My brother-in-law Carl led me to check out the latest news from Windows Automotive. It looks like the software now supports the .NET Compact Framework. That means that, when I can get ahold of one of these, I know how to program the car. Eeeevil ideas are brewing. Heheheheheeeee...

This one's for my buddy, Epee Bill...

"Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM." That phrase was the bane of clone-makers in the mid-80s. Companies would willingly pay five times as much for an IBM, just because no one wanted to take the fall for problems with a lesser system.

And no, that didn't mean that IBMs didn't have their flaws. It simply meant that if you bought IBM, no one would claim you cut corners and caused the mess. It was the safe choice.

Eventually, companies got more comfortable with compatibles; and eventually, IBM lowered their prices to compete. They're still pricey, but they're also still good machines (particularly the new Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet PC).

The funny thing is, I never actually heard of anyone who was fired for not buying an IBM. I'm sure it might've happened; but the phenomenon was really all about corporate folks unwilling to take a chance.

But apparently, someone just got fired for buying an Apple (link requires free registration):

After a divisive public debate, a lawsuit brought by a former county commissioner stopped the program last month, not on its merits but on the plan to fund it with proceeds from a special sales tax approved by county voters in 2003. On Aug. 14, school board members received a stinging report from a corporate investigator alleging bias and deception in the bidding process for the contract, which had been won by Apple Computer.

School board members voted immediately to terminate the contract with Apple. Three of the seven members called for Redden's dismissal. The other four said they still had questions both about the bidding process and about how the investigative firm, Kessler International, put together its report.

It will be, if this guy (story linked by eWeek) gets the Republican nomination:

A public interest lawyer who is also intending to run as a Republican in the 2006 Illinois gubernatorial race is taking his fight to Microsoft in hopes of preventing the company from releasing what he calls "bad code."

Andy Martin of The Committee to Fight Microsoft on Tuesday announced his intentions to block Microsoft from releasing Windows Vista. Martin intends to ask Microsoft for an unconditional warranty that the operating system is free of bugs that could result in security vulnerabilities.

When Mr. Martin, a trial lawyer with a bit of an Ahab complex when it comes to Microsoft, writes and releases a single secure application that survives assaults from thousands of hackers the world over, then I'll take his opinions on software seriously.

But I think the Illinois Democrats will have to get by without my contribution. Despite being insane enough to nominate Alan Keyes in 2004, I can't imagine even the Illinois Republicans will nominate Mr. Martin for dogcatcher, much less governor. I think his positronic brain needs ajustment, so he can understand how the real world works.

From The Earth To The Moon reports that Buzz Aldrin has released a children's book on space travel. (They also continue to advertise a deluxe DVD edition of From the Earth to the Moon, the stunning miniseries from Tom Hanks. Drool...)

Dotfuscator and James Avery's book get a mention on Slashdot.

Speaking of books, Bill Wagner reviews Keith Brown's .NET Developer's Guide to Windows Security. "As I said at the top of this review, “The .NET Developer’s Guide to Windows Security” should be required reading for every .NET developer."

And speaking of James Avery, he got asked about blogs and RSS in a job interview this week. Hey, James, I hope that doesn't mean you'll take a new job out of town before I show up next month!

Tablet PC Buzz links to this Channel Insider report on unexpectedly high demands for the new ThinkPads, including the new ThinkPad Tablet PCs. "The ThinkPad Tablet has sold so fast since its introduction that Lenovo quickly ran out of stock and is now working to catch up, he said. The product, intended for vertical markets such as health care, has caught on in the mainstream marketplace, he said."

Howard Lovy takes a hiatus from his blogging hiatus to post outtakes from his Wired story on nanomedicine and cancer. These are parts that were cut for space, but they add nice depth to the overall article. I hope Mr. Lovy finds full-time employment soon, so that he can spare more time for blogging on nanotechnology.

Julie Lerman points out The Regulator, a regular expression testing and learning tool. RegEx has always frustrated me, since it seems to be very powerful yet is incredibly poorly documented. And no one seems to be able to recommend a good book on it. Instead, I hear, "Read chapter such-and-such from that O'Reilly book on SED," or something like that. The Regulator looks like a great help. Thanks, Julie! And thanks, Roy Osherove, for writing it. (Julie also experienced a tornado recently. We have a family friend who was trapped when her house was collapsed by a tornado, and I've had tornado-phobia my whole life. A post like Julie's will give me nightmares tonight. Thanks, Julie...)

Chris from PowerBlogs (my blog service provider; and yes, I'm very pleased with the service) reports that reports are working again. That will be good, because I haven't actually seen reports since I signed up. Now lest you think that's a complaint, I entirely understand the reasons why: Chris was away on his honeymoon; and unlike some people I know, he actually stayed away from tech for the duration. (Actually, judging by the timing, Chris was setting up my account somewhere right in the middle of last-minute wedding stuff.) I look forward to checking out the reports.

Sam Gentile posts on the power of blogs. "So what's the message? An investment in reading quality bloggers every day will increase your knowledge and make you a better Developer/Architect/Marketer, and also your own blog could do wonders for your career and exposure."

me: under a microscope (found via Eric Maino) struggles to balance school and work and like. At that age, I thought it would get so much simpler when I could drop school out of the mix. Sorry to tell ya, bud, but it only got more complicated. Keep working on your balancing skills. They'll serve you well.

Mike Swanson posts on the new WinFX, as well as other new stuff. Mike also bucks the trend in ironic, imaginative, and generally silly blog names, with "Michael Swanson's Blog". I respect that.

hack-a-day links to a robotic drum set that would make Herbie Hancock proud. (And if you don't get the allusion, you must not have spent the early 80s letting MTV rot your brain.)

Thom Robbins points out some new Sharepoint application templates. Some day, I'll understand what that means...

Patrick at The Tablet PC in Teaching & Learning asks about a tool for using Ink in IE. A commenter links to IE Ink 2004, which lets you Ink on any Web page and then save a local copy. I'll have to try that out. Patrick also points out a new Tablet PC commercial from Microsoft, aimed at the education market. This ad almost makes me want to go back to college!


UPDATE AND SHAMELESS PLUG: And And since there's Tablet PC information in this post, Richard Hale Shaw would have my hide if I didn't recommend our new Tablet PC BootCamp.