Tragedy
Latest
Charlie Hebdo printing a million copies with help from Google
Charlie Hebdo will not stop skewering politics and religion alike despite the horrific January 7th attack that killed 12 people, including many of its staff and two policemen. Instead, the Paris-based journal will publish a million copies of its next edition on January 14th, compared to a normal printing run of around 50,000. It'll probably sell out, given a spontaneous display of unity and support for freedom of speech displayed by French protesters. To make the run possible, the government kicked in almost €1 million ($1.2 million), while French newspapers pledged €250,000 ($296,000). Google's Press Innovation Fund added another €250,000 and the Guardian Media Group contributed £100,000 ($150,000). The paper is also asking the public to subscribe at a reduced rate or make a donation.
WoW Archivist: Life and death
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? World of Warcraft is without a doubt a massive cultural phenomenon unlike any other online game to date. It has given us countless hours of entertainment, introduced friends and couples to one another, and touched the lives of millions. For some, the game has made a bad situation better, or even -- in at least one case -- possibly saved their lives. For others, it has cost them everything. Fair warning: This column describes some intense and tragic events. Hans and the moose In 2007, twelve-year-old Hans Jørgen Olsen of Norway and his sister (ten) decided to take a shortcut through a garden on their way to school. The choice would prove fateful. A moose had wandered into the area and promptly took a dislike to the children. "It ran straight towards us when it saw us," Hans told Norwegian news station Nettavisen. "I screamed at it to scare the moose, but I soon realized that it was not going to stop. Then I turned and ran and ran until I couldn't run faster." The charging moose caught up to Hans and slammed into him. His backpack cushioned the blow, but the impact knocked Hans to the ground. Unsatisfied, the moose remained. "We held eye contact for a while," Hans said, "and then it suddenly struck me."
Google's new Street View feature provides eerie glimpse of post-tsunami Japan
Google has put the devastation of March's Japanese tsunami in hauntingly stark relief, with the release of a new Street View feature that covers the country's most ravaged regions. It's all part of an initiative to "digitally archive" the aftermath of this year's earthquake and tsunami, with Street View images captured across some 44,000 kilometers of Northeastern Japan. The panoramic, 360-degree photos cover both inland and coastal regions, allowing users to retroactively trace the path of destruction across Fukushima and other areas, while placing them at ground level amidst a graveyard of battered homes and abandoned buildings. Google hopes this archive will help scientists to gain a better understanding of the damage wreaked by natural disasters, while preserving the memory of those who suffered most. It's viscerally eerie, powerful and, above all, tragic. Be sure to check it out at the source link below.
Officers' Quarters: In the wake of drama, tragedy
Every Monday, Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. He is the author of The Guild Leader's Handbook, available now from No Starch Press. Drama happens in guilds. As officers, we do everything we can to avoid it. Sometimes we make mistakes that set us up for it. At other times, it's simply inevitable. Much of it is stupid and pointless. However, nothing puts it all in perspective like a sudden, shared tragedy. This week, a guild leader wonders how he can deal with this terrible circumstance in the aftermath of a guild-shattering argument. Scott, I have a really difficult problem that I would like your advice, or at least your opinion. This problem is two fold and I will start with the short but serious series of events that have transpired the last few days. I (basically) started the guild a week before Cataclysm. We took off quick and became extremely successful. One of the first guilds to hit 25 on the server (which made me a really proud guild leader). Early in the guilds history, we had a member join our guild, lets call him Eddie. Eddie has an abrasive personality and he tends to insult people. The thing is, hes not and never is being serious. He jokes and unless you spend more than 5 minutes talking to him, you just assume he's insulting you, which he's not. Well Eddie, being new to the guild (that had relatively little officers), hit the ground running and showed qualities of a true leader. He built our raid team, geared people, taught people, and did his job in a way that I've not seen done even as I raided through Wrath. Eddie however joined the military and had to leave for Basic Training. When he left, it was agreed upon that the raid leader spot would be temporarily given to another officer and would be given back when Eddie returned.
