Submission + - $200 laptop from Asus (hothardware.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Cheap laptop from Asus runs with Linux on flash memory only.
http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/Hands_on_with_ the_ASUS_Eee/
Submission + - Mass. now likely to OK Microsoft's OOXML (computerworld.com)
Ian Lamont writes: "Computerworld reports that the Massachusetts state government's IT department has designated Microsoft's Office Open XML as an open document format, along with ODF, plain text and HTML. It's only a draft policy, but it sets the stage for the format being given an official stamp of approval by state authorities — and weakens earlier Massachusetts support for the Open Document Format. Microsoft got a big boost at the end of 2006 when Ecma approved OOXML, and again this spring when it turned out that pro-ODF legislation had been defeated or watered down in six states. Andy Updegrove suggests that Massachusetts new governor, Deval Patrick, had been contacted about approving OOXML. He also laments what it means for ODF:
"Where does this leave proponents of ODF now? Clearly, if Ecma 376 achieves equal status with ODF in Massachusetts, it will be a cause of great disappointment. One can assume that privately, if not publicly, ODF opponents will have a field day one-on-one with other government purchasers, and will declare the open format battle over. Indeed, earlier this year Microsoft did just that, calling a unilateral truce and announcing that there had been "two winners").
Submission + - Parallels Releases WineD3D Source Code (winehq.org)
something_wicked_thi writes: Seeing as Slashdot ran the story about Parallels being out of compliance with the [L]GPL, I think it's only fair that they provide an update. On the very next weekday after the Slashdot story ran, Parallels, apparently, has released the source code. The Wine developers are verifying that it really is what they say it is. The Wine page provides a link to the sources, though it is temporary. It would be nice if someone could mirror that before it gets Slashdotted.
Submission + - AllofMP3.com Forced Offline by Russian Government (slyck.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Russia has finally decided to take AllofMP3.com offline. It's taken nearly 3 years to do so, but mounting pressure from the USTR, RIAA, and IFPI seems to have finally paid off.
Submission + - Judge Deals Blow to RIAA
jcgam69 writes: A federal judge in New Mexico has put the brakes on the RIAA's lawsuit train, at least in the US District Court for New Mexico. The case in question is part of the RIAA's campaign against file-sharing on college campuses and names "Does 1-16," who allegedly engaged in copyright infringement using the University of New Mexico's network. In a ruling issued last month but disclosed today by file-sharing attorney Ray Beckerman, Judge Lorenzo F. Garcia denied the RIAA's motion to engage in discovery. This means that the RIAA will not be able to easily get subpoenas to obtain identifying information from the University.
Submission + - XMPP based Messaging comes to Facebook (soapbox.net)
ChrisM writes: "Following on the heels of the FaceBook API's release, here's an XMPP Client that's integrated with FaceBook for authentication, Contact Lists, Avatars and the like. XMPP seems to be the way of the future, with an ever increasing number of services adopting it. LiveJournal is XMPP based, as is Google Talk, iChat, Earthlink's Mindspring Service and a number of others.
With XMPP already having millions of users, and services like Google Talk, iChat, is the writing on the wall for the old, closed, IM systems like ICQ, MSN and Yahoo?"
With XMPP already having millions of users, and services like Google Talk, iChat, is the writing on the wall for the old, closed, IM systems like ICQ, MSN and Yahoo?"
Submission + - Make the Xbox 360 into a laptop! (benheck.com)
eslna writes: "This guy turned an Xbox 360 into a Laptop.
http://benheck.com/Games/Xbox360/x360_page_1.htm"
Submission + - Bush Vetoes Popular Stem Cell Research Bill (lawbean.com)
Spamicles writes: President George W. Bush has vetoed legislation to expand federally funded embryonic stem cell research, triggering an uphill battle in the Democratic-led Congress to override him. Critics called the presidential order a sham and said he should have signed into law the stem-cell bill, which polls show is backed by more than 60 percent of American voters who see the measure as a way combat a host of illnesses. Backers note the legislation would only permit scientists to use embryos left over from fertility treatments that would otherwise be discarded.
Submission + - Compiz Fusion Arrives
Francis Giannaros writes: "The new merged community around Compiz has finally been given a name after many heated discussions: Compiz Fusion. Behind the scenes developers have also been working on stunning new enhancements."
Submission + - Google Wins Nude Thumbnail Legal Battle
eldavojohn writes: "Google is currently fighting many fronts in its ability to show small images returned in a search from websites. Most recently, Google won the case against them in which they were displaying nude thumbnails of a photographer's work from his site. Prior to this, Google was barred from displaying copyrighted content, even when linking it to the site (owner) from its search results. The verdict: "Saying the District Court erred, the San Francisco-based appeals court ruled that Google could legally display those images under the fair use doctrine of copyright law." Huge precedence in a search engine's ability to blindly serve content safely under fair use."
Submission + - A list of "rat" universities?
An anonymous reader writes: With more and more stories of Universities "ratting out" their students to the like of the RIAA, is there any place where a list of univerisities privacy policies are posted? A report card of how universities are doing with protecting their student's rights?
Submission + - Canadians Require Permission for Political Clips
An anonymous reader writes: While C-SPAN recently
adopted Creative Commons-style licensing for government proceedings so
that they can be used by bloggers and video clip creators, the
situation is much more restrictive in other countries. Michael
Geist's column
focuses on Canada, explaining how permission to use government clips is
literally still needed from the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Submission + - Loyalty or Moral Obligation?
An anonymous reader writes: Imagine a scenario where a person has found a flaw in a system their government relies on. This person has no direct association with this system. This flaw can allow them to access information for which they do not have clearance or any other legal excuse to access. Assume this information, if made public, would be damaging to certain government representatives and would expose previous illegal activities of the company for which this person has worked for the last seven years.
Does this person immediately tell the operators of this system of the security issue despite this person's moral obligation or does this person exploit this flaw if there is plausible deniability?
Does this person immediately tell the operators of this system of the security issue despite this person's moral obligation or does this person exploit this flaw if there is plausible deniability?
Submission + - Microsoft takes on the free world
An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft claims that free software like Linux, which runs a big chunk of corporate America, violates 235 of its patents. It wants royalties from distributors and users. Users like you, maybe. Fortune's Roger Parloff reports.
Submission + - Ontario Government Blocks Facebook
choongiri writes: "The Government of Ontario has blocked access to Facebook for all government employees. Since Tuesday, any employee trying to access the site has instead received an "access denied" message. According to Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips, "Our IT (information technology) people are pretty broadly familiar with the marketplace and they said, `Here's a website that's going to be increasingly more popular for the OPS (Ontario public service). Is this an appropriate website to be spending time on?'" MySpace has not been blocked."
