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In 1985, AppleMatters carried this story, If the Mac has ever had a bigger fanboy than Bill Gates it is unclear who it was. In the days before the release of the Mac, Microsoft had more people working on software for the Mac than Apple had employees.
Check this for the text of the memo - http://www.scripting.com/specials/gatesLetter/text.html
A new version of Google Earth is released and it contains 4x amount of data it had earlier. Googleblog announced this yesterday.
We got so excited around here about the first anniversary of GoogleEarth that we decided to celebrate a bit early. Beginning today, youcan download a brand new version,Google Earth 4. Running on OS X? Feel the love. Prefer Linux? Ditto.Yes, we’re releasing simultaneously for PC, Mac (universal binary forfull performance on both Intel and PowerPC based Macs) and for thefirst time ever, native support for popular Linux distributions. And weshould say “salut,” “ciao,” “hallo,” and “hola” to our French, Italian,German and Spanish users, because Google Earth is now fully localizedfor those languages in addition to English. This includes a UIlocalized to French, Italian, German, and Spanish, as well as localsearch, driving directions, geo-coding, and unique local informationlayers for those countries.
I remember my blogpost of February,2005 when Google bought Keyhole and started converting it to Google Earth, I was very excited and one of my friend Ankit pointed out that however good it maybe it cant be of any use to people outside US. Here is his comment.
iamGOD Says:
May 2nd, 2005 at 11:49 pmHey Man,
“Keyholeâ€, No use to us, because we are Indians.
Can you fly form Bombay to Kalol…….?
Well KEYHOLE cann’t fly over slums in india and those of kalol.
And BISAG is sleeping ……….. they works only for government….and thiswill take at least 5 (minimum, if they plan) years for government toput all bisag data on web.
5 years.hmmm. Well its done in 1 year and I am happy about that.I can even see my home in new google earth. Below is the image of that.
technorati tags:Google, Earth, Home, Technolgy, Keyhole, BISAG, Release
Few days back Firefox 1.5.0.4 was released and as always I upgraded to the current version expecting nothing new but some security updates making me more secure. But I was pleasantly surprised that this time some memory leaks were fixed. And suddenly even after the huge number of extensions I have installed the response and speed of Firefox has increased or is it just me?
Ubuntu, which has become one of the world’s most popular Linux distributions in recent years, launched its latest version on June 1 following months of intense testing. The new release is titled Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Long Term Support), and has a specific emphasis on the needs of large organisations with both desktop and server versions.
Ubuntu 6.06 LTS introduces functionality that simplifies common Linux server deployment processes. For system administrators setting up large numbers of web, mail and related servers, Ubuntu 6.06 LTS offers the fastest and most consistent path to deployment, combined with the availability of global commercial support where needed. “Ubuntu has a reputation for working well out of the box on desktops, and we have worked to bring that same ease of deployment and configuration to the server marketplace” said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu project. “Based on our analysis of the ways people were already deploying Ubuntu on servers, we have aimed to streamline their experience while expanding the range of software available to people deploying Ubuntu in the data centre.”
The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Philosophy: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit.
Apple has activated its previously announced free computer take-back program, offering to recycle old computers for US customers when they buy a new Mac.
While it does not yet offer this service in its other global markets, in the US the company has begun offering a service in which the online and high-street Apple retail stores will recycle old PCs for new Mac buyers, regardless of the manufacturer.
Customers who use the scheme are sent an email with instructions and a label for free shipping and recycling. They just need to pack their kit up and attach the label provided. All equipment received by the program is recycled within the US, the company claims. No hazardous material is shipped overseas.
Apple also claimed its recycling programs have processed more than 21 million pounds of electronics worldwide since 1994. It also subsidises an iPod recycling program across its US retail stores, providing environmentally friendly disposal of any unwanted iPod and a 10 per cent discount on the purchase of a new iPod.
There’s also a free drop-off recycling service for consumers who live close enough to its Cupertino HQ to drop kit off.
Setting: A Warm August Day in 2005 –The US Patent office has just awarded “Creative†rights to a menu patent that Apple uses in their successful iPod.
Creative: We’ve got them by the balls now. Let’s call them up and make ‘em grovel.
((ring ring))
Apple: Hello
Creative: I’m sure you heard the news. No use in beating around the bush, we’re calling to discuss the royalty rate you will pay us.
Apple: We submitted a patent for the very same thing you just happen to win out–timing luck. Besides, your stinky little patent has nothing to do with the success of our Ipod.
Creative: We own that patent you re using and we need to get paid. Our stock holders need a return on their investment!
Apple: No.
Creative: We insist that you discuss it.
Apple: Never.
Creative: We legally own the rights to that patent!
Apple: So, why are you starting with us, why aren’t you suing Iriver, Sony or Samsung. Aren’t they using the same patent.
Creative: Oh please, don’t get me started. They made less money then us on MP3 player sales.
Apple: So you’re suing us because we’ve been highly successful with our Ipod. Is that it?
Creative: We will sue them too, eventually–but getting back to the point! We need to determine a fair royalty rate.
Apple: Absolutely not.
Creative: Why?
