Need To Know 2004-04-23

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NTK 2007

NTK 2006

NTK 2005

2004-12-10
#350
Patents, presents, privacy

2004-11-26
#349
Google recruits, history refuted

2004-11-12
#348
Geowanking for plugins

2004-10-29
#347
McCandless and Brooker - together at last

2004-10-15
#346
Web 2.0, Stirling Albion - Nil

2004-10-01
#345
Jumping the shark, gun

2004-09-17
#344
Foo, Foo, Alan Sugar, McGrew

2004-09-03
#343
Piracy good, not bad like you thought

2004-08-20
#342
Google boner, kick out the MD5

2004-08-06
#341
Yo Robot, Carry On Camping

2004-07-23
#340
from Odeon to Od-Iain

2004-07-09
#339
Browser Wars II - Electric Boogaloo

2004-06-04
MiniNTK #30
Not the NotCon final Schedule

2004-05-28
#338
Peek-a-boo Barney, Charles III "in charge"

2004-05-21
#337
Hey, Hey, Software Pa(tents) - slight reprise

2004-05-14
#336
A wip-woawing Widdecombe wollercoaster wide

2004-05-07
#335
A prawn sandwich and a BBC Micro

2004-04-30
#334
Eternal Sunshine of the Wireless Find

2004-04-23
#333
PayPal, piracy to "destroy society"

2004-04-16
#332
Loads more Gatesions, all-geek radio

2004-04-09
#331
Easter NotCon speaker hunt

2004-04-02
#330
The mass Onion-isation of pretty much everybody

2004-03-26
#329
LOAFs of spam, wifi settees

2004-03-19
#328
state of the "nanny state" nation

2004-03-12
#327
EU Ew-yew, pseudo- edutainment

2004-03-05
#326
SCO bandits, eBaywatch

2004-02-27
#325
Tidgy fridges, didgeridoos

2004-02-20
#324
ConConUK, Space 0.64 miles per second

2004-02-13
#323
All Tim O'Reilly, all the time

2004-02-06
#322
info on ebay scams only $10

2004-01-30
#321
the site now running on platform - well, whatever platform you like...

