Why we abandoned open source: LiveCode CEO on retreat despite successful kickstarter • The Register

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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/mailto:/?subject=Why%20we%20abandoned%20open%20source%3a%20LiveCode%20CEO%20on%20retreat%20despite%20successful%20kickstarter&body=re:https%3a%2f%2fwww.theregister.com%2f2021%2f09%2f06%2flivecode_interview%2f"> <img width="25" height="25" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icons/email_dark.svg" alt="email"> </a> <div class="copy_link"> <input id="copy_link_input_2" class="copy_link_input" readonly value="https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/" tabindex="-1"> <button class="cp_link reg_btn_primary">Copy</button> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="body"> <p><span data-label="interview">Interview</span> An easy to use programming language that was made open source in 2014 after a successful crowdfunding campaign is going back to closed source after too many customers switched to using it for free.</p> <p>LiveCode Community, open source under the GPLv3, was <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://github.com/livecode">archived on GitHub</a> and future development will be closed source.</p> <p>In the <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://livecode.org/">official announcement</a>, LiveCode CEO Kevin Miller says: "99 per cent of the work on LiveCode is done by our in-house team. With a large section of the LiveCode community using the free open source edition, the cost of maintaining this vs the reward for doing so is not a balanced equation."</p> <blockquote class="pullquote"> <p>I don't think you can say that after eight years we didn't give it our best shot. And that code is still out there if people want to use it</p> </blockquote> <p>Subscriptions are per-platform and now start at £7.99+VAT per month for one platform, for applications that run only while the subscription is active, or £239+VAT per year for one platform with the ability to build standalone applications.</p> <div class="CaptionedImage Center"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/09/06/kevinmitchell.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855im_/https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/09/06/kevinmitchell.jpg?x=442&y=232&infer_y=1" alt="LiveCode CEO Kevin Miller breaks the news to open source users" title="LiveCode CEO Kevin Miller breaks the news to open source users" height="232" width="442"/></a> <p class="text_center">LiveCode CEO Kevin Miller breaks the news to open source users</p> </div> <p>"We've been taking a close look at the LiveCode business model," adds Miller. "We've been an open source platform for round about eight years … we've seen user base grow consistently during that period and some of you have even made contributions to the platform. However a lot of our user base has moved to using the open source edition… unfortunately that leaves us in a position where we don't have the level of resources that we need to take the platform forward."</p> <p>Miller says that "if you are an open source user and you truly cannot afford the licence, please get in touch and we will sort you out."</p> <div aria-hidden="true" class="adun" data-pos="top" data-raptor="condor" data-xsm=",fluid,mpu," data-sm=",fluid,mpu," data-md=",fluid,mpu,"> <noscript> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0" target="_blank"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855im_/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0" alt=""> </a> </noscript> </div> <p>LiveCode is a rapid application development environment originally inspired by HyperCard, a scripting environment for the Mac back in the eighties and nineties.</p> <div aria-hidden="true" class="adun" data-pos="top" data-raptor="falcon" data-xmd=",fluid,mpu,leaderboard," data-lg=",fluid,mpu,leaderboard," data-xlg=",fluid,billboard,superleaderboard,mpu,leaderboard," data-xxlg=",fluid,billboard,superleaderboard,brandwidth,brandimpact,leaderboard,mpu,"> <noscript> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" target="_blank"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855im_/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D426raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" alt=""> </a> </noscript> </div> <div class="adun_eagle_desktop_story_wrapper"> <div aria-hidden="true" class="adun" data-pos="mid" data-raptor="eagle" data-xxlg=",mpu,dmpu,"> <noscript> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" target="_blank"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855im_/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" alt=""> </a> </noscript> </div> </div> <p>The development system was introduced in 2001 as Revolution and was renamed LiveCode in 2001. The company behind it was Runtime Revolution Ltd, also known as RunRev Ltd, based in Edinburgh, which was renamed LiveCode Ltd in 2015.</p> <p>The company has had considerable impact in computer science education in Scotland, and in its 2013 kickstarter <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1755283828/open-source-edition-of-livecode/description?lang=de">noted</a> that "almost a quarter of secondary schools in Scotland are now teaching with LiveCode."