Messages

3326

Living Room / Re: Stephen's Weekly Tech News - Edition 6

« on: March 21, 2010, 03:21 PM »

Re: Message from the grave, straight to your cell phone

Interesting...

But I'm thinking it might even be even more 'fun' to program an Eliza-like chatter-bot with my own distinctive choice of words and phrases (and my warped sense of humor) so that all two visitors to my grave could have a zero-content 'interactive' chat with me after I've left this plane of existence...hmmm...

(Like I said, warped sense of humor.  )

-40hz (March 21, 2010, 03:07 PM)

or something like the hologram off iRobot maybe? lol

3327

Living Room / Stephen's Weekly Tech News - Edition 6

« on: March 21, 2010, 02:38 PM »

Welcome to this weeks edition of 'Stephen's Tech News' - By now, you all know that this is a selection of my favorite news stories from across the globe, and are placed in no particular order.  Anyway, I hope you are all as interested in them as I am!

-Stephen


Message from the grave, straight to your cell phone

Yet more ways for the dearly departed to reach out from beyond the grave. We've seen memorializing on Facebook, even tombstones with video screens where the dead get to speak their piece in an endless loop. Now, there's yet another way to communicate with the dead, high-tech style, minus the abracadabra of seances and mediums.

A Phoenix-based company called Objecs has created the ...Read More...


Microsoft, 'open' data, and the curse of open source - Thanks a lot, HTML5

Do the rise of cloud computing and the outbreak of peace on open standards in the browser mean programmers will be forced to find new ways to make money online?

In the last few days, Microsoft surrendered to common sense by announcing that Internet Explorer will finally embrace common standards with HTML5.


It was a critical moment that potentially means...Read More...


Google to flee China on April 10, says report - Announcement on Monday. Apparently

Google may exit China on April 10, according to a report citing an unidentified sales agent for the company.

The Shanghai-based China Business News also cites a Google China employee saying that the company will announce its Chinese plans on Monday, March 22. This will apparently include information on how it will compensate employees if it does indeed depart the country.


The paper's source for the April 10 date does say that Google itself has yet to...[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/19/google_china_possible_april_exit/]Read More...[/url]


Computer glitch prompts 50 raids on elderly couple's home - 51st time's the charm

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized to an elderly Brooklyn couple on Friday for about 50 door-pounding visits police made to their home resulting from a glitch in one of the department's computers.

Police used the address of Rose and and Walter Martin's modest home as part of...Read More...


Living in a Constant State of Red-Alert Security

Literally every day at Betanews, we get at least one security vendor "alert" of some type, warning us to be on the lookout for the latest malware. The message is always the same: Advise users to stay vigilant, to keep patching, to upgrade their antivirus to the latest editions. However, the profiles of the malware typically look the same, too -- stuff you might click on by accident, links pretending to be from your "best friend" in an e-mail message, ads for products that look...Read More...


Bill Curbs President's Power to Flip Internet Off-Switch

If the U.S. comes under cyberattack, how much authority should the president have to shut down the Internet? That's at the core of the debate over different versions of the cybersecurity legislation currently in circulation in Washington. Senate Bill 733 limits that authority...Read More


Google Hatches Plot to Break Into TV

Google, Intel and Sony have teamed up to develop a platform called "Google TV" that will bring about a new way to surf the Internet via televisions, according to The New York Times. Logitech, which makes remote controls and computer devices, will reportedly develop peripherals for the platform...Read More...


Inside the world's first 3D satellite broadcaster

Satellite broadcaster Sky has made no secret of its 3D ambitions. Using the Sky+HD platform, it will introduce a 3D service next month.

It goes without saying that this puts Sky at the forefront of broadcasting technology. But in Japan, a much smaller satcaster has already been paving the way with its own innovative 3D broadcasts.

BS11 is a relative minnow in the...Read More...

6 handy tools to tune up your PC

A rolling stone gathers no moss, or so the saying goes. It must be going down a really big hill, or a mountain. Or just be rolling on some kind of rock treadmill. I am actually going somewhere with this: your PC is like a stone that gathers moss. Horrible digital moss that stops your PC rolling.

