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Lights out for Flash and its RIA brethren - InfoWorld
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 6 May 2010 | 4:00 am Estimating Game Piracy More AccuratelyAn anonymous reader tips a post up at the Wolfire blog that attempts to pin down a reasonable figure for the amount of sales a game company loses due to piracy. We've commonly heard claims of piracy rates as high as 80-90%, but that clearly doesn't translate directly into lost sales. The article explains a better metric: going on a per-pirate basis rather than a per-download basis. Quoting: "iPhone game developers have also found that around 80% of their users are running pirated copies of their game (using jailbroken phones). This immediately struck me as odd — I suspected that most iPhone users had never even heard of 'jailbreaking.' I did a bit more research and found that my intuition was correct — only 5% of iPhones in the US are jailbroken. World-wide, the jailbreak statistics are highest in poor countries — but, unsurprisingly, iPhones are also much less common there. The highest estimate I've seen is that 10% of worldwide iPhones are jailbroken. Given that there are so few jailbroken phones, how can we explain that 80% of game copies are pirated? The answer is simple — the average pirate downloads a lot more games than the average customer buys. This means that even though games see that 80% of their copies are pirated, only 10% of their potential customers are pirates, which means they are losing at most 10% of their sales."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 6 May 2010 | 3:52 am Video: Meet LOLA, Germany’s newest (and very tall) fembot
Remember AILA, the “female” humanoid we’ve blogged about two weeks ago? It turns out that wasn’t the only fembot that has been in development in Germany in the last few years, as LOLA [GER], a humanoid presented by the Technical University of Munich and the Institute of Technology Autonomous Systems in Munich, shows. LOLA stands an impressive 180cm tall, weighs 60kg, has 25 joints in her body and sees the world through two 5MP video cameras. She walks very slowly in the current version, but the developers are saying they aim to boost her speed to 5km/h eventually (the average walking speed of a human being). And she isn’t really a beauty queen yet either. She doesn’t even look like a female. But LOLA’s killer feature is that she’s able to walk autonomously (she’s not self-powered though), using advanced, real-time image recognition that makes it possible for her to identify and avoid objects. Her developers say that the final goal is to have a two-legged robot that can move just like a human does. The way LOLA walks around, identifies objects and almost immediately changes her path now is already pretty impressive, however. Here’s a pretty cool video that shows LOLA in action (it’s in German, but that doesn’t matter too much in this case):
Source: CrunchGear | 6 May 2010 | 3:21 am Cybersecurity experts share their 'nightmares' (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 May 2010 | 3:19 am Nintendo profit drops for first time in 6 years (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 May 2010 | 3:17 am UPDATE 2-Smith & Nephew Q1 beats view, reaffirms guidanceLONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - Smith & Nephew , Europe's largest maker of replacement knees and hips, beat expectations with a 44 percent rise in Q1 earnings, helped by a one-off settlement, and said it...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 3:04 am My "For the Win" book-tour: ORD, SEA, PDX, SFO, AUS, RDU, NYC, YYZ!Monday morning (volcano permitting!), I fly to the US for a tour to promote my latest book, the YA novel For the Win. I'll be making stops in Chicago, Seattle, Portland OR, San Francisco/Palo Alto, Austin,...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 3:03 am My "For the Win" book-tour: ORD, SEA, PDX, SFO, AUS, RDU, NYC, YYZ!Monday morning (volcano permitting!), I fly to the US for a tour to promote my latest book, the YA novel For the Win. I'll be making stops in Chicago, Seattle, Portland OR, San Francisco/Palo Alto, Austin, Raleigh/Chapel Hill, New York and Toronto. Tor books has just put the schedule online -- I hope to see you!And yes, the book will be available as a free download, just as soon as I touch down in Chicago and get the site online. I'm also going to pop in at Forbidden Planet London this weekend and sign their stock before I go. For the Win by Cory Doctorow
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 6 May 2010 | 3:03 am SINA Corporation to Report Q1 2010 Unaudited Financial Results on May 17, 2010Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 3:00 am UPDATE 2-Danisco lifts 2009/10 guidance due to strong Q4* Raises 2009/10 revenue guidance to around 13.65 bln DKKSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:56 am UPDATE 2-Nintendo Q4 profit up, but sees decline ahead* Profit forecast below market estimates, Wii sales slowSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:50 am Viral Video: "Machete" Slices and Dices Arizona Law [BoomTown]
Talk about good timing–Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming “Mexploitation” movie, “Machete,” centers on Mexican immigrants and the border, a perfect flashpoint for the controversial and appalling new immigration-related search laws passed by Arizona recently. Director Rodriguez used the opportunity yesterday on the Cinco de Mayo to release an anti-Arizona promo for the film, which had its origins as a fake trailer in his previous work, “Grindhouse.” Enjoy: Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 2:38 am TABLE-India Dr Reddy's Jan-March net rises 62 pct(Versus the same period a year earlier, in billion rupees unless stated)Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:37 am Google Editions Confirmed, due Next Month - Techtree.com
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 6 May 2010 | 2:35 am Frost & Sullivan: Solar and Wind Chargers Market Pushed by Laptops and Mobile PhonesLONDON, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- There has been an influx of portable technology over the last two decades with mobile phones, laptops, global positioning systems (GPS), e-readers and gaming devices coming into common use.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 May 2010 | 2:32 am Frost & Sullivan: Solar and Wind Chargers Market Pushed by Laptops and Mobile PhonesSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:32 am Single-Legged Stools - The Opa Chair from Daniel Levin is Origami-Inspired (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) It may be a risky bet to sit on the Opa Chair from Daniel Levin. This stool does look stylish, but I question its sturdiness. The Opa Chair is origami-inspired, which explains the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:30 am Magic Software's Partner, Wizrom Software, Reports 5 New Integration Projects, Including PepsiCo BeveragesOR-YEHUDA, Israel, May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Magic Software Enterprises Ltd.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 May 2010 | 2:20 am Magic Software's Partner, Wizrom Software, Reports 5 New Integration Projects, Including PepsiCo BeveragesSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:20 am Apple Isn’t the Problem. Wall Street’s Big Banks are the Problem. [Voices]By Robert Reich, Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley Why is the Federal Trade Commission threatening Apple with a possible lawsuit for abusing its economic power, but not even raising an eyebrow about the huge and growing economic (and political) muscle of JP Morgan Chase or any of the other four remaining giant banks on Wall Street? Our future well being depends more on people like Steve Jobs who invent real products that can improve our lives, than it does on people like Jamie Dimon who invent financial products that do little other than threaten our economy. Apple’s supposed sin was to tell software developers that if they want to make apps for iPhones and iPads they have to use Apple programming tools. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 2:10 am UPDATE 1-India's Patni in sale talks with NTT, L&T -sources* Japan's NTT Data, L&T Infotech, Fujitsu potential buyersSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:05 am UPDATE 3-Alcatel-Lucent posts weak Q1, cites parts shortages* Components shortage means firm cannot fill orders on timeSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:04 am Google Steps Gingerly Toward Search As Application [Voices]By John Battelle, Blogger, Searchblog When Bing launched, I framed the new service from Microsoft (MSFT) as an important step in the evolution of search: Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 2:03 am Independent Research Firm Recognizes Verizon Business as a Leader for European WAN ServicesSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:01 am Independent Research Firm Recognizes Verizon Business as a Leader for European WAN ServicesREADING, England, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Business announced Thursday (May 6) that Forrester Research Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 May 2010 | 2:01 am Sheer Dotted Fashions - The Christopher Esber SS10 Collection is Rather Revealing (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Although I use fashion as an outlet (a way of revealing a bit of who I am) there's only so much I'm willing to bare. That said, I still adore the sheer pieces showcased in the Christopher...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 2:00 am STMicroelectronics Enhances AC Motor Switches, Cutting Cost-of-Control for Competitive Appliance MarketsGENEVA, May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a world leader in power semiconductors, has unveiled new AC switches that are ideal for controlling appliance motors.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 May 2010 | 2:00 am Shopping Online Set to be More Popular Than the High StreetLEEDS, England, May 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- We've all been there: the massive queues, the annoying sales assistant, the inability to find what you want.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 May 2010 | 2:00 am Why Intel Will Be a Mobile Loser [Voices]By Om Malik, Founder and Senior Writer, GigaOm Intel (INTC), as it’s wont to do, overnight made a splashy unveiling of a new family of processors: the Atom Z6xx series, whose chips are much more powerful than current versions but consume less power. Why the hoopla? Apparently these chips, which run at over 1.5 GHz, can be used to power not only smartphones but also tablets. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 1:57 am CBS and CNN Could Be Making News Togethercrimeandpunishment writes "More proof of the profound impact cable, the Internet, and other outlets have had on broadcast news organizations. CBS and CNN, who have danced around the idea of a partnership for years, may be ready to move forward. Both news organizations have a lot at stake. Broadcast network news has a gloomy financial outlook, and CNN's ratings need a jump-start."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 6 May 2010 | 1:57 am The Future of TV: Five Lessons for Mark Cuban [Voices]By Janko Roettgers, Contributor, NewTeeVee.com Mark Cuban is always good for a rant, and one of his favorite pet peeves is Internet video. This week, he’s complaining that all those evangelists of over the top video are ignoring the way average Americans use their TV, which is for cable and VOD, according to Cuban. “The future of TV is TV,” he concludes. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 1:51 am The Future of TV: Why NewTeeVee Is Wrong [Voices]By Mark Cuban, Founder, HDNet Sports on TV. Horrible example. The only thing that sells is sports during the day. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 1:47 am Seeker Nails Hacker Pr0n
Do SQL injections turn you on? How about double SQL injections? If the answer is ‘yes’, then 1): Good luck with your dating life A new of breed of security product called Seeker produces some vivid hacker pr0n in the form of a video (see above) of how it broke and exploited every nook and cranny of your unsecure code. Yes, I’m going to say it, Seeker might be the Seymore Butts of security products! Kidding aside, Seeker seems be packing pretty fearsome application security technology. The company behind it is an Israeli white hat hacking shop called Hacktics. These guys do work for startups, banks, telcos, governments, and homeland security agencies. Their team members hold very high security clearances due to their prior and current service records in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). It’s safe to say these guys know a thing or two about application security. Seeker was designed for use by individuals that are part of the development organization which do not necessarily possess security knowledge, or even deep technical knowledge. These can range from developers, to QA staff, to team leaders. It’s for this reason that Seeker points to real business threats rather than just technical issues. This is where a two particular product features stand out. Seeker produces screenshots (see below) that allow testers to see the vulnerabilities in the context of the actual application functionality they relate to, rather than getting just technical information based on URLs. The screenshots also contain screenshots showing how the application handled each attack. The second stand-out feature is ‘Exploit Videos’. Seeker automatically creates a step-by-step exploit video for each vulnerability it identifies and exploits, making it easier for the developer to manually reproduce errors before and after fixing the code. Video is also quite an effective method for non-security users to understand the actual threats and potential exploits. Just imagine being able to show management or external developers such a video. Pretty effective stuff. Seeker’s methodology is to perform runtime analysis of code executed in order to identify security flaws in the application. This is done by hooking into the process executing the application, and performing step-by-step analysis of the executed code. The attacks themselves are generated dynamically based on a ‘Smart Attack Tree,’ a long list of rules for mutating attacks based both on how the application reacts to them, and the actual application code. The product supports an orgy of vulnerabilities, including: SQL injection, XML/XPath injection, directory traversal, cross-site scripting, parameter tampering, forceful browsing, malicious content upload, username/password enumeration, insecure redirects, source code disclosure, insecure storage of sensitive data (such as Credit cards, CVVs, SSNs), cookie poisoning and plenty more. Currently supported are Java and .NET code analysis, using any database if no stored procedures are used. For stored procedures, Seeker supports Microsoft SQL and Oracle. PHP, as well as support for MySQL stored procedures, will be rolled out in a few months. Seeker is currently headquartered in Israel, with $3M in funding under its belt.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 6 May 2010 | 1:42 am Life Without the WebAuthor James Sturm decided to quit the Internet. Rather than feeling left behind, he describes a newfound liberation on Slate. ... In the first week after my first column ran, I received more than...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 1:40 am Why Apple May Include AMD's Chips in Its Lineup [Voices]By Arik Hesseldahl, Technology Writer, BusinessWeek.com In the pantheon of Apple (AAPL) rumors, some refuse to die. Among these is the idea that Apple should team up with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to offer its chips inside Macs. That team-up may be coming sooner rather than later, perhaps during the first half of 2011. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 1:34 am Intricate Elven Tables - The Organic Wooden Furniture of Ask Emil Skovgaard (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Furniture designer Ask Emil Skovgaard is making waves in his native Denmark with his impressive furniture design and meticulous craftsmanship. The 33-year-old designer takes pride in...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 1:30 am WoW On an iPad Via GaikaiGametap writes "If cloud gaming works for enough genres, it can't help but find popularity. Even just a game like WoW might be enough to make it happen, and Gaikai's Dave Perry posted a picture of doing just that on an iPad. So is it the future or not? Could somebody make a tablet with nothing more than a screen, battery, network port, and video decoder, and have it be a good gaming platform? Will it change the mobile, PC, console, and TV world as we know it? Lots of questions, lots of skepticism, lots of players and money being invested — but one thing is for sure: it will be very interesting to see how this evolves."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 6 May 2010 | 1:29 am Google Responds to Joe Hewitt: Your Argument Is Two Years Old
