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Submission + - Coming Soon to a Plane Near You: MANPADS Destroyer

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Unlike the flare-based surface-to-air missile (SAM) countermeasures used by military aircraft, the Northrop Grumman Guardian Missile Defense System is designed to destroy MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems), for example, the popular shoulder-fired heat-seaking missile. Now that the Guardian anti-missile system is on one United States commercial jet for a "operational test and evaluation," lets take a closer look and, as best as we can, see how well this system performs. Because if all goes well, it's very likely to be on every United States commercial aircraft. Videos: #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5. PDF: #1, #2. (Hat tips to CNN.com, "Commercial jet flies with anti-missile system" and Northrop Grumman, "Northrop Grumman Begins Operational Test and Evaluation of its Guardian Commercial Airline Anti-Missile System.")
Censorship

Submission + - How Game Raitings have Failed

Submitted by
twistedsymphony
twistedsymphony writes: "Thoughthead discusses the various ways the Software rating system has failed, why various state and local governments are going after the industry the way they are and offers some suggestions as to how they might fix their various problems.
The last major stumbling block the Video Game industry has to conquer is not only the most important towards getting the government off their back but also the biggest difference between the movie industry and the video game industry is enforcement. A rating system is useless unless it is actually adhered to, without that it's just noise.
"
Announcements

Submission + - UK Petition to Ban DRM Technologies

Submitted by
Neil H
Neil H writes: "A little while ago I raised a petition to ban Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies on the new Number 10 petitions site. To date the petition has recieved 1,264 signatures, but the deadline (January 23rd) is fast approaching. As long as the petition gathers enough signatures all signees will recieve an email response, so if you live in the UK and dislike DRM please sign the petition!"
The Internet

Submission + - Internet downloading soon to be a crime

Submitted by
Elektroschock
Elektroschock writes: "Toine Manders, an influential Dutch player in the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee, told a Dutch Radio station that he wants 'downloading' to become a criminal offence. His slogan: 'Downloading is heling'. Toine Manders and his colleques currently discusses a Directive on criminal measures aimed at the Enforcement of intellectual property rights ('IPRED2')."
Media

Submission + - Internet campaign aims to save Vancouver theatre

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: CBC.ca is covering an internet campaign to save a historic Vancouver theater and turn it into a state of the art media center for the city. "Jhayne Holmes is fighting to save the Raja Theatre in East Vancouver with an internet endeavor that has the goal of turning the 475-seat theater into a multidisciplinary arts center she calls Heart of the World, which will help satisfy Vancouver's need for performance space." They also plan to do podcasts of all performances so that the whole world can share in their productions and creations.
The Internet

Submission + - UN offical says org. not taking over internet

Submitted by kaufmanmoore
kaufmanmoore writes: Hamadoun Toure, the new head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union says that he does not plan to take over governance of the internet and leave it up to groups like ICANN. In his statement he says that the ITU will instead focus on bridging the digital divide, internet security and standardize broadband communications. When asked about Chinese censorship Toure said that issue is beyond the mandate of the ITU. The full article is here
Music

Submission + - Senate bill S.256 aims to restrict internet radio

Submitted by JAFSlashdotter
JAFSlashdotter writes: If you enjoy MP3 or OGG streams of internet radio, it's time to pay attention. This week US Senators Lamar Alexander, Joseph Biden, Dianne Feinstein, and Lindsey Graham in their collective wisdom have decided to reintroduce the "Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music (PERFORM) Act". This ARS Technica article explains that PERFORM would restrict our rights to make non-commercial recordings under the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992, and require satellite and internet broadcasters to use "technology to prevent music theft". That means goodbye to your favorite streaming audio formats, hello DRM. The EFF said pretty much the same when this bill last reared its ugly head in April of 2006. It's too soon to get the text of this year's version (S.256) online, but it likely to resemble last year's S.2644, which is available through Thomas. Last year's bill died in committee, but if at first you don't succeed...
Portables

Submission + - Dell accused of selling defective notebooks-again

Submitted by crowbarsarefornerdyg
crowbarsarefornerdyg writes: Dell's in the courts again, except this time Sony isn't to blame. The lawsuit stems from overheating Inspiron laptops. I own one (I inherited it, ok!) and it has overheated since we got it. Dell's answer? Keep it cleaned out. From TFA:

'A lawsuit filed in Ontario Superior Court alleges that Dell notebooks suffer from design defects that cause premature failure of the motherboard due to overheating.

The suit, which seeks class-action status, was filed on behalf of an Ontario owner of an Inspiron PC, according to articles by the Canadian Press and the Associated Press. It claims that Dell knew or should have known of the defects but sold the notebooks anyway.'

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/12/inspiron_d efect_lawsuit/
NASA

Software Error Likely Killed MGS Spacecraft 199

Posted by kdawson from the off-by-one dept.
Aglassis writes "NASA investigators have determined that a software update performed in June of 2006 may have doomed the 10-year-old spacecraft. Apparently the software error caused the solar arrays to drive against a mechanical stop which then forced the spacecraft into safe mode. Unfortunately, after that the spacecraft's radiator was pointed at the sun which overheated the battery and destroyed it. Contact was lost with the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in November 2006. NASA will form an internal review board to determine formally the cause of the loss of the spacecraft and what remedial actions are needed for future missions."
Microsoft

Submission + - UK schools at risk of Microsoft lock-in

Submitted by Robert
Robert writes: UK schools and colleges that have signed up to Microsoft Corp's academic licensing programs face the 'significant potential' of being locked in to the company's software, according to an interim review by the UK government agency responsible for technology in education. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency report also states that most establishments surveyed do not believe that Microsoft's licensing agreements provide value for money.
It's funny. Laugh.

Journal Journal: You have been... Goatsed?

Journal by Noryungi

About 2,500 people have had a (very) nasty surprise recently when they looked at their MySpace page. Let's just say a small image was replaced by... another small image. Only, the second one was from the infamous "Goatse.cx" (You remember THAT one, don't you?). But what exactly happened? Jason Scott, the owner of textfiles.com explains all -- or is it confesses all?. The email received are hilarious. Well worth a read and a chuckle
The Media

Submission + - PC World editor killed in his home

Submitted by smooth wombat
smooth wombat writes: Rex Farrance, PC World Magazine's senior technical editor, was shot dead by masked gunmen who had broken into his home on Tuesday evening. His wife, Lenore Vantosh-Farrance, was pistol whipped. She was able to call 911 but the assailants fled before the police arrived.

Investigators are suggestng the attack was drug related. From the article:

"We have substantial reason to believe that the victim and his wife were involved in the possession and, potentially, the distribution of illegal narcotics," said Pittsburg police Inspector John Conaty, who declined to specify what type of drugs were involved.

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