Weird
Ikee worm author gets developer job
Nov 27th
Ashley Towns, who is 21, wrote on his Twitter feed earlier today that he had got the job at the firm, which markets itself as Australia’s “leading iPhone development company”.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/161484,ikee-worm-author-gets-developer-job.aspx
New Dating Sites Match People Through DNA Tests
Nov 15th
Looking for love? Try leaning in for a … cheek swab.
A couple of genetic testing companies are promising to match couples based on the DNA testing, touting the benefits of biological compatibility.
IGF 2009 event rattled by UN Security Office
Nov 15th
An anti-censorship group holding an event Sunday at the United Nations-sponsored Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, was disrupted by UN officials who demanded removal of a poster that mentioned Internet firewalls in China.
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=F8ADF7C8-1A64-6A71-CE073A625C5A81C3
Swiss privacy commissioner miffed, taking Google to court
Nov 15th
Loved by many, Google’s Street View feature remains controversial among users and consumer groups who are concerned about privacy. The latest uproar comes from Switzerland’s Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), which claims Google hasn’t taken sufficient measures to protect citizens’ privacy and is now threatening to take the company to federal court.
Consent will be required for cookies in Europe
Nov 13th
The fate of Europe’s cookie law became improbably entwined with a debate over file-sharing. To cut a long story short, it broke free. On 26th October, it was voted through by the Council of the EU. It cannot be stopped and awaits only the rubber-stamp formalities of signature and publication.
MPAA Shuts Down Town’s Municipal WiFi Over 1 Download
Nov 12th
“The MPAA has successfully shut down an entire town’s municipal WiFi because a single user was found to be downloading a copyrighted movie. Rather than being embarrassed by this gross example of collective punishment (a practice outlawed in the Geneva conventions) against Coshocton, OH, the MPAA’s spokeslizard took the opportunity to cry poor (even though the studios are bringing in record box-office and aftermarket receipts).”
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/12/mpaa-shuts-down-enti.html
Convicted Murderer Sues Wikipedia, Demands Removal of His Name
Nov 12th
“Our client has served 15 years of his life sentence for murdering Mr. Sedlmayr in 1990. He has been released on parole [sic] in August 2007. His rehabilitation and his future life outside the prison system is severely impacted by your unwillingness to anonymize any articles dealing with the murder of Mr. Sedlmayr with regard to our client’s involvement,” according to the Oct. 27 cease-and-desist letter, which demands legal fees and compensation for “emotional suffering.”
Brazilian Blackout Traced to Sooty Insulators, Not Hackers
Nov 10th
SAO PAULO, Brazil — A massive 2007 electrical blackout in Brazil has been newly blamed on computer hackers, but was actually the result of a utility company’s negligent maintenance of high voltage insulators on two transmission lines. That’s according to reports from government regulators and others who investigated the incident for more than a year.
Murdoch: We’ll probably remove our sites from Google’s index
Nov 9th
Murdoch claimed that readers who randomly reach a page via search have little value to advertisers. Asked by Sky News political editor David Speers why News hasn’t therefore made its sites invisible to Google, Murdoch replied: “I think we will.”
http://mumbrella.com.au/murdoch-well-probably-remove-our-sites-from-googles-index-11366
Massive Power Outages In Brazil Caused By Hackers
Nov 8th
A series of power outages affecting millions of people in Brazil in 2005 and 2007 were the result of cyber attacks, “60 Minutes” has learned. The two-day event in Espirito Santo State affecting more than three million people in 2007 and another, smaller event in three cities north of Rio de Janeiro in January 2005 were perpetrated by hackers manipulating control systems.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/06/60minutes/main5555565.shtml
