Police raid Spanish copyright society in embezzlement case

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8 July 2011
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Senior officials in Spain’s Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE), the country’s leading collection society for songwriters and composers, face embezzlement charges in the wake of a Friday raid on the organization’s offices. (A collecting society collects licensing fees for public performances of music and distributes them to artists and record companies.)

According to Spanish newspaper El País, the investigation is focused on José Luis Rodríguez Neri, the head of an SGAE subsidiary called the Digital Society of Spanish Authors (SDAE). Neri faces charges of “fraud, misappropriation of funds and disloyal administration.” On Monday, a High Court judge grilled him for more than four hours over the charges — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Heavy Metal Quilts / Ben Venom

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8 July 2011
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Don’t Wake Me Lucifer! / 83″ x 95″ / 2010 Hand-made Quilt, Heavy Metal T-Shirts, Fabric, Batting, Thread

Ben Venom might be handy with a sewing machine and embroidery floss, but that doesn’t mean he’s not capital-H Hardcore. Venom’s quilts are made from vintage metal band shirts. Why? Because it’s brutaaaaal. The artist’s statement on Venom’s site describes his work as a collision of Iron Maiden Metal ballads with the outrageous stage antics of Ozzy Osbourne. Check out more of his work on his site, or at the BAN6: Visual Arts Exhibition, Group Show at the YBCA Gallery in San Francisco — via Neatorama

News of the World: Will closure save News International?

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8 July 2011
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News International has decided that this Sunday’s News of the World will be the last edition of the paper to be published.

It has clearly decided that the brand is too badly tainted to allow it to continue within News International.

But will cutting the News of the World out of the group be enough to allow News International to prosper in the future? — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Stairwell Bookcase / Trout Studios

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7 July 2011
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Some shelves can be reached from a floor, adjacent landing or triangle-shaped spiral stairs, but what about the rest? As it turns out, a remote-controlled chain hoist attached to a bosun’s chair (stable climbing harness) while readers ride up and down to retrieve volumes.

Sallie Trout went fairly far out of her normal interior, furniture, lighting and hardware design experience to create this towering family library right in the centre of her own home — via Dornob

Bionic glasses for poor vision

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7 July 2011
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In Health, Science, Technology
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A set of glasses packed with technology normally seen in smartphones and games consoles is the main draw at one of the featured stands at this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.

But the exhibit isn’t about the latest gadget must-have, it’s all about aiding those with poor vision and giving them greater independence — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Squatters: Who are they and why do they squat?

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7 July 2011
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Many people’s idea of squatters will be gleaned from media reports of young people occupying multi-million pound houses in the UK’s most exclusive postcodes. Less frequently, there will be sensational stories about owners returning from holiday to find squatters in their house.

The predominant media image is one of posh, anti-establishment eco-warriors who spend their rent-money on parties and devote their energies to sustainable living. The counter-argument from squatters is that they often endear themselves to neighbours by fixing up derelict properties and establishing cafes, art galleries and workshops in their new homes.

But what is the reality? — via redwolf.newsvine.com

A high-tech ordering system removes the middleman from restaurants

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7 July 2011
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A London restaurant has created a high-tech solution for unpronounceable ingredients and tardy wait staff.

Asian-themed restaurant Inamo, in London’s theatre district is projecting images of dragon rolls, black cod, and other dishes directly onto diners’ plates.

Ready to place your order? Just tap the touchpad — your sashimi will be with you shortly — via redwolf.newsvine.com

I’m not racist, but…

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7 July 2011
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The recent screening of the observational documentary Go Back To Where You Came From on SBS shocked many people by some blunt displays of racist attitudes. The program forced many to consider how some people find it acceptable to admit to such attitudes in a modern society where racism is generally regarded as abhorrent. Why do some people dislike or fear people they have never met but who look different? Is racism learned or have we evolved to distrust the unknown?

Racism, or racial prejudice, is usually a negative attitude towards the members of some group, based solely on their membership in that group, says a social psychology lecturer at the University of Sydney, Dr Fiona White. Some approaches argue that racism is hardwired and that we have evolved to distrust people from racial groups other than ours. Other approaches argue that racism is learnt though our family, peers and the media. — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Door Wrench / Tirdad Kiamanesh

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7 July 2011
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Instead of waiting for your door handle to break on its own, then pulling wrenching it open, this clever grip skips straight to the toolbox for design inspiration.

Tirdad Kiamanesh of Tehran, Iran, envisions simple glossy metal, matte black or coated and coloured finishes for the attachment hardware as well as the rotating hand grip, making them a fit for any setting offbeat enough to handle them — via Dornob

Teen finds free net hole on Voda, Optus

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7 July 2011
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A 19-year-old from Grafton, New South Wales has found a hole in the mobile broadband networks of both Optus and Vodafone that allows users free access to the internet.

Tim Williams, manager of Black Hat Computers, told ZDNet Australia that he was able to gain free access to any website using an Optus prepaid account, which includes free access to social sites such as Facebook.com, as part of its plan — via redwolf.newsvine.com

My Summer at an Indian Call Center

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7 July 2011
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In Business
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My coworkers were happy to give me a rundown of the different nationalities they’d encountered. Britishers get angry, said Nidhi. Still, they are subtle — they’ll say something sarcastic under the breath.

Americans will just shout at you, Sube said. Mittu agreed: I have only been cursed by Americans. They are sharp-witted and very articulated and yet very free with their anger.

Most customers are well-behaved, they assured me. Still, each agent had a stockpile of best- and worst-call anecdotes. I remember quite well this guy who just called me up and said out of nowhere, ‘You fucking Paki,’ Arnab told me during a break. We don’t take those things personally; it’s part of the job. So I just said, very calmly, ‘Yes sir, if I am a Paki, then this Paki would be helping you fix your computer.’ By the end of the call, he apologized and gave me a five-star feedback rating — via redwolf.newsvine.com

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