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Sponsored Post: Connect at home. Connect on the go.This post is sponsored by Verizon. Get Verizon FiOS Internet and Verizon Wireless Service all on ONE-BILL. FiOS has blazingly fast internet speeds, and Verizon Wireless is backed by Americas most reliable...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 7:00 pm Reverse Photoshoping - Celebrities as Zombies (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) There appears to be nothing you cant do with Photoshop, and trends about photo manipulation have been buzzing of late, be it real life Homer Simpson or the what celebrities really...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 4:20 pm Ikea Hacking - Mixing up Ikea Furniture(TrendHunter.com) Ikea Hacking is a simple design concept that is taking the world by storm. In fact, theres even an Ikea Hacking tournament. The concept is that you take a piece of your...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 4:00 pm Iran Launches Rocket to SpaceIranian officials claim their rocket launch was a test to send a satellite to space.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:58 pm Singer Lennox recovering after back surgery (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:45 pm Analog Shutdown Will Kill Free Cell Phone TVImagine catching up on your favorite shows like "The Office" or "Wheel of Fortune", by watching your cell phone free of charge. You can maneuver this feat with an imported Chinese phone, however you're out of luck with a U.S.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:40 pm Torvalds: No Picnic To Become Major Linux CoderJack Spine writes "Linus Torvalds has given an interview to ZDNet.co.uk about the trials and tribulations of becoming a Linux kernel developer. 'Torvalds said that, while it is relatively easy for coders and organisations to contribute small patches, the contribution of large patches, developed in isolation, could lead to both new and established contributors becoming frustrated. "It's definitely not easy to become a 'big contributor'," wrote Torvalds. "For one thing, the kernel is quite complex and big, and it inevitably simply takes time to learn all the rules — not just for the code, but for how the whole development environment works. Similarly, for a new developer, it will take time before people start recognising the name and start trusting the developer to do the right things.""Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:36 pm The Iron PhoneSpotted on Hulger, the Iron Phone concept. By UK based designer Vladimir Rachev.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:35 pm Personal endorsement for Anne Lagacé Dowson, candidate in Westmount-Ville-Marie, Quebec
Earlier this summer, I heard from Anne Lagacé Dowson, a 20-year veteran of CBC Radio who had quit her post to run for the New Democratic Party in a by-election in the Quebec riding of Westmount-Ville-Marie. I've known Anne all my life (literally -- she was my babysitter when I was an infant) and so I was glad to hear that she was doing this amazing thing, but I was even more delighted when she said that her campaign and her party were both passionate about the digital freedoms issues that I campaign on and she asked if I'd be willing to offer her my endorsement.
I've just spent half an hour on the phone with Dowson and I'm happy to say that based on what she told me about her platform, I'm absolutely delighted to offer her my unqualified endorsement. Dowson pointed out that the NDP is the only federal Canadian party with a dedicated digital affairs critic: the always-sharp Charlie Angus, a former punk musician late of the band L'Etranger, who I used to see headlining punk shows when I was a teenager. Angus and the NDP have led the political criticism of the Tory Bill 61, a Canadian version of America's Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a copyright bill that was drafted in secret, without input from Canadian stakeholders, including coalitions of Canadian creators and music labels. The NDP has also led the pack on criticising the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, another secretly negotiated proposal, this time for a global treaty on copyright that would dramatically increase the search, seizure and surveillance obligations to Canada and other signatories, forcing them to spy on everyday individuals to protect the profits of a few giant record companies. Dowson also endorsed the NDP's activism on net neutrality -- Canada's major ISPs, Bell and Rogers, have led the world's Internet companies in a race to the bottom, imposing secret caps, spying on users, blocking protocols, and even blocking downstream ISPs' customers (so that ISPs that buy their backhaul from Bell are subject to the same filtering as Bell's own retail customers). Dowson's riding is close to Outremont, where an NDP candidate upset the longstanding Liberal incumbent, and Dowson's bet her future on a similar result in Westmount-Ville-Marie. She tells me that she's already met people at their doors who told her that issues of digital freedom were key to them, and she points out that the current Liberal opposition has had dozens of opportunities to boot out the truly loathsome and autocratic Tory government and have instead voted with them on issues from Canada's war involvement to Canada's positions on network freedoms.
As mentioned, I've known Anne and her family all my life, and know her to be trustworthy, incisive and principled, an impression reinforced by her impressive reporting on CBC. I'm even more impressed, though, by her sophistication on digital issues. I talk to a lot of politicos in my routine, and it's rare to meet someone who really understands these issues as well as Dowson does. There are only 75,000 voters in Westmount-Ville-Marie; I don't know how many of them read Boing Boing, but if you're in that riding, I hope you'll go to the polls on September 8 and cast your vote for Anne Lagacé Dowson.
