Comment Re:lame (Score 1) 236
There's a huge difference between relying on potentially illegal modchipping and having an open platform to begin with, that lets the user choose what to install and use.
Comment Re:lame (Score 1) 236
I don't worry about myself, I worry about the majority of internet users in the future, and where this development will take the market.
Just imagine a world where web pages start to get replaced by apps, controlled by apple. That is not a nice picture, but it's where current developments are taking us.
Comment Re:lame (Score 1) 236
Well, no? OSX is an open computing platform, where you can compile your own binaries and where you are free to use your harware more or less as you see fit.
Also, Apple has never before been in a situation where it starting to become dominant.
Dominance + hardware lockdown is my issue here.
Comment Re:lame (Score 4, Interesting) 236
Console?
No, think iPad. Do you think a disassembler or virtualisation software will be allowed to enter the App Store? Me neither.
We are already starting to lose the hardware battle to Apple. Apple owns the hardware, not you. RIAA and MPAA owns the content, not you. Then they can make deals without bothering with pesky details such as customers.
The biggest threat to information freedom today is Apple and the iOS.
Librarians Express Concern Over Google Books 144
angry tapir writes "Many libraries routinely delete borrower information, and organizations such as the American Library Association have fought hard to preserve the privacy of their patrons in the face of laws such as the US Patriot Act. But now, as more and more titles become available in Google Book Search, it's not clear whether digital readers will enjoy the same privacy protections they have at the library."
Submission + - Documentary About Swedish Wiretapping Released (wiretappingsweden.com)
Praedon writes: "Recently covered here on slashdot, was about a law that was passed to engage in warrantless wiretapping called the FRA Law in Sweden. It has encouraged a group called Urban Lifestyle to release a documentary expressing the views of Swedish residents on the impact that the law will have on their rights to privacy. More information about the making of the documentary, the people involved in it, and their views on the law can be found on their blog."
