Germany lifts Doom sales ban after 17 years

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2 September 2011
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A German ban on selling Doom to teenagers has been lifted after 17 years.

The classic video game was put on an index of controlled titles in 1994 as it was deemed likely to harm youth.

Like pornography, sales of the violent shoot ’em up were restricted to adult-only stores.

The rules have been relaxed because officials believe that Doom is now only of artistic and scientific interest and will not appeal to youngsters.

However, one version of the game remains on the index because it features Nazi symbols on some levels — via redwolf.newsvine.com

New Zealand’s 3 strikes Anti-Piracy Law Starts

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2 September 2011
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Today the Copyright Infringing File Sharing Act officially came into force in New Zealand.

Those who are caught sharing copyrighted material online will from now on receive warning letters via their ISP.

On receipt of a third notice, copyright holders can take Internet account holders to the Copyright Tribunal where they will face fines of up to $15,000 and disconnection — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Remember our responsibility to protect refugees

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2 September 2011
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The government’s Malaysia Solution has been scuttled by the High Court. The government is casting about for alternatives. The opposition is gloating and urging a revival of the Pacific Solution and reintroduction of temporary protection visas. Both need to step back and take a good look at what they are trying to do, apart from political point-scoring — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Modernist-inspired house / Cheltenham

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1 September 2011
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In Design
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I’m sure it would have been tempting for the developers of this mini estate to knock up something mock Georgian, especially in light of the area. But this modernist-inspired four-bedroom house for sale in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire thankfully pushes the boundaries a little more.

If you want cutting edge, this is likely to be for you. Just as long as you have £725,000 — via WowHaus

Graphene could help boost broadband internet speeds

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1 September 2011
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Graphene, the strongest material on Earth, could help boost broadband internet speed, say UK researchers.

Scientists from Manchester and Cambridge universities, have found a way to improve its sensitivity when used in optical communications systems.

Their discovery paves the way for faster electronic components, such as the receivers used in fibre optic data connections.

Graphene was discovered in 2004 and has been hailed as a wonder material — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Man beheads self using rope, tree, and SUV

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1 September 2011
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A Chicago man who quickly accelerated in a sport utility vehicle with a cable around his neck decapitated himself after a domestic dispute in Yorktown, authorities said on Tuesday.

York-Poquoson Sheriff Danny Diggs said a deputy responding to a call of a domestic disturbance on Tuesday was taking a statement from the man’s ex-wife when another deputy driving by noticed an SUV pulling a utility trailer that was on fire. Authorities say the man started the fire.

A firefighter noticed a cable around the man’s neck that was attached to a tree. When deputies tried to get the man to exit the SUV, he accelerated and was pulled from the vehicle and decapitated, they say. The SUV kept going for about 150 yards — via redwolf.newsvine.com

US studios avoided Telstra battle and went after iiNet instead in copyright case

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1 September 2011
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Leaked documents from the US Embassy in Canberra reveal that Hollywood studios chose to go after third-largest internet provider iiNet, rather than Telstra, in a hard-fought online copyright case set to be heard for a third time by the High Court in Sydney.

The group of 34 companies, including Village Roadshow and the Seven Network, has this month been granted special leave to appeal a full bench Federal Court decision in February upholding Justice Dennis Cowdroy’s landmark 2010 ruling that Perth-based ISP iiNet had not authorised its customers to infringe copyright online.

WikiLeaks‘ latest release of cables includes one dated November 30, 2008 — just 10 days after the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) filed legal action claiming iiNet had infringed copyright by not taking reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised use of films and TV programs by its customers.

And the cable, from US Ambassador Robert McCallum, shows the studios wanted to avoid a stoush with the big guns Telstra BigPond, which holds about half of the local market — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Giant Anteater Baby / Atris Zoo

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1 September 2011
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Late Friday night, Amsterdam’s Atris Zoo welcomed its third baby Giant Anteater. The delivery took a little over an hour, after which the baby climbed on the back of its mother, where it will spend the better part of its first year of anteater life. The young are almost invisible to predators on their mothers’ backs, as the stripes of mother and baby naturally blend together.

Giant Anteaters have a remarkably long snout, a 60 inch tongue and long claws on the forelegs. The gestation period of the great anteater is about six months — via ZooBorns

Split-Minded about Smoking

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31 August 2011
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In Health, Science
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However, in my time studying, discussing, and thinking about these issues, I came across a new horn of the dilemma. I discovered that the severely mentally ill members of our country are smokers in massive numbers. For example, more than 80% of schizophrenics are smokers (some studies show numbers as high as 95%). The self-reported reasons for smoking by schizophrenics are the same as those for the general population: relaxation and habit. However, there has been a growing body of evidence, which many have now termed proof, that schizophrenics are using cigarette smoking as a means of self-medication — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Valve: DRM is Backwards and Piracy is Just Not an Issue for Us

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31 August 2011
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In the eyes of many gamers, Portal publisher Valve can do no wrong and their latest comments aren’t likely to hurt their image.

Speaking with Kotaku, Valve co-founder and managing director Gabe Newell has slammed aggressive DRM and dismissed piracy as a non-issue.

We’re a broken record on this, Newell told Kotaku.

This belief that you increase your monetisation by making your game worth less through aggressive digital rights management is totally backwards.

It’s a service issue, not a technology issue. Piracy is just not an issue for us — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Flesh-eating bacteria cases jump

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31 August 2011
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An outbreak of a flesh-eating bacteria that can lead to limb amputations is plaguing several Victorian coastal towns.

The Bairnsdale ulcer outbreak is shaping to be the worst on record and there are fears the bacteria could be spreading.

Barwon Health deputy director of infectious diseases Daniel O’Brien said the condition had been detected from East Gippsland to Frankston and there was a also a strong concentration on the Bellarine Peninsula.

He said 35 cases had been recorded in Victoria this year compared with 20 at the same time last year and urged residents of affected areas, as well as visitors, to remain vigilant.

The bacteria is thought to be spread mostly by mosquitoes, but could also be caused by sandflies and other insects, or through cuts caused by thorns or bushes. Cuts that come in contact with mud or dirt can also become infected — via redwolf.newsvine.com

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