Guilty Plea: Blind Hacker Admits Harassment, Eavesdropping, Fraud

A legally blind Massachusetts phone hacker admitted this week to federal computer intrusion and witness intimidation charges that could put him away for as long as 13 years.Matthew Weigman, 18, pleaded guilty to two felonies before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney in Dallas on Tuesday. Known in the telephone party-line scene as "Li'l Hacker," Weigman is widely considered one of the best phone hackers alive. (Poulsen, 2009)

As much as I admire this guy,using your hacking abilities to harass people is just sick.Now the only reason I admire this guy,is that he was able to hack phone networks(phonephreaking as its called in the scene) while being "legally" blind.The only thing i want to do is find out how blind he was,you know do a test(wave my finger across his face or something),'cause nowadays it's mad easy to be "legally" disabled(having a broken toe).

Poulsen, Kevin (200,,30). Guilty Plea: Blind Hacker Admits Harassment, Eavesdropping, Fraud. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/01/guilty-plea-bli.html

House Kills Digital TV Delay; Still Set for Feb. 17

The House, led by minority Republicans, killed a bill Tuesday that would have delayed the nation's switchover to digital television by four months. The legislative sideshow threatened to push back the rollout until June 12 (not really, but read on) which is now still on track to occur Feb. 17 -- ready or not.And while the bill would not have exactly solved the readiness issue it is a virtual certainty now that something in the neighborhood of 6 million U.S. homes will be seeing snow instead of their favorite programs on the family set in less than three weeks -- unless this inaction by Congress somehow spurs tremendous behavior modification by analog stragglers to do the things they haven't bothered to do for the past three years. (C Abell, 2009)

I told you(read my blog,you'll what im talking about),congress wouldn't let this bill pass,it was just too ridiculous.Those hillbilles aren't gonna stall what i've been for so long(2 years).Seriously,how much time do you need?How hard is it to get up and go to your local CircuitCity(broke now) I mean best buy and get one of those converter boxes?You can't say you forgot cause those digital commercials are annoyingly on all day.Anyways,I win you lose.

C Abell, John (2009,1,28). House Kills Digital TV Delay; Still Set for Feb. 17. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/01/house-kills-dig.html

Google warns entire Internet is malware

TechCrunch and CNET reported around 7 a.m. PST that every site found via Google search was flagged with this message: "This site may harm your computer." As part of Google's malware protection, clicking on a flagged site's link would pull up an additional warning. Although a link could simply be cut and paste, Google's warning was unnerving enough to keep some people from pushing their luck. (Weinstein, 2009)

Of course the only thing that could possibly bring down Google are humans(useless.just kidding,chill).It's normal for searchengines to have a little hiccup once in a while even if it is google,so what im saying now is,Goggle im still cool with you..The only thing im bummed about is that I wasn't online to see a giant fall, at least for a second.

Weinstein, Natalie (2009,1,31). Google warns entire Internet is malware. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10153942-92.html?tag=newsLatestHeadlinesArea.0

Windows 7 less annoying, but also less secure?

Microsoft's efforts to make Windows 7 less annoying than Vista may also be making it less secure than its predecessor.With Windows Vista, the operating system popped up a warning any time a major change was being made to the system, whether by the OS or by a third-party application. With Windows 7, users can choose how often to be notified, with the current default set to notify only when a third-party application is making a change. (Fried, 2009)

Those notifications on vista are really annoying and I will never(ever) stop complaining about them,but as much as I hate to admit it, they are necessary. You would be suprised how many people are gunning for your pc.If there were no notifications,your pc would be doing things that would eventually fry your computer.These things could come out off nowhere(stop limewiring,you, yeah you) and you wouldn't even know it.Mac of course doesn't have this problem,simply because it doesn't have the numbers to attract hackers as much.

Fried, Ina (2009/1/30). Windows 7 less annoying, but also less secure?. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from cnte.com Web site: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10153817-56.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

No Wifi? No Problem. Gmail Releases New Offline E-mail Tools

Google has gone a long way toward solving the biggest drawback of web-based e-mail — what do you do when there is no internet connection? Google aims to solve that problem with new offering that will enable Gmail users access from their browsers even when they aren't online.Of course, using an e-mail client with an IMAP connection, many people have long enjoyed offline access to their Gmail accounts. But for those of you that want offline access, and the web-based interface, the new Offline mode is what you've been dreaming about. (Gilbertson, 2009)

Breaking news,Google has successfully cloned the first human child and they named him(you guessed it) googles.Im just kidding of course,but if anybody is gonna do it,its gonna be google.Maybe im exaggerating a bit,but you gotta admit, google always does things first and right.This offline version Gmail works exactly like it would work normally(online),you can read your mail,archive,label and even compose emails which are saved as a draft so you could easily send them later.

