police

Web suicide watchers tough to prosecute

A teenager lay dying in bed after swallowing a lethal does of narcotics while his suicide attempt is broadcasted to the Web. A group of concerned viewers attempted to intervene by alerting the authorities. Others however prodded the teen to take his own life with messages such as "do it."

Authorities in Pembroke Pines, Fla., are now trying to determine whether any of the people who encouraged the teen to kill himself violated Florida law, according to several reports. The incident began last week when the 19-year-old man Webcasted himself on Justin.TV and posted a message at … Read more

Report: Police examine culpability of those who encouraged suicide

Police in Pembroke Pines, Fla., are trying to determine whether those who goaded a Florida 19-year-old to commit suicide bear any responsibility in his death, according to several reports.

"There is an active investigation," Sgt. John Gazzano of the Pembroke Pines Police Department told CNET News. He did not provide any other details.

Last week, the teenager set up a Webcam to broadcast himself taking an overdose of drugs on Web video service Justin.tv. The 12-hour ordeal was watched by hundreds of people, some who encouraged the young man to do away with himself.

"You want … Read more

Exploding bike lock: Interesting concept, questionable execution

As an avid cyclist, my biggest concern about riding my bike in New York City isn't king-size potholes, wayward pedestrians, or even the hordes of aggressive cabbies itching to smash me into gray matter, but rather the constant fear of getting my bike stolen. I've been a victim of bike theft in the past, and it literally feels like the loss of a limb (not good), so I'm constantly researching new ways to deter thieves from snatching up my precious Surly Cross-Check. Whether it's making my bike ugly with stickers or carrying around extra locks in my bag, there's only so much you can do, because if a thief wants what you got, they're gonna get it no matter what.

Michael Lambourn gives cyclists one more bullet in the barrel with his SmartLock design. It's a cable lock with colored liquid inside that explodes everywhere if the lock is cut. It's a clever idea, and one almost certainly hatched after a freak skunk accident, and I applaud Michael Lambourn for making an effort to make cycling safer for paranoid city dwellers like myself. The goal is to achieve peace of mind while your bike is locked up, and the SmartLock is definitely a step in the right direction. If this product is successful and helps get people out of their cars and onto the bike, then I'll get behind it 100 percent. I just have a few critiques to make in the meantime.… Read more

The 404 145: Where Justin is cutting a 7-inch on brown vinyl

After a long, hot weekend, all three of us are happy to be indoors hugging the air conditioner and chatting about all the latest and greatest news from the Internet. This weekend people escaped the heat by checking out The Dark Knight, and the numbers blew our predictions out of the water. Another doozy: dudes in Flint, Mich., are pissed at Police Chief David Dicks cracking down on saggy butts, and Amy Winehouse's boo-bear finally finds a home in prison. We also talk about the Beijing Olympics (sponsored by Singulair) and run down FHM's list of 100 Sexiest … Read more

Firing automatic weapons from a Segway: good idea, or not?

A Chinese news site features a picture of anti-terrorist forces on Segway-back. Is this totally nuts, or a really good idea?

Three questions in the Segway versus no Segway debate: These guys should be in pretty good shape. Shouldn't they be able to run faster than one of these? Well, according to the Wikipedia entry for a Segway PT, the vehicle has a top speed of 12.5 mph. That works out to roughly a five-minute mile. With riot gear on, yeah, that's pushing it. Winner: Segway, if you're willing to be standing really tall all the … Read more

California city gets video surveillance fever

RICHMOND, Calif.--Taking a cue from surveillance camera-laden London, this San Francisco Bay Area city is installing security camera systems for the police and at the port to reduce crime and protect against terrorism.

The systems are being built and maintained by ADT, known for its home burglar alarm systems, and use a high-speed wireless mesh network.

Clusters of video cameras transmit data to wireless radios, which then send it over a 1-gigabit back-haul feed to servers in the Port of Richmond's security office, and for the city to police headquarters and the dispatch center. Eventually, the video will … Read more

Wall Street hopes Intel, AMD still singing

If you want to gauge the tech winds, follow Intel.

At least, that's the theory employed by economists trying to forecast the performance of the high-tech industry in uncertain times over the last two decades. The world's largest chipmaker is thought to be an early-warning sign of things to come; trouble ahead if Intel's in red.

We already know that the two companies were disappointed in their performance during the quarter. Back in March, Intel had already made the decision that plummeting flash memory prices would dent its earnings for the quarter. AMD waited a little longer, … Read more

Police fans, watch out!

I've written about "fan clubs" before--by and large, I think they're a scam by which very popular artists and concert promoters can charge even more money than the already ridiculous list prices. Usually, "fan clubs" make you pay a one-time fee of something like $100 for the right to buy tickets slightly earlier than the unwashed masses, then they throw in a couple of nearly worthless perks. In the case of The Police, I got the "right" to buy tickets near the top of the arena, access to online chat rooms, … Read more

The Whole World is Watching

During protests outside the Chicago Democratic Convention in 1968, activists took up a rallying cry shouting The whole world is watching as news cameras captured the police violently overtaking the crowd. Indeed the whole world was watching, but only because the news media happened to be their with their cameras and live feed.

As Salvatore Rivieri of the Baltimore Police department knows first hand, things have changed. In July of last year, Officer Rivieri was patrolling the Inner Harbor when he came across 14 year-old Eric Bush and some of his friends riding their skateboards. A heated exchange occurred and at one point, Rivieri places Eric in a headlock and takes his skateboard from him. Toward the end of the episode, the officer notices that Eric's friend Tony Santo is holding a camera.

"You got that camera on?" Rivieri asks. "If I find myself on you.." The video goes dead.

This tech job's paycheck is a steal

It may sound like a scene from the movie comedy Office Space, but authorities in New Jersey are not laughing.

Like one of the movie's characters--who erroneously receives paychecks--a Chicago-area man has allegedly been receiving nearly $100,000 a year for much of the past five years without actually showing up at the office or doing the job.

And that is what landed Anthony Armatys, 34, in jail about five years after he accepted a job at Avaya Communications, according to a report in the Daily Herald near Chicago. He accepted a job at Avaya in 2002, but backed … Read more