[Slashdot] Stories for 2007-06-16 ======================================================================
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======================================================================

Slashdot Daily Newsletter

In this issue:
    * How Long Could You Live Without Your Gadgets?
    * Net Neutrality Comment Period Ends Friday
    * Tim Berners-Lee awarded the British Order of Merit
    * eBay May Lose 'Buy it Now' Button in Patent Case
    * Yahoo! XSS Flaw Endangers its Users
    * Perfect Silicon Sphere to Redefine the Kilogram
    * eBay Pulls Google Ads Over Marketing Stunt
    * China Taking on U.S. in Cyber Arms Race
    * Identity Thief Apprehended by Victim
    * Kodak Unveils Brighter CMOS Color Filters
    * Bones Could Become Conduits For Data Swaps
    * Scientists Attempt to Replace Crude Oil With Sugars
    * The Future of Intel Processors
    * Hilarious Antique IT Advertisements
    * Weapon Found in Whale Dated From the 1800s
    * Intel V8 Octa-Core System, Full Performance Tests
    * YouTube to Host Presidential Debate
    * Space Station Computers Partially Restored
    * T-Mobile UK Blocking Mobile VoIP Start-Up
    * Is Scientific Consensus a Threat to Democracy?
    * Congress Considers Forcing Travel Registration
    * Bill to Bring A La Carte, Indecency Regs to Cable

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| How Long Could You Live Without Your Gadgets?                      |
|   from the life-support-systems dept.                              |
|   posted by CowboyNeal on Thursday June 14, @20:18 (It's funny.  La|
|   http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/14/2331212     |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

DruCipher writes "CNet.co.uk is running a very funny article about Andrew
Lim, the resident mobile phone reviewer, trying to [0]live without all
his favorite gadgets. The article sees Andrew try to survive without a
mobile phone, a computer, an MP3 player and a TV. At the end of his
technology detox he feels more relaxed without all his gadgets but cracks
after a few days, 'Like all proper detoxes, though, my zen-like calm
didn't last for long. Once I'd finished my gadget starvation, I was
straight back to the tech binging. A remote control gun you say? Yes
please!'"

Discuss this story at:
    http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/14/2331212

Links:
    0. http://digitalliving.cnet.co.uk/specials/0,39030785,49290493-1,00.htm


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Net Neutrality Comment Period Ends Friday                          |
|   from the piece-of-mind dept.                                     |
|   posted by CowboyNeal on Thursday June 14, @21:41 (The Internet)  |
|   http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/14/2358217              |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

FatherBash writes "Friday marks the final day for citizens, corporations,
and paid spinmeisters alike to [0]file comments with government
regulators on Net Neutrality. Wired has the story with a link to the FCC
page where you too can throw in your two cents."

Discuss this story at:
    http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/14/2358217

Links:
    0. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/06/net_neutrality_.html


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Tim Berners-Lee awarded the British Order of Merit                 |
|   from the accolades-and-acolytes dept.                            |
|   posted by CowboyNeal on Thursday June 14, @23:17 (The Internet)  |
|   http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/0021207              |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]MarsBar writes "The BBC is reporting that [1]Sir Tim Berners-Lee has
been awarded The Order of Merit, a royal award granted directly by the
Queen. Previous recipients have included Florence Nightingale, Sir
Winston Churchill, Bertrand Russell, Graham Greene, Sir Edward Elgar,
Mother Teresa and Margaret Thatcher."

Discuss this story at:
    http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/0021207

Links:
    0. http://geoffampgeoffdj/
    1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6750395.stm


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| eBay May Lose 'Buy it Now' Button in Patent Case                   |
|   from the ain't-it-obvious-yet dept.                              |
|   posted by CowboyNeal on Friday June 15, @00:34 (Patents)         |
|   http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/0041248          |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]Spamicles writes "A judge has [1]delayed his ruling on the eBay patent
infringement case. eBay has been involved in a legal dispute over the use
of its popular "Buy it Now" button, which allows consumers to skip the
bidding and purchase items on eBay directly. The patent suit was filed
six years ago by MercExchange L.L.C. In May of 2003, a jury ruled in
MercExchange's favor finding that eBay did in fact infringe on the
patent, but in 2005 the US Supreme Court ruled that MercExchange was not
automatically entitled to a court order blocking the offending service,
essentially handing a victory down to patent reform advocates. However,
the ruling by the Supreme Court does not affect the final judgment of the
court."

