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Education

Submission + - Teacher + porn malware + students = 40 yr sentence

Submitted by nettework
nettework writes: A jury in Norwich, CT has has convicted substitute teacher Julie Amero on four counts of risk of injury to a minor because she was viewing porn on the classroom computer during class. The 40-year-old and married Amero, who "did not even know how to turn off a monitor", was in charge of the class when the classroom computer (which was not behind a firewall because the school had failed to pay the bill) began spewing out pornographic images in windows she couldn't close. Because of a legal technicality, the jurors weren't allowed to see the full testimony of computer forensics experts Herb Horner, who (surprisingly!) discovered that the computer was infested with malware and spyware and that these pop-up images were the result. From a juror in the case:

The bottom line was that it didn't make a difference who or how the porn sites showed up on the computer...If you and your wife were watching an xxx rated movie the you put into the dvd player, you powered it up and you hit play, then went into the other room for a snack and your child or grandchild entered the room would you expect your wife to stop the dvd or just let it play because she didn't start it. No you would be upset as all get out.
She faces up to 40 years in prison, and her sentencing is March 2.
Microsoft

Submission + - 19 Coutries File OpenXML Contradictions

Submitted by
Excelcia
Excelcia writes: "The deadline for filing contradictions on the Microsoft OpenXML ISO bid, and the results are in. A total of 19 countries have filed, comprising most of the free world, although the United States seems to be absent from the list. From Andy Upgrove's Blog on the subject:

This may not only be the largest number of countries that have ever submitted contradictions in the ISO/IEC process, but nineteen responses is greater than the total number of national bodies that often bother to vote on a proposed standard at all ... All in all, not a very auspicious start for OOXML. And not one that augers well for a very fast Fast Track experience. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft deals with this slap in the face.
"
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - Keith Urban sues Keith Urban over domain name

Submitted by
FrnkMit
FrnkMit writes: "I knew it had to happen sooner or later. Keith Urban the singer sues Keith Urban the painter. Yes, just because one is more famous than the other, and has more expensive lawyers, the singer is suing for the use of keithurban.com, claiming the painter is using his web site "in a manner likely to deceive the public into believing that the website has a connection to Plaintiff that does not exist." The article fails to mention whether the singer is also suing the painter for being born with the same name as him."
Music

Submission + - The Zune's final insult

Submitted by Ed over in Accounting
Ed over in Accounting writes: http://macenstein.com/default/archives/524 It seems Microsoft (and more specifically, the Zune division) have teamed up with Artist Direct for a Zune promotion which offers 35 free downloadable MP3 tracks (no registration required). The free tracks include artists such as Weird Al, Tom Waits, Tegan and Sara, The Postmarks, Spoon, Postal Service, Barenaked Ladies and more. What's more, you do not need a Zune to play the tracks, they will work just fine on any MP3 player, especially the iPod. Why the iPod in particular? Well, it seems that these free MP3's (which are being given away to specifically promote the Zune) are in fact encoded using iTunes 6
Media (Apple)

Submission + - Apple pushes for DRM-Free music downloads

Submitted by
AlHunt
AlHunt writes: "Reuters is reporting that Apples Steve Jobs is calling on the music industry to drop DRM.
From TFA:

Chief Executive Steve Jobs on Tuesday called on the four major record companies to start selling songs online without copy protection software known as digital rights management (DRM).

Jobs said there appeared to be no benefit to the record companies to continue to sell more than 90 percent of their music without DRM on compact discs while selling the remaining small percentage of their music encumbered with a DRM system.
Steve makes an excellent point."
The Courts

Submission + - Big Win for Innocent Defendant in RIAA Case

Submitted by
EatingSteak
EatingSteak writes: "The EFF Reports that a woman from Oklahoma got a big win today in the RIAA's case against her in 2004. FTA:

"The decision today is one of the first in the country to award attorneys fees to a defendant in an RIAA case over music sharing on the Internet."
"In his ruling, Judge West found that the RIAA had asserted an untested and marginal theory that veered toward "frivolous and unreasonable" by suing Foster for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement when the only evidence against her was her name on the household Internet account. Much like the judge in Elektra v. Santangelo, West expressed skepticism that "an Internet-illiterate parent, who does not know Kazaa from a kazoo" could be held liable for children in her home downloading music illegally unless the parent had knowledge of the conduct or had giver her permission to do so."