Each time you add a new game, or...Read More...


New research finds Macs in the enterprise easier, cheaper to manage than Windows PCs

Shocking: A recent survey of enterprise IT managers that administer both PCs and Macs finds that Macs have a better TOC (total cost of ownership) than Windows boxes, and require less user training and help....Read More...

Video of The Week

Got a story you feel needs sharing with the world? Submit it to me via PM and, after approval and verification, I will happily add it to next weeks Tech News!

3328

Found Deals and Discounts / 70% off AVG Internet Security 9 [3-PC, 1-Year]

« on: March 21, 2010, 02:29 PM »

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Download Size: 116.00 MB

Download Time:
16 minutes (1 Mbps)
2 minutes (8 Mbps)

Whatever you use the internet for, security software is absolutely essential. Viruses and malware can affect any computer, and keeping yourself protected against the various potential forms of infection, as well as hackers, can mean installing several tools. This is not the case with AVG Internet Security which aims to be your complete online protection toolkit.

In addition to virus and spyware protection, the suite also includes a powerful firewall, identity protection, an anti-spam tool and much more. All this is provided for the same price associated with some security software which only offers virus protection. Anyone who has used the free version of AVG Antivirus will be familiar with the software's approachable interface, but it is accessible enough for anyone to get started with in a matter of minutes.

The growing threat of identity theft illustrates the importance of taking precautions online. By masking your passwords and credit card details, AVG Internet Security goes a long way to ensuring that your personal details do not fall into the wrong hands, while the Webshield feature makes it easy to use social networks and share files through instant messaging programs without fear of becoming infected. Add to all this a powerful firewall to help keep hackers at bay, and AVG Internet Security is one of the most worthwhile investments you can make for your computer.

Note that this license is the 3-PC, 1-Year edition, which means you can protect up to 3 PCs (desktop, laptop and spare machine) and you receive protection and free product updates for one year from activation.

Key Features:

• Easy to download, install use
  
• Protects against viruses, spyware and online threats
  
• Prevents identity theft
  
• Real-time security makes your online surfing, searching and chatting safe
  
• Top-quality protection that does not slow your system down
  
• Free support and service around the clock and across the globe

More Information, To Buy and Download: http://software.tech...=details&id=2578

3329

Living Room / Re: Facebook urged over 'panic button'

« on: March 19, 2010, 11:29 AM »

Yeah, I did mean to put parental configured firewall and computer restrictions. 

Thanks for noticing that lol

3330

Living Room / Re: Facebook urged over 'panic button'

« on: March 19, 2010, 10:00 AM »

Facebook turned it down:

Ashleigh was NOT being bullied...she was NOT being sexually harassed...she was NOT aware of the fact she was being groomed... she DID trust that someone was who they said they were...and she went to meet someone who she believed to be the same age as herself...a young man with whom she had been having an online friendship...and we can assume that she believed that the relationship was going somewhere...and THAT is where the report abuse button becomes redundant.

http://blogs.myspace...amp;blogId=531216980

-Stephen66515 (March 18, 2010, 08:08 PM)

No, that`s when you ask your dad to come meet the guy with you.

-RedPillow (March 19, 2010, 01:20 AM)

You should know, as well as everybody else, that is never going to happen...Asides from the face going up to a parent and saying "Can you come with me to meet this guy I met on the internet" is never going to be the easiest conversation, She trusted the person she was speaking to, and quite possibly never had any reason not to trust he was nice, friendly and safe and all that...

Panic button = Pointless
Internet Restrictions (Whether it be firewalls or bans from actually going online) == Good.