Discuss this story at:
    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/0041248

Links:
    0. mailto:paulastewart@gmail.com
    1. http://www.lawbean.com/2007/06/14/ebay-may-lose-buy-it-now-button-in-patent-case/


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Yahoo! XSS Flaw Endangers its Users                                |
|   from the ever-vigilant dept.                                     |
|   posted by CowboyNeal on Friday June 15, @03:16 (Yahoo!)          |
|   http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/0528212           |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]Rarely Greys writes "A [1]major Yahoo XSS flaw makes it possible to
take over any Yahoo user's account, including their mail, instant
messaging, photos, etc. This is not a rare occurrence. So why aren't web
sites doing more to protect their users? It's looking like most web
developers don't even know or care about XSS."

Discuss this story at:
    http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/0528212

Links:
    0. http://netcooties.blogspot.com/
    1. http://netcooties.blogspot.com/2007/06/yahoo-endangers-users-do-web-sites-care.html


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Perfect Silicon Sphere to Redefine the Kilogram                    |
|   from the weights-and-measures dept.                              |
|   posted by CowboyNeal on Friday June 15, @07:29 (Math)            |
|   http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/0541230      |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

MrCreosote writes "The Age reports optical specialists at CSIRO are
[0]helping create a new standard for the kilogram, based on a precise
number of atoms in a perfect sphere of silicon. This will replace the
International Prototype, a lump of metal alloy in a vault in Paris."

Discuss this story at:
    http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/0541230

Links:
    0. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/making-an-exact-difference/2007/06/14/1181414466901.html


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| eBay Pulls Google Ads Over Marketing Stunt                         |
|   from the it's-just-business dept.                                |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @08:39 (Google)                |
|   http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/1215211              |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]odoketa writes "According to the BBC, it seems Google scheduled a
party to promote their payment system (Google Checkout) on the same day
as a big eBay meeting, and this made eBay [1]mad enough to pull their ads
with Google. According to the story, eBay says it's merely an 'ongoing
experiment' on their marketing. 'Google hoped to alert PayPal users who
would have been in Boston attending the eBay Live annual seller event to
its own service, according to market experts. It could also have been
seen as part of an effort to get eBay to accept Google Checkout,
currently banned on the online auctioneer's site. But in a contrite
manner, Google cancelled its rival function a day before it was due to
happen.'"

Discuss this story at:
    http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/1215211

Links:
    0. http://www.davidbarber.org/blog
    1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6755789.stm


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| China Taking on U.S. in Cyber Arms Race                            |
|   from the messier-than-a-tac-nuke-in-its-own-way dept.            |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @09:22 (Networking)            |
|   http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/1227213           |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]Pabugs writes with a CNN story about an uncomfortable development in
world politics and information technology. According to General Robert
Elder, an Air Force military man setting up a 'cyber command' in
Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force Base, the nation of China is already in
the process of [1]developing their own 'cyber warfare' techniques. While
Elder described the bulk of China's operations as focusing on espionage,
they and others around the world have more serious goals in mind. "The
Defense Department said in its annual report on China's military power
last month that China regarded computer network operations -- attacks,
defense and exploitation -- as critical to achieving "electromagnetic
dominance" early in a conflict. China's People's Liberation Army has
established information warfare units to develop viruses to attack enemy
computer systems and networks, the Pentagon said. China also was
investing in electronic countermeasures and defenses against electronic
attack, including infrared decoys, angle reflectors and false-target
generators, it said."

