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A new approach to how we work with advertising agencies(Cross-posted on the Inside AdWords and the Agency Ad Solutions blogs)As the advertising industry has grown and evolved, so too has our relationship with advertising agencies. These companies, from SEMs to the largest traditional agencies, play a critical role in the continued success of Google, our advertisers and our industry — so we spend a lot of time talking to agencies about how we can make it easier for them to work with us and our advertisers. We’ve had a lot of great feedback from agencies and today we’re announcing changes designed to offer them better training and more rigorous certification in AdWords proficiency, and to lower costs for those who help advertisers get the most out of AdWords. We’re also making it easier for advertisers to find certified agency partners to work with them on digital advertising. Here’s an overview of what’s changing today. Raising the bar for Google AdWords Certification We're retiring our long-standing Google Advertising Professionals (GAP) program and replacing it with a new Google AdWords Certification program for those managing AdWords accounts on behalf of advertisers. The new program provides agencies and their employees with more up-to-date, comprehensive, strategy-focused training and certification on the latest tools and best practices for managing AdWords accounts, including:
 For more information on the AdWords Certification Program or to create an account, visit the Google Certification program site and help center. Helping advertisers find Google Certified Partners Google Certified Partners can opt in to Google Partner Search, an online, searchable directory that helps advertisers identify Certified Partners that meet their criteria. Small and medium-sized advertisers who haven’t previously used an agency have told us that evaluating potential partners can be a daunting task, so we think Google Partner Search will be especially valuable for them. To show up in advertiser searches through Google Partner Search, agencies must opt in and fill in details about their core attributes and capabilities. Searches can be filtered by location, agency experience within a particular budget range, the types of services provided and the industry verticals an agency serves. Advertisers can then evaluate the list of Certified Partners that meet their criteria and contact the partners who seem best suited to their needs. To learn more about Google Partner Search, visit the help center. Introducing preferred AdWords API pricing The Google AdWords API allows developers to build applications that interact directly with the AdWords platform. Agencies and developers of search engine marketing tools use these applications to manage large AdWords campaigns more efficiently and creatively. Today, we’re announcing preferred AdWords API pricing. This gives qualified Google AdWords Certified Partners who manage client AdWords accounts free use of the AdWords API based on managed client spend. To apply, agencies must have an active agency profile page and be compliant with the AdWords API terms and conditions. We’ll evaluate applications for preferred AdWords API pricing based on the criteria listed here. We hope preferred AdWords API pricing will encourage agencies and developers to experiment with new strategies, expand the functionality of their tools, and build more comprehensive client campaigns without worrying about increased costs. You can learn more about preferred pricing and how to apply at the preferred AdWords API pricing site. We’re looking forward to receiving feedback on all of these initiatives and to continuing to improve our partnership with agencies. Posted by Penry Price, Vice President, Global Agency Development    
 Source: The Official Google Blog | 26 Apr 2010 | 4:01 am How to say yes to (almost) any smartphone (InfoWorld)InfoWorld - Resistance is futile: The iPhone has won. Try as you may to maintain the great corporate barrier against employees using the latest smartphones on your network, the iPhone has or will soon enter your business and connect to your IT systems, and Google's Android devices such as the Droid series are not far behind.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 26 Apr 2010 | 4:00 am Israel mysteriously lifts Ipad ban - Inquirer
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 26 Apr 2010 | 3:54 am Hubble Telescope Photo Images from NASA Uncover Interesting Space Discoveries - World Correspondents
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 26 Apr 2010 | 3:54 am Camera clad iPod Touch Prototypes Hit eBay - Techtree.com
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 26 Apr 2010 | 3:40 am Wireless iPod/iPhone/iPad Syncing Is Awesome — Too Bad It Will Likely Be Rejected [Video]
As you can see in the video below, WiFi Sync allows you to do exactly what the name promises. Once you complete a few steps to authenticate your iPod/iPhone and then your computer, you can begin syncing wirelessly. It just works. The problem, of course, that Apple is likely to have with it is unauthorized interaction with their software, iTunes. Undoubtedly, if Apple wanted to include such a feature in iPod touches/iPhones/iPads they would have already. It would seem that technology isn’t an issue, but there may be other things at play, such as security, and speed. While security is debatable, speed is definitely a big plus for using USB (2.0) versus WiFi as one transfers data at nearly 500 Mbps, while the other would transfer data at just a fraction of that. (Obviously it would vary based on technology — 802.11n versus 802.11g, etc — and distance from the router.) Something else to think about: when Apple inevitably does move iTunes to the cloud, syncing their devices wirelessly will be pretty much a necessity. Perhaps Apple is just waiting for that and enjoying the big USB bandwidth until then.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 26 Apr 2010 | 3:34 am Hawking: Aliens are out there, likely to be Bad News - Register
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 26 Apr 2010 | 3:30 am In Brazil, Google Fined For Content of Anonymous PostingSabriel writes "Google's appeal against a 2008 defamation ruling in Brazil over an anonymous posting on Orkut has been denied, and Google has been fined $US8500 ($9100) for the crime of being vandalized. In the words of the judge, Alvimar de Avila, 'By making space available on virtual networking sites, in which users can post any type of message without any checks beforehand, with offensive and injurious content, and, in many cases, of unknown origin, [Google] assumes the risk of causing damage [to other people]." I'd submit a blunter opinion of this farce, but it might be considered offensive and injurious content ... I wonder if he's related to the judge in Italy?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 26 Apr 2010 | 3:11 am Sweet Tech: Mother's Day 'Gadget Gifts' Also Budget FriendlyFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Finding the perfect gift for Mom can be a challenge - especially when you want to forego the cliched fragrance, flowers, candy, spa, bath and other such been there, done that gifts that have become Mother's Day staples. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100201/NYFNSF01) "This holiday, think tech," says Paul Holstein, COO of industry-leading eTailer CableOrganizer.com (http://CableOrganizer.com).Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 26 Apr 2010 | 3:06 am Bridgepoint Education's Ashford University Enters Into an Alliance Agreement With Blockbuster Inc.SAN DIEGO, April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bridgepoint Education, Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 26 Apr 2010 | 3:00 am Foursquare Gets Some Major VH1 Love
As Foursquare’s business development lead, Tristan Walker tweeted out tonight, VH1 has started promoted Foursquare on screen during some of its its shows. For example, in the screen capture grabbed by Walker, you can see a Foursquare bubble that popped up during a show (What Chilli Wants) on the cable channel tonight. “We love the way they’re integrating tips,” Walker notes. The official VH1 Foursquare account is supposed to be used to “find culture in your city.” What’s interesting is that both VH1 on-air personalities and celebrities with their own shows are supplying these tips to Foursquare. And you really can’t buy better publicity than VH1 putting these Foursquare pop-ups in their shows. In fact, Foursquare undoubtedly isn’t buying this publicity, and in fact, VH1 may even be paying them for the partnership (the service won’t say which of its deals are free and which are paid). Foursquare just crossed a million users last week, but the deals the young startup is securing are arguably more impressive than their growth. Not only are the History Channel, Bravo, and VH1 promoting them, but even hotels in Vegas are as well. All of this can’t hurt the valuation Foursquare ends up with when it inevitably does take its next, large round of funding — or sells for upwards of $100 million. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:48 am Sony to stop manufacturing Floppy discs after 30 years
Remember Floppy discs? In case you haven’t noticed (like I didn’t), Sony is actually still making and selling those discs. But soon it’s time to say goodbye, as the company now said [JP] it will stop production in March next year. Sony rolled out the world’s first 3.5-inch floppy disc back in 1981. And believe it or not, even in 2008, the company could still sell 8.5 million units in Japan alone. Not too surprisingly, Sony cites rapidly plunging demand as the reason (demand apparently peaked in 1995 and has shrunk more than 90% since). Hitachi Maxell and Mitsubishi Kagaku Media, two other major makers, withdrew from floppy disc sales as early as in the spring of last year. Quietly, Sony wrapped up international sales of floppy discs last month, with the exception of India and a few other parts of the world. The company already stopped producing floppy disc drives last September.
