bad injuries that require retreat. So they're not only on the Mountain from Hell, they're trying to descend it in horrible weather carrying a disabled man.
The Eiger has a number of long term features, including a few ice fields (a big challenge if you don't have crampons). Another, visible on the postcard above, is labeled Spinne, German for Spider. In bad weather, you can freeze to death on the vertical wall of the Eiger. In good weather, temperature changes release volleys of rocks and ice, which the Spider "drops" onto you.
Anyway, I hope that you will tale a chance on this movie, which is available for streaming from Netflix. You'll want to see it before Hollywood's Mediocrity Factory attempts to clone it, replacing the awesome actors in the German version with Anne Hathaway and cast Jack Black and Tom Cruise in what has become a 1930s bromance.
The North Face to which the title refers is the North Wall of the Eiger, one of the last mountains in the Alps to be successfully climbed. In 1936, as Hitler was preparing to annex Austria, his Berlin PR machine was eager for publicity showing the superiority of the Aryan blah blah blah. The Berliner Zeitung was hoping to report news of a successful German climb of the Nordwand and when a woman working at the paper (the excellent Johanna Wokalek from the Baader Meinhof Complex movie) mentions that she know two mountaineers who might be considering a climb of the mountain, she gets her big break as a reporter. As it turns out, she has been in love with one of these two since they grew up in the mountains together.
In one review that I read, the comment was made that the movie starts slow. This may be true for those cursed with the attention span of a gnat but personally I found that the time wasted on the wacky notion of character development made me care what happened to them later, when they're fighting for their lives on a cold-hearted killer of a mountain.
Dumb reviews aside, there is plenty of climbing drama throughout the movie, well before the assault on the Eiger. To give a little background, I visited the Eiger in a non-climbing visit 25 years ago, buying this postcard at the Jungfraujoch. Notice the label for the Hinterstoisser traverse about a third of the way up. Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser are the two primary climbers and the Hinterstoisser traverse gets its name from a maneuver Hinterstoisser used, running/swinging along the face of the mountain in an increasing arc in order to reach an inaccessible route upwards. Early in the movie, you see Hinterstoisser nearly die using this maneuver on a more pedestrian mountain, so when you see him start to go for it on the bloody Eiger, the suspense is amazing.
In the movie, Hinterstoisser and Kurz unfortunately team up with a pair of Austrians, one of whom suffers some bad injuries that require retreat. So they're not only on the Mountain from Hell, they're trying to descend it in horrible weather carrying a disabled man.
The Eiger has a number of long term features, including a few ice fields (a big challenge if you don't have crampons). Another, visible on the postcard above, is labeled Spinne, German for Spider. In bad weather, you can freeze to death on the vertical wall of the Eiger. In good weather, temperature changes release volleys of rocks and ice, which the Spider "drops" onto you.
Anyway, I hope that you will tale a chance on this movie, which is available for streaming from Netflix. You'll want to see it before Hollywood's Mediocrity Factory attempts to clone it, replacing the awesome actors in the German version with Anne Hathaway and cast Jack Black and Tom Cruise in what has become a 1930s bromance.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Why kellyoxford should stick to whimsy
Kelly Oxford is a poster on twitter who is usually quite humorous and enjoyable, with a keen sense of snark. However, in response to last weekend's tragic shootings in Arizona, she took it upon herself to lecture the US about why Canada's gun laws are better.
It's unfortunate that she's fallen into the trap our two closely related countries frequently rediscover, why we shouldn't try to urge the other country to emulate us. When I visit Canada, I embrace their country without trying to encourage gun rights activism or even encouraging them to at least allow women to carry pepper spray for self defense. I suggest she do the same, especially as she is now doing some work for Hollywood.
(Full disclosure: I consider myself a consistent liberal and therefore consider most gun controls about as appetizing and smart as analogous attacks on reproductive rights. And attacking the NRA is about as cool in my mind as attacking the ACLU or GLAAD)
One thing that I found disturbing about her comments is how blithely they gloss over the fact that in Canada, a bad breakup ever can mean you can never own a gun. If all it takes is a vindictive ex without even the legal proof of a restraining order, that's a pretty poor basis for governing.
Finally, another of her tweets concludes with "and you aren't billed for treating your cancer", which is demonstrably untrue. Otherwise, why would Spider Robinson and his unfortunately now-deceased wife and collaborator have been financially devastated by her battle with cancer?
Stick to being amusing, kellyoxford, you're much better at it.
It's unfortunate that she's fallen into the trap our two closely related countries frequently rediscover, why we shouldn't try to urge the other country to emulate us. When I visit Canada, I embrace their country without trying to encourage gun rights activism or even encouraging them to at least allow women to carry pepper spray for self defense. I suggest she do the same, especially as she is now doing some work for Hollywood.
