Microsoft risikerer gigantb�ter- Aftenposten Nettutgaven

Microsoft risikerer gigantb�ter- Aftenposten Nettutgaven

"Gigantbøter"? Tøv, ein halv milliard dollar er ingenting for Microsoft som berre i år reknar med ein rein profitt på 120 milliardar kroner. Det er ikkje rart at Bill Gates er vanskeleg, han har nesten ingenting å tape. Skal liksom norske konkurranse-styresmakter hamle opp mot han? Kva skjer med den saka når den amerikanske ambassadøren tek ein alvorleg samtale med statsministaren? Det er makta som rår i stor businessen.

SV - Du kan fortsatt bruke MP3-spilleren din

SV - Du kan fortsatt bruke MP3-spilleren din: "En teknisk sperre kan være en kopibeskyttelse, for eksempel på en lydfil. Problemet er at det også godt kan være en avspillingssperre, som sikrer at Microsoft sine formater ikke kan spilles på annen programvare enn deres egen. Utviklere av programvare basert på åpen kildekode frykter med god grunn at dette vil medføre at de ikke får utvikle avspillingsutstyr for sine systemer."

Min kommentar: 10-0 til platebransjen og Microsoft/Apple. Graturlere med å ha klart å narra endå ein nasjon trill rundt :-) No er det vel konkurranselova som skal hindre misbruk av marknadsmakt, men det er ingen konkurransetilsyn i verda som har klart å ta innersvingen på Microsoft det minste. Det var interessant å sjå Ap og regjeringa sine sanne ansikt demonstrert så krystallklart vegra seg å utfordre EU og Microsoft. Denne lovprosessen er eit prakteksemplar på at sjølve dei økonomiske økosystema får vere i fred uansett kor konkurransefiendtlege dei er, og så innrømmar ein forbrukarane og skattebetalarane ubetydelege gevinstar.

Eg har vore EU-sympatisør i 7 år, og har framleis tru på EU og Lisboa-planen. Det er berre to ting som er problemet: For det er at EU legg opp til ei storstilt Lisboa-plan om å skape vekst på bekostning av andre regionar, det vil seie ein utruleg feig plan. For det andre, dei har tenkt å skaffe seg verkemidla til dette gjennom ein heilt utruleg udemokratisk prosess som ikkje står tilbake for praksisen i bananrepublikkane. Minister Bernt Bentsen i Danmark fekk mandat frå det danske Folketinget for å stoppe mjukvaredirektivet i EU-kommisjonen, men på møtet så unnlot han å fylgje mandatet han hadde fått. Sambandet mellom folket og deira representantar er med andre ord kappa av i Danmark. Eg tenkjer med gru på at Noreg sansynlegvis ville ha kome opp i same situasjon dersom me hadde vore medlem av EU i dag. I Noreg så jobbar Grethe Knutsen for næringslivet, Grete Faremo for Microsoft og Grete Berget for norsk medlemsskap i EU. Kva har slike lobbyistar å seie for Arbeidarpartiet?

Det er tydelegvis eit elite-problem i Noreg slik som i Frankrike, og det er vel snart på tide å få brote opp desse banda. Fyrst og fremst for å få gitt den tredje vera ei reell mulegheit til økonomisk vekst via handel og elektronisk infrastruktur, men også av interesse for norske forbrukarar og skattebetalarar. Forholdet til USA ville sjølvsagt vorte veldig dårleg, forholdet til EU ville nok også gått i vasken, men problemet er jo nettopp at det norske demokratiet har havna i lommene til storkapitalen og byråkratane i EU-kommisjonen. Denne gisselsituasjonen tærar på demokratiet og vil før eller seinare føre til eit folkeleg opprør slik som i Frankrike. Spesielt dersom den medfører at me tapar i konkurransa med USA og Kina/India. Det er rett og slett umogleg å møte så store samfunnsomveltningar som globaliseringa VIL medføre utan at folket har kjensla av å ta del i avgjerdene. Det er overraskande mange som har skjønt maktspelet her i Noreg, så det skal verte spennande å sjå kva slags utslag det gir til valet. SV, RV og Frp er tydelegvis partier som har minst med etablerte edderkoppnett å gjere sjølv om ein kan stille seg skeptisk til realismen i ein del dei har på programmet. Uansett så er demokratiet grunnvollen for fridom og tryggleik, så her gjeld det å vere obs.

Technology News: Commentary: The Most Powerful Labor Union in the World: Linux?

Technology News: Commentary: The Most Powerful Labor Union in the World: Linux?

Xinhua - English

Xinhua - English: "Participants at a gathering in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Karala, to campaign for free software expressed happiness that their lobbying had put at bay attempts to allow software to be patented, at least for the time being.

But they warned that unless the country was careful, India could be stepping into a minefield that could affect software developers.

Last December, a presidential ordinance threatened to bring software under patents, causing much angst among software developers nationwide. After considerable lobbying, the software developers managed to avert the 'threat'."

