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Bletchley Park Faces Financial Rescuebiscuitfever11 writes "Just two months ago it seemed that Bletchley Park, the home of Station X, Britain's secret code-breaking base during the War, was doomed as the codebreakers' huts rotted and the site fell into disrepair. But today Britain's Lottery Fund is set to step in with a grant to rescue the ailing heritage site. (There was an earlier story on ZDNet.)"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Jul 2008 | 11:08 am AT&T's Odd iPhone Offer - TechNewsWorld
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Jul 2008 | 11:04 am Thinking About GroupsAn entrepreneur pinged me the other day with an idea that was in the groups sector of the web market (yahoo groups, google groups, meetup, facebook groups, etc, etc). I asked him why the web needed another...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 9:52 am Australian climate report like 'disaster novel': ministerHeatwaves, less rain and increased drought are the likely prospect for Australia, according to a new report on climate change which the agriculture minister said read like a "disaster...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 9:39 am Review: SOHO Organizer 7.0.2 (Macworld.com)Macworld.com - For personal organization, Apple has focused on the basics with its Address Book and iCal programs, which are included with Mac OS X. These are fine light-duty programs, but they lack power for anything more than simple contact and calendar management. Chronos's SOHO Organizer 7.0.2 suite provides a feature-rich alternative that will appeal to business and power users for whom Apple's offerings are insufficiently powerful or versatile.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Jul 2008 | 9:30 am 42 Gorgeous Supercars (MEGA GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) With the Coke Zero 400 on this weekend, we've got supercars on the brain, and now we're going to get you hooked too. If you could get any car, what would you get? Most people would...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 9:20 am NetFlix By Roku To Add More Content Partners - eFluxMedia
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:53 am iPhone Rate Relief Petitions - 30,000 Canadians Sign (VIDEO)(TrendHunter.com) 30,000 Canadians are miffed about the high cost of the iPhone up north, and have signed an online petition, an open letter to Steve Jobs. Rogers is the iPhone carrier in Canada and...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:40 am Samsung phone has a lot of good instincts - Orlando Sentinel
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:07 am Cleaning Methods for Fresh ProduceBy Everis, Linda As concerns grow over the use of chlorine washing, studies look into alternative ways to clean fresh produce to remove potentially threatening micro-organisms.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Couple Make Worms into Successful Backyard BusinessBy Wendy Leung RANCHO CUCAMONGA - They're squishy. Children love to play with them. And sometimes, they're at the bottom of your tequila. But not often do worms play the central role of a business - unless it's Marcia Iannone's.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Fire Departments Stretched but PreparedBy Rachel Vaughan More than 500 firefighters from Yucaipa to Upland have been sent to battle hundreds of wildfires around the state.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Upcoming SeaFest EventsTUESDAY Moonlight Movies on the Beach, "E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial," movies and cartoons start at dusk, Granada Beach. Sea Festival Youth Tennis Clinics, El Dorado Tennis Center. For information, call 562-570-3150.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Saturday's Letters to the EditorCourt's decision praised Regarding Tuesday's ranting column by Mitch Albom, I should like to point out some important facts regarding the recent Supreme Court decision affirming an individual's right to bear arms, since Albom himself seems to be lacking any facts when he put together his hit piece.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Rising Star Hoff Can't Reach Janet Evans' RecordOMAHA, Neb. _ The oldest long-course world record on the books stayed afloat and firmly attached to Orange County on Saturday night. Rising U.S. star Katie Hoff captured the women's 800-meter freestyle at the U.S.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Alternative Water Sources Weighed for Dallas CountyBy Rudolph Bush, The Dallas Morning News Jul. 6--There's nothing like July heat to remind people just how badly North Texas needs water.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Shirley Wild: Nursery Honors L.B.'s First LadyV irginia Country Club was the site of Long Beach Day Nursery's Tea Time Treasures, a luncheon and silent auction. Honored this year were Long Beach first lady Nancy Foster and the Rotary Club of Long Beach.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Sally's HelplineBy Drury, Sally Sally Drury looks at cost-effective tree irrigation options and offers advice on where to buy loading ramps Q In a tree-planting project last year we considered using watering rings but decided against it on the grounds of cost.