Source: Gizmodo | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:30 pm

IBM Aims at Google, Microsoft With New Webmail (PC World)

PC World - IBM has launched LotusLive iNotes, an on-demand e-mail, calendaring and contact management system meant to compete with the likes of Gmail and Microsoft Exchange, the company said Friday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:20 pm

Oct. 2, 1996: FOIA Law Ushers in Digital Democracy

Thirteen years ago today, President Bill Clinton signed amendments to the Freedom of Information Act, requiring electronic access to public documents.

Source: Gizmodo | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm

Movoto.com Serves Westchester and Putnam County Real Estate Buyers in New York

YONKERS, N.Y., Oct.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm

San Francisco police officer arresting skateboarder: "I'll break your arm like a fckng twig."

In the video above, which is making the viral rounds: a San Francisco police officer who IDs himself as "Officer Schwab, (badge number) 2099" arrests a skateboarder identified as Zach Stow, after Stow calls the officer a "fckng dck." Over at metblogs SF, Richard Ault says the officer's understanding of SF skateboarding codes is wrong. An article about the incident is here at the SF Chronicle. My two cents, as someone who is neither a lawyer, nor a skateboarder: taunting a police officer by calling him a "fckng dck" is about as dumb as it gets, but that does not give the officer the right to threaten to break the guy's arms, or arrest him for -- what was it, in the end, failing to carry identification? In any case: viva la video camera. (thanks, Jacob Appelbaum)

Source: Gizmodo | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:40 pm

IBM undercuts Google with discount e-mail service

Source: Gizmodo | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:20 pm

BNO News Updates Its Great iPhone App, Lets You Harness Stream Of Push Notifications

One of my favorite iPhone applications is BNO News — a lightweight app that lets you receive messages from the BNO newswire. The service, which is best known for its extremely popular Twitter account, offers very timely, short snippets of news throughout the day, often before mainstream media catches wind of it. The iPhone app lets you receieve these messages as soon as they happen using push notifications. It’s great (I always feel like I know what’s going on before everyone else), but the app had one major flaw: BNO News pushed an alert for every story it deemed important.

That means that I’ve gotten urgent updates on stories that I really don’t care about, like the French lottery having a large jackpot. This isn’t to say that the stories weren’t newsworthy — I just didn’t need my iPhone ringing every time one of them popped up. Fortunately that ends today: BitMethod, the development house that built the BNO News app, has released a new version that brings with it some key new features, including the ability to filter the stories you receive. You can download the updated version here.

The new application is still quite straightforward. Upon opening it you’ll see a list of the most recent BNO News stories. Click the ‘Options’ button and you’ll be able to subscribe to updates from over a dozen categories, including Politics, Tech/Science, Disasters, Health, and more. If there are only a few specific topics that you’re interested in, you can specify a list of keywords, and get alerted any time one of those appears in an update. From then on you’ll only receive updates from those categories, along with the news that BNO News considers very important.

Another addition to the BNO application is a subscription pricing plan (the old application’s page informed users that this change was coming). If you want access to the full filtering options BNO News will cost 99 cents per month, with one month included as part of the application’s initial $1.99 purchase price.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:17 pm

Radio-Controlled Cyborg Beetles Become Reality

holy_calamity writes "DARPA's plans to create brain chips for insects so they can be steered like an RC plane are bearing fruit. Videos show that a team at Berkeley can use radio signals to tell palm-sized African beetles to take off and land, and to lose altitude and steer left or right when in flight. They had to use the less-than-inconspicuous giant beetles because other species are too weak to take off with the weight of the necessary antenna and brain and muscle electrodes."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:14 pm

Mitch O'Connell's "Pre-engagement Ring" art show at La Luz De Jesus Gallery in LA

My old high school buddy Mitch O'Connell has a new show opening at La Luz De Jesus Gallery in LA. It runs from October 2 - November 1, 2009. Incredible stuff.

Mitch O’Connell’s imaginative, vividly colorful, smart and well executed artwork is undeniably and unabashedly old-school low-brow. As one of Chicago’s most well-known and busiest illustrators, O'Connell’s works have been featured in magazines from Newsweek to Playboy. His tattoo designs are also a fixture on the walls of tattoo shops around the word. His distinctive style fuses cartoony and iconic imagery plus an innate sense of humor to create pop-kitsch masterpieces.

Mitch O'Connell's "Pre-engagement Ring" art show

Source: Boing Boing | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:10 pm

Proof that President Obama is a Borg

Eric Spiegelman made this funny video from more than a hundred still photographs of Barack Obama with various visiting dignitaries. Obama's smile is exactly the same in every photo! It's more fun if you watch large size here or on Vimeo.


Source: Boing Boing | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:09 pm

Robin Cooper (aka Robert Popper) vs. Telemarketers

"Robin Cooper" (whom I know to be the brilliant UK comedy writer Robert Popper of the Timewaster Podcasts) says,

Telemarketers are constantly calling me at home, so a few months ago I decided to get my own back. When a guy called from some satellite TV sort of company thingy (it's always so vague) I had a bit of fun.

"Robin Cooper & family v The Telemarketer"


Source: Boing Boing | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:06 pm

IBM takes on Google in business Web-mail market

Source: Gizmodo | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:00 pm

Indian farmer's daughter is most bad-ass woman in the world

A quick-thinking farmer's daughter disarmed a man who broke into her home in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In a phenomenally bad-ass series of moves worthy of a Tarantino screenplay, 21-year-old Rukhsana Kausar attacked him with an axe, then shot him dead with his own gun. The civilians' residence is 20 miles away from the ceasefire line between Indian and Pakistani forces. The intruder was reported to have been a combatant from the other side of the border.

Miss Kausar said she had never fired an assault rifle before but had seen it in films and could not stand by while her father was being hurt. "I couldn't bear my father's humiliation. If I'd failed to kill him, they would have killed us," she said.

"Farmer's daughter disarms terrorist and shoots him dead with AK47" (Telegraph, via Maggie Koerth-Baker)

Video after the jump.

Axe vs. AK47s in Kashmir (NDTV)


Source: Boing Boing | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:57 pm

Google Has A Plan To Stop The Mass Exodus From Orkut: No Friend Exports For You!

Just yesterday, we wrote about how Facebook was quickly gaining on Google’s social network, Orkut, in places like India where Orkut is still the big dog. One reason for Facebook’s gains is that they’ve been heavily promoting the fact that you can import your Orkut contacts via a special tool. Well guess what? As of today, that tool no longer works.

And that’s not all. Previously, even without the tool, it was pretty easy to export you contacts from Orkut into a CSV (comma separated value) file. But that’s no longer working either. The option still exists on the Friends page in Orkut, but when you click on it, and fill in the CAPTCHA, it simply redirects you to Orkut’s main page.

Coincidence? Maybe. But we’ve already gotten emails from users in India who saw our post and rushed to try and export their friend data to escape Orkut, only to be shot down. And let’s not forget that Google and Facebook have been down a similar road before. Last year, Facebook blocked Google’s Friend Connect from accessing the data on its network. This led to a silly he said/she said spat in which the users were the losers. Could this be payback?

Facebook is undoubtedly increasingly interested in India not only because it is the largest social network in the world, but thanks to Facebook Lite, it’s much more accessible to a wide range of people. Orkut, meanwhile, is, well, a social network that Google seems to talk about as little as possible.

To test the friend export functionality tonight, I logged into my Orkut account for the first time in what must be years. I was shocked to find that there were other people I knew actually on it, that Google was recommending that I friend. So I sent a few requests out, and within minutes, this is the reply I got back (over email):

“what the f**k?”

The message behind that being, “why are you using Orkut?” For some people in India right now, sadly, it appears that they have no choice.

I wonder what Google’s Data Liberation team thinks about this? I have a feeling the official word we’ll get back from Google is “bug.” But given the timing and the fact that two different ways to export your friends broke at once, I’m not so sure that the word they’re really looking for isn’t “hypocrisy.”

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:49 pm

Google Chrome OS Arriving Next Month?

Source: Gizmodo | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:40 pm

OpenSSH Going Strong After 10 Years With Release of v5.3

An anonymous reader writes "OpenSSH is a 100% complete SSH protocol version 1.3, 1.5 and 2.0 implementation and includes sftp client and server support. It encrypts all traffic (including passwords) to effectively eliminate eavesdropping, connection hijacking, and other attacks. Additionally, OpenSSH provides secure tunneling capabilities and several authentication methods, and supports all SSH protocol versions. Version 5.3 marks the 10th anniversary of the OpenSSH project."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:26 pm

Photobucket Founders On To Their Next Startup: SlimeSandwich

In early August we broke the news that Photobucket founders Alex Welch and Darren Crystal would be leaving parent company News Corp. to try something new.

Now we know what that new thing is – an ambitious new online MMO and first person shooter game company called SlimeSandwich. So far the company has been operating in stealth mode. But sometime in the next couple of months they’ll launch their first game title, SCAPS Agent. Click the link to see a trailer of the upcoming game.

So far the company has raised around $1 million from the founders, and they may not be raising more. The game will make money via subscriptions and virtual goods. If it’s a hit, it could turn into a cash cow. If not, they’ll move on to the next game.

The team isn’t saying much more about SlimeSandwich or SCAPS Agent for now. Stay tuned for their launch.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:21 pm

Video game "Spore" spreads to Hollywood

Source: Gizmodo | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:20 pm

HOWTO flout the flavored tobacco ban and make DIY homemade clove cigarettes

Boing Boing reader/commenter catastrophegirl, commenting in a thread about an enraged hillbilly user of flavored chewing tobacco, points to her Flickr photoset documenting her quest to make DIY kretek (clove cigarettes). These lung-rotting treats are much beloved by goths, and by my inner 14-year-old punk girl. Both catastrophegirl and "skoalrebel," each in their own ways, were upset about the Obama administration's recent ban on flavored tobaccos. The new FDA kibosh makes it illegal to sell stuff like clove cigs, and skoalrebel's beloved Copenhagen whiskey deeyup.

Catastrophegirl commented,

I heard about [the ban] the day it was signed. Now i am back to smoking a pipe at home and smoking homemade clove cigarettes when i drive. Besides the difficulty involved in driving and lighting a pipe, cops for some reason cannot fathom a caucasian woman smoking a briar pipe that doesn't have weed in it.

It's kind of a pain to set up and took me a while to find the right tobacco for my tastes, but aside from my little nicotine addiction, I am going to thoroughly enjoy smoking my clove cigarettes in public. The law is about sales and distribution. it does not cover making your own at home and smoking them as far as i have been able to glean from the law. If someone could point me at the full text of it, that'd be neat - even the FDA site has an abbreviated version.

I remember the taste of cloves well. In my memory, it is inextricably linked with certain songs by Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Damned, and other bands from the last great days of leather, studs, and black vinyl. I've long since become a nonsmoker, and believe that smoking and chewing are horrible habits -- but on this point, I can even agree with skoalrebel: the ban is total bullsheyut. Consenting adults ought to be able to purchase and smoke/chew the stuff if they want. The ban is a reacharound for Big Tobacco.

