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 KEPR 19 | US Judge Approves Vista Capable Lawsuit eFluxMedia - By Max Brenn US District Judge Marsha Pechman ruled that the consumers may go ahead with a class action lawsuit against the software company Microsoft over “Vista Capable” advertising program, the Associated Press informs. Judge OKs suit over 'Vista Capable' "Vista Capable" Lawsuit Is Now a Class Action |
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Similarly, there would be no point today in writing a review of Ultima IV, since it is long out of print. A useful work of criticism, however, is entirely conceivable: discussing, perhaps, its role as one of the first games to consider the moral implications of a player's acts, and to use tactical combat as a minigame within the context of a larger, more strategic title. Such an article, well-written, ideally with an understanding of the influence of tabletop roleplaying on the development of the early western CRPG, and of the place of this title in the overall shape of Richard Garriot's ouevre would be of interest to readers today, even if they'd be hard put to find a way to buy the damn game. And it might find a place in anthologies and studies of the 20th century origins of the popular medium of the game, going forward into the indefinite future.LinkThe truth is that, for the most part, we don't have anything like game criticism, and we need it -- to inform gamers, to hold developers to task, and to inform our broader cultural understanding of games and their importance and impact on our culture.
Advertisements for virus authors fluent in languages from Japanese to Portuguese are increasingly showing up online. Such recruiting efforts are finding traction thanks partly to the economic conditions in nations like China and Russia. Both countries have a surplus of skilled coders who lack regular work, or possibly any work at all. Laws against cybercrime are also more lax in these and other developing nations...If you're going to host malicious servers in another country, it only makes sense to offer its citizens the gifts of herbal enhancements and Nigerian banking deals that make the rest of us so happy—but if you're going to bring such presents to another nation, you have to know the local language. The Russian Mafia's interest in cybercrime is also reportedly growing—a fact that could have significant repercussions for the future of malware business on a global scale. <;blockquote> Link
Source: Boing Boing | 24 Feb 2008 | 9:23 amCCPS Recommends Process Safety Metrics
By Anonymous AIChE's Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) recently published recommendations for a uniform set of process safety management (PSM) metrics.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amProduct Digest This Month's Topic Materials
By Anonymous Refractories Bring Strength to the Aluminum and Petrochemical Industries Thermbond Formula 2000 Series refractories provide improved abrasion resistance and physical strength in aluminum and petrochemical applications.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amChemical Engineering Design
By Anonymous Chemical Engineering Design Gavin Towler and Ray Sinnott, Butterworth-Heinemann, an Elsevier imprint, Burlington, MA, 1245 pp., $90,2008, ISBN: 978-0-7506-8423-1 "Chemical Engineering Design" is a complete text for students of chemical engineering.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amOxidation of Industrial Dyeing Wastewater By Supercritical Water Oxidation in Transpiring-Wall Reactor
By Gong, Wei-Jin Li, Fang; Xi, Dan-Li ABSTRACT: Industrial dyeing wastewater was oxidized in supercritical water in a transpiring-wall reactor, using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amThe Sixth Annual "Night Before" Fundraiser Raises Millions to Benefit the Motion Picture &Amp; Television Fund
It was all about giving back to their community, as the biggest names in show business gathered tonight for the sixth annual "Night Before" party to benefit the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF).
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amGreatest Show I Ever Herd ; Pounds 10 Tee-Email
By Edited by Katie Stirling LOOKS like someone gave Julie Andrews a bum steer. Thanks to Ian White, of Dundee, who wins my weekly tenner.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amUpdate: Child's Body Found
THE remains of a child have been found at a former care home in Jersey linked to an abuse inquiry dating back to the 1960s. Police yesterday said their search was continuing at the Haut de la Garenne site and admitted more bodies could be buried there.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amVillagers Say No Go to Eco-Town
VILLAGERS yesterday protested against a proposed eco-town they say would ruin their community. About 500 protesters attended the rally in Stoughton, Leicestershire.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amObama Campaign Out Front in Capturing New Voters, Funds Through Internet
WASHINGTON _ Barack Obama's ascendancy comes with a popular affirmation: "Yes, we can." Maybe it should be "Yes, we click," as his presidential campaign takes online politics to new levels.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amFiOS: Nearing Full Speed
By Bob Fernandez, The Philadelphia Inquirer Feb. 24--Two years ago, Gus Gadonas saw the Verizon lineman stringing fiber-optic FiOS wires through his neighborhood in East Pikeland Township, Chester County. He ordered the new FiOS high-speed Internet service right away.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amPushing Inspiration / Amputee's Story Motivates and Builds Online Community
By CYNTHIA McMULLEN Josh Sundquist has a leg up on the competition. That might sound like a bad joke if you know he lost a leg, at age 9, to Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amFor old gear: Here are ways to dispose of electronic devices responsibly.