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Community News BriefsLONG BEACH Bixby Knolls holds dragster, car show The streets of Bixby Knolls in Long Beach will come alive again with the roar of vintage top-fuel dragsters as the Bixby Knolls Dragster Expo and Car Show takes to the streets Saturday from 3 to 9 p.m.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Ten Thousand Villages Celebrates Two Years of Support for ArtisansPASADENA - Shoppers, look up: celebrating two years of claiming the moral high ground Saturday was South Lake retail store Ten Thousand Villages.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Woo Candidates With Web 2.0By Anonymous CAREERS AND RECRUITING Nearly two-thirds of executives interviewed by Robert Half International said professional networking Web sites, such as Lmkedln, would be useful in searching for potential employees.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) and Internet Gold (IGLD) Have Agreed That Microsoft Will Operate Its MSN Portal in Israel Independently From October 2008PETAH TIKVA, Israel, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corporation and Internet Gold (through its 100% owned subsidiary Smile Media Ltd) have reached an agreement to have Microsoft independently operate a MSN Israel portal.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Greater Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ Unveils New Building, Burning Bush: Founded in BasementBy Tom Heinen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Jul. 6--Like a $5 million mustard seed planted in challenging soil, the soaring new sanctuary of Greater Mount Sinai Church of God in Christ rises within a hallelujah shout of the sprawling Westlawn public housing project.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am BRIEF: Garland Church's Buildings VandalizedBy Wendy Hundley The Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Morning News Jul. 6--Garland police are trying to determine who sprayed graffiti on two buildings at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on Friday night.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Starting an Orthodox Presbyterian Church: ?Church Planter's' Work is Rooted in Faith in CedarburgBy Tom Kertscher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Jul. 6--"Church planter" Jim Hoekstra has used his faith, as well as his skills in organizing, planning and demographics, to form a new Orthodox Presbyterian Church congregation in New Berlin and is about to create another in Cedarburg.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am HP Provides Consulting Services to Help Telecoms Align Business and TechnologyHP today announced a comprehensive set of consulting services designed to help communications companies improve their competitiveness as they adapt to the convergence of telecom, IT and entertainment.Building on its deep experience in these industries, HP has created Solutions Consulting Services (SCS), an integrated portfolio of services that translates customers' strategies and business needs into actionable solutions.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Los Angeles Police May Use Text-Messaging to Byte CrimeBy Rachel Uranga For years, the Los Angeles Police Department has received crime tips from nervous callers hoping to remain anonymous as they fumble through intimidating one-on-one Q&As with police tip-takers.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 8:00 am Extinct plant found in Australia: ministerA plant thought to have been extinct for more than 100 years has been discovered in eastern Australia, an official said Sunday. New South Wales Primary Industries Minister...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 7:52 am AVG Backs Down From Flooding the InternetSimon Wright writes "As a website that is featured heavily in many Google Australia search results, Whirlpool (Australia's largest technology forum) has been particularly affected by AVG's LinkScanner. We've seen a traffic increase as much as 12 hits per second from these bots. So we've actively and loudly campaigned against this move by AVG, encouraging all users of AVG 8.0 to uninstall the product. The discussion starts here. And AVG's backing down is posted here." From that URL:"'As promised, I am letting you know that the latest update for AVG Free edition has addressed and rectified the issue that [Whirlpool] have brought to our attention. This update has now been released to users and has also been built into the latest installation package for AVG Free.' — Peter Cameron, Managing Director, AVG Australia."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Jul 2008 | 7:41 am Throwing Furniture From Windows As Art - "Defenestration" in San Francisco (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) This building may look like furniture is being thrown out the windows, but the tables, cupboards, grandfather clock and fridge are all securely fastened to the outside walls. The San...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 7:40 am Even computer 'wipers' leave a markSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 7:00 am Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) and Internet Gold (IGLD) Have Agreed that Microsoft will Operate Its MSN Portal in Israel Independently from October 2008PETAH TIKVA, Israel, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corporation and Internet Gold (Nasdaq: IGLD) (through its 100% owned subsidiary Smile Media Ltd) have...