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Do Smart Phones Thwart Public Records Laws?

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New technologies like this personal digital assistant make it harder to archive government communications. That has watchdogs concerned.

State leaders in Florida are in a battle with technology: new forms of communications that make it difficult for public officials to follow the law.

The state has one of the best government public record laws in the country. Virtually every public document is accessible to the public. And though the state is embracing the perks of advanced technology — the Legislature just started piloting the use of electronic meeting packets, instead of printing them on paper — the use of cell phones and BlackBerrys is causing concern. It’s simply too difficult to archive all communications.

E-mails sent from a BlackBerry are easily tracked and archived by government servers. but the wireless devices can also send electronic messages in another way called “PINing,” and those communications often are not tracked. The practice stirred controversy last summer when staff members of Florida’s Public Service Commission were caught exchanging PIN messages with a lobbyist for a utility it regulates.

“People need to understand that they cannot use these kinds of modes of communications to conduct official business if they have no way of capturing the record that it creates,” says Anne Weissman of the nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

‘Where do you Draw The Line?’

Weissman says that during the Bush administration, some officials used Republican National Committee e-mail accounts and PIN-to-PIN messaging to avoid record keeping. she says states across the country need to be careful.

“I’d be inclined to ban the use of BlackBerrys during those kinds of proceedings, just because of the risk that they could be used for inappropriate or ex parte communications,” Weissman says.

But Ron Book, a Tallahassee lobbyist, disagrees. he says that’s just not possible in this technological age. “Where do you draw the line? do you draw the line at a BlackBerry, but yet it’s OK to bring a personal computer in?” Book says.

State Sen. Mike Fasano remembers that at a committee meeting last year on property insurance, a lobbyist in the audience was sending to a senator’s BlackBerry questions to ask the office of insurance regulation. “That is, in my opinion, way out of line,” Fasano says.

But Fasano, who chooses to leave his phone in his office during meetings, says he doesn’t believe there should be a ban. “Certainly, a lobbyist should not be texting messages or PINing messages to a senator, asking him or her to ask these specific questions. If a lobbyist had any courage or guts, he or she would get up there and ask those questions himself before the Senate committee,” Fasano says.

Florida law already covers electronic communications, noting that any discussion that has to do with public issues is a public record. Open-government experts say it just comes down to enforcement and hope that governments can keep up with the changes in technology.

Do Smart Phones Thwart Public Records Laws?


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Posted by - August 13, 2010 at 7:01 pm

Categories: Technology   Tags: , , ,

Lost Planet 2 Q & A discusses customization, weapons, plans for DLC and …

Were sure that many of you Lost Planet fans out there have already got stuck in to the new Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo which landed on Xbox Live Marketplace yesterday (dont worry PS3 gamers, it will arriving later today on the PlayStation Network too!) and sees up to 16 players battling it out on a new map, Turbulent Jungle, in one of two modes, Elimination or Post Grab.

So you are probably in the mood to read through an interesting Q & a about Lost Planet 2 in which Capcom discusses customisation, new weapons, plans for DLC, Project Natal and more.

Lost Planet 2 is set to release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on the 11th of May around the world. Browse through our previous coverage to see how the title is shaping up with a whole bunch of screenshots, trailers and more information about the game. And dont forget to read the Q and a, courtesy of XCN, below.

  • How has the world of E.D.N. III changed in the 10 years since the events of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition?

Capcom: The whole environment of the planet has completely changed due to global warming and as a result of this; animals and plants that were introduced by the humans began to flourish.

However, the humans are still not used to this dramatic change from the extreme cold condition that has started up diversification of the ecology. Whilst the lives of the people did become a little easier thanks to this warmer climate, the rapid change also brought new threats and dangers.

  • How far does customisation go in Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: to create a truly individual look for your character you can change the body parts and backpack and there are dozens of different types and colour variants available. Weapon load outs, including grenades, can also be modified according to category prior to starting the game. In addition, there are eight different types of emote poses with more than 100 variations. each character also has two slots for skill sets where players can allocate preferred abilities. all of the above can be unlocked by earning points or earning achievements. We are also considering additional contents through DLC later on.

  • The Lost Planet 2 campaign is told in episodes, a trend emerging in many new games. how does this strengthen the story?

Capcom: We have decided to adopt this method because the players can look at the various events happening on the planet from different perspectives and get a real sense for the action on a planetary scale. this has the added benefit of making the gameplay more dynamic and exciting as we introduce new environments and enemies.

  • The snows out and now were in tropical jungles. how was it developing a totally new environment for Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: In order to incorporate the new ideas inside the game, we had to version up the MT Framework engine itself. As a result, the increased processing power allowed us to use more geometry and filters, it was also useful for working on improved AI. but please bear in mind, the Jungle is only one of the varied environments that the player will encounter during Lost Planet 2.

  • We saw Marcus and Dom from Gears of War in one of the trailers for Lost Planet 2. how was it to work with Epic to put these characters in the customisation options for Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: it was an exciting experience! We are all inspired by all the creations that Epic has released so far. therefore, it was an honour to welcome those two famous characters in our game. I would like to thank Epic once again for giving us permission so readily.