NewsFactor Network - Tech Trends - Developing Countries Opting for Linux

NewsFactor Network - Tech Trends - Developing Countries Opting for Linux: "The Cuban government's announcement it is switching from Microsoft's Latest News about Microsoft Windows to Linux Latest News about Linux reflects an ongoing trend of more developing countries and local governments making the change.

Brazil, India, South Africa, China, Russia and South Korea are only some of the countries already broadly using various forms of Linux on a government level. This growth is going to continue, ...."

BetaNews | Microsoft: No IE7 for Windows 2000

BetaNews | Microsoft: No IE7 for Windows 2000

NewsForge | Stallman: Nokia's patent announcement next to nothing

NewsForge | Stallman: Nokia's patent announcement next to nothing: "This week it was Nokia's turn. Nokia announced it would not use its patents to attack the developers of one specific free software project: the kernel Linux, developed by Linus Torvalds and others, which is most prominently used as the kernel of the GNU/Linux operating system.

Unlike Sun's empty gesture, this isn't nothing. It is good to know that one important free software project will not be attacked by this particular megacorporation. But the Free Software Directory lists over 4,000 free software packages. Nokia's announcement says nothing about them, so they still face the potential threat of being attacked by Nokia in the future. Nokia's announcement isn't nothing, but it is next to nothing."

Nokia's new Tablet 'net device - A closer look - News from Mobile Africa

Nokia's new Tablet 'net device - A closer look - News from Mobile Africa

Blogger on the go with your mobile phone!

With Blogger it is now possible to take a picture with your mobile phone and/or send text to your personal blog.

EU studies impact of software patents on open source

"Researchers at a Dutch university are conducting a study for the European Commission on the effect of software patents on innovation -- but the Commission is pressing ahead with plans to introduce the patents in Europe without waiting for the results of the research to be published.
The team of researchers at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands began their three-year study last December, examining the legal, technical and economic effects of software patents on software innovation.
The study will take a broad view of the economic consequences: "We are doing a survey not so much on patents as on innovation, and not just software," said Rishab Aiyer Ghosh, program leader for studies of free and open-source software at the Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (Merit). "

LinuxWorld

Computerworld Online - Bendt Bendtsen kaldes i patent-samråd igen

Computerworld Online - Bendt Bendtsen kaldes i patent-samr�d igen: "Erhvervsminister Bendt Bendtsen skal endnu en gang i samr�d i Folketingets Europaudvalg. Han skal igen forsvare sig overfor anklager om ikke at have fulgt en flertals-indstilling fra Folketinget, som kr�vede EU's direktiv om softwarepatenter genforhandlet."

The Hindu : Front Page : Here comes the no-frills, mobile computer system

The Hindu : Front Page : Here comes the no-frills, mobile computer system: "The target audience is households, small shops, professionals such as lawyers and chartered accountants, and field staff of pharmaceutical, insurance and other industries. It could be used as e-book readers by educational institutions, for telemedicine and as a nurse's aide."

BIG NEWS ON USA MICROSOFT: Slavery to It Is Ending : Argentina Indymedia (( i ))

BIG NEWS ON USA MICROSOFT: Slavery to It Is Ending : Argentina Indymedia (( i )): "Mass-produced computers can KILL Microsoft and free the world's computer users. They'll be too cheap to accommodate MS Windows -- MS's bread and butter. Computers will go the way of TVs and VCRs -- cheap offshore (non-USA) production. They'll be cheap, simple, general-purpose (FREE SOFTWARE), all-electronic (no disk drive) -- in other words, real electronic computers, finally. READ ABOUT THE OPENING SHOT, MOBILIS, FIRED IN BANGALORE, INDIA, ON MAY 26, 2005."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Kenyan youths take on net skills

BBC NEWS | Technology | Kenyan youths take on net skills

heise online - EU to support project that studies open-source and free software

heise online - EU to support project that studies open-source and free software: "Seventeen authorities and research institutions from the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, Bulgaria and Croatia as well as Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia and South Africa are taking part in the FLOSSWorld Project. The project is being coordinated by the Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT)."

FSFLA - Declaration of Intent

FSFLA - Declaration of Intent: "A few months ago, a group of people gathered with the intention of planning the structure and setting the goals of the future Free Software Foundation Latinoam�rica (FSFLA), an organisation meant to become a sister to the United States of America's Free Software Foundation (FSF), Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE)' and Free Software Foundation India (FSFI)."

UWC in R10m open source project

UWC in R10m open source project: "The University of the Western Cape (UWC) will commit R10 million over three years to the development of a student enrolment management system (SEMS) based on free software.

The university believes this model of development using open source software � which is software open to modification � will become the norm in future.

Work on the system is to begin immediately, and involves a strategic collaboration with industry and the African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources (AVOIR) project, a collaboration of nine African universities.

'We believe the free software approach is the one that is best for UWC,� says UWC rector Brian O'Connell. �It is our intention to produce a system that is usable by other African higher education institutions, some of which will eventually join with us in creating the generic components of the system. The collaborative free software approach is the most sustainable in the long-term.�"

PalmSource Affirms Linux Commitment

PalmSource Affirms Linux Commitment: "SAN JOSE, Calif.—'Linux is our platform for the future,' said Dr. Dave Nagel, delivering a keynote talk to an audience of 1,000 attendees at the Palm's annual developer event, renamed from 'devcon' to 'Mobile Summit' this year."

