Aftermath Update: MegaUploads Take-down & Anon's Nuclear Response - Mastre Yoda (Political Correspondent)

As I mentioned yesterday in my SOPA Aftermath Commentary, the Federal Government bluntly took down the popular file-sharing site Mega Uploads. Was this a message to the protesters? Was this move a statement that the government can, and will, do what ever they want to do regardless of what we think? Or was this a possible misstep on their part, that they don't really need SOPA and PIPA to get the job done?
Not long after the government removal of the site, four execs were arrested on charges of racketeering and money laundering in Australia and are planned to be extradited to the US, the first time anyone will have been extradited for copyright related charges. Now rewind to Anonymous. They have been relatively quiet for quite a while, with a few attacks here and there. Then the Feds take down Mega Uploads. Anonymous then NUKES everyone. In a matter of a short while, very quickly assembled but very effective DDoS attacks take down several website including the FBI site, The Department of Justice site, RIAA, MPAA, Universal Music Group, and the US Copyright Office sites. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks are a very simple way that Anonymous takes out it's targets, or as Rob Rachwald puts it:


"DDoS is the internet what the Billy club is to gang warfare: simple, cheap, unsophisticated and effective," said Rob Rachwald, director of security strategy, Imperva. "But DDoS lends itself well to the Anonymous model which relies on crowd sourcing. During Operation Payback, Anonymous inspired an army of thousands in an attempt to bring numerous commercial sites. In this case, they’re boasting '5,600 DDoS zealots blasting at once.'"

But I digress. As referred to in my previous article, there was a lot of support by the internet community to stop SOPA and PIPA. I am proud to announce that as of today, the bills have been shelved. Now, it is true, that torrenting and file sharing is stealing and should not be allowed, however the freedoms that we enjoy over the internet should be preserved. Anonymous is a very loose organization that very certainly puts its views into practice. I think this is a good example in the fact that, they put their views out there and stand by them. However, what Anonymous does is illegal, and if they get out of hand it could spell disaster for a lot of people. I don't really recommend following in their footsteps.


Sources and Resources:


http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Anonymous-Megaupload-SOPA-PIPA-DDoS,news-13953.html
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/sopa_and_pipa_shelved_indefinitely
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/feds_take_down_megaupload_anonymous_nukes_everybody
http://news.cnet.com/2100-1017-236728.html

Another iPad 3 Rumor- Darb Vader (Game Correspondent)

A follow-up rumor to the iPad release rumor has stated that the announcement for the iPad 3 will be in February.  This rumor makes a plausible argument because the announcements for the first two iPads were in January and then   March of their respective years.

Full Tom's Guide article here.

On a Lighter Note - D (A Smattering of Everything)

Well, This week has been filled with stores about SOPA and PIPA. Actually, it has been filled with two stories about SOPA and PIPA, with a multitude of different takes on the issues, but I digress. If anyone doesn't know about these bills- really? you don't know about the impending end of our beloved internet?- go real about them. Elsewhere. I happen to think there is something a mote more interesting. The Canon DX 1. Go read the specs. Read the specs on your camera. Weep. Now, it hasn't been released yet, and the rumor is that it will be on November 3rd, but I do have to ask a question: do you need a $7,000 camera? Does anyone need a $7,00 camera? Does anyone need a $44,000 camera? Honestly, I think that these are really cool, and If I had that kind of spending money, and no responsibilities or obligations, I might consider buying one.

Or a bargain congressman.

But I might get to that later.

The Aftermath of the SOPA and PIPA Protest: A Commentary. -Mastre Yoda (Political Correspondent)

SOPA and PIPA. If you haven't heard of them yet, you are probably not reading this. Yesterday, in an unprecedented internet protest, several popular sites went offline to make a point of their view of the bills. Wikipedia, Craigslist, and Reddit went black, just to name a few, and even the internet giant, Google put in it's two cents by posting a big black banner over their homepage with a link to a page expressing their opinions and redirecting you to sign a petition again the view.

According to Wikipedia, that over 162 million people saw its anti-censorship message yesterday well over the population of Estonia and Iceland...combined.. In sheer numerical terms that's over half the population of the U.S.. Google says that they collected over 7 million signatures on their petition. The Facebook Anti SOPA page collected over 78,000 likes. What does all this mean? That many people are riled up about this issue. Red Hat, a well know open source software solutions company sums up very well what the day was about:

"In a single generation, the Internet has transformed our world to such an extent that it is easy to forget its miraculous properties and take it for granted," Red Hat continues. "It's worth reminding ourselves, though, that our future economic growth depends on our ability to use the Internet to share new ideas and technology. Measures that block the freedom and openness of the Internet also hinder innovation."

But what does this mean? Earlier today, the federal government took down a popular file-sharing site, Megauploads. This is evidence that the government doesn't need these bills to successfully take down offending sites WITH due process. Regardless, the PIPA and SOPA bill leaders are pushing ahead with their bills, even with the much decreased support for the bill by both the Senate and the House. 18 Senators announcing they opposed the new PIPA bill, some of the representatives that no longer support the bill include :Lee Terry (R-Neb.), Ben Quayle (R-Arizona), Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Scott Brown (R-Mass.).

