A big thanks to Motorola’s Jha for giving us hope that Windows Mobile isn’t satisfied letting HTC re-skin their hard work.  These upgrades are things that should be “easy” to make a 6.5 without radical design to merit a 7.0.  What do you think?  Did we miss any?

Read [PC Mag]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Retrial Date Set in RIAA v. Thomas

PZ Myers: Jesus people pray that false idol will save God’s economy

PZ Myers posted this interesting photo of people worshipping the golden calf Wall Street bull in order to save the stock market.

Did you know that some Christian dingbat has dubbed today the “Day of Prayer for the World’s Economies?” Well here they are, at the Wall Street bull statue thing, praying to Jesus for money. The dingbat has explained, “We are going to intercede at the site of the statue of the bull on Wall Street to ask God to begin a shift from the bull and bear markets to what we feel will be the ‘Lion’s Market,’ or God’s control over the economic systems.”

8They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Spy vs. Spy and MAKE:

Today at Boing Boing Gadgets

Today at Boing Boing Gadgets, we learned that TiVo owners will get Netflix streaming, that Dell's making a new All-in-One desktop computer, and that people will go to any lengths in pursuit of gaming cake. Oh, and the eleventh commandment: Thou Shalt Not Use Caps Lock.

John found the Kangaroom gamer sofa saddlebag, a finger-mounted bolt tightener, and an awe-inspiring Russian speaker made from an old fire extinguisher. Mimes pretending to be Human vending machines did not please him, but the amazing Bickford, a razorblade robot, certainly did.

Rob spotted a shocking handheld game, a 3G Compaq netbook for Europe, and a nice bottle of USB Port. He donned a chainmail shirt from ThinkGeek, sat in a Hobart I-Cool supervillain chair, and throttled himself with a Papal USB Drive.

There was a handheld computer from Aigo; a gorgeous tech demo for a forthcoming Wii game; Lego halloween minifigs; and a crazy accordian refrigerator.

We read Lisa Katayama's explanation of why Japanese cell phones are no fun, listened to fantastic remixes of BBC theme tunes, and discovered Asus is making an Android phone.

Do you want to know what a rectal retractor is? Probably not.

Boing Boing Gadgets

Y Combinator’s Snipd Launches To The Public

In the last few months we’ve seen a number of startups that are looking to help you clip small portions of content from the web for sharing and future reference. But most of them require Firefox/IE extensions - a barrier that can put off many users and handicap a potential userbase. Snipd, a Y Combinator company that was in the TechCrunch50 DemoPit, is looking to offer similar clipping functionality but without a required plugin.

Instead of a plugin, Snipd relies on bookmarklets - special bookmarks that can be dragged into a browser’s shortcuts toolbar, but don’t require any installation. And to further streamline the process, Snipd doesn’t require users to create accounts before they get started (they’ll be randomly assigned a user name until they pick one that’s more personal).

After adding the bookmarklet, users simply click “Snip It” whenever they’ve highlighted something in their browser that they’d like to save for later (they can also leave comments to be listed alongside each snip for future reference). Anything that gets snipd will be shown in the user’s “My Snips” page, and can also be shared with friends via Email or through Snipd. Users can also choose to use a follow system to receive a stream of the items clipped by other users (also published in RSS), which co-founder Alex Schliker likens to a “Twitter for webclips”.

One of Snipd’s best features is its ability to retain formatting for text that gets clipped. Most other clipping sites either copy plain text (without any formatting) or static images, which makes them impossible to search. Snipd will usually preserve formatting, so your text will look the same as it did on the original webpage. Snipd also allows users to clip most streaming videos, which can be played back from within My Snips. This could be especially appealing for sharing videos using the aforementioned follow system, as users won’t have to visit a new YouTube or Hulu page to watch the next movie in a feed.

To monetize Snip, Schliker says that the site isn’t relying solely on advertising, explaining that the company is currently in talks to have Snipd act as an instant way to send a web clip to someone’s social network profile or blog. There are already a few ways to do this (for example, Facebook offers its own “Share This” bookmarket), but it’s nice to see that the startup is exploring other options beyond AdSense.

Snipd will see competition from a number of similar startups, including SimplyBox and Sazell, both of which we’ve covered in the last month.

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

Review: 'Zack and Miri' Scores With Funny Porno Farce

Dorf Ketal Chemicals Receives Responsible Care Management System Certification

Sigma-Aldrich (Nasdaq: SIAL) Announces Appointment of Rakesh Sachdev As CFO and Other Organization Changes

Forest City Celebrates Grand Opening of The Shops at Wiregrass

Near Record-Low Water Allocation Paints Grim Picture for 2009

Panama City - Bay County Airport and Industrial District Prevails on Challenge to Its Federal Permit

Center for Advanced Tribology Created

Grim Water Supply Forecast for 2009 Reinforces Need for New Water Delivery System

Metabolix Announces That Mirel(TM) Bioplastic Resins Are Certified to European Vincotte Biodegradability for Soil and Fresh Water Standards

New Water-Shortage Warning for SoCal

U.S. Agencies Wait for Bin Laden Message

9 Out of 10 Zombies Prefer Fingers Over Brains According to 211(Me)

comScore Introduces 'Extended Web' Reporting for Distributed Web Content and Measurement of Publisher Ad Packages

Dell Updates Battery Replacement Program

SaleSpider.Com Helps Job Hunters Become Small Business Owners By Offering Free Business Networking &Amp; a Job Center

Cisco to Host 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders Webcast

Due to Consumer Demand Q-Tip's Much Anticipated Album "The Renaissance" Available Digitally Now

Your Business Method Patent Has Just Been Invalidated

If you are one of the recipients of the 1,330 business method patents issued in the U.S. last year, or the thousands more that have been issued rampantly and indiscriminately over the past decade, you are probably out of luck. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. ruled today that business methods are not patentable unless they meet fairly narrow rules. What this means for Internet companies and patent trolls alike is that many of their existing patents may be invalid—at least until the case is heard by the Supreme Court, assuming it is appealed.

