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The Internet

Submission + - Expert Claims Internet is NOT Haven for Pedophiles (timpeut.com)

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: A University of California PhD student has claimed the Internet is NOT a haven for pedophiles.

Danah Boyd, a University of California PhD student and social networking guru, told delegates at the Generation MySpace seminar in Brisbane on Monday that the internet itself was not to blame for online sexual stalking. "The data shows that this is basically not an issue to be worried about," she said during a break.
Programming

Submission + - An Open Source Social Network That Don't Suck?

Submitted by cyphgenic
cyphgenic writes: Why isn't there an open source social network web application that doesn't suck? There are a few packages on freshmeat that are pre-alpha or just plain don't work because there's a lot of hacking to be done. There are some packages that cost you money, which makes you think that they haven't really figured the data structures for social networking. They are learning on your dime. There are some packages that look like a scalability nightmare waiting to happen.

So, what gives? Why won't friendster open source itself? Why won't any of these social networks open their code base? I'm pretty sure it could benefit from the wisdom of crowds.
Patents

Submission + - Google circles wagons to protect Linux

Submitted by inkedgeek
inkedgeek writes: Google has stepped up to join the ranks of IBM and Oracle to join the Open Invention Network. The Open Invention Network members share their Linux patents with each other and offer the prospect of a joint defense if Linux is confronted with a legal challenge. Google hasn't announced which patents will be added to the OIN portfolio, but with it's current standing of about 100 patents, this certainly will strngthen the OIN's ability to challenge threatening patent cases monted against Linux.
Patents

Patent Lawsuits Galore 149

Posted by kdawson from the becoming-a-typical-monday dept.
eldavojohn writes "Guess who owns the patent on the touch-screen keyboard. Not Apple — SP Technologies has filed a suit based on just that. Ars brings out the intriguing detail that the founder of the patent troll company is serving prison time for health-care fraud." Read on for four more patent developments in the day's news.
The Internet

Submission + - falseflagnews.com Vanished ----- Fight Censorship

Submitted by one0them
one0them writes: Try the site: http://falseflagnews.com/
Look at the cache: http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:byGdoSLdKU8J: falseflagnews.com/+falseflagnews&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd= 1&gl=us&client=firefox-a

I find it disturbing that a site which claimed that rogue agents in the government carry out terrorist attacks would be replaced by a blank page. the fact that there is a server at the site serving up blank pages is suspicious. I can see only three possibility's for why it would do that: either it was hacked and all of the articles were deleted and the index page was replaced with a blank, or it was hacked, and a dummy computer was set up on the same ip address, or a backbone [possibly level3] has some sophisticated software for routing calls to FFN to another server while lying about the ip addresses in the traceroute.

any of those three explainations says that somebody somewhere has something to hide, and the people at FFN are exposing it. if anyone can get there page then please post your traceroute.

this is my traceroute
1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms my computer
2 402 ms 191 ms 191 ms my other computer
3 188 ms 191 ms 191 ms my isp
4 2321 ms 191 ms 178 ms my isp
5 196 ms 191 ms 191 ms at-0-1-0-000.br1.ash1.va.gnaps.NET [199.232.44.225]
6 197 ms 203 ms 191 ms GigabitEthernet4-0.GW5.IAD8.ALTER.NET [157.130.47.97]
7 197 ms 201 ms 191 ms 0.so-5-1-0.XL1.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.36.54]
8 197 ms 191 ms 191 ms 0.so-6-0-0.BR1.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.32.157]
9 197 ms 203 ms 203 ms 4.68.127.25
10 197 ms 203 ms 191 ms vlan69.csw1.Washington1.Level3.net [4.68.17.62]

11 208 ms 191 ms 203 ms ae-62-62.ebr2.Washington1.Level3.net [4.69.134.145]
12 221 ms 215 ms 215 ms ae-2.ebr3.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.69.132.69]
13 209 ms 227 ms 203 ms ae-78.ebr2.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.69.134.61]
14 209 ms 215 ms 215 ms ae-23-54.car3.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.68.101.103]

15 209 ms 215 ms 213 ms xe-0-3-0.cr2.ord1.us.scnet.net [4.71.100.26]
16 207 ms 215 ms 215 ms v54.ar1.ord1.us.scnet.net [216.246.95.142]
17 209 ms 203 ms 203 ms gige0-2.1000M.aggr407-1.ord1.reflected.net [66.254.102.50]
18 209 ms 203 ms 203 ms 66.254.97.64

Trace complete.
Biotech

Homeland Security Commissions LED-Based Puke-Saber 378

Posted by CmdrTaco from the this-one-won't-cut-off-hands dept.
E++99 writes "Homeland Security has contracted with Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc. to develop an "LED Incapacitator," a nonlethal weapon consisting of a large flashlight with a cluster of LEDs capable of emitting "super-bright pulses of light at rapidly changing wavelengths." Sounds innocuous enough... until they they shine "the evil color" at you and you start puking! A working prototype has been completed, and they will soon be putting it through its paces. Homeland Security hopes to give it to Border Patrol agents and National Guardsmen by 2010."
The Media

