Tapping the Matrix, Part 1  In this first article of a two-part series on harnessing the idle processing power of distributed machines, Carlos Justiniano explains the current trends in this exciting technology area, then drills down into specifics such as client/server communication, protocols, server design, databases, and testing.   [OpenP2P.com]

Next-Generation File Sharing with Social Networks  At the recent O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference in San Diego, CA, Robert Kaye lead a talk on "Next-Generation File Sharing with Social Software." For those who were able to attend, this essay builds upon that session. And if you missed the talk all together, you can now get up to speed.   [OpenP2P.com]

Brewster Kahle on the Internet Archive and People's Technology  As founder and digital librarian for the Internet Archive (IA), Brewster Khale wants to provide universal access to all human knowledge. He also wants the Internet and access to it to remain in the hands of everyday people. In this interview by Lisa Rein, Khale talks about the IA, SF WiFi rooftops, and the impact of technology on society.   [openp2p.com]

The Interpretation of Dreams: An Explanation of the Electric Sheep Distributed Screen Saver  Electric Sheep is a distributed screen saver that harnesses idle computers into a render farm with the purpose of animating and evolving artificial life forms. Scott Draves will present a session on Electric Sheep at O'Reilly's Emerging Technology Conference.   [openp2p.com]

Beyond Hacking the Xbox  Bruce Stewart interviews Andrew "bunnie" Huang, a featured speaker at O'Reilly's upcoming Emerging Technology Conference. In this interview, Andrew discusses flaws with the DMCA, the current states of reverse engineering and Moore's Law, what he's hacking now, and what he'll be speaking about at Etech.   [openp2p.com]

TFTP and Error Correction  TFTP's (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) design is revealing the same way that a car's airbags are. As an airbag testifies to the probability and violent nature of a crash, so TFTP's design speaks of frequent and catastrophic data misadventure. Heath Johns helps you get your head around this specification.   [Wireless DevCenter]

Introduction to the Peer-to-Peer Sockets Project  The Peer-to-Peer Sockets project reimplements Java's standard Socket, ServerSocket, and InetAddress classes to work on the JXTA peer-to-peer network rather than on the standard TCP/IP network. Brad Neuberg shows how to configure and set up the P2P Socket libraries to run on your system, how to create and run P2P server and client sockets, and how to work with the P2P InetAddress class, and discusses security issues and limitations in the framework.   [O'Reilly Network]

Interview with LimeWire COO Greg Bildson  Greg Bildson is the COO of LimeWire and president of P2P United, a consortium of P2P software companies created to help educate Congress and the public about peer-to-peer software, technology, and culture. P2P United paid 12-year-old Brianna LaHara's $2,000 RIAA settlement after she was served with a Digital Millennium Copyright Act subpoena. Lisa Rein interviews Greg about the RIAA and P2P issues.   [openp2p.com]

File Sharing Without the Fear  In early September, the RIAA sued 261 people who it claims illegally shared music files over the Internet. Despite this action, many people have decided to continue downloading and sharing files. If you're one of them, Preston Gralla says there are some things you can do to make it unlikely that the RIAA will target you. In this article, he looks at ways to do this, using file-sharing software. Preston is the author of Windows XP Hacks.   [openp2p.com]

Taxing Questions: Are Compulsory Licenses a Solution to the P2P Debate?  The concept of compulsory licenses has been hailed by fair use lobbyists as the savior of persecuted file-sharers. This type of agreement would establish a common ground with the major music labels and offer the possibility that all parties might be able to reach an agreement. Miriam Rainsford examines this concept.  [OpenP2P.com]

Independent Label Go-Kart Records Embraces MP3s  Even if you're not a Buzzcocks fan, you might want to take a look at the bands on Go-Kart records. This independent label has survived ten years by publishing music they feel passionate about. Now they're embracing new technology for that little edge to help them move forward. Here's an interview with their CEO, Greg Ross.  [OpenP2P.com]