Although yesterday was a success, the movement needs to keep the momentum going and continue to pester the representatives. Even Anonymous got a good shot in when they took down the DoJ website in response to the take-down of Megauploads.

Some internet Statistics that you might find interesting, there are:

• 3.146 billion email accounts
• 40 years since the first email was sent
• 555 million websites as of December 2011
• 95.5 million .com domain names at the end of 2011
• 100 billion photos on Facebook

Sources:

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/sopa_protests_results_and_aftermath

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/internet_statistics_boggle_mind

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-57362279-245/doj-entertainment-industry-sites-attacked-after-piracy-arrests/

Battlefield 3 Gets Greeked- Darb Vader (Game Correspondent)

          In a recent Maximum PC article on Battlefield 3, the reporter referred to the game as the the Greek Mythological character the Chimera.  For those who do not know the Chimera is a beast that is a patchwork stitching of a lion, snake, and goat.   The analogy works, but whether his view on the consequences that this "patchwork system" has on the game as a whole or the Battlefield franchise is wholly up to the gaming world.

The full Maximum PC article here.

A Short Thought About Democracy and SOPA\PIPA - Mastre Yoda (Political Correspondent)

   Senator Rubio, in a recent move, has withdrawn his support for the PIPA Bill. This goes to show that when a decent politician sees that the people are unhappy with his decision, he should review what it is that he is supporting and be sure that he should be supporting it. Sometimes it is merely the vocal minority that is making all of the noise and the majority of the constituents that elected him, his party, are saying otherwise. In the case of PIPA and SOPA, it is safe to say that there are a lot of people that are upset with the bill, and wish is to be changed or shelved completely. 

       Senator Rubio did what he should have done and reevaluated what it is that his constituents want. Many politicians do not do this, and ignore the wants and needs of their constituents. They, in their arrogance, decide that they know better than the majority. Sometimes, it is justifiable, in the case of a genuinely misinformed public, or a public that is being influenced by a fad, or muckrakers that are using a mob to get support for their cause. 

      Whether the blackouts and protests of the SOPA and PIPA bills are merely being blindly supported by the public is not certain, only time and education of the public will tell whether the people truly understand what they are opposing and how intimately it can effect their daily usage on the internet. So, I encourage you to read up on SOPA and PIPA, to educate yourselves on what you are vocalizing. 

“Congress should listen and avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences,” Senator Rubio wrote on his Facebook page. “Therefore, I have decided to withdraw my support for the Protect IP Act.” 

Resources and sources: 

http://gizmodo.com/5877000/what-is-sopa

http://gizmodo.com/5877276/everything-you-need-to-legally-protest-sopa/gallery/1?tag=sopa

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9223525/Supporters_of_SOPA_PIPA_stick_to_their_guns

http://www.computerworld.com/slideshow/detail/26885/Samples-of-SOPA-blackout-sites 

Where Am I Again? - Lima Tengo (Editor)

      This is an interesting view of how small we are in the universe. I don't agree with some of the innuendos that Carl Sagan makes, but the analysis is still a very interesting and sobering point. We really are a VERY small speck of dust in a vast cosmos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=p9TIeuBF9Ss

Intel Launches CPU replacement plan for overclockers - CorePC.com (Hardware Specialist)

    Intel will be offering a replacement plan for overclockers that push their processors too hard. This service will only be a pilot program, and will only be available for 6 months. Although overclocking is a common "Dark Art" most manufacturers discourage the abuse of electronics. Note that this plan is only good for one replacement, but for the 20 odd bucks that the plan costs, it's worth it if you are an avid overclocker.


http://www.techspot.com/news/47099-intel-launches-new-cpu-replacement-plan-for-hardcore-overclockers.html


http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/intel_now_offers_overclocking_protection_plans_select_processors_still_doesnt_encourage_dark_art

Rumor: Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 to arrive in February - CorePC.com (Hardware Specialist)

      A rumor on the Chinese forum ChipHell.com, has it that Nvidia will release the GTX 680 earlier than the March time-frame in response to the release of the AMD 7970 graphics chip. The GTX 680 will be based off of Nvidia's new 28nm Kepler archatecture. The 7970 is currently the fastest single chip in the world, while Asus's Mars II Limited Edition Dual GTX 580 card is arguably the fastest single graphics card in the world.

http://www.techspot.com/news/47092-rumor-nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-to-arrive-in-february.html

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/nvidia_geforce_gtx_680_may_launch_ahead_schedule

"No PS4 announcement at 2012 E3" says Sony- Darb Vader (Game Correspondent)

        According to recent interviews, Sony does not plan to unveil the rumored "Playstation 4" at this year's E3 Conference.  This could prove to be a detrimental mistake for Sony, as Nintendo plans to unveil their Wii U.  It could also prove to be a good choice for the company, as they will have the chance to see the competition and improve on their system according to what they see at the conference.  Only time will tell.............

See a full article on this on Gamespot.

