SF court protects privacy of work communications (AP)

AP - A federal appeals court in San Francisco has made it more difficult for employers to legally access e-mails and text messages sent by their workers on company accounts.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Jun 2008 | 12:12 pm

Yahoo addresses e-mail concerns with new domains (AP)

This Jan. 7, 2008 file photo shows the Yahoo tent at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Yahoo Inc. is offering free e-mail accounts Thursday under two new designations in an effort to attract Web surfers unhappy with their current addresses. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)AP - Yahoo Inc. is offering free e-mail accounts under two new designations in an effort to attract Web surfers unhappy with their current addresses.



Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:49 am

Sega, Hasbro unveil new dancing robot (AFP)

Sega and Hasbro unveil the A.M.P (Automated Music Personality) -- a new two-wheeled dancing robot with stereo sound -- in Tokyo. The A.M.P can be hooked up to an MP3 player or iPod.(AFP/Yoshikazu Tsuno)AFP - For people looking for a dance partner that doesn't step on toes, toymakers Sega and Hasbro on Thursday unveiled a new two-wheeled dancing robot with stereo sound.



Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:22 am

USA lags on cellphones' marketing potential (USATODAY.com)

USATODAY.com - CANNES, France - They're hip, hot and everywhere on the planet. But despite a drumbeat about mobile phones being the new frontier in the ad world, marketers have been slow to dial it up, particularly in the USA.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:03 am

Firefox 3 browser is nifty and packed with handy features (USATODAY.com)

USATODAY.com - Even if you're an active Web surfer you probably don't pay much attention to the browser you are using. By default, you likely employ Microsoft's Internet Explorer on a Windows machine, if only because Internet Explorer sits right there on your desktop. The Apple crowd typically sticks with Safari.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:03 am

Chemicals Blamed for Gulf War Ills

By Dyhouse, Tim An academic report released in March cites chemicals in pesticides, weapons and drugs used to counter nerve gas as causes of a wide variety of ailments reported by Persian Gulf War veterans.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

Illumina Announces Mitsubishi Chemical Safety Institute As Japan's First Certified Genetic Analysis Service Provider

Illumina, Inc., (NASDAQ:ILMN) today announced that Mitsubishi Chemical Safety Institute, a provider of various analyses, examinations, and services for pharmaceutical companies, public institutions, and chemical companies, is the first organization in Japan to become an Illumina CSPro(R) (certified service provider).
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

Genomics

By Anonymous New leads for treating schistosomiasis.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

Dairy Crest Sales Post Strong Rise

By Anonymous Dairy Crest is gainingground in the dairy spreads market at the expense of Unilever. The dairy firm posted a 24% increase in annual profits, driven by strong sales of its brands, which include Cathedral City, Clover and Frijj.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

Flood Pollution Called Isolated Risk

By Alan Gomez and Oren Dorell Overflows of human waste, fertilizer runoff and floating propane tanks are raising concerns in the flooded Midwest but should not cause severe or long-term environmental problems, health officials say.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

SLA Lauds Government Report On Closures of EPA Libraries

By Anonymous SLA has applauded the U.S. Government Accountability Office's recent report on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's library closures. The report was requested by the U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

Conservancy Buys Mound Near Athens School

By Sarah Pulliam, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Jun. 19--More than 2,000 years ago, the inhabitants of Athens County buried their dead on a plot of land across from the current site of Athens High School.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

Access to River Near Explore Heats Up

By Cody Lowe cody.lowe@roanoke.com 981-3425 The threat of a lawsuit against Virginia's Explore Park's board of directors Tuesday disrupted what otherwise has been a smooth transition to a state of hibernation for the Blue Ridge Parkway attraction.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

Numbers of Scots Seabirds in Nosedive

By Emily Pykett SCOTLAND'S seabirds could be in the grip of another dire year, according to the latest counts of nesting birds across the UK.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

House Panel Approves Full Funding for Yucca

By Stephens Washington Bureau STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON - A House panel beginning the process of writing an energy spending bill for next year voted Tuesday to fully fund the Energy Department's request for the Yucca Mountain Project.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 19 Jun 2008 | 11:00 am

YouTube opens screening room for indie filmmakers (AP)

Chad Hurley, co-founder and CEO of YouTube (Photo: Business Wire)AP - Google Inc.'s YouTube is setting up a virtual screening room to bring the work of independent filmmakers to a global audience.



Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Jun 2008 | 10:31 am

China denies Microsoft monopoly reports (AP)

Wang Qishan, vice premier of the People's Republic of China, center, raises a glass of champagne after a signing ceremony formalizing business deals between U.S. companies and China, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Washington, Monday, June 16, 2008. He is flanked by China's Commerce Minister Chen Deming, right, and U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas J. Donohue at left.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)AP - China's anti-piracy bureau on Thursday denied reports it is investigating possible monopoly behavior of large software companies including Microsoft Corp.



Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:21 am

Apple Fields Up

Christchurch property developer Apple Fields has increased its interim net profit 170.6% to $636,000 ended March. Total revenue rose 230% to $4.35m. Shareholders' funds rose 180% to $4.608m. No dividend was declared.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

Local Funeral Home Makes Name Change

By Robert Barron, Enid News & Eagle, Okla. Jun. 19--Enid's Henninger-Allen Funer-al Home has changed its name and now will be known as Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

GCT and Green Packet Demonstrate World's First Seamless WiMAX-WiFi Connection Manager

GCT Semiconductor, a leading supplier of mobile WiMAX solutions to the global market, and Green Packet Berhad (Green Packet), a leading developer of next generation mobile broadband and networking solutions, today announced collaboration to bring the world's first intelligent connection management solution that delivers seamless connectivity and handover between WiMAX and WiFi.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

Helius Technology Powers In-Mall Digital Signage Network

Helius, a Hughes company, has teamed with PlasMedia Productions on one of the nation's largest in-mall digital signage networks, servicing over 3,600 advertisers in 100 locations.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

