Source: Gizmodo | 6 Jan 2009 | 5:01 am

HP comes clean with the HP Firebird with VoodooDNA gaming PC

HP’s latest Voodoo rig, the HP Firebird, is a fine machine for gaming and video/photo buffs. With two SKUs to appease all sides the Firebird is sure to give PC users everything they want or even need in a relatively small and extremely quiet high performance package.

The 802 features an Intel Core 2 Quad Core 2.66GHz processor while the 803 packs a 2.83GHz processor. Both come with Vista Home Premium 64-bit editions. Graphics are taken care of with dual Nvidia GeForce 9800S cards in an SLI config. To keep the rigs cool under pressure, the Voodoo team equipped the Firebird with a liquid cooling system to ensure the proc, chipset (Nvidia nForce 760S) and graphics cards don’t have a major meltdown while you’re fragging or editing. Both come with 4GB of DDR2 RAM.

The 802 comes with two hot swappable 250GB hard drives for half a terabyte of whatever you want to store. The 803 bumps up to 640GB total and comes with a Blu-ray player and SuperMulti DVD burner. The 802 settles for a DVD optical drive. There’s an external 350W power supply that is extremely quiet.

The Firebird is somewhat modular and having seen it in person I walked away very, very impressed. For example, the fans are removable to make cleaning extremely easy and the hard drives can be removed effortlessly (which can be seen in the images). Despite the high price tag, I’d say these are some mighty fine PCs. The 802 starts at $1,799 with the 803 starting at $2,099.

HP and the Voodoo team also announced a new keyboard, the NC730AA. More details on this coming soon.

The HP Gaming Keyboard with Voodoo DNA has backlit illumination with cluster lighting options so gamers never miss a shot. Fully programmable keys have macro capabilities, while the gaming cluster has anti-ghosting capability.

Source: CrunchGear | 6 Jan 2009 | 5:00 am

Air Traffic Control Towers Go From Bad to Worse

More than half of America's air traffic control centers have exceeded their useful lifespan and many have "obvious structural deficiencies and maintenance-related issues," the government says.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Jan 2009 | 5:00 am

Judge: Warrantless-Eavesdrop Case Can Continue

A federal judge is keeping alive a lawsuit testing the Bush administration's warrantless-surveillance program adopted in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. President Bush is leaving office in three weeks, but the case tests the power of the nation's chief executive — whether the president can bypass Congress.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Jan 2009 | 5:00 am

Jobs' Health Message Makes Little Sense, Experts Say

Scientists weigh in on Steve Jobs' recent statement that he has a hormonal imbalance that has caused him to lose weight. What little detail is in the statement is contradictory, they say, and could indicate anything from hyperthyroidism to multiple myeloma.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Jan 2009 | 5:00 am

Artifacts From the Future: Happy Meal 2013 — Vat-Grown Kobe Beef and Flintstones Ritalin

A Happy Meal lunch spread in 2013 is complete with a personal McFryer and assorted dipping sauces from Honey Mustard to BrainSpike and Endorphin Rush.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Jan 2009 | 5:00 am

Jan. 6, 1912: Birth of the Supreme Tech Skeptic

1912: French social critic Jacques Ellul is born. He will become a thoughtful skeptic who worries about the negative impact of technology on the human condition.

Jacques Ellul wore many hats: sociologist, philosopher, humanist, theologian, law professor. He studied the work of Karl Marx and embraced a good deal of Marxist theory, which he did not consider in conflict with his religious beliefs. The son of an atheist father and Christian mother (.pdf), he was raised without religious training. He became a Christian at 22, and his strong faith — Ellul defined himself as a Christian universalist — underpinned all his work.

In his cosmopolitan family, Ellul grew up with a distrust of statism, which partially explains his attraction to Marx. His dislike of the state did not prevent him, however, from taking an active role in the French Resistance during World War II.

He was the rare French intellectual who remained a provincial all his life. He did not beeline it for Paris, as most of his contemporaries did, choosing instead to remain in the seaport town of Bordeaux, where he was born. He was a professor at the university there for most of his career.

Ellul's ambivalence toward technology was grounded in large part in his religious and social convictions. He believed that "technological tyranny," represented by the increasing encroachment of modern technology into our private lives, posed a threat to both human freedom and faith.

He wrote widely on the subject, including the 1964 book, The Technological Society, which is considered his most important work. Ellul was not critical of technology per se, but with the ways it is used by some to impose their will on others. He was especially critical of the mass media, which he believed is completely manipulated by powerful and generally antagonistic special interests.

He wrote:

One has to wonder what Ellul, who died in 1994, would have made of the internet's long reach.

Source: Various

Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Jan 2009 | 5:00 am

3 Cheap, Safe Ways to Destroy Deadly Explosives

Most wars last just a few years. But the unexploded mines, shells, and bombs they leave behind can last decades. Getting rid of these lurking killers can be painfully slow and prohibitively expensive. That's why Joe Trocino established the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation with the mission of helping locals dispose of ordnance using inexpensive, easy-to-find materials. Here are three of its ingenious techniques.

Sometimes explosives are close to people or buildings. That's where Mr. BIP comes in. Just place an inverted tire rim over the bomb, secure it with rebar stakes, surround with sandbags, drop in an explosive charge, and detonate.

Construct a steel box, fill with small-arms rounds, and seal shut. Apply heat to the container using a propane, coal, or wood fire. Rather than exploding, the gunpowder slowly "cooks off"—leaving only inert metals, which can be recycled.

Unexploded tank rounds and scrap metal pipe are common in conflict zones. Luckily, they can be a disarming combo: Drop the explosive round down the proper diameter pipe and the lip of the shell catches, separating the projectile from the explosive primer.

Illustrations: Nate Van Dyke, Photos: Swiss Foundation for Mine Action

Source: Wired Top Stories | 6 Jan 2009 | 5:00 am

AMD and HP combine to form nicely featured 12-inch notelet

Nestled between the $400-$500 netbooks and the more fully-featured but far less portable laptops like Thinkpads and MacBooks at say $1200 is what we like to call a market vacuum. People who don’t want the limitations of a tiny laptop but need something more portable than a full-size laptop either have to comprimise one way or the other, or else pay through the nose for a MacBook Air or really thin Vaio.

HP and AMD recognized a demand (they hope) and have crafted a pretty sweet-looking little ultra-thin, portable notebook with a considerable amount of power: the Pavilion Dv2.

I liked what I was hearing from them because I genuinely agree that people need a good medium between netbooks and notebooks. The price and capabilities of netbooks are settling down into a shape that I don’t find that useful personally, but I don’t need a second “real” laptop. I need something that’s, for lack of a better term, good enough. And AMD seems to have come up with a setup that gets most of the power of a laptop at a more convincing price point.

This 12-inch laptop uses the new Athlon Neo setup, so it has a real full-power processor and discrete graphics setup (Radeon 3410, reasonable). It’s perfect for the kind of low-intensity photoshopping, web work, and NES emulation that I do every day, and doesn’t try to half-ass stuff like HD video editing, RAW photo management, or 3D gaming. Actually, it sorta tries on the last one, but we’ll forgive them. I’m a bit cheesed that it only comes with Vista; the OS simply doesn’t scale down well. I’d rather have 7.

