Microsoft FUD spreading could see it sued by IBM

What about 2.4G and 5.8G wireless phones, microwaves, power lines, blue tooth headsets, cell phones...

I'm much more worried about cell towers and cell phones than I am wifi.

Bluetooth is much lower power, I know, but it sticks in your EAR! remember there's a d^2 in the denominator of the equation for signal strength. A 100 W transmitter 10 feet away is similar to a 1 W transmitter 1 foot away...which is similar to a 100mW transmitter .1 foot away....

Unless these kids are sticking wifi in their ears or crotches then I'm not as worried about it as I am about carrying a phone in their pocket or talking on it next to their head....

Glen

Subject: Calacanis

He's a dim-witted copycat.

First of all, "digg" type websites are total shit. I'd rather have my news selected for me at random by a tic-tac-toe playing chicken than by herds of people... Nothing will ever beat the specificity and completeness of coverage provided by a website dedicated to a specific subject matter. Preferably owned and operated by people who know WTF they are doing and talking about.

Second, the whole forum/comment thing has gone WAY overboard. Personally, I don't read comments anymore. And Digg type rating systems don't help. Essentially, who gives a fuck? I have realized, very slowly I might add, that 99.99% of comments are neither thoughtful, nor interesting, nor even properly formatted according to the rules of the English language.

And you know what the same old rules apply. You aren't going to change anyones opinion, and opinions are like assholes, everyone has them... and they STINK.

In short, Digg was a fun experiment (so was wikipedia), as always, as forever, the masses have proven themselves incapable of much other than randomized short-term obsession. Humanity on a grand scale is a bit like a puppy that just chewed up your hand made Italian shoes. On one hand you want to smack it to send it a message, on the other, its just so cute and stupid and can't help what it is.

OH WELL.

Octamember

Subject: Microsoft owns Linux now, Ballmer claims

Microsoft could not even manage to prove (through SCO) that Linux infringed on any UNIX intellectual property, and that was the easy case to win. Proving that Linux infringes on Windows patents is going to be very, very hard.

Hence the attempt at spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt with the Novell deal.

And since IBM has huge numbers of patents of every kind, Microsoft may just end up giving IBM a giant opening to sue them instead of causing trouble for Linux. Ballmer would do best to shut his mouth, play quietly and not make a fuss, because Microsoft has a lot more to loose than IBM does and especially than SCO did.

IBM makes most of its money off services, so they can make money off Linux, UNIX, Windows or revived TCPM/TOPS (if some one got wild and reworked it). Microsoft has two products they make money off of, Windows and Office, and if some one manages to deal either one of those a significant blow, Microsoft will be dead or paralised.

Willard

Subject: article about torture video game

where's the link to the game web site???

what kind of reporting is this with no links??

maybe some of your readers would like to judge this game for themselves rather than have it pre-censored for them, or was it just too much trouble for you to find out?

Tim

Subject: CHIP MAKER Intel has patented an interweb phone.

You think Skype maybe upset. Try Avaya at

http://www.avaya.com/gcm/master-usa/en-us/products/offers/ip_softphone.htm#

Click on the PC image to get a clearer image.

Roger

Subject: unhackable computer?

I hear all these ideas on how to make a computer unhackable, but they still are based on some kind off fall back encryption, protected usb keys or some other half hatched attempt.

Why are government computers even storing info? with all the connectivity we have nowadays, it should all be run from the server! never leaving the office.

Have these people never heard of "citrix". only screenshots are loaded to the client, through whatever method they choose, 3g, ethernet, bluetooth the lot.

So, when these machines are lost, not only are they protected by the very questinable security we have now, but anything sensitive was never on the machine, not even cached locally. no record at all.

You can then not worry about your "satellite" machines getting lost, hacked or whatever, and just focus on server side security. And at least the links to the existing machine can be singled out and stopped via a number of methods.

Puku Ruka jones

Subject: Pot-Head Science

I was interested to read about this latest marijuana study. I think the conclusions can be summarized as follows: marijuana messes up the brain, and then it wears off. It is now an established scientific fact that marijuana messes with the brain.

The authors of this study apparently need more time to determine if there are any long-term ill effects from marijuana use. Somehow, scientists always need more study to find the serious harm that marijuana causes. These scientists didn't report any problems with their subjects, even though I'm sure a few unlucky rats were exposed to marijuana smoke for extended periods.

This study makes marijuana seem almost harmless enough to joke about. I have yet to see a study that shows marijuana is more harmful than alcohol or tobacco.

Jimsum

Subject: Playstation Torture Game

Very simple solution:

Rate the game for adults only and fine the manufacturer and the retailer $10,000 each for every copy sold or delivered to a minor. End of problem.

The only reason this garbage is peddled to kids is for the money!

Randy

Subject: Direct downloads set to grab vidgame market

my studies show that by 2012 people will no longer listen to statistical bullshit and base their decisions on facts.

Sascha

Subject: Sthinkpad

Don't understand your references to OS/2.

I use it in my office all day every day. Warp Server and Clients. My main office workhorse (a dual Pentium Pro Overdrive (fond sigh) which I built) is left on 365/24 and runs like a dream. Email. Fax. WP. Data storage. Backup. Surfing.

This machine has been on without re-installation for about 3 years. Re-boot? I dunno - when I'm feeling bored?

The only exception is documents received from other lawyers who inevitably use Word. So I boot an XP machine every day too.

Os/2 is still out there. An endangered species yes, but in addition to the above with the best mp3 player (Z! Thanks to DInk) , scanning courtesy of lame/tame, CD/DVD burning...

And no anti-virus anti-spyware anti-anything,

Because we don't need it. (OK most likely because we are too small).

Want to know more?

Philip