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Sat, 28 Feb 09
Facebook Wants Your Two Cents
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66334.html
A little more than a week after Facebook responded to a controversy surrounding its updated terms of service agreement by capitulating and reverting to the previous version, the company announced new procedures Thursday that will open governance of the service and its policy processes to input from users. Facebook's new approach to site governance will allow its users to help determine policies related to privacy, ownership and sharing through procedures that invite them to review, comment on and vote on them prior to their implementation.
Sat, 28 Feb 09
Oscar Needs Twittery Twist to Stay Relevant
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66314.html
Still smarting from a long-ago Best Picture snub for "A Few Good Men," I chose not to watch the Oscars this year because -- well, I can't handle the truth. So I got my Oscar news and views from various live blogging efforts that delivered their own snarkified take on Hollywood's idea of honoring truth in art. It was more enjoyable, saved me the trouble of wearing out the fast-forward on my DVR, and gave me some ideas on how social media might help shield the Academy and Hollywood from impending irrelevance.
Sat, 28 Feb 09
Safari 4 Is More Than a Speed-Loader
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66327.html
Despite all the hyperbole over Apple's "world's fastest and most innovative browser" claim, there's a lot to genuinely like in the beta of Safari 4 -- along with a few minor quibbles. Apple boasts that the Nitro JavaScript engine in Safari 4 runs JavaScript 4.2 times faster than Safari 3, up to 30 times faster than Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7, and more than 3 times faster than Mozilla's Firefox 3. It loads HTML pages three times faster than IE 7 and almost three times faster than Firefox 3.
Sat, 28 Feb 09
New Rules to Curb Fluorinated Gas Spewing From Semi Plants
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66328.html
California air regulators have broadened their reach into Silicon Valley, implementing rules intended to cut greenhouse gas emissions from semiconductor plants. The state Air Resources Board voted unanimously to regulate some of the most potent gases produced by the semiconductor industry, which makes chips for cell phones, computers and cars. By Jan. 1, 2012, more than a dozen California chip manufacturers must reduce their use of fluorinated gases. Scientists say such emissions trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere at a rate 23,000 times higher than carbon dioxide.
Sat, 28 Feb 09
Watching the Ticker for AAPL, Eying Stores for Sales, Scanning the Horizon for Verizon
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66320.html
Apple's annual shareholder meeting dominated the Apple blogosphere this week, despite being a rather lackluster hour. However, the beta release of Safari 4 has shown some staying power. Plus, MacBook Pros seem to be selling well. Also, might we have a Verizon iPhone in our future? Even though Apple released its Safari 4 beta on Tuesday and Apple's shareholder event was on Wednesday, the shareholder meeting was clearly hotly anticipated. How are things going with Apple now that CEO Steve Jobs is on medical leave?
Sat, 28 Feb 09
Online Guides for the Web Video Wilderness
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66329.html
You've seen Will Ferrell's "Landlord." You know what Hulu is. But that much hyped 21st century invention called the Web series remains largely unknown to you. Fear not. A host of Web sites can direct you to the best series online, including Tilzy.tv and Tubefilter.tv -- both good blogs that feature knowledgeable seekers of worthy Web series. It's a thriving business. The broader online video guide OVGuide.com, founded in 2006, earlier this month announced it had received $5 million from venture capital firm Baroda Ventures after the site's first month of profitability in January.
Sat, 28 Feb 09
Use of RFID Tech at Border Crossings Raises Hacking Fears
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66325.html
New technology at the busiest border crossing in the U.S. can read chip-enabled travel documents up to 30 feet from an inspection booth, promising shorter waits but raising concerns about targeting by computer hackers. San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing is a key test for the radio frequency identification readers, because the facility is used by about 150,000 people daily. It's the 13th land crossing to get the technology in recent months, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to have it in place by June at the 39 busiest crossings with Mexico and Canada.
Fri, 27 Feb 09
Windows Washing: Microsoft Talks Up Tweaks Following Public Beta
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66317.html
With its big round of public beta testing out of the way, Microsoft is apparently moving quickly to the next milestone on the Windows 7 upgrade path. On Thursday, the company revealed some of the changes users can expect to see in the upcoming Windows 7 Release Candidate -- possibly the penultimate stage prior to the release of a final product -- in its Engineering Windows 7 blog. Looking at feedback garnered during the first round of public beta testing, Microsoft has been working on incorporating some needed changes.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
Figuring Out the Best Way to Stash Your Data
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66306.html
By 2010, the amount of data added annually to computer systems worldwide will swell to 988 exabytes, according to an 2007 EMC-sponsored report from IDC. A 2008 update on the report found that in 2007, the digital universe measured 281 billion gigabytes -- 281 exabytes -- an increase 10 percent greater than analysts had predicted a year earlier. While roughly 70 percent of the data generated in the digital universe is created by individuals, enterprises are responsible for the security, privacy, reliability and compliance of 85 percent of it.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
Close Encounters of the Redmond Kind
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66303.html
Oh, Linux is Linux, and Windows is Windows, and never the twain shall meet -- isn't that how the saying goes? Well, not quite, of course, but it might have been if Kipling had only lived long enough to get to know our favorite operating system. The fact of the matter is that Linux and Windows must and do meet up in a variety of ways -- several of which have figured prominently on the Linux blogs in the last week or two. The result? No end of fodder for conversation.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
iPhlix May Be Pretty but Free Is Beautiful
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66287.html
When Wall Street was just starting to get the spins a few months ago, I read some commentary from an analyst who firmly believed Netflix would feel the recession burn away at its subscriber growth. Consumers, he thought, were looking to cut entertainment budgets, not jump into something that had them paying a monthly fee regardless of how much they use it. So far, though, Netflix has been doing just fine. Last month, it reported a 45 percent jump in profit, and it added 718,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2008 -- twice as many as it had earlier predicted.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
Software to Cajole, Nag, Accuse, Insult and Needle Laptop Thieves
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66309.html
Stolen laptop? Now you can tell those thieves exactly what you think of them. Front Door Software's Retriever program displays your contact information as your computer boots up. There's even space for a plea to a Good Samaritan -- "$50 for my safe return," maybe. In most cases, that's enough to help an honest person return the machine, said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the five-person company based in Evergreen, Colo. But in the darkest scenarios, Retriever takes off the kid gloves.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
UFO-Chasing Hacker Could Face Extradition to US
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66307.html
British prosecutors said Thursday they would not bring criminal charges against a London man accused of hacking into U.S. military computers. The decision is a blow to Gary McKinnon's attempts to avoid extradition to the United States. U.S. prosecutors allege that McKinnon, 42, broke into 97 computers belonging to NASA, the Department of Defense and several branches of the military soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. McKinnon says he was looking for evidence of UFOs. British and European courts have rejected repeated legal attempts by McKinnon's lawyers to block his extradition.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
Expedition Finds Greater Warming Threat in Antarctica's East
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66310.html
Antarctica's western ice sheet is pushing ever faster into the sea, but scientists know an even greater long-term threat lies in the vast, little-explored whiteness of east Antarctica. An "absolutely titanic" store of ice that sits atop the east Antarctic plateau should be more closely monitored by glaciologists, the world's thinly spread corps of ice specialists, says Ted Scambos, a leading U.S. expert whose team last weekend finished a two-month scientific expedition across the forbidding plateau.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
Marvell Offers Mini Plug Computer for Consumer, Network, Appliance Designs
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66302.html
Marvell has created a new Plug Computing initiative to help developers build high-performance, always-on, always-connected and environmentally friendly little computer devices that plug into electrical wall sockets and act like embedded or appliance computers in the home. The little plug-in computers start with a gigahertz-class processor and are capable of acting like home media servers or network and Internet-connected devices that can run many software-based services.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
With Gmail Offline, Google's Package Is Almost Too Good to Pass Up
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66288.html
After a year in development and testing, Google last month added an offline mail client to provide local access to mail folders when there is no Internet connection. Gmail Offline is still experimental and limited to synchronizing a maximum of 10,000 messages. It does not yet provide offline access to other Google features such as Calendar and Documents, but that capability is rumored to be in the works. It is not yet a perfect solution, but it does work rather well. Gmail Offline makes using the free, Web-based email service more efficient and useful.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
Superuser Privilege Management: It's Not About Trust
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66286.html
Though "everyone knows" the threat and consequences of insider attacks, it was still shocking to read the headlines that a former Unix engineer at mortgage giant Fannie Mae was charged in federal court with allegedly planting a logic bomb that would have effectively shut down all 4,000 servers at Fannie. The FBI alleges that this logic bomb planted in a script would have "caused millions of dollars of damage and reduced if not shut down operations" for at least one week. And it was "only by chance" that another Unix engineer spotted the logic bomb a week after it was planted.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
Cable TV Companies Nervously Embrace Web
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66298.html
HBO on your PC? It could happen sooner than you think. Wary of the growing number of consumers watching TV shows online for free -- and yet reluctant to upset viewers by yanking shows from the Internet -- the nation's largest cable operators are in talks with media conglomerates to take back control. They would create a platform to release cable TV shows online, but exclusively for paying subscribers. It's a delicate dance for those involved.
Thu, 26 Feb 09
Failed Launch Deals Harsh Blow to Global Warming Research
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66299.html
A new satellite to track the chief culprit in global warming crashed into the ocean near Antarctica after launch Tuesday, dealing a major setback to NASA's already weak network for monitoring Earth and its environment from above. The $280 million mission was designed to answer one of the biggest question marks of global warming: What happens to the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide spewed by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas? How much of it is sucked up and stored by plants, soil and oceans and how much is left to trap heat on Earth, worsening global warming?