Google Joins Tomorrow's SOPA Protest - Lima Tengo (Editor)

SOPA, a bill that gives the US Government the right to force private businesses to block foreign websites that either host copyright infringing material or even link to a website that hosts the material, has strong opposition. Google, the search engine giant, has added itself to the growing list of sites and businesses that will protest the bill tomorrow, along with big internet names like Reddit, Wikipedia, Minecraft, Destructoid, the iCanHazCheezburger family of sites, and Anonymous. Most of these sites will totally be blacking out tomorrow, although understandably, Google will be limiting it's participation to posting a link to a page outlining the companies views on the bill.

"Like many businesses, entrepreneurs and web users, we oppose these bills because there are smart, targeted ways to shut down foreign rogue websites without asking American companies to censor the Internet," a Google spokeswoman told CNET. "So tomorrow we will be joining many other tech companies to highlight this issue on our US home page."

This move, along with other recent developments in the SOPA and PIPA bills, is making to increasingly less likely that the bill will be passed, although The Government has been known to ignore what it's citizens want.

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/google_joins_tomorrows_sopa_protest_tells_admins_how_black_out_right_way

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57360223-261/google-will-protest-sopa-using-popular-home-page

iPad 3 Production Begins (supposedly) -Darb Vader (Gamer Correspondent)

     Rumor has it that the iPad 3 is under production and will be set for launch in March.  It is rumored to have HD capabilities, a quad-core processor, and the support from LTE wireless networks.  No more news until Apple announces it formally.

Check out the G4 article

It's Official: Wikipedia Will Black Out To Protest SOPA/PIPA - Mastre Yoda (Political Corespondent)

1/18/12, the day the internet went black. Even Wikipedia is blacking out for this gathering of dark consensus. To help protest SOPA, Get In The Loop will also be going dark for the 18th in it's support of the tech community.

Full story here:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/its_official_wikipedia_will_black_out_protest_sopapipa

* while Get In The Loop supports the rights of users, it abides by copyright laws and does not torrent and is not responsible for the views of Get In The Loop's contributors.

PS Vita not available in U.S. until February 22- Darb Vader (Game Correspondent)

         The PS Vita system is the newest handheld addition to the Sony franchise.  It has been called the PSP2 and intends to make the PSP user interface more compatible for people who are not used to the Playstation format, which includes getting rid of the cross media bar or XMB.  The new interface has been claimed to be closer to that of an iOS or Android OS. 

See more on the PS Vita at the G4 Article

SOPA Bill Gets Shelved Due to a Lack of "Consensus" - Lima Tengo (Editor)

Victory. For now. Victory still in question.
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/SOPA-PIPA-White-House-Obama-Piracy,news-13912.html
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/sopa_bill_gets_shelved_due_lack_consensus

Russian space probe crashes into Pacific - Lima Tengo (Editor)

Hey Russia, you missed your target by 46477943 miles.....

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20120115/D9S9J5DG0.html

DNS Provision Pulled From SOPA, Protect IP - Lima Tengo (Editor)

"A small victory for the technology sector", the article says, but is it really? Should we be giving power over the internet to the government? Call me paranoid, but it giving to much power to the government could lead to a misuse of the powers given to them.

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/SOPA-Protect-IP-Lamar-Smith-DNS-Blocking-Piracy,news-13899.html#xtor=RSS-998

The Best Everything at CES - Lima Tengo (Editor)

CES, the dream of every hardcore nerd to walk the earth. This year, many a cool shiny toys have come out of the Mecca of tech including some slim, but powerful Ultrabooks; tiny but strong Tablets; and TV's that will make your eyes water. Visit the link to Gizmodo to see what they had to say!

http://gizmodo.com/5876030/the-best-everything-at-ces

OCZ Technology Reveals Chiron 4TB SSD - Lima Tengo (Editor)

SSD's are an emerging market with a big future. Insanely fast read and write speeds, and now huge storage capabilities. But can you stomach the price tag?

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/OCZ-Chiron-SSD-4TB-Enterprise,14456.html

SOPA Author Says Opponents Lack Credibility - Lima Tengo (Editor)

SOPA. I'm torn on this issue. To torrent or not to torrent. That is the Question. I can understand that frustration of the companies that are selling the material, they worked for it, why should someone get their product for free? However, it isn't the same thing as stealing either. And when certain programs are $600, it is perfectly understandable to feel the temptation to just torrent it. What do you think? Vote on the Side Bar!

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/sopa_author_says_opponents_lack_credibility

Homeless Long Island Teenager Is Intel Competition Semifinalist - Lima Tengo (Editor)

Just goes to show you that no matter who you are, and where you are from, you can do anything you set your mind to.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/01/12/homeless-long-island-teenager-is-intel-competition-semifinalist/

A New Day, A New Blog

Welcome to Get In The Loop. In the course of their day, people show little interest in their surroundings, regardless of whether or not it effects them or not. I am here to help alleviate that with my views of politics, science, and religion in a series of articles, editorials, pictures, and commentaries. Help Combat Ignorance and share this site! (Served with a side of Nerdy humor) GET IN THE LOOP!