MrSteveSD writes "The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has responded to criticism by Bill Thomson over its collusion with Virgin Media in targeting UK file sharers. BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor personally wrote to the BBC to set things straight, and he asserts that 'it's Mr Thompson, rather than music companies, who is stuck in the past.' Of course, Virgin Media customers who download music and TV legally often find their connections being turned down to unusable speeds due to Virgin's aggressive throttling policy." Mike also points out a blog entry that describes one of the letters received by a Virgin Media customer. In the letter were suggestions regarding the customer's router settings and anti-virus software.
According an interview with Philipp Humm, T-Mobile Boss Germany, in German Welt Online, T-Mobile is going to offer the iPhone 3G starting at 1 Euro in Germany. [via I4U] Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:48 pm
A California jury ruled on Thursday that Sprint Nextel didn't violate laws with its early termination fees, but the carrier may still need to pay damages. [via Cellular News] Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:33 pm
Here are some of the stories on our network of sites that are worth reading this weekend. OStatic: Opensource Dia takes on Microsoft Visio. It is pretty good. WebWorkerDaily: Many many things that are... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:28 pm
The Helga de Alvear gallery in Madrid is currently running a (very timely) exhibition on the controversial topic of Extraordinary Rendition. The expression was coined by the Bush administration to define... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:11 pm
By MICHAEL CASEY By Michael Casey The Associated Press BANGKOK, Thailand Long-tailed macaque monkeys have a reputation for knowing how to find food - whether it be grabbing fruit from jungle trees or snatching a banana from a startled tourist. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
By JOHN STREIT By John Streit Correspondent Princess Anne Hundreds of folks, fishing rods in hand, lined a finger of land that jutted out into the North Landing River at Munden Point Park. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
From staff and wire reports Potent, wafting smoke from a pair of wildfires blanketed Hampton Roads in a haze Saturday, as air quality officials in two states forecasted the polluted air would continue at least through today. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
Consider the plum Gardeners who are short on space, but who would like to grow their own fruit, should consider plums. Store-bought plums are often hard, and tasteless while those fresh from the tree are sweet and juicy. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
Text of report in English by Taiwanese Central News Agency website [By Lilian Wu] Taipei, June 14 (CNA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco H.L. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
That punishing sun is bringin' on the pain, causing us and our landscapes to wither. Water offers relief, but this time of year it's good to conserve as much as possible. We're looking for your quick and easy ways of preserving our most precious resource. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
THE BIG STORIES AND TALKING POINTS OF THE PAST SEVEN DAYS 'We fear Obama will feel that because he is black with an inferiority complex, that will make him behave worse than whites' Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi 'I think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric' George Bush laments his previous language on the 'war on terror' 'I'm lower than trash because at least the trash gets recycled' Tomohiro Kato's words on his blog before going on a stabbing spree in Tokyo that left seven people dead 'She was a tall, thin, gawky-looking girl with a mouthful of braces' Dustin Hoffman recalls a much younger Angelina Jolie (c) 2008 Independent on Sunday, The. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
Imagine - environmentalists and water users, as well as state and federal governments, actually agreeing on a compromise over the water flowing through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
By DINA CAPPIELLO By Dina Cappiello The Associated Press WASHINGTON Less than a month after declaring polar bears a threatened species because of global warming, the Bush administration is giving oil companies permission to search for oil and natural gas among them. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
By Keith Elliott Fishing Lines We never managed to see the pink seagull. Oban has many attractions: delightful harbour, wealth of history, gateway to Mull, Barra, South Uist and Islay. But we just wanted to see the Oban flamingo. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 15 Jun 2008 | 2:00 pm
modemac writes "Verizon has declared it will no longer offer access to the entire alt.* hierarchy of Usenet newsgroups to its customers. This stems from last week's agreement for major ISPs to cut off access to 'newsgroups and Web sites' that make child pornography available. The story notes, 'No law requires Verizon to do this. Instead, the company (and, to varying extents, Time Warner Cable and Sprint) agreed to restrictions on Usenet in response to political strong-arming by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat. Cuomo claimed that his office found child porn on 88 newsgroups — out of roughly 100,000 newsgroups that exist.' In response, Verizon will cut its customers off from a large portion of Usenet, as it will only carry newsgroups in the Big 8."
