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United States

Submission + - Change of rules for lithium batteries on planes (cryptome.org)

unchiujar writes: It seems the Department of Transportation has amended the rules on carrying lithium batteries on planes further

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to tighten the safety standards for transportation of lithium batteries, including both primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) lithium batteries. Specifically, we are adopting with minor changes the amendments to the HMR published in an interim final rule on December 15, 2004, imposing a limited prohibition on the transportation of primary lithium batteries and cells as cargo aboard passenger-carrying aircraft. In addition, we are adopting many of the proposed changes to the HMR published under the April 2, 2002 NPRM; (1) Eliminating a hazard communication and packaging exception for medium-size lithium cells and batteries of all types transported by aircraft or vessel; (2) revising an exception for small lithium batteries and cells of all types to require testing in accordance with the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria; and (3) revising an exception for consumer electronic devices and spare lithium batteries of all types carried by airline passengers and crew. These amendments will enhance transportation safety by reducing fire hazards associated with lithium batteries and harmonizing U.S. and international standards. DATES: Effective Date: The effective date of these amendments is January 1, 2008. Voluntary Compliance: Voluntary compliance with all of these amendments, including those with a delayed mandatory compliance date, is authorized as of October 1, 2007.

Music

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

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.
Republicans

Submission + - White House Says Hill Can't Pursue Contempt Cases (washingtonpost.com)

rook2pawn writes: Bush administration officials unveiled a bold new assertion of executive authority yesterday in the dispute over the firing of nine U.S. attorneys, saying that the Justice Department will never be allowed to pursue contempt charges initiated by Congress against White House officials once the president has invoked executive privilege. The Moderate Voice asks "what is Congress remedy? Increasingly, Bush administration actions appear to be actually provocative aimed at throwing the matter into court. Could it be because George Bush now has more friends on the Supreme Court who believe in a stronger executive and will back him in the end? If they back him, the United States traditional definition of checks and balances may have to be heavily revised."
Education

Submission + - University of Kansas strict copyright infringement 1

NewmanKU writes: "Eric Bangeman at Ars Technica writes that the University of Kansas has adopted a new strict copyright infringement policy for the students on the residential network that are sharing copyrighted files. The university's ResNet website states that, "Violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is against the law. If you are caught downloading copyrighted material, you will lose your ResNet privileges forever. No second notices, no excuses, no refunds. One violation and your ResNet internet access is gone for as long as you reside on campus." According to a KU spokesperson, KU has recieved 345 notices in the past year from organizations and businesses regarding complaints about copyrighted material downloading."
Education

Submission + - 12 IT skills that employers can't say no to

StonyandCher writes: Have you spoken with a high-tech recruiter or professor of computer science lately? According to observers across the country, the technology skills shortage that pundits were talking about a year ago is real.

The market for IT talent is hot, but only if you have the right skills. If you want to be part of the wave, take a look at what eight experts — including recruiters, curriculum developers, computer science professors and other industry observers — say are the hottest skills of the near future.
The Courts

Submission + - Revote likey because Diebold recount impossible

Aidtopia writes: A judge in Berkeley, California, has ordered a re-vote in a 2004 medical marijuana measure which had lost by fewer than 200 votes. A group supporting the measure requested a recount, which was meaningless since the Diebold electronic voting machines didn't produce physical ballots. The group petitioned for audit logs and other supporting documentation. The Registrar initially gave them the run-around, and, with a lawsuit pending, shipped the machines back to the manufacturer where 96% of the stored votes were erased. The ruling is tentative. The revote, if it happens, will be in the 2008 general election, using different electronic voting machines that produce a paper trail.
Announcements

Submission + - Underground Darfur lake may ease crisis

unchiujar writes: A huge underground lake has been found in Sudan's Darfur region, scientists say, which they believe could help end the conflict in the arid region. Some 1,000 wells will be drilled in the region, with the agreement of Sudan's government, the Boston University researchers say.
Security

Submission + - ID theft lands victim in prison for a while

unchiujar writes: Earlier this month, BBC Sport's Kofi Sekyere flew to Slovenia on holiday — only to land up in prison. Someone using his stolen passport was wanted for fraud, and his name was on an international arrest warrant.
Biotech

Submission + - Gecko inspired adhesive tape produced

unchiujar writes: The remarkable adhesive abilities of geckos and mussels have been combined to create a super-sticky material. Unlike other adhesives inspired by the nimble reptiles, "geckel" can attach to both wet and dry surfaces, the team that developed the material says.
The Courts

Submission + - Imprisonment without trial proposed in UK (bbc.co.uk)

An anonymous reader writes: According to a BBC article, the head of the UK Association of Chief Police Officers has asked for terrorism suspects to be held "for as long as it takes" to finish an investigation, without being charged, without being given a trial, and with no upper limit to the time this could go on for. I, for one, would be more afraid of the police than of the terrorists if they were given this power.
Operating Systems

Submission + - Will pervasive multithreading make a comeback? (google.com)

exigentsky writes: "Having looked at BeOS technology, it is clear that like NeXTSTEP, it was ahead of its time. Most remarkable to me is the incredible responsiveness of the whole OS. On relatively slow hardware, BeOS could run eight movies simultaneously while still being responsive in all of its GUI controls and launching programs almost instantaneously. Today, more than ten years after BeOS's introduction, its legendary responsiveness is still unmatched. There is simply no other OS (major) that has pervasive multithreading from the lowest level up (requiring no programmer tricks). Is it likely, or at least possible that future versions of Windows or OS X could become pervasively multithreaded without creating an entirely new OS?"
Democrats

Submission + - Why Can't Congress Just Not Send a Bill At All? 1

Eldred writes: Why do I keep hearing that the Democrats "can't stop the war" in Iraq because they don't have a veto-proof majority. The way I understand it, if they don't send a supplemental spending bill for the war, then the President can no longer spend money on the war and would therefore have to end it? They have a majority. They have "the power of the purse." They can block any war spending bill from passing. So, why can't they just NOT pass a bill and have the war end that way?
Privacy

Submission + - "Search warrants not needed to monitor interne (computerworld.com)

Freedom Party writes: ""July 09, 2007 (Computerworld) — A federal appeals court has ruled that the government does not need a search warrant to monitor a suspect's e-mail or Internet activity to determine the addresses of e-mails sent by the suspect or the Web pages he is visiting." Another win for the War on Privacy. Yee-haw. :("
Biotech

Submission + - Genome of DNA Pioneer Is Deciphered

unchiujar writes: The New York Times reports that the full genome of James D. Watson, one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA in 1953, has been deciphered, marking what some scientists believe is the gateway to an impending era of personalized genomic medicine. Skip to next paragraph A copy of his genome, recorded on a pair of DVDs, is to be presented to Dr. Watson today in a ceremony in Houston by Richard Gibbs, director of the Human Genome Sequencing Center at the Baylor College of Medicine, and by Jonathan Rothberg, founder of the company 454 Life Sciences.

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