Gilbertson, Scott (2009/1/28). No Wifi? No Problem. Gmail Releases New Offline E-mail Tools. Retrieved January 31, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/01/no-wifi-no-prob.html

Air Travel Won't Suck in 2093

Flying sucks. Between the lousy service, lost luggage and inevitable delays, nothing about it can be called fun. But the folks at Finnair have looked into their crystal ball and seen a future where flying is green, serene and — dare we say it — enjoyable.The Finnish carrier is celebrating its 85th anniversary and, curious to see how air travel might look that far in the future, invited academics, business types and journalists to tell us what we might see in 2093. Their vision is laid out on the website Departure 2093: Five Visions on Future Flying, and it includes sleek planes that run on algae and venture into space, airlines that offer everything from personal flight attendants to pre-flight yoga and an industry that — gasp! — runs efficiently. (Demerjian, 2009)

Airtravel will always suck because no matter how large they build airplanes, the airlines will just fill them with more and more tiny seats.The only difference will be that instead of waiting for 200 idiots to put their bags away and sit down, we can wait for 800 or 1000.

Demerjian, Dave (2009,1,23). Air Travel Won't Suck in 2093. Retrieved January 24, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/01/in-85-years-air.html

Microsoft resorts to first layoffs, cutting 5,000

SEATTLE (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. will make the first mass layoffs in its 34-year history, cutting 5,000 jobs as demand for personal computers falls and even one of the world's richest companies gets burned by the recession.The company announced the cuts Thursday as it reported an 11 percent drop in second-quarter profit, which fell short of Wall Street's expectations. Microsoft shares plunged more than 11 percent."We're certainly in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime set of economic conditions," Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said during a conference call. With less access to credit, businesses and consumers are spending less and stretching the life span of their existing computers. (Mintz, 2009)

Well there is a first time for everything,including a massive cut in the workforce.Making matters worse, the one type of PC consumers have warmed to in tight times - the low-cost, low-power "netbook" - actually cut further into Microsoft's earnings. The tiny portable computers run on Windows XP, which is older and less profitable for Microsoft than Windows Vista.

MINTZ , JESSICA (2009,1,22). Microsoft resorts to first layoffs, cutting 5,000. Retrieved January 24, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/E/EARNS_MICROSOFT?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-01-22-09-21-37

FDA OKs First Human Trials of Embryonic Stem Cells

The Federal Drug Administration has approved the first human trials of embryonic stem cells — a sign of a new, liberal attitude toward stem cell research, which was hamstrung by the Bush administration.Starting this summer, the biotech firm Geron will treat a small group of spinal-cord injury patients using neurons derived from stem cells, marking the first time embryonic stem cells will be tested in humans.The trial is designed to test the safety of the treatment, not how well it works. Nonetheless, it's a huge first step for the field.(madrigal ,2009)

this is really messed up since they have to get embryos(baby babies) for this experiment,even though they claim that they are using embryos that would have never been born because of miscarriage.But according to my further reading this research prove useless since the embryos are already dead, something is fishy here,and im gonna(not) find out.

Madrigal, Alexis (2009,1,23). FDA OKs First Human Trials of Embryonic Stem Cells. Retrieved January 24, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/01/fda-approves-em.html

White House Tech More Tired Than Wired

Prior to his inauguration, Barack Obama was, without a doubt, eagerly anticipating taking his seat in the Oval Office. What he likely wasn't looking forward to was time-traveling backward into a workplace riddled with obsolete technology.

Any tech geek recognizes that modern technology is far more than a means to an end: Whether we own iPods, Zunes, MacBooks, iPhones or BlackBerry smartphones, our gadgets have become intimately integrated into our lifestyles. So you have to feel the pain of Obama and his team, who drove the most tech-savvy presidential campaign in history, for having to cope with the White House's bureaucratic IT swamp.

"It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said of the White House's outdated tech.(Chen, 2009)

Every one of these seem very sensible to me. Especially sticking with a stable and relatively safe XP over Vista (Although you could make an argument to a switch to Macs).
Their job is to run the country, not spend pointless hours playing on MySpace or Facebook or watching YouTube Videos.
And why do they need WiFi? They're not going to be taking their laptops around with them so everyone can see how cool and hip they are because they can get on the internet anywhere. A wired network makes much, much more sense for a dozen reasons.Get over it already, Wired.

