iPod Endangered, Boucher Opposes Hatch’s “Induce Act,” CD Sales Soar, iPod a Security Risk? Car or c
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Copyright Bill Poses Threat To iPod's Future
Hatch's Induce Act Comes Under Fire
The CD Roars Back From The Dead
Does Your iPod Pose a Security Risk?
Laser Color, Now in Reach of Kansas
Car or Computer?
Protecting Kids Online: Why Laws Fail - Neither Tech nor Laws Can Replace an Involved Parent
The Tiger Report: The Mac Help System Needs Help
Autumn EuroRevCon 2004
Mac Night Owl: A Clever Slant on Font Menu Organization[/url]
Copyright Bill Poses Threat To iPod's Future
USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham reports:
"Apple's sleek digital audio device is one of the most successful tech toys, selling more than 3 million units since November 2001.
"But its future, with that of other new tech gadgets, could be in trouble if a controversial congressional bill passes. That's according to opponents of the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act in the Senate. It would make operators of media-swap networks such as Kazaa and Grokster liable for users' actions. It also would make it easier for entertainment companies to sue tech firms for copyright infringement.
"Opponents say the language is so broad it could apply to makers of MP3 players, such as iPod, and CD and DVD recorders, as well as to media organizations that give consumers tips on using digital content.....
"Internet search giants Google and Yahoo, chipmaker Intel, Internet service provider Verizon, auctioneer eBay, Web site operator Cnet Networks and phone company MCI are among 42 companies and groups who signed a letter that will be delivered Tuesday to bill author Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, requesting hearings on the issue......
"Two copyright bills were passed by a voice vote in late June without hearings, which is why the tech industry is concerned.....
"Judiciary Committee Chairman Hatch has been a critic of file-sharing. Last year, when speaking of network users trading copyrighted material, he said: 'I'm all for destroying their machines.'"
For the full report, visit here:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2004-07-05-induce-act_x.htm
Hatch's Induce Act Comes Under Fire
Faultline reports:
"US Congressman Rick Boucher took up arms against the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act bill, being brought before Congress right now, in a website interview at Inside Digital Media this week.
"In answer to questions put by IDM's Phil Leigh, Boucher made it clear that he would fight tooth and claw to prevent the new bill from making it into law in its current form. Boucher himself is supporting and presenting a bill that calls for changes to be made to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which he feels is misguided in by making the bypassing of copy protection illegal in its own right.
"Some quotes here taken from the interview give some comfort. 'I will work against this act. It is very poorly defined and it could target just about anyone. Even a university giving its students broadband access, could, under the current wording, be construed as inducing a copyright breach.
"'Anyone making ANY kind of recording device, even an innocent recorder that has many other fair uses, could be in breach of this law just for making that technology available. Frankly there is no need for the statute at all.'"
Amen to that!
"Boucher... called on US citizens to write their condemnation of the bill to their member of congress."
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/06/inducement_bill_under_fire/
The CD Roars Back From The Dead
The Register's Andrew Orlowski says:
"The CD is alive and well after all, it seems. In truth, it never really went away. CD sales have rocketed in 2004 - they topped 300 million units in in the first six months, up seven per cent compared to the same period last year, according to Neilsen research. The other booming sector of the music economy is the peer to peer networks. By some estimates a billion files are being downloaded every month and four million users are logged on at any one time.
"Buoyed by a feverish hype from techno-utopians and Apple fanatics, the DRM music stores such as Napster, Apple's iTMS notched up only 54 million downloads between them in the same period, and conspicuously missed their sales targets. OD2 is merging, iTMS missed its target by 30 per cent, and the bricks and mortar retailers have abandoned their plans to offer a rival online downloads service. So much for the 'future of music!'"
For the full report, visit here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/06/cd_sales_rebound/
Does Your iPod Pose a Security Risk?
Businesses should consider banning the devices, new study suggests.
IDG News Service's Laura Rohde reports:
"The IPod may be popular, but it also poses a major security risk for businesses, according to a study by research firm Gartner. The risk is so great that enterprises should seriously consider banning the IPod and other portable storage devices, Gartner says.
"The devices, using a Universal Serial Bus or FireWire (IEEE 1394) port, present risks to businesses on several fronts, from introducing malicious code into a corporate network to being used to steal corporate data, the Stamford, Connecticut-based research company says in its report 'How to Tackle the Threat From Portable Storage Devices.'"
You can check it out at:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,116793,00.asp
Laser Color, Now in Reach of Kansas
The New York Times' J. d. Biersdorfer says:
"As anyone who has seen "The Wizard of Oz" can probably tell you, the shift from stark black-and-white to a full-color world has a powerful visual and emotional effect, even without addled straw men and angry green women in the picture. Color in documents appeals to the eyes, provides shortcuts and clues for the mind, and just plain gets attention.
