Canadian Ministers of Education are pushing a copyright proposal that will harm Internet access and a copyright group is seeking to create a new license for Internet content. Access Copyright, a copyright collective, wants to use a new international text standard to license everything from books to blogs. Geist outlines in his blog how Canadians can fight back against these proposals — via Slashdot
There’s a new video codec out there that claims to offer up to 40 percent better video quality
but that resets your computer’s DNS settings — opening the way for Trojans, rootkits or whatever. Techworld warns that zCodec looks professional enough, is widely available, and comes in at 100KB — via Slashdot
Researchers at Microsoft have completed work on a prototype framework called BrowserShield that promises to intercept and remove, on the fly, malicious code hidden on Web pages, instead showing users safe equivalents of those pages. The BrowserShield project, an outgrowth of the company’s Shield
initiative, could one day even become Microsoft’s answer to zero-day browser exploits such as the WMF (Windows Metafile) attack that spread like wildfire in December 2005
The naturalist and television star Steve Irwin has died in a diving accident in far north Queensland. He was 44. Police say he was stung through the heart by a stingray while diving off Port Douglas. He was filming a documentary when the accident occurred around midday AEST near the Low Isles
The recently released Browzar
web browser, based on the Internet Explorer core, is designed to protect a user’s privacy whilst surfing the Internet and be an effective throw-away
browser. However many who deal with the removal of malware have flagged this software as malware. The application Browzar has been branded adware
by many because it directs web searches to online adverts. Some technical experts also say Browzar, which claims to leave no trail of web pages visited, does not work. Browzar’s developers say they are examining the feedback but strongly deny that it is adware
Brazilian authorities have given Google Brazil 15 days to turn over user information from web sites that promote criminal activity, threatening the company with $US23,000 in daily fines if it does not comply
UK graffiti virtuoso Banksy has smuggled 500 doctored versions of Paris Hilton’s new CD into stores across the country. The CD contain Banksy’s remixes and have titles like Why am I Famous?
, What Have I Done?
and What Am I For?
— via Boing Boing
After walking the Great Wall of China and making plans for a trip to Russia, Shirley Greening-Jackson thought signing up for a new internet service would be a doddle. But the young man behind the counter had other ideas. He said she was barred — because she was too old
New Orleans resident Mark Morice is credited with having rescued over 200 people from the flood immediately following Hurricane Katrina, using an idle boat he comandeered. The owner of that boat is now suing Morice for using the craft to save fellow citizens’ lives without receiving permission
, and claims grief, mental anguish, embarrassment and suffering… due to the removal of the boat
— via Boing Boing
The American Astronomical Unions Division of Planetary Scientists recognises the IAU’s authority to make a new planet defintion but expects it to be altered. Separately, 300 astronomers have signed a petition saying they won’t use the definition. All this stems from the discontent over how only 424 astronomers voted on the proposal that demoted Pluto — via Slashdot
The state of California is embarking on a ground-breaking effort to curb global warming, following an agreement between Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state’s movie star Republican Governor, and the Democrat-dominated state legislature, to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2020
The iPod manufacturer at the heart of a recent sweat shop
allegation has been ordered by the Chinese government to allow workers to set up a union. This is not necessarily a wonderful thing for the workers, as the unions have a nasty habit of allying themselves with the managers
Endangered red wolves are living in areas that the Navy has earmarked for a landing strip for jets, according to an environmental group that opposes plans for the airfield
The engine is on fire, the nose is pointing straight down and, wouldn’t you know it, the canopy is covered in glue: after 54 years, Airfix was crashing and burning yesterday. In a moment poignant to several generations of paint-covered schoolboys and their long-suffering mothers, the company responsible for more arguments over the proper use of a kitchen table than any other has gone into administration — via Feòrag
Gene therapy has eradicated cancer from two dying men using genetically modified versions of their own cells. Both were suffering from advanced melanoma but the technique could be customised to attack other common cancers
Apple Computer’s announcement that Google CEO Eric Schmidt would be joining its board of directors has thrown new light on a longstanding partnership
Remember Hymn? You should, back in the day (like, um, 2004) it allowed you to strip the FairPlay DRM right off iTunes Music Store bought files just like that; well, it’s been a long time in coming, but a new app called QTFairUse6 looks like it can now be used (with some amount of difficulty) to dump iTunes version 6.0.4 – 6.0.5 files of their chastely protection
The 41-year-old Lockheed Martin engineer had complained to his bosses. He had told his story to government investigators. He had called congressmen. But when no one seemed to be stepping up to correct what he saw as critical security flaws in a fleet of refurbished Coast Guard patrol boats, De Kort did just about the only thing left he could think of to get action: He made a video and posted it on YouTube.com — via Slashdot
A century after they were wiped out by hunters and a burgeoning population, wolves have returned to parts of eastern Germany as factories close down, businesses fail and people move out
You can now geotag your photos on Flickr through a reasonably simple to use drag and drop interface. Nifty!
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