Wednesday, August 31, 2005

WebSphere Advisor :: IBM Open Source Initiatives for Speech Technologies -- Audium Studio IBM WebSphere Voice Toolkit Openstream Smart Messaging Platf

WebSphere Advisor :: IBM Open Source Initiatives for Speech Technologies -- Audium Studio IBM WebSphere Voice Toolkit Openstream Smart Messaging Platform Eclipse IBM WebSphere Java Open Source

Linux displaces 2,460 Windows desktops in rural Italian schools

Linux displaces 2,460 Windows desktops in rural Italian schools: "Some 16,000 students in the mountainous South Tyrol province of Bolzano in northern Italy will find 2,460 classroom computers upgraded from Windows to Linux when they return to school this month. New multi-language educational applications resulting from this project are to be released to the open source community, the project's co-director told DesktopLinux.com."

TransGaming.Org Games Database

TransGaming.Org Games Database

some linux games here

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

eSchool News online

eSchool News online: "Schools in South America, Australia, and other parts of the world already have implemented large-scale open-source software projects, but K-12 schools in the United States so far have been slower to adopt open-source solutions--particularly at the desktop level. Concerns about the expertise needed to support Linux and the range of educational applications that are available to run on it are some of the factors that have hindered its adoption in U.S. schools.

In response to these concerns, Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony said his company's offerings can perform at least 80 percent of the functions of most proprietary software."

Open source part of bigger Cape plan

Open source part of bigger Cape plan: "The City of Cape Town has five major projects it is investigating where open source could play a major role:

* The first is the SmartCape Access service that has about 530 open source desktops spread across 100 locations.
* The second is a library management system that it wants to develop together with the State IT Agency (SITA) and that could be used by other municipalities.
* The third is the investigation of a content management system that could help develop local content and help foster community spirit.
* The fourth project is the use of open source and Intel-based hardware to replace some ex-IBM and Sun Solaris systems.
* The last project, which is in its testing phase, is a system for the community clinics the municipality is responsible for.

Sooful believes that, for instance, the library management system could, at a fraction of the cost, replace the outdated and expensive proprietary PALS.

"

IT Business Edge

IT Business Edge: "For one thing, it's become easier to come up with the content because the market has matured over the last two years. When we first started, it was still early days, and CIOs were somewhat hesitant to even use Linux, which today is kind of a no-brainer; everybody uses it. I think the last Forrester study I saw showed somewhere between 80 and 100 percent of Fortune 1,000 companies are using Linux or open source in some way. What was a hesitant audience two years ago has become a very aggressive audience. In some ways, they're leading us, whereas before we were kind of dragging them by the halter."

Novell to launch SUSE Linux in five Indian languages

Welcome to TimesDaily.com: "'India, along with China, are the biggest new market opportunities for Novell,' Rhonda O'Donnell, president for the company's Asia Pacific region, told reporters in the southern Indian technology hub of Bangalore. 'We realize we have to be more aggressive than we were in tapping the growing Indian market.'"

PalmInfocenter.com: Palm Preparing for Linux Development

PalmInfocenter.com: Palm Preparing for Linux Development: "A search for 'linux' on Palm's job site currently returns 13 engineering positions. The company is hiring for linux software engineers, smartphone browser developers as well as a positions for Mobile Handset development."

Computerworld | Linux wins the race for sport technology developers

Computerworld | Linux wins the race for sport technology developers: "'The support from the open source community is far more helpful than any paid support program. I have had people like Andrew Tridgell happily spend a couple of hours with me to solve some problems, on another occasion we had a MySQL developer phone us from Finland to discuss our setup. This is pure gold that Microsoft and others just can't compete with,' he said.

Shugg also believes that using open source attracts top quality developers, and people who are in it for the joy of programming.

'This is critical for a cash-strapped startup,' he said.

Shugg said that using Linux is more secure than Windows and it also enables Kinetic to tweak applications in a way that would not be possible if he were to use proprietary software."

ClipArt Scribus Incscape OpenOffice 2.0 together

Open ClipArt together with Scribus, norsk OpenOffice 2.0 and Incscape

Monday, August 29, 2005

Mark Shuttleworth interview in LXF71 :: Linux Format :: The website of the UK's best-selling Linux magazine

Mark Shuttleworth interview in LXF71 :: Linux Format :: The website of the UK's best-selling Linux magazine: "MS: Linux is absolutely ready for some desktops. So I don't really get stressed trying to convince somebody that Linux is ready for the desktop."

LinuxChix Africa

Women Linux user group.

Slashdot | OpenOffice 2.0 vs. MS Office Review

Slashdot | OpenOffice 2.0 vs. MS Office Review: "I mean, naturally, the reason to upgrade to Office 2003 is because it is better... so sure, say my employer has 200 users x $300 per upgrade license, that's $60,000.
Of course I can explain in my budget how when we upgraded 3 years ago to XP, assume again for the same reason... 'it was better...' that it in 2000 it was just a temporary $60,000 expense, leading up to and preparing us for this EVEN better version in 2003.
OH, but wait, I forgot, just 2 years prior to that we spend maybe $50,000 to upgrade to the 2000 version from the '97 version. And two years prior to that we spent maybe $40,000 upgrading from '95 to '97.

In case you don't have Excel handy, that's...

$40,000 in '97, $50,000 in 2000, $60,000 in 2001/2, $60,000 in 2003 equaling $210,000 in 6 years just on licenses...

THEN there was the amount of time and labor necessary for my IT department to upgrade each of these 200 computers...

And the training time, to make the most of each new version, and teach my company's employees how to work together in the 'even better' way that Microsoft has so carefully designed for us.

Plus the memory, and computer upgrades necessary to run the newer versions...

AND with 2003, to MAKE THE MOST OF IT, we needed to add a new server to run SHAREPOINT Server for our 200 people.

Yes, that is what Microsoft and Mr. 'Who uses Office XP anymore?'' would have you do.

Fortunately, up until but not including the last sentence, my upgrade story is fiction. We're still using Office 2000. A few are using Office XP. Some of us even use the old Wordperfect and Quattro suite from Corel. And when the Engineering department told us they wanted 2003, I told them NO. (Unless of course they can tell me what features from 2003 it is that they NEED. And I gave them a link to Microsoft's webpage showing the differences between 2003 and XP.)

Now when time permits, we're going to find out just what features our company REALLY needs, and the suite that provides those features best, will be what we will convert the whole company to.
If that is Office 2006, (which of course will be EVEN BETTER, so you ought to go get it NOW if you can!), then so be it, but until then this IT Department is trying the OpenOffice 2.0 beta, and thus far, except for 'Convert Text To Columns' in Excel, there has been no need for Microsoft Office.
OpenOffice 2.0 beta works great, has most of the USED features of MS Office, and removes most of the need having Acrobat (full version).

We've already switched most people from IE to Firefox, which most everyone had no problem with, they hated IE's 'many' popups and like Firefox's tabs. AND we have MUCH less Virus/Spyware problems now.

And as Outlook keeps chewing up people's PST files, they are being moved to Thunderbird.

Hmm... before you know it, I may be able to CHOOSE which OS we're going to run too..."

Portable OpenOffice.org 1.1.4 & 2.0 Beta (USB Friendly) :: Useful Stuff :: JohnHaller.com

Portable OpenOffice.org 1.1.4 & 2.0 Beta (USB Friendly) :: Useful Stuff :: JohnHaller.com

Dia a drawing program

Dia a drawing program
"Dia is designed to be much like the commercial Windows program 'Visio'. It can be used to draw many different kinds of diagrams. It currently has special objects to help draw entity relationship diagrams, UML diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, and simple circuits. It is also possible to add support for new shapes by writing simple XML files, using a subset of SVG to draw the shape."

BBC NEWS | Technology | The hidden dangers of documents

BBC NEWS | Technology | The hidden dangers of documents: "He gathered about 100,000 Word documents from sites on the web and every single one of them had hidden information.

In a research paper about the work Mr Byers wrote that about half the documents gathered had up to 50 hidden words, a third up to 500 words hidden and 10% had more than 500 words concealed within them.

The hidden text revealed the names of document authors, their relationship to each other and earlier versions of documents.

