text:
Bill Gates Wants to Maximise "Patented Stuff"
Posted in Antitrust, Apple, Bill Gates, DRM, GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Patents at 3:55 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: In a Microsoft conversation that gives away fear of Apple, Gates still shows his desire to encumber computer components with patents
TODAY's Comes vs Microsoft exhibit is Exhibit PX07255 (2003) [PDF]. It is a relatively recent exchange of E-mails (relative to the rest of the exhibits prepared for this case).
The full text can be read below (or by using the original PDF scan), but here are the fun bits for the impatient.
Jim Allchin, who managed (or co-managed) Windows at the time, wrote:
There is no question we are being clocked by Apple in a number of dimensions.
Well, that's quite telling. The rest of the message is interesting too.
Amir Majidimehr, whom we mentioned in [1, 2, 3], writes:
There is no question that we are behind Apple on iPod.
An earlier message from Bill Gates said a lot of stuff. Some people may remember Bill Gates for his ACPI patent abuse [PDF] (interpretation here). Gates wanted to use patents in order to block Linux. In this new exhibit we find something that fits the same pattern. Gates writes:
What do we want in cameras for metadata and UI? What do we want relative to device discovery? (hopefully patented stuff).
Yes, got to have "patented stuff"! In a separate message, Gates explicitly said that he wanted it to act as a barrier against Linux.
Adding to lock-in, Will Poole talks about DRM, e.g.:
4. MusicMatch and Napster both use our media format and DRM exclusively, at their option. AOL is integrating WM9 into their player for next year. All of them are working with our platform b/c of our device integration. E-2-e scenarios are still not as good as Apple. But there is consumer choice, and there is a growing ecosystem.
We have more antitrust exhibits about Microsoft and DRM [1, 2]. Microsoft eventually betrayed many DRM partners and last year it back-stabbed those who trusted MSN's exclusive DRM.
Look at the last E-mail from Bill Gates more carefully to find:
From: Bill Gates
To: Will Poole
Cc: Alexander Gounares; Amir Majidimehr; Chris Jones (WINDOWS)
Subject: Scenario leadership
This whole Apple music experience is one that is interesting to me and makes me wonder where the scenario thinking is in Windows.
Further on it says:
People I know (a rich group I admit) are getting ipods with thousands of songs on them.
Herb Allen has given dozens of his friends I pods with thousands of songs (he bought them).
Warren Buffett just loves the thing.
This ought to get Apple/Mac advocates curious or even excited. █
Appendix: Comes vs. Microsoft – exhibit PX07255, as text
More Countries Move to ODF, But What About Portugal?
Posted in Europe, Fraud, Microsoft, Open XML, OpenDocument at 2:59 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: OpenDocument Format (ODF) is increasingly adopted and the latest dealings in Portugal give reasons for concern
MORE AND MORE countries have recently embraced OpenDocument Format (ODF), despite Microsoft's many abuses that it declines/refuses to address. Microsoft is still causing damage to ODF [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Glyn Moody notes that the FSF has this world map of ODF adoption and Christian Einfeldt added to it (in Twitter): "Dear Linus, it's not that we hate Microsoft, but it is annoying how MSFT is still goofing up ODF."
Hungary is one of the latest European countries to embrace ODF (Norway was probably inevitable), but one country we remain particularly concerned about is Portugal. We wrote about it earlier today because of the government's intimate relationship with Microsoft. According to this blog (translation to English from Google), chances of ODF adoption in Portugal seem slim, so a Switzerland-like action may be needed (see links at the bottom). As Tony Manco from Portugal puts it, despite being warned for illegalities that they make, the people in the government just don't give a damn. They continue as if nothing was mentioned. █
Related posts (Switzerland):
Microsoft Sued Over Its Corruption in Switzerland, Microsoft Debt Revisited
Can the United Kingdom and Hungary Still be Sued for Excluding Free Software?
3 New Counts of Antitrust Violation by Microsoft?
Is Microsoft Breaking the Law in Switzerland Too?
Microsoft Uses Lobbyists to Attack Holland's Migration to Free Software and Sort of Bribes South African Teachers Who Use Windows
ZDNet/eWeek Ruins Peter Judge's Good Article by Attacking Red Hat When Microsoft Does the Crime
Week of Microsoft Government Affairs: a Look Back, a Look Ahead
Lawsuit Against Microsoft/Switzerland Succeeds So Far, More Countries/Companies Should Follow Suit
Latest Reports on Microsoft Bulk Deals Being Blocked in Switzerland, New Zealand
Swiss Government and Federal Computer Weekly: Why the Hostility Towards Free Software?
Switzerland and the UK Under Fire for Perpetual Microsoft Engagements
Does Microsoft Accuse Free Software of Fraud?
Posted in Deception, Fraud, Free/Libre Software, FUD, GNU/Linux, Google, Microsoft at 2:32 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Microsoft shows more shameless hypocrisy, vanity
WE HAVE been made aware of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference, which took place a fortnight ago. The transcripts are revealing because they contain bits where Microsoft's Kevin Turner says: "As this environment came down, you know, everybody heard, well, Linux and open source and those type of things are going to become the hot commodity. And you know what? We've competed with the fraudulent perception of free really, really well."
Fraudulent? Really?
"Is it not ironic that a corrupt company accuses its opponents of "fraudulent perception"?"Here's the same talking point being repeated: "And getting the facts out about the fraudulent perception of free is something that's really resonating with customers. Our TCO (total cost of ownership) story, our security story, where we're headed from a platform standpoint. It feels so good for customers to finally understand the truth about open source and Linux and we're making incredible progress in this space, and we're going to continue to drive that."
There's that ugly word again and also a reference to studies which Microsoft bought, along with yardsticks that Microsoft paid Gartner a fortune for. "They're still banging the TCO drum," writes Eruaran. We last wrote about it on the very same day as the conference above.
Is it not ironic that a corrupt company accuses its opponents of "fraudulent perception"? The above TCO benchmarks may be as bad as Microsoft's benchmark fraud, which is part of a pattern of slamming opposition by lying.
And speaking of daemonising opposition, here is a new report from Wired Magazine about Google and Varney, whom we wrote about before.
Google is playing nice so far. Its public policy blog soothingly acknowledges regulators' concerns. "As Google has grown," it reads, "the company has naturally faced more scrutiny about our business principles and practices. We believe that Google promotes competition and openness online, but we haven't always done a good job telling our story." Schmidt is a regular presence in Washington; he served as a member of Obama's transition team and now sits on his technology advisory council. And publicly, Schmidt welcomes the oversight. "We understand the role here," he says. "We are not judge and jury."
On the issue of oversight, a couple of weeks ago we complained to the FTC about Microsoft AstroTufers in this Web site. There is mere progress on the case as we have just been given a reference numbers and a letter [PDF].
From – Fri Jul 31 18:15:41 2009
X-Account-Key: account11
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X-Mozilla-Status: 0001
X-Mozilla-Status2: 10000000
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Delivery-date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:20:38 +0100
Message-Id: <200907311720.n6VHJSVb012152@ftcsmtp1.lmbps.com>
From: no-reply@consumersentinel.gov
Date: 31 Jul 2009 13:20:33 -0400
Subject: Response to your complaint Ref No. 23560730
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary=–boundary_494_ebde6dd9-5021-40c8-8f35-9623c5ef1e6d
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Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii
Thank you for contacting the Federal Trade Commission. Please find attached information that may assist you.
According to this PDF, the FTC will take further action if/when more such complaints are filed and make up a pattern. █
Security FUD Against GNU/Linux
Posted in Apple, FUD, GNU/Linux, Microsoft, Security, Windows at 1:59 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Sightings of security FUD against GNU/Linux in the news
MICROSOFT WINDOWS never had the reputation of a secure platform. In fact, just a short while ago a new kernel vulnerability was found in Windows. To give the gist of the issue:
A local user can invoke NtUserConsoleControl() in 'win32k.sys' to execute arbitrary code on the target system with elevated privileges.
There is also this new report from Heise and many more that we shared over the past few days (the last one came yesterday morning).
Microsoft has issued updates for Internet Explorer and Visual Studio "out of band", between the regular monthly patch days, to mend the ActiveX support of Internet Explorer. Additionally, these updates plug another three critical security vulnerabilities in the browser. All versions, including Internet Explorer 8, are affected.
This brings us to the following new article from Forbes, which states:
Virtual machines, which perform like physical machines but are simulated with software, have fewer sources of entropy: Linux-based virtual machines, for instance, gather random numbers only from the exact millisecond time on their internal clocks. And that source isn't enough to generate strong keys for encryption, Stamos argues. "Normally there's enough variation that after a while your operating system can gather up the entropy it needs to provide you with secure random numbers," he says. "The fundamental issue is that with virtualized hardware, many of those random variations don't exist."
If a malicious hacker were to set up his or her own Linux virtual machine in Amazon's EC2 cloud service, for example, he or she could use that machine's entropy pool to better guess at the entropy pools of other recently created Linux-based virtual servers in Amazon's cloud, Stamos posits.
What does that have to do with GNU/Linux? Why does Forbes conveniently assume that only "Linux" can suffer from this co-allocation issue? If it is not intended to daemonise GNU/Linux, then it might be worth correcting.
Carla has just found another new example that she wrote about in length. She addresses the whole "obscurity" argument, noting that:
Linux permeates every possible segment of tech– routers and networking devices, home and business automation, security and surveillance systems, phones, netbooks and other consumer mobile devices, desktops, vehicles, media servers and settop boxes; it's already a major player in the datacenter, server room, mainframes, clusters, and supercomputing. Linux runs on multiple CPU architectures. So a Windows-type Trojan horse or worm on Linux should have a much more catastrophic effect because of Linux' much greater reach.
According to Roughly Drafted Magazine, Rupert Murdoch's Fox is taking shots at Mac OS X as well.
Fox News reports new Mac virus that is neither Mac nor viral nor new
A report published by Fox News says that "online criminals are apparently so impressed with its scorching sales they are sending Macintosh computers an attack typically aimed at" Windows PCs. The story then falls apart in series of inept contradictions.
The press loves pretending that Windows is never the culprit, despite compelling evidence that these very same outlets/publications are most certainly aware of the culprit. █
"Our products just aren't engineered for security."
–Brian Valentine, Microsoft executive
Links 31/07/2009: PCLinuxOS LXDE (PCLXDE) 2009 is Out, Microsoft Worries About GNU/Linux
Microsoft says Intel, HP 'Actively' Working with Linux
"Partners such as Hewlett-Packard and Intel have been actively working with alternative Linux-based operating systems," Microsoft wrote, providing no additional detail.
While it's been known for some time that HP – - which sells some notebooks and netbooks and servers with Linux – - and Intel have dedicated some resources to Linux development, this is the first time that Microsoft has singled out its two biggest and arguably most important technology partners for this work. While the language in 10-K reports is traditionally dry, legalistic and boilerplate, for a company like Microsoft to add that information for the first time is notable. It also comes at a time when Microsoft reported a double-digit decline in its client software business even as it reported selling more than 300 million units of Windows Vista over the past two years. (It sold 130 million units two years ago and 180 million units of Vista last year, although it doesn't specify how many units were sold or activated with "downgrade rights" to Windows XP.)
