Technology World

Main

Technology

Army Technology
Cyberwars
Military Technology
Newsfactor Technology
Technology World
Yahoo Technology
Random Feeds

Archives

| Feb 2012 | Jan 2012 | Dec 2011 | Nov 2011 | Oct 2011 | Sep 2011 | Aug 2011 | Jul 2011 | Jun 2011 | May 2011 | Apr 2011 | Mar 2011 | Feb 2011 | Jan 2011 | Dec 2010 | Nov 2010 | Oct 2010 | Sep 2010 | Aug 2010 | Jul 2010 | Jun 2010 | May 2010 | Apr 2010 | Mar 2010 | Feb 2010 | Jan 2010 | Dec 2009 | Nov 2009 | Oct 2009 | Sep 2009 | Aug 2009 | Jul 2009 | Jun 2009 | May 2009 | Apr 2009 | Mar 2009 | Feb 2009 | Jan 2009 | Dec 2008 | Nov 2008 | Oct 2008 | Sep 2008 | Aug 2008 | Jul 2008 | Jun 2008 | May 2008 | Apr 2008 | Mar 2008 | Feb 2008 | Jan 2008 | Dec 2007 | Nov 2007 |

Wed, 30 Sep 09
Dell Zeros In on the Corner Office With High-Style, $2K Laptop
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68242.html
This is way out of the Dell dude's league. Dell's newest addition to the Latitude line, the Z600, is designed as a sleek envy item for high-ranking corporate executives, entrepreneurs and other style leaders, and bears the stats to prove it, beginning with its $1,999 starting price tag. Dell bills the 4.5-pound , 0.57-inch thick unit with a "black cherry" finish as the lightest, thinnest 16-inch unit on the market, as well as the world's first laptop with wireless docking as an optional accessory.

Wed, 30 Sep 09
Obama Death Poll on FB Puts Third-Party Apps in Spotlight
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68245.html
Facebook now has some new "friends:" the United States Secret Service, thanks to a startling weekend poll appearing on the world's largest social network that asked the question, "Should Obama be killed?" The poll provided four possible answers: "Yes," "No," "Maybe," and "Yes if he cuts my healthcare." Some 750 people had responded to the poll before Facebook members alerted the network and it removed the survey. Threatening the life of the president is a federal crime, so the Secret Service began its investigation Monday, and Facebook is cooperating with the agency.

Wed, 30 Sep 09
New Microsoft Security App Battens Down Windows for Free
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68243.html
Microsoft released version 1.0 of Microsoft Security Essentials, a free basic anti-malware service from Redmond, on Tuesday. This replaces Microsoft's discontinued Live OneCare Security-as-a-Service offering. Live OneCare customers can move to Microsoft Security Essentials once their subscriptions expire. Microsoft Security Essentials is a lightweight application that runs in the background and takes up few CPU and memory resources, the vendor said. It is the first Microsoft security product to use the company's new Dynamic Signature Service.

Wed, 30 Sep 09
GPS Safety, Part 1: Texting, Part 2?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68174.html
Looking through the news, it's not hard to find a story about someone driving into a river or onto railroad on the advice of an in-car navigation system. Last year, a Seattle bus driver blamed his GPS unit after he collided with a bridge embankment, injuring several of his passengers, according to the Seattle Times. The Mirror newspaper in Great Britain reported on a survey it had conducted estimating that navigation systems were behind some 300,000 accidents or near accidents in the UK.

Wed, 30 Sep 09
Google Lashes Out at Android Dev
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68237.html
Google sent shock waves through the Android community late last week by launching a cease-and-desist order at well-regarded modder Cyanogen for bundling some of its closed-source applications with his CyanogenMod ROM. CyanogenMod is a free, heavily optimized build of Android 1.5r2 that focuses on performance and reliability. Its developer -- Steve Kondik, also known as "Cyanogen" -- claims some 30,000 users for the firmware product, which bundles closed-source Google apps such as Gmail, Market, Talk and YouTube.

Wed, 30 Sep 09
Cobbling Together an Almost Good-as-New MacBook
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68191.html
One question that often plagues me is whether it's worth upgrading an existing Apple notebook with more RAM and a new hard drive -- or whether it's a better option to simply buy a whole new one altogether. I tend to buy a new PowerBook, iBook, or MacBook every two years or so, and usually around the 16-month point, I'm in a quandary -- I'm usually running out hard drive space, I'm running more applications at the same time than ever before, and now the new MacBook Pro models are fantastic but don't seem quite worth the cost just yet.

Wed, 30 Sep 09
New CNN iPhone App Puts Another Brick in the Paywall
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68239.html
CNN is coming out with an iPhone application Tuesday that has a feature few other news apps have tried: a price tag. There's been a lot of talk this year about finally charging readers for news, especially on mobile devices, where media executives see a chance to condition consumers to handing over a few dollars for a constant stream of updates to their pocket. CNN is among the first big news outlets to give it a shot. Its app costs $1.99 to download.

Tue, 29 Sep 09
EU Sets Out to Save the iPod Generation's Hearing
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68234.html
The European Union has updated volume standards for portable devices that play music, such as MP3 players and mobile phones. Going forward, new products will be required to maintain their default setting at 80 decibels. The new rules upgrade EU directives CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, which require that warnings about the dangers of listening to music at high volumes be included in device instruction manuals. They will be adopted after a two-year consultation period with industry, consumers and the medical community.

Tue, 29 Sep 09
Intel Shows Glimpse of Light Peak Device Connector
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68231.html
By Autumn of 2010, Apple may be ready to introduce a line of Macs using Light Peak, an optical interconnect technology just unveiled by Intel. Intel showed off Light Peak at its developer forum in San Francisco last week. Apple approached Intel with the idea of creating a technology that could handle massive amounts of data and offer one connector to replace all the different connectors used with computers, according to a weekend post on the technology blog Engadget. Light Peak is the code name for a high-speed optical cable technology to connect electronic devices to each other.

Tue, 29 Sep 09
Who's Watching You Browse?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68226.html
Being on the Internet is like living in a village: Everyone knows who you are and all the details of your private life -- except that on the Internet, it's not just people you may have known all your life who know a lot about you; it's complete and utter strangers. It's not just that those strangers may know stuff that could really make you uncomfortable, such as the fact you perhaps posted photos of yourself stinking drunk on your Facebook page. More importantly, they can track the Web sites you visit and report back to someone who wants to track you.

Tue, 29 Sep 09
The US' Perilous Path to Energy Enslavement
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68214.html
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to watch Andy Grove talk about saving the Hidden in the messaging at the Intel Developer Forum last week was a goal to dramatically lower U.S. electricity bills and save the country from becoming an energy slave to China by 2020. At the core of this is the view that the current Obama administration may be focused on the right things but in the wrong order. If we don't fix the energy problem -- in short, our addiction to oil -- first, then other things -- like healthcare reform and the war on terror -- will fail.

Tue, 29 Sep 09
Fat or Fit? The Penguin's Bulging Waistline
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68228.html
"The kernel is huge and bloated," said none other than Linus Torvalds during a panel at LinuxCon, triggering a discussion that's still generating heat in the blogosphere. Every time a new feature gets added, the problem gets worse, he reportedly said. The question of bloat in Linux "reminds me of a classic Canadian vs. American rivalry," Montreal consultant and Slashdot blogger told LinuxInsider. "We have better beer than the Americans; that's brilliant, but we have the second worst beer in the world."

Tue, 29 Sep 09
HP Works Macs Into the Media Server Mix
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68219.html
There's more for Mac users to like in a pair of media servers unwrapped this month by HP. The new media servers, the MediaSmart EX590 and EX495, offer an array of new features aimed at Apple-using households. They can collect media from Macs on a home network. Media collection can be automated so as new photos, video or music are added to a Mac on the Net, they will be automatically copied to the server, where they can be viewed or heard, depending on access configuration, by any computer or device -- like an iPod touch -- connected to the network.

