You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss
A few days ago I was sitting in a cafe in Palo Alto and a group of programmers came in on some kind of scavenger hunt. It was obviously one of those corporate “team-building” exercises. — They look...
These Crazy Musicians Still Think They Should Get Paid For Recorded Music
Why is it the Brits have all the crazy-stupid ideas about how to screw up the music industry even more than it is already? — British musician Billy Bragg argues in the New York Times today that some...
Hopes for Wireless Cities Fade as Internet Providers Pull Out
PHILADELPHIA — It was hailed as Internet for the masses when Philadelphia officials announced plans in 2005 to erect the largest municipal Wi-Fi grid in the country, stretching wireless access over 13...
The Thin Skin of Apple Fans
IN his new book, “True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society,” Farhad Manjoo, a writer for Salon, argues that “new communications technologies are loosening the culture's grip on what people...
The Royalty Scam
LAST week at South by Southwest, the rock music conference held every year in Austin, Tex., the talk in hotel lobbies, coffeeshops and the convention center was dominated by one issue: how do musician...
MSRC Blog: Microsoft Security Advisory (950627)
I wanted to let you know that we have just posted Microsoft Security Advisory (950627). — This advisory contains information about a very limited, targeted attack exploiting a vulnerability in Micro...
New Google Mobile feature lets you search without typing
Google added a new entry into their robots.txt file — one way you can keep tabs on what Google doesn't want to see. The new entry that forbids crawlers from seeing http://www.google.com/m/lcb made me...
Bridging Desktop And Web Applications - A Look At Mozilla Prism
New platforms like Adobe Air and Mozilla Prism are evolving that combine the benefits of Internet flow with the flexibility and power of desktop applications. They are part browser, part desktop app ...
wikinear.com, OAuth and Fire Eagle
I'm pleased to announce wikinear.com. It's a simple site that does just one thing: show you a list of the five Wikipedia pages that are geographically closest to your current location. It's designed...
Video: Sharing The JoyEngine Community Story
I was walking down the street in Boulder, Colorado earlier this month and was intrigued by a storefront symbol. I looked into the storefront windows and my eyes were met with colorful graffiti-like a...
Wine 1.0: Coming soon to a computer near you
After nearly 15 years of development, the WINE project is scheduled for the landmark 1.0 release. As with most open source programs, it is hard to sit back and say “ok it's done”. The work will alwa...
Hazards of Wifi
Our town, Sebastopol, had passed a resolution in November to permit a local Internet provider to provide public wireless access. This week, fourteen people showed up at a City Council meeting to make...
Sony is giving “Fresh Start” a fresh start, losing the $50 fee
After a minor outcry at Sony's new “Fresh Start” option to skip the crapware on TZ laptops for a hefty $50 charge, the company has seen the error of its ways and is going to start offering the option ...
Wikipedia Displaces MySpace in Music Matters
Every musician knows a MySpace page can help boost buzz, but many overlook the lure of the wiki. — DENVER (Billboard) - Search for an artist on any of the popular search engines, and the top three r...