Libraries are bridges to information and knowledge.

Michael Gartenberg’s predictions as reported in Computerworld – December 17. 2008.

“Well, it’s that time of the year again. Time to enjoy the glow of a nice LED-backlit display and huddle with the warmth that only an overclocked PC can produce. Yep, it’s time to take a look at what’s going to happen in technology in 2009. Here are my five predictions for the new year.”

“The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded nearly US$7 million to fund a pilot program aimed at helping public libraries in seven states get faster Internet connections, the foundation announced Thursday. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded nearly US$7 million to fund a pilot program aimed at helping public libraries in seven states get faster Internet connections, the foundation announced Thursday”. Click to Continue.
_____________________ CIO Insider, December 19, 2008.

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Week of December 15-19, 2008.

U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, December 15, 2008 Doe, Inc. v. Mukasey, No. 074943 In litigation concerning First Amendment challenges to the constitutionality of statutes governing the issuance and judicial review of National Security Letters (NSLs) which request records from providers of wire or electronic communication services, decision finding 18 U.S.C. subsections 2709(c) and 3511(b) unconstitutional and enjoining certain actions by FBI officials is affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded where: 1) the statutes are construed to avoid some constitutional challenges; 2) subsections 2709(c) and 3511(b) were unconstitutional to the extent that they imposed a nondisclosure requirement on NSL recipients without placing on the Government the burden of initiating judicial review of such a requirement; 3) subsections 3511(b)(2) and (b)(3) were unconstitutional to the extent that a governmental official’s certification that disclosure may endanger the national security of the U.S. or interfere with diplomatic relations was treated as conclusive; and 4! ) district court’s injunction is modified by limiting it to enjoining FBI officials from enforcing the nondisclosure requirement of section 2709(c) in the absence of Government-initiated judicial review.

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Week of December 15-19, 2008.

U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, December 17, 2008 US v. Jones, No. 07-2052 Sentence is affirmed where defendant pled guilty to charges stemming from her role in a bank fraud conspiracy. Loss amount was properly calculated to include dollar amounts that she had not yet withdrawn, and her base offense level was properly increased where the physical act of popping small air bubbles on the laminated face of her fake ID constituted production of a counterfeit access device.

Top Ten Stories of the Week December 23, 2008.

Law Firms Is Thacher Proffitt Dissolving Before Christmas?

Dec 22, 2008, 11:59 am CST

I am grateful to Basil Tilmon of GalleryWatch, Inc. in Washington, D.C. for sending me the following information compiled by Sara Ditta and the CongressNow Staff and am posting it here with his permission.

David Badertscher

Freshman House Members’ Committee Preferences By: Sara Ditta CongressNow Staff Dec 22, 2008 12:00 PM

“What happens to your mission-critical… application source code should the vendor go bankrupt? This is when you need a Technology Escrow service.Tech Escrow requires vendors to deposit source code into an account held by a third party agent to ensure ongoing accessibility of the software. Recent research by IDG research Services highlights some recent trends and gaps in coverage, making the case for Technology Escrow.”

See: How to Minimize Risk with a Software Vendor ‘Prenup’ Paper by Digital Iron Mountain under sponsorship of IDG Research..

Update from the Lexis Alert Service, Search run morning of December 22, 2008.

1. People v. Agramonte, 4854, 1660/06, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT, 2008 NY Slip Op 9901; 2008 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 9595, December 18, 2008, Decided, December 18, 2008, Entered, THE LEXIS PAGINATION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING RELEASE OF THE FINAL PUBLISHED VERSION., THIS OPINION IS UNCORRECTED AND SUBJECT TO REVISION BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS.

The People of the State …

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