Friday, January 27, 2006; Posted: 1:47 p.m. EST (18:47 GMT)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- A southern Malaysian state will appoint a team of scientists and experts to hunt for a "Bigfoot" beast after the reported sighting of three giant human-like creatures, officials said Thursday.
Source and full story: CNN.com
Posted by Tim Brookes on 30 January 2006
Anti-virus companies are advising that everyone scan their machines before February 3, when the destructive virus known as Nyxem will delete a multitude of filetypes.
The virus has picked up a few names along the way, and is also known as: Blackmal, MyWife, Kama Sutra, Grew and CME-24. Spread by email attachments promising pornographic material, the virus will wait till the 3rd of each month to wreak its havoc.
Source and full story: neowin.net
Also: BBC News Coverage
My enemy's enemy is my friend
By John Oates
Published Monday 30th January 2006 15:21 GMT
Time Warner (TW) is embracing peer-to-peer technology to distribute films and other media in Germany. Despite leading the digital rights charge against Napster, the firm can now see the benefits of the technology.
From March, when the service should launch, Time Warner will offer a selection of films including Batman Begins and Harry Potter. The subsidiary will be called In2Movies and will offer films for about the same price as a DVD, on the same release date, according to the Wall Street Journal. The service will also offer TV programmes.
Source and full story: theregister.com
Testing times for next-gen OS
By John Leyden
Published Monday 30th January 2006 16:36 GMT
Microsoft will omit anti-virus protection in Vista, the next version of Windows, which it plans to ship late this year. As with previous versions of Windows dating back to Windows 2000 at least, Redmond is promoting Vista as a landmark improvement in Windows security.
Source and full story: theregister.com
The dangers of motorbikes - [via SpikedHumor]
David vs. Goliath - [via SpikedHumor]
Bumper Cars - [via SpikedHumor]
Family Guy - Weird Dream - [via SpikedHumor]
Iraqi Update - [via SpikedHumor]
Crazy Tricks - [via SpikedHumor]
From my first blog:
Steve Balmer going crazy
By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer
Jan 29th 6:00PM EST
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A new judge cracked down Sunday in a chaotic session of Saddam Hussein's trial, ordering a co-defendant and a lawyer expelled from the courtroom. The entire defense team left in protest and Saddam was escorted out after a shouting match in which he yelled, "Down with America!"
Source and full story: Yahoo! News
Posted by Paul Krevs on 28 January 2006
Microsoft-Watch has just posted a really interesting story concerning the remainder of the Windows Vista beta phase. According to Microsoft's own Jim Allchin, the software giant will not be releasing any one build labeled as the definitive Vista Beta 2. Instead the company is going to rely on additional CTP builds of the next-generation operating system to receive fresh feedback from the enthusiast and beta community.
Source and full story: neowin.net
Revenge of the MPAA
By John Leyden
Published Friday 27th January 2006 14:25 GMT
The loan of an illicitly obtained pre-release copy of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith has left seven friends each facing up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000 (£56,000). Albert Valente, 28, took a copy of the final Star Wars film from the Los Angeles post-production facility where he worked last May, a week before its theatrical release.
Source and full story: theregister.com
January 24, 2006
Thomas Mennecke
In the ongoing effort against movie piracy, top providers have become gleaming targets. Largely responsible for introducing highly sought after material, top providers are a highly competitive entity that prioritize public recognition over associated risks. Earlier this morning, several top warez providers found themselves shut down at the hands of local police and the entertainment industry.
Source and full story: Slyck News
By Kevin Poulsen
13:22 PM Jan, 27, 2006 EST
Nobody was ever arrested for leaking the secret source code for parts of the Windows operating system in 2004, but a hacker who sold a copy online afterward was sentenced to two years in federal prison Friday.
William "IllWill" Genovese, 29, will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term, during which he'll be subject to electronic monitoring through special software installed on his computer, under the terms handed down by federal Judge William Pauley in New York. He remains free on bail, and is scheduled to report to prison March 14.
Source and full story: Wired News
Contributed by Carlo on Wednesday, January 25th, 2006 @ 10:21AM
Ray Beckerman, a lawyer that's been involved in several cases with the RIAA is reporting that the group has argued in one of his cases that simply "making files available for distribution" violates copyright laws. This means that regardless of the legality of a file somebody has on their computer, just putting it in a shared files folder than can be accessed by other people is illegal. Although it's asinine, it really shouldn't come as any surprise given the RIAA's legal campaign that's more about what it believes than what the law actually says. I noticed this morning that I left my car unlocked overnight, and there was a CD sitting inside. Does that make me a criminal in the RIAA's mind since I empowered the potential theft of some music? Update: Mike's pointed out a couple of previous posts on this issue. Although it is a somewhat complex legal issue, at least one judge has said making files available does not equal distribution.
Source and full story: techdirt.com
This is a little old but I thought it was pretty interesting:
Posted 12/30/2005 5:42 AM
PORT ORANGE, Fla. (AP) — A man who woke up and found his head bleeding, drove to work and left a note for his boss before going to the hospital to find he had a bullet lodged in his brain, authorities said.
When Glen Thomas Betterley, 53, noticed the blood Thursday morning he asked his girlfriend if she had struck him. Emma Lorene Larsen, 65, said no.
Betterley went to Halifax Medical Center emergency room where he learned he had been shot in the forehead.
While Betterley was being treated, police called Larsen and heard a single gunshot. When investigators arrived at the home, they found Larsen dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
Betterley was in stable condition Friday.
Source: USA Today
By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco
26th January 2006 22:18 GMT
Component shortages and a lack of manufacturing capacity have forced Microsoft's Xbox 360 console into hibernation, a situation that looks set to continue until Spring.
Despite its spectacular launch in November, US retailer Circuit City told USA Today earlier this week that "supplies are going to remain pretty tight for the next 90 days", with the consequence that the chain won't be promoting the console. There's no point throwing resources at a product it can't sell.
Source and full story: theregister.com
Iain Thomson, vnunet.com 26 Jan 2006
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has been accused of breaking its own rules and making illegal copies of a film. The claims, which came to light at the Sundance Film Festival, centre on a movie called This Film Is Not Yet Rated.
The film examines the role of the MPAA in deciding classifications for films containing scenes of sex and violence, and investigates whether it treats independent films unfairly. Kirby Dick, the film's maker, submitted the film in November and said that the MPAA's lawyer admitted to copying the DVD. He has now filed a suit to recover all copies of the film and to determine who ordered the illegal actions.
I found this at: Neowin.net
Full story: vnuet.com
This story is screwed up. Follow the link to read it if you want.
Source and full story: townhall.com
