Source: Gizmodo | 17 Aug 2009 | 8:20 pm

Suitable Naming Conventions For Workstations?

spectre_240sx writes "We've discussed server naming a fair amount in the past, but I haven't seen much about workstations. Where I currently work, we embed a lot of information in our workstation names: site, warranty end date, machine type, etc. I'm of the opinion that this is too much information to overload in the machine name when it can more suitably be stored in the computer description. I'd love to hear how others are naming their workstations and some pros and cons for different naming schemes. Should computers be logically tied to the person that they're currently assigned to, or does that just cause unnecessary work when a machine changes hands? Do the management tools in use make a difference in how workstations are named?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Gizmodo | 17 Aug 2009 | 8:00 pm

Oh my: the 360 has (or had) a 54.2 percent failure rate

Now, this isn’t scientific data, especially since we know that Microsoft hides that data from prying eyes, but it’s more than supposition. Game Informer did a poll and found that the 360 has the highest failure rate of any of the consoles at 54% — not exactly the most unexpected news, but putting a number on it is kind of sobering. The survey (which is print-only or I’d link it) also notes that the 360 gets a bit more playtime than its competitors, which might account for a bit more failure, but the PS3 was failing at 11% and the Wii at 7%.

You guys may remember this excellent article describing the process of creating the 360 and the drive to get it to market. I’m guessing that at that time, the failure rate was probably as high as 75% past a certain level of play. But as the design was refined and the manufacturing improved, I’d put it (entirely guesstimation here) around 20% or even lower.

The question probably asked whether a console has failed on you, and if so, which one. In that case, practically anybody who seriously used their 360 before a year ago would be responding yes.

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:50 pm

No Social Media In These College Stadiums

RawJoe writes "Today, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is expected to release a final version of its new media policy that, at the moment, can best be described as a ban on all social media usage at SEC games. Earlier this month, the conference informed its schools of the new policy, which says that ticketed fans can't 'produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, video, audio, reproduction or other information concerning the Event.' Translated, that means no Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, TwitPic, or any other service that could in any way compete with authorized media coverage of the event. In the case of the SEC, authorized media coverage rights belong to CBS, who has a $3B deal with the conference over the next 15 years, according to The St Petersburg Times." Good luck with that. To quote Clay Shirky, "The idea that people can't capture their own lived experience is a losing proposition."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Gizmodo | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:40 pm

Be careful what you write: iPhone OS 3.0 doesn’t fully delete e-mails

Maybe you're trying to erase any lingering virtual sweet nothings of an ancient romance, or maybe you're trying to wipe all sign of your top secret government job; whatever the case may be, you'd probably expect a deleted e-mail to stay deleted. That's just not the case with the current iPhone OS.

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:36 pm

Apple Event: September 9, No Tablet Indicated

As much as we'd like the Tapplet, or iPad, to make its debut next month, it's looking like that won't be the case — as we've heard. "Sources close to the company" say that the event will be on September 9th and will most assuredly not be Tablet-related. Instead, like last year's September announcement, it'll be new iPods and possibly that fancy new iTunes we've been hearing about. While the inclusion of yet more services into Apple's increasingly bloated all-purpose media player may be seen as excessive, you can always count on Apple to at least sell it.

Source: TechCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:30 pm

Be careful what you write: iPhone OS 3.0 doesn’t fully delete e-mails

Maybe you’re trying to erase any lingering virtual sweet nothings of an ancient romance, or maybe you’re trying to wipe all sign of your top secret government job; whatever the case may be, you’d probably expect a deleted e-mail to stay deleted.

That’s just not the case with the current iPhone OS.

A fellow by the name of Matt Janssen was searching for something on his iPhone through OS 3.0’s new homescreen search when he noticed it: some of the results shouldn’t be there. Sure, they were relevant to the search keywords - but these results were emails that were supposed to have been deleted long ago.

So Matt ran another test: he sent himself an email, then deleted it from his iPhone. He cleared his trash, and then ran the search again. Sure enough, there it was. “Perhaps it’s being pulled from the server?”, he thought. So he deleted all trace of it from the server, and ran the search again. It still showed up. The iPhone was apparently caching old emails, with some as old as 4 months still popping up.

Always skeptical, we ran the same test ourselves. The first time around, all worked as one would expect. We deleted the email, cleared the trash, ran the search, and.. nothing. The email was gone. We were about to write it off as some sort of sham or fluke, when we ran the test a second time. On the second run through, everything happened just as Matt said it would; our once dead email had risen from the grave.

While the likelihood of someone nabbing your phone and guessing the subject line is arguable, the fact that such potential is there is bad enough. If you’re doing something you’re not necessarily supposed to be doing, the virtual fingerprint is but a quick search away - and all any potential sleuth needs is a bit of the subject line.

[Via Cult of Mac]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:27 pm

Apple’s September event: iTunes and iPod only

As much as we’d like the Tapplet, or iPad, to make its debut next month, it’s looking like that won’t be the case — as we’ve heard. “Sources close to the company” say that the event will be on September 9th and will most assuredly not be Tablet-related. Instead, like last year’s September announcement, it’ll be new iPods and possibly that fancy new iTunes we’ve been hearing about.

While the inclusion of yet more services into Apple’s increasingly bloated all-purpose media player may be seen as excessive, you can always count on Apple to at least sell it.

As for the iPods, we can expect a capacity bump, price adjustments, and of course, the camera everybody’s been talking about. It’s been all but announced since the rumors started last month, but I get the feeling just a camera won’t be enough for Apple to announce; they’ll probably have some cool new service as well. How about photos shared directly to Flickr via nearby iPhones? No?

The real question is, will we see Steve? He’s been spotted in the wild. Don’t be surprised if he makes a cameo. They might be saving the big Steve reveal for the tablet, though.

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:12 pm

And Google Said, Let There Be Chrome Bookmark Sync

As promised, Google has just launched bookmark syncing for users on the dev channel of its Chrome web browser. This allows you to keep your browser bookmarks in sync no matter which of your computers you are using.

Syncing has been a standard feature of Apple’s Safari browser for some months now, but you need to have MobileMe for it to work. And Firefox users could download add-ons like Xmarks (previously called Foxmarks) to get the functionality, but with Chrome it will be built-in, and most importantly, unlike MobileMe, free. Google notes that the bookmarks are stored on users’ Google account alongside Google Docs and sync via XMPP.

To get the feature working, you apparently have to launch the dev version of Chrome with the “–enable-sync command-line flag”. If you understand what that means, you’re good to go. If not, you’ll probably want to wait for the feature to hit the regular release channel, something that will probably happen relatively soon.

Bookmark management appears to have been temporarily disabled on the latest versions of Chromium for Mac, after they were first turned on last week. When they come back, hopefully this syncing will work for Macs as well. To stay up-to-date on the latest versions of Chromium for Mac, check out our updater tool.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:03 pm

Bing rings up search gains, dinging Google, Yahoo (AP)

AP - Microsoft Corp.'s souped-up Internet search engine gained a little more ground on industry leaders Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. in July, according to data released late Monday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:00 pm

Inova Releases Fiscal Year End Financial Results: Revenue Increased 318% to $22.6 Million From $5.4 Million

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Inova Technology ("INVA") released its fiscal year results. For the year ending in April 30, 2009 revenue increased to $22.6 million from $5.4 million during the year ended April 30, 2008.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:58 pm

Student's 'Green' Use For Online Social Networking

A Computer Science student at the University of York has created a new Facebook application that uses the social networking website for monitoring home energy consumption.Derek Foster developed the WattsUp application, which will also allow people to assess their carbon dioxide emissions, as part of his project for the MSc in Human-Centered Interactive Technologies.The domestic sector accounts for about 30 per cent of all energy consumed in the UK.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:55 pm

Simple Explanation for Mysterious Observations

Recently, several astronomical experiments have revealed mysterious components of elementary particles. But up until now, the origin of electrons and positrons is unknown.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:52 pm

How to harvest honey from a bee hive

Kirk, the leader of our Backwards Beekeepers club here in LA, shows how to harvest honey. Film made by fellow bee club member Russell Bates.

Backwards Beekeepers TV: The Honey Harvest


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:51 pm

Samsung Tunes Windows Mobile for UC (PC World)

PC World - Samsung and mobile unified-communications pioneer DiVitas Networks are working to make enterprise telephony functions work better on dual-mode handsets using Microsoft Windows Mobile.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:50 pm

Old Methods Lead To A New Approach To Finding A Quantum Theory Of Gravity

Quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of general relativity are both extremely accurate theories of how the universe works, but all attempts to combine the two into a unified theory have ended in failure.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:45 pm

DormVault Promises to Keep Laptop Safe from Pesky Roommates

Now that it’s back-to-school season, an interesting accessory has popped up for college dorm dwellers who want to keep their laptops safe.

DormVault is a $80 nine pound “rugged steel” vault that can store a 17-inch laptop, accessories and maybe a portable drive or two.

It’s promise is that it can keep prying eyes and untrustworthy friends from getting to your personal papers or photos. The steel case can be attached to furniture and has bolts on the inside to keep the laptop secure. The entire box has a combination lock.

Props to the marketing ingenuity here, but wouldn’t any box with a lock work well enough?

Even better get encryption for your laptop so your files and pictures can be truly safe.

[via Gadget Review]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:35 pm

Storms Churn in Atlantic While Claudette Rains on Panhandle; Verizon Wireless Offers Tips to Alabama Residents

MOBILE, Ala., Aug.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:00 pm

Storms Churn in Atlantic While Claudette Moves Inland; Verizon Wireless Offers Tips to Mississippi Residents

JACKSON, Miss., Aug.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:00 pm

Concept cars on parade at Pebble Beach

In case you were wondering what the automotive community won’t be releasing next year, here’s a nice roundup of the concept cars on display over at Pebble Beach. They’re not all outlandish, although a back seat in a Lotus Elise kind of misses the point, doesn’t it? If I had one, I’d remove the passenger seat.

