From the very beginning, the Internet has been a kind of bazaar for the world’s opportunists, taking advantage of the technology, fuzzy legal definitions, and the entrepreneurial spirit to make money.
In this category, you won’t find anyone as successful, or as dangerous, as Michael Robertson.
It was Robertson that created the company MP3.com back in 1998, which would essentially allow users to access music from any CDs they’ve purchased through the Web. What they do with that music was not MP3.com’s business.
He was sued by the Recording Industry Association of America and lost, but MP3.com remains online allowing people to download MP3 music and software.
Microsoft recently sued Robertson for a Linux-based operating system and software called Lindows, arguing that the name of the system violates the copyright for Windows.
His latest venture, SIPphone, isn’t going to make him any friends, either.
A SIPphone can be plugged into any broadband Internet connection through your broadband account. Because you can only contact other SIP-ready devices, not cell phones or land lines, the phone has limited uses. But imagine buying one for your extended family – you’d never pay long distance for a call home ever again.
Launched just two weeks ago, the SIPphone retails for just $65 US, and comes with a phone number in the special 747 area code (SIP) on your area code.
The SIPphones, available at www.sipphone.com, use the Session Initiation Protocol, which allows voices to travel through the Internet without interruption. People have been using the technology for a decade to save on long distance, but it never really made it past the desks of tech geeks and companies.
If past activities are any indication, Robertson is about to get hit with a massive suit from the telecommunications industry, but as always he comes up smelling like a daisy – and with a new idea for making money.
Read the article on SIPphone at Wired Magazine, www.wired.com.
The return of Tron
Tron’s back. That’s right Tron – a 1982 Disney film about a programmer who gets caught in a computer program and has to battle his way out using light cycles, frisbees and other high-tech weapons.
Buena Vista Games is releasing a Tron game this August called Tron 2.0 that includes many of the same elements as the movie – with vastly better graphics and arguably a better storyline. It’s a role-playing game that mixes live action battles, Tron gladiator arenas (including the light cycle game), and solving puzzles.
To give it a test run, visit www.tron20.net.
Microsoft to cough up $521 million
Eolas Technologies is the proud owner of $521 million in cash, four years after the company took Microsoft to court for infringing on a software patent for plug-ins and applets in software.
The jury sided with Eolas, which initiated the suit back in 1999.
Microsoft was undone by internal documents that described the technology, although it didn’t mention the company directly.
One quarter of the money will go towards the University of California which played a part in the development of the technology, while the rest will go to Eolas.
Eolas, if you’re wondering, has just one employee on the payroll, a former UofC researcher by the name of Mike Doyle. The company also has 100 shareholders.
According to Doyle, the money will fund future research at Eolas.
Microsoft is appealing the decision.
Applets and plug-ins allow Web users to view video, play streaming audio, play games, view live news and stock quotes, and more within an Internet browser, without opening or running any additional software.
Back in May, Microsoft agreed to pay $750 million to AOL Time-Warner to settle a lawsuit by Netscape.
PC World offers Windows tips
Did you know that when you hold the Shift key when you hit the close box icon on any folder, you can close any folder in the hierarchy of your folder browsing? Did you know that you can put shortcuts into files to help you find your place?
This month’s PC World (www.pcworld.com) features more than 50 tips and shortcuts for working in Windows that could save you time and headaches. My favourite is an Active Desktop feature that allows you to put all of your desktop icons in a desktop folder with the click of a button. The feature to view sound and video files in Web view is also pretty handy.
Ticketmaster pushing spam?
Ticketmaster customers are complaining that the number of spam e-mails they have received increased after ordering tickets online through the ticket service.
The fact that the spam e-mails were personalized, including full names, regional information and more suggested to members of an online discussion group that it wasn’t a coincidence.
Ticketmaster’s privacy policy lets customers decide not to get e-mails from Ticketmaster, but says that users acknowledge that the information will be shared with third persons, including venues, promoters, artists and other parties associated with a concert or event. These partners are allowed to contact you, after which point you can ask not to receive any more e-mails.
Ticketmaster said it was obliged to share the information with partners in hosting events.
