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Where is Dark Matter Hiding?According to a highly sensitive particle detector, dark matter particles don't appear to exist. However, dark matter detection reports from another, less sensitive instrument suggests otherwise. What is going on?Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 9 May 2010 | 3:45 am Liquid Blade Brings Immersion Cooling To Blade Servers1sockchuck writes "In the past year we've seen several new cooling systems that submerge rack-mount servers. Now liquid immersion cooling is coming to blade servers. Liquid-cooled PC specialist Hardcore Computer has entered the data center market with Liquid Blade, which features two Intel 5600 Xeon processors with an S5500HV server board in a chassis filled with dielectric fluid. Hardcore, which is marketing the product for render farms, says it eliminates the need for rack-level fans and room-level air conditioning. In recent months Iceotope and Green Revolution Cooling have each introduced liquid cooling for rack-mount servers."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 9 May 2010 | 3:07 am India minister says chance of climate deal 'remote'India's environment minister warned Sunday that there was little prospect of a breakthrough in efforts to forge an international agreement this year to fight global warming. "So far as...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 9 May 2010 | 2:37 am It was the text of their livesIn a detailed account, The Los Angeles Times reports on a tragedy set off by a single SMS, devastating two families and a circle of friends in the Valley. And in The New Zealand Herald today, a coroner's...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 9 May 2010 | 2:17 am Expect no climate deal this year: Indian ministerThe chance of a climate change agreement this year is remote because the United States and China are unwilling to make more commitments during the talks, India's environment minister said...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 9 May 2010 | 1:50 am Sexually Harassed? There's An App For ThatEmily May's project, Hollaback which targets those who sexually harass women on the street is moving beyond a blog and into the 21st century, with an iPhone app. Jezebel reports. Hollaback is a ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 9 May 2010 | 1:27 am Local Boy Scouts are prepared to have fun - Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 9 May 2010 | 1:25 am Foliage Light Fixtures - The Tord Boontje Garland Light is Junglefied (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) House decor can sometimes be plain and uninspiring, but the Tord Boontie Garland Lights add that extra something to a room with foliage light fixtures. This designer is not new to Trend...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 9 May 2010 | 1:21 am Italians can text the PopeRoman Catholics can send now text messages of support to Pope Benedict XVI, Italian Rai television' said Saturday, as the Church faces an international paedophile scandal. The AFP reports. All messages...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 9 May 2010 | 1:05 am MIT Media Lab's Comm.unity platformComm.unity, a new communications platform being developed at the MIT Media Lab, enables mobile devices to discover and communicate with each other in close proximity. It also transforms these devices...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 9 May 2010 | 12:48 am Apple's Haves and Have Nots, Around the WorldRambo Tribble writes "As this story in the Economist notes, Apple's policies regarding international sales are often confusing and out-dated. Apparently, Apple either hasn't been aware of political and social changes in the world over the last 20 years, or doesn't wish to acknowledge them." Soulskill rightly notes that at least some of the complained-about policies boil down to Apple's adherence to local copyright and licensing laws.
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Source: Slashdot | 9 May 2010 | 12:03 am Happy Mothers' Day!Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms in the world, especially mine, pictured here in Algonquin Provincial Park with me in her arms, in 1971. Also to Bubbie and Grandma, to Alice, to Granny Val, to Kate...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 8 May 2010 | 11:53 pm Happy Mothers' Day!
Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms in the world, especially mine, pictured here in Algonquin Provincial Park with me in her arms, in 1971. Also to Bubbie and Grandma, to Alice, to Granny Val, to Kate and Tara Lee, and to all the aunts back in Toronto and in Russia. You people are amazing.
Mom and me, Algonquin Park, ON, circa 1971.jpg
Me and Mom in the North York Mirror, April 26, 1972 Inflatable Exhibit Rooms - The Blow-Up Video Folly is Ideal for Indoor Media Demonstrations (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The blow-up Video Folly by Lambert Kamps is a unique creation for indoor media presentations or exhibits. The plastic inflatable room (for lack of a better word) is essentially just...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 8 May 2010 | 11:52 pm Eight great iPhone apps for Mother's Day (Appolicious)Appolicious - I can’t think of a better Mother’s Day gift than loading your special lady’s iPhone or iPad with “mom”-themed apps. Bonus points if you buy an iPhone or iPad for the lovely lady as well! Or ladies, just download these apps and spoil yourself this Mother’s Day.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 8 May 2010 | 11:35 pm HOWTO teach kids to be makersAvi sez, "Gever Tulley outlines his simple yet radical pedagogical method in this short video. Gever's book 50 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children Do is worth a high school education (or more) by itself." Goddamn if that isn't the most inspirational fifteen minutes you spend today, you're doing something right. Tulley's method: learn to use power tools. Do a quick sketch of something challenging and great. Start building. Learn to use more tools. Encounter hard problems. Work them out. Make stuff. Feel great. Do more. I want to go back in time and attend Tinkerer's School. Gever Tulley, Big Ideas Fest 2009 Fifty Dangerous Things parents' experiences blog
