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Recon Scout gets new job at prison, isn't any fun to hang out with
You may remember this little dumbell-looking Recon Scout drone we saw last year, when it had just been implemented in the military. If you'll recall, the robot selflessly allows itself to be thrown into wild and unpredictable situations deemed "too risky" for people, then transmits grainy video back to an Operator Control Unit. Well, it turns out that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was interested in this rugged bastion of self-sacrifice, too. They can apparently envision all kinds of nightmare scenarios where prisoners have weapons and no human wants any part of it -- which is why they've agreed to a rental contract where they get ten devices and developer ReconRobotics gets feedback from the Department in exchange. Seriously though, aren't there any jubilant tasks we could set this guy to? He's getting to be such a killjoy.
England, Wales prisoners lose access to 18-rated games
The Prison Service in England and Wales will not allow prisoners to play 18-rated games after September 30. The BBC reports that well-behaved residents and those at risk of suicide will still be allowed to play games -- we hope the suicide folks aren't playing Persona.The government apparently spent £10k ($19,763 USD) last year on consoles and games for inmates. Effective immediately, inmates will have to buy their own consoles and games. Those who can't afford the video game distraction are sure to occupy their time with more constructive ventures ... like shiv production.[Via GI.biz]
Jail time given to Chinese pirate server operators
In the continuing war against pirate servers, three Chinese men have been given jail sentences for running a ZT Online server.Chen Jian, the main builder of the server, has been sentenced to one year in jail, while his accomplices, Shi Zunkai and Sun Jun, were given ten months and nine months respectively. Also included in the final sentence was a fine of 60,000 RMB to be paid to Giant Interactive as damages for the activities of the server.
Collect calls from prison to cellphones now possible, vast number changes expected
The next time you get popped for a crime you didn't commit and end up in the Big House, you're going to be real glad NCIC Inmate Telephone Services rolled into existence. The greatest dream of felons everywhere has finally come to fruition: you can now make collect calls to cellphones while you're serving your time. And hey, this isn't just some minor advance -- no, this is "lightning in a bottle," arguably on par with the first moon landing, finding a cure for cancer, or hitting that crazy high note at the end of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun." With a 20 percent call-completion rate, you don't have to defer your dreams -- rob a bank today, you'll definitely be able to make pricey collect calls to loved ones from jail![Image courtesy Celebrity Blackberry Sightings]
Stefan Eriksson released from jail, awaiting expulsion
Just as expected, the former Gizmondo Europe director is free at last -- well, almost. Barely a year after Stefan Eriksson was sentenced to "three years" in the slammer, he's now been let loose from behind bars and is currently "awaiting expulsion." Purportedly, everything was nearly in place to ship him back to Europe prior to Christmas, but apparently, the Swedish consulate has taken its sweet time in preparing a new passport. What's still unclear, however, is whether the Ferrari Swede will be flown back to Sweden or Germany, but if all goes to plan, we'll be liveblogging the whole ordeal as soon as that news breaks (we jest, we jest).