Source: CrunchGear | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:42 am eSecurity Company WISeKey Raises $20M At $200M Valuation, Plans IPO Information security and identity management software and services firm WISeKey has closed a $20 million financing round at a $200 million valuation. The investment comes from a group of undisclosed institutional and private backers in both Europe and the United States.
With the extra capital, WISeKey plans an accelerated expansion in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China).
WISeKey also marks itself an IPO candidate, saying that it will file to go public as soon as the market stabilizes.
Source: TechCrunch | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:39 am Magic Software Reports Strong Results for Q1 2010: Revenues of $19.7M; Net Income More than Doubles to $2.1M (Non-GAAP) and $1.9M (GAAP)OR-YEHUDA, Israel, April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Magic Software Enterprises Ltd. (Nasdaq: MGIC), a global provider of application platforms and business and process integration solutions, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010. Financial Highlights for the First Quarter Operating income on a non-GAAP and GAAP basis more than doubled to $2.0 million and $1.8 million respectively, compared to the first quarter of 2009.Net income increased twofold to $2.1 million (non-GAAP) and $1.9 million (GAAP), compared to the first quarter of 2009.Revenues reached $19.7 million; an increase of 43% compared to the first quarter of 2009.Operating cash flow for the quarter amounted to $6.7 million.Total cash and cash equivalents, short-term bank deposits and short term investments in marketable securities as of March 31, 2010 amounted to $24.6 million.For the quarter ended March 31, 2010, total revenues were $19.7 million, with net income of $1.9 million, or $0.06 per diluted share.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:25 am Readings: Highs, Debt, Bubbles, 1970s, etc.Grantham: A possible race back to the old market highs (Source) Grantham: 'We add nothing but costs' (Source) Debt: The first five thousand years (Source) The Shock of the Global: the 1970s...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:19 am Viral Video: There Was an Old Woman Who Played With an iPad [BoomTown]
While I meant to get this up last week, if you missed it, it is still well worth seeing 99-year-old Virginia Campbell using an iPad. To put things into perspective, in 1910, right around when she arrived on the planet, the innovation of the day was Thomas Edison demonstrating the first talking motion picture. And, I can assure you, seeing this is a lot better than cats using the Apple (AAPL) tablet device. This is apparently a first computer for Campell, who lives in a retirement home in Oregon, which she uses to read with and write. Such as this limerick: To this technology-ninny it’s clear How can you not love someone who uses the word, “ninny,” so enjoy the video: Source: All Things Digital | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:15 am Facebook Has Some Housekeeping To Do
Dear Facebook, before we sashay into the “Age Of Facebook” it would be just dandy if you could tidy the place up a bit, sweep up a few cobwebs, unwrap all the new furniture and get rid of those pesky bugs. We’ve oohed and aahed over the exciting new gizmos, the sparkly social plugins and the Open Graph. But as you hurtle to 500 million users and beyond, you have to prevent bush league errors from bubbling up. For example, as tipster Sven Hoffmann pointed out and confirmed by my Facebook account, when I get a friend request and click on the “Confirm Friend” button, the log-in screen that pops up shows my potential friend’s full e-mail address, not mine.
Obviously, that’s not a very exciting image, but I assure you that my e-mail address does not begin with a “d” or end in a “7″. This is no cause for alarm, it’s not a major security threat— if someone is friending you on Facebook, they are probably OK with you knowing their e-mail— however, it is a silly mistake, in a series of mistakes (in March a bug briefly revealed hidden e-mail addresses and in February, the site accidentally rerouted private messages to the wrong users— whoops). It’s not bizarre for a site with so many moving parts and so many users to have the occasional glitch, but it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence among those worried about their privacy. Come on Facebook, you can do better. Information provided by CrunchBase (Image Source: Flickr/x-ray delta one )      
Source: TechCrunch | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:11 am Lewis/Sorkin/Boise Talking Goldman on Charlie RoseClick to watch David Boies, Andrew Ross Sorkin and Michael Lewis talking Goldman. Lewis owns the discussion, even if it's not clear he has the law entirely on his side.Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:11 am Lancope to Discuss How to Gain Virtual Network Visibility with NetFlow-based StealthWatch System at InfoSecurity Europe 2010ATLANTA and LONDON, April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- InfoSecurity Europe 2010 -- Lancope, Inc., the leader in NetFlow(TM) collection and analysis (http://news.lancope.com/press.php?include=141667) and the provider of the StealthWatch® System for flow-based network performance and security monitoring, today announced that it will deliver "Eliminate Network Blind Spots Created By Virtualization & Improve ROI" at InfoSecurity Europe 2010.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 26 Apr 2010 | 2:00 am Monetizing An iPhone Spectacle [Voices]By David Carr, Columnist, New York Times We all know that advertisers need to pay for clicks to keep the Web spinning. But what does it mean when publishers start paying for them as well? I’m not talking about some seedy click-mills in the Far East where drudges press buttons to gin traffic, but a far more transparent and audacious strategy in which a publisher pays for content that he knows will be irresistible. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:29 am Hulu Plus Will Be Worth $100 Million in 2011 [Voices]By Ben Elowitz, Blogger, Digital Quarters Recently I’ve written about why I think the Hulu Plus subscription model will be successful. Yesterday, Peter Kafka (@pkafka) wrote in AllThingsD that Hulu’s price point is both too high for consumers and too low to satisfy media companies. I respectfully disagree. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:20 am Lean Green Cabs - The Volkswagen Milano Taxi is Designed to Make Pollution-Free Cities (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The Volkswagen Milano Taxi is an electric cab designed to make major cities pollution-free. The lithium-ion battery-powered cab can produce 45 kw hours, giving the Milano Taxi a top...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:16 am Parsons Students Use SMS Technology To Get Medicines To African VillagesStopStockouts - Summer 2009 Documentary from StopStockouts on Vimeo. Bloomberg/Business Week reports on Stop Stock-outs, an SMS program developed by Parson University students to track medicine inventories...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:11 am The Sad State of the Old Music Business [Voices]By David Pakman, Partner, Venrock Associates I read with sadness this New York Times (NYT) profile of Irving Azoff and Live Nation. As my friend Andy Weissman asked, “How divorced is this world from reality?” The article reminds us of the way the music industry worked for many decades: a world of power by those who manage artists and run record companies. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:10 am Researchers "Addicted" to Bogus Internet Studies [Voices]By Mathew Ingram, Senior Writer, GigaOm The University of Maryland released a study of college students and the Internet yesterday that garnered some headlines, including one from Reuters that talked about how these poor students were “suffering from Internet addiction.” According to the research quoted by the newswire, they showed “symptoms similar to drug and alcohol addictions” when they were forced to give up access to the web and mobile communications such as text messaging. And what were those symptoms? Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:02 am Reading On iPad Before Bed Can Affect Sleep Habits [Voices]By Mark Milian, Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times Apple’s iPad can do movies, music, e-mail, apps and rich Web browsing. And of course, e-books. Should Amazon just put its comparably basic e-reader, the Kindle, to sleep? Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:01 am Rhapsody for iPhone Gets Offline Listening [Digital Daily]
