Tag Archives: Sci/Tech

In their clueless arrogance, Microsoft has decided there is such a thing as “information rights” – information is free, o great Satan: It looks like the “rights management technology” that Microsoft has been rumored to be building into Office is on the cusp of debuting in Office 2003. The Windows …

Spanish computer claimed to picks hits with 93% accuracy: Scientists in Barcelona, Spain, have created a new “tune technology” to accurately pinpoint which songs will be hits, using 22 variables, such as melody, beat, harmony and the distance between the singer and the microphone. Researcher Mike McCready says the computer …

I am mortified by the big paraphernalia bust – I didn’t even know this was federal law. In this time of terror and rampant white collar crime, does the Justice Department really have nothing better to do? Three years in federal prison for selling bongs??? There goes another one of …

Interesting approach: The White Stripes are letting fans hear tracks from their forthcoming album ‘Elephant’ first. We wanted to thank all the people that have supported The White Stripes by buying their albums and signing up to our mailing lists, so we have created a secret area only for you! …

John Borland reviews the situation: Those persistent types of programs, frequently operating on computers without owners’ knowledge, have spread quickly in the last year, evolving as rapidly as anti-spyware software has been able to find them. EarthLink executives estimate that 40 percent to 50 percent of the Internet service provider’s …

There seems to be a direct relationship between online and offline attacks.

Napster has been buried in the “Pet Sematary” and is now coming back to walk the earth once again. Does Stephenen King own stock? Controversial song swapping site Napster, the former nemesis of the music industry, is set to relaunch before the end of the year with whizzkid founder Shawn …

Glenn Reynolds reports that Sonic Foundry, maker Acid music creation software and lots of other cool stuff, is in financial trouble: Well, lots of companies are, these days, but they have terrific products in their Acid music software (I did the music for my wife’s documentary, largely using Acid Pro …

Cellular systems may be outdated in five years: Originally a home-and-office product designed to link up personal computers without wires, Wi-Fi is an inexpensive way to send data over the airwaves at blazing speeds. Asia’s fixed-line carriers are capitalizing on that bang-for-the-buck to offer broadband access to the Internet in …

We mentioned last week that FCC Chairman Powell’s deregulatory agenda was in jeopardy, largely due to the efforts of fellow-Republican and Bush insider Kevin Martin. This has come to pass: With Republican FCC commissioner Kevin Martin staging a palace coup on Thursday and joining with Democrats on a key vote, …