Free software targets pirating

My hopes rose when I stumbled across the headline for this article (minor irony: served by PHP on Apache), but alas, they’re only talking about as-in-beer software from the copyright enforcers designed to scan for illegally copied media files and software. We all know how well that typically works.

OTOH, free (as in speech) software really does target piracy. Many software companies long ago slipped over the line dividing profit from profiteering, but when there’s real Free competition around, they either have to drop their prices to something reasonable (which decreases illegal copying), or add whiz-bang features (like what? “Type What I'm Thinking?”) — and meanwhile people who can’t afford the profiteers’ software can get by with the Free stuff for things like reading and writing documents and data produced by the extortionware.

I think that it’s high time for some of the Free Software organisations to start an anti-“piracy” campaign, designed to crescendo around Christmas.

I can picture it now, a video clip of a worried parent clicking through directories in front of a wall full of rock-group posters and other teen signature items. A friendly, competent-sounding voice-over asks:

Worried that your children might be running illegal software?
Don’t risk it. Load them up with Free and Open Source software instead.
It’s Free, and it’s free.

Parent raises finger, face lights up, text fades in...

www.opensource.org.au
Is your computer Free?

In the background, the computer screen flicks to Tux.

Comments

every-application-is-part-of-a-toolkit at work

I have a LibreOffice Impress slideshow that I wish to turn into a narrated video. 1. export the slideshow as PNG images (if that is partially broken — as at now — at higher resolutions, Export Directly as PDF then use ‘pdftoppm’ (from the poppler-utils package) to do the same). 2. write a small C program (63 lines including comments) to display those images one at a time, writing a config file entry for Imagination (default transition: ‘cross fade’) based on when the image-viewer application (‘display,’ from the GraphicsMagick suite) is closed on each one; run that, read each image aloud, then close each image in turn. 3. run ‘Imagination’ over the config file to produce a silent MP4 video with the correct timings. 4. run ‘Audacity’ to record speech while using ‘SMPlayer’ to display the silent video, then export that recording as a WAV file. 4a. optionally, use ‘TiMIDIty’ to convert a non-copyright-encumbered MIDI tune to WAV, then import that and blend it with the speech (as a quiet b

new life for an old (FTX) PSU, improved life for one human

the LEDs on this 5m strip happen to emit light centred on a red that does unexpectedly helpful things to (and surprisingly deeply within) a human routinely exposed to it. it has been soldered to a Molex connector, plugged into a TFX power supply from a (retired: the MoBo is cactus) Small Form Factor PC, the assorted PSU connectors (and loose end from the strip) have been taped over. the LED strip cost $10.24 including postage, the rest cost $0, the PSU is running at 12½% of capacity, consumes less power than a laptop plug-pack despite running a fan. trial runs begin today.

boundaries

pushing the actual boundaries of the physical (not extremes, the boundaries themselves) can often remove barriers not otherwise perceived. one can then often resolve an issue itself, rather than merely stonewalling at the physical consequences of the issue.

Plantagenet Penguinista

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