Now the net filter in Oz must truly be dead 

by Drew Wilson

Not a lot of news is happening in Australia lately regarding the mandatory web filtering. So we decided to find out if anything has happened lately. Turns out, Australia has had an election with some rather historical results that could see to the demise of the net filtering plan.

Hung parliament. The last time Australia had one of those was 1940. Still, it’s a term that Australians will now have to get use to now with no one winning a majority government.

So it sounds like the Australian internet filter, the one that would filter out “inappropriate content” and the one that could possibly even filter file-sharing content (though this was a matter of debate), is officially dead.

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/90571/australian-net-filter-dead/

Sony releases mandatory PS3 update in response to jailbreak

By Ben Kuchera

To the shock of absolutely no one, Sony has announced a new mandatory update for the PlayStation 3. Don't expect any new features, but if you have one of those new, fancy USB-based hacking devices you may want to hold off on updating. Just sayin'.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/09/sony-releases-mandatory-ps3-update-in-response-to-jailbreak.ars

Craigslist censored: Adult section removed

by Chris Matyszczyk

Some who are at a loose end will find it odd to wake up to a Labor Day weekend and discover that the Adult Section on Craigslist has been removed and that the link to it on the site's home page has been replaced with a black bar reading "censored."

Craigslist has long been the whipping boy for attorneys general seeking to control prostitution within their purview and perhaps also seeking to win the favor of certain members of their constituencies.

However, why the section should suddenly have been removed in such a dramatic way (the censorship is only active in the U.S.) is unclear.

The section was originally entitled Erotic Services. Its name was changed to reflect a new discipline, as, under pressure from attorneys general, Craigslist declared it would manually screen every ad in its newly named Adult Services section.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20015629-71.html?tag=topTechContentWrap;editorPicks#ixzz0ymrXRVWu

How OpenAppMkt is giving iPhone owners more choice

"HTML5 is more capable than most developers realise"

By Matt Bolton

The OpenAppMkt brings web apps to your iPhone, with a familiar interface

One of the continuing criticisms of Apple's iPhone is the inability to load apps that haven't been through the App Store's opaque approval process - unless you're prepared to jailbreak.

For many developers, Android presents a more open environment, with fewer potential barriers to entry. However, stories of the riches from Apple's platform make it a tempting proposition anyway.

Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/how-openappmkt-is-giving-iphone-owners-more-choice-714752#ixzz0ymjFvukM

Toshiba debuts Android-powered Folio 100 tablet

by Stephen Shankland

BERLIN--Samsung's Galaxy Tab got a lot of the attention Thursday, but Toshiba had an Android tablet of its own to debut here at the IFA electronics show: the Folio 100.

Unlike the smaller Tab, the Folio bears more of an outward resemblance to Apple's iPad, the dominant tablet device on the market today. And where Samsung will sell the Tab only through phone companies as a kind of smartphone on steroids, Toshiba's Folio will like the iPad come in 3G and non-3G models when it goes on sale in Europe in the fourth quarter.

The Folio will cost 399 euros (about $511) for the version with just Wi-Fi networking; the 3G version price jumps to 499 euros (about $639). It's got a 10.1-inch multitouch screen with 1024x600-pixel resolution, an Nvidia Tegra processor, stereo speakers, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam, two USB ports, an SD card slot, an HDMI connector for sending video to other screens, Bluetooth communications, and 16GB of memory.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20015508-264.html?tag=topStories1#ixzz0yhuld8HR

German court rules against YouTube over copyright

(AP) – 7 hours ago

BERLIN — A German court ruled Friday that Google Inc.'s subsidiary YouTube LLC must pay compensation after users uploaded several videos of performances by singer Sarah Brightman in violation of copyright laws.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iJ6jhspHQJ_JJyw3Ba0sWKKYyGpwD9I0JCI00

Simple solution for countries that fail to get the internet, deny them access Google, the people will quickly realize the courts have gone to far, basically tell them to go screw them selves.    

AP: Yeah, we'd better cite pajama-wearing bloggers, too

By Nate Anderson

Flickr user thestarmama

The Associated Press didn't need any help from a bunch of unshowered bloggers pecking away at their keyboards from the basement offices in which they play "reporter," thank you very much. Now it knows better.

At the AP's 2009 annual meeting, Chairman Dean Singleton reminded his audience (read the speech) that the AP and its members "are the source of most of the news content being created in the world today." The collective remains "the gold standard of newsgathering and reporting throughout the world." And with 62 journalists killed, beaten, or detained in 2008, journalism "is not a profession for the fainthearted, or those who work in their pajamas."

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/09/ap-yeah-wed-better-cite-blogs-too.ars

Survivor contract, rule book are back online

reality blurred »  
by Andy Dehnart /  

After a challenge from CBS, the Survivor cast contract, which includes the show’s rule book, are back online on reality blurred.

In late July, almost eight weeks after I first published my analysis of an annotated version of the contract cast members sign, a CBS lawyer in New York sent a DMCA takedown notice toScribd, the document hosting service I used to present the files in an easy-to-use reader that was embedded in my stories. CBS’ letter claimed that “[s]uch copying and use of this material constitutes clear infringement of the Rights Owner’s copyrights under the Copyright Act, including the DMCA, and its counterpart laws around the world.”

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/reality_blurred/2010_Aug_31_survivor_contract_back

iTunes Ping’s Latest Problem: Spam

By  Christina Warren

iTunes Ping is apparently full of spam, yet another hiccup in Apple’s road to establishing a legitimate social network.

As Sophos notes on its blog, a barrage of spam links are hitting the music-themed social network. Many of these links are to offers promising free iPad, iPhone or iPod touch devices.

Apple released iTunes 10 and iTunes Ping earlier this week and the rollout has been a little bit rocky. Beyond the latest spam attacks, issues with Facebook Connect, international access issues and unclear policies for musicians have plagued the service.

http://mashable.com/2010/09/03/itunes-pings-latest-problem-spam/

French ISPs and French Government Locking Horns Over HADOPI Costs

There’s a major battle brewing between the French government and the French ISPs. A line is being drawn and it’s about the money. While this was foreseeable thanks to our earlier reports, it will be very interesting to see how far the battle will escalate. One report suggests that ISPs may even opt to not honor their end of the anti-piracy effort.

HADOPI, the three strikes law in France, may have been passed nearly a year ago, the war is far from over and it could very well be one of the several smaller battles that could be the downfall of the law.

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/90536/french-isps-and-french-government-locking-horns-over-hadopi-costs/