08.12.08
Posted in News Roundup at 6:14 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
GNU/Linux
Reviews
- CentOS 5.2: Send in the Clones
If I were in the mood to use an RPM-based distribution, CentOS would be my first and probably only choice. It’s not as pretty as openSuSE or even its cousin Fedora, but it’s more stable than both on my setup. Stability wins out over eye-candy any day.
- Zenwalk 5.2 GNOME Edition (beta)
I didn’t expect to like Zenwalk this much, but I do. It’s stable while being a beta release, it’s speedy, it just works and it does all of this while looking good. Without the installer, which requires a bit of knowledge, it would a be perfect for a Linux newbie.
- Debian: The OS for the rest of us
I can’t say that my kicking of the tires of Debian was as thorough as it deserves. But honestly, I don’t think a thorough shakedown is that necessary. First and foremost you only need to know that the installation can be a bit challenging (when doing so from the smaller install CD). Once up and running it’s all a matter of knowing the package management system.
Dell and GNU/Linux
F/OSS
Mozilla
Leftovers
Digital Tipping Point: Clip of the Day
Garth Dickey, President and CEO of Progeny, Inc. (2004)
Digital Tipping Point is a Free software-like project where the raw videos are code. You can assist by participating.
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Links for the day
With Help From the US Supreme Court (Key Cases), Patent Trolls Are Going Away
The demise of patent trolls in the United States, a trend partly attributable to Alice and other Supreme Court decisions, will likely accelerate soon (later this year) as the future of the Eastern District of Texas courts is at stake
Patent Maximalism on Display: Patent Aggressor IBM Celebrated in the Media
The patent lust at IBM, which is suing if not just shaking down companies using software patents, earns plenty of puff pieces from the corporate media
FFPE-EPO, the EPO Management's Pet/Yellow Union, Helps Union-Busting (Against SUEPO) in Letter to Notorious Vice-President
In a letter to Elodie Bergot (as CC) and Željko Topić, who faces many criminal investigations, FFPE-EPO ringleaders reveal their allegiance not to EPO staff but to those who perpetually attack the staff
Links 9/1/2017: Civilization VI Coming to GNU/Linux, digiKam 5.4.0 Released
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Links 9/1/2017: Dell’s Latest XPS 13, GPD Pocket With GNU/Linux
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Update on Patent Trolls and Their Enablers: IAM, Fortress, Inventergy, Nokia, MOSAID/Conversant, Microsoft, Intellectual Ventures, Faraday Future, A*STAR, GPNE, AlphaCap Ventures, and TC Heartland
A potpourri of reports about some of the world’s worst patent trolls and their highly damaging enablers/facilitators, including Microsoft which claims that it “loves Linux” whilst attacking it with patents by proxy
Mark Summerfield: “US Supreme Court Decision in Alice Looks to Have Eliminated About 75% of New Business Method Patents.”
Some of the patent microcosm, or those who profit from the bureaucracy associated with patents, responds to claims made by Techrights (that software patents are a dying breed in the US)
Eight Wireless Patents Have Just Been Invalidated Under Section 101 (Alice), But Don't Expect the Patent Microcosm to Cover This News
Firms that are profiting from patents (without actually producing or inventing anything) want us to obsess over and think about the rare and few cases (some very old) where judges deny Alice and honour patents on software
2017: Latest Year That the Unitary Patent (UPC) is Still Stuck in a Limbo
The issues associated with the UPC, especially in light of ongoing negotiations of Britain's exit from the EU, remain too big a barrier to any implementation this year (and probably future years too)
Links 7/1/2017: Linux 4.9.1, Wine 2.0 RC4
Links for the day
India Keeps Rejecting Software Patents in Spite of Pressure From Large Foreign Multinationals
India's resilience in the face of incredible pressure to allow software patents is essential for the success of India's growing software industry and more effort is needed to thwart corporate colonisation through patents in India itself
Links 6/1/2017: Irssi 1.0.0, KaOS 2017.01 Released
Links for the day
Watchtroll a Fake News Site in Lobbying Mode and Attack Mode Against Those Who Don't Agree (Even PTAB and Judges)
A look at some of the latest spin and the latest shaming courtesy of the patent microcosm, which behaves so poorly that one has to wonder if its objective is to alienate everyone
The Productivity Commission Warns Against Patent Maximalism, Which is Where China (SIPO) is Heading Along With EPO
In defiance of common sense and everything that public officials or academics keep saying (European, Australian, American), China's SIPO and Europe's EPO want us to believe that when it comes to patents it's "the more, the merrier"