With Rhapsody’s new app you can. The software caches music on the devices on which it runs — iPhones, iPod touches, iPads and soon Android and BlackBerry devices as well — so that subscribers can listen to it even without a live Internet connection. That’s something of a milestone for on-demand music streaming services. The inability to play music offline has been a nagging flaw in the music subscription model for years now and Rhapsody is the first venture to remedy it. Now that it’s done so and Apple (AAPL) has given streaming apps with offline caching its blessing, we may soon see a renaissance in subscription services as the market warms to the idea of paying a monthly fee for access to an unlimited library of music. This is a precedent, after all, and other streaming ventures like MOG and Spotify will be quick to follow it in the hopes of tapping into a very large channel of potential subscribers. But they best move quickly, because that channel won’t remain wide open for long now that Apple has acquired streaming music service Lala and is itself rumored to be working on a streaming version of iTunes. Source: All Things Digital | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:01 am Snazzier Laptops Steal Netbooks' Thunder [Voices]By Justin Scheck and Nick Wingfield, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal Pricier, more powerful notebook computers are sucking some of the steam from netbooks, the low-priced darlings that helped fuel sales for the PC industry in the past two years. Many consumers—searching for more computing power than the compact, portable netbooks can deliver—are opting to pay more for laptops with bigger displays and circuitry suited for jobs like manipulating photos and video, which is beyond the capability of most netbooks. Other buyers are being seduced by different hardware altogether—including high-end smartphones and Apple Inc.’s new iPad. Not many people are ready to call an end to the boom in netbooks, which are machines typically priced around $300, with screens measuring 10.2 inches or less. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:00 am CrunchGear Week in Review: Machine Amok Edition
Meet the robot enforcer: The Husqvana DXR 310 demolition robot
Source: CrunchGear | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:00 am SAP Reveals Solutions and Strategies to Drive Customer Business Growth at SAPPHIRE(R) NOW in Frankfurt and FloridaFRANKFURT, Germany and ORLANDO, Fla., April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With keynote speeches from industry luminaries, a world-class roster of customers and partners, and an innovative new format held simultaneously in two locations, SAPPHIRE® NOW promises to be an event to remember.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 26 Apr 2010 | 1:00 am Jackpot Games Casino LaunchesVALLETTA, Malta, April 26, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- - A new Brand hits e-gaming through Jackpot Games Casino The Malta-based online casino confirmed today that their flagship product, Jackpot Games Casino (http://www.jackpot-games.com), has launched. Sporting over 80 instant-play games in a stylish website interface and a wide range of player promotions, the Jackpot Games team are confident of success. Casino manager, Ramon Azzopardi, commented, "We've brought together a team of gaming professionals to build a new, exciting casino product to rival any.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 26 Apr 2010 | 12:59 am Luxury Car Beds - The Mercedes Bed Lets You Drive Luxury in Your Dreams (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) I'm tethered to my truck for awhile, but that doesn't mean I can't take out a loan for a Mercedes bed. This bed may be the closest I ever get to owning a Mercedes. The Mercedes bed...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 26 Apr 2010 | 12:46 am Serb phone networks disabledMobile and Landline networks of Serbian providers in Kosovo are being disabled, leaving Serb villages in Kosovo disconnected from each other. B92 reports. On Friday, 14 mobile 063 and 064 network stations...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 26 Apr 2010 | 12:45 am Lawnmower Superbikes - Solif Concept Motorcycles Will Blow Your Ever-Lovin' Mind (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) These Solif concept motorcycles are nothing like the bikes Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper rode in 'Easy Rider.' They aren't even like anything I've ever seen on 'West Coast Choppers...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 26 Apr 2010 | 12:16 am Review of HTC Desire As Alternative To iPhoneAndrew Smith writes "My search for an alternative to the iPhone has been long and frustrating. On paper, the HTC Desire is the first serious challenger to the iPhone's reign as king of phones. But how does it compare in use? There is much good and much bad. (This review is primarily for UK readers as HTC's new handset, the Incredible, will not be available [in the UK].)"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 26 Apr 2010 | 12:06 am WISeKey Raises $ 20 Million in pre-IPO Funding at a $200 Million ValuationGENEVA, April 26, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- WISeKey (http://www.wisekey.com) is the one of the fastest growing eSecurity company in the world.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:59 pm XKCD on HDTVToday's XKCD, HDTV, hits it right out of the park for me. HDTV is such a goddamned yawn for me -- a giant screen with only one window on it? Friends in HD, so you can see all the duct-tape holding the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:50 pm XKCD on HDTV Today's XKCD, HDTV, hits it right out of the park for me. HDTV is such a goddamned yawn for me -- a giant screen with only one window on it? Friends in HD, so you can see all the duct-tape holding the set together and the makeup caked over the actors' pores? Be sure to click through and read the very trenchant tooltip when you hover your mouse over the original cartoon.
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:50 pm Cityscape made of staplesArtist Peter Root's Ephemicropolis is a wonderful cityscape composed of stacks of staples of varying heights. Be sure to watch the "making of" video. The artist has done several mixed-media cityscapes...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:47 pm Cityscape made of staples Artist Peter Root's Ephemicropolis is a wonderful cityscape composed of stacks of staples of varying heights. Be sure to watch the "making of" video. The artist has done several mixed-media cityscapes worth your attention, including the gooey Honey and Almonds and the starchy Wasteland. (Thanks, Francesco!)
