2005 March

Free registration required to read the article. “iPod Nights Turn Amateurs Into Digital DJs at D.C. Club
The DJ who calls himself P.Vo is very pleased with himself. Two dozen or so clubgoers at Gate 54, the basement lounge at Cafe Saint-Ex in Northwest Washington, are stumped. They’re wondering what P.Vo is playing.
Is that Nine [...]

“He’s unable to travel because he refuses to present a government-approved ID
John Gilmore’s splendid isolation began July 4, 2002, when, with defiance aforethought, he strolled to the Southwest Airlines counter at Oakland Airport and presented his ticket.
The gate agent asked for his ID.
Gilmore asked her why.
It is the law, she said.
Gilmore asked to see the [...]

“The European Commission has turned down the request that a controversial IT patenting proposal be thrown out, the latest twist in the European Union’s software patents drama. The decision gives the go-ahead to send the proposal through to the next stage of the legislative process.
The proposed European Union-wide law on the “patentability of computer-implemented inventions” [...]

“About the switchboard
Our plan is to create the easiest to use, free, browser to browser internet phone.
How is the switchboard different from other internet phones?
* it does not run silently in the background using up resources
* it does not allow third party access to your computer
[...]

Stuart J. Johnston of ENT News writes: “Intel officials announced new details regarding the company’s upcoming dual and multi-core processors at its Spring 2005 Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco this week, including a two-year timeline for the arrival of key chips and technologies.
The company also introduced product development kits (PDK) for its upcoming [...]

“Connecting networks together is no longer just about fibre and cables. Now it can also be done with a laser beam.
The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) recently announced the installation of Canon’s Canobeam DT-130 solution that allows an organization to connect its network between its two locations across the street from one another.
Shane Gienow, director [...]

Wade Roush of Technologyreview.com writes, “I just got a Treo 650 smartphone to replace my three-year-old Treo 300. (The 300 was a loyal servant, but its non-replaceable battery was dying.) I’m loving the new gadget. Among its many features (including a replaceable battery), it’s compliant with the FCC’s E911 requirement, under which all cell phone [...]

More juice on Ms. Fiorina’s firing… “An electronic engineer who worked as a Research Scientist at the Hewlett-Packard Imaging Systems Laboratory starting in 1975 until he resigned in 2003, G.S. thought HP represented the very best of American character — “a spirit of adventure and a belief in unlimited possibilities.”
He charges, though, that starting [...]

One or both of the vulnerabilities affect some versions of RealPlayer on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Bill Brenner of SearchSecurity.com writes: “RealNetworks Inc. has urged users of its popular multimedia players to install patches that fix two security holes attackers could exploit to cause a buffer overflow and launch malicious code.
“RealNetworks Inc. has [...]

I’ve always considered the infections that hit your system without any bed computing habits on your part to be the worst thing that could happen. This new threat doesn’t make me feel any better. If you see this thing show up on your system, disconnect from the net IMMEDIATELY and take measures offline. If that [...]

I’m wondering who has the time to come up with these things…
1. Ratio of an igloo’s circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi
2. 2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton
3. 1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope
4. Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement= 1 bananosecond
5. Weight an evangelist carries [...]

“Welcome to the most unusual artifact to be discovered on the Superhighway de la Informatique : the really big button that doesn’t do anything. Developed in early ‘94, labelled as the Mystery Spot of the Internet, thousands flock to this button every day, pushing it, attempting to get it to do something; all in vain.
Many [...]

Lycos is trying to pull itself back into your Web browser by purchasing Ask Jeeves search technology. Wait a minute here. Who cares? With Google and occasionally Yahoo! being all the rage, Ask Jeeves never really offered me anything that I felt was worthwhile.

Symantec has a new patent to help them in the constant battle against the threat of viruses. With any luck, this will help to push their services forward into a better level of support. At this point, most antviruses seem to be failing in one area or another. I would really love to see this [...]

You all know I’m a fan of Qnext IM. They’ve just released version 2.0 of the client and added a few nice features, especially in the games network area. They’ve also done some work on the client interface, with lots more to come. If you’re running Qnext, make sure auto-update is on and it will [...]

“A federal appeals court partially reversed a lower-court decision that had exposed Microsoft to $565 million in damages.
The patent infringement case, brought by the University of California and its Eolas Technologies spinoff, had riled the Web over potential ripple effects that could have forced changes in millions of Web pages that use plug-in applications like [...]

Press release: “Microsoft to Support Intel I/O Acceleration Technology In Future Windows Server Releases
Intel Corporation today provided the first glimpse of a set of silicon technologies that speed the interaction between network data and server applications by up to 30 percent. Intel also announced an agreement with Microsoft to support the technology in forthcoming [...]

OK, it may have taken them long enough, but at least they are finally getting around to it. AOL is going to bemaking improvements to their Web mail service. I applaud the effort, but would point out that they need to look at offering POP3 service as well.

What a creative way to advertise or ‘share’ your Podcast! As Geek News Central points out, the alliance between Podcast Promo and Podcast Connect is going to mean a lot to those of us maintaining Podcasts each week.

Yahoo! is an old man now! OK, perhaps not so much. But it was just ten years ago that this ‘Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web’ was renamed into something will a little more kick. You know, something like Yahoo!