stealing
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Singapore teen dealt 18-month probation, internet ban for WiFi stealing
While folks have been receiving various forms of punishment after jacking somebody's lingering WiFi signal without consent, it looks like the poor internet-addicted teenager from Singapore just barely missed out on the maximum fine. Proclaimed as the first victim of Singapore's newly-enforced Computer Misuse Act, the 17-year old Garyl Tan Jia Luo picked up 18 months of probation (some of which will be at home) instead of jail time, but what's potentially worse is the fact that he is not allowed to access the internet during his stint. Apparently, the judge felt this was the best way to break him of his internet addiction, and also recommended that the kiddo receive treatment for his online gaming obsession. Of course, we're sure his school grades will plummet and he'll miss out on a critical amount of technological development during the next 1.5 years, but hey, serving up justice is what it's all about, right? So if you're stuck in Singapore without a connection to the digital world, hold out just a bit longer for that free nationwide variety before hopping onto whatever jail-bait WiFi signal you find floating around.[Via TechDirt]
The Pirate Bay eying Sealand to escape digital persecution
While Sweden (and Russia, to name a few) has long been a country of choice when it came to hosting less-than-upstanding websites, the head honchos around the globe looking out for their precious content have somehow reached The Pirate Bay, and now the popular torrent tracking site is eying the micronation of Sealand as a safe haven for its dubious hosting needs. Sealand, which is loosely claimed as a principality, features its own flag, coat of arms, currency, stamps, passports, and most importantly, a quasi-coat of armor from any nation's laws. Although the background of 5,920-square foot man-made installation off the shore of Suffolk, England is quite remarkable, TPB sees its two massive columns as a perfect place for future hosting duties. Formerly the home of HavenCo, an off-shore hosting company that housed gambling sites, money transferring liaisons, and any other operation looking for internet freedom, Sealand could be a potential sanctuary from the claws of the RIAA, MPAA, and other content "owners." Although a principality can't legally (saywha?) be "sold," the family in possession of it recently began accepting offers "upwards of eight figures" for a transfer of ownership after (quite literally) holding down the fort since 1967, and while we highly doubt a fundraiser can scrape up that kind of loot anytime soon, nor do we believe it'd stop the barrage of content guardians, we must say the location looks like an excellent place to just get away from it all (including lawyers) -- if only for awhile.[Thanks, iamsoinsane, photo courtesy Kim Gilmour]
Soda machine "hack" yields extra beverages
C'mon, we've all wondered just what it'd take to nab an extra snack or soft drink from that soulless, computerized vending machine, right? Even if you haven't pondered such mischievous thoughts, you've probably muttered to yourself more than once how the robo-fridge took your money and didn't give you a tasty treat. So this "hack" goes out to you with a bone to pick, here's how to turn the tables on those carbonated money snatchers. In a video documentary shot by two (intelligently) undisclosed individuals, they trick one of those fancy conveyor belt-equipped pop boxes into thinking it has failed at dispersing the requested beverage. Once it believes that you're fuming mad and only moments away from striking the machine, it simply returns your money while the drink remains on the belt. If you haven't figured out the rest, you simply reinsert your recently refunded coinage, and repeat the process until the belt runs out of room (or you hear someone coming). While this one may not be not founded on more idealistic principles, we can bet it sure feels good to know if we really wanted to be, we could finally be on the duping end of the ever-dubious soda machine confrontation -- now, somebody give this a whirl on one of those iPod / digicam vending machines. [Read link possibly NSFW.][Thanks, RedBull Runner]
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]
iAlertU MacBook alarm software available in beta
We've been seeing posts and vids (and getting tips) on a program called iAlertU all week, but were a little skeptical of software that claims to use the tilt sensors and camera in your MacBook Pro for triggering an alarm if someone tries to snatch your lappie. Skeptical, that is, until a beta version of the application was released today,. While feedback so far indicates that the code is still pretty buggy, the program seems to actually work, with users generally pleased about the overall operation (for the five minute usage limitation of the beta, anyway). Developer Slapping Turtle says that once all the kinks are worked out, a non-time limited version will be available for $10, which seems like a good deal once key features are implemented -- most importantly, headphone jack and other overrides, because even the most dim-witted thief may somehow stumble upon the "force restart" key combo in mid-heist.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
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]
