via MacRumors:

When searching for movies in iTunes, Universal movies no longer have contain a warning that the movies are not available through iCloud, while Fox’s movies retain the warning…Previous movie purchases from Universal should now be available for redownload in your previous purchased menu on iTunes.

Fox is also said to be in negotiations with expectations that their movies would also become available through iCloud in the near future.

Ever wonder what student pilots carry in their flight bag? (from left to right): Cessna 172 Pilot’s Operating Handbook; emergency glow sticks; navigation logs; kneeboard containing local airport info, emergency procedures, comm frequencies, notes, etc; San Antonio sectional chart; contact lens rewetting drops; Smith and Wesson red/white LED aviation flashlight; sectional chart clips; pens and pencils; notecards; checkbook; laminated procedures checklists; replacement batteries for headset/flashlight; pilot logbook; Texas Airport and Facilities Directory; E6B flight computer and manual; navigation plotter. Not pictured: Bose A20 aviation headset, flight bag.

During a talk at SXSW yesterday, tech journalist Steven Levy talked about how he had once brandished an iPod with an external microphone to record an interview with Steve Jobs.

Jobs was horrified when he saw that Levy had a case on his iPod. Jobs asked Levy why he would choose to change the form factor on such a beautiful device.

“So I told [Jobs], but it’s beautiful! I don’t want to get scratches on it,” Levy said.

Jobs replied, “But that’s how you know it’s real, that it’s a real thing.”

Jeff Jarvis writes on SOPA/PIPA:

The question of fact is difficult to answer as it is an attempt to prove a negative: How do we know how many copies of a work pirates would have bought if they hadn’t pirated? How do we know how many more people discovered and bought a work because it was pirated? How do we differentiate between shrinking industry sales caused by piracy or by a new abundance of competition?

The matter of principles is this: Where will the White House and government put their priorities: in protecting the interests of a shrinking industry or in protecting the interests of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic expansion? Will they favor protecting the interests of a closed industry or the freedom of speech?

Bills like SOPA and PIPA don’t work because they are written by people who do not understand the Internet. SOPA was written by the entertainment industry as a catch-all maneuver to combat piracy.

The problem is that the bill is so vague that it allows for the take-down of legitimate websites and services and undermines existing provisions in the DMCA. It grants not only the government but also private organizations to block web addresses with little more than an accusation.

Without doubt, SOPA/PIPA will be be a devastating blow not only to the tech sector, but to jobs, security and innovation.

Learn more, then take action against SOPA/PIPA by contacting your member of Congress and signing this petition.

Also: End Piracy, Not Liberty

Here’s a short piece I recently wrote about a group of Texas counties collaborating on GIS solutions. This will be of interest to anyone who attended my presentation at SXSW last year on the importance of open data and data visualization in government.

The consortium operates under the direction of the East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG), an already chummy and productive network of counties and other governmental entities with a shared commitment toward smart government. GIS encompasses the technology and analysis of electronic maps and the data they represent. It’s like your GPS, but with a brain and a hard drive, allowing officials and workers to spot geographic trends with satellite images without so much time in the field. The East Texas GIS Consortium’s goal is to share otherwise costly GIS systems, similar to a co-op, creating savings that ultimately benefit East Texas taxpayers. The city of Rusk, for example, mapped its fire hydrants and analyzed the data to identify underserved areas. By spotting deficiencies in hydrant service, officials can preempt disasters and other emergencies.

Read the entire article.

via InfoWorld:

Until something changes in the law or in future court rulings, owning all the equipment an employee uses does give a business the most control over its data and communication. Of course, that contradicts the trend to let people use their home PCs and personal devices, which many businesses like for the cost savings and lower accounting and asset-management overhead. The real question: What’s that control worth to your business?

Applies to most traditional retail, really. Link.