Google makes concessions on digital book deal (AP)

AP - Internet search leader Google will ease its control over millions of copyright-protected books earmarked for its digital library if a court approves a revised lawsuit settlement that addresses objections of antitrust regulators.

Splash! NASA moon crash struck lots of water - The Associated Press

Telegraph.co.uk

Splash! NASA moon crash struck lots of water The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The lunar dud for space enthusiasts has become a watershed event for NASA. Spacecraft that crashed into the moon last month kicked up a relatively small plume. But scientists have confirmed the debris contained water — 25 gallons of it ... NASA spacecraft confirms water ice deposits on moonCNET News Moon water may be boon for MarshallThe Huntsville Times - al.com Water on the Moon Confirmed by NASA CrashesNational Geographic Washington Post -msnbc.com -Los Angeles Times all 1,237 news articles »

NASA To Try Powering Mars Rover "Spirit" Out of Sand Trap

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Iran sets up Internet crime unit (AP)

Rackspace Says it Is Closing the Gap with Amazon

Jet Airways flyers may now search for the lowest fares via sms

TED Talks Jan Chipchase on our mobile phones

Google, Content Groups Sign New Google Books Deal - PC Magazine

BBC News

Google, Content Groups Sign New Google Books Deal PC Magazine Google and a number of agencies representing book publishers agreed to a revised settlement covering Google Books on Friday, limiting the international scope of the agreement and providing a sort of trust fund for "orphaned" works. ... Google Books settlement sets geographic, business limitsCNET News Google, Authors, Publishers Offer Revised Book PactWall Street Journal Europe split on Google book plansBBC News Bloomberg -The Associated Press -Techdirt all 387 news articles »

SIM Card operated Phone Booths

GNOME 3 Delayed Until September 2010

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Google, Authors try to answer book deal concerns

Source: Gizmodo | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:40 pm

Palm Pixi Review: Not For Everyone, But It Fits A Niche

Palm and Sprint have taken a very different approach to the launch of the Pixi than they did with its slightly older and slightly brawnier brother, the Palm Pre. In the days leading up to the Pre, both parties were on full attack mode; keynotes were held, massive tradeshow booths were built, full page newspaper ads were run, and countdowns ticked away. With the Pixi? They’ve got a commercial.

Compared to Palm’s last run, the marketing campaign surrounding the Pixi is decidedly more average – and after spending a few days with the phone, I’d say they made the right decision there.

Read the rest of this entry at MobileCrunch >>

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:38 pm

Google, Authors try to answer book deal concerns

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google and the Authors Guild filed a new version of a deal to create a massive online library on Friday in hopes that changes will answer possible antitrust and...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:36 pm

Palm Pixi Review: Not for everyone, but it fits a niche

Palm and Sprint have taken a very different approach to the launch of the Pixi than they did with its slightly older and slightly brawnier brother, the Palm Pre. In the days leading up to the Pre, both parties were on full attack mode; keynotes were held, massive tradeshow booths were built, full page newspaper ads were run, and countdowns ticked away. With the Pixi? They’ve got a commercial.

Compared to Palm’s last run, the marketing campaign surrounding the Pixi is decidedly more average – and after spending a few days with the phone, I’d say they made the right decision there.

The Body:

The most obvious difference between the Pre and the Pixi is, of course, its form factor. Where as Palm decided to stray from their norm a bit with a sliding QWERTY keyboard design with the Pre, they’ve gone back to a design they know oh-so-well for the Pixi. An homage to the Palm Centro that came nearly two years prior, the Pixi is a non-sliding QWERTY candybar phone. As someone who generally doesn’t like such form factors, I say with a bit of joy: the Palm Pixi is pretty damn gorgeous.

To be completely honest, I initially didn’t like the design. In photos, it seems like a massive chunk of the face is one big empty black space, primarily because there’s a 1/2″ black void between the screen and the keyboard. While visually dull, this area isn’t useless – it’s a touch sensitive gesture region. Like the Pre, the Pixi uses off-screen gestures for “Back”, “Forward”, and to switch between applications. Once this relationship was established, my brain was more forgiving of the seemingly dominant bezel, and I actually became rather fond of the looks.

The phone feels superb in the hand; it’s surprisingly light, but not in a way that detracts from the build quality.

Though I’m a fan of the looks, the overall design isn’t without its faults. The battery is user replaceable, but it’s not something you’ll want to do often. Unless I’m missing something, the battery cover (which is the entire back plate) is frustratingly difficult to remove. Additionally — and just like the Pre — the cover over the microUSB slot (which you’ll need to open each time you charge it) is a bit of a mess. On the Pre, it was a flimsy piece of plastic which seemed like an afterthought. With the Pixi, a magnetic piece on the inside of the flip-out cover, intended to keep it from flopping open over time, causes it to snap shut if you even consider letting go. This grows incredibly tiresome when you’re trying to plug it in before you hop in bed. Both of these faults are trivial in the big picture; for the most part, the Pixi’s hardware design is quite commendable.

The Keyboard:

There were two almost unanimous complaints amongst reviewers of the Palm Pre: the keys were too small, and it felt cramped. So what did Palm do with the Pixi? They went and made the damn thing smaller. Yet somehow it’s much, much improved.

Much of the Pixi’s shrinkage comes from the fact that the keys are aligned in straight rows, rather than a curved series. While this does nothing to help the cramped feeling — your thumbs will still crash together on any letters less than three keys apart — they’ve also changed the overall button shape: they’re skinnier than they are tall and seemingly a bit “deeper”, which somehow makes them MUCH more usable. I went into the keyboard test expecting typos galore, and walked away with near-perfect accuracy. The keys also feel much better than those of its predecessor, emitting a nice, pleasing “CLICK!” rather than the dead squish of the Pre’s. It’s by no means my favorite keyboard ever, but it’s certainly worthy of the space it takes up.

The Operating System:

With a weaker processor and less RAM, the Pixi is a bit less powerful than the Pre – and unfortunately, it shows. We understand that Palm had to cut back the specs to afford (and justify) the price difference ($99 vs. $149, though both are available cheaper through third-party Sprint resellers), but it came at the expense of the user experience. The Pixi user interface lags – often. Apps often take 5-10 seconds to open, actions occasionally take long enough that I wrongly thought I’d missed the button, and animations stutter just about every other time one occurs.

With chunky framerates and load times aside, I still absolutely love the webOS interface. The overall design is my favorite of all the current-generation smartphone platforms. It pulls off a polished feel without resorting to absolute minimalism as the iPhone does, and handles notifications and switching between applications in a way more elegant and effective than Android. Palm is the only one of the lot to find the perfect combination of form and function.

The App Catalog:

When I wrote the Smartphone Showdown between the iPhone 3GS and the Moto DROID, I was able to chalk up the difference in number of apps (100,000 vs 10,000 respectively) as a bunch of nonsense – when you get up into the many-thousands-of-apps region, quantity becomes a bit of a joke. Alas, such things can not be overlooked here.

At the time of writing, the webOS App Catalog has 372 applications after launching way back in June. Palm is openly admitting that the App Catalog is still in beta and thus numbers are limited – but unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that they’re in a competition, here. There is growth here — about 105 apps per month for the last 3 months — but it simply doesn’t compare. Many types of apps are absent – and amongst the apps that do make an appearance, there’s a major lack of competition. Call me crazy, but I’m a big fan of competition in this space.

WiFi (or the lack thereof):

This one’s a bit of a short topic, but it needs to be said: the Pixi lacks WiFi, and that is absolutely, positively ludicrous. I do not care if the carrier could provide full 3G service to a phone wrapped in a lead box and buried 10 feet underground – making a smartphone without WiFi is like making a camera without a flash. When you don’t need it, whatever – but when you do need it, you really need it. And, considering that the Pixi renders pages over Sprint’s 3G network considerably slower than I would have guessed, you’ll need it.

It’s great that you got a smartphone phone down to an on-contract price of $99, Palm and Sprint – but so did HTC/Verizon, and they didn’t have to lop out the WiFi.

Camera:

The 2 megapixel is a bit better than average, but not outstanding. As with nearly every camera phone ever made, the flash is pretty bad on both ends of the spectrum. It makes no difference at any distance over 7 or 8 feet, but completely washes out all pictures under 3. The camera UI is a bit limited, but it’s pretty dang speedy. You can snap a picture around one and a half seconds after another.

There is no video recording.

We’ll put up a few camera quality samples over the weekend, so check back if you’re interested.

Battery Life:

With moderate-to-heavy use of the Pixi, I’m seeing about 6.5 hours of battery life before things start flashing. This battery seems on par (if not slightly better than) the Pre and about average for what we’ve been seeing with smartphones as of late overall.

Screen

After using big ol’ 3-4″ touchscreen handsets for the past few years, I honestly expected to be more annoyed with the small screen than I was. Yes, it’s small – but that’s inherent with this form factor. Fortunately, Palm has put enough work into smoothing corners and text that the 2.63″ 320 x 400 screen never really seemed troublesome.

(As an aside, huge high five to whoever it was on the user experience team that though of rounding the corners of the entire OS. It allows the OS to fade into the black hardware face in a way that is simply stunning, especially when screen elements are sliding around and resizing.)

Call Quality/Speakers:

This is always my least favorite subject to write about, as there are far too many varying factors. In my completely unscientific testing, the Pixi’s call quality is markedly average. It’s better than the muddled junk that comes out of the iPhone, but not nearly as clean or crisp as the DROID. Both the ear piece and the speakerphone could do well with being a bit louder.

Touchstone:

I’d never gotten the opportunity to try out Palms wireless, conductive charging solution, the Touchstone, for any reasonable amount of time – but Palm sent one along with the Pixi, so I figured I’d touch on it.

The Touchstone is a very cool idea. Once you get over the “Ooh, neat!” factor of not having to plug in past the meddlesome microUSB plug and the fact that you just paid $40 for a charger hits you over the head, it’s significantly less cool.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s built incredibly well and the design is very thoughtful, with touches like an ultra-sticky surface on the base to keep it from sliding – but it’s really, really silly. Though it plugs into the wall charger via USB, it doesn’t do any data transferring (nor will it even charge the phone) when plugged into a PC-bound USB port.

At the very least, it’s a missed opportunity. Palm could have used this to their advantage by adding some software elements exclusively shown whilst docking on a Touchstone, such as a stock ticker or a weather screen. Instead, it just reminds you that it’s charging – just as it would if you’d plugged it in, except it cost you 40 bucks.

Messaging/Facebook:

It might seem like I’m being hard on the Pixi – and I’ll admit that I am. The thing is, the Pixi wasn’t built for me. Palm is very open about the fact that this phone is built for a very specific audience: people who care a lot about messaging, and also want a phone slightly more advanced than whatever feature phone they’re likely upgrading from. The Pixi does messaging – and it does it well.

webOS’s default messaging app can handle Google Talk, AIM, SMS, and MMS, and, as of build 1.3.1 (which is available on Pixi on day 1 and is coming to Pre “soon”), Yahoo. It handles these protocols better than any other smartphone OS I use regularly, with every aspect of instant communication tied directly into the core of the operating system. Once you’ve linked all your buddies screen names to their contact cards (which can be a bit tedious), all text-based communication is seamlessly combined. If you’re talking to a buddy on AIM and they sign off, continuing the conversation via SMS is instantaneous.

While it has the major networks covered, it’s missing a few protocols I’d like to see. Namely, it’s missing Jabber, ICQ (for the oldschool folk), Skype (text only would be fine), and Facebook Chat.

That last bit is odd, considering that Palm has built a native Facebook application into OS 1.3.1; alas, that’s not the only shortcoming of said app. In fact, we’re hard-pressed to call it a Facebook app in comparison to Facebook apps on competing platforms – it’s really more of a Facebook widget that happens to be running full screen.

