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First Person Shooters (Games)

Submission + - First Person Perspective Pinball Machine

pigeontheory writes: The Furminator is a First Person Perspective Pinball machine based on the Terminator 2 Pinball Machine. The construction is a pinball machine housed into a large box built onto a height adjustable pole and fits on the head of the player! Unlike an ordinary pinball machine, the player's head becomes immersed into the machine with a completely different kind of view than a typical pinball player would see. Since the playing field is all the player can see, the flippers are controlled by trigger buttons on two joysticks. There are several static cameras capturing all aspects of the game for observers to see. At 50 cents a game for five balls, you will either get an overwhelming rush of pinball or a huge headache!
Media

Submission + - BBC Corrupted (defectivebydesign.org)

eneville writes: "
Today the BBC made it official — they have been corrupted by Microsoft. With today's launch of the iPlayer, the BBC Trust has failed in its most basic of duties and handed over to Microsoft sole control of the on-line distribution of BBC programming. From today, you will need to own a Microsoft operating system to view BBC programming on the web.
— Matt Lee."

Sony

Submission + - Sony BMG claims copyright on fair-use media (youtube.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Thy searching Youtube for scenes from the recent concert in Orlando where Beyonce fell on her face off the stairs in front of the entire audience, some of whom had cameras and recorded it... it seems that Beyonce + Sony BMG have gone on a copyright spree takedown claim on what clearly are fair-use clips. They even took down a 13-second clip that was posted an year ago, which contained a similar fall of Beyonce: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL34UDPmeDU

Yet they clearly left untouched and online other full-length videoclips of Beyonce.

Also, try searching for "beyonce fall" or "beyonce falls" (WITH the quotes), Youtube returns slightly different results for each search.

55 second clip of the fall, still online, not sure for how long though. The close encounter with the floor is right at the start, lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh0xrf4RU1Q

Here are a few other Beyonce fall scenes taken down by Sony BMG with false copyright claims on what is clearly fair use: (links taken from the youtube search results, might not be worth mentioning if the story is published, as they are dead/killed by youtube at the moment)

39 seconds-clip of fall taken down:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT8zGLAXrhA

13 seconds-clip of fall taken down (different from the year old one mentioned above)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iMXR44yDK0

51 seconds clip of the fall, taken down by Sony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeYnQHx7RXQ

1 min 12 sec clip of the fall, taken down:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYHswb_fRcQ

2 minute-clip of fall taken down:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKJpbmnefVs

2 min 13 sec clip of the fall, taken down by sony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfDGQzUn15E

2 min 5 sec clip of the fall, taken down:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=himR-qo2voA

Quickies

Submission + - Poll - Chick-fight you would pay most money to see

An anonymous reader writes: Agent Scully vs. Col. Carter
Padme Amidala vs. T'Pol
Sue Storm vs. Dark Angel
Xena vs. Barbwire
Britney vs. Lindsey
Cowboy Neal vs. his junk-tucked reflection
Networking

Submission + - Timewarner DNS Hijacking

Exstatica writes: "It looks like Timewarner is taking botnets into their own hands. They've hijacked dns for a few irc servers. The latests being irc.vel.net, irc.mzima.net, and irc.nac.net all part of EFNet. Using ns1.sd.cox.net the lookup returns an ip for what looks to be a script that forces the user into a channel and issues a set of commands to clean the drones. There have been different reports of other irc networks being hijacked and other dns servers involved. Is this the right way to handle this? Is hijacking DNS illegal?"
Internet Explorer

Submission + - 1 in 3 users surf with Firefox (computerhilfen.com)

nicor2k writes: "With 27.8% nearly every third surfer in europe uses the free Firefox browsers. In countries like Finland and Slovenia the usage-rate is above 50%, which makes Firefox to the number one browser there. These are the results of Xiti Monitor, who where measuring usage statistics for one week now. Even with new Internet Explorer 7, the usage rate of the Microsoft browser went down from 73.3% to 66.5% now in europe. Following are the Firefox, Opera and Apple's Safari, which is now also available for Windows. Less used in europe is the Firefox in Denmark and the Netherlands, both countries only having about 15% Firefox-users. more...."
Hardware Hacking