A convertible Veyron? Yes please, though as you approach 200MPH the wind does muss your hair a bit. I like that the Infiniti has “custom-fitted Louis Vuitton luggage.” Great, a package deal, just the right thing for a recession!

[all photos by Stephen Shankland]

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:54 pm

G1 Android Phone May Be Unable to Receive Updates (PC World)

PC World - Users of the first Android phone, the G1, may be unable to get significant future operating-system updates because the phone's internal flash is nearly full.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:50 pm

Moonlight 2.0 moves to beta phase (InfoWorld)

InfoWorld - Moonlight 2.0, which is open source software that puts Microsoft's Silverlight rich Internet application technology on Linux, was offered up as a beta release on Monday, the chief developer of the technology said in a blog entry.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:45 pm

Microsoft Files "Emergency Motion" To Ship Word

adeelarshad82 writes "Several days after a judge ordered Microsoft to halt sales of Word and handed down $290M in fines, the software giant has moved to stop the ban. On Friday Microsoft filed an emergency motion to stop the judgment and waive the bond requirement, according to court filings. The actual document was filed under seal, so the full contents of the request have not yet been made public."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:43 pm

Dell Developing Phones for China - Wall Street Journal

PC World

Dell Developing Phones for China Wall Street Journal Personal computer giant Dell Inc. is entering the smart phone market for the first time, under a deal disclosed by a big cellular carrier in China. A spokeswoman for China Mobile Ltd. said Dell will supply a handset ... Dell's Cell Phone Strategy: Off To A Fizzling StartBusinessWeek Dell to Enter Smartphone Market in ChinaPC World Dell's Mini 3i Smartphone Goes OfficialTechtree.com Computerworld -New York Times -PC Magazine all 323 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:40 pm

Report: Apple music event September 9 - CNET News

Techtree.com

Report: Apple music event September 9 CNET News It looks like the annual Apple music event will be held on September 9 this year, according to allthingsd. Though it had been reported earlier that the event would take place sometime that week, a source now tells allthingsd that the exact ... Rumored Apple event roulette wheel lands on September 9Ars Technica Apple Event: September 9, No Tablet IndicatedWashington Post Apple annual music event to be held Sept. 9 - reportApple Insider ChannelWeb -BusinessWeek -The Money Times all 74 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:26 pm

i.TV looks to make the iPhone into a universal remote

Section: Video, Content, DVD/DVR/Blu-ray, Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Gadgets / Other

i.TV is an app in the App Store that deals with all television media.  The app has tons of features as it can tell you which programs are on when, rate programs and obtain reviews.  i.TV lets you check out local movies, purchase tickets, has YouTube support and even has the ability manage your Netflix queque.  All of these functions right from your iPhone or iPod touch is pretty enticing, especially considering that it is all for free.  Today, i.TV is looking to take that one step further with the 2.0 version of the app which features a Remote Control Framework. 

Using this framework, i.TV is looking to develop partnerships with various TV and DVR companies in order to create a universal remote control.  For example, they have already partnered up with TiVo hoping to allow users to control their TiVo HD or TiVo HD XL via iPhone.  Basically, you can change the channel, fast forward the show, record whatever you are watching or what you want to watch, and have the ability to play the content you have stored. 

I don’t know about you, but I lose my remote control a lot more than I lose my cell phone, so having the ability to use my cell phone to change the channel and perform all these other functions could definitely be pretty useful.  Connectivity between the iPhone and the TiVo is made possible by Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a dock. 

Possibly to appease Apple to approve their 2.0 app, i.TV has added the ability to purchase content from iTunes that is related to the show(s) you want to watch.  In addition, using the 3.0 software’s push notifications, the i.TV app can let you know when a new show is about to air even when the app is closed, ensuring you will never miss your favorite show again. 

The app is supposed to be approved by Apple sometime this month and then it will become available to download for free.  The concept of the iPhone acting as a remote control is definitely an interesting one.  Why waste money to buy a universal remote control such as a Logitech Harmony remote control when you can simply download an app on your already-paid-for iPhone?  It will be interesting to see in the future if i.TV partners up with any other company to create the necessary codes for compatibility with TVs and DVRs other than TiVo.  i.TV has the Remote Control Framework already laid out, they are just looking for additional partners. 

Read [i.TV]

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:24 pm

Galileo's tech gear

Philadelphia's Franklin Institute is hosting the traveling exhibition Galileo, the Medici and the Age of Astronomy until September 7. To celebrate, Smithsonian Magazine put together a slide show of Galileo's gear, er "Instruments of Discovery." This is an Armillary Sphere. From Smithsonian:

At the center of this instrument sits a globe representing the earth. The bands around it pivot on a common center and illustrate the paths of the sun and moon, known planets and important stars. The device was invented sometime in the last few centuries before Christ, but the sphere became widely used in Europe by a thousand years ago. This armillary sphere dates to 1578.

"Galileo's Instruments of Discovery"


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:22 pm

DIY: Eco-responsible super fridge

One of the problems with modern society going “green” is that many of our appliances are inherently inefficient. Take for example the refrigerators and freezers that many of us use. A vertical fridge/freezer combination just isn’t that energy efficient, even if it is “energy star” rated. Most fridges waste upwards of 365 kWh a year. So what can be done?

So what’s a more effective alternative to your current fridge? Look no further then the basic chest freezer. Since cold air sinks, chest freezers have long been known to be a more efficient freezing solution, but what about refrigeration? Heaven knows you don’t want to freeze your tofu. One clever solution is to replace the thermostat with one designed to shut off the motor on the freezer, allowing you to better control the cooling without freezing your food unintentionally. Properly set up, you can less energy to cool your food for a day than a 100-watt incandescent bulb does in an hour. So no only will you help the environment, but you’ll save money too.

[via Build It Solar]

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:20 pm

Microsoft’s LifeCam HD lets you video chat at 1280×720

I know I give tiny cameras a lot of guff, but merely small ones are getting pretty damn good. It’s wrong to hold the iPhone camera to the same standards as something with a lens and sensor four times larger, but this new webcam from Microsoft seems to know its limitations. They probably could have pushed it to 1080p if they wanted, and people would have freaked out, but man that would have been one ugly image.

So, the LifeCam HD is like a regular webcam, except it has a real glass lens, a mic that actually sticks up and isn’t just a pinprick on the camera’s surface, and of course, it’s capable of HD. Whether your messaging or video chat application is ready for that is a toss-up, but I guarantee in a few months it will be.

It’ll sell for $80, or £70, which is pretty much a huge ripoff for the Brits. Sorry guys, I’m just the messenger.

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:20 pm

Radiohead offers new song online, but no EP (Reuters)

Reuters - Radiohead offered a new song for free download Monday, "These Are My Twisted Words," which is available from the band's official Web site.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:15 pm

Apple Event Scheduled for Wednesday Sept. 9–Music, NO Tablet [Digital Daily]

It has happened every September since 2005, and in a few short weeks it will happen once again. Apple (AAPL) is indeed planning a keynote event for the week of Sept. 7, as reported by my colleague, Peter Kafka. And according to sources close to the company, the date is Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The event will be held in San Francisco–most likely at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where it has occurred in years past–and is expected to showcase upgrades to the iPod line and an update to iTunes that may involve some sort of social element. Our sources insist it will not involve any discussion whatsoever of the tablet Apple is reportedly developing.

Too bad. It’s looking more and more like we’ll have to wait until 2010 for that.

No word yet on who’s to preside over the event. There’s been speculation that it will mark the first public appearance by CEO Steve Jobs since returning from medical leave earlier this year. Our sources have no information on whether or not that will prove true.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Apple Tablet to Recreate “Heyday of the Album (With One Good Song)”
• $800 Apple Tablet Coming in October?
• New From Piper Jaffray Analyst Gene Munster: The Apple iPad
• Rumored Apple Netbook Actually an E-book?

Source: All Things Digital | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:01 pm

Verbatim announces new USB hard drives with displays

Verbatim announced today that they are releasing a new line of USB external hard drives. Now wait, before you scroll on to the next story, take a look at this thing. It’s got a fairly sexy design, and a new feature that sets it apart from all the other external hard drive enclosures out there: a built-in display.

Available in the typical 320GB and 500GB sizes, these drives are small at 6″x3.4″, and weigh a feather-light 6 ounces. The “InSight” also has a 32×138 pixel display on it, which provides you information even if the drive is off. It can tell you the remaining capacity, or whatever name you’ve given to the drive.

From the press release:

CHARLOTTE, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With the announcement today of its new InSight(TM) Portable USB Hard Drives, Verbatim(R) Americas, LLC, the world’s leader in storage media technology, takes hard drive design to a new dimension. The sleek, durable enclosure is enhanced with a premium piano black finish that will appeal to professional as well as home users. Additionally, the InSight Portable Hard Drive features an Always On display, which automatically calculates and continuously displays the customizable drive name and available free space, even when the drive is disconnected from the computer. Shipping now, the palm-sized external hard drive will enable Windows(R) and Mac(R) users to instantly add 320GB or 500GB of stylish, removable capacity to their notebook or desktop systems.

“The new enclosure design for InSight Portable Hard Drives adds a touch of elegance to the external hard drive product category,” says Charles Klinker, Verbatim’s Director of Marketing, HDD Products. “Users have the option to personalize their drive’s name, e.g., TUNES&PICS, which, along with the free space, shows on the 32 x 128-pixel display even when the drive is unplugged from the user’s computer. The ability to quickly glance at several drives and identify the one that has pictures of the kids, your music collection or video library, for example, adds a level of convenience not previously available in portable hard drives.”

