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Death toll from German music festival rises to 19 (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 25 Jul 2010 | 4:06 am Pilgrims flock to Spain's Way of St.James (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 25 Jul 2010 | 4:04 am Why India's $35 computer joke isn't funny - Economic Times
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 25 Jul 2010 | 3:50 am Superheroes vs. the Westboro Baptist Churchsv_libertarian writes "They've faced down humans time and time again, but Fred Phelps and his minions from the Westboro Baptist Church were not ready for the cosplay action that awaited them at Comic-Con. After all, who can win against a counter-protest that includes robots, magical anime girls, Trekkies, Jedi, and... kittens?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Jul 2010 | 3:17 am Fees for online news yet to succeed (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 25 Jul 2010 | 3:15 am Capcom announces 'SFIII Online Edition' - Digital Spy
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 25 Jul 2010 | 2:54 am Life in a Day: thank you for filming(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog) Remember that even though filming day is over, you have until July 31 at 11:59 p.m. PST to upload your video to the Life in a Day channel. Be sure to subscribe as well, so you can receive directorial updates from the cutting room floor. If your video is selected for inclusion in the final film, you'll be hearing from Life in a Day Films, so be on the lookout for an email. We'll be in touch again in early January with more details on the film's premiere at Sundance. Congratulations to everyone. Posted by Nate Weinstein, Entertainment Marketing Associate    
 Source: The Official Google Blog | 25 Jul 2010 | 12:59 am The Wrath of Jobs' latest victim: Motorola - Register
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 25 Jul 2010 | 12:22 am The Amiga Turns 25retsamxaw reminds us that yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the Amiga. "[The Amiga] debuted to rave reviews and great expectations — heck, InfoWorld said it might be the 'third milestone' in personal computing after the Apple II and the IBM PC. ... Commodore was a famously parsimonious outfit, but it splurged on the Amiga's introduction. The highlight of that Lincoln Center product launch was a demo in which pop art legend Andy Warhol used an Amiga to 'paint' Blondie's Debbie Harry. The exercise didn't prove much of anything other than that Warhol was able to use the paint program's fill command, but it was heady stuff... Other platforms and tech products would inspire similarly fanatical followings — most notably OS/2 and Linux... But Amiga nuts of the 1980s and early 1990s... remain the ultimate fanboys, even though it hadn't yet occurred to anyone to hurl that word at computer users."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 25 Jul 2010 | 12:22 am GitHub Hits One Million Hosted Projects
GitHub has seen rapid growth since it launched in February 2008, all despite the fact that the company has eschewed the traditional venture capital funding route. In an exchange that took place, appropriately enough, via the messaging system built into GitHub, Chacon stated that the company is still “funding free and very profitable” and that they are seeing “incredible growth for GitHub and Git usage in general.” In January 2009 they won a Crunchie for best bootstrapped startup. The profit comes from the paid plans that GitHub offers for those developers and companies who want to host their repositories privately. GitHub offers essentially unlimited hosting to anyone who is willing to make their code open source, but charges based on the number of private repositories and the number of contributors for other projects. This profitability has spurred the launch of a number of new features of late, such as Organizations, which offers more advanced workflow tools for projects with multiple contributors and varying permissions, and support for fifteen new languages. GitHub is a key part of the software development ecosystem, hosting a number of notable code bases, including Ruby on Rails, the jQuery JavaScript library and the Linux kernel. Git, the distributed version control software that GitHub is based on, was in fact built by Linus Torvalds, the lead developer and maintainer of the Linux kernel, and the source code for Git itself is also hosted on GitHub. TechCrunch hosts a number of repositories using the service, including some that are open source, and Twitter has recently been publishing the source for several of their gems and other code, using GitHub to do so. Ruby and JavaScript are the most popular languages on GitHub, with 19 and 17 percent of the hosted code respectively, but there are currently projects in over 50 languages on the service: everything from Visual Basic to Go.      
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:51 pm Jane Austen + Fight Club = Regency excitement!The answer to the tedium of Regency drawing rooms? Jane Austen's Fight Club, natch! "The first rule of fight club is one never mentions fight club." Sara sez, "Made by my best friends, a bunch of mormon girls in Los Angeles, this film trailer is exactly what it sounds like. And it sounds like awesome." Jane Austen's Fight Club (Thanks, Sara!)  Source: Boing Boing | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:44 pm Jane Austen + Fight Club = Regency excitement!The answer to the tedium of Regency drawing rooms? Jane Austen's Fight Club, natch! "The first rule of fight club is one never mentions fight club." Sara sez, "Made by my best friends, a bunch of mormon...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:44 pm Opera Mini, LauncherPro and other top Android Apps of the Week (Appolicious)Appolicious - As we near football season, Yahoo! looks to increase its Android presence with an upcoming Fantasy Football app. Just weeks after releasing Android apps for Mail and Messenger, Yahoo’s finally bulking up its Android offerings.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:15 pm Verizon shows strong quarterly earnings - Afterdawn.com
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:05 pm Mozilla goes mobile with Firefox Home iPhone app (Appolicious)Appolicious - I’m a devoted Firefox user on my MacBook Pro, and like many others, I’ve been long awaiting the release of a Firefox app for iPhone and iPod Touch. While the recently released Firefox Home app is far from perfect, if my choice is Firefox Home or nothing, I’ll take this free app. In fact, for my needs, Firefox Home has the potential to replace Safari—a big statement in favor of an app that’s not even a full browser.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:00 pm AT&T U-verse Arrives in ChattanoogaCHATTANOOGA, Tenn., July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chattanooga residents now have a new choice for their television and communications services powered by the most advanced technology. AT&T* today announced the launch of AT&T U-verse® services in parts of Chattanooga, including AT&T U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet and AT&T U-verse Voice. The services will be available for order beginning Monday, July 26. "This investment by AT&T is great news for Chattanooga, as it brings exciting new technology and new jobs to our community," said Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey. "I applaud the men and women of AT&T for their commitment to our hometown and am honored to help them celebrate this occasion." AT&T U-verse services, which are all delivered over AT&T's advanced Internet Protocol (IP) network, offer a new alternative to cable with a better DVR, better features and apps, and a better TV experience. AT&T U-verse brings together your TV, broadband, home phone and AT&T wireless services - all on one bill - with unique features that provide a new level of integration, convenience and control. AT&T U-verse TV ranked "Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the South Region Two Years in a Row," according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 and 2009 Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Studies(SM). "Today's launch of AT&T U-verse reflects our commitment to make the significant investments to bring Tennessee consumers a new era of true video competition," said Gregg Morton, president, AT&T Tennessee. AT&T U-verse is being expanded in Tennessee thanks to The Competitive Cable and Video Services Act of 2008, HB 1421. The law signed by Gov. Bredesen provides an environment that encourages new video providers, such as AT&T Tennessee, to invest in Tennessee to compete against incumbent cable providers. AT&T U-verse launched in Tennessee in December 2008. "We are thrilled to offer this innovative video choice to customers in the Chattanooga area," said Morton. "As we celebrate this Chattanooga launch, I want to remember the contributions of the Tennessee General Assembly to open Tennessee's video services marketplace to competition which is truly benefiting consumers. I would like to again thank Chattanooga area elected officials Representative Gerald McCormick and Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey and the other supporters of AT&T who helped bring competition and choice for consumers." "This investment by AT&T is great news for Chattanooga, as it brings exciting new technology and to our community," said Rep. Gerald McCormick. "As Tennessee policymakers, our goal was to increase investment throughout the state and give consumers more choices and innovative new services and I'm honored to help AT&T celebrate this launch." More Choice, Advanced Features AT&T U-verse TV is the only 100 percent Internet Protocol-based television (IPTV) service offered by a national service provider, making AT&T U-verse one of the most dynamic and application-rich services available today, with advanced capabilities that customers don't get from other providers. "We're excited bring more choice and competition to Chattanooga," said Bryan Klamer, general manager-Home Solutions, AT&T Tennessee. "We know customers want a better choice to break free from cable, and AT&T U-verse is the answer. And we'll continue to make U-verse TV even better for customers with regular upgrades and new cool applications that enhance their TV experience." Where AT&T U-verse services are available, local U-verse TV customers can enjoy numerous features and applications, including the freedom to manage and playback your recorded programs from a single DVR on any U-verse connected TV in the house with Total Home DVR; the ability to choose and watch up to four of your favorite channels at one time with the exclusive My Multiview app; an extensive High Definition (HD) channel lineup with access to more than 130 HD channels; the ability to program DVR recordings from your Web-connected mobile phone or PC; personalized, on-screen weather, sports, traffic and stock information via AT&T U-bar; the ability to check the current weather conditions and forecasts in any U.S. city with Weather On Demand; and more. With AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet services, every AT&T U-verse customer or small business broadband user can enjoy faster available speeds. Packages include a range of speeds, with the fastest downstream speeds up to 24 Mbps. All AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet packages include wireless home or office networking capability at no extra cost. AT&T U-verse Voice is a managed IP-based service that is delivered over AT&T's fiber-rich network. This allows U-verse Voice customers to enjoy great sound quality and reliability, as well as unmatched calling features that integrate with your AT&T U-verse TV, high speed internet and AT&T wireless services. Customers can benefit from a single, combined voice mailbox for AT&T U-verse Voice and AT&T wireless messages; an online portal to manage your call preferences and settings from any PC; an online voice mailbox; the ability to view your incoming calls and voicemail notifications on your TV with Caller ID on TV; the ability to view your Call History on your TV and initiate a call from your PC or TV using Click to Call; and more. All U-verse Voice customers have 911 service. AT&T U-verse offers multiple combinations of TV, Internet and Voice packages to customize your experience. Standard professional installation is included in most packages, and you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee. Additional promotional offers may be available to qualifying customers who bundle U-verse Internet or U-verse Voice service. For additional information on AT&T U-verse -- or to find out if it's available in your area -- visit www.att.com/u-verse, call 800-ATT-2020 or visit one of the following AT&T Tennessee retail locations: 4494 Frontage Rd., NW, Cleveland, Tenn., 37312 1853 Gunbarrel Rd., Chattanooga, Tenn. 374215724 Hwy. 153, Suite A, Hixson, Tenn. 37343*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. About AT&T AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates - AT&T operating companies - are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services. © 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 3G service not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse. Call or go to www.att.com/uverse to see if you qualify. AT&T U-verse TV: Residential customers only. Prices, programming and offers subject to change without notice. A one-time TV service activation fee of $29 applies. HD Service: Access to HD service requires $10/mo. HD Premium Tier available for an additional $5/mo. HD channel availability varies by package selected. THDVR: Total Home DVR functionality is available on up to 8 TVs, and requires a receiver for each additional TV at $7/mo. My Multiview: Channels/content available for viewing in Multiview are based on TV package subscription and additional programming purchased. Limited number of HD channels are not supported for display within My Multiview. Mobile Remote Access: AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Account required. Wireless phone with Internet access required and standard data charges may apply. U-bar: AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet Account required. Standard Installation Included with Most Packages: Offer ends 11/6/10. Credit qualified customers only. Installation not included with U-basic package. 