Wed, 25 Feb 09
Will Gfail Undermine Gmail's Enterprise Efforts?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66290.html
Gmail users worldwide went without Web mail service for several hours early Tuesday morning. Google's monitoring system indicated that service went down around 9:30 am GMT -- 4:30 a.m. on the U.S.'s East Coast and 1:30 a.m. in the Pacific time zone. "If you've tried to access your Gmail account today, you are probably aware by now that we're having some problems. Shortly after ... 9:30 a.m. GMT our monitoring systems alerted us that Gmail consumer and businesses accounts worldwide could not get access to their email," Google's Acacio Cruz said.
Wed, 25 Feb 09
Apple Boasts Better Speed, More Eye Candy With New Safari Beta
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66292.html
Apple has released a new beta version of its Safari 4 Web browser with technology that the company claims makes it the world's faster browser. Apple says it's built on a new Nitro JavaScript engine that can execute code up to 30 times faster than IE 7 and more than three times faster than Firefox 3. And what about Safari 3? The Nitro engine in Safari will run JavaScript 4.2 times faster than the previous Safari build. There's more than just a JavaScript speed boost. Safari 4 runs on both PCs and Macs, and it brings innovations from Mac OS X and even the iPhone to the browser.
Wed, 25 Feb 09
Plan for the Worst - A Data Backup Plan Could Save Your Business
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66276.html
As a former senior executive of Swiss Reinsurance, the world's largest reinsurer of life-health and property-casualty risks, Donna Childs was well versed in both the need and the practice of disaster data recovery. Her experience proved critical when she returned to the United States to start her own small business -- in the area subsequently designated "Zone 1" of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. "On that fateful morning, I was in the WTC when the planes struck the towers," Childs said.
Wed, 25 Feb 09
Desktop Widget Monitors Pink Slip Proliferation
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66284.html
In a sour economy like this, entrepreneurs inevitably dream up new ways to turn lemons into lemonade. At least that's the motive behind a free software program called "Layoff Tracker." Layoff Tracker can be planted on a Web site or a computer desktop to provide a running tally of the pink slips being handed out by major employers around the country. The tracker complies the numbers from news reports and company announcements. After two weeks of testing, the application -- packaged in a capsule format known as a "widget" -- was formally released Monday.
Wed, 25 Feb 09
Rocket Carrying CO2 Monitoring Satellite Crashes Near Antarctica
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66281.html
A rocket carrying a NASA satellite crashed near Antarctica after a failed launch early Tuesday, ending a $280 million mission to track global warming from space. The Taurus XL rocket carrying the Orbiting Carbon Observatory blasted off just before 2 a.m. from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. But minutes later, a cover protecting the satellite during launch failed to separate from the rocket, a preliminary investigation found. The 986-pound satellite was supposed to be placed into a polar orbit some 400 miles high to track carbon dioxide emissions.
Wed, 25 Feb 09
New Titles Blast, Crash, Splash Onto Video Game Screens
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66283.html
Real news from the virtual world: With the worrisome state of the global economy, it's not the best time for Sony's PlayStation 3 -- the most expensive of the three home video-game consoles -- to be playing catch-up. Sony executives have good reason to be optimistic about 2009, though, and it boils down to one word: software. Sony has the most impressive roster of exclusive games this year -- although, to be fair, Microsoft and Nintendo haven't shown all their cards yet.
Wed, 25 Feb 09
Competing Colliders in Friendly Race to Find Elusive Particle
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66285.html
So, does the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's Tevatron accelerator have a shot against the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland? It may not be the question all the boys at the end of the bar are asking -- but it gets particle physicists psyched. After all, they're racing to find evidence of a hypothetical particle called the Higgs boson, better known as the "God Particle" because it is believed to give mass to the matter that makes up the universe.
Tue, 24 Feb 09
Microsoft Aims to Bring Americans Up to Tech Speed
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66275.html
Microsoft has introduced an initiative to provide up to 2 million people with job training on its applications. Called "Elevate America," the program consists of two main offerings: free training available through an online portal; and more elaborate, hands-on training offered in conjunction with several states including Florida, New York and Washington. The online portal is up right now. The Web site provides access to several Microsoft online training programs that range from the basics to advanced programs on specific Microsoft applications.
Tue, 24 Feb 09
Windows Shopping, Part 4: Smoothing Out Vista
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66256.html
You cannot get the Windows 7 beta from Microsoft's Web site anymore. The Redmond giant pulled the plug on its beta download free-for-all on Feb. 9 after several weeks of letting anybody who wanted to play with it grab it. Of course, you can still troll the dark side of the Internet to find the many software repositories where copies are ferreted. However, the hands-on exposure to the planned Windows XP and Windows Vista replacement OS has produced positive responses.
Tue, 24 Feb 09
Citrix Gives Enterprises Free Path to Attainment of Xen
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66274.html
Would an enterprise be more likely to deploy a virtual solution if it were free? That is the question Citrix has asked with the unveiling of a new version of its XenServer virtualization platform that the company will offer free of charge at the end of March. The software, available to any user for unlimited production deployment, will include new features such as centralized multi-node management, multi-server resource sharing and full live motion, according to Citrix.
Tue, 24 Feb 09
In a Bad Market, Tech Is Good
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66255.html
I spent Thursday of last week at an event put on by A&R Edelman talking about the importance of trust, where they discussed their findings on a survey of around 4,000 companies. They concluded that that trust is directly tied to the market recovery and that tech companies were the most trusted. In addition, in Barcelona, what may be the birth of the next technology platform was announced. Finally, with a lot of folks facing layoffs, it occurred to me that many of you may want to consider buying your first PC as a hedge against this unfortunate outcome.
Tue, 24 Feb 09
Creative Software Firm Heads Where the Wind Blows
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66265.html
If you're a novelist, screenwriter or blogger -- and you own a Mac -- then you've probably heard of Mariner Software. The Minneapolis company makes desktop software for what its president, Michael Wray, calls the "creativity market." Last year, sales at the 11-employee company grew by 60 percent, much of that driven by writers and other creative types who wanted an easy way to perfect their crafts. The company has been profitable for the last eight quarters in a row, Wray told MacNewsWorld.
Tue, 24 Feb 09
The Karmic Koala and the Linux Port of the World of Goo
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66264.html
Well President's Day week was a fairly quiet one on the Linux blogs, as geeks far and wide hunkered down to recover from the excesses they indulged in on 1234567890 Day. Sigh -- it was a wild ride, but now it's time to get back to work. One interesting tidbit to emerge last week was that the mascot for Ubuntu 9.10, which was officially announced on Friday, will be the Karmic Koala. Mark Shuttleworth provides a detailed explanation for the choice in his announcement, along with goals for the upcoming version, which Shuttleworth says he expects in roughly six months.
Mon, 23 Feb 09
The Great Trash Heap in the Sky
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66239.html
Think of it as a galactic garbage dump. With a recent satellite collision still fresh on minds, participants at a meeting in the Austrian capital Vienna this week are discussing ways to deal with space debris -- junk that is clogging up the orbit around the Earth. Some suggest a cosmic cleanup is the way to go. Others say time, energy and funds are better spent on minimizing the likelihood of future crashes by improving information sharing.
Sun, 22 Feb 09
Job Hunters: Mind Your Tech Manners
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66241.html
If there's any small solace when starting a job search in this recession, it's the proliferation of digital technology to help you re-enter the working world. Web sites like Indeed.com and LinkedIn.com have multiplied the number of job openings you can track and the professional contacts you can make. Email and smartphones make it easier to pitch yourself and set up appointments. But think twice before picking up that BlackBerry and thumb-typing a message to the hiring manager whose email address you so slyly uncovered online. In the end, landing the right job hinges on old-world skills.
Sat, 21 Feb 09
Is Hulu's Heave-Ho First Salvo in Digital Content War?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66259.html
What Hulu giveth, Hulu taketh away. At first applauded for its openness in providing its content to other distributors, the online streaming video company -- a joint venture of NBC Universal and News Corp. -- this week pulled back that content from Web-to-TV software provider Boxee and TV.com, CBS's digital video service. However, CBS is now pushing back at Hulu, and those rumblings you hear on the digital horizon may be the first shots fired in a new round of major media company battles over the right to watch TV shows on your computer.
Sat, 21 Feb 09
Trading Investigative TV Journalism for Digital Scoops
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66230.html
It's June 1991, and I'm starting a new job as a reporter for the ABC affiliate in Dallas, WFAA-TV. It's intimidating as hell because the station's reputation in the industry is stellar, and I'm not sure I can measure up. After all, not long after my first day there, I'm watching PBS and seeing the man who hired me -- legendary news director Marty Haag, now deceased -- accept a Columbia/duPont Award for the station's coverage of the first Persian Gulf war.
Sat, 21 Feb 09
The Scandalous Proposal of New York's Anti-Tech Governor
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66248.html
In an effort to tackle New York's nearly $15 billion budget deficit, Governor David Paterson has proposed taxing downloads of software, music and other content, including pornography. This proposal comes at a time when the economy is in freefall and the so-called "stimulus" package is going to cost taxpayers much more than they expect. Gov. Paterson seems unaware that his tax proposal will have the same effect. Just after President Barack Obama signed the mammoth stimulus package into law Tuesday, Wall Street tanked.
Sat, 21 Feb 09
iWork, Nvidia, Intel, Chargers: Can't We All Just Get Compatible?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66247.html
There were a lot of different topics on the minds of Apple bloggers this week -- tidbits like Apple dropping its 20-inch Cinema display, some new tear-down photos of the 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro, and the squabble between Apple and the Electronic Frontier Foundation over jailbreaking the iPhone. Still, some of the more interesting bits of news include Intel filing a lawsuit against Nvidia, Apple ignoring a call to unify mobile device chargers, and the company's difficulties with iWork '09 and iWork '08 compatibility.