Both 320GB and 500GB-capacity drives include Nero BackItUp Essentials, a complete data protection solution, allowing full, automatic system backup and restore functions. Easy-to-use, the software guides the user to set up scheduled backups by date and/or time. Nero BackItUp Essentials also features data encryption with password control options, providing data security and peace of mind when traveling or storing the drive.

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:00 pm

Grow Greener: Start a Sustainable Garden

Growing your own veggies, herbs and flowers saves you money, but starting a garden every growing season can strain your natural and financial resources. Learn these common sustainable gardening practices to prevent both kinds of waste.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2009 | 5:00 pm

Can TomTom's iPhone App Compete With a Standalone GPS Unit? (PC World)

PC World - TomTom's new GPS navigation application for the iPhone may sound appealing, but its true cost and capabilities are still a mystery. The app costs $100 and allows the iPhone to function as a real-time navigation device that provides turn-by-turn directions.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:59 pm

Prosecutors say man stole 130M credit card numbers (AP)

AP - Federal prosecutors on Monday charged a Miami man with the largest case of credit and debit card data theft ever in the United States, accusing the one-time government informant of swiping 130 million accounts on top of 40 million he stole previously.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:57 pm

Three Indicted In Huge Identity/Data Breach

ScentCone and other readers let us know about an indictment just unsealed in federal court for stealing 130 million credit cards and other data useful in identity theft, or just plain money theft. The breaches were at payment processor Heartland (accounting for the bulk of the 130M), Hannaford, 7-11, and two unnamed "national retailers." Interestingly, the focus of the indictment, Albert "Segvec" Gonzalez, is currently awaiting trial for masterminding the TJX break-in, which until Heartland counted as the largest credit-card theft ever. The indictment cites SQL injection attacks as the entry vector. Two unnamed Russia-based conspirators were also indicted. Securosis has analysis of the security implications of the breach ("These appear to be preventable attacks using common security controls. It's possible some advanced techniques were used, but I doubt it") and the attackers' methodology.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:53 pm

Deep Sleep Therapy and brainwashing researcher Dr. William Sargant

Deep Sleep Therapy was a bizarre psychiatric treatment in which drugs were used to induce a coma in patients during which the doctors would administer a variety of other mind drugs and electric shocks. The idea was that they'd awaken cured of mental disorders, ranging from depression to schizophrenia. One of the, er, "pioneers" was Dr. William Sargant in the UK who promoted the "therapy" in the 1960s and 1970s. Of course, Sargant is best known for his research on brainwashing. He's the author of Battle for the Mind: A Physiology of Conversion and Brainwashing (1957), basically a how-to of techniques for reprogramming people. He also developed methods for implanting false memories, and was involved in the Project MKULTRA, the CIA's mind control and chemical interrogation research program. Delightful guy. The BBC Radio 4 recently broadcast a documentary about Sargant's Sleep Room treatments. The program is titled Revealing the Mind Minder General



Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:45 pm

Got a great TouchWiz Widget idea? Samsung wants to give you $20,000

If you’ve got a knack for competition and an idea for Samsung’s freshly opened TouchWiz widget platform, this might be just the thing to bring it all together. Looking to coax some developers into taking a look at TouchWiz, Samsung has just announced a 3-day Widget Developer Camp in San Francisco, running from September 11th to September 13th.

After 3 days of schmoozing, boozing, and widget development, a panel of “VIP” judges (which, for some crazy reason, includes me) will pass out some awesome cash prizes. 5 widget developers will take home $5,000 each in the categories of Social Media, News/Reference, Health/Fitness, Travel/Entertainment, and Humor/Fun widgets. 5 grand for a few days of healthy competition? Not too shabby. But it gets better: whoever manages to walk away with the “Best In Show” title gets $20,000, along with a spot in Samsung’s booth at CTIA 2009.

Developers have to be pre-selected to get access to the dev camp, with applications being accepted from today until August 31st. The festivities begin with a cocktail event on September 11th, development goes down on the 12th, and the judging magic happens on the 13th. Good luck, folks!

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:37 pm

Gamertell Review: Wallace and Gromit: The Bogey Man for PC

FROM GAMERTELL - Wallace and Gromit might save their golf club and get out of a fake marriage in their final adventure in The Bogey Man…
MORE »

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:30 pm

Polvo Accepts 'Math Rock' Mantle With Powerful New 'In Prism'

The resurgent band quits quibbling about terminology and focuses on crafting the brainy, epic rock that made the group an unlikely rock powerhouse.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:19 pm

Sharing with Google Groups

As more and more businesses and organizations "go Google," we find that many of the features we develop based on feedback from large enterprises end up benefiting all of our users. We recently rolled out improvements to the way Google Groups interacts with several of our applications. Now, sharing calendars, sites and documents with multiple people is easy — instead of adding people one at a time, you can simply share with an entire Google Group.

As an example, imagine you're organizing a local intramural softball team tournament. You use Google Docs to keep track of the rosters for each team as well as each team's performance.


You want all the players, but only the players, to have editing access. You already have a Google Group set up with the tournament participants, so you simply share the spreadsheet with the group itself, granting the group members permission to edit.



Now, when people join or leave the Google Group, they will automatically gain or lose editing access to the spreadsheet. It's that easy.

This was a feature that people wanted to "just work" — and now it does. Go ahead and try it out with your sites, calendars and documents!

Posted by Jeffrey Chang, Associate Product Manager, Google Groups
Source: The Official Google Blog | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:09 pm

IBM Scientists Build Computer Chips From DNA

snydeq writes "Scientists at IBM are experimenting with using DNA molecules as a way to create tiny circuits that could form the basis of smaller, more powerful computer chips. The technique builds on work done by Cal Tech's Paul Rothemund, who found that DNA molecules can be made to 'self-assemble' into tiny forms [PDF] such as triangles, squares and stars. 'To make a chip, the scientists first create lithographic templates using traditional chip making techniques. After, they pour a DNA solution over the surface of the silicon and the tiny triangles and squares — what the scientists call DNA origami — line themselves up to the patterns etched out using lithography.' DNA-based chips may sound like crackpot tech, but those involved believe the methodology could lead to a new way of fabricating features on the surface of chips that allows semiconductors to be made even smaller, faster and more power-efficient than they are today."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:02 pm

iPhone app review: Applipedia

Does it seem to you, like it seems to me, that iPhone apps are the new way to drive traffic to various websites? With the always-on Internet connection of an iPhone, why bother building all the content into your app when it can simply phone home to fetch what it needs? In principle I have no problem with this: avoid duplicating data, and focus on providing a great product. In reality, though, people seem to abuse this model by quickly throwing together a decent looking app that doesn’t really provide much value to the end user. Case in point: Palo Alto Networks’ Applipedia web site and its associated iPhone app.

I’ve never heard of the Applipedia before. It “empowers security and IT staff, execs, and even users get a better handle on what they’re using, and even how to configure it safely with regards to certain features/functionality that may represent risk.” A quick look at the website confirms that: yep, it’s a listing of applications, with some decent descriptions and a risk rating. I’m a bit skeptical of arbitrary numbers to represent application risk assessments, but whatever.

I found the web site to be annoying to use, but that’s just me. Maybe their iPhone app will be easier to use? Nope. It’s no easier to use than the website. It includes icons along the bottom that look like the Apple App Store, so you can easily move between featured applications, the Applipedia app categories, search, articles, and videos. The featured apps listing includes the “New” and “Hot” buttons at the top, but includes no meaningful explanation of what makes an app “hot”. Is it a popular app? Does it have a lot of security vulnerabilities? It seems like they’re shoving the square peg of their data down the round hole of the Apple UI with no appreciation for how an end user will utilize this information.

The categories are overly broad, and all spaces have been inexplicably replaced by dashes. “File sharing” is, in fact, “file-sharing”. “General Internet” is “general-internet”. Have we some how gone back in time to those dark days when spaces were verboten in file names?

Anyway, here’s what you see for two applications I selected from their lists: google-earth and worldofwarcraft.

Oh noes! They “consume big bandwidth”! The display looks like it helpfully provides drill-down options to learn more about these applications. What does a risk level of 3 actually mean? Sorry! Tapping that field does nothing at all. The same holds true for most of the other fields, too: no means to see a listing of all apps that match “Use by malware” or other apps in the sub-category of “client-server”. There is a helpful link to Wikipedia. But why are Palo Alto Networks sending me to Wikipedia of all places, if its their Applipedia I’m using to evaluate application security?

The “Articles” button along the bottom of the screen pulls up a list of headlines, presumably from the Palo Alto Networks website somewhere, that you can click through to read. If I’m a Palo Alto customer, wouldn’t I want to subscribe to their news feed in my RSS reader, rather than use an app to fetch that same data?

And finally, the “Videos” button. This is a list of titles that link to YouTube videos. Most appear to be commercials for Palo Alto products. A few were mildly entertaining. A few were horrifically boring. This is not the stuff I want to watch on my iPhone, let alone use a dedicated app to access.

I like the idea of using the iPhone — or any mobile device — to access data stored on the Internet. I like the idea of the client-server model where the client is mostly a display, and all the application magic happens on the server. Alas, I think the Palo Alto Networks Applipedia product is a gigantic waste of time.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:00 pm

Kodak Unleashes Best Pocket Cam We've Seen This Year

The Zi8 tops any pocket cam we've tested all year. Visionary resolution, indulgent audio and a price so low it makes us want to give the Flip the finger.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:00 pm

Kodak Unleashes Best Pocket Cam We've Seen This Year

The Zi8 tops any pocket cam we've tested all year. Visionary resolution, indulgent audio and a price so low it makes us want to give the Flip the finger.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 4:00 pm

How to Make Your Gadgets Drop- and Water-Resistant

Rugged gadgets can withstand drops, shocks, vibrations and coffee spills — but they’ll do serious damage to your wallet. Why not buy a regular device and ruggedize it yourself?

