prison

Recon robot goes to prison

From what I hear (from documentaries, reality TV shows), prison ain't nothin' nice. I don't mean just for the prisoners, but for the guards as well. Not a job I envy in the least, but one that obviously is necessary. Sometimes a person just decides to hurt himself or another and prison guards need tools to deal with this. Assault weapons are necessary in some situations, but sometimes knowing a lot about what you're getting into can be useful.

Popular Mechanics posted a story about the California Department of Corrections' decision to test a new recon robot … Read more

The 404 212: Where we make Dan smell-lel-lel-lel what the 404 is cooking

Are Justin and Wilson offended by the title of the new Guns 'N' Roses album? What kind of music does Wilson like? (HINT: It starts with "mmmm" and ends with "usical theater.") Can Chinese people really nap anywhere? How many poo-poo jokes can we make in one episode? Find the answers on today's show, and also learn how you can win a copy of Baja and Far Cry 2 for Xbox 360!

NOTICE: Tomorrow's live show will start early at 10:45 a.m. Eastern. Be there or Jeff will open the floodgates of haterade!

Dan the Mantern here, and it's contest time. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to Photoshop CNET's very own Internet celebrity Dan Ackerman into a completely inappropriate picture. Make Dan into the new Client Number 9, put his head on Princess Zelda's body or, even more ridiculous, give him his own network TV show! Make us laugh and you'll win a copy of Baja or Far Cry 2 for Xbox 360 and Tales Out of Night School, Ackerman's newest CD. We're even throwing in a few promotional jimmy hats from BeenVerified.com. Trust us, if you combine Dan's CD, alcohol and a significant other, you'll need em!

EPISODE 212 Download today's podcast … Read more

Data on 84,000 U.K. prisoners is lost

Unencrypted data on all 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales has gone missing after a Home Office contractor lost a USB stick on which it had been stored.

Contractor PA Consulting alerted the Home Office to the loss last Monday evening--and by midday Tuesday, the contractor confirmed "rigorous" searches had failed to uncover the whereabouts of the memory stick and its cachet of sensitive information.

According to a Home Office statement, the missing USB stick contains:

Data relating to all prisoners in England and Wales, including names, birth dates, and, in some cases, expected prison release data … Read more

Jury hands feds first guilty verdict for Web music piracy

For the first time ever, the federal government has successfully won a jury verdict against someone accused of illegally downloading music, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

A jury in Alexandria, Va, found Barry Gitarts, 25, allegedly a member of Internet music piracy group, Apocalypse Production Crew (APC), was found guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.

Gitarts faces up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and must make full restitution, according to a statement released by the DOJ.

The Recording Industry Assoc. of America (RIAA), which said it helped … Read more

A media blackhole in Colorado

Having spent time in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), I wasn't surprised to learn that the agency's highest security prison has denied all media requests for the past six years. Known as the ADX, the super-maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado is home to some of the most notorious convicts in history including Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, and the so-called "American Taliban," John Walker Lindh. While simultaneously being very conscious of public relations, the BOP exercises tremendous secrecy under the guise of security.

According to Westword News, there have been exactly 100 media requests submitted to interview inmates at the ADX facility since 2002 and none of these requests have been granted.… Read more

Robo-exterminator is termite's nightmare

We love those indefatigable cleaning twins, the "Roomba" and "Scooba," but they're yesterday's news. The "LawnBott"? It's OK, but we just can't get all that excited about cutting grass. But a gadget that seeks out and kills termites--now that's our kinda house-bot.

The "Termibot" uses video and thermal-imaging cameras to detect the presence of a nest and then blasts its hapless inhabitants with pesticides, all without the need to tear down walls. The current version, which Gizmag says is scheduled for release this year, uses a … Read more

'DigiDesk' lets you play world dictator

If you've ever found yourself lusting after a workstation with multiple monitors or other multi-tasking command centers, wait till you get a load of this futuristic creation from Microsoft. The "DigiDesk" literally turns your desk into a desktop with a dual-pane workstation that features touch-screen surfaces to control everything from documents to workflow, according to SlashGear. Alas, it's only a prototype, which the guy in the video says is one of just two in existence. We applaud the concept, but we're still waiting to take it even one step further, throwing entertainment into the mix … Read more

Hello Kitty now stalks us in cars too

It was only a matter of time, really. As our multitasking lifestyles force the convergence of all trends (creating some pretty weird byproducts along the way), the ultimate collision was inevitable: iPod docks and Hello Kitty--in a car, no less.

The Hello Kitty car charger works with various iPod versions by plugging into the cigarette lighter and sending your music directly through the dashboard radio, according to Engadget. The bottom line? We've said it before: You can run or drive, but there's simply nowhere to hide.

'Prison pen' is just for writing

Looking for the perfect gift for the prisoner in your life? Consider the so-called prison pen, which is made from a soft rubbery material that bends under the slightest pressure, making it virtually impossible to do lethal damage with it.

The pen may not be good for stabbing or shivving, but you just know the ingenious Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption would still be able to incorporate it into some impossibly brilliant escape scheme. The product, which is already in use at U.S. federal prisons, according to Spycatcher, sells at that site for $10. And truthfully, prison references aside, … Read more