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IsoHunt Guilty of Inducing Infringement 243

Posted by CmdrTaco from the i-didn't-know-isos-were-endangered dept.
roju writes "The MPAA has won a summary judgment against torrent indexing site isoHunt for inducing copyright infringement. Michael Geist notes that '[t]he judge ruled that the isoHunt case is little different from other US cases such as Napster and Grokster, therefore concluding that there is no need to proceed to a full trial and granting Columbia Pictures request for summary judgment.' Attorney Ben Sheffner, who worked on the case for Fox, explains some of the implications, noting that 'the most significant ruling in the opinion was the court's holding that the DMCA's safe harbors are simply not available where inducement has been established.' This case could have implications on other indexing sites, and creates a gap in the DMCA safe harbor provisions that could have far-reaching implications on other sites."
Science

Aussie Scientists Find Coconut-Carrying Octopus 205

Posted by timothy from the concealed-carry-in-australian-waters dept.
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from an AP report: "Australian scientists have discovered an octopus in Indonesia that collects coconut shells for shelter — unusually sophisticated behavior that the researchers believe is the first evidence of tool use in an invertebrate animal. The scientists filmed the veined octopus, Amphioctopus marginatus, selecting halved coconut shells from the sea floor, emptying them out, carrying them under their bodies up to 65 feet (20 meters), and assembling two shells together to make a spherical hiding spot. ... 'I was gobsmacked,' said Finn, a research biologist at the museum who specializes in cephalopods. 'I mean, I've seen a lot of octopuses hiding in shells, but I've never seen one that grabs it up and jogs across the sea floor. I was trying hard not to laugh.'"

Comment Re:music as a distraction? depends (Score 1) 1019

by S-4'N3 (#30414712) Attached to: Music While Programming?
I have had many jobs, from supervising a call center to code-monkeying to serving double-skim-milk-decaf-caramel-lattes and training people at all levels in between. The most important thing i have learned about working with and managing people is that all of your employees needs are different, and while fairness is important, acknowledging the various strengths and weaknesses of your staff is essential as is trying to ensure that they all have work environments that promote productivity. Some people have the ability to tune out background noise and focus themselves on their work. Other people are drawn to every conversation they hear. Some require absolute silence to work productively. Others, like myself, when engaging in code-monkeying or spreadsheet jockeying, find music to be a strong motivator to focus my attention and push me through the grind. That said, I find vocal music very distracting. If I listen to 'songs', the part of my brain that should be working will start to focus on the lyrics. That's why I prefer instrumental and electronic music. Ideally drum and bass or IDM, or goa. Something with a driving beat, interesting sounds, and a pace that picks up my heart beat, but not mundane enough to shut out my brain. That's a personal preference. Obviously, the same is not true for everyone. Some people are simply more productive while listening to music. To ignore this is bad management. If allowing the coders to listen to music at work is unfair to the accountants, marketing, and customer support, then perhaps some employees should be given the option to work from home. This is something else that generally increases productivity (of course, not for everyone).

Submission + - This is not science fiction: Sawdust to Gasoline (mnn.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Here’s the conventional wisdom: Oil was made from the slow crushing of ancient plants (and dinosaurs!) under the Earth over millions of years. That’s why we call it “fossil fuel,” and that’s why it’s not a renewable resource — the supply is finite, and we’re reaching the peak of that supply.

That’s the conventional wisdom. But it’s wrong.

Comment Re:is it really that bad? (Score 1) 316

by S-4'N3 (#30391298) Attached to: The Star Wars Christmas Special Still Exists
Yes. Because George Lucas never made any movies in the star wars universe apart from the original trilogy. He never made prequels about Menacing Phantoms, Clones Attacking or Avenging Siths. No spin-offs about Ewoks Battling for Endor or Courageous Caravans and definitely no tv-series about warring clones.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft Disconnects Modded X-Box Users (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by S-4'N3
S-4'N3 writes: The BBC reports that Microsoft has disconnected approximately 600,000 X-Box users from X-Box Live because the devices they are using have been modified, either with software or with new chips, to play pirated games.

"Microsoft confirmed that it had banned a 'small percentage' of the 20 million Xbox Live users worldwide. Microsoft said that modifying an Xbox 360 console 'violates' the service's 'terms of use' and would result in a player being disconnected."

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