Two editors at Popular Mechanics did just that, taking a DIY approach to protecting a phone, a point-and-shoot camera, and a notebook. The results are impressive, if ugly.

Phones are easy to protect. Wrap the edges with a bumper made of rubber bands and tuck the whole inside a vacuum-sealed bag, being careful not to overdo the vacuum or it will push all the buttons down. Or, just put your phone inside a Ziploc baggy.

Cameras are a little trickier. Foam tape and weatherstripping protects the body, but the lens housing the Popular Mechanics editors built out of PVC pipe and a UV filter didn’t prevent the lens from getting knocked askew. A plastic zip-lock does a good job of waterproofing the camera, though.

Laptops can be ruggedized with lots of duct tape, tennis balls and pipe insulation. The resulting monstrosity is both ugly and bulky, but it survived an impressive 8-foot drop. For coffee-proofing (thanks to the need for air vents, a notebook can’t be made truly dunkable), the editors cut a sheet of polyethylene to protect the keyboard and trackpad. You can also buy silicone keyboard covers for many notebook models.

The story has more details, plus a video showing the editors testing their newly-ruggedized notebook.

How to Ruggedize Your Own Gadgets [Popular Mechanics]

Photo: Popular Mechanics editors testing the resilience of their ruggedized Dell.

See Also:

• Rugged Cellphones Make iPhones Look Like Wimps
• Dell Introduces Rugged Netbook for Kids
• Pentax Launches Everything-Proof Rugged Cam
• Dell’s Rugged Notebook Drops From the Ugly Tree

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:42 pm

Comet Holds Building Block for Life

An amino acid, an essential building block for life, is found in a comet for the first time.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:40 pm

Perchance to Dream of iTablet [Voices]

By Nitrozac and Snaggy

Source: All Things Digital | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:38 pm

‘Bum Bot’ Robot Plays Sheriff on the Streets of Atlanta

Could Bum bot, a homemade robot that acts as a private security guard, be the future of neighborhood watch?

Atlanta, Georgia’s mayoral candidate Rufus Terrill created the remote-controlled robot with three wheels to watch the lot around his pub O’Terrills. The robot has a live video feed, a communications system so it can blare out commands and infrared cameras on it.

“A home alarm loudspeaker attached to a walkie-talkie gives it a voice. Its head is a former home meat-smoker. The red lights are from a 1997 Chevrolet, and it’s powered by four car batteries,” says this article in USA Today about the Bum Bot.

“If people are trying to break into cars, you can put it on video, call the police and give them a tape on it,” says Terrill who thinks the Bum Bot can be deployed in greater numbers on the streets of the city.

The Bum Bot has been at work for nearly a year now and has become an important part of Terrill’s political campaign.

Check out the video of the Bum Bot at work.

[via Buzzfeed]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:36 pm

Graffiti: "I Love Cops!"

I spotted this graffiti in San Francisco's Mission District. I've never seen vandalism declaring one's love for the police before (assuming that "SFPD" is referring to San Francisco Police Department).


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:36 pm

Research Suggests EPA Pesticide Exposure Test Too Short

The four-day testing period the U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:30 pm

Obama criticizes a Cold War approach to defense (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama chastised the defense industry and a freespending Congress on Monday for wasting tax dollars "with doctrine and weapons better suited to fight the Soviets on the plains of Europe than insurgents in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan."

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:29 pm

Newly Discovered Mechanism in Cell Division

“A biologist, a physicist, and a nanotechnologist walk into a ...” sounds like the start of a joke. Instead, it was the start of a collaboration that has helped to decipher a critical, but so far largely unstudied, phase of how cells divide.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:25 pm

Tritton Technologies partners up with Best Buy to sell See2 UV150 and See2 Xtreme

Section: Video, Computers, Desktops, Hardware, Laptops, Peripherals, Displays/Projectors

Video cards are often internal hardware used to extend monitor functions.  Tritton introduced two new VGA cards that are external and designed to extent multiple monitor support.  The “highly-efficient” VGA video cards See2 UV150 and See2 Xtreme are already on sale at Best Buy starting today. 

For $49.99, the See2 UV150 is an affordable way to use another VGA monitor for your PC setup.  Forget about installing internal video/graphic cards to support multiple monitor support, with the external See2 UV150 installation should be really simple and easy.  Plenty of people think that the more monitors, the better and Tritton hopes to help with the USB compatible See2 UV150.  On their website, here are some uses for multiple monitor support depending on what you need:

Office Use:

  * View large spreadsheets across two screens with display continuity
  * Multitask more effectively without overlapping windows
  * Open attachments on one screen while reading the e-mail on the other

Mobile Use:

  * View multiple screen displays and presentations without bringing another computer

Graphic Use:

  * Use second display for pallets/tools

Data Entry Use:

  * Type documents on one screen while viewing reference material on the other

Wall Street:

  * Use a notebook for viewing multiple screens
  * View charts and live data at the same time

Entertainment:

  * View videos/TV on one screen

In case you want to hook up even more monitor support, perhaps the See2 Xtreme USB VGA card is right up your alley.  Whether you are running a Mac or PC, the See2 Xtreme has the ability to sync 6 different VGA displays using the external video card.  In addition, it has support for extended desktop, mirroring, and primary mode.  Users have the ability to switch between any of those modes at ease.  For $79.99, it is a bit more expensive than the UV150, but definitely worth it if you work in a big office where you need many monitors hooked up to one system. 

The full press release is below:

TRITTON Sees Double at Best Buy

with Two External VGA Video Cards

VISTA, Calif. – Aug. 17, 2009 –The explosion of productivity-minded products hitting the store shelves this past year has caused consumers to go cross-eyed with options.  TRITTON Technologies
, a leader in high-performance computer peripherals, cuts through the clutter with two of its highly-efficient external VGA video cards, See2 UV150 and See2 Xtreme, at retail giant Best Buy.

“Living in a world where people have to get more done in less time, the See2 UV150 and See2 Xtreme swoop in like superheroes,” said Christopher Von Huben, president, TRITTON Technologies.  “From home office users to enterprise businesses, the TRITTON SEE2 line of products brings considerable value to those of us trying to be more productive in a work environment that offers fewer resources.”

The See2 UV150 is a simple and cost-effective way to add a second VGA display to computers at $49.99. No longer is it necessary to go through the expensive and tedious hassle of installing an internal graphics card in order to add an additional display. This straightforward video card connects to a computer via USB 2.0, extending desktops across multiple screens. Increasing productivity by 44%, studies conducted have concluded that using multiple displays instead of one display is a more effective manner to get work done. Whether it be at home surfing the web or at work perfecting spreadsheets, the UV 150 makes life that much easier.

To take it up a notch, TRITTON offers its See2 Xtreme USB to DVI external video card, priced at $79.99, which can add up to six displays to a computer. Upgrading to the See2 Xtreme allows for both Mac and PC users to take full advantage of invaluable efficiency both in terms of time and workload that TRITTON grants with the product. With simple precision, users can transition among extended desktop, mirroring and primary mode. Its patented technology effortlessly integrates into computer systems in no time, immediately empowering its user by offering maximum resolutions for clarity and concision.

The UV150 and See2 Xtreme are two solutions available to anyone, ranging from at-home internet junkies to corporate CEOs. The undeniable benefit behind these VGA video cards further establishes TRITTON Technologies as a leader in the computer peripheral industry. Both of these time-friendly products from TRITTON Technologies can now be found at any Best Buy store as well as on BestBuy.com
.

About TRITTON Technologies

TRITTON Technologies is based in Vista, Calif., and is a manufacturer of high-performance, consumer electronics and computer peripheral products.  TRITTON takes pride in creating innovative products that offer superior functionality and reliability.  Visit TRITTON Technologies’ website at www.trittonusa.com
.

# # #

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Press contacts for TRITTON Technologies:

Damion Martin / Jason Wonacott

Wonacott Communications, LLC

(310) 477-2871

dmartin@wonacottpr.com / jwonacott@wonacottpr.com

Press contacts for Best Buy Inc., Co.:

Best Buy Public Relations

Best Buy News Center

(612) 292-NEWS

newscenter@bestbuy.com

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:18 pm

Machine translation fun

Enter a phrase intro Translation Party and it will translate it into Japanese and back into English as many times as it takes to reach steady state. (Via Zoomdoggle)


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:11 pm

Wireless Power Consortium Pushes for "Qi" Standard

The Wireless Power Consortium (comprised of Samsung, Sanyo, Olympus, Philips, Texas Instruments, and others) has started a push towards a wireless charging standard under the moniker "Qi" (pronounced "chee"). "Members of the Wireless Power Consortium are reviewing version 0.95 of its technical specification which defines a proposed standard for charging devices, using up to 5Watts power, delivered by electromagnetic induction. The spec could evolve into a standard — and will be demonstrated by multiple vendors on September 15th to 16th. ... It is less ambitious than the system demonstrated this summer by Witricity, which operates at a distance of a few meters, using resonance, which the company claims has green benefits through replacing disposable batteries."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:11 pm

Canada recalls Haitai, Lotte brand cookies

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people with allergies to milk not to consume Haitai and Lotte brands of cookies and crackers. The CFIA said the recalled products, imported from Korea, contain milk which is not listed on the ingredients label.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:08 pm

PS3 Price Cut Tomorrow? [Digital Daily]

“[If the price were any lower] I’d lose money on every PlayStation I make.” So said Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer last month. And while that remark might seem to preclude a price cut on the PlayStation 3, a price cut might be exactly what we get come tomorrow.

