Source: Gizmodo | 14 Apr 2009 | 2:30 am

MySpace ‘Lite’ Brings Bloated Profile Pages Down To Size

MySpace users have been noticing a new button in their Nav Bars this afternoon, allowing them to switch between the site’s traditional ‘Full’ view and a new view, called ‘Lite’, which strips out the customization and media that the site’s profiles have become known for. When reached for comment, MySpace confirmed that they have been quietly testing the ‘Lite’ feature in the US today, explaining that the product is primarily geared towards members who don’t have access to broadband connections, which is a common issue with international users. The product has been available in India for the last few days, and will roll out to US members later this week (with more international support coming in the following weeks).

MySpace has long placed a heavy emphasis on allowing users to customize their profiles with media-rich content (a feature that has been occasionally abused by some over-zealous users). Many MySpace members include YouTube clips, music playlists, and flashy photo slideshows on their profiles, which can make pages nearly unusable when attempting to browse MySpace from a slow internet connection, especially since many of these files have to load from servers beyond MySpace’s control. With MySpace Lite, these issues shouldn’t be a problem.

Among the elements that are excluded from Profile Lite are the ‘About Me’ and ‘Who I’d Like To Meet’ sections, user interests, comments, and third party applications. That may sound like a lot, but users will still be able to view most personal details like relationship status, friends, and status messages. The company says that when Profile Lite is launched for everyone, it will also include the site’s music module (which presumably isn’t as bandwidth-heavy as video content), but that most other media will be excluded. Future versions of Profile Lite may include the ability to customize exactly which profile boxes should be shown in ‘Lite’ mode.

MySpace may be marketing ‘Lite’ profiles towards international and dial-up users, but it has one potentially more far-reaching implication: it gives users the ability to browse MySpace with a single, unified interface. One of the long-standing advantages Facebook has had over MySpace is its clean, structured appearance - Facebook allows a small degree of customization, but users always know where to look when they want to find a member’s bio or their list of friends, which isn’t always the case on MySpace. Granted, some MySpace users are drawn to the site specifically because they want to be able to load up their profiles with movies and photos, but most of us would at least like the choice to ignore this content. Now, MySpace is giving us a way to do exactly that, even if they aren’t too eager to promote it that way.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 14 Apr 2009 | 2:23 am

Was the Amazon De-listing Situation a Glitch Or a Hack?

Miracle Jones writes "As Amazon struggles to re-list and re-rank gay, lesbian, and adult books on their website after massive public outcry against the secretive partitioning process, they are claiming that the entire situation was not the result of an intentional policy at all, are not apologizing, and are instead insisting that the situation was the result of 'a glitch' that they are now trying to fix. While some hackers are claiming credit for 'amazonfail,' and it is indeed possible that an outside party is responsible, most claims have already been debunked. How likely is it that Amazon was hacked versus the likelihood of an internal Easter weekend glitch? Or is the most obvious and likely scenario true, and Amazon simply got caught implementing a wildly-unpopular new policy without telling anyone?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Gizmodo | 14 Apr 2009 | 2:15 am

Nikon D5000 official pics leaked

Well, the rumors about the D5000 have been flying fast and furious, and now it looks like someone at the leak factory let some pictures out a bit early — “early,” that is, if this camera from Nikon is going to debut at their press event tomorrow as we believe. As you can see, there’s a 2.7-inch swivel screen (swiveling from the middle, oddly). But that’s not its only trick if rumors are to be believed.

Source: CrunchGear | 14 Apr 2009 | 1:35 am

Social networks become the next big target of hackers, learn how to protect yourself

Section: Computers, Security, Web, Web 2.0, Websites, Features, Originals

Twitter is recovering from a powerful worm attack.  Labeled the Mikeyy worm, it appears to have been created by a 17 year old NY man who had nothing better to do and wanted to drive traffic to his website. The worm exploited a cross site scripting flaw to compromise nearly 200 accounts and send more than 10,000 tweets. Users were infected simply by visiting the compromised profiles.  The worm hit Twitter 4 separate times this weekend, but it is not the first time spammers and scammers have hit social networking sites, in fact it appears they are becoming more attractive to them than traditional avenues such as email.  Facebook and MySpace have also been hit by numerous attacks, mostly phishers trying to get personal info and spammers looking to drive traffic to link farms.

Social Networks: The New Target

Social networking has become such a popular target due to the huge numbers of people using them these days and the viral nature of them.  By that I mean the way people are willing to pass links, videos, and apps around to their friends.  Anyone on Facebook knows that third party apps are wildly popular, and if you have a large friends list you probably get tons of drinks, gifts, glitter, snacks, and other offerings sent to you each day.

The problem is some of them are malicious, such as the worm that hit the service recently, sending fake notifications announcing your friend had reported you to Facebook for terms of service violations.  The friend’s name was included, resulting in lots of angst, anger, and unfriending.

Another worm, Koobface, hit both Facebook and MySpace.  It posted messages on profiles with links to videos.  Since the messages looked like they had come from their friends, victims clicked on them and got infected themselves.  Experts say attacks on social networking services will only increase as more and more cybercriminals seek out vulnerabilities and use them to carry out XSS/PHP/SQL attacks.

Twitter and Facebook, you’re on notice

These attacks mean social networking sites need to be on the ball at all times (this means you Twitter, you’re known for being slow to respond to attacks and threats!), and for sites like Facebook and MySpace which allow third party apps, they must come up with a stringent review and security process to protect their users from rogue apps. Web 2.0 is only going to grow, and security must keep up.

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself from Twitter worms like Mikeyy, use a third party app like Twhirl or Tweetdeck (my personal favorite) rather than the Twitter website.  Turning off JavaScript is also a good idea - and don’t think you’re safe if you run Linux-according to ComputerWorld; Linux users got infected as well thanks to a JavaScript vulnerability Twitter hasn’t fixed.  This makes all browsers vulnerable.

For Facebook and MySpace, be careful who you friend.  My rule of thumb is if I don’t know you myself and we don’t have a mutual friend who can vouch for you, you don’t get on my friends list.  It’s also important to be very careful what third party apps you accept.  Most of them are harmless and fun, but don’t be too trusting.  Trust is what makes Web 2.0 go round, but it’s also what makes it a prime target for spammers and scammers.

Read [InformationWeek]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 14 Apr 2009 | 1:09 am

Photojojo camera straps from seat belts

They may be a little too hip for their own good, but Photojojo's "Seat Belt Camera Strap" ($20 for 1; $35 for 2; plus shipping) are a hell of a lot more attractive than the garish brand-aids that come with cameras by default.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 14 Apr 2009 | 1:08 am

Microsoft offers computer training to unemployed (AP)

AP - Microsoft Corp. announced Monday it would be giving away more than 30,000 vouchers over the next 90 days to help unemployed people in Washington state get new computer skills.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 14 Apr 2009 | 1:03 am

NextWorth muscling in on Gazelle, FlipSwap’s territory

I can’t tell you how much stuff I have lying around my apartment and office that I’ve been meaning to unload for the last few months or even year. I’ve used Flipswap and Gazelle in the past with varying degrees of success - $20 vs $45 for an old Nokia from college – and now NextWorth is getting in on the used gadget recycling game with added categories. They originally started off with the iPod and iPhone and now they’re taking in old BlackBerrys, digital cameras, GPS units, video games and video game consoles. I quickly checked to see what I could get for my Nintendo DS Lite and NextWorth’s offer is $14 more than Gazelle with an offer of $44.72. They seem to have competitive offers for mobile phones as well.

Source: TechCrunch | 14 Apr 2009 | 1:03 am

Is the All-in-One Device Dream Doomed?

Roger McNamee and I have two things in common. One: I desperately need a haircut. Two: I’ve officially given up on the dream of one-device-that-can-rule-them-all.

In this video, McNamee shows off his famously unruly locks and his famous Batman-like utility belt, in which he carries at least two iPhones, a Palm Pre, a Centro, a G1 and a Blackberry. In the clip, he’s telling me the Palm Pre won’t replace all of them, but it’ll come the closest. All I was thinking was “A keyboard and a good browser?! The Palm Pre will solve all my problems. When and where can I get one? My precious…my precious…”

Similarly, as the Pre’s release date gets closer, experts are getting in a tizzy about the upcoming “super smart phone” wars, which will ostensibly create a new golden age of competing options for consumers. But reading Walt Mossberg’s excellent compare-and-contrast of them all, I couldn’t help getting more and more jaded that this perfect device doesn’t exist and never will. Android has a great UI, but so far bad hardware. Microsoft and Blackberry are outdated in a lot of ways. The iPhone lacks a keyboard and is tied to AT&T. And Palm’s Pre looks great, but it’s still a Hail Mary play that could disappoint.