"Lower-priced color inkjet printers have come a long way from the slow, slightly smeared results they used to produce. But laser printing has been the standard for both speed and quality, particularly in office situations.
"The problem with laser printers was that they were too expensive for smaller firms (as in thousands of dollars too expensive) compared with their inkjet cousins.
"In recent years, though, prices for color laser printers have dropped significantly. For a sense of what was out there for $1,000 or less, I looked at four color laser printers that have recently become available: the Hewlett-Packard Color LaserJet 2550L, the OKI C5150n, the Samsung CLP-550 and the Xerox Phaser 8400."
For the full report, visit here.
Car or Computer?
Reuters reports:
"When Nobuyuki Furui joined Toyota Motor Corp.'s electronics section in 1980, he had just 50 or so co-workers....
"'Now there are five big electronics divisions with thousands of workers total,' said Furui, a group manager at one electronics engineering division, surrounded by a display of Toyota's latest safety technologies at a facility near Mount Fuji.
"Electronics have long since replaced mechanics in a car's braking and steering, for example, and will be used more as auto makers race to build cleaner and safer cars, while bringing more comfort and convenience to drivers.
"'There's virtually no component that runs solely on mechanics now,' said Takeshi Uchiyamada, a senior managing director in charge of vehicle technology at Toyota."
For the full report, visit here:
http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/06/pf/autos/bc.tech.japan.autos.electronics.reut/index.htm
Protecting Kids Online: Why Laws Fail - Neither Tech nor Laws Can Replace an Involved Parent
PC Magazine's Michael J. Miller says:
"The Supreme Court's ruling last week that rejected the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) is the right decision.
"Of course, we should protect our children from filth on the Internet, but COPA raises a lot of First Amendment issues and could prevent people from reaching legitimate sites. But the biggest reason why COPA should be stopped is simple: It can't possibly work. Technology remains our best chance of blocking inappropriate Web sites and fighting spam.
"It seems like the only reason Congress passes laws like COPA is so our senators and representatives can pretend they are doing something to combat Internet pornography. Doing so looks good to their constituents. But Congress had to know even before COPA was approved that it would end up in the courts for years and wouldn't solve the problem....
"Parents need to talk to their children about how they use the computer, what is and is not appropriate, and what to do if they land at an inappropriate site. Just as important, parents need to monitor their children's computer use and teach them how to behave online, especially that they shouldn't share personal information in chat rooms. Neither software nor legislation is ever a substitute for an involved parent...."
For the full commentary, visit here:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/ZDM/copa_failure_pcmag_040706.html
The Tiger Report: The Mac Help System Needs Help
I'm open to your ideas.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/index.htm#help
Autumn EuroRevCon 2004
Techie Tours announces an offer of a $100.00 discount for all attendees of the European Revolution Conference to be held 14-15-16 November 2004 in Malta who also attend the TidBITS - Macs in the Mediterranean week of workshops during 7-13 November.
Runrev application software conference and five days with Adam and Tonya Engst of TidBITS! Techie heaven on the gorgeous island of Gozo in the middle of the Mediterranean.
Gozo is filled with photographic opportunities and overflowing with fascinating history. The oldest standing architecture on Earth, the temples of Ggantija in Gozo, were more than one thousand years old when the Pyramids were being built. Legend says that Gozo is Homer's Ogygia, the island home of the nymph Calypso with whom Odysseus fell in love. The movie Troy used Gozo for many scenes, the ships seen in the movie cross the same Gozo channel that you will cross if you attend.
Adam and Tonya Engst of TidBITS will be giving morning workshops on OS X, iPhoto, and all sorts of techie topics and Techie Tours will be arranging outings to stunning locations every afternoon where you can swim, put your digital camera to use, or simply relax and enjoy! http://techietours.com/TidBITS/
The EuroRevCon will feature an outstanding group of Rev professionals who will add to your Rev skills.
The November 2004 EuroRevCon Features...
Kevin Miller, Rev CEO Keynote Sunday evening and daily discussions, Two full days of Rev presentations and discussions by expert Rev developers Malte Brill, Richard Gaskin, Klaus Major, Frederic Rinaldi, and Jan Schenkel.
Also offered are special pricing on Dan Shafer's book Revolution: Software at the Speed of Thought, and Special Rev License pricing for attendees. For more information:
http://techietours.com/Rev/
For more information, visit:
http://www.TechieTours.com
Mac Night Owl: A Clever Slant on Font Menu Organization
This is a application sorely needed for Mac OS X.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/index.htm#organization
***
Charles W. Moore
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