China urges Foxconn to ensure worker safety
It's been another rough week for Foxconn, Apple's biggest manufacturing partner. After an explosion at a Foxconn factory killed three workers last Friday, the Chinese government urged the manufacturer and other Taiwanese companies to better ensure the safety of their employees. "We hope Foxconn and other Taiwanese firms can learn lessons from this, carry out safety responsibilities, step up internal oversight, stamp out potential safety risks in a timely manner, and ensure safe production," Fan Liqing, a spokeswoman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday. Friday's deadly explosion rocked a Foxconn polishing workshop in Chengdu, a city in southwest China, where workers put the finishing touches on electronic products for many of the world's largest brands, including Apple. Immediately after the blast, the local government began rescue efforts and an investigation into its cause. So far, investigators believe the explosion was the result of a "production safety accident," according to Fan, who didn't go into further details about the cause of the incident. Previous reports suggest that combustible dust in the polishing workshop ignited to fuel the blast. In response to the incident, Foxconn has temporarily suspended operations at all of its workshops that polish electronics in China and, according to Fan, the manufacturer pledged to "make an all out effort" to treat the injured workers, reassure the families of their employees, and remove hidden safety risks "in accordance with relevant requirements."
iPad 2 production may not be affected by explosion at Foxconn plant
Asian tech industry blog Digitimes has reported on two seemingly contradictory stories regarding how Friday's tragic explosion at the Foxconn plant in Chengdu China will affect iPad 2 production. In one post, Digitimes states that production has been suspended at the Chengdu plant. Although the Chengdu plant produces less than 30 percent of iPad 2s, the production suspension report has caused concerns over availability constraints in the near future. The majority of the devices are manufactured at a plant in Shenzhen. However, Digitimes has also posted that, according to Commercial Times (a Chinese-language financial newspaper), the disaster will not affect iPad 2 assembly lines since the explosion and subsequent fire occurred at a location used to store chemicals and coatings, leaving the assembly lines unscathed. Foxconn has stated that iPad 2 production will continue as previously planned. This may be Foxconn PR spin to try to put the brakes on the 5 percent drop in its stock last night during Asian trading. It may also be due to Foxconn's intention to ramp up assembly at its Shenzhen facility, which is expected to increase production from 2 million units per month to 4-5 million units per month in the second quarter. The manufacturer hopes to raise output to 9-10 million units per month in the second half of the year. It's too early to tell how this will play out, but our collective hearts and prayers go out to the victims of this horrible tragedy. [via 9to5 Mac]
Explosion at Foxconn's Chengdu plant kills two
An explosion occurred at Foxconn's Chengdu plant earlier today, with reports claiming several workers have been injured. The Taiwanese company has yet to release a statement regarding figures and the cause of this tragedy, but according to 21st Century Business Herald, witnesses saw lightning hit the A05 building before the explosion took place -- it is believed that this is a case of dust explosion, and security guards were allegedly warning evacuees that the smoke was toxic. At the time, hundreds of workers were present in the affected workshop which houses an iPad 2 assembly line. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Update: Sina Tech is reporting two deaths and sixteen injured people, with three in critical condition. We've also added a video from the scene after the break, courtesy of Sohu. Update 2: Apple has provided a statement to All Things D, saying: We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at Foxconn's plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families... We are working closely with Foxconn to understand what caused this terrible event.
iPhone theft results in a tragic death
We have often written feel-good stories about the quick recovery of stolen iPhones, usually with the assistance of Find My iPhone. Unfortunately, today's story of a theft turned horrifying and tragic when a Chicago woman died after a fleeing thief shoved her down a flight of stairs. According to the Chicago Breaking News, Sally Katona-King was standing at the Fullerton station platform on her way home from work during rush hour Monday afternoon when a thief stole the iPhone from another commuter and pushed Katona-King in his haste to flee the scene. Katona-King was hospitalized after falling down a set of stairs at the station and died Tuesday from what officials believe was a cerebral hemorrhage.
