links for 2009-04-06

Bunch of neat little stuff you see everyday already done for you.

About time all government data except for stuff that is classified will be publicly available.

"T-Mobile is planning an aggressive push deep into the home with a variety of communications devices that will use Google’s new Android operating software that already runs one of its cellphones."

"Scientists have shown scratching helps relieve an itch as it blocks activity in some spinal cord nerve cells that transmit the sensation to the brain. However, the effect only seems to occur during itchiness itself – scratching at other times makes no difference." That is weird.

"On April 1 Google started banning South Korean users from posting videos or leaving comments on YouTube unless they use real names. The move was done to comply with a law that South Korean web sites with at least 100,000 daily visitors must force users to register with verifiable real names." Really Google, good job there.

Be prepared to waste an afternoon reading this.

"So maybe instead of getting your company on twitter, paying marketers to mention you are on twitter, and paying people to blog about your company, forget all that and just make awesome stuff that gets people excited about your products, hire people that represent the company well, and when your stuff is so awesome that friends share it with other friends, you may not even need "social media marketing" after all."

Did Obama break copyright law by giving a gift to the Queen of England of an iPod and music.

Pretty please Congress?

Very usefull.

"The jurors found that Mr. Churchill’s political views had been a “substantial or motivating” factor in his dismissal, and that the university had not shown that he would have been dismissed anyway." Good news for academic freedom.

Seven figures and 10 books.

"A field of genetically identical amoebas in Texas raises the possibility that cells might organize on much larger scales than once thought." Science is so so cool some days.

"The big news last week was a speech by Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of China’s central bank, calling for a new “super-sovereign reserve currency.” So what Mr. Zhou’s proposal actually amounts to is a plea that someone rescue China from the consequences of its own investment mistakes." That makes a lot more sense that what the media was saying.

Vote on Facebook's new "Statement of Rights and Responsibilities".

"Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, today hailed the North Dakota state Senate for rejecting a dangerous so-called "personhood" bill that would outlaw abortion and could lead to bans on birth control, stem-cell research, and in-vitro fertilization. The Senate, which has an anti-choice majority, rejected the extreme measure by a vote of 29-16."

Pretty much completely messed up.

I wasn't all that hyped up about this deal anyways.

"The number of people employed in the US fell by 663,000 in March, according to figures from the Department of Labor. The jobless rate rose to 8.5% from February's figure of 8.1%, meaning it is still at its highest since 1983."

"The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously rejected a state law Friday that banned same-sex marriage, and opponents wasted little time in pushing for a state constitutional amendment that could send the issue to voters."

"Two ultra-Orthodox Jewish newspapers have altered a photo of Israel's new cabinet, removing two female ministers." Are you kidding me, what about that the men weren't wearing Orthodox clothing?

"Sockso is an open source music server application that lets you share the music files easily with everyone." In case you are wanting to deal with a lawsuit in the next few days.

"Executive compensation for the highest-paid chief executives at public companies fell in 2008, the first such downturn in five years. And the bottom dropped out of the bonus pool, the incentive that angered investors after the controversial bonus payouts at the American International Group." Might not be such a bad thing considering how far apart the pay scales have gone.

I want a crossbow, that is all.

Stop sugar coating your corporate speak and be more open and honest with your customers.

"JREF fan Clare Zimmerman alerted us to this brilliant video that illustrates perfectly the basic problem with the all-too-common accusation that skeptics are closed-minded." Really good video.

"A successful designer, who has a showcase of his own work available online, has had a stock image site accuse him of copyright infringement over his own illustrations, citing damages of $18,000." Ok people copyright is totally messed up.

Ouch.

"Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered an urgent review of a controversial new law that critics say might tolerate rape within marriage. Among its provisions are that • wives are obliged to have sexual relations with their husbands at least once every four days • women cannot leave home without their husband's permission Critics say the law limits the rights of women from the Shia minority and authorises rape within marriage."

Very cool. "The CA10 sent the case back down to the district court, and Friday, Judge Babcock granted our motion for summary judgment, holding that the URAA violated the First Amendment to the extent it restored copyright against parties who had relied on works in the public domain."

Basically in some cases fact, others ficition.

New spaceship to replace the Soyuz, which is 40+ years old design.

I'm so intrigued at the different point of views about an Apple consumer.

Happy Yuri's Night.

Good stuff for iPhone development.

"god isn't dead. people are."

"North Korea failed in its attempt to get a satellite into space after a rocket launch early on Sunday, US and South Korean officials say." North Korea claimed the satellite reached orbit.

"After years of watching late-night porn in anonymous hotel rooms – for research purposes – its purpose is clear, says Clive James. To keep one's mind off sex while one's partner is absent." Interesting mini-dissertation into porn.

Bye, bye Polaroid.

Many former Blackwater employees will now be working for the company that took over Blackwater's contracts in Iraq. Somehow I don't think that's going to change the root problem. Though I do understand it would be hard to find enough people to fill those positions without drawing on Blackwater employees.

Pretty cool twitter gadget for Gmail.

"Yet for the first time since Hewitt Associates began tracking 401(k) accounts in 1997, American workers in February held less than half of their 401(k) money in stocks." Just an interesting factoid.

Bye bye, the first fully open source cell phone.

Who doesn't love a good short story.

"A British teenager who took a drugs overdose has been saved after the American girl he was chatting to online raised the alarm." Who said the Internet kills people?