Some IT concepts can be applied also to old, conventional issues and concerns. Take, for example, our plastics-clogged sewage and drainage system. Last week’s early dawn downpour, which felt like a whole troop of pestilence angels pouring buckets after buckets of water upon the whole metropolis, promptly inundated some of the city’s major thoroughfares and flood-prone areas.

Some five hours after the rain stopped, Espana road in Manila remained impassable to all types of vehicles. Most likely, lack of discipline among city residents as far as disposing of their trash is concerned, played a big role in this unsurprising turn of events. Plastic bags, plastic bottles, and various other types of garbage are clogging the city’s sewers and canals.

And whenever people are too lazy to dispose properly of their refuse, throwing them wherever and whenever they want, Nature is just as quick with providing an appropriate, equivalent act or event – clogged esteros and canals mean fast rising waters each time the rains come.

Of course, we have the option to stay as lazy and stupid as we are right now. We, however, must be ready to face the consequences. And keep this in mind: lazy and stupid; floods and more floods.
 
Netbooks Bloody the Mac
Recently, product search engine Retrevo surveyed some 300 of its 4 million monthly online visitors.

The company found out that more than a third of the respondents said they wanted small and lightweight notebooks this coming school year. Also, more than 50 percent of respondents said they had a budget lower than $750.

The end result? Back-to-school shoppers are saying “Pass” to Apple laptops. With the economy’s nose barely above the waterline, nobody could blame any of those budget-conscious respondents for not buying those expensive Macs.

This means that for the foreseeable future, Mac users will continue to represent less than 10 percent of all computer users. Hmm. Time for Apple to throw away its netbook prejudice?
 
Slam the Big Ape
IT world’s heavyweights Microsoft, Yahoo, and Amazon.com are joining the Open Book Alliance, a coalition opposing Google’s efforts to acquire digital rights to millions of copyrighted books. This move of the industry leaders might make it harder for the online search giant to convince the U.S. Department of Justice to approve Google’s settlement with various copyright holders.

The coalition is being organized by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit group that has been opposing Google’s campaign to produce digital versions of as many books as possible.

With such a considerable list of heavyweights, which this corner won’t be surprised to see getting longer, Google might be forced to shelve its digital book ambitions, or revise its settlement deal.

Either way, the search giant has to amend its digital dreams.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.