Security official suspended, turned over to authorities in apparent connection to Foxconn employee's suicide
We suspect there's more than a few chapters left in the story of 25-year old Foxconn factory worker who died in an apparent suicide this month, following the disappearance of a prototype next-generation iPhone. The latest newsbit, this time care of Bloomberg, is that a security official for Hon Hai, a company with 72 percent stake in Foxconn, has been suspended and turned over to Chinese government authorities, with the suspicion / implication here that there's a direct correlation between this and the suicide. Though unconfirmed at this point, reports circulating say the worker had been harassed by company security prior to his death. Yahoo! Tech has all those details, and the official investigation is ongoing. We'd like to say there'll be conclusive answers in this case sometime in the near future, but we're not getting our hopes up.Read - Hon Hai Suspends Official After iPhone Worker SuicideRead - China suicide puts spotlight on secretive Apple culture
Man gets life in killing over 'stolen' PlayStation 2
Former Fresno State student Jonquel Brooks was sentenced to life in prison on Friday, for the 2007 shooting of four men -- one of which died in the altercation. On May 7, 2007, Brooks was approached and accused of stealing a PlayStation 2 system from one of the four men. Police did not find the stolen PlayStation in his apartment, defense lawyer Jane Boulger said. The argument eventually turned violent when Brooks fired shots, striking two of the men and killing another. Following the incident Brooks, 21, fled from the scene -- later surrendering to authorities. During his trial, Brooks claimed the shooting was in self defense, but prosecution argued he immediately resorted to the most extreme measures possible. According to prosecution, Brooks was known for "flashing a gun" and "dealing drugs." At sentencing, the mother of the deceased (Brant Daniels) forgave Brooks, calling him "a good kid who made a wrong choice." Fresno County Superior Court sentenced Brooks to 25 years to life for the first-degree murder of Daniels. Brooks was also sentenced to 25 years for using a gun and a combined 59 years and four months for the attempted murder of the other three men involved in the altercation. Following the conviction, Brooks was remorseful, saying that he prayed for the "forgiveness" of Daniels' family and friends. [Photo Credit: AP Images]
German Social Affairs minister calls for higher rating on World of Warcraft
Germany is reeling from a shooting rampage committed by a 17-year-old, and as happens in many of these situations, politicians are looking for answers to why a young man would do this to his community. One of the answers they've found so far is videogames. While we don't actually know if the young man played games or not (or what he played), Germany's Minister for Social Affairs Mechthild Ross-Luttmann is calling for a few games, World of Warcraft among them, to be moved up from an age 12+ rating to an adults-only classification.The tie between the shooter and WoW is slim. But a new study over there says that 50,000 to 60,000 minors could be classified as addicted to videogames. And the combination of the two events is causing Ross-Luttman to call for stronger ratings on "addictive" games like World of Warcraft. It's also interesting to note that in the US, the game is rated T by the ESRB, which actually calls for children 13 and up to play it, one year older than the German standard.But of course there are two conclusions here. First, every parent needs to take responsibility for what their younger children do: if these kids are addicted, parents need to step in and make sure things get straightened out. As a former employee of a gaming retail store, I can tell you that ratings only go so far. The responsibility has to lie with the parents. And secondly, while Ross-Luttmann is apparently using the shooting to try and push this agenda against addiction, the young man involved in the shooting was experiencing deep depression, and had access to firearms that he probably shouldn't have had. Changing game ratings is fine, but it won't do anything to help when you've got much bigger problems to deal with first.[via GamePolitics]
Zu Online community mourns earthquake victims
As most people have heard by now, a massive earthquake struck the Sichuan province of China four days ago, killing 12,000 people and leaving as many as 18,000 more missing. The colossal tragedy shocked not only the Chinese, but all the people of the world.Players of the Chinese MMO Zu Online were no exception. Without any prior planning, they collected together in the game's wuxia fantasy setting -- the mythic past of the the very region struck by this week's terrible disaster -- to mourn those lost in the earthquake, and to pray for their families.A Zu player put together a tribute video, cross-cutting between footage from the in-game memorial service and photographs from the media coverage of the disaster, and posted it on the game's official forums. It's a noble tribute to the deceased. Watch it if you feel compelled.[Via MMORPG]
Just for laughs: Xbox HD DVD player gets update
Major Nelson has informed the populace that the next time one of the surviving members of the defeated HD DVD army watch a movie they'll be prompted with an auto update. No, the update will not magically convert the dead format into a Blu-ray player, sorry.Instead, the update will add "compatibility improvements with certain titles" and "additional support for network features." Xbox 360 owners without Live can download the update through Xbox.com later this week.
