Davin - Slashdot User

Submission + - Illegal to even REPORT Child Pornography? (kennesaw.edu) 1

Submitted by

thbarnes

on Saturday April 26, 2008 @06:10PM

thbarnes writes: "I reported suspected Internet child pornography to the FBI and received the attached threatening voicemail from an FBI agent in Washington, DC at 12:30AM. Apparently, it is illegal to even accidentally encounter and report child pornography."

Do Not Call Registry Set to Become Permanent 183

Posted by Zonk on Thursday February 07, 2008 @05:41PM from the finally-our-government-at-work dept.

coondoggie passed us a NetworkWorld article about an initiative by the Senate to transform the Do Not Call list into a permanent institution. Originally individuals on the list were to have their place on the list revoked; up to a third of the people who signed up might have fallen off the list by the Autumn without renewing legislation. A move by the Senate this past Wednesday will permanently prevent salesmen from calling those who have registered for the list. "Aside from what telemarketing junk the bill does prevent, experts note what may also be a big deal is a provision that is NOT in this bill and that is protection for those other annoying time wasters: political robo calls."

Submission + - Is Copy Protection Needed or Futile?

Submitted by

Hugh Pickens

on Monday January 14, 2008 @12:51PM

Hugh Pickens writes: "Columnist Saul Hansell is hosting a debate about copyright issues and technology on his blog at the New York Times . On one side Rick Cotton, the general counsel of NBC Universal, says that anyone who is intellectually honest must "acknowledge, confront and speak to the tidal wave of unlawful, wholesale reproduction and distribution of copyrighted content that is currently occurring in the digital world" and that we should be "identify workable, flexible and effective approaches that reduce piracy without being intrusive and that fully respect other interests such as privacy and fair use." Tim Wu, a professor at Columbia Law School, responds that "locks will be broken, and so a business model that depends on locking is very vulnerable" adding that locks may form a part of certain successful business models but "too much reliance on locking can seriously backfire." Wu and Cotton will respond to each other and to comments by readers today."

Submission + - TSA limits lithium batteries on airplanes

Submitted by yali on Friday December 28, 2007 @01:30PM

yali writes: The U.S. Transportation and Security Administration has issued new rules limiting travel with lithium batteries. As of January 1, no spare lithium batteries are allowed in checked luggage. Batteries carried in the cabin are subject to limitations on per-battery and total lithium content, and spare batteries must have the terminals covered. If you're returning home from the holidays with new toys, be sure to check out the new restrictions before you pack.

Submission + - First reflected light from an exoplanet

Submitted by

Roland Piquepaille

on Thursday December 27, 2007 @01:34PM

Roland Piquepaille writes: "European astronomers have for the first time ever been able to detect and monitor the visible light that is scattered in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, HD 189733b, which is also known as a 'hot Jupiter,' and orbits a star slightly cooler and less massive than the Sun located about 60 light-years from Earth. According to this ETH Zurich news release, 'Polarization technique focuses limelight,' the researchers used 'techniques similar to how Polaroid sunglasses filter away reflected sunlight to reduce glare. They also directly traced the orbit of the planet, a feat of visualization not possible using indirect methods.' The team thinks that their findings are opening new opportunities for exploring physical conditions on exoplanets. But read more for additional references and a great picture of this exoplanet."

Submission + - Nanotube-Excreting Bacteria Allow Mass Production (eurekalert.org)

Submitted by

Invisible Pink Unicorn

on Friday December 07, 2007 @05:59PM

Invisible Pink Unicorn writes: "Engineers at the University of California, Riverside have found semiconducting nanotubes produced by living bacteria — a discovery that could help in the creation of a new generation of nanoelectronic devices. According to the lead researcher, 'We have shown that a jar with a bug in it can create potentially useful nanostructures.' This is the first time nanotubes have been shown to be produced by biological rather than chemical means. This research began when they observed something unexpected happening while attempting to clean up arsenic contamination using the metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella. In a process that is not yet fully understood, the bacterium secretes polysacarides that seem to produce the template for the arsenic-sulfide nanotubes. These nanotubes behave as metals with electrical and photoconductive properties useful in nanoelectronics. The article abstract is available from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."

Submission + - Group hopes to rename street after Douglas Adams.

Submitted by

interstellar_donkey

on Thursday December 06, 2007 @10:06PM

interstellar_donkey writes: "After the recent brouhaha over the renaming of 4th Ave after César Chávez, a Portland group is pushing to rename a local street after the late writer Douglas Adams. The street? Why, 42nd Ave, of course. According to their website, the renaming will reflect Portlanders' commitment to the arts, respect for the environment, desire to provide technological access to all, their passion to further education to all people, and most importantly remind Portlanders DON'T PANIC. This appears to be a serious movement, with preliminary paperwork already in the works."

Submission + - YouTube Breeding Harmful Scientific Misinformation (eurekalert.org)

Submitted by

Invisible Pink Unicorn

on Thursday December 06, 2007 @12:32PM

Invisible Pink Unicorn writes: "University of Toronto researchers have uncovered widespread misinformation in videos on YouTube, related to vaccination and immunization. In the first-ever study of its kind, they found that over half of the 153 videos analyzed portrayed childhood, HPV, flu and other vaccinations negatively or ambiguously. They also found that videos highly skeptical of vaccinations received more views and better ratings by users than those videos that portray immunizations in a positive light. According to the lead research, 'YouTube is increasingly a resource people consult for health information, including vaccination. Our study shows that a significant amount of immunization content on YouTube contradicts the best scientific evidence at large. From a public health perspective, this is very concerning.' An extract from the Journal of the American Medical Association is available online."

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