MySpace Gets Hacked Again

LOS ANGELES - Two New York teenagers were in police custody Wednesday facing illegal computer access and attempted extortion charges after they allegedly threatened to shake down the popular Web site MySpace.com unless its operators paid them $150,000, prosecutors said.

Shaun Harrison, 18, and Saverio Mondelli, 19, of Suffolk County, N.Y. allegedly hacked into the social networking site and stole personal information from MySpace users.

After MySpace booted them from the site, the pair threatened to distribute a foolproof method for stealing information unless MySpace paid them $150,000, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

Mondelli and Harrison were arrested Friday when they traveled to Los Angeles to allegedly collect the payoff. Instead, they were taken into custody by undercover officers from the multi-agency electronic crimes task force who posed as MySpace employees.

Each was char ged with two felony counts of illegal computer access and one count of sending a threatening letter for extortion and attempted extortion. They face more than four years in prison if convicted of all charges, prosecutors said.

Mondelli and Harrison entered not guilty pleas at their arraignment Tuesday. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge set bail at $35,000 and set a preliminary hearing for June 5.

MySpace.com, owned by News Corp., allows users to post photos, blogs and journals and create networks of friends.

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Skype Frees Calls to Regular Phones

Skype announced Monday that people based in the U.S. and Canada will be able to make free calls to traditional landlines and mobile phones in those countries, through the company's SkypeOut service.

Prior to this new promotion, which will extend until the end of 2006, Skype users had to pay 2 cents per minute to call landlines and mobiles. Previously, only PC-to-PC calls were free through Skype.

Calls to landline and mobile phones to and within other countries will continue to require a fee.

The move is an effort by the Luxembourg-based company to extend its market reach in North America.

Some observers see the promotion as a response to the increased competition now underway among providers of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, both free and paid.

Free VoIP services are now being offered by Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL, with AOL recently expanding its TotalTalk service to allow free incoming calls from regular phon es.

'A Real Cost'

"This is a good way of attracting attention and getting more subscribers," said Will Stofega, an analyst at IDC, a technology research firm. Stofega pointed out there will be a real cost to Skype in delivering calls to regular phones, which means the promotion probably will not be sustainable.

Some observers have speculated that Skype might be trying to build its user base so that, in addition to levying fees for some add-on services, it could sell advertising on its Web site or even at the beginning of phone calls.

"I think there's a limit in terms of what people will put up with" in terms of ads in the call itself, Stofega said.

Purchased last year by eBay for $2.6 billion, Skype announced earlier this month that it had acquired 100 million registered users worldwide.

NewsFactor.Com

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Weird Software You'll Never Need

1. PawSense
When cats walk or climb on your keyboard, they can enter random commands and data, damage your files, and even crash your computer. This can happen whether you are near the computer or have suddenly been called away from it. PawSense is a software utility that helps protect your computer from cats. It quickly detects and blocks cat typing, and also helps train your cat to stay off the computer keyboard. Every time your computer boots up, PawSense will automatically start up in the background to watch over your computer system. Even while you use your other software, PawSense constantly monitors keyboard activity. PawSense analyzes keypress timings and combinations to distinguish cat typing from human typing. PawSense normally recognizes a cat on the keyboard within one or two pawsteps. If a cat gets on the keyboard, PawSense makes a sound that annoys cats. This teaches your cat that getting on the keyboard is bad even if humans aren't watching. Once a ca t has been recognized, PawSense blocks the cat's keyboard input. This keeps the cat from entering lots of commands to your programs or operating system. PawSense also includes a screensaver mode, which features extra-sensitive cat detection, protection, and sonic training and a one-click escape button. We make our software easier to use with a printed, bound manual. We know that trying to read computer help files and use software at the same time on the same computer screen is a nuisance.

