Previously:

• TSA subpoenas, threatens two bloggers who published non-classified ...
• Do new post-pantsbomber TSA security directives kill inflight WiFi ...
• Update on bloggers threatened by TSA over security directive leak
• Did Google get TSA subpoena over the blogged security directive?

Previously:

• Yo dawg, I heard you like TSA security restrictions, so I put some ...
• Pantsbomber psyche laid bare in messageboard archives (corrected ...
• Do new post-pantsbomber TSA security directives kill inflight WiFi ...
• Word cloud of underwear-bomber's posts at Islamic forum
• Fruit of the Boom

Previously:

• Dr. Sketchy's Roadshow - Boing Boing
• Prize winning sketch from Dr. Sketchy's in Los Angeles - Boing Boing
• Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School - Boing Boing
• Short video profiles of interesting New Yorkers - Boing Boing

Source: Gizmodo | 31 Dec 2009 | 3:00 pm

Nightmare Alley, the musical

A musical theater adaptation of one of my favorite fiction books, William Lindsay Gresham's 1946 noir carny novel Nightmare Alley, will premiere in April at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. As my brother Bob wrote when he emailed me this news, "I can't wait to hear the geek sing."



Source: Boing Boing | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:54 pm

PETCO Invites Customers to Win Big from the World's Biggest Float

Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:48 pm

Apple blocking Dalai Lama, Kadeer, iPhone apps: report (AFP)

AFP - Bowing to Chinese law, Apple is reportedly blocking iPhone users in China from downloading applications about two figures Beijing considers "separatists": the Dalai Lama and exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:42 pm

New Open Source Intrusion Detector Suricata Released

richrumble writes "The OISF has released the beta version of the Suricata IDS/IPS engine: The Suricata Engine is an Open Source Next Generation Intrusion Detection and Prevention Engine. This engine is not intended to just replace or emulate the existing tools in the industry, but will bring new ideas and technologies to the field. This new Engine supports Multi-Threading, Automatic Protocol Detection (IP, TCP, UDP, ICMP, HTTP, TLS, FTP and SMB! ), Gzip Decompression, Fast IP Matching and coming soon hardware acceleration on CUDA and OpenCL GPU cards."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:42 pm

2009 in review: The year in Apple (Macworld.com)

Macworld.com - Economic uncertainty. Swine flu. Newspaper articles featuring Jon and/or Kate Gosselin. You can understand why most people will be happy to see 2009 exit stage left. And while I’m sure the folks at Apple headquarters may be sympathetic to all the 2009-related ennui out there, it’s also safe to say that the company may be a little sad to leave 2009 behind. After all, Apple had a really good year. And the Mac was a major reason why.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:40 pm

Recognizing XM Channel 202’s excellence, 2009 edition

Last year’s Satellite Radio Awards were a smashing success, so let’s do it again! Only this time I’m throwing out the idea of handing out awards to the whole of satellite radio (and these awards are obviously just for fun), and instead will focus my energies on the channel that I spend 99 percent of my time tuned into: XM Channel 202 The Virus. If It weren’t for 202 I would have killed my subscription some time ago.

This year will be a little more organic, too, and the awards will be spread around different “moments” or whatever that made the $15 per month (or whatever it is) totally worth it. You’ll see what I mean.

Personality of the Year: Chris Stanley, also known as Pepper Hicks, from Ron and Fez. Of all of the guys on 202, Pepper is easily the most entertaining of the bunch. It’s not that he’s necessarily as quick as Jim Norton or Anthony Cumia, or, I don’t know, ridiculous (and I mean that in a good way) as East Side Dave, or as thought-provoking as Ron Bennington, or as level-headed-despite-the-management-shit-storm-surround-him like Opie, but there’s something about Pepper that puts a smile on my face every time he says the word “yeah.” He has also single-handily brought the word “clusterfuck” back from the dead. He could read the phone book and it’d be tremendous. In short, Pepper Hicks is the man.

Shock of the Year: Bobo’s arrest for stealing $10,000 from Mel Karzastan’s office. Let’s get this out of the way: Bobo is an acquired taste at best, so putting up with him for many, many months was something of a chore. The boys were right to tease 92.3FM for its “fugitive” radio bit, which led to Bobo inserting himself into the bit. Fine, it happens. But on November 20, when The Fugitive was finally captured and brought to justice, well, it made up for all those months of near-torture. The boys’ handling of The Fugitive is the definition of a bit that paid off. Bravo to all parties involved.

Feelgood Story of the Year: Sam and East Side Dave getting their own slot on Saturday nights. I like Special Delivery, especially when Sam and Dave talk about things they’re clearly passionate about. (Invariably that’s WWE for Sam and film for Dave.) They’ve been using the “pop culture experts” gimmick for a little while now, but I’m not sure how much the world needs to hear more wacky dolphin news.

Most Annoying Moment(s) of the Year: Sirius XM’s interference with Opie and Anthony. I, for one, love it when Opie “goes inside” and tries to explain the radio business and why it’s falling apart, but that only happens when Sirius XM manage to upset the balance of the show. (I don’t know if I’ve ever heard Ron and Fez complain about management; that’s just not the show’s style.) The most glaring example was the Homeless Shopping Spree. Yes, management somewhat salvaged it by turning it into a talent show but it simply wasn’t the same. I wanted to see Homeless Fez make a comeback! I’d say that management is sucking the life out of the show, but let’s keep things positive. Honorable mention (I guess that’s what you’d call it here) goes to all the message board drama that was brought to the Ron and Fez show earlier in the year. Yikes was that hard to listen to.

Bit of the Year: East Side Dave vs. Fez in the Siren Series. I seriously cannot hear a siren anymore without half-expecting Ron to whip out some questions and have Dave and Fez try to outsmart (well, sometimes) each other. Batman, Star Wars, other topics I can’t remember because they occurred months ago—all brilliant, all worth sitting through endless Pajamagram commercials for. Honorable mentions go to Bill Burr’s Yankees rant (”just a bunch of knock-around guys”) and when Ron and Dave sang U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” at the top of their lungs during one of Fez’s live reads. I still laugh at that just thinking about it.

Source: CrunchGear | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:30 pm

The Top 10 MobileCrunch Posts of 2009

Ever wonder what stories of 2009 the people of the Internet found most interesting? I can’t really help you there, but I can tell you which stories on MobileCrunch got the most pageviews. Now, you might assume that most of our popular stories involved the iPhone, but — well, actually, you’d be right.

The iPhone isn’t alone on the list, of course; Android makes a handful of appearances amongst our most popular stories, including one that I never would have seen coming.

Read the rest of this post at MobileCrunch >>

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

Source: TechCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:02 pm

TELUS announces completion of the early partial redemption of 2011 Notes

VANCOUVER, Dec.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:00 pm

Top 10 MobileCrunch Posts of 2009

Ever wonder what stories of 2009 the people of the Internet found most interesting? I can’t really help you there, but I can tell you which stories on MobileCrunch got the most pageviews. Now, you might assume that most of our popular stories involved the iPhone, but — well, actually, you’d be right.

The iPhone isn’t alone on the list, of course; Android makes a handful of appearances amongst our most popular stories, including one that I never would have seen coming.

