recenseo

Secrecy and Torture

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:16:01 +0200

Larry Siems:

When the men and women they asked to break those laws protested, knowing they could be prosecuted for torture, they pretended to rewrite the law. They commissioned legal opinions they said would shield those who carried out the abuses from being hauled into court, as the torture ban requires. “The law has been changed,” detainees around the world were told. “No rules apply.”

Then they tortured. They tortured men at military bases and detention centers in Afghanistan and Iraq, in Guantánamo, and in US Navy bases on American soil; they tortured men in secret CIA prisons set up across the globe specifically to terrorize and torture prisoners; they sent many more to countries with notoriously abusive regimes and asked them to do the torturing. At least twice, after the torturers themselves concluded there was no point to further abuse, Washington ordered that the prisoners be tortured some more.

Why do we have the Universal Declaration of Human Rights if we have nobody to enforce it? How can we let these things happen? A wise man once told me that “killing a killer makes you one yourself”, and he was right. We are no better than anyone if we can’t respect the human rights ourselves. There are no valid excuses.

Tennessee Lawmakers Need A Reality Check

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:31:40 +0200

Tennessee Lawmakers Need A Reality Check:

Mariah Smith:

The Gateway Sexual Activity Bill was passed by the Tennessee House of Representatives. The bill outlaws students handholding with each other while at school (because, according to the Tennessee House of Reps this is a “gateway” to sexual activity.) It also allows the parents of the student to sue the teachers if they feel the teachers aren’t doing enough to prevent sexual activity among the students.

Just when you think crazy laws can’t surprise you anymore, they come up with this.

Jeezez.

Perian to Retire After a Final Update

Wed, 16 May 2012 06:45:55 +0200

Perian to Retire After a Final Update:

Federico Viticci:

Perian’s developers are asking that the community step forward to handle support requests, and they are directing new users to download Niceplayer as an alternative. Perian should continue to work on Lion as time permits, but its compatibility with Mountain Lion is undetermined. The source code will be posted to Google Code or GitHub soon for developers to learn from. If developers are interested in maintaining Perian, the #perian IRC room on irc.freenode.net will provide a hub where developers can communicate, ask questions, and get in contact with the founders. As it stands right now, Perian’s development will end within the next few months.

Perian has for a long time been one of the apps I’ve thought of as a built in and mandatory service, one that I couldn’t manage to live without. I haven’t been ripping many DVDs lately as I’m on a MacBook Air, so I admittedly haven’t used it in a long time - which I hope means I’m prepared to live without this neat little app.

This is what happens when your app is free; it won’t live forever.

EU cookie law: taking the biscuit?

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:04:05 +0200

EU cookie law: taking the biscuit?:

You may have heard a lot of hoo-ha recently about the ‘cookie law’ – the latest round of changes to the EU’s Directive of Privacy and Electronic Communications. The changes introduce a legal requirement for website owners to obtain users’ consent before using cookies on their machine. This has big implications for every website that uses cookies – in practice, just about all of them.

Fortunately it’s not a huge issue for now:

The ICO is interested in what efforts site owners are making towards compliance, rather than just whether their sites are complying. And even after a complaint, you are likely to be given time to make changes. So you probably have a bit more time than you think.

I must admit that the opening paragraph had me scared for a moment.

You do other things when you’re not on the internet

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:31:27 +0200

You do other things when you’re not on the internet:

Iain Broome:

However, once I came to my senses, I realised that nothing had happened while I’d been away from the web. Actually, that’s not true. Lots had happened. But nothing bad in internet terms. I didn’t feel any less informed. I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. Certainly nothing that I couldn’t hop back into as soon as I was ready.

Lots of good things happen when you use the internet every day. You meet and stay in touch with nice people, find interesting things to read, watch and listen to, and you often learn something new and exciting.

When you’re not on the internet, you do other things.

Stuck in the Middle with Users

Tue, 15 May 2012 06:46:10 +0200

Stuck in the Middle with Users:

Devin Chalmers:

Apple’s not crazy, or evil; they’re just looking out for themselves, like all of us. But at the same time, it doesn’t seem like they’re equipped to compromise. People who don’t compromise turn crazy, or at least they lose all their friends.

