Even as part of a big company, and as a consumer, and as a guy who loves technology and loves gadgets and all the interesting things that are happening on the Internet, I kind of agree with [the criticisms] I actually care a lot about fair use… What we’re really focused on in our business right now is the exact copy.

I really don’t get it. If he really thinks this, why doesn’t he advise another course of action? Señor Fricklas, no comprendo. [Ars Technica]

So says a new survey out of the U.K., anyway. [The Independent via Boing Boing]

The captured pirates’ link to the Chandlers is based on a message from “pirate spokesman” Farah Abdi who had made claims that his team held the couple captive in the first place, so some skepticism is required. I just hope my favourite sailing livebloggers are safe. [NY Times]

Photo by Suomen Kuvalehti

Perhaps it wasn’t the best of ideas for the Chandlers to publicly post their position while going through areas which are known to be frequented by Somali pirates, but at least it gives us their last known whereabouts and some hope that it was merely a temporary break in communication that paused their liveblogging instead of a pirate capture, but the cryptic final message of “PLEASE RING SARAH” leaves me fearing for their safety. [Lynn Rival's Voyages via Boing Boing]

First of all, this whole motorised Lego theatre set up is legit. Skip to about 2:30 for a behind-the-scenes look at how it all works. Second of all, this is absolutely amazing.

For you NXT fans and collectors, here’s a parts list for this fantastic creation:

– One Intelligent NXT Brick
– One NXT Rechargeable Battery
– Three NXT Servo Motors
– One NXT Light Sensor
– One NXT IR Link (HiTechnic)
– Two Power Functions IR Receivers
– Two Power Functions Light Sets
– Four Power Functions M-Motors
– One Power Functions XL-Motor
– Three Power Functions Battery Boxes
– Three Power Functions Extension Wires

Creator NextStorm promises a more detailed explanation for this fine creation, but for now this video will do just fine. [NextStorm via Brothers Brick]

We already showed you a hijacking from the pirate’s perspective, and now it’s time to turn the tables and see what it’s like to be on a Navy force taking control of a pirate mothership.

The 17 pirates on what is being called a mothership were in the midst of attacking the Egyptian-flagged Motor Vessel Amira with assault rifles and RPGs when the Navy responded to their distress call. Mothership? Seriously? To be honest, it looks like a well-equipped strike force holding up a floating outhouse—but I digress. [The State via Danger Room]

After the Pirate Bay founders were fined $US3.5 million, they swore they wouldn’t cough up a single cent. Instead, they’ve come up with a DDo$ plan of attack that’ll cost the IFPI instead of themselves.

Instead of collecting donations or paying the fee off themselves, Gottfrid Svarholm (anakata), one of the four Pirate Bay founders, has come up with the DDo$—not a DDoS as we know it, but instead, a Distributed Denial of Dollars attack. The plan encourages all people who use the Internet to pay a tiny “internet-a.gift” (Internet fee) of $US0.13, and send it to the Danowsky law firm, which represented the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in the Pirate Bay trial.

Because the law firm only has 1,000 free money transfers, if enough Internet users send a fee to them, it will actually end up costing the Danowsky firm and other music companies to handle and process all the payments. So not only will the Pirate Bay founders not have to pay the fine out of their own pockets, but also it could possibly play a role in the outcome of future pirating cases. [BlogPirate via SlashDot]

The Pentagon has been working on the .50 calibre EXACTO for about a year already, and its main focus is to overcome climate conditions to stay accurate over a longer range. Here’s some jargon they’ve used to describe the kind of tech that might do such a thing:

Fin-stabilised projectiles, spin-stabilised projectiles, internal and/or external aero-actuation control methods, projectile guidance technologies, tamper proofing, small stable power supplies, and advanced sighting, optical resolution and clarity technologies.

Basically, we’re talking about bullets that can adjust to weather conditions in mid-air, either through external control or the abilities of the bullet itself.

Currently, snipers are really only accurate up to about 800 metres. Beyond that, it gets much harder to reliably hit a target: At 2,000 metres, snipers can probably hit the side of a barn, but a head shot isn’t too likely. This rifle could change all of that, and more importantly, lead to even more badass pirate takedowns than we’ve seen already. And we’re all about the pirate takedowns. [Time]

The Pirate Bay finally hears back the verdict on Friday, and will deliver a live, online press conference at 13:00 Swedish Time (GMT+1). They invite you to listen. [Pirate Bay]