Occasionally it revealed very personal information such as social security numbers that are beloved of criminals who specialise in identity theft."

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | US probes Nigeria vice-president

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | US probes Nigeria vice-president: "Mr Jefferson, a Democrat who has served eight terms in the House of Representatives, has come under scrutiny as the FBI looks into an international telecommunications deal.

Investigators are interested in Mr Jefferson's links with Mr Abubakar and the vice-president of Ghana, Aliu Mahama, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

According to the newspaper, Mr Jefferson visited Ghana in mid-July.

Although he is technically the second most powerful man in Nigeria, Mr Abubakar has kept a low profile in recent months, says the BBC's Grant Ferrett."

How Linux Could Overthrow Microsoft

How Linux Could Overthrow Microsoft: "Whether this happens or not, there seems little doubt that further evolution will occur. Steve Weber, a political scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, who has studied the open-source industry extensively and consults with IBM and other companies, says, 'The model is still very young. There's no doubt that the model will evolve along with the technology and the industry.' Its achievements are already impressive, both socially and technologically."

Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Africa

afrol Women & Gender - FGM

Population Briefs | Spring 1997, Vol. 3, No. 2 | Female Genital Mutilation: Common, Controversial, and Bad for Women's Health

Population Briefs | Spring 1997, Vol. 3, No. 2 | Female Genital Mutilation: Common, Controversial, and Bad for Women's Health: "Study data show that Egyptian women accurately report their FGM status (94 percent agreement between medical examination and self-reporting) and that the practice varies widely. Sixty percent of the 1,339 women studied had both the clitoris and labia minora partially or completely removed, while 24 percent had either their clitoris or labia minora removed."

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Damien Sandras Weblog

Damien Sandras � Weblog: "Welcome to the video world of GnomeMeeting!"

EBI and Ghent University launch PRIDE: an open source database of protein identifications

EBI and Ghent University launch PRIDE: an open source database of protein identifications: "The European Bioinformatics Institute and Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB)–Ghent University have launched the PRoteomics IDEntifications database (PRIDE; www.ebi.ac.uk/pride). PRIDE allows researchers who work in the field of proteomics – the large-scale study of proteins – to share information much more readily than was previously possible."

Unlocking the enterprise for open source - page 4 | CNET News.com

Unlocking the enterprise for open source - page 4 | CNET News.com: "'They've built companies with massive infrastructures based on selling software that costs $100,000 to $200,000,' he notes. 'Well, people aren't buying that anymore,' says Peak, a veteran software industry executive, who was vice president for worldwide sales at Computer ....."

Very interesting!

Plastic Logic: New Centre for Plastic Electronics and Direct Write Technologies

Plastic Logic: "Plastic Logic Chairman Lord Broers (currently also President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chairman of the House of Lords Committee on Science and Technology) said “The UK has produced absolutely world class research in plastic electronics. Now is exactly the right time to gear up for manufacturing.” Stuart Evans, CEO of Plastic Logic added “Plastic electronics is entering a new phase: the race is on from research & invention, to customers & products. This new Centre will make a major contribution in ensuring the UK retains a leading position as this new industry develops.”"

Friday, August 26, 2005

TelecomWeb

TelecomWeb: "Shin Satellite CEO Touts ‘Year Of Satellite Broadband’"

Satellite broadband for 50 usd per month!!

BostonHerald.com - Technology News: Novell to launch SUSE Linux in five Indian languages

BostonHerald.com - Technology News: Novell to launch SUSE Linux in five Indian languages: "``India, along with China, are the biggest new market opportunities for Novell,'' Rhonda O'Donnell, president for the company's Asia Pacific region, told reporters in the southern Indian technology hub of Bangalore. ``We realize we have to be more aggressive than we were in tapping the growing Indian market.'' "

InfoWorld Nederland: Asianux plans expansion to India, Southeast Asia

InfoWorld Nederland: "Asianux, a partnership between three Asian Linux vendors, is looking to expand its reach in Asia and hopes to add new members from Southeast Asia and India, executives said Friday."

Firefox makes an inroad in the U.K. | CNET News.com

Firefox makes an inroad in the U.K. | CNET News.com: "Great Britain's Department for Work & Pensions has pledged to make its Web sites compatible with as many browsers as possible, including the popular open-source browser Firefox."

CIO Asia - China's Linux industry considers mega-merger

CIO Asia - China's Linux industry considers mega-merger: "A major reorganization is in the works for China's open-source software industry, with discussions under way over how local Linux vendors and industry organizations can cooperate more closely—including the possibility of a merger between several of the country's top Linux companies."

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Moneyweb: South Africa's leading source for independent investment information

Moneyweb: South Africa's leading source for independent investment information

Oracle Eyes Open Source Add-ons for Linux [OETrends.Com]

Oracle Eyes Open Source Add-ons for Linux [OETrends.Com]: "OCFS 2 support is also coming for the other major Linux distribution, as Oracle is now working to get OCFS 2 accepted as part of the native Linux 2.6 kernel, according to Wim Coekaerts, Oracle's director of Linux engineering. The hope, Coekaerts said, is that OCFS 2 will be included in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 distribution. Linux distributins from Ubuntu and Gentoo are also on the list. "

Study Smart With These Sites - Los Angeles Times

Study Smart With These Sites - Los Angeles Times: "Study Smart With These Sites
# There's a wealth of free reference information -- even entire books -- on the Web that students will find useful. Here are some of the best links."

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

CNN.com - Asia 'to show Linux-based system' - Aug 23, 2005

CNN.com - Asia 'to show Linux-based system' - Aug 23, 2005: "TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- A partnership of companies from Japan, China and South Korea will unveil a new Linux-based operating system for local markets later this week in Beijing to challenge Microsoft Corp.'s dominance, a news report said Wednesday."

TECTONIC: Open source big-wigs wrap it up

TECTONIC: Open source big-wigs wrap it up: "The open source task team, a collection of government, private and technology experts with an interest in promoting open source, wrapped up its conference in Sandton, Johannesburg yesterday with a finalised open source action plan which it hopes will be presented to South Africa's government. The document's goal is to effect policy and legislation regarding open source software in the public sector."

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

The Cost of Software Monopoly

The Cost of Software Monopoly: "#

The first remedy that Cybersource seeks from the ACCC is that all tier-1 and tier-2 vendors should be required to offer their desktop and laptop products without an operating system pre-installed, that this choice be presented to consumers as broadly as the products themselves are, and that the price difference between the with and without operating system options should also be clearly and broadly presented at retail outlets, on vendor marketing literature and vendor websites.
#

"

Australian electoral commission eyes open-source voting - Computerworld

Australian electoral commission eyes open-source voting - Computerworld: "SYDNEY -- If bringing total democracy to electronic voting can only happen via software source code that can be viewed by all, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is happy to oblige with its next-generation voting application."

Flexbeta - 10 Days as a Linux User: A GNU Perspective on things - Page 6 - Day Nine and Day Ten

"I made a promised to myself that I would make a definitive decision on day 10 as to whether or not I could condone someone switching from Windows to Linux and I feel like I have a fairly good answer: it depends. Vague? Sure, but it’s the truth as far as what I can see. If you rely on your computer or laptop as purely a word processor and a device for sending e-mail or surfing the web then by all means, please go over to the Linux side of things but if you heavily use your computer for large amounts of gaming or device interfacing, then please do me a favor and stay with Windows."

Monday, August 22, 2005

RealVNC

RealVNC: "VNC (Virtual Network Computing) software makes it possible to view and fully-interact with one computer from any other computer or mobile device anywhere on the Internet. VNC software is cross-platform, allowing remote control between different types of computer. For ultimate simplicity, there is even a Java viewer, so that any desktop can be controlled remotely from within a browser without having to install software."

Main Page - FreeMind - free mind mapping software

Main Page - FreeMind - free mind mapping software: "FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java. The recent development has hopefully turned it into high productivity tool. We are proud that the operation and navigation of FreeMind is faster than that of MindManager because of one-click 'fold / unfold' and 'follow link' operations."

Firefox Statistics

Firefox Statistics

Firefox just passed 82 million unique downloads!!! And with the coming 1.5 version it shall be great!

