KHAN!!!

Files are not for sharing

2006-06-23T11:17:00.000-06:00

Here's a new book to teach your kids about using computers in today's society.
Files Are Not For Sharing

The RIAA strikes again!

2006-05-06T21:28:00.000-06:00

The P2P file service BearShare has been shut down by the RIAA. In exchange for 30m the RIAA agreed not to pursue further cases of copyright infringement against the company.
Oh well, that service sucked anyway. It was full of spyware and pron mislabeled as something you might want.

I Pitty the Fool!

2006-05-04T10:47:00.000-06:00

Mr. T is getting a new show.
I can hardly wait.

Canadian Music Creators Colition

2006-04-26T22:05:00.000-06:00

Finally some artists are speaking up for their fans and against DRM, lawsuits and crappyness in general.
Here's a link.

How stupid are people?

2006-04-10T12:36:00.000-06:00

Well here's a prime example.
Do they really think a terrorist is going to act like what they think a terrorist would act like?
Oh look at me! I'm a terrorist! I'm singing political rock anthems that have been popular in western culture for the last 30 years! I must be planning to hijack a plane and crash it into a skyscraper, my taste in music proves it!
Morons. That guy should sue the taxi driver and the police should bill the taxi driver for the cost of the operation to pull a completly innocent man off his plane with no proof of any wrongdoing and no suspicion of any but for his musical tastes. Which sound similar to mine. OMG! I could be the next osma! Better lock me up quick! I'm even worse than that guy was, I like Rage Against the Machine and Bob Marley!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-04-09T14:15:00.000-06:00

The Red Green Show is going off the air!
I don't watch TV in the evenings so I never see the new shows anyway but this will affect me when the reruns during the day catch up with the latest season. It's gonna suck in 2 or 3 years :(

Canadian Recording Industry Association Comes Clean - Kinda

2006-03-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

CRIA's Own Study Counters P2P Claims
From the article: "In summary, CRIA's own research now concludes that P2P downloading constitutes less than one-third of the music on downloaders' computers, that P2P users frequently try music on P2P services before they buy, that the largest P2P downloader demographic is also the largest music buying demographic, and that reduced purchasing has little to do with the availability of music on P2P services."

StarWars TV series

2006-03-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Why will the new StarWars TV series suck? "we just got confirmation George Lucas has committed himself to writing the 'Star Wars' TV series"

Another example of Life under Bush

2006-03-07T01:53:00.000-07:00

This guy just wanted to pay off his credit card.
Apparently the US government felt threatened by his behavior. OMG! Only terrorists actually pay their bills! Patriotic Americans must carry a heavy debt load and pay extreme amounts of interest or the economy will collapse!
Actually it happened because big brother was watching and noticed a change in their normal spending habits. Everyone must be predictable or we'll all get confused. And you all know what happens when the US government is confused don't you? Is there WMDs in Iraq? Yes, No? I'm confused, let's blow it up!

Some of the comments are funny though.

Teen successfully sues mayor, city

2006-02-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Booyah! In your face! Muahahahahaha!!!!

OMG South Park offended someone!

2006-02-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

"He said if Catholics think they might be offended by the upcoming episode, they shouldn't watch it."

People are morons, that's all I have to say.

Memory units for your CPU. Almost guaranteed not to take over your computer

2006-02-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

I just love it when science fiction becomes reality. I want one.

Are you infected with Mind Control Parasites?

2006-02-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Approx. 3 billion people are infected with this mind control parasite - Toxoplasma.
It comes from Cats and rats that are infected with it no longer avoid areas sprayed with cat urine and may even seek them out, therefore they are at a greater risk of being killed and eaten by a cat, which is good for the parasite but bad for the rat.
So the question is, what will it do to you?

Video Games keep the mind young

2006-02-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a long article that I didn't read but basically it says that playing video games is good for you and you should do it more often.
Ok, maybe I made the last part up but it could say that, like I said I didn't read the article lol.

Is Pepsi racist?

2006-02-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

This article is about some artists successfully suing Pepsi for using their music without permission and without paying for it. But it's got a nice quote near the end.
I can't believe that someone would actually say that... and not get sued. I mean, c'mon people this is America! The land of the FR....ivilous lawsuit?