You get access to your news feed, with the ability to comment/like items, but that’s where functionality ends. No profile viewing, messaging, pages, events, or anything else that makes Facebook Facebook. You can view photo albums, but only if they appear in your news feed, which unfortunately just makes the whole app feel half-baked.

Conclusion:

If Palm’s goal here was to make a really killer smartphone for $99 bucks, they didn’t succeed. If their goal here was to make a really killer messaging phone that happened to have some smarts (and, according to them, it was), they pulled it off just fine.

Be sure to check out our Palm Pixi Unboxing Video.

What we like:

• The build quality is outstanding. It’s one of very few candybar phones I enjoy holding.
• Generally, webOS as an operating system is the pinnacle example of user experience. It is (usually) functional and gorgeous without sacrifice, and we’ve got hope Palm can de-suck the Pixi by fixing the lag issues.
• The keyboard blows the Pre’s out of the water
• Multi-touch in the browser
• Sprint Navigation is included in the price of data, and it’s pretty solid. It’s essentially the same powered-by-Telenav navigation app you’ll find on other phones.
• The design of the webOS IM/messaging system is fantastic

What we don’t:

• No Wifi
• Lag. Lots and lots of lag, throughout the entire OS. Hopefully they can fix this with an update, because it’s incredibly distracting.
• The new Facebook application is lacking, as is the Youtube client.
• The App Catalog is far too limited
• The battery cover is way too difficult to pull off, and the cover over the microUSB data/charging port makes me want to smash.
• No video recording

Who should buy it: Anyone coming from an LG Envy, Samsung Alias, or other such messaging-oriented feature phone who wants a bit more functionality without diving into a more expensive and more complex smartphone. Sprint’s got some of the cheapest pricing when it comes to plans – this $99 smartphone is $500-$1100 cheaper than a $99 smartphone on AT&T or Verizon in the 24-month long run. If I had a early/mid-teenage sibling or kid, I could give them this without feeling like I was giving them junk that they’ll hate in 6 months.

Who shouldn’t buy it: Anyone looking for a fully capable smartphone. I love this operating system to pieces, but the lag, the lack of applications, and the absence of WiFi keeps me from ever recommending this phone to anyone who needs it for much more than texting, casual browsing, and growing into a full-fledged smartphone.

Disclosure: Like nearly all phones we review, this unit was provided on loan by Palm for review.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:20 pm

Orgy: the game from 1967

The aim of Orgy, circa 1967, is to see how far you can pour "your favorite libation" into someone's mouth using the "beautiful hand-blown Porron." (i am bored via @fordradio)


Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:13 pm

Orgy: the game from 1967

The aim of Orgy, circa 1967, is to see how far you can pour "your favorite libation" into someone's mouth using the "beautiful hand-blown Porron." (i am bored via @fordradio)
Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:13 pm

The Eyewriter

The folks at Graffiti Research Lab, openFrameworks, The Fat Lab and The Ebeling Group have teamed up to create The EyeWriter, a "low-cost eye-tracking apparatus + custom software that allows graffiti...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

The Eyewriter

The folks at Graffiti Research Lab, openFrameworks, The Fat Lab and The Ebeling Group have teamed up to create The EyeWriter, a "low-cost eye-tracking apparatus + custom software that allows graffiti writers and artists with paralysis resulting from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to draw using only their eyes." Instructables has a post up. I'd love to witness this in action, up close, with someone who really needs to use it. I am personally familiar with ALS (a family member died of the disease). Any technology that helps people with ALS retain the ability to communicate sounds like a wonderful, wonderful thing to me. (Thanks, Christy Canida!)


Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

Commodore 64 Runs Again On the iPhone

Hugh Pickens writes "Stephen Williams reports in the NY Times that the app recreating some of the Commodore's seminal retro games, including Le Mans, Dragons Den and Jupiter Lander, has been re-issued after being pulled in September. The app features SID sound emulation, auto-save to continue where you left off, and a realistic joystick with a beautifully crafted C64 keyboard. Apple originally rejected the program for violating the SDK agreement, which dictates that 'no interpreted code may be downloaded and used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple's Published APIs and built-in interpreter(s).' After disabling the controversial feature, Apple published the app in September, but days later it was pulled and the developer was asked to remove, rather than just disable, the BASIC interpreter from the program, which would have allowed unscrupulous users to run unlicensed, emulated code on the iPhone or iPod Touch. 'The road was bumpy, but we remained persistent and made the changes Apple was looking for. Ultimately, BASIC has been removed for this release; however, we hope that working with Apple further will allow us to re-enable it,' the company wrote on its blog."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Gizmodo | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

I am unicorn, destroyer of ponies

Image link. Devin McGrath. (via galadarling via Susannah Breslin)


Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 9:53 pm

I am unicorn, destroyer of ponies

Image link. Devin McGrath. (via galadarling via Susannah Breslin)
Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 9:53 pm

Hurting Google

TechCrunch agrees with Cory's (and Jason Calacanis') predictions from last week: Murdoch is about to sign an exclusivity deal with an also-ran search engine. (There was more at the Graun.) Mike Arrington,...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 9:30 pm

Hurting Google

TechCrunch agrees with Cory's (and Jason Calacanis') predictions from last week: Murdoch is about to sign an exclusivity deal with an also-ran search engine. (There was more at the Graun.) Mike Arrington, however, suggests this will succeed in hurting Google.


Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 9:30 pm

Eyeball removal tool

So this is apparently real (?!): an eyeball removal tool for "Reborn" baby-dolls. Holy creepy. BEST REBORN EYEBALL-REMOVING TOOL I'VE FOUND! (Thanks, Fipi Lele!) Previously:Eyeball matrioshke -...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 9:26 pm

Eyeball removal tool

So this is apparently real (?!): an eyeball removal tool for "Reborn" baby-dolls. Holy creepy.

BEST REBORN EYEBALL-REMOVING TOOL I'VE FOUND! (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

Previously:

• Eyeball matrioshke - Boing Boing
• Electronic eyeball - Boing Boing
• Eyeball accidentally delivered to hotel guest - Boing Boing
• Cow eyeball found in juice bottle turns out to be mold - Boing Boing
• What should I do if my eyeball pops out of its socket? - Boing Boing
• Chewable eyeball cameras: sf video podcast - Boing Boing
• Eyeball massager - Boing Boing

Source: Gizmodo | 13 Nov 2009 | 8:40 pm

Dell's Global Mini 3 Strategy Shows a Hint of Genius

Source: Gizmodo | 13 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

BlueHippo Scam Collected $15M, Only Shipped One PC

An anonymous reader writes "Turns out that those BlueHippo commercials advertising financing for computers and other electronics for anybody, regardless of credit, were way more sleazy than you thought. The FTC is bringing this fraud down, but not too soon. 'According to the FTC, the company's brazen business model continued without interruption after the 2008 settlement. "In fact, in the year following entry of this Court's Stipulated Final Judgment and Order for a Permanent Injunction, BlueHippo financed — at most — a single computer to the over 35,000 consumers who placed orders for computers that could be financed during the period,' the FTC told a court (PDF) yesterday. In the meantime, the company took in a cool $15 million in payments from consumers, who don't appear to have received anything in return.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Gizmodo | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:52 pm

Transborder Immigrant Tool helps Mexicans cross over safely

Vice has an interview with b.a.n.g lab's Ricardo Dominguez about the Transborder Immigrant Tool, a GPS device based on a cheap cell phone that will help Mexican immigrants safely cross the border."

For the past few years you've been working on the Transborder Immigrant Tool, which sounds like it's really going to chafe the asses of millions of people--civilians and government entities alike. What was the impetus for this project?
My research lab at Calit2 is called BANG Lab, which stands for Bits, Atoms, Neurons, and Genes. One of the areas I've focused on since I've been in San Diego is developing what we call border-disturbance technologies.

What is the device, exactly?
We looked at the Motorola i455 cell phone, which is under $30, available even cheaper on eBay, and includes a free GPS applet. We were able to crack it and create a simple compasslike navigation system. We were also able to add other information, like where to find water left by the Border Angels, where to find Quaker help centers that will wrap your feet, how far you are from the highway--things to make the application really benefit individuals who are crossing the border.

Are you worried that you're going to rile anti-immigration militias?
One of the first things we did at BANG Lab was to interfere with the Minuteman Project in 2005. They were quite angry because not only were we committing public actions against them, but Calit2 and the UCSD system were also supporting it. They're well aware of who we are and what we do. Once they get full knowledge of the Transborder Immigrant Tool--and we're very transparent about it--I'm sure they'll be quite critical.

The Transborder Immigrant Tool Helps Mexicans Cross Over Safely


Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:38 pm

Risky Move: Apple Looking For iphone-itouch Game Engineer - ChannelWeb

SlashPhone

Risky Move: Apple Looking For iphone-itouch Game Engineer ChannelWeb By Joseph F. Kovar, channelweb Apple is looking to hire a game developer for its iphone and itouch team, but such a move carries the possibility of alienating some of its huge ecosystem of independent game developers. The actual Apple job posting can ... Germans Catch the iPhone Apps WaveBusinessWeek Need guidance? Look in the Bible, there's an 'app' for thatAndalusia Star-News Apple looks to hire AAA game developer for in-house iPhone teamApple Insider CNET News -Register -Gamasutra all 145 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:17 pm

Amazon Web Services offers .Net development kit for its cloud platform (InfoWorld)

InfoWorld - AWS (Amazon Web Services) unveiled this week an SDK (software development kit) intended to make it easier for developers to build Microsoft .Net applications that can access the AWS platform for cloud computing.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:15 pm

Fake Verizon 'balance-checker' Is a Trojan (PC World)

PC World - Cyber-criminals have started preying on Verizon Wireless customers, sending out spam e-mail messages that say their accounts are over the limit and offering them a "balance checker" program to review their payments.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:10 pm

Review: 'Art & Copy' Profiles Mad Men, Women of Advertising's Rise

A new documentary from Hype and Scratch director Doug Pray tracks the evolution and cultural impact of marketeers' creative output.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:07 pm

Relive your misspent youth with these Transformers USB drives

Brando, home of the odd USB device, finally has a product I want to order. No no, it’s not a heated slipper or a spy camera, it’s a Transformers USB drive. How cool is that?

It’s only a 2GB drive, and it’s pretty expensive at $45, but they certainly are cool. There are two models to choose from, Jaguar on the Decepticon side, and Tigerton from the Autobots.

So is it just me, or were Transformers cooler in the 80’s? I was looking at one at the store the other day, and it just seemed cheap compared to how I remember them.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pm

Modders hard at work circumventing Xbox banning

Were you one of the 1 million Xbox live users that got banned yesterday? Well, you might not want to go buy that new Xbox quite yet. Some of the modders (you know, the ones who got you banned in the first place) are working on a solution that returns the firmware to an almost stock configuration, which would allow you to actually use your console again.

Much like the jailbreakers, the Xbox modders are nothing if not persistent. Yesterday, Microsoft went after the estimated 1 million Xbox owners that had tampered with their systems. The ban locked out the installation of games on the hard drive, stopped Windows Media Player from working, wrecked the gamertags stored on the Xboxen in question, and blocked the consoles from logging in to Xbox Live.

There are two fixes currently being worked on, one from iXtreme LT, which isn’t ready yet, and one from Xbox-Scene which works, but is extremely complex. And you need to know your CPU key, which can be difficult to obtain, particularly if you’re already banned.