3331

Living Room / Re: Facebook urged over 'panic button'

« on: March 18, 2010, 08:08 PM »

Facebook turned it down:

Ashleigh was NOT being bullied...she was NOT being sexually harassed...she was NOT aware of the fact she was being groomed... she DID trust that someone was who they said they were...and she went to meet someone who she believed to be the same age as herself...a young man with whom she had been having an online friendship...and we can assume that she believed that the relationship was going somewhere...and THAT is where the report abuse button becomes redundant.

http://blogs.myspace...amp;blogId=531216980

3332

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: WeNeedToEat.com - Auction your software/services or sell for fixed price!

« on: March 17, 2010, 10:32 PM »

Yah, we would like to know if anything at all goes wrong  

3333

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / WeNeedToEat.com - Auction your software/services or sell for fixed price!

« on: March 17, 2010, 10:14 PM »

This brand new website offers you the ability to be able to sell your software for a fixed price, or choose to auction it.

You also have the ability to be able to sell your services on the website also (Website Hosting, Programming Help, Coding Time etc...)

Physical product sales are not part of this website, but are allowed.

The website is currently 100% free to use.

Fee's will start on 1st May 2010...So get yourself signed up while everything is free!

Website Released: 03:14(GMT) - 18/03/2010

Remember: Signup while its free to take full advantage and to highlight your services on the homepage, and listings for FREE!

www.weneedtoeat.com

3334

Living Room / Re: Return of the Commodore computer name?

« on: March 17, 2010, 07:56 PM »

A> Thats feckin awesome..I want a keyboard PC!
B> Gimme Beige
C> Gimmeh Rainbow
D> Add C64 Game Disk Slot/Dual Mode Switch (Choose PC or 64) and your onto a winner with me!

 

3335

Living Room / Re: Yay, Upgrade time! - Inspire me with hardware I can buy =-D

« on: March 17, 2010, 12:40 PM »

Hmm, ok. Well first, Google tells me that the 7NF-RZ is an Athlon board, not P4. So if you're planning to use the board to get access to better graphics cards (AGP), you'll have to buy a new CPU (unless you have an Athlon sitting around): http://www.giga-byte...p;ProductName=7NF-RZ

The cheapest AGP card easily found is $30:
http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E16814130210

You said you have 1GB of RAM but not the configuration. I'm going to assume 2x512MB DDR modules for now, and that you have 4 slots available, each of which could support 1GB modules. So 2x1GB modules to bring you up to 3GB would be $27x2=$54.
http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E16820161626

So together you're up to $84, plus shipping and possible tax, depending where you live and where you buy from.

Not sure what the need for a sound card is as most motherboard audio is fine, but perhaps you have particular needs there.

Or for $200 you could get a Case+PSU (dunno how quiet), motherboard, CPU, and RAM that ought to best your current system in basically every way:
http://www.newegg.co...temList=Combo.352997
(onboard graphics)
Add your own hard drive, transfer the DVD-ROM from your old system, and you're set.

That's just a preconfigured low-end bundle. You could probably find better deals, higher performance, etc. if desired. And, perhaps crucially, that would be a much more upgradable system in the future. Whereas if you spend time and money upgrading the P4, even if you're happy with its performance now, it'll really be at the end of its useful upgrade life after that. No headroom.

Personally, as I said at the start, I would recommend spending a bit more to get a nicer upgrade and position yourself better for future upgrades as needed. I'd get a socket 775 motherboard and CPU as above, look into whether the current PSU can support the voltages needed, keep it if so or buy new if necessary, transfer the HD and DVD-ROM over, maybe re-use the case if that's possible, get some RAM. Start with onboard video (for the use you've described so far it's fine), and then get an add-in video card later if desired.

- Oshyan

-JavaJones (March 17, 2010, 12:33 PM)

When did I say I didn't want to spend more? lol

I have whatever budget I feel like spending on it, but obviously I don't want to go mental and buy like 8 GFX cards and have a 36 screen set-up lol.

In regards to the MOBO...thats no problem...I been wanting to move back to AMD for awhile, so would be a good reason to do so.

Soundcard:  I do online (and offline soon) live audio streaming and I want to be able to use my mixers and whatnot.

