Baldy’s Paradox

JMB wrote us with a dire warning, as reported by the San Jose Mercury News. Apple is cautioning its Windows-using iTunes customers to steer clear of Vista until the next iTunes update. The reason for this is a bit puzzling. Apparently, if you try to ’safely remove’ your iPod from a Vista-installed PC, there’s a chance you may corrupt the little music player. They also claim that songs may not play, and contacts may not sync with the device. Apple went so far as to release a detailed support document on the subject, which assures users that a new Vista-compatible version of the software will be available in a few weeks. Is this just some very creative FUD? If it is not who do you think is ‘at fault’ here, Microsoft or Apple?

Source: Vista - iPod Killer?

A new open source advocacy group, the Open Solutions Alliance (OSA), is scheduled to debut February 15 at the upcoming LinuxWorld OpenSolutions Summit in New York. But unlike most open source software launches and even open source association beginnings, OSA founders are unwilling to be quoted by name about their plans before their formal launch. Instead, they are only speaking to media representatives grudgingly, “on background,” without attribution. The reason for this, says an OSA insider Linux.com interviewed by telephone on Friday, February 3, is that they “don’t want to ruffle feathers of people we’re still talking to about joining.”

Source: New open source advocacy group’s launch is shrouded in secrecy

Facing sharp criticism from academic computing experts, Blackboard announced Thursday what it calls a legally binding promise that it won’t pursue patent lawsuits against users of open source online classroom technology. An open source group said it welcomed the move but noted a key caveat: The pledge doesn’t apply when users such as universities bundle open source and proprietary code to create their own “mix and match” systems. The announcement is the latest development in a case that has been closely followed in the information technology and education communities.

Source: Blackboard Vows Support for Open Source