1. Smartphone Showdown: iPhone 3GS vs Motorola Droid: It was the battle of the century – or at least the battle of the year. Our final call may not have been decisive, but at least it was exhaustive.
2. Tutorial: How to Tether on an iPhone 3G or 3GS running OS 3.1.2: I wrote this post on a whim while killing time in a coffee shop in early November, and it goes on to dominate just about every other post we’ve written this year. Thanks, Google!
3. iPhone Homescreen Exposé Concept: Would you use this?: In October 2009, a Swedish design house made an awesome mock-up video of an alternative homescreen for the iPhone. Within weeks of this post blowing up on various social sites, the jailbreak community turned the concept into a reality.
4. Smartphone Showdown: iPhone 3GS vs Motorola Droid Round 2: People always say that sequels are never as good as the original – and in terms of pageviews, it looks like they’re right. It probably doesn’t help that we warned people that part 2 was strictly for the Droid-obsessed.
5. Rumor: HTC working on new flagship Android device – the Dragon: This one was a sleeper success. It flew almost entirely under the radar until word of Google’s Nexus One began trickling out months later. As the rumor mill churned over the Nexus, the pageview count on related posts spiked.
6. Exclusive: Everything There Is To Know About Nokia’s Next Tablet: It’s one of our top posts of the year, and also one that I’m most proud of. We not only scooped the existence of the Nokia N900, but we exhaustively confirmed every single minute detail many months before Nokia made it all official.
7. Ten Apps All New Android Users Should Check Out: The name says it all; with the Android Market exploding the way it is right now, we’re going to have to do another one of these.
8. Apple moves to block jailbreaks once and for all: Gasp! Apple blocks jailbreaks in new iPhones! (Minutes later: Gasp! Jailbreakers find their way around the block.)
9. Apple bans another developer, 1,000 apps pulled: There was no shortage of stories about Apple denying or pulling applications from the App Store this year – but when they nix 1,000 applications in one fell swoop, it’s worth reading about.
10. 8 Little Things We Still Can’t Stand About The iPhone: What better way to cap off a year dominated by the iPhone than to discuss all the things we don’t like about it?

2009 was a huge year for MobileCrunch; readership is many, many times higher than it was just a year ago. We’re going to start 2010 off with a bang next week at CES, and things will only get better from there. We’ve got big plans for this place, and I look forward to every minute of it. Happy New Year, folks!

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:57 pm

PETCO Invites Customers to Win Big from the World's Biggest Float

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The seeming magic of social networking will allow PETCO to communicate live with customers from the Natural Balance float during the Rose Bowl Parade and give away over $1,000 in prizes during the annual event.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:48 pm

The Twelve Most Tarnished Brands In Tech

harrymcc writes "Polaroid, Netscape, CompuServe, Westinghouse, Heathkit — these were once among the most respected names in the technology business. They're still around, but what's happened to them is just plain sad. I took a look at the tragic fates of a dozen mighty brands that have, in one way or another, fallen on hard times."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:33 pm

The Google Countdown Reveals Its Explosively Colorful Secret

A few weeks ago we wrote about a mysterious Easter Egg on Google’s homepage that we dubbed The Google Countdown. After clicking the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button with no search query entered, the page would display a countdown timer ticking down the seconds until… something. A little trickery with our computer clocks revealed that the timer was counting down until January 1, 2010 at 12:00 AM (the New Year, for those of you who haven’t been paying attention). But nothing happened once to timer reached zero.

Today, Google has flipped the switch on its New Years surprise. No, it isn’t an amazing new free web service. Instead, it’s a cheesy digital fireworks display that overlays the classic Google homepage with multicolored stars and ‘Happy New Year’ banners dancing across the screen. I can’t help but be slightly let down, but then again, it’s only five more days until the rumored launch of the Nexus One. And it is kind of funny.

If you’d like to see the fireworks for yourself, head over to Google.com and adjust your computer clock to midnight (note that this could possibly mess up your Email or other programs). Hit the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button with no search query, then sit back and enjoy the show.

Thanks to Michel for the tip

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

Source: TechCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:31 pm

Google 2009: We’re Power Bloggers And Frickin’ Love Twitter

Many bloggers take December 31 each year to do a recap of their year in blogging. Google is no exception.

The multi-billion dollar company has a post today patting itself on the back for a solid five years worth of blogging. More notably, they talk about how the amount they’re blogging has increased significantly over the years. In 2009, Google had 423 posts on the Google Blog, which is just one of dozens of blogs they run. That represents a 15 percent increase over 2008. They also note that just about 14.5 million people stopped by the blog this year, which is a 21 percent increase over the previous year. Make no mistake: Google is taking its blogging very seriously.

So what were Google’s most read posts this year? By far, their post about Chrome OS was read the most. Over 2.5 million people read it, and it contributed over 12 percent of their total unique page views. In second was the post about Google Wave. And in third was one about Google Voice. All of this makes sense as these are arguably Google’s three most potentially disruptive products. And these stats are also pretty much inline with what we saw at TechCrunch this year in terms popularity among posts about Google. (Though Nexus One is quickly catching up.)

Google also takes the time to note how committed they are to using Twitter. Since starting to tweet in February, Google has sent over 1,000 messages (almost all of which are self-promoting, like any good Twitter user). And while their account isn’t quite as popular as Lady Gaga’s (something which they bemoan), they do have about 2 million followers of their main account now. Oh, and they’ve set up some 75 other Twitter accounts for their various properties (they actually have a directory) — something which we poked fun at in July. Even CEO Eric Schmidt finally joined up.

But perhaps the most interesting stat that Google shares is that Twitter was the biggest non-Google referrer to its blog in 2009. Google notes that this is “a clear sign of its rapid growth in popularity.” That’s a nice big wet kiss to a company it was supposedly in talks about acquiring earlier this year.

Something else I’ve noticed about Google’s 2009 in blogging is that they’re actually getting better at it. It used to be that we would summarize company blog posts (which, naturally, I’m doing here) because they were awful at getting their point across. Or, as a colleague of mine who shall remain unnamed put it, “thanks for five years of cheesy headlines, meandering and grandiose ledes, and self-serving misinformation about openness.” But this year, it seems that Google (and a number of other companies) are getting better at using these in-house blog posts to announce things. And I’m all for that. Not having to re-explain something that’s already out there frees us up to do better posts as well, such as deeper analysis about what the companies are announcing.

That said, the point about Google’s self-serving posts remains an issue as we saw very recently. But not to worry, we’ll still be here to call BS on those posts when we see them.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:21 pm

Top Ten Schools Get a Shake Up in U.S. Cellular's Calling All Communities

CHICAGO, Dec. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- With two weeks remaining in U.S. Cellular's Calling All Communities campaign, the competition for 10 schools to share $1 million will be a battle to the finish.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:11 pm

Twitter Reigns Supreme On The Tube

Snapstream, a startup that makes a device that lets enterprises record thousands of hours of TV (from both satellite and digital cable sources) and search inside the recordings for keywords, recently launched a trending topics site for TV. Snapstream has released its top trends on TV for 2009, with the mention of “Twitter” used more often than Facebook, MySpace and other social media platforms. .

TV programs used the word “Twitter” in their programming three times more often in December 2009 than they did in late 2008 and January 2009, according to the data. SnapStream also released the top keyword mentions on TV, which are in order: Iran, Michael Jackson, Swine Flu, North Korea, AIG, Pirates, Hamas, (The) Inauguration, Ted Kennedy, and Balloon (boy). SnapStream also revealed that mentions of “health care” eclipsed mentions of “economy” towards the end of the year thanks to President Obama’s healthcare initiative.

SnapStream’s trending topics site lets you see the hot words (those that are ascending in mentions) and cold words (those that are descending in mentions) on national television. And you can also enter couple of keywords (up to 5) into TV Trends and you’ll get a graph showing you the relative frequency of mentions of those words on mostly-news national programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, MSNBC and CNN.

Snapstream crawls closed-captioning text for programs that they record. They filter out local programming, sitcoms, and sports and then cleans-up, analyzes and indexes data for the trends site. When you graph a keyword, the site will give you a view of excerpts of stories at selected points along the curve and you can also filter the results by network. For example, you can chart trends of the mention of “Twitter” on CNN alone.