Mon, 28 Sep 09
Social Malpractice: Medical Students Who Share Too Much
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68225.html
From Facebook to YouTube to personal blogs, future doctors are crossing the line -- and getting in trouble. A new study finds most medical school deans surveyed said they were aware of students posting unprofessional content online, including photos of drug paraphernalia and violations of patient privacy. Some infractions resulted in warnings, others in being expelled. The survey cited a handful of examples. In one, a student posted identifying patient details on Facebook. Another requested an inappropriate friendship with a patient on the site.

Sun, 27 Sep 09
Web Sites That Show Us the Way We Were: Ghastly
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68223.html
Matching mullets, regrettable tattoos, metal mouths and goofy grins. Such long-lost looks were never meant to be seen by anyone except those flipping through the pages of an old family album or studying the photo frames on the fireplace mantel. Now, however, Americans who grew up long before the Internet opened private lives to the world are digging up dusty boxes for photos to share on Facebook and other sites -- sometimes to the chagrin of family members and schoolmates appearing in group shots.

Sat, 26 Sep 09
Intel Wants to Put the Internet Inside Your TV
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68221.html
The dream of taking Internet TV to an actual TV seems a no-brainer to consumers: a screen's a screen, and a monitor's just another screen, after all. However, there's more to the technology than meets the eye or fits the couch potato's view. Even so, Intel made a huge step toward plugging the Internet TV play on Thursday when it unveiled Atom processor CE4100, its 45nm System-on-Chip for Internet TV. Code-named "Sodaville," the CE4100 processor is the first 45nm-manufactured consumer electronics SoC based on Intel architecture.

Sat, 26 Sep 09
A Flash Forward to the Media's Near Future
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68210.html
The new ABC television series "Flash Forward," which premiered this week, has the promise of a great premise: For some reason, everybody in the world blacks out for two and a half minutes. Planes fall from the sky, cars crash, people drop where they stand, some cracking their skulls from hitting their heads on the pavement. During the time they are unconscious, they get a vision of their futures six months hence. Then everybody wakes up, and it's chaos. Do they keep on their current path toward destiny, or can/should they change their futures?

Sat, 26 Sep 09
Groundbreaking Alzheimer's Gene Therapy Trial Moves Ahead
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68216.html
Tests of a promising new gene therapy to treat Alzheimer's disease are moving to the phase II level, bringing the reversal of dementia damage one step closer to becoming a real medical possibility. Developed by scientists in The Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University, CERE-110 is a virus engineered with the gene encoding nerve growth factor. The virus is injected directly into the affected parts of the brain through holes surgically drilled into the patient's skull.

Sat, 26 Sep 09
LiMo Revs Up for R2 Handset Drive
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68213.html
The LiMo Foundation, a consortium dedicated to creating an open, hardware-independent, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices delivered a one- two- punch to the mobile industry Thursday. First, Morgan Gillis, executive director, announced that consortium members are "moving into full commercialization mode" and all operator members on the LiMo Board have "reaffirmed their intent to bring LiMo R2 devices and associated services to market during 2009/2010." Operators that intend to bring these handsets to market include NTT DoCoMo, Orange, SK Telecom, Telefonica, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone.

Sat, 26 Sep 09
Courier vs. iTablet: Portable Office or Portable Living Room?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68209.html
It's quite possible that Microsoft has a product in development that could give Apple's long-rumored tablet device some real competition. The potential product is apparently called "Courier," and according to images and video leaked to gadget blog Gizmodo, it's pretty freakin' amazing. At first glance, Courier looks more like a booklet than a tablet. It opens and closes like a book, and it appears to be bound in a leather or faux leather cover. Each side sports a seven-inch-or-so screen, and when closed, it might be less than an inch thick.

Sat, 26 Sep 09
Honda Demos Unicycle-Style Mobility Concept Device
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68217.html
Honda's new "personal mobility" device looks like a unicycle, but all you need to do to zip around on it -- sideways as well as forward and back -- is lean your weight into the direction you want to go. The U3-X was designed to be small, safe and unobtrusive enough to mingle with pedestrians, according to Honda Motor. The single wheel on the U3-X -- the "U" stands for "unicycle" and "universal" -- is made up of many tiny motor-controlled wheels, packed inside the bigger wheel, allowing the device to swerve in any direction.

Fri, 25 Sep 09
Google Wends Its Way Into Web Annotation With Sidewiki
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68207.html
Google on Wednesday launched Sidewiki, a Web annotation tool that serves as a comment forum for Web pages. Sidewiki ranks entries according to their relevance, as determined by Google's own algorithm. It will also place those comments on Web pages that carry the information which sparked the comments. Google Sidewiki appears as a browser sidebar. It is being released as a feature of the Google Toolbar for Firefox and Internet Explorer, and it will also be available in Chrome and other browsers.

Fri, 25 Sep 09
Managing the Long Tail of Digital Storage
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68197.html
"The IRS isn't interested in the show that flopped." If you're unfamiliar with that line, it's straight out of the Broadway musical The Producers, which was a notoriously over-the-top story about how to increase profit by making something, a product, that does not strike it big. It was a comedic yet interesting idea that by now has permeated the minds of marketers and businessmen everywhere, due largely to Chris Anderson. In Chris Anderson's 2004 Wired article aptly titled "The Long Tail," he explored a basic premise of business and tailored it to the tech sector.

Fri, 25 Sep 09
Should Operating Systems Be Intuitive?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68203.html
Should computers be intuitive, requiring little to no learning or thinking? For that matter, is it even possible for them to be so? "Nothing is intuitive," said Slashdot blogger Gerhard Mack told LinuxInsider. "Think about it: We have to be taught to use a toilet, how to use a fork and how to drive. Why do we expect computers to be some magic thing that does not have a learning curve?" On the other hand, "I don't see why they can't be intuitive," argued Slashdot blogger drinkypoo. "I don't think that study and learning should be required for consumer-oriented platforms."

Fri, 25 Sep 09
Air: Breezy Autopilot, Light on Interaction
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68200.html
The iPhone has an odd sort of potential as a musical instrument. From the moment the App Store opened, there have been applications that attempt to approximate real instruments, even giving you the ability to make multitrack recordings. I've yet to hear a real magnum opus composed on one, though I'm sure someone somewhere has tried. I was about to say that I've also never seen an all iPhone/iPod touch band, but I thought to check out YouTube before committing that to words, and sure enough ...

Thu, 24 Sep 09
Intel Gravitates to Graphics With Larrabee
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68199.html
Intel on Tuesday demonstrated the first chip based on its Larrabee architecture for graphics-centric coprocessors. It held the demonstration at the Intel Developer Forum, which is being held in San Francisco through Thursday. The chip giant also told attendees of its future plans and launched the Intel Atom Developer Program. Larrabee is a multi-core microarchitecture developed for compute- and memory-intensive applications such as PC games, as well as high-performance computing applications such as image processing, simulation, and medical and financial analytics.

Thu, 24 Sep 09
Will Microsoft's Courier Deliver the Goods?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68196.html
You didn't even have to open up your notebook computer Wednesday to hear the alarms and klaxons going off in the technology blogosphere: Someone had leaked images and video of a dual-screen, multi-touch tablet PC that's supposedly in the "late prototype" stages at Microsoft. Gizmodo is the lucky recipient of the information regarding the Courier, said to be an actual device that looks more like a slim e-reader or portfolio than a tablet computer. The two 7-inch screens face each other book-style, and users can interact with them with a stylus or with their fingers.

