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Comment The Evils of CopyRight, IP and DRM (Score 2) 418

Rant On.

You don't own it, you only rent it and the "owners" can get make you pay again and again.
I'm sure they (RIAA/MPAA/etc) would like if everything was pay-per-view and we could
not even own our own thoughts.

I dread the day when IP lawyers realize our brains hold memories of the songs we've
heard, the movies we've seen and the books we've read and demand we be made to
forget it all or pay, pay, pay.

Rant Off.

Comment Which OS, oh which OS (Score 1) 965

I deal in all 3 operating systems (Mac/Windows/Linux). Actually 4 as I have a number of Solaris systems
to maintain (project underway to migrate to Linux). I have not used WIndows 7 very much; I used to use
XP as my main desktop but the system got wiped after a minor infection (caught and fixed by the AV but
that was not good enough) so I have been using my Mac laptop heavily. When I use Linux I am mostly
in a terminal window running command line mode. One thing I like about the Mac is that I have a robust
GUI but I'm just a terminal window away from Linux command line - something just not easy to do under
WIndows.

I am currently using Snow Leopard but need to move to a new Mac Book Pro and Lion but where is the
time... I must admit I am disturbed by the IOSifcation of the Mac and the slow death of Mac shareware
and freeware (aided and abetted by the Mac App Store).

I too feel like Linux will be more important in my future as a desktop OS.

Comment Remember Seduction of the Innocents (Score 1) 335

Here we go again...

It seems appropriate that information just out has cast more than doubt on _Seduction of the Innocents_, the book and its
author behind the censorship and restrictions on comic books in the 50s. Once again all the research keeps showing little
if any connection between games/movies/TV and the propensity to violence but the "true believers" know otherwise. It'll
again be "damn the evidence, full speed ahead -> censorship, criminal penalities, etc".

Music

Atari Loses Copyright Suit Against RapidShare 198

dotarray writes "Online copyright lawsuits aren't all about music. Video game publisher Atari Europe recently became concerned that copies of its game Alone in the Dark were floating around one-click file-hosting service RapidShare, so it took the hosting company to court. While they won the initial case, the decision was overturned on appeal, finding that RapidShare is doing nothing wrong."

Comment Geosync orbit too high (Score 2, Informative) 243

The wayward satellite is in (or near) geosychronous orbit (23+K miles up). The shuttle cannot
reach that orbit, being limited to a couple of hundred miles altitude. Similarly, the anti-satellite
weapons are only designed for low orbit satellites (spy satellites and other military targets).

Now, if we had ever gone ahead and build the interorbit taxi/transport as an adjunct to
the space station (either robotic or manned), we would have a solution to the problem.
Right now we are stuck.

Space

A Hyper-Velocity Impact In the Asteroid Belt? 114

astroengine writes "Astronomers have spotted something rather odd in the asteroid belt. It looks like a comet, but it's got a circular orbit, similar to an asteroid. Whether it's an asteroid or a comet, it has a long, comet-like tail, suggesting something is being vented into space. Some experts think it could be a very rare comet/asteroid hybrid being heated by the sun, but there's an even more exciting possibility: It could be the first ever observation of two asteroids colliding in the asteroid belt."
Space

Herschel Spectroscopy of Future Supernova 21

davecl writes "ESA's Herschel Space Telescope has released its first spectroscopic results. These include observations of VYCMa, a star 50 times as massive as the sun and soon to become a supernova, as well as a nearby galaxy, more distant colliding starburst galaxies and a comet in our own solar system. The spectra show more lines than have ever been seen in these objects in the far-infrared and will allow astronomers to work out the detailed chemistry and physics behind star and planet formation as well as the last stages of stellar evolution before VYCMa's eventual collapse into a supernova. More coverage is available at the Herschel Mission Blog, which I run."
Networking

Submission + - AT&T is dropping Usenet Netnews service

franknagy writes: "This announcement message has appeared in all the news groups on the AT&T/SBC News Server: Please note that on or around July 15, 2009, AT&T will no longer be offering access to the Usenet netnews service. If you wish to continue reading Usenet newsgroups, access is available through third-party vendors. So what free or low-cost alternatives are available for Netnews and the NNTP services for clients?"
Image

Anathem 356

Max Tardiveau writes "I just finished reading Neal Stephenson's latest novel, Anathem. I was awaiting it with some anticipation because I absolutely loved Stephenson's best-known novels: Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, and Cryptonomicon. One of Stephenson's non-fiction pieces, called In the beginning was the command line, simply wowed me when I read it. The man can write. A few years ago, I got really excited when I heard that he was writing a whole cycle of novels (the Baroque cycle). But I read the first book of the cycle — Quicksilver — and I was somewhat disappointed, so I skipped the rest of the cycle. I realize that many people enjoyed these novels, but I was hoping that Stephenson would get back his old style and inspiration. So, when Anathem was announced, I was full of anticipation — was this going to be the one? Would he find his mark again?" Keep reading for Max's impressions of Anathem

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