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Software

Submission + - Microsoft admits buying Swedish OOXML votes (nyteknik.se)

Submitted by ath
ath writes: In an interview with the swedish magazine NyTeknik , a Microsoft representative admits to "recommending" business partners to vote on OOXML.
Translated quotes from the article:
-We have been informing our business partners about the process at SIS. What is going on, what the time plan is and that Microsoft thinks it is good if OOXML becomes a standard
-In a letter from Microsoft, our business partners were informed that they were 'expected' to participate in the SIS meeting and vote yes. As a compensation they would get 'market benefits' and extra support in terms of microsoft resources.
-This was a mistake and the letter was sent by a single employee on his own initiative without sanctions from Microsoft. He also quickly realised his mistake and tried to recall the letter
-I can understand the critique about coup like voting. But I claim the voters knew the issue well and had their own interest in OOXML becoming an ISO standard
(Interviewer) -Has this harmed Microsoft?
-Time will tell. But almost all customers we have been talking to thinks it would be good if OOXML became an ISO standard.
Education

Submission + - New theory on 5,000-year-old Iceman's death (www.ctv.ca)

Submitted by CmpEng
CmpEng writes: ROME, Italy — Researchers studying Iceman, the 5,000-year-old mummy found frozen in the Italian Alps, have come up with a new theory for how he died, saying he died from head trauma, not by bleeding to death from an arrow. Just two months ago, researchers in Switzerland published an article in the Journal of Archeological Science saying the mummy — also known as Oetzi — had died after the arrow tore a hole in an artery beneath his left collarbone, leading to massive loss of blood, shock and heart attack.
Software

Submission + - Harvard releases disruptive P2P file sharing code (harvard.edu)

Submitted by Instant_Harvard_Groupie
Instant_Harvard_Groupie writes: Today Harvard released a program what they hope is a first peek at a new generation of P2P file sharing. Their P2P software demonstrates a 'deft trick'. It turns Internet bandwidth into a global currency.
They explore the generation of P2P beyond Bittorrent tit-fot-tat by creating a leak-free economy. They also fully integrated TOR into their software to demonstrate the fundamental flaws in tit-for-tat incentives. Quite disruptive for Youtube as they integrated video website search and you will never have visit such sites separately anymore. Features: keyword search, Bittorrent downloads, Youtube access, TOR integration, and LGPL. Platforms: Ubuntu, Mac, W95, Vista. May an army of law professors protect them from harm now and in the future because they have some serious P2P research plans..
Microsoft

Submission + - Irregularities reported in OOXML ISO process (europa.eu)

Submitted by Basile Schaeli
Basile Schaeli writes: Irregularities are being reported in national standardisation bodies of several EU member states that are deciding how to vote on OOXML. Participants found issues in the voting process in Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands.

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