You would think that with the MPAA suing people left and right for copyright infringement and with movies like Ghost Rider climbing to the Number 1 spot you’d think it’d have $50 to throw a blogger for his software. “Think again!” cries Patrick Robin, designer of the Forest Blog publishing platform. Robin recently discovered that the MPAA’s blog (currently down) is using his software without having paid the proper licensing fees – 10 British Pounds for a personal license, 25 Pounds for a commercial license. So has Robin gotten his money yet? Nope. The MPAA has yet to reply to a letter he wrote regarding the theft of his code. MPAA Steals Code, Violates Linkware License [Torrent Freak] → Read More
You may have a hard time scoring an iPod Nano if you live near Boulder, Colorado. Earlier this month, a small plexiglass display case was snatched from an Apple store on 29th Street. The thieves made off with 42 iPod nanos by simply grabbing the case and walking out it, as the display stand wasn’t bolted down in any way. Police say employees failed to notice any suspicious activity on the day of the theft, which makes one wonder if this was an inside job or not. Only time and a thorough investigation will tell. Case of iPods stolen from Colorado Apple Store [iLounge] → Read More
While most of us are at the height of the giving feeling this holiday season, some crooks out of Silicon Valley are more interested in taking. In a clever heist straight out of CHiPs ’07, a gang of thieves made off with $190,000 in microchips and a Mazda using a modified crash-and-dash scheme to not only collect the loot, but make a getaway as well. The Mazda MPV was trasporting 100,000 microchips from a Fremont, CA warehouse when it was rear-ended by a white minivan. Both cars pulled over to survey the damage, as any driver would in a fender bender. While the MPV driver and his co-worker were talking about insurance and damage with the Van driver, another man slipped behind the wheel of the victom’s Mazda and took off. The Van driver then likewise motored off, leaving the microchip manufacturer employees alone and bewildered on the side of the road. Nice moves, crooks. While we think highway robbery, especially of precious, lovely tech gear, is wrong, we do have to privately chuckle to ourselves in regards to the simplicity and sophistication of the larceny, as these masterminds found a way to make off with a small fortune in high-tech hardware without using weapons, nobody getting hurt, and with no damage, save to the van and a stolen Mazda MPV. The Mazda’s license number is 4NKV115. If you have any idea what’s going on or have a lead for the authorities in this case, you should call them at (408) 615-4815. Theft Details [SF Gate] → Read More
San Francisco, CA