Technology Turnover Increases 7 Per Cent; IBM NEW ZEALAND

By PULLAR-STRECKER Tom IBM New Zealand's turnover rose 7 per cent to $381 million in 2007 and it is now preparing to compete in an information technology services market that will be recast by the merger of rivals Hewlett- Packard and EDS. Earnings slipped to 16.4% to $16.8m.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

Johor State Government to Deploy Cisco Unified Communications to Enhance Collaboration in New Administrative Centre

The Johor State Government has decided on a Cisco(R) (NASDAQ: CSCO) Unified Communications system that will be deployed by Cisco Gold Certified Partner HP and MysysNet, a leading information and communications technology (ICT) systems integrator in Johor.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

Net Coming Out Top

By HARVIE, Will My mother-in-law started a blog the other day. Retired, 65 years old and happy to pot about her garden in the Cotswolds, England, she also saw that an online diary would bring her far-flung family closer together.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

Major Changes Ahead for Mobile Market

By HOYLE, Jon New Zealand's high priest of mobile communications knows the day of reckoning is at hand, with mobile networks set to get faster, the Apple iPhone revolution soon to reach our shores and the masses crying out for Facebook, Bebo and MySpace as they go about their daily lives.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

Roam If You Want To

By KING, David David King puts his Okta Mondo world roaming phone to the test in Paris. My relationship with my Okta Mondo world roaming phone started well enough. It's a nice looking handset, a flip phone with a good-sized screen and large, easy buttons.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

Chch Broadband Gets Worst Rating in NZ

By HARTEVELT, John Christchurch has the worst urban broadband network in the country and hard-hit residential users will have to wait three years for improvement.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 19 Jun 2008 | 8:00 am

New Skype 4.0 beta makes video calls easier - San Francisco Chronicle


Canada.com

New Skype 4.0 beta makes video calls easier
San Francisco Chronicle - 1 hour ago
Internet communications provider Skype introduced a new beta version of its service Wednesday that features improved video calling tools and a new interface.
Skype Trots out Beta of Major Redesign PC World
New Skype Beta Makes Video VOIP a Snap eWeek
New York Times - Washington Post - CNET News - Reuters
all 73 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 4:31 am

Yahoo Adds Two New E-mail Domain Choices - PC Magazine


ITProPortal

Yahoo Adds Two New E-mail Domain Choices
PC Magazine - 1 hour ago
by Michael Muchmore Starting Thursday, Yahoo will allow its customers to create e-mail accounts using the ymail and rocketmail domain names.
Yahoo introduces two new e-mail address domains Reuters
RocketMail shipping to an in-box near you Los Angeles Times
CNET News - The Associated Press - NetworkWorld.com - Smartmoney.com
all 110 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 4:22 am

Regulators Take Aim at Infant DNA-Testing Industry - Wired News


ChattahBox

Regulators Take Aim at Infant DNA-Testing Industry
Wired News - 2 hours ago
By Alexis Madrigal 12 minutes ago Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's pro-biotech stance is at odds with the aggressive regulatory stance of his state's health department.
Cease And Desist: California Tries to Unravel 23andMe's Genetic ... Washington Post
Genetic-testing startups asked to stop selling in California CNET News
The Associated Press - Los Angeles Times - Slashdot - guardian.co.uk
all 113 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 4:14 am

How To Clean Up Incorrect Geolocation Information?

zorro6 writes "I thought this might be an interesting question/topic and it would sure help me to get some kind of answer. I recently got internet service from a small, local wireless ISP in my area (south central Colorado, USA). The strange thing is that many, many web sites think I am in Quebec, Canada when I use the service. Evidently some geolocation service thinks my IP address indicates I am in Canada. I have checked the obvious. The WHOIS information for my IP correctly indicates a location of Durango, CO. So the bad info is coming from some more sophisticated geolocation service. My ISP is at a loss as to how to fix this but it is causing me a lot of grief. Many of the ads I get shown on Yahoo! for instance are in French! Certain sites won't sell me goods or services because they don't do business in Canada. So far I know that Yahoo! (or their ad provider), Nvidia, Movielink, etc. all think I am in Canada. I would sure appreciate any help/info on how to get this corrected."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 19 Jun 2008 | 4:11 am

Top 500 supercomputers: Welcome to the petaflop generation - NetworkWorld.com


BetaNews

Top 500 supercomputers: Welcome to the petaflop generation
NetworkWorld.com - 2 hours ago
Welcome to the petaflop generation. That was the message today as the new most powerful supercomputer in the world IBM's $100000 million Roadrunner system installed at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory was officially named the ...
How power-hungry are the Top500 supercomputers? Computerworld
IBM Roadrunner Judged World's Fastest Computer InformationWeek
TechNewsWorld - CNET News - VNUNet.com - Register
all 146 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 4:06 am

Building a Better Browser: Firefox Keeps Innovating - Washington Post


OverTheLimit.info

Building a Better Browser: Firefox Keeps Innovating
Washington Post - 2 hours ago
By Rob Pegoraro Mozilla Firefox, the little Web browser with the quirky name, has grown up fast. Four years ago, Firefox was an obscure project Microsoft felt free to ignore.
Firefox 3.0 Doesn't Focus On Business IT InformationWeek
Firefox 3 downloads clear 8 million mark CNET News
PC Magazine - USA Today - The Associated Press - Ars Technica
all 1,004 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 4:01 am

Toshiba Launches a Skinny Laptop - Techtree.com


Techtree.com

Toshiba Launches a Skinny Laptop
Techtree.com - 2 hours ago
Move along Macbook Air, there's another skinny notebook that aims to take the market by storm. Toshiba yesterday announced a new version of its Portege R500 ultraportable, the Portege R500-S5007V.
Toshiba Crams Full-Bodied Features Into Skinny New Notebook TechNewsWorld
Toshiba Offers Lightweight Notebook With 128-GB Solid-State Drive InformationWeek
TG Daily - CRN - Sci-Tech Today - Inquirer
all 108 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 3:50 am

Posted by: Matt Vella on June 18 - BusinessWeek


E Canada Now

Posted by: Matt Vella on June 18
BusinessWeek - 2 hours ago
Electronic Arts has released the so-called Spore Creature Creator, which allows players to generate infinitely varied 3D critters and interact with them.
Spore "Sporn" Sprung Gaming Bits
The Many Creatures of Spore: A Video Presentation Shacknews
Slashdot - Gamespy.com - Next Generation
all 132 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 3:40 am