Simplicity Comes by Design

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:57:37 +0200

Simplicity Comes by Design:

Greg McKeown:

But then my Apple lunch companion wondered aloud: “Why don’t more CEOs bring greater clarity to what their companies should not be doing?” It’s a significant question.

It’s a great question.

The Lengthening Arm of Uncle Sam’s ‘Pirate’ Justice

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:31:26 +0200

The Lengthening Arm of Uncle Sam’s ‘Pirate’ Justice:

Myles Peterson:

Through bypassing the courts and going straight to our legislators, who are arguably compromised in their ability to deal with the United States, the American Government is achieving the outcomes Hollywood lawyers and lobbyists could not. If Australian law will not deliver the results entities such as the RIAA and MPAA are pleased with, it can be circumnavigated by applying US law instead.

We have reached a point in Australia where citizens can be arrested and extradited to the United States based on information supplied by Australian spies for breaches of US law on Australian soil. Australia has effectively signed away its right to govern its own in matters of copyright infringement when those matters overlap the interests of the United States.

This has gone too far.

Why Publishers Don't Like Apps

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:47:32 +0200

Why Publishers Don't Like Apps:

Jason Pontin, Technology Review:

The paid, expensively developed publishers’ app, with its extravagantly produced digital replica, is dead.

A must read.

Now We’re Just Haggling Over the Price

Sun, 13 May 2012 18:15:50 +0200

Now We’re Just Haggling Over the Price:

Macdrifter:

But here’s the thing, it’s not the reader’s problem. It’s capitalism. Provide a valuable product that is unavailable somewhere else and people will pay for it. If they don’t, then I guess it wasn’t valuable enough. Maybe all they think a site is worth is a split second of looking at an ad. Maybe they can find that same link or analysis on a dozen other WordPress sites.

Exactly.

"I’d rather be competing with 1,000 copy cats than 1,000 innovators."

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:26:34 +0200

“I’d rather be competing with 1,000 copy cats than 1,000 innovators.”

- Mike McCue

One year on (Macchiato man)

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:15:06 +0200

One year on (Macchiato man):

My good internet friend, Yagan Kiely, celebrated his first year blogging yesterday. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying his stuff for almost as long as his site has existed - which I’m thankful for. If you like what he’s writing, I’d suggest you should listen in on what he’s saying as well.

Welcoming Your Employees

Mon, 07 May 2012 22:29:32 +0200

Welcoming Your Employees:

That’s how to properly welcome an employee.

My crazy, overpriced, three-computer writing system

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:46:17 +0200

My crazy, overpriced, three-computer writing system:

Yuvi Zalkow:

I realize almost any of these tasks could be done with the other computers. There is a bunch of overlap between these devices (and the overlap is only growing), but for me it’s a matter of where these tasks feel most natural, most pleasurable, most productive.

Precisely how I use my three favourite computers.

Don't Be Afraid To Write If You Don't Write Right

Sat, 05 May 2012 18:16:40 +0200

Don't Be Afraid To Write If You Don't Write Right:

Michael Schechter:

I’m not suggesting that you should publish crap. Read your work, reread it and read it again. Care enough to create something of quality. Care enough to learn and improve as you continue. Just don’t let the fear of imperfection keep you from caring enough to publish. If you lack the skill yourself, ask an editor for help while you develop. If you can’t afford or find an editor, publish and encourage your readers to show you where you’re wrong (there are more than a few people on the internet who are more than happy to oblige here). Look to improve, but don’t let the unrealistic expectations of others keep you from improving in public.

Poor For Editing

Sat, 05 May 2012 12:31:00 +0200

Poor For Editing:

John neatly summarizes the issue with the iPad’s software keyboard in response to a concept video that’s been making the rounds this week:

Once you get used to it, the iPad keyboard isn’t bad for typing, but no matter how acclimated you are it’s poor for editing. It’s fiddly, slow, and (because you have to take a hand off the keyboard) disruptive to select text.

The problem with this concept isn’t only that the feature is indirect input (which Apple strongly dislikes on iOS) - it’s that it could potentially make the iPad worse for common people. Just imagine someone writing with their iPad, only to realise that everything they wrote is in the wrong order, due to unintentionally swiping the keyboard. I can assure you that no matter how simple the current text selection is, most people don’t even know how to cut or copy text. How would they then realise what the hell happened when the cursor isn’t in the right spot? More importantly; how would they fix it?