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:47 pm Pensational Classic Art - James Mylne Draws "The Girl With a Pearl Earring" With a Bic Pen (VIDEO)(TrendHunter.com) James Mylne can work wonders with a Bic pen. His drawing of Johannes Vermeer's "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" is amazing in its detail and accuracy. I wouldn't have believed this was...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:46 pm Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas Asks Houston to Get Out the Vote for $1 Million GrantSam's Club Selects JA as one of eight nonprofits who could win big during 'Giving Made Simple' Campaign HOUSTON, April 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas (JA), a member of the world's largest nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people to succeed through entrepreneurship, work-readiness and financial literacy education, has been selected to participate in the Sam's Club Giving Made Simple campaign, with the chance to win a $1 million grant. Giving Made Simple is an online voting campaign in which Sam's Club members and associates will determine how the company will allocate $4 million in charitable contributions to eight nonprofit organizations that support programs dedicated to education and small business development.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:15 pm Blancco Helps Sims Recycling Solutions Convert Business Risk to Peace of MindSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:54 pm Blancco Helps Sims Recycling Solutions Convert Business Risk to Peace of MindJOENSUU, Finland, April 26, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Blancco, the global leader in data erasure and end-of-lifecycle solutions, today announced that Sims Recycling Solutions ensures assets are data safe before they are recycled or refurbished by embedding Blancco's data erasure software into its proprietary online system, WebView. With 37 sites around the world, Sims Recycling Solutions is a global leader in electrical and electronics recovery and recycling.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:54 pm Processing power, OLED touch screen shine on Incredible - Boston Globe
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:18 pm Test drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta
Europeans already know this. The Fiesta is very popular across the pond, earning the title of Europe’s top selling car in 2009. It has won award after award and now it’s finally available here in the states, the final piece in Ford’s most impressive car lineup ever. Make it fun and the sales will comeThe 2011 Ford Fiesta’s secret is the astoundingly good 6-speed PowerShift automatic transmission. Not only does it contribute heavily to the class-leading 40 mpg city rating, but it’s a real workhorse providing a silky-smooth ride. We found that hills and city driving were a non-issue thanks to the lovely affair of the PowerShift transmission mated to the peppy 120 horsepower 1.6-liter DOHC I-4 engine while the super–ridged chassis and European-tuned suspension handled curves with ease. These four key characteristics combine to make a truly fun ride. The tight suspension and quick-shifting tranny allows for aggressive driving, a rare trait in this class. Think of the 2011 Fiesta as a compact that’s as fun as the Mazda MX-5 but with room for two car seats and a stroller.
The Fiesta wins handily in the equipment list, too. A person can equip their Fiesta with nearly any automotive option imaginable including keyless entry, push button start, LED parking lamps, ambient interior lighting, and heated mirrors. In fact, shoppers will probably be surprised that many items are standard like the four-inch LCD info screen and capless fuel filer.
Sync wins againIt’s hard to believe that Ford’s peers have yet to come up with a system that compares to Sync. This system alone is a valid reason to buy the 2011 Ford Fiesta over other compacts. It’s that good and offers so much functionality and safety. The best part is that Ford is continually developing and improving the system and regularly rolls out new features. Sync starts out as an option in the mid-level SE model and offers a little bit for nearly everyone. Music and gadget lovers will love the ability to control and queue up music from their iPods with only their voice. There’s even a new feature rolling out shortly that will bring the same function to BlackBerry and Android apps such as Pandora, OpenBeak, and Stitcher.
The system also compensates for the Fiesta’s lack of navigation by offering turn-by-turn directions served up from a Bluetooth-connected cell phone – no data plan required. The center-mounted heads-up display even assists the computer-read directions with directional arrows, a welcomed-feature that nearly replicates the experience provided by a true GPS unit. Everyone, look at FordNever before has Ford’s car offering been so strong and the compact Fiesta is a big part of that. In fact, it might be the jewel of the lineup with its low-admission cost to a truly well equipped ride. It isn’t alone with a redesigned Focus coming soon, the Fusion that earned Car of the Year from Motor Trend, and the industry-busting big-daddy Tarsus. Simply put, if you’re looking for a new car, you must test drive a Ford. And, well, because the Internet allows me this type of freedom, I present to you Top Gear’s much more entertaining take on the Euro-spec Fiesta. Enjoy. It’s one of the show’s best-ever segments and make sure you watch part one and two. I like the second one the best.
Source: CrunchGear | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:01 pm New Capabilities, Strategic Partnerships Position Verizon to Help Drive Better Business Outcomes for CustomersBASKING RIDGE, N.J., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Business during the first quarter continued to build on its managed IT and communications solutions leadership while expanding its array of professional consulting services to help businesses prepare for growth as the global economy recovers.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:01 pm New Capabilities, Strategic Partnerships Position Verizon to Help Drive Better Business Outcomes for CustomersSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:01 pm "America's Got Talent" pacts with YouTube (Reuters)Reuters - NBC and the producers of "America's Got Talent" are partnering with YouTube to put the show's audition process online.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:00 pm Streamlined Bike GPS Offers Massive Data, Light WeightGarmin's Edge 500 is a new bike-specific GPS serving a geek's buffet of cycling metrics.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:00 pm April 26, 1986: Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Suffers Cataclysmic MeltdownThe worst nuclear-power disaster ever starts ... during a safety test.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:00 pm Streamlined Bike GPS Offers Massive Data, Light WeightGarmin's Edge 500 is a new bike-specific GPS serving a geek's buffet of cycling metrics.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:00 pm Cold Comforts: Antarctic Research Bases Are Seriously Self-SustainingAntarctic research bases used to be blubber-heated shacks. Now they're some of the most hyperconnected structures on the continent.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:00 pm Controversial NewsToons iPhone app a win for free speech, not for app kind (Appolicious)Appolicious - Pulitzer Prize-winning animator Mark Fiore has seen a bit of press recently when the he revealed that Apple rejected his iPhone app NewsToons back in December because the content ridiculed political figures. Really? A political cartoonist poking fun at political figures? You don’t say.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:00 pm Lost Creators Explain How They Did ItWhen Lost — the most puzzling yet entertaining TV show ever — ends on May 23, its producers have vowed to never speak of it again. Wired stops time to decrypt and honor its mysteries.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:00 pm Blogger Commerce Network OpenSky Fetches $6 Million Series B
With a recent public launch under its belt, OpenSky is adding $6 million in new capital. Existing investors Highland Capital and Canaan Partners invested in the series B financing. A year ago, the company raised $5 million. OpenSky is a social marketing/e-commerce startup which connects manufacturers and distributors directly with influential bloggers who recommend their products and get a cut from resulting sales. It is much more than an affiliate network. As I described OpenSky when it launched:
OpenSky CEO John Caplan was previously the CEO of Ford Models, and before that the president of About.com. He tells me that “seller conversion rates grow and repeat shoppers buy more frequently” since the launch (before that, OpenSky was in private beta with 250 bloggers). His plans going forward include hiring more people, releasing a distributed cart (for onsite shopping without sending readers off to a store), opening up OpenSky’s APIs, improve the relevance matching between product manufacturers and bloggers/influencers, and better direct marketing support for sellers. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 25 Apr 2010 | 9:30 pm Facebook's new features raise privacy concerns - San Francisco Chronicle
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 25 Apr 2010 | 9:25 pm ItsTrending Shows Popular Facebook Shared Items
But it is a new view into popular links some people may find fascinating, and I’m a sucker for simple mashups. It shows the most shared links on Facebook for a variety of third party sites – news, video, pictures, etc.. It uses the Recommendations social plugin provided by Facebook (like I said, no coding magic is going on here). But the data is great, and like Digg, TweetMeme and other services, it helps people find interesting and relevant content. And given that AllTop and PopUrls still survive, why not ItsTrending, too. Mostly though what ItsTrending shows is the power of all this data that Facebook is collecting, and how it can be used in very productive ways as it’s released to third parties.      