[via Daily Tech]

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pm

Time To Ditch Cable For Internet TV?

itwbennett writes "A flurry of announcements from YouTube, Boxee, Dell and Clicker on Thursday brought good news for anyone considering canceling their cable service in favor of internet TV. First, YouTube announced that within the next few days it will start offering full 1080P HD streams; better than your cable company can offer. Next, Boxee announced a 'Boxee Box' that promises to make it easier to get the content off your computer and onto your TV. Or you could hook up Dell's Inspiron Zino HD instead. 'This is an 8" x 8" PC running Windows 7 (with an option for Ubuntu) that you certainly could use as a desktop machine, but the form factor just screams 'Hook me up to your TV!' via its HDMI port,' says Peter Smith. And, last but not least in this roundup of announcements is the launch of Clicker, a programming guide for internet TV that aims to help you find what you want, when you want it."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:55 pm

URL shorteners suck less, thanks to the Internet Archive and 301Works

URL shorteners like bit.ly present some profound problems for the health of the web: for one thing, they might vanish if they company that provides them goes bust (for some other things: it exposes your internet browsing to surveillance by random URL-shortening companies; it exposes you to malware and phishing attacks, and so on).

The first problem -- URLs can vanish -- looks like it may be solved soon. Many URL shortening companies are escrowing their databases of shortened URLs with the Internet Archive, an honorable, established nonprofit. If the companies go bust, their URLs will be redirected to the Archive and thus persist.

The non-profit Internet Archive, a digital library with extensive text, audio, video and web collections, will administer 301Works.org as a project of the Internet Archive. "Short URL providers have in the space of eighteen months become a corner stone of the real time web -- 301Works.org was conceived to provide redundancy so that users and services could resolve a URL mapping regardless of availability. The Internet Archive is a perfect host organization to run and manage this for all providers," says Bit.ly CEO John Borthwick. "The Internet Archive is honored to play this role to help make the Web more robust," added Brewster Kahle, founder and Digital Librarian of the Internet Archive.

All participating companies are members of the 301Works.org Working Group, a technical and policy discussion group, but the Internet Archive will manage the over all initiative in a fashion consistent with its charter as a non-profit organization, and supporting the interests of the greater community ahead of those of the participating companies.

Participating companies will provide regular backups of their URL mappings to the 301Works.org service. In the event of the closure of a participating organization, technical control of the shortening service domain will be transferred to 301Works.org in order to continue redirecting existing shortened URLs to their intended destinations.

URL shorteners working with Internet Archive for long-term preservation (via Kottke)

Previously:

• Why URL shorteners suck

Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pm

Nikon's Projector Cam Shines Through Exorbitant Price Tag

A point-and-shoot with a projector in it? Get out of town! It's true, and despite being super expensive, Nikon's novel shooter displays vibrant hi-def images up to 72 inches.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:45 pm

Eyeball removal tool

So this is apparently real (?!): an eyeball removal tool for "Reborn" baby-dolls. Holy creepy.

BEST REBORN EYEBALL-REMOVING TOOL I'VE FOUND!

(Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

Previously:

• Eyeball matrioshke - Boing Boing
• Electronic eyeball - Boing Boing
• Eyeball accidentally delivered to hotel guest - Boing Boing
• Cow eyeball found in juice bottle turns out to be mold - Boing Boing
• What should I do if my eyeball pops out of its socket? - Boing Boing
• Chewable eyeball cameras: sf video podcast - Boing Boing
• Eyeball massager - Boing Boing

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:41 pm

Auction for a private tour of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles with Leonard Nimoy

This is neat -- CharityBuzz is auctioning off a private tour of Griffith Observatory with Leonard Nimoy! The tour is for two people and the current high bid is $5,250. The proceeds will go to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

Also in the auction block: A tour of Industrial Light and Magic with George Lucas. Max bid on this is $300.


Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:39 pm

EFF launches international copyright news site

Danny from the Electronic Frontier Foundation sez, "Copyright lobbyists often indulge in what's called "policy laundering" -- if you can't get an amendment to copyright in one country, just shop it around until you find somewhere that will take it. Keeping track of changes and variations in over 180 countries and dozens of international venues is a challenge, but necessary if we're going to stop ill-advised copyright law from taking hold and spreading. That's why EFF, librarians, and researchers all around the world have teamed up to start Copyright Watch. We've spent months pooling together every copy of every country's copyright law that we could find. From now on, Copyright Watch will be spotting new changes, identifying quirks and novelties in different laws, and keeping watch at the IP fronter -- wherever in the world that might be."

Copyright Watch collects and monitors copyright laws from all over the world. (Thanks, Danny!)


Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:38 pm

Faster Supercomputers: Your Tax Dollars at Work [Voices]

By Don Clark, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

On Monday, researchers will release a twice-yearly list of the 500 biggest computers in the world. The latest rankings should provide some new clues about high tech’s relentless speed race, and how it’s being funded.

National labs and other research institutions buy these supercomputers to handle huge number-crunching tasks, like modeling weather patterns, nuclear explosions and aircraft designs. They rely heavily on advances from the semiconductor industry, since each system uses thousands of microprocessor chips–typically supplied by Intel, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and IBM (IBM).

Rankings on the so-called Top500 list are determined by performing a set of mathematical calculations known as Linpack that indicate how fast a system is.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:34 pm

This week in search 11/13/09

This week brought a variety of changes, including a flu shot finder to keep you healthy during this year's flu season. And since you'll be healthy, you can enjoy updates to our movie showtimes feature and go out and have fun.

Flu shot finder
We launched a flu shot finder with the goal of helping people find where they can get their fall flu shots. At the moment we have data for shot locations in 20 states. We'll be increasing our coverage to all 50 states. We're just getting started with this project, so stay tuned for improvements.

You can find flu shots at www.google.com/flushot.

The ability to lock SafeSearch
We launched a feature that lets you lock your SafeSearch setting. When you lock SafeSearch, two things will change. First, you'll need to enter your password to change the setting. Second, the Google search results page will be visibly different to indicate that SafeSearch is on and locked:

That way, if you're taking care of kids, you'll be able to verify that SafeSearch is on from clear across the room! Just look for the colorful balls in the upper right corner.

You can lock your SafeSearch by visiting our Search Settings page in the Settings menu in the upper right corner of www.google.com and clicking "Lock SafeSearch".

Updated movies showtimes
We launched an update to the movies showtimes feature, which now includes movie posters to enrich our movie results. When you click on the result, you'll get a more comprehensive summary of the movie as well as the ability to view theater locations on a map and sort by genre.

Example searches: movies, where the wild things are, 2012

Adding World Bank data to search
We have added World Bank data to search. This makes finding global facts like life expectancy, electricity use and birth rates a lot faster and easier. The Public Data feature also lets you make comparisons across countries. Here's what the feature looks like when it appears in your search results:
Example searches: the worlds life expectancy, electricity use germany

Hope you enjoyed this week's new features. Stay tuned for next week!

Posted by Johanna Wright, Director of Product Management, Search

Source: The Official Google Blog | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:33 pm

AMD breaks 7GHz barrier with liquid helium and nu-metal

A while back I went to a fun overclocking event held by AMD, where there was a lot of vapor, some exploding burritos, and some overclocking that got tantalizingly close to 7GHz. It was just an arbitrary number, and they broke a bunch of other records, but they couldn’t quite hit that last target. But a few months and I can only guess how much liquid helium later, they nailed it.

Their video, far from the lighthearted hijinx and sloppy editing of my own, is a professional affair, dominated by some nu-metal that perfectly embodies the concept of overclocking. Well, that’s not really true. But it’s better than the constant hissing noise that is the soundtrack to mine.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:30 pm

Stupid, draw back your bow

In my spam: boner pill fantasy art. This is a real image that adorned a spam email message from a Chinese meds site.


Source: Boing Boing | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:28 pm

Microsoft Takes Responsibility For GPL Violation

An anonymous reader writes with an update to the news we discussed last weekend that a Windows 7 utility seemed to contain GPL code: "Microsoft has confirmed that the Windows 7 USB/DVD tool did, in fact, use GPL code, and they have agreed to release the tool's source code under the terms of GPLv2. In a statement, Microsoft said creation of the tool had been contracted out to a third party and apologized for not noticing the GPL code during a code review."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:02 pm

Verizon phones may be designed to incite accidental data usage

Section: Communications, Cellular Providers

We all know that Verizon Wireless, and all other cellular carriers mainly exist to make a profit.  They are all companies with many, many customers, after all.  It might be, however, that at least some of their revenue is coming from accidental data usage from customers with no data plans.  Not only that, but it seems as if the phones are designed to facilitate those charges.

David Pogue of the New York Times has received a message from a Verizon Wireless employee who is tired of the charges.  The charges come from customers accidentally hitting a button for services like Mobile Web or Get It Now.  By opening the apps and trying to connect, kilobytes are transferred.  So much as a single kilobyte will get counted as 1 MB by Verizon (and presumably other companies), resulting in an additional $1.99 added to their bill.  That even applies to customers who have data blocks, as some data is transferred in showing the message that they cannot use data.  Combine this easy mistake with the fact that Verizon alone has 87 million customers, and there is a potential for huge revenue.

What Verizon, AT&T, and presumably the other carriers are doing isn’t illegal, though it can leave customers feeling cheated.  $2 is a lot to pay for a single mistake that the customers probably attempted to rectify almost immediately.  I know I’ve hit those buttons on occasion, and thought I’d fixed it by hitting END or closing the phone immediately, though apparently not.  What’s worse is the fact that some phones can’t even be programmed such that those buttons do launch other apps.  Even if they are reprogrammable, the option to do so is usually buried deep within the menu system so most average users might not be able to find it.

Read [NY Times]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:01 pm

Crysis & Crysis Warhead $15 each this weekend on Steam

Steam has yet another great weekend sale going on right now. Both Crysis and Crysis Warhead are $15 each this weekend and let me just say, they are totally worth it.

You may have missed the game the first time around because of its insane graphic requirements. But chances are that you’ve updated your PC, or bought a new one, it should have no issues running the epic game. Buy at least the original if you’re don’t want to invest $30 total. It’s just a good ol’ running and shooting game. You’ll love it.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

PC World Podcast 53: Intel and AMD Settle, Microsoft and Apple Copy Each Other (PC World)

PC World - This week, PC World editors Steve Fox, Robert Strohmeyer, and Tim Moynihan are joined by Macworld's Jason Snell for to explore all the hubbub over allegations that Microsoft has copied Apple in the design of Windows 7.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:56 pm

UPDATE 4-Steel, rubber found in some Genzyme drugs

* Genzyme shares drop more than 7 percent (Updates with comments from company, analysts, FDA)
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:54 pm

Webloyalty Applauds Move Toward Enhanced Online Marketing Industry

NORWALK, Conn., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Webloyalty, a leading provider of online discount membership subscription programs, applauded the decision today by Affinion to adopt...
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:48 pm

Judge tells Grupo to offer contract to Asarco union

* Grupo says would assume Asarco's existing union contract
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:44 pm

Still Room for Microsoft in Google's Office Empire [Digital Daily]

“We don’t call it an office suite. It’s not an office suite.”

— In 2006, Google CEO Eric Schmidt denies the company is planning an assault on Microsoft Office.

This is amusing–if only because Google insisted for so long that it doesn’t have designs on Microsoft’s core PC software business. Discussing Google Docs and the company’s other productivity offerings with ZDNet Asia, Dave Girouard, president of Google’s enterprise division, volunteered that most businesses will have the opportunity to “get rid of [Microsoft] Office if they chose to” in a year.

“We wouldn’t ask people to get rid of Microsoft Office and use Google Docs because it is not mature yet,” Girouard said. But once it is and Google’s finishes with the 30+ features and performance updates it has planned for the office suite in the next year, the company will no doubt ask just that.

And when Google (GOOG) does, what will happen to Microsoft (MSFT)? Not to worry, Redmond, there will still be a place for your Office business in Google’s new software-as-a-service empire. Said Girouard: “I don’t think Office will entirely disappear.”