Canadian Recording Company vs. the RIAA

2006-01-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Nettwerk Music Group is paying all legal costs and any fines incurred (should they loose) by a Texas teenager who is being sued by the RIAA for file sharing.
When will the RIAA get the message? If even the MUSIC COMPANIES they say they represent are against their program of suing fans maybe they should stop?!!?

Only in America

2006-01-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

It's been slow for interesting news lately but here's something to fill the gap.

MythBusters outtakes

2006-01-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

Go here for MythBusters video outtakes, never before seen by me.
I'll watch them tomorrow.

Robocop Lives!

2006-01-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

Korea will be deploying security and police robots sometime around 2010. They will be remote controlled or with artificial intelligence.
Can't wait. The Matrix is coming. Or maybe that Wil Smith ripoff of a previously good book. Whichever.

Ear bud headphones causing hearing loss

2005-12-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

At last, a scientific reason to bring back the giant headphones from the 70's that made everybody look so dang cool! Plus, they now come with airbags. Just looking out for your safety folks.

India Concerned over Satellite Images

2005-12-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

India is concerned about the satellite images available on google maps. They think that terrorists will use these images, which are in the public domain and available elsewhere on the internet, to plan an attack on it's presidential residence or other target.

I suggest they cover the entire country with a huge tarp.

WMD found!

2005-12-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

Oh, and they've finally found those pesky WMD's. Only they weren't in Iraq. It was hidden in Australia. Crafty buggers.

Just in time for Christmas

2005-12-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

A big pit of Dodo bones.
Merry Christmas.

All things Santa related

2005-12-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the holidays:
What Santa does before the big day.
Animated Santa Robot Fun

Why Link when I can Post?

2005-12-19T01:58:00.000-07:00

To One and all of my Good E-mail buds:

As the holidays approach, my heartfelt appreciation goes out to all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me forwards" over the past 12 months. Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy.

Extra thanks to whoever sent me the one about rat crap in the glue on envelopes 'cause I now have to go get a wet towel every time I need to seal an envelope.

Also, I scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason. Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone might drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from nor send packages by UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

I no longer eat KFC because their "chickens" are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.

I no longer have to buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

I no longer worry about my soul because at last count I have 363,214 angels looking out for me.

Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in the hospital (for the 1,387,258th time)

I no longer have any money at all - but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special email tracking program.

Yes, I want to thank you so much for looking out for me that I will now return the favor!

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 7 minutes, a large pigeon with a wicked case of diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM (CDT) this afternoon. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next-door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician....
Click to email this item to a friend
http://langa.com/sendit.htm
(so I don't entirely rip it off. It came to me from here The LangaList. All the way to the bottom, almost.)

Um, no comment?

2005-12-19T01:22:00.000-07:00

I don't even know what to say about this.

Big Brother is Watching You

2005-12-19T01:14:00.000-07:00

This happened in the US, the supposed paragon of freedom.
Proof positive of the stupidity of the American voter. This is what George Bush's administration wants, a constantly monitored and controlled American populace. You're sheep, every last one of you, SHEEP! Reminds me of the new FIDO commercial, for those of you that watch TV.
Baa.

The car of the future will be...

2005-12-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Steam powered?

Seagate releases a single platter 160gb HD

2005-12-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

My next computer upgrade.
If you're into that sort of thing, it's exciting. I like it cause it costs less than $90 usd.

Soft Drink made from Coca Leaf

2005-12-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Pop with cocaine, A winning combination!

If you don't know, you get cocaine from the coca leaf. I just love this quote: "The traces that can remain are minimal because the formula we have is one with a very low level of cocaine,"

It is made by a small company in Columbia. "One of the first goals we have is to obtain a distribution truck," They have 12 employees.

Marketed as an alternative to CocaCola, which represents western imperialist capitalism. CocaCola welcomes the competition. "As for its own ingredients, Coca-Cola is tight-lipped. "Cocaine has never been an ingredient,""

I saw a documentary a couple of years ago about the Soda wars and they showed a list of early ingredients of CocaCola which were written on the side of the bottle. Cocaine was one of the ingredients. Of course this was when cocaine was legal and sold in pharmacies. The drink was invented by a pharmacist, remember.
I saw it on TV so it must be true.