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Source: Boing Boing | 8 May 2010 | 11:30 pm HOWTO teach kids to be makersAvi sez, "Gever Tulley outlines his simple yet radical pedagogical method in this short video. Gever's book 50 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children Do is worth a high school education (or more)...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 8 May 2010 | 11:30 pm Elfquest movie inches closer to actual existenceAttention Elfquest fans! The creators say in an interview with Geek Tragedy that a script for the indy comic's long-awaited movie—in development hell since 1981—has just been delivered to WB. It has four months to greenlight before the option expires. They also discuss Avatar blues; making inadvertently eco-friendly low fantasy; and the social intelligence of fools. Co-creator Richard Pini also demands more and better slash fan-art of the protagonists. Can you provide, yaoi fans? Yes you can. But not here. There.Source: Boing Boing | 8 May 2010 | 11:27 pm Elfquest movie inches closer to actual existenceAttention Elfquest fans! The creators say in an interview with Geek Tragedy that a script for the indy comic's long-awaited movie—in development hell since 1981—has just been delivered...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 8 May 2010 | 11:27 pm Perfect Hobbit-hole dollhouse with handmade furnishingsMaddie made a perfect, sprawling, insanely detailed hobbit hole dollhouse, including handmade furnishings. It is superb and perfect in every way. Anyway I decide to take on this project as part of...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 8 May 2010 | 11:26 pm Perfect Hobbit-hole dollhouse with handmade furnishings Maddie made a perfect, sprawling, insanely detailed hobbit hole dollhouse, including handmade furnishings. It is superb and perfect in every way. Anyway I decide to take on this project as part of a college course I was doing part time when my twins boys were 1 year old. The module was called 'the importance of play' and we had to make a toy to hand in at the end of the term. Of course me being me, I took it to the extreme and at first I decided to make a little hill with a front door like Bag End. I used to play Warhammer and make scenery and paint the little models so the idea was to make an A4 type size model hill using my Warhammer scenery stuff (foam, static grass etc) I can just hear my friend Andi rolling her eyes at me and calling me 'geek', but apparently I was born this way and I don't think I will ever change lolMy Hand Made Hobbit Hole - Bag End from Lord of the Rings (via Geekologie)
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Source: Boing Boing | 8 May 2010 | 11:26 pm HOWTO Make a giraffe pancakeAs the father of a toddler who loves both pancakes and giraffes, I wholly approve of this quick and easy method for making giraffe pancakes from Jim, the master pancakista.
Previously:
(Thanks, Marilyn!)
Source: Boing Boing | 8 May 2010 | 11:21 pm Borders launches $150 Kobo e-reader - Afterdawn.com
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 8 May 2010 | 9:22 pm Wave Hello to Tidal Power“Underwater kite” will generate power from tidal currents.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 8 May 2010 | 9:14 pm How To Behave At a Software Company?dawilcox writes "I'm a recent grad and am going to begin work at a software company. I want to make a good impression on my boss and coworkers. I know that performance is usually tracked, but there are also innate personality traits of good software developers that bosses just want to have around. What are those personality traits? What should I be trying to do in order to make a good impression on the people at my work?" (Appropriate side question: What behavior traits would you like your co-workers to exhibit?)
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Source: Slashdot | 8 May 2010 | 9:00 pm Pocket Agent, Twitter updated and other Best Android Apps of the Week (Appolicious)Appolicious - May brought several new apps to the Android Market, with many brands noting the continued growth of Google’s mobile platform. Given the worsening image of Apple due to its sometimes-touchy relationship with developers, the steady gains of Android continue to lure independent and large-brand developers.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 8 May 2010 | 9:00 pm Montserrat’s Monster: Scientists Map Volcanic DepositsUnderwater volcanic deposits may collapse and cause tsunamis in the Caribbean.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 8 May 2010 | 8:57 pm From Oil Spill to Economic Kill - What's It Going to Cost Us?The oil spill hurts a lot more than the environment: It gets your pocketbook, too.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 8 May 2010 | 8:39 pm Making Lemonade out of Bureaucratic Brazilian Lemons
If the left side of the coast of the US is getting serious about doing business in Brazil, there’s someone they need to meet: Edivan Costa. He’s taken one of the biggest threats to Brazilian entrepreneurship, and fittingly, turned it into a startup itself. Sure Brazil is a growing market, but it’s not easy to build a company there. The government takes one-third of revenues in taxes, and Brazil has European-like labor laws that prevent companies from flexibly hiring and firing—a big negative for a startup ecosystem. But Costa’s company SEDI is helping with one big hurdle new companies face: Bureaucracy. On average, it takes 150 days to open a business in Brazil, requiring dozens of licenses and in many cases those licenses have to be continually renewed. SEDI specializes in making that painless, and Costa has spent 18 years learning how to get the process down to 30-to-40 days—without paying any bribes. He has 90 employees in twelve branches in Brazil. It’s one thing to start a business in an area other people are ignoring. It’s quite another to start a business out of something everyone else sees as the exact thing that’s thwarting entrepreneurship. Costa always had that entrepreneurial edge—growing up in Rio’s favelas he spent his youth collecting scrap paper and selling it to recyclers to pay for his school books. He thought he’d found his way out through every Brazilian kid’s dream—professional soccer. By the time he was 18, he was playing in the equivalent of the minor leagues in Sao Paulo, when his father fell ill and he had to move back home. He wound up splitting some office space with an attorney, doing his clerk work and eventually started offering that service to other attorneys and companies. Costa’s story is remarkable for a guy that grew up with few advantages. He was largely uneducated, had no investors and as an Afro-Brazilian he takes issue with the idea that Brazil is free from racism. Soon after starting SEDI, he was driving a nice car with a blond girlfriend on his arm, and a guy in a convenience store asked him if he was a Samba player, a soccer player or a criminal. He says he still gets confused for a security guard in malls, because he wears a suit everywhere he goes. (That’s him in the dramatic picture above.) But the only color that Costa’s clients care about is the red tape he helps them cut through, by keeping up to date with the myriad of changing regulations. Customers include WalMart, TelMex and Carrefour, along with a lot of other big national brands. He specializes in retail businesses with hundreds of stores spread throughout the country. SEDI did over $3 million US dollars in revenue last year, down from 2008 thanks to the financial crisis. But already in 2010, business is up 25%, Costa says. He serves about 8% of the top 500 companies in Brazil, so there’s clearly a lot of room to grow– or if he’s not careful for a competitor to eat his lunch. SEDI is a services business that likely won’t be the next big Brazilian IPO. But it could easily enable that company to open its doors. People always say the key to Silicon Valley’s startup infrastructure is the network of professionals skilled at getting a company up and running in a matter of days. Brazil still has a long way to go to get there, clearly, but SEDI helps. This seems like a no-brainer service every emerging market needs.      
