Flash drives return to the Department of Justice.

After a brief 15-month hiatus, it looks like personal flash drives will once again be allowed inside the Department of Justice. Spurred by a rash of virus outbreaks and compromised computers, the DoD enacted the ban back in late 2008 to get a grip on the damaging and stubborn malware war path.

Don’t go all hogwild just yet though, bringing in a bin of flash drives and relying on them for home and work use. The new decree strictly mentions “mission critical” jobs as the only time in which flash drives can be used. So simple flyers for DoD employee of the month and luncheons probably won’t fit the bill. Sorry.

And not any old flash drive will do. Only a select few drives from only a couple of manufacturers have enough password or encryption security to stand up to the military’s and DoD’s strict standards. With that said, such high security features mean your little Hello Kitty talking head flash drive probably won’t cut it. To some, that’s a blessing. Hey, at least it’s good to see the DoD moving back to 2002 tech again, is it not? Flash drives FTW!!

DefenseNews

Okay, we’re getting closer, but still so far away…*crosses fingers*

Today, MuscleNerd, member of the elite iPhone Dev Team has possibly found another crash command for the 05.12.01 Baseband. Well, not really found, but re-found. This is what the old 02.28.00 Baseband was suppose to use back in the day, for the 2g and 3g iPhones. Not sure if anyone remembers yellowsn0w, it was supposed to use this crash command before Apple “accidently” fixed it with the 02.28.00 Baseband update.

Mike graced us with the other possible unlock for this *oh so pesky* 05.12.01 Baseband here. Whether or not either one of these comes to be an official unlock, at least they are trying. MuscleNerd states that the “command and come and gone, as others have, but the hole hasn’t.” So there definitely is a possibility we can see an unlock from this. He also says that there is a “bizarre apple rogue interpreter” that is letting him poke any values into the BB memory.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, well, at least for those lucky enough *NOT* to be imprisoned by AT&T, that if they accidentally upgraded to 3.1.3/05.12.01 we can get them back using their Jesus Phones.

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Best way to discourage use of “electronic distractions”: Dunk a laptop in liquid nitrogen and proceed to smash it on the floor like a baby…

When a teacher or professor bans gadgets, laptops, or electronics outright from a classroom, I generally write off said individual as technologically incompetent and failing to understand the benefits of technology as a whole. In the case of OU Physics Professor, Kieran Mullen, that ideology stands. Apparently, students bringing laptops to class and then working on assignments instead of fixating on the ‘ol prof 100% time got his blood all boiled. The cure: bringing a busted laptop to class, dunking it in liquid nitrogen, and then smashing it all over the floor while chanting:

This is just liquid nitrogen, so it alone won’t hurt the computer. But this will.

Good job prof. Instead of doing your job and punishing those who abuse a laptop or electronic in class — you know, not being lazy — you choose to go over the top with the classic “knee-jerk” reaction and simultaneously making a spectacle of yourself to boot. Students will always abuse electronics in class. It’s the nature of the beast. But at the same time, they can be a huge benefit. The most obvious of which, being that you don’t need to waste paper and ink taking notes when you can just type everything. Oh well, destroying stuff and coming across as a bad ass are so much more important.

If you were looking to enroll in this joker’s class, I’d advise against it. Good thing he isn’t the Chancellor or anything. I’d hate to see school-wide mandated stone tablets and chisels for note taking.

So it is to you, Mr. Kieran Mullen, OU Physics Professor, that I award the “Biggest Douche Bag Teacher of the Year Award”.

Video

Engadget

Ubisoft: “Our invasive DRM is made by PC guys, for PC guys because we love you”. *Rolls eyes*

Remember that little article we highlighted a couple days back concerning Ubisoft and their new anti-consumer DRM? Well, what’s a good debate without hearing both sides to the story. An Ubisoft spokesperson went on the record defending their DRM stating that it’s for the betterment of us all. Right. Per Ubisoft Spokesperson by way of interview with PC Gamer:

So what’s in it for gamers?
Ubi say there are three advantages to their online services. The first: you don’t need a disc. The second: that you can install the game on as many PCs as you like, as many times as you like. And the third: the automatic uploading of savegames to Ubisoft’s servers.

Hmm, they’re terrible at jokes — cause this one isn’t funny. As CrunchGear notes, installing and playing a game without having to actually keep the disc in the computer is far from an “advantage” as it should have been that way since day 1.

As far as that little diddy on cloud-based backups compliments of Ubisoft — I’m pretty sure that’s on the far bottom of the totem pole of most gamers. What is much more important to gamers? Hmm, perhaps backing up our own games without having to fall into the “thief” category thanks to the BS “DRM Circumvention clause” in the DMCA. Not to mention, the backups that are sent to Ubisoft aren’t anything important. They’re simply the local game saves backed up a second time to Ubisoft. And seeing as how you have to have an internet connection to even play games such as Assassin’s Creed II and Settlers VII, the whole point of backups in the unfortunate event of a network failure render your little gaming session useless.