Stupid people are Cops too

2005-12-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

So this police officer was thirsty. He wanted to stop and buy a pop. But his partner didn't want to. (Bitch!) So he grabbed the wheel and a struggle ensued. During the course of the struggle his tazer somehow discharged and zapped his partner. Needless to say, he was fired and is facing charges for assault. All because his partner wouldn't let him have a pop (bitch).

Oh, and because he is an IDIOT!

I did not make this up.

Apple causing loss of profits for the music industry

2005-12-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

First off I will say that I think the music industry is run by a bunch of whiners and money grubbing greedy bastards. This article is a prime example of that. It's full of a bunch of quotes from Apple's competitors complaining that Apple is refusing to give them a bigger market share.
'Apple is controlling the market so I can't steal their customers with my inferior products and inflated costs, waa waa waa!'
Every criticism of Apple is from a competitor so you can take that for what it's worth.

Apple isn't holding back the music industry, the music industry is imploding into what will hopefully be a spectacular meltdown which will optimistically result in an entirely new system which should be better for artists and consumers alike, respecting the rights of both, without being clouded or influenced by corporate interests (ie. the money grabbing bastards may they all choke on their own bile).

Ya, right, like that's ever going to happen.

Will Sony never learn?

2005-12-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

You would think, after their recent fiasco with DRM that Sony/BMG would realize that DRM is noting but a problem to legitimate customers and not even a speed bump for those who want to copy music from those CD's with DRM installed. It is therefore a BAD idea and they should stop using it. All it does is piss people off and does NOTHING to protect their copyright.
Anyway, Sony/BMG has Another problem with DRM. They are urging people to go to their site and download a fix, but again, and just like last time, the fix creates bigger problems.
So Sony can suck it, I'm never buying anything from them, ever again no matter what it may be. And that means no PSP for me. And it's suppoesto be really good. My brother has one and he really likes it. If Sony didn't make it I'd probly get one but since it's a Sony product I won't get it.

I will make this comment.

2005-12-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

My theory is that Nettle is an idiot.

I have a very politically incorrect comment about this one

2005-12-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Here's the link.
But I won't make the comment. You never know when what you say now will come back to bite you in the but years later so I'll refrain. If you really want to know phone me.

Body armor for toll operators on the Golden Gate Bridge

2005-12-13T02:30:00.000-07:00

Is this really necessary? It's cool though. I want some.

Black toilet paper

2005-12-13T02:28:00.000-07:00

It's black BEFORE you use it.
Want some? Maybe for Halloween but at just under $3 usd/roll I'll stick with white.

Grand Theft Lego

2005-11-28T00:36:00.000-07:00

This guy would switch the barcodes on expensive Lego sets with cheaper ones and then re-sell them on the internet.
I wonder if this only works with Legos?

Patents!

2005-11-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

This site shows some of the weird and wonderful patents being given out by the US patent office.
I want one.
Post a reply with your favorite.

More Studies on File Sharing

2005-11-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

First of all, all File Sharing is not downloading music. But that is what people seem to mean when they use the term File Sharing.
Anyway, here's a link to a blog that talks about a study that is anti-music downloading. You want the Nov 24th entry.
And another one that looks at many different studies that comes down on both sides of the fence.

I didn't find any of their arguments particularity compelling, for either side of the question.

Model engine made from paper

2005-11-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's cool. Look at it.

Today is U2 day!

2005-11-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

Bono is disappointed in the PM.
While I am not shocked, nor surprised.

Best political quote ever!

2005-11-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to link this story, but some of the quotes are just... well you read it.

This is my favorite: Reynolds then quoted a backroom Liberal as saying the government is spending money like 100 monkeys on drugs.

There's some other gems in there too.

Sony infects over 500,000 networks

2005-11-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

Genius DNS hacker Dan Kaminsky designed a research project that has produced a count of the number of networks that have been infected with the malicious rootkit Sony distributed with its audio CDs: over 500,000 networks contain at least one infected machine. Some of these are governmental and military networks.

The Department of Homeland Security should shut Sony down until they can completely examine all of Sony's computers to make sure there is no sensitive information stolen from any of the compromised government or military networks. Of course since the vulnerability gives ANYONE the ability to enter or access an infected computer it would be futile, but it could take years and Sony would probably never recover! That would be the best result of all lol.
Can you tell I don't like Sony?
Plus it would send a message to the rest of the music industry. DRM is a bad idea! Look at what happens when you try to enforce your copyright illegally. Plus it is so easy to get around that the money spent on developing it could go towards making up the shortfall that you say you are experiencing due to file sharing.

