/P>

SAN JOSE, (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc.(AAPL.O) on Monday previewed a new bundle of free programs focused on connecting users, including an instant messaging application called iChat that will work with America Online'sInternet communication program -- the world's biggest. By Reuters. [New York Times: Technology]

It feels very right to have the pings float over instant messaging. I'm using Eric Soroos's new tool that implements AIM.

[Dave's Handsome Radio Blog!]

Disputing the position held by the major record companies, a report issued on Friday found that people who use file-sharing networks to obtain music at no charge over the Internet are more likely to have increased their spending on music than are average online music fans. [Tomalak's Realm]

I would like to see more on this. But it would be a good trend....

Gartner fixes odds [The Register]

It would be good if this could start a little trend here.  Now if the OpenSource Community can accelerate the development of features this could be be very interesting indeed.

 

The British programmer invented Freenet, a network for reading and distributing content anonymously. Now he responds to critics who claim that the network could be abused by terrorists. [CNET News.com]

 

Communication is good.  If it is not secret, then the chances are that explicitness will make people more aware.  However, anonymous posting does allow people to talk 'in plain sight'. The debate is just beginning!

----Martin----

 

The reporter surveys BigCo's to find out if they have anything as concrete as the Google API to offer, and draws a blank. Yet there are two directories here and here, containing concrete examples of web services, some of which have more utility than the current Google API, which is a good tease, but to be truly interesting, must have follow-through.  [Scripting News]