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Pirating Gangs of London supports gang violence
As evidenced by the numerous YouTube videos of people playing "complete" versions of the upcoming Gangs of London, a leaked ISO of the game has been making the rounds on the internet. Stealing is wrong, and Sony spokesperson David Wilson wants you to remember that: "We are wholly opposed to game piracy. Even if people have no sympathy for games developers losing money (though in the end that damages our industry and hurts gamers) - there are proven links that exist between counterfeiting and organised crime and that has some serious consequences (and victims) that people should give due consideration."There you have it. Downloading an illegal copy of Gangs of London may, in fact, help criminals. But, if Senator Lieberman is right, playing games like Gangs of London will turn you into a criminal anyways.[Thanks, steve; via GI.biz]
NYPD marking iPods, phones to aid in theft recovery
Myth or not, the story that muggers are specifically targeting folks with iPods has gotten a fair amount of press since it was first reported, and has convinced at least one police department to make a rather half-hearted attempt at returning peace of mind to the city's subway commuters. For the past three months, New York City cops have been offering iPod and other portable device owners a way to "register" their gear -- wherein the officers mark your hardware with invisible ink and copy down the serial number -- in order to provide victims with a slim but tangible chance of recovery. The two-pronged approach ensures that even if thieves figure out a way to wash off the ink. which is only visible under infrared lighting, they may not be wise enough to file off the serial numbers as well. So far, over 2,000 gadgets have been marked at Transit Bureau offices and tables located around the subway system, although the program has yet to help any victims recover their stolen goods, so it's probably not a bad idea to continue sporting your Thomas Pink tie.[Via NY1, thanks Leon F]
"Undercover" software helps recover your stolen MacBook
So you coughed up some dough for that iAlertU program to protect your MacBook, but wouldn't you know it, your laptop got jacked anyway by a clever thief who simply removed the battery before taking off. Luckily for you, all is not lost, at least not if you'd installed another program called Undercover on your machine, which not only sends out an IP-address-containing SOS if it's reported stolen, but actually uses your machine's built-in iSight to snap a photo of the perp before simulating a screen failure that makes the Mac unusable. Every six minutes, Undercover pings a database maintained by developer Orbicule to check if the machine it's installed on has been stolen; a positive reply from the server initiates a sequence of events that hopefully ends with law enforcement officials breaking down the door of the nefarious Macjacker's pad and recovering your beloved notebook. In case the crook was smart enough to never reconnect to the Internet after the heist, however, you'll still need to file an insurance claim and head down to the old Apple store -- looks like they still haven't found a software solution that beats the trusty Kensington Lock.
Thomas Pink's iPod-concealing Commuter Shirt
The designers at Thomas Pink must get their iPods jacked on a regular basis, because they've followed up on their nano-concealing tie with the "Commuter Shirt" that hides your DAP, cellphone, or PDA under even more clothing, and includes a second secret spot under one cuff for storing your credit cards. We're assuming that the demand for this shirt stems from the fact that today's mugger regularly reads Engadget, and is easily able to identify and snatch that signature pink tie right off the necks of unsuspecting businessmen. The less-flashy blue or white "Commuter Shirt" should help alleviate this problem somewhat by tucking that 'Pod into an inner pocket by the wearer's stomach, with built-in channeling to ensure snag-free movement. Now, if they can only figure out a way to hide that crease and lump in your shirt which muggers will soon be looking for on everyone not wearing a pink tie.[Via GigaOm and TUAW]
Stupid kids try to steal David Copperfield's cellphone
Not necessarily mobile news as such, we still thought you'd get a kick out of this tale of four teenage thugs, two lovely assistants, and a man who earns his living by making stuff disappear. After Sunday's show at the Kravis Center in alm Beach, Florida, illusionist David Copperfield and his female assistants were walking back to their tour bus when they were approached by a small pack of kids. Instead of requesting the world-famous magician's autograph (don't laugh, we have one), the three 17-year-olds and one 18-year-old proceeded to rob the women of their purses at gunpoint, making off with several hundred dollars and a RAZR. When it came time to jack Copperfield, however, the teens were apparently dumbfounded by his special powers, as he managed to conceal his own wallet and cellphone while appearing to completely empty his pockets in a trick he referred to as "reverse pickpocketing." Eventually all four morons were picked up in their stolen car after Copperfield took note of the license plate, and their cache of loot from the night's activities was returned to its rightful owners.[Via mopocket and textually]
NEC falls victim to sophisticated "corporate identity theft"
In what has to be the most impressive display of criminal initiative that we've ever seen, an organized group of conspirators in Japan, China, and Taiwan managed to convince dozens of factories in the latter two countries that they represented Japan's NEC Corp., and got them to manufacture pirated products under the NEC brand. According the the International Herald Tribune, not only did the pirates duplicate versions of real NEC devices -- which, according to NEC, were "of generally good quality" -- they actually began producing their own line of NEC-branded products, developed with R&D commissioned by NEC business card-carrying "executives." All-in-all, the pirates had a product lineup of some fifty different items, ranging from home theater equipment to MP3 players to PC peripherals, and were even thoughtful enough to include counterfeit manuals and warranty documents with their goods. Apparently the ring has been operating since at least 2004, although the real NEC only made the details known recently, following a private investigation that led to the ringleaders' arrest and crackdowns by local authorities on the offending factories.[Via Techdirt]
Pixel noise said to create unique camera "fingerprint"
Researchers at Binghamton University in New York have filed for a patent on a method of extracting unique identifying information from digital photos, based on pixel noise. According to the researchers, each camera generates its own digital "fingerprint" based on random variables that occur in the manufacturing process. By comparing multiple images from a single camera, the researchers say they can trace the images back to the specific camera that took the photos. The developers see potential for the method in law enforcement activities, such as tracking down child pornographers and forgers. We hope they're right; certainly, any tools they can use are worth exploring. However, we can't help but wonder whether clever criminals will just be able to run a few Photoshop filters and be able to wipe out any trace of their cam's fingerprint before uploading their pics. [Via Ars Technica]
Opticon-toting driver gets $50 fine for changing traffic light
We hate waiting for traffic lights to change as much the next driver (or pedestrian -- we have to cross streets, too, you know), but we doubt we'd ever try to take things into our own hands like Jason Niccum of Longmont, Colorado, did. Niccum picked up an Opticon -- an infrared light used by firefighters and other emergency responders to trigger traffic signals -- on eBay for about $100, and has been using it to cut his commuting time. That is, was using it, until local cops busted him after they noticed a consistent pattern of traffic-light disruptions at certain intersections. They nailed Niccum, and the town now plans to change the frequency used by traffic lights to block unauthorized signals (until, that is, someone comes out with a next-gen model). Niccum, despite getting stuck with a $50 fine, isn't exactly remorseful. "I guess in the two years I had it, that thing paid for itself," he told a local newspaper.
UK police claim thieves are sniffing for laptops with Bluetooth phones
No disrespect towards the fine police of the United Kingdom or their Sherlock Holmsian skills, but we're mighty skeptical of a recent warning by the Cambridgeshire division that thieves are using their cellphones to locate and steal Bluetooth-enabled laptops from the "boots" of cars. So far all of the evidence concerning this new high-tech modus operandi seems to be anecdotal, as police in Royston are also claiming that a recent a spate of laptop thefts can be attributed to Bluetooth-sniffing crooks, but neither department is reporting how they came to these conclusions. Still, it's probably not a bad idea to shutdown your machine instead of putting it sleep when storing it in the car, toggle your Bluetooth setting to "undiscoverable," or just bring the damn thing along if you're going to be away from your ride for awhile.[Via The Raw Feed]
