Comment Re:Try using maps; but other options also exist (Score 4, Insightful) 561
The problem is I can't "try" Apple maps, I can only commit to it. Once I have installed iOS 6, I cannot go back to iOS 5 on my device.
Submission + - Cisco and US Gov't Conspire to Abuse Legal Process (vancouversun.com)
Mantle writes: "Justice Ronald McKinnon of the BC Supreme Court has ordered a stay of extradition for a British citizen to face criminal charges in the US after finding the US Prosecutors and Cisco conspired to mislead the Canadian courts about the nature of the crime. Justice McKinnon found that in reality, the criminal charges were based on exaggerations and misleading representations in order to pressure the accused into dropping a civil suit against Cisco.
The entire incident was a planned and deliberate act by Cisco, which prevailed on U.S. prosecutors to “grotesquely inflate” a minor civil complaint into a criminal charge requiring 500 years imprisonment.
"Justice McKinnon said that his main offence was that he “dared to take on a multinational giant.”"
The entire incident was a planned and deliberate act by Cisco, which prevailed on U.S. prosecutors to “grotesquely inflate” a minor civil complaint into a criminal charge requiring 500 years imprisonment.
"Justice McKinnon said that his main offence was that he “dared to take on a multinational giant.”"
Comment Step one: understand the issue (Score 1) 226
What you are describing is not "net neutrality", but usage based billing. There is no problem with that on /..
What
Your electricity bill is "electric neutral" already. If BC Hydro were to overturn "electric neutral" they would bill you differently not only the quantity of electricity you used, but for the purpose to which you put the electricity. They could do things like bill you more for powering a non-BC Hydro branded/partner TV or fridge, but they would sell it to you as a "discount" for using their services. If you complained, they would say oh just switch to a competing provider!
Except the only other "competition" colludes with them in price.
Submission + - Blizzard Claims Ownership of All Starcraft II Maps 5
ccherlin writes: The EULA of Starcraft II contains an extremely disturbing clause:
3. Map Editor. The Game includes a program that allows you to create custom levels, maps, scenarios
or other materials for use in connection with the Game (the “Map Editor”). The following terms are specific to the Map Editor:
a. Map Content. You understand that the content required to create or modify STARCRAFT® II
Modified Maps (as defined below) is included in the STARCRAFT® II game client, and that all
such content is owned by Blizzard and governed by this Agreement. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND
AGREE THAT ALL MAPS, LEVELS AND OTHER CONTENT CREATED OR MODIFIED USING THE MAP
EDITOR (COLLECTIVELY, “MODIFIED MAPS”) ARE AND SHALL REMAIN THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OF BLIZZARD. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, YOU HERE BY ASSIGN TO
BLIZZARD ALL OF YOUR RIGHTS, TITLE AND INTEREST IN AND TO ALL MODIFIED MAPS, AND
AGREE THAT YOU WILL EXECUTE FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS PROMPTLY UPON RECEIVING SUCH
A REQUEST FROM BLIZZARD.
Prior Blizzard games like Warcraft III had EULA provisions that prohibited selling maps created with their editor, but the copyright remained with the map maker. Now? Anyone who creates a new, popular mod like DotA with the Starcraft II editor will have no rights to their own creation.
3. Map Editor. The Game includes a program that allows you to create custom levels, maps, scenarios
or other materials for use in connection with the Game (the “Map Editor”). The following terms are specific to the Map Editor:
a. Map Content. You understand that the content required to create or modify STARCRAFT® II
Modified Maps (as defined below) is included in the STARCRAFT® II game client, and that all
such content is owned by Blizzard and governed by this Agreement. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND
AGREE THAT ALL MAPS, LEVELS AND OTHER CONTENT CREATED OR MODIFIED USING THE MAP
EDITOR (COLLECTIVELY, “MODIFIED MAPS”) ARE AND SHALL REMAIN THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OF BLIZZARD. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, YOU HERE BY ASSIGN TO
BLIZZARD ALL OF YOUR RIGHTS, TITLE AND INTEREST IN AND TO ALL MODIFIED MAPS, AND
AGREE THAT YOU WILL EXECUTE FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS PROMPTLY UPON RECEIVING SUCH
A REQUEST FROM BLIZZARD.
Prior Blizzard games like Warcraft III had EULA provisions that prohibited selling maps created with their editor, but the copyright remained with the map maker. Now? Anyone who creates a new, popular mod like DotA with the Starcraft II editor will have no rights to their own creation.
Submission + - Major Oil Company Data Leaked By Service Provider (blogspot.com)
An anonymous reader writes: At the recent Black Hat USA 2010 security conference, a well known security service provider accidentally leaked a sensitive penetration test report on a major US-based oil company containing enough sensitive information to gain Windows domain administrator access rights as well as the username and password for everyone in the target company's domain. According to the detailed, 39-page report, these access rights included the ability to access servers containing SCADA system information. The report was not encrypted or password-protected in any way. Anyone with access to the leaked document and a copy of Microsoft Word could read the report in full.
