Source: Gizmodo | 17 Nov 2009 | 7:43 pm

Electronic Arts to close game developer Pandemic Studios - Los Angeles Times

MTV.com

Electronic Arts to close game developer Pandemic Studios Los Angeles Times EA bought the Westwood firm two years ago along with its sibling Bioware Corp. for up to $775 million. The closure will put nearly 200 people out of work. By Ben Fritz Electronic Arts Inc. is shutting down its Westwood-based game developer Pandemic ... Pandemic Studios loses most employees, including foundersGamePro.com EA cuts 200 jobs at Pandemic, consolidates studioUSA Today EA Memo Confirms Pandemic Consolidation, Van Caneghem HireGamasutra CVG Online -Neoseeker -Atomicgamer all 67 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Nov 2009 | 7:27 pm

Portrait of the blogger as a young D&D addict

Here's a mid-1980s CBC News scare-story about Dungeons and Dragons driving kids to suicide featuring (at 2:49 onwards) me and my classmates (the video is dated 1985, but I'm pretty sure this couldn't have been later than my graduation from Junior High in 1984). Ignoring the crazy-ass fearmongering, it's incredibly nostalgic to see all those kids I grew up with, playing with their minis and rolling their dice.

Dungeons & Dragons D&D Canadian Doc 1985 Part #2 (Thanks, Tim!)


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Nov 2009 | 7:11 pm

Live-action version of Smurfs in the works?

Someone's developing a live-action motion picture adaptation of the Smurfs. It gets weirder: John Lithgow is rumored to be cast as Papa Smurf. First the Chipmunks, now this atrocity? (via Steven Leckart)


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Nov 2009 | 7:00 pm

No Chrome OS This Year, But A Google Event Promises To Pull Back The Curtain (PC World)

PC World - It's been four months since Google fired a shot across Microsoft's bow, with the announcement of its Google Chrome OS. The Web-centric operating system targets the perpetually-connected, and will blur the line between browser and operating system. Or so we've been told. Up until now, Google has only dropped morsels of details on its coming OS.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:55 pm

USB grenade flash drive

Do you think the TSA would let you past security with this USB memory stick in the shape of an itsy-bitsy grenade?


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:50 pm

USB grenade flash drive

Do you think the TSA would let you past security with this USB memory stick in the shape of an itsy-bitsy grenade?

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:47 pm

Interrogation tapes of 3 Army sergeants accused with murdering 3 Iraqi detainees

"Frat boys get abused worse during pledge week in college than that crap [at Abu Ghraib]. But it's what the media made of it. What the hell do you think they're gonna make of this?" Interrogation tapes for 3 decorated Army sergeants charged with the murder of 4 Iraqi detainees.


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:46 pm

Less Than Free

VC Bill Gurley has up an insightful piece on the strategy behind Google's releasing turn-by-turn mapping for free. He calls it the "Less Than Free" business model, and it is beyond disruptive. On the day that Google announced its new service, the stock in the two companies that had controlled the market for map data, Garmin and TomTom, dropped by 16% and 21%, respectively. (Those companies had bought Google's erstwhile map-data suppliers, Tele Atlas and NavTeq, in 2007.) "When I asked a mobile industry veteran why carriers were so willing to dance with Google, a company they once feared, he suggested that Google was the 'lesser of two evils.' With Blackberry and iPhone grabbing more and more subs, the carriers were losing control of the customer UI... With Android, carriers could re-claim their customer 'deck.' Additionally, because Google has created an open source version of Android, carriers believe they have an 'out' if they part ways with Google in the future. I then asked my friend, 'So why would they ever use the Google (non open source) license version?' ... Here was the big punch line — because Google will give you ad splits on search if you use that version! That's right; Google will pay you to use their mobile OS. I like to call this the 'less than free' business model. This is a remarkable card to play. Because of its dominance in search, Google has ad rates that blow away the competition. To compete at an equally 'less than free' price point, Symbian or Windows Mobile would need to subsidize." Gurley speculates that the company may broaden "less than free" to include the Google Chrome OS.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:35 pm

Visualizing the decline of empires

Visualizing empires decline by Pedro M Cruz, who explains: "The data refers to the evolution of the top 4 maritime empires of the XIX and XX centuries by extent. The visual emphasis is on their decline." Here's more on the data and methodology. (via @visualthinkmap)


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:33 pm

PSP 3000 Police light mod

Just the thing for playing GTA. One clever modder has mounted 10 LEDs into his PSP 3000.

The L and R buttons flash, there are a couple of LEDs behind the speakers, and the four epilepsy invoking LEDs on the back flash in response to the sound coming out of the thing. Here’s a breakdown of how he did it, if you’re curious.

[Via Ubergizmo]

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:30 pm

The 100 greatest quotes from The Wire

A YouTube compilation of "100 greatest quotes" from the HBO series The Wire. As Aaron Stewart-Ahn on Twitter said, "Perhaps the closest US TV has ever come to a landmark novel."


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:27 pm

Homophobic murder in Puerto Rico. Cop: "he deserved it" for his lifestyle

A gay teenager was decapitated, dismembered, and burned to death in Puerto Rico. The police investigating his murder said he deserved it because of his 'lifestyle.' (via Calpernia)


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:24 pm

Service Lets Users Build Own IPhone, RIM, Windows Apps (PC World)

PC World - A startup is now offering to take the hard work out of creating mobile applications and even of porting them to the iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile platforms, all through an online service that gives novice developers simple templates for various types of businesses and organizations.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pm

AP Sources: MySpace in talks to buy imeem (AP)

AP - Online social hub MySpace is in talks to acquire struggling free music streaming site imeem, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:17 pm

Concept Art Offers Peek at Tim Burton's Twisted Mind

Sketches, paintings and assorted surreal doodles from an upcoming book and art exhibit demonstrate the expansive visual vocabulary of one of Hollywood's most interesting filmmakers.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pm

Couch upholstered in "pixelated" fabric

I rather like the look of Ligne Roset's "Togo" couch, in "Shanghai" fabric by textile artist Cristian Zuzunaga. More images, and here's more on Zuzunaga's site -- there are matching dining chairs.


Source: Boing Boing | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:57 pm

Palm Pixi Needs a Dusting of Speed [The Mossberg Solution]

Since the debut of the Palm Pre in June, Palm has talked about the value of the device’s webOS operating system, which offers fast responsiveness, multitasking, universal search and smart synchronization. These features are accessed using delightful multitouch gestures like swiping with a fingertip. So it makes perfect sense that Palm would want to expand its family of products running this great mobile operating system.

This week, Palm (PALM) introduced a second device with webOS: the Palm Pixi (palm.com/pixi). This is a stripped-down version of the Pre and it costs $100 (after a $50 instant rebate and a $100 mail-in rebate and with a two-year service contract) compared with the $150 Pre. Walmart.com is currently selling the Pixi for even less—$50 (http://3.ly/oSE). Both the Pixi and the Pre run on Sprint’s (S) network.

I’ve been testing the Pixi and I’ve found that the physical differences from the Pre are acceptable variations that most people won’t mind and may not even detect. These include a smaller, lower-resolution screen, a two-megapixel camera rather than the Pre’s three-megapixel camera and stationary keyboard instead of one that slides out. The Pixi isn’t as pebble-shaped as the Pre, but its back cover is rounded to fit comfortably in a hand. And like the Pre, it has an eight-gigabyte storage capacity and it’s thin and light enough to forget in a jeans pocket or to comfortably hold up to your ear during phone calls.

The Pixi’s internal changes are much tougher to accept. It lacks Wi-Fi capability and so must rely solely on Sprint’s 3G network for its connection, which I found to be frustratingly slow at times. This littler phone also runs on a weaker processor than the Pre, a decision that Palm says helped cut costs and make the Pixi small. But this processor’s speed is slow enough to notice immediately and it robs webOS of its lightning-fast speed. The Pixi’s progress indicator—a spinning, white circle—appeared on my screen too often.

Like its super-smartphone competitors, including Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, Research in Motion’s (RIMM) newer BlackBerrys and Google’s (GOOG) Android phones, the Palm Pixi taps into a virtual store from which users can download apps for the device. But Palm’s App Catalog currently holds fewer than 400 apps and roughly 80 of those aren’t yet configured for the Pixi. This means that people who buy the $100 Pixi can choose from just around 300 apps for download, compared with the 100,000 apps available for Apple’s $100 iPhone 3G.

Some apps come preloaded on the Pixi, like Facebook and NFL Mobile Live. I downloaded others, including Pandora radio, Tweed for Twitter and a game called Word Whirl Lite. I logged into my Pandora account and played songs from one of my personalized radio stations while reading through email. A tiny “P” icon at the bottom of the Pixi’s screen notified me that Pandora was running. Other notifiers, like new emails or instant messages, appear at the bottom as well.

If you aren’t familiar with webOS, it’s easy to learn. Functions are designed to be more people-centric rather than program-centric. For example, I can look at a name in Contacts and see how I’m linked to that person—like through Facebook or Google Talk. If I want to start an instant-messaging conversation with that person, I can do so right there rather than opening AIM or Google Talk first to find a person’s name and then initiate conversation. I logged onto the Pixi with a Google account and the device was smart enough to also synchronize data from my Google Talk, Google Calendar and Gmail contacts.

The Card View, a display of all the programs that are simultaneously running at any given time, can be exposed with a simple, upward finger swipe starting below the screen. To close a program, simply touch it with a finger and toss it upward, as if throwing it away. This is one of the most satisfying gestures in webOS. And it’s a good thing, too, because Pixi users will need to use it more often than they did with the Pre. Palm suggests running only seven programs at once for the best performance, rather than the 10 you can leave opened on the Pre.

But my Pixi stuttered with just five programs—sometimes fewer—opened. Simple tasks like opening an email or searching for an app in the App Catalog were painfully slow. I received an email containing one digital photo, and the process of opening just the email—not even the photo—took about 10 seconds. When I finally opened the email and its photo, I saved it to my Pixi and tapped on a menu option to upload it to Facebook. But five minutes later, the spinning progress indicator was still on my Pixi’s screen and I gave up. I tried again and the same thing happened. Finally, on the third try, my photo posted to Facebook.

As was the case for the Palm Pre, the Pixi can be charged by plugging into a normal AC adaptor or by resting it on the Touchstone, a $70 accessory that, with the help of a special back cover that snaps onto the Pixi, magnetically holds this device as it charges. A handful of stylish “Artist Series” back covers will sell on Palm.com for $50 each and will ship in early December.