Submission + - Jaman Hacks Apple TV

An anonymous reader writes: Jaman.com have reportedly hacked AppleTV to bridge the gap between IPTV on the PC and the TV and to allow on-demand, hi-def content to be shown on your HDTV via a set-top box (such as AppleTV). Unlike Joost and some of their other competitors, Jaman focuses on international and indie content and allows users to talk about, explore, find and recommend content from Jaman's extensive library (which is growing rapidly). In fact, much of Jaman's content is not available in any other way, and with set-top boxes such as Apple TV, you can now enjoy it anywhere — your living room/media room or anywhere you have access to a laptop or PC. In addition to the AppleTV solution, Jaman is in talks to partner with variety of internet TV device providers to bring high-def movies and shorts to other platforms and set-top boxes. How does it work? A suitably modified AppleTV will support the Jaman AppleTV plug-in. This plug-in, once loaded, provides a menu option to synchronize with your Jaman media player so that new movies and other media automatically load onto your AppleTV box and are available for viewing through your flat-screen or other home theater display. The rights management for your Jaman (and for that matter Apple) content works exactly as it would on your computer, e.g. rented Jaman movies expire after seven days. For the first time, HDTV meets IPTV.
Businesses

Submission + - Canada: No more Mr. Nice Guy

doggod writes: "The last time you took a trip to Canada, no doubt your experience at the border was just a guy asking you a few innocuous questions like: "Where are you going?", "How long are you staying?", "Do you have any firearms?", etc. According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, those were the good old days.

Now, courtesy of an interconnection to the US databases, they're checking everyone, and anyone who has ever run afoul of the law — big deal, small deal, recent past, distant past, it all doesn't matter — will be doing a u-turn at the border.

For example, people are being refused entry who engaged in fraternity pranks 30 years ago. Some of them are now jet setters who are accustomed to smooth sailing anywhere and everywhere. Not Canada. Not now. People are asking what's behind the crackdown: The Canadian border people are saying it's not a crackdown — these laws have been on the books for a long time, you just got away with your "crimes" before.

They've allowed a little loophole, though. If you've been nice for quite a while, they're willing to forgive you and let you back in so you can resume spending your greenbacks. All you need to do is fill out an "Approval of Rehabilitation" form and send it in with a non-refundable payment of C$200. They'll shuffle it across some desks for "a month to a year, depending on the circumstances", and then they'll send you a permanent get-out-of-jail-free card that you'll be able to flash at the border and sail right through.

As a former miscreant myself (I smoked marijuana in the '60s, and the cops found some on me — Oh dear!), I downloaded the form and started filling it out. That's when I discovered there was much more to it than that. I had to furnish attachments with the form, and these included a full transcript of the 1966 trial, an FBI fingerprint clearance card, and he's-a-nice-guy letters from the cops in every state in which I lived for the last ten years.

I had been planning on driving my motor home through Canada to Alaska this summer, but now I've scratched those plans. I've sent off for all those attachments (at a total additional cost of about US$70), but it seems highly unlikely that all those bureaucrats would produce all that work in short enough order for me to make the 2007 traveling season. I'm now planning on doing a US tour instead. Maybe in 2008 I'll do Alaska — assuming I get my card by then.

No word yet on whether any of the places along the Alaska Highway (or the many other popular tourist destinations) that depend on US tourists for their livelihoods are noticing a downturn in their visitor counts. I have a feeling we'll be hearing about it in the months to come, though."
Security

Submission + - MRT Issues Cease & Desist to Microsoft, Apple,

The_DoubleU writes: Media Right Technologies is sending out Cease and Desist letters to Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Real Networks. The reason? For not using MRT's DRM in their products to protect digital content.
From the press release

Under the DMCA, mere avoidance of an effective copyright protection solution is a violation of the act.
....
MRT and BlueBeat have developed a technological measure which effectively controls access to copyrighted material.
....
Therefore, Media Rights Technologies (MRT) and BlueBeat.com have issued cease and desist letters to Microsoft, Adobe, Real Networks and Apple with respect to the production or sale of such products as the Vista OS, Adobe Flash Player, Real Player, Apple iTunes and iPod.
....
MRT asserts Apple, Microsoft, Real and Adobe have produced billions of these products without regard for the DMCA or the rights of American Intellectual Property owners, actively avoiding the use of MRT's technologies.


Is this the end of the John Doe lawsuits?
Music

Submission + - EUROVISION way of selling DRM-ed music

Sasha Svitlica (Netherlands) writes: "Shameful way music is being sold on Eurovision Song Contest website

Eurovision Song Contest website is selling digital music (all songs of this years competition). What is bad is the way how they do it:

They sell 192Kbit/sec WMA DRM music for 1.29 per song + 0,26 transaction costs per order.

What is wrong with this picture?