Mike Masnick at TechDirt has a good overview of the issues in the case and the stricter rules to be applied to these sorts of patents. He writes:

The summary is that the court has said that there’s a two-pronged test to determine whether a software of business method process patent is valid: (1) it is tied to a particular machine or apparatus, or (2) it transforms a particular article into a different state or thing. In other words, pure software or business method patents that are neither tied to a specific machine nor change something into a different state are not patentable.

The most famous business method patent is Amazon’s One-Click patent, but that is not what the case was about. (It deals with a proposed patent for a method to manage the risks associated with energy cost fluctuations that was rejected). But even the validity of Amazon’s One-Click patent could be questioned if it does not meet the new test. And that would depend on what you consider to be the definition of a “machine.” Is the Amazon store the machine in question (in which case that particular patent doesn’t have any particular value beyond Amazon’s own operations), or is it any online store (in which case, it might be too far reaching)?

This ruling raises a ton of questions like that across literally thousands of patents. And it is a good thing too because business-method patents tend to be overly broad and abused.

Crunch Network: MobileCrunch Mobile Gadgets and Applications, Delivered Daily.

Bob Harris' photo diary of a trip to the North Korea border

En route from Seoul, there are numerous large war monuments, which is hardly surprising, since technically the war still hasn't ended. Fortunately, most of the major ones are collected in one big depressing park, great for your getting-dispirited-about-the-human-condition convenience.

Here's one commemorating the "Ten Human Bombs":

I probably don't need to explain how the Ten Human Bombs met their end.

I also hope you don't see any resemblance to the overwrought posing of 1980s power-rock bands. That would be disresectful. Humming anything by Night Ranger, Twisted Sister, or Whitesnake while looking at this picture would be just wrong.

When you get up close to the border, the first thing you hit is Imjingak, where the Freedom Bridge is located.

That old railroad bridge is where 13,000 POWs were released by N. Korea and allowed to walk south. Thus the name.

The walkway to the bridge is now closed off, for obvious reasons. But if you peek through the coin-operated tourist binoculars, you can actually make out patrols in huts on the far side of the bridge.

There's a goofy sculpture of an armed peacekeeper at the beginning of the walkway, so it seemed fun to get my picture with it. Little did I realize where I'd be posing shortly.

Imjingak is as as close to the North as most South Koreans have ever been. Beyond here, foreigners need to jump through a few minor hoops to continue; locals are generally forbidden.

As a result, numerous shrines and monuments have been built here dealing with the country's separation and the permanent ripping-in-half of families on both sides. This site and a corresponding one on the other side are often used for ceremonies to honor ancestors, lost loved ones, fallen soldiers, etc.

Which explains the scores of busses in the parking lot. (There are nearly 100 in this partial image alone.)

With so many people flooding in on tour busses, it feels weirdly almost like a tourist trap.

Wait. Skip the "almost."

Unless every international flash point has a giant swing in the shape of a pirate ship.

I almost started thinking maybe this whole deal was overblown. After all, pretty much anybody (except South Koreans, and people from a few dozen countries where you need to go through a bunch of paperwork) can sign up, fork over some cash, and go peek at the DMZ. How tense could it really be?

Ahem.

Next thing you know, after showing my passport at three checkpoints, I'm in a military briefing at Camp Bonifas at the edge of the DMZ, and handed a form to sign agreeing to (if I remember it all):

• No smoking, no gum chewing, etc.; you're now entering a military area, so you gotta abide.

• No heels, no sandals, no unconventional shoes; if shooting breaks out, you gotta be able to run.

• No baggy jeans, no sleeveless shirts, conservative attire only; we are about to be monitored by the North Koreans, and any remotely questionable clothing could give them useful propaganda footage; entry without proper clothing will be barred in advance.

• No photos for the vast majority of the trip into the DMZ. A sergeant wearing a sidearm will be with you at all times, and if you attempt an unauthorized photo, your camera will be confiscated on the spot. Violation of this rule ends the tour.

• No gesturing of any kind, especially pointing at things. This could be mistaken through binoculars on the other side as the presence of an unagreed-upon weapon, and could provoke live fire. Violation of this rule ends the tour.

• No smiling, attempts at communication, or even eye contact with North Korean soldiers. This can be misunderstood and provoke a confrontation. Violation of this rule ends the tour.

• No unauthorized movements of any kind, including even turning around to look at something behind you you've already passed. This can also provoke conflict. Violation of this rule ends the tour.

• You do understand that you are entering a dangerous area, and that the possibility of injury or death is real.

Hokay then.

Next come tank traps, concertina wire, live exercises, and a whole bunch of highly active history.

Apparently North Koreans still violate the cease-fire and make small incursions into the DMZ on a surprisingly regular basis. A lot of this doesn't get much reported in the rest of the West because, well, for the same reason a lot of really important things just never get reported. TMZ gets higher ratings than DMZ any day of the week.

