grendal2 - Slashdot User

How the TSA Plans On Inspecting Your Monkey 114

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday March 25, 2010 @02:27PM from the I'm-gonna-need-to-check-your-monkey dept.

The uncertainty of what might happen to your service monkey at an airport security checkpoint won't keep you awake at night anymore, thanks to the TSA. They have issued an easy to follow list of how they will ensure your helper monkey won't go all Planet of the Apes on your flight. Some of the security techniques used to make sure your primate is not a terrorist include: "Security Officers will conduct a visual inspection on the service monkey and will coach the handler on how to hold the monkey during the visual inspection. The inspection process may require that the handler to take off the monkey's diaper as part of the visual inspection."

Drunk History Presents Nikola Tesla NSFW 91

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday March 25, 2010 @01:14PM from the putting-on-your-history-goggles dept.

Amazingly accurate for someone so plastered. I think all history should be taught at this level of intoxication.

New Call of Duty Titles Announced, Fired Devs Sue For Name 134

Posted by Soulskill on Friday March 05, 2010 @08:44AM from the modern-legal-warfare dept.

eldavojohn writes "Activision has announced new Call of Duty titles while fired Infinity Ward Developer leads Jason West and Vince Zampella sue them for the rights to the name. According to Activision, 'The company intends to expand the Call of Duty brand with the same focus seen in its Blizzard Entertainment business unit. This will include a focus on high-margin digital online content and further[ing] the brand as the leading action entertainment franchise in new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models.' Ars opines that Activision is set to over-saturate the market with tons of CoD titles similar to how it expertly brought down Guitar Hero."

Copyright and the Games Industry 94

Posted by Soulskill on Friday December 04, 2009 @03:51AM from the your-super-mario-toilet-paper-is-probably-illegal dept.

A recent post at the Press Start To Drink blog examined the relationship the games industry has with copyright laws. More so than in some other creative industries, the reactions of game companies to derivative works are widely varied and often unpredictable, ranging anywhere from active support to situations like the Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes debacle. Quoting: "... even within the gaming industry, there is a tension between IP holders and fan producers/poachers. Some companies, such as Epic and Square Enix, remain incredibly protective of their Intellectual Property, threatening those that use their creations, even for non-profit, cultural reasons, with legal suits. Other companies, like Valve, seem to, if not embrace, at least tolerate, and perhaps even tacitly encourage this kind of fan engagement with their work. Lessig suggests, 'The opportunity to create and transform becomes weakened in a world in which creation requires permission and creativity must check with a lawyer.' Indeed, the more developers and publishers that take up Valve's position, the more creativity and innovation will emerge out of video game fan communities, already known for their intense fandom and desire to add to, alter, and re-imagine their favorite gaming universes."

Modded Xbox Bans Prompt EFF Warning About Terms of Service 254

Posted by Soulskill on Friday December 04, 2009 @01:19AM from the by-reading-this-you-bequeath-me-all-your-possessions dept.

Last month we discussed news that Microsoft had banned hundreds of thousands of Xbox users for using modified consoles. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has now pointed to this round of bans as a prime example of the power given to providers of online services through 'Terms of Service' and other usage agreements. "No matter how much we rely on them to get on with our everyday lives, access to online services — like email, social networking sites, and (wait for it) online gaming — can never be guaranteed. ... he who writes the TOS makes the rules, and when it comes to enforcing them, the service provider often behaves as though it is also the judge, jury and executioner. ... While the mass ban provides a useful illustration of their danger, these terms can be found in nearly all TOS agreements for all kinds of services. There have been virtually no legal challenges to these kinds of arbitrary termination clauses, but we imagine this will be a growth area for lawyers."

Scientists Say a Dirty Child Is a Healthy Child 331

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday November 24, 2009 @07:07PM from the snack-is-going-to-be-on-the-floor-today dept.

Researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of California have shown that the more germs a child is exposed to, the better their immune system in later life. Their study found that keeping a child's skin too clean impaired the skin's ability to heal itself. From the article: "'These germs are actually good for us,' said Professor Richard Gallo, who led the research. Common bacterial species, known as staphylococci, which can cause inflammation when under the skin, are 'good bacteria' when on the surface, where they can reduce inflammation."

Comment Re:Major Victory- Hollow Victory? (Score 2, Interesting) 154

by grendal2 on Thursday August 27, 2009 @12:03PM (#29218055) Attached to: Database Records and "In Plain Sight" Searches

I am not sure how you arrived at the "System" is correcting itself from the abuses of the Bush Administration. In case you haven't been following the news lately the current administration is stepping up law enforcement at every level and in May of this year Obama not only renewed the Patriot-Act, but his DOJ has issued a number of rulings and guidance that have taken the Patriot Act even further than the Bush administration did in violating our civil rights. For example did you know that the Obama administration claims the Patriot Act renders the U.S. immune from suit under other surveillance laws. This means that the government cannot be held accountable for illegal surveillance under any federal statutes. So in many of the above example even if you are harmed and the court rules in your favor, once the cat is our of the bag you have no recourse against the government?

Submission + - Facebook to change privacy policy (www.cbc.ca)

Submitted by Retardical_Sam on Thursday August 27, 2009 @11:50AM

Retardical_Sam writes: Facebook has agreed to make changes to protect users' personal information on the social networking site, including the way data is accessed by third-party developers, Canada's privacy commissioner said Thursday. Canadian officials have been negotiating with Facebook since the Office of the Privacy Commissioner released a report a month ago that argued the social network breaches Canadian privacy law. Facebook agreed to make changes dealing with third-party applications like quizzes and games, deactivation of accounts, the personal identification of non-users and accounts of users who die.

Comment Re:It's certainly illegal in CA (Score 2, Insightful) 181

by grendal2 on Friday August 21, 2009 @12:25PM (#29147635) Attached to: Apple Allegedly Sought Non-Poaching Deal With Palm

These types of agreements are very common within the public account realm. Every engagement letter I have signed with a CPA firms states you cannot hire their employees for a period of X years after work in completed. These are legal as the issue isn't between the employee and either company, but between the companies. So if Apple and Palm signed an agreement ( let's assume it wast was a valid contract and they had a valid reason to do for the moment) the employees would be able to leave Apple to go to Palm, but Apple would have legal recourse against Palm for damages etc. No in the accounting world these agreements are not typically enforced unless you fire you CPA firms since they really don't want to lose a client, but they do need to protect their talent. These agreement have also been part of every IT implementation contract I have signed and again they are rarely enforced by the software company, but I have put them in place the other direction to prevent the software company from poaching my business process experts etc. No if they made such an agreement without a valid contract and without a valid business relationship, they it very well might be illegal IMHO.

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