"Making Kretek" (Flickr)


Source: Boing Boing | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:10 pm

TrialPay Bundles A Bunch Of Deals To Raise Money For Cancer

If I told you that you can get over $700 worth of stuff for $29.99, you’d probably be interested. But you’d also likely think there was a catch. And there is — but in this case it’s a good one: The net proceeds of that $29.99 are being donated to the American Cancer Society.

TheBigBundle is a site put together by TrialPay. Basically, they rounded up a bunch of tech companies (and some non-tech ones) and got them to offer some good deals to people who made the donation. So you’ll get things like, a free month subscription to Skype Unlimited, 6 months free of TripIt Pro, $25 off Everynote Premium, a $5 coupon to Threadless, 3 months free of Dropbox Pro, $50 off 23andMe, and a bunch of other stuff.

The goal is to raise $3 million to give to the American Cancer Society (which would be 100,000 bundles). They’ve given themselves until October 14 to reach the goal, so two weeks from today. So far today. in just a few hours, they’ve raised about $3,000.

As with all of these types of things, people often want to know exactly how much of their money is going towards the cause. TrialPay is very transparent about it, listing it on the site:

How much really goes to the American Cancer Society?

Virtually everything. The company putting on this promotion, TrialPay, is making no profit from sales of the bundle, and will be publishing a report at the end to detail the full accounting of the amounts it has collected from sales of the bundle and the amount contributed to the American Cancer Society. We expect that the American Cancer Society will receive a minimum of 70% and a maximum of 98% of your purchase price of the Bundle.

And you can also choose to donate an extra $20, and nearly 100 percent (minus a couple percent for the credit card fee) will go towards the American Cancer Society.

The basic idea behind TrialPay is to give customers something for free on top of an item they are already paying for.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:04 pm

Wiggio Adds Facebook Integration, Video Conferencing And More

Wiggio, the a communication application for college students, has added a slew of new features to its collaborative product. Similar to Yammer, Wiggio provides a Twitter-like message stream from all the group members, lets users share calendars, use text and voice messaging, share files and more.

Wiggio, which is free, now lets users host free, Web-Ex like “virtual meetings” for a group, which includes live video conferencing, screen sharing and whiteboard collaboration. The application has also added integration with Facebook, letting users create a group and then import group members directly from their list of Facebook friends. Wiggio users can also use the “Wiggio Boards” Facebook application which lets you communicate in real- time with group members through text message, email and Facebook messaging in one centralized stream. The app will also sync group calendars with calendars in Outlook, Google, Yahoo! and iCal.

Launched in January 2009, Wiggio was founded by Dana Lampert and Rob and Derek Doyle, sons of Bob Doyle, the creator of MacPublisher (the first desktop publishing program) and the 1970s electronic game Merlin. The elder Doyle is an adviser and investor in Wiggio, and houses the four-person startup in his lab a block away from Harvard. Wiggio raised $450,000 in an angel round last August.

Lampert says that Wiggio is is currently growing by over 1,500 new members per day and recently passed 200,000 total users. Although the product faces competition from bigger players like WizeHive, Yammer and Basecamp, Wiggio it is steadily gaining traction among college students and is even expanding its reach to small businesses and non-profits.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 7:15 pm

Pretty enough for HD? Check out the Blue Mic Eyeball 2.0

You know, there’s one good thing about the low-res garbage webcams that most people use: it tones down the ugly. Got a wicked huge nose or a massive scar from your pirate-fighting days? Your webcam forgives you.

That said, there are plenty of pretty people out there who are more than worthy of HD video. Half of the CrunchGear writers, for example, are famous male models in certain countries – and you know what? They like putting video of themselves singing along to popular songs on YouTube, just like anybody else. And for them, there’s the Blue Mic Eyeball 2.0.

As the name implies, the Eyeball 2.0 is Blue Mic’s second foray into the web cam arena. The first version of the Eyeball was pretty damned decent (on par with the iSight built into the MacBook Pro, at the very least), rockin’ a 1.3 megapixel (1280 x 1024) camera that tucks into a spring-loaded drawer built into the big ol’ high quality microphone. The new version ups the resolution to 2.0 megapixels (1600 x 1200) – and for good measure, they’ve upped the quality of the lens and the optical sensor, as well.

If your computin’ setup didn’t come with a webcam built in — or if you just want a better image — the new and improved Eyeball is a safe bet, based off what we saw in version 1. It should set you back about $79 once it hits the shelves (soon) at Amazon, Apple, and Fry’s.

[Eyeball 2.0 Product Page]

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 7:07 pm

Amazon Clarifies What Can Go Down The Memory Hole

Bezos may have apologized, but the stink of Amazon's unprecedented act of cyberburglary is still strong enough that people aren't likely to forget any time soon. It's a good thing, then, that Amazon has struck while the iron is still slightly hot by announcing the terms under which they will consider themselves justified in making your book an unbook. Nobody likes the idea of having a corporation forcefully take back something they legitimately purchased (whether it was legitimately offered is not their concern), but the truth is that e-books and other "virtual property" will have to be subject to some of the same laws and restrictions as real property. I can't think of many situations where the police would be justified in entering my house and removing an item I had purchased, without my consent, but that's what judges and warrants are for. Amazon is, for the most part, its own judge (and extraction team), but they haven't left too many doors open for more Orwellian tomfoolery.
Source: TechCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:59 pm

Amazon clarifies what can go down the memory hole

Bezos may have apologized, but the stink of Amazon’s unprecedented act of cyberburglary is still strong enough that people aren’t likely to forget any time soon. It’s a good thing, then, that Amazon has struck while the iron is still slightly hot by announcing the terms under which they will consider themselves justified in making your book an unbook.

Nobody likes the idea of having a corporation forcefully take back something they legitimately purchased (whether it was legitimately offered is not their concern), but the truth is that e-books and other “virtual property” will have to be subject to some of the same laws and restrictions as real property. I can’t think of many situations where the police would be justified in entering my house and removing an item I had purchased, without my consent, but that’s what judges and warrants are for. Amazon is, for the most part, its own judge (and extraction team), but they haven’t left too many doors open for more Orwellian tomfoolery.

As part of a settlement (pdf) with the high school student who sued Amazon following the event, they issued the following guidelines:

Amazon will not remotely delete or modify such Works from Devices purchased and being used in the United States unless
(a) the user consents to such deletion or modification;
(b) the user requests a refund for the Work or otherwise fails to pay for the Work (e.g., if a credit or debit card issuer declines to remit payment);
(c) a judicial or regulatory order requires such deletion or modification; or
(d) deletion or modification is reasonably necessary to protect the consumer or the operation of a Device or network through which the Device communicates (e.g., to remove harmful code embedded within a copy of a Work downloaded to a Device).

(via TechFlash and All Things D; carriage returns mine)

The guidelines seem perfectly straightforward, although they do leave open to interpretation what “reasonably necessary” and “protect” mean. Bookmark this page in case one of your books gets sucked out of your Kindle, and see if you fall under any of these circumstances. Note that they don’t “stack,” i.e. you don’t need to consent for them to take the book off if your card is rejected. However, if you keep it disconnected, they’ll never know — you outlaw you.

It’s good to have these regulations in place, but they’re merely internal Amazon rules and only apply to e-books; expect further skirmishes of this type as real and virtual property (and property lines) overlap further.

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:58 pm

Fossils Shed New Light on Human Past - Wall Street Journal

BBC News

Fossils Shed New Light on Human Past Wall Street Journal After 15 years of rumors, researchers made public fossils from a 4.4 million-year-old human forebear they say reveals that our ancestors were more modern than scholars had assumed, widening the evolutionary gulf separating humankind ... Ardi's Secret: Did Early Humans Start Walking for Sex?National Geographic Oldest pre-human revealedSan Francisco Chronicle Fossil finds extend human storyBBC News Los Angeles Times -ABC News -USA Today all 506 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:53 pm

AOL CEO looking at quality content for better company future

Section: Web, Websites

It’s no big secret that AOL isn’t doing as well as it once did.  Once it was the Internet to many people, now some people still keep their AOL email, but the company is struggling.  A new CEO, former Google sales executive Tim Armstrong was brought in to help turn the company around, and today he announced where he thinks the future of the company will come from, and how it can survive.

According to Armstrong, the future of AOL comes from the content it currently has, and what the content is capable of doing.  One avenue Armstrong is looking at is the possibility of blending ad-supported and paid-for content, in making content that consumers will pay for, as The Wall Street Journal already does with it’s content.  While the company’s Weblogs Inc. properties (such as Engadget, and Joystiq) are providing good content as of now, Armstrong is also looking at Patch.com to bring in some revenue.  Patch brings so-called hyper-local news to AOL’s offerings, the site covers specific towns in New Jersey and Connecticut (with New York and Long Island towns coming soon), bringing residents (or anyone else) everything they would want about the towns.

Armstrong’s announcement holds some promise for AOL, as content is always an important aspect of any web service.  Bringing in Patch is certainly a good idea, as hyper-local news seems to be where a lot of news is going (if J-schools are to be believed, at least).  It could be an uphill battle once AOL breaks from Time Warner, but it’s doubtful the company will go away any time soon.  Armstrong is bringing hope to AOL, and if what he says is followed, it might just come out looking pretty good.

Read [CNet News]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:31 pm

Punch Camera prints with a hole-punch

Somehow I doubt this will ever make it to production, but this hole-punch camera is really a great idea, even if it’s a bit anachronistic. Basically, it rasterizes whatever image you give it, then you can put a piece of paper in, give it a good smack, and it’s “printed” a copy by punching out holes of different sizes. Genius!

Rasterized images are, of course, slightly reduced in fidelity from the original, but they cost virtually nothing; it’d be fun to give them out at parties or events for free. The trouble is, how do you combine a compact digital camera and LCD screen with something you have to pound with your fist to get a result? Well, you don’t really. I don’t think the Punch Camera will ever see the light of day for this fact. That said, they could make a just-the-punch part, which could take whatever input (card or whatnot, maybe shown on a tiny out-of-the-way LCD and punch it.

Seriously, I’d buy one. Wouldn’t you?

[via LikeCool]

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:30 pm

Protection sought for Fla. coral discovery

A conservation group said Thursday discovery of a type of coral off the shore of the town of Palm Beach, Fla. indicates it deserves protected habitat status.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:29 pm

Nintendo offers free repairs for Wiis bricked by firmware 4.2

FROM GAMERTELL - Wii System Update 4.2 has reportedly been rendering unmodified Wii’s useless. Nintendo has responded by offering free repairs to anyone dealing with this problem.
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:10 pm

His Ipod Is in Denial [Voices]

By Nitrozac and Snaggy

Source: All Things Digital | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:09 pm

DIY Werewolf Costume

With All Hallows’ Eve creeping up at the end of the month, that means its time to get cracking on your costumes!
Missmonster posted a very elaborate instructable on how to turn you (or a loved one) into a lycanthrope, complete with fully articulate jaw. Be forewarned, this is a rather complex project. You’re pretty much casting the mask out of plaster and resin. But you can’t argue with the results.