This case was thrown out in July, but Foster's lawyer fees were finally awarded formally to her. Could this be a godo precedent for future cases that (1) IP Address != Infringing Person, and (2) RIAA getting slammed for attorney's fees in the future?"
Music

Submission + - Linux-based DRM-free automated music

Submitted by
bigattichouse
bigattichouse writes: "Mentioned before on Slashdot, The Steeprock Studio leads the way as the first fully GNU/Linux-based commercial recording facility on the east coast. Steep Rock Media is using a blend of proprietary and open source software to automatically generate cues of music for various purposes, the up coming version of the software (web-based) has an AI engine capable of learning about performance styles and generating cues from pre-recorded music. Another wonderful example of using linux in a successful business model. Disclaimer: I am a friend on Dr. Wilder, but I have no financial ties to SRM."
Nintendo

Submission + - Nintendo Sue's For Using "Mario" In Title

Submitted by
Ryan Mzik
Ryan Mzik writes: "A forum post linking to a Nintendo Mario Bros parody video, Robot Chicken: Grand Theft Mario, has been flagged by Nintendo trademark lawyers for using "Mario" in the code of the page. From source, "We are writing to ask you to stop using the Nintendo properties in the hidden text/visible text/meta tags and/or title and/or links of the above-referenced sexually explicit Web site.""
Software

Texas Bill For Open Documents 197

Posted by kdawson from the et-tu-texas? dept.
Ditesh Kumar tips us to a blog entry by Sam Hiser noting a bill filed in Texas that would require state agencies to conduct their work in an open document format. After Microsoft's grueling battle against ODF in Massachusetts, bluest of blue states, it must be galling to face te same fight in the reddest of the red. Hiser notes that the bill includes a rigorous and sound definition of an open document format, which ODF would meet but Microsoft's current OOXML submission would not.
The Internet

Submission + - Utilities Team Up to Reduce Data Center Power Use

Submitted by
1sockchuck
1sockchuck writes: "Hoping to slow the enormous use of electric power by data centers, utilities from across the U.S. are forming a national coalition to coordinate energy efficiency programs for data center operators. The effort is being led by California's PG&E, which has recently offered financial incentives to reward data center operators who reduce power usage by virtualizing servers or using outside air to cool their facilities. The impact of data centers on the power infrastructure recently prompted a Silicon Valley "energy summit" among major tech companies and the Department of Energy."
Microsoft

Submission + - The Battle Heats Up Over Microsoft's OOXML

Submitted by
Andy Updegrove
Andy Updegrove writes: "With Microsoft's OOXML formats at last under review by Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC1) of global standards bodies ISO and IEC, things are heating up dramatically in the battle between ODF and OOXML. This week saw two major developments: the first is the receipt by JTC 1 of responses from a total of 19 national bodies prior to the close of the one month Contradictions Phase of the six month ISO/IEC Fast Track adoption process, with most or all of those responses including formal "contradictions" under applicable rules. That represents an unprecedented number of early objections, given that many ISO/IEC standards are finally adopted with fewer national bodies voting at all. In contrast, INCITS, the standards organization reviewing OOXML on behalf of the United States, went along with Microsoft's conservative view of what constitutes a contradiction (e.g., a conflict so severe that two programs could not operate on the same system), and offered no objections. The second development was the filing of a bill in Texas that would require not only state executive agencies, but also Texas state universities, colleges, courts, and attorneys of the State Bar to create and save documents using only "open document formats." As defined in the bill, that would mean ODF compliant software — but not Microsoft Office. Further details on JTC1 are here, and on the Texas bill here."
Television

Submission + - Video on Demand from the public library

Submitted by
ye oulde library lover
ye oulde library lover writes: "In light of the recent story about Wal-Mart and movies on demand, readers should know there is a FREE service available from some public libraries that lets you download movies and tv shows. The service is just beginning, so selection is pretty mediocre, but the sponsors, Recorded Books and PermissionTV, make some big promises. If your library ponies up to the top service, you will be able to download movies on the same day as their dvd release! All you need is a library card. You can see one of the early adopters — Half Hollow Hills Community Library in the library's blog. Look for MyLibraryDV."

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