First: The price. Usual price is 0.99 per song with no transaction costs — Eurovision site asks 1.29 per song + 0.26 transaction costs

Second: The DRM. They are using the most restrictive DRM that exists (Windows media) which enables only 20% of the digital music players to play this music. Also this music is not possible to burn on CD

Third: They are selling music while the mission of Eurovision is to PROMOTE music.

Fourth: Music is being sold by CMC Entertainment A/S from Denmark. The biggest irony being that it was Denmark that was bashing Apple for using DRM in the first place. Now we know that was not about rights of consumers at all. It was about money!

More information on:
http://www.eurovisiondownloadshop.tv/Eurovision07/

Terms of sale are here:
https://www.eurovisiondownloadshop.tv/Eurovision07 /terms.eng.html"
Role Playing (Games)

Submission + - SecondLife Crackdown: Accusations of Child Porn

sboutwell writes: From Secondlife's BLOG http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/05/09/accusations- regarding-child-pornography-in-second-life/#more-9 52

Recent crack downs and required IDENTITY information updates are coming because of Recent accusations of KIDDIE PORN and Child Adult Sexual Play in Second Life.

From their Blog: On Thursday May 3, we were contacted by German television network, ARD, which had captured images of two avatars, one that resembled an adult male and another that resembled a child, engaged in depicted sexual conduct. Our investigations revealed the users behind these avatars to be a 54-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman. Both were immediately banned from Second Life.

More details on all of this as well as Secondlife's official response can be found on their BLOG.
Music

Submission + - SPAM: Online music; What the Music Industry Doesn't Want

Brian Beshore writes: "Online music. It's a revolution. Everyone knows about it. What you mainly hear about, however, is what the big record companies have to say about online music. They talk about piracy, and what do they say about that? They say 'it's not fair to the artist!' 'You're ripping the artist off!' they say. 'The artist is not getting their royalties!' The big record companies are really concerned about the artists in their stables. Right. Let's take a look at how record companies 'take care' of their stars. "According to Ronald Zalkind, in Getting Ahead in the Music Business (Schirmer Books), the expenses an artist incurs for record production often outweigh record royalties: 'Let us now hypothesize an artists with initial record royalties, on the sale of 100,000 units, of $40,600. The artist has a personal manager who gets 20 percent off the top, which reduces the $40,600 figure to $32,480. The average cost of producing an album today (which is what our hypothetical artist ran up at session costs) is $75,000. This means that the artist owes the record company $34,400. Also, the artist receives a $10,000 advance against royalties as bare subsistence income on which federal, state. and local taxes were paid. This raises the artist's outstanding debt, on his first release, to $44,400. Now, let us suppose that the artist's second album with the record company sells gold: The initial payout, less container charges, is $203,000. The personal manager gets 20 percent, which brings the artist's take down to $162,400. The artist owes $44,400 from the first album, which further reduces the artist's gold record income to $118,000. Finally, the artist spent $100,000 on the second go-round in the studio and took a $15,000 advance. With a gold record on the wall, the artist after two successful album releases, has only earned $3,000.' " The above quote is from Making Money Making Music (No Matter Where You Live) by James W. Dearing. (Writer's Digest Books) Is it any wonder that we saw Don Henley appealing to congress about his and other artists recording contracts, saying he felt like an indentured servant. Is it any wonder that more and more artists are turning to the internet to promote their music. Even though mostly what we've heard about online music is about the piracy that goes on, and truly this is not right, what we will see more and more of is that online music is where to look for new music. [spam URL stripped]"
Software

Submission + - Asked to install Pirated Software, what do you do?

An anonymous reader writes: I am an IT professional, and due to budget constraints, I have been told to install multiple copies of MS Office, despite offering to install OpenOffice, and other OpenSource Office products. Even though most of the uses are for people using Excel like a database, or formatting of text in cells, other programs are not tolerated. I have been over ruled by our controller, to my disagreement. Other than drafting a letter to the owners of the company on how I disagree with the policy, what else can I do? I would never turn them in, but I am in tough place by knowing doing something illegal. I want to keep my job, but disagree with some of the decision making on this issue.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft in Formula 1 engine controllers?!

An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft and McLaren Electronic Systems (MES) will be the official suppliers of engine electronic control units (ECUs) to the FIA Formula One World Championship for the 2008-2010 racing seasons. The effort is part of the FIA's commitment to reduce costs, increase competition, and support fuel-efficiency and energy-recovery initiatives in the racing series. Blue screens at 250MPH? A stop code right as you exit turn 3?

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