Apple: Because there is nothing creative about Creative. You’ve practically copied the look and feel of our Ipod design from the get-go. And now, you expect us to pay you because you had no success at copying our Ipod. We think—NOT!
Creative: That menu patent was our original idea. It is our intellectual property and we insist that you pay us for using it.
Apple: Yeah, right. (sarcastically)
Creative: Then we’ll see you in Court. We’re going to sue you to the core—no, to the seeds in your core!
Apple: Stop wasting our time. We’ve got a bevy of Ipod orders to fill. 500,000 customers called saying they returned something called a ZEN and now they want an Ipod…something about it doesn’t work with iTunes. Goodbye. (click)
Creative: Oooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!
((ring ring))
Creative’s Legal Dept.: Hello
Creative: Let’s sue that Dirty Rotten Apple for everything they’ve got!
Creative’s Legal Dept.: We’ll get right on it boss.
***9 months later-Creative files a lawsuit against Apple.***
Creative: We want Apple to cease and desist all Ipod sales in the US. We want a big settlement like that US company got against the Canadian Blackberry. I think they settled for a little less than a billion. That would be fine by us.
***Later that same day…***
((ring, ring))
Creative: Hello
Creative’s Legal Dept.: Hey boss, Apple is counter suing us. They say we are infringing on FOUR of their patents. The word is out and our $5.00 stock is dropping fast! What shall we do?
Creative: When we were amicably discussing the terms of our patent rights with Apple; they never mention they had Four patents we are “allegedly†using. I wonder why?
***The story continues…***
Last month @Last Software joined google and now they have released a free version of Sketchup which will really help get 3D modelling to the masses. Just check it out. They also launched a 3D Warehouse where you can publish your models and share them. Read more on the link below.
The new Google SketchUp is for the do-it-yourselfer, the hobbyist — really anyone who wants to build 3D models for use in Google Earth. Go ahead and model that new kitchen, or deck, landscape your virtual garden, or impress your teacher with a roller coaster or medieval castle. When you’re finished, place your model in Google Earth. There! The beginning of a virtual world. Warning: don’t start messing with this stuff after dinner because your first experience could be an all-nighter… making an idea come to life in 3D can be very addicting.
Read more on Official Google Blog: A great day for 3D
Barely two weeks after shipping an Internet Explorer security makeover to cover a wave of drive-by malware downloads, Microsoft is scrambling to address the public disclosure of a new zero-day vulnerability that could be used in code execution attacks.
The Redmond, Wash. software maker confirmed it was investigating a warning posted on the Full-disclosure mailing list that the latest versions of IE causes various types of crashes when visiting Web pages with nested OBJECT tags.
A spokesman for Microsoft said the initial investigation has revealed that the bug would most likely result in the browser closing unexpectedly or failing to respond.
“Microsoft will continue to investigate the public reports to help provide additional guidance for customers as necessary.”
Michal Zalewski, the researcher who discovered the flaw and published the advisory without notifying Microsoft, said the issue was confirmed on fully patched versions of IE 6.0 and Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2).
“At first sight, this vulnerability may offer a remote compromise vector, although not necessarily a reliable one,” Zalewski said.
bit-tech reader RotoSequence writes to point out a very cool snippet of info over at French news site X86-Secret.
The info is about a potential new AMD processor. Allegedly, the green camp is developing a sort of “Anti-Hyperthreading,” which would allow two (or multiple) physical cores to emulate one physical core.
From the site (via Google translation): “Conscious that K8 architecture could not compete with the next high-speed motorboat of INTEL, all its hopes are for the moment based on a new ‘revolutionary’ technology (it is our opinion, not it his) on which AMD works in this moment for after-K8. This technology is in fact a kind of anti-HT: There or HyperThreading sought to emulate two virtual processors with a physical processor, it is a question for AMD of emulating a single virtual processor with two (or several) physical processors.”
This could be incredibly interesting. Early performance numbers suggest that AMD’s new AM2 platform won’t be able to compete with Conroe on raw native performance. However, if AMD can perfect the ability to make multiple cores appear as one, then it could take a massive performance lead in applications that are single-threaded - like the vast majority of games right now.
U.S. software maker Oracle is considering launching a version of the Linux operating system and has looked at buying one of the two firms dominating the technology, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Monday.
The report, citing an interview with Oracle’s chief executive officer, Larry Ellison, said the move would redraw the software landscape and open a new front in Oracle’s long rivalry with U.S. rival Microsoft.
It said Ellison told the newspaper that Oracle wanted to sell a full range of software that, like Microsoft, included both operating system and applications.
“I’d like to have a complete stack,” Ellison was quoted as saying.
“We’re missing an operating system. You could argue that it makes a lot of sense for us to look at distributing and supporting Linux.”
The report said that like IBM, Oracle has counted on Linux–an open-source system whose code is open to anyone to view and adapt–to act as a counterweight to Microsoft’s Windows, which has expanded rapidly from desktop PCs into corporate IT systems.
As part of a recent study of the open-source software market, Ellison told the newspaper, Oracle had considered buying Novell, which after Red Hat is the biggest distributor of Linux.
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