</p> <div aria-hidden="true" class="adun" data-pos="top" data-raptor="falcon" data-xsm=",fluid,mpu," data-sm=",fluid,mpu," data-md=",fluid,mpu,"> <noscript> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" target="_blank"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855im_/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D426raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" alt=""> </a> </noscript> </div> <p>LiveCode creates applications that run on Windows, Mac, Linux (including Raspberry Pi), iOS, Android, and web. LiveCode syntax is English-like, and the company argues that "every semicolon or bracket required by a language introduces another potential source of error."</p> <p>In 2013 RunRev launched a <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1755283828/open-source-edition-of-livecode">Kickstarter crowdfunding project</a> to fund making LiveCode open source. "Our vision is that this new next-generation LiveCode will be free and open source. It will run on every popular platform and device. It will let you write programs in English. And by being open, its English language programming will be extensible to any computing problem out there. That's a world first," said the blurb.</p> <p>The project was to include a new visual editor. The Kickstarter raised nearly £500,000, more than the initial goal of £350,000.</p> <div aria-hidden="true" class="adun" id="story_eagle_xsm_sm_md_xmd_lg_xlg" data-pos="mid" data-raptor="eagle" data-xsm=",mpu,dmpu," data-sm=",mpu,dmpu," data-md=",mpu,dmpu," data-xmd=",mpu,dmpu," data-lg=",mpu,dmpu," data-xlg=",mpu,dmpu,"> <noscript> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" target="_blank"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855im_/https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YUFqz9QJJuapfBm43hoMiAAAAIw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0" alt=""> </a> </noscript> </div> <p>Why does open source work for some platforms but not for LiveCode? "LiveCode is focused on being very easy to use," Miller tells <i>The Reg</i>. "The idea is that you're writing your apps in a language that's as close to English as possible… you're not going into the nitty gritty details of memory management and the things associated with a lower-level language.</p> <p>"The open source project, the LiveCode engine itself, is written in C/C++ so it is that lower-level language which is the very thing that a lot of our user base is trying to avoid."</p> <ul class="listinks"> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/17/utopia_react_tool_alpha_release/">Utopia? Echoes of Delphi and Dreamweaver in new visual editor for React</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2016/06/21/microsoft_flow_ifttt_rivalb/">Microsoft’s IFTTT-alike Flow seeps into the iPhone</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/31/docker_desktop_no_longer_free/">Docker Desktop no longer free for large companies: New 'Business' subscription is here</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/25/30_years_of_linux_red_hat/">30 years of Linux: OS was successful because of how it was licensed, says Red Hat</a></li> </ul> <p>This meant a mis-match between the users and those with the ability to contribute. There were some C++ developers in the community, said Miller, but "there weren't enough of those."</p> <p>Miller tells us that while the Kickstarter funding was significant, it was not enough to sustain the project. "It wasn't anywhere near our annual revenue even in that one Kickstarter campaign," he says.</p> <p>He feels that "I don't think you can say that after eight years we didn't give it our best shot. And that code is still out there if people want to use it."</p> <p>Were any of those original funders disappointed now to lose what they sponsored? "There's been some people that have been disappointed," he says.</p> <p>"At the same time, there's a lot of people who use the platform commercially who are keen to see us take it forward a bit faster."</p> <p>He also tells <i>The Reg</i> that the funding was less than it first appeared, since much of it was from those using the platform commercially who got a licence in return for their pledge.</p> <p>Is he concerned that a fork might appear? "There has been a suggestion, and if it happens, that's fine, but I think that for all the reasons that it didn't happen during that eight years, it would be a bit odd if it suddenly happened now."</p> <p>According to Miller, "we're just trying to make this really affordable." Open source has won Live Code a larger user base, some of whom may now drift away, but this is a small company unlike other larger-scale cases we have seen where formerly open source projects have changed their licences and terms. ®</p> <div class="wptl btm"> <noscript><strong>Get our</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://whitepapers.theregister.com/" style="text-transform:uppercase">Tech Resources</a></noscript> </div> </div> <div id="article_body_btm"> <div class="sharing_widget_story_desktop uses_overlay"> <button class="top_blob" aria-label="Share this story" title="Share this story"> <img width="25" height="25" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icons/social_share_icon.svg" alt=""><span>Share</span> </button> <div