During the “What to Expect from Browsers in the Next Five Years: A Perspective” session, panelists were asked directly about Hewitt’s thoughts. Google’s Alex Russell stepped forward to say that while he was a fan of Hewitt’s work, and feels his pain, he disagrees with his assessment that web development is moving too slowly. In his view, web development is moving faster now than it ever has. “I feel like a lot of his comments totally ring true to me about two years ago,” Russell said noting that back then he was working on a JavaScript toolkit (just as Hewitt used to do), “it was hell.” But now, thanks to WebKit and specially, CSS-based animations, life is much easier, Russell concluded. And, as more browsers continue to support the type of advanced CSS that runs through the GPU, things will only get better. “It’s buttery-smooth,” Russell said noting that this support was coming to all browsers shortly. Perhaps Hewitt’s best quote in his rant was: “I want desperately to be a web developer again, but if I have to wait until 2020 for browsers to do what Cocoa can do in 2010, I won’t wait.“ Russell said he understands that frustration, but again, believes that the rate of improvement is increasing rather than remains stagnant. “It’s not all better yet – but it’s getting better at a pace that in 5 years we’ll accept what’s bleeding edge right now,” he said. Meanwhile, Yahoo’s Douglas Crockford echoed some of Hewitt’s sentiments later in the panel. “We have a strong risk of losing openness,” Crockford said noting that the web is based on standards, and standards have to move slowly or “they’re crap.” So who will they lose this openness to? The app stores. Find the rest of the notes about the panel here. What’s interesting is just how much those that no longer have a stake in the game (Hewitt) are at odds with those who do have a stake in the game (Google, etc). While web development is no doubt better than it was 5 years ago, I can’t help but think that a lot of what Hewitt says is true. After all, this lack of innovation is at least partially to blame for the rise of the app stores.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 6 May 2010 | 1:22 am Times Square bombing suspect used a "burner" phonearstechnica on how the New York City car bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad used "burners" or prepaid cell phones. ... The incident has led to renewed questions about how to handle prepaid cell phones,...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 1:17 am Kwedit Has Legs – Repayment Rate above 33%
It first launched in February – see our post describing it as the “first completely unreliable payment network.” At launch time the company told me they had absolutely no idea what percentage of people would pay back Kwedit promises because they hadn’t tested the product yet. Since virtual goods are free to create and sell, though, there wasn’t much downside for the seller. The only problem would be around cannibalism where a user chooses Kwedit instead of paying directly even though they have a credit card. In March the company released early repayment data – 26% of promises were being repaid. Tomorrow the company will release additional data as well. Highlights include:
What all this means: The Kwedit experiment seems to be working and is a viable additional payment option for game publishers. Turning away an additional 5%-10% in revenue just isn’t going to happen. Look for more publishers to add Kwedit in the near future. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 6 May 2010 | 1:10 am NextOp Announces BugScope(TM) Assertion Synthesis for Progressive, Targeted VerificationSANTA CLARA, Calif., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- NextOp Software, Inc. today announced BugScope, the industry's first assertion synthesis product to synthesize high quality assertions and functional coverage properties from the Register Transfer Level (RTL) design and testbench.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 May 2010 | 1:02 am NextOp Software Debuts With Focus on Assertion-Based VerificationSANTA CLARA, Calif., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- NextOp Software, Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 May 2010 | 1:01 am Daily Crunch: Celebrity Sighting Edition
DIY: Wooden DSLR shoulder mount
Source: CrunchGear | 6 May 2010 | 1:00 am High-Waisted Short Shorts - The Zimmermann SS10 Ready to Wear Line Bares it All (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Although they are better known for their swimwear, the Zimmermann SS10 ready to wear collection shows that they have much more to offer. Adapting the idea of summer beach time to everyday...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 1:00 am Mapping the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill [Voices]By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal The use of technology to publicly track the effects of disasters is becoming increasingly common–and it’s getting noticed again with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Google (GOOG), which helped provide maps and people-finder tools after the earthquake in Haiti, has set up a site dedicated to the oil spill that combines data from Louisiana’s government as well as NASA and state non-profit organizations to provide a map of the oil slick and its effects. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 1:00 am China State News Agency Web Site Hit With Malware (PC World)PC World - A section of the Web site for China's state-run Xinhua news agency was found to be distributing malware last month, according to a Google malware scanning service that is still labeling the site as potentially harmful.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 6 May 2010 | 1:00 am NY Time's David Pogue on text-blocking appsDavid Pogue reviews some of the text-blocking apps in a very funny video. Watch!Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 12:51 am Yahoo stabs at Google in new ad - CNET
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 6 May 2010 | 12:45 am Court fight brews over unsealing iPhone recordsAn attorney for the 21-year-old Silicon Valley resident who found what appears to be Apple's prototype iPhone in a bar is expected to oppose a request by CNET and other media organizations to unseal court...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 12:45 am Skype To Roll Out 5-Way Video CallingBy Chris Scott Barr When it comes to video conferencing, I pretty much stick to Skype. For me, it’s proven itself to be the best cross-platform software for video chat out there. Starting next week,...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 May 2010 | 12:36 am Yahoo Tries to Recover From "It's Y!ou" Ad Disaster by Attacking Google's One Box (This Is Going to End in Tears) [BoomTown]
Say it ain’t you, Yahoo. And yet, here’s one of the major new directions of the troubled Internet giant’s pricey marketing campaign, aimed at recovering from its first advertising foray that has widely been considered a failure: A full frontal attack on search leader Google. BoomTown posted several weeks ago that the new effort was being rolled out. And, now it’s here–and, in part, an odd attempt to mock the simple and elegant white box that allowed Google (GOOG) to steal Yahoo’s thunder many years back, as well as lightning and any other weather system worth owning. “There’s nothing to look at but a box and a button,” says the voice-over to the Yahoo (YHOO) commercial–which you can see below–about an unnamed, but obvious, Web site. “When you look at this home page nothing looks back at you. You come to this place so you can leave.” Well, yes! Because it’s a search page! No matter, according to Yahoo, which remains intent on pushing the idea of being “the center of your online life.” Which has, of course, increasingly become Facebook. The social networking giant has done exactly zero advertising to get its 500 million users and has been steadily surpassing Yahoo in a number of key consumer metrics. In fact, Facebook is Yahoo’s true nemesis, although the new ads push Facebook, as well as Twitter, in order to focus on Yahoo as the place to interact with a lot of different sites and services in one place. “Today we are excited to preview the next phase of the Yahoo! marketing campaign, showcasing the amazing content and experiences people can find only with Yahoo!. We want people to experience first-hand how Yahoo! is the place where all the things, people, experiences, information–everything you care about–come together,” said Yahoo marketing head Elisa Steele in a blog post on the company’s Yodel Anecdotal blog tonight. “It’s a place that gets to know you, a place that surprises you. And we’ll demonstrate it by letting you sample the products, see them in action and have experiential encounters.” Well, at least that sounds better than the willfully vague $100 million campaign that Steele launched with noisy fanfare last fall, with the motto: “It’s Y!ou.” Yahoo never really answered what exactly “you” was, which is why CEO Carol Bartz finally admitted to a group of reporters in March that the effort “didn’t have a really good call to action.”
Actually, it had none and–more importantly–did not increase traffic in the key U.S. market (as you can see in this chart here), although Yahoo execs tried mightily to spin it as successful in some international markets and a first effort to revive the tarnished brand. A pretty pricey effort it was, causing Yahoo to pretty much dump WPP Group (WPPGY) ad agency, Ogilvy & Mather, and hire Omnicom Group (OMC) unit Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the new work. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal tonight, Yahoo will spend another $75 million to $85 million on the renewed multimedia campaign, with a new slogan: “Your favorite stuff all in one place. Make Yahoo your home page.” The more specific effort will show off partners that Yahoo has been integrating into the service, as well as its own properties. And, as it turns out, that’s why the “It’s You” tagline is remaining, with a spate of efforts to make it more specific and product-centric. According to the article in the Journal, there will be a lot of marketing gimmicks, such as kiosks, giant Apple (AAPL) iPhones with a huge Yahoo search app and photo booths. While that is all well and good–besides its talent brain drain–Yahoo’s key issue still remains its lack of new and innovative products, which are being pumped out aggressively by Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft (MSFT) and, yes, Google. At least, we now know why Bartz took aim at Google’s search business model in a BBC interview recently, noting it was one-note. As Yahoo is now trying to paint Google’s main product offering in its new ad campaign. But, in fact, it touting that on its own, Google spent very little on its utterly charming “Parisian Love” commercial, which aired during the Super Bowl and scored off the charts in a number of surveys. It’s about exactly how useful one box can be. Compare that Google marketing video with Yahoo’s below and decide for yourself which marketing effort works better: Here are more new Yahoo ad examples:
And here is the full text of Steele’s blog:
Please see this disclosure related to me and Google. Source: All Things Digital | 6 May 2010 | 12:28 am Onion: "Supreme Court Upholds Freedom Of Speech In Obscenity-Filled Ruling"The Onion's "Supreme Court Upholds Freedom Of Speech In Obscenity-Filled Ruling" represents exactly the kind of jurisprudence we need:Supreme Court Upholds Freedom Of Speech In Obscenity-Filled Ruling (via JWZ)
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Source: Boing Boing | 6 May 2010 | 12:19 am Aid packages come in wrappers that turn into kids' ballsDarren Barefoot sez, "A very clever idea: instead of wasting the packaging that aid to the developing world comes in, enable it to be folded into a makeshift soccer (or other type of) ball:"Dreamball (Thanks, Darren) Source: Boing Boing | 6 May 2010 | 12:15 am Intel's Powerful New Atom: Can it Beat ARM or Topple Apple? Will they? - TG Daily
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 6 May 2010 | 12:11 am CimatronE Selected as the Designated Multi-Axis Machining Software by China National CompetitionGIVAT SHMUEL, Israel, May 6, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cimatron Limited (Nasdaq: CIMT), a leading provider of integrated CAD/CAM solutions for mold, tool and die makers as well as manufacturers of discrete parts, announced that CimatronE has been selected as the designated multi-axis machining software by the China National Vocational Students Skills Competition 2010. The National Vocational Student Skills Competition (NVSC) is an annual event organized by China's Ministry of Education that takes place in Tianjin in June.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 May 2010 | 12:00 am Project puts 1M books online for blind, dyslexic (AP)AP - Even as audio versions of best-sellers fill store shelves and new technology fuels the popularity of digitized books, the number of titles accessible to people who are blind or dyslexic is minuscule.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 May 2010 | 11:30 pm Chinese WiFinders with built-in password-crackersNetworkWorld reports on a hot-selling Chinese gadget: a WiFi network-locator with a built-in password cracker. These things show you which networks are available in your area and which password to use to get online with them. Alas, they're not stand-alone USB keys with a little LCD display, just WiFi cards with some specialized software. I betcha next year's model is self-contained, though:With one of the "network-scrounging cards," or "ceng wang ka" in Chinese, a user with little technical knowledge can easily steal passwords to get online via Wi-Fi networks owned by other people.Wi-Fi key-cracking kits sold in China mean free Internet (via /.