The Pixi’s 2.6-inch screen has a 320×400 resolution, which is a step down from the Pre’s 3.1-inch, 320×480-resolution screen. Palm estimates the Pixi’s battery lasts for five hours of talk time, the same as the Pre, but for 350 hours of standby time—or 50 more hours than the Pre.

The Palm Pixi’s keyboard is tiny but sufficient. People who are used to BlackBerry or even iPhone keyboards might be irked that the Pixi keyboard doesn’t have built-in shortcuts like holding down a key to capitalize it or pressing the space bar twice to add a period to the end of a sentence.

Like its predecessor, the Pixi has a designated Gesture Area just beneath its screen where users can swipe a fingertip for quickly navigating through screens, like swiping right-to-left to go back a screen. Unlike the Pre, the Pixi doesn’t have a silver button below its screen that immediately takes users to Card View, but I didn’t miss this button.

Though the Palm Pixi is $50 less than the Palm Pre, its downgraded performance doesn’t make that dollar savings worth it.

Write to Katherine Boehret at mossbergsolution@wsj.com

Source: All Things Digital | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:52 pm

PublicEarth: Layers, Crowd-Sourcing, And Taxonomy Meet Maps

Editor’s Note: This guest post is written by Jon Steinberg who very recently accepted a position an an Executive-In-Residence at Polaris Venture Partners, which backs PublicEarth. Still, this is an interesting product and concept in an interesting space, location, which we will be dealing with during our Realtime CrunchUp event this coming Friday. Other ideas in the vein include GeoAPI and to a lesser extent, SimpleGeo. Previously, Steinberg was a strategic partner development manager for Google’s Small Medium Business team.

The rapid development of  interesting web services can be attributed to the ability of each successive builder to create a layer upon what others have built.  The existence of APIs and callable web services means that each builder can add value on top.  When you combine this with crowd-sourcing, you effectively pour lighter fluid (in a good way) on this layering process.  The only remaining element required is a taxonomy to insure that the crowd-sourcing creates content that is structured enough to make sense despite coming from many hands.

PublicEarth, a Polaris portfolio company that is launching today, takes the power of API layering, crowd-sourcing, and taxonomy and focuses it on maps. PublicEarth describes itself as a wiki of places, specializing in collecting all those “long tail” places that most other databases tend to overlook.

Maps is an area where I think there has been relative underdevelopment relative to importance, especially in light of all the emerging mobile, social, local platforms.  Everyone I talk to working in this space needs more local data and detail to power their services, as well as, an open crowd-approach to keeping it up to date and granular as possible.

PublicEarth pulls in Google maps, and then applies a customized categorization and set of data fields to each entry.  For example, I went to Collegiate School in Manhattan for high school.  Rather than just having a one size fits all entry structure that allows for simply “reviews,” PublicEarth applies the fields: colors, grade levels, mascot, and size.

Similarly, for Dog Parks, the site lists whether or not there are benches, pick up bags, and areas for small dogs.  Multiply this type of field customization by the seemingly unending quantity of place categories provided by PublicEarth and you have a “wiki for the world.” Notice, also, how on the right side of each place entry is a running log of the changes made by editor users.  The site is open and democratic; everything is open for editing and customization by users.

And then these highly customized places can be grouped into sets that you can share across the web.  For example, here’s a widget featuring elementary, primary, and extracurricular schools in New York that friends and family I know have attended or taught at.  Public Earth is so detailed in its taxonomy that it even has a Culinary School category.

And that use of APIs and layering goes both ways.  Public Earth has a detailed API that can be used to both pull content from and push content into the layer.  I think being able to push content into Public Earth is of particular importance.  There are many stakeholders that want to be able to contribute local map information in individual and bulk fashions to a central wiki-like repository.

Public Earth has already taken feeds from dozens of providers, like CitySearch, Sam’s Club, and SpaFinder, and plans to incorporate many more. So if you want to update information for individual locations, natural attractions, schools, or businesses use the front-end.  And if you have a bulk feed of locations you service in some fashion, you can become a content partner to PublicEarth, or just push them through the API.

If you are interested in using the API during this beta period, email the team, email me, or leave a comment on this post and we’ll be sure to get you one.  Finally, my big congrats to the PublicEarth team.   I think PublicEarth is an important site, and as Mike Hirshland put it “The notion of high value discovery layers over web utilities is a theme in the Polaris portfolio.”  What Brizzly is for Twitter, PublicEarth is for Google Maps.  You can find my profile and contribution on PublicEarth here.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pm

LiveOffice: Email Archiving In The Cloud

Thinking about moving your electronic services to the cloud? LiveOffice, an SaaS provider of email archiving and hosting, makes the leap that much easier with the release of their CloudMerge technology--offering email archiving for most cloud email providers on the market. In addition to supporting cloud based email archiving, LiveOffice is able to archive email which is on-premise, thus creating a unified archive for all of your email. A core belief of LiveOffice is that your email archive should be portable. By hosting your archive on their end, customers are able to migrate from their current provider to a cloud provider without having to deal with the possibility of losing precious information. Additionally, if customers are dissatisfied with their cloud provider down the road, they can migrate to another provider seamlessly--while keeping all their emails--due to the capabilities of LiveOffice's products.
Source: TechCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:49 pm

T3’s “Netpad” puts a few new twists on the tablet format

Product differentiation is getting more and more difficult these days. The lozenge-shaped, touch-enabled, all-purpose computing device is fast on its way, and while things like the Courier are still serving up surprises, you could be forgiven for thinking most of these big blank screens are pretty similar. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to see some smart additions to the tablet form factor in this concept design by T3. While I think a lot of these additions might be very difficult to get right, I don’t see why we shouldn’t give them a shot.

A slide-out keyboard, for instance. It’s going to be a battle over the next few years whether to include a hard keyboard or not. I personally like a hard keyboard smaller devices like mobiles, but it’s possible that a soft keyboard will be perfectly usable on larger tablets like the CrunchPad and that Apple one. A slide-out keyboard would have to be a compromise, because there’s almost no room for key depression. But a little give is better than none.

The “control strip” is a great idea. With little OLED displays like those the Optimus Maximus and G19 keyboards becoming more common, I don’t see why we shouldn’t have a little context-sensitive strip like that. You kind of saw what it could do in that four-screened laptop from a few months back, but that was pretty over the top. We’re talking media controls, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles, that kind of thing. Putting it on the slanted edge there separates it physically but not visually and really is a great solution.

Multi-purpose, convertible casing: if someone can pull this off, it’d be awesome. An integrated screen protector that doubles as a stand? God damn, sign me up. If it’s reliable, it’d really simplify the accessory situation.

The trouble, of course, is that this little “Netpad,” as they call it, would cost a mint. The many moving parts, expensive materials (carbon fiber, magnesium), and multiple touchscreen surfaces would probably propel the final price to… I’d guess about $2000 at least. And since part of the selling point of tablets is their simplicity and low cost, you’d have trouble making money with the thing, cool as it is. Still, if any of these features make it into the next generation of tablets, I’ll be pumped.

More info over at T3, where hopefully they’ll continue updating this thing.

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:38 pm

T-Mobile UK Employees Sold Customers' Information

angry tapir writes "Workers at T-Mobile UK have been selling customer data to brokers who worked for the competition, according to T-Mobile and the UK's Information Commissioner's Office. Criminal charges are being prepared. 'Many thousands' of customers' account details, millions of records, were sold to several brokers for substantial amounts of money, the ICO said. In an announcement (PDF) from the ICO, the agency does not name the operator involved, but T-Mobile acknowledged that it had alerted ICO about the data breach. The BBC reports that after the other mobile operators said they were not the subject of the investigation, T-Mobile confirmed its involvement."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:38 pm

Salesforce.com FY Q3 Revs Beat, EPS In Line; Stock Sags [Voices]

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

Salesforce.com (CRM) posted revenue for its fiscal third quarter ended October 31 of $330.5 million, up 20 percent year over year, and ahead of the Street at $324.4 million. EPS was in line with estimates at 16 cents.

For FY Q4, the company sees revenue of $340 million to $342 million and EPS of 14-15 cents; the Street has been expecting $334.6 million and 15 cents.

For all of 2010, CRM now sees revenue of $1.292 billion to $1.294 billion, and EPS of 62-63 cents; the Street has been expecting 62 cents.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:30 pm

GAO: Los Alamos computer security has weaknesses (AP)

AP - Security weaknesses uncovered in Los Alamos National Laboratory's classified computer network could increase the risk of a breach of classified information, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a new report.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:26 pm

Silicon Sweatshops: Gadget Factories Take a Toll on Workers

By Thomas Mucha, GlobalPost

BOSTON — Do you know who made your iPhone?

Sure, that shimmering device in your palm is packed with Silicon Valley smarts. The influence of Steve Jobs and his happy band of engineers is present in its sleek design, ease of use, and cooler-than-thou features that now include some 100,000 apps designed solely for the iPhone.

But as Apple turned a $1.67 billion profit in its latest quarter — buoyed by a 185 percent jump in iPhone revenue — there remains a darker side to this popular mobile phone, as well as for many other high-tech products headed for holiday stockings worldwide.

According to labor rights activists and workers interviewed by GlobalPost over the past six months, labor violations are widespread across Asian supply chains that churn out many of your favorite high-tech gadgets.

Hourly wages below a dollar. Firings with no notice. Brokers that leech away months of a worker’s hard-earned wages. Sweatshop-like conditions where workers have few rights.

Chastened by a series of reports that documented abuses, Apple and other big high-tech brands are trying to solve the problem. They have established “codes of conduct” for suppliers and routinely conduct factory audits to catch abuse.

“Our audits are done across all our suppliers,” said Apple spokesperson Jill Tan. “It’s a pretty rigorous process, and we take corrective actions as and when required. We audit aggressively, and post all results on our website.”

But these Asian supply chains are notoriously complex and murky. Contractors shift orders across borders and between factories and subcontractors, and some brands treat their supplier list as top-secret information.

Here’s the problem, activists say: While such codes may be good PR, they are not fixing the problem. Instead, they allow big brands to pat themselves on the back, even as workers continue to be exploited in this shadowy world.

“These codes of conduct and audits are new tools that every brand will have, and they feel so proud of themselves,” said Jenny Chan, a labor rights activist formerly with Hong Kong rights group Students and Scholars against Corporate Misbehavior.

