|
|
|
|
Inside Hublot, Watch Maker Experience The myth of Jean-Claude Biver is as much a man, as the man himself. While many people wouldn’t necessarily consider the CEO of a watch brand a celebrity or an icon; to watch lovers and people working in the industry, few people have the level of respect and close to attention that Mr. Biver enjoys. And enjoy it he does. The prize for the man’s calculated efforts is a sense of pride and a pat-on-the-back attitude that comes naturally. Bright faced and wide-eyed, Jean-Claude Biver (JCB) often has the enthusiasm of a teenager. Nevertheless, Jean-Claude prefers the simple joys in life, and is approachable in a way that can’t be said for most men at the helm of high profile brands. Aside from his deeds as a watch maker, Biver is amusingly known second best for his famous cheese making – a true Swiss, he does not disappoint.
Source: CrunchGear | 14 Jul 2010 | 4:01 am Jewel goes undercover at karaoke bar for Web video (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 14 Jul 2010 | 3:53 am Remember When We Were All Supposed To Quit Facebook?
Remember when we were all supposed to quit Facebook? You should. It was a whole two months ago. Surely you didn’t forget how no one would shut up about Facebook and its privacy issues? I mean, it was a massive deal, as we were told over and over again. Some people were practically screaming it. Where are all those people now? I haven’t heard a peep about it in weeks. Weren’t we all supposed to quit Facebook and bitch about it until Mark Zuckerberg was forced to resign? What happened? I’ll tell you what happened: people got bored of hearing about Facebook privacy. More to the point, the hits/pageviews/mentions based on the controversy quit rolling in. So it was on to the next hot controversial topic. But wait. Seriously, all I heard was how this Facebook controversy was different than the others that came before it. That this one was the one that would break the camel’s back. That Facebook was over. And yet, Facebook had record traffic numbers in June. The social network surpassed 140 million monthly unique U.S. visitors for he first time, according to comScore. That’s up from 130 million in May. Remarkably, the jump of 11 million plus visitors was the largest surge forward Facebook has seen in the past year. The service has basically doubled the visitors it had a year ago. So much for that boycott. That can’t be right, can it? comScore’s numbers must be off. Okay, well Facebook’s own numbers suggest that mobile growth is surging. They’re now up to 150 million mobile users. It was only this past February when they hit 100 million. What about the controversial Like button? The end of the web! It’s being served 3 billion times a day. That’s up threefold since April. In other words, usage has been exploding in the midst of this controversy. My point isn’t to downplay the privacy problems Facebook had a couple months ago. Many of them were very real, just as the iPhone 4 issue is. But shouldn’t all those who were acting holier-than-thou at the time have an obligation to stick to their guns? When they go quiet so quickly, it just makes them look like fear-mongers and gives Facebook even more power. And that’s exactly why it’s hard to take any of these problems seriously. Facebook is only evil as long as saying Facebook is evil is driving traffic, is my takeaway from this. And it’s exactly as I thought it would be. It’s a bit depressing, actually. The reality of the situations in these massively-hyped controversies is often quite boring. No one is quitting Facebook over privacy concerns because most people are oblivious or simply don’t give a shit (sometimes for good reason, sometimes not). In fact, Facebook is growing just as fast as before. Maybe faster. And millions of people are going to continue to buy the iPhone 4 because it’s the phone they want. If there’s a problem with the reception, they’ll deal with it by moving their hands a few inches or buying a bumper. But no one wants to read those stories. Hell, I don’t want to write those stories. They’re boring. No service is dying, no users are getting maimed. But often, that’s the way it is.      
Source: TechCrunch | 14 Jul 2010 | 3:27 am Italian Draft Wiretapping Law Under Firenewsblaze writes "Italy has a draft law on surveillance and eavesdropping that could jeopardize journalists and threaten freedom of expression. The UN doesn't like it and they are calling for the abolition or revision of the bill. Anyone not accredited as a professional journalist could be imprisoned for up to four years for recording a conversation without the consent of the person involved and then publicizing that information. Four years seems a bit draconian, but people should know they are being recorded. Across Italy, journalists and citizens protested against the draft law, and most journalists went on strike (only the newspaper published by the premier's brother was open for business). I couldn't discover what would trigger the maximum penalty. This is similar to a 2007 bill that was stopped — lobbyists never give up!"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 14 Jul 2010 | 3:03 am Allot Mobile Trends World Cup Report: Mobile Devices Create a New Category During World Cup GamesSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 3:00 am Polaroid Snapshot Ads - The Paige Denim Fall 2010 Collection has Sticky Notes (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Looking for upcoming fall fashion? The Paige Denim Fall 2010 Collection has that covered. In their new campaign, you will not only find what's going to be hot in fall, but you will...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 2:30 am Higgs boson discovery rumour denied by US lab - BBC News
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 14 Jul 2010 | 2:20 am Wanted: Your Real Voice for a Mixed Reality Animation Project From Two Metaverse Art StarsWould you like to add your recorded voice to a mixed reality art project from Mescaline Tammas and Four Yip? Of course you do! After all, Mescaline made this milestone Second Life machinima, and Ms. Yip...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 2:17 am Would you use your Real Name on the Internet? - Techtree.com
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 14 Jul 2010 | 2:15 am Low-Maintenance Gadget Cases - The Dooney & Bourke iPad Case is Durable and Stylish (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) Made of Cabriolet cloth, the Dooney & Bourke iPad Case will no doubt keep your iPad safe and clean. Coming in six different colors, these cases will match whatever your work style...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 2:10 am iPad Beds - The iCon Bed from Therapedic and Hollandia International is Tech Ready (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The iCon Bed is a pretty luxurious bed that is designed to work with your iPad to get a better nights sleep. Therapedic and Hollandia International have teamed up to provide the world...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:55 am Facebook to write new chapter of its mobile strategyFacebook is going to go beyond rolling out standalone applications for iPhones, Google Android devices or feature phones and start considering itself a platform for developers to distribute mobile apps...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:37 am Windows Live And Let Die: Another Russian Spy Caught Tapping Away At Microsoft
Those damn Russian spies are everywhere. Another sleeper agent was discovered yesterday, this time at Microsoft (I knew they were a bunch of Commies). The alleged spy, Alexey Karetnikov, was a software tester in his 20s at Microsoft, according to the Washington Post (Technically he wasn’t coding, just testing code, but don’t blame me if your Windows computer starts sending secret messages back to the Kremlin). The man was arrested and is being deported, and presumably will soon join the other Russian spies already back in Moscow. Karetnikov makes the 12th spy caught in the unlikely Russian spy ring. You may remember, some of the other members of the ring, such as Anna Chapman, the tabloid-freindly “femme fatale” who wanted to start her own Internet real estate business. And then there was the Redfin broker, also from Seattle. With the Microsoft connection, that brings the likelihood that a Russian spy works at a tech company up from 18 percent to 25 percent. By all accounts, these sleeper spies couldn’t shoot straight. But how many more are in in our midst? I hope they find more red spies in Redmond because we have a whole bunch of great unused headlines. Zuneraker In the meantime, let’s go back to that video of Anna Chapman explaining her “business plan.” Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:37 am Exploring Curation to Transform the Mundane into the StrategicCuration is increasingly important on the Web for finding the most important and relevant information. It's becoming a component of digging through data to surface insights that would not have ordinarily...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:36 am Streamlined Matrimony Frocks - The J. Crew Fall 2010 Wedding Collection is Party Ready (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) The J. Crew Fall 2010 Wedding collection is a gorgeous ensemble of both wedding and party dresses. Featuring simple yet elegant white gowns for your big day as well as shorter cocktail...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:35 am Twitter’s New Name Search Isn’t For Buying Followers — At Least Not Yet
Marshall Kirkpatrick at ReadWriteWeb wondered that this evening, asking “Is This How Twitter Will Offer Friends For Sale?” The answer is no — not right now, anyway. “This simple feature is meant to make Twitter easier to use. There are no current plans to monetize it,” Twitter’s Communication Director Sean Garrett told us this evening when asked about the topic. Of course, Garrett then teased, “but one should never say never.” I suspect Garrett’s last comment was mostly made in jest. My sense is that this is a feature Twitter has been working on simply to make user discovery a bit easier. But Kirkpatrick’s point on how the feature can be used to make money is an interesting one. For example, if you search on Twitter for “Hollywood gossip,” perhaps a user could bid to buy the rights to be a featured user near that search term — similar to the way Google AdSense works for Google Search keywords. “I think people have assumed that Twitter would monetize search with ads the way Google has – by inserting links to destinations. Twitter is people though – so it makes sense to monetize connection to people and to brands,” Kirkpatrick writes. This all stems from a MediaMemo report earlier this month that Twitter was considering allowing users to pay to be featured in some way to attract more followers. Garrett was coy when asked about that idea as well, basically saying that all options are on the table. One thing for certain is that Twitter has a lot of options in front of it now for ways to potentially make money going forward. Of course, “potentially” is not “actually” — the company still has to execute and choose the methods that strike the right balance of money-making and user happiness. The last thing anyone wants is for Twitter to be overrun by SEO spam. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:34 am Nuclear Power Could See a RevivalshmG writes "As the U.S. moves to reduce dependence on oil, the nuclear industry is looking to expand, with new designs making their way through the regulatory process. No less than three new configurations for nuclear power are being considered for licensing by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The first of them could be generating power in Georgia by 2016."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:34 am Phone apps let you deposit checksEarlier this month, JPMorgan Chase updated its iPhone app to let customers electronically deposit checks. To make a deposit, customers photograph the front and back of the check with the phone's built-in...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:18 am Viral Video: Sloth-tastic! [BoomTown]
BoomTown is feeling rather warm and fuzzy today, so it’s the perfect time to trot out the sloths. As in, from this viral film shot at a Costa Rican sloth sanctuary. Like too many living creatures in peril today–thanks, BP! (BP)–these super-adorable animals are under siege from man’s incursions against nature. But enough of channeling “The Cove,” here’s the enjoyable video:
Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo. Source: All Things Digital | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:15 am Elderly Pop Song Spoofs - The 'California Boys' Parody Will Shock You (VIDEO)(TrendHunter.com) You'll be surprised with what's in store when you check out this 'California Boys' parody of the famous Katie Perry song, 'California Girls.' You'll come to realize that "boys" are...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:15 am Graphite Whiskers to Determine Fate of Our Universe?In 1972, Apollo 17 brought samples of lunar soil back to Earth for analysis. Among other findings, there were "graphite whiskers." Could these tiny structures underpin some of the biggest cosmic mysteries?Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:11 am Pandas and Lobsters: Why Google Cannot Build Social Applications [Voices]By Adam Rifkin, Entrepreneur, ifindkarma After researching what pandas do all day, I was struck by how panda-like we are when we use the Internet. Roaming a massive world wide web of forests, most of our time is spent searching for delicious bamboo and consuming it. 40 times a day we’ll poop something out — an email, a text message, a status update, maybe even a blog post — and then go back to searching-and-consuming. For a decade, Google has trained us to optimize our pandic selves. What’s the main difference between successful Google applications (search, maps, news, email) and a successful social applications? With Google applications we return to the app to do something specific and then go on to something else, whereas great social applications are designed to lure us back and make us never want to leave. Read the rest of this post on the original site » Source: All Things Digital | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:05 am How Apple Maintains Explosive Earnings Growth [Voices]By Andy M. Zaky, Contributor, Fortune In the four years I’ve followed Apple (AAPL) as it’s grown from a mere mid-sized tech stock to becoming the second largest corporation in the United States in terms of market capitalization, I never imagined that it or any other company of its size would be able to consistently grow its earnings by well over 50% a year. While Apple is now larger than Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG), Cisco (CSCO), and Intel (INTC), it still enjoys the growth rate of small cap tech stocks. A few weeks ago I wrote an article entitled Apple’s $63.5 Billion Revenue Year where I offer comprehensive revenue estimates for Apple’s fiscal Q3 and Q4 of 2010. Picking up where that report left off, I’ll take a look at Apple’s potential 2010 earnings. Read the rest of this post on the original site » Source: All Things Digital | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:04 am Trench Coat, Unlit Cigar [Voices]By Nathan Heller, Copy Editor, Slate Beyond the known forces conspiring to make a pigeon of an honest editor these days–the bottom line, the top brass, slide shows of dogs, Rupert Murdoch–there is, lately, the added fear that when you say peculiar things to writers, they will put you on the Internet. For several months, the close-knit, screen-dazed world of New York journalism has been caught up in the thrall of Wise and Cranky Kaplan, a Jekyll-and-Hyde pair of Twitter personae whose 140-character dispatches imagine Peter Kaplan, who edited the New York Observer from the mid-’90s until 2009, in a range of weird and waggish situations. The two feeds are co-written anonymously by former Observer staffers Peter Stevenson and Jim Windolf, and although their semi-private joke has lately started going public–the Village Voice not long ago alluded playfully to Wise and Cranky; New York Magazine’s “approval matrix” dubbed the latter “brilliant” and “lowbrow”–the two accounts are still essentially undiscovered. They shouldn’t be. Whether one has a table at Elaine’s or a stool in the local dive bar (or both), the Kaplan dispatches offer one of the most entertaining and ambitious uses of Twitter yet. Read the rest of this post on the original site » Source: All Things Digital | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:03 am Sanyo launches first rice bread cooker (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:03 am Should Magazines Tag Advertorial Content for the Google Bots? [Voices]By Alexis Madrigal, Senior Editor, TheAtlantic.com There’s been quite a row in the science blogging world in the last week over Pepsi’s purchase of a corporate blog on SEED Magazine’s ScienceBlogs. Many of the network’s bloggers responded with outrage over the intrusion of advertorial content into their midst. Several high-profile bloggers left the fold including Rebecca Skloot, author of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” and David Dobbs, who wrote a dynamite piece on the science of success for The Atlantic last year. The Pepsi blog was eventually pulled, but it raises some fascinating questions about the relationship between advertorial and editorial in the digital space. Many paper magazines and other publications run advertorial content on their pages, but the Internet has changed the rules of the game. We’re no longer just writing for humans, but for machines, too. Most saliently, when Google News indexes the ScienceBlogs domain and places its stories into the rotation, there would be no differentiation between editorial and advertorial content. Until you’d clicked through to the site, there would have been no way to tell the difference between the two stories. Read the rest of this post on the original site » Source: All Things Digital | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:02 am Sports Continues to Be Shining Star of Online Video [Voices]By Will Richmond, Editor and Publisher, VideoNuze The final ESPN3.com and UnivisionFutbol.com streaming viewership numbers for the FIFA World Cup provide the latest evidence that sports are the shining star of the online video world for both free and paid viewing. Here’s some sample data for recent free online sporting events: FIFA World Cup: ESPN3.com (7.4 million unique viewers, 15.7 million hours viewed), UnivisionFutbol.com (10 million hours viewed) 2010 NCAA March Madness: CBSSports.com (8.3 million unique visits to MMOD video player, 11.7 million hours of video and audio) 2009-2010 Sunday Night Football: NBCSports.com (2.2 million unique visits, 1M hours viewed, 29 minutes of average tune-in time) 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics: NBCOlympics.com (70 million video streams, 10 million hours viewed, 27 minutes of average tune-in time) Read the rest of this post on the original site » Source: All Things Digital | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:01 am Record Labels Sue Over Use of Music on Adult Sites [Voices]By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal Singer Justin Timberlake might say he’s bringing sexy back, but a new lawsuit alleges online pornography companies are using his song to bring sexy a little too far. Eleven record labels including Warner Bros. Records and Atlantic Records have filed a copyright-infringement suit over the use of songs like Mr. Timberlake’s “SexyBack,” Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” and Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop (Til You Get Enough)” by adult Internet sites. The suit, which was reported Friday by adult-industry newswire Xbiz, alleges defendants including RK Netmedia and Realitykings.com used copyrighted songs more than 500 times in their videos “without license or consent.” (Digits did not visit the sites to check the accuracy of these allegations.) An attorney for RK Netmedia, Lawrence Walters, said the use of the music was a First Amendment issue and that the videos represented a “reality show in a dance club.” Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:00 am Jungle-Inspired Fashion - The Trussardi 1911 Cruise 2011 Collection is All About the Safari (GALLERY)(TrendHunter.com) There's nothing more appealing than a woman who has a career and doesn't let herself go and that can include being a stay at home mom. Now, I can hardly speak on the topic of a mother's...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:00 am Opera Mini For Android Drops The Beta Tags, Gets Bumped To Version 5.1
These days, just about everything makes its public debut in Beta form. Google launched Gmail into an immediate state of notability with its Beta strategy, and chose to hang on to the tag for years for good measure. Online games have more players in their Beta period than the games of yesteryear ever had. There’s a joke to be made here about Apple managing to sell a few million iPhone 4s before it was out of Beta, but I’ll leave that flamewar fuel (mostly) untapped for tonight. Sooner or later, all good Betas must come to an end. The latest product shedding its Beta skin? Opera Mini for Android. Read the rest at MobileCrunch >>      
Source: TechCrunch | 14 Jul 2010 | 1:00 am Opera Mini For Android Drops The Beta Tags, Gets Bumped To Version 5.1
These days, just about everything makes its public debut in Beta form. Google launched Gmail into an immediate state of notability with its Beta strategy, and chose to hang on to the tag for years for good measure. Online games have more players in their Beta period than the games of yesteryear ever had. There’s a joke to be made here about Apple managing to sell a few million iPhone 4s before it was out of Beta, but I’ll leave that flamewar fuel (mostly) untapped for tonight. Sooner or later, all good Betas must come to an end. The latest product shedding its Beta skin? Opera Mini for Android. If you’ve been using Opera Mini 5 for Android for a while, the sans-Beta 5.1 build won’t seem too much different. Same proxy-powered compression magic speeding up browsing and cutting down data usage, same tabbed interface, same PC bookmark syncing functionality — in fact, outside of a few minor tweaks and a laundry list of bug fixes, the only new feature warranting the bump from 5.0 to 5.1 is official support for devices with big ol’ screens, like the HTC Evo 4G and the Moto Droid X. Alas, that means that at least one worthwhile feature is still missing from the application: multi-level multi-touch pinch/zoom support. Yeah, that’s a mouthful. In other words, it lacks the ability to zoom as much or as little as the user wants by way of the now familiar pinching/zooming gestures. Like its iPhone twin, this build does support multi-touch zoom in some sense; it’s just all or nothing, fully zoomed or not zoomed at all. It may seem trivial, but that little discrepancy is make or break for some. With that aside, the little bit of time I’ve spent with 5.1 has been nothing but pleasurable. It’s lightning quick, and has been stable as a rock so far. Between Android’s already solid default browser and other alternatives like Dolphin and Skyfire, it’s getting waaay too hard for me to recommend just one — so I’ll let you do it. What browser are you using on Android? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: MobileCrunch | 14 Jul 2010 | 12:59 am Intel sets bright tone for earnings (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 14 Jul 2010 | 12:13 am Boing Boing Arcade: almost last day to vote in the game dev challenge!
