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Submission Summary: 0 pending, 18 declined, 8 accepted (26 total, 30.77% accepted)

Submission + - Mars InSight mission to launch in 2018 after $150M failure and delay (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by wbr1
wbr1 writes: NASA announced Wednesday that it will attempt to launch its InSight mission to Mars in 2018, two years after its original launch date, after engineers discovered problems with the spacecraft's seismometer system. The decision is a win for Mars scientists because there had been some concern that NASA would have to cancel the mission due to cost overruns.

Submitter comment: Even with the failure and extra cost, I think this is the type of mission we should be doing more of. We need more landers and rovers, everywhere we can put them. The science benefit is high, but the cost is magnitudes lower than launching meatbags and all the attendant support they need.

Submission + - Man Wired Thinks is Bitcoin Creator Raided by Australian Authorities (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by wbr1
wbr1 writes: As reported yesterday, Wired thinks that the Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto is actually Australian businessman Craig Wright

Now, Craig Wright has been raided by Australian police: Curiously, a statement from the Australian federal police said that the raids were not related to the recent Bitcoin revelation. "The AFP can confirm it has conducted search warrants to assist the Australian Taxation Office at a residence in Gordon and a business premises in Ryde, Sydney. This matter is unrelated to recent media reporting regarding the digital currency bitcoin." http://arstechnica.com/tech-po...

Supposedly not related, but interesting nonetheless.

Submission + - Jackie Chan helps boost solar panel efficiency (extremetech.com)

Submitted by wbr1
wbr1 writes: Apparently the pit pattern on a blu-ray disk is great at helping trap photons, rather than reflecting them. Applying this pattern to the glass in a panel can boost efficiency by 22%. This has been tested with Jackie Chan discs, so he gets the credit!

Submission + - Valve announces Steambox, sort of. (steampowered.com)

Submitted by wbr1
wbr1 writes: A new page has appeared over at steam with this slightly cryptic text, a countdown, and an image of a console controller.

"Last year, we shipped a software feature called Big Picture, a user-interface tailored for televisions and gamepads. This year we’ve been working on even more ways to connect the dots for customers who want Steam in the living-room. Soon, we’ll be adding you to our design process, so that you can help us shape the future of Steam."

It appears Gabe Newell wants to throw his hat in the console ring now with the XBone and PS4 about to be released. The countdown to the announcement is targeted at Monday.

Submission + - Amazon Payment Adds "No Class Action" Language to Terms Of Service

Submitted by wbr1
wbr1 writes: I just received an email from Amazon Payments, the Amazon competitor to PayPal, stating among other things, that they were changing and simplifying their policies. It should be no surprise then, that similar to what PayPal and many others have already done, they have added language removing the right to class action lawsuits. See specifically section 11.3 (edited for brevity):

1.3 Disputes. Any dispute or claim relating in any way to your visit to the Site or Seller Central or to products or services sold or distributed by us or through the Site or Seller Central (including without limitation the Service) will be resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court, except that you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify. The Federal Arbitration Act and federal arbitration law apply to this agreement....
... You and we each agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action. If for any reason a claim proceeds in court rather than in arbitration you and we each waive any right to a jury trial. You and we also both agree that you or we may bring suit in court to enjoin infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights.

This is becoming more and more common, and while the end user normally doesn't make out well in a class-action suit, large settlements do provide a punishment and deterrent to corporations that abuse their power. The question becomes, what do we do to fix this so that consumers are truly protected?

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