Intel steps up new mobile focus, Ballmer dismisses thin clients
So far, the netbook market is heavily dominated by Windows and Intel Atom, though the second wave – ushering in smaller, more mobile devices such as smartbooks and MIDs – could shift towards Linux. Intel is readying itself for this shift, creating its Moblin Linux platform and working with Nokia. It is less clear how Microsoft will respond – it has no plans to shrink down the footprint or margins of its forthcoming Windows 7 for smartbooks, but admits Windows Mobile remains an under-performer.
Canonical-IBM: Virtual Ubuntu Desktops vs. Windows 7
Not even Woodward suggests as mass-market movement from Windows XP and Vista to virtualized Ubuntu desktops. But he does expect the IBM-Canonical-Virtual Bridges relationship to start generating revenue within a few months.
Dell's Inspiron 15n With Ubuntu: My Thoughts
The laptop itself is a wonderful purchase and I love mine to death. I set up my own Linux installation with my own restore image using Clonezilla, put a "Powered by Ubuntu" sticker on it, and an Ubuntu logo sticker for the Windows logo key and I've essentially made this the ultimate Ubuntu machine. (In my case, Kubuntu). I definitely recommend this to everyone looking for a great machine, but there may be some post purchase work to do once you get it.
I got your latest GNOME right here!
Just wanted to re-enforce what Zhang said earlier today about the bleeding edge GNOME Developer's Kit, now with extra sauce!
What is it? It is a continuous build of GNOME packages all bundled up into a distribution (in this case, Foresight Linux) and distributed in a few different formats, such as ISO and VMware.
Linux Virtualization with a lot of Moxie: ProxMox
The KVM portion of the hypervisor supports full virtualization, booting from ISO or CD/DVD drives and almost every operating system you can imagine. Check out the list for your favorite.
Ten Linux apps that get top marks from schools
Teachers and school administrators who have to be creative about acquiring affordable educational software will find plenty to choose from in the world of open source, says Jack Wallen.
Good educational software is hard to come by. And with budgets tight, it is understandable that many schools are turning to Linux and open-source software to save money. Most people have no idea how many outstanding educational applications there are for the Linux operating system. Here are 10 of the best.
Africa- A Fertile ground for Open Source and Linux.
Again, I strongly believe that if basic schools here can be introduced to ICT using Open Source software, it will go a long way into helping create an awareness among the next generation of IT users in Africa that there is a very powerful, reliable and free alternative to MS and other closed source commercial applications.
Linux Chrome Builds Get Plug-In Support
Linux: If a lack of third-party plug-in support (i.e. Flash) kept you from trying out Chrome on your Linux system, then avoid no longer. The "early developer version" now supports many plug-ins, and they seem to work pretty well.
Arora: A light-weight, cross-platform web browser based on WebKit
Arora is an open source web browser that uses the same WebKit rendering engine found in Safari and Google Chrome. But unlike those browsers, Arora is already capable of running on Windows, Linux, and OS X, as well as a few other platforms including FreeBSD.
Audiocasts
LB – Episode 41 – My Talk From Southeast Linux Fest by Linux Basement
My Talk at Southeast Linux Fest.
Podcast 60 Audacity | recordMyDesktop | PiTiVi (Video)
In this Screencast, I give an overview of Audacity and recordMyDesktop, the tools I use to record my Podcasts and Screencasts. If you have any questions, you can reach me at david at linuxcrazy dot com, or on freenode irc, channel #linuxcrazy.
Linux Outlaws 104 – The Linux In-Laws
On this week's show: Launchpad goes open source, the real reason why Microsoft contributed code to the kernel, Intel thinks it has human rights, why the Swedish Pirate Party might endanger the GPL and much more.
My Favorite Five Linux Distrobutions
Another factor is the kind of mood am I in. Sometimes, I have a lot of free time, and I want to tinker with my system. Other times I am in a hurry and I need a running linux machine quick. Another factor is circumstance. For a working production system where I do most my writing, school work, and entertainment, I want a stable system.
PCLinuxOS LXDE (PCLXDE) 2009 is now available.
PCLXDE 2009.4 is a minimal self-booting/installable Linux Live CD that features the LXDE desktop environment along with a small suite of lightweight applications designed for use on low end computer systems. It is small, fast and fun. Designed for P III or better. Does not work on K6/2 processors. But wait there's more!
Are these the first images of Google Chrome OS?
An anonymous tipster sent the following images to us this morning, claiming they are actual images of Chrome OS. We can't say much for certain at this point, so pass judgment yourselves in the comments.
PHP/JavaScript hackers needed.
If you have significant PHP and JavaScript experience and could spend a couple of days helping us resolve these issues, please get in touch with us via the fedora-docs-list, send email to pfrields or sparks (both at fedoraproject dot org), or leave me a comment here.
Canonical Launching "Switch to Ubuntu" Desktop Migration Services
Canonical on July 31 will launch a so-called "Switch to Ubuntu" initiative — including support and migration services — to help individuals and small businesses that are "seeking cost-effective alternatives" to Mac OS X and Windows-based desktops.
5 Things I Would Miss in Linux Mint
So after my last post, I figured it would be interesting to ask myself, "what would I miss in Linux Mint?" if I were to go back to Windows Vista today. I came up with 5 nontrivial things.
Here's my list:
1. Expose / Windows Picker. Shows me all my open windows with a quick push of a button. It's like neatly laying out all my notes and paperwork on my desk in a nanosecond. Very useful when I feel like I've got too many things going on. I loved it on OS X, and I love it on Mint.
2. Multiple desktops, and I have four. It's like having four separate tables to throw all my stuff on. So I can put all my project A stuff here, project B stuff there, and all my personal notes and emails over there. Wonderful! I've seen a co-worker use a virtual desktop on Windows, but it wouldn't be a fair comparison because I believe he had to get an additional application to get that working.
5 Beautiful, Recently Updated Ubuntu Themes
Besides the GTK theme, New Wave also comes with:
- GUI New Wave Configurator,
- Emerald themes,
- Compiz-fusion settings,
- Second theme with dark menus,
- Firefox skin,
- Some metacity tweaks.
- Opera theme
Timesys Announces LinuxLink availability for the new OMAP-L137 processor
LinuxLink allows customers to choose from the latest GNU-based toolchains enabled with uClibc and glibc libraries optimized for the ARM926EJ-S™ core. The Linux kernels initially available through LinuxLink are both the 2.6.18 and the recent 2.6.30 versions. Newer versions of Linux kernels will be available in LinuxLink as they become available from kernel.org. Device drivers are included for the full range of internal OMAP-L137 peripherals as well as for external devices present on TI's OMAP-L137 evaluation module (EVM).
The Success of Commercial Open Source Software
Another great thing about OSS is that even if the company pulls support for the product (I'm talking to you, Microsoft Response Point) or goes out of business, there is an opportunity for your company (or consultants of your choosing) to continue making repairs and even advancing the tool despite lack of support from a vendor.
Opensville meets the real world
For IT, open source is a way to improve service and reduce costs without the expense. The lower acquisition costs, fast development cycle, continuing enhancements and quick fixes to problems make open source attractive. In fact, a leading industry analyst predicts that within a few years about 80% of all commercial software will include elements of open source technology.
Open source Database Breakthrough: 10-80 times faster
The Ingres VectorWise project team has worked with Intel to evaluate database performance on the new Intel Xeon processor 5500 series based platform. To date, the results of the project have demonstrated dramatic cost and performance capabilities as evidenced by nearly 80 fold speed up on a query modelled after the Q1 query of TPC-H3 suite on the Intel Xeon processor.
A Breakthrough in Database Technology
The core innovations in VectorWise are the work, primarily, of two CWI researchers, Peter Boncz and Marcin Zukowski. They set out to produce a 100-fold improvement in database performance. Ingres engineers 18 months ago came upon their research, called the X100 Project. Says Burkhardt: "We saw we could collaborate with them to take an academic project and make it commercial."
Firefox nears billion milestone
The open-source browser Firefox is expected to pass the billion download mark in the next twenty four hours.
Firefox Nears 1 Billion Downloads
Lookout Microsoft! Mozilla's Firefox is closing the gap a bit, as they're about to pass 1 billion total downloads, and some think they might even pass the mark as early as Friday.
PortableApps.com reaches 100 million downloads
PortableApps.com founder John T. Haller has announced that his site for portable applications has reached its 100 millionth download milestone. PortableApps.com allows users to easily install various popular open source applications to a USB flash drive or external hard drive. Once installed, the applications can run completely from the drive and be used on any Windows computer.
What's Coming for Open Source CMS in August 2009
Alfresco (news, site) marked a record month for downloads with its July release of Alfresco Community Edition 3.2. This release lays the groundwork for Records Management features added in preparation for US Department of Defense 5015.2 certification coming in September 2009.
Formtek, Inc. Delivers an Alfresco Open Source ECM Solution for Dorfman Pacific
Formtek, Inc., provider of enterprise document and content management solutions, announced that it has successfully implemented and delivered an open source ECM solution, based on Alfresco Enterprise Edition, to Dorfman-pacific, one of the full-line, in-stock headwear and handbag companies.
Mix and match: The perfect open-source Web commerce company
Yes, Magento, like Drupal and OpenX, has its share of big customers, including Germany's equivalent of REI, Globetrotter. But Magento already has a lot of traction within the mid-market segment that Drupal and OpenX also serve.
AlwaysOn Summit
Open-source bonuses for the big guys
SaaS, Open Source, Freedom, and Funding (SaaS Gone Open Source panel)
Dharmaraj: When it comes to open source, companies needs to own the intellectual honesty behind the code. They wrote it, can they modify it, are they significant contributors to the content…that makes a difference whether an open source company is fundable or not. We typically look for fresh innovative ideas that disrupt existing enterprise or consumer software products that are distributed via SaaS or open source.
Open source movement spreads across Asia
Open source has consistently made headlines in recent years, having drawn much industry attention both from technologists and business decision-makers.
City hall goes open source
City hall will be more transparent after council passed a notice of motion opening up the city's data to the public last Monday.
The notice instructs city bureaucrats to draft a report on how to make all data collected by the City of Calgary, from traffic statistics to census numbers, more accessible to Calgarians in an open source format, while respecting privacy and security concerns.
It would even cut down on the city's use of proprietary software, saving money down the road, said Kelly. Opening up the records in open source format would allow developers to take advantage of the information to create new open source programs that could be used by city officials to save expenses.
Murphy's Law: LiberKey. GPL Violation or Sour Grapes?
Here's a brief background: On various forum posts, John Haller–creator of the PortableApps software suite–has called out LiberKey for trademark and GPL violations related to the licensing of the open-source and freeware apps bundled in its software suite. Although LiberKey has responded to various forum posts on the topics, it's been difficult to track down their arguments for two key reasons. First, the developers are French. Their official forums are in French and their occasional replies to LiberKey criticisms come in the form of readable–but admittedly crude–English. Second, the developers have yet to release an official stance beyond these difficult-to-track forum replies. However, I contacted LiberKey for their side of the story, and they sent me an official statement they've created to respond to the licensing allegations.
It's Not Open Science if it's Not Open Source
Great to see a scientist come out with this in an interesting post entitled "What, exactly, is Open Science?":
