Do you think that's an inflammatory enough title? I really think this is how the press should be handling information like the notification of this morning's net slowdown due to lax security on MS SQL servers net-wide. Discovered in July of 2002, Microsoft did provide a patch to this error …

Sony, in the position of having both content and computers, faces an interesting dilemma when it comes to things like content creation and portable music devices. The article on Wired gives some perspective on this.

In a move that might be the beginning of something interesting, or the end of IT in Houston, the city has decided to stop using Microsoft's Office products in lieu of SimDisk, a web-based package offered by a local (to Houston) company. The agreement will cost the city $9.5M …

CNET is reporting that a "coalition" of technology companies has formed to oppose the MPAA and its bid to get the government to impose regulations requiring intrusive copy protection be installed in computers and consumer electronics devices. The bill, proposed last year by Senator Fritz Hollings, D-SC, has not yet …

OK, this is cool.... as in 25-below-zero. Seriously, the grandson of the last remaining Sherpa to accompany Hillary up Mr. Everest is bringing email to the base camp of the world's highest peak. As described in this article in the New York Times, they are betting on wireless to help …

An article on CNET reports that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has upheld a ruling that AOL (and hopefully therefore other ISPs) are immune to prosecution over destructive files (such as viruses) sent over their common carrier systems from one user to another. It appears …

According to an article on LinuxDevices.com, IBM is showing a new reference platform for a PDA based on Linux and IBM's PowerPC chip. Features include: PowerPC 405 32MB Ram 32MB Flash dynamic power management etc. etc. etc. IBM processor comparisons on the 405 series are available here.

Gnome Foundation and Bitstream, Inc. announced in a press release that they have reached an agreement under which Bitstream will provide 10 fonts to Open Source software. Now, if somebody finds out what fonts, please drop me a note.

The Register reports in the following story, that a user of HP's Wireless Keyboards in Norway was shocked to find his text show up on a neighbor's computer. After phoning HP's support group, he was told to coordinate with his neighbors within 100M to make sure they are all using …

Not surprisingly, Tom's Hardware has a very thorough review of the Linksys 802.11g access point. The short version is that it is OK for 802.11g only, but has some real problems with 802.11b.

People are going to have mixed feelings about this, but it is probably the most exciting Space news in years. According to a report in the LA Times, and showing up in a summary on Space Today, the Bush administration is planning on including an additional $1B for funding nuclear …

An article in the New York Times today heralds the latest small blow in favor of consumers. It appears that Network Associates had a clause in the shrink-wrap license agreement that required that "The customer will not publish reviews of this product without prior consent from Network Associates Inc." According …

OK, I could be wrong here on this issue, but it seems to me that Microsoft has missed the point with their announcement this week that they will allow national governments access to their source code for the purpose of security audits. I'll admit that I may not be a …

According to this article on MSNBC, Microsoft has announced today that they have a new technology for copy protection of CD's. This will create a multi-layer CD which contains information readable by consumer devices (CD players) and differently by computers, so that copy protection mechanisms will work. I haven't found …

Since they charge for it on CD's, it was only a matter of time before the RIAA decided they needed to get more revenue by taxing ISPs. This article on Yahoo covers the latest ideas from that most loved of musical institution (tongue firmly in cheek at this point).

In the following article on PBS's website, Robert Cringely theorizes that Microsoft would do well to follow Apple's lead and lay their next version of the Windows GUI on top of a Linux base. Something tells me, that ain't going to happen, but if the old VMS guys are gone …

An article by Wired.com provides some introductory data on Grid Computing in a technology, society, business context in it's article Grid Computing is Good for Business. An interesting read for those with interest, but not much background in Grid computing. Grid computing is the name for the resource sharing …

I was interesting in figuring out what the effect of Apple moving to an IBM 970 CPU would have on their product line. Although they are not shipping (expected 2Q-2H 2003), there is some information about them available in the market based on test samples and presentations that IBM has …

An article on CNet details some of the varying opinions about the future of copyright protections and enforcement. In particular, conspicuously absent from the announcements by the BSA and RIAA yesterday were the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association).

Admittedly, I should probably have read it before today, but I am still digging out from too much travel. For those with access, you're looking for "Legally Speaking:Reverse Engineering Under Siege" in the October issue of Communications of the ACM. (If you're not a member, consider joining at the …