Senior Prisons Department officials explained to Pakistan's Daily Time the many ways cell phones were smuggled into jails: Soap: Many visitors use bars of soap to smuggle small cellphones or drugs... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 1:50 pm
Reuters - Online advertising will be a key topic
when world advertising leaders gather in Cannes on the French
Riviera from Sunday as the industry tries to weather tough
economic times. Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 15 Jun 2008 | 1:48 pm
PC World - Unlimited isn't what it used to be, as providers test monthly caps, with Sprint's mobile broadband service being the latest to restrict monthly transfers. Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 15 Jun 2008 | 1:45 pm
Will McGree got a letter form Virgin Media (his cable provider) and the British Phonographic Institute (the UK version of the RIAA (of which Virgin -- also a record label -- is a member turns out they're not affiliated with the record label any longer) telling him that he could be sued and disconnected from the Internet because someone used his open WiFi to download music. It wasn't Will -- the program used for file-sharing is a Windows app, and he runs Linux. It was one of his neighbours.
Virgin and BPI take the position that being a copyright holder means you get to specify the router configuration of every computer connected to the Internet. That just because open WiFi makes it harder for the BPI to hunt downloaders, no one should be allowed to offer it, no matter how convenient useful open WiFi might be. I've run open WiFi networks for close to a decade now -- I rely on open networks when I'm out and about, so it only seems fair to return the favour. Plus, closed WiFi networks are a pain in the ass if you have houseguests, exotic wireless devices, or older consoles and the like that can't handle passwords gracefully.
If I play my music with my window open, my neighbour might decide to open his window and listen in, instead of buying his own music. Does that mean that the record industry gets to order me to bolt my window shut?
Just one more reason not to pay for Virgin Broadband -- they're just not on their customers' side.
Virgin Media are the only ISP sending out BPI notices. They don’t have to - there’s no law or industry regulation that says so. They just leapt into bed with the BPI and the BPI couldn’t be happier that they’ve got someone doing their “policing” for them.
In September, we’re building a home server in our flat. It’ll be a Tor node so that finally Virgin Media don’t need to worry themselves with what’s flowing through their routers. It’s just data. Like I paid for.
Will McGree got a letter form Virgin Media (his cable provider) and the British Phonographic Institute (the UK version of the RIAA (of which Virgin -- also a record label -- is a member turns out they're... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 1:18 pm
shanen writes "A story from the NYTimes about metering internet traffic caught my eye. I thought the exchange of information over the Internet was supposed to be a good thing? Couldn't we use technology more constructively? For example, if there is too much network traffic for video and radio channels, why don't we offset with the increased use of P2P technologies like BitTorrent? Why don't we use wireless networks to reduce the traffic on the wired infrastructure? Such technologies often have highly desirable properties. For example, BitTorrent is excellent for rapidly increasing the availability of popular files while automatically balancing the network traffic, since the faster and closer connections will automatically wind up being favored. Instead, we have an increasing trend for anti-technology technologies and twisted narrow economic solutions such as those discussed in the NYTimes article, and attempts to restrict the disruptive communications technologies. You may remember how FM radio was delayed for years; part of the security requirements of a major company includes anti-P2P software, as well as locking down the wireless communications extremely tightly — but there are still gaps for the bad guys, while the main victims are the legitimate users of these technologies. Can you think of other examples? Do you have constructive solutions?"
I_am_Rambi writes "At the request of theatrical film makers, the Federal Communications Commission on Friday quietly launched a proceeding on whether to let video program distributors remotely block consumers from recording recently released movies on their DVRs. The technology that does this is called Selectable Output Control (SOC), but the FCC restricts its use. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) wants a waiver on that restriction in the case of high-definition movies broadcast prior to their release as DVDs." The FCC is soliciting comments until June 25th.
Wil Wheaton sez, Starting this month, the Los Angeles Metro Metrolink will be infected with some super-neat security theater: random bag searches will inconvenience the new crop of MTA riders who are... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 11:32 am
Starting this month, the Los Angeles Metro Metrolink will be infected with some super-neat security theater: random bag searches will inconvenience the new crop of MTA riders who are turning to Metro to escape high gas prices.
