My attention was drawn to a new direction that fantasy author Terry Pratchett is taking. His Discworld series has been a huge success among a wide circle of people who find the Tolkien-informed, politically-aware stories clothed in a rambling fantasy universe compellingly funny. He’s now working on a collaboration with serious sci-fi author Stephen Baxter. The [...]
Filed under: Books | Comments Off
A historical post, for a change. A comment on a mailing list tonight – that something was “rather like blaming Windows for getting viruses” – sent me exploring my recollections of CPU security on Intel chips from my days at IBM. I went scurrying to find a half-remembered explanation from the past of why, in [...]
Filed under: History, Security | Tagged: DOS, Exploit, Malware, Windows | 9 Comments »
Following news that MPEG-LA have generously offered to sell patent licenses to implementers of the latest 3D-capable video standard, MVC, the world’s tapeworms announced they have formed a new collective inspired by the same principle. Dubbed IPEG-SA (Intestinal Parasites Exploitation Group – Service Administration), they will offer humans the opportunity to license suitably sanitized tapeworms [...]
Filed under: Humour, Patents | Tagged: MPEG LA, Video, WebM | 1 Comment »
Dubbed “the world’s most popular new tax”, this proposal has gathered an amazing breadth of support globally, including world political and business leaders. Indeed, France and Germany are both committed to implement it during 2012 (although we need to scrutinise their commitments carefully looking for loopholes). It sounds like one of the things that should [...]
Now finally and firmly established as an independent entity, The Document Foundation and LibreOffice are a refreshing story of community triumphing over adversity. Read more over at ComputerWorldUK.
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, LibreOffice | 3 Comments »
Loved this new video that introduces LibreOffice in an easy and understandable way. It would be great to have some more LibreOffice videos like this and I know there are folk reading this who could make them – how about it?
Filed under: LibreOffice | Tagged: LibreOffice | 2 Comments »
Back in December I mentioned that Eric Whitacre’s wonderful choral album “Light and Gold” [Amazon UK | Amazon US] had been nominated for a Grammy award. Well … he won! If you’ve not heard his choral music, I suggest you take a look at my posting about his Virtual Choir project from last year. Congratulations, [...]
Filed under: Music | Comments Off
This performance by 20-year-old Sarah Jarosz is completely magical. She’s supported by Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas but there’s no missing her star quality. What’s more, the song is her own composition. Superb stuff again from Transatlantic Sessions, which has become my favourite music TV. This is from Series 5 – I’ve added the DVD [...]
With news breaking that apparently Eolas decade-plus attempt to tax innovation on the internet is finally over, I look at the context and find myself lacking reassurance in today’s column on ComputerWorldUK.
Filed under: ComputerWorldUK, Patents | Comments Off
Now that the US bills SOPA and PIPA have been put on ice, attention has returned to their parent, an international treaty called ACTA. I’ve written extensively about ACTA before, but in summary it is an international treaty that has been secretly negotiated to ensure as little input as possible from the citizens of any [...]
Filed under: ACTA | Tagged: ACTA | 2 Comments »
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All views expressed on this blog are those of Simon Phipps and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other entity, including current and former employers. See my full disclosure of interests.
© 2010-12, Simon Phipps. All rights reserved, all wrongs righted. Unless otherwise credited all photographs, videos and other media are included in this statement. Some photographs are available for licensing via iStockPhoto. To contact the author, please use the e-mail form.