Discuss this story at:
    http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/1227213

Links:
    0. mailto:pauljtw@soldog.net
    1. http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/06/13/china.cyberspace.reut/index.html


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Identity Thief Apprehended by Victim                               |
|   from the power-to-the-people-marty dept.                         |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @10:02 (Privacy)               |
|   http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/1220215          |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]ewhac writes "Karen Lodrick was entering her sixth month of hell
dealing with the repercussions of having her identity stolen and used to
loot her accounts. But while she was waiting for a beverage, there
standing in line was the woman who appeared on Wells Fargo security video
emptying her accounts. What followed was a [1]45 minute chase through San
Francisco streets that ended with the thief being taken into custody by
police."

Discuss this story at:
    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/1220215

Links:
    0. http://ewhac.best.vwh.net/
    1. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/15/IDTHEFT.TMP


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Kodak Unveils Brighter CMOS Color Filters                          |
|   from the seeing-you-in-all-the-old-familiar-places dept.         |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @10:43 (Media)                 |
|   http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/148219      |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

brownsteve writes "Eastman Kodak Co. has unveiled what it says are '[0]next-generation
color filter patterns' designed to more than double the light sensitivity
of CMOS or CCD image sensors used in camera phones or digital still
cameras. The [1]new color filter system is a departure from the widely
used standard [2]Bayer pattern ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ an arrangement of red, green and blue
pixels ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ also created by Kodak. While building on the Bayer pattern, the
new technology adds a 'fourth pixel, which has no pigment on top,' said
Michael DeLuca, market segment manager responsible for image sensor
solutions at Eastman Kodak. Such 'transparent' pixels ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ sensitive to all
visible wavelengths ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ are designed to absorb light. DeLuca claimed the
invention is 'the next milestone' in digital photography, likening its
significance to ISO 400 color film introduced in the mid-1980's."

Discuss this story at:
    http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/148219

Links:
    0. http://kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=2709&pq-locale=en_US&gpcid=0900688a80720f9d
    1. http://www.eetimes.com/news/semi/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199904259
    2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayer_filter


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Bones Could Become Conduits For Data Swaps                         |
|   from the shin-bone-connects-to-the-rj-45-jack dept.              |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @11:22 (Communications)        |
|   http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/149224       |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]Billosaur writes "New Scientist Tech has an intriguing article about
researchers at Rice University in Houston, TX who are looking at ways to
[1]use the human skeleton to transmit data. The idea is to use bones to
conduct sound waves, with 0's and 1's being represented by different
frequencies. Preliminary results, shared with a conference on body
networks in Florence, Italy, this week, show that bones can conduct even
low-power vibrations with few errors. The idea is that the conduction of
sound along bone would be more secure that via radio waves, leading to
the possibility of swapping data with someone by shaking their hand."

Discuss this story at:
    http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/149224

Links:
    0. mailto:wgrother@optonline.net
    1. http://www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/mg19426087.600-bones-could-allow-data-swap-via-handshake.html


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Scientists Attempt to Replace Crude Oil With Sugars                |
|   from the just-don't-do-that-in-a-recipe dept.                    |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @12:05 (Science)               |
|   http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/1531242      |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]amigoro writes with a link to the Press Esc blog, discussing a
[1]possible replacement for crude oil in plastics, fuels, and other
industrial uses. The post outlines findings to be published in an
upcoming issue of the journal Science. Essentially, researchers at the
Institute for Interfacial Catalysis are attempting to process the sugars
in plant matter into an oil-like compound, a daunting challenge.
"Glucose, in plant starch and cellulose, is nature's most abundant sugar.
'But getting a commercially viable yield of HMF from glucose has been
very challenging,' Zhang said. 'In addition to low yield until now, we
always generate many different byproducts,' including levulinic acid,
making product purification expensive and uncompetitive with
petroleum-based chemicals. Zhang, lead author and former post doc Haibo
Zhao, and colleagues John Holladay and Heather Brown, all from PNNL, were
able to coax HMF yields upward of 70 percent from glucose and nearly 90
percent from fructose while leaving only traces of acid impurities."