class="sharing_widget_overlay" id="sharing_widget_overlay_3"> <div class="sharing_box"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.theregister.com%2f2021%2f09%2f06%2flivecode_interview%2f&title=Why%20we%20abandoned%20open%20source%3a%20LiveCode%20CEO%20on%20retreat%20despite%20successful%20kickstarter" target="_blank"> <img width="25" height="25" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icons/reddit_dark.svg" alt="reddit"> </a> <a class="twit" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://twitter.com/share?text=Why%20we%20abandoned%20open%20source%3a%20LiveCode%20CEO%20on%20retreat%20despite%20successful%20kickstarter&url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.theregister.com%2f2021%2f09%2f06%2flivecode_interview%2f&via=theregister" target="_blank"> <img width="25" height="25" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icons/twitter_dark.svg" alt="Twitter"> </a> <a class="faceb_dialog" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?app_id=727516617265205&display=popup&link=https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/" target="_blank"> <img width="25" height="25" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icons/facebook_dark.svg" alt="Facebook"> </a> <br class="hide_after_sm"> <a class="linkedin_social" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.theregister.com%2f2021%2f09%2f06%2flivecode_interview%2f&title=Why%20we%20abandoned%20open%20source%3a%20LiveCode%20CEO%20on%20retreat%20despite%20successful%20kickstarter&summary=Open%20source%20business%20model%20problems%20for%20modern-day%20HyperCard" target="_blank"> <img width="25" height="25" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icons/linkedin_dark.svg" alt="linkedin"> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=https%3a%2f%2fwww.theregister.com%2f2021%2f09%2f06%2flivecode_interview%2f" target="_blank"> <img width="25" height="25" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icons/whatsapp_dark.svg" alt="WhatsApp"> </a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/mailto:/?subject=Why%20we%20abandoned%20open%20source%3a%20LiveCode%20CEO%20on%20retreat%20despite%20successful%20kickstarter&body=re:https%3a%2f%2fwww.theregister.com%2f2021%2f09%2f06%2flivecode_interview%2f"> <img width="25" height="25" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icons/email_dark.svg" alt="email"> </a> <div class="copy_link"> <input id="copy_link_input_3" class="copy_link_input" readonly value="https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/" tabindex="-1"> <button class="cp_link reg_btn_primary">Copy</button> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="comments large"> <a class="reg_btn" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there are 124 comments" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <span>124</span> Comments </a> </div> <h3 style="position:absolute;color:transparent;z-index:-1;">Similar topics</h3> <div id="tags"> <ul> <li> <strong aria-hidden="true">MORE</strong> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Tag/open%20source">Open Source</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="tips_or_corrections"> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Email/corrections?message=re:%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theregister.com/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/" title="Spotted an error? 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In its Q2 2021 earnings announcement the company declared announced its 2021 projected post gross merchandise value – a measure of all the product it shifts rather than actual revenue – is now forecast to fall between US$15 billion and US$15.5 billion, down from the $US16.7 billion projected in in April.</p> <p>Projected adjusted net sales for 2021 got a haircut too – from US$2.3 billion to between US$2.1 billion and US$2.2 billion. Adjusted EBITDA was reset to a range of -$900 million to -$700 million instead of -US$600 million. Meanwhile, net loss shot up from US$718 million in 2020 to US$815 million.</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/15/grab_q2_2021/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/15/china_opinions_on_strengthening_the_construction_of_network_civilization/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Beijing wants its internet to become 'civilized' by always reflecting Marxist values</h3> <div class="standfirst"> Content won't be welcome if it doesn't laud the Party, strays into anything a little tawdry, or diverts from the official line </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Laura-Dobberstein" title="Read more by this author">Laura Dobberstein</a> <span class="dateline">Wed 15 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>00:58 UTC</span> <a class="comments" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there are 3 comments" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <strong aria-hidden="true">3</strong> <img aria-hidden="true" width="18" height="16" alt="comment bubble on white" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p>China wants a "civilized" internet that displays and promotes Chinese socialist values and will strengthen oversight to make it happen with tools including a rumor-debunking mechanism, as outlined in a missive from China's Communist Party and the State Council.