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Source: Boing Boing | 5 May 2010 | 11:13 pm How I got phishedMy latest Locus column, "Persistence Pays Parasites," describes the process by which I fell prey to a phishing attack on Twitter, and how I learned (the hard way) that my threat-model for this kind of attack was flawed:Here's how I got fooled. On Monday, I unlocked my Nexus One phone, installing a new and more powerful version of the Android operating system that allowed me to do some neat tricks, like using the phone as a wireless modem on my laptop. In the process of reinstallation, I deleted all my stored passwords from the phone. I also had a couple of editorials come out that day, and did a couple of interviews, and generally emitted a pretty fair whack of information.Cory Doctorow: Persistence Pays Parasites
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Source: Boing Boing | 5 May 2010 | 11:10 pm Austria Converts Phone Booths To EV Chargersseparsons writes "Telekom Austria, a telecommunications company, aims to convert obsolete public phone booths into electric vehicle recharging stations. The company unveiled its first station yesterday in Vienna and hopes to create 29 more stations by the end of the year. The stations may not be super popular now, but they should be soon; Austria's motor vehicle association says the country will likely have 405,000 electric vehicles on the road by the year 2020."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 May 2010 | 11:07 pm Sprint Nextel Corp. to revamp Virgin Mobile (AP)AP - Sprint Nextel Corp. is revamping Virgin Mobile, the prepaid wireless service it bought last year, and making it focus on inexpensive plans for young people who would rather text or send Facebook messages than talk.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 May 2010 | 11:01 pm Facebook Privacy Policies Draw Criticism by 15 Consumer Groups - BusinessWeek
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 May 2010 | 10:34 pm Sprint to unveil new text-centric cell plan (Reuters)Reuters - Starting next week Sprint Nextel Corp's Virgin unit will sell a new cellphone service plan to cater for the increasing number of young people who prefer to use their phone for text messaging rather than talking.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 May 2010 | 10:21 pm Amazing student created trailer for Rendezvous with RamaIn 2001 Aaron Ross created a beautiful short film for Arthur C. Clarke's book Rendezvous with Rama, complete with stunning sound design by Andrew Halasz. Last year Vancouver Film School student Philip Mahoney took the film and added his own sound design to the film -- including a fantastic voice over -- to turn it into a trailer for a film. A film I would now really really like to see based on this trailer. Both versions are awesome and you can see them below. Philip Mahoney's remixed version: Aaron Ross's original version: Must Watch: Fan Made Rendezvous with Rama Movie Trailer!Source: Boing Boing | 5 May 2010 | 10:08 pm Booyah Hits 2 Million, Stealing Foursquare’s Thunder
Just a quick update on yesterday’s post on Booyah: MyTown reached the landmark on Monday night, a 100% gain from less than three months ago. 2010 has been a great year for the iPhone app: hitting half a million in January, 1 million in February, and now 2 million in May. For comparison, Foursquare has roughly 1.1 million users, Gowalla is sitting near 250,000. Booyah is aggressively tweaking the app’s functionality, it released version 3.1 on Tuesday and plans to release the next version later this month. The company also says it’s working on letting users add locations on top of the current database to address one of the major complaints about the service.
Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 10:05 pm New Survey by Norton Reveals 44 Percent of People Have Been Victimized by Cybercrime on a Social NetworkMOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- To help consumers fight back and protect their online identities, Norton from Symantec has launched the Norton Safe Web for Facebook application, a free tool that uses site rating technology to scan computer users' Facebook news WHAT: feeds for malicious web links. As social networks continue to grow, cybercriminals are finding them lucrative places to find victims.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 May 2010 | 10:01 pm Media Company Agora SA Becomes First Polish Business To Buy IBM POWER7 SystemsWARSAW, Poland, May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that Agora SA, one of Poland's largest media companies operating across print, Internet, radio and outdoor advertising channels, has acquired four of IBM's new POWER7 systems to reduce its data center costs and provide better service to its customers by managing millions of data-intensive transactions across its media channels and analyzing that data in real time.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 May 2010 | 10:01 pm May 6, 1953: The Heart-Machine Age BeginsA Philadelphia surgeon performs heart surgery while, for the first time, the patient's blood is pumped and oxygenated by an external machine.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 10:00 pm Getting Water Ferns Into Ship ShapeGas guzzling container ships pose could easily use less fuel if their hulls had less friction. Scientists have long looked to nature for coatings that can help. A group of German researchers has figured out how the simple water fern ...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 9:59 pm Android based Tablets that run Adobe Flash and AirSection: Computers, Mobile Computers
Flash has been left for dead by Steve Jobs, but just about anything goes on Android. The new Creative Suite 5 allows programmers to program a game or application in Flash, and then convert it to be used on several different platforms including Air, the browser, Android, and even Apple’s proprietary format before it was banned. Adobe has even rumored to be getting free phones for all of their developers because of their devotion to the new Flash for Android project. That said they have already made progress with the new project including making a prototype of an Android tablet run flash pretty well. Even more interesting: it runs Adobe Air as well.
Looks a lot like a certain Apple tablet doesn’t it? Read [TechLand] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 8:59 pm Original Apple TV prototype sells on eBay for $46
Anyway, one of these just sold for $46 on eBay with free shipping! Who knows where he got it – maybe someone lost it in a bar? – but it sure is nice to see it among the living. These things are classic Apple design, just at the precipice between the hard lines of the early Power Macs and the curvy lines of the iMac.
Has anyone seen these working?
Source: CrunchGear | 5 May 2010 | 8:56 pm IBM Opens New Cloud Computing LaboratoryRob writes "InfoGrok is reporting that IBM is in the process of opening a new cloud computing laboratory, based out of Singapore. The new lab's primary aim is to help business, government, and research institutions to design, adopt, and reap benefits of cloud technologies. The lab will help IBM's clients deploy first-of-a-kind solutions that increase business responsiveness and performance."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 May 2010 | 8:51 pm The top iPad apps for getting things done (Appolicious)Appolicious - The iTunes App Store is riddled with to-do iPad apps. From free to just shy of $20, you can grab something that will help you get things done. The challenge is to find a to-do iPad app that fits your style and doesn't further complicate your busy schedule.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 May 2010 | 8:48 pm Facebook glitch exposes chat messages (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 May 2010 | 8:41 pm FCC aims to set some new regulations on broadband (AP)AP - Federal regulators plan to change the way they govern broadband services to ensure they can pursue their efforts to bring high-speed connections to all Americans and require phone and cable companies to treat all Internet traffic equally.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 May 2010 | 8:11 pm FCC Action: Necessary Or The “9/11 For The Internet”? Experts Debate (Video)
After news broke earlier that the FCC will move to regulate Internet lines, we assembled five experts on net neutrality to spar on the topic. There was blood, tears (I may be exaggerating slightly) and frank discourse on the FCC’s jurisdiction and the possible fallout for Internet competition, access and the FCC’s much ballyhooed National Broadband plan. Andrew Keen, author of The Cult Of The Amateur, led the discussion which included Richard Bennett (research fellow at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation), Larry Downes (fellow of the Stanford Law School Center For Internet & Society), Michael Masnick (CEO and Founder of Techdirt) and Gigi Sohn (CEO and Founder of Public Knowledge, who came in on Skype). This is of course a major issue for the Internet community and all its stakeholders, from the cable providers to the consumers. According to reports, the FCC will try to regulate internet lines under Title 2 of the Communications Act, which is currently used to oversee the traditional telecom industry. It’s a workaround for the FCC, which was handed a defeat last month when a federal court decided that the regulatory agency did not have the power to enforce net neutrality (in a case against Comcast). It’s a been a divisive issue, pitting providers against consumer groups and Internet companies. The lines were clearly marked in this debate, with Sohn arguing in favor of the FCC, calling the Communications Act a logical regulatory framework that the providers will be familiar with. Bennett – who, speaking to Keen after the shoot, called the FCC’s move the “9/11 for the Internet” – adamantly disagrees, saying the FCC never had the jurisdiction to regulate the Internet. Many of the panelists agreed that if the FCC follows through on this decision, it will trigger several lawsuits that will tie up our federal courts for years (Keen warns of the “invasion of the lawyers”). Full interview above. Information provided by CrunchBase Information provided by CrunchBase Information provided by CrunchBase Information provided by CrunchBase Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 8:07 pm Ah, there’s that tripod notebook stand I’ve been waiting for
Now you can use that tripod for almost anything. Big laptops, small laptops, sheet music, holding a sheet of brownies — the possibilities are endless, as long as you have no end of light, flat objects to put on this thing. At ¥1980 (about $21), it’s the bargain of the century. Of the galaxy! [via CNET]
Source: CrunchGear | 5 May 2010 | 8:00 pm In Gulf of Mexico, Chemicals Under Scrutiny - New York Times
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 May 2010 | 7:53 pm Iron Man pinball tournaments announced for four citiesFROM GAMERTELL - Stern Pinball, makers of arcade-quality pinball machines, has announced a series of US pinball tournaments promoting its Iron Man pinball machine… Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 7:48 pm U.S. to Push for New Broadband Rules - Wall Street Journal
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 May 2010 | 7:43 pm Gamer wins a cool million for pitching a perfect game in MLB2K10
2K showed up to his house with a big-ass check and everything. A million bucks for some destitute gamer, who, incredibly, is doing the right thing and paying off his mortgage right off the bat. If Valve showed up at my door with a check for playing a perfect game of TF2 (as well they should, since I’m the best medic this side of the sun), I’d probably blow it all on beef jerky.
Source: CrunchGear | 5 May 2010 | 7:40 pm New U.S. Push to Regulate Internet Access [Voices]By Amy Schatz, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal In a move that will stoke a battle over the future of the Internet, the federal government plans to propose regulating broadband lines under decades-old rules designed for traditional phone networks. The decision, by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, is likely to trigger a vigorous lobbying battle, arraying big phone and cable companies and their allies on Capitol Hill against Silicon Valley giants and consumer advocates. Breaking a deadlock within his agency, Mr. Genachowski is expected Thursday to outline his plan for regulating broadband lines. He wants to adopt “net neutrality” rules that require Internet providers like Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) and AT&T Inc. (T) to treat all traffic equally, and not to slow or block access to websites. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 5 May 2010 | 7:24 pm Fifteen years ago today, the N64 was born
1UP has posted the full press release from that historic day, and it makes for good reading. Feeling nostalgic? Remember, you can find an N64 for probably $30 at your local used game shop. Go ahead, indulge yourself.
