Sickening Powers that Be

Read: 

• http://www.google.com/support/androidmarket/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1306490&topic=1100171
• http://www.osnews.com/story/24777/Google_Movies_Blocked_on_Rooted_Android_Devices

Click on the "Comments" button at the right side of that Google Support discussion and read it.

Didn't Google talk about openness and open source ? What is all these lock down going on onto rooted devices ? Maybe it's an error or bug ? Or maybe there's something really wrong about the "openness" Google sees and something we misinterpreted ?

How much do I trust android's openness

Read:

• http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2011/03/android-openness-withering-as-google-withhold-honeycomb-code.ars

Despite all the justification Andy Rubins can make about keeping Honeycomb's source codes under wraps (if the article is true), or even in the future or past, I don't really see how open Android is. I have been hoping Android would release the Market's SDK and allow those who do not have Market Place  apps to at least have an API so users could officially connect into Market Place without the risk of third party apps libraries and cloned market places.

Although Android's source codes are open to the public via their public git repository, it's not like the Linux kernel or other open source projects where other parties could simply hop in and join in the development and contribute patches and suggestions.

Most developers could only face the truth of the "take it or leave it" scenario.

I am sure patience are wearing thin for the Android platform and for Google for being open and outright honest about their practises.

For Apple and Microsoft, both of you, don't bother laughing at Google's Android. Apple's iOS and Microsoft's Phone 7 OS is actually so much more close sourced and I would rather term them "Iron Curtain" then Android's "walled garden".

The terms of using the whole or any part of this article post is to properly cite and reference it, and you can use it.

Open Source Kinect - Minority Style Browsing

Read:

• http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/11/minority_report-style_web_surfing_w.html

This is the power, of open sourcing... whereby sharing and being open and free, gives you so much innovation and creativity.

Oracle's huge mistake on OO.o

Again, Oracle made another huge mistake and this time, it's about Openoffice.org.

Read: http://developers.slashdot.org/story/10/10/17/0210209/Oracle-Asks-OpenOffice-Community-Members-To-Leave

Microsoft have been teasing and attempting to stamp out OpenOffice [here], and Oracle really let us down by being mean and uncooperative. If the situation of OpenOffice doesn't get resolved and parties interested do not stay united, that would be Microsoft's dream. Microsoft's ambitions to stamp out open source would come a step closer to fulfilment and it would be a disaster to the open source community.

Oracle... if you do not wake up, it maybe too late. You would lose support of the people who once supported your products and projects that you bought over from Sun.

Oracle's customers are actually developers and the community, not the corporate world. The real 'invisible' income are from the community. If it weren't for open source advocates and supporters pushing for their organisations and corporations to embrace open source and OpenOffice, there wouldn't be what Openoffice is today. OpenOffice, being the second in market share is all thanks to the effort by those community members, developers and open source users and advocates.

OpenOffice really owe it's success to us, the community. How would a product be successful without any users ?

Oracle, REPENT NOW !!!!!!

Let's all move to GO-OO or LibreOffice as other Linux distributions and Open advocates have done.

Is it going to be another wolf under sheep skin ?

Read: http://www.osnews.com/story/23861/EFF_and_Microsoft_Want_to_Invalidate_Software_Patents

If is a great news to hear that Microsoft has filed an amicus brief in an attempt to make invalidating U.S. patents that threatens open source developments on a very frequent and scary rate.

Read: http://www.osnews.com/story/23860/Microsoft_Slaps_Motorola_with_Patent_Lawsuit_over_Android

But apparently, Microsoft decides to slap Android, an open source mobile OS originally developed by Google, with patent lawsuits which is contradicting it's amicus brief as stated above.

What is this all about ? Wolf in sheep skin ? Can we trust Microsoft's open source friendly stance ? The amicus brief was a great benefit if it managed to get through but can we really trust Microsoft that they are really true hearted being open source friendly ?

Intel's Harkins knows nothing of open source

Read:

• http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/091610-intel-security.html

And look closely at the line says the following...

Harkins cited mobile apps: "What kind of security do we think is in something that sells for 99 cents? Not much."

Wow... he doesn't know the power of open source. Really... he needs to know something before he starts speaking. Look at Bruce Shneier's PasswordSafe or look at AxCrypt software or look at. Maybe how about TrueCrypt, FreeOTFE or how about GPG? Aren't these good examples of FREE AND OPEN SOURCE and some are even FOSS approved.

So don't look down on open source or 99 cents apps. Free (inclusive of FOSS defined Freedom) apps can be really hard to crack or defeat. That is partially why the US government is afraid of strong encryption and security in the hands of everyone and maybe still is having that very fear.

So don't blindly state a statement unless you have a damn good explanation and good backing and concrete evidence.

Apple's HTML 5

Read this: http://www.osnews.com/story/23411/Apple_s_HTML5_Showcase_Isn_t_HTML5_Blocks_Other_Browsers


Apple claims to showcase HTML 5 but this showcase is the HTML 5 that only Safari can perform. It block the Firefox 3.5 browser I used to access it. Why doesn't it allow other browsers to take the test ? Isn't it purely not being open and fair to other browsers ? Oh well, Apple has been known to be unfair and close anyway even though it did contribute in open source projects, it did it for it's own gains in the end.


Below is the screenshot of my Firefox 3.5 browser trying to access the HTML 5 showcase page. It's highly misleading.