Discuss this story at:
    http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/1531242

Links:
    0. http://groundviews.org/
    1. http://pressesc.com/01181868322_plastic_trees


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Future of Intel Processors                                     |
|   from the more-core-lads-throw-more-cores-on-there dept.          |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @12:43 (Intel)                 |
|   http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/1540245     |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

madison writes to mention coverage at ZDNet on [0]the future of Intel
technology. Multicore chips are their focus for the future, and
researchers at the company are working on methods to adapt them for
specific uses. The article cites an example were the majority of the
cores are x86, with some accelerators and embedded graphics cores added
on for added functionality. "Intel is also tinkering with ways to let
multicore chips share caches, pools of memory embedded in processors for
rapid data access. Cores on many dual- and quad-core chips on the market
today share caches, but it's a somewhat manageable problem. "When you get
to eight and 16 cores, it can get pretty complicated," Bautista said. The
technology would prioritize operations. Early indications show that
improved cache management could improve overall chip performance by 10
percent to 20 percent, according to Intel." madison also writes, "In
another development news Intel has updated its Itanium roadmap to include
[1]a new chip dubbed 'Kittson' to follow the release of Poulson. That
chip will be based on a new microarchitecture that provides higher levels
of parallelism."

Discuss this story at:
    http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/1540245

Links:
    0. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/hardware/0,39042972,62021390,00.htm
    1. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/hardware/0,39042972,62021436,00.htm


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Hilarious Antique IT Advertisements                                |
|   from the now-that-is-spooky dept.                                |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @13:24 (It's funny.  Laugh.)   |
|   http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/1548251           |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]PetManimal writes "Computerworld has gone back through forty years
worth of magazines, and came up with some [1]entertaining IT-related
advertising gems from decades past. Highlights include [2]The Personal
Mainframe, an image of the earliest screenless [3]briefcase portables,
and [4]Elvira hawking engineering software. From the article: 'Remember
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark? Besides appearing on TV in features like
Elvira's Movie Macabre Halloween Special, Elvira also invited
Computerworld readers to "cut through paper-based CASE [computer-aided
software engineering] methods with LBMS" software. "The scariest thing
about CASE is the several hundred pounds of books that land on your desk
and for which you've paid fifteen gazillion dollars, when you buy off on
a CASE development methodology," she writes. Can you guess what year
Elvira appeared in this Computerworld ad? Headline hint: "IBM delays
notebook arrival in U.S."'"

Discuss this story at:
    http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/1548251

Links:
    0. http://www.computerworld.com/blogs/blog/19
    1. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=storage&articleId=9023960&taxonomyId=19&intsrc=kc_feat
    2. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9024559&pageNumber=6
    3. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9024559&pageNumber=7
    4. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9024559&pageNumber=10


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Weapon Found in Whale Dated From the 1800s                         |
|   from the whale-just-wanted-the-damn-kids-off-his-lawn dept.      |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @14:04 (Science)               |
|   http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/178218       |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

LABarr writes "AP and CNN are carrying a story that has forced scientists
to re-evaluate the longevity of mammals. A bowhead whale caught off the
Alaskan coast last month had a weapon fragment embedded in its neck that
showed [0]it survived a similar hunt over a century ago. 'Embedded deep
under its blubber was a 3ï¿½ï¿½-inch arrow-shaped projectile that has given
researchers insight into the whale's age, estimated between 115 and 130
years old. The bomb lance fragment, lodged in a bone between the whale's
neck and shoulder blade, was likely manufactured in New Bedford, on the
southeast coast of Massachusetts, a major whaling center at that time. It
was probably shot at the whale from a heavy shoulder gun around 1890.' "

Discuss this story at:
    http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/178218

Links:
    0. http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/06/13/century.old.whale.ap/index.html


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Intel V8 Octa-Core System, Full Performance Tests                  |
|   from the friday-afternoon-spec-oggling dept.                     |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @14:45 (Intel)                 |
|   http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/1729206     |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