Source: CrunchGear | 5 May 2010 | 7:20 pm NASA Spots Signs of Life... On EarthFor the first time, a NASA satellite has spotted sulfur deposits in the Arctic ice. The sulfur got there via bacterial activity, so does this mean we now have a method to hunt for extraterrestrial microbial life?Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 7:16 pm Send in the clones: Shanzhai’s version of the Nokia C2 is out there
[via Cloned In China]
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 7:04 pm USB powered boots hit the mainstream
Omni-Heat is Columbia’s latest clothing line, and includes two men’s boots, and two women’s boots that are electrically heated. The battery pack is powered by a USB connection, and takes about 4 hours to charge. No word on how long the battery lasts once it’s fully charged. I have to tell you, I think I might have to pick a pair of these up when they are available this September 1st. No word on MSRP. [via Gearlog]
Source: CrunchGear | 5 May 2010 | 7:00 pm FCC To Make Move On Net NeutralityGrApHiX42 writes "The FCC will announce on Thursday it plans to pursue a 'third way' forward in the fight for tough net neutrality rules, opening a new front in an ongoing legal battle that could come to define the commission under Chairman Julius Genachowski. A senior FCC official said Wednesday that the chairman 'will seek to restore the status quo as it existed' before a federal court ruled it lacked the authority to regulate broadband providers and set rules that mandate open Internet. The goal is to 'fulfill the previously stated agenda of extending broadband to all Americans, protecting consumers, ensuring fair competition, and preserving a free and open Internet,' the FCC official said."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 May 2010 | 6:49 pm Appletell review roundup: Retro iDevice handsetsFROM APPLETELL - In a time when Bluetooth headsets are all the rage, two companies look towards the past with their products. So, which device is better, the Novophone or the Moshi Moshi MM02? Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 6:37 pm Zero Punctuation: Splinter Cell: Conviction
Source: CrunchGear | 5 May 2010 | 6:30 pm News Anchor reads RSS feeds aloud (Macworld.com)Macworld.com - If youâre a multitasker who wants to catch up on the latest news while doing half a dozen other things, Basil Salad Software may have a Mac app for you. The company has just released News Anchor, an RSS/Atom feed manager that reads the stories aloud.ÂSource: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 May 2010 | 6:17 pm New Linux Petabyte-Scale Distributed File SystemAn anonymous reader writes "A recent addition to Linux's impressive selection of file systems is Ceph, a distributed file system that incorporates replication and fault tolerance while maintaining POSIX compatibility. Explore the architecture of Ceph and learn how it provides fault tolerance and simplifies the management of massive amounts of data."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 May 2010 | 6:14 pm Scoop: Apple Is Pushing A Secret “VIP” Ad Program For iPhone Apps
For anyone still wondering whether Apple plans to give its new iAds a competitive advantage over other mobile ad networks on the iPhone and iPad, just take a look at the slide above. It was attached to an email sent to an app developer from a Quattro Wireless sales rep which I obtained (Quattro is Apple’s recently purchased mobile ad network). The email starts off:
The VIP program is aimed at app developers who use iPhone ads to drive downloads and purchases of their own apps. It will tie the ad directly into purchasing data from iTunes, letting app developers measure the conversion rate of ad impressions to downloads. As the slide indicates, this tracking is made possible with a “proprietary direct link from the ad to App Store” and once a “user downloads your app, they won’t ever see your ad again.” Other mobile ad networks, such as AdMob, also try to measure conversion rates, but they don’t have access to the same iTunes data. So Apple is in a position to give advertisers much more detailed and accurate metrics. AdMob, for instance, requires developers to integrate their apps with AdMob’s SDK or APIs before they can deliver conversion tracking. To bring home the difference, the Quattro sales rep ends the email with this pitch:
In other words, if Apple doesn’t shut out other ad networks completely from the iPhone by not allowing app developers to send tracking data to third parties, it might just use its control of the iPhone platform to give its own ad products certain advantages. Apple’s push to create ad products that “cannot be duplicated by any” competitor is especially interesting, given that the FTC can’t seem to decide right now whether to go after Apple or block the Google-AdMob deal on antitrust grounds. Which one again has an unfair advantage in the mobile ad market? At this point, it’s way too hard to tell.      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 6:02 pm DIY iPad stylus: actually extremely easy to make
Essentially all you need to do is connect your conductive surface (i.e. your skin) to the screen via some sort of extension — in this case some copper wire and a bit of conductive foam. If you’re going to be gripping the stylus in one place, you might just put the wire there and drill a little hole for it to go through, if you don’t like the whole wraparound thing.
Source: CrunchGear | 5 May 2010 | 6:00 pm Web 2.0 Expo: A Look At The Future Of Web Browsers, From The Guys Who Build Them
The Panelists Moderators: Q: How many people would like to see IE9 implement canvas? *Everyone raises hand, including Sardo, who works for MS* Sardo (Microsoft): We’re not done yet, we are investing a lot in HTML5. We believe in HTML5. We believe we need to have a professional grade HTMl5 implementation. We look at developer feedback, we look at the spec, we look to make sure it will be consistent, we look at performance. Everything will be hardware accelerated. Almaer (Palm): In my opinion it’s tiny to do Canvas and SVG is huge.. Eich? — It’s true SVG is huge. Canvas is pretty small. We have implemented it for five years now, something like that. It’s easy. Almaer (Palm)- How do we stop what happened with IE6 from happening again where we get stuck in time? Q: As a browser vendor facing all these specs. How do you prioritize? Eich (on how Mozilla approaches this) - Mozilla has been open source for over 10 years. We have devs come to us and actually patch support for things. We’re seeing that now for things like Web Forms. We have a lot of HTML5 already implemented. What I most value are web devs who maybe can’t contribute to C++ code, but can tell us what’s missing. Q: Doug, you’ve talked about things needing to change… Crockford (Yahoo): The web was left for dead in 2000. Microsoft believed as many other did that the web was finished, just like Hypercard was finished and that we were going to go on to something else. There were several alternatives offered (Flash among them). Then the web in 2005 took off again with AJAX. The browser is the world’s most important app delivery system. Unfortunately because it was left for dead and WC3 abandoned its role as steward of web standards. We have the same web standards we had in 1999, which were not even state of the art then. Devs are trying to move forward with something that is clearly inadequate. We need to first solve the IE6 problem. A sig. portion of the world is on IE6 and it’s not changing. Five years ago I said it would, and it hasn’t. It hasn’t happened because web devs are doing such a good job supporting users on IE6! It’s worse internationally. In some markets , 40-60 percent on IE6. The IE6 problem has to be solved by major website devs. One day all of us redirect to a page that says, hey, try one of these browsers. We all have to do it on the same day, otherwise we get worried that we’re sending them to our competitor. I propose that day is 30 days after all modern browsers fully implement ES5. ? – A lot of this is Active X customizations, if you can’t replace those, you can’t replace IE6… Crockford – Another big problem in China is a lot of people aren’t using licensed OS’s [they are using pirate copies of Windows]… Sardo (Microsoft) – Windows update is our agent to update users. Most of what is updated is checked for proper licenses. IE is an exception — even if it’s pirated users can download the new update… IE9 will not be supported by Windows XP. We are building all of HTML5 with hardware acceleration. We need a modern OS to do this. Russell (Google) – I recognize Opera and Mozilla and on Chrome we’re all doing hardware acceleration. And, all of us are doing it on XP. What you’re describing is a situation where people are less behind. The way is to not leave users behind. The question is, do we have a plan so that we can give devs a choice to use HTML5 across the board? Crockford (Yahoo) – I recommend all users of XP migrate to something that isn’t IE. McCathieNevile (Opera) - There’s a lot of hardware that isn’t modern hardware.. that’s why people aren’t moving away from XP. A lot of people don’t want to have to keep up with technology. Q: I want to talk about browser competition. For a long time Mozilla used Firefox were positioned as the alternative to IE… now that other browsers innovating, is Mozilla’s goal to still drive FF’s share up? Eich (Mozilla): We have a mission to preserve choice and innovation, and to make user king or queen over their experience. There’s more competition now. But… the problem is that those companies (Google, Apple, etc) have agendas. Apple makes great products but they want to control what SDK or API you can use. Google is more aligned with the open web, but they have to have an agenda because of search. With Mozilla we don’t care. We blind ourselves, we don’t see the data, we will never do behavior marketing. Look at what FB has done recently.. users need to have control over their data. Q: What’s the state of JS? Russell (Google) – Interpreters are getting faster. It’ all getting faster. The bits that aren’t getting as fast as we would prefer is network behavior. Google has introduced a new protocol called SPDY. Fundamental latency isn’t getting as fast as local device capabilities are. Hopefully in process of making a better browser we also upgrade the DOM itself. Sardo – All browsers have pretty good JS performance (it has room for improvements). Q: I think we should look at some comments made by Joe Hewitt this week.. He recently said over Twitter, “I love the web, but it sucks”. We see proprietary platforms and how fast they are evolving. Joe said this loosely coupled system the web uses to establish standards isn’t working. Russell (Google)- Respectfully (I’m an enormous fan of Joe’s work). I feel his pain. I worked on a JS toolkit, that’s as bad as it gets. He’s done the same thing. He built iUI. I feel like a lot of his comments rung true about two years ago. Things are getting much better in webkit land. A lot of the things iUI did are solved. CSS animations. Those things are coming. Rate of improvement is increasing so much I think it’s easy to understand that things were stuck. It’s not all better yet, but it’s getting better at a faster pace.. Q: Seems real action is in mobile browsers/touch interfaces. Where do you see that going? Mobile there is a concern – power is driving multicore. Next gen you’re seeing multicore. It’s going to hit the web. We’re facing a future we’re not really ready for. Browsers will have it. We’ll surface it to Javascript… in 5 years that going to be a big issue. Q: What was logic behind Opera’s mobile browser on iPhone (using Opera Mini vs the full fledged Opera mobile browser) Q: In the 90′s we only had to deal with 3 major browsers to make our sites compatible with. Now have to deal with half a dozen. Crockford (Yahoo) – The thing I’m most worried about as we move into mobile, is that we have a strong risk of losing openness. Either proprietary app platforms win because the web can’t innovate fast enough. Or the web gets captured in a proprietary platform and someone else decides what you can run on devices you’ve paid for. [Sardo (Microsoft) talks more about standards and the possibility of switching between rendering engines to maximize compatibility. He sort of ignored Crockford's statement, which was frustrating because it's a major issue] Russell (Google) – There are economic costs to keeping old content working with new browsers. And orgs that act as mediators for old tech for users have costs, deciding what has to be left behind.. Switchable renderers one potential way where new stuff can be added to ecosystem faster. Q: No one is talking about CSS feature detection.      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 5:41 pm Foursquare-Using BART Riders Sometimes Use Foursquare, And Love The Color Blue!
For example, the crown jewel of the survey is that 38% said it was “more fun to ride BART” using Foursquare. How exactly using Foursquare makes BART more “fun” isn’t clear from the survey. Most people use Foursquare simply to check-in to alert their friends where they are. Yes, there are some game elements like points and badges, but it’s not like you’re actively using the service while you’re riding BART in order to have fun. Also, while they don’t point this out in the release, for the same question, “Has your use of Foursquare changed your experience on BART?,” 45% responded, “Not really.” Also humorous, while BART says they created the survey for BART-riding Foursquare users, according to the results, 54% responded to question #1, “When did you first start using Foursquare?” with “I’ve never used Foursquare.” So basically, more than half of the people that saw the “Complete this short survey and have a chance to win a $50 BART ticket” header gave survey results that were unusable. That left BART with around 450 usable responses. And of those usable responses, a full 31% said “No, I don’t check in at BART stations.” 400 people answered that question, so we’re already below 300 people taking the survey that actually use it. To the question, “Do you recall using BART in the last three months because of a Foursquare tip/recommendation?,” a full 70% responded, “No.” Likewise to the question, “Overall would you say you’re riding BART more, less or about the same because of your interaction with Foursquare?” 82% responded, “Same.” Still, it’s not all useless info for Foursquare. Of the limited number of people who did take the survey and use the service, 93% were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to recommend it to a friend. And nearly 30% started using it in just the last 6 months. And the users tend to me more affluent, younger, and more male than other BART riders. The best question may be the control question that the survey creators threw in to make sure people were paying attention: “What’s your favorite color?” 34% answered “Blue.” It almost beat out, “Why are you asking me this?” (36%) You can find the full survey here in PDF form. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 5:40 pm LinuxCon keynote speakers announced
LinuxCon runs August 10-12, with early bird registrations open now for $300 ($100 for students, with proper ID). Hurry, early bird registration ends tomorrow! If you can’t make it to LinuxCon, keep in mind that Stormy Peters will also be keyoting at the Ohio LinuxFest this year! OLF is September 10-12, and is free to attend!