Nokia debuts Linux-based Web device | CNET News.com

Nokia debuts Linux-based Web device | CNET News.com: "Nokia on Wednesday announced a pocket-size Web browser for wireless broadband networks, the Finnish firm's first Linux-based device and its first product without a built-in mobile phone."

350 dollars, 100 dollar more than a similar Indian PC, but the hardware prices is falling sharp and quickly. The 100 dollar pc to MIT should be a reality in 18 months, but that will not be for sale (just for governments and embassies).

Nokia - IPR Statements - Press - About Nokia

Nokia - IPR Statements - Press - About Nokia: "Nokia hereby commits not to assert any of its Patents (as defined herein below) against any Linux Kernel (as defined herein below) existing as of 25 May 2005. "

Discovery Channel :: News :: MIT Plans $100 Laptop

Discovery Channel :: News :: MIT Plans $100 Laptop: "Using a bike to power the machine would bring 100 minutes of power per minute of pedaling, Negroponte said."

eCARE Telenor in Ghana

..:: eCARE ::..: "In the Eastern region of Ghana, a village called Kwamoso to be more precise, you find a solar-powered communications centre."

PRESS RELEASE IBM and Red Hat Join Forces to Enhance Linux Knowledge and Job Skills

PRESS RELEASE IBM and Red Hat Join Forces to Enhance Linux Knowledge and Job Skills: "IBM Academic Initiative and Red Hat Academy Help Schools Prepare Students With Open Source IT Skills for a More Competitive Workforce"

Some good links here.

CMI * Chiapas * IMC - noticias, 1 p�gina(s)

NewsForge | OASIS: Meaningful open standards or mirage?

NewsForge | OASIS: Meaningful open standards or mirage?: "'Companies like IBM, Microsoft and others benefit from software patents by stopping the free market of ideas from operating in the realm of digital inventions,' Hiser continued. 'Their efforts at creating and protecting their patent portfolios is an old-world approach to keeping individuals and small groups of people from exploiting their own brain power and digital resources and competing effectively. It's a cynical attitude which, luckily, has little chance of surviving when small groups continue to show superior invention and business service delivery around collaborative works.'"

PCWorld.com - Free Agent: Picture Perfect and in Tune

PCWorld.com - Free Agent: Picture Perfect and in Tune: "Last month, I sang the praises of Ubuntu Linux, and Free Agent readers responded like never before. I received literally dozens of messages from folks who had already given Ubuntu a try, or who took the plunge after reading my report.

The e-mails were overwhelmingly positive, usually reporting successful installations and a love of Ubuntu's simple, clean interface. One reader took me to task for not mentioning the KDE-based Ubuntu derivative, Kubuntu. (I've since given Kubuntu a spin; if you like the KDE desktop and its strong similarity to Windows, Kubuntu is definitely worth a look.)"

Linux Standard Base Project

Linux Standard Base Project: "To develop and promote a set of standards that will increase compatibility among Linux distributions and enable software applications to run on any compliant system. In addition, the LSB will help coordinate efforts to recruit software vendors to port and write products for Linux."

Internet News Article | Reuters.co.uk

Internet News Article | Reuters.co.uk

Beware the Browser Backlash

Beware the Browser Backlash: "Let me say right up front that I use Firefox and prefer it greatly to IE. I switched late last year at the urging of the computer-repair pro who recommended it while billing me $180 to cleanse my hard drive, which had taken on a new identity as the Museum of Modern Malware."

Nice 3D Screenshots for Linux

lg-lg.gif (GIF Image, 592x457 pixels) - Scaled (91%)

See more screenshots here: http://www.sun.com/software/looking_glass/details.xml

Spread Firefox - Igniting the web

Spread Firefox - Igniting the web: "Ranked Number 1 and Editors' Choice - Firefox
CNET rating of 8

Coming in tied at 2nd - Netscape 8 and Safari RSS
CNET rating of 7.7

3-way tie for last place - Internet Explorer (with Windows XP SP2), Deepnet Explorer, and Opera 8
CNET rating of 7.0

Click on the browser name for the full review for each web browser.

The bottom line and the most important thing to remember is that the people who work at c|net.com do reviews at a professional level and they picked Firefox as the best web browser."

45Mbps for Canterbury :: UK Broadband Usergroup :: Serving the broadband community

45Mbps for Canterbury :: UK Broadband Usergroup :: Serving the broadband community: "Our relationship with the University of Kent is a terrific example of close cooperation between higher education research and enterprise"

WiMAX's Promise for Developing Countries — WIMAX

WiMAX's Promise for Developing Countries — WIMAX: "In many areas of the world, ordinary communications lines are difficult to come by. The cost of providing the wiring infrastructure to support broadband access is simply out of the question. In any country, the economic model for telecommunications services depends on the availability of viable service providers, a certain density of subscribers, the ability to pay for capital expense for infrastructure (either through private or government investment), and the will to make it happen. "

(DV) Sugar: The Free Software Challenge in Latin America

(DV) Sugar: The Free Software Challenge in Latin America: "In 2002, then-US Ambassador to Peru, John Hilton, delivered a threatening letter to the Peruvian congress using his public office to act on behalf of a very powerful American private interest. The letter, which was leaked to the press, stated that the Microsoft Corporation and its chairman Bill Gates disapproved of Peru debating a proposed law, Special Bill 1609, which favored the use of free software in public administration. Hilton warned its passage would harm US-Peru relations.

