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Will the Cius challenge the iPad's potenial in health care or beyond? - Computerworld
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 6 Jul 2010 | 4:02 am Twitter's Slow-Motion Business Plan [MediaMemo]
It’d be something like Woot, or maybe Gilt Groupe, or maybe Amazon’s (AMZN) Gold Box Club, or maybe Dell’s (DELL) famous Twitter experiment. That is: Retailers are already using Twitter to do this sort of thing, but Twitter has ideas about turning it into something bigger. Or at least something that makes it some money. That’s according to a recent report from ReadWriteWeb, which Twitter won’t confirm but won’t dispute. “We”ll definitely let you know when we’re ready to talk about it,” Twitter PR boss Sean Garrett writes via e-mail. “Should be in the next couple of weeks.” So let’s assume that’s legit. And let’s add it to the list of Twitter revenue gambits we’ve seen so far:
Did I miss anything? If so, let me know. But by my count, we’re now at 5 different ways for the famously revenue-free company to generate revenue. Not all of those are going to be winners — we haven’t heard much about those custom pages for a year or so. And Promoted Tweets looks like the only one with potential to scale into something really big on its own — big enough to justify the big valuation Twitter landed when it raised that big pile of money last year. But if you’re a Twitter booster, you have to feel good about that list of experiments. Twitter doesn’t need all of them to be huge successes — it has enough scale that even a bunch of moderate successes will translate into big numbers. And in a worst-case scenario, where they all fail, the Twitter dudes can cross those efforts off and move on to something else. That’s what startups are supposed to do. On the other hand? The constant, repetitive so-common-it-barely-raises-an-eyebrow failing? That won’t make Twitter boosters happy. But good news! The World Cup is over in less than a week. Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jul 2010 | 4:00 am Home-Made Kid-Carrying Cargo-Bike
Take one old bike, a big ol’ box and a whole lot of steel tubes and welding gear and what do you get? A cheap, stable cargo-carrying trike with enough space to haul the kids or carry groceries to feed the family for a week. Over in Vienna, Austria, Instructables member Carkat took a crappy old mountain-bike and turned it into the handsome beast you see above, which will actually be used to carry kids – up front is both more fun for the child and less scary for the rider, who can see that his offspring are safe. The construction is straightforward, although Carkat had some headaches. The first “draft” was a meter wide, and the pivot that allows you to steer the front-section (like a headset, but underneath the box) just wouldn’t turn. Once the box was slimmed down to an Austrian street-legal 80cm and the pivot replaced with another, welded in at a better angle, Carkat’s bike was good to go. A pair of caliper brakes on the front wheels, with a customized lever to trigger both at once, made sure that it could stop, too. The resulting load-carrier is way cheaper than buying a proper delivery bike, and with a lick of paint looks almost as good. I’d probably upgrade those brakes to v-brakes or even disks if I was to, say, load this up with beer and ice, but Carkat’s DIY project is pretty fantastic. And I bet his kids totally love it, too. How to build a cargo bike [Carkat/Instructables] See Also:
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 6 Jul 2010 | 3:56 am Musicshake for iPhone - BusinessWeek
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 6 Jul 2010 | 3:44 am Where Would Space Aliens Come From?If flying saucers are real, why don’t we know where the visitors come from among the stars?Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 6 Jul 2010 | 3:36 am Photo Kiosks Infecting Customers' USB DevicesThe Risky Biz blog brings news that Big W, a subsidiary of Woolworths, has Windows-based Fuji photo kiosks in at least some of its stores that don't run antivirus software, and are therefore spreading infections, such as Trojan-Poison-36, via customers' USB storage devices. Here is the account of the original reporter. "It's not just the lack of AV that's the problem... it appears there's been zero thought put into the problem of malware spreading via these kiosks. Why not just treat customers' USB devices as read-only? Why allow the kiosks to write to them at all? It would be interesting to find out which company — Fuji, Big W, or even some other third party — is responsible for the maintenance of the machines. It would also be interesting to find out if there are any liability issues here for Big W in light of its boneheaded lack of security planning."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 6 Jul 2010 | 3:29 am Notebook Dock Costs Almost as Much as Desktop Computer
Laptop or desktop? Desktop or laptop? The choice is nowhere near as clear as it once was, now we have smartphones and tablets do do most portable work for us. Now, a fast-running, big-screen desktop machine is looking like a great alternative to powerful but still limited notebooks. Or you could keep your little computer and grab this dock, the DeskBook Pro from Zemno. Style-wise it fits the MacBooks, but it’ll work with any computer (even a desktop). Drop the MacBook on top and plug in its FireWire and USB ports. Now, you have expanded your connections to 6 x USB, 2 x FireWire 800 and 1 x FireWire 400. You also get separate line in and out jacks, an ethernet jack and a couple of surprises: Most obvious are those hatches on the front, which let you slot in a battery and a spare 500GB hard drive (or two of either). The battery won’t supply extra juice for the notebook: instead it just allows socket-free use of the dock for a couple hours. Weirdest (or handiest?) of all is the DVI-out port, which allows connection of a third monitor. It’s not hooked up to your MacBook’s video-out: rather it works like a USB monitor adapter, so is best used for less demanding tasks. The price for this giant USB-hub is the biggest shock, though. Empty, it’ll cost you $600, or the same price as the old Mac Mini. Add in a hard drive ($180) and a battery pack ($150) and you’ve just reached $1030, which is enough for a MacBook, and only a few dollars shy of a proper desktop, the iMac. It really is almost unbelievably expensive. You can buy one now. DeskBook Pro [Zemno. Thanks, Gregg!] See Also:
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 6 Jul 2010 | 3:27 am Wall Street Journal Throws A Softball To MySpace
“News Corp. is in discussions with Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. about replacing MySpace’s crucial search-advertising partnership with Google, which expires next month, according to people familiar with the matter,” says the WSJ, which is also owned by MySpace parent News Corp. Well, yeah. Their deal with Google is ending. Supposedly in August, although the Google agreement I read said it ended in June 2010. Everyone knows MySpace has been trying to figure out a way to replace that $300 million/year in revenue. And everyone knows it isn’t going to happen. But anyway, here are some interesting things that the WSJ left out of their article: First, Fox Audience Network, which serves most of the ads on MySpace, is supposedly on a tear with their self service platform. Our understanding is that News Corp.’s goal is to grow FAN to the point where MySpace doesn’t need an outside partner for search advertising. Second, FAN is definitely up for sale by News Corp., and at least one bidder – Silver Lake Partners (they own part of Skype, and made a failed bid to invest in Facebook) – has made an offer. If FAN is sold, it’s a solid bet that MySpace will quickly be sold, too. The two companies live off each other. Third, the WSJ says MySpace thinks it can carve a niche for itself by exploiting Facebook’s privacy weakness (good idea, but way too late now). Apparently there will also be a new logo. MySpace is apparently still counting on artists and bands to keep users happy - “A band, for instance, could use MySpace to share music with fans and get feedback, as well as adjust their touring schedule to add concerts in Texas, for example, if the musicians see their MySpace fan base is heavily from that state.” But sometime this year, probably sooner rather than later, MySpace is going to turn off their free music streaming and move to a subscription model. A related point – MySpace Music was driving most of the searches that made up the massive page view obligations that MySpace had under the Google Agreement. With free music going away, those page views will go away, too. Meaning a search deal is even less lucrative. There’s no real news at all in the WSJ article, although it will certainly help ensure that Microsoft, Google and Yahoo all know that the other guys are maybe looking at a deal, too. I think the far more interesting questions around MySpace have to do with what’s going on with FAN, and what will happen to their music business, none of which was addressed in the article. Far be it from me to say that there’s a conflict of interest in this story given that the WSJ and MySpace are owned by the same company – I’ll let others say it instead. A more critical approach may have been a better choice. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 6 Jul 2010 | 3:10 am Japan’s NTT Docomo to make all of its cell phones SIM-free from April 2011
Big shake up in Japan’s cell phone industry (100 million mobile subscribers) today: NTT Docomo, the country’s leading carrier (55 million customers), is planning to make all of its cell phones SIM free as early as April 2011 (the start of the new fiscal year in most Japanese companies). Docomo’s president Ryuji Yamada told Japanese daily The Nikkei in an interview that all that customers will need to do is to simply replace SIM cards when switching to another carrier. The move is a reaction to guidelines released by Japan’s Communications Ministry in June, according to which the country’s leading cell phone carriers (Docomo, KDDI au, and SoftBank Mobile) should “consider” selling just unlocked handsets in the future. Docomo offers the best cell phone network in Japan, which is why the company has good chances of getting the most out of such a scenario (even though Docomo’s fee plan is also considered to be relatively costly). The company’s stock at the Tokyo Stock Exchange climbed 2,600 yen from Monday to 139,600 yen.
Source: MobileCrunch | 6 Jul 2010 | 3:10 am Is AT&T Capping Mobile Upload Speeds As Well?AT&T recently came under fire for the changes it made to its wireless data plans and pricing. Now some of our readers who are complaining that their data upload speeds have taken a nosedive in recent...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 3:02 am Good news from some of Toronto's independent bookstoresFrom the Toronto Star, a heartwarming piece about a small number of specialty independent bookstores that are thriving in Toronto, including BakkaPhoenix, the world's oldest remaining science fiction bookstore...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:59 am Good news from some of Toronto's independent bookstoresFrom the Toronto Star, a heartwarming piece about a small number of specialty independent bookstores that are thriving in Toronto, including BakkaPhoenix, the world's oldest remaining science fiction bookstore (and my former employer). Things are going so well for Bakka that they've bought a new, larger building near the University of Toronto campus. Any good news about indie booksellers is a welcome break from the doom-and-gloom of the past twenty-some years.Tough times, but some bookstores have a different story (via @david_tallan) (Image: Bakka-Phoenix, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from bobolink's photostream)
 Source: Boing Boing | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:59 am Ceragon Networks'(R) Second Quarter 2010 Financial Results Scheduled for Release on July 26, 2010PARAMUS, New Jersey, July 6, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT), the provider of high-capacity, LTE/4G-ready wireless backhaul networks, provides today details of the conference call for the second quarter 2010 financial results. The Company plans to issue a press release announcing its results during pre-market hours on Monday, July 26, 2010. A conference call will follow, beginning at 9:00 a.m. EDT. Investors are invited to join the Company's teleconference by calling (800) 230-1059 or international (612) 234-9959 at 8:50 a.m. EDT. The call-in lines will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Investors can also listen to the call live via the Internet by accessing Ceragon Networks' website at the investors' page: http://www.ceragon.com/ir_events.asp?lang=0 selecting the webcast link, and following the registration instructions. If you are unable to join us live, the replay numbers are: (800)-475-6701or international (320)-365-3844, Access Code 162768. A replay of both the call and the webcast will be available through August 26, 2010. About Ceragon Networks Ltd. Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: CRNT) is a leading provider of high capacity LTE/4G ready wireless backhaul solutions that enable cellular operators and other wireless service providers to deliver voice and data services, such as Internet browsing, music and video applications. Our wireless backhaul solutions use microwave technology to transfer large amounts of telecommunication traffic between base stations and the core of the service provider's network. Designed to enable risk-free migration from legacy to next-generation backhaul networks, our solutions provide fiber-like connectivity for circuit-switched, or SONET/SDH, networks, next generation Ethernet/Internet Protocol, or IP-based, networks, and hybrid networks that combine circuit-switched and IP-based networks. Our solutions support all wireless access technologies, including GSM, CDMA, EV-DO, HSPA, LTE and WiMAX. These solutions allow wireless service providers to cost-effectively and seamlessly evolve their network from circuit-switched and hybrid concepts to all IP thereby meeting the increasing demands by the growing numbers of subscribers and the increasing demand for mobile data services. We also provide our solutions to businesses and public institutions that operate their own private communications networks. Our solutions are deployed by more than 200 service providers of all sizes, as well as in hundreds of private networks, in more than 130 countries. More information is available at http://www.ceragon.com. Ceragon Networks(R), CeraView(R), FibeAir(R) and the FibeAir(R) design mark are registered trademarks of Ceragon Network s Ltd., and Ceragon(TM), PolyView(TM), ConfigAir(TM), CeraMon(TM), EtherAir(TM), QuickAir(TM), QuickAir Partner Program(TM), QuickAir Partner Certification Program(TM), QuickAir Partner Zone(TM), EncryptAir(TM) and Microwave Fiber(TM) are trademarks of Ceragon Networks Ltd. This press release may contain statements concerning Ceragon's future prospects that are "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that future results will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially from forecasts and estimates. These are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forecasts and estimates. These risks and uncertainties, as well as others, are discussed in greater detail in Ceragon's Annual Report on Form 20-F and Ceragon's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Ceragon undertakes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statement in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made. Company and Investor Contact: Yoel Knoll Ceragon Networks Ltd. +972-3-766-6419 yoelk@ceragon.com SOURCE Ceragon Networks LtdSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:59 am Antagonistic Art Zines - Harry Malt's Underground 'Bare Bones' Zine Releases NYC Issue (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Zines tend to be on the fringes of mainstream publication, and Harry Malt's 'Bare Bones' quarterly art zine is on the fringe of the fringe. Dazed Digital described the publication as...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:40 am Revealed: Government blows thousands on iPhone apps - Register