Sat, 21 Feb 09
Who Needs Bright Buddies? We've Got Google
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66252.html
The grand vision of the Internet is as a compendium of human knowledge -- rather than, say, a good resource of pet videos, pornography and will.i.am. In this view, the Internet is a kind of climax in human evolution. Long past the days of telling stories over camp fires, we are now much more efficiently gathering our information and learned wisdom in one place. Google's stated mission, after all, is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."
Sat, 21 Feb 09
Microsoft Funds Research on What Makes Gamers Tick
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66251.html
Devin Krauter sits on the end of his bed, tapping buttons on his video game controller to shoot down alien beasts while chatting with other players through a headset, texting on his cell phone and talking to a visitor. The 17-year-old high school junior is ranked by a video game Web site among the best players at "Gears of War 2," in which soldiers attack the enemy with an assault rifle that has a mounted chain saw bayonet. He says the game teaches him to think on his feet -- and that he thinks about succeeding, not slaying.
Sat, 21 Feb 09
Verizon Hub: Giving the Home Phone a New Dimension
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66250.html
Some companies are still trying to reinvent the basic home telephone. The latest attempt comes from Verizon Wireless, which recently began offering the Hub. Although the Hub won't go so far as to replace your computer, the Hub can make your home phone into a bulletin board, entertainment center -- even a child tracker. But all this will cost you -- the device itself is $200 after a $50 rebate, and it requires a two-year, $35 monthly contract that includes unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada and unlimited texts.
Fri, 20 Feb 09
Hulu Pulls Boxee Vanishing Act
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66243.html
If Alec Baldwin wants to help the free Web video service Hulu turn its users' brains into mush -- as per its new TV commercial unveiled during the Super Bowl -- he will have to do so without the help of Web-to-TV application Boxee. Boxee announced Wednesday that Hulu, co-owned by NBC and Fox, had asked it to remove its content from its lineup. The move happened at the request of content providers, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar said. So is this another instance of big media companies tightening their grip on their content while ignoring the possible distribution benefits provided by nimble startups?
Fri, 20 Feb 09
Managing Enterprise Mobility Madness
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66209.html
As the handheld mobile device has evolved from pager to cell phone to smartphone to mobile computing asset, enterprise mobility has become increasingly vital to conducting tactical, operational, and strategic business transactions. On top of this, the growth in enterprise mobile adoption, combined with increased device complexity, demands greater IT management and support. These additional resources are required to adequately support the mobile device, platform, and applications that are increasingly being used by employees to supplement or replace their laptops or personal computers.
Fri, 20 Feb 09
How to Build a Small-Business Web Site, Part 6: Marketing for Success
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66213.html
Having a Web site opens up the doors to all sorts of low-cost marketing opportunities for small businesses. Sometimes fledgling Web marketers can be overwhelmed by the embarrassment of riches that are available for next to nothing. The key to effective online marketing -- whether it's to drive visitors to your site or convert them to customers when they get there -- is to keep it focused. If you don't, you might find that you've wasted a lot of time and effort preaching your marketing message to the wrong people in the wrong places.
Fri, 20 Feb 09
Social CRM: What's Working, What Ain't
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66228.html
A computer company's research team puts their latest video up on Facebook rather than presenting it during a technical conference. A video game developer turns to Twitter to first break the news of a new release to the masses. A salesperson stays in touch with all professional relationships -- colleagues, mentors, proteges, former bosses, even friendly rivals -- through LinkedIn. Welcome to business in the 21st century. The widespread acceptance of social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace and LinkedIn is changing the way individuals communicate.
Fri, 20 Feb 09
Nonstop Parties, Patent Trolls and Members Choice Awards
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66223.html
Well it's now been nearly a week since 1234567890 Day, but for many geeks, the fun still hasn't come to an end. Party on! Specifically, following the original Digg post last Wednesday alerting readers to the upcoming occasion, not one, not two, not three but four additional posts on the topic have been among the site's most popular stories. First, xdvx submitted a screenshot marking the arrival of the big moment in Unix time, vowing, "I will tell my kids about this day."
Fri, 20 Feb 09
Notebooks: A Better Scratch Pad for the Serious Scrivener
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66214.html
OK, so maybe smartphone notebook applications aren't the most exciting pieces of software modern consumer technology has to offer. But it's hard to imagine a smartphone that can make VoIP calls, tell you exactly where you are on the face of the Earth and beat you at chess but won't let you write down a grocery list unless you care to take out a knife and carve it into the casing. Notebook apps may be bland, but they're necessary. The iPhone's native Notes app does its job, but it's pretty simple -- create, sort, type, delete, send to email.
Fri, 20 Feb 09
Watchdogs Assail FDA for Lax Regulation of Med-Tech Labs
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66238.html
An independent watchdog group says the government has quietly scaled back enforcement of federal quality regulations at labs that develop medical devices. The Project on Government Oversight found that the Food and Drug Administration has dramatically reduced inspections of "good laboratory practices" at facilities that do the earliest testing of medical devices. Such inspections declined from 33 in 2005, to seven in 2007, to just one last year, according a report the group was releasing Wednesday. No inspections are planned for this year, the report said.
Fri, 20 Feb 09
New Caller ID Unblocker Raises Red Flags
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66234.html
A service launched this week unblocks Caller ID information that the caller thinks is blocked, causing concern among those who help abused women. TrapCall.com lets people rig some AT&T and T-Mobile USA phones so that if a call comes in with blocked Caller ID and is rejected, it rings again, this time displaying the number of the caller. The basic service is free. The Web site charges for plans with more advanced services, like call recording and Caller ID with name. The Web site said the service can be useful for people who get harassing phone calls.
Fri, 20 Feb 09
ICANN to Put Off Domain Name Explosion
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66233.html
Bids for new Internet addresses to rival ".com" and other suffixes will likely be delayed until the end of the year as a key oversight agency grapples with trademark and security issues. Draft guidelines for the new suffixes generated so much comment that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, needs more time to sort out what it terms "overarching issues." Those include whether trademark owners could wind up having to register thousands of new domain names simply to protect their intellectual property rights.
Thu, 19 Feb 09
Facebook Does About Face on Troublesome TOS
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66226.html
Facing an outcry from its subscribers, Facebook has backtracked and replaced its new terms of service agreement instituted Feb. 4 with the previous version. Mark Zuckerberg, the social network's chief executive officer, announced the change in a blog post on the company's site Tuesday night. "A couple of weeks ago, we revised our terms of use hoping to clarify some parts for our users. Over the past couple of days, we received a lot of questions and comments about the changes and what they mean for people and their information," Zuckerberg wrote.
Thu, 19 Feb 09
Powering Up Smart Grid Technology
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66206.html
The U.S. still has relatively low-cost electricity compared to other countries, but consistent rate increases and an aging, inefficient electrical distribution system are prompting demands to update the country's utility grids. IBM's chief executive Samuel J. Palmisano recently estimated that 67 percent of electrical energy is lost because of inefficient power generation and grid management. IBM and a number of other information technology firms are working with utilities to bring digital communications and control technology to electricity systems in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world.
Thu, 19 Feb 09
Apple, EFF Square Off on Legality of iPhone Jailbreaking
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66225.html
For quite possibly the first time ever, Apple has publicly stated that it believes that jailbreaking an iPhone is against the law -- not against its end-user agreement for iPhone use with Apple's services like iTunes, its App Store, or MobileMe -- but against the law. More specifically, Apple contends that jailbreaking an iPhone infringes on its copyright. That's right, copyright. While it's no stretch of the imagination to believe Apple isn't particularly keen on customers who jailbreak their iPhones, the company has not often addressed the phenomenon in public statements.
Thu, 19 Feb 09
Linux Haters Make a Few Valid Points
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66207.html
Several years ago, I helped develop some software that integrates and monitors certain business processes. We chose to use Linux-based systems because of some key free and open source software that allowed us to put together a sophisticated and comprehensive software platform. So often, the defense of Linux involves a price argument. More important than the free price is the freedom Linux and other GPL software represent. Lately, I have noticed a lot of bloggers disparaging Linux-based operating systems for all kinds of reasons, from aesthetics to business strategies.
Thu, 19 Feb 09
Mobile World: Phone Makers Turn Down Volume on Big Product Launches
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66222.html
The softness in the market for new mobile phones showed clearly Monday in a thin array of new product rollouts at the GSMA Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona -- usually a smorgasbord of eye-catching gadgets. With the global recession making companies hold back, big device launches were thin, and anyone wanting a flurry of new products using the Android operating system developed by Google will have to wait. "They are very conscious about the market this year," said IDC market researcher Francisco Jeronimo.
Thu, 19 Feb 09
Handset Honchos Move to Standardize Chargers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66220.html
Get a new mobile phone -- and toss yet another old, incompatible phone charger. The GSMA mobile phone industry association promises to make that wasteful practice a thing of the past. The group on Tuesday announced an agreement among 17 mobile phone operators and major handset makers to standardize chargers by 2012 for most cell phones shipped. That means no matter what brand of phone you buy, the chargers should be interchangeable, making it possible to charge a phone from any available charger even if you leave yours at home.