Submission + - Undercover reporter flees DefCon

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Dismayed hackers witnessed an undercover television reporter flee DefCon according to a newspaper in Sydney, Australia. Hacker 'Priest' says the reporter had refused to wear a press pass and intended to secretly film Federal agents and conference delegates. In response, DefCon organizers staged a honeypot event and told delegates that a reporter was in the room. A person later described by wire service AFP as a 'Dateline NBC associate producer' suddenly shoved delegates aside before fleeing the building and escaping in a vehicle.
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - New video by The little terrorist that couldn't

Submitted by one0them
one0them writes: If there was ever a case of "the little terrorist that couldn't", this is it. If you're not already laughing, then read on. This guy's name is ADAM YAHIYE GADAHN, and on his very own page on the FBI's most wanted (1.)
it says his alises include: Abu Suhayb Al-Amriki, Abu Suhail Al-Amriki, Abu Suhayb, Yihya Majadin Adams,
Adam Pearlman, Yayah, Azzam the American, Azzam Al-Amriki (lots of names make me giggle, sounds like he's got a lot of people chasing him, maybe trying to get their money back)

ADAM PEARLMAN is his born name, and that is the one we are interested in. Whens the last time you heard the name Pearlman? There was a board-member of the Anti Defamation League named Carl Pearlman, he was also the first chairman of the Bonds for Israel, and chairman of United Jewish Welfare Fund. This is in his obituary in the Town Crier (3). According to the Orange County Register (2), Adam is indeed the grandson of Carl Pearlman. According to the washington post (4), and the oc register (2) Adam moved in with his grandfather before he began going to mosque. The Jerusalem Post also reports on the connection (5) (I have always admired the Israeli people for their courage in routing out corruption wherever it may lead).

I can't imagine this character recruiting anyone, he probably won't even scare anybody who doesn't live in a trailer park. All this latest video is likely to do is get every anti-semitic conspiracy theorist to claim they have proof that Israel caused knine el evan (as if it could be that simple).

"Cut it out Adam, you're disrespecting your grandfather!" -author

I have found no evidence that Carl Pearlman was anything but a doctor, anti-racism activist, and good citizen. Rest in peace Carl.

Sources:
1. http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/terrorists/gadahn_a.htm
2. http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/ar ticle_1285930.php
3. http://www.towncrier.com/pages/obituaries/obits2.h tml
4. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A264 47-2004Dec1.html
5. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525 995106&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull http://www.infowars.net/articles/September2006/040 906Al-Qaida.htm (snapshot)

Alex Jones has a good page about Adam, but I didn't source it as some find it unbelievable.
http://www.infowars.net/articles/September2006/040 906AlQaeda.htm

BTW: A million bucks to anyone who catches this guy, thats better than the lottery.
Privacy

House Approves Warrantless Wiretapping Extension 342

Posted by Zonk from the a-big-thank-you-to-congress dept.
An anonymous reader writes "The House of Representatives voted 227-183 to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to allow warrantless wiretapping of telephone and electronic communications. The vote extends the FISA amendment for six months. 'The administration said the measure is needed to speed the National Security Agency's ability to intercept phone calls, e-mails and other communications involving foreign nationals "reasonably believed to be outside the United States." Civil liberties groups and many Democrats said it goes too far, possibly enabling the government to wiretap U.S. residents communicating with overseas parties without adequate oversight from courts or Congres.'"
Television

Submission + - History Channel backpeddeling on upcoming 911 show 1

Submitted by one0them
one0them writes: The History Channel has been producing a 911 conspiracy documentary. So naturally whats on any conspiracy theorist's mind is will they discuss relivent facts and evidence, or will it be a parade of "straw-man" conspiracy theories (Bigfoot, Elvis, and Aliens did it) and pseudo-psychiatrists claiming "fools need to lie to themselves to feel better".

It has surfaced that the history channel has postponed the airing of the show one week, and changed the teaser description.

below is a snapshot of the old site
http://prisonplanet.com/images/august2007/020807sh ot.jpg

here is the updated version
http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&epis odeId=240087

so now the question, why did they change the description? the origional description read:
An Internet search for "9/11 conspiracy theories" yields nearly two million hits. Were the attacks on 9/11 perpetrated by the Bush Administration to advance its own interests? Could a government missile have hit the Pentagon? As outrageous as these ideas may sound, many people believe them. Why do these theories arise in the first place? An interview with James Meigs, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Mechanics, who refutes many of these theories. Watch as experts in the fields of aeronautics, engineering and the military put these theories to the test.

it was changed to:
Examines the various conspiracy theories espoused on the Internet, in articles and in public forums that attempt to explain the 9/11 attacks. It includes theories that the World Trade Center was brought down by a controlled demolition; that a missile, not a commercial airliner, hit the Pentagon; and that members of the U.S. government orchestrated the attacks in hopes of creating a war in the Middle East. Each conspiracy argument is countered by a variety of experts in the fields of engineering, intelligence and the military. The program also delves into the anatomy of such conspiracies and how they grow on the Internet.

dosn't look like much of a change except "members of the U.S. government orchestrated the attacks" sounds a lot more belevable than "attacks on 9/11 perpetrated by the Bush Administration" (implying the entire govt was involved), the aeronautics experts were switched for intelligence agents, and all reference to Popular Mechanics vanishes.