LinuxWorld | Debian consortium takes on Novell, Red Hat

LinuxWorld | Debian consortium takes on Novell, Red Hat: "If the Alliance is successful, it could unite the fragmented Debian market and shore up Debian's position as the third pillar of a tripartite universe of enterprise Linux. It could also give disgruntled customers the confidence they need to walk away from those troublesome support contracts with the other two big names."

Novell Announces Worldwide Availability of Only Linux-Based, Cross-Platform Systems Management Suite

Novell Announces Worldwide Availability of Only Linux-Based, Cross-Platform Systems Management Suite: "WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL) today announced the worldwide availability of Novell(R) ZENworks(R) 7 Suite, the first systems management solution that automates the complete lifecycle of Linux* systems and allows organizations to manage their Windows* workstations from a Linux platform. Novell ZENworks automates and enforces business and IT management processes across the lifecycle of desktops, laptops, servers and handheld devices. As a result, organizations can control costs, ensure security and compliance and get the most from their IT asset investments."

Omgås du it-tvilere?

Omg�s du it-tvilere?: "If�lge Andersen er det bare noen f�selskapet som er i det tredje stadiet - de virkelig proaktive.

-- I denne kategorien finner man de som lager verktøykassen for bedriften. De sier: 'Vi har allerede laget systemet og her er hvordan dere skal bruke det'. For å kunne gjøre dette må du være vanvittig god. Internasjonalt finner man selskaper som Dell, en del banker og UPS her, sier Andersen."

HPC, High Performance Computing using Linux

HPC, High Performance Computing using Linux

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Sun Micro announces open-source DRM project Reuters.com

Technology News Article | Reuters.com

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Scientists hope to ease GM fears

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Scientists hope to ease GM fears: "'Products on the market now may well have antibiotic-resistant marker genes in them,' Clare Oxborrow, GM campaigner with Friends of the Earth, told the BBC News website, 'so this won't have any importance when it comes to the approval process.

'Also, the researchers point out that they aren't clear on the function of the inserted gene; so although it does carry this potential benefit, they don't know what else it might do to the plant, and there doesn't seem to have been any serious investigation of the type which would be required by food safety assessment authorities.'"

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Intel bets on open source future - ZDNet UK Insight

Intel bets on open source future - ZDNet UK Insight: "To stay one step ahead of the competition, Intel is investing heavily in new software strategies of which open source is a fundamental part"

Schneier on Security: Chinese Cryptographers Denied U.S. Visas

Schneier on Security: Chinese Cryptographers Denied U.S. Visas

Fluendo

Fluendo

digi.no - debatt Leste Linux-leksa for Telenor-sjefen

digi.no - debatt Leste Linux-leksa for Telenor-sjefen: ">og selv om jeg er vel kjent med at ui for linux ikke er sa fryktelig forskjellig fra windows skal det noe mer til for a forklare alle pa 50 pa diverse kontorer dette. sporsmalet blir da om nar en eventuell effektivitetsgevinst slar til, og hvor lang tid det tar a tjene inn igjen investeringene i kursing, support ol.
>

Dette er veldig overdrevet, Se bare p�endringene fra 2000/98 til XP. De fleste klarte jo �omstille seg p�et par dager! Omstillingen fra XP til Gnome/KDE/XPDE er faktisk ikke st�rre"

digi.no - debatt Leste Linux-leksa for Telenor-sjefen

digi.no - debatt Leste Linux-leksa for Telenor-sjefen: "Her kommer en hjemmelekse. Kan du finne et relativt komplekst dokument skrevet i Word95 og åpne dette i Word2003. Si ifra hvis dette går helt smertefritt. Hvis du er heldig og har noen Access1.0 baser liggende så kan du prøve samme triks med dem.

Formålet med denne hjemmeliksen er å vise viktigheten av å sikre tilgjengelighet til data i flere tiår. Da har en bare en mulighet; åpne standarder. Det er noe en ikke får med lukket kildekode."

Competing with the Microsoft ecosystem | John Carroll | ZDNet.com

� Competing with the Microsoft ecosystem | John Carroll | ZDNet.com: "First, it's worth mentioning that I consider open source, and all the products that currently fall into that category, as the only group of products capable of competing with Microsoft's ecosystem. Apple is too limited in its potential product range. The traditional Unix operating systems are oriented around servers. Only open source, however fractious, has enough spread to compete with a proprietary environment that touches upon most areas of computing.

That being said, what follows are the four areas of improvement that would better position open source as a true alternative to the Microsoft ecosystem."

Friday, August 19, 2005

NewsForge | Best practices for the Linux home office, part 3

NewsForge | Best practices for the Linux home office, part 3: "In the parts one and two of this series on using Linux in a small office, we covered what to look for in hardware and the operating system, security concerns, and choosing an Internet service provider. In this final installment, we'll talk about protecting the data on your hard drive."

Cover Pages: Fedora Version 2.0 Open-Source Repository Supports XML and Web Services.

Cover Pages: Fedora Version 2.0 Open-Source Repository Supports XML and Web Services.: "'...This release represents a significant increase in features and functionality over previous releases. New features include the ability to represent and query relationships among digital objects, a simple XML encoding for Fedora digital objects, enhanced ingest and export interfaces for interoperability with other repository systems, enhanced administrative features, and improved documentation. More than ever, Fedora is capable of serving as the foundation for many types of information management applications, including institutional repositories, digital libraries, records management systems, archives, and educational software.'"

Thursday, August 18, 2005

RedNova News - Technology - Supporting Linux in a Big Way

RedNova News - Technology - Supporting Linux in a Big Way: "'What's more, the unveiling of the Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Masterplan was timely, extremely relevant in the context of the IT environment today which is going through major changes.'"

Titan IT skills up to meet demand for Linux

Titan IT skills up to meet demand for Linux: "'There is definitely a strong move towards Linux within government and business which needs to be supported by certified people. Titan IT is placing itself in a good position to not only service the Linux needs of our current customers, but also to service the needs of the growing Linux market,' concludes Machado."

Oracle looking to Linux | CNET News.com

Oracle looking to Linux | CNET News.com: "SAN FRANCISCO--Within the next five years, half of Oracle's customers may be running Linux, company President Charles Phillips has predicted."

Leader: Microsoft and Linux must co-exist - Operating Systems - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com

Leader: Microsoft and Linux must co-exist - Operating Systems - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com: "Of course there is a whiff of 'man bites dog' about any story that involves companies replacing Linux with Microsoft, simply because there seems to be such a general shift towards open source, especially in the public sector."

The new paradigma seems to be: Microsoft and Linux must co-exist. OK. But I doubt many business will continue to pay Microsoft for licenses it the majority of the public sector becomes open source because then the interoperatibility problems will become Microsofts enemy instead of friend. "Old Microsoft" want to catch as many as possible with "trusted computing" before they milk the cow for the last time. The "New Microsoft" will then continue into something other kind of software production, and the "Old" will just become much smaller.

A New World Economy - BusinessWeek Online - MSNBC.com

A New World Economy - BusinessWeek Online - MSNBC.com: "Barring cataclysm, within three decades India should have vaulted over Germany as the world's third-biggest economy. By mid-century, China should have overtaken the U.S. as No. 1. By then, China and India could account for half of global output."

Interesting, but the world is going to change much faster. If you look at the last ten years, the reality has even exceeded the most hyped scenarios.

Unwired City

"From xG Technology, it delivers broadband speeds over the low frequencies used by radio and TV stations."

Read more about xMax in PC Magazine

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Automotive DesignLine | Is open-source, automotive-grade Linux the future

Automotive DesignLine | Is open-source, automotive-grade Linux the future: "Today, automotive-grade Linux is a requirement for the automotive electronics of the future."

BELLACIAO - Microsoft’s plan to take over your computer - Richard Stallman - Collective Bellaciao

BELLACIAO - Microsoft’s plan to take over your computer - Richard Stallman - Collective Bellaciao: "The technical idea underlying treacherous computing is that the computer includes a digital encryption and signature device, and the keys are kept secret from you. Proprietary programs will use this device to control which other programs you can run, which documents or data you can access, and what programs you can pass them to. These programs will continually download new authorization rules through the Internet, and impose those rules automatically on your work. If you don’t allow your computer to obtain the new rules periodically from the Internet, some capabilities will automatically cease to function."