Technical Failure of the European Patent Office (EPO) a Growing Cause for Concern
The problem associated with Battistelli's strategy of increasing so-called 'production' by granting in haste everything on the shelf is quickly being grasped by patent professionals (outside EPO), not just patent examiners (inside EPO)
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Financial Giants Will Attempt to Dominate or Control Bitcoin, Blockchain and Other Disruptive Free Software Using Software Patents
Free/Open Source software in the currency and trading world promised to emancipate us from the yoke of banking conglomerates, but a gold rush for software patents threatens to jeopardise any meaningful change or progress
New Article From Heise Explains Erosion of Patent Quality at the European Patent Office (EPO)
To nobody's surprise, the past half a decade saw accelerating demise in quality of European Patents (EPs) and it is the fault of Battistelli's notorious policies
Insensitivity at the EPO’s Management – Part V: Suspension of Salary and Unfair Trials
One of the lesser-publicised cases of EPO witch-hunting, wherein a member of staff is denied a salary "without any notification"
Links 3/1/2017: Microsoft Imposing TPM2 on Linux, ASUS Bringing Out Android Phones
Links for the day
Links 2/1/2017: Neptune 4.5.3 Release, Netrunner Desktop 17.01 Released
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Teaser: Corruption Indictments Brought Against Vice-President of the European Patent Office (EPO)
New trouble for Željko Topić in Strasbourg, making it yet another EPO Vice-President who is on shaky grounds and paving the way to managerial collapse/avalanche at the EPO
365 Days Later, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas Remains Silent and Thus Complicit in EPO Abuses on German Soil
The utter lack of participation, involvement or even intervention by German authorities serve to confirm that the government of Germany is very much complicit in the EPO's abuses, by refusing to do anything to stop them
Battistelli's Idea of 'Independent' 'External' 'Social' 'Study' is Something to BUY From Notorious Firm PwC
The sham which is the so-called 'social' 'study' as explained by the Central Staff Committee last year, well before the results came out
Europe Should Listen to SMEs Regarding the UPC, as Battistelli, Team UPC and the Select Committee Lie About It
Another example of UPC promotion from within the EPO (a committee dedicated to UPC promotion), in spite of everything we know about opposition to the UPC from small businesses (not the imaginary ones which Team UPC claims to speak 'on behalf' of)
Video: French State Secretary for Digital Economy Speaks Out Against Benoît Battistelli at Battistelli's PR Event
Uploaded by SUEPO earlier today was the above video, which shows how last year's party (actually 2015) was spoiled for Battistelli by the French State Secretary for Digital Economy, Axelle Lemaire, echoing the French government's concern about union busting etc. at the EPO (only to be rudely censored by Battistelli's 'media partner')
When EPO Vice-President, Who Will Resign Soon, Made a Mockery of the EPO
Leaked letter from Willy Minnoye/management to the people who are supposed to oversee EPO management
No Separation of Powers or Justice at the EPO: Reign of Terror by Battistelli Explained in Letter to the Administrative Council
In violation of international labour laws, Team Battistelli marches on and engages in a union-busting race against the clock, relying on immunity to keep this gravy train rolling before an inevitable crash
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Hun said,
August 12, 2008 at 11:42 pm
If you use Google then you are using a proprietary closed source search engine.
using Google = Evil !!
Roy Schestowitz said,
August 13, 2008 at 1:20 am
Proprietary SaaS may be a problem, but it’s probably not a top priority. That’s why we should treat AGPL(v3) as though it is GPLv4 and encourage developers to adopt it.
Linux said,
August 13, 2008 at 4:11 am
Are you against microsoft / novell / patents / propr. software ??
Heck even Google adsense / adwords is patented pro. software///
Google has built the biggest closed patented propr. web for itself
Roy Schestowitz said,
August 13, 2008 at 4:22 am
Google does not threaten to use software patents against Free software. I think it’s a matter of priorities and Google is not the fiercest enemy right now. I consider Oracle to be a bigger parasite because it harms companies that actually make the very same GNU/Linux which it uses as a ‘freerider’.
Anyway, as long as Microsoft explicitly threatens to harm Free software, it’s a major target. SaaS will be the next major hurdle when/if most native applications are phased out, virtualisation and clouds become more prevalent, and companies exploit GPL loopholes that AGPL closes.
I personally want to see Wikia succeeding.
http://www.wikia.com/wiki/Wikia