  • What new weapons will we see in Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: The biggest innovation is a new class of support weapons these are developed to be used to protect not only yourself but also your co-op friends. The abilities are varied depending on what you select, from a shield to protect yourself from attacks, one to recover your health and to the radar which would show you the location of the enemies.

  • What enemies can we expect in Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: What I can say here is that we still have Snow Pirates, VSs and AKs. And all of them have made enormous progress through evolution.

  • Do you have any plans for downloadable content?

Capcom: at the moment, were planning to create some costumes that are always popular by the LP fans. but we would like to think about something more in the future.

  • Do you think Natal could be integrated into shooters like Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: I think it can be used for a shooter game. unfortunately, it would be a bit late for LP2 since the game requires a design with Natal support in mind.

  • Does Capcom have any other plans for Project Natal?

Capcom: Capcom is always up to a challenge, especially, as far as a new technology is concerned. However, we dont have any projects we can tell you about at the moment.

  • Do you think the Lost Planet franchise has the potential to be adapted for film?

Capcom: actually we have already announced a film adaptation is in the works so watch this space.

Thanks for your time!

Lost Planet 2 Q & A discusses customization, weapons, plans for DLC and …


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Posted by - May 6, 2010 at 10:00 pm

Categories: Technology   Tags: , ,

Lost Planet 2 Q & A discusses customization, weapons, plans for …

85610http://burn360.net/xbox360/lost-planet-2-q-a-discusses-customization-weapons-plans-for-dlc-and-project-natal/Lost+Planet+2+Q+%26amp%3B+A+discusses+customization%2C+weapons%2C+plans+for+DLC+and+Project+Natal2010-04-22+07%3A57%3A00Lisa Comments Posted by Lisa on April 22, 2010 at 2:57 am

We’re sure that many of you Lost Planet fans out there have already got stuck in to the new Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo which landed on Xbox Live Marketplace yesterday (don’t worry PS3 gamers, it will arriving later today on the PlayStation Network too!) and sees up to 16 players battling it out on a new map, Turbulent Jungle, in one of two modes, Elimination or Post Grab.

So you are probably in the mood to read through an interesting Q & A about Lost Planet 2 in which Capcom discusses customisation, new weapons, plans for DLC and even Project Natal.

Lost Planet 2 is set to release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on the 11th of may around the world. Browse through our previous coverage to see how the title is shaping up with a whole bunch of screenshots, trailers and more information about the game. and don’t forget to read the Q and A below – thanks to XCN for the Q & A.

  • How has the world of E.D.N. III changed in the 10 years since the events of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition?

  • Capcom: The whole environment of the planet has completely changed due to global warming and as a result of this; animals and plants that were introduced by the humans began to flourish.

However, the humans are still not used to this dramatic change from the extreme cold condition that has started up diversification of the ecology. whilst the lives of the people did become a little easier thanks to this warmer climate, the rapid change also brought new threats and dangers.

  • How far does customisation go in Lost Planet 2?

  • Capcom: To create a truly individual look for your character you can change the body parts and backpack and there are dozens of different types and colour variants available. Weapon load outs, including grenades, can also be modified according to category prior to starting the game. In addition, there are eight different types of emote poses with more than 100 variations. each character also has two slots for skill sets where players can allocate preferred abilities. All of the above can be unlocked by earning points or earning achievements. We are also considering additional contents through DLC later on.

  • The Lost Planet 2 campaign is told in episodes, a trend emerging in many new games. how does this strengthen the story?

  • Capcom: We have decided to adopt this method because the players can look at the various events happening on the planet from different perspectives and get a real sense for the action on a planetary scale. this has the added benefit of making the gameplay more dynamic and exciting as we introduce new environments and enemies.

  • The snow’s out and now we’re in tropical jungles. how was it developing a totally new environment for Lost Planet 2?

  • Capcom: In order to incorporate the new ideas inside the game, we had to version up the MT Framework engine itself. as a result, the increased processing power allowed us to use more geometry and filters, it was also useful for working on improved AI. but please bear in mind, the Jungle is only one of the varied environments that the player will encounter during Lost Planet 2.

  • We saw Marcus and Dom from Gears of War in one of the trailers for Lost Planet 2. how was it to work with Epic to put these characters in the customisation options for Lost Planet 2?

  • Capcom: It was an exciting experience! We are all inspired by all the creations that Epic has released so far. Therefore, it was an honour to welcome those two famous characters in our game. I would like to thank Epic once again for giving us permission so readily.

  • What new weapons will we see in Lost Planet 2?

  • Capcom: The biggest innovation is a new class of support weapons – these are developed to be used to protect not only yourself but also your co-op friends. The abilities are varied depending on what you select, from a shield to protect yourself from attacks, one to recover your health and to the radar which would show you the location of the enemies.

  • What enemies can we expect in Lost Planet 2?

