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The Internet

Submission + - Are social networks the new operating systems?

Submitted by social network watch
social network watch writes: Last week, Paypal founder Max Levchin, argued that Microsoft's biggest threat is MySpace, not Google. From InformationWeek: "Social networks, said Levchin, are becoming operating systems in the sense that they create consumer lock-in through control of user data." Now news comes that Facebook will announce a new strategy that will see outside companies being allowed to set-up-shop on the social network so that they can leverage "Facebook users' networks of online friends". Thus turning Facebook into a platform. This is more evidence of what Tim O'Reilly calls 'data as the new Intel Inside' where "the winner will be the company that first reaches critical mass via user aggregation, and turns that aggregated data into a system service." So are social networks like Facebook trying to become the new operating systems?
NASA

Submission + - NASA's future inflatable lunar base

Submitted by
Roland Piquepaille
Roland Piquepaille writes: "If you think that future NASA's moon camps need to have a science fiction look, you might be disappointed. Today, NASA is testing small inflatable structures. In fact, if these expandable 'tents' receive positive reviews, astronauts will 'camp' on the moon as early as 2020. These 12-foot (3.65 meter) diameter inflatable units could be used as building blocks for a future lunar base. Right now, a prototype is tested at NASA's Langley Research Center. But NASA also wants to test other inflatable structures in the not-too-friendly environment of the Antarctic next year. Still, it's too early to know if NASA's first habitable lunar base will use inflatable or rigid structures. Here you'll find more details about this project and pictures showing this NASA's inflatable lunar basic unit during and after deployment."
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft investing in new copy protection

Submitted by daniel_howell
daniel_howell writes: According to this article, Microsoft is in investing in a different approach to copy protection. The technology in questions imprints a file with a combination of a "watermark" and a "fingerprint", identifying who bought the music (or video or whatever) and who has the rights to use it. I guess the eventual idea is to combine it with web-crawling technology such as the prototype in this story, and then go after file sharers directly.

It all sounds a bit Big Brother — but it has to better than selling me something that doesn't let me play the file where I want. And it is in line with most copy protection laws around the world, not just the USA.
Encryption

Submission + - Legal Battle For AACS Begins

Submitted by henrypijames
henrypijames writes: As widely expected, the MPAA has learned nothing from the debacle of its failed prosecution against DVD Jon (of DeCSS) and is now releasing its army of lawyers to fight against the circumvention of AACS (the successor of CSS): Upon the reception of a DMCA takedown notice, SourceForge has immediately terminated its hosting of BackupHDDVD (a tool to backup HD DVD movies, as its suggestes). The project leader is seeking advice on how to proceed.
Mozilla

Submission + - Firefox 3.0 Opens Door to Web Apps, Mozilla Says

Submitted by MilwaukeeCharlie
MilwaukeeCharlie writes: CIO Magazine is reporting some buzz about Firefox 3.0, due to be released later this year.

Some of the likely new features include:
  • Offline support for web apps
  • New paradigm for "bookmarks" and "history"
  • Built-in database (SQL Lite), used for full-text indexing of the cache
  • Support for Javascript 2
Businesses

Submission + - Stock Market Drop Blamed on Computer Error

Submitted by
WebHostingGuy
WebHostingGuy writes: "Today the Dow Jones Industrial Index dropped a little over 3% in value. Stock market swings come and go but it is interesting that the sudden drop in the stock market is the result of a computer glitch. According to MSNBC, the computers running were not properly calculating trades. This led to the switch to a backup system which led to several seconds delay which impacted the Dow. Even now after the close of the market spokesmen for the NYSE Group Inc. could not confirm if all closing share prices were even valid."
Linux Business

Submission + - Ubuntu Feisty Fawn gets closer

Submitted by daria42
daria42 writes: Ubuntu developers are finalising preparations for the release of the next version — dubbed Feisty Fawn — of the popular Linux distribution in mid-April. Overnight, Ubuntu developer Tollef Fog Heen announced Ubuntu's main software repository had been frozen — with no changes allowed to the code — as developers got ready to issue a fifth major test version ("Herd 5") of the next version of Ubuntu.
Microsoft

Submission + - VMware cries foul over Microsoft virtualisation

Submitted by daria42
daria42 writes: The battle to control the virtualisation market has heated up with the launch of a white paper from VMware, which accuses Microsoft of anti-competitive practices. In language reminiscent of Microsoft's anti-trust battles in the US and its ongoing struggle with the European Union, VMware claimed that the software giant is "forcing [its] specifications and APIs on the industry", and "trying to restrict customers' flexibility and freedom to choose virtualisation software".
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Bad Usability Calendar 2007

Submitted by
Scott Falconer
Scott Falconer writes: "I think I'm going to put this up in the break room at work. Each month violates a specific design heuristic, but is presumably still usable. Be aware though: "Violating yet another usability guideline, the file is formatted to print on European-sized paper, and there doesn't seem to be a version designed for American paper sizes." http://www.iallenkelhet.no/bad-usability-calendar- 2007-is-here"
Businesses

Can Apple Penetrate the Corporation? 500

Posted by kdawson from the awareness-gap dept.
coondoggie sends us a NetworkWorld story on the prospects for Apple gaining market share in the corporation. A number of factors are helping to catch the eye of those responsible for upgrading desktops and servers, the article claims: "Apple's shift to the Intel architecture; the inclusion of infrastructure and interoperability hooks, such as directory services, in the Mac OS X Server; dual-boot capabilities; clustering and storage technology; third-party virtualization software; and comparison shopping, which is being fostered by migration costs and hardware overhauls associated with Microsoft's Vista." On this last point, one network admin is quoted: "The changes in Vista are significant enough that we think we can absorb the change going to Macs just as easily as going to Vista."

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