Comment Re:libdvdcss ilegal? (Score 4, Informative) 252
Except that cyborg is short for "cybernetic organism". So yes, Robo-cop was very much a cyber cop.
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Comment Re:Credit card number exposure (Score 1) 322
This is different because the end user signs a contract (as many have stated before) allowing the collection of data by the carrier. The onus is on the carrier to use the data with a neutral intent, but they are still given the right to collect the data by the end user.
In the case of a skimmer, the person using the pump or ATM has no a priori knowledge their information is being recorded, and that makes all the difference.
Comment Re:counting unhatched chickens (Score 1) 108
This. There have not been 135 separate vehicles, but five, which have each made an average of 27 flights. The average aside, losing 20% of your operating fleet due to mishaps like those don't bear well on the outlook of the fleet.
Comment Felt the same desire to destroy my machine (Score 1) 533
I used to work second tier customer service for a catalog based retailer. I had pretty much always worked second shift, which was a 2-11 time slot. Our IT department insisted on having all virus scans (network base) run at the same time during the day, which meant it was scheduled to run after 5 pm (so the sales department wasn't affected), during the busiest part of my shift. It got to the point where I would have to do a hard shutdown on my machine (yeah, bad form), but it was the only solution I had to stop it from running (it wouldn't restart when I powered back up). My PHB saw me sitting idly at my desk looking at a blank screen and asked what I was doing, and after explaining this over a two week period, the IT guys eventually rescheduled my scan to run in the morning.
Comment Re:One Word (Score 1) 122
That sounds like Second Life.
Submission + - California woman sues Apple over iPhone upgrade (computerworld.com) 1
digitaldc writes: A California woman last week sued Apple in state Superior Court, claiming that last summer's iOS 4.0 upgrade turned her iPhone into an "iBrick" that was slower and less reliable than before the update.
Bianca Wofford of San Diego County, Calif., who filed the lawsuit Oct. 29, has asked a judge to grant her case class-action status, which if awarded, would let any California resident join the suit.
According to Wofford's lawsuit, Apple's iOS 4 June upgrade made her iPhone 3G "virtually unusable" because the new operating system degraded the phone's performance and caused it to frequently crash.
Bianca Wofford of San Diego County, Calif., who filed the lawsuit Oct. 29, has asked a judge to grant her case class-action status, which if awarded, would let any California resident join the suit.
According to Wofford's lawsuit, Apple's iOS 4 June upgrade made her iPhone 3G "virtually unusable" because the new operating system degraded the phone's performance and caused it to frequently crash.
Comment Re:The Final Cut (Score 1) 347
This :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101698/ (Defending your life w/Albert Brooks)
came to mind first
Game Endings Going Out of Style? 190
An article in the Guardian asks whether the focus of modern games has shifted away from having a clear-cut ending and toward indefinite entertainment instead. With the rise of achievements, frequent content updates and open-ended worlds, it seems like publishers and developers are doing everything they can to help this trend. Quoting:
"Particularly before the advent of 'saving,' the completion of even a simple game could take huge amounts of patience, effort and time. The ending, like those last pages of a book, was a key reason why we started playing in the first place. Sure, multiplayer and arcade style games still had their place, but fond 8, 16 and 32-bit memories consist more of completion and satisfaction than particular levels or tricky moments. Over the past few years, however, the idea of a game as simply something to 'finish' has shifted somewhat. For starters, the availability of downloadable content means no story need ever end, as long as the makers think there's a paying audience. Also, the ubiquity of broadband means multiplayer gaming is now the standard, not the exception it once was. There is no real 'finish' to most MMORPGs."
Infinity Ward Fights Against Modern Warfare 2 Cheaters 203
Faithbleed writes "IW's Robert Bowling reports on his twitter account that Infinity Ward is giving 2,500 Modern Warfare 2 cheaters the boot. The news comes as the war between IW and MW2's fans rages over the decision to go with IWnet hosting instead of dedicated servers. Unhappy players were quick to come up with hacks that would allow their own servers and various other changes."
Despite the dedicated-server complaints, Modern Warfare 2 has sold ridiculously well.
Comment I said mouse (Score 4, Interesting) 460
I'm a southpaw, and for the longest time, was stuck with the shitty M$/generic ergonomic mice that were not really made for one hand or the other. I finally got the Logitech MX610 left hand and it'll be a sad day if/when they are no longer manufactured.
Submission + - High tolerance connected with increased alcoholism (sciencenews.org)
gabrlknght writes: "Being able to drink your buddies under the table may garner grudging respect around the bar, but it bodes poorly for the long term. A new study finds that young men for whom alcohol has little effect face a greater risk of developing alcoholism later in life than those who readily feel alcohol's effects.
Reporting online May 22 and in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, scientists find that the added risk a man carries by being more resistant to alcohol's effects endures even after accounting for other factors such as teenage drinking habits and family history of alcohol abuse."
Submission + - Stardock CEO Falters on Gamers Bill of Rights (demigodthegame.com) 1
An anonymous reader writes: Stardock CEO Brad Wardell, the creator of the self-proclaimed "Gamer Bill of Rights", is faltering with their own community over their new release of the game DemiGod. Plagued with connectivity issues and problems the publisher is offering some refunds but has grown increasingly agitated with their own community. Their 10 principles in the Gamer Bill of Rights seems in direct conflict as back in August they proclaimed: "Gamers shall have the right to demand that games be released in a finished state" and "Gamers shall have the right to return games that don't work with their computers for a full refund" now seem neglected and more like a publicity stunt. Their CEO, Brad Wardell aka Frogboy, has told their gaming community when a recent disgruntled user pointed out the problems playing the game or trying to get refunds, "Anyone who feels that what the person wrote above was justified should leave now and vow never to purchase anything from Stardock again. That way, the process becomes self-selective." In addition, the Stardock CEO has taken the harsh measure of punishing any gamer who posts disparaging remarks about the problems with their game by banning them from their forums as well as the game with no recourse.
Comment Re:Wow... (Score 3, Informative) 307
IIRC, from the 2005 article: it will be built as far from civilization as possible so "that will help people forget about it and avoid the contempt of familiarity."
Submission + - Dave Arneson, co-creator of D&D passes away @ (wired.com)
totalg33k writes: "From Wired. He recently suffered a stroke and was soon after diagnosed with cancer. He was billed as "a driving force behind D&D's creation.""
Sun Slips Firefox Extension Into Java Update 311
pcardno writes "It seems it's not just Microsoft that have spotted a good opportunity to distribute their software through Firefox Addons. On installing the latest annoying, sysbar bubble based Java update, my Firefox informed me that I had a wonderful new Java addon automatically. Here's the addon screenshot. Yes, I could opt out of it, but why are Sun installing Addons to my Firefox without me making specific choices in the application itself? To be clear — I have never chosen to install this Addon, yet it has been installed without my permission with the latest Java Update."