In a research note today, FTN Equity Capital Markets analyst James Hardiman said “evidence is mounting” that Sony will announce a PS3 price cut, perhaps during its Tuesday presentation at GamesCon.

Videogame analyst Heath Terry of FBR Capital Markets shares this view, and in a note to clients, he put a dollar figure on the cut. “With Sony set to announce a $100 price cut on the PS3 on Tuesday at Gamescom in Germany according to our retail checks, we believe the other hardware manufacturers will respond with a combination of price reductions and bundling strategies that should drive significant acceleration in hardware sales,” Terry wrote, adding that the cut, should it come to pass, will mark “the first of a series of catalysts that should drive a return to growth” for the videogame industry.

Certainly, it would give Sony (SNE) a nice boost in sales in the run-up to the winter holiday consumer binge. And given its most recent financials, the company could really use one right now.

Source: All Things Digital | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:05 pm

Comet Contains One of Life's Precursors

Researchers confirm that an amino acid discovered in the debris trailing behind a comet is extraterrestrial and not due to contamination on Earth. The presence of glycine supports the idea that some of life's ingredients originated elsewhere in the universe and were brought to Earth by comet impacts.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:05 pm

Menagerie of Animal Bots Ranges From Snuggly to Irritating

Which fake pet will get kids to adopt it next? From pricey harp seals to joey koala, these beasties queue up for the "most endearing" title.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:00 pm

The First Gene-encoded Amphibian Toxin Isolated

Researchers in China have discovered the first protein-based toxin in an amphibian –a 60 amino acid neurotoxin found in the skin of a Chinese tree frog.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:00 pm

Menagerie of Animal Bots Ranges From Snuggly to Irritating

Which fake pet will get kids to adopt it next? From pricey harp seals to joey koala, these beasties queue up for the "most endearing" title.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2009 | 3:00 pm

Scientists Find Genetic Link Between Physical Pain and Social Rejection

UCLA psychologists have determined for the first time that a gene linked with physical pain sensitivity is associated with social pain sensitivity as well.Their study indicates that variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), often associated with physical pain, is related to how much social pain a person feels in response to social rejection.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:59 pm

Scientists Find Genetic Link Between Physical Pain and Social Rejection

UCLA psychologists have determined for the first time that a gene linked with physical pain sensitivity is associated with social pain sensitivity as well.Their study indicates that variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), often associated with physical pain, is related to how much social pain a person feels in response to social rejection.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:58 pm

Project to analyze old Hebrew papers

Israeli scientists say they'll combine computer and humanities expertise in a project designed to analyze old Hebrew and Arabic historical papers. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said their effort to develop new computer algorithms combines scientific expertise in computer vision, computer graphics, image processing and computational geometry with the scholarly expertise of historians and liturgy scholars. Until now many documents have not been researched systematically. There was one book that was originally used as a Hebrew prayer book from the 12th century, but had been scratched off, and the parchment used to write an Arabic text, said Professor Uri Ehrlich, head of the project.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:58 pm

iPhone App Review: Navigon Mobile Navigator for iPhone

It is time to ask the age-old question: Are our cellphones ready to replace standalone GPS units. Sure we’ve all done a little work with cellphone mapping services and we’ve all mucked about with Google Maps while driving (which is very dangerous). But are cellphones and iPhones in particular ready to knock the old GPS box off of the dashboard?

To paraphrase Molly Bloom in Ulysees, “yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me and I think you can replace your GPS device with an iPhone and software like Navigon’s Mobile Navigator for iPhone are making it much simpler yes I will Yes.”

First things first. This app costs $69.99 and weighs in at 1.29GB. It is a fully-featured North American GPS system with an intuitive interface and NAVTEQ maps. The UI is quite fun and shows everything you’d expect - large, bold directions, upcoming street signs, and even a little horizon line that displays a representation of where you’re headed. It also has voice prompts that tell you how far you are from your destination.

Another thing to remember: Navigon pulled out of the US market recently and their decision to create an iPhone app could be the reason why. Why sell hardware when you can just sell at $69 iPhone app - about one quarter the price of a device - and get most of the price back in profit.

I tried the software on a longish road trip into Connecticut. The application routed us to our destination and back without incident. It uses the iPhone UI to select addresses but then falls into the Navigon UI to show you directions. The app contains all the maps you could need which is great if you’re driving through a dead zone. The app uses the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS’ GPS chip and little else.

The software can also grab addresses from your contacts list. I had no problems with this method or typing contacts in directly.

Once you’re driving the application real shines. The system offers huge signpost indicators, mimicking highway signs with quite a bit of verisimilitude. The Reality View shows roads meeting off in the horizon with a little representation of your expected horizon - trees, a cityscape - in the distance.

In short, this makes your iPhone a GPS device. That’s really amazing.

This should also make standalone GPS makers wet their pants. Smartphones are slowly taking over for almost every device smaller than a breadbox. Tablet PC? Browse the web on your smartphone. Remote control? Install something on your smartphone. Media player? Done and done thousands of times over. And now we can add GPS device.

Navigon is worth the investment. They also recommend purchasing a dashboard mount - you can get one for about $30 like this Griffin model. The best thing, however, is that instead of pecking at your iPhone in Google Maps you can program in your address and just drive. That’s great.

Bottom Line
The future of GPS is here.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:54 pm

Rubik's Cube album art

French artist Invader has recreated iconic album covers with disassembled Rubik's Cubes. (Above, Roxy Music's Country Life).

Rubik's Cube album art

Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:53 pm

Scientists Say Uncounted For Source Of Greenhouse Gas Could Promote Global Warming

Scientists at the University of Calgary have found that methane emission by plants could be a bigger problem in global warming than previously thought.A U of C study says that when crops are exposed to environmental factors that are part of climate change -- increased temperature, drought and ultraviolet-B radiation -- some plants show enhanced methane emissions.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:45 pm

Gizmo with a weight added for extra heft

The IDSA Materials and Process Selection Blog discovered a surprise inside a Pinnacle Video Transfer gadget: a weight seemingly added for the sole purpose of making the device heavier and less "cheap"-feeling:

This added material doesn't appear to serve any other purpose-the components don;t generate much heat and there's no noise to dampen. My conclusion is that while the components on the PCB (other than the connectors) where not all that tall, the connectors were. So this drove the final thickness of the product. I guess when you're spending $100 on a piece of video kit, you probably want it to feel somewhat solid in your hands. So this is a cheap way to add some "heft" to the product.

What's That?: Adding Dead Weight


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:45 pm

Huawei 8220 heading to T-Mobile as the Pulse

Details are still a bit sketchy on this one, but the powers of the Internets have uncovered yet another Android phone headed for T-Mobile. While its been known for some time that Huawei was crackin’ away at a couple of Android-powered pieces of kit, not a whole lot has been said thus far.

Late last week, the Wi-Fi Alliance gave the greenlight to a previously unannounced Huawei phone, with “Huawei 8220″ as its manufacture maiden name. Wi-Fi Alliance certifications generally spark far more questions than they answer; this one, however, had a small gem tucked inside. There it was, right alongside the model number: “T-Mobile Pulse”. In one fell swoop, the certification disclosed the phone’s existence, gave away its final name, and told us which carrier it was headed for.

Gizmodo Brazil dug a bit deeper, managing to uncover the shot above, along with a handful of purported specs:

Here’s what we know so far:

• Operating System: Android
• Display: 3.5″ Touchscreen
• Camera: 3 megapixel camera
• Wireless: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Memory: 256 meg internal (Yeck!), microSD support up to 16GB

[Via UnwiredView]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:45 pm

Why giving court powers to the music industry won't work

Nicholas Deleon serves up some sanity in the whole "extrajudicial ISP executions" concept so beloved of the music industry: what exactly will it do if it gets its way? It will have to either enforce very selectively indeed, or go after millions of people. This is no different to the status quo; it just streamlines the existing process of making examples of a few offenders and being despised by everyone else. [CrunchGear]

These guys are the dumbest venture capitalists on Earth. They've made terrible business decisions, and as a result have lost their market to technological innovation, lost their back catalog to pirates, and lost their investment model to consumers who no longer need an unnatural selector to choose acts for them.

The music industry is a joke that gets funnier every time it spends millions marketing and autotuning some talentless model, then wonders why it needs to beg for legislation to protect it from change.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:41 pm

Hands-On With the Sram Torpedo Hub

Riding a fixie is fun, but sometimes you want to switch from fixed-gear to freewheel so you can lay back and take it easy. For example, instead of windmilling your pedals desperately fast on a downhill, you might prefer to coast.

The traditional solution to this dilemma has been a flip-flop hub, which is fixed on one side and freewheel on the other. Whenever you want to switch, you just unbolt the wheel, turn it around, and bolt it back on. It’s not hard, especially if you have a lightweight wrench in your messenger bag (or if you’re using a quick-release hub skewer), but you do run the risk of getting chain grease and road dirt on your hands.

With the Sram Torpedo, all you need is a narrow standard screwdriver. Poke it in the hole on the cog side of the hub, turn the screw inside a few revolutions, and the hub locks down. Turn it the other direction, and you’re back to freewheeling.

It’s brilliantly convenient. Unfortunately, the beauty of the concept is marred by two niggling problems. One is that in fixed-gear mode, the hub has a few degrees of free play. In other words, when you start pedaling or begin slowing down, your pedals will move an inch or two before the hub actually engages. Add in the slack from a loose chain and the backlash is even greater. In practice this isn’t a real problem, but it’s slightly disconcerting and may lead you to distrust the hub a little. It also makes trackstands a bit harder.