30 Day Money Back Guarantee: Offer ends 11/6/10. Must cancel all AT&T U-verse services within 30 days from service activation. Adjustment provided for initial installation charges and one month service charges, if paid. Customer is responsible for all additional charges including but not limited to On Demand, Pay Per View, international calls, other pay-per-use features and non-returned equipment charges. Other conditions and restrictions may apply to all offers. Offers may be modified or discontinued at anytime without notice. AT&T employees or retirees not eligible for promotional offers. AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet: Internet speed claim(s) represent maximum downstream and/or upstream speed capabilities. Speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Many factors can affect actual speeds including the use of other U-verse services. Credit and other restrictions apply. Purchase of U-verse TV required to order AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet. A $3 monthly High Speed Internet equipment fee will apply. Channel counts include optional channels available in plan; Wireless networking may require adapter purchased separately; Fiber-optics apply to part or all of the network depending on your location. Other Charges: Taxes, city video cost recovery fees, and other fees extra. No charge for standard professional installation for new AT&T U-verse customers ordering qualifying U-verse TV packages. AT&T U-verse Voice: Prices subject to change. Residential customers only. Installation, taxes, fees, and other charges may apply. International calls billed at additional per-minute rates; higher rates may apply for calls terminating on mobile phones or other wireless devices. U-verse Voice, including 911 dialing, will not function during a power outage without battery backup power. Non-returned equipment charges will apply if equipment is not returned within required timeframe upon disconnect of services. Service is not portable; will function only in your home. May be incompatible with monitored home alarms and medical monitoring systems. Refer to Learn More pages for U-verse Voice at http://www.uverse.att.com for more information on 911, battery backup, and home alarms. Acceptance of Terms of Service and 911 Acknowledgement required. Credit and other restrictions apply. AT&T U-verse Messaging may not be fully compatible with all AT&T wireless voice mail systems. Caller ID and Call Waiting might not work simultaneously with AT&T U-verse Voice. AT&T U-verse services are provided by AT&T local telephone companies. Wireless phone with Internet access required and standard data charges may apply. AT&T U-verse received the highest numerical score among television service providers in the South in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008-2009 Residential Television Service Satisfaction Studies(SM). 2009 study based on 28,118 total responses from measuring 13 providers in the South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX) and measures consumer satisfaction with television service. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in January, March and June, 2009. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com SOURCE AT&T Inc.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Jul 2010 | 10:01 pm AT&T U-verse Arrives in ChattanoogaSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 10:01 pm Dell Settles with the SEC for $100MSri.Theo writes in with news of Dell's humbling settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The core of the complaint is that Dell took secret payments from Intel to keep AMD's chips out of Dell's machines. The SEC calls it "accounting irregularities" — Dell was dipping into this secret slush fund to bolster its results, quarter by quarter. At one point the payments from Intel made up 76% of Dell's quarterly operating income. "For years, Dell's seemingly magical power to squeeze efficiencies out of its supply chain and drive down costs made it a darling of the financial markets. Now it appears that the magic was at least partly the result of a huge financial illusion. ... According to the commission, Dell would have missed analysts' earnings expectations in every quarter between 2002 and 2006 were it not for accounting shenanigans. ... (Intel is expected to settle a long-running anti-trust case that has highlighted these payments in the next couple of weeks.) ... Michael Dell... and Kevin Rollins, a former boss of the company, agreed to each pay a $4m penalty without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Jul 2010 | 9:32 pm British royals expand online presence with Flickr (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 24 Jul 2010 | 9:30 pm Gadget makers forced to look at links to Congo war (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 24 Jul 2010 | 7:19 pm Will the e-reader wars take prices even lower, and will it matter?Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks
While the price wars have increased sales tremendously (I myself took advantage of Amazon’s price drop to upgrade from my trusty original Kindle to the Kindle 2), the other price war is annoying readers and has the potential to either revolutionize the industry or severely damage it. I’m talking of course about e-books. One of Amazon’s original selling points was that NYT Bestsellers and most other books would be $9.99 or less. Unfortunately the publishing industry, blinded by ignorance and stubbornly clinging to the notion that e-books are evil and HURT sales when statistics show the complete opposite is true, have been determined to force Amazon to break that promise. When the iPad was announced Steve Jobs fed the flames by offering an agency model for the iBooks Store that let the publishers set the price. This led to a fight with Amazon, books being yanked from the site, and then returning at price points of $12.99 and up for some publishers. That leads me to wonder, what good are falling e-reader prices when the publishers are determined to jack up the price of ebooks? I will never understand why they hate ebooks so much. Everyone I know who has an e-reader says they actually read MORE books since getting it. Sales of Kindle books outdid sales of hardcovers on Amazon. Overall sales of ebooks have skyrocketed while sales of traditional books have shown much less growth. Yet publishers are still doing everything they can to crush e-books. It started with their war against the text to speech function on the Kindle. Outraged, they claimed it would hurt sales of audiobooks, conveniently ignoring the fact that the Kindle plays traditional audiobooks and that the text to speech feature, while convenient, is far from the audiobook experience. The voices are faintly robotic, devoid of emotion and tend to mispronounce things-for example “Dr. Watson” would be read as “Drive Watson.” The greed and foolishness of the traditional publishing industry does seem to have one silver lining though. It’s resulted in a whole new kind of publishing as many authors turn their backs on the traditional publishing routes and instead publish their books themselves as Kindle e-books using sites like Lulu or Amazon’s own publishing platform. This allows them to get published fast and keep more of the profits for themselves. This has resulted in a lot of promising new authors being able to get their work in front of readers that otherwise may never have discovered them. Gives a whole new meaning to “By the people, for the people”. Are you a fan of ebooks and independent authors? Why or why not? Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:49 pm Weekend Open ForumYou know what to do, and if you think about it, you know what you want to say. So speak about what's on your mind here!Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:49 pm A Must Listen: The Steve Jobs Song [Video]
I thought I was a fanboy. I’ve got nothing on Jonathan Mann. Regular readers may recall that Mann is the guy behind the Bing jingle (which we didn’t like – but students did, or were forced to), the song about me (which we did like), and most recently, the iPhone 4 antenna song (which not only did we love, but apparently Apple did too). Mann, touched by the fact that Apple decided to play his song at their press conference last Friday, decided to follow it up with a serenade for CEO Steve Jobs. Warning: if some of my posts about Apple drive you crazy, this song is going to make your head explode. We have lyrics like:
But the craziest thing about this song is that it’s good. Seriously. It’s so damn catchy. Mann continues to impress.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:30 pm Dealing with Security Threats to Your StartupA story in Thursday's Computerworld describes how the security expert Thomas Ryan invented the character "Robin Sage" to demonstrate some of the risks of social networking. Ryan "used a few photos to portray...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:00 pm Bearjacking! Sandwich-seeking Ursus americanus invades car, drives it, honks horn, poops, flips outAnd this, friends, is why we do not leave sandwiches in our cars. 17-year-old Ben Story of Larkspur, Colorado, left a peanut butter and jelly in his Toyota one night, and forgot to lock up. A few hours...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:59 pm Bearjacking! Sandwich-seeking Ursus americanus invades car, drives it, honks horn, poops, flips out And this, friends, is why we do not leave sandwiches in our cars. 17-year-old Ben Story of Larkspur, Colorado, left a peanut butter and jelly in his Toyota one night, and forgot to lock up. A few hours after he crawled off to bed, his parents and neighbors woke up to the sound of a car horn honking—for 45 minutes straight. 'Twas a panicking bear trapped inside the vehicle. If the bear's a-rockin', don't come knockin'. Sheriffs eventually managed to open the car door with a rope so the poor feller could get out. He lumbered back into the woods, presumably seeking a glass of milk with which to chase the pilfered PBJ. Before his exit, he thoughtfully left a "gift" for the car's owner in the back seat. KMGH Denver, Denver Post, Fox, San Jose Mercury News, CNN. (Photograph courtesy Story family / Pedobear courtesy Pedobear)
Wi-Fi WPA2 Vulnerability FoundBobB-nw sends along news based on yet another press release in advance of the Black Hat conference: a claimed vulnerability in WPA2 Enterprise that leaves traffic open to a malicious insider. "...wireless security researchers say they have uncovered a vulnerability in the WPA2 security protocol, which is the strongest form of Wi-Fi encryption and authentication currently standardized and available. Malicious insiders can exploit the vulnerability, named 'Hole 196' by the researcher who discovered it at wireless security company AirTight Networks. The moniker refers to the page of the IEEE 802.11 Standard (Revision, 2007) on which the vulnerability is buried. Hole 196 lends itself to man-in-the-middle-style exploits, whereby an internal, authorized Wi-Fi user can decrypt, over the air, the private data of others, inject malicious traffic into the network, and compromise other authorized devices using open source software, according to AirTight. 'There's nothing in the standard to upgrade to in order to patch or fix the hole,' says Kaustubh Phanse, AirTight's wireless architect who describes Hole 196 as a 'zero-day vulnerability that creates a window of opportunity' for exploitation." Wi-Fi Net News has some more detail and speculation.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:43 pm Exxon returning workers to Gulf after storm fadesHOUSTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp was returning workers to offshore operations in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, as the threat from Tropical Depression Bonnie faded, a company spokeswoman...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:34 pm Appletell reviews the Ballistic HC Series Case for iPhone 4FROM APPLETELL - If you’re going to war, building a skyscraper, or hunting deadly animals, the Ballistic HC Series Case for iPhone 4 is the case for you. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:33 pm SRL show live-stream now under way...Click here to tune into the USTREAM webcast for the SRL show now under way in Petaluma, CA (4-6pm Pacific, Saturday July 24, 2010). Punk roboticists Survival Research Laboratories (SRL) perform in ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:32 pm SRL show live-stream now under way... Click here to tune into the USTREAM webcast for the SRL show now under way in Petaluma, CA (4-6pm Pacific, Saturday July 24, 2010).