Why iPhone Wannabes Don't Cut It - BusinessWeek


eFluxMedia

Why iPhone Wannabes Don't Cut It
BusinessWeek - 2 hours ago
by Stephen H. Wildstrom Apple's influence on high-tech markets has long exceeded the company's relatively small market share, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the wireless phone market.
Sprint prices iPhone rival Instinct at $130 Reuters
Sprint's iPhone Rival Is Cheaper, But Is It Better? Washington Post
InformationWeek - Computerworld - TG Daily - Wired Blogs
all 219 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 3:40 am

Verizon speeds up FiOS fiber-optic Internet - The Associated Press


Washington Post

Verizon speeds up FiOS fiber-optic Internet
The Associated Press - 2 hours ago
NEW YORK (AP) - Verizon Communications Inc. is boosting the speed of its FiOS fiber-optic Internet service in 10 states. The FiOS service areas of California, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and ...
Verizon plans more Fios for cities CNET News
Verizon: NY FiOS Deal Approval Expected Soon PC Magazine
PC World - Wall Street Journal - InformationWeek - Ars Technica
all 249 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 3:20 am

Digital TV Foreshadows Erosion of Net Rights

snydeq writes "InfoWorld's Tom Yager offers insight on how digital TV is rapidly heading toward the kind of lockdown that entertainment and broadcast lobbies desire for the Internet. Standards such as HDMI and HDCP are acting in concert to strip your equipment of its functionality, displaying 'incompatibility' messages when plugged into older HDMI-enabled devices, shutting down analog outputs when active, and requiring balky handshake credentials that force many consumers to reboot their TVs to recover permission to watch them. Even broadcast flagging, which has been overturned by the Court of Appeals, is still on the de-facto table, as the entertainment lobby retains the power to bully technology companies into baking broadcast flagging into their wares. Sure, digital TV has far fewer points of origin than the Internet and is therefore easier to control, but, as Yager writes, 'Internet rights restrictions come through your telecommunications equipment' — and it is likely through that equipment that the entertainment and broadcast lobbies will chip away at your rights on the Web."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 19 Jun 2008 | 1:58 am

Mars lander loses day of work after data glitch - The Associated Press


TopNews

Mars lander loses day of work after data glitch
The Associated Press - 4 hours ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Phoenix lander stopped digging soil near Mars' north pole Wednesday as engineers on Earth worked to fix a glitch that caused the loss of a day's worth of photos.
UA scientists adjust work to Mars time Tucson Citizen
Phoenix Mars Lander Analyzes, Finds Minerals In Soil InformationWeek
DailyTech - Los Angeles Times - Wired News - Scientific American
all 429 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 19 Jun 2008 | 1:41 am

Gear Gallery: Flip-Top Cams, RC Cars and Pocket Printers

:

Forty-percent smaller and 100 percent slicker than its predecessor, the pocket-friendly Mino (pronounced like the SS Minnow) is the newer, trimmer, quicker-on-the-draw feel and decidedly more fun version of the Flip Ultra.

Despite the smaller body, USB 1.0 compatibility and more sensible battery it’s hard to say just why you’d really want to spend $30 more for the Mino instead of the soon-to-be-reduced Ultra. The Mino features a slightly improved video-compression engine, but you’re still getting the same frame rate (30 fps), same 1/4-inch VGA CMOS sensor, same bitrate, same 640 x 480, and same 2-GB hard drive without any of the higher-end, higher-res optics or features (3x zoom?) that a pocket-friendly $200 digicam will give you. —Steven Leckart

WIRED Buttons can be muted (great for weddings, lectures, pirating movies); easy to shoot, download and upload vids; internal battery equals no need to go hunting for AA batteries. Elegant Vader-black or Storm Trooper-white casing.

TIRED No optical zoom, no upgradeable memory, no Bluetooth, no decent stills. FFWD could be FSTR. Macheads must upgrade to OSX 10.5. Eager-beaver touch buttons are too sensitive and have a tricky sweet spot.

$180, Flip

6 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

:

First, the good news. Getting the MBS-100 connected to my Bluetooth gadgets (cellphones and laptops mostly) is idiot-proof due in no small part to its excellent synchronization ability. The device defaults to "search mode" when first powered on and the pass code is "0000." Want to add another device? Just hold down the sync button on the bottom of the speaker, wash, rinse and repeat. It's that simple.

Now the bad news. Sadly, audio is another story. After busting out some raaawk by Rise Against, it was clear that the MBS-100 was doomed. I cranked up the volume but between the relentless kick drum and the mid-range of the frantic guitar work, the MBS-100 sputtered surprisingly distorted audio even at medium levels. R&B and classical music performed much better at comparable and higher levels, but even those sounded anemic when it came time to deliver low-frequency bass. —Terrence Russell

WIRED Easy to use and extremely portable. Carrying case included. Decent wireless range and relatively smooth streaming. Supports advanced audio distribution and audio and video remote control profiles.

TIRED A damning combination of being pricey/underpowered. Bass-hungry beat fiends need not apply. Only 50 hours of standby?!

$100, Sony Ericsson

5 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

:

If you frequent LAN parties, or an ill-tempered downstairs neighbor disapproves of muzzle fire at 4 a.m., you might want to give the A40 Audio System a listen. Consisting of a headset and a dedicated mixer and amplifier (sold as a set or as individual components), it’s geared towards Xbox and PC gamers who want solid surround sound without violating municipal noise ordinances.

The headset is fairly impressive: comfortable, great sound and fairly attractive. Noise, however, does leak from the headset: The included foam inserts help cut some of the excess din, but bystanders could still hear the occasional clashing of swords or revving engine. The A40 really shines when it’s paired with the A40 MixAmp. Powered by four AAs (which last for about seven hours of continuous use), it can also run on USB power, or via an optional rechargeable battery pack. Just for gamers: Multiple units can be daisy-chained together via a connector tucked into the base of the unit, creating a sort of hardware-based Teamspeak (assuming you and your buddies get several MixAmps). —Nate Ralph

WIRED Comfort, for multiple head and hair sizes. Clear voice quality is a plus for talking smack. Connectivity options to complement most setups.