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 6:30 am G8 to pledge to take lead in halving gas emissions: reportThe Group of Eight richest nations is likely to pledge at the upcoming summit to take the lead in efforts to halve emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, a newspaper said Sunday.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 6:12 am Clarke Awarded Grant Valued at $77,000Clarke College was one of 39 colleges in the United States and Puerto Rico to receive a 2008 HP Technology for Teaching grant. Each of the grant recipients will use wireless HP Tablet PCs to enhance learning in engineering, math, science or computer science.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 5:00 am Man Charged With Factory Copper Theft ; A 25-Year-Old Man Has Been Charged in Connection With the Theft of Copper From an Old Factory.A 25-year-old man has been charged in connection with the theft of copper from an old factory. Two men were originally arrested and released on bail in relation to the incident in Ottery St Mary, East Devon, in April.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2008 | 5:00 am Friendfeed v. Twitter: Half The Followers In Five MonthsTwitter is still far larger than its much younger competitor Friendfeed in aggregate terms. But an interesting trend is developing - many longtime Twitter users are noticing that the number of followers...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 4:51 am Will Ferry Farm now dispel, or prove, myths? - The Free Lance-Star
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Jul 2008 | 4:27 am Your Computer As Your Singing CoachRoland Piquepaille writes "Israeli researchers have developed an electronic ear to coach vibrato technique. Until now, the quality of a vibrato — the pulsating change of pitch in a singer's voice — could only be judged by voice experts. Now, a Tel Aviv University research team 'has successfully managed to train a computer to rate vibrato quality, and has created an application based on biofeedback to help singers improve their technique.' Interestingly, this research could be used for other applications, such as improving automated help centers, where computers could be trained 'to recognize a range of different emotions, such as anger and nervousness.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Jul 2008 | 4:26 am Firefoxing away to Version 3 - Techtree.com
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Jul 2008 | 4:20 am Destination San Francisco. Still NoGoBoingoThe weeklong whirlwind of a tour to Israel is finally over. Waiting for my flight, I am wondering when I would get to sleep in my own bed. It is about 18 hours of flying time - London and Philadelphia...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 4:12 am WITNESS: Virtual friends in a cancer world (Reuters)Reuters - Janet Guttsman is bureau chief for Reuters in Canada, and has worked for the company in Germany, Russia and the UnitedSource: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Jul 2008 | 4:10 am Inside Jokes: Science Writer Jim Holt Explores Why We LaughWhat do you get when you cross scholarly research and dick jokes? Nothing to laugh at, normally. But science writer Jim Holt defies the Heisenberg principle of humor — you can't study it without killing it — in his book Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes. We caught up with him walking into a bar. Wired: One question you tackle is who invented the joke. Weren't we cracking wise back in the caves? Holt: No, the classic joke form — setup with incongruity, punch line that resolves the incongruity —seems to have come out of Greece and Rome. There's this guy in Greek -mythology called Palamedes who invented practically everything — numbers, currency, lighthouses, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He also supposedly invented the joke. And, of course, he was stoned to death. Wired: So where do new jokes come from? Holt: It used to be that all the jokes I got came from Wall Street. Now, with the Internet, they're sort of everywhere and nowhere at once. But the ideas for jokes are cultural — concepts that keep reappearing in different guises over the centuries. Wired: There are lots of theories about why we joke. Which do you find most plausible? Holt: Well, there's the superiority theory, that jokes express scorn for your inferiors — cripples and cuckolds and foreigners and the like. Plato said we laugh at vice. Then there's the Freudian interpretation, that it's all about sexual repression. Finally, there's the seduction theory, based on the observation that men do most of the joking while women do most of the laughing. Christopher Hitchens wrote a piece in Vanity Fair arguing that the only way most guys can impress women is to make them laugh. Wired: But your favorite explanation is a mashup of Kant and evolutionary biology, right? Holt: V. S. Ramachandran, the brain researcher, has a theory about the origin of laughter — that when you're in the jungle and there's an apparent threat, the first member of the kinship group to notice that it's not a real threat emits this stereotyped vocalization. And it's contagious, so everyone starts laughing. That's also the basis of the relief theory of humor, that there's a release of the energy you had summoned up to solve some puzzle. Kant said that the essence of humor is a strained expectation dissolving into nothing. Wired: Did you find any candidates for the perfect joke? Holt: I did find what might be the shortest possible joke: "Pretentious? Moi?" 
