Book Reviews


[Day Permalink] Thursday, October 3, 2002

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The OS Wars: BSD vs. Linux: "While the BSD operating system, an open source variant of Unix, enjoys a loyal following, is freely available in several flavors, and has potential for wider deployment in the future, that is where its similarities to Linux end." [osOpinion]


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Bugbear virus threat increases: "Hundreds of thousands of users could have been affected by the latest e-mail virus outbreak." [BBC News | TECHNOLOGY]


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NYT discovers Linux in late 2002: "NYT op-ed piece about this newfangled OS called Linux and how it is developed using something called the "open source" method. This is the paper to go to for breaking news, folks." [Boing Boing Blog]


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Molecules with Silly Names: "Googling for "Silly", this Molecules with Silly Names was the very first. And, in a scientific sort of way, definitely silly. How silly can names for molecules get. See, for example, to name but a few: Arsole, Bastardane, Munchnones, Cummingto..." [DeepFUN Weblog]


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Guardian Digital succeeding with Open Source security products (NewsForge): "Much of our revenue is based on services surrounding our software. More and more of our customers want us to help them with modifications to the software. These customers acknowledge that as the architects, we are best positioned to accomplish customizations." [LWN.net]


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The Case for Linux in Universities: "University IT departments should start planning to support Linux on the desktop in recognition of its increased importance." [LWN.net]


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Genes of Two Malaria Agents Decoded: "Efforts to treat and prevent malaria, one of the world's most pressing health problems, just got a major boost. Two teams of scientists have decoded all the genes of the parasite and the mosquito associated with the most severe form of the disease." [Google Technology News]


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Porting Unix Apps to Darwin and OS X: " At the OS X conference today, Darwin and BSD architects are explaining how programmers can use new DarwinPorts APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, part of the OpenDarwin.org organization." [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]


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Apple Shuns DRM Efforts So Far: "This was found on SiliconValley.com. In an article for the Mercury News, Dan Gillmor talks about how Apple is still standing firm against the Digital Rights Management (DRM) efforts which the entertainment industry is trying to force..." [Google Technology News]


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Why Microsoft needs .NET: "Microsoft claim that the .NET runtime is being produced purely because it clears away all the previous kludgey problems of writing Windows software. There may, however, be an ulterior motive..." [kuro5hin.org]


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LinkMachineGo ponders The Right-Wing Takeover of Blogs:
... this is the blogger's way: like raptors, they hunt in packs, gain momentum, pick enemies, vent spleen, and never, ever, hold back. These blogs do not have large direct readerships: InstaPundit clocks only 40,000 readers a day. But many readers run their own blogs; others are political or media professionals. So a growing community is aware of whatever most irritated Sullivan today. This in turn creates what the legal theorist Cass Sunstein calls "cybercascades", reaching millions of readers with ideas, in this case associated almost exclusively with the right. They are democratic dynamite: private networks of information, unchecked by sensible debate.


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The Onion | Bush Seeks U.N. Support For 'U.S. Does Whatever It Wants' Plan: "In an address before the U.N. General Assembly Monday, President Bush called upon the international community to support his "U.S. Does Whatever It Wants" plan, which would permit the U.S. to take any action it wishes anywhere in the world at any time." [Daypop Top 40]


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DRM bill proposed in US House: "Bill to ensure that people who buy digital media can make backup copies." [InfoWorld: Top News]