The Latest from Boing Boing

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• Great law lecture on how the DMCA changed the meaning of "unauthorized access" to copyrighted works
• North Korea Finds Two US Journalists Guilty of Unspecified "Grave Crime," Sentence: 12 Years Hard Labor
• Life of Emma Goldman on Tank Riot podcast
• HOWTO maintain a Difference Engine
• Public Resource's FedFlix digitizing hundreds of hours of gov video archives at no expense to tax payer
• Brain Chef: game pits zombies against game-show hosts against DRM vendors
• Mandatory censorware comes to Chinese PCs on Jul 1
• Pirate Party takes two EuroParl seats!
• Living Lounge Chair
• It's the Internet, Stupid
• The Wearable Towel
• Dr. Steve Brule: Technologies Stuff
• Wails and Mumbles: Tort Deform
• The Mother of All Potato Cannons
• Giant Jules Verne diver takes to the streets of Nantes, courtesy of the Sultan's Elephant people

Great law lecture on how the DMCA changed the meaning of "unauthorized access" to copyrighted works Posted: 08 Jun 2009 02:32 AM PDT Salim sez, "A treat for all copyfighters from U-Channel... a lecture by copyright lawyer Julie E. Cohen on how the law is evolving ten years after the DMCA. From the site" In recent years, the law has been asked to respond to a variety of disputes involving accessibility of information and related technical standards and practices. These disputes cover the waterfront from the design of proprietary media players to network neutrality to privacy protection for search queries. So far, the law has been unable to generate compelling discourses and principles for evaluating them. Prof. Cohen offers another way of thinking about issues of accessibility and unauthorized access. The reference point for this exercise is not be innovation, competition or expressive freedom, but rather the concept of "everyday practice," a term intended to encompass all of the ways in which situated users experience and interact with networked information technologies and the purposes for which they do so. The Changing Meaning of `Unauthorized Access` MP3 Link (Thanks, Salim!)

North Korea Finds Two US Journalists Guilty of Unspecified "Grave Crime," Sentence: 12 Years Hard Labor Posted: 07 Jun 2009 11:02 PM PDT Horrible news for the families of Current TV correspondents Euna Lee and Laura Ling: North Korea's highest court has ruled that the two journalists are "guilty of illegal entry," and will be sentenced to 12 years hard labor. The women were arrested in March while working on a story near the border between North Korea and China. NKorea sentences 2 US journalists to 12 years jail (AP) Reporters get 12-year terms in NKorea (CNN)

Life of Emma Goldman on Tank Riot podcast Posted: 07 Jun 2009 10:46 PM PDT Viktor from the excellent Tank Riot podcast sez, "The Happy mutants at Tank Riot dedicated a show to the one and only Emma Goldman. The team discusses the intriguing life of the controversial 'Red Emma', an anarchist, free-speech advocate, social activist, and spokesperson for women's freedom and birth control rights. We look at her connections to the Haymarket Affair, the Russian and Spanish Revolutions, Alexander Berkman and the publication of 'Mother Earth', Johann Most and her involvement in fighting for worker's rights. We suggest it because we want people to hear a little about someone who vanished from history books for demanding change in the world." I just saw this in my podcatcher and can't wait to listen to it -- these guys always do a great job on their subjects, and this is a fine subject indeed. Emma Goldman: Tank Riot (Thanks, Viktor!) Previously: Pirate history podcast from Tank Riot - Boing Boing Tank Riot: geeky podcast on the life of Tesla - Boing Boing Jazzy covers of Mister Rogers' songs - Boing Boing The writings of "Red" Emma - Boing Boing Show Us Your Saints - Boing Boing Time Management for Anarchists -- the free comic - Boing Boing (Image: Emma Goldman on a street car, 1917, a Creative Commons Attribution photo from bobster855's Flickr stream)

HOWTO maintain a Difference Engine Posted: 07 Jun 2009 10:40 PM PDT Here's a set of instructions for operating and maintaining the replica of Charles Babbage's mechanical computer -- the storied difference engine -- built and displayed in 1991 at London's Science Museum to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Babbage. If the Engine is being demonstrated on a daily basis, lt should be oiled and greased at least once a week. If no demonstrations are taking place, then the Engine should be oiled and greased on a monthly basis, but the handle should be turned at least twice a week to cycle the mechanisms. Grease : "Alvania" grease or it's equivalent should be used. Grease 1. all vertical motion cam profiles only and their levers. 2. all bevel gears above and below the cam stack. 3. all bevel gears on the carry axes and those on the carry drive shaft. 4. the phasing gear, register pinion, "Impact tooth and the tw-in tooth drive. 5. the pawl wheel and crank pinion. INSTRUCTION MANUAL to Operate and Maintain Charles Babbage's 2nd Difference Engine (via Hack the Planet) (Image: The Difference Engine, a Creative Commons Attribution photo from Adactio's Flickr stream)