Strongly recommended reading from some of the best strategists in the world (beside Microsoft).

The International Campaign Against Mass Surveillance (ICAMS)

I C A M S: "The EU has established a new 'security research agenda', intended to make the EU the rival of the U.S. in security technology. One of its objectives is to break down the barrier between civil and military research so that both can serve military, economic and foreign policy ends. Canada, too, has channeled billions into surveillance and security technology. The major surveillance projects undertaken by the United States such as the U.S. VISIT, MATRIX, CAPPS II and Terrorism Information Awareness programs, have offered a veritable goldmine of business opportunities to technology companies. Corporations have been quick to seek relationships with security apparatuses in these countries and elsewhere and to peddle more and more intrusive technologies of control."

See also: "trusted computing"

India to get 2 more IBM Linux centres :: Open Source, Linux News & Software :: OSDir.com

India to get 2 more IBM Linux centres :: Open Source, Linux News & Software :: OSDir.com: "International Business Machines Corp. will be setting up two more Linux 'Centres of Competency' in India, even as the world’s largest information technology company has set in motion plans to help set up a computing grid for universities in the country based on open-standard architecture, a senior company executive said."

In Pursuit of Good Desktop Linux: Ease of Use and Ease of Migration Overview -- KDE, GNOME, and MS Windows Desktops- Page 1- MozillaQuest Magazine

In Pursuit of Good Desktop Linux: Ease of Use and Ease of Migration Overview -- KDE, GNOME, and MS Windows Desktops- Page 1- MozillaQuest Magazine

Pocketable Linux server creates plug-and-go Linux desktop

Pocketable Linux server creates plug-and-go Linux desktop: "Realm Systems is taking orders for a tiny, loss-leader-priced Linux server that lets users carry a secure computing environment with them."

Practical for using the OpenOffice Impress for presentations on conferences and so on.

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Computerworld | Electoral commission eyes open source voting

Computerworld | Electoral commission eyes open source voting: "If bringing total democracy to electronic voting can only happen via software source code that can be viewed by all, the Australian Electoral Commission is happy to oblige with its next-generation election application."

Open Access Now | Data mining Open Access research

Open Access Now | Data mining Open Access research: "The advent of extensible markup language (XML) as a standard for information interchange holds invaluable promise, as XML makes it possible to express mathematical equations and chemical structures in a way that a computer can easily recognize and process."

XML in OpenDocument is an extremely good idea for institutional repositories, but the Microsoft XLM is the completely oposite because of the "trusted computing" issues, vendor-lockins, expensive upgrade paths for both hardware and software.

NewsForge | Review: Xandros Desktop 3.0 Business Edition

NewsForge | Review: Xandros Desktop 3.0 Business Edition: "You get more heavy-hitting business desktop software with Xandros than you do with SUSE Desktop, Red Hat Desktop, Sun Java Desktop System, and even Mandriva Corporate Desktop."

Western Cape government drives open source uptake

"If Africa in general, and Cape Town in particular, is to compete globally it has to move from being a consumer of proprietary software to becoming a developer and user of open source software, delegates at last week's Cape IT Initiative event were told."

Read more at Tectonic, South-Africas first open source magazine.

Monday, August 15, 2005

IBM helps Firefox reach disabled | Tech News on ZDNet

IBM helps Firefox reach disabled | Tech News on ZDNet: "IBM will donate 50,000 lines of code to the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox Web browser to make it friendly for people with visual and motor disabilities, Big Blue said Monday."

But before this comes into the browser, the Firefox 1.5 will be released, and then I guess the 200 million mark will be passed quickly. It is just a unbelieveable browser that is highly customizable.

Alias Now Shipping Maya 7

Alias Now Shipping Maya 7: "Maya Complete 7 is US $1999* and Maya Unlimited 7 is US $6999*. Upgrade pricing from Maya 6.5 is US $899* for Maya Complete and US $1249* for Maya Unlimited. Both Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited are available on the Windows�, Linux � and Mac OS� X platforms. * International pricing may vary."

This is a good example on that Linux becomes profitable to port to for proprietary software, and that more and more OEM are doing that.

LinuxWorld SF: Stars align for open source - Computerworld

LinuxWorld SF: Stars align for open source - Computerworld: "On the partnership front, leading open-source database provider MySQL lined up Dell and Novell to resell its MySQL Network directly to their customers."

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Rewriting the rule books

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Rewriting the rule books

Recommended reading: This is going to be interesting, for a "small" taste of of this take a look at the 1100+ courses on MIT Course Ware

Open source gets thumbs-up from business - silicon.com

Open source gets thumbs-up from business - silicon.com: "In an online survey of 140 senior technology executives, conducted by the National Computing Centre, more than 50 per cent have either adopted or are planning to adopt open source.

Three out of five said open source will become a fundamental component in their core IT systems, and three-quarters said their organisations' IT strategy will include open source over the next five years."

Open source risks now insurable | Open Source | ZDNet.com

� Open source risks now insurable | Open Source | ZDNet.com: "Despite all the evidence found in courts so far, businesses are still being told there are risks to open source software. The point today is that smart money now knows how low those risks really are."

blackenterprise.com

blackenterprise.com: "He says IBM sees Malaysia as a significant leader in the Asean Linux movement, with Government agencies such as the Malaysian Administration Modernisation and Management Planning Unit and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry being vocal, clear and specific in their support.

'What's more, the unveiling of the Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Masterplan was timely, extremely relevant in the context of the IT environment today which is going through major changes.' "

Sunday, August 14, 2005

Nuxified.com | Your GNU/Linux Story

Nuxified.com | Your GNU/Linux Story: "am happy to report that Nuxified.com has just been officially launched. It is a new web site for all existing and aspiring GNU/Linux users to share stories about experiences from migration to usage of a GNU/Linux operating system as well as 'show off' stories of your current GNU/Linux setup and customizations you may have made to it."

LinuxElectrons™ - Novell Linux To Be On 1600 Indiana High School Desktops

LinuxElectrons™ - Novell Linux To Be On 1600 Indiana High School Desktops: "According to Susan Heystee, president of Novell North America, in the past six months more than 130 educational institutions around the world have signed on to use Novell Linux Desktop. 'Both in education and business, we're seeing growing adoption of Linux on the desktop to increase security, simplify management and control costs, without sacrificing functionality or productivity. Novell can provide both the commercial and public sector with a clear alternative at a dramatically lower cost.'"

Seti@home

Seti@home

This is actually the biggest supercomputer in the world.

Tech it higher- The Economic Times

Tech it higher- The Economic Times: "IT research and consultancy firm Gartner has come up with a list of the five hottest IT topics and trends for 2005. Topping the list is Open Source Software (OSS) and it says that by 2010, global 2000 IT companies will consider OSS products in 80% of their infrastructure-focused software investments and 25% of business software investments. "

Linux pioneer interview | Linux

Linux pioneer interview | Linux: "It's not about free; it's about freedom."

RED HERRING | IBM's Open-source Army

RED HERRING | IBM's Open-source Army: "Last year, Beijing announced a phase-out of Microsoft Windows and Office products in government offices, to be complete in 2010. Other Asian countries, including South Korea and Japan, have introduced similar programs or announced open-source initiatives."

MontaVista Software - Platform to Innovate

MontaVista Software - Platform to Innovate: "MontaVista Software is a leading global supplier of systems software and development tools for intelligent connected devices and the associated infrastructure. MontaVista provides a commercial-grade Linux-based operating system and universal development platform."

Montavista And PalmSource Reveal Joint Venture - Forbes.com

Montavista And PalmSource Reveal Joint Venture - Forbes.com: "A venture to accelerate the development of next-generation Linux-based mobile phones has been revealed by Linux provider MontaVista Software and PalmSource Inc (NASDAQ:PSRC), the company behind the Palm Operating System. "

Linux to power most Motorola phones | CNET News.com

Linux to power most Motorola phones | CNET News.com: "Motorola will begin selling its first cell phone based on Linux this year and says most models will follow suit, a major sign of the growing popularity of the operating system outside its stronghold on high-end computers.

