The Spanish government has passed legislation aimed at cracking down on websites illegally sharing digital content. Called the Sinde Law, it will create a new government commission that Spanish right holders can engage when they feel that a site is illegally distributing their content. After an alleged infraction, the commission examines the complaint and determines if, under the new statute, legal action is necessary. Should a site be found in violation, the case is passed to a judge and the decision is made either to shutter the offending website, take action against the site’s service provider or dismiss the complaint altogether. The BBC reports that the entire process, from first report to final decision, should take no more than ten days. Open internet activists have voiced concerns about the breadth and implications of the law. United States residents will recognize many of the arguments for and against the Sinde Law in light of the SOPA Act (Stop Online Piracy Act) debate that’s been raging here in the United States for several months.

Sinde Law brings SOPA-like restrictions to Spain originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) is doing whatever it takes to defeat Senate and House legislation that expands the governments’ ability to shutter and disrupt websites “dedicated” to infringing activities. Wyden, in addition to a promised filibuster, said Thursday he has gathered a few lawmakers from both sides of the political spectrum to initiate what he said was a “discussion” on how to utilize the Congressional-created International Trade Commission to get more involved in the illegal, digital distribution of counterfeit and copyright goods.

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Consumers waiting for a Facebook phone will see one as early as tomorrow, July 17. But it won’t come from Facebook, itself. Instead, the Cha Cha smartphone with a dedicated Facebook button HTC showed off in February finally arrives on AT&T’s network as the aptly named HTC Status. The Google Android handset has meager hardware specifications when compared to higher-end handsets, but makes it easy to share photos, videos, songs, websites and more on Facebook with the touch of a button.

The HTC Status pairs a small, 2.6-inch, 480×320 resolution touchscreen with a hardware keyboard for fast typing. The 600 MHz processor and 512 MB of memory won’t set any speed records, however, the Status does include two video cameras,Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G connectivity, and GPS, so it’s not lacking any major features.

At this price, it’s sure to appeal to the crowd that uses a feature phone to access Facebook, email and the web. My only concern would be if Facebook makes major changes to its service, what happens to this Facebook phone? HTC and AT&T could have to create a software update in that case, and very little in the wireless industry happens fast.

Actually, a new wireless product is pretty quick: the camera on the myTouch 4G Slide. This Android 2.3.4 handset is expected out by the end of the month for 9.99 and T-Mobile sent me one for review. Yes, the 1.2 dual-core processor keeps this phone moving along quickly, but I may be more impressed by the 8 megapixel camera.

A new BurstMode feature captures five photos in immediate succession; perfect for sporting events or any other action-packed scenario. The camera also has a “zero shutter lag” function that speeds up the photo-taking process. A wide aperture (f/2.2) helps for low light conditions and the smartphone supports wide, panoramic picture-taking through an option called SweepShot.

On the tablet front, no new Android slates appeared this week, but an old favorite resurfaced: the Nook Color eReader. No, that’s not a typo: at 9, the Nook Color is becoming a favorite of many who want an inexpensive Android tablet that’s still a capable little device.

It’s relatively easy enough for anyone who’s tech-savvy to root the color eReader and install custom Android software on the Nook Color. But some enterprising folks have made the process as simple as inserting a microSD memory card into the Nook Color and powering it on. The card can be purchased for as low as and comes pre-installed with software both for use as an Android tablet or as a standard Nook Color ebook reader.

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• Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continues
• Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continues
• Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continues

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Aren’t cats and dogs the most fascinating creatures to take pictures of? Next to children, animals rank second as the most rewarding and popular photography’s subject. Taking a nice and wonderful pet photo is not hard at all. But even so, there are still techniques that can make taking a good shot a lot easier. Using your basic photography techniques together with a simple camera that has an adjustable shutter and stops could make this job a bit easier.

Capturing your pet’s expression and lovely face in clear detail is what makes a picture worth looking at. Get closer to your dog’s face and then take the shot. Doing this is not a problem if you have a big pet. You still need to move closer to your pet’s feed, even when working with a fixed focus camera. Your fixed focus camera manual should give you the closest point where you could focus the subject on the lens. If you have enjoyed our article on paintings get more great information on pet portraits.

On the other hand, for smaller pets, you will need to add a close-up lens. If you are planning on taking the picture indoors, you will have to consider the lighting that you use. Nudge the flash a little bit to the side in order to eliminate red eye. This happens when the subject is too close that its eyes reflect the flash back to the lens.

If you use a telephoto lens, you wouldn’t have to worry about the background details. This lens allows you to take the big picture of the subject even if you are not that close. Besides animal photography and its mechanics, there are other things that you have to learn.

First and foremost, animals behave like people. The ability to cope with these personalities on specific pets will let you take a good photo of them. Animals can be difficult, like children. More tips, advice and news on paintings can be found at pet portrait art.

Wait until the pet does the perfect pose, and then take that photo; that’s all you can do. The animal will most likely just pose a single second, so be ready with your camera. Patience, ingenuity, and a good plan are the three things you need to get this kind of picture. Ask a friend if he or she could help out.

He or she should use rattles or anything to get your pet’s attention, so you can focus on the shot. The helper comes in handy with chasing the pets back to the set, when they wander or stray away. If you don’t have anyone to help you out, suffice with using a longer cable. Should you need to chase your pet back to the set, or simply get its attention, you can easily take the shot. To make sure that your pet doesn’t stay away from the set, try using a prop to keep the animal’s attention.

Toshiba, Hitachi, and Panasonic already said they would shutter their liquid crystal display plants for a month following the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck the country on March 11. Now, Japan’s largest exporter of LCD TVs (Sharp, for those keeping notes) has suspended production at its two biggest factories, thanks to a shortage of a gas used in the manufacturing process. The Osaka and Mie plants, which have a combined capacity of 172,000 sets per month, won’t reopen until May 6, at the earliest. Until then, the company claims it has enough TVs in its inventory to last about a month. One JP Morgan Chase analyst estimates that the company stands to lose 50 billion yen (0 million) this fiscal year due to the freeze.

That all seems trivial, of course, given that more than 27,000 people in Northeastern Japan are dead or missing and the country is widening its evacuation zone, all while recovering from relentless aftershocks, including one that hit yesterday. Still, the domino effect of a strangled supply chain remains relevant to us as tech journalists, particularly if a scarcity in materials has the potential to drive up prices — and affect as many kinds of products as we think it will.

Sharp suspends production at its two largest LCD factories following Japanese quake originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony DSC-W330 14.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Zoom with Digital Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 3.0 inch LCD (Silver)

• 26mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 4x optical zoom
• 14.1-megapixel CCD sensor and 3.0-inch LCD screen (230k pixels)
• SteadyShot Image Stabilization reduces blur; iAuto mode automatically optimizes camera settings
• Smile Shutter technology automatically captures a smile
• Card slot for optional Memory Stick Duo media and SD media

The DSC-W330 captures amazingly detailed images with a Carl Zeiss 26mm equivalent wide angle 4x zoom lens. Taking and reviewing images is made easy with a large 3.0” LCD and advanced features including Easy mode, iAuto and SteadyShot™ make it easy to capture great images in various conditions.

Rating: (out of 12 reviews)

List Price: $ 169.99

Price: Too low to display