Power to the people: ACTA leaked in it’s entirety!

For those who care (and you all should) ACTA, or, the “Anti-Counterfeiting and Trade Agreement” treaty has been leaked from start to finish online. All 56 pages are ready and waiting for your prying eyes to delve deep into the twisted grammatical concoctions. Just in case “the cave” has been your house for the last few months, ACTA is an all encompassing bill of sorts that will bring about some pretty monumental changes to the online world. Namely, IP infringement and network policing are two of the bigger items.

Of course, this whole “leak” wouldn’t be all that important in the news if the committees and governments drafting this legislation actually adhered to previous promises of “openness” and “transparency”. Both of which all parties involved have lacked up until this point, even going as far as threatening in various forms those who do try to share any information.

From the beginning, I as well as countless others have been highly against the secretive approach that’s been taken. If a bill is going to affect so many people in pretty profound ways, there is absolutely no reason it should be kept a secret. Corporate lobbying at it’s best I’m afraid. Now it’s our turn.

I haven’t read through it all yet, but will spend a good deal of the latter of the day doing just that. Go ahead and let me know anything interesting you find!

• Check out ACTA from start to finish here.

• Backup link

  Slashdot > Laquadrature.net

  [Image Source]

I think you’re getting a little too serious: CouterStrike player knifed in the head

Talk about taking something too far…

A 16-year old CounterStrike player in China’s Mishazi, Jilin province found himself, or in this case his head, on the wrong end of a knife, ending up with 1-1/2 extra holes after a brush with the local gang. Apparently the victim had a pretty insane score in CounterStrike. The gang suspected cheating and in return instructed the victim to install software on a public computer in an internet cafe. The teen refused. That’s when things got all stabby…

Miraculously, the teen is suspected to make a full recovery, though random issues that one could obviously assume happening with such a massive head wound aren’t out of the question. Looks like some people take the game a little too seriously. If I were this kid, I’d be thanking whoever or whatever it is that I thank.

Moral of the story: Wear full body armor when going to the local internet cafe.

Fark > Telegraph

Hang in style with the 8-bit Hanger

Nothing says I’m a geek/I love retro stuff more than a pixelated pointing hand clothes hanger. Why not give your closet or hallway that added bit of nerd flare with a hanger such as the one pictured above? Installation is easy, the price is right, and it looks awesome to boot. What’s holding you back? If you plan on major renovations with the little pointer here, I’d hope your bank account can take the beating. For a few, the price doesn’t seem too unreasonable. But keep going to far past “a few”, and your wallet will weep for sure. Hey, whatever it takes to get the job done I guess. Anyone feelin’ it?

[Product Page: Meninos]

Foolish Gadgets > The Awesomer

Fido can finally have his very own flash drive…

Dog tags as a means of self identification for your four legged friend are sooooo 1890. Come on guys, let’s get with the program here. Shall we? The Pet ID Tag is the dog tag of the year 2010 and beyond. Essentially it’s just a rugged flash drive that can be affixed to your pooch’s collar giving whoever finds them in the unfortunate misplacing, a quick, clear, and easy way to get your lost mutt back to your happy, humble abode. It’s a great idea really. At only $14.99, it’s at least considerable as many custom dog tags cost as much or more. Personally, I’d rather have a geeked out dog tag than some stupid flower design with glitter. But that’s just me. Though no information regarding storage capacity is present, we have to ask: Does it really matter? I mean, a simple text file with your information doesn’t need that much space. Your dog certainly doesn’t need a 16GB dog collar flash drive does he?

If you really want to be a dork, you’ll get GPS installed on that furry animal of yours. Then you won’t even need a dog tag or to “search” when they wonder off. Simply track the signal. Though the above solution is a lot cheaper. Which are you leaning towards?

Ubergizmo > Coolest-Gadgets

BlackBerry 9100 Pearl gets another groping, leaking a few specs in the process.

For those in the market for a smaller form factor BlackBerry, you’re only real choice as of right now is the grossly outdated Pearl 8100. Paying anything more than a few dollars now would be a travesty in my eyes. But there is light over the horizon. The BlackBerry Pearl 9100 has been seen strutting it’s stuff here and there in various leaked shots. Finally today we have at least a few specs to go along with those stellar slimmed down looks. Really, it’s pretty common stuff here — 3G, trackpad, SureType, and a 3-megapixel camera. Nothing to sway one from a Bold 9700 mind you, unless your biggest “want” is a tiny candybar smartphone. In that case, the 9100 may be right up your alley. If anything else, it at least looks the professional part, borrowing styling cues from it’s more expensive and feature filled siblings.

No word yet on how much this little gem will cost. But based on previous experiences, I’d say you’ll be able to walk away with one for roughly $249 if you play your cards right.

Engadget > TechDigest

Put that noodle of yours to good use and give it a sweet accessory: The LED Mohawk Helmet

As we cross into this week’s hump day, we’re left looking at what we’ve accomplished so far, and where we’re yet to go. One thing that I always look ahead towards is what I plan on doing over the weekend. For me, the weekend is the best time of the week. I’m sure I’m not alone. While I’ve got my weekend booked, some may be looking for something to fill theirs with. For those who like little projects, the LED Mohawk Helmet created by “Garrett”, is something that just makes sense. I mean, nerds like flashy things (LED’s) and projects. Put them together and something resembling the LED Mohawk Helmet usually comes forth.

It’s no doubt bright, unsightly, and to some, obnoxious. But that’s what makes it so great. I can tell you that if I ever sit down and attempt this little ditty, I’d wear the hell out of that thing. Am I alone in my boat? Be sure to check out Garote’s LiveJournal if you’re feeling a little curious as to how it all went down.

Zedomax > Hackaday Garote

AT&T: “Verizon’s first 4G phones are going to suck, resemble fat bricks”. Me: “Good! No more clam handing…”

Say what you will, 4G is coming this year to the masses (relatively). It’s going to be awesome. Sure, 1st gen products are usually just betas. But are you going to sit there and tell me you’re going to pass up a chance to pick up a 4G phone, whatever it may be, and be part of the “exclusive” first 4G crowd? I know I want to be. To me, and you, and probably a few others, Verizon’s late-2010 4G rollout is the beginning of exciting stuff. For AT&T, it’s another reason to cut the other guy down (as every carrier does).

In AT&T’s eyes, Verizon’s early lead doesn’t mean anything most notably because the phones themselves are going to suck. At least from the start. Big Blue goes on rationalizing their position saying that because of the insane power requirements for the blazing fast 4G waves, the phones will either (1) last 20 minutes on a charge when actually being used or (2) be “fat bricks”.

Now, the term “fat brick” is pretty relative as is “thin”. In the case of the iPhone 3G, I hear people constantly saying how they love how super thin it is and even would be interested in a thinner model. I guess I’m one of a dying breed who prefers my phone to be thicker than a piece of paper and not have to worry about snapping it in half when I sneeze on it. Apparently I’m old. Not to mention, holding these molecule thin phones is far from comfortable. I don’t have big hands — far from it — but clam handing these pieces of plastic day in and day out is starting to get annoying.

So, if Verizon’s first 4G phones are “fat bricks” — good. I could use a little mass in my mobile life. All too often manufacturers get fixated on jumping on this stupid thin is in bandwagon when doing something as simple as sticking a larger battery inside would add a much greater value. But I digress…

As we come upon the 4G rollout, I’ll happily sit back and bask in the limelight while holding my two fat bricks. Care to join me?