[Image credit: Flickr/FF2D]

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:43 pm

UPDATE 1-Pershing reports Landry's stake; opposes CEO takeover

* Says will not support planned takeover of Landry's by CEO
Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:31 pm

First screenshots of Fallout MMO (that may never be released)

Long before Fallout 3 there was Fallout 2. And before that, Fallout. Interplay made the two first games, while Bethesda made the third one under some sort of licensing deal that would allow Interplay to create new Fallout games not connected to Fallout 3. Then Bethesda sued Interplay, which puts a game it was working on, a Fallout MMO, in jeopardy. These are screenshots of that game, to be used as evidence during the legal proceedings.

I’d hate to be a cynic and call it Fallout 3 With Grinding, but it certainly is reminiscent of Fallout 3, no? Granted, the Super Mutant looks a little different, a little more pastel, but yeah.

I’d play it. A Wasteland MMO could be a nice change of pace from Night Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

Court Silences CIA Operative Despite Yellowcake Scandal

A federal appeals court is barring outed spy Valerie Plame Wilson from discussing her tenure as a former CIA agent.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

"Green Caviar" to Enter Fish Market

Have you ever eaten "Green Caviar?" (Image: ayustety) It's a remarkable seaweed, sometimes also called "sea grapes," "ocean grapes," or "Umibido" (in Japan), which has the texture of caviar and even looks like caviar, as evidenced here. OK, so the ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:29 pm

To Play With Giants, App Devs Risk Getting Squashed

Mobile app developers find that there's a risk to being a little guy: Sometimes the corporation that controls the platform, like Google or Apple, will make your app obsolete.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm

AT&T's Verizon Ad Battle: Who's Being Hurt Worse? - PC World

DailyTech

AT&T's Verizon Ad Battle: Who's Being Hurt Worse? PC World Cell phone lovers, get ready to rumble: AT&T and Verizon are duking it out in an ad-based battle, and the fight isn't showing any signs of slowing down. Now, some new data suggests the public is starting to take notice. First, let's set the scene: In ... AT&T letter criticizes Verizon ad campaignComputerworld AT&T write open letter to customers; hits back at 3G-focused Verizon adsTopNews United States Verizon spits at AT&T; AT&T bites backCED Magazine ZDNet -Wired News -USA Today all 127 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:19 pm

AT&T's Verizon Ad Battle: Who's Being Hurt Worse? (PC World)

PC World - Cell phone lovers, get ready to rumble: AT&T and Verizon are duking it out in an ad-based battle, and the fight isn't showing any signs of slowing down. Now, some new data suggests the public is starting to take notice.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:19 pm

FreeCreditReport.com Wins 1,017 Domains By UDRP

typosquatting writes to mention that the largest domain dispute case since the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) was enacted ten years ago has been decided. The decision saw 1,017 cyber-squatting domains turned over to ConsumerInfo.com, owner of FreeCreditReport.com. The full decision can be read via the National Arbitration Forum website. "It would seem that this decision sets or reinforces a fairly strong precedent that trademark holders may be entitled to, not only to the domain name that exactly matches their trademark, but also to a wide swath of other domain names including nearly every possible misspelling or other variation of that trademark, potentially even if the trademark is comprised of generic words."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:11 pm

CrunchDeals: HP MediaSmart LX195 for $199

You better act quick. This deal ends today. But if you really need a smaller WHS for, lets say, backup purchases only, the HP MediaSmart LX195 is perfect and Newegg has it on sale just for you.

For only $199, you can get a 640GB HP MediaSmart LX195 server. Sure, the hard drive is little on the small side, but it’s easy enough to upgrade. You can either swap out the hard drive later or plug in an external hard drive for more storage. Windows Home Server makes it easy to add even an external drive to the cluster.

For $199, it even could make a great gift to some technology-fluent parents. The backup and restore feature would be worth it alone. But act fast, the sale ends today.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

Madoff Coders Charged With Aiding Massive Ponzi Scheme

Two coders have been charged with writing programs that helped convicted investor Bernard Madoff deceive regulators and pull off his massive Ponzi scheme.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

Cellphone Use Changes the Brain, Say Scientists

Even as the debate over whether radiation from cellphones pose health risks or not rages on , some scientists say that cellphone use does have a biological effect on the brain.

Researchers at Sweden’s Örebro University found that cellphone use increases the amount of a protein called transthyretin, which is part of the ceberospinal fluid that cushions and protects the brain. But the researchers did not comment if the change is good or bad for the brain, reports Live Science.

The effect of cellphone radiation on users has become an important issue for scientists, environmental organizations and cellphone industry groups. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission sets the acceptable radiation standards for cellphones. As part of the device certification process, all handset makers have to offer a certificate from an independent lab that show how the device rates.

Still, current radiation testing methods may not be accurate, says advocacy organization, the Environmental Working Group. In a September report on cellphone radiation, the group says current head models used for testing the radiation absorbed are designed to simulate a large person’s head.

Children have much thinner skull bones and their brains have a lot more fluid, so their brain tissues would likely absorb twice more radiation compared to an adult’s brain. But cellphone radiation standards set by the government remains the same for both groups.

The Swedish study found that children and teenagers who were heavy cell phone users were indeed more likely to report health problems. These included headaches and impaired concentration.

Some companies such as Pong Research are trying to offer phone cases that can cut down the emitted radiation from phones and direct it away from the brain.  But without consensus that cellphone radiation does pose a risk to users, there’s no scientific blessing to the idea.

See Also:

• Inside a Cellphone Radiation Testing Lab
• Study Reveals How Much Cellphone Radiation You’re Getting
• Video: Cellphone Radiation Pops Popcorn
• Cellphones Get Radiation Labels

Photo: A cellphone being tested for radiation at a lab/Priya Ganapati

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:35 pm

Xbox Europe hits 10 million consoles in sales

You’ve got to admit, Microsoft is having a good month. First, they release Windows 7. Now, they hit a rather remarkable milestone of 10 million consoles shipped in Europe.

No word on how many of those consoles were sold to replace units that had died due to the RROD, but it’s impressive nonetheless. The Xbox 360 is also the only console to show year to year growth in the EU this year. Love it or hate it, the Xbox 360 has turned into the quite the home entertainment appliance. You can read the whole press release here.

Which is just what Microsoft wants.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:30 pm

Nicaragua Creates Innovative Agricultural Information System With Open Source

johanneswilm writes "Nicaragua is the second-poorest country of the Americas. It is now also the Latin American country with the most capable web-based information system for agriculture, thanks to open source software. ALBAstryde itself is open source, and it is based on Django and jQuery. It allows the user to play with the data, and its reach is further extended by a net of radio stations which are broadcasting the numbers to remote peasants, who thereby, for the first time ever, get up to date data on prices and general production levels in the country. The implementation for the ministry of agriculture of Nicaragua already contains live data."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pm

Where the Botched Children's Book Adaptations Are

A beloved kids' book does not necessarily translate into a wonderful movie. From The Polar Express to The Hobbit, these are some of the biggest kid-friendly failures.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pm

Butterflies Depart for Orbit on Monday

The 1994 "Simpsons" episode "Deep Space Homer" provided a hilarious send-up of the oft tedious and/or ridiculous realities of space exploration -- at least in the eyes of the public. There's a wonderful moment aboard the space shuttle when Homer ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:16 pm

Flying the Digitally Friendly Skies: Gogo, Google and the Facebook PR Guy in 17D [BoomTown]

So, BoomTown–who cannot be unplugged from the matrix for very long without breaking into a cold sweat–was pretty excited to have free Wi-Fi on my Virgin America flight to Washington, D.C., early this morning.

The service from Gogo Inflight Internet is free since earlier this week until Jan. 15, courtesy of Google (GOOG), on Virgin, as well as at 47 airports. It usually costs anywhere from $6 to $13.

Like the search giant, other Web companies–presumably wanting to goose usage and, more to the point, their brands–have also leaped in.

Delta has a promotion with eBay (EBAY) on several hundred planes for a week around Thanksgiving, and Yahoo (YHOO) is footing the bill for anyone using computers or smartphones in Times Square in New York for one year.

Pretty much what the government and big cable and wireless companies should be doing, but let’s not look a digital gift horse in the mouth.

So far on the flight, the Internet has been pretty solid, although video plays even slower than my Comcast (CMCSA) connection at home.

Also, electricity on the flight has been in and out; when it doesn’t work, it pretty much negates Internet use on a long flight.

But more interesting, as most who use the Web in the air seem to feel, is the ability to make a lot of online connections, including with people on the same plane.

While I was no fan of the goofy seat-to-seat connections offered on some airlines, I did get an email from a Facebook public relations guy sitting in the row behind me on the same flight asking if I wanted to meet the social networking site’s DC staff.

Without ever seeing him I now have a meeting on Monday with them, so–apparently–mission accomplished!

Please see this disclosure related to me and Google.

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:11 pm

Wal-Mart pulling all-nighter Thanksgiving to avoid customer logjam

Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous

Just the mention of Black Friday brings to mind two thing: great deals and insane crowds fighting to get them.  Wal-Mart hopes to change the latter part by opening stores on Thanksgiving Day and staying open through Black Friday encouraging a steady flow of traffic instead of crazy mobs ready for deals at 6 am.

Last year, the retailer received a lot of negative press after one employee died after being trampled by deal-seekers.  Each Wal-Mart store will have a plan on how to handle traffic but most will not close in hopes of preventing chaos.  $5 off a blender isn’t anything to get trampled over.

This year, customers can walk into the store and form lines in front of must-have merchandise to receive the 5am sale price.  Surely this plan is more labor intensive as employees will manage each line to insure order and ease.  Even more employees will be stationed at the front of the store to keep the crowds moving in the right direction.

It beats waiting in the cold and it certainly should help ease the fears of getting caught in a wave of bargain happy zombies.

Read: [NYT]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pm

CyberTouch/AV Announces Touch Screen Monitors Compatible With Extron Electronics' Annotator

NEWBURY PARK, Calif., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberTouch|AV is pleased to announce its release of a complete line of touch screen monitors compatible with the Extron Annotator.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pm

CrunchDeal: Wii for $99 at Toys “R” Us

You might not want to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to pick up that Wii. Toys “R” Us is running a deal this coming weekend where you can pick up a Wii system and a Ready for Play Wii Pack for $249.

The Ready for Play pack includes a 20-pack of AA batteries, a copy of Mario & Sonic at the Olympics game, an Ultimate Gaming Ottoman, and your choice of any four Gear Monkey video game accessories. Sounds like a screaming deal to me. Go get one at your local store, or online.

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

Verizon Won’t Offer Free Tethering But Droid Hackers Might (Updated)

Updated 8 p.m. EDT: Google has released the source code for Android 2.0, according to Android developer Cyanogen.

In TV ads, Verizon is trying to sell its new Google-powered phone by highlighting everything the “Droid Does” that the iPhone doesn’t. But the Droid will be able to do much more than Verizon is telling you. For example: free tethering, iPhone-like multitouch and CPU overclocking.

Similar to the jailbreak community hacking the iPhone, there’s a group of Android developers determined to grant any Google-powered phone free access to every feature imaginable. And they’re able to accomplish this task more legitimately than underground iPhone hackers, since Android’s source code is completely open to developers.

That gives developers an end-run around carriers, like Verizon, that might have their own ideas — like charging a $15 to $30 monthly fee for tethering.

The source code for Android 2.0, aka Eclair, hasn’t been released by Google yet, so a custom build for the Droid isn’t yet available. But customized versions of the OS already exist for previous Android phones, and given the open source nature of Google Android, it’s inevitable a modified firmware bundle will arrive in the near future.

Ever since the birth of the Android platform, developers have been working on a process called “rooting,” which gains administrative rights to a device. That allows developers (and users) to have complete control and to utilize all the features found in the Android platform. Now independent developers bundle features such as tethering, overclocking and multitouch into custom OS builds that are available free for download. Firmware mods makes it easy for a regular Android user to have it all.