Public Resource's FedFlix digitizing hundreds of hours of gov video archives at no expense to tax payer Posted: 07 Jun 2009 10:35 PM PDT Rogue archivist Carl Malamud sez, You may remember the FedFlix program from Public.Resource.Org. We got the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, to send a couple dozen videotapes every month. We digitized the tapes, and sent them back to the government with a DVD. No cost to .gov, and we got public domain data to post as high-res stock footage, plus great casual viewing on YouTube and the Internet Archive. The program went well for a year, the DC folks were happy, and I'm pleased to say we were able to renew the Joint Venture, but with a twist. They're now sending a minimum of 100 tapes a month and we have rights to all 6,000 masters in their warehouse. The first batch of video arrived and the Public.Resource.Org Factory has been going full-tilt. We've put out an average of 11.5 hours of new video every day for the last 11 days, including some amazing previously unseen-on-the-Internet flicks featuring James Cagney, a bunch of Disney stuff, historical films by John Ford, and an amazingly clueless judicial film on "Special Needs Offender: Cyber Criminals." We put all our video in 3 places (some copies still updating or sorting): 1. YouTube (link) 2. Internet Archive (link) 3. bulk.resource.org, available for FTP and rsync as well as http. (link) Did I mention this whole thing was no cost to the government? And, no cost to anybody ... this is an unfunded project and we did it for about $350 in hardware costs. My only question is why the government isn't cranking out 11.5 hours of new video per day. Enjoy. YouTube - PublicResourceOrg's Channel (Thanks, Carl!) Previously: FedFlix: putting the US Govt's videos online - Boing Boing Resource.org's suggestions for Change.gov - Boing Boing Carl Malamud, rogue archivist, in Wired - Boing Boing Yes We Scan! Carl Malamud for Public Printer of the USA - Boing Boing Can the Smithsonian's public domain images join the Library of ... Begging states to try to enforce ridiculous assertion that the law ... Reinventing TiVo. Carl Malamud wants - Boing Boing Carl Malamud's "10 Government Hacks" - Boing Boing Oregon: our laws are copyrighted and you can't publish them ... Ripping (off) the Congressional video record - Boing Boing

Brain Chef: game pits zombies against game-show hosts against DRM vendors Posted: 07 Jun 2009 10:30 PM PDT Nick sends us Brain Chef, "A fun addictive browser game. Simple to play, choose to be a human or a zombie and move around the map hunting other online players. Humans want to kill zombies. Zombies want to kill humans. Everyone wants to kill SecuROM." Brain Chef: Fight zombies, gameshow hosts, and copyright abuse. Fight other online players too! (Thanks, Nick!)

Mandatory censorware comes to Chinese PCs on Jul 1 Posted: 07 Jun 2009 10:28 PM PDT As of July 1, PCs sold in China will come with mandatory on-disk censorware that will prevent users from looking at web-pages that displease the party. How much do you want to bet that this is proposed (in the name of protecting children) in at least one western country within 12 months? I'm guessing Australia -- they've got some techno-ignorant parliamentarians down who're so eager to censor the Internet it'd curl your hair. The government, which has told global PC makers of the requirement but has yet to announce it to the public, says the effort is aimed at protecting young people from "harmful" content. The primary target is pornography, says the main developer of the software, a company that has ties to China's security ministry and military. China Squeezes PC Makers (Thanks, Patrick!)