UK jails considering RFID implants for prisoners
Ah -- dead, eerily-prescient, 20th century authors... they just can't stop proving you right, can they? In a decidedly Orwellian turn, British authorities are considering a proposal to implant "machine-readable" RFID tags under the skin of some prison inmates as part of a plan to free up space in the country's overcrowded prisons. Just like the nightmare world described in your favorite cautionary tales, the chips would enable authorities to track the location of implantees using satellite and radio-wave technology. The program would build off of the current ankle-tagging currently in place, and according to a official from the Ministry of Justice who finds the plan double-plus good, "All the options are on the table, and this is one we would like to pursue." Of course, the controversial concept does have its detractors, Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, says that, "If the Home Office doesn't understand why implanting a chip in someone is worse than an ankle bracelet, they don't need a human-rights lawyer; they need a common-sense bypass." Shortly following this statement, however, Shami was taken to an interrogation room and outfitted with a rat-hood, and all record of her existence was erased from state records.[Via Slashdot]
Body-scanning chair to show UK prisoners who's BOSS
Not nearly as intrusive as it first sounds, the Body Orifice Security Scanner (BOSS) is a chair-shaped mobile metal detector that officials are considering installing in every prison in England and Wales. Designed mainly to weed out one of the most popular forms of contraband -- cellphones -- the new BOSS II is said to be sensitive enough to detect even a single SIM card being smuggled somewhere inside an individual. So far the two £6,500 ($12,900) chairs that have been used at the Woodhill jail in Milton Keynes since April have helped authorities seize 21 handsets, with inmates who trigger an alert segregated and swiped down by a metal detector every time they leave their cells until the metal object has been, um, passed. While this system does humanely do away with uncomfortable cavity searches, those poor souls with a knee replacement, a bit of shrapnel embedded in their hip, or the like seem destined to toil away in solitary confinement for eternity.[Via SlashGear]
Texting, talking at the wheel could land Brits in jail
We already knew that UK motorists caught driving while texting (or vice-versa) could face a penalty of two whole years in the slammer, but now it seems that merely talking while controlling a motor vehicle could land you in the exact same predicament. Reportedly, British drivers caught chatting on a handset or sending an SMS while on the road "could be jailed" under new guidelines that are expected to be published. In the most extreme cases, they could be tagged with "dangerous driving, which carries a two-year maximum sentence and an unlimited fine." Currently, these folks simply get slapped with an "automatic fine and three points on their license under the lesser charge of careless driving." But honestly, it's not like prison would be so bad for cellphone addicts -- after all, we hear some cells over there actually provide service. [Image courtesy of MotorTrend]
"Dietrich" sentenced to jail for Gizmondo crash
Trevor Michael Karney – aka, The Elusive Dietrich – has been sentenced to jail by an LA judge for misleading police in the 162MPH crash of that $1.5 million Gizmondo Ferrari Enzo. Besides lying to police about his involvement as a passenger, the 27-year old German playboy also fled to Ireland before sneaking back into the US through the Mexican border in search of some tasty bud and cool waves. The sentence? 30 days, which roughly translates to a punishment of tickling by virgins until the onset of bellyache by the time the appeals process is through.
Terror threat prompts prisons' console bans
It looks like British prisoners will not be playing Heavenly Sword this Friday. According to UK tabloid The Sun, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo DS have all been banned from jail due to their abilities to to "send and receive radio signals" (the signals aren't radio waves, but we're not going to picky over terminology).The concern is that the messaging capabilities will allow those on the inside to plan terror attacks. Said one source to the tabloid, "The technology in the new generation of computer games makes them a security risk ... There is concern that top terror suspects have been using systems already in jails. Radio software is an integral part of the equipment."The ban could later spread to all consoles.[Via Next-Gen]
Pirated Simpsons Movie footage snagged with mobile
A 21-year-old Aussie is looking at up to five years behind bars after being charged with "uploading a pirated copy of The Simpsons Movie on the internet." Interestingly enough, his weapon of choice was not an uber-small camcorder, rather, he chose to record the entire film with his mobile phone on its first day in cinemas. Merely hours after returning home, the footage was already making the rounds on the 'net, but he has since been arrested after having his home raided by Federal Police. Adrianne Pecotic, executive director of the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, was quoted as saying that mobile phones had "advanced to the point where users could do a lot of damage" with its built-in video recording abilities, and also noted that pirates were "increasingly ditching handycams for smaller mobile phones."[Thanks, Geoff]
Pirate gets two years in the slammer
Yar! Pillaging and plundering doesn't always pay, as a Mount Vernon, Illinois man who was convicted of selling pirated console games has been sentenced to two years of prison, three years of supervised release and a $1,200 fine.According to GameDailyBIZ, the pirate was paid "in excess of $266,000 from 2001 until the Fall of 2006." Assuming those were pure profit and he wasn't made to return the funds (and those are some pretty big assumptions), that amounts to approximately $33,000 each year between 2001 and the end of his jail sentence, which we're estimating end of 2009. Not a bad bag of booty, but it's certainly not going to afford a lavish lifestyle of swimming naked in a baby pool of gold coins while paid employees fan you with fans made of the Curse of Monkey Island instruction manual.