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:34 am Why is Justin Bieber so loved and hated? - Telegraph.co.uk
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:31 am Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. Announces Monthly Net RevenuesTAIPEI, Taiwan, July 6 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. (NYSE: ASX; TAIEX: 2311, "ASE" or the "Company"), announces its unaudited consolidated net revenues for June and 2nd quarter of 2010. CONSOLIDATED NET REVENUES (UNAUDITED) Jun May Jun Sequential YoY (NT$ Million) 2010 2010 2009 Change Change Net Revenues 16,257 15,496 7,728 +4.9% +110.4% Q2 Q1 Q2 Sequential YoY (NT$ Million) 2010 2010 2009 Change Change Net Revenues 46,416 37,555 20,881 +23.6% +122.3% Starting from Feb. 1, 2010, Universal Scientific Industrial Co., Ltd.'s consolidated revenues were consolidated into ASE Inc.'s consolidated revenues. Net revenues for the ATM assembly test and material business (excluding USI) are as follows: ATM NET REVENUES (UNAUDITED) Jun May Jun Sequential YoY (NT$ Million) 2010 2010 2009 Change Change Net Revenues 11,103 10,622 7,728 +4.5% +43.7% Q2 Q1 Q2 Sequential YoY (NT$ Million) 2010 2010 2009 Change Change Net Revenues 31,697 27,423 20,881 +15.6% +51.8% Safe Harbor Notice: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding our future results of operations and business prospects. Although these forward-looking statements, which may include statements regarding our future results of operations, financial condition or business prospects, are based on our own information and information from other sources we believe to be reliable, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this press release. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "plan" and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify these forward-looking statements in this press release. Our actual results of operations, financial condition or business prospects may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including risks associated with cyclicality and market conditions in the semiconductor industry; demand for the outsourced semiconductor packaging and testing services we offer and for such outsourced services generally; the highly competitive semiconductor industry; our ability to introduce new packaging, interconnect materials and testing technologies in order to remain competitive; our ability to successfully integrate pending and future mergers and acquisitions; international business activities; our business strategy; general economic and political conditions, including the recent global financial crisis; possible disruptions in commercial activities caused by natural or human-induced disasters; our future expansion plans and capital expenditures; the strained relationship between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; and other factors. For a discussion of these risks and other factors, please see the documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our 2009 Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on June 11, 2010. Contact: ASE, Inc. Joseph Tung, CFO / Vice President Allen Kan, Manager Tel: +886-2-8780-5489 Fax: +886-2-2757-6121 ir@aseglobal.com http://www.aseglobal.com US contact: Clare Lin, Director Tel: +1-408-986-6524 clare.lin@aseus.com SOURCE Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:30 am Renesas Electronics to Acquire Nokia's Wireless Modem Business; Companies to Form Strategic Business Alliance for Modem Technology DevelopmentESPOO, Finland and TOKYO, July 6, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, and Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK), the world leader in mobile communications, today announced that they are deepening their collaboration by forming a strategic business alliance to develop modem technologies for HSPA+/LTE (Evolved High-Speed Packet Access / Long-Term Evolution) and its evolution. As part of this alliance, the companies have entered into an agreement whereby Renesas Electronics is to acquire Nokia's wireless modem business for approximately USD 200 million. The alliance is planned to be enhanced by long-term joint research cooperation on future radio technologies. The planned transfer of Nokia's wireless modem business enables Renesas Electronics to maximize the value of Nokia's technology assets and engineering expertise in delivering advanced mobile platform solutions to the market by combining them with Renesas Electronics' market-proven multimedia processing and RF technologies. Together with Renesas Electronics' robust line-up of application processors, RF transceiver ICs, high power amplifiers, and power management devices, the wireless modem technologies enable Renesas Electronics to deliver a complete mobile platform solution to the market. The wireless modem business to be transferred to Renesas Electronics includes Nokia's wireless modem technologies for LTE, HSPA and GSM standards, which have been used for billions of handsets in the global market over the years. Further, Nokia transfers Renesas Electronics certain patents related to the transferred technology asset. The planned transfer would also include approximately 1,100 Nokia R&D professionals, the vast majority of whom are located in Finland, India, the UK and Denmark. The planned transfer is expected to further strengthen Renesas Electronics' position as one of the leading chipset vendors in the 3G and LTE market that is capable of providing one-stop mobile platform solutions, supporting an extensive range of modem protocols from GSM to LTE, and integrating advanced multimedia and computer processing capabilities. "The agreement with Nokia demonstrates our long-standing commitment to shape the future of advanced mobile platforms and will serve as an important step for us to become a leading mobile platform vendor in the global market. Our collaboration with Nokia will enable consumers to enjoy true mobile cloud computing experiences through our advanced high-speed mobile devices," said Yasushi Akao, President of Renesas Electronics Corporation. "In line with our ongoing efforts to strengthen our business structure, the transferring wireless modem technology and the innovation power and expertise of Nokia's employees will perfectly complement our core competences and serve as the key driving forces in growing our mobile business in the global market." "Wireless modems are an integral part of today's chipset solutions, and we believe that Renesas Electronics, as one of the key chipset vendors in the market, is in an ideal position to further develop this offering. The alliance enables us to continue to focus on our own core businesses, connecting people to what matters to them with our mobile products and solutions," says Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President, Nokia. Renesas Electronics has licensed the Nokia modem since 2009 and the two companies have been working together to develop an industry-leading HSPA+/LTE platform. "I believe that the integration of the world class Nokia wireless modem into Renesas Electronics' strong multimedia processing and RF capabilities, places Renesas Electronics in a strong position in HSPA+/LTE chipsets," says Oistamo. In order to implement the planned business transfer, Nokia will start the appropriate personnel consultation process with its personnel representatives according to each applicable jurisdiction's labor law requirements. The transfer is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is estimated to take place during the fourth quarter 2010. About Renesas Electronics Corporation Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world's number one supplier of microcontrollers, is a premiere supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad-range of analog and power devices. Business operations began as Renesas Electronics in April 2010 through the integration of NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723) and Renesas Technology Corp., with operations spanning research, development, design and manufacturing for a wide range of applications. Headquartered in Japan, Renesas Electronics has subsidiaries in 20 countries worldwide. More information can be found at http://www.renesas.com. About Nokia At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.2 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device - from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (http://www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS It should be noted that certain statements herein which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) the timing of the deliveries of our products and services and their combinations; B) our ability to develop, implement and commercialize new technologies, products and services and their combinations; C) expectations regarding market developments and structural changes; D) expectations and targets regarding our industry volumes, market share, prices, net sales and margins of products and services and their combinations; E) expectations and targets regarding our operational priorities and results of operations; F) the outcome of pending and threatened litigation; G) expectations regarding the successful completion of acquisitions or restructurings on a timely basis and our ability to achieve the financial and operational targets set in connection with any such acquisition or restructuring; and H) statements preceded by "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "foresee," "target," "estimate," "designed," "plans," "will" or similar expressions. These statements are based on management's best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) the competitiveness and quality of our portfolio of products and services and their combinations; 2) our ability to timely and successfully develop or otherwise acquire the appropriate technologies and commercialize them as new advanced products and services and their combinations, including our ability to attract application developers and content providers to develop applications and provide content for use in our devices; 3) our ability to effectively, timely and profitably adapt our business and operations to the requirements of the converged mobile device market and the services market; 4) the intensity of competition in the various markets where we do business and our ability to maintain or improve our market position or respond successfully to changes in the competitive environment; 5) the occurrence of any actual or even alleged defects or other quality, safety or security issues in our products and services and their combinations; 6) the development of the mobile and fixed communications industry and general economic conditions globally and regionally; 7) our ability to successfully manage costs; 8) exchange rate fluctuations, including, in particular, fluctuations between the euro, which is our reporting currency, and the US dollar, the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan, as well as certain other currencies; 9) the success, financial condition and performance of our suppliers, collaboration partners and customers; 10) our ability to source sufficient amounts of fully functional components, sub-assemblies, software, applications and content without interruption and at acceptable prices and quality; 11) our success in collaboration arrangements with third parties relating to the development of new technologies, products and services, including applications and content; 12) our ability to manage efficiently our manufacturing and logistics, as well as to ensure the quality, safety, security and timely delivery of our products and services and their combinations; 13) our ability to manage our inventory and timely adapt our supply to meet changing demands for our products; 14) our ability to protect the complex technologies, which we or others develop or that we license, from claims that we have infringed third parties' intellectual property rights, as well as our unrestricted use on commercially acceptable terms of certain technologies in our products and services and their combinations; 15) our ability to protect numerous Nokia, NAVTEQ and Nokia Siemens Networks patented, standardized or proprietary technologies from third-party infringement or actions to invalidate the intellectual property rights of these technologies; 16) the impact of changes in government policies, trade policies, laws or regulations and economic or political turmoil in countries where our assets are located and we do business; 17) any disruption to information technology systems and networks that our operations rely on; 18) our ability to retain, motivate, develop and recruit appropriately skilled employees; 19) unfavorable outcome of litigations; 20) allegations of possible health risks from electromagnetic fields generated by base stations and mobile devices and lawsuits related to them, regardless of merit; 21) our ability to achieve targeted costs reductions and increase profitability in Nokia Siemens Networks and to effectively and timely execute related restructuring measures; 22) developments under large, multi-year contracts or in relation to major customers in the networks infrastructure and related services business; 23) the management of our customer financing exposure, particularly in the networks infrastructure and related services business; 24) whether ongoing or any additional governmental investigations into alleged violations of law by some former employees of Siemens AG ("Siemens") may involve and affect the carrier-related assets and employees transferred by Siemens to Nokia Siemens Networks; 25) any impairment of Nokia Siemens Networks customer relationships resulting from ongoing or any additional governmental investigations involving the Siemens carrier-related operations transferred to Nokia Siemens Networks; as well as the risk factors specified on pages 11-32 of Nokia's annual report Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2009 under Item 3D. "Risk Factors." Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proving to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Nokia does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required. http://www.nokia.com SOURCE Nokia CorporationSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:25 am Hybrid Shoe Photography - Ruadh DeLone's 'Walk a Mile in My Shoes' Photography Embraces Hybridity (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Ruadh DeLone's 'Walk a Mile in My Shoes' photography is interesting to say the least. The images feature different styles of shoes but there's a catch: the shoes are all created with...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:20 am Yummy Tee Containers - The Sod T-Shirt Packaging Looks Good Enough to Eat (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) At first glance, the Sod T-Shirt packaging may fool you for food. But if you take a closer look, then you will find out that these food-like things are actually t-shirts. This is a...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 2:00 am UPDATE 1-SMA Solar raises 2010 profit outlook* Sees 2010 EBIT margin of 23 pct to 27 pct * Sees sales rising to 1.5 bln eur to 1.8 bln eurSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:50 am Netflix inks movie deal with Relativity Media(Reuters) - U.S. DVD rental service Netflix Inc said it has signed a deal with media company Relativity Media LLC to stream major theatrical movies to Netflix customers before they are...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:44 am Low-Cost Solar Lanterns - D.Light Design Wins Ashden Award for a Lamp Brighter than Kerosene (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) India's design firm 'D.Light Design' has won an Ashden Award for its solar lamp, which is cited as the world's most affordable solar lantern. What's more, this technology is four times...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:40 am 'Plastiki' bottle ship to complete Pacific voyageA boat made from 12,500 plastic bottles will leave New Caledonia for Sydney this week on the final leg of a voyage across the Pacific to raise environmental awareness, organisers said...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:39 am Intercell sees sales up, cash reserves down -paperVIENNA, July 6 (Reuters) - Austrian biotech company Intercell expects 2010 sales to rise but its cash reserves to fall as development costs grow, its chief executive told Austrian daily Wirtschaftsblatt...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:33 am Viral Video: Can Hollywood Sell a Brainy Blockbuster? [BoomTown]