Anne Lagacé Dowson
Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:35 pm Toshiba Launches Better DVD Player - E-Gear
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:31 pm Florida Man Sentenced for Video Game Piracy (PC World)PC World -Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:30 pm Acid Rain Molecule Tells AllAn mysterious molecule that transforms acid into other pollutants is caught in the act.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:14 pm Electronic Arts to let Take-Two offer lapse (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:13 pm AT&T Staunchly Defends Ad Targeting - Marketing Vox News
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:01 pm First Android Phone Here by Year's End - Marketing Vox News
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:01 pm eSoft Reaches Major Milestone With SiteFilter(R) CoverageBROOMFIELD, Colo., Aug.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Naturally Advanced Technologies Reports Second Quarter Sales for HTnaturals Sustainable Apparel DivisionPORTLAND, OR, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Metroplex Technology Business Council Recognizes CREDANT Technologies As a Fast 50 Technology CompanyDALLAS, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Metroplex Technology Business Council (MTBC), the largest technology trade organization in Texas, has recognized CREDANT Technologies, the market leader in endpoint data protection solutions, as part of the 2008 Fast 50.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Storage Bridge Bay (SBB) Elects Mark Hall of Xyratex As New ChairmanIntel Developer Forum (IDF) -- The Storage Bridge Bay (SBB) Working Group Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Mark Hall, senior worldwide product manager at Xyratex, as its new Chairman. Hall succeeds Dr. William Dawkins, senior technology strategist in Dell's Office of the CTO.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Conformia Integrates SOA-Based Product/Process Lifecycle Management Into IBM Platform for Pharmaceutical DevelopmentConformia, the market leader and innovator of enterprise solutions for product/process lifecycle management (PPLM) for regulated process manufacturing industries, today announced it has integrated its solution into the IBM platform to provide an end-to-end solution for drug development to the pharmaceutical industry.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Wave to Demonstrate Strong Wireless Network and VPN Security Using Intel(R) vPro(TM) Technology at IDFWave Systems Corp. (NASDAQ:WAVX) will demonstrate how enterprises can strengthen and simplify their existing wireless and virtual private network (VPN) security by harnessing the built-in technology on platforms featuring Intel(R) vPro(TM) technology.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm HP Announces Participation in 2008 Political ConventionsHP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced that it has signed contracts to become the official provider of notebooks and digital output solutions for the Democratic National Convention in Denver and the official provider of mobility and digital output solutions for the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm MPC Introduces Ultra Low-Cost Mobile Notebook for Education MarketNAMPA, Idaho, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- MPC Computers today announced the availability of the TXTbook(TM) (http://www.mpccorp.com/products/notebooks/txtbook.html) PC, an ultra affordable mobile notebook computer designed primarily for the K-6 education market.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm HiWired's Tech Experts Ready to Help Seniors With Computer Repair, Set-Up and TroubleshootingNEEDHAM, Mass., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- HiWired Inc., a leader in remote technical support and computer repair, announces a 20% senior citizen discount beginning on September 7th and extending through October 31, 2008, in honor of Grandparent's Day.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm 28TEL Challenges Skype With 'Mobility on VOIP'Free Mobile International Calls Are Now Available in The U.S.; No Software, No Internet Access Needed HONG KONG, Aug. 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Linkwell International...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Lithium Technology Corp. Signs Marketing Agreement for Advanced Motor Sports ApplicationsPLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lithium Technology Corporation ("LTC") (Pink Sheets: LTHU) and Hybrid Racing AG have entered into an...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Altair Announces Keynote Speakers and Dates for its Annual Americas HyperWorks Technology ConferenceMore than 30 industry presenters anchor this complimentary, must-attend event for today's advanced manufacturers interested in driving innovation with simulation TROY,...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Wanted: Avid Photographers and Nature LoversThe Annual 2008 Share the Experience Photo Contest Challenges Photo Enthusiasts to Explore, Experience and Capture America's Federal Lands WASHINGTON, Aug. 18...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Deseret Health Group to Take Quality of Care to New Levels by Deploying Voice-Assisted Care Across Its 11-Facility EnterpriseProductivity improvements with voice-assisted care to direct more time to resident care and drive operating efficiency PITTSBURGH, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Vocollect...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Hop-on Targets NFL TeamsIRVINE, Calif., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hop-on, Inc. (Pink Sheets: HPNN) announced today that it has signed an agreement to showcase their HOP1800 Disposable...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Majesco Entertainment Announces Motorcycle Racer 'Powerbike' For Nintendo DS(TM)EDISON, N.J., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- It's time to rev the engine, kick the clutch and gun it to the finish line as Majesco Entertainment Company (Nasdaq:...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Sony Electronics Announced as U.S. Reseller of Harris Corporation's Zandar(TM) QS100HD Quad(TM) 'Multiviewer in a Card' SolutionCINCINNATI, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information technology company, announced that Sony...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Reminds Parents that CHIP Can Help Children Have a Healthy School YearBack-to-School Outreach Involves Pharmacies, Retailers HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 18...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm Oracle's PeopleSoft Enterprise Student Administration Integration Pack Now AvailableFirst Product in Oracle's Academic Enterprise Solutions Suite Integrates Back-office and Learning Management Systems for Higher Education Institutions REDWOOD SHORES,...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:59 pm Legal teeth for open source license - InfoWorld