Today Thursday is your last chance to vote for the winners of the Boing Boing "Games Inspired By Music" Competition. At stake are some terrific prizes from our sponsor, Safari Books Online, and Gama-Go! At the moment, Space Junk is in the lead with Beat Boost a very close second. Boing Boing Arcade
 Source: Boing Boing | 14 Jul 2010 | 12:00 am SugarCRM 6 Released, But Is It Open Source?darthcamaro writes "SugarCRM markets itself as a professional open source company and this week released version 6 of its Sugar platform. But the main new feature is a new user interface that isn't available to users of the community version — it's only available to paying users. No they don't claim to be open core either, they claim it's all open source, even if you have to pay for it. '"Open source doesn't mean free and was never really meant to mean free," Martin Schneider, senior director of communications at SugarCRM, said. "Open source runs through everything we do, it enables us to be transparent and gives customers more power. We are an open source company and it's why we're better than proprietary companies."'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:56 pm It's a Small World After All: Facebook's Russian Investor–Who Just Got $300 Million From a Chinese Investor–Nabs $380 Million More From a South African Investor [BoomTown]
Naspers, a South African international media group said one of its subsidiaries was taking a nearly 30 percent stake in Digital Sky Technologies. Russia-based DST has made a splash in Silicon Valley by investing massive gobs of money in high-profile, social-focused U.S. Internet companies, such as Facebook, Groupon and Zynga. Both Naspers and DST are already close, as co-owners of Mail.ru, a large Russian Web firm with email, social networking, gaming and entertainment businesses. Naspers said it will be contributing its 39.3 percent stake in Mail.ru into DST, as well as investing $388 million in cash in it. In April, another international multimedia giant, China’s Tencent, invested $300 million in DST, giving it just over a 10 percent stake in it. And, drum roll…Naspers owns 35 percent of Tencent. It’s not clear what to make of this developing international spiderweb of digital and media companies, except to ask: What will DST do with all that new money now? Until all is revealed, here is an interview I did at the seventh D: All Things Digital conference about a year ago with DST’s president Alexander Tamas and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg about the firm’s aspirations: [ See post to watch video ] And here’s the official press release:
Source: All Things Digital | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:38 pm Clampdown rumoured as China "twitter" sites down (Reuters)Reuters - Chinese social networking websites that provide Twitter-like services have suddenly reverted to testing mode and access has been spotty amid reports of a government clampdown.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:24 pm S.Korean mobile carrier to allow Internet calls (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:23 pm China web filter developer's finance woes: report (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:19 pm Open Source Hardware Definition released, first Open Hardware Summit in NYC, Sept 23The Open Source Hardware folks are making progress toward a unified movement. Today, they announced the first public draft of the "Open Source Hardware Definition" (mirroring OSI's Open Source Definition, which sets limits on what is and isn't open), and announced the first Open Hardware Summit in NYC for Sept 23.Open Source Hardware Definition (Thanks, PT!)
Source: Boing Boing | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:18 pm Report: Next iPad to Have 5.6- and 7-inch OLED Screens (PC World)PC World - Apple's second-generation iPad may feature 5.6- and 7-inch OLED screens, and may hit the shelves as soon as the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the Taipei-based Digitimes.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:17 pm Lego thumb-divot tattoo Lego artist Nathan Sawaya decided to commemorate the divots that a long day of bricking leaves in his thumbs by having them permanently tattooed: Every single day, I snap together bricks. Each day I am pressing down on the bumps of each brick to make sure there is a tight fit. And if I press real hard, the bumps leave little marks on myfingers and thumb. What better way to pay tribute to my medium of choice, then permanently inking those marks on to my thumb? Hence my new tattoo." New Tattoo (via Neatorama) Source: Boing Boing | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:11 pm Paper mosaic for Disneyland's birthday this Saturday Designer Kevin Kidney continues to blog the limited edition merchandise he and Jody Daily have been commissioned to create for Disneyland's 55th birthday this Saturday (which is also my 39th birthday!). Today, this lovely paper sculpture mosaic: "We made every attempt to pack in all our favorites from the Park's fledgling years, from the Moonliner Rocket to the Hall of Chemistry, Fort Wilderness to the Silver Banjo. Jungle Cruise, Indian Village, Conestoga Wagons, Skyway Chalet, Astrojets, Casey Jr, and those cool tripod-lamp thingys from 1955 Tomorrowland. All on a hand-woven silk backing under UV-protective plexiglass. You can view it on display at Disneyland starting July 17th...and maybe you'll own it!" Disneyland Paper-Sculpture-O-Rama Source: Boing Boing | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:07 pm The Top 40 Free iPhone Apps 2010 - PC Magazine
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:01 pm UPDATE 1-Zumiez not to pursue West 49 deal; Billabong wins* West 49 set to be acquired by Billabong International (Adds details of announcements)Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:57 pm Victorian gas-mask from Bob Basset "Victorian Gas Mask" is the latest creation from Ukrainian steampunk/fetish leatherworkers Bob Basset. Love the little smoked glass inserts.
Source: Boing Boing | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:50 pm Financial genius: US record industry turns $16M in legal spending into $391K cashThe title of this Recording Industry vs The People post says it all, really: "Ha ha ha ha ha. RIAA paid its lawyers more than $16,000,000 in 2008 to recover only $391,000!!!":If the average settlement were $3,900, that would mean 100 settlements for the entire year.Ha ha ha ha ha. RIAA paid its lawyers more than $16,000,000 in 2008 to recover only $391,000!!!
Source: Boing Boing | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:49 pm Choir Boats: free YA fantasy novel download is Gulliver's Travels meets Golden Compass and Pride & Prejudice
ChiZine publishing and author Daniel A. Rabuzzi are giving away free PDFs of Rabuzzi's YA fantasy novel The Choir Boats : "Described as 'vibrant' and rich with 'verve and wit,' it's a seagoing fantasy yarn that is like 'Gulliver's Travels crossed with The Golden Compass and a dollop of Pride and Prejudice.'"
Book of the Month: Critically Acclaimed Fantasy (Thanks, Daniel!) Source: Boing Boing | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:45 pm Bubbles of fashion sail over Paris, 1963 Here's a set of scans from Melvin Sokolsky's "Bubble" fashion photo series published in Harper's in 1963 -- beautiful, beautifully dressed women sailing over the streets of Paris inside giant plexi bubbles. Bubble Series par Melvin Sokolsky pour Harper's magazine 1963 (via JWZ) Source: Boing Boing | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:39 pm Microsoft Pays Mobile App Developers to Help It Catch Apple - BusinessWeek
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:39 pm DEALTALK-Australian buyout firms tempted by secondary deals* Two secondary deals reveal growing appetite for that routeSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:27 pm Canon launches the Vixia HF M32 (Macworld.com)Macworld.com - Canon has introduced the Vixia HF M32 Dual Flash Memory camcorder. Housed in a compact, lightweight body, this camcorder is designed as an easy-to-use movie-making tool for consumers.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:03 pm Freer budgets help Intel's best-in-a-decade profit (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:02 pm Bailed-out small US banks face takeover risk -panelWASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - Smaller banks that got U.S. government bailout money are likely to run into trouble repaying it and may become vulnerable to takeovers as a result, a congressional watchdog...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:01 pm Camcorder Redefined: Sony Debuts World's First Consumer Interchangeable Lens HD CamcorderSAN DIEGO, June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the 25th anniversary of its industry-leading Handycam® product line, Sony today announced the innovative NEX-VG10 Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder. The new NEX-VG10 is the world's first consumer camcorder with interchangeable lenses and the first Handycam camcorder to feature an extra-large Exmor(TM) APS HD CMOS sensor. "The NEX-VG10 takes Sony's Handycam line to the next level by allowing unprecedented artistic expression that isn't possible with conventional consumer video cameras," said Andy Bubala, director of Sony's camcorder business. "With this camcorder, video enthusiasts and photographers can now capture cinematic full HD movies and premium stereo sound." Sony's NEX-VG10 Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam® Camcorder is equipped with the same Exmor(TM) APS HD CMOS sensor used in the "NEX-5" and "NEX-3" digital cameras and compatible with the high grade "E-mount" series of smaller, lighter lenses optimized for video shooting with silent operation and AF. It is also compatible with a wealth of "A-mount" interchangeable lenses used by Sony's existing alpha DSLR camera lineup via a mount adapter (sold separately), including award winning Sony G Lenses and Carl Zeiss® branded lenses. Coupled with Sony's powerful BIONZ® processor, the camcorder's Exmor(TM) APS HD CMOS sensor realizes high resolution video and 14 megapixel still images. Approximately 19.5 times bigger than the standard sensor found in conventional camcorders, the APS HD CMOS sensor enables an extremely shallow depth of field. This allows videographers to achieve cinematic results with stunning background defocus (bokeh). Users can also enjoy DSLR-quality photo capture with features like Auto HDR, Handheld Twilight, and Anti Motion Blur, as well as catch fast action sequences with a continuous burst rate of up to seven fps. The NEX-VG10 can capture full 1920x1080 high definition video at up to 24Mbps for amazing clarity and detail, ideal for recording on to Blu-ray Disc(TM) media. It also comes with an E-mount 18-200mm lens optimized for video shooting that offers a powerful 11x optical zoom in addition to a silent auto-focus system and Optical Steadyshot(TM) image stabilization with Active Mode for superior versatility. Satisfying the needs of serious videographers, sound quality matches the stellar imaging performance of the NEX-VG10. Its Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone uses advanced processing algorithms to combine signals from four individual microphone capsules. The result is exceptionally clear stereo audio with high directional response, allowing videographers to capture more sound from their subject and less background noise. The camcorder also features dedicated inputs for optional external microphones and headphones to monitor sound levels. The camcorder's TruBlack(TM) technology brings remarkably higher contrast and brightness to its 3.0" Xtra Fine LCD(TM) swivel display, delivering more natural, realistic colors and easier viewing in bright conditions. The LCD is supplemented by a high-resolution adjustable electronic viewfinder that helps framing, monitoring and capturing clear images. Compact and easy to handle, the NEX-VG10 gives videographers the flexibility of a removable lens with the ergonomics and operability of a Handycam camcorder. An intuitive jog dial and hotkeys make it easy to navigate menus and adjust shooting parameters, including full manual control of Iris, Shutter Speed, Gain and White Balance for professional results. Dual accessory shoes (Alpha Hot Shoe/Universal Cold Shoe) allow for many still photography and video accessories, such as the ECM-CG50 shotgun microphone and external flash lighting. There's also a choice of rechargeable battery options, including the NP-FV100 that provides up to 315 minutes of continuous HD shooting (may vary), and a specially designed soft carrying case. Included with purchase as a download voucher ($99 value), Sony Vegas® Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 video editing software includes powerful tools for video compositing, color correction and sound mixing to produce cinema-quality HD movies with ease. You can also share your creations via DVD, Blu-ray Disc(TM) media, or upload to the web - all from one simple program. The NEX-VG10 accepts both Memory Stick PRO Duo(TM) (including Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo(TM)) and SD (including both SDHC and SDXC formats) media. Users can record up to four hours of high definition footage (1920x1080, FH mode) when using the 32GB memory card. Sony's Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX offers an industry leading 30MB per second transfer rate, which means Handycam users can upload video clips in a fraction of actual playback time. Price and Availability The NEX-VG10 will be available in September for about $2,000 and presales on www.sonystyle.com will begin July 14. They will also be available at Sony Style® retail stores and at authorized dealers nationwide. SOURCE Sony ElectronicsSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm Camcorder Redefined: Sony Debuts World's First Consumer Interchangeable Lens HD CamcorderSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm Mr. Know-It-All on Fragging Your Own Kid, Billing Clients, Backing Up Pirated FilesThe all-knowing sage answers an age-old question about letting people win.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm July 14, 1965: Mariner 4 Brings Mars Up Close and CardinalThe photo wasn't wasn't much — 40 kilopixels — but it was our first good look at the red planet.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm Ask an Algorithm: Apocalypse 101Learn what you'll need to stockpile to survive Armageddon in 2012, based on what the Soviets did in 1991.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:00 pm Squarespace Raises $38.5 Million From Accel, Index Ventures
Fast forward to 2010, Squarespace has just raised $38.5 million— representing its first round of outside capital. The round, which was announced late Tuesday, is led by Index Ventures and Accel Partners. Under the deal, three new members will join Squarespace’s board: CEO of Getty Images, Jonathan Klein, Accel’s Andrew Braccia, and Index Ventures’ Dominique Vidal. The deal likely values the company north of $100 million. “Squarespace has been a profitable business since its first year of operation. This investment will not change that, but it will allow us to be much more aggressive in our quest…” Casalena said in a press release. The service helps individuals and small businesses build and maintain well-designed websites, starting at $8 a month and scaling up to $50 a month. Through Squarespace’s unique platform—the underlying server code was fully written in-house— a user can manage their entire website, including editing, producing content, inserting photo galleries and manipulating widgets for social platform. In the crowded and fragmented space of web publishing, Squarespace will never be the cheapest, even on the enterprise end, but it’s a valuable tool for customers who want a balance of affordability and strong attention to design.
Today, the user base currently includes “tens of thousands” of paying customers, Casalena says, including a few noteworthy clients like designer Marc Ecko, Bob Woodruff and ABC News Radio. Although “tens of thousands” of users sounds like a small pool, Casalena says they have been very profitable since year one, thanks to low overhead costs. In fact, for the first three years, Casalena was essentially the only full-time employee. He only decided to turn Spacesquare into a full-fledged business in 2007, once it surpassed one million in revenues. Since that turning point, Squarespace has steadily grown. And according to Accel’s Braccia, users and revenues have doubled every year, for the last few years. Meanwhile, there are now 30 employees at its headquarters in NY. Casalena says Squarespace is now moving into a new phase, which will be defined by how it improves the platform and tackles the fundamental problem of simplifying web publishing. Staying true to that theme, Squarespace is working on major product improvements for the next iteration, version 6, which will likely roll out in 9 months. Although he did not delve into many specifics, Casalena says the next version will create a richer, cleaner and more fluid experience for the designer, especially the layout system which will evolve into a more free form and flexible format.      
Source: TechCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 9:59 pm Study: U.S. Venture Capital Industry Expected To Shrink While Emerging Markets Grow
Deloitte and the National Venture Capital Association have released a report today indicating that U.S. venture capitalists expect their market to contract but anticipate growth in emerging markets, including China, India and Brazil, over the next five years. The 2010 global venture report surveyed over 500 VCs worldwide. According to the survey results, more than 90 percent of U.S. survey respondents, as well as VCs in Europe and Canada, expect the number of venture firms to decrease between now and 2015, while a majority of venture capitalists in China, India and Brazil anticipate adding more venture firms in their respective countries during the same time frame. U.S. VCs have a depressed view of the industry thanks to a weak IPO market and unfavorable tax and regulatory policies. More than half the U.S. respondents also believe that limited partners will be less inclined to invest in U.S. venture capital funds in the next five years. On the other hand, 99 percent of respondents in China expect the number of venture capital firms to increase in their country, followed by Brazil (97 percent) and India (85 percent). In terms of VC fundraising, 56 percent of U.S. respondents believe that limited partners will be less inclined to invest in U.S. venture capital. However, venture capitalists in Brazil (92 percent), China (91 percent) and India (76 percent) all believe limited partners will be more inclined to invest in their respective countries. Despite the confidence of respondents in VC markets in emerging markets, only 34 percent of all respondents expect to increase their investment activity outside their own country. The countries with the most interest in cross border investing include: France (56 percent), Israel (50 percent) and the United Kingdom (49 percent). Countries indicating the least interest in outside investing were Brazil (19 percent), India (15 percent) and China (11 percent). In the United States, venture capital respondents are of split opinion regarding valuations over the next five years with 32 percent expecting increases, 34 percent expecting decreases and 34 percent expecting valuations to hold steady. Valuation expectations are the most optimistic in India and China where 68 and 62 percent of the venture capitalists in those countries believe valuations will increase over the next five years. Only 10 percent of venture capitalist respondents in Israel and 6 percent of respondents in France see valuations increasing in their respective countries. Despite concerns over contracting industries in the U.S. and Europe, 57 percent of all respondents believe the quantity of deal flow will increase over the next five years and 56 percent expect the quality to improve as well. In terms of types of investments, 72 percent of U.S. respondents said that they could invest in the clean tech industry with 58 percent saying that would invest in new media/social networking startups. In fact, most respondents from all the countries surveyed said that they would invest in the clean tech industry. The attitude of the respondents is clearly negative when it comes to U.S. markets. While VC fundraising is up this year after last year’s recession, returns have continued to decline over the past ten years. And clearly growth and opportunity are overseas. This year, the venture industry’s biggest close came from Sequoia Capital’s Sequoia China Foreign Currency Fund III fund which secured $1 billion its early-stage fund during the first half of the year. While these recent findings are somewhat depressing, the hope is that long term returns will eventually increase in the next five years. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 9:57 pm Sad snapshot: Unicorn in a trash can, NYC
"This was the scene one Sunday Morning in June on Houston Street. What led up to this tragic end?" Boing Boing reader Jeff Simmermon has some theories. Cyndi Freeman, known in NYC burlesque circles as Cherry Pitz, shot the photo.