2004-01-23
#320
spam vs spam, Lisp to Perl

2004-01-16
#319
Name-calling, nuclear lan parties

2004-01-09
MiniNTK #24
Even more unpopular answers

2004-01-02
MiniNTK #23
Unpop quiz

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>> HARD NEWS << poohing the poohs LORD BIRT IN PORN SITE LINK, crows London's Metro this week, aping sister paper The Mail on Sunday's expose of the old BBC director general ("LORD DIRT!") and his wicked ways. The "link" in question turns out to be a mite tenuous, even for the Mail. Birt is a director of PayPal, "a company that processes payments for Internet pornography". Except, of course, that it doesn't. Or tries not to, as poor old Jenni "Cam" Ringley claimed led to the demise of her site. Still, nice plug in the Metro for hangingbitches.com, a site that you'd think Mail readers would be all for bringing back. http://xrrf.blogspot.com/2004_04_18_xrrf_archive.html#108237737053765567 - scroll down or just http://www.ntk.net/2004/04/23/dohbirt.jpg http://www.petitiononline.com/nopaypal/petition.html - Kinkycobbler Inc also hit hard http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3189039958 - TOP MATHEMATICIAN LINKED WITH SHADY RED "ERDOS" FIGURE Rather more unexpected was the confirmation of ALL (C) INFRINGERS IN TERRORISM LINK, from the usually level-headed Advertising Standards Authority. TRISTAN RODDIS, pissed off at that Federation Against Copyright Theft cinema advert where you stare at a branding iron while a voice tells you that "Piracy funds terrorism", complained to the ASA. The ASA, after some perusing of FACT's literature, declared that, yes, piracy did fund terrorism. Slightly more dubiously, they went on to concede that the ad's other somewhat controversial statement - that piracy "will destroy society", was not a misleading exaggeration. Given the high odds, we sincerely hope that everyone now continues to file-share on the free networks, thus beating down the price of pirated material to zero, wiping out all that terrorist income, and saving society with their warez. www.asa.org.uk/adjudications/show_adjudication.asp?adjudication_id=37673 - legal, decent, honest: well, one out of three isn't bad http://www.aacp.org.uk/Proving-the-Connection.pdf - see p.14 for that indubitable connection to terrorism http://newsite.screen-play.net/pipermail/bnmlist/2004-April/057358.html - "will destroy society" complaint originally upheld >> ANTI-NEWS << berating the obvious "and I'm not coming out until you find that bloody tape": http://www.ntk.net/2004/04/23/dohcup.gif ... don't believe Edmonds' lies: http://www.ntk.net/2004/04/23/dohnoel.gif ... maybe that thing in Tony's mouth helps explain the confusion: http://www.ntk.net/2004/04/23/dohnow.gif ... clicking on the http://www.drc-gb.org/newsroom/website3.asp "Inaccessible web site" breadcrumb link goes to... what a difference a day makes: http://www.ntk.net/2004/04/23/dohden.gif ... hell, freezing over: http://www.ntk.net/2004/04/23/dohhoc.gif ... looks like something's started tainting the Amazon prefs database again: http://www.ntk.net/2004/04/23/dohsenn.gif , http://www.ntk.net/2004/04/23/dohmem.gif ... "Entrys"? Come *on*, Portsmouth!: http://www.upsu.net/doc.asp?doc=1934 ... >> EVENT QUEUE << GOTOs considered non-harmful Members of the audience will no doubt be asked to make sure they've left their cellphones switched *on* at next Thu's CYBERSALON MOBILE FUTURES (7pm, 2004-04-29, Dana International centre, Science Museum, London SW7, free but pre-register places at ticket@danacentre.org.uk), featuring presentations on bluejacking, that "Urban Tapestries" collaborative mapping thing, plus Orange Head of Group Strategy Paul Amery - presumably the real-life equivalent of the annoying Kevin Spacey lookalike in the Orange cinema ads they show just before the film? Interaction of a bafflingly non-electronic kind, however, will be the order of the day over at PILCHARD TEETH PRESENTS: COUNTER CULTURE (8pm, also Thu 2004-04-29, the ICA, London SW1Y, UKP6, ICA members free), as Adam "Surf ad" Buxton introduces a reprise of friend-of-NTK Ben Moor's social history of board games, their demented concepts of what used to pass for entertainment, plus what they're probably worth on eBay nowadays. And what will Will "TFI Friday" Macdonald be doing while all this is going on? Sort of standing behind Ben shrugging his shoulders and grinning? http://www.ica.