Microsoft Patent Envisions Free Hardware, Software
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft's latest patent application describes several possible
| applications for a targeted online advertising system under
| development, including free hardware and software for subscribers.
`----
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=191502430
I wonder if the difference between commercial and Open Source software will
become advertisements versus no advertisements (this would explains all of
Microsoft's spying [1,2,3], for taregetting ads), rather than cost. Privacy,
Freedom, distributability and so forth remain the main distinguishing
factors.
___
[1]
,----[ Quote ]
| ...One day, Expedia could start offering higher fares to customers who
| have more than a million dollars in their Investor stock portfolio.
| There's not really anything technically impossible about this, and
| it's probably legal, too...
|
| ...The scary thing is that if you use Internet Explorer, Microsoft
| controls your web browser...
`----
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000047.html
[2]
,----[ Quote ]
| AdCenter uses information from customers who registered for services such
| as Hotmail or who tailored the MSN home page to their interests. It
| supplements that with data purchased from the Experian credit bureau.
`----
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002210022_microsoftads17.html/
[3]
,----[ Quote ]
| For the last two weeks, Microsoft has been in talks to buy Claria, an
| adware marketer formerly called Gator, and best known for its pop-up ads
| and software that tracks people visiting Web sites.
`----
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/30/1329229
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