Comment Ashes to Ashes.... (Score 0, Troll) 7
Dork to Dork
Comment Re:Patent Laws (Score 2, Interesting) 92
Take this example:
You come up with this fantastic way sending data through sewer pipes. You patent it because it's a really unique and inovative idea and since almost everyone has sewer pipes it means you have a huge potential market.
Next you try to market it to Big Company[A-C], they turn you down because they see the market potential but think they can save money building their own then paying to license from you. You now have an idea that you have tried to market but can't.
Finally Company A comes along with their own version of your idea using your process but you don't get a dime.
All because they are big and took your idea and made it their own.
Submission + - Canadian charged $85,000 for internet access.
TihSon writes: It seems Bell Mobility in Canada is trying to set a world record for robbing their customers blind. Canadians are used to being shafted by their mobile telcos, based on the rates we keep paying we almost seem to crave it, but this poor bugger got a bill for $85,000 in just over a month simply for passing data from his phone to his computer. Considering what he used his mobile for isn't all that crazy a thing ... it's not like he was running a server farm on the thing ... Bell might want to consider rethinking it's rates. The fact this bill was expected to be taken seriously, and the fact they allowed it to get this far out of hand in the first place, says a lot about how Bell sees its customers in the grand scheme of things.
Submission + - Harmonix: Activision Is Preventing Rock Band Patch (xuecast.com) 1
XueCast writes: "Many gamers have asked for guitar controller compatibility between Guitar Hero and Rock Band, because of that, Harmonix had developed a patch that can make that happen. The compatibility patch has allegedly been approved by Sony Computer Entertainment, and is ready to be released. But Activision, the publisher of the Guitar Hero series is not very happy with the patch at all, and the patch's release is currently being blocked by the Santa Monica based video game publisher company."
Submission + - Exercise for Office Drones
An anonymous reader writes: A British company built an exercise stepper machine that fits under an office desk and uses a USB cable to connect to a computer's keyboard or mouse. If the user stops exercising, the keyboard stops working. Worried that you're working too much to work out, here's a personal trainer of another sort!
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9046943&intsrc=hm_list
Submission + - Prince threatens to sue b3ta
chalkyj writes: "Prince is threatening to sue his fans for breach of copyright for using his image on fansites. So fire up Photoshop and give [him] something to complain about" was the parody image competition on b3ta.com until a few hours ago when Prince decided he would sue them too if they didn't remove all the images.
Apparently "fair use" isn't in Prince's vocabulary. I wonder if this will be seeing the Streisand effect here?
Apparently "fair use" isn't in Prince's vocabulary. I wonder if this will be seeing the Streisand effect here?
Submission + - Verizon FiOS requires Windows?
DarthWilber writes: Verizon FiOS is recently available in my area and I have been inundated with letters and phone calls from Verizon attempting to get me to sign up. The last call I received ended the spiel with "... If you meet the system requirements." When I asked what the requirements were, they asked if I was running Windows or Macintosh. I said I was running Linux. They said it won't work with Linux. When I inquired for the reason. I was met with "It just does."
Submission + - Defendant prevails in RIAA file-sharing case
GiveItToMe writes: As we all know, the RIAA has been suing everyone left and right for file sharing but only actively pursuing a handful of cases that it knows it can win. As for the others, the RIAA moves to have them dismissed without prejudice, meaning that the RIAA and the defendant both walk away covering their own attorney fees. But defendants have begun to fight back, demanding that the cases be dismissed with prejudice so that they can collect attorney fees from the RIAA for wasting their time.
Well, a federal judge has now dismissed a recent case (Elektra v. Santangelo) with prejudice, meaning that the defendant can now collect attorney fees from the RIAA. From the Ars Technica article:
Well, a federal judge has now dismissed a recent case (Elektra v. Santangelo) with prejudice, meaning that the defendant can now collect attorney fees from the RIAA. From the Ars Technica article:
This is a scenario the RIAA has been anxious to avoid. Although the record industry has been eager to file lawsuits, it never wants to see the defendants exonerated, even when it's a clear case of mistaken identity. Instead, it would rather just quietly drop unwinnable cases and walk away, leaving defendants to deal with the legal bills from defending against a case that should never have been brought. For at least the second time, a judge has prevented the RIAA from doing exactly that. If the trend continues, the music industry's legal strategy could end up being far more expensive than it anticipated.