Source: CrunchGear | 5 May 2010 | 5:30 pm More pics of the new BlackBerry flip phone – whose idea was this thing?
It’s probably not final hardware, but the general size and shape are clear… gah! Looks like a kid’s version of a flip phone I had back in 2003. Sure, the new BlackBerry OS is going to be good fun, but if it’s launching on this hardware, they’re going to find it a tough sell among the “people with eyes” market.
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 5:29 pm NASA Space Habitat Research Goes UnderseaPSandusky writes "NASA is preparing to make use of Aquarius, the underwater laboratory off Key Largo, for an extended period of time to research the effects of isolation in habitats situated in extreme environments. Planned areas of research include extravehicular activity logistics and crew health and performance. According to NASA's factsheet (PDF), the mission will include some communication with schools and social media sites. "
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 May 2010 | 5:24 pm Alternate Disk-Tractions: Iron Man: the complete series on DVDFROM GAMERTELL - Watch as Iron Man as battles evil foes and relive your childhood at the same time with the newly remasterd Iron Man animated TV series on DVD… Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 5:21 pm Summer Movie Preview: Sex, Spies, DNAFrom superheroes and TV parodies to more mind-expanding fare, summer 2010 looks like a satisfying season for moviegoers addicted to popcorn flicks.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 5:20 pm Trailer for Machete, Robert Rodriguez' Mexploitation love-note to Arizona
Happy Cinco de Mayo. Ain't it Cool News got their paws on a trailer for Robert Rodriguez' Machete, a virtual eff-yoo to Arizona. Damn if that ain't the maximum badness of ass ever packed into 2:24. Danny Trejo is amazing. More about the feature here, due in theaters this September. Again, the trailer's here. "They just f*cked with the wrong Mexican..." GPS Power-Up: USAF Gets Ready for New Sense of PlaceThe Air Force will begin launching a new gen of beefed-up GPS satellites. The system's accuracy will improve from 15 (or more) feet way down to 3 feet, even indoors and in concrete urban canyons.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 May 2010 | 5:00 pm GPS Power-Up: USAF Gets Ready for New Sense of PlaceThe Air Force will begin launching a new gen of beefed-up GPS satellites. The system's accuracy will improve from 15 (or more) feet way down to 3 feet, even indoors and in concrete urban canyons.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 5:00 pm Geek Justice League: Caped Crusader Billionaires We'd Like to SeeThe superpowered do-gooder Iron Man got Wired editors thinking about other potential heroes, like the Superpoke, who defriends baddies, and the Zen Torpedo, who's all about C-R-M: Clobbering Ruthless Miscreants.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 5:00 pm Die Antwoord: Whoah. That's some hardcore marketing.
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 5 May 2010 | 4:43 pm Beaver Dam Visible From Spaceygslash writes "The Hoover Dam no longer holds the title of the world's widest dam. Satellite photos of northern Alberta, Canada, show that several families of beavers have apparently joined forces to build a dam 850 meters wide, more than twice as wide as the Hoover Dam."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 May 2010 | 4:41 pm France Gets Yelp’s First Non-English Site, Long After Qype Local reviews site Yelp has launched a site for France. Yelp France is the startup's first non-English speaking country. The site can be toggled through French or English.
This will be of interest to European player Qype which is bigger than Yelp across Europe.
Yelp has claimed one million unique visitors consulted for Yelp UK and Yelp Ireland last month 16 months after launch.
Source: TechCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 4:38 pm With 3G, iPad Comes Into Its Own Network Permitting - Wired News
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 May 2010 | 4:35 pm Hot Sales In China For Wi-Fi Key-Cracking Kitsalphadogg writes "Dodgy salesmen in China are making money from long-known weaknesses in a Wi-Fi encryption standard, by selling network key-cracking kits for the average user. Wi-Fi USB adapters bundled with a Linux operating system, key-breaking software, and a detailed instruction book are being sold online and at China's bustling electronics bazaars. The kits, pitched as a way for users to surf the Web for free, have drawn enough buyers and attention that one Chinese auction site, Taobao.com, had to ban their sale last year. With one of the 'network-scrounging cards,' or 'ceng wang ka' in Chinese, a user with little technical knowledge can easily steal passwords to get online via Wi-Fi networks owned by other people. The kits are also cheap. A merchant in a Beijing bazaar sold one for 165 yuan ($24), a price that included setup help from a man at the other end of the sprawling, multistory building."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 May 2010 | 4:19 pm Where do Martian gullies come from?Well ... when one Martian gully loves another Martian gully very much ... OK, actually the question is really whether or not these things are formed by flowing water. As Phil Plait explains, there are pretty compelling arguments both for and against that idea—the primary alternative to water being sand and dust rolling downhill. How's that work? A recent paper provides a possibility:
Bad Astronomy: Are Martian gullies formed from water or not Source: Boing Boing | 5 May 2010 | 4:18 pm Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with 5 festive video gamesFROM GAMERTELL - Celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year with games like Samba de Amigo and Viva Piñata! Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 4:12 pm Scribd CTO: “We Are Scrapping Flash And Betting The Company On HTML5″ (Exclusive Screenshots)
Adobe’s much-beleaguered Flash is about to take another hit and online documents are finally going to join the Web on a more equal footing. Today, most documents (PDFs, Word docs, Powerpoint slides) can mostly be viewed only as boxed off curiosities in a Flash player, not as full Web pages. Tomorrow, online document sharing site Scribd will start to ditch Flash across its tens of millions of uploaded documents and convert them all to native HTML5 Web pages. Not only will these documents look great on the iPad’s no-Flash browser (see screenshots), but it will bring the richness of fonts and graphics from documents to native Web pages. Scribd co-founder and chief technology officer Jared Friedman tells me: “We are scrapping three years of Flash development and betting the company on HTML5 because we believe HTML5 is a dramatically better reading experience than Flash. Now any document can become a Web page.” Documents will simply become very long Web pages. A new bookmark feature will help you keep your place in especially long documents. Scribd’s documents will be especially iPad friendly. Instead of downloading a book from Apple’s iBooks store or Amazon’s Kindle app, you can see if an electronic version is on Scribd and read it in your browser. Pinch and zoom to make the text bigger. No download necessary. The books and other documents are stored on the Web. They can be shared via Facebook and Twitter, or sent to a mobile phone. Scribd is joining a chorus of companies from Apple to Microsoft in siding with HTML5 over Flash. Tomorrow only 200,000 of the most popular documents will be available in HTML5, but eventually all of them will be switched over. When it’s done, Scribd alone will convert billions of document pages into Web pages. Scribd’s currently uses a Flash player much like YouTube’s to allow people to upload and view documents on the Web. But with HTML5 standards now making their way through not browsers, there is little reason to do that. “Right now the document is in a box,” says Friedman, “a Youtube-type of experience. There is a bunch of content and a bunch of stuff around it. In the new experience we are taking the content out of the box.” Friedman has ben working secretly on this project for the last six months. You can tell he’s excited about it. He believes the Web is finally ready to ditch Flash for documents. Unlike video players, the parts of the HTML5 standard that impact documents have to do with support for fonts, vector graphics, and rotating text. Friedman estimates that 97 percent of browsers will be able to read Scribd’s HTML5 documents because those parts of the standard are older and more widely adopted. HTML5 documents will still be embeddable in other sites using an iFrame. Poor Adobe. Even as it too embraces HTML5, the Web is moving away from Flash.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 4:01 pm Awesome one-man reenactment of Downfall "Hitler Bunker" scene
Reenactment #56: Downfall, aka the "Hitler Bunker" scene (thanks, Mark Day)
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 5 May 2010 | 3:53 pm FCC to Exercise Nuclear Option on Broadband ProvidersThe FCC will announce Thursday it plans to reclassify broadband ISPs in order to regulate them, a move certain to rile the nation's powerful telecoms.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 3:50 pm Help Wired.com Crowdsource This SongWired.com's Eliot Van Buskirk laid down the bass line, Indaba Music co-founder Dan Zaccagnino added rhythm guitar, and now it's up to you to help us complete this song as part of our experiment in crowdsourcing music.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 3:45 pm Apple Scolds Ellen Over iPhone Ad Parody - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 May 2010 | 3:37 pm Chemistry Improves Battlefield FoodWhen Neil Gussman joined the Army in 1972, meals for the battlefield were served in little green cans.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 3:30 pm Elephants Fear Bees, Not MiceWhen bees approach, elephants flee the scene, occasionally straying onto farmers' fields.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 3:25 pm Wired Urges Judge to Unseal Gizmodo SearchA media coalition seeks public disclosure of the affidavit supporting the police raid on Gizmodo editor Jason Chen. Chen paid $5,00 for a prototype 4G iPhone.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 3:20 pm Toxic Oil Dispersant Used in Gulf Despite Better AlternativeThe federal government is using a toxic chemical to disperse the Gulf oil slick, even though a more effective, less lethal alternative is available. Some argue that the toxic chemical they are using is worse than the oil itself.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 3:20 pm Bombing Arrest Followed Law Enforcement Slip-Ups, TriumphsTimes Square bombing suspect slipped through airport security, but left a trail of clues.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 3:20 pm Organic Farms Don't Benefit WildlifeOrganic farms may be seen as wildlife friendly, but the benefits to birds, bees and butterflies don't compensate for the lower yields produced, according to new research from the University of Leeds.In the most detailed, like-for-like comparisons of organic and conventional farming to date, researchers from Leeds' Faculty of Biological Science found that the benefits to wildlife and increases in biodiversity from organic farming are much lower than previously thought – averaging just over 12 percent more than conventional farming.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 3:01 pm With 3G, iPad Comes Into Its Own Network PermittingThe addition of 3G to the iPad may be a mini-revolution for mobile computing -- provided you can actually pick up a signal.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 3:00 pm With 3G, iPad Comes Into Its Own Network PermittingThe addition of 3G to the iPad may be a mini-revolution for mobile computing -- provided you can actually pick up a signal.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 May 2010 | 3:00 pm Blinking Neurons Help Scientists Read MindsMax Planck scientists use a genetic light source to measure brain signals Electrical currents are invisible to the naked eye - at least they are when they flow through metal cables. In nerve cells, however, scientists are able to make electrical signals visible.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 3:00 pm Countries Ranked on Environmental ImpactA new study led by the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute in Australia has ranked most of the world's countries for their environmental impact.The research uses seven indicators of environmental degradation to form two rankings – a proportional environmental impact index, where impact is measured against total resource availability, and an absolute environmental impact index measuring total environmental degradation at a global scale.Led by the Environment Institute's Director of Ecological Modelling Professor Corey Bradshaw, the study has been published in the on-line, peer-reviewed science journal PLoS ONE (found at www.plosone.org).The world's 10 worst environmental performers according to the proportional environmental impact index (relative to resource availability) are: Singapore, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia, Philippines and Netherlands.In absolute global terms, the 10 countries with the worst environmental impact are (in order, worst first): Brazil, USA, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, India, Russia, Australia and Peru.The indicators used were natural forest loss, habitat conversion, fisheries and other marine captures, fertiliser use, water pollution, carbon emissions from land use and species threat."The environmental crises currently gripping the planet are the corollary of excessive human consumption of natural resources," said Professor Bradshaw.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 2:56 pm Bees Build Gorgeous Underground Flower-Petal NestsAn unusual species of bee makes a "petal sandwich" out of brightly colored flowers and mud to shelter its eggs.