Apple programmer trespassed at Apple?s HQ for three months to finish axed project

News

Former Apple programmer Ron Avitzur?s project was cancelled in August 1993, but he managed to continue to sneak into the Apple?s offices until he had finished the graphing calculator program that he had been working on.

Avitzur, who was 27 at the time, was disappointed when Apple shelved his project. He was offered a different job within the company, but it didn?t interest him. He wanted to make the graphic calculator work on the new PowerPC computer than Apple planned to ship in early 1994 and he was determined not to let anything get in his way.

So, when he realised that if he didn?t submit his final invoice, his contract would remain on Apple?s systems and therefore keep his ID badge active, that was exactly what he would do in order to finish his project.

?On the first day Avitzur came to work without a job, everything was pretty much the same,? reports?World?s Strangest.??He drove his 1987 Toyota Corolla from the room he rented on the edge of a nature reserve in Palo Alto and parked in the lot outside Infinite Loop, Apple?s fancy new headquarters. He swiped in, went into his old office and resumed working on the calculator.?

It didn?t take long for Avitzur to gain a helping hand. Greg Robbins began reporting to Avitzur when his contract was almost up and despite not getting paid the pair enjoyed the challenge.

But, they became careless and got caught, causing a manager to revoke their ID badges to prevent them from being able to return to the offices.

?For the next two months, Avitzur had to find new ways of getting into the building,? says the report. ?He kept his cancelled badge around his neck and timed his arrival for when he knew there?d be crowds going through the front door.?

His badge would fool security, but he had to be sure to stay away from sensors that would set off alarms if he got too close.

He would sometimes sneak in through a side entrance opened by friendly programmers, who also ensured that there were always two computers available for Avitzur and Robbins to use.

When Avitzur and Robbins were ready to demonstrate the calculator, just three month later, engineers informed their managers of the project, who requested to see it in action. ?Avitzur was prepared for the worst ? ready to be dismissed as a loose cannon who had spent the last three months trespassing ? but the demo went perfectly,? says World?s Strangest.

The PowerPC computer came out the following year, complete with Avitzur and Robbins? calculator program, which has now been installed on more than 20 million machines.

?It?s amazing we got away with it,? Avitzur told World?s Strangest. ?Even more amazing that we ended up producing something of value.?

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Source: http://www.macworld.com.au/news/apple-programmer-trespassed-at-apples-hq-for-three-months-to-finish-axed-project-61945/

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Xbox co-creator reveals $99 Android gaming console

One of the co-creators of Microsoft's Xbox is reportedly working on a $99 Android-powered game console that provides games for free.

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Ed Fries, one of the people behind the original Xbox, and designer Yves B?har, the man behind the design for the One Laptop per Child project, are developing what could become a potential fourth major console for the next generation of console gaming.

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The project is called Ouya (or Oooh! Yah!, as the phonetics is obviously designed to convey) and the significantly lower price-tag could give all the current players a run for their money, even beating out Microsoft's recent $99 Xbox, which requires a two-year subscription to Xbox Live to get it at that price.

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Even better for the cash-strapped among us, the games will reputedly be free, which will win over many of those who cannot afford the often extravagant prices of current console games. Of course, this point also raises questions about how developers will make profits and how high quality the games will be; chances are ads will be involved to make up the shortfall.

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The fact that the console will run on Android means it should theoretically be possible to play any existing Android games, though scaling them for a TV may be a problem. Presumably a separate Ouya Market will be employed for Ouya-compatible games, but undoubtedly someone will find a way to access the normal Android Market and its larger selection of titles.

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Those excited about the project will have to wait a while, however, as it is currently only in the design stage, with a few concept images of the device, which looks like a slightly rounded cube (and thus reminiscent of Nintendo's GameCube, albeit without the bright colours), available.

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Concept images of the interface show that it looks a little like Xbox Live.?