Source: TechCrunch | 25 Apr 2010 | 9:18 pm Israel Repeals iPad BanSillySilly writes "The ban has been lifted: The Communications Ministry announced Saturday evening that starting Sunday it will allow Apple's iPad tablet computer into the country, following two weeks of confiscations and confusion."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Apr 2010 | 9:00 pm Blippy Not Hemorrhaging Users, Set To Unveil New Plan
Security of course is the one thing that Blippy, a site dependent on users divulging credit card transactions, could not blunder. Maintaining trust is not only critical to scaling up, but to its very survival. So far, the site gets a B- for its handling of the crisis (and I think that may be too generous). To its credit, when the company first heard about the leak on Friday morning, it issued a statement at 10:42 am and immediately reached out to Google. The statement lucidly explained how raw data from credit card transactions was accidently embedded in the HTML source on Blippy’s web pages at some point several months ago (Kumar explained to me that there was an eight-hour window in early February when this bug was active). While a transaction’s raw data string is usually filled with innocuous info about the purchase or the vendor— for a handful of accounts (or more specifically 5) the credit card number was included. Blippy quickly purged the raw data from their HTML codes, but by then, Google had already pulled it into search results. They win several points here for transparency and swiftly explaining the error, but Blippy should have elaborated on how it missed the leak. Since the vast majority of raw data is benign information, Blippy probably (and understandably) didn’t expect credit card numbers to be visible— but there should have been more nets in place to catch this error or at least an ambitious employee running Google queries to check search results (the search that pulled up the unfortunate data was ” site:blippy.com +’from card’ “, slightly more complex than the typical search but not requiring crazy, jujitsu haxor skills). I expect, or rather hope, Blippy’s upcoming announcement will articulate some of these new preventative measures. Elsewhere, Blippy wins points for reaching out to affected consumers (the founders personally called the owners of the compromised accounts). But once again, the company loses a few points, for failing to publicly address customer service issues on Friday. In the wake of the NYTimes coverage and the crisis, Blippy’s servers were stressed. For some users, who were looking to close their accounts, that led to error messages and frustration, as evidenced on Twitter:
Blippy should have updated its blog or sent an e-mail to users, warning them that they might encounter issues with deleting their accounts this weekend because of server overload. Instead, there was a pool of disenchanted users worried that Blippy was holding their info hostage and fanning fear on Twitter. To Blippy’s defense, Kumar says the team has been working through the weekend to handle complaints and has responded to every user that has reached out to them. It’s just too bad those efforts were not properly communicated. Despite the mistakes, I’m overall impressed with how the founders have navigated their first crisis— Blippy can rebuild and secure the public’s trust. But the founders should know in this game, you don’t get three strikes. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 25 Apr 2010 | 8:21 pm NSFW: TechCrunch TV – Which Part Of ‘Don’t Employ Me’ Do You Not Understand?
To their credit, TechCrunch readers agreed: even now, almost 40 weeks later, barely a week goes by without somebody demanding to know why I haven’t been fired, usually while accusing me of only adding the letters NSFW to each of my columns to trick people into reading them. “How exactly is this Not Safe For Work?” they cry, having wasted five minutes of their otherwise 100% productive lives searching my latest anti-iPad screed for the merest hint of female nudity. It’s amazing really. Even after I published the entire text of my book – about how I managed to get fired even from companies that I actually founded – on TechCrunch, people still don’t get the point. It’s not the content of my writing that’s Not Safe For Work, it’s me. But it’s one thing for TC readers – most of whom haven’t met me, let alone worked with me – not to understand how unemployable I am. It’s quite another thing for someone who knows me, has worked with me (and repeatedly threatened to fire me) and who has read my entire story of failure to decide that, despite all that, they still want to hire me into a position of serious responsibility. And yet, that’s precisely what just happened. The whole weird turn of events began when I hopped on the Caltrain down to Palo Alto to visit TechCrunch HQ and see its brand new video studio. You only have to glance at today’s headlines on Mediagazer (Techmeme’s new media news aggregator) to realise that online video is big business right now. According to one headline from AdWeek, “most marketers plan to up their online video ad spending in 2010″ – while NewTeeVee leads with the story that “One quarter of online videos are viewed in primetime” – suggesting that online viewing, long seen as an at-work addition to traditional broadcasting, is starting to make inroads into mainstream viewing habits. Clearly any media organisation that isn’t looking seriously at online video now is doing themselves and their audience a huge disservice. Indeed, as became apparent during my studio tour, TechCrunch has decided to make a serious commitment to the medium. Really, they’re not messing around: from building the studio and outfitting it with a dazzling array of broadcast-quality equipment to investing in industry-standard editing, streaming and advertising infrastructure, everything about TC’s TV plans screams “we’re really fucking serious about this stuff”. (Of course you’ll have to take my word for that given that launch is still several weeks away, and many of the current TC videos still look like they were produced on a 1980s camcorder). Given this level of professionalism, then, and the investment that Mike and Heather have made to make sure TCTV will be required viewing for anyone with a passionate interest in the world of technology start-ups and entrepreneurship, their next move was curious to the point of lunacy. They’ve hired me to run it. Me who has spent the past two years profiting off my unemployable. Me who vowed never to be involved in another start-up, or to be in charge of anything ever again. Me who just finished writing a book and was giving serious thought to spending the next six months lying on a beach. The negotiation took about ten minutes. I mean, who doesn’t want to run their own TV station? That was about a little over a month ago, and since then I’ve been spending my days down at TCHQ, filling whiteboards with show ideas, figuring out how to fit those shows into 168 hours of schedule each week, taking talented people for lunch and convincing them to join our line-up of hosts – and generally figuring out what this gigantic, ambitious, expensive thing should look like. Of course it goes without saying that, from a technical standpoint, I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing: I’m a content person (writer, editor, publisher) not a broadcasting or technology person – so I’ve also been busily surrounding myself with people who having been doing that stuff for years. It’s a super-steep learning curve but thanks to a lot of people’s hard work, and Mike and Heather’s completely misguided trust and support, the finished product is shaping up to be great. There’s still a ridiculous amount to be done between now and launch, and it’ll be at least another week before we’re ready to announce any of our starting line up of shows, or even the exact launch date. But, to whet your appetite ahead of what I’m already calling the Online TV Launch Of The Decade, here’s what I can say… TechCrunch TV will go live next month. Broadcasting online (and soon possibly elsewhere) 24 hours a day, the channel’s focus will be on the people behind the stories you read on TC every day: the entrepreneurs, developers, venture capitalists, angels and assorted geniuses who are building companies from Silicon Valley to Serbia and beyond. It goes without saying that all of our shows will also be available on demand — as streamable, downloadable, embeddable and sharable clips as soon as they’re broadcast. We’ll also be heavily integrating Twitter and other feedback tools into our live shows so you’ll be able to interact directly with the leading lights of the start-up world. Right from the start, TCTV will be hitting the road: for those attending TC Disrupt in New York, there’ll be a TCTV booth where you can talk about your start-up, or just share your opinion, live on air. (Well, almost live – we’re not idiots.) For those not heading to Disrupt, we’ll be hosting live coverage of the event on all three days, including bonus commentary and behind the scenes footage. And that’s just the start. Like everyone else, we’re still figuring this stuff out, so if you have strong ideas about what you’d like to see on TCTV, by all means let me know. For my part, despite my best efforts, I have a new full-time job – and for the first time in more than two years I’m really excited by the idea. Much like when I was running my own start-ups, I’m working with a team of smart, dedicated people; building something innovative and exciting from the ground up. But unlike with my own start-ups, I get to be responsible for product strategy and all the fun creative stuff while someone else signs the checks and makes it all pay. As anyone who has ever worked with me (or who knew me when I was carrying a Friday Project company credit card) will testify, this is very much a good thing. I give it three weeks.      