When I first heard about this thing, it was supposed to have a 4:3 1024×768 screen. Boy am I glad they changed that to a widescreen 1280×800! Now you can watch 720p stuff the way it was meant to, kind of. Anyhow, the thing is due out in April and I’m really looking forward to it. HP’s doing nicely: with the Mini 1000 they’ve got a solid tiny laptop, and this Dv2 looks to be a good option for the next step up. Above that I’m not sure how I feel about them, so we won’t talk about that.

Source: CrunchGear | 6 Jan 2009 | 4:50 am

A Look Back At Kurzweil's Predictions For 2009

marciot writes "It's interesting to look back at Ray Kurzweil's predictions for 2009 from a decade ago. He was dead on in predicting the ubiquity of portable computers, wireless, the emergency of digital objects, and the rise of privacy concerns. He was a little optimistic in certain areas, predicting the demise of rotating storage and the ubiquity of digital paper a bit earlier than it appears it will actually happen. On the topic of human-computer speech interfaces, though, he seems to be way off." And of course Kurzweil missed 9/11 and the fallout from that. His predictions might have been nearer the mark absent the war on terror.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 6 Jan 2009 | 4:42 am

Apple ditching DRM? 3G iTunes downloads?

Looks like the gods at Apple have been listening. People have long complained about Apple’s DRM protection on music available on iTunes and the inability to download songs to the iPhone over 3G (I mean come on). That might change tomorrow.

It seems that Apple has cut a deal with music labels to remove DRM. This might come at a cost though. Songs will now supposedly be sold at variable prices with newer songs and hits selling above the usual 99¢ price and older songs selling for as low as 79¢.

This move could quite possibly could give people no reason to use other online music stores like eMusic, Amazon MP3 and Walmart any more. These stores boast catalogs of DRM-free tracks and with nothing differentiating them from the current top music retailer their sales may take a hit.

Some other sources apparently claim that Apple will be unveiling over-the-air iTunes purchases. This was thought to be restricted because of the high cost incurred by carriers. That would be another blow to alternative online retailers, because Apple would probably work really hard to make the iPhone client for iTunes super good, and then “accidentally” break the other apps with a software upgrade.

MacWorld’s Steve-less keynote is tomorrow, so stay tuned for our live coverage in the morning, and we’ll see what happens.

Source: CrunchGear | 6 Jan 2009 | 4:22 am

SanDisk announces push button backup flash drive. Hold me back!

SanDisk announced today that they are creating a USB thumb drive based backup system, where you essentially plug the drive into your computer, and then push the button. The drive will then magically back up your files using their new software. Sounds like a good option for mom and dad… or baby. Above you see the new Ultra Backup drive, which will come in flavors up to 64GB.

The iconic Cruzer is also getting a makeover, although not too major of one. It’ll retain its usual abilities but look a little nicer. –>

[Editor's note: We'd like to ask that SanDisk send pictures of the actual objects they will be selling and not CG renders. Unless you guys live in Immaculate City in Uncanny Valley and those are the real thing. In which case you're creeping us out, SanDisk. -Ed.]

Source: CrunchGear | 6 Jan 2009 | 4:05 am

AT&T Mobility and Motorola to Offer the Rugged Tundra VA76r on Jan. 13

DALLAS and LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CES -- Today, AT&T Mobility and Motorola, Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jan 2009 | 4:01 am

Motorola Unveils World's First Mobile Phone Made Using Recycled Water Bottle Plastics and New 3G Touch Tablet with Customizable Home Screen

Latest devices to be displayed at 2009 International CES in Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, Jan.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jan 2009 | 4:01 am

Full Stream Ahead: RipCode Raises $12.5 Million For Video Transcoding

RipCode, a company that offers online video streaming and transcoding services, has closed a $12.5 million funding round led by Granite Ventures with participation from existing investors Hunt Ventures, El Dorado Ventures, Vesbridge Partners, and ATA Ventures. The company, which was founded in 2005, had previously raised $19.5 million in funding. As part of the deal, Granite’s Eric Zimits will join RipCode’s board.

One of the major issues with streaming video lies in offering content compatible with the wide array of devices that can access the web. Sites are oftentimes forced to store the same video multiple times in different file formats and sizes to accommodate as many devices as possible, but this can lead to unnecessary storage and processing costs.

RipCode allows content providers to negate this issue by transcoding their videos on the fly, without the need to process and store multiple copies. The company recently scored a major win with its partnership with MySpace, which now uses the company’s services to offer streaming video to mobile phones. And given the increasing diversity of devices that can access the high-speed web, we can probably expect to see similar partnerships between RipCode and other major video providers in the future.

RipCode plans to use the new funds to further expand its sales and marketing efforts, as well as continue development on its infrastructure and software offerings.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 6 Jan 2009 | 4:00 am

Apple’s new notebook leaked!!!

GOTCHA!!!

Source: CrunchGear | 6 Jan 2009 | 3:59 am

Nextar To Unveil Micro Projector and Car Bluetooth Speakers at CES

The biggest names usually take the headlines at CES, but finding an up-and-coming gadget maker with interesting new products is what makes the show worthwhile.

By unveiling their own version of the Pico projector this week, Nextar is trying to be one those companies that catch our attention. With most of the Picos not fully living up to the hype thus far, we're hoping they've come up with something good.

 Nextar's Z10 LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) micro projector is pocketable like the other minis and has a resolution going up to 640 x 480 pixels. It's supposed to be much brighter than the other minis and all images come out in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

According to Nextar, the projector will last up to 30,000 hours, has USB and Micro SD ports, and comes with a built-in speaker. It will also support several audio and video file types, in case you want to play some music. But with that tiny shell, we're not expecting quality video at all -- tinny audio seems more appropriate.

The 1 lb. Z10 will come with a separate, companion accessory the other Pico's don't have: a small 20" (diagonal) screen for insta-presentations. The screen is probably not a bad idea if you don't already have a projection screen, but it seems unnecessary if you can find a clean white wall.

Nextar will also be coming out with two solar powered Bluetooth car speakers this week. The hands-free speakers connect to your cell phone and provide 10 hours of talk time at a full charge. According to the company, the dashboard-bound sets recharge while you're driving, making it less likely to find yourself without juice.

The Z10 projector will be out in the Spring for $300, and the screen will be $40. The bluetooth speakers will run from $60 to $70. 

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 6 Jan 2009 | 3:51 am

Logitech to cut salaried staff by 15 percent (AP)

AP - Logitech International SA, a maker of mice, webcams and other computer peripherals, said Monday it is cutting its salaried work force by 15 percent in response to weak consumer demand amid what it expects to be an extended global downturn.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Jan 2009 | 3:50 am

Think Laser Tag is dead? Guess again

Laser Tag is not dead. At least, not in central Oregon. Some of the people there have way too much time on their hands and they are producing some exceptionally cool looking weaponry to shoot each other with.

Despite the fact that Laser Tag is mostly in the realm of birthday party event centers now, some people still struggle to keep the sport alive. One group of these fanatics enthusiasts seems to be based out of the McMinville area of central Oregon. It’s quite remarkable how truly cool the stuff they are making is.

