Fakir

Adobe removes restrictions on use of the SWF and FLV/F4V specification

Administrator — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:16:46 +0000

Read the announcement here:

http ://blogs.adobe.com/penguin.swf/2008/04/licensefree_spec.html

Seems like that new flash-copy-cat technology from that Seatle company made this move earlier than later.

Los Angeles Fire Dept. Web 2.0 style

Administrator — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:40:11 +0000

It seems like the Los Angeles Fire Department does it all Web 2.0 style. Experimenting with and utilising new modes and tools for public information work. From using lafd.blogspot.com and feedburner.com/LAFD, to publishing pictures on flickr.com/photos/lafdr, videos on youtube.com/LAFD, using google.com/group/LAFD_ALERT and twitter.com/lafd for communication.

If it prevents more fires or not is an issue for research, but using participatory technologies could be one way to actually turn everyday people into fellow fire fighters.

Velkommen til HDCP

Administrator — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:30:40 +0000

“Bestemor og folk flest. Velkommen til fremtiden. Lykke til”

Les om fortreffeligheten på nrkbeta:
http://nrkbeta.no/kryptering-er-lite-brukervennlig

Gratis meteorologiske data fra met.no

Administrator — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:01:08 +0000

Met.no skriver:

“Fra og med 1. september blir alle norske meteorologiske data gratis tilgjengelig for alle. 0-prispolitikken gjør at kommersielle værleverandører kan bruke ressursene på annet enn datakjøp. For “Hvermannsen” betyr frislippet bedre værtjenester på Internett.”

Disse dataene vil bli tilgjengelige gjennom nettstedet http://yr.no .

Videre skrives det at:

“Hovedregel i Norge er at offentlige data skal være gratis. Bakgrunnen for dette er EUs direktiv om gjenbruk av offentlig informasjon. Ledelsen ved Meteorologisk institutt mener dessuten at skattebetalerne bør få tilbake det “overskuddet” av produkter som uansett kommer ut av moderne værvarsling.”

Spørsmålet eg stiller meg er; vil de andre store ressursene som staten forvalter og som er finansiert av skattepenger også bli firgitt ? Når vil f.eks Statens Kartverk følge opp dette direktivet ?

Les hele nyheten her: http://met.no/aktuelt/nyhetsarkiv/2007/08august/datapolicy.html

Wikipedia is being used in US courts

Administrator — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:01:40 +0000

NOAM COHEN writes:
“More than 100 judicial rulings have relied on Wikipedia, beginning in 2004, including 13 from circuit courts of appeal, one step below the Supreme Court. (The Supreme Court thus far has never cited Wikipedia.)”

Read the complete article in the New York Times.

(If you don’t have a login bugmenot might help you.)

Perhaps http://wikileaks.org will beat that ?

gNewSense : A totally Free Ubuntu Linux

Administrator — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:59:47 +0000

Today the gNewSense team released version 1.1 of their “cleaned” Ubuntu Linux version. Basically, they take Ubuntu Linux and strips it for all non-free packages (applications, drivers etc.), making it a ‘Linux for Human Beings’ that appreciate Freedom in every aspects of the word.

The result it a Linux distribution promoted by the Free Software Foundation.

It even contains a re-branded Firefox, named Iceweazel (this is due to the strict copyright terms with the current Firefox name and logo).

h&kon instals Opera “on the green machine”

Administrator — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:51:27 +0000

Håkon Wium Lie at Opera Software got himself an OLPC and hurried on to install the Opera web browser on it.

Read all about it here: http://people.opera.com/howcome/2006/olpc/

OpenOffice 2.1 released

Administrator — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 22:43:19 +0000

The free[1] multi-platform open source office suite OpenOffice.org has released its version 2.1. This time it seems like they are focusing on how it is possible to make extensions for the suite. The list of extensions is small but growing and something I will follow (I have to check out that quasiwiki extension).

Perhaps more importantly I see that more and more office suites are starting to support the OpenDocument format. Recently Abiword released a new version where the change log lists a lot of .odt bug fixes. KOffice, on the other hand, was the first to announce OpenDocument support and is now using it as their default format. Corel also recently announced that they will be supporting OpenDocument. The software giant IBM has also promised support for this format in their suite of products including Lotus Notes.

So if you care about freedom and the importance of open access to the content we create you should consider using a suite that support this open standard now or in the near future.

If you want to know more about the importance of using an open format you should read David Wheelers ‘Why OpenDocument Won (and Microsoft Office Open XML Didn’t) ‘.

Over at the OpenDocument Fellowship you will find a more complete list of applications that support OpenDocument.

[1] Both as in ‘freedom‘ and as in ‘free beer’.

SUN to opensource (some) JAVA ™

Administrator — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:16:15 +0000

Seems like SUN will set Java free. Beginning with ME and SE.

This is great news for all digital freedom fighters.

One more thing. We got a new kid on the block.

Welcome tengil

Newsweek: a true supporter of “ignorance is bliss”

Administrator — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 12:07:34 +0000

Well done Newsweek!

Source: http://rising-hegemon.blogspot.com