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:58 pm Obama's Evolving Stance On NASAmknewman writes "The Houston Chronicle is reporting a change in Obama's stance on NASA, saying his position on space exploration continued to evolve Sunday as the Illinois Democrat endorsed a congressional plan to add $2 billion to NASA's budget and agreed to back at least one more space shuttle mission."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:49 pm Lenovo ThinkPad X301 Gets New Intel Parts - PC Magazine
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:48 pm A collection of worn out jeans showing the traces of mobile techHere's something out of the uh, ordinary. Aram Bartholl' collection of "his worn out pair of jeans showing the traces of mobile tech development in society". ... In "The Medium is the Massage", McLuhan...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:47 pm Palm Vein ID Scan Makes U.S. DebutU.S. business school applicants will soon submit hand vein scans to verify their identities.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:35 pm Marks & Spencer under fire for school blazer that hides iPodAccording to an article in Saturday's UK Telegraph, Marks & Spencer has been criticised by Britain's biggest teaching union for launching a school blazer which will help pupils secretly listen...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:23 pm Rumor: New Tony Hawk Game For The DS Could Include Motion Sensor ControlsBy Andrew Liszewski According to gaming site Maxconsole, the next Tony Hawk game for the Nintendo DS could incorporate a motion and tilt sensing control scheme. A new game has appeared at the Australia...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:11 pm Rik Roll: What A Second Life Resident Looks LikeOften in mainstream media interviews I'm asked if the typical Second Life user is an anti-social housebound dweller who only logs into SL because they don't have a first life. The assumption has always...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:04 pm Visual Search Engine Tracks Stolen ImagesBarence writes "A new visual search engine could help photographers keep track of their photographs whenever, and wherever, they appear on the internet. The TinEye search engine allows users to search by uploading a picture rather than typing in a keyword. It then conducts a pixel by pixel search across the internet, flagging up all instances of that image even if it's been cropped, merged or digitally altered in some way. It's not just for copyright enforcement though, "it's being used by researchers who need to find where an image came from to provide attribution, even people who are trying to find out who people are in old photos." It's currently in beta, but you can try it out."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:04 pm The New Mint.com Launches: Site Redesigned, But Still No Data UploadWhen Mint.com launched, they were taking a big risk - would people trust a web app to manage their finances online? Web 2.0 apps don't necessarily have a reputation as offering hardened security. However,...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:00 pm 30" Cinema DisplayThe price per-pixel of flat-screen computer display continues to drop. At the same time the per-pixel price difference between different size models of large screens currently being sold has...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:00 pm You don't know tech: The InfoWorld news quiz (InfoWorld)InfoWorld - This was a strange week in tech. How strange? Scientists revealed they've figured out how to bend light beams, but major corporations still can't deliver reliable e-mail, mapping, or high-speed wireless services.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:00 pm Pandora can't make money, may pull the plug - Ars Technica
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 12:52 pm Not so smart cards easily hacked - Christian Science Monitor
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 12:43 pm Dropped calls plague iPhone 3G, and not just in U.S. (USATODAY.com)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Aug 2008 | 12:19 pm Seattle Flushes $5M High-Tech Toiletstheodp writes "Hopes were high back in 2004 as Seattle's posh public potties opened for business. But four years later, city officials have said good riddance to the five high-tech toilets, self-cleaning and cylindrical, that had cost Seattle $5 million. The city unloaded them on eBay for just $12,549. The commodes had become filthy hide-outs for drug use and prostitution."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 18 Aug 2008 | 12:18 pm Canadians ready to battle Canadian DMCA in the fallWhen Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice finally introduced his Canadian version of the disastrous American Digital Millennium Copyright Act in June, he clearly hoped that the widespread outrage over his one-sided, punishing legislation would evaporate over the summer, leaving him free to sneak it through in the fall session of Parliament. But as CTV reports, the summer has been a long, hot one for Prentice, with tens of thousands of Canadians continuing to spread the word about the bill, getting ready to make war on it the second Parliament's doors open:Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal held a town hall meeting last month to discuss the controversial legislation after his office was flooded with letters from concerned constituents.Copyright crusaders to launch cyber campaign (via /.)