  • Capcom: What I can say here is that we still have Snow Pirates, VSs and AKs. and all of them have made enormous progress through evolution.

  • Do you have any plans for downloadable content?

  • Capcom: at the moment, we’re planning to create some costumes that are always popular by the LP fans. but we would like to think about something more in the future.

  • Do you think Natal could be integrated into shooters like Lost Planet 2?

  • Capcom: I think it can be used for a shooter game. Unfortunately, it would be a bit late for LP2 since the game requires a design with Natal support in mind.

  • Does Capcom have any other plans for Project Natal?

  • Capcom: Capcom is always up to a challenge, especially, as far as a new technology is concerned. However, we don’t have any projects we can tell you about at the moment.

  • Do you think the Lost Planet franchise has the potential to be adapted for film?

  • Capcom: actually we have already announced a film adaptation is in the works so watch this space.

Thanks for your time!

Lost Planet 2 Q & A discusses customization, weapons, plans for …


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Be the first to comment - What do you think?
Posted by - May 1, 2010 at 11:00 pm

Categories: Technology   Tags: , , ,

Lost Planet 2 Q & A discusses customization, weapons, plans for DLC and …

Were sure that many of you Lost Planet fans out there have already got stuck in to the new Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo which landed on Xbox Live Marketplace yesterday (dont worry PS3 gamers, it will arriving later today on the PlayStation Network too!) and sees up to 16 players battling it out on a new map, Turbulent Jungle, in one of two modes, Elimination or Post Grab.

So you are probably in the mood to read through an interesting Q & a about Lost Planet 2 in which Capcom discusses customisation, new weapons, plans for DLC, Project Natal and more.

Lost Planet 2 is set to release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on the 11th of May around the world. Browse through our previous coverage to see how the title is shaping up with a whole bunch of screenshots, trailers and more information about the game. and dont forget to read the Q and a, courtesy of XCN, below.

  • How has the world of E.D.N. III changed in the 10 years since the events of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition?

Capcom: the whole environment of the planet has completely changed due to global warming and as a result of this; animals and plants that were introduced by the humans began to flourish.

However, the humans are still not used to this dramatic change from the extreme cold condition that has started up diversification of the ecology. whilst the lives of the people did become a little easier thanks to this warmer climate, the rapid change also brought new threats and dangers.

  • How far does customisation go in Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: to create a truly individual look for your character you can change the body parts and backpack and there are dozens of different types and colour variants available. Weapon load outs, including grenades, can also be modified according to category prior to starting the game. In addition, there are eight different types of emote poses with more than 100 variations. each character also has two slots for skill sets where players can allocate preferred abilities. all of the above can be unlocked by earning points or earning achievements. We are also considering additional contents through DLC later on.

  • The Lost Planet 2 campaign is told in episodes, a trend emerging in many new games. How does this strengthen the story?

Capcom: We have decided to adopt this method because the players can look at the various events happening on the planet from different perspectives and get a real sense for the action on a planetary scale. this has the added benefit of making the gameplay more dynamic and exciting as we introduce new environments and enemies.

  • The snows out and now were in tropical jungles. How was it developing a totally new environment for Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: In order to incorporate the new ideas inside the game, we had to version up the MT Framework engine itself. As a result, the increased processing power allowed us to use more geometry and filters, it was also useful for working on improved AI. but please bear in mind, the Jungle is only one of the varied environments that the player will encounter during Lost Planet 2.

  • We saw Marcus and Dom from Gears of War in one of the trailers for Lost Planet 2. How was it to work with Epic to put these characters in the customisation options for Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: It was an exciting experience! We are all inspired by all the creations that Epic has released so far. therefore, it was an honour to welcome those two famous characters in our game. I would like to thank Epic once again for giving us permission so readily.

  • What new weapons will we see in Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: the biggest innovation is a new class of support weapons these are developed to be used to protect not only yourself but also your co-op friends. the abilities are varied depending on what you select, from a shield to protect yourself from attacks, one to recover your health and to the radar which would show you the location of the enemies.

  • What enemies can we expect in Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: what I can say here is that we still have Snow Pirates, VSs and AKs. and all of them have made enormous progress through evolution.

  • Do you have any plans for downloadable content?

Capcom: at the moment, were planning to create some costumes that are always popular by the LP fans. but we would like to think about something more in the future.

  • Do you think Natal could be integrated into shooters like Lost Planet 2?

Capcom: I think it can be used for a shooter game. Unfortunately, it would be a bit late for LP2 since the game requires a design with Natal support in mind.

  • Does Capcom have any other plans for Project Natal?

Capcom: Capcom is always up to a challenge, especially, as far as a new technology is concerned. however, we dont have any projects we can tell you about at the moment.

  • Do you think the Lost Planet franchise has the potential to be adapted for film?

Capcom: Actually we have already announced a film adaptation is in the works so watch this space.

Thanks for your time!

Lost Planet 2 Q & A discusses customization, weapons, plans for DLC and …


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Posted by - April 30, 2010 at 12:00 am

Categories: Technology   Tags: , , ,