Source: TechCrunch | 25 Apr 2010 | 7:24 pm 13 Terrific Sites for Managing Media and Sharing Files (PC World)PC World - Among this collection of 13 incredibly useful Websites, you'll find treasure troves of music and audio, plus online photo and video tools. And if you have a lot of media items or other files that you want to share with family, colleagues, or friends, we've spotlighted several Web services that can help.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 25 Apr 2010 | 7:00 pm What Facebook might learn from Gawker - CNET
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 25 Apr 2010 | 6:30 pm SpongeTech(R) Delivery Systems, Inc. Announces Online Mother's Day Special for Professional Cosmetic Applicators with Gift WrappingSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 6:09 pm That’s one way to make a soccer ballSo that’s what those little latex things are for. (yes, it’s old) [via Afrigadget and Reddit]
Source: CrunchGear | 25 Apr 2010 | 5:55 pm UPDATE 1-United, Continental talks hit impasse-NYT* Agreement on leadership, other details (Adds details)Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 5:51 pm Change In Experiment Will Delay Shuttle Launchnecro81 writes "A $1.5 billion gamma ray experiment, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, that was to have launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavor to the International Space Station in July, has undergone a last minute design change that will change the launch date, pushing back the end of the shuttle program by at least several months. The change replaces the original liquid helium-cooled superconducting magnet with a more conventional one, which will reduce the risks involved (superconducting magnets can be problematic — just ask CERN) and will greatly extend the useful life of the spectrometer (the liquid helium coolant would have boiled away within a few years of launch). Although the conventional electromagnet is only 1/5th as strong, its increased lifespan should allow for substantially more science to be conducted, especially considering the ISS's extended mission life. As the change is still underway, the impact to the final shuttle schedule is not fully known."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Apr 2010 | 5:50 pm Aliens may exist but contact would hurt humans: HawkingAliens may exist but mankind should avoid contact with them as the consequences could be devastating, British scientist Stephen Hawking warned Sunday. "If aliens visit us, the outcome...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 4:56 pm Best Alternatives To the Big Name Social Media?rueger writes "Over a couple of years I have actually found Facebook pretty useful and/or entertaining. It has certainly allowed me to stay connected with a lot of people with whom I otherwise would have lost track, and for all its weaknesses it was handy for sharing links and such. This week, though, the privacy escapades have pushed me (and a lot of other people) over the edge. If Twitter's 140 characters aren't enough, LinkedIn is too business-oriented, MySpace too ugly, and Buzz — does anyone even use Buzz? What social media options are out there for all of those non-uber-techy folks?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Apr 2010 | 4:43 pm The Open Sausage Foundation Facebook took over the Gillmor Gang this week like it threatens to do the Web. Danny Sullivan represented those who fear the unadulterated market power of the social giant. He pressed FriendFeed co-founder and now Facebook platform chief Bret Taylor on the Pandora and Microsoft deals, which push user data to "partners" without user opt in. Taylor said these were carefully defined contracts that respected user privacy.
Robert Scoble represented the happy user, listening to friend-seeded recommendations on Pandora. Andrew Keen represented his own peculiar subset of clueless netizens, entertaining us with a stylized version of Facebook's onboarding interrogation: Who are you? What's your favorite cereal? What constitutes an invasion of privacy? Taylor batted the gambit away, only to have Sullivan loop around to it later and give Keen's schtick more credibility than I thought possible.
Source: TechCrunch | 25 Apr 2010 | 4:40 pm UPDATE 1-Obama honors fallen miners, stresses mine safety* Somber ceremony in coal country (Updates with service, changes dateline from ASHEVILLE)Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 3:59 pm 20 Years of HubbleGPLHost-Thomas writes "The Hubble Space Telescope roared into space 20 years ago to begin a career rewriting what we know about the universe around us: the age of the universe, the composition of galaxies' cores, how planets form, and much more. NASA released some of the most spectacular photos for the event."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Apr 2010 | 3:36 pm SMART Acquires NextWindowSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 3:00 pm How To Get 39 Megapixels From a 53-Year-Old CameraG3ckoG33k writes "An article at The Register Hardware describes how Hasselblad film cameras dating back to 1957 can be given a new life using a digital back to get images at a super resolution of 39 megapixels. From the article: 'The CFV-39 digital back allows you to get those cameras out from the last century and use the V-System cameras with their beautiful glass once again, it simply fits in place of where the roll film used to be. Hasselblads have never been inexpensive, but talk about a return on investment. Here is a manufacturer looking after a fiercely loyal user-base and along with it offering what could be seen as the ultimate green camera system.' Oh, by the way most pictures taken during the Apollo space program in the 1960s were taken with Hasselblad." Hasselblad's been making digital backs for quite a while now, but this one's very impressive in speed (and cost — "only" about $14,000) compared to earlier models.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Apr 2010 | 2:37 pm Redfin Hits $30 Million In Revenue In Quest To Rip Apart Real Estate Industry
I sat down with Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman and investor/board member James Slavet to talk about the continued success of the Seattle-based company. Warning in advance – the interview was done at the end of the day and we were drinking beer from our new kegerator, and we rambled at times. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon viewing, in my opinion. Kelman announced in the video that Redfin is now on a $30 million revenue run rate, up from $15 million last summer (and at that point they were profitable.
We also brought up the age-old Seattle v. Silicon Valley debate again – something we’ve been arguing about since 2008. And we touched on his recent guest post about the need for founders to share the love with employees when it comes to distributing equity. Side note: Slavet was also in our studio recently to talk about his investment in TellApart.      