See also:
Update: Michael Geist adds, "if you're looking for a summary about how the bill kills many everyday consumer uses, I cover the issue in today's Toronto Star." Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 12:06 pm http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/T/TEC_FREE_MOBILE_TV?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-08-18-07-34-15Out-of sync development timelines between TV and cell phones over the past decade or so had a lot to do with the fact that free broadcasts are virtually unavailable on mobile handsets in the U.S. But the conversion to digital next February will shut down any possibility for at least some time to come.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Aug 2008 | 11:34 am Barack Obama’s Plan For NASA: $2 Billion To Close Space Gap - eFluxMedia
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 11:02 am A Complete and Current Analytical Account of the Polyethylene Terephthalate Market, 2008Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5c2ef0/polyethylene_terep) has announced the addition of the "Polyethylene Terephthalate Market Outlook 2008" report to their offering.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 11:00 am Westlake Chemical Declares Increased Quarterly Dividend of 5.25 Cents Per ShareHOUSTON, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The board of directors of Westlake Chemical Corporation declared on Friday a dividend of 5.25 cents per share, payable on September 12, 2008, to stockholders of record on August 28, 2008.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 11:00 am Georgia Says 230,000 Ha of Forest Destroyed in Fire Caused By Russian BombsText of report by private Georgian news agency Kavkas-Press Tbilisi, 18 August: A fire at Georgia's Borjomi-Kharagauli nature reserve has been partially contained and no longer threatens to spread towards settled areas, Environment Minister Irakli Ghvaladze, who is at the scene, told journalists today.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 11:00 am Chinese Agency Report on Premier Wen Jiabao's Inspection Tour of NingxiaText of report by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency); subheadings as received [By staff reporters Zhao Cheng and Wang Cunli: "Affectionate Care, Ardent Expectations - Travel Notes on Premier Wen Jiabao's Inspection Tour of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region"] Yinchuan, 17 Aug (Xinhua) - On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Wen Jiabao, member of the Standing Committee of the CCP Central Committee Political Bureau and premier of the State Council, visited factories, enterprises, farmland, and residents in Ningxia to cordially convey his greetings to the cadres and masses of various nationalities and to discuss plans for Ningxia's future development with them.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 11:00 am TV Remains Top Source of News Even As Online GrowsFewer Americans are reading newspapers and are instead getting their news online, but television remains the leading source of news in the country, according to the Pew Research Center's biannual survey on news consumption habits.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Aug 2008 | 10:36 am Asian markets mostly lower as oil prices reboundAsian markets were mostly lower Monday, as mainland Chinese shares sank to a 20-month low on heavy selling by investors disappointed over a lack of new market-boosting measures.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 10:29 am Data security: What the law requires of IT (InfoWorld)InfoWorld - For most IT organizations, securing corporate data against compromise is priority No. 1. Girding the enterprise against breaches is a constant, thankless task requiring foresight, vigilance, and much in the way of IT expenditures. Keep up with the latest threats, or find your company in the headlines -- and your job on the line.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Aug 2008 | 10:00 am Smart Self-Service ScalesRoland Piquepaille writes "German researchers have developed intelligent self-service scales for supermarkets, able to recognize fruit or vegetables placed on them (photo). The scales automatically recognize the item being weighed and ask the customer to choose between only those icons that are relevant, such as various kinds of tomatoes. The scales are equipped with a camera and an image evaluation algorithm that compares the image of the item on the scale with images stored in its database. Store managers can add items to the database. The scales are now being tested in about 300 supermarkets across Europe."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 18 Aug 2008 | 9:56 am Japanese shares gain on bank, real estate issuesJapanese shares opened the week with solid gains Monday, encouraged by a rebound among real estate and bank issues.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 9:48 am Reminder: Comic Book Legal Defense Fund benefit in NYC on ThursdayA quick reminder that there are still some tickets left for Thursday's benefit gig in NYC with DJ Spooky, all proceeds to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund:Cory Doctorow Meets DJ Spooky: A CBLDF Benefit Mashup! Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 9:29 am Palm inadvertently leaked its latest Palm smartphone onto the Internet - DailyTech
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 9:27 am Transcript of my talk on "Life in the Information Economy"Greg Young sez, "Had some time on my hands recently which I've filled by transcribing the Cambridge business lecture you gave recently. (Having found it interesting, but being a rather 'auditory' thinker who finds it difficult to indulge my own mental flights from the taking-off point of your speech while the speech itself is actually playing.)"Back when I posted this the first time around, many of you asked for a transcript. Many thanks to Greg for this yeoman service! Cory Doctorow's Cambridge Business Lecture, given 22nd July, 2008
See also: My Cambridge Business Lectures talk on "Life in the Information Economy" Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 9:25 am The US government must now decide whether it will overlook ... - DailyTech
