You have to like those network update emails that come from LinkedIn. I particularly enjoy when you find out someone you know has altered their position title — likely indicating a new job.

Take this morning for example. I opened the email to find our Slaw colleague Patrick Cormier has a great new role! See:

I’m sure a more formal announcement is coming, as the CCCT/CCTJ website is still showing the position as “TBD”. But for now, let me say an early “Congratulations Patrick!“. From everything I’ve seen, your commitment and hard work make this appointment a natural . . . [more]

There’s a bit of irony making its way around Twitter lately, which goes something like this:

Your mobile phone has more computing power than NASA in 1969. NASA launched a man to the moon. We launch birds into pigs.

To which I say, what’s your point?

Perhaps you don’t know about Angry Birds. It’s the #1 paid app in Canada for iPad, iPhone, and available for other smart phones as well. The aim is to launch birds with a slingshot apparatus such that they land on forts built by the egg-stealing green pigs and collapse them, exploding the pigs. . . . [more]

I normally try to avoid posting about items that have been discussed elsewhere but I believe this merits a Slaw post. I’m sure many of have seen what follows in other forums (it was brought to my attention by a colleague) but this causes you to think a bit differently and more of that is good on a Monday morning. Okay maybe it isn’t completely different but it takes something you know well and does it differently and makes you wonder about the future of publishing and just what an ebook is or more specifically what an ebook might be. . . . [more]

Deciding disputes is a big thing for human beings — as readers of this blog are bound to know. Sometimes we opt for a facsimile of reason, other times we court fate with chance, as when we toss a coin or throw a die. (We’ll leave aside the urge to cause harm in order to decide, with such lovelies as ducking, trial by battle, and peine forte et dure.) A variation on the theme of chance is the game of rock, paper, scissors. I say variation, because although the game is apparently unskilled, it involves two people in harmless contest . . . [more]

The NYTimes is rolling out their digital subscriber plans starting on March 28th. Unless… you live north of the border!

Starting today, we Canadians have been designated the beta test country of choice:

Canada residents only: Please visit the order page to get unlimited access to NYTimes.com, plus the NYTimes app for your smartphone. Other subscription packages, which include our tablet apps, will be available on March 28, 2011.

Outside Canada: Digital subscription packages will be available for purchase on March 28, 2011.

The Canadian Privacy Commissioner’s most recent newsletter refers to a document entitled “Data at Your Fingertips: Biometrics and the Challenges to Privacy“. 

I believe that biometrics will ultimately be the right solution for authentication and identification, and will help reduce the use of passwords which, lets face it, are very difficult in practice to use to their best theoretical effectiveness.

There are however challenges in using biometrics relating to privacy and identity theft.

The document starts off by saying:

Canadians are witnessing a growing interest among government and private-sector organizations in adopting systems that use biometric characteristics to

Over the last couple of decades as the rate of change in information technology has accelerated, it’s become fashionable for some to claim with pride and others to award with scorn the title of Luddite. As it happens, this March marks the bicentennial of the real Luddite uprising in the north of England. Richard Conniff has written a piece, “What the Luddites Really Fought Against,” that’s available on Smithsonian.com, correcting the misunderstandings that most of us have about who these followers of Ludd actually were and why they took to breaking machines.

Some facts surprised me: there was . . . [more]

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It seems simple when you put it that way. Anode, cathode. Positive, negative. Summer, winter. But things get problematic when the concept of positive and negative gets transferred into the English language.

In particular, it’s negation that seems to fox us, and particularly double negation. This is something that lawyers know about. After all, people have been poking fun at us for generations for using such nice expressions as “not inconsiderable” and “not unreasonable” etc., as though we were skilled enough to nail down that impossibly slim sliver of space between “reasonable” and “unreasonable.” I have to say . . . [more]

Happy Seventy Fifth Birthday to Justice Antonin Scalia, whose recent peevish dissents are discussed in a recent blog post from the NYT.

Had he been north of the border, he would have been packing his bags, just after blowing out the candles.

(2) A Judge of a Superior Court, whether appointed before or after the coming into force of this section, shall cease to hold office upon attaining the age of seventy-five years, or upon the coming into force of this section if at that time he has already attained that age.

Earlier this week, the Public Commission on Legal Aid in British Columbia released its report on the sad state of legal aid in the province.

Commissioner Leonard T. Doust makes 7 overarching findings:

• The legal aid system is failing needy individuals and families, the justice system, and our communities.
• Legal information is not an adequate substitute for legal assistance and representation.
• Timing of accessing legal aid is key.
• There is a broad consensus concerning the need for innovative, client-focused legal aid services.
• Steps must be taken to meet legal aid needs in rural communities.
• More people should be eligible

I’m inspired to write about cycling to work by just experiencing some of the worst riding weather mother nature has served up this winter. My socks have barely dried out and my toes are yet to thaw, but I still have it in me to plant a bike riding seed.

I re-committed to regularly riding about six months ago. A twice-daily 20 minute ride has since been great for me because:

• it’s faster than commuting by public transport;
• it’s more reliable than commuting by public transport;
• it’s cheaper than public transport;
• it’s good for the environment; and
• it makes me

I’m wondering what readers think about ipad2 vs Android tablet.

Lets assume for the sake of argument that one wants a tablet now, rather than waiting for another year to see how the market shakes out. And assume that the choice is between the iPad2 and the Motorola Xoom. 

Lets also assume that the intended use is a combination of work and personal.

While this is not an exhaustive list, some things to consider are:

ipad2 pros: 

existing user base of 15,000,000 units for ipad1.

huge number of apps

thinner and lighter

ipad2 cons:

no flash support

must use . . . [more]