Learn more about Linux
"

Sun Wah

: "Sun Wah Linux has announced to launch the new release of RAYS ES, the new-generation server OS.RAYS ES is the first Chinese commercial OS that is based on the Debian Package Management System. It integrates with the most advanced technologies in the Linux industry today: The most advanced Linux kernel, the Debian-based software package management mechanism, the enhanced ACL system, and the convenient on-line upgrade features complete with a host of server functions to satisfy the needs of enterprises.

RAYS ES provides easy-to-use graphic configuration tools to reduce the efforts required in the simplification of the platform infrastructure layout. By building simplicity, automation and flexibility into the entire IT environment, users are able to achieve fundamental layouts, management convenience, and cost reductions. Software can be updated quickly, allocation of IT resources can be adjusted at any moment, system down times can be minimized, and an overall lower than budget cost can be attained, which means enterprises can save more and reallocate resource into other core areas of their business."

Sun Wah (sun rays) is a member of the Debian Common Core Alliance: www.dccalliance.org

Saturday, August 13, 2005

AngolaPress - News

AngolaPress - News: "Nairobi, Kenya, 08/11 - The construction of a US$300 million sub-marine fibre optic cable from Cape Town in South Africa to Eritrea is expected to be completed in 2007."

Friday, August 12, 2005

Geekcorps.org

Geekcorps.org: "Geekcorps, a division of IESC, promotes economic growth in the developing world by sending highly skilled technology volunteers to teach communities how use innovative and affordable information and communication technologies to solve development problems."

Recommended Readings

Recommended Readings

Soros.org

::::::::::: Welcome to impilinux.org :::::::::::

::::::::::: Welcome to impilinux.org :::::::::::: "ImpiLinux started as a project of the Gauteng Linux Users group
in 2001. During January 2005 ImpiLinux became a business. We have
a social business model whereby we give back to the community as
much as we can and still deliver a small profit to our investors.
Where do we make our money ?
Specialised training (Users (eg. Openoffice), IT support staff, System
Administrators) Custom Linux builds and bespoke development
(eg. Exclusive books, etc.) Linux desktop, middle and back end
migrations, turnkey solutions (including change management, project
management etc.) Full software outsourcing, Consulting and all
servers and services."

::::::::::: Welcome to cubit.co.za :::::::::::

::::::::::: Welcome to cubit.co.za :::::::::::: "Cubit is a secure, cost effective, commercial open and available
source code Network Accounting Package which may be modified and
freely redistributed in terms of the OpenCubit license. It works
on both Linux and the Microsoft Windows platforms and is good for
one or thousands of users with no per user licensing."

AfriBiz

AfriBiz "AfriBiz also provides Linux training from introductory-level to highly specialized Linux courses. Linux maintenance and set up plays a major part of our business strategy."

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Cheap internet calls for Kenyans

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Cheap internet calls for Kenyans

PalmSource & MontaVista Collaborate on Next Generation Linux Mobile Phones - News from Mobile Africa

PalmSource & MontaVista Collaborate on Next Generation Linux Mobile Phones - News from Mobile Africa: "PalmSource has joined MontaVista's Mobilinux Open Framework partner program; and MontaVista has joined PalmSource's Palm Powered Mobile World (PPMW) program. As partners, MontaVista and PalmSource plan to leverage their collective expertise to create integrated solutions for handset vendors and mobile operators looking to build Linux handsets."

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Massive Linux handout set for French schools | CNET News.com

Massive Linux handout set for French schools | CNET News.com: "The project, which has been funded by the local government, will distribute 64,000 packs of CDs to students, according to Linux Arverne, a Linux user group involved in the initiative. The project aims to get students and their families more interested in free and open-source software."

China's chip gaining GHz quickly - report

"The chip is targeted at thin clients, embedded controllers for industrial applications or cars. But the next generation, at 800MHz to 1GHz, is a plausible candidate for a modern budget desktop PC, and the Government plans to put it into cheap Linux computers for schools.

At this point a very low-priced PC becomes feasible, comfortably under $150."

Read more at The Register

TMC: Nonprofit Group Bringing Communications Services to Developing Communities

"Inveneo has built a Linux-based PC with a VoIP connection that's powered by either a bicycle or solar panel. This "rugged-tized" solution is designed to withstand the African climate and has no moving parts and is designed to be serviced remotely, if required.

Inveneo, working with various international relief organizations, is installing this "VoIPcycle" in remote African villages that have neither electricity nor phone access. Through a series of transmitters and receivers, the Inveneo solution hopscotches to the nearest PSTN connection thus providing telephone and Internet service."

Read more

Voter Flawed

"Another interesting story appeared this week in my inbox from New Zealand claiming that Diebold voting machines in the U.S. (Diebold apparently makes most of the voting machines used in the U.S.) have major security flaws that allow manipulation of elections. These flaws are not so much hackable as they are designed into the system for deliberate manipulation of election results, claim the authors. "

Another conspiracy theory? Anyway. Why not open source on the voting machines?

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

FrontPage - Edubuntu Wiki

FrontPage - Edubuntu Wiki: "Edubuntu aims to be an [WWW] Ubuntu version suitable for classroom use. The aim is to deliver a turnkey solution that enables time-poor educators with mid-range technical skills to set up a computer lab and/or establish an online learning environment with as few clicks as humanly possible, then administer that environment without having to significantly expand their technical skills. Centralized management of configuration, users, and processes together with facilities for working collaboratively in a classroom setting are its principal design goals. Equally important is the gathering together of the best available free software and digital materials for education under one distro"

Computer Aid International

Computer Aid International: "Below is a approximate guide to the cost of receiving computers from Computer Aid International. The guide should give you an idea of how much is involved."

A container with 450 modern PC cost delivered to most places in Africa cost only 44-50 pound per computer. Thats cheap!

IT-Analysis.com - Linux Shows Its Maturity

IT-Analysis.com - Linux Shows Its Maturity: "For the last three years the IT world has been debating the status of the Linux operating system as a potential platform on which to build enterprise solutions. Such debate is now well and truly over, with Linux and the wider Open Source community now firmly entrenched in the minds of IT buyers as a serious, enterprise ready option."

Ourmedia

This is the future in media, citizen reporters in action!

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Venerable encylopedia seeks just the facts - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Nation - News

Venerable encylopedia seeks just the facts - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Nation - News: "Venerable encylopedia seeks just the facts"

Breaking on through to 4G - ZDNet UK Insight

Breaking on through to 4G - ZDNet UK Insight: "US wireless company xG technology claims its radio technology will outperform 3G, 802.11x and Ultrawideband – making it the first real contender for fourth-generation connectivity"

Trusted Computing FAQ TC / TCG / LaGrande / NGSCB / Longhorn / Palladium

Trusted Computing FAQ TC / TCG / LaGrande / NGSCB / Longhorn / Palladium

RECOMMENDED READING. This is real good stuff!!!

Mobile Pipeline | PalmSource Partners To Speed Mobile Linux Development

Mobile Pipeline | PalmSource Partners To Speed Mobile Linux Development: "PalmSource, which is transitioning its Palm OS to Linux, said Tuesday it is teaming up with MontaVista Software, another Linux provider, to speed up the process bringing Linux mobile devices to market."

Putting Vista in the fast lane

CNET

Aging is a big problem for Windows, 30 percent loss of speed after only 4-6 month happens. This is not a problem for GNU/Linux. Reiser4 filesystem is good for the hard jobs.

Monday, August 08, 2005

Open Source and Business Intelligence

Open Resource: "Open source started out as infrastructure, but now its moving into applications like ERP, CRM and Business Intelligence. Why is this happening?

Open source appears where standards have emerged and software becomes commoditized. You see this within operating systems, compilers, databases, application servers and application environments. Increasingly, you'll see open source entering markets like business intelligence, CRM and ERP where required functionality is well defined and not technically challenging. Then it becomes a financial equation and open source offers TCO typically an order of magnitude lower than commercial products."

NewsForge | OSDL chief speaks about layoffs, Bitkeeper, and SCO

NewsForge | OSDL chief speaks about layoffs, Bitkeeper, and SCO: "And if they spend a fraction of the cost with an organization like OSDL, instead of spending a ton of money and losing money developing your own operating system and eventually moving it, it's a great scenario, so that's why the big guys need us.'"

