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Crime

Submission + - Hackers target Teap Party website (thehill.com) 3

GovTechGuy writes: A sophisticated hacker attack took down the website of the pro-Tea Party group Freedomworks just as Fox News Glenn Beck was promoting a fund-raising "money bomb" for the site. The group estimates the attack cost them $80,000 in potential donations.
“It’s like the tea party movement’s been hacked,” Freedomworks spokesman Adam Brandon said.

Comment Re:Not ready as a gaming platform (Score 1) 520

I use Linux, and am happy to purchase and use closed source software. I wish there was more. I often prefer the open source version or replacement for specific applications, but when unavailable I am happy to buy them. There is simply not enough offered. For me I tried Linux because it was free and I had a box running Windows ME...well, you can see why I wanted away from that. I tried it. I loved it. I haven't run Windows at home since. I find it desirable that people want to run different Operating Systems. They can run whatever makes them happy and they are comfortable with. I deal with lack of support from ISV's by finding solutions that work for me. I wish there were better solutions at times, either open source or closed, for certain situations. I would certainly be willing to purchase more.

Comment Re:Call me a extremist if you want (Score 1) 706

Those of us with criminal records were just stupid enough to get caught and charged for doing it.

I find this to be true. I would be completely fucked had an ADA not kept screwing up my charges until the case was open long enough the judge told them to finish it that day. I would have had a felony that would have put me in Huntsville State Prison in Texas (min 6 month stay). Because of the miraculous incompetence of the ADA I ended up with a misdemeanor and time served from my arrest as my sentence. If you care the case entire issue came about after some friends of mine went on a graffiti spree if Houston. I purchased spray paint and had given it to one of them who turned out was under 18. It is illegal in Texas to sell or provide certain aerosol products to minors, part of the state health code dealing with drug abuse. So I should have been charged with Criminal Mischief, a felony, but was charged with distribution of an aerosol paint to a minor for purpose of inhalation. I explain it on every application that asks about arrests or crimes, some specifically mention only reporting felonies on the application, and have not had a problem. If it had been the Criminal Mischief charge however I would likely be where the other two are at this time. One is working rigs in the gulf last I heard, and the other was able to land a job in Portland at some rock club.

Comment Re:Fix Sound! (Score 1) 244

I assume there is a major problem, or problems, with sound for many people on Ubuntu? My experience has been the opposite. Since upgrading to 9.10, issues I had with sound just not working have been fixed. Graphics problems I had under 8.10 and 9.04 are resolved (though after the upgrade they were worse until I updated). Overall experience on my old Dell Dimension 3000 is improved. Then again this is simply my experience, and yours may be worth more.

Submission + - ACTA To Be Reviewed by Industry Reps, Not Public (arstechnica.com)

Andorin writes: Ars Technica writes about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, and reveals that while the public does not have access to the text of the agreement, a handful of lawyers representing Big Content and numerous companies and organizations do. "Turns out that the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) will include a section on Internet "enforcement procedures" after all. And how many people have had input on these procedures? Forty-two. [...] Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) found out in September that the US Trade Representative's office had actually been secretly canvassing opinions on the Internet section of the agreement from 42 people, all of whom had signed a nondisclosure agreement before being shown the ACTA draft text."
Power

Japan Plans $21B Space Power Plant 550

Mike writes "Japan has announced plans to send a $21 billion solar power generator into space that will be capable of producing one gigawatt of energy, or enough to power 294,000 homes. The project recently received support from Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and IHI Corp, who are now teaming up in the race to develop new technology within four years that can beam electricity back to Earth without the use of cables. Japan hopes to test a small solar satellite decked out with solar panels by the year 2015."
PlayStation (Games)

PS2 the Most Played Console In 2008 172

An anonymous reader writes "In terms of console usage, the aging PS2 still leads the competition, according to data from US research firm Nielsen. Data the company compiled between January and October 2008 shows that the PS2 commanded 31.7 percent of the total number of minutes spent playing consoles. Only 37.9 percent of play time took place on current-gen systems, with the Xbox 360 (17.2 percent) leading the Wii (13.4 percent) and the PS3 (7.3 percent). Users even spent more time playing on the original Xbox (9.7 percent) than the PS3, while Nintendo's GameCube (4.6 percent) wasn't far behind Sony's new console either." World of Warcraft once again topped the most-played PC game list by a large margin. Tetris was the top mobile game, followed by Bejeweled and Guitar Hero III.
Quickies

Submission + - Scientists working on "sex chip" (blorge.com) 1

thefickler writes: Imagine being able to turn your sex drive on and off. Scientists are working on just such a possibility. However, one commentator wonders "Can you be too successful?" — apparently a woman who had such a chip implanted, went from lack of interest to a very active sex drive. Her sex drive was increased to the point she decided to have the chip removed.
Medicine

Submission + - Is there a God gene? Or why we think like we do... (sciencedaily.com)

jake-in-a-box writes: "Why do religious people live longer, healthier lives, achieve more and in general have better quality of life? This study suggests that the meme for religion has a fitness factor because it results in better self-control, fostering goal-oriented behavior and all that comes from it. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081231005355.htm. It also has implications for understanding extremist behavior. Perhaps getting people blow themselves up is the wetware equivalent of planting a logic bomb."
Role Playing (Games)

Submission + - World of Warcraft Players Fight Cancer

BratPrinceRy writes: "With a call of "For the Alliance" or "For the Horde" World Of Warcraft players are doing something good in the world this week. In fact these eager players have already raised over 29 thousand dollars! They're motive? A one year subscription to their favorite game, and even the chance to have their account paid for the rest of their WoW days:

"From now till January 5th, when you make a donation of $25 to the LLS via this website and leave either "For the Alliance!" or "For the Horde!" as a comment, I will put your name in a hat. On January 8th, 2009, I will pull three names from the hat to receive one of three (3) 1-year time cards for Blizzard Entertainment's hit game, World of Warcraft, as a "thank you" gift from me to you! I will mail the card to your home address with an official Blizzard Entertainment 2008 Holiday Greeting Card personally thanking you for your donation." ( http://pages.teamintraining.org/ctx/pfchangs09/kallen )

This wonderful fundraiser is the dream child of Katherine Allen, a Blizzard employee. The fundraiser is going on until the 8th of January, so get donating! http://pages.teamintraining.org/ctx/pfchangs09/kallen"

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