Comment Re:"Authorized" reproduction (Score 5, Informative) 99
There are some details about the legal hurdles behind the Apple-1 replica in this 2002 article from Wired:
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/news/2002/11/56426
Submission + - Building an Apple-1 from scratch - just like Woz (computerworld.com)
Lucas123 writes: "This year at the KansasFest, computer fans from around the world gathered to celebrate the Apple II — the computer that put Apple on the map. But the Apple-1 (a.k.a. the Apple I), the machine Steve Wozniak invented and first demonstrated at the Palo Alto Homebrew Computer Club in 1976 has always been near to my heart. In attendance at KansasFest was Vince Briel, who created an authorized reproduction the Apple-1 and showed others who to build their own. 'As a regular KansasFest attendee (and the conference's marketing director), I was one of his students. Follow along as I assemble a fully functional Apple-1 clone.'"
Submission + - Do Sci-Fi Films Get Advanced Tech Right? (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "With today's theatrical release of 'Star Trek', the starship Enterprise launches on its mission to seek out new life and new civilizations. Gene Roddenberry's vision for the future was founded on hope for humanity — but what powers his crew's ongoing trek across the stars is incredibly advanced technology. We're still a long way off from warp-drive engines. Yet despite this slow progress, the silver screen is consistently portraying less fiction and more prediction. Computerworld's Eugene Demaitre and Ken Gagne investigate their favorite sci-fi films to see how they reflect the reality of our times along six key technological lines: Artificial Intelligence, genetic engineering, virtual reality, cybersecurity, electronic surveillance and identity protection, and military tech."
Submission + - Internet Warfare: Are We On Target? (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "After about an hour of listening to testimony from five government and private-sector witnesses at a March 10 hearing by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) asked if any of them felt that the federal government was prepared to deal with a cybercatastrophe. Not one did. Jaikumar Vijayan explores the state of unreadiness in a special report. Don Tennant adds to that with 'The fog of (cyber) war,' which weighs up cybermilitias, black hat hackers and other non-nation-state bad guys that he says are blurring the lines on the virtual battlefield. What will the target be, should it happen? The low-hanging fruit we call software; or is the power grid even now ripe for picking? What's past is prologue? A short history of hacks, worms and cyberterror looks back as far as 1964 and the first 'phreakers.' Captain Crunch, anyone?"
Submission + - The Linux Gadget Hall of Fame -- your picks? (computerworld.com)
pottercw writes: "Gadget geek David Haskin has named the 10 Linux-based devices he'd induct into the Linux Gadget Hall of Fame, if there were such a thing — among them TiVo, Kindle, and ... the Motorola Ming? What do you think of his picks, and which products would you choose?"
Submission + - Nothing Easy About Apple In The Workplace (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "As enthusiasm grows around the Apple brand, the pressure mounts to support it in the enterprise. But a peek inside three businesses reveals that it has its challenges. Foremost: Mac veterans say Apple doesn't always act like other tech partners."
Submission + - E-lection Day: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "E-voting tech has come a long way since the 2000 election, when tech problems erased an estimated 1.5 million votes during one of the closest elections in U.S. history. While observers say that more people will vote on paper ballots — the gold standard (think: paper trail) — using optical scan machines than did in 2004, there is still room for plenty of e-voting glitches this year in a race that could have the highest turnout in 100 years. Computerworld reporters will contribute to our full-coverage e-voting live blog from early till late on Tuesday, plus CW has pulled all of its e-voting coverage together in a special report, which includes an interactive voting tech map. Will your vote count?"
Submission + - Microsoft to Finally Bring Office to the Web (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "After teasing the market multiple times, Microsoft will confirm today that it's finally bringing its cash cow desktop software to the Web and to smart phones. The four components are Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. They will become available when the next version of Office, code-named 'Office 14,' arrives late next year, Chris Capossela, senior vice president of Microsoft's business division, told Computerworld's Eric Lai. A private preview will come later this year. Capossela said of the risk of hurting Office software sales, 'The world tends to overestimate the cannibalization risk. We see an awesome growth opportunity.'"
