An interesting piece on the New York Times Magazine, Deborah Solomon interviews Umberto Eco. Online an extract on Media and Populism: Questions for Umberto Eco, Media Studies

Welcome to Italy

Android, the Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications, has just released its SDK to public. The Google sponsored open source software for mobiles is running a Android Developer Challenge to promote it around the web. Fact is Italy is out of the games, this is because the heavy, baroque and useless bureaucracy of a Country stuck in middle ages won't allow Google to run the challenge in an acceptable time range.

Peace declaration.

Mme. Christine Boutin, Minister for Housing and Urban Areas of Mr. Sarkozy government, says what she, and a lot of people, thinks: George W. Bush and his fellows could be the ones behind 9/11.

And now for something completely different: BBC correspondent in Gaza, Alan Johnston, has been released today after 114 in captivity.

Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo has been released today after 15 days of captivity in Afghanistan. The reporter for la Repubblica Italian daily has been released near a medical centre in the south part of Afghanistan, part of the Emergency medical network in the country. Emergency director, Gino Strada, reassured on the journalist general health conditions.

At the time there are no news about Mastrogiacomo's interpreter, Adjmal Nashkbandi, which was captured together with the journalist and their driver, the latter eventually executed by their kidnappers.