GeekSugar

Teens Blame Grand Theft Auto For Their All-Night Crime Spree

GeekSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:00:39 -0700

It seems that this little video game out in the world known as Grand Theft Auto tends to get people riled up - just check the comments on this post and that post, and it turns out that the game also riles people up in the real world, and has turned into an inspiration of sorts.

Just ask the group of teen boys who went on an all-night crime spree of mugging and bashing cars with baseball bats and crowbars. After they were apprehended, a police spokesman for Nassau County, New York, said that the boys admitted they were "emulating the character in that Grand Theft Auto game" (oh, that naughty Nico!).

I've got my bucket of popcorn ready to see how this case and its defense plays out. What do you guys make of all this?

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Website of the Day: SpotCrime

GeekSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:10:30 -0700

I hate to be a Debby Downer with all the crime websites that I post, but if I can help keep my loyal geeksugar readers informed about the best of the best (even when it is related to burglary and assault), I gotta deliver the goods!

Remember Post a Crime? The site that rewarded people for posting crime incidences? Well here's one that gives you all the facts, instantly, with real-time local interactive maps and crime reports. SpotCrime provides recent crime info on Google maps from all over the US (with a crime classifications list at the top). It also has an iPhone version!

To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and “Regular Post.”
Give your story a “Title.”
Fill in the “Body” with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click “Next."
Choose the audience for your story to “Website of the Day” in the drop-down menu
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to “Technology and Gadgets.”
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click “I’m done” to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Facebook Status Message Proves Teen's Innocence

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:43:52 -0800

While some may consider frivolous Facebook status updates annoying, there's definitely one New York City teen who probably doesn't agree. He was recently arrested and charged with robbery, but charges were dropped once he was able to prove his alibi - via a Facebook status message. The teen claimed he was miles from the scene of the crime as it happened, but no one could corroborate the story. . .until his lawyer mentioned the Facebook status update, posted at the time of the robbery.

The district attorney subpoenaed Facebook to verify the computer's location at the time of the status update. When his IP address was revealed proving he was indeed miles away, the charges were dropped. With the increasing popularity of sharing (and oversharing) on social networking sites, I imagine we'll be hearing more and more stories like this. According to the article:

"'This is the first case that I’m aware of in which a Facebook update has been used as alibi evidence,' said John G. Browning, a lawyer in Dallas who studies social networking and the law. 'We are going to see more of that because of how prevalent social networking has become.'"

To keep reading my thoughts about this story, just read more.

So, add "proof of innocence" to the list of things Facebook can do for you. Though I can't help but be reminded of this story from a few months ago, when a Facebook poke landed a woman in jail. And how many times have we heard of a cheating spouse or partner getting busted via Facebook? It's about time someone's Facebook use proves their innocence!

Connect With More People With Loopt Mix

GeekSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:05:00 -0700

I like using Loopt because it connects me to my other Loopt buddies in a snap. Plus, it shows me their reviews and favorites so I know what bar to hit up on my next girls' night out, or where to go for the best cup of coffee in the city. I loved the Loopt update from a few months ago, which made the easy to use app even slicker, but now with their next venture, it will be even easier to meet new people and expand your social circle.

Called Loopt Mix, this app focuses on connecting with the people around you. It gives you more ways to mix and mingle with features like in-app chatting, profile browsing, free messaging, and status updates so you get to know new faces and meet up with cool peeps that share your interests. The app is free, so next time you're worried about why your boyfriend won't do Loopt, dump the dud and find a new partner in crime with the help of Loopt Mix.

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Should 'Stealing' Wifi Be A Crime?

GeekSugar — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:00:37 -0700

A few months ago British police were cautioning people who steal Wifi, now it seems they are really cracking down - even arresting a man for picking up an unsecured Wifi signal. According to the Daily Mail, a 39-year-old man was held after two police community support officers became suspicious when they spotted him using a laptop computer on a garden wall (sounds a little like Humpty Dumpty, doesn't it?).

When questioned, the man admitted to using someone else's unsecured wi-fi broadband connection outside a house. He now faces a fine, six months in prison (or both), under the under section one of the Computer Misuse Act and Section 125 of the Communications Act 2003.

The punishments sound slightly exaggerated and unfounded to me - I mean if people leave their wireless networks unsecured they're almost asking for it. It's like leaving candy on your doorstep and thinking neighborhood kids aren't going to snack on it. What do you think?
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Google Search Results Are Putting People Behind Bars

GeekSugar — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 07:00:32 -0800

In early 2005, Lee Harbert, an investment banker from Oakland, CA, fled the scene of a hit-and-run accident and was later sentenced to three years in prison. Aside from finding one of the woman's earrings between his car hood and windshield, police also found incriminating evidence on his computer when they searched his house. His Google Search queries showed terms like "hit and run," "auto parts" and "auto glass reporting requirements to law enforcement," only a few short days after the incident - enough evidence to help convict Harbert once and for all.