Source: Boing Boing | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:32 pm Follow the LightSource: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:31 pm Queer Eye-Phone: Gay Social Network Fabulis Gets An App
The app offers all the best parts of the website, but extends upon them by utilizing the location element that the iPhone offers. The default view of the app is the “nearby” tab which shows fabulius members, known as “fabbits,” that are close to your actual location. If you find someone nearby that you want to engage with, you can chat with the click of a button. There’s also a “shake-it” functionality, which launches a fabulis slot machine. This returns you a random fabulis member nearby who you may or may not know, and allows you to view their profile and chat with them. The other major functionality of the app is the Plans area. This gives you access to what fabulis says is the largest directory of gay-related events in the world — over 71,000 events, with thousands more being added each day. And again, thanks to the use of the iPhone’s GPS, you can sort by events that are close to your location. And, of course, there is a way to view your messages, and look at other fabbits’ profiles in the app. Some other stats from fabulis:
It’s hard to top CEO Jason Goldberg’s quote that fabulis for the iPhone “is like carrying the big gay world around in your pocket,” so I won’t even try. You can find the fabulis iPhone app in the App Store here. It’s a free download.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:28 pm How to Write about HaitiFor starters, always use the phrase 'the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.' Your audience must be reminded again of Haiti's exceptional poverty. It's doubtful that other articles have mentioned this fact.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:15 pm Pandora tops 60 million users, mobile growth strong (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:04 pm British royals expand online presence with FlickrThese aren't your average family snapshots. Queen Elizabeth II is joining other proud parents starting Monday in showing off and sharing her photo albums _ and those of the House of...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:02 pm What a T-Mobile iPhone Would MeanRumors surfaced last week that T-Mobile USA -- not Verizon Wireless -- will soon offer the iPhone as AT&T loses its exclusivity. The move makes sense on a number of levels, and it would disrupt the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:00 pm ReadWriteWeb Events Guide, 24 July 2010We're always on the lookout for upcoming Web tech events from around world. Know of something taking place that should appear here? Let us know in the comments below or contact us. You can import individual...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 4:35 pm NY, NJ Parking Lots Sign Up to Charge Electric Vehicles
The Car Charging Group, Inc. (CCGI) this weekend announced a partnership with LAZ Parking in New York and New Jersey to begin outfitting its facilities with smart, electric vehicle charging stations. The Miami-based CCGI installs and maintains electric vehicle charging stations in government-owned lots, and at commercial sites like shopping malls, hotels, stadiums and corporate parking garages. LAZ Parking operates over 1,300 parking facilities in 21 states and 99 cities. The LAZ Parking sites will be equipped by CCGI with smart, ChargePoint Level II, 240 volts charging stations, manufactured by Coulomb Technologies. Smart charging stations, unlike those designed for home-garage use, have metering and e-commerce capabilities, and are visible online. Drivers can find smart charging stations on Google Maps, for example. Coloumb Technologies, the recipient of a $15 million Department of Energy grant (funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the Transportation Electrification Initiative) is a leader in sales of charging stations in the U.S. The company is, with some of its government grant money, setting up — sometimes temporarily free — public electric vehicle charging stations throughout the country, including New York City’s first. General Electric and Toyota have announced that they are developing and will sell their own smart charging stations, as well.
The Department of Energy estimates that charging station locations in the U.S. will increase 41 times over between 2009 and 2012. Citing consumer demand and a slew of new charging station technology, and vehicle models — like the Nissan Leaf, GM Chevy Volt, Fisker Karma, and Tesla Model S — Car Charging Group, Inc.’s president Andy Kinard said Saturday that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Obama administration fulfilled its goal: getting one million plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on the road by 2015. To recharge at public or commercially installed stations, Kinard says hybrid and electric vehicle owners should be prepared to pay about $3 per hour. He noted: “It’s hard to get 220 volts out into the streets. [Parking facilities] do have to charge more than it would cost an electric vehicle driver to plug in at home. But that’s nothing compared to gas prices now. And it will still be cheaper than what you spend driving an internal combustion engine.”      
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 4:26 pm Shields Up!: Protecting your personal data onlineSection: Computers, Security, Features
How can you protect yourself? Common sense is the key, and here are some rules to go by: Their public nature means they are usually unprotected, making it easy for a hacker to intercept your info. You’d be surprised at how many people log into their email or Facebook accounts at the library, internet cafe, store displays, and other public places and then walk away without logging out, leaving their personal business wide open for the next person who uses that computer to see! Many of the newest forms of malware spread via usb drives, so be very careful. Don’t access the drive on your home computer without running a virus scan on it first. No matter how legit an email may look, remember that NO legit company will ask you to email them your password or other personal info. If it asks you to click on a link, don’t! Instead, let your cursor hover over it and look in the info bar to see where it REALLY points to. Ever since Facebook revamped their “like” feature scammers have been exploiting it. For example, say you’re looking at your newsfeed and see that a friend likes something such as “eating brownies in bed and reading trashy novels”. You think that sounds cool and click “like” too. Chances are very high you’ll be sent to a page full of games or other interesting looking things to click on. Doing so however will send you into ad hell. This is a click fraud scam. The scammers trick you into visiting their ad page so they’ll make more revenue, and they spam the wall of everyone on your friends list-in your name. Oh, and those apps that claim they can tell you which of your friends visits your profile the most or who has you blocked? More scams. It is not possible for any app to give you that information because Facebook won’t allow it. Instead, it steals your info and spams all your friends. Most sites require you to create an account, whether you want to leave a comment on a blog, participate in a forum, create an email address or buy something. Most will require you to not only create a password but a secret question as well, and provide you with some helpful suggestions like your mom’s maiden name or where you went to high school. The problem with this is you are turning over some valuable personal info, and info that in many cases could be found out about you online. For example, say you chose your high school as your secret question. Sarah Palin did for her Yahoo email account and a hacker was able to easily find that info out and change her password. It’s crucial to supply answers that no one could possibly know but you-even better, lie! Make up the answer rather than give the real one. Just make sure you’ll be able to remember it, and beware of scams that try and trick you into giving it out. Last year a popular game swept Twitter. Called “Porn Star Name” it sounded rather harmless. Take your Dad’s middle name, your mom’s maiden name, and the name of either the street you grew up on or the name of your high school and that’s your porn star name. Tweet it and encourage your friends to do the same! The problem? Those pieces of info are the most commonly asked secret security questions asked by websites when you’ve forgotten your password! Sneaky, huh? While it’s tempting to leave it public so people can find you easier, don’t. Not only can it get you in trouble if your boss or potential employer sees a photo or status update you posted in a moment of questionable judgment (that’s a whole other post!) but think about all the info you’re revealing to the web at large. I and many of my friends share our birthdays, phone numbers, family photos, email addresses and other info on our profiles, and I bet you do too. That’s not stuff you want the whole world reading, is it? Didn’t think so. Lock your profile down so that only those on your friends list can see your info, and be careful what friend requests you accept. My rule of thumb is if I don’t know you, we have no mutual friends and you didn’t include a message with your request explaining who you are/why you want to be friends, I deny the request. When it comes to buying online, make sure the site is legit. If you heard about it via spam, it looks sloppy or very generic, and/or there is no lock icon or https:// on the checkout page, beware! I hope these tips will help you and your personal info stay safe and secure! Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 4:20 pm Pinning Down Zynga’s Revenues Is Like Playing Pin The Tail On The Bullet Train
The New York Times has a feature on Zynga that’s online now but running the paper tomorrow. In it, they cite data from Inside Network, a service that tracks Facebook and social games, stating that Zynga is on pace to make $835 million in revenue this year. That huge — unfortunately, it’s not true. NYT actually read the data from Inside Network’s wrong. Their data said that $835 million would be the revenue for the social gaming market as a whole in 2010. We’ve confirmed with both Inside Networks and Zynga that NYT got that wrong. That said, even though it’s inaccurate right now, that moonshot estimate may not end up being that far off. Two weeks ago, we broke the news that Google had secretly invested over $100 million in Zynga earlier this year. For that story, sources told us that Zynga’s revenues for the first half of 2010 would be an amazing $350 million. So if you double it for the other half of the year, that’s $700 million in revenue for 2010. Not bad. Actually, amazing. But it’s certainly seems likely that Zynga will continue to grow and make more money as the year goes on, so again, the $835 million number may end up not being that far off. It’s just not correct right now. Those numbers are up hugely from earlier this year when managing director at Lightspeed Venture Partners, Jeremy Liew, broke down what he believed Zynga’s revenues to be for us. At the time, Liew estimated that Zynga had made about $240 million year to date. That was May, so extrapolated out, that would equal a little over $500 million in revenue for all of 2010. And those numbers were up from a BusinessWeek article in April, which stated that Zynga should do $450 million in revenue in 2010. Yes, the revenue estimates are soaring each and every month, it seems. Two weeks ago, our sources told us that Zynga is projecting revenues of at least $1 billion in 2011. So it seems we’re going to be playing this game into next year as well. And at least until Zynga goes public, at which point they’ll have to release their actual numbers. As a side note, the NYT story also confirms our Zynga Google-funding story from two weeks ago with their own sources. According to them, the Series D round was $300 million split “roughly” equally between Softbank and Google. This means Zynga now has about $520 million in funding. Update: NYT has now updated their story with the following:
[image via ubergizmo] Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 4:19 pm AT&T fixes throttle problem on 3G network
The initial reporting website has received multiple speed reports, and it appears that the patch has solved the problem.