Thu, 24 Sep 09
Navigating the New Cybercrime Threatscape, Part 3
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68188.html
With the constantly evolving Internet security threatscape, being able to actually get a grasp on the latest threats, let alone arm oneself against them, can seem overwhelming. While there are seemingly limitless best practices in regard to cybersecurity, below are several that should help reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of cybercrime. As stated in previous entries to this series, cybercriminals have typically been on the inside edge when it comes to the race between cybercrime and cybersecurity.

Thu, 24 Sep 09
Linpus Hones Moblin-Based Linux Lite
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68189.html
Linpus Technologies on Tuesday released Linpus Linux Lite 1.2, a new version of its consumer Linux software based on Moblin version 2 that's been enhanced with improved social networking applications and power management capabilities. The first version of the Moblin v2-based technology was released earlier this year. Linpus's Moblin v2 Enhanced Version bolsters the Moblin user interface for improved delivery of key online information.

Thu, 24 Sep 09
Motherhood, Apple Pie and Demodularization
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68183.html
Modularity is next to motherhood, hot dogs and apple pie in the pantheon of unarguably good things. However, for every rule there are exceptions, and in technology, at least, we may have entered the age of demodularization. For the moment, hot dogs and all the rest are safe, at least at my house. For decades we've had it drilled into our heads that when we make products modular we have greater latitude to mix and match components so that we can arrive at configurations that, like Baby Bear's bed, are just right.

Thu, 24 Sep 09
Celebs Gather to Talk Up Twitter
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68195.html
Twitter was a trending topic Tuesday -- and not just on Twitter. Actual people were physically gathered at the Skirball Cultural Center for the two-day conference dedicated to the microblogging site. Company cofounder Biz Stone opened the conference with a 40-minute speech about the origins of Twitter and its goal to make a positive global impact, citing the site's importance in organizing political protests worldwide. The Twitter Conference boasted big names Tuesday, including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and pro skateboarder Tony Hawk.

Wed, 23 Sep 09
Researchers Pulled Out $1M Netflix Victory in Last Half Hour
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68184.html
Dramatic, down-to-the-wire finishes aren't the sorts of things one generally associates with technology prizes. However, the team behind the $1 million prize awarded by Netflix says that's exactly how that contest went down. The team received the award Monday in a New York ceremony hosted by the online movie rental company, which called the contest to see if anyone could solve a problem that had vexed its own researchers: how to improve by at least 10 percent the recommendations engine that suggests what movies Netflix members should rent next.

Wed, 23 Sep 09
AT&T Test Markets 3G Cell Tower for the Living Room
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68185.html
AT&T launched a pilot femtocell sales program in Charlotte, N. C., on Monday, which may help it soothe the feelings of iPhone users who complain about spotty service -- if those users buy the carrier's hardware. Its device, known as the "MicroCell," uses 3G wireless technology and piggybacks on users' home Internet service to give them better wireless reception within the home. Introducing the femtocell may also help AT&T cut down on its infrastructure investment, which is expected to cost the carrier up to $18 billion this year.

Wed, 23 Sep 09
Job Hunt Express: A Helpful App for Catching the Employment Train
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68141.html
Even in the best of times, job hunting is a taxing task, but in these economic conditions, it can be a crushing experience. Fruitless replies to job notices, dead-end interviews and inhuman human resource departments can grind a job seekers' resolve to dust. One way to beat the no-job blues is to purge the word "unemployed" from your vocabulary. You're not unemployed. You've got a new full-time job. That job is finding a new job. Moreover, that full-time job is a sales job.

Wed, 23 Sep 09
Linux Buffs Get Eyeful at LinuxCon Tech Showcase
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68177.html
Amid all the talks, workshops and training sessions now under way at LinuxCon, attendees hoping to get an up-close look at some of the latest open source technologies were not disappointed. A wide variety of products are being demonstrated by a diverse set of vendors in the technology showcase at the Linux Foundation's first annual LinuxCon event, which runs through Wednesday in Portland, Ore. The diversity of the companies participating is a testament to Linux's increasing acceptance, said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation.

Wed, 23 Sep 09
Obama Signals US Ready to Take On Climate Change
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68182.html
President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared that the United States is a serious partner in combating global warming, telling world peers "we are determined to act." "The journey is hard, and we don't have much time left to make it," Obama said in brief remarks at a high-level climate summit convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Obama sought to show U.S. resolve ahead of crucial talks in Copenhagen in December, when nations will try to reach a new global treaty to address climate change. He spoke at the start of a busy day of diplomacy at the United Nations.

Wed, 23 Sep 09
DoE Spins Up Flywheel Energy Ideas
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68181.html
Spinning flywheels have been used for centuries for jobs from making pottery to running steam engines. Now the ancient tool has been given a new job by a Massachusetts company: smooth out the electricity flow, and do it fast and clean. Beacon Power's flywheels -- each weighing one ton, levitating in a sealed chamber and spinning up to 16,000 times per minute -- will make the electric grid more efficient and green, the company says. It's being given a chance to prove it: The U.S. Department of Energy has granted Beacon a $43 million conditional loan guarantee.

Wed, 23 Sep 09
States Send Mixed Messages on Tweeting Behind the Wheel
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68176.html
Fiddling with your iPhone behind the wheel can get you fined across much of the nation. However, many states are more than happy to tweet you with up-to-the-minute directions on how to steer clear of a traffic jam. It is a mixed signal that some safety experts and politicians say could be dangerous. At least 22 states that ban texting while driving offer some type of service that allows motorists to get information about traffic tie-ups, road conditions or emergencies via Twitter.

Mon, 21 Sep 09
New Nano Rocks, Zune Learns a Few Good Steps
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68149.html
Back in 2004, when I got my first MP3 player, I never cared that it lacked a camera, Web browser and crystal-clear video playback -- features that are now common on digital media devices. Apple's latest iPod nano and Microsoft's freshest Zune, both released within the past week, offer these kinds of perks and plenty more. Neither is right for everyone, but both serve as a reminder of how far digital media players have come in just a few years. Apple has sold more than 100 million iPod nanos since launching the first one in 2005.

Sun, 20 Sep 09
Where Government Web Sites Go to Die
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68159.html
It was a historian's nightmare. During the change from the Clinton to the Bush administration, Web sites affiliated with the Clinton White House went dark, and an unknown number of online documents and files were forever lost. Such Internet deaths inspired the Cyber Cemetery at the University of North Texas, which preserves government Web sites in their final form. The Cyber Cemetery archives sites when commissions or panels expire, allowing the online work of defunct government bodies to live on and remain accessible to the public.

Sat, 19 Sep 09
MS Tests the Web App Waters as Google, Zoho Swim Laps
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68161.html
Microsoft on Thursday launched an early technical preview program for Microsoft Office Web Apps -- lightweight versions of its Office suite of applications. Participation is by invitation only, and the preview is initially available in English and Japanese. It will be available in additional languages later this fall. As it did with Windows 7, Microsoft is seeking to tap the wisdom of the crowd for its move into Web-based apps. The early technical preview is designed to collect additional feedback before a public beta, Microsoft said.

Sat, 19 Sep 09
HP Launched the Craziest DreamScreen Last Night
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68156.html
HP has just made either the most hyperactive digital picture frame on the market or the lamest tablet PC ever. The DreamScreen looks sort of like what you'd have if someone tore an HP Mini in two and handed you the monitor side. It's a device that can run video, show pictures and play music with built-in speakers. It has USB ports and it can hold 2 GB of data. There are two models: one with a 10.2-inch screen and one with a 13.3 inch screen. So far it sounds sort of like a giant personal media player.

Sat, 19 Sep 09
Social Media, Politics and Much Ado About Tweeting
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68152.html
Those who cannot remember to report news on social media ... are condemned to retweet it. Yeah, I know; somewhere in heaven, George Santayana is throwing his "World's Greatest Philosopher" coffee cup at the wall, cursing yet another mangling of his famous saying about those who ignore history. But it seemed to fit, considering a famous TV reporter made news this week for tweeting a news tidbit that his employer felt he shouldn't have, even though that same employer has probably been encouraging everyone working for it to jump on the Twitter express.