Source: TechCrunch | 8 May 2010 | 8:19 pm The Unified Database Of Places Is Coming Soon. Or Maybe Never.
Back in March, I moderated a panel featuring key members of Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, Twitter, and Plancast. When I raised the idea of a unified place database, all seemed to be in agreement that it would be a good thing. Even when I brought up that their own place databases were a way to keep their users around, everyone seemed to think there were better ways to do that, and that the benefits of a unified place database would outweigh any costs. Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley reiterated that to Erick last month, saying that a “‘Facebook Connect of places’ would be amazing.“ This past week, at Web 2.0 Expo, the discussion started up once again, with a different group of people in the space. This time, key members of Twitter, Google, and Brightkite talked about the idea. Of those, Martin May of Brightkite seemed to be the most adamant about it. When moderator Brady Forrest asked if Brightkite could build such a database, May responded with, “We could.” He went on to say that they’ve spoken with several other companies about such an open place project. May also hinted that Brightkite may open up the data they’ve gotten from Check.in, their service that allows you to check-in to Foursquare, Gowalla, and Brightkite via one application. Because that app has to search each of those services’ databases to find the correct place to check-in at across all three, Brightkite likely has some interesting data tying at least some of these places on the different databases together. Steve Lee of Google (working on Latitude) jumped in to say that he likes what Brightkite is doing with Check.in, but thinks that it’s still too cumbersome. “There should be a standard, but it’s not without complications,” Lee said. These include technical challenges and licensing issues, Lee noted, saying that it would be difficult for Google to do this because so much of their [place] data is licensed from third parties. “Google is interested in solving the problem, but it’s not easy,” Lee concluded with. Twitter’s Elad Gil (who came over when Twitter bought GeoAPI) was more much more optimistic about a solution. In fact, he’s positive it will come, and thinks that all of the various location applications need to be prepared when it does with ways to truly differentiate themselves. “All these applications have ot think about how to differentiate. It’s hard to build out the database of locations, but fundamentally the technical problems will go away,” Gil said. That rings true. But the question remains: who will build it? Twitter seems to be passing the buck to Google, who seems to be passing it right back to Twitter. Brightkite clearly wants to, but will any of the other players really trust a rival with their data? If not, will they start to restrict their APIs to make it harder to access the place information in bulk? The obvious solution is to have a completely open database, as Erick laid out. But again, that is easier said than done. We’ve seen that time and time again with a number of different initiatives. “Open” sounds great until someone has to actually do it, be in charge of it, and get users to use it. That leaves the 800-pound gorilla: Facebook. As they get ready to unleash their location-based component, one that will supposedly integrate with venues, I wouldn’t doubt that they’ll be not-so-slowly gathering up and organizing a massive database of places. They’ll open this up, via the Open Graph API, but everyone will complain that it’s not really open. Then Twitter will step up with their solution (they’ve been accumulating the necessary data for some time now). Then Google will too. It’s amazing what a little competition can do. Of course, if that happens, we’ll be left with the same problem, just at a higher level. And the dance will continue. [photo: flickr/pedrosimones7]      
Source: TechCrunch | 8 May 2010 | 7:23 pm Softbank Prices Basic Japan IPad Model at $535 (Correct) - BusinessWeek
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 8 May 2010 | 6:37 pm Gadzooks! Why, this miniature cannon is most delightful!
[via Reddit]
Source: CrunchGear | 8 May 2010 | 6:19 pm Star Wars trilogy retold in 2 minutes, 13 seconds using LEGOsThis is made of all kinds of awesome and win. My favorite line: "That was when the boy got some very surprising news about his dad." Watch amazing 2-minute Star Wars trilogy ... with LEGOs!Source: Boing Boing | 8 May 2010 | 5:50 pm When Internet Radios Get AffordableDeviceGuru writes "Grace Digital Audio has just released a new device that functions like an Internet radio tuner in a whole-house audio system and is being sold at a surprisingly affordable pricepoint. The Solo WiFi Receiver works in tandem with Reciva's Internet radio station selection web service, provides excellent Pandora support, and also supports optional Internet services such as Live365, MP3tunes, Aupeo, and Sirius. It has built-in buttons and a display for easy control, comes with a dedicated IR-remote, and is supported by a free iPhone remote access/control app. We hear a lot about the high-end Sonos gear, but at just over $100, this little gadget seems like a breakthrough in cost-effective Internet radio, much as the Roku Netflix player broke ground in low-cost Internet video streaming."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 8 May 2010 | 5:50 pm At 25, the Ozone Hole Still MattersReflecting on our past success in fixing the hole in Earth's ozone layer could help us fight climate change.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 8 May 2010 | 5:47 pm Nintendo to ramp up security for upcoming 3DS handheld - Afterdawn.com
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 8 May 2010 | 5:32 pm Deep-Sea Ice Crystals Stymie Gulf Oil Leak FixA slushy mix of deep-sea water and oil is hindering attempts to slow the Gulf of Mexico leak.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 8 May 2010 | 5:04 pm Weekend Update 05.08.10–Boys of Summer Edition [Digital Daily]