Then, finally, we reach the Joint Security Area (JSA), the only spot where the two countries connect -- ground zero of the DMZ.

So here's me being a tourist in front of the North Korean border, marked by the white posts. Those trees? In North Korea.

To the left of this spot, on the North Korean side, they've built the world's tallest flagpole, 160 meters high, over the propaganda village of Kijong-dong, whose name is fun to say over and over. You may have to make train noises and say "whooo-whooo!" after about six repetitions.

Why the gigondous flagpole? On the South Korean side, see, there's an actual village of about 200 farmers who chose not to abandom their ancestral homes, despite being inside the DMZ. South Korea eventually put up a 100m flagpole near the village. Look at the size of our pole, North Korea! Whoo-hoo! The North Koreans, in response, tried to prove their superiority by building an even bigger village on the other side and erecting an even bigger flagpole. South Korea, that's all you got? Bwah-HAH-ha-haha-haaa!

The North Korean village, however, seems to be entirely fake; there's no glass in many of the windows, the only people usually visible are a few soldiers creeping around, and the lights go on and off in the buildings at the same time every night.

Then again, that may also just be what an average North Korean village looks like these days. Sigh.

How tense can things get around here? One example:

Not far away, there's a marker where a yellow poplar tree used to grow. By 1976, it had gotten so big that the UN observation post at upper right couldn't quite see the goings-on at a checkpoint just out of the frame to the left.

At the time, soldiers from each side could move about the JSA freely.

So a group of UN soldiers, including U.S. Army Cpt. Arthur Bonifas, went to cut the tree down. The North Koreans took exception, and pretty soon, a bunch of them ax-murdered two of the UN guys, including Cpt. Bonifas.

Ever since, soldiers from each side can no longer move about the JSA freely.

And that's why the camp where we got our briefing is called Camp Bonifas.

Three days later, a complex raid ("Operation Paul Bunyan") involving a reported 813 men, 23 vehicles, 7 Cobra attack helicopters, a parade of B-52 bomber and F-4 and F-5 fighter planes, and a US Navy aircraft carrier placed into position offshore...

... and managed to cut down the tree.

Seriously.

So, yes. Kinda tense sometimes.

Nearby, the hauntingly named Bridge of No Return.

This bridge was used for prisoner exchanges once the cease fire was established in 1953. Since many families were split by the border, released prisoners didn't always want to cross; maybe their mom was on the side they'd been captured on, but their wife was on the other side. No matter -- the deal was simple: cross once if you like, but if you do, you can never return.

This is also the bridge that USN Cmdr. Lloyd Bucher and the crew of the captured U.S.S. Pueblo crossed when they were released in 1968. They were somewhat less conflicted about leaving.

At the very center of the JSA -- after passing through some more no-photo areas -- you reach a row of small huts painted UN blue and placed squaredly atop of the border, straddling it so that the north half of each building is on side and the south half is on the other.

The centermost is the one used for peace talks to this day.

The northern half of this small building is on North Korean soil. It has its own entry, just like the one we're looking at from the southern side.

Notice that the UN guards are facing our North Korean friends while sort of peeking around the building's corners, with half of their bodies shielded by the edge of the building. Not without reason. Gunfire has erupted here unpredictably over the years. Sometimes it's caused by an unexpected provocation, but on occasion it has also been the result of a sudden attempt to defect from the North, either by a patrolling soldier a visiting North Korean, Russian, or other dignitary.

The North Koreans are under strict orders to immediately shoot anyone who attempts to defect.

Since it's only a ten-second dash from one side to the other, things could freak out in a blink at any moment. Years can go by between incidents, and then instantly, without warning, bang bang bang bang bang. So it's one second to go-time here, 24/7.

Btw, this is a really good moment not to suddenly yell "Kim Jong-Il sucks!" and try to run for it.

For all my kidding around, I want to take a sec and make clear that I respect these guys a lot. They really are defending their country from one of the nuttiest systems ever devised by humankind.

Sadly, the North Korean soldiers probably think they're doing something similar.

Then again, I don't have a picture of it, but the North Korean guards stand their positions while facing each other -- supposedly so if one tries to defect, the other will have a better chance of killing him.

So what does it look like inside? There are three conference tables -- one on each side, plus the main one for face-to-face discussions. This main table is placed squarely atop the border, with the microphone jacks and little peacekeeper flag literally straddling the frontier, just so nobody gets pissy.

It looks, in fact, just like this:

The soldier on the far end of the table is actually straddling the border.

Say... doesn't that mean my right foot is in North Korea...?

Yup. And about five steps further to my right, behind the northern conference table, there's a door to the rest of North Korea. Vigorously guarded, of course.

I got my picture with the guard, because hell, I'm an American tourist, it's my job. But I was under strict instruction not to touch or interact in any way.

Looking at his body language, I wasn't exactly tempted. Notice the distinct lack of touching. Because I do not like sudden arm fractures.

I also did not hum anything by Quiet Riot. This would have been a bad idea.

Seriously, look at that guy's posture. I've only seen that before in comic books, just before the Rocketeer launches, or Wolverine sprouts adamantium claws and starts dishing out scars. Standing next to the guy, it felt like he was just waiting for someone to give him an opportunity. Which, in a sense, he has to be at all times, just to do the job.

I can't get over the clenched fists. You get the feeling they're not going to hug this out.