Thank goodness for sparkly vampires and animated toys–otherwise, this summer has been pretty weak in the megahit movie department for Hollywood. But both “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” and “Toy Story 3″ are sequels, so a lot of hopes are some entertainment innovation is riding on the success of a high-tech, big-brain film called “Inception.” The story about people who slip into dreams and steal secrets is opening July 16 with the tag line: “Your mind is the scene of the crime.” But that does not even come close to explaining this movie, which appears dense and difficult to comprehend. Check out this trailer, which looks great and chock full of special effects, but is still pretty perplexing: Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:27 am Now Parents Can Hire a Hall Monitor for the Web [Voices]By Brad Stone, Reporter, New York Times Fear can be good for business. Just ask the multibillion-dollar insurance industry, for example. Or companies like LifeLock and TrustedID, which monitor people’s credit reports for fraudulent transactions to protect against identity theft. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:23 am Greenscape Fashion Photography - The Julia Galdo 'Cactaceae' Series is Scorching Hot (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The Julia Galdo 'Cactaceae' fashion shoot seems to encapsulate exactly the type of summer many have experienced. Scorching hot and desperately dry, it speaks to us physically as well...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:20 am Woot To The AP: Nice Story About Our Sale — You Now Owe Us $17.50
You see, Woot noticed that the AP covered the story of their sale five days ago. But in doing so, they also noticed that the AP used a number of quotes from CEO Matt Rutledge’s blog post about the sale. According to the AP’s own ridiculous rules for using quotations, Woot figures that the AP owes them $17.50. The AP has been banned on TechCrunch for two years now because of this ridiculous rule. In fact, we’re breaking our own rule here by acknowledging they even exist. But this is too good to pass up — and it’s actually similar to something we did a couple years ago, trying to charge the AP $12.50 for their usage of quotes from us. To my knowledge, we’re still waiting for that check. But Woot is more forgiving than we are. They’re willing to cut a deal:
Yes, Woot is letting the AP skip out on the money they owe if they simply buy a couple of the featured products today on Woot. Good idea. And they’re backing it up: “Don’t force us to pass this matter to a collection agency,” they write. Best of luck with those jokesters, Woot. Below, find the key blurb from Woot’s message to the AP, which hopefully they won’t charge us for since we don’t try to enforce the same ridiculous rules the AP does:
[thanks Anurag]      
Source: TechCrunch | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:11 am Clay Shirky: 'Paywall Will Underperform – The Numbers Don't Add Up' [Voices]By Decca Aitkenhead, Writer, Guardian.co.uk If you are reading this article on a printed copy of the Guardian, what you have in your hand will, just 15 years from now, look as archaic as a Western Union telegram does today. In less than 50 years, according to Clay Shirky, it won’t exist at all. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:04 am Steven Levy On Mark Zuckerberg And The Hacker Spirit [Voices]By Andy Greenberg, Senior Reporter, Forbes.com Before the Romanian cybercriminals, before Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller breached the Gibson mainframe, before even Matthew Broderick accessed the WOPR military supercomputer and narrowly averted launching World War III, the word “hacker” meant something very different. As Steven Levy chronicled in his 1984 book Hackers, the word was invented as a term of high praise by a group of MIT misfits trying to tame early computers like the PDP-6, finagling the hulking machine into doing things that seemed magical at the time: playing chess, running primitive videogames, emitting music-like sounds that vaguely resembled Bach. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:03 am Statoil says production at Troll field normalOSLO, July 6 (Reuters) - Norwegian oil and gas group Statoil said on Tuesday production at its Troll field in the North Sea was normal.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:03 am Email Newsletters Are Still A Serious Business [Voices]By Jason L. Baptiste, Co-Founder, Cloudomatic In late 2009, I wrote an article about the fascinating and very lucrative business behind email newsletters. In the world of Twitter, Foursquare, and Tumblr, it’s not the sexiest of businesses. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:02 am The Secret To Apple's FaceTime Success Will Be The PC [Voices]By Nate Lanxon, Editor, Wired.co.uk Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone 4 video calling stands a good chance at becoming a widely adopted system. But it’ll rely on a catalyst, and I believe it’s the PC. Less specifically, I believe “FaceTime”, as Apple not-at-all-questionably calls it, will rely on all computers — PC, Mac, even Linux and netbooks, and their software — to support the system in order to really become the revolutionary offering Apple has made it out to be. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:01 am Japanese Study English By…Tweeting? [Voices]By Yumiko Ono, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal Twitter followers in Japan have demonstrated their fervor for the social networking tool, setting a world record in generating “tweets per second” after a recent World Cup game. Now, creative merchants are coming up with books and blogs that connect Twitter with another national infatuation: Learning English. A quick search on Amazon.com (AMZN) brings up seven books that encourage people to study English by tweeting. “Twitter in English – The Complete Guide,” suggests readers could heighten their exposure to English used by real native speakers by following frequent-tweeter celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Paris Hilton. Followers recently got treated to this rich phrase from Ms. Hilton: “Just had a delicious dinner. So full and tired, can’t wait to get in bed and go to sleep.” Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:00 am Conglomerated Gaming Machines - The RetroN 3 Gaming Console is a Retro Gaming Geek's Wet Dream (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) If you can't let go of your old Nintendo, Super Nintendo, or even Sega Genesis games, then the RetroN 3 gaming console is the system for you. This console plays games from all three...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 1:00 am Gassco says has no limitations in gas networkOSLO, July 6 (Reuters) - There were no limitations in Gassco's network for transporting gas from Norway on Tuesday, the pipeline operator said.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:56 am PREVIEW-Temasek may reveal shift to resources, leadership plan* Resources may be up to 8 pct of portfolio vs 5 pct-analystsSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:52 am UPDATE 1-Tullow expects Uganda govt approval imminently* Sees H1 revenue of $495 mln vs $438 mln in H1 2009 (Adds detail)Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:51 am India's Quippo-WTTIL plans to sell 2-5 pct stakeNEW DELHI, July 6 (Reuters) - Indian telecoms tower firm Quippo-WTTIL is looking to sell between 2 percent and 5 percent stake to raise funds for growth, a director of the company said on Tuesday. "If...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:48 am Taiwan's HTC Q2 profit up about 33 pct y/yTAIPEI, July 6 (Reuters) - Taiwan smartphone maker HTC Corp reported an around 33 percent rise in second-quarter profit, it said on Tuesday.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:46 am Fire Hose Fashions - Fashion Label ISSI Creates Sustainable Purses and Wallets from Old Fire Hoses (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) New fashion label ISSI is making quite a splash with their debut line. Featuring all wallets, clutches and purses made from recycled fire hoses, the line is fashionable and eco-conscious...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:41 am Finding a Research Mentor?bsomerville writes "As an aspiring social scientist preparing to apply to Ph.D. programs, I'm keen to find a faculty mentor somewhere in North America who shares my research interests. This is more difficult than I thought it would be. While links to program websites are readily available, I'm surprised to find no comprehensive collection of faculty research interests in my field (clinical psychology). Instead this information is buried several levels down in each university website. Is this a common problem across all fields? Is there some inherent reason why no wiki-type Web resource exists to meet this need? It seems like a text-searchable database could be built fairly quickly and maintained by users, saving countless aspiring grad students thousands of clicks through university websites."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:41 am Pretty Party Sneak Peeks - The Peter Jensen Cruise Collection Vogue Preview Looks Flirtatiously Fun (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The Peter Jensen Cruise Collection Vogue preview is adding some flirtatious fun to the cruise collections this year. The designer himself dropped into the Vogue UK offices to deliver...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:20 am Employees Challenged To Crack Facebook Security, Succeed
They succeeded. It took a couple of weeks though. Employees supposedly got in via his home WiFi network, says our source. The details aren’t entirely clear, and Facebook isn’t talking. What I’ve heard is that they were able to intercept data from his home network after capturing his WPA password by luring him into logging into a rogue WiFi SSID that appeared to be his own router. See here for some details on how easy this is to do. Once his home network fell, the Facebook employees were able to monitor all his Internet activity and obtain clear text passwords, etc. The Twitter hacks last year began with compromised personal email accounts and unfolded from there. It’s absolutely a smart thing for Facebook to do this, and other companies should too. But if a security engineer at Facebook was compromised, even though he knew it was coming, imagine how trivial it would be for other people to get hit, too. Now excuse me while I go camp out in Mark Zuckerberg’s back yard for a week or two and try to set up a rogue WiFi SSID. Wish me luck. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:15 am Japan gets white PS3 slim and a black model with a 320GB HDD
Sony in Japan just announced [JP, PDF] a bunch of changes and news regarding domestic sales of the PS3. The company said they’ll be bringing a PS3 in “Classic White” to the local market, in addition to the existing “Charcoal Black” (the first version of the PS3 in “Ceramic White” went on sale in 2008). There will be no technical changes, but Sony generally plans to ship bigger HDDs with the PS3 Slim in the future.
The new white PS3 Slim (also dubbed CECH-2500A LW) will be available with a 160GB HDD only, while the black model will be sold with a 160GB HDD (CECH-2500A) or with a 320GB HDD (CECH-2500A LW). Sony also says in Japan, the 120GB PS3 Slim will be sold under an open price model starting July 7.
Japanese buyers will be able to lay their hands on the new CECH-2500 series from July 29. Prices: $341 for the 160GB models (black or white) and $398 for the 320GB version. No word yet from Sony regarding international releases.
Source: CrunchGear | 6 Jul 2010 | 12:01 am HOWTO Make a Death Star Cookie Here's a recipe from the out-of-print Darth Vader's Activity Book for scrummy and terrifying Death Star Cookies. Death Star Cookie (via Neatorama)
Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2010 | 11:33 pm TSA blocks "controversial opinion" from its internal networkThe US Transport Security Agency has joined with other defenders of liberty, such as the governments of Iran and Syria, and has added a censorwall to its network that blocks "controversial opinion." Apparently the TSA's crack operatives are impressionable, easily gulled types who are at danger of becoming jihadis, polys, or possibly even liberals if they are exposed to "controversy."The email does not specify how the TSA will determine if a website expresses a "controversial opinion."TSA to Block "Controversial Opinion" on the Web (via /.)
Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2010 | 11:28 pm Underwater Basket Weaving: the real storyWe've all heard "Underwater Basket Weaving" used as a synonym for easy, impractical college courses. Turns out that underwater basket weaving is challenging, rewarding, and offered by at least two American universities: UCSD, and Saint Joseph's College Indiana. So whence the joke about UBW?Underwater Basket Weaving (via Making Light) (Image: Soaking_reeds_for_basket_weaving.gif, Wikimedia Commons/Charlotte Coats)
Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2010 | 11:27 pm Earliest utopian novel by an American woman: 300 Years Hence, 1836John Mark Ockerbloom sez, "My wife Mary's just posted a newly illustrated edition of Mary Griffith's 1836 vision of the future, _Three Hundred Years Hence_. It's the earliest known utopian novel by an American woman, and it's rather different from many of the later male-imagined futures that are better-known today. And to my mind, it's more interesting than most of those. For one thing, unlike many books in this genre, it doesn't simply ride one particular hobby-horse of an author, but projects a wide variety of trends, technological, political, economic, and social. For this free online edition, Mary's added a number of Creative Commons-licensed images, and links to Wikipedia articles, to help readers find out more about people and places the author refers to, as they were then, and (when applicable) as they are now.""One thing surprises me," said Hastings. "You wear the quaker dress; indeed, it is of that fashion which the gravest of the sect of my time wore; but you do not use the mode of speech - is that abolished among you?"Three hundred years hence (Thanks, John Mark!)
Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2010 | 11:18 pm Survey Says To UK — Repeal Laws of Thermodynamicsmostxlnt writes "As we noted, the new Tory UK government has launched a website asking its subjects which laws they'd most like repealed. There are proposals up for repeal of the Laws of Thermodynamics: Second, Third, and all (discussion thread on this one closed by a moderator). One comment on the Third [now apparently deleted] elucidated: 'Without the Third Law of Thermodynamics, it would be possible to build machines that would last forever and provide an endless source of cheap energy. thus solving both potential crises in energy supply as well as solving the greenhouse gas problem in one step... simples... eh?'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2010 | 11:15 pm PS3 Slim upgrades hard drives in Japan - GameSpot
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:49 pm 4chan prank means Justin Bieber must tour North Korea Justin Bieber's "My World Tour" Twitter voting contest asked fans to vote on which country he should tour next, without restriction on which countries could be included in the vote. 4chan smelled opportunity: Anonymous nominated North Korea, then the boards clickswarmed. At the time of this blog post, more than half a million votes now demand the Canadian singer go do his thing on Kim Jong Il's party train.I can't tell what's funnier, the Bieb stunt or the Beeb's coverage: Thank you for reminding us this is serious bizness, BBC News. Anyway, if the prank's outcome really does obligate Bieber to go to North Korea—hey, fair's fair— let's just hope he stays there. Just one day left for votes, as I publish this blog post!