Intel bets on open source future - ZDNet UK Insight

Intel bets on open source future - ZDNet UK Insight: "Linux workstations present a far more attractive option in emerging markets such as China, where the labour costs of migration are lower, Windows isn't so entrenched and price is more of an issue. 'There is a growing realisation that the future growth of the market is moving away from the mature markets, into the emerging markets,' says Gartner analyst Brian Gammage. 'With the new users there, cost is absolutely determinant. And labour costs make Linux migration more appealing in emerging markets.'"

Sho't Left oppiWeb Domains and Hosting One Stop Web Shop: Full Service Web Hosting and Domain Name Registration, African and World Wide. Domain Regist

Sho't Left oppiWeb Domains and Hosting One Stop Web Shop: Full Service Web Hosting and Domain Name Registration, African and World Wide. Domain Register 4 Africa- Empowering Africa on the Internet: "Domain Names 4 Africa at this One Stop Web Shop!"

Smart Open Source ERP Software Solutions with integrated CRM Software Solutions - Compiere

Smart Open Source ERP Software Solutions with integrated CRM Software Solutions - Compiere: "Streamline your order processing and Point-of-Sales (POS) customer commerce and care, manage your inventory, automate accounting, provide customer service, manage distribution networks and more.

Now there is one smart solution to all your business management needs. Compiere is for small to medium sized businesses designed for the global marketplace."

Together with JasperSoft business intelligence software and GnuCash, it should be within reach to start up a lot of assembly lines in Africa with minimal investment and risk. To buy international I thing PayPal can be a good solution.

Technology News: Commentary : Emerging Alternatives to Windows Vista

Technology News: Commentary : Emerging Alternatives to Windows Vista: "In India, however, Linux is getting a big push. Representative of this is the new system recently launched by HCL Infosystems. With a VIA 1 GHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 40 GB drive, 15-inch digital color monitor, 52X CD drive, keyboard and a mouse, the thing costs about US$220. And it runs Linux.

Interestingly enough, because of power problems there, the machine is equipped to run off a car battery"

"From the government side they felt they needed to support the massive number of dialects that they had in the country and only through a combination of open source Latest News about open source and Linux could they afford to get there."

Linux in Government: Essential IT Knowledge for Third World and Developing Countries | Linux Journal

Linux in Government: Essential IT Knowledge for Third World and Developing Countries | Linux Journal: "I would disassemble the parts, lay them on a table and then reassemble them when the session started. I timed the assembly at about 17 minutes."

Assembly lines in Africa? It takes about 15 minutes to put together computerparts, and then you can get excactly the computer you want, and more and more of the parts is possible to produce without any licences. They are doing this in India now, and produce computers (with the same specifications that I have at my office) with full Linux for only 225 USD. It should be possible to produce computers like this in Africa for less then 100 USD within a year or two.

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Trusted computing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trusted computing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Trusted computing is a term coined by the TCPA referring to the goal of their family of open specifications to make computers more secure through the use of dedicated hardware. Critics, including academics, security experts, and users of free and open source software, contend, however, that the overall effect (and perhaps intent) of trusted computing is to impose unreasonable restrictions on how people can use their computers."

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!!! Microsoft Vista is using this now. This is a lock-in like "Terminator seeds".

BBC - bbc.co.uk Standards & Guidelines - Browser Support Standards v2.11

BBC - bbc.co.uk Standards & Guidelines - Browser Support Standards v2.11

The BBC I think mirror a very realistic usage of the browsers. It shows 12.1 percent of use. That means that Firefox almost for sure has passed the important 10 percent goal. Firefox has passed 78 million unique download and is still fast growing. Very good!

Open-Source Software Gets Vote of Confidence at OSCON

Open-Source Software Gets Vote of Confidence at OSCON: "'There is a tidal wave washing over the market place, and if you are committed to choice and interoperability, which customers are demanding we be, open is the only way to go.

'The price of software is also going to zero, and the industry is moving away from just free software to free services, like Yahoo Search and Google Search and the other free services they offer,' Schwartz said."

Saturday, August 06, 2005

Open Source Africa

Open Source Africa

TECTONIC: Internet cafe builds community around open source

TECTONIC: Internet cafe builds community around open source: "“An open source cafe in every suburb,” is the dream of Anna Dani, project co-ordinator of OpenCafe in Potchefstroom, a town little more than an hour's drive from Johannesburg, that is attracting local as well as international attention. "

Google Scholar

Google Scholar

Google Print

Google Print

David Kirkpatrick - Money Makes the World Go Round—Or Does It? - FORTUNE

David Kirkpatrick - Money Makes the World Go Round—Or Does It? - FORTUNE: "I suspect that the value that can now be produced through collaboration is vastly greater than in the conventional top-down process. Wikipedia, for instance, is bigger and more up-to-date than the Encyclopedia Britannica."

PCWorld.com - Next Version of GPL Coming in 2007

PCWorld.com - Next Version of GPL Coming in 2007: "The discussion of GPL 3 by groups around the world will reveal how 'genuinely multicultural' the Free Software Foundation is, he adds.

'It will be a shock to everyone just how large and powerful a community [the free software movement] is,' he says."

The GPL was invented with a 100 years perspective in mind, and it is the same genious that is behind GPL 3. This people dont rest, the Free Software Foundation is driving forces behind most suits against Microsoft, and for the first time in history, the EU-Parliament has rejected the Common Proposal from the EU-Commission after a heavvy fight, and the Free Software Foundation did elaborate most of the complex issues for other campaigners.
That says something about how serios intellectuals that in this movement.

Friday, August 05, 2005

Amazon.com: DVD: Commanding Heights - The Battle for the World Economy (2002)

Amazon.com: DVD: Commanding Heights - The Battle for the World Economy (2002): "The Washington Post
No more important program for making sense of our life and times has been seen in at least a decade. "

I have seen this very interesting movie, and I can recommend it very much. The problem is not the capitalistic system, the problem is what I call the "false capitalists". The truth is that the world has not seen more "real capitalists" than "real communists". George Bush want to stand as a representant for capitalism and free markets, but he is not even close to his self-appointed ideals.

What Bush for example is doing is to subsidise politically picked industry with giving them monopoly power. For example the Disney company has lobbyed and got copyright protection extended many times: "The extension of copyright clearly benefits the corporation over the consumer. Copyrights lasted only 14 years in 1790. With the challenged 1998 extension, the period is now 70 years after the death of the creator. Works owned by corporations are now protected for 95 years."
http://digital-lifestyles.info/display_page.asp?section=cm&id=715

That is not free competition. Another example is that taxpayers money is spendt on opening up markets for the military industry. "FAS indicates that the weapons industry is second only to the US agriculture industry in its receipt of US taxpayer subsidies."
http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2002/12/1554914.php

Another example is that the government has, up till now, favoured the proprietary systems with the taxpayers money in public purchases: "SB 1579 is designed to mitigate these costs by leveling the playing field between proprietary software and Open Source Software (OSS) products."
http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2003-03-18-014-26-OS-LL-PB

Actually the people that say that they want free market and globalization is the people that work hard against it more than a rule then the exception. The US and Europe often say that the space industry and the military industry is what bring the world forward. As an economist I am indoctrinatet to think alternative cost and always ask: what is the cost in terms of the opportunity foregone (and the benefits that could be received from that opportunity)? It would be better ways to invest, and it would have been possible to mobilize this forces if it wasnt for the protectionistic and free-trade hostile US and Europe. Contrary to what they present themselves.

Jeffrey Sachs, Bill Clinton, Milton Friedman talk about globalization and capitalism in this movie as "alternative cost" dont exists. They talk about capitalism as a way to stop future "Hitlers" without understanding that both US and Europe dont want to give their people democratic influence in certain cases. It is like an on/off switch. In things that is not so important you start up a very democratic and widespread deliberatd process or voting, but when it comes to things that is considered very important, then the democratic process is stopped and hided. For example the war against Iraq or the "software patent"-case in Europe the last four years is full of examples on this.

