<![CDATA[[SoftRatty] tag: ruled]]> http://www.softratty.com/tag/ruled Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:45:00 +0000 iRatty Engine http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[Lycos Europe To Shut Down; Is Recession Taking a Toll on Old Giants?]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/3f0170d3e0ce991bbeb0af97a34e7511 http://www.softratty.com/article/3f0170d3e0ce991bbeb0af97a34e7511 Remember Lycos? It was once an unavoidable name on par with the Facebooks and the Twitters of the current world, but things change fast on the Internet. Its European arm, Lycos Europe, is shutting down after being unable to return to the path of profitability and/or find a buyer.

The company, consisting of a web portal and web hosting business, will liquidate its assets and return around 50 million euros to the shareholders. However, 500 to 700 people will lose their jobs. The US-based Lycos Inc. is a different company and is not directly affected by the demise of Lycos Europe, but it’s also a far cry from its glory days when its front page was the most visited portal on the web.

One has to wonder, however, how many old giants will fall prey to the recession (which, by the way, doesn’t show signs of loosening its grip on the US economy)? Rewind back 7 or 8 years ago from now; the names that ruled the Internet are either far from profitable, or nowhere to be seen: HotBot (pretty much just a name now), Altavista, Napster. Hell, you can even throw in Yahoo in there, because although it’s still huge as far as web brands go, things aren’t looking good for it either.

The fact is, the recession won’t be kind even to companies that are making money. Companies that are losing money - especially old, tired web companies that have been losing money for quite some time - will be sweeped off the charts very fast.

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Related Articles at Mashable | All That's New on the Web:

Lycos On the Auction Bloc
Pixsy Steals Lycos from Blinkx for Video Search?
Skype-Backed Wunderloop Serving Ads for Lycos
Lycos Mix Launches, Too Late?
Latest Blinkx Partners: RealNetworks, Lycos & Dogpile
YouTube’s Test Tube, Streams
Lycos Webon: Will a Blogging Platform Save the Search Relic?

]]> Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:07:22 +0000 lycos lycos europe lycos mix launches remember lycos tired web companies web companies web brands pixsy steals lycos Lycos Europe To Shut Down; Is Recession Taking a Toll on Old Giants? <![CDATA[Things You Didnt Know About Thanksgiving]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/e4ed7b81594835087747fc87092defa9 http://www.softratty.com/article/e4ed7b81594835087747fc87092defa9 Quirky Thanksgiving trivia:

In 1953, someone at Swanson severely overestimated the amount of turkey Americans would consume that Thanksgiving. With 260 tons of frozen birds to get rid of, a company salesman named Gerry Thomas ordered 5,000 aluminum trays, recruited an assembly line of women armed with spatulas and ice-cream scoops and began creating mini-feasts of turkey, corn-bread dressing, peas and sweet potatoes — creating the first-ever TV dinner. Thomas later said he got the idea from neatly packaged airplane food.

Football & Feastin’

Thanksgiving is ruled by two very powerful f-words: “food” and “football.” Nearly as old as the sport itself, the tradition of watching football on Thanksgiving began in 1876, when the newly formed American Intercollegiate Football Association held its first championship game. Less than a decade later, more than 5,000 club, college and high school football teams held games on Thanksgiving, with match-ups between Princeton and Yale drawing more than 40,000 fans out from their dining rooms. 1934 marked the first NFL game held on Thanksgiving when the Detroit Lions took on the Chicago Bears. The Lions have played on Thanksgiving ever since — except, of course, when the team was called away to serve during World War II.

Franksgiving

FDR learned the hard way not to mess with some traditions. In 1939, the President declared that Americans should celebrate the annual feast one week early, hoping the decision would spur retail sales during the Great Depression. But Americans did not react kindly to the New Deal meal. Some took to the streets while others took to name-calling; the mayor of Atlantic City solved the controversy by declaring his residents would simply enjoy two meals — Thanksgiving and “Franksgiving.” After two years of squabbling (or gobbling, as it were), Congress adopted a resolution in 1941 setting the fourth Thursday of November as the legal holiday

Mary Had a Little Thanksgiving Obession

The woman who wrote the classic nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb” also played an integral role in making Thanksgiving a national holiday. After a 17-year letter-writing campaign, magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale finally convinced President Abraham Lincoln to issue an 1863 decree recognizing the historic tradition.