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 2:55 pm Innovative Milling Techniques and Processes for Cereal GrainsThe bioactive compounds of cereals are concentrated in the peripheral layers of the grains (bran) but most of them have a low bio-accessibility.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 2:42 pm Plant Breeding Can Improve Wheat ProductionWheat products, and in particular, wholegrain products, are important sources of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and other components which are beneficial for human health.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 2:40 pm Wheat Arabinoxylan Used for New ApplicationsArabinoxylan, the major dietary fibre component of wheat bran, is important both from the technological and nutritional point of view. New enzymatic technologies were developed in the HEALTHGRAIN project to partly and selectively degrade arabinoxylan.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 2:39 pm Bioprocessing of Wheat BranA combination of enzymes and fermentation modifies bran structure and changes the bioavailability of the bioactive compound, according to new studies forming part of the European Union's large-scale HEALTHGRAIN project.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 2:35 pm Wheat Aleurone Has Breakfast PotentialWheat aleurone is a novel wheat grain fraction with high levels of potentially healthpromoting compounds.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 2:35 pm Antioxidants Can Induce Stem Cell Genetic AbnormalitiesLOS ANGELES -- High doses of antioxidant nutritional supplements, such as vitamins C and E, can increase genetic abnormalities in cells, which may predispose supplement-takers to developing cancer, according to a new study from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 May 2010 | 2:20 pm The 'Quiet Zone': Avoiding Radio Interference At All Costs (Part 1)Astronomers are constantly battling the scourge of light pollution, retreating to darker and darker observing sites for more sensitive telescopes. But how to escape the flood of man-made radio interference?Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 1:51 pm Escaped Piranhas, Floating Buildings: the Strangeness of the Tennessee FloodsFlooding is more than just rising, dangerous waters. As this weekend's inundation showed, it unleashes all manner of weird, destructive chaos.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 1:45 pm Cinco de Mayo: NOT Mexico's Independence DayWith a history steeped in battles and rebuilding, Mexico has earned every right to be proud. Today marks a Mexican holiday that more and more people every year celebrate in the United States, many not knowing why they do it: ...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 1:12 pm Lack of Sleep Linked to Early DeathThe less you sleep, the more likely you are to develop diabetes, obesity and hypertension.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 1:10 pm Happy half-birthday Dashboard! Six months in and 100,000 users a daySix months ago, we launched the Google Dashboard to help you view and control information stored in your Google Account. It’s organized according to the products you use (like Gmail, Docs or YouTube), listing data stored in your account and providing direct links to control your personal settings.Since we’re celebrating our very first half-birthday, we thought it was the ideal time to update you on how things are going. On average, around 100,000 unique visitors a day check out their Dashboard, 85 percent for the first time. Since launch, we’ve worked to grow Dashboard, adding a number of other Google products including Sites, Maps, Books, Webmaster Tools, Buzz, Goggles, Sidewiki and Analytics. We’re still working on adding other products to the tool and are talking with users about new ways to improve the functionality moving forward. We launched the Dashboard to provide you with greater transparency and control. We’re proud of its success so far and look forward to what’s next. If you haven’t looked at your own Dashboard yet, check it out! Posted by Yariv Adan, Product Manager    
 Source: The Official Google Blog | 5 May 2010 | 1:01 pm Video: A Peek Inside the HTC Incredible PhoneHTC’s small yet power-packed Incredible phone has already bagged a rave review from us. If you want to see more of the phone, here’s a cool stop-motion animation video, via Engadget, that shows the unboxing of the Incredible. TechRestore, an electronics repair shop, has taken apart the Incredible and then it put all back together. The HTC Incredible, which was released last month, has a 3.7 inch OLED touchscreen, a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and 8 megapixel camera. The device is impressive enough that Google decided to step aside and let the Incredible ride on the Verizon Wireless network, instead of introducing a version of its Nexus One phone for the telecom carrier. What’s fascinating to watch in the video is how small and compact the components are and how well they pack into the circuit board, like a tight, perfectly formed jigsaw puzzle. The inside is almost as beautiful as the outside in the case of this phone. See Also:
Video: TechRestore 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 12:44 pm Who's Afraid of the Microsoft Kin? The Carriers - PC Magazine
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 May 2010 | 12:43 pm Buyers With a CauseNew research points to women and young people as the groups with buying power when it comes shopping for a cause.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 12:33 pm Evernote surpasses 3 million users
Of the 3 million users, just under 60,000 are paid users. That’s not quite 2% of their install base. So clearly most Evernote users are either cheapskate freeloaders, or are satisfied enough with the free offering that they’ve had no reason to upgrade. Nonetheless, Evernote feels confident that their “freemium” model is a success. Also of note is that Evernote integration is getting bundled with more and more devices. Along with an iPad client, and a new Windows desktop client, Evernote support is being included in new Lexmark printers. That’s pretty cool.
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 12:30 pm Visa wants to turn your iPhone into a credit card
If you’ve been reading MobileCrunch since November of 2009: A) We love you. Thanks for sticking around. Visa — whoever that is — is totally stealing our awesome, completely original, no-one-else-has-had-it-ever idea. And we love them for it. This morning, Visa and DeviceFidelity Inc., issued a joint press release annoucing that they’d built — and received Apple’s much-coveted blessing in the form of accessory certification — an iPhone case that acts as a tap-to-pay Visa credit card. Oddly, the press release has since been pulled from almost all of the sites it was published on, though we’re not sure why. Details in the release indicate that it might not have been intended for release until tomorrow, so it was presumably just a scheduling mistake. We’ve got the full text of the release below. Just as we’d originally envisioned, the Visa case connects with an application on the handset to allow it to be password-protected. Password protection or not, you’ll still want to watch this thing like a hawk. Market trials of the iPhone case should begin some time this summer, though it’s not clear just how limited they’ll be. If it’s not open to anyone who asks, we’ll let you know as soon as we hear any ways to wiggle into the trial.
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 12:09 pm Apple TV Prototype Sells on eBay for 46 Bucks
You’d be naive to think Apple churns out hit products without doing homework first. Before gadgets hit the market, companies invest heavily in research and development, which often results in early prototypes that rarely see the light of day. A good example is a prototype of an Apple television box (above) from 1995, which recently sold on eBay for $46. The Apple Interactive Television Box (ITV for short) was made 10 years before the release of the Apple TV. It kind of looks like a retro TiVo. The box features chips made by Motorola, Texas Instruments and VLSI Technology. It was equipped with a bunch of old-school ports that you’ve probably forgotten about today: stereo audio RCA jacks, a Mac serial port, S-Video, RF in, RF out, RJ-45 Ethernet, ADB port, HDI-30 SCSI port and dual SCART connectors. The OS was a subset of the Mac OS with QuickDraw and QuickTime software, according to the Apple Museum. Apple tested the ITV prototypes only internally in 1993, but in 1994 the company formed a partnership with British Telecom to launch a consumer trial with 2,500 households participating. The project was canceled in late 1995 when it was clear that ITV would not become commercially successful. Home entertainment has been a tough market to crack. Apple still refers to its Apple TV, which was released in 2005, as a “hobby” due to its moderate success. And it’s obvious why: There are just so many different ways people watch video content, whether it’s through digital cable, On-Demand, iTunes, DVDs and so on. Another great example of a classic prototype was Bashful, an early Apple tablet made with the help of Frog Design back in 1983. See Also:
Photo: eBay 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 12:00 pm The Microsoft Kin phone reviews are in - “insulting to consumers”Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile
We don’t get it. That about sums up the early reviews of Microsoft’s Kin One and Two. It has been clear from the start that Microsoft wanted to target a specific audience that isn’t the smartphone-toting gadgeteratti, no their target is the youth of America. Not a bad target to go for with the right product but judging from the early reviews, these are not the right products and not the right plan from Verizon. HardwareMicrosoft’s Kin One is a funny little thing, shaped like a turtle it stands out as cute while the Kin Two looks more like a cheaper version of the Palm Pre. Both KINs feature slide-out keyboards and they seem up to the job. According to Joshua Topolsky at Engadget, “from an industrial design standpoint, there isn’t a lot that’s laudable here—but there’s also not too much to complain about.” Moreover, the devices don’t make you stop in your tracks but you probably won’t return it for hardware’s sake. If there is a highlight, it’s the 5 and 8 megapixel cameras on the KIN One and Two. The Two does 720p video and does it fairly well. Software
Given Microsoft’s presumed target market, the software should be capable of handling the social side of things. Facebook, IM, and SMS should be the main attraction. Here are Tolpolky’s words describing the software: InsultingNow here’s the rub, given the above, maybe an argument could be made that with a slick marketing campaign that hits the target like an arrow from Robin Hoods quiver and the right pricing, Microsoft could still have a fighting chance. Here’s the part that gets us mad: the phone checks in for updates every 15 minutes and sometimes not that fast. For teens and others on the go, how is this acceptable? How is this not plastered on the box as a warning? Perhaps something even you should have to sign that says you understand that this phone will put you in a 15 minute time delay bubble, secluded from the rest of the world. Social doesn’t happen ever 15 minutes, social is in the moment and Microsoft has missed this fact. And here comes the insulting: Verizon will charge you the full data plan price - even though the phone is throttling usage. That’s right a full $29.99 per month just for the data that is given to you in 15 minute intervals. I’ve gone back and read this 4 times now as I was sure I misunderstood it. It just doesn’t seem logical, fair or quite possibly human. If anything, the throttled data should be free. Consider a booby prize for having to wait for the data green light. Word is you can trick the phone into faster updates by turning it on and off again. A trick I am sure you’ll appreciate as you consider the full data price you’re paying for but only getting to use part time. Insulting. Read more on the KIN [Gadgetell]
Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 11:58 am Sprint Hero getting Android 2.1 by May 7th, according to Best Buy
And our never ending quest to pin down the exact date on which the Sprint HTC Hero will get its long-awaited update to Android 2.1 continues. Weeks back, a loose lipped support employee spilled the beans that the update was tentatively planned for the first week of May. Now, a leaked memo (obtained by the guys over at XDA-dev) from Best Buy’s intranet seems to indicate the same thing. “Due to changes made by HTC on Friday, the deployment was delayed until this week.” it says, adding “The update will be in all stores by this Friday, May 7.” *Gasp!* Delays? That explains why we heard no less than a handful of different dates for this thing. Regardless — unless Best Buy’s memo-making dudes are going off blog rumors, Sprint HTC Hero owners could very well be getting their mitts all over Android 2.1 within the next 2 days. [Via DroidDog]
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 11:27 am Star Wars Voices Now on GPS DevicesComing to a galaxy near you... Star Wars villains and heroes giving you directions to the grocery store. Dutch navigation systems manufacturer TomTom is releasing one downloadable Star Wars voice per month for their GPS devices. Darth Vader is already ...Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 May 2010 | 11:12 am Verizon Droid Incredible torn apart in glorious stop motionWe’re no strangers to tear down videos around here — we probably see at least one a week. This one, though… this one’s different. And by different, I mean awesome.
We’re used to teardowns being a pretty simple, somewhat boring affair. But this one has techno! And they shot it like an episode of friggin’ Gumby! It’s amazing just how much stuff they were able to jam in there. When the bulkiest thing inside the handset is the camera lens, you know your engineering team rocks.