As we’ve written in the past, SnapStream’s site isn’t updated in real-time (it is updated every 3-4 hours), which puts its topics at a disadvantage to Twitter and Google’s topics, that are close to real-time. But many of SnapStream’s top mentions did match Twitter’s top trending topics.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:10 pm

RU Buzzed? An iPhone App Can Tell You - ABC News

PC World

RU Buzzed? An iPhone App Can Tell You ABC News In time for arguably the wildest night of the year, the Colorado Department of Transportation has launched a free iPhone application to help partygoers calculate their blood alcohol levels and call a ... Imagine how some apps could have helped 2009 and might make 2010 entertainingKansas City Star ShowTime 2 Adds Video Recording to iPhone, iPhone 3GThe Mac Observer The Secret to Apple iPod Touch's Success: KidsPC World WJLA -Bakersfield Californian -CNET News all 347 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:09 pm

The Mobile Decade: Greatest Gadgets From 10 Years of Innovation

Others may look back on the years 2000 to 2009 and remember elections, wars, global warming and Michael Jackson, but for gearheads like us, this was the decade that mobile tech grew up.

During the first decade of the 21st century, we saw a whole slew of new mobile technologies capture the public imagination: the smartphone, the MP3 player, the USB stick, touchscreens, Wi-Fi, 3G wireless, pocket camcorders, digital SLRs and more.

Thanks to these inventions, people got increasingly plugged into an always-on, totally portable, always-connected existence. Where we stand now, notebooks outsell desktop PCs, people spend more on mobile phones than on landlines, and portable game consoles outnumber the ones plugged into your TV cabinet.

The products on this list exemplify that trend. While not every gadget here is portable (and many of them are gaming consoles — sorry, we can’t help it if the most exciting hardware innovations are poured into the videogame industry), the arc of the decade clearly reflects an increasingly mobile world.

From the PlayStation 2 to the Kindle 2, what follows are the best gadgets of each year in the “oughts.”

2000: PlayStation 2

Console gaming in the late 1990s kind of sucked. Sure, there was the Nintendo 64, the Sega Dreamcast and, of course, the original Sony PlayStation. But none of these rigs possessed the trifecta of deep game libraries, awesome graphics and multimedia functionality.

Then, at the turn of the millennium, Sony dropped a 100-megaton bomb it dubbed PlayStation 2.

Rich catalog of fun titles? Check. Top-notch graphics? Double-check. Multimedia functionality. Hello, hat trick. The PS2 also flaunted backward compatibility for OG PlayStation games, and it had easily upgradeable memory. Even mass shortages at launch couldn’t hamper the system’s popularity: Folks shelled out more than a thousand bucks for them on eBay.

A decade later the PS2 is the highest selling console in history with more than 138 million units sold. And it’s still growing, even though it’s technically obsolete. Case redesigns, price drops and seemingly unstoppable game-library expansion have virtually assured that the console will remain fresh for years to come. Hell, we just might ask Santa for a slimline PS2 this year. – Daniel Dumas

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pm

Top Scientific Breakthroughs of 2009

Wired Science runs down our picks for some of the best science of the year.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pm

The Decade's 10 Most Dastardly Cybercrimes

It was the decade of the mega-heist! Stolen credit card magstripe tracks became the pork bellies of a new underground marketplace. Eastern European hackers turned malware writing into an art. And a nasty new crop of purpose-driven computer worms struck dread in the heart of America.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pm

How-To Wiki: Estimate the Height of Tall Objects

Determining the height of tall objects from a glance doesn't require a prohibitively large tape measure -- just a little math, a sharp eye and a protractor.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pm

The Mobile Decade: Greatest Innovative Gadgets

From the iPod to the Kindle, the past decade has seen the rise of portable electronics like never before. Wired brings you the top gadgets of each year from 2000 to 2009, charting the rise of the mobile decade.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pm

Underground Services Let Virus Writers Check Their Work

For as little as $1, automated sites will see if your virus is detected by any of 22 antivirus products, with a guarantee that the malware won't be sent to the antivirus community.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pm

The Mobile Decade: Greatest Innovative Gadgets

From the iPod to the Kindle, the past decade has seen the rise of portable electronics like never before. Wired brings you the top gadgets of each year from 2000 to 2009, charting the rise of the mobile decade.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pm

AT&T is latest to end Tiger Woods sponsorship (AP)

AP - AT&T Inc. said Thursday it would no longer sponsor Tiger Woods, joining Accenture in dropping support for the world's top golfer, who's taking a break from the sport to focus on his marriage after his admitted infidelity.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:46 pm

Want to see Google's new phone on YouTube? - CNET News

Reuters

Want to see Google's new phone on YouTube? CNET News Google won't officially unveil its Nexus One smartphone until Tuesday, when it has scheduled an Android Press Gathering. There are plenty of descriptions and images of the phone floating around the Web, though--a result of ... Google: Never Mind the Nexus One, How About a Cheaper Cell Plan?PC World Google Nexus One Gets Possible Price, Launch DatePC Magazine Google's Nexus One toys with CBAK valuationVentureBeat TG Daily -eWeek -InformationWeek all 662 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:46 pm

Whiskey Media Raises $2.5 Million To Launch More Structured Content Sites

Cnet founder Shelby Bonnie and other angels have put another $2.5 million into Whiskey Media, which operates niche media sites such as ComicVine (comics), GiantBomb (gaming), and AnimeVice (anime). The company, which has been around since 2007, previously raised about $1.5 million in angel money as well.

Whiskey Media’s sites are wiki-like content sites in the vein of CrunchBase or GDGT, which built around structured databases which can be edited by the readers. (In fact, CrunchBase was inspired by Whiskey Media’s first site, now-retired PoliticalBase).

Mike Tatum, a partner at Whiskey Media, tells me via email:

This last year was an important year for Whiskey Media as we saw strong growth in our portfolio of sites reaching over 3mm uniques users by the end of the year. At the same time we were able to make the necessary investments in our publishing platform that will allow us to launch many more sites in 2010.

The company will use the money to launch more structured content sites on the same technology platform across different niche media, which is a popular strategy these days. Bonnie, for his part, is always thinking of new media models and thinks it’s time to kill the CPM.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:37 pm

Scientists Find Taz Killer Clues

Image 1: This Tasmanian devil, photographed at Healesville Sanctuary, is part of the Save the Devil program that has been established to help protect Australia's Tasmanian devils which are at risk of extinction from devil facial tumor disease. Credit: Cameron Wells, Walter and Eliza Hall InstituteImage 2: Dr. Tony Papenfuss from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia, has identified Schwann cells as the likely origin of the devil facial tumor disease that has been devastating Australia's Tasmanian devil population. Credit: Cameron Wells, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:35 pm

China Is Losing a War Over Internet [Voices]

By Loretta Chao and Jason Dean, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal

These appear to be dark days for the Internet in China.

Four months into a crusade against Internet pornography, the government is closing thousands of sites–some pornographic, some not–and tightening rules on who can register Web addresses inside China.

Foreign sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, blocked by censors in the run-up to the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule on Oct. 1, remain inaccessible to most Chinese users. Several prominent critics of the state who used the Internet to spread their message have been detained or imprisoned.

Yet this list of casualties obscures a larger truth: The censors are losing.

The dozen or so years since the Web came to China have seen repeated rounds of crackdowns and detentions, aided by a steady growth in scope and sophistication of the government’s filtering apparatus that critics dub the Great Firewall. Still, the Internet has enabled more Chinese to have more access to information today, and given them greater ability to communicate and express themselves than at any time since the founding of the People’s Republic.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Source: All Things Digital | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:32 pm

Local Restaurants Continue to See Sales Growth Despite Market Indicators

BOSTON, Dec. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Local restaurants using online ordering are bucking the trend and seeing sales growth during these difficult economic times.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:32 pm

Android-Powered Archos Tablet Is Crash-Prone, Sluggish

The Archos 5 internet tablet would be fantastic ... had it not been hampered by an OS (Android!) that essentially hampers it.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:30 pm

Android-Powered Archos Tablet Is Crash-Prone, Sluggish

The Archos 5 internet tablet would be fantastic ... had it not been hampered by an OS (Android!) that essentially hampers it.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:30 pm

MySpace Replaces Imeem Playlists With Ads

MySpace acquires imeem (earlier this month) for a fire-sale price, and now it has replaced the songs and playlists that music fans had embedded on blogs and other webpages with ads for ringtones and its music service.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:30 pm

Rumor: Samsung Mobile to launch absolutely nothing at CES?