It seems the closer the industry gets to this elusive all-in-one promise, the more they disappoint. It’s a cycle we’ve seen over and over again in technology whether in hardware, enterprise software, or the Web. There’s an inexplicable tension between simplicity/reliability and doing it all. Think about it: Our phones now include cameras, video, email, instant message, music, the Web, games. But as the list of features on any one device gets longer, most people I know are carrying more devices than ever, not fewer.

I’m starting to think I’m doomed to have a utility belt of my own if I want any peace in my digital life. To continue my odd “Lord of the Rings” analogy, my hope that this one perfect device can bring stability and unity to my world is only making me irritable and paranoid—mostly that I’m missing calls, emails and appointments.

As of now, I’m saddled with a Blackberry Curve that works roughly 45% of the time. One of its more amusing quirks was the month when it refused to ring when Michael Arrington called. Only Michael Arrington. All I want is a phone with a keyboard that reliably sends and receives email and has a decent Web browser. Bonus points if it can work internationally. In an age of so-called “super smart phones,” when I’m paying close to $100 a month in service, why should that be too much to ask?

The biggest frustration– and perhaps core of the problem– is how many parties there are to blame. Take my own epic-fail-Berry: The biggest culprit is a company called 01.com, which supports my Zimbra email account. I love Zimbra’s user interface and features, but Zimbra doesn’t offer support. It worked well on my Treo, but Blackberry service has been a total nightmare. The company cops out that its Blackberry enterprise support is still “in beta.” Yeah, because Blackberries are, um, new devices?

Then there’s Sprint. The service plans are way too opaque, and I have a feeling I’m paying way too much for service. And it doesn’t work internationally. That’s incredibly annoying since I’m in other countries about half the time, and it’s one of the main reasons to own a Blackberry.

Then there’s the Blackberry hardware itself. Its battery can’t even last a whole day when it’s roaming, which it always is the days I’m at Yahoo’s headquarters. Even the third-party company that provides the insurance on the device gives you something to hate. When my first Blackberry got water-logged, they replaced it with one that didn’t work. I got another “refurbished” one that mostly works, but sometimes decides to die unexplainably. What is the point of insurance!? Sprint shrugs and says it’s an outside company and they can’t control it.

Every week when the device invariably malfunctions, I don’t know which company to hate the most and each of these players love to pass the buck around to each other. I’m not alone. Check out yet another TechTicker interview with Om Malik where he lambasts RIM’s CEO for saying buggy software was just a “reality” in today’s smart phone business. “Their business is making phones, if you can’t make phones with proper software, go sell peanuts,” he says. Hear, hear!

People tell me to get an iPhone but there are equal frustrations with AT&T’s 3G network and battery life; plus I need a physical keyboard. Most people I know who love their iPhone admit one of two things when you press them: Either they’re on their second, third or fourth phone or they also carry a Blackberry for email.

Compare that big mess to the devices that are actually delighting me these days. Most of them do only one thing, but they do it extremely well and reliably.

For instance, I no longer use the video camera on my Blackberry or my digital camera, instead I carry a FlipCam. I like how it feels in my hand, the navigation is drop-dead simple and I don’t need a cord to upload the video. The battery always works, and it holds just enough footage. I have never pushed the record button and not had it just record.

Similarly, I no longer try to read blogs or get news updates on my BlackBerry. Instead, I have a far better experience on my Kindle. I open it up and all my blogs and papers have been pushed to the easy-to-navigate device. What’s more: I can clip the passages or articles I want to read later or keep with one-click. Beautiful.

Even the iPod Touch has a role in my life. I don’t want an iPhone, but I love the idea of plugging the Touch into my sound dock and listening to the Pandora app around the house. (We haven’t actually gotten this to work yet, but I’m hopeful.) I’m sure if I spent more time with it, I’d find more applications I’d like without having to bring AT&T into the equation.

Sometime this week I’m getting a Peek email device. If nothing else, I’ll have it as a cheap backup to my Blackberry that so rarely works. If you’re not familiar with the Peek, see the video with the founder below. He was on Press:Here Sunday along with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. Both companies have mastered the beauty of restraint and simplicity. (Although I still think the Peek’s service should be closer to $10 if they want mass adoption.)

And somewhat in the same category, I just got a MacBook Air, which I adore. If I need an ethernet port or a DVD player I can plug external devices into the USB. But I don’t need those things all the time, and with the Air I don’t have to carry them around inside a bulkier laptop. It works better and is faster than either of my other two MacBooks. And there’s the obvious plus that it is light enough I can actually carry it anywhere, so I invariably get more use out of it than other laptops I own.

And in my new, crestfallen world, weight matters: Just like Smart Phones are getting “feature creep,” my purse is clearly getting “device creep.” In fact, I’ve abandoned the purse altogether. Instead it’s a dorky backpack that has room for my Air, my Kindle, my Flip, my Blackberry, my iPod, my Peek (coming soon) and a yet undecided upon phone that will work internationally. And don’t forget their various cords. I may have Roger McNamee’s problems, but I’m drawing the line at an actual utility belt.

It’s hardly ideal, but seven years after buying my first smart phone, I’ll take a series of devices that actually work over one that over-promises, under-delivers and continually disappoints.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 14 Apr 2009 | 1:01 am

Amazon Apologizes For “Ham-fisted Cataloging Error” [MediaMemo]

Amazon won’t come out and say exactly what happened to its sales ranking system over the past few days. But it is sorry, and it would like the Web and its customers to know that it wasn’t singling out books aimed at gays and lesbians. Here’s the apology:

This is an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error for a company that prides itself on offering complete selection.

It has been misreported that the issue was limited to Gay & Lesbian themed titles – in fact, it impacted 57,310 books in a number of broad categories such as Health, Mind & Body, Reproductive & Sexual Medicine, and Erotica.  This problem impacted books not just in the United States but globally.  It affected not just sales rank but also had the effect of removing the books from Amazon’s main product search.

Many books have now been fixed and we’re in the process of fixing the remainder as quickly as possible, and we intend to implement new measures to make this kind of accident less likely to occur in the future.

That isn’t going to mollify Amazon’s most vocal critics in the blog and Twitter-spheres, or the ones who ascribe the screw-up to either homophobia or nefarious hackers. But it’s almost certainly going to be the last word from Amazon (AMZN), which is about as tight-lipped as a publicly held retailer can be.

Wall Street analysts have to beg Amazon to part with even basic financial details. If you think Jeff Bezos and company are going to get into the workings, and failings, of their online catalog, I admire your optimism.

Source: All Things Digital | 14 Apr 2009 | 12:31 am

For Sale: Slightly Used Spacesuit, $500K OBO

Every spring, hundreds of pieces of space memorabilia, from uneaten astronaut cookies to rocket hardware, are sold at auction. Most items are bought by hardcore space junkies who see themselves as guardians of the historical treasures. Featured in an auction April 16 is an authentic Gemini spacesuit that is valued at between $300,000 and $500,000.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 14 Apr 2009 | 12:30 am

Intel Responds To X25-M Fragmentation Issue

Vigile writes "In mid-February, news broke about a potential issue with Intel's X25-M mainstream solid state drives involving fragmentation and performance slow-downs. At that time, after having the news picked up by everyone from CNet to the Wall Street Journal, Intel stated that it had not seen any of these issues but was working with the source to replicate the problem and find a fix if at all possible. Today Intel has essentially admitted to the problem by releasing a new firmware for the X25-M line that not only fixes the flaws found in the drive initially, but also increases write performance across the board."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 14 Apr 2009 | 12:22 am

Live From Qik Special Event Announcing QikRoam

We’re here at Qik’s office in Redwood City, California, where Qik is holding a special event to make a new product announcement. Mary Coughlan, the deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, is here to make the announcement.

Qik is announcing a long term partnership with Pat Phelan’s company Cubic Telecom to create QikRoam. QikRoam is a special SIM card you can order today from the QikRoam website that allows users to travel abroad using Qik without having to worry about excessive roaming charges. The card supports 134 countries worldwide, and advertises 60-80% savings on roaming and data charges through deals Cubic Telecom has forged with many partners worldwide.