DVD-RW: I have 4 of, so no big deal

RAM...good idea...but my setup is 1x1GB so ill just grab a couple more 1GB ones, and move up to 4GB maybe? (Could go higher but see no real need/point in having 8GB RAM lol)

3336

Living Room / Re: Yay, Upgrade time! - Inspire me with hardware I can buy =-D

« on: March 17, 2010, 12:08 PM »

It has been quite some time since I heard a loud PSU. I don’t know if I've just been lucky or if PSU fans have just gotten that much quieter.

-J-Mac (March 17, 2010, 12:18 AM)

You've been lucky! 

-cranioscopical (March 17, 2010, 07:32 AM)

Very very lucky lol

Decided to change my mobo as the choice of GFX Cards for standard PCI, is somewhat questionable...so yeah...AGP is now an option for me, which opens up SO many windows!

I'm unsure whether to keep my current CPU...I rarely use its full capacity and Win7 does a good job of keeping everything really smooth, even with multiple background apps, and full-screen games, so that might just be a keeper for now.

Also, soundcard aint a prob cause i found one i like and i am also gonna be grabbing myself an FM transmitter card.

What I now need is:

Good AGP GFX Card
More memory

3337

Living Room / Howto: Torture people for money:French Contestants Torture People With Electric!

« on: March 17, 2010, 07:09 AM »

French contestants torture each other on TV Game of Death
Contestants on a new French game show torture fellow players with electric shocks - zapping one man until he cries for mercy and apparently drops dead - in a controversial programme that has drawn comparisons with Nazi atrocities.

Source Link: http://www.telegraph...V-Game-of-Death.html

3338

Living Room / Re: Donationcoder: How did you find it + What has your experience been like so far.

« on: March 17, 2010, 07:00 AM »

I hate to tread on everyone's sense of temporality and causality, but in 1984 I received a mysterious dossier on microfilm format that had a list of 500,000 users, and instructions to set up this site.  Your names and emails, along with your forum names, avatars, and and some additional unknown symbols, are all present in this original dossier, along with several hundred thousand users that have not yet signed up.  It also lists emergency procedures for dealing with a situation where someone on the list attempts to leave the site (very unpleasant procedures i must say).  The only thing i took the liberty of changing from the dossier instructions was the name of the site -- which i was instructed to call DOCO40948093823342352352352352350893425093485.com -- i thought that was a little long.

-mouser (March 17, 2010, 12:41 AM)

 

3339

Living Room / Re: Facebook urged over 'panic button'

« on: March 17, 2010, 06:57 AM »

Would a panic button ever stop a kid from trusting anyone enough to meet them in real life?

No.

Would a panic button ever stop a gullible kid from believing lies told to them by someone looking to lure them?

No.

Would a panic button ever stop a kid from liking the attention they seek, being given to them by strangers online?

No.

The kids that trust people that they shouldn't, will never click this button. The thought would never occur to them. Those that could potentially be helped most by it, will never use it.

So what is the purpose of this panic button again?

-app103 (March 17, 2010, 06:36 AM)

No idea...I just bring you the stories, I don't write them

But yeah, in my post, you will notice I never ONCE say that a panic button is a good idea, only tightening security protocols on the potential victims computer will.

I agree that increased sex-ed and what-not will help towards a final solution, but will never be the last we hear of it.

Facebook here is a victim as they have been misused by a seriously deranged fellow. Punishing Facebook doesn't solve the problem.

[WTF??? Reality check! I can think of a million reasons not to! Do you seriously want to have kids flagging people as pedophiles? You know what that would do? It would turn into a witch-hunt complete with stakes, bonfires, and burning flesh. (Note that CEPO, a government organization in the country with the most CCTV cameras per capita of anywhere in the world, wants reports to go directly to them!)

-Renegade

Facebook is NOT being punished in any sense, the governments are just trying to crack down on potential problems, and although the ideas they have are not very good, they are still only 'ideas' - No website is being FORCED to have this button...If so, every website with possible chat functions (Yes...Even Donationcoder.com) will have it forced upon them.

