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GayBliss writes "The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 1955) last month, by a vote of 404 to 6, that says the Internet is a terrorist tool and that Congress needs to develop and implement methods to combat it."

Mike writes "According to a Washington Post article, federal officials are routinely asking and getting courts to order cellphone companies to furnish real-time tracking data on subscribers. The data is used to pinpoint the whereabouts of 'criminal suspects', according to judges and industry lawyers. In some cases, judges have granted the requests without even requiring the government to demonstrate probable cause that a crime is taking place or that the inquiry will yield evidence of a crime 'Privacy advocates fear such a practice may expose average Americans to a new level of government scrutiny of their daily lives. Such requests run counter to the Justice Department's internal recommendation that federal prosecutors seek warrants based on probable cause to obtain precise location data in private areas. The requests and orders are sealed at the government's request, so it is difficult to know how often the orders are issued or denied.'"

Byul writes "I'll cut to the chase and say from the start that Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) Desktop Edition is simply the best desktop operating system that I have ever used. From installation, to setup, to regular everyday use Gutsy is just a thing of beauty. I have been keeping up with the release since its initial rocky Alpha period, to the polished final Release Candidate released on October 15, 2007 and then apt-get upgrading to the final release. The end result is that the Ubuntu team has put together everything that you could possibly want in a desktop operating system and more. http://lunapark6.com/ubuntu-710-gutsy-desktop-edition-review.html"

Filed under: Cellphones

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhoneSIMfree_begins_fulfil ling_bulk_orders_apparently_will_not_unlock_end';A re you ready for it? Looks like iPhoneSIMfree is. A number of tipsters have sent us emails that they've received announcing the availability of the elusive software unlock -- delivery on Tuesday, 4th of September. Good news right? Maybe, but here's the tell:

"Iphonesimfree.com is a wholesale only company. Although we could, we do not and will not sell directly to end users, because we want to work together with our valuable resellers as a team and not interfere in their business."

Hmpf, and cover their collective legal asses too. Once resellers have provided their purchase details and made payment, they will receive an application to install on their iPhones. They must then log into the iPhoneSIMfree "back office" via WiFi connection where the iPhone will be registered and unlocked. Pricing starts at $36 each for 50 licenses or $25 each for 5000+.

Why should it matter if you have to get your iPhone unlocked by a reseller? Well, first off that greatly increases the chances of your having to buy a fresh iPhone from a 3rd party; while we're sure some resellers will offer unlock service for the iPhone you currently own, that means you'll still have to send or take it in (instead of quickly unlocking from the comfort of your own home), and if a future update should break the iPhoneSIMfree unlock, at BEST you'll have to take it in again. (At worst you'll be stuck hounding the middleman -- not iPhoneSIMfree -- for a fix, and when that comes out you'll still have to take it back in. Ugh.) We're still awaiting word back from the iPhoneSIMfree team to verify that they won't be working with end users after all. Full email posted after the break.

[Thanks, The African Nerd, trash, Geoff, and everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading iPhoneSIMfree begins fulfilling bulk orders, apparently will not unlock end users' phones

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/151498887/

MadFarmAnimalz writes "I recently released my debut novel online under a Creative Commons license. I am reasonably satisfied with how it is being received so far, but I am interested in taking it a step further. I very much liked the system the FSF used for commentary on the GPLv3 drafts (called stet), but the code is not ready for wider deployment. I found a few alternative systems such as python-based Commentary which seems to be unmaintained, and marginalia which doesn't work as stably as one would hope. What (preferably free) software exists out there which enables online annotation and commentary, and which hopefully renders a "heatmap" of the discussion around the document?"
http://www.sancairodicopenhagen.com/tbpmd.html

As Ars and everyone slams WGA as deeply flawed, M$ blames Human Error and swears it won't happen again.

Alex Kochis, Microsofts senior WGA product manager, wrote in a blog posting that the troubles began after preproduction code was installed on live servers. ... rollback fixed the problem on the product-activation servers within 30 minutes ... but it didnt reset the validation servers. ... "we didnt have the right monitoring in place to be sure the fixes had the intended effect"

Critics were not impressed.

A system thats not totally reliable really should not be so punitive, said Gartner Inc. analyst Michael Silver.