What exactly does that mean for Droid customers, or owners of any Android phone for that matter? You’ll be able to install modified firmware onto your smartphone and gain access to everything Android is capable of — without paying extra fees on top of your cellphone bill — so long as the hardware can technically support it. For example, you won’t have to pay $30 for Verizon’s official tethering plan so long as you install a free mod that includes the feature.

Earlier Android phones — the T-Mobile G1 and MyTouch 3G — have already been hacked to support Google Maps Navigation, which is supposed to be a Droid-exclusive feature. Thanks to the folks at the XDA Developer forums, all that G1 or MyTouch owners have to do is reinstall an updated version of Google Maps and change configuration settings.

Some manufacturers and carriers are already embracing the direction of open customization with all the available and upcoming Android devices that are hitting the market. For example, T-Mobile’s official development forum allows developers and consumers to discuss step-by-step directions on rooting an Android device. T-Mobile customers who have gone this route enjoy the perks of data tethering, for example, without an additional cost.

You can assume that Verizon, a company which just doubled its early termination fee, won’t look as kindly on the idea of customers rooting their devices and tethering for free.

Of course, changing the way a device operates from a manufacturer’s specifications always comes with a risk, and an Android phone is no exception. There are warnings about “bricking” your phone, which renders a device unbootable, and this commonly happens after installing a custom build of Android. Although it is considered a rare occurrence, a quick Google search brings up many results of Android users asking for help or wondering if their phone is, in fact, bricked.

And don’t think a carrier or manufacturer will offer any assistance with issues caused after modding their device, a clear violation of most Terms of Use. When someone discovers a way to root the Droid, Verizon doesn’t have to take the T-Mobile route of turning a blind eye to these changes. It could retaliate by terminating contracts and voiding warranties.

With all that said, just when can we expect a mod for the Droid, for those willing to take on the risks? Google has not announced when it would release Android 2.0’s source code, but Android engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru has said it’ll happen eventually.

“There are a number of things that need to happen before any Open-Source release can happen, and those haven’t all happened for Eclair yet,” Queru wrote on the official Google Groups page. “For all I know all of those things will eventually happen. The overall process for any such release routinely takes a few weeks depending of course on the size of the release, and Eclair is a big release.”

See Also:

• Why I’m Not Getting a Droid Today
• Verizon to Offer Tethering for Motorola Droid
• Google Muscles Android Developer, Offers Olive Branch

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:53 pm

Verizon Won't Offer Free Tethering, But Droid Hackers Might

The Droid will be able to do a lot more than Verizon is telling you. All we await is for Google to open Android 2.0's source code, which will enable mods to unlock features such as free tethering, iPhone-like pinching and more.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:53 pm

Officers who played Wii during drug raid get disciplined, sort of

FROM GAMERTELL - Undercover detectives received a letter of retraining and are required to undergo two hours of retraining. Guess how the detectives were “punished…”
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:52 pm

Newport Controls, LLC is Proud to Introduce a Complete Line of UL Recognized SmartControls.

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Today's hot tub manufacturers are in a race to capture market share. Historically, control system options have been limited to a few suppliers that share the same ideas.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:52 pm

Nvidia's RealityServer to Offer Ubiquitous 3D Images

WesternActor writes "ExtremeTech has an interview with a couple of the folks behind Nvidia's new RealityServer platform, which purports to make photorealistic 3D images available to anyone on any computing platform, even things like smartphones. The idea is that all the rendering happens 'in the cloud,' which allows for a much wider distribution of high-quality images. RealityServer isn't released until November 30, but it looks like it could be interesting. The article has photos and a video that show it in action."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:47 pm

Google Voice acquires VoIP purveyor Gizmo5 - Macworld

Businessandleadership.com

Google Voice acquires VoIP purveyor Gizmo5 Macworld Since its inception, Google Voice has offered a wide range of features for managing your phone calls, with one glaring exception: calls passing through Google Voice have to be directed to another phone number if you actually want to answer them. ... Google Puts Voice on Steroids with Gizmo5PC World How Google Voice Violates Google's Own Privacy PolicyWashington Post Google buys SD startup Gizmo5; price not toldSan Diego Union Tribune eWeek -InformationWeek -PC Magazine all 117 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:46 pm

Google Voice acquires VoIP purveyor Gizmo5 (Macworld.com)

Macworld.com - Since its inception, Google Voice has offered a wide range of features for managing your phone calls, with one glaring exception: calls passing through Google Voice have to be directed to another phone number if you actually want to answer them. This gap may now have been closed with Thursday's announcement that Google is acquiring Gizmo5, also known as the Gizmo Project.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pm

Security heightened ahead of Ubisoft's 'Avatar' game release (AFP)

AFP - Security cameras in hallways, double locked doors and strict confidentiality clauses, Ubisoft employees are working in a veritable bunker in downtown Montreal to create their latest 3D video game.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:35 pm

BrailleNote Apex makes it easier to take notes with Braille QWERTY keyboard

This is the BrailleNote Apex. It’s a device that the blind/visually impaired (I’m not sure which term is the more acceptable one) can use to, as the name and photo implies, take notes. It runs Windows CE 6, which this type of device usually runs, and, is aimed at students and the like.

Like so many netbooks, it’s powered by an Intel Atom processor, and comes with a bit of flash storage—8GB, to be exact. Of course, you can add extra storage with a handy SDHC card.

An internal application suite, named Keysoft, can let users browse the Web, send and read e-mail, record audio notes, etc. There’s even an instant message client.

Yes, this is something that I’d have to see in person to fully appreciate how it works, and how positive an impact it makes on people’s lives.

via SlashGear

Source: CrunchGear | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pm

Swine Flu Count: 4,000 Dead, 22 Million Ill

Estimates of deaths caused by the swine flu have grown to nearly 4,000 since April, roughly quadrupling previous estimates.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:29 pm

Google Chrome Operating System Due Next Week?

TechCrunch's Michael Arrington reports that Google's Chrome operating system may be available for download as early as next week. Google first announced plans for the OS this past summer. If it's anything like Google's Web browser, also called Chrome, expect ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:28 pm

Friday News Feedbag for November 13th, 2009

If this is your first exposure to the Friday News Feedbag...we're glad to have you in the club. Welcome to Feedbag Nation. Below you'll find an audio link to a weekly podcast where you can hear three of us Discovery ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:25 pm

A Blogger Briefing Ahead of Obama's China Trip [Voices]

By Sky Canaves, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

China’s bloggers are a focus of organizers of the President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit, echoing similar efforts by the administration to use social-media tools to communicate with Americans.

On Thursday, U.S. State Department officials held simultaneous press briefings for a select group of predominantly Chinese bloggers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, giving a rundown of the U.S. president’s China schedule and took questions from the bloggers.

The attendee list included many influential bloggers, such as journalist Michael Anti, who blogs about freedom of the press, and Rao Jin, whose Anti-CNN Web site scrutinizes China coverage by the news network and other foreign media.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pm

Free apps roundup for November 13th, 2009

FROM APPLETELL - There are plenty of freebies on the App Store this week. Thanks to ngmoco, we have another superb game. But don’t worry, there’s more.
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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:11 pm

Man vs. Electricity: Meet Dr. Megavolt

Sporting a stainless steel mesh suit and a Tesla coil capable of producing 200,000 volts, Austin Richards ("Dr. Megavolt") puts on an electrifying performance at San Francisco’s Exploratorium.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm

Earth's Magnetic Reversal Won't Kill You

“Hi James, I appreciate your attempts to get people to think about science and geophysics in particular; but, no offense, this question you pose is ridiculous.” That’s what a well-established Earth and Planetary scientist told me when I asked him ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:55 pm

Bernie Madoff's Programmers Arrested

ZipK writes "With their former boss cooling his heels on a 150-year sentence, programmers Jerome O'Hara and George Perez are now in the US Attorney's crosshairs. They've been arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy, and 'accused of producing false documents and trading records at Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in New York.' Apparently Madoff's fraud was too large and too complex to be foisted entirely by hand."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:55 pm

Satellite Confirms Ida's Low Is Finally Moving Way From East Coast

Image Caption: GOES-12 captured an image of "Ida the Low" on Friday, Nov. 13 at 10:31 a.m. ET as the large area of clouds stretching from the Canadian Maritimes down to South Carolina. Credit: NASA GOES Project
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm

Sentry Technology Reports Third Quarter Results

RONKONKOMA, N.Y., Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pm

a la mode's New TourNarrator for Agents Already Among Top Business Products in the Apple iTunes App Store

SAN DIEGO, Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pm

Nokia Buy Palm? Riiiiight. [Digital Daily]

Palm shares are trading higher today, bolstered by anticipation of the Nov. 15 launch of the Pixi, the company’s second webOS handset and by some silly rumors about a potential takeover by Nokia (NOK). Does the company really need another software platform to add to Symbian, Maemo and Qt? C’mon.

At $12.34, Palm (PALM) is up well over seven percent as I write this, a nice gain that more than offset the four percent drop the company’s shares suffered last week. Clearly, the market is expecting a lot of the Pixi, and according to some analysts, it may get it. In a note to clients Friday, RBC analysts said they “expect positive consumer reception and healthy sell-through,” for the Pixi.

But not everyone agrees with RBC’s cheery assessment. Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Northeast Securities, has a much dimmer view of Palm’s prospects in the months ahead. He says his sell-through checks show a “substantial decline” in recent Pre sales.

“As a fading brand, carriers are likely to see better returns on their promotional and advertising dollars with other vendors,” Kumar writes. “WebOS has negligible smartphone OS share, 0.2 percent per Gartner estimates, and is unlikely to attract any meaningful third-party application support. Palm has bet the farm on webOS and there is a real possibility that they may not achieve critical mass.”

Perhaps. Perhaps not. We’ll see in the months ahead.

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pm

a la mode Announces Single Property Websites

SAN DIEGO, Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm

Black Friday 2009: Video game deals in Best Buy’s sale ad

FROM GAMERTELL - The Best Buy Black Friday 2009 ad has leaked onto the internet and it is filled with all kinds of great video game sales. The store opens at 5am, and roughly two hours before opening, employees will distribute tickets for doorbuster items.
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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:31 pm

Webcast Alert: Third Quarter 2009 Results for Document Security Systems

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm

VA.Gov Launches First Step of Web Site Redesign

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Veterans Day, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rolled out the first phase of a large-scale Web renovation to better serve America's Veterans.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pm

Age When Dogs Understand Human Pointing Determined

When is it pointless to point for dogs? A new study has found that you can point all you like, but dogs under a certain age won't know what the heck you're doing. (Image: Maki) The findings, accepted for publication ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pm

Cyclone Phyan Raining On Tibet After Breaking Record In India

Image 1: NASA's MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite captured this stunning visual image of Tropical Cyclone Phyan making landfall north of Mumbai on Nov. 11 at 0845 UTC (3:45 ET). Credit: MODIS Rapid Response TeamImage 2: NASA's Aqua satellite AIRS instrument captured an infrared image of Cyclone Phyan's remnants over Tibet on Nov. 12. At that time, Phyan was still showing some moderate rainfall and cold cloud tops (in blue) as cold as -27F. Credit: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pm

Copyright Time Bomb Set to Disrupt Music, Publishing Industries

Hit bands like the Eagles will soon start to get their copyrights back from their labels due to a clause in a bill passed in the 1970s. Will even these die-hards ditch major labels?

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:17 pm

Stephen W. Bershad Announces Intention to Submit a Slate of Directors at GSI Group Inc. Meeting

BILLERICA, Mass., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Stephen W. Bershad announced today that he sent the following letter to the Board of Directors of GSI Group Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pm

China Digital Communication Group Reports Strong Third Quarter 2009 Results

NEW YORK and SHENZHEN, China, Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:05 pm

XKCD on iPhone vs Droid

It’s a rare day when we post a web comic here on MobileCrunch. To my knowledge, we’ve only done it once before. But you know what? This one’s just too good — and too topical — to pass up.