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 11:03 am AT&T Palm Pre Plus rumored for a May 14th releaseSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  We have long known the Palm Pre Plus was heading to AT&T, in fact they have even run commercials teasing and have posted a mini promo site. Still, we have yet to hear anything official in terms of pricing and availability. Unfortunately, we still have nothing official—but we do have another rumor. The latest is suggesting that the Pre Plus will launch with AT&T on May14th. That and, it will come running webOS version 1.4.2, which for those keeping track of webOS is slightly ahead of the current version that is running on the Verizon Wireless branded model. Via [Everything Pre] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 10:44 am Canon Film Scanner Accentuates Positive, Eliminates Negative
The $250 scanner pulls out 9600×9600dpi scans in 48-bit color from its CCD sensor, and can be loaded with paper, mounted 35mm slides and strips of film in both 35mm and 120 formats. It uses infrared sensing to remove dust and scratches from scans, and delivers results as images or PDFs. Before I switched entirely to digital, I used to have my film processed and sent back to me on CD. Before that, I would scan prints. Back then, a decent film-scanner was prohibitively expensive, but if there had been something as cheap as this around, my darkroom may have disappeared a little faster. Available June. CanoScan 9000F [Photography Blog] 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 10:03 am A spring metamorphosis — Google’s new lookUsing Google today, you may have noticed that something feels slightly different — the look and feel of our search results have changed! Today’s metamorphosis responds to the increasing richness of the web and the increasing power of search — revealing search tools on the left and updating the visual look and feel throughout. While we are constantly rolling out small changes and updates, today’s changes showcase the latest evolutions in our search technology, making it easier than ever to find exactly what you're looking for. The new Google look, with simple left-hand navigation. What’s new and what’s changed? We’ve added contextually relevant, left-hand navigation to the page. This new side panel highlights the most relevant search tools and refinements for your query. Over the past three years, we've launched Universal Search, the Search Options panel and Google Squared, and it’s those three technologies that power the left-hand panel. Universal Search helps you find the most relevant types of results for your search. The top section of the new left-hand panel builds on Universal Search by suggesting the most relevant genres of results for your query and letting you seamlessly switch to these different types of results. The “Everything” option remains our essential search experience with different types of results integrated into the main results, but now you can also easily switch to just the particular type of results you are looking for. Our expandable Search Options panel launched last spring brought many rich slice-and-dice tools to search. The new left-hand navigation showcases these tools and enables you to get a different view of your results. Perhaps you’d like to see images from each of the results or just the newest information? These options are all on the left, and our technology will suggest the tools that are most relevant and helpful to your query. Google Squared (available on Google Labs) helps you find and compare entities. Our “Something different” feature builds on the technology in Google Squared to find other entities that are related to your query, so you can easily explore not only the results for your current query but other related topics. In addition to the left-hand side changes, we’ve updated our look and feel in terms of our color palette and our logo. These changes are slight, keeping our page minimalist and whimsical, but make our overall look more modern. The new design refreshes and streamlines the look, feel and functionality of Google, making it easier to pinpoint what you’re looking for. It’s powerful, yet simple. Today’s changes are the latest in our continuing efforts to evolve and improve Google. We've been testing these changes with users over the past few months, and what we're launching today reflects the feedback we've received.. We want to ensure that the Google you use today is better than the one you used yesterday, and these latest changes open up many possibilities for future features and enhancements. To hear more about our new design, check out this video: Our new interface begins rolling out today globally across 37 languages. We are also launching the mobile version concurrently for English interfaces in the United States. Search on! Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience   
 Source: The Official Google Blog | 5 May 2010 | 10:00 am Kin reviews are out… and not so good.
There is a general trend emerging, too. Something along the lines of “What have Microsoft done?” I’ve rounded up some of the highlights thus far, for your reading pleasure:
The only positive reviews I could find came from Slashgear: First, from Michael Gartenberg:
and then from his “Gen upload” son, Chaim:
Both the Slashgear reviews seem to contradict the other reviews on most points. Diff’rent strokes, I guess. There is one seemingly universally liked feature, however: the online syncing software dubbed “The Studio”. Sadly, the software isn’t enough to save these doomed handsets. Some of the biggest complaints stem from the inflated price. Verizon are basically charging smartphone prices for a featurephone experience. The reviews all seem to point to a list of common faults, including:
Faults are much easier to overlook when you’re not being charged a premium, but at this price, there are much better options out there. If you find any glowing reviews, or particularly entertaining scathing ones, please post them in the comments. While you’re there, what are your thoughts on the devices?
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 9:29 am How to Make an iPad-Beating TabletTablets aren’t new, but the market remains a very small niche -- the iPad has probably already sold more units than all others combined. But new contenders are shaping up to be more of the same in the hope people will buy anything called a 'tablet' or a 'slate.' They won’t. Here’s how to make one that might help them forget Apple.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 May 2010 | 9:23 am How to Make an iPad-Beating Tablet
Tablet computers aren’t new. Windows notebook PCs with stylus-controlled touchscreens have been around for years, but the market remains a very small niche. The iPad, a tablet lacking many functions of these bigger, better spec’d machines, has probably sold more units in its first month (one million of them) than tablets have sold ever. The response from computer makers has been more of the same old junk, hoping people will buy anything they call a tablet or a slate. They won’t. The public is sick of babysitting their computers. They want a gadget they don’t have to think about, something they aren’t scared of using. Manufacturers need to make a tablet that competes with the iPad not just in terms of hardware, but also concept. Here’s how to make one. HardwareHardware is almost irrelevant, on the outside at least. The iPad is a slab of aluminum and glass with an absolute minimum of ports and buttons. Rivals counter this by promising USB ports, SD card slots and the like. The problem? Compatibility. If you include just one standard USB port, people expect it to behave like one, and they’ll plug in printers, mice and everything else. This requires drivers, which in turn adds complexity and eats into precious flash-memory space (a recent Epson printer driver update for the Mac was almost 1 GB in size). The solution: Lightweight, low-powered hardware, designed not to run a full desktop OS but instead a purpose-made, tablet-friendly OS. It should be thought of as a big cellphone, designed for battery life and ease of use. It should be designed, most importantly, around software. SoftwareA tablet needs its own operating system. This is an opportunity for companies to throw out legacy support for every previous iteration of their software (we’re looking at you, Windows registry) and start over. Start with a blank, ahem, slate and build from there. Forget about mouse and keyboard-based metaphors and start over. Design an OS that makes it easy to do what people actually want to do with a tablet. Most importantly, do not mistake this for a computer. You already sell computers. Let the people who say the lack of a Unix terminal is a “deal-breaker” buy one of those, and then ignore them. HP gets this. It bought Palm because it sees the end of the PC market. PCs aren’t going anywhere soon, but like the laptop overtook the desktop, the tablet will be most people’s main computing tool. Building a tablet OS from scratch will take years if done properly. Palm’s WebOS is ready to be blown up into tablet form now, and if HP can manage the hardware side properly, it could have a true iPad rival up and running this year. Better still, it will own the hardware and the software instead of selling just another Windows PC, and competing only on price. AppsThe success of Apple’s App Store isn’t about the sheer numbers. Most of the apps out there are junk. The thing that makes it work is the ease and safety of installation. Mac and iPhone developer Fraser Speirs puts it like this: “iPhone OS is the first mass-market operating system where consumers are no longer afraid to install software on their computers.” Daring Fireball’s John Gruber puts it more succinctly, saying that “the best way to think of iPhone OS devices [is as] app consoles.” You see an app you like, you click it and you’re done. Payments are invisible, no application will infect or damage your machine and, if you don’t like the app, when you delete it it’s entirely gone. The suggestions that Apple should let users install apps from anywhere ignores this fact: The App Store is so successful because it is closed. Don’t agree? How’s the Android Marketplace doing? Beating AppleApple has invented a device that normal people will use and enjoy and has shown us the future of computing. But there are some obvious areas where competitors can beat it. Censorship, for one. The App Store needs to be closed to work, but rejecting applications based on their content is wrong. The lack of clear guidelines for developers leads to more homogeneous applications, because programmers are scared to put a lot of time into an app that pushes the envelope if it may never make it into the store. And remember, you don’t have to beat the iPad to win here. You just need to make something better than a personal computer. How hard can that be? Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com See Also:
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 9:07 am Microsoft KIN ONE & KIN TWO available May 6th for $49.99 & $99.99Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  It looks like the details on the Microsoft KIN ONE and KIN TWO have been made official. If interested you will be able to grab either handset as of May 6th. Though initially, they will only be available online. As for in-store availability, that comes a short while later on May 13th. Otherwise, the KIN ONE will be priced at $49.99 and the KIN TWO will be priced at $99.99. Unfortunately, those prices come after a $100 mail in rebate, which means you will have to shell out $149.99 and $199.99 to get out the door. Both handsets also come with a two-year agreement with Verizon Wireless, of course that is a given. Finally, customers that purchase the KIN ONE or KIN TWO will also need to sign up for a $29.99 “email and web for smartphone” data plan—in addition to the regular voice plan. Yup, it looks like Verizon has turned the KIN ONE and KIN TWO into smartphones. Plus, if you want to take full advantage of the Zune functionality you can expect to toss in another $14.99 a month for that. In the end, these are expensive phones, both in terms of initial layout and monthly. Read [Microsoft]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 8:29 am Verizon misses the point of the Kin, prices it out of its market
The Kin platform is a novel system. It brings the social media functions of a smartphone into a more consumer-friendly device. It doesn’t have apps or any of that nonsense. Just a ton of built-in features like Facebook, Twitter, RSS feeds, and others. It’s a clever attempt to bridge the gap between full-fledged smartphones and dumb phones. Verizon, however, decided they are smartphones and as a consequence require the same $30 data package as the Droid or a BlackBerry. That’s not going to fly. These phones are designed for the masses, not nerds or business-types used to paying the data premium. Carriers have been somewhat successful pushing $10 data plans for the current feature phones. Verizon wouldn’t be able to keep the Kin phones in stock if all they required were a $10 feature phone package. The upfront cost doesn’t matter. The totally-capable Palm Pre or Pixi cost less than the Kins and require the same data package. Verizon salesmen will likely be pushing interested Kin consumers to either of those options now. It’s the cost of the data plan that tips the scale. It’s due to simple greed on Verizon’s part that the Kin will die an early death. The Kin had great potential for offering teenage girls, Facebook-addicted moms, and technology-challenged folk a smarter cell phone. But instead most will opt for a phone that doesn’t require an expensive monthly data plan. Oh well.
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 8:07 am Taking “Unlimited” to the max with the iPad/AT&T torture test
30 gigabytes! Two freakin days! AT&T! Unlimited! Fire! Ok, I made the fire bit up… basically, the upshot is that, yes, when AT&T say “unlimited”, they actually mean it this time. Zach was originally aiming to pull through 100GB of data over the course of the month, but he’s now decided that 30GB is enough to prove the point. And it probably is, seeing that the last “unlimited” plans were actually 5GB plans in disguise. For all the grisly details, along with a (warranted) “don’t try this at home, kids” disclaimer, head on over to Know Your Cell.
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 8:00 am Intel Introduces Ultra-Low-Power Processor for SmartphonesIntel is making yet another attempt to get inside smartphones with its latest ultra low power Atom processor codenamed "Moorestown."
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 May 2010 | 7:44 am Dropbox Finally Launches on Android (iPad, too)
The Beta version of the Android app has been out-and-about for the last fortnight, but now the fully-fledged, 100% official, ready-for-action, go-get-em-tiger version has been released to the Android Market. I’m serious. No joke reality. You can go do a search now if you don’t believe me. Go on, I’ll wait. Dropbox has been available on the iPhone since 2009, and has been praised by many. I’ve been itching for an Android version since I got my HTC Hero 8 months ago, and I’m not alone. The service provides you with 2GB of free storage in which to stuff cloud-syncable goodies. Pairing the mobile app with the desktop version will allow files from your Windows, Mac, or Linux machine to be accessed on your phone. You can also share those files to friends (both Dropbox users and normal people alike). Unfortunately (and surprisingly), the Android app only supports the uploading of photos, videos, audio, and text files from your Android phone. It would have been nice to have been able to upload any file, but as Android doesn’t natively offer any way to browse the contents of your SD card, I guess this makes sense. Also, it doesn’t appear as a destination in the Android “share” menu, so you’ll have to fire up the app and then choose the files to upload from within there. Which is not only a pain, but adding it as a share destination could have also solved the filetype limitation problem I whined about only moments ago. *sigh* There is, however, a share option from within the app that uses the Android “share” menu, so you can send out a download link for any file or folder via your favourite sharing service (eg twitter, sms, email, etc). So, what are you waiting for? There’s 2GB of mobile-accessible cloud storage out there with your name on it!