granting access to source code is really equivalent to publishing your methodology when the kind of science you do involves numerical experiments. I'm an extremist on this point, because without access to the source for the programs we use, we rely on faith in the coding abilities of other people to carry out our numerical experiments.
Chris Anderson's Free adds much to The Long Tail, but falls short
The economics of 'free' goods and services cannot be explained in terms of the marketplace, digital or otherwise – humans are more complicated than that
The Open-Minded Professor – An Interview with Eric von Hippel, MIT's Sloan School of Management
It is true that the most rapidly developing designs are those where many can participate and where the intellectual property is open. Think about open source software as an example of this. What firms have to remember is that they have many ways to profit from good new products, independent of IP. They've got brands; they've got distribution; they've got lead time in the market. They have a lot of valuable proprietary assets that are not dependent on IP.
If you're going to give out your design capability to others, users specifically, then what you have to do is build your business model on the non-design components of your mix of competitive advantages. For instance, recall the case of custom semiconductor firms I mentioned earlier. Those companies gave away their job of designing the circuit to the user, but they still had the job of manufacturing those user-designed semiconductors, they still had the brand, they still had the distribution. And that's how they make their money.
It is also true that firms can base their new products on user-developed designs and still capture significant IP protection from internally developed improvements. That is the pattern we found in research we did at 3M. Even when 3M developers sourced the basic idea for a new product line from users, they were able to capture strong IP by patenting their improvements to the user idea.
Publishing science on the web
But the Web does a lot of this for us outside of science. It's become easy to write and read, and to use Google as a memory cache. The ability to rapidly find relevant information is part of daily life for us outside of science. But inside of science there is complaint that even within one's own specialized discipline, there is too much to read, too many journals, too little time. This doesn't even begin to include the coming deluge of data wrought by the relentless miniaturization and parallelization of a world where data is generated by robotic lab machinery and captured by tiny, ubiquitous sensors.
Open-Source Arduino Robot Beer Brewery
*You may have noticed that I'm something of a skeptic about small-scale urban agriculture interventions. But this one? This is different. 'Cause it's beer! Small-scale stills and illicit breweries have a history that is literally as long as the invention of alcohol, tobacco and firearms laws! A revenuer-unfriendly gizmo like this has got proven legs!
iCub, the Open-Source Robot Child
It takes a village to raise a robot. At least, that's the belief of the creators of iCub, a humanoid robot the size of a 3-1/2-year-old child, who are making its development entirely open-domain.
The iCub is the brainchild of a group of European universities led by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa, who have been charged by the European Commission to develop a functioning humanoid child. They developed a 2-1/2-foot-tall, 70-pound robot child with 53 mechanical joints that allow it to move its head, neck, arms, fingers, eyes and legs. It can also feel with its fingertips, grip with its hands, and listen.
Sony Pictures Imageworks Launches Open Source Program
Sony Pictures Imageworks, the award-winning visual effects and digital character animation unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, is launching an open source development program, it was announced today by Imageworks' chief technology officer, Rob Bredow. Five technologies will be released initially:
* OSL, a programmable shading language for rendering
* Field3d, a voxel data storage library
* Maya Reticule, a Maya Plug-in for camera masking
* Scala Migration, a database migration tool
* Pystring, python-like string handling in C++
Community-driven, open source solution for B2B transactions
A new open source, Web 2.0-inspired solution for building and managing business relationships online promises to level the playing field for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
RiverMuse Gifts Open Source Fault Management System to the Service Management Community
28th July, 2009: Today, RiverMuse launches an enterprise class open source fault management platform built upon a next generation architecture designed around maintaining a very low total cost of ownership when applied to modern service delivery infrastructures.
Xiph.Org Supporting IETF Royalty Free Codecs BoF
For some years now, Xiph.Org has been gently advocating royalty free codecs within the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) as a viable and preferred alternative to patent-controlled technologies. Recently more groups within the IETF have also come forward to support free codec standardization work with in the IETF. On July 30th at the next IETF Meeting (IETF 75 in Stockholm[1]) the IETF will hold a codecs BoF to take input on whether or not to form a standards Working Group for royalty free audio codecs. The creation of such a Working Group would have a major impact, opening the door to a Voice over IP stack completely free of licensing and royalty constraints. We're seeking to set up the same kind of open competition and cooperation we've seen on the web that's given rise to tons of investment and improvement in a very short period of time.
Finnish CSS case application lodged in the European Court of Human Rights
Finnish Activist Mikko Rauhala has lodged an application to the European Court of Human Rights versus the Finnish state, regarding his right to freedom of expression.
The Nichepaper Manifesto
Dear Newspaper Magnates,
So you're going to try and charge people for news yet again. Cart, meet horse.
Journalists didn't make 20th century newspapers profitable — readers did. 20th century newspapers were never supernormally profitable because of what they wrote: it was the natural monopoly dynamics of classifieds that fueled massive margins.
AOL Newsroom Now Has (Wow) 1,500 Writers
AOL now has 1,500 people writing content across its scores of content sub-brands, we've confirmed. Around 1,000 of those people are working full time for AOL, the rest are freelancing. That's more than double the number that they had creating content a year ago, and by this time next year, we've heard, the plan is to have 2-3x as many people as they do now.
The Nichepaper and the Failure of the Fourth Estate
It's time for the news media to face the music. The 20th Century news media turned a blind eye to responsibility. Because they failed to fight for the rest of us, newspapers have to suffer with the rest of us. Consider it penance for a job poorly done.
Is There Really A 'Piracy' Problem For Newspapers?
A few years ago, newspapers were all blaming Craigslist for their own business model problems. Then, of course, it became popular to blame Google. However, there's been an odd shift recently, to a claim that the problem is from "pirates" and "parasites." We see this in the AP's sudden desire to DRM the news by tracking how it's used and going after those it feels are using its content unfairly. We see it in the Marburger brothers' plan to put legal pressure on "parasitic aggregators." The problem, as we discussed, however, is that these parasitic aggregators are few and far between and the complaints against them just don't ring true at all.
Homeland Security Cuts Newspaper/Magazine Subscriptions; Says To Use The Web
'Kindle ate my homework' boy sues Amazon
THE BOY who lost all his homework on George Orwell's book 1984 when it was deleted from his Kindle has decided to sue Amazon for getting him in hot water with his teacher.
Unconstitutional Copyrights?
That effort has led me to revisit copyright's constitutional foundations. I find them very shaky, indeed.
RIAA's War on Sharing Begins
Words matter, which is why the RIAA has always framed copyright infringement in terms of "piracy". But it has a big problem: most people call it "sharing"; and as everyone was told by their mother, it's good to share.
Got that? P2P sharing isn't *real* sharing, because it's not sharing with your friends; this is *evil* sharing because it's bad to share with stranger. Apparently.
EBooks: Sony Now Offers 1 Million Free Books From Google Books
Barnes & Noble, which announced its eBook store and forthcoming hardware eReader last week currently features about 500,000 free books from Google, while Amazon's Kindle can read free books from Project Gutenberg, but doesn't offer compatibility with the ePub format that Google prefers. Amazon currently offers about 300,000 books.
World eBook Fair Prepares For Final Week
Many more books have been added since our initial report on the start of The World eBook Fair on July 4. As expected, Internet Archive is keeping up with their goal of adding another ~25,000 titles, about 1,000 each business day, but another 25,000 comes from the general readership of the patrons. We get messages to add books that our readers have compiled totally on their own–independently of the major eBook producers.
Luis Casas Luengo, Director of Extremadura's Fundecyt foundation 11 (2004)
CentOS is NOT Dying, It's Just Bad Reporting
Posted in FUD, GNU/Linux, Red Hat at 8:55 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Media FUD about CentOS is refuted
Boycott Novell runs on a CentOS server, so it is painful to watch The Register and some other publications spreading FUD about the project. Basically, the lead person (one among a large group) may be departing, and that's not even news. The word has been circulating for quite a while. All that happened was that the team posted a public letter on the Web site and it is quickly being misinterpreted.
Contrary to the FUD, Sam Varghese delivers a more accurate report:
The head of the CentOS GNU/Linux project has gone missing and other contributors to the project are sufficiently concerned to post an open letter to him on the project's website.
As the CentOS team assures everyone:
CentOS is not dead or going away. The signers of the Open Letter are fully committed to continue the CentOS Project. Updates and new releases will continue.
Enough with the disinformation then, please. The project even has a newsletter going now, which is indicative of growth and maturity. █
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to Dump Novell
Posted in Australia, Novell at 8:07 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: The ACCC is decommissioning Novell
NOVELL relies heavily on its legacy systems (for profit and network effect), so in order for a boycott of Novell to be effective, more stories like this one will be required.
The ACCC currently has approximately 790 users with 888,000 documents in the TRIM repository, and over 4,600,000 MS Office documents on Novell file and print servers located in ACCC branches around the country. The national centres of operations are located in Canberra and Melbourne offices and there are smaller ACCC offices in each capital city and Townsville.
Once the migration to a centralised EDRMS is completed, it is envisaged that Novell will be completely decommissioned.
Being the "Competition and Consumer Commission", under better circumstances it should decommission Novell Inc. too, not just Novell products. Novell's racket with Microsoft is harmful to competition and consumers. █
"That's extortion and we should call it what it is. To say, as Ballmer did, that there is undisclosed balance sheet liability, that's just extortion and we should refuse to get drawn into that game."
–Mark Shuttleworth
Russia Continues Migration to GNU/Linux in Government, Microsoft Creates New Prevention Measures
Posted in Asia, Europe, GNU/Linux, Microsoft at 6:02 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: As authorities continue to attain autonomy, Microsoft creates unit of global alliances
DESPITE dirty play from Microsoft Russia (e.g. [1, 2]), it turns out that Russian authorities carry on migrating to GNU/Linux (Google's automated translation to English).
On the other hand, a couple of reports from Portugal suggest that Microsoft is planning to create a unit of global alliances with its headquarters in Portugal. This choice of country is not surprising given Microsoft's behaviour in the country. Thanks to Tony Manco for the tip. █
"Holy ad nauseam: If I hear anyone from Microsoft talk about the freedom to innovate one more time, I think I'll hurl a month's worth of cookies. Instead of worrying about whether or not the government will stop Microsoft from innovating in the future, the head honchos in Redmond ought to spend some energy trying to figure out what force has prevented them from innovating over the past decade."
–InfoWorld Editor Nicholas Petreley – December 20, 1999


