Comment Apple summed up in one breath! (Score 5, Insightful) 330
"His idea was to make a $20 PC board and sell it for $40 to help people at the club build the computer I'd given away"
Comment In related news... (Score 1) 250
Secretary of State Clinton, after being asked on her way out of an industry conference hosted by the MPAA, assured reporters that the US's recent $60MM contribution to "strengthen ties" with Sweden was completely unrelated.
Comment NorthMobilePost.com? (Score 1) 303
The Engadget article isn't really negative at all, while TFA is completely slanted and makes it seem like Netflix is about to fall any day. And maybe I've been living under a rock, but I've never heard of "NorthMobilePost.com".
Just seems like flame bait or competitor propaganda to me. Netflix is still the king of the hill and their subscriber base is growing.
Submission + - Battle Brewing Over Labeling of Genetically Modified Food (nytimes.com)
gollum123 writes: For more than a decade, almost all processed foods in the United States — cereals, snack foods, salad dressings — have contained ingredients from plants whose DNA was manipulated in a laboratory. Regulators and many scientists say these pose no danger. But as Americans ask more pointed questions about what they are eating, popular suspicions about the health and environmental effects of biotechnology are fueling a movement to require that food from genetically modified crops be labeled, if not eliminated. The most closely watched labeling effort is a proposed ballot initiative in California that cleared a crucial hurdle this month, setting the stage for a probable November vote that could influence not just food packaging but the future of American agriculture. Tens of millions of dollars are expected to be spent on the election showdown. It pits consumer groups and the organic food industry, both of which support mandatory labeling, against more conventional farmers, agricultural biotechnology companies like Monsanto and many of the nation’s best-known food brands like Kellogg’s and Kraft.
Submission + - Ultra-Orthodox Jews Rally for a More Kosher Internet 1
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Michael Grynbaum writes that 40,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men filed through the gates of Citi Field to discuss the dangers of the Internet. For the attendees, many of whom said they came at the instructions of their rabbis, it was a chance to hear about a moral topic considered gravely important in the Hasidic community: the potential problems that can stem from access to pornography and other explicit content on the uncensored, often incendiary Web. Schlomo Cohen, 24, said he came to Citi Field because the rally was a good way to remind his community to keep temptation at bay. “Desires are out there,” said Cohen. “We have to learn how to control ourselves." The rally was sponsored by a rabbinical group, Ichud Hakehillos Letohar Hamachane, that is linked to a software company that sells Internet filtering software to Orthodox Jews. Those in attendance were handed fliers that advertised services like a “kosher GPS App” for iPhone and Android phones, which helps users locate synagogues and kosher restaurants. “No one here is a Luddite who denies the manifold benefits that technology has brought to mankind as a whole,” says Eytan Kobre, spokesman for the event. “But at a certain point, a mature, thinking individual stops and says, ‘I’ve got to make a cost-benefit analysis [of] what ways it is enriching my life, [and] in what ways it is undermining it.’”"
Submission + - Amazon Poised to Get Cut of CA Sales Taxes
theodp writes: Eager to host Amazon warehouses and receive a cut of the tax on sales to customers statewide, the LA Times reports that two California cities are offering Amazon most of the tax money they stand to gain. After agreeing to collect California sales taxes beginning in the fall, Amazon is setting up two fulfillment centers in San Bernardino and Patterson, which will gain not only jobs but also a tax bonanza: Sales to Amazon customers throughout California will be deemed to take place there, so all the sales tax earmarked for local government operations will go to those two cities. The windfall is so lucrative that local officials are preparing to give Amazon the lion's share of their take as a reward for setting up shop there. 'The tax is supposed to be supporting government,' said Lenny Goldberg, executive director of the California Tax Reform Assn., of the proposed sales-tax rebate. 'Instead, it's going back into Amazon's pocket.' Sen. Mark DeSaulnier added: 'It seems like the private sector finds a way to pit one city against the other. You can't give away sales tax in this manner.'
