May 14, 2010
NEW POSTS COMING SOON
Just a heads up to let you know that some new entries will be posted on this blog soon.
April 22, 2010
EMINEM ENGAGES IN KOOKY HIJINKS
From http://www.xmradio.com/shade45:
Haven't had a chance to listen to this, but it seems like Eminem is still doing crazy, hilarious stuff.
March 16, 2010
March 8, 2010
UBISOFT CENSORS RUSSIAN CUSTOMERS
Following yesterday's Assassin's Creed 2/DRM disaster, Ubisoft this morning deleted a discussion by their Russian customers in the Assassin's Creed General Discussion forum. The first four pages of the thread are archived here:
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Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
There seems to be a pattern of discrimination against Russian users by Ubisoft.
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Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
There seems to be a pattern of discrimination against Russian users by Ubisoft.
March 5, 2010
INTERVIEW WITH AN EXTREME CRAPPER
chrysler5thavenue: why is it again that you crapped in bags?crapper: Because I lived in a motel full of crack heads and only had a public bathroom and the door didn't lock
crapper: You can't defend yourself if you're shitting
chrysler5thavenue: did you also say you crapped into your cereal bowl?
crapper: No o_O
crapper: I only had one bowl
crapper: It was for FOOD
chrysler5thavenue: i thought you said you crapped into that bowl, then put the turds in a bag, and then washed the bowl & ate oatmeal out of it
crapper: Nooooo
crapper: Steamer I never used
crapper: I did that sometimes
chrysler5thavenue: you crapped into a steamer?
crapper: Until I figured out the correct way to shit in the bag without it touching me
crapper: Yeah
crapper: I never used it!
crapper: I had gotten it for broccoli
crapper: But the broccoli smelled weird
crapper: Chemicalish
crapper: It shouldn't smell like chemicals
chrysler5thavenue: did you steam your crap?
crapper: -.-
crapper: No
chrysler5thavenue: why do i remember you telling me you crapped into your breakfast bowl? i would've remembered if you told me you crapped into a steamer.
crapper: I just called the steamer a bowl
crapper: It's bowl shaped
crapper: And I didn't have a breakfast bowl
crapper: I had a small little campfire bowl thing
chrysler5thavenue: did you eat breakfast out of it?
crapper: I don't think I ever really ATE breakfast
crapper: I lived on ramen, pasta, etc
chrysler5thavenue: oatmeal
chrysler5thavenue: you ate oatmeal
crapper: Not for breakfast usually
chrysler5thavenue: you ate ramen for breakfast and oatmeal for dinner?
crapper: I didn't really eat breakfast
crapper: I ate later in the day
chrysler5thavenue: just because you're asleep in the morning when everyone eats breakfast doesn't mean you don't eat breakfast
crapper: I DID NOT SHIT IN THE BOWL I ATE OUT OF
crapper: Kthnx
March 3, 2010
February 28, 2010
February 24, 2010
CNN REQUESTED PERMISSION TO GO HOGWILD ON MY PC TODAY
Today I followed a link to a live video stream on CNN.com. To watch it, I had to give permission to have "Octoshape" installed on my computer. Here's how Octoshape defines itself:
Here's all it said about the licensing terms on that same informational page that was offered before installing the software:
I told someone about this and they linked me to a list of criticisms of this software from Wikipedia:
This seems to be a common problem with software provided by large media content providers like CNN. Having a large audience, they can afford to alienate technologically savvy visitors to take advantage of the vast majority who do not understand the technology. Content providers that built their business on the internet are generally better about having fair and clear terms of service because their initial rise in popularity depends on acceptance by people who are more familiar with the internet. Be on the lookout for mass media content providers trying to screw you over.
The Octoshape software utilizes a grid streaming technology. With grid streaming technology, parts of the video and audio stream you watch may be delivered to your personal computer system via the personal computer systems of other end users of the software, and the personal computer system on which you install the Software may also be used to deliver parts of the video and audio stream to other end users of the Software only while you are viewing the same respective stream.This basically means that I'll download the stream at the same time upload the downloaded data to someone else that is requesting it. That way CNN doesn't have to upload it to everyone that wants to see it. The people that download the content will pass it on to other people. It's similar to the concept behind bit torrent software.
