Google your desktop

Hot on the heels of Copernic Desktop Search, Google has launched its free Google Desktop Search beta.

Let's run this up the flagpole and see who salutes

A classic (old) piece about jargon with a translation of Chapter One of Genesis that'll bring tears to your eyes.

Translators and national security

An article in the New York Times suggests the FBI is still underperforming in its translation project management... And there's worse! See fired FBI translator Sibel Edmonds denouncing incompetence and corruption at the agency on CBS's 60 minutes. Then compare and contrast with the case of Katherine Gun, the GCHQ whistleblower whose anti-war leanings got the better of her non-disclosure obligations.

Are the terrorists failing?

Looking at the gruesome images of beheadings and suicide bombings in Iraq, it's easy to think that the Islamic holy warriors are winning. But a new book by a distinguished French Arabist named Gilles Kepel argues the opposite case.

In praise of attrition

Tired of trite analysis of war in an election cycle? Ralph Peters' study in intellectual machoism from the illustrious US Army War College Quarterly is a refreshingly good read. Even includes a dig at defence contractors and their "endless blather about network-centric warfare..."

Jargon and why we outsiders love to hate it

Here's a discussion published in the ITI Bulletin about business jargon and how to deal with it in translation. I was actually looking for Chris Durban's Onionskin, but ITI and ATA seem to be keeping tabs on their copyright. If memory serves, NY agency Accurapid used to publish Onionskin in their Translation Journal, but no more... Check out the journal anyway, it's full of good stuff. Including a new experimental blog that has the potential to grow into (yet another) translator forum...

Detect. Decide. Shoot. Survive.

The online version of the Journal of Electronic Defense was replaced in June 2004 by eDefense. Membership seems to be free. Short article about French naval NCW quotes Valéry Rousset of Thales on the dangers of the OODA loop becoming Observe, Overreact, Destroy, Apologise...

dtSearch meets its match?

The free version of Copernic Desktop Search will be joined later by paid versions with extra features. Thanks to Woody's Office Watch for this latest nugget! It constantly updates the index when your PC is idle, but the output window is less usable than the excellent and more customisable dtSearch, especially with pdfs.

Lots happening in Google's space too, with new stuff from Amazon, Ask Jeeves and others, according to the BBC.

Don't rely on translators!

A nice piece about cross-cultural marketing foul-ups. Probably worth subscribing to Business 2.0 to read the whole article - only $6.99 for a whole year!

Capitalising the internet

Do you put an initial capital letter on Internet? Wired magazine has changed its policy on what may seem a fussy, not to say pedantic, question. Update from worldwidewords

State lottery monopolies fight back

Welcome to the World Lottery Association

The making of an X Box warrior

Video games and new recruits to the military. Dual-use technology enters a new age.

Translation - getting it right

For non-linguists, buying in translation is often a source of frustration. The suggestions in this guide to buying translations are aimed at reducing stress. Disponible également en français.

Sad but true

Sept. 11 has triggered a wave of increasingly interesting articles on language skills. Paris-based Claire Berlinski wrote this in The Weekly Standard.