Submission + - Google Street View, Walking Directions Go Mobile (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "Google today added free walking directions and the ability to find street-view imagery on a mobile device. Street View can be seen overlaid on a Google map on a mobile device, Google said.
A beta version of walking directions to mobile devices to aid those traveling on foot. Good news to people needing such direction: On Monday, Google upgraded My Location to include greater accuracy with cell tower geolocation."
Submission + - What's That Smell? Scented Laptop Struts Catwalk (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "PCs and fashion? Well, the shelf life of high-end tech gear is as ephemeral as the latest fashion trends. And witness Apple's success, or the recent interest in "geek chic." At the PROJECT Las Vegas fashion trade show this week, Microsoft Corp. is trying to bring the two worlds together, strutting its partners' coolest PC designs before fashionistas and style divas. But one standout goes beyond visual appeal: the new Asus F6V emits one of four scents matched to the color of the machine's case. The scents range from "Musky Black" to "Bloom" (pink), "Aqua Ocean" (blue) and "Morning Dew" (green). Don't worry too much if scents bother you... there's no Patchouli version for hippy-chic just yet."
Submission + - 5 Ways to Drive Your Best IT Staffers Out the Door (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "Listen up, managers: Employees don't quit the job; they quit you, writes Mary K. Pratt. Mistake No. 1: Keep the creative juices bottled up. There are four more that you've probably experienced. Micromanaging, anyone? If you are a boss or plan to be one, and want the best team possible, read on for what not to do."
Submission + - China Blocks iTunes Over Tibet Album? (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "iTunes customers who live in China have been blocked from accessing the online music store, say reports posted on Apple's Web site. Although some Chinese customers have speculated that authorities have barred the site because it recently started selling "Songs for Tibet," a compilation featuring musicians such as Sting and Alanis Morissette, an Apple spokesman in the U.S. declined to comment. A company spokeswoman in Beijing, however, told Reuters that the company was aware of the problem but did not provide any additional information. "ITunes is not being blocked in China from our end," one Apple tech support representative replied to a comment about blocked access, "but access to the iTunes Store IS restricted in some areas in China.""
Submission + - Forget 802.11n Hype: Wi-Fi Tweaks for Speed Freaks (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "Brian Nadel writes that claims made for wireless routers, like 300Mbit/sec. throughput and 1,000-foot range, are nothing more than digital pipe dreams. If you're disappointed by the speed and reach of your wireless network — and who isn't? — there's a lot you can do to grab every last bit of data and foot of range. Brian spent a few hours optimizing his network and more than doubled its indoor range from 90 to over 200 feet (with an additional 150-foot extension into my backyard) while increasing performance fifteenfold — all with a two-year-old 802.11g router."
Submission + - IT Schools to Watch (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "These leading-edge graduate schools are moving at the pace of real-world IT, delivering coursework that's relevant to today's IT professionals. Plus: How to tap the value of IT education in the harsh reality of the business world, and how to explain what you bring to the table. Home in on a career-boosting education at one of 56 leading IT schools in your area with this special report's interactive map."
Submission + - 'Very Important Victory' for Open Source Praised (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "Free software advocates are hailing a federal appeals court ruling that allows greater protection for open-source software against copyright infringement. The key point in the ruling is that it gives those who use Artistic License the leverage to also argue copyright infringement rather than just breach of contract. Eben Moglen, a Columbia University law professor and founding director of the Software Freedom Law Center, said the decision will reduce legal uncertainty and increase the "attractiveness of free software and open-source distribution models for both software developers and IT vendors." IT Blogwatch rounded up opinion on the matter, including that of Lawrence Lessig, who writes: " Trust me, this is huge ... The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit [is] THE "IP" court in the US ... Important clarity and certainty by a critically important US Court ... A very important victory.""
