|
|
|
|
Sprint Nextel reports 2Q loss (AP)AP - Wireless carrier Sprint Nextel says it swung to a second-quarter loss on severance and other costs. But it also says it's slowing the loss of customers.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Aug 2008 | 11:13 am Micron announces super fast SSD line - VNUNet.com
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 10:27 am LiMo Looks to Step Up Its - InternetNews.com
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 10:05 am IBM Challenges Microsoft for the SMB Desktop (PC World)PC World -Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Aug 2008 | 10:04 am The Olympics & Social Media MarketingThis week we're looking at how Web technology is being used in the Beijing Olympics. In today's post we take a look at how some of the world's leading brands are using social media tools. Our first post...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 10:04 am TouchLauncher ReviewNew TouchLauncher for Treo & Centro Offers Enhanced Set of Functionalities to Browse & Run Applications at the Touch of Your Finger As I pointed out in my Top 10 Treo & Centro Software post...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 10:01 am New Google box for offices can search 10 million files (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Aug 2008 | 10:00 am The question: Vitamin C good or bad?Helen Pidd There's no evidence that injecting vitamin C is effective in treating human cancerSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 9:52 am NASA: Mars is good habitat for Terry Pratchett dragons - Register
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 9:36 am Tufts Tells Judge, We Can't Tie IP To MAC AddressesNewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Protesting that Tufts University's DHCP-based systems 'were not designed to facilitate forensic examinations,' but rather to ensure 'smooth operations and to manage capacity issues,' the IT Office at Tufts University has responded to the subpoena in an RIAA case, Zomba v. Does 1-11, by submitting a report to the judge (PDF) explaining why it cannot cross-match IP addresses and MAC addresses, or identify users accurately. The IT office explained that the system identifies machines, not users; that some MAC addresses have multiple users; that only the Address Resolution Protocol system has even the potential to match IP addresses with MAC addresses, but that system could not do so accurately. For reasons which are unclear, the IT department then suggested that the RIAA next time send them 'notices to preserve information,' in response to which they would preserve, rather than overwrite, the DHCP data, for the RIAA's forensic benefit."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Aug 2008 | 9:21 am IBM's Ubuntu deal favors the server - Register
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 9:00 am F3 Technologies Announces Interaction(TM) Community System v.2 Availability- Will eliminate the need for costly HOA management companies - Allows home owners to avoid costly disputes ATLANTA, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- F3...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 9:00 am More Than One-Third of Female Workers Say They Are Paid Less Than Their Male Counterparts With the Same Experience, CareerBuilder.com Survey FindsFemale Workers also Report Gaps in Career Advancement, Training and Workplace Flexibility CHICAGO, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- While some may say the "glass...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 9:00 am AMD's plan to dig out of hole - San Jose Mercury News
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:49 am ViaLogy Powers Los Angeles County Radiation Monitoring NetworkNew technology Integrates Monitoring at Critical Locations Including Ports and Public Buildings PASADENA, California, August 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ViaLogy LLC ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:23 am Internet Giants to Create China Code of Conduct - Techtree.com
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:05 am Vaultus Mobile Technologies Mobilizes Genzyme's CRM SystemBiotechnology Company Experiences 30 Percent Increase in Efficiency by Mobilizing Enterprise Applications Vaultus Mobile Technologies Oonagh O'Regan, 617-399-1105 ooregan@vaultus.com or Schwartz Communications Chuck Tanowitz, 781-684-0770 or Joe Palladino, 781-684-0770 vaultus@schwartz-pr.com Logo: http://www.vaultus.com When Genzyme's European field representatives visit their clients, they will now have the latest client and sales information from Saleslogix at their fingertips on their BlackBerry handhelds - making them one third more efficient.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am TerraGo Technologies Announces New Release of Map2PDF for ArcGISArcGIS Customers Now Have Closed Loop Knowledge Capture TerraGo Technologies Media Contact: Jennifer Becker, 703-287-7815 jbecker@speakerboxpr.com Logo: http://www.terragotech.com TerraGo(R) Technologies, the visionary provider of tools, technology and know-how for building collaborative geospatial applications (GeoApps), today announced the latest release of its flagship product Map2PDF(R) for ArcGIS, version 4.0.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Chemical Weapons ConventionBy Anonymous The Republic of Guinea-Bissau joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) on May 20, making it the 184th stateparty to ratify the agreement. Currently, only 11 states are outside the CWC. The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Israel, and Myanmar have signed but not ratified.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am BASF Proud Sponsor of the 2008 Beyond Green(TM) High-Performance Building Awards ProgramToday BASF Corporation announced its sponsorship of the 2008 Beyond Green(TM) High-Performance Building Awards, hosted by the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC).Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Maari Field FPSO Completed at Jurong ShipyardBy Anonymous Sembcorp Marine Ines Jurong shipyard delivered the Raroa floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel to Tanker Pacific Offshore Terminals Pte. Ltd. in early April 2008. Tanker Pacific is leasing the Raroa FPSO to OMV New Zealand Ltd.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am His Royal Highness Prince Feisal Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan to Deliver Opening Session Keynote Address at Inaugural WaterSmart Innovations Conference and ExpositionLAS VEGAS, Aug.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am BRIEF: Residents Share Stories of Drug Treatment CenterBy Stella Davis, Carlsbad Current-Argus, N.M. Aug.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am CorrectionBy Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas Aug. 6-- Correction To conserve water, the Tarrant Regional Water District prohibits the use of lawn sprinklers between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The hours were unclear Tuesday in an article about effects of the heat.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Faust-Goudeau Wins Senate PrimaryBy Jeannine Koranda, The Wichita Eagle, Kan. Aug. 6--State Reps. Oletha Faust-Goudeau and Ty Masterson will be continuing their bids to switch chambers in November as both appeared to win their primaries Tuesday.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am ACE Europe Hires New Environmental Risk Underwriter in ManchesterACE Europe, a provider of property and casualty, accident and health and personal lines solutions, has appointed Emma Bartolo as its new environmental risk underwriter in Manchester, UK.