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Piracy

Submission + - Indie Linux Game Devs Upload Own Game on PirateBay (ubuntuvibes.com)

dartttt writes: To counter the piracy problem, Tiny Build Games who released No Time To Explain few days back, uploaded their own version of game on Pirate Bay. But there is a difference is this version and the original game that you can buy from the game website.

All in game characters wear Pirate hats and entire game is Pirate themed basically making it No Time to Explain 'Pirate Edition'.

The Courts

Xbox Modding Trial Dismissed 179

It seems the harsh words from District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez on Wednesday had their intended effect; prosecutors in Matthew Crippen's Xbox modding case have now dismissed the indictment. Quoting Wired: "Witness No. 1, Tony Rosario, was an undercover agent with the Entertainment Software Association. He told jurors Wednesday that he paid Crippen $60 in 2008 to modify an Xbox, and secretly videotaped the operation. Rosario had responded to Crippen’s advertisement on the internet and met Crippen at his Anaheim house. All of that had been laid out in pretrial motions. But during his testimony, Rosario also said Crippen inserted a pirated video game into the console to verify that the hack worked. That was a new detail that helped the government meet an obligation imposed by the judge that very morning, when Gutierrez ruled that the government had to prove Crippen knew he was breaking the law by modding Xboxes. But nowhere in Rosario’s reports or sworn declarations was it mentioned that Crippen put a pirated game into the console. ... [Prosecutor Allen Chiu] conceded he never forwarded that information to the defense."
Music

Submission + - Universal Sends DMCA Takedown On 1980 Report (techdirt.com)

An anonymous reader writes: For many, many years, every time some new technology has come along, the music industry has insisted that it's going to "kill" the industry. The player piano was supposed to kill live music. So was the radio. And, of course, every time this happens the press is willing to take the industry's word at face value. In 1980, the news program 20/20 posted a report all about how "home taping is killing music," with various recording industry execs insisting the industry was on its last legs unless something was done. Someone posted that 20/20 episode to YouTube a few years back, where it sat in obscurity until people noticed it a couple weeks ago. And suddenly, Universal Music issued a takedown notice for the show. Universal Music does not own 20/20, and there were only brief clips of music in the show. It appears the only reason for Universal to issue the takedown is that it doesn't want you seeing how badly it overreacted in the past.
Software

Toshiba Employee Arrested For Selling Software To Break Copy Limits 90

JoshuaInNippon writes "A Toshiba employee in western Japan has been arrested on charges of copyright violations for selling software online that breaks copying limits on certain Japanese digital TV recording and playback devices. The software specifically overrides limits on a program called 'dubbing10,' which is used in devices sold by companies such as Sony, Sharp, and Panasonic. It is believed that the man generated thousands of dollars worth of earnings for himself by selling to at least 712 people, including one teenager who then resold the software to another 240 people. This is the first disclosed case in Japan of someone being arrested for selling such limit-removal software for digital TV recording. Since it sounds like he has already admitted to selling it (although he denies creating it), and due to the generally high conviction rate of those arrested by Japanese police, his future does not look so bright at the moment."

Comment Headline clarity issues (Score 2, Interesting) 165

Doesn't "Big Delays, Small Laptops: OLPC XO Recipients Mad" imply that some XO Recipients are mad because the laptop is small?

The actual article is "Big Delays for Small Laptops", it's some of the people who haven't received them yet who are upset.
I was expecting mine (in Canada) some time in February based on the initial delays in shipping to Canada. So I was quite pleased when it showed up last week.

I guess that make me somewhat ineligible to advocate patience if you're still waiting for yours, but I can say that I wasn't disappointed in mine once it arrived.

User Journal

Journal Journal: The Worst VPS in Canada

VPS sounds like such a great idea. A bunch of computing resources sitting in some rack and hooked up to a great deal of network infrastructure. Price-wise, it's pretty reasonable. CentOS isn't my favourite Linux distro, but it'll do.

I moved my server from my basement to WebServe.ca for a 3 month trial period. I didn't even get through it. Their NOC is staffed by monkeys. The fun begins about 2 weeks ago, on 16 Feb.

Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft Quietly Making Untold Millions

An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft's Internet Explorer automatically and indiscriminately generates results pages filled with profitable pay-per-click ads for a virtually infinite number of non-existent domains. Are they asking for trouble, or is this yet another demonstration of their "evil genius"?

http://www.dailydomainer.com/200784-microsoft-quie tly-making-untold-millions.html
The Courts

Submission + - Couple who catch cop speeding could face charges.

a_nonamiss writes: "A Georgia couple, apparently tired of people speeding past their house, installed a camera and radar gun on their property. After it was installed, they caught a police office going 17MPH over the posted limit. They brought this to the attention of the local police department, and are now being forced to appear in front of a judge to answer to charges of stalking.

from the article:

The Sipples allegedly caught Kennesaw police officer Richard Perrone speeding up to 17 mph over the speed limit. Perrone alerted Bartow authorities, who in turn visited the Sipples' home to tell them Perrone intended to press charges against them for stalking.
I have the utmost respect for most law enforcement. They have a difficult, dangerous and mostly thankless job to do, but shouldn't they be held accountable for casually breaking the very same laws they are supposed to be enforcing? Additionally, shouldn't we, as citizens, have the right to be able to bring this to someone's attention without having to face laughably bogus charges for our efforts?"

Feed Fab Four: Analog to Digital (wired.com)

Recording The Beatles chronicles the gear, studios and personalities responsible for the legendary Beatles catalog. Now, for the digital debut. Commentary by Eliot Van Buskirk.


Biotech

Submission + - Possible cure for autism

Henry V .009 writes: New Jersey scientists are claiming that children with autism are unable to metabolize key fatty acids which fight brain-damaging inflammations. They have already developed urine/blood tests to identify at risk children. A preventive cure to autism may be as simple as a 'therapeutic cocktail' of fatty acids.
The Almighty Buck

RIAA Hires Artists, Then Sends In the SWAT team 420

cancan writes "The NY times is carrying an article about how the RIAA is hiring hip hop artists to make mix tapes, and then helping the police raid their studios. In the case of DJ Drama and DJ Don Cannon, they were raided by SWAT teams with their guns drawn. The local police chief said later that they were 'prepared for the worst.' Men in RIAA jackets helped cart away 'evidence'. Just the same, 'Record labels regularly hire mixtape D.J.'s to produce CDs featuring a specific artist. In many cases, these arrangements are conducted with a wink and a nod rather than with a contract; the label doesn't officially grant the D.J. the right to distribute the artist's songs or formally allow the artist to record work outside of his contract.' " This is more of the shenanigans that we've previously discussed on the site.

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