Practical Technology

for practical people.

January 11, 2011
by sjvn01
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CPTN Holdings is still trying to buy Novell’s patents

When I first read a story that CPTN Holdings-a Microsoft-led group that also includes Apple, EMC, and Oracle–was no longer in the running to buy 882 of Novell’s patents, I knew the story couldn’t be right. Yes, the Open Source Initiative (OSI) had protested against the patent deal to the German Federal Cartel Office, but just because CPTN has withdrawn a filing to the Office didn’t mean that CPTN was giving up on the deal. Far from it.

I suspected that since Attachmate’s acquisition of Novell has been delayed by Attachmate needing more funds to seal the deal and Novell had to re-set the acquisition clock thanks to the Christmas holidays, that the closely-associated CPTN deal had run into similar problems. I was right.

Sources close to Novell told me that was indeed the case. The CPTN group will be re-filing to obtain the patents. Their plans haven’t changed a bit. A Microsoft representative confirmed that CPTN was still planning on buying the patents. The PR rep said, “This is a purely procedural step necessary to provide time to allow for review of the proposed transaction.”

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January 11, 2011
by sjvn01
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Android vs. iPhone: The GPL Question

Well, now we know. You can’t sell software using the General Public License (GPL) on the Apple App Store& because it conflicts with its Terms of Service (ToS) . The popular VLC media player, was the first major GPLed software to be pulled from Apple’s App Store, it won’t be the last. But, what about Google’s Android Market? I asked the experts and they tell me that, in general, GPL developers can offer their wares on Android.

I asked Columbia Law School professor Eben Moglen and head of the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) about whether GPLv3 programs, as well software like VLC, which is under the GPLv2, would be restricted from Apple’s App Store, and he replied, “Yes. The problem isn’t in the license terms. The problem is that the Apple App Store ToS for people wanting to distribute through it require that each app sold (even at price zero) must be licensed for use on a single device only. Permissively-licensed FOSS can be transacted for in the App Store, because its license can be replaced by single- device-only terms. Copylefted software can’t be un-freely relicensed, so it can’t be transacted for there under Apple’s current ToS.”


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January 10, 2011
by sjvn01
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Real Help for your Network’s IPv6 Transition

The Internet’s IPv4 clock keeps ticking down. As Robert Cannon, the FCC’s senior counsel for Internet law, observed recently, “The original [Internet] address space, IPv4, is nearly exhausted.” He’s so right.

Still, I’ll bet most of you are still scared to death of having to learn IPv6, never mind actually deploying it. I know I would be if I were an overworked network administrator. Fortunately, there is help.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has just released Guidelines for the Secure Deployment of IPv6 (PDF Link). This is an excellent and free 188 page guide to IPv6.

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January 10, 2011
by sjvn01
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Black Duck gets Bigger

When Black Duck Software started in the early 2000s, its mission was to reassure companies that there was no real legal risk in using open-source software, despite SCO crying wolf. That was then. This is now. Today, Black Duck is becoming a one-stop, open-source business advisor for organizations, government bodies, and businesses. The company took a big step forward in doing this by acquiring The Olliance Group, a privately-held, open-source business and strategy consulting firm.

This acquisition, Black Duck’s third in a matter of months, expands the company’s offerings to include open-source business and strategy consulting services to help its enterprise IT clients capitalize on the significant strategic, technological, and financial benefits of open-source software. Black Duck acquisitions include Koders.com, an open-source code search engine, best known for its Ruby resources; Ohloh.net, a popular directory of open-source software and a vibrant Web community; and SpikeSource, a software tools and services provider.

Olliance Group, while it will be wholly owned by Black Duck, will remain an independent business within the company. Andrew Aitken, Founder of the Olliance Group, and Greg Olsen, Senior Partner, will join Black Duck. Aitken will serve as General Manager of the Olliance Group business unit, and also will continue to independently organize and manage the Open Source Think Tank, a commercial open-source industry conference.

Black Duck plans to take a hands off approach to Olliance.

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January 9, 2011
by sjvn01
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Android runs down iPhone in the Smartphone Races

Yes, Apple’s iPhone is popular, and yes it looks like Verizon is finally going to release an iPhone, but Android phones have turned out to be even more popular.

In its latest survey of U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending November 2010, comScore reported that while RIM continued to lead among smartphone platforms with 33.5 percent market share, Android charged past the iPhone to take second place. To be exact, Google Android captured the number two spot in November with 26.0 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers. Apple took third with 25.0 percent; followed by Microsoft with 9.0 percent and Palm in the back with 3.9 percent.

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January 8, 2011
by sjvn01
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No GPL Apps for Apple’s App Store

Some people swore to me that just because the free-software General Public License (GPL) clashes with the Apple App Store’s Terms of Service (ToS), didn’t mean that Apple would actually pull down GPLed apps. Well, Apple just did. Rémi Denis-Courmont, a Linux developer and the popular VLC media player, has just announced that Apple had pulled the popular GPLed VLC media player from its App Store.

Denis-Courmont wrote, “On January 7th, Apple removed VLC media player from its application store for iDevices. Thus the incompatibility between the GNU General Public License and the AppStore terms of use is resolved–the hard way. This end should not have come to a surprise to anyone, given the precedents.”

It certainly didn’t come as a surprise to Denis-Courmont who pointed out that Apple’s ToS conflicted with VLC’s GPLv2 licensing on October 25th when he sent a formal notification of “copyright infringement … to Apple Inc. regarding distribution of the VLC media player for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. VLC media player is free software licensed solely under the terms of the open source GNU General Public License (a.k.a. GPL). Those terms are contradicted by the products usage rules of the AppStore through which Apple delivers applications to users of its mobile devices.”

His action did not go over well with some other VideoLAN, the non-profit organization behind VLC, developers. As Denis-Courmont wrote at this time, “Some people have commented that this will damage the project’s reputation. Maybe so. Blame those who published and/or advertised VLC for iPad. The fact of the GPL incompatibility was already well known.”

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