If Open can be OPEN, then Closed can be OPEN too!!!

Government infiltration into all areas of human life in the name of security is nothing but reenactment of Enemy of the State (1998) and Eagle Eye (2008). Actually how safe are we? Radia tapes being leaked, wire tapping of phone calls, and mapping Internet usage patterns are things that we do not want. For the people, by the People and of the People is being stretched too far in today's democratic setup. Did we actually sign up for all this. Or is it just an Oligarchy reasserting control over our lives behind the facade of an elected government.

If such is the fate of open source software, I am sure that closed code software might have sold out to government pressure long long time ago.



References:

FBI-planted Backdoors In OpenBSD; Developers Start Code Audits‎

FBI accused of planting backdoor in OpenBSD IPSEC stack

Storm over OpenBSD back door

EMail to NoMail!!!

A World without Protocol is a World in Anarchy ... burying traditional email 'subject' line, the cc and bcc only serves non-protocol environments. The death of the Email is being celebrated in context of the overwhelming existence of MS Outlook, ThunderBird, etc. and the fact that we still enter into written agreements that are drafted, titled, printed, signed and witnessed. Had all these things been outdated by the coming of the Email, then right now the email would also die off with the advent of the Facebook Mail-messenger thingy. But its not so, as the email merely replaced the letter format by being in the letter format, yet being in soft copy and on a server or a GUI with server back-end.

Subject Lines might be considered irrelevant, but it seems absolutely discourteous if one has to open everything up to know what the damn content is saying. Nevertheless a Subject-line is always welcome from those who summarize the contents in a phrase, otherwise it is as good as having no subject-line at all!!! Ruling out CCs would be possible to a certain extent, but in a protocoled environment that means "please read it later and its just FYI" so don't bother right away. BCCs on the other hand are not replaceable by any means I can imagine ... possibly I am not thinking out of the box here, or is there any box at all to be considered in the first place!!??



References:

Will Facebook sound death knell for email?

Mark Zuckerberg defends Facebook's aggressive social strategy

Salvage Inc.

The flag has to be borne by someone. So the soldiers of open source march on without Oracle!!! It is sad that Oracle does not think OOo to be worth its while. Yet the believers still strive to compete against M$ Inc.




Reference:

Future Ubuntu Releases Will Ship with LibreOffice an OpenOffice Fork

Ubuntu: The First Seduction

Introduction of the Paid Market Space will give an opportunity for Mac & Windows application and software vendors to reach Linux customers directly. People who shift from Mac or Windows will then have an option to continue to use their favorite proprietary software even in Linux. This is a move to earn revenue as well as make the free desktop Linux popular. Shuttleworth has once again shown his brilliance at marketing!!!



References:

Ubuntu 'Maverick Meerkat' erects own App Store

Instant Weather Reports with ForecastFox

Re-Create a New Internet ...

Create an extreme so that the obvious becomes relevant and important. The Google-Verizon deal did just that for net neutrality. Polarization was the only way oblivious Internet users could be awoken from their dream that all is now no more well. Governments in the name of net neutrality want complete control of what we do, and so do private corporations, with or without their cartels.

The NEED to create a parallel Internet, like most parallel economies, never had a more compelling argument like the Google-Verizon debate has sparked off!!!



References:

Net Neutrality: What's the Price? - PCWorld

Google-Verizon Net Neutrality Critics Pile On

Jail House Break!!!

The DMCA does not crack down as expected, but Apple has surely been bitten by the Copyright Board ruling on Cellphones, both for adding unapproved software installation as well as untethering of phones to run with all operators. Let the free market rule, without any anti-competitive measures forcing the consumer, who has ownership rights over his phone, to give-up his usufructory rights. Sadly of course, violation of contractual terms, thereby voiding of warranty, has not been held as a conscionable violation, merely the DMCA Copyright violation has been waived, so to speak!!!