BoomTown started off at what has become a magically bottomless trough of posts. Kara reported on yet another exec, this time Angela Courtin, SVP of Marketing, Entertainment and Content, scurrying down the gangway of the SS MySpace. Kara mused that while posts on executive departures from My Space and Yahoo have been plentiful lately, they can’t keep coming forever. Midweek, she got on a plane to Beantown and caught up with Walt Mossberg at MIT’s new Media Lab facility. The video she came back with features foldable cars, cities of the future, awesome electro-opera gloves and the weirdest glowing-eyed owl-thing Weekend Update has ever laid eyes on. Seriously: Worth a watch. Toward the end of the week, Kara got deep in a piece she wrote for the Washington Post, where she worked back when newspapers were king. She wrote about what she thought the world would benefit from being rid of, namely physical keyboards and computer mice. Full disclosure: She wrote the post on her Apple (AAPL) iPad. Digital Daily was a posting machine this week, starting early with some bad news for Steve Ballmer and the Internet Explorer fanboys out there (theoretically there should be some right?). It looks like IE’s dominating market share dropped seven percent, down to 59 percent since this time last year, under pressure from other browsers, according to a Net Applications study. Midweek, John moved on to a post about recent speculation that low AT&T (T) data plan prices for the iPad 3G may indicate an extension of the exclusive deal between AT&T and Apple. John finished things off with a nice post that brings some perspective to all the Apple ogling by the press. The comScore (SCOR) report names Samsung as the top mobile device maker in the U.S. market, even if an analysis of media coverage volume might suggest otherwise. Over at MediaMemo, Peter brought us a post early in the week on Google’s investment in Invidi, a start-up working on “addressable ads” in the TV space. We aren’t sure if Google (GOOG) is looking more Appley or if Apple is looking more Googley these days. From the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel files, Peter posted that Time Inc. saw gains in both ad and subscription dollars last quarter. The question remains: Will it be a V- or a W-shaped recovery? At least it’s not just a backslash. Delivering a much anticipated piece of news, Peter posted that it appears Facebook will finally start rolling out location services sometime in the next several weeks. Advertising Age reported that McDonald’s (MCD), the international corporate face of individualized services, will be a partner for the launch. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. At Mickey D’s, you can have it any way you want, as long as it’s the McDonalds way.
Thanks for tuning in, logging on and tweeting out with our new Meebo bar. We’re in the final countdown to the D8 conference now, and we’re ready to level up to full-tilt awesome. Stay tuned! Source: All Things Digital | 8 May 2010 | 4:46 pm 1 Molecule Computes Thousands of Times Faster Than a PCalexhiggins732 writes with this tantalizing PopSci snippet: "A demo of a quantum calculation carried out by Japanese researchers has yielded some pretty mind-blowing results: a single molecule can perform a complex calculation thousands of times faster than a conventional computer. A proof-of-principle test run of a discrete Fourier transform — a common calculation using spectral analysis and data compression, among other things — performed with a single iodine molecule transpired very well, putting all the molecules in your PC to shame."
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Source: Slashdot | 8 May 2010 | 4:46 pm It's not a urinal, is it?Source: Boing Boing | 8 May 2010 | 4:29 pm Zynga’s Struggle For Independence: Bailing On Tagged, ZLive To Launch Soon?
Yesterday we reported on Zynga’s plans to launch a social gaming network called Zynga Live as part of its efforts to distance itself from Facebook. Zynga is also pulling away from other social networks, it seems, including Tagged. They announced the imminent shutdown of YoVille on Tagged earlier this week, and announced plans to let users play the game directly on YoVille.com shortly. Zynga has also launched Farmville.com independently, last year, but its other games remain siloed in other social networks. In the initial notice, Zynga told players “As a thank you for playing, Zynga would like to offer Yoville players a generous Welcome Package to get started on Zlive.” That was the first time, as far as we can tell, that Zynga publicly stated that there would be a Zlive site. Zlive.com isn’t currently resolving. A blog post by Zynga announcing the change was later updated to remove the references to Zlive. Zynga PR isn’t commenting.      
Source: TechCrunch | 8 May 2010 | 4:25 pm In icy depths, clinging crystals halt oil captureA petroleum chemist and geologist says the icy hydrates that have halted an effort to slow the Gulf oil spill can float like ice cubes and can form less than a quarter-mile from the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 8 May 2010 | 4:05 pm The international iPad is set to hit the shelves May 28FROM APPLETELL - Apple has released details on the international launch of the Apple iPad. The magical device will hit an additional nine countries on May 28, with pre-orders beginning on May 10. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 8 May 2010 | 4:00 pm An Early Look At Twitter Annotations Or, “Twannotations”
During a presentation in London today, Twitter engineer Raffi Krikorian offered up an early glimpse of what Twitter’s highly anticipated new annotations feature (or, as he refers to them at one point “Twannotations”) will look like. “Threw together a quick, and extremely preliminary view on what @twitterapi has been working on — and what I feel has the ability of being a game-changer on the platform — Annotations,” he writes on his Posterous blog. Krikorian also posted his deck, which I’ll embed below. Of note, Krikorian says that every tweet annotation will have a “type,” and each type can have several attributes. This information will apparently have same “visibility policy” as tweets themselves, which seems to mean “public” unless you set your account to private. More significantly, Krikorian notes that you’ll be able to put anything you want in annotations. Twitter will have some suggestions to help developers get started, but they won’t be restricting anything, apparently. Twitter will also apparently be publishing annotation stats to the public. There will be some sort of “Explorer” product that will give stats about most used, most adopted, and trending annotations. Check out the full deck for a few other tidbits of information, including about the APIs. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 8 May 2010 | 3:40 pm iPad Isn't "Killing" Netbook Sales, According To Paul Thurrottmantis2009 writes "Paul Thurrott, the prolific technology analyst and Windows expert, reacts strongly to an article highlighted on Slashdot. Thurrott takes numbers from IDC and the Wall Street Journal, indicating that netbook sales have not in any meaningful way been affected by sales of Apple's tablet computer, the iPad. Money quote: '[N]etbooks and sub-12-inch machines will sell 45.6 million units in 2011 and 60.3 million in 2013. If I remember the numbers from 2009, they were 10 percent of all PCs, or about 30 million units. Explain again how the iPad will beat that. Please. Even the craziest iPad sales predictions are a small percentage of that.'"