While this is a good deal for users that have to stream video, it can still turn expensive fast. Depending on where you are, you can expect to spend $100 in QikRoam credit to upload 45 minutes of video. Of course, uploading the same amount of data would be many times more expensive using standard roaming plans.

QikRoam will have two packages available. One is $34 dollars which includes $20 of calling credit, the other is $67.50, which includes $54 in calling credit. The service uses a white-labeled version of Cubic Telecom’s MAXRoam product (which we’ve covered before), so you can use them interchangeably.

In honor of the new product, Qik is holding a special promo: for users who buy Qik Roam cards in the next month, Qik is going to choose a random winner who will get a paid trip to Ireland.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 14 Apr 2009 | 12:20 am

Pinch Media: Statistics your iPhone apps may be sending back home

Baz writes:

Spyware present on many iPhone Apps in a service offered to iPhone devs to a 3rd party company for statistics collected in the background from iPod touches and iPhones, including unique device ID, usage time and longitude and latitude.

from Eidac:

* Every time you quit an application that integrates Pinch Media, the following data gets transferred to Pinch Media: iPhone UUID (the unique ID of your iPhone), Iphone Software release, iPod/iPhone version, a timestamp when application usage started, a timestamp when application usage ended and (if you allowed it) the longitude and lattitude values of your position. You can see the detailed data that gets send out to Pinch Media in the graphic to the left.
* If no active internet connection is detected, the usage data gets saved to an sqlite database for every session. The next time there is an internet connection available all that data gets send out to Pinch Media servers (beacons.pinchmedia.com).
* This all happens in the background. The user has no clue that data is send out to Pinch Media.

The co-founder of Pinch Media, the service in question, is quick out of the gate to respond to the post:

You might wonder if the data we collect is 'personally identifiable'. There's two pieces of data worth discussing - the UDID and the latitude/longitude coordinates. The UDID is tied to a specific phone, but can't be traced back to a user's identity - we've got no way to get your name or address from it, even if we wanted to, which we most certainly do not. The latitude/longitude coordinates are used only to provide high-level aggregated geographic reporting. So the application developer might learn that he has nine users near Berlin, but never anything about any individual. We also don't let application developers send back personally-identifiable information using custom actions - in fact, we've turned people away who've wanted to do this. There's not a single user's phone number, name, or e-mail address stored in our system, and there never will be.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 14 Apr 2009 | 12:10 am

HP’s new external Blu-ray drive is sleek as hell

The Blu-ray drive that will be coming with the HP dv2 “ultra-slim” notebook is looking really nice. It’s shiny, gorgeous, and incredibly thin. I thought I better get some pictures of this sexy accessory up so you guys know how HP rolls with this new stylish line of not-netbooks-but-not-notebooks.

We’ll have a full review of the laptop up soon, since it’s sitting right here next to me.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Apr 2009 | 11:45 pm

Gadgetell Review: Going Gaga over the Saga

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Reviews

Ladies and gentleman allow me to introduce you to what I believe to be the most efficient and effective smart phone for both Verizon and the WinMo community.  A veritable hybrid of “touch” and well…touch.  So what do I mean?  The Samsung Saga is like getting three presents in one.  You have the ever so popular touch screen element, the stylish and comfortable QWERTY keyboard, not to mention the backing of multiple programs for your Windows Mobile phone. 

Love at first touch

It seems Samsung is really listening to WinMo users or maybe it is only my prayers that have been answered.  I was obsessing over the release of the Samsung Omnia for the longest time; in fact, I am willing to bet that I may be the first person to get their hands on it.  At first it was love at first “touch” now it’s like a relationship on its way out the door; the thought of touching and holding my Omnia gives me a headache.  I wanted a two-way commitment from my phone.  I wanted to touch and also feel.  I am, of course, referring to the Saga’s QWERTY keyboard.  Like a breath of fresh air, it swept me off my fingers and gave me that “push my buttons” feel that I didn’t realize I missed so much. 

Overlooked, but great, features

Those of us who rely on mobile communication on a moment-to-moment basis will love this device.  Allow me to provide you with what I feel are the greatest features that may be overlooked.  The shortcut buttons are designed to help you quickly access your media player and messaging capabilities.  No need for navigating through what many WinMo owners find to be an endless maze of programs and functions just to reach your destination.  While at no fault to the Saga, WinMo 6.1 and onto the future really could learn a thing or two about simple UI (user interface).

Speaking of easy access other elements that are spot on, there is the mouse/navigation combo.  Instead of having to go into your personal options to alternate from your desired function, just push the lock button under the volume keys and instantly your navimouse will switch modes.  I find this not only helpful but another reminder of how Samsung must have taken user feedback and put it to good use.  The Saga is also equipped with a Windows button, extra soft keys, and an “OK” button.  All are exceptional navigation tools and make this mobile masterpiece far superior to others I have used in the past.

The downsides

I mentioned so many great things you are probably wondering what I don’t like.  Well, while the list is not so long, there are a few things worth mentioning.  First and most importantly is the battery life.  While most powerful phones don’t have great battery life, I do wish this were a little stronger.  I can spend 2 hours on the train using the internet, twitter applications, and email only to see my battery reduce down 40 percent.  I know I’m doing a ton of things at once but I like to work my tech toys hard. 

The headphone jack, unfortunately not your standard size which gets me thinking; if they decided to create an input for headphones why not just make it standard?  Samsung, you truly are an enigma.  Next is aesthetics; this isn’t the most attractive phone.  Definitely not the prom queen—more like the quiet quirky girl in the back of the class, she wouldn’t make you do a double take, but get to know her and you will be pleasantly surprised.

The in-betweens

Both the speakerphone and camera are what you might expect, no better or worse than others before it.  The one fun thing about the camera is how easily it integrates into my pockettweet program.  I can take a photo of where I am and instantly post it.  I think that it is not only fun, it removes any headaches when I’m twitting about the guy passed out on the train next to me…shh. 

Quite capable

So as many of you may have noticed my review is meant for the man or woman who really wants to know what this phone is like and what they are missing by not enjoying it.  Sure, I could tell you how exciting it is that you can pick up wireless and connect via Bluetooth with ease or how mobile browsing via Opera 9.1 is just as easy to look at as it is to navigate.  Would this make you any more excited?  You think about that.  Oh yeah, this whole review was written on my Saga and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Product Page [Samsung Saga]

Full Story » | Written by Adam Berger for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Apr 2009 | 11:36 pm

How Bad Was Google’s Quarter?

As investors wait for Google to announce first quarter earnings later this week, the question is how bad will it be? J.P. Morgan analyst Imran Khan put out a note this morning predicting that revenues will actually decline 2 percent from last year and will be down 13 percent from last quarter. (His prior estimate was for 5 percent growth). Khan also revised his pro forma EPS estimates down 5.5 percent from $5.04 to $4.76.

What’s got him spooked? Through February, comScore is showing declines in U.S. search activity (measured in query volume) and Khan’s own checks with search-engine marketers leads him to believe that commercial-oriented searches took a hit during the quarter. That would be significant since so far search has remained the healthiest segment of the online advertising industry. While search advertising has experienced a dramatic slowdown in growth, it has yet to see any actual declines. Will this be Google’s first down quarter in terms of revenues?

It is certainly acting that way—cutting temporary workers and even a few hundred full time staff, and killing projects left and right. Khan thinks all of these cuts will result in $450 million in savings this year alone:

● We believe Google has taken a very conservative stance to employee count, perks, and business investments. Cuts include reducing usage of ~6,000 contract workers and ~300 full-time employees (our est’s), cutting some free food cafes, the hours they run, and the people to whom the perk is extended, and shutting down or discontinuing further development of some businesses. We estimate that these cost cuts will reduce spend by ~$450M in F’09.

Finally, Khan believes that about 20 percent of Google advertisers will cut back their spending as a result of tighter credit markets and the general economic downturn. Meanwhile, the stock has been on a tear the past month, rising from $290 on March 9 to today’s closing price of $378. Will a bad quarter end the ride, or will Google somehow pull it off despite the challenges?

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

Source: TechCrunch | 13 Apr 2009 | 11:30 pm

Another International Polar Year comes to an end

The International Polar Year just wrapped up. Yeah, I didn’t know anything about it, either. It involved 160 scientific projects conducted by researchers from over 60 countries, so you’d think it might have gotten a little more mainstream press. You’d think the construction of cyborg seals would garner some attention, at least!