Reliance eyes third shale gas deal in U.S. -papersMUMBAI, July 14 (Reuters) - Indian energy major Reliance Industries is close to acquiring a stake in a shale gas asset in North America, which will be its third such buy this year, local newspapers reported...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 9:06 pm [TechCrunch TV] Andy Kessler: “The future is a Furby with a GameBoy up its ass”
But what about a successful ex Morgan Stanley semiconductor analyst and president of a $1 billion hedge fund with five years of experience as a chip designer and programmer at AT&T Bell Labs who is also the author of four well received non-fiction books, a recently published science fiction novel about robotic intelligence and a regular Wall Street Journal and New York Times columnist? Is this itself science fiction or can a mere mortal really cram as much achievement into a fifty two year life – and still have a wife and four sons? Even for Silicon Valley, Andy Kessler is a sickeningly accomplished guy. Moving out to San Francisco in 1993, Kessler co-founded Velocity Capital where, between 1996 and 2001, he transformed $100 million into $1 billion. Not satisfied with being filthy rich, Kessler then went onto becoming famous – publishing four non-fiction books between 2003 ad 2006, including his highly entertaining short history of digital technology, the personal computer and the Internet: How We Got Here: A Silicon Valley and Wall Street Primer. And now Kessler has just come out with his first published fiction, an irreverent novel about artificial intelligence called Grumby which Michael Lewis called “deliciously naughty”. So who better to talk about productivity, technology and investment than Kessler, a guy who knows better than most how we got to where we are in Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Main Street. In coming into our Techcrunch studios, Andy Kessler not only proved that he existed, but also confirmed that he has a highly controversial take on technological innovation, smart investment, job destruction and how entrepreneurs really create of wealth. Part One: Kessler on How We Got Here Part Two: Kessler on The World Economy Part Three: Kessler on Productivity Part Four: Kessler on The Next Big Thing Part Five: Kessler on Where To Invest Watch previous episode of Keen On here.      
Source: TechCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 9:05 pm GE CEO Jeff Immelt And CMO Beth Comstock On The $200 Million Ecomagination ChallengeEarlier today in San Francisco, General Electric announced the launch of its Ecomagination Challenge — a $200 million investment created in partnership with VC funds Emerald Technology Ventures, Foundation Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and RockPort Capital. The money will be used to invest in green grid technologies (applicants are invited to submit ideas over the next ten weeks). Today’s TechCrunch NOW episode focuses on the fund, featuring an interview between our own Evelyn Rusli and GE SVP and CMO Beth Comstock. I also had the chance to sit down with GE CEO and Chairman Jeff Immelt, who shared some more details on the ecomagination challenge, as well as his overall outlook at green tech. Immelt says that the Challenge will definitely pave the way for M&A opportunities (he noted that GE already has equity stakes in plenty of companies as well). Immelt also says that green tech has proven to be one of the most resilient areas of the market during the economic downturn. However, Immelt says he has one major regret that should resonate with many people (particularly those outside of the San Francisco area): the term “green tech” has gotten some elitist connotations, which stands in contrast to GE’s blue-collar nature. Immelt says this is one thing he would go back and change if he could, and that in the future he believes that terms like “digital energy” will become more common. So what’s going to drive the adoption of greener technologies like the smart grid? Immelt says that GE is already seeing adoption from many power companies, like the Bay Area’s PG&E. And he thinks that in some cases if the power companies aren’t willing to adapt, consumer demand for these advances will be driving them forward. In fact, he believes that we may eventually see the utilities themselves becoming suppliers of next-gen green appliances.      
Source: TechCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:49 pm RIAA Paid $16M+ In Legal Fees To Collect $391KNewYorkCountryLawyer writes "In a rare outburst of subjectivity, I commenced my blog post 'Ha ha ha ha ha' when reporting that, based upon the RIAA's disclosure form for 2008, it had paid its lawyers more than $16,000,000 to recover $391,000. If they were doing it to 'send a message,' the messages have been received loud & clear: (1) the big four record labels are managed by idiots; (2) the RIAA's law firms have as much compassion for their client as they do for the lawsuit victims; (3) suing end users, or alleged end users, is a losing game. I don't know why p2pnet.net begrudges the RIAA's boss his big compensation; he did a good job... for the lawyers."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:41 pm China seeks to reduce Internet users' anonymity (AP)AP - A leading Chinese Internet regulator has vowed to reduce anonymity in China's portion of cyberspace, calling for requirements that people use their real names when buying a mobile phone or going online, according to a human rights group.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:40 pm China stops funding Green Dam web filter: reportHONG KONG (Reuters) - Developers of China's Green Dam Internet filter have not received government funding in the past year, a local newspaper reported on Wednesday, placing in doubt the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:32 pm Scan negatives the awesome way: by taking pictures of them
I’d recommend a short telephoto lens on a crop sensor — around 75-120mm ought to be fine. Get a strong light source behind the film, double check your focus, and start snapping away. [via DIY Photography, Gizmodo, and Wired]
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:30 pm Apple SVP Scott Forstall Just Signed Up For Twitter — But Why?
Forstall hasn’t tweeted yet, and who knows if he actually will. But what I do know is that his account has been verified by Twitter — meaning it is actually him. And I also know that there’s no way Twitter would have verified the account unless he (or someone at Apple on his behalf) asked Twitter to. Something is up. But what? It’s certainly possible that Forstall wants to save his vanity Twitter handle (@forstall) just in case someone else tries to use it to impersonate him — or if he thinks he may want to use the service in the future (like when he no longer works at Apple). But the more interesting scenario will be if he intends to actually use the account sometime soon. Certainly, Apple knows that they’re taking hits left and right on the various social networks about issues such as the iPhone 4 antenna problems. So far, they’ve shown no interest in managing such things, but might they be coming around? It doesn’t seem likely the Forstall would be doing that, but remember that fellow SVP Phil Schiller is the one who personally took charge of the App Store issues when they were spiraling out of control. That effort seemed to work well. Then of course there is Apple CEO Steve Jobs who likes to personally respond to emails from customers. But let’s remember that Forstall is the Vice President of iPhone software. Perhaps he’s exploring Twitter because Apple is thinking about some sort of partnership or deeper integration of the service with the iPhone going forward. After all, Twitter’s iPhone app (formerly known as Tweetie) is undoubtedly one of the most popular apps on the device. And don’t forget the rumors that Apple was thinking about Facebook integration for the iPhone. Nothing came of that with iOS 4, but integration of Facebook and Flickr in software such as iPhoto, suggests that Apple isn’t opposed to such partnerships. For the iPhone, Twitter could be a perfect one. But that’s all pure speculation, of course. Plenty of other big time executives from Eric Schmidt to Marc Benioff to Bill Gates use Twitter quite regularly. Hell, even Mark Zuckerberg has an account. But again, this is Apple. That’s not to say Apple doesn’t use Twitter at all — but all the accounts they have are purely for marketing purposes: iTunesTrailers, iTunesMovies, iTunesMusic, etc. And obviously, there are a number of fake Steve Jobs accounts on Twitter — and even one for Fake Steve Jobs. But none of those are legitimate. And again, the more interesting thing here is that Twitter verified Forstall’s. When asked for comment, a Twitter representative said they didn’t know anything about it. I’ve reached out to Apple as well — but don’t expect to hear back. So who knows what’s going on here. Maybe Forstall just decided to see what all the fuss was about. (But again, why bother verifying it?) Of course, with zero tweets and zero people he’s following, it could be a bit boring. Or maybe Apple is about to get a lot more interesting. Can you imagine if Jobs was regularly tweeting? Given his brief email style, it actually seems like the perfect medium for him. Update: Twitter has confirmed that they verified the account for him, but won’t say more than that. Update 2: And Forstall just followed someone. Conan. He’s clearly poking around. Incidentally, Conan’s most recent tweet is, “I found a huge design flaw in my new iPhone. People get angry when I talk on it during a funeral.“ Conan, by the way, is still only following the peanut butter random woman out of his 1.1 million followers.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:28 pm Ubiquity's Patented IP Backhaul Technology Has Accomplished What No Other Live Traditional HD Broadcast Has Done In HistorySource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:21 pm Samsung: Galaxy Tab will be available before OctoberSection: Computers, Mobile Computers  Samsung is working on an Android tablet, but details of the device have been rather scant. A picture of the device is already known, but today, JK Shin revealed some of the key features as well as an expected release timeframe in an interview with Forbes. The Samsung Galaxy Tab will sport a front facing and rear facing camera for video chat. The rear facing camera is a 3.2MP, but no word on the front facing one. In addition, it boasts a 7 inch Super AMOLED touch screen, 1.2GHz A8 processor, 16GB of storage expandable via microSD, and it will run Android 2.2 out of the box. Expect GPS, WiFi, and 3G connectivity standard on the Samsung Android tablet. Apparently, the Galaxy Tab will be available before October, which is really just around the corner. Hopefully we will see official specs, pricing, and availability soon because a Galaxy S-like tablet is a very interesting concept. Via [SamsungHub] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:06 pm Colorware brightens up your iPhone 4… for a priceColorware announced their latest modification to the iPhone 4, which will not just protect your precious new phone, it might even help you with your reception issues. Of course, painting your iPhone isn’t cheap, but it can certainly make your phone look more individual then the rest of the iPhone users out there. Colorware will paint your frame, back, button, SIM card tray, and earbuds in pretty much any color you choose. Of course, you’ll need to send in your phone, and it’ll set you back $250.
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:00 pm Old Spice Man Answers Tweets On YouTube—Ropes In Kevin Rose, Alyssa Milano, And Justine Bateman
What if commercials really did talk to you? What if a familiar spokesperson addressed you by name and responded to your thoughts and feelings. In what is definitely one of the more creative social media ad campaigns in a while, Old Spice is doing just that. Its shirtless, muscled spokesman, the Old Spice Man, is shooting YouTube videos in response to people’s Tweets. Many oft these are well-known people with tons of followers like Kevin Rose and actress Alyssa Milano, who retweet the videos and spread them virally. For instance, Digg founder Kevin Rose Tweeted out that he was sick, and in response the Old Spice Man created the video embedded above, in which he tells Rose that he has never had a fever himself because his body is “98 percent muscle.” He even talks to Rose in binary code so that Rose can understand, to which Rose responded on Twitter:
And:
The Old Spice Man also made multiple videos for actress Alyssa Milano, as well as ones for Olympic skater Apolo Ohno, actress Justine Bateman (who Tweeted, “Can the Old Spice guy do ads for ALL the world’s products?”), and Gizmodo. But he also responds to less famous people on Twitter like “Gabe” (see below). The responses are often hilarious. (“My concern is that if I did ads for all the world’s products, it would cause global prosperity”). And they are certainly highly targeted. And it also just redefined the model for Promoted Trends. Old Spice is a promoted Trend, which takes you to the Old Spice Twitter account highlighting these videos as individual responses addressing each Twitter user who gets their own Old Spice commercial. The irony is that if Old Spice hadn’t paid to be a promoted Trend, it probably would have made it as a Trending Topic organically. But apparently you can’t appear twice as a Trend. There are already more than 100 customized Old Spice responses on YouTube. We just wonder how long the Old Spice Man can keep it up. Below is a sample, along with the original TV commercial.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 7:32 pm Curbside car chargers should start showing up next year
It’s good to see someone stepping up and building out the infrastructure though, of course we all know that electric cars aren’t the ideal solution (that power has to come from somewhere) but it definitely beats gasoline based cars. While the WattStation can recharge your car while you’re at work, it’s still not as easy to use as a gas pump. [via DVice, Fast Company]
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 7:30 pm Reset your keychain fob for a new car (or many cars!)This is pretty great. Resetting your car’s keychain fob is something that has to happen from time to time — when a fob’s battery runs out, for instance, or you pick up an extra one. The process of pairing it is one of these rituals that I have always loved, like the special way you had to blow on your NES cartridges to get them to play. The process is different on all the different makes, of course, but if you’ve got Ford, GM, Nissan, Toyota, or Jeep, there’s a good chance the instructions are here. [via Hack A Day and Lifehacker]
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 7:00 pm Seeing All Your Social Networking in One Place [The Mossberg Solution]If you’re one of the many people who can’t stop checking Facebook and Twitter, you’re not alone. The more we rely on social networks for keeping in touch with friends and family, the more we feel glued to these social-networking services. Wouldn’t it be easier to have all of your updates in one place? [ See post to watch video ] This week, I tested two free tools that track all your social networks right within your Web browser’s user interface, so you can avoid the hassle of visiting multiple websites or firing up a separate program. I used the newest version of Flock for Windows, downloadable at beta.flock.com (the Mac version is due out in late August). I also tried Yoono (yoono.com) for Firefox and Chrome browsers. Even though these two programs operate differently—Flock is its own browser and Yoono is a browser add-on—they both give people shortcuts for keeping tabs on those with whom they share online connections. If, for example, one of your friends shares Flickr photos from a Keith Urban concert, they appear in a panel on the side of the Web browser, saving you a trip to Flickr.com. These programs also make it simple to simultaneously post a status or article on more than one social network. Both Flock and the Yoono add-on for Google’s Chrome browser are still in their beta, or test, phases. A desktop version of Yoono is available for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, but I focused on the browser add-on that built social networking into my Web-browsing experience. The Yoono browser add-on currently only works for Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome. But there are some issues with Flock and Yoono. Neither program offers pop-up notifications that appear regardless of what program you’re using, like the way Microsoft Outlook’s email notifications or TweetDeck’s notifications work. This means you’ll need to be using the browser to know about friends’ newly shared content. Another issue is that since Flock is its own browser, you’ll have to use it in place of your current browser, which could be frustrating if you don’t prefer it. Yoono floats as a standalone, thin panel that can appear to the side of any opened program, like Microsoft’s Outlook or Adobe Reader, as long as you resize the other program’s window. Firefox or Chrome must already be running for Yoono to work, and you have to open the Yoono panel each time you want to see it. When I downloaded Flock, a notification explained that all of my saved browser settings, like passwords and bookmarks, could be imported. This spared me from re-entering my username and password for each social-networking account.  A closeup of the Yoono side panel. Users can create a Flock account, which makes it easy to sign in and access that account’s settings on any PC after downloading the program. Flock settings include groups of friends that are manually created by dragging and dropping names from lists into groups. I created a “Best Friends” list for the people I communicate most often with, and a “Work” list for colleagues. I liked being able to create groups of names from all sorts of networks, not just from one place. A drop-down menu at the top of Flock’s panel let me choose what groups’ information was displayed. I toggled between seeing just my Work group, just Facebook friends or a list of All Friends. A Flock representative said it will be out of beta in late August. Sharing in Flock can be done by typing status updates into the top of the side panel or by clicking a cool “Talk” icon that appears on the left of the URL bar of the currently opened Web page. Clicking this instantly shares the page you’re viewing with a social network and lets you add a comment. Yoono supports 11 networks in its browser add-on panel. I linked my Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, AIM and Google Talk accounts to Yoono and they all remained signed in and organized in a thin panel. Other supported networks include MySpace, YouTube, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, MSN and Yahoo Chat. Sharing from Yoono is done by clicking on a green icon, which prompts you to use one click to share “This Page” or “Selected Items.” I really liked the way Yoono identified new status updates with a yellow highlight that faded after a few seconds. This made it easy for me to identify, in just a glance, which content was new. Yoono did a nice job displaying shared photos in Twitter; these images appeared in-line with tweets, saving me the hassle of clicking on links to Web pages where the photos were posted. Thumbnails for videos shared on Twitter also appeared in-line with tweets. While some people may not want to be distracted by updates while they’re browsing, for those of us who can’t quit socializing online, Flock and Yoono are a good way to stay in the know. —Edited by Walter S. Mossberg Write to Katherine Boehret at mossbergsolution@wsj.com Source: All Things Digital | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:58 pm Gadgets and conflict minerals: tech companies can do more to avoid enabling human rights abuses in DRC Global Witness has issued a report with guidance for gadget makers on how to avoid supporting violence and human rights abuses when sourcing minerals from "conflict sources." Military forces and counterinsurgency groups control the mineral ore trade in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and subject the civilian population there to "massacres, rape, extortion, forced labour and forced recruitment of child soldiers," according to the report. Congo's "blood minerals" make their way into gadgets we use after being laundered in the global supply chain. Do No Harm: A guide for companies sourcing from the DRC, and download the report in PDF here. (globalwitness.org)
Here's a related Yahoo News item.