Comment Big Brother's Honeypot (Score 0) 158
"London Installing Largest Government-Run Honeypot"
Fixed that title for you
Fixed that title for you
Comment Re:Google! (Score 2) 214
"Google absolutely needs the competition. I hope MS acquires Y!"
Was that supposed to be a joke?
Submission + - NYPD Targeting Media Teams During Ongoing Protest (gothamist.com)
phx_zs writes: Today marks the tenth consecutive day that thousands of protesters have flooded the streets of Manhattan, specifically the financial district. If this is the first you've heard of it that's probably because nearly all mainstream media outlets are completely ignoring the escalating situation. Sunday marked a change of events as high-ranking NYPD officers exhibited brutal, unprovoked aggression on the peaceful group and reportedly arresting at least 80 people. Many photos and videos have surfaced of NYPD officers slamming protesters on the ground or into parked cars, and in one well-covered incident a NYPD officer (with pending police brutality charges from 2004) maced innocent female protesters point blank for no apparent reason. Many eyewitnesses and several news articles report that the NYPD specifically targeted photographers and media teams streaming the event live on the internet.
Comment Re:Interesting (Score 1) 180
This joke went further over @houghi's head than the ISS
Comment Only their consumer products (Score 1) 329
I can't argue with all the complaints about their laptops, PSN, etc., but as far as their industry and prosumer grade products go the brand still stands for quality. I have a prosumer Sony HDV video camera that I bought over 5 years ago that has been dropped, abused, taken into mosh pits, climbed mountains, never had the heads cleaned (besides with a tape cleaner), you name it... The thing still works great and records amazing quality video.
Submission + - Human Sexuality Class Includes Live Demo
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "The Charlotte Observer reports that students at Northwestern University observed a naked woman being penetrated by a sex toy performed in front of about 100 students in psychology professor John Michael Bailey's human sexuality class to demonstrate use of a sex toy and female orgasm. "Both Professor Bailey and myself gave them five or six warnings about what was about to happen and it would be graphic," says Ken Melvoin-Berg, co-owner of Weird Chicago Tours. The woman undressed and got on stage with her male partner, who used a device that looks like a machine-powered saw with a phallic object instead of a blade. An Evanston police spokesman said Northwestern police would be responsible for determining whether the demonstration violated any local ordinances as a University spokesman said the issue has not been raised. "It is probably something I will remember for the rest of my life," says senior Justin Smith. "I can't say that about my Econ 202 class." Bailey says it is too early to say whether he regretted the demonstration, for which attendance was optional but, "I certainly have no regrets concerning Northwestern students, who have demonstrated that they are open-minded grownups rather than fragile children.""
America Losing Its Edge In Innovation 757
jaywhybee writes "Forbes has an interesting article about America losing its edge in innovation because engineers and scientists in the US are not as respected as they are in other countries, and thus fewer youths aspire to become one. Quoting: 'I’ve visited more than 100 countries in the past several years, meeting people from all walks of life, from impoverished children in India to heads of state. Almost every adult I’ve talked with in these countries shares a belief that the path to success is paved with science and engineering. In fact, scientists and engineers are celebrities in most countries. They’re not seen as geeks or misfits, as they too often are in the US, but rather as society’s leaders and innovators. In China, eight of the top nine political posts are held by engineers. In the US, almost no engineers or scientists are engaged in high-level politics, and there is a virtual absence of engineers in our public policy debates.'"
Bank of America Buying Abusive Domain Names 249
Nite_Hawk writes "Bank of America has snapped up hundreds of abusive domain names for its senior executives and board members in what is being perceived as a defensive strategy against the future publication of damaging insider info from whistleblowing website WikiLeaks. According to Domain Name Wire, the US bank has been aggressively registering domain names including its board of directors' and senior executives' names followed by 'sucks' and 'blows.'"
Submission + - Recent AVG 2011 update causes widespread problems (avg.com)
phx_zs writes: Last night's mandatory update of AVG 2011 Free edition has caused most 64bit Windows 7 PCs to fail while loading windows. On their website they have an FAQ with instructions on how to repair the issue using a boot CD or USB device."
