Deviant Abstraction

This is a memo from Microsoft. It shows how they have prepared for a paper for Wired.

This is really freaky. It is OK to present your angle of the story IMO, but this is manipulation. I understand why Wired is quite upset.

Microsoft should learn how to relax and trust. Especially in our new connected-happy-world where those totalitarian tactics does not work (or not at this level). It reminds me of some dysfunctional companies I worked for.

Memo in PDF and the Wired article (via the Long Tail)

After the bug of year 2K, here is a more serious problem: most computer system are based on Unix. Ie: Linux, Solaris, and so on. Most of their time is the number of seconds after 1.1.1970. This function returns a 32 bits variable which is stored for instance to get the creation date of a file.

32 bits is 2^32 possible values so around 136 years. But the variable seems to be signed, hence 2^31 and only 68 years (= 136 / 2). Hence in 2038 we are going to have a big problems since most current systems are coded with Unix.

More information here.

What is there to add?

(via BoingBoing)

By dynamic, I mean adapted to each user. The phone WAP site are good at that for various reasons. It is trivial for the Web but we lack some good ideas to execute. This article shows some of them.

The marketing message is good, but I think their approach is only partially correct.

Link

I am now working at SmApper in Kufstein, Austria. It is my third days and I simply love my new job: great team, great product, a new language and a new town.

The picture below is the view from the hotel I am currently staying in. It is currently quite snowy and beautiful.

I don’t currently have Internet except at work.

Today is my last day at Buongiorno. It is sad since it is also one of my last days in France.

I worked as a Project Manager there for three years. Overall those were good years where I could study and work. The team was great: they let me work part time to study while financing my college. I have learnt a lot there and I wish them all the best.

Now a whole new life is starting. Cool.

A refreshing look on some common Linux myths. Some part are stupid but others well thought. Interesting read at least for the step back. The writer works in Entreprise Software, so interesting insights in this business too.

Link

This post does not address mobile search; it is still an interesting read. He forgots somehow how much search is broken: do you find easily what you are looking for?

What could be the best interface? Looks for words? Meaning? No one really know.

For instance, Google is perfect to help me solve technical issues because there are a lot of computer related content and I am looking for something precise. But it does not work when I am looking for a more general terms.

Maybe search is more complex than envisioned and should be addressed by various tools?

Link