Americans dump hundreds of millions of electronic devices each year as they rush to adopt the latest technology. Less than 13% get recycled, according to the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, an advocacy...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amAccuracy of gender test kits in question
The modern-day equivalent of old wives' tales, they can have far greater consequences than inappropriately colored nurseries. ...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amShrink your energy footprint
For the gear you have: Even when they're not in use, many house-hold appliances suck up juice. Pull the plug on wasteful habits and save. ...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amBuying green electronic devices
Cutting-edge products let consumers who say they would pay more for efficiency put their money where their mouths are. ...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amEnergy eaters: Watching your fridge may be boring but it can save you money.
When it comes to energy, super-size television screens are even hungrier than refrigerators.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am90dayjane's cry for attention
A blogger threatens suicide. She later claims it was art, but did it become too real even for her? ...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amWhat shade of green?
What shade of green? Consumer electronics marketers can talk about the environmental benefits of their gadgets until they're green in the face. Several organizations have attempted to apply standards...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amHome office tips: A few switches that can really compute
* Use a computer with an Energy Star designation. It consumes 70% less electricity than other computers. If left inactive, Energy Star computers enter a low-power mode and use 15 watts or less. Spending...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 amBoeing uses him as its heavy hitter
As it's done with other troubled programs, the company is relying on Patrick Shanahan to get the 787 back on track. ...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am"Vista Capable" Lawsuit Is Now a Class Action
An anonymous reader notes an update in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporting that the lawsuit against Microsoft's "Windows Vista Capable" marketing campaign has been granted class-action status. We discussed the company's internal misgivings with this campaign a while back. The suit alleges that "...Microsoft unjustly enriched itself by promoting PCs as 'Windows Vista Capable' even when they could only run a bare-bones version of the operating system, called 'Vista Home Basic.'" In the 2006 pre-holiday season, Microsoft had placed "Windows Vista Capable" stickers on machines to keep the sale of Windows XP machines going after Vista was delayed. Microsoft didn't lose out totally in the recent ruling — the article notes that the judge "narrowed the basis on which plaintiffs could move forward with their claims."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Feb 2008 | 7:04 amBiofuel flight set to take off
The world's first commercial aircraft flight powered with biofuel is set to take off from London. A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 will fly from Heathrow to Amsterdam in a...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 6:42 am3 Years for Royal Facebook Fake in Morocco
A Moroccan engineer has been sentenced to three years behind bars and a $1,300 fine for creating a fake Facebook entry for a member of the royal family. Fouad Mourtada was convicted of villainous practices and stealing the identity of Crown Prince Moulay Rachid.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 5:00 amThe trunk monkey (TV ads/video)
Scott Beale points to this series of very funny ads from a car dealership in Oregon.
Source: Boing Boing | 24 Feb 2008 | 4:24 amBest Technology For Long-Distance Travel?
An anonymous reader writes "Over the past year I have traveled across the globe for work but I can't seem to find the right balance of technology to take with me. After reading a CNET article about tech for traveling, I'm still slightly undecided about what hardware suits me best. On the work side of things I need a laptop, nothing fancy but it can't be too heavy or slow. I also need a smart phone that can receive emails across the world and if possible a satellite navigation device, as I need to get to less-traveled locations on a regular basis. From a personal perspective I need my music but I don't care about video, so I'm looking for something with high-quality audio and great battery life. A compact camera wouldn't go amiss but dSLRs are too heavy for my needs and carrying strength, so something I can tuck in a pocket would be perfect. Any suggestions greatly appreciated."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Feb 2008 | 4:09 amCERN photos in Nat'l. Geo: The God Particle
Photographer Dave Bullock, whose work I've blogged here many times before, says,
When I opened up this month's National Geographic I was filled with amazement and a bit of envy. World class technical photographer, Peter Ginter, shot these really outstanding shots of CERN. His technique is unmatched.Link.