Sat, 19 Sep 09
Apple's Flimsy Excuse for Its Camera-Shy iPod Touch
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68154.html
At Apple's September media event this year, the company introduced iPhone OS 3.1, 30,000 ringtones from major music labels, enhanced Genius technology that does its database magic on apps, and new Genius Mixes for songs. Apple also unveiled iTunes 9, which includes the iTunes LP that adds videos, lyrics, artwork, liner notes, interviews and more to to your digital albums. Then there's Home Sharing for easy media transfers within a home, along with a redesigned iTunes Store. These are all fantastic new additions to the iPhone and iPod experience.

Sat, 19 Sep 09
ARM Targets Intel's Linux Zone
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68144.html
In the latest phase of its battle with Intel for the notebook and netbook markets, ARM has unveiled two new 2GHz capable Cortex-A9 dual core processor implementation. These give silicon manufacturers a way to develop high-performance, low-power Cortex-A9 processor-based devices, ARM said. However, it looks like this battle will only take place in the Linux corner of the market. Microsoft has said Windows 7 won't run on these processors. The most important thing about the announcement is that it was not about finished processors -- ARM announced two Cortex-A9 MPCore hard macro implementations for the TSMC 40nm-G process.

Fri, 18 Sep 09
Interpretation Sought for HP's Strange DreamScreen
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68148.html
HP unveiled on Thursday a line of wireless, Web-connected screens called "DreamScreens." The DreamScreen line of devices lets users access social media, weather information and Internet radio streams. Users can also view photo slideshows and watch videos on the devices. There are two models in the DreamScreen family: the 100 and the 130. The 100 has a 10.2-inch screen; the 130 has a 13.3-inch screen. They come with stands and are ready for wall mounting out of the box. Both come in black and have a flush glass widescreen display.

Fri, 18 Sep 09
Highest-Mortality Groups Last in Line for H1N1 Vaccine
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68151.html
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined who will get the vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus in the event of a shortage, but the priority groups don't line up well with the groups most likely to die from the disease. The H1N1 vaccine priority groups, in order, are pregnant women; people who live with or care for children younger than six months of age; healthcare and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact; children 6 months through 4 years of age; and children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions.

Fri, 18 Sep 09
The Efficient Enterprise Bouncer
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68140.html
Managing access to protected resources for users in the extended enterprise can be a daunting task. New applications and services are continuously being developed and deployed; new users join the extended enterprise, change roles within it, and eventually move on. To the extent that policies regarding access must be managed on a user-by-user, application-by-application basis, the effort involved is exceedingly large, and the probability of implementation without error is infinitesimally small.

Fri, 18 Sep 09
MindNode: Free Thinking Isn't Free
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68131.html
Brain mapping is essentially the act of recording a brainstorming or planning session in an organized diagram. Start with a general idea relating to what you're trying to accomplish -- your central node -- then just start throwing up related ideas, connecting them to the node that inspired them, and building nodes upon nodes. Sometimes it's chaotic, sometimes you'll be sitting in dead silence, but in the end, you'll have a vast tree of related ideas, branches upon branches, all leading back to your central theme.

Fri, 18 Sep 09
Windows Donations to Schools and Libraries: Charity or Tyranny?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68142.html
There are many ways to celebrate software freedom, such as by choosing to use Linux in your daily life. This Saturday, however, is the day to loudly proclaim your fondness for FOSS, for it's Software Freedom Day once again! That's right: In a few short days, geeks and nongeeks alike will get their party on and celebrate our favorite cause with events scheduled around the globe. Whether you're in Iceland or Brazil, there are celebrations planned near you. It's time to pay homage to all that is FOSS!

Fri, 18 Sep 09
Rocky Extrasolar Planet Too Close to Its Sun for Comfort
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68146.html
Astronomers have finally found a place outside our solar system where there's a firm place to stand -- if only it weren't so broiling hot. As scientists search the skies for life elsewhere, they have found more than 300 planets outside our solar system. However, all are of them are gas balls or can't be proven to be solid. Now, a team of European astronomers has confirmed the first rocky extrasolar planet. "We basically live on a rock ourselves," said co-discoverer Artie Hatzes, director of the Thuringer observatory in Germany.

Wed, 16 Sep 09
Bing Aims to Pull Visual Search Into Focus
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68122.html
Microsoft has plumped up Bing with Visual Search, a Silverlight-powered add-on that returns search results based on images instead of text. A user can initiate a search for digital cameras, for example, by clicking on an image in the Visual Search gallery. That generates hundreds of camera images; the user can click on any one of them for further investigation or narrow the results using one-click filters. Introduced as a beta, Visual Search will become available to users on a rolling basis over the month.

Wed, 16 Sep 09
Lenovo Touches Up Laptop, Tablet Screens
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68121.html
Lenovo on Tuesday unveiled two new computers with multi-touch capabilities that let users employ four fingers on the screen. The new PCs are the ThinkPad T400s laptop and the X200 tablet PC. Lenovo also unveiled SimpleTap, a feature that lets users access hardware functions such as adjusting screen brightness or locking the screen. Both the T400s and X200 are available now. They will leverage Windows 7's touch capabilities when that operating system hits the shelves.

Wed, 16 Sep 09
The 'Visual Yield' of Information Security
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68112.html
Over the holiday weekend, a family friend introduced us to a great concept we hadn't heard before: The concept of "visual yield." It's a concept that I think anybody who's ever been involved in a home improvement project can understand and appreciate -- and it has more to do with information security than you might think at first blush. The premise is that not all work is created equal -- at least from an impact perspective. On the one hand, you have work that's necessary but not impactful from a visual standpoint.

Wed, 16 Sep 09
Will Motorola Scratch Android's Back?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68117.html
When Motorola announced its Android-powered Cliq late last week, it took what many view as a critical step toward regaining its former prominence in the mobile phone arena. "Motorola was the No. 1 handset maker in the 1990s -- they lost that position to Nokia and have been trying to recapture the market ever since," said telecom analyst Jeff Kagan. "They did well with the Razr a few years ago, but never had anything else to follow up." Over the past several years, Motorola fell to No. 3 and then No. 4 in the market.

Wed, 16 Sep 09
iFrogz Timbre Earbuds a Deft Mix of Sound, Looks and Price
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68111.html
There are hundreds of decent sets of headphones and earbuds available for iPods, and there are dozens made specifically for the iPhone, including the now ubiquitous white earbuds that ship with the devices. But what if you'd like something a little different, yet aren't willing to shell out audiophile-level cash? Enter the iFrogz's EarPollution Timbre With Mic The sound-isolating earbuds boast a natural wood body that caught my eye when they were released this summer, but it took a while to get a pair sent over for review -- apparently there were some good deals online.

Tue, 15 Sep 09
Do You Know How Much Radiation Your Cellphone Emits?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68116.html
The focus of a U.S. Senate hearing Monday afternoon is the potential danger of cellphone use -- specifically, the risk of brain cancer. That link was suggested as long ago as last decade, when cellphones were slightly smaller than a shoebox and just beginning to become part of the everyday landscape. As cellphone use became ubiquitous and researchers repeatedly discounted health concerns, the perception of risk faded among the general public.

Tue, 15 Sep 09
Media Credibility Sinks to New Low: Blame the Internet?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68115.html
The graph that accompanies a Pew Research Center survey on media credibility released Monday shows blue lines heading south: Now just 29 percent of Americans surveyed believe the media gets the facts right, and a scant 18 percent think news organizations are truly objective. While "Public Evaluations of the News Media, 1985-2009" does not focus on technology's impact on media, those downward trends may intersect with rising chart lines for the use of Web sites and blogs as news sources.