References:

DMCA ruling supports smartphone jailbreaking, unlocking

Copyright Office OKs iPhone 'Jailbreaking'‎

Jailbreaking the iPhone: Not a Federal Offense‎

iPhone Jailbreaking: Legal, but Dangerous

More legal reasons to circumvent electronic locks | Technology | Los Angeles Times

Apple: Jailbreaking an iPhone can (still) violate your warranty

Irony of Freedom of Information vs. Democracy!!!

By the People, For the people, yet not telling the people!!! Never has it been so drastic with the WWW as a medium of truth.

As rightly pointed out in the opening credits of The Clone Wars Series: Truth enlightens the mind, but won't always bring happiness to your heart ...

References:

The real story behind Wikileaks

Assessing WikiLeaks's Raw Data‎

Wikileaks Afghanistan Documents: Task Force 373 Afghan Hit Squad‎

Task Force 373 on Wikileaks‎

The story behind the Afghan war-logs leak

Wikileaks row is the last thing Nato needs

Let he who is without sin, cast the first Apple!!!

Disparagement is the only word that comes to mind upon reading the following. One and all phone makers are dismissing Apple's claims of signal drop upon strategic handling of other smart phones. Now what is to be seen is, whether the Law of Defamation of Goods comes to take a bite at the Apple after its almost eaten by the Antennagate!!!





References:

Apple's iPhone 4 Antenna-gate Gambit Pays Off

More phonemakers condemn Apple's defence of iPhone 4

Samsung dismisses Apple's claims on smartphones

Employee Control Autocracy!!!

Instead of addressing the real issues of employee satisfaction, now autocratic corporate empires enforce curtailment of individual freedom even outside the realm of employment!!! This not only raises issues of defamation as a civil wrong and crime but also of freedom of speech in the context of self-expression of justified employment angst in a world that socializes more virtually than in-person. Defining the thin line between defamation, and honest friend-circle criticism based upon personal individualistic experience is a slippery slope that at least corporate autocrats have no business defining.





References:

Infosys issuing social media dos & don'ts

Infosys to roll out social media policy for employees

No Bitching about Company, Colleagues on Facebook!

Apple: The farce of innovation!!!

The "innovation" truth is revealed, as Apple's "own" A4 is actually a build around the Samsung S5PC110A01 processor. Both the chips share the same ARM CORTEX A8 core!!!




Reference:

Apple's A4 exposed! features Samsung Wave S8500's ARM core

‎

Clone Wars ... Let the Price Competition Begin!!!

The next year from today shall see cut-throat competition in the touch screen and qwerty cellular phone market with the rise of Indian phone makers and their value driven product targeting. This Clone Wars of new cheaper models to their expensive branded siblings is driven by two determinants: Newer Open Source OS and Local Hardware development.





References:

G-Fone 777 Dual SIM Phone now in India

Samsung debuts Bada, its own OS with launch of Samsung Wave in India

Smartphone Apps, Android Phones and the Search for Open Mobile Ecosystems

Samsung S8500 Wave: 5 MP camera AMOLED touchscreen handset @10000 in India

INQ to launch a touch screen, Android based mobile phone in India!‎

Micromax Q55 Bling Price and Features‎

Saved by the Dell!!!

Dell is riding the wave or is just being supportive or is trying to push in Ubuntu based Servers in future, it all would be seen in time, but as of now Dell is the only one out there that thinks Linux has a chance and is betting heavily on it!!!



References:

Dell flirts with Ubuntu as Windows rival

Ubuntu 'more secure' than Windows, says Dell

Dell Says: "Ubuntu is safer than Microsoft Windows"

Ubuntu safer than Windows, its official

War of the Roses: Back-stab ... Adobe justifying Apple's fears!!!