Okay, so they’re not really cyborg seals. Using custom-made radio transmitters, scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute not only monitored the behaviour of elephant seals, they also recorded data about temperature and salinity of waters around Antarctica. The transmitters fell off when the seals molted, so there was no long-term damage to these majestic animals. Neat!

Via CNN.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Apr 2009 | 11:30 pm

Project OXCART Declassified From Area 51

An anonymous reader sends this excerpt from the LA Times: "... the myths of Area 51 are hard to dispute if no one can speak on the record about what actually happened there. Well, now, for the first time, someone is ready to talk ... Colonel Hugh 'Slip' Slater, 87, was commander of the Area 51 base in the 1960s. Edward Lovick, 90, featured in 'What Plane?' in LA's March issue, spent three decades radar testing some of the world's most famous aircraft (including the U-2, the A-12 OXCART and the F-117). Kenneth Collins, 80, a CIA experimental test pilot, was given the silver star. Thornton 'T.D.' Barnes, 72, was an Area 51 special-projects engineer. And Harry Martin, 77, was one of the men in charge of the base's half-million-gallon monthly supply of spy-plane fuels."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2009 | 11:30 pm

Ashton Kutcher Promises To Punk Ted Turner If He Beats CNN To A Million Twitter Followers

Apparently, actor Ashton Kutcher woke up today and realized he has a whole hell of a lot of Twitter followers. How many? Just shy of 850,000 now. Even more impressive to him though is that he’s near the number of Twitter followers that the No. 1 Twitter “user” CNN has (just over 900,000).

So Kutcher is throwing down the gauntlet. In a video released on YouTube today (embedded below), he’s promising to “ding dong ditch” billionaire Ted Tuner (founder of CNN) if he beats CNN to a million Twitter followers. What is a ding dong ditch you may ask? Well, it’s when you go up to a person’s house, ring their doorbell, them run away and watch as they look around to see who’s there. Yes, it’s kind of a wussy version of stuff they used to do on Kutcher’s hit MTV show “Punk’d.”

In releasing this to the Internet and tweeting it out, it’s pretty clear that Kutcher wants to be the first Twitter user with a million followers. That should be enough to put him over the top, but he may need a little more help as singer Britney Spears also remains ahead of him (though slightly with just over 870,000 followers).

You can see a full list of the top Twitter users (in terms of followers) at Twitterholic. It’s slightly behind the real-time counts, but is an accurate list.

Update: Kutcher has since clarified on Twitter that to do a proper “ding dong ditch,” he must leave a million of something on Turner’s doorstep. Let your imagination run wild.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 13 Apr 2009 | 11:24 pm

iPhone App Strives to Make Green Shopping Easy

Here's the challenge of being a "green" consumer: You have to be fairly familiar with the city and its businesses to know where you can eat organic food or shop for sustainable products. Take a vacation in a foreign city and you'll likely break your green routine. That's the issue a new iPhone app is trying to address.

3rdWhale Mobile is best described as a green Yelp. The app uses the iPhone's GPS to locate green businesses nearby; tapping a business enables a user to look up reviews on the greenness of the business, represented by whale icons. The highest rating is three Whales. 

Each listing also includes tags explaining what makes the business green, such as "organic," "vegan," or "socially responsible."  Currently the app contains business listings for about 100 major cities, and the company's goal is to expand to 1,000 cities.

3rdWhale faces its own challenge: building a user base. I checked 20 business listings near my current location, and none of them had any reviews submitted; ratings were all set at 1 Whale as a default. We like the idea of this app, but there's a lot of work by the users to be done in order for it to be useful. One major hurdle for 3rdWhale is getting users to participate in another business-reviewing site in addition to Yelp, which is already vastly popular.

That's where you guys can pitch in. Have an iPhone? Download 3rdWhale and submit reviews for your favorite green businesses. The app is free through the App Store.

Download Link [iTunes via Treehugger]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Apr 2009 | 10:47 pm

Wikipedia Community Vote On License Migration

mlinksva writes "A Wikipedia community vote is now underway on migrating to Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike as the main content license for Wikimedia Foundation projects. This would remove a legal barrier to reusing Wikipedia content (now under the Free Documentation License, intended for narrow use with software documentation, because Wikipedia started before CC existed) in other free culture projects and vice versa."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2009 | 10:39 pm

iPhone finds a home in the enterprise market (Macworld.com)

Macworld.com - Market-research firm Forrester on Monday released a report that looks at several companies using the iPhone in the enterprise market. That's significant for Apple because one of the knocks against the iPhone when it first came out was that it didn't have sufficient security for large businesses.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Apr 2009 | 10:14 pm

Best Bookstore Ever: Powell's Technical

I'm in Portland, OR today. Powell's Bookstore is huge, wonderful and renowned. However, I only just discovered their smaller, yet sizable "technical books" annex around the corner. HOLY MOLY. This is the mother lode for all the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things.

The layout (above) and some of the shelf category labels should give you a good idea of what you'll find: artificial intelligence, vintage & handtools, probability theory, solid state electronics, microcontrollers, CNC, Tesla, fuzzy logic & neural nets, dams, bridges, boatbuilding, artificial life & genetic algorithms, user interface design, and more. There's plenty of cozy cafe chairs, and a little collection of vintage computers in the back, including a NeXT Cube and CBM Model 8032. They even sell stethoscopes in the med ref section!

Due to rain and hail, I'm cooped up inside enjoying free wi-fi. No one cares I have yet to buy anything -- although I've amassed a pretty nice stack. If you're ever in Portland, this place is a guaranteed wallet-buster. Photos and some fun finds* after the jump.

*You don't have to be in Portland to browse the collection. For a random look, try Powell's Shuffle feature.

Here's where I'm camped out, followed by some of what I caught my eye...

- Build Your Own Underwater Robot & Other Wet Projects
- Encyclopedia of Vibration
- American Machinist's Tools: An Illustrated Directory of Patents
- Chemistry of Powder & Explosives
- Building a Shed
- Doolin's Trouble Shooters Bible
- The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles
- Decoding the Heavens

Drawers of Oregonian Topographic Maps!

If there are any vast, must-see tech bookshops in your city, let us know.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:50 pm

Palm’s “Touchstone” induction charger to cost $70?

$70 is probably a little more than most people plan on spending on a charger. But if we’ve learned anything over the iPhone years, it’s that people will pay through the nose for must-have accessories, and this is certainly a must-have accessory. According to a leaked pricing sheet Engadget got their hands on, $70 will be the asking price for Palm’s hot little touch-charger. But if you think about it, there will almost certainly be package deals lowering the price — just like any other phone or accessory. So let’s not all freak out, here.

And of course, it’s just part of a whole family of these things. It’s possible that there’s a stripped-down version for $20 less, and a cool super-enabled one that’s $20 more.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:47 pm

Sun's Phipps Slams App Engine's Java Support

narramissic writes "Sun Microsystems' chief open source officer, Simon Phipps, said in an April 11 blog post that Google committed a major transgression by only including support for a subset of Java classes in its App Engine development platform. 'Whether you agree with Sun policing it or not, Java compatibility has served us all very well for over a decade,' Phipps wrote. 'That includes being sure as a developer that all core classes are present on all platforms. Creating subsets of the core classes in the Java platform was forbidden for a really good reason, and it's wanton and irresponsible to casually flaunt the rules.' Phipps characterized his remarks as non-official, saying: 'This isn't something I could comment on on Sun's behalf. My personal comments come purely from my long association with Java topics.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:46 pm

UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News

Lack of phosphate causes bacteria to kill CHICAGO, April 13 (UPI) -- U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:44 pm

Netsuite targets SAP and Oracle: source (Reuters)

Reuters - NetSuite Inc has developed programs targeted at large corporations, a person familiar with the strategy said, in an effort to move the software maker beyond the small- to mid-sized business market.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:42 pm

"Hold that thought."

Birdhouse is a notepad for Twitter, a place to collect and edit your tweets before you actually put them online. It's designed to sit alongside your favorite iPhone Twitter client as a repository for your more polished one-liners. It's wholly unnecessary for anyone who doesn't care to ever think before they tweet. $4.

