Phone numbers are going to start falling off the National Do Not Call List in June 2008!

They're only good for five years, so don't forget to renew your home phone numbers (if you're not living off a cell phone!)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070921/ap_on_go_ot/do_not_call_expiration

https://www.donotcall.gov/

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/21/1650231

Happy Anniversary, Hobbit!

We were introduced to Tolkien seventy years ago. I hope that differences can be ironed out and that Peter Jackson can make the movie of it, but I'm not holding my breath. I think that it should probably be a two-parter, and I doubt that would fly.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/09/dayintech_0921

Virtual Fense at borders don't work -- software glitch!

Amazing how much we have to pay to keep those lousy Canadians with their equal dollar out!

http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/V/VIRTUAL_FENCE


Oh, did you hear about the Canadian dollar? Apparently the US dollar has been sliding and has now sunk to the value of the Canadian dollar while the Loonie has been rising.

This is the first time it's happened since 1976. I didn't know it had been that long, but I remember when the jokes about double-pricing on books and magazines started.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=awhVMIymbX0w&refer=canada

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/20/1550240

Australian Defense hacked US F-18 radars!

Love it. Australia buys Hornets for the US, but the radars are configured for Warsaw Pact threats and can't identify the threats that the Aussies will encounter, but contrary to promises to give them the codes, they don't. So the Australians hack the radar and reprogram them themselves!

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22451478-2,00.html

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/20/1446200

More free Cory Doctrow fiction!

Google, Proud Sponsor of the Department of Homeland Security! I've read the first page and like it.

http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2007/09/google_fiction_evil_dangerous_surveillance_control_1.php

UC Santa Cruz puts Heinlein archives online! (and RIP: Robert Jordan)

But apparently they are not free, they seem to be about $3 a pop. They'll contain not only Heinein's writing, but also notes and correspondence.

http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_6945542

http://www.heinleinarchives.net/upload/

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/21/0227240


And while we're on the topic of dead authors, Robert Jordan (AKA James Rigney), has died. I've always wanted to read the Wheel of Time series, just haven't gotten around to it. Apparently he died of a condition (Amyloidosis) with similarities to Alzheimer's, only it forms in other parts of your body. In Rigney's case, it seemed to be is heart.

http://www.tarvalon.net/news.asp?article=501

http://www.tarvalonforums.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=60407&sid=d12773238f558096982d6de6369b58e8

Woohoo! Cybercrime is now worth more money than the worldwide illegal drug trade!

I'm in the wrong line of business! ;)

If someone robbing a bank and getting away with $20,000 gets more prison time than someone who electronically embezzles $20,000,000 from the same bank, isn't there a SLIGHT problem? Granted, there's a big difference between violent crime and cyber crime. Still, cyber criminals will have the upper hand for a VERY long time. There's no international cooperation to track down people like this, much less prosecution across international boundaries, so it'll be interesting.

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201807230

Espionage in sports!

Well, spying is part of espionage.

Apparently, the Chinese have been spying on Danish women's soccer team. It might have just been to mindfuck the Danes, but the Danes did lose the match. Police are investigating.

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/09/spying_in_women.html


And McLaren have been spying on Ferrari in the Formula One motorsports realm. It cost McLaren the Constructor's Cup and $100,000,000 fine! What an amazing sum of money, I wonder who gets it?

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/13/sports/prix.php

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/09/formula_one_rac.html