Tue, 15 Sep 09
Cupertino Shuffles Apple TV Lineup
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68113.html
After variously describing it as a hobby and pointing out that sales have been strong, Apple appears to have begun restructuring its Apple TV line. On Sunday, it dropped the 40 GB model from its lineup and cut the price of the 160 GB model by $100, to $229. Could Cupertino be giving up on the device, or is it laying the groundwork to take it to the next level? A check of Apple's site shows that only the 160 GB model of the Apple TV is listed. However, the site also points to a free software update for owners.

Tue, 15 Sep 09
PAX '09: For the Gamers, By the Gamers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68101.html
The Electronic Entertainment Expo focuses on the gaming industry and its media, and the Game Developers Conference revolves around ... well, developers. However, the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle is all about those who, in the words of one PAX official, "pay the salaries." Gamers really do rule at PAX. Despite a recession that has started slashing away at industry revenues, the fifth edition of PAX on Sept. 4 through 6 pre-sold so many one- and three-day passes to the public that for the first time in its brief history, show officials had to shut down registration.

Tue, 15 Sep 09
Starting Over: What Obama's Healthcare Team Could Learn From AMD's 'Vision'
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68103.html
You couldn't help but feel for the U.S. president last week as he tried to sell an unpopular health plan. Sometimes you have to realize the foundation of something is just so bad that no amount of patching or selling will fix it, and while it looks like you are close to done, you'd actually get done more quickly if you started over properly. The PC market is a mess like that with simply too much confusion. There are so many brands, product names, versions, speeds and component mixes that consumers have to know more about technology than they want to.

Tue, 15 Sep 09
Logic Express 9 Gives Pro Chops to Amateur Music Makers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68099.html
It used to be a rule of thumb in software that the power of a program was directly proportional to its complexity. The rule was the silicon version of "no pain, no gain." Then Apple came along and turned that rule on its head with applications that were as easy to use as they were powerful. What's more, they made the process of creation as much fun as the finished creation. Apple aims to continue that spirit with the latest release of its mid-level digital music production program, Logic Express 9.

Sun, 13 Sep 09
The Ho-Hum Sound of Google Voice
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68085.html
Google gives away a lot of good stuff for free. That struck me last year when I downloaded the free Google Maps app to my smartphone. It turned the phone into a handy navigation system and killed my desire to buy a $100 standalone GPS unit. So I was intrigued to try Google Voice. That is a service that gives you one phone number that connects to all of your phones. It also manages your voice and text messages and gives you a way to make cheap or free international calls. It comes as a downloadable application for cellphones and as a Web-based program.

Sat, 12 Sep 09
Facebook Trims Fatty Interface, Builds Tagging Muscle
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68104.html
The world's largest social network -- stuffed to the brim with 250 million members -- is checking itself out in the mirror, wondering how it would look in a slimmed-down version. However, it may also be putting on some weight by adding a feature that's popular with a certain much-hyped short messaging service that employs a fat little blue bird as its logo. Facebook is now experimenting with Facebook Lite, a leaner-looking interface that went live Thursday in the United States and India.

Sat, 12 Sep 09
The Post-9/11 Internet: A Breeding Ground for Anger and Lies
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68091.html
It has become a morbid habit for me every Sept. 11 since the attacks: I soak up all the media I can about that day in New York City. I put on DVDs, seek out TV shows on the History Channel, scour the Web for any new videos. My real focus in on the broadcast coverage of that day, watching anchors and reporters -- some of them former colleagues -- react to the second plane hitting, the Pentagon's smoke streaming, the towers falling. Archival footage of national and cable news takes me back to an impossibly sunny day and my last week in my midtown Manhattan apartment.

Sat, 12 Sep 09
FOSS Fans Wary of Microsoft's New CodePlex Foundation
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68102.html
On Friday, Microsoft announced the CodePlex Foundation, which will support the open source community. The foundation is initially being funded by Microsoft and will be temporarily headed by departing Senior Director of Platform Strategy Sam Ramji. The CodePlex Foundation, according to Redmond, is a 501 C6 nonprofit. The 501 C6 statute exempts commercial organizations from paying taxes as long as no private shareholders or individuals get any of the net earnings.

Sat, 12 Sep 09
Without Buttons, iPod Touch Can't Touch DS or PSP
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68092.html
Apple may be the best technology marketing company on the planet, if not the best personal technology manufacturer to date. However, when the company tries to say that the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP aren't cool, I'm just left scratching my head. Let's back up. What's the context here? At Wednesday's Apple media event -- where the company announced a new version of iTunes and new iPods, including an iPod nano with a built-in video camera -- the company went to great pains to position the iPod touch as a portable gaming device.

Sat, 12 Sep 09
Motorola's Cliq Joins Android Army
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68089.html
Motorola unveiled its much-anticipated first Android phone on Thursday, together with a new service it calls "Motoblur." The phone, to be called the "Cliq" in the United States, will be available from T-Mobile later this year. It will be marketed as the "Dext" abroad. Motoblur is a system that syncs contacts, status posts and messages, among other things, from various sources, including social networking sites and email, and delivers all of these to the device's home screen automatically.

Sat, 12 Sep 09
GM Fuel Cell Test Racks Up 1M Miles
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68098.html
General Motors is now 1 million miles into its fuel cell experiment and company officials say having everyday people drive a test fleet of pollution-free cars has convinced them they are on the right track. The automaker on Friday said it passed the 1 million-miles-driven mark in its fuel cell Chevrolet Equinox vehicles, with about 5,000 people rotating in and out of more than 100 cars over the past 25 months. "They'll tell you that after the first week, they pretty much forget it's a fuel cell car," said GM's Daniel O'Connell.

Fri, 11 Sep 09
New Dell Product Spurs Electronic Medical Records Adoption
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68088.html
Dell is expanding its electronic medical records offerings with a new hardware, software and service bundle designed to help hospitals ease the transition from paper to digital records. The service is an end-to-end solution that touches upon all aspects of this process in the hospital setting, Dell spokesperson Cathie Hargett told TechNewsWorld. "It encompasses financing, consulting for workflow, understanding site and practice readiness, installation, training of medical and professional staff, and support for IT staff," she said.

Fri, 11 Sep 09
Different Brain Chemistry Mix Could Explain ADHD
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68090.html
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, stems from a biological problem with the brain's chemistry that controls feelings of reward and motivation, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The research was coauthored by medical doctors Nora Volkow, known for her work in the study of brain function in addiction, and Gene-Jack Wang, among others. The team used positron-emission tomography, or PET scans, to examine how dopamine works in the brains of adults diagnosed with ADHD.

Fri, 11 Sep 09
When Microsoft Exchange Availability Matters the Most
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68082.html
The average worker checks email once every 15 minutes, recent studies have shown, with some users checking email as often as 40 times per hour. In addition, increasing use of personal mobile devices means that employees have become attached to their email at all times, with some checking their device as soon as each email arrives. Now that email has evolved into a critical business communications tool, employees have come to expect access to their email 24x7, with very little tolerance for downtime.

Fri, 11 Sep 09
Rhapsody Sings in Harmony With iTunes on the iPhone
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68087.html
It's been a big week for Apple. CEO Steve Jobs returned to the spotlight Wednesday after a liver transplant, video cameras were added to an iPod nano for the first time ever, and now the iPhone App Store will feature a competing digital music service to iTunes: Real Networks' Rhapsody. The app, available now at the App Store, is free for seven days; if users want to keep the service, they'll need to pay $14.99 a month after that. However, Rhapsody officials say for that price, they'll get instant access to more than 8 million songs.