Thu, 19 Feb 09
Yahoo Returns to Roots With Mobile Portal
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66221.html
Yahoo announced the launch Tuesday of a new integrated service for mobile users in a move that analysts say returns the company to its 1990s roots of creating a compelling user experience. Yahoo Mobile will allow users to customize the information they regularly check out on the Web on their mobile devices, organize it by topic, drawing on Yahoo's collection of news services, and organize their social networks and contacts. "The whole rabid religion we have is that the experience has to be personal," said Adam Taggart, head of product marketing for Yahoo.
Wed, 18 Feb 09
Microsoft Jumps Into Mobile Mall Melee
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66208.html
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the opportunity at the Mobile World Congress to announce three new ventures the company will take in the smartphone space. Microsoft will offer a new, upgraded Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, a new Windows Mobile application store, and a Web-based service for accessing, transferring and backing up smartphone-based information. Microsoft hardware partners LG and HTC also announced new phones that will run Windows Mobile 6.5 -- though Microsoft will de-emphasize the "6.5" version number and market the operating system to consumers simply as "Windows phones."
Wed, 18 Feb 09
Facebook TOS Content Use Verbiage Vexes Users
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66210.html
What may have seemed to Facebook execs like a run-of-the-mill revision to the company's Terms of Service agreement grew into controversy over the weekend, and on Monday CEO Mark Zuckerberg had to scramble to reassure users that the content that they post -- photos, videos and text -- belongs to and is controlled by them, not the social networking Web site. The brouhaha in the blogosphere appears to have begun after a post on The Consumerist by Chris Walters, who excoriated the social networking site for changes it made to its TOS on Feb. 4.
Wed, 18 Feb 09
Security ROI Is Not a Myth
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66173.html
Working hard at being inefficient is not a path to success. Sometimes the difference between success and failure is having the courage to walk away from the "busy work" and take the steps to make that process better. It's a lesson that we in IT -- and particularly in security -- all too often fail to heed. There are areas in our organizations where we spend tremendous amounts of time and money keeping up -- we spend so much time and energy running in place that we have nothing left in the reserves to move forward. We're boxed in by our own inefficiency.
Wed, 18 Feb 09
Brain Genius Deluxe for Android: Simple, Entertaining, Buggy
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66200.html
When I first spotted Brain Genius, I figured it would be a fun way to while away some extra minutes and maybe beef up my brain cells a bit. This game is developed by Glu Mobile, which is one of the more prolific developers for the Android platform as well as for other mobile platforms. Glu makes several games for Android, in various genres. Brain Genius bills itself as a way to "train your brain," and it does require a bit of a commitment. It tracks performance and unlocks new games as you progress.
Wed, 18 Feb 09
iPhone to the Rescue: When Ice Storm Hits, Residents Turn to Tech
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66136.html
When an ice storm brought down telephone poles and power lines across much of Kentucky, one small-town mayor pulled out his iPhone and began tapping away, posting rapid-fire updates on Facebook to let his constituents know what was going on. "Will is glad to report that power in parts of the South Main and Grapevine areas is back on. Slowly but surely ...," Madisonville Mayor William Cox typed. Days later, he warned: "Will asks people with frozen water meters to PLEASE not use a torch or build a fire inside the meter box. This WILL damage the cutoff and meter!"
Tue, 17 Feb 09
Windows Shopping, Part 3: The Vista/XP Factor
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66177.html
Microsoft released to the public last month a well-polished beta version of Windows 7. After three weeks of working with the new Windows operating system, I am mostly impressed with its stability and usability. Making this statement is a big step for me. I rejected Vista and linger happily with Windows XP. Overall, I have been pleased with what Microsoft has done with this latest chapter in the Windows OS saga. Is it perfect? No. Is it an OS that I will use by choice when the time comes to cut Windows XP loose? Probably.
Tue, 17 Feb 09
A Tale of 2 Stim Plans: US Sold Out, Intel Got It Right
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66204.html
It's hard not to look at the stimulus package announced last week and not be disappointed. About 35 percent of it is tax cuts that will be so small for the majority of us that it simply won't have an impact other than to put the country in deeper debt. Intel announced its own stimulus package in the form of a massive investment in new fabs; the difference being that the Intel program which also has, for a corporation, unprecedented spending will result in a word that Washington appears to have forgotten -- revenue, and another they likely can't even spell: profit.
Tue, 17 Feb 09
1234567890 Day and a Hot Job at Microsoft
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66202.html
There are few things more frustrating to us here at LinuxInsider than being late to the party. Unfortunately, that's just what happened last week, when we learned a mere 24 hours or so ahead of time that Friday -- notable already for being the 13th -- was none other than 1234567890 Day! How in the world did we miss that one coming? Well, it's true, and we have it direct from the official 1234567890 Day Web site: Last Friday, at exactly 3:31:30 p.m. PST, Unix time was "1234567890." How cool is that?
Mon, 16 Feb 09
The Asus Kitchen Computer: Wait for the Second Batch
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66191.html
AsusTek Computer upended the laptop market when it brought out the tiny, cheap Eee PC a year and a half ago. As a follow-up, the plucky Taiwanese company is trying something harder: conquering the kitchen. Many manufacturers have tried and failed to create a stripped-down computer that's usable in the home's second-least computer-friendly room. So how did Asus do? Well, its attempt turns out to be more than half-baked. What it calls the "Eee Top" could be a welcome item for those who spend a lot of time in the kitchen and can stomach paying $600 for a secondary computer.
Sun, 15 Feb 09
Text Messaging: The Ultimate Romance Killer
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66183.html
So you're on a first date and you notice your potential love interest looking down and fiddling with a cell phone under the table. Or maybe he or she isn't even attempting to hide it. Call it a sign of the times. Or maybe just a sign that he or she is just not that into you. Whichever, many people who play the love scene have a story -- usually a gripe -- about texting while dating. "Oh, the fun of pretending to be interested in what someone else is typing to someone you don't know," says an exasperated Tyler Barnett, a 25-year-old businessman in Los Angeles.
Sat, 14 Feb 09
Big Search Sites Push Canonical Tag to Sweep Up Link Clutter
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66194.html
Search engine giants Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft all announced on their respective official search engine blogs that they would begin utilizing a new so-called canonical tag that will help their search engines cut through the clutter of the Web. More specifically, the announcements are a signal to webmasters to start using the specialized tag to help the big search engines do a better job of indexing Web sites that have duplicate URLs that all point to the same content.
Sat, 14 Feb 09
Local News Could Save Satellite Radio
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66178.html
I hadn't intended to write about Sirius XM so soon after last week's column, but the satellite radio company's financial woes were sending me a clear signal -- one uninterrupted by tunnels, mountains, sunspots and more than US$3 billion in debt. I mentioned Sirius XM last week in reference to Congress' vote to delay the digital TV transition to June; another example of government laying its heavy hands on a hyped technological breakthrough that encountered problems upon arrival for consumers.
Sat, 14 Feb 09
Apple Rumor Chitchat: Tea Leaves and Goat Entrails
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66181.html
Speculation, rumor and unnamed sources: They're often the three main food groups of Apple blog chatter, and this week was no exception. Reportedly, Apple retail stores are getting ready to undergo a software-focused makeover, and Apple will start storing customer movies in the cloud. Meanwhile, the $99 iPhone rumor/prediction just won't die. ifoAppleStore reports that on the heels of Apple revamping its iPhone/iPod table displays to focus on applications that are available for the iPhone and iPod touch, Apple is taking the software focus even further.
Sat, 14 Feb 09
Smashed Satellite Bits Pose 10,000-Year Threat
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66187.html
The crash of two satellites has generated an estimated tens of thousands of pieces of space junk that could circle Earth and threaten other satellites for the next 10,000 years, space experts said Friday. One called the collision "a catastrophic event" that he hoped would force the new U.S. administration to address the issue of debris in space. Russian Mission Control chief Vladimir Solovyov said Tuesday's smashup of a derelict Russian military satellite and a working U.S. Iridium commercial satellite occurred in the busiest part of near-Earth space -- some 500 miles above Earth.
Sat, 14 Feb 09
Web Surfers Want Instant Video Gratification
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66189.html
After the popularity of the online-streamed Inauguration, a sense of rising expectation for live video is already palpable. During Sunday's Grammy broadcast on CBS, for example, the Grammys did exactly what award shows should be doing: They partnered with hip online destinations. Both Twitter and Facebook carried official Grammy updates. ?uestlove of the Roots and producer Diplo also offered a steady stream of Twitter updates from their insider perspective at the Los Angeles award show.
Sat, 14 Feb 09
The Way Forward for Personal and Electronic Medical Records
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66184.html
It should come as no surprise that Maurice Ramirez -- an emergency room attending physician with Florida Hospital's Flagler division -- is in favor of widespread adoption of automated personal health records, or PHRs. Ramirez was once chief medical officer for a company that was developing such an application, but that's not his only reference point. He has also been on the ground in the wake of many disasters. A PHR can be invaluable to both those needing help -- who may be too traumatized to give an accurate medical history -- and their rescuers.
Sat, 14 Feb 09
Queen Takes a Stab at Tech-Savviness
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66188.html
Queen Elizabeth II is offering Internet-savvy subjects the option of applying for a job at her palace through her newly revamped Web site, royal officials said Thursday. First launched in 1997, the British queen's purple-toned site provides pictures, news and background on the monarch and her family. Officials said the improved site will now have a direct link to the videos carried on YouTube's royal channel, integration with Google Maps, and a new section on the queen's pets.
Fri, 13 Feb 09
Sun Brews New Java Platform to Go
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66174.html
Apple's iPhone App Store can seem just as crowded as the real-world Apple Stores can get during the holiday shopping season at your nearest mall. Developers are racing to provide applications that bring more multimedia and data to your phone of choice, and it's that kind of growth that is prompting Sun Microsystems to introduce a new mobile version of its trailblazing Java programming language. Sun announced its Java FX Mobile platform Thursday and also revealed an A-list of handset makers and related companies that are throwing their support toward the platform.