Source: MobileCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 3:50 pm Survey Says Most iPhone Users Love AT&THugh Pickens writes "In a report sure to raise eyebrows, CNN Money reports that despite a very vocal group of detractors, the vast majority of iPhone users love AT&T. A survey released this week by Yankee Group reports that 73% of iPhone owners scored their satisfaction with the carrier as an 8, 9, or 10 on a 10-point scale. The results seem surprising, given the pounding AT&T has taken in the media and on the blogosphere about its service-related issues with the iPhone and AT&T's recent iPad-related security glitch. For its part, AT&T says its network really isn't as bad as many people think. 'There's a gap between what people hear about us and what their experience is with us. We think that gap is beginning to close,' says Mark Siegel, an AT&T spokesman. 'It doesn't mean we're perfect; we still have work to do. But that's no surprise to us, because we have a great network.'" Buried in the penultimate paragraph is the somewhat alarming note that "77% of iPhone owners say they'll buy another iPhone, compared to 20% of Android customers who say they'll buy another Android phone."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Jul 2010 | 3:47 pm Summary Box: Companies forced to check Congo linksLABELING: Products can be labeled as "conflict free" if their makers can prove they don't contain minerals that directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in those countries.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 3:28 pm India creates the world’s cheapest laptopSection: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops
India has developed the world’s cheapest laptop at a remarkable $35 price tag. Developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengalooru, the tablet will run on Linux and can powered by solar power or a battery. The device will also come with 2GB of internal memory, video conferencing capabilities and internet browsing. Kapil Sibal, India’s Human Resource Development Minister, unveiled the prototype today and stated that it will be given to 110 million schoolchildren. It won’t be until later next year that the device will be made available to students in higher education. Considering the price of the iPad, this could actually be a viable option for those of you considering purchasing a tablet in the not too distant future.
The device has been created to increase the digital market in India and provide as a boost for the country’s economy. In addition, it is in an effort by the Indian government to achieve a standard of education by the end of the year. Studies show that India’s literacy level is roughly 63% which makes the country stand far behind other developing nations such as China whose literacy rate is at 93%. I foresee a future where students will no longer have to carry around ten pound text books and everything will be centered around a mid-sized portable device designed for mobility. Then again not everyone has $500 sitting around. It looks like India is onto something good here… Read [Guardian] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 3:10 pm AU Government Censors Document On Planned Web SnoopingMrPPS writes "The Australian Government plans to force ISPs to record and retain all citizens' communications traffic. The Sydney Morning Herald requested that the proposed policy documents be released under Freedom of Information laws. What they received was a document that was 90% censored, in order to prevent 'premature unnecessary debate.' More discussion on the Greyhat Security site. Here is the redacted document (PDF, 3.6 MB)."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Jul 2010 | 2:38 pm Hot gaming news for the week of 7-18-2010Section:  No need to scour the interwebs for hot gaming news, Gamertell‘s already done that for you! Here’s a look at this week’s top stories…
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 2:05 pm Week in Apple: record revenue for Apple, white iPhone pushed again - Ars Technica
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 24 Jul 2010 | 2:03 pm Anadarko returning staff to Neptune platformHOUSTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Anadarko Petroleum Corp was preparing to return workers to the Neptune oil platform and other Gulf of Mexico facilities on Saturday, a company spokesman said.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 1:57 pm Amateur Radio In the Backcountry?bartle writes "I spend a lot of time hiking in the Colorado Rockies. Cell phone reception is very unreliable and I'm curious if carrying a small amateur radio would make any sense at all. I don't want to add too much weight to my pack; from what I gather, a radio weighing a pound would give me at most 5 to 10 watts of transmitting power. I have no idea if this is enough to be effective in a mountainous region, and I'm hoping some experienced Slashdot hams could give me a clue. I'm only interested in acquiring a radio and license if it is a lot more effective and reliable than the cell phone I already carry. Otherwise I'll just wait for Globalstar to bring back their duplex service and buy a next-generation SPOT messaging device. (I know some Slashdotters will want to suggest a modern SPOT or Personal Locator Beacon; these are suitable for the worst kinds of emergencies, but I'll point out that reliable communication can help prevent small crises from becoming big ones.) Are small amateur radios effective in the field, or are vehicle rigs really the only way to go? Or am I better off just waiting for satellite?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Jul 2010 | 1:32 pm [T] Apple Approaching Oil Heights in Sales/EmployeeSource: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 1:24 pm Shell, Delek set to resume Montreal refinery talksTORONTO, July 24 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc said on Saturday it would resume talks with Delek US Holdings about the fate of Shell's Montreal refinery in a last-ditch attempt to keep the plant...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 1:24 pm The Search for Dark Energy has a New WeaponWhat is causing the Universe to expand at an accelerated rate? Astronomers have demonstrated a new technique with the largest fully-steerable radio telescope to attack this enduring problem.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2010 | 1:10 pm A Case For AIR: Adobe Evangelist Builds Video Conference App For Android & PC
Earlier this year, you probably heard that Apple blocked Adobe’s Flash-to-iPhone App converter from the App Store on the eve of the tool’s launch. That may have crushed Adobe’s dream of allowing developers to write their Flash apps once and deploy them wherever they’d like, but its AIR platform still works with Mac, PC, and Linux, with support for Android devices coming later this year. That means developers will soon be able to write applications that will work on both the desktop and smartphones. Of course, the prospect of running cross-platform applications is a lot more impressive when you can see one in action. Which is why Adobe Technical Evangelist Christophe Coenraets has put together a demo showing off what AIR can do when it’s used to deploy the same application across both Android and desktop computers. He’s built a basic video conference app in 30 lines of code, which he demos in the YouTube clip above (the heavy lifting was pre-written, powered by Adobe’s LiveCycle Collaboration Services module). Obviously the application is quite basic, but it’s pretty impressive nonetheless. I’ve never been a big fan of AIR — I’ve yet to run into an AIR app on my Mac that didn’t feel a bit out of place, with quirky window behavior and decidedly non-native UI (though this may be the fault of third-party app developers building on the platform). Still, it’s hard not to see the benefit of being able to build an application that runs on both mobile and PC. Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 1:07 pm BP restaffing some Gulf facilities as storm fadesHOUSTON, July 24 (Reuters) - BP Plc was restaffing some offshore facilities in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday as Tropical Depression Bonnie weakened.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 1:06 pm Video: Dos Equis shows us the most interesting use of QR Codes in the worldSomehow or other I found myself at a Dos Equis dealie the other day. And while I had zero in common with anyone else there—apparently trying to talk about the Dragon Quest lineage doesn’t work well at these things—I did spy several QR Code stations. Surely you’ve heard of QR Codes? They’re the things that sorta look like rorschach tests that you may have seen at bus stops and the like. As you can see in the hastily cut video here, guests flash one of several different QR Code cards in front of a camera—not sure why some people all night long were trying to have the television monitor read the card when the camera was clearly marked—and up several safari-themed objects. Snakes, Olmec heads, treasure chests, etc. I thought it was neat. No, I did not get to meet the World’s Most Interesting Man since I had to leave pretty quickly. Maybe next time.