Here's all it said about the licensing terms on that same informational page that was offered before installing the software:
By installing the Octoshape software you are granting permission for Octoshape, the website and other end users of the software to utilize and share the processor and bandwidth of your personal computer system for the limited purpose of facilitating the communication between you and other end users of the software, including Octoshape and the website, and improving bandwidth efficiency in order to provide you the content.I didn't install it because it didn't specify that my computer would only be used to serve the data that I had specifically requested and that I would have control of how much of their data my computer would serve. It seemed like these terms are so broad as to allow them to use my computer as a server at will. I was only willing to pass on the content of theirs that I knowingly downloaded and only using the same amount of bandwidth as I used to download it, no more. I decided not to install it.
I told someone about this and they linked me to a list of criticisms of this software from Wikipedia:
Octoshape has been criticized [7] for its "ludicrous license terms". Octoshape's EULA, amongst other things, for protection against reverse engineering the Octoshape software prohibits the user utilizing the records that their firewall or anti-virus software may record .
Other points of criticism:
- Being closed source software prevents the internal functions of the software from being publicly examined for hidden functions and other security problems.
- Shifts the broadcaster's share of the cost of bandwidth to the listeners instead by running servers on the listeners' machines.
- Octoshape reserves the right to expand the scope of what its software does on listeners' computers. [8]
February 23, 2010
GAWKER.COM INADVERTENTLY OUTS SECRET CELEBRITY PARTY PAD
Today gawker.com published a post profiling a secret NYC party pad where celebrities hang out with strippers and smoke indoors, while saying "we're not mentioning [the owner's] full name, or the location, or running any pictures that might give away either, so as not to ruin perhaps the last refuge for New York debauchery in the era of smoking bans and wealthy neighbors who expect perfect quiet downtown."
Commenter exifhunter pointed out that the GPS coordinates (+40° 43.64′ -73° 59.62′) in the embedded EXIF data on the iPhone photo of a pickle cabinet within the apartment that the author, Ravi Somaiya, published in the story, placed it at this location. Commenter ModernMindOfM then gave the address of the location as "12 Great Jones St. The red door under the red awning at the base of the 6 story brick building. Acme Bakery resides in front."
A number of elite Gawker star commenters were awed by exifhunter's supernatural ability to read EXIF data:
Commenter exifhunter pointed out that the GPS coordinates (+40° 43.64′ -73° 59.62′) in the embedded EXIF data on the iPhone photo of a pickle cabinet within the apartment that the author, Ravi Somaiya, published in the story, placed it at this location. Commenter ModernMindOfM then gave the address of the location as "12 Great Jones St. The red door under the red awning at the base of the 6 story brick building. Acme Bakery resides in front."
A number of elite Gawker star commenters were awed by exifhunter's supernatural ability to read EXIF data:
@exifhunter: Dude, I want you on my side
Pretty amazing. Somewhere Joan Allen is using his guy to find Jason Bourne.
@exifhunter: I'm just going to offer to buy the movie rights to your life right now, no questions asked.
@MisterLumpyDough: @nirreskeya: @exifhunter: Holy crap. Can you people see me right now?
February 7, 2010
Super Bowl XLIVeblog
January 22, 2010
LIVEBLOG: New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts AFC Playoff
January 20, 2010
Is it OK to make Haiti jokes or is it better to wait for the dust to settle?
A Haitian man walks into a bar--it collapses.
I dumped my Haitian girlfriend the other day, she was crushed.
I dumped my Haitian girlfriend the other day, she was crushed.
January 17, 2010
San Diego Chargers vs. New York Jets AFC Divisional Playoff LIVEBLOG
EDIT: The liveblog is now archived for your enjoyment.
January 16, 2010
ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS LIVEBLOG
We'll be liveblogging the game today. You can participate. Hopefully you'll have a TV to watch along with. Be here at 4:30pm. If you don't know what liveblogging is, it'll blow your freaking mind. Don't say you weren't warned! LIVE-BLOGGING 2010! F*** Yea!
EDIT: The liveblog is now archived for your enjoyment.
EDIT: The liveblog is now archived for your enjoyment.
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