Source: Boing Boing | 24 Feb 2008 | 4:07 amYouTube blocked in Pakistan over purportedly "anti-Islam" video
Reports are circulating today that Pakistan's central telecommunications authority (PTA) ordered ISPs to block access to Youtube on Friday.According to an official notification sent out by the PTA to major ISPs, the ban was supposed to be imposed on a specific URL, featuring a 04:58-minute-long trailer from Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ controversial anti-Islam movie. The video had been uploaded to the website on January 28, 2008, and had remained largely unnoticed by the internet-savvy community in Pakistan.Link to a regional news report, Reporters Without Borders has more.
Source: Boing Boing | 24 Feb 2008 | 3:55 amStudents Vote on 2008 OSCARS Ads Using iPhone, Facebook, and Web Polling Technology from MIMIEO
EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Using MIMIEO, thousands of movie fans are watching and voting on movie trailers for Oscar-nominated films using the iPhone,...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Feb 2008 | 3:25 amMUSIC ; Serenade's Vesely is `Just a Guy'
By DAVE WEDGE Like most West Coast rock kids, emo minstrel John Vesely grew up on hardcore, punk and ska. But it was his decision to turn off the amps that finally launched his career.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Feb 2008 | 2:00 amHalf-Petaflop Supercomputer Deployed In Austin
SethJohnson writes "Thanks to a $59 million National Science Foundation grant, there's likely to be a new king of the High Performance Computing Top 500 list. The contender is Ranger, a 15,744 Quad-Core AMD Opteron behemoth built by Sun and hosted at the University of Texas. Its peak processing power of 504 teraflops will be shared among over 500 researchers working across the even larger TeraGrid system. Although its expected lifespan is just four years, Ranger will provide 500 million processor hours to projects attempting to address societal grand challenges such as global climate change, water resource management, new energy sources, natural disasters, new materials and manufacturing processes, tissue and organ engineering, patient-specific medical therapies, and drug design."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Feb 2008 | 1:54 amMicrosoft glitch offers up Vista SP1 early - CNET News.com
NewsOXY
CNET News.com -12 hours ago
Brett Zehr was surprised on Thursday when he saw that his Windows Vista PC had a new update ready: Service Pack 1. The software wasn't supposed to be available until mid-March, however a glitch on Thursday meant that Zehr and some other general users ...
Vista SP1 Is Even Less CompatibleSlashdot
Glitch Accidentally Releases Vista SP1 To PublicPC Magazine Computerworld -CRN -eFluxMedia -PC World all 104 news articles
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 24 Feb 2008 | 1:09 amAnatomy Lesson: How to Assemble a Chickensaurus
As a lesson in anatomy, Kevin Kelly and his son reassemble a chicken skeleton from the bones remaining after a chicken dinner. See the results on Wired.com's Geek Dad blog.
Source: Wired: Top Stories | 24 Feb 2008 | 12:00 amHans Reiser and the "Geek Defense" Strategy
lseltzer alerts us to a story in the Washington Post on the defense strategy in the Hans Reiser murder trial. "In the courtroom where Hans Reiser is on trial for murder, [the evidence] might appear to indicate guilty knowledge. But his attorneys cast it as evidence of an innocence peculiar to Hans, a computer programmer so immersed in the folds of his own intellect that he had no idea how complicit he was making himself appear. 'Being too intelligent can be a sort of curse,' defense counsel William Du Bois said. 'All this weird conduct can be explained by him, but he's the only one who can do it. People who are commonly known as computer geeks are so into the field.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 23 Feb 2008 | 11:34 pmCamera can detect car occupants
A new traffic camera which can detect the number of people in a car has reached the final point in its development. The arrival of the production-ready dtect camera,...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 23 Feb 2008 | 11:11 pmBiofuel flight takes off
The world's first commercial aircraft powered partly by biofuel has taken to the skies. The Virgin Atlantic 747 took off on route from London Heathrow to Amsterdam...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 23 Feb 2008 | 10:51 pmJudge Greenlights Suit Against Microsoft Over Vista OS
A federal judge approves a class action lawsuit against Microsoft over the way it advertised computers loaded with Windows XP as capable of running the Vista operating system.