More than anything, though, at least for today, it's the app with the most amusing introductory video of all time. For today. (I should have edited that.)

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:38 pm

Scientists, Policy-Makers Share Views In The Treetops

Excursion to a rainforest canopy creates a communication bridge between scientists and policy-makersMost of the time, scientists keep to their world and policy-makers keep to theirs--and never the twain shall meet.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:32 pm

Palm Pre May Launch in May; Rumor Machine Goes Into Overdrive

It's been a busy, busy day for Palm Pre watchers as blogs and forums burn up with speculation on the launch date for the device and the Pre accessories that could be in the works among other things. 

We bring you a wrap up of all the Pre rumors of the day:

Pre Likely to Launch on May 17 or June 29
On Friday, we mentioned how Sprint, the exclusive carrier for the Pre, has started training its employees on the Pre. Now a leaked Sprint planning document suggest the company may be moving towards a May 17 launch date, says Engadget. Sprint has also reportedly put a freeze on vacation for its employees in May, a move similar to what AT&T did before the launch of the iPhone. Another possible Pre launch date could be June 29, suggests Gizmodo, if Sprint can't get all its Pre inventory in place by May. Palm has previously said it plans to launch Pre by the middle of the year. So June 30 is the official deadline for the Pre that the companies need to beat.

Touchstone Carries a Hefty Price
When Palm first introduced the Pre at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas it also showed a wireless charger for the phone called Touchstone. The Touchstone allows Pre users to attach a magnetic back cover to their phone and then drop it on the Touchstone dock to charge it wirelessly. It's a nifty device but Palm has not said how much Touchstone will cost. Now online buzz suggests it may be priced at $70. Is that too expensive?

Palm Plans More Touchstone Accessories
There are also reports that the Touchstone brand represents a new family of accessories for the Pre. We suggest some ideas such as wireless car charger and USB dock as potential new products from Palm.

Pre Spotted in the Wild
And finally there are some new photos of the Pre in the wild. Despite trotting it out at conferences, Palm has been closely guarding access to the device and hasn't allowed bloggers or journalists to independently play with it. So it is surprising to see two young men in a park with a Pre that they claim to have had for a few weeks. Check out the photos and let us know if you have spotted a Pre.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:26 pm

Rumor: Palm Pre must be prepped for launch by May 16th

Who woulda thought: you start telling Sprint employees about the Palm Pre, and suddenly the details start pouring out. If you’re all antsy in the pantsies about the possibility of an April release of the Pre, you might want to breath a little; all signs are pointing to May, including this latest leak.

Obtained by Engadget, the freshly free’d document indicates that the Sprint folk in charge of the Pre launch have until May 16th to batten down the hatches. This goes hand-in-hand with previous rumors of a May 17th launch - but seeing as just about every day in the first half of 2009 has been a rumored launch date and some point, that admittedly doesn’t say much.

What do you think - can you wait another month?

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:16 pm

Sexting can label your teen a sex offender

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Email / IM, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Imaging, Web, Websites

In case you haven’t heard of it before, “Sexting” is the term used for sending risqué photos of yourself electronically, usually via text message.  And apparently it has become all the rage with teens now-a-days.  Besides some of the obvious problems associated with this, those teens can also be sent to jail and officially labeled as sex offenders for doing it.

The law is clear

The law is pretty clear.  Child pornography is a crime.  So take a photo of someone under 18, where he or she is nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit, and if you are the one who either produced, distributed, or possess that photo…guess what?  You are breaking the law.  Even if you are only 14, and it was a photo you took of yourself to send to that cute guy you met online that you want to go out with.  The laws are pretty darn cut and dried and don’t distinguish between “traditional” child porn trafficking and sexting.  So, do it and you can be prosecuted on a state or federal felony level, and can even lead to having to be labeled as a sex offender.

Trouble for teens

And some teens have already faced charges.  This January in Pennsylvania, 6 teenagers were charged.  Three girls for creating child porn, and three boys (who it was sent to) for possessing it.  In Texas, an eighth-grader actually spent a night in prison after his coach found a nude picture on his cell phone which had been sent by another student.  In Wisconsin, a 17-year-old was charged with child pornography after posting naked pictures of his girlfriend, who is a year younger, on the internet. In Rochester, New York, a boy aged 16 faces seven years in jail for circulating an image of a girlfriend to friends. 

A 15-year-old girl in Ohio and a 14-year-old girl in Michigan were charged with felonies for sending along nude images of themselves to classmates.  Similar charges have been filed in cases in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, and Utah.  Some may remember back to the case in Florida a few years ago where a teen couple took pictures of themselves nude, and engaged in “unspecified sexual behavior.”  The police got involved somehow when one of the kids sent the photo to the other.  They were tried in the courts and convicted for both production and distribution of child pornography, and the teenager who had received the image also had the charge of possession.  It was taken to an appeals court, and they lost.  The convictions stood. 

Intent of the law vs. execution of the law

The thing is, these laws are obviously created to protect children, and these same laws are smacking labels like “sex offender” on kids who probably just did something stupid with absolutely no harmful intention.  But, where do we draw the line?  Because the reality of it is, that once those pictures are out there…they are out there.  It’s not like you can really control what is done with them once they leave your phone.  So naive little Susie can send them to her big strong boyfriend Johnny…and big strong Johnny decides to show the picture to his friends and forwards it to all the guys on his football team…and they forward it to all of their contacts…who each stick it on their myspace page,,,,etc. ad nauseum.  I mean, of course you see where this could go.  Until little Susie’s “assets” are all over the internet and she is watching herself superimposed on YouTube videos.

Lots of kids are sexting

So how many kids are sexting?  According to research studies (.pdf) where they polled kids…at least 20% say they have “electronically sent, or posted online, nude or semi-nude pictures or video of themselves.”  Kind of a scary number.  One in five.  That is a lot of underage photos floating around out there.  CBS legal news analyst Lisa Bloom says about the kids in Pennsylvania that were charged that “This is a serious felony. They could be facing many years in prison,”
But Bloom also added, “What are we going to do, lock up 20 percent of America’s teens?”

Maybe this needs to be rethought

And this mindset may be what is leading to the state of Vermont re-thinking the whole “against the law” thing when it comes to sexting.  According to State Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington:

“This isn’t an issue of whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing — I think it’s wrong — but the question is, do we want kids to be prosecuted, called sex offenders, etc., etc., for consensual conduct? No.”

As a result, Vermont’s Legislature is considering a bill that, if it does end getting approved, would be the first in the country to grant legal protection to teens who send “sexually explicit photos and videos to one another on their cell phone”.

The bill is getting a lot of support from all kinds of different groups from lawyers, to law enforcement, to womens groups.  There are some that wonder though whether it crosses a line.  They agree it is one thing for teens to experiment with sexuality, but by doing this, could we be protecting predators who target and exploit kids.  Kind of…wouldn’t it be better to just explain the dangers…explain why they shouldn’t and CAN’T do it, and that is it so that kids can’t be targeted and abused? 

What do you think?  How should it be handled?  Is it no big deal, or should they keep the law in place to safeguard kids? If you were the one making the call…what would you rule?

via: burlingtonfreepress

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:15 pm

Caution urged for young baseball players

U.S. medical scientists are cautioning high school and college baseball players to be aware of and take precautions against throwing injuries. Throwing a baseball is one of the fastest and most violent maneuvers that any joint in the body is subjected to, said Dr.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:08 pm

Mangroves can save lives in cyclones

A study of the 1999 super cyclone that hit eastern India suggests villages shielded from the storm surge by mangrove forests fared better than other areas. The study by researchers at India's University of Delhi and Duke University in the United States analyzed deaths in 409 villages in the poor, mostly rural Kendrapada District of the Indian state of Orissa, just north of the cyclone's landfall.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 9:00 pm

GM Says Volt Won't 'Pay the Rent'

General Motors won't make money on its electric car for quite awhile. That's to be expected, and it should be supported. The Obama administration doesn't understand that.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:57 pm

MPAA Spying Case To Be Appealed

esocid writes "Back in 2005, the MPAA hired Robert Anderson, a former associate of TorrentSpy's owner, to illegally obtain internal emails and trade secrets. He did so by routing the email from the internal server to his own Gmail account. He subsequently sold 34 pages of stolen information for $15,000 to the MPAA. TorrentSpy owner Justin Bunnel sued them for spying, but lost the case due to a ruling that stated it was not illegal since the information was not intercepted under the Wiretap Act. The EFF called this decision a 'dangerous attempt to circumvent privacy laws,' since it implies that the unauthorized interception of anyone's personal email is legal. The appeal could have ramifications for MPAA president Dan Glickman, as the decision is expected around the time of his contract renewal."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:53 pm

Obama Taps 5th RIAA Lawyer to DOJ

President Barack Obama has tapped five former RIAA lawyers to the Justice Department — the same agency that told a federal judge that the government supports damages of up to $150,000 for each purloined track in peer-to-peer lawsuits brought by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:52 pm

A Closer Look at Classic on the Palm Pre

With the Palm Pre hauling a brand new OS in tow, a surprising number of long-time Palm fans have come out of the woodworks to express their desire for legacy application support. At CTIA09, Palm and MotionApps answered these calls with the annoucement of Classic, a PalmOS emulator for the Pre’s nascent platform, webOS.

