Web 2.0
Viral videos
(via Boing Boing) The latest viral video to hit the Net is a video by the “Back Dorm Boys”, two kids from Guandong Arts Institute, and that is making the rounds and wasting bandwidth around the world. My favourite is Read more
Globalisation
The First World Trade War
(via Lenz Blog) Last March, the WTO’s Appellate Body confirmed the ruling against the United States in the case of cotton subsidies (DSB 267). This case was brought by Brazil against the United States arguing that the cotton industry in Read more
Games
Cybersex and MMORPGs
Someone once defined the Internet as a place where people complain about movies and exchange porn. They should have added that it is also used to play computer games. The definition should include that its other two main uses is Read more
Software patents
Software patents affect innovation
Two stories are highlighting the problem posed by software patents. The first is an article in Groklaw by Marten Mickos, the CEO of the popular open source database software MySQL. Mickos is concerned that there software patents have poisoned the Read more
Patent abuse
Cereal killers
It is official, the American patent system has gone bonkers. Take a look at patent application 20050160005, describing a method for “providing food, beverages, and associated goods and services in a retail environment“. What does it consist of? This is Read more
Open source
SuSE Linux 10
A Linux distribution that is easy to use? I have started to download Linux SuSE 10, which seems to be the easiest Linux yet, although at 3.8 GB it is a very large download by any standard (you can still Read more
e-commerce
Read The Flipping Licence
(Via Techdirt). It has become an internet cliché to point out that nobody reads click-wrap agreements. There is the now famous story of the anti-spyware software that included the promise to pay some money to the first person who emailed Read more
Google
Google in trouble?
Google Print continues to suffer from mounting opposition from publishers and authors. It has been reported that it was sued by the Author’s Guild, but it is now also being sued by the Association of American Publishers, which includes some Read more
Google
Meet Google, the boy
The Google blog has the story of Oliver Google Kai, born in Sweden from two technology enthusiasts who, you guessed it, love Google. Fortunately I do not have any offspring, otherwise there could be a little Wikipedia walking the streets Read more