Thanks to Peter for the link.

If it's in italics it's a quote.

Microwave Water Heater

2005-11-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

So, why didn't someone make this sooner?

Even your kids will think you're cool

2005-11-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ever wanted a Hard Drive that looks like a giant Lego brick? Well now you can have one.

BNL releasing new Album on Flash Drives

2005-11-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Bare Naked Ladies are releasing their new album on USB flash memory drives.
Interesting idea but I don't think I'm gonna buy one.

Beam me Sun Scotty!

2005-11-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

This village in Austria is putting up mirrors to reflect sunlight into their perpetually dark town.
I saw this on discovery channel a few months ago but I guess they are actually doing it now.

Sky One to Remake The Prisoner

2005-11-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

British TV station is going to remake the 60's TV show The Prisoner.
For those of you who don't know, The Prisoner is about a former secret agent who is abducted and held in an isolated seaside village at some remote and secret location. His every move is watched, either by people or TV cameras and most of the people he interacts with are working for whoever it is that is running the place. So he never knows who he can trust. Aside from being unable to leave, they also perform psychological experiments on him and otherwise mess with his mind.
So the question is, will they screw it up? Probably.

Top 10 Space movies of all time

2005-11-20T00:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the list from space.com
Isn't it interesting that all 3 original Star Wars movies made the list but none of the new ones did.

List of Infected CD's

2005-11-19T00:36:00.000-07:00

Here's the list of CD's released with the Sony rootkit DRM included. If you have one of these CD's, you will soon be able to exchange it for one without the virus included.
Isn't that nice of Sony? Oh we screwed up and possibly exposed millions of people to security risks which could result in having their identity and information stolen and being financially ruined to say nothing of their data lost and computer broken. So facing many costly lawsuits and the ire of millions of screwed over consumers, we will replace the offending CD, after the damage has been done. And we'll do it for free, isn't that nice of us? Oh and if you actually suffered any harm from this, well it sucks to be you but by putting the CD in your computer you agreed that we could do anything we wanted to basically and that if anything we did caused you any harm, it actually didn't and you have absolutely no recourse to get us to fix anything. Not that you would want us to anyway, as we would just screw it up even worse than it was in the first place.

Yak for FREE

2005-11-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

A new FREE service just launched that provides free video chat services with others on the same service. That means that you can video chat to your friends and family for free over the internet as long as they also are members on this service. But it's free so they can DL it and sign up too.
They also have expanded services that you have to pay for.

HIV positive man Charged with Murder by AIDS

2005-11-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yeah! About time some common sense was injected into the legal system. If you have a deadly communicable disease and you act in an irresponsible manner causing the infection of someone else, you should be held accountable. This is not an attack on people with AIDS or who are HIV positive but the reality is, you can die from it, and you can transmit it to others, therefore you need to be responsible and take precautions to prevent that from happening.
It's just like leaving a loaded gun where children can find it. Maybe nothing will happen but if a child gets shot, that's your fault and you are responsible and should pay the penalty.

SONY Sucks

2005-11-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a slashdot story with many more links to other stories about how much Sony sucks. lol
In this case it's about the Rootkit DRM Sony has been including in their CD's for the last who knows how long. And the problem is much, much worse that anyone imagined.
Just in case you don't read the article, the tool Sony released to remove their Rootkit breaks things even worse than the root kit did.

Man Cured of AIDS

2005-11-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

This guy, was tested positive for HIV in 2002 but subsequently tested negative in 2003.

A couple of things, if this happened in 2003, why are we only hearing about it now?
Also, he says : He has told the papers he would do anything he could to help find a cure.
So why does he refuse to undergo further testing?
A statement from the trust said: "This is a rare and complex case. When we became aware of Mr Stimpson's HIV negative test results we offered him further tests to help us investigate and find an explanation for the different results. "So far Mr Stimpson has declined this offer."

Download old TV shows legally

2005-11-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Time Warner is going to be offering a free service making old TV shows available for download.
I think I need more bandwidth.

