Diamond Age Solutions News for the IT Industry

Wed Mar 14 18:07:59 NZDT 2007

Today Index

New Zealand and 5 other nations object to the fast-tracking of Microsoft's "Open XML" document specification as an ISO standard:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/82AF97DEBBAFD057CC2572990006C14C

100 Redundancy notices handed out at Navman as its US-based owner Brunswick sells it off:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/B8CA72F20171CB50CC2572980004ABF2

It appears that the French parliament is switching to Ubuntu Linux through Linagora and Unilog. 1,154 machines to convert before this June:
http://fridge.ubuntu.com/node/814

Several GSM mobile phones are now hitting the market with a total bill of materials of US$25. These include handsets from Motorola:
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197801783

From the patent applications, it looks like Google are going to be making their own phone:
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38139

Hobbyist brain/computer interfaces now become available, but you look like a real dork wearing the necessary "beanie":
http://www.gizmag.com.au/go/6971/

And finally. When Pluto passes through the skies over New Mexico, a bill in progress would have it called a planet once more:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72927-0.html?tw=wn_technology_3

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.