“But the codes have limits. To see fundamental change you have to get labor groups involved and gain the trust of workers,” Chan said. “Otherwise it’s just a cat-and-mouse game between auditors and suppliers.”

Since May, GlobalPost correspondents Jonathan Adams and Kathleen E. McLaughlin have interviewed workers, labor rights activists, and suppliers across Taiwan, the Philippines and southern China.

‘Silicon sweatshops,’  their 5-part special report, details the scope of the problem, including responses from Apple, Nokia, Dell and others. The series looks into allegations of abuse of migrant workers from the Philippines, as well as those in Taiwan and China.

They heard the following allegations:

• From Taiwanese workers, routine violations of Apple and industry codes of conduct on work hours, days off, overtime, worker complaint mechanisms and the right to organize.
• From Chinese workers, violations of a major electronic industry group’s code of conduct on all of the above, and allegations of under-aged labor.
• From Filipina migrant workers, “placement fees” far in excess of Taiwan regulations, with fees and deductions amounting to nearly a full year’s salary — a “core” violation of Apple’s code.

But the news is not all bleak. Adams and McLaughlin also uncovered a novel factory program that supplies Hewlett-Packard — a strategy that involves labor rights groups and NGOs, and one that could serve as a blueprint for solving this perennial industry problem.

“We have to know more about how a product is made, and about the people who are really creating value for society,” labor rights activist Chan told them. “Workers deserve basic respect. I hope we can treat them as human beings, not just as working machines.”

Thomas Mucha is managing editor of correspondents for the international news site GlobalPost.

Photo: Three young workers from an electronics factory in southern China spoke said the factory’s treatment of its workers hasn’t improved since a strike last April — and may even be getting worse. (Sharron Lovell/GlobalPost)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pm

Kingston’s new DataTraveler DTLocker+ is secure, they say

There’s no shortage of secure devices out there, but if you happen to be a Kingston-only type of guy, you’re in luck. They’ve just put out a new USB stick that, like other secure drives, requires a password before you can access the data. It’s encrypted with a 256-bit key so I don’t think anybody will be brute-forcing that information any time soon. And if they put the wrong password 10 times… poof, formatted.

Personally, I still like the Lenovo secure drive I reviewed; having an actual keypad made it seem high-tech and reliable. Of course, I nearly have a panic attack whenever I have to use it because my “usual” password isn’t all numbers and I forget things easily.

Anyhow, you can rely on Kingston to have a decently fast, well-built little secure USB key, though they are a bit expensive. $36 for 4GB up to $200 for the 32GB? Cruel! I guess it’s not that far off from their other drives. In fact the only real difference is the swivel bit. Hey, slow news days aren’t my fault!

[via Electronista]

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

GSMA Announces Winners of Embedded Mobile Module Competition

HONG KONG, November 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA, which represents the interests of the worldwide communications industry, today announced the winners of the first phase of its Embedded Mobile competition, which was created as part of the GSMA's Embedded Mobile Initiative.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

GSMA Completes First Phase of Smart SIM Initiative

HONG KONG, November 18 /PRNewswire/ -- - Major Industry Players Back Initiative to Develop New SIM Technology The GSMA today announced that it has completed the first phase of its Smart SIM initiative and has published three white papers* outlining the commercial implementation of the technology.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

First American Spatial Solutions Provides Data for Microsoft Solution

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

Motorola Expands LTE Solution With New, Frame-Based eNodeB

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

Palm releases webOS 1.3.1 without iTunes syncing capablities

FROM APPLETELL - After its many “cat-and-mouse” games with Apple, Palm has not included iTunes syncing capabilities in the latest version of its smartphone operating system.
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:48 pm

Hackers Broke Into Brazil Power Grid Operator's Website Last Thursday

An anonymous reader writes "A week ago, 60 Minutes had a story (we picked it up too) claiming that hackers had caused power outages in Brazil. While this assertion is now believed to be in error, hackers were inspired by the story actually to do what was claimed. Last Thursday, they broke into ONS, the operator of the grid (Google translation; Portuguese original). DarkReading has specific details on the SQL injection vulnerabilities the hackers probably used."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:41 pm

Format a Hard Drive on Windows XP

Sometimes, just emptying the Recycle Bin on your Windows desktop isn't enough. For better security, you might want to wipe the slate clean with a fresh hard drive. Here's how.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

Format a Hard Drive on Windows XP

Sometimes, just emptying the Recycle Bin on your Windows desktop isn't enough. For better security, you might want to wipe the slate clean with a fresh hard drive. Here's how.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

Review: Big Buck Hunter Pro TV Game

Short Version: A faithful recreation of the arcade classic, Jakks Pacific’s Big Buck Hunter Pro TV Video Game is a nice alternative when you’re too lazy, broke, or inebriated to make it out to your local watering hole to play the real thing.

Features:

• Plugs directly into your TV via RCA cables attached to shotgun controller
• Full game is built into the controller itself
• Wireless sensor bar sits on top of your TV
• MSRP of $39.99

Pros:

• Pretty close recreation of the arcade version
• Easy enough for just about anyone to pick up and play
• Good value for around $40

Cons:

• Gun controller is a bit small, resulting in underwhelming pump action
• On-screen aiming cursor’s slow reaction time is distracting

Review:

Ah, sweet memories of being in my early twenties. My friends and I would have just had our asses handed to us twice in the double-header softball league we somehow thought we’d be able to conquer year after year, our postgame analysis short-lived at the dive-bar-turned-cougar-hangout called Bunny’s on Excelsior Boulevard in the Minneapolis suburb I called home for years and years. All of it was simply a warm up to the marathon session of Big Buck Hunter that’d inevitably take place until closing time week in and week out.

Now I’m 30 and living in Boston. A dull heartache comes and goes in early May of every year as my Minneapolis friends work out their attack positions and flanking maneuvers for the upcoming softball season (if anyone in a semi-serious Boston softball league needs a first baseman or outfielder, please let me know). Most of my friends have kids now and last I heard, Big Buck Hunter’s been replaced by a quick beer or two from a cooler after the game interspersed with discussions about mortgage rates and paid time off.

But I digress. You probably want to hear about this game now.

It’s good. Well worth the $40, in my opinion. I’ll admit that I haven’t played the very latest arcade versions of Big Buck Hunter, but this play-at-home game feels pretty close to the original arcade version as well as Big Buck Hunter II.

The gun controller is a little bit on the cheap side but feels like it ought to be able to withstand some manhandling. My main gripe with it is that the barrel’s pretty short, which makes the pump action of the fore-end somewhat unsatisfying. Other than that, though, it’s a decent – not as nice as the arcade version but, hey, this thing costs $40.

The on-screen aiming cursor is the main weak point of the entire package. Its slow reaction time makes your main objective – trying to shoot moving animals – a bit frustrating. I eventually overcame this by training myself to ignore the cursor and use the sight on the gun barrel. Even though the cursor’s slow to react, the game will indeed register where the gun’s aimed when fired, not where the cursor happens to be located.

Those minor gripes aside, this Big Buck Hunter fan has been a happy camper. For roughly the same amount of money that you’d spend playing the arcade version for a few hours, the home version provides a similar enough experience to make the purchase worthwhile.

Big Buck Hunter Pro TV Video Game [Jakks Pacific]

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pm

Review: 'New Super Mario Bros. Wii' Is Nostalgic, Chaotic

A manic multiplayer mode makes this Nintendo retread a compelling game for up to four friends. While single-player gameplay fails to innovate, or even live up to previous Mario gems, there's still a rip-roaring good time to be had with Nintendo's perky plumber.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:21 pm

Google, Bing continue gains at Yahoo's expense - CNET News

TopNews United States

Google, Bing continue gains at Yahoo's expense CNET News Yahoo continues to lose share in the search market, as Google and Microsoft pick up the difference. Comscore's measurement of the US search market in October shows that Google--as usual--still dominates the search landscape. ... comscore: Bing bounce the bestWashington Business Journal Yahoo's Share Of Search Market Slips; Microsoft, Google GainWall Street Journal Microsoft outlines three dimensional search strategyV3.co.uk Afterdawn.com -Christian Science Monitor -Register all 135 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:18 pm

Shields Up!: EU Cracks Down on Ringtone Scams

Section: Communications, Accessories, Cellphones, Computers, Security

The European Union Consumer Commission has announced a crack down on sites pushing free ringtone scams and that often target kids and teens.  The crackdown covered all 27 EU countries plus Iceland and Norway and resulted 9 Italian companies being slammed with nearly $3 million in fines.  Of the 301 websites targeted, 54 were put out of business and more than 150 were made to change their advertising.  The commission said it instigated the crackdown after being flooded with complaints by consumers.

The sites often featured cartoon characters and urged visitors to provide their cell phone numbers to get a free ringtone.  What they failed to reveal, or buried in fine print, was that once they had the number the owner would be signed up for a subscription and charged a monthly fee for further ringtones.

These scams are often seen here in the US, both on the web and on TV.  The ads offer free ringtones (or wallpapers, horoscopes, games, etc).  All you have to do is type in your cell phone number or send a text message.  Then you get hit with all kinds of charges. Some services charge $5.99 a month and other a whopping $29.99 a month.  Getting the subscription dropped can be extremely difficult to impossible and your cell provider is often unable to do much.

Mobile phones are a way of life for most of us, and we seldom go anywhere without them.  Scammers know this.  SMS spam is a particular problem because those not on an unlimited plan must pay for each message.  While it has not yet become a huge problem here, giving up your cell number to websites and in response to TV ads can open you up to a flood of it.  It’s important to guard your cell phone number as you would any other piece of personal info.  Don’t give it out to just anyone, and stick to legit sites like iTunes for ringtones and wallpapers or download some software and make your own.  Free offers often come with a steep price!

Read [PC Magazine]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:06 pm

Shakira’s Stats Don’t Lie: Facebook/Ustream Music Video Debut Is A Hit

Last week we reported on Shakira’s decision to use Ustream and Facebook to live stream the debut of her latest music video, Give It Up To Me — a move that’s a fairly huge departure from the standard MTV route we probably would have seen a few years ago. Ustream has just given us the stats of yesterday’s launch, and it’s clear that it drew quite a crowd: over the course of the ten minute live stream, Shakira’s video had 95,000 unique viewers during the initial broadcast. And over the course of the last 24 hours, the video has seen a total of over 500,000 views.