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Jul 2008 | 4:00 am Apple's iPhone could find Asia tough to crack (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Jul 2008 | 3:41 am Terra gets Olympic Internet rightsInternet company Terra says it has been awarded Internet and mobile rights to transmit the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Latin America. Terra says its Olympic Games site will go live...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 3:22 am Terra gets Olympic Internet rights (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Jul 2008 | 3:22 am New Pictures of White Knight Two and SpaceshipTwosoldeed writes "Over at the Virgin Galactic press site, there are new pictures of both White Knight Two and SpaceShip 2 during construction for media use. After seeing them, I can't help but wonder; Gee, what's in the box?"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Jul 2008 | 1:58 am Wil Wheaton (and his GTA obsession) profiled in GEEK.
Bonnie Burton interviews actor, author, gamer, and geek-er Wil Wheaton in this month's edition of GEEK. Snip: Geek: (...) I need to know how far you’ve gotten in Grand Theft Auto IV.Wil Wheaton [ Geek Blog / Geek Magazine. Disclaimer: I have been profiled there previously. ] Source: Boing Boing | 6 Jul 2008 | 1:49 am Wil Wheaton profiled for GEEK MagazineBonnie sez, "I recently interviewed actor, author, gamer and blogger Wil Wheaton for GEEK Monthly Magazine and thought you all would dig learning more about his books, Secret of NIMH connection and what...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 1:43 am Wil Wheaton (and his GTA obsession) profiled in GEEK.Bonnie Burton interviews actor, author, gamer, and geek-er Wil Wheaton in this month's edition of GEEK. Snip: Geek: (...) I need to know how far youve gotten in Grand Theft Auto IV. Wil Wheaton:...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 1:41 am Romantic Cafe Fashion Ads - Kate Moss & Gaspard Ulliel for Longchamp (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The ever ubiquitous Kate Moss stars alongside French actor Gaspard Ulliel in the new ad campaign for Longchamp Fall/Winter 08-09. The stylish black and white campaign was shot by Alas...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 1:20 am Send Messages That Self-Destruct With PrivnoteSending private messages through back channels is nothing new. We do it all the time with emails and direct messages on multiple services. However, sometimes information is just too sensitive to keep...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 12:27 am KDE 4.1 Beta 2 – Two Steps Forward, One Step Back?jammag writes "Linux pundit Bruce Byfield takes a look at the latest KDE beta and finds it wanting: 'Very likely, KDE users will have to wait for another release or two beyond 4.1 before the new version of KDE matches the features of earlier ones, especially in customization.' He notes that the second beta is still prone to unexplained crashes, and goes so far as to say, 'Everyone agrees now that KDE 4.0 was a mistake.' I'm not too sure about that — really, 'everyone?'"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Jul 2008 | 12:23 am Laptop theft at Clarion West sf workshop -- donations neededClarion West, the famed Seattle science fiction workshop, has suffered a terrible theft: four student laptops were stolen yesterday. Clarion West (like Clarion in San Diego) is a grueling, six-week intensive boot-camp for science fiction writers. Students often quit their jobs and save for years to attend and it goes without saying that they can hardly absorb the cost of a new laptop in the middle of the workshop.I'm flying to Seattle tomorrow to teach the third week of the workshop and I'm keenly aware of the chaos this will have wrought on the students. The workshop's organizers are soliciting donations -- either hardware or cash -- to get the students up and running. The workshop is incorporated as a 501(c)3 charity, so any deductions are tax deductible. I am donating all of my teaching fee to the fund. I hope that some of you will be moved to chip in whatever you can afford, to help fund the instruction of the next generation of great science fiction writers. Here's the note that organizer Leslie Howle has sent around: Four laptops were stolen July 4 from student rooms at the CW residence, and people in the SF community are responding swiftly and generously to help replace the stolen student computers.Link Source: Boing Boing | 6 Jul 2008 | 12:15 am High oil prices spur demand for low energy electronicsSEOUL (Reuters) - These days when customers walk into electronics stores, the first question they ask is how much electricity the fridge, washing machine or laptop computer they are...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2008 | 12:09 am Google trying to take privacy seriously - ZDNet