(Full disclosure: I consider myself a consistent liberal and therefore consider most gun controls about as appetizing and smart as analogous attacks on reproductive rights. And attacking the NRA is about as cool in my mind as attacking the ACLU or GLAAD)
One thing that I found disturbing about her comments is how blithely they gloss over the fact that in Canada, a bad breakup ever can mean you can never own a gun. If all it takes is a vindictive ex without even the legal proof of a restraining order, that's a pretty poor basis for governing.
Finally, another of her tweets concludes with "and you aren't billed for treating your cancer", which is demonstrably untrue. Otherwise, why would Spider Robinson and his unfortunately now-deceased wife and collaborator have been financially devastated by her battle with cancer?
Stick to being amusing, kellyoxford, you're much better at it.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Let's Be Smart, Here
1. Stop arguing about whether the current TSA nonsense is Obama's fault or Bush's and concentrate on ending it. I'm starting to see more of the typical political wanking that sabotages discussion of serious issues. Let's focus on ending this assault on our freedoms and not get bogged down in assigning blame.
2. It's possible that the TSA may be trying to create uncertainty by implementing different screening rules at different places, with Pistole saying in one press release that hes standing firm on these policies and in others that they'll be fine-tuned. The arrogant prick needs to be fired, along with Janet Napolitano.
3. Various sources are calling the organizers and participants in National Opt Out Day irresponsible for planning the event just prior to Thanksgiving. To be blunt, they are full of shit. The longer we just let the TSA's assaults on our privacy to stay in place, the likelier it is that they'll be permanent. This could be very likely of they are allowed to continue past the Holiday Season. Let's act on the momentum that we now have!
4. Think about writing your state and federal representatives, repeatedly, this week. Say politely but firmly that these policies are ludicrous and that you expect them to take measures to defund the TSA or evict them from local airports. At least urge that the TSA be kept on a much shorter leash. New York and New Jersey, not the most libertarian states in the country, have already done this.
5. Contact your local airport and tell them that you want them to jettison the TSA and implement a screening process that is smart and not an assault on traveler's dignity. Several airports have
Here are some links to recent developments that give hope for suggestions 4 or 5 working: 1 2 3 4
6. Join or post comments to your representatives through the American Civil Liberties Union pr the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
If you find any or all of these suggestions to be of value, forward them to a few friends and ask them to do the same.
2. It's possible that the TSA may be trying to create uncertainty by implementing different screening rules at different places, with Pistole saying in one press release that hes standing firm on these policies and in others that they'll be fine-tuned. The arrogant prick needs to be fired, along with Janet Napolitano.
3. Various sources are calling the organizers and participants in National Opt Out Day irresponsible for planning the event just prior to Thanksgiving. To be blunt, they are full of shit. The longer we just let the TSA's assaults on our privacy to stay in place, the likelier it is that they'll be permanent. This could be very likely of they are allowed to continue past the Holiday Season. Let's act on the momentum that we now have!
4. Think about writing your state and federal representatives, repeatedly, this week. Say politely but firmly that these policies are ludicrous and that you expect them to take measures to defund the TSA or evict them from local airports. At least urge that the TSA be kept on a much shorter leash. New York and New Jersey, not the most libertarian states in the country, have already done this.
5. Contact your local airport and tell them that you want them to jettison the TSA and implement a screening process that is smart and not an assault on traveler's dignity. Several airports have
Here are some links to recent developments that give hope for suggestions 4 or 5 working: 1 2 3 4
6. Join or post comments to your representatives through the American Civil Liberties Union pr the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
If you find any or all of these suggestions to be of value, forward them to a few friends and ask them to do the same.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Why the people who allegedly support TSA screening don't matter
1. If the new enhanced pat-downs don't cross the line with these people, nothing will. They'd clearly tie a ribbon around their junk and pirouette through the metal detector singing "I'm a Little Teapot" if someone with a badge told them it was necessary to the security of air travel.
2. Far too few American s are proactive about protecting their rights. Only a small fraction of the population makes the effort to join the ACLU, NRA, NARAL, EFF or any other pro-right organization. The vast majority people just do as they're told, with some realizing the mistake of that approach when some rule they could have taken action about bites them. The minority of the population that joins organizations like those and is politically active are the watchdogs that reduce government power grabs.
2. Far too few American s are proactive about protecting their rights. Only a small fraction of the population makes the effort to join the ACLU, NRA, NARAL, EFF or any other pro-right organization. The vast majority people just do as they're told, with some realizing the mistake of that approach when some rule they could have taken action about bites them. The minority of the population that joins organizations like those and is politically active are the watchdogs that reduce government power grabs.
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