Submission + - Wearable electrical power system under development (energytech-today.com)
EnergyTech-Today writes: "Researchers at CSIRO have received $4.4 million in funding to develop flexible batteries and conductive fabrics that can be worn on the body. As shown in the prototype illustration, the design employs advanced, flexible materials that allow the system to wrap around the body of the wearer, increasing comfort and maximizing movement. The system incorporates a vibration energy harvesting system to allow movements of the wearer's body to recharge the batteries. Although the system is being designed for military applications, wouldn't this be the ultimate way for tech-geeks to power our arsenal of portable gadgets!?"
Submission + - 7 Steps to Safer WiFi
ancientribe writes: We've all done it: You need quick access to email, so you jump on that free WiFi connection at the local coffee shop, the airport, or a conference hotel. What are the chances you'll get hacked, anyway? Truth is, if you use unsecured WiFi in the clear, without any encryption or security, you're asking for it. This Dark Reading article provides 7 security measures you can take to stay secure on a public WiFi connection.
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=119 473&WT.svl=news1_1
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=11
Submission + - EFF forces DMCA abuser to apologize
destinyland writes: "The EFF just announced victory over a serial abuser of DMCA copyright notices. To set an example, their settlement required Michael Crook to record a video apology to the entire internet for interfering with free speech. He's also required to withdraw every bogus DMCA notice, and refrain from future bogus notices, never contest the original image again, and take a remedial class on copyright law.
He'd attempted to use flaws
in the DMCA to censor an embarrassing picture of himself that he just didn't want appearing online — but instead the whole thing backfired."
H-P's Dunn Enters No Plea, Charges Dismissed 156
GogglesPisano writes "CNN earlier reported that former HP chairwoman Patricia Dunn would plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of fraudulent wire communications stemming from her involvement in last year's corporate eavesdropping scandal. The story was later amended after charges again st Dunn were dropped. The original charges, four felony counts, were reduced to misdemeanors in exchange for a plea bargain. Her three co-defendants are expected to receive 96 hours of community service; in Dunn's case this sentence is likely to be waived due to illness." Update: 03/15 02:21 GMT by KD : The prosecutor in the case issued a correction to the eariler pronouncement that Dunn would plead guilty to a misdemeanor. "At court today, Patricia Dunn did not enter any plea in response to the misdemeanor count, and the court exercised its discretion by dismissing the case against her," the revised statement said.
Submission + - Yet another US Govt organization bans Vista
An anonymous reader writes: Joining the FAA and the Department of Transportation, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is part of the Department of Commerce, has banned Windows Vista from being installed on its internal network.
Submission + - Amazon documents delivered in 1-Click patent fight
An anonymous reader writes: The Campaigner behind attempts to invalidate Amazon.com's controversial '1-Click' payment patent has gained access to Amazon's filings at the US Patent Office and still believes he has a case."According to the Code of Federal Regulations Amazon.com are supposed to give me a copy of everything they file-but they have made a habit of not doing so," said Calveley on his blog. "I had to call the USPTO and persuade them to remind Amazon of the rules so finally Amazon mailed me a copy of the documents."
"Amazon have also filed a number of documents attesting to the commercial effectiveness and advantages of 'One click shopping'," wrote Calveley. "Perhaps they are intending to make some of the old arguments along the lines of: 'Nobody thought it would be successful — but it was — so it must be non-obvious!' and 'Look how commercially successful it is — it must be non-obvious!' etc."
"I thought they might try some of these tactics, so in my request for re-examination, I have already pointed out that there were a lot of other reasons Amazon had commercial success — its customization features (for which Pinpoint Incorporated unsuccessfully sued Amazon for patent infringement), the number of books in stock, the general growth of the Internet and e-commerce etc."
Calveley also discovered that Amazon had included in its submissions definitions backing its arguments that were not only gathered years after the relevant period, but from an unreliable source, collaborative encyclopaedia Wikipedia.
Amazon's patent filing dates from 1997, and Calveley says that he has evidence from the press that the DigiCash and other systems were up and running before that. If 'prior art' — technology or inventions performing the function of a patent before the registration of that patent — is found then a patent becomes invalid.