"

NewsForge | Free Software Foundation Latin America lays groundwork

NewsForge | Free Software Foundation Latin America lays groundwork: "Some of this confusion is unique to Latin America, or at least to developing countries. Because proprietary software is usually developed by corporations with headquarters in North America or Europe, citizens of Latin America need to adjust to the idea that software can be a shared effort in which they can play an active role. Added to the fact that computers and Internet connections are expensive compared to average incomes, this perception means that 'Latin American participation in free software projects is modest at best,' according to Heinz.

Other issues are common to free software world-wide. For instance, Heinz observes that free software is seen largely as a way to avoid licensing fees, rather than as a means towards 'freedom and independence in a digital age.' Many people, too, confuse free software advocacy with a variety of political positions ranging from communism to neo-conservatism.

"

Hydrogen part of more stable economy

Hydrogen part of more stable economy: "There is a huge advantage to hydrogen: We can charge our hydrogen 'batteries' using any type of energy source we choose -- oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear, solar, wind, tidal, biomass. We are no longer bound to oil. We just have to produce energy using our chosen source, use it to generate hydrogen and then ship the hydrogen off to the local service station, ready to be burned to water vapor at your leisure."

Fuel Cell Works Supplemental News Page

Fuel Cell Works Supplemental News Page: "'Hydrogen highway' between Oslo and Stavanger"

UK firm claims breakthrough in fuel cell technology - Yahoo! News

UK firm claims breakthrough in fuel cell technology - Yahoo! News

Debian is Different

Debian is Different: "The reason the the City of Munich picked Debian was not necessarily because the Debian GNU/Linux version Sarge was so much better than any of the other distributions, but because the software and distribution process is visible, available and extensible."

Ubuntu is based on Debian, and Ubuntu is DVD-Jon s choice!

IE vs. the world: six Web browsers compared - CNET reviews

IE vs. the world: six Web browsers compared - CNET reviews

Firefox is the best browser in the world according to CNET, but I think the difference is neglible in many ways. But if ethic had been one of the considerations here, Firefox would definitive been the clear winner because it can run on every platform and is free, something that has a direct impact on the life quality on a large part of the world (I dont think many rich people in the developed world even THINK about this aspect).

Nigeria pre-Wimax

Horizon Wireless Speeds Internet Access Deploying Portable Wireless Broadband From Navini Networks: "'With an estimated 5 million people in Kano City, Navini Networks is proud to deliver high speed, personal broadband without cables, copper or costly installations,' said Roger Dorf, president and chief executive officer, Navini Networks. 'Our Element Management System (EMS) will allow Horizon to offer tiered service plans to address the varying needs of subscribers.' With Navini Ripwave(TM) equipment, Horizon Wireless will be able to quickly provide much-needed personal broadband services to residential and small office/home office (SoHo) customers. With Navini's next-generation broadband wireless technology, Horizon Wireless can immediately and affordably deliver a modem to the customer, who can be up and running on their broadband connection on the same day."

Village Kiosks Bridge India's Digital Divide (washingtonpost.com)

Village Kiosks Bridge India's Digital Divide (washingtonpost.com)

Wireless Linux Pepper Pad finally on sale : Tablet PCs : MobileMag

Wireless Linux Pepper Pad finally on sale : Tablet PCs : MobileMag

Open Source Wave Threatens Microsoft Desktop Dominance

Open Source Wave Threatens Microsoft Desktop Dominance

Islam Online- Health & Science

Islam Online- Health & Science: "Against many economic, production and social norms, open-source software has emerged as a serious challenger to proprietary software products. Steven Weber’s new book comprehensively tells the story."

Norsk Bibliotekforening

Norsk Bibliotekforening: "Mp3 mot bibliotekene"

Ubuntu Linux 5.10 Colony 1 Released :: Open Source, Linux News & Software - OSDir.com :: Linux & Open Source News from Across the Community

Ubuntu Linux 5.10 Colony 1 Released :: Open Source, Linux News & Software - OSDir.com :: Linux & Open Source News from Across the Community: "The first development release of Ubuntu Linux 5.10, code name 'Breezy Badger', is now available for testing."