Remember the last time Samsung went more than a few days without launching a new phone? Yeah, neither do we – so you’ll have to pardon us if we sound a bit skeptical here. When we got word that Samsung Mobile was holding their CES press conference at the ungodly hour of 7:30 A.M on the Day 2 of CES (otherwise known as Day 1 of being hungover), my curiosity was piqued. I mean, who the hell launches a new phone at 7:30 in the morning, halfway through a show? Not Samsung, it seems.

We reached out to a source who has never steered us wrong with the Samsung-related knowledge before, in hopes that they could shed some light on what ol’ Sammies prepping for launch. Their response? There’s nothing to shed light on. As of this morning, roughly a week before what is quite easily the most important electronics show in the US, we’re told Samsung Mobile has no plans to launch any handsets at CES. Expect TVs-a-plenty from Samsung – but unless something changes soon, all will be quiet on the mobile front.

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:27 pm

Motorola's Rumored Android Phone Focuses on Screen Size

nottheusualsuspect excerpts from this speculation-laden report at Brighthand that "Motorola is reportedly working on a device that will have one of the largest displays of any smartphone. Code-named the Shadow, it will sport a 4.3-inch WVGA+ touchscreen, Google's Android OS, and a range of other high-end features. When it comes to screen size, the Shadow will be equaled only by the Windows Mobile-based HTC HD2. The closest Android-powered model will be the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, which will sport a 4.0-inch display. Most other models, like the Motorola Droid and Google Nexus One, have 3.7-inch screens. The display on this upcoming Motorola smartphone will allegedly have a resolution of 850 by 484 pixels."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:26 pm

Study Finds Origin of Tasmanian Devil Cancer

In those old Looney Tunes, the Tasmanian Devil was an unstoppable wrecking ball of an animal, spinning through walls and eating everything in sight. In real life, the carnivorous marsupials are facing a deadly and mysterious disease that has been ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:13 pm

Five years of Google blogging

It's time again for our annual wrap-up of blogging at Google. You may have noticed 2009 marked our fifth year here on the Official Google Blog — our first post was in April 2004 — and it was our busiest year yet. This is our 423rd post of 2009 — a 15 percent increase over last year. We're also pleased to note that a total of 14,493,472 readers stopped by this year, a 21 percent increase. You hail from all over: more than half of visitors are outside of the U.S. The other top countries are (in order) U.K., India, Canada, Germany and France.

What captured your attention this year? Here are the top 10 posts of 2009, by unique pageviews:

1. Introducing the Google Chrome OS - 2,591,794 unique pageviews (more than 12 percent of the year's total). The announcement of our open source operating system received more than 4x the views of any other post.
2. Went Walkabout. Brought back Google Wave - 639,225. Wave-mania struck after we introduced a new product for collaboration and communication at our Google I/O conference.
3. Here comes Google Voice - 357,084. We released a preview of this application to help you better manage your voice communications.
4. "This site may harm your computer" on every search result?!?! - 320,435. A short-lived error affecting Google search results led to confusion and concern; this post cleared it up.
5. Email in Indian languages - 224,052. A transliteration feature in Gmail that makes it easier to type in Indian languages was a hit. More than one million readers of the blog in 2009 were from India — a 53 percent increase over 2008.
6. Releasing the Chromium OS open source project - 217,424. A few months after announcing our operating system project, we open-sourced it as Chromium OS.
7. Now you see it, now you don't - 165,329. We introduced a new, clean version of our classic homepage.
8. Google Apps is out of beta (yes, really) - 164,319. Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Talk all lost their beta tags (in Gmail's case, after five years!).
9. Now S-U-P-E-R-sized! - 155,196. A "small" change increasing the size of the Google search box got a lot of attention.
10. Introducing Google Public DNS - 143,122. We launched our public DNS resolver, which converts domain names into unique Internet Protocol (IP) numbers.

We also developed a few different series of posts this year: one on the power of measurement, for people who want to improve the performance of their websites; a weekly series focused on search; and another on the latest in the world of Google Apps.

As always, we had some fun in 2009, with grass-mowing goats and a panda-obsessed Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity (CADIE) on April Fools' Day. Our curiosity was piqued by Atlantis (or not) under the sea, constellations in Google Sky Map and a fresnel lens somewhere in between.

Finally, the Google Blog network continues to grow. This year, we welcomed blogs dedicated to Google Wave, Google New Zealand, Data Liberation, Google Voice, Google Arabia, Google Thailand, European Public Policy and Google Chrome — among others — to our blogging family.

Beyond the blogs, in February we jumped head-first into the Twitterverse, starting our @google account with a geeky tweet. Since then, we've tweeted more than 1,000 times, and are grateful to have gathered two million or so followers. That puts us in the company of @algore and @ashsimpsonwentz, and (today, at least) just 65,000 or so followers behind a certain @ladygaga (although we're pretty sure that gap is only going to grow — no way we can compete with her outfits). Around 75 other Google entities and teams have gotten into the Twitter act this year as well, so we built a directory to help you keep up with all the action. Twitter also was our biggest non-Google referrer to the blog in 2009, a clear sign of its rapid growth in popularity.

Thanks for sticking with us through all of our goings-on over the past 12 months. We look forward to having you back for more in 2010. In the meantime, happy New Year!

Posted by Emily Wood and Jordan Newman, Editors, Google Blog Team
Source: The Official Google Blog | 31 Dec 2009 | 12:08 pm

Times Square Celebrates a Greener 2010

The famous Times Square New Year's Eve ball has been lit with LEDs for a few years now, but this time the rest of the display is making the big switch. Now the "2010" numerals are being lit with custom-designed ...
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:38 am

Embedded OS RTEMS Turns 21

joelsherrill writes "RTEMS is a free real-time operating system for embedded systems. The project is celebrating the 21st birthday of RTEMS today. RTEMS supports the single process with filesystem POSIX profile on over a dozen processor architectures. To just be entering young adulthood, RTEMS has had a busy life. It has been a Google Summer of Code project twice (Thanks Google!). It has been to Venus on the Venus Express, circles Mars on the Electra radio, powers Herschel and Planck, is on its way to the asteroid belt aboard DAWN, and has been a key part of physics discoveries at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:31 am

Leaked: The Motorola Mirage might just be the best Android phone yet

Oh, Android – how good you have been for Motorola. It was only months ago that they were teetering on the edge of obscurity; one 350-person Android task force later, they’ve got the most popular Android handset in the lands and are being name dropped on a nearly daily basis around the rumor mill.

A Chinese leakster managed to get his mitts on this (confusingly obscured) shot of an unreleased Motorola handset, and was nice enough to share it with the world. According to the original source, the handset you see up there is called the Motorola Shadow (or “Mirage”, depending on who’s translation you believe.) What the tipster lacks in well-framed pictures, they make up for with knowledge of the specs: coming in at a ridiculously thin 9mm, this baby supposedly packs a monstrous 4.3 inch screen running at a resolution of 850×484, an HDMI port (shown in the pic), and an 8 megapixel camera ready to shoot video in 1080p. They don’t mention an operating system, and the pic doesn’t help much in that department – but unless Motorola’s doing something crazy, it’s a pretty safe bet that we’re looking at a UI mod of Android.