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Finney Beats Taylor in 84th House DistrictBy Christina M. Woods and Jeannine Koranda, The Wichita Eagle, Kan. Aug. 6--Gail Finney, a marketing consultant and vice chair of the Sedgwick County Democrat Party, beat out medical assistant Inga Taylor for the 84th District House seat.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Crematory Permits SoughtBy Kathy Steele, Tampa Tribune, Fla. Aug. 6--YBOR CITY -- Crematory owners who received permits last year to operate units for human and animal remains want permits for two more animal cremation units and one additional human cremation unit.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Research and Markets: An Essential Report on the Global Computer Hardware Manufacturing Industry Available NowResearch and Markets Ltd.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Advance Screening of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" at SIGGRAPHSIGGRAPH 2008 Brian Ban +1.773.454.7423 +1.773.915.5050 fax media@siggraph.org Logo: http://www.siggraph.org/s2008 Powerhouse production company Lucasfilm will present an exclusive advance screening of their highly-anticipated animated film "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" as part of the new Production Studio Nights at the SIGGRAPH 2008 Computer Animation Festival.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Businessman Takes Leap Of FaithBy Sarah Rothwell, Tampa Tribune, Fla. Aug. 6--TEMPLE TERRACE -- Scott Bartlett isn't afraid of change. On Aug. 17, he will leave behind a 20-year career in business and become senior pastor at Centerpointe Community Church.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Delta Air Lines to Offer Wireless Service on Entire Fleet As Way to Woo Fliers: Delta, Others Use New Technology to Attract FliersBy Jaclyn Giovis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Aug. 6--Airlines are pitching new technologies to woo the flying public, even as they raise fares and charge fees on everything from checked baggage to soft drinks.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am News BriefsForest gets new deputy supervisor ARCADIA - Angeles National Forest officials have announced the selection of Marty Dumpis as the new deputy forest supervisor. Dumpis previously was the recreation and land staff officer for the forest.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Free Kids' DvdTODAY and every day this week, we're giving every reader a fantastic kids DVD - FREE. Our Must Have Kids Movies 2 collection includes Cinderella, Anastasia, Sinbad, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Today you can pick up The Little Mermaid.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Your Free Kids DVDIf you want to redeem this offer by post, send your six different vouchers that we will be printing until Friday, August 8, 2008, together with your name and address and a cheque for pounds 2.50 made payable to Scottish Daily Record Limited to claim yourcomplete Kids DVD Collection.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am The Oklahoman Trade Talk Column: Twitter Found 'Tweet' a Useful ServiceBy Jim Stafford, The Oklahoman Aug. 6--Sunday morning church service had just ended two weeks ago when the cell phone in my pocket began to vibrate violently as I walked out of the auditorium. I pulled out the cell phone and flipped it open. There was a text message in my inbox.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Black Hat disputes researcher's claim Apple talk was canceled - CNET News
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:50 am Spy, Balls?By Jonathan Kimak This is a fairly neat looking and rather discrete video recorder. The CamBall is a miniature digital video recorder that can record MPEG-4 video in 320×240 or 640×480 resolution...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:35 am Israel's Xpanity Raises $1.5M For Group BrowsingIsrael's Xpanity says that it is raising a $6M round. The company had raised $300K from its founder plus an additional $1.2M from angels. Xpanity launched an IM chat tool that allows Web surfers of like...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:06 am Open Forum: What's Your Opinion Of Linden Zoning?Online Surveys & Market Research Yesterday in a 1000+ word preamble to what's basically a single sentence announcement, Jack Linden said the Lindens were planning to soon introduce zoning regulations...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:01 am Delta to offer Wi-Fi in the sky - Los Angeles Times
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am VASCO Launches Japanese Version of WebsiteVASCO launches Japanese version of its website to enhance local presence in Japanese market OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. and ZURICH, Switzerland, Aug. 6 ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Lake Elsinore boy, 9, dies of infection by water-borne amoebaRiverside County health officials urge swimmers to use caution after the death Saturday. It is not known where the boy contracted the Naegleria fowleri amoeba. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Delta to offer Wi-Fi in the skyStarting this fall, the airline will offer service for a fee on domestic flights. Its entire domestic fleet will eventually have Internet. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Perchlorate found in Martian soilThe finding has surprised scientists, but they deny that the salt -- which occurs naturally on Earth and is used in fireworks -- would render the Red Planet uninhabitable. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Fiorina factsCarly Fiorina Age: 53Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am 11 charged in largest ID theft in U.S. historyMore than 40 million debit and credit card account numbers were stolen from major retailers. Fraud is estimated in the tens of millions of dollars. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Safety tipsIf you think your credit or debit card information could be at risk:Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Edwardian croquet-game in the ruined shell of a Packard plant in DetroitMichael Doyle and his pals in Detroit decided to stage a post-apocalyptic Edwardianpunk croquet match, so they snuck into the ruins of the old Packard factory and had an afternoon's match while dressed...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:47 am Edwardian croquet-game in the ruined shell of a Packard plant in Detroit Michael Doyle and his pals in Detroit decided to stage a post-apocalyptic Edwardianpunk croquet match, so they snuck into the ruins of the old Packard factory and had an afternoon's match while dressed in Edwardian finery. Croquet Social (via Beyond the Beyond) Source: Boing Boing | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:47 am IBM Granted "Paper-or-Plastic?" Patenttheodp writes "On Tuesday, IBM was granted US Patent No. 7,407,089 for storing a preference for paper or plastic grocery bags on customer cards and displaying a picture of said preference after a card is scanned. The invention, Big Blue explains, eliminates the 'unnecessary inconvenience for both the customer and the cashier' that results when 'Paper or Plastic?' must be asked. The patent claims also cover affixing a cute sticker of a paper or plastic bag to a customer card to indicate packaging preferences. So does this pass the 'significant technical content' test, IBM'ers?"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:46 am Heinlein's dystopian juvenile novelsOn Tor.com, author Jo Walton takes a look at the dystopian backdrops in Robert A Heinlein's juvenile novels like Starman Jones and Citizen of the Galaxy. Heinlein's juveniles were his best work for my...