[via Hack n Mod]

Source: CrunchGear | 6 Jan 2009 | 3:45 am

Today on Offworld

Today on Offworld we saw Rock Band's vocal pitch recognition get trumped by some ace theremin playing on Portal theme song Still Alive, and downloaded a new unofficial theme for the PlayStation 3 featuring gorgeous HD paintings of cult Genesis shooter Gunstar Heroes. We then got more musical and listened to an album composed on DS synth Korg DS-10, as well as a one-man gadget orchestra featuring two DSs, an iPod Touch, an iPhone and a Kaossilator, and watched LittleBigPlanet creator Alex Evans go back in time to its early prototype days from a recent Wired store event. Finally, we took a look behind the design of indie adventure Aquaria, tried to decipher the code behind Subversion, an as yet un-detailed game that hopes to generatively model everything from entire cities down to a pen lying on each office desk, saw one man's new wrap-around Patapon tattoo and a beautiful motion graphics piece on the history of games, and timed how long it would take for an autonomous Katamari to clean your living quarters, Roomba style.

Source: Boing Boing | 6 Jan 2009 | 3:06 am

Milky Way Heavier Than Thought, and Spinning Faster

An anonymous reader writes "The Milky Way is spinning much faster and has 50 per cent more mass than previously believed. This means the Milky Way is equivalent in size to our neighbor Andromeda — instead of being the little sister in the local galaxy group, as had been believed. One implication of this new finding is that we may collide with Andromeda sooner than we had thought, in 2 or 3 billion years instead of 5."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 6 Jan 2009 | 2:50 am

Today on Offworld

Today on Offworld we saw Rock Band's vocal pitch recognition get trumped by some ace theremin playing on Portal theme song Still Alive, and downloaded a new unofficial theme for the PlayStation 3 featuring gorgeous HD paintings of cult Genesis shooter Gunstar Heroes.

We then got more musical and listened to an album composed on DS synth Korg DS-10, as well as a one-man gadget orchestra featuring two DSs, an iPod Touch, an iPhone and a Kaossilator, and watched LittleBigPlanet creator Alex Evans go back in time to its early prototype days from a recent Wired store event.

Finally, we took a look behind the design of indie adventure Aquaria, tried to decipher the code behind Subversion, an as yet un-detailed game that hopes to generatively model everything from entire cities down to a pen lying on each office desk, saw one man's new wrap-around Patapon tattoo and a beautiful motion graphics piece on the history of games, and timed how long it would take for an autonomous Katamari to clean your living quarters, Roomba style.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 6 Jan 2009 | 2:47 am

HP Says Its Netbook Is Business Class

HP is marketing its latest netbook as ideal for business users -- a rather peculiar move for a device in this category.

They're called netbooks because they're streamlined for surfing the internet and basic computing tasks -- in other words, screwing around rather than getting actual work done. But HP is marketing its Mini 2140, to be introduced at CES 2009 this week, as an enterprise netbook.

Just what makes this netbook business-savvy? A keyboard that's 92 percent of a standard, full-size keyboard, HP says. Secondly, a 10.1-inch LED display. Also, a longer-lasting, six-cell battery that HP claims will last about 8 hours. Finally, the sleek, silver case feels a lot classier than many other netbooks I've dealt with.

Those subtle differences aren't mindblowing improvements from preceding netbooks. Like most netbooks, the Mini 2140 is powered by 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, and it carries a 160GB hard drive.

Nonethless, it's clear why HP is marketing the Mini 2140 as a business netbook. We're facing hard times, and businesses are going to look to cut costs on hardware for their employees. In fact, the typical lifespan of an office computer is three years, but 46 percent of businesses are postponing on purchasing their employees new computers, according to a Wall Street Journal story.

Is this the next direction for netbooks? Quite possibly. A decent netbook purchased in addition to an external display would be equal to or less than the cost of a desktop system -- and employees would be able to carry their work with them.

We'll provide plenty more on netbooks in our CES 2009 coverage in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for more.

See Also:

• Review: HP's Mini Notebook is a Real Deal Eee PC Killer
• HP Mini 1000 Gets Official
• HP Mini 1000 Has a Secret 3G Modem

Product Demo [HP]

Photo: HP

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 6 Jan 2009 | 2:08 am

HP's Subnotebook Is Uglier, Fatter — But Cheaper Than Air

HP's competitor to the MacBook Air isn't lighter, thinner or more attractive than Apple's subnotebook. But it's significantly cheaper.

Dubbed the Pavilion DV2, HP's 12.1-inch subnotebook weighs 3.8 pounds and measures 1.3 inches thick. It's powered by a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor. Though pricing hasn't been finalized, HP said the DV2 will cost around $500.

That's a lot cheaper than the MacBook Air, which starts at $1,800. Granted, Apple's subnotebook has the DV2 beat in every way. It's powered by a dual-core (Core 2 Duo) 1.6GHz processor, and the screen is 13.3 inches. Plus, the notebook measures 0.76 inches at its thickest point and weighs 3 pounds. And overall it's much sexier.

Given all those differences, it almost seems wrong that HP's marketing the DV2 as an Air competitor. But hey -- maybe it's fair right now. In hard times, cheaper is better, right?

HP is showcasing the DV2 at CES this week. Follow Wired.com's CES coverage for more notebook news from the event.

Photo: HP

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 6 Jan 2009 | 2:00 am

Microsoft Promotes Muglia to President (PC World)

PC World - Microsoft has promoted Bob Muglia, the head of the company's server and tools division, to president, making him one of a handful of senior executives who carry this title.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 Jan 2009 | 2:00 am

Shapeways: first online market for 3D fabrication models

You hear about 3D printing here and there, but for the most part it's a bit irrelevant to the average person because fabrication is messy, difficult, and prohibitively expensive. Even dedicated DIYers have to get their stuff custom made. Hopefully that will all change with Shapeways, a new service which bills itself as a sort of Etsy for 3D models.

Source: TechCrunch | 6 Jan 2009 | 1:15 am

The 2009 Nibbler Championship

Joshua Bearman wrote about the 2009 Nibbler Championship at the LA Weekly Blog. He says:

Why is this so awesome? Nibbler, as I mentioned in a brief aside in my Harper's piece on Billy Mitchell, was an arcade game made by the jukebox company Rock-Ola in the early 1980s. Nibbler is mostly forgotten other than its historical appeal as the sole arcade machine whose counter had enough digits to display 999,999,999 and therefore turn over at 000,000,000, or one billion points.

The game itself sucked -— “playing the thing is joyless,” says Dwayne Richard, the number two Nibbler contender of all time—but as the highest of all potential scores, the “billion on Nibbler” was a universal goal in the early 80s. Many tried and failed. Eventually, on January 15, 1984, Tim McVey from Oskaloosa came to Walter’s arcade and finally reached a billion after playing forty-four hours—except that instead of turning over to zeros, the counter kept going. Tim gave up at 1,000,042,270 when he realized the true milestone was ten billion points, another order of magnitude away, and sadly, well out of reach for him and all humanity. (Rock-Ola gave Tim a Nibbler machine, which he promptly traded to Walter Day's rival arcade down the street -- for $200! In tokens!)

Tim is back, playing against Dwayne Richard. I put up a fairly detailed post about, talking about how Nibbler represents how obsessive classic game competition is, for the players, just another facet of human achievement. Like climbing Everest. Or enumerating Pi. And to that end, I posted the first opening to my Harper's piece, which fell by the way side for editing reasons. But it tells the story of Robert Mruczek's marathon session on Star Wars at Fascination Arcade in New York in 1984, and sets the stage for the idea of this whole pursuit as part of the epic story of man versus machine, but more importantly, man versus self.