If you don’t want to get that involved, you could always just wait until this Saturday’s full moon and go pretend to bite people or something. Or just be this guy.

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:01 pm

Scott Brown on the Facebook Movie

To: A. Sorkin, D. Fincher
cc: Hollywood
Re: Facebook Movie

Gentlemen: My Google Reader informs me that you two are teaming up to write and direct a making-of-Facebook story (working title: The Social Network). While I'm a tad offended I wasn't notified through more formal channels—I am, after all, a member of Facebook and therefore entitled to give notes—I offer my heartiest congratulations. Aaron, I have no idea how you pulled off that script: Mark Zuckerberg isn't exactly known for rapid badinage, and Facebook, as concept, resists the bricks-and-mortar convention of hallway "walk-and-talks." (Wish you'd landed the Doom movie, A-Sorks—nothing but hallways in that one! Very West Wing.) On the other hand, a movie about Ivy League twerps putting their yearbook online, suing each other over boilerplate code, and ultimately dispatching a hapless foe (MySpace) sounds like a good flick for you to helm, Finchy. Lemme guess the twist: Those Nordic twins with the runaway pituitaries still litigating for a share of Facebucks? They're not real, right? They're Zuckerberg's Doublemint version of Tyler Durden—chips off the ol' id.

But enough backslapping: Let's talk turkey. This is going to be a terrible movie, right? I mean, it better be. Because Hollywood's ancien régime is counting on you to make social media look bad. They're eager to embalm Web 2.0 in celluloid. Otherwise, why bother with some silly silicon catfight? The titanic tech war between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs would've made a riveting flick 25 years ago. But Hollywood couldn't muster interest in those propellerheads back then and, decades later, relegated the whole saga into a made-for-TV-movie.

Today, however, the fear of new microstudios (College Humor, Funny or Die) and delivery systems (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) is so fierce and so tangible that Tinseltown is reaching for its weapon of last resort: the handshake. Hey, Social Media! Wanna be in pictures? Well, of course it does, the same way triumphal Japanese businessmen enjoyed visiting Graceland in the '80s—to pose with a glitzy cultural relic. If you want to kill something in the shell, pluck it prematurely and smear it all over the big screen. It'll go from cutting edge to lite-FM lame faster than you can say "You've got mail."

With that in mind, I'd love to talk future projects. Let's get crackin' on Left 4 Twitter. The pitch: It's a zombie picture! The logline: A social network is thrown into panic when its members' very souls get sucked away by a simpler, faster, more smartphone-friendly social network. And here's your summer tent pole: Google Toolbar: Revenge of the Copyright. This one's pretty tried-and-true: Take an old brand we all feel a little nostalgic for, pour on the special effects, and cast Megan Fox as the cheesecake. When all the Google apps combine to form one massive menacing Toolbar (and unsheath the blazing Tool-sword), a collective OMFG! will shake this nation the likes of which hasn't been felt since Goatse. And speaking of Goatse: I hope like hell you're ready to meet Sacha Baron Cohen's latest outrageous character: GOATSE! He's ... well, you know who he is. We're going to send him to a church in the South, then just let the cameras run until the cops show up.

See the genius? Hollywood can simultanously appropriate and neutralize new media brands by miring them in old-media corn and cliché. The theoretical target audience for The Social Network—250 million (and counting) Facebookers—think of the site as small-screen Web utility, not big-screen fare; and nobody would confuse Mark Zuckerberg with Citizen Kane. Let's hope this movie goes straight to video and Hollywood maintains its oligopoly. That'll show those code monkeys who's boss. Yeah! High five! Peace out. —Scott

Email scott_brown@wired.com.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:00 pm

Jargon Watch: Ethical Governor, Earthquake Cloak, Triggercards

Ethical governor n. Software that controls the moral behavior of a military robot. Drones would be programmed to follow international law, enabling them to make life-and-death decisions autonomously.

Earthquake cloak n. A mechanism for guiding seismic waves around buildings, rendering them impervious to temblors. Based on concentric plastic rings, the system may be the first practical application of the invisibility cloak concept developed by physicists a few years back.

Trigger cards n. pl. Magnetic cards used by hackers to access malware embedded in the operating systems of corrupted ATMs. When a trigger card is inserted, the machine spits out a receipt detailing customer account numbers and PINs.

Bankslaughter n. The crime of driving a bank out of business by making excessively risky investments. As proposed by Oxford University economist Paul Collier, prosecutors would become the new bank regulators.
— Jonathon Keats (jargon@wired.com)

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:00 pm

How to Fake a Roller Derby Fight

"I do my own stunts" may look sweet printed next to a head shot, but few actors can say it with a straight face. Badass Zoë Bell has the contusions to prove it, and she tells us how to fake-clothesline an opponent. On skates.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:00 pm

Do It German-Style and Make Your Own Sauerkraut

Nothing says Oktoberfest like beer and sausage cooked and served with heaping mounds of sauerkraut. Learn how to make this tangy and healthy condiment from scratch.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:00 pm

Earth's Hum Might Help Map Mars

The Earth hums at a frequency of 10 millihertz — and it turns out that noise can be used to map its interior. Now, scientists are wondering if a hypothetical Martian hum could help us understood that planet's geology.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:00 pm

Gallery: Shootouts, Pot Fields and Spy Drones — Danger Room in Afghanistan

Get a real on-the-ground look of the war in Afghanistan, with Wired.com's best photos from a four-week assignment.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 6:00 pm

TaxiMagic Launches Web Portal For Online Taxi Booking

Nine months ago we wrote about Taxi Magic, a nifty service that hooks directly into local dispatch systems to let you book cabs from your smart phone. Since then the startup has been doing quite well — it now supports the iPhone, Blackberry, and SMS booking. It’s also grown from supporting 25 fully supported cities to 40. And tonight it’s launching a new feature that exposes it to an even broader audience: a web portal at TaxiMagic.com

The site features a directory for each of the service’s supported taxi providers, with some cities (like San Francisco and Washington, DC) offering multiple options. Once you’ve picked a taxi service, you enter an address and pickup time. At this point you can’t pay for the taxi online, but you can pay from your smartphone or via SMS using through TaxiMagic if you’d rather not deal with cash or hand over your credit card (the service charges a $1.50 fee for this).

Aside from the new website, TaxiMagic has made quite a few changes since we last covered them. As mentioned above, you can now pay for taxis using your TaxiMagic account that’s been linked to a credit card (before you could only book cabs and would have to pay the old fashioned way). And the service now offers support for SMS, which means you can shoot a text from bascially any phone to TaxiMagic with your current address to request a pickup. TaxiMagic will respond with a text message indicating the cab drive’s name and distance.

Finally, the service’s iPhone application has seen quite a few upgrades, including the ability to actually see where your cab currently is as it drives to pick you up.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 5:30 pm

New bags from Booq look tasteful and functional

I admit it, I have a thing for bags. They’re like precision instruments if you have a few with different capabilities: one for groceries, one for books, one for cameras, and one for laptops. These new bags from Booq are about as attractive as they come, perhaps only outdone by Acme Made’s excellent shoulder bags. If you’re looking for a new backback or bag, check out their latest lineup.

The Boa Squeeze ($100) is what I guess you’d term a “laptop backpack,” something I’ve never really taken a shine to, but it is a good-looking little thing. Just big enough for your laptop, some cords, and a couple accessories. Its bigger cousin, the Boa Flow ($200), is more of an all-purpose tech laptop, with tons of little pockets and room for a DSLR, laptop, and tons of extra stuff. It’s more bulky, of course, and less cool-looking, but if you’ve got to carry a lot of stuff, it looks like it’ll get the job done.

My pick of the litter, since I’m a shoulder-bag kind of chap, is this Nerve ($150). This new larger version will hold up to a 15″ laptop (just right for me) and has an integrated, removable laptop sleeve, for what good that’ll do you. Looks roomy but seems like it ratchets down pretty tight, unlike my Manhattan Portage bag, which holds a ton of stuff but doesn’t really hold it in place.

They’re a bit expensive, but they look pretty well-made, and you can’t argue with the style unless you don’t like understated. If I didn’t already have a stable of bags like these at my disposal, I’d pick one up.

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 5:30 pm

Myriad Systems, Inc. Joins CSI

OKLAHOMA CITY,. Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Myriad Systems, Inc., (MSI) announced today that it joined the Computer Services, Inc. (CSI) family of companies providing products and services primarily to the financial services industry.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 5:20 pm

Searching for the next Olympics host city

Tomorrow morning, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will decide the host for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games. Competing for the honor are four bid cities: Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.

In past years, in addition to seeing a surge in searches during the Games, we typically see a significant swell in searches leading up to the announcement about which will be the next IOC host city. Just two years ago, people from across the world turned to Google to learn more about Sochi, Russia — the newly announced host of the 2014 winter games. Similar patterns emerged across the United Kingdom as citizens searched to learn more about the London 2012 bid.

At Google we've always shared the world's interest in the Olympics, and have expressed that interest through dozens of Google doodles both while the games are occurring (last August, the Beijing Games inspired many doodles) as well as celebrating the naming of host cities (Sochi in 2007). Also, last summer the world followed along at home using our Beijing 2008 Summer Games medal tracker on their iGoogle page or through the Olympic Games onebox on Google.com.

As decision day for 2016 approaches, we have Googlers in our offices in Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo (and in Sao Paulo cheering on Rio) who are watching and cheering on their cities along with the rest of the world. With the decision tomorrow, we thought it would be interesting to see what people from the host cities and countries are searching for. We've shared some of the coolest tidbits below.

Searches from around the globe for [2016] have reached an all-time high. Search volume from Spain dwarfs Brazil, the United States and Japan:


In Chicago, searchers are looking more for info on Rio's bid than Madrid's or Tokyo's, possibly indicating that Chicago residents view Rio's bid as the most competitive:

Source: The Official Google Blog | 1 Oct 2009 | 5:17 pm

Majority Stockholders of Argyle Security, Inc. Announce Change in Composition of the Board of Directors

STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- MML Capital Partners LLC, as advisor to, and on behalf of, Mezzanine Management Fund IV A, L.P. and Mezzanine Management Fund IV Coinvest A, L.P.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 5:11 pm

Dell adds Core i5 to their Vostro line

Dell just added a new model to their rather stodgy looking Vostro line, the excitingly named “Vostro 430″. This isn’t particularly newsworthy, however what IS newsworthy is that their new computers will protect you. From the future!!!11!

That’s right, Dell sent out a press release today, and made sure they told us that their new PC was “Future Proof”. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I’m hoping that it means when the aliens come, the Vostro 430 will use the power of it’s newly released Intel i5 Core processor to transform into some kind of super-weapon, combining the computing power of the cloud with pure energy to defeat them. Because we all know what side Alienware will be on.

In all seriousness, the new Dell Vostro 430 is one of the first machines we’ve seen to use Intel’s new Core i5 CPU. And yes, I realize that “Future Proof” means that you can upgrade it when new hardware comes out.