Source: CrunchGear | 24 Jul 2010 | 1:00 pm Tab Candy: a potentially better way to use tabsSection: Web, Web Browsers
Tab Candy offers a better way of organizing tabs, by dropping users out into an Exposé-esque screen. Users are able to sort through tabs by breaking them into groups of varying size. Groups can be named for easier management, resized, and placed anywhere within the window. Opening a group will show only the tabs within that group in the tab bar. To switch groups, in the current alpha prototype build, click on the Tab Candy button and zoom back out to the group view. The idea is that you can focus on tasks more easily by putting them into groups rather than having to sort through all the tabs to find the one you want, or being distracted by other tabs when trying to work. Tab Candy may be built into into a future version of Firefox, but for now can be downloaded in alpha prototype form. The download is actually a Minefield browser, which is a prerelease version of the Firefox 4 beta 3 with Tab Candy enabled. So you can choose to try out Tab Candy, but it may not be the most stable browser you’ve ever used. Future features mentioned include Tab Candy search, sharing groups with friends, and a section to place pages that you want to read later. Especially with being able to mark tabs for later reading, Tab Candy may just cause me to switch back to Firefox after spending so much time with Safari and now Chrome. Or maybe Google can bake something similar into one of the next Chrome releases. Read [Aza Raskin’s blog] via [TechCrunch] An Introduction to Firefox’s Tab Candy from Aza Raskin on Vimeo. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 12:52 pm SaaS Lessons LearnedAs we wrote last week, the most common mistakes that SaaS providers make often involve errors made while balancing the incoming subscription receipts with the need to go out and spend some money to acquire...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 12:31 pm Company Claims Patent On Spam Filtering, Sues WorldEvilAlphonso notes news of a "Texas" IP holding company suing 36 actual companies for violating its claimed patent on spam filtering. Techdirt deconstructs the patent itself, No. 6,018,761, which seems to amount to little more than a database lookup. It was filed in 1996 and issued in 2000 (despite the lawyers' press release claiming that it "was awarded... nearly 15 years ago"). Among the companies being sued are 3Com, Apple, Google, AOL, Yahoo, J.C.Penney, IBM, Dell, Citigroup, and RIM. Not Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, or Microsoft, oddly enough.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Jul 2010 | 12:25 pm BOOM! Top Apple news for the week of 7-18-2010Section:  We may not cover Apple 24x7… but we know someone who does! Here’s a few of this week’s hottest from Appletell to get you started…
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:44 am Rogers Shrinks Download Limits As Netflix ArrivesMeshach writes "Hot on the heels of Netflix coming to Canada, Rogers (one of the biggest ISPs in Canada) has shrunk download limits. 'As of Wednesday, new customers who sign up for the Lite service will be allowed 15 gigabytes, a drop from the 25 GB limit offered to those who signed up before July 21. Meanwhile, any new Lite user who goes over the monthly limit will have to pay $4 per GB up to a maximum of $50 — a spike from the previous $2.5 per GB surcharge.' Officially, there is no connection between the two events, but it seems an odd coincidence, especially when Rogers charges customers who exceed their bandwidth allowance."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:26 am Apple's iPhone 4 Bumper Giveaway May Cost $175 Million - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:15 am Forum Site Lefora Gobbled Up By CrowdGather
Lefora, founded by Paul Bragiel, first launched in 2008. It’s notable because of how simple it is for users to create and embed forums onto their sites. The much larger CrowdGather boasts around 4.5 million monthly unique users and 80 million monthly page views. The company has raised $3 million or so in funding and has been on an acquisition tear – albeit always very small deals. CrowdGather is also licensing technology from Tal.ki, another company founded by Bragiel. Tal.ki is acquiring the remaining assets of Lefora as well. Bragiel also recently cofounded i/o Ventures, a work/cafe incubator located in San Francisco.      
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:13 am Halcyon Molecular’s William Andregg: “The Only Way To Reach The Stars Is To Live Longer”
Andregg grew up in Arizona. There’s a song by The Orb called Little Fluffy Clouds that describes the light-pollution-free Arizonan sky quite perfectly, with amazing clouds, sunsets and stars. Most Arizonans – at some point in their lives – will lay on the hood of their car and gaze towards the grandness of those fluffy clouds and the Milky Way, but most probably won’t come to the same conclusions that William did about it all. William yearned to travel beyond the clouds to the stars, but become perplexed by the fact that he most likely wouldn’t make it due to an unfortunate condition that plagues us all — mortality. He knew that in order to reach the stars, which he so desperately wanted to do, he must dedicate most of his life to prolonging and increasing human lifespans so that he or others like him might have a chance to go where no man has truly gone before. In order to go big, he went very small. Our DNA. Halcyon Molecular has come out of stealth mode, letting William tell his story in order to encourage a few good business women and men to join their plight to end aging. They’ve discovered an inexpensive and most importantly, fast way to sequence the entire human genome. If commercialized successfully, their discovery will change the world of medicine as we know it and increase our chances of living even longer. Biotech startups are rare now, but we’re going to start seeing more and more of them pop up over the next decade. Technology that was once incredibly expensive is now becoming obtainable and the next wave of tech startups will delve into the largest market of all, human health. William is the only person I know with one of the world’s most powerful electron microscopes operating out of his garage, which is pretty damn cool. What about frogs? Well, the dissection of frogs in high school almost led to William avoiding an entire career in biotech, which struck me as one of many things we should consider revising in our public education system. We need more Williams, not fewer. (Exciting Note! Speaking Of… is now available via RSS/iTunes Podcast: Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 11:00 am Making Beats: Man Invents 8-bit Chipophone From Old Organ Case
Here’s something pretty neat. A man by the name of Linus Åkesson has turned an old organ into an 8-bit synth.
He kind of explains how he made it, so if you’re technically inclined, you could try and make one. If you succeed, then it’s time join the likes of Deadmau5 and Bassnectar and enjoy that sweet 8-bit sound. [via Slashdot]
Source: CrunchGear | 24 Jul 2010 | 10:57 am House considers internet gambling license bill
The bill has support from 69 other representatives and Frank says if passed could generate as much as $40 billion in revenue. Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 10:35 am Adapting the Post Office To the Digital AgeHugh Pickens writes "Paul B. Carroll and Chunka Mui write in the Washington Post that with projected deficits through 2020 of $238 billion, the debate over potential changes at the US Postal Service is like a fight over the dessert bar on the Titanic: email has already supplanted letters, more people will send money via PayPal rather than mail checks, people will download their movies and books, check their bills online, and receive information about their investments electronically. Delivery volume for first-class mail fell 22 percent from 1998 through 2007, tumbled an additional 13 percent last year and was down 3 percent in the first half of this year despite heavy mailings from the Census Bureau. USPS's future lies in things that need to be delivered physically: shoes, computers and other objects, and the USPS has assets that could let it take on UPS and FedEx. 'USPS needs to start with the future and work backward to the present,' write Carroll and Mui. 'It needs to forecast volumes for all types of its business five, 10 and 15 years out and design a business model that will thrive under those scenarios. Only then can it figure out what radical changes need to be made now.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 24 Jul 2010 | 10:24 am Wisconsin: Land of Beer, Cheese, and…Startups
Most people associate Wisconsin with cheese and beer, but you should think about adding startups to that list. Led by a tidal wave of mostly young entrepreneurs, Madison, Wisconsin is staking a claim as the startup capital of the Midwest. Madison was recently ranked as the 7th most innovative city in the country by Forbes magazine – just above perennial powerhouse Boston, MA. Several key organizations are driving the growing startup community. Capital Entrepreneurs is a group of over 56 companies that meet on a regular basis to help founders network and develop connections. MERLIN Mentors provides free mentoring services to new startups. Applicants are assigned a team of experienced entrepreneurs who help founders navigate many of the challenges facing a new company. These groups, along with the University of Wisconsin, are fostering a great culture for new startups. Here are just a small selection of technology companies in the area:
Photo Credit/Flickr/infowidget      
Source: TechCrunch | 24 Jul 2010 | 10:20 am Muggers chase victim into crowd of ass-kicking ninjasThree street-muggers in Sydney, Aus chased a visiting med student down an alley and took his iPod and phone. Unfortunately for them, the alley they chased him down was next to the local ninja martial arts school, and a student ninja was lurking in the shadows. He got his teacher, and five ninjas stole out into the night andMen in black are the white knights of the night (via Lowering the Bar) (Image: super green ninja "with lasers", a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike (2.0) image from gi's photostream) Source: Boing Boing | 24 Jul 2010 | 10:20 am Photos: Comic-Con's Cauldron of Geek WondersYoung or old, famous or fanboy, the geeky siren call of Comic-Con International draws all types of people to the San Diego Convention Center each year. See some of the costumed attendees (plus Tron: Legacy star Jeff Bridges!).