Also: 4chan's been busy with this guy. Ars Technica reports on a related attack that exploited a YouTube vulnerability. (via Jodi Ettenberg)
Tech customers question industry's takeover spree (AP)AP - The world's largest technology companies have been on a buying spree, spending billions to snap up smaller companies. And often the buyers say they're doing it for their customers — businesses, hospitals, schools and government agencies.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:01 pm Telefonica Chooses Verizon Global Wholesale for Domestic U.S. Wireless Service DeliveryNEW YORK, July 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Telefonica, one of the world's largest telecommunications companies in terms of market capitalization, will support its multinational customer requirements for wireless services in the U.S. with a "white label" service provided under contract with Verizon Global Wholesale. "It's very gratifying to be selected by Telefonica for such an important element of its U.S. service offering," said Quintin Lew, senior vice president of marketing for Verizon Global Wholesale. "Our Mobility Solutions offering will provide strong support to Telefonica's strategy of fully supporting its domestic U.S. customers." Telefonica serves more than 800 multinational corporation customers - many of which require services in the U.S. - through Telefonica Multinational Solutions. Under the terms of the mobility contract signed this week, Telefonica will manage and brand the wireless services it provides to its MNC customers in the U.S., as well as bundle the services with others it offers. Fernando Astiaso, Telefonica Multinational Solutions director, said, "The agreement with Verizon enables us to offer to our MNC customers a high-quality wireless service in the USA, enhancing our managed mobility value proposition to our multinational customers in this important market." The agreement was signed by Telefonica International Wholesale Services (TIWS) on behalf of the Telefonica Group. Jose Ramon Vela, CEO of TIWS, said, "This partnership reinforces our current relationship and is key for us to support our customers in the USA." Telefonica has a number of enterprise-sized customers in the U.S., including major European banking institutions. Verizon Global Wholesale meets the needs of wholesale customers around the globe by providing offerings ranging from complex data technologies such as Ethernet, SONET and IP services to value-added services like data security, cloud computing and professional services as well as traditional voice services. Verizon Global Wholesale's Mobility Service includes wireless voice, text messaging and broadband packages. It provides a choice between per minute and per megabyte bulk pricing, as well as bundled voice and data plan pricing options. Through these options, as well as the availability of a suite of BlackBerry solutions, wholesale clients can customize their offerings to address the specific needs of their customers. Verizon Global Wholesale also provides technical expertise in sales and support and carries an inventory of white-labeled handsets and aircards available for purchase and customization. About Verizon Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 93 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com. About Telefonica Telefonica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalization. Its activities are centered mainly on the fixed and mobile telephony businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both. The company has a significant presence in 25 countries and a customer base that amounts close to 274 million accesses around the world. Telefonica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy. Telefonica is a 100% listed company and its shares are traded on the main international stock markets. www.telefonica.com. Telefonica International Wholesale Services is the organization within the Telefonica Group that provides global telecommunication services for fixed and mobile carriers, ISPs and content providers. Its integrated and competitive portfolio includes international voice, IP, capacity, satellite services, international services for corporations, mobility services and platform services. More information is available on: www.telefonica-wholesale.com. Telefonica Multinational Solutions is a central organization that is aligned and works in conjunction with the Telefonica operating companies to deliver services to MNC customers. More information about Telefonica Multinational Solutions is available on: www.multinationalsolutions.telefonica.com. VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases. Media contacts: Jim Smith, Verizon 908-559-3477 james.albert.smith@verizon.com Telefonica 00 34 91 482 38 00 prensa@telefonica.es www.telefonica.es/ saladeprensa SOURCE VerizonSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:01 pm July 6, 1920: Pilots Navigate Using AM RadioEarly aviation and early radio technology mash up a wonderful way to find your way.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm Henrik Fisker's 'Timeless' Automotive DesignsThe man who hopes to shake up the auto biz with a super-luxe plug-in car is, first and foremost, a designer of some gorgeous cars.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm Driven: How Henrik Fisker Aims to Floor the Auto IndustryThe designer of the Aston Martin DB9 and BMW Z8 is ready to rock the electrified auto market with a gorgeous $90,000 plug-in hybrid and a business model that's more Silicon Valley than Motown.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm The Boombox Stages a ComebackLet bass — and nostalgia — wash over with you with this new era of boomboxes. Pick one for its faux tape deck, which conceals an iPod dock, or another for the potential to create the longest playlist ever.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm The Boombox Stages a ComebackLet bass — and nostalgia — wash over with you with this new era of boomboxes. Pick one for its faux tape deck, which conceals an iPod dock, or another for the potential to create the longest playlist ever.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm Samsung Intercept sold a week early to a Best Buy customerSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones
The Samsung Intercept on Sprint, set to replace the Samsung Moment, is going to launch on July 11. Best Buy happened to receive shipment of the latest Android smartphone a nine days ahead of time and sold one to a lucky customer on July 3, a little over a week before launch. In case you are debating whether or not to purchase the Samsung Intercept on July 11 or wait until the Samsung Epic 4G launches (Sprint’s flavor of the Samsung Galaxy S), you may want to check out his video about the mid-range Sprint smartphone. The phone features a 3.2 inch touch screen, runs Android 2.1 (but will be upgraded to Android 2.2), WiFi, Bluetooth, a full slideout QWERTY keyboard, and a 3.2MP camera. Pricing is $100 on a two year contract, which makes sense since the phone has basic specs. Check out the YouTube video of the Samsung Intercept below. Via [Android Central] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 9:59 pm Ban On Photographing Near Gulf Oil Boomsboombaard writes "The day before yesterday CNN's Anderson Cooper reported that, from now on, there is a new rule in effect, which de facto bars photographers from coming within 65 feet of any deployed boom or response vessel around Deepwater Horizon (official announcement). The rule, announced by the US Coast Guard, forbids 'photographers and reporters and anyone else from coming within 65 feet of any response vessel or booms out on the water or on beaches. In order to get closer, you have to get direct permission from the Coast Guard captain of the Port of New Orleans,' while 'violators could face a fine of $40,000 and Class D felony charges. What's even more extraordinary is that the Coast Guard tried to make the exclusion zone 300 feet, before scaling it back to 65 feet.'" Read below for the Coast Guard's statement on the new rule.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2010 | 9:55 pm Hurt Locker copywrite owners not trying to stop the sharing
Of course, everyone has heard the story about the movie, the Hurt Locker. The movie pretty much failed at the box office, so the producers have decided make their money back by suing everyone who downloaded a copy of the film. This of course has been met with some derision amongst film viewers, since the film was considered to be of less then stellar quality. Of course, most companies immediately go after the bittorrent sites and tell them to cease and desist. Instead, the Hurt Locker people haven’t done that. It’s really not a stretch to suggest that they are doing this in order to get more people that download the movie. I guess they have to try and make money in some way. via TorrentFreak
Source: CrunchGear | 5 Jul 2010 | 9:52 pm AU Shippin' Out July 5-9: Crackdown 2 - GameSpot
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 Jul 2010 | 9:36 pm Netflix Adds (Some Of) Relativity's Movies to its Streaming Catalog [MediaMemo]
Is this a big deal? Sharon Waxman, who broke the news tonight, thinks so, arguing that it positions Netflix as a bona-fide competitor with the likes of Time Warner’s HBO (TWX) for online movie rights. Waxman’s rival Nikki Finke pooh-poohs the pact. Feels weird to type this, but I’m with Finke on this one. But not for the reason she states–that Relativity makes lots of stinkers. Unless I’m missing something, the bigger problem is that Relativity doesn’t have the licensing and distribution rights to many of the biggest movies it puts out. Those go to Sony, Warner Bros, Universal, etc. Still, Waxman is on to something here–Netflix does want to gather streaming rights to as many movies as it can, as it transitions from a DVD rental service to one that rents out bits. That doesn’t mean it’s likely to challenge HBO, et al for the biggest and most expensive catalogs out there. And that means it’s still going to have make subscriber-unfriendly deals like the one it made with Warner Bros. if it wants access to their stuff. But it will be able to pick up a few titles, here and there. And over time, those can add up. Source: All Things Digital | 5 Jul 2010 | 9:33 pm Chase iPhone app launches support for mobile deposits (Appolicious)Appolicious - A few months ago, a bank teller at my local Chase (JPM) branch was chastising me for not having the Chase Mobile app on my iPhone. He told me that I’d better download it because an update was in the works to let customers deposit checks into their Chase accounts via a photo. The teller wasn’t pulling my leg; the financial giant just released an update for iPhone that includes mobile deposits.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 9:00 pm FCC receives Logitech Revue for Google TVSection: Web, Online Music/Video, Google  When Google TV was announced at Google IO this year, Logitech was one of the first hardware companies to jump on board with their Revue set-top box. Although the Google TV service is not available to the world until this Fall, the Revue has appeared in the FCC database with some photos of the upcoming device. And although there is nothing particularly special or surprising about this new device, it is nice to see that the project is running on schedule. 
 Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:47 pm Google, Bing search engines turn to music (Reuters)Reuters - Internet search engines pride themselves as being neutral providers of information.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:46 pm Web blocks remain one year on for China's Uighurs (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:19 pm Proximity Sensor Presents Latest iPhone 4 Issuetekgoblin sends news of the latest iPhone 4 glitch being reported in user forums and elsewhere: the phone's proximity sensor seems not to be detecting nearby faces, as it is designed to do, in order to deactivate the screen during a call. The result is often unintended input. "On the iPhone 3GS, the proximity sensor was located to the left of the earpiece speaker. But that space on iPhone 4 is now occupied by the front-facing camera, and the proximity sensor is above the earpiece. What's not clear is whether the iPhone 4 screen's misbehavior is due to the new location of the sensor, or it's because Apple tweaked the sensor's responses in [some] way."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:59 pm New LG Optimus line to feature 10 smartphones in the second half of 2010Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones
The new LG Optimus line of smartphones includes ten different phones that will run on many different operating systems and will all be available worldwide in the second half of 2010. At least two of the ten smartphones will be running Android 2.2. That’s right, these two smartphones will be launched with Froyo out of the box, not simply slated to receive the Android 2.2 update at some vague point in the future. The President and CEO of LG, Dr. Skott Ahn, claims the Optimus line is the result of much consumer research and development to make a phone that can “meet the needs of many.” As of now, only two phones have been given names, the LG Optimus One with Google and the LG Optimus Chic. No word on any specific specs for the LG Optimus One smartphone, but I imagine it to be the powerhouse Android phone of the LG Optimus lineup. The LG Optimus Chic is a slightly different Android smartphone as it focuses on fashion and style, not hardware and features. LG claims it comes with sleek curves and a tasteful design in order to prove wrong the stereotype that Android phones are only for a “hardcore tech crowd.” I wouldn’t mind owning a sexy looking Android phone, but if it doesn’t come with any above average features, I probably would not purchase it. However, there probably is a large market for aesthetically pleasing Android smartphones, as opposed to hardware focused Android smartphones. Unfortunately, LG is going to keep us waiting for specs, official availability, and carriers until further notice. Check out the full press release below:
Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:32 pm Fujitsu to let developers test software for free (Reuters)Reuters - Fujitsu Ltd, Japan's biggest IT services firm, said on Tuesday that it would allow software developers to run their programs on its hardware free of charge so that they can examine performance.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:22 pm News Corp in talks to sell ads on MySpace: report (Reuters)Reuters - News Corp is in talks with Google Inc, Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc about advertising on MySpace, as an existing contract with Google ends, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:11 pm Media moguls gearing up for Sun Valley confab (Reuters)Reuters - Industry power players are getting ready for the annual post-July 4 tradition known as summer camp for moguls.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:04 pm Tampa police officer rides horse through hookah bar
Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor said, "It's good public relations." Putting the "punk" back in steampunk: one particularly awesome costume I'm a couple of weeks late on this one, but I don't think these images have been appreciated enough around the 'net. The LA Weekly's Liz Ohanesian attended the Malediction Society's Steampunk Ball in Los Angeles recently, with photographer CuriousJosh, and met someone with the best steampunk gear I've seen in a long while. "This is perhaps the best steampunk outfit that isn't a Star Wars cosplay," says Liz. Boy, do I agree. Mark Becknauld says that his outfit for the event wasn't based on any existing characters. Instead, his intention was "keeping the actual punk portion in steampunk." Becknauld, who reserves his steampunk outfits for special events like San Diego Comic-Con, Bat's Day and theme parties, made his armband out of brass, leather and copper. It took about two months to complete. Putting the Punk Back Into Steampunk (more photos of this guy's amazing costume) and Malediction Society's Steampunk Ball and 5th Anniversary (many more images of the event and costumes worn by other attendees).