Michael Cherry, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Wash., said he was surprised that it was even possible to accidentally load the wrong code onto live servers ... [and asks], "what other things have they not done?

This is not the first time this has happened.

The world's largest PC manufacturer, Hewlett-Packard, has reportedly announced it will start selling Linux-based PCs aimed at the consumer market. For the time being it appears the HP Linux models will only be available in Australia, with prices starting at $AU600 (just under $500 USD).
http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/08/hewlett-packard.html

WilliamX writes "GPLv3 will help FreeBSD take some users away from Linux, according to the founder and vice president of The FreeBSD Foundation.

"Through extremely successful evangelization, and the popularity of Linux, the misconception that OpenSource and the GPL are synonymous has become pervasive," he said. "In short, there is a large base of OpenSource consumers that are suddenly very interested in understanding alternatives to GPL licensed software."

"Against the backdrop of GPLv3, the stark difference between the BSD licensing philosophy and that of the Free Software Foundation are only too clear."

"A GPL proponent might argue that a license for free software must be upgraded periodically since we cannot anticipate what new use models for free software might be developed that restrict freedom. The BSD license is as permissive as possible exactly because we cannot predict the future or to what beneficial purpose (commercial or otherwise) our software will be used." said Gibbs."

MMHere writes "Tips4Mac reports that Google Earth now sports an as yet unannounced flight simulator:

http://tips4mac.blogspot.com/2007/09/flight-simula tor-from-google.html"

hmccabe writes "YouTube is currently taking submissions for their next debate, in which the Republican candidates will answer questions. This seems like a good opportunity to challenge those candidates who say they do not believe in evolution. But since I am not an expert in the subject, I would be interested in how you all feel the question should be presented. For my own part, I think it is important to present the overwhelming body of evidence on the subject as incontrovertible fact, much the same way DNA evidence is presented during a criminal trial, and ask why the candidate feels they can pick and choose what facts they believe in. Moreover, I am wary of coming across like Christopher Hitchins, so vitriolic the candidate will defend themselves rather than answer the question. Perhaps the most important aspect of posing the question is to inform the viewers who watch the debate that this is really not a matter of opinion, but of science. So my question is: 'Hey geneticists, have you considered addressing evolution in the YouTube debates? Can you do it in 30 seconds?'"

theodp writes "eBay CEO Meg Whitman will accept a special Webby Lifetime Achievement Award next month on behalf of the eBay Community, which has 'permanently changed the way people connect, discover and interact with each other.' Perhaps by then, people will have forgotten how eBay enabled buyer 'Blazers5505' to hook up with sellers like 'oneclickshooting' just weeks before the worst mass shooting in modern US history, prompting eBay to issue a gun-parts-don't-kill-students-guns-and-ammo-do statement that showed little evidence of its celebrated commitment to social consciousness. CEO Whitman, who received $11.1M last year for her leadership efforts, has kept a low profile since tooting eBay's trust-and-safety horn for Wall Street analysts two days after the Va. Tech rampage."

SCO Delenda Est writes "The SEC has given SCO notice that they will be delisted from the NASDAQ if they cannot keep their share price above $1 sometime in the next 180 days. Although they may be able to avoid delisting for a while, their small market capitalization will hinder their efforts. Given their other financials, this just goes to show how desperate their current financial situation is."

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Ashish Kulkarni writes "Google has just announced the launch of Google TiSP (BETA)(TM), a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity via users' plumbing systems. All the dark fibre that google has supposedly laid out is now fully operational! Check out the description of how it works."

nz17 writes "Gamasutra has a preview of its upcoming interview with Dave Mitchell, Director of Marketing for Microsoft's Game Developer Group. In the interview Mitchell dismisses Linux on the PS3 as a game creators' solution and has said, 'What we [at XBox] are focused on doing is providing great tools at a free or low price point that are going to enable consumers to be absolutely successful at creating games for both the Windows and the Xbox 360 platforms.'"

foobbs writes "Free Software Foundation announces that it will officially support the Free Ryzom campaign with a pledge of $60,000, telling this is "a high priority project for the free software movement". The Free Ryzom campaign was established to purchase the online game and universe known as Ryzom, property of the now bankrupt Nevrax company, and release the entire game as free software."