CousinLarry - Slashdot User

Machinima maker acquired by virtual world marketer

Submitted by

CousinLarry

on Wednesday February 14 2007, @04:33PM

CousinLarry writes "In what may be a first for Machinima authors (machinimators? machinimists? machinographers?) everywhere, perennial producers The Ill Clan (creators of Trash Talk) apparently have been acquired by virtual world marketing outfit Electric Sheep Company. Their first project together was actually a short super bowl advertisement. It begs the question: are virtual actors and machinima coming to your favorite TV station anytime soon?"

Teacher convicted for porn pop-ups

Submitted by

jlorenzatti

on Wednesday February 14 2007, @04:16PM

jlorenzatti writes "A substitute teacher in Winham Connecticut was convicted of exposing her students to pornography through pop-ups occurring on her classroom computer .

This story raises an interesting discussion:

Where does the responsibility lay for spyware/adware/viruses/porn pop-ups not occuring on a network? Is it the user, the IT Department, or both?"

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Unveiled

Submitted by

njkid1

on Wednesday February 14 2007, @04:15PM

njkid1 writes "Today LucasArts unleashed a raft of new information on what's been known until now as "Star Wars Next Gen." The new game's official title will be Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and will center on a young "secret" apprentice to the ultimate sci-fi bad guy, Darth Vader. Yes, we finally get a Star Wars game where it's good to be bad. http://www.gamedaily.com/canvases/gd/_a/star-wars- the-force-unleashed-unveiled/20070214131409990001? &ncid=AOLGAM000500000000014"

VoIP and home security systems don't get along

Submitted by

coondoggie

on Wednesday February 14 2007, @03:57PM

coondoggie writes "There is an ongoing story that consumer VoIP services can cause your home security alarm system to malfunction or not work at all. A news article here, brought up the problem with customer phone systems in Canada who were using Primus but Vonage customers in the U.S have complained too. And a number of sites have popped up offering suggestions to help deal with the problem. The situation isn't all that surprising as the nature of VoIP has left other emergency services wanting — for example, e911. But still. http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1152 3"

Law requires ISPs to record all surfing activity

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 14 2007, @03:54PM

An anonymous reader writes "A bill introduced last week by Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) is beginning to raise eyebrows. (...) Under the guise of reducing child pornography, the SAFETY (Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth) Act is currently the gravest threat to digital privacy rights on the Internet. Given the increasing tendency of people, especially young people, to use the Internet as a primary means of communication, this measure would affect nearly all Americans in ways we are only beginning to understand. Also, given the fact that the Act requires all Internet Service Providers to record the web surfing activity of all Internet users, this amounts to the warrantless wiretapping of the entire Internet."

You Don't Know Jack Is Back!

Submitted by

Nate The Intern

on Wednesday February 14 2007, @03:47PM

Nate The Intern writes "You Don't Know Jack, the notable irreverent quiz-show party game, is back. The site, where high culture and pop culture collide, is updated with free content every weekday and currently boasts 5 new "DisOrDat" questions each week, community and personal scoreboards and more. Mega Church or Condom Brand? International Airline or Erectile Dysfunction Pill? With access to the archives, there are over two months worth of questions to keep you occupied AND help you prepare for the upcoming release of more than 4 brand new 7-question games per month (including the infamous Jack Attack)! http://www.youdontknowjack.com/"

Study: I.D. Thieves Prefer N.Y.C. and L.A.

Submitted by

Ant

on Wednesday February 14 2007, @03:37PM

Ant writes "If BetaNews article says: "If you live in New York, California, or Nevada, you have the biggest chance of being an identity/ID theft victim. However if you're a Wyoming, Vermont, or Montana resident, the opposite is the case. A study released Wednesday by security firm, ID Analytics, put those that live close to New York City/N.Y.C. or Los Angeles/L.A. at the highest risk. Living in the West also seemed to increase one's chances: Arizona, Oregon, and Washington all ranked in the top ten. The reason for the heightened occurrences of fraud in bigger cities is quite simple: the sheer amount of people living there makes it much harder to identify and track. Living in a highly populated state did not necessarily mean one would be at a higher risk. Two states with large populations, Pennsylvania and Ohio, ranked far down on the list at 36th and 46th respectively...""

The Top 12 Movies that Were Ahead of Their Time

Submitted by

Alex Billington

on Wednesday February 14 2007, @03:37PM

Alex Billington writes "What makes a movie years down the road be referred to as ahead of its time? It's the visual effects and technical achievements that the filmmakers implemented, from the miniatures in Star Wars to the time-freezing camera system in The Matrix, these movies were vastly ahead of their time. FirstShowing.net has comprised a comprehensive list of the top 12 movies in history that were ahead of their time, ranging from Psycho and 2001 to The Matrix."