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:41 am Heinlein's dystopian juvenile novelsOn Tor.com, author Jo Walton takes a look at the dystopian backdrops in Robert A Heinlein's juvenile novels like Starman Jones and Citizen of the Galaxy. Heinlein's juveniles were his best work for my money, and I've always remembered them as being relentlessly upbeat, so it's startling to realize how many of them are set in failed or failing universes. As usual, Walton has smart things to say about this.The Dystopic Earths of Heinlein’s Juveniles Source: Boing Boing | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:41 am Qualcomm Announces Support for European eCall Public Safety ProjectLONDON, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions,...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:30 am Google Expands Trend Tracking With Insights For SearchGoogle has just written a blog post introducing “Insights for Search”, an extension to its Google Trends and AdWords products that allows users to track keywords across different verticals,...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:29 am TicketStumbler Aggregates Secondary Ticket SearchY Combinator startup TicketStumbler has launched today. The Boston based company is an aggregator for the secondary ticket market, collecting tickets from brokers like Stubhub and Razorgator into one...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:23 am Google launches free music service in ChinaSHANGHAI (Reuters) - Google Inc has launched a music search service in China that will give users access to free downloads of licensed songs, while capturing advertising revenue for music...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:11 am India's Airtel to launch 3G iPhone on Aug 22 (Reuters)Reuters - Bharti Airtel , India's top mobile operator, said on Wednesday it would launch Apple Inc's third-generation iPhone in India on August 22.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:08 am Motorola Wins US$431 Million GSM Contracts With China MobileChina Mobile deploys the latest Motorola GSM solutions to increase network coverage, enhance capacity and user experience BEIJING, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 6:00 am MySpace To Offer Official Web Portal For Presidential DebatesThe Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) has tapped MySpace to create an online portal for the upcoming election season that will include live streaming video and real time polling. The site, called...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 5:58 am Forest fire hot spots almost double on Borneo: Indonesian officialThe number of forest fires on Indonesian Borneo has nearly doubled due to land clearing amid fears that hazy skies could return to the region, official said Wednesday. ForestSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 5:52 am New Google box for offices can search 10 mln files - Reuters
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 5:43 am New Google box for offices can search 10 mln filesSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc said on Tuesday it is an offering an upgraded version of the hardware appliance its sells to companies and government organizations for Google-style WebSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 5:35 am Siliconware Precision Industries Reports a 6.2% Quarter-over-Quarter Increase in Revenues Resulting in Earnings per Share of NT$ 0.79 or Earnings per ADS of US$ 0.13 for Second Quarter 2008TAICHUNG, Taiwan, Aug. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd. ("SPIL" or the "Company") (Taiwan Stock Exchange:Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 5:35 am Jobs: MobileMe ‘not up to Apple's standards’ - Macworld
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 6 Aug 2008 | 5:32 am UrbanDaddy heads south to Miami (CNET)CNET - Since the new-media press has been gushing about e-newsletter start-ups for the past few hours, here's another tidbit: UrbanDaddy, a daily missive about luxury culture for the young and hedonistic, is set to announce its Miami regional edition, adding to New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and a "Jetset" travel edition. (For the record, that's "daddy" as in "mack daddy," as this e-newsletter clearly has zilch to do with parenting.)Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Aug 2008 | 5:32 am Patry Copyright Blog ClosedI Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "William Patry, noted copyright expert and Google's top copyright lawyer, has decided to close his personal blog. (For no reason that he has explained, the archives are gone too.) Ordinarily, that wouldn't be very newsworthy, but that little blog has made a lot of news, outing the ACTA treaty and discussing lots of other important pending legislation. Mr. Patry gives two reasons for the closure: his personal views were being attributed to Google, and the current trends in copyright law are too depressing. Though I am not the only one to have done so, as someone who has contributed to that misunderstanding by listing his credentials without a disclaimer, I would like to publicly apologize to him. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do to reverse the depressing trends in copyright law that I'm not doing already."'Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Aug 2008 | 4:43 am Gallery: 10 Green Concept Cars That Are Waaaaay Out There : Image courtesy Royal College of ArtPracticality is the last thing anyone considers when designing concept cars. A car made of glass? Windows like gun slits? An automakers' lawyers would kill those ideas faster than General Motors is killing Hummer. But practicality isn't the point. Concept cars are flights of fantasy carrying auto design into the future. Since our future will be a place where a gallon of gas costs more than a gallon of Scotch, the students at Royal College of Art designed their cars that run on things like electricity and algal fuel. These outlandish designs will influence the cars you drive tomorrow. RCA has been teaching vehicle design since 1967 and its alumni include big-name designers at Ford, Mazda, Volvo and other companies. An RCA grad has probably worked on the car you're driving now, even if it isn't made of glass. Left: The Airflow by Pierre Sabas of France has wheel-mounted electric motors and is made entirely of glass. "I’ve tried to wrap it around like fabric. It allows for a new driving sensation and it gives the occupants a new perception of the outside world," he says. The car won the Best Design Interpretation Award at the Pilkington Automotive Vehicle Design Awards.  : Image courtesy Royal College of Art Jon Radbrink of Sweden also has a thing for glass. He used a whole lot of it on "Lexus Nuaero," his gas-electric hybrid. "I was inspired by architecture and used glass in conjunction with other materials to create a layered effect that gives the feeling of transparency for the occupants," he says. The Pilkington judges liked it enough to give it the Best Use of Glazing -- that means glass -- award.  : Image courtesy Royal College of ArtNone of the technology Spanish designer Arturo Peralta Nogueras has planned for his vehicle exists yet, but if you're gonna dream, dream big. "Senses" runs on algae and features an exterior made of "solid hologram technology," whatever that is. It's also got artificial intelligence, and the interior "evolves and adapts to its environment, passengers and scenarios," though we're not sure how. No matter. It sure looks cool.  : Image courtesy Royal College of ArtDong Kyu Kim of South Korea was influenced by fashion design, and "Chameleon" takes its styling cues from shirt collars, blowing scarves and women's eyeliner. The car is asymmetrical because, "like a good dress, it will never be perfect," and paramagnetic technology allows it to change colors so it'll always match your outfit.  : Image courtesy Royal College of Art"I'm thinking about a new way of consuming cars," says Italian designer Ilaria Sacco, by allowing a high level of personalization. She calls the car "My Lounge," and it takes an Ikea approach to design by allowing buyers to pick everything that goes into it, "like how you would design your living room." (Hex wrench not included.)  : Image courtesy Royal College of ArtJoonas Vartola's "Iomega" isn't so much a car as a "relaxation capsule" with a chauffeur. Vartola says the shape of a swan inspired the exterior. Driver and passengers sit in separate compartments, which "fosters the idea of this being a passenger car rather than the usual driver's car architecture," the Finnish designer says.  : Image courtesy Royal College of ArtPaul Howse wanted to offer a new definition of luxury and exclusivity with "Enigma." It's an electric vehicle that ideally would get its power from the sun, and the passenger compartment uses magnetic levitation to isolate it from the rest of the car.  : Image courtesy Royal College of ArtRaquel Aparicio Lopez's "Soft Vehicle" is made of foam. You stash your stuff in a boot, er, trunk that opens with a zipper and you climb in through "a sensual slit" and sit in a seat surrounded by impact absorbing "jelly balls." The Spanish designer believes softer cars are safer cars. "I would like to extrapolate rubber, textile and other soft materials into vehicle design," she says.  : Image courtesy Royal College of ArtSergio Loureiro Da Silva designed "Phoenix" for maximum efficiency. There's a turbine up front, a kinetic axis -- whatever that is -- and electric motors at the back. The Spanish designer likens the vehicle to a motorcycle with a sidecar, but it looks to us like something you'd see in a pod race on Tattooine.  : Image courtesy Royal College of ArtYun Woo Jeong's "Transform" might be the offspring of an unholy marriage between Optimus Prime and a Morgan. It has a transparent elastic top that can be stretched to any shape to suit the driver's needs and mood. "I've been interested in 'transformables' since I was a boy," says Jeong. "It is common to boys across the world. How many transformable robots have passed over our memories? Why do they generate so much enthusiasm? Some say it's childish. But I assume it is human instinct." 
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Aug 2008 | 4:00 am Howard Hughes' Nightmare: Space May Be Filled With GermsFans of extraterrestrial life may have been disappointed when internet-fed rumors of Martian life ended in a NASA press conference on soil composition. But they can take solace in a newly popular theory that suggests the rest of space may teem with microbes. This once-controversial notion holds that the universe is filled with the ingredients of microbial life, and that earthly life first came from the skies as comet dust or meteorites salted with hardy bacteria. "Studies have shown that microbes can survive the shock levels of being launched into space," said Charles Cockell, a microbiologist at the Open University. "And as more and more organisms are discovered under extreme conditions, it's become more plausible that things could survive in space for the time it takes to go from one planet to another." Not long ago, Cockell's claims would have been greeted with scientific derision. But as scientists learn more about Earth and space, the theory, which goes by the grandiose name of "galactic panspermia," seems less far-fetched. Bacteria, recent discoveries have shown, thrive in Earth's most extreme locales, from Antarctic ice to the interiors of volcanoes and nuclear reactors, and have even survived in space. Meanwhile, astronomers seem to find Earth-like planets wherever they train their telescopes; comets have proven unexpectedly rich in organic material. Closer to home, water was once widespread on Mars, and still suffuses the atmosphere of Venus. Perhaps life could evolve in a comet, or survive inside a rock catapulted into orbit by a planetary meteor strike. The odds might be against it -- but life is good at beating the odds. "One hundred years ago, people wondered if animals could go from one land mass to another," said Cockell. But then people discovered that birds migrate for thousands of miles, that storms carry insects across oceans and seeds between continents. "Panspermia is the next step," he said. Galactic panspermia advocates aren't exactly saying that little green men came to Earth and planted the seeds of life here. At the simplest end of the spectrum is the proposition that earthly life was jump-started by the arrival of its basic components from space. Meteors have proven rich in amino acids -- the building blocks of life -- and Earth was pummeled by meteors for the first 200 million years of its existence. In April, Columbia University chemist Ronald Breslow traced the molecular signatures of earthly amino acids to those of neutron stars. "Everything that is going on on Earth occurred because the meteorites happened to land here. But they are obviously landing in other places," he said at the time. "If there is another planet that has the water and all of the things that are needed for life, you should be able to get the same process rolling." But Earth -- and planets in general -- might not be the only habitable space locales. Comets -- orbiting collections of ice, dust and rocks -- are rich in nitrogen and oxygen, as well as other organic material. Chandra Wickramasinghe, a Cardiff University astronomer and astrobiology pioneer, suggests that heat from radioactive elements could melt the normally frozen water inside comets, making them a perfect interstellar petri dish. Microbial life could evolve inside them, or simply be picked up from a passing meteor originally ejected into space from a life-rich planet. Is that likely? In any given comet, perhaps not. But there are billions of comets in our solar system alone, floating like so many dandelion seeds through the ether, and bacteria have proven freakishly durable. They've been recovered from Antarctic ice and revived after 10 million years in deep-freeze. Some Black Sea strains photosynthesize in near-darkness, while others thrive on nuclear radiation or infrared light. Bacteria have been found inside volcanoes and in sediments miles beneath the ocean floor. Bacteria have even survived exposure to the vacuum of space, as well as pressures comparable to those generated by meteor strikes capable of kicking debris out of Earth's orbit. And all that's necessary to establish a new bacteria colony, Wickramasinghe calculated, is for one microbe in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to flourish in its new environs. Wickramasinghe even concluded that organic material found in comets -- most recently by the Stardust spacecraft, which plucked amino acids from the 81P/Wild 2 comet -- is biological in origin. In other words, the comet is not just a good place for life to grow, but actually contains organic material produced by earlier life, Wickramasinghe believes. That is, of course, hypothetical, and not everyone is convinced. "Some astrobiologists are evangelists," said Columbia University biometeorologist Nancy Kiang. But with further bacteria-in-space experiments planned by NASA and the European Space Agency, and missions ongoing to sample other planets and interstellar bodies, the evangelists are being taken seriously. "The universe is mostly empty space, but here and there are special places where complex things can happen: clouds of dust, planetary surfaces, comets and asteroids," said Cornell University astrogeologist Jim Bell. "They appear scattered throughout most of the observable space we can study with our instruments thus far. Astronomers have been finding hundreds of planets around other stars. There are probably lots more places out there where life could exist."