Chen, Brian (2009,1,23). White House Tech More Tired Than Wired. Retrieved January 24, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/01/wired-or-tired.html

Steve Jobs Probably Won't Come Back to Apple

Steve Jobs' medical leave from Apple is likely to be permanent, analysts say.In a letter to Apple staff on Wednesday, Jobs said he was taking a five-month medical leave because his health issues are "more complex than I originally thought."Jobs' letter contradicts a statement the CEO published just last week, in which he said he was "undergoing a simple and straightforward treatment" for a hormone imbalance. The earlier statement gave the impression that Jobs merely needed to gain weight, and would continue as normal as Apple's CEO.

Seriously Jobs should chill out,he's such a workaholic.How much pressure can his ill-body take before he goes Kaput,apparently not much ,because the main reason he didn't give his keynote speech at Macworld was his declining health.He should take a 2-3 year brake,in contrast to the 1 month he took after undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2004.

iTunes Music Store Finally Ditches DRM, Adds New Prices

After years of fits, starts, threats and ultimatums, Steve Jobs and three major labels have come to terms on a deal: Music will be available immediately on iTunes without DRM restrictions. Free of the limitations that currently restrict music playback to Apple products, the new plan will let consumers choose from three price levels instead of the 99-cent song model the store implemented on day one.The announcement, made Tuesday at the last MacWorld Expo Apple will attend, ends an increasingly ridiculous war between two stubborn players. They may have thought they couldn't live together, but they certainly couldn't thrive apart. (Van Buskirk, 2009)

Finally,this DRM thing was such a big headache.Not being able to play music you just downloaded on your own computer,ridiculous.I once had a 10$ itunes card,so I started to use it and I bought like 5 songs and tried to play them on windows media player but it couldn't recognize them,so I had to download them on limewire(illegal) to hear it without being plugged into an ipod all the time.The only drag is that songs will not be 99cents if you want full rights to it.

Van Buskirk, Eliot (2009/1/6). iTunes Music Store Finally Ditches DRM, Adds New Prices. Retrieved January 17, 2009, from Wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/01/apple-promises.html

Obama Urges DTV Delay as Time, Money Runs Out

Billed as perhaps the greatest leap in television since "living color," the transition to digital TV is a mere 39 days away, and in serious trouble: millions of households still aren't ready for the conversion and a government program created to subsidize the hardware needed by many has run out of money.Broadcasters want to stick to D(igital)-Day: Feb. 17, as decreed by Congress in back 2005. But some in Washington say we should take more time to ensure that so many of the nation's TV screens don't go snowy at the flick of that switch. (Snyder, 2009)

People have had about 3 years to get ready for this,and still millions haven't gotten ready?The goverment should not delay this event,people(me) have been waiting for this for years.Sure some channels have already upgraded and I should be satisfied,but this fact has made more eager for all channels to be "digitalized".

Snyder, Chris (2009/1/9). Obama Urges DTV Delay as Time, Money Runs Out. Retrieved January 17, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/01/obama-urges-dtv.html

Circuit City to close 567 remaining US stores

Circuit City became the largest retailer to fall victim to the expanding financial crisis Friday, announcing it will shut down its remaining 567 U.S. stores at the cost of 34,000 more jobs after failing to sell the business.The closure of the nation's second-biggest consumer electronics retailer spells more trouble for the nations malls, and is the latest casualty of an unprecedented pullback in consumer spending that has claimed KB Toys, Mervyns LLC and Linens 'N Things. (FELBERBAUM, 2009)

This is sad.One of the largest consumer-electronic stores in the nation is down,in my mind I had a list of stores that were going down(kmart,target)and circuit city was not one of them.This is especially bad for the people that were employed by the company,which was about 3,500.


FELBERBAUM, MICHAEL (2009/1/16). Circuit City to close 567 remaining US stores. Retrieved January 17, 2009, from wired.com Web site: http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/C/CIRCUIT_CITY_BANKRUPTCY?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-11-10-07-50-06

(Some) YouTube videos get download option

While users have long been able to grab YouTube clips both with Flash rippers and H.264 stream downloaders, this would be the first time such an option has appeared on the site as an official offering. The new option gives users a full-quality H.264 file--the very same copy that's sent out to YouTube-capable set top boxes and iPhones. (Lowensohn, 2009)

Youtube is finally bringing a feature that I was hoping for,downloading videos.But as the tittle says only some videos will be available,which I suppose will be the ones that were allowed to be downloaded.That means no music videos and all the good stuff,but it's a start.

Lowensohn, Josh (2009/1/16). (Some) YouTube videos get download option. Retrieved January 16, 2009, from cnet.com Web site: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10144823-2.html?tag=mncol