WINDING DOWN
An idiosyncratic look at, and comment on, the week's net and technology news
by Alan Lenton
It's not raining this week. That makes it very difficult to complain - except, of course, that it's too hot. We are having what is laughingly known as an Indian Summer, and there is no air-conditioning either at work, or at home. It's almost enough to make you believe in global warming...
Over the last few weeks, stuff has accumulated that I didn't have room for in WD, so this week, in amongst the new stuff, there is a smattering of bits left over from the last month - material that was not quite so time sensitive.
So, lets go...
Shorts:
I note with some interest that Hotfile is suing Warner Brothers for copyright fraud and abuse! Hotfile is a Florida based file-hosting service and is accusing Warner of systematically abusing its (Hotfile's) anti-piracy tools by taking down hundreds of titles they don't own the copyright to - including open source software. Hotfile is demanding damages to compensate it for the losses it suffered as a result.
Hotfile developed a tool (known as SRA) to allow copyright holders to remove files, as long as they hold the rights to them. As Hotfile explained, in its complaint, "Every time Warner used the SRA tool it expressly certified ‘under penalty of perjury that [it is] the owner or an authorized legal representative of the owner of copyrights' and it 'has a good faith belief’ that use of this material is not authorized by the copyright owner".
Hotfile is currently engaged in other litigation with various movie studios, and was recently ordered by the court to share detailed information on its users and affiliates. Presumably this is part of its fight back against studios - accusing Warner of violation of the DCMA, intentional interference with a contractual or business relationship, and negligence. It'll be interesting to see how this one pans out!
https://torrentfreak.com/hotfile-sues-warner-bros-for-copyright-fraud-and-abuse-110913/
About a month ago a new '.xxx' domain was opened up. Stop sniggering at the back! The idea we were told, by the powers that be, was that explicit content would move off the .com and similar domains to .xxx and help clean up the net. The idea was warmly welcomed by a number of campaigners. Those who were a little more clued up, suggested that the whole thing was a scam to blackmail companies with existing to domains, forcing them to take up .xxx domains, which they have no use for, in order to protect their good name.
Well, a month has now passed and the figures are now in, and they speak for themselves. Over 10,000 companies have been forced to apply to have domains containing their brands. Given that this costs between US$200 and US$300 a go, and some will need to pay a subsequent annual fee in the region of US$100, this is a nice little earner - US$2 million minimum. The suggestion by some organizations that this amounts to extortion seems a little on the mild side in the circumstances. Large whiskeys all round at ICM, the recipient of this ill-gotten bounty.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/16/domain_firm_rakes_in_cash_from_pr0n_shy_companies/
Oops! I see that the US Treasury has a little problem with its new $100 bills. They now have $110 billion worth of them sitting in the vaults at Fort Worth, while they try to figure out how to deal with an unknown number of them that have a serious printing error that leaves a blank strip down the middle. Given that the problem is a direct result of new security measures applied to the bills, this is more than a little embarrassing!
I don't think it's a problem though. No one will use them anyway - with the possible exception of tourists, who will find no one takes them, anyway, except money changers. From long experience I've learned that US citizens' love affair with the $1 bill has true material effects in the real world. If you visit the US, the bureau de change at the airport will give you your US specie in $50 and $20 bills, with possible the odd $10, if you are lucky.
When you get there you find that most shops and diners will accept the $10 and $20 bills. If you are lucky they might accept a $50, though you will be regarded with extreme suspicion. In all cases, the change will come back in one dollar bills. If fact, the US is the only country I have ever visited where my wallet got fatter the more I spent! I suspect that this is the secret weapon of the all conquering dollar...
In the meantime I suspect the chances of persuading any true blooded US citizen to accept $100 bills, even if they are correctly printed, ranges from small to zilch.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/40521684/
The US Treasury aren't the only ones that are embarrassed. Microsoft managed to put out an update for its anti-virus software that deleted the Chrome Browser. Calm down! I know the immediate reaction is to build up an exciting new conspiracy theory around this, but I'd remind you of Occam's razor. In this case, never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence!
