Now That Just Sucks

Xbox ownership dispute leads to arson

Following the horrific incident in 2004 in which four dim-witted individuals perpetrated a home invasion and mass murder in order to “reclaim” their repo’ed Xbox, comes another tale of disputed console ownership leading to tragic consequences. A 20-year-old Seattle man returned to his former residence on Thursday in an attempt to take possession of an Xbox that he had supposedly purchased, and in a classic example of “if I can’t play with this toy then no one can,” tossed the ‘Box right through a window and into the front yard. Not content with destroying what may have been his own property, the young man returned later that night and set fire to home’s back porch, and although no injuries were reported, the structure was apparently completely gutted. Making the suspect even more eligible for the “Stupid Criminals’ Hall of Fame” was the fact that he called the house from a payphone (while it was still burning, presumably) to brag of his crime and make additional threats. The lesson here: videogames may or may not incite folks to violence, but fighting over them sure does.

Google Now Pimpin Porn?

Google Porn?

People watching Google Video closely noticed a change this week in the upload area – the restrictions on uploading “pornographic or obscene” material is now just a restriction on “obscene” material. They’ve also added a “mature and adult” category to the genres and removed (I believe) a box on the initial uploading page that must be checked where the uploader certifies that the “video is not pornographic or obscene material”.

This may or may not mean Google is allowing, or preparing to allow, porn. Videos containing nudity are clearly available on the site, and many were uploaded months ago (for example, is this porn?). But nothing hardcore seems to be on the site.

Also, the box requiring uploaders to certify that content is not pornographic is still in certain areas, such as the “edit video” area of the site. And the terms and conditions still prohibit pornographic material.

It’s strange that Google is allowing classification of content as “mature and adult”, and allowing video containing nudity (which is arguably porn), but still restricting pornography through the terms and conditions and in the video edit section. Either they’re just testing the boundaries of what their users will allow, or in the middle of making changes that could allow more hardcore content. Either way, porn is big business, and I’m sure Google has thought long and hard about how to get their piece of it.

Ah The Wonders Of The Internet

Indian village uploads itself onto Internet (Reuters)

Reuters – An Indian village has uploaded itself onto the Internet, giving the outside world a glimpse of life in rural India.

All Hail IBM

The IBM PC’s 25 Year Legacy

“August 12, 1981 marks the birth of the IBM PC, the computer that single-handedly turned personal computing to the business market. IBM’s success forced Apple and others to change their focus, and most personal computer companies from the pre-IBM era have become historical footnotes. By 2006, even Apple Computer had followed IBM’s lead and adopted Intel CPUs and built Macs that can boot Microsoft Windows.” Yes, boys and girls, she’s that old. A ‘thank you’ is in order, I suppose.

Hrmm Maybe It Really Did Happen In A Movie Studio

Has Anyone Seen the Moon Pictures?

NASA has received a lot of bad press in the last few years. Now in a stunning move to prove how much they have learned from past mistakes, it appears they have lost the magnetic tapes that recorded the first moon walk. They also seem to have misplaced the original recordings of the other five Apollo moon landings. Hopefully nobody has taped an episode of “The OC” over them yet.

Well That's One Way To Do It

Is Open Wi-Fi Best RIAA Defense?

Skipping the security on your home network could let you share files on P2P networks without worrying about a lawsuit. In Listening Post.

Hehe Just Makes You Laugh

A&A intros the Alcowatch breathalyzer wristwatch

It seems that stuffing a breathalyzer inside of devices completely unrelated to alcohol is all the rage these days, and A&A Products (no relation to Alcoholics Anonymous) of Hong Kong is hoping you never leave home without a blood alcohol gauge of your own. While you might misplace your cellphone while frolicking about, or decided long before the party that your car keys would not be put to use, you probably won’t depart without your trusty wristwatch firmly attached. A&A Products has quite a few other alcohol testers, as well as your typical selection of cheap DAPs and underwater radios, but its Alcowatch offers a convenient way to keep tabs on your BAC and make sure you’re home by curfew. The timepiece sports a digital clock readout, date function, a “temperature alarm,” and of course, a blood alcohol tester that detects your level of intoxication from 0.2 – 1.5% BAC. While the watch may seem like a party-goer’s must-have accessory, the design is relatively atrocious, and should probably be avoided by anyone actually looking for (positive) attention while out on the town — unless, of course, it was mandated by your local authorities based on past offenses. We aren’t sure what the Alcowatch will run you when it drops next month, but unless having a breathalyzer on-hand at all times is your top priority — even over making a good impression on the opposite gender — we’d recommend just tracking down a designated driver.

Gotta Love That Cat5

Review: Netgear adapter closes speed gap (AP)

AP – Wireless networking equipment is cheap, convenient and widespread. If you want to connect computers in your home, is it really worth doing it with wires? The answer, surprisingly, is yes.

Play That Devious Music Black Hat!

The Black Hat Wi-Fi Exploit

Joe Barr writes to tell us that while many have heard that an Apple was exploited in order to install a rootkit at the recent BlackHat security conference, most people don’t know the details of how it works. This is no mistake, it seems that the researchers who demonstrated the flaw were intentionally vague. Some theorize that this is in response to the real or perceived threat of legal action similar to the situation with previous Blackhat presenter, Michael Lynn.

Not Again!

Risky Explorer Costs Ford

Ford must pay $18 million for an accident caused by a faulty cruise control, and recalls some of the rollover-prone vehicles because of fire danger.