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Google

Submission + - Google Android not so open after all (arstechnica.com)

Mr. Roboto writes: There may be high expectations for Google's Android mobile platform, but recent developments are leading some to question Google's commitment to the development community and platform. Google is secretly releasing updated SDK versions to Android Developer Challenges finalists under NDA — and to no one else. 'This was revealed yesterday when Google employee David McLaughlin accidentally sent notification of a new SDK release to a public Android mailing list. The message, which was intended only for ADC Round two entrants, says that SDK build 84853 is available through the private ADC download site. McLaughlin later apologized for mistakenly sending the message to the wrong list. ADC Round two participants have confirmed that they have access to updated SDK builds but declined to provide further details because they are bound by non-disclosure agreements.'
Portables (Apple)

Submission + - iPhone 3G not so hot for the enterprise after all (arstechnica.com)

BakkiesBotha writes: Apple's 3G iPhone has been touted for its enterprise-friendly features, but a review from Ars Technica indicates that there's still a lot of work to be done before it has any hope of replacing BlackBerrys and Windows Mobile devices. 'If you think that the iPhone is a drop-in BlackBerry replacement, think again. More than one BlackBerry user will run out and get the iPhone, only to be disappointed upon learning everything that the iPhone can't do... there's still no search. That's right: after a year of complaints from consumers and getting slammed by the business sector for this, Apple answers this issue with... nothing.' There's also no invite management system, another feature where the BlackBerry wins. The overall verdict? 'It's great as a consumer device, but with enterprise users' expectations having been raised this time around, we feel it still has quite a ways to go.'
Graphics

Submission + - Trolltech adopts GPL 3 for Qt (arstechnica.com)

Funkmaster F writes: At the KDE Developer Conference today, Trolltech CEO Havaard Nord announced that its Qt application development toolkit will be released under GPL 3. 'Here at the KDE release event, Nord's announcement was met with applause. Like Trolltech's initial decision to move from its own QPL license to the GPL, this announcement and the company's more recent decision to adopt the GPL for all platforms rather than just Linux, demonstrate the company's ongoing commitment to openness.'
Linux

ESR's Desktop Linux 2008 Deadline 535

jesboat noted Eric S. Raymond and Rob Landley's essay about what the Linux community must do to achieve dominance entitled "World Domination 201". It says "Idealism about open formats will not solve our multimedia problem in time; in fact, getting stuck on either belief in the technical superiority of open source or free-software purism guarantees we will lose. The remaining problems aren't technical ones, and none of the interesting patents will expire before the end of 2008. We've got to ship something that works now. If we let this be a blocking issue preventing overall Linux adoption during the transition window, we won't have the userbase to demand changes in the laws to untangle the screwed up patent system, or even prevent it from getting worse. It's a chicken and egg problem, demanding a workaround until a permanent solution can be achieved. We can't set the standards until after we take over the world."

Experts Fear Future Will be Like Sci-Fi Movies 374

segphault writes "In the year 2020, Luddite terrorists attack technology infrastructure and artificial intelligences dominate earth! Or at least that's what 700 experts predict in the latest poll conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (pdf). Is the future really going to be like a science fiction movie? Ars Technica provides a humorous overview of the survey results. From the article: 'Are these scenarios really indicative of future trends? Given the prevalence of many of these concepts in science fiction content, it is obvious that the ideas themselves are at least relevant enough to warrant consideration. That said, the nature of the survey and the way that the scenarios are presented makes the entire thing seem less plausible. In looking at classic science fiction films of the past, from Blade Runner to Soylent Green, one realizes that few of them really predict with any accuracy the world we live in today. Culture and technology can change in radically unpredictable ways, and today's experts may lack the foresight to perceive the future with the clarity of Hari Seldon.'"

Plasma: The Next-Generation KDE Environment Review 240

slashy writes, "MadPenguin has taken a quick look at Plasma, the next gen. KDE environment. 'Plasma is an ambitious project being pursued by the KDE 4 team which aims at providing a workflow-sensitive design of the user interface that improves productivity of an average KDE user. The focus is on improving the clarity and reducing the clutter present in today's desktops. The plasma development will bring together key contributors, such as the visual artists, usability experts, technology experts, programmers, and enthusiasts at a very early stage during the development process. This will enable them to create a new desktop environment that meets the requirements of novices and experts alike.'"

eBay to Enter Contextual Ads Market 55

prostoalex writes "Reuters reports eBay is planning to roll out its own contextual ads network, thus claiming its stake in booming Internet advertising market. Currently both Google and Yahoo! run contextual ads programs (AdSense and Publisher Network, respectively) with MSN's AdCenter not open to publishers yet." From the article: "What goods appear in any particular advertisement will be determined by the keywords on that Web page, a technique known as contextual advertising. A sports Web site would feature links to sporting gear or memorabilia from eBay, for example. As listings change on eBay, advertising automatically changes on affiliated Web sites to reflect the new products or services for sale on eBay. Web site affiliates receive a cut of 40 percent to 70 percent of sales, depending on volumes."

Comment Re:What is the EFF defending? (Score 3, Insightful) 217

Your first point isn't relevant to anything at all, because taking pictures doesn't constitute infringment. Publishing those pictures constitutes infringement under French law, but the pictures weren't distributed in France, they were distributed on the Internet by an American company. Under those conditions, French law is only applicable under the terms of comity. International copyright treaties like the Berne Convention don't even give protected status to fashions, so publication of the images in this case is only infringement if you argue that the Internet as a whole is subject to the regulatory practices of every nation simeltaneously.

By enforcing a foreign intellectual property law on content hosted and distributed by an American server, the court would essentially be creating a legal precedent that would allow other countries to enforce other kinds of laws on American servers. Doing so would fundamentally alter the definitive nature of comity. Are you arguing that only intellectual property laws should be enforced this way, but not other laws regarding content regulation?

I didn't twist your point, I just addressed implications that you obviously never considered.

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