(Image: CuriousJosh) Iran declares war on mullets, ponytails for men; approves of hair gel and Elvis 'dos Iran's ministry of culture has released a catalog of government-approved hair styles, in an effort to eliminate the menace of "decadent Western cuts." According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, forbidden 'dos include ponytails, mullets and spiky hair. But styles resembling those of Elvis Presley, Simon Cowell, or eighties-era floppy fringes are totally fine. Also, hair gel in moderation is acceptable. With the exception of goatees, facial hair is frowned upon.Remember now, just months ago an Iranian cleric decreed: "Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes." Wonder what disasters the verboten hairdos for men cause? More: France 24, Reuters (image: Reuters)
Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2010 | 6:37 pm LG will launch a Android powered tablet, promises Froyo on Optimus ZSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Computers, Laptops  LG recently told its fans to expect a Android powered tablet before the end of 2010, meaning right in time for the Holiday season. Unfortunately, LG provided very little details on the Android tablet, but I’m sure we will hear more about the specs as we approach the end of 2010. Apple is the dominant player in the tablet market, so LG will need a top-notch device of its own to match the iPad. In addition, LG promises that the successor to the SU950, the LG Optimus Z, will be loaded with Android 2.2 when it launches. However, for the people who already own the SU950, LG promises to roll out Android 2.2 to all devices by Q4. It will be interesting to see what unfolds about the Android tablet and the LG Optimus Z, both could be big players in their respective areas. Via [WSJ] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 6:25 pm EFF's Cindy Cohn on Colbert Report tonight (July 5, 2010)This just in: Electronic Frontier Foundation Legal Director Cindy Cohn will be a guest on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central tonight. Show airs at 11:30pm, and video will of course be available on the internets tomorrow.Source: Boing Boing | 5 Jul 2010 | 6:22 pm Predators, Star Wars top this week’s best iPad apps (Appolicious)Appolicious - Lots of good stuff hit the iTunes App Store this past week, including an old favorite finally making its iPad debut, and a game that brings out my bloodlust.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 6:18 pm HSBC Bank Sends Activated Debit Cards Through MailKnowzy writes "At least two divisions at HSBC Bank apparently failed card issuing 101 and are mailing out debit cards pre-activated. Because they are debit cards, fraudulent transactions come directly out of a victim's checking account. A similar report from 2004 suggests this issue is longstanding and widespread. When confronted with the evidence, HSBC would not commit to fixing this issue, preferring instead to offer vague statements like, 'Through our systems and analytics, we focus on the greatest and most active threats in an effort to avoid negatively impacting customer experience.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2010 | 6:04 pm Price Shocks May Be Coming For Helium SupplyArs has an update on the potential helium shortage we discussed a couple of years back. A Nobel laureate, Robert Richardson, argues for ending market distortions that are resulting in an artificially low price for helium, which is accelerating the projected exhaustion of the supply. "Richardson's solution is to rework the management of the Bush Dome [so named for reasons that have nothing to do with the politician] stockpile once again, this time with the aim of ensuring that helium's price rises to reflect its scarcity. In practical terms, he said that it would be better to deal with a 20-fold increase in price now than to deal with it increasing by a factor of thousands in a few decades when supply issues start to become critical. But he also made an emotional appeal, stating, 'One generation doesn't have the right to determine the availability forever.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2010 | 5:19 pm Amazon Kindle for Android and other ebook readers (Appolicious)Appolicious - The Kindle book reader has finally made its way to the Android Market, giving Amazon a nice bundle of mobile apps. While iPhone users have had a number of high quality readers for their phones, Android users have been left with fewer selections.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 5:14 pm HTC Vision picture and specs leakSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones  One of the hot, killer, unofficial Android devices as of late - the HTC Vision, has surfaced with images and some specs. Upon further review, it doesn’t seem to be the great Android device as billed, but we still have yet to hear official confirmation from HTC so the specs are subject to change. The picture comes by way of a Croatian blog who simply list the specs and the two images. The more interesting image (pictured above) depicts a full physical QWERTY keyboard, which is something HTC usually strays away from in Android smartphones. In addition to the keyboard, the HTC Vision sports a 3.7 inch touch display, 1GHz Snapdragon Processor, runs Android 2.1, and loaded with HTC Sense. No word on which carrier it will land with, but rumors indicate T-Mobile could launch the phone. The Vision seems like a pretty typical Android phone, but if the keyboard is any good, HTC might have a nice little product on their hands. Via [njuskalo] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 5:12 pm Um, Why Exactly Is The NBA Paying Twitter To Promote LeBron James?
If you look at the right hand column on twitter.com, you’ll see LeBron James’ name at the bottom of the Trending Topics section highlighted by a big yellow “Promoted” icon. At first, I thought James himself may be paying for the promotion (which would be kind of funny in the ultimate vanity kind of way), or that perhaps his main sponsor Nike was doing it. But no, it’s actually the NBA itself which is paying Twitter to promote James’ name — as you can see when you hover over his name. So why on Earth is the NBA paying to promote just one player? Well, if you click on the topic, you’ll see the tweet they’re also paying for along the top. “For all your LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and other NBA Free Agency updates check out Decision 2010 on NBA.com” which is then followed by a link to nba.com. It’s actually a pretty savvy move by the NBA. Had they just promoted something like “NBA Free Agency,” I doubt as many people would click on the trending topic (and subsequent link). But LeBron James draws crowds both in real life and virtually. So the NBA is piggybacking off of the name of their biggest star. Smart. Promoted Trending Topics are the latest Twitter money-making idea being tested out. They began appearing last month, when Disney/Pixar promoted Toy Story 3. Humorously, the NBA has also managed to get upstaged in the promoted tweet arena by popular Twitter user Conan O’Brien. He currently has a top tweet (meaning it has been retweeted a ton of times) under the “LeBron James” topic that reads, “I don’t care where LeBron James ends up… As long as it’s not at 11pm on TBS.”
Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 4:53 pm Customers Question Tech Industry's Takeover Spreecrimeandpunishment writes: "When it comes to the world's largest technology companies, is bigger better? Maybe for the companies, but maybe not for their customers. Tech companies, which have spent $350 billion buying other companies over the past few years, have marketed their acquisitions as beneficial for their customers, offering them a broader range of products, and making it easier for one-stop shopping. But changes in customer service may be offsetting any benefit. In the words of the chief information officer for a large association, 'When the smaller guys are gobbled up by bigger guys, in theory it's supposed to be better, but in our experience it's been worse.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2010 | 4:32 pm Gowalla Focusing More On Beauty With iPhone 4 — Will Users Be Attracted?
Version 2.2 of Gowalla, which just went live in the App Store, is the first version of the app that is iOS 4 and iPhone 4-compatible. In the update notes, Gowalla, which has always been more design-oriented compared to its competitors, remarks on their excitement for the new Retina display:
There is no question that Gowalla’s iPhone app continues to look much nicer than the one made by main rival Foursquare. With the Retina display, Gowalla is clearly going to try to widen that gap, hoping it will help differentiate their app. But so far, the beauty advantage hasn’t helped much. After their showdown at SXSW in March (which was a pretty even fight), Foursquare appears to be growing more quickly (they did a million check-ins on July 3) and now has more funding ($21 million versus just over $10 million for Gowalla). Something else interesting in the notes of the new Gowalla app is that they say they’ve “made improvements to how Gowalla handles location.” This doesn’t appear to have anything to do with background location (at least not in the same way that Loopt is currently using it), but we’ve reached out to Gowalla to try to clarify that. One thing definitely fixed is the location issues Gowalla was having with users who updated to iOS 4. Gowalla apologized for those issues, which, in some cases, forced users to open the Maps app before Gowalla to make sure location was working). This latest version also makes it easier for new users to sign up for Gowalla right from the app. Notably, you can now pre-populate much of the data to need to fill out by selecting your entry card in your iPhone address book — it’s a nice, simple touch. You can find version 2.2 of Gowalla here. It’s a free download.      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 4:09 pm Best Buy to start limited pre-sale for the Droid XSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones  Even though Verizon isn’t offering pre-orders of the hot new Android phone, Best Buy has been offering on and off pre-ordering. Best Buy first began taking pre-orders on June 25, but last we heard, Best Buy was ending Droid X pre-orders due to unprecedented orders and they would not receive enough of the phone to cover demand. However, it looks like Best Buy is going to begin taking pre-orders again starting today (June 4) until next Saturday (June 10). Unfortunately the catch is Best Buy is not guaranteeing the Droid X will be available for customers on July 15 when the phone is going to launch. Here are some Q&A from Best Buy forums:
The question now becomes, are you going to wait until launch day for the Motorola Droid X or will you take a chance and pre-order the phone in the event it might not be available on launch day? What if Verizon runs out of phones on the launch day and faces temporary shortage issues? Then pre-ordering with Best Buy is to your advantage because you are guaranteed the Droid X at some point in the future. And just for kicks, the Best Buy ad for this week does feature the Droid X saying you can pre-order the phone in stores today. Via [Droid-Life] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 4:04 pm Dutch Agency Admits Mistakes In UN Climate ReportHugh Pickens writes "The AP reports that the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency has taken the blame for one of the glaring errors that undermined the credibility of a seminal, 3,000-page UN report last year on climate change, and disclosed that it had discovered more small mistakes. However, the review by the agency also claims that none of the errors affected the fundamental conclusion by a UN panel of scientists: that global warming caused by humans already is happening and is threatening the lives and well-being of millions of people. The Dutch agency reported in 2005 that 55 percent of the Netherlands is below sea level, when only 26 percent is. The second previously reported error claimed the Himalayan glaciers would melt by 2035, which the Dutch agency partly traced to a report on the likely shrinking of glaciers by the year 2350. The original report also said global warming will put 75 million to 250 million Africans at risk of severe water shortages in the next 10 years, but a recalculation showed that range should be 90 million to 220 million. The analysis said future IPCC reports should have a more robust review process, and should look more closely at where information comes from."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2010 | 3:43 pm Russian Cargo Ship Docks At ISS On Second TryFleaPlus writes "Following up on a story from a few days ago about an unmanned Russian cargo ship's initial aborted attempt at docking with the International Space Station, Space.com reports that the vehicle made a second pass on July 4, which succeeded. Russian engineers believe the initial abort was triggered when the (normally reliable) Progress spacecraft detected interference between a remote control system on the ISS and Progress's camera. It successfully docked on the second try by using the autonomous system instead."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 5 Jul 2010 | 2:58 pm Rumor: T-Mobile offering the Motorola Charm as a back-to-school special?Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones
According to the latest image secured by TmoNews, it seems like the Motorola Charm will be offered in a back-to-school promotion and will be available for free. This debunks the latest rumor which had the Motorola Charm pricing set at $75, but perhaps after the promotion it will retail for $75. The image features three other Samsung phones (the :), Gravity 3, and Gravity T) and they are all touted as messaging phones. It looks like the official name of the Android, portrait, QWERTY device will be the Motorola Charm as opposed to the Motorola Basil. I suppose the Basil was simply the internal codename for the Charm. No word on when the actual back-to-school promotion will take place, so hopefully we will be hearing official confirmation from T-Mobile sooner rather than later. Via [TmoNews] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 2:55 pm HP offering the Pre Plus, Pixi Plus and Pre Plus accessories for freeSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Web, Websites
In order to commemorate the opening of the HP Wireless Store, HP will be running a very nice offer for a limited time only. HP will be offering the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus for free on both AT&T and Verizon. To make the already good deal even more enticing, HP will bundle the Palm Pre Plus with three accessories - Bluetooth headset, car charger and leather case. In fact, the Bluetooth headset is $49.99, the leather case is $29.99, and the car charger is $19.99. In case you are on Sprint and want to order one of their webOS phones, the HP Wireless Store will also be selling the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi. However, Sprint is still charging an obscene price for the Palm Pre ($99.99) and the Pixi for $19.99. For AT&T and Verizon users looking to pick up a decent smartphone at an affordable price, these are two very good deals. Check it out [HP Wireless Central] Via [Pre Central] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 1:40 pm Prince declares the internet “over”
I guess we can’t blame the man for this off-hand nullification of everything that is modern and good, and which in all likelihood have made his career longer and more lucrative. Like other divas led into the intellectual oubliette of narcissism, he has no concept of the world, because his world is himself. I won’t comment further on this (admittedly talented) man’s mystifying backwardness. I’ll only say that deliberately alienating his existing fan base and preventing a new generation from accessing his music natively, as it were, are tactics certain to be detrimental to his legacy — if not his immediate record sales.