Complain about Big Companies and Get Sued

2005-11-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

LINK
I think the company who is suing this person should have to pay damages, not only to fix the problems documented on her website but additional penalties for bringing this suit in the first place.
When a company brings a lawsuit against an individual, they should have to pay the legal costs of both parties and if they loose, they should have to pay damages in the amount they were seeking.
So if I get sued for $10 million, if whoever is suing me looses, they should pay me $10 million. That should cut down on the number of stupid lawsuits out there. And additional penalties payable to the government should also be considered.
The point being to remove litigation as a business practice and source of revenue to those that can afford lawyers. There have been many instances of companies being sued out of existence by larger competitors simply because they could not afford the legal costs, not due to any legal fault of their own.

The world according to Sony

2005-11-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

If ever you wanted proof that Sony cares nothing for the consumer, here it is.
This is what you agree to when you rip a Sony/BMG CD onto your computer. Whether it is actually enforceable? Who knows. Probably whoever has the most money wins, and you know who that is...

Army Develops Gum to replace Brushing Teeth

2005-11-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

Soon you won't have to brush your teeth anymore, just chew some gum.
I don't like gum.

List of xbox games playable on the 360

2005-11-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here's the list. But you need a software emulator to run the games and that means you need the hard drive for the 360. Which sells separately unless you buy the more expensive version.
The good news? Barbie™ Horse Adventures™ Wild Horse Rescue™ is supported! Woot!

Sony gets Sued by the state of California

2005-11-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

In response to Sony's DRM rootkit, the State of California is suing Sony. New York State is expected to file a lawsuit as well in the next few days.
The story about California suing is a little ways down on the page. Most of the stories are related to Sony's DRM Rootkit however.
I hope everyone sues Sony and wins. If a mega company like Sony is sued out of existence, maybe other music companies will take notice and realize that their draconian practices with DRM, filesharing and whatever else they are doing is the wrong approach and that the consumer won't stand for it any longer.

Giant spacecraft to move threatening asteroids with it's own gravity

2005-11-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a B movie.

US Newspapers to carry Manga

2005-11-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Manga is the comic form of Anime.
So now it's in US Newspapers. If it is like the "Anime" on teletoon, I'm not reading it. Stupid americanized crap.

Intelligent Design in American Schools

2005-11-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

A schoolboard in Dover Mass. has required Intelligent Design be taught alongside evolution. 11 parents are suing. Now all 8 schoolboard members who required that intelligent design be taught have lost their bid for re-election.

I think that it should be taught that the theory of evolution is a theory and does not full account for everything found in the fossil record and that it is being revised all the time, almost everytime a new discovery is made. After all that's what is taught in university, (or that's what I learned anyway), so why not in high school?

Play Risk on Google Maps

2005-11-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

So far you can only play on one computer (with internet access of course) but multiplayer, over the internet support is coming!

The Perfect Cell Phone Accessory

2005-11-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs one of these.

New Vertical Wind Turbine Design

2005-11-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

Now this sounds really promising. I'd like to have a wind farm, you don't have to get up early to feed the cows. :)

Beijing shuts down Lunar Embassy

2005-11-08T01:45:00.000-07:00

I'm glad I already got mine.

Woman so Fat, can't get off couch, dies

2005-11-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

She had to be surgically removed from the couch.
Check out the strange news photos as well. Some weird stuff there.

I bet this will Sell like Hotcakes

2005-11-07T04:44:00.000-07:00

A must have for all true Star Trek Fans.

Lightning Kills 68 Cows in Australia

2005-11-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I could not make this up.
Musta been one hell of a bar-b-que.

China to go to the Moon

2005-11-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

Do you trust China on the Moon? I don't even trust them in China.
Just look at their past record and present actions with their own people. Them being on the moon affects the entire world, not just their citizens.

8 year old Admitted to Korean University

2005-11-06T02:31:00.000-07:00

I don't care how smart he is, 8 years old is too young for a university environment. A kid needs to be a kid. Get him private tutors maybe. Also does he have a babysitter to take him to his next class or does his mom do it?

Brad Pitt vs the Bear

2005-11-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Canada, eh?

Study: Art Relieves Constipation

2005-11-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what to say about this.
Ok maybe I do, Art makes you crap? What does that say about the Art?

Kinda Creepy I think

2005-11-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Turn your cremated friends and relatives into decorative and useful items. Be worth more in death than you were in life!

Time Travel Fund

2005-11-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ever wanted to visit the future? Well maybe you can!