Pirate Party takes two EuroParl seats! Posted: 07 Jun 2009 10:25 PM PDT The Pirate Party, a Swedish copyright reform party that was inspired by The Pirate Bay, has won two seats in the European Parliamentary election. The party attributes its success in part to the scandal surrounding the trial of The Pirate Bay's operators, which was conducted by a judge who failed to disclose that he was a prominent member of a copyright-industry-friendly copyright-expansion association. This should be interesting. When we asked Pirate Party leader Rick Falkvinge about the outcome, he told TorrentFreak: "We've felt the wind blow in our sails. We've seen the polls prior to the election. But to stand here, today, and see the figures coming up on that screen... What do you want me to say? I'll say anything" "Together, we have today changed the landscape of European politics. No matter how this night ends, we have changed it," Falkvinge said. "This feels wonderful. The citizens have understood it's time to make a difference. The older politicians have taken apart young peoples' lifestyle, bit by bit. We do not accept that the authorities' mass-surveillance," he added. Pirate Party Wins and Enters The European Parliament (Thanks, Benno!) Previously: Swedish Pirate Party membership surges after Pirate Bay verdict ... Famous Swedish poet explains why he's voting for the Pirate Party ... Pirate Party leader talks strategy and tactics - Boing Boing German Pirate Party founded - Boing Boing US branch of "Pirate Party" launches - Boing Boing Sweden's Pirate Party - political arm of the pro-piracy ... Pirate Party launches in France - Boing Boing

Living Lounge Chair Posted: 07 Jun 2009 10:21 PM PDT (Bill Gurstelle is guest blogging here on Boing Boing. He is the author of several books including Backyard Ballistics, and the recently-published Absinthe and Flamethrowers) At the time that I was designing this Chair I had no knowledege of anyone else who was trying to shape living trees anywhere in the world. Knowing that if I had theliving chair idea, many others would have the same thought go through their mind. Some may have been able to act upon the idea, according to their life experiences and circumstances. pooktre.com Thanks to Carol and Emily for sending me the link.

It's the Internet, Stupid Posted: 07 Jun 2009 12:55 PM PDT A collaborative commentary on The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which proposes a new economic foundation for the USA through "job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed," and the FCC's creation of a a "National Broadband Plan" for Congress by February 17, 2010. There's risk in confusing broadband and Internet. If the National Broadband Plan starts from the premise that the U.S. needs the innovation, increased productivity, new ideas and freedoms of expression that the Internet affords, then the Plan will be shaped around the Internet. If, instead, the Plan is premised on a need for broadband, it fails to address the ARRA's mandated objectives directly. More importantly, the premise that broadband is the primary goal entertains the remaking of the Internet in ways that could put its benefits at risk. The primary goal of the Plan should be broadband connections to the Internet. The FCC's Internet Policy Statement of 2005 is a first attempt to codify important aspects of the Internet independent of access technology. It advocates end-user access to content, and end-user choice of applications, services and devices. It says that Internet users are, "entitled to competition," but it does not spell out the entitlement to the benefits of competition, such as increased choice, lower price and diversity of offers. It fails to provide for information about whether advertised services perform as specified. It doesn't address packet inspection, packet discrimination, data collection or end-user privacy. It is not clear that all of these are within the FCC's purview, but it is abundantly clear that all of these factors should be critical to a National Broadband Plan that addresses broadband connections to the Internet. Therefore, we urge that the FCC's National Broadband Plan emphasize that broadband connection to the Internet is the primary goal. itstheinternetstupid.com (via Seth Johnson). * As an aside -- in light of the immediately prior 2 posts, I keep hearing Dr. Steve Brule's voice when I read this post's headline.

The Wearable Towel Posted: 07 Jun 2009 11:51 AM PDT Speaking of Tim & Eric -- it's almost impossible for me to believe that this is not an out-take from "Awesome Show." But it is, in fact, a real infomercial. Slankets, Snuggies -- forget it. Summertime. Wearable Towel Time. Don't miss the video. (via @bonniegrrl)

Dr. Steve Brule: Technologies Stuff Posted: 07 Jun 2009 11:34 AM PDT I spent the weekend in a jetlag-addled sleep haze, watching a lot of Tim & Eric and Mighty Boosh (comfort TV for when I'm sick or burnt out from travel). Both shows are now on US cable, via Adult Swim. One of my favorite Tim & Eric characters is Dr. Steve Brule (John C. Reilly). If you're unfamiliar, start with fruit or sweetberry wine. But I'd forgotten this one, above, and after seeing it again yesterday, had to track it down to blog here. Previously: Dr. Steve Brule - Boing Boing Insane "Tim and Eric" moment - Boing Boing "Look Around You" comes to US cable this week - Boing Boing Shrek 3 is one awesome show, great job! say Tim & Eric - Boing Boing New MGMT video directed by Eric Wareheim - Boing Boing Supremely funny fake TV commercial: B'owl! - Boing Boing Mighty Boosh on American TV! Kittens in a Barrel