Americans at the Abbey

In 1942, London’s Westminster Abbey held Thanksgiving services for U.S. troops stationed in England. More than 3,500 soldiers filled the church’s pews to sing America, the Beautiful and The Star-Spangled Banner — the first time in the church’s 900-year history that a foreign army was invited to take over the grounds. It was an ironic gesture given the holiday’s origins as a festival for pilgrims fleeing religious tyranny in Britain.

Read more by clicking above. Happy Thanksgiving!

]]> Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:33:59 +0000 turkey football association held football turkey americans americans president abraham lincoln president first-ever tv dinner spur retail sales Things You Didnt Know About Thanksgiving <![CDATA[Is Steve Ballmers Appearance on Vista Capable lawsuit bad?]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/5c79b72737556b99edb6cc51533805ae http://www.softratty.com/article/5c79b72737556b99edb6cc51533805ae Judge Marsha Pechman of Microsoft’s class action suit against their Windows Vista Capable campaign has ruled that Steve Ballmer should appear in court.

Microsoft lawyers did everything they can to keep Steve from appearing arguing that Steve’s knowledge just comes from the two executives he have empowered for the campaign, both of which already testified; but the judge thought otherwise.

Is this going to be bad for Microsoft? The judge ruling against the request of Microsoft lawyers is bad; but Steve’s intelligence and how handles himself might actually work in favor of Microsoft. He may even make Microsoft look good and the other players the bad boy in the whole Vista Capable campaign.

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]]> Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:37:28 +0000 vista microsoft bad microsoft lawyers steve campaign judge judge marsha pechman vista capable campaign Is Steve Ballmers Appearance on Vista Capable lawsuit bad? <![CDATA[Court Rejects Psystar Countersuit Against Apple]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/3ab75915d5e0bab84ddf610f3295ab73 http://www.softratty.com/article/3ab75915d5e0bab84ddf610f3295ab73

A California judge Tuesday preliminarily dismissed Psystar’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple. Judge William Alsup rejected the Mac clone-maker’s counterclaim, writing Apple’s computers and Mac OS X software “are not wholly lacking in competition.”

Alsup gave Psystar until Dec. 8 to amend its countersuit to bolster its argument that Apple was preventing third parties from selling computers based on its Mac OS X operating system.

In a 19-page opinion siding with Apple’s motion to dismiss Pystar’s August countersuit, the judge ruled that Pystar’s legal team failed to support the “counterintuitive claim that Apple’s operating system is so unique that it suffers no actual or potential competitors,” according to AppleInsider, which first reported the decision.

In August, Psystar filed the countersuit following Apple’s July lawsuit alleging the Florida company infringed its copyrights and patents by selling computers with a modified version of the Mac OS capable of running on PCs.

]]> Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:36:41 +0000 apples apples july lawsuit apples computers mac clone-makers counterclaim mac psystar computers alsup judge william alsup Court Rejects Psystar Countersuit Against Apple <![CDATA[World Of Warcraft Expansions To Continue Forever, iPhone Apps Coming, Says Blizzard CEO]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/3877b91dfea9c2d52c8b54a6994a89e2 http://www.softratty.com/article/3877b91dfea9c2d52c8b54a6994a89e2 blizzard-lichking.jpgWorld of Warcraft players may be so excited over the new expansion "Wrath of the Lich King" they're playing until they pass out, but there's more WoW in the works. Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime told MTV he plans to keep releasing expansions to the game so long as there's interest -- and given the two-hour queues to play, there's plenty of that.

Highlights of the MTV piece:

  • Morhaime: "We will continue making expansions as long as we have players that want to play 'World of Warcraft'." Blizzard's goal is to release a new add-on every year, but that may be aggressive, and there's no commitment to a November 2009 release.
  • No changes to WoW's subscription price (about $15 a month) are being planned.
  • The company is looking at how to incorporate an iPhone application into the game, but they've ruled out an "independent standalone application." What does that leave? Checking your WoW in-game email from your cell phone? Trading virtual goods at WoW's "auction house?"

But this is the best line, where Mike defends WoW's monthly fee as a lot of bang for your buck: "If you look at other choices that you can make - like going to a movie with a date - you've already over your 15 dollars for two hours." Mike may have a point, but we'd suggest to any World of Warcraft players reading this that while dates are indeed expensive, it's worth stepping away from the land of Azertoth now and again.

