Apple pulls 'Baby Shaker' iPhone app after child welfare groups protest

I was very surprised when I read this article for a number of reasons.

First off... when did shaken baby syndrome become an epidemic? Have that many people really decided to take an infant and shake it uncontrollably? That's disturbing.

I was also surprised that Apple even allowed this application to be released. As the article explained, Apple very actively screens what applications are allowed to be released. I would have to assume that they, like me, were completely unaware that this happens relatively often.

Even without knowing the truth about shaken bay syndrome, the application does sound rather disturbing. I see no reason to enjoy the simulation of shaking a baby until its eyes turn into red X's. Nevertheless, I would normally be inclined to argue that it is nothing more than a simulation and therefore should be allowed.

However, the apparent reality of this syndrome makes the application offensive, so I understand why it has been removed.

Why do cable companies even exist any more?

This article describes how Time Warner Cable is attempting to get a public cable service outlawed in North Carolina. The community connection offers faster internet and more cable for less money.

I have Time Warner Cable in my apartment, and they are awful. Our internet is constantly going out, they gave us free movie channels and then started charging us without notice, and they are constantly giving and taking away different HD channels. I have felt for some time that this is ridiculous, and that there should be a better alternative.

It makes much more sense to have public WiFi connection. Why should people pay separately for something we all want to have everywhere we go? I cannot think of a service that is more suited to be nationalized than internet connection.

I really only use TV to watch sports now. Any other TV shows or news coverage is available online. For the amount of money people spend on cable, they could be putting more food on the table. A big part of ending this economic crisis is not just trying to free up the credit market, but also eliminating needless expenses for American families.

Most people would agree that alternative energy sources will help people to heat and power their homes and cars for less money, but I think cable is another area in which we have outgrown our old way of doing things. I really don't care how many channels they can offer me because I don't watch most of them.

It boils down to the fact that we are paying cable companies lots of money to provide a service that isn't really necessary, and they often don't even do a very good job of it. The fact that they are trying to eliminate better and more practical alternatives is contemptible, and makes the need for a new approach abundantly clear.

Why Google Is The New Pirate Bay

Admittedly late, I completely forgot to do this on Friday. This article by Forbes outlines how the war against internet piracy is essentially a huge joke. The creaters of The Pirate Bay were recently fined 3 million dollars and sentenced to a year in prison. They got in trouble because their site is the most notorious, and they dismissed their critics in public interviews.

The problem is.... plenty of other websites just like theirs exist already, and they can all be found through Google. In fact, any torrent of any song or movie can be found on Google. It was easy to pick on the Pirate Bay guys, but I would love to see what the record companies think they can do to Google.

The result is that music and movies will never stop being available, and art is a public good. This concept seems so alien to a culture that is used to both buying and selling these things, but our society needs so abandon its view of artwork as a product.

It will always be free, because it is not worth paying for in advance. An artist needs to do more for me before I will give them money. Before I buy a painting, does an artist show me they painting once, at a time I did not select, for a brief moment?

No. But that is how radio works. Art is sold after it is put fully on display and you are given complete access to it. The same does not apply to music or film, which you do not have legal access to unless you pay for it.

Torrent sites are popular because people are sick of paying for things they don't like. If you have a movie that's so special, let me see it for free and I'll consider buying the DVD later.

Linux may be fastest growing platform

I found an article where the CEO of the Linux Foundation claimed that Linux is the fastest growing platform. A recent study by the IDC suggests the same. The main reason for this is that Linux is organized around the browser doesn't have a desktop like Mac or PC. This is much easier for people working from portable devices.

I've never used Linux, and I don't have an iPhone or a BlackBerry, but this makes sense to me. If I get an iPhone or a Blackberry, I might check out Linux because I think it seems easier to use on a handheld device.