OK, back through more no-photo-land, which is surprisingly lovely: 55 years of near-zero human activity in the DMZ has created an ad hoc nature preserve. How odd.

And finally, back at Camp Bonifas... what else? A freakin' gift shop.

Camo in infant sizes. Nice touch.

Also sweet swag: sample bits of barbed wire, in case your sliver of the Berlin Wall doesn't carry the same frisson it used to.

Great for rounding up teeny-tiny cattle.

They get thousands of visitors through here, so I guess it's no surprise. And it adds to the level of surreality, so no complaints.

I wound up buying a replica armband, just like the about-to-berserk Rocketeers were wearing. Maybe if I wear it long enough I'll start getting superpowers when I'm angry.

Besides, it'll look really cool to wear when I'm hanging out with these guys.

We're not gonna take it! No, we ain't gonna take it! We're not gonna take it... anymore!

Presidential Youth Debate Answers and Details Now Online

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Electronic Arts posts larger loss, cuts jobs (AP)

What better way to toughen up the Wii than with a Nerf game?

Now, let me make one thing clear. If they made an awesome Nerf game (indeed, if they have already made one), with “dart time,” Nerf shotguns, Nerf arrow sniping, and water ballons, complete with “Nerfalities” and stuff like that… if they made that game, no one would care that it was Nerf because it would just be awesome. I expect, however, that the new Nerf N-Strike is not that game. The Nerf/Wii blaster is a good idea (though I question its durability) and they have the right idea with the real Nerf guns in-game, “over-the-top” action and so on. But with only four players it’s not going to be a Nerf War, and for the money you could get a couple real Nerf guns and start blasting for real.

Wow, the word “Nerf” is in that paragraph ten times. I guess it’s unavoidable. Nerf

Yep, iPhone firmware 2.2 is still vulnerable to jailbreaking

When the developer world first got glimpse of the iPhone 2.2 firmware back in late September, many were surprised to find out that nothing had been done to try and block users from jailbreaking (hacking the handset to allow third party applications and modifications not approved by Apple). Nearly a month later, a second beta release of the firmware is in the hands of developers, and the iPhone-dev team has good news: jailbreaks are still working just fine.

Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>

New from Motorola: FUBAR Q3 [Digital Daily]

Looking over Motorola’s dismal third quarter earnings, it’s hard to imagine that the company once claimed a market share of more than a fifth of global handset sales. After market close Thursday, the long-suffering handset maker posted a loss of $397 million, or 18 cents a share, and said it will sack 3,000 employees this quarter and next as it cuts costs, reorganizes its mobile devices business and generally tries to reverse its continued descent into the maelstrom. Worse, it said it will almost certainly miss market forecasts for the fourth quarter and will delay the planned spinoff of its cellphone unit. Oh, and it’s delaying the release of its first handset based on Google’s new Android platform.

During a conference call with analysts, Motorola co-CEO and handset division chief Sanjay Jha confirmed earlier reports that the company will simplify cellphone unit operations by focusing on two operating systems: Google’s Android and Windows Mobile. Which means the first half of 2009 will be challenging one for Motorola, as it phases out devices based on the MOTOMAGX and Symbian platforms. “I think that that will reduce the number of phones that will launch at least in the second or third quarters of next year,” Jha said. “But I think thereafter, we expect that using Android and Windows Mobile, to be able to address larger portion of the mid- and high-tier market.”

He better hope so, in this economy.

“The reality is there is no good fix here,” said Jha. “We have been too focused on bright shiny objects and not on the user experience. Whether we succeed or not, only time will tell.”

Samsung Delve from Alltel brings Touchwiz to the US

Just last week, Samsung announced that their widget-fueled Touchwiz interface would hit US shores sometime in late 2008 - and here it is. This morning, Alltel announced that the Touchwiz-powered Samsung Delve has gone up for presale on their site, with delivery (and in-store availability) coming on November 6th.

It’s got some reasonable specs for a not-so-smartphone, with a full touchscreen, 3.5 mm headset jack, 2 megapixel camera for videos/stills, Bluetooth, and support for Alltel Navigation, TV on Demand Connect, and Radio Connect. It’s not going to take down the big players in the touchscreen market, but if you’re searching for that smartphone look without the “smart” aspect, the Delve might do the trick. It’s not final yet, but we’re still expecting this one to also make its way to U.S. Cellular in a few weeks.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Pirates (and non-pirates) beware! The gaming cops are out to get ya.

Section: Computers, Networking, Security, Software / Applications, Gaming, Miscellaneous, Peripherals, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Websites, Online Music/Video

You don’t even have to be illegally sharing your files to have the gaming firms after you apparently.  Just ask Gill and Ken Murdoch. 

They’re senior citizens who don’t even play computer games and had never even heard the term “peer-to-peer” until they got a letter in the mail telling them they were being accused of sharing the game Race07 by makers Atari.  Their case was eventually dropped, but there are still hundreds of people this is happening to according to a Which? Computing magazine investigation.

We’ve all heard it time and time again.  The arguments over piracy and how big of a problem it is.  Apparently, copyright owners are sick and tired of it and are ready to play hard ball. 

With six million people estimated to illegally share files every year, it’s an issue for them.  They are cracking down even if it means going after the senior citizens, I guess.  They’ve begun watching the more popular P2P networks like BitTorrent, Gnutella and eDonkey.  Some of the game companies have appointed law firms in the ready to prosecute file-sharers. 