Source: CrunchGear | 5 Jul 2010 | 1:23 pm UberCab Takes The Hassle Out Of Booking A Car Service
After signing up for an UberCab account and downloading the free iPhone app, can then you can then set your location and request a car service from the application. The app will determine your location and you can set your exact pickup location. UberCab will then send your request to their network of drivers who happen to be in the area. The driver will accept your request and you can then input your end location. The driver will alert you when arriving, and once you entire the car, you hit begin trip on your app to begin your fare. The driver also has a connecting app, which he will use to input the end of the trip. At the end of the trip, your pre-set credit card that you input when you set up your account will be charged and you won’t have to dole out any cash. Of course, convenience has a price. You may pay any where from one and a half to two times the price of a cab fare (but two times less than a traditional car service fee). But you are receiving better service, a nice black limo and an on-demand solution. UberCab calculates the cost of your trip based on milage and time in the car, similar to the way other limo companies calculate fares. However, the startup says you are able to get better fares because its drivers perceive these on-demand trips as extra money in addition to their regular full-priced trips to and from the airport. Interestingly, UberCab asks that both passengers and drivers rate each other, Yelp-style. This helps UberCab ensure that passengers and driver are using the system properly. Unfortunately, UberCab is only available in San Francisco (although UberCab’s site says it will also be beta tested in Chicago). That being said, if UberCab were in the city that I live in, Id probably use it. I’d definitely be willing to pay a little extra to ride in a nice car with the convenience of door to door service. And initial reviews from local San Francisco users on Twitter seem fairly positive. UberCab as a technology will compete with Cabulous, which displays cabs in your area, tracking them in real time, and TaxiMagic. UberCab Demo from UberCab on Vimeo. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 1:15 pm Tech firms aim to keep wayward walkers on path (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 5 Jul 2010 | 1:02 pm Dutch review backs UN climate panel report - msnbc.com
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 Jul 2010 | 12:41 pm Appletell reviews iRig adapter for iPhone, iPod touchFROM APPLETELL - Amplitude iRig takes your guitar, bass or other 1/4 inch input and converts it to a format that is optimal for an iDevice line in. But, as you might have guessed, it’s not perfect. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 5 Jul 2010 | 12:32 pm Posterous Growing At More Than 700 Percent a Year
Somewhere in between full blogging platforms like WordPress and the 140-character limit of Twitter, true microblogging sites like Tumblr and Posterous are taking off. I call these true microblogging sites because they are designed for quick hits but can support photos, themes, and other more blog-like features. Tumblr has been around longer and is getting quite big (23 million monthly unique global visitors, according to Quantcast) , but the younger Posterous is also seeing some decent growth. According to Quantcast, Posterous has 5.3 million monthly unique global visitors, with 2.2 million in the U.S. (Both Posterous and Tumblr are directly measured by Quantcast). If you look at the Quantcast chart above, you can see the different growth spurts Posterous has gone through. The first year after its launch in June, 2008, it’s growth was pretty gradual. But then, almost a year ago, it introduced an iPhone app which allows users to post their photos and thoughts directly to their Posterous blogs. One of the main uses of Posterous is to share photos with some commentary. Then earlier this year it started integrating more tightly with Twitter through its Post.ly service, and kept steadily adding new features throughout the year. Currently the company is trying to fuel growth through a switching campaign targeted at 15 competing services such as Ning and Twitpic, which is getting it in some hot water. Even taking the more conservative estimates from comScore, which shows Posterous with only 2.5 million worldwide unique visitors in May, 2010, the site is up 700 percent since comScore started collecting data 11 months prior. It is safe to assume that the annual growth is north of 700 percent. Tumblr, by comparison, is up 174 percent during the same period (off a much larger base of users, which comScore estimates 10.7 million worldwide unques in May, 2010). Both are growing spectacularly because when you lower the barriers to publishing, the posts (and audience) will follow.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 12:10 pm Twitter Is Missing Some @Replies
Twitter just confirmed that @ replies have disappeared from some timelines for no apparent reason and are currently working on a fix for the problem. According to the recent post: Some users are experiencing an issue in which they’re not receiving all of their @ replies; we’re working on a fix. It’s unclear what the cause of the issue is but Twitter has been experiencing major downtime due to increased traffic from The World Cup. However, it seems that @replies started to go missing yesterday, a day which didn’t include any major World Cup games. Last week, the network even slashed its API rate, taking the default limit from 350 and cutting it to 175 for third party developers. And the network just rescheduled its ‘oAuthcalypse’ thanks to the downtime. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 11:35 am How Steam Stopped Me From Pirating Games And Enjoy The Sweet DRM Kool-Aid
Up until a few weeks ago, the last PC game I purchased and didn’t pirate was Team Fortress 2 via the digital download service, Steam. The last PC game I purchased in a retail box was Half Life 2. Yet like many, I’ve still managed to play every PC hit over the last decade. I simply couldn’t justify spending $50 on a game when pirating offers so many real benefits verses owning a legit copy. Part of my motivation was that it’s just so damn easy to pirate a game. It’s like three clicks of the mouse to download a torrent and even less on Usernet. The files download as fast as my cable modem allows and I have the full game with simple cracking instructions a few minutes later. Why in the world would I want to drive to a store and give them $50 for the same thing?      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 11:16 am How Steam stopped me from pirating games and enjoy the sweet DRM kool-aid
Up until a few weeks ago, the last PC game I purchased and didn’t pirate was Team Fortress 2 via the digital download service, Steam. The last PC game I purchased in a retail box was Half Life 2. Yet like many, I’ve still managed to play every PC hit over the last decade. I simply couldn’t justify spending $50 on a game when pirating offers so many real benefits verses owning a legit copy. Part of my motivation was that it’s just so damn easy to pirate a game. It’s like three clicks of the mouse to download a torrent and even less on Usernet. The files download as fast as my cable modem allows and I have the full game with simple cracking instructions a few minutes later. Why in the world would I want to drive to a store and give them $50 for the same thing? Actually, I can answer that. Besides the moral issue of stealing, the primary reason people buy games retail is for the multiplayer modes. Most pirated games do not allow for multiplayer as the game often has to connect to an official server where its legitimacy can easily be verified by some sort of authentication service. So while I played through Modern Warfare 2’s single player mode twice, I haven’t seen one minute of the mutliplayer mode. Those of us that download games understand this limitation. But for the most part it’s not a huge deal as great games are coming out at such a rapid pace. As soon as I finished my first time through MW2, Battlefield Bad Company 2 was released. Perfect timing. Sometimes we get lucky and games like Borderlands and the original Modern Warfare have an online mutliplayer mode that plays nicely with cracked versions, but that’s getting somewhat rare.
So in a way the main reason I was pirating games was that I was lazy and there wasn’t a service that catered to me. Either buying a game retail from Amazon required me to wait for it to ship or I had to drive to Best Buy. Once I own the game I can’t ever lose the CD key or it would be worthless. And the worst excuse is that it required me to have a DVD-ROM in all of my computers just to install these games. That’s silly. What the world needed was a service where I could buy a game once and never have to worry about losing the physical media or my rights to play it ever again.
Valve, the makers of Half-Life, released the digital download service back in 2003. Nearly every major game publisher has distribution via the platform now. Gamers can easily browse, purchase, and enjoy PC games with the service even though DRM is a central part of the ecosystem. Digital Rights Management is a curse word around the Internet. It’s not that most people want to take money away from the developers and engineers that worked day and night for years. No, but rather most DRM schemes are obtrusive and get in the way of actually enjoying the game — or music, ebooks, or movies. Look at Ubisoft. In order to counter piracy, they require all their games to have a constant internet connection. This means you’re SOL if your Internet drops or you wanna play a game on an airplane. Craziness. It’s this sort of scheme that forces people to pirate games. Steam’s system wasn’t always so nice. In fact, its offline mode wasn’t all that great in the early days. Even now sometimes the online service goes offline, stripping all the logging and extra features out of some games. But it’s the benefits that keeps it relevant and why I started actually started purchasing games through it.
Then there’s built-in friends lists, achievements, easy installs on other machines, and so much more features that justifies Steam’s DRM. Simply put, there are more advantages to use Steam than there are DRM disadvantages. That’s the way it should be.
One redditer made a graphic showing the pains of current movie DRM. It’s crazy the steps required to use one of these legal downloaded movies. Even experienced nerds have trouble with it. How do these companies expect novice computer users to “do the right thing?” DRM schemes hate your freedom. They don’t want you to be able to travel abroad or enjoy your content on any system you want. That doesn’t really describe Steam, though, so at least one company is showing the whole industry how it should be done. I know it has converted this former pirate into a honest-to-goodness purchaser of digital goods. Have something to contribute to our online audience? Maybe a counter to this article or something totally different and random? Contact us at Tips@CrunchGear.com.
Source: CrunchGear | 5 Jul 2010 | 11:11 am Government Taking Over Oil Spill WebsiteThe U.S. government is going to take over the official Gulf oil spill website that has been jointly run by various agencies and BP for the past two and a half months. The Department of Homeland Security hopes for a website that is completely overseen by the government as it settles into the long-haul of dealing with the response to the disaster. BP and the government have been working together to try and combat the oil spill, but the government has been directing the British energy giant at every turn. Sean Smith, a DHS spokesman, told The Associated Press (AP) on Sunday that the relationship between the government and BP will not change when the website's ownership changes. Smith said the government wants to be as transparent as possible and increase Americans' access to information. The site may still be maintained during the changeover, but will ultimately be taken down when the government moves the response information on its own website. A BP spokesman was not immediately available for a response about the move. California Representative Darrell Issa was skeptical that the change would amount to much. "Given that the government taking over the cleanup hasn't exactly fixed things, it's hard to imagine the government taking over a website making things much better either," Issa, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement e-mailed to the AP."In recent weeks, we've heard directly from local officials pleading for less bureaucracy, more resources and expressing an overall frustration with this administration's apparent pre-occupation with the public relations surrounding this catastrophe," he said.---On the Net:Department of Homeland SecurityBPDeepwater Horizon Response WebsiteSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:55 am Lenovo: Apple Is Missing Out In ChinaLenovo's founder and chairman said in an interview on Monday with the Financial Times that Apple is missing huge opportunities in the country because it does not understand mainland consumers. "We are lucky that Steve Jobs has such a bad temper and doesn't care about China," Lenovo chairman Liu Chuanzhi is quoted as saying."If Apple were to spend the same effort on the Chinese consumer as we do, we would be in trouble."The newspaper said that Lenovo holds about 30 percent share of the Chinese market, which is one of the fastest-growing, and is expected to become the world's largest within a year. The report said that Chinese consumers are as attracted to Apple's devices as their international peers, but official markets for their sale are extremely limited. Apple has a flagship store in Beijing and a handful of authorized resellers in the country's largest cities. Apple is expected to open a store in Shanghai on Saturday. The iPhone has been legally available only through China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile operator. Previous rules required Apple to disable the Wifi function in phones sold on the mainland, making them less attractive to increasingly Internet-savvy consumers in the country. State media reported that the newest version of the iPhone will be sold in China with Wifi. Liu said the LePhone, Lenovo's first signature product in its push into smartphones, was well placed to compete with the iPhone in China because the device. "This is a very practical thing. The iPhone has more than 100,000 content providers, and we have no more than 1,000," Liu said."But our Chinese customers feel our applications are very convenient to use."---On the Net:LenovoAppleSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Jul 2010 | 10:50 am Opera/Chrome Rivalry Gets The Hitler Video Treatment
When Opera Software last week released the final version of its Opera browser (version 10.60), it titled its press release ‘What is faster than the fastest?’. The company touts other features, like built-in geolocation and webM support, as well but not nearly as much as it boasts about its browser’s speed. By doing so, the software maker aims to challenge claims that Google’s Chrome browser is, in fact, speedier than Opera and other popular browsers such as Firefox, Safari and IE. In the midst of the browser wars, an Opera-employed copywriter has now turned to one of the most over-used but still amusing Internet memes, and has come up with some custom subtitles for the famous Hitler outburst scene from the film ‘Der Untergang’ (via Download Squad).
Some choice – fake – quotes:
For the record, Lifehacker ran some speed tests on both the Windows and Mac platforms, and concluded that Chrome and Safari still beat Opera’s latest on the latter OS, while the latest stable version of Chrome also beat Opera 10.60 on Windows. Furthermore, DailyTech tested Opera 10.6 against the upcoming Internet Explorer 9, and while they concluded that the browser outranked it in all 3 benchmarks, the Opera browser only came out on top in one of them, with Chrome beating them in the two other ones. Ah well, as long as they all keep getting faster and we get to have some laughs from time to time, all is well in the world despite all this virtual warfare.      
Source: TechCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 9:33 am Fantastic European Space Agency photo shows light from the time of the Big Bang
Oh, the joy this photo brings me. It was taken by the European Space Agency’s Planck telescope over the period of a year, and it shows, among other treasures, some of the oldest light in the universe. We’re talking light from right around the time of the Big Bang, light that’s 13.7 billion years old. I dare you to look at this and not be completely amazed.
A little big of explanation may be necessary. The center disc-like structure? That’s the Milk Way—that’s us! If you look closely, you can see me collecting flowers in Red Dead Redemption.
