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Illinois Bars Sex Offenders From Social Networks
On Thursday, Illinois lawmakers signed a law that bans registered sex offenders from using social networks. The law, of course, aims to prevent offenders from victimizing those they might find on a social network such as Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter.
Interestingly, they define social network as "an Internet website containing profile web pages of the members of the website that include the names or nicknames of such members .
The Future Is Here: Avatar Kills Another Avatar, Faces Real Law
And this is when a videogame obsession becomes a problem: A woman in Japan, who was a fan of the virtual reality game Maple Story, was angry that her virtual husband in the game virtually divorced her, so she killed him. Virtually.
While she's obviously not being charged with murder, she is in hot water for illegally accessing his computer to kill her victim's character, which could be a penalty of five years in prison.
Text-Walking May Become Illegal in Illinois
Thankfully a majority of you haven't had any walking while texting incidents, and knock-on-wood, I haven't either. Well in Illinois this past January, a bill was introduced that would ban people from using their cell phones while crossing the street.
"This legislation is not laughable.
Have You Ever Been Cyber Bullied?
As much as I love the Internet, I'm aware of what a dangerous place it can be since it seems that anonymity can bring out the worst in people. An example of this saddening fact is the story of a 13-year-old Missouri girl who committed suicide after being the victim of cyber bullying on MySpace. The case, which is being tried in a California federal court, has prompted Missouri Governor Matt Blunt to sign a bill that makes Internet harassment against the law.
Geek Tip: Beware of the Dreaded Illegal Download Letter
Lifehacker reports that a reader recently got a letter from her ISP provider, warning her that Paramount/Dreamworks was aware of her illegal downloading via BitTorrent. And while they weren't suing her, nor was her internet being cut off, the letter from Cablevision was a warning.
This particular reader had downloaded over 30 movies when she received the letter and has stopped downloading and implored Lifehacker as to what's next.
Good Idea or Bad Idea? Banning Anonymous Internet Posting
File this under "Oh, really?!" It seems a Kentucky State Representative, Tim Couch, wants to make anonymous Internet posting illegal. Couch is trying to pass a bill that would require you to register with your full name and address every time you posted anything on the Internet, in order to cut down on online bullying.
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Seal Gets Prepped For California's Hands-Free Cellphone Law
On July 1, California's new state law that requires drivers to use hands-free technology like headsets and bluetooth-enabled devices will take full effect. The Policy Institute of California is predicting that this new law will save around 300 lives a year (a 7 percent decline in fatal car accidents), considering the drop other states have noticed since enforcing the law.
The penalty if you get caught talking with your phone to your ear?
What Hands-Free Accessory Do You Have For Driving?
Starting today, putting that cell phone to your ear while you're on the road will earn you a ticket if you're in California. Our state is joining NYC in making it illegal to talk on a cell phone unless you're using a hands-free device while driving. Savvy geeks like us may already own devices (I have an earpiece even though I'm not a driver), but some people will surely be popping into the store to grab a new accessory.
Oops! Nadya Suleman Breaks the Hands Free Cell Phone Law
One would think, especially with so many children, Nadya Suleman would be a safety pro and abide by California law by using a Bluetooth device or a hands free cell phone earpiece while operating a motor vehicle.
Sadly, this wasn't the case when the famous mother of fourteen was caught yesterday gabbing on her cell phone while driving by police. The Hands Free Law — which kicked into effect last July — is intended to make drivers more aware while driving — and therefore decreasing traffic accidents.
Rich, Famous, and Connected: Celebs Who Go Hands Free
Even though octomom Nadya Suleman was caught not abiding by California's hands free cell phone law — where you must use a hands-free device to talk on your cell phone while driving — there are plenty of Hollywood folk who do rock the Bluetooth earpieces and headsets to be good citizens. The question is, can they make even that look good? You'll have to decide for yourself.
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