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Source: Slashdot | 8 May 2010 | 3:40 pm Fan updating David Lynch's "Dune" with modern FX
Sasha Burrow is working on a "fan-edit" of David Lynch's Dune to recreate some of the film's more outdated special effects. The picture above is what his version of a 2nd Stage Guild Navigator could look like.
The project started out simply but has steadily grown in scope, and now Sasha is looking for help from other contributors:
The project initially began as an endeavor to build a "proper" ornithopter - one with flapping wings, that neither the movie or the mini-series managed to achieve. However, with the advent of the "fan-edit" the scope of the project has expanded with the goal of updating the effects in all those places in the movie where I feel things could be significantly "improved." Although I am currently working on this by Myself, it's a large undertaking and if there is anyone interested in helping this project along, feel free to contact MeHelp Update David Lynch's Dune Source: Boing Boing | 8 May 2010 | 3:07 pm Is the 4th Yellow Pixel of Sharp Quattron Hype?Nom du Keyboard writes "Sharp Aquos brand televisions are making a big deal about their Quattron technology of adding a 4th yellow pixel to their RGB sets. While you can read a glowing review of it here, the engineer in me is skeptical because of how all the source material for this set is produced in 3-color RGB. I also know how just making a picture brighter and saturating the colors a bit can make it more appealing to many viewers over a more accurate rendition – so much for side-by-side comparisons. And I laugh at how you are supposed to see the advantages of 4-color technology in ads on your 3-color sets at home as you watch their commercials. It sounds more like hype to extract a higher profit margin than the next great advance in home television. So is it real?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 8 May 2010 | 2:37 pm Why Media Companies Should Become More Like Merchants
Editor’s note: Should media sites become group buying sites as well? Guest author Dave Chase thinks so. He was a marketing executive and general manager at Microsoft in the 90’s including starting Microsoft’s healthcare business. After leaving Microsoft, he has been involved in Internet startups including a social commerce company in the health sector that is in stealth. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Internet it is that if a middleman doesn’t add enough value, their days are numbered. Media companies may not have thought of themselves as middlemen—but that’s what they have been for marketers. When I used to buy advertising a decade or so ago, I felt it was my job to do what I could to get the media provider out of the middle between my company and the customers we desired. For example, we did a lot to drive a direct relationship including encouraging them to register with us so we could communicate with them directly later—first through e-mail, now it would be via a Facebook page or Twitter. Back then, there was more than enough ad revenue for the media company to sustain their business—so much profit, in fact, that some companies got complacent. Just as railroad companies should have realized they were in the transportation business rather than the railroad business (and thus they missed the opportunity to get into the auto or air transportation business), media companies should recognize their business purpose is to connect their audience with products and services the audience desires. Without that business purpose, they can’t fulfill their editorial mission. The traditional mission of a media business is to collect a loyal audience with high quality information, and let the advertisers worry about how to sell stuff. The media companies sold the audience. Retailers historically aggregated consumers for product makers—for example, giving Proctor & Gamble a way to sell to people in Poughkeepsie . But most didn’t add a lot of value beyond offering consumers product selection and price. Retailers such as Best Buy have realized that and have started to add other value to the experience (e.g., the Geek Squad). Meanwhile, one of the retailers’ biggest costs has been advertising—circulars, broadcast advertising or something else. Today, media companies on the Web aggregate consumers around specific interests and product niches (technology, cooking, travel, music, movies, sports, finance) much more efficiently. I believe today’s media companies will need to get directly involved in commerce to ensure a sustainable business model. The Times (UK) and Burda (Germany) are both reported to be realizing a substantial portion of their profits from direct commerce enabled from their websites selling 3rd party travel packages and other goods and services. Local media companies such as the Washington Post are either partnering with group-buying sites such as LivingSocial or rolling out their private label competition to Groupon and LivingSocial. Some traditionalists may shudder at this blurring of church and state lines. However, the trusted relationships media companies and retailers historically aspired to have is more important than ever in this age of transparency. A company that shills for inferior products will be outed immediately. Conversely, a company that provides entertaining, inspiring and informative content and allows consumers to more easily find and complete a transaction for the best products and services is providing a great service to their readers. The byproduct for traditional media businesses unwilling to make these moves is self-evident. It’s not hard to see this in action as you pick up your ever-shrinking newspaper that isn’t covering the topics it once did. In other words, their editorial mission is suffering due to sticking to their traditional ways. Once again, traditional media run the risk of being slow to adapt. In some regards, smart media companies need to think more like retailers. That is, get directly involved in the transaction that they are only indirectly touching today. Rather than let the next eBay or craigslist form independently, they should get actively engaged in some of these new models:
While these trends can span both local and national media properties, I believe that the private sale business is a great fit for a national publication. National publications tend to be focused on a particular topic area whether they are gadget blogs, design site, or parenting magazine. Here are a few examples:
Meanwhile, local media is a natural fit for group buys—the group-buying phenomenon is largely local. Already we have seen Groupon work with Metromix and LivingSocial partnering with the Washington Post. Group-buying programs can grow much faster by piggybacking the daily or regular habit most consumers already have with various local news properties. National media will have to be more careful not to cross journalistic lines. It will be relatively easier for local media as most of the group-buying categories don’t directly relate to their editorial focus with the exception of special sections such as travel. The value of the local media isn’t terribly different than the traditional model – i.e., aggregating a large, local audience. However, they are taking the additional step of closing the transaction. Those of us who have sold media understand how successful private sale and group-buying programs can avoid the common scenario of trying to explain to an advertiser that the media property achieved the agreed upon objective (i.e., exposing consumers to the merchant’s offerings) but it may have been the merchant who didn’t do their end of the bargain very effectively. These social commerce programs can avoid a common problem with ads – the lack of measurability, and the inevitable disagreements between the merchant and the publisher over the effectiveness of the ads. Some believe this model of commerce will die out as the economy recovers. I disagree. Product purveyors have always had extra inventory they need to unload. Further, the private sale approach allows them to do it in a way that they don’t perceive damages their brand even if they have premium positioning. Likewise, in the local arena where popular group-buying categories such as restaurants and service providers (spas, dentists, etc.) are having great success, those organizations previously employed the “spray and pray” method of advertising with little idea whether it was working or not. With group-buying, they not only get a directly measurable transaction closed, they get what amounts to free advertising even for people who don’t purchase, since the group-buying sites amount to a quasi city guide. Groupon states in their marketing that 9 out of 10 businesses who have used them state that Groupon customers are among their “new regulars”. That puts this model in the no-brainer category for many local media. Photo credit: Flickr/ Tilo Driessen      
Source: TechCrunch | 8 May 2010 | 2:32 pm US oil spill no Chernobyl, but still toxic: biologistThe huge oil spill inching closer to shore in the Gulf of Mexico is no Chernobyl disaster but will have a huge impact on the key fishing industry, a marine biologist said here. A...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 8 May 2010 | 2:09 pm Google Attorney Slams ACTA Copyright TreatyHugh Pickens writes "CNET reports that Daphne Keller, a senior policy counsel at Google, says ACTA has 'metastasized' from a proposal to address border security and counterfeit goods to a sweeping international legal framework for copyright and the Internet that could increase the liability for Internet intermediaries such as, perhaps, search engines. 'You don't want to play Russian roulette with very high statutory damages.' One section of ACTA says that Internet providers 'disabling access' to pirated material and adopting a policy dealing with unauthorized 'transmission of materials protected by copyright' would be immune from lawsuits but if they choose not to do so, they could face legal liability. Both the Obama administration and the Bush administration had rejected requests for the text of ACTA, with the White House last year even indicating that disclosure would do 'damage to the national security.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 8 May 2010 | 1:33 pm Report: Apple developing a Flash alternative - CNET
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 8 May 2010 | 1:15 pm India's 3G licence auction sees stellar price rise (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 8 May 2010 | 1:09 pm Welcome To The Cloud, Microsoft
This guest post was written by Aaron Levie, CEO and co-founder of Box.net. Box.net was founded in 2005 with the goal of helping people and businesses easily access and share information from anywhere. He has a few suggestions for how Microsoft can better embrace the cloud.
In the coming days, weeks, and months, Microsoft will articulate and evangelize its cloud strategy. It will unveil its Office 2010 product line, and we'll see if Steve Ballmer can stand behind his claim that Microsoft is truly "betting our company" on cloud computing. Honestly, I hope he can. Yes, my small company, Box.net, competes with Microsoft's SharePoint product, but I believe that a more innovative, open, and user-centric Microsoft benefits the technology industry at large, not to mention its massive customer base. By rethinking its entrenched but rather stagnant product line and embracing the cloud, Microsoft has an immense opportunity for reinvention. And because the cloud becomes more compelling to businesses as mature platforms and meaningful integrations proliferate, Microsoft's entry can be a boon for other vendors, partners, resellers and developers. But in order for its move to be a force for good, Microsoft needs to be serious about going "all in." And if it is, there are some major challenges ahead:
Designing software for the web.
I'm going to make a blanket comparison here. In just over a decade, Google has amassed an army of web engineers and evangelists. In over 20 years, Microsoft has built a closed culture around a software model that is fast becoming extinct. They haven't commercialized a single major web technology innovation that I can think of in the past decade (okay, maybe Bing, but even that is more evolutionary than revolutionary). Apple brought us a new generation of connected devices with the iPhone and iPad; Google brought us open mobile operating systems, a new breed of apps, and a scalable business model for the web; Facebook made social the underlying fabric of software; Salesforce.com commercialized SaaS.
