All the urdu poetry posts have been moved over to my Moonstruck Blog. Please follow your love for poetry there and if possible, contribute. Thanks.

Over this past week, I had to bang my head several times on the so called scam of ‘IP protection’ and software patents. First, I didn’t even know much about this term except that it had become a buzz word in last 5 years. So, when we were asked about our awareness of patents by TechStars, my immediate reaction was f***. We delved deeper and I contacted old friends who were more knowledgeable. I finally developed some awareness of the pitfalls, why it matters and how it is like digging your own grave. The issue is simple – you have an idea and you build a system. Even if your system is the first implementation of that idea, if some troll had thought about it vaguely 10 years ago and registered a patent on it, you are screwed. Even if he has no clue on how to put the idea into practice leave apart being qualified enough to build it, the law will be on his side. So – you need to know if you are violating some patent registered by someone in some world. I could stop cribbing about it but the issue is very real nuisance esp in the digital age.

Secondly, as I stumbled upon this post by Brad Burnham, I knew I wasn’t being unreasonable.

Thirdly, RX threw some light on the biggest impotency of Nexus and Google Android, one that I had been wondering since the phone was launched – why doesn’t Android have multitouch? I mean come on, iPhones have had it for a couple of years now and a company like Google didn’t provide it? How can a touch phone even imagine of competing with iPhone without multitouch? The answer is – Apple has patented the multi-touch.

Apple’s massive multi-touch patent portfolio is cited as a reason, both now for the Droid and then for the T-Mobile G1. Either Google, while CEO Eric Schmidt was still on the board, agreed not to violate them, or fears litigating them. So, they build in the functionality and let 3rd parties take advantage — and the risk that goes with it — if they so choose.

But why then does the Palm Pre have multi-touch gesture support on Sprint in the US? Wouldn’t the same patents apply? Sure. However, patents are like nukes. They can be deadly unless the guy you’re pointing yours at is pointing equally deadly ones back at you. As both TiPb and PreCentral.net have posted for a while — and Palm has explicitly stated — Palm has a heckuva mobile patent arsenal.

Apple’s massive multi-touch patent portfolio is cited as a reason, both now for the Droid and then for the T-Mobile G1. Either Google, while CEO Eric Schmidt was still on the board, agreed not to violate them, or fears litigating them. So, they build in the functionality and let 3rd parties take advantage — and the risk that goes with it — if they so choose.

But why then does the Palm Pre have multi-touch gesture support on Sprint in the US? Wouldn’t the same patents apply? Sure. However, patents are like nukes. They can be deadly unless the guy you’re pointing yours at is pointing equally deadly ones back at you. As both TiPb and PreCentral.net have posted for a while — and Palm has explicitly stated — Palm has a heckuva mobile patent arsenal.

Wow, I can still imagine Apple having come up with the technology itself first being able to patent it but in reality when it comes to software, the boundaries are really thin. As Brad said, the patents made sense for Pharmaceutical industry but software! Really?

Shakespeare’s curse, originally uploaded by dgj103.

As I found a respite from tiring applications and worldly affairs, I couldn’t wait to get back to some of Ghalib’s works. However, I stumbled upon this as I was browsing. The tragedy of artists, as rueful it is, is also as intriguing and captivating. And if tempting the fate is the price to pay for being able to write with such fervor, I could die a thousand times

sher kehte ho bahut khoob tum ‘Akhtar’, lekin
achchhe shaa’ir, yeh sunaa hai, ke jawaan marte hain

- Jahaan Nisaar Akhtar

The picture is of Shakespeare’s tombstone with his famous curse engraved-

Good frend for Jesus sake forbeare,
To digg the dust encloased heare.
Blest be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And curst be he yt moves my bones.

Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear*,

To dig the dust encloséd here.

Blessed be the man that spares these stones,

And cursed be he that moves my bones.

Good friend, for Jesus’ sake, forbear,
To dig the dust encloséd here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.

I so wish to personally pay a visit to Stratford where the Bard of Avon conceived his great works. Someday.

Deadlines. Ideas. Team.

Light at the end of tunnel

For sometime, I’ve been looking into few tech ideas. For sometime, I’ve been looking for people with same level of adrenaline and impromptu attitude. And for sometime, I’ve been researching the inane immigration and visa laws of Uncle Sam.

Continue reading

The fun is where startups are. I would rather be a failed entrepreneur than be underemployed. This piece generated quite a buzz through NY Tech Meetup – http://www.speakertext.com

As this CNN opinion piece points out -

Job creation? Look to entrepreneurs

According to the Census Bureau, nearly all net job creation in the U.S. since 1980 has been generated by firms operating less than five years.

Fred Wilson talks of interesting VC areas for this year-

I don’t think it makes much sense to think very much about what others are doing. Focus on what you are doing. This is what I’d like to be doing in 2010: mobile, gaming, commerce/currency, cloud platforms/APIs, and eduction/energy/environment.

Read full post here.