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:49 pm The Phoenix TV series The Phoenix was a short-lived 1982 TV series starring Judson Scott as an ancient astronaut named Bennu of the Golden Light. Extraterrestrials had left Bennu behind as a "gift to mankind" but he was woken too early and didn't know his mission on Earth. The show was kind of a cross between The Incredible Hulk and Erich Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods Around 1982, I was really into both of those, so it's no surprise I thought The Phoenix was a real gas. Here's the opening sequence. The Phoenix (YouTube) Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:22 pm Slow-moving Blockbuster can't hold the audience's attentionIf you stick two bricks together, they still won't float. With that in mind, it is probably a good thing that Blockbuster pulled out of its $1.3bn deal to buy American electronics retailer Circuit City...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:05 pm A handbag? eBay is going to have to be more earnestA French court last week ordered eBay to pay €38.8m (£30.6m) in damages to the luxury products group LVMH for letting fake versions of its designer bags be sold on the online auction...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:04 pm Regionals team up with the net in a marriage of convenienceChris Dobson, a senior executive at Microsoft's online business, commutes to his London office from Hertfordshire, where his local paper, the Welwyn & Hatfield Times, has been noticeably thinner of...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:04 pm Nurses caught viewing child pornAn NHS whistleblower, who revealed that nurses caught viewing child porn had been allowed to continue treating patients, claims ministers disregarded her warnings that the disciplinary panel charged with...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:03 pm Belfast blogger fights off censorship bidA blogger who faced charges of intimidation in cyberspace has won a landmark judgment that anti-censorship campaigners say will protect freedom of expression across the web. Alan Murray's blog highlighting...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:02 pm Blogger wins right to free speechA blogger who faced charges of intimidation in cyberspace has won a legal judgment that anti-censorship campaigners claimed this weekend will protect freedom of expression across the worldwide web. Alan...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:02 pm Digitizing Old Magazines?"I have a lot of old video game magazines, they're nice for playing 'classic games' because a lot of classics are impossible without the manual, and hard without a magazine (the magazine obviously negates the need for a manual usually). But they'd get damaged with a flatbed scanner, and digital cameras are hard to set up right for capturing old magazines. I know that old documents are digitally archived with very high-res cameras..." So, the question is, what is the best way to capture all the information in old magazines in digital format? Does anyone have a home-built rig taking after the angled-pair-of-scanners setup that Project Gutenburg uses?Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2008 | 11:00 pm iPhone 3G queue forms in Manhattan (CNET)CNET - The line for the Apple iPhone 3G began to form Friday--an entire week before the device goes on sale.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2008 | 10:25 pm Finding Fault With Google's Privacy Policyorenh writes "Viacom has recently obtained a court order that requires Google to hand over a complete list of every video watched by YouTube users. These logs will include the login names and IP addresses of the users. Google are now asking Viacom if they can anonymize the logs before turning them over; Viacom hasn't responded yet. But this privacy nightmare could have been greatly reduced if Google had anonymized the data in advance. Google's privacy policy states that they keep personally identifiable information for 18 months. There is no real reason to do so; Google can achieve everything they need even if they anonymize their search logs after just one month, and it's time users told them to do so."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2008 | 9:50 pm In Japan, a 900 Gigabyte Upload Cap, Downloads UncappedRaindeer writes "While the Broadband Bandits of the US are contemplating bandwidth caps between 5 gigabyte and 40 gigabyte per month, the largest telco in Japan has gone ahead and laid down some heavy caps for Japan's broadband addicts. From now on, if you upload more than 30 gigabyte per day, your network connection may be disconnected. Just think of it ... if you're in Japan and want to upload the HD movie you shot of yesterday's wedding, you soon might hit the limit. The downloaders do not face similar problems."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2008 | 8:45 pm As Web Traffic Grows, Crashes Take Bigger Toll - New York Times
