Today, we find an amusing and descriptive take on why Smart Tags are a bad idea. ZDNet: Interactive Week: Microsoft Tries To Get Smart: “What’s gotten people like Winer and others (link to photo of protestors burning the flag) riled is concern that Microsoft (link to Microsoft stock chart showing how well company is performing) might, because of its OS monopoly (link to article by anti-trust expert detailing why Microsoft is not a monopoly) be able to force its technology down the throats of unsuspecting, uninformed or apathetic users (link to photo of lemmings) who might not realize the implications of the technology (link to Microsoft XP order info page).”
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In response to the news that Microsoft’s SmartTags feature will allow them to manipulate web pages, Eric Norlin responded: Topica Email List Directory: “Don’t think you can “just use Netscape” either. They’re owned by
AOL/Time Warner, and they just announced that Netscape intends to
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The Incubators are where I’ll post drafts of larger articles while they are works in progress… anyone can provide comments and feedback conveniently before the article goes live for real. Articles started in June will appear here.
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Commentary: Java’s widening gulf - Tech News - CNET.com: “We interpret the message from JavaOne as follows: Users should not expect 100 percent compatibility among different Java vendors’ platforms, any more than they should expect that from different versions of Unix. And the gulf between different Java solutions will widen.” This is absolutely the worst way to try to defeat Microsoft.
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Novatech Online Search Results: “I got so angry with my laptop that I just threw it across the room, when it refused to come out of the suspended mode. The funny thing was when I calmed down and picked up the laptop it was out of the suspended mode, but my hi-fi, which it hit, has never worked since.” So, those of you who attack your poor, innocent little computers aren’t alone.
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I’ve added The Register” to the Brainfood box, because they regularly have interesting articles and a fun perspective. Check out this article (with pictures!) of a Java-based toaster!
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MIT to make nearly all course materials available free on the World Wide Web: “MIT President Charles M. Vest has announced that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will make the materials for nearly all its courses freely available on the Internet over the next ten years.” This is a bold step, and a great thing for a public institution. This can lead to some exciting improvements in higher education available to everyone.
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New Windows XP Feature Can Re-Edit Others’ Sites: “In effect, Microsoft will be able, through the browser, to re-edit anybody’s site, without the owner’s knowledge or permission, in a way that tempts users to leave and go to a Microsoft-chosen site — whether or not that site offers better information.” This does seem like a scary abuse of the browser.
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New Scientist Planet Science: CREATURES FROM PRIMORDIAL: “Even though the circuit consists of only a small number of basic components, the researcher, Adrian Thompson, does not know how it works. He can’t ask the designer because there wasn’t one. Instead, the circuit evolved from a “primordial soup” of silicon components guided by the principles of genetic variation and survival of the fittest.” Wow! This kind of technology could completely alter the landscape of computing.
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Slashdot | Beyond Napster, a Free Culture: “But what’s needed to leverage cool-tracking into a free (speech and beer) culture is an open system that will integrate with existing communities on the internet.” This article presents a cool concept in collaborative filtering. I’d love to see this made into software… and quick before the media behemoths can do something about it.
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