Fri, 11 Sep 09
Fun and FUD in the Fall Flamebait Follies
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68080.html
Maybe it was the fires raging in California. Or maybe it was a way to blow off some steam before summer came to its unofficial end. Whatever the cause, there's no doubt Linux bloggers were in the mood for some spirited debate in recent days. One might even argue, in fact, that more than a few posts out there in the blogosphere were designed to do just that -- start a fiery discussion. Did they succeed? You bet your flame-retardant keyboard they did.

Fri, 11 Sep 09
Snow Leopard: It's the Little Things That Thrill
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68075.html
Apple's previous version of its Mac OS X operating system, Leopard, was already great, so what does Apple's latest upgrade -- Snow Leopard -- bring to the table? More importantly, is it worth bothering with? I've been using Snow Leopard since FedEx brought it to me late last month, and at the upgrade price of just $29, yes, it's worth getting. Not convinced? First of all, you should know going into a Snow Leopard upgrade that you're not going to come out it oohing and awing over any major new features.

Thu, 10 Sep 09
Palm's Pixi Flits Onto Smartphone Stage
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68071.html
Palm is expanding its line of WebOS smartphones -- and ratcheting up competition with Apple -- with the introduction of a new mobile device called the "Pixi." The phone, meant to supplement the more serious Pre smartphone, will be available during the holiday seaon through its exclusive carrier, Sprint. A lighter-weight and thinner phone with a visible full keyboard, the Pixi is a natural mobile conduit for social networking sites and activities, according to Palm.

Thu, 10 Sep 09
Steve Jobs Eclipses New iPods at Apple Show
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68077.html
Apple CEO Steve Jobs returned to center stage to kick off the company's media event in San Francisco on Wednesday. Apple made a slew of announcements, mostly focused on its iPod line and iTunes software, that included price cuts, new features and capabilities, and new products. It unveiled a new version of the iPhone/iPod touch operating system as well as new iPods and a ninth version of iTunes with new features. The run-up to the media event was rife with speculation about whether or not Jobs would appear.

Thu, 10 Sep 09
Monopoly City Streets Mashup Struggles to Pass Go
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68076.html
Yes, there's a slump in the real estate market. Tell that to the players who tried to log on Wednesday to a new online version of the classic Monopoly game that substitutes Google Maps for the board; gamers can "buy" real streets in cities around the world and build skyscrapers a la Donald Trump. The temptation to own Broadway in New York or Colfax in Denver proved to be so popular that the game's servers could not keep up with demand. The Monopoly City Streets blog acknowledged that technical difficulties were making it hard for players to pass go on the first day of online activity.

Thu, 10 Sep 09
Navigating the New Cybercrime Threatscape, Part 1
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68067.html
Cybercrime is pervasive, pandemic and increasingly connected with other parts of the criminal ecosystem. It ranges from the theft of an individual's identity to the complete disruption of a country's Internet connectivity due to a massive attack against its networking and computing resources. This is the first in a four-part series that will look at the history of cybercrime, its pervasiveness today, and how it has and will continue to impact society.

Thu, 10 Sep 09
Microsoft Foes Aim to Snatch Patent Advantage in Linux Tussle
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68069.html
Open Invention Network announced Tuesday that it acquired 22 Linux-related patents that Microsoft recently sold to the Allied Security Trust. OIN consists of a group of companies -- including Microsoft rivals IBM, Sony, Red Hat and Google -- that have been girding themselves for a legal fight over Linux. OIN acquired the patents to ensure that they wouldn't eventually be sold to a company or entity that wasn't interested in promoting the Linux platform. The purchase price of the patents was not disclosed.

Thu, 10 Sep 09
NTSB Practices What It Preaches About Cellphones and Driving
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68073.html
The federal safety agency that investigates transportation accidents is banning texting and talking on cellphones by its employees while driving on government business. National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman said Tuesday she's adopting the policy because she wants her agency to follow the same safety practices it recommends for others. Officials at the board said they were unaware of another federal agency with a similar policy.

Thu, 10 Sep 09
'The Beatles: Rock Band': Here Comes the Fun
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68072.html
"The Beatles: Rock Band" has produced more buzz than any video game since the last "Grand Theft Auto." When Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr took the stage at Microsoft's Xbox press conference at E3 this summer, they were greeted with a standing ovation. Gamers, then, already know and love the Fab Four, so the idea that "The Beatles: Rock Band" will introduce their music to a new audience is nonsense. A more important question: Will the more technophobic members of the Beatles' massive fan base finally be motivated to pick up a game controller?

Wed, 9 Sep 09
Asus' E-Reader Mystery: Low-Cost, Dual Screen Device
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68066.html
Just as Robert Langdon gets ready to take his fans on another thrill ride in the forthcoming new Dan Brown novel, "The Lost Symbol," another tantalizing mystery has popped up: Is Asus getting ready to unveil a low-cost, dual-color-screen e-book reader just in time for the holidays? A report quotes a UK Asus executive as saying the company, manufacturer of what could arguably be called the first netbook computer, would introduce a device before the end of the year that skirts the line between netbook and book reader.

Wed, 9 Sep 09
HTC Adds Tattoo to Android Lineup
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68065.html
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC on Tuesday announced the Tattoo, the latest in its line of Android-based handsets unveiled this year. The Tattoo is also the second smartphone equipped with the HTC Sense user interface. It integrates several Google mobile services, including Google Maps and Gmail, and it gives users access to the Android Market. Europe will get the HTC Tattoo in October, and the device will be rolled out to other markets later. The Tattoo measures about 4.17 by 2.17 by .55 inches and weighs just under four ounces, with a battery.

Wed, 9 Sep 09
Is the Internet Killing Critical Thinking?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68059.html
Like Alice's Restaurant in the Arlo Guthrie song, the Internet lets you get anything you want -- from views on politics or science and technology or religion to recipes and gossip. Oh, and of course, news. However, few people do more than skim the surface -- and as they do with newspapers, most people tend to read only what interests them. Add to that the democratization of the power to publish, where anyone with access to the Web can put up a blog on any topic whatsoever, and you have a veritable Tower of Babel.

Wed, 9 Sep 09
Gorilla Tames the Movie Production Beast
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68055.html
Apple computers' reputation as a favorite of "creatives" in filmmaking is well known, but they've also captured the hearts of those dealing with the more prosaic tasks of making a movie, thanks to programs like Gorilla from Jungle Software. Gorilla computerizes the nitty gritty of shooting a film -- creating shooting schedules, managing budgets, working up storyboards and shot lists and juggling shot locations. Gorilla has three price points. The Pro edition sells for $399; the standard edition for $299; and the student edition for $199.

Wed, 9 Sep 09
An Android Army vs. a Solo iPhone, and No Linux for PS3
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68057.html
It may be an increasingly FOSS-friendly world out there, but that doesn't mean Linux doesn't still face challenges and opposition. Case in point: Sony's recent decision to discontinue the option to install GNU/Linux on its new PlayStation3. "I was more than a little disappointed, since this is a big hit to low-cost supercomputing, wrote the Linux Foundation's Brian Proffitt on his blog last week. Indeed, researchers have apparently clustered multiple PS3 machines to achieve a relatively inexpensive approximation of supercomputer processing power.

Tue, 8 Sep 09
Does Green Matter to You?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68052.html
I'm at IFA as I write this, and in Europe, green clearly does matter. Here, they even have a viable Green Party, but in the U.S., I sometimes wonder whether we care. This was showcased in a presentation in which Sony ranked geographical areas in terms of the importance of green, and the U.S. came in last. This week I thought I'd list the green efforts of four vendors, each of which has green initiatives, and ask you the question: Which approach matters to you?