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 5 Jul 2008 | 8:32 pm There's a Sucker Converted Every MinutePonca City, We love you writes "Once the US converts from analog to digital broadcasting next February, those who receive their signals over the air will need a converter box for older, non-digital models. Government-approved converter boxes sell for $60 or less and a government-issued $40 rebate coupon is available for the asking but that hasn't stopped companies like the Ohio-based Universal TechTronics from offering supposedly free converter boxes. The gimmick: the box is free, as long as you pay $88 for a five-year warranty, plus $9.30 shipping. Universal TechTronics seems to specialize in 'high-tech' products of questionable value, marketing the Cool Surge portable air cooler, 'a work of engineering genius from the China coast so advanced that no windows, vents, or freon are needed' that uses the same energy as a 60-watt light bulb. It works by blowing a stream of air over two ice packs that you have previously frozen in your freezer. What's the best tech scam you've heard of lately?"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2008 | 7:38 pm In Iran, Blogging May Be Punishable By DeathAn anonymous reader writes "In Iran, crimes such as apostasy (leaving a religion, in this case Islam) and armed robbery are already punishable by death, but a new bill in Iran aims to add to the list 'establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy,' effectively giving the government a free hand in silencing bloggers. The internet is widely used in Iran, despite its previous attempts at censorship. Will this change as the censorship grows more rampant?"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2008 | 6:26 pm As price of fuel soars, so does a dirigible renaissance?
Snip from an article in today's New York Times about a slew of designers and firms developing new models of airships. These passenger-carrying aircraft float on the wind, rather than being propelled solely by fuel (more precise explanation here). And, ah, hopefully they don't blow up in the sky or whatever. As the cost of fuel soars and the pressure mounts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, several schemes for a new generation of airship are being considered by governments and private companies. “It’s a romantic project,” said Mr. Massaud, 45, sitting amid furniture designs in his Paris studio, “but then look at Jules Verne.”And, heh, my favorite quote here: “A dirigible is something magical,” said Jérôme Giacomoni, who was 25 when he founded Aerophile with a friend. “But most of the ideas are crazy.”Why Fly When You Can Float? [NYT] Image: Jean-Marie Massaud. Update: most LOLlable comment in this thread, #4 posted by Chris the Tiki guy... [I]f they're exploring whale shapes, why not other aquatic creatures, like the seacow? That way people can point and say "Oh, the huge manatee!" (...) [I]f Helium is in short supply, I doubt we'll be launching very many lighter-than-air craft any time soon, unless we can figure out how to make hydrogen just as buoyant but less explode-y.
Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2008 | 6:03 pm Body armor developer shoots himself (video)This video is not new, but a friend just pointed it to me. It is noteworthy because it shows a dude shooting himself in the chest and not dying. Also, because it includes mock-pizza-boxes crafted for a robbery enactment on television. The mock pizzas appear to be made of palm thatch. How do they do that? Richard Davis, former U.S. Marine and onetime pizza delivery guy in Detroit, survived a gun shootout (he killed three armed robbers when they attacked him during a delivery). He went on to develop new forms of concealable body armor using kevlar. Those products are now widely used by military and law enforcement personnel, and private sector folks who have reason to believe they will be shot. This video tells a bit of his life story.
