ShadowRAM: March 13, 2006

Everyone can relax now that Microsoft’s much-panted-for Origami announcement has been made. Just goes to show that anticipation is 90 percent of reality because this thing looks less like Apple’s iPod than its decade-old Newton. And we all know what a raging success that was.

Origami is nothing more than a device—from Samsung and other vendors—running Windows XP Tablet PC Edition version 2.0 with enhanced touch screen and better navigation. In other words: yawn.

ScanSource is weighing in on the “For Dummies” book craze, having contributed to the latest edition of “RFID Basics For Dummies” by Patrick Sweeney, CEO of Odin Technologies. ScanSource added one chapter called “Ten (OK, Twelve) Equipment Manufacturers That Make RFID Easy” and edited other material to help solution providers selling the technology. The company plans to send 10,000 copies to customers and will create a second edition of 5,000 copies that deletes all ScanSource references so that solution providers can give them to end users.

Mark Cuban has another bee in his bonnet. This time it’s Common Cause, the venerable citizen’s action group, once led by hero/lawyer Archibald Cox. On his blog, Cuban laments what he calls Common Cause’s devolution into spammer extraordinaire.

It’s truly interesting to see which Web stories get the most hits. While it’s a crap shoot, it’s safe to say open-source anything draws readers (and contentious ones at that). Ditto stories on Web porn or anything Apple- or Jobs-related. One reporter’s suggestion for a headline that could conceivably melt the servers: “Microsoft Runs Open-Source Porn Server on Linux.”

“If I can make it an SOA-focused porn server, it’d be golden!" she adds. And imagine if you could plug shots of Steve Jobs—it would be Armageddon.

For those who may or may not be quite (ahem) kosher in terms of their software licensing, Microsoft wants to help. It’s offering up freebie USB drives stuffed with licensing propaganda, FAQs etc.

It’s like they’re saying: “We know you don’t mean to pirate our software, right? It’s just an education issue! Here, learn about Microsoft’s friendly licensing terms! We will give you prizes! And this way, no one needs to bring out the jackboots.”

That sound you heard last week was the collective sigh of relief among CrackBerry addicts when they learned there would be no stoppage of their precious (and insidious) service.

So what will be the No. 1 question at PartnerWorld this week? New deal reg program? New SOA Express goods? What’s the rreal story behind Frankie V’s surprise departure?

Nah. It’s bound to be: “Where’s Sam?”