</p> <p>The actual requirements and recommendations – grandly titled "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of Network Civilization" – appear not to have been made public. But a <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/http://www.news.cn/politics/2021-09/14/c_1127861062.htm">report</a> about the opinions by state-run organ <i>Xinhua</i> has been reproduced, verbatim, on a number of Chinese government web sites.</p> <p>Wherever the post appears it states: "The country aims to consolidate the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological cyberspace sphere, foster a common ideology among the whole Party and the Chinese people, and interiorize core socialist values."</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/15/china_opinions_on_strengthening_the_construction_of_network_civilization/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/15/microsoft_patch_tuesday/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Microsoft's end-of-summer software security cleanse crushes more than 80 bugs</h3> <div class="standfirst"> Azure agent in Linux guests fixed, MSHTML exploit tackled, and much more – Plus: Adobe and SAP issue updates </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Thomas-Claburn" title="Read more by this author">Thomas Claburn in San Francisco</a> <span class="dateline">Wed 15 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>00:00 UTC</span> <a class="comments" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there is 1 comment" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <strong aria-hidden="true">1</strong> <img aria-hidden="true" width="18" height="16" alt="comment bubble on white" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p><span data-label="patch tuesday">Patch Tuesday</span> For its September Patch Tuesday, Microsoft churned out fixes for 66 vulnerabilities alongside 20 Chromium security bugs in Microsoft Edge.</p> <p>Affected products include: Azure, Edge (Android, Chromium, and iOS), Office, SharePoint Server, Windows, Windows DNS, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux.</p> <p>Of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">these CVEs</a>, three are rated critical, one is rated moderate, and the remainder are considered important.</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/15/microsoft_patch_tuesday/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/cryptocurrency_patents/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Cryptocurrency world must protect itself from 'low-quality patents' says Square lawyer as biz joins Open Invention Network</h3> <div class="standfirst"> 'I think the legislative framework around patents needs a deep examination, and I don’t think I'm alone in saying that' </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Tim-Anderson" title="Read more by this author">Tim Anderson</a> <span class="dateline">Tue 14 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>23:38 UTC</span> <a class="comments" title="Join the discussion — post a comment on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <img aria-hidden="true" width="15" height="13" alt="comment bubble on black" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_black.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_black.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p><span data-label="interview">Interview</span> Square, which last year founded the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) to defend cryptocurrency technologies against patent trolls, has now joined the Open Invention Network (OIN) to further bolster its legal defenses.</p> <p>Max Sills, counsel at Square and general manager at COPA, told <i>The Register</i> that the digital payment giant is "not anti-patent by any means. The point of a patent is to incentivize people to do really good creative work."</p> <p>"What's actually happening in crypto is people are being creative regardless of government incentives," he said. "There's a ton of really fast, really open work on cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets, transmission mechanisms, and what we see is the people who are getting the patents aren't really any of the people who are contributing, usually, the core technology.</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/cryptocurrency_patents/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/activision_blizzard_sued_after_employees/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Activision Blizzard accused of union busting, intimidating staff in complaint to watchdog</h3> <div class="standfirst"> CWA, employees file lawsuit on same day HR head ejects </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Katyanna-Quach" title="Read more by this author">Katyanna Quach</a> <span class="dateline">Tue 14 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>22:17 UTC</span> <a class="comments" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there are 2 comments" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <strong aria-hidden="true">2</strong> <img aria-hidden="true" width="18" height="16" alt="comment bubble on white" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p>Activision Blizzard intimidated its workers and illegally obstructed their attempts to form a union, a US watchdog was told today.