Fri, 13 Feb 09
The Laptop Buyer's Burden: HDD or SSD?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66151.html
They are the next ballyhooed storage technology: Solid state drives are faster and more energy efficient than their popular siblings, hard disk drives. Consequently, many vendors have been touting SSDs as potential replacements for HDDs in laptop systems. However, reports of the death of HDDs may be a bit premature. While SSDs offer many potential long-term benefits, customers do take a sharp, short-term hit in the pocketbook when they go with SSD options, which generally cost more per GB of memory.
Fri, 13 Feb 09
It's OK to Love Linux - Just Don't Looooooooooove Linux
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66163.html
So Valentine's Day is almost upon us once again, and we here at LinuxInsider know that for many geeks, it can be a difficult time of year. Indeed, the love of Linux does not always mesh entirely smoothly with traditional romantic pursuits, making many aficionados slightly wary of the holiday. Anxiety, avoidance and denial can sometimes result -- or at least a sudden need to lock oneself in the basement for a day of intense tinkering. But it needn't be so! Linux geeks can enjoy Valentine's Day too, and we here at LinuxInsider are here to show you how.
Fri, 13 Feb 09
Phoning the Mothership: OrbLive Brings PC Files to iPhone
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66122.html
Since the iPhone has no SD card slot or anything similar, you're pretty much limited to a maximum of about 16 GB of onboard storage for music, photos and videos. The next generation of the iPhone may up that to 32 GB. But if you've been collecting MP3s since the dawn of Napster, 32 GB still might not be enough space for your whole music collection, let alone a handful of videos. But with an iPhone, you've got a nearly constant connection to the Internet, and with an app called OrbLive, you can access almost any media file on your home PC, provided it's turned on.
Fri, 13 Feb 09
Staffer Fiddles With Wikipedia to Polish Pol's Trivia Chops
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66172.html
When checking facts with Wikipedia, it helps to know who edited the entry last. In their weekly debate Wednesday in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and would-be prime minister David Cameron clashed over -- of all things -- how old the Renaissance painter Titian was when he died. Titian came up at Prime Minister's Question Time as Cameron asserted that Brown never got his facts right. "You told us the other day you were like Titian aged 90. The fact is Titian died at 86," the leader of the Conservative Party told the Labour prime minister.
Fri, 13 Feb 09
Nuke Lab Missing Dozens of Computers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66170.html
The Los Alamos nuclear weapons laboratory in New Mexico is missing 69 computers, including at least a dozen that were stolen last year, a lab spokesperson said. No classified information has been lost, spokesperson Kevin Roark said. The watchdog group Project on Government Oversight on Wednesday released a memo dated Feb. 3 from the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration that said 67 computers were missing, including 13 that were lost or stolen in past 12 months.
Fri, 13 Feb 09
High-Speed Sat Crash Adds to Orbiting Space Junk Pile
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66166.html
Scientists are keeping a close eye on orbital debris created when two communications satellites -- one American, the other Russian -- smashed into each other hundreds of miles above the Earth. NASA said it will take weeks to determine the full magnitude of the unprecedented crash and whether any other satellites or even the Hubble Space Telescope are threatened. The collision, which occurred nearly 500 miles over Siberia on Tuesday, was the first high-speed impact between two intact spacecraft, NASA officials said.
Fri, 13 Feb 09
Congressman Tweets His Way Into Hot Water
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66167.html
The top Republican on the House intelligence committee landed in hot water this week after using his Twitter page to update the public on his precise whereabouts while traveling through Iraq and Afghanistan. The revelation prompted the Pentagon to review its policy, which regards such information as sensitive, and lit up the liberal blogosphere with accusations of hypocrisy. Rep. Pete Hoekstra says he did nothing wrong. He pointed to announcements by other high-ranking officials, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which list the countries they plan to visit.
Thu, 12 Feb 09
Could Shortcovers Throw Water on the Kindle?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66160.html
Just days after Amazon released the second edition of its Kindle e-book reader, a potential challenger has emerged from the north and appears set to enter the market. Shortcovers plans to bring e-books to a variety of smartphones and handheld devices, ridding readers of the need to carry an additional dedicated e-book reader. Expected to launch by the end of the month in the U.S. and later this year in Canada, Shortcovers will offer users both an online and mobile destination through which they can acquire and read e-books and other literary content.
Thu, 12 Feb 09
Getting Firewalls to Play Nice With One Another
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66150.html
Home computer users and small-business entrepreneurs usually know enough about broadband Internet security to protect their data with a firewall. In most of these cases, a single firewall at a point of entry to the computers or network is sufficient. Sometimes, though, using multiple firewalls is the smarter option. The bigger the business, the more likely its computers are exposed to the Internet on more than one front. The more points of exposure, the more firewalls should be there for protection.
Thu, 12 Feb 09
Use the Kernel as a Hypervisor - but Trim It Down First
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66146.html
Desktop virtualization is entering into the corporate limelight, after many years of existence as a consumer toy. Recently, for example, Citrix and Intel announced a partnership that will deliver an embedded bare-metal client hypervisor by the second half of 2009. Startup contender Virtual Computer, founded by server virtualization guru and Virtual Iron ex-CTO Alex Vasilevsky, has had its NxTop product in Beta since the fourth quarter of 2008. And it's likely VMware will follow suit with a desktop hypervisor.
Thu, 12 Feb 09
Hadron's Second Shot at Unraveling Universe's Mysteries Postponed
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66155.html
Additional safety features being added to the world's largest atom smasher will postpone its startup until the end of September, a year after the $10 billion machine was sidelined by a simple electrical fault, the operator said Tuesday. The cost of the repairs and added safety features has yet to be determined, but it will be covered by the regular budget of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, spokesperson Christine Sutton said.
Thu, 12 Feb 09
New Inductees to Inventors Hall of Fame Big on Chips
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66157.html
A researcher who pioneered the first liquid crystal displays eventually used in computer screens and televisions is among 15 new members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. George Heilmeier, 73, worked on the first liquid crystal displays at RCA Laboratories in Princeton, N.J. A liquid crystal display, or LCD, is a thin, flat display device that uses a small amount of electric power, making it suitable for use in battery-powered electronic devices. The LCD is one of the reasons laptop computers have been so successful.
Thu, 12 Feb 09
Battery-Powered, Vibrating, Muscle-Cuing Glove Enlivens Piano Students' Fingertips
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66156.html
Georgia Tech researchers are trying to reinvent how students learn to play the piano by developing a glove that vibrates to cue a budding musician which finger needs to be played at a given moment. The goal is to fuse music with muscle memory to teach pianists their craft. "You can literally feel the notes," said Kevin Huang, the Georgia Tech graduate student who came up with the idea. His early design is basically a golf glove powered by a battery that's hooked into five vibrating motors.
Wed, 11 Feb 09
Kaspersky Red-Faced Over SQL Injection Hack
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66148.html
A team of hackers exploited a SQL injection vulnerability to gain access to a customer database protected by security company Kaspersky. It appears the attack did not compromise any data, according to Roel Schouwenberg, a Kaspersky senior antivirus researcher. However, it certainly dealt a blow to the company's reputation. "A Romanian hacker team found a vulnerability in a new site we launched in the U.S.," Schouwenberg told TechNewsWorld. "That vulnerability allowed them to to get some access to that part of the site."
Wed, 11 Feb 09
Google Signs Up for Energy Monitoring Duty
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66147.html
Deciphering a utility bill can be just as difficult for some consumers as reading and understanding the U.S. tax code. The scant details included in the monthly statements provide little or no detailed information about how much electricity consumers' appliances consume on a daily basis. So Google is developing an application that will shed light into the murky sphere of electrical usage. Google PowerMeter designed to bring individual consumers data about power usage they may find useful.
Wed, 11 Feb 09
With Great Amounts of Data Comes Great Responsibility
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66129.html
Data loss prevention: It's come to be one of the terms that we have become unusually familiar with. Data loss prevention isn't about the outright cessation of the loss of personal records; it's about reducing the risk to an acceptable level. There isn't a quadrant in health, finance, construction or any other sector that doesn't have some measure of risk. When the frequency and cost of data breaches outweigh other security concerns, it is time to reassess the risks.
Wed, 11 Feb 09
Google Sync Puts User Info on the Same Page
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66144.html
Google has announced a new beta version of Google Sync that lets iPhone and Windows Mobile users synchronize their Gmail Contacts and Google Calendar events with the Web, PCs, Macs and, of course, their mobile phones. The key innovation with the new Google Sync is that it will let users transfer data to and from their devices to Google's servers in the sky automatically as events or contacts change. Google Sync is also available for BlackBerry users.
Wed, 11 Feb 09
FBook: A Diluted Version of the Real Thing
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66121.html
I admit it, I've developed a bit of a Facebook addiction. It's nothing serious -- I can stop any time I want, but this app might prove to be a bit of a setback for me. FBook is a client that offers much -- but not all -- of the functionality of Facebook on your G1. It offers the ability to upload photos, which you can't do through the browser because of the lack of Flash support. This app also distinguishes itself with push notification of inbox messages. It also includes, through the settings feature, the ability to set the frequency of checks.
Wed, 11 Feb 09
Hollywood's Techies Bask in Oscar's Glow
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66143.html
Host Jessica Biel wore Oscar de la Renta, but it was bearded, buttoned-down Pixar cofounder Ed Catmull who got whoops and whistles at the first Academy Awards presentation of the year. Attendees yelled and stood for Catmull, president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, as he accepted an Oscar statuette Saturday night for a lifetime of work in computer animation. He said he was inspired by early Disney films "Peter Pan" and "Pinocchio," then name-dropped collaborators George Lucas, Steve Jobs and Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter.