Mon, 7 Sep 09
Wall Socket Adapters Offer WiFi Alternative
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68039.html
Setting up a WiFi network at home has gotten much easier, yet the process can still be daunting. Or the wireless signal won't reach everywhere. A good alternative that has gotten little attention involves your electric sockets. Simply plug palm-sized adapters into regular wall outlets and connect your computers to the adapters. Believe it or not, your Internet traffic goes through your home electric wires, allowing you to extend the reach of WiFi or avoid it completely. Perhaps even more unbelievably, getting this going is ridiculously easy.

Sun, 6 Sep 09
Keeping the Internet Dream Alive
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68009.html
Goofy videos weren't on the minds of Len Kleinrock and his team at UCLA when they began tests 40 years ago on what would become the Internet. Neither was social networking, for that matter, nor were most of the other easy-to-use applications that have drawn more than a billion people online. Instead the researchers sought to create an open network for freely exchanging information, an openness that ultimately spurred the innovation that would later spawn the likes of YouTube, Facebook and the World Wide Web.

Sat, 5 Sep 09
Toshiba Kisses the Blu-ray Ring
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68047.html
Toshiba unveiled its first Blu-ray disc player on Thursday at the IFA consumer electronics trade fair in Berlin. The announcement comes less than one month after Toshiba applied for membership in the Blu-ray Disc Association and announced it will introduce products supporting the Blu-ray format. Though many home entertainment electronics manufacturers have introduced several Blu-ray players in the years since the format first emerged, this is Toshiba's first entry in the category.

Sat, 5 Sep 09
Sprint Gives Android a Hero's Welcome
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68048.html
Android is finally getting a little more wardrobe variety. It's also moving out into new U.S. carriers. Sprint is the latest wireless company to jump in with the Android crowd; it'll start selling the HTC Hero this October. The Hero looks to be a pretty capable handset. It's loaded with Google apps, of course, plus a pretty big camera, a touchscreen, video features, WiFi and expandable memory. Plus there's the Android Market -- it's not as overwhelmingly stocked as the iPhone App Store, but there are plenty of wares to choose from.

Sat, 5 Sep 09
Journalist in Crisis Learns the Digital Ropes
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68043.html
The last time I saw Rebecca Aguilar in person, it was early October of 2007. We were both at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' Noche de Triunfos awards banquet in Washington, D.C. I was presenting an award and she was receiving one -- NAHJ Broadcast Journalist of the Year for her work at the Fox affiliate in Dallas, Texas. Two weeks later, that same station suspended the Broadcast Journalist of the Year after people began talking about her story on an elderly business owner who shot and killed two alleged burglars in the space of three weeks.

Sat, 5 Sep 09
Apple TV Has Nothing to Apologize For
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68045.html
In the on-again, off-again online chatter about the Apple TV, two things are certain: First, it's treated like the bastard stepchild of Apple hardware; and second, that doesn't make it a failure. A third thing is much less certain: Whether the Apple TV is a placeholder for a real Apple TV. Let me explain. First, various industry experts have been predicting for years that Apple would eventually produce an all-in-one Apple TV unit -- the screen, the hardware, the software. Basically, glue an Apple TV to the back of a flat-screen TV and integrate the remote.

Sat, 5 Sep 09
Fox Refreshes 'Fringe' Rerun With Twitter Gabfest
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68049.html
Summer reruns are ho-hum television, but Fox is trying out a possible solution: Add Twitter. On the network's repeat broadcast of its supernatural drama "Fringe" on Thursday night, tweets were added on-screen to the show. The tweets ran throughout the show on the bottom third of the screen. It's an obvious gimmick that leans on the hype surrounding Twitter. If successful, though, it could prove to be the latest tactic networks use to draw in viewers for reruns.

Fri, 4 Sep 09
Sprint Joins March of the Androids With HTC Hero
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68042.html
Can a Hero fly to Sprint's rescue in the battle for smartphone supremacy? If nothing else, Thursday's announcement that a second carrier will soon offer a phone using the Android operating system could be another blow for truth, justice and the American way of providing more gadgets for tech-hungry consumers. Beginning Oct. 11, Sprint will join T-Mobile as wireless providers offering Google Android OS phones. The HTC Hero will also join the Palm Pre as Sprint's answer to Apple's iPhone and other high-tech, feature-laden phones.

Fri, 4 Sep 09
The Webification of App Security
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68032.html
Web applications are growing in popularity, and with this increasing ubiquity of Web apps, security is more than ever becoming the No. 1 challenge for enterprises. Traditional network component vendors are under pressure to solve security challenges. However, developing this capability on their own is complex, expensive and requires new skills. Enter the cooperative spirit. Zeus Technology, a load balancing solutions provider, has partnered with Web security firm Art of Defence to supply Web application security technology through an OEM deal.

Fri, 4 Sep 09
Hunkering Down, Linux Style
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68030.html
Well September is here, and the final days of summer are hard upon us. Autumn is around the corner here in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means it's time to begin thinking ahead to the winter days to come. It isn't too surprising, then, that Linux bloggers have turned their attention in recent days to how they like to arrange things in the geeky counterpart of the proverbial nest -- the home office. "I used to keep everything in a single room and it was a nice setup," began Linux Today's Carla Schroder, kicking off the conversation.

Fri, 4 Sep 09
'Geared': Like Tetris for Watchmakers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68025.html
Having played a few games from a lot of different genres on the iPhone, my own prejudices have become more apparent to me. I just don't like playing certain types of games on this platform, even types of games I usually enjoy on a PC or console. First-person shooters are too difficult to control, for example, and acting like the all-controlling lord of the universe in a game like "SimCity" or "Civilization: Revolution" just isn't the same when your only view of the world is through a tiny, hand-held screen.

Fri, 4 Sep 09
Study: US a Nation of Night Surfers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68035.html
It's 11 p.m. Do you know where your neighbors are? Chances are they're online. According to a study, North Americans have been staying up late to do their Internet surfing this summer, so late that the peak usage for the whole day has been at 11 p.m. Eastern time. That appears to be a shift from previous years, when most Internet activity was in the daytime. The new study by Chelmsford, Mass.-based Internet security firm Arbor Networks found that people using the Internet at work and school produce a smaller traffic peak around 4 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays.

Thu, 3 Sep 09
Sony's 3-D Gamble: Must-See TV or the Next Smell-o-Vision?
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68027.html
Pity the early technology adopters in this world. Just as they have accepted the fact that three years ago, they paid more than $5,000 for a 42-inch flat-screen HDTV that now sells for close to $1,000, a new image starts to coalesce in front of their eyes -- an image so real, so lifelike, it could only be ... a 3-D TV. It may be back to home entertainment's square one for those first adopters, thanks to consumer electronics giant Sony. Company CEO Howard Stringer said Sony will start selling Bravia televisions with three-dimensional viewing capabilities next year.

Thu, 3 Sep 09
Nokia Expo Ushers In Fresh Phones, Facebook Features
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68026.html
Nokia on Wednesday unveiled three new smartphones at Nokia World 2009 in Stuttgart, Germany. It also announced a partnership with Facebook through its Lifecasting With Ovi application. One smartphone, the N97 mini, is targeted at women, IDC analyst Ramon T. Llamas told TechNewsWorld. The other two, the X6 and X3, are aimed at maintaining Nokia's position in the mid-range smartphone market. Lifecasting With Ovi will be available on the N97 mini. The N97 mini was designed with the social and style-conscious consumer in mind, Nokia said.

Thu, 3 Sep 09
PlayOn for Wii: Sometimes a Great Application
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68017.html
When they were designing the latest generation of video game consoles -- the generation we're currently right in the middle of -- two of the three major players envisioned their systems as hubs not just for games but for all sorts of digital entertainment. Downloaded movies, songs stored on a PC, high-definition discs, etc., would all run through their platforms, so they built their systems with HD video capabilities. The results appear to be what they intended -- three or four years on, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 still look spectacular on a big screen.