Yes, “Made for PC guys, by PC guys”. What a friend indeed.

CrunchGear > PC Gamer

CES Shwag Giveaway: Bob Marley Moto DROID skin

And the free stuff continues…

MOTO DROID owners: Who doesn’t like a nice tight skin to keep the scratches at bay and simultaneously show off some slick graphic? Everyone of course! If cases are too big and bulky and you simply want to keep nicks and dings to a minimum, perhaps a MusicSkins skin is right up your alley. In this case, a Bob Marley skin. Hmmm, Rastafarian headphones before, Bob Marley skins now…hey, it’s what CES reps gave me.

Want it? The only rule is to leave a comment — preferably one that will make me laugh. I need a good chuckle. Hit up the comments below.

If Microsoft can do it, we can too: Playstation Network coming to SE phones!

Awesome — Windows Phone 7 has Xbox Live features built into the core of the OS. That’s a good nugget to get gamers into the smartphone arena. But what if you have a PS3? Well, in the near future, you too will be catered to if Sony CEO Howard Stringer has anything to say about it (which…he does):

“PSN is no secret weapon. Leveraging PSN we are building a new network service that will connect many more network enabled product including Sony Bravias, Viaos and Blu-ray players. To satisfy the demand for more open systems and to broaden the array of network devices connected to our network services we are committed to extending that service to Sony Ericsson mobile phones.

As part of these initiatives we are also exploring consistent user interfaces across Sony Ericsson products to ensure a seamless and integrated experience for the consumer.”

For now, the Xbox Live integration is more focused on all of the various achievements, messaging, and other non-gaming tasks. Though as time goes on and phones become more and more powerful, mobile gaming will reach higher levels of sophistication and realism, at some point negating the need for any standalone system at all. Oh how sweet a day that will be.

Sony Ericsson/PS3 users getting excited?

IntoMobile

WTF?! Apple orders all apps > “G” expunged. Continues to push iPhone platform further into irrelevance.

Since way back in 2007, Apple has been pretty strict about sexual content in the App Store. At first there was just cause — there wasn’t really any easy or robust measures set in place to protect the kiddies from the horrors of nipples and wieners. Then came OS 3.0 and better parental controls. It even got to the point that Apple was starting to switch sides by approving iBoob and iBabe app to the joy of many iPhoners alike. But just as fast as it all started, it’s ending — a burning, crashing ending.

Call it the great “Sexual Smiting of 2010″ if you want, the simple fact is that Apple is going ape shit removing any and all apps that aren’t “G” rated. So far, it’s been reported that over 5,000 apps (and counting) have seen the ban hammer boomerang back around and catch them off guard. One such developer is the man behind the formerly available “iBoobs”. This is what “Jonau” had to say:

1. No images of women in bikinis (Ice skating tights are not OK either)
2. No images of men in bikinis! (I didn’t ask about Ice Skating tights for men)
3. No skin (he seriously said this) (I asked if a Burqa was OK, and the Apple guy got angry)
4. No silhouettes that indicate that Wobble can be used for wobbling boobs (yes – I am serious, we have to remove the silhouette in this pic) — [See pic on right]
5. No sexual connotations or innuendo: boobs, babes, booty, sex – all banned
6. Nothing that can be sexually arousing!! (I doubt many people could get aroused with the pic above but those puritanical guys at Apple must get off on pretty mundane things to find Wobble “overtly sexual!)
7. No apps will be approved that in any way imply sexual content (not sure how Playboy is still in the store, but …)

I lost that iPhone fanboy/lust/glassy eyed, blind love a long time ago. Once Apple started getting more and more asinine and outspoken on jailbreaking and at the same time, severely limiting innovation in the App Store, I called it quits and moved on to bigger and better things. Hell, even after seeing a small sliver of Windows Phone 7 from MWC, I’d even go as far to say that Microsoft (of all people) could regain valuable market share from Apple if they continue fucking people over like this.

Regardless if you use your iPhone for PG+ material or not, how can you not feel even a little bit disgusted about Apple’s stance and polices regarding the removal of anything even remotely 2x removed to a boob? It’s a stupid knee-jerk reaction is what it is. So a kid saw a boob. Big damn deal. Better that than a head getting sliced off, wouldn’t you say?

In the end, Apple isn’t protecting anyone. They’re only hurting themselves and the iPhone platform. Why the hell would I want to support an environment that has some morons sitting on chairs with reject buttons who can’t even display common sense for 10% of the apps that come through the approval line?

Yet another reason to drop the utter bullshit of a platform that Apple hath created…

MobileCrunch > ChilliFresh

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