Submission + - NYPD Targets Dot-Matrix Graffiti Bike
Alpha232 writes: via Wired... NYPD Intelligence Op Targets Dot-Matrix Graffiti Bike originally covered on /.
Joshua Kinberg's internet-connected, sidewalk-printing graffiti bike got him a lot of attention ahead of the 2004 Republican National Convention; he was Boing Boinged, Slashdotted and featured on CNN and in Popular Science.
Though they'd never seen him use the bike, the police arrested Kinberg on criminal mischief charges prior to the convention start, during an interview on Broadway Avenue with MSNBC's Ron Reagan. The arrest took place on a spot where, two days earlier, Kinberg had printed out the water-soluble message, "America is a free speech zone" during an interview with MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann.
Though they'd never seen him use the bike, the police arrested Kinberg on criminal mischief charges prior to the convention start, during an interview on Broadway Avenue with MSNBC's Ron Reagan. The arrest took place on a spot where, two days earlier, Kinberg had printed out the water-soluble message, "America is a free speech zone" during an interview with MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann.
Submission + - Houston To Build Largest Citywide Network by 2009
Dogbreath writes: The city of Houston, Texas has has chosen Atlanta-based EarthLink Municipal Networks to provide a citywide, wireless Internet network within the next two years.
According to hizzoner Bill White, Mayor of Houston, the plan puts Houston in line to have the largest such network in North America, covering nearly all of the city's 600 square miles by spring of 2009.
Some low-income residents could get subsidized access for as little as $10 a month. A "wholesale rate" of $12 per subscriber per month would be charged, which the builder of the network would sell to various Internet service providers(ISPs). Those ISPs would add a profit margin to the base price and sell access to residents and businesses. Mayor White claimed that under the City's plan most customers would pay less than they do currently.
Submission + - Illinois Bill to Ban Social Networking Sites
AlexDV writes: "Library blogger Michael Stephens is reporting that Illinois Senator Matt Murphy (R-27, Palatine) has filed a senate bill which "Creates the Social Networking Web site Prohibition Act. Provides that each public library must prohibit access to social networking Web sites on all computers made available to the public in the library. Provides that each public school must prohibit access to social networking Web sites on all computers made available to students in the school." The bill's full text can be found here.
What is it with politicians introducing crazy Internet-related legislation lately? Could this bill have something to do with the fact that prominent Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John Edward are using social networks as a core component of their campaigns? Hmm..."
What is it with politicians introducing crazy Internet-related legislation lately? Could this bill have something to do with the fact that prominent Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John Edward are using social networks as a core component of their campaigns? Hmm..."
Submission + - Teacher Framed by Porn Pop-Ups
Stanistani writes: "A Connecticut middle-school substitute teacher was convicted last month of exposing her seventh-grade students to pornography on a classroom computer, and faces up to 40 years in state prison. She claimed that spyware generated the obscene pop-ups. The investigating detectives never checked the system for spyware. MSNBC has the story"
Submission + - FlatWire Ready Delivers DIY Installation Kits
cookiehead writes: Get your geek on: The new FlatWire Ready low-voltage wall lighting system is UL-listed and includes a wide range of decorator-style sconces and complete Add-A-Light installation kits.
Submission + - Secure a PC For Your Mom?
BoneThugND writes: "ITSecurity.com has published a 20 minute guide to securing a PC. While many of the tips are solid, I am thinking I should go a bit further to protect my mom's new Windows machine. Assuming she is not a very savvy user, what should I be doing to make sure her box isn't slowed down by dozens of malware programs after three weeks of surfing?"
