Martin Spamer - Slashdot User

Submission + - Palin Fans Deface Paul Revere Wikipedia Page (littlegreenfootballs.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 06, 2011 @09:58AM

An anonymous reader writes: Fans of Sarah Palin were found to be changing the article on Paul Revere to make it fit their idol's view that Paul Revere was not warning the American colonists that the British were coming, but rather warning the British were not "going to taking away our [guns]".

Submission + - The Autism Advantage (sciencedaily.com) 3

Submitted by wjousts on Monday June 06, 2011 @09:50AM

wjousts writes: As reported on sciencedaily.com:
Though people with autism face many challenges because of their condition, they may have been capable hunter-gatherers in prehistoric times, according to a paper published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology in May.
The "autism advantage," a relatively new perspective, contends that sometimes autism has compensating benefits, including increased abilities for spatial intelligence, concentration and memory. Although individuals with autism have trouble with social cognition, their other cognitive abilities are sometimes largely intact.

So is autism a "disorder" or a normal part of human evolutionary history?

Submission + - Bank of America Foreclosed on by Homeowner (digtriad.com) 1

Submitted by DWMorse on Monday June 06, 2011 @07:31AM

DWMorse writes: Have you heard the one about a homeowner foreclosing on a bank? Well, it has happened in Florida and involves a North Carolina based bank. Instead of Bank of America foreclosing on some Florida homeowner, the homeowners had sheriff's deputies foreclose on the bank. It started five months ago when Bank of America filed foreclosure papers on the home of a couple, who didn't owe a dime on their home. The couple said they paid cash for the house. The case went to court and the homeowners were able to prove they didn't owe Bank of America anything on the house. In fact, it was proven that the couple never even had a mortgage bill to pay. A Collier County Judge agreed and after the hearing, Bank of America was ordered, by the court to pay the legal fees of the homeowners', Maurenn Nyergers and her husband. The Judge said the bank wrongfully tried to foreclose on the Nyergers' house. So, how did it end with bank being foreclosed on? After more than 5 months of the judge's ruling, the bank still hadn't paid the legal fees, and the homeowner's attorney did exactly what the bank tried to do to the homeowners. He seized the bank's assets. "They've ignored our calls, ignored our letters, legally this is the next step to get my clients compensated, " attorney Todd Allen told CBS. Sheriff's deputies, movers, and the Nyergers' attorney went to the bank and foreclosed on it. The attorney gave instructions to to remove desks, computers, copiers, filing cabinets and any cash in the teller's drawers. After about an hour of being locked out of the bank, the bank manager handed the attorney a check for the legal fees. "As a foreclosure defense attorney this is sweet justice" says Allen.

Submission + - Natalie Portman Also a Scientist (nytimes.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 05, 2011 @03:23AM

An anonymous reader writes: Ms. Portman, Oscar Winner, is one of a handful of high-profile actors who happen to have serious scientific credentials — awards, degrees, patents and theorems in their name. Portman a semifinalist of the Intel Science Talent Search, went on to Harvard University to study neuroscience and the evolution of the mind — and has acted in some movies too. Read the article to learn about other scientifically orientated entertainers, just remember you can be a scientist, but if you want your name in lights, you'd better play one on TV.

Submission + - A spamming attorney gets sentenced to 40 months. (miamiherald.com)

Submitted by

www.sorehands.com

on Saturday March 05, 2011 @02:03AM

www.sorehands.com writes: "While one spammer, Robert Soloway, gets released on probation, the Feds send another, Robert Smoley, to the slammer for 40 months.

I know about Smoley because I tracked him down, and beat him in court. Not only was he an attorney, he still has not lost his license, yet. The IRS contacted me as a result of seeing my web site, and I gladly assisted the IRS in tracking his business.

He not only bounced a check on me, but stiffed his local counsel and one of his ISPs."

Submission + - FBI Investigates MPEG-LA ! (macdailynews.com)

Submitted by Taco Cowboy on Saturday March 05, 2011 @02:02AM

Taco Cowboy writes: "The Justice Department is investigating whether a group representing some top technology firms is unfairly trying to smother a free rival technology for delivering online video that is backed by Google Inc." MPEG-LA, the private company that has set up patent pools around web video, had announced its intention to set up a patent pool focused on the patents that holders believe are infringed upon by Google's VP8/WebM video standard. This definitely seemed like a typical shakedown situation, with one company basically asking a bunch of others to team up to demand a bunch of cash from Google. The aim of the formal investigation is to find out whether MPEG-LA is using its considerable weight to shut out VP8, a rival and royalty-free video technology alternative that is backed by Google and supported by its software. "“Antitrust enforcers are investigating whether MPEG LA, or its members, are trying to cripple an alternative format called VP8 that Google released last year—by creating legal uncertainty over whether users might violate patents by employing that technology, these people added,” Catan reports. “The probe, which pits Google and open-source software advocates against some technology giants like Apple, could help determine whether anyone will own rights over the creation and broadcast of online video in the next major Web programming language, called HTML 5." Microsoft and Apples are members of the MPEG-LA group, btw. Other links to this story include: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2031430/justice-department-peers-anti-google-video-cartel http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/mar/04/justice-department-antitrust-mpeg-la-vp8 http://macdailynews.com/2011/03/04/us-doj-investigates-mpeg-la-over-claims-of-stifling-googles-vp8-video-codec/ http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110304/02364313363/justice-department-investigating-mpeg-la-antitrust-violations-over-vp8-patent-threats.shtml