TIRED PC gamers won’t mind, but wireless La-Z-Boy warriors probably don’t want to be tethered to their audio system.

$270, Astro Gaming

=7 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

:

Imagine a radio-controlled car with a camera that’s mounted from the viewpoint of where the miniature plastic driver would sit. Then imagine donning video goggles and earphones so you see and hear where the car is as you drive, and when you turn your head, the driver does too. Now imagine that you get to use it for five minutes at a time because it keeps breaking.

An included visor contains two LCDs that make for big-screen driving fun. An accelerometer in the controller detects head movement and turns the driver's head in any direction, so you can look around while you drive. Dual mics transmit stereo sound all the while.. But for us the joy was intense -- and short-lived. Within five minutes of simple driving on a flat surface, the too-powerful motor loosened in its housing and disengaged from the crankshaft. After some puzzling and screwing around with a tiny Phillips-head, we got the thing running again, but many users will think the thing broken and due for a tearful return. —Roger Hibbert

WIRED Mind-blowingly awesome fun. You see and hear out of the frigging thing! Causes strong, bittersweet memories.

TIRED Soul-crushingly broken. Doesn't come with a manual. Controls are hard (for us monkeys) to figure out. Doesn't appear to have a U.S. retailer (yet).

$1,050, Go With the Shark

=5 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

:

Polaroid’s newest product is a portable printer called the PoGo. Here's how it works -- you snap off a picture with your cam phone or Pict-Bridge-enabled shooter and then send the image to the PoGo via Bluetooth or USB. The PoGo then prints out a borderless image onto a 2-inch by 3-inch slice of thermal ZINK photo paper.

We synced it up with a Nokia N82 and N95 -- two phones renowned for their image-capturing ability. The pics we printed actually turned out fairly well. While colors are not totally accurate and the images were slightly cropped, we were still able to take a look at our shots and say, "Yes, that's definitely a picture of the llama that spit on me." The heat-sensitive paper is well, rather sensitive. After my colleague printed out a pic of a Ferrari, he instinctively started shaking it to make it develop. Although the image was fully baked, the tight grip of his thumb and forefinger on the thermal paper actually discolored it slightly. Word to the wise: If you scoop up a PoGo, keep your shots away from moderate heat. —Daniel Dumas

WIRED It'll take you longer to actually line up, compose, and shoot a decent photo than it will to transfer that same photo to the Pogo. Thermal ZINK photo paper is a hoot to use.

TIRED Colors are washed out. Wouldn't it be awesome, I mean really awesome, if you had to shake the heat-sensitive paper once or twice to make it develop?

$150, Polaroid

=6 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.


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Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Jun 2008 | 1:00 am

Gear Gallery: Flip-Top Cams, RC Cars and Pocket Printers

:

Forty-percent smaller and 100 percent slicker than its predecessor, the pocket-friendly Mino (pronounced like the SS Minnow) is the newer, trimmer, quicker-on-the-draw feel and decidedly more fun version of the Flip Ultra.

Despite the smaller body, USB 1.0 compatibility and more sensible battery it’s hard to say just why you’d really want to spend $30 more for the Mino instead of the soon-to-be-reduced Ultra. The Mino features a slightly improved video-compression engine, but you’re still getting the same frame rate (30 fps), same 1/4-inch VGA CMOS sensor, same bitrate, same 640 x 480, and same 2-GB hard drive without any of the higher-end, higher-res optics or features (3x zoom?) that a pocket-friendly $200 digicam will give you. —Steven Leckart

WIRED Buttons can be muted (great for weddings, lectures, pirating movies); easy to shoot, download and upload vids; internal battery equals no need to go hunting for AA batteries. Elegant Vader-black or Storm Trooper-white casing.

TIRED No optical zoom, no upgradeable memory, no Bluetooth, no decent stills. FFWD could be FSTR. Macheads must upgrade to OSX 10.5. Eager-beaver touch buttons are too sensitive and have a tricky sweet spot.

$180, Flip

6 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

:

First, the good news. Getting the MBS-100 connected to my Bluetooth gadgets (cellphones and laptops mostly) is idiot-proof due in no small part to its excellent synchronization ability. The device defaults to "search mode" when first powered on and the pass code is "0000." Want to add another device? Just hold down the sync button on the bottom of the speaker, wash, rinse and repeat. It's that simple.

Now the bad news. Sadly, audio is another story. After busting out some raaawk by Rise Against, it was clear that the MBS-100 was doomed. I cranked up the volume but between the relentless kick drum and the mid-range of the frantic guitar work, the MBS-100 sputtered surprisingly distorted audio even at medium levels. R&B and classical music performed much better at comparable and higher levels, but even those sounded anemic when it came time to deliver low-frequency bass. —Terrence Russell

WIRED Easy to use and extremely portable. Carrying case included. Decent wireless range and relatively smooth streaming. Supports advanced audio distribution and audio and video remote control profiles.

TIRED A damning combination of being pricey/underpowered. Bass-hungry beat fiends need not apply. Only 50 hours of standby?!

$100, Sony Ericsson

5 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

:

If you frequent LAN parties, or an ill-tempered downstairs neighbor disapproves of muzzle fire at 4 a.m., you might want to give the A40 Audio System a listen. Consisting of a headset and a dedicated mixer and amplifier (sold as a set or as individual components), it’s geared towards Xbox and PC gamers who want solid surround sound without violating municipal noise ordinances.

The headset is fairly impressive: comfortable, great sound and fairly attractive. Noise, however, does leak from the headset: The included foam inserts help cut some of the excess din, but bystanders could still hear the occasional clashing of swords or revving engine. The A40 really shines when it’s paired with the A40 MixAmp. Powered by four AAs (which last for about seven hours of continuous use), it can also run on USB power, or via an optional rechargeable battery pack. Just for gamers: Multiple units can be daisy-chained together via a connector tucked into the base of the unit, creating a sort of hardware-based Teamspeak (assuming you and your buddies get several MixAmps). —Nate Ralph

WIRED Comfort, for multiple head and hair sizes. Clear voice quality is a plus for talking smack. Connectivity options to complement most setups.