</p> <p>The allegations were made in an unfair labor practices <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.nlrb.gov/case/31-CA-282822">lawsuit</a> submitted to the National Labor Relations Board by Activision Blizzard employees and the Communications Workers of America union.</p> <p>The computer games goliath has had a rocky summer. In July, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/23/blizzard_lawsuit_discrimination/">sued</a> Activision Blizzard, alleging pay inequality, sex and race discrimination, and sexual harassment against women. By August, Blizzard leader J. Allen Brack and HR boss Jesse Meschuk had <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/03/blizzard_management_reshuffle/">resigned</a>. Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra – who were executive vice-presidents of development, and platform and technology, respectively – are now co-leaders of the Blizzard studio.</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/activision_blizzard_sued_after_employees/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/ukgov_laser_cannon_contract_again/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>UK gives military's frikkin' laser cannon project a second roll of the dice</h3> <div class="standfirst"> First try had a habit of melting its mirrors, apparently </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Gareth-Corfield" title="Read more by this author">Gareth Corfield</a> <span class="dateline">Tue 14 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>21:36 UTC</span> <a class="comments" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there are 5 comments" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <strong aria-hidden="true">5</strong> <img aria-hidden="true" width="18" height="16" alt="comment bubble on white" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p><span data-label="dsei 2021">DSEI 2021</span> The UK has awarded contracts for laser cannons to be fitted to tanks and warships, a mere five years after first bounding into the field of directed energy weapons.</p> <p>A government announcement today said that consortia led by Thales and US arms megacorp Raytheon's UK tentacle would see a new laser weapon being tested aboard one of the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates.</p> <p>The zapper will be "detecting, tracking, engaging and countering Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)," according to the Ministry of Defence, while the Army gets to have a go at melting drones with a laser gun strapped to one of its Wolfhound armoured trucks.</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/ukgov_laser_cannon_contract_again/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/apple_iphone_13_launch/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Apple debuts iPhone 13 with 1TB option, two iPad models, Series 7 Watch</h3> <div class="standfirst"> Come for superlatives and executive enthusiasm, stay for the photographic enhancements </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Thomas-Claburn" title="Read more by this author">Thomas Claburn in San Francisco</a> <span class="dateline">Tue 14 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>20:35 UTC</span> <a class="comments" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there are 9 comments" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <strong aria-hidden="true">9</strong> <img aria-hidden="true" width="18" height="16" alt="comment bubble on white" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p>Apple on Tuesday announced iPhone 13, a "new iPad" and iPad mini, and Watch Series 7 at its "California streaming" event, held virtually again this year to avoid going viral in the wrong way.</p> <p>The iBiz's latest shiny things arrived in the wake of a patch released Monday for its mobile and desktop operating systems <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/13/apple_ios_macos_security_fixes/" target="_blank">to block</a> a serious zero-click iMessage vulnerability and of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2021-09-13-photos-video-protests-hit-apple-stores-across/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">protests outside Apple stores</a> in major US cities to demand the company commit to abandoning its recently <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/03/apple_scanning_pause/">suspended</a> plan to scan photos and messages on devices for child sexual abuse material.</p> <p>Apple managed to shoot itself in the foot in the run-up to its product launch by announcing a child safety initiative based on using its customers' devices against them – a laudable goal that contradicted the mega-corp's privacy commitments and alarmed technical experts for its intrusive approach. The backlash prompted Apple to pause its CSAM scanning rollout and the protesters who took to the streets on Monday hope that pause will be permanent.