Subscribe by EmailVerizon Wireless blocking is un4chanate for board users
February 8, 2010 by JLister | 1 comment
Controversial message board site 4chan claims it has been blocked by Verizon Wireless. It’s the second time it has made such a claim against a major internet provider, following on from similar accusations against AT&T last summer.
If you’ve never come across 4chan, it’s technically a collection of image-sharing boards, though one such board (known as “/b/”) has played host to a variety of notorious online pranks including the following:
- Declaring an international Porn Day and attempting to overwhelm YouTube with uploads of adult material quicker than the site could filter them out.
- Rigging TIME’s online poll for man of the year to not only get 4chan founder Christopher ‘moot’ Poole to number one, but fixing the top 22 vote getters so that the first letter of each spelt out “marblecake also the game”, which refers to the IRC channel used to organize protests against Scientology and the philosophically questionable challenge by which anyone thinking of “the game” is judged to have lost said game.
- Being either the original source or the popularizing force behind both the LOLcats and Rick-rolling memes.
- Being the site where a man claiming to have been the person responsible for hacking into Sarah Palin’s e-mail account shared his tactics.
The site has posted a message this morning on its status blog saying ” Over the past 72 hours, we’ve been receiving reports from Verizon Wireless customers having difficulty accessing the image boards. After investigating, we found that Verizon is dropping traffic to/from boards.4chan.org, only on port 80 (HTTP). No other subdomain/IP/port is affected, which leads us to believe this block is intentional.” It’s since updated to say “After an hour and a half on the phone, we’ve received confirmation from Verizon’s Network Repair Bureau (NRB) that we are “explicitly blocked.”
Verizon has yet to comment publicly on the issue itself but says it has received a large number of complaints from customers about the blocking.
Last July AT&T blocked the site briefly, with the apparent explanation being that it was being used for attempts to disrupt traffic to other sites. 4chan users began discussing possible online action against AT&T but access was restored before this was carried out.
As with the AT&T case, it’s the reasoning behind Verizon’s actions which will be most significant. If there are valid technical reasons, most people will support the move as long as the situation is resolved quickly. If, however, the blocking is because of content reasons, the issue of net neutrality as a legal principle will again come up.
The Geek Guide to Valentine’s Day Gifts 2010
February 8, 2010 by Casey | 1 comment
Love is in the air! Or at least, hearts and flowers and overpriced candy and marketing that plays on your feelings of romantic obligation. But whether you think Valentine’s Day is a good idea or not, if you have a significant other you’re probably celebrating anyway. So if that significant other happens to be a geek (particularly a female geek who might find roses terribly uncreative), we’re here to help out with some last minute gift ideas. Check out our guide from last year for more!
Speck Case
It’s not what you look like, it’s what’s on the inside that counts – but even if your laptop is rocking some awesome innards, it doesn’t hurt to give it a little style. I have a Speck shell on my MacBook Pro, and it’s not only pretty, but it’s super durable. They’re running a special for Valentine’s Day – 25% off everything red, pink, and purple. And though they’re best known for their shells for Apple products, they have them available for PC laptops and a number of other gadgets as well, including Blackberries.
Tactical Corset
Here’s quite the gift for a geek girl, particularly one of the cosplay variety. This company just opened in December, and their mission is to take one of the most sophisticated garments every devised and make it… well, tactical. These corsets meet military specifications, and have quick-release buckles and modular accessory pouches. So whether you need survival gear, ammo, or whips and handcuffs, you won’t need a purse to carry it in. Oh, and there are versions for men, too.
Cthulhu in Love Perfume
Last year one of my suggestions was a scent locket from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab with one of their unique scents, some of which are based on Lovecraft mythology. Well just in time for Valentine’s Day they’ve created a special scent sold through ThinkGeek – Cthulhu in Love, the scent that The Great One uses to attract lovers. Like most of the scents at BPAL it’s probably like nothing you’ve ever smelled, in this case, “an amorphous mix of oppressive, piceous ritual incense, macerated kelp, sea salt, sticky dark ocean plants, and . . . mixed chocolates.” Of course, if Cthulhu isn’t the right match, you can peruse the hundreds on BPAL, including the Neil Gaiman collection, where proceeds benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Vase Confetti Kit
For those of you who do want to go the traditional flower route, here’s a way from ThinkGeek to give some science with your roses! You add this stuff to the water in a vase; it’s actually a water-hungry polymer that absorbs more than 100 times its mass in water, turning it into a cool collection of tiny gel balls. It’s pretty and it’ll keep your flowers alive longer.
