Viacom and Google prepare to do battle over the future of the internet itself
May 28, 2008
God damn, that was a pretentious header. And the real irony is, it’s not actually all that far off the mark. If anything, Google’s latest statement dumbs the situation down a bit, claiming only that Viacom’s lawsuit "threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information".
Viacom is currently engaged in legal proceedings targeted against Google-owned video sharing site YouTube, arguing that it allows users to post copyrighted material and that the site operators have done “little or nothing to stop it”.
The search engine giant maintains that it has adhered to the requirements of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act and that it responds properly to claims of infringement. If anything, it goes above and beyond what is required of it. Viacom apparently isn’t satisfied with its efforts, claiming that it has still identified more than 150,000 unauthorised videos on the site, included those from Viacom-owned MTV and Comedy Central TV channels.
These finding are probably correct, but that doesn’t actually alter the fact that under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), website operators are protected from copyright violations posted by users.
So essentially Viacom is seeking to change the way the law works, making the over-zealous assertion that copyright violation is “a cornerstone of [Google’s] business plan". Google has made it clear that it’s prepared to go all the way to the Supreme Court with the case.
And that is where it seems very likely to end up. Viacom is justified in its efforts to protect its property from what basically amounts to theft and while Google probably has the financial muscle to settle, if the DMCA protections were removed, services like YouTube would have a nigh on impossible time getting started in the first place.
If Google’s defence is unsuccessful, it would paint an extremely bleak picture for the future of the internet, not just because of the obstacles it would present to startups but perhaps the sheer amount of policing required to keep every popular site above board would render them financially unfeasible. To make websites responsible for their users actions would threaten everything that makes the internet the place it is.
Windows 7 to boast Multitouch screen technology
May 28, 2008
Speaking at the opening night of Wall Street Journal’s “D: All Things Digital” conference in Southern California yesterday, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and fellow exec and long time business partner Steve Ballmer showed of some early features of the next Windows operating system.
Multitouch is apparently what we’ll be getting us all excited and fidgety. Multitouch is a pioneering new touchscreen technology that means the operating system can read and respond to multiple inputs at the same time. The prime example Microsoft uses in this instance, as has been done several times in demos of its Windows Table Top concept, is in dragging photos to enlarge them.
It’s really incredible stuff, and would certainly have been a lot more so if rival Apple wasn’t already selling a handheld device that does the same thing.
Here’s a video of it in action:
Of course, the comparisons to Apple’s iPhone technology are pretty trite. Handheld devices are a different kettle of fish to home computing. It is interesting that the video shows off the Multitouch system on a laptop though; laptops design is certainly going to affected by an enhanced touchscreen tech, but there are desktop computers to consider as well.
At the moment, desktop layouts don’t exactly make for an easy conversion to using touchscreen features, by virtue of simply being at the wrong angle or too far away from where you’re sitting. If Windows 7’s Multitouch system does win widespread appeal it’ll be extremely interesting to see how the role of home computing evolves and what it will mean for other PC functions like gaming.
Interviewer also brought up the question of mixed public reception to Windows Vista. Although the pair showed restraint on the topic, they did acknowledge that with hindsight some things could have been done differently.
Clearly that’s something that they’ll hope to rectify in Vista’s successor, whatever it might be called. We’ll reserve judgement over whether Microsoft actually has the capacity to take any of its Vista criticisms on board until the system gets considerably nearer a release, which is currently expected around the end of 2009, but that is obviously dependant on a great number of other factors.
via NYTimes
EU to probe Microsoft’s Open Document Format support
May 23, 2008
The European Commission has revealed that it plans to investigate Microsoft’s decision to support rival file formats in its Office products. Among these is the Open Document Format (ODF) and although the software giant’s decision to integrate direct support for it is seen as a victory for antitrust regulators, the EC still wants to be extra sure Microsoft isn’t trying any funny business.
“The Commission would welcome any step that Microsoft took towards genuine interoperability, more consumer choice and less vendor lock-in,” the EC said in a statement. “The Commission will investigate whether the announced support of ODF in Office leads to better interoperability and allows consumers to process and exchange their documents with the software product of their choice.”
Okay, Microsoft doesn’t exactly have the greatest record when it comes to playing fair in marketplaces where its dominance is all but completely monopolistic. But equally, the EU has now earned itself a bit of reputation for putting the squeeze on the Redmond giant at every opportunity.
Of course we don’t know the exact ins and outs of this situation, but it’s hard to see this as anything other than a red tape-wielding entity trying to tread on Microsoft’s toes even despite the fact it has conceded to its demands. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
via AFP
One Laptop Per Child reveals new XO-2 model - even lower price and no keyboard
May 23, 2008
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organisation has just unveiled its latest incredibly low cost laptop. Forget the $100 laptop that captured our imaginations last year; say hello to the $75 laptop.
It looks a whole lot smarter that its more expensive predecessor, but then we’re only seeing it at a distance. And in a conceptual form. The most important change is that there’s now no keyboard. Instead it is replaced by a touchscreen display.
