Thursday News

Happy Thursday. Patrick and I will be flying to Atlanta tomorrow morning. We'll be appearing at the Lenox Square Mall, near Macy's, from 1-3p Saturday and Sunday. Happy Birthday to my close personal friend, Kelly Ripa. Groucho was born on this day in 1890. In the news today...

• Giants lose. A's win in 12. Entire state of Massachusetts oversleeps this morning.
• Microsoft acknowledges that piecemeal patches don't work, says it plans next week to "secure the perimeter." In other words, block attacks before they enter the system. Sounds like a beefed-up firewall to me.
• EFF white paper approves of most parts of Microsoft and Intel's Trusted Computing initiative (formerly Palladium and TCPA) but says remote attestation is a problem. Says users should be able to "lie" to remote rights owners.
• Microsoft agrees to pay $10.5 million to consumers who overpaid for software. But you must have purchased the software either through Microsoft's Web site between Feb. 22, 1999, and April 30, 2003, or through certain Microsoft direct marketing campaigns between Nov. 10, 1995, and April 30, 2003.

And in non-Microsoft news...

• All new PCs sold in Japan will come with pre-paid recycling.
• Congress plans streamlined sales tax rules that will make it easier for states to collect on Internet sales. (The current Internet tax prohibition specifically allows state sales taxes.)
• Napster 2.0 test launches in one week. Roxio licensed the Napster name, but the new service ain't free.
• Open Office 1.1 ships.