On the 11th of June 2010, Adobe announced their discontinuance of Linux 64 bit support for Flash 10.1, a move that has left many Linux desktops Flashless so to speak. Linux 64 bit first came into existence way back in 1993 when DEC released the 64-bit DEC OSF / 1 AXP a UNIX-like operating system (later renamed Tru64 UNIX) for its systems based on the Alpha architecture followed by the year 2000 release of Linux on zSeries, much before Windows (in 2001) or Apple (in 2003) even created their 64 bit OS versions!!! More so Linux has been aligning with Adobe till WebM comes along. But this move of Adobe totally changes the scenario and creates a rift for Linux to now start suspecting Adobe and seeing reason in Apple's fears. Much is rest to be seen. In the meanwhile all 64 bit Linux users are inter alia without the benefit of YouTube for starters!!!



References:

Adobe Closes Flash Player 64-bit for Linux Labs Program

Adobe euthanizes Flash 10.1 for 64-bit Linux‎

Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta 64bit For Linux Discontinued ~ Web Upd8

Minority Report ... ACTA

Efforts to criminalize the acts of infringement in stages of inception or planning, fashioned as Imminent Infringement, is being pushed. It is the first non-Anti-State thought crime being envisaged. India, for reasons of keeping Medical Companies' profiteering hopes alive is opposing such an effort, and the fallouts shall be beneficial for technology and innovation.



References:

India to sabotage ACTA

China, India To Raise Concerns At WTO About “TRIPS-Plus” Measures, ACTA

India Steps up to Plate to Fight US ACTA Piracy Pact

Apple bites the dust!!!

The Apple chose to fall instead of being handled by the FSF!!! This is pure intellectual snobbery, let alone proprietorial dictatorship over consumer choice. Isn't anyone peeking into such Abuse of Dominance!!!???







References:

Apple picks death not compliance for open source iPhone game

FSF: Apple's iTunes Store terms of service at odds with GPL

Employee Control sees new Depth!!!

I have always wondered whether this would stop at an extreme point on the scale from 1 to 10; but always find that Employee Control redefines the 10th limit each time, to push it further into the 11th, 12th and 13th degree of absolutism and insanity. The only thing that could be said here is ... "GET A LIFE, you freaking controller of lives"!!!





Reference:

Is playable Pac-Man getting Google's home page banned?

War of the Roses: Pac-Man eats App Store!!!

Pac-Man created using CSS, HTML & Java in an attempt to circumvent the App Store!!! I must say what timing and wit is involved on part of Google.






Reference:

Google?s Pac-Man Works on iPhone, iPad: Subtle Jab at Jobs?

War of the Roses: Battle Lines Drawn

Now it seems clear, a waste of effort on part of MS & Apple, howsoever apart their goals might be, that the new age is not theirs for the keeping, since Google pretty much owns the commanding share of web content search, management, and formatting. Given Google's commitment to net-neutrality, MS & Apple sure would have a fair chance, but that would also be on the Google turf. Adobe's prudence in being on Google's turf on strategic terms would sure pay-off in future, despite being as closed as Apple and MS themselves are!!! Its now just about taking sides: Google or Anti-Google ... such a determinate factor this ... eh!!!





References:

Is Google's WebM a game-changer or a big mess?

Google video effort to be dubbed WebM Project?

Google tries freeing Web video with WebM

Details on Google's Chrome Store and WebM plans

War of the Roses ... Gets Federal Peek ... its getting hotter!!!

Now the FTC, only a few days after my earlier post has decided to take cognizance of the matter. Lets hope that the Apple of Sin is brought down!!!




References:

Report: Feds May Launch Inquiry Into Apple's Flash Stance

Regulators mull antitrust look at Apple: source

Unix-like versus Unix-like ... the War of the Roses!!!

Apple is about to be left in the ice cold winter of the snow leopard with its new tactics of taking on Adobe. Google and Canonical are already developing flash based tools and developer kits and ignoring Apple or any new video format it may want to float on a large scale (SVG for instance). Adobe seeks to launch flash in the HTML5 era and Apple is competing hard to beat it. Apple's closed door policy is not going to work given the Unix revolution having become more competitive with Google and Canonical gunning for the original Unix cousin called Macintosh OS.

Besides, I wonder why are the FTC and the EU Commission not taking cognizance of Apple's behavior!!!