Speaking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, OLPC founder Nicholas Negroponte described the device: "You can fold it flat and use it as one continuous display," he explained. He also said that the clamshell design is modelled after a book and intended to be legible under direct sunlight.
Other improvements in the XO-2 include reduced power consumption. The XO only uses 2-4 watts (very little compared to the 20-40 watts used by normal laptops) and the XO-2 has cut that down to just 1 watt.
This seems like a good turn around for the company, which has been bogged down recently amidst high profile staff departures and withdrawal of support from hardware partners. However, Microsoft’s recent move to increase pressure on the ULPC market and specific deal with OLPC may have tipped the balance.
via Telegraph
Yahoo’s board now threatened on two fronts, bides for time
May 23, 2008
Yahoo has postponed its annual shareholder meeting from July 3rd to an unknown date, later in the same month. Although Yahoo states otherwise, many believe this is designed to give Yahoo’s board the chance to prepare itself in the face of mounting rebellion from shareholders.
This is actually the second time Yahoo’s board has delayed the meeting, the first time because it was exploring alternatives to Microsoft’s unsolicited takeover bid. That move didn’t work out so well, and Microsoft has since walked away from the negotiating table as well following the board’s rejection of a $47.5bn offer, sparking general unrest among shareholders.
Some of them are now being led by investor Carl Icahn, a well known, billionaire investor and business man. He proposes to oust the existing board and replace them with his own representatives, and himself, natch.
The board’s delay tactics give them time to prepare their defence against Mr Icahn’s rebellion. There is a chance that fresh negotiations with Microsoft could begin in the meantime, but it is believed that attempting both at the same time would be difficult.
Jerry Yang, co-founding chief-exec of Yahoo rejected Microsoft’s bid, claiming that it undervalued the company. Mr Icahn stated this week "Microsoft would be crazy to give up this opportunity that we handed them in this fight. These companies should be merged in one way or another."
via BBC
The "future of PC gaming"? Age of Conan delays DirectX 10 feature until God knows when
May 20, 2008
This week’s MMO media darling is Funcom’s Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. It racked up some impressive tester attendance and some more impressive pre-order figures, and all this in spite of the fact that the game is incomplete.
Players gagging for Windows Vista’s oft-hyped DirectX 10 textures have a bit of wait on their hands and will have to make do with creaky old DirectX 9 for now.
"As Microsoft’s DirectX 10 is undoubtedly the future of PC gaming, Funcom has decided to ship only the DirectX 9 version at launch, giving the team more time to focus on building a DirectX 10 version worthy of Microsoft’s great vision for the future of PC gaming," an official press statement reveals. "This postponement will let Funcom include even more features in the DirectX 10 version of Age of Conan than originally planned."
Yep, it’s definitely "the future" because obviously it isn’t "the now". Funcom has declined to put a precise date on when it will launch.
Will it matter? Well, it’s probably more of an embarrassment for Microsoft than anything as there’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that it was probably a lot to do with Vista’s incredible capacity to turn a decent spec gaming PC in a sluggish, stuttering mess.
Vista has met with its justified share of criticism already anyway, forcing Microsoft to dramatically rethink its plan to phase out Windows XP. So unless Age of Conan really does transform into a WoW-killing giant of an MMO, it will probably be in the clear.
It just would have been nicer if Funcom could have given more warning to those specifically upgrading to DX10 worthy machines as this would have bought them a few months to play with and time to score a better hardware deal.
via 1Up
Netflix announces new movie streaming set-top box
May 20, 2008
The Netflix Player by Roku doesn’t look like much but it highlights an ambitious new move by the online DVD rental giant.
Taking on rivals from Apple (Apple TV) and Microsoft (Xbox Live Video Marketplace), Netflix’s set-top box enables Unlimited account users to stream movies directly into their living rooms.
Currently, the quality only goes up to that of a proper DVD (presuming your bandwidth supports it) but Netflix promises that proper high definition streaming is coming in future. The box itself supports that notion, boasting HDMI and Component outputs alongside older RCA and S-Video connections.
Audio can also be handled by an optical output.
So far Netflix’s direct competitors have each struggled to turn online movie rentals into the stunning success that it theoretically should be. One possible reason for this is severely limited content that both Apple and Microsoft’s services offer. Netflix at least has a very good shot at over coming that, although right now just 10% of its 100,000 strong DVD database is available for streaming.
Another flaw is that Netflix doesn’t seem to have overcome the problem of making it easy to navigate and select new rental titles from the box interface itself. Wired writes that this is weakest feature so far and you’ll want a laptop handy when browsing for something to watch.
The price is right though. The box itself costs a very reasonable $99 (made possible by the fact it has no built-in hard drive) and anyone on a $8.99 Unlimited account will have full access to all the titles currently available.
Houston has a problem: NASA technology under attack from new species of ant
May 16, 2008
Insert your own hilarious ‘bugs in the system’ joke here. Texas is now under assault from an invasive new breed of technology killer: the Crazy Rasberry Ant.