TIRED PC gamers won’t mind, but wireless La-Z-Boy warriors probably don’t want to be tethered to their audio system.

$270, Astro Gaming

=7 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

:

Imagine a radio-controlled car with a camera that’s mounted from the viewpoint of where the miniature plastic driver would sit. Then imagine donning video goggles and earphones so you see and hear where the car is as you drive, and when you turn your head, the driver does too. Now imagine that you get to use it for five minutes at a time because it keeps breaking.

An included visor contains two LCDs that make for big-screen driving fun. An accelerometer in the controller detects head movement and turns the driver's head in any direction, so you can look around while you drive. Dual mics transmit stereo sound all the while.. But for us the joy was intense -- and short-lived. Within five minutes of simple driving on a flat surface, the too-powerful motor loosened in its housing and disengaged from the crankshaft. After some puzzling and screwing around with a tiny Phillips-head, we got the thing running again, but many users will think the thing broken and due for a tearful return. —Roger Hibbert

WIRED Mind-blowingly awesome fun. You see and hear out of the frigging thing! Causes strong, bittersweet memories.

TIRED Soul-crushingly broken. Doesn't come with a manual. Controls are hard (for us monkeys) to figure out. Doesn't appear to have a U.S. retailer (yet).

$1,050, Go With the Shark

=5 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.

:

Polaroid’s newest product is a portable printer called the PoGo. Here's how it works -- you snap off a picture with your cam phone or Pict-Bridge-enabled shooter and then send the image to the PoGo via Bluetooth or USB. The PoGo then prints out a borderless image onto a 2-inch by 3-inch slice of thermal ZINK photo paper.

We synced it up with a Nokia N82 and N95 -- two phones renowned for their image-capturing ability. The pics we printed actually turned out fairly well. While colors are not totally accurate and the images were slightly cropped, we were still able to take a look at our shots and say, "Yes, that's definitely a picture of the llama that spit on me." The heat-sensitive paper is well, rather sensitive. After my colleague printed out a pic of a Ferrari, he instinctively started shaking it to make it develop. Although the image was fully baked, the tight grip of his thumb and forefinger on the thermal paper actually discolored it slightly. Word to the wise: If you scoop up a PoGo, keep your shots away from moderate heat. —Daniel Dumas

WIRED It'll take you longer to actually line up, compose, and shoot a decent photo than it will to transfer that same photo to the Pogo. Thermal ZINK photo paper is a hoot to use.

TIRED Colors are washed out. Wouldn't it be awesome, I mean really awesome, if you had to shake the heat-sensitive paper once or twice to make it develop?

$150, Polaroid

=6 out of 10

Check Wired.com's latest Gadget Lab reviews, updated daily.



Source: Wired: Gadgets | 19 Jun 2008 | 1:00 am

Professors Siding With Jammie Thomas in RIAA Case

A group of university professors is weighing in on the Jammie Thomas case, telling the trial judge he erred when instructing jurors that having an open share folder filled with copyrighted music amounts to infringement –- even absent proof that somebody else downloaded songs.
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Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Jun 2008 | 1:00 am

Regulators Take Aim at Infant DNA-Testing Industry

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told the crowd today at BIO, the world's largest biotechnology conference, "If you have anything to do with biotech, California is one of the best places to set up shop."

But the actions and tough talk of his public health department have biotech companies in one of the most promising areas of the field -- genetic testing -- questioning whether they can do business in the state at all.

Last Monday, the state's laboratory field services group issued 13 cease-and-desist letters to genetic testing companies. Wired.com obtained a copy of the letters (pdf.) from two recipients. And a recent teleconference among regulatory officials confirms the seriousness of the department's intent.

"We [are] no longer tolerating direct-to-consumer genetic testing in California," Karen Nickles, Chief of Laboratory Field Services at the health department, told members of the Clinical Laboratories Advisory Committee on June 13.

Targeted companies include personal genomics startups 23andMe and Navigenics. These services are seen as the leading edge of a new type of health care in which consumers can use their genetic profile to tailor their medical and lifestyle choices. The established medical community, however, is wary of the technology arguing that the medical utility of some tests is unproven. Doctors also complain that direct-to-consumer services bypass them as the gatekeepers and analysts of medical information, which they worry could confuse consumers, not to mention cost them a billing event.

The health department's actions are a direct challenge to the viability of the infant DNA-testing industry, for which physician involvement is shaping up to be a major battleground. As far back as a September 2006 meeting, health department officials were voicing concerns over "nutrigenetic tests that analyze a limited number of genes to give personalized nutritional and lifestyle recommendations."

But genetic testing companies say they are "information services" that simply provide data about their customers' DNA. Genetic testing companies argue that they should be subject to a similar level of oversight as over-the-counter tests, like those available for determining paternity. Only New York requires a prescription for a paternity test.

The cease-and-desist letter, signed by Nickles, cites seven California statutes, beginning with the Business and Professions Code Section 1241, which requires that "all clinical laboratories in California ... possess a clinical laboratory license."

But the letter's strongest wording is reserved for a section of the law, Business and Professions Code Section 1288, which requires a doctor's note for all laboratory tests, unless, like pregnancy tests, they are specifically exempt from that law.

"Genetic tests are NOT exempt," the letter reads. "As such, the test must be ordered by a physician or surgeon."

Kristine Ashcraft, director of operations for another genetic testing company, Genelex, which was not sent a cease-and-desist letter, criticized New York's policy and the application of that framework to genetic testing in California.

"All they've done is created an extra billing event for the doctor," Ashcraft said.

As Navigenics CEO Mari Baker put it, "You hope [the health department officials] understand the difference between a genetic risk assessment and a diagnostic test."

Nevertheless, Baker says that her company has taken pains to involve a California-licensed physician in its process. Furthermore, she stated that her company outsources its laboratory work to Affymetrix, which does possess a licensed clinical laboratory in California. Affymetrix, we confirmed with a company source, was not served with a cease-and-desist letter.