Source: Boing Boing | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:58 pm The next speakers and microphones made of fibers?
Of course, the possibilities for this type of type of material are endless; with it being an extremely scalable technique we can expect countless of scenarios in which these special fibers can interact with their environments. Read [MIT News] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:55 pm Infants Ingest 77 Times the Safe Level of DioxinAn anonymous reader writes "The Environmental Protection Agency is holding public hearings beginning today to review a proposed safe exposure limit for dioxin, a known carcinogen and endocrine disruptor produced as a common industrial byproduct. It's all but impossible to avoid exposure to dioxin. Women exposed to it pass it on to fetuses in the womb, and both breast milk and formula have been shown to contain the stuff. Research done by the Environmental Working Group has shown that a nursing infant ingests an amount 77 times higher than what the EPA has proposed as safe exposure. Adults are exposed to 1,200 times more dioxin than the EPA suggests is safe, mostly through eating meat, dairy, and shellfish."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:32 pm UPDATE 1-Nokia Siemens in talks for Motorola equipment arm - WSJNEW YORK, July 13 (Reuters) - Nokia Siemens Networks is in talks to buy the telecom-equipment arm of Motorola Inc , according to the Wall Street Journal.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:25 pm BeerBot shirt is… a shirt with a bottle opener on it
Be prepared to fend off angry Futurama fans, though. It’s a pretty blatant Bender ripoff.
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:20 pm UPDATE 1-Leslie's Poolmart being marketed for sale-sources* Likely valued at less than $1bln - source (Recasts with information from source, byline)Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:07 pm Wikileaks Cash Flows In, Drips OutThe secret-spilling website Wikileaks is a conservative spender. It has tapped less than 10 percent of the $500,000 it's received through two of its three donation methods in 2010, according to the third-party foundation that manages those contributions.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:07 pm Testing Inflatable Kayaks? That's a Paddlin'When you can't fit a regular sized kayak on the roof of your Mini Cooper, try one of these inflatable beauties instead.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:00 pm Testing Inflatable Kayaks? That's a Paddlin'When you can't fit a regular sized kayak on the roof of your Mini Cooper, try one of these inflatable beauties instead.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:00 pm Old Spice Man connects with the Web - CNET
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:56 pm Tic Tac Math iPad Apps From IPMG Publishing Featured by AppleEDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- As any App Developer knows, the opportunity to spend one week in a featured section of Apple's App store in iTunes is both an honor and an opportunity. Being featured means rising above the many thousands of apps available in Apple's iTunes App Store. How an app gets featured is a mystery. When a company's app gets featured four weeks in a row, it's a bit like winning the lottery. Tic Tac Math Universal first appeared in "New and Noteworthy" on June 17th, followed by Tic Tac Math Fractions the next week and finally Tic Tac Math Fractions has been in the "What's Hot" section the past two weeks. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100713/CG34635LOGO) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100713/CG34635LOGO) In April of this year, IPMG Publishing introduced its first math game App optimized for the new iPad, Tic Tac Math Universal, to Apple's iTunes App Store. Tic Tac Math Universal represented IPMG's first step in the transition of its broad library of math games and activities from print to interactive. IPMG Publishing's President, Joel Gaslin, said this: "It's an honor to have a successful company like Apple validate the quality of IPMG's games by featuring them in the iTunes App Store. By featuring IPMG's apps, this increase in exposure and revenue provides fuel for IPMG to accelerate the timetable for the transition of our proprietary math games and activities to multi platform, interactive math applications. Market data shows that apps help to connect math with kids growing-up in the mobile, digital age. Couple this with Apple's creative mobile device designs and the opportunities for people learning math are really unprecedented." There are currently more than 225,000 apps available in the iTunes App store with more than 5 billion total downloads through June of 2010. Apple does not sell placement within iTunes so it is a "survival of the fittest" sort of environment. During the development of Tic Tac Math Universal and Fractions, IPMG's goal was to create an app that utilized the increased screen size and functionality of the iPad and still worked well on the iPhone and iPod Touch. In addition, IPMG's strategy was to develop an App that was familiar to kids, had increasing levels of difficulty to support learning and was fun to play. The math learning concepts brought out in the Tic Tac Math Apps, including Universal, Fractions and the soon to be released Algebra and Trilogy are considered by math educators to be essential to the foundation of math learning. The idea for these Apps came from the book Tic Tac Math available in print from IPMG Publishing. It had been a good seller and seemed to lend itself to interactivity. The success of the Tic Tac Math family of apps serves as an important milestone in the growth of IPMG Publishing. Importantly, the Tic Tac Math apps demonstrates the organization's ability to execute its strategy of transitioning a broad math content base from print to interactive, multi platform applications. About IPMG Publishing, LLC IPMG Publishing develops and publishes math games and activities, iPad Apps, iPhone Apps, iPod Touch Apps, Interactive Whiteboard games, e-books, workbooks and interactive content that make learning math fun. IPMG Publishing's products are designed to correlate with the standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). IPMG Publishing is committed to providing high-quality materials at competitive prices for teachers, parents and content license partners. IPMG's math games, activity books, e-books, PDF downloads and interactive games can be used in the classroom, at home or in tutoring sessions to help improve standardized test scores, reinforce skills and provide differentiated instruction. Contact: Media Relations IPMG Publishing, LLC Phone: 877-702-6284 mediarelations@ipmgpublishing.com www.iplaymathgames.com SOURCE IPMG Publishing, LLCSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:54 pm Samsung sells 1 million Wave smartphones, with Galaxy closing in on 300,000Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile
While the Wave is selling like hotcakes, the Galaxy S is getting quite the showing by selling 300,000 units in South Korea alone. The Galaxy S which is hitting multiple carriers in the U.S. and over 100 countries is going to be a global hit in my opinion. It is a good thing to see a company such as Samsung pushing forward in the mobile space. Now the question is, who is going to take them on? Read [SamsungHub] Via [IntoMobile] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:47 pm GE introduces their own home energy management system
GE just announced their Nucleus energy monitor, which shows you how much power your device is drawing at any given moment. It’s more then just another Killa-watt though, because it’s designed to communicate with a PC or smartphone. The new device will track energy usage for up to 3 years, helping consumers to better manage their energy usage. Long term, GE plans on building the power management system directly into appliances, allowing consumers (and potentially utilities) to shift them into power saving mode during peak usage times. [via Green Tech]
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:47 pm 'Virtual human' makes Xbox debut - BBC News
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:42 pm NJIT Licensee Invents Industrial Process For Grinding Cement And Other Cementitious MaterialsFlyanic (www.flyanic.com), a cementitious mineral processing technology company and licensee of NJIT, has developed an industrial scale and affordable process for grinding cement, fly ash, and other cementitious materials to a median particle size of one micron. The processing costs range from $30-75 per ton, depending on feedstock, and they can be scaled to industrial levels of production using proven equipment.Flyanic, along with its development partner, grinding-mill equipment manufacturer RSG Inc. (www.ultrafinegrind.com), recently applied the NJIT technology to the design of a vertical-stirred media mill to perform the pilot scale demonstrations.Cementitious materials ground to ultra-fine particle sizes have significant benefits in a range of industrial applications, including specialized grouts for oil and gas exploration. Fly ash and slag, finer than 10 microns, are high reactivity super-pozzolans for building products such as high performance structural concrete and pre-cast concrete. A one micron median fly ash product has not been previously available on an affordable industrial scale. ---On the Net:New Jersey Institute of TechnologySource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:42 pm Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. to Report Second Quarter Results on July 28, 2010SAN JOSE, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Monolithic Power Systems (MPS) (Nasdaq: MPWR), a leading fabless manufacturer of high-performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, today announced plans to report its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010. MPS will host its quarterly teleconference on: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET This call will be webcast live for all investors and archived on the company's website at www.monolithicpower.com. To access the teleconference webcast, go to the Investor Relations page of the MPS website at http://ir.monolithicpower.com, and click on the webcast icon. From this site, you can listen to the teleconference, assuming that your computer system is configured properly. In addition to the webcast replay, a phone replay will be available for seven days after the live call at 617-801-6888, passcode 68963211. About Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (MPS) develops and markets proprietary, advanced analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. The company combines advanced process technology with its highly experienced analog designers to produce high-performance power management integrated circuits (ICs) for DC to DC converters, LED drivers, Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) backlight controllers, Class D audio amplifiers, and Linear ICs. MPS products are used extensively in computing and network communications products, LCD monitors and TVs, and a wide variety of consumer and portable electronics products. MPS partners with world-class manufacturing organizations to deliver top-quality, ultra-compact, high-performance solutions through the most productive, cost-efficient channels. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in San Jose, California, the company has expanded its global presence with sales offices in Taiwan, China, Korea, Japan, and Europe, which operate under MPS International, Ltd. Monolithic Power Systems, MPS, and the MPS logo are registered trademarks of Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and trademarked in certain other countries. Contact: Rick Neely Chief Financial Officer Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. 408-826-0759 investors@monolithicpower.com SOURCE Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:41 pm Case Western Reserve University-Led Team Takes High Resolution Photo Of A K+ ChannelView provides ability to better understand effectiveness of drugs used to treat and prevent cardiovascular disease; Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics receives $1.1M from NIBIB to continue structural protein footprinting researchUsing chemical labeling and mass spectrometry-based techniques, Mark Chance, PhD, director of the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics and professor of physiology and biophysics; Sayan Gupta, PhD, instructor at the Case Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics; and a research team from the University of Oxford, for the first time, were able to take a high resolution picture of the open state of a K+ channel, allowing them to comparatively analyze gating mechanisms important to heart function and nerve signaling – in addition these techniques have already permitted Case Western investigators to gain a deeper understanding of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).GPCRs, the targets of more than half of all pharmaceutical drugs, are important signaling molecules and help regulate proper channel function. With a new window on the open state of the channel, researchers have an opportunity to better understand the effectiveness of drugs used to treat and prevent cardiovascular diseases."The discoveries made by Mark [Chance] and his team have the potential to revolutionize modern medicine as we know it," said Daniel Simon, MD, Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, director of the Case Cardiovascular Center and the Herman K. Hellerstein Professor of Cardiovascular Research at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. "With an advanced understanding of GPCRs and ion channels comes a better understanding of how modern medicine works, which would theoretically increase pharmaceutical efficiency and enhance the quality of countless cardiovascular-related drugs."In the study, published in the July edition and featured on the cover of the July issue of Structure, Dr. Chance and his research team discovered the details of the paths by which ions flow through the inwardly-rectifying potassium channel KirBac3.1.The results of this study provide support for a newly proposed gating mechanism of the K+ channel, which if perfected, could offer scientists a new method of probing other important membrane proteins and ion channels that could lead to advancements in the field of cardiovascular medicine. Cardiovascular complications such as stroke and coronary heart disease remain the number one cause of death in all Americans*.NIBIB Grant for $1.1M to Continue Structural Protein Footprinting ResearchTo further support his research efforts, Dr. Chance and the Case Western Reserve Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics received a four-year grant totaling $1.1 million from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). The grant work will be performed in collaboration with Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD, chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Case Western Reserve University, and Dr. Gupta, instructor at the Case Center for Synchrotron Biosciences (CSB) in New York. Dr. Chance is also the director of the CSB, which provides unique facilities to carry out protein footprinting experiments on GPCRs and their complexes."Determining the structure of membrane proteins like GPCRs is particularly difficult, while understanding how drugs function to turn them on and off is even harder, but very important to treating major diseases like depression, heart failure, and diabetes," Dr. Chance said of his research. "Our techniques have provided novel insight into addressing these questions and this funding from the NIH will accelerate these studies."With this funding, Dr. Chance and co-investigators will continue their development of new biotechnology methods to study GPCRs. The aim of their research is as follows: * To improve their mass spectrometry based structural imaging technology 1,000-fold in an effort to better understand how GCPRs are activated and signal information to protein receptors * To develop a novel oxygen-18 based water labeling technique to examine the locations and dynamics of structural waters and the exchange properties of bulk water in multiple biological states of interest * To improve detection efficiency in current protein footprinting experiments in hopes of enhancing the number of amino acids routinely detected * To develop an algorithmic formula in relation to current footprinting data to determine the outlines of different protein structures---On the Net:Case Western Reserve UniversitySource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:36 pm Study Shows Universal Surveillance For MRSA Significantly Decreased HAIs At PCMHPitt County Memorial Hospital (PCMH) today announced results of a study demonstrating that universal surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decreased health care-associated infections (HAIs) related to devices. Infection rates decreased 68 percent for ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAP); 51 percent for central line-associated bacteremias (CLA-BSI); and 49 percent for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI).The study was led by Keith Ramsey, M.D., medical director for infection control at PCMH, and professor of medicine at The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Universal surveillance, also known as all-admissions surveillance, introduces the testing of all patients upon admission, not just high-risk patients, and has been shown to be far more effective than targeted active surveillance when monitoring for MRSA infections. If patients test positive for MRSA, they are put on contact precautions that include isolation, hand hygiene, room signage, patient-dedicated equipment, personal gowns and gloves, and they are decolonized with mupirocin/chlorhexidine bath."At PCMH we have made it our mission to take pre-emptive action to reduce the risk of patients transmitting or acquiring an infection while under our care," Ramsey said. "This particular study demonstrates that universal surveillance plus eradication help to reduce HAIs related to devices, which continues to be a major challenge for hospitals and health care facilities in the United States."The study was presented today by Kathy Cochran, manager of infection control at PCMH, during a poster session (Poster #: 8-056) at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) 2010 annual conference in New Orleans. The BD GeneOhm™ MRSA assay, an in vitro molecular diagnostic test that provides definitive results within two hours of laboratory time, was used in the study.During the surveillance period, rates for MRSA-associated HAIs decreased for each device as follows: * VAPs per 1,000 vent days decreased 68 percent from 1.065-to-0.296 (p < 0.006) in the intervention year, and to 0.183 (p < 0.002) in the maintenance year. * CLA-BSIs per 1,000 line days decreased 51 percent from 0.244-to-0.124 (p < 0.292) in the intervention year, and to 0.111 in the maintenance year (p < 0.196). * CAUTI rates per 1,000 foley days decreased 49 percent from 0.207-to-0.101 (p< 0.254) in the intervention year, and to 0.099 (p < 0.266) during the maintenance year. In addition to the poster presentation, Ramsey will present Universal MRSA Screening: Selecting the Best Practice for the Best Price on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 4 p.m. in Conference Auditorium 3. In addition, Ramsey will discuss necessary steps for implementing universal admission screening for MRSA.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in American hospitals alone, HAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year. Of these infections: * 32 percent of all HAIs are urinary tract infections * 22 percent are surgical site infections * 15 percent are pneumonia (lung infections) * 14 percent are bloodstream infections. MRSA bacteria can cause a potentially fatal infection that does not respond to commonly used antibiotics and is a significant cause of HAIs. The CDC estimates that approximately 126,000 people are hospitalized each year with MRSA infections, and about 19,000 die, with an estimated annual cost of $3.2 billion to $4.2 billion to U.S. hospitals. ---On the Net:Manning Selvage & LeeSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:34 pm Locker Room Talk: How Male Athletes Portray Female Athletic TrainersA college quarterback coming into the locker room with a dislocated shoulder wouldn’t care whether the athletic trainer taking care of him is male or female — or would he? A study from North Carolina State University examining male football players’ perceptions of female athletic trainers – and their comfort level in being treated by females – shows that the quarterback would most likely prefer a male, unless the dislocated shoulder made him depressed.“Previous research had shown that male and female athletes overall feel more comfortable with treatment by same-gender athletic trainers for gender-specific injuries and conditions,” says Dr. Heidi Grappendorf, assistant professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at NC State. “We wanted to specifically examine football players’ comfort level by same and opposite sex athletic trainers for gender and non-gender-specific injuries – while seeing if gender stereotypes influenced opinions.”The study showed that male football players were more comfortable with treatment by a male athletic trainer for both gender-specific injuries – such as sports hernias – as well non-gender-specific injuries – like a dislocated shoulder. When it came to general psychological conditions, there were no significant differences between a preference for a male or female trainer. For the treatment of depression, however, there was a significant preference for female trainers. Data were collected through questionnaires given to football players in two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I programs.Because there is a social stigma associated with depression, the potential exists that football players could be viewed as “weak” if they divulge that information to male athletic trainers, the researchers say. Also, because of their prescribed ideas about gender rolls, football players may find more comfort in talking to female trainers about depression.