Ustream says that Shakira video wasn’t its most popular of all time — the streams for Michael Jackson’s memorial service and President Obama’s Inauguration saw much more traffic, with 4.6MM and 3.8MM total streams respectivly. But those streams were both hours long, while Shakira’s stream lasted a mere ten minutes. It’s also important to note that these viewers were likely more engaged than they would be if they were just staring at the tube. By integrating Ustream into Facebook, Shakira was likely able to gain quite a few new Fans on her Facebook account, which means she’s established a long term way to reach out to them.

It’s worth pointing out that Shakira was’t the first artist to stream her video — that title appears to be held by Chamillionaire who debuted his video for Good Morning a few days prior. Given Shakira’s success don’t be surprised if more artists start following suit.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:06 pm

Samsung overtakes Vizio as top LCD seller

Samsung and Vizio have been playing a game of leapfrog the last couple of years. It seems every couple of financial quarters, the manufacturers switch between the number one and number two spots on the top LCD sellers chart. But as of right now, Samsung is king of the mountain again.

Vizio’s Q3 sales accounted for only 15.7% of the US’s total, while Samsung managed to move 16.8%. iSuppli credited Samsung’s LED backlighting push for the higher sales. LED backlight means thinner TVs. The rest of the manufacturers, LG, Toshiba, and Sony only managed a 8.1%, 7.8%, and 7.8% respective market share.

But here’s the thing, only LG saw its numbers actually increase from the second quarter of 2009. Everyone else, including the top dogs, watched less TVs ship out. Of course that shouldn’t be a problem for the fourth quarter of the year as people pick up TV sets as household holiday gifts.

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

Chinese Court Rules Microsoft Violated IP Rights

angry tapir writes "A Beijing court has ruled that Microsoft violated a Chinese company's intellectual property rights in a case over fonts used in past Windows operating systems. The Beijing Number One Intermediate People's Court ordered Microsoft to stop selling versions of Windows that use the Chinese fonts, including Windows XP. Microsoft plans to appeal the case. Microsoft originally licensed Zhongyi's intellectual property more than a decade ago for use in the Chinese version of Windows 95, according to Zhongyi. Zhongyi argues that agreement applied only to Windows 95, but that Microsoft continued to use the intellectual property in eight versions of Windows from Windows 98 to Windows XP. Vista and Windows 7 are not involved."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Nov 2009 | 3:57 pm

Contest Challenges Participants to Make Funniest Christmas Video

AMERICAN FORK, Utah, Nov.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Nov 2009 | 3:46 pm

Thanks, iPhone: 2,000 Percent Increase in Bay Area Data Traffic Since 2008, Says AT&T [Digital Daily]

Bay Area iPhone users, relief is on the way: This morning, AT&T said it has almost completed a $65 million upgrade to its network in the region. The carrier has upgraded close to 850 cell sites in an effort to better handle the massive surge in data traffic it has seen in and around San Francisco since the debut of Apple’s iPhone.

Make no mistake, that surge has been massive. Says AT&T (T): “Since 2008 AT&T’s network in the San Francisco area has experienced a 3G data traffic increase of 2,000 percent.”

Wow. No wonder my calls kept dropping at that last Apple (AAPL) event in San Francisco (yes, an iPhone 3G repeatedly dropping calls at Apple’s Sept. invitation-only music gathering). In any event, the upgrade, which includes the bolstering of backbone infrastructure, should result in better coverage, 3G performance and in-building penetration.

“More than ever before, customers look to wireless communications to stay in touch with family, friends and business colleagues,” said Terry Stenzel, AT&T vice president and general manager for Northern California/Reno. “The additional spectrum helps to enhance the 3G network so that our customers have the best experience when they make a call, check an e-mail, download a video or song, access applications or surf the Internet on their AT&T device.”

Source: All Things Digital | 17 Nov 2009 | 3:36 pm

Everyone needs a pink UMID mbook

It’s pink. It’s tiny. It has a webcam and a five-hour battery. Just tell me, who wouldn’t want a pink mbook? No one, that’s who.

Dynamism claims the computer is the world’s smallest PC and, well, it very well might be. It sure is tiny at only .69 lbs and 6.3 x 3.7 x 0.7 inches. An Atom CPU powers the device and a microSD card slot provides backup to the 8GB SSD hard drive. The screen is only 4.8-inches but that’s probably large enough to update Facebook and read email anyway. Plus it’s pink. Everyone loves pink. Except for dudes.

Source: CrunchGear | 17 Nov 2009 | 3:30 pm

The Jet Fighter Laser Cannon

fahrbot-bot sends in a Register piece about DARPA issuing the penultimate contract for what is intended to be a jet-mounted laser cannon. The Reg outdoes itself in a BOTEC involving downsizing to shark scale. "The US military will shortly issue a brace of contracts for 'refrigerator sized' laser blaster cannons. One of the deals will see a full-power ground prototype built which will be the final stage prior to America's first raygun-equipped jet fighter. ... If it scales down far enough, this would seem to put handheld HELL-guns within an order of magnitude of the striking power offered by conventional small-arms. A 9mm pistol bullet has about 750 joules muzzle energy: a 5kg portable HELL-ray weapon would put out this much energy in a blast less than a second long. ... A dolphin can carry a human being weighing up to 100kg along for a ride. A thoroughbred shark in good training can surely match this. Thus, we seem to be looking at practicable head-[laser] output in the 20-kilowatt range."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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

Appletell reviews Voiis Stereo Wireless Music Gateway

FROM APPLETELL - If you’re looking for an affordable solution to wireless music streaming via Bluetooth, look no further than the Voiis Wireless Music Gateway.
MORE »

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pm

Talking To Ourselves: How Consumers Navigate Choices And Inner Conflict

From simple decisions like "Should I eat this brownie?" to bigger questions such as "Should my next car be a hybrid?" consumers are involved in an inner dialogue that reflects thoughts and perspectives of their different selves, according to the authors of a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.Shalini Bahl (iAM Business Consulting) and George R.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 3:04 pm

Emulating Western Lifestyles: Consumption And Carbon Footprints In Less Industrialized Countries

In recent decades, a new global middle class has exploded, with a total population exceeding one billion people.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pm

People Work Harder When Expecting A Future Challenging Task

Consumers will work harder on a task if they're expecting to have to do something difficult at a later time, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.In today's fast-paced world, consumers frequently undertake unrelated tasks in a sequence.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 2:57 pm

Faster Forward: 'Unfriend' goes into the books - Washington Post

New Zealand Herald

Faster Forward: 'Unfriend' goes into the books Washington Post For the dwindling minority of Internet users who haven't at least looked at a social-networking site like Facebook, the verb refers to the act of removing somebody from your "friends list" -- the contingent of people whose news appears ... 'Unfriend' is 2009's Word of the Year: Geek Lexicon Goes PopPC World 'Unfriend' or 'Defriend?' Facebook Fans DebateABC News Oxford's word of the year? 'Unfriend'CNET News Kingston Daily Freeman -Reuters -msnbc.com all 640 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Nov 2009 | 2:52 pm

Comforted By Carpet: How Do Floors And Distance Affect Purchases?

Consumers who stand on carpeted flooring feel comforted, but they judge products close to them to be less comforting, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.In the study, authors Joan Meyers Levy (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis), Rui (Juliet) Zhu, and Lan Jiang (both University of British Columbia) explored the feelings evoked by the two most common flooring types in retail environments: hard vinyl tile and carpet."We first conducted a study to show that carpeting flooring indeed evokes a greater sense of physical comfort than tiled flooring," the authors explain.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 2:49 pm

Senate Panel: 80 Percent of Cyber Attacks Preventable

At least 80 percent of cyber attacks could be prevented if network administrators simply implemented best-practice configurations and network monitoring, a Senate committee heard on Tuesday. But the public is as much to blame as network operators for the state of cyber security.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 2:48 pm

Rice Ties In Race For Atomic-Scale Breakthrough

Killian lab creates Bose-Einstein condensate from strontiumEverybody loves a race to the wire, even when the result is a tie.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pm

Amazon Kindle now available in Canada

Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks

The wait for the Amazon Kindle to come to Canada is now over. Effective immediately, the Kindle can be ordered, and delivered to Canada for a price of $259 US. Of course, this does come with a few catches, the books, newspapers and magazines are all priced in US dollars. Additionally, the blogs and “experimental web browser” are not available. But on the flip side, the Kindle does come with “over 300,000 English-language books.” Canadian Kindle users can also choose from a selection of International newspapers and magazines including the National Post and “all of Canwest’s major daily newspapers.” Finally, for those interested in ordering a Kindle, just visit the US Amazon website.

Read [Canada.com]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 2:34 pm

NVIDIA Ships Decent DX10 Graphics Card For Under $100

MojoKid writes "NVIDIA is launching a new mainstream graphics card today, aimed at consumers in the market for a relatively low-cost upgrade from an integrated graphics solution or older entry-level GPU. The new GeForce GT 240 features a GPU with 96 processor cores, 8 ROP units, and 32 texture filtering units. The GPU is manufactured using a 40nm process, features a GDDR5 memory controller (that's also compatible with GDDR3), and unlike NVIDIA's current high-end GPUs, the GT 240 is DirectX 10.1 compatible. For $100 or less, what's perhaps most interesting is that this graphics card actually puts up respectable frame rates with AA turned on and no external power needed beyond what a standard PCIe slot provides."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 17 Nov 2009 | 2:27 pm

Hackers Mod, Overclock and Reprogram Their Calculators

Benjamin Moody spent two months trying to crack the programming code of his TI-83 graphing calculator, a process that involved finding the prime factors of enormous numbers. When he was done, he posted instructions on a calculator-hacking website, so that others could do things like make their calculators play Tetris, Whac-a-Mole, or serve as primitive e-book readers and music synthesizers.

Then a lawyer from Texas Instruments visited his house to hand-deliver a cease-and-desist letter.

The Wall Street Journal reports on the hackers who really love their Texas Instruments calculators (subscription required), and the TI lawyers who are trying to shut them down. It’s a fascinating story, and our hats are off to the WSJ for finding it. However, what we really wanted to see were some screenshots and videos of the games these guys are creating. So look what we dug up in the TI hacking forums:

(Above screenshots from the forum on Robot War, a game being developed by TI hackers.)

And if you want to know more about how these guys hack their TI’s, check out WikiTI, the UnitedTI forum, and this page on overclocking your TI calculator.

