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Government

Submission + - 1,000 Russian schools using Linux (www.osor.eu)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "Linux has been installed in over one thousand schools in Russia, and is part of a much larger over-all deployment of Linux in the Russian military and other government institutions, according to one IBM official speaking at the Latvian Open Technology Conference in Riga on 12 November:

'The Russian military has been working on its own version of GNU/Linux, parts of which have recently been declassified by the All-Russian Scientific and Research Institute of Control Automation in the Non-Industrial Sphere (Vniins). According to Guriev, many specialised version of GNU/Linux distributions are produced, often in response to requests by local governments. In three Russian regions, most of the PCs in use in about a thousand schools have been switched over to GNU/Linux.'

"
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Year of Linux on the Desktop - in one small town? (mercurynews.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "Linux advocates have been touting the year of Linux on the desktop every year for several years running. But now a group of GNU and Linux enthusiasts are holding a publicity stunt to move one small town, Felton, California, to Linux on the desktop, according to this story in the San Jose Mercury News. According to the group's website, the group will start holding town meetings on July 13 to convince just this one small town of 1,051 people near Silicon Valley to experiment with conducting their daily business using only Free Open Source Software on the desktop, for one week starting Monday, July 28, 2008, and running through Sunday, August 3, 2008. The group is calling themselves "Lindependence 2008", in a play of words on the US Independence Day holiday weekend, which commences on July fourth."
Government

Submission + - Canada's Libraries favor ODF, Net Neutrality (www.cla.ca)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "A consortium of Canada's public and university libraries, called the Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques )(CLA/ACB), has passed a formal resolution in favor of ODF over OOXML, and a second resolution in favor of Internet Neutrality, in a vote of the group's 63rd Annual meeting on May 24, 2008, in Vancouver. The Net Neutrality resolution urges the Canadian government to:

're-examine the Telecommunications Act in order to clearly legislate in favour of a neutral Internet, requiring ISPs to comply with common carriage provisions and conduct business in a manner that is open, transparent, and accountable'
The open format resoltuion states that ODF is more well-suited to allowing libraries to 'fulfill their role of preserving and providing access to information', in contrast to OOXML, which the CLA/ACB find is 'not sufficiently open, interoperable, or vendor-neutral' to assist libraries in their role of disseminating information."

Comment No implementations of Microsoft's OOXML (Score 4, Interesting) 62

by christian.einfeldt (#23514962) Attached to: New York and Minnesota Publish Open Document Studies
It is important to remember that there are no implementations in the real world of Microsoft's OOXML schema, as discussed in Andy Updegrove's blog, quoting David Worthington:

http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20080521092930864

Worthington's story includes quotes from Matusow and Mahugh that provide intriguing insights into how the decisions were made. After noting that saving to the OASIS ODF 1.1 format would now be possible, Worthington writes:

However, the company is not quick to embrace its own creation. Mahugh stated that Microsoft would not implement the final ISO version of OOXML until Office 14 ships at an unstated date in the future. This variant of OOXML was designated ISO/IEC 29500 at the time it was certified as an ISO International standard in April.

"One way to look at it is the prioritization of formats," Mahugh explained. "We reach a point in time where we have to decide whether to continue to invest in a previous version [of Office] or to cut the cord and move forward."

ODF support was a priority for Microsoft, Mahugh noted, adding that "real world" customers say that there is a pressing need for PDF [AU: ODF?] support. "At this point there are no products using [ISO/IEC 29500] in the marketplace."

When will Microsoft support its own file format? Worthingon quotes Gartner Research's Michael Silver on that question as follows:

"Customers that are expecting true document fidelity from XML-based, ISO-standard document formats will continue to be disappointed." Silver observed that the most compatible formats to use today are Microsoft's legacy binaries, and he believes that Microsoft will be unlikely to convince customers to move to OOXML in the foreseeable future.
Music

Submission + - The End of Music "Ownership"by consumers? (mp3tunes.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "Michael Robertson, CEO of MP3tunes, has posted a thread to his MP3tunes.com forum accusing major record label EMI of engaging in scorched-earth litigation tatics as part of its drive to force music consumers to re-rent the same music titles over and over again. Robertson says that the RIAA has acknowledged that copying by individuals for their own access is legal, which is what Robertson claims MP3tunes is doing. Robertson says that he believes EMI is trying to do with its suit against MP3tunes is scuttle consumer expectation of ownership of digital content:

'If you don't have the right to store your own music online then you won't have the right to store ebooks, videos and other digital products as well. The notion of ownership in the 21st century will evaporate.'
A skeptic would say that Robertson is just trying to save his own skin; but on the other hand, this is one point where Robertson and Richard Stallman agree."
Linux Business

Submission + - Dell is satisfied with sales of Linux machines (computerworld.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "According to ComputerWorld magazine on-line, Dell is pleased with its sales of notebook and desktop computers preloaded with Ubuntu Linux. As a result, the number two computer manufacturer is continuing to expand the pre-loaded Linux program to new computer models and markets. 'A [sales] number is not going to validate it as much as our actions to date,' which include adding new models and configurations, said Dell spokeswoman Anne Camden. Dell's decision to offer pre-loaded Linux was the result of suggestions by more than 100,000 people who posted to Dell's IdeaStorm website in February, 2007. Ten weeks later, in May last year, Dell announced that it would begin selling Linux-loaded machines to consumers and businesses."

Why Microsoft Won't Have Blu-ray on the Xbox 395

Posted by CmdrTaco from the wtb-final-fantasy-on-360 dept.
Ian Lamont writes "Ever since Toshiba stopped production of HD DVD players, many Xbox 360 owners have been wondering when Microsoft will offer some sort of Blu-ray option for the Xbox 360. The answer: Probably never. Microsoft's product manager for the Xbox 360 has told Reuters that Microsoft is not in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association. Why not? The Industry Standard points to HDi, an obscure Microsoft technology that was part of the HD DVD interactivity layer. HDi may be dead on physical media, but it could potentially be applied to other Microsoft HD-compatible technologies such as Xbox Live Arcade and Windows Media Center, and be part of a long-term play to own a big share of the market for HD content delivered over the Internet."
Social Networks

Submission + - Lessig bets on social networking to clean up gov. (wired.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "Stanford Law Professor Larry Lessig really 'gets it' when it comes to the efficacy of distributed open source code production, and now he is attempting to use distributed production methods to expose corruption in the US Congress with the launch of another 'cc' organization, this time called 'Change Congress'. CC (as opposed to cc for Creative Commons) would invite users to track whether US legislators are willing to commit to Change Congress' four pledges. CC will rely on users to record and map the positions of candidates who are running for open seats in the US House and the Senate. Change Congress will use a Google mash-up to create a map depicting which legislators have taken the CC pledge, which have declined, and which have signaled support for planks in the Change-Congress platform. The four pledges (which are not numbered 0 through 3) basically call for greater transparency in government, and less influence of private money in shaping legislation."
Government

Submission + - Google calls for unification of OOXML into ODF (blogspot.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "In an official Google blog, Google's Open Source Programs Manager, Zaheda Bhorat, calls for unification of Microsoft's Office Open XML (OOXML) electronic document specification into the existing ISO standard, the OpenDocument Format. Ms. Bhorat's post, submitted from Geneva, Switerland, is directed to the members of the ISO National Boards there in Geneva who are now in the midst of an intense 5-day Ballot Resolution Meeting aimed at deciding the fate of Microsoft's bid for ISO status for OOXML. Her post is interesting because it articulates a view that seems most likely to get Microsoft over the hump of thousands of objections lodged by ISO members during a prior vote last September, when Microsoft's efforts fell 13% short of reaching the required 67% mark. She suggests using the best of OOXML to improve the current ISO standard, ODF, formally known as ISO/IEC 26300:2006, via a process called 'unification.' As it is, though, according to Ms. Bhorat, OOXML would be 'insufficient and unnecessary' as a stand-alone second standard without unification."
Mozilla