The concept has a great idea behind it, but I think it’s fundamentally flawed. I hope Apple realises this, and answers with a solution that helps both us power users and the regular people. Unfortunately, I don’t think we should hold our breath.

For now, we either have to jailbreak our iPads or be patient.

Congress just deleted the Fourth Amendment

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:45:42 +0200

Congress just deleted the Fourth Amendment:

Leigh Beadon:

Previously, CISPA allowed the government to use information for “cybersecurity” or “national security” purposes. Those purposes have not been limited or removed. Instead, three more valid uses have been added: investigation and prosecution of cybersecurity crime, protection of individuals, and protection of children. Cybersecurity crime is defined as any crime involving network disruption or hacking, plus any violation of the CFAA.

Basically this means CISPA can no longer be called a cybersecurity bill at all. The government would be able to search information it collects under CISPA for the purposes of investigating American citizens with complete immunity from all privacy protections as long as they can claim someone committed a “cybersecurity crime”. Basically it says the 4th Amendment does not apply online, at all. Moreover, the government could do whatever it wants with the data as long as it can claim that someone was in danger of bodily harm, or that children were somehow threatened—again, notwithstanding absolutely any other law that would normally limit the government’s power.

Via Cory Doctorow.

T&Cgate

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:48:10 +0200

T&Cgate:

Yagan Kiely on the Google Drive privacy debate:

What Google has, is a “a worldwide licence”. A licence does not give Google ownership of the intellectual property. A licence is similar (with glaring, but unimportant – for the purpose of this analogy - differences) to renting physical property; you, as the owner, still have legal ownership of the physical property, but the person renting merely ‘uses’ the property (legal, proprietary, and equitable interests notwithstanding). What you are doing, when agreeing to the T&C of Google Drive, is giving Google the right to exploit (non-legal term: ‘use’) the intellectual property therein; i.e. the can use the IP, but they simply don’t own it.

The Mozart of Chess: Magnus Carlsen

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:49:08 +0200

The Mozart of Chess: Magnus Carlsen:

Talent, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary:

[…] natural aptitude or skill […]

Now watch this video about Magnus Carlsen to get the real-life definition.

Clear 1.1

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:27:47 +0200

I loved Clear even from before day one, when I first saw its promo video. It’s the first app I’ve seen that’s been built entirely for gestures, without window chrome or buttons of any kind. It is the perfect example of just how minimal an app can possibly be, while still being useful and relatively versatile. And with only one style¹ throughout its entire UI - the app is truly unique.

A while ago Realmac Software released their 1.1 update. It brought some new features that have changed the way I use the app completely.

Unlimited characters

I was actually hoping this feature didn’t make it through, so that the app could keep its rather fascinating simplicity. However, it only took me a few minutes to realise how useful this feature is; Clear is no longer only a task app for me, its a note taking app as well.

Instead of putting all my tasks in one list, I’ve gone with a different approach. I’ve made one list per task, and included notes and sub-tasks within it. This way I can have all the project info organised and, in contrast to OmniFocus, extremely quickly accessible. For the most important and advanced tasks nothing can really compare to OmniFocus, but at least I’ve got a faster and simpler solution for those (many) times when I don’t need all the features.

Show status bar

I can’t believe this wasn’t a part of the 1.0 release. A productivity app that doesn’t show the clock? Come on… At least it does so now.

Full-on custom UI

Alerts are now shown with the sexy custom UI which already comprised the rest of the app. It may not sound like much (alerts — how often do you see those?), but it does polish the experience by quite a bit — especially if you use lists like I do.

Undo

“Deleted a task? Deleted the entire list? Sorry, you’ll simply have to recreate them manually”, was the approach of Clear before 1.1. Its finally received an update for one of its most annoying oddities; lack of the most basic feature there is in any app that takes text input.

If it’s not clear² already; I love the app. It was always good, but now it’s finally starting to remind me of a certain thing called “great”.

By “style” I mean the UI elements like the list items. They are all alike, only distinguished by gradients and colours. ↩
Yes, I wrote that with intent. Sorry. ↩