“Over half of our participants described female athletic trainers using communal terms consistent with gender roles stereotypically attributed to women – such as caring, nurturing and affectionate,” says Caitlin O’Connor, who co-authored the paper while finishing her master’s degree at NC State. “Clearly, we can see some prejudice based upon the gender of athletic trainers.”Researchers believe there is an incongruity between the stereotypical gender role of women and their presence in the male-dominated football environment, suggesting that there could be a backlash against women in the locker room.“It is plausible to suggest that the football athletic training room could be viewed by football players as an ‘inappropriate’ place for women – regardless of their education or experience,” says Grappendorf. “Additional research needs to be done to see if the presence of female athletic trainers could actually reduce the likelihood of male athletes reporting injuries.”The study, “Division I Football Players Perceptions of Females in the Athletic Training Room: Utilizing Role Congruity Theory” was published in the July/August issue of the Journal of Athletic Training.The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management is part of NC State’s College of Natural Resources.---On the Net:North Carolina State UniversitySource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:32 pm Brooding Russians: Less Distressed Than AmericansDostoyevsky and Tolstoy portrayed Russians as a brooding, complicated people, and ethnographers have confirmed that Russians tend to focus on dark feelings and memories more than Westerners do. But a new University of Michigan study finds that even though Russians tend to brood, they are less likely than Americans to feel as depressed as a result."Among Westerners, focusing on one's negative feelings tends to impair well-being, but among Russians, that is not the case," said U-M researcher Igor Grossmann, who co-authored a study to be published in the August issue of Psychological Science, with Ethan Kross, a faculty associate at the U-M Institute for Social Research and an assistant professor of psychology."Russians focus more on their negative feelings than Americans do, but they spontaneously distance themselves from their emotions to a greater extent than Americans, who tend to immerse themselves in their recalled experiences."Grossmann, a doctoral candidate in psychology, is a native of Ukraine. He is the winner of the 2010 Daniel Katz Dissertation Fellowship in Psychology, supported by ISR.The article reports on the outcomes of two separate studies conducted with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. In one study, the researchers examined the prevalence of self-reflection and depression among 85 U.S. students and 83 Russian students. Participants completed tests designed to measure their levels of brooding, and their level of depressive symptoms. The researchers found that Russians were more likely to brood, but that doing so was associated with fewer depressive symptoms than the Americans.In the second study, 86 U.S. and 76 Russian students were asked to recall and analyze their "deepest thoughts and feelings" about a recent unpleasant interpersonal experience. The researchers measured their level of distress after this exercise. Then participants were asked to indicate the extent to which they adopted a self-immersed perspective (seeing the event replay through their own eyes as if they were right there) versus a self-distanced perspective (watching the event unfold as an observer, in which they could see themselves from afar) while analyzing their feelings.Compared to the Americans, the Russians showed less distress after recalling the experience, and were less likely to blame the other person in their analysis of the experience. Importantly, Russians also indicated that they were more likely than Americans to spontaneously distance themselves from their experience while analyzing their feelings. And this tendency to self-distance was linked with lower levels of distress and blame.According to Grossmann, the overall findings of both studies suggest that culture modulates the emotional and cognitive consequences of reflecting over negative experiences. The findings also suggest why this is the case—some groups of people may spontaneously distance themselves more when analyzing negative experiences than do other groups."These findings add to a growing body of research demonstrating that it's possible for people to reflect on negative experiences either adaptively or maladaptively," Grossmann said.---On the Net:University of MichiganPsychological ScienceSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:30 pm Best Album Art of All Time, Readers' Choice EditionWired.com readers speak up for great LP cover art that failed to make the cut when we put together our list of favorites. From comics to fantasy art, from heavy metal to jazz, these square slices of eye candy served as a gateway to some incredible musical experiences.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:30 pm Talks for Motorola Division Heat Up [Voices]By Sara Silver and Anupreeta Das, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal Nokia Siemens Networks (NOK) is in talks to buy the telecom-equipment arm of Motorola Inc. (MOT), people familiar with the matter said, a deal that would hasten the dismantling of the U.S. technology company. The two companies are discussing terms, and a deal could be worth $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion, one of the people said. A deal could be reached in the next few weeks, people familiar with the matter said, though talks could still fall apart. A Motorola spokeswoman declined to comment. The Motorola unit in question mainly makes older-generation equipment for telecommunications networks, but would give Nokia Siemens access to offer its newer wares to those customers as they upgrade. Read the rest of this post on the original site Source: All Things Digital | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:27 pm Scientists Identify New Potential Biocontrol For Skunk VineA new beetle that could be used to control the invasive weed skunk vine has been identified by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and cooperators.The insect, named Himalusa thailandensis, was found in Thailand by entomologists Bob Pemberton (now retired), with the ARS Invasive Plants Research Laboratory (IPRL) in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Tony Wright, with the ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory (ABCL) in Brisbane, Australia; and Amporn Winotai, a cooperator with the Thailand Department of Agriculture.Subsequent study by research leader Ted Center and entomologist Paul Pratt, both with IPRL, and Canadian and Italian cooperators showed this is the first record of the genus Himalusa for Thailand. The insect is only the second described Himalusa species so far; the first Himalusa insect was found in a region of the Himalayas in Nepal.The tiny, black beetle only measures one-tenth of an inch long, but it packs a punch. It was found feeding on a species of skunk vine closely related to two skunk vine species invading the southern United States. Himalusa species belong to a group of insects that are normally scavengers or predators, so finding a plant-feeding species is a unique discovery.The adult beetles feed near the leaf mid-vein of the skunk vine plant, gnawing holes the size of their bodies. They also scrape nearby leaf tissues from this refuge, which blacken and decay, producing significant levels of foliar damage. The larvae burrow into and feed within the leaf stalks. As they grow, the stalks swell until they split and the larvae drop out to pupate in the soil.Center and his team are currently defining the insect's host range and further studying its biology. Preliminary results show that the beetle is specific to skunk vines. There are no native species of skunk vine in the United States, so H. thailandensis could be a promising biocontrol for this invasive weed.A full scientific description of H. thailandensis can be found in the scientific journal ZooKeys.ARS is the principal intramural scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).---On the Net:USDA Agriculture Research ServiceSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:25 pm Entitled Workers Are More Frustrated On The Job And More Likely To Abuse Co-WorkersEmployees who feel entitled in the workplace are more apt to be frustrated on the job and lash out at their co-workers, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.Conducted by Paul Harvey, assistant professor of management at UNH, the research is presented in the latest issue of the journal Human Relations in the article "Frustration-based outcomes of entitlement and the influence of supervisor communication."Harvey and co-author Kenneth Harris, assistant professor of management at Indiana University Southeast, investigated behavior of workers who feel entitled and how their behavior impacts job-related emotions, such as frustration. The researchers were especially interested in how frustration by entitlement-minded workers can affect other actions, such as abusing co-workers and engaging in political behavior in the workplace. The researchers also looked at how managers and organizational leaders can mitigate the effects of entitlement through more communication.Researchers surveyed 223 full-time employees from a variety of organizations. The average age of the sample was 42.8 years and the gender composition was 45 percent male and 55 percent female. Participants reported an average of 10.1 years of tenure at their current employers.The researchers found that individuals with strong entitlement-driven self-perceptions can feel more frustrated and dissatisfied with their work lives than employees with a more objective view of their relative worth and their contributions."Overall, the frustration experienced by entitled workers appears to stem from perceived inequities in the rewards received by co-workers to whom psychologically entitled employees feel superior," Harvey said.The entitled employees studied also engaged in abusive workplace behaviors such as insulting, breaking promises and spreading rumors about co-workers in response to job-related frustration. They also were more likely to engage in political behaviors such as ingratiation, self-promotion and doing favors. While such political behaviors often are considered acceptable to draw attention to employees who have earned such recognition, the researchers note that these behaviors also can be used to promote favoritism and influence an inequitable distribution of rewards.In looking at how to deal with entitled employees, the researchers found that supervisor communication reduced job-related frustration among employees with low levels of entitlement, but increased frustration among psychologically entitled employees."Entitled employees are prone to experiencing relatively high levels of job-related frustration. Unfortunately, supervisors who increase communication with such employees can increase, rather than decrease, employee frustration. This finding gives us some insight about how managers might choose, or in this case not choose, to deal with entitled subordinates," Harvey said.---On the Net:University of New HampshireHuman RelationsSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:19 pm In The Ring: Researchers Fighting Bacterial Infections Zero In On Microorganism's Soft SpotsTeam maps targets with hopes of blocking reproduction and rendering infection down for the countIn any battle, sizing up one's opponent is a critical first step. For researchers fighting a bacterial infection, that means assessing every nook and cranny of the malicious microorganism and identifying which ones to attack.At the Center for Biological Research of the Spanish Research Council in Madrid, scientists are devising maneuvers they hope will take out bacteria at their molecular knees, and they are optimistic a recent advance will help yield therapies for a number of infections, including antibiotic-resistant strains delivering blow after blow in hospitals across the globe.In a Journal of Biological Chemistry "Paper of the Week," Dr. Antonio J. Martín-Galiano and professor José M. Andreu are reporting that they have mapped out a promising target for a strategic hit after carefully analyzing a protein that bacteria need in order to reproduce and further infect hosts."Bacterial infections are a threat around the globe. This includes not only people in underdeveloped countries, but also patients compromised by the emergence of new antibiotic-resistant pathogens in First World communities and hospitals," Martín-Galiano said. "There is an urgent need to find new bacterial targets and new antibiotics with which to fight infections. Our work, by providing basic insight into the inner functional mechanisms of one new target, cell-division protein FtsZ, may be a little bit of help."A bacterial cell reproduces through a process called binary fission. First, the parent cell's DNA duplicates so that the future daughter cell will have all the correct genetic information. Then, special building-block proteins, known as FtsZ, move inside the parent cell toward the center and get to work building scaffolding for the construction of a new dividing ring. FtsZ is believed to generate constriction force, while the cell wall keeps growing toward the center of the cell. Finally, the ring tightens like a noose and splits the cell in two, each with identical DNA.Martín-Galiano and Andreu focused on how the FtsZ building blocks operate, hoping to understand better how their ever-changing shapes affect the creation of the cell-dividing wall. After all, if FtsZ could be manipulated, perhaps cell division, and replication of the bacteria, could be halted.Scientists have understood for some time now that, during cell division, the FtsZ filaments assemble and disassemble repeatedly. When the filaments are in the assembly phase, they line up in a relatively straight fashion, and, when they are in the disassembly phase, they become somewhat curved.But what has remained a mystery is what spurs the change between FtsZ's straight and curved states of being, and their team set out to answer the question: What makes FtsZ shape up just right for the job?"That would be what is called the FtsZ switch, and it remained to be revealed," Andreu said.That is, until now.Andreu's team created computer models that predict the movements of the FtsZ molecules and from that data gleaned which pivot points and hinges allow them to change shape and assemble into straight and curved filaments. They then mutated a number of those moving parts, by switching up their constituent amino acids, and observed how the assembly-disassembly cycle was affected."This would be analogous to modifying gears of clockwork in a mechanical watch and then looking at the effects on its functioning," Andreu explained.Some of the tweaks to the protein's amino acids didn't make much of a difference, and the FtsZ molecules went on with their business as normal: binding to each other, gobbling up energy molecules, breaking apart and repeating those steps about every 10 seconds. But other mutations made a world of difference and shelved FtsZ's cell-wall construction plans entirely."Several of the mutations blocked the transition of curved to straight FtsZ and produced spiral filaments instead of straight ones," Andreu said, and spiral filaments can't help the cell to divide. "Interestingly, these critical changes clustered around a cleft between two main moving parts of FtsZ, where a new antibacterial compound is thought to bind."That compound, known as PC190723, was discovered by researchers at Prolysis Ltd. in 2008 in the United Kingdom and was shown to have antibacterial activity against several microbes, including the quite drug-resistant and virulent staph infection known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.Now, with the new insights from Andreu's team, scientists are in a better position to pursue other compounds that might inhibit FtsZ's ability to build the bacterial cell wall by binding to the cleft between the two parts of FtsZ with greater specificity or efficiency – essentially mucking up FtsZ's gears.The researchers performed their analysis and experiments on FtsZ from the archaebacterium Methanococcus jannaschii, which thrives in extreme environments, such as at hydrothermal vents on the seafloor."Given the large degree of structural similarity between most FtsZ proteins, including FtsZ from the pathogens that cause tuberculosis, pneumonia and other human infections, we hope that the results may be extrapolated to the FtsZ from pathogenic bacteria," Andreu said.---On the Net:American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyJournal of Biological ChemistrySource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:16 pm Celsia Technologies, Inc. Closes Financing RoundMIAMI, July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On June 30, 2010, Celsia Technologies, Inc., (OTC: CLST) a Nevada corporation (the "Company"), entered into a Debenture and Warrant Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which it issued and sold $1,953,227 of its Original Issue Discount Senior Secured Convertible Debentures due June 30, 2011 to accredited investors in a private placement. The initial conversion price of the Debentures is $0.10 per share. The aggregate sales price of the Debentures was $1,713,357. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the investors also received warrants to purchase an aggregate of 19,532,272 shares of the Company's common stock. The warrants have an exercise price of $0.10 per share and expire on June 30, 2015. Closing for the transactions described above took place on June 30, 2010. In addition, on June 30, 2010, the Company and certain holders of previously issued Debentures with an aggregate outstanding principal balance of $11,507,249 agreed to, among other things, extend the maturity date of such Debentures to June 30, 2011. About Celsia Technologies Celsia Technologies is a full solution provider and licensor of thermal management products and technology for the PC (server, notebook, desktop), consumer electronics, and LED lighting / display industries. The company, working with many of the largest processor manufacturers, OEMs, and display manufacturers, is a leader in developing and commercializing next-generation cooling solutions built on patented micro thermofluidic technology. Celsia Technologies' extensive intellectual property portfolio includes patents registered in Korea, the U.S., Japan and Taiwan, with patents pending in the EU, Russia, India and China. For more information, visit http://celsiatechnologies.com Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, involving risks and uncertainties. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks, and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to or implied by such statements, In addition, actual future results may differ materially from those anticipated, depending on a variety of factors which include, but are not limited to, Celsia Technologies' ability to attract investors, Celsia Technologies' future operating results, and general economic conditions affecting consumer spending, including uncertainties relating to global political conditions, such as terrorism and the conflict with Iraq. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Celsia Technologies does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. SOURCE Celsia Technologies, Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:11 pm Ask the GeekTechers: Is the iPhone 4 'Death Grip' Recall-Worthy? - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:08 pm This is a game? Peter Molyneux talks Milo and Kate for Kinect
You probably remember seeing pictures and video of Milo in the earliest demonstrations of Kinect, back when it was Project Natal. There’s a kid, and he stands there in your TV, catching things you throw to him, responding generically to your questions, and so on. They’ve also made him look pretty realistic, which is going to creep a lot of people out. Most troubling, though, is the fact that this is a game at all. While life is often imitated by art in, say, the gritty realism of Heavy Rain or the stylized life lite of The Sims, it’s never just… aped. Here’s a snippet of gameplay from the demo, as summarized by Game Life:
Now, I consider myself a pretty open-minded guy. Obviously games and media don’t have to be epic or violent in order to be fun. But usually there’s some reason for it to exist. Even people playing Nintendogs often do it because they can’t have a dog, or can’t spend enough time with their dogs. What fantasy is capable of playing out in Milo and Kate? The desire to mentor some kid and clean up after him? There are real kids in the world who could use some mentoring! But more importantly, what is fun here other than the novelty of Molyneux’ creepy simulacra?
The ability to teach and shape an entity was interesting in Black & White, because your creature was both mirror and amanuensis. It wasn’t just a pet — it was your representative and often your only way of effectively interacting with the game world. There’s plenty to say about the flaws of that game and its sequel, but at least they got that part right. I suspect that I had more of a connection with my Tiger (or even with such a creature as your horse Agro in Shadow of the Colossus) than I could ever have with a Milo or a Kate. One interesting tidbit, though: Molyneux also let slip that Milo’s “mind” isn’t actually on the disc. Animations and basic behaviors, sure, but Milo’s mind will be cloud-hosted, constantly updated with information from every Milo owner out there. Here’s one cloud function I can get behind. AI engines automatically collating and responding to thousands of user inputs does seem a little Robocalyptic, but it may also lead to interesting gameplay. Molyneux’s remarks were made at the TEDGlobal 2010 conference in Oxford. His brand of visionary, yet slightly disconnected, thinking seems a good match for the TED group.