Are you a calculator hacker? Point us to some more cool mods in the comments below, or send us e-mail.

Photo credit: laffy4k/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 2:07 pm

AT&T plans San Francisco Bay Area network upgrades for 2010

Hey SF Bay Area iPhonestas…good news! Your beloved carrier, the one and only AT&T, has big plans for major 3G network upgrades across the SF Bay Area come 2010.

Apparently, the lovely folks over at AT&T have pumped some $65 million “from 2008 through the 3rd quarter of 2009 to complete a substantial upgrade of its local 3G wireless network in the greater San Francisco Bay Area with the launch of additional wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band.” Based on the endless complaints I hear from my iPhone carrying friends ’round these parts, this has got to be music to their ears.

Independent of just pleasing iPhone owners, this is obviously also good news for all AT&T customers throughout the Bay Area. As more and more customers make the switch to data-happy smartphones, carriers must improve the robustness of their 3G networks to meet the growing data demands. Luckily, it sounds like this improvement should help, big time.

As a result of this upgrade, local customers are expected to experience better 3G wireless connectivity, performance and enhanced in-building wireless coverage. The enhancement also increases network capacity, and is intended to support the ever-growing demand for 3G mobile broadband service. In the greater Bay Area, AT&T upgraded close to 850 cell sites as part of this enhancement, the majority coming in the 3rd quarter of 2009.

More specifically, AT&T is launching additional wireless spectrum in the 850 MHz band. According to press release, the 850 MHz spectrum “generally results in better in-building coverage.”

AT&T 3G customers should see improved quality and coverage throughout dozens of greater Bay Area communities, including San Francisco, Brisbane, Daly City, Colma, South San Francisco, Pacifica, Sausalito, Tiburon, Mill Valley, Corte Madera, San Rafael, San Anselmo, Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Alameda, Piedmont, Hayward, San Leandro, San Mateo, Burlingame, Millbrae, Hillsborough, Palo Alto, San Carlos, Belmont, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Richmond, Albany, El Sobrante, El Cerritos, Pinole, Crockett, Hercules and more.

AT&T has also increased capacity to “hundreds of cell sites across the bay area” in order to better meet the growing massive data demands of its Silicon Valley customers and plans to flip the switch on its higher speed HSPA 7.2 3G network sometime in 2010. But like lipservice from any of the major carriers, we’ll all need to see “it” to believe “it” before we give AT&T credit for its supposed improvements.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 1:50 pm

T-Mobile UK employees caught peddling personal data

Here in the states, T-Mobile has been no stranger to screw-ups, but we’d always just figured that their UK counterparts were stand-up guys. After all, they’re British – as we all know, every one from that side of the pond is charming, affable, and rocks a bloody good accent. Unfortunately, it looks like not everyone employed there is as scrupulous as their customers would hope – a story by the BBC has confirmed that T-Mobile UK employees sold private subscriber data to a third-party broker.

T-Mobile UK and the British authorities have been taking steps to handle the incident, with the Information Commissioner’s Office going as far as trying to stick offenders with a prison sentence instead of the ordinary £5,000 fine that comes with a violation of Britain’s Data Protection Act. The article itself keeps mum about exactly what kind of data was sold, and to which “phone firms” eventually ponied up for it. To date, the actual damage done doesn’t seem to be too bad – at worst, customers have complained about receiving unsolicited phone calls right before their contract expired, but it raises very serious questions about the trustworthiness of a company that handles sensitive information on a daily basis. Between stateside service outages and and now this, we have to wonder whether or not T-Mobile will be able to shake off their newfound status as the magenta-headed stepchild of the wireless industry.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm

Despite Recession, Carbon Pollution Swells

Developing nations are spurring rising pollution levels in the face of a global economic slowdown.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm

Penguins Evolving Faster Than Believed

Scientists discover that Adleie penguins are evolving, on a molecular scale, between two and six times faster than previously believed.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 1:15 pm

Coaches Can Shape Young Athletes' Definition Of Success

Young athletes' achievement goals can change in a healthy way over the course of a season when their coaches create a mastery motivational climate rather than an ego orientation, University of Washington sport psychologists have found.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pm

15% Of Air Traffic To Be Powered By Alternative Fuels By 2020

European plane manufacturer Airbus on Tuesday announced its vision for 15 percent of all air traffic to be powered by alternative fuels by 2020.By 2030, alternative fuels could account for up to 30 percent of power for global air traffic, the company said during the Dubai Airshow."If
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:45 pm

Chimpanzee Murder, Conspiracy and Suicide Featured in New Play

What soap opera or TV thriller hasn't featured murder, conspiracy and suicide? We all know humans are capable of these things, but a new play, "Hominid," puts a twist on the drama by having human actors re-enact such events that ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:34 pm

New Site Tracks How Stimulus Dollars Flow to Science

More than $20 billion of stimulus money has gone to universities for science research, the biggest single increase in that type of spending ever. New data released by most of the major research institutions in the country reveals the breadth and depth of the grant-making's impact.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:33 pm

Belgian Robbers Score $3M Worth of iPhones

Burglars over the weekend robbed a warehouse in Antwerp, Belgium, making off with $3 million worth of Apple’s popular iPhone, according to reports in the Belgian press.

The thieves reportedly used a fire ladder to climb to the roof of a warehouse, where they cut a hole to gain access to the goods. They pilfered nearly 4,000 brand new iPhones, according to De Standaard [Google Translation]. Police are investigating the robbery.

U.S.-owned transport company Ceva Logistics was holding the iPhones for Mobistar, Apple’s exclusive Belgian carrier. A Mobistar spokeswoman said the serial numbers of the stole iPhones would be blocked so they cannot be used. However, Fortune’s Philip Elmer De-Witt noted in his report that Belgian iPhones ship without a SIM-lock, meaning thieves will be able to circumvent Mobistar’s block by using the phones on another carrier’s network.

3,000 to 4,000 unlocked iPhones, huh? Keep an eye on eBay for an explosion of new, unlocked iPhones shipping from overseas.

See Also:

• Geek and Thief Come Face to Face Thanks to ‘Find My iPhone …
• Tracking Software Rescues Stolen iMac after Two Weeks

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm

Rumor: Touchscreen BlackBerry slider in the pipeline?

Yay, rumors! Today’s fun rumor comes courtesy of one Mr. Shaw Wu, a Kaufman Bros. analyst, who believes (thanks to his sources in the supply chain) that a BlackBerry 9900 has not only hit the prototype phase, but also features an entirely new form factor for RIM – a touchscreen slider.

The mystical BlackBerry is said to be some sort of Storm-meets-classic-Blackberry-meets-slider concoction. As IntoMobile points out, the above patent image clearly gives some hint at what a legitimate BlackBerry slider could look like.

The purported next-gen ‘Berry is expected to be revealed sometime in 2010. But until we see an actual prototype (come on Mr. Blurry cam, help a brother out!), this is all just pure speculation for the time being.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pm

Convert Outlook E-Mails From HTML to Plain Text

Don't get us wrong: Outlook is a popular e-mail program for a reason. However, the HTML e-mails aren't quite up to snuff with browser standards, and they often arrive looking like a total mess. Sometimes, making your e-mail readable means getting back to basics. In this case, that means plain text.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pm

Explore images with Google Image Swirl, now in Labs

Back in 2001, to give people a new, quicker way to find images, we launched Image Search. When you do a search for [eiffel tower] you'll find an array of images of the tower in the daytime, in black and white, at sunset and more. With Similar Images, which recently graduated from Google Labs, you can click "Find similar images" to narrow your search to, say, pictures of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. Today, we've launched an experimental feature in Labs called Google Image Swirl, which builds on new computer vision research to cluster similar images into representative groups in a fun, exploratory interface.

For example, if you search on Image Swirl for [washington], you'll see 12 image thumbnails including President Washington, the Washington Monument, a map of Washington D.C. and the Capitol Building:


Once you find the group of images you're interested in, you can click on the thumbnail and a cluster of images will "swirl" into view. For example, here's what you'll see if you click the image of the Washington Monument:


You can then further explore additional sub-groups within any cluster. The interface may look familiar to those of you who have tried Google's Wonder Wheel available in the Search Options panel, which enables you to explore related search queries.

Image Swirl expands on technologies developed for Similar Images and Picasa Face Recognition to discern how images should be grouped together and build hierarchies out of these groups. Each thumbnail on the initial results page represents an algorithmically-determined representative group of images with similar appearance and meaning. These aren't just the most relevant images — they are the most relevant groups of images.

Image Swirl currently works for more than 200,000 queries and we plan to include more queries in the future. Available queries will auto-complete as you start to type in the search box, similar to Google Suggest.

You can try out Google Image Swirl in Google Labs today. The feature is experimental and the underlying technology is a work in progress, so please share your feedback and let us know how we can make it more useful.

Posted by Aparna Chennapragada, Product Manager, and Yushi Jing, Google Research
Source: The Official Google Blog | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm

New World's Fastest Supercomputer Named

The world's fastest supercomputer is devoted to solving scientific questions that may save the planet -- climate change, renewable energy, new medicines -- rather than advances in nuclear weapons, at least for the moment.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:14 pm

New Study Confirms Exotic Electric Properties Of Graphene

First, it was the soccer-ball-shaped molecules dubbed buckyballs. Then it was the cylindrically shaped nanotubes.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pm

Sony now offering a trade-in program for PRS-500 Reader users

Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks

Those who are still sporting the older PRS-500 ebook reader now have a few options to consider courtesy of Sony.

To begin with, Sony has offered a firmware update for the device. The update will give users ePub support and is available as for free. Of course the catch here is that you will need to send in your reader in order to get that update. And getting worse, that process could take up to 14 days.

But that aside, Sony is also offering a trade-in program for those looking to upgrade to a newer model. According to the details, with a PRS-500 Reader trade-in, Sony will give you $50 off of a Reader Pocket Edition or $75 off of a Reader Touch Edition.

Normally I would say that as long as your older model is working, it may be worth just holding onto, as opposed to spending the additional money. However in this case, it seems the ePub update is almost a necessity because Sony has announced plans to migrate to the ePub format before the end of the year. Which in other words, that will make your PRS-500 a little more outdated.

Basically, its either update or upgrade.

