Submission + - A sick graph of government spending on the war vs (solarpowerrocks.com)
SunnyDE writes: "A sick graph of government spending on the war vs renewable energy"
Submission + - Auctioning H-1B Visas Instead of Complaining
Chris Chiasson writes: "Every year, we hear about technology companies complaining that they can't find enough skilled workers in America to fill their open positions. Every year, we hear accusations that these companies just want to spend less on payroll by hiring foreign workers. So, my question to you is, instead of paying a flat fee for workers to acquire these visas, why not subject the visa slots to auctions? By tying the slots to auctions, I think we could be more sure that companies that really need the foreign workers they say they do — since they would likely be paying through the nose. Also, it could give a cost advantage to American workers. The government would probably like the proposal since it would result in more revenue. What do you think?"
Submission + - SCO Group admits it may fold (news.com)
mytrip writes: "Having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, SCO claims it may go under permanently, depending on how much the court decides it owes Novell.
The SCO Group may need to wind up its operations after its copyright case against Novell collapsed, prompting it to file for bankruptcy.
"As a result of both the court's August 10, 2007, ruling and our entry into Chapter 11, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern," read part of a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, made on Tuesday."
The SCO Group may need to wind up its operations after its copyright case against Novell collapsed, prompting it to file for bankruptcy.
"As a result of both the court's August 10, 2007, ruling and our entry into Chapter 11, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern," read part of a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, made on Tuesday."
Submission + - Stealthy Windows update raises serious concerns
UniversalVM writes: What is the single biggest issue that bothers open source advocates about proprietary software? It is probably the ability of the vendor to pull stunts like this.
Windows has stealthily updated components of the operating system using its update service. The update will not be flagged even if you have set up your update to notify you and only execute if permitted.
The weak explanation seems to be a great exercise in circular logic "Had we failed to update the service automatically, users would not have been able to successfully check for updates and, in turn, users would not have had updates installed automatically or received expected notifications." News.com is reporting that all of the updated files on both XP and Vista appears to be in windows update itself. This is information that was independently uncovered by users and still not released by Microsoft.
More interestingly could this be construed as a hacking of Windows users' systems? Does the EULA specify that Microsoft has the right to silently break into my machine, change components of the operating system and ignore any settings that explicitly prohibit this sort of behavior? Seems like a good argument could be made for Microsoft breaking into a system without the users' permission.
The weak explanation seems to be a great exercise in circular logic "Had we failed to update the service automatically, users would not have been able to successfully check for updates and, in turn, users would not have had updates installed automatically or received expected notifications." News.com is reporting that all of the updated files on both XP and Vista appears to be in windows update itself. This is information that was independently uncovered by users and still not released by Microsoft.
More interestingly could this be construed as a hacking of Windows users' systems? Does the EULA specify that Microsoft has the right to silently break into my machine, change components of the operating system and ignore any settings that explicitly prohibit this sort of behavior? Seems like a good argument could be made for Microsoft breaking into a system without the users' permission.
Microsoft Patent Deal Could Leave Novell Behind 246
robbyyy writes to mention a Computer Business Review Online article about commentary from Bruce Perens to Novell, about their recent deal with Microsoft. He argues that the company should quickly turn its back on the deal, because Novell risks being left behind by open source progress. From the article: "While Linux creator Linus Torvalds has previously stated that the Linux kernel will remain on the GPL v2 license, much of the code that makes up a complete Linux distribution is owned by the FSF, which intends to re-license all its code to GPL v3 as soon as it is completed in early 2007. 'In the face of these changes, Novell will probably be stuck with old versions of the software, under old licenses, with Novell sustaining the entire cost and burden of maintaining that software,' Perens wrote, adding that Novell faces a choice of sticking with Microsoft and being left behind, or turning its back on the patent deal."