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:00 pm You're It! Gorillas Play TagGorillas and other African great apes play tag, which suggests that this common childhood game has deep primate roots.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:00 pm Los Angeles Man Finds a Droid X During Nationwide Verizon Wireless Scavenger HuntIRVINE, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Find the DROID X and it's yours. That's just what Todd Leykamp of North Hollywood did this Monday. Leykamp participated in Verizon Wireless' nationwide scavenger hunt to earn bragging rights as he got his hands on the company's latest Android phone, the DROID X by Motorola, which is not available for purchase until this Thursday. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100713/LA34686) (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100713/LA34686) The hunt was announced and executed on the company's Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/droidlanding, which currently has over 22,000 followers. GPS coordinates were provided at 1:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon and participants inserted these coordinates into Google Maps to lead them to the DROID X's destination -- the famous Pink's Hot Dogs in Hollywood, CA. Los Angeles winner Todd Leykamp found the Droid X in 56 minutes! He followed the scavenger hunt closely via Twitter in hopes of winning the Droid X in time for his 29th birthday. Leykamp is excited for the bigger screen, faster processor, and increased memory for applications on the Droid X. Similar events are taking place throughout the country in different cities. DROID X by Motorola gives customers a 4.3-inch high-resolution screen for viewing the latest movies and video from BLOCKBUSTER On Demand® presented by V CAST Video, the newest addition to the Verizon Wireless V CAST application, which also includes access to favorite TV shows. The video capabilities on the DROID X allow customers to capture spontaneous fun, combining a dual-flash, 8-megapixel camera, HD camcorder, as well as DLNA and HDMI connectivity to download, stream and share personal HD content. It's a phone designed to give users a sharper sense of vision, one they will need to find DROID X devices hidden in unexpected locations across the United States. DROID X by Motorola will be available at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning July 15 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving nearly 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 81,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia. SOURCE Verizon WirelessSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:46 pm Working Conditions Pose Problems For Workers And EmployersNew research from North Carolina State University shows that an increase in professional business practices such as outsourcing, hiring temporary workers and focusing on project-based teams is having a detrimental effect on workers and likely poses long-term problems for employers.A worker’s satisfaction with his or her job is important because it affects employee loyalty, efficiency in the workplace and quality of life. “We spend a great deal of our time at work, so it is an important part of our lives,” says Dr. Martha Crowley, an assistant professor of sociology at NC State and lead author of a paper describing the research. “If our work experience is unpleasant, it affects every aspect of our lives and ultimately it affects our ability to do our jobs.”For their study, the researchers examined data on working conditions, workplace relationships and worker behavior of professional employees over the past 80 years. The researchers found that, over that period, employers have increasingly implemented measures that they feel will improve worker productivity and profits. These measures include layoffs, outsourcing jobs, replacing salaried employees with contract staff, and putting employees onto short-term teams designed to tackle individual projects.“We found that, while these measures have succeeded in increasing performance pressure, there have also been unintended consequences,” Crowley says.Many of these unintended consequences have an immediate impact on employees. For example, professional workers increasingly confront a brutal work pace and as a result experience a great deal of stress on the job. Because projects and co-workers change fairly often, professional employees feel a greater sense of chaos at work. Other consequences include an increase in fear among employees that their job will disappear and a distrust of management.The researchers also found a number of significant short-term and long-term ramifications for employers. For example, they found that professionals are less likely to help co-workers than in the past, because they are primarily interested in protecting their own jobs. Co-worker conflict hurts the efficiency and quality of the work product, since employees are less likely to work together effectively, while also contributing to a high level of stress among employees.Researchers also found that these business practices have led people to withdraw loyalty from their employers. This could have long-term effects on employers, particularly once the economy turns around, since companies may face higher employee turnover or be forced to offer additional incentives to retain employees. Furthermore, the researchers found that employees are no longer as committed to their employers’ goals. “People are still doing their jobs and many are putting in a lot of hours,” Crowley says, “but they are not doing the things they would do if they were passionate about their work.”There may be a lesson here for employers. “Some firms have had a lot of success by handling their employees differently,” Crowley says. “Treating your employees well can be a way to boost your profits and productivity simultaneously without generating the unintended consequences of tactics based on fear.”The paper also addresses the deterioration of working conditions in the manual employment sector.The paper, “Neo-Taylorism at Work: Occupational Change in the Post-Fordist Era,” was co-authored by Daniel Tope of Florida State University and Lindsey Chamberlain and Randy Hodson of Ohio State University. The research was done using data collected under a grant from the National Science Foundation. The paper will be published in the August issue of Social Problems.NC State’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology is a joint department of the university’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.---On the Net:North Carolina State UniversitySource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:41 pm Some guy claims to own 84 percent of FacebookSection: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking  So some guy from New York has recently field a law suit claiming that he owns 84% of social networking juggernaut Facebook. Paul Ceglia’s lawsuit, filed on June 30th, claims that that a contract he signed with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gives him majority ownership of the website. The contract, which was signed on April 28, 2003, was in order for Ceglia to design and develop a website with a $1,000 payment. In addition, Ceglia would receive 50% stake in the product with an additional 1% interest in the company for every day after Jan. 1, 2004, until completion. “We believe this suit is completely frivolous and we will fight it vigorously,” a Facebook spokesperson said. Both Ceglia and his lawyer have not commented or returned calls as of yet. I can’t imagine how many more of these bothersome trials Zuckerberg can go through without completely losing his mind. This reminds me of that Coldplay song “The Scientist” which several other “talented musicians” have claimed to have written over the past few years. I’m not seeing this case going any further than an out-of-court settlement to get Mr. Ceglia’s to shut his trap. I can’t imagine why Zuckerberg wouldn’t just get one of his geeky buddies at Harvard to make the website for a box of ramen noodles and a bucket of chicken wings. In any case, the moral of the story is: watch your neck when you sit atop the mountain. Read [WSJ] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:38 pm Intel: “Best. Quarter. Ever.” (punctuation mine)Intel has released its financial report for Q2 2010, and things are lookin’ good. I know finances aren’t really the focus of CG, so let’s stick to the interesting bits:
So they’re doing pretty awesome. Not that I’d expect anything else; we’re entering a recovery period, and people who have been putting off buying PCs for the last few years are opening up their wallets to buy all these bargain- and mid-priced PCs powered by Atoms and old Cores. Man, it took forever to find that “Bunny People” ad
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:30 pm Android 2.1 and 2.2 (Froyo) hacked onto the HTC HD2
Four months ago, T-Mobile released the Windows Mobile 6.5-powered HTC HD2 in the US — and four months ago, the battle to jam Android onto it began. The endeavour has sort of chugged along so far — but it just took a massive leap forward. In the past few nights alone, the never-sleeping hacking community over at XDA-Dev managed to get not one, but two builds of Android working on the handset: a 2.1 ROM pulled from the HTC Desire, and a build of Android 2.2. While the Android 2.2 build has a few kinks that need to be worked out (like wonky audio during calls and a shaky 3G connection), we’re hearing that the 2.1 release is pretty much faultless. Hell, one user goes as far as saying that the HD2 hacked 2.1 build is “more stable than [his] myTouch 3G.” If you’ve got an HD2 by your side and are ready to dive in, you can find all the details in this XDA-dev thread. Be warned: While things like this are never for the feint of heart, this one’s particularly difficult to dive into; this conversation has been going on for months at this point, so it’s all a bit of a mess. The latest breakthroughs started happening around page 315, so that’s probably not a bad start if you know what you’re doing. Don’t have an HD2? Too nervous about potentially turning your handset into the world’s most expensive paperweight? The guys over at HD.IT were nice enough to hack the heck out of their own handset and do a nice, exhaustive video demonstration. Check it out below.
Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:20 pm Chile First To Approve Net Neutrality LawSir Mal Fet writes "Chile has become the first country in the world to approve, by 100 votes in favor and one abstention, a law guaranteeing net neutrality (Google translation; Spanish original). The law states [submitter's translation]: 'No [ISP] can block, interfere with, discriminate, hinder, nor restrict the right of any Internet user of using, send, receive or offer any content, application, or legitimate service through the Internet, as well as any activity or legitimate use conducted through the Internet.' The law also has articles that force ISP to provide parental control tools, clarify contracts, guarantee users' privacy and safety when surfing, and forbids them to restrict any liberty whatsoever. This is a major advance in the legislation of the country regarding the Web, when until last year almost anything that was performed online was considered illegal."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:18 pm Progress Made In Addressing Food Marketing To Children, But Challenges RemainThe last six years have seen significant progress in efforts to curb the marketing of unhealthy food to children, with an increasing number of governments taking on the issue, but considerable challenges remain, a leading expert on the topic said today (Tuesday).At the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm, Tim Lobstein presented an analysis of the European policy landscape, undertaken as part of the European Commission's effort to gather evidence to support policy making on the marketing of foods to children.For many years, public health experts have argued that the marketing of calorie-packed food and drinks to children contributes to the global obesity problem, but the issue has gained more traction over the last few years as concern over the scale of childhood obesity and has grown and as efforts to combat it have progressed."An increasing number of countries are trying to address this issue, with some introducing regulations addressing television advertising during children's programming or the use of familiar personalities or fictional characters to promote products during that television time slot. There is real progress, but the challenges are numerous," said Lobstein, director of policy at the International Association for the Study of Obesity, which coordinated the European Union PolMark study. "Firstly, most countries do not address advertising to children by the calorie content or other nutrient quality of the food product and marketing channels beyond broadcast advertising have been largely ignored. Secondly, our research has shown that there's a certain amount of anarchy at the moment and concluded that the terms need to be set by government, not the industry itself, because although they appear to be willing, there's chaos within the details, with a lot of contradiction in what industry is offering."Internationally, several countries are considering strong measures, Lobstein noted. Brazil is developing legislation on broadcast advertising, Thailand has legislation to limit the quantity of advertising to children, Korea and Malaysia have a ban on junk food marketing to children, while South Africa, Colombia and Chile have a draft law in waiting, he said.In Europe, two-thirds of countries now have, or are proposing, statements on food marketing to children in their national health plans."That is a big shift," Lobstein said. "Six years ago, there were only about two or three countries out of the 50 or so in European region doing this, so this decade has seen a rapid increase in awareness by government policy makers, who are increasingly writing it into their strategies."Also, the UK took a lead in 2006 by banning ads for specific types of food during children's viewing hours. This was considered a major step, Lobstein said, because it introduced a legal definition of junk food, using a formula based on the nutrient profile of food products.In the United States, a federal interagency working group established last year is developing proposals for voluntary nutritional standards for food and drink marketed to children and adolescents under the age of 18. The final proposals are scheduled to be submitted in a report to the U.S. Congress by July. Lobstein also noted that U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama's childhood obesity initiative does not rule out the possibility of regulation if voluntary measures prove insufficient.He said the passage of a resolution - without dissent - at the annual meeting of member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva in May is another mark of progress. The resolution urged countries to implement recommendations contained in a report on restricting food and drink marketing to children and instructed WHO to provide technical support. "A general resolution endorsing a set of recommendations doesn't look dramatic, but it consolidates the progress made so far. If they had tried to debate the recommendations one-by-one, they may have found countries unwilling to endorse them and that would have unravelled quite a lot of the work that has been done to get this far," Lobstein said.One of the major challenges is that voluntary action has some impact, but not enough, Lobstein said. "Food companies are making pledges and showing that they are sticking to those, but the pledges have loopholes. They don't all stick to the same criteria around the definition of marketing, what age group of children and what foods are covered. Companies have been pushing the boundaries into children's social marketing networks, school playgrounds, text messaging to mobile phones and so on, undermining any likely parental controls. We need a system that supports, rather than hinders, the efforts of parents to prevent obesity in their children. You cannot expect the industry to reform itself when so much money would be lost," he said.In a separate presentation at the conference, Brazilian researcher Fabio Gomes reported an analysis of advances and setbacks in his country's effort to address food marketing. The Brazilian government is proposing statutory regulation that would require health warnings to be included in advertisements for food. Gomes said that challenges in Brazil include weak consumer criticism and the abandonment of early government proposals for a watershed for advertising to children. Also, while multinational companies have made pledges on the issue in the United States and in Europe, they have not made their pledges or self-regulation rules effective in Brazil, he said. "We are in a deaf dialogue in Brazil," said Gomes, a nutritionist and senior analyst at the National Cancer Institute of Brazil.Lobstein said it is less important whether measures are voluntary or statutory. What matters, he said, is that governments need to agree a clear set of targets that include cross-border marketing applied to products based nutrient profiling, a timeline and monitoring to ensure progress is being made. ---On the Net:International Association for the Study of ObesitySource: RedOrbit News - Science | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:05 pm Frogs Jump Farther When Competing at County FairThe longest jump reported in scientific papers for an American bullfrog is almost 4.2 feet. But new measurements from California's Calaveras County Fair add around 3 feet to that record. Scientists set up a testing ground at the fair for determining maximal species performance.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:00 pm Global Harvest Foods Chooses NetCharts SoftwareNetCharts Performance Dashboards, NetCharts Server and NetCharts Designer to Ensure Production Efficiency and Management Effectiveness for Leading Provider of Specialty Seed Products ROCKVILLE, Md., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Visual Mining, a leader in business intelligence dashboard and data visualization solutions that instantly transforms data into actionable information, today announced that Global Harvest Foods, a leading provider of specialty seed products selected NetCharts Performance Dashboards (NCPD), NetCharts Server and NetCharts Designer to help improve, and ensure production efficiency and management effectiveness. "The more expensive solutions couldn't offer the flexibility and scalability we needed and found with NetCharts Performance Dashboards, Server and Designer. Efficiency is what drives our business, and NetCharts software helps us visualize our production and operational processes to ensure that we run our business efficiently and effectively, said Rod Epps, IT Director, Global Harvest Foods. Global Harvest Foods selected the award-winning NetCharts software product line to quickly and easily create executive dashboards that incorporate data from a variety of different data sources. Additionally, Global Harvest selected NetCharts to help evaluate daily performance and uncover areas for efficiency improvements in their production and manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. "We are pleased Global Harvest Foods selected NetCharts Performance Dashboards, NetCharts Server, and NetCharts Designer. Our NetCharts product line provides an unparalleled depth and breadth of solutions for customers. With NetCharts, I am confident Global Harvest Foods will be able to explore and analyze their data assets in ways they never have before. And in return, discover even greater opportunities to drive better business results," said Tristan Ziegler, President and CEO of Visual Mining. About Visual Mining For more than a decade, Visual Mining continues to be a profitable, trusted and valued provider of business intelligence dashboard and data visualization solutions that instantly transform data into actionable business information. Visual Mining's award-winning NetCharts software delivers comprehensive, intuitive, and effective solutions for both developers and business end-users. Visual Mining's support and professional services teams complement their products by providing the expertise to ensure success. Follow us on Twitter! www.twitter.com/visualmining . Visual Mining: Visualize. Analyze. Capitalize. www.visualmining.com About Global Harvest Foods Global Harvest Foods was founded in 1980 by the Mills family. The company is privately held with production plants in Mead, WA, Harrold, DS and Akron, CO. Global Harvest is a major producer of wild bird food, small animal, wildflower, and grass seeds and other lawn and garden products. http://www.ghfoods.com/ Visual Mining, NetCharts, and NetCharts Performance Dashboards are trademarks of Visual Mining, Inc. Other names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE Visual Mining, Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 3:47 pm Arctic Bacteria Used To Make Cool Vaccinescremeglace writes "Scientists say they may have discovered a way to develop cool new vaccines — and they mean that literally. By replacing essential genes in a mammalian pathogen with their counterparts from Arctic bacteria, they have created strains that provoke a protective immune response in mice, but that don't spread to the warm parts of the body where they could do serious harm. The team hopes that the method will lead to a new generation of vaccines for major bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 13 Jul 2010 | 3:38 pm Total Recall Or Total Bull? Some Perspective On The iPhone 4 Antenna Frenzy
It’s time to take a step back and get some perspective about what’s going on here.
Source: CrunchGear | 13 Jul 2010 | 3:31 pm Book-A-Million selling the Sony Reader 505-LC for $99Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks
Product [Books-A-Million] Via [CrunchGear]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 3:20 pm Spansion Schedules Conference Call for Second Quarter 2010 Financial ResultsSUNNYVALE, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Spansion Inc. (NYSE: CODE), a leading provider of Flash memory solutions, has scheduled a conference call for Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 1:30 pm PDT / 4:30 pm EDT to announce its second quarter financial results. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060118/SFW077LOGO) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060118/SFW077LOGO) Financial results will be released over the wire after the market close on Wednesday, July 21 and posted on Spansion's web site. When: Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 1:30 pm PDT Dial-in: 1-877-312-5884, conference ID of 87909802 Webcast: http://investor.spansion.com/index.cfm Please join the conference call at least 10 minutes early to register. An audio replay will be available within two hours of the call and may be accessed via dial-in at 1-800-642-1687 with the conference ID of 87909802 or by webcast on the investor relations section of Spansion's website at http://www.spansion.com. About Spansion Spansion's (NYSE: CODE) technology is at the heart of electronics systems, powering everything from the internet of today to the smart grid of tomorrow, positively impacting people's daily lives at work and play. Spansion's broad Flash memory product portfolio, smart innovation and industry leading service and support are enabling customers to achieve greater efficiency and success in their target markets. For more information, visit http://www.spansion.com. Spansion®, the Spansion logo, MirrorBit®, MirrorBit® Eclipse(TM), ORNAND(TM), EcoRAM(TM) and combinations thereof, are trademarks and registered trademarks of Spansion LLC in the United States and other countries. Other names used are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. SOURCE Spansion Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 3:05 pm Hammacher Schlemmer Introduces The Healthiest Deep FryerNEW YORK, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its 162-year history of offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected, Hammacher Schlemmer introduces The Healthiest Deep Fryer, a device that makes up to 2 lbs. of crisp, succulent fried food using only one tablespoon of oil. "Unlike conventional fried potatoes that have up to 14% fat, The Healthiest Deep Fryer makes french fries with only 3% fat," explained Hammacher Schlemmer's General Manager, Fred Berns. The Healthiest Deep Fryer's internal convection oven emits 338 degrees F heat that circulates evenly throughout the cooking chamber to cook chicken wings, shrimp, or spring rolls with the same crunchy exterior and moist interior produced by conventional deep fryers. Food slowly revolves around the nonstick cooking chamber while an integrated paddle automatically turns and mixes ingredients with oil and seasonings to ensure even cooking. The nominal amount of cooking oil is absorbed entirely by the food as it cooks, eliminating the need to dispose of large quantities of used oil. The Healthiest Deep Fryer does not require any preheating, it has a timer, and its cover, cooking basin, and paddle are dishwasher safe. The Healthiest Deep Fryer is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $299.95. For more information about this product, please visit http://www.hammacher.com/Product/78600?tid=pr78600 or contact Breanna O'Day at (847) 581-8739 or via e-mail at pr@hammacher.com About Hammacher Schlemmer Hammacher Schlemmer is America's longest running catalog, offering the Best, the Only, and the Unexpected since 1848. The company provides unique products that solve problems or represent the only one of their kind, and backs its products by a rather famous Lifetime Guarantee of Complete Satisfaction. Hammacher Schlemmer's innovative offerings are available through its catalog, online at www.hammacher.com, and at its landmark store on East 57th St. in New York City. SOURCE Hammacher SchlemmerSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:55 pm Droid 2 shows up in Verizon Summer catalog
Seriously, though, the big find is the Droid 2, which we have already seen around, but which hasn’t been officially announced by Verizon. We were hoping to hear a little about it at the Droid X event, but no. They decided they’d rather leak the news to Boy Genius Report. A few specs have been confirmed: 1GHz processor, 8GB of storage, 512MB of RAM, 8 more GB in a MicroSD included, a 5-megapixel camera, and hotspot functionality. Still no launch date, but it’s all good.
Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:53 pm More Gas Station Credit-Card Skimmerscoondoggie notes a Network World piece on credit-card skimmers found installed in gas pumps, this time in Florida. Like the similar wave of attacks in Utah earlier this year, the latest crop uses Bluetooth to transmit the illicitly collected data. Does this mean an accomplice has to hang around within 3m of the pump? "The Secret Service has indicated there's a crime wave throughout the Southeast involving the gas-station pump card skimmers, and it may be traced back to a single gang that may be working out of Miami... St. Johns County in Florida has also been hit by the gas-pump card skimmers. [A local sheriff's department spokesman] says criminals wanting to hide the credit-card skimmers in gas pumps have to have a key to the pump, but in some cases a single key will serve to get into many gas pumps." Here's an insight from the banking industry on the skimming fraud.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:51 pm Four California Students Awarded Verizon Foundation ScholarshipsTHOUSAND OAKS, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Paying for college just got easier for four California students. They are among 675 students nationwide who have received scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year through Verizon's scholarship program for the children and dependents of company employees. The students will each receive $5,000 annually toward their college expenses. The scholarship program selects recipients based on financial need, academic achievement and extracurricular activities. Each scholarship is renewable for three years and has a total value of $20,000. This year's California recipients are: David Price of Irvine, son of Donna McCrory, who plans to attend Georgetown University.Juliana Cadena of Long Beach, daughter of Jane Cadena, who plans to attend Loyola Marymount University.Kylie Goana of Long Beach, daughter of Renee Cabrera, who plans to attend the University of Norte Dame.Darian Gonzalez of Oxnard, son of Anita Gonzalez, who plans to attend San Francisco State University.Since 2001, the scholarship program has invested more than $39 million in the college education of 2,253 children and dependents of Verizon employees. For the 2010-2011 academic year, the program will provide more than $3.3 million for scholarships for the 675 Verizon scholars. "Congratulations to this year's California scholarship recipients and their parents," said Tim McCallion, Verizon West region president. "These scholarships are one of the many ways that Verizon invests in developing future leaders of our community and our economy." The Verizon Foundation awards the scholarships in partnership with Scholarship America, the nation's largest nonprofit, private sector scholarship and educational support organization, which was founded in 1958. "Verizon is clearly committed to helping students succeed through education," said Donald Lassere, senior vice president, Scholarship America. "With the skyrocketing cost of tuition, coupled with our struggling economy, generous renewable scholarships have never been more needed by students. Scholarship America is proud to administer the Verizon scholarship program." A list of the Verizon scholars for 2010 is available on the Verizon Foundation website at http://foundation.verizon.com/about/press/scholstudents10.shtml The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational website, Verizon Thinkfinity (www.thinkfinity.org), and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded $67.9 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in $26.1 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org. 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. 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. SOURCE VerizonSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:41 pm iOS 4’s hidden “iPod Out” feature brings iPhone support to your car without the messy third party UI
Cars touting full integration with the iPod and iPhone are nothing new — but so far, the experiences have been pretty terrible. The head unit (otherwise known as the “deck”) is tasked with pulling your music library from the iPhone, displaying all that data in a custom (and generally awful) interface. Everyone from JVC to BMW has taken it upon themselves to invent the wheel for themselves, and no one seems to have really nailed it. Apple, it seems, wants to do away with these greatly varying interfaces once and for all. Lurking deep in the underpinnings of iPhone OS 4 is a feature that went almost entirely unnoticed until now, with BMW announcing support for it in their namesake and Mini series cars: a brand new, standardized iPod interface for use with in-car displays.
The idea isn’t too crazy: your iPhone/iPod Touch obviously already has access to your music library and knows how to handle it, so why not let it do the heavy lifting? The user interface is all rendered on the device, and then it’s piped out (along with your tunes) to the head unit via a standard docking cable. Car manufacturers have the ability to send control commands through external controllers like steering wheel buttons and separate control wheels.
Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:36 pm Micromem Technologies Inc. Completes Private PlacementTORONTO and NEW YORK, July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Micromem Technologies Inc. (the "Company") (CNSX: MRM, OTCBB: MMTIF) announces the completion of a non-brokered, arm's length private placement of 312,500 Units at a subscription price of CDN $0.32 per Unit for the gross proceeds of CDN $100,000. Each Unit is comprised of one common share ("Common Share") and one common share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant may be exercised for one Common Share at an exercise price of CDN $0.40 for a period of one year. The proceeds from the offering will be used for general working capital purposes and the shares will be subject to resale restrictions. Please note there has been a correction to the press release dated June 17, 2010. The price of the warrants included in the financing have been adjusted to US $0.45. About Micromem Technologies Inc. and MASTInc: --------------------------------------------- MASTInc is a wholly owned U.S.-based subsidiary of Micromem Technologies Inc., a publicly traded (OTC: MMTIF CNSX:MRM) fabless semiconductor company with headquarters in Toronto, Canada and an office in New York City. Micromem holds and continues to develop a broad-based patent portfolio of Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) and magnetic sensor technologies. Micromem's MRAM patents create a solution for performance driven, radiation hard, non-volatile memory applications. MASTInc is focused on business development efforts and is working on the launch of sensory products for use in both defense and consumer applications. Its first product, GC-0301, is far superior to the competition with over 200 V/T, making it one of the most sensitive hall sensors on the market without the need for external amplification. MASTInc is working with companies that have large-scale capabilities and expects to sign contracts in the coming quarters. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. In particular, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, our inability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms, risk that our products and services will not gain widespread market acceptance; continued consumer adoption of digital technology, inability to compete with others who provide comparable products, the failure of our technology, inability to respond to consumer and technological demands, inability to replace significant customers; seasonal nature of our business and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," "should," "intend," "may," "will," "would," "potential," and similar expressions may be used to identify forward-looking statements. The CNSX or any other securities regulatory authority has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release that has been prepared by management. Listing: NASD OTC-Bulletin Board - Symbol: MMTIF :CNSX - Symbol: MRM Shares issued: 92,982,204 SEC File No: 0-26005 SOURCE Micromem Technologies Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:30 pm Wirefly will begin selling the Motorola Droid X at 12:01 AM PST on July 15Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Websites
We already heard Motorola will be limiting the amount of Droid X’s every Verizon Wireless retail store will have in stock, so finding one could prove difficult during the initial launch period. Fortunately for people who plan on buying the Droid X right away, Wirefly will be the first authorized retailer to sell the highly anticipated Android smartphone as soon as the clock hits 12:01 AM over on the West Coast. Andy Zeinfeld, chief executive officer of Simplexity, parent company of Wirefly, has this to say about the launch:
Pricing will remain the same with Wirefly, but it definitely beats having to wait in line for a device that could be sold out. Standard FedEx shipping is free, courtesy of Wirefly, but that does mean you’ll have to wait at least a day to receive the Motorola Droid X. Will you be one of the first in line to order the Motorola Droid X online at Wirefly? Read [PR Web] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:11 pm Mojoceratops Sported Heart-Shaped Head FrillA new dinosaur, Mojoceratops, sported a flamboyant heart-shaped head frill.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:06 pm China's 'Green Dam' Software Program Near Collapsekatarn writes "Apparently domestic and international pressure, security vulnerabilities, and a $2.2B lawsuit over alleged stolen code have taken their toll on China's Green Dam software censorship program. Green Dam is a separate program from the 'Great Firewall of China,' which remains firmly in place. According to Green Dam program partners, funding for the project has not been renewed. The project development team has been shut down and the installation and aftercare team is facing closure. Unsurprisingly there has been no official comment from official Chinese authorities."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 13 Jul 2010 | 2:04 pm Microsoft’s Mobile Strategy Takes Aim at Apple, Google
When Windows Phone 7 becomes available later this year, customers will be able to download and sync content (such as music, video and photos) wirelessly, using a Wi-Fi connection to Zune software running on their PCs, according to Microsoft’s Aaron Woodman. Additionally, Microsoft will launch Windows Phone Live, a free website for Windows Phone 7 customers to automatically publish their photos and sync their contacts, OneNote notes and other data. “[Windows Phone 7] integrates experiences by consolidating common tasks and services around shared hubs that put the focus on what you want to do rather than putting the onus on you to move in and out of various apps,” Woodman wrote in a blog post. “All the stuff you’d expect is right where you expect it — and that goes for content and services that live outside the phone.” The new Windows Phone Live site will also host a Find My Phone service, which will allow people to find and manage a missing phone with the ability to find the phone on a map, make it ring, lock it and erase its contents, all from their PC. This is comparable to a feature Apple offers through its MobileMe service for an additional fee; Microsoft says it will offer it for no charge. With these moves, Microsoft is emphasizing Windows Phone 7’s over-the-air “cloud” strategy to compete with other mobile platforms. Many tech companies are offering online services to wirelessly manage content over the web. Google, for example, provides web services services for customers to automatically sync their e-mails, contacts and calendars over the internet to their phones. However, Microsoft will have to move fast to stay in the smartphone game. Its once dominant Windows Mobile OS currently holds just 13.2 percent of the smartphone market and has been been steadily losing market share to competitors — most notably Google’s Android. The longer Microsoft takes to get Windows Phone 7 out, the more difficult it will be for it to regain the ground it has lost. When Microsoft introduced Windows Phone 7 in February, CEO Steve Ballmer said the platform would blend personal media with Xbox Live gaming and third-party apps served through the Zune marketplace. The company with a relatively weak cloud strategy is Apple. Critics have slammed the iPhone and iPad for still relying on a USB connection to sync content with iTunes. And Apple’s web service MobileMe has received criticism for being expensive ($100 per year) compared to Google’s free web services. Steve Jobs said his company was “working on it” during a recent All Things Digital Conference on-stage interview, suggesting that iTunes might soon receive a reboot with a focus on streaming media. “You can sum up the most frustrating thing about being an Apple customer in three little words: ‘Connect to iTunes,” said Matt Buchanan, a writer of Gizmodo. It’s clear the software giant is shooting at the cloud in order to target a major weakness of Apple and a major strength of Google. Microsoft is offering consumer-oriented cloud services that Apple lacks, while providing enterprise features, such as remote wiping or locating a missing phone, that are not built in to Android. “Microsoft’s activities in the cloud are really key in terms of its competition versus Apple and of course Google,” said Ross Rubin, a consumer technology analyst at NPD Group. “While there’s certainly a lot of overlap with Google in terms of the places where they’re competing head-on — photo sharing, e-mail services, etc. — Microsoft has really integrated part of what Apple has sought to make a premium offering with MobileMe.” Gadget Lab will soon receive a Windows Phone 7 prototype for testing. We’ll keep you posted on our impressions this week. Follow @gadgetlab or @bxchen on Twitter to stay plugged in to the news. See Also:
Image courtesy of Microsoft 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Jul 2010 | 1:30 pm Microsoft's Mobile Strategy Takes Aim at Apple, GoogleMicrosoft announces new Windows Phone 7 features: cloud management of syncing, a Find My Phone feature and other web-savvy tools.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 1:30 pm Microsoft's Mobile Strategy Takes Aim at Apple, GoogleMicrosoft announces new Windows Phone 7 features: cloud management of syncing, a Find My Phone feature and other web-savvy tools.
Source: Wired: Gadgets | 13 Jul 2010 | 1:30 pm Introducing our Google Fiber for Communities websiteIn February we announced our plans to build experimental, ultra-high speed broadband networks. Over the past several months, our team’s been hard at work reviewing the nearly 1,100 community responses to our request for information—not to mention the nearly 200,000 responses from individuals across the U.S.Throughout this process, one message has come through loud and clear: people are hungry for better and faster Internet access. With that in mind, today we’re launching a new site called Google Fiber for Communities, where you can learn more about fiber networks and keep up-to-date on our project. You’ll also be able to advocate for common-sense federal and local policies that would help fiber deployments nationwide. We also wanted to thank every community and individual that submitted a response, posted a YouTube video, started a website, joined a rally or otherwise let their voice be heard. We were so honored by the grassroots enthusiasm across the country for this project that we put together a short video to say thank you: As we explained back in March, we plan to name our target community or communities by the end of the year. We still have some work ahead of us before we’re ready to make that announcement, but in the meantime, we hope this site helps to keep the conversation going. Posted by Minnie Ingersoll, Product Manager    
 Source: The Official Google Blog | 13 Jul 2010 | 1:21 pm Data Centers Prepare for A Renewable Futuremiller60 writes "A small but growing number of data centers are generating renewable energy at their facility, despite challenges with cost and scalability. In a special report, Data Center Knowledge looks at data centers implementing on-site solar power, wind energy, geothermal cooling and recycling waste heat from their hot aisles. Even as some projects choose to go green, other data center operators insist that improved power efficiency offers a far better return and carbon impact than pursuing on-site renewables."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 13 Jul 2010 | 1:21 pm New Fibers Can See, Hear, SpeakWould you want to wear a shirt that you could talk to? Would you mind if it talked back?Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 1:10 pm Android tablet out now: Archos 5 impressionsSection: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video, Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers, Gadgets / Other
Itching for an Android-based tablet? Sick and tired of people gushing over the iPad? Maybe the Archos 5 internet tablet is right up your alley. The unit got fondled for a short time over at Mobility Site and the results might surprise you. Instead of being a saucy alternative to all things “i”, the device seems a bit off. Running Android 1.6, the Archos 5 size puts it in a tough class, neither really pocketable or seemingly big enough to justify carrying around a bag to hold it in. This “neither this nor that” is familiar to me in reviewing Archos gear. The hardware itself was rated very nice, well put together and stylish. However, the hardware wasn’t the biggest issue encountered. “After working for a day in the Android Market I will never complain about the iTunes App Store. At times trying to dig through the Android Market seemed like the original Cydia, filled with lots of potentially useless applications in Chinese and low rez wallpaper collections, intermingled with Family Guy ringtones.” Ouch. We make a big deal about apps these days, those 3rd party programs that turn your device into a gaming rig, GPS navigator, PDA, shopping tool, internet kiosk and anything else developers care to make it. Android’s numbers have been lagging Apple’s but that will change soon. What doesn’t seem to be changing at a great pace is the quality of apps. “The truth of it is, it is clear to me that the Android markets needs a good broom and maybe a flamethrower taken to it, but because of its inherently untamed nature, it can be what the App Store isn’t..and that is ALIVE.” Good and bad right? Good in the feeling of being a part of something at it’s genesis. The knowledge that someday you’ll tell a grandchild on your lap, “yup, I was there at the beginning.” And of course bad in that the fit and polish just isn’t there. It’s been my experience that Archos devices are quirky. The Archos 5, despite having Android on board, seems unable to outrun the quirkiness. At just $276 though, you might be able to live with a little quirkiness. Read: [Mobility Site] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 1:06 pm ESPN Goes Full Throttle With 3-D BroadcastingThe sports-television giant looks to drive demand for the latest in TV tech.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 1:00 pm Eye-Tracking Method Detects LiesInstead of detecting a person's physiological response during questioning, this method measures a person's cognitive reaction.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 12:49 pm Photo Shows Suicide Bomber Ant Self-DetonatingA photograph shows a suicide bomber ant self-detonating, killing herself and others with toxic yellow glue.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 12:48 pm Wal-Mart Puts Up Xbox Kinect Bundle for Preorder - PC Magazine
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Jul 2010 | 12:44 pm BMW to support iOS 4’s iPod Out featureFROM APPLETELL - BMW automobiles have seen longtime iPod integration, but always through the default interface of the onboard computer system. Not anymore. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 12:16 pm webOS on a flexible display? Maybe says Phil McKinneySection: Video, Computers, Hardware, Gadgets / Other  Some interesting news came out of MobileBeat 2010 held in San Francisco on Monday - a flexible display running webOS. No, such a product will not be coming later this year, but there is a strong chance we can see this technology employed further down the road in 2011 perhaps running Palm’s webOS now under the jurisdiction of HP. The display constructed of Mylar sheets uses a very minute amount of power making it an environmentally friendly. HP’s Phil McKinney is the one who talked about the possibility of a flexible display at MobileBeat. The reason we believe webOS could be used on such a product is because of this statement by McKinney:
Even if nothing comes of this, it’s still nice to know HP is working on integrating webOS in some unique fashion, even if it is on a printer. Via [Engadget]  Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:56 am Man Claims 84 Percent Ownership of Facebook - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:40 am App Tuesday: 10 new apps in the Google Apps MarketplaceWhile many IT departments spend the second Tuesday of the month patching the operating systems on their servers, Google Apps customers running their business in the cloud have some free time to evaluate and roll-out new applications. Lucky for them, today there are 10 new apps available today in the Google Apps Marketplace.Several of the new applications help you manage communications more effectively, from tracking contact with customers and partners to de-cluttering your inbox:
Posted by Ryan Boyd, Google Apps Marketplace team   
 Source: The Official Google Blog | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:04 am What Can $10 Buy You? A Universal Remote for your iPhone
The app is called My TV Remote (iTunes link) and it’s free. You can then pay $9.99 via in-app purchase (inclusive of Shipping and Handling) and get a little infrared emitter shipped to you. Plug the emitter into your headphone jack and voila! Now you can use your iPhone to control your TV. Hit the jump to see how it works: My TV Remote also incorporates social elements – you get real-time recommendations of what to watch based on what’s most popular right now. Furthermore, you can see what your Facebook friends are watching and interact with them via a comment thread about the show. You can also “check in” to a TV show and share it on your Facebook wall, which I can actually see myself doing. Aside from being one of the better TV apps I’ve seen, the killer feature is the price and the potential for this app to improve for the future. Currently, it only supports TV and doesn’t have all of the options. However, it can eventually be a remote for DVD, Blu-Ray, audio and anything else you want to control with an IR transmitter. As Matt Burns of CrunchGear mentioned a few weeks back, the standalone universal remote is obsolete.