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Aug 2008 | 4:00 am Updata: Dire Prognosis for Once-Promising Artificial BloodIt "doesn't look like something you'd want dripping into your veins," wrote Wil McCarthy in the August 2002 issue of Wired. At the time, he had no way of knowing just how right he was about Hemopure, the artificial blood that seemed so promising. It was universally compatible and had a three-year shelf life (unrefrigerated). But a recent meta-analysis of trials on several substitutes — including Hemopure — contains some gory results. Turns out, the fake bloods scavenge nitric oxide, causing vasoconstriction; patients who get them are 2.7 times more likely to have a heart attack and 30 percent more likely to die. A Journal of the American Medical Association editorial has called for a halt to trials.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Aug 2008 | 4:00 am Mr. Know-It-All: Cyberextortion, Your Kid's Cell Phone, Online DegreesThe small company I own was recently contacted by a hacker in the former Soviet Union. He claims to have found a security flaw in our e-commerce site and wants a "consulting fee" of $1,500 for not posting the vulnerability online. What to do? There is no honor among cyberextortionists, so bowing to your tormentor's demands will only cause you grief. If you cough up the cash, what's to stop the scoundrel from publishing the weakness anyway? Or, for that matter, from telling his shady pals about your willingness to play ball? Paying will likely cause the bribe requests to mushroom — today it's one sleazebag asking for $1,500; tomorrow it'll be a dozen demanding 10 grand apiece. The good news is that even if you choose to ignore the threat, your site likely won't be harmed at all. The FBI maintains that the majority of such criminals are bluffers, with no real knowledge of their targets' systems. That assertion is supported by a 2004 Carnegie Mellon University survey that found cyberextortionists made good on just 18 percent of their threats. OK, so that still leaves you with a 1-in-5 chance of catastrophe. If you'd rather not gamble on those odds, hire a private firm to perform a security audit. The process will likely cost more than $1,500, but it should identify any gaping holes (or lack thereof) in your site's defenses. If you decide to report the matter to the authorities, don't expect any miracles: Minor fraudsters from behind the erstwhile Iron Curtain aren't exactly a priority for the Feds. Still, it can't hurt to file a report. Even the tiniest scraps of intelligence can sometimes lead to unexpected busts: The cops caught Son of Sam because of a parking ticket. My 10-year-old daughter has been begging for a cell phone. Will I make her a social pariah if I don't give in? Kids can be cruel, and your daughter might be razzed at school for being the only fourth grader without a cellie. But if your reluctance is solely due to financial considerations, don't cave. Instead, explain to your daughter the importance of living on a budget and the need to focus on family essentials in lieu of frills. But if you're rebuffing your daughter's pleas only on principle, some personal reflection is in order. "Maybe dad is concerned about the sophistication the phone might bring into her life, about how she'll have the ability to communicate with people outside his control," says Shelley Pasnik, director of the Center for Children & Technology. There's a fine line between protecting and smothering. As is usually the case in resolving father-daughter tiffs, a heart-to-heart conversation can work wonders. Have your daughter outline exactly why she wants the cell phone and how she plans to use it, and make clear what your expectations and fears are. If you come away feeling that she's genuinely not ready for the responsibility, stick to your late-adopting guns. There may be school-yard fallout, but your daughter will survive. Mr. Know-It-All was teased mercilessly for not owning a Boba Fett action figure, and he turned out just fine.
Illustration: Christoph Niemann
Schools don't necessarily make the distinction, so there's no reason you should go out of your way to do so, either. "On transcripts, we don't designate when a class is online or face-to-face," says Ray Schroeder, director of the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning at the University of Illinois at Springfield. While you needn't mention your degree's lineage on your résumé, you are compelled to reveal the truth if asked during a job interview. And if that happens, respond with pride. Your interlocutor may mistakenly equate today's online degrees with the seedy correspondence courses of yore. Seize the opportunity to disabuse them of their prejudice. You might say, for example, that earning a degree through a reputable university's "distance learning" initiative requires more self-discipline than going the traditional route — while on-campus students were blowing daddy's money on Jè4germeister and trips to Cancún, you were presumably holding down a job, correct? Need help navigating life in the 21st century? Email us at mrknowitall@wiredmag.com.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Aug 2008 | 4:00 am Alt Text: Behold! The Sacred Sword-Llike Tool of Fire WarriorsI've made fun of replica swords many times in this space, but I want to assure readers that it's only because the collectible weapons are dumb and stupid. However, I have to admit that I, too, feel the geekish drive to hang a drop-forged piece of metal from the wall. I think it's some sort of genetic thing, a throwback to the days when the survival of one's tribe depended on the ability to justify ridiculous purchases. However, I think I've found a solution to my conflict. My friend Gary, who is a volunteer emergency medical technician, informed me of the existence of a wonderful thing called a Halligan bar. If you're a firefighter, or someone who works with firefighters, or someone who lives with one or more firefighters, or someone who makes, markets or sells equipment for firefighters, or someone who has traveled forward in time to read my columns, you probably already know about Halligan bars. A Halligan bar is a single-piece metal tool designed explicitly and brilliantly for totally busting stuff up in the name of rescue. As I understand it, it's the standard tool for an astonishing number of fire departments, because it's awesome at what it does. Here's why I feel more comfortable with the idea of having a Halligan on my wall than, say, showing off a Glamdring replica or a bat'leth. First off, a Halligan is not a replica of anything. It is entirely the thing it is, designed to do what it does. There is nothing ceremonial or decorative about this tool. You can tell that it seriously resents locked doors and wants them to die. Secondly, I'm much more likely to use a Halligan than a sword. There are many situations in life where you wish you had a knife, and a few unfortunate ones where you might wish you had a gun, but if you find yourself wishing that you specifically had the Sword of the Daywalker, either you live a more interesting life than