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9 December, 2002

Microsoft's Holiday Gift to the World

Share Holiday Joy, the web site says. Download free stuff and do amazing things!

This year, make inspired gifts using your own creativity and Windows XP. Find out how you can work with and enjoy music, home movies, messaging, and digital photos to create personalized presents, stay in touch with family and friends, and enjoy a homemade holiday.

But first you'll need to install Windows Media Player 9. And while you're at it, make sure you install a copy of the new Windows Movie Maker. Both of these products are in beta, and neither of them can be uninstalled.

So thousands of users will take the bait -- and then discover that their XP system is totally screwed up. Too bad! And happy holidays from your friends at Microsoft.

Posted on 9 December, 2002

Where is the Daylight?

Many years ago, I used to have a DOS program that generated this type of display:

Now, of course, it's available on the Web.

Posted on 9 December, 2002

The Cost of Entertainment

Did you ever wonder how much entertainers charge for a concert appearance? You'll find the answer at Clear Channel's web site.

I've never even head of the majority of these acts, but some can be had for as little as $1,000. But it will cost you $300,000 to get Shania Twain to make an appearance. Many of the more popular artists are listed with a "Call For Pricing" price tag.

Some of the pricing makes no sense. For example, KC & The Sunshine Band's fee ($35,000) is higher than Lyle Lovett's fee ($20,000). And newcomer Norah Jones charges $35,000 -- but she's not taking any bookings.

Amazingly, Leo Kottke (pictured here) charges only $5,000 -- 10% of the $50,000 fee charged by Jewel. I'd listen to Leo over Jewel any day!

(Via GranneWeb)

Posted on 9 December, 2002

Technical Difficulties

A brief Flash presentation about the U.S. Click here to see it.

(via The PreSurfer)

Posted on 9 December, 2002

Jon Johansen Trial Begins Today

Remember the 15-year old guy who wrote a program so he could watch DVDs on his Linux system? Well, three years later he's going to court for that offense -- in Norway (story at CNN).

In the United States, the case is seen as a test of freedom of expression, since proponents claim that writing such software is an exercise in intellectual freedom rather than an attempt to steal copyright material. The act of cracking the code in and of itself should not be criminal, such people argue.

• Read an interview with Jon Johansen
• EFF's "Free Jon Johansen" Campaign

Posted on 9 December, 2002

Eiffel Tower Panorama

Here's an incredible 360-degree interactive panorama of the Eiffel Tower. And there' s many more where that came from. These require QuickTime.

Posted on 9 December, 2002

MS Office: Price Reduction for Home Users?

Microsoft Office, of course, is the standard for businesses. But what about home users? Who in their right mind would pay US $450 for the privilege of having this software on their home computers? Apparently, not too many.

Here's a link to an interesting article by Mike Langberg. He describes how Microsoft has effectively lowered the price of Office -- without actually lowering the price of Office.

This poses a clear dilemma for Microsoft. The corporate market is nearly saturated, so the company is looking to home users for growth. But Microsoft can't openly offer Office in stores at discount prices without offending long-suffering corporate customers. Apparently unable to come up with an ethical solution, Microsoft resorted to sleazy marketing with a product called Office XP Standard for Students and Teachers

This version of Office often sells for less than $100. It's exactly the same software, and is usually sold right next to the $450 version.

There's a sticker on the S&T box saying "Special Offer for Students and Teachers only," and a leaflet inside the box making dark threats of "severe civil and criminal penalties"' for unqualified users. But the warnings are a sham. Microsoft introduced S&T to boost retail sales of Office -- an open secret within the industry

Bottom line? Microsoft knows that this product will be purchased and used by unqualified consumers. They have no intention of enforcing the license.

Suggestion for Microsoft:
Hey guys, why not offer a free home license for MS Office? Doing so might result in a miniscule reduction of your $2.39 billion annual revenue for Office -- but the PR benefits would far outweigh the cost. Could you imagine? People actually saying positive things about Microsoft? Nah, it'll never happen...

Posted on 9 December, 2002

Pi With Extra Precision

Researchers in Japan have calculated the value of pi to 1.2411 trillion decimal places. Previously, pi had been calculated to a mere 206.158 billion decimal places.

Professor Yasumasa Kanada and nine other researchers at the Information Technology Centre at Tokyo University calculated the value for pi with a Hitachi supercomputer over 400 hours in September, project team member Makoto Kudo said.

If you use Excel, you'll need to be content with 3.14159265358979.

Posted on 9 December, 2002