See Also:
World Of Warcraft Frenzy: Two-Hour Lines For Lich King
Chinese Government Gets In On Gold Farming Action With New 20% Tax
Geeks Camp Out In The Cold For New Warcraft (Photos)

]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000 warcraft warcraft players world players expansions warcraft frenzy in-game email game independent standalone application World Of Warcraft Expansions To Continue Forever, iPhone Apps Coming, Says Blizzard CEO <![CDATA[Cool Websites and Tools (edition #199)]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/e14808fcb17e9758f5ff547c6ef3c9c9 http://www.softratty.com/article/e14808fcb17e9758f5ff547c6ef3c9c9 'extra' post Check out some of the latest makeuseof discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For even more app reviews subscribe to makeuseof directory. Want to submit your application to MakeUseOf directory ? See how here.

(1) AwayFind - Make sure you receive urgent emails when you are offline or on vacation. AwayFind gives you a custom form that people can use to reach you via SMS when you’re not accessible via regular emails. Read more: AwayFind - Receive Urgent Emails While Offline Or On Vacation.

(2) Cornell Notes Generator - Generate printable note taking sheets. You can customize and make sheets ruled, graph style or have them blank. Moreover there are options to add name, subject, date, etc. Read more: PDF Notes Generator - Print Sheets for Note Taking.

(3) DeadlineApp - Simple reminder tool. Set up reminders from the site or schedule reminders via email, instant messenger or mobile phone. Read more: Deadline - The Simplest Tool To Set Up Reminders.

(4) DukaUs - Free group calling service for US and Canada. You can invite up to 5 participants and talk a maximum of 30 minutes per day. Read more: DukaUS - Free Group Calling for US and Canada.

(5) HideLinks - Offers a simple way to mask your private bookmark under a different URL and then password protect it. Read more: HideLinks - Password Protect Your Bookmarks.

(6) NumberZoom - Get info on telemarketers, collection agencies, and other unknown numbers left on your caller ID machine. Read more: NumberZoom - Lookup Unknown Caller IDs.

(7) PiccDrop - Upload, host and even hotlink your images online for free. There are no ads either. Read more: PiccDrop - Host and Hotlink Images Online.

(8) Project Draw - Easy to use online diagram and plan drawing tool. Draw diagrams, floor layouts, network plans, and lots of other stuff. Read more: Project Draw - Draw Plans and Diagrams Online.

(9) Protonotes - This tool comes as a big help for those teams who are working on web development projects. It helps the team members to easily add notes and collaborate on prototypes, no matter where they are in the world. Read more: Protonotes - Collaborate When Working With HTML Prototypes.

(10) Wordpress Theme Generator - Create your own WordPress themes. Easily customize different aspects of your theme such us layout, background color, body size and column dimensions, text style and color etc. Read more: Wordpress Theme Generator.

These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last 3-4 days. If you want us to send you daily round-up of all cool websites we come across leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed.

(By) Aibek, the guy behind MakeUseOf.com

Enjoyed the article? Please leave a comment and tell us what you think about it

New here? Get your cheat sheets and freebies at MakeUseOf Downloads. Enjoy!

Tags:Cool Websites

Related posts

]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:39:52 +0000 websites cool websites makeuseof downloads makeuseof makeuseof extra tools edition simple makeuseof discoveries Cool Websites and Tools (edition #199) <![CDATA[Cool Websites and Tools (edition #199)]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/32aad614330f32092048fe57d8f4c927 http://www.softratty.com/article/32aad614330f32092048fe57d8f4c927 'extra' post Check out some of the latest makeuseof discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For even more app reviews subscribe to makeuseof directory. Want to submit your application to MakeUseOf directory ? See how here.

(1) AwayFind - Make sure you receive urgent emails when you are offline or on vacation. AwayFind gives you a custom form that people can use to reach you via SMS when you’re not accessible via regular emails. Read more: AwayFind - Receive Urgent Emails While Offline Or On Vacation.

(2) Cornell Notes Generator - Generate printable note taking sheets. You can customize and make sheets ruled, graph style or have them blank. Moreover there are options to add name, subject, date, etc. Read more: PDF Notes Generator - Print Sheets for Note Taking.