In a June 13th health department conference call, officials stated that 25 "genetic businesses" were part of an extensive investigation.

In a summary of the regulatory action, Nickles said that 13 companies were to immediately cease testing and "desist from ever doing it again."

Nickles added that the state had talked with the state of New York, which sent similar letters, and looked forward to federal regulation.

While Nickles took issue with the testing business, she said that "public interest in personalized medicine" was driving the use of genetic information.

Though the health department has stated that the investigation of genetic testing companies came as a result of "multiple" consumer complaints -- no specific incidents were mentioned in the call.

DNATraits.com managing partner Bennett Greenspan, whose company received a letter from the health department, said that he didn't believe that consumer outcry sparked the investigation.

"If we could find out who put the bee in their bonnet, my guess it's the medical community," Greenspan said. "I think that the medical community doesn't want to lose control of who orders the test."

Reporter's note: No transcript or online version of the June 13 call is available, but interested parties can call 866-837-8032 and enter Access 123-9562 until July 8th to listen to a recording of the whole three-plus-hour call. (Be forewarned: There's no skipping ahead, and the genetic testing discussion follows a variety of procedural discussions before it gets to the relevant information.)


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Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Jun 2008 | 1:00 am

Sweden adopts law allowing official eavesdropping (AP)

AP - Sweden's Parliament narrowly approved a law Wednesday that gives authorities sweeping powers to eavesdrop on all e-mail and telephone traffic that crosses the Nordic nation's borders.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Jun 2008 | 12:32 am

Why Are the Best and Brightest Not Flooding DARPA?

David W. White writes "Wired mag's Danger Room carried an article today that highlighted how desperate the US Military's DARPA has become in its attempts to bring in additional brain power. The tactics include filmed testimonials, folders and even playing cards all screaming join DARPA! Where are all the Einsteins who want to be on the cutting edge for the Government?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 19 Jun 2008 | 12:11 am

No Mocha For Me, Thanks. I've Gotta Buy Gas

Pity the poor barrista, alone with his espresso machine because people are giving up caramel jambachinos to pay for gas. They're also giving up DVDs, ballgames and eating out.
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Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Jun 2008 | 12:00 am

Hacking is No Solution (PC Magazine)

PC Magazine - We as users and customers shouldn't have to hack our hardware and software to get it to work the way it should.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Jun 2008 | 11:50 pm

Citibank ATM Server Allegedly Hacked, Leading to Cash Machine Crime Spree

A Citibank server in charge of processing ATM withdrawals from 7-Eleven convenience stores suffered a breach last year, according to federal prosecutors, who say two New York men used the stolen account numbers and PIN codes to withdraw at least $750,000 in cold, hard cash.
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Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Jun 2008 | 11:45 pm

Man Fired When Laptop Malware Downloaded Porn

Geoffrey.landis writes "The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents fired worker Michael Fiola and initiated procedutes to prosecute him for child pornography when they determined that internet temporary files on his laptop computer contained child porn. According to Fiola, "My boss called me into his office at 9 a.m. The director of the Department of Industrial Accidents, my immediate supervisor, and the personnel director were there. They handed me a letter and said, "You are being fired for a violation of the computer usage policy. You have pornography on your computer. You're fired. Clean out your desk. Let's go." Fiola said, "They wouldn't talk to me. They said, "We've been advised by our attorney not to talk to you." However, prosecutors dropped the case when a state investigation of his computer determined there was insufficient evidence to prove he had downloaded the files. Computer forensic analyst Tami Loehrs, who spent a month dissecting the computer for the defense, explained in a 30-page report that the laptop was running corrupted virus-protection software, and Fiola was hit by spammers and crackers bombarding its memory with images of incest and pre-teen porn not visible to the naked eye. The virus protection and software update functions on the laptop had been disabled, and apparently the laptop was "crippled" by malware. According to Loehrs, "When they gave him this laptop, it had belonged to another user, and they changed the user name for him, but forgot to change the SMS user name, so SMS was trying to connect to a user that no longer existed... It was set up to do all of its security updates via the server, and none of that was happening because he was out in the field." A malware script on the machine surfed foreign sites at a rate of up to 40 per minute whenever the machine was within range of a wireless site."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 18 Jun 2008 | 10:59 pm

Google Suffers Outage On App-Hosting Platform (TechWeb)

TechWeb - InformationWeek - The Google App Engine outage was the result of a flaw in Google's data-store servers and was trigged by a particular class of queries, engineers said.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Jun 2008 | 10:11 pm

A Few Firefox 3 Followups

An anonymous reader writes "Using data generated by the Mozilla Firefox download pledge page, the map on this blog post ranks countries, not by absolute number of pledges made, but rather on a per capita basis. This analysis yields some interesting conclusions about where open source is strongest and weakest." Anonymous Warthog writes "That didn't take long. In a blog posting from the TippingPoint DVLabs security team (of Kraken and CanSecWest hacking contest fame), they confirmed that they reported a vulnerability in Firefox 3.0 to Mozilla a mere five hours after it was released. Additionally, there was a posting on the Full Disclosure security mailing list from someone that purports to have another vulnerability in the works as well. In the grand scheme of things, this probably means nothing to the general security of Firefox, but you can be sure the browser zealots on all sides will be watching carefully." Finally, from reader Toreo asesino: "Microsoft have congratulated the Mozilla team by sending them their second cake (minus recipe) to Mozilla's Mountain View headquarters to congratulate them on shipping FireFox 3, which went live right on time last night." Congratulations are indeed due on both the browser and the release process — looks like the Firefox fever (despite some seriously taxed servers) resulted in more than 8 million downloads in 24 hours.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 18 Jun 2008 | 9:58 pm

Report: NebuAd Forges Packets, Violates Net Standards

An advertising system that eavesdrops on ISP customers' online behavior doesn't just sniff traffic, it injects fake packets into sites such as Google, according to a report released Wednesday by a net freedom group. That injection of JavaScript into other company's pages amounts to a browser hijack that violates core internet principles, FreePress argues.
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Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Jun 2008 | 9:44 pm

Review: 'Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard' Brings Back That Old-School Masochism

The Nintendo DS game's archaic gameplay and high level of difficulty will prove too frustrating for some players. But for others, it's a heady combo.
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Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Jun 2008 | 9:30 pm

Today on Boing Boing Gadgets

3dprinterd-1.jpgToday on Boing Boing Gadgets, we listened to chiptunes from 1951, winced at a weird Amiga, and marveled at Dale Mathis' clockworkpunk executive desk. A vintage Flash Gordon strip shills Union Carbide products as passengers board trains that never stop. Mazda's new Russian concept is half SUV, half Batmobile.