Source: Boing Boing | 6 Jan 2009 | 1:14 am

Tooth Regeneration Coming Soon

Ponca City, We love you writes "For thousands of years, losing teeth has been a routine part of human aging. Now the Washington Post reports that researchers are close to growing important parts of teeth from stem cells, including creating a living root from scratch, perhaps within one year. According to Pamela Robey of the NIH. 'Dentists say, "Give me a root and I can put a crown on it."' In a few years dentists will treat periodontal disease with regeneration by using stem cells to create hard and soft tissue; they will take out a tooth that is about to fall, and reconnect it firmly to the regenerated tissue. Although nobody is predicting when it will be possible to grow teeth on demand, in adults, to replace missing ones, a common guess is five to ten years. Baby and wisdom teeth are sources of stem cells that could be 'banked' for future health needs, says Robey. 'When you think about it, the teeth children put under their pillows may end up being worth much more than the tooth fairy's going rate. Plus, if you still have your wisdom teeth, it's nice to know you're walking around with your own source of stem cells.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 6 Jan 2009 | 1:12 am

Amazon S3 Adds Option To Make Data Accessors Pay

CWmike writes "Amazon.com has rolled out a new option for its Simple Storage Service (S3) that lets data owners shift the cost of accessing their information to users. Until now, individuals or businesses with information stored on S3 had to pay data-transfer costs to Amazon when others made use of the information. Amazon said the new Requester Pays option relieves data providers of that burden, leaving them to pay only the basic storage fees for the cloud computing service. The bigger question with the cloud is, who really pays? Mark Everett Hall argues that IT workers do."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 6 Jan 2009 | 12:17 am

IBM Singing the Big Blues? [Digital Daily]

Sounds like there may be ugly news in the offing for IBM (IBM) employees. According to comments posted to an IBM employee site operated by the Communications Workers of America, the company may announce as many as 16,000 layoffs before the end of the month. Were that to happen, approximately four percent of IBM’s global workforce would find themselves released into the wild.

“My manager is involved in the layoff planning in our division (part of the technology group),” writes one commenter. “He told me the numbers in our division were going to be very large, a lot larger than what the other managers were expecting. He moved half of us onto projects with government funding commitments and thinks he can protect the people he has left, but he’s not sure. Nobody wants to fearmonger, but the layoffs are coming.”

Said another, “All divisions in IBM will be affected. Get all your ducks in a row. Time is running out.”

So what does IBM have to say about all this? Not much. “IBM does not comment on rumors and speculation,” said a company spokesperson. Perhaps that will change later this month when IBM releases its fourth-quarter 2008 earnings …

[Image credit: Someecards]

Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jan 2009 | 12:16 am

97-year-old Botanical Artist

I really enjoyed this interview with 97-year-old Chikabo Kumada, a botanical artist in Japan. His philosophy about life is every bit as lovely as his paintings. Here’s a snip:

Mr. Kumada, when did you start drawing illustrations of plants and insects?

I started to do it for work when I was twenty-six. I quit the graphic design company I’d been working at and switched careers without talking to my wife about it first. At that time, all the books had been burned in the war, and bunches of shoddy picture books had started coming in from the Kansai area and I thought, “This won’t do! I’ve got to draw some good picture books.” I love children. That’s why I started doing it. That was where my years of impoverishment began. (laughs)

Sadly, the PingMagMAKE site where the interview was posted seems to have gone on an extended hiatus. I was sorry to read this, as I've enjoyed perusing their articles.

--Shawn

97 Year Old Botanical Art Maestro

(Shawn Connally and Bruce Stewart are guest bloggers)

Source: Boing Boing | 6 Jan 2009 | 12:14 am

Point, Veoh. Court Upholds DMCA Protections In Suit Brought Against It By UMG.

For those Web companies that comply by it, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is turning out to be their best friend. Last week, Universal Music Group (UMG) was denied a summary judgment by a Los Angeles court in its copyright infringement case against Veoh. (Court order embedded below). UMG wanted a summary judgment against Veoh, arguing that it could not hide behind the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA, which state that Web services are not liable for the copyright infringement of its users if it takes certain steps to prevent it.

This is the second time a summary judgment has been denied to a company trying to sue Veoh for copyright infringement. (The last time it was a porn company). These orders are setting important legal precedents not just for Veoh, but for YouTube and others also facing DMCA lawsuits.

The safe harbor of the DMCA states that Web services are not liable for copyright infringement if the content is stored “at the direction of a user.” UMG tried to argue that Veoh should not be covered by the safe harbor because it did a bunch of things with the music and video content after it was stored on its servers, including converting it into Flash, breaking it up into chunks for peer-to-peer distribution, and allowing other users to stream it or download it.

The judge, A Howartd Matz, didn’t buy the argument. He found Veoh’s position to be “more persuasive,” noting that user’s must agree to Veoh’s Terms of Service before uploading a video, and that the terms of service clearly prohibit uploading copyrighted material. In other words, the initial act of uploading is considered to be user-directed storage under the DMCA, and whatever Veoh does to process the video after that cannot be used to get around the letter of the law.

If you live by the DMCA, be prepared to die by the DMCA.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 6 Jan 2009 | 12:10 am

Liveblog: Macworld Expo 2009

Apple will announce new products during a Tuesday morning keynote at San Francisco's Macworld Expo. Wired.com will be liveblogging the event on site.

Apple's vice president of marketing Phil Schiller (no, not Steve Jobs) will be delivering the keynote starting 9 a.m. PDT Tuesday. Wired.com's James Merithew, Mark McClusky and Leander Kahney will be there with yours truly, blogging up a storm. At that time, revisit this post to track our coverage and in-depth analysis.

In the mean time, read our pre-Macworld reports to get caught up on what's expected at the show. 

See Also:

• Steve Jobs Cites Treatable Hormone Imbalance For Weight Loss ...
• Jobs Won't Appear at Macworld 2009 to Be Apple's Last Show ...
• Apple Says Farewell to Macworld, Hello to the Big Time
• Fans Plan Silent Protest for Steve-less Macworld
• Rumor Roundup: What to Expect at Macworld Expo 2009

Photo: Jonathan Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:45 pm

Picasa Finally Hits The Mac, Squares Off With iPhoto

Picasa, the popular free photo management software made by Google, has finally made its way to the Mac. The application has long been noticeably absent on the Macintosh - especially given the fact that it has been available for Linux (which typically lags behind Macs and Windows) since 2006. It’s also a direct competitor to Apple’s long running iPhoto product, which has come with all new Macs for years. So how does it stack up?

In my brief testing the application seems to be very snappy (much faster than iPhoto), though it lacks the sleek look of Apple’s products. Photos import quickly, effects are easy to find and apply, and most things are intuitive, though the folder browsing can be a little confusing. It might not be as pretty as iPhoto, but I won’t be surprised if power-users make the switch (or at least consider it).

One of the biggest differences between Picasa and iPhoto is that Picasa doesn’t move or reorganize images, but instead keeps track of where your images are scattered across your hard drive and allows you to view them in one place. For users that manually manage their photos by sorting them into folders, this is a very welcome change. In contrast, iPhoto has long transfered your photos to its own library, and encouraged users to sort their photos through the app itself.

Given that iPhoto has come preinstalled on every Mac for years, Google is doing doing everything it can to make Picasa play nice with your existing library. While users can typically modify any image on their hard drive directly from Picasa, all images in iPhoto’s library are treated differently: the application will copy these images to a new location, and only then apply edits. The application also allows users to revert back to previous versions.