The second downside — and this isn’t Sram’s fault — is that because you’re using the same sprocket in both modes, there’s no change to your gear ratio. Many people who have flip-flop hubs on their bikes put a slightly larger sprocket on the freewheel side, making pedaling easier if you’re going uphill (or headed home after a long, tiring ride). You don’t have that option with the Torpedo.

You do need to carry a long, skinny, standard screwdriver — probably not something that’s not already in your normal bike repair kit. But for switching between hub styles, the Torpedo’s convenience is impressive.

Sram Torpedo product information (warning: crazy Flash site)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:37 pm

Apple’s New Data Center Likely to Focus on Cloud Computing

Apple loves keeping secrets, but it can’t hide something as big as the 500,000 square-foot data center it’s constructing in North Carolina. But what exactly will this data center be used for?

Cloud computing, ponders Rich Miller, editor of Data Center Knowledge. That is, a data-hosting method in which information or services can be accessed by users through the internet. Examples of cloud-based utilities include Evernote, Google Docs, or Apple’s MobileMe, all of which provide services to users via the internet. Cloud computing would only make sense with a data center this enormous, says Miller.

“Apple is planning about 500,000 square feet of data center space in a single building,” Miller said in an interview with Cult of Mac’s Leander Kahney. “That would place it among the largest data centers in the world… This would qualify as a big-ass data center.”

Surely such a big-ass data center couldn’t be used merely for expanding support for MobileMe. Miller is thinking this is something bigger. For Miller’s take, check out Kahney’s interview.

Cloud computing huh? We noticed Apple’s iWork app was pretty lacking with no real-time online collaboration tools. A data center devoted to cloud computing would certainly fill that hole. But there still has to be something even bigger going on here, and your guesses are as good as ours. Add them in the comments below.

See Also:

• Apple's Entry Into Online Office Apps Is Confusing, Laughable …
• Cloud Computing. Available at Amazon.com Today
• Why Cloud Computing Still Doesn't Work and How Google Will Fix it …
• Cloud Computing
• Dell to Push Cloud Computing with Inspiron Mini 9

Photo: michaelhilton/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:33 pm

Sexy Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid Hits the Track

The super-luxe EV looks fast sitting still and faster still circling Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:30 pm

Mystery Mid looks like iTablet of 2007

Check out this Android MID, from an unidentified source. It's remarkable because it's basically the iTablet of every crap mockup you ever saw: a reminder that the real thing, when it comes, is likely to have something unexpected and new to show for its years of development.

Should Apple really put out a tablet that was just a big, fat iPhone, it would now be a bit embarrassing. On the other hand, it appears that at least one manufacturer is paying way too much attention to us gadget bloggers and our cheesy speculative photoshops.

Photos [Pocketables]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:27 pm

TomTom cradle to enable GPS for iPod touch and other apps

FROM APPLETELL - According to Yann Lafargue, PR for TomTom, the much anticipated TomTom iPhone cradle will do more than just keep your iPhone’s battery topped off.
MORE »

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:18 pm

Comcast Finally Files Suit Against FCC Over Traffic Shaping

Following up on their threat last year to sue the FCC over sanctions imposed, Comcast has finally filed suit, stating that there are no statutes or regulations that support the FCC's authority to stop traffic shaping procedures. "First, let's recap: After months of proceedings, hearings, and investigations, the FCC concluded on August 1, 2008 that Comcast was discriminating against certain P2P applications using deep packet inspection techniques. These methods thwarted the ability of users to share video and other files via BitTorrent. 'Comcast was delaying subscribers' downloads and blocking their uploads,' declared then FCC Chair Kevin Martin. 'It was doing so 24/7, regardless of the amount of congestion on the network or how small the file might be. Even worse, Comcast was hiding that fact by making [affected] users think there was a problem with their Internet connection or the application.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:18 pm

(BB Video) Mighty Boosh, pt 3: Slashfic, Boosh books, Eleanor's NORAD link

(Download MP4 / Watch on YouTube)

Today, the third and final installment of Boing Boing Video's interview series with Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding, co-creators, writers, and stars of the "psychedelic comedy" series The Mighty Boosh.

In this episode, Xeni asks Noel and Julian about fan-made romantic fiction (slashfic), the rumored connections between Eleanor and America's military defense technologies, and the neat books these guys publish. Boosh trufans may already know about the hardcover Mighty Book of Boosh, but an updated edition in paperback is coming in October.

BB caught up with the Boosh gang when they were touring the US to promote the stateside release of a three-season DVD set, also available on iTunes. Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" recently begain airing episodes in the US, too.
Coming up this week, one last little video tidbit for Boosh fans: exclusive excerpts from their recent US stage performances. Stay tuned!

PREVIOUS VIDEO EPISODES:
If you missed part 1 of our interview series with Noel and Julian (mostly about crazed fans) you'll find that here. Part 2 of the Boosh interview (mostly about music and crimping) is here.

Related Boing Boing posts:

(Special thanks to Mark Kleiman and Stefanie Fletcher for their generous support of this Boing Boing Video interview series.)

Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:04 pm

Artificial Tongue Is Sweeter Than Real Thing

A new electronic tongue can tell the difference between the many varieties of natural and artificial sweeteners better than you can.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2009 | 2:00 pm

Rumor: Instinct HD in September, Instinct Q in November?

Straight from the mouth of a tipster fresh out of a Sprint training session, PhoneArena’s got some new details on the upcoming Samsung Instinct series releases.

First up on the rumor train is the Samsung Instinct HD, which has had more names tied to it than Alan Smithee. Samsung Dash, Samsung Instinct S50, Samsung Instinct M850.. we’re not sure what the deal is here, but it seems like Samsung never really settled on an internal name. As of late, rumors have indicated that the Instinct HD name will be the one it goes to market with; according to this tipster’s training session, however, Sprint’s calling it the Instinct S50. Names aside, Mr. Tipster says to expect a mid-september launch.

More excitingly, they’ve also got a potential launch date for Samsung’s Android-powered Instinct, the Q. Previous rumors pinned the launch on October 11th; if the tipster’s training session holds true, we’re looking at a launch date some time in November. The delay saddens us, solely because we’re so damned excited about other handset manufacturers besides HTC finally getting their Android hardware out.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 1:58 pm

Japanese pig rodeo

The pig is an unwilling participant in this Japanese rodeo. (via Japan Probe)


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Aug 2009 | 1:38 pm

New Chief Signals Change At Sony Ericsson - PC World

Canada.com

New Chief Signals Change At Sony Ericsson PC World What is the #1 job for Sony Ericsson's new president? Making us care. Job #2 is winning corporate customers. Job #3 may be forgetting Sony exists. Normally, I don't write about musical chairs at failing companies--such moves rarely seem to help. ... Sony Ericsson Names New PresidentNew York Times Sony takes more control of Sony Ericsson, appoints Stringer to chairBetaNews Sony Ericsson taps Silicon Valley exec as presidentBizjournals.com Forbes -Wall Street Journal -E-Commerce Times all 227 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Aug 2009 | 1:24 pm

Walmart for iPhone beta exposes trouble for other mobile browsers?

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Websites

This morning, I surfed over to Walmart.com on my iPhone looking for a dinghy anchor, of all things and was met with the new iPhone Beta version of their site.  “Wow, this is great” I thought as I looked through everything including a shopping list that was just like a native app but ubiquitous.  Or so I thought.  With the groundswell helping iPhone sell, more and more sites are making an iPhone version.  But what about other phones?

After easily finding what I needed from Walmart.com, I grabbed the Palm Pre and repeated my surfing only to be greeted by their full site.  No automatic link to their optimized site for the iPhone.  Yet, when I punch up the specific address for the iPhone Beta on the Pre, it works just fine as I would expect an Android phone would as well. 

Without the auto-discovery to guide me to the mobile site, I’d miss the neat stuff they are brewing in the optimized sites.  Is there more to it than coding in a check to assume any browser that is not Firefox, IE, or Safari is a mobile browser?  I recall back in the day, I had a bunch of bookmarks on my Treo for mobile specific sites.  Are we headed back to those days?

All these apps and web sites created for the iPhone are great, but we need to remember that “this too shall come to pass.”  There will be an iPhone killer some day, and that successor is going to have to trick these sites to display the mobile site, kinda like how the Pre currently tricks iTunes into thinking it is an iPod so it’ll sync music.  Is that a good thing?

Site: [Walmart for iPhone Beta]

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 1:16 pm

New features and languages for Google Insights for Search

Since launching Google Insights for Search a year ago, we've been providing daily insight into what the world is searching for. Whether you're an advertiser looking to expand keyword lists, an economist analyzing economic trends or just looking to settle a popularity contest, Google Insights for Search can help provide the answers.

Looking at search trends helps you understand when, where and how the world's interests have changed. Simply type in search terms to see how search query volume has evolved over time, in which geographic regions search interest is greatest and other related searches.

Today, we are proud to announce that Insights for Search is now available in 39 languages around the world. We're also introducing a forecasting feature for some queries based on an extrapolation of the historical trends and search patterns. And to help you visualize these changes and trends, we've also added an animated map so you can watch how search interest changes over time in different locations.

You can check out some of these cool features in our video below.



Visit Google Insights for Search and see what the world is searching for. You can also keep on top of the latest trends by adding a customizable gadget to your iGoogle page or embedding a gadget directly on your website.