The New James Bond

2005-11-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

What the heck is up with this guy? I don't know what kind of a James Bond he will make but he totally doesn't sound like the type of guy to pull that role off.

World's most powerful sub-woofer

2005-11-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

And at only $13,000. What a bargain!

Hollywood Nazi's

2005-11-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Quote: Under a new proposed Analog Hole bill, it will be illegal to make anything capable of digitizing video unless it either has all its outputs approved by the Hollywood studios, or is closed-source, proprietary and tamper-resistant. The idea is to make it impossible to create an MPEG from a video signal unless Hollywood approves it.

Holy Crap! If this happens I'll never watch TV again unless I DL it from the internet. Also movies in the form of DVD's and any new format they may come up with in the future.
Read the article. The MPAA wants to charge you for the privilege of pausing, fast forwarding or rewinding whatever it is your are watching. And also they want money for anything else you might want to do with the TV or movie you are watching, such as pausing to go to the bathroom or, heaven forbid, recording a show so you can watch it later.
If you didn't think the entertainment industry was run by a bunch of greedy bastards who only care about their customers to extort as much money out of them as possible, then this should prove it to you.
As the article says, anyone who supports this is an idiot.

UPDATE: Here's another link about this with more details. Basically they want to prevent you from using your VCR or other analogue device from recording anything they don't want you to record. Which is pretty much everything.
You should read the new article. It's a tad long but it really spells out what rights you are about to loose. And like the previous article said, it doesn't do a thing to stop piracy. Those that want to pirate content will, and it will just make normal people into criminals for doing the same things they have been doing for the last 20+ years, such as recording a TV show to watch later.

Sony's new DRM is a RootKit!

2005-11-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what a RootKit is, it's a bad thing. Basically it's like a virus that your virus scanner can't detect. They are very difficult to remove even for someone who knows what they are doing. So now Sony is using RootKit's as a new DRM scheme on Van Zant's "Get Right with the Man"
Here are some additional links on that story:
The inquirer
The Washington Post
PC Pro

Apparently Van Zant's CD is not the only one with this type of DRM on it. You may already be infected. Sony says that all CD's with this are marked "Content Enhances and Protected". A Google search of Amazon returns more than 24,000 hits.

Even if you don't mind Sony installing this type of program on your computer, without your permission or even your knowledge you should be aware that hackers can take advantage of the massive security holes that their software creates. They can infect your computer with programs that will steal your personal information, such as banking or tax information, or simply erase your hard drive or basically anything they want and there is nothing you can do about it.

So I'm never buying another Sony CD ever again and I urge you to do the same. Speak to Sony in a language they understand, money. If enough people boycott Sony, maybe they will get the message: DRM is not wanted, necessary or tolerated by consumers, the people who pay their salaries.

Alan Alda

2005-11-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Check out the Photo, he looks like the crypt keeper.

For Sale: Secret Underground Lair, perfect for plotting to take over the world

2005-10-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

For all you aspiring Evil Geniuses here is the perfect place for your headquarters of Future World Domination.

Zombies!

2005-10-29T16:56:00.000-06:00

What are Zombies and where did they come from?

Some common mistakes in dealing with Zombies:
Sheltering in a vehicle to which you do not have the keys
Leaving blades, cudgels or other basic weapons out for zombies to find
Teaching zombies how to use firearms
Giving your only weapon to anyone who is hysterical
Retreating to a basement or cellar without taking supplies with you
Getting into an elevator in a building infested with zombies
Letting personal feelings and arguments get in the way of survival

Cure for HIV?

2005-10-29T16:46:00.000-06:00

This scientist has found a gene, Delta 32, that makes the people who have it immune to the plague and HIV.

Listen through Walls

2005-10-27T09:24:00.000-06:00

This new technology allows the user to listen to conversations even through walls in another building.
Big Brother is listening to you!
How to protect yourself

Warning: This link may update to new stories so I have copied the article here.

Wall-beating bugging

With half a century's experience of listening to feeble radio signals from space, NASA is helping US security services squeeze super-weak bugging data from Earth-bound buildings.

It is easy to defeat ordinary audio eavesdropping, just by sound-proofing a room. And simply drawing the curtains can defeat newer systems, which shine a laser beam onto a glass window and decode any modulation of the reflected beam caused by sound vibrations in the room.