Stephen Walt dissects a Manichean War Party meme used to brainwash and pacify the population of the West, to which Glenn Greenwald recently pointed elsewhere to show the propagandists' play on words.
Noah Shachtman on the Obama Administration expansion to list of targets for extrajudicial assassinations—that routinely kills exponentially more civilians than militant leaders. The man behind the recently attempted Times Square bombing and Pakistan have both directly associated U.S. airstrikes in Pakistan with the attempted attack and the Administration is responding by granting approval to the C.I.A. to escalate the strikes.
Anthony Gregory on the real meanings of Waco and Oklahoma City on their anniversaries and the partisan fearmongering to create loyalty and submission to the ruling class because, of course, no matter who you vote for, the government wins and humanity loses.


Monopoly multi pouch V.2 is a well made and useful mesh pouch bag for travel.
The main compartment has two mesh pockets to hold smaller items while the main compartment is used to store larger and more irregularly shaped items like lotion, skin, toiletries and anything else you want. You can also your items in the elastic pocket on the detachable divider. It can also be used as a gadget pouch or cosmetic pouch. The travel multi packing organizer is lined with soft materials to protect stuff in the pouch.
Composition: Mesh pockets, Velcro detectable elastic band ( Divider), main compartment.


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As many of you know, in addition to producing my own comics, I also teach several university-level comics studio courses. I'd like to take a moment away from my weekly self-promotional ritual here to shine the spotlight on Matt Dye, one of my first comics students who recently launched a stunning new web comic called Pinnacle Island. Instead of singing the praises of Matt and his comics (which would be really easy for me to do, as I'm not very good at masking my enthusiasm for his work) I thought I'd turn this into more of a Q&A with Matt to introduce folks to him and his new comic, Pinnacle Island.
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Matt Dye: The idea for Pinnacle Island came about very naturally for me. I just had this thought that I wanted to create a really weird, anything goes, world on a remote tropical island. A place where there are no rules or limits, and nothing has to make sense if I don't want it to. From there I started to inhabit the world in my mind with all of these interesting people and creatures. My protagonists (Cody and Arrow) were really founded on the idea that they have the ability to combine and create a human/mech super hero of sorts, but on their own they're somewhat meek and unassuming. Keeping that sort of transformer-like teamwork in mind I created the boy, Cody, and his funky robot cat sidekick.
RC: How do you see Pinnacle Island progressing? Have you envisioned this to be an indefinitely ongoing web-comic? Is there a proposed ending? …and if so, how long do you suspect the work will be when completed?
MD: I have a tendency to overthink my comics, grow bored with them, and ultimately give up and never finish them. I'll be the first to admit that. In an effort to prevent this from happening again, I embarked on Pinnacle Island with very little story thought-up (and even less scripted or written down). The idea being that if I start to bore myself and feel like giving up, I can always re-work the story and change its direction. Nothing is set in stone until it's posted to my website (and even then I'm not against going back and making revisions based on feedback).
RC: Your current update schedule is 2 pages every 2 weeks. Selfishly, I wish Pinnacle Island updated every week with one new page, just so that I can experience it more frequently. What is your reasoning behind the unique update schedule?
MD: I've put tons of thought into this schedule, and really based it on my average work load and the schedule of my life outside of comics. I'm working full-time as a designer at a print shop, and I'm still taking on freelance design and illustration projects on a regular basis outside of my day job. These full color comic pages are awfully time consuming on top of all that, and I've found that my workflow is most efficient if I tackle 2 pages at a time, assembly line style. Having a deadline every two weeks instead of every week also affords me more wiggle room if I happen to be out of town one week, or if I'm in the middle of a big freelance gig. That gives me one more week to work with if I need to push production back a bit.
RC: This is your first full-color comic. What are some of the challenges you've encountered when working in color? Some of the rewards?
MD: Surprisingly, working in color hasn't been as challenging as I thought it would be. I've always wanted to try it and I'm glad I finally took the plunge. The biggest challenge has simply been how much longer it takes than a B&W page. Also, the fact that I have to stare at my computer to do it. That makes it hard to socialize or do anything else while I'm working. I just picked up my first tablet PC so I can try to get away from my desk a little more and also so I can start working when I'm on the road. Hopefully that works out.
The rewards for working in color outnumber the challenges. I find it more exciting and fulfilling. As I continue I think it will be easier to convey different settings, moods, times of day, etc. Its easier to direct the reader's eye to what you want them to see.
RC: On the topic of your colors, I've noticed you're working with more textures in your environmental colors and keeping the characters' colors largely flat. Is that a conscious decision?
MD: That's definitely a conscious decision. I like to keep the characters flat partly because I find it aesthetically appealing, but also because I like them to be a place for your eyes to rest amongst the texture-heavy environment. I like my stories to be quick and easy for anyone to read and understand and I find that flatter character colors help with that. Then if the reader wants to go back and take their time there's still a lot of detail in the environment to digest if they choose to.
RC: I'm always a sucker for a process post. Can you give us a cliff notes version of your working process, from start to finish?
I'm doing all of my inking and coloring in Photoshop via Wacom Intuos tablet. The textures are achieved using a variety of brush sets I accumulated from the internet (can't remember for the life of me where I found them all).
RC: Are there any works (comics, books, art, film, etc) that have directly influenced your approach to Pinnacle Island?
MD: I've learned a lot about creating comics (in color) from Jason Caffoe and Kazu Kibuishi. I've always admired their color work and appreciated that they put some interviews and tutorials out there. Kazu works so friggen fast, I definitely learned a lot about streamlining my process from watching interviews where he talks about everything he's learned/changed over his years of comic making. I also take a lot of influence from color palettes in movies and video games (Pixar movies, Miyazaki movies, Legend of Zelda) Story-wise I think it ends up being a mash-up of everything I always loved as a kid (and still love): crazy anime/video game adventure stories like Pokemon and Digimon, mixed with sci-fi stuff like Transformers, Beast Wars, Dino Riders, and Star Wars.
RC: I knew you over half-a-decade before I found out you were a "car-guy," and now I have you to thank for forcing me into a viewing of Fast and the Furious #87…or whatever. A) How did this interest in cars come about, and B) does this have any impact on your work (I'm thinking more about your mechanized character designs than anything else)?
MD: Let me start by saying that I love The Fast and the Furious franchise because of their over-the-top, testosterone-driven action scenes and one-liners. They don't actually contain very much car-centric content. I'll say that Tokyo Drift comes closest to satisfying my inner "car guy", thanks to legitimate stunt driving and a handful of cameos and references to real-world drift culture.
Now that I got that out of the way 😉 My interest in cars definitely stems from my parents. They were both working as engineers for Cadillac when they met. My dad still works for GM and they're both still racing fans and all-around "car people". For a while in high school I was really considering automotive design as a career path. I ended up realizing my brain is better suited for 2D design and storytelling, but I think its safe to say that my interest in cars finds its way into my work one way or another.
RC: Huh! I had no idea you were considering automotive design as a career path in high school. We met during your early years at Michigan State University and my inaugural semester of teaching the comics studio course at MSU. So, where in the Matt Dye timeline did you have that shift in career trajectory?
MD: Automotive Design went out the window early on in my timeline. Pretty much gave up on it after my freshman year of high school. Unfortunately my school was cursed with a particularly frustrating pair of art instructors and they really discouraged me from pursuing art in general. Aside from that, I also just realized that cars were going to be a hobby of mine — not so much something that I could do for a living.
RC: Pick one: Ryan Claytor – great teacher, or greatest teacher?
MD: Haha! Greatest teacher I've ever had at least. Maybe not as great as Yoda though.
RC: In all seriousness, I am so proud and impressed with the work you're producing. I sincerely hope this puts a few more eyes on your comics.
Shirt sales for the 2014 Pinball at the Zoo I illustrated went pretty darn well. So well, in fact, that they're now SOLD OUT! We're considering printing another run, however that run depends on demand. If I can get at least a dozen shirts pre-ordered this week, we'll go ahead and print some more.
If, by the end of the day on Friday (May 16th, 2014), I've secured the required number of pre-orders, we'll go ahead and print some more shirts. If we do not meet the required number, then the second run of shirts will not be printed and I will refund your pre-order money in full (PayPal makes it very easy to do this). These are high-quality, ring-spun cotton (very soft) shirts with a 4-color screen printed image on the front.
So, that's it! Hope to see some more of these mean green machines walkin' around.
The convention will also be taking place the following day from 11 AM – 5 PM, but I will not be present.
Hope to see you in Fort Wayne!