Better ideas are required by all parties, but, no one single solution will be the finish of pedophilia, and as much as I hate to say it...It will always be something we have to deal with...just like rape, murder, theft, copyright crimes, illegal downloading, driving without a licence...etc...

3340

Living Room / Re: Facebook urged over 'panic button'

« on: March 16, 2010, 06:45 PM »

Im 16

-RedPillow (March 16, 2010, 03:46 PM)

Not to seem offensive or anything, but your generation (omg that makes me feel old) WILL claim that you are de-sensitized and not 'at risk'.  Take a 14 year old girl...give her a webcam...guaranteed compromising photos posted on facebook, bebo, myspace, msn, and anywhere else she felt the need to share them.

Take a 14 year old boy, give him a computer with unrestricted access, hes going to hunt for porn, and chat rooms...

These things happen.

3341

Living Room / Re: Yay, Upgrade time! - Inspire me with hardware I can buy =-D

« on: March 16, 2010, 06:14 PM »

Do you have a particularly exciting PSU? Hehe

- Oshyan

-JavaJones (March 16, 2010, 06:12 PM)

Yes...Its almost silent...No idea of the make/model (never thought to look) but silence is important for me, as this machine is currently setup in my bedroom and I like to keep my comp on 24/7 =D

3342

Developer's Corner / Facebook, Bebo and Myspace Application Developers Micro-Payment System

« on: March 16, 2010, 06:12 PM »

How It Works:

Spare Change is simple. Users fund their Spare Change account with their credit card, PayPal, bank account or mobile phone - or complete marketing offers and surveys. Users use Spare Change instantly on all of their favorite social network applications.

Raw Link: http://sparechangeinc.com

3343

Living Room / Cafepress Alternatives - Find out the truth about 'CP's' biggest competitors.

« on: March 16, 2010, 06:04 PM »

CafePress Alternatives & Competitors
Three main competitors are challenging CafePress. Links to each company and a review of each alternative "print on demand" service.
You've spent countless hours creating designs. Now you're ready to open your own online store & make money selling your T-shirts and merchandise! What print on demand service should you choose? Here are the three main competitors of CafePress.com so you can decide for yourself!

Raw Link: http://www.squidoo.c...afepress_alternative

3344

Living Room / Re: Yay, Upgrade time! - Inspire me with hardware I can buy =-D

« on: March 16, 2010, 05:03 PM »

I'm confused, are you suggesting that you're going to "upgrade" while sticking with this ancient hardware?

-JavaJones (March 16, 2010, 03:01 PM)

all hardware is going to be changed if needed...only thing I really want is my PSU haha

3345

Living Room / Facebook urged over 'panic button'

« on: March 16, 2010, 02:39 PM »

This isn't really Tech News worthy, so I figured I would post it as more of a rant, than anything that needs replies to...

Home Secretary Alan Johnson will hold talks with Facebook later this week about the social networking site's refusal to install a "panic button" to allow children to report suspected paedophiles.

Mr Johnson and junior Home Office minister Alan Campbell will meet representatives from the site in an attempt to persuade them to install the button, which links to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) centre.

Mr Campbell told MPs he could see no reason why Facebook and other social networking sites would not adopt the system.

Calls for Facebook to install the button on its website have intensified following the conviction of Peter Chapman for the kidnap, rape and murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall.

Convicted sex offender Chapman used a false identity to befriend and entrap the teenager through Facebook, which has some 23 million UK users.

Mr Campbell, responding to a debate in Parliament's Westminster Hall, said he was "disappointed" that not all social networking sites had added Ceop's "report abuse" panic button.

He said: "I expect those responsible for provision of services online to take responsibility for providing safety mechanisms and information to their users and, in the case of services where there can be communication between people who are not previously know to each other and where identities can be invented, to provide the click Ceop button to allow users who feel threatened or vulnerable to make a report."

Mr Campbell continued: "We have argued... that the Ceop button should be used by all of those sites and many sites have either agreed to take them or agreed to take them at some point in the future, such as Bebo.

"We see absolutely no reason why sites should not do so.

