Arrests made in theft of source code for gameSource: AP
Authorities have arrested suspects in a case involving the theft of software blueprints for the hotly awaited action computer game 'Half-Life 2,' the FBI said yesterday.
FBI Agent Ray Lauer in Seattle confirmed the arrests but would not comment further because it is an ongoing case being investigated by the Northwest Cyber Crime Task Force, a Seattle-based group of federal, state and local investigators.
Game developer Valve Software said in a statement Thursday that arrests has been made in 'several countries,' and lauded video game fans for providing thousands of tips that helped lead to the arrests.
Lauer wouldn't say when or where the arrests were made, how many persons were involved or what charges the suspects might face."
Arrests made in theft of source code for game
Seen on bugtraq, must be truehttp://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-5229707.htmlhttp://news.com.com/2100-1002_3-5229707.html IE flaws used to spread pop-up toolbar
by Robert Lemos, CNET News, 09 June 2004
"The possibility that a group or company has apparently used the vulnerabilities as a way to sneak unwanted advertising software, or adware, onto a user's computer could be grounds for criminal charges, said Stephen Toulouse, security program manager for Microsoft.
"We consider that any use of an exploit to run a program is a criminal use," he said. "We are going to work aggressively with law enforcement to prosecute individuals or companies that do so."
Bar Owners Push Amendment To Statewide Smoking BanBar owners are trying to breathe new life into their effort to change New York's smoking ban. On Tuesday, they offered a proposal to state legislators.
“We are not talking about repealing this ban; we are talking about sensibly amending this ban,” said David Rabin of the New York Nightlife Association.
Two trade groups want to allow smoking in bars that install air filters. Owners contend the air will still be clean and their businesses will pick up lost customers.
To help their cause, the groups commissioned a study that found 2,000 jobs have been lost in bars and taverns since the ban went into effect nearly a year ago. But the analysis isn't up to date, because the study isn't based on numbers from 2004.
Supporters of the ban say the number of people working in the industry has actually gone up, and they say air filters are not a good solution.
“People get tricked into staying in environments that are toxic, but they don’t know it,” said Russell Sciandra of the Center for a Tobacco Free New York.
If the amendment is passed, it would have no direct impact on New York City, since the city's own law is stricter than the state's. But bar owners hope it would put pressure on Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council.
But first the state has to give its approval.
Senate and Assembly leaders signaled that they're reluctant to go along with it, and revisiting the issue seems unlikely given all the business still before lawmakers. With just two weeks before the end of session, there's no budget and no sign of when it will get done.
NY1: NY Living
Still wishing I had an ipodAvailable to Mac and PC users starting in July for $129, the 6-ounce hub also features analog and digital audio outputs that can be connected to a home stereo, analog speakers or digital 5.1 surround sound systems. The device also comes with Apple's new AirTunes music networking software so users can stream their iTunes music collection to any room in the house.
Apple Plugs Into 802.11g
Mayor Proposes "Common Sense" Noise Code
Source:NY1
opinion instead of scientific instruments, yeah, I trust cops tooMayor Michael Bloomberg Monday proposed reforming the city?s noise control laws to allow police to use their own judgment instead of a sound meter to crack down on the worst offenders.
New Yorkers complain more about noise than any other ?quality of life? issue. The city's 311 hotline logs some 1,000 noise complaints a day.
?What we are trying to do is make that law enforcement more understandable and lead to constructive solutions,? the mayor said. ?The reason you have fines isn?t to raise money; it?s to discourage certain kinds of behavior. And this does a better job at that, we think, than the existing law.?
The new code would crack down on the worst offenders, which include construction sites, bars and nightclubs and car alarms. Instead of using handheld decibel counters, police would be able to issue summonses based on what is ?plainly audible.?
?This is a common sense approach to enforcement, and lets cops use their judgment,? Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. ?The audible standard is going to make our job much easier.?
The new code needs the approval of the City Council, which will hold hearings on the matter over the summer.
Sony pulls Clie from US market I know I am late on the post but I did talk abou tit with a lot of
people, buy a pocket pc, they are going to stay for a whileIn a surprise announcement, Sony said it will stop selling Clie PDAs in the
US and any other markets outside Japan for the rest of the year while it is
reassessing the market. Needless to say, this is a severe blow for Palm. It
is also symptomatic for the PDA industry's inability to translate the
initial concept of a personal digital assistant into exciting products that
people really want. It's not that Sony didn't try. In its three years in the
Palm OS market, Sony introduced a flurry of some 30 Clies, trying every
which way to ignite consumer interest. Unfortunately, Sony was always long
on style and short on a clear direction. As a result, each Clie seemed to go
off in a different direction, trying this and that, while paying little
attention to the one feature that the sadly shrinking pool of PDA buyers do
seem to care about: communications. To be blunt: the handwriting has been on
the wall. The PDA has been meandering without much direction for years. Most
products are boring and in search of an identity. As a result, cell phone
makers cleverly incorporated PDA features into a new generation of
"smartphones." That most of those assimilated/mimicked features are poorly
implemented and often barely work doesn't matter. After all, phones are
almost free. You pay later via long-term service contracts. This is not what
we had hoped for. Sayonara Sony. You meant well, but you should have
listened better