(3) DeadlineApp - Simple reminder tool. Set up reminders from the site or schedule reminders via email, instant messenger or mobile phone. Read more: Deadline - The Simplest Tool To Set Up Reminders.

(4) DukaUs - Free group calling service for US and Canada. You can invite up to 5 participants and talk a maximum of 30 minutes per day. Read more: DukaUS - Free Group Calling for US and Canada.

(5) HideLinks - Offers a simple way to mask your private bookmark under a different URL and then password protect it. Read more: HideLinks - Password Protect Your Bookmarks.

(6) NumberZoom - Get info on telemarketers, collection agencies, and other unknown numbers left on your caller ID machine. Read more: NumberZoom - Lookup Unknown Caller IDs.

(7) PiccDrop - Upload, host and even hotlink your images online for free. There are no ads either. Read more: PiccDrop - Host and Hotlink Images Online.

(8) Project Draw - Easy to use online diagram and plan drawing tool. Draw diagrams, floor layouts, network plans, and lots of other stuff. Read more: Project Draw - Draw Plans and Diagrams Online.

(9) Protonotes - This tool comes as a big help for those teams who are working on web development projects. It helps the team members to easily add notes and collaborate on prototypes, no matter where they are in the world. Read more: Protonotes - Collaborate When Working With HTML Prototypes.

(10) Wordpress Theme Generator - Create your own WordPress themes. Easily customize different aspects of your theme such us layout, background color, body size and column dimensions, text style and color etc. Read more: Wordpress Theme Generator.

These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last 3-4 days. If you want us to send you daily round-up of all cool websites we come across leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed.

(By) Aibek, the guy behind MakeUseOf.com

Enjoyed the article? Please leave a comment and tell us what you think about it

New here? Get your cheat sheets and freebies at MakeUseOf Downloads. Enjoy!

Tags:Cool Websites

Related posts

]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:39:52 +0000 websites cool websites makeuseof downloads makeuseof makeuseof extra tools edition simple makeuseof discoveries Cool Websites and Tools (edition #199) <![CDATA[An invitation from the mayor of Rome: Come see Ancient Rome in 3D]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/c3abdc1fcc181098bae536ea097f17ce http://www.softratty.com/article/c3abdc1fcc181098bae536ea097f17ce Ancient Rome 3D layer in Google Earth. Thanks to Google and the Rome Reborn Project, everyone in the world, from Rome itself to Calcutta, can now travel through time and discover Ancient Rome as it was 1,688 years ago when it was ruled by Emperor Constantine.

The project includes more than 6,700 buildings of Ancient Rome rebuilt in 3D — a true record. This accomplishment demonstrates how technology can be helpful in promoting culture and disseminating knowledge. Ancient Rome 3D is a great opportunity to rediscover the importance of Ancient Roman culture, which is at the base of the Italian, European and, more generally, Western identities. The archaeological heritage and the artistic monuments of the Roman Empire have found their way to many continents, but it is in the capital city (known in Roman times as Caput Mundi, which is Latin for "Capital of the World") that we can still find most of it. For example, architectural masterpieces like the Colosseum (considered one of the seven wonders of the world) have managed to withstand the tests of time — resisting sacks, invasions and world wars over the centuries and proving, with the immortality of their stones, the grandness of one of the most majestic empires that has ever existed.

What fascinates me most about this project is the accuracy of the details of the three-dimensional models. It's such a great experience to be able to admire the monuments, streets and buildings of Ancient Rome with a virtual camera that lets you go inside and see all the architectural details. From the Colosseum to the Ludus Magnus, from the Forum Caesar to the Arch of Septimius Severus, from the Rostra to the Basilica Julia, you can get up close to them all. The idea that virtual technologies now let people experience the city that I guide as it appeared in 320 A.D. fills me with pride — a pride that I inherited from Rome's glorious past.

(To find out more about the new layer, visit http://earth.google.com/rome/, watch the video tour below, or check out the Google Lat Long Blog.)