Tectonic -- Linux and open source news

Tectonic -- Linux and open source news

SA could lead open source explosion

SA could lead open source explosion

Desktops next frontier for open source

Desktops next frontier for open source

Kansas City infoZine - SourceForge.net(R), Surpasses 100,000 Projects Hosted on the Site - USA

Kansas City infoZine - SourceForge.net(R), Surpasses 100,000 Projects Hosted on the Site - USA

WiMax set to revolutionise developing world - vnunet.com

WiMax set to revolutionise developing world - vnunet.com

Sci-Tech Today - Computing - Cuba Switches to Linux, Dumps Windows

Sci-Tech Today - Computing - Cuba Switches to Linux, Dumps Windows

Slashdot | How Corporate Lobbyists Colonized the Net

Slashdot | How Corporate Lobbyists Colonized the Net: "How Corporate Lobbyists Colonized the Net"

Intellectual Property Watch � Nations Clash On Future Of WIPO Development Agenda

Intellectual Property Watch � Nations Clash On Future Of WIPO Development Agenda

SSRN-Copyright's Communications Policy by Tim Wu

SSRN-Copyright's Communications Policy by Tim Wu: "This paper suggest that the main challenges for 21st century copyright are not challenges of authorship policy, but rather new and harder problems for copyright's communications policy."

UC TLtC: The Success of Open Source A Subject for UC Berkeley Researcher

UC TLtC: The Success of Open Source A Subject for UC Berkeley Researcher: "The Success of Open Source A Subject for UC Berkeley Researcher"

Sakai Project

Sakai Project: "ANN ARBOR --The Sakai Project and IBM announced Tuesday that IBM has become a Sakai Commercial Affiliate (SCA).

IBM will contribute to the development of the Sakai code and help in the rapid commercial adoption of Sakai. IBM also will work on standards development and provide products and services based on open-source Sakai software."

Technetra : Innovation or Patent Colonialism

Technetra : Innovation or Patent Colonialism: "Developing countries are being pressured constantly by Microsoft and its supporters to believe that free software is more expensive than its own products and services. Brazil, a key battlefield in this war, has officially countered that whatever the expense, free software supports its national interests in helping build a local infrastructure, promoting local innovation and nurturing its fledgling economy."

The ignorance problem is extreme in the developed world, despite internet and all newspapers and TV-channels. The developing world is sometimes smarter despite the lack of information. DONT overestimate the knowledge in the developed world.

Open source: Trial aims to explode \'risk myths\' - silicon.com

Open source: Trial aims to explode \'risk myths\' - silicon.com: "Birmingham City Council has started a giant trial of open source software on desktops and servers, intended to determine whether open source really delivers benefits.

The council - the largest in Europe - will move 1,500 desktops and all the associated back-end servers in its library service to Linux and other open source software including OpenOffice and Firefox. The year-long trial will be backed by government money, and include a final, neutral assessment of the value of the move. Public terminals in libraries will be shifted to Linux, as well as office systems in the library service."

IndiaDaily - Brazil launches plan to raise PC use among poor

IndiaDaily - Brazil launches plan to raise PC use among poor: "Computers using proprietary software such as Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system will be excluded from the initiative, although the government concurrently announced tax cuts for costlier PCs that run either type of programs."

Arabian 0.6 Snapshots GNU/LINUX

Arabian 0.6 Snapshots

Technology News Article | Reuters.com

Technology News Article | Reuters.com: "'More and more you will hear about free software, Linux, principally in the government and corporate environments, and less about Windows,' Oscar Clarke, head of Intel in Brazil, said at a press conference. 'It's an inexorable trend.'

"

WiMax: Wi-Fi killer or dead on arrival?

WiMax: Wi-Fi killer or dead on arrival?: "'WiMax is being used today as a fixed technology, but the 802.16e wireless WiMax specification is coming,' O'Neal said. This will enable to WiMax to complement or perhaps displace existing end-point access technologies like Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), cable, Wi-Fi and third-generation (3G) wireless WAN services offered by cellular providers, he added.

Ron Peck, director of platform and solution marketing in Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel Corp.'s WiMax group, said Intel is aggressively pursuing the technology, particularly 802.16e, for future notebook computer chips.

The chipmaker last month shipped its first WiMax component, based on an early version of the technology. For widespread adoption to become reality, Peck said, WiMax must remain an open standard.

'The vast majority of the people working on the technology today are approaching it from a low-royalty or no-royalty approach,' Peck said, 'but that's a work in progress.'

"

EV World: The World of Electric, Plug-in Hybrid, Fuel Cell and Alternative Fuel Vehicles

EV World: The World of Electric, Plug-in Hybrid, Fuel Cell and Alternative Fuel Vehicles: "SYNOPSIS: MIT faculty members and colleagues propose pragmatic plan for countries that now have the technology to prepare and dispose of nuclear fuel would provide those services to countries that do not."

Nuclear power will be necessary to develop for dealing with greenhouse emissions.

E-Commerce News: Viewpoint: Open-Source Software: Microsoft's Biggest Threat

E-Commerce News: Viewpoint: Open-Source Software: Microsoft's Biggest Threat: "In fact, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has mandated that the government industries and the state-run companies must start switching from expensive operating systems, made by Microsoft and other companies, to free operating systems. Do you think this is a threat to Microsoft? I certainly do."

Green Light for Open Source in Schools | eGov monitor

Green Light for Open Source in Schools | eGov monitor: "New government report gives significant boost to open source movement

UK schools should 'seriously consider' switching from proprietary software to open source alternatives because of the 'obvious' cost savings on offer, says the Government's lead agency for ICT in schools.