"Britain has resisted signing the United Nations Convention on Corruption and British companies are fighting regulations that would make them responsible for corrupt practices by their agents as well as their own staff. London seems to be the favourite city for laundering African corruption money; although reporting regulations have been tightened, the Financial Services Authority pursues reports from banks about suspicious funds only when they are related to drugs or terrorism."
http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-africa_democracy/history_2701.jsp


Conclusion: The western leaders backed by western economists is talking about a lot of interesting aspect in this TV-production, and they have very much right. Apart from that it is completely wrong that the real forces behind globalization and free markets is the protectionistic and subsidising (so-called "capitalists" or "liberalists") in USA or EUROPE. They are actually the biggest problem for opening up markets and escalate the globalization process.

US schools trial desktop Linux - ZDNet UK News

US schools trial desktop Linux - ZDNet UK News: "'We're thrilled that a desktop Linux solution is being evaluated in Indiana with such success, and we're confident that other school systems will look to this deployment as an example for their own classrooms. This is a way educators can give every student quality, well-equipped computers at a price the schools can afford,' said Carmony in a statement.

The US is not the only country with large-scale plans to roll-out Linux on the desktop. South Korea has deployed Linux in 190 schools in its capital city Seoul and plans to eventually roll it out to 10,000 schools across the country. The city of Bergen in Norway is also at the early stages of a desktop Linux roll-out that will eventually lead to 32,000 pupils and 4,000 teachers using Linux at 100 schools across the city."

This is a smart pedagogic decision as far as I can see. Now I think US is starting to realize that Linux in the schools is the only way to lead in the knowledge economy. Information technology is like oil in the capitalistic machinery, and essential in nanotechnology, biotechnology. The problem is that young people in Europe and US dont want to learn math or computerscience. Asians usually win the programming contests in over US today. Linux is probably the best tool to engage the pupils, because then they get FULL control over their equipment, not only control over applications or programming languages they use.

So, then the US help Microsoft to expand in Africa with "aid"- money instead, just like the tobacco industry, or the oil companies had to migrate to the third world. Just take a look at this (thanks to Hans Petter):

"Powerful multinational corporations in the oil and lead industries, by exaggerating the costs of removing lead additives and playing down the health risks, effectively lobby and manipulate government decisions in many developing countries."


Linux.org.uk: Index

Linux.org.uk: Index: "15/07/2005: Patents: Attack Plan B

No it's not all over. The EU patent directive may be dead but the next scheme from our beloved friends in the EU lurks in the 'Directive on the enforcement of intellectual property rights (2004/48EC)'. While this has some good points like enforcing copyright more strongly, so we can go and sue all the companies ilegally using Linux code, it also does so blindly and seeks to make patent violation or even 'incitement' a criminal matter. Given the murky confused mess that the EU patent system is in, due to the total failure to regulate the EPO, this would be an even worse recipe for holding small companies to ransom than just software patents. Combine it with the EU arrest warrant and a university lecturer who inadvertently set a problem involving a claimed patent (invalid or otherwise) could find themselves extradited to Greece, Lithuania, who knows where for a criminal trial."

Technology News: International : Low-Cost Computing Takes International Tone

Technology News: International : Low-Cost Computing Takes International Tone

celtx - Overview

celtx - Overview: "Celtx is a comprehensive software package designed for people who work in the Film, TV, Theatre and New Media industries. It combines full-feature scriptwriting with media rich pre-production support and enables online collaboration."

Professional Linux Audio software.

World Values Survey

World Values Survey

Click on "Some Findings" to see the Ingelhart Value Map.

Why virus is not a problem for GNU/Linux (RECOMMENDED READING)

But That's Just My Opinion. I Could Be Wrong.: "Last modified: 2005-06-28
rick@linuxmafia.com

Copyright (C) 1995-2005 by Rick Moen. Verbatim copying, distribution, and display of this entire article (page) are permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved. Alternatively, you may create derivative works of any sort for any purpose, provided your versions contain no attribution to me, and that you assert your own authorship (and not mine) in every practical medium."

LinuxWorld | What's Driving Global Linux Adoption?

LinuxWorld | What's Driving Global Linux Adoption?: "Linux is ready and every region has different motivations for adoption. Here is what I have seen in recent visits overseas."

Thursday, August 04, 2005

InformationWeek > Linux > Indiana Seeks Linux On Every High School Desktop > August 4, 2005

InformationWeek > Linux > Indiana Seeks Linux On Every High School Desktop > August 4, 2005: "The program calls for using Indiana-based firms to benefit the state's economy and could be responsible for the deployment of 300,000 machines over the coming year."

It seems that even Americans themselves think it is too expensive with Microsoft, and they are very pleased with Linux. How is it possible that African countries then are so excited over to get Microsoft?

What Business Can Learn from Open Source

What Business Can Learn from Open Source: "But the biggest thing business has to learn from open source is not about Linux or Firefox, but about the forces that produced them. Ultimately these will affect a lot more than what software you use."

The open source business process | Open Source | ZDNet.com

� The open source business process | Open Source | ZDNet.com: "I think it's the two-way open source business process, not open source software per se, which companies like Microsoft and Oracle are finding the greatest trouble with. It’s the first great business invention of the 21st century. It’s changing the world in Internet Time."

OSDL's Weinberg: Open source is a 'velvet' revolution

OSDL's Weinberg: Open source is a 'velvet' revolution: "What are the three top things that CIOs should know about open source software and the open source movement today?

Weinberg: One -- Linux and OSS are enterprise-ready: Leading systems and platform providers, thousands of independent software vendors and a global community of developers and integrators place Linux and OSS on a par and ahead of legacy proprietary platforms and applications.

Two -- The combination of open source and COTS [commercial-off-the-shelf] hardware offers lower cost-of-ownership and return-on-investment that proprietary s/w and hardware don't offer.

Three -- Linux and open source offer more than lower cost; they free companies from dependence on single suppliers and expand the ecosystem of solutions."

Boycott IE 7? Not Exactly

Boycott IE 7? Not Exactly

Great Linux screenshots

3D screenshots here

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Novell/HP tout high-performance Linux - vnunet.com

Novell/HP tout high-performance Linux - vnunet.com: "'The combination of HP's BladeSystem and Proliant servers and SuSE Linux under Novell's Validation Configuration Programme delivers a complete, easy to setup and install HPC hardware and software offering that is highly secure, scalable and enterprise ready,' said Robert Desautels, president of Harvard Research Group."

MontaVista Claims Real-Time Linux Breakthrough

MontaVista Claims Real-Time Linux Breakthrough: "The embedded Linux maker announced that is has successfully developed native, hard, real-time developments for the Linux kernel."

Linux Kernel Security and Quality Improved Dramatically in Last Six Months, New Coverity Study Finds

Linux Kernel Security and Quality Improved Dramatically in Last Six Months, New Coverity Study Finds: "'Although the size of the Linux kernel increased over the six month study, we noticed a significant decrease in the number of potentially serious defects in the core Linux kernel,' said Seth Hallem, CEO of Coverity. 'Although contributors introduced new defects, these were primarily in non-critical device drivers.'"

Africanhiphop.com :: Hip hop from the motherland :: African Rap

Africanhiphop.com :: Hip hop from the motherland :: African Rap

Open Source in Singapore

"Analysts say a growing number of enterprise users are turning to maturing open source tools. Gartner predicts that by 2008 open source software will compete with proprietary products in all software markets. By 2010, the Global 2000 will consider open source for 80 per cent of their infrastructure investments and for a quarter of their business software needs."

LinuxWorld
(Gartner is the most famous analyst company in ICT business in the world, partly owned by Microsoft)

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Sleeper wireless technology may wake up later this year | InfoWorld | TechWatch Blog | August 1, 2005 01:00 PM | By E. Schwartz

Sleeper wireless technology may wake up later this year | InfoWorld | TechWatch Blog | August 1, 2005 01:00 PM | By E. Schwartz

Linux Today - PR: Texas Opens the Door for Linux

Linux Today - PR: Texas Opens the Door for Linux: "Several government agencies currently utilize OSS products, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the City of St. Louis, and the City of Los Angeles."

Perhaps the closed source take the same way as the tobacco industry one day, into the third world and the sugar industry. The way the closed source is operating in the world today is unhealthy.

