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Text of Paulson PlanHere is the full text of the Paulson/Treasury plan as sent to congress late yesterday. It is deliberately vague, of course, which will makes its Congressional ride a roller-coaster. At least as importantly,...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 8:41 pm Horseshoes for Humans - Ponyplay Iron-Clad Shoes (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The clip-clop you hear may not be from a horse--Punitiveshoes PonyPlay & More line of shoes and boots are made with quality leather and can be purchased with or without real iron...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 8:39 pm Sex in Space - The 62-Mile High Club (VIDEO)(TrendHunter.com) The mile-high club is due for an upgrade--every planet has its luxury limits. NASA has distanced itself from the rumblings and rumors of sex in space, but that hasnt stopped the dialogue...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 8:19 pm Personalized McMansion Dollhouses - Pine Island Replica Houses (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Mark Turpins Pine Island Collection of miniature architectural replicas of houses are extraordinary. The attention to detail and absolute luxury of the dcor is truly exquisite. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:59 pm Snail-Inspired Motorcycle Covers - The Protect 486 Scooter Shell (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Spanish designer Marc Graells Ballve has come up with a creative concept inspired by Mother Nature that protects your motorcycle or scooter from both being stolen and bad weather...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:39 pm Jeremy Gutsche and TrendHunter.com Featured in The Globe and Mail(TrendHunter.com) Jeremy Gutsche was featured in the Globe and Mail, in a lengthy profile that covered the fashion section. The profile comes in within a week of Jeremy Gutsche's appearance on FOX...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:34 pm Giant Vehicular Robot Art - Project Transformers (VIDEO)(TrendHunter.com) For his Project Transformers, Swiss and French artist Guillaume Reymond literally orchestrates a veritable fleet of cars, buses, ambulances, and fire trucks to form various Transformers...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:19 pm Transgender Job Discrimination - Diane Schroer Wins Lawsuit(TrendHunter.com) A transgendered woman, who lost a job offer because of her sexual status, has won a potentially groundbreaking sex discrimination lawsuit. Diane Schroer was offered a job at the...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 6:59 pm Microsoft Ad Makeovers - Brand New "I'm a PC" Commercials (VIDEO)(TrendHunter.com) The Microsoft ad saga continues after the first two underwhelming Jerry Seinfeld/Bill Gates ads made Microsoft pull the plug. They have introduced three new ads which attempt to reclaim...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 6:39 pm Pedal-Powered Compost Turners - Clean Energy for Green Gardens (VIDEO)(TrendHunter.com) While there are people out there who consider just turning a compost tumbler too much hard work, Team Broken Spokes is riding the extra mile for composting with their pedal-powered...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 6:19 pm Endeavour Rolled Out As Rescue Ship - Slashdot
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 5:34 pm How Telcos and ISPs Are Preparing For a Pandemicalphadogg writes "Network operators and IT professionals already worried about how hurricanes and financial meltdowns will impact their work lives can add another potential catastrophe to their list of concerns: a global pandemic. During a panel sponsored by the FCC in Washington, D.C. this week, representatives from telecom carriers and ISPs discussed what steps they've been taking to prepare for the mass outbreak of a disease such as influenza, and also described the needs and challenges they would have to meet to keep communications up and running during a major global crisis. The most important tool at ISPs' disposal during a serious pandemic, panelists agreed, was that of network and bandwidth management controls."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 5:18 pm Suspect Nabbed in Palin E-mail Hack (NewsFactor)NewsFactor - In the wake of hacking the Yahoo! e-mail account of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Web sleuths and the Feds may have nabbed the perpetrator. Meanwhile, Associated Press reporters were apparently in e-mail conversation with the suspect even as authorities were attempting to track him down.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 20 Sep 2008 | 4:22 pm Activision Goes After Individual Game Piratesbrunascle writes "Activision has begun suing individual pirates of console games. Edge Online is reporting that they are going after a New York resident for allegedly copying Call of Duty 3 for the Xbox 360 and other games, seeking $30,000 to $150,000 in damages for each infringement. GamePolitics has also uncovered six other lawsuits with settlements between $1,000 and $100,000, in five of which the defendant was unrepresented." Activision's lawyers specifically told GamePolitics that the lawsuit wasn't targeting file-sharers, so they probably mean that the alleged pirate was reproducing and distributing physical copies of the game. The court complaint is available here (PDF).Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 4:19 pm Collider to Be Stalled for 2 Months - New York Times
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 3:51 pm paidContent.org - Comcast Buries Broadband Policy News in Friday ... - Washington Post
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 3:46 pm Open Source Licenses For Academic Work?An anonymous reader writes "We're in the process of submitting a scientific paper describing some techniques for data analysis. We'll be releasing the associated code, so we're faced with choosing an appropriate license. My supervisor insists there should be a citation clause, requiring any published article that uses results of the software to cite our paper. Of course, ideally, free software shouldn't have such encumbrances, and I initially tried to talk him out of it. However, in academia, the issue of attribution and citation is very important. Also, it is not a restriction on use of the software per se, only on publication of results. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any such license. So I wondered: what do other academic Slashdotters do?"Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 3:16 pm "Guitar Hero" lines up new actsDENVER (Billboard) - With the much-anticipated "Rock Band 2" now on store shelves, rival franchise "Guitar Hero" is sneaking into the news on several fronts.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:51 pm Study Shows Cell Phone Exposure May Affect Sperm Quality In Men - AHN