Gadget of the day was Philips's sexy, Shuffle-sized MP3 players, but an earthier ingenuity is seen in the blacksmith who recycles anything. Cleverness abounds: the PGP code book, distributed to route around export restrictions, is on on eBay; one may buy fake branded pens designed to upset freeloading pen-borrowers; and Pittsburgh boffins have invented a program that accurately geotags images based on subtle similarities to stuff already in Flickr.

John regaled us with the history of Japanese vending machines, and debunks the urban myth that is doubtless on your mind. Rob wrote about unchecked malware on a government computer that resulted in bogus child porn charges, and Joel infiltrated Apple and listened to The Trons, a homebrew automata band.

Not done? Try God's own suppository, one of 14 3D printers, and a Convenient Lie.


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 9:23 pm

Govt's self-justifying marijuana policy

Jacob Sullum has a good piece in Reason about the lousy statistics used by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to justify its harmful, wasteful, unhelpful war on drugs.
To bolster the idea that marijuana is more addictive today, the ONDCP notes that "16.1% of drug treatment admissions [in 2006] were for marijuana as the primary drug of abuse," compared to "6% in 1992." But referrals from the criminal justice system account for three-fifths of these treatment admissions, and marijuana arrests have increased by more than 150 percent since 1990.

By arresting people for marijuana possession and forcing them into treatment, the government shows why it has to arrest people for marijuana possession. That's our self-justifying drug policy in a nutshell.

Link


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 9:09 pm

Wiretapping Bill Passes Swedish Parliament, 143 to 138

Assar Bruno Boveri writes "Swedish lawmakers came down in favour of a fiercely debated surveillance bill in a vote at the Riksdag on Wednesday evening. Despite some cosmetic changes, Sweden's proposed surveillance law is still a monster, writes Pär Ström from the independent New Welfare Foundation." The Swedish newspaper DN (in Swedish; translations welcome) compares the implications of the proposed law with activities carried out by East Germany's Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (STASI).

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 18 Jun 2008 | 9:09 pm

Ret. U.S. Major Gen. says: "the current administration committed war crimes"

Physicians for Human Rights who examined 11 former detainees from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay say they "uncovered medical evidence of torture, including beatings, electric shock, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, sodomy and scores of other abuses."
The detainees were never charged with crimes.
"We found clear physical and psychological evidence of torture and abuse, often causing lasting suffering," said Dr. Allen Keller, a medical evaluator for the study.

The report is prefaced by retired U.S. Major Gen. Antonio Taguba, who led the Army's investigation into the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in 2003.

"There is no longer any doubt that the current administration committed war crimes," Taguba says. "The only question is whether those who ordered torture will be held to account."

Link


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 8:46 pm

Mac OS X Root Escalation Through AppleScript

An anonymous reader writes "Half the Mac OS X boxes in the world (confirmed on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard) can be rooted through AppleScript: osascript -e 'tell app "ARDAgent" to do shell script "whoami"'; Works for normal users and admins, provided the normal user wasn't switched to via fast user switching. Secure? I think not." On the other hand, since this exploit seems to require physical access to the machine to be rooted, you might have some other security concerns to deal with at that point, like keeping the intruder from raiding your fridge on his way out.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 18 Jun 2008 | 8:39 pm

Clockwork desk

 Executive-Desk 5Wgp4 48
Over at Boing Boing Gadgets, John posts about this magnificent clockwork desk. Guess what... It ain't cheap. Link


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 8:24 pm

Register, Others Call Plagiarism in "Limbo of the Lost" Game

Fallen Andy writes "'The Register' has an article describing 'Limbo of the Lost' (developed by Majestic and sold in the U.S by Tri Synergy) which seems to have 'borrowed' copiously graphics assets from other games. Over at the GamesRadar forum there is a thread with some screenshots. Finally, this game has its own Wikipedia entry. Warning to all — move the soft drink away from the keyboard and monitor before you look at those screenshots. Blatant this is, very blatant indeed."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 18 Jun 2008 | 8:20 pm

Sounds of chimp sex

When chimps have sex with other male chimps around, the female is usually pretty noisy, squeaking and screaming in the throes of passion. That's especially true when the female is doing the dirty with a high-ranking male. Interestingly though, if other female chimps are around, the sex is much quieter. Researchers from the University of St. Andrews recorded the sounds of chimp sex to learn about the sounds of monkey chimp love. From Science News:
The benefit of this strategy could be that she avoids attacks from other females while confusing males about who’s going to be the dad, (University of St. Andrews professor Simon) Townsend and his colleagues propose in the June PLoS ONE.

“It’s very elegant and quite novel,” says primatologist Stuart Semple of Roehampton University in London. Previous work focused on male reaction, so documenting the effects of a female audience brings a new dimension to the research. Also the new paper finds no evidence for the standard belief that female calls incite male competition, he says... Townsend argues the females give confusing signals about paternity thus possibly enlisting the support of important males in case other females attack.
Link


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 8:09 pm

Darpa Brain Drain Costs Agency $32 Million

Due to Darpa's shortage of qualified staff, the Pentagon says that the premiere research agency "continues to underexecute" and reassigns $32 million of its funding to other defense projects.
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Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Jun 2008 | 7:32 pm

The Tiger Effect and Internet DDoS

An anonymous reader writes "Many US and Canadian ISPs thought they were under a massive denial of service attack yesterday — traffic spiked by hundreds of gigabits across North America. Turns out that the traffic was due to live streaming of the U.S. Open and Tiger Woods nail-biting victory."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 18 Jun 2008 | 7:32 pm

Flickr Founders Flee Yahoo

Microsoft deal or not, Flickr founders Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake are bidding an odd adieu to Yahoo.
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Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Jun 2008 | 7:30 pm

How Fast Is Your Browser? Find Out With Webmonkey's Stopwatch

The latest releases of Firefox, Opera and Safari claim to be faster than ever, but which one is fastest? We whipped up an online stopwatch you can use to find out which browser gets to wear the crown.
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Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Jun 2008 | 7:30 pm

6th severed foot found in B.C.?