From the press release:

ROUND ROCK, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dell today announced the extension of its Vostro line with the Vostro 430 mini tower desktop, designed to serve the distinctive needs of small and medium business. Combining the latest processor technology, discrete graphics and optimized for Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system, the Vostro 430 is for growing businesses that want professional performance and productivity for their the existing and future needs. The Vostro 430 is available globally from today at prices starting from US$ 699.

The Vostro 430 comes with pre-installed video conferencing software, to help businesses optimize their communications and collaborations costs. The desktop also supports dual display and multi-touch technology and is optimized for Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system1, making touch usage features such as pinch to zoom and tap-and-drag scrolling possible, which enhance productivity and encourage remote collaboration via video conference (an optional touch screen monitor and webcam is required).

The Vostro 430 also comes equipped with the latest Intel® CoreTM i5 or optional Intel® CoreTM i7 processors, and discrete graphics options from NVIDIA® and ATI™ making it an ideal tool for growing businesses seeking a powerful and reliable business desktop. In fact, customers can save time with Intel® Core™ i5-750 by completing intense Excel calculations up to 5 times as fast than their old system with Intel® Pentium® D 960!2 In addition, the Vostro 430 provides businesses ample room for future growth and can accommodate up to 16GB* of DDR3 SDRAM and up to 1TB* of internal storage.

“In the last six months, Dell has underscored its commitment to small and medium business by launching Vostro laptops and desktops that offer the features, services, reliability, and resources to meet their distinctive needs,” said Sam Burd global vice president, Dell Small and Medium Business. “The Vostro 430 is another great example of how we are providing small and medium businesses with a compelling reason to refresh their technology; with a desktop that meets their needs today, and leaves plenty of room to grow.”

The Vostro 430 is the latest addition to Dell’s comprehensive Vostro portfolio, which is designed to address the top technology issues facing small-business customers including easy-to-use and maintain computer systems, data storage, and quality service and support, all at a price small businesses can afford. For additional information on the Vostro 430, visit www.dell.com/vostro.

Backed by dedicated and specially trained small-business sales and support experts, Dell Vostro desktops come with a 30-day worry-free return policy, and are available with Dell CompleteCare Accidental Damage Service and Dell ProSupport services that give customers the ability to customize and tailor services to fit their technical expertise and business needs.

Vostro 430: Expandability, Productivity and Connectivity

* Expandability options with the ability to add memory, PCI/PCIe cards and HDD, future-proofing IT investment;
* Increased internal storage capacity with one terabyte hard drives offering up to 2 terabytes of internal storage;
* Dual-display capability, and more expandability and flexibility with 10 external USB ports and four total PCI/PCIe expansion slots for more network, sound or graphics cards.
* Optional Blu-Ray DiskTM drives for data storage and video playback;
* PS/2 and serial ports to enable use of older devices; and
* Dell 19-in-1 Media Card Reader (Optional)
* IEEE 1394a (Optional)

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 5:00 pm

Industrial robotic pancake production video

I don't know about you, but I only watch videos about industrial robotic pancake production if they have an energetic techno soundtrack like this one does. (Via Cynical-C)


Source: Boing Boing | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:53 pm

Microsoft to Launch Windows 7 Compatibility Site - PC Magazine

TopNews United States

Microsoft to Launch Windows 7 Compatibility Site PC Magazine On Thursday, Microsoft said it will launch a Windows 7 compatibility Web site in a bid to help consumers determine which of their products will be supported under the new operating system. Microsoft said it will unveil the Windows ... Win7 XP mode released to manufacturingTG Daily Microsoft releases Windows XP Mode to manufacturingTopNews United States Microsoft Readies XP Mode For Windows 7 LaunchChannelWeb InternetNews.com -Washington Post -CNET News all 100 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:43 pm

SEO.com Kicks off $60,000 Giveaway to aid Recession-Hit Company

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- SEO.com is doing its part to help boost the struggling economy.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:43 pm

Star Trek communicator cloth one step closer to reality, still won’t beam you up

Many gadgets we use today were inspired by the fictional gadgets in Star Trek. Communicators inspired cell phones, tablet computers were inspired by the datapads that crew members carried, the medical scanners like Bones used in sick bay are becoming a reality as well.

Finnish company Patria Aviation Oy has developed a type of cloth that’s capable of working as an antenna for the Iridium network and GPS frequency bands, making it possible to actually create a communicator style system similar to the type used in ST:TNG.

The company said the most difficult of the process was choosing the correct fabric with the proper characteristics. Many fabrics change their electrical properties when bent, which would render the them useless as a antenna materiel. The material also contains an insulating layer that protects you from excess radiation coming from wearing an antenna as a shirt.

The first antenna will be made into a shirt, however there is no word on when this product will be made available (if ever) to the public.

[via Networkworld]

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:40 pm

Stuntwoman Zoe Bell Talks 'Whip It,' Tarantino's Genius Mind

The daring New Zealander who flipped the bird at the Grim Reaper in Death Proof takes roller derby for a spin in Drew Barrymore's new flick.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:35 pm

RIM issues patch for browser bug

Section: Communications, Smartphones

RIM has issued a patch for a bug in its browser that could allow BlackBerry users to be hit by a phishing attack.  The bug involves the security feature that notifies a user if the website they are trying to visit has a certificate mismatch. The browser correctly identifies such sites but does not display the mismatch properly if it contains null, or hidden, characters.  This means a user could easily think the notification was in error and continue to load the page.

A hacker could take advantage of this bug by creating a fake site and purposely altering its certificate.  They could then send an SMS text message to a user with the malicious link included.  The user would click on it and be tricked into thinking it’s a legit and trusted site.  For example, say a hacker decided to create a phishing site for a major bank such as HSBC and purposely alter the certificate.  They would then send out an SMS made to look like an alert from the bank with the malicious link included.  Thinking it’s a real alert the BB user clicks on the link (since it was sent via an SMS text the mouse hover trick would not work).  When the BB user gets the warning the bug makes the warning look bogus so the user continues on and logs into the fake site.

This bug affects all devices and OS versions and it is highly recommended that BB users download the fix and apply it ASAP.  In the meantime avoid clicking on links sent via SMS.

Read [ZDnet]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:32 pm

Amazon agrees to Kindle suit settlement - The Associated Press

Telegraph.co.uk

Amazon agrees to Kindle suit settlement The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon.com has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by a high school student over the online retailer's deletion of an e-book he bought for his Kindle electronic reader. Justin D. Gawronski, 17, sued Amazon after it erased copies of the ... Do Kindles (and other e-readers) need better ways to annotate?CNET News Amazon Settles Kindle "1984" LawsuitPC World Electronic book readers poised to become this holiday season's hot ...Los Angeles Times FOXNews -Register -Product Reviews (blog) all 248 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:32 pm

Relaunched Recovery.gov Fails Accessibility Standards

SethGrimes writes with this excerpt from Information Week's Intelligent Enterprise: "Recovery.gov, a showcase government-transparency Web site that relaunched on Monday, fails to meet US federal government Section 508 accessibility standards and accessibility best practices. The non-compliance issues relate to display of data tables — an essential point given the site's promise of 'Data, Data & More Data' — despite on-site compliance claims. Other elements including navigation maps, while compliant, are poorly designed. Sharron Rush, co-founder and executive director of accessibility-advocacy organization Knowbility, goes so far as to state, 'The recovery.gov Web site is a good example of what NOT to do for accessibility in my opinion.' Louise Radnofsky explains in the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire blog, 'Expectations are high for the site, not least because of its hefty price tag: Smartronix, a Maryland contractor, is being paid $9.5 million for its initial overhaul and is likely to get another $8.5 million to keep the site running through 2014.' Compliance with Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act — a baseline expectation — is a long-standing federal-government requirement for information-systems accessibility to persons with disabilities. The site's accessibility failures — which are shared by another showcase government-transparency site, USAspending.gov — are nonetheless easily seen."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:27 pm

Apple’s new marketing campaign targets toddlers, kindergarteners

When will it stop? Our babies will be born in black turtlenecks if they have their way.

And is that a funktified “Another one bites the dust” break?

[via The Daily What and HuffPo]

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:25 pm

On the Set of Peter Jackson's 'The Lovely Bones'

We take a behind-the-scenes look at Peter Jackson's new film The Lovely Bones. The story revolves around Susie, a 14-year-old girl who is brutally murdered. Stuck in the "in-between," Susie helps her grieving family find her killer.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:15 pm

Yext(TM) Raises $25 Million from Institutional Venture Partners and Sutter Hill Ventures to Accelerate Growth of Pay-Per-Action Phone Calls

NEW YORK, Oct.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:11 pm

Sony says firmware 3.00 and 3.01 aren’t to blame for PS3 Blu-ray drive problems

FROM GAMERTELL - Many PS3s that were working fine before firmware 3.00 and 3.01 have developed serious problems when it comes to reading discs after updating. Sony has officially stated that the firmware is not at fault.
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:07 pm

Van Arno exhibition “A Change of Skin” at Corey Helford Gallery in LA

“When the Nest’s Beset By Pests, the Babysitters Swift Undressed” - (oil on canvas) 48x36 - 2009

(NSFW thumbnails above: “Dan’l Boone Rescues His Daughter From The Dread Shawnee; July, 1776,” "Goldilocks Rages Against The Fall," “The Bathing Sphinx,” “Werewolf Triptych, #1 - #3” )

A new exhibition by Van Arno will be unveiled at Corey Helford Gallery.

Los Angeles artist Van Arno joins Corey Helford for his second solo show at the gallery entitled “A Change of Skin.” The process of transformation and evolution is no easy task, and Arno skillfully narrates a dynamic collection of Darwinian daydreams in his latest series of oil paintings. Werewolves, centaurs and women shed their original skin, emerging as new breeds of enchanted beings and barbaric beasts. Joining them in the fray are representations of transformation by means of natural selection, cross-species parenting, Black Arts, and even the car crash that altered Montgomery Clift’s famous face. Larger and more ambitious than before, “A Change of Skin” marks a new direction for the artist as Arno introduces multiple characters and a looser, more gestural format to his work. The exhibition will also feature 100 limited-edition silk screen show prints that will be available only at the gallery.

In the loft, guest artist Melissa Forman unveils “Garden of Shadows”, her second series of works at Corey Helford Gallery. Inspired by ancient medicine, Forman’s dark yet delicate paintings study the Four Humours, a medieval method of diagnosing imbalances in patients. Each humour is visually illustrated combining its unique properties such as color, mood, temperament, disposition, and plants. Rich colors and deep black backgrounds add to the ethereal mood and a subtle sense of surrealism in each painting, ultimately sending a message of hope and good things to come during dark times. Open to the public, the reception for “A Change of Skin” and “Garden of Shadows” takes place on Saturday, October 3, and the show will be on view until October 24, 2009.

Van Arno was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and attended Otis parsons School of Design in Los Angeles, California where he supported himself working as a bouncer in nightclubs and adult video arcades. As a young illustrator, his images appeared on album covers, video game box art, and nightclub posters around the city. He has exhibited in galleries worldwide including Jonathan Levine Gallery, Shooting Gallery, Copro Nason, Mendenhall Sobieski and Galerie d’Art Yves Laroche. Several of his works were included in a national survey of Lowbrow painters at the Hollywood Art and Culture Center in Florida along with Mark Ryden, Chaz Bojorquez, Kenny Scharf, Anthony Ausgang and others. For more information about Van Arno please visit www.vanarno.com.