Source: TechCrunch | 8 May 2010 | 12:38 pm 9/11 Made Us Safer, Says Bruce Schneierrichi writes "Security guru and BT CTO Bruce Schneier discusses terrorist attacks. In fact, Bruce seems to be saying that 9/11 actually made us safer from terrorists, which seems like a curious argument. While Bruce's blog post is interesting and no doubt insightful, I'm not sure I really buy it. And what's the deal with the new rules for searching the TSA No Fly List? Why is it, in 2010, we're still mucking about with publishing database extracts and waiting hours for them to be searched? How about checking within seconds of an update? Couldn't someone volunteer to show them how to implement a reliable, scalable, NoSQL setup? Instead, the TSA plan to fix this is a classic 'big government' solution."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 8 May 2010 | 12:29 pm Cassandra and Voldemort Benchmarkedkreide33 writes "Key/Value storage systems are gaining in popularity, much because of features such as easy scalability and automatic replication. However, there are several to choose from and performance is an important deciding factor. This article compares the performance of two of the most well-known projects, Cassandra and Voldemort, using several different mixes of access types, and compares both throughput and latency."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 8 May 2010 | 12:02 pm Free Apps roundup for May 7th, 2010FROM APPLETELL - This week’s most notable update to the App Store is the newest version of Dropbox. We’ve also got a Bucket for your Photos, a Pocket for your Pond, and more free stuff. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 8 May 2010 | 12:00 pm Chavez rockets to No. 1 on Twitter in Venezuela (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 8 May 2010 | 12:00 pm Zynga Expected to Launch Social Gaming Site - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 8 May 2010 | 10:18 am California Travel & Tourism Commission and Southwest Airlines Launch First-ever Joint Online Promotion: 'California - The Game'Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 8 May 2010 | 10:00 am Big Content's depraved indifferenceSomething I think gets lost in the debate over DRM: Big Content doesn't want DRM because they want to usher in an era of totalitarian control technologies; they don't want copyright filters because they want to make the censor's job easier; they don't want increased intermediary liability because they want to extinguish easy personal expression and collective action.They want these things because they want to make more money. But they are indifferent to the point of depravity to the totalitarian, censorious and restrictive consequences of DRM, filters and liability. They aren't moustache-twirling supervillains. They're greedy, blinkered provincials and hypercompetitive macho bullies who are unwilling to look past the short-term benefits to the consequences. They think only of how things will work, not how they'll fail. When we (we -- I do this too, all the time) focus on the consequences to culture and creativity, we allow this debate to be defined in terms of who gets to remix what, or whether you'll have to start paying for the ongoing use of your cultural goods. These are important issues. But they're a distant second to a rearchitecting of our law and technology to create the preconditions for repression, corruption and suppression of dissent. That's the real fight: are we shaping a world where our children will be able to come together effortlessly to improve their lots and the lots of their neighbors; where they'll be able to fight corruption and hold their leaders to account; where they'll be able to participate and help others to participate?
Or will we allow a small gang of selfish and short-sighted entertainment companies to fatally compromise the infrastructure of the 21st century to add a few points to its bottom line? Brewing TV: When Homebrewers Attack the Web
Once you roll past the intro, you get to see the guys at Fulton Brewing in Minneapolis and a few more interesting bits on brewing. A nice bit of visual distraction for the weekend and an interesting move by an entrenched, old-timey industry to enter the 21st century. Could these men in hats and ironic beards (see below) be the next Gary Vee?      
Source: TechCrunch | 8 May 2010 | 8:57 am Some examples of Internet `hijackings'April 1997: MAI Network Services, an Internet service provider in Virginia, passes bad routing information to Sprint, which relays it, causing widespread outages. April 1998: An Israeli...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 8 May 2010 | 8:34 am How an unfixed Net glitch could strand you offlineIn 1998, a hacker told Congress that he could bring down the Internet in 30 minutes by exploiting a certain flaw that sometimes caused online outages by misdirecting data. In 2003, the BushSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 8 May 2010 | 8:33 am How an unfixed Net glitch could strand you offline (AP)AP - In 1998, a hacker told Congress that he could bring down the Internet in 30 minutes by exploiting a certain flaw that sometimes caused online outages by misdirecting data. In 2003, the Bush administration concluded that fixing this flaw was in the nation's "vital interest."Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 8 May 2010 | 8:33 am This Week in Geek: iPhone Hacking, HTML5, and Fast New Drives (PC World)PC World - It's been a busy week for smartphone hackers: One of our contributors helped get Android to run on an iPhone 3G and a new jailbreak came on the scene for iPads/iPods/iPhones, but that's just the start for interesting news in the world of Geek. Read on for some stories about USB 3.0, solid state drives, a primer on HTML5 and CSS3, and yes, smartphone hacking: old school edition.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 8 May 2010 | 8:15 am Is an MBA a Plus or a Minus in the Startup World?
For a couple of years after getting my degree, I wondered whether I had made the right choice. Even though I scored a great job at CS First Boston in its IT department, I was just writing code and designing systems. Yes, I started to enjoy reading BusinessWeek and the Wall Street Journal; but had the financial sacrifice and time away from my family been worth it? It didn’t seem to have been. Over time, I started rising through the ranks in IT. I went from being a programmer to becoming a project leader and then a vice president. I found that I could communicate effectively with user departments and my bosses; I could deliver projects on time; I knew how to manage and motivate employees; and I had the confidence to present business proposals to managing directors and board members. I was even able to help persuade IBM to make a $20 million investment in the technology that my team had developed. We spun off a startup called Seer Technologies, and I became chief technology officer. And that’s when my education really began to pay big dividends. In the startup world, it’s simply survival of the fittest. You have to involve yourself with almost every aspect of the business—and use all skills. I would find myself having to develop and manage budgets; help market and sell; hire; assist in setting corporate strategy; and review legal contracts. As well, I still had to develop technology and deal with all the uncertainties and failures that come with a startup.