References:

Apple and Adobe's war of words heats up‎

Ubuntu Wants Adobe, Even if Apple Doesn't - PCWorld

Google's Chrome now silently auto-updates Flash Player

Neutral Ground disturbed ...

Net Neutrality is something that has never been enacted upon and is the classic example of Social Practice as a law unto itself. However, Airtel has sadly tilted the balance for the first time in a country where, as it is, this principle is not only unheard of, but also uncared for!!!



References:

Airtel Ad on Youtube Taints Google's Net Neutrality Efforts

‎

YouTube Caught in Net Neutrality Flap in India

‎

Apple of Deceit ...

The Devil works its ways through the apple once again!!! Trade related restrictions upon partners is not only abuse of dominant position but also a road to take over the universe like Darth Vader! But little do we all realize that Apple has already made us slaves by selling us bare bones and thereafter requiring us to run those bones with purchased muscles, skin and the works at its app store.

Apple also restricts access to open source developers to develop freely executable applications for its operating systems/embedded software.

I hope to see the Competition Commission of India taking a peek and wrestling with this sumo Apple for exacting fairness.


References:

EFF Breaks Down Apple's App Store License

EFF posts Apple's Iphone SDK licence terms

Green Fuel: Animal that fails to get tamed!!!

Crop production cycles of bio fuels cumulatively fail to meet emission standards, a classic case of environmental externalities being considered. Do we have a no go on bio fuels then?! The only remedy then is solar, until we discover silicon pollution; or wind, until we discover high cost of maintenance; geo-thermal, until we discover fissure safety depletion ... is there actually a remedy to the energy crisis of our times or are we doomed inevitably??!!!



References:

Biofuels could increase emissions

Biofuel is not as green as it seems

Enforcing freedom ... to be free

One of the major landmark settlements and probably a de facto precedent, the enforcement of a dream seems to be coming true. Law is now being used to free the once constrained and fettered premises that law itself imposed!!!



References:

A Big Victory for F/OSS: Jacobsen v. Katzer is Settled

Settlement in benchmark case means FOSS licenses can be enforced

iCompetition Freak ...

With hardware restricting competition by not allowing other software to be run on it, I think its time we reassess our competition law strategy. Its very akin to Windows coming preloaded with Internet Explorer and Windows not supporting any other office suite other than MS Office!!! Composite embedded software and appliances utilizing such platforms should now be checked as they have grown beyond cellphones into smart-phones and now have evolved into cell-pads (iPhone into iPad). The Adam is a more competitive and acceptable equivalent to this evolutionary chain.



References:

Apple iPad will choke innovation, say open internet advocates

Apple’s iPad vs Notion Ink’s Adam tablet with Ubuntu: battle of two worlds « sola's blog

The Meaning of Self Governance ...

all celebrate the adoption of the Constitution of India today but in fact no one has ever celebrated the Constitution since its inception ...

a true celebration entails practicing its tenets in our daily lives ...



Reference:

Kiwi school stands up to government and Microsoft

Opening up to the source of creativity ...

Then why does Indian Government have to spend on MS Windows licensing ?!! The Delhi High Court uses Vista, so do many government offices. We sure lack political will to eradicate profiteering and enforce judicious use of taxpayers' money.



References:

California blesses open source as 'acceptable'

California Warms Up to Open Source Software in Government

Copyleft Extreme !!!

Copyleft was the anti-thesis to Copyright giving birth to the Open Source Movement, but now there is a new anti-thesis to Copyleft, thus creating propriety redundancy!!!


Reference:

The Unlicense: A License for No License

The Wolf of Environment amongst the flock of Unemployed Sheep assisted by Artificial Intelligence ...

Run the local newspaper wala out of his livelihood, cashiers jobless, bill payment haats closed, so we now see how the New Year will evolve with such resolve !!!

New Year equation:

Value Added Services + I.A. = Unemployment



References:

Save trees, Save Environment great message by idea mobile

'Environment' is Idea Cellular's next big idea