Richard Davis: video Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2008 | 5:44 pm Study: Orangutan Populations Declining PrecipitouslyOrangutan numbers decline sharply on the only two islands where they still live in the wild and they could become the first great ape species to go extinct if urgent action isn't taken, a new study says.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jul 2008 | 5:30 pm Climate Change, Food Crisis Linked, Says U.N. ChiefThe U.N. climate chief says climate change will cause the global food crisis to worsen. He is urging leaders of the world's richest countries meeting in Japan next week to set goals to reduce carbon emissions within the next dozen years.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jul 2008 | 5:00 pm Google's new privacy link - CNET News
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 5 Jul 2008 | 4:59 pm EU ministers 'discover' biofuels not an obligationEuropean Union energy ministers announced during an informal meeting Saturday that they had been labouring for 18 months under the false impression that an EU plan to fight global warming...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 5 Jul 2008 | 4:34 pm EUROPEANS! You have until MONDAY to contact your MEP and save the EU from a three-strikes copyright rule!Back-room dealings in the European Parliament have resulted in a "three strikes" rule being included in a new telecoms bill -- the rule would force ISPs to kick people who've been thrice accused of copyright infringement off the Internet.If this bill passes, then Europeans' access to the network that delivers freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, access to medicine, family, civic engagement, banking, government services, and the whole sweep of human online endeavor would last only so long as they avoided three unsubstantiated accusations of downloading music or video or software without permission. Worse still, the bill is set to be voted upon on July 7 -- that's this Monday. The Open Rights Group has instructions for contacting your MEP. If you live in the EU and you care about your future as a citizen of the information society, call right away and make sure your MEP knows that this matters to you. “One week before a key vote in the reform of European law on electronic communications (”Telecom Package”), La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the Net) denounces a series of amendments aimed at closing the open architecture of the Internet for more control and surveillance of users..Link
See also: Three false copyright accusations and we'll cut off your Internet access Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2008 | 2:18 pm Anatomic model puzzles of surpassing loveliness I just stumbled on Kikkerland's "Anatomic 3-D Puzzles" in a shop and was absolutely enthralled. These are snap-together models (calling them "puzzles" is a little weird, actually) showing the anatomy of various critters, from humans to cows, mammoths, and my favorites, beetles and snails. They're made out of plastic that feels just like the plastic they use for the anatomical models you had in senior biology class, with the same color schemes, but the sculpting is absolutely gorgeous, making them into stylish knick-knacks as well as interesting scientific instructional materials.
Kikkerland's online shop carries the whole line, albeit at about 10 percent higher prices than other webstores that carry one or two. My advice is to check out the items here, find the ones you want and google for a cheaper one at another store.
Link Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2008 | 2:08 pm Stross's new novel: Saturn's Children, a late Heinlein homageCharlie Stross's new novel, Saturn's Children, is out -- this is Charlie's Heinlein tribute, and unlike everyone else who does classic, adventure -story Heinlein tributes, Charlie's written a novel in the style of the late, indulgent, sex-saturated Heinlein, from the period before a cutting-edge surgery fixed a problem with the blood-supply to his brain (seriously). Orbit, the book's UK publisher, has also put an excerpt online.Link, Link to excerpt, Link to Saturn's Children on Amazon Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2008 | 1:45 pm Hackers Hell: Privacy That Can't Be CompromisedThe World's First Unbreakable Data Encryption Sets a $1,000,000 Challenge LONDON, July 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Permanent Privacy (visitSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 5 Jul 2008 | 1:00 pm
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Today is the two hundredth anniversary of the final extinction of my One True Love, as close as I can date it. I am drunk on battery acid and wearing my best party frock, sitting on a balcony beneath a pleasure palace afloat in the stratosphere of Venus. My feet dangle over a slippery-slick rain gutter as I peek over the edge: Thirty kilometers below my heels, the metal-snowed foothills of Maxwell Montes glow red-hot. I am thinking about jumping. At least I’ll make a pretty corpse, I tell myselves. Until I melt.