Source: Wired Top Stories | 24 Jul 2010 | 9:50 am Yolink Helps Web Researchers Search Behind Links (Mashable)Mashable - This post is part of Mashable's Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 24 Jul 2010 | 9:42 am Free apps roundup for July 23rd, 2010FROM APPLETELL - This week, I have it all. There are social apps and games, utilities, limited time freebies and more. There’s also Tron, which is a game, I know, but it deserves special mention because it’s Tron. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 9:22 am Double Rainbow tribute video: montage of notable rainbows in video gamesAustralia-based Boing Boing reader Alexander Ringis shares this full-on, all-the-way musical tribute to rainbows in video games by Rockethands with singer Brad Power. The remix includes an original music composition, and fair use remixin' of audio and video from the original games and from Yosemitebear's original "double rainbow video." With lots of thanks to Rainbow (children's TV show with that Zippy character), Rainbow Islands (I spent an entire summer playing this in a shopping mall with the beach a short walk away), Katamari Damarcy (who knew dung beatles have so much fun), Robot Unicorn Attack (taking cheese to a whole new level), Bytejacker (the best video podcast for free indie games), Rainbow Brite (never heard of it, but I'm not a girl and I don't have a sister), Mario Kart (and the Rainbow Road tribute song crew), The Wizard of Oz (check out the mad lip-syncing), Bit.Trip Runner (we love you, gaijin games), Captain Rainbow (the Japanese really have an obsession; that's four rainbow games), The Muppet Movie (sweet Jim Henson, we dedicate this song to you), and that nice American lady who thinks rainbows in her sprinkler mean her oxygen supply contains metallic oxide salts.And is it uncool to add that I still have not tired of the original video? It is true. Double Rainbow (All The Way) - Original Song
(rockethands, on YouTube)
Will Zynga Become the Google of Games? - New York Times
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 24 Jul 2010 | 9:01 am Shell preparing to return Gulf of Mexico operationHOUSTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Shell Oil Co said on Saturday that it was preparing to ramp up production in the eastern and central Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Depression Bonnie continued to weaken.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 8:57 am Make your own papercraft Tor.com Stubby spaceship! Artist Robert Nava created this papercraft model of Stubby, Tor.com's adorable, fanciful rocket mascot. Print and fold yours today! Build your own Stubby paper rocket! (Via Super Punch) Source: Boing Boing | 24 Jul 2010 | 8:44 am BP Ships Return to Gulf as Storm WeakensTropical Storm Bonnie weakens and ships prepare to return to work on BP's broken oil well.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2010 | 8:41 am IPad Goes Under the Gauntlet at Universities This FallThe iPad is about to have its academic chops put to the test this fall in a number of programs around the country. Colleges and universities are looking to adopt the iPad as a collaborative tool, a standardized mobile device to integrate into curriculums, and, in some cases, even a cost-saving device.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 24 Jul 2010 | 8:35 am Yes Men documentary goes online via Bittorrent to evade censorshipPrankster activists The Yes Men are sick of having the videos depicting their shenanigans taken down through copyright complaints, so they've put the latest video, a full-length doc called The Yes Men Fix the World up as a torrent file through VODO, resistant to censorship and easy to get.The Yes Men Fix The World -- Peer-to-Peer Edition (Thanks, Jamie!)
Source: Boing Boing | 24 Jul 2010 | 8:22 am RIM begins releasing details of Blackberry OS 6Section: Communications, Smartphones
I have a BlackBerry and I am looking forward to the new OS. The interface never bothered me because of all the high quality themes available but the new browser and other tools look exciting. RIM says the new OS should be released later this summer. Stay tuned to Gadgetell for a full review! Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 24 Jul 2010 | 8:11 am Simon Drake's House of Magic: great magic cabaret in London Last weekend, my lovely wife surprised me with a birthday trip to Simon Drake's House of Magic in south London -- a fantastic night out of magic cabaret in a house chock full of funny, spooky tchotchkes and whatnot. There's slightly rude haunted cellar tours with a vampy vampiress, cold readings, magic pinball, truly outstanding close-up card/coin magic during dinner, and a fantastic stage magic show (I got to be the audience volunteer and got my hand sawed off). Between the pre-show warmups, the opening act (a surprise performance by the screamingly funny Dr Adam "London Underground" Kay) and the main event, we didn't get out until 1230 in the morning, and were delighted by the entire evening. Source: Boing Boing | 24 Jul 2010 | 7:52 am 'Battle: Los Angeles' Mixes UFO Lore, Fallujah FeelGraft urban combat's raw intensity and a back story based on real events onto an explosive alien invasion and you’ve got Battle: Los Angeles, an upcoming sci-fi movie that attempts to convey what an alien invasion might actually look like.
Source: Wired Top Stories | 24 Jul 2010 | 7:30 am Forget the Format -- New Aimersoft Video Converter Family is Available NowSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 7:30 am Forget the Format -- New Aimersoft Video Converter Family is Available NowSHENZHEN, China, July 24 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Aimersoft Studio, a leading multimedia software developer, today announced the availability of its new upgraded video converter family products - Video Converter, Video Converter Pro and Video Converter Ultimate, which offer a more quick and simple way for users to edit and convert videos, rip DVDs and even download online videos for all mobile devices like Smartphones, Apple devices and other portable players. The most noticeable changes for this upgrade include: Remove DRM copy protection from WMV WMA, iTunes M4P M4A M4V AAC M4B ASF;Download online videos from YouTube, Metacafe, Google, etc. directly;Directly transfer songs & videos to portable players like iPod, iPhone, iPad and PSP, etc;Rip DVD movies to common video/audio files;Burn files to DVD disc, DVD folder or ISO files;Edit videos by splitting, clipping, cropping and merging, etc.Besides these changes, the new Video Converter also simplified its interface and improved maximum user-friendliness. For example, users can directly load files into the program from USBs, camcorders and other mobile devices. Besides, instead of enumerating various complicated video formats, the new version allows users to get the most compatible video format for their mobile devices simply by choosing the corresponding device picture. For a free trial and more details about how this brand new video converter, please visit: http://www.aimersoft.com/tutorial/rip-convert-burn-dvd-and-video.html About Aimersoft Studio Aimersoft Studio is an innovative consumer software provider dedicated to bringing users the best software and services in terms of multimedia and other ranges. By virtue of high-end technology, superior quality, reasonable prices and perfect service, Aimersoft products win a long-standing reputation both at home and abroad. For more details, please visit: http://www.aimersoft.com/ SOURCE Wondershare Software Co., Ltd.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Jul 2010 | 7:30 am White iPhone 4 Delayed, Cases Being Shipped OutApple Inc’s newest white iPhone 4 will not be available until later this year, as the manufacture of the model is proving to be surprisingly difficult. In a brief statement, Apple said that its black iPhone 4 had not been affected. As for the white one, the company said it has “continued to be more challenging to manufacture that we originally expected.” Apple did not provide further details in its statement or give a date when the new color would be available. The iPhone 4, although flying off the shelves quickly, has created a series of woes for Apple, the biggest being the antenna problems that has caused many dropped calls. Apple CEO Steve Jobs defended the smartphone last week in a press conference, but offered consumers free phone cases to address reception concerns. On Friday, Apple began handing out those free cases, or bumpers, to its customers.Apple made the free bumpers available through an application that could be downloaded to iPhones from the company’s online iTunes store. A message at the iTunes Case Program page says: “If you are experiencing reception issues with your iPhone 4, you are eligible to receive an iPhone 4 Bumper or other select third-party case from Apple at no charge.” Users can download the app onto their iPhone 4 and apply for the free Bumper or case. Apple is hoping the 29-dollar case will put an end to the debate over the antenna on what Apple CEO Steve Jobs calls “perhaps the best product we’ve ever made.” The bumper that fits around the sides of the phone will be free to all consumers who purchase an iPhone 4 through the end of September, and customers who already purchased the case will be reimbursed. The iPhone 4 has had numerous complaints about dropped calls from the moment it hits stores last month. Some users claimed they lost reception when holding the lower left corner of the phone. The unique antenna wraps completely around the smartphone and has been referred to as the “death grip.” The bumpers being handed out are designed to prevent users from touching the external antennas on the rims of the handset. ---On the Net:AppleSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:49 am San Francisco Sued Over Cell Phone Radiation LawThe wireless industry filed a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco in US District Court on Friday to halt a law that requires cell phone stores to post how much radio energy each model emits. The law, first of its kind in the US, is being contested by CTIA - The Wireless Association. The group said the law will mislead consumers into thinking that one phone may be safer than another on the basis of radiation measurements. Studies have not convincingly found that cell phone radiation is a health risk, however, research is ongoing on brain tumors. The industry group said the city is taking over the authority of the Federal Communications Commission, which sets limits for phone radiation. The Associated Press (AP) reports that the city office was unable to comment on the lawsuit at press time. Previously, Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office said that the ordinance is a “modest measure that will provide greater transparency and information to consumers for whom this is an area of interest or concern.” The local ordinance makes cell phone retailers disclose how much energy will theoretically be absorbed by a user’s head. The FCC limits this specific absorption rate (SAR) to an average of 1.6 watts per kilogram. Measurements for phones sold in the US are available on the agency’s site, but rarely in stores. “Nobody should be suggesting to consumers that they ought to be shopping for phones based on a difference in SAR values,” John Walls, vice president for public affairs at CTIA, told AP. “There's no scientific basis to suggest, as the ordinance does, that two phones with different values have a safety distinction between them,” as long as the measurement’s are below the FCC limit. The law states that larger retail chains will have to start placing SAR notices on phones beginning in February 2011, while other stores will have until 2012. CTIA, in response to the San Francisco law, said it will hold its annual trade show in San Francisco this fall, as it usually does, but will look for another host city for the 2011 show. “We thought it was a clear message from the mayor that we weren't wanted there,” Walls told AP. ---On the Net:CTIA - The Wireless AssociationFCCSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:44 am Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time GMT Watch The Tambour watch case has been seeing new life recently in hard to find watches with unique complications. Louis Vuitton is trying to assert themselves a bit as being a more serious watch maker by doing a bit more than placing an ETA movement in a pretty watch. This clever Spin Time GMT watch is a clever take on telling the time, built on top of a base ETA automatic movement (likely a 2893). The module has 12 cubes and turn around showing an Arabic numeral when it is that cubes "turn" to indicate the hour. Consider it an interesting variation on a jumping hour watch.