[Via Electronista]

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

Source: MobileCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:22 am

Predict Our Apple Tablet Coverage, Win an Apple Tablet - Wired News

Techtree.com

Predict Our Apple Tablet Coverage, Win an Apple Tablet Wired News Gadget Lab has been accused of being somewhat obsessed with the Apple tablet. Guilty as charged! We are obsessed, we admit it. After all, who wouldn't be obsessed with a device that promises to revolutionize mobile computing, ... Apple Very Optimistic About the iSlate: Has Ordered 10 Million UnitsBrighthand Jobs to Unveil Apple Tablet Next Month, Ex-Google Exec SaysPC World Apple to Sell 10 Million Tablet PCs in 2010, Says Ex-Google ExeceWeek NewsFactor Network -Mediapost.com -BusinessWeek all 510 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:17 am

Predict Our Apple Tablet Coverage, Win an Apple Tablet

Gadget Lab has been accused of being somewhat obsessed with the Apple tablet. Guilty as charged! We are obsessed, we admit it.

After all, who wouldn’t be obsessed with a device that promises to revolutionize mobile computing, make our iPhones look tiny and stupid, overhaul book publishing, inject new lifeblood into the consumer electronics industry, and maybe even save the dying world of print magazines upon which our livelihoods depend?

Okay, so we may be going a bit over the top, especially for a product that doesn’t exist — and may never exist.

It’s important to remember that Apple has never confirmed it’s even working on a tablet. Everything up to this point is speculation and conjecture. But the signs are very suggestive, and most industry observers, including Gadget Lab, expect Apple to release a tablet-like device in 2010.

Even if Apple doesn’t release a tablet, other manufacturers likely will, from startups like Fusion Garage to (rumors suggest) HP, Dell, Nokia and others.

Still, most eyes are on Apple, thanks in part to its impressive track record with the iPhone. Love it or hate it, the Cupertino company definitely knows how to reimagine a product category and reinvent an industry.

For that reason, we’ll keep covering the rumors, the leaks, and — if it emerges — the device itself. We cover this topic because you readers have let us know, with your comments and your many, many clicks, that you are interested in it.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with it.

So here’s the deal: Predict how many stories Wired.com will publish about an Apple tablet during 2010. Whoever comes the closest will win an actual Apple tablet (assuming one exists). If there is no such thing at the end of 2010, we’ll give the winner a consolation prize: A subscription to Wired magazine.

How to enter: Fill in the form below. It’ll go into a Google spreadsheet, where it will sit, undisturbed and unseen by our reporters and editors, until January 1, 2011. At that time, we’ll count the number of Apple tablet stories that have appeared on Gadget Lab and elsewhere on Wired.com. Whoever comes the closest will win the prize. In case of a tie, the winner will be chosen at random from among those whose guesses are closest.

Deadline: All entries must be received by January 15, 2010, at 5pm Pacific time. At that point we will close the form and seal the spreadsheet until January 1, 2011.

Loading...

Problems? Questions? Snarky remarks? Put them in the comments below. And good luck!

Illustration: Matt Skach

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:14 am

Predict Our Apple Tablet Coverage, Win an Apple Tablet

Tell us how many stories Wired.com will publish about an Apple tablet in 2010, and you could win an actual Apple tablet. Assuming one exists, that is.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:14 am

Predict Our Apple Tablet Coverage, Win an Apple Tablet

Tell us how many stories Wired.com will publish about an Apple tablet in 2010, and you could win an actual Apple tablet. Assuming one exists, that is.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:14 am

Morningstar, Inc. Completes Acquisition of Chicago-based Logical Information Machines, Inc.

CHICAGO, Dec. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, has completed its previously announced acquisition of Logical Information Machines, Inc.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:11 am

AT&T To FCC: No More Landlines!

In a 32-page filing with the FCC last week, AT&T asked that the requirement that it support a landline network be repealed, allowing them to move entirely to VoIP.This could be troublesome for the 1 in 5 Americans who don’t use a cell phone or VOIP line, and still use the old fashioned landline.However, AT&T is claiming that the cost of maintaining a landline network is hurting their business.AT&T said, "The business model for legacy phone services is in a death spiral.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:10 am

Gadgets Have Travelers Opting for Buses over Flights

Like to check e-mail or surf the internet while traveling? You may want to take the Megabus rather than JetBlue, says a study.

The availability of free Wi-Fi and power outlets in inter-city buses and trains, coupled with increased security around air travel, is spurring more people to take the longer road home.

“Technology is changing how people approach travel,” says Joe Schwieterman, a professor at DePaul University who worked on the study. “For many travelers, the ability to seamlessly use portable technology offsets the disadvantages of longer travel times.”

Schwieterman and his colleagues collected information from 7,000 passengers on intercity bus, train and airline trips in 14 states. They found that at randomly selected points during trips, nearly 40 percent of passengers on buses were using some form of portable technology such as a laptop or a phone. It is two percentage points more than on conventional Amtrak trains and more than twice that on commercial flights and Greyhound.

That’s translated into growth for bus and some train services. Intercity bus networks grew 5.1 percent in 2009, a rate of growth higher than all other major modes for the third straight year, says the study.

It also marks the end of Americans’ love affair with the car, says Schweiterman.

“Earlier people would get into the car, drive have their cellphones with them and listen to their music systems,” he says. “But now you can’t text while driving, can’t surf the net so for young people, driving is no longer an attractive idea.”

Buses have been quick to give in to the consumer desire to stay connected most of the time. The DC2NY Bus, a service that runs between Washington, D.C., and New York started offering free on-board Wi-Fi in 2007.  Other services such as BoltBus and Megabus did the same. Even the “Chinatown buses”–lines that link the Chinatown districts of major cities–spent an estimated $5,000 per vehicle to equip their buses with Wi-Fi, says the report.

Airlines are trying to fight back. Wi-fi is now being offered on a number of most major long-distance flights in the U.S.

Still with ever-changing security restrictions including the recent temporary restrictions on the use of electronics in flight means the Accela looks like a better option than ever.

“The hassles of flying and limits on technology use has made people move away from flights for short distance trips like New York to Washington D.C. or Chicago to Detroit.

Photo: (Salon de Maria/Flickr)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:05 am

Blank Air Looms Over Fox, Time Warner Dispute

A bitter dispute between News Corp's Fox Broadcasting Company and Time Warner Cable could cause some channels to go dark after midnight tonight, the Associated Press reported.Time Warner has until midnight on Thursday to work out a temporary deal with the Fox network and some of its cable TV channels, but a News corp.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 31 Dec 2009 | 11:00 am

Verizon: Just as Bad as AT&T - PC World

Benzinga

Verizon: Just as Bad as AT&T PC World Just when I thought Verizon might be a good iPhone alternative to AT&T, it turns out it's just another bunch of bozos. I should have known better. I was starting to think that if Apple drops its exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T, I'd switch to Verizon in ... AT&T fails to deploy iPhone Tethering and 3G MicroCell in 2009Apple Insider Year in review: WirelessCNET News AT&T: The Communications Company That Failed to Communicate in 2009Wired News New York Times -CNNMoney.com -Benzinga all 20 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 31 Dec 2009 | 10:43 am

TSA Subpoenas Bloggers Over New Security Directive

Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times reports that TSA special agents have served subpoenas to travel bloggers Steve Frischling and Chris Elliott demanding that they reveal who leaked a TSA directive outlining new screening measures that went into effect the same day as the Detroit airliner incident. Frischling said he met with two TSA special agents for about three hours and was forced to hand over his laptop computer after the agents threatened to interfere with his contract to write a blog for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines if he didn't cooperate and provide the name of the person who leaked the memo outlining new security measures that would be apparent to the traveling public. 'It literally showed up in my box,' Frischling told The Associated Press. 'I do not know who it came from.' Frischling says he provided the agents a signed statement to that effect. The leaked directive included measures such as screening at boarding gates, patting down the upper legs and torso, physically inspecting all travelers' belongings, looking carefully at syringes with powders and liquids, requiring that passengers remain in their seats one hour before landing, and disabling all onboard communications systems, including what is provided by the airline. In a December 29 posting on his blog, Elliott said he had told the TSA agents at his house that he would call his lawyer and get back to them."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 31 Dec 2009 | 10:36 am

Social Media 2010: January 14-15 by Greater Phoenix SCORE

PHOENIX, Dec. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Many businesses have implemented some social media activity for their business - perhaps a blog, or Twitter, or an online profile of some sort. But in most cases it hasn't resulted in enough benefit to justify the time.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 31 Dec 2009 | 10:26 am

Boxee Beta Is a Web Video Streamer’s Dream

Boxee’s media player software app promises to free us all from stinky, trashy preprogrammed television by bringing web video’s hassle-free, on-demand, click-to-watch experience onto our HDTVs.

