tres3 - Slashdot User

Submission + - Microsoft plans attacks on small customers

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29, 2007 @12:39PM

An anonymous reader writes: PC Advisor reports http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=8 235 that Microsoft is going to start getting tough with its UK customers. It is going to examine its small customer licence database — any discrepancies and it will call you for an audit. If you refuse it will send in the BSA and the legal heavies. Forced with a full licence cost, many small businesses may go to the wall. Is this another gift for the small business Linux community? And how can we make small companies aware before it's too late?

Submission + - String Theory Test Proposed

Submitted by Alchemist253 on Wednesday January 24, 2007 @05:18AM

Alchemist253 writes: Theoreticians at a trio of American universities have recently proposed a (non-trivial) experimental test of string theory, often called the "theory of everything." Importantly, it is possible that this test could be carried out in the not-too-distant future when CERN's latest powerful tool, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) comes online. From the article, "If the test does not find what the theory predicts about W boson scattering, it would be evidence that one of string theory's key mathematical assumptions is violated. In other words, string theory — as articulated in its current form — would be proven impossible."

Submission + - Microsoft breaks South African Patent Law

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 24, 2007 @04:10AM

An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft is ignoring a South African law that disallows software patents. South Africa does not examine the validity of patents registered, and Microsoft has used this loophold to register illegal patents. Once patents slip through, it can cost up to R1000000 (roughly $142 000) to invalidate the patents. Microsoft's national technical officer suggested that it was the government's fault for not enforcing the law.

Submission + - MS Evangelist Viewed Industry Analysts as Bribable

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @07:07PM

An anonymous reader writes: From Daring Fireball comes a story http://daringfireball.net/linked/2007/january#tue- 23-msft_bribe with a link to eye-opening evidence from the ongoing Comes v. Microsoft trial. Microsoft's policy on bribing, er, hiring industry analysts is detailed, and many more insights into MS evangelism.

Submission + - Canada's Music Lobby Buys Unparalleled Govt Access

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @06:31PM

An anonymous reader writes: Copyfighting law professor Michael Geist, who previously uncovered financial links between recording industry lobbyists and Canada's Minister of Canadian Heritage Bev Oda (who is responsible for copyright policy), has now identified what big cash donations will get you. He reports that Oda met with the President of the Canadian Recording Industry Association on a monthly basis last year just as the government was preparing copyright reform legislation and Canadian artists were calling for an end to P2P lawsuits. Is it any wonder that Canadians seem likely to lose their fair use rights?

Submission + - Blu-Ray DRM bypassed

Submitted by ReluctantRefactorer on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @02:01PM

ReluctantRefactorer writes: The Register is reporting that:

The copy protection technology used by Blu-ray discs has been cracked by the same hacker who broke the DRM technology of rival HD DVD discs last month.

It was going to happen sooner rather than later...

Political Bloggers May Be Forced to Register 658

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Wednesday January 17, 2007 @05:44PM from the papers-please dept.

Thebes writes "Under Senate Bill S.1, political bloggers with a readership of over 500 who comment on policy matters or hope to incite 'grassroots' action amongst their readers would be forced to register with the Federal Government as lobbyists."

Submission + - Dear Senator Feinstein: please don't PERFORM

Submitted by

tcahill

on Tuesday January 16, 2007 @01:56PM

tcahill writes: "tcahill thinks Senator Feinstein's new PERFORM act requires some audience participation. The Senator's Website is set up to receive email (1), perhaps slashdot readers might want to send her some appropriate audience feedback. Most politicians are more impressed by individually written letters than mass mailings. For example, here is what tcahill sent:

Regarding the PERFORM Act, it fundamentally offends the principle of free speech that you would contemplate mandating that only certain forms of communication (those using approved DRM) would be permitted for those broadcasting over the Internet. You can only do harm by persisting in seeking to impose controls over — not what information — but how information itself is disseminated. Beyond the constitutional offense inherent in what you contemplate, there are anti-market and anti-innovation assumptions inherent in your assumption that you can dictate exclusively which forms of technology are to be used. Finally, you clearly endanger the principle of fair use by mandating all internet broadcasts must be protected by DRM, which, by law, may not be circumvented. As I know you to be a progressive I am confident you will see the error in your approach and stand down.