Submission + - Firefox hits 500 million downloads (mozilla.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "The official Mozilla blog is announcing that the Free Open Source Firefox web browser has hit the auspicious landmark of 500 million downloads. Of course, this number has tremendous implications for the growth of Free Open Source Software, as the success of this wildly popular browser means that more websites will need to plan for interoperability with Firefox, which in turns blunts attempts by proprietary software vendors from restricting the web browsing experience of users of Free Open Source Software operating systems such as GNU Linux, BSD, and Solaris."
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Study Proves Squirrels Capable of Deception (discovery.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "In a case of science proving what we already knew, it turns out that squirrels really are devious and clever little creatures capable of deceiving other squirrels and even humans with deceptive nut-caching behavior. Biologists at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA, tracked squirrels as they went about hiding their nuts for the winter. The squirrels were able to tell when the researchers were pilfering nuts that the squirrels had cached, and adjusted their behavior accordingly to defeat those same researchers from digging up subsequently-buried treasures. But Professor Lisa Leaver, a senior lecturer of psychology at the University of Exeter, cautioned against concluding that squirrels can 'think' in the human sense: 'no one has yet proven that squirrels can understand the intentions of others, which would mean that they possess "theory of mind," so she [Leaver] thinks it's possible squirrels simply act based on trial and error.'"
Government

Submission + - Microsoft's View of Standards as Tools of War (boycottnovell.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "Tech media maven Roy Schestowitz and Pamela Jones of Groklaw have unearthed 1997 documents from the Iowa anti-trust case of 'Comes v. Microsoft,' in which Microsoft Technical Evangelist James Plamondon talks about the importance of stacking seemingly 'neutral' panels to assure that Microsoft platforms are adopted as de facto standards. In a 'Highly Confidential' document entitled 'Evangelism is War', Plamondon justifies his step-by-step strategy for stacking 'neutral' panels as a necessary act of 'war.' He suggests ways to enhance the apparent popularity of Microsoft platforms as standards for the purpose of convincing 'enemies' that adoption of the Microsoft platform as a standard is inevitable, and 'surrender' is the only option. Groklaw's Pamela Jones draws a parallel to the current-day work of Technical Evangelist Rick Jelliffe, who says that he has been hired by Microsoft to act as a 'Devil's Advocate' for the National Board of Australia in Microsoft's upcoming bid to have Microsoft's Office Open XML (OOXML) accepted as a second international electronic document format ISO standard. Recent efforts by Microsoft to change the composition of the ISO national panels have resulted in some controversy and have spawned a new EU probe into potential anti-trust claims based on the way that Microsoft influenced the composition of some of the national boards to vote in the upcoming ISO ballot."
Linux Business

Submission + - SCO to obtain $100 million investment (groklaw.net)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "SCO Group Inc. said private equity firm Stephen Norris Capital Partners and partners in the Middle East will provide up to $100 million to finance SCO's efforts to go private and get out of bankruptcy. Groklaw notes that the press release says that this investment will allow SCO to 'to see SCO's legal claims through to their full conclusion', which Pamela Jones interprets as more courtroom attacks on Tux."
Government

Submission + - Microsoft standing firm on OOXML ISO vote (fanaticattack.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "Microsoft has responded via the industry trade goup ECMA to some of the thousands of criticisms of its submission of Office Open XML (OOXML) as an ISO standard. Open standards advocate Russell Ossendryver takes a look at those responses to see if Microsoft has made significant changes in either the substance of OOXML or the manner in which the OOXML specification will be maintained going forward. Ossendryver concludes that Microsoft's position has not siginficantly changed, but only hardened in place in advance of the Ballot Resolution Meeting which is to occur from February 25 through 29 in Geneva, Switzerland. While no one can say for certain whether Microsoft will succeed in having its OOXML specification win the nod from the international community, Ossendryer thinks that Microsoft's firm stance will actually backfire."
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Why a live Linux CD? (fanaticattack.com)

Submitted by
christian.einfeldt
christian.einfeldt writes: "Regular Slashdot readers know that one of the best uses of a live Linux CDs is to rescue a crippled Windows box, but now Free Open Source Software advocate Russell Ossendryver has written a newbie-friendly tip sheet that will resonate with Windows users who are the first to call in a panic when Microsoft Windows gives up the ghost. Ossendryver's tip page offers pleasing screen shots which step the new user through the process of using the Live CD to bring that crippled Windows box back to life with a new (GNU) operating system. Printing out Ossendryver's article and wrapping it around a live Linux CD and leaving it in easy reach of that end user's Windows machine might save a few hours of tech support later on."

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