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Day: 20 May 2007

Techy: Updated Software

May 20, 2007
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I always find it useful to have certain software on my computer and my recent change of job (more of this at some point in the near future) has prompted me to check for updates for certain items. So here they are:

  • EditPlus (version 2.3.1 released 14th of March 2007). This has got to be the one of the best text editors out there – simple to use, has FTP built in, has syntax colouring, has set modes (for PHP, Javascript, HTML and much more) and doesn’t try to take things over. It’s shareware, so if you like it – buy it! I did (several years back) and keep on being tempted to buy another copy just for the sake of it.
  • Irfanview (version 4 released 23rd of April 2007). A simple to use very handy image viewer (handles practically every format I’ve thrown at it) and simple editor. Completely free of charge.
  • Google Earth (latest version 4.1 released 6th of May 2007). Ok, not essential – but a very useful tool (and, for some reason, not included in the Google Pack updater so it’s not that easy to keep track of latest versions). It’s nice to fly around the world.
  • Mozy Remote Backup (version 1.8.2.7, released 9th of May 2007). I think this is an excellent automatic remote backup system for Windows PCs and Macs – it’s just so easy to use and allows you to “roll back” to any backup date. And if you follow this Mozy Backup signup link – you’ll get 2.3Gb (2,304Mb) of storage space FREE of charge to automatically backup your files.
  • Thunderbird 2 (released 18th of April 2007). A nice little FREE email client to replace the expensive Microsoft Outlook email system (which has a 2Gb email limit) and Outlook Express. It now supports “tags” (like Google Email) and has a good antispam and antiphishing detection system.

What’s your “must have” programs?

Disney Help Explain Copyright Law

May 20, 2007
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From Boing Boing via Stupid Evil Bastard is this Stanford University Cyberlaw documentary film program about copyright utilising Disney® copyrighted movie clips under the Fair usage act.

(Direct download link: Stanford.edu, Coral Cache)

Why Disney? Well, to me they seem to be a major copyright abuser (the Lion King character and the intro to the film is very similar to a Japanese animated series Kimba the White Lion: they even appear to have used the “Lion Sleeps Tonight” music without permission, Atlantis is meant to be similar to “Nadia: Secret of Blue Water” and “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”, characters in Aladdin are meant to be similar to ones in The Thief And The Cobbler and I’m reasonable sure there’s others), but they are also one of the main companies who keep pushing for copyright extensions (see The Mickey Mouse Protection Act.

I also don’t quite like their policies of “niceify” some stories (such as The Brother Grimm stories, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmations etc) – at least if Disney are going to make them into films (even though the stories are public domain and therefore available to be used “without fees”: something no Disney item is likely to become), they could at least keep the story intact.

(rant over)