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Microsoft

Microsoft To Open Retail Stores 535

chaz373 writes "CNET reports that Microsoft is going retail. In the 'Beyond Binary' blog Ina Fried reports, 'After years of brushing off the notion, Microsoft said on Thursday that it will open up its own line of retail stores. Without detailing the plans, Microsoft said it has hired David Porter, a 25-year Wal-Mart veteran, to lead the effort. Sources say that Porter's mission will be to develop the company's retail plans and that the effort is likely to start small with just a few locations.'"
Privacy

Cambridge, Mass. Moves To Nix Security Cameras 366

An anonymous reader writes "Citing privacy concerns, the Cambridge, Mass. City Council has voted 9-0 to remove security cameras scattered throughout the city. 'Because of the slow erosion of our civil liberties since 9/11, it is important to raise questions regarding these cameras,' said Marjorie Decker, a Cambridge city councilor. Rather than citing privacy, WCBVTV is running the story under the headline 'City's Move To Nix Security Cams May Cost Thousands.'"

Comment Re:Childish (Score 1) 550

What initial arguments have I let go of?

UN-support, popular support, "Saddam not allowing UN weapons inspectors in". You mentioned some reasons for the war and they are all gone. What now?

Also, you speak of Iraqi weapons factories as they are ran like a Taco Bell.

Did Iraq look particularly well managed to you? And I just gave you some examples that you cannot go from one rather minor problem to full warfare.

Comment Re:Childish (Score 1) 550

Not promptly providing access is proof they are trying to hide something.

Now this sounds a bit too much like a conspiracy.

Maybe the factory director didn't get the memo? Maybe he was on a walk and the security guy at the front door wasn't authorized. Maybe there was absolutely no one there? Maybe the director was with a boy at the time and feared his fellow co-workers? Who knows? Hans Blix certainly wasn't too much worried about that little slip.

I also notice that you let go of all your initial arguments. Already convinced?

Comment Re:Childish (Score 1, Insightful) 550

with one exception

This is key, it doesn't take more than one location to hide bio weapons.

Starting a war because someone did not give access promptly to one site for inspection sounds rather harsh, doesn't it? That sounds more like a rationale and not like a reason.

Comment Re:Childish (Score 2, Informative) 550

Just being in the country doesn't mean that they were able to do any actual inspecting.

Hans Blix said himself, that "Iraq has on the whole cooperated rather well". Furthermore "access has been provided to all sites" and "with one exception it has been prompt." Source

On top of that, how do you know the citizens didn't support it?

These historical huge demonstrations of concerned citizens were a dead giveaway, weren't they?

Comment Re:Childish (Score 1) 550

Dont forget the UN

The united nations were far away from supporting the invasion of Iraq. This Guardian article explains the details.

and every other country in the world that invaded Iraq with the US,

While there were certain governments to support the invasions, the citizens of these countries did not.

not due to WMD's, but due to Saddam not allowing UN weapons inspectors in. Iraq was not a sovereign nation, it was part of a ceasefire agreement where they promised to allow weapons inspectors in, and when they refused, they were then subject to the consequences.

Which is another apparent falsehood on your side. There were UN weapons inspectors in Iraq until few days before the invasion. The "coalition of the willing" regularly denounced any Iraqi efforts to follow agreements. I remember very well the day when Iraq gave thousands of pages of protocols and archive data to the United Nations. The coalition did not even read anything of it before condemning the material as untrustworthy.

Earth

Power In Scotland From Tides and Whiskey 170

tsamsoniw writes "Singapore-based Atlantis Resources Corporation, which brings to the table tidal-turbine technology, is partnering with Scotland-based datacenter developer Internet Villages International) to construct a tidal-powered 150MW 'Blue Datacenter,' InfoWorld reports. If all goes to plan, the facility will eventually be powered entirely by clean energy produced by tidal-current turbines in the Pentland Firth, the stretch of water between the far north Scottish mainland and Orkney. The firth's currents could generate 700 megawatts of electricity by 2020." And reader Mike writes "Here's something to raise a glass to: recently the Rothes consortium of whiskey and scotch distillers announced that they have partnered with Helius Energy to install a power plant fueled entirely by whiskey by-products. The completed plant will use biomass cogeneration to convert draff and pot ale from the distillery into 7.2 MW of electricity — enough to power 9,000 homes."
Your Rights Online

Universal Disk Encryption Spec Finalized 237

Lucas123 writes "Six of the largest disk manufacturers, along with encryption management software vendors, are backing three specifications finalized [Tuesday] that will eventually standardize the way encryption is used in firmware within hard disk drives and solid state disk drive controllers ensuring interoperability. Disk vendors are free to choose to use AES 128-bit or AES 256-bit keys depending on the level of security they want. 'This represents interoperability commitments from every disk drive maker on the planet,' said Robert Thibadeau, chief technologist at Seagate Technology."
Mozilla

FireFox 3.1 Leaves IE in the Dust 435

Anonymous writes "Granted, FireFox 3.1 is just a beta and IE 8 is also in beta, but it looks like Microsoft has some ground to make up when it comes to browser performance. Given that Mozilla appears to be on a much faster cycle than Microsoft with this stuff, it's also possible that it could increase the gap even more before IE 8 is GA, no?"

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