Liberty Street will be a bit more literary on Oct. 5 as The Book Lady Bookstore hosts its first annual Local Author Day.
More than a dozen local published authors, including Jane Fishman, Kristine Stevens and James Lough, will be setting up tables outside of the store to sell their books and meet with fans. Savannah's most famous author, Flannery O'Connor, will also be making a special appearance.
The Book Lady Bookstore has long been a source of support for local authors by selling their works and hosting events, but owner Joni Saxon-Giusti said because the literary scene in Savannah is expanding rapidly, she wanted to host an event to showcase local talent.
"We thought a designated, festive Local Author Day event would be a great reminder to the general public about what a wealth of talented writers Savannah has living right here in our own community," Saxon-Giusti said. "Savannah's claim to literary fame may have begun with Flannery O'Connor, but it clearly doesn't end there."
Jane Fishman, author of "The Dirt on Jane," will be in attendance to return the support The Book Lady team has given her over the years.
"The Book Lady is the antithesis of the corporate big box, and that works for me. Joni has always been very supportive of local writers and small presses - she rocks. This is a very cool event, a great chance for people to meet and talk to writers," Fishman said.
From history to humor, no matter your literary taste, Saxon-Giusti said the event will have something for everyone, including some locally baked goodies and lemonade.
"Great fiction, history, memoir, essays, humor and poetry is being fostered and created right here in our own city, inspired by the Lowcountry's beauty and mystery," she said. "So this event is a celebration of great writing in this great place. Sort of the same thing the bookstore hopes to do every day."


Some cool Brit kids fashion today with Beau Loves new spring/summer 2019 collection. As ever inspired by their son Beau the label continues to add colour to their previously monochrome edit with a print focus on the glasses Beau has been wearing for years. A new mini capsule collection dedicated to Beau's mini sibling Knox is new for this season as well.
Papillon is one of the newest kids fashion online mags originating from New York and today I have a story featuring cool teen fashion shot by Yvette Velasquez and with creative direction by Michel Onofrio the magazine's co-founders. There has been an explosion in online kids publishing with many art directors and photographers starting their own titles.
A gorgeous shoot of Molly Brown Communion kids jewellery photographed by Abi Campbell today for summer 2018. Molly Brown London was established in 2006 and upon its launch was dubbed 'Tiffany for girls' by Vogue magazine. The vision was to create a brand based on the belief that a piece of jewellery given to a girl at any age should represent good quality British luxury.


Police say that a 28 year old man was loading groceries into his car, in the parking lot of an East Stroudsburg, PA Wal-Mart, when an armed robber approached and pointed a handgun at him, while demanding money. The man reportedly told the robber that he had no cash to hand over, and that the groceries had been purchased with a debit card. In response, the robber is said to have become more threatening, at which point the man took out his wallet to give to the robber and tried to shield himself with his vehicle's door. Unsatisfied, the robber reportedly pointed the gun at the man's face. The man then ducked down, and the robber fired a shot, which went through the vehicle's window and missed the man, but caused the man to suffer glass cuts to his face, according to news reports. The man then dropped to the ground, then drew and fired the handgun that he was carrying for self defense, striking the robber in the lower leg and foot, as the robber continued to fire at – and miss – the man, according to police. The man reportedly then ran back to Wal-Mart to seek help, while the robber fled to some nearby bushes. Police soon arrived and apprehended a suspect, who was caught trying to bury a handgun in the ground near the bushes, according to news reports. The suspect, reportedly identified as 17 year old Jean Jacques of East Stroudsburg, was taken to a hospital for treatment, and then to court to face charges of attempted murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and other charges, police say.
I would note the great restraint that this robbery victim showed by not immediately firing at the robber who pointed a gun at him. Those opposed to gun rights like to suggest that armed citizens who fire in self defense are blood thirsty killers just looking for an excuse to take a life. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, such armed citizens fire as a last resort, in order to protect themselves and their families from an imminent threat.
As another example, this disabled veteran, who had a concealed carry permit, decided to comply with a robber's demands for his wallet instead of shooting in self defense. It was only when the robber continued to advance on him while brandishing a metal pipe that the citizen fired in self defense. Similarly, this pizza delivery driver handed over his money and tried to back away, and only fired in self defense after the violent robber followed him and continued to threaten his life. As a final example, this man gave a machete-wielding attacker multiple chances to cease his attack before firing in self defense, and even provided first aid to the attacker after he was forced to fire.
In the current case, as well as those other examples, armed citizens risked their lives by hesitating, in an attempt to avoid having to shooting a violent attacker. Note that I'm not suggesting that citizens should or must hesitate the way that these citizens did; instead, my only point is that armed citizens are not the violence-prone individuals that anti gun groups suggest them to be.