The first half of the video clearly demonstrates that the basic functionality of the emulator is in place: the virtual 5-way key works as expected, with simple applications (such as Tasks and Agendus) ticking away without a hitch. But what about apps that are a bit more resource-intensive?

To think that an application from years ago might not run properly on a device of today’s hardware standards may seem crazy, but it’s a common obstacle of emulation. When you’re taking something physical (the original hardware) and turning it into something virtual (the emulation software), a ton of translation has to be done on the fly. This generally makes the emulated system require far more resources than what it was composed of originally. Ever wonder why we rarely see emulators for gaming consoles until years after the console’s release? That’s a big chunk of the reason why.

Though one could see an icon for PopCap’s Bejeweled floating around in our initial demo footage of Classic, it wasn’t being demonstrated that day. Bejeweled isn’t the most visually complex game ever, but it’s a bit flashier than the text-centric Apps they had on display - why not show it off, instead? Could Classic handle rich graphics?

Looks like it. In this video, MotionApps skips right past the simplicities of Bejeweled and loads up GTS: World Racing, a relatively complex 3D racing game. Though the demonstrator doesn’t have much luck handling the car, Classic seems to have no problem handling the game. And unless that engine whine we hear as the car breaks away from the starting line, this video confirms support for audio output in applications, as well.

MotionApps has also just posted a Q&A on Classic which clears up a number of other matters.

Here’s what we can glean from the post:

• Classic can only emulate screen sizes up to 320×320. (Treo and Centro apps are fine - but apps specific to 320×480 devices such as the Palm Tungsten or T|X are not.)
• MotionApps is staying out of the matter of licensing. If an app’s license says you may only install it on one device and you install it anyways, that’s your doing.
• webOS only allows one instance of an application to be open at a time - if you try to launch a second instance, it’ll just bring the first one to focus.
• Classic can run native 68k/ARM code
• Though the Pre doesn’t have an SD card slot, Classic wills simulate an SD card with a dedicated folder on the device’s filesystem
• No HotSync support, but you can configure your HotSync ID for applications that require it.
• WebOS PIMs (contacts, calendars, tasks and memos) can not be accessed.
• Classic can not access Bluetooth, the phone radio, GPS, light sensors, camera, or the accelerometer.
• PalmOS apps that require net connectivity will function properly
• The PalmOS browser, Blazer, has been disabled. Browser requests will instead be sent to the webOS browser.

Though we’ve asked a number of times, no word yet on pricing.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:43 pm

Computer analyzes fruit fly behavior

California Institute of Technology scientists say they have trained computers to analyze fruit fly behavior in find a genetic basis for it. The researchers said they have developed a computer program that can analyze aggression and courtship in fruit flies, opening the way for the scientists to perform large-scale, high-throughput screenings for genes that control such innate behavior. The program allows computers to examine a half an hour of video footage of pairs of interacting flies to characterize their behavior.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:41 pm

Lack of phosphate causes bacteria to kill

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:35 pm

Random's 'Mega Man' Raps Pay Off, Nerd-Style

A song about the classic videogame leads to a sequel, Mega Ran 9.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:14 pm

Study focuses on sealcoating runoff

A U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:05 pm

When Politicians Tax Violent Video Games

talien79 writes "Taxing video games has a storied history in state legislatures. The reality is that video games, violent or otherwise, simply make too much money to be stopped. But taxing them is a viable compromise, a 'sin tax' of sorts similar to that levied on cigarettes. This article reviews the time-honored tactic of politicians pandering to their base: taxing violent video games."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Apr 2009 | 8:03 pm

Slide pocket ashtray

Although I can't imagine using this "slide pocket ashtray" to catch every little ash, it'd be a classy way to keep your cigarette butts from hitting the ground. It's $19 and covered in real nickel.

Cigarette filters are usually made from cellulose acetate—the same stuff they made the first LEGO elements out of, according to Wikipedia—which takes forever to break down.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:36 pm

Limited-Edition Prince iPod Is Purple Lame

Insane fans of Prince can worship the musical maestro by purchasing his limited-edition iPod Touch — for the price of $2,100.

Here's the best part: You don't gain access to a full library of Prince music. Rather, the purple Prince Opus iPod comes preloaded with a 40-minute concert video and 15 songs from a live soundtrack. Only 950 Prince iPods are available.

So why the hefty price? You're also paying for a high-end book of Prince photographs that comes bundled with the iPod. Kraken Opus, a British publisher, produced the photos. Peter Kafka of All Things Digital points out that this is, strangely enough, a deal: Other books by Opus run up to $6,300 alone (no gadget included).

Still, I don't know a single person who would throw down so much money for a special-edition iPod — no matter how fierce their Prince fanaticism may be. This is even lamer than the $800 special-edition Beatles iPod we saw in October, which comes bundled with all the Beatles CDs, thus defeating the purpose of an iPod.

Product Page [Prince Opus]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:28 pm

Police Twitter to Get the Word Out

Police departments are sending "tweets" to alert followers about local disruptions.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:19 pm

Selling my OQO Model 02

I love my OQO Model 02, but since I got a Vaio P, I just don't use it anymore. So it's headed for eBay, where I've listed it. It's time for someone else to make the most of it, instead of gathering dust in a drawer! It's the version with Sprint EVDO.

Update: The generous buy it now price was underbid and then promptly surpassed within a few hours' bidding. See where greed gets you, eh, eh?

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:14 pm

New online drug pharmacy laws in effect

New rules governing the operation of online pharmacies became effective Monday, designed to prevent the illegal distribution of drugs. Officials said the new Drug Enforcement Administration regulations implementing the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act will help prevent illegal diversion of medications to people for whom the drugs aren't intended. The DEA said the act was named for 18-year-old Ryan Haight who died after overdosing on a prescription painkiller he obtained on the Internet. Now that this law has been put into force it will be harder for cybercriminals to supply controlled substances over the Internet and easier for us to prosecute them, said DEA Acting Administrator Michele M.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:14 pm

T-Mobile BIS down in NYC everywhere?

I haven’t been getting e-mails to my BlackBerry in the last couple hours and a quick survey on Twitter reveals a couple of other folks haven’t been getting their e-mails either. Friends not on Twitter have been complaining about it as well.

What’s up, T-Mobile? Looks like folks on AT&T and Verizon haven’t been getting e-mails on their BlackBerrys as well.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:13 pm

Internal Sprint leak releases two preliminary launch dates

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones

To date, we don’t have any concrete information on when Palm and Sprint plans on making the Pre available, but it looks like we could be one step closer to finding out when the Pre will launch, if this rumor plays out.  Basically, Sprint has announced vacation freezes for the month of May, leading many to believe that the Pre will become available in May, and Sprint does not want to be short staffed for such an event. 

The first timeframe for a Pre launch is set to be May 17, assuming retail stores receive enough Pre shipments to satisfy their demands.  The interesting idea here is that Pre employees have already begun training for the Pre and will receive units later this month in preparation for the May 17 release.  So it looks like that rumor of the Pre being available on April 30 wasn’t all false. 

Now, when those shipments come in and if Sprint decides they do not have enough Pre devices to go ahead with the launch, then Plan B will be enacted.  June 29 is the date for the second Pre launch, in case not enough devices are ready to go by May 17. 

Again, this is just a rumor based on internal memos within Sprint.  However, based on all the recent news, it looks like Palm and Sprint are hoping the launch can take place on May 17, rather than delaying it to June 29. 

