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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enemy's Enemy, My Friend!!!

So it is hereby revealed that the scattered Jedi unite to fight the good fight, a common cause that is sacrosanct by itself, the freedom of software, its applications and related avenues. So does this mean cheaper final products? If its Dell and Acer probably yes, if its Toshiba or Lenovo or even Sony its probably a big no. (HP-Compaq fits just right nowhere!!!)

Ubuntu has already dented the MS bandwagon, probably the Chrome OS would do the same. Not to forget the Android OS on Acer Aspire One D250.



References:

Ubuntu's Canonical and Google partner to create Chrome

Acer Aspire One D250 with Android

Wild Karma!!!

The Koala ventures into the unknown of consumer choice where now we have Windows 7 with difficult upgradability and system hunger, and Snow leopard showing bugs of self-distruct, and then we have but one choice of an OS with a design as rare as the marsupials of Australia and is as free as an animal in the wild.



References:

Ubuntu 9.10 = easiest, cheapest upgrade ever

Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala Scurries Into the Wild

Canonical Matures Linux-based Netbook OS

Hands On with Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmi ...

Ubuntu 9.10 advances Canonical's cloud, enterprise goals

Ubuntu 9.10 [Karmic Koala] Released

10 reasons Ubuntu 9.10 will be a game changer for business

Ubuntu 9.10 brings karma to the market