Peer to Patent in the News

March 05, 2007

The Washington Post has an article on the front page today (March 5, 2007) by technology reporter Alan Sipress, "Open Call from the Patent Office."  The article describes the project as follows: "The Patent and Trademark Office is starting a pilot project that will not only post patent applications on the Web and invite comments but also use a community rating system designed to push the most respected comments to the top of the file, for serious consideration by the agency's examiners. A first for the federal government, the system resembles the one used by Wikipedia, the popular user-created online encyclopedia." 

This has been followed by a posting and extended discussion on Slashdot.
Also check out the Wall Street Journal, Tech Meme, The Guardian, and American Public Media Marketplace (audio coming soon!).

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AOpen intros Santa Rosa-based miniPC Duo

from Engadget by Donald Melanson

Given all the buzz surrounding Intel's new Santa Rosa platforms for laptops, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before some company would get the bright idea of re-purposing it for use in a pint-sized desktop PC. From the looks of it, AOpen is the first to go that route (though we somehow doubt it'll be the last), recently introducing its Santa Rosa-based miniPC Duo MP965-VDR. While complete specs are still a bit light, you can expect much of what we've been seeing in Santa Rosa laptops as of late, including Intel's 965GM chipset, support for the latest Core 2 Duo processors, 802.11n WiFi, and an Intel Turbo Memory cache card to speed things up a bit further. Still no word on pricing or availability, unfortunately, though we wouldn't expect AOpen to hold out too much longer on that. [Via 64-Bit Computers]

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$350 Dell WinXP mac mini clone

Apple Mac Mini like Desktop Computer from Dell

from Digital Inspiration by Amit Agarwal

Dell has unveiled a budget desktop computer that looks very sleek and is available for purchase without a monitor.

The design of this low-cost Dell EC280 resembles the Mac Mini or a set-top box while the technical specs are ideal for basic computer tasks like web surfing, email, sharing pictures, etc.


Prices starts at around $350 so if you have an spare monitor lying unused at home, this Intel based Windows XP machine could be a good option for you. Unfortunately, this is currently available only for the Chinese market.

While the design of EC280 is small and cute, this is not the cheapest option from Dell even when they are targeting the emerging markets.

For instance, the Dell Dimension C521 comes preloaded with Windows Vista Home, bigger hard drive, a faster processor and other accessories for roughly the same price and is available worldwide.

Dell EC280 Product Page | Press Release | Thanks Rob Beschizza

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Pieces of trash sold in clear plastic bubbles

remember pet rocks? curious? from Boing Boing by Mark Frauenfelder

Steve Lodefink sent in his hard-earned $3 for four plastic bubbles containing pieces of trash from Christopher Goodwin's Trashball! site (motto: "One man's trash is another man's trash"). Steve has photos of each piece of trash contained in the balls, along with his feelings about it.

The actual capsules that the trash treats are packaged in are not your ordinary gumball machine bubbles. These clear polycabonate spheres are not meant to be easily opened. The only place that I have ever seen a case like these is at the core of of one of those light-up superballs. I actually had to destroy one ball to get it open.

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I'm just not that kind of person...

from Seth's Blog by Seth Godin

Craig writes in with a story about a Dyson vacuum:

I have a question for you about buying decisions.

A while back I upgraded my Dyson vacuum cleaner when I got a great deal on the latest model. I had been using my old one for about 5 years or so but it was still in perfect working order. I had even replaced a couple of attachments for it via the Dyson website. I gave my old Dyson to a friend. She had never used a Dyson before and she loved it. So much so that the very next day her own vacuum cleaner was put outside ready for the refuge collection!

But here’s the thing: a few months later the Dyson I gave her stopped working (not sure why, that thing was indestructible) so she decided to buy a new vacuum. Even though the vacuum I gave her was the best she had ever used, she didn’t buy a Dyson.

I was amazed how someone could love a product so much but replace it with an inferior product. I don’t think it was about cost because I told her where she could get an excellent deal on a new Dyson.

This just doesn’t make sense to me so I thought I’d ask if you had any thoughts as to why this happens?

My take: Craig’s friend didn’t see herself as the kind of person who would buy a Dyson. Sure, she might use one, especially if it was free. But buying a weird, fancy-looking vacuum is an act of self-expression as much as it’s a way to clean your floors. And the act of buying one didn’t match the way his friend saw herself.

So many of the products and services we use are now about our identity. Many small businesses, for example, won’t hire a coach or a consultant because, “that’s not the kind of organization we are.” Wineries understand that the pricing of a bottle of wine is more important than its label or the wine inside. The price is the first thing that most people consider when they order or shop for wine. Not because of perceived value, but because of identity.

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