Shoot Me Now

December 9, 2005

This has absolutely nothing to do with technology or the law, but bear with me because it is the funniest piece of Canadiana you’re likely to see today, or at least in the next 5 minutes, and it’s a nice piece to close with today: Paul Wells tells us about his day.

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NTP Wants RIM Settlement ‘With No Strings Attached’

December 9, 2005

Simon Avery writes on the RIM-NTP lawsuit this morning and notes that NTP is positioning the dispute as one that can be settled with a single payment. The article has the usual chest-beating from Don Stout, but what’s particularly interesting is this: Research In Motion Ltd. can avoid losing access to the U.S. market with […]

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Is the US FCC More Concerned Now About ‘Net Neutrality’?

December 9, 2005

Om Malik posted a tidbit yesterday about some words in the FCC request to Comcast and Time Warner to file more paperwork with details on their pending takeover plan for Adelphia – this from the WSJ: The FCC’s information request also focuses on several delicate areas, including agreements for regional sports programming and “net neutrality” […]

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Online Rights Canada

December 9, 2005

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic have teamed up to create Online Rights Canada: Online Rights Canada (ORC) is a grassroots organization that promotes the public’s interest in technology and information policy. We believe that Canadians should have a voice in copyright law, access to information, freedom from […]

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The Ins and Outs of Bootstrapping

December 8, 2005

SF Gate has a useful article that digs into the ins and outs of bootstrapping. Bootstrapping is founded on two simple techniques. The first is time-shifting your payables into the future. You don’t have the cash today, so you say to people, “If you give me this resource today, I will pay you in the […]

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Payment by Text Message

December 8, 2005

Only in America so far (pity …) but a very cool idea – online payment by text message. For example, to close that craigslist sale when you don’t have the cash and access to the web for online payment isn’t feasible. Via alarm:clock.

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The Best of Times and the Worst of Times

December 8, 2005

I’ve blogged several times on the curious economics of the eBay-Skype deal, and more recently on the growing disenchantment that the digiterati have with Skype, now that it’s in the process of being corporatized. Overhyped M&A and faddish turns in popularity are nothing new online, but these point to a larger issue that’s a growing […]

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The Spreadsheet Wiki

December 8, 2005

No, there isn’t one yet, as far as I know, but the latest Web 2.0 thingy really makes the point – why not? Num Sum allows you to create and share basic spreadsheet applications. And that’s fine, as far as it goes. But since so many people use Excel for what are often common purposes, […]

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8 Ideas That Will Revolutionize the 21st Century

December 7, 2005

Hugh Macleod writes that Ben Hammersley’s presentation at Les Blogs was the best of the lot: The highlight of the show for me was Ben Hammersley’s amazing speech: 8 Ideas That Will Revolutionize the 21st Century (and blogging isn’t one of them). 1. Information wants to be free (vs. copyright). 2. Zero distance (vs. borders). […]

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There is No Defence Against Disruptive Innovation

December 7, 2005

A fascination with disruptive technology is one of the obsessions of this blog. So imagine my fascination when I read Dave Pollard’s new post, “What Was the Most Important Lesson You Learned in 2005?” Well, don’t imagine – go read it, now, and then send it to everyone you know. I’ll wait.

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Facial Recognition Technology and Privacy

December 7, 2005

Jennifer Granick writes in Wired about the inevitable erosion of privacy from the facial recognition technology used by Riya: Mothers could search MySpace.com and find pictures of their children at a party when they were supposed to be studying at a friend’s house. Insurers could search and find a photo of a customer bungee-jumping, and […]

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Buy, Play, Trade, Repeat

December 6, 2005

Damian Kulash of OK Go has an op-ed in the NYT today against DRM: This technological disaster aside, though, Sony BMG and the other major labels need to face reality: copy-protection software is bad for everyone, consumers, musicians and labels alike. It’s much better to have copies of albums on lots of iPods, even if […]

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