Picasa is a welcome alternative to iPhoto, but it’s still premature to drop iPhoto entirely. It’s highly likely that Apple will unveil a new version of iPhoto at tomorrow’s Macworld keynote, and you can be sure that it will include some significant enhancements.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:26 pm

MSI to Showcase Low-Powered All-in-One Desktop, Netbooks at CES

Micro-Star International (MSI) will be showing off its all-in-one desktop, along with several other nifty looking gadgets, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

Dubbed the MSI NetOn, the all-in-one desktop will come in three different screen sizes: 16, 19 or 22 inches. It'll be the first all-in-one desktop to be powered by the Intel dual-core Atom processor, MSI said in a press release Monday. MSI claims the desktop will consume only 20 percent of the power consumed by a normal PC.

MSI will also sell an advanced configuration of the NetOn called the AE2203. That model ships with advanced multimedia functions, such as full high-definition support.

Also at the show, MSI will display its newest Wind netbooks -- the U115 and U120. The U115 will be the first netbook that uses both a solid state drive and a hard disk drive (the former for booting, the latter for storage).

The U120 is very similar to the original Wind -- the main difference being an optional 3.5G modem. The U120 also sports a sharper, more professional look -- white with black accents -- compared to its predecessor.

No details yet on a release date or pricing for the products.

 

See Also:

• MSI Unleashes Second Wind Netbook
• MSI's Second Wind: Hybrid Drive, Low-Powered CPU
• MSI Introduces the 'NetTop': Low-Cost, All-in-One PC

Photos: MSI

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:23 pm

Milky Way Now 50 Percent Larger, Astronomers Discover

New, more precise measurements of the Milky Way indicate that it's 50 percent more massive and spinning 100,000 miles an hour faster than previously thought. Scientists presented the discovery at the American Astronomical Society meeting.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:23 pm

Carefully Timed Jerks Could Power Space Elevator

Hugh Pickens writes "BBC has an interesting article on the long-standing issue of how to power the 'climber' that would ascend a space elevator into space. Previous ideas have included delivering microwave or laser power to the climber beamed from the Earth's surface, but now European Space Agency ground station engineer Age-Raymond Riise has demonstrated a device that could provide a "lift into space" for cheaper space missions along a 100,000-km long tether anchored to the Earth. Riise demonstrated sending power mechanically by providing carefully timed jerks of the cable at its base with a broomstick to represent the cable held in tension, an electric sander to provide a rhythmic vibration to the bottom of the stick, and three brushes representing the climber with their bristles pointing downwards allowing the climber assembly to slide upward along the broomstick as it moved slightly downward, but grip it as it moved slightly upward. 'It would be possible to make a suspension system that completely decouples the cabin where the passengers are,' says Riise. 'For them it would be a linear movement with very little disturbance.' Riise says that he has been approached by commercial elevator companies, who are researching new ideas for elevators in superscrapers where the simplicity of the approach makes it attractive when compared to other ideas for powering lifts, such as compressed air."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:22 pm

Meg Whitman Quits Three Boards; Will She Run for Governor? [Voices]

By Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron’s, Tech Trader Daily

Former eBay (EBAY) CEO Meg Whitman has resigned her seats on the boards of Procter & Gamble (PG), eBay and Dreamworks Animation (DWA), The Wall Street Journal reports, increasing speculation that she may be planning a run for governor of California. The WSJ reports that sources say Whitman will announce her plans in the next four to six weeks.

Read the rest of this post

Source: All Things Digital | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:21 pm

Stanley Kubrick's external hard drive

I love Neil Poulton's design for LaCie's Hard Disk MAX, a USB hard drive thingumajig. Desktop PCs should be this gorgeous.

It has two terabyte drives for double the capacity or RAID, includes a powered USB 2.0 hub, and comes with a free year of internet-based backup storage.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Jan 2009 | 11:08 pm

Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2008

Stem cells, nanotubes and Martian ice -- these are just a few of Wired Science choices for the top 2008 scientific breakthroughs.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:32 pm

Will Meg Whitman Be The Next Governor Of California?

After picking the wrong horse in the Presidential Election (where she might have become Secretary of the Treasury if John McCain had won), former eBay CEO Meg Whitman now looks to be laying the groundwork for a run at the governorship in California in 2010. (The current Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, cannot run for another term under existing laws). Whitman today resigned from all the corporate boards she serves on—eBay, Procter & Gamble, and Dreamworks Animation. While she hasn’t formally declared that she is even exploring the possibility of becoming a candidate, that is the scuttlebutt.

If she wins the Republican nomination, candidates she could face on the Democratic side include former California Governor Jerry Brown (who is thinking of running again) and two popular mayors (Gavin Newsom of San Francisco and Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles). If she hopes to stand a chance, she needs to cultivate more of a populist streak. Expect to see her on a lot more talk shows.

Even though she left eBay a year ago, much of her appeal will be tied to the public’s perception of the company, which has seen better days. If eBay turns itself around and is once again seen as a success in two years, that will help her campaign. But if eBay sellers and buyers continue to flee from the service, that will hurt her. She cannot escape the eBay association.

Would you vote for her?

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

Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:31 pm

Employees the Next (Continuing) Big Security Risk?

surely_you_cant_be_serious writes "A nationwide survey finds that most companies consider their systems vulnerable to attack. Historically, crime rates increase during recessions — and some believe that cybercrime may well follow suit, especially given massive layoffs and the dim prospects many laid-off employees face in finding a new job. 'One thing companies can start doing is monitoring their networks on an ongoing basis so that they understand the normal pattern of data flow and usage, Brill said. In many cases, companies may not have the internal capability to do this, but outsourcing options are available. Kroll Ontrack, for instance, will be rolling out a 24/7 monitoring service for its global clients manned from a US location by professionals in early 2009.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:30 pm

TSA, JetBlue Paying $240,000 to Settle Discrimination Suit

The Transportation Security Administration and JetBlue Airways are paying $240,000 to a District of Columbia man who, as a condition of flying, was forced to cover his Arabic-language shirt. In both English and Arabic, the shirt said: "We Will Not Be Silent."

Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:20 pm

Teenage Podcaster Camps Out for Jobs-less Apple Keynote

You would think the news of a Steve-less Macworld would take the wind out of the event's sails. But that wasn't enough to prevent a teenager from camping out in the rain since 6:30 a.m. Monday.

"I was a little angry when I heard Steve Jobs wasn't going to be doing the keynote — since that's the only reason to come," said 14-year-old Nicholas Lensander, a senior writer at The MacTips Podcast. "But I still think this is important, because this is the last time the public can see Apple at Macworld."

Lensander was the only person waiting outside San Francisco's Moscone Center on Monday for Tuesday morning's keynote. He said in July, he was also the first in line to buy the iPhone 3G at an AT&T Store in Santa Barbara. That day, he waited 22 hours for the handset.

Macworld Expo, the annual Apple trade show, opened Monday for registration. The event kicks off Tuesday with Apple's keynote, where the corporation will launch new products. That keynote is traditionally delivered by Steve Jobs, but the CEO admitted in a letter Monday he was sitting out this year because of health issues.

Before Jobs published his letter, many members of the Mac community were shocked to hear he wouldn't appear for a keynote, igniting widespread speculation about the CEO's health and position at Apple. In addition, Apple said 2009 will be the corporation's final year appearing at the Macworld trade show. 

