Daily News Brief: Craigslist Hoax Claims Another Victim

Craigslist Hoax Hounds Oregon Man

Robert Salisbury from southern Oregon nearly lost all of his possessions when a pair of increasingly popular hoax ads appeared on Craigslist. The ads, which Salisbury didn't write, falsely claimed that a Jacksonville homeowner was suddenly forced to leave the area and his belongings, offering a free-for-all to anyone that cared to raid his home. After catching wind of the scheme, Robert hurried home from an afternoon at the lake, only to pass several vehicles carrying his belongings. When confronted, some of the would-be looters refused to give Robert back his items, instead showing him a printout of the Craigslist ad. Police have been helping recover the items.

Watch South Park for Free

Fans of South Park have never had a difficult time tracking down episodes online, but now they can do so legally. Comedy Central and South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have decided to expand South Park Studios - the online portal that serves up everything from related games to a section simply titled Crap - to include streaming episodes of every show from all twelve seasons. Don't forget the Cheesy Poofs.

Mozilla CEO Criticizes Apple

According to Mozilla CEO John Lilly, Apple's software update is doing something "wrong." Specifically, the Mozilla mogul disagrees with bundling the Safari web browser with iTunes and QuickTime, saying "it undermines the trust relationship great companies have with their customers, and that's bad - not just for Apple, but for the security of the whole Web." And because the option to install Safari comes checked by default, Lilly likens the process to malware distribution. Zoinks!

Maryland Still Strict with Wi-Fi Laws

Maryland Delegate LeRoy E. Myers, Jr. wants to protect Maryland residents from legal tussles should they accidentally log onto someone else's WiFi connection, but not everyone agrees, according to a BetaNews report. His bill, which is facing opposition, would add a separate clause to Maryland's existing WiFi law that would protect surfers who unknowingly access an unauthorized connection. Read more here.

Wonder Twin Anti-Malware Powers: Activate!

A new alliance between two independent anti-malware test labs should come as good news to netizens. Anti-Malware Test Lab and AV-Comparatives.org today announced the two will become one, with the goal of creating "a more comprehensive independent view of various security products," according to Andrea Clementi, founder of AV-Comparatives. This marks the second team-up in recent months between the good guys, with more than 40 antivirus researchers and security professionals gathering last January in Spain to create an AV industry standards group

Mini-Contest Roundup

• Newegg's giving away three XFX branded 9800GX2 videocards. Enter by April 7th, but be sure and read the Official Rules PDF and privacy policy before handing over your personal information.
• As part of Microsoft's Look for the Logo promotion, the software giant's giving away a handful of goodies. Weekly prizes run the gamut from an HIS Radeon HD 2400 Pro videocard, to printers and routers and more. Two grand prize packages include a trip to the Penny Arcade Expo 2008, and a swank laptop gaming bundle with a Canon EOS Rebel XSi DSLR thrown in. Enter here, and be sure to read the rules and privacy policy.