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Microsoft

Submission + - MS cries Uncle

pilsner.urquell writes: The Financial Times is reporting:

Microsoft finally admitted defeat in its nine-year battle with the European Commission on Monday, agreeing to allow competitors access to technology that Brussels said would create more innovation in the software market.
Censorship

Submission + - Comcast Selectively Blocking Subscriber Traffic (msn.com)

madsheep writes: "It looks like Comcast is actively blocking subscriber traffic to a number of services that are primarily related to peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. From the story: "Comcast Corp. actively interferes with attempts by some of its high-speed Internet subscribers to share files online, a move that runs counter to the tradition of treating all types of Net traffic equally. The interference, which The Associated Press confirmed through nationwide tests, is the most drastic example yet of data discrimination by a U.S. Internet service provider. It involves company computers masquerading as those of its users." It looks like Comcast is out there to limit your bandwidth and where you can go. What's next?"
Censorship

Submission + - Comcast blocks some Internet traffic

QuietLagoon writes: MSNBC is reporting the results of an Associated Press test that show Comcast blocks some Internet traffic. "Comcast Corp. actively interferes with attempts by some of its high-speed Internet subscribers to share files online, a move that runs counter to the tradition of treating all types of Net traffic equally.

"The interference, which The Associated Press confirmed through nationwide tests, is the most drastic example yet of data discrimination by a U.S. Internet service provider. It involves company computers masquerading as those of its users.

"If widely applied by other ISPs, the technology Comcast is using would be a crippling blow to the BitTorrent, eDonkey and Gnutella file-sharing networks. While these are mainly known as sources of copyright music, software and movies, BitTorrent in particular is emerging as a legitimate tool for quickly disseminating legal content.

"The principle of equal treatment of traffic, called "Net Neutrality" by proponents, is not enshrined in law but supported by some regulations. Most of the debate around the issue has centered on tentative plans, now postponed, by large Internet carriers to offer preferential treatment of traffic from certain content providers for a fee....
Education

Submission + - Eleven New Species

pilsner.urquell writes: "Two butterflies and five orchids are among 11 new species found in Vietnam by scientists.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature said:

"You only discover so many new species in very special places, and the Green Corridor is one of them,"You only discover so many new species in very special places, and the Green Corridor is one of them"
There is also a sideshow."
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft Holds Executives to a Higher Standard

pilsner.urquell writes: Because company's performance last year fell short of expectations Microsoft is holding it's executives to a higher standard.

From the Seattle Times story:

As a result, four executives got no more than half as much stock as they would have if the company had met or exceeded all of its goals, according to a regulatory filing Friday.
Among the points not covered, constructive chair throwing.
Handhelds

Submission + - Apple and the RIAA, ringtones

pilsner.urquell writes: Apples own interests to defend the rights of consumer has cost them a lot of grief in the ringtone market.

Ask Not For Whom the Ring Tones.
Writing about Apples iTunes ringtones, John Gruber of the Daring Fireball cited Engadget, which reported that the RIAA wanted to be able to distribute ringtones of its artists without having to pay them big money to do so (surprised?), and it won a decision last year before the Copyright Office saying that ringtones werent derivative works, meaning they didnt infringe on the copyright of the songwriter.
Just a continuation of just how evil that RIAA really is.
Wireless Networking

Submission + - Super-fast wireless (techworld.com)

Golygydd Max writes: "Scientists at Georgia Tech claimed to have cracked the problem of how to send large data files, such as video, over wireless. According to a story in Techworld, they have developed a technique that allows them to use the 60GHz range to send such files at 15Gbit/s over a span of one metre. That translates into a download time of less than five seconds for a DVD-quality copy of a typical Hollywood movie."
Security

Submission + - Pentagon Computer Attack

pilsner.urquell writes: The China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), as the armed forces are known has been fingered in a Pentagon computer network crack last June.

The PLA has demonstrated the ability to conduct attacks that disable our system...and the ability in a conflict situation to re-enter and disrupt on a very large scale, said a former official, who said the PLA had penetrated the networks of US defence [sic] companies and think-tanks.
Sci-Fi

Submission + - Chupacabra?

pilsner.urquell writes: A woman, Phylis Canion, of Texas believes she has found the mythical chupacabra or "goat sucker" thought to be an urban legend. Looks like a large hairless Chiwawa.

"It is one ugly creature," Canion said, holding the head of the mammal, which has big ears, large fanged teeth and grayish-blue, mostly hairless skin.
Security

Submission + - Teen Unlocks IPhone From AT&T Network

pilsner.urquell writes: George Hotz of Glen Rock, N.J. a 17 year old cracker has broken the lock that keeps the IPhone tied into the AT&T network.

AT&T Inc. spokesman Mark Siegel said the company had no comment, and referred questions to Apple. A call to Apple was not immediately returned. Hotz said the companies had not been in touch with him.

Both hacks leave intact the iPhone's many functions, including a built-in camera and the ability to access Wi-Fi networks. The only thing that won't work is the "visual voicemail" feature, which shows voice messages as if they were incoming e-mail.
Hotz' blog
Biotech

Submission + - Experts Say Artificial Life Likely

pilsner.urquell writes: Breitbart.com reports:

In a little known field of "wet artificial life" scientists believe they will be able to create live in a test tube in as little as 3 years.

"Creating protocells has the potential to shed new light on our place in the universe," Bedau said. "This will remove one of the few fundamental mysteries about creation in the universe and our role."

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