Wed, 11 Feb 09
EU Enlists Social Nets in New Initiative to Buck Bullying
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66139.html
Facebook, MySpace and Google signed a pact with the European Union on Tuesday to improve safeguards against the bullying and abuse of teenagers online. The EU said networking sites are currently used by some 42 million people in the bloc and warned that youngsters need to be protected from abusive behavior. The agreement signed by 17 site operators in the EU commits them to limit the risks of misuse by providing a "report abuse" button. This allows users to report "inappropriate contact from or conduct by" another user to the site operator.
Wed, 11 Feb 09
Obama Launches Comprehensive US Cybersecurity Review
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66138.html
President Barack Obama on Monday ordered a 60-day review of the nation's cybersecurity to examine how federal agencies use technology to protect secrets and data. Obama planned to have former Bush administration aide Melissa Hathaway head the effort, a senior White House official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because an announcement had not yet been made. The government manages, compiles and protects massive amounts of data -- everything from passport application to tax records, personal tax returns to national security documents.
Wed, 11 Feb 09
Network Intruders Steal Data on 45,000 FAA Employees
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66141.html
Hackers broke into the Federal Aviation Administration's computer system last week, accessing the names and Social Security numbers of 45,000 employees and retirees. The agency said in a statement Monday that two of the 48 files on the breached computer server contained personal information about employees and retires who were on the FAA's rolls as of the first week of February 2006. The server that was accessed was not connected to the operation of the air traffic control system and there is no indication those systems have been compromised, the statement said.
Tue, 10 Feb 09
AMD Fortifies Phenom II Line With Triple-Core Chips
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66130.html
AMD announced the release of its latest round of Phenom II microprocessors Monday. The five new additions include both triple-core processors and quad-cores that are part of AMD's "Dragon" platform line of desktop PC chips announced last month. Among AMD's offerings are three quad-core and two triple-core processors, marking first time the chipmaker has rolled out a triple-core processor for the Phenom II line. The 2.5-GHz Phenom II X4 805; the 2.6-GHz X4 810; the 2.6-GHz X4 910, the 2.6-GHz Phenom II X3 710 and the 2.8-GHz X3 720 include 45-nanometer architecture.
Tue, 10 Feb 09
Did LG Enter the Right Arena?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66123.html
LG Electronics has released some teaser information about its upcoming LG Arena, model LG-KM900, a touchscreen multimedia phone with a 3-D user interface. It will be formally unveiled by LG next week at the Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona. LG says the Arena's 3-D S-Class UI was specifically designed to be a more fun and engaging gateway to its multimedia environment. It boasts a cube-based layout that provides four customizable home screens for access to its features, which include music, movies and pictures.
Tue, 10 Feb 09
Is Microsoft Looking for Storefront Space at the Mobile App Mall?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66128.html
Ever since an alert blogger spotted a Microsoft ad last year apparently seeking someone to assist in the rollout of a mobile app store, there has been an assumption that the software giant would soon be inviting third-party developers to build on the Windows Mobile platform. That expectation gained more gravitas with a report this weekend that Microsoft would soon be launching an online store to distribute software for cell phones running its Windows Mobile OS.
Tue, 10 Feb 09
Windows Shopping, Part 2: Getting Acquainted
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66064.html
The comfort level of any computer operating system is usually determined by two factors. One is the user's preferences for the OS currently in use. The other is how quickly that user can adjust to the new features of the upgraded OS. For new users, only the second factor matters. Novice computer users have no frame of reference for preferences in how they use the computer. In the case of Microsoft's next OS, Windows 7, only Windows newcomers will have an unbiased response to the its design and functionality.
Tue, 10 Feb 09
Super Bowl Swings at 3-D and Misses
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66117.html
Last week was an unusually interesting week. We started the week with one of the biggest 3-D attempts ever -- both Super Bowl ads and an episode of "Chuck," both of which showcased the problems with 3-D. At the same time, I was playing "World of Warcraft" in 3-D, and that was working just fine. Toward the end of the week, HP Labs showcased a way to cut dramatically the cost and ecological impact of printing, and Lenovo went from what was effectively a two-CEO company to one CEO. This is a tough year, and the firms that will stand out are those that can execute under that framework.
Tue, 10 Feb 09
The Cost of Securing 911 Against Scary Pranksters
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66050.html
Doug Bates and his wife, Stacey, were in bed around 10 p.m., their 2-year-old daughters asleep in a nearby room. Suddenly they were shaken awake by the wail of police sirens and the rumble of a helicopter above their suburban Southern California home. A criminal must be on the loose, they thought. Doug Bates got up to lock the doors and grabbed a knife. A beam from a flashlight hit him. He peeked into the backyard. A swarm of police, assault rifles drawn, ordered him out of the house. Bates emerged, frightened and with the knife in his hand, as his wife frantically dialed 911.
Tue, 10 Feb 09
Linux Distros: Strength in Numbers or One Size Fits All?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66120.html
Is it better to have multiple flavors of a thing to suit the tastes of multiple users, or do the benefits of standardization outweigh the value added by all those variations? That question was at the heart of a contentious discussion going on in recent days throughout the Linux blogs. It all started when DistroWatch published an interview with none other than Linus Torvalds early last week. For those who missed it, Torvalds also featured prominently in the headlines late last month for revealing that he had switched from KDE to Gnome.
Tue, 10 Feb 09
Celio Redfly: Not Quite a Smartphone's Best Friend
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66086.html
You might think your smartphone is pretty brainy, but is it clever enough to essentially replace your laptop while on the go? Salt Lake City-based Celio is betting you want a bit of both devices at the same time. It has come up with Redfly, which looks like a tiny laptop, but is actually a keyboard and screen that harnesses the processing power and storage space of smartphones that use Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. It does enhance some phone features, but given its price, relative chunkiness and limitations, I won't ditch my laptop for one of these just yet.
Sun, 8 Feb 09
Street Corners, Internal Organs, Watery Depths: Google Is Watching
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66113.html
Now you and your friends can play "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" with Google's new mobile technology called "Latitude," but you, or they -- all of you, as a matter of fact -- can be Carmen. All of your movements can be geographically tracked through cell tower signals, and everyone you let in on the game can potentially be your own personal stalker, following you by smartphone or regular old PC. Google's idea is that friends want to let friends know where they are, so they can link up more easily.
Sat, 7 Feb 09
EA Plans Multi-Pronged 'Battlefield' Blitz
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66115.html
Electronic Arts announced Thursday plans to release new installments of its "Battlefield" (BF) video game franchise this year. Developed by Dice, the game publisher will launch three new versions of the World War II-era game. The first title, "Battlefield 1943," will be released during the summer of 2009 via the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace and on the PC. The new multiplayer game is intended to prepare gamers for the follow-up to the popular 2008 release, "Battlefield: Bad Company."
Sat, 7 Feb 09
Google Opens New Chapter With iPhone, Android Book Search
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66114.html
Can the wide-open vistas of the imagination that were unlocked by famed authors Edgar Rice Burroughs, Rudyard Kipling and Charles Dickens really be enjoyed on a 3.5-inch smartphone screen? Will the wit of Mark Twain's "Roughing It" or the subtle comedy of manners found in Jane Austen's "Emma" come across well when the device you're reading those books on interrupts you for a phone call? Bookworms who are also Googlehounds are about to find out. The search company announced Thursday that it would begin offering a mobile version of Google Book Search.
Sat, 7 Feb 09
Ramblings of a DTV Conspiracy Theorist
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66099.html
With apologies to Oliver Stone, I have a conspiracy theory of my own regarding the real reason for the recent delay in the transition from analog to digital television. Those endless public service announcements reminding us all of the previous February switchover date have become just so darn popular with TV viewers that the government and broadcasters have decided to turn them all into a reality series. The estimated 6.5 million homes left in the U.S. that still aren't ready for the switch will have to search, "Amazing Race"-style, across the country for the last 1,000 converter coupons.
Sat, 7 Feb 09
Calif.'s Fertility Flap and the Future of Reproductive Tech
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66100.html
The news of octuplets born recently near Los Angeles shocked many people, especially since the mother, Nadya Suleman, apparently already had six children and is reported to be jobless and living with her parents. Such rare stories certainly sell newspapers, but they can also lead to knee-jerk calls for overly restrictive regulation, which threaten freedom and innovation. Already, comment boards and blogs around the Web are rife with calls for greater government oversight of the reproductive technology field.
Sat, 7 Feb 09
Upcoming Snow Leopard May Put Macs on the Map
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66112.html
While Apple has said that the next version of its Mac OS X operating system, dubbed "Snow Leopard," will be more of a performance-based release rather than a cornucopia of new features, the latest builds of the OS that Apple has released to developers indicate it may include new location-based tools that can determine a Mac's location, as well as new multi-touch capabilities. The next version of OS X includes the CoreLocation framework that was previously used in the iPhone software developer's kit, according to a report.
Sat, 7 Feb 09
Mac Bloggers Gobble Up Games, Mark Time on MacBooks, Send iPods to Souper-Upper
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66101.html
Hard news has been scarce in the Apple-focused blogosphere this week -- time to come up for air? -- but there's still plenty of interesting chatter. In some of the more interesting recent threads: Apple has apparently run into a supply chain issue that's delayed the delivery of its new aluminum unibody 17-inch MacBook Pros, Rapid Repair is Frankenstein-izing iPods with 240 GB hard drives, and some bloggers are watching TV on their iPhones. Plus, iPhone owners seem to be downloading way more than their fair share of mobile games.
