http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091106/0115336819/dailydirt-foods-unfit-consumption.shtml#c211 Sun, 4 Nov 2012 22:18:34 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091106/0115336819/dailydirt-foods-unfit-consumption.shtml#c211 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091106/0115336819/dailydirt-foods-unfit-consumption.shtml#c194 Sun, 4 Nov 2012 22:05:22 PST http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091106/0115336819/dailydirt-foods-unfit-consumption.shtml#c194 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml#c575 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:46:46 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml#c575
"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml#c572 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:38:41 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml#c572 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml#c557 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:23:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml#c557 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml#c552 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:15:37 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121029/02482720866/washington-post-yes-we-need-to-give-up-liberty-security.shtml#c552 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20121024/18211120814/cnn-counts-patents-mistakes-them-inventiveness.shtml#c223 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 23:55:29 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/innovation/articles/20121024/18211120814/cnn-counts-patents-mistakes-them-inventiveness.shtml#c223 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1363 Sat, 27 Oct 2012 17:11:13 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1363
I don't believe that anyone would intentionally run a red light, at least not after it has been red for a few seconds and the cross traffic has started to move. I can only imagine that those people must have gotten distracted and not seen the red light at all. Wouldn't the cameras have no effect then? Maybe the thought of the tickets sits in the back of people's mind and raises their alertness around intersections. Not saying it actually works, just a theory.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1316 Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:01:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1316 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1303 Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:35:54 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1303 Yes, it really is when you consider that something like 70+ percent of red light citations are issued for not stopping long enough (whatever that means) while turning right on red. Most of the rest of them are for violations that occur less than half a second after the light changes. That may be a technical violation but it is not dangerous because traffic on the other side won't be moving yet.

I can see why this could be dangerous. It's not the traffic that's stopped. If you're making a right-on-red, there could be pedestrians in the crosswalk. If you're rushing to turn before the other traffic goes you're not going to be paying as much attention to the crosswalk and will be more likely to hit someone.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1299 Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:10:43 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1299
How about Wikipedia for a reference?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_light_camera#Studies_and_politics

Most of the referenced studies show a reduction in injuries by around 30%. Focusing on the number of accidents misses the most important part of the story. The point of the cameras is not to reduce accidents but to reduce injuries. Intellectually honest observers can see the difference between these two measurements.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1263 Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:49:05 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121021/18342720780/sticking-it-to-camera-man-inventor-develops-license-plate-frame-that-defeats-red-light-cameras.shtml#c1263
We had red light cameras here in Houston, TX. Instead of a photo, it recorded about 5 seconds worth of video which they send you as part of the ticket. I'm sure you could have the video reviewed by the court if you wanted to contest it. Maybe it doesn't work this way everywhere but an officer reviews the videos and decides whether or not to send a ticket. The cameras were eventually removed by a ballot initiative.

Statistics are tricky things. People read that the cameras have increased accidents and conclude that they're reducing safety. But are all accidents equal? If you only look at those accidents involving injury, the cameras have actually reduced those accidents. It's pretty obvious what's happening. People are stopping quickly to avoid the tickets which is increasing the number of rear-end collisions. At the same time, the number of T-bone collisions have gone down since people are more aware of the lights, leading to less serious injuries.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c2142 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:04:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c2142 please correct me (in a non-longwinded fashion) if I'm wrong

You're wrong.

A MAC can be changed, but Amazon has no idea what yours is. The account is most likely tied to a combination of your email, name, credit card, and postal address. Change enough of those and they won't know it's you.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c2126 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 20:41:11 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c2126 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c1979 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:01:31 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c1979 gave up your rights when you hit the "accept" button

So it would follow that you had those rights (ownership) before you hit the "accept" button. Then what are you gaining by accepting? If nothing, then it's not a valid agreement. That's one of many reasons why an honest reading of the law says EULAs are bull#&*%, but the argument continues to be they must be enforceable or the economy will collapse and so judges enforce them, well many of them anyway.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c1967 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 07:41:24 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c1967
To me it also means that within the huge legal fog that is digital media rights, a party ought to act in their own best interest to the fullest extent practically possible. You can be sure that any media company interprets the law in their own interest, operating as close to the edge as possible and sometimes over (Sony rootkits).]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c1358 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:59:28 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c1358 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c969 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:03:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/07340420786/amazon-wipes-customers-account-locks-all-ebooks-says-find-new-retailer-when-she-asks-why.shtml#c969 Techdirt has been warning people for several years that they don't really own the ebooks they have on their Amazon Kindles.

You do if you back them up. Possession is 9/10 of the law.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/10072320787/italian-scientists-convicted-manslaughter-sentenced-to-6-years-jail-over-earthquake-they-failed-to-predict-properly.shtml#c718 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:00:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/10072320787/italian-scientists-convicted-manslaughter-sentenced-to-6-years-jail-over-earthquake-they-failed-to-predict-properly.shtml#c718 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/10072320787/italian-scientists-convicted-manslaughter-sentenced-to-6-years-jail-over-earthquake-they-failed-to-predict-properly.shtml#c667 Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:52:20 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121022/10072320787/italian-scientists-convicted-manslaughter-sentenced-to-6-years-jail-over-earthquake-they-failed-to-predict-properly.shtml#c667