Van Arno Opening Reception Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 7‑10pm
On View October 3 – October 24, 2009


Source: Boing Boing | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:02 pm

Google Toolbar Now Translates Pages In Firefox

Google has launched a new version of its Toolbar for Firefox that lets you translate any webpage with the click of a button without leaving the page. Google will also add web-site suggestions and sponsored links to the toolbar as you type in any query.

The new toolbar is synced with Firefox version 3.5’s Private Browsing mode so that the tool bar will not record your searchbox history while you are in this mode. It will also turn off PageRank, Web History and Sidewiki.

Last week, Google announced their new web annotation system, Sidewiki, that will be included in the new version of Toolbar for Firefox. Sidewiki allows users to leave a comment on an entire page or a selected piece of text, and share the URL via email, Twitter or Facebook. Users can read and vote comments up or down, which creates a user ranking for each individual that will determine where their comments fall on the Sidewiki. The higher the ranking, the higher comments appear. So now you can make comments on pages that aren’t published in your own language.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:01 pm

Real-life skateboarder Tetris is simultaneous win and fail

Here’s my question to you, Tetris re-enactors. Why would you go to all the trouble of making neon block-shaped hats, and skate down a hill to fit together into a big column, yet not use actual Tetris shapes?!

It’s maddening! There must be some copyright issue, but still, come on. Can they really have a trademark on L-shaped blocks?

[via Make]

Source: CrunchGear | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:00 pm

AP sources: Comcast exploring stake in NBC (AP)

AP - Comcast Corp. might spend billions for a stake in NBC Universal, a deal that would transform the nation's largest cable TV provider into one of the most prominent owners of TV shows, movies and other programming as well.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:53 pm

UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News

Study: Man did not evolve from apes KENT, Ohio, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- A U.S. biological anthropologist says he's determined humans did not evolve from apes, but, rather, apes evolved from humans. Kent State University Professor C.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:44 pm

Leading-Edge Marketing Professionals Will Get to the Next Level With Original Knowledge Series

DENVER, Oct.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:40 pm

Infinite Campus Receives Highest Possible Rating in K12 SIS MarketScope Report

BLAINE, Minn., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinite Campus, Inc. today announced that it received a "Strong Positive" rating in Gartner's "MarketScope for K-12 Student Information Systems, 2009" authored by Bill Rust dated Sept. 23, 2009.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:34 pm

SunGard Recognized as 'Best Counterparty Risk Solution Provider' in Waters Rankings 2009

LONDON, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SunGard has been named as "Best Counterparty Risk Solution Provider" in the seventh annual Waters Rankings.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pm

Initial Reviews of Google Wave; Neat, But Noisy

bonch writes "Reviews of Google Wave are out, and opinions are that it has potential as a development platform but is noisy to use for real-time communication. Robert Scoble calls it overhyped, claiming it's useful for little more than personal IM or small-scale project collaboration. He complains about the noisiness of tracking dozens of people chatting him at once in real-time and calls trying to use it a 'productivity killer' compared to simpler mediums like email and Twitter."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:28 pm

Broadcom Announces Conference Call to Review Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results

IRVINE, Calif., Oct.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:10 pm

Now in Google Toolbar for Firefox: advanced in-page translation

Last week was a big one for Google Toolbar: we released the new Google Toolbar with Sidewiki for Internet Explorer and Firefox allowing you to contribute helpful information next to any webpage. But there's more: with the new version of Google Toolbar, our advanced in-page translation also became available for Firefox, making it easy to read a webpage in another language with the click of a button.

The new version of Google Toolbar for Firefox has several other new features . You can find (almost) everything about the toolbar in our help center so we'll just mention two new things. As in Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer, we're now experimenting with displaying high-quality website suggestions and sponsored links as you type your query. Clicking on these will take you directly to the website (try typing "cnn" in the toolbar to see an example).

Also, Firefox version 3.5 introduced Private Browsing mode in which in which Firefox will stop recording your browsing history. The new version of Toolbar in Firefox will follow suit and not record your searchbox history while in Private Browsing mode. It will also turn off PageRank, Web History and Sidewiki. This means that you can confidently surf in private when you prefer. Note that Firefox's Private Browsing mode does not mean complete anonymity; we highly recommend reading Mozilla's support page before using Private Browsing mode.

We continue to work on new features to improve your web experience. Download the latest version of Google Toolbar and try out these new features.

Posted by Christian Stefansen, Product Manager, Toolbar Team
Source: The Official Google Blog | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:01 pm

Lawmakers Cave to FBI in Patriot Act Debate

Senate lawmakers are caving to FBI concerns that proposals to add privacy protections into the Patriot Act could harm national security. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said "threats against American safety are real and continuing." Just last week, the powerful senator proposed limiting the FBI's ability to utilize the Patriot Act.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 1 Oct 2009 | 2:55 pm

New ICANN Agreement Runs Into Criticism - PC World

guardian.co.uk

New ICANN Agreement Runs Into Criticism PC World A new agreement between the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the US Department of Commerce that creates international oversight of the nonprofit operator of the Internet's domain name system may not provide enough ... US Agreement With ICANN Leaves Much UndoneInformationWeek US gives up Internet oversight role via ICANNLos Angeles Times 'Father Of The Internet' Applauds ICANN AgreementChannelWeb TechNewsWorld -Reuters -AHN all 477 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 1 Oct 2009 | 2:50 pm

A Mobile Phone Mesh That Can Survive Carrier Network Failure

bennyboy64 writes "iTnews reports that researchers from Australia and Singapore are developing a wireless ad-hoc mesh networking technology that uses mobile handsets to share and carry information. The mesh network will make use of Bluetooth or Wi-fi to swap information between handsets — even if the mobile phone network was offline. One potential scenario could be during an emergency where the mobile phone network was unavailable or clogged. In a city centre, users could set up the network to share information, video, photographs and, depending on the final client applications, even locate friends and loved ones. One benefit of developing such a technology would be that users sharing content between their devices would use the wireless communications technology already built into their phones and not bandwidth from their mobile provider. The researchers from the National ICT Australia and Singapore's A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research hope to demonstrate the technology within two years, according to NICTA project leader Dr Roksana Boreli.'This is an early stage in the research project,' she said. 'We are addressing how you would quickly establish trust between devices, how you would discover them and share the information,' Boreli said."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Oct 2009 | 2:37 pm

TXTBlocker allows parents to block kids from texting while driving

Texting while driving is incredibly unsafe (and making calls, for that matter). Even more so than drinking and driving, which YOU SHOULD NEVER DO, EVER. California knows it. The Obama Administration knows it. And apparently, the folks responsible for TXTBlocker know it.

What is TXTBlocker, you ask? It is a new service that “lets parents and employers customize cell phones to selectively disable texting functions, block certain numbers, or only permit incoming and outgoing calls to preset “safe lists” or emergency numbers.” In other words, its a personal, customizable Big Brother tool for mobile phones.

So how does it work? Good question — we’re not entirely sure ourselves. According to the official press release:

TXTBlocker uses proprietary velocity and geographic algorithms, so in addition to preventing dangerous use while driving, users may also set up ’safe zones’ that do not allow distractions around focused areas such as schools or worksites.

TXTBlocker™ is completely customizable, allowing owners, parents or employers (or “administrators”) to turn certain functions on or off anytime. They simply log on to the website and choose custom settings to employ for specific phones. If turned on, TXTBlocker works automatically, so owners never have to remember to turn it on, and it allows for safety features so that phones can always make calls to 911 and receive calls from preset emergency numbers.

Hmm. To us, it sounds like every time you’re moving over a certain speed, you’re locked out of your phone. If it’s just accelerometer or GPS-based, it seems like TXTBlocker will fail miserably on buses, trains, or any time someone else is driving. But, we won’t really know how well it works until the service is launched during the “Fall of 2009.”

As for compatibility, head on over to TXTBlocker’s official list of supported devices to see if you can join in on the fun. Playing cell phone god will cost you $9.99/month plus the one-time software download and activation fee of $24.99 (which includes first month’s service fee and online installation support). Or you can opt for the family or enterprise packages, more info here.

All in all, this seems like a noble idea. We’ll have to see how well it works in practice before we make any final judgments. If it works in a way that doesn’t unnecessarily lockdown phones and isn’t insanely easy to work around, it’s good in our books.

[via Phone Scoop]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 2:30 pm

Smule sells 300k copies of I Am T-Pain, celebrates with a new song and a huge contest

The second we laid eyes on Smule’s autotuning, pitch-changing iPhone app, I Am T-Pain, we knew it was going to be a huge hit – and it has been. We just got some details from Smule’s CEO, Jeff Smith, on how things are going so far.

In the first 3 weeks alone, the application has seen 300,000 downloads. The average user spends around 66 minutes within the application — an absolutely ludicrous number for any app, much less one out of the entertainment category. To date, 4.1 million performances have been recorded within the application. So, what’s the best way to celebrate making lots and lots of money? By adding new content – oh, and giving away lots and lots of money.

Since launch, Smule has seen a resounding demand for one song in particular. Perhaps a bit ironic, it’s not a song from T-Pain’s own album – though he is featured in it. Straight out of an episode of SNL from February, “I’m On A Boat (ft. T-Pain)” is the top requested song, and will be added to the App’s In-App Purchase catalog later today.

At the same time, Smule will be launching a big ol’ promotion to stoke the sales fire and have a bit of fun. They’re encouraging users to shoot their own “I’m On A Boat” music videos, featuring the I Am T-Pain app, in exchange for a shot at some cash. Users are free to use the original lyrics, or bring their own.

Contest Details:

• Each week for 10 weeks, one finalist will be chosen. Each finalist gets $500 bucks and a set of Grillz gold teeth modeled after T-Pain’s
• Smule’s favorite (as determined by video views, originality, humor, and other aspects of a”T-Pain induced Smulean algorithm”) entry at the end of the 10 weeks will take home $5,000 and a $47 replica of T-Pains $410,000 “Big Ass Chain” (Pictured below.)

Smule is “making it rain”, so to speak..

Looking to get more people in on the fun, Smule will be temporarily dropping the app’s price. From sometime later today until Saturday morning, the app will see a 66% price cut, dropping from the usual $2.99 down to just $0.99.