HomePlug Powerline Alliance -- Products and Technologies

HomePlug Powerline Alliance -- Products and Technologies: "Entering your house, you unpack and plug in your newly purchased flat-panel TV. Simply and quickly - the TV automatically connects to the cable box, the DVD player, the Digital Video Recorder, the Home Theatre system, and also to the Internet. "

Arabeyes Project - About

Arabeyes Project - About: "Arabeyes is a Meta project that is aimed at fully supporting the Arabic language in the Unix/Linux environment. It is designed to be a central location to standardize the Arabization process. Arabeyes relies on voluntary contributions by computer professionals and enthusiasts all over the world.

Unlike other Arabized products, Arabeyes is Open Source, completely FREE and abides by the ideals of the open source communities. Arabeyes aims for all active participants and volunteers to partake in the development process and to speak their mind on this professional effort."

Licence fees and GDP per capita

Licence fees and GDP per capita: "The price of a typical, basic proprietary toolset required for any ICT infrastructure, Windows XP together with Office XP, is US$560 in the U.S. [2]. This is over 2.5 months of GDP/capita in South Africa and over 16 months of GDP/capita in Vietnam. This is the equivalent of charging a single–user licence fee in the U.S. of US$7,541 and US$48,011 respectively, which is clearly unaffordable."

VERY INTERESTING! An average Ethiopian has to work and not eat for 70.96 month for buying a copy of Microsoft Windows XP+Office. If he/she log go to this adress: http://www.ubuntulinux.org/shipit/link_view then Ubuntu send a superior product for free, even shipping is free. AND, if he/she want to use it in business or government it has NO LICENSES FEE eighter.

ICE World

ICE World: "The central government is to take the initiative to set up a centre next month in Chennai dedicated to creating open source software, said Dayanidhi Maran, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology.

Maran�s announcement came in the backdrop of the inability of personal computer manufacturers to bundle Microsoft software with PCs that are being sold below Rs 10,000 because the software is too expensive."

WSIS: Whose vision of an information society?

WSIS: Whose vision of an information society?:

Here is some important critics in the World Summit of Information Societies goal for implementation of information technology in the developing world. I have found this in FirstMonday, and the author is a PhD student at University of California (UCLA) and his name is Ajit K. Pyati. The article is 28 pages, but here is what I think is the most important:

"The document covers all the bases in mentioning these different stakeholder groups, trying to be as 'inclusive' as possible. Governments have a role in 'e–strategies' — a slick new word for ICT–related planning. It is interesting to note that the private sector is mentioned as a player in sustainable development. What this fact entails is not clear. The growing corporatization of the Internet is a fact in much of the developed world — how this plays out in the developing world remains to be seen. It appears, however, by mentioning this statement, the UN may be endorsing wider privatized, corporate control of content, infrastructure, and access in the developing world. The consequences of these actions on access issues are mixed; time will tell if greater privatization will result in better or worse access. What this statement portends, however, is the reluctance and inability of the international community to deal with issues of privatization and intellectual property rights that are at the heart of equity issues underlying the Information Society."

"The last stakeholder group is perhaps the most important for the developing world, as it concerns the heart of implementation. The mention of "international financial institutions" is an euphemism for the two main financial institutions in the area of development, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These institutions are controversial, mainly because of a track record of "structural adjustment" programs that have had mixed, and sometimes harmful effects on developing countries. The main tools of implementation, in realizing an "Information Society" for the developing world, are in all actuality these two financial institutions."


"The very nature of WSIS has not been set up to question the benefits of ICTs, serving to further an agenda that sees ICTs as a an inherent "good" in the world. A utopian perspective in and of itself, however, is not necessarily a negative characteristic. However, the use of it in WSIS is problematic because of the legitimizing power of the UN and its ability to shape world public opinion on topics. The notion of a utopia is illusory in the contemporary world; however, it is a positive goal worth striving for. Ideals are necessary and should not be condemned, but the utopianism in WSIS is not constructive because it oversimplifies and generalizes a contested debate that can have significant policy consequences."


"The third question, concerning the nature of agency and implementation, helped to understand how WSIS could accomplish its vision. The four groups that must "cooperate" and work together are national governments, the private sector, civil society, and international and regional institutions, including international financial institutions. How these disparate groups can learn to work together is not explained, nor how these agencies can find the means to accomplish these goals, particularly national governments. The Digital Solidarity Fund is mentioned as a voluntary fund to help aid ICT development, but the future of this endeavor, and its potential effects remain uncertain. The private sector has been given a role in "development," and it remains to be seen what effects this will have on developing countries. The "international financial institutions" are unnamed, but are undoubtedly the World Bank and IMF. These institutions wield a great amount of power in affecting developing countries, and their track record has been mixed. It remains to be seen how ICT development will take place under the auspices of these two institutions."

Maran unveils low-cost PC ( 225 US Dollar!!!)

"The PC has a one GHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 40 GB hard disk, 15-inch digital colour monitor, 52X optical drive, keyboard and scroll mouse. The Linux-based PC will "support applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and web browsing, e-mail clients and audio video playback. It will come bundled with multi-lingual fonts such as Tamil."

...and Linux :-) This PC has the same specifications as the PC on my office here in Norway, except that I have 256 Ram.

Monday, August 01, 2005

bending the arc

bending the arc

It will be interesting to follow this "private-public cooperation". Who will benefit on this? Could it been done in a different way?

NEPAD News - Ugandan President H.E. Y.K. Museveni Launches first NEPAD e-School in Africa - Press Releases

NEPAD News - Ugandan President H.E. Y.K. Museveni Launches first NEPAD e-School in Africa - Press Releases: "“This is the first time that African governments, NEPAD and the private sector are cooperating on an ICT Project of this scale and scope in the NEPAD framework, developed and driven by Africans, and for African people”, said Dr Henry Chasia, Deputy Executive Chairperson for NEPAD e-Africa Commission. "

.... and Microsoft. I hope this will succeed, hopefully the Microsoft will be the right way for Africa. If not, this project can be the beginning of a new era of colonization of Africa, in cyberspace, or that Africa becomes marginalized as never before. Here in Norway, the conservative government has just launched a 5-years plan for becoming independent of Microsoft, and the open source is gaining ground in Europe and Asia. Do the African leaders go for the proprietary model of software?

PanAmSat Demonstrates Satellite-Based Broadband Wireless Networks

Your Daily Briefing Of Satellite: "At the WiMAX Forum Plenary, on July 12 and 13 in Vancouver, Canada, a live video stream from Trinity's facilities in Dallas, TX was uplinked to PanAmSat's Galaxy 11, then encoded and transcoded by Kencast to handheld devices at the Vancouver trade show."

Microfinance Open Source - MIFOS Project

Microfinance Open Source - MIFOS Project

This Open Source Microfinance system has been tested, and is now going to be tested in big-scale in Morocco!! The goal is to incorporate microfinance into the countries normal financial system.

"Model Credit Bureau "Open Source" Solution Being Tested in Morocco:
A credit bureau to assist microfinance borrowers move into mainstream financial services."

General News of Saturday, 30 July 2005

General News of Saturday, 30 July 2005: "Ghana has taken a strong stance against the importation and cultivation of Genetically Modified (GM) foods in Ghana.

The Food and Agriculture minister, Mr. Ernest Debrah said the country would reject, without hesitation, the importation of any Genetically Modified (GM) foods, crops and materials into the country although it might solve the famine problems being experienced, especially in the Northern part."

A very wise decision. It is proved that DNA from Genetically Modified material has been spread. This open up for a pollution of African nature, plus what if Canada says this in a few years: "If you dont accept our new trade agreement, then we will send you the seeds that produce a low quality crops, or secret sickness when you eat the crop"

The technology is mainly in the hands of the richest countries in the world, or in the hands of an ruling elite that can take control over the future and potentially damage or destroy whole ecosystems. It is just like accepting proprietary software systems in the core technology infrastructure; when Microsoft control the core, it also decide wich application that one can buy, wich standards that should rule, because they are making deals with vendors that is Microsoft friendly. The nanotechnology face similar challenges.

Rating system will evaluate free software - Technology - International Herald Tribune

Rating system will evaluate free software - Technology - International Herald Tribune