Santa is gonna kick your ass.
Well, its only January 3rd, and it seems a few people may have already made the naughty list.
LANCOR... you've been very naughty. LANCOR is a Nigerian maker of keyboards which claims that the keyboard built into the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO is sufficiently similar to LANCOR's that it violates one of their patents. They are suing OLPC for $20 million US and seeking an injunction that would keep the low-cost laptops out of Nigeria. What makes this so naughty is that OLPC is a non-profit organization whose goal is to build low cost computers to help educate children in the developing world. LANCOR - have you no shame?
Next on the list is an thus far anonymous trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange who just had to push the price of oil over the $100 milestone, sparking reports that low inventory and a weak US dollar had finally pushed oil off the deep end. Now, the price has been rising (duh, it's a finite resource) and is one indicator pointing to a possible recession, so it was near the $100 mark anyway. But apparently one trader decided to get his 15 minutes of fame by buying 1,000 barrels (the smallest lot available) and selling it immediately at a $600 loss. Let's face it, people, there is enough concern about the economy without anyone pulling stunts.
It would hardly be a naughty list without mentioning Microsoft. In addition to the most-bloated OS of all time, the Jabba the Hutt-like Vista, a pay-until-it-hurts pricing scheme, and 'emerging technologies' that don't work, they now want your to plug yourself into your computer Matrix-style. Well, not really, but they have filed a patent for an interactive help system that would use biometrics to detect when you are frustrated and call other users in to assist you. Bill Gates will probably crap his pants when he sees the data from this. Yo, using your software is frustrating 90% of the time!
In product design that actually works, the Apple rumor mill is in full pre-Macworld spin. One of the more interesting rumors is an iMac with a hole in it. Which doesn't seem so exiting, until I go on to explain that this iMac is just a case with a monitor and I/O ports into which you insert your Macbook, which essentially provides the various boards and the optical drive. Makes conventional docking stations look pretty clunky indeed.
Generating even more buzz is a possible iTunes movie rental service, maybe even delivering content via the somewhat less-than-usefull Apple TV, one of Cupertino's few unsuccessful products in recent years. The bad news for Apple is that Netflix and LG may beat them to it with a partnership announced today which would see Netflix provide content to LG's upcoming networked set-top box. Consider the gauntlet thrown!
But, hey, maybe you're old fashioned and you like actual physical media. Well, for a mere three grand, you can give your DVDs the royal treatment with the Arcam Solo Movie 2.1. No, its not an HD DVD or Blu-ray player, it just plays plain Jane DVDs. But it does upconvert to 1080i and produces great 2.1 sound that may even soothe the audiophile in your life, and that's saying a lot. The price is pretty darn steep, though, and its not even the top model. There's also a 5.1 version for those of you with such ridiculous disposable income you must be up to no good.
But the naughtiest thing of all is disrespect for the only planet we've got. California is suing the US federal government claiming that the EPA's refusal to grant it certain exemptions to let it enforce stricter emissions standards is putting a serious dent in the state's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Just bring Arnie into this, he'll have the whole mess sorted out in a day or two. Don't make me call Mr. T!
LANCOR... you've been very naughty. LANCOR is a Nigerian maker of keyboards which claims that the keyboard built into the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO is sufficiently similar to LANCOR's that it violates one of their patents. They are suing OLPC for $20 million US and seeking an injunction that would keep the low-cost laptops out of Nigeria. What makes this so naughty is that OLPC is a non-profit organization whose goal is to build low cost computers to help educate children in the developing world. LANCOR - have you no shame?
Next on the list is an thus far anonymous trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange who just had to push the price of oil over the $100 milestone, sparking reports that low inventory and a weak US dollar had finally pushed oil off the deep end. Now, the price has been rising (duh, it's a finite resource) and is one indicator pointing to a possible recession, so it was near the $100 mark anyway. But apparently one trader decided to get his 15 minutes of fame by buying 1,000 barrels (the smallest lot available) and selling it immediately at a $600 loss. Let's face it, people, there is enough concern about the economy without anyone pulling stunts.
It would hardly be a naughty list without mentioning Microsoft. In addition to the most-bloated OS of all time, the Jabba the Hutt-like Vista, a pay-until-it-hurts pricing scheme, and 'emerging technologies' that don't work, they now want your to plug yourself into your computer Matrix-style. Well, not really, but they have filed a patent for an interactive help system that would use biometrics to detect when you are frustrated and call other users in to assist you. Bill Gates will probably crap his pants when he sees the data from this. Yo, using your software is frustrating 90% of the time!
In product design that actually works, the Apple rumor mill is in full pre-Macworld spin. One of the more interesting rumors is an iMac with a hole in it. Which doesn't seem so exiting, until I go on to explain that this iMac is just a case with a monitor and I/O ports into which you insert your Macbook, which essentially provides the various boards and the optical drive. Makes conventional docking stations look pretty clunky indeed.
Generating even more buzz is a possible iTunes movie rental service, maybe even delivering content via the somewhat less-than-usefull Apple TV, one of Cupertino's few unsuccessful products in recent years. The bad news for Apple is that Netflix and LG may beat them to it with a partnership announced today which would see Netflix provide content to LG's upcoming networked set-top box. Consider the gauntlet thrown!
But, hey, maybe you're old fashioned and you like actual physical media. Well, for a mere three grand, you can give your DVDs the royal treatment with the Arcam Solo Movie 2.1. No, its not an HD DVD or Blu-ray player, it just plays plain Jane DVDs. But it does upconvert to 1080i and produces great 2.1 sound that may even soothe the audiophile in your life, and that's saying a lot. The price is pretty darn steep, though, and its not even the top model. There's also a 5.1 version for those of you with such ridiculous disposable income you must be up to no good.
But the naughtiest thing of all is disrespect for the only planet we've got. California is suing the US federal government claiming that the EPA's refusal to grant it certain exemptions to let it enforce stricter emissions standards is putting a serious dent in the state's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. Just bring Arnie into this, he'll have the whole mess sorted out in a day or two. Don't make me call Mr. T!
Labels: Ahnold, Apple, California, DVD, Microsoft, Mr T, oil, OLPC, patent, robot overlords
posted by Colin at
8:57 p.m.
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