Let us know if you’re planning on entering – that way we know who we’ll need to show up with our entry.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:57 pm

Public poll elicits nanotechnology view

Scientists say a poll of 1,001 U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:55 pm

Oldest Hominid Remains Offer Clues Of Human Evolution

A 17-year investigation into the discovery of the fragile remains of a small "ground ape" discovered in Ethiopia is described today in a special issue of the journal Science.The report includes 11 papers about the discovery of the Ardipithecus fossils, which include a partial skeleton of a female nicknamed "Ardi”, the earliest known skeleton from the human branch of the primate family tree.  The branch includes Homo sapiens as well as species closer to humans than to chimpanzees and bonobos.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:55 pm

Fossil Primate Ardipithecus Ramidus Described (Finally)

Omomyid writes "I wasn't actually aware that Dr. Tim White of UC Berkeley had been 'sitting' on A. ramidus but apparently he has (I remember the original flurry of interest back in the '90s when it was announced), but now Dr. White and others have assembled a nearly complete skeleton of the 4.4mya specimen and the descriptions being carried by the NY Times and the AP are intriguing. Ramidus is clearly differentiated from the other Great Apes and also more primitive than A. afarensis (Lucy), providing a nice linkage backwards to the last shared ancestor between humans and chimpanzees. According to the NY Times, a whole passel of papers will be published in tomorrow's Science magazine describing A. ramidus." Update — 10/01 at 22:05 GMT by SS: Reader John Hawks provided a link to his detailed blog post about Ardipithecus, which contains a ton of additional details not covered in the above articles.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:52 pm

Apple Buyout of Mapping Firm Hints at Future Breakup With Google

Apple quietly purchased Placebase, an online-mapping company, earlier this year. The acquisition could indicate the Cupertino, California, company’s plans to reduce its dependence on Google services, such as the Google Maps application currently built into the iPhone operating system.

The news of the acquisition broke unofficially on Twitter in July, but the buyout was only recently confirmed by ComputerWorld’s Seth Weintraub with some online sleuthing.

Jaron Waldman, former Placebase CEO, is now part of the “Geo Team” at Apple, according to his LinkedIn profile. Waldman does not disclose a description of his duties or the role of the Geo Team, leaving the tech community guessing over the purpose of this buyout.

Why would Apple purchase a mapping company?

The most obvious reason would be to buy the maps, of course. The Maps app included with the iPhone pulls geographic data from the Google Maps service, but the app itself was coded by Apple. Apple’s iPhoto ‘09 organizes photos based on where they were taken, also using data from Google Maps.

Purchasing Placebase could enable Apple to incorporate its own mapping technologies. Perhaps the company will also embrace the opportunity to innovate around mapping and add a dash of exclusive geo-savvy features to its Macs, iPods and iPhones.

Apple’s desire to wean itself from dependence on Google would not be surprising. Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently resigned from Apple’s board of directors due to “conflicts of interest” between the two companies. The resignation followed Apple’s rejection of the Google Voice app for the iPhone, which led to an FCC investigation.

“As Apple and Google’s interests diverge, expect Apple to find ways to rely less and less on Google services,” said Michael Gartenberg, a tech strategist at Interpret. “It’s happening already.”

Of course, the Placebase acquisition was very recent, so it could be some time before we see what Apple has in store with mapping.

Here’s a clue of what Apple might deliver: In February, software developers tinkering with Mac OS X Snow Leopard said they discovered evidence that the operating system would support triangulation to approximate the latitude and longitude of a Mac. But when Snow Leopard released, that feature did not appear. Perhaps Apple is waiting to develop its own mapping technologies with Placebase before unlocking this new tool.

What are your ideas about what Apple could do with this buyout? Please add your thoughts in the comments below.

See Also:

• Apple Envisions iPod as GPS Substitute
• Apple’s Snow Leopard Will Triangulate a Mac’s Location
• Apple Patent Details GPS-Equipped Nike+ Shoes

Photo: SteveGarfield/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:49 pm

For Amoeba, Cheating Doesn't Pay

Cheaters may prosper in the short term, but over time they seem doomed to fail, at least in the microscopic world of amoebas where natural selection favors the noble.But why? Shouldn't "survival of the fittest" give the sneaky cheaters an edge? Not necessarily, as it turns out amoebas that cooperate for the benefit of all – and even die for the cause – bring their own genetic weapons to the fight.Researchers from Rice University and the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) are peeling back the layers of strategy that determine how colonies of social amoebas resist the efforts of cheaters to alter the balance of power.In work appearing today in Nature, Rice evolutionary biologists Joan Strassmann and David Queller join forces with BCM geneticist Gad Shaulsky to determine how altruistic mutants help preserve cooperative behavior by single-celled amoebas.In the paper titled "Cheater-resistance is not futile" ("Star Trek" fans take note), they found Dictyostelium discoideum, amoebas that thrive on rotting vegetation in forest soil, mutate to keep "cheaters" at bay, forcing them out of the reproductive chain.Dictyostelium fascinate researchers because so many of them willingly give up their lives to save others of their colony – a characteristic seen at all rungs on the ladder of life, but only recently studied at the genetic level.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:48 pm

Study: Komodo dragon native of Australia

Australian, Malaysian and Indonesian scientists say they've determined the world's largest living lizard species, the Komodo Dragon, is an Australian native. The research by paleontologists and archaeologists who studied fossil evidence from Australia, Timor, Flores, Java and India, shows Komodo Dragons (Varanus komodoensis) most likely evolved in Australia and dispersed westward to Indonesia. The fossil record shows that over the last four million years Australia has been home to the world's largest lizards, including a five-meter giant called Megalania (Varanus prisca), Scott Hocknull of the Queensland Museum said.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:39 pm

Verizon Android phone has Flash support?

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

Motorola’s other Google OS Android phone, the Shoales or Tao now Droid, looks to be headed to Verizon but will not feature the new MotoBlur UI skin that we’ve been so excited about.  Instead, the phone will tout support for Adobe Flash, Google’s brand name, and run a custom UI (not Blur, not Verizon).  With Blur “wowing” most who’ve seen it, why didn’t Verizon choose to go with it?

Our guess is Verizon just didn’t have the confidence Motorola could nail it.  Once the company that let the RAZR lead in phones slip through their hands, carriers have been slow to get behind Moto.  The tide could finally be turning.

This phone has a 3.7” capactive (the good one) touchscreen and a slide out QWERTY keypad and a 5 megapixel camera.  BGR reports an announcement will becoming in the next couple of weeks.

Read [BoyGeniusReports]

Image Credit: BGR

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:23 pm

Ideal Conditions Made Samoa Tsunami More Devastating

Experts say American Samoa was the victim of a perfect storm during the recent tsunami that has resulted in a death toll of 150 people and rising.The region was subject to a massive magnitude 8.0 earthquake that triggered strong winds and enormous ocean waves.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:15 pm

Sugar and weed killer: good energy source?

Researchers at Brigham Young University say they have developed a fuel cell that harvests electricity from glucose and other carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are very energy rich, said BYU Professor Gerald Watt.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:07 pm

Americans Don't Want Targeted Ads

itwbennett writes "A survey by the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology at the University of California Berkeley School of Law and the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania finds that U.S. residents do not want to receive Web advertising tailored to their interests. 66% of those surveyed said they don't want tailored, or targeted, online ads and when asked if online ad vendors should deliver targeted ads by tracking customers' behavior across multiple Web sites, 86% of the 1,000 respondents said no. 35% percent of respondents said executives of companies that use personal information illegally should face jail time, and 18% said those companies should be put out of business. 'While privacy advocates have lambasted behavioral targeting for tracking and labeling people in ways they do not know or understand, marketers have defended the practice by insisting it gives Americans what they want: advertisements and other forms of content that are as relevant to their lives as possible,' the study said. 'In high percentages, [US residents] stand on the side of privacy advocates.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Oct 2009 | 1:01 pm

Robotic sub to explore Antarctic ice

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 12:54 pm

Opinion: Rock stars should embrace music games

FROM GAMERTELL - Musicians who cannot grasp the idea of their music being in games, the incredible distribution, and exposure to new audiences need to think again…
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 12:32 pm

Trash-based biofuel might solve problems

Singaporean and Swiss scientists say using trash to produce biofuels might help solve the world's growing energy crisis and also reduce carbon emissions. The researchers said current biofuels produced from crops require an increase in crop production, which has its own severe environmental costs.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 1 Oct 2009 | 12:29 pm

Mice Get Benefits of Dieting Without the Diet

By deleting a single gene, scientists have given mice the same life-extending benefits as dieting.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 1 Oct 2009 | 12:01 pm

Mosquito Parasite Fights Infectious Disease

Mosquito-borne diseases could be controlled using a parasite known as Wolbachia.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 1 Oct 2009 | 12:01 pm

Celebrating National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2009

Internet security and online safety are topics that leave many people scratching their heads. While many companies and organizations work to make the Internet a safer place, it can be difficult to know what to do as an Internet user beyond creating numerous passwords for your various online accounts and steering clear of that email from a "long lost relative" who wants you to immediately wire thousands of dollars to him. Here's the good news: even though security can become quite technical and complicated, there are simple steps you can take that can make a big difference in helping to keep your information safe.


This month, Google joins the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), governmental agencies, corporations, schools and non-profit organizations in recognizing National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Throughout October, we'll be raising awareness of important Internet security and safety issues that will teach you how to be an informed web user. Keep an eye on our various product blogs, as we'll be sharing tips that are tailored to users of Google products and services. To kick off the series, visit our newly created Google Cyber Security Awareness Channel on YouTube to watch a variety of online safety videos created by individuals and groups with an interest in cyber security.

The web is a great platform for all kinds of things — finding information, interacting with others and even running your business. Practicing good cyber security habits can help keep it that way. Join us this month by brushing up on your cyber security awareness and sharing the tips you like with others.

Posted by Eric Davis, Head of Anti-Malvertising
Source: The Official Google Blog | 1 Oct 2009 | 12:00 pm

iPhone calculator app takes steps to save the children

Oh, TLA Systems, you clever, clever bastards.

As we all learned from that one awkwardly-mature kid in our first grade class, there is a glaring fault in nearly every calculator ever made: they double as a means of smuggling smut into the classroom. In an otherwise sterile and pure environment, these tools allow for children (CHILDREN!) to be corrupted (and to subsequently corrupt each other) by displaying words such as “BOOBIES” and “HELL” simply by punching in a series of numbers and turning the calculator upside down. We are forced to ask: The calculator – a tool of mathematical wonder, or a tool of the devil?

TLA Systems has had enough. Looking to stifle these inappropriate text-based outbursts and ensure that the Apple App Review team had absolutely no issues with the content of their app, they’ve taken it upon themselves to censor the most popular bit-based blasphemes in the latest build of their PCalc RPN Calculator. Any attempts to invert the calculator to convey a nasty word are blocked out of the gate, with the offending word censored as pictured above.

Plus, their app icon is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. Also, it gave us the chance to write “Boobies” in a post.

[Via TUAW]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 11:58 am

Leaked LG 2010 Q1 roadmap reveals 7 new phones

Hello. What do we have here? Apparently, it’s a leaked image of LG’s 2010 Q1 roadmap! Yippee!

Unfortunately, other than the diverse collection of LG handset names – Wine2, Wine Jr., Goya, Stage, Mini, Sweet, and Cookie2 – there really isn’t much more to talk about at the moment…other than LG’s obsession interest with food-related names (think LG Chocolate).

Also, is it really a good idea to name a phone “Wine Junior”? “Here you go, son. Don’t drink and drive, but be sure to call your mother with your new WINE Junior when you get to the party.” Lets just hope that’s a codename.

No matter. 7 new LG phones, many of which have stupid delicious names, may or may not pop up in Q1 2010. Cheers!