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 May 2010 | 6:42 am Adobe Demonstrates Flash on Android TabletAt the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, Adobe has been showing off a prototype Android tablet running Flash and Adobe Air. According to Max of the Zedomax blog, it runs the usually resource-heavy Flash plugin “flawlessly”. And of course, the fact that the demo uses Wired’s own magazine application drew our attention. Here it is in action: While Adobe was generous with the demos, Max couldn’t squeeze much information out of the engineers other than that they are working with NVIDIA and that “there will be a slew of Android Tablets at the end of this year.” Until we get a test unit of any kind of tablet running Android and/or Flash we have no idea of performance or (perhaps more importantly) battery life. Flash aside (for me, anything gets Flash off the web is a good thing), the prospect of Android tablets is an exciting one: It marks the end for tablet PCs and their poorly-suited desktop operating systems, and the beginning an industry-wide conversion to purpose-design mobile computer, as pioneered by the iPad. Bring it! Android Multi-Touch Tablet Prototype Hands-on Review! [Zedomax via Engadget] See Also: 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 6:33 am iPad Keyboard: Pricey and Awkward, But a Must-Have for Productivity
As beautiful as they may be, virtual keyboards can’t replace the speed and precision of typing on physical keys. If you actually plan on doing work on an iPad, you should probably buy Apple’s integrated keyboard-and-dock. Once you attach your iPad to the dock, you can begin typing in basically any app that has a text field: e-mails, URL addresses, documents, etc. No setup is required. If you want, you can plug your iPad power cable into the back of the dock to charge your iPad while you type, but it works just fine even if the keyboard’s not plugged into a power source. I’ve had some time to test the iPad keyboard for the past few days, and the experience is quite liberating. Without modesty, I’ll admit I’m a really fast typist (180 WPM is my max), and typing on the iPad’s soft virtual keyboard was daunting and error-prone. The addition of a physical keyboard transforms the iPad from a couch-surfing media device into a lean-forward productivity tool. I particularly enjoy using the keyboard for chatting, writing e-mails and paying bills: Punching in credit card numbers and addresses with a virtual keyboard is a huge pain in the butt. The experience, however, is still slightly awkward compared to typing with a traditional computer keyboard. Though the keyboard dock is designed specifically for the iPad — including keys to launch the Home screen or a Spotlight search — there are some functions that don’t work with the keyboard. For example, in a drop-down menu, you can’t use the arrow keys to move up or down the items in the menu; you have to just tap the touchscreen. Apple did say during its iPhone OS 4 event that improved keyboard integration is coming in the next OS, so one hopes these issues will be resolved. I also think it’s particularly disappointing that you can’t dock the iPad horizontally onto the keyboard to view the screen in landscape mode. The iPad’s only docking port is under its Home button, meaning the only way you can plug it into the keyboard dock is in vertical mode. A lot of apps that involve typing, such as IM+ or even Apple’s Mail app, look a lot better in landscape mode, and it’s a shame we can’t use them that way when docking on the keyboard. I’m typing this blog post on the iPad docked on the keyboard, and I gotta say: Writing in a portrait-oriented screen is weird. Although the keyboard will enhance your productivity on the iPad, it won’t completely solve the tablet’s shortcomings as a work device. Any app you open takes up the entire screen. Not being able to view other media and notes while writing a blog post like this one, for example, feels stifling. Apple has announced multitasking is coming to iPhone OS 4, which will partly address the problem, because you’ll be able to switch between apps much faster. Bottom line: For what the keyboard dock does, it’s pretty pricey at $70. Apple’s wired keyboard for Macs costs $50, and I would hope the iPad keyboard matches that price tag at some point. Nonetheless, I think this is a crucial buy for professionals and students planning to do some serious work on their iPads. See Also:
Product Page [Apple] Photo: Brian X. Chen/Wired.com0 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 6:00 am Bullet-Point Preview: Iron Man 2 (movie)FROM GAMERTELL - Gamertell offers a slightly enigmatic, purposefully partially vague yet point-on bullet-point preview of Iron Man 2 directed b Jon Favreau… Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 May 2010 | 6:00 am iPad Keyboard: Pricey and Awkward, But a Must-Have for ProductivityWired.com shares its first impressions of the iPad keyboard dock. It's slightly awkward, but a must-buy if you ever want to be productive with the iPad.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 May 2010 | 6:00 am Video: Darth Vader Records Voice for TomTomIt’s hard to decide which is better: the news that Darth Vader’s voice is now available for your TomTom, or this amazing promo video that goes along with it: Fantastic, right? The voice samples on the right are a little more “correct”, but equally good. For example, if you miss a turn, Lord Vader will “find your lack of faith disturbing”, and who knew that after the fifth exit on the roundabound comes the Sith exit? You can (and should) buy Vader’s voice right now, for $13. C-3PO is coming soon, Yoda in July will arrive, and Han Solo will guide you into hyperspace in August. No word on Obi Wan, though, who is clearly the most obvious candidate, if only for the inevitable “This is not the street you’re looking for. Move along.” Star Wars voices now available for TomTom devices [TomTom via Oh Gizmo!] 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 5:56 am New iPhone OS 4 Beta Gets Screen-Lock, Task-Manager
Apple continues to push iPhone OS 4 towards release with a new beta update. The update, available to iPhone developers only, adds a few new features which are worth a look. First is a screen orientation lock. Unlike the iPad’s dedicated hardware button, the iPhone adds an extra on-screen button to the little dock that pops up when you double-tap the home button. This is the “multi-tasking” dock that also lets you switch between open applications. Right now, the new button lets you lock the screen in portrait mode only. The iPod buttons have also moved to this control strip, and we presume that they replace the dialog panel which pops up when you double-tap the home button in the current iPhone OS. You also get a button to access the iPod app. Finally, when the multi-tasking tray is open, you’ll see a button on each app that lets you quit it. This looks a lot like a task manager. I’d be constantly worrying that there were too many applications open, sucking my battery. It looks a little ugly, but to be fair this is still beta, and Apple is likely still working through the best way to do things. These new buttons are accessed in the same way as the search screen on the current iPhone: Once you have accessed the dock, you swipe to the right to reveal this new panel. At least this part make sense, although the once-simple iPhone OS looks to be getting a lot more complicated. iPhone OS 4 Beta 3 Available, First Details [Mac Stories via Mac Rumors and 9to5 Mac] 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 5:31 am Intel Introduces Ultra-Low-Power Processor for Smartphones
The chip, codenamed “Moorestown,” will be extremely power efficient, yet pack enough computational muscle to enable features such as video conferencing and HD video, says Intel. “This is our second-generation, low-power Atom platform that can exceed our competition in terms of power and performance,” says Anand Chandrasekher, Intel senior vice president and general manager of the Ultra Mobility Group. The system-on chip package will be based on Intel’s 45-nanometer process and will pack 140 million transistors. Intel’s chips run the show in netbooks, notebooks and desktop processors, but the company has been sidelined in the fast-growing smartphone market. Processors based on the rival ARM architecture are in most smartphones today. For instance, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor, which has an ARM-based CPU, is in the Google HTC Nexus One phone and HTC’s upcoming EVO 4G phone. Intel tried its hand in the phone-chip business earlier, but in 2006, sold its XScale ARM-based division to Marvell. More recently, Intel tried to pitch its current generation of Atom processors to smartphone makers, but the chips were never accepted because they consumed too much power for phone use. This time, Intel says its made major improvements to power efficiency so its Moorestown chips can stand up to, or even beat, the competition in energy efficiency. “This is the third time Intel is entering the smartphone market,” says Flint Pulskamp, an analyst with IDC. “The difference is this time they realize being inside phones is essential to their long-term viability so they are being very aggressive with their design and architecture.” The Moorestown system-on-a-chip has three parts. The first is an Atom processor that combines the CPU core with 3-D graphics, video encoding, memory and display functions. The second is a controller hub that supports system-level tasks. The final piece is a mixed-signal integrated circuit that handles power delivery and battery charging. Together these chips use just 1.75 percent of the power that the current Atom chips do, in the idle state: Instead of the 1.2 watts drawn by current Atom CPUs, the new Moorestown chips will draw just 21 milliwatts. Similarly, Intel is promising 5 percent of the power consumption of current Atom processors, or 115 milliwatts while browsing the web; and one-third the power consumption while playing video. These power savings translate into more than 10 days of standby time, up to two days of audio playback and four to five hours of browsing and video battery life, says Intel. “We can generally dynamically detect what the phone is doing and adjust the power consumption,” says Belliappa Kuttanna, the principal architect of Intel’s Atom architecture. The new Moorestown chip supports clock speeds of up to 1.5 GHz for high-end smartphones (compared to the 1 GHz seen in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors) and up to 1.9 GHz for tablets and other handheld designs. The chips have been designed for the Android operating system and for Intel’s Moblin OS. Intel says it is already producing these chips and consumers can expect mobile devices that use Intel chips later this year. But so far, the company hasn’t announced any smartphone models that will use Moorestown. Earlier this year, the company demonstrated Atom processors in a phone produced by LG. Breaking into the smartphone market will be tough for Intel, says IDC’s Pulskamp. Intel will have to compete with companies such as Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Infineon, all of which use ARM-based architecture. “Intel is trying to move step-by-step in the mobile market,” says Pulskamp. “They did well with netbooks and now they are looking at phones. But they are going to face more a challenge in smartphones than they did with netbooks.” See Also:
Photo: Prototype of a smartphone using Intel Moorestown chip/Intel 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 5:30 am Eye in the Sky: Floating Camera Kit
Matthew Clark’s Aerial Capture sits (or rather, floats) somewhere between a kite, a party balloon and a novelty toy camera kit. It is in exactly the kind of fun photographic niche that Polaroid should be in, instead of trying to persuade kids to pay $1 a pop for crappy, small paper photographs. The Aerial Capture concept kit combines a cheap and light digicam with a helium balloon and a kite-like reel of string, only in this case the string is a cable connected to the camera and the reel acts as both a spool and as a remote shutter release. You pay out the line up to 20 meters (66-feet) and snap pictures from up on high. This is what digital does so much better than film. No moving parts means a cheap and light it is almost indestructible, and you don’t have to pull the camera out of the sky every 36 shots to change the roll. The only downside is the requirement for helium. It was bad enough when I got a chemistry set for Christmas and had no methylated spirits around for the burner. I don’t think anyone’s parents are going to have a cylinder of helium handy. It looks like a lot of fun. Combine this with an Eye-Fi card and an iPad from yesterday’s ShutterSnitch application for instant review of your aerial shots. Capture Cleavage Pictures The Legit Way [Yanko. Thanks, Radhika!] Aerial Capture [Coroflot] 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 5 May 2010 | 5:04 am
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In the virtual future, you must organize to survive
Last week, well-known web/iPhone developer 
"I'm beginning to wonder if you really understand what 'abridging the freedom of speech' means at all," said Stevens, a 34-year veteran of the court known for his often-nuanced interpretations of the First Amendment. "I'm also wondering whether you and your fat-faced plaintiffs over there need to have some respect for constitutionally protected expression fucked into your empty hick skulls."
Apple and Adobe are really in a rough patch right now. With Adobe dependent on Apple for a lot of the revenue they depend on, panic is starting to set in. Clambering around for a new outlet for their service, Adobe went for Apple’s closest competitor in the mobile space, Android.
There’s been rumors floating around about the existence of a Nokia C2, but there really hasn’t been any kind of reliable siting, and a phone with a rotatable screen just seems a bit off. That doesn’t stop the knockoffs from coming out of Shanzhai though, and they’ve already made a clone. No pricing or availability of course.
The Web 2.0 Expo is in full swing in San Francisco, CA. One of the more interesting panels to take place earlier today was called What to Expect from Browsers in the Next Five Years. The panel’s roster included some of the biggest names in the browser industry, with representatives from Palm, Yahoo, Mozilla, Opera, Google, and Microsoft. Below are my notes from the talk (quotes are paraphrased).
Between late January and early March of this year, BART riders were asked to take a 
To promote their forthcoming debut album release on Interscope (news of which 
YouTuber Brandon Hardesty re-enacts all of the roles (yes, including Hitler) in the "Downfall" scene made famous through internet funny-caption videos. This really is a phenomenal specimen of online video greatness, and a damn good performance. Nice going, Brandon.
Zach Epstein from Know Your Cell has managed to burn through 30 gigabytes of data on his iPad in two days, just to test AT&T’s claims that the iPad plans are 