So the new "through-the-wall audio surveillance system" uses a powerful beam of very high frequency radio waves instead of light. Radio can penetrate walls – if they didn't, portable radios wouldn't work inside a house.

The system uses a horn antenna to radiate a beam of microwave energy –between 30 and 100 gigahertz – through a building wall. If people are speaking inside the room, any flimsy surface, such as clothing, will be vibrating. This modulates the radio beam reflected from the surface.

Although the radio reflection that passes back through the wall is extremely faint, the kind of electronic extraction and signal cleaning tricks used by NASA to decode signals in space can be used to extract speech.

Read how to eavesdrop through a wall, here.

A Worker with lowered productivity might not be slacking off

2005-10-27T09:22:00.000-06:00

New research on repetitive stress injuries like carpal tunnels and other similar ailments.

Remote Control for Humans

2005-10-27T09:21:00.000-06:00

Some new technology that can be used to control how a person walks.

New Fuel for Cars - Zero Emissions

2005-10-25T08:50:00.000-06:00

An Israeli company has invented a way of producing hydrogen within a car to fuel it.
Could this be in your driveway in the next few years? I hope so. Sounds pretty cool.

Interest rate soars

2005-10-25T08:13:00.000-06:00

This article shows just how much effect gas prices and by extention, fuel companies have on our economy.
This is an excellent reason for governmental control of fuel prices. As a gas producing nation we should not be subject to the uncertainties of the global fuel supply. I am sure that we produce enough gas for the nations needs, plus more. Importing a resource that we have in abundance makes no sense and can only be bad for the consumer as illustrated by Septembers gas price hike. Importing fuel only adds to the cost and the only reason we do it is to make rich companies and individuals, mostly non-canadians, richer.
I am sure there is enough fuel produced on the American Continent to supply all the fuel needs of everyone on the American Continent. There should be no reason to import fuel from overseas.
Soaring gas prices not only affects us at the pump but in every aspect of our economy. So even if you don't drive, almost everything else will be more expensive as well. And that's no way to run an economy.

UPDATE to the Death Ray

2005-10-24T09:38:00.000-06:00

The producers of MythBusters invited the MIT students who re-created the ancient death ray successfully after the MythBusters failed to do so to SanFransisco to show them how to do it.
They couldn't do it.
I think it's the sun in SanFransisco. They need to try it in Greece, where the legend is from. Recreate all conditions possible.

Michigan Releases Prisoners Early by Accident

2005-10-24T09:36:00.000-06:00

Due to a computer glitch, several prisoners were released before their sentences were up.
Computer Glitch or moron operating the computer?

EULA - Teh Legal crap that you agree to

2005-10-24T09:31:00.000-06:00

When you install new software or use a service, chances are that you had to agree to a EULA or End User License Agreement. I never read them and most other people don't as well.
Well here is some of the things that you have agreed to when you click that Agree or Accept button.

New Rockets to the Moon

2005-10-24T09:27:00.000-06:00

Here's the new Rockets that NASA will be using to return to the Moon.

Researchers Reinfest Rat free Island

2005-10-22T08:36:00.000-06:00

As part of a study, researchers released a rat onto a rat free island. They were unable to recapture it and now his radio transmitter has failed so they can't find him either.
Now it's only 1 rat but was he neutered before release? Maybe they didn't think of that. I guess they thought they were smarter than a rat. Well they've been proved wrong. lol

Totally Bizarre

2005-10-22T08:24:00.000-06:00

Michael Jackson selected for jury duty.

Man attacks Dentist with Sword

Computers will solve all our problems!

2005-10-21T23:01:00.000-06:00

Not if they're run by morons they won't.
Lets' use this new system. It's computerized and therefore better!

Geeks Dweebs and Nerds! Oh, My

2005-10-21T22:36:00.000-06:00

I've seen this before but for those of you that havn't...
It's a video.

The Simpsons in the Middle East

2005-10-20T18:55:00.000-06:00

The Simpsons television show is being exported to the Middle East. This necessatates some changes. Critics say the new show sucks.

The Space Station is going to Crash!

2005-10-20T18:52:00.000-06:00

The ISS orbit decays over time. It is usually boosted to a higher orbit by cargo supply ships and the Space Shuttle but with the problems the Space Shuttle program has experienced, this hasn't happened. As a result the ISS could come crashing down.