Thu, 3 Sep 09
Openbravo Maps a Shortcut to ERP Implementation
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68021.html
Openbravo announced on Tuesday its next-generation enterprise resource planning product, called "QuickStart," an alternative to the company's generally more labor-intensive community package. QuickStart represents a change in strategy for Openbravo. Unlike the ERP product that bears the company's name, QuickStart is not open source. It is proprietary, not covered by the GPL license that covers Openbravo. The decision to go proprietary with QuickStart was based on business preferences to not allow some module developers to extend that functionality to QuickStart for free.

Thu, 3 Sep 09
Minor Glitches All in a Day's Work for Spacewalkers
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68022.html
A pair of spacewalkers successfully tackled a hefty tank removal job at the international space station Tuesday as their crewmates unloaded comedian Stephen Colbert's namesake treadmill for all "those famously fat astronauts." The only concern Nicole Stott and Danny Olivas had about mass -- everything is weightless up there, after all -- involved the huge ammonia tank they needed to disconnect. They held the freed 1,300-pound tank steady until a robot arm grabbed it.

Thu, 3 Sep 09
Sony to Ship Chrome-Plated Vaio PCs
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68023.html
Sony is giving Google's fledging Chrome browser a boost by installing it as the primary browser on Vaio-brand computers sold in the United States and Europe. The Sony devices continue to provide Microsoft's Internet Explorer -- the world's most widely used Web -- allowing users to have a choice between the two. However, many users stick with the browser that is preset as the default, meaning they are likely to experience Chrome as their primary -- perhaps only -- gateway to the Web. Sony is the first PC maker to sell computers with Chrome pre-installed.

Thu, 3 Sep 09
Web No Great Democratizer for Civic Participation
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68024.html
Unlike some people have hoped, the Internet hasn't led to big changes in the socio-economic makeup of Americans engaged in civic activities, a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds. As in offline politics, people who participate in online civic life -- by contacting government officials, making political or charitable donations or signing petitions, for example -- tend to be richer and better educated.

Wed, 2 Sep 09
FCC Eyes Flames Threatening LA Broadcasting, Communications
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68010.html
The smoke and haze from the 190-square mile Station Fire near Los Angeles isn't just making it difficult to see in the area of the San Gabriel Mountains. It's also having an impact on advanced forms of communications in Southern California: cellphone signals, television and radio broadcasting, even transmissions among the police, sheriff and fire crews battling the blaze and directing evacuation procedures for suburban residents. Federal Communications Commission officials are maintaining close contact with first responders and commercial broadcast interests in the region.

Wed, 2 Sep 09
The Promise and the Peril of Web 2.0
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68006.html
Web 2.0 enables companies to build dynamic networking communities and foster ad hoc collaboration. This can be great for businesses, as they can gain insights and feedback in hours instead of weeks or months. However, the trusting, collaborative and open nature of the Web 2.0 environment is precisely what makes it ripe for malicious exploitation. Social media, file sharing, instant messaging, streaming media and mobile apps have not only taken over our personal lives, but also have made irreversible inroads into our businesses.

Wed, 2 Sep 09
The iPhone's Gaming Growing Pains
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68001.html
Consider the juice inside a hot new portable gaming device: It has a speedy processor, a powerful graphics chip, plenty of memory and wireless capabilities for instant downloads. You can play the latest blood-soaked first-person shooters like "Resident Evil," dizzying platformers like "Assassin's Creed" and some killer racing games that don't even require punching combinations of buttons and triggers; just lean the device this way or that, thanks to a built-in accelerometer, and you're careening down boulevards at top speeds in a shiny red Ferrari.

Wed, 2 Sep 09
Windows Mobile Gets Fall Fashion Update
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68011.html
Microsoft is giving its operating system for smartphones a new look in time for the holiday shopping season. The world's largest software maker said Tuesday that phones running the next version of Windows Mobile will hit store shelves worldwide on Oct. 6. "Windows Mobile 6.5," as the new system is called, has an updated look that brings Microsoft's offering more in line with competitors such as Research In Motion's BlackBerry and Apple's iPhone.

Tue, 1 Sep 09
Wikipedia to Tinge Suspect Entries With Orange Cast
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68004.html
Wikipedia plans to roll out a new feature with the goal of enhancing the site's credibility. Called "WikiTrust," the optional feature color codes entries based on reliability, according to a Wikipedia page describing the new development. The color-coding tool gives users a "check text tab" that reveals author, origin and reliability of the text. The intent is to highlight spam, surreptitious changes and outright information-tampering by contributors who might have ulterior motives for making changes.

Tue, 1 Sep 09
Must-Tweet TV: Television Gets Into the Social Media Mix
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/68003.html
You can look at it as the beginnings of real interactive television -- or simply one big episode of the cult comedy TV series "Mystery Science Theater 3000" brought to life. In any event, thanks to forthcoming plans from IBM and Fox, viewers will soon be able to talk back to their flat-screen televisions via social media such as Twitter and Facebook. The blogosphere has dug up a Big Blue patent application involving Texas-based researchers for a remote control device that will let viewers blog, tweet or Facebook-update their thoughts about what they watching on TV.

Tue, 1 Sep 09
High-End Double-Screen Laptop Targets Engineers, Creative Types
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67999.html
An Alaska technology company hopes to hit the market with the world's first laptop boasting two identical 15.4-inch displays by the end of this year. At nearly 12-pounds and equipped with two 15.4-inch screens and a full-sized keyboard, gScreen's planned $3,000 Spacebook series definitely doesn't track the "smaller is better" ethos prevailing in the notebook space these days. However, it could have a place in the high-margin world of desktop replacement notebooks, especially for engineers, graphic designers and others who require the additional display space.

Tue, 1 Sep 09
The Roadblocks to Making Prosthetic Miracles Happen Every Day
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67995.html
As the DARPA approaches its self-imposed deadline to make high-tech prosthetics that begin to approach the abilities of natural limbs by 2009, the research communities that have made it happen are beginning to ask, "Can we create companies that can turn a mind-blowing prototype or demo into real products?" Veterans, amputees and other people living without limbs ask, "Can you help me soon?" "People are always reading something in a journal or magazine and asking, 'Can you help my grandson?' Gerald Loeb of the University of Southern California told TechNewsWorld.

Tue, 1 Sep 09
Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard: Inside the War Rooms
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67992.html
Last week's big news was that Apple pushed up its Snow Leopard release by a month to provide a 60-day buffer between it and Microsoft's biggest launch of the decade. Apple can't match either Microsoft's resources or price, but the feat of snagging an unchallenged 60 days during the back-to-school and early holiday shopping season points to Apple's greatest advantage: Its marketing leader is also its CEO. Microsoft is fielding its best marketing team ever for the Windows 7 launch, led by Kathleen Hall -- but she isn't the CEO.

Tue, 1 Sep 09
On the 'Fake Linus Torvalds' and the Nifty Nokia N900
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67996.html
You know it's a good day when included among all the dry-as-dust press releases that arrive on your virtual desk is one that promises to combine Linux, Twitter and "dangerously outrageous" fun. Sure enough, from none other than the Linux Foundation came the tantalizing announcement of the "Fake Linus Torvalds" promotion, which it kicked off last week. Believe it? It's true, and in no time Linux Girl's spine was tingling with excitement.

Tue, 1 Sep 09
Impression Arms iPhoto With a Watermark Weapon
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/67983.html
Digital photography has made sharing photos easy -- sometimes too easy. Work posted to the Web by lens-slingers can be misappropriated with abandon by the naive as well as the nefarious. One way shutterbugs try to protect their images is by watermarking them. A watermark is a logo, legend or other sign superimposed on a photo to identify its origin. Until recently, users of iPhoto, the photo management application included with every new Apple computer, had to resort to external programs to watermark their images.