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Compare the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Irvine, CA
One of the most important factors that help car insurance companies in Irvine determine the annual premiums of drivers is location. Insurers evaluate state minimum coverage requirements and city accident statistics, as well as the average claims rate in an area. So, if you want to get the most accurate car insurance quotes in Irvine, you will need personalized quotes that address your specific needs and situation.
The Best Cheap Car Insurance in Irvine
MoneyGeek Team
Average Cost of Car Insurance in Irvine
Irvine$1,373
California$1,429
U.S.$1,424
Compared to both the state and national average annual costs of car insurance, Irvine drivers get slightly lower annual premiums. The city's average auto insurance cost is $1,373, which is 3.9% lower than the $1,429 state average and 3.6% lower than the average annual premium in the United States, which is $1,424.
Compare Car Insurance Rates in Irvine
Ensure you're getting the best rate for your car insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.
The Best Cheap Car Insurance Companies in Irvine
When it comes to affordability, Esurance offers the cheapest car insurance in Irvine. Esurance policyholders pay an average annual premium of $1,047, which is $326 less than the city average. The top five most affordable car insurance companies in Irvine include USAA, Progressive, GEICO and AAA. Meanwhile, Allied has the most expensive average annual premium. It costs $1,672, which is 59.8% more than Esurance typically charges.
Amountper year
In 2021, Esurance ranked #1 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
In 2021, USAA ranked #2 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
In 2021, Progressive ranked #3 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
In 2021, GEICO ranked #4 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
5. AAA
In 2021, AAA ranked #5 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
In 2021, MetLife ranked #6 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
In 2021, Allstate ranked #7 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
In 2021, Mercury ranked #8 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
In 2021, State Farm ranked #9 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
10. Hartford
In 2021, Hartford ranked #10 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
11. Travelers
In 2021, Travelers ranked #11 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
12. Farmers
In 2021, Farmers ranked #12 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
13. Allied
In 2021, Allied ranked #13 in Irvine for the cheapest car insurance for the average driver.
Personalized Quotes to Get You the Cheapest Car Insurance in Irvine
Car insurance companies in Irvine check various factors to come up with appropriate quotes for each client. Among the determining factors are the driver's age, history, record, gender, marital status and ZIP code. For example, among State Farm policyholders, older drivers may get the best deals since senior citizens often get cheaper premiums.
On average, State Farm offers a $1,159 annual premium for 70-year-old male drivers. Meanwhile, a similar policy will cost an average of $1,449 for a 40-year-old male. Teen drivers usually get higher premiums, so an 18-year-old male will pay the most expensive average premium at $2,775.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Irvine by Coverage Amount
How much car insurance coverage you purchase in Irvine also affects how much your policy will cost. Coverage includes required liability coverage and optional items like collision, comprehensive, and deductibles.
Visit these guides to learn more:
Auto Insurance buying guide
California auto insurance liability minimums
California Minimum Liability Requirements
Bodily Injury and Property Damage $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident and $5,000 for property damage. A more protective level is 100/300/100.
Each plan offered by car insurance companies in Irvine reflects the limits of each insurance type and coverage level. For state minimum liability coverage, USAA offers the cheapest policy at an average of $482. However, USAA policies are exclusive for current and former military members or their families. With this in mind, the second most affordable company for state minimum liability coverage is Progressive, with a policy that usually costs an average of $501 annually.
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For example, Esurancee's 50/100/50 liability-only coverage costs an average of $691 per year, while adding around $310 will get you a 50/100/50 full-coverage policy. If you want even more comprehensive coverage, choose 100/300/100 full coverage, which Esurance offers for around $46 more than a 50/100/50 full-coverage plan, at $1,047, on average, annually.
Average Car Insurance Premiums by Coverage Type
Liability Only
State Minimumper year
50 / 100 / 50per year
1. Esurance $579 $691
2. USAA $482 $622
3. Progressive $501 $696
4. GEICO $516 $708
5. AAA $567 $691
6. Mercury $589 $820
7. MetLife $666 $906
8. Allstate $792 $910
9. State Farm $716 $960
10. Hartford $720 $919
11. Travelers $668 $924
12. Farmers $852 $997
13. Allied $783 $1,008
100 / 300 / 100per year
1. Esurance $1,001 $1,047
2. USAA $1,079 $1,145
3. Progressive $1,059 $1,160
4. GEICO $1,122 $1,234
5. AAA $1,152 $1,264
6. Mercury $1,255 $1,357
7. MetLife $1,213 $1,309
8. Allstate $1,239 $1,314
9. State Farm $1,300 $1,449
10. Hartford $1,360 $1,465
11. Travelers $1,456 $1,576
12. Farmers $1,519 $1,630
13. Allied $1,550 $1,672
Cheapest Car Insurance in Irvine If You Have Tickets
Driving responsibly can help you get cheap car insurance in Irvine. Having moving violations on your record will have an impact on your auto insurance rate. For instance, Esurance policyholders with clean records pay an average of $1,047, but if you have a speeding ticket, you will have to pay $281 more for an average total of $1,327. Meanwhile, those who have been in accidents where they are at fault pay an average of $1,639, and drivers with DUIs typically pay around $2,605 per year on average.
Speeding Ticketper year
At-Fault Accidentper year
DUIper year
1. Esurance $1,327 $1,639 $2,605
2. USAA $1,252 $2,001 $3,239
3. Mercury $1,773 $2,358 $2,217
4. GEICO $1,821 $2,083 $2,897
5. Progressive $2,223 $2,420 $2,780
6. AAA $1,664 $1,926 $3,916
7. Farmers $2,238 $2,797 $2,797
8. Allstate $1,858 $2,331 $4,138
9. Travelers $2,363 $2,622 $3,261
10. State Farm $2,137 $2,226 $4,457
11. Allied $2,344 $2,693 $4,048
12. Hartford $2,299 $3,211 $5,370
13. MetLife $1,696 $2,203 $8,223
Average Cost of Car Insurance by Postal Code
Where you live in Irvine can also affect the cost of your car insurance. Among the three ZIP codes in the city, 92604 has the cheapest premiums. Drivers living in this area pay an average of $1,321, which is $147 less than the average premium in 92612.
92604 $1,321
top ratedCar Insurance agentsIrvine2021
Top Agents Offering Affordable Car Insurance in Irvine
1. Great Park Insurance10 Corporate Park, Ste 130, Irvine, CA, 92606
2. Scott Stevens - State Farm Insurance Agent4482 Barranca Pkwy, Ste 224, Irvine, CA, 92604
3. Wally Shao - State Farm Insurance Agent25 Mauchly, Ste 334, Irvine, CA, 92618
4. Rebecca Higgs - State Farm Insurance Agent5410 Trabuco Rd, Ste 100, Irvine, CA, 92620
5. Jim Canty - State Farm Insurance Agent3200 El Camino Real, Ste 110, Irvine, CA, 92602
6. KCAL Insurance Agency14795 Jeffrey Rd, Ste 209, Irvine, CA, 92618
7. Lawrence Lue9891 Irvine Ctr Dr, Ste 200, Irvine, CA, 92618
8. Ryan Stevens - State Farm Insurance Agent4482 Barranca Pkwy, Ste 224, Irvine, CA, 92604
9. Bayshield Insurance Services19200 Von Karman Ave, Fl 4, Irvine, CA, 92612
10. Elaine Pau Insurance10 Corporate Park, Ste 130, Irvine, CA, 92606
11. Partners Direct Insurance Services19782 MacArthur Blvd, Ste 250, Irvine, CA, 92612
12. Richard Tay - State Farm Insurance Agent14210 Culver Dr, Ste A, Irvine, CA, 92604
13. Schneider Financial & Insurance Services10 Corporate Park, Ste 130, Irvine, CA, 92606
14. AIS - Auto Insurance Specialists16969 Von Karman Ave, Ste 100, Irvine, CA, 92606
15. Allstate Insurance: Robert Andrews13844 Alton Pkwy, Ste 132, Irvine, CA, 92618
16. Farmers Insurance - Sue Epps4000 Barranca Pkwy, Ste 250, Irvine, CA, 92604
17. Invensure17991 Cowan, Irvine, CA, 92614
18. Coto Insurance & Financial Services200 Spectrum Center Dr, Ste 150, Irvine, CA, 92618
19. Steven Wang - State Farm Insurance Agent15333 Culver Dr, Ste 130, Irvine, CA, 92604
20. Kevin Chhiv - State Farm Insurance Agent2081 Business Center Dr, Ste 150, Irvine, CA, 92612
21. AAA - Automobile Club of Southern California3851 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA, 92606
Insurance Providers That Serve Irvine
Factors That Impact Insurance Costs in Irvine
In addition to individual driver needs and history, location-specific factors like the percentage of uninsured motorists and the rate of car thefts also contribute to car insurance rates in Irvine. How Irvine ranks compared to the 300 most populous cities in the United States can have a significant impact on premium costs.
Most Accidents With Fatalities303rd/300
Most Car Thefts210th/300
Most Uninsured Motorists by State12th/50
Personal Injury Protection RequiredNo
Most Annual Rainfall247th/300
Most Rainy Days260th/300
Shopping around for car insurance in Irvine could save you $326, which is enough to buy:
109Cups of Coffee
25Months of Your Favorite Streaming Service
MoneyGeek's average premium rates for Irvine are based on 100/300/100 comprehensive collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible for a 40-year-old male driver. The average driver profiled drives a 2010 Toyota Camry LE and has no tickets or accidents on their record. Additional premiums are added based on overage type, location and driving record. Learn more about MoneyGeek's data and methodology here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


