Prohibition

Etsy cracks down on skulls, drugs, lighter fluid for sale

Just when it seemed like Etsy was the perfect place to pick up some human bones, poison, or drug paraphernalia, the online artisan e-commerce site announced it was banning these products and more.

It actually seems a bit laughable that Etsy had to earnestly state that it was forbidding these items, which include all smokeable products, human remains or body parts, hazardous materials, motor vehicles, and drugs -- but it did.

Here's what Etsy policy manager Lauren Engelhardt wrote in a blog post last week:

The Policy Team at Etsy is continually working to ensure that our rules balance … Read more

Ken Burns documentary to debut on iPhone, iPad

PBS is debuting the first episode of a new Ken Burns documentary on its iPhone and iPad apps ahead of the actual launch of the series on TV.

"Prohibition," a documentary about the country's move to outlaw alcohol in the 1920s, will premiere tomorrow on the PBS app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The free app offers streaming access to both previews and full episodes of notable PBS shows, as well as a schedule guide.

Created by filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, "Prohibition" will then segue to TV screens, with the first episode … Read more

iPhone SDK agreement prohibits jailbreaking

Apple is firing with both barrels this week, introducing surprising changes to the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement.

The agreement that all iPhone developers are required to adhere to now explicitly disallows jailbreaking, doing anything that assists with jailbreaking, or developing and distributing jailbreak applications--a big change from an agreement that previously restricted creation of applications that violated privacy or aided in violating criminal or intellectual property laws.

Ars Technica was able to obtain a copy of the new updated agreement that stated:

(e)You will not, through use of the Apple Software, services or otherwise, create any Application or … Read more