Wails and Mumbles: Tort Deform Posted: 07 Jun 2009 06:25 PM PDT (Bill Gurstelle is guest blogging here on Boing Boing. He is the author of several books including the potato cannon-relevant Backyard Ballistics, and the recently-published Absinthe and Flamethrowers) Everybody's talking about the honorable Marilyn Milian, the hottest judge on television! --Opening tagline for the television show "The People's Court" I've been watching a lot of TV judge shows lately, mainly because I don't have cable, they're on when I'm working on Make Magazine projects in my workshop, they're good background noise, and hey, they're marginally better than Maury Povich or Deal or No Deal. I'm no connoisseur of small claims court television, but I do have opinions. I kind of like Judge Joe Brown, because he frequently does weird things with his voice. He'll be lecturing someone for trashing their roommates CD collection when mid-sentence, he switches to a deep, over-the-top, musical baritone for no reason at all. Sort of like Steve Bochco's Cop Rock show. Judge "Christina's Court" Perez's tag line is that she "takes law into her own heart." I have absolutely no earthly idea what that means. Anyway, if what daytime TV viewers are seeking is hot, sexy justice, then it's time for a new concept altogether. Maybe a show where the judge wears a tight fitting black leather robe and carries a riding crop? At the end, the loser has to strip down to their underwear and the winner gets to yell stuff at them. Now that's hot. Copyright 2009. Feel free to call my hot, sexy agent with offers.

The Mother of All Potato Cannons Posted: 07 Jun 2009 10:46 AM PDT (Bill Gurstelle is guest blogging here on Boing Boing. He is the author of several books including Backyard Ballistics, and the recently published Absinthe and Flamethrowers.) My friend Christian Ristow was at Maker Faire with his giant pneumatically powered sculpture called Hand of Man. It's great. It's a highly interactive piece in which one puts on a glove with sensors and controls a multi-ton pneumatic hand capable of picking up and crushing a refrigerator. Photo - Scott Beale at Laughing Squid About a year or so ago, I worked on a TV pilot for Discovery Channel starring Christian. He is perhaps the most gifted mechanical artist I've ever met. Ristow designed a machine gun potato cannon which was a true machine gun spud gun. It had a gravity fed magazine that fed spuds into the firing chamber. I've built a lot of spud guns in my time, mostly like those in Backyard Ballistics. This was a magnitude more powerful and complex. There were four high pressure air tanks that could shoot potatoes continually and at high velocity until the magazine was emptied. I dubbed it "the Quadra-tater." The airtanks were massive. I calculated the muzzle velocity to be well in excess of 85 mph. The rate of fire depended on the speed with which you turned a crank. The crank controlled five pneumatic solenoid valves, one for the magazine loader and one for each of the air tanks. It worked absolutely great. We could get 20 or potatoes in the magazine and could empty the thing in much less than a minute. For the finale, the Quadratater, along with a gatling gun that Dave Mathews built, destroyed a car. more Quadra-Tator images on my blog at Notes From the Technology Underground

Giant Jules Verne diver takes to the streets of Nantes, courtesy of the Sultan's Elephant people Posted: 07 Jun 2009 11:10 AM PDT RJ sez, "Known for their supersized productions, the French mechanical marionette street theatre company Royale de Luxe [ed: see The Sultan's Elephant] have been up to their tricks again this weekend, this time on their home territory of the city of Nantes in western France. A giant deep-sea diver desperately searches for his niece, a search which has encompassed a hundred years, the sinking of the Titanic and a mysterious mailbox. Quite an extraordinary sight by anyone's standards." Nantes, the home town of Jules Verne, is situated in western France. Here, near the river Loire a giant deep-sea diver sleeps gently, waiting for his task to begin. Sadness marks his face even as he sleeps. He has been searching the world over for his missing niece and although he may not know it, the end of his search is coming. The diver or scaphandrier as he is known in French will be paraded through the streets of this historic city at the beginning of the Estuary 2009 arts festival. The biannual festival gives the French mechanical marionette street theater company Royale de Luxe the opportunity to unveil their latest creation. A Giant Awakes in Nantes Previously: Massive machine animals in France - Boing Boing Sultan's Elephant grand finale video - Boing Boing 42-tonne mechanical elephant comes to London - Boing Boing (Thanks, RJ!)

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