Posdata employee tried to sell WiBro secrets to US
While it may look easy (and astonishingly lucrative) to pull a case of high-stakes espionage, one South Korean and three US-based individuals are learning the hard way that crime doesn't pay. The Seoul Central Prosecutors Office is accusing an unnamed employee of Posdata Co., a developer of WiBro, "of sending email with proprietary information to three former employees who live in the US." Additionally, it was suggested that the trade secrets (which cost about $95 million to fully develop) were being offered up "for around $190 million" to an unnamed US company. All in all, four culprits were arrested in the ordeal, and while "some data" was transferred, the boys in blue caught on and stopped the gig before any major secrets were divulged. Should've tried the bag drop method, eh?
PS3 crime spree, the missing episodes: heist goes awry, witness murdered
'Tis a sad day in society when nearly two months after London showed us all how a crime-free launch is supposed to go that two separate incidents involving a PlayStation 3 left one witness dead and another dazed. In a case of local bartering gone terribly wrong, a crook posing as an interested buyer reportedly snatched a PS3 without paying, and rather than listening to a witness who tried to inject reason, the culprit resorted to stabbing the man to death and darting off with the blood-stained machine. On the other side of the pond, the UK finally did fall victim to console crime, as a crazed robber entered a Blockbuster and demanded a PS3, only to find that the object of his desire was in fact "sold out." Being the bright lad that he obviously was, he hastily decided that settling for an Xbox 360, a handful of games, and a fistful of pounds would have to do. Best of all, the robber was probably able to get in a few rounds of Gears of War before needing to go underground, as the boys in blue were initially dispatched to the wrong store location while the bandit built a solid lead. C'mon folks, if you're going to steal, at least snag the one console that still isn't a common sight in retail locations -- or don't criminals understand the concepts of supply and demand?Read - Fatal stabbing over PlayStation 3, via PS3FanboyRead - Crook settles for Xbox 360 over PS3, via Joystiq
Sony's PlayStation 3 barred from British prisons
Going to the slammer because of the PlayStation 3 (sadly) isn't the most uncommon of occurrences, but if you're headed off to a British prison, we certainly hope you weren't counting on getting your game on with Sony's latest whilst locked up. Home Secretary John Reid has made clear that Sony's latest console simply won't be allowed within UK jails, as its ability to "send and receive radio signals" lends itself to becoming an illegal communication device with the "outside world." After getting over the slightly unbelievable tidbit that such luxuries would even be considered as a prison amenity, we also noticed that Mr. Reid feared that the PS3 could communicate with the PSP via WiFi, giving him yet another reason not to blow thousands of pounds to entertain convicted criminals. And before you try to sneak one of these beasts in via a sly underground tunnel, we've no doubt that Murphy will be all over those taboo data transmissions before you can even read up on old emails.[Via PS3Fanboy]
Irate driver rams fellow motorist due to cellphone use
You should already know that the Grand Canyon State isn't exactly kosher with rampant tailgating, so actually ramming someone's vehicle due to a personal conflict you have with them isn't likely to get you a whole lot of mercy. Subsequently, a 58-year old male is facing jail time due to his inability to turn the other cheek when he drove up on another motorist who was casually yapping on their cellphone. Rather than simply signing to hang up or doing nothing at all, Mr. Asselin felt it was in both of their best interests if they had a verbal exchange whilst cruising down the avenue, and to make matters worse, the curiously enraged driver reportedly ran the talker into oncoming traffic where the cellphone-using victim narrowly escaped death. Notably, several witnessed deemed the whole event akin to something we'd see "in a movie," but unless you've got Transporter-like skills, we wouldn't recommend trying to reenact this in your home state, no matter your feelings on driving while connected.[Via Fark]
Citizens catch cop speeding with cameras / radars, face arrest