Posted by Gianni Alemanno, Mayor of Rome
]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000 rome ancient rome project rome reborn project ancient rome rebuilt discover ancient rome earth google earth google An invitation from the mayor of Rome: Come see Ancient Rome in 3D <![CDATA[An invitation from the mayor of Rome: Come see Ancient Rome in 3D]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/bc53f0d23aeaf73d1d5237999ea59228 http://www.softratty.com/article/bc53f0d23aeaf73d1d5237999ea59228 Ancient Rome 3D layer in Google Earth. Thanks to Google and the Rome Reborn Project, everyone in the world, from Rome itself to Calcutta, can now travel through time and discover Ancient Rome as it was 1,688 years ago when it was ruled by Emperor Constantine.

The project includes more than 6,700 buildings of Ancient Rome rebuilt in 3D — a true record. This accomplishment demonstrates how technology can be helpful in promoting culture and disseminating knowledge. Ancient Rome 3D is a great opportunity to rediscover the importance of Ancient Roman culture, which is at the base of the Italian, European and, more generally, Western identities. The archaeological heritage and the artistic monuments of the Roman Empire have found their way to many continents, but it is in the capital city (known in Roman times as Caput Mundi, which is Latin for "Capital of the World") that we can still find most of it. For example, architectural masterpieces like the Colosseum (considered one of the seven wonders of the world) have managed to withstand the tests of time — resisting sacks, invasions and world wars over the centuries and proving, with the immortality of their stones, the grandness of one of the most majestic empires that has ever existed.

What fascinates me most about this project is the accuracy of the details of the three-dimensional models. It's such a great experience to be able to admire the monuments, streets and buildings of Ancient Rome with a virtual camera that lets you go inside and see all the architectural details. From the Colosseum to the Ludus Magnus, from the Forum Caesar to the Arch of Septimius Severus, from the Rostra to the Basilica Julia, you can get up close to them all. The idea that virtual technologies now let people experience the city that I guide as it appeared in 320 A.D. fills me with pride — a pride that I inherited from Rome's glorious past.

(To find out more about the new layer, visit http://earth.google.com/rome/, watch the video tour below, or check out the Google Lat Long Blog.)



Update @ 12:10 PM: Rome wasn't built in a day! The Ancient Rome 3D layer will be available soon. We're sorry for the delay, and we'll post here when it's live.

Update @ 6:50 PM: The layer is now live in Google Earth, in the Gallery folder of the Layers panel. When you zoom in on Rome, you will see yellow Ancient Rome 3D icons. To load the terrain and buildings, click on any icon and then click the links at the bottom of the bubble.

Posted by Gianni Alemanno, Mayor of Rome
]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0000 rome project rome reborn project ancient rome yellow ancient rome ancient rome rebuilt discover ancient rome earth google earth An invitation from the mayor of Rome: Come see Ancient Rome in 3D <![CDATA[Beta Beat: IBM Lotus Symphony 1.2 now available for Mac]]> http://www.softratty.com/article/c0a801c66887b9b959a14e6d66ad3a3a http://www.softratty.com/article/c0a801c66887b9b959a14e6d66ad3a3a Filed under: , ,

For those of you who don't want to use Microsoft Office on your Macs, there's now another free solution available -- IBM Lotus Symphony 1.2 Mac Beta.

Lotus Symphony is nothing new; in fact, back in 1985 there was a version of this suite that ran on the Mac -- I believe it came on seven 800K diskettes -- and was the first all-in-one Mac office application. Back in those days, Lotus was still the powerhouse in office applications and the flagship Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet ruled the roost.

Things have changed. Lotus is now part of IBM and Microsoft Office has owned the office productivity suite world for years. Free office suites such as OpenOffice (which Symphony is based on) and NeoOffice, and cloud applications like Google Docs are quickly making inroads in some organizations. IBM made Lotus Symphony a free product because they see licensing costs for Microsoft Office as a budget-killer for enterprises who could be spending their money on IBM products and services.

Lotus Symphony consists of three modules with self-explanatory names -- Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations. The application supports Microsoft Office and ODF file formats for compatibility with other office suites.

Have any TUAW readers tried Lotus Symphony Mac Beta? Leave us your comments.

TUAWBeta Beat: IBM Lotus Symphony 1.2 now available for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:45:00 +0000 lotus flagship lotus lotus symphony lotus symphony consists symphony ibm ibm lotus symphony beta ibm products Beta Beat: IBM Lotus Symphony 1.2 now available for Mac