There are many other remote control and social TV applications for the iPhone, and I’ve tested many of them. So far, the best was ThinkFlood’s $188 RedEye, but honestly, the My TV App blows it out of the water. It was easier to set up and $178 cheaper. For my basic needs, I couldn’t imagine spending even $50 more for the advanced features of the RedEye. Aside from Square, this may be the coolest hardware accessory I’ve seen for the iPhone yet.
Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:03 am Salmon Killer Disease Mystery SolvedThe identity of a mysterious disease that's raged through European salmon farms, wasting the hearts and muscles of infected fish, has been revealed through genome sleuthing.Source: Wired Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 11:00 am Fibers That Can Hear and Sing Could Power Electronic Textiles
The clothing of the future could be more than just fashion. MIT researchers are working to develop fibers that can hear and produce sound, and someday those could take the form of wearable electronics. “The ancients used clothes for the same reason that we do, which is thermal insulation and aesthetics,” Yoel Fink, associate professor of materials science and principal investigator at MIT’s Research Lab of Electronics, told Wired.com. “What we have done is start thinking how fibers go beyond that and change their properties.” Fink and his team hope their latest research will result in fibers that can be fashioned into clothes capable of capturing speech, textiles that can measure blood flow in the capillaries or nets that can double as sound sensors. “It’s a very significant breakthrough on the level of the material used and the structure that was fabricated,” says Ayman Abouraddy, a professor at the College of Optics & Photonics in the University of Central Florida. “Line a whole wall with these fibers and you could get a very interesting surround-sound system,” says Abouraddy, who isn’t involved in the research. Fibers, whether they are for clothing or telecommunications, have always been static, incapable of doing more than one thing: Hold fabric together, or transmit optical signals, for instance. The key to electronic textiles is fiber that can change its properties over a wide range of frequencies, says Fink. The acoustic fibers have been created from a plastic called polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) that’s commonly used in microphones. The researchers tweaked the plastic to ensure its molecules are lopsided so all the fluorine atoms line up on one side and hydrogen atoms on the other. This asymmetry of the molecules makes the plastic piezoelectric. Piezoelectricity is the key property here that allows the fibers to react to a range of frequencies, giving them the ability to function as both a microphone and a speaker. “The important aspect of it is maintaining the crystalline form in the fiber,” says Abouraddy. “Usually the crystal melts if it is heated sufficiently, which happens when the fibers are being manufactured, but the new technique seems to have solved that problem.” To manufacture the fibers, the piezoelectric molecules are all aligned in the same direction by applying an electric field that’s about 20 times as powerful as those that cause lightning during a thunderstorm. So far, it has worked well enough that you can actually hear through the fibers. Researchers connected the fibers to a power supply and applied a current to make it vibrate at audible frequencies to generate sound. The next major step will be to reduce the dimensions of the fiber so it can some day be woven into clothing. “Right now the width of the fiber is around 2.5 mm, while in clothing today, the fibers are at around 50 microns,” says Abouraddy. “So they will have to reduce the width by a big magnitude.” That’s one of the things that researchers will be working on over the next few years, says Fink. Eventually, he hopes, the manufacturing process will be perfected enough for the fibers to be affordable. “Am I going to be able to sell this for a buck a meter in San Francisco soon? The answer is no,” says Fink. “But we should be able to get good economies of scale.” See Also:
Photo: Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT/Greg Hren 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:54 am Microsoft: 74% of work computers still using Windows XPSection: Business News, Computers
With that, according to Tammi Reller, who is the CVP of Microsoft Windows;
And while these stats are entirely realistic to believe, Microsoft appears to see it as a good thing. After all, that means 74% of people who can still upgrade to Windows 7. Plus plenty of people that soon may need to upgrade their computer—and in turn end up with Windows 7. With that, Steve Ballmer also made mention that Microsoft expects to sell 350 million licenses for Windows 7 this year. Read [Business Insider]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:45 am Robots Could Be Teachers' AidsRobots will soon be used in the classroom to help (and maybe even replace) teachers.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:40 am iPhone 4 officially jailbroken and unlocked
Before we continue, a quick recap of the terms: Jailbroken: Modified to be able to install third-party applications not approved by Apple, generally via an alternative App Store. Unlocked: Able to run on GSM networks other than the one it was originally sold for. In the case of US iPhones, that means an unlocked AT&T iPhone could run on T-Mobile (sans 3G) or any of the GSM carriers in Canada. The iPhone 4 is now both of those. As these things usually go, the hack isn’t ready for public consumption quite yet. So when will it be? Who knows. There’s no ETA beyond “eventually”. If past trends are any indication, they’re likely waiting until after Apple sends out the first software update in hopes that their loopholes go unpatched.
Source: MobileCrunch | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:24 am Build Your Own Private Azure Cloud with New Microsoft Appliance - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 13 Jul 2010 | 10:22 am Beautiful Concept Phone for HTC Should Be Built
Today’s hot concept design comes from Andrew Kim, in the monolithic shape of the HTC1. The phone is so simple in its shape that it even makes the iPhone look fussy. Despite its sleek shell, though, Kim’s design manages to pack in a lot of very smart extras. We’ll forget about the software, the internal workings and even the choice of material (brass? really?) as these slide down into the usual concept fantasies. Instead we’ll look at that slab-like casing: Essentially top and bottom metal sections sandwiching a glass block, the gorgeous whole has almost no external details to spoil the lines. The majority of the controls would be multi-touch, with a single button below the screen and a forward-facing camera up top. Then things get interesting. One speaker sits in the base (like the iPad) but another is hidden up top and throws out its sound through a recessed slot above the screen, allowing for movies and music in stereo. Next up is the bottom metal block which swings around to form a kickstand. It’s pretty ingenious. Then we dive into the pool of outlandish imagination. A UV lamp inside the phone beams through the screen as you charge it. What does this do, apart from keep you awake at night? It kills germs that have accumulated from your filthy hands. Curiously, there is another Apple-like design touch here. Kim’s phone features a metal back that doubles as an antenna. Just make sure you hold it the right way. HTC1 [Design Fabulous via Yanko] Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter. 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:56 am Giant Greenland Glacier Cracks Open OvernightThe Arctic's biggest iceberg factory just hit overdrive.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:15 am Combating Lake Tahoe's Invasive Clams With Rubber MatsScientists are using an unorthodox method for dealing with Lake Tahoe's Asian clam infestation: suffocating them with mats.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:10 am Electric Vehicles Won't Bring Down the Power GridThe extra load will be relatively slow to grow, predictable and highly localized in its early years.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 13 Jul 2010 | 8:02 am Quadrocopters Work Together to Lift Loads, Destroy MankindImagine a giant, deadly robot hummingbird. Now imagine it not with wings, but with four buzzing rotor-blades that work in concert to keep it as steady as a real hummingbird while sipping nectar from flowers. Now, finally, imagine that instead of sipping flowers, the robot beast teams up with other robots to cause the death of the human race (or just to lift some wood). The video shows a team of these terrifying beasts working together to pick up objects. The quadrocopters are equipped with grabbing hands to lift, carry and drop loads. Because their movements are controlled by computers and sensors, they are capable of incredibly accurate movements and now, in a network, they can haul objects together. Quadrocopters are basic beasts and therefore cheaper and easier to make than single-rotor machines. Because they can tip themselves up to provide forward propulsion, the rotors themselves don’t need to do anything but spin, keeping them simple. But forget about the lifting: it’s nothing more than a fancy coin-op grabber-hook fairground trick. The real menace is that these things now move in coordinated swarms, and will soon, no doubt, be able to hunt and destroy weak, fleshy humans just like an eagle toys with a mouse before swooping down mercilessly. Be afraid. Cooperative Grasping and Transport using Quadrotors [TheDmel/YouTube via Engadget] See Also:
Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter. 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Jul 2010 | 7:59 am Consumer Reports: iPhone 4 Best Smartphone Despite Antenna Issues
The iPhone Death-Grip may be getting all the press, but it isn’t enough to stop Apple’s latest handset from knocking it out of the park in Consumer Reports’ latest smartphone round-up. As honey-voiced Gadget Lab editor Dylan Tweney wrote yesterday, the antenna issues, which causes the iPhone 4’s signal to drop calamitously when it is held wrong, led Consumer Reports to say that it “cannot recommend” the phone to buyers. Yet despite this seemingly fatal flaw, the iPhone 4 still tops the new Smart Phones Rating chart which was also published yesterday, ahead of BlackBerries and Android devices. What’s going on? Apple got points for pretty much everything else on the new handset, from the front-facing camera to “sharpest display and best video camera we’ve seen on any phone”. The Consumer Reports blog post also points out the battery life (which bests the already high-scoring iPhone 3G) and the new game friendly gyroscope. Most of these features can already be found on many other phones. Consumer Reports just points out that Apple is implementing them better than anyone else. These scores, along with Consumer Reports’ own fix for the Death Grip (a strip of gaffer tape), show that you may as well ignore griping about the antenna. I imagine that actual calls are a tiny part of iPhone usage anyway. You’ll need to pay to access the full smartphone report, and the teaser image on the front page seems to still be showing a previous report where the 8GB iPhone 3G is on top. Lab tests: Why Consumer Reports can’t recommend the iPhone 4 [Consumer Reports] Photo: Yutaka Tsutano See Also:
Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter. 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Jul 2010 | 7:08 am USB Power-Strip Controlled by PC
Is there any end to the innovation going into modern power-strips? (The answer is yes, probably, unlike my absurd enthusiasm for such things). The USB-Controlled Power-Strip continues the inventiveness by adding a second cable to the four-hole adapter. This USB port isn’t for powering your devices. Rather, it plugs into your PC and lets you control the sockets from there, cutting and supplying power at the click of a mouse. Because you don’t have to get up to plug in the printer, the thinking goes that you won’t just leave it powered up all the time just for the odd once-a-month use. Having the on-off switch in software has another advantage, too: automation. That same printer can be automatically fired up when you hit the print button, for instance, or you can put your PC to work powering lights on and off. With a little smart scripting, I’m sure you could use your cellphone to switch on the coffee machine. This efficiency comes with a cost, though. In order to save from this automation, you need to leave the PC on 24/7. The strip itself is a good one. Each outlet has its own fuse, and the sockets are universal, accepting any plugs you might have. Given that most of your gadgets are from your home country, putting the universal part on the other end might make more sense for travelers. The strip will go on sale in August for an unannounced mystery price. Power USB [PWRUSB via Oh Gizmo!] See Also:
Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter. 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Jul 2010 | 6:07 am Video: iPhone 4 Native Support for Braille DisplaysMusician and geek Victor Tsaran is blind. He also runs the accessibility program at Yahoo, so you might say he knows something about using gadgets without actually seeing them. Victor has hooked up a Braille display/controller to the iPhone 4, and this video shows just what he can do with it. The iPhone OS has a lot of accessibility built-in. Voice-over reads out what is on the screen, and you can control the handset and its apps via voice. Talking to a cellphone gets dorky fast, so Victor simply paired a Bluetooth Brailliant 32 display with the iPhone and he was off. It all just works. The biggest takeaway (once you have managed to calm the nausea induced by the pitching, rolling camera) is just how much information there is on a screen. When presented one item at a time through voice instead of all at once on a screen, the items run together in an overwhelming rat-a-tat of announcements. The second thing you notice is just how well the Brailliant works with the iPhone, offering fast and easy access to everything without any hacks or drivers. While the iPhone’s retina display is getting all the headlines, this kind of under-the-hood attention to detail will also sell a lot of phones. And that Braille display is pretty neat, too: the buttons consist of dots that pop up to spell out different letters. It’s kind of like an Art Lebedev Optimus Maximus for the blind. There’s another big advantage of using the iPhone 4 like this: You don’t touch the big metal antenna, so you shouldn’t experience the iPhone Hand of Death. Using iPhone 4 with a Braille Display [Victor Tsaran via Mac Stories, iSpazio and Recombu] See Also:
Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter. 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Jul 2010 | 5:12 am Scan Old Negatives with a DSLR and Toilet-Paper Tubes
Photographer Claus Thiim has come up with a virtually free way to scan hundreds of old negatives and slides. Best of all, it is easy and fast to make and use. Even if you never touched a film camera, you probably have a few paper pouches of old negatives lying around, inherited from somebody like me, who has boxes and boxes full of the things. Apart from the odd drunken nostalgic night where I may go through a few boxes, they’re destined to remain unseen. Thiim’s method eschews slow, bulky scanners and doesn’t even think about mail-in scanning services. He uses the fastest scanner he has: his DSLR. Onto the front are mounted an old manual focus (90mm) lens, an extension tube (which moves the lens forward and allows closer macro focusing). Then things get creative, with a couple of toilet-paper tubes taped to an old filter with the glass removed, along with a plastic 35mm slide-mount on the end. The mount is opened at the sides to let the film slide through. To scan, you just move the film through and snap a frame. If your camera has live-view, you can even check framing and focus from the comfort of the rear screen. What I like most is the speed and convenience (and of course the price). It may be a huge pain to go through tens of thousands of frames, but for smaller project this is ideal. And for people who still like to shoot film from time to time, this DIY project is made for you: shooting and developing your own B&W film is easy and requires no darkroom. Combined with this and you can shoot pricey film at almost no cost. Thiim’s Flicker set shows the details of the setup, but it’s so flexible you can probably bend any kit you have to work. Check it out: DIY 35mm negative duplicator [Claus Thiim / Flickr via DIY Photography] See Also: Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter. 
Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 13 Jul 2010 | 4:28 am
|
These past few days, I’ve sat here and watched as the 
Earlier today, we first spotted 
Open Source Hardware (OSHW) is a term for tangible artifacts -- machines, devices, or other physical things -- whose design has been released to the public in such a way that anyone can make, modify, distribute, and use those things. This definition is intended to help provide guidelines for the development and evaluation of licenses for Open Source Hardware.
When founder 
It’s a rare “All Star” hedge fund manager and technology analyst who can also design both computer chips and write software programs. 
Everyone knows that Apple is an extremely secretive company. Some would say to a fault. But it seems to have served them well over the years. That’s why it’s not surprising at all to see that none of Apple’s key executives use public social networking services. And that’s why it’s a bit interesting that Apple Senior Vice President of iPhone Software, 
Given the limited range in fully electric cars, charging points are going to be an important part of the infrastructure in the future. GE has hired a designer to create the “WattStation”, a charger designed to top up your new electric car in four to eight hours.
At least that’s what Yoel Fink, an associate professor of materials science and researcher at MIT claims. Fink and his lab have been working on producing piezoelectric fibers, that is fibers that can convert motion into electricity or vice versa. If you happen to know anything about speakers they operate in the same fashion, taking electricity and converting it to motion that can then produce sound. Fink has managed to create these piezoelectric fibers by applying graphite in order for the rigidity of the material to vibrate, creating sound.
The Samsung Wave has been dazzling, selling its way past expectations and closing in on its one-millionth unit. This is absolutely shocking to me. As a tech enthusiast, a smartphone like the Wave using a first generation operating system (Bada) should not sell anywhere close to that many units. Yet, somehow Samsung has managed to prove just about every western tech-blogger wrong, making huge profit margins along the way.
While home energy management options have been around for a while, this is the first time someone like GE has come out with a product to help you manage your home energy usage. 
Given the 
Amazon was selling a 
A catalog from Verizon, detailing their Summer lineup of handsets and services, has been leaked and scanned. What’s in it? A number of things. The most exciting of which has to be the Kin One and Two listed right there under smartphones. From these we can deduce that this catalog is slightly out of date.
Sure, everyone wants the latest and greatest. And while I am not going to argue one way or the other for Windows 7, it is the latest—at least as far as Windows is concerned. That aside though, it seems that quite a few people and work places are still running old software and old hardware at this point. Shocking, people do not spend lots of money when they do not need to. Of course, that goes against what many tech bloggers think, say and do. But in reality—people use what works and more importantly what they can afford.