Source: TechCrunch | 25 Apr 2010 | 1:59 pm "Avatar" sets DVD and Blu-ray sales recordLOS ANGELES, April 25 (Reuters) - Four days after its release on DVD, "Avatar" is on track to become as big a movie phenomenon in home entertainment as it was in theaters.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 1:45 pm X264 Project Announces Blu-ray Encoding SupportAn anonymous reader writes "The x264 project has announced the first free software encoder to be able to generate Blu-ray compliant video. In addition, the announcement comes with a torrent of an x264-encoded Blu-ray disc containing entirely free content, such as the Open Movie Project videos. While there are still no free software Blu-ray authoring tools, hopefully this will change now that video and audio are taken care of so that everyone will be able to make their own Blu-rays without expensive proprietary software. Additionally, it seems the Criterion Collection is a friend of free software, having sponsored the effort to confirm x264's compliance with the Blu-ray spec."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Apr 2010 | 1:31 pm Hot gaming news for the week of 4-18-2010Section:  No need to scour the interwebs for hot gaming news, Gamertell‘s already done that for you! Here’s a look at this week’s top stories…
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 25 Apr 2010 | 1:27 pm Santander to book $313 million from Brazil stake salesMADRID, April 25 (Reuters) - Banco Santander , Spain's largest bank, said the sale of stakes in two Brazilian banks would generate a capital gain of about 233 million euros ($313.2 million).Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 1:03 pm Developing nations want global climate accord by 2011Four major developing countries meeting in South Africa on Sunday called for a global, legally binding agreement on climate change to be finalised by next year at the latest. EnvironmentSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 25 Apr 2010 | 1:02 pm Mass. Data Security Law Says "Thou Shalt Encrypt"emeraldd writes with this snippet from SQL Magazine summarizing what he calls a "rather scary" new data protection law from Massachusetts: "Here are the basics of the new law. If you have personally identifiable information (PII) about a Massachusetts resident, such as a first and last name, then you have to encrypt that data on the wire and as it's persisted. Sending PII over HTTP instead of HTTPS? That's a big no-no. Storing the name of a customer in SQL Server without the data being encrypted? No way, Jose. You'll get a fine of $5,000 per breach or lost record. If you have a database that contains 1,000 names of Massachusetts residents and lose it without the data being encrypted, that's $5,000,000. Yikes.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Apr 2010 | 12:28 pm Worm Genes KO'dFirst mice, then fruit flies, and now knockout nematodesKnocking genes out of action allows researchers to learn what genes do by seeing what goes wrong without them. University of Utah biologists pioneered the field. Mario Capecchi won a Nobel Prize for developing knockout mice. Kent Golic found a way to cripple fruit fly genes. Now, biologist Erik Jorgensen and colleagues have devised a procedure for knocking out genes in nematode worms."We developed a method that allows us to walk through the worm genome and determine the function of each gene, and thereby infer the function of these genes in humans," says Jorgensen, a biology professor, senior author of a new study outlining the technique, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.The study shows how a transposon or "jumping gene" can be used to delete specific genes from the 1-millimeter-long nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. It was scheduled for online publication Sunday, April 25 in the journal Nature Methods."We are trying to understand how genes work and are regulated, and the easiest way to do that is to use a simple organism," says University of Utah postdoctoral fellow Christian Frøkjær-Jensen, the study's first author. "The amazing thing is that cellular processes in a lowly worm are similar to the biology in humans. We've made it much easier and faster to change the genetic blueprint of a simple worm so we can study and understand how genes are regulated." Jorgensen adds: "We want to know what human genes do because they allow us to do all the wonderful things we do – run, speak, live – and understand what goes wrong in genetic diseases and how we can possibly treat them."Capecchi, a distinguished professor of human genetics, shared the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with two other researchers who independently developed gene targeting in mice in the 1980s. Golic, a professor of biology, published his key papers on targeting or knocking out genes in fruit flies in 2000 and 2002."Mario figured out a way to delete genes in mice," Jorgensen says. "Golic figured out how to do it in fruit flies. And we figured out how to delete genes in worms. There is an institutional excellence in genetics at the University of Utah."A Genetic Knife Rather than a Hand GrenadeGenes are on long strands of DNA known as chromosomes. Until now, the main way of altering nematode genes was by using chemicals to induce mutations randomly. The method cannot specify how much DNA should be deleted or exactly where."It's like throwing a hand grenade at the genome [genetic blueprint]," Jorgensen says. "Our method is like a surgeon perfectly cutting out a gene."He says random mutation doesn't always cripple an entire gene, but just part of it, and can perturb other genes, making it difficult to determine what the targeted gene does.Random mutagenesis has been able to delete only 5,003 of the 20,160 genes in nematode worms, Jorgensen says. Scientists want to knock out almost all nematode worm genes because "many of the genes in worms are the same as in humans. If we are to understand human genes, it's easier to understand their function in a worm."The method developed by Capecchi can hit every gene in mice, crippling them but usually not completely deleting them entirely because mouse genes are large, Jorgensen says. In nematode worms, "we're knocking out the entire gene, but we cannot knock out every individual gene in the worm yet," although the method should be able to delete 20,043 of 20,160 nematode genes, or 99.4 percent, he adds.Exploiting a Cell's DNA Repair MechanismThe new knockout method is named MosDel – for Mos-mediated deletion – because it involves a transposon or jumping gene named Mos1. Jumping genes are pieces of DNA that can jump from one chromosome to another, cutting the DNA where they leave one chromosome and cutting DNA to insert themselves in another.The Mos1 gene carries the code to make an enzyme named Mos1 transposase. That enzyme does the actual cutting of DNA, Frøkjær-Jensen says.The transposons in the new study came from fruit flies and were placed into the worm genetic blueprint by French scientists who provided them to the Utah team.Frøkjær-Jensen says the Utah researchers crippled the jumping genes put into worms "so we can control when and where they hop."The Utah biologists used a plasmid – a circular piece of DNA – as a carrier by injecting it with the gene for Mos1 transposase, the "scissors" that cut DNA. Then, a glass needle was used to inject the combination into a worm's gonad.The transposase-carrying plasmid then cuts out a Mos1 jumping gene adjacent to a gene that researchers want to knock out, leaving a break in the chromosome's DNA.Cell machinery kicks in to repair the DNA break. Since chromosomes come in pairs, the repair process normally uses the undamaged twin chromosome as a template for repairing the break. But "in this case, we flood the cell with DNA that's similar to where the DNA was broken," Frøkjær-Jensen says. "We essentially trick the DNA machinery into repairing off a template we supply."But the template provided by the biologists lacks the DNA for the gene they want to delete. Thus, the gene is knocked out in the worm's offspring.DNA is made of "bases" known as G, A, T and C. By "repairing" the broken chromosome, the new method can delete up to 25,000 pairs of those bases. Typical worm genes are 5,000 bases, but range from 700 bases to 30,000 bases.Frøkjær-Jensen says that to determine how long a segment of worm DNA could be targeted for deletion, the researchers designed repair templates ranging from 1,000 to 50,000 base pairs. They found their method could knock out a gene reliably only if that gene was within 25,000 base pairs of the location where the chromosome is broken. But that still means the method can knock out almost all nematode genes.Random mutagenesis typically deletes only 300 to 500 base pairs at a time – only part of a gene, Frøkjær-Jensen says.A Knockout with BenefitsSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 25 Apr 2010 | 12:23 pm Iceland Volcano: Plume Receding But Internal Heat UpHigh-resolution visible and thermal infrared images captured by a joint NASA-Japanese satellite sensor and compiled by University of Pittsburgh volcanologist Michael Ramsey provide the first clear glimpse of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull that disrupted air travel worldwide after it began erupting April 14.Ramsey, an associate professor in Pitt's Department of Geology and Planetary Science, collected images taken by NASA's Earth-orbiting Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER) instrument showing that although the volcano's infamous ash plume is receding, its internal temperature is rising.The images are available on Pitt's Web site at http://www.pitt.edu/~mramsey/data/iceland.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 25 Apr 2010 | 12:09 pm BOOM! Top Apple news for the week of 4-18-2010Section:  We may not cover Apple 24x7… but we know someone who does! Here’s a few of this week’s hottest from Appletell to get you started…