Update:  The newest information has the Pre shipping on May 16th.  So what does this mean?  We’re best off just waiting for some kind of official word by either Sprint or Palm on this one.  We’ll probably see another bunch of dates pop up between now and then.  Although, if everybody guesses every date, someone has to be right, right?

Via [PhoneNews]
Read: [Engadget]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:04 pm

Adult stem cells revert to embryonic state

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:00 pm

Polar Bear Attack Won't Affect Zoo Policies

The Berlin Zoo won't change security measures after a polar bear attacked a woman.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 13 Apr 2009 | 7:00 pm

Razer Mamba and Microsoft SideWinder X8 mice reviewed (Verdict: Both excellent)

Matt Buchanan reviews the Razer Mamba and SideWinder X8 wireless gaming mice, both of which are wireless mice finally have a fast enough response to be indistinguishable from wired mouse while gaming.

They are also both inexplicably named after snakes, which if I'm not mistaken, are corded.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:46 pm

iSuppli: Puny iPod Shuffle Is Worth a Mere $22 in Parts

An electronics analysis company performed a teardown of Apple's latest iPod Shuffle, which revealed the product's parts are only worth 28 percent of its retail price.

iSuppli, a company that deconstructs gadgets to evaluate their components' value, estimates that altogether, the Shuffle costs Apple $21.77 with components, headphones and packaging accounted for. That's about 28 percent of the Shuffle's $80 price tag.

That estimate doesn't include the costs of advertising, labor and development. But still, the Shuffle's profit margin is higher than other iPod models, according to BusinessWeek. By way of comparison, the 2007 iPod Touch amounted to $147 in components — about half of its $300 retail price.

Is this what Tim Cook meant when he said in January that Apple would "invest our way through this downturn just as we did the last one"?

See Also:

• Tiny New iPod Shuffle Talks to You
• iPod Shuffle Earbuds Contain Special Chip; It's Not a Big Deal ...
• New iPod Shuffle Torn Open: Innards Weigh Less Than a Sheet of ...

Updated Monday, 9:30 p.m. PDT to clarify that the component estimate does not include costs of advertising, labor and development.

Photo: Dylan Tweney/Wired.com

   

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:38 pm

Emtec Gdium Liberty 1000 netbook reviewed (Verdict: Poor solution looking for a problem)

The "Gdium Liberty 1000" is an intriguing proposition: Slip in the custom "G-Key" flash drive in the bottom to fire up your own custom Linux desktop, making it possible to swap your personal work environment into any of the nearly disposable netbooks from Emtec that will never actually be littered around the landscape, as the netbook itself, according to the queen of all netbooks Joanna Stern, is sort of horrible. The keyboard is apparently pretty good, though, which would make typing run-on sentences easy.

Although it won't fit as clearly into a netbook, there's always pen drive Linux.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:35 pm

Palm's Touchstone: Not Just a Wireless Charger, But a Whole Line of New Products?

When Palm introduced its new Palm Pre phone earlier this year it also showed off a nifty wireless charger called Touchstone.

Now a company representative has reportedly said that the Touchstone brand represents a new family of accessories for the Pre.

The first Touchstone charger uses magnetic inductive coupling to charge a Palm Pre phone that is placed on top of it. A magnetic cover attached to the back of  the Pre phone helps connect the phone to the dock for charging.

Palm has been extremely tight-lipped on the future of the Touchstone family but here are some ideas on what else could be a part of this new line of products.

• Wireless Car Charger: This one seems like a logical extension of the Touchstone product. A wireless car charger would allow the Pre to be dropped on a Touchstone-like car dock.
• Wireless USB Dock: Already accessory maker Kensington has a wireless USB docking station that allows you to plug upto five USB devices including keyboard, mouse, printer and access them. Palm could offer a similar product under the Touchstone line that extends the functionality of the Pre.
• Touchstone Sound Dock: Take the Palm Pre with its music player and it set it on a sound dock whenever you have the urge to blare out some of your favorite tracks. It could be a nifty way to turn the phone into a music device and along the way take a bit of the sheen off the iPod.

Palm can also take the basic Touchstone model and offer variations of it in terms of colors or sizes to make it convenient to charge in different places inside your home.

Any other ideas for Palm that takes advantage of the wireless charging capability of the Touchstone? Tell us in the comments.

[via Pre Thinking]

See also:
Wireless Chargers Puff Up Their Green Credentials

Photo: Touchstone - Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:31 pm

Help Fill the Autopia Fantasy Garage

We throw a new twist on the old parlor game: Our wish list features only eco-friendly cars. See what's in our garage and tell us what would be in yours.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:20 pm

Apple Promotes All-Time Top iPhone Apps

Apple has posted the top-20 paid and free iPhone apps that netted the most downloads since the App Store's launch in July.

The list includes games, social networking tools, everyday utilities (e.g. weather and movie listings), novelty apps and musical instruments.

A combination of luck and clever marketing enabled developers to climb to the top. Among the top free apps is Tap Tap Revenge, a rhythm game that has singlehandedly created a new distribution channel for music, enabling artists to promote their tunes and gain exposure.   

Another game, iShoot, sits on the list of top paid apps. The game earned its developer Ethan Nicholas $600,000 in a single month. Recently, Nicholas told Wired.com he has surpassed the $800,000 mark. To boost sales, Nicholas developed a free version of the game — iShoot Lite — and used it to promote the paid version. The strategy worked: In January, users downloaded the free version 2.4 million times, which led 320,000 satisfied iShoot Lite players to pay for iShoot.

All-Time iPhone Apps [iTunes]

See Also:

• iPhone 3.0: Will the Gold Rush Continue?
• iPhone App Store Approaches 1 Billion Downloads
• Coder's Half-Million-Dollar Baby Proves iPhone Gold Rush Is Still ...
• Apple: 100M iPhone Apps Downloaded in Six Weeks
• iPhone Developers Go From Rags to Riches
• Failed iPhone Developer Shares Woes on FMyLife.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:12 pm

Rumor: Nokia twisting it up with Sidekick-tastic QWERTY handset?

Check out that mock-up over to the right; now, imagine the Nokia logo floating around on it somewhere, with a little “Verizon” badge slapped on the front. All together, it’s a Nokia-made S40 QWERTY swivel handset for Verizon. Think that’s sounds crazy? Don’t worry - so does everyone else. Well, except for Nokia and Verizon, it would seem.

First word of this Sidekick-esque handset came from the Boy Genius early Easter morning. We were a bit busy gorging ourselves on every Rollo, Snickers, and bite-sized chocolate bunny in sight - but Engadget ran with the story, and got a handful of folks claiming to have seen this phone in all of its plastic glory.

On the crazy scale (which, as all quality crazy scales do, goes to 10), this one’s an 11 - but with batches of people claiming its legitimacy, we deemed it worth a print. When we inquired on the matter, our generally talkative Nokia sources just returned blank stares - whether that’s because they’ve got something they’re not allowed to discuss or they simply had no idea what we were talking about, we’re not sure.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:07 pm

New orangutan population is discovered

A U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:04 pm

South Korean Blogger Faces 18 Months in Prison

A popular South Korean blogger faces up to 18 months in prison for falsely reporting financial news. The announcement came a week after South Korea became the first democratic nation to adapt a three-strikes law requiring repeat copyright scofflaws be terminated from the internet.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Apr 2009 | 6:04 pm

SLIDE SHOW: The Faces of Da Vinci

What did Leonardo da Vinci really look like? No one, it seems, can agree.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 13 Apr 2009 | 5:38 pm

NY teen claims to be responsible for Twitter worms

Section: Computers, Security

If you used Twitter this past weekend, you may have received messages like “Mikeyy I am done…,” “MikeyyMikeyy is done,” and “Twitter please fix this, regards Mikey.”  New York teen Michael “Mikeyy” Mooney has reported to CNET News that he’s responsible for these worms and created the worms out of boredom.

Mooney went on to say that he also launched the Twitter worms as a way to bring attention to the flaws found within the micro-blogging site.  The worm spread rapidly throughout Twitter, but besides from the unwanted messages, it did not seem to create any major damage.  Mooney has said that he has created worms since he was 14, but this latest worm will likely be his last.

Twitter released a statement over the weekend that they were able to close the holes that permitted the worm to spread so rapidly.  They went on to state that none of their members’ personal information was compromised as a result of the attack.

