Shuttleworth's Interview at Open Season

There is a very interesting interview with Mark Shuttleworth, the guy that started and funds Ubuntu development through his company, Canonical. The interview is interesting for several reasons: First it exposes what many linux users don't get: compiz fusion and the eyecandy is nothing but the icing on the (missing) cake. There needs to be additional effort to turn all this amazing technology into coherent, useful software. Second, it demonstrates some of the issues behind Open Source development and some ways that they can be resolved. Finally, it covers the major problems facing OpenOffice.org, tries to explain why they're there and takes a look at the rest of the industry and its relations to Ubuntu and linux. Worth listening.

Downloadable fonts and CSS

One of the main gripes of designers and users alike about the Web is its inherent dependence on the few, largely mediocre (e.g. Trebuchet, Times New Roman, Courier New) or poor (Arial, Comic Sans, Verdana etc.) fonts that Microsoft commissioned or designed more than a decade ago. This year CSS turns ten and along with it comes yet another proposal on the Web's Typographic liberation. Or sort of. This time it might work, although scores of technical and legal questions remain. A List Apart has the details.

No Really. It's up to you

Checkmate from Radiohead. One of the bands with the highest artistic integrity from the early 1990s to date, redefine music distribution by offering their new album In Rainbows on their site at a price specified by the buyer, ala Magnatune. No Really. Radiohead Rock!

Guitar Rig 3 is out!

Guitar Rig 3New amps, new effects, new presets and some new features. Woot! If this is anything like the upgrade from version 1 to 2 then we're in for a rockin' upgrade. :) The order has been placed (the 'software edition' obviously as the new Kontrol is somewhat pointless if you have the previous version). A review is forthcoming, when I get some free time that is...

National Broadband Strategy

Or how to say 'Market Failure' loudly. The FCC is waking up to the fact that the US lacks both the infrastructure and the mechanisms that would allow for its development and keep the country ahead (or even on par) with the rest of the world. Hopefully the realisation will translate to practical incentives to telcos and ISPs and regulations that would liberate the market from the ruling oligopoly and spur competition as well as a comprehensive benchmark that will guide the market towards some reference point. Alternatively, the temporary euphoria of WiMAX induced activity of the near future will probably mask the deep and basic problems with telecommunications in that country.

Our generation will never see fir forests in these areas again.

And there is a chance our generation will never see much of any sort of forest in that area either. It's been a month since the greatest environmental catastrophe Hellas has ever witnessed and the hellenic media as well as people --- at least most of them --- have seemingly moved on. Given the country's past record on protecting its forests as well as their regrowth in burnt areas I wouldn't be surprised if only 5-10% of the areas affected by last August's fires were reforested by 2030. Yet, according to this BBC report, not everyone has moved on with their petty lives. Like everyone else, WWF is expressing its concerns regarding reforestation and the ecosystem in the area. Unlike most, it seems to be prepared to fund legal campaigns against this.
But the WWF insists that humans and nature can co-exist as long as there is sensible and sensitive sustainable development.
Sensible, sensitive and sustainable development could possibly be a reality, had our memory and interest been somewhat more substantial.