[via Unwired View]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 11:50 am

Portable iPod Mic Records Audio on the Cheap

Want to turn your iPod into a pro-grade audio recorder? Reach for a Mikey.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 1 Oct 2009 | 11:25 am

Motorola is indeed holding an event next week – but it’s probably not for Tao

Here’s the good news: Motorola is throwing an event next week, right as one of the biggest mobile shows of the year, CTIA San Diego, kicks off. And the bad news: it may not be the announcement everyone is hoping for.

Next week’s event will be focusing primarily on MOTODEV, Motorola’s Android development program. While that means that Moto’s Android team is likely to be in the building — along with Co-CEO Sanjay Jha and VP of Software Christy Wyatt — it’s not necessarily going to be a hardware announcement.

We reached out to some friends at Motorola, who pretty much confirmed it: this one’s all about the developers and the Android ecosystem. Either way, we’ll be there, and we’ll bring back all the details we can scrounge up.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 11:11 am

Google introduces two new updates for mobile users

Section: Communications, Mobile, Web, Websites, Google

Yesterday, Google made two new enhancements for mobile users that have the Google app installed.  The most significant is a feature called “Personalized Suggest,” which will remember your searches when you switch between PC and mobile versions of Google.com.  As you type your query in the search bar, these past records will appear as search suggestions.  To get this feature to work, you need to log in when using your PC as well as your mobile device.

The mobile browser has also made upgrades to your local searches for the mobile browser.  The “Local” tab will allow you to search nearby restaurants, hotels, shopping, gas, etc.  This feature has a similar interface to Google Maps.  You’ll also be able to view points of interest that you have saved in Google Maps.  Right now, the local search feature has compatibility in the United States and China.

The updates were low key as most of the world focused on Google Wave.  The collaboration application permitted 100,000 invitees to test drive it this week.

Read: [CNET]
Image Source: Boy Genius Report

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 11:00 am

T-Mobile confirms that Android v1.6 (Donut) rollout is underway

Rumors were abound last night that T-Mobile would begin sending out the Android v1.6 update (known amongst the geekdom as “Donut”) today, and sure enough: they’ve just confirmed it.

The big changes here include a fix for a bug that would reset your phone after dialing 911 (Oops!), the new (and much prettier) market, improved voice search, a new camera interface, and homescreen search. Here’s the official word from ol’ Magenta themselves:

The rollout of Android 1.6 (Donut) to T-Mobile’s G1 and myTouch 3G customers is now underway, and provides new features and software enhancements. The update also includes an important fix for isolated instances of system reboots after dialing 911. We have worked with Google and HTC on a solution, and the rollout of Android 1.6 is being accelerated to ensure the system reboot fix is rapidly delivered to our customers.

The over-the-air update will be delivered to all G1 and myTouch customers in the coming days. Given the system reboot fix, we strongly encourage all users to install Android 1.6 when prompted to do so.

Regarding new and enhanced features, Android 1.6 includes:

* An improved Android Market experience that makes it easier to discover great applications.
* An integrated camera, camcorder, and gallery interface.
* Updated Voice Search, with faster response and deeper integration with native applications, including the ability to dial contacts.
* Updated search experience that make it easier to search various sources, such as browser bookmarks & history, contacts, and the web, directly from the home screen.

Additional details on Android 1.6 can be found at http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-1.6-highlights.html

If last night’s rumors continue to hold true, G1 owners should begin getting their updates today, and myTouch owners should start seeing it tomorrow. Let us know when you get yours!

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:46 am

Cars! E-Wolf E2 Electric Car

Wolf offers an electric Lambo to go with Tesla's Lotus-a-like. But looks, like batteries, only go so far. From Autoblog:

Powering the theoretical electric supercar will be one 134-horsepower electric motor per wheel for a total of 536 squeaky-clean horses and an impressive 738 lb-ft of torque (1,000 Nm). The run to 60 mph is expected to be dispatched in well under four seconds, though the top speed may be capped at 155 mph.

Energy storage will be by way of a lithium ion battery pack composed of 84 flat cells from CERIO. Although no details have been released on the pack's stated capacity, e-Wolf suggests that range could be as high as 187 miles...

e-Wolf channels inner Italian with planned e2 electric car [Autoblog via The Awesomer]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:37 am

BLOG: 'Earth-Like' Planets Not So Earth-Like

We may be too eager to label newly-found planets as Earth-like.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:35 am

Verizon to announce Moto Tao next week? Phone to drop Dec. 1?

First came the rumors. Then came the leaked images. And now, 3 all-knowing (conveniently unnamed) analysts have predicted that Verizon’s long awaited foray into Android will happen some time next week with the announcement of Motorola’s Sholes/Tao smartphone. The timing seems feasible, especially considering that Motorola is holding a MOTODEV Android-related press event next Tuesday, October 6 (WinMo 6.5 who?).

But, this is far from certain, folks. In fact, we have it on good word that Verizon retail employees have yet to train on Android, making a near term launch that much less likely. However, that does not rule out an announcement only like the recent Motorola CLIQ event.

Either way, the speculation is definitely heating up. Just this morning the friendly folks over at AndroidGuys have posted information suggesting the Tao (or whatever it will end up being called) will be released on December 1, just in time for the all-mighty holiday shopping bonanza. But the fun doesn’t stop there.

According to the super secret document that found its way to AndroidAndMe, the Tao will purportedly be the “world’s thinnest” slider QWERTY phone at 13.7mm thick. Yes, please! Other juicy tidbits include: a 3.7″ 16:9 touch screen display, 16GB built-in storage, 5MP camera with dual LED flash, full HTML browser with Flash support, and supposedly the next generation of Android, the big 2.0.

Here are the rest of the leaked specs:

* OMAP3430 – 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 + PowerVR SGX 530 GPU + 430MHz C64x+ DSP + ISP (Image Signal Processor)
* Dimensions 60.00 x 115.80 x 13.70 mm
* Weight 169 g
* Battery Li-ion 1400 mAh.
* Standby 450 hours, talk time 420 minutes
* 3.7-inch touch-sensitive display with a resolution of 854×480 pixels, 16 million color depth. Physical screen size is 45.72 mm by 81.34 mm.
* 512MB/256MB ROM/RAM
* microSD / microSDHC expansion slot
* Camera: 5.0 megapixel with autofocus and video recorder
* Connectivity: USB2.0, 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Wi-Fi
* Operating System: Android 2.0 (with Eclair, no Motoblur)
* Package Contents: Phone Motorola Sholes, battery, charger, USB cable, 8GB MicroSD memory card and other literature

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:33 am

10 things you can do with your (now) useless UMDs if you decide to upgrade to the PSPgo

FROM GAMERTELL - You’ve decided to be one of the PSPgo first adopters. Good for you! I wish I had your spare cash and hopeful optimism. If you’re taking the plunge and you’re already a PSP owner, you’ll find yourself suddenly in the possession of a number of useless games. Well, not totally… MORE »

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:33 am

A bidet wherever you go

Skymall's Travel Bidet--lavender, daisy-garlanded design and continental name notwithstanding--is a portable arse-cleaning kit. The only thing it lacks is a USB connection!

Customer reviews: Be the first to write a review!

Sanicare Travel Bidet [Skymall via RGS]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:33 am

Cars! Pairing Mercedes with iPhone

Bluetooth is a standard feature on Mercedes' COMAND system, allowing owners of many phones to use the dashboard's phone keypad to make calls. SMS messaging will be introduced some time down the line, too.

But we'll admit that trying to set it up was a stumper. First blaming the car, we soon found that the failure lived at the intersection of our own stupidity and an unusual UI choice by Apple. President and CEO of Mercedes R&D, North America, Johann Jungwirth, shows here how to pair an iPhone with the Mercedes 2010 E Class.

To pair an iPhone with a Mercedes, you have to go through an additional step on the iPhone. Most Bluetooth-compatible phones are recognized by the vehicle in one step without the need to authenticate manually on the phone end, but iPhones behave differently.

The user must open "settings," then "Bluetooth," and finally select the Mercedes-Benz vehicle as a device to pair with. After that step is completed, the vehicle can pair with iPhone for hands-free operation while inside the vehicle. The vehicle will then recognize the iPhone as you approach the vehicle, as soon as you're within Bluetooth range.

Music features, however, are reserved for direct cable connections with iPhones and iPods: you have to leave the phone in the glove box, too, where the iPod and AUX ports are.

MP4: Download

More info is at Mercedes-Benz's website.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:30 am

PSPGo in stores today

I'm a fan of the semiotics of silly names for colors. What do "ceramic white" and "piano black" say? Classiness?

PSPGo Available Now [Playstation]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:27 am

Worst. Doorknob. Ever.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:26 am

Refine your search results with new Search Options

In May, we launched Search Options, a side panel that lets you filter, refine and generate different views of your search results. We've received lots of positive feedback, and we're seeing more and more people using Search Options every day.

Today, we're announcing nine new Search Options tools: past hour, specific date range, more shopping sites, fewer shopping sites, visited pages, not yet visited, books, blogs and news. These features have been rolling out gradually and will be available globally in English by the end of the day. You can try them yourself by searching Google and clicking "Show options" in the blue bar just under the logo.

Past hour and Specific date range: With these tools you can choose to see only the most recent results in our index, or see results from a specific time period. This can be particularly helpful when you're looking for the freshest information, or if you have some idea of when the information you're looking for may have been published to the web.

More shopping sites and Fewer shopping sites: Now you can choose "More shopping sites" to show additional commercial pages and display prices from those pages right in the search results. If you're doing product research and are not quite ready to make a purchase, you can choose to see "Fewer shopping sites" to filter out many of the commercial sites.

Visited pages and Not yet visited: Rediscover pages you've visited before by clicking "Visited pages," or filter out the websites you've seen by clicking "Not yet visited." This can be particularly helpful when you're researching something you've already explored and you want to return right where you left off. To use this option you'll need to be signed in to your Google Account and have Web History enabled.

Books, Blogs and News: Click on these filters to see results only from these sources. Putting these filters together, along with videos, forums, and reviews, allows you to quickly switch between different source types right on the search results page.

We hope you get a chance to try out these powerful new ways to refine your search results. Please visit our help center to learn more about Search Options and leave us feedback. And stay tuned for more!

Posted by Nundu Janakiram, Product Manager, and Patrick Riley, Software Engineer
Source: The Official Google Blog | 1 Oct 2009 | 10:00 am

Mobile Internet sees 34 percent jump this year: Thanks, women, teens & seniors

Embattled ratings company Nielsen has published some Internet findings that may interest you. (If not, go make a sandwich or something.) The big finding is that mobile access to the Internet has jumped 34 percent compared to last year, and it looks like women, teens and, yes, seniors make up the bulk of that increase. The mobile Internet: not just a place for 20-something men anymore. Darn.

So what are people looking at while on the mobile Internet? Women are all about People.com and other celebrity nonsense. For shame, women, reading that trash.

Men, meanwhile, are all about, yes, GIZMODO! They also like Maxim (of course) and sports. I’m very happy to see Drudge in the top 10—I probably represent a full 10 percent of Drudge’s mobile visits!