Source: CrunchGear | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:43 am Plastiki Catamaran On Last Leg Of Its JourneyA sailing crew about to complete a Pacific crossing on a catamaran made from plastic bottles said Friday they hoped their journey would highlight the dangers that plastic waste puts on the world’s oceans. The mostly British crew is expected to arrive in Sydney next week after a four-month voyage aboard the Plastiki, a pun on the Kon-Tiki raft Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl used in his 1947 Pacific expedition. “We have this addiction to single-use, throwaway plastic, which is choking up the ecosystem,” said expedition leader David de Rothschild in a Skype link-up with Achim Steiner, head of the Nairobi-based UN Environment Program. “With Plastiki, we want to enlighten, inform and inspire people and show that there are solutions here and not just problems,” he said. The hull of the Plastiki is made from 12,500 recycled plastic bottles glued together using an environmentally-friendly adhesive made from cashew nuts and sugar, UNEP said in a statement. The crew of 10 left San Francisco in March and sailed through the North Pacific gyre, a 3.5-million-ton swirling mass of waste that is equal to the size of Texas. The gyre is better known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. In the four months spent at sea, the crew has seen “very little fish stock and only a handful of marine mammals.” The decline of visible sea life “is a real sign that the oceans are in desperate need of our help,” said de Rothschild. The voyage was inspired by a 2009 UNEP report that found that eight million pieces of litter enter the world’s oceans every day, and 13,000 pieces of plastic waste are floating on every square kilometer (0.62 sq miles) of ocean. ---On the Net:PlastikiSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:24 am Turn an inkjet into a 3D printerGot a HP 540 inkjet lying around? Here's an ingenious way to hack it into a crude but serviceable 3D printer. Inkjet Printer to 3D Printer Hack. Source: Boing Boing | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:08 am The comics Bill Watterson sent to Berkeley Breathed Nathan sez, "Aaron Barnhart, on his excellent TV Barn website, took some photos of Berkeley Breathed's Comic-Con lecture. Including some shots of cartoons Bill Watterson sent Berkeley throughout the years. (The congratulations to Breathed on his Opus holiday special poking fun at the Charlie Brown Christmas Special was my personal favorite.)" Comic-Con 2010: Berkeley Breathed and the Piano Thing (Thanks, Nathan!) Source: Boing Boing | 24 Jul 2010 | 6:02 am Scientists Look To Neurons For New Computing FunctionalityBritish researchers are working to develop new, innovative computers by mimicking the way neurons communicate, in hopes the approach will lead to improvements in visual and audio processing, BBC news reported on Friday.Such enhancements could result in computers that can learn to see or to hear, instead of relying upon sensors.The work is simultaneously helping researchers improve their understanding of how nerve cells operate.‘Smart’ computingAlthough artificial neural networks have been around for decades, they do not closely replicate true neurons.However, the current project, coordinated by University of Plymouth computer scientist Dr. Thomas Wennekers, seeks to model the unique physiological way that neurons in a specific part of the brain communicate."We want to learn from biology to build future computers," Dr. Wennekers told BBC News."The brain is much more complex than the neural networks that have been implemented so far."Preliminary work on the project has involved collecting data about neurons and how they are connected in a certain part of the brain. Specifically, the researchers are working on the laminar microcircuitry of the neocortex, which is involved in higher brain functions such as hearing and sight.The data collected so far has been used to create highly detailed simulations of groups of nerve cells and microcircuits of neurons that are distributed across larger scale structures such as the visual cortex."We build pretty detailed models of the visual cortex and study specific properties of the microcircuits," Dr. Wennekers said. "We're working out which aspects are crucial for certain functional properties like object or word recognition, he said, adding that he hopes the project will result in more than just improved sensory networks."It might lead to smart components that are intelligent," he said. "They may have added cognitive components such as memory and decision making,” he said, adding that someday computers may even be endowed with emotions."We'll be computing in a completely different way.”Hardware ChallengesWhile Dr. Wennekers and his team conduct their work primarily with software simulations, Professor Steve Furber is using neurons to produce innovative new hardware.Known as ‘Spinnaker’, Professor Furber's project is attempting to build a computer uniquely optimized to run similar to the way human biology does.The Spinnaker system, which utilizes the ARM processors, simulates in hardware the workings of large number of neurons."We've got models of biological spiking neurons," Professor Furber told BBC News."Neurons whose only communication with the rest of the world is that they go ping. When it goes ping it lobs a packet into a small computer network."Each of Spinnaker’s ARM chips runs about 1,000 neuron models. The current version of Spinnaker uses an eight-processor system, although the team is in the final stages of designing the chip with 18 ARM processors on board, 16 of which will model neurons, Furber said.The final goal is a system that controls one billion neurons on a million ARM processors, he said."The primary objective is just to understand what's happening in the biology.” "Our understanding of processing in the brain is extremely thin."The researchers hope the simulation will lead to groundbreaking processing systems, and will allow them to gain new insights into the way that many computational elements can be networked together."The computer industry is faced with no future other than parallel," Professor Furber said.However, the industry lacks a fundamental understanding of how to get the most from all of those computational elements, he said. The major problem was determining how to run the system without being overwhelmed by the management overhead of coordinating all of those processors, he said.Spinnaker might offer a way to conquer some of these challenges as the individual elements will be far smaller than the massive processors now in use, and will self-organize to a certain degree.It will also offer benefits in the form of lower power consumption."We think there's a change in the game there," Professor Furber said.---On the Net:University of PlymouthSpinnakerSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:50 am Zephyr Solar Plane Lands After Setting Flight RecordThe UK-built Zephyr unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) took its place in history by becoming the first aircraft to stay afloat for 336 hours and 24 minutes. The solar-powered craft completed two weeks of non-stop flight above a U.S. Army range in Arizona before being ordered to land. The Qinetiq company that developed the Zephyr said the UAV had nothing to prove by staying in the air any longer. It broke all endurance records for an unpiloted vehicle before it landed on Friday. "We are just really delighted with the performance," said project manager Jon Saltmarsh."It's the culmination of a lot of years of effort from a huge number of really talented scientists and engineers," he told BBC News.The plane took off from Yuma Providing Ground on Friday July 9th. After only 31 hours of being in the air it took over the record for a long-duration flight by a drone. The plane endured copious amounts of sunshine to its solar panels at 60,000 ft., helping to charge its lithium-sulphur batteries and keep its two propellers turning. Zephyr lost some altitude at night, but the energy stored in the batteries was sufficient enough to maintain the plane's flight. Saltmarsh told BBC that the UAV was no longer an experimental plane and was now ready to begin its operational life. The Zephyr completed its demonstration during the Farnborough International Airshow.The UAVs are expected to have a wide range of uses with the military and scientific programs. "Qinetiq is now looking to the Ministry of Defense and the DoD (US Department of Defense) to put a system into service," said Saltmarsh."We have proved the concept; we have proved we can provide persistence; we have proved we can put useful payloads on to it that will actually do things the MoD has a requirement to do."Andre Borchberg became the first person to pilot a manned solar plane through the night earlier this month.---On the Net:QinetiQZephyr - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI)Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:40 am India Unveils $35 Touchscreen TabletIndia has unveiled a $35 basic touchscreen tablet aimed at students, which it hopes to bring into production by 2011. The Linux operating system-based computer would be the latest in a string of cheap innovations to hit the market out of India, which includes the $2,127 compact Nano car, the $16 water purifier and $2,000 open-heart surgery. The touchscreen device has features like word processing, web browsing and video-conferencing. It also has a solar power option that could be added on the device for an extra charge. "This is our answer to MIT's $100 computer," human resource development minister Kapil Sibal told the Economic Times when he unveiled the device Thursday.Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, unveiled a prototype $100 laptop for children in the developing world. His laptop ended up costing about $200, but his nonprofit association, One Laptop Per Child, said it plans to launch a basic tablet for $99. Sibal turned to students and professors at India's elite technical universities to develop the $35 tablet. He hopes to get the cost down to $10 eventually. Mamta Varma, a ministry spokeswoman, told the Associated Press that falling hardware costs and intelligent design make the price tag feasible. The tablet uses a memory card to store information. Varma said several global manufacturers have shown interest in making the device, but no manufacturing or distribution deals have been finalized. India plans to subsidize the cost of the tablet to students for about $20. "Depending on the quality of material they are using, certainly it's plausible," said Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester Research. "The question is, is it good enough for students?"Epps said government subsidies or duel marketing could convince manufacturers to come on board. She said this and similar efforts like the Kakai Kno and the Entourage Edge tablets show that there is global demand for an affordable device to trim textbook costs. Epps predicts that the device could send a shiver of cost-consciousness through the tablet industry. "It puts pressure on all device manufacturers to keep costs down and innovate," she said.Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:30 am Scientists Reconstruct Human Remains Of Ancient WomanResearchers say that a scientific reconstruction of one of the oldest sets of human remains found in the Americas supports theories that the first people who came to the hemisphere migrated from a broader area than once thought. Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History released photos on Thursday of the reconstructed image of a woman who probably lived on Mexico's Caribbean coast 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Anthropologist have believed for a while that humans migrated to the Americas in a relatively short period from a limited area in northeast Asia across a temporary land corridor that opened across the Bering Strait during an ice age. However, government archeologist Alejandro Terrazas says the picture has become complicated because the reconstruction resembles people from southeastern Asian areas like Indonesia. "History isn't that simple," Terrazas told the Associated Press (AP). "This indicates that the Americas were populated by several migratory movements, not just one or two waves from northern Asia across the Bering Strait."Ripan Malhi, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois, told AP. "Using facial reconstructions to assign ancestry to an individual is not as strong as using ancient DNA to assess the ancestry of the individual, because the environment can influence the traits of the face.""All of the current genetic evidence points to Northeast Asia as the main source for Native Americans," Malhi said.However, there have been few opportunities to use DNA or other methods to identify the origins of the first inhabitants because only a handful of skeletons from 10,000 years ago survived. The female is known as "La Mujer de las Palmas," or "The Woman of the Palms," after her remains were found near the Caribbean resort of Tulum by divers in 2002. Her skeleton is about 90 percent intact and archaeologists and physical anthropologists calculated she was between 44 and 50 years old when she died. The reconstructed model shows a stocky woman clad in a simple knee-length woven tunic. She had a broad face, prominent cheeks, thin lips, and little trace of the epicanthic eye-folds that characterize many modern Asian populations. "Her body structure, skin and eyes are similar to the population of Southeast Asia," the institute said in a statement.Susan Gillespie, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Florida, said that while the Bering land bridge theory still has a lot of support, "the situation is messier than the straightforward scenario ... of big-game hunters chasing woolly mammoths over the exposed `Bering bridge' to Alaska.""Recently there has been more serious inquiry into the various origins of migrants, modes of transportation, and dates of when they got here," Gillespie said in an e-mail message to AP's Mark Stevenson. "Dates for peopling of the Americas have been pushed way back, and with the finding of very early skeletal remains, the genetic/skeletal linkages to peoples of northeast Asia has become more cloudy."However, she cautioned against comparing a reconstructed face from 10,000 years ago to modern populations because they have also probably changed over 10 millennia. "You have to find skeletons of the same time period in Asia, or use genetic reconstructions, to make a strong connection, and cannot rely on modern populations," she wrote. "Do we have any empirical data on what Southeast Asian women looked like ... 10,000 years ago?"Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 24 Jul 2010 | 5:07 am Raytheon Shows Off New Helmet TechnologyRaytheon Inc. gave a first glimpse of its Scorpion helmet technology for F-16 and A-10 combat jets via a simulator at the Farnborough International Airshow this week. According to an Associated Press reports, the U.S. defense company's new technology transmits data on a single-eye monocle attached to an existing helmet. The monocle is both cheaper to produce than a full visor and reduces operational costs because it is interchangeable between standard existing helmets. It also improves on existing helmet vision technology by adding both color and night capability to a pilot's field of vision, which allows him to cue up weapons and access data from both on-board and remote sensors. "On the modern battlefield, there is way more data out there than most people can use. If you are just trying to see it all through your eyes and read it in bits and bites, you're never going to understand it," said Todd A. Lovell, Avionics Department Manager at Raytheon, as he gave a demonstration of the Scorpion technology. "So the key to the modern technology is to take all that data and turn it into useful information that the pilot can recognize very quickly and act upon it."The helmet vision sends coordinates sighted by the wearer directly to the weapons system, unlike pilots using a fixed display who must turn the nose of the plane to line up a shot. "If I get a symbol, I don't have to turn my plane all the way over there to get a sensor locked on it," said Lovell. "It reduces the amount of time and energy the pilot has to spend in acquiring a target, making sure he has the right target, and then taking a shot."Raytheon revealed at Farnborough that it has won a contract for initial integration and qualification of the helmet-mounted system for F-16 and A-10 aircraft flown by the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard. The contract is part of a program with five one-year production options worth $50 million. The company hopes to capture the market for the estimated 4,000 F-16 aircraft operated by foreign air forces. ---On the Net:RaytheonFarnborough International AirshowSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 24 Jul 2010 | 4:55 am TABLE-Indian Oil Corp slips to April-June net loss(Versus the same period a year earlier, in billion rupees unless stated)Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 24 Jul 2010 | 3:22 am Space Station Robot Gets To WorkTwo years after arriving at the International Space Station, the Canadian-built Dextre robot is ready to get to work.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 24 Jul 2010 | 2:58 am
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E-readers are becoming more and more popular and that’s sparked some price wars. Barnes and Noble dropped the price of their Nook to $149, and Amazon responding by promptly dropping the price of the red hot Kindle to $149 and introducing a sleeker, less expensive DX with a better screen. Borders got into the game too with its $150 Kobo and Sony has it’s own line of e-readers. Oh, and the iPad? Doesn’t count. Yes, you can read books on it but an e-reader it is not. Between it’s many distracting features (apps, videos, games, music, the internet), glossy screen that’s impossible to read in the sun, hefty weight and even heftier price tag, it does a great job as a portable internet tablet and a lousy job as an e-reader.
Ben's father, Ralph, said the bear hit the shifter and the car rolled backward about 125 feet, off the driveway, down an embankment and into some trees on Eagle Road near Tenderfoot Drive.
"So this bear opened the door on his own. Somehow the door closed behind him. He panicked and started thrashing around, hit the shifter and put the car, took it out of park," Ralph said. "It rolled back, down over the hill, and down into here, and stopped. The four way flashers were on. It's like he knew what was going on, and kept hitting the horn."
Ben told 7NEWS he had left a sandwich in the car and that may have attracted the big bear.
Since its 
It’s a jungle out there. Every time you register on a website, buy something from an online retailer, do your banking, use Paypal, sell something on Ebay or Craigist, or do any of the online things most people take for granted, your personal info lands on the web. Scammers know this and are constantly coming up with ways to steal it. Info like account logins, passwords, credit cards numbers, and more are highly sought after in the booming underground business of spamming, hacking, and scamming. I’ve seen ads offering high feedback, active Ebay accounts for $299 each, and ads offering various logins, lists of credit card numbers, and huge databases of email accounts. Scammers don’t just steal your info so they can clean out your bank account or go on a shopping spree with your credit card, they also steal it to sell to other scammers. 
One of the most exciting things to watch in tech these days is various groups’ estimates for Zynga’s revenues. Depending on what you read and on what day, they are all over the map. It’s been that way for a long time too, because the social gaming service is simply growing so fast and monetizing the hell out of their properties. Now that we’re more than halfway into 2010, the consensus seems clear that Zynga made about $300 million in revenue in 2009. But 2010 is proving even tougher to nail down, it seems.
AT&T found a defect in their Alcatel-Lucent equipment about a month ago that, under certain conditions, throttles upload speeds to 100kbps. This of course is not a good thing, so they’ve been working on the problem and identified a software defect that was causing the problem. Good news is, the patch has been released and is currently being pushed out to everyone using the effected equipment. AT&T has released an official statement:
Los Angeles based 
This week’s episode of 
Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) has introduced a bill that would require internet casinos and gambling sites to be licensed by the government if they want to do business with U.S.customers. The bill seeks to strengthen and clarify the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, a law that was passed 4 years ago but only recently took affect due to years of administrative foot dragging. The law makes it illegal for banks to process deposits and withdrawals made by customers from and to online gambling sites but was so poorly written that it is for the most part impossible to enforce, largely due to the fact it didn’t bother to make clear exactly what constituted unlawful internet gambling and did not provide banks and other financial institutions with a list of illegal gambling sites. 
Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post by Steve Faulkner. He is the CEO of the 
Kaylan Soto, a sensei with 30 years' Ninjutsu training, and three of his students raced out of the dojo towards the startled attackers. All five crusaders were clad in the ninja's traditional, all black uniform.
VODO's sixth release is the special Peer-To-Peer Edition of the multi-award-winning The Yes Men Fix The World. This edition, made exclusively for VODO, includes exclusive controversial footage of the Yes Men impersonating the United States Chamber of Commerce. The Yes Men are being sued over this action, and see P2P as the best and only way this material will get seen. They're calling for it to be copied as far and wide as possible...
RIM has begun to release details of its highly anticipated OS 6 and so far it looks like a winner. Features include a podcast service, improved music library, photo features, new social networking and YouTube tools, and perhaps what most users are looking forward to, an all new user interface and WebKit browser. Many BlackBerry users have long been complaining about the sometimes clunky web browser and dated user interface, especially since BlackBerry smartphones made the leap from top of the line business tools to hot consumer item.