Sony temporarily halts use of crippleware, but Homeland Security still is not pleased

Nothing like lawsuits to get a response, if only for the moment. Stung by continuing criticism, the world’s second-largest music label, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, promised Friday to temporarily suspend making music CDs with antipiracy technology that can leave computers vulnerable to hackers. Sony defended its right to prevent customers from illegally copying music but said it will halt manufacturing CDs with the “XCP” technology as a precautionary measure. “We also intend to re-examine all aspects of our content protection initiative to be sure that it continues to meet our goals of security and ease of consumer use,” the company said in a statement....

 · Laura Lis Scott

When a website is a car, not a taxi

This may sound kind of like a sales pitch, but it seems that many people do not understand the difference between a static website (aka “brochureware”) and a dynamic website. So I thought I’d explore the question: When is a brochure more than a brochure? I think vlado put it quite simply: “If you have more features, you’ll pay far more” Well, Laura seems to favour exactly the opposite – quote the customer a brochure site and deliver them an ever expanding, flexible website....

 · Laura Lis Scott

Which is really the bubble? (And is it bursting?)

So are blogs just a passing fad, as Kevin Maney claims? His USA Today column stirred up a minor tempest in business blog circles, mainly for assertions such as: So, yeah, blogs are cool. Anything that gives people a voice benefits society and makes us all better and smarter - and, as bloggers have proved, makes established information outlets more accountable. But blogs don’t seem to be the second coming of the printing press....

 · Laura Lis Scott