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 18 Aug 2008 | 8:26 am Company Targets the Chemistry SetBy Doran, Ryan If you're not part of the solution, as the saying goes, you're part of the precipitate. And in a global economy, it pays to know what's in both and whether the chemical equation will fly in Germany and Italy.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am CTC System Focuses on Training New Chemical WorkersBy Darst, Paul Working in a chemical plant is a lot more complicated than it used to be. Today's plant operators need to have math and science skills. as well as knowledge about the machinery and processes used in the industry.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Going Organic: Pioneering Spirit Alive and Well in Hidden Springs Community Farm -- Community FocusBy Hosefros, Paul; Beach, Roxanne Gail The pioneer spirit of the Oregon Trail across Idaho seems well and alive in the organic farming efforts of Treasure Valley.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 8:00 am Ray Bradbury's futuristic prune commercialInuvikphil sez, "'In the future, man will travel in pneumatic tubes Also, apparently, eat prunes!' So nice to see authors in commercials. Ray Bradbury comes across as really personable here." Ray Bradbury Prunes Commercial (Thanks, Inuvikphil!) Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 7:49 am Science Weekly podcast: Music and the brain; plus evolutionary psychologyIs music just "auditory cheescake" or can it provide deep insights into the workings of the brain and the evolution of language. From the New Zealand haka to raves and dancing birds, James Randerson investigatesSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 7:27 am Bacteria played a role in 1918 pandemic flu deaths, scientists sayThe virus triggered a violent immune response that injured the lungs, making them a target for bacterial infection, two studies say. The findings may guide preparations for future outbreaks. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Record labels seek more action on Rock Band and Guitar HeroThe firms deserve a bigger piece of the profit from music titles, Warner CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. says. Many music...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Medical marijuana: What does science say?A look at the pros and cons of medical marijuana use, a topic that inspires strong opinions on both sides. DEPENDING...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 7:00 am Steampunk gallery show in the HamptonsTor's award-winning art director Irene Gallo's been to the steampunk gallery show in the Hamptons (which sports work by some of my favorite steampunk makers, including Jake von Slatt, Roger Wood and Datamancer) and come back wiht a short and glowing review:Steampunk in the Hamptons, Steampunk Art And Design Makes Hamptons Debut Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 6:46 am Vintage auto emblem gallery Murilee Martin's come back from the Monterey Historic Automobile Races with a sweet gallery of the automobile emblems and ornaments of yesteryear, when cars were wonderful. Not Just Engines At Monterey: Emblems, Chrome, And Shiny Baubles! (Thanks, Murilee!) Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 6:43 am Secure File Storage Over Non-Trusted FTP?hmckee writes "Does any software exist that enables me to store/backup/sync files from my local computer to a non-trusted FTP site? To accomplish this, I'm using a script to check timestamps, encrypt and sign the files individually, then copy each file to an offsite FTP directory. I've looked over many different tools (Duplicity, Amanda, Bacula, WinSCP, FileZilla) but none of them seem to do exactly what I want: (1) multi-platform (Windows and Linux), stand-alone client (can be run from a portable drive). (2) Secure backup (encrypted and signed) to non-trusted FTP site. (3) Sync individual files without saving to a giant tar file. (4) Securely store timestamps and file names on the FTP server. Any help or info on alternative solutions appreciated."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 18 Aug 2008 | 6:26 am Howard Zinn's "A People's History of American Empire" graphic novel
Howard Zinn's A People's History of American Empire is a fantastic comic-book adaptation of Zinn's classic A People's History of the United States (the best and most important critical history of the life of everyday people in America from 1492 onward), a new edition illustrated by Mike Konopacki and aided by historian Paul Buhle. American Empire focuses on the history of American foreign policy, starting with the policy of conquering America itself, with brutal massacres like Wounded Knee.
Zinn is an uncompromising critic of the imperial history of America, the unilateral deeds of its leaders, the atrocities committed by its military and its contractors through Asia, Africa, Europe, and around the world. But the book is also part memoir, describing the emotional commitment to democracy and America that led him to join the military and fight in WWII in Europe -- a campaign that ended with the first-ever napalm drop on a village in France, roasting surrendered German soldiers waiting to be taken away to a POW camp. Zinn is a fierce lover of democracy, of justice, and of freedom, and he makes it clear that America is a land divided by dreams of affluence (no matter the global cost) and dreams of liberty for all. As a wise man once said, "All countries fail to live up to their ideals. America fails to live up to better ideals than most." We can't forgive or forget the atrocities of Iran-Contra, My Lai, Wounded Knee, or the many other shameful moments in American imperial history, because the price of forgetfulness is fresh horrors, in Abu Ghraib, in Guantanamo, in Afghanistan. Zinn shows us that loving American means taming her, controlling the plutocrats who assert the unilateral power to crush dissent, act in secret and go to war.
The comic book form is a great way of delivering this message, the spreads mix text, cartoons, reproductions of historical documents and photos, making the whole thing visual, dynamic, and absolutely captivating.
A People's History of American Empire
Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 5:31 am How to persuade customer service reps to help youHere's a clever tip for getting customer service reps to help you with a sticky problem that will require extra effort on their part. It's from Noah Goldestein, a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and the author of Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive (co-authored by by Robert B. Cialdini, who wrote the terrific book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion).If you've ever contested a mysterious charge on your credit card, tried to resolve a problem with your computer, or wanted to return an item to a vendor, you've probably encountered stubborn customer service agents -- people who seem nice at the outset but change their tune when they realize complying with your request will cause additional work on their part. To change their orientation toward you, try the following: If you find toward the beginning of your interaction that the customer service agent is being particularly friendly, polite, or responsive -- perhaps before you get to your toughest request -- tell the agent that you're so impressed with his or her service and knowledge so far that you're going to write a positive letter or e-mail about your interaction to his or her supervisor as soon as you get off the phone. After getting the agent's name and the supervisor's contact information, you can then get to the more complex issues at hand.Trouble with customer service agents? Try this Source: Boing Boing | 18 Aug 2008 | 5:27 am Kind to Your SkinIf you like to watch what's in your beauty products, two new chemical-free brands are now available at Calcot Manor spa near Tetbury. The Spiezia facial uses organic home-grown products from a Cornish farm.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 5:00 am Agriculture Needs ICT BoostBy Ahmad Kushairi INTEGRATING information and communications technology (ICT) into local agriculture is one of the efforts that will be taken by the Government to help make agriculture the third-biggest sector of the economy.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 5:00 am Stuart in the Frame for AwardBy Sam Wood THE Glendale Agricultural Society will be naming the winner of its enterprise award in just over a week's time. The award - along with pounds 500 prize money - will be given to a new enterprise established by a farm business in Northumberland.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 18 Aug 2008 | 5:00 am Forget HD DVD: Toshiba focuses on plain old DVD (AP)AP - After losing out in the battle to define the high-definition successor of the DVD, Toshiba Corp. has turned its attention to the next best thing: the DVD.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Aug 2008 | 4:18 am Forget HD DVD: Toshiba focuses on plain old DVDAfter losing out in the battle to define the high-definition successor of the DVD, Toshiba Corp. has turned its attention to the next best thing: the DVD.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 18 Aug 2008 | 4:10 am Injured? Horsing Around With Stem Cells May Get You Back in the SaddleDoctors might soon be able to regrow injured muscles, tendons and bones without invasive surgery, simply by injecting a person's own stem cells into the site of an injury. Veterinarians are already doing it with injured horses, and research into human applications is well under way. The National Institutes for Health seem to think regenerating human muscle and bone using a person's own adult stem cells is nearly ready for prime time. Last week, the NIH announced to its staff that it's creating a bone marrow-stem cell transplant center within the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Researchers at the NIH labs in Bethesda, Maryland, are already growing human muscle, cartilage and spinal disks in vitro. The tissue isn't mechanically sound yet, says lead researcher Rocky Tuan, but that will come with further work. "I have a piece of tissue that looks like a spinal disc, a sand bag, tough as nails on the outside and like sand on the inside," says Tuan, a Ph.D. and the senior investigator in the Cartilage and Orthopedics branch of the NIAMS. "The mechanical properties are lousy, but it's a beginning." While the use of stem cells harvested from human embryos has been getting the most media attention, scientists and doctors have also been working with adult stem cells that also have the ability to become one with their environment and to replicate as cells of their adopted tissue. Using adult stem cells -- grown inside the body or in the lab -- has become accepted in the veterinary community, and horses have benefited greatly. Researchers are working to bring those same benefits to humans, but there are still hurdles left to clear. The NIH project comes in part from what veterinarians have learned from injecting adult stem cells into valuable horses who've suffered injuries. In many cases, those horses' careers were saved when the stem cells regrew damaged tendons and ligaments. Rodrigo Vazquez, a Southern California veterinarian, has been using adult stem cells to regrow damaged muscles in horses for several years. It's a fairly common procedure in the veterinary arena, and the results are impressive: One of Vazquez's patients is participating in this year's Olympics Dressage events; another is a prize-winning jumper. The procedure is simple and straightforward. Inside a surgical suite at his equine hospital, Vazquez removes blood full of adult stem cells from the sternum of the anesthetized horse. Then he rolls his stool to the other end of the horse, where ultrasound data has helped guide needles into the exact areas on the rear leg where the beautiful horse's ligaments are torn. He injects the stem cells into those spots. "A few years ago, these injuries were career-ending," Vazquez says. Not any more. "In a month, the torn tissue will be completely regrown and healed." Vazquez would like to put himself in his patients' place. He has had surgery several times for spinal injuries he incurred while lifting horses. Human medicine, unable to regrow or heal the injured spine, simply fuses the bone and tissue through a surgical procedure. At best, the surgery relieves some of the pain and restores some mobility. But it's not a true repair. "I wish I could have had a procedure like this," Vazquez says of the treatment he gives horses. "This will lead to human treatments, but they can't move as fast as we can." Tuan, who is using stem cells to cultivate experimental tendons and disks in his lab, thinks it's about time to look to treating humans. An emerging body of scientific studies from all over the world -- including a cardiac study under way in Miami and a pediatric ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) study at the Harvard-affiliated Children's Hospital of Boston -- is showing that using a patient's own stem cells can prompt the growth of new muscle, from the knee to the heart. And the precursor step, using platelet-rich plasma for injuries, is on the verge of becoming mainstream. Adult stem cells, particularly mesenchymal cells that come from muscle, bone and fat, are cells with a powerful ability to replicate and not a lot of personal identity. They easily take on the characteristics of surrounding cells and they tend to grow quickly once they get there. Ultrasounds of Vazquez's horses, for example, show regeneration of muscle in four to six weeks. 
The final product is this cartilage-like tissue grown around the scaffolding by NIH scientists. Tuan says the tissue resembles the human version, but may not be mechanically sound -- yet.