Submission + - MS Kills Visual FoxPro 10
smist08 writes: Microsoft today (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vfoxpro/bb308952 .aspx) announced there will be no VFP 10. They are releasing more source for VFP 9 as a way of sloughing off support.
Submission + - Judge drops charges against HP's Dunn
Anonymous Coward writes: "SAN JOSE, Calif. — A judge dropped all charges against former Hewlett-Packard Co. board Chairwoman Patricia Dunn, who was accused of fraud in the boardroom spying scheme that rocked one of Silicon Valley's most respected companies.
Three other defendants in the case also will avoid jail time after their lawyers entered no contest pleas Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of fraudulent wire communications in Santa Clara Superior Court.
Judge Ray E. Cunningham did not immediately accept the pleas by former HP ethics chief Kevin Hunsaker, and private investigators Ronald DeLia and Matthew DePante, and said the charges against them will also be dropped in September after they complete 96 hours of community service and make restitution.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/46 30942.html"
Three other defendants in the case also will avoid jail time after their lawyers entered no contest pleas Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of fraudulent wire communications in Santa Clara Superior Court.
Judge Ray E. Cunningham did not immediately accept the pleas by former HP ethics chief Kevin Hunsaker, and private investigators Ronald DeLia and Matthew DePante, and said the charges against them will also be dropped in September after they complete 96 hours of community service and make restitution.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/4
Submission + - Webmaster vs Sheriff Revisited: the Saga Concludes
BlueDjinn writes: "Slashdot readers may recall this thread from several years ago, in which a web developer became embroiled in a nasty legal dispute over the domain name & website for the county Sheriff's department. Two years later, the story (which shifted from legal to civil court) finally concluded last fall. Additional background on the story can be found here (repost of original story), here, here, here and here."
Submission + - Yet another IE7 bug
reking2 writes: "Computerworld has an article ( http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/1352774/378859 /55097/2/ ) about another new security flaw in MSIE7. By exploiting a particular cross site scripting vulnerability, phishers could trick users into accessing the wrong site."
Submission + - How Wall-Mart increases the cost of gas.
The Cottage Economist writes: "Doesn't it seem rather preposterous to think that even Wal-Mart, with all of its power and influence over the American market and global economy, could engineer an intentional change in the world energy market? Yes, it does. Would Wal-Mart even try to engineer a price increase in the cost of gasoline, especially when it would most likely hurt their bottom line. No, they wouldn't. This doesn't mean, though, that it hasn't happened...
http://thecottageeconomist.com/your-world/wal-mart "
Submission + - Copyright law used to shut down anti-coal site
driptray writes: The Sydney Morning Herald reports that an Australian mining industry group has used copyright laws to close a website that parodied a coal industry ad campaign. A group known as Rising Tide created the website using the slogan "Rising sea levels: brought to you by mining" in response to the mining industry's slogan of "Life: brought to you by mining". The mining industry claimed that the "content and layout" of the parody site infringed copyright, but when Rising Tide removed the copyrighted photos and changed the layout, the mining industry still lodged a complaint. Is this a misuse of copyright law in order to stifle dissent?
Submission + - Mine industry uses copyright laws to close website
An anonymous reader writes: The Sydeny Morning Herald reports that the NSW Minerals Council has had an anti-coal group website closed by using copyright laws. Even when the group changed the website, a second complaint was lodged. The action group, Rising Tide ( http://www.risingtide.org.au/ ) has now 10 days to respond.
Article here : http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/industry-close s-anticoal-website/2007/03/04/1172943275688.html
Article here : http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/industry-clos
Submission + - BBC to provide Top Gear and Doctor Who on YouTube
ATAMAH writes: BBC has announced that some of their shows (previews) would be available for downloading on YouTube:
"The BBC has started showing promotional trailers for new programmes and clips from old hits on Google's YouTube in a bid to reach new audiences and boost sales at its commercial arm. News clips will be added in the near future when the output will have three strands, the publicly funded broadcaster said.
From the BBC itself there will be content based on current hits such as Life on Mars and Doctor Who, while from BBC Worldwide there will be clips from old favourites such as Spooks and Top Gear, which are sold globally."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5 &objectid=10427063