Read: [ZDNet]

Full Story » | Written by Heather Wood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Apr 2009 | 5:14 pm

Kindle 2's Display Leaves Some Users Unhappy

Kindle 2 has lower contrast and blurry fonts making the reading experience difficult, complain some Kindle 2 owners.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 13 Apr 2009 | 5:00 pm

Kindle 2's Display Leaves Some Users Unhappy

Kindle 2 has lower contrast and blurry fonts making the reading experience difficult, complain some Kindle 2 owners.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Apr 2009 | 5:00 pm

Kindle 2's Fuzzy Fonts Have Users Seeing Red

Amazon's Kindle 2 is slimmer, faster and has longer battery life than its predecessor. But the newly launched e-book reader falls short when it comes to how well it displays text, say some users.

"When you read a lot of text on the screen, the contrast on the text drops as the font size gets smaller, which is the exact opposite of what the reader wants," says Ted Inoue, a Kindle 2 owner from Pennsylvania who has extensively analyzed the issue.

It's a problem that didn't exist for the first generation of Kindle owners. Kindle 2 has font smoothing algorithms and its screen offers more levels of gray in order to better render text and pictures. But the changes have backfired by making text more difficult to read at smaller sizes. The problem seems especially acute for older users.

Kindle 2 owners are discussing the issue on Amazon's forums (about 480 messages have been posted in the thread) and have called for Amazon to offer a quick fix to the problem. It's vexing enough for some to have returned their Kindle 2 devices to Amazon. Others have downgraded, by exchanging their Kindle 2 units for the earlier model.

Amazon released the first generation of the Kindle e-book reader in 2007 and offered a refreshed version in February this year. One of the major improvements has been that Kindle 2 has 16 shades of gray "for clear text and even crisper images," compared to the four shades that the earlier version had.

The changes are proving to be particularly problematic to Kindle 2's users who don't have 20/20 vision. While the font size threshold varies, most complaints have been around the smallest three font sizes available on the device. Kindle 2 offers a single default typeface and users cannot change it.

"The new basic font on the Kindle 2 is thinner and not as dark as the K1," says Andrys Basten, a Berkeley, California-based web programmer who also has a Kindle-focused blog. "Its like writing with a fine point pen versus a darker point pen." Basten owns both generations of the Kindle.

Kindle 2's improved gray scale renders photographs and illustrations better than the old version, but it is a problem when translating text that was originally designed to be in color. (See here for a quick explanation on how the gray scale works.)

"With the Kindle 1, all people would get is black shading for text that was originally in color," says Basten. "Now there is increased gradation, which makes text lighter, and some people have trouble seeing it." 

Kindle 2's display is supplied by E Ink, which also produces the "electronic ink" displays used in most other e-book readers. E Ink did not respond to a request for a comment.

Then there are the font smoothing algorithms. Without those algorithms, pixels along the edge of a letter would have typically been rendered as black. Instead, they are now available in several shades of gray, as shown in the photographs above. "In conventional backlit displays that works well," Inoue says. "But on a reflective screen like Kindle's, you are just losing contrast rather than enhancing the image."

The algorithms do produce smoother lines but they do not take into account the human psychology of perception, says Inoue. "Most people don't have perfect vision," he says. "What I find is that anything that degrades the contrast is going to make it blurrier."

Amazon says the disgruntled customers' gripes are not reflective of how most users feel. "A few customers have said they prefer Kindle 1 with less shades of gray, but for the overwhelming majority it’s the opposite -- they enjoy the smoother text and crisper images on Kindle 2," says Andrew Herdener, director of communications for Amazon in a statement, without offering any other details.

Still, Inoue and other Kindle 2 users say there are a few easy fixes that Amazon can make to keep everyone happy. One is to render text below a certain font size without applying any anti-aliasing to it, says Inoue. "This is not a perfect solution, as people with extremely sharp vision will notice the blockiness and may find it objectionable," he says. "However, for the majority of the population, the pixelation that occurs will be blurred out by the eye, making the fonts appear bold and smooth."

Another solution could be to offer a way to make the fonts at lowest three sizes bold. And if nothing else works, suggest Inoue, add a darker skin to the Kindle to offset its all-white body. The darker skin helps create an illusion of increased contrast.

Some users have gone a step ahead. Andrei Pushkin, a Kindle 2 owner has created a fonts hack that replaces the default Kindle 2 fonts with ones that support a wider range of Unicode characters, including, for example, Cyrillic.

That's a step too far for Basten, who says she would rather wait for an official update.

"I see the relative lightness of the new font but it doesn't bother me," she says. "I am not complaining much because I really like my Kindle."

Do you see a difference between your Kindle 1 and Kindle 2 screens? E-mail us side-by-side photographs of the screen or post them to the Gadget Lab Flickr group.

See also:
Wired Review of Amazon Kindle 2
Kindle Readers Ignite Protest Over E-Book Prices

Photos: Ted Inoue's photos of Kindle 2 display before and after the font is made bold

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Apr 2009 | 4:59 pm

Incoming Asteroid Under Close Watch

Asteroid Apophis is heading toward Earth but will likely miss us -- at least its first time around.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 13 Apr 2009 | 3:46 pm

SLIDE SHOW: Near-Earth Objects

Browse through 10 ominous objects that astronomers are watching closely.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 13 Apr 2009 | 3:38 pm

EU wants VoIP over 3G networks

Section: Communications, Cellular Providers

With the release of Skype on the iPhone, and soon the BlackBerry, Americans have seen the first light of VoIP over on cell phones.  Currently, all VoIP is limited to only Wi-Fi networks for cell phones.  The same is true in Europe, where VoIP has been on cell phones for quite some time now.As with a lot of technology services that could remotely be a bad thing for consumers, the European Union is looking into the matter.

The issue for the EU is that VoIP is blocked on the 3G networks from cell carriers.  Simply put, cell networks blocking VoIP from 3G networks can be seen by many as anticompetitive.  By blocking the services, the networks are not being fair to consumers who might want the choice.  The idea is just a proposal at the moment, but given the EU’s history of tech antitrust crusades, it may see the light of day eventually.

Here, in the US, we’re a bit behind in our cell phones and with the services offered.  The EU action could lead the way to regulatory bodies in the US to look into the issue.  Perhaps it could be one step closer to convincing the cell networks that all we really need them for is to provide the network and nothing else.  Letting users use the network how they want is just an obvious idea, but one that no cell network or ISP in the US seems to understand.  Hopefully the EU can succeed in their crusade against blocking VoIP on 3G networks, even if the decision will probably not come until 4G networks are rolled out.  Maybe it will convince some network in the US to change their tune.  Or maybe it’ll be just one more reason why cell networks in Europe are better than the ones in the US.

Read [Gizmodo]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Apr 2009 | 3:11 pm

Is Steve Jobs testing an Apple Tablet?

FROM APPLETELL - Rumors are all we have until his return, but with so much talk of an Apple touch-screen tablet, has Steve Jobs been working on this potential Apple netbook?
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Apr 2009 | 2:46 pm

New Orangutan Population Found in Indonesia

Conservationists discover a large group of orangutans in remote Borneo.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 13 Apr 2009 | 2:06 pm

Buy.com selling unlocked iPhones for a price

Don’t feel like dealing with jailbreaking you iPhone and killing iTunes updating? Got $799? Buy.com has an iPhone for you. The retailer is now selling the Jesusphone fully unlocked and with a full Apple warranty. It isn’t cheap at 800 bones, but think about what you get without all the legal worries. Finally, the iPhone can now legally work on the T-Mobile network and travel abroad too according to the Buy.com description. But why now is this fully unlocked iPhone available? Could it be an inventory clearing tactic before a new model launches. Probably.

The iPhone is due for an update and Apple likely has a bunch of the current crop stored in a warehouse. Sounds plausible, right? So Jobs & Co. - or Buy.com - must get rid of this generation before the new model launches soon. We’re not sure how AT&T feels about the unlocked edition, but the $799 price tag must carry a huge profit margin on the 16GB edition.

Buy.com via 9to5mac

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Apr 2009 | 1:55 pm

Adding Iron to Ocean Won't Stop Warming

Scientists find adding iron to the oceans is no climate change cure-all.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 13 Apr 2009 | 1:21 pm

For Alaska's Inupiat, Climate Change and Culture Shock

As bowhead whales disappear from Alaska, the Inupiat people struggle to cope.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 13 Apr 2009 | 12:51 pm