Dec 08
31
Tech Snake Review 2008
May
Most popular post for Tech Snake
I look at the popularity between different operating systems, using illegal downloads as a guide. It sparked a lot of debate, which it was meant to, and has a twist at the end!
June
Bill Gates Officially leaves Microsoft and Firefox breaks download records
Bill Gates, although held responsible for Microsoft’s dominance (in both good and bad ways) emotionally left Microsoft this month. It’s had been his baby since 1975, so it’s no wonder. Later in the year Bill was still working for Microsoft, and appeared in a few strange adverts with Jerry Seinfeld. I’m sure he’ll be around for years yet, although his main focus is on philanthropy.
Also, we saw Firefox 3 breaking the record for the most downloaded piece of software in 24 hours. The servers struggled with the load, so the 8 million final count could have been more. The record was technically being “set” not “broken”, but it was great publicity anyway.
July
San Francisco locked out of own system and UK hacker loses appeal for extradition to the US
A sys admin in San Francisco decides that the security officer who is asking for the password doesn’t deserve it (claiming incompetence) so the whole story gets very big very quickly – ending up with Terry Childs sitting in prison refusing to give up the codes to the city. Eventually he sees the error of his ways and gives up the passwords to return normality to the city.
And then our very own Garry McKinnon loses the right to stay in the UK to face hacking charges. To be extradited to the US, Garry went before the House of Lords. The appeal was rejected. Garry lost another appeal in the European court of Human Rights later in the year. A medical syndrome is behind another appeal to keep Garry in the UK.
August
UK company announces waterproof process
The story that really grabbed my attention this month was one about UK company P2i showing off their “Ion Mask” technology to the world. The potential is enormous and I see far reaching effects in all parts of our lives. Sobering stuff indeed!