Source: Wired: Top Stories | 23 Feb 2008 | 10:30 pmPirated Flicks Yield DIY Oscars Screenings
Torrent sites serve up the vast majority of movies nominated for Academy Awards. Vote for your favorite Most Wired films.
Source: Wired: Top Stories | 23 Feb 2008 | 10:30 pmFDA Breast Cancer Drug Approval Prompts Mixed Reaction
In a surprise decision that could represent a shift in standards for assessing the effectiveness of cancer medicines, the FDA clears Avastin for use in treating breast cancer. The federal agency is judging the drug's effectiveness based on measurements of tumor growth, not patient survival.
Source: Wired: Top Stories | 23 Feb 2008 | 9:30 pmJapan Launches "Super-Speed" Internet Satellite
A number of readers wrote in about the launch this morning of a Japanese H-2A rocket carrying a Kizuna ("Winds") satellite into orbit. Kizuna is intended to provide "super high-speed data transmission" for Japan and Southeast Asia. The news stories on the launch, such as the AP's linked here, are short on technical detail. For example they say the satellite successfully achieved orbit 175 miles above the earth — hardly suitable for Internet communications to a specific area on the surface (remember Teledesic?). Reader nebulus4 provided a link to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency site with an illustration and a little more detail. Such as the fact that Kizuna is destined for geosync orbit, and that a 45-cm antenna will equip eventual users for 155 Mbps down / 6 Mbps up, whereas a 5-m antenna will allow enterprises and ISPs to tap into 1.2 Gbps down. Given the latency to geosync orbit, you probably wouldn't want to use Kizuna to play an online shooter.Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 23 Feb 2008 | 9:20 pmJapan successfully launches high-speed Internet satellite - AFP
Enews 2.0
AFP -16 hours ago
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan successfully launched Saturday an experimental satellite aimed at providing high-speed Internet access across Asia, even when terrestrial infrastructure goes down, the space agency said.
Japanese Satellite to Provide Super-high Speed Wireless Internet ...Inventorspot
Japan Launches Internet SatelliteEnews 2.0 International Business Times -United Press International -CNN International -AHN all 195 news articles
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 23 Feb 2008 | 8:46 pmGoolag Tool Lets Google Aid Hackers - PC World
Turkish Press
PC World -17 hours ago
The hacking group Cult of the Dead Cow has released a tool that should make Google hacking a little easier for novices. Called Goolag, the open-source software lets hackers use the Google search engine to scan Web sites for vulnerabilities.
Google-Powered Hacking Makes Search A ThreatInformationWeek
Google's Many Uses: Hack TooleFluxMedia CRN -Computerworld -AFP -Mashable all 38 news articles
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 23 Feb 2008 | 8:32 pmJapan Aerospace Agency Launches Communications Satellite
Japan's space agency launches an experimental communications satellite designed to enable super high-speed data transmission at home and in Southeast Asia.
Source: Wired: Top Stories | 23 Feb 2008 | 8:30 pmApple Sends Cease-and-Desist To the Hymn Project
Troed writes "Tools for removing DRM from iTunes-purchased songs (myFairTunes7, QtFairUse6) have been available from the Hymn Project Web site for some time. These are legal in many countries. But on the 20th Apple sent a Cease and Desist note to Hymn's ISP, forcing the site admins to remove all download links. It is speculated that this is due to a new tool being created (Requiem) that attacks Apple's FairPlay DRM through cryptographic means instead of by copying the unprotected music from memory while it is being played. But since the tools are no longer available (after several days there are still no public mirrors), discussion around this topic has died out. Many users buy music from the iTunes store and rely on DRM removal to be able to play the content on their mobile phones. Apple may be on dangerous ground here, since those users might now start checking out competing services."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 23 Feb 2008 | 8:14 pmGates: Speech Software Will Overtake Keyboards
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates says people will increasingly interact with computers using speech or touch screens rather than keyboards, and in five years, more Internet searches will be done through speech than through typing on a keyboard.
Source: Wired: Top Stories | 23 Feb 2008 | 8:00 pmGadgets After HD DVD Drop, Toshiba Spends $835M to Back PS3 - DailyTech
Ottawa Citizen
DailyTech -17 hours ago
The 90nm Cell/BE package as found in the PlayStation 3, now to be manufactured by Toshiba. (Source: DailyTech) A new twist has emerged with the death of HD DVD.