"Later this week the Home Secretary and I will be meeting with Facebook to impress upon them the need to allow users who feel threatened to have access to the Ceop button."

Source Website

<solution1>

Don't let your freakin kids use social networking websites!

<solution2>

From the Facebook Help Centre:

What is the minimum age required to sign up for Facebook? How old do you have to be?
In order to be eligible to sign up for Facebook, users must be thirteen (13) years of age or older.

Users who are 18 years or younger should have seriously restricted options on Facebook.  Now I know people lie, and kids lie all the damn time, but the ones who put their true age in, should have all friends requests, private messages, comments etc...moderated by their parents (Parents would have to sign their kids up and link their FB account to their children's)

Seems logical to me!


All in all, I do NOT agree with anybody under 18 using social networking websites...They can be very dangerous places.

Examples of websites that should be removed/changed:

Myspace
Faceparty
BEBO (Main culprit)

Bebo actually WANTS every child in the world to sign up...don't ask me why, or what their reasons are...but it is a nasty website and should be more heavily moderated.

Faceparty...well...go look at it...you will understand why I hate it!

Myspace is just crap...end of conversation on that...



End of Rant

3346

Living Room / Yay, Upgrade time! - Inspire me with hardware I can buy =-D

« on: March 16, 2010, 01:55 PM »

Hey guys,

In the next few weeks, I am hoping to find the time to upgrade what has become my main machine since I broke my beast 

Currently...I'm running on:

Onboard Graphics
Onboard Sound
1GB RAM
3.0GHz P4
19" 1080p Screen
Appx 4TB of HDD Space {Internal + External} (Prob the only good thing about this machine lol)


My MOBO doesn't support PCI-e or AGP...gawd knows why, but it doesn't matter much cause i have a gigabyte 7NF-RZ sat in a drawer of my PC table doing nothing and even though its old, it supports AGP, so if not good PCI gfx cards are available, then i suppose ill change my mobo to the GB one lol.


Anyone got any good ideas/links to what I should stick in the machine?

Thanks

-Stephen

 

3347

Living Room / Donationcoder: How did you find it + What has your experience been like so far.

« on: March 15, 2010, 09:27 PM »

Hey guys, was just talking in the Donation Coder IRC Channel and we got to talking about how we all found DC and its awesome forum

So, the question is, how did you find DC, and what do you think of it 

I was brought here by app103, and I LOVE it

3348

Living Room / Re: Stephen's Weekly Tech News - Edition 5

« on: March 15, 2010, 07:02 PM »

@Stephen - thanks again for your hard work to keep a quality Tech News column coming to us regularly!

-40hz (March 14, 2010, 09:16 PM)

Nice news update, thanks for this 

-mouser (March 15, 2010, 01:48 AM)

Thanks for bringing me up-to-date, again!     

-Lutz_ (March 15, 2010, 06:39 PM)

To all the above, Thanks for your support, but, in all honesty, it's not needed.  All I need to see, to be happy, and continue doing it, is a nice view count - Even if the views only hit 10-20, I would still do it, for those 10-20 people who wanted to read it.  (Any readers is a great amount haha)

15 memorable quotes from the Pirate Bay's Peter Sunde

The Pirate Bay's Peter Sunde was beamed into a conference room by Skype at South by South West Interactive today to talk to interviewer Elizabeth Stark about the Pirate Bay, his views on copyright and whether the Pirate Bay can ever be fully shut down.

While Sunde was often non-specific about the issues when pressed, he did drop some gems into the interview. Here are 15 of the most memorable quotes from his interview.

On why he didn't personally attend SXSWi:

"If I come to the US I will get so sued that I won't get out of the US for quite a while."

On the threatening letters received from lawyers...Read More...

-Stephen66515 (March 14, 2010, 07:15 PM)

I must admit, I found some of his 'Replies to legal threats' section on TPB rather amusing.