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As mobile games become a bigger part of the industry, the possibility of bringing these back to the traditional console arena is an interesting one, but the chances of it completely toppling the reign of the existing console giants is likely slim.

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Source: http://vr-zone.com/articles/xbox-co-creator-reveals-99-android-gaming-console/16540.html

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Nigeria's Union Bank posts $750 mln 2011 loss

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Incredible journey: Sub-zero pilgrimage to holy cave

Kevin Frayer / AP

Pilgrims line up to enter the Amarnath cave, one of the most revered Hindu shrines, on June 29, 2012 in Indian Kashmir.

Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

Hindu pilgrims walk along a mountain path as they make their pilgrimage to the sacred Amarnath Cave on June 30, 2012 near Baltal.

Photographers Kevin Frayer and Daniel Berehulak joined thousands of pilgrims on a trek to the remote Himalayan shrine of Amarnath, which stands at an altitude of 3,888 meters (12,756 feet).

Getty Images reports:

Hindu devotees brave sub-zero temperatures to hike over glaciers and high altitude mountain passes to reach the sacred Amarnath cave, which houses an ice stalagmite, a stylized phallus, worshiped by Hindus as a symbol of the god Shiva.

More than 700,000 Hindu pilgrims are expected to take part in this year's two-month pilgrimage, according to local officials, putting strains on the environment and political stability of the region, which has long fought for independence from India.

See pictures of last year's pilgrimage to Amarnath on PhotoBlog

Kevin Frayer / AP

A Hindu holy man wearing little clothing walks down a snowy hill during the traditional journey to the Amarnath cave, near Panitarni on June 28, 2012.

Kevin Frayer / AP

Pilgrims wearing track suits rest on the journey to the Amarnath cave on June 30, 2012.

Kevin Frayer / AP

The camp for Hindu pilgrims is seen at the Amarnath cave, near Sangam on June 29, 2012.

Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

A pilgrim is carried on a palanquin by Kashmiri bearers over a glacier on her way to the sacred Amarnath Cave on June 29, 2012.

Kevin Frayer / AP

A Hindu holy man gestures to well-wishers as he is carried down a trail, near Panitarni on June 28, 2012.

Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

A young pilgrim cries as he struggles along the path as he walks with his family during their pilgrimage to the sacred Amarnath Cave on June 28, 2012 near Baltal.

Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

Pilgrims line up for a meal at a Lungar facility providing free food, near Baltal on June 29, 2012.

Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

Pilgrims walk along a mountain trail during their pilgrimage to the sacred Amarnath Cave on June 30, 2012.

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Source: http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/04/12561874-incredible-journey-thousands-of-hindus-make-pilgrimage-to-himalayan-shrine?lite

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Video: Countdown to the Market's Open

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/48057913/

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Google shocker: American web company says web boosted American economy by $500 billion

Who knew that a company which makes a lot of money on the web would be keen to pitch the web as important to the US economy? Google thinks it's as natural as breathing, as it just took significant credit for fueling real-world shopping. About 97 percent of Americans reportedly searched online for a local business -- it's safe to say Google was involved in a lot of those hunts -- and spent an average of nearly $2,000 per person at brick-and-mortar stores last year. The search giant extrapolates to argue that the web pumped about $500 billion into the US economy, even while excluding internet-only sales. That's certainly a staggering number that shows how much of a cornerstone the internet has become for American business, although it comes across as slightly insecure: a company that's reportedly under tight scrutiny from regulators might be eager to show just how much good it's doing for the public in tough economic times.

Google shocker: American web company says web boosted American economy by $500 billion originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/google-shocker-american-web-company-says-web-boosted-american-economy/

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Arms trade treaty negotiations begin, Syria casts shadow

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Delegates from around the world gather in New York on Monday for the start of month-long U.N.-hosted negotiations to hammer out the first-ever binding treaty to regulate the global weapons market, valued at more than $60 billion a year.

Arms control campaigners say one person every minute dies as a result of armed violence around the world and that a convention is needed to prevent illicitly traded guns from pouring into conflict zones and fueling wars and atrocities.