"Steve Jobs has done a good job ... and he hasn't taken a break from this for a long time," Lensander said.

Though his Apple fanaticism is peculiar, Lensander said this was his first time attending Macworld. Also, he said he's been a Mac user for only one year and three days.

See Also:

• Jobs Won't Appear at Macworld 2009 to Be Apple's Last Show ...
• Fans Plan Silent Protest for Steve-less Macworld
• Apple Says Farewell to Macworld, Hello to the Big Time
• Rumor: New Mac Mini Coming to Macworld 2009

Photo: Jonathan Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:19 pm

VixML: A Revolutionary New iPhone Development Platform For The Masses

The iPhone is the hottest platform around, leading some small-time developers to overnight riches and spawning over ten thousand apps in only a few months. But without knowledge of Objective-C or the intricacies of the iPhone SDK, many talented designers have no way of getting their wares onto the App Store. Today, Viximo has released a landmark new development platform called VixML that allows talented designers to create basic applications with a minimal amount of programming knowledge. The new development platform could easily turn into one of the most important tools for novice iPhone developers, and with the the tagline “this way to iPhone awesomeness”, it’s clear that Viximo has high expectations.

VixML is based on the XML markup language, which may still be intimidating enough to scare off some prospective designers but is nowhere near as complex as an actual programming language. Using a number of pre-designated tags, the VixML WYSIWYG SDK and emulator, designers can create rich, multimedia mini-apps in a matter of days that would have previously taken weeks or months of programing. Basic tags allow developers to make their applications sensitive to a number of common iPhone user inputs, including shaking, blowing into the microphone, swiping and tapping with fingers, and tilting the phone. The platform also includes support for an integrated 3D graphics engine for nifty particle effects.

Once you’ve developed your VixML project, there’s the matter of actually getting it onto the App Store. For now, all projects will be part of Viximo’s upcoming True Flirt application, which allows users to send these mini-apps to each other as virtual greetings. To send a “Flirt”, you’ll need the premium version of the app, which is $5.99. If the recipient of a flirt doesn’t have the app installed, they’ll be sent an SMS message inviting them to download a free version that allows them to view and interact with Flirts, but doesn’t allow them to send them.

Developers will be able to submit their projects to be included as part of the main True Flirt application, or as standalone ‘Flirt Packs’ that will be sold as separate apps. Ideally users would simply be able to buy these flirts through the main application instead of having to deal with separate Flirt Packs, but the App Store doesn’t currently support micro-transactions so we’re left with this inelegant solution. Still, for the time and money saved in development costs, the hassle may well be worth it for many designers.

However, there are a few major caveats. All projects designed in VixML must go through Viximo for deployment on the App Store, which means that you’ll need to go through two gatekeepers for approval (both Viximo and the standard Apple approval process), and you won’t be able to release yours apps outside of the True Flirt brand for some time. Viximo says that there will be a revenue sharing arrangement for each app that gets deployed, but is unwilling to discuss exactly how much will be going back to the developers. It sounds like this will be determined on a per-developer basis (and you’ll be told how much you’re getting once you’ve submitted an app), but the lack of even a ballpark figure is disconcerting (why build something when you have no idea how much you’re going to get paid?).

These issues aside, VixML seems like a powerful platform that could open up the iPhone to countless new developers, provided the developer restrictions aren’t too extreme. Granted, you won’t be able to build anything as complex as Tap Tap Revenge or Shazam, but the App Store has proven that even the most basic applications can do extremely well.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:19 pm

After an Agonizing Wait, Picasa for Mac Finally Arrives

Google has released a version of its popular free photo management application for Macintosh computers just ahead of the annual Macworld Expo. Picasa has been available for Windows and Linux for years, and the Mac version is eagerly awaited by those looking for an alternative to Apple's iPhoto.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jan 2009 | 10:00 pm

A Hacker's Audacious Plan To Rule the Underground

An anonymous reader writes "Wired has the inside story of Max Butler, a former white hat hacker who joined the underground following a jail stint for hacking the Pentagon. His most ambitious hack was a hostile takeover of the major underground carding boards where stolen credit card and identity data are bought and sold. The attack made his own site, CardersMarket, the largest crime forum in the world, with 6,000 users. But it also made the feds determined to catch him, since one of the sites he hacked, DarkMarket.ws, was secretly a sting operation run by the FBI."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:47 pm

Even in recession, CES to have stuff worth seeing (AP)

AP - The recession figures to tone down the flashiness of this week's International Consumer Electronics Show, but the lineup of innovative products likely will measure up to those of past years.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:16 pm

Rare Pink Iguana Evaded Darwin

A pink-and-black Galapagos iguana is ID'd some 179 years after Darwin's visit.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:11 pm

Apple moves to patent iPhone gloves

Nothing beats the smooth, silky glide of a capacitive touch screen - but nothing’s more annoying than trying to use one in the dead of winter. Unless you’re ultra-hardcore-extreme (or just too cool for school. or stupid.), you’ve got gloves on. Your phone rings; by the time you get your nice, snugly gloves off, you’ve missed your call.

Apple feels your pain. At least, they realized that the whole situation sucks and patented a solution: iPhone gloves! They’ve got all the warming perks of standard gloves, with a secondary conductive layer which serves to pipe the stimulation provided by your finger to the outer layer of the glove. Now, if you’re thinking, “Hey, didn’t some other people already do that?” - yes, they did. Don’t fret, though - Apple isn’t ripping anybody off; though it’s only coming to light now, the patent first got pushed through the paces way back in June of 2007.

Imagine if these make their way to the shelves! We could all wear Apple-brand gloves, and give each other Apple-branded high fives. Oh, the fun we would have!

[The patent Via AppleInsider]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Jan 2009 | 9:04 pm

Shade Trees Reduce Summertime Electricity Use

Shade trees also reduce carbon emissionsA recent study shows that shade trees on the west and south sides of a house in California can reduce a homeowner's summertime electric bill by about $25.00 a year.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 8:46 pm

Engineers efficiently create hybrid cells

Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers say they've developed an efficient way of pairing up cells so they can be fused together into a hybrid cell. The new technique should make it much easier for scientists to study what happens when two cells are combined, the study published in the journal Nature Methods suggests. For example, fusing an adult cell and an embryonic stem cell allows researchers to study the genetic reprogramming that occurs in such hybrids, the study says. Previously, if scientists wanted to combine two cell types -- for example A and B -- they would end up with many AA and BB pairings, as well as the desired AB match. They typically trapped cells in tiny cups as they flowed across a chip.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 8:16 pm

Psyko 5.1 headphones pipe rear channels around your noggin

This is a rare thing: a product that has won an "Innovations Award" from CES — the equivalent of showing up and getting a ribbon for not puking at your grade school musical — looks like it might actually be innovative. Don't let the horrible name fool you: the "Pysko 5.1 Surround Sound Headphones" might actually be pretty neat, with rear speakers that sit on top of your head, producing sound which is them piped down plastic waveguides in the chassis and timed to provide convincing positional audio.

Or they're junk. It's impossible to tell — and winning an award from CES rarely bodes well. (This is the same body that gave an award to the preposterous Atom chip in 2005.)

The Psyko 5.1 headphones will go on sale early this year for three hundred real dollars.

