Dave Winer poses the question What to do when the platform vendor "validates" your product by copying it and announcing it will bundle the copy with the OS[?] He is not alone as there is also a thread running on Tidbits Talk asking similar questions. I have a bit of a different take. The current hoop-la is over Konfabulator whose snazzy "widget" applets bear a strong resemblance to the "gadgets" in Tiger's Expose.

A personal background. I have used Konfabulator and I believe that if I were to plow though the many e-reciepts on the computer I'd find a payment for it at one point. I say this because like many applications of its ilk I've tried it, played with it for a bit and decided it wasn't for me. Will I find Tiger's Gadgets equally flashy and then wander away. We'll see.

Greetings from the Pickwick Hotel in downtown San Francisco. The city by the bay is as beautiful as I recalled it. In the past I've always stayed in the San Jose area and made day trips to the "city" which popular music accuses of collecting left-behind hearts.

We made a mistake on this trip. Staying in down town it is not necessary to rent a car. In fact it is better NOT to rent a car. A pass on the local mass-transit system will cost less than a day of parking. This does not include even the convenience factor of not having to locate scarce parking.