Browsing around while working this morning, I was stoked to find a album of tracks featuring Luciana (who I love) – along with a link to buy directly from iTunes.  “Yow!” says I, “I’ll buy this album right away!”

But I can’t.

The album is only available on the UK version of iTunes, and my account isn’t authorized to buy music from that store.  And there’s no (apparent) way to authorize my account for the UK.

We’re in a global economy now, stupids!  Bits have no borders.  EPIC FAIL.  Now I’m just waiting for my iTunes 8 download to complete so I can top off my frustration level with a Blue Screen of Death.

Browsing around while working this morning, I was stoked to find a album of tracks featuring Luciana (who I love) – along with a link to buy directly from iTunes.  “Yow!” says I, “I’ll buy this album right away!”

But I can’t.

The album is only available on the UK version of iTunes, and my account isn’t authorized to buy music from that store.  And there’s no (apparent) way to authorize my account for the UK.

We’re in a global economy now, stupids!  Bits have no borders.  EPIC FAIL.  Now I’m just waiting for my iTunes 8 download to complete so I can top off my frustration level with a Blue Screen of Death.

… and gets jumped by ninja Apple fanboys.

Key quote:

In fact, the Dell XPS One is the first Windows all-in-one desktop I’ve tested that I believe matches or exceeds the iMac in hardware design.

Read the complete review here.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: Walter Mossberg, Dell, XPS One, Apple

From Slashdot: (emphasis mine):

However, there is no Log-Out button in this Web interface, so most users just close the browser and walk away… not realizing that their iDisk has been cached by the browser and that anyone who wants to can open up the browser, go back to the link in History, and get into their iDisk completely logged in. From here, files can be downloaded and/or deleted. This seems like a minor security flaw via bad interface design [...]

I find it hard to believe that anyone could describe this as a minor security flaw.

Reading Scoble tonight. He’s got off on a (justified) Apple rant, and has drawn out the “FanBois” — I hate that spelling — who pull out the rhetorical jiu-jitsu, or attempt to. The thing about arguing with Scoble is that he’s always responding, and he’s damn smart, so you can’t really get away with much.

Commenter #26 says:

Robert: Number 16. Yes Apple’s products are aesthetically well made. But they are generally well made underneath also. The craftsmanship extends below the surface. Go to http://dotnetaddict.dotnetdevelopersjournal.com/ and read about what an expert on the Microsoft .NET framework has to say about Apple’s Cocoa development framework. If you are technically inclined it might surprise you. I am an engineer by training and know how difficult it can be to make a good product. It is not easy. I use Windows XP and Mac OS X on a daily basis in my work and I do appreciate the craftsmanship that has gone into Apple’s products.

Comment by Richard — November 17, 2007 @ 1:32 pm

So I think to myself: Wow, a .NET developer who really has gone through an Apple development tool. I wonder what sorts of neat things he’ll have to say?

Unfortunately, when I go there to visit, I find — drum roll, please — another Apple Fanboy. Out of the seven most recent tech posts, four are praising or defending Apple, two are trashing Microsoft, and one trashing Google. This is certainly not a .NET addict, and unbiased observer, a neutral official.

I thought: This strategy is called something. Propose yourself as an ally of “X”, but then secretly work for for “Y”. Double Agent? False-Flag Operation? I finally decided on False Flag:

The name is derived from the military concept of flying false colors; that is, flying the flag of a country other than one’s own.

So if you camp out in the .NET camp and fly .NET colors above your tent, but are really an Apple Fanboy, you are conducting a false-flag operation.

Richard #26: Shame on you.