The somewhat clunky alpha release of Boxee’s software has been around since the beginning of the year, but the company took a big step forward with its public debut of the amped-up beta version in early December.

The Boxee beta, which is currently invitation-only but will be made available to all as a free download during the Consumer Electronics Show the first week of January, improves the stability and the usability of the alpha significantly.

The company will be offering a dedicated set-top box next spring, but the software — which runs on almost any computer — is almost fully cooked. I’ve been testing the new Boxee beta on an Intel Mac Mini hooked up to my HDTV for a little over a week. Windows and Linux versions are also available.

While I’m not ready to tell the cable guy to stuff it (as much as I’d love to), my evenings have been filled with hours of streaming video pulled down from literally scores of online sources. The quality ranges from watchable to spectacular.

Loads of HD options

Most importantly, the software has opened up a treasure chest of possibilities for my HDTV: cooking shows, travel shows, underwater documentaries, Ze Frank, Cool Hunting, Star Trek and all sorts of classic movies. Normally, I’d have to sit at my desk or prop open a laptop to take in this stuff. But Boxee lets me enjoy it on the big screen while sitting on my couch.

Yes, there are many methods for putting web video on your TV, but Boxee is the most elegant solution I’ve seen. For the beta release, the whole user experience has undergone a slick redesign.

The new Boxee homepage delivers a global menu where you’ll find big icons for all the important stuff — Movies, TV Shows, Apps, Music, Photos and a local file-system browser (called simply “Files”). There are also direct links to your queue, Boxee’s settings and a “Now Playing” button that immediately takes you back to your full-screen video.

Click on one of the content libraries for TV or movies in the global menu and you’ll see a huge improvement in the way Boxee organizes your available content.

The TV show library, for example, now aggregates all available shows from the web and from your local machine. Since each show is listed in the library regardless of its source, you no longer have to go into various independent apps — Comedy Central, CBS, Hulu feeds, etc. — to find the shows you want. You just get a huge list. Sort it or filter it how you’d like. I found it useful to filter out shows that require a paid subscription (like those from Netflix) so I would only see the free streams.

Movies are handled the same way. Picks from Hulu are mixed in with documentaries from other sources and the local files on your hard drive.

Boxee’s homepage hub

The libraries are deep, but all roads lead back to the Boxee homepage. It’s your hub, and there’s always something fresh waiting for you there.

The global menu takes up the whole top of the homepage. Below it, a new three-column layout shows your personal queue, a feed of content recommended by your friends (”Feed”) and a stack of programming chosen by the Boxee staff (”Recommended”).

To get the most out of the Feed column, you have to follow some other users. As with Twitter, following is a one-way proposition. Boxee makes it easy to import your contacts from other services. I quickly added a bunch of friends, but since the Boxee user base is tiny, I didn’t get the flood of awesome suggestions I was expecting. The Boxee staff seeds the Feed daily with some cool viral videos, however, so even if you don’t “do” social networking (or if your friends are stooges), the Feed is still useful. Boxee says it will soon let you add suggestions from Twitter and Facebook friends to your Feed.

The Feed column contains mostly shorter clips from YouTube, but the picks in the Recommended column tend to be longer, feature-length videos or HD eye candy like slide shows from NASA and the Big Picture blog. By clicking around both columns, you can get a taste of what all the cool kids on the web are currently into.

The queue is the best part of the beta’s redesign. As you cruise around the various libraries within Boxee, you can add to your queue any bit of content that catches your eye. Then just fire it up and let the streams flow. After each video, you’re given the option to share it with your Boxee friends or move along to the next item in the queue. Click, click, click.

There isn’t much to say about the revamped Apps area other than that it’s been redesigned to make it easier to browse the available episodes within each channel. I actually spent less time browsing the content inside the Apps now that the TV library does such a good job aggregating videos from across the whole system.

Improved video playback

Video playback also has been improved. The expanded controls are easier to use, and the software is more responsive. You can use a regular handheld remote like the Apple remote to control playback, but it’s clunky. If you have an iPhone or an Android phone, get one of the free official or third-party Boxee remote apps, which are much more responsive.

The Windows version of Boxee has moved from OpenGL to DirectX, with full hardware graphics acceleration on Nvidia Ion chips. This makes it possible to play full 1080p HD videos on relatively inexpensive PC hardware. I did my tests by hooking my Intel Mac Mini (2007 model) to an Olevia 747i with a DVI-to-HDMI cable. So even if you have an older, slower machine and a big HDTV, you can run Boxee and get an excellent picture. It may not be true HD in all cases, but it still looks great.

Some of the full-HD streams (like Heroes and House) hiccupped while they played, but when I dialed down my resolution a step to 1280×768, the stuttering stopped. Getting surround sound from the Mini involved a painless hack.

Minor problems

One of the big problems I had with Boxee’s alpha release was stability: The menus would choke often, and the app would freeze a few times a day, requiring a reboot. The beta is much more stable. It still crashes, but far less frequently (and usually without requiring a reboot).

My installation of the Boxee beta had a hard time playing discs. I went through a stack of DVD-Rs filled with .avi files, and Boxee wouldn’t load any of them. Likewise with .avi and MP4 content streamed across my wireless network. I found it easier to drag the files onto the local hard drive, where they played flawlessly. Actual DVDs played OK most of the time, but the subtitles would sometimes switch on, and Boxee wouldn’t let me turn them off. In those cases, I would have to watch the DVD in Apple’s Front Row.

But Boxee’s goal isn’t to replace your DVD player — it’s to bring a wealth of streaming web video content to your couch. And in that role, it truly excels.

Sign up to download the free beta at Boxee.tv, and expect to see it released in early 2010.

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 31 Dec 2009 | 10:00 am

Wipe The Slate Clean For 2010, Commit Web 2.0 Suicide

Are you tired of living in public, sick of all the privacy theater the social networks are putting on, and just want to end it all online? Now you can wipe the slate clean with the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine. (Warning: This will really delete your online presence and is irrevocable). Just put in your credentials for Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or LinkedIn and it will delete all your friends and messages, and change your username, password, and photo so that you cannot log back in.

The site is actually run by Moddr, a New Media Lab in Rotterdam, which execute the underlying scripts which erase your accounts. The Web 2.0 Suicide Machine is a digital Dr. Kevorkian. On Facebook, for instance, it removes all your friends one by one, removes your groups and joins you to its own “Social Network Suiciders,” and lets you leave some last words. So far 321 people have used the site to commit Facebook suicide. On Twitter, it deletes all of your Tweets, and removes all the people you follow and your followers. It doesn’t actually delete these accounts, it just puts them to rest.

The Web 2.0 Suicide Machine runs a python script which launches a browser session and automates the process of disconnecting from these social networks (here is a video showing how this works with Twitter). You can even watch the virtual suicide in progress via a Flash app which shows it as a remote desktop session. You can watch your online life pass away one message at a time. Taking over somebody else’s account via an automated script, even with permission, may very well be against the terms of service of these social networks.

From the FAQs:

If I start killing my 2.0-self, can I stop the process?
No!

If I start killing my 2.0-self, can YOU stop the process?
No!

What shall I do after I’ve killed myself with the web2.0 suicide machine?
Try calling some friends, take a walk in a park or buy a bottle of wine and start enjoying your real life again. Some Social Suiciders reported that their lives has improved by an approximate average of 25%. Don’t worry, if you feel empty right after you committed suicide. This is a normal reaction which will slowly fade away within the first 24-72 hours.