Not surprisingly, there have been many other cases where a person's Google Search history has helped solve a crime. In terms of crime investigation, if police already have a search warrant, I think this is a great way to find evidence. Having said that I'd be curious to know if Google hands over any search information from a specific IP address, or if this is all generated from browser history? How do you feel about this?

Printed Camera Shirt: Love It or Leave It?

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:04:55 -0800

It's not a crime to have gotten into photography because you secretly thought you would look cool snapping photos.

Sometimes you even look cool with the camera strap around your neck, tourist style (though Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson definitely make it look cool). But is it so cool that you'd rock this Printed Camera T-Shirt ($20)?

It's got a vintage Leica on it, which I love, but um, what happens when you wear this shirt on the same day you are actually taking photos?

Would you wear this?

Demi Moore Is Feeling the Twitter Love

GeekSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:31:33 -0800

I seriously thought my life was complete when I realized I could follow my favorite Mad Men characters on Twitter (hehe). Guess again! In the last forty-eight hours, Senator John McCain started tweeting to his heart's content and now Demi Moore has jumped on the Twitter-train as well.

With the adorable mrskutcher username, Demi admits in a Tweet that her geeky profile pic is definitely her:

"Ah yes I must admit the photo is really me. . .super geek material I am afraid. Better than when I wore a patch on top of the glasses!"

Glad to see her partner-in-crime, Twitter user aplusk, has been showing her the Twitter ropes!

iPot: Not Made by Apple, But Still Rad. . . You Like?

GeekSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:45:36 -0700

I wonder if Steve Jobs loves that people keep appending an "i" to their products in an Apple-like fashion, or if he thinks they're stealing his thunder. Either way, you put an i in front of a simple word, and you suddenly have an attention-grabbing product name.

At least the latest perpetrator of this iCrime, the iPot, is actually pretty useful and attractive, not unlike Apple products in general, so it's not an offhand association. As a little desk lamp, the iPot provides an LED light in a glowing white pod, charges on a USB cord, and is affordable: just $19. Light it up! Do you like it?

Insecticide DS Review: Why Do You Build Me Up, Baby, Just to Let Me Down?

GeekSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:00:12 -0700

I was so excited to get my copy of Insecticide DS that I waited a whole day after getting it to start playing so I'd have time to take it all in. How could you not get excited about a cool, film noir-ish game about bugs?! Yes, bugs. The idea was awesome: In a postapocalyptic world, bugs are the dominant species. Thankfully, they evolved to set up a society much like our own with law, order, and, of course, crime.

You play as detective Chrys Liszt, trying to solve a murder at the Nectarola (ie: soda) plant in the capital city of Troi. The game takes on two different types of game play: adventure, where you are out in the field chasing down suspects, and then put in your time solving puzzles during your investigation work. By the sounds of things, I would have been more than content getting some action firing my bug weapons, but still using my bug brain by putting the pieces of the crime together. Unfortunately, this is not how things went down. Dun-Dun-DUN . . . To see what I mean, read more.

Insecticide had me from day one with the look and sounds of the game. I was imagining smooth action scenes and intense interrogations while solving the murder. But what I got was some really rough fighting sequences that had me frustrated from the get go, and even more frustration with the puzzles.

While closing in on a suspect, Chrys is supposed to chase him around the rooftops of the city, using her many weapons. However, Chrys can't seem to fire her weapons quickly enough, and certainly can't turn around very fast to see what the heck is shooting her from behind. But seeing is a different story. Remember, the game has a dark film noir feel to it, and dark it is. Literally.

Besides the action scenes being a bit rough, I thought Insecticide would be redeemed through its adventure puzzle scenes. But still, I was left less than satisfied by its confusing layout. At times, you are left to guess what you need to do next, and with little hints, I was struggling with one puzzle for way longer than I had hoped, which left me frustrated and ready to toss the game aside. Although, it's during the investigations that you get to interact with other characters in the game, which is pretty fun.

I can't totally knock Insecticide, though. Since I really love the concept, as well as the jazzy, sort of sci-fi vibe it had going on, it just didn't hold up to my expectations. However, I'm sure the PC version would have been a ton better with a higher resolution screen and more control with the keyboard and mouse. I would probably recommend renting, but not buying the DS version, and it's likely that the PC version would be the better choice overall. Insecticide for the DS is out now.

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