weboxi.com has determined a value for genivi.org based on spesific criterias. Some of them : Google pagerank, global rank, website traffic, how much time do users spend on website, domain extension, domain creation date.
Google.com ranks websites with a number out of 10 based on spesific criterias. The value of website is greater if the pagerank number is higher. Google has determined value of genivi.org as 1.
genivi.org results: page loading time is 247.205 (ms), archive.org record count is 192, global rank is 96, google pagerank is 18.
genivi.org : Eventosfera te acerca al social media marketing a través de los eventos,aquí encontrarás todo sobre marketing online.
genivi.org's searched keywords and search rates are shown in graphic below. You can plan new strategies by examining shown data.
Lots of domains registered all around the world. Around 50.000.000 of these domains are being used with websites active. Related to belonged website, these domains are ranked. genivi.org website is 126000. website in the world.
genivi.org has 181000 rank out of 50.000.000 sites. For additional information see alexa.com.
You can see comment for genivi.org's title. You can plan improvements considering comments.
Meta description section character number of genivi.org site is 0 character. This part is explanation part which is seen in search engines. If you don't enter explanation about your site in this section, search engine puts random thing from any of your web site. If you want to your web site is visited by too many people , you should write sentence about you in this section. The best thing you will do, you should use keywords within sentence.
We determine that you didn't use meta keywords in meta section of your genivi.org. You can add keywords till 16 characters about your site's content in meta keywords section. Thanks to this , upon this words is searched in search engines, you can provide that your site is shown and thanks to this you can get visitors.
Language in meta language section on genivi.org internet site is. If you think that your web site's content was written in this language, It means that you use right meta language. If your web site's language harbour a different language content, This meta language code is wrong. You should change your site's meta language code.
There are comments below about HTML structure of genivi.org. We recommend you to check it for making sure your website works right and is suitable for search engines.


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1 edition of Program or be Programmed found in the catalog. Add another edition?
Are you sure you want to remove Program or be Programmed from your list?
Published 2010 by OR Books .
"The debate over whether the Net is good or bad for us fills the airwaves and the blogosphere. But for all the heat of claim and counter-claim, the argument is essentially beside the point: it's here; it's everywhere. The real question is, do we direct technology, or do we let ourselves be directed by it and those who have mastered it? "Choose the former," writes Rushkoff, "and you gain access to the control panel of civilization. Choose the latter, and it could be the last real choice you get to make." In ten chapters, composed of ten "commands" accompanied by original illustrations from comic artist Leland Purvis, Rushkoff provides cyberenthusiasts and technophobes alike with the guidelines to navigate this new universe.
February 23, 2011 Edited by Ho-Sheng Hsiao Edited without comment.
October 11, 2010 Edited by George Edited without comment.
October 11, 2010 Created by George Added new book.


Speaking of AMAZON, what is the first thing to come to your mind? A super online store, answer to all your shopping requirements, a flawless online trader with a bag pack of exclusive product types, the fine platform for retailers to market and sell their products online? Is that something that comes to your mind at first? These are most common answers that you get on thinking about Amazon. It is the largest and leading E-Trade platform around the globe that is hawking online market.
If you are a novice e-trader, planning to become an affiliate with Amazon, there are multiple things that you need to keep under consideration. Every e-commerce platform shares a specific set of guidelines for product image in order to maintain a synonymous presentation of their site. This also helps in enhancing customer shopping experience.
Tip of Caution for Neophytes: Make sure that you comply with all the product Image guidelines because if you won't you will be kicked out of the platform in no time.
The complexity begins when you find that every platform is sharing different guidelines. It is difficult to keep up with the latest trends. You will not receive an email in your mailbox, enlightening you about the changes in the scenario. So, for complete information about changing trends you can check out our blogs at cutoutimage.com, just stay connected.
Images with any kind of borders, logos, content, watermark and mannequins are not considered as adequate for upload.
The size of the image must be considered as allowed dimensions are 2560×1001 pixels as for the apparels and 2560×500 pixels for other product types.
No colored backgrounds are allowed. Sellers will have to use White as the only background color.
Lately, we have discovered that there are some variations in Jewelry Product image guidelines where you can use dimensions of an image as 1001×2100 pixels. Zoom activation up to 1000 pixels is allowed.
It is necessary to comply with all the above-mentioned guidelines if you want an unremitting business flow at Amazon. Nonconformity with the rules can create nasty hurdles in your way so I would recommend that it is better to go with the flow. Follow these simple rules and dazzle with awesome sales at Amazon.


The CB-1341 Corbel is 11-3/4" tall, 5-1/2" wide, 7-1/4" deep, and has a White Primer finish.
We are under construction, and have not installed these yet. However, they arrived in great condition and I expect that they will look exactly as I expect. This company is very accommodating and easy to deal with.
Stunning, great size and excellent quality and price. I would definitely recommend!
You will not regret, adds such a statement to my mantel!


NOTICE: Please check back for the announcement of our relaunch.
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What I have found as most clear way to do on my programs, is to change OnMouseDown, OnMouseOut, etc. functions on fly. However, this is not directly supported in Hollywood, so unfortunately your code will get couple of otherwise unnecessary extra lines.
If you run this program, you can see three different buttons, if you push them, you will get debugprint to print "button x pressed".
As you can see from the test of running function "button1func()" before going to repeat forever loop, you can see that the old "button1func()" is indeed replaced with "newfunc()", but when this "button1func()" is executed through OnMouseDown, you can see that it is still actually using the old "button1func()" that was originally put to it when button was being initialised, and by otherwords, the new program works exactly as the old version did, which was not our purpose, since we wanted to change the function associated with the button. This is slightly unfortunate choice in Hollywood, but luckily we can get around it.
First way to get around is that we delete the button and create the same button again with the new function associated with it, instead of the old one. However, this is a risky thing to do since there are so many moving parts that can go wrong, hence here is how i usually do it.
In this new version, instead of Function directly doing what it is planned to be doing, it is calling another function that is doing what it is planning to do.
This would normally be unnecessary, but due to how OnMouseDown and other button events work, if we wish to replace the current function with a new function without creating the button again, this is what we must do.
In this version, i added "NewFunc()" again, and then AFTER i made the button 1, i replaced the "realbutton1func" with "newfunc", since function associated with OnMouseDown is "button1func" and "button1func" does nothing else but executes "realbutton1func", it means that if "realbutton1func" is being replaced with another function, then so is OnMouseDowns function in practice.


