Diamond Age Solutions News for the IT Industry

Sun Feb 27 11:40:24 NZDT 2005

Today Index

TT, a Chicago-based company, starts enforcing a series of patents basically cornering the online stock trading market for 2.5 US cents per trade:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/eaccbcde-85d3-11d9-9011-00000e2511c8.html

If your Microsoft anti-spyware package mucks up your hard disk, Microsoft will make ammends by giving you a whole US$5 (five) rebate. It says so in the EULA:
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+offers+5+windfall+for+errant+software/2100-1029_3-5590042.html?tag=nefd.top

Microsoft pays a Dutch firm compensation and issues a formal apology after MS anti-spyware blocks a legitimate competitor to MSN:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/UNID/75106891058B2DB6CC256FB200112104?OpenDocument&pub=Computerworld

Philips Electronics unveils its new Nexperia Cellular System Solution 9000, another Linux/Java-based smartphone platform:
http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/dailynewsdetail/000488

A Judge tells the FCC that it does not have the authority to dictate mandatory copy protection in HDTVs:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4290315.stm

China walks out of talks as their WAPI (Wireless Authentication & Privacy Infrastructure) security scheme withdrawn & placed on a slow track by ISO:
http://www.commsdesign.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=60403226

Mandrake buys up all the shares in the major Brazilian Linux distribution company Conectiva, as Brazil's infrastructure starts to go Open Source:
http://www.mandrakesoft.com/company/press/pr?n=/pr/corporate/2539

Lots of activity from Hitachi and Seagate on CF-sized disk drives, with a smaller 10GB one expected soon:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=21421

And finally. When your old hard disk breaks down, what is more satisfying than eviscerating it & making a wind chime from the bits. You got a backup, right?:
http://halogen.note.amherst.edu/~wing/wingie/tech/hdchime/hdchime.php

News collated from various sources by Vik Olliver for Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. The views presented in this document are the personal opinion of the collator, and should not be taken as any more than that.