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Space

Submission + - Scientists want you to spot and track solar storms (networkworld.com)

coondoggie writes: It's not everyday you can get deeply involved in a space program by sitting at your computer. Space scientists at The Royal Observatory, Greenwich have started up a crowd sourcing project that lets anyone with a PC spot and track solar storms. The project, known as Solar Stormwatch uses real data from NASA's STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) satellites, which are currently in orbit around the Sun and provide researchers with constant details about activities on the Sun's surface.

Submission + - Foxconn iWonder Android tablet to sell for $100 (liliputing.com) 1

Xacid writes: "Looking to spend some quality time with Google Android, but don’t feel like plunking down the cash for a smartphone and then shelling out more money each month for a data plan? I already told you about one relatively affordable option this week: The Archos 5 Internet tablet which starts at just $250. But Taiwanese PC maker Foxconn has an Android-powered tablet that cuts that price in half twice."

Interesting competitor to the iPad. Definitely not a prize fighter, but certainly a viable option for those looking for a similar device on a budget.

More details on the gadget here:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/18/iwonder-why-the-logo-is-upside-down/
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2010/02/iwonder-tablet.html

Comment Re:That would be all well and good (Score 3, Interesting) 461

Consumers squeeze corps, corps squeeze consumers - agreed

Corps have industry trade groups and lobbyists, consumers have (in the USA) representatives and senators.

When it comes down to it, people decide what's ok and what's not. Corps are not people, consumers are. (except when it comes to campaign financing)

Having minimum standards sucks from the supply side, but their absence is much more damaging on the demand side. To use your analogy - ways to make flights cheaper would include doing away with seatbelts and emergency exits (the seals are a maintenance issue). Nobody uses them anyway. Also, would you even notice if aircraft inspections were reduced? The average consumer wouldn't either.
The Military

Directed Energy Weapon Downs Ballistic Missile 297

A**masher writes "In a test off the Califoria coast late last night, Boeing's Airborne Laser successfully destroyed a sub-launched ballistic missile. 'This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform,' reported the Missile Defense Agency. It should be noted that destroying a liquid-fueled ballistic missile is generally considered easier than killing a solid-fueled equivalent due to the relative fragility of the fueling and other systems."
Privacy

FBI Pushing For 2-Year Retention of Web Traffic Logs 256

suraj.sun writes to tell us that the FBI is pushing to have ISPs keep detailed records of what web sites customers have visited for up to two years. Claiming a desire to combat "child pornography and other serious crimes," the FBI and others are pressing for increased data retention, which they have been doing since as early as 2006. "If logs of Web sites visited began to be kept, they would be available only to local, state, and federal police with legal authorization such as a subpoena or search warrant. What remains unclear are the details of what the FBI is proposing. The possibilities include requiring an Internet provider to log the Internet protocol (IP) address of a Web site visited, or the domain name such as cnet.com, a host name such as news.cnet.com, or the actual URL such as http://reviews.cnet.com/Music/2001-6450_7-0.html. While the first three categories could be logged without doing deep packet inspection, the fourth category would require it. That could run up against opposition in Congress, which lambasted the concept in a series of hearings in 2008, causing the demise of a company, NebuAd, which pioneered it inside the United States."
Censorship

Mentioning Android Is a No-No In iPhone App Store 441

donberryman writes "Apple has told a software developer that its application cannot be included in the iPhone App Store if it mentions Google Android. The developer just wanted to mention that the app was a finalist in Google's Android Developer's Challenge." The developer complied with apparent good humor. Here is their blog post, which includes the text of the iPhone store's not-quite-rejection.
Music

Obama DOJ Sides With RIAA Again In Tenenbaum 528

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Despite having had some time to get their act together, Obama's Department of Justice has filed yet another brief defending the RIAA's outlandish statutory damages theory — that someone who downloaded an mp3 with a 99-cent retail value, causing a maximum possible damages of 35 cents, is liable for from $750 to $150,000 for each such file downloaded, in SONY BMG Music Entertainment v. Tenenbaum. The 25- page brief (PDF) continues the DOJ's practice of (a) ignoring the case law which holds that the Supreme Court's due process jurisprudence is applicable to statutory damages, (b) ignoring the law review articles to like effect, (c) ignoring the actual holding of the 1919 case they rely upon, (d) ignoring the fact that the RIAA failed to prove 'distribution' as defined by the Copyright Act, and (e) ignoring the actual wording and reasoning of the Supreme Court in its leading Gore and Campbell decisions. Jon Newton of p2pnet.net attributes the Justice Department's 'oversights' to the 'eye-popping number of people [in its employ] who worked for, and/or are directly connected with, Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music's RIAA.'"

Comment Re:Multilayer WTF? (Score 2, Interesting) 926

One problem with this whole thing is that if the luggage owner doesn't know there is contraband in it, they will act differently than someone who knows what they're carrying.

Observing "suspicious behavior" is a big part of picking this stuff out.

I think this should be enough to invalidate their test unless they were intentionally isolating the behavior observation methods out.

Comment Re:Innovation! (Score 1) 525

BBV8s will likely be replaced by supercharged small block v8s in sports cars and diesel engines in trucks. At least until battery technology is developed to get 300 miles per 5 minute charge time with a $30k price point and a 100k mile lifespan. Electric motors are superior technology to the internal combustion engine - it's powering them that's the problem.

Look at the electric sports cars that are coming out - the Karma and Roadster have some decent performance characteristics. On the other side, there are a lot of industrial machines that use electric already for large amounts of power such as fork lifts, locomotives - even the Navy's ships. In all cases, the delivery of electricity to the motor is the difficult part.

Comment And as usual...... (Score 1) 268

Who is representing the consumer's interests? Does any of these people have a grasp on topics such as "fair use" - you know, that thing that the DMCA wasn't supposed to hinder (DMCA sec 1201(C)(1)). Well, I guess some do, but they're the ones trying to destroy that concept.

Reference: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap12.html#1201

Comment Re:All admins (Score 1) 502

I don't have a perfect understanding of law, but I thought that police had to charge you with an actual crime to keep you in the cage - not violation of employer's policy - as much as some employers think their word is law, it's just not so. Now, having said that, I have to believe that there is a credible accusation of a crime in order to keep him there - otherwise he's a political prisoner and the city should be under state/federal investigation on civil rights charges.

If this proves to be as much of a farce as it appears, I hope he bankrupts the city.

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