MojoKid writes "In the April time frame, [0]details of Intel's
dual-socket 8-core system dubbed "V8" became available but only
preliminary performance numbers were shown. The platform consists of
quad-core Xeon processors in an Intel 5000X chipset-based motherboard,
along with FBDIMM (Fully Buffered DIMM) serial memory. A follow-on
article at HotHardWare goes into significantly [1]more detail on the
platform and showcases many more performance metrics on a Windows Vista
64-bit installation. The [2] POV-Ray and Cinebench 95 benchmark numbers
alone are something to smile about. 'Intel's V8 isn't about promoting a
platform as much as it is a show of strength and a glimpse of things to
come. What V8 and QuadFX show is that both Intel and AMD are on a path to
offering true, enthusiast-class, dual-socket platforms. And that's a good
thing. Perhaps AMD is a little further down the path thanks to a more
tweaker-friendly motherboard in the QuadFX-compatible Asus L1N64-SLI WS,
but until consumers have more motherboards to choose from and perhaps
quad-core processors from AMD, we can't very well declare that the time
for QuadFX has arrived. One motherboard does not a platform make.'"

Discuss this story at:
    http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/1729206

Links:
    0. http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/25/1511210&tid=118
    1. http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/Intel_V8_Media_Creation_Platform__Dual_Sockets__Dual_Xeons/
    2. http://www.hothardware.com/articles/Intel_V8_Media_Creation_Platform__Dual_Sockets__Dual_Xeons/?page=6


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| YouTube to Host Presidential Debate                                |
|   from the bringing-dancing-cats-to-the-world-of-politics dept.    |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @15:23 (Media)                 |
|   http://politics.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/1726236     |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]skotte writes "Wired is reporting that July 23 at the Citadel in
Charleston, South Carolina, Anderson Cooper will host presidential
debates in which debaters are asked 20-30 questions [1]culled from a
specially designated section of YouTube, where the voting populace can
post questions directly. You and I (assuming you're American, probably)
can ask questions ourselves, not just a reporter in a crowd. Candidates
won't know which questions they are being asked, and the video selection
process will remain a complete secret. Interesting, but also [2]the
slightest bit scary."

Discuss this story at:
    http://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/1726236

Links:
    0. mailto:iamthecheeze@gmail.com
    1. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/06/youtube_and_cnn.html
    2. http://xkcd.com/c202.html


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Space Station Computers Partially Restored                         |
|   from the i'd-like-to-see-geek-squad-get-up-there dept.           |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @16:15 (Space)                 |
|   http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/199256       |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

Raver32 writes with the news that a [0]partial restoration of computer
control was established on the International Space Station (ISS)
Thursday. Systems controlling critical elements like navigation and
life-support failed on Wednesday. "Flight controllers were able to
re-establish some communication with the computers overnight, with
Russian engineers working Thursday to restore the rest of the system,
NASA space station flight director Holly Ridings said. The U.S. space
agency and Russian officials are still trying to determine the cause of a
failure affecting multiple computers in the Russian network ... Since an
earlier failure on Monday, thrusters on the space shuttle Atlantis have
been fired periodically to help maintain the station's position. The
Russian and U.S. space agencies said they could extend Atlantis's mission
by one or two days to fix the problem. In the worst-case scenario, NASA
said the ISS crew members -- two Russians and an American -- may be
evacuated from the station."

Discuss this story at:
    http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/199256

Links:
    0. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/06/14/tech-iss-computer-crash.html?ref=rss


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| T-Mobile UK Blocking Mobile VoIP Start-Up                          |
|   from the can't-catch-a-break dept.                               |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @17:01 (Communications)        |
|   http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/2016246              |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]wjamesau writes "The war between telecoms and VOIP heats up: according
to Om Malik, [1]T-Mobile UK is refusing to interconnect with mobile VoIP
provider Truphone, a UK start-up with a mobile VoIP client that enables
calls cheaper than mobile. 'T-Mobile told Truphone, that as a result of a
policy decision, they don't connect to VoIP-based low cost calling
services. T-Mobile UK's decision to block Truphone might have come as a
response to the new and radically better Truphone 3.0 client that allows
you to send Free SMS messages and allows VoIP calls over 3G. According to
M:Metrics, nearly 86% of UK mobile users are heavy SMS users, and that
means it is a cash cow that carriers like T-Mobile can't afford to be
slaughtered by IP-based SMS services.' Can mobile companies successfully
crush VOIP competitors like this?"