Submission + - Top student charged with fixing grades for cash (networkworld.com)

Submitted by alphadogg on Friday March 04, 2011 @10:31PM

alphadogg writes: A Nevada student who gave the opening address at his high school graduation last year has been charged with breaking into his school district's computer system and bumping up his classmates' grades for a fee. Police say Tyler Coyner, 19, was the ringleader in a group of 13 students who have been charged with conspiracy, theft and computer intrusion in connection with the case. Last year, Coyner somehow obtained a password to the Pahrump Valley High School's grade system and, over the course of two semesters, offered to change grades in return for cash payments, police say.

Submission + - 35,000 Linux benchmarks in a week (openbenchmarking.org)

Submitted by G3ckoG33k on Friday March 04, 2011 @06:53PM

G3ckoG33k writes: Openbenchmarking.org has received 37,027 benchmarks (mainly Linux, and some Macs) in the first week since its inauguration. 241,384 completed tests using 468,344 components from 438 hardware vendors. All results submitted by end users. I guess the hardware support for Linux must become even better thanks to this effort. Yes, the benchmarks are easy to install and run, and you can readily compare your own system anonymously with the results already submitted, using any or all of hundreds of free applications in 47 categories.

Submission + - New Nasa Satellite Crashes Into Pacific Ocean (nasa.gov)

Submitted by sticks_us on Friday March 04, 2011 @04:44PM

sticks_us writes: At a news conference following the unsuccessful attempt to place the Glory spacecraft in orbit, a team from NASA and Orbital Sciences Corporation, maker of the Taurus XL rocket, discussed the failure of the rocket's fairing to separate. The fairing, which covers and protects the spacecraft during launch and ascent, underwent a redesign of its separation system after a similar failure two years ago. The new system has been successfully used on another Orbital launch vehicle several times. NASA Launch Director Omar Baez said the countdown and launch went smoothly until the point at which they should have received data indicating that the fairing had separated from the vehicle.

Submission + - One Man's Quest to Build True Artificial Life (mashable.com)

Submitted by

Atriune

on Thursday March 03, 2011 @09:30PM

Atriune writes: "The creator of the reknowed Creatures artificial life series is at it again. Fifteen years after the initial success of the Creatures Trilogy, Steve Grand continues his quest to go beyond simulation, and create real artificial life."

Submission + - Oil & Gas company sponsors Open Source (findingpetroleum.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 03, 2011 @08:23PM

An anonymous reader writes: Australian oil and gas company Santos has sponsored Open Source project Turbo VNC for its geoscience applications and reaped a big benefit. As well as running lots of Linux it seems. More companies should get into sponsoring the small guys

Submission + - Did you earn your geek credentials? (shadowlocked.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 03, 2011 @07:39PM

An anonymous reader writes: This article casts a doubtful eye on the 'geek chic' that finds distressed 'Superman' T-shirts available in stores that would never actually sell any of the comics. A whole demographic sub-set is now identifying itself with 'geek', without ever having queued all night for a new 'Star Wars' movie or endured the long period prior to 'geek chic' where an interest in these matters was genuinely marginal and marginalising.

Submission + - Teenagers Make $26.37 Million On Crimebook (zdnet.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 03, 2011 @07:21PM

An anonymous reader writes: Three teenagers in the UK have been sentenced for up to five years in jail for creating and operating Gh0stMarket.net, one of the world’s largest English-language internet crime forums. The Gh0stMarket website, which had about 8,000 members, was dubbed by the court as the “criminal equivalent of Facebook”, or “Crimebook.”

19-year-old Nicholas Webber and 18-year-old Ryan Thomas were still at school when they were arrested after trying to pay a £1,000 ($1,600) hotel bill with a stolen card in October 2009. After finding details of 100,000 stolen credit cards on Webber’s laptop, the police uncovered the existence of the website, as well as registered losses on 65,000 bank accounts. Police estimate that the site cost credit card users as much as £16.2 million ($26.37 million). Funds were processed at an offshore bank account in Costa Rica. The two jumped bail and fled to Majorca, Spain, but were arrested again after returning to the UK early last year.

Submission + - U.S. Bans Marijuana Substitute 'Fake Pot' Chemical (ibtimes.com)

Submitted by

Anonymous Coward

on Wednesday March 02, 2011 @07:16AM

Anonymous Coward writes: "The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said it has temporarily banned five chemicals used to make so-called "fake pot" products, perceived as "legal" alternatives to marijuana. According to the DEA, these substances, known as synthetic cannabinoids, are biologically similar to THC, the active chemical in marijuana."

Submission + - SCO found no source code in 2004 (groklaw.net)

Submitted by doperative on Wednesday March 02, 2011 @06:50AM

doperative writes: A consultant hired by SCO in 2004 to compare UNIX and Linux, with the thought he could be used as an expert at trial, says that, after days and days, his comparison tool found "very little correlation". When he told that to SCO, it paid him and he never heard from SCO again.

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