I don't agree with people who say he should be jailed, but I must say, I can't condone a lot of what he says/does.  He seems to live in the knowledge that nobody can touch him, and those who make a 1/2 decent effort, all fail and he will be back online within hours of being shut down! - At the end of the day though, .torrent files contain nothing illegal, its what they LINK to that is illegal (generally), so on that note, hes perfectly OK by me to keep his website up.

Can we really get done for showing people where illegal information is stored?  If so, could Google get done for listing TPB in their search engine?, Could Youtube get done for the amount of music videos (uploaded, and recorded ILLEGALLY) get done? Could any site that remotely mentions, or links to another that contains illegal data, get done?...I could go on and on but I don't want to get in to a huge rant about this!

ICANN delays decision on pornography domain

ICANN has delayed its ruling on the proposed .xxx internet porn domain until this summer.

Today, at its meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, the ICANN board voted to push a decision to its next get-together in Brussels this June, while giving its CEO and chief counsel two weeks to prepare recommendations on how to proceed with the .xxx proposal. These recommendations will then be open to comment for 45 days, the AP reports.
 

In 2005, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - the net's overseeing body - approved a longstanding proposal for a top-level domain dedicated to pornography. But after opposition from various governments - including the US, natch - it went on to...Read More...

I don't see why such a TLD would cause such problems over @ ICANN! - This TLD would certainly make the Internet a much safer place for children and people not wanting to fall across these websites...IMO, .xxx should be FORCED upon any website containing pornographic images/video's/data, and any running on generic TLD's (.com, .co.uk, .net, .info etc...) should be given the option to either A> Move to .xxx, or B> Shut down all its operations.

This should also be used for gambling websites (.GAM) maybe? and any other website we don't want children coming into contact with (Yes, i know...Use Filters and such, but even with that in place you have no such guarantees, if you could simply filter out .xxx and .gam websites then all is good and well with the world)

I agree that some websites will go under the radar, but if .xxx was given to companies for FREE, then why would they have any reason to try go under the radar?

Can a Clown-Nosed Wand Move the Needle for PS3?

Sony put PlayStation 3 fans in a tizzy by whipping out its latest controller, which it calls the "Move." It looks a whole lot like a black version of Nintendo's WiiMote controller, only it's got this big, clown-nose ball on the end of it. That ball actually serves a purpose. The Move's motion is partially registered by a...Read More...

As a huge PS3 fan, and a big follower of Sony, and Sony related products, I should feel bad for saying this, but, meh...I don't...

Seriously, the guys down at Sony need to get a grip on reality and bring us something new, fun, and interesting, rather than re-designing something readily available for OTHER consoles made by OTHER companies YEAR'S ago!

They say that we currently only use 15-18% of the PS3's possible power...so why not bring us something to make use of the 72-75% that we don't already use?!

Gimme 3D gaming, Gimme motion sensors...GIMME SOMETHING FUN

3349

Living Room / Stephen's Weekly Tech News - Edition 5

« on: March 14, 2010, 07:15 PM »

Well...It's been 5 Weeks since I took the reigns on the Tech News section and a lot has happened since I started.

I have had A LOT of great feedback since starting and I must thank you all for your support in my new roles, here on DC!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this weeks edition of your Tech News  

-Stephen


Obama to 'aggressively protect' intellectual property

As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama was young, a technology fan, and appeared to be an establishment outsider. For those reasons some techies hoped he might be sympathetic to copyright reform.

Those hopes are fading fast as President Obama appears to have lined up on the side of....Read More...


At SXSWi, Facebook flexes its gaming muscle

AUSTIN, Texas--Facebook envisions its technology as a powerful unifying force in the gaming world, games program manager Gareth Davis said to a packed house of eager coders at the social network's "Developer Garage" event on Sunday afternoon here. The get-together was held as part of the South by Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSWi), which drew developers and...Read More...


Shuttleworth heir opens up on Ubuntu biz

When you have Mark Shuttleworth as your backer, as commercial Linux distributor Canonical does, it is a bit like having money in the bank when the bank also believes fervently in your cause. It is a rare combination, and one that has allowed the Ubuntu project to reach out from its Linux desktop beginnings into commercial servers - and with the latest releases, cloudy infrastructure - without having the profit pressure that most startups have to deal with as they try to grow.