Be sure to check out the rest of the XKCD series. What it lacks in artistic design, it makes up for in pure, unfettered geekiness.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pm

Twitter Touted for Time's 'Person' of the Year

Twitter is reportedly one of two finalists for Time's Person of the Year award. Oh, man.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

Expedia, Inc. to Participate at Upcoming Conferences

BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE) will participate in the FBR Capital Markets Fall Investor Conference in New York on Tuesday, December 1, 2009. Expedia, Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

Satellite Flood Prediction Could Save Lives

A powerful new tool to help predict devastating floods may prevent the deaths of thousands.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 12:45 pm

IT Spending's Role in the Economy [Voices]

By Lauren Goode, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Efforts to reform the U.S. health-care and bank lending systems are likely to lead to an increase in information-technology spending, said one potential beneficiary, Sudhakar Ram, chairman of IT firm Mastek.

Overhauling the country’s IT systems could cost as much as $250 billion to $300 billion over five to seven years, he said in an interview. In addition, he estimated that electronic health records will cost some $150 billion to $200 billion under the Obama administration’s health-care initiatives ($20 billion of stimulus funds have already gone toward the project).

Stronger systems might have mitigated last year’s economic turmoil, Mr. Ram said. “The subprime crisis started with poor controls at the loan origination process, which a halfway decent loan-origination system should have trapped,” he said. “The core systems are several decades old and written in outdated programming languages.”

That’s like blaming superhighways for traffic jams, said Andrew Bartels, an analyst at Forrester Research (FORR) who studies tech-spending trends.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 12:24 pm

Augmented Reality Ghost Hunting Creeps Into App Store

I ain’t afraid of no iGhost! I’m referring to the lame ghosts in this app Augmented Reality Ghost Hunting (ARGH), for the iPhone. The app festively debuted on this glorious Friday the 13th, and I guess it’s supposed to creep us out, but it just got me giggling.

The objective of ARGH is to use your iPhone as a paranormal viewfinder to locate and capture ghosts in your general area. A color meter in the app tells you whether you’re getting closer to a ghost (red means warmer); once you point your camera at the proper location and see the cartoon-ey ghoul, you can tap a button to capture it.

I tested the app in Wired.com’s newsroom, and it actually took a bit of wandering around with my iPhone until I spotted a ghost — so I guess it could double as a fitness app, too.

ARGH felt like a short-lived gag for the most part, but we’re excited to see what other types of augmented reality games emerge as smartphones become more powerful and capable. Georgia Tech’s augmented reality zombie shooter, which uses a prototype phone, is a great example of what we can expect.

ARGH is $2 in the iPhone’s App Store. See a video of ARGH in action below.

Download Link [iTunes] via Laughing Squid

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 12:21 pm

Qualcomm releases first batch of next year’s chips

Qualcomm, one of the largest fabless mobile chip manufactures in the world, has announced the availability of samples of its next-gen dual-carrier HSPA+ and multi-mode 3G/LTE chipsets. Hello Future!

So, what’s the big deal? According to Qualcomm,

These chipsets demonstrate significant progress toward enabling the mass-market commercial deployment of two next-generation network technologies that bring more advanced data capabilities to mobile devices for new global markets in addition to North America. Dual-carrier HSPA+ and LTE are network innovations that provide the ability to deliver more advanced data capabilities to mobile devices, supporting more compelling applications and richer user experiences.

Essentially, these new chipsets will enable handset manufacturers to make “future-proof” devices (as if!) that are capable of operating on today’s 3G networks, and tomorrow’s 4G networks. In theory, this will help both carriers and consumers alike. Customers will have more confidence in purchasing new phones, knowing that they won’t be obsolete the minute the carriers flip the switches on their next-gen 4G networks. In turn, this will also help the carriers avoid any major disruption in hardware sales as they continue to roll out/expand their 4G networks.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Too bad we won’t see any devices using this new equipment until at least the second half of 2010. But, on the bright side, it is good to know that Qualcomm is working with numerous network operators, infrastructure vendors and device manufacturers around the world to get these next-gen networks and devices off the drawing board and into the real world.

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Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pm

Dell Dials Up Smartphones [Digital Daily]

[ See post to watch video ]

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm

Can Thinking Of A Loved One Reduce Your Pain?

"The very thought of you … the mere idea of you" —from the song "The Very Thought of You" by Ray NobleCan the mere thought of your loved one reduce your pain?Yes, according to a new study by UCLA psychologists that underscores the importance of social relationships and staying socially connected.The study, which asked whether simply looking at a photograph of your significant other can reduce pain, involved 25 women, mostly UCLA students, who had boyfriends with whom they had been in a good relationship for more than six months.The women received moderately painful heat stimuli to their forearms while they went through a number of different conditions.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:51 am

Virgin Mobile USA expands Broadband2Go sales

While Virgin Mobile USA has been offering up a pre-paid, contract free mobile broadband service for almost half a year now, the only way to hop on board was to nab a modem at Best Buy Mobile – and, well, that just doesn’t work for everybody. Maybe you don’t have a Big Blue Box nearby; maybe you’re just not that into Best Buy. Either way, you’ll have options soon.

This morning, Virgin Mobile is announcing that they’ll be expanding sales into Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, Walmart.com, Target.com, and their own website beginning December 1st. Mobile broadband is one of those things that is still way too damn expensive (Hey Verizon – $15 for 75 MB? Really?!), and Virgin’s prepaid solution is one of the cheapest of the lot – if expansion means the competition starts feeling the heat and the prices start falling, we’re all for it.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:50 am

Client-Directed Therapy Technique Drastically Reduces Divorce/Separation Rates

Professor finds strong link between counseling approach and relationship successUsing four simple questions to generate client-directed feedback can greatly increase the chances that struggling couples will stay together, according to a recently published study.According to the largest clinical trial with couples to date – which was co-authored by University of Rhode Island Human Development and Family Studies Professor Jacqueline Sparks – couples that had systematic client feedback incorporated into their sessions were 46.2 percent less likely to wind up divorced or separated.The largest clinical trial to date, the findings of the study were published in the Aug.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:49 am

Study: Nonprofits Put Brand At Risk In Corporate Partnerships

Public sees any connection as a "seal of approval"Charities and other nonprofits may put their brand at risk when they partner with corporations on social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:47 am

Shire Reports Analysis Examining Emotional Lability In Children With ADHD Taking Vyvanse

Post hoc analysis of Phase 3 study data presented at national psychiatric meetingShire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced findings from a post hoc analysis examining emotional lability from Phase 3 study data with Vyvanse®. In this study, Vyvanse demonstrated significant improvement in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms as measured by the ADHD Rating Scale IV (ADHD-RS IV) and Connors' Parent Rating Scale-Revised Short (CPRS-RS) in children with ADHD aged 6 to 12 years. The post hoc analysis showed that patients demonstrated an improvement in emotional lability composite CPRS-RS scores while taking Vyvanse as compared to placebo. These results were presented recently at a psychiatric meeting in Honolulu."Children taking ADHD medications can experience emotional lability, often described as frequent changes in emotions or mood. Therefore, evaluating the impact of ADHD treatments, including Vyvanse, on children's emotional lability may be important for parents and health care professionals when assessing a child's treatment plan," said Ann C. Childress, MD, study investigator and president of the Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Inc. in Las Vegas.About the Analysis and Study
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:42 am

Funny, You Don't Look Related

UCLA biologists, colleagues solve mystery contemplated by Charles DarwinWhen Charles Darwin visited the Falkland Islands during the voyage of the Beagle in 1835, he saw a wolf-like species, wrote about it in his diaries and correctly commented that it was being hunted in such large numbers that it would soon become extinct.Darwin was baffled by how this animal got on the islands, and it figured heavily in the formation of his ideas on evolution by natural selection.Now, UCLA biologists and colleagues have analyzed DNA from museum specimens, including one collected by Darwin, and have solved the puzzle.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:40 am

Youths See All Parental Control Negatively When There's A Lot Of It

A new study has found that young people feel differently about two types of parental control, generally viewing a type of control that's thought to be better for their development more positively.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:38 am

Study Offers Tips On Taming The Boogie Monster

Many parents of preschoolers struggle with their children's fears of real and imaginary creatures.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:36 am

Awareness Of Racism Affects How Children Do Socially And Academically

Most children actively notice and think about race.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:34 am

Evidence of Water Found in Moon Crater

A "significant amount" of frozen water is detected inside a lunar crater.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:30 am

As "Twilight: New Moon" Mania Descends Online, Try "Firelight" Instead [BoomTown]

Oh dear, just a single week away and Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and every gossip site on the Web is aflame in expectation of the second installment of the young-vampires-in-lust movie series, “Twilight: New Moon.”

As pictures of its are-they-or-aren’t-they-holding-hands (um, they are) stars, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, rocketed around the Web last week, prepare for an online and offline outpouring of teenage swooning over the whole overwrought love story, which is set to debut just after midnight on Nov. 20.

Until then, here is a very typical tweet of many-too-many, with a whole lot of exclamations, natch: “6 MORE days until NEW MOON!!!! heading there early to watch twilight in theaters one last time, then its off to NEW MOON!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!”

Thankfully, this digital short video from “Saturday Night Live”–a spoof called “Firelight” with, yes, BoomTown favorite Taylor Swift, pretty much sums up the situation perfectly:

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:21 am

Intel Hires Antitrust Expert as General Counsel [Digital Daily]

With Intel’s longstanding legal dispute with AMD (AMD) resolved, Douglas Melamed the company’s new general counsel, will have one less thing to worry about when he starts work–not that he lacks the experience to deal with it. Melamed served as acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, where he worked from 1996 to 2001. He replaces longtime Intel (INTC) GC Bruce Sewell, who left the company to become general counsel of Apple (AAPL) back in September.

“We’re extremely pleased to have Doug join the Intel team,” said Intel CEO Paul Otellini. “His breadth of experience and legal expertise combined with his background in government are an outstanding fit for us.”

Melamed’s appointment must be quite a relief for Otellini and Intel, which, as I’ve noted here before, is grappling with some of the most important legal issues the company has ever faced.

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am

Who’s on Crack in tech 11.13.09

Section: Apple, Audio, Home Audio, Video, Content, HDTV, Communications, Cellphones, Computers, Features, Originals, Columns, Who's On Crack

Shining a light on moves in the tech world so insane, Who’s on Crack is here to throw around accusation.  Accusations about who we suspect narcotics inspired their latest to-market ideas.  As companies vie for your attention and more importantly your dollars, it helps to back up a few steps to ask, “what the?”.  Here are the biggest blunders this week:

Microsoft admits to copying off Apple’s paper
Did Palm hire “Crazy Eddy”?
Blockbuster shows desperation
Web TV finally here?

Mac rules, so we copied it.

This week, Microsoft apparently copped to being inspired by Apple’s OS design.  From Bill Stiteler’s post quoting Microsoft’s Partner Group Manager Simon Aldus : “What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7—whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format—is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. [Emphasis added]”

Aldus went on to mention they built this on top of Vista.  At this point you’ve got to wonder why he stops there?  Why not take the cab all the way to Crazytown and spout off how Microsoft purposely crippled Vista or how every time someone buys Windows 7, Microsoft shoots a puppy.  Or perhaps that Redmond HQ is built on top of a secret underground lair where Ballmer has taken to dressing up as Darth Vader and babbles about dominating the galaxy.