Commentary: What's Real and Make-Believe with the RIAA Subpoenas?  If any of the current rash of RIAA's subpoenas were determined to be "patently unlawful," file sharers could potentially retaliate with lawsuits for alleged electronic privacy and computer fraud violations. In this opinion piece by Lisa Rein, she takes a close look at the current tension between the RIAA and file sharers.  [OpenP2P.com]

Trademarks  Cory Doctorow, who works with the EFF, wrote this article on the heels of a rash of trademark incidents that he's encountered. His point of view in this opinion piece is that trademark and copyright are supposed to promote expression. He doesn't write about any specific details of particular cases; rather, he restates an overview of these issues that serves as his guiding light.  [OpenP2P.com]

Network Effects: Stan Liebowitz and the MP3 Debate  Stan Liebowitz's study is indeed a thorough examination of the situation, perhaps more so than any other presently available. But despite the strength of his conclusions, when one examines the deep flaws in his logic, and the incomplete or biased nature of the evidence he presents, it is impossible to consider his study as admissible evidence in the trial of MP3 file sharing.   [OpenP2P.com]

A Musician's Take on File Sharing, DRM, and Copyleft Licensing  Musicans can be a very adaptable community, and many are looking at online music and file sharing differently than the companies that often contract with them. Miriam Rainsford explores issues of P2P, DRM, and copyleft licensing from her musician point of view.   [OpenP2P.com]

It Doesn't Pay to be Popular  When Glenn Fleishman made his book, Real World Adobe GoLive 6, available as a free download, he learned a hard lesson about the cost of bandwidth. But what if he could have used peer-to-peer file sharing or some other distributed method?   [OpenP2P.com]

Feed Your Head at Etech 2003  A week in Santa Clara for the O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference provided attendees with lots to chew on. Daniel Steinberg gives an inside look at the people and the topics that helped make this such a satisfying event.   [OpenP2P.com]

Swarms and Mobs at This Year's ETech  Individually, Eric Bonabeau's keynote on Biological Computing and Howard Rheingold's address on Smart Mobs would have been interesting. Taken together you can see the application of emergent behavior described by Bonabeau to the technological challenges issued by Rheingold. And that's what makes conferences like ETech so powerful. Here's a look at what exceeds the sum of its parts with these two keynotes.   [OpenP2P.com]

Daddy, Are We There Yet? A Discussion with Alan Kay  Some guys are always ahead of the curve. Alan Kay was working on a notebook computer called the Dynabook thirty-five years ago. "Twenty years ago at PARC," Kay says, "I thought we would be way beyond where we are now. I was dissatisfied with what we did there. The irony is that it looks pretty good." So where are we now? Daniel Steinberg chats with Alan Kay to find out.   [OpenP2P.com]

What If SETI@home Gets Lucky?  Brian McConnell, author of Beyond Contact, looks at the latest developments in SETI@home and describes what will happen if a meaningful signal is found.   [OpenP2P.com]

Mac OS X Innovators Contest Ready for Primetime  Over the last few months we've been assembling a three-part plan to help Mac OS X developers refine and market their ideas. Now the plan is ready for primetime. One of the most exciting new developments is the launch of the "Mac OS X Innovators" contest. Here's how it works.   [MacDevCenter.com]

Internet Perspectives
The Next Revolution: Smart Mobs  What do you get when you mix together millions of cell phones and P2P-enabled computers with wireless Internet floating in the air and users reviewing products, sellers, and each other? Smart mobs. That's what Howard Rheingold, a keynoter at O'Reilly's upcoming Emerging Technology Conference, calls these folks. Read what he has to say about this third computing revolution.  [OpenP2P.com]

Internet Perspectives
Cory Doctorow's Bitchun' World: P2P Gone Wild  In the world of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, you're always on the Net, reputation matters more than cash, and your life is on a hard disk. Sound familiar? Richard Koman interviews the author.   [Policy DevCenter]

Swarm Intelligence: An Interview with Eric Bonabeau  The concept of swarm intelligence is borrowed from nature, and in this interview with Eric Bonabeau, that's where the conversation begins--with ants and other social insects. Dr. Bonabeau takes us from his childhood nightmares of carnivorous wasps to applying the theories of swarm intelligence to solving real problems in the business world.   [OpenP2P.com]

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