2. MindGuard
MindGuard is a program for Amiga and Linux computers that protects your mind by actively jamming and/or scrambling psychotronic mind-control signals and removing harmful engrammic pollutants from your brain. It also has the ability to scan for and decipher into English specific signals so you can see exactly Who wants to control you and what They are trying to make you think. MindGuard works by leveraging your computer's aluminum-based innards to both detect an d emit psychotronic energy using advanced quasi-quantum techniques. Once a mind-control signal is identified and analyzed, MindGuard can generate a specially tuned anti-signal that will jam the incoming signal. If MindGuard is unable to properly identify the signal, it will generate psychotronic white noise to ensure the signal's harmful message is scrambled. MindGuard is fully configurable and can be customized for the individual user using biorhythmic and eponymologic settings. MindGuard also includes an advanced DePsych utility, allowing the removal of almost all deep-burned memetic patterns -- including even commercial jingles.With MindGuard, you can rest assured that your most valuable possession -- your mind -- is safe from the nefarious tinkering of evil-doers.

3. Digital Physiognomy
Digital Physiognomy uses a sophisticated neural network to identify correlations between facial features and psychological characteristics using photo identification technique s recognized by law enforcement professionals. Only facial features that can be interpreted by physiognomy were used. You select eyes, eyebrows, foreheads, cheekbones, chins, noses, mouths and ears to assemble a face. The program determines a person's psychological characteristics and presents a detailed character analysis of that person in a graphic format. You may then print a report or save it as a web page. The program does not forecast the future, but discovers how others really see you. It also allows you recognize and read personality traits of others, to identify your strongest character traits and to identify the character flaws of your opponent.

4. Horoscope Explorer
Generate Horoscopes quickly, easily and accurately with Horoscope Explorer. This is world's best selling Vedic Astrology software. It generates a wide variety of reports and predictions, makes yearly progressed horoscopes (Varshaphala), and also generates comprehensive marriage match mak ing analysis. You need solid knowledge of Indian astrology and traditional astrology if you plan to use this program. Horoscope Explorer Pro is highly technical software addressing mainly to professional stargazers or lotus eaters or any other sort of horoscope experts. Using this program is not easy at all even if they provide you with useful maps and help topics. Again, if you don't have basic knowledge of Hindu astrology better don't use it unless you are into spiritual S&M practices.

5. AV Voice Changer
With AV Voice Changer you can change your voice over Internet, PC Phone, gaming, voice chat, voice mail. Talk in male, female, teen, baby voice to chat anonymous or have online fun in chat room. Create many voices for movie, story telling, presentation, and narration. Also change music, make new song and audio clip. Record chat, phone, Internet radio, music, or your voice, your karaoke singing. Add effects to enhance voice or background. Compare changed v oice to another's voice and tell you which part needs further adjust to simulate target voice. Various preset "nickvoices", effects, and equalizer settings are available to apply.

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Two Tech Heads Create Fake UFOs, Have The Entire Town Scared

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. Move over, Roswell. South Orange County is recording its own share of UFO sightings.

Several residents have reported the sightings to the Orange County Sheriff's Department in recent months. And word has even reached a Canadian UFO researcher who has posted information about the sightings on his Web site.

In one case, witnesses reported seeing glowing discs zigzagging through trees and hovering above the Aliso Viejo Town Center at night. About a yard in diameter and studded with flashing lights, the four UFOs dance around one another in the night sky.

These flying saucers aren't a top-secret military project. But they aren't being piloted by Martians, either.

The saucers are made in the garages of Gaylon Murphy and Steve Zingali, who get their kicks shocking people and hope to earn a few bucks hawking their remote-controlled saucers. After all, a few UFO sightings can only be good for business.

"We fly them in formation. It's pretty funny," said Murphy, a cardiovascular surgeon. "People stop, people scream, one cab driver ran his car up off the road."

Nick Peterson was stunned when he saw one of the discs fly past his girlfriend's apartment.

"I thought, 'That can't be a UFO, can it?' " he said. "It's pretty weird."

The discs are made of foam and weigh about a pound. Each runs on a 7.4-volt lithium battery and has a propeller.

On weekends, Murphy flies the discs in Aliso Viejo, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel. He and Zingali, a facilities engineer, have sold four of the gizmos at $1,000 each and concede that their streaking light show is part hobby, part promotion.

"It's good marketing," he said.

The Canadian UFO Web site, which logs oddities from supposed saucer sightings to alleged alien abductions and offers an assortment of paranormal literature, indicates that the homemade discs have captured the attentio n and the imagination of both skeptics and believers.

The discs sparked a confrontation between Murphy and Erik Strong, a manager at an Aliso Viejo restaurant and bar. Strong said Murphy was spooking his staff by hovering his disc near the restaurant.

