The Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF, are most widely known for springing into action on behalf of US citizens after they've been accused of filesharing by the RIAA. But their activities extend across sectors such as free speech, privacy and innovation – and it's their lesser known work in the field of patent busting that's just been in the news. The EFF object wildly to landgrabs of intellectual property that threaten small businesses and individuals working within the field of technology; an innocent project such as, say, the audio-free radio station Twadio might be launched with the best of intentions – but suddenly find itself obliged to pay license fees if someone had patented extravagantly in the field of inaudible sound. (Although I think Twadio can probably sleep easy, to be honest.)( Read more... )

The most surprising announcement yesterday from the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, if you were following the feed at MacRumors, was the phrase "STEVE JOBS JUST DIED" that had been inserted by hackers along with some slightly more philosophical observations such as "Iz me your emperor". After you'd abandoned the MacRumors website in search of something that didn't consist entirely of mildly amusing anti-Mac childishness, you'd have discovered the news that Apple have overhauled the iTunes store by introducing a new pricing model and removing digital rights management (or DRM) from all of the tracks thereon by the end of March.

This news was met with wild applause in the conference centre, but this wasn't a brave, crusading move to lead the music industry out of crisis. ( Read more... )

Most of us devote at least some subconscious time to dreaming up money-making schemes that might see us through the recession and allow us to be freed from the tyranny of mortgage payments and the questionable man-management skills of our bosses. Trouble is, few of us have any kind of entrepreneurial flair. Around the corner from my flat, a Sri Lankan chap recently opened a shop selling party accessories – hats, streamers, baubles and so on – and, according to the blackboard outside, he specialises in "puberty ceremonies". Now, I wish him well, but I have a horrible feeling that the demand for, uh, puberty-related bunting in this part of London is on the low side. I certainly don't recall any fanfare or fireworks when I passed into something resembling manhood. I just recall spending a lot of time listening to The Cure and crying for no reason, although that might have been because I was listening to The Cure. ( Read more... )

Here are two pieces of electronic equipment made by the same company over the last 35 years. One is 1976's Apple I; the other is 2008's Apple iPhone. (If you need a hint as to which one is which, the iPhone is the one that you don't tend to with a can of Mr Sheen and a yellow duster.) I'd actually never seen a picture of an Apple I up until about 15 minutes ago, and I was frankly flabbergasted. Obviously Apple hadn't got Jonathan Ive on board at that stage – not least because he was 9 years old – but it's still a fairly extraordinary-looking piece of machinery.( Read more... )