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:48 pm Problem at collider forces two-month shutdownLONDON (Reuters) - The huge particle-smashing machine built to simulate the conditions of the "Big Bang" that recreated the universe has malfunctioned and may be shut down for at least two...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:42 pm Bill O'Reilly on Sarah Palin email hackLooks like Bill O'Reilly skipped the First Amendment section of Journalism 101. He thinks owners of websites that posted Sarah Palin's hacked emails should be prosecuted along with the hacker who broke into her account. When a Fox news anchor attempts to explain why the websites can't be prosecuted, he refuses to accept it, arguing back with bad analogies, which the news anchor handily demolishes. It's fun to watch. Source: Boing Boing | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:40 pm Inside VMware's 'Virtual Datacenter OS'snydeq writes "Neil McAllister cuts through VMware's marketing hype to examine the potential impact of VMware's newly pronounced 'virtual datacenter OS' — which the company has touted as the death knell for the traditional OS. Literally an operating system for the virtual datacenter, VDC OS is an umbrella concept to build services and APIs that make it easier to provision and allocate resources for apps in an abstract way. Under the system, McAllister writes, apps are reduced to 'application workloads' tailored through vApp, a tool that will allow developers to 'encapsulate the entire app infrastructure in a single bundle — servers and all.' The concept could help solve the current bugbear of programming, parallel processing, McAllister concludes, assuming VMware succeeds."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:17 pm EU's Reding confirms caps on roamed SMS: magazineFRANKFURT (Reuters) - The price of texting in Europe will set at a maximum rate of 11 euro cents per message under a European Commission proposal, EU telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:16 pm AT&T Customers Sue Bush, Cheney, NSA For "Illegal" Surveillance - AHN
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:11 pm Guy Dammann: what's in an online dictionary?One of the few things about which the great Samuel Johnson was in serious error was his definition of the lexicographer as a "harmless drudge". For while drudgery may certainly be involved in the writing...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 pm Scientists Study The Evolution Of Pregnancy In MammalsYale researchers have shown that the origin and evolution of the placenta and uterus in mammals is associated with evolutionary changes in a single regulatory protein, according to a report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."Many past studies have shown that genes are regulated and altered by changes within their own structures.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:51 pm Guitar Hero Still Rules, Activision Claims - PC World
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:45 pm New Pacific Iguana DiscoveredImage Caption: Brachylophus bulabula - Male © Paddy Ryan, Ryan PhotographicMore ImagesSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:40 pm New Bluetooth System Helps Blind PedestriansA new Bluetooth system designed primarily for blind people places a layer of information technology over the real world to tell pedestrians about points of interest along their path as they pass them.The Talking Points urban orientation system was developed at the University of Michigan.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:35 pm Australian Frog Chooses Many MatesA groundbreaking new study into the mating and nesting practices of a common Australian frog has found they partner up to eight males sequentially – the highest recorded of any vertebrate.Dr Phillip Byrne, from Monash University's School of Biological Sciences, has researched the frog species Bibron's toadlet (Pseudophryne bibronii) for six years and in this latest field trip, discovered a new behavior undetected in a frog species until now."Our study revealed that females made the active decision to distribute their eggs between the nests of up to eight different males," Dr Byrne said.Dr Byrne led the study, which involved Professor Scott Keogh from Australian National University, in an area at Jervis Bay National Park on the New South Wales south coast .They worked overnight shifts from 6 pm to 6 am, seven days a week for over four months and kept track of almost 100 frogs.Using DNA markers Dr Byrne found females that distributed their available eggs between the nests of more males, as opposed to leaving them in one nest, had elevated offspring survival, presumably by insuring against nest failure."Traditionally it was thought that males, but not females, should benefit from promiscuous behavior because males generally invest less in reproduction.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:16 pm Endeavour Rolled Out As Rescue Shipstoolpigeon writes "The space shuttle Endeavour was rolled out to Launch Pad 39B yesterday. Space shuttle Atlantis is already at Launch Pad 39A, being made ready for the STS-125 mission to repair Hubble. We recently got a look at some behind-the-scenes photos for this mission. Endeavour is now in place to act as a rescue vehicle if there are any problems with Atlantis, once they are in space. This is the first time one shuttle has been prepared to act as a rescue vehicle for another. If all goes well for STS-125, Endeavour will move over to 39A to be used for STS-126."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:15 pm Fault shuts Cern's Large Hadron Collider for two monthsFaulty electrical connection halts work to unlock universe's deepest secretsSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:10 pm Is Android Google's Ticket into the Enterprise? - PC World
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:08 pm Doomsday Seed Vault Will Safeguard Critical Crop DiversityAs climate change is credited as one of the main drivers behind soaring food prices, the Global Crop Diversity Trust is undertaking a major effort to search crop collections—from Azerbaijan to Nigeria—for the traits that could arm agriculture against the impact of future changes.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:05 pm Macs Produced Part of Microsoft's 'I'm a PC' Ads - PC World
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 12:26 pm Comcast Discloses Throttling PracticesWired reports that Comcast finally provided information on its network management practices late Friday. In a report to the FCC (PDF), the cable company admitted to targeting P2P protocols Ares, BitTorrent, eDonkey, FasTrack, and Gnutella. Quoting: "For each of the managed P2P protocols, the [Sandvine Policy Traffic Switch] monitors and identifies the number of simultaneous unidirectional uploads that are passed from the [Cable Modem Termination System] to the upstream router. Because of the prevalence of P2P traffic on the upstream portion of our network, the number of simultaneous unidirectional upload sessions of any particular P2P protocol at any given time serves as a useful proxy for determining the level of overall network congestion. For each of the protocols, a session threshold is in place that is intended to provide for equivalently fair access between the protocols, but still mitigate the likelihood of congestion that could cause service degradation for our customers."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 12:15 pm Palin E-Mail Hack Shows Webmail's Flaw - PC World
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 12:02 pm Cisco To Buy Jabber - AHN
Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 20 Sep 2008 | 12:01 pm Collider to be Stalled for Two Months Due to DamageThe European Organization for Nuclear Research says its new particle collider has been damaged worse than previously thought and will be out of commission for at least two months.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 20 Sep 2008 | 11:34 am Credit Crunch To Affect Mobile Phone MakersAnalysts say mobile phone makers are reliant on Wall Street and many risk losing thousands of customers and experiencing layoffs in the wake of shocking revelations from the global banking industry this week.Lehman’s collapse sent shockwaves through the market, and Blackberry-makers Research in Motion (RIM) were not immune.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 10:50 am Endangered Rhinos Face Dwindling HabitatExperts attending a meeting of the Asian Rhino Specialist Group in Nepal said Thursday that the South Asian endangered Great One-horned Rhinoceros is being forced out of its natural habitat into the hands of illegal poachers as the massive animals seek to find food.Their feeding grounds are being invaded by "exotic species" of weeds and wild plants, the experts said, and the rhino could soon see its natural sources of food depleted."Grassland is being invaded by weeds and other unwanted plants that are not suitable for rhinos," Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, co-chairman of the group, told the Reuters."We have to concentrate on how best to control the weeds and for this we have to intensify research," he said from the Chitwan National Park, home to 408 rhinos."The weeds and wild plants are an exotic species and how it came we don't know.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 10:45 am Microsoft Replaces Seinfeld Ads With Real UsersMicrosoft has discontinued its peculiar two-week ad campaign featuring the company’s chairman, Bill Gates, with comedian Jerry Seinfeld.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 10:40 am Catch-share System Offers Hope To Collapsing FisheriesA new report found that programs guaranteeing fishermen a share of the overall catch could avert danger for global fisheries.The so-called catch-share programs reduce the effects of traditional open-access fishing, which promotes overfishing and habitat destruction, putting a key global food supply at risk."Under open access, you have a free-for-all race to fish, which ultimately leads to collapse," said Christopher Costello of the University of California, Santa Barbara, whose study appears in the journal Science."But when you allocate shares of the catch, then there is an incentive to protect the stock, which reduces collapse.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 10:15 am In Tough Economy Search Must Evolve to Better Serve Brand AdvertisersFRISCO, Texas, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today's tough economic climate is taking its toll on brand advertisers. A recent survey of marketers conducted by...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 10:00 am US Army To Develop "Thought Helmets"Hugh Pickens writes "Time Magazine reports on a $4 million US Army contract to begin developing 'thought helmets' to harness silent brain waves for secure communication among troops that the Army hopes will 'lead to direct mental control of military systems by thought alone.' The Army's initial goal is to capture brain waves with software that translates the waves into audible radio messages for other troops in the field. 'It'd be radio without a microphone,' says Dr. Elmar Schmeisser, the Army neuroscientist overseeing the program. 'Because soldiers are already trained to talk in clean, clear and formulaic ways, it would be a very small step to have them think that way.' The key challenge will be to develop software able to pinpoint speech-related brain waves and pick them up with a 128-sensor array that ultimately will be buried inside a helmet. Scientists deny charges that they're messing with soldiers' minds. 'A lot of people interpret wires coming out of the head as some sort of mind reading,' says Dr. Mike D'Zmura. 'But there's no way you can get there from here.' One potential civilian spin-off: a Bluetooth Helmet so people nearby can't hear you when you talk on your cell phone."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 9:09 am American Psychiatric Association members can't aid in military tortureA slender majority of members in the American Psychiatric Association have voted in favor of a resolution that forbids members from aiding in torture. This was spurred by the complicity of APA members in conducting torture-based interrogation at Guantanamo Bay and other American and American-affiliated secret prisons:The ban means those who are American Psychological Association members can't assist the U.S. military at these sites. They can only work there for humanitarian purposes or with non-governmental groups, according to Stephen Soldz, a Boston psychologist. Soldz is founder of an ethics coalition that has long supported the ban...2008 APA Petition Resolution Ballot, Psychologists vote against role in interrogation (via Blogzilla) Source: Boing Boing | 20 Sep 2008 | 9:02 am You don't need to send money to China to keep your domainA good friend of mine got this email about his Canadian .ca domain from "TradeMarkSolutions.cn" telling him he needed to send money to China or he'd lose his domain. Needless to say, it's a scam. Thought you'd want to know!*From*: "Laurence.Rockefeller"Asia Domain Name Registration Limited - Scam Source: Boing Boing | 20 Sep 2008 | 8:57 am Theo Hobson: Creationists? They just don't have enough faithTheo Hobson: I believe God created me a statement requiring total faith on my part. That doesn't mean I can't believe in evolution, tooSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 8:00 am 'Cold and lonely' has a scientific basisThinking about rejection makes a person perceive a room as chillier, researchers find, and people who feel isolated tend to prefer warm drinks over cold ones. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:00 am Presenting science questions to John McCain and Barack ObamaA project called Science Debate 2008 asked the major party presidential nominees about the state of American science. Here are some of the candidates' answers. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:00 am Dr. Robert Katzman dies at 82; neuroscientist identified Alzheimer's disease as a 'major killer'Dr. Robert Katzman, the UC San Diego neuroscientist who pushed Alzheimer's disease into the public consciousness as a "major killer" and who co-founded the activist Alzheimer's Assn., died Tuesday at...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:00 am Science BriefingPhoenix Mars mission extendedSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:00 am Phoenix Mars mission extendedNASA is extending the Phoenix Mars mission again.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:00 am Electronic Arts loosens locks on Spore video gameAfter widespread complaints from buyers, the company raises the number of computers on which players can install the software. The maximum was three; now it's five. ...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 7:00 am The Secret Microsoft Invasion of Yahoo Continues: MSN GM Headed There Soon? [BoomTown]Jeff Dossett, a longtime Microsoft exec whose most current job has been as executive producer and general manager of MSN, is leaving the company, sources said, and is likely to land at Yahoo soon.
A longtime and experienced mountain climber, Dossett (pictured here) has been one of the more senior digital execs at Microsoft. The reason given for Dosset’s departure from Microsoft (MSFT), announced internally this afternoon, was to “pursue other opportunities.” While the hire is not yet complete, that apparently means that he is likely going to rival and onetime Microsoft quarry Yahoo as a senior exec. It is an interesting digital-musical-chair trend, in fact. On Monday, another former Microsoft bigshot, Joanne Bradford, will start her job as Yahoo’s top U.S. sales exec. Bradford came to Yahoo (YHOO) after a very short stint as national sales head at the trendy Los Angeles start-up Spot Runner.