HD DVD /Blu-ray WarWashington Post
HD DVD is 21st century's BetamaxLouisville Courier-Journal HeraldNet -CNET News.com -Tulsa World -Fort Wayne Journal Gazette all 129 news articles
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 23 Feb 2008 | 7:39 pmInternet Forum Headed for Boston - The Associated Press
CNET News.com
The Associated Press -18 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - Internet users should be free to surf where they want and download what they please. But shouldn't the owners of the networks that make the Internet possible also have rights?
Comcast vs. BitTorrent to be focus of FCC hearingCNET News.com
Comcast, Verizon to be on the hot seat at FCC forum in BostonEyewitness News Boston Globe -Boston Herald -San Jose Mercury News -Broadcast Newsroom all 90 news articles
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 23 Feb 2008 | 7:31 pmCriminals Attacking Myspace, Facebook IE Plugins
An anonymous reader writes "According to the Washington Post's Security Fix blog, cyber criminals are populating the Internet with Web sites designed to exploit several recently-discovered security holes in a half-dozen widely used ActiveX plug-ins for IE 6 and 7, most notably the one offered by Facebook and MySpace to help users upload photos. The sites, advertised via links in email and instant message spam, also 'probe for other vulnerable IE plug-ins, including two recently discovered from Yahoo! and one for QuickTime (this one attacks a vulnerability Apple patched just last month). The sites also throw in an exploit against a six-month-old IE flaw.' The article notes that the SANS Internet Storm Center has released a GUI tool to help users safely deactivate the vulnerable plug-ins in the Windows registry."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 23 Feb 2008 | 7:09 pmPortal Perfection, Unreal Problems at GDC
The secret to crafting Portal's perfect blend of gameplay and story, according to Kim Swift and Eric Wolpaw, is to cut, cut, and cut some more. Susan Arendt reports from the 2008 Game Design Challenge.
Source: Wired: Top Stories | 23 Feb 2008 | 6:30 pmVista SP1 Is Even Less Compatible
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "Microsoft is now saying that Vista SP1 disables some 3rd party applications. The KB article on SP1 incompatibility states: 'For reliability reasons, Microsoft blocks these programs from starting after you install Windows Vista SP1.' It does link to several vendor support pages with updates or workarounds. Unfortunately, at least one of the suggestions consists of merely disabling part of the program, which could leave you with half an anti-virus solution."Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 23 Feb 2008 | 5:59 pmBelgrade Looters Become You Tube Hit
Can looting be patriotic? Two women who took part in the Belgrade riots to protest Kosovo's independence seem to think the two go hand in hand. A video clip now on the Internet _ entitled
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 23 Feb 2008 | 5:52 pmNASA names new space shuttle program manager - Spaceflight Now
The Money Times
Spaceflight Now -22 hours ago
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD John Shannon, chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team and the man responsible for the conduct of space shuttle missions, was named manager of the shuttle program today, replacing N. Wayne Hale, a veteran ascent-entry flight ...
John Shannon Appointed As The New Space Shuttle Program ManagereFluxMedia
Endeavour Crew Begins Final PreparationsCentral Florida News 13| New York Times -FOXBusiness -San Francisco Chronicle -FOXNews all 56 news articles
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 23 Feb 2008 | 3:24 pmXNA Game Studio And Xbox Live: Games By People For People - eFluxMedia
eFluxMedia
eFluxMedia -23 hours ago
By Max Brenn Do you want to be a famous games creator? Or just share your vision about games with a community? Then Microsoft has all you need.
Sponsored Feature: Democratizing Game Distribution: The Next StepGamasutra
Innovation: Microsoft Wants You to Create Video Games for Xbox 360FOXBusiness San Jose Mercury News -Shacknews -InformationWeek -PC Magazine all 121 news articles
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 23 Feb 2008 | 1:57 pmJapan Launches Internet Satellite
Japan's space agency launched an experimental communications satellite Saturday designed to enable super high-speed data transmission at home and in Southeast Asia. The domestically...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 23 Feb 2008 | 1:25 pmWorker Snooping on Customer Data Common
A landlord snooped on tenants to find out information about their finances. A woman repeatedly accessed her ex-boyfriend's account after a difficult breakup. Another obtained her child's...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 23 Feb 2008 | 12:40 pm
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