40522827
submission
AlphaWolf_HK writes:
Newzbin2, one of the most recognized index sites for usenet, has closed for good:
It is with regret that we announce the closure of Newzbin2. A combination of several factors has made this the only option. For a long time we have struggled with poor indexing of Usenet, poor numbers of reports caused by the majority of our editors dropping out & no-one replacing them. Our servers have been unstable and crashing on a regular basis meaning the NZBs & NFOs are unavailable for long periods and we don't have the money to replace them. To make things worse all our payment providers dropped out or started running scared. The MPA sued Paypal and are going at our innocent payment provider Kthxbai Ltd in the UK. Our other payment provider has understandably lost their nerve. Result? We have no more payment providers to offer & no realistic means of taking money (no, Bitcoin isn't credible as it's just too hard for 90% of people).
39359985
submission
AlphaWolf_HK writes:
At the recent Gartner Symposium Expo, Cisco CEO John Chambers had a few words to say about patent trolls: "It is a mess; There are patent trolls everywhere," said Chambers, noting that patent problems impose huge costs on every company. He didn't stop there though, he also suggested that companies stop suing their peers. Speaking to the audience, he said for "his peers" in the room, "you shouldn't be suing your peers." He also adds that patent litigation slows down innovation. He recommends throwing out the whole patent system, and starting from the beginning. Cisco's official stance (outside of John Chambers) is that we are really in need of patent reform, with specific ideas at eliminating patent trolls and patent shopping.
Also of interest, is Cisco's ongoing patent war with Tivo, (who many argue is also a patent abuser) by fighting Tivo's patents with their own patents, a la Samsung vs Apple.
38483803
submission
AlphaWolf_HK writes:
Ars Technica has a story about a 52 year old man who was arrested and sentenced to three years in jail for shining a high powered green laser at a helicopter along with an interesting video showing how he was tracked down. The FBI says that laser strikes are becoming epidemic, saying that they expect to see reports of 3,700 of them this year.
35227561
submission
AlphaWolf_HK writes:
After the recent court decision to block sales of the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Tab 10.1, Apple has taken it upon themselves to send cease and desist orders to retailers who carry these two products. So far however, it doesn't appear that any have complied with that order.
35119043
submission
AlphaWolf_HK writes:
With all of the talk about Apple patenting everything smartphone and tablet lately, including patenting a third party app without the author's permission, as well as recent anti-competitive behavior against Android, there has been a recent rise in a "boycott Apple" movement, across twitter and other less popular social media sites. It doesn't quite end there though. As you may recall from earlier, Apple abandoned a green technology initiative that it helped found in order to be able to reduce the size of its gadgets, which has already lead to a government boycott.