The thing is, the searches will "randomly" target different stations, where signs will announce to everyone (except, presumably, illiterate terrorists) that they should go to a different station if they don't want to be searched.
Explain to me again how this makes us safer?
Update: Wil adds, "
I made a mistake in my post at Blogging.la. The security theater is not coming to the MTA, which is our subway; it's coming to the Metrolink, which is our commuter rail.
The idiocy of the thing still stands, but I regret my mistake and wanted to take responsibility for it as soon as it was pointed out to me."
Link
(Thanks, Wil!)
IN a further blow to the transport network, 12,000 rail maintenance staff walked out in a 30-hour strike over jobs and conditions yesterday. Network Rail insisted it did not affect services. (c) 2008 Sunday Mail; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am
By Anonymous Got a favorite sign-related Web site? Share it with us by sending the URL to jwooten@sbpub.com. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am
Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) today announced that it has reached an agreement that gives Yahoo! the ability to use Google's search and contextual advertising technology through its AdSense(TM) for Search and AdSense for Content advertising programs. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am
When blogs and regional newspapers trash Jerry Yang it’s one thing. But when the New York Times does it, people really notice. Public lynchings like this are few and far between from that bastion... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 10:46 am
Elbit Systems to offer Technion researchers an advanced laboratory, research grants and guidance in unique research fields HAIFA, Israel, June 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 10:41 am
WATERBURY, Conn., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Therap Services announces the release of version 7.3 of its integrated suite of documentation, communication and reporting... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 10:14 am
Pantech's new IM-U300K flip is a front with 49 LEDs that form images and messages depending on what's going on -- text messages, calls, alarms and the like. PC-based software allows users to make their... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 9:23 am
scriptedfun writes "The BBC reports that David and Richard Darling, the brother tandem who founded Codemasters back in the mid-'80s from their bedroom, were recently made Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for their 'services to the computer games industry.' Their story is definitely inspiring for modern-day independent game developers." Naming such honorees annually is one of the perks of being Queen.
Text of report in English by Innocent Gahigana entitled "Gov't to invite tenders for new telecom company" published by Rwandan newspaper The New Times website on 15 June Gasabo - The government is to invite bids for another phone and Internet provider. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am
You've probably heard that on Feb.17, TV stations will switch their broadcasts from analog to digital formats. Translation: If you don't pay for subscription TV service (cable or satellite), your old tube won't work without a converter box, which costs about $50 to $60. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am
Etisalat has further enhanced its position as the region's leading provider of international roaming services by expanding its partnership network to include 510 telecommunication companies across the globe. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am
Romantic human-robot relationships are no longer the stuff of science fiction -- researchers expect them to become reality within four decades. And they do not mean simply,... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 15 Jun 2008 | 5:50 am
jeiler writes "Ars has the details on an RIAA strategy to double the cost of settling copyright infringement suits for students who try to quash the group's subpoenas in court. In a nutshell: settle early, pay $3,000; try to quash the subpoena and the settlement cost rises to $8,000."
By Lee Cain An Internet savvy policeman has launched a website to arrange a reunion of his former school friends. Christian Butler, 32, has been inundated with e-mails since he set up a facebook site dedicated to former pupils of Chosen Hill School. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 5:00 am
Two meerkats pose for the camera yesterday in in their new enclosure at Tropical World in Leeds - in readiness to become stars on the internet. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 5:00 am
Microsoft's plan to establish a strong footing in online advertising suffered a big blow yesterday as merger talks with Yahoo finally, formally failed and Yahoo said it would let Google sell search advertisements on its site. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 15 Jun 2008 | 5:00 am
Ian Lamont writes "Westinghouse is the first major electronics manufacturer that has publicly committed to using a 'smart power technology' that will let people use a single universal adapter to power their laptops, cell phones and other electronics. The universal adapters, which use a technology developed by a startup called Green Plug, will act like a hub that several devices can plug into, and will also shut off the power supply when the device is turned off or has finished charging. The first are expected to go on sale in early 2009 for under $100, according to Westinghouse's CTO. Eventually, Westinghouse and other manufacturers that use the technology could stop shipping adapters with their products, because customers may already have universal adapters at home. However, some manufacturers may not be inclined to use universal power adapters: the article notes Apple gets supplementary revenue from the sale of proprietary connectors for the iPod and other devices."
