Not long ago, Sony released the Reader. It sucked. More recently, Sony released the new, shiny version of the Reader, which features ePaper and one hell of a sexy design.

Not to be outdone in the combination of the technology and books, Amazon has released the Kindle. Uglier than the Reader, but networked over a cell connection (and done so for free). View a video of it here.

Neither have color. The Sony design is much more “Open” (and we all know that Open = Good) while the Amazon design is more “Connected” (and we all know that Connected = Good). These two need to mate and have a child, preferably one out of wedlock, and one that sells for less than $100.

Wired Magazine is running a lengthy feature about one of the three services that appeared in the market in the past two weeks that all offer a revolutionary new service - they’ll provide you, the customer, with a copy of your own genetic code.

That’s right, spit into a tube, cough up a grand, find out everything you never wanted to know about yourself.

Read more on Wired.

Or buy now!

Burma’s Junta decides that a three-party talk would seem to offer the wrong idea about just how the ruling party feels about democracy. I guess the message is not just no, but “hell no, we won’t go!”

Pat Robertson says Giulianni is an “acceptable” candidate for President. Wait, religious right thinks that a pro-gay, pro-abortion candidate is acceptable?

A student opens fire at a Finnish high school, killing eight and wounding himself. This is the first school shooting in Finland’s history, a nation with the third largest gun owning population in the world.

Wall Street Watchers were a bit disappointed today, oil did not reach the much vaunted $100 a barrel mark. For the record, the price of oil in March 2002 was around $25 a barrel, the price of oil during the oil shortage in the 1970s was around $15. (These prices are not adjusted for inflation.)

New French President Nicolas Sarkozy says he likes the US and is thankful for the liberation of France from the Nazis. All jokes aside, it was rather touching.

The WGA - Writer’s Guild of America - went on strike yesterday.

Shortly after the strike started, Leno and Conan announced they would be airing reruns until the shows come back. Stewart and Colbert showed reruns as well.

We told you this was going to happen last week. You would have known that if read Shots on a regular basis.

Last week we were all witness to CNN’s Planet in Peril two night event, not the mention all the green imagery on the cable news giant. The entire event did so much to save the planet that the Best Week Ever was awarded to no other than Anderson Cooper. We’ve heard that sales of tight black t-shirts blew through the roof.

Now, not to be out down, MSNBC and NBC Universal have come up with the awesome phrase “Green is Universal” (You see what they did there? They worked the parent company’s name into the slogan. It’s clever…admit it…).

Unlike CNN, which merely did a two night special, NBC has sent the hosts of the Today show “to the far corners of the earth” (apparnently some people failed a couple of classes in high school), died the peacock’s feather’s green, and worked recycling and conservation into the backdrop or plot of their primetime shows. Genius!

Or not.

So far this week, there’s been a hippie planting trees on Chuck, and Dan was recycling on Journeyman. I’m sure something heroic was done on Heros, but I don’t actually watch that.

You’d have to ask Mumah.

Just came across the ticker, the Writer’s Guild of America is set to strike on Monday if their demands are not met regarding residuals for distribution in new technologies.

What can you expect? Well, the late night talk shows will be affected first, then the daytime soaps. They’ll run reruns when they can, and then try and fill the space with what’s available.

The primetime comedies and dramas which do not have stockpiled scripts will be affected next.

Cartoons should be safe as they tend to be written and produced up to a year in advance.

What can you watch when the reruns run out? Expect a boat load of shitty reality tv shows (their writers are not guild members), news specials, and foreign imports.

Rep. Rick Doucher, D-Va, a noted consumer and internet rights activist, has said that “Comcast has made a major mistake” in policing P2P networks under the auspice of network management.

According to CNet’s News.com, Boucher is telling Comcast to “Knock it off.”

We at subter say, “Damn right!”

Wired.com is reporting that the House is moving ahead with a bill to punish companies that help foreign governments censor the internet.

Wired

I wonder if that bill is going to apply here in the US, Comcast?

Comcast shapes traffic

Recently, the Senate Intelligence Committee, working with the White House,  penned a bipartisan bill that would change the (quesitonably) legal NSA wiretapping process. Part of that bill seeks to retroactively immunize the phone and internet companies from legal action.

Also recently, the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator John “Jay” Rockefeller received a veritable explosion in donations from…telephone companies being sued due to cooperating with the NSA…

You do the math.

***

Jan 17, 2006 – The ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights each, separately, sue the NSA over the wiretapping program.

May 2006 – The ACLU sues AT&T Corp. and Verizon Communications for sharing data with the NSA.

March 2007 – Top Verizon executives donate $23,500 to Senator Rockefeller. From 2001 through February 2007, Verizon executives had donated a total of $3750 to the Senator. Only one of 2007’s donating executive actually lives in Senator’s state, West Virginia.

April – June 2007 – Top AT&T executives donate $19,350 to Senator Rockefeller. Prior to April 2007, only one donation (of $300) had been made to the Senator from West Virginia. None of the donating represenatives actually live in West Virginia.

Oct 2007 – The Senate Intelligence Committee passed a bipartisan bill that immunizes various phone companies from legal repercussions and legalizes domestic wiretapping.

***

Not looking good for democracy. But, the weaker dollar means that’s now cheaper than ever to buy your own legislation. Want to know who to “donate” to? Check OpenSecrets.org.

Data Source: Wired’s Threat Level

Granted, these are dated and require more than a casual understanding of tech culture. As you’re reading this, I’m going to assume that’s cool with you.

There are about a dozen of these, check ‘em out.