Plushy Robot
Because, let’s face it, this is way cooler than a teddy bear. Plus they’re hand-sewn, adorable, and guaranteed to make you smile.
Digital Money Jar
Not only does this count as a pink gadget, but it’s practical, too. If you want to be really romantic, slap a label on it that says “second honeymoon fund” and watch the pennies turn to dollars as you empty out your pockets. Also, take note that for some reason, you can get one of these for $14.95 but two for $10. Math fail = sale win!
His and Her Wii Remotes
These haven’t actually been released yet, but pre-orders ship on Valentine’s Day. These new Wii remotes come with MotionPlus and in pink and blue, which means that while you’re playing Wii tennis together you can keep track of whose racket is whose.
Pacman Rings
Etsy is a great place to look for unique, crafty gifts, particularly of the geeky variety. These made-to-order rings are a bit pricey, but definitely a conversation starter. The crafter suggests that giving the rings one at a time could be fun, ending with the Pacman to top it off.
Take Me Home Pendant
Another find from Etsy, for the World of Warcraft player in your life. A small version of a hearthstone to hang on a necklace, it’s subtle, and it has a nice thought behind it: you can always find your way home.
DiY Horde Earrings
For the horde! And for that WoW girl. And from the crafty (or thrifty) gift giver. Here’s some step-by-step instructions on how to make your own horde earrings.
A very happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!
We Love xkcd
February 8, 2010 by Miss Cellania | 3 commentsYou may remember the Discovery Channel’s very popular jingle I Love the World. Randall Munroe of xkcd was inspired and did his own version featuring memes from his webcomic. Then Elaine Doyle and Olga Nunes produced a video that recreates xkcd’s comic using the original tune, featuring a cast of prominent and not-so-prominent bloggers.
Neil Gaiman, Wil Wheaton, Cory Doctorow, Lawrence Lessig, Bruce Schneier, Jason Kottke, Google Zurich, Hank Green, MC Frontalot, Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Mr. Toast, Miss Cellania, Team Genius, Phil Plait, Allan Amato, Maddy Gaiman, Charissa Gilreath, Belinda Casas, Chuck Martinez, Jeremy James, Joanna Gaunder, Lee Israel & Octavio Coleman Esq. of The Jejune Institute
Yours Truly and daughters sang the first Boomdeyada. You’ll find a complete listing of who’s who line by line at Olga’s site.
Google Nexus One: Display & 3D Framework
February 8, 2010 by Geeks are Sexy | 0 commentsA conversation on the display and 3D framework of the Nexus One, featuring Tomasz hasinski, project manager at HTC, and Romain Guy, software engineer for the Android platform.
Part 1 of this series: Concept & Design
Monday morning links serving: The February 8th edition
February 8, 2010 by Geeks are Sexy | 0 comments
-Become a Gmail Master Redux
Gmail is easily the most popular email application among power users, and with good reason: It’s an excellent app. But if you haven’t gotten to know its best shortcuts, tricks, Labs features, and add-ons, it’s time you made Gmail sing.
-Sticker Shock: the REAL Cost of your Favorite Gadgets
If you’re thinking about picking up a new cell phone, gaming system or other gadget, you might be shocked at the sticker price – and you might wonder just how much of a profit the company is making on your purchase.
-Why (and How) Apple Killed the $9.99 Ebook
Publishers joining Apple’s iBooks store are turning their back on Amazon and its vision of the flat $9.99 ebook. Apple forced the music industry to charge 99 cents per song, so why are they helping publishers set their own prices?
-Mathematician Uses SETI Formula To Determine He Has A 0.00034% Chance Of Getting Laid
An economics graduate student in the UK has used the well-known Drake Equation – used to figure out how many advanced civilizations might reside in our galaxy – to determine why he hasn’t had a girlfriend in three years.
-Lithium-Ion Battery Life Could Reach 20 Years
Japanese research firm Eamex claims that new lithium-ion battery technology could result in batteries that last up to 20 years and sustain over 10,000 recharges. (Submitted by nikki4digg)
-The FBI Wants Our Web Browsing Activity: Fair or Foul?