Read [Sony Style] Via [jkOnTheRun]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:09 pm

4 In 10 US Families Lack Money For Essential Household Expenses When Unemployed

With job recovery nowhere in sight, financial assets decline along with economic mobilityToday the Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Brandeis University's Heller School released a new research and policy brief which reports that four in ten U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:08 pm

Are Female Mountain Goats Sexually Conflicted Over Size Of Mate?

Mountain goats are no exception to the general rule among mammals that larger males sire more and healthier offspring.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:04 pm

Hyperviligant Power Strip Perhaps the Greenest of Them All

The smart Power Tower from iGo thinks for us, cutting the juice to a gadget when the load drops sharply — like when your mobile phone completes a charge. Almost as cool: rotating plugs, so you don't end up with cable kinks!

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm

Hyperviligant Power Strip Perhaps the Greenest of Them All

The smart Power Tower from iGo thinks for us, cutting the juice to a gadget when the load drops sharply — like when your mobile phone completes a charge. Almost as cool: rotating plugs, so you don't end up with cable kinks!

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 17 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm

Goodbye Farmville, Hello Real Animals

Over the weekend I went to a concert that featured, as a guest artist, computer scientist Jaron Lanier. The dreadlocked Lanier helped to create virtual reality and popularized the term. Outside of his technology work, he's interested in early musical ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 11:57 am

HTML5's Brave New Web Coming Soon, When Browsers Improve

According to Philippe Le Hegaret, head of the HTML5 Working Group at the W3C, challenges relating to video, animation and adoption across all browsers means we may not see HTML5 adopted on a wide scale until 2011.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 11:37 am

Army Eyes Missiles Filled With Flying Spy Bots

The Army is seeking proposals for missiles that shoot off loads of flying, spying robots to enable faster surveillance of potential enemies.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 11:35 am

Adopt a Pompeian Dog

They sleep under ancient Roman frescoes and walk on priceless mosaic floors, but they are far from living a privileged life. They are the dogs of Pompeii -- sick, starving, dirty and scruffy stray dogs who wander through the ruins ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 11:29 am

Dell tablet coming to AT&T next year?

Section: Communications, Smartphones, Computers, Mobile Computers, Netbooks, Wireless

While phone freaks are all up in arms about Dell’s decision to launch the Mini 3 touchscreen smartphone in China and Brazil before even mentioning when it will come home to the US, an Android-powered tablet, called Streak, looks to be headed to AT&T next year according to the Commercial Times.

Geek.com says not only will one tablet hit the US carrier next year but the company is hard at work on multiple screen sizes as well.  This news comes on the back of CNN Money discussing the rumored Apple tablet as if it were coming and we should hold back some cash for when it does come.

Unfortunately, Commercial Times doesn’t hold a good track record.  Earlier this year, the paper predicted an Apple tablet would be shown off in Q3.  That, of course, didn’t happen.

The Dell shown here raises some big questions.  Would an internet tablet of similar size to the iPod touch sell with an always-on connection?  If so, wouldn’t AT&T tap Apple to get the iPod on the network?  A knee-jerk response would say no, AT&T doesn’t want to detract from iPhone sales, right?  Well, if that is case, going with #2 Android tablet would circumvent cannibalized iPhone sales but then they are stuck pedaling products the compete with the market leader.

$30 a month for data sounds like a lot for the iPod touch crowd.  Especially if they are already paying for a cell phone and broadband at home.  What do you think?  Let us know in the comments.

Read:[Geek.com] and [DigiTimes]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 11:21 am

AT&T Rolls out Wireless Upgrades in SF Bay Area

The incessant whining about AT&T’s network coverage is especially loud here in San Francisco, and that’s largely because a lot of hipsters, techies and workaholics here own data-sucking iPhones. Fortunately, AT&T says it’s been investing in upgrades to improve bandwidth in the Bay Area.

Some highlights from AT&T’s press release:

• Approximately 850 local cell sites have been upgraded to include 850 MHz, the majority occurring last quarter
• In 2009 so far, AT&T has added nearly 40 new cell sites in the Bay Area and added significant backhaul
• HSPA 7.2 slated to roll out in the Bay Area next year
• Since 2008, AT&T’s network in the San Francisco area has experienced a 3G data traffic increase of 2,000 percent
• Investments between 2008 and the third quarter of 2009 total nearly $65 million

“We know there are still challenges in the area, and these upgrades and investments will continue,” an AT&T spokesman said in a statement.

A 2,000-percent traffic increase? Yeesh. That’s believable, because it’s as easy to spot an iPhone here as it is to find a liquor store in the Mission. It’s no wonder San Francisco coverage was so slow in the global iPhone 3G speed test we led last year.

Are you seeing any improvements in coverage, San Franciscans? I generally get 3G coverage more often than before, but my reception is still horrible in my apartment (in the Richmond district). Still challenges in the area indeed.

See Also:

• In Escalating War Against Verizon, AT&T Is Getting Tone Deaf — and …
• AT&T Plans 3G Network Upgrades, 4G Rollout
• Verizon Leads, AT&T Runs Last in Wired.com’s 3G Speed Test …
• Wired.com’s iPhone 3G Survey Reveals Network Weaknesses

Photo: rnikko/Flickr

(Thanks, Seth!)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 11:20 am

The Moto Droid’s Ability To Autofocus Varies From Day To Day – No, really.

Here’s a weird one for you: A few hours ago, Motorola DROID users began reporting that the cameras on their handsets were suddenly.. better. The camera’s ability to auto-focus, which I’d railed in our review of the product, seemed to drastically improve overnight. And it did!

Most assumed that Verizon and Motorola had managed to sneak out some sort of stealth over-the-air update, patching the camera’s settings on the fly. A number of sites reported as much. Some even took offense to this idea, declaring that such things shouldn’t be allowed without their explicit permission. According to the folks that should know best, there was no over-the-air update at all; the camera fixed itself, and in 24.5 days, it’ll break all over again.

Almost immediately after the fix, users began to dig. One clever fellow went out on a limb, and set his Droid’s clock back two days – and sure enough, the camera lost its newly gained auto-focusing abilities.

According to Google Engineer Dan Morrill, there is an unfortunate bug in the Droid’s autofocus routine. It improperly rounds a timestamp used in the calculations, which somehow throws the entire focusing process off. Today it works, and tomorrow it will work…but 24.5 days from now, the bug will be back. Hopefully Motorola and Verizon will have pushed a (non-stealthy) fix by then.

This isn’t the first time a clock has been the root of a glitch; in December of 2008, 30GB Zunes around the world suddenly stopped working. It was later revealed that the Zune failed to account for 2008 being a leap year. Once January 1st, 2009 rolled out, all of the Zunes were back in working order.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 11:03 am

Neuron Chamber Mimics Brain

The Neuron Chamber, on display at San Francisco's Exploratorium, is an interactive, electro-kinetic sculpture representing the form and function of neurons in the brain.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 17 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am

T-Mobile starts selling Sidekicks again, drops prices

Data problems? What data problems? Oh right, those data problems. Well, its been about a month so, like with any sort of break up or troubled relationship, you’ve had your chance to grieve and be angry…now it’s time to move on, folks.

At least that seems to be T-Mobile’s position. Thus, Big T has resumed selling both its older Sidekick and the newer Sidekick LX, each for slightly less than the pre-data loss prices nonetheless.

After the terrible debacle that was the T-Mobile/MS/Danger data loss extravaganza in which T-Mobile gave affected users $100 gift cards, it wasn’t clear if the ol’ Sidekicks would every see the light of day again. Low and behold, T-Mobile had brought them back from their self-imposed deadpool, only this time, they are cheaper than before. The older Sidekick (2008) is now just $49.99 (w/ contract) and the newer LX is down to $149.99 (w/ contract).

So now’s the time to grab your new ‘kick…that is, if you are willing to be that lightning won’t strike twice.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 10:48 am

How Microsoft Blew It With Windows Mobile

Microsoft Windows continues to dominate the PC market with a 90 percent market-share stronghold, but when it comes to smartphones, Microsoft is getting beat up worse than a mustachioed villain in a Jackie Chan movie.

Windows Mobile has lost nearly a third of its smartphone market share since 2008, research firm Gartner reports. Windows Mobile had 11 percent of the global smartphone market in the third quarter of 2008, according to Gartner, and last quarter Windows Mobile’s market share plummeted to 7.9 percent.

Meanwhile, Apple’s global market share grew from 12.9 percent to 17.1 percent, and RIM saw a rise from 16 percent to 20.8 percent, according to Gartner’s figures.

It’s worth noting Microsoft got a head start with Windows CE, its pocket PC OS, in 1996. Windows CE serves as the foundation for the Windows Mobile OS shipping with some smartphones today. The smartphone OS market, in fact, has existed for several years, and Microsoft was an early leader in the space. But only recently have several additional corporations stepped into this space with their own platforms.

Microsoft’s biggest problem? One word: iPhone.

“It was really the iPhone that came out full-bore for a consumer perspective,” said Ross Rubin, an NPD Group consumer technology analyst. “We saw app development focus on consumer applications like social networking and games…. Particularly with Apple’s retail presence and advantages in that market, through design and so forth, that’s where Microsoft’s main challenge lies.”

Many other technology observers agree that Apple receives credit for sparking the smartphone boom. The 2008 introduction of the App Store enabled third-party developers to sell their own software, further enhancing the capabilities of the iPhone. This proved a workable model, giving 40 million iPhone and iPod Touch owners the ability to choose from the now 100,000 apps in the App Store. Meanwhile, some developers earned hundreds of thousands of dollars with hot-selling apps. Even if most developers didn’t earn that much cash, the success stories helped make Apple’s App Store powerfully attractive.

Apple’s blockbuster success with the iPhone and its App Store compelled other tech giants to offer their own mobile platforms and app stores as well. Google, Nokia, Research In Motion, Palm and others have opened app stores and begun recruiting developers to compete.

But if Microsoft was the first player in this market, why wasn’t the software giant able to replicate the success it had with PCs?

“It was theirs to lose and they lost it,” said Raven Zachary, a technology analyst and owner of iPhone app development house Small Society. “They had everything they needed to execute, to do the right kinds of carrier deals to create an app store, create visual voice mail, touchscreens and so on. They’ve been in this space since the beginning.”

To Peter Hoddie, CEO of Kinoma, which develops a mobile media browser for Windows Mobile and other platforms, a major knock against Windows Mobile isn’t the OS itself, but rather the weakness of the bundled apps included with it.