While Shuttleworth may be the...Read More...


Google '99.9%' certain to pull China search plug

Google is now "99.9 per cent" certain it will shut down its Chinese search engine, according to a report citing "a person familiar with the company's thinking."

The Financial Times reports that the web giant has drawn up detailed plans for closing Google.cn, saying the company's discussions with Chinese authorities reached an impasse. The news came hours after a Chinese minister warned Google that it would "have to bear the consequences" if it stopped censoring results on Google.cn.


On January 12, after alleged Chinese hackers pilfered some sort of intellectual property from the company, Google announced it had decided to "no longer" censor search results in China, saying it would spend "the next few weeks" in...Read More...


ICANN delays decision on pornography domain

ICANN has delayed its ruling on the proposed .xxx internet porn domain until this summer.

Today, at its meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, the ICANN board voted to push a decision to its next get-together in Brussels this June, while giving its CEO and chief counsel two weeks to prepare recommendations on how to proceed with the .xxx proposal. These recommendations will then be open to comment for 45 days, the AP reports.
 

In 2005, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - the net's overseeing body - approved a longstanding proposal for a top-level domain dedicated to pornography. But after opposition from various governments - including the US, natch - it went on to...Read More...


Android Has Enough Class for Opera

Users of Android smartphones now have a new option for browsing the Web: A beta version of Opera Mini 5 was released Thursday for the Linux-based Android platform. New features in the software, which is an upgrade to the current version 4.2, include tabbed browsing, Speed Dial, Opera Link and Download Manager...Read More


Can a Clown-Nosed Wand Move the Needle for PS3?

Sony put PlayStation 3 fans in a tizzy by whipping out its latest controller, which it calls the "Move." It looks a whole lot like a black version of Nintendo's WiiMote controller, only it's got this big, clown-nose ball on the end of it. That ball actually serves a purpose. The Move's motion is partially registered by a...Read More...


All Your Apps Are Belong to Apple: The iPhone Developer Program License Agreement

The entire family of devices built on the iPhone OS (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) have been designed to run only software that is approved by Apple—a major shift from the norms of the personal computer market. Software developers who want Apple's approval must first agree to the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement.

So today we're posting the "iPhone Developer Program License Agreement"—the contract that every developer who writes software for the iTunes App Store must "sign." Though more than 100,000 app developers have clicked "I agree," public copies of the agreement are scarce, perhaps thanks to the prohibition on making any "public statements regarding this Agreement, its terms and conditions, or the...Read More...

Thanks to 40hz for linking me to this story


Sniffing Out an HTML5 Conspiracy

Should the next version of HTML, the Web standard that embodies how pages are laid out and constructed, include explicit specifications for inline, 2-D dynamic graphics? There's valid arguments on both sides. One side believes that the ability to plot charts and animations would have been part of the original HTML standard anyway, had the technology existed on the back end in the beginning; giving HTML 2-D graphics now, they say, plugs a hole left open for too long. Another believes the...Read More...


15 memorable quotes from the Pirate Bay's Peter Sunde

The Pirate Bay's Peter Sunde was beamed into a conference room by Skype at South by South West Interactive today to talk to interviewer Elizabeth Stark about the Pirate Bay, his views on copyright and whether the Pirate Bay can ever be fully shut down.

While Sunde was often non-specific about the issues when pressed, he did drop some gems into the interview. Here are 15 of the most memorable quotes from his interview.

On why he didn't personally attend SXSWi:

"If I come to the US I will get so sued that I won't get out of the US for quite a while."

On the threatening letters received from lawyers...Read More...

Video of The Week

Thanks to mouser for the video to celebrate 'Pie Day'

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Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: [Freeware] BatchBlitz - batch process digital photos

« on: March 12, 2010, 08:03 PM »

 

3 Thumbs up for this software, Thanks you VERY much