Global Toad News

At  7-zip.org,  there is a new version of the  7-zip program (which handles a variety of different compression algorithms, including zip).  The new BETA version definitely seems faster than the old version, and takes better advantage of multiple processors.

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Dan Bricklin has released version 1.0 of wikiCalc. wikiCalc is a program for editing spreadsheets on the web (or through a web browser) and requires no special software on a client (the server requires perl to be install).

Dan Bricklin is the co-creator of VisiCalc (the first PC spreadsheet), and this is a quality product.  It’s easy to install on a web server and allows you to have one site that creates the pages, and another site with static pages generated from the spreadsheet.

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In a recent ruling, a U.S. Federal Judge in Texas has granted summary judgment against a person who posted links to streaming audio on his web site. According to TheRegister.co.uk:

“The court finds that the unauthorized ‘link’ to the live webcasts that Davis provides on his website would likely qualify as a copied display or performance of SFX’s copyrightable material,” said Lindsay. “The court also finds that the link Davis provides on his website is not a ‘fair use’ of copyright material as Davis asserts through his Answer.”

So according to this learned expert in U.S. Copyright law (he is a U.S. Federal Judge) a link to any website can constitute “copying” within the current U.S. copyright law.

Frightening.

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Once upon a time I used to use Music Match (which got bought out by Yahoo!) to listen to streaming music that matched artists I liked and created streams that where based on my selection. It was a fee based service, so there was a downside.

Now it’s possible to have a similar experience for free and without having to load any additional software (on Windows). Last.Fm provides this service for free for now, so if you want to listen to music that is somewhat based on what you currently like, you might want to give them a look.

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At least that is the contention made at TechDirt.  While the government is unable to do anything about the deaths of at least 12 citizens a day by illegal aliens. The RIAA has a former director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on it’s staff so you know what is really important to the government.

Taking what private citizens have and distributing it to others.

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Recently the U.S. Congress raised the minimum wage, and there has been a lot of reports about the American Samoa exemptions. According to FreeMarketNews.com:

Pelosi has allowed exemptions – first (on lobbying restrictions) for AIPAC and the Aspen group, then (on the minimum-wage increase) for two companies doing business in American Samoa, both based in her own Congressional district.

But there is no talk about the real minimum wage exemptions, for instance the Northern Mariana Islands which, according WikiPedia:

The Northern Mariana Islands has successfully used its position as a free trade area with the U.S., while at the same time not being subject to the same labor laws. For example, the $3.05 per hour minimum wage in the Commonwealth is lower than in the U.S. and some other worker protections are weaker leading to lower production costs. This allows garments to be labeled “Made in USA” without having to comply with all U.S. labor laws.

So while most U.S. companies have to comply with the new minimum wage law, there are companies (and the Northern Mariana Islands is only one example) that exist in “Free Trade Zones” where the goods and services are allowed to state that they are “made in the USA” but the labor laws that effect all other U.S. businesses do not apply.

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Is Vista worse than a “three-legged, two-humped camel”?

According to kadaitcha.cx. it seems that way, with statements like:

In the opinion of kadaitcha.cx, the backup and restore tools available in Vista are so bug-riddled and so utterly confusing for even very experienced users that nobody in their right mind would use them.

Kadaitcha.cx goes through the whole install process and what’s wrong with Vista (and comments about performance on the dual processor 2 gig ram, PCIx video card machine that was used).

Maybe this is why Microsoft is now selling and supporting Linux?

In any case, before you rush out to spend $400, you really should read the whole article.

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From Computerworld:

The backup tool built into Windows Vista may be the worst utility every packed into an operating system. It doesn’t allow you to back up individual files, folders or even file types. Instead, you have to back up every single file and folder of broad generic types.

Gee that just makes me want to spend $400 on Vista.  So Vista will disable your system, keep you from doing backups and a whole host of different things, and you get to spend $400 for this?

I’d say Microsoft was insane, but they are doing what the MPAA & the RIAA want (these entities have filed 18,000 lawsuits against consumers in the last 3 years, something to think about when you buy music or movies).  What is insane is for someone to go and actually buy Vista.

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