Off toward the right are the stars that make up the Orion constellation. To the left, Perseus. Now, here’s where it gets good. You see the comparatively sparse areas on the top and bottom? That would cosmic background microwave radiation, present since the time of the Big Bang. Tremendous in every sense of the word. Back to flower collecting…
Source: CrunchGear | 5 Jul 2010 | 9:30 am Three-Legged Dogs Help Robot ResearchStudying how dogs adapt to losing a leg can help researchers understand how to build robots that deal with unexpected conditions.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:55 am WebOS 1.4.5 starts rollin’ on out to handsets worldwide
The update improves the browser and security of the OS, but — more importantly — introduces final support for apps developed using Palm’s PDK. This is a first for the Palm Pixi. Pee dee whatnow? Oh, the PDK is Palm’s Plug-In Development Kit, which forms part of the webOS SDK. Basically, it means developers can port C/C++ applications over to webOS. The big push from Palm/HP here is that this means 3D gaming support for the platform. What’s that? A big “yay!” from the Palm owners out there? Aww… you make me feel so happy. Sprint owners should see the update very soon (they’ve already started pushing it your way), but Verizon owners will have to wait a little bit longer for the big red update door to open. Sorry guys. [via Phone News]
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:44 am Undersea Cable Set To Boost West Africa BroadbandAn eagerly-awaited submarine cable linking West Africa to Europe has gone live, paving the way for cheaper and more reliable internet access in one of the world's fastest-growing telecoms markets.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:35 am The Gravity Phone concept blasts the future into your enormous pocket
Yes, this concept comes from the virtual pages of Yanko Design, and promises not only more corners than current phones, but also more pixels. And you and I both love pixels. One of the interesting features of this concept phone by Lukas Doenz, Joachim Kornauth, Toni Weichselbraun, and Max Salesse, is that the hardware is designed to be modular. Want a 12MP camera? Blammo! Take out the old 8MP one and drop the upgrade in! I guess this is meant to allow you to tweak the phone so it’s “just right” for your needs… but I really don’t see the point in upgrading phones like car parts. Call me old fashioned. The images show what appears to be two distinct flavours for the phone: a pocketable 720p phone, and a no-longer-phone-sized (and less cool-looking) 1080p version. Like what you see? Want to pretend that one day you’ll own something like this? Then head on over to Yanko Design for a couple more pics.
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:17 am Wall Street Institute's Educational Advisory Board Focuses on Product Development, Teacher Training, and Assessment at its 2010 MeetingBALTIMORE, July 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Wall Street Institute's Educational Advisory Board (EAB), which is composed of experts in the field of teaching English as a Second Language, held its 2010 meeting in Istanbul, Turkey on June 25 - 26, 2010. The meeting focused on a variety of topics including using Web 2.0 tools in English language teaching, using technology-based teacher training, efficacy assessment, and the benefits of and approaches to English for Special Purposes. The meeting also included a tour of a Wall Street Institute center in Istanbul. "The meeting was an insightful discussion on the agenda topics," said Simon Buckland, Wall Street Institute's Director of Curriculum Development. "Each board member has a unique specialty in the field of second language learning. They shared their perspectives on how Wall Street Institute can best achieve their goals in regards to product development, teacher training, efficacy assessment, and English for Special Purposes. The great part about this meeting was that the Board members were able to see first-hand a Wall Street Institute center, giving immediate relevance to the agenda topics." The EAB discussed a number of topics related to present and future product development. Wall Street Institute currently is producing a Business English course, and the EAB indicated that such a course was the best solution given the wide possible range of learner needs of WSI students around the world. The EAB also outlined ways in which Wall Street Institute could follow-up on the Common European Framework (CEFR) Alignment Study that occurred in 2006/2007. That study found that Wall Street Institute's curriculum aligned to the globally recognized CEFR English Proficiency Scales. The ultimate goal is to continue to assess the efficiency of the WSI method to ensure WSI is offering the best possible solution and experience for our students. Wall Street Institute established the Educational Advisory Board in August 2008. The Board's Mission is to advise and guide the company on key issues related to English language learning. In addition to Wall Street Institute management, the EAB is made up of distinguished scholars from the fields of Second Language Acquisition and Online Learning: Dr. Mike Milanovic, CEO of The University of Cambridge ESOL ExaminationsDr. Mike Long, Professor of Second Language Acquisition and Director of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, University of Maryland Dr. Carol Chapelle, Professor of TESL and Applied Linguistics, Iowa State UniversityDr. Klaus Schwienhorst, Director of the Languages for Special Purposes Unit, Leibnitz University, Hanover, GermanyJoanne Dresner, President of English Language Learning Solutions, Pearson EducationPlease visit Wall Street Institute's website at www.wallstreetinstitute.com for more information about the Educational Advisory Board and its members. About Wall Street Institute Wall Street Institute (www.wallstreetinstitute.com) is the premier provider of English instruction for individuals and corporate clients around the world. The Company's proprietary and innovative blended learning method integrates the best of proven learning approaches to provide the most effective English language instruction available for adults. Students listen, read, write, speak, and practice English with guidance and support from highly trained native English speaking teachers. Wall Street Institute's curriculum is aligned to the Common European Framework Reference for Languages (CEFR), according to a study undertaken with the support of the University of Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages Examination group (CESOL). Utilizing both company-owned and franchised centers, Wall Street Institute has provided instruction to over 2 million students in over 400 centers in 27 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Founded in 1972, Wall Street Institute's international offices are in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States, Barcelona, Spain, and Luxembourg. Wall Street Institute is owned by the private equity firm, The Carlyle Group. SOURCE Wall Street InstituteSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:00 am Botnet Viruses Invade Smart-phones: Kicking up Some Dust on the World CupBEIJING, July 5 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- New mobile viruses, disguised as "Free World Cup VOD" and other hot topics, were captured last week by the Mobile Security Center of NetQin Mobile Inc. More than 500 complaint cases were reported and filed on June 23. Identified as ShadowSrv.A, FC.Downsis.A, BIT.N and MapPlug.A, these viruses were embedded in mini mobile games to lure users to download. Once downloaded, the device will be controlled by the virus originator. The virus propagation model is the same as a computer "Botnet"; hence, the viruses are defined as "Botnet viruses". The term "botnet" is generally used to describe security threats on PCs, where a group of computers all run a harmful application that is solely controlled and manipulated by one owner or software source. The botnet may also refer to a legitimate network of several computers that share program processing amongst them. Though the purpose of the virus author is unknown, the propagation model of the three viruses indicates that botnets on mobile devices are now emerging and pose a growing threat. "The explosion of mobile applications has made smart-phones an enticing target for virus authors. Many security threats that were once only spread on PCs, such as botnets, are now moving to mobile devices to maximize the financial interest," said Dr. Lin Yu, CEO of NetQin. According to the mobile security service provider, these viruses will either send messages to all the contacts of the address book directly, or send messages to the random phone numbers by connecting to the server; both of which result in extra charges to the user's phone bill. Furthermore, the viruses will delete the sent messages from a user's Outbox and SMS log. The messages sent by viruses are themed the hottest topics, including Free World Cup VOD, and the most popular blind date TV show, etc. All messages contain URLs linked to malicious sites that users are unable to see until they've already clicked and fallen into the virus trap. The targets of these botnets are mobile devices with S60 3rd and 5th OS. An estimated 100,000 mobile phones were impacted, according to the Mobile Security Center of NetQin Mobile Inc. NetQin has now updated the virus database to ensure users get timely protection. Meanwhile, the security service provider is also working closely with operators to block the malicious URLs and prevent further spread and infections. About NetQin Founded in Beijing in 2005 and backed by leading venture capital firms like Seqouia, Mayfield and Fidelity, NetQin delivers complete mobile security solutions based on "Cloud" security platform, including anti-virus, anti-spam, privacy protection and online virus scan service, to over 51 million users worldwide. As a leading player in mobile security, NetQin holds 68% market share in China, and has received several industry awards, including the 2009 China Frost & Sullivan Award for Mobile Security Market Leadership. Extensive partnership has accelerated the growth of NetQin. The company is the only partner providing anti-spamming service to China Mobile, and is a close partner of China Unicom. As an important partner to Nokia, NetQin products are preloaded on all S60 devices sold in China. NetQin works closely with Huawei mobile software, and has also been recognized as a platinum partner of the Symbian Foundation. For more information, please visit http://www.netqin.com . SOURCE NetQin Mobile Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 5 Jul 2010 | 8:00 am Research: everything you need to know about the fragmented mobile developer ecosystem
Considering the immense fragmentation that characterizes the mobile apps industry, it's good to see decent research help us try and make sense of what's going on in that particular part of the digital economy, one that is consistently growing in size and importance across the globe. Hence, I invite anyone with a vested interest in the mobile developer ecosystem to check out VisionMobile's extensive research report (sponsored by Telefónica Developer Communities) on that very subject, because it's easily one of the most profound I've read to date.
Dubbed Developer Economics 2010, the free research report delves into all aspects of mobile application development, across 400+ developers segmented into eight major platforms: iOS (iPhone), Android, Symbian, BlackBerry, Java ME, Windows Phone, Flash/Flash Lite and mobile web (WAP/XHTML/CSS/Javascript).
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:49 am Distimo: 57% of Android apps are free vs. 28% of iPhone apps
App store analytics provider Distimo last week published its report for June 2010, and zoomed in on the pricing of mobile applications across a variety of platforms once more.
The startup found that more than half of mobile apps are priced below or equal to $2 in Android Market, Apple's App Store for iPhone and iPad, Nokia's Ovi Store and Palm's App Catalog.
The exceptions to the rule: BlackBerry App World (which doesn't allow apps priced below $2.99) and Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:47 am The Three PC Features I Want On My Next Mac
This is a counterpoint to The Three Mac Features I Want On My Next PC PCs suck. They’re underpriced, underpowered, and nothing more than disgusting commodity hardware stuck into a box with no regard for usability and peripheral compatibility. But I still want one. Well, sort of. I don’t want to give up OS X my Mac’s performance record or, well, my freedom. So I guess really what I want is a few PC staple features in my next Mac notebook.
First, I’d like the range of hardware that can run Windows to also be able to run OS X. Having a maximum of four laptops to choose from is a bit off-putting and whenever I need upgrade I feel like a doofus essentially buying the same laptop, again and again. That said, I don’t miss OS X’s ability to handle most hardware with aplomb. Although I still get Grey Screens of Death now and again due to a hardware incompatibility, I’ve never had the horrible “week of pain” that I had with Window machines over the years where a memory upgrade has reduced my PC to a quivering hunk of metal. An I know that I could feasibly Hackintosh a standard PC and I’d probably be happy. However, I’d like to return to the days of the Power PC and commodity hardware running Cupertino’s best. Second, I’d like more cooling options. My Mac Pro is great in 80% of cooling situations but recently it got hot in my attic and the fan started running like a Camaro with a stuck valve. Ditto for laptops – if I run my Macbooks for any period of time they start to cook my legs. I’d love a little liquid cooling or maybe sacrifice a little high styling for more air circulation? Too much to ask? Finally, I’d like the option to tweak OS X a bit more. Tools like the excellent QuicKeys and Divvy offer a bit of a refuge to the power user but there’s no real way to change the way you work with OS X. While 95% of the time this isn’t a big deal – there is a rich command-line interface, after all – it would be nice to skin OS X a bit now and again. Would I ever switch? Probably not, but these few things might make things a bit easier to take the plunge. Be sure to read the other side in Matt’s The Three Mac Features I Want On My Next PC article.
Source: CrunchGear | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:31 am The Three Mac Features I Want On My Next PC
Macs suck. They’re overpriced, underpowered, and nothing more than disgusting status symbols. But I still want one. Well, sort of. I don’t want to give up the PC’s wide range of hardware options available or Windows 7 or, well, my dignity. So I guess really what I want is a few Mac staple features in my next PC notebook.