Sat, 7 Feb 09
Teens Face Sex Offender Prosecution Over Racy Cell Phone Pix
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66111.html
Though youth is fleeting, images sent on a cell phone or posted online may not be, especially if they're naughty. Teenagers' habit of distributing nude self-portraits electronically -- often called "sexting" if it's done by cell phone -- has parents and school administrators worried. Some prosecutors have begun charging teens who send and receive such images with child pornography and other serious felonies. But is that the best way to handle it? "Hopefully we'll get the message out to these kids," says Michael McAlexander, a prosecutor in Allen County, Ind., which includes Fort Wayne.
Sat, 7 Feb 09
Sea-Level Rise From Antarctic Ice Melt Underestimated
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66110.html
Long-term sea level increases that could have a devastating effect on southern Florida and highly populated coastal areas may be even larger than once thought, a report suggests. Some studies have suggested that melting of ice in Antarctica and other areas could raise sea levels by 16 feet to 17 feet over the long run, a potential threat to coastal areas such as Washington, D.C., New York City and California. However, a report in Friday's edition of the journal Science warns that factors not previously considered could one day boost that increase to up to 21 feet in some areas.
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Garmin Finds a Friend in Asus for Smartphone Foray
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66102.html
Hardware maker Asus and navigation system manufacturer Garmin announced a "strategic alliance" Wednesday that will result in a line of cobranded mobile phones. Each company will bring their specialty -- mobile telephony and navigation, respectively -- to the table for the line of location-centric Garmin-Asus Nuvifone models, several of which are expected to hit store shelves in 2009. Garmin originally announced plans for its so-called Nuvifone in 2008. That device will be renamed the "G60" and will be available in the first half of 2009.
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Google, IBM Team on Do-It-Yourself Medical Monitoring Tech
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66096.html
It's not "Star Trek" and Dr. "Bones" McCoy's tricorder sensor, but it is one step closer to where no medical patient has gone before; the ability to stream his or her vital signs from a health monitoring device to a computer, thanks to a partnership announced Thursday by IBM and Google. IBM's new software will work with Google Health, the search giant's free online medical record database announced last summer. Soon, a patient will be able to send data on heart rate, blood pressure and other medical information from their homes or doctor's offices to their Google Health accounts.
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Woz Lands Chief Scientist Gig at SSD Firm
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66103.html
Steve Wozniak, the man who cofounded Apple but hasn't held an official position there in years, has snagged a job as the chief scientist for Fusion-io, a Salt Lake City-based provider of enterprise solid-state architecture and high-performance I/O solutions. Wozniak will act as a key technical advisor to the Fusion-io research and development group. Plus, he'll work closely with the executive team of Fusion-io in formulating company strategy. Prior to his appointment as chief scientist at Fusion-io, Wozniak was a member of the company's advisory board.
Fri, 6 Feb 09
How to Build a Small-Business Web Site, Part 5: Outsource or DIY?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66080.html
Many small-business operators have been especially hard-hit when it comes to managing their IT resources -- including their Web sites. Those who want to keep up a professional front despite the recent economic woes might find they can do a lot more with less with some strategic outsourcing. "The economy is making [small-business owners] jittery when it comes to committing dollars," Michael Schultz, director of marketing and product manager for Microsoft Office Live, told TechNewsWorld.
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Top Linuxy Alternatives and Staying True to FOSS
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66082.html
The past week or so has been a time not just of evangelism on the Linux blogs, but also of reflection. Specifically, even as many Linux bloggers pondered the best ways to spread the Linux love, others have performed the equally useful function of taking stock of where things stand in the Linux world. To wit: Following up on its "State of the Penguin" report from late last year, the blog of Helios recently posted a look at the state of Linux in the business world, specifically.
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Apple's Remote: An App Near to My TV-Hungry Heart
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66043.html
So, you've got the wireless router for your home broadband connection all set up and all the computers in the house talking to it. Maybe you've got a dedicated media center machine or an Apple TV, or perhaps you're using a dedicated hard drive connected to a home office computer to store media files. At any rate, you're using iTunes as your media player of choice, and you're tired of running to a keyboard every time you want to change songs or pause a movie. Me too. So I downloaded Apple's Remote app from the iTunes App Store.
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Hacked Road Signs Warn of Zombies, Officials Aren't Laughing
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66093.html
Pranksters in at least three states are messing with electronic road signs meant to warn motorists of possible traffic problems by putting drivers on notice about Nazi zombies and raptors. And highway safety officials aren't amused. The latest breach came Tuesday during the morning rush hour near Collinsville, Ill., where hackers changed a sign along southbound Interstate 255 to read, "DAILY LANE CLOSURES DUE TO ZOMBIES." A day earlier in Indiana's Hamilton County, the electronic message on a board in Carmel's construction zone warned drivers of "RAPTORS AHEAD -- CAUTION."
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Teen Accused in Facebook Sex Scam Could Get 300 Years
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66094.html
An 18-year-old male student is accused of posing as a girl on Facebook, tricking at least 31 male classmates into sending him naked photos of themselves and then blackmailing some for sex acts. "The kind of manipulation that occurred here is really sinister in my estimation," Waukesha, Wis., County District Attorney Brad Schimel said Wednesday. The students go to New Berlin Eisenhower High School in New Berlin, which is in Waukesha County about 15 miles west of Milwaukee.
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Giant Webcam to Monitor Deep Seas for Climate Change Effects
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66091.html
A crane on a ship deck hoisted a 502-pound video camera and plopped it into the ocean for a 3,000-foot descent to the world of neon-glowing jellyfish, bug-eyed red rock cod and other still unknown slithery critters. The so-called Eye-in-the-Sea camera would be added to the first observatory operating in deep sea water and become part of a new kind of scientific exploration to assess the impacts of climate change on marine life. "Bye bye," said marine scientist Edith Widder, as the bulking Web camera splashed into the water and disappeared into blackness. "Hope it works."
Fri, 6 Feb 09
Monster Breach Highlights Weak State of Computer Security
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66092.html
For the second time in less than 18 months, the job-search Web site Monster.com was breached, along with USAJobs.gov, which Monster's parent company runs for the federal government. And yet Monster might suffer little fallout -- because the overall state of computer security is so bad anyway. Attacks against Web sites have become so common, security experts say, that Monster Worldwide won't necessarily scare customers away with its January disclosure that its database was plundered of user IDs, passwords, email addresses, names and phone numbers.
Thu, 5 Feb 09
Yahoo Search Puts New Research Assistant to Work
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66085.html
Yahoo introduced a new feature Wednesday designed to help make online research easier. Dubbed "Search Pad," the new companion search tool will enable users to keep track of Web sites and take notes when conducting online research. Currently in beta, Search Pad is designed to allow students, information workers and Internet surfers on a mission to do away with cutting and pasting content to a word-processing document or e-mail; bookmarking the search results or a bevy of sites; or simply writing pertinent results down on a sticky pad or notebook.
Thu, 5 Feb 09
Google Puts You on the Map
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66060.html
Until now, it seemed the only thing Google didn't know about you was where you were. Now that its mission to capture and categorize all information online is well in hand, Google has taken steps to add that missing piece with the introduction of
Latitude. Built into Google Maps for Mobile and iGoogle, this location-sharing feature tracks users' comings and goings. After they sign up for the opt-in service and activate the friend-sharing feature, Google follows users by means of signals from nearby cell towers.
Thu, 5 Feb 09
LeapFish Easily Swims Through Multiple Search Ponds
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66044.html
California-based LeapFish launched a new style of search engine last month, offering users a multi-dimensional search aggregator that combines several features to provide more focused results. This one deserves a prominent spot in your browser bookmarks. Similar to the Gogimon Search Channel, which launched last month as well, LeapFish has a look and feel that enhances users' comfort levels with Google, Yahoo and MSN Search. Simply clicking one of these three search engine buttons -- they appear above the LeapFish search bar -- displays that engine's results for quick comparison.
Thu, 5 Feb 09
VMware Rolls Out Open Source Virtual Desktop Client
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66068.html
VMware is introducing an open source version of its View product -- specifically, an open source client for virtual desktop infrastructure aimed at the data center. Called "VMware View Open Client," this release is largely a partner or ecosystem play for the company, pushing out the VMware View source code to partners to make it easier for them to customize their own applications or build new devices around the VMware source code, Jerry Chen, senior director of enterprise desktop virtualization, told LinuxInsider.
Thu, 5 Feb 09
Boxee Gives New Meaning to Plug and Play
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66042.html
Like millions of Americans, I find myself at a digital crossroads. I nervously eye reports on whether or not the U.S. Congress will delay the switch to digital television. More locally, I consider the fate of my older, 20-inch living room television set with its charming rabbit ears and snazzy, newly installed digital converter box. Among the questions I'm considering are whether or not to put aside my spiteful attitude and sign on to a cable or satellite service, or purchase a digital-ready set.
Thu, 5 Feb 09
GTA IV Gets New Tunes for New Ride
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66075.html
When "Grand Theft Auto IV" debuts another downloadable episode later this month, there'll be not only new story lines and characters, but also new music for the ride.
Busta Rhymes, Funkmaster Flex and others have been added to music stations on the radio dial in "The Lost and the Damned," an episode that features hours of new content for the popular video game, which released the fourth part of its series to great fanfare -- and sales -- last year.
