::: {.Section1} [Today Microsoft went public with Language Integrated Query (LINQ), which builds on top of a just-announced.NET 2.0 library called the Integrated Query Framework. At its most basic level, LINQ is the ability to apply SQL-like operators to arbitrary. NET collections. The operators provided are "relationally complete" meaning …

::: {.Section1} [Peter Coffee’s pre-PDC column correctly points out that truly compelling apps such as eBay, Google, and videogames are built, not in the abstract realms of virtual machines but with painstaking attention to hardware capabilities. This is one reason why [knowing C++ is the most important qualification for those …

::: {.Section1} [My latest article on line-fitting in ink is up on DevX ]{style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial"}

[ ]{style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial"}

[This was a tough one, with a failed attempt to port the Levenberg-Marquadt algorithm to C#, so finally I just did a very basic solver. ]{style …

::: {.Section1} [The rumor had been floating for a week, but [eBay purchased Skype for \\(2.6B](https://www.eweek.com/mobile/hp-touchpad-needs-6-to-8-weeks-for-additional-shipments) + \\)1.5B in future performance-based payments (that’s clever!). They kind of contort it into “Voice over IP will help our high-end auctions,” (used cars, antiques, etc.) but …

::: {.Section1}

\< ?xml:namespace prefix = o />

[--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]{style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"}
[To open the attached map(s) you can download the free MindManager X5 Viewer ]{style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"}
[from http://www.mindjet.com/viewer. ]{style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"}

[ ]{style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"}

:::

Download: Map11.mmap

Darn it. My designated "airplane read" for the PDC was John Sandford's "Rules of Prey." Unfortunately, it's proved too good and I'm now halfway through it, which means that I'll polish it off by the time my flight is halfway to LA. The next 2 books in my queue are …

::: {.Section1} [A new beta of Monad has just ~~\< ?xml:namespace prefix = o />become publicly available~~]{style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"}

[http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2ac59b30-5a44-4782-b0b7-79fe2efd1280&displaylang=en]{style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"}

[Update: Looks like they yanked it. Probably a slip-up of a release intended for …

::: {.Section1}

There's been a deafening silence regarding ink support in Office 12, leading me to suspect that Tom Clarkson's ink in Excel, Loren Heiny's ink in Word, and Josh Einstein's Outlook support may prove a great success for years to come. Perhaps they'll band together to create a virtual ink "suite …

Although I know that the first priority still has to be aid, I'm having a hard time keeping the bile down at the government response. Any disaster will involve chaos and bungled plans, but concentrating on preparations for civil emergencies, including the possibility of evacuating a major city, is supposed …