Guysmiley777 writes with what looks like a very late (or very, very early) April Fool's joke: "Denon's $499 Ethernet cable 'brings out all the nuances in digital audio reproduction.' Sure, that seems plausible. After all, nuances in digital signals are so subtle. Oh, and 'signal directional markings are provided for optimum signal transfer.'" Considering that $499 will get you a competent laptop these days, I wonder how big the market is for such a thing — then I look at Stereophile magazine's annual list of recommended components. The "view more images" link shows that they take cable porn seriously at Denon.
Audi A4 TDI SE £23,940 Miles per gallon: 51.4 Seats: 5 Good for: Writer's block Bad for: Road blocks Audi's cars have always reminded me of Ian McEwan's novels - models of understated elegance... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:10 pm
It takes up to 60 hours to make, but is less than a millimetre wide. It is as hard as a diamond, but casually mislaid a million times a day. The ball in the ballpoint pen, or Biro, is 70 years old today... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:10 pm
Wireless earpieces based on Bluetooth technology are being used to cheat during British citizenship exams amid widespread abuse of the testing system. Test centres have been cautioned about the use of... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:10 pm
Only Steve Jobs can turn the launch of a new phone into a quasi-religious ceremony. Last week's launch of the Apple's latest iPhone in San Francisco was preceded by the usual feverish excitement and speculation... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:10 pm
I once worked for a company whose founder offered staff a place on the crew of his 60ft schooner. My friend and I were minnows and joined every trip going, baffled by those further up the food chain reluctant... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:10 pm
Truly, you couldn't make it up - unless perhaps you were a script consultant for a soap opera. Here's the plot line so far: Microsoft, a successful but ageing computer company with a vast deposit account,... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:08 pm
Last Thursday evening, Shafna Chowdhury was visited by a gloomy portent of things to come. Following weeks of dire warnings of soaring oil prices presaging a bleak future in which petrol shortages and... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:08 pm
Why are petrol prices going up? The price we pay at the pump is closely linked to the global cost of crude oil, the price of which has been rocketing over the past few months, to reach a record high. Processing... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:08 pm
Oil companies are developing a range of new technologies for extracting crude oil - the source of petrol and diesel - from the ground. One key technique involves the use of gas which is pumped into the... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:08 pm
By PHOTO BY LUIS SNCHEZ SATURNO Area faith communities have a variety of summer programs designed for children. Contact your faith community for details on the events planned. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 14 Jun 2008 | 11:00 pm
Corrupt links to a Sydney Morning Herald article which begins "The French state and internet service providers have struck a deal to block sites carrying child pornography or content linked to terrorism or racial hatred, Interior Minister Michel Alliot-Marie announced on Tuesday." The article is thin on details, but what it does say is bad enough: "Under the French plan, internet users, via a platform, will be able to signal inappropriate sites and the state, receiving the complaints in real time, will then decide whether the sites are to go on a so-called black list to be passed on to internet service providers to enforce site blocks." It sounds like the perfect way to organize an especially malicious DDoS attack. The French government has never been shy about wanting to "protect" French people by censoring Internet content, though.
tambo writes with the sort of problem more people wish they had: "I've just bought myself an excellent LCD TV. I'd love to be able to access my home server from it for many reasons (music, video, surfing, MAME, etc.) — but my home server is in another room, 30 feet away from the TV and 50 feet away from the couch. I've acquired some gear to send PC audio and video wirelessly (over the 5.8GHz range), so that's all good. My challenge now is trying to send input wirelessly to my PC from fifty feet away. I've thought about getting a wireless USB hub, but that would introduce an additional wireless hop that would probably add to the input latency (and might interfere with all the other wireless gear in my pad.) My best bet now is to get a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse that have an unusually good range, and some of the Logitechs seem to qualify, but it's a gamble. Advice?"
