It looks like Wednesday’s voluntary blackout of some major Websites had the desired affect…the SOPA bill may just have died. In this issue of Rants and Raves, I include a couple of articles about this highly controversial subject, plus a related confession by an on-line pirate that may help you understand why people pirate and how this relates to SOPA.
In other news, I am impressed by Apple’s new educational initiatives and think there are some real benefits for students of all ages if it comes to fruition. The only flaw I see is that students would be required to own an iPad. I hope this means that Apple’s new iPad 3 (announcement coming soon) will become more affordable.
I think you will also find some other interesting articles and free software in this edition. So, let’s get started…JRC
Protests lead to weakening support for Protect IP, SOPA
An unprecedented online protest against a Hollywood-backed copyright bill may be working: some of its previous supporters in the U.S. Congress are backing down. The protest, which included a Wikipedia blackout and home page alerts at Google.com and Amazon.com, has prompted some senators contacted by CNET today to abandon their earlier enthusiasm for Protect IP and the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA.
Why SOPA Is Dangerous
Wev'e talked a lot about this bill on this blog...now you can find out why Hollywood and Congress want this bill passed and how it will work to demolish our constitutional rights.
Why I Pirate
An on-line real life pirate explains his personal reasons for pirating software, music, and videos. Definitely worth a read.
Apple boldly reinvents the school textbook with iBooks 2 and iTunes U
Apple just held a press conference in New York detailing new strategies and software to turn the iPad into a complete textbook replacement for students of any age. After rattling off the many reasons why textbooks are not as good as computers (weight, lack of up-to-date material, cost, no search, etc), Apple announced iBooks 2, iBooks Author, and an improved iTunes U, all with the goal of completely melding the iPad into the education experience.
Kodak files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
The company, which hopes to emerge from bankruptcy in 2013, said it has secured $950 million in debtor-in-possession financing from Citigroup that will allow it to keep operating during restructuring.
32-bit and 64-bit explained
This tutorial should help you to understand the concepts of 32-bit and 64-bit computing. We'll look at your computer system as three parts: the hardware, the operating system and the application programs. At the end we'll look at some of the common questions people have.
How to Know If Your Computer Is Infected
Most of us believe our PCs are not infected but there is always that nagging doubt "What if my PC really has a malware infection but it has managed to hide itself from my security software?" Alas there is no 100% answer to this question, but here are some steps you can take to put your mind at rest.
Get The Metro UI On Windows 7 With Metro7
If you’re interested in trying out the new Metro User Interface and can’t be bothered to go through the hassle of downloading the Windows 8 developer preview, then Metro7 could be just the program you’re looking for.
TweetDeck 1.2 Free
TweetDeck is your personal browser for staying in touch with what's happening now, connecting you with your contacts across Twitter and Facebook.
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