“The sad part for Microsoft is that in terms of operating systems, they have a great one, and they had it long before anyone else did,” Hoddie said in a phone interview. “Their first problem is the built-in apps are uninspiring, so that sets a very low bar for developers who are coming to the platform.”

Hoddie compared Windows Mobile to the iPhone, whose apps he described as “beautiful,” which encourages third-party developers to produce apps of similar quality.

He added that Microsoft’s second problem is segmentation in the hardware ecosystem. Windows Mobile ships with several different manufacturers’ hardware, including HTC, LG and Samsung. The problem? From a developer perspective, that requires coding an app for several phones with different UI styles, buttons and screen sizes. (The same problem, incidentally, has started to plague Android developers.)

That would give the iPhone another advantage: The iPhone operates on a closed system, which can only run on Apple hardware, meaning third-party developers can produce apps and games that work exclusively with the iPhone. Therefore, despite Apple’s questionable and controversial approval policy for iPhone apps, developers can code one app that works with 40 million iPhone and iPod Touch devices, which is less time consuming than developing several versions of one app for a variety of Windows Mobile smartphones. In turn, that spells out to a larger number of  apps in the App Store, which enables Apple’s hardware to cater to a larger and broader audience.

The inability to recognize the new smartphone audience is another one of Microsoft’s flaws, Rubin said. Microsoft’s mobile OS history is rooted in personal digital assistants, which were marketed toward enterprise audiences. Today, the smartphone has shifted into the mainstream as a consumer device, and yet Windows Mobile is still largely focused on enterprise features.

And even in the enterprise market, Apple’s iPhone is winning. In a recent customer satisfaction survey conducted by JD Power, Apple grabbed the number 1 spot for smartphones in business. How? JD Power found that more than half of business smartphone owners reported downloading third party games for entertainment, and 46 percent report downloading travel software such as maps and weather apps. That would suggest enterprise users are interested in mixing business with pleasure in their devices — and the iPhone’s wealth of choices in the App Store covers those needs.

“I would say Microsoft needs to err more on the side of going too far into the consumer segment versus trying to achieve a good balance between enterprise and consumer features at this point,” Rubin said.

Despite Microsoft’s recent shrinkage in the mobile OS market, it’s not over for Windows Mobile. Rubin said he expects Microsoft to redeem itself with its next OS — Windows Mobile 7 — as it did with Windows 7 after negative reception of Windows Vista.

Microsoft declined to comment on details about Windows Mobile 7, but a spokeswoman said mobility is one of Microsoft’s top investment areas, and the company’s mobile strategy will not change.

“The company’s mobility strategy has not changed; it is and has always been to provide a software platform for the industry,” a Microsoft spokeswoman said in a statement. “The company works closely with many mobile operators and device makers around the world because people want different experiences on a variety of phones.”

Leaks indicate Microsoft plans to incorporate iPhone-like touch gestures. Windows Mobile 7 is scheduled for a 2010 release.

“Microsoft believes the Windows brand is very strong, and consumers associate the Windows brand with enabling them to do what they need to do in their digital lives, at least on the PC,” Rubin said. “In general with this whole Windows phone terminology, Microsoft is trying to do more to leverage what it believes is the good will value of the Windows brand.”

See Also:

• Android Army Pumped for All-Out Attack on iPhone
• Microsoft Reveals New App Store Strategy
• Kinoma Play Cleans Up Windows Mobile Smartphones
• Verizon Drafts Developers Into Mobile Software War on Apple …
• Bandwagon Watch: App Store for Windows Mobile Launched

Photo: gailjadehamilton/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 10:45 am

Butterflies in Space?

Space shuttle Atlantis launched carrying a few unexpected passengers.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 10:40 am

All-in-one ectoplasm measurement device

"Designed exclusively for paranormal investigators, this incredible tool has everything you need to track and detect the presence of ghosts."

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Nov 2009 | 10:35 am

Finding the laws that govern us

As many of us recall from our civics lessons in school, the United States is a common law country. That means when judges issue opinions in legal cases, they often establish precedents that will guide the rulings of other judges in similar cases and jurisdictions. Over time, these legal opinions build, refine and clarify the laws that govern our land. For average citizens, however, it can be difficult to find or even read these landmark opinions. We think that's a problem: Laws that you don't know about, you can't follow — or make effective arguments to change.

Starting today, we're enabling people everywhere to find and read full text legal opinions from U.S. federal and state district, appellate and supreme courts using Google Scholar. You can find these opinions by searching for cases (like Planned Parenthood v. Casey), or by topics (like desegregation) or other queries that you are interested in. For example, go to Google Scholar, click on the "Legal opinions and journals" radio button, and try the query separate but equal. Your search results will include links to cases familiar to many of us in the U.S. such as Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education, which explore the acceptablity of "separate but equal" facilities for citizens at two different points in the history of the U.S. But your results will also include opinions from cases that you might be less familiar with, but which have played an important role.

We think this addition to Google Scholar will empower the average citizen by helping everyone learn more about the laws that govern us all. To understand how an opinion has influenced other decisions, you can explore citing and related cases using the Cited by and Related articles links on search result pages. As you read an opinion, you can follow citations to the opinions to which it refers. You can also see how individual cases have been quoted or discussed in other opinions and in articles from law journals. Browse these by clicking on the "How Cited" link next to the case title. See, for example, the frequent citations for Roe v. Wade, for Miranda v. Arizona (the source of the famous Miranda warning) or for Terry v. Ohio (a case which helped to establish acceptable grounds for an investigative stop by a police officer).

As we worked to build this feature, we were struck by how readable and accessible these opinions are. Court opinions don't just describe a decision but also present the reasons that support the decision. In doing so, they explain the intricacies of law in the context of real-life situations. And they often do it in language that is surprisingly straightforward, even for those of us outside the legal profession. In many cases, judges have gone quite a bit out of their way to make complex legal issues easy to follow. For example, in Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court justices present a fascinating and easy-to-follow debate on the legality of internment of natural born citizens based on their ancestry. And in United States v. Ramirez-Lopez, Judge Kozinski, in his dissent, illustrates the key issue of the case using an imagined good-news/bad-news dialogue between the defendant and his attorney.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of several pioneers, who have worked on making it possible for an average citizen to educate herself about the laws of the land: Tom Bruce (Cornell LII), Jerry Dupont (LLMC), Graham Greenleaf and Andrew Mowbray (AustLII), Carl Malamud (Public.Resource.Org), Daniel Poulin (LexUM), Tim Stanley (Justia), Joe Ury (BAILII), Tim Wu (AltLaw) and many others. It is an honor to follow in their footsteps. We would also like to acknowledge the judges who have built this cathedral of justice brick by brick and have tried to make it accessible to the rest of us. We hope Google Scholar will help all of us stand on the shoulders of these giants.

Posted by Anurag Acharya, Distinguished Engineer
Source: The Official Google Blog | 17 Nov 2009 | 10:05 am

Active Media Products unveils the “tiniest” 16GB USB flash drive

Section: Gadgets / Other, Peripherals, Storage

Flash drives are pretty common, and lots of them seem to have a gimmick or two in order to attract sales. And that seems to be the case with the Wink USB Drive which comes courtesy of Active Media.

To begin with, their banner ad (which can be seen above) is a little questionable with the Sarah Palin image. Personally I am not sure why anyone would choose to use her to sell a flash drive. But that aside, Active Media are also claiming that these drives are “the tiniest pico USB drive on the planet.” Now I am not sure if that claim is entirely accurate, but it is hard to deny that they are tiny. They measure in at 1.2 x 0.5 x 0.1-inches. Of course, for many people tiny just means easier to lose.

But with that, if you are looking for a small USB flash drive, you can now pick up the Wink USB Drive which is available in 2, 4, 8 and 16GB storage options. Additionally the Wink USB Drive is waterproof and shock resistant and ships with a keychain and keyring. Price wise these drives are listed on Amazon for as low as $7.95 (2GB) and as high as $37.95 (16GB).

But, if you are looking for something with a little more flair you can always check out (also from Active Media) the 16GB polar bear, rubber penguin or Statue of Liberty shaped USB drives that are selling for $42.95, $42.95 and $35.95 respectively.

Product [Active Media Products] Via [jkOnTheRun]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 9:58 am

New site hierarchies display in search results

Google usually shows a green web address, or URL, at the bottom of each search result to let you know where you're headed. Today we're rolling out an improvement that replaces the URL in some search results with a hierarchy showing the precise location of the page on the website. The new display provides valuable context and new navigation options. The changes are rolling out now and should be available globally in the next few days.

Some web addresses help you understand the structure of the site and how the specific page fits into the site hierarchy. For example, consider a search for the biography of Vint Cerf (Google's Internet Evangelist). The URL for one result, "www.google.com/corporate/execs.html," shows that the page is located in a page about "execs," under "corporate," which is on the "google.com" site. This can provide valuable context when deciding whether to click on the result.

Often, however, URLs are too long, too short, or too obscure to add useful information. For example, consider this result from ProductWiki for the query [spidersapien reviews]:



Source: The Official Google Blog | 17 Nov 2009 | 9:02 am

Sea Monsters in Florida Canal?

Thanks to our friends over at UnderwaterTimes.com for pointing this one out. A resident of Madeira Beach, Fla., says there's a 30-foot sea monster swimming up and down the canal out back of his house. Russ Sittlow calls the monster ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 8:42 am

iPhone to be the best phone in all of China

China Unicom’s chairman believes that the iPhone will be the most popular phone in China, beating out Nokia and RIM for the crown of Bounteous Emperor of the Eastern Phone World.

Interestingly, the iPhone will cost over $1,000 in China and there expectations that gray market sales won’t effect Unicom’s bottom line. There are currently 1 million iPhones sold yearly in China on the gray market.

Considering the dreck Chinese manufacturers are pushing out in the first place, it’s probably not too hard to corner the market in good phones.

via Bloomberg

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Nov 2009 | 8:34 am

The Palm Pre price drops continue, now $49.95 with Bell in Canada

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

It looks like the price of the Palm Pre has just been lowered for those north of the border in Canada. Wireless reseller WirelessWave has recently lowered the Pre to just $49.95. Of course, that does come with the standard three-year commitment with Bell. But it is hard to argue with a $50 Pre, not to mention that price almost makes that $30 Walmart Pixi seem like a rip-off. Anyway, for those in Canada willing to sign a three-year commitment with Bell—head on over to WirelessWave and pick up your nicely priced Pre.