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Political controversy may have slowed the pace of stem cell science, but the field is still promising enough to attract many talented researchers, stem cell experts... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 8:13 pm
Doctors are in an ongoing battle to get some TB patients to take all their medication, which generally involves a six-month regimen of multiple drugs. Researchers at MIT believe they have a new weapon in the battle against tuberculosis: Free cellphone minutes.
Non-journalists entering the world of blogs, online feedback forums, online videos and news websites provide information that newspapers and other media can't or don't. But many are now turning to professional journalists for guidance.
Responding to the news that John McCain and his wife owe AmEx $500,000 (presumably spent on the campaign trail), Jon Taplin writes,
I know what American Express charges for interest on a Platinum Card. A fiscally responsible household should probably sell some of the million of Anheuser-Busch stock they own and stop paying that 17% ARP on $500,000 worth of Amex charges. There are some other stark contrasts between the McCains and the Obamas. The McCains have a net worth around $40 million, almost all of it from Cindy’s holdings. The Obamas' net worth is closer to $4 million, most of it earned from Barack’s two recent books. Instead of going into debt they have managed to put $250,000 in a college savings account for their two daughters.
Back in 2006, I proposed that Google should build a network neutrality detector, a distributed toolbar that collected statistics from millions of nodes on the net to determine sneaky traffic-fiddling by sleazy ISPs who only make a best-effort attempt to give you the stuff you request if they've been bribed to do so.
Well, now they've done it! Or at least, they've announced it. The one thing I hope is that they give you the option to submit statistics anonymously, without forcing you to be logged into Google.
Google has been very vocal on its stance for net neutrality. Now, Richard Whitt--Senior Policy Director for Google--announces that Google will take an even more active role in the debate by arming consumers with the tools to determine first-hand if their broadband connections are being monkeyed with by their ISPs:
"We're trying to develop tools, software tools...that allow people to detect what's happening with their broadband connections, so they can let [ISPs] know that they're not happy with what they're getting -- that they think certain services are being tampered with," Google senior policy director Richard Whitt said this morning during a panel discussion at Santa Clara University, an hour south of San Francisco.
Lewis Shiner is one of my favorite science fiction writers and last summer he began making all of his (fantastic!) old short stories available as free, Creative Commons licensed files on his site, under the banner of the "Fiction Liberation Front." Now he's expanded the program.
Lewis sez, "I've just expanded the range of Fiction Liberation Front to include free downloads of my novels, and I've kicked things off with my brand new thriller, BLACK & WHITE. My publisher, Subterranean, is fully supporting this move, and as we bring my other novels back into print we plan to release free PDF versions on the FLF site as well."
Etsy seller FringeLore has a dab hand at making steampunk inflected jewelry and sculpture -- lots of dented and scratched and polished clockworks and gears.
Link
(Thanks, Olga!)
Seen here is 236.8 tons of hashish burning. Afghan commandoes found the dope buried in the desert. They called in British fighter jets to bomb the stash, thought to be the world's largest amount of illegal drugs ever found by authorities. An article about the bust in The Scotsman is punctuated with some stats on other massive drug finds of late:
5 million
Ecstasy tablets seized in Melbourne in 2005 were claimed as the largest haul of street-ready tablets in the world, worth £120 million.
9 tons
of cannabis resin was seized by Vietnamese police last month in the largest drug haul in its history. Found in 400 cartons covered by jeans, en route from Pakistan to China, it was estimated to have a street value of £45 million.
38,000lb
of cocaine was seized by US Coast Guard officers who boarded a 330ft ship off the Pacific coast of Panama in 2007. It was the largest single sea-based seizure of cocaine by a US agency, with an estimated street value of £250 million.
Shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven returned to Earth on Saturday and capped a successful expansion job at the international space station, more spacious and robust thanks to a new... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 3:25 pm
Shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven returned to Earth on Saturday and capped a successful expansion job at the international space station, more spacious and robust thanks to a new... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 14 Jun 2008 | 3:20 pm
Just one day after Yahoo's announcement of its plan to outsource some of its ad business to Google, marketers say they plan to cut their spending on Yahoo and take their business elsewhere.
5 million