me, or a less interesting life than pretty much anyone. Now, to be fair, I can't specifically think of a moment where I wished I had a large metal bar with a pick and an adz on one end, but I'm convinced that that's just because I never knew it was an option. It's like bánh mì -- Vietnamese sandwiches. I never knew they had to be an important part of my life until I knew they existed. At any rate, there have certainly been times where I had to -- or just wanted to -- totally disassemble something in an authoritative manner, and I lacked the tool to do it. And when you get down to it, a Halligan makes a better weapon than a fussy sword makes a forced-entry tool. It's hard to come up with a situation where I would be personally involved in combat with melee weapons -- most of the scenarios I can devise involve a powerful alien race using Wikipedia's "random article" option to pick humanity's champion -- but I figure my opponent probably won't care much whether they get gutted with William Wallace's Claymore or smacked with the New York City Fire Department's favorite hunk of metal. I know null-set about weapon fighting either way, but if someone makes a boffer Halligan, I promise to give it a try at the next con I attend. Finally, comparing the prices of a proper Halligan and most replica swords, they're both equally expensive, which is to say kind of ridiculous for something that's going to just hang there on your wall and totally fail to impress the ladies. Luckily, I can think of a handy way to finance a Halligan purchase: writing a column about them. - - - Born helpless, nude and unable to provide for himself, Lore Sjöberg eventually overcame these handicaps to become a rescuer, a resuscitator and a resupinator.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Aug 2008 | 4:00 am Theorists Make Quantum Communications BreakthroughKentuckyFC writes "One of the cornerstones of modern physics is Claude Shannon's theory of communication, which he published in 1948. If you've ever made a phone call, watched TV, or used a computer, you've got Shannon to thank for describing how information can be moved from one place in the universe to another using an idea called the channel capacity. But nobody has been able to develop a quantum version of this theory. So physicists have no idea how much quantum information can be sent from one point to another. Now two American physicists have made an important breakthrough by proving that two quantum channels with zero capacity can carry information when used together. That's interesting because it indicates that physicists may have been barking up the wrong tree with this problem: it implies that the quantum capacity of a channel does not uniquely specify its ability for transmitting quantum information (abstract). And that could be the idea that breaks the logjam in this area."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Aug 2008 | 2:43 am Aug. 6, 1890: Kemmler First to 'Ride the Lightning'1890: William Kemmler becomes the first person ever executed using electrocution. It doesn't go well. Kemmler, a Buffalo, New York, vegetable peddler with a strong jealous streak, confessed to killing his wife with a hatchet following an argument. "I killed her, and I'll take the rope for it," he said, expecting to be hanged. But the state of New York had other plans. It was Kemmler's bad luck to be condemned to death just as the state was ready to try out a newfangled killing device called the electric chair. The first chair was built by Harold Brown, an employee of Thomas Edison, who happened to be doing a lot of work with electricity in general and was exploring electrocution as a more humane method of execution than hanging. It also happened that Edison was embroiled in a battle with Nicola Tesla and George Westinghouse over whose electric current would be adopted as the standard. Edison was pushing direct current, or DC, while Tesla and Westinghouse championed alternating current, or AC. Edison, never shy about exploiting a situation to his advantage, especially if it could cripple a rival, therefore directed Brown to rig the chair to operate on AC. By associating the Tesla-Westinghouse current with something as unpleasant as the state killing of a human being, Edison hoped to turn public opinion his way. He even suggested replacing the new coinage, electrocution, with "to be Westinghoused." It never caught on. The execution was delayed while Kemmler's case was appealed on the grounds that it violated the Eighth Amendment restriction against cruel and unusual punishment. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where the justices denied Kemmler's appeal. An execution date of Aug. 6 was set. When his time came, Kemmler went to the chair obligingly, like the proverbial lamb to the slaughter. Contemporary accounts describe him as composed and cooperative. "Gentlemen, I wish you luck," he said to his executioners. "I'm sure I'll get a good place, and I'm ready." The switch was thrown, and 1,000 volts of AC slammed into Kemmler. There was every reason to think that would be sufficient: Only a day earlier, it had been enough to kill a horse during a final test. After 17 seconds, the current was shut off. The attending physician, Dr. Edward Spitzka, pronounced Kemmler dead. But he wasn't dead. He was still breathing, and when a member of the gallery pointed that out, Spitzka and another physician re-examined Kemmler. "Have the current turned on again, quick. No delay," Spitzka said. This time they gave Kemmler 2,000 volts. According to witnesses, the second jolt caused his blood vessels to burst and his skin to catch fire. A New York Herald correspondent who witnessed the execution left no doubt about its effect on him: "The scene of Kemmler's execution was too horrible to picture. He died the death of Feeks (.pdf), the lineman, who was slowly roasted to death in the sight of thousands." Westinghouse, who had tried to prevent his current from being used for the execution, later remarked laconically: "They would have done better using an ax." Despite Kemmler's grisly death, a number of states, mostly in the eastern and southern United States, adopted the electric chair -- known colloquially as "riding the lightning" -- as the preferred method of execution. It remained in widespread use until late in the 20th century. The electric chair is no longer used in this country as the primary method of execution. Several states, however, still keep one around as a secondary method. Sources: Various
Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Aug 2008 | 1:00 am Revised Yahoo vote reveals more disdain for board (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Aug 2008 | 12:44 am MySpace Suicide Charges Threaten Free SpeechNaturalist recommends a piece up at Ars about a friend-of-the-court brief filed by the EFF, CDT, Public Citizen, and a group of 14 law professors in the case of Lori Drew, who posed as a teenage boy to harass another teen online, eventually driving her to suicide. (We've discussed the case a few times.) "[The amicus brief argues] that violating MySpace's Terms of Service agreement shouldn't be considered criminal offense under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The groups believe that if the mother, Lori Drew, is prosecuted using CFAA charges, the case could have significant ramifications for the free speech rights of US citizens using the Internet."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 6 Aug 2008 | 12:40 am Guy gets locked out of all Google appsNick Saber, president of CrossTech Media, came back from lunch on Monday and tried to log on to his Gmail account. Instead of his email, he got this message:Sorry, your account has been disabled. [?]When he emailed Google's customer support, he got the following: Thank you for your report. We’ve completed our investigation. Because our investigation was inconclusive, we are unable to return your account at this time. At Google we take the privacy and security of our users very seriously. For this reason, we’re unable to reveal any further information about this account.Chris Brogan reports: Suddenly, Nick can’t access his Gmail account, can’t open Google Talk (our office IM app), can’t open Picasa where his family pictures are, can’t use his Google Docs, and oh by the way, he paid for additional storage. So, this is a paying customer with no access to the Google empire.When Google Owns You (Chris Brogan) Source: Boing Boing | 6 Aug 2008 | 12:26 am Video: A yawning dogA study has found that labradors and other pet dogs were more likely to yawn if they witness humans performing the actionSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 12:21 am Quest's 2Q profit up slightly, misses estimatesQuest Software Inc. , which makes software used to manage programs and data over networks and the Internet, said Tuesday its second-quarter profit rose slightly though it missed analyst expectations.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 6 Aug 2008 | 12:14 am Quest's 2Q profit up slightly, misses estimates (AP)AP - Quest Software Inc., which makes software used to manage programs and data over networks and the Internet, said Tuesday its second-quarter profit rose slightly though it missed analyst expectations.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Aug 2008 | 12:05 am Synchronoss 2Q earnings cut in half vs. year agoSynchronoss Technologies Inc. reported that its second-quarter earnings were cut in half due to a loss of revenue from its deal with AT&T Inc. to help support the Apple Inc. iPhone.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 5 Aug 2008 | 11:52 pm IBM Pushing Microsoft-Free Desktopswalterbyrd and other readers are sending along the news that IBM is partnering worldwide with Canonical/Ubuntu, Novell, and Red Hat to offer Windows-free desktop PCs pre-loaded with Lotus software and ready for customizing by local ISVs for particular markets. The head of IBM's Lotus division is quoted: "The slow adoption of Vista among businesses and budget-conscious CIOs, coupled with the proven success of a new type of Microsoft-free PC in every region, provides an extraordinary window of opportunity for Linux." One example of the cooperation: "Canonical, which sells subscription support for Ubuntu, a Linux operating system that scores high marks on usability and 'the cool factor,' will re-distribute Lotus Symphony via their repositories. Symphony 1.1 will be available through the Ubuntu repositories by the end of August."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Aug 2008 | 11:50 pm Zoomdoggle hires personal assistant from India to blog for him Jake Bronstein (left) of Zoomdoggle says: I've been outsourcing some of my blogging to India using a "virtual personal assistant service" called Tasks For Today.Outsourcing The Doggle (Zoomdoggle) Source: Boing Boing | 5 Aug 2008 | 11:16 pm Start Data Plumbing With Yahoo PipesYahoo Pipes is an online solution to manipulating data sources without having to resort to coding. Want to create a mashup of our Webmonkey RSS feed and remove any articles about "Google?" Pipes can do it and deliver it in a data source you can import into an application or your latest programming project.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Aug 2008 | 11:00 pm How to give yourself elf ears Here's an Instructable on how to give yourself elf ears. Body-Mod: Elf Ears (via Zoomdoggle) Previously on Boing Boing: Source: Boing Boing | 5 Aug 2008 | 10:58 pm Lessig Predicts Cyber 9/11 Event, Restrictive LawsA number of readers are sending in links to a video from the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference last month, in which Lawrence Lessig recounts a conversation over dinner with Richard Clarke, the former government counter-terrorism czar. Remembering that the Patriot Act was dropped on Congress just 20 days after 9/11 — the Department of Justice had had it sitting in a drawer for years — Lessig asked Clarke if DoJ had a similar proposed law, an "i-Patriot Act," to drop in the event of a "cyber-9/11." Clarke responded, "Of course they do. And Vint Cerf won't like it." Lessig's anecdote begins at about 4:30 in the video.Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Aug 2008 | 10:56 pm Cisco earnings up 4 percent, beating forecasts (AP)AP - Cisco Systems Inc. said Tuesday that sales would be weaker than analysts had forecast in the next few quarters, but investors who had expected worse were cheered.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Aug 2008 | 10:51 pm Todd Lappin reviews the first class suite of the Emirates A380 Todd Lappin was invited to take a demo flight of the Emirates A380. He took a bunch of photos and wrote about it on his blog, Telstar Logistics. It was the kind of offer Telstar Logistics cannot refuse: "Please join us for an exclusive opportunity to experience and fly on Emirates’ cutting-edge A380 aircraft during a two hour ‘demo flight’ and reception," they said. So we said, "Sure! Sign us up!"Flight Report: Airborne in an Emirates A380 at SFO Previously on Boing Boing: Source: Boing Boing | 5 Aug 2008 | 10:43 pm Glenn Miller Orchestra - “Do You Wanna Dance?” Derrick Bostrom, a Meat Puppet member and the producer of the jewel-like "Your Favorite Little Podcast" program, points to this download of a terrific out-of-print LP by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, called Do You Wanna Dance? from Wedding the Miller big band style and DeFranco’s top-notch soloing to go-go dance rhythms, lush easy-listening atmospherics and Command’s trademark high-tech aural experience, the album is no mere nostalgia trip for aging jitterbuggers. Rock fans will delight as this august organization tackles such teenage hits as “Cinnamon,” “Sunny,” “For Once In My Life” and “Love Child.” Naturally, the ubiquitous McCartney-Lennon catalog is represented, not once but twice, with “Hey Jude” and “A Little Help From My Friends.” In fact, there’s not a MOR track anywhere to be found on this album — it’s all strictly Top Forty. Do YOU wanna dance?Glenn Miller Orchestra - “Do You Wanna Dance?” (Bostworld) Source: Boing Boing | 5 Aug 2008 | 10:28 pm Friendster Going Strong In Asia, Maybe Soon In CourtDekortage writes "Remember Friendster? Long ago outrun and lapped by MySpace and Facebook, and a textbook case of social networking collapse, Friendster appears to be going strong in Asia, and has recently stolen Google's Asia chief for its new CEO. More ominously, though, a recent press release (PDF) notes that the company 'was the first social networking company to launch key features, including the social graph server, a network activities tracker, and more. Friendster has been granted three fundamental patents and has more patents pending.' Hello, lawyers!"