A while back, Pop Mechanics released an edition called debunking 911 myths so we already know there opinion on that one.

What's more important is Alex Jones reported that the history channel is owned by Hearst Publications, the same people who sell popular mechanics. If this is true then it means The History Channel interviewed their BOSSES to see what they thought about what they had already decided on.

Alex is demanding a disclosure that the show is an infomercial for their owner's magazine.

Now to the topic of Hearst Publications:
Hearst Publications is probably best known for it's infamous owner William Randolph "You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war." Hearst. That famous quote was to a photographer with reference to a FICTITIOUS Mexican American war which Hearst was writing about in his newspaper.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hear st

A lesser known case of the meddling mister Hearst is the lobbying which lead to the passage of an unconstitutional prohibitive tax law against the "Demon Marihuana" which was just the Spanish name for the hemp plant which had been used for rope, and paper, and sails, and clothing for years (but not Hearst's paper because he was in a deal with dupont to produce wood pulp paper) (and not used in dupont's new Nylon rope). it is suspicious that the illegal tax act was passed 2 years after an automatic hemp stripping machine was made (which would likely have undercut nylon, and wood paper)

  Hearst papers WERE a textbook example of "yellow journalism", we hope they have reformed, but they haven't given any evidence to support it.

I know there are good people at the history channel, they produce shows about corruption all the time, as with the BBC. But when the BBC took on 911, they ended up with a documentary which asked the hard questions, then debunked some of the official theory, then talked about some of the conspiracy theories, then put some of the easy questions to rest, let the hard ones fester, and then implied that they had debunked every single conspiracy theory and answered all the questions. Then they rolled the credits with the director of the x-files talking in a soothing voice about people who couldn't accept reality embracing theory's which simplify the world.

I hope the history channel doesn't presume to know just what did happen (I don't), and presents the evidence fairly. But they had better get rid of the interview with their bosses or else it's gonna look silly.
Music

Submission + - Record Industry Woes Aggravated by Years of Bad PR

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Richard Menta makes a strong case on MP3 Newswire that bad public relations stirred by the open conflict between the record industry and the consumer is a heavy contributor to the crumbling fortunes of the major labels. In his analysis he contrasts how the NFL and Major League baseball tread gingerly with the Michael Vick and steroids scandals respectively to avoid further raising the ire of sports fans, while the major labels and the RIAA openly antagonize music fans who dare embrace new technologies they don't have full control of. From the article" Today the major record labels don't have a positive brand image and the very public actions they have taken to control the rise of digital media and the Internet over the last several years is at the very heart of their fall from grace. To some the big labels are an anachronism. To others they are anti-consumer. The erosion of their image is dramatic..." Menta then lays out 17 public events that have chipped away at the image of the recording industry including those that show them as bullies (RIAA sues little girls), as incompetent (RIAA sues the dead), as oppressors of the artist (Courtney Love, Janis Ian, and Grey Tuesday), as greedy (that's what Steve Jobs called them), and as practitioners of unauthorized access (Sony rootkit scandal). Consumer perception can be a bitch and the end result here is that many consumers probably don't feel as good about buying a CD anymore.
Security

Dateline NBC Mole Outed At DefCon 573

Posted by Zonk from the bunch-of-cranky-hackers dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Dateline NBC allegedly attempted to infiltrate the DefCon hackerfest with a producer using a hidden camera. The show hoped to tape hackers admitting to illegal activities, but DefCon got wind of the plot and displayed the would-be-mole's photo before every presentation. Dateline refused to deny the planned infiltration. 'All journalists covering DefCon sign an agreement upon registering for the conference that outlines the rules, but the DefCon organizers say the mole apparently registered as a regular attendee, thereby bypassing the legal agreement. Dateline NBC is best known for its controversial To Catch A Predator series, which uses hidden cameras to tape men who are allegedly seeking to have sex with minors they met online.'"
The Internet

Submission + - The Pirate Bay About To Relaunch Suprnova.org 3

Submitted by kungfujesus
kungfujesus writes: The Pirate Bay crew has been working on this secret project for quite some time now. Back in April they wrote a cryptic post on their blog announcing that something was coming. In a response to this announcement TPB admin Brokep told TorrentFreak: "The past, the present and the future. It's all the same, but one thing's for sure, we will radiate for weeks", today it became clear that he was referring to the resurrection of Suprnova. Article Here
Biotech

Submission + - Chernobyl Mushrooms Feeding on Radiation

Submitted by cowtamer
cowtamer writes: According to a National Geographic Article certain fungi can use ionizing radiation to perform "radiosynthesis" using the pigment melanin (the same one in our skin that protects us from UV radiation). It is speculated that this might be useful on long space voyages where energy from the Sun is not readily available.

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