"It looked like something right out of a movie, a little too real," Strong said. "I wouldn't say I made the determination that they were actual UFOs, but it did pique my curiosity enough to see where it was coming from."

Strong followed the UFOs to nearby Grand Park, where Murphy and Zingali were standing with their remote controls.

He told the pair they were going to create hysteria if they continued to fly their discs around Town Center.

Murphy told Strong he should be more concerned about his bar patrons getting rowdy. But the restaurant manager said he hadn't seen a disc since.

Murphy confessed that he had also had a few encounters with law enforcement.

He attra cted some local notoriety in November when one of his saucers got stuck on the roof of a Barnes & Noble. Murphy asked store owners if he could climb up to retrieve it, but they resisted because "they thought he was crazy," according to the sheriff's report.

When the deputy showed up, the store manager allowed Murphy to retrieve his toy, said Lt. Richard Paddock, police services chief for Aliso Viejo.

Paddock said deputies couldn't do much about complaints.

"To my knowledge, this man has violated no law while flying this craft in Aliso Viejo," he said.

Reprinted From - LATimes

P.S. If you are bored, look for your favorite music lyrics

Scientists Discover The Best Pickup Line

Stolen Devices Worth $1.7 Million Pawned For $300

LYNNWOOD - A man who walked into a pawnshop with a stolen piece of equipment last week got $300 for it.

As it turns out, he should have held out for a bit more.

The item he sold was actually worth $1.7 million, say police, who happened to come in to retrieve the electronic device while the man was in the shop.

Police believe a ring of suspected thieves and drug users had no idea how much a package was worth when they took it from a front porch, then sold it last week.

"This wasn't an underground conspiracy for this type of equipment. They had no idea of the value of this thing," Lynnwood police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said.

Neither did police until they talked to the owner.

The Lynnwood woman is a distributor for a German company that specializes in high-tech equipment. The stolen equipment is a universal protocol tester that measures radio frequencies. It is generally used by cell phone companies, police sa id.

A delivery truck dropped it off on her porch last week. It appears the thieves followed the truck to the house and scooped up the 70-pound box before the woman even knew it had arrived.

She first assumed that it hadn't been delivered, but reported it stolen after the company tracked the delivery, Sessions said.

Detectives investigated some leads and found it at a Highway 99 pawnshop. As they were picking it up, the man who pawned it came back to the shop to get more money for the equipment, Sessions said.

He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail April 7 for investigation of trafficking in stolen property, and released two days later.

The equipment was returned to the company, Sessions said.

A second suspect was arrested this week in connection with the theft. Police believe the Everett man, 36, stole the equipment from a drug dealer before giving it to the man who pawned it .

Police say they are s eeing more thieves follow delivery trucks and make off with packages left on porches and doorsteps.

"Mail thieves are becoming more resourceful," Sessions said.

Detectives continue to investigate the theft, looking for the person who originally stole the package from the front porch and other people who may have been involved.

"We think it was passed around by more than the two people arrested," Sessions said. "None of them seemed to know what they had stumbled on."

Source - The Daily Herald Co.

Romantic Life Of The Disabled

Japanese Company Creates Gun That Shoots With Teddy Bears

IMABARI, Ehime -- A paint firm here is hoping to add color to wedding receptions in Japan with a new device it has jointly developed -- a gun-shaped party cracker that shoots out a teddy bear.

Sunamiya, a paint firm based in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, announced the development of the device, which blasts a teddy bear equipped with a parachute into the air. The teddy bear parachutes down afterwards.

Developers hit on the idea after noticing that it had become a trend for people to throw teddy bears into the air instead of bouquets at wedding receptions.

In addition to paint products, Sunamiya produces a paintball marker used to fire paintballs at escaping criminals so they can be identified and captured.

"We're hoping to capture the hearts of couples," a company representative said, commenting on the new device.

The crackers will go on sale in May, and will be marketed to businesses.

Source - Mainichi

Researchers Say Black Women Enjoy Sex More Than White Women. Fat Women Get 'No Loving'.

Software Is 64% Accurate At Detecting Boredom

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are working on a high-tech device with seemingly a multitude of uses in lessening our crushing overload of banality: a boredom detector. A talker, via a wearable camera and software that measures facial expressions and movements, could know whether he has lost touch with a listener (via signals from eyebrows, lips, nose, etc.).