I have often talked of an aversion to subversion with my geekly pals. I have not found the killer reason for them to leave it behind and join the delight that is git. For me, the reason was merges, which become completely effortless with git. This article from Chandra Sekar puts it into a far more lucid perspective than I ever could.
This entry was posted in Programming and tagged git, svn, version control. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Canceling events early can help keep an outbreak from getting worse
'Flattening the curve' reduces strain on the health care system
By Nicole Wetsman Updated Mar 11, 2020, 1:30pm EDT
Share All sharing options for: Canceling events early can help keep an outbreak from getting worse
Cleaning staff disinfects a subway station in New York City.
Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty Images
The novel coronavirus has now reached the level of a global pandemic. That does not, however, mean the spread of the virus is impossible to stop.
"The danger is that if you do not try and stop this, it can overwhelm your health system," Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said in a press conference on March 11th. "There have to be very strong efforts made to suppress infection, to push the infection back."
Experts say the best defense we have is social distancing — asking people to avoid gathering in groups and keep at a distance from others.
Even before the pandemic declaration, groups were canceling large gatherings to try to slow the spread of the virus. SXSW, the annual event held each year in Austin, Texas, was canceled one week before it was set to start due to concerns about the novel coronavirus. The Swiss government banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more, shutting down the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. Emerald City Comic Con, which was set to take place from March 12th–16th in Seattle, was postponed. In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio asked people to work from home if they're able and to avoid crowded subway cars during rush hours.
Canceling events and encouraging people to stay out of crowded areas may seem like overkill in places that haven't had a high number of identified cases of the virus, but evidence from past outbreaks shows that implementing policies that keep people at a distance can prevent one from exploding.
During the 1918 influenza pandemic, for example, fewer people died in cities that closed churches and schools early on. Cities like St. Louis, which closed movie theaters and canceled sporting events when only a few people had the flu, were able to reduce the spread of disease by around half. Philadelphia, which decided to hold a parade at the start of the outbreak, saw the number of cases skyrocket.
Image: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA
There still may be high numbers of cases — and even deaths — in places that put early social distancing policies in place during an epidemic. Crucially, though, those cases are spread out over a longer period of time. Epidemiologists refer to it as flattening the curve. That prevents a sudden surge in the number of sick people, which can quickly overwhelm hospitals and the health care system. A flattened curve means there aren't as many people sick at once, so they can be cared for and discharged. The outbreak may go on for longer, but the impacts wouldn't be as severe.
Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Even though earlier may be better, there's no consensus on the best time to put social distancing policies in place. They can be socially and economically taxing, and it's emotionally difficult for people to see everyday life disrupted around them. China locked down cities and kept people in their homes for weeks to try to beat back the outbreak, which came at a huge psychological cost — even though it probably contributed to the decline in the number of new cases they're seeing each day.
Recommendations in place in the US range from canceling events to asking the elderly, who are at risk of having severe illness from the new virus, to avoid traveling unless it's necessary. Some school districts shut down, and some universities moved their classes online. Many companies are asking their employees to work from home.
But in the US, applying public health policies can be especially challenging. Many people don't have paid sick leave and can't afford to stay home or off of crowded public transportation if they're feeling ill. Shutting down schools might seem like an easy way to stop the spread of disease, but the high cost of child care might mean doing so would cause more harm than good. If parents can't stay home from work, they might leave kids at community centers, like they did during the H1N1 epidemic in Seattle. New York City, for example, is reluctant to close all schools in response to the COVID-19 outbreak because they're the only places many kids get hot meals each day.
Applying social distancing measures to the extent the system allows, though, is the best defense against the spread of the novel coronavirus, particularly without vaccines or treatments available. The goal isn't to eliminate the disease entirely, but to keep cases from appearing all at once. During a pandemic, that can mean the difference between a severe outbreak and one that's more manageable.
COVID-19: variants, vaccines, news and updates
Moderna starts trial of an omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine
WHO declares the outbreak of the new coronavirus is a pandemic


When Brittany and I sat down to first discuss her wedding and February engagement session we assumed we were planning for a snowy filled afternoon at Squire's Castle. What we got, however, was something very different and unexpected. As an early wedding gift, Ohio decided to give these two a beautiful 65 degree afternoon to shoot their engagement session on!
Taking full advantage of the warm weather and beautiful grounds around Squire's Castle, the day seemed to just breeze by effortlessly. Looking back on our time spent together I am so excited to hang out with these two again later in the year and be a part of their big day! Thanks again for a great time guys and I look forward to seeing you guys again soon!
Click Here to see some of my favorite photos from their session!


Call to Action is a regular weekly To-Do List that enumerates critical things that you need to do right now to preserve our constitutional rights, protect freedom, and ensure your personal safety. This week: 1.Super Tuesday; 2. Are You Registered?


Click it for the enormous 2300x3400 pixel image. Wow.
The New Horizons mission to Pluto used Jupiter for a gravity assist in February and took this image. It used a filter that lets in near-infrared light (specifically at 8900 Angstroms, just outside the range of the human eye) that is preferentially absorbed by methane gas. Jupiter has a lot of methane in its atmosphere, so this image is essentially a map of where the methane is: bright regions have only a little (the methane is thin and lets light out) and dark regions have a lot (more methane means more absorption of the light). Emily has more details at the link above, and you can learn stuff from it.
But it's also OK just to sit back and marvel at the beauty of the solar system. And in case you're curious: fully 5 Earths could fit across this image from the left hand part of Jupiter to the day/night dividing line on the right.


text:
I wonder about my kids' taste in music. Till this day, they like the same singers that I do and I find it slightly embarassing that they appreciate such retro pop music. Granted Madonna, Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode still produce but they don't have the same cache as Britney Spears, Lady Gaga or Rihanna. I am glad I can pop a David Guetta, Eminem or ColdPlay CD in the car and redeem myself.
As for Pet Shop Boys, I must admit, it was my own fashionable yuppy dad who introduced me with their first song called West End Boys (from the album Please). My Dai Rahim, my youngest uncle, the coolest of them all, made the Pet Shop Boys a confirmed passion.
I then bought the tape of their album"Actually" in 1987. I still believe it to be their best. I would listen to "It's a Sin" on my walkman while I attempted jogging around my boarding school. I wrote in my diary to the tune of "Heart" and woke up to a never ending "Rent". My housemates even knew the lyrics!
Pet Shop Boys continued to produce albums, one of which, "Introspective" I purchased as a CD for 7$, a small fortune in 1988, when I was a freshman at Smith College. Again I listened constantly to the laments of "I want a Dog" and the happy beat of "Domino Dancing". In 1990, the "Behavior" album sounded literally like "poetry on pop": perhaps it was on this album that I memorized and cherished most, with such lyrics as "piles of toast and broken promises".
In 1993, at the time I bought the truly original album "Very", with its orange unicolored cover with orange dots, I owned a car with a CD player, and I used to cruise down Newberry Street in Boston, listening to "Go West!" Five years later, it became the theme song at my wedding. The guests got to hear it at least three times! I also shed sobbing tears at my wedding, grasping at my brother's collar, when the song Rent came on, with its heartbreaking introductory notes.We often remember Dai Rahim when we listen to Pet Shop Boys.
The Pet Shop Boys made a comeback in 1999 with "Nightlife". We were very fortunate, my husband, two brothers and I, to dance to "New York City Boys" at their concert in New York City. I had just found out that week that I was pregnant with my first, so I will never forgot that happy day.
Recently, Pet Shop Boys came out with yet another album, entitled "Yes". This is the one my three kids are most fond off. It warded off the Dubai heat as we listened to its cooling tunes. Our favorite tune from that album is "Did yousee me?" and "Vulnerable".
Pet Shop Boys have been milestones in my teenage and adult life. In fact, I once saw Neil Tennant in Monaco where he was visiting his dear friend Elton John. I walked behind him discreetly and even followed him into the Casino. I believe he could have perceived my Heart....beat (as he sings himself) and I quickly turned away. If a movie was ever made about me, their albums would probably be a huge part of the soundtrack.
Below is a link to Rent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d0GARTk_Nk&ob=av2e
Posted by PinkTaxiBlogger at 2:00 PM
Arte the French German TV station that you get addicted to while spending summer in France,has been showing delightful series on the YeYe 60's!Over and above the famous French Johny Halliday,John Destang,Bridget Bardot and others,they have been hailing the Beatles and Elvis.Each generation has it's idols,and some of them have a big return.Especially in France,the " vedettes"or stars never die professionally until they depart from this world,but nevertheless they remain icons.
This summer I enjoyed the afternoons with my grandchildren by the pool,listening to the blaring tunes and new songs from Shakira,Lady Gaga-coming from Radio Energie,the pop music station of choice.The foremost fan was the 4 year old grandson with an amazing musical ear,who would demand to have "Muthica"!
This post brought tears to my eyes, mainly because of ALL the GREAT memories I have of Dai Rahim who was more of a brother than an uncle to the older generation of cousins. I think most of the older generation of cousin's taste in music was influenced by Dai Rahim because of his passion for such bands as Depeche Mode, The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, etc. When I think of Dai and all the happy times we had together, my memories are always associated with a specific song.
I remember our many summers spent in Utah. We were all part of the swim team and poor Dai Rahim had to wake up at the crack of dawn to drive a bunch of sleepy kids to The Canyon Racquet Club for swim team practice. Eventhough we were all half asleep in the car, he would play the latests Depeche Mode tape and we would all sing along. If we were going on one of our infamous summer camping trips or our yearly visit to the amusement park Lagoon, we would all fight about riding in Dai's blue Toyota so we could listen to his music. It was with him that I went to my first of many Cure and Depeche Mode concerts.
When he was living in LA and we were in San Diego, my mom and Khaleh would let my cousin and I go visit him on the weekends. He would take us to underage clubs and we would dance to the latest beats until the club closed down at 2 a.m. (I don't think my mom knew that!)
Finally when we were all living in SD, he would take all of the cousins to the beach, when there was high tide on the piere at 3 a.m, it was he who took us to see it, any movie we wanted to see, we would just ask him and he was always happy to take us. I often associate different areas in SD with things I did with him and the music we were listening to at the time.
Today, when Depech Mode, the Cure, or other groups that he used to listen to come on the radio, my kids often ask if that is one of "Dai's songs". It is through the music he listened to that my kids have learned about their great uncle. Like me, when they think of him, they associate him with the music he loved.
teymour September 5, 2010 at 2:14 AM
The Pet Shop Boys are one of the finest pop acts of all time, with their remarkable combination of wit and and poetic intelligence. Their lyrics are beautiful and their melodies enchanting. Their words sing like poetry and their notes captivate your heart. They are the definition of sophistication and all that is great about England! They are always on my mind. PSB forever!


Detail as how the loop is fastened in place through the use of the knurled thumbscrews screwed in to the two aluminum adapters, that protrude through each side of the variable capacitor housing.
On the inside, the wiring from the variable capacitor attaches to the two individual adapters with machine screws.
The composite tube brackets fastened in place to the housing were made from black Delrin.