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Submission + - MySpace Age Verification for Parents

Submitted by unlametheweak
unlametheweak writes: North Carolina thinks of the children by passing a law http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2007/Bills/Se nate/HTML/S132v3.html requiring parents to verify they are parents before letting their children onto social networking sites http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070528-mysp ace-age-verification-for-parents.html. Notwithstanding the whole concept of an Internet ID for people in general; children are now being tracked by cellular phones with GPS, spied upon with Parent Controls (MS Vista has built-in parental spyware), and also strategically placed Nanny Cams, keyboard loggers, etc. Is the zoo-like Minority Report world in which children are growing up in today doing more harm than good? How will this affect a 14 year old, much less a 17 year old "child"?
Privacy

Submission + - US Gives Mexico Money for Phone/Email Taps

Submitted by MedicinalMan
MedicinalMan writes: According to an LA Times piece from Thursday, the US government gave money to Mexico for phone/email tapping. The political implications in Mexico involve the historical relationship of the US and Mexico, and loosening of the Mexican constitution. The implications for Americans however involve potentially skirting 4th Amendment issues by using interception of American/Mexican communication as a basis for warrants issued by American courts. The Supreme Court has ruled that the 4th Amendment only applies to people in the U.S. and the NSA currently has the power (both technologically and legally through FISA) to intercept foreign traffic, but that usually involves national security issues, not "common" prosecution of crimes. With small outlays of $3 million, it seems that it will be relatively simple to monitor Americans from the outside without constitutional protection.
Sci-Fi

Submission + - "The Sims" to move from PC screen to silve

Submitted by
TheCybernator
TheCybernator writes: "SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) — Maybe they can call it "The Sims: The Movie." Electronic Arts Inc. has sold the movie rights for "The Sims," the best-selling computer game, of all time to 20th Century Fox, Variety said on Friday. "The Sims" is one of EA's biggest franchises and, including sequels and expansions such as "The Sims: House Party" and "The Sims: Vacation," has sold nearly 85 million copies since it debuted seven years ago. Oft-described as a "virtual dollhouse," the game puts players in charge of simulated people, helping them make friends, find satisfying jobs and buy household items in order to stay happy. "The Sims has done an interactive version of an old story, which is what it's like to have infinite power and how do you deal with it," the Hollywood industry paper quoted Rod Humble, head of The Sims Studio at EA, as saying. "The Sims" was created by legendary game designer Will Wright, known for his quirky titles that eschew linear storylines in favor of letting players create and explore their own worlds. Variety did not mention financial terms of the deal. Spokesmen for EA and Fox could not immediately be reached for comment. Fox is owned by News Corp.. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN 2519868120070526"
Music

Submission + - Musicians Can Upload & Sell Music And Take .65

Submitted by
Silent Thunder
Silent Thunder writes: "A new service allow musicians to upload and sell their non-DRM songs on any web site, blog or social network and keep .65 cents per song/download. Seems too generous for the company to make a profit but what the hell, musicians make as little as 4 1/2 cents on iTunes. It does not look like burn lounge's ponzi scheme. If it's real it will rock ~ http://music.goodstorm.com/"
The Internet

Submission + - Virtual rape is traumatic but is it a crime ?

Submitted by cyberianpan
cyberianpan writes: Wired is carrying commentary on the story that Brussels police have begun an investigation into a citizen's allegations of rape — in Second Life. For reasons of civil liberty & clarity we'd like to confine criminal law to physical offences rather than thought crimes but already threats , menace & conspiracy count as crimes. Could we see a situation where our laws extend ? What if people started signing contracts that made Second Life criminal law "real" ?
Editorial

Submission + - MIT Professor: Who Cares About Global Warming?

Submitted by Jomama
Jomama writes: Noted climate expert Richard S. Lindzen, the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology, writes in a recent Newsweek article that the global warming debate is irrelevant because global warming is actually a good thing that has naturally occured throughout the Earth's history. From the article:

Looking back on the earth's climate history, it's apparent that there's no such thing as an optimal temperature — a climate at which everything is just right. The current alarm rests on the false assumption not only that we live in a perfect world, temperaturewise, but also that our warming forecasts for the year 2040 are somehow more reliable than the weatherman's forecast for next week.

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