Pysko 5.1 product page [PsykoAudio.com]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Jan 2009 | 8:11 pm

Milky Way Galaxy: Snack-Sized No More

The Milky Way is not a little sister to Andromeda after all, new research shows.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:58 pm

Yellowstone Tremors Subside For Now

The nearly 300 small earthquakes that have rumbled underneath Yellowstone National Park during the past week seem to have subsided for now, according to data from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.The swarm of small earthquakes, the largest in more than two decades, began during the last week of December, and include three quakes that happened last Friday -- a magnitude 3.5 quake at 11:30 a.m., followed by quakes measuring 3.2 and 3.1 at 12:40 p.m.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:50 pm

VESA wins "Best CES Spam" award

VESA, the organization behind monitor-related technologies like DisplayPort, just sent in what's easily the best CES-related junk mail so far: a photoshopped Vegas sign. It must be said, however, that it has little competition. "Dear Mr. Boing," and variations thereof, were amusing at first.

Not any more.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:43 pm

Oobject Gallery: Examples of instant architecture

Today's Oobject is a fun one: "examples of instant architecture", buildings that can be quickly deployed for military or emergency shelters. Spot the one in which E.T. was soul-murdered and replaced by the spirit of Richard Nixon!

examples of instant architecture [Oobject]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:38 pm

Rumor Roundup: What to Expect at Macworld Expo 2009

Apple's charismatic CEO won't be showing up to deliver his famous keynote speech at Macworld Expo on Tuesday, but the show must go on. Wired.com has been following the rumors and analyst reports on what to expect at the show. Here's a roundup of those tasty tidbits, along with our probability estimation for each prediction coming true.

Aluminum Mac Minis
Wired.com learned straight from an Apple corporate employee that a new Mac Mini is slated for announcement at Macworld Expo. The Mini, Apple's portable desktop, hasn't been upgraded since August 2007 — which is unusual, considering Apple typically refreshes its products every six or seven months. Other publications dug up additional details about the Mac Mini's specifications. In summary:

• The enclosure will be composed of a combination of aluminum and black plastic, matching the color scheme of the latest MacBook family and iMac.
• The system will ship with an Nvidia graphic chipset.
• The system will ship with a SATA optical drive, which can optionally be swapped for a SATA hard drive.
• The system's connectivity ports include support for Mini DisplayPort, Mini DVI, FireWire 800 and USB.

Probability: 99 percent

iPhone Nano
A third-party iPhone case manufacturer created a new category labeled "iPhone Nano," igniting speculation that Apple will release a smaller version of its popular handset. A purported image of the Nano case suggests the handset is simply shorter and less wide than the original iPhone. Our problems with this gadget: It would be extremely difficult to use the touchscreen if its size is compromised. An iPhone Nano is a possibility later in the future, but the evidence for a Macworld release is thus far unsubstantiated.

Probability: 15 percent

iMac Upgrades
Economic Daily News, a Chinese publication, says component suppliers have leaked Apple's plans to upgrade its all-in-one desktop, the iMac. According to the publication, the iMac will sport a magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis. Corroborating this report, MacRumors discovered a string of code evidencing that new iMacs will carry an Nvidia chipset.

Probability: 90 percent

17-inch MacBook Pro
APC speculates Apple will refresh the 17-inch MacBook Pro at Macworld Expo with a unibody chassis and a low-cost, quad-core mobile processor. The evidence? Intel quietly added a new quad-core chip to its price list: the Core 2 Extreme Q9000 ($350), which partners four 2-GHz cores. Also, it's mysterious that Apple in October upgraded all the new MacBooks except the 17-inch MacBook Pro, and January would be a good time to announce one.

These are reasonable inferences, and AppleInsider claims it "independently confirmed" an upgrade for a 17-inch MacBook Pro would be announced. AppleInsider's report doesn't further the theory of a quad-core processor, but instead claims the notebook will include a fixed internal battery and an Nvidia chipset.

Probability: 75 percent

Thus far, it appears the "big deal" product at Macworld will be the souped-up Mac Mini. That's not awfully exciting to us, but we look forward to an aluminum treatment for the little guy.

A question to all the crazy Mac fanatics: Are you going to be camping out for the keynote this year, even though Phil Schiller's emceeing rather than Jobs?

Photos: adamjackson1984/Flickr, Apple, f0rcerec0n/Flickr, ~nathan/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:37 pm

Rumor Roundup: What to Expect at Macworld Expo 2009

The Apple rumor mill has been churning furiously with Macworld Expo just a day away. Here's a roundup of everything we've heard, along with our probability estimation for what's true and what isn't.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:37 pm

MSI claims 12-hour battery life for Wind U115 netbook, confirms WiMAX for U120

MSI just forged ahead in the netbook milliampere-hour race, claiming 12 hours on a charge for its newest models. It could well be long enough to take the holy grail of laptop battery life: a no-bullshit Day of Work with the radios on and the screen at a reasonable level of brightness.

It's for their already-announced U115, sequel to it's successful and OSX-compatible Wind U110. The claimed life is a result of its combination of SSD and HDD drives, a 6-cell battery, and "Eco Mode," a power management system tailored to the hardware. It'll get the sort of wake-time you'd normally have to buy silly aftermarket batteries the size and weight of bricks to get.

It also confirmed the U120, the first netbook that may be optionally configured with WiMAX, and other new laptops. Press release excerpts follow.

Wind NetOn – MSI will display 16”, 19” and 22” versions of the new All-In-One Wind NetOn line at CES. The AE1901 model is the world’s first All-In-One to be equipped with the Intel® dual-core Atom processor, which improves operational performance and conserves energy. The AE1901’s power consumption is only 20% of that of a normal PC (250W). Its super thin appearance, wall-hung design, 16:9 HD display, touch screen and optional wireless connection will make it one of the most talked about products at CES.

G-Series – MSI will also be exhibiting the newest additions to its G-Series Gaming Notebook line at CES. This includes the GT725, GT727, GT627 and GX420 – MSI’ first 14” model which features a 16:9 screen. MSI is especially excited to demonstrate GT725 and GT727, the first two models to break the 10,000 point 3Dmark barrier. MSI will also introduce the world to its first eco-friendly Carbon-Fiber Concept Gaming Notebook.

E-Series – MSI will also be launching two new versions of the advanced E-series Notebooks – EX625 and EX623. These new models feature ATI Radeon HD4670 video cards, a subwoofer, Dolby Surround II capabilities, 16:9 cinema-level displays, and Blue-ray optical drives.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:16 pm

Parasite Could Make Mosquitoes Die Young

Scientists may be able to breed mosquitoes to carry a parasite that causes early death.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:10 pm

Say cheese: LG Viewty camera phone hits 5 million sales worldwide

LG announced today that it has sold 5 million Viewty camera phones worldwide after 14 months on the market.  The 3″ touch screen-equipped, 5mp handset (now available in more colors - black, silver, red, blue, pink, purple, and white) has proven extremely popular abroad thanks to its emphasis on “real” camera features including its ability to capture video at 120fps, built-in autofocus and image stabilization, xenon flash, and Schneider Kreuznach optics.

Of the 5 million units sold, 350,000 devices were snapped up in LG’s homeland (S. Korea), with the  majority of Viewty sales taking place across Europe and other parts Asia (4,650,000 units).  These numbers bode well for LG who has already announced an 8mp Viewty successor, the KC910 Renior, back in September 2008.

Just goes to show ya (mobile manufacturers), when you mix looks and features with actual functionality, we all win in the end!

