Linux4SmallBiz.com launches site aimed at helping small businesses. Eugene von Niederhausern writes, A new web site was announced today to help small businesses realize the benefits of Linux within their organization. Linux4SmallBiz.com looks at Linux and Open Source from the unique perspective of a small business. [Meerkat: An Open Wire Service]

eWEEK: Broadband Seen as Catalyst. Illustrating the inextricable ties between the technology and telecommunications industries, Eric Benhamou, chairman of the board at 3Com Corp. and Palm Inc., urged policy-makers last week to stimulate broadband network deployment as a means of bolstering the tech sector. [Tomalak's Realm]

Brain uses dreams to process memories: [S]leep is essential for “learning” certain types of memories, according to one of the authors of a new report on dreams published in the November 2nd issue of the journal Science. “The brain is actually quite active during sleep,” Dr. Robert Stickgold of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts,… Continue reading Brain uses dreams to process memories

Microsoft Wins Battle with the Feds: WSJ.  The feds reached a tentative agreement with Microsoft that leaves Microsoft's products unchanged.  States may opt to go it alone due to a “wimpy” settlement.  Here is what the government is focusing on: “Microsoft will agree not to retaliate, or threaten to retaliate” against any software or hardware maker… Continue reading WSJ

News.Com: Google tests snapshots of Web pages. Google has been quietly testing a new feature that offers snapshots of Web pages alongside ordinary search results. Google spokeswoman Cindy McCaffrey on Wednesday told CNET News.com that the experimental pages have so far been shown to a random test group… [Tomalak's Realm]

Viva K-Logs (and centralized resources): This is another post dedicated to the discussion of K-Logs (Knowledge Management Weblogs). Distributed desktop Weblogging software is essential to maximize the benefits of K-Logging due to application integration, cost, mobility, and control issues.  Server-based software is still essential to a fully functional distributed K-Logs system.   Here are the ways I see server… Continue reading Viva K-Logs (and centralized resources): This is another post dedicated to the discussion of K-Logs (Knowledge Management Weblogs). Distributed desktop Weblogging software is essential to maximize the benefits of K-Logging due to application integration, cost, mobility, and control issues.  Server-based software is still essential to a fully functional distributed K-Logs system.   Here are the ways I see server software playing an important role:

1) As a place to post a K-Log on the Intranet.  K-Logs need to be posted to the Intranet to gain from centralized search and taxonomy engines.  This central repository also serves as an essential back-up to desktop K-Logs and as a way to preserve knowledge after an employee leaves.

2) Community functionality.  Central servers can provide a way for people to find Weblogs that fit their interests.  Hotlists, recently updated K-Logs (Weblogs.com), and link bots (Blogdex) need a centralized location.

3) Subscritptions.  RSS (news headlines) subscriptions are best done through reference to a central repository. 

4) Remote access and behind a firewall access.  [John Robb's Radio Weblog

Buffyverse. Dawn's kiss, Willow's kiss, and more fine writing [Mark Bernstein]

MS-NBC – 'I know who you called last month'. Web sites offer copies of phone records for about $100 Oct. 16 — How much would it cost someone to trace your movements all last month? About $100. Dozens of Web sites will sell a copy of anyone's cell phone bill or long distance calling bill.… Continue reading MS-NBC

Form Foibles – A Real Life Usability Lesson: Don Makoviney discusses form usability. Losing a quarter of your subscribers over a two-month period from a simple form foible can be a very bad thing when your company lives and dies by these numbers. When money is your bottom line, don’t scrimp on User Testing. While… Continue reading Form Foibles – A Real Life Usability Lesson

Peter Morville's Semantics: Peter Morville's column has been revived under his new consultancy site as Semantics. [iaslash — news for information architects]