IceDrgn - Slashdot User

The Future of Telecom is in Wales 125

Posted by Zonk on Thursday June 08, 2006 @03:33PM from the ma-bara-brith dept.

An anonymous reader wrote to mention a CNN Money story about the future of U.K. telecommunications. British Telecom is planning on rolling out an $18 Billion new system in 2010, and the first location to get the hook up is Cardiff, in Wales. From the article: "What's really cool about what will happen in Cardiff - and eventually the rest of the U.K. - is that BT is creating an open, standards-based platform for which anyone can develop new applications. In other words, the phone has the potential to become more like the Internet with its proliferation of cool new Web sites, tools and services."

FTC and Rockstar Settle Hot Coffee Dispute 295

Posted by Zonk on Thursday June 08, 2006 @03:04PM from the angryness dept.

kukyfrope writes "The FTC and Rockstar/Take-Two have reached a settlement surrounding the 'Hot Coffee' mod for GTA: San Andreas that will serve to prevent future incidents. The FTC has stated that Rockstar and Take-Two must disclose all content to the ESRB when rating games, or face an $11,000 fine per violation if undisclosed content is discovered. 'Parents have the right to rely on the accuracy of the entertainment rating system. We allege that Take-Two and Rockstar's actions undermined the industry's own rating system and deceived consumers,' commented Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection."

BSA Claims 35% of Software is Pirated 617

Posted by Zonk on Saturday May 27, 2006 @06:21PM from the that's-a-lot-of-eyepatches dept.

hdtv writes "Business Software Alliance says 35% of packaged software installed on PCs globally is pirated, and estimates the losses at $34 bln. From the article: 'The countries with the highest piracy rates were Vietnam (90%), Zimbabwe (90%), Indonesia (87%), China (86%), and Pakistan (86%). The countries with the lowest piracy rates were the United States (21%), New Zealand (23%), Austria (26%), and Finland (26%).' TechDirt analysis debunks some of the myths: 'The BSA claims that all of these "lost sales" represent real harm to the economy. It's the same bogus argument they've trotted out before, which is easily debunked. Much of that unauthorized software is being used to make firms much more productive than they would be otherwise -- probably benefiting the overall economy quite a bit.'"

Comment Re:Parallels (Score 2, Insightful) 1312

by IceDrgn on Thursday May 13, 2004 @05:37AM (#9137188) Attached to: Vatican Astronomer Comments On Extraterrestrials

How do you know that the tree of good and evil was a test? In my eyes it was merely a bit of information required for man to advance. If we did not know about evil, how could there be any good? If we do not know what is evil, how do we know what to avoid? Therefore I do not think of the tree of good and evil as a test: "can we stay in paradise forever". What nonsense! Why would God want us to just kick back and enjoy ourselves? What meaning would life then have?

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