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hawkinspeter writes:
The BBC has reported that Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform has taken down many third-party sites that rely on it in addition to disrupting Microsoft's own products. Office 365 (maybe they were optimistic with choosing that name) and Xbox Live services were affected.
This has happened at a particularly inopportune time as Microsoft has recently been pushing its Azure services in an effort to catch up with other providers such as Amazon, IBM and Google. Just a couple of hours previously, Microsoft had screened an Azure advert in the UK during the Scotland v England soccer match.
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hawkinspeter writes:
Amazon has given the green light to produce the Hugo award-winning "The Man in the High Castle". This is after the four-hour mini-series was rejected by Syfy and afterwards by the BBC.
Philip K Dick's novel takes place in an alternate universe where the Axis Powers won the Second World War. It's one of his most successful works, probably due to him actually spending the time to do some editing on it (most of his fiction was produced rapidly in order to get some money). Ridley Scott has previously adapted PKD's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" as the film "Blade Runner", so it will be interesting to see how close he keeps to the source material this time.
This news has been picked up by a few sites: International Business Times; The Register and Deadline.
So, are any PKD fans excited about this and is this story already Godwinned?
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hawkinspeter writes:
The BBC is reporting that US corn that was found to contain an unapproved genetically modified strain. Although China doesn't have a problem per se with GM crops (they've been importing GM soybeans since 1997), their product safety agency found MIR162 in 12 batches of corn.
"The safety evaluation process [for MIR162] has not been completed and no imports are allowed at the moment before the safety certificate is issued" said Nui Din, China's vice agricultural minister.
The Chinese are now calling on US authorities to tighten their controls to prevent unapproved strains from being sent to China after the first batch of corn was rejected in November due to MIR162.
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hawkinspeter writes:
The Register is hosting an exclusive that Bruce Schneier (the famed cryptologist http://www.schneierfacts.com/ ) will be leaving his position at BT as security futurologist.
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hawkinspeter writes:
The BBC is reporting that Microsoft is dropping the 'Metro' name for the new Windows 8 UI. Apparently, the catchy new name they've settled on is 'Windows 8 style UI'! This has happened due to a (potential) trademark dispute with Metro AG , a German retail giant.
I'm wondering if Microsoft planned this to get publicity for their new OS and UI or whether they just forget to check on how 'Metro' is used around the world.
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hawkinspeter writes:
Just one day after Chief Cathy Lanier made it illegal for MPD cops to take recording equipment, a 26-year-old local man had his phone taken as he was trying to record a violent arrest. They eventually gave back his phone, but without the memory card which also contained photos of his daughter along with the record of the alleged police brutality.