Posted by Hal Varian, Chief Economist and Yossi Matias, Head of Israel R&D Center
Source: The Official Google Blog | 17 Aug 2009 | 1:09 pm

Hybrid Electrifies Racing Circuit

Corsa Motorsports proves "hybrid" and "racing" aren't mutually exclusive, and provides a glimpse of where Le Mans–style endurance racing could be headed.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Aug 2009 | 1:08 pm

IBM looks to DNA to sustain Moore's Law - CNET News

guardian.co.uk

IBM looks to DNA to sustain Moore's Law CNET News As chip geometries get infinitesimally small, IBM is looking to DNA to make the manufacture of future chips feasible. On Monday, IBM researchers and collaborator Paul WK Rothemund, of the California Institute of Technology, ... DNA May Help Build Next Generation of ChipsWired News IBM Might Extend Moore's Law With DNA-based Chip TechnologyChannelWeb Scientists take big step toward developing DNA microchipsSan Jose Mercury News TechNewsWorld -eWeek -PC World all 275 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Aug 2009 | 1:06 pm

Heathrow gets driverless car of tomorrow, today

Screw Fast Company for calling Heathrow Airport's new driverless taxis "creepy." They are in fact awesome: fast, immune to accidents and traffic jams, and using much thinner roads. And driverless, so you don't have to spend 15 minutes agreeing with the cabbie's opinions regarding immigration.

The four-passenger personal rapid transport (PRT) vehicles, unveiled this week at the Science Museum in London, take airport-goers on a special narrow road from Heathrow's Terminal 5 to various parking lots. Passengers use a touch screen to type in their destination, press a start button, and the battery-powered vehicle zips along at 25 mph to their destination. There's a reason the pods look so futuristic--they were designed by Mark Lowson, who worked on the Saturn Rocket that launched Apollo missions.

Now, how about some Total Recall quotes, people?

Heathrow Unveils Creepy Driverless Taxi System [FC]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:51 pm

DNA May Help Build Next Generation of Chips

In the race to keep Moore’s Law alive, researchers are turning to an unlikely ally: DNA molecules that can be positioned on wafers to create smaller, faster and more energy-efficient chips.

Researchers at IBM have made a significant breakthrough in their quest to combine DNA strands with conventional lithographic techniques to create tiny circuit boards. The breakthrough, which allows for the DNA structures to be positioned precisely on substrates, could help shrink computer chips to about a 6-nanometer scale. Intel’s latest chips, by comparison, are on a 32-nanometer scale.

“The idea is to combine leading edge lithography that can offer feature size of 25 nanometers with some chemical magic to access much smaller dimensions,” says Robert Allen, senior manager of chemistry and materials at IBM Almaden Research. “This allows us to place nano objects with 6-nanometer resolution. You don’t have a hope of doing that with lithography today.”

To keep pace with Moore’s Law, which postulates that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit will double every two years, chip makers have to squeeze an increasing number of transistors onto every chip. One way to describe how well transistors are packed is the smallest geometric feature that can be produced on a chip, usually designated in nanometers. Current lithographic techniques use either an electron beam or optics to etch patterns on chips in what is known as top-down technique.

“You pattern, mask and etch material away,” says Chris Dwyer, assistant professor at the department of electrical and computer programming at Duke University. “It is very easy to make big structures, but tough to create molecular-scale chips using this.” Dwyer compares it to taking a block of marble and chipping away from it to create the required pattern.

Newer techniques attempt to take small chips and fuse them together to create the required larger pattern in what is called as molecular self-assembly.

“What the IBM researchers have shown is a good demonstration where top-down and bottom-up techniques meet.”

At the heart of their research is an idea known as DNA origami. In 2006, Caltech researcher Paul Rothemund explained a method of creating nanoscale shapes and patterns using custom-designed strands of DNA. It involves folding a single long strand of viral DNA and smaller ’staple’ strands into various shapes. The technique has proven very fruitful, enabling researchers to create self-assembling nano machines, artworks and even tiny bridges.

Wallraff says the technique has a lot of potential for creating nano circuit boards. But the biggest challenge so far has been in getting the DNA origami nanostructures to align perfectly on a wafer. Researchers hope the DNA nanostructures can serve as scaffolds or miniature circuit boards for components such as carbon nanotubes, nanowires and nanoparticles.

“If the DNA origami is scattered around on a substrate, it makes them difficult to locate them and use to connect to other components,” says Greg Wallraff, an IBM research scientist working on the project. “These components are prepared off the chip, and the the origami structure would let you assemble them on the chip.”

It’s important for the kind of work Dwyer and his colleagues at Duke have been doing. They see IBM’s breakthrough as laying the groundwork for their research studying molecular sensors. “With this development we can look to integrate the sensors onto a chip and help build hybrid systems,” says Dwyer.

Still there are some big steps that have to be covered before circuit boards based on DNA nanostructures can hit commercial production. Researchers have to be able to get extremely precise alignment, with no room for error.

Even with the latest demonstration of alignment techniques, there is still some angular dispersion, points out Dwyer.

“If you put a transistor down on a circuit board, there is no dispersion,” says Dwyer. “Our computing systems cannot deal with that kind of randomness.”

That’s why commercial production of chips based on the DNA origami idea could be anywhere from five years to a decade away, says Allen.

“If you are going to take something from the bench-top scale to a fab, there are enormous barriers,” he says. “You really need to understand the mechanisms of defect generation. What we don’t want is to imply is that this is ready to go into a factory and make Star Trek–like chips.”

Photo: Low concentrations of triangular DNA origami bind to wide lines on a lithographically patterned surface.
Courtesy IBM.

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:47 pm

DNA May Help Build Next Generation of Chips

A significant breakthrough by IBM researchers brings them closer in their quest to create tiny DNA-based circuit boards that could have a resolution of as little as 6 nanometers.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:47 pm

Gmail Push App for iPhone Is a Workaholic’s Best Friend

A new iPhone app that launched today will further enable your addiction to checking your Gmail account by notifying you of new e-mail similar to the way you receive text messages.

That app is called GPush. Specifically designed for Gmail users, the app displays the “From” and “Subject” fields of a new e-mail on the standby screen as soon as the e-mail is received. The app takes advantage of support for push-notification in Apple’s new iPhone 3.0 operating system.

The target audience? Clearly workaholics (such as myself), who obsessively check their e-mail every few minutes. I put the app to the test and found it delivered on its promise rather well: Each test e-mail I sent to myself took about three seconds to push to my standby screen in that familiar bubbly box. Not bad.

I just had two complaints: 1.) No support for multiple accounts, meaning you can only obsessively watch one of your Gmail inboxes; and 2.) Only one sound, the Tri-tone, is working with the notifications (I personally find that sound really annoying). However, GPush developer Tiverias Apps told Wired.com these common complaints would be addressed in future upgrades of the app.

See Also:

• You're Always Online With Push IM for iPhone
• Push Notification
• Bug With Hacked iPhones Is Broadcasting IMs to Random Recipients …
• Apple Bestows Cut-and-Paste, MMS on iPhone Users

GPush is $1 in the App Store.

Download Link [iTunes] (Thanks, David!)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:40 pm

BLOG: We (Really) Are Stardust

Exploring the space connection in Joni Mitchell's famous "Woodstock" lyrics.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:40 pm

More Video Games Should Look Like This.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:26 pm

TomTom GPS slips into iTunes store at a cool $99

As if we didn’t wait long enough. Two months after TomTom (iTunes link) for the iPhone was first announced at WWDC 2009, they finally decided to release the app into the wild. We haven’t tried it yet, but we’ll probably spend some time with this sucker to make sure it’s worth its salt. At a whopping $99, it better be. Not only is this one of the most expensive GPS apps on the iPhone, it is also one of the largest: the US & Canada (iTunes link) version alone comes in at 1.21 GB. That’s fine by me, as I’ve been waiting for a solid full-featured GPS app for the iPhone for awhile. So far, I’ve not been satisfied.

Dropping a benjamin on the TomTom app doesn’t sound too bad, considering many of the GPS apps currently on the store charge a per-month subscription fee of $10. You’ll make back your money on the TomTom app in just 10 months. Furthermore, it’s TomTom, not your run-of-the-mill GPS company, and it comes complete with the IQ Routes feature, which uses historical travel data to determine the fastest route to your destination. Hopefully that will mean something, though my bet is that it still won’t be ready to replace your in-car navigation system or a standalone GPS device quite yet. Why? Because the iPhone’s native GPS just isn’t good enough; especially if you’re still stuck with an iPhone 3G (i.e. you don’t have a compass). This won’t be an issue for long: TomTom plans on releasing a hardware component later this summer, and it will enhance the GPS signal of your iPhone. I’d hold out for the accessory before taking any GPS app on the iPhone seriously. Specs after the jump.

Straight from TomTom:

Best routing and maps

* Navigation software including fast route planning and clear voice instructions
* Automatic re-routing if a turn is missed
* Route demo or map of route when trip planning
* Alternative route options if avoiding roadblocks, toll ways or looking for high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes along route
* Latest Tele Atlas maps of the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand
* 6 million Points of Interest included

Easy to use and personalize

* User interface fully optimized with iPhone.
* Multiple display options including landscape and portrait navigation view
* Night and day color mode for optimized screen visibility in varying light conditions
* User interface available in 18 languages2
* Change view settings (2D or 3D map display)
* Easy to download from iTunes App Store

Complete phone and map integration

* Multi-touch gestures such as tap, swipe, pinch and zoom to operate the application and zoom in and out of the map
* Navigation to contacts in address book
* Points-of-interest search and call capabilities from iPhone

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:18 pm

Photos and video of new iPod touch emerge

FROM APPLETELL - The following is a 24 second clip of an Apple device, with a camera, being shown off on video.  Rumors have been spreading for weeks regarding an update that introduces a camera to the high-selling iPod touch.
MORE »

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:14 pm

Michelin tire ad by René Vincent circa 1916

I love the work of René Vincent, illustrator extraordinaire from the early 1900s. He did poster art for Bugatti, Shell, and Peugeot, among many others until his death in 1936. I saw this 1916 Michelin ad at the Concours d'Elegance yesterday &mdash I love that the tire dude is smoking a fat cigar while the rich family that owns the car is fixing his belly. There's something very endearing about the whole scene.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 12:05 pm

Japanese cubic clocks have personalities based on blood types

Clockman is an adorable series of clocks with smiley and frowny faces that emanates personality traits based on the Japanese theory of blood types.