Previous to that, Bradford (pictured here) had been at Microsoft for many years, most recently as VP and chief media officer of MSN Media Network. While at Microsoft, she was a close colleague of Bradford, so his moving to Yahoo would not be that much of a surprise. But, one has to wonder what other Microsoft execs Bradford can entice to come to Yahoo, especially given CEO Jerry Yang is reportedly interested in aggressively beefing up his executive ranks, after more than a year of employee attrition due to all the turmoil at the company. Current Yahoo Media Group SVP Scott Moore, who has been at Yahoo for several years now, is another former Microsoft digital exec. What Dossett would do if he took a job at Yahoo is unclear. But, in his job at MSN, Dossett was the lead for audience, content and programming strategy and execution in the U.S. He has worked at the company since 1991, in a variety of sales and marketing jobs in Canada, and later worked on strategy and business development for MSN. Dossett was also CEO of Carpoint, now MSN Autos and was GM of its real estate arm. He also took two years off from Microsoft in 2002 to climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents, finally reaching the summit of Mount Everest in May of 2004. Dossett reached its summit again for a second time this past May. Source: All Things Digital | 20 Sep 2008 | 6:19 am Inside the DARPA-esque Singapore Military Bot Contestmattnyc99 writes "Earlier this summer we followed a war robot contest in England. But now, after the Russian onslaught in Georgia, this weekend's TechX Challenge in Singapore takes on a bigger meaning: can small countries keep up with military superpowers by upmodding existing robots for their own needs and then arming them? Researchers in the Far East seem to be struggling with their A.I. research right now, but this could just be the beginning of the 'little guys' fighting back. From the article: 'Chan says the agency wants to use more locally developed robots to help in homeland security and counterterrorist operations. The DSTA's goal is to improve robotic artificial intelligence so it can build machines to perform dangerous tasks — reconnaissance, surveillance and the handling of hazardous materials — that American robots already can. ... Back at Nanyang Technological University, Michael Lau acknowledges the urgency of the research but says the AI for urban warfare just isn't ready. "We don't really believe fully autonomous robots are possible yet," says the Evolution team supervisor. "How does a robot differentiate between friend and foe?"'" We've discussed similar projects from DARPA in the past. Reader coondoggie notes that enthusiasts will be able to participate in the lighter side of robot warfare next month in Texas.Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 6:05 am Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. Expands Holdings Acquiring Agrochem, TurkeyTessenderlo Kerley, Inc. (TKI) announced today the acquisition of the assets, marketing and distribution channels of Agrochem of Istanbul and Izmir, Turkey. The company will be called Tessenderlo Agrochem (TA).Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 5:00 am Start Up Your Day With Phase 2 Zero Sign-InPhase 2 International is making your work day a little easier by offering Zero Sign-In to all of its clients. The Zero Sign-In option allows users to be automatically signed in on all Phase 2 International applications at the start up of their computer.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 5:00 am Amazon GoldSands Appoints Chief Financial OfficerAmazon GoldSands Ltd. (OTCBB: AZNG) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Carlos Stocker as the Company's Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Today, the board of directors appointed Carlos Stocker to act as Chief Financial Officer. Mr.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 5:00 am Second Snag This Week Could Delay LHC for Weekssciencehabit writes "After a transformer failure earlier this week, the Large Hadron Collider has hit another snag — and this one is much more serious. As Science reports, 'At least one of the LHC's more than 1700 superconducting magnets failed, springing a leak and spewing helium gas into the subterranean tunnel that houses the collider ... How long [repairs take] will depend in part on how much of the LHC must be warmed to room temperature for servicing. If it's only a short section, the repair could be relatively quick. But the machine is built in octants, and if workers have to heat and cool an entire octant, then the cooling alone would take several weeks." Reader Simmeh contributes coverage from the BBC. We recently discussed the transformer malfunction at the LHC, which was a smaller problem and has already been fixed. Update - 9/20 at 12:52 by SS: CNN reports that the LHC will be out of commission for two months.Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 4:01 am Chemical Site Hit By BlazeA BLAZE has ripped through an Ellesmere Port chemicals manufacturers. The fire service was called to the Oleotec base in Rossfield Road, Rossmore Industrial Estate at 2.24am today after a fire broke out in the company's warehouse.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 am New Species Found Along Aussie ReefsAustralian researchers said hundreds of new coral and crustacean species have been discovered on the Great Barrier and Ningaloo reefs.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 am National Public Lands Day is Sept. 27Volunteers have chance to help care for North Dakota's public lands by participating in the annual National Public Lands Day Saturday, Sept. 27. National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 am Past, Future Intersect Elgin's First Congregational Looks to Origins to Restore '60s WingBy Jerry Turnquist One of Elgin's most historic buildings is about to look even more historic.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 am Palin Hackers Might Not Be ProsecutedU.S. officials might not prosecute whoever hacked into Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's personal e-mail account, an analysis indicates.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 am Japan Broadcasters to Hold TV Program Trade ShowTokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)--Public broadcaster Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) and six commercial broadcasters will hold a television program trade show in October.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 am U.S. Delays Release of Al-Qaida 9/11 TapeU.S. intelligence agencies blocked al-Qaida communications so successfully the group's annual Sept. 11 video arrived a week late, ABC News reported Friday. In earlier years, the message marking the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks was always available by Sept. 11.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 am Dead Metroline Engineer Remembered on 'NetTeen rail enthusiasts are using the Internet to express grief for the Los Angeles Metrolink engineer who befriended them and died in a deadly train wreck.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 20 Sep 2008 | 2:00 am Peter Moore Talks About His Experiences In the Gaming IndustryOver the past several days, the Guardian has posted a five-part interview with Peter Moore, head of EA Sports. Moore was also the president of Sega, and a vice-president at Microsoft, so his experience at the top levels of the gaming industry is extensive. He describes how he came to be employed by Sega, the development of the Dreamcast, and its subsequent flop when confronted with the Playstation 2. He also discusses his involvement with the development of the Xbox franchise, how the integrated hard drive "killed" the original model, and he gives his account of how the Red Ring of Death fiasco affected the company. The series ends with a look at EA Sports' plans for the future, and how they're trying to create a new business model beyond the micro-payments popularized by iTunes, which Moore calls "a rip-off."Read more of this story at Slashdot. Source: Slashdot | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:58 am Robot Hands Get a Grip on the Future : Image courtesy VintagecomputerFor centuries, people have used the human body, and the hand in particular, as an inspiration and blueprint for engineering innovations. But copying the human hand hasn't been easy. Its complex muscular and skeletal structure offers a unique, tricky balance: It is dexterous, stable and precise, but also