Many people think they are safe if they just download or share a couple files.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.  In a case in August, the games firm Topware Interactive won over £16,000 from Isabella Barwinka from London.  Her crime?  She shared a copy of Dream Pinball 3D. 

The companies are using anti-piracy firms like Logistep.  These firms find people pirating using their IP address.  Using this number, they are able to apply for a court order which mandates internet service providers to hand over information about the user.  Problems can arise with this whole theory when a user’s IP is “stolen.”

For example, someone can piggyback onto another person’s unsecured wireless network.  Prosecutors tried to argue that all users are required legally to secure their network, but Michael Coyle, an intellectual property solicitor with law firm Lawdit, disagrees.  “There is no section of the Copyright Act which makes you secure your network although it is commonsense to do so,” he said.

Then you have the firms that encourage file sharing and make no bones to hide it.  Pirate Bay is just such a firm.  They readily admit to randomly inserting IP addresses into the list of people downloading files.  (Some of these IP addresses belonging to people who probably have never played a game in their life and wouldn’t know how to share a file if you paid them.) They do this just to waste the time of the investigators checking and searching users.

It’s expected that the music industry is going to be following in the footsteps of the gaming industry.  The crackdown has only just begun, and it isn’t going to be pretty. 

Via [BBCNews]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Midnight launch events planned for Wrath of the Lich King

Flickr’d

I know at least some of you are looking forward to the release of Wrath of the Lich King in just a few weeks. Please be advised that Blizzard is holding some sort of launch extravaganza at four locations in the U.S.: the Best Buy at 529 5th Ave. in New York; the Fry’s at 3370 E. La Palma Ave. in Anaheim; the GameStop at 151 Powell St. in San Francisco; and the GameStop at 10000 Research Blvd. in Austin.

Game devs and execs will be on hand at these stores to sign copies of the game.

Blizzard also says the numerous other stores around the country (and world for that matter) will be open at midnight.

Now, will I be waiting on line to buy the game at midnight? Absolutely not—I’m more than happy to wait for the UPS guy to bring it to my door after ordering it on Amazon. Though I wouldn’t mind seeing a bunch of cosplayers live and in person.

Software Enables Cameras to Duplicate Keys

A photograph of your apartment key is enough to enable someone to unlock your door, thanks to a new technology developed by computer scientists at UC San Diego.

Led by computer science professor Stefan Savage, a group of students devised a way for a computer program to create a duplicate of a key by simply analyzing a photograph of it. Each bump and valley on a key represents a numeric code, which completely describes how to open any lock, according to UCSD's Jacobs School of Engineering publication.

The team demonstrated the software at ACM's Conference on Communications and Computer Security 2008, where students showed off the technique up close and from afar. They took close-up shots of keys with a cell phone camera. Then, using a 5-inch telephoto lens, they stood on top of a building and took photos of keys sitting on a table 200 feet away. In both examples, they were able to capture sufficient data to create duplicate keys.

As neat as the technique sounds, the computer scientists are aware it will instill fear in those who have posted photos of their keys on public photo sites such as Flickr. However, Savage says for quite some time, some expert locksmiths have been able to copy keys by hand from looking at high-resolution photos. The computer scientists' project would simply enable anybody with the software to do the same.

To address the concern, some companies are developing keys that contain computer chips, so they'd need to both physically fit the lock and send the proper code to open it.

Keys Can be Copied From Afar, Jacobs School Computer Scientists Show [UCSD Jacobs]

Photo: UCSD

How To Make Money With Free Software

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

CrunchDeals: iRiver PMPs on the cheap through the end of the year

There’s a small sale on iRiver doodads that might interest you, especially with the holiday shopping season coming. From November 1 to December 31, the iRiver Spinn, Lplayer and E100 are all getting their prices slashed anywhere from $30-$60. For example, you can grab the 8GB model of the E100 for $99. If you’re looking for something a little more flexible, the 8GB Spinn is now $229.

Why would you want an iRiver instead of, say, an iPod?

• You realize being seen with an iPod stopped being impressive by early 2004

• You encode your own music in formats like FLAC and Ogg

Non-sequitor: Anyone else think the name iRiver is a little on the silly side?

Flixwagon now compatible with Nokia’s Share on Ovi

After the announcement that Qik would be a featured download on the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, it looks like competitor Flixwagon is prepared to battle for their chunk of the Nokia mobile streaming market. Flixwagon has announced that they’re now compatible with Nokia’s Share on Ovi media hosting service.

Once a user downloads the latest Flixwagon for Symbian application and plugs in their Share on Ovi details, they’re able to share live and stored videos directly to their Ovi account. While sharing a video to Ovi doesn’t provide any functional benefits over sharing it to just Flixwagon, it allows those who use both Share on Ovi and Flixwagon to keep all their content in one place without nearly as much hassle.

While it’s not quite clear how much work was required on Nokia’s part, Lior Nir, Director at Nokia’s Entertainment & Communities group, had this to say:

“Nokia is committed to helping people capture and share their mobile experiences anytime and anywhere. This integration with Flixwagon is another step in enabling people to connect in a powerful yet simple way.”

That said, it seems like Nokia’s holding off on putting all of their eggs in one mobile streaming basket - a smart move. While we all have our favorites, the battle for mobile streaming king has only just begun. Between the Qik shortcut on the 5800 and working with Flixwagon to integrate it into Ovi, they’ve established relationships with two major players without either requiring all that much work on Nokia’s part (we’d assume), nor does it lock them in to either service. Now, what about Kyte?