I have a few HP, Gateway and Asus notebooks in my house right now. That means there are 6 different power bricks laying around, which has forced me to label each one for easier identification. More times than not though, the wife and I play the match the ends to the notebook game in a desperate hunt for the proper power source. Our Macs? They use the same MagSafe charger even though they are a generation apart. Better yet, it’s easier to tell which notebook they go to as the big ones charge the MacBook Pros and the small ones are for the MacBooks. It’s that easy. I don’t expect different PC manufacturers to unite together and decided on a universal adapter — although that would be awesome — but PC makers really need to consolidate their huge range of notebook power supplies into just one or two power bricks. Imagine a world where you could use your HP power adapter on *gasp* other HPs even from different generations and product lines instead of the 14 different power adapters currently used across their whole line. While we’re on the topic, why is it that only Apple has a handy power brick that has great cable management and compatible with multiple international power tips? It’s that sort of attention to detail that makes Apple great. Us PC users are forced feed random sized black power bricks that at the very most might have a small strap of Velcro to help manage cables. If we’re going to universalize power anyway, why not stick a couple of designers in a room and have them come up with some a bit more classy. I was using an HP Envy 15-inch (2nd gen) for a while and hated the mutlitouch, button-less trackpad. I cursed its name (I named it Stan – Screw you, Stan!) every time I used it. It didn’t work and convinced me that button-less trackpads were the devil. Then I used Devin’s new MacBook Pro. The damn thing worked like it was supposed to. I had to rewire my brain to use the trackpad as I should since the mutlitouch actually worked 100% of the time. I could actually click with one finger while another one rested elsewhere on the pad. It blew my mind. But it’s just not that HP. I have never used a PC trackpad that’s as good as those found on my Macs. Even my 5-year old iBook’s trackpad that only supports two finger scroll works better than any other PC I have right now. It’s really pathetic. I’m not sure who is to blame here. It could be Synaptics for not providing enough driver support, Microsoft for not supporting mutlitouch early enough, or even the PC manufacturers for constantly opting for the cheapest solution. I really don’t care, either. Just someone, please, get me a working trackpad on a PC. I understand that notebook makers want to make their models stand out from the rest and an easy way to do that is with randomly colored media playback buttons. But nobody uses those. (at least no one should use them) If bright media buttons aren’t enough, sometimes a notebook will spice things up with a slightly different keyboard layout that adds, I don’t know, shortcut buttons for email, web browsing, calendar, and whatnot. Once again, silly. The keyboard and trackpad are some of the most important hardware found on a notebook. It’s how users interact with the device so they should be a top priority, but yet it seems only Apple invests significant resources in their development. I’m not switching back to OS X from Windows 7 anytime soon. It’s my OS of choice now partly because it runs great on the huge range of inexpensive, but yet very capable PC notebooks available from every manufacturer. None of the items I listed here are that big of a deal that to cause me to switch back, but I hope that a few PC manufacturers realize that Apple’s attention to the small things is what defines its identity. There comes a point when selling products that are just good enough stops working. GM and Chrysler know a little about that. Be sure to read the other side in John’s The Three PC Features I Want On My Next Mac article.
Source: CrunchGear | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:31 am New quick charger for electric cars is really quick
One of the biggest hurdles on the road to make electric vehicles attractive for the mass market is the long time it usually takes to charge batteries. But a Japanese company called JFE Engineering now claims it has found a solution for that problem. According to JFE, even so-called “quick battery chargers” often take 30 minutes to charge a car’s battery to 80% of its capacity. But their self-developed charger apparently needs just three minutes for a 50% charge, or five minutes for a 70% charge. In tests JFE conducted with the device, Mitsubishi’s electric car i-MiEV (pictured above) was able to drive for 80km continuously after a 5-minute charge (the vehicle has a driving range of 160km on a full charge). JFE also developed a low-cost version of its charger, which doesn’t require a power transformer and therefore costs just $60,000 to install (roughly half the usual amount). Both that device and the high-cost model meet the specifications of the CHAdeMo standard for electric cars that was brought to life by a group of Japanese and international companies back in March. JFE expects its charger to be used mainly at gas stations and convenience stores all over Japan by the end of March 2011. Via 47News [JP]
Source: CrunchGear | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:21 am Reading on Paper is Faster than iBooks on the iPad - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:19 am Eric Schmidt sez: The Nexus Two ain’t happenin’, kiddo
Over the weekend, The Telegraph posted an interview with Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, and, in it, Eric said that they had achieved everything that Google had wanted to with the Nexus One, and, as such, won’t be doing a second one. To quote:
Sad news, right? Not really. The Nexus One was noteworthy for two reasons: 1) it was a stock-standard Android device, the model of which formed the basis for a whole bunch o’ high-end Android devices since, and 2) it was sold carrier-free. I really doubt that it will be the last high-end stock-Android device, so the first point is moot, and, well, the carrier thing really ain’t that big a deal, is it? I mean, the phone is the important bit, right? So, today we bury the Nexus Two rumours, but keep your chins up, folks, there will be another sexy piece of stock-Android hardware coming in the future, don’t you worry. [via Slashgear]
Source: MobileCrunch | 5 Jul 2010 | 7:19 am Get A White iPhone 4 Right Now — If You Have Money, Steady Hands, And No Fear In the past week or so that the iPhone 4 has been available, there's been one major thing holding people back from from getting one. No, not the antenna issue. Instead, more people I talk to say they're simply waiting for the white one to come out. Sadly, that's not happening until the end of this month. But if you have cash to burn and don't mind taking some risks, you can get one right now. Sort of.
The site WhiteiPhone4Now.com is promising to make you "one of the first in the world to own the white iPhone 4." How? They have a DIY kit they're selling to convert your black iPhone 4 into a white one.
Source: CrunchGear | 5 Jul 2010 | 6:40 am Never Arm Wrestle A Saber-toothed Tiger!X-ray analysis reveals that saber-tooth forelimbs were exceptionally strong compared to their feline cousinsSaber-toothed cats may be best known for their supersized canines, but they also had exceptionally strong forelimbs for pinning prey before delivering the fatal bite, says a new study in the journal PLoS ONE.Commonly called the "saber-toothed tiger," the extinct cat Smilodon fatalis roamed North and South America until 10,000 years ago, preying on large mammals such as bison, camels, mastodons and mammoths. Telltale clues from bones and teeth suggest they relied on their forelimbs as well as their fangs to catch and kill their prey.The size and shape of sabertooth canines made them more vulnerable to fracture than cats living today, said author Julie Meachen-Samuels, a paleontologist at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, NC."Cats living today have canines that are round in cross-section, so they can withstand forces in all directions. If the prey is struggling it doesn't matter which way it's pulling — their teeth are unlikely to break," she explained.In contrast, the elongated canines of saber-toothed cats were oval in cross-section, which made them more vulnerable to breaking than their conical-toothed cousins. "Many scientists infer that saber-toothed cats killed prey differently from other cats because their teeth were thinner side-to-side," said Meachen-Samuels.Despite their vulnerable canines, prominent muscle attachment scars on sabertooth limb bones suggest the cat was powerfully built. Saber-toothed cats may have used their muscular arms to immobilize prey and protect their teeth from fracture, she explained.To estimate how strong sabertooth forelimbs were relative to other cats, the researchers used x-rays to measure the cross-sectional dimensions of the upper arm and leg bones of fossils recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. They also measured the limb bones of 28 cat species living today — ranging in size from the 6-pound margay to the 600-pound tiger — as well as the extinct American lion, the largest conical-toothed cat that ever lived.The researchers used their cross-sectional measurements to estimate bone strength and rigidity for each species. When they plotted rigidity against length for the 30 species in their study, species with longer limbs generally had stronger bones. But the data for the saber-toothed cat fell well outside the normal range —while their leg bones scaled to size, their arm bones were exceptionally thick for their length."When I looked at the arm bones, Smilodon fatalis was way out in left field," said Meachen-Samuels.Sabertooth arm bones were not only larger in diameter than other cats, they also had thicker cortical bone, the dense outer layer that makes bones strong and stiff. Thicker cortical bone is consistent with the idea that sabertooth forelimbs were under greater stress than would be expected for cats their size, Meachen-Samuels explained. Just like weight-bearing exercise remodels our bones and improves bone density over time, the repeated strain of grappling with prey may have resulted in thicker and stronger arm bones in saber-toothed cats."As muscles pull on bones, bones respond by getting stronger," said Meachen-Samuels. "Because saber-toothed cats had thicker arm bones we think they must have used their forelimbs more than other cats did.""The findings give us new information about how strong their forelimbs were and how they were built," she added. "This is the first study to look inside sabertooth arm bones to see exactly how much stress and strain they could handle."The findings will be published online in the June 30 issue of PLoS ONE. Blaire Van Valkenburgh of the University of California, Los Angeles was also an author on this study.CITATION: Meachen-Samuels, J. and B. VanValkenburgh (2010). "Radiographs reveal exceptional forelimb strength in the saber-toothed cat, Smilodon fatalis." PLoS ONE.---Image 1: Saber-toothed cats may be best known for their supersized canines, but they also had exceptionally strong forelimbs for pinning prey before delivering the fatal bite, says a new study in the journal PLoS ONE. Credit: Wikimedia CommonsImage 2: These X-ray images show cross-sectional dimensions of the upper arm bone of a jaguar (A and B) compared to a saber-toothed cat (C and D). Credit: Photo by Julie Meachen-Samuels---On the Net:National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)PLoS ONESource: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jul 2010 | 5:20 am Digital Embryo Gains WingsNow possible to film development of fruit fly and of zebrafish's eyes and brainThe scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, who 'fathered' the Digital Embryo have now given it wings, creating the Fly Digital Embryo. In work published today in Nature Methods, they were able to capture fruit fly development on film, and were the first to clearly record how a zebrafish's eyes and midbrain are formed. The improved technique will also help to shed light on processes and organisms, which have so far been under-studied because they could not be followed under a microscope."Non-transparent samples like the fruit fly embryo scatter light, so the microscope picks up a mixture of in-focus and out-of-focus signal– good and bad information, if you like," says Ernst Stelzer, whose group carried out the project at EMBL. "Our new technique enables us to discriminate between that good and bad information, so it allows us to record organisms which have so far been poorly studied, because of their unfortunate optical properties."Philipp Keller, who co-led and conducted the work, and Ernst Stelzer overcame the difficulties caused by thick, opaque samples, by shining patterns of light on them, instead of the usual continuous light sheet. This generates an image with alternating light and dark stripes, unless the light bounces off the sample and changes direction, in which case this stripy pattern will be blurred. By taking multiple images of different phases of the light pattern, and combining them, a computer can filter out the effects of scattered light and generate an accurate image of the sample, thus enabling scientists to record images that were previously unobtainable.By combining this approach with imaging along different angles, the scientists were able to obtain three-dimensional movies of the developing fruit fly embryo in spite of the fact that it is almost opaque.The EMBL scientists were also able to extend their recordings of zebrafish development to an unprecedented level. They took around one million images to capture the first three days of zebrafish development from three different angles, generating films in which the formation of the animal's eyes and midbrain are clearly visible."Of course, getting such good images is nice for the human observer, but it's particularly crucial for computational analyses, like tracking cell movements and divisions as we do in the Digital Embryo," says Philipp Keller, now at the Janelia Farm Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Ashburn, VA, USA.The work was done in collaboration with scientists at the University of Heidelberg, Germany and the Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York, USA. ---Image 1: The fly digital embryo is shown here at different developmental stages, with cell nuclei colored according to how fast they were moving (from blue for the slowest to orange for the fastest). The fruit fly embryo is magnified around 250 times. Credit: Philipp Keller/EMBLImage 2: A new microscopy technique (DSLM-SI) provides a much more detailed image of a fruit fly embryo (right) than the previous one (left). Credit: Philipp Keller/EMBL---On the Net:European Molecular Biology LaboratoryNature MethodsSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 5 Jul 2010 | 5:05 am Horses Understand Humans, Sort OfAlthough horses can't talk (with the exception of Mister Ed naturally), they are able to pick up on subtle eye and body movements.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 5 Jul 2010 | 5:00 am
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I’m sort of scratching my head at the Wall Street Journal’s 
But while some of the competition is retrenching or worse, BakkaPhoenix, which recorded a double-digit increase in sales last year, is expanding. In stark contrast to the recently shuttered This Ain't the Rosedale Library, BakkaPhoenix is readying a fall move from the Queen St. W. location it currently rents to the larger, two-storey Harbord St. digs it has purchased.
Gotta love those guys at 
Apparently Facebook noticed the slap down that the 
The earliest reference to the term that I could find, searching on Newspaper Archive, was May 9, 1960. The author of a Pasadena Independent trivia column noted that "Son Herbert reports that underwater basket weaving is all the rage among college students who want to spare the brain cells." So evidently the joke had been well established by 1960. I would guess the origin of the term dates to the late 1950s. Did the joke start after a college actually began offering this course? I don't know, but it seems possible.
While the producers of 
It’s already fairly impossible to escape hearing about basketball star LeBron James these days. It seems that no matter what TV channel you put on, what website you read, or what social media site you’re on, talk of him is rampant as the world awaits his decision on which team he’ll sign with. That’s why it’s a little odd that the NBA decided they needed to pay Twitter to promote James a bit more. Yes, he’s the latest Promoted Trending Topic on the service.
As iPhone apps push out their updates to be compatible with the new iOS 4, most are focusing on adding simple fast app switching capabilities. Many are also giving their apps a quick new coat of polish to make them look a bit nicer on the new Retina display found on the iPhone 4. The location-based service 
Finding a cab, especially during peak travel times or in less-traveled areas, can be an incredibly frustrating task. But car services are often much more expensive than the average cab ride. Enter 
Yesterday, 
Note: A reader sent us this interesting take on Steam and DRM, but requested to stay anonymous due to the nature of the article. We of course obliged.
Steam. That is what Steam is all about and I was completely ignoring it for years even though it was on most of my PCs so I could play Team Fortress 2. Steam is to games as iTunes is to music. Both platforms make a strong case for digital rights management and purchasing media, but I believe Steams’s case is a bit stronger.
WebOS’s first update since the 