The Emotional Social Intelligence Prosthetic Device has been developed by MIT's Media Lab in order to help people with autism keep track of how they are being received by those around them. The device was created in large part to alleviate the discomfort that autistic people feel when those they are talking to suddenly want to leave. One of the ways that people with autism struggle is by being unable to see such things as people showing boredom or confusion.

The device is a camera, which is small enough to be attached to a pair of glasses, that is attached to a hand-held com puter which is running software that recognizes images and the emotions that those images suggest. In a recent test, the software was demonstrated to show whether a person was agreeing, disagreeing, concentrating, or showing disinterest, from only a few seconds of video footage. So if someone you are talking to is acting bored or disinterested, the computer vibrates, letting the camera-wearer know what is going on.

So far, the software is said to be accurate 64 percent of the time, according to a March report in New Scientist.

Researchers Say Black Women Enjoy Sex More Than White Women. Fat Women Get 'No Loving'.

Idiots Take Over The Internet

The Internet was a revolution. But evolving technology, like faster Internet connections, cheap personal computers and the widespread availability of digital video recording devices has led to another revolution-that of the Internet video.

What is an Internet video? Well, it could basically be anything. A 30-second clip of a dorm room prank, a three-minute music video parody, a 15-minute original comedy skit, or a five-second snippet of someone's best friend getting laid flat by a cafeteria tray to the face. Essentially, anything that is funny, amazing or just weird qualifies.

There is a litany of these videos out there. Web sites such as CollegeHumor.com, Ebaumsworld.com and NewGrounds.com have fueled the fire as well. But the roots of this fad stretch further than the Internet, reaching all the way to television.

As kids, shocking videos of the Loch Ness monster swimming in murky water, Big Foot stumbling through the woods and UFOs grazing the treetops seemingly captured our imaginations on film. Perhaps this was the beginning of our fascination with the "clip."

Today's college students are the "Double Dare" and "You Can't Do That On Television" kids of yesterday. Video antics have been with us from the start.

A recent TV trend that may have inspired the Internet phase of the clip craze was MTV's Jackass. After the program, which featured untrained idiots doing stunts your parents would definitely disapprove of, gained a huge youth following, amateur stuntmen and crazy college kids alike began filming themselves doing equally deranged acts. Many of the filmed stunts then made their way onto the Internet.

College males commonly film, star in and post the clips online for the world to see. Because there are few restrictions on what can be posted, just about any clip can make it onto public Internet sites. Most Web sites will leave censorship up to the viewer's moral discretion.

One notorious video fea tures a portly young man singing and dancing to a Romanian pop song by O-Zone called "Dragostea Din Tea," in front of his computer. It is better known as the "Numa Numa video." Anderson Cooper even made mention of the clip on his show "Anderson Cooper 360" on CNN.

Another video is commonly referred to as the "Star Wars kid." It's a less than endearing look at a pudgy kid furiously twirling around a broomstick as if it were a light saber, alone, trying his best to look tough. As funny as this was on its own, someone with video editing skills found it and spliced in glowing light sabers and Star Wars theme music, bringing the sad display of awkward egotism to a hilarious new low.

There are some stunningly lowbrow clips out there-friends being lit on fire, friends having darts thrown at them, friends diving through beer can pyramids, etc. However, there are professionally made videos, too. Saturday Night Live cast members created a music video called "Lazy Sunday," where they rapped about mundane bits of everyday life. While NBC has requested that the copyrighted clip be removed from several Web sites that posted it without consent, the damage has already been done. Videos often get copied and reposted from Web site to Web site until they are too widespread to ever be taken down.

The Internet video craze has gained such momentum that VH1 has even created a weekly show called "Web Junk" to recap the most popular videos on the net. Numbered in order from worst to best, viewers without computer access can stay up to date with what's new.

This new show seems to bring the phenomenon full circle. The web-clip revolution, which was spawned from young people watching wild television in the 80s and 90s, has finally landed back on television. Perhaps "Web Junk" will be the spark to inspire the next generation's pop-trend revolution.

Reprinted From KeystoneOnline.Com

P.S. I've got to admit, I just love iMacros Scripting Edition

Dating Web sites now trying to prevent divorce