Crunch Network: TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies

Bethesda to drop a new Oblivion in 2010

Have you heard the news? Bethesda has started their random fantasy world generator and it should be done around 2010. They’ve upped the detail level to “7″ so you’ll need a pair of new graphics cards and Microsoft should be including Bethesda in DirectX 12 talks. Bethesda also included a little jab for Nintendo, saying they weren’t interested in the Wii right now and that “pet games and cooking games” are reaching “saturation” at this point.

Ah, next-next-generation Elder Scrolls — I’m sure it will be a lovely world to befoul while blacked-out drunk.

Magpie Time, a new craft show for kids

My friend Pat Roberts has created a new kid's craft show which features Pat's ingenious creations made from everyday stuff. Here's a teaser video with instructions for making a cute owl. Magpie Time

Federal Circuit Appeals Court Limits Business-Method Patents

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Motorola posts $397M 3Q loss; more job cuts (AP)

AP - Motorola Inc. posted a hefty loss in the third quarter Thursday, citing the continued troubles of its cell phone division. The company will postpone the planned spin-off of the unit, and cut more jobs.

Onion headline from 1993: Roy The Forklift Driver addresses nation

The May 29, 1993 edition of The Onion has a preposterous fake story about a character named Roy the Forklift driver becoming a media darling of the conservative movement.

"Nation Eagerly awaits Ohio Man's Profound Insights into Current Events."

As if!

Roy the Forklift Driver

LED Light Installation Evokes Circuit Board Design

Inspired by printed circuit boards, the building block of all electronics, a Dutch designer has created an LED-based light installation that draws upon the familiar etching pattern inside most devices.

Created by Lonneke Gordijn, co-founder of the Netherlands based design firm Design Drift, the idea combines electronics and plant based material.

The tiny LED light sources are framed by the white puffball seeds of dandelions.

Fragile future as Gordijn calls it is about the "amalgamation of nature and technology." "The printed circuit board here is off the board and 3D," she says.

The installation consists of modules that can be connected to each other to create unique compositions depending on the space available.

With help from a sensor, the composition also "protects itself" by shutting down when someone comes too close. Distance sensors and a programmable chip make that possible, she says.

"Electronics here is driven by the natural survival instincts," says Gordijn. "This is the same mechanism as a poppy that drops its petal when you pick it or a ladybird that acts as dead in your hand."

The entire composition will be on display at the Design Miami exhibition in December.

Fragile Future started as Gordijn's graduation project from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2005.Since then she has improved the system to make it easier to install quickly.

The modules don't come cheap though. They can cost up to 145 Euros (approx $190) each though Gordijn told Wired.com she's working with some retailers to make it more affordable.

Photo: Fragile Future (Lonneke Gordijn)

Hard Times? Not for iPhone Developers

Job seekers struggling to land gigs during the economic downturn are going to wish they had iPhone programming skills.

The demand for iPhone developers worldwide has grown 500 percent in the past six months, according to oDesk, an outsourcing firm for technology jobs. That translates to an increase from roughly 30 job openings per month to more than 140 positions per month, all seeking app developers, software engineers and other programming and consulting types to build iPhone apps. Those aren't just U.S. companies clamoring for iPhone coders, either: oDesk's network includes employers and job seekers from the United States, Russia, India, Ukraine, China and 100 other countries.

"People are using the iPhone in ways you'd never expect a cell phone to be used," said William Casel, who posted an ad on Craigslist seeking an iPhone developer for his company BuzzBuy. "That's why I'm drawn to it."

Casel is one of many employers catching onto a rumbling mania surrounding the iPhone's popular App Store. In September -- just two months after the App Store's launch -- Apple reported that iPhone apps hit a milestone of 100 million downloads. Some independent developers are striking it rich with their iPhone apps. For instance, developer Steve Demeter reported raking in $250,000 in just two months with his popular iPhone game Trism. And even music labels are finding that iPhone apps give them new ways to sell music online.

Some universities are keenly aware of the business opportunities the iPhone has created, and they're readying entire troops of developers by teaching courses on iPhone application development. Stanford was one of the first to offer an iPhone course as part of its computer science program. And more universities will follow, as Apple recently launched iPhone University, giving schools free resources and software to teach iPhone development.

Employers aren't just looking to code apps targeting consumers, either. They're aiming at other businesses, too. BuzzBuy CEO Casel, for example, is looking for an iPhone developer to code an app that will enable any online store to automatically generate an iPhone app. That way, an iPhone owner could easily browse and make purchases from a web store using its automatically generated app.

A quick browse down the San Francisco Craigslist job board supports oDesk's optimistic view of the iPhone programming market. Almost every other day there's at least one ad demanding an iPhone app developer. The target audiences appear to vary. One ad reads, "So, are you the one? You really have to know your stuff.... Do you like games? Want to help bring one into fruition and build the next killer app for the app store? Ever hear of money? Yeah, we plan on making some of that too."

Sounds quite ambitious, doesn't it?

Maybe -- but the demand for developers is driven by continued strong sales of iPhone apps.

Independent coder Shane Vitarana, who developed the $1 app Drum Kit, said his app is currently selling about 500 downloads a day on average -- enough to provide him a steady income. He said he doesn't have exact figures of how much his app has gained him overall, but at one point his app was the 12th most downloaded paid app in the App Store.

Prior to developing for the iPhone, Vitarana was programming Facebook apps -- which weren't anywhere near as lucrative.