[via mobilesyrup]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 8:32 am

Leica M7 Hermes, a $14,000 Film Camera

Leica’s latest price-pumped promo comes in the form of the M7 Hermes Very Special Limited Edition, a calfskin-clad version of its M-series 35mm film camera. It will cost you $8550, or almost $14,400.

Just 200 will be made, in two colors. One, “etoupe”, is just brown and soft. The the other is orange. Make no mistake — these are collector’s cameras, and should never be removed from the box. As such they are labeled with a serial number between one and two hundred.

If you do dare to run a film through the camera, you can shoot with the supplied Leica Summilux-M 35 mm ƒ1.4 ASPH and ratchet the film through the gate at a teeth rattling pace with the Leicavit M rapid winder, a mechanism which clamps onto the bottom and lets you wind-on with a lever, and is also included in the kit.

A few other tweaks have been added, lest you think you’re not getting your money’s worth: the red logo is now black, to avoid unsightly color clashes, and the red “auto” on the control dial now matches the leather cladding. Finally, Leica has thrown in a matching leather strap and a lens hood to sweeten the deal.

Available in the UK from December. And yes, it is on my Christmas list.

Leica M7 Edition “Hermes” announced [Pocket Lint]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 8:03 am

How to destroy the market for used gadgets

Microsoft permanently banned about a million hacked Xbox 360s from its online gaming network. Amid uncertainty--you can still play offline--the price of a used 360 collapses. Ebay's warning people not to buy them at all. But so far, some sellers are being honest: is $40 not a great deal for an otherwise working Xbox 360 that can't go online?

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 17 Nov 2009 | 7:23 am

It goes to 11: phone for those with hearing loss

Section: Communications, Gadgets / Other, Household

If you have a family member who has hearing loss, then you know the frustration on your end in trying to hold a conversation on the phone.  I have to imagine it is even more frustrating for the one with hearing loss to not be able to hear kids and grandkids as the years pile on.  Radio Shack is here to help with the Clarity D613 Dect phone that not only increases volume but increases clarity making voices crisp.

The D613 is senior-proof: not only does it up the volume but features large buttons and text screen.  The buttons themselves are soft and easy to push for those with arthritic hands.  A answering machine is also built into the phone, but I have doubts if that will get figured out (at least, not by my grandparents).

Carsten Trads, president of Clarity says, “for someone with hearing loss, a simple conversation is one of the best gifts possible. With affordability in mind, we created our new DECT phone for people like your parent, grandparent, sister, uncle or friend who are missing out on these conversations. We all love a good holiday sweater, but we want people to know there are life changing products like this available too.”

Radio Shack has many phones from Clarity, some with positive reviews, some not.  This new D613 with DECT should be a winner but no reviews are listed yet.  All the usual phone functions are there: call waiting caller ID, call screening, call transfer and mute call functions,speakerphone, a 30 name and number phonebook and nine speed dial options. Also included is support for three menu languages (English, French and Spanish).

Product page: [Radio Shack]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 7:09 am

Connecting citizens and journalists with YouTube Direct

(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog)

Every day, people with video cameras are changing the ways we get our news. We see it during elections. We see it during earthquakes, fires and other natural disasters. We see it on our freeways, in our schools and in our public spaces. Almost any event that takes place today has a chance of being captured on camera. As YouTube has become a global platform for sharing the news, media organizations have been looking for a good way to connect directly with citizen reporters on our site so they can broadcast this footage and bring it to a larger audience.

That's why we created YouTube Direct, a new tool that allows media organizations to request, review and rebroadcast YouTube clips directly from YouTube users. Built from our APIs, this open source application lets media organizations enable customized versions of YouTube's upload platform on their own websites. Users can upload videos directly into this application, which also enables the hosting organization to easily review video submissions and select the best ones to broadcast on-air and on their websites. As always, these videos also live on YouTube, so users can reach their own audience while also getting broader exposure and editorial validation for the videos they create.




Though we built YouTube Direct to help news organizations expand their coverage and connect directly with their audiences, the application is designed to meet any organization's goal of leveraging video content submitted by the community. Businesses can use YouTube Direct to solicit promotional videos, nonprofits can use the application to call out for support videos around social campaigns and politicians can use the platform to ask for user-generated political commercials. The opportunities to use the tool are as broad as the media spectrum itself.

Already, we've seen ABC News, the Huffington Post, NPR, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post and WHDH-TV/WLVI-TV in Boston using YouTube Direct. We look forward to seeing many more organizations to do the same.

To get started, visit youtube.com/direct.

Posted by Steve Grove, YouTube News and Politics
Source: The Official Google Blog | 17 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

LightSleeper, The Lamp That Soothes You to Sleep

Are you a light sleeper? Then you need the LightSleeper (rimshot). It’s a small lamp that sits on the nightstand and projects a soft light onto the ceiling. You follow this light with your eyes and are soothed, much as when your eyes follow the text of a book. Only instead of turning to page 596, finding out that Dumbledore dies (sorry, spoiler) and jerking back into wakefulness, the lack of anything except soft glowing motion rocks your troubled mind to sleep.

The lamp runs on a half-hour cycle, switching itself off after you have switched off. The cordless, battery powered light lasts for just over a week on a charge, or can be operated from the mains. It’ll cost £125 ($210), or roughly ten times the unit cost of my current sleep-aid, a bottle of whisky.

Product page [LightSleeper via Core77]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:48 am

Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite Desk

Tom Spina Designs makes custom, movie-inspired furniture, just like this Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite desk. What it doesn’t do is make officially licensed merchandise, so this is known only as a sci-fi themed desk, and the replica of Kirk’s chair from Star Trek is called the “Galactic Throne”.

But who cares when you could work, surf the web and play Desktop Tower Defense with your fingers mere inches from the face of a petrified smuggler? I’d be tempted to stay put and consume nothing but pizza and beer until I resembled a jiggly, gloating Jabba (I might pop out first to grab a gold bikini and some chains for the Lady — she lost the last ones I bought her).

The bounty on the head of this desk is unknown, as it was a one-off custom job. As a guide, though, the Galactic Throne can be beamed into your life for $5,500.

Galactic Throne [Tom Spina Designs]

Custom made furniture [Tom Spina Designs via Make]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:24 am

Master of the Universe? You Need a Carbonite Han Solo Desk

Han Solo, as everyone knows, was frozen in carbonite at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. What few know is that he was then installed beneath a glass-topped desk, which is now available for purchase.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:24 am

T-Mobile brings the Sidekick back, complete with lower pricing

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

For those of us who are not following the Sidekick as intently anymore, the fact that they have been unavailable may not have been anything to even think twice about. But that said, there are some pretty loyal Sidekick users and this news should be welcomed news for them—T-Mobile has resumed sales of the Sidekick. And to put a little icing on that cake, the return has also come with lower prices.

Effective immediately, those willing to take the plunge with the Sidekick can pick up the Sidekick or the Sidekick LX for $49.99 or $149.99 respectively.

All things considered though, I would imaging that the data is pretty safe at this point. But the data and that past issue aside, there are so many other great options now available for $149.99 and under that almost make the Sidekick seem a poor choice. But hey, like I already mentioned, Sidekick users are a loyal bunch.

Read [T-Mobile] and [T-Mobile]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:16 am

Tail-Swallowing USB ‘Massage Scarf’ Is an Infinitely Creepy Loop

I’ve been wary of any “vibrating massage” devices ever since the beating I received after rummaging through my parents’ closet as a child, but I’m willing to check out the USB Massage Scarf because of one amazing component: “high energy particles”. That and the amazing email pitch that landed in my inbox today: “Dear editors, The gadget I recommend today is surely a revolutionary tech item and will capture everyone’s eyeball closely.” Who could resist?

Actually, the pitch is so good, here is the rest of it, for your information gathering pleasure:

The scarf features high-energy particles with warm and wind-proof cloth, which is pretty suitable for wearing during cold days. Most importantly, it is USB powered (not like battery operated massager) and hand washable, which makes it an ideal companion at work, on the train or in the comfort of your own living room!

The Massage Scarf is scary enough, a kind of plushie Ouroboros, the snake that swallows its own tail. Read further into the description, though, and it starts to look suspiciously like the personal massagers bought surreptitiously from mail-order catalog by 1960s housewives. Witness it stealthily slipping downwards, as it can be used on your “neck, shoulders, thighs or waist”. From there you can “get into relaxation mode” with the “adjustable vibration level” which “improves blood circulation” and will “release your tense muscles”.

Tempted? We are. The USB “scarf” will cost just €7.91 ($11.83) in currency, and a lifetime of shame and ridicule should you ever be caught using it.

Product page [UXsight. Thanks, Frank!]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:03 am

Sponge Bob Solves Reef Conundrum

Why are warm tropical waters so clear? Because they lack nutrients. But then how do those amazing coral reefs manage to thrive in such places? Well, sponges, of all things, may be the secret according to this article in Conservation ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Nov 2009 | 6:01 am

Eastside Fixed: Low-Priced Frankenbike

The first thing you’ll say about the Eastside Fixed from Campus Cruisers is “Wow, an aluminum fixed-gear for just $300!” The next thing you’ll shout is “Wait, how did they make an aluminum fixed-gear weigh 21 pounds?”

It’s true, 21 pounds isn’t heavy, but fixed-gear bikes don’t have much to add weight other than the frame and wheels, so even a steel framed bike (the usual fixed choice) can come in at less. Things get odder from there on. The $300 price is good only for the first 50 sold, after that rising 50% to $450.

And then there is the design. From the blurb: “Inspired by my days as a bike messenger in NYC, the Eastside Fix is the real deal.” Indeed. It has only a front brake, but the wheels both come with a brushed braking surface, the flat strip where the brake-shoes go to work. The frame has track-ends, the bits on the back that accept the rear wheel axle, but that seat-post lays back at a rather leisurely angle for a track frame.

It does look cool, though, and a flat bar can be way more comfortable around town than a drop-bar without brake hoods to lean on. It also has double walled rims and a flip-flop fixed/free hub. But I already bought one cheap ready-made fixed, and it was a dog. Fine for tootling around town, and for posing in the local plaza, but that’s about all. So, instead, dust off an old frame, throw a flip-flop wheel on the back and throw out all the extraneous hardware. It’ll cost you way less than even $300, and you’ll have a bike that should last you forever.

Product page [Campus Cruisers via Urban Velo]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 17 Nov 2009 | 5:40 am