Submission + - Fun with Google patent search
192939495969798999 writes: "Google Patent Search lets you search the entire patent catalog, complete with drawings. While some of the patents seem useful and interesting, others, especially software, are extremely vague. Patents like "system for downloading software" for example, seem entirely unoriginal. Will this new outlet for patent searches reignite the push for patent reform, or will we just use it to watch yet more obvious patents appear?"
Submission + - Skype adds lie detector to VoIP service
Roy van Rijn writes: "vnunet.com reports that:
Skype has announced that it will be adding an optional lie detector to its popular internet telephony service.
The 'KishKish' software attempts to determine whether the caller is telling a whopper by analysing the audio stream and checking for stress levels.
Lying evokes the 'fight or flight' response in humans, which makes muscles tense up, altering the pitch and tone of the voice.
"This is a really neat application, and the kind of thing we want to see more of," said Paul Amery, director of Skype's developer program.
The software was developed by Israeli software house BATM, and is already in use by the US military."
Submission + - UMPC: New competitor for Nokia 770
ddalex writes: "Since the UMPC concept emerged and everybody rushed on the "me too" wagon, I always took the Nokia 770 to be more like a low-end Linux-powered UMPC than just an Internet Tablet. Decisive was the form factor and extensibility.
But now, new competitors with very similar appearance, but a lot more horsepower under the hood, appear.
What do you think about Raon Vega (http://www.dynamism.com/vega/main.shtml) ? It's a small UMPC in the 770 format. It comes preloaded with Windows, but I suspect loading Linux on it wouldn't be too hard, especially when AMD gives out drivers for the AMD Geode processor that is used by the Vega. Since it comes with lots of memory, HDD capacity, powered USB ports, out-VGA capability, and price tag is quite high, it clearly targets at notebook(UMPC) market instead of being just a Internet Tablet. But the form factor (minus the weight) clearly makes this an ultraportable, and a competitor to the 770.
So, what would you do ? Get one, wait for next Nokia tablet (870 anyone??), or simply consider the UMPCs are not worthing the trouble ?"
But now, new competitors with very similar appearance, but a lot more horsepower under the hood, appear.
What do you think about Raon Vega (http://www.dynamism.com/vega/main.shtml) ? It's a small UMPC in the 770 format. It comes preloaded with Windows, but I suspect loading Linux on it wouldn't be too hard, especially when AMD gives out drivers for the AMD Geode processor that is used by the Vega. Since it comes with lots of memory, HDD capacity, powered USB ports, out-VGA capability, and price tag is quite high, it clearly targets at notebook(UMPC) market instead of being just a Internet Tablet. But the form factor (minus the weight) clearly makes this an ultraportable, and a competitor to the 770.
So, what would you do ? Get one, wait for next Nokia tablet (870 anyone??), or simply consider the UMPCs are not worthing the trouble ?"