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:09 pm

17 New Species Found In Threatened Forests Of Tanzania

Scientists have reported the discovery of 17 new species of reptiles and amphibians in the rainforests of eastern Tanzania.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:08 pm

Make your own net gun with these plans from a nice man who doesn't want to hurt anybody, really

Chris is very angry that we have not yet linked to his project on Instructables, in which he teaches us how to build a fully working net gun out of PVC and compressed air for around $75. "But you ignored my how to build a net gun Instructable," says Chris, after pointing out other links today. "I owe you a netting."

We're all tremendous wussies, Chris, so I'm just going to leave this link right here and type away slowly. This can work out fine for everybody, Chris. Think about your kids.

Gosh, what a mighty fine link about making your own net gun. Sure am glad you made it, Chris. Everybody is. We all like you. [Instructables.com]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Jan 2009 | 7:07 pm

Solving The Mystery Of South American Trophy Heads

Image 1: Nasca ceramic vessel with disembodied heads on display in the Ancient Americas exhibition at The Field Museum. Courtesy of The Field MuseumImage 2: Nasca ceramic vessel featuring a warfare scene and disembodied heads on display in the Ancient Americas exhibition at The Field Museum. Courtesy of The Field MuseumImage 3: Nasca trophy head from a tomb at the site of Cahuachi. Courtesy of The Field MuseumImage 4: Nasca ceramic vessel with dismembered body parts from a tomb that contained a trophy head on display in the Ancient Americas exhibition at The Field Museum. Courtesy of The Field Museum
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:59 pm

Say goodbye to tedious marshmallow roasting with the Spinmallow

The Spinmallow is a twenty-nine-inch rotating skewer, easily detached from its faux wood handle for easy cleaning. It spins at a "perfect" 92RPM, making for a precision-toasted marshmallow, according to its creators.

I know it's early, but I think we can pretty much call this for gadget of the century. Sorry, iPhone Insufflate 9G!

Spinmallow is also rated for regulation-sized hot dogs. It is $10 whole dollars, or the price of a cord of wood and a handful of green twigs.

Spinmallow catalog page [MarkySparkyToys.com]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:59 pm

Science educators switching jobs

High turnover rates for science faculty at U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:58 pm

Liquid Image's HD Video Underwater Camera Mask

Liquid Image plans to show off technology at this year's CES that will help budding oceanographers embrace their inner Steve Zissou: a snorkeling mask with a built-in video camera for shooting decent-looking videos.

The Liquid Image Scuba Series HD320, a comprehensive upgrade of the standard-definition model unveiled at last year's CES, shoots HD (720p) video at up to 30 fps in the H.264 format, snaps five-megapixel JPEG stills and accommodates the lighting accessory pictured here " to help bring out the color and detail that is generally lost while diving below 5 meters."

Photos and videos are stored on the device's 64MB of on-board memory or any microSD card up to 32GB. An integrated underwater microphone records audio alongside your video, so you can hear yourself gurgling in approval at aquatic life encountered on your swim. The contraption is waterproof to 115 feet.

Liquid Image has a special YouTube area where it uploads people's underwater videos shot with the masks. A note on the site cautions, "Please respect the sea life and the environment! We will not add any videos of people touching fish, turtles, coral, etc."

The Liquid Imaage HD320 will cost $215 when it ships this spring. Another model, the Pro HD350 (price TBD), will function at up to 330 feet below sea level for military and search-and-recover applications.

See Also:

• Underwater iPod Shuffle Listening for Under $100
• Sanyo Exacti Chases Faces Underwater
• Splash, Splash, You're Dead: The Military's Next-Gen Water Gun
• Liquid Image Underwater Camera Goggles: Upskirt Action for the Beach

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:51 pm

Fences To Be Built For Tasmanian Devil Protection

Scientists in Australia are looking to build a fence on the island of Tasmania to prevent the spread of a cancer that has ravished the Tasmanian Devil population.The proposed barrier would aim to separate infected from healthy animals and stop the spread of the rampant face cancer that is destroying the species.There is no cure for the contagious disease that has already infected two-thirds of Tasmania's devil population, scientists said.Experts warn that the world's largest marsupial carnivore could be extinct within 20 years unless action is taken.Many believe the fence may be the best way to separate the healthy and infected animals.Until now, scientists have been removing the healthy animals and placing them in quarantine.Tasmanian Devil’s were declared an endangered species earlier this year because of the disease, which results in facial tumors.Several different strategies have been employed to combat the cancer, which spreads easily and progresses rapidly, aided by the lack of genetic diversity among the animals, which are found only in Tasmania.The fence may help to stop the spread of the disease, but many experts fear wombats are likely to dig under it.“Producing a fence to fence out a disease is a difficult technical issue," said Hamish McCallum, senior scientist in charge of the Devil Facial Tumor Disease program.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:47 pm

Minoru 3D Webcam Comes To Life

Remember the cute Wall-E robot-esque 3D webcam that was just a prototype two months ago?

It is ready to have its first public showing at the Consumer Electronics Association show later this week and start retailing on Amazon.com.

The attractive red webcam, Minoru, requires special 3D glasses to view the feed from two cameras spaced roughly the same distance apart as the human eye. Images from the two cameras are mixed together to create the 3D effect.

Minoru will be available from Amazon.com for $90.

Created by British designer David Holder, the 3D webcam can stand or sit on a desk, or perch on a monitor. Each order comes with five pairs of special colored glasses.

It can take still pictures, record 3D video for YouTube and can also be used as a regular 2D webcam.

Also see: 3D Webcam Makes It Real

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:44 pm

Pantech Cupid IM-S390 is a phone, has “Cupid” in the name

Women on Korea, prepare to have your minds blown in 5 days. How so, you ask? What could be so special about the Pantech Cupid IM-S390?

It has a built-in DMB TV tuner. WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Wait, a ton of phones have that?

Well, this one has support for external memory, an electronic dictionary, and built-in subway maps. None of that is too revolutionary, either, but get this: according to UnwiredView, the Cupid will go for 40 won. That’s like 3 cents USD. Imagine paying for a cell phone with three pennies - I’d wager that that’s actually more satisfying than getting it for free.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:33 pm

Large Hadron Collider Undergoing Repairs

Image 1: LHC magnet: superconducting quadrupole magnet. (Courtesy of CERN)Image 2: An aerial view of the Geneva region, showing the position of the LHC tunnel (Copyright CERN)
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 6:30 pm

Honeybee disorder still stumps researchers

Government and university researchers say they're stumped by a drastic rise in the number of disappearances of Western honeybee colonies in North America. This is clearly very complicated.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 5:22 pm

EPA sued to clean up Chesapeake Bay

An environmental group filed a lawsuit Monday to require the U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jan 2009 | 5:00 pm

Pollution May Drive Out One in Five from Hong Kong

A survey finds 1.4 million residents of Hong Kong are thinking about moving.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Jan 2009 | 4:38 pm

Fastest Wind Tunnel to Put NASA's Orion to the Test

A new wind tunnel generates wind speeds up to 30 times the speed of sound.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Jan 2009 | 3:30 pm

Mars Rovers Still Ticking on 5th Anniversary

Five years after landing on Mars, Spirit and Opportunity march on.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Jan 2009 | 3:30 pm

Corn Pests May Spread with Warming

Climate change could expand the range of stubborn corn pests, say scientists.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 5 Jan 2009 | 2:30 pm