Can you imagine sitting in MS PR department when this bit of news comes in?  Here is the play by play:
MS PR guy 1: “He said what???”
MS PR gal 1: “No f’n way?”
MS PR guy 2: “Somebody check the gosh-darn calendar, it isn’t April, right?”
MS PR gal 2: “We are so TP’ing this guys house tonight.”

Palm prices are so low, they are practically paying you to take it

Fact: I am smitten with webOS.  But $29 bucks to get your hands on a super-slim Palm Pixi model with the hot OS that is actually fun to use?  Come on, there is a catch right?  According to Robert Nelson, there isn’t:
“Now I am going to go out on a ledge here, but maybe the Pixi or future similar models will end up being the savior of Palm. Maybe Palm is going to take up the role of the low priced smartphone company. And if that is that case, I guess being available for a bargain price through Walmart makes sense.”

Crazy Eddy was a guy in the New York area that did lame commercials in the 80s and was eventually thrown in the pokey for tax evasion.  This price thanks to Wal-Mart and Palm is amazingly low.  Yes, a $99 is tempting.  A $49 refurbed iPhone is even more tempting but $29 for a great smartphone?  Either they are reading Gadgetell or come up with schemes in a smoke-filled room where “munchies” are served 15 minutes after the meeting starts.  Impressive or insane?

Blockbuster says SlotMusic was genius

Oh boy.  Remember when SlotMusic was pushed on us?  Back at CES we giggled for what seemed like hours about it.  Apparently, Blockbuster thought it was the bees knees and is looking to rent movies the same way.  Ugh.

Our Robert Nelson says, “Blockbuster has decided to begin testing a new pilot program that will allow in-store visitors to rent a movie on an SD card. The plan is simple, those entering a Blockbuster store will be able to bring in an SD card and rent a movie by way of a self-service kiosk. The movies will of course be filled with DRM and will expire after a pre-selected amount of time.”

There is some logic here fore netbooks that lack a DVD drives or those dying to watch something on a device that is actually too small to watch it on (judgment call).  But for everyone else, this is a go-nowhere idea.  Robert adds customer service isn’t the strong suit of Blockbuster and there just isn’t enough people that care.  Dead on arrival, back to the drawing board guys and gals.

Web TV could be here.

Did you hear the wall come down?  Not the Berlin Wall, I refer here to the wall around your TV.  It was just shattered.  Thanks to TVs with web widgets and home theater pcs, that wall is no more.

A big culprit may be the Dell Zino HD.  This cute little device is primed to sit in your a/v shelf and bring the goodness of the web to your HDTV.  Our Shawn Ingram explains, “The Zino HD looks like it could be the computer of choice for any home theater setup for easy access to all those videos on your computer.  Pair it with Boxee, Hulu, Netflix and iTunes, and you have almost everything you could want viewable on your HDTV.”

The key here to go mainstream is ease of use.  Here we may still have some issues as consumers switch between a remote and a keyboard but this unit looks good enough to get geeks and their kinda-geeky counterparts on board.  Starting at just $229 and so cute, what is not to love?  Dell must hate the cable companies.

So now it’s wait for Boxee, buy a new TV with web widgets or spring for this cute box.  My money is on this box.

 

 

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:10 am

Power the Planet with Renewables

If we could tap into renewable energy, really tap into it (overcome politics and naysayers), we could reduce global power demand by 30 percent and be totally green by 2030. So say civil and environmental engineering professor Mark Jacobson of ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:08 am

Video: Hackers give Palm Treo 650 an Android brain

Man – do you remember 2004? Gwen Stefani was off doing her solo thing, Hillary Swank was busting her neck in Million Dollar Baby (OMG SPOILER ALERT!), and Janet Jackson showed part of her breast to everyone watching the Super Bowl. Twas a simpler time – a time when the Palm Treo 650 was brand new.

5 years later, the Treo 650 now ranks somewhere between “relic” and “fossil” smartphone timeline – but with age comes wisdom, right? In this case, “wisdom” comes in the form of the Android-operating system, bestowed upon the 650 by a couple of clever chaps. I’d be surprised if everything is fully functioning – but hey, it boots!

[Via EngadgetMobile]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am

Modded Xbox 360s Jailbroken With 'Un-Ban' Hack? - PC World

MTV.com

Modded Xbox 360s Jailbroken With 'Un-Ban' Hack? PC World A hacker eager to reconnect modded Xbox 360s banned by Microsoft in recent days may be on the verge of releasing a workaround. According to 360Mods (by way of dailytech), user 'c4eva' has shifted gears from developing Lite-on and Hitachi optical drive ... While xbox Bans Modders, It's Ready to Embrace TweetersChannelWeb Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm hit Xbox 360 on TuesdayCNET News Banned and Modded Xbox 360s Flood Craigslist1UP.com Ars Technica -Geek.com -PC Magazine all 541 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Nov 2009 | 11:03 am

Google Chrome OS: A Nice Place to Visit, But? - PC World

Geeky gadgets

Google Chrome OS: A Nice Place to Visit, But? PC World Google's new OS, rumored to be released next week, could turn operating systems inside-out. But will it? David Coursey Google's Chrome operating system could mark a turning point in computing, but many questions remain. Today's rumor is the OS will be ... Google Chrome OS Launches Next WeekChannelWeb Multiple updates for Chrome stable and devCNET News Rumor: Google Greasing Chrome OS for LaunchTechNewsWorld Mediapost.com -Reuters Blogs (blog) -Register all 171 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:59 am

QOTD: Ain't No Way to Make a Living [Digital Daily]

QOTD: Ain’t No Way to Make a Living [Digital Daily]

“You’ve got to have Internet Explorer 8 to use Web slices…shoot, I didn’t even know there was a 1 through 7.”

–Dolly Parton endorses Internet Explorer 8

Source: All Things Digital | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:43 am

Swiss Contend Google Doesn't Blur Street View Enough - PC World

Globe and Mail

Swiss Contend Google Doesn't Blur Street View Enough PC World Switzerland's data protection authority said Friday it will sue Google for allegedly failing to obscure faces, license plates and other sensitive images from its Street View photo mapping Web application. It's the latest problem for Street View, ... Google hit again with Street View privacy concerns - in SwitzerlandZDNet Switzerland takes Google to courtBBC News Swiss privacy watchdog to sue Google Street ViewThe Associated Press Los Angeles Times -Ars Technica -Search Engine Land (blog) all 307 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:41 am

Introducing the Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities

(Cross-posted with the Google Students Blog)

Today, we're excited to announce the most recent addition to our scholarship programs in Europe, the Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. This scholarship is designed for students with disabilities who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science at a university anywhere in the European Union, plus Switzerland and Israel. Multiple scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates’ academic performance and demonstrated passion for computer science.

Scholarships will be granted for the 2010/2011 academic year, and recipients will be invited to attend an all-expenses-paid retreat at Google’s Engineering Center in Zurich in 2010.

Here's what Nelson Mattos, our VP for Product & Engineering in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has to say about this scholarship: "We're committed to diversifying the long-term engineering talent pool for the industry as a whole. We hope that this scholarship will increase opportunities for students with disabilities and encourage them to pursue careers in computer science. The retreat fosters relationships so that scholars can form a supportive network lasting the full length of their academic studies and beyond."

We know that a diverse group of people use our tools and services and only an equally diverse workforce can anticipate our users' needs. We've found that the diversity of perspectives, ideas and cultures leads to the creation of better products to the benefit of all users of the Internet. We hope that this scholarship works towards that end.

The deadline to apply is March 15th 2010. For more details, visit www.google.com/studentswithdisabilities-europe.

Posted by Beate List, EMEA University Programmes and Eleanor Mulligan, EMEA Diversity & Inclusion

Source: The Official Google Blog | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:37 am

Dell officially confirms its Mini 3 Android smartphones

Wow. Nice work, Dell. Way to drag the Mini 3 launch out for what feels like an eternity. First, the early ‘09 rumors (here and here). Then, the August 2009 leak. Next, China Mobile unofficially outed the smartie. And now, finally, an official confirmation straight from the horse’s Dell’s mouth. Dude China / Brazil, you’re gettin a Dell!

Earlier today, Dell formally announced its entrance into the booming smartphone market along with two “blockbuster” partnerships with two of the world’s largest mobile operators, China Mobile (China) and Claro (Brazil). Considering the recent launch of the DROID, here in the States, and the iPhone’s rather dismal launch in China a few weeks back, one might think Dell’s timing is rather suspect…but only time will tell.

So why a smartphone and why now, Dell?

“Our entry into the smart phone category is a logical extension of Dell’s consumer product evolution over the past two years,” said Ron Garriques, President, Dell Global Consumer Group. “We are developing smaller and smarter mobile products that enable our customers to take their internet experience out of the home and do the things they want to do whenever and wherever they want.“

Ah, so your pretending its 2007. Gotcha. Anyhow, all jokes aside, the Dell Mini 3 Android smartphone is here. According to Dell,

The initial Mini 3 smart phones are designed around the Android platform to best deliver power, flexibility and customization opportunities for both users and carriers. Dell’s Mini 3 smart phones reflect the elegant look and style that demonstrates Dell’s commitment to design innovation.

Based on the language of this presser, it sounds like the Mini 3 comprises a whole series of Android smartphones, rather than one particular handset. All we really know, at least from this official word, is that the China Mobile Mini 3 will be based on OPhone platform, a customized version of Android. Other than that, all we know is that “[d]etails of phone models will be announced on a partner-by-partner basis when devices are available in stores, anticipated in late November for China Mobile and year’s end for Claro.”

That’s about it for now. We’ll all just have to sit tight and wait to see what happens next, like when the Mini 3 will make it stateside and how much it will cost, among other things.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:33 am

Sony, B&N promise to rekindle rights for book owners

I recently talked to Sony's Steve Haber, President of Digital Reading, about its flagship ebook reader. Named the "Daily Edition," it hits stores next month. Notwithstanding differences between each manufacturer's respective libraries, it offers all the best features of its main rival, the Kindle. But Sony says it offers one thing that Amazon won't: actual ownership of your books.

"Our commitment is that you bought it, you own it," Haber said. "Our hope is to see this as ubiquitous. Buy on any device, read on any device. ... We're obligated to have DRM but we don't pull content back."

Sony's adopting the ePub open file format and encouraging DRM-insistent publishers to offer files that use a less restrictive scheme from Adobe. In doing so, Haber suggested that the worst case scenario would be 12 devices per account, effectively "books uncoupled from hardware."

Ebooks can also be digitally "loaned" free of charge for up to 21 days, from participating libraries. This works thought a deal with Overdrive, which facilitates such loans by backing them with hard copies.

Sony's new reader also features a 9" display, page-changing swipe gestures, annotations and a cellular connection to download new titles on the go. At $400, however, it's as pricey as the top-of-the-line Kindle DX that it resembles; Sony already has a new generation of cheaper e-readers out which lack the fancy features and big screen.

Barnes and Noble announced its own reader, the Nook, a few weeks ago. At $260, it's competitively priced and has a secondary LCD display. It also focuses hard on consumer-friendly features that Amazon seems unwilling to indulge: in its case, books can be shared between devices and even with friends. Not all books will be available, and shares are limited to 14 days at a time.

Without solid co-operation from publishers, Sony's adoption of ePub and B&N's sharing feature won't make much of an impact: what use are they if bestsellers aren't included? When the new devices appear and their associated stores are ramped up, we'll get to find out if the proposed changes make a difference--and whether Amazon can be reeled in.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:30 am

Rumor: Google to launch Chrome OS “within a week”

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Web, Google

The official word on the Google’s Chrome OS mentioned that we would see “more updates in the fall” and that it would not be available for download until the “second half of 2010.” That said, things sometimes change, and sometimes they become the subject of rumor.

In this case, we have a rumor, of course its a rumor that the Google fanboy in me hopes to see come true.