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Aug 2008 | 10:06 pm Sega capitalizes on Olympics with 'Beijing 2008' (AP)AP - The Beijing Olympics are about to get under way. And thanks to NBC and its assorted networks and Web sites, you'll be able to spend the next two weeks pondering the intricacies of sports you never cared about before.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Aug 2008 | 9:40 pm How to Win at Rock, Paper, ScissorsThe not-so-ancient game of Rochambeau has been deciding restaurants, chores and front seats for years. By mastering the decisive gesture game, Graham Walker has been getting his way for a long time. As the author of :The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide", he knows what will get you rocking when they're scissoring.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Aug 2008 | 9:40 pm Lawrence Lessig on the coming "i-Patriot Act"T0AD says: Lawrence Lessig, a respected Law Professor from Stanford University told an audience at this years Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference in Half Moon Bay, California, that “There’s going to be an i-9/11 event” which will act as a catalyst for a radical reworking of the law pertaining to the Internet.Excerpt: Lessig: "I had dinner once with Richard Clark at the table and I said 'is there an equivalent to the Patriot Act -- an iPatriot Act -- just sitting waiting for some substantial event just waiting for them to come have the excuse for radically changing the way the Internet works?' And he said, 'Of course there is' -- and I swear this is what he said, and quote -- 'and Vint Cerf is not going to like it very much.'"Lessig starts talking about it around 4:30 into the video. Law Professor from Stanford University Predicting i-9/11 (Google Video) Source: Boing Boing | 5 Aug 2008 | 9:37 pm Giant online security hole getting fixed, slowly (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Aug 2008 | 9:36 pm Adaptive Path and Mozilla: future of Web-browsing videoDesign firm Adaptive Path worked with Mozilla Labs to create an engaging concept video, titled Aurora, to communicate a forecast of future Web-browing experiences. From Adaptive Path: With Aurora, we set out to define a plausible vision of how technology, the browser, and the Web might evolve in the future by depicting that experience in a variety of real-world contexts.Aurora (adaptive path) Source: Boing Boing | 5 Aug 2008 | 9:20 pm Hot Water, Hot EarthCalopteryx notes a New Scientist article on the discovery of "supercritical" water emerging from a vent in the Atlantic Ocean at 407 deg. C (765 deg. F). One of its discoverers actually said, "It's water, but not as we know it"; it's the hottest water ever found on earth. The cause seems to be a huge bubble of magma beneath the ocean floor, 3 km below the sea surface. Meanwhile Nymz shares a journal entry on a hot spot on land: a 2-acre patch in Ventura county, in California, that has heated up to 433 deg. C (812 deg. F). Here geologists blame buried hydrocarbons burning as they get access to air through cracks in the ground. That high temperature was measured a foot below the ground surface.Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Aug 2008 | 9:13 pm Man lip syncs "Be My Baby" while getting hair cutOddly compelling video of a guy lip-syncing "Be My Baby" while getting his head shaved. (Thanks, Jerry!) Source: Boing Boing | 5 Aug 2008 | 8:57 pm 11 Charged In TJX, Other Breachescoondoggie writes "The Justice Department has charged 11 people in connection with the massive theft of credit card numbers from various retailers, including TJX, BJs and OfficeMax. Authorities say the group charged was involved in the theft of more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers. In an indictment returned today by a federal grand jury in Boston, Albert 'Segvec' Gonzalez, of Miami, was charged with computer fraud, wire fraud, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy for his role in the scheme. Others indicted are from the US, Estonia, China, and Belarus." We've been following the TJX breach since the beginning.Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 5 Aug 2008 | 8:23 pm Feds Charge 11 in Breaches at TJ Maxx, OfficeMax, DSW, OthersA Secret Service investigation wraps up every major retail network breach in the last five years.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Aug 2008 | 7:12 pm 100 Open Source Presentations From OSConJuly's Open Source Convention (OSCon) has come and gone, but inherit to the nature of the movement and in the spirit of sharing, over 100 of the presentations have made it online. Now you don't have to miss out on all the best web standards debates.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Aug 2008 | 7:05 pm Pet Pitbull Cloned in Commercial FirstAn American woman paid $50,000 to have her pet pitbull, Booger, cloned.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Aug 2008 | 6:03 pm MSIs Napoleonic Laptop Conquers Our HeartsThe MSI Wind is no joke. Unlike its netbook brethren, this tiny triumph from MSI is a full fledged notebook with actual, usable features packed into a bite-sized package.Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 Aug 2008 | 5:00 pm Dandelion Rubber Could Replace Rare SourcesThe dandelion's bad rap could be due for a revision.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Aug 2008 | 3:38 pm Suprising Number of Gorillas Counted in CongoA count of lowland gorillas suggests their numbers may be higher than thought.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Aug 2008 | 2:04 pm Dark Energy's Fingerprint Found in Distant GalaxiesThe mysterious force known as dark energy has an unmistakable signature.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Aug 2008 | 1:31 pm Hostile-to-Life Substance Found in Martian SoilThe Phoenix lander detects a reactive salt in Martian soil that could be hostile to life.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Aug 2008 | 1:16 pm SLIDE SHOW: Solar EclipseSpace producer Dave Mosher tells Part II of his Arctic journey to see the total eclipse.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Aug 2008 | 12:36 pm
|
No individual one of these would be particularly noticeable, especially as they’re just background, but sitting here adding them up doesn’t make a pretty picture. What’s with all these dystopias? How is it that we don’t see them that way? Is it really that the message is all about “Earth sucks, better get into space fast”? And if so, is that really a sensible message to be giving young people? Did Heinlein really mean it? And did we really buy into it?