The light-hearted video below explains the benefits of committing Web 2.0 Suicide and disconnecting from “so many people you don’t really care about.” Unplugging from your social life online will leave you more time for your real life, which you’ve probably been neglecting. With the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, you can “sign out forever.” Not that we are recommending you do this in any way. But you may enjoy the video.

web 2.0 suicide machine promotion from moddr_ on Vimeo.

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

Source: TechCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 9:58 am

Motorola Might Be Prepping an Android Smartphone with a 4.3-inch Screen - Brighthand

UberGizmo (blog)

Motorola Might Be Prepping an Android Smartphone with a 4.3-inch Screen Brighthand Motorola is reportedly working on a device that will have one of the largest displays of any smartphone. Code-named the Shadow, it will sport a 4.3-inch WVGA+ touchscreen, Google's Android OS, and a range of other high-end features. ... One of the devices will sport a physical keyboardTechtree.com Motorola May Unveil New ...InternetNews.com Samsung's Galaxy stuck in historyRegister Appmodo -IntoMobile (blog) -Digitaltrends.com all 100 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 31 Dec 2009 | 9:57 am

Time Warner Cable Shows Subscribers How to Cut the Cord [MediaMemo]

The nightmare scenario for cable companies is that customers drop their TV subscriptions and grab their video directly from the Web, turning the cable guys into mere providers of “dumb pipes.”

But here’s a comprehensive set of instructions from a big cable company showing its customers how to do just that. It suggests that they head to the likes of Hulu, Fancast or “any search engine”–weird for it not to call out Google (GOOG), no?–to find their favorite shows.

Time Warner Cable’s (TWC) instructions on “How to Connect Your PC to Your TV” are embedded at the bottom of this post. And here’s a helpful video (sorry for the clumsy screengrab; the video kicks in at about the five-second mark, and there’s some unpleasant coughing around 2:30. Yikes!):

The instructions (Time Warner Cable promised to provide them last week) are part of the company’s game of chicken with News Corp.’s (NWS) Fox, which is supposed to come to a head tonight. If you believe the posturing so far, Fox and its associated cable channels (Fox News, FX, etc.) will disappear after midnight tonight because the two sides can’t agree on  new rate.

Alternate view: This thing will go down to the wire and then get resolved, like Time Warner Cable’s back-and-forth with Viacom (VIA) a year ago.

If you want blow-by-blow coverage, let me suggest the Los Angeles Times’s tireless Joe Flint, who is updating each salvo in real time, or very close to it. Or you can just turn on your TV set after midnight tonight and take a look for yourself.

Still, no matter how this resolves, the danger for both sides is that consumers really do take up Time Warner Cable on its offer and start watching Fox stuff on the Web. And to be clear: Fox would prefer that people keep paying for cable TV, because the media company really likes subscription fees from cable TV providers.

Peoplr are already moving to the Web to watch TV, of course, but it’s not mainstream behavior yet. It may be inevitable anyway, but no matter what you hear from both sides of this contract dispute, both sides like this model very much and they’d like to keep it intact as long as possible.

Which is why discussions with would-be “over the top” providers like Apple (AAPL) are supposed to be about adding additional TV programming, not replacing cable.

The safety catch here for the TV business is that consumers who do go to the Web to watch TV, at least through sanctioned means, may be disappointed: They’ll find that programming there doesn’t show up for at least a day, and often longer, after it airs. And some stuff, notably live sports like the NFL playoffs (contrary to the image in the screenshot above) and Fox’s “American Idol” don’t make it on the Web at all.

TV_to_PC_TWC –

Source: All Things Digital | 31 Dec 2009 | 9:41 am

Amazon could pay for Kindle sales coyness - Reuters

Reuters

Amazon could pay for Kindle sales coyness Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) - Online retailer Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) is testing Wall Street's patience by repeatedly touting the success of its Kindle electronic reader without providing specific sales figures. In one press release after another in recent ... Electronic books catch on in big wayTallahassee Democrat Kindle for the future?Evansville Courier & Press Kindle's best sellers are freeInquirer Auctionbytes -CoolTechZone.com (blog) -All about the iPhone (blog) all 35 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 31 Dec 2009 | 9:39 am

NASA Eyes Three Missions on the Cheap

Facing growing pressure to cut its budget, NASA is putting together a list of low-cost expeditions.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 9:05 am

Times Square festivities to be webcast around the world

Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking

Times Square has always been THE New Year’s Eve hotspot. Every year hundreds of thousands of people flock to the area to watch the famous ball drop and ring in the new year. If you live far away or simply don’t want to brave the cold and the crowds, you’re in luck. The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, the organizations responsible for the yearly celebration, have announced that the festivities will be streamed live on the net in a 6 and a half hour webcast. Viewers can interact by posting comments on Facebook and Twitter and are also invited to post photos of their own New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Want to check it out? Head on over to TimesSquareNYC.org, Livestream.com/2010 or Facebook.com/TimesSquareNYC. Got an iPhone? Head here.  You can even download and embed the Times Square player on to your own website. New Year’s Eve has gone high tech!

Read [New York Times]

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

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Source: Gadgetell | 31 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am

Alan Moore: Comics Won't Save You, but 'Dodgem Logic' Might

Can a new print zine packed with wit, timely wisdom and eye-catching art bring the world back from the brink? The comic book genius behind Watchmen and other mind-stretching endeavors gives pulp a chance.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am

Apple victory in iPod hearing lawsuit upheld - Macworld

PC World

Apple victory in iPod hearing lawsuit upheld Macworld The US Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit has upheld a lower-court ruling that found that iPods do not pose an undue risk of hearing damage. The long-running class-action lawsuit was initially filed in the US District ... Apple wins appeal in earbud hearing-loss lawsuitCNET News Apple wins appeal of iPod hearing loss caseComputerworld US Appeals Court rules in favor of Apple in the iPod hearing loss lawsuitTopNews United States PC World -BusinessWeek -TG Daily all 214 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 31 Dec 2009 | 8:59 am

Report: 2009 IPO Market Total Crap [Digital Daily]

If there’s one thing to be said about the IPO market of 2009, it’s this: It was better than the IPO market of 2008. But sadly, that’s not really saying much at all. Because 2009 had just one venture-backed offer more than 2008, according to research outfit VentureSource.

And 2008 only had seven of them.

Going public in 2009: Online restaurant reservation service OpenTable (OPEN); security software company Fortinet (FTNT); network management software developer SolarWinds (SWI); clinical research software outfit Medidata Solutions (MDSO); LogMeIn (LOGM), a developer of remote access software; biotech outfit Omeros (OMER); battery maker A123 Systems (AONE); and Echo Global Logistics (ECHO), a business process outsourcing company.

Eight VC-backed IPOs in 2009. Pathetic.

Those who predicted that the venture-backed IPO market was going to get worse before it got better were correct. Too bad getting better is such a painfully slow process.

Source: All Things Digital | 31 Dec 2009 | 8:31 am

TenYears: PC Games of the Decade

It’s almost January 1st, 2010 and we’ve been mulling over our favorites of 2009 – and the previous decade. Here we present another installment of our “Of the Decade” lists. Valve’s follow-up to the revolutionary Half-Life is our game of the decade not just because it’s a fantastic game, but because it is a fine example of modern gaming. It exemplifies DLC done right, community support done right, and comes part and parcel with Steam, which has helped revolutionize digital distribution for games. All this while still being the standard by which other FPSes are measured.