The file was inadvertently distributed on USB keys provided to some attendees.
Reference:
http://sharpesecurity.blogspot.com/2010/07/major-oil-company-data-leaked-by.html
The file was inadvertently distributed on USB keys provided to some attendees.
Reference:
http://sharpesecurity.blogspot.com/2010/07/major-oil-company-data-leaked-by.html
Comment Madcatz Arcade (Score 2, Informative) 262
http://gear.ign.com/articles/765/765614p1.html
These were going for around $10 on ebay a while ago.
Comment Re:Someone doesn't like second hand market? (Score 1) 461
While technically this correct, in practice you cannot always de-authorize your consoles.
*You must MANUALLY deauthorize your PSN account on EACH PS3 which you have ever logged in.*
That means:
If your PS3 crashed and you were unable to get to the deauthorize menu item, you lose that "slot" forever.
If you reformat YOUR OWN PS3 without deauthorizing your PSN account, you lose that "slot" forever.
If you have shared your PSN account with someone and they don't deauthorize the account, you lose that "slot" forever.
Citation: I've read this on the official Sony FAQ some time in the past but I can't find it right now, so here is another link that explains how things work: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=158147
Comment Another vote for this one (Score 1) 368
I had one of these growing up too and it was one of my favourite toys. There are lots of opportunities to experiment by modifying the suggested experiments with changing resistance values and inputs and outputs.
Comment Actually not much of an option (Score -1, Redundant) 364
The option to install Linux is removed in the new 3.0 firmware.
The new 3.0 firmware is required to play online.
Old owners have the "option" of retaining the ability to install Linux, or giving up the ability to play any games online.
Comment Re:This is all wrong. (Score 1) 327
That's all fine and dandy if the attacker/zombie is under the jurisdiction of the Australia government, but what if it is not? Is the insurance company really going to step into your shoes and chase someone halfway across the world to get a judgment and enforce it? What if you don't have a cause of action against the attacker/zombie in the foreign jurisdiction?
Ironically, the effect of your proposed law would be to protect foreign victims of Australian attackers.
I guess what you are proposing is some sort of multi-national treaty whereby all signatories of the treaty would enact similar legislation to force internet users to take liability for the actions of their computers.
Good luck!
Comment Lousy gifts (Score 2, Funny) 209
A fake piece of moon rock isn't exactly the most thoughtful gift.
The ambassador should have given something like a collection of classic American music on cassette tape.
Submission + - UK Government has another data lapse
twofish writes: "Hot on the heels of news that the British Government has lost two CDs containing 25m records including names, addresses and bank details is the UK's, and probably the world's, largest ever data loss, come reports that an ex-contractor at the Department for Work and Pensions had two disks containing names, addresses, dates of birth and National Insurance numbers for up to 18,000 people in an unencrypted format at home for more than a year after leaving her job. Chris Grayling, the Conservatives' work and pensions secretary remarked:
"The fact that it hasn't been copy protected is further evidence of a cavalier attitude towards data protection in government departments""
"The fact that it hasn't been copy protected is further evidence of a cavalier attitude towards data protection in government departments""
Submission + - Sudan President Pardons Teddy Row Teacher (techluver.com)
Tech.Luver writes: "Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir on Monday pardoned a British teacher jailed after letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad, and officials said she would be released and would fly back to England later in the day.
Lord Nazir Ahmed and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir Monday at his presidential palace to plead for Gillian Gibbons' pardon.
Gibbons had been sentenced Thursday to 15 days in prison and deportation for insulting Islam because her students gave the teddy bear the same name as Islam's revered prophet — a violation under Sudan's Islamic Sharia law.
The jailing of Mrs Gibbons has led to an international outcry and has embarrassed the government. The case inflamed passions among many in Sudan, where demonstrators called for her to be put to death.
( http://techluver.com/2007/12/03/sudan-president-pardons-teddy-row-teacher/ )"
Submission + - What Constitutes Commercial Use?
rtobyr writes: "I have always assumed that when I am working for a government agency or not-for-profit organization that I my employer is entitled to freely use software that claims to be "free for non-commercial use." It seems to me that the term, "commercial" is derived from "commerce," meaning that profit is involved. Then I ran across a program whose EULA is an excellent example of ambiguity in this matter: Sandboxie, whose author — apparently — interprets commercial use as being installed on an Active Directory member computer. So I checked the EULA and found this:
This Agreement grants You the right to use the Software for personal use only. Commercial use of the Software is not permitted under this Agreement.
The statement totally ignores the possibility of use that is neither personal nor commercial. Yeah, I could contact the author (and I will) to clear up his intent; but Sandboxie is just an example. What do you suppose that "free for non-commercial use" means in general for non-commercial organizations? Do you suppose that the type of non-commercial organization matters? Should the military have the same freedoms with "free for non-commercial use" software as, say, a charitable non-profit? What about organizations in between those two extreme examples, such as credit unions or local or state government?"