</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/apple_iphone_13_launch/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/krita_users_targeted_by_ransomware/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Krita art app users targeted by ransomware posing as paid 'collaboration' opportunities</h3> <div class="standfirst"> Artists advised to delete emails asking them to download 'media bundle' </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Gareth-Halfacree" title="Read more by this author">Gareth Halfacree</a> <span class="dateline">Tue 14 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>19:27 UTC</span> <a class="comments" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there is 1 comment" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <strong aria-hidden="true">1</strong> <img aria-hidden="true" width="18" height="16" alt="comment bubble on white" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p>Krita, an open-source cross-platform digital painting application, has become the latest victim of ransomware – but rather than being attacked directly, its name is being used to spread malware among users via emails offering advertising revenue.</p> <p>In one example of the emails seen by <cite>The Register</cite> the recipient was offered a fee to mention the app on YouTube in a 30 to 45-second advertising spot. The fees on offer: $350 for accounts with 10,000-80,000 subscribers, rising to $1,700 for those with up to a million – or "individually" priced for larger accounts.</p> <p>Those looking to take advantage of the "offer" are asked to "register as a Krita partner" and sent a link to download the Windows version of the app and a "media pack" of assets – the link, naturally, pointing to a convincingly named domain outside the control of the Krita project and hosting a ransomware dropper which takes over the victim's system, encrypts their files, and demands payment to reverse the process.</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/krita_users_targeted_by_ransomware/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/future_of_jekyll_project_engine/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Jekyll in hiding? Maintainer claimed engine behind GitHub Pages was 'RIP' since 2018, but development continues</h3> <div class="standfirst"> Maybe it's just feature-complete </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Tim-Anderson" title="Read more by this author">Tim Anderson</a> <span class="dateline">Tue 14 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>18:15 UTC</span> <a class="comments" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there is 1 comment" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <strong aria-hidden="true">1</strong> <img aria-hidden="true" width="18" height="16" alt="comment bubble on white" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p>The open-source Jekyll project, used by GitHub for its Pages feature, was declared frozen and "in permanent hiatus" earlier this year by one of its core maintainers.</p> <p>Jekyll is a Static Site Generator (SSG), which compiles source files into a static website. Dynamic content is possible by calling services from JavaScript, the approach sometimes called Jamstack (JavaScript, APIs and Markup). Alternatively, an SSG can simply update the static content.</p> <p>Jekyll was created in 2008 by San Francisco developer and <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2015/06/18/github_valuation/">former GitHub boss</a> Tom Preston-Werner who said <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://archive.is/1tjTP">at the time</a>: "I was tired of complicated blogging engines like WordPress."</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/future_of_jekyll_project_engine/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/martian_blood_brick_plan/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Boffins say Martian colonists could pee in buckets, give blood if they want shelter</h3> <div class="standfirst"> In terms of building materials, Mars has nothing to offer but blood, soil, sweat and tears. And urine. Lots of urine </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Matt-Dupuy" title="Read more by this author">Matt Dupuy</a> <span class="dateline">Tue 14 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>17:33 UTC</span> <a class="comments" aria-label="Read comments on this article, currently there are 27 comments" title="View comments on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <strong aria-hidden="true">27</strong> <img aria-hidden="true" width="18" height="16" alt="comment bubble on white" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_white.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p>A group of boffins from the University of Manchester have proposed an innovative if unexpected way of creating structures for any future Mars colony: mixing the bodily fluids of the first colonists with Martian soil to create super-strength concrete.</p> <p>The method, <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590006421000442?via%3Dihub">published in the journal <i>Materials Today Bio</i></a>, reflects the difficulty and cost of transporting building materials over the vast interplanetary distances that would be involved in any future Martian settlement project.