Karen says: "I work for a newspaper in Campbell River, B.C. on Vancouver Island. Another foot was found here this morning at Tyee Spit (the second this week!). I don't know if it's hit the web yet. I just wanted to give you a heads up, since you've been reporting them on the website."

UPDATE: National Post is running a story about the sixth foot. It's a right foot in a black Adidas shoe. The woman who found it, while picking rocks along the water, said two bones were sticking out of the shoe, and they looked like they'd been cut.

Previously on Boing Boing:
5th foot found washed up in B.C.



Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 7:24 pm

Bell, SuperMicro Sued Over GPL

Markus Toth writes "The Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) has filed two more copyright infringement lawsuits on behalf of the developers of the Linux-based BusyBox utility suite. The suits allege that Bell Microproducts and SuperMicro Computer each violated redistribution stipulations of the GNU General Public License (GPL).The Bell Microproducts suit pertains to the Hammer MyShare NAS (network-attached storage) appliance, which is sold by Bell's Hammer Storage division. I was the one who alerted the busybox developers about the GPL violation after providing a script for disassembling the firmware and instructions about mounting the contained initrd. As you see in my first post at the gpl-violations.org mailing lists where I posted all mails that I sent to and received from Hammer Storage, they refused to provide me the GPL sources several times. Looks like they will have to provide them soon; I will post any updates in the nas-central blog."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


Source: Slashdot | 18 Jun 2008 | 6:48 pm

People in love with objects

Objectum-sexuals are people who fall in love with inanimate objects, like building, cars, and Hammond organs. And I don't mean appreciation of good design, I mean l-o-v-e. For example, Wall Winther (given name Eija-Riita Ekklaf) is intimate with the Berlin Wall. She calls it her "husband." Ekklaf's Web site, Berlinmauer.se is all about their relationship. From Bizarre magazine:
“We see things as living beings,” (Winther) says. “That’s a must. Otherwise you can’t fall in love with an object.” Wall Winther is attracted mostly to constructions with plenty of parallel lines – buildings, fences, bridges, gates and, in one case, a guillotine. But other OS fetishists might be turned on by the intricate workings of a turbine or television set, the delicate curves of a shiny sports car, the rigid harshness of a railtrack, or the bell end of a trumpet.

Look hard enough and you’ll discover an internet populated by tales of love affairs with objects. Joachim A, for example, confesses to his affair with a Hammond organ that began when he was 12. He’s now in a steady relationship with a steam locomotive. Psychology student Bill Rifka tells of his sexual obsession with his iBook (he defines it as a homosexual relationship as he regards his laptop as male) and Doro B talks about falling for a metal processing machine she encountered at her work. Online at least, OS is a genuine sexual orientation, where relationships thrive, desires are aroused (and fulfilled) and deep emotions burn.
Link

Previously on BB:
• Man loves sex with cars Link


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 5:35 pm

How to Nap infographic from Boston.com

200806181000.jpg

Scott Beale of Laughing Squid says: "Boston.com has posted an excellent graphic on “How to Nap” in their “Ideas” section." Link



Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 5:05 pm

Charles and Ray Eames stamps

200806180952.jpg

Yesterday, the US Post Office issued this wonderful commemorative sheet of 16 Charles and Ray Eames stamps. I bought 10 sheets.

Honoring the husband-and-wife design team of Charles and Ray Eames, this commemorative sheet of 16 stamps was designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, and represents the breadth of their extraordinary body of creative work, which includes architecture, furniture, film and exhibits.
Link (via Finkbuilt)


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 5:00 pm

Real Snail Mail

The Real Snail Mail project will be part of the Slow Art exhibition at the SIGGRAPH 2008 conference in August. The snails are outfitted with RFID chips. Once the project site is running again, you can send a message to their server where it will be picked up by a snail and then dropped off at some point later on. It reminds me of the experiments with data transfer via snail conducted a few years ago by Yossi Vardi and friends in Israel! From the BBC News article about the Real Snail Mail Project:
 Rsm Images Enclosure5 Instead of instantaneous communication, sent messages will travel at 0.03mph (0.05km/h) and could take days, weeks or even months to arrive....

"One thing technology promises us is speed, acceleration, more of everything in less time," said Paul Smith, a visual artist working on the project.

"Culturally, we seem obsessed with immediacy. Time is not to be taken but crammed to bursting point."
Link to BBC News article, Link to RealSnailMail site, Link to SIGGRAPH 2008 "Slow Art" page

Previously on BB:
• Data transfer via snail is faster than ADSL and pigeons Link (Thanks, Carlo Longino!)


Source: Boing Boing | 18 Jun 2008 | 4:54 pm

Sacramento voters to decide whether to tax text messages

The city of Sacramento will ask voters to agree to pay local taxes on new technology such as text messaging and phone service offered over the Internet in exchange for lowering taxes for land-line phones...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Jun 2008 | 11:41 am

Satellite phones make a comeback

Satellite phones are back according to Crave, with a company called Thuraya making them pocket size.
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Jun 2008 | 11:30 am

Financial Measures Matter: The VC Example

I got into a discussion yesterday with a colleague about financial performance measures. We started off talking about hedge fund managers being selective about such things, and then got to mulling venture...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Jun 2008 | 11:04 am

Links: Hadron Collider Wipes Out Subprime, Oil Ads, etc.

Today's looking like another meeting-fest, so a few quick links that others may find interesting: What is the probability of the Large Hadron Collider destroying the universe? (Overcoming Bias) ...
Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Jun 2008 | 10:44 am
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