Clean Flix

This is an itchy case. This trully is the new Betamax case, more so that Napster or my.mp3.com (ok, maybe not more than my.mp3.com). But anyways, if find it really pushes the envelope of frivolious whining.

LawMeme’s Ernest Miller just wrote a piece about it in the LA Times. Here’s LawMeme’s coverage.

What is it about you’ll ask? Basically someone wants to provide a way to modify the palyback of a DVD. Skip or rearrange scenes, add comments, voice over, etc. to a movie you otherwise own. And the movie people say no way.

The only legal issue I would see would be the moral rights of the author. If such a thing ever really existed. If I decide to fast forward over the boring parts of a movie or listen to the radio while watching it, it’s my business. What are the producers afraid of? That I’ll miss a product placement?

Is code art?

It was a tough case to make 2 years ago. Now the Times seems to agree.

Ok, for those who were paying attention, I wasn’t saying that code was art, I was saying code was speech. The art thing was an example.

[via Salon]

I looove web-cards

Some people (Hi Pseudo!) know how much I love receiving web cards. I mean, I love the attention and all, but I always suspected that those things were responsible for putting some of my addresses on some spammers lists. I was called a paranoid freak more than once, but it seems I am finally proven right by this TechTV article!

Merci Cla

Gouvernement cheap

Cyberpresse nous rapporte que le gouvernement du Québec entend faire concurrence aux logiciels d’impôt lui-même, et sans frais d’utilisation. Merveilleux, mais :

« Si le nombre d’utilisateurs Mac naviguant sur le portail du gouvernement du Québec n’augmente pas, précise d’ores et déjà Manon Tremblay, il est peu probable que des efforts et des dollars soient investis dans le développement d’applications faites sur mesure pour eux. Actuellement, environ 2 % du trafic sur le portail gouvernemental est généré par des ordinateurs de type Mac, alors que les normes internationales suggèrent d’ignorer toute clientèle représentant moins de 5 % du total.  »

La p’tite madame Tremblay devrait réviser ses chiffres et ne compter que le trafic provenant de contribuables curieux… Le « portail gouvernemental » n’intéresse certainement personne si ce n’est pas pour le travail, dans sa forme actuelle.