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/faulty-microsoft-av-update-nukes-chrome-browser/9515
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_razor
Most people in London have spent the last week online reporting holes in the road. It's our Mayor's new initiative. All sorts of people are always digging holes in the road here. They then leave them unfilled in for weeks on end causing massive traffic disruption. No one else would put up with it, but it seems to be part of the English psyche just to accept this. Until now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGk4AKOwJbc
http://www.brentfordtw8.com/default.asp?section=info&link=http://nnet-server.com/server/common/eroadworks001.htm
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadworks
Homework:
What makes road intersections dangerous for traffic and pedestrians? It's not just loony pedestrians, stupid cyclists, mad car drivers and foreign truck drivers. Traffic engineers have long known that there are traffic intersection black spots that are notorious for accidents that are somehow associated with the layout of the intersection. These intersections have been an object of research for a long time (except in the UK, where they are regarded as an excellent excuse to put up yet more traffic cameras).
Now, however, a PhD student in Tel Aviv University, Gennady Waizman, has come up with a computer simulation program which integrates robotics and statistics on driver and pedestrian behavior to figure out what the factors are that create black spots. It's called SAFEPED and it allows traffic planners and engineers to analyze and fix dangerous intersections. The engineers can also test and rearrange the architecture of a planned junction and design it for optimal safety.
Take a look at the URL - the theory behind how it works is fascinating, and is based on what people can see at the junction, and how they make judgments based on that information.
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-safeped-cities-dangerous-intersections.html
Last month saw the death of Keith Tantlinger. Who's he, I hear you ask. Well, he is the guy who invented the mechanism that connects and locks together shipping containers. And in so doing, he completely revolutionized world trade. With shipping containers it now costs more or less the same to ship goods anywhere in the world, something which completely changed the patterns of world trade in the same way as the introduction of steam ships did in the late 19th century.
I never though about it before, until I found a fascinating piece on shipping containers on The Register. Yes, I know, only a sad case like me would have even thought, "That looks interesting..." and clicked on the link! It -is- an interesting explanation though. Take a look.
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2011/09/19/keith_tatlinger_shipping_container_inventor_dies/
Geek Toys:
In the late 1960s I was a student studying physics, engineering and astronomy at university. On my way home I used to pass a high class apartment block. Parked outside was -the- car - a Jensen Interceptor. <Sigh> It was fabulous. Other supercars have come and gone over the years, and all the flashy cars of the sixties and seventies now look dated, except the Jensen. I always wanted one, I still do - even more than an AlienWare computer.
Thus it was with some interest that I noted that the marque is being revived. Judging from the pictures it may well be a worthy successor to that car that caused me to be late getting home so frequently all those years ago! Sadly, I still can't afford one. But those of my readers who bought Google shares in the early days might just be able to find some loose change...
http://www.gizmag.com/new-jensen-interceptor/19895/
And while we are talking about cars, perhaps you'd prefer a little something at the other end of the scale? The world's oldest still running car is on the auction block this month. It's an 1884 de Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout. As you would guess from the name it's steam powered and takes about half an hour to get steamed up, but then you can take it for a run and try and reach its claimed top speed of 37mph. Oh, and one other thing - you need to add more water every 20 miles!
http://www.gizmag.com/worlds-oldest-running-car-for-sale/19924/
On the other hand (or the alien equivalent, or the gripping hand if you are a sci-fi fan), it may be that you'd prefer something cute rather than ostentatious? Then I've got just the thing for you - TankBots from MyDeskPets. They are small, colorful, and zip around your desk under the control of an android or iPhone application. At a mere $25 each they are affordable even in the current cash strapped economy. I suspect these will sell like hot cakes once the Xmas shopping starts!
http://thecoolgadgets.com/mydeskpets-tankbot-ios-and-android-rc-toy/
Scanner:
Video: "Internet Censorship Secret Planning Meeting" (I couldn't resist this - A.L.)
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000859.html
Breakthrough could double wireless capacity with no new towers
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-breakthrough-wireless-capacity-towers.html
Google unfurls Dead Sea Scrolls
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/26/dead_sea_scrolls/
How to steal your way to #1 in the copyright wars
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000896.html
What is pseudoscience?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-is-pseudoscience&WT.mc_id=SA_WR_20110922
Acknowledgements
Thanks to readers Barb, Fi, and to Slashdot's daily newsletter for drawing my attention to material used in this issue.
Please send suggestions for stories to alan@ibgames.com and include the words Winding Down in the subject line, unless you want your deathless prose gobbled up by my voracious Spamato spam filter...
Alan Lenton
alan@ibgames.com
2 October, 2011
Alan Lenton is an on-line games designer, programmer and sociologist, the order of which depends on what he is currently working on! His web site is at http://www.ibgames.net/alan.
Past issues of Winding Down can be found at http://www.ibgames.net/alan/winding/index.html.
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