[via TokyoMango]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 11:58 am

Vintage gas pumps

Gas stations were so much more charming back in the day.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 11:45 am

Killer Spices Keep Pests at Bay

Rosemary, thyme and other spices offer a new alternative in organic pest-control.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 11:30 am

WATCH: Hurricane-Prone Coastlines

Hurricanes can do a lot of damage, but can they do any good?
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 11:15 am

Twitter looking to stop people from buying followers

Section: Web, Web 2.0, Websites

You’ve probably seen something about these services that allow you to buy more followers on Twitter.  They’ve become more than just a small problem on Twitter it seems.  So much so that Twitter, itself, is finally looking to take some action against the pay for followers services.

The biggest culprit of this seems to be a company by the name of uSocial, which recently put out a press release stating it was contacted by a Twitter-hired brand management company.  The company was concerned about the spamming of Twitter that uSocial is supposedly sending out.  Seems like a reasonable complaint, except for the fact that uSocial claims it isn’t spamming the service at all.  According to uSocial CEO Leon Hill, “spam is using electronic messaging to send unsolicited communication and as we don’t use Twitter for this, the claims are false.”

Hill actually does have a small point, though the ads that advertise paying for more followers could possibly be seen as spam.  No matter how you look at it, uSocial just doesn’t seem to do much worthwhile when it comes to Twitter.  It makes sense for Twitter to want to shut them down, but it might prove more difficult than Twitter thinks.  There isn’t anything legally wrong with selling followers. it’s just a bit pointless.  It speaks badly of both uSocial and those who actually pay to gain more followers.  In a way it also gives some negative vibes to Twitter at times, which Twitter probably doesn’t like.

Read [CNet News]

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 11:14 am

BLOG: Voice Recognition: Do We Expect Too Much?

Since voice recognition software sounds human, expections become unrealistic.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 11:00 am

Contest Winner!: Fighting Space Chicken

Well, I really had no idea so many BBG readers would want to get their hands on my fighting cock bot.

In the end, the winner was a reader by the name of Paul (aka Misterfricative), who won us over with a beautiful, succinct jingle.

Interesting side note: Paul lives in Taiwan, where the fighting cock bot was constructed some 20 years ago. Apart from the fact his tune is fantastic, the notion of returning the bot to its homeland certainly influenced our decision.

And without further adieu, here's the bot-winning song:

Enjoy the cock bot, Paul. And remember, "Never let a child swallow the bullet."

Of course, other BBG readers submitted some wonderful entries. Below are a few of the highlights. Thanks to everyone who entered!

"I'm a first-class combat rooster livin' day by day..." — Kelly & Colleen

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 10:30 am

Pricey GPS App TomTom Arrives for iPhone

TomTom, a highly anticipated turn-by-turn navigation app for iPhone, has landed in the App Store. It ain’t cheap, though.

For a hefty $100, TomTom delivers 3D GPS navigation accompanied with spoken turn-by-turn directions. We call that hefty because there’s a less pricey app carrying the same features — CoPilot Live, which costs $35.

If you’re willing to throw down even more cash on TomTom, there’s an optional car kit equipped with a mounted antenna for better GPS performance. The car mount includes a built-in speaker, an audio output jack and a microphone for use with the iPhone as a Bluetooth speakerphone. Pricing has not yet been announced for this accessory, but earlier rumor reports suggest it should cost somewhere around $90. Gizmodo has confirmed the car kit will work with the iPod Touch, turning it into a full GPS device, whereas before the Touch could only look up directions when in range of a Wi-Fi signal.

Of course, whether TomTom is truly worth $100 depends on its quality of service. We’re looking into getting test copies to compare TomTom with CoPilot Live in the near future. We’ll keep you posted.

Product Page [TomTom]
Download Link [iTunes] via Gizmodo (Thanks, Danny!)

See a video of TomTom demoed below the jump.

Image courtesy of TomTom

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Aug 2009 | 10:25 am

Cupcake to be last major update to the Dream/G1?

Sound the alarm! The limited amount of internal flash on the G1 will be its undoing, says one fear monger. With only 256MB of ROM, the G1 began hemorrhaging after the Cupcake update and it’s a pretty safe bet that Donut and Éclair will both be bloated bastards (from a G1 owner’s perspective) and so goes the rumor. One of the Android devs from Google added flames to the fire with the following statement:

As much as I’m hoping that it’ll be possible to somehow continue updating the G1, I can’t promise anything.

That’d be a real bummer if true. Way to go, HTC. Viva la Motorola! (NOT!)

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 10:16 am

Pandas Could Be Extinct in 2-3 Generations

The giant panda could soon be extinct as the animal's habitat is continually split up.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 10:15 am

The trunk of a Bugatti Type 44, circa 1928

Here's proof that, before cars had trunk space, they literally had trunks attached to their backs. This is the Bugatti Type 44 from the late 1920s, spotted at the annual Concours d'Elegance car show in Pebble Beach yesterday. The Ford Model A, which also came into production around the same time, also featured an attached trunk &mdash it wasn't until several models later that the trunk was integrated into the car.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 10:00 am

Headphones have two birds sticking out of them

Part of a series of objects by the Dutch art collective Idiots featuring stuffed dead animals. Taxidermy + found objects = creepy cool animal art.

[Idiots main page via Dezeen]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Aug 2009 | 9:43 am

HTC Magic to get Sense UI in October

Good news for you, HTC Magic owner. Over the weekend at an event held in Taipei, HTC announced that the second generation Android device would be getting a UI overhaul ala Hero. Pretty rad, right? It is if you live outside the US because the T-Mobile myTouch 3G with Google ain’t getting it.

Don’t act surprised. It’s been made clear in the past that anything branded “with Google” cannot be altered because of licensing issues. And don’t think that your Vodafone Magic is getting it either because both the UK and US Magics have 96MB less RAM than all the other Magics in the world. That’s a big pile of suck. So, yeah, those of you in Taiwan who have a Chunghwa Magic will be the only ones to benefit from the update.

The Sense UI update will be released on HTC’s site in October and cooked ROMs will surely be released for the myTouch 3G since it’s been rooted, but I wouldn’t count on any of them working well.

ePrice via Phandroid

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 9:23 am

BLOG: Bear Alarms Keep Researcher Safe

When polar bears trigger a tripwire alarm, an Arctic researcher knows to be ready.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 9:15 am

Texting while driving is dangerous, as graphically pointed out in this PSA

Section: Communications, Email / IM, Mobile, Gadgets / Other, Transportation

Nothing like using a little shock and gore as an attempt at making people more aware that texting while driving is dangerous.  Honestly at this point, I cannot imagine that anyone is unaware that texting while driving is dangerous, but just in case, you can now point them in the direction of this video to drive (bad pun intended) the point home.

In a strange way, this video reminds me of those silly driver education videos that were mandatory viewing for many, well, aside from the blood and gore.  The video comes courtesy of the Gwent Police Department who hired some local actors to make their point.  The video (which you can see below) is 4 minutes and 15 seconds that serves as a teaser to the full 30 minute video.

Personally, I got the point with just 4:15, I cannot imagine having to sit through a full 30 minutes of that.

Read [BBC News]  Via [Gizmodo]

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 9:13 am

Rooting Android for Dummies

PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Ryebrye via Phandroid

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Aug 2009 | 8:29 am

TomTom for iPhone is here

FROM APPLETELL - Not a minute too soon, TomTom for iPhone has appeared in the App Store in various versions, so far including New Zealand ($94.99), US & Canada ($99.99), Australia ($79.99) and Western Europe ($139.99).
MORE »

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 8:27 am

Dell’s Android touchscreen phone is real

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

(*Updated below) Dell has been rumored to be working on new smartphones for a while now.  Finally, those rumors appear to be true as China Mobile officially showed the new Dell Mini 3I smartphone at a launch event for the company’s new Application Platform.  While the specs are a bit on the light side, the phone certainly looks attractive.

The new Dell phone has only a 2G radio, which matches the carrier’s capabilities.  The phone also lacks WiFi or China’s WAPI version.  On the positives for the phone is a 3.2MP camera, a 3.5” 360x640 capacitive touchscreen, Micro SD slot.  Dell chose to forgo a button on the front of the phone, instead placing buttons on the side of the phone.

The carrier’s launch event promoted applications that could be downloaded to phones by LG, Samsung, Nokia, and now Dell.  It seems US’s love of apps is spreading quickly. 

No word on pricing or a version bound for other countries yet. 

Update: According to PC Mag, Dell is saying the phone was only waved around, not officially announced.  From PC Mag:
” Dell spokesman Matt Parretta said, “the only thing that we’re confirming is that we’re in product development with China Mobile,”.  “We were there as a development partner for the [Google Android-based] oPhone platform.” ” 

Source [Mobile-123] via [Engadget]

 

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

---

Source: Gadgetell | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:35 am

Muscular Hadrosaur Was One of Last Dinosaurs

A muscular, plant-eating hadrosaur may have been the world's last dinosaur.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 7:15 am

AI Tested in 'Super Mario Brothers' Game

A competition to evaluate artificial intelligence pits computer programs against Bowser.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 17 Aug 2009 | 6:15 am