All in all, nothing too crazy here. I don’t see Twitter anywhere in the top 10s, but that’s probably because Twitter didn’t really blow up till this past spring. Before that it was just the TechCrunch crowd on there, if you know what I mean.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:42 am

The 'Ardi' Discovery: A Handbook

Take an interactive tour detailing the discovery and analysis of the new hominid.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:15 am

Field Journal: Finding Ardi

Browse through exclusive photographs from the Ardi project co-director, Tim White.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:13 am

Previously rumored FLO TV device appears to be ready for a launch

Section: Video, Portable Video

It strikes me as a little funny that people are getting so excited about a little portable television with a 4-inch display.  After all this is just a small dedicated device for the FLO TV service, which has been available on select AT&T and Verizon cellphones for a while now and never seemed to gain any attention.  Why is it that a dedicated device is getting such attention?

Anyway, the latest, and yes I realize that I am just adding to the rumor mill, comes in for form of another spy shot.  The latest image shows off what appears to be the final packaging for the hopefully soon-to-be-released FLO TV Personal Television.

Bottom line, the box looks real, and I suppose it is a nice follow up to the originally leaked concept art and previous spy shot.

However, my question goes back to why people are getting so excited, are people actually going to be willing to make a purchase?  Personally, and depending on the cost I would consider it, but then again I have two young kids who at times could use a distraction in the form of entertainment in the car.

Via [Gizmodo]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am

SLIDE SHOW: Ardi: What She Tells Us

Find out what the new hominid fossil, Ardi, tells us about our own evolution.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 1 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am

'Ardi,' Oldest Human Ancestor, Unveiled

"Ardi" dates to 4.4. million years and may be the oldest human ancestor ever found.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:30 am

Apple and Google Breaking Up Over iPhone Maps? - PC World

Pocket-lint.com

Apple and Google Breaking Up Over iPhone Maps? PC World For the lovers of the iPhone, it's like daddy and mommy are getting a divorce. If that wasn't the case--if Apple and Google weren't calling it quits--why would Apple buy a mapping company? The tight integration between the iPhone and Google, ... Apple buys map service to compete with Google?CNET News Apple Setting Itself Up?Gerson Lehrman Group Report: Apple snagged Google Maps rivalRegister TopNews United States -Washington Post -Neoseeker all 111 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:08 am

Ears-On with iFrogz Timbre Earbuds and Microphone

We’ve been playing with (and listening to) iFrogz $50 Timbre headphones for a few weeks now. The earbud-style cans come with an in-line mic and switch which lets you make calls on the iPhone and Blackberry, and to remote control the iPhone and several iPod models. The short form: They do the job, but build quality is poor and they’re unlikely to last even as long as the Apple-supplied ‘buds that come in the box.

The Timbre phones are made of wood, and this is supposed to give them a warm, full sound. It doesn’t. Even after some use to wear them in, the earbuds sound harsh and the music seems to rush along. This last might sound odd, but somehow speakers and headphones can affect the timing and feel of music, and the Timbres make every track sound like it can’t wait to finish.

These wooden cases cause another problem, too. Barely minutes into using them, the rubber grommets which guide the cables into the buds had come loose. On both sides. You can push them back in but it is a fix that lasts minutes at best, so I gave up. I expect the joints inside to come loose pretty soon.

The other end of the bud is a little better. I can never find in-canal earbuds that fit me — they either fall out or make me gag as they nestle against my eardrum. The answer appears to let your ear-holes wax up a bit and then the rubber coated buds slide in and stick. Gross, but the only way I could get a fit, even with the different-sized grommets that come in the box.

Further down the wire we come to the blob of a control, housed in rubber with a pinhole for the mic. There is a switch in there which will play, pause, skip tracks and answer phone-calls. It works the same way as the Apple earbuds, and you’ll have to study some Morse-code to use them (this is Apple’s fault, of course, not iFrogz’). The switch lacks a volume control, sadly, which means pulling your iPod out of your pocket to turn things up or down.

After hearing the low-volume, low quality output of the headphones, I wasn’t expecting much from the mic, but it actually sounds great. A test Skype call to the Lady showed them to be loud and clear, and she could hear me very well. A test recording using the iPod Touch’s Voice Memo application had led me to think that the recording was a little quiet, but ironically it recorded great — it was just the playback that was bad.

A mixed result. If the headphones hadn’t fallen apart so readily, and if they didn’t make the music sound like you were listening through a telephone, they might be worth the $50. As it is, only the microphone is worth recommending.

Product page [iFrogz]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:06 am

Wall-Mounted Walnut Alarm Clock

I find it easy to wake up in the morning. I simply laze around in bed until the guy downstairs starts playing his bagpipes (or really loud recordings of talentless people practicing the bagpipes — it’s hard to tell). But some less fortunate people actually have to set an alarm. And some of those don’t have a cellphone with clock. And an even smaller subset of those doesn’t even have a night-stand on which to put a clock.

Fret no-more, phone-less, table-less, bagpipe playing neighbor-less sleepy-heads. Greg Wolos is here to take 130 of your dollars in exchange for Emily, a rather stylish brushed aluminum and red LED alarm clock which mounts on the wall. And what at first looks like lazy design - keeping the display in the orientation it would have if put on a table - is in fact very smart. If you lie down in bed that is, which, unless you are a vampire, you almost certainly do.

Waking up was never so stylish. Available now.

Product page [Generate Design via Oh Gizmo]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Oct 2009 | 8:06 am

Apple replacing Google Maps on iPhone?  Wow, how mad are they?

Section: Business News, Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

Apple quietly acquired Placebase, a mapping company that allows users to overlay maps with personal data.  With the recent fallout between Apple and Google, we’ve got to wonder if Apple is looking to depend less on Google for its mapping, one of the stock apps on the iPhone and iPod touch.

Interestingly, this news broke today, the same day that Strategy Analytics announced a survey that says mobile users in the US and Western Europe trust Google Maps more than any other.  While Google Maps lack audible turn-by-turn navigation, the service is seen as being the most accurate as compared to others, including fee-for-service outfits like TeleNav.

With the Google Voice App snafu, Google’s CEO leaving Apple’s board of directors, and Google Latitude remanded to just a web-app, it would seem that Apple is looking towards a future that may not include Google.  Would that mean that the iPhone’s Safari browser would not have Google as its default search?  As mobile becomes more and more lucrative for search, we’ve got to wonder if that will have an impact on future prospects for Google.

The other concern is if Apple tries to invent a new location service like Latitude, will it be just for the iPhone?  If so, the value of the service declines greatly for those of us that have contacts with other phones that likely won’t be compatible with Apple’s service.  Google Latitude seemed almost perfect as it works over so many different devices and OSes.

Read [Stuff.tv]

Image credit: Apple

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 1 Oct 2009 | 7:00 am

Sturmey Archer Three-Speed Fixed Gear Hub

Like the simple, direct feel of a fixed gear hub, but miss the ability to shift down for a hill? Old-school hub-gear maker Sturmey Archer has just the thing: the new S3X Fixed Gear Hub.

The S3X is an aluminum fixed-gear hub (in 120mm and 130mm sizes) with three speeds. The difference between this and any other three-speed hub is that there is no freewheel, meaning that, like any fixed-gear, the pedals are always moving, and you can skid the rear wheel without a brake.

Top speed runs direct, and when you shift down you’ll get -25% and -37.5% of the third gear. Sturmey Archer plans on making the requisite anodized color-range, and you should be able to buy down-tube or bar-end shifters. And this is where the fixed-gear purists will balk: You’ll need to run a cable and mount a lever.

It looks like the perfect compromise: gears when you need them, and all the fun of riding with a fixed drivetrain. The hubs will be available (hopefully) by the end of the year and will go for around $150.

Product page [Sunrace Sturmey Archer via Urban Velo]

See Also:

• Exclusive First Look: Shimano Electronic Dura-Ace
• Hands-On With the Sram Torpedo Hub

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Oct 2009 | 5:05 am

Gas-Powered Bar Blender Makes Girl-Drinks More Manly

We may just have found the perfect partner for Gadget Lab’s most beloved employee, the Beer Robot. A testosterone-pumping, twist-grip throttle toting, gas-powered blender.

The two-stroke, 43cc engine spins a blade inside an 85oz stainless steel pitcher, which should make enough margaritas to keep even our cocktail-guzzling NYC bureau chief John C Abell happy on his train-rides home. And because it is self powered, the blender can be used anywhere. Just make sure you bring enough ice.

A match made in robot heaven? Yes, but it’ll have to be a long distance relationship. California emissions laws mean that the gas blender can never visit the Beer Robot at home in San Francisco. $285.

Product page [Kegworks via Uncrate]

See Also:

• How Wired.com Built Beer Robot, Our DIY Kegerator
• Beer Robot
• Help Wired Pimp Our Kegerator, Win Free Beer

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:26 am

Video: Panasonic Builds Power-Loader Exo-Suit from Aliens

Boffins at Panasonic subsidiary Activelink have built a working Power Loader suit, just like the one Ripley used to go hand-to-hand with the alien queen in the movie Aliens. And better than that, they went on to make an eye-wateringly dull video of it in action.

The aluminum exoskeleton stands just over 5 feet tall, weighs 230KG (507lbs), and will let the user lift loads of up to 220lbs, as well as actually walking around while wearing it. That’s not enough to toss an alien into an airlock, but it may be enough to help rescue disaster victims (one of the suit’s main purposes), and to do it without crushing their puny human frames: The Power Lifter uses force-feedback to let the wearer feel the robot’s movements.

You will not be slipping one of these on anytime soon, though. Research has been going on since 2005 and marketable models aren’t expected for another 15 years.

Power Loader exoskeleton suit [Pink Tentacle]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Oct 2009 | 4:11 am

GPS Add-On Case For iPod Touch

The iPod Touch is a great device, especially for those who don’t want to drop $70-plus per month on a cellphone contract. Sure, it still doesn’t have a camera, but most of us have a camera anyway, whether a proper point and shoot or a terrible cellphone-cam. The same can’t be said about GPS. If only there were a way to add GPS to the iPod Touch…

Wait. There is! The “GPS Navigation & Battery Cradle for iPod Touch” is a slim case which slides onto the Touch and gives it a GPS unit. The best part is that it not only works with the mapping application from the unit’s maker, Dual Electronics (free with the cradle), but will provide GPS information to any application, meaning that all those cycle-computer apps you were itching to try out will now work.

The unit itself also contains a battery to save on iPod power-drain, and a bigger speaker so you can actually hear turn-by-turn directions. It even comes with a car mount and cigarette-lighter power cable in the box. In fact, the only thing missing right now is the price: while the shipping date – November - has been decided, the cost has not.

So far, we’re totally digging the deep hardware hooks put into the iPhone OS v.3, and the fact that it allows this kind of add-on. When Apple finally adds a camera to the Touch, and this GPS unit perhaps also gets a compass, it’ll truly be a phone-less iPhone.

Company page [Dual. Thanks, Joanna!]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 1 Oct 2009 | 3:49 am