Research published by Becta on 13 May concludes that in nearly all cases, schools moving to open source software reduced the total cost of ownership per PC significantly.

The highly-anticipated report, based on a study of 15 schools, shows that by using OSS, primary schools halved their costs. The relative cost per PC at secondary school level was 20 per cent less than that of schools running commercial software.

Also, support costs in schools using open source were on average 50 to 60 per cent of those of their non-OSS counterparts."

IBM bets on open-source software

IBM bets on open-source software: "International Business Machines is increasingly betting that it can build a big business around open-source software."

Open source rising in Africa

� Open source rising in Africa | Open Source | ZDNet.com: "One of the fastest-growing markets for open source in the world is Africa."

Nigerian Open Source Project

Nigerian Open Source Project: "WaZoBiaSoft is an open source software translation project; wazobiasoft.org aims to make software available in the three main Nigerian languages. The group chose to work only with Open source software because it is free and probably the only way people will be able to use software legally at little or no cost. "

Nigerian Computer Society - Articles

Nigerian Computer Society - Articles

Home - EACOSS, East African Center for Open Source Software

Home - EACOSS, East African Center for Open Source Software: "East African Centre for Open Source Software (EACOSS)"

Ethiopia: Free and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa

FOSSFA : FOSSFA: "Free and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa"

Indian professor proposes alternate open-source license - Computerworld

Indian professor proposes alternate open-source license - Computerworld

BSDFreak - Your Source For BSD News - News

BSDFreak - Your Source For BSD News - News: "In November, Tunisia is going to host the second part of the World Summit on the Information Society, an event promoted by the United Nations (UN). The first edition took place in December 2003, in Geneva, Switzerland.

One of the main objectives of the meeting will be the creation of mechanisms for digital inclusion and, according to Hermassi, the question of open source software should be one of the central points of discussion."

Information Today, Inc. - Computers in Libraries Magazine

Information Today, Inc. - Computers in Libraries Magazine

Technology News: Open Source: There's No Need To Fear Open Source

Technology News: Open Source: There's No Need To Fear Open Source

Returns: Ethiopian Opposition Doing Well

Returns: Ethiopian Opposition Doing Well: "Former President Jimmy Carter, who led 24 teams of observers from his human rights and development center, said that while there were minor problems in the run-up to the vote, the elections on Sunday were 'as good as any we've seen.'"

Congratulation Ethiopia! It looks like Ghana and Ethiopia have reached an very high level of democracy. In both coutries it is a strong opposition, and that is a good thing. Now I have seen that Ghana Airways and Ethiopian Airlines are going into close cooperation. These countries have a bright future.

Birmingham begins major open source pilot - ZDNet UK News

Birmingham begins major open source pilot - ZDNet UK News

PCWorld.com - MIT Eyes $100 Laptops

PCWorld.com - MIT Eyes $100 Laptops: "China is expected to order 3 million machines and Brazil is expected to buy 1 million of the laptops. He's looking for three more nations--one each in Africa, the Middle East, and South East Asia--to commit to laptops orders, in addition to supplying some to the U.S., before the machine goes into production, hopefully sometime in 2006."

$100 Linux laptop to help world's poor - vnunet.com

$100 Linux laptop to help world's poor - vnunet.com

www.dagsavisen.no / Kultur

www.dagsavisen.no / Kultur: "Bing tåkelegger MP3-loven"

eHomeUpgrade | My Inner Struggle with Microsoft, Linux, and DRM

eHomeUpgrade | My Inner Struggle with Microsoft, Linux, and DRM: "Furthermore, and this point is one you never hear brought up, is that any producer who releases digital media content embedded with DRM protection technologies for the general consumer market MUST have playback solutions available for ALL platforms (YES, including Linux, and any other open or closed operating systems). The reason I say this is because of the DVD playback fiasco, which is STILL NOT supported on Linux. And with HD-DVD coming up in the next year or so, it will be crucial. But demand for fairness doesn't just apply to DVD playback, it also extends to online content services. An Apple or Linux user should be able to use services tied to Windows Media DRM, just as much as a Microsoft user should be able to tap into Apple FairPlay protected content. It only makes sense for the progression of digital media services, and should be an undisputed right for all consumers."

Hannemyr in Norway has pointed on this, and it should be an undisputed consumer right that DRM must platform independent.

HP to offer customized Linux for notebooks in Europe (UBUNTU)

Tom's Hardware Guide: Tom's Hard News: "Chicago (IL) - Hewlett-Packard (HP) offers its notebook customers in Europe the option to choose a customized Linux version for its products. The Ubuntu distribution is specifically designed to support the hardware used in HP notebooks.

"

IBM backs Firefox in-house | CNET News.com

IBM backs Firefox in-house | CNET News.com: "IBM is encouraging its employees to use Firefox, aiding the open-source Web browser's quest to chip away at Microsoft's Internet Explorer."

Not bad for a company with 330 000 workers!