"I thought that the iPhone in the App Store was a perfect platform --  to make an app and to actually sell it," Vitaran said. "It goes against the whole Web 2.0 model: It seemed more like a traditional model where you could get a product and sell it and get it out to thousands of people with two or three clicks. Plus, it's so easy to buy apps on the iPhone."

Aside from providing Vitarana a steady income, Drum Kit is earning him enough to hire people to help him with future apps. Vitarana currently has a contractor working for him 10 to 20 hours a week, and now he's looking to hire designers.

Makes you want to reconsider your career path if you're not already a coder, right? This could be an opportune time to enroll in a school offering an iPhone development course. Or, you could always pick up a book.

 
See also:

• Jobs: Apple Is Third Largest Handset Supplier
• Stanford Offers iPhone 101: App Developing Workshop
• Apple Launches iPhone University Program
• iPhone Developers Go From Rags to Riches

Photo: shapeshift/Flickr

Yep, iPhone firmware 2.2 is still vulnerable to jailbreaking

When the developer world first got glimpse of the iPhone 2.2 firmware back in late September, many were surprised to find out that nothing had been done to try and block users from jailbreaking (that is, hacking the handset to allow third party applications and modifications not approved by Apple). Nearly a month later, a second beta release of the firmware is in the hands of developers, and the iPhone-dev team has good news: jailbreaks are still working just fine.

With 2.2 presumably nearing its public release, there are only a few possible explanations for this. Either Apple’s omitting the jailbreak-breaking code until the final release to prevent a workaround being discovered preemptively, they’re not quite sure how to fix it, or they’ve simply stopped caring about jailbreaks. We’re hoping it’s the latter.

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

You can help Intel, Asus design a PC online

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Networking, Software / Applications, Wireless, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Gaming, Portable, Web, Web 2.0, Websites

Intel and Asus have just launched a site yesterday that allows everybody and anybody to help them to design a PC.  WebPC is looking for collaborators to work together to help the two companies bring about a “community designed” PC.  Their ultimate goal is to be able to actually market this community designed PC, as it would be the first like it in the world.  With the motto of “You Dream it.  ASUS Builds it.  Intel inside it.” on the front page, it’s easy to see how you can get lured in to being a part of the vision.

Apparently, designers from the companies will be lurking on the site as well, checking out the different ideas. General Manager of Intel’s Partner Marketing Group, Mike Hoefflinger says:

“Intel believes the spark for innovation can come from anywhere.  That’s why Intel is working with Asus to tap into the creative energy of consumers as they share ideas on designing their ideal PC.”

On the site, there are communities which are then divied up into three different “conversation groups.” You can choose to go chat about netbooks, notebooks or gaming notebooks.  They say that they want to hear anything from general ideas, to having you go all out and create your dream PC.  There is also a section to go in and vote on ideas already submitted by users. 

The site says they are going to give out prizes to “select participants for their creative role in this project.” No real details on what that means yet.  Details on prizes will be announced later. 

Cool. So tell me...what would your dream PC be like?
Via [CNet]

Full Story » | Written by Jodie Andrefski for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Paper Ballots Will Return In MD and VA

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Rescuers Aid Orphaned African Penguin Chicks

Ultra-thin QWERTY phone announced by Pantech

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Email / IM, Mobile

They are going to sell bunches of these.  Debuting as the world’s thinnest QWERTY phone, the new Pantech Slate is available now on AT&T.  This phone is one of many AT&T is launching to address the heavy-messaging market segment.  Phones like the Pantech Matrix (a take on the Duo without Windows Mobile), Samsung Propel and now the Slate, AT&T is covering the bases with a variety of styles to fit, well, your style.

The Slate’s claim to fame is its less than 1-centimeter thickness.  That is super thin and AT&T claims it can fit into your skinny jeans; though, clearly, they’ve not tested my skinny jeans.

Besides its staple functionality: messaging (instant, e-mail, text, multimedia) the phone boasts a 1.3 mp camera (a tad skimpy) with 2X zoom with video capabilities.  Bluetooth rounds out the feature spec, which AT&T also kept thin.  If the Slate features the same OS as the Matrix I’ve been playing with, users will find it definitely usable as long as Gmail isn’t a priority.  The OS has a simple UI, but one that has cool graphics, fonts and icons.  Overall, I like it.

The phone sells for just $49 after mail-in rebates of all kind are added up. 

Product page: [AT&T]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog Decline

Waterproof MP3 Players Won't Make You Swim Like Phelps

Waterproof Mp3 players are niche gadgets, but for the genetic freaks that spend all their hours turning laps in the pool practicing, they may offer welcome relief from the monotony.

Freestyle Audio's newest MP3 player, the Soundwave, is only the latest of these trying to ride the coattails of the high profile swimming competition from this summer's Olympics.

The $90 player can handle submersion for up to 10 feet and can also resist shock. Like other waterproof players, it’s low in capacity (2 GB only or about 600 songs), it supports MP3 and WMA file types, and comes with waterproof headphones. It also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that lasts 18 hours, according to the manufacturer.

But the biggest barrier these players face is to convince people they are more than crappy, low-capacity toys with barely passable audio recognition in submersion -- only a few have managed to clear that low bar. Others have complained that it's difficult to keep the earbuds in due to the water pressure.

