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Posts published in “Business”

NSA Exposes Cloud Computing’s Weakness

By Christine Hall on July 24, 2013 |

Business, Internet and Security

NSA Exposes Cloud Computing’s WeaknessCloud Computing

Cloud computing was always a bad idea.

Not totally bad, mind you. It has its place. I use Google Docs/Drive or whatever they’re calling it this week sometimes so I can work on articles on the computer at my day job without leaving a mess behind on the bosses hard drive. But mostly cloud computing has always been a bad idea.

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Ask Richard Stallman; he’ll tell you. Or ask me.

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Your Obligation to Online Advertisers

Your Obligation to Online Advertisers

By Christine Hall on July 23, 2013 |

Browsers, Business, Internet and Media

The IAB wants you to know that if you don’t let online advertisers follow you around when you’re surfing, then you’re scum, a criminal and probably a traitor to your country. At least, that would seem to be the thick of it from reading their latest in a series of diatribes against Mozilla published last Tuesday on their website under the heading “Has Mozilla Lost Its Values?”.

** If you value this kind of coverage, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Christine Hall

Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux

FOSSForce.com
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Welcome to Microsoft Trustworthy ComputingMicrosoft German camput

Welcome to Microsoft Trustworthy Computing

By Christine Hall on July 16, 2013 |

Business, Internet, Politics and Security

It used to be you only had to worry about the accidental insecurities in Windows. Now Redmond’s giving away the keys to everything they sell. Microsoft is beginning to surprise even me and I thought I was beyond surprise.

** If you're finding this article useful, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

I get it. I understand patriotism. I also understand legal obligation. The guys and gals in Redmond would want you to believe that their cooperation with the feds is based mostly on the later. Their story is they were forced to give access to their customer’s data by a loaded court order being held to their collective head.

Christine Hall

Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux

FOSSForce.com
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Microsoft Reorganizes, Big Brother in Iran & More…Richard Stallman and Julian Assange

Microsoft Reorganizes, Big Brother in Iran & More…

By FOSS Force on July 13, 2013 |

Business, Copyright, Internet, Media, News and Politics

FOSS Week in Review–Part 2

Now that we got last week out of the way, let’s look at what happened this week–or at least news that came to our attention this week…

You can now actually own digital comics

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Digital rights and anti-DRM activists should be a little happy to learn that a major player in the comics’ world has decided to make actual ownership of its comics possible.

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Windows 8 AWOL at Dell

Windows 8 AWOL at Dell

By Christine Hall on July 10, 2013 |

Business, Media and News

In the last couple of weeks I’ve received two advertising flyers from the folks at Dell. As usual, both were pretty flashy print jobs featuring high quality color photography on slick paper. One of the brochures was aimed at business customers, the other at consumers.

** If you value this kind of coverage, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Christine Hall

Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux

FOSSForce.com
Continue readingWindows 8 AWOL at Dell
‘Who Don’t You Trust’ Poll – The Biggest Loser Is…Windows logo

‘Who Don’t You Trust’ Poll – The Biggest Loser Is…

By FOSS Force on June 28, 2013 |

Business and Polls

It will probably come as no surprise to anyone that Microsoft topped the list in our “Who Don’t You Trust” poll. That’s the poll, launched on May 27th and closed on June 20th, in which we asked the question, “What tech company would you least trust to manage a FOSS project?” 411 people took the poll, which might be characterized by it’s lack of surprising results. In fact, we have to go to nearly the bottom of the list to find some small surprises.

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Opening Pandora’s BoxPandora logo

Opening Pandora’s Box

By Dave Bean on June 19, 2013 |

Business, Copyright, Internet and Media

I first placed music online in 1996, a WAV file recorded through a microphone to promote the sale of an album I had under license on my indie BeanBag label featuring Georgie Fame and Van Morrison. I cheered for other music industry executives like Larry Rosen of GRP Records when he launched Music Boulevard online around 1997. I licensed songs by Jesse Colin Young (founder of The Youngbloods) to music publishing expert Bob Kohn’s eMusic.com for a cash advance against future royalties that had us partying like it was 1999.

** If you value this kind of coverage, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
Dave Bean

Dave Bean is an Internet Radio pioneer who has worked for Musicmatch Internet Radio, baseBeat.com, OnRadio.com; and currently as a Music Curator for Internet Radio at Slacker.com. As an owner of independent record labels, he was one of the first to license songs to eMusic and iTunes.

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When It Comes To FOSS, Who Don’t You Trust?

By FOSS Force on May 27, 2013 |

Business and Software

Some of the biggest and most important FOSS projects are controlled by big business. Rarely does corporate ownership of free and open software work out completely in the interests of the user base, since corporate owners absolutely always have an agenda of their own. However, it works out better in some cases than in others.

** If you value this kind of coverage, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **
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Microsoft Snoops In Skype, Dissed By HP & More

Microsoft Snoops In Skype, Dissed By HP & More

By FOSS Force on May 24, 2013 |

Business, Distros, Internet, Media, News and Obits

Friday FOSS Week in Review

Where has Redmond’s moxy gone?

** If you value this kind of coverage, please consider supporting our work through our FOSS Force Independence 2026 fundraiser. **

It wasn’t that many years ago that even a giant OEM like HP wouldn’t dare release a non-Windows product if the device type was Windows supported. If this were five years ago and the tablet boom was in full bloom as it is now and Windows was tablet ready, as it supposedly is now, the HP brass wouldn’t even entertain the thought of releasing a tablet running anything other than Redmond’s finest OS–apps available or no.

Continue readingMicrosoft Snoops In Skype, Dissed By HP & More