Academic Technology - All About Firefox

Academic Technology - All About Firefox: "Academic Technology is recommending the Firefox browser as an excellent alternative to Internet Explorer for those who wish to use something other than IE. Even for those happy with IE, Firefox is worth a look."

This is a university with 30 000+ students and staff, and they recommend the Firefox. Firefox and Opera is the best choice in my opinion, but Firefox is free compared with Opera.

Xinhua - English

Xinhua - English: "BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhuanet) -- China said Saturday that it firmly opposes a US decision on restricting three categories of textile imports from China, saying it is a violation of relevant World Trade Organization agreements."

Can Microsoft Be Eclipsed?

DDJ: "As Linux on the desktop inches ever closer to reality, the once-unthinkable notion that open source could challenge Windows on client installations suddenly doesn't seem so far-fetched."
By Luc Hatlestad
Courtesy of CRN

AlterNet: MediaCulture: 'El' Jazeera

AlterNet: MediaCulture: 'El' Jazeera

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Redistributing the Future

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Redistributing the Future: "Open source: we pay a lot of attention to it here, so much so that several worldchangers have asked why. Outside of the realm of computing, they ask, what does collaborative software have to do with changing the world? With sustainability? With democracy? With justice?

Everything. If another world is in fact coming into being, it must be a world where many more people's basic needs are met and where their ambitions have realistic meaning. A world of increasingly vast chasms of wealth is a world of instability, war and terrorism. It's also, as Alan reminds us, one in deep ecological trouble: 'A world full of desperate and impoverished people is a world emptied of swordfish, rainforests and panda bears.' A world with billions of people living in absolute poverty is a world without a future.

But, as William Gibson reminds us, the future is here, it's just not well-distributed yet. The answer to our problems is not to redistribute wealth, it's to redistribute the future. In very practical terms, that's what the open source (OS) movement is doing.

"

Why Wait for Eiger When Linux is Ready Today?

Why Wait for Eiger When Linux is Ready Today?: "Well, well, well. Microsoft has decided to offer a thin desktop operating system in the United States after all. Could it be that the Linux desktop, with some help from the low-cost Mac Mini, is finally making the boys from Redmond sweat?

Yup."

A mainstream article that suggest to dump Microsoft for Linux. Is the majority looking for Linux now? I think so, the only problem is that politicians in USA and EU will try to protect the industry with international laws and sanctions as good as they can for the purpose of exploit the rest of the world. The IQ distribution is the same all over the world, so without stupid artificial patents (patents of software is like patents on scenes in a movie: "the actor travel home and say happy birthday to his wife"-patents).

The real roadblocks to Linux in education: ZDNet Australia: News: Software

The real roadblocks to Linux in education: ZDNet Australia: News: Software: "Here's how it works. Most government primary and secondary schools don't care about saving costs by using cheaper alternatives. You see, they effectively pay nothing for their proprietary software -- the schools' owners, the respective Departments of Education do. And the mandarins therein don't like anything that rocks the boat, and are thus greatly threatened by Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Nothing rocks an ICT boat like FOSS does."

The New York Times > Technology > Brazil: Free Software's Biggest and Best Friend

The New York Times > Technology > Brazil: Free Software's Biggest and Best Friend

OpenOffice, Free-Software Supporters Make Peace over Java

OpenOffice, Free-Software Supporters Make Peace over Java

Bloomberg.com: Latin America

Bloomberg.com: Latin America: "Banco do Brasil announced the creation of the World Open Source Software Organization, to be based in Brasilia, during a summit called by Lula, 59, of Arab and South American countries to broaden economic ties between the two regions and challenge the U.S. and European Union in global trade talks. The Brasilia- based bank plans to disclose more details in June."

HoustonChronicle.com - Brazil is extending Microsoft a challenge

HoustonChronicle.com - Brazil is extending Microsoft a challenge

How Linux Could Overthrow Microsoft

How Linux Could Overthrow Microsoft

GNU Enterprise

GNU Enterprise

BBC NEWS | Business | Microsoft's future: your views

BBC NEWS | Business | Microsoft's future: your views

STUFF : TECHNOLOGY - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website

STUFF : TECHNOLOGY - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website: "Free operating system Ubuntu Linux has been heralded as one of the most exciting software projects ever created, writes Michael Herman. "

Indian firm unveils low-cost Linux-based PCs | CNET News.com

Indian firm unveils low-cost Linux-based PCs | CNET News.com

Cory Doctorow - VERY good speech about Digital Rights Management DRM

: "Here's what I'm here to convince you of: 1. That DRM systems don't work 2. That DRM systems are bad for society 3. That DRM systems are bad for business 4. That DRM systems are bad for artists 5. That DRM is a bad business-move for MSFT"

FT.com / Your investments - Words of wisdom from the dragon’s mouth

FT.com / Your investments - Words of wisdom from the dragon’s mouth: "Another relevant factor is the threat from competitors. Richard says Britain’s venture capital investors have traditionally been fascinated by defensive positions such as patents and trademarks. But he believes these defences are not essential – clear benefits to the customer and a headstart on the competition are enough.