SwiMP3 is one of the quality players that pro swimmers prefer lately, as it conducts vibrations through the cheekbones (like Bluetooth sets), and according to the New York Times, probably has the best clear audio of them all. Other good players out there are the Speedo Aquabeat player (expensive at about $150 for 1 GB), and NU Tech's Dolphin (1GB, $135).

If there are any swimmers out there, what do you think?  Are you willing to pay $150 just for the privilege to listen to some tunes below the surface? How much would you pay for a waterproof, super-rugged iPod if Apple made one? (The flimsy, heavy plastic cases available now don't count). Let us know in the comments.

Hubble Telescope Taking Photos Again

Mobile Dead goes live for BlackBerry in NYC

Its been a few months since we last mentioned Mobile Dead, but this zombie-blastin’ “Mobile Multiplayer Trans-Reality” (MMTR) game has now gone live in New York City.

Like other MMTR games, you’re wandering the streets of your own city rather than some made up fantasy land. Your character and other in game objects are superimposed onto a map of your area, with your character’s position determined by your real-world location (via GPS). Move in the real world, and you move in the game.

Because everything can be made better with a dash of the undead, Mobile Dead takes the MMTR concept and throws zombies into the mix. Weapons and health items are scattered around your area, with on-screen danger lurking behind every corner. As you come across other players (zombies), you’re free to friend them, fight them - or both. According to Perk Mobile, Mobile Dead’s developers, the game will even extend past the screen, with “real world puzzles” and hidden codes placed around NYC.

We noted this briefly last time, but it still holds true: The tough part for Mobile Dead will be maintaining a critical mass of players. If there aren’t enough players in New York City, much of the game’s appeal is lost. Hell, even if there aren’t enough players in any given neighborhood of NYC - who’s going to trek 8 blocks to try and stalk down an opponent? On the opposite end of things, too many players could spoil the fun. If they do manage to maintain that balance though, Mobile Dead could turn out to be a blast.

Something that might ensure they can at least maintain them minimum would be getting the game onto other mobile platforms. They’re working on it; while there’s no ETA yet, releases are in the works for both Android and the iPhone.

With cell tower triangulation technology growing in popularity and satellite-based GPS well on its way to becoming a fully standard feature, I’d imagine we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of these MMTR games making their way out over the coming months and years. Keep your eye on the genre - it’s easy enough to drop in and out off to be inviting to the casual gamer, while immersive enough to keep it from becoming mind-numbing after just a few minutes.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Ivory anatomical manikin

These manikins, between 6 to 7 inches in length, were made from solid pieces of ivory. The arms were carved separately and are moveable. The thoracic and abdominal walls can be removed, revealing the viscera. In some manikins the internal organs are carved in the original block and are not removable, while they are formed into separate pieces that can be removed.

Netflix is loose, dates everyone: now TiVo

Section: Video, DVD Players/DVRs, HDTV

Whoa, Netflix!  First came the Watch Instantly on the PC, then dedicated boxes, then Mac, then yesterday’s announcement of Xbox and now this one: TiVo will stream Netflix content on series 3, HD and HD XL receivers and up (sorry DirecTV users, no soup for you).  Hot dang, what is next for Netflix, streaming on my toaster?

For TiVo, this is huge news.  TiVo’s loyal army surely has been considering their options as aged equipment, user interface and attractive alternative offers have been rolling in from providers.  TiVo begins testing the service in select markets today and plans to offer it nationwide by early December so you’ll have plenty of time to go back and forth on deciding for a holiday gift.

No news yet on if the HD recievers TiVo offers will get Netflix HD content.

Read [NewTeeVee]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

BBtv: Hunting for the Kappa Monster in Tokyo, part 1

Oh, man, this is weird. How do we explain this? Okay. So, the Boing Boing tv team planned a series of episodes about Japanese monsters for Halloween, and for this purpose, we sent Sean Bonner to Tokyo, armed with a video camera. The plan was: meet up with Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda, authors of the previosly-boinged book Yokai Attack: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, and hunt down the truth about mythical monstrous creatures from Japanese folklore.

We'd planned to start our Japanese monster series with a hunt for the Kappa, a water-dwelling, ninja-turtle-like, child-sized creature who is fond of cucumbers and human colon meat (I'm not making this up). Legend says the Kappa will reach into your butt to eat your colon, which is grosstastically awesome.

Anyway -- Sean made it to Tokyo, and shot evidence of the Kappa on Japan's urban streets (signs, blow-up Kappa dolls, stickers). But then, suddenly, the raw footage he was FTPing to us nightly just STOPPED. Bam. Just like that. And with it, all evidence we had of Sean's whereabouts and well-being.

Today's BBtv episode is part one of what we hope will be a two-part series on Kappa Hunting in Tokyo. IF HE SURVIVED. Sean, if you can read this, I sure hope you were armed with cucumbers. The alternative is too horrible to imagine.

Previously on Boing Boing:
Japanese monsters, and how to survive their wrath: YOKAI ATTACK

Video of happy man vigorously swinging baby around room

Hard to believe this is real, but it sure seems like it. Sporty Babysitter of the Year

Binder clipper makes for nice iPhone stand

Jeff Staple posted photos of his co-worker's simple but effective iPhone stand -- a binder clipper. Crafty iPhone Stand

Phoenicians Live on in People's Genes

Eight-Armed Animal Preceded Dinosaurs

SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of Terror

Mercury Spewed Mysterious Blue Material

Wal-Mart to Sell Discounted Googlephone, Outrage Ensues

Wyoming Tries to Broaden Wolf Protection