Courtesy NIAMS Adult stem cells can be found all over the body, in bone and marrow. Tuan says they're also found in tonsils and in the placenta and umbilical cord, which suggest that the discarded body parts can be stored for later use. Because researchers are using autologous cells -- from the patient's own body -- the research is not controversial. No one has challenged the ethics or funding of adult stem cell research the way embryonic stem cell studies have been challenged. And because adult stem cells are native to the patient's own body, the chances of a patient rejecting them are slim to none. Tuan and his team have been able to coach adult stem cells to form muscle and disks using goo from the small intestine and a polymer scaffold to tell cells how to grow. But, he cautions, the primitive structures aren't ready to go into humans. "After a few weeks (of lab growth), it will turn into something that resembles a tendon, but it has to be the mechanical equivalent and we don't know that we're there," Tuan says. "Stem cells are very promising, but what they do for horses may not work so well for humans because humans are the hardest animal to rebuild." Once they're perfected, Tuan sees a day when the tendons will change the dreaded surgery for torn anterior cruciate ligaments that sideline up to a quarter-million people in the United States and Canada every year. "Often, that injury is a complete tear -- the ligament is snapped in two and the ends ball up and even if you untangle them and pull them together, they won't heal," he says. "So they take part of the patella tendon, which is short and tough, and stretch it and staple it to the bones. So not only is your ACL not working too well and you have to stretch it out, but your knee hurts like crazy." "If we can learn to grow a tendon that works right, or figure out how to make the ACL heal back together, we can save a lot of people a lot of pain," he says. In fact, doctors are already treating people with adult stem cells. Bone marrow transplants for cancer patients are basically stem cell therapy. But the marrow often comes from other people, and its primary purpose is to boost a weakened immune system, not to generate tissue. And treating with platelet-rich plasma -- a blood product made by spinning a patient's blood in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets -- is already in limited use and is becoming more widely accepted as a safe therapy. PRP is routinely used in cardiac surgery, where applying it to a cut sternum before closing has been shown to cut the infection rate in half. The plasma has growth factors that also promote healing. "PRP helps recruit stem cells to the injury," says Dr. Allan Mishra, who has used PRP on its own and as part of surgery in sports injuries -- including treating tennis elbow and getting Stanford football player James McGillicuddy's patellar tendon to heal after his second surgery. "The body knows how to heal itself -- we're speeding up and concentrating the process." Last year, Mishra wrapped up a study where he used platelet-rich plasma to treat the 20 worst tennis-elbow injuries he'd culled from more than 100 volunteers. "Ninety-three percent got better with a single injection and stayed better for two years," Mishra says. The treatments are about one-tenth of the cost of surgery, or about $2,000 to $2,500, he says. The patient's blood is drawn, centrifuged by a specialist called a perfusionist, and injected, all in one visit. "I will guess that five years from now, insurance companies won't authorize surgery until the patient has tried and failed at PRP." The obvious next step is to isolate the stem cells and send them to work, both inside and outside the body, researchers say. "PRP is reparative. Stem cells are regenerative," says Angela Nava, a perfusionist who processes both animal and human blood for PRP, stem cell and other procedures. But getting from animals to humans is going to take a lot more research, according to Dr. Thomas Rando, an associate professor of neurology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Rando studies the body's signaling systems that tell stem cells what to do. "We don't always know how stem cells, when injected into some tissues, work their magic," Rando said. "Veterinarians don't go back and study the horse's tendons to figure out what the stem cells did to promote healing." "There are all kinds of ways stem cells could work. If we could understand how they are actually promoting better function of the tissue, we might be able to further improve their therapeutic effects," he adds. Stem cell treatment is not without risks, researchers say. The worst-case scenario is that the stem cells could cause cancer -- or become cancerous themselves. "You're putting in cells that want to grow. That has to be under control," Rando says. "Or we can end up with cancer." Tuan also says that researchers don't entirely trust stem cells and their ability to adapt and grow. "There's a nagging feeling that there's a cancer stem cell, that when it's agitated by exposure to carcinogens or radiation or something, it goes nuts, and that we can't identify it from the other stem cells," he says. "How do you find this bad boy and pull him out? "And there's a nagging worry it's the same cell. We only know these cells by what they've done, and by the time they've become cancer, it's too late."
Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Aug 2008 | 4:00 am Dell Loses Bid To Trademark "Cloud Computing"1sockchuck writes "The USPTO has issued a 'non-final determination' refusing Dell's request to trademark the term 'cloud computing' (we discussed the application earlier), finding that the term is generic and 'therefore incapable of functioning as a source-identifier for applicant's services.' According to Data Center Knowledge, 'Dell has the option of filing a response to submit arguments to dispute the USPTO examiner's findings.'" Here is the USPTO's ruling. A week and a half ago the PTO cancelled its 'notice of allowance' for the mark, a move little remarked upon at the time.Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 18 Aug 2008 | 3:17 am Mimicking Photosynthesis To Split Waterplantsdoitsocanwe writes "An international team of researchers led by Monash University has used chemicals found in plants to replicate a key process in photosynthesis, paving the way to a new approach that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The breakthrough could revolutionize the renewable energy industry by making hydrogen — touted as the clean, green fuel of the future — cheaper and easier to produce on a commercial scale." This was a laboratory demonstration only and the researchers say they need to bring up the efficiency.Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:19 am Aug. 18, 1947: Birth of the Cool (Company, That Is)1947: Eight years after its founding, Hewlett-Packard incorporates. The tiny garage in Palo Alto, California, where the company originated is now regarded as the birthplace of Silicon Valley. Plenty of rock bands have come out of garages, and Jobs and Wozniak noodled around in one with their goofy little computer, too, but Hewlett-Packard must be considered the mother of all garage productions. Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard met as engineering students at Stanford back in the early '30s and cemented their lifelong friendship during a post-graduation camping trip. Packard went off to take a job with General Electric, while Hewlett went on to postgraduate studies. They were reunited by Stanford prof Fred Terman, who encouraged the two to "make a run for it." With a nut of $500 in cash, borrowed from Terman, plus a used Sears, Roebuck drill press, Hewlett-Packard swung into action in the small shed behind Packard's modest house at 367 Addison Ave. The company's first product, released in 1938, was an audio oscillator used for testing sound equipment. When the Walt Disney Company bought eight of them to develop the technically advanced movie Fantasia, HP was off-and-running. Packard and Hewlett (and that's the last time you'll see the names in that order) made the partnership permanent Jan. 1, 1939. The formal name was determined by the gracious winner of a coin toss. Even though Packard won the toss, he apparently liked the way "Hewlett-Packard" sounded, so they went with that. He never had reason to regret the choice. Hewlett-Packard's rise as a tech powerhouse is a story that's been told ad nauseam. The electronics products were first-rate and eagerly embraced. Want became need with the coming of World War II, and HP quickly grew, moving out of Packard's garage in 1940. But the company was innovative in another, perhaps less-known way, that's equally important. Thanks to the humanistic sensibilities of Messrs. Hewlett and Packard, HP also demonstrated a new type of management technique, one that placed a premium on the workers and their happiness. This open-management style was the prototype for how many technology companies, particularly in Silicon Valley, would operate decades later. Packard, especially, was interested in fostering a relaxed working atmosphere. In practicing "management by walking around," he devised what became known as his 11 simple rules. He also practiced what he preached. Once, when an engineer defied his direct order to stop work on an oscilloscope that later became a commercial success, Packard had a special medal struck -- "Extraordinary Contempt and Defiance Beyond the Usual Call of Engineering" -- for the man. HP further softened the hierarchy by establishing open cubicles and not putting doors on management offices. It also provided medical coverage to its employees at a time when that was not generally done. Source: Hewlett-Packard
Source: Wired Top Stories | 18 Aug 2008 | 1:00 am Bono blamed for unreleased U2 songs on Internet (CNET)CNET - The next time U2 manager Paul McGuinness wants to rant about music piracy on the Internet, he may have to add his own boss to his list of targets.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 18 Aug 2008 | 12:30 am Canadians Battling Proposed Canadian DMCAAn anonymous reader writes "CTV reports on how Canadians are fighting back against the Canadian DMCA. Led by Michael Geist, the Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook group is nearing 90,000 members. There are local chapters, a YouTube contest, wikis, and people writing letters and organizing rallies against the copyright bill. Geist said, 'When you get tens of thousands of Canadians speaking out like this, there's big political risk for any political party who chooses to ignore it.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 17 Aug 2008 | 11:24 pm Jonathan Glancey visits Northumberland's Kielder ObservatoryIt is the darkest place in England. The Kielder Forest, occupying 250 square miles and situated just where Northumberland brushes against Scotland, has the lowest levels of light pollution in the country...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 17 Aug 2008 | 11:09 pm Editorial: Collaboration is the new revolutionSir Thomas More's description of Utopia as a place where "nobody owns anything, but everyone is rich" is not a bad way to describe the open source movement in which people around the world collaborate...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 17 Aug 2008 | 11:08 pm Web networking: MySpace invader does businessA new British dotcom start-up will today take on the might of Silicon Valley in the booming market of social networks aimed at people in business with the launch of Talkbiznow.com.Following the success...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 17 Aug 2008 | 11:05 pm TV remains top source of news even as online grows (AP)AP - Fewer Americans are reading newspapers and are instead getting their news online, but television remains the leading source of news in the country, according to a survey released Sunday.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2008 | 10:36 pm Study: TV News Still Trumps the WebFewer Americans are reading newspapers and are instead getting their news online, but television remains the leading source of news in the country, according to a survey released Sunday.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2008 | 10:36 pm Getting Human Hands Back Into Digital DesignHugh Pickens writes "Using computers to model the physical world has become increasingly common as products as diverse as cars and planes, pharmaceuticals and cellphones are almost entirely conceived, specified, and designed on a computer screen. Typically, only when these creations are nearly ready for mass manufacturing are prototypes made. But the NYTimes is running an interesting essay highlighting a little-noticed movement in the world of professional design and engineering: a renewed appreciation for manual labor, or innovating with the aid of human hands. 'A lot of people get lost in the world of computer simulation,' says Bill Burnett, executive director of the product design program at Stanford. 'You can't simulate everything.' Fifty years ago, tinkering with gadgets was routine for people drawn to engineering and invention, and making refinements with your own hands means 'you have to be extremely self-critical,' says Richard Sennett, whose book The Craftsman examines the importance of skilled manual labor. Even in highly abstract fields, like the design of next-generation electronic circuits, some people believe that hands-on experiences can enhance creativity. 'You need your hands to verify experimentally a technology that doesn't exist,' says Mario Paniccia, director of Intel's photonics technology lab."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 17 Aug 2008 | 10:12 pm Analog TV shutdown kills free cell-phone TV (AP)AP - Picture whipping out your cell phone and catching up with "Lost" or "Jeopardy," or watching the local 11 o'clock news, all for free.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2008 | 6:35 pm How the Daily Show's PVRs workA former Daily Show researcher has weighted in on this PVRBlog post, detailing the PVR setup used by the show:When TiVo footage is needed for TDS that day (i.e., every day), the clips are dubbed off to Beta tape and brought to an editing bay. Yup, sneakernet. Sounds like a lot of work, right? It is. I wouldn't be surprised if the show upgrades to a networked PVR system -- especially with an imminent move to HD -- but I don't know what their plans are.The Daily Show and their TiVos Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2008 | 6:33 pm Happy Birthday, Compact Disc. Now Go AwayOn Aug. 17, 1982, Sony and Philips Consumer Electronics released the first CDs to the German public, forever changing the way music would be distributed, marketed, consumed and appreciated. But the CD's era has come to an end.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2008 | 3:08 pm Building a World 101: Ask the Right QuestionsIn the second post of the series on how to build a world, Geekdad talks about the importance of asking questions about your new world as a starting point.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2008 | 2:00 pm
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