So I have no doubt that my MBA was the best investment I’ve ever made, and my education helped me achieve success. Which leads me to the reason for this post: a Twitter debate with Guy Kawasaki, Managing Director at Garage Technology Ventures. Kawasaki argues that MBAs are not needed in the startup world; in fact these provide negative value. He insisted that I was “in denial” when I challenged a piece he had written in Forbes several years ago:
In email exchanges, Kawasaki explained that his issue with MBAs is that they are “taught that the hard part is the analysis and coming up with the insightful solution”. In other words: implementation is easy and analysis is hard. “But this is the opposite of what happens in startups. Implementation is everything in a startup.” Kawasaki believes that MBAs aren’t a good fit for startups, and engineering graduates are. I agree that engineering degrees are important. They provide a level of technical depth and analytical capability that is invaluable in the tech-startup world. But not everyone needs to be an engineer. You need smart people coming up with creative marketing campaigns; managing finances; and selling your products. And the CEOs and CTOs need to master all domains. In my experience, the most successful entrepreneurs have been those with a strong technical background who have been through some sort of “finishing school”. (I am not talking about college dropouts such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs—I consider them to be outliers). Engineering degrees can be very technical and can actually narrow one’s horizons. To innovate, you need to understand customers and markets. To build a successful product—one that actually sells and makes an impact, you need to understand distribution and finance. So even in the lower echelons of technology, a broader educational background is a plus. Is the MBA the best degree for engineers? Maybe not. Programs such as the one I teach at Duke may be a better fit. The Duke Masters of Engineering Management program is a one-year program that teaches students marketing, finance, intellectual property and business law, and management. It’s like a mini-MBA. Engineers don’t need to learn how to price an option with the Black–Scholes Model, for example. They certainly don’t need to learn how to create new types of financial products. There are also many other degrees that can provide the needed balance to engineers. These don’t have to be tech or management oriented; even an education in diverse fields such as psychology can be a plus: anything that broadens your horizons and teaches you how to come up with “insightful solutions”. The point is that education is the best investment that one can make. Unlike stocks and bonds, education never loses value; and when you add experience, it gains even more value. Editor’s note: Guest writer Vivek Wadhwa is an entrepreneur turned academic. He is a Visiting Scholar at UC-Berkeley, Senior Research Associate at Harvard Law School and Director of Research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University. Follow him on Twitter at @vwadhwa      
Source: TechCrunch | 8 May 2010 | 8:01 am Appletell iPad Case Roundup: Griffin EditionFROM APPLETELL - There certainly are enough options out there in terms of iPad cases, and Griffin hopes you’ll pick the Elan Passport or the Elan Sleeve. Let’s see if they’re worthwhile. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 8 May 2010 | 8:00 am Brewing TV: When homebrewers attack the web
Brewing TV – Episode 1.1 from Brewing TV on Vimeo. If you’ve ever made your own booze you probably know about Northern Brewer, one of the best online brew supply stores. Well, those folks just started Brewing TV which consists of a dude in a hat talking with another dude in a hat about brewing as well as a video of some other dudes in hats. Generally, it’s just as you’d imagine, but so much more. Homebrewing is an odd nexus of technology and tradition. Because most of these guys are hackers – either technologically or culinarily – its fascinating to see how the industry slowly but surely moves into the 21st century with cool stuff like this. Incidentally, I need to bottle my chardonnay this weekend. Party at my house in about five months!
Source: CrunchGear | 8 May 2010 | 7:49 am Borders Taking Orders For New Kobo eReaderBorders Group Inc said on Friday that it has begun taking pre-orders for the Kobo electronic book reader, which is scheduled for release starting June 17, and it is offering it at a lower price than other competitive devices.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 8 May 2010 | 7:10 am Virgin Money out of race for RBS branches -sources* 318 RBS branches set to fetch over one billion poundsSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 8 May 2010 | 7:09 am Chip Sales To Increase This Year: IDCIndustry research firm IDC said Friday that global semiconductor revenues are expected to rise 16 to 18 percent this year after a disappointing drop of 9 percent in 2009. The global economic downturn was the key factor that saw revenues fall to nearly 225 billion dollars last year.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 8 May 2010 | 7:06 am Nokia Files Suit Against Apple, AgainNokia said on Friday that it has filed a new lawsuit against Apple, accusing the U.S. firm of infringing five Nokia patents with its latest iPhone and iPad devices.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 8 May 2010 | 7:00 am Nintendo President Speaks On Anticipated 3D ConsoleNintendo plans to unveil a 3D version of its handheld device in hopes of driving a new gaming revolution, much like the motion-sensing Wii console did. President Satoru Iwata gave little information about the 3D gadget; only saying it will offer a whole new gaming experience to players.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 8 May 2010 | 6:40 am Feral rabbits by the thousands on U Victoria campusBritish Columbia's University of Victoria is awash in thousands of feral bunnies, and no one knows what to do about it: As the university struggles with the question of what to do with between 1,500 and 2,000 feral rabbits -- which are chewing and digging their way through the campus grounds -- emotions are running high, fuelled by accusations of misinformation from both sides.Rabbit woes continue to multiply at University of Victoria (Thanks, Dan Mac!)
Previously:
Source: Boing Boing | 8 May 2010 | 6:09 am RPT-FEATURE-Spill could devastate US Gulf Coast oyster reefs* Oysters form backbone of $6.5 billion fishing industrySource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 8 May 2010 | 6:02 am Netbooks? Ha! iPads will replace desktop PCs - Computerworld
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 8 May 2010 | 4:03 am
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Last month, Erick wrote a post 
The flowers are blooming in Silicon Valley and the scoreboard shout-outs at AT&T Park, where the San Francisco Giants play, are stacked up, as all the fashionable little start-ups treat their staffs to a dog, beers and some baseball. AllThingsD continues to watch the seasons change from inside our dimly lit HQ, crumpled over computers, smartphones and tablets to keep the news flowing. We’re going to be as pale in August as we were in February, all in the service of our readers. We’re glad to have you, so read on and catch up on anything you might have missed from this warm and wonderful week. 
If you’ve ever made your own booze you probably know about 
A long time ago, I had to make a really tough choice: invest in an MBA from New York University, or make do with my bachelors. I was newly married, had a child on the way, and didn’t have much in savings. The degree would set me back tens of thousands of dollars and take years to complete—especially if I did it part time. And I couldn’t imagine doing anything but programming computers for a living. So why learn finance, marketing, and operations management, I wondered? Well, I decided to enroll because my understanding of the business world lacked depth, and I harbored a deep-rooted desire to get the best education possible. My wife and I moved into a small one-bedroom apartment in North Bergen, NJ, and we made do with what we had.
My MBA classes seemed to fit our business needs like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Even obscure topics like corporate finance came in handy, in IPO discussions with investment bankers and later, in raising capital for my own company.