At this point we all have come across Pirated material since it is so easy to find, however, no one seems to realize what copyright really means.  Some will see it like driving in a stolen car. You might get out of the car before the police catch the criminal or you might be thrown in jail.  We are on that thin gray line that the law of copyrighted material hangs, like the metal thread holding a painting.

So after you get out of the car, the first thing you do is tell all your friends and write about it in a column for a national media company.  This way your telling the world, how you broke the law and how easy this can be done.  While there currently is a gray line for copyright material, I think that this journalist is currently removing frames from his office that use to hang on a metal thread and placing them in box.  You can bend the law, but maybe you shouldn’t write about it to the world.

Next time your Internet Service Provider (ISP) stops by to fix your computer connection be very careful what you say to him.  Apparently a new policy from ISP’s is: if we can’t fix the problem we will have you arrested.  A Nova Scotian playwright was arrested for threatening an ISP Technician, telling him that she would keep him hostage until her Internet was up and working.  If the technician felt like a hostage then aren’t we hostages to the Internet Service Provider?  When we are cut off from the Internet that is the equivalent of being placed in a cold white cell and feed bread and water.  Now this story is from our wacky northern friends,  referred by some as Maple Lovers or for the rest of the world just Canadians. But I’m sure the Internet Service Provider’s will love to use this Police State policy to arrest anyone who complains about there Service. Next time your talking to the Customer Care Representative over your Cable, Internet or Phone issues just remember to be nice because if they don’t like your attitude they can send you to Jail!

VIA: CTV.CA

I say bring it on. Let the kids hack, learn how to build remote controls that will control things beyond your wildest dreams. Nicola Tesla created the first remote control over a hundred years ago and everyone thought he was using his mind to control a boat. We need to get out of the dark ages and embrace the curiosity that people have; this is the type of innovation that new forms of technology are created.

Now the real problem isn’t the fact a young girl got a box of Rocks.  That is just a little funny, and ironic and shows you that there is a major lack of security with Targets or its distributer shipping depatrment. But the problem is the policies and the fact that they wouldn’t give the family their money back so they could go else where and let the girl get her iPod for her birthday.  Since policy is policy and Target is Target, I mean they have those red circles everywhere so I’m sure the emploeyes know not to mess with policies. So, the first store was sold out and the mother drove the daughter to another store where they bought with store credit the second iPod where the insisted of opening the iPod in front of the clerk, and the clerk said they needed to buy it first, which they did, and that one was full of rocks too.  So, they were now told since they used a store credit card they could be given anything but store credit and they did this to get that extra 10% discount.  So, since they had the store credit and it was the girls birthday the mother asked the girl to buy something else, even though she really wanted the iPod.

The issue here is why can’t a 14 year old girl who has the money to buy the product that she wants for her birthday can’t get it from one of the largest retails chains.  Target replies with the usual legal jargon but the lacks the respect it should have its customers and the rest of the market.  I enter the stores and as I walk out they treat me the customer like a criminal by checking my receipt, or by inisting in some places that I have to check my bags.  However, they make a mistake in there shipping and they will not honor and give back someone the money for something they have just purchased.  If you want an iPod then goto an apple store or buy from Apple. Atleast they will do the right thing and treat you with respect, and not wait two weeks to get back to you with a form letter.

The truth is don’t get all panicky just yet. There is hope for the rest of you and a ton of resources out there. I personal like what cnet.com has setup with the classroom series. Go over to there Wireless Security online class and learn how you can help protect your data. Now I might go on and on and on about how dangerous the wireless world is, however i’m sitting here in bed with a pillow between me and the 1,000 degree laptop I’m blogging with. Keep those wires cut, but protect yourself with some knowledge at these classes: http://wireless-security.classes.cnet.com/

Whatever the future has in store for us, I’m glad that bio-fuel has started to take off but I wonder what this may have in store for my alcoholic preference in the future. Will the switch over to bio-fuel sky rocket the price of my Irish Whiskey or Japanese Sake? Or do I choose to have another shot instead of filling her up!

Sites: Cnet News – Sake May Power Japan Cars

This science fiction meets reality has been picking up a lot of news lately and well it should since we are currently at war with thousands of US soliders dead and thousands of others wounded. First Sci-Fi Tech has a nice blog post about 9 Military Technologies we want – Exoskeleton is number 2 on that list and they point out the recerational uses this could have. On the Scince Fiction tv show Dark Angle the male lead – Logan – was wheel chair bound until he came across some fancy Exoskeleton legs making him able to walk again which leads to another interesting concept of this technology.

However before the medical and recreational use of this technology the military will have the first run. In this article at spiegel.de they talk about Robo-Soldiers and how the Pentagon is developing such a thing. This past October New Scientist posted a similar article on their blog and also reflected the length at which these projects have been worked on which is the reason why exoskeletons are popular in Science Fiction. Science fiction writers tend to use things that are possible but limited with todays technology and knowledge, they ask the “what if” and “why not” questions then answer them.

With the advancement in technology and the how computers and electronics are shrinking in size it is only a matter of time we wear our computers. Wearing a computer may mean an entire exoskeleton suite that maybe called a smart suite as well. The future of this technology is as open as the books, cartoons and movies have showed us. Reading about the development of these suites puts a smile on my face that once again technology is caching up to our imaginations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Men%27s_Day