Source: TechCrunch | 31 Dec 2009 | 8:30 am

Russian Scientists Working on Plan to Deflect Asteroids - DailyTech

CBC.ca

Russian Scientists Working on Plan to Deflect Asteroids DailyTech Hollywood has made several movies that center on how humans could destroy an asteroid or comet that was on a trajectory to hit the Earth. Some astronomers believe that the chance of an asteroid impact is high enough to warrant preparation and plans to ... Russia plans asteroid-defence space mission to ApophisRegister Bumping asteroid from Earth could cost more than $80BToronto Star Russia 'plans to stop asteroid'BBC News DVICE -Mother Nature Network -Voice of America all 562 news articles »

Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 31 Dec 2009 | 8:25 am

Want to See Google's New Phone on YouTube? Be Patient, or Persistent. [MediaMemo]

Google won’t officially unveil its Nexus One smartphone until Tuesday, when it has scheduled an Android Press Gathering. There are plenty of descriptions and images of the phone floating around the Web, though–a result of Google’s (GOOG) decision to “dogfood” the device with employees.

And now, some video. Yesterday a 10-minute clip of what appears to be someone taking the phone through its paces popped up on the Web. There’s no sound, and the device appears to be configured for French speakers, so if you’re an American with a short attention span, I’m not sure what the appeal would be. But some of you are going to want to watch it, anyway.

This is normally be the place where I would embed the relevant YouTube video. But this is one video Google doesn’t want on its video site, and the company is pulling the footage down as quickly as it can. (This is where I imagine the Viacom guys chortling and rubbing their hands).

That said, you can find the clip without much effort, particularly if you search other video sites not owned by Google. Have at it, if that floats your boat.

Source: All Things Digital | 31 Dec 2009 | 7:14 am

Microbes Grow Into Holiday Art

Stephanie Mounaud, who works at the J. Craig Venter Institute created holiday art in petri dishes by getting microbes to grow in a particular pattern. I thought it was cute. Thanks to the web site Fungal Genomes.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 6:48 am

The Year in Wisecracks [Digital Daily]

Source: All Things Digital | 31 Dec 2009 | 6:45 am

QOTD [Digital Daily]

QOTD [Digital Daily]

“We have seen companies go from nothing in the last 18-24 months to tens and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.”

– Jeremy Liew of Lightspeed Venture Partners on the virtual goods economy

Source: All Things Digital | 31 Dec 2009 | 6:37 am

Court Holds iPod Blameless for Hearing Loss [Voices]

By Ben Worthen, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

A lawsuit that blamed Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPod music player for causing hearing loss fell on deaf ears at a federal appeals court.

The lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2006, argued that because iPods don’t come with a decibel meter that lets users know how much noise the device is producing, consumers don’t understand the potential damage they could be causing themselves by listening to loud music for long periods of time. It also claimed that the earbuds that come with the iPod increase the risk that damage could occur because they are designed to be placed inside the ear.

In dismissing an appeal in the case Wednesday, a three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals called the claims “obvious” and said that a reasonable person could easily avoid hearing loss by turning the volume down.

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Source: All Things Digital | 31 Dec 2009 | 6:00 am

NASA Plans Backup Astronaut Escape System

With NASA retiring the shuttle fleet in 2010, next generation spaceships are being developed with a renewed focus on safety.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 5:00 am

The Segway Decade Exits on Two Wheels

Nothing made a bigger mark on the first 10 years of the new millennium than the ultimate self-correcting geek motor scooter. Well, almost nothing. A gyroscope-enhanced alternative timeline.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 5:00 am

Beautiful Polaroid Camera Sculpted in Lego

This wonderful piece of plastic sculpture isn’t just a Polaroid Land Camera. Take a closer look and you’ll see that it is a Polaroid Land Camera made from Lego. To see just how good it is, below is the original, from Flickrer Timmy Toucan.

That’s some rather creative Lego use right there, but the replica, showcased at the Lego-fetish site Brickshelf, prompts a rather interesting question. Why don’t cameras look this good today? Is is merely the retro-stylings of yesteryear which look so good to our eyes, bored as they are by the amorphous blobs of plastic that are today’s gadgets? Or is the Polaroid just a design classic, its beautiful lines obviously superior even when masked by the misty swirls of time?

Clearly something to consider as we end yet another year, and the instant nature of the extinct Polaroid is the perfect metaphor for, well, instant disappearing things. More importantly, is there anything around today which will look this good in the future? Thinking of cameras, I come up with the Olympus Pen, but that is based on an old design itself. Suggestions? Put them in the comments.

Lego Polaroid [Arvo/Brickshelf via Giz]

Polaroid Land Camera 1000 [Camerapedia]

Real Polaroid Photo: Timmy Toucan/Flickr

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 31 Dec 2009 | 4:31 am

Engineered Tobacco Plants Have Biofuel Potential

Researchers from the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University have identified a way to increase the oil in tobacco plant leaves, which may be the next step in using the plants for biofuel.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 31 Dec 2009 | 4:30 am

Portable Microwave Takes the Flavor Out of Tailgating

Flavor haters rejoice! The bland, tasteless-but-hot emissions from the microwave, chosen by the puritanical over tastier frying, grilling, roasting or even baking for “health” reasons, can now be taken on the road. Yes, lucky penitents can abolish the last holdout of the red-blooded American and swap the grill for tasteless, molecule-flipping radiation.

Next time you are tailgating, beware anyone who wants to bring along a WaveBox portable microwave (great name, by the way). The $250, 14-pound box comes with a handy handle and can be hooked up to regular AC or the 12 volts from the car’s battery. The little box is available disguised in various colors, and even comes with a cooler bag to keep vegetables calm and non-stressed (rumors that meat is not allowed inside are unfounded).

The WaveBox has been around a while, nuking foods into bland, Maillard-crust-free nuggets for couple years now. We though it worth a mention, though, as it would be perfect for making hot Glühwein‎to see you through the cold hours standing outside tonight, waiting for a the New Year to come hurtling in at one second-per-second, and hopefully bringing some tastier treats.

WaveBox product page [WaveBox via Oh Gizmo!]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 31 Dec 2009 | 3:52 am

Bikes to Power Times Square New Year Display

Scant decades ago, a ball drop in Times Square was more likely to take place in one of its infamous adult theaters than in the square itself. These days, when there is not even traffic in the iconic plaza, even the historic crystal ball which sees in the New Year is clean.

The new energy efficient LED ball, and the glowing “2010” numerals, will this year be powered by bunnies. Duracell has set up stationary bikes in the square which use leg power to generate electricity and then store it, ready for midnight tonight. The whole setup requires 32,000 Watt hours of juice, which is probably not much by Times Square standards, but isn’t bad for human-power.

Reading through the Duracell “Power Lab” blog, it appears that things are a little more surreal in Times Square. Aside from “celebrities” turning up to help juice the batteries (Gabourey Sidibe, anyone? Anyone?), there is also mention of special events being held in the Charmin Restrooms, a sponsored public lavatories, consisting of comedians showing off custom toilet seats “which include everything from bright colors to glitter and feathers”.

Strange activity in the bathrooms? I guess Times Square hasn’t changed that much.

Duracell Powerlab [Duracell]

Pedal-Powered Generators to Illuminate Times Square on New Year’s Eve [Inhabitat. Thanks, Yuka!]

Image: Duracell Power Lab

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 31 Dec 2009 | 3:28 am

Device Turns Thoughts Into Speech

Scientists embed an electrode into a patient's brain and develop a computer system to read his thoughts.
Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:10 am

Tech Firms Jockey Ahead of Recovery [Voices]

By Don Clark, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

In a brutal year, technology companies responded by hunkering down and developing new products at a faster rate as they tried to wrest sales from one another.

While 2010 isn’t expected to be a blockbuster, consumers have shown they are still willing to spend on gadgets, at least for hot products like Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone and Amazon.com Inc.’s (AMZN) Kindle.

There are also signs that frozen corporate budgets are thawing–driven by aging equipment, falling hardware prices and new offerings, notably Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT) Windows 7.

Tech vendors are tapping demand in China, India and other emerging economies for products like laptop computers and cellphones. At the same time, Web connections are being added to existing products in new ways that are spurring buyers into action.

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Source: All Things Digital | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:00 am