FBI Director Robert Mueller wants ISPs to track “origin and destination information” about their customers’ browsing habits and store them for authorities’ use for two years, according to a CNET report.
“Parisian Love”: Possible Google Superbowl Ad?
February 7, 2010 by Geeks are Sexy | 2 comments
Even though Google’s true business as always been about advertising, the company mostly stayed away from the biggest ad medium of them all, television. However, it seems that the search giant will be airing an ad during the biggest TV event of the season: Superbowl XLIV Yesterday, Google CEO Eric Schmidt posted a short message on Twitter:
Can’t wait to watch the Superbowl tomorrow. Be sure to watch the ads in the 3rd quarter (someone said “Hell has indeed frozen over.”)
A lot of people are speculating about which ad the company will be using for their spot, but the rumors seem to be pointing toward this very cute clip: Parisian Love.
Neil Gaiman Penned Doctor Who Episode Coming in 2011
February 6, 2010 by Casey | 0 comments
There has been a rumor for some time that Neil Gaiman would be writing an episode of Doctor Who (now under the helm of Steven Moffat), but when his name didn’t appear in the list of 2010 writers, many thought it wasn’t to be. However, while accepting an award for his Batman comic at SFX Awards 2010, Gaiman confirmed that he has indeed written an episode but that it won’t be airing until 2011 due to budgetary issues. In other words, maybe there’s going to be a big-budget episode? Awesome.
Considering that Moffat has written some of the creepiest episodes of Doctor Who to date (the weeping angels of “Blink” come to mind, as do the gas masks of “The Empty Child”), combining him with Gaiman might well be the holy grail of scifi horror. Fourteen months seems like an awfully long time…
[Via Bleeding Cool]
The Dangers of a Live Webcast
February 5, 2010 by Miss Cellania | 1 commentI thought for a minute that were approaching infinite recursion. Now everyone will want to try a live webcast just so they can do this and try handling it better.
[via b3ta]
Epic Super Mario Land Rap
February 5, 2010 by Geeks are Sexy | 2 commentsWarning: Video contains strong language.
I never realized this until now, but it looks like Mario is cheating on Princess Peach in this game… unless these two have an open relationship… who knows?
[Via BuzzFeed]
Game Over for Original Xbox Online
February 5, 2010 by JLister | 3 comments
Microsoft is finally withdrawing the Xbox LIVE online gaming service for owners of the original Xbox (ie, not the 360). The move will also mean the withdrawal of online play for Xbox titles played through the Xbox 360.
The firm isn’t giving too much detail about the reasons for the change, but says it’s related to forthcoming improvements to the Xbox 360 service which will be incompatible with the way original Xbox games are handled online.
The best guess would be that Xbox LIVE is being redesigned to add support to the motion control features of Project Natal. It’s also possible that some of the structures put in place at the initial launch of the service are simply inadequate in the 360 era: for example, the limit of 100 people on the online friends list may now be raised.
The service will be withdrawn from April 15. However, customers who only use the original Xbox will have their auto-renewals switched off immediately. Those affected by the changes should be getting messages through their LIVE account or e-mail in the next few weeks.
The strongest reaction to the news appears to be from dedicated fans of Halo 2, the best selling game on the original console and at one point the most popular online Xbox game for nearly two years. Speculation at the moment points to it being added to the Arcade section of Xbox Live or even being re-released for the Xbox360.
The news won’t be particularly welcome for people who’ve recently downloaded original Xbox games to their 360 with the intention of playing them online.
Whether the change is fair or reasonable is certainly open to argument. Owners of the original console may feel aggrieved at the move, particularly given that rival Sony still supports the 10-year-old PS2. Defenders of Microsoft would note that ditching some form of support for older products to concentrate on the latest systems is a well-established part of its business strategy.
Google Nexus One: Concept & Design
February 5, 2010 by Geeks are Sexy | 2 comments
Google has just started releasing a series of videos documenting the story behind the company’s new phone, the Nexus one. In the first episode, various people who worked on the design of the phone talk about some of the decisions that were taken to make the Nexus One the most advanced mobile on the market today.
Lego Domino Row Building Machine
February 5, 2010 by Geeks are Sexy | 2 commentsThe machine works by having a magazine of dominoes that is dragged along the table and a slider that moves back and forth sliding one domino out of the magazine at a time. All along, the machine is driving forward, which causes the released dominoes to be spaced out.
[Via Woodgears]