Thu, 5 Feb 09
NASA Bumps Back Shuttle Launch on Fuel Valve Concerns
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66072.html
NASA on Tuesday delayed next week's launch of space shuttle Discovery while it runs tests to determine whether newly installed valves would cause serious damage if they broke during liftoff. The launch will take place no sooner than Feb. 19, seven days after the shuttle was originally scheduled to take off on a space station construction mission. The delay is needed to make certain that Discovery can fly safely with the valves that control the flow of gaseous hydrogen into the external fuel tank, said NASA's space operations chief, Bill Gerstenmaier.
Thu, 5 Feb 09
With Windows 7, Microsoft Simplifies the Message, Not the Menu
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66069.html
Microsoft on Tuesday said it will heavily promote two main versions of the next Windows operating system in an attempt to avoid the problems it faced by marketing four tiers of the Windows Vista system. But while the Redmond-based company said it will simplify its message, it did not give up the multitiered approach with Windows 7, which is officially expected at the end of January 2010. All told, there will be at least six different versions. Microsoft said the primary versions will be called "Windows 7 Home Premium" and "Windows 7 Professional."
Thu, 5 Feb 09
MySpace Tally of Booted Sex Offenders Reaches 90,000
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66070.html
About 90,000 sex offenders have been identified and removed from the social networking Web site MySpace, company and law enforcement officials said Tuesday. The number was nearly double what MySpace officials originally estimated last year, said North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper, who along with Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has led efforts to make social networking Web sites safer for young users. Cooper said he wasn't surprised by the updated numbers, and demanded that MySpace and rival online networking site Facebook do more to protect children.
Wed, 4 Feb 09
US to Enlist 20-Petaflop IBM Supercomputer for Nuke Management Duty
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66067.html
The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration has tapped IBM to build a massive new supercomputer that will deliver a record-breaking 20 petaflops of computing power. The proposed supercomputer is nicknamed "Sequoia," and it'll come with 500 teraflop sidekick, Dawn. Both computers will be delivered to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where, according to NNSA, they'll "help continue to ensure the safety and reliability of the nation's aging nuclear deterrent."
Wed, 4 Feb 09
Google Earth Sets Course for Open Seas
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66062.html
Google unearthed the latest version of its Earth mapping tool Monday at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Google Earth 5.0 adds a number of new features to the geo-mapping service, perhaps the most significant of which is providing some definition to the world's great bodies of water with Google Ocean. Although the application had always included a representation of the Earth's oceans, they were simply blue expanses with occasional low-resolution shading to provide some depth, said John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps.
Wed, 4 Feb 09
Is It Too Late for Homes to Get Smart?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66040.html
Ten years ago, the "smart home" was all the rage. Almost every company in our market had a concept center or display house that showed the functionality of the digital home. I remember a visit to GTE's offices in the Dallas area, where they had a multiroom digital home display that showed a variety of advanced communications, entertainment and home management features. It appeared that the world was quickly heading to a time in which consumers could expect much more out of their homes.
Wed, 4 Feb 09
Wikitude: A Promising First Step for a Virtual Tour Guide
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66041.html
Wikitude was a top-50 finalist in the Android Developer Challenge, and like ShopSavvy, it is a good illustration of what's possible with the mashing together of the G1's capabilities. In this case, Wikitude uses the GPS for location-awareness and combines that with the wealth of information that's available from Wikipedia. Aimed squarely at tourists, this app superimposes information about points of interest on either a Google map or a view through your camera's viewfinder. Since the application uses your phone's GPS chip and the camera viewfinder, it sucks battery power pretty quickly.
Wed, 4 Feb 09
Warming Up to Tavo's iPhone-Friendly Gloves
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66014.html
Winter tests the patience of many iPhone users. After all, Apple's device, like other gadgets with touchscreen technology, will work only with the touch of an uncovered finger. So if you're wearing gloves, you have a dilemma: Bare your hands to use your beloved devices, or let calls, texts and e-mails go unanswered while you're braving the elements? A company called "4sight Products" has a solution: $40 gloves that have electrically conductive gold-colored material on the tip of the index finger and thumb.
Wed, 4 Feb 09
Iran Frames Telecom Sat Launch as Message of Hope
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66058.html
Iran has successfully sent its first domestically made satellite into orbit, the country's president announced Tuesday, claiming a significant step in an ambitious space program that has worried many international observers. The satellite, called "Omid," or "hope" in Farsi, was launched late Monday after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave the order to proceed, according to a report on state radio. State television showed footage of what it said was the nighttime liftoff of the rocket carrying the satellite at an unidentified location in Iran.
Wed, 4 Feb 09
Futurists Break Ground on Singularity U
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66054.html
Technology is changing the world so rapidly that even geniuses need help making sense of it all. That's the idea underlying Singularity University, an unconventional school that will host its first class of 30 graduate students this summer. They will take a nine-week course exploring ways to ensure technology improves mankind's plight instead of harming it. Singularity's founders planned to unveil the school's grand ambitions Tuesday in Long Beach, Calif., at the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design conference, known as "TED."
Tue, 3 Feb 09
Did Malware Gaffe Dim Google's Glow?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66047.html
Anyone using Google between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. EST on Saturday saw an interesting message pop up alongside nearly all their search results: "This site may harm your computer." Users may indeed know that Web sites sometimes harbor suspicious computer code that can dump spyware or worse on their computers, and that Google will raise a red flag for its customers when it finds such a Web site in search results. But nearly every search result?
Tue, 3 Feb 09
Windows Shopping, Part 1: Getting a New View
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66033.html
In a broad strategy change, Microsoft released its much-awaited beta version of its next operating system, Windows 7, the second week of January. The software giant eliminated the usual restrictions surrounding its OS betas by making it available to anyone who wants to call him or herself a beta tester. Perhaps the idea was to jump-start a stampede of interest away from the widely criticized Windows Vista OS, which has failed to convince some potential users to upgrade from its predecessor, Windows XP.
Tue, 3 Feb 09
Will the iPhone Ever See the Light of Flash?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66045.html
Even before the iPhone officially launched, speculation over whether it would run a version of Adobe System's immensely popular Flash multimedia software ran rampant. Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously noted that Flash just wasn't ready for iPhone, though Adobe has said in the past that it intends bring Flash to the device. The issue has arisen once again following a tiny comment from Adobe's Chief Executive Officer Shantanu Narayen, who last week spoke to Bloomberg Television for an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Tue, 3 Feb 09
Turnaround Scorecard: Obama's US, Stringer's Sony, and Bartz's Yahoo
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66029.html
We actually are seeing a large number of turnarounds going on in the industry, and all are overshadowed by President Obama's effort to turn around the country. Last week's vote on the stimulus package would indicate things aren't going well for Obama because, while it passed, all Republicans voted against it -- but it showcases the exact kind of problem Howard Stringer is having at Sony. In addition, Carol Bartz's first showing during the dismal Yahoo financial report was actually rather impressive, suggesting at least one of the three is initially doing well.
Tue, 3 Feb 09
Comcast Sets Up Commuter Hotspots in NJ
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66038.html
Comcast is testing a free wireless Internet service for its cable subscribers in parts of New Jersey, following in the footsteps of a fellow cable operator. Comcast shadowed Cablevision Systems, which is offering WiFi in its Long Island, Connecticut and Westchester markets and will complete the wireless rollout by early 2010. The collaboration is meant to extend the reach of each cable operator's WiFi; a Comcast customer can access his cable operator's WiFi in certain Cablevision markets and vice versa.
Tue, 3 Feb 09
Helping Newbies Learn to Love Linux
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66031.html
As if in the blink of an eye, January has come to an end and it's the month of Love once again. How in tarnation did that happen so fast? Of course, we geeks tend to have mixed feelings about V-Day and all its associated social pressures. Rather than dwelling on those, however, or all the pangs of anxiety they might bring on, Linux bloggers in this past week apparently turned their thoughts to another kind of love. Specifically, all throughout the blogosphere, in discussions far and wide, Linux aficionados pondered how to spread the love of Linux to those who don't yet know it.
Tue, 3 Feb 09
Comcast Customers in Tucson Subjected to Smutty Super Bowl Interruption
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66035.html
A Tucson television station's broadcast of the Super Bowl on Sunday was interrupted for some viewers by about 10 seconds of pornographic material, the station said. KVOA TV in Tucson released a statement saying that the only viewers who were able to see the material were those who receive the channel through Comcast cable. The station said it will investigate the incident. "When the NBC feed of the Super Bowl was transmitted from KVOA to local cable providers and through over-the-air antennas, there was no pornographic material," KVOA's Gary Nielsen said in a statement.
Mon, 2 Feb 09
Biometrics: Booming on the Battlefield, Hampered in the Homeland
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/66026.html
On the front lines in Iraq, U.S. troops can scan someone's eye or finger to try to determine if he is a potential enemy or has been connected to a terror attack. At military bases on U.S. soil, it's not that easy. The use of biometrics -- ranging from simple fingerprints to more advanced retinal and facial scans -- has thrived in Iraq, where soldiers carry handheld devices that enable them to link to databases filled with hundreds of thousands of identities. But in Colorado, military bases just 20 miles or so apart have different identification requirements.
Sun, 1 Feb 09
Preparing for the Silver Tsunami: Innovative Elder-Tech
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/65976.html
After back-to-back hospital visits for congestive heart failure, Eva Olweean figured her health was back to normal. But the nurses at her retirement home knew better: Motion sensors in the 86-year-old's bed detected too many restless nights. Tiny sensors hover unobtrusively over the toilet, shower and doorways to detect Olweean's movements inside her apartment. Pneumatic tubes tucked in the mattress and beneath her easy chair measure weight shifts. Caregivers and researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia study the data.
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