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=13146 - He's a mon-ster. A mon-ster, my friend... http://www.cybersalon.org/info.html#mobilefutures - Barbrook to unveil new 802.11 access point beret http://www.futuresonic.com/futuresonic/mobile_connections/ - futher "mad for (wireless) IT" in Manchester next week http://www.spy.org.uk/ratblog/archives/000257.html - Reclaim The Thames Beach tomorrow, Reverend Rat maintains >> TRACKING << sufficiently advanced technology : the gathering It looks like even more people are doing the "private P2P file-synchronising network" thing than we thought (though presumably secretly sharing the information with only their most trusted friends). In the hope that somebody will romp through these, pull out the best ideas of each, and create an app that everyone will settle upon, we present: CLEVERCACTUS, a NAT-friendly Java app (recommended by Jim Hughes); the multi-platform SHINKURO - "Father of the 'net and everything", says Ben Laurie of the DARPA-funded project; then there's the sternly businesslike GROOVE by Ray "beautiful hair" Ozzie's team (via Jim Morgan); and "How about SPIKE?" says Simon Phipps, of Porchdogsoft's Windows and Mac LAN clipboard sharer. For once we haven't tried any of them (closed betas/no friends), so take your pick. http://taint.org/2004/04/16/210206a.html - good summary by Justin "Spamassassin" Mason http://www.financialcryptography.com/mt/archives/000115.html#more - see, everyone's at it https://www.clevercactus.com/share/login.process - get some friends, quick http://www.shinkuro.com/ - "a strong interest in information sharing" http://www.groove.net/ - feels like the new Marimba, somehow http://www.porchdogsoft.com/products/spike/ - yay zeroconf! >> MEMEPOOL << contains a source of http://snackspot.org/ answers to everything except - wouldn't this be quicker if it was coded in JavaScript?: http://aeoe.freeshell.org/atose/ ... on thin ice with us already: http://isuparody.tripod.com/ ... Dire Staits' "Money for Nothing" video - for the 21st century: http://www.bendawkins.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bogdan_qt.html (largish QuickTime, sorry)... Stock Photograph Goldfish dices with death once again: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/3633439.stm vs http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/3040891.stm ... the war against the word "webinar"... naked eBay guy WLTM similar "night owl": http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3092428344 what the? http://www.jesus-action-figure.com/ - novelty action figures funny again? (.mpg video)... zany sales pitches less so: http://www.komplett.co.uk/k/k.asp?action=page&page=news&topic=yarrrr >> GEEK MEDIA << get out less TV>> the crack team of MONSTER GARAGE mechanics struggles to turn an old episode of "Salvage Squad" into something as inexplicably popular as "Scrapheap Challenge" (7.30pm, Fri, C4)... "from the makers of Banzai", boasts rabblemocking fake science candid camera EXPERIMENTAL (11.45pm, Fri, C4)... but we're more intrigued by the http://www.straightdope.com/ potential of C5's competing PUB AMMO (11.55pm, Fri, C5)... Robin Williams *is* Commander Data in cheesy Asimov travesty BICENTENNIAL MAN (5.30pm, Sun, C5) - now largely US-Robotics- free: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0182789/trivia ... not too many surprises in this week's tell-all celebrity revelations SEX, SECRETS AND FRANKIE HOWERD (9pm, Sat, C4), ROD HULL: A BIRD IN THE HAND (10pm, Sat, C4) and CHARLOTTE CHURCH - SPREADING HER WINGS (10.45pm, Wed, BBC2)... and it's almost as if Islam, Christianity and Judaism were codifications of regionalised societal customs rather than, say, literal interpretations of ethical teachings, ponders multi-faith musing CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM (8pm, Sun, C4), laying the foundations for - hopefully "Eurotrash" influenced - Islamic magazine show SHARIA TV (12.10am, Tue, C4)... regarding BORN RICH (11.05pm, Tue, C4): "How do you carve out a meaningful existence if you never have to work?", asks someone *whose job is reviewing TV programmes for the Radio Times*... Laurie "Roseanne" Metcalf steps in to become the third actress to play the psychiatrist's first wife in FRASIER (11.05pm, Wed, C4): http://amazingforums.com/forum2/FRASIER/117.html ... while BBC4 launches a DNA Week featuring DOUBLE HELIX: THE DNA YEARS (11.45pm, Wed and Thu, BBC4) and a RICHARD DAWKINS PROFILE (11.15pm, Wed, BBC4) with guaranteed ratings-grabber JOHN SULSTON - ONE MAN AND HIS WORM (12.25am, Tue, BBC4)... FILM>> "the many continuity lapses and other apparent technical errors are a matter of deliberate stylistic choice in this pastiche of 1970s 'B' action movies" chuckles the IMDB over aimless more-of-the-same Tarantino yawn KILL BILL: VOLUME 2 ( http://www.ahafilm.info/movies/moviereviews.phtml?fid=7573 : an article on the production [...] includes the journalist's first-hand observations of chickens being tossed behind the moving car. The article also says that Thurman accidentally killed a chicken while struggling to drive a stick shift vehicle [...] We are rating Kill Bill Vol. 2 "Questionable") ... Angelina Jolie turns psychic profiler in the daft TAKING LIVES ( http://www.screenit.com/movies/2004/taking_lives.html : [CAUTION, POPUPS] The "f" word is used sexually; [Ethan Hawke] shows up at [Angelina Jolie's] place. There's heavy breathing between the two and he opens her shirt or robe, exposing her bare breasts)... while presumably starting a tour of the UK's arthouse cinemas - and other "specialist" venues? - is what appears to be just the one print of surprisingly graphic pre- WW2 retro adult compilation POLISSONS ET GALIPETTES/ THE GOOD OLD NAUGHTY DAYS ( http://www.bbfc.co.uk/ : Consumer advice is not supplied for the R18 category)... BONERS: CORRECTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AND "INCORRECTLY REGARDED AS GOOFS">> and top marks to ENDIE, the first to point out that it actually looked more like *Saruman* had been killed by the Israelis in http://www.ntk.net/2004/03/26/dohsaur.gif , not "Sauron", as we may have implied. Still, Sauron, Saruman, Dr Magneto and Slartibartfast - we always did get those ageing British character actor villains confused. JEZ SMITH didn't need "no dumb-ass program to remove all the Adobe Acrobat plugins and stop them from loading at start-up", as advocated by cheeky Rod Begbie (and us, admittedly) in NTK 2004-02-20, because he prefers to "just take 'em out of the plugin directory and put 'em into optional" - we're assuming he means "all of them"? - while PETER FERNE confirmed that listenable circuit-bending pioneer http://www.kidcarpet.co.uk/ can often be found "serving behind the bar at The Chelsea Inn, Bristol's Premier Wireless Boozer" [NTK 2004-03-26]... spookily, ROB BUCKLEY, CASPAR, and PAUL HAMMOND all came up with exactly the same example of "why not to trust theoretical physicists when talking about Maths" regarding DR PETER J. LOVE's theory that "every possible message occurs" in the decimal expansion of pi: http://www.ntk.net/index.cgi?b=02004-02-20&l=237#l . The number 1.01001000100001000001... (with one more zero each time) is infinite and non-repeating, they all agreed, but never features, say, the message "01010". "A better thing to say would be that Pi is 'normal'", suggested DAVE TAYLOR (in his best Pub Landlord voice), "except that no-one's ever proved that": http://mathworld.wolfram.com/NormalNumber.html ... former "Times Interface" regular ANNA SODERBLOM made a welcome return to these pages with the news that husband Ben Hammersley hadn't finished the Marathon Des Sables when we mentioned it last Friday, but has now, if you see what we mean, and should be back to full "blogging strength" soon. And RICH HERRING was so grateful for the London marathon sponsoring he received from generous NTK readers that he wondered if we/you'd be able to help in his next arbitrarily heroic task - the slaying of the Loch Ness monster, for which he requires the assistance of a local virgin. "I've already had one offer from an 18 year old man which wasn't really what I was thinking of", he confides, "but it might be my only shot": http://www.richardherring.com/warmingup/warmingup.php?id=498 >> SMALL PRINT << Need to Know is a useful and interesting UK digest of things that happened last week or might happen next week. You can read it on Friday afternoon or print it out then take it home if you have nothing better to do. It is compiled by NTK from stuff they get sent. Registered at the Post Office as "this guy clearly wasn't there - they were horizontal hold lines for a start" http://www.3ammagazine.com/litarchives/2002_sep/clerkenwell.html NEED TO KNOW THEY STOLE OUR REVOLUTION. NOW WE'RE STEALING IT BACK. Archive - http://www.ntk.net/ Unsubscribe or subscribe at http://lists.ntk.net/ NTK now is supported by UNFORTU.NET, and by you: http://www.ntkmart.com/ (K) 2004 Special Projects. 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