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 25 Apr 2010 | 12:01 pm The Mystery of the Missing MethaneHugh Pickens writes "Astrobiology Magazine reports that NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered something odd about GJ 436b, a planet about the size of Neptune located 33 light-years away, circling the star Gliese 436. The mystery? GJ 436b lacks methane, an ingredient common to many of the planets in our solar system. Methane is present on our life-bearing planet, manufactured primarily by microbes living in cows, and all of the giant planets in our solar system have methane too, despite their lack of cows. Spitzer was able to detect the faint glow of GJ 436b by watching it slip behind its star, an event called a secondary eclipse. As the planet disappears, the total light observed from the star system drops, and the diference is then measured to find the brightness of the planet at various wavelengths. Eventually, a larger space telescope could use the same kind of technique to search smaller, Earth-like worlds for methane and other chemical signs of life, such as water, oxygen and carbon dioxide. Adam Showman, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, says the 'provocative result' raises questions about the evolution of this planet, as well as the possibility that its atmosphere might represent an entirely new class of atmospheres that has never been explored."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:24 am Stephen Hawking warns of intergalactic "Stranger Danger"Stephen Hawking on attempts to contact alien life: For the love of god, everybody just stay quiet. If we're lucky, they won't notice we're here. Source: Boing Boing | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:19 am Oprah goes mobile with iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps (Appolicious)Appolicious - Oprah is now officially mobile. The release of her mobile apps today span the gamut of major platforms - including titles for the iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm and Android. It’s a hefty and widespread release, with ambitions of reaching every consumer on every smart phone. Given Oprah’s latest moves towards extending her brand with an evening show, the empire that already covers print, film, television and social media can claim the mobile industry as well.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 25 Apr 2010 | 11:00 am Appletell reviews the Kymera Magic Wand IR remoteFROM APPLETELL - I think this product would make a great gift for any kid who’s a Harry Potter fan or just has a general wonder towards magic. And honestly, what kid doesn’t? Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:59 am Apple's Lost iPhone: A Case of Puppet Master or Victim? - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 25 Apr 2010 | 10:34 am Nina Paley passes Netflix DRM and thousands of dollarsNina Paley was approached by Netflix to offer her amazing animated feature Sita Sings the Blues on their streaming service. Sita retells the saga of Rama and incorporates some vintage jazz, to marvellous effect. In order to clear this old jazz music, Paley had to go through an enormous rigamarole, and this experience has turned her into an advocate for a more liberal copyright.So Nina asked if Netflix would stream her movie without DRM. Netflix refused. Then Nina asked if she could add some pre-roll to the film advising viewers of places they could get it for free and without DRM. Netflix refused. This mirrors my experience with Audible and the Kindle, where I, as the copyright holder and creator, was not allowed to offer my work without DRM and/or a restrictive license-agreement -- I wasn't even allowed to add something to the text or audio saying, "I release you from the license agreement you've clicked through." Nina's done what I did. She's refused to license her works for a platform that restricts her audience against her wishes, and she's told the world what she's done and why. It cost her thousands of dollars, but she stuck to her principles, and set an example for other creators, as well as making sure that her viewers got a fair deal. Bravo! I've been the "change I want to see" in regards to copyright monopolies. People told me I'd lose everything by copylefting Sita, including all hope of professional distribution. But in fact, some professional distributors became willing to distribute Sita without claiming monopolies over it, and we're all fine.What Nina said. I love Audible's convenience and selection. I love ebooks. I dream of the day when I, as a copyright holder and creator, can partner with the iTunes Store, Amazon and Audible to offer digital versions of my works on simple terms like, "Respect copyright law" and "You bought it, you own it." Turning down Netflix (via The Command Line)
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 25 Apr 2010 | 9:47 am iPad: Joys after my second week of useFROM APPLETELL - Not too long ago I wrote about some of the minor gripes I had found during my first week of use with the iPad. Now, I’d like to talk about the other end of the spectrum. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 25 Apr 2010 | 8:21 am Helping The NRC Look Below The SurfaceImage Caption: ARS scientists are working with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to use "tracers" for modeling the movement of contaminants in unsaturated soils and in groundwater.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 25 Apr 2010 | 7:37 am Android Market reaches 50,000 total appsSection: Business News, Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones
The Android market, notable rival to the App Store, has finally reached over 50,000 apps, a milestone reached because of the countless Android enthusiasts. AndroLib is a website that calculates the amount of apps in ten different Android Markets, but it is important to note they are not an officially affiliated with Google. AndroLib has received some criticism for having higher numbers but they do not take into consideration apps that are deleted from the market, nor app updates. Latest reports indicates 100,000 apps in the Android Market will be a reality sometime around September. Although with new and exciting phones such as the HTC Droid Incredible, that number could come earlier as Android gains even more popularity. While the actually app number could be a little less or a little higher, the fact remains the same: the Android Market is growing without any signs of slowing. Read [AndroLib] Via [AndroidPolice] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 25 Apr 2010 | 7:15 am Indonesia Plans To Use Its Volcanoes For PowerIndonesia plans to use its volcanoes to become a world leader in geothermal energy, while also trimming greenhouse gas emissions.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 25 Apr 2010 | 7:10 am Israel ends ban on iPad (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 25 Apr 2010 | 6:41 am Steve Wozniak On Apple Security, Employee Termination, and Gray Powell - Wired News
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 25 Apr 2010 | 6:11 am Tornado in Miss. Kills 10, Injures Many MoreTornadoes killed more than six people in Mississippi and injured many others.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 25 Apr 2010 | 3:21 am
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Basically, since its initial launch, one of the most annoying things about the iPod (and now iPhone, iPad, etc) is that you have to plug it into your computer via USB to sync it. Sure, this also allows you to recharge your device, but I’d love to say, charge it in a holder next to my bed (since I also use it as an alarm) and wirelessly sync it over WiFi. A new app allows you to do that. Too bad it’s likely to be rejected.
Last week, we noted how 
The stars may finally be aligning for subscription music on the iPhone. Early this morning, 
Imagine combining your best and worst week ever into one— welcome to 
Back in July of last year, I wrote my 
The company cuts real estate fees dramatically, by about half, for both buyers and sellers. Kelman called real estate “by far the most screwed up industry in America” 