Mortal Kombat blamed in death of 7-year old
Two teens, 17-year Leonard Roberts and 16-year old Maria Trujillo, have been charged in the death of the girl's 7-year old sister. According to various sources, they were either playing Mortal Kombat at the time or simply re-enacting moves from the game. If it's the latter, the identity of whoever linked Mortal Kombat to the death -- either the accused themselves or some outside observer -- is never made clear. An actual link to the game is even more ambiguous. According to NEWS.com.au, Trujillo alleged she was "playing 'Mortal Combat'" with her sister, and it's unclear if that's a misspelling or the sisters' name for their general roughhousing. The same report also mentioned that Roberts was downstairs playing video games while the incident occurred upstairs, according to an affidavit.Another article by the Denver Channel said they "were wrestling as they always do, karate kicking, punching and kicking," implying that the behavior is perpetual and perhaps not related to the game. Of course, labeling it the "Mortal Kombat" death makes for an admittedly catchy headline. (An article from the Rocky Mountain News abstained from mentioning the game in its headline, although a broken link on their Most Viewed sidebar indicates they may have once named it "'Mortal Kombat' tragedy.")What's disturbing for us is that, while an unverified link to video games makes it into the headline, noting that Roberts was drunk at the time gets lost in either the middle or very end of the articles we read. Shouldn't we be worried about an intoxicated 17-year old just as much as we are his gaming habits? (For international readers, the legal drinking age in the US is 21.) Sure, underage drinking and stupidity is not as new of a hot-button issue as video games, but shouldn't we try to present all the pertinent facts with appropriate prominence? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]Read - Teen accused in child's 'Mortal Kombat' death (Denver Channel)Read - Teens charged in 'Mortal Kombat' death (AP via Yahoo! News)Read - Teens charged in death of girl, 7 (Rocky Mountain News)Read - Game blamed for death (NEWS.com.au)
Codemasters pulls McRae ads
Following the death of rally car driver Colin McRae last weekend in a helicopter crash, Codemasters has decided to pull advertising for the PS3 version of Colin McRae: DiRT out of respect. Codemasters says that the ads are being stopped "with consideration to and in agreement with McRae's family." The helicopter crash in which McRae died also claimed the life of his five-year-old son.We're curious to see how McRae's death will impact the future of the series. Considering the American version of DiRT didn't really have McRae's name attached to it, it's more of a question about the European versions.
Breaking news: Racer Colin McRae dies in helicopter crash
[Update: Codemasters, publisher of the Colin McRae games, has issued an official statement.]A sad day for fans of racer Colin McRae on Saturday as news broke that he died in a helicopter crash. He was apparently piloting a chopper near his home in Lanarkshire when something went tragically wrong, and according to eyewitnesses it exploded in a fireball. It's not known who else was onboard with him, but some reports say his five year old son may have been aboard as well. McRae's five-year-old son was also killed in the crash.The official Colin McRae website is completely black as a sign of mourning, and our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this tragedy. The last video game bearing his name, Colin McRae: DiRT was released earlier this summer, and sold over 500k copies in its first week of release. Born in Lanark in 1968, McRae was the son of five-time British Rally Champion, Jimmy McRae. He was the first Briton to be named world champion when he won the event in the mid-1990s and was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his outstanding achievements.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Woman dies trying to win a Wii
With all the hysteria and violence surrounding the PlayStation 3 launch, we were almost positive that it would be the pursuit of Sony's hard-to-find console which would lead to the tragic death of a hopeful gamer. But even though there were numerous scuffles and injuries in the race to secure a PS3, the first and only casualty in the next-gen wars turned out to be a woman trying to win a Wii for her children -- and she lost her life in much more bizarre circumstances than the retail madness we witnessed in late November. 28-year-old Jennifer Strange of Rancho Cardova, CA was found dead inside her home on Friday afternoon after competing in a radio station-sponsored competition which pitted hopefuls against one another for the prize of Nintendo's latest and greatest. Instead of competing on the playing fields of Wii sports or the Japanese streets of Red Steel, however, contestants gathered inside the studios of Sacramento's KDND The End to see who could drink the most water without urinating. The ridiculously-titled "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest had entrants imbibe eight ounces of water every fifteen minutes for 90 minutes, after which they were given larger portions until a winner emerged. Ms. Strange -- who did not win -- left the studio in tears, and she was last heard from by her employers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento complaining of a terrible headache. Autopsy results released yesterday showed signs of water intoxication, wherein the body's electrolyte levels are dangerously unbalanced due to a rapid intake of the seemingly harmless liquid. A spokesperson from The End came out with the usual sob story following news of Strange's death, but at least one of her coworkers thinks the station should have done more to prevent this tragedy; it's probably a pretty safe bet that a lawsuit is forthcoming. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