fast moving, strong and flexible. Despite the challenges, makers of robot hands have called on a host of innovations from a variety of disciplines to bring us closer to fully automated hands. Considered to be the first working robot hand, the Handyman, developed in 1960 by General Electric's Ralph Mosher, was a two-fingered, heavily jointed claw that set up the foundation for later hands. The design looks rudimentary now, but the five-pivot segment design in each finger was innovative in its attempt to replicate the human hand's flexible joint structure. A human hand is made up of a set of rigid links (bones and muscles) connected at joints. Each joint can have one degree of freedom (hinging or sliding) or two (rotating or cylindrical). We have four degrees of freedom in each finger, giving us enormous flexibility and the ability to make complex motions. The Handyman's fingers had three degrees of freedom. But it was the attached mechanical forearm that provided most of the wrist action, as mechanical "tendons" pushed and pulled on the fingers. A technician had to manipulate the hand by placing his arm inside the apparatus like a puppet. The Handyman's capabilities were limited: It could pinch and hold, but had no sensitivity to what it was holding, limiting it to clawing indiscriminately at things.  : Image courtesy University of RochesterBuilt to study the reaction times of robot muscles, the Utah/MIT hand, built in the early 1980s, is a tendon-based (forearm) system. Electric signals are sent to the knuckles through a complicated cable setup, where one tendon moves each joint, as opposed to the dueling and matching motors of earlier models. The tendon system was precise because air cylinders allowed knuckle sensors to monitor the angle of the fingers, as well as the tension in the wrists. In addition, the tendons were strong and made the fingers move much faster than previous versions -- the seven pounds of force exerted at the fingertip was the strongest at the time. But that power sacrificed control and range of the whole hand. If you wanted to move it with any regularity, you had to set up a complicated plan to move the 288 pulleys.  : Designed in the early 1990s by Mark Rosheim, the Omni-Hand is dexterous, rugged and hand-powered by an electric gearbox in the palm. It also was the most life-like and reliable hand that NASA made in the '90s. The space agency's researchers even put a glove on it. Like the human hand, closing and opening the fingers together laterally (as if you're making Spock's 'V' sign, also known as adduction and abduction) was made possible by a ball-and-socket joint design. This design was also used in the wrist, which enabled pitch (at 110 degrees) and yaw motions (at 70 degrees). Also, each knuckle had built-in stops that limited backwards movements, or hyperextension, just like human fingers. By using the palm's gear box for sensor placement, tendons became unnecessary and led Rosheim to use stronger hinge materials, like double bearings supporting stronger motor shafts, and he placed flexible sensor wires near the fingers. Finally, every finger was the same as any other, so they could be easily replaced one at a time.  : Photo: Courtesy Gabriel GomezBy 2007, scientists had developed the technology of robot hands to such a degree that they could attach a robot hand to a human forearm. Much of recent research has been split between developing hand dexterity and bridging the connection between flesh and machine. The robotic hand created by the University of Tokyo's Hiroshi Yokoi is such an arm, and it is tendon-based, similar to the Utah arm. But this time, the tendons don't drive the movements. Instead, the wire currents inside the tendons do the job. The Zurich/Tokyo hand has 13 degrees of freedom, and each finger is laced with powerful sensors that give it specific joint commands, enabling it, for instance, to simultaneously set a 75-degree angle for one finger and set a specific pressure for another. When the hand was finally attached as a prosthetic device, electromyography signals were used to "interface the robot hand non-invasively" to a male patient. To mimic the tactile feedback of a real hand, scientists sent electrical stimulation through the wires to the test subject's own (organic) sensor and motor system.  : Photo: Glenn MatsumuraThe BH8 BarretHand, built in 2007, is a three-fingered programmable "grasper" known for its great flexibility. Two of the multijointed fingers rotate around the palm (at 180 degrees), and switch positions easily, giving the hand two opposable thumbs. The hand has its own processor and is controlled by a PC through a serial port. It's also completely self-contained and quite durable, which means scientists no longer have to worry about the force of the tendons or the grippiness of the fingers. It also comes with a clutch mechanism that determines the strength of the grasp. Robotics experts at Stanford are currently using the BH8 for their Stair 2.0 autonomous robot project, fetching everything from wine glasses to toothbrushes through speech-recognition techniques.  : Image courtesy TouchbionicsThis $65,000 prosthetic robot hand has supersmall motors and five fully articulated digits powered by a two-input myoelectric signal. Doctors place electrodes on the surface of the hand's "skin," which connects to the electrical signal generated by muscles in the remaining portion of a patient's limb. The i-Limb enables different grips that had not been available to amputees before, such as the key grip (thumb to index finger), and power, precision and index grips (the "we're #1' grip.") But its realistic dexterity isn't the only good thing about it. Fingers can be easily swapped out with one another, which makes servicing a little bit easier and less expensive.  : Image courtesy SensopacCreated by the EU-funded SENSOPAC group in 2005, the "Robo Habilis" is managed by a software program modeled on the human cerebellum. Now we're really getting somewhere. An advanced software program coordinates sensations and movements picked up by the hand, getting us a bit closer to intelligent, self-aware robot arms. The SENSOPAC is also covered by sensitive skin made out of a thin, flexible carbon-based material whose resistance changes with pressure. This allows hundreds of tiny sensors to be used as the hand's main information conduits, providing more detailed information on a touch or grip than ever before. In addition, the attached arm has 58 motors (in opposing pairs) that it uses to create a large range of force. The fingers have 38 opposing motors, allowing it to snap its fingers and even pick up an egg without breaking it.  : Kamen created the Segway, an invention so far ahead of the game that it makes its users look, well, rather dorky. Not so with his robot arm. Kamen's arm is light-years ahead of the clamping "claws" amputees are used to. It's a fully articulated appendage, with flexible joints and detailed user manipulation called "Gen X - Separate Exo Control." It gives the user the same range of motion (14 degrees of freedom) as a natural arm, and is sensitive enough to pick up a piece of paper, a wineglass or even an olive in a martini.  : The Anatomically Correct Testbed (ACT) hand is all about the accuracy of the human hand's bone/muscle/nerve structure. Yoky Matsuoka, director of the Neurobotics Lab at the University of Washington, designed the autonomous ACT hand to respond to sensors that mirror the brain's neural commands. To do so, she created neuromusculoskeletal copies of the arm's anatomy, including tendon insertion points, specific bone shapes and weight, and supersmall motors that duplicate muscle contraction behaviors. As a result, it is the most human-looking and -moving arm out there. Like the Handyman and the Utah/MIT hand, the ACT is based on cable "tendons," but those tendons are arranged and attached in a much more human-like manner, giving it a full range of motion. There's also an uncommon focus on the palm, which is about as important to the human hand's multifaceted nature as its fingers.  : Image courtesy ElumotionThe Sheffield Hand, built in 2002, focuses on the development of "artificial muscle" and sophisticated joints. Powered by telescopic rods throughout the palm of the hand, fingers are pulled and bent in a rotating motion. But it's the detailed phalanges that make it one the most flexible hands and arms, through simple cylindrical disks that produce realistic abduction and adduction. The hand includes haptic sensors and its hard plastic muscles mimic the flexibility of real human arms. In the process of testing, the scientists conducted arm-wrestling contests between a human and three different versions of the arm. The Sheffield was also used by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratories as a early prototype for the Discovery space mission's 50-foot arm.  : Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.comYes, this hand looks like it's about ready to start sewing up your undies. But it's actually a very sophisticated Intel project that smartly senses the shape of objects through the magic of electrolocation, used by sharks and other marine animals to detect objects and prey via faint electric fields. Called the "Shark Hand" or "The Sixth Sense" because of these sonar-like powers of perception, the tips of its fingers emit an "electrical impulse" that detects objects and gives the hand an sense of the shape of objects it is about to grasp. The hand is part of a larger Intel project on "Pre Touch" technologies, where robots are being laced with internal sensors that are more long-range than the sense of touch, but more short-range than vision. Check out the video of Wired Science's Alexis Madrigal and Intel researchers playing with the Intel shark hand.  : Image courtesy Shadow RobotThe Shadow Hand has integrated sensors all over its palm and fingers, and can be controlled by different computer systems, which is why several university robotics programs and private contractors are using it. It even has a network option, which means you can torture your coworkers with crazy hand gestures even when you're taking a sick day. But it is special because it's got more moves than a Moonwalker-era Michael Jackson. Its integrated bank of 40 "Air Muscles" allow it to perform 24 different, large-angle moves, and the fingertips are so sensitive that they can even detect a quarter on the floor. Not only that, but the muscles are soft and acquiescent, which allows it to play with soft and fragile objects.  : Despite almost 50 years of development, these hands are only the beginning. Like notebook computers and MP3 players before them, robot hands will get tinier and ever more complex. Intuitive Surgical's EndoWrist Instruments are small surgical tools, with 5 mm- and 8 mm-diameter options. With seven degrees of freedom and 90 degrees of articulation, they are the most precise robotic appendages in the medical world. They are widely used by surgeons because they improve the surgeons' own world-renowned dexterity and allows them to perform minimally invasive surgery through teeny incisions. A doctor manipulates the hand through fingertip controls from a few feet away from the patient, looking into a micro lens. It's hard to believe, but the Endowrist is also strong, and it can handle a variety of forceps, needle drivers, scalpels and any other things needed to cut up a person carefully and safely.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 20 Sep 2008 | 1:00 am Comcast: No complaints on new Internet managementComcast Corp. on Friday said its new method of managing Internet traffic may sometimes result in slower Web surfing for subscribers who use their cable modem the most, yet the company has...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 20 Sep 2008 | 12:32 am Comcast Discloses Throttling Practices -- BitTorrent TargetedComcast finally admits that it targeted peer-to-peer sharing services starting in 2007 to clamp down on bandwidth usage. The company is complying with the Federal Communication Commission's August order to stop the throttling of particular internet programs, but is still challenging its legitimacy in court.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Sep 2008 | 11:34 pm Apple to replace iPhone 3G power adapters due to shock risk (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Sep 2008 | 11:27 pm Google to close Arizona office (CNET)CNET - Google will be shuttering its Arizona office on November 21, the company announced on Friday.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Sep 2008 | 11:22 pm Only one in five trials on cancer treatment gets publishedBen Goldacre: Media ignores study examining the publication of medical data which is incomplete, arbitrary and self-servingSource: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 19 Sep 2008 | 11:13 pm Hi. I’m a PC … and I Was Made on a Mac [UPDATED] [Digital Daily]
The irony is enough to make your head explode. The latest evolution of Microsoft’s new ad campaign — the one designed to seize back control of the Windows PC image that Apple’s so mercilessly tarred and feathered — wasn’t even made on a PC. It was made on a Mac. Metadata in the images of the stereotyped PC user featured on Microsoft’s “I’m a PC” site reveals that they were produced using Macs running Adobe Creative Suite 3, not PC’s running Microsoft Expression Studio software. My God. This is how Microsoft and its ad agency hope to turn Apple’s disparagement to their advantage? I would have assumed that an advertising campaign touting Windows PCs over Macs would, you know, not be created on Macs. But then I don’t work for Microsoft (to be fair, the Symbol devices Apple uses for roaming transactions in its retail stores do run Windows CE). UPDATE: Microsoft issued the following statement on the matter:
UPDATE: More commentary from Daniel Eran Dilger over at Roughly Drafted, who notes that Microsoft has scrubbed the offending metadata from the images. Previously:
[Image credit: LuisDS/Flickr] Source: All Things Digital | 19 Sep 2008 | 11:12 pm Microsoft’s “I’m a PC” Ads - made on a Mac Image by LuisDS via Flickr LuisDS looked at the metadata on the video for Microsoft's new "I'm a PC" commercial and learned that it was made on Mac using Adobe Creative Suite 3. LinkSource: Boing Boing | 19 Sep 2008 | 10:52 pm Trends & Innovations - Friday (Investor's Business Daily)Investor's Business Daily - A new urban orientation system called Talking Points promises to use Bluetooth wireless technology to tell blind pedestrians about a neighborhood's points of interest. Univ. of Mich. researchers propose tagging bus stops, restaurants and public restrooms with Bluetooth-enabled beacons. When blind people with mobile devices approach the beacons, they wirelessly receive information about the points of interest so that they know what they're passing in an unfamiliar neighborhood. ...Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Sep 2008 | 10:45 pm New dwarf planet named Haumea for Hawaiian goddessA newly discovered dwarf planet in the solar system has been given a Hawaiian name: Haumea (how-MAY'-ah), after the Hawaiian goddess of earth and fertility. Haumea's name was approved...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 19 Sep 2008 | 10:38 pm Russia launches Canadian telecom satellite: reportA Proton-M rocket carrying a Canadian telecommunications satellite took off from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Saturday, the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported.Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 19 Sep 2008 | 10:29 pm Apple recalls tiny iPhone 3G power adapters (AP)AP - Apple Inc. on Friday advised iPhone 3G users in many countries to replace the device's power adapter following reports that metal prongs broke off and stuck in power outlets, creating a risk of electric shock.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Sep 2008 | 10:23 pm Interesting books in my stackI get about ten books sent to me every week. I'm a slow reader, so I can't begin to get to them all. But I keep the ones that I hope to get to some day. Here are a few interesting ones in my ready-to-topple-over reading stack:
 Porn Soup, by Paul Krassner. This anthology of sex-related essays were written by Paul Krassner, the founder of The Realist and one of my cultural heroes. I've read a few of the pieces in here, and they're funny, profound, and revealing, which is what I've come to expect from Paul.Essays include: Susie Bright Interviews Paul Krassner, Lenny Bruce Meets Blow Job Betty, In Praise of Indecency Masturbation Helper, The Man Behind The Aristocrats, Showing Pink, Pee-Wee Herman Meets Pete Townshend, Satirical Prophecy, The Marriage of Hip-Hop and Pornography, Porn and the Manson Murders, Rape and Porn, Bizarre Sexually Oriented Spam Subject Lines, Meet an FBI Porn Squad Agent, Remembering Pubic Hair, The Taste of Sperm, Disinformation Porn, Hobo Sex and Crack Whore Confessions, Eating Shit for Fun and Profit, Porn Dogs, "I Fuck Dead People," Porn Provides Product Placement, Addicted to Porn, Women and Porn.