</p> <p>Transporting building materials from Earth to Mars would require extraordinary expenditure – one estimate suggests that it would cost <a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.structuremag.org/?p=12389">as much as $2m per brick</a> – as well as a considerable increase in the logistical complexity of any mission. The obvious solution would therefore be to create structures from materials already present on the Martian surface, a technique known as <i>in situ</i> resource utilisation (or ISRU).</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/martian_blood_brick_plan/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/security_bods_boost_apple_iphone/?td=keepreading-top"> <div class="top-col-story"> <h3>Security bods boost Apple iPhone hardware attack research with iTimed toolkit</h3> <div class="standfirst"> 'The first complete infrastructure to enable general-purpose hardware security experiments on the Apple iPhone SoCs,' they claim </div> </div> </a> <div class="byline_and_dateline_and_share_and_comments"> <a class="byline" href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Author/Gareth-Halfacree" title="Read more by this author">Gareth Halfacree</a> <span class="dateline">Tue 14 Sep 2021<span class="slashes"> // </span>16:45 UTC</span> <a class="comments" title="Join the discussion — post a comment on this article" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/forum/all/2021/09/06/livecode_interview/"> <img aria-hidden="true" width="15" height="13" alt="comment bubble on black" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_black.png" srcset="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/f5daacc84b9722c1e31ba85f836c37e4ad993fc4/graphics/icons/bubble_comment_black.svg"> </a> </div> <div class="body"> <p>A trio of researchers at North Carolina State University (NC State) have released what they describe as a "novel research toolkit" for Apple's iDevices - and to prove its functionality, have disclosed side-channel attacks against the company's A10 Fusion system-on-chip.</p> <p>"A lot of people interact with Apple's tech on a daily basis," first author Gregor Haas, a master's graduate from NC State, explained in a statement pointing out the obvious. "And the way Apple wants to use its platforms is changing all the time. At some point, there’s value in having independent verification that Apple’s technology is doing what Apple says it is doing, and that its security measures are sound."</p> </div> <a href="/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/14/security_bods_boost_apple_iphone/?td=keepreading-btm">Continue reading</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="footer"><div class="foot_wrapper"> <div class="left_block"> <div class="foot_list"> <h4>ABOUT US<img width="7" height="11" alt="" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icon/footer_mob_nav_arrow_black.svg" class="expand_arrow"></h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Profile/about_the_register/">Who we are</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Profile/website/">Under the hood</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Profile/contact/">Contact us</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://situationpublishing.com/home/contact-us/">Advertise with us</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Page/front-end-dev.html">Seeking client-side dev</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="foot_list more_us"> <h4>MORE CONTENT<img width="7" height="11" alt="" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icon/footer_mob_nav_arrow_black.svg" class="expand_arrow"></h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Week/">Latest News</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.theregister.com/Popular/">Popular Stories</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://forums.theregister.com/">Forums</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://whitepapers.theregister.com/">Whitepapers</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://whitepapers.theregister.com/events/list">Webinars</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="foot_list what_else"> <h4>SITUATION PUBLISHING<img width="7" height="11" alt="" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icon/footer_mob_nav_arrow_black.svg" class="expand_arrow"></h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.nextplatform.com/">The Next Platform</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://devclass.com/">DevClass</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://blocksandfiles.com/">Blocks and Files</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.continuouslifecycle.london/">Continuous Lifecycle London</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://www.mcubed.london/">M-cubed</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="reg_foot"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210915033855/https://situationpublishing.com/" id="sitpub_logo"> <img width="132" height="51" alt="Situation Publishing" src="/web/20210915033855im_/https://www.theregister.com/design_picker/d2e337b97204af4aa34dda04c4e5d56d954b216f/graphics/icon/sitpub_footer.svg"> </a> <div class="foot_desc_wrapper"> <p class="foot_desc"><strong>The Register</strong> - Independent news and views for the tech community. 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Why we abandoned open source: LiveCode CEO on retreat despite successful kickstarter • The Register