Discuss this story at:
    http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/2016246

Links:
    0. mailto:wjamesau@well.com
    1. http://gigaom.com/2007/06/15/tmobile-truphone/


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Is Scientific Consensus a Threat to Democracy?                     |
|   from the what-isn't-nowadays dept.                               |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @17:40 (Politics)              |
|   http://politics.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/2029224     |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[0]chance_encounter writes "President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus
has published an article in the Financial Times in which he seems to
[1]equate the current global warming debate with totalitarian thought
control: 'The dictates of political correctness are strict and only one
permitted truth, not for the first time in human history, is imposed on
us. Everything else is denounced ... The scientists should help us and
take into consideration the political effects of their scientific
opinions. They have an obligation to declare their political and value
assumptions and how much they have affected their selection and
interpretation of scientific evidence.' At the end of the article he
proposes several suggestions to improve the global climate debate,
including this point: 'Let us resist the politicization of science and
oppose the term "scientific consensus," which is always achieved only by
a loud minority, never by a silent majority.'"

Discuss this story at:
    http://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/2029224

Links:
    0. mailto:neon.ocelot@gmail.com
    1. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/9deb730a-19ca-11dc-99c5-000b5df10621.html


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Congress Considers Forcing Travel Registration                     |
|   from the looking-forward-to-travel-visas-for-interstate-trade dep|
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @18:35 (United States)         |
|   http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/2118213          |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

macduffman writes "Congress and the Department of Homeland Security are
considering several new visa restrictions, including forcing some foreign
travelers to [0]register their travel plans online 48 hours in advance.
Business advocacy groups are worried about both foreign relations and the
economic impact of such legislation, while privacy concerns see this as
another possible 'in' for identity thieves. From the article: 'Along with
online registration, the updated program would require new and existing
member countries to improve data-sharing; more rigorously report lost and
stolen passports (not just blank passports); and guarantee they will
repatriate nationals if those people are ordered out of the United
States. "It's really a 21st-century model," said James Carafano, a
Heritage Foundation analyst who specializes in homeland security. "It'll
all be done electronically and biometrically. And it really doesn't
compromise your privacy."'"

Discuss this story at:
    http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/2118213

Links:
    0. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/15/news/visa.php


+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Bill to Bring A La Carte, Indecency Regs to Cable                  |
|   from the what-if-we-feel-like-10-am-porno dept.                  |
|   posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, @19:28 (Television)            |
|   http://politics.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/15/2122203     |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

An anonymous reader writes "A bill introduced this week [0]would force
cable operators to offer ï¿½ï¿½ la carte cable and so-called family-tiers of
service. Those opting for ï¿½ï¿½ la carte programming would get refunds on
their cable bill, but the legislation would also extend broadcast
indecency standards to cable and satellite TV for the first time: 'In
accordance with the indecency and profanity policies and standards
applied by the [FCC] to broadcasters, as such policies and standards are
modified from time to time, not transmit any material that is indecent or
profane on any channel in the expanded basic tier of such distributor
except between 10pm and 6am.' As Ars points out, 'With the parental
controls built into every television set, set-top box, and DVR being sold
these days, the need for such legislation seems questionable at best.
Unlike broadcast television, which is available to anyone with a TV and
an antenna, people subscribe to and pay for cable/satellite.'"

Discuss this story at:
    http://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=07/06/15/2122203

Links:
    0. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070615-new-bill-would-create-family-tier-extend-indecency-standards-to-cable.html



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