Source: Boing Boing | 19 Sep 2008 | 10:20 pm There’s Still Trouble Ahead for The Tech Sector [Voices]By Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader DailyYes, it sure is nice to see stock prices flashing green. But despite the market’s historic two-day move, there are still reasons to worry about what happens to technology shares over the next several quarters. There are several negative factors at work here. Start with currency: One of the more eye-opening aspects of Oracle’s (ORCL) well-received earnings report last night was the company’s comment that revenues in its fiscal third quarter ending October will see a serious drag from currency factors. Oracle expects a 10 percentage point swing on a year-over-year basis: Currency boosted revenue by 7 points in the year-ago quarter, but will cut revenue growth by 3 percentage points this year, assuming exchange rates stay about where they are now. Source: All Things Digital | 19 Sep 2008 | 10:12 pm Stardust evidence points to planet collisionWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Masses of dust floating around a distant binary star system suggest that two Earth-like planets obliterated each other in a violent collision, U.S. researchers...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 19 Sep 2008 | 10:03 pm Weekend at Bernanke’s [Digital Daily]
With Adam Smith’s oft-lauded “invisible hand” giving investors the invisible finger and the U.S. mired in one of the worst market crises in recent history, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke finally decided to act. This morning they announced a sweeping plan to revive the suffering U.S. financial system. Using “hundreds of billions of dollars” in government funds, the Treasury will clear bad home loans from the books of the country’s financial institutions. “The federal government must implement a program to remove these illiquid assets that are weighing down our financial institutions and threatening our economy,” Paulson explained in remarks to the press. “The financial security of all Americans–their retirement savings, their home values, their ability to borrow for college, and the opportunities for more and higher-paying jobs–depends on our ability to restore our financial institutions to a sound footing.” Suffice it to say, Paulson’s remarks went over quite well with investors, who’ve clearly had quite enough of the market’s spelunking expedition. The Dow leapt more than 2 percent in the first moments of trading today, the Nasdaq more than 5 percent and soon the markets were well on their way to their biggest 2-day rally since 1929.
“Just like a child wishing for a Wii or an Xbox on Christmas Day, the market was hoping for some sort of RTC-type of arrangement, and there it was underneath the Christmas tree,” said Deutsche Bank’s Owen Fitzpatrick. “It was the booster shot that the market was looking for.” (”RTC” refers to the Resolution Trust Corporation, the entity created by the federal government to address the savings and loan crisis of the late eighties and early nineties.) Question: Is this enough to heal the nation’s shaky financial system or will the market crisis reappear again like the dead uncle in some “Weekend at Bernie’s” (or, rather, “Bernanke’s”)-style Wall Street sitcom (”Bernie may be dead, but he’s still the life of the party!”)? [Chart Credit: The Big Picture] Source: All Things Digital | 19 Sep 2008 | 9:56 pm Corporate Safe Specialists Announces Key Addition to Service TeamPOSEN, Ill., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporate Safe Specialists (CSS) announces an important addition to its Service organization. The Company has hired Timothy D....Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 19 Sep 2008 | 9:56 pm Apple to exchange faulty iPhone power adaptersNEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc said some power adapters for the latest iPhone can break and lead to the risk of electric shock and urged users to exchange them, although no injuries have...Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 19 Sep 2008 | 9:48 pm Safari Browser Leads Pack in JavaScript PerformanceThe new JavaScript engine that will show up in the next version of Apple's Safari browser is screaming fast -- faster than Chrome and Firefox, even -- and bloggers have the stats to prove it. It isn't ready for your desktop yet, but when it is, your Ajax web apps are going to be faster than ever.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Sep 2008 | 9:45 pm Remixed signage Kevin has a Flickr set of "signs that have been slightly altered in Photoshop for a humorous effect." I like this one for an "attack toilet." Remixed Signage Source: Boing Boing | 19 Sep 2008 | 9:29 pm Little or No Jail Time Likely for Palin HackerLegal experts say the hacker who breached Sarah Palin's Yahoo e-mail most likely faces a misdemeanor charge and probation.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Sep 2008 | 9:29 pm Cisco Will Boost Collaboration with Jabber Acquisition (NewsFactor)NewsFactor - Cisco Systems on Friday announced plans to acquire presence information and messaging software developer Jabber. Financial terms were not disclosed.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Sep 2008 | 8:59 pm Financial Web sites get busy amid turmoil (AP)AP - A volatile week on Wall Street drew heavy traffic to financial Web sites, as investors hastened to check their portfolios or move money around in what was dubbed the worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Sep 2008 | 8:42 pm Kiddie pool photo on box compared to photo of actual pool This was on the Consumerist last month, but I just came across it. On the left, the box for a kiddie pool. On the right, a photo of the actual kiddie pool. A note on the box reads: "Product may not be as appears on image." Banzai Wild Waves Water Park Box Picture Vs Reality Source: Boing Boing | 19 Sep 2008 | 8:13 pm McCain's Stem Cell Position Contains Scientific ErrorMcCain's stated position on federal funding for stem cell research equates an embryo with a fetus, a scientifically incorrect statement. Bioethicists say his reference to "fetal farming" is misleading.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Sep 2008 | 8:10 pm Ike Uncovers Mystery Ship on Ala. CoastThe receding waves of Hurricane Ike left behind a mystery -- a Civil War-era shipwreck.Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 19 Sep 2008 | 7:20 pm Quincy "punk episode"Laughing Squid treats us to this funny clip from an episode of Quincy. Jack Klugman is trying to save a young girl lured into the violent world of the punk underground. He visits to a punk rock club, bravely goes on stage, and pleads passionately for information about the girl's whereabouts. The punks, in preposterously clownish make-up, respond with sarcasm, socio-political rhetoric, and snot-nosed apathy. I enjoyed this almost as much as the Ironside clip with Tiny Tim at a beatnik club. The Quincy Punk Episode vs The 90210 Rave Episode Source: Boing Boing | 19 Sep 2008 | 7:18 pm Palin Hacker Group's All-Time Greatest HitsThe group of online troublemakers that busted into and shared private emails from Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin calls itself Anonymous, but its work in attacking Scientology and causing seizures in epileptics is earning it a name online.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Sep 2008 | 7:00 pm Lehman lifeline was critical to chip maker AMD (AP)AP - With Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s cash reserves dwindling and the chip maker's overall financial health deteriorating to dangerous levels last year, the company was thrown a lifeline by Lehman Brothers, the investment bank now in bankruptcy.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 19 Sep 2008 | 6:59 pm iPhone Developers Go From Rags to RichesIndependent software coders are on the road to becoming self-made millionaires through the iPhone App Store, where popular applications are raking in thousands of dollars a day.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Sep 2008 | 6:54 pm Fed Blotter: Citibank Worker Allegedly Plunders Customer AccountsA spate of federal indictments suggests bank and investment insiders are finding their own solutions to the U.S. financial crisis.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Sep 2008 | 6:48 pm Lamborghini's 'New World' Has Four SeatsAnother day, another teaser photo of the forthcoming car from Sant'Agata. This one reveals more than meets the eye.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 19 Sep 2008 | 6:33 pm Toshiba Chops Outlook; Would It Really Bid for SanDisk? [Voices]By Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron's, Tech Trader DailyIn case you happen to think that Toshiba is going to outbid Samsung for SanDisk (SNDK), you ought to take note of the company’s currently grim view of the NAND flash memory market. In fact, as Bloomberg reports, Toshiba today cut its full-year net income forecast for the March 31, 2009, fiscal year by 46 percent to 70 billion yen, which would be a four-year low. The company also cut its sales projection by 3.8 percent to 7.7 trillion yen, and its operating profit forecast by 48 percent to 105 billion yen. Toshiba is the world’s second-largest producer of NAND flash memory chips. The company said its semiconductor division will lose 65 billion yen for the year due to weak NAND pricing. Source: All Things Digital | 19 Sep 2008 | 6:16 pm The Entire D6 Interview With Intellectual Ventures’ Nathan Myhrvold (3 of 3) [BoomTown]We’re posting all the interviews from the sixth D: All Things Digital conference that took place in late May. Unfortunately, due to issues too complicated to go into, we have to post all the D6 interviews in several 15-minute parts (I know, I know). But–as many readers have requested–they will all be available in their entirety in this column.
Here is a video of an interview Walt Mossberg did with Nathan Myhrvold, founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures. In it, Mossberg wrangles with the former Microsoft (MSFT) CTO and research guru over his controversial company, which is assembling a large body of patents and inventions. The Wall Street Journal wrote a piece earlier this week about Myhrvold’s efforts, discussing how he is “using that clout to press tech giants to sign some of the costliest patent-licensing deals ever negotiated.” The video of the interview is in three parts. In this third part, Myhrvold takes questions from the audience, including about whether Intellectual Ventures is making a patent land grab, putting resources behind inventions to make actual products, patent abuse and making research into a profit center.
Source: All Things Digital | 19 Sep 2008 | 6:12 pm Plants make aspirin-like chemicalWhen plants are stressed out, they generate aspirin-like chemicals. The aspirin isn't used to reduce headaches, primarily because plants don't have heads. Scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research detected significant quantities of methyl salicyate, a chemical form of aspirin, above a forest canopy. The capability of plants to emit the chemical had been known previously but only observed in a laboratory setting. From a press release:(Lead researcher Thomas) Karl and his colleagues speculate that the methyl salicylate has two functions. One of these is to stimulate plants to begin a process known as systemic acquired resistance, which is analogous to an immune response in an animal. This helps a plant to both resist and recover from disease."Plants in Forest Emit Aspirin Chemical to Deal with Stress" (UCAR) Source: Boing Boing | 19 Sep 2008 | 5:54 pm QOTD [Digital Daily]
Source: All Things Digital | 19 Sep 2008 | 5:30 pm Google's secret new beverage enterprise
Creative Review's Patrick Burgoyne is visiting Mumbai where he spotted the secret pilot of Google's new drinks subsidiary. Before you get any bright ideas to knock them off, please notice that Gogola has a TM next to the logo.
"Google or Gogola?" (Creative Review) Previously on BB: • Google-themed sari at Delhi mall Source: Boing Boing | 19 Sep 2008 | 5:29 pm Japan's Tsunami History Shows What's in StoreAt least nine giant tsunamis have hit Japan in the last 3,000 years. Are more to come?Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 19 Sep 2008 | 4:42 pm
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The markets mounted an impressive comeback Friday–the likes of which has not been seen since the 1930s–rallying on a 
