Submission + - Sun releases Java SE under GPL. Well, some of it.
LizardKing writes: According to the Register, Sun has open sourced Java, which is news to those of us who have been downloading the JDK source for some time. The real story is that Sun have relicensed the code to key portions of the JDK under a combination of the GPL v2.0 and a revised version of the CDDL. The report does not make it clear whether the class library has also been relicensed, although several other Sun components such as JavaHelp have been.
Submission + - CSIRO creates 'air guitar' T-shirt
Perey writes: Researchers at the CSIRO have built a T-shirt for wannabe rockers that plays sound samples as the wearer performs on air guitar, tambourine, and other instruments. Sensors in the elbows track user movements and wirelessly transmit them to a computer. The ABC has further coverage, including project lead Dr Richard Helmer on the serious side: 'Dr Helmer says the air guitar was a way of capturing the public's interest and getting people comfortable with the technology. But he says researchers are now developing applications for the health and sporting sectors, such as physiotherapy devices which track postures and exercises.'
Feed Drilling Down: Invaders at the Gate, and Slipping Past It (nytimes.com)
Image spam now makes up roughly a third of all spam handled by the e-mail monitoring company Postini.
Submission + - It's official - Sun will use GPLv2 for Java
Some Java Guy writes: Today's announcements include some pieces of the Java SE (javac and
the hotspot VM), a commitment that all of Java SE will be GPL'd by
early 2007, all of Java ME (buildable) now, and all of Java EE (Glassfish)
will be dual-licensed (your choice of GPLv2 or the existing CDDL).
If it sounds funky to release parts of the Java EE, remember that Open Office
was quite incomplete in its first release. Sun have licensing encumbrances
that must be bought out, fought out, or written out.
See: http://planetjdk.org/, http://openjdk.org/,
and http://www.sun.com/opensource/java/.
the hotspot VM), a commitment that all of Java SE will be GPL'd by
early 2007, all of Java ME (buildable) now, and all of Java EE (