These oddly named insects were christened by their discoverer, pest exterminator Tom Rasberry, and they are immune to all but the most ecologically unsound pest controlling chemicals. They also nest in such large numbers that they are incredibly hard to displace. They also spread incredibly quickly and though their colonies already contain more than one Queen, they can overlap to form supercolonies.
Scientists have yet to decide on an official name for the flea-sized intruder, but are currently going with “Paratrechina sp. near pubens”. These fast moving insects are believed to have originated somewhere in the Caribbean and are infesting woodlands, gardens, houses and, most worryingly of all, even have a taste for electric apparatus.
Why they often choose to inhabit sockets and circuits is something of a mystery, but it has been documented before with another diminutive Texan invader, the Red Fire ant.
Even NASA is concerned as the spread of the tiny critters is taking them towards the Johnson Space Centre and they have called in extermination experts amidst fears that sensitive equipment could be damaged by their swarms.
Rasberry explains “I think they go into everything, and they don’t follow any kind of structured line. If you open a computer, you would find a cluster of ants on the motherboard and all over. You’d get 3,000 or 4,000 ants inside, and they create arcs. They’ll wipe out any computer.”
The only silver lining is that Crazy Rasberry ants actually eat Red Fire ants and though they can bite, they don’t use poison so you don’t have to worry about uncomfortable welts. However, there have been some reported cases of livestock succumbing to the sheer numbers of the foraging insects.
(via ComputerWorld)
WoW killer? Age of Conan celebrates biggest beta sign-up in history, sell out of early access slots
May 15, 2008
Next week sees the launch of Funcom’s latest MMO, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. While Funcom isn’t a virgin in the MMO scene - it has already been met with success in 2001’s Anarchy Online - the market for online virtual worlds is still a hostile one in the post-World of Warcarft era.
In the past couple of years, numerous pretenders to the MMORPG crown have tried their luck - Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Lord of the Rings Online, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach and Tabula Rasa, to name but a few - and some have been more successful than others, although all have fallen into the shadow of Blizzard’s domineering title.
Why should Age of Conan be any different? To be honest it probably won’t and even when WoW’s star inevitably begins to wane it seems unlikely that any one game will ever rule the genre so effectively again. However, AoC is off to a remarkably encouraging start. It recently revealed that some 1 million players signed up to its Open Beta test phase.
“Funcom has not been able to find any higher beta numbers for MMOs in the Western world,” boasted Morten Larssen, vice president of Funcom sales and marketing, in a press statement. “We believe it represents the largest ever beta sign-up figure in the history of the genre.”
Furthermore, the makers were also offering a limited number of Early Access slots only to those who had pre-ordered a copy of the game AND who were prepared to pay a small extra fee. Even these spaces have now run out, paving the way to a pretty big launch for the title.
It seems to have captured the imagination of the MMORPG hardcore and its grounding in the superb Robert E. Howard fantasy novels gives it a rich universe from which to draw influence. The final proof of whether it can do what other MMOs have been trying for three years will only be found in the final product. And it will be especially interesting to see what, if any, impact this does have on the leader’s population.
Rather than simply cloning the tried-and-tested MMORPG model, it is trying new ways of creating more engaging combat by introducing combos and directional attacks, and it has strong single player narrative that can take a player to a reasonably high level without even worrying about the multiplayer segments. Will this tip the balance? We’ll find out from May 20th.
Age of Conan (via Wired)
Einstein’s Religious Views Revealed
May 14, 2008
One of the highlights of Bloomsbury Auctions’ 25th Anniversary sale on 15th May 2008 is an unrecorded letter from Albert Einstein, in which the theoretical physicist wrote of his religious beliefs. It is expected to sell for £6000-8000.
An abridgement of the letter from Albert Einstein to Eric Gutkind from Princeton in January 1954, translated from German by Joan Stambaugh and published on guardian.co.uk.
… I read a great deal in the last days of your book, and thank you very much for sending it to me. What especially struck me about it was this. With regard to the factual attitude to life and to the human community we have a great deal in common.
… The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this. These subtilised interpretations are highly manifold according to their nature and have almost nothing to do with the original text. For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people. As far as my experience goes, they are also no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything ‘chosen’ about them.
In general I find it painful that you claim a privileged position and try to defend it by two walls of pride, an external one as a man and an internal one as a Jew. As a man you claim, so to speak, a dispensation from causality otherwise accepted, as a Jew the priviliege of monotheism. But a limited causality is no longer a causality at all, as our wonderful Spinoza recognized with all incision, probably as the first one. And the animistic interpretations of the religions of nature are in principle not annulled by monopolisation. With such walls we can only attain a certain self-deception, but our moral efforts are not furthered by them. On the contrary.
Now that I have quite openly stated our differences in intellectual convictions it is still clear to me that we are quite close to each other in essential things, ie in our evalutations of human behaviour. What separates us are only intellectual ‘props’ and ‘rationalisation’ in Freud’s language. Therefore I think that we would understand each other quite well if we talked about concrete things. With friendly thanks and best wishes
Yours, A. Einstein