Anyway, according to TechCrunch;

“Google’s Chrome OS project, first announced in July, will become available for download within a week, we’ve heard from a reliable source. Google previously said to expect an early version of the OS in the fall.”

There you have it, a “reliable source” is letting us know that we will soon be able to play with Chrome OS. But with that, it was also pointed out that the driver and device support will likely be limited. At least in my case, I am hoping that limited support includes Eee PC’s.

Read [TechCrunch]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 10:05 am

Grab a Wii for just $179 from Dell - free shipping too

Section: Gaming, Console

Described as hotter than Black Friday, retailers are trying outdo one another and Dell has just stepped up to the plate.  Offering the popular Nintendo Wii for $179.99 with free shipping will be one of the lowest prices of the season.  We doubt you’ll see a cheaper price than that.

Other retailers may toss in freebies like steering wheels, extra controllers or choice of a game, but if you seek just the console at it’s lowest price, this could be it.  Retailers are prohibited from advertising their price and Dell is no exception: only by adding the Wii to your cart will you see the discounted price.

Product page: [Dell] via [BFads]

Image credit: BFads

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 9:20 am

Dell Confirms Android Smart Phone, Specs Still Secret

Dell has, at long last, confirmed its intentions to get into the smartphone market. The company’s first handset will be the Mini 3, about which Dell is saying nothing other than that it will run on the Google-backed Android operating system. If we know Dell, it likely won’t matter, as there is sure to be a deluge of handsets, all with slightly different specifications.

What we do know is that Dell isn’t messing around with some tiny market, here. The Mini 3 will launch in China and Brazil, where the partner companies have a lot of customers: China Mobile serves half a billion people, and the Brazilian telco Claro has 42 million customers. And this is just the start: Dell states that it is planning to take over the rest of the world, too.

It’s a smart move on the part of Dell. Some time in the future laptops will be like desktops are today: specialized tools for the minority. Everyone else will likely be using some kind of phone-like computer. And this is the angle that should have Microsoft worried: Those phones aren’t going to be running Windows, nor even Windows mobile. When a company the size of Dell gets behind the free Android, saving on all those OS license fees, you know something is up.

Dell’s press release said nothing about prices or features, other than to blandly state that “details of phone models will be announced on a partner-by-partner basis when devices are available in stores, anticipated in late November for China Mobile and year’s end for Claro.”

Dell Confirms Smart Phone Plans [Dell Press Release]

See Also:

• Android Army Pumped for All-Out Attack on iPhone
• Taste Android 2.0 'Eclair' From Your Own Computer
• China Gets Android-Based iPhone Clone

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 9:18 am

Sleepbox, A Tiny, One-Person Hotel

Sleep customs vary across the world. Here in Spain we take long multi-hour lunch breaks and sleep awhile. It’s common to see old men snoozing in the public library in the afternoon.

Back in England, you can never sleep on the job, even if you are rendered useless by fatigue. And nodding off in public is just plain wrong. Enter the Sleepbox, a 2 x 1.4 x 2.3m cubicle into which is crammed a skinny bed, an LCD TV and power outlets. The sheets are changed automatically, a continuous roll of bed linen winds across the mattress, and sleep can be bought in 15 minute chunks.

The idea is to put this in places like airports where you might need a kip but don’t have anywhere to go. It could also make a good makeshift office to get you out of a crowded airport lounge (and would probably be cheaper than paying for airport Wi-Fi).

But we all know precisely what it will be used for in the real world, and it’ll happen the first time two people sneak in there together. Thank goodness for those self-changing sheets.

Product page [Arch Group via Yanko]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 8:35 am

MPAA manages to shut down entire towns free Wi-Fi due to one illegal download

Section: Audio, Communications, Mobile, Computers, Wireless, Web

It seems as if it has been a while since we last heard an MPAA horror story, but not to worry because we have a goodie for you on this fine Friday morning.

It would seem that those living in Coshocton, Ohio have at least temporarily lost their free Wi-Fi. And yes, they had city wide free Wi-Fi, or at least did until the MPAA came into town. The access was set up in the area surrounding the County Courthouse and was noted as serving anywhere from a dozen to one hundred users during a day. Of course it took just one user to prompt the shut down.

And that shutdown came after a notice from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Unfortunately it looks like the service may also remain offline because although the town has found a way to prevent this from happening in the future that system costs money. But the Commisioners are questioning whether the $2000 setup and $900 annual fee would be worth it for a free giveaway.

But with that comes the moral of the story. First you cannot truly depend on free Wi-Fi. But more importantly—do not be that guy (or girl) that causes this. In other words, use free Wi-Fi responsibly, and treat it like you would at home. And no that does not mean its a pipe for porn, instead use the golden rule. If you would not download said item from your home connection, then it is most likely not a good idea to download it from a publicly available connection.

Its a shame that the town could not identify the person who caused this, it seems that in a smaller town like this a little public shaming would do the trick.

Read [Coshocton Tribune]  Via [Consumerist]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 8:11 am

Vega Tablet Beats Apple and Crunchpad

The Vega, from Converged Devices, wants to be the mythical Apple Tablet, and at first it looks as if it really could be a great alternative to that still non-existent machine, not least because it is actually real.

But dig into the specs and you start to see that this Android-powered (v2) tablet is not much more than a skinny laptop without a keyboard. First, though, the good parts.

The Vega will come in three sizes, 7, 11 and 15-inches, and packs (optional) 2G and 3G cellular radios along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You also get an accelerometer, a front-facing 1.3MP camera, an ambient light sensor and a nifty magnetic dock into which the screen sticks and charges.

After that, things go downhill. The 15.6-inch screen has just 1366 x 768 pixels of resolution, less than a comparable notebook (the MacBook Pro’s 15.4-inch screen has 1440 x 900, for example). And that tablet essential, the touch screen, is resistive like the phones of old, and not capacitive like the iPhone. This also means no multi-touch.

Thought that this would make a great travel computer? Think again. The battery lasts just four hours, and that big docking station isn’t going to fit in a laptop bag. And the lack of GPS is a rather odd omission, too. What about a media-center? No again. The built in storage is just 512MB flash memory (plus another 512 megs of RAM for the NVIDIA Tegra chip to use), and you’ll need to add SD cards to add memory (up to 32GB), although a USB hard drive can be hooked up.

So what is it for? The press release makes a lot of the Vega being kitchen-friendly, so we guess that’s it. We hope it’s cheap, though, as a netbook also makes a great kitchen computer, and does a lot more besides. Price and launch will be announced at CES in January 2010.

Product page [Converged Devices]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 7:31 am

Stylish Swedish Watering Can With Silicon Spout

This Swedish watering can has brains as well as beauty. The 1.5 liter (3 pint) stainless steel body expresses its load through a silicon tube. The tube is joined at the bottom, just like any other can, but the top end is free. As you move it down and point it at the target plant pot, the water begins to flow at a rate controlled by the height of the tube-tip.

When not in use, the tube sticks to the side of the can by way of a magnet. A lovely object, to be sure, but useless for me. I have the very opposite of a green thumb, and I kill plants quicker than a dose of napalm rips through a jungle (although oddly, I am great with orchids, probably because I just ignore them). There’s another minor discouragement from buying this can: It costs 795 Swedish Kroner, or $115, precisely $115 more than the empty mineral water bottle you should be using.

Product page [Design Torget via NotCot]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:50 am

Google officially “welcomes” Gizmo5 by halting new user sign ups

Section: Communications, VoIP, Mobile, Web, Google

Sure, we all knew about the Google acquisition of VoIP provider Gizmo5, and we were able to speculate about things that would happen. But now, courtesy of the Google Voice Blog we are getting a look at the first moves.

And in typically Google fashion, they have both officially welcomed Gizmo5 and also shut it down for new users. Anyone visiting the main Gizmo5 web page are forwarded to a new www.google.com/gizmo5 landing page and are greeted with a simple message;

“Gizmo5 Has Been Acquired by Google”

Of course it is also there that any potential new users are made aware that they cannot sign up.

That said, existing users can still sign in and use their accounts. And although I have not used Gizmo in as long as I can remember I am glad I had signed up in the past. Maybe this way I will be able to get a look at the future Google Voice integration a little sooner than some. I should point out though, that existing users will be limited in one aspect, they cannot sign up for a new call-in number.

Additionally, it was also noted that “Gizmo5’s engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience.” Unfortunately, they are not announcing any specific features of the merge just yet, but they do close the post with a simple but hopeful hint.

“We welcome the Gizmo5 team to Google and look forward to working together to bringing more useful features to Google Voice.”

Read [Google Voice Blog]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:35 am

Cute USB Stick Receives, Records Radio

Still listen to the radio? No, neither do we. We made a playlist of the hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s and it’s exactly the same as every commercial FM station, minus the ads. And we don’t even listen to that.

If you live in Britain, though, you get BBC radio, and you may be interested in Logitech’s lovely looking, minimal USB Radio Tuner. The dongle contains an AM and FM receiver and an FM antenna (an external antenna is needed for AM, and an adapter is available to hook it up to a proper FM aerial) and the whole lot is powered from the USB bus.

The software is where the magic happens. Available for Mac and PC, the applications will allow you to schedule and record shows, automatically splitting tracks and adding them to iTunes, from where they will magically appear on your iPod. Think of it as a TiVo for the radio.

The price is still under wraps, but the dongle goes on sale at the beginning of December. The black one is for Windows machines, and the white is for Macs, or, as the charming translation comes from the original Japanese via Google, “Mr. McDonald”.

Product page [Logitech via Akihabara News]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 6:14 am

BigShot Kit Camera, Like Crack for Kids

What do these phrases mean to you? “Circuit board”, “gearbox”, “dynamo and battery”? If your answer is “digital camera” then you are either cheating or you already know about the BigShot, a kit camera designed to let kids learn about digicams by building one.

The BigShot, still in testing, is a super-simple digicam from the Computer Vision Lab at Columbia University. It comes in parts, ready to be assembled (by kids, but I can’t wait to get my hands on one), and teaches you along the way how these things work. It’s not quite the transparent view you get from making an old analog camera, where you can see how everything works, but it’s as close as you can get from a machine that uses circuit boards.

The feature set itself is interesting enough. The BigShot is powered by a single AA battery, or by spinning a crank (4-6 rotations will provide enough power for one shot). The flash is made up of LEDs, and there is no removable memory card — instead you just hook up the camera to a computer via USB.

The lens arrangement is the best part, though. An array of options is laid out on a dial, which is rotated into position, much like the elements on a microscope. Matched pairs sit opposite each other on the circle, so you look through one (there is nor screen on the back) and take a picture through it’s partner. Lens choices are “normal” (a 43º field of view), “panoramic”, which appears to act likE an anamorphic lens, squishing the scene horizontally to be stretched back out in the accompanying BigShot software, and “Stereo Prism”, which splits an image into stereo pairs, again for processing later.

One oddity, caused by the lack of a screen, is that you can only delete the last photo you took: this is done by turning the control dial to the trashcan icon and pressing the shutter. We actually like this setup: along with the limited (and unspecified) amount of on-board memory and the lack of an image review function is that you will shoot like you did with film — every frame is precious and everything comes as a surprise when you finally get to see the photos.

As a non mass market educational aid, it’s sure to be too expensive. But perhaps, if sold as a toy, or advertised as a low-tech camera, kind of a digital Lomo, it could take off. I’m all over this, and if it comes in at under $100 I’ll be grabbing one for myself and my nephew, who doesn’t have enough geek influences in his life.

Project page [BigShot via Make]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Nov 2009 | 5:40 am

Roomba Pacman

The Roomba Pac Man uses indoor location sensors and Unmanned Aerial System software to create a playable (albeit slow) PacMan built on repurposed autonomous vacuum cleaners.

Roomba Pac-Man (via Wonderland)


Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 13 Nov 2009 | 4:43 am

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