Friday, July 25, 2003

InfoWorld: Gates: Longhorn is 'a bit scary'. Longhorn, the next version of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows desktop operating system, will be so different from its predecessors that users may not like it right away, Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates said Thursday. [Tomalak's Realm] 11:21:10 AM

Dylan in darkest America. In "Masked and Anonymous," this summer's strange and brilliant must-see film, an aging troubadour is the last gleam of hope in a corrupt and dictatorial nation. [Salon.com] 10:38:54 AM

Bush's lies vs. Clinton's lies. Lying about war is more serious than lying about sex -- which is why the president's free ride is coming to an end. [Salon.com] 10:38:40 AM

Bush's biggest whopper. The president's 16-word stretcher about African uranium was nothing compared to his lie about the links between Osama and Saddam. [Salon.com] 10:38:21 AM

Microsoft: New Flaw in Windows. Microsoft issues a patch for a critical flaw in Windows that could allow an attacker to delete files, search records, send e-mails or even launch a new attack from the victim's computer. [Wired News] 10:38:05 AM

RIAA Leaning on Kids' Parents. Zealous in protecting its profits, the Recording Industry Association of America steps up the pressure on kids who swap music online. Now, RIAA lawyers aren't just after them, but their parents as well. [Wired News] 10:37:49 AM

Australian government to ban spam. Australia's government will introduce legislation to ban electronic junk mail (spam). It will ban the sending of commercial electronic messaging without the prior consent of end-users unless there is an existing customer-business relationship. The ban will then be enforced through the Australian Communications Authority. [MacCentral] 10:37:32 AM

Reading What Best Matches Your Bias. Anne Applebaum wrote a column in today's Washington Post with the title "Parallel Universes", in which she describes how media not merely reflect different opinions about the news in different cultures and countries, but actually recount alternative versions of reality. Her examples are enlightening. To quote just one: "When George Tenet fell on his sword earlier this month over that now infamous piece of British intelligence that made it into the president's State of the Union speech, the story played here as "White House Dumps on CIA." In Britain, it played as "White House Dumps on Britain." Sounds like news from two different universes. [kuro5hin.org] 10:37:19 AM

Wired News: RIAA, Colleges Seek Piracy Fix. The universities are exploring technologies that would control illegal peer-to-peer file sharing. In addition, they are working with digital music and movie companies to offer downloading services tailored to universities. [Tomalak's Realm] 10:37:03 AM