Links

1. http://feinstein.senate.gov/email.html"

Submission + - DRM, GPLv3 is 'hot air': Torvalds

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 16, 2007 @04:50AM

An anonymous reader writes: In Sydney this week for the annual Linux conference, Linus Torvalds has described DRM and the GPL as "hot air" and "no big deal". From the interview: "I suspect — and I may not be right — but when it comes to things like DRM or licensing, people get really very excited about them. People have very strong opinions. I have very strong opinions and they happen to be for different reasons than many other people. It ends up in a situation where people really like to argue — and that very much includes me... I expect this to raise a lot of bad blood but at the same time, at the end of the day, I don't think it really matters that much."

Journal Journal: First pirated HD DVD movie hits BitTorrent 537

Journal by Ergasiophobia on Tuesday January 16, 2007 @04:31AM

Ars Technica reports that the first HD DVD movie has made it's way onto BitTorrent, showing that current DRM efforts to prevent illegal sharing of copyrighted content are still futile and fighting an uphill battle. From the article:

Submission + - AOL blocks Cuban Newsletter

Submitted by

newsblaze

on Tuesday January 16, 2007 @12:55AM

newsblaze writes: "American Online blocked access to "The Cuban Nation" newsletter. AOL would not help them fix the problem by divulging the cause of the rejection. AOL Blocks Access to 'The Cuban Nation' Newsletter. Of course, they could discover the cause by a process of elimination. Maybe they aren't a devious as programmers."

Submission + - Dem Moves to Stifle Free Speech

Submitted by sycodon on Monday January 15, 2007 @10:44PM

sycodon writes: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made an surprise appearance at the convention (National Conference for Media Reform)to announce that he would be heading up a new House subcommittee which will focus on issues surrounding the Federal Communications Commission......Also in consideration is the "Fairness Doctrine,". Kucinich said in his speech that "We know the media has become the servant of a very narrow corporate agenda" and added "we are now in a position to move a progressive agenda to where it is visible."

It is common knowledge that the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine was responsible for the explosive success of Talk Radio and enabled (for better or worse) hundreds of new media outlets to flourish.

Read the full scoop here http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=333927

Submission + - Two Stargate SG1 Films Announced

Submitted by Presence2 on Monday January 15, 2007 @05:59PM

Presence2 writes: MGM announced today that the Stargate franchise will migrate to the big screen, carrying with it the ending of the last two season's Ori plot-line. From the article:

"Stargate: The Ark of Truth": As SG-1 searches for an Ancient artifact which they hope can defeat the armies of the Ori, they learn more Ori ships are about to be sent through the supergate to launch a final assault on Earth. Daniel discovers that the artifact, the Ark of Truth, may be in the Ori home galaxy, and SG-1 embarks aboard the Odyssey to find it, and pre-empt the attack. The IOA has a plan of their own and SG-1 ends up in a distant galaxy fighting two powerful enemies.

"Stargate: Continuum": While SG-1 attends the execution of Ba'al, the last of the goa'uld system lords, Teal'c and Vala inexplicably disappear into thin air. Carter, Daniel and Mitchell race back to a world where history has been changed: the Stargate program has been erased from the timeline. As they try to convince the authorities what's happened, a fleet of goa'uld motherships arrives in orbit, led by Ba'al, his queen, Katesh, (Vala) and his first prime, Teal'c. SG-1 must find the Stargate and set things right before the world is enslaved by the goa'uld.

Still no word if Sam will end up the one and only "Sir!"

Submission + - Is America really that bad?

Submitted by Fyz on Monday January 15, 2007 @05:10PM

Fyz writes: Being an avid reader of Slashdot and other internet-based media while living in Europe, it is easy to get the impression that the US is not a very nice place. Everyday, a steady stream of insane lawsuits, insane convictions, insane laws, insane rules and insane pundits dominate the news I get from the media. I'm planning a longer stay in the US to do some postgraduate studies in physics, in part because my instincts tell me that it can't possibly be as bad as the impression the news gives me. Basically, I'm hoping to get a reality check. So my questions are these: Isn't the feeling "on the ground" very much different than portrayed in discussion on this site? And are the many stories of peoples rights being trampled on something you can relate to, or are they rare extremes?

Submission + - EU study: open source increases competitiveness

Submitted by Rob on Monday January 15, 2007 @07:19AM

Rob writes: Increased use of free and open source software in Europe could increase the region's competitiveness with the US, according to a European Commission study. "Given Europe's historically lower ability to create new software businesses compared to the US, due to restricted venture capital and risk tolerance, the high share of European FLOSS developers provides a unique opportunity to create new software businesses and reach towards the Lisbon goals of making Europe the most competitive knowledge economy by 2010," states the report.

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