Most U.N. member states favor a strong treaty.

If they get their way, all signatories would be charged with enforcing compliance to any treaty by companies that produce arms and with taking steps to prevent rogue dealers from operating within their borders.

They say conflicts in Syria and elsewhere cast a shadow over the talks, reminding delegates of the urgency of the situation.

"In Syria, Sudan and the Great Lakes of Africa, the world is now once again bearing witness to the horrific human cost of the reckless and overly secret arms trade," said Brian Wood, international arms control and human rights manager at Amnesty International.

"Why should millions more people be killed and lives devastated before leaders wake up and take decisive action to properly control international arms transfers?" he said.

There is no guarantee the July 2-27 negotiations will produce a treaty, let alone a good one. In February, preparatory talks on the ground rules for this month's talks nearly collapsed due to procedural wrangling and other disagreements.

In the end, the United States and other countries succeeded in ensuring the treaty must be approved unanimously, so any one country can effectively veto a deal.

But the treaty may not be doomed if that happens. Wood said nations that support a strong pact could bring a treaty to the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly and adopt it with a two-thirds majority vote if there is no consensus in July.

There are deep divisions on key issues to be tackled in the treaty negotiations, such as whether human rights should be a mandatory criterion for determining whether governments should permit weapons exports to specific countries.

Arms control advocates say a strong treaty is long overdue.

"It is an absurd and deadly reality that there are currently global rules governing the trade of fruit and dinosaur bones, but not ones for the trade of guns and tanks," said Jeff Abramson, director of Control Arms.

EYES ON SYRIA

Abramson, Amnesty's Wood and Anna Macdonald of Oxfam spoke with reporters on Friday about the negotiations.

Much of the discussion revolved around Russia's arms supplies to Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad's 16-month assault on an increasingly militarized opposition has killed over 10,000 people. Russia is Assad's top arms supplier.

Wood said Russia is not the only culprit in Syria, one of many conflicts fed by unregulated arms deliveries. Western nations have also helped Assad. There are tanks on Syrian streets, Wood said, that come from Slovakia, upgraded by Italy.

Oxfam's Macdonald said: "From Congo to Libya, from Syria to Mali, all have suffered from the unregulated trade in weapons and ammunition allowing those conflicts to cause immeasurable suffering and go on far too long. In the next few weeks, diplomats will either change the world - or fail the world."

One senior Western diplomat said the Syrian conflict has led to a "polarization" within the arms trade talks, with Russia becoming increasingly defensive about arms supplies to its ally Damascus that it says have nothing to do with the conflict.

The campaigners outlined what they want to see in the treaty. Governments should be required to regulate the sale and transfer of all weapons, arms, munitions and equipment used in military and domestic security activities, ranging from armored vehicles, missiles and aircraft to small arms and ammunition.

Governments should also be required to make risk assessments before authorizing arms sales, make public all authorizations and deliveries and track their use. Trading without permission or diverting arms should be made a crime, they said.

One of the reasons this month's negotiations are taking place is that the United States, the world's biggest arms trader accounting for over 40 percent of global conventional arms transfers, reversed U.S. policy on the issue after Barack Obama became president and decided in 2009 to support a treaty.

But U.S. officials say Washington insisted in February on having the ability to "veto a weak treaty" during this month's talks, if necessary. It also seeks to protect U.S. domestic rights to bear arms - a sensitive issue in the United States.

The other five top arms suppliers are Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

Wood, Macdonald and Abramson said some of the top arms trading countries have been joining other nations in an attempt to weaken the treaty. They said the United States, China, Syria and Egypt were pushing to exclude ammunition.

China, they added, wants to exempt small arms, while several Middle East states oppose making compliance with human rights norms a mandatory criterion for allowing arms deliveries.

(Editing by Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/arms-trade-treaty-negotiations-begin-syria-casts-shadow-050557366.html

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