Three cheers for citizens arrest! Actually, the case might end up going in the opposite direction, as a Bartow County couple could be arrested and tried for "allegedly stalking a Kennesaw police officer by installing cameras to track neighborhood speeders." While it seems perfectly okay to mount radars and speed traps all over our bustling highways in order to fine citizens for their hasty ways, apparently it's not so cool to keep an eagle-eye on a police officer breaking the same law. The couple spent around $1,200 installing a trio of video cameras and a radar gun outside their home in an attempt to monitor neighborhood speedsters and convince residents to slow down for safety, but things got a bit hairy when the surveillance system tagged a cop scurrying by at 17 miles-per-hour over the posted speed limit. Oddly enough, it seems that the officer was able to generate an acceptable excuse to dodge the penalty for speeding, while simultaneously planning to press charges against the dutiful couple for "stalking." So, dear readers, how exactly does an immobile, stationary camera go about stalking someone, hmm?[Via Digg]
Cellphone choker facing prison
We've seen cellphones turn into brutal weaponry more than a few times in our day, but in the latest unsolved mystery of a handset ending up in a potentially unfaithful SO's throat, it looks like justice is about to be served. Although it was previously assumed that a scandalous girlfriend attempted to swallow her mobile in order to prevent a suspicious boyfriend from finding out who was in her contact book, it now sounds like the enraged male in the situation could've forced it down there. In an admittedly awkward twist, a "jury convicted Marlon Gill of second-degree domestic assault" as they blamed him for putting her phone where her mouth is. Notably, jurors couldn't come to an agreement on an appropriate sentence, which means the decision will be left up to the judge, and personally, we feel the punishment should be much more severe if the mobile in question were of the smartphone (read: jumbo) variety.[Thanks, Lunar Dog]
Tabloid journalist jailed for intercepting royal voicemails
Any Brits reading this will probably already be aware of the occasionally questionable exploits of the "red top" tabloids, but for those that prefer not to take their tea with crumpets, the news that Clive Goodman, a journalist for the UK Sunday tabloid the News of the World, was found guilty and sentenced to four months jail time for intercepting over 600 phone messages left for three senior officials in the royal household will probably come as a mild shock. To British readers, the fact that a tabloid hack was willing to go to such lengths in order to provide such thrilling exclusives as the "news" that Prince William casually asked an ITV reporter to borrow a video editing suite won't be a surprise at all. Perhaps the most depressing fact in this case is the complete incompetence of the assailants: Mr. Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire -- the freelance investigator who was sentenced to six months prison time for his role in this plot, and for independently tapping several other notable figure's phones -- illegally and recklessly accessed voicemails before the rightful owners had retrieved them. If there's any good to come out of this case, it'll be a tightening of the security at the network operators that provided the royal official's mobile phones: apparently Mulcaire somehow managed to obtain the passwords "issued by the mobile phone companies to their own security staff. This allowed him, having obtained the mobile phone numbers of his targets, to call customer services and to obtain the voicemail retrieval numbers." We don't know whether to be flattered by the fact that royal staff slum it with the rest of us by using the same mobile phone networks that us "commoners" do, or to freak out at the lax security exercise by the unnamed network operators.[Via Boing Boing]
Thieves jack 14 GPS devices, forget to turn them off
Yeah, we've seen quite a bit of mishaps happen in conjunction with operating a GPS device, and the list of brainless criminals is (fortunately) seeming to get longer each day, but this heist made the cops' jobs so easy it's almost implausible. A few crooks with a potentially bright idea set out to swipe a dozen or so cellphones from the Town of Babylon Public Works garage in Lindenhurst, NY, but unfortunately for them, the 14 units they swiped turned out to be GPS devices. As expected, Suffolk County police didn't have any qualms tracking the bandits down, and actually found the head criminal holding one of their prizes when they entered his home, as he was presumably trying to call his mother (or partners in crime) and explain all he'd accomplished. Nevertheless, the father and his 13-year old son, along with another 20-year old culprit, were all taken in on charges of grand larceny and stupidity, but at least justice prevailed, eh?[Via Fark]