“I spent 20 years in software – there’s no defence. Yahoo, Google and Microsoft got by without defence.”"

Googlezon: Open Document Format Approved (Goodbye DOC, XLS, PPT)

Googlezon: Open Document Format Approved (Goodbye DOC, XLS, PPT)

RED HERRING | Tech Spin: Dell’s Linux Play

RED HERRING | Tech Spin: Dell’s Linux Play: "Michael Dell invests in open source; Microsoft’s Linux Mea Culpa; bloggers study journalism."

Test Linux Desktop ONLINE

Open Source Region Stuttgart

Mye å spare med åpne standarder

"Hvis byggebransjen går over til åpne standarder innen IT, kan hver tredje krone spares i selve byggeprosessen." Digi.no

The assault on software giant Microsoft

"The next two years will be crucial for software giant Microsoft. Under attack on numerous fronts, it could falter - or fight back to become even more dominant." BBC

National Post

National Post

NewsForge | Free Software Foundation Latin America lays groundwork

NewsForge | Free Software Foundation Latin America lays groundwork

CNN.com - Microsoft Chairman: End overseas hiring limits - Apr 27, 2005

CNN.com - Microsoft Chairman: End overseas hiring limits - Apr 27, 2005

Just wait a couple of years and the waste potential of high skilled workers from Africa and Asia will be braindrained to US and Europe in big scale. The reason for this: Broadband in Africa and Asia will release the big creative potential with high speed. Bill Gates get what he wants despite the American workers unwillingness to this.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Support for EU 'digital library'

BBC NEWS | Technology | Support for EU 'digital library'

Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - News In English

Agenzia Giornalistica Italia - News In English: "With less than 300 million euro investments in two years about a hundred WiMax radio stations which could bring broadband on the whole country could be installed."

LinuxElectrons™ - Red Hat Chief Stirs Debate On Open-Source Software

LinuxElectrons™ - Red Hat Chief Stirs Debate On Open-Source Software: "He cited the perspective in what Red Hat management calls the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China).

'The leaders of these countries plan to use open-source software to move their countries into the 21st century,' Szulik said."

Technology News: Commentary: Open Source: Chicken Little and Age-Appropriate Explanations

Technology News: Commentary: Open Source: Chicken Little and Age-Appropriate Explanations: "Nearly ten years later, very few intellectual property lawsuits have actually been filed relating to open source. Roughly, the scorecard looks like this:

* Trademark infringement suits: 1 (MySQL-NuSphere)
* Copyright infringement suits: 1/2 (SCO, after modifying the complaint)
* Trade secret infringement suits: 1/2 (SCO, original complaint)
* Patent infringement suits: 0

The sky did not fall."

� Why the third world won’t save open source | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

� Why the third world won’t save open source | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

My opinion about this blog:
This is a kind of propaganda for Microsoft, but useful to see how poor the arguments for Microsoft is. I believe proprietary systems will die slowly, just like the music and movie industry as we see it today. The big multinational companies of course try to prolong the life proprietary systems as long as possible with convincing politicians around the world that it is in their benefit to do so. The proprietary business need to establish the patent systems and the proprietary standards before the first miracle-nations build themself up with fiber/Wimax/cheap notebooks/cluster-computers and GNU/Linux like Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Edubuntu. Today, this argumentation is a variant of the "white mans burden". The history repeat itself again and again... It is sooo important that the third world buy the glass pearls because...

� Why the third world won’t save open source | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

� Why the third world won’t save open source | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

My opinion about this blog:
This is a kind of propaganda for Microsoft, but useful to see how poor the arguments for Microsoft is. I believe proprietary systems will die slowly, just like the music and movie industry as we see it today. The big multinational companies of course try to prolong the life proprietary systems as long as possible with convincing politicians around the world that it is in their benefit to do so. The proprietary business need to establish the patent systems and the proprietary standards before the first miracle-nations build themself up with fiber/Wimax/cheap notebooks/cluster-computers and GNU/Linux like Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Edubuntu. Today, this argumentation is a variant of the "white mans burden". The history repeat itself again and again... It is sooo important that the third world buy the glass pearls because...

Acer starts selling Linux laptops

Acer starts selling Linux laptops

First HP, now Acer! This is strong sign that what many people already have said that Linux and open standards is experiencing a breakthrough these days. Of course, the gigants like HP and Acer want to positioning themselves to the future of Linux. HP deliver notebooks with 100 percent compatibility with Ubuntu. I expect Ubuntu to be THE globally operative system the coming years.

digi.no - Internett og MP3-�konomien

digi.no - Internett og MP3-�konomien

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Teach-yourself computing for kids

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Teach-yourself computing for kids: "'Groups of children given adequate digital resources can meet the objectives of primary education on their own - most of the objectives.'"

Of course!!! The nature of software, knowledge distributed over internet and the power of computers is very different from traditional "commodities" in many essential aspects, it just dont fit into the copyright/patent-system or the traditional education. Of course this is great news for the poor, and from now on a lot of traditionalists (included a lot of proprietary software defenders) have a hard job to survive befor everybody know this. That should not take to long time with internet.