Update: Verizon says this policy is not new. It has been in effect since 2007. Verizon also reiterates what we state below, which is that any personal-data sharing only happens within the Verizon "family" of telecom services, which are technically separate companies, hence the wording.

According to author David Weinberger, who made the discovery upon reading his pamphlet, the personal info Verizon wants to distribute willy nilly to anyone with a check includes "services purchased (including specific calls you make and receive), billing info, technical info and location info. They promise to only share this with 'affiliates, agents and parent companies.' It will definitely not be shared with 'unrelated third parties' ... unless, perhaps that third party pays Verizon to become an affiliate, whatever the heck 'affiliate' means."

If don't get your statements in the mail, and view them online like I do, you will not receive this letter. Instead, you have to log into your Verizon Wireless account and view your messages. However, Read Write Web reports the link provided there, called the Customer Proprietary Network Information Notice, was listed as "not available."

So keep an eye out for the mail, and be sure to opt out. Or, log in and hope Verizon grants you access to your own account so you can cancel the notice that way. [Read Write Web]

Richardson received a life sentence for stabbing his estranged wife to death last May. She was living at her parent's home at the time following a falling out. When she later changed her status to "single," Richardson broke in and killed her. Later, he tried and failed to kill himself.

This is the third U.K.-based Facebook murder story to happen in the past year.

As ComputerWeekly reports, last year in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, "a man murdered his wife and then killed himself after she told visitors to her Facebook page that she was splitting up with him." In October, a Croydon, Surrey, man murdered his wife when she also changed her status to single. Somehow I don't think it's Facebook that's to blame in these cases, as they'd probably play out the same way, sadly, regardless of the method use to break off the marriage. [ComputerWeekly - Thanks, Matt!]

Sure, Apple has its shiny white coating of education. The (apparently free) one-hour trip can accommodate up to 25 impressionable youngsters. "Let the children create projects using easy-to-understand software like iMovie and iPhoto!" the site exclaims. "Or they can bring in a project they've already created and turn our store into a theater," the site explains. "Free t-shirts!" furthers the site. Well, Apple, let me tell you this. I will not "bring my enthusiasm," and I will not let you "bring the rest." Children should frolic in parks, not museum-like electronics shops. The t-shirts do look sort of sweet, though. [TUAW]

So what are they doing? Pushing the PRO-IP Act through Congress that'll increase the statutory damages for compilation albums to a whopping $1.5 million. Yes, if you get busted sharing a soundtrack or compilation album with multiple artists on it, the RIAA wants to count each track as its own album. You know, just for the heck of it.

With statutory damages already so out of the league of the rational and the justifiable, increasing the damages this much might actually happen. I mean, if they could justify $150,000 an album before, is it really such a leap to make that $1.5 million?

The moral of the story? Be careful and don't get busted. [Ars Technica]

Most projects in the book can be done with a little bit of time and only $30, which is great, since your current schemes have probably been far from lucrative. But after knowing how to build your own nanny cam, figuring out how to see and photograph in the dark, wire yourself for undetected recording, and even alter photographic evidence, you're well on your way to attracting the attention of Batman and/or Jack Bauer. Wait, are they the same person? – Jason Chen

Product Page [Amazon via Gearlog]

Simple and unethical. Just the way you like it. – Jason Chen

How to: Hack a Vending Machine? [TechEBlog]

Walmart has started promoting Zunes in their online store. Why is this so disturbing to us? Walmart has already defiled iPods and all sorts of other PMPs. Is it that we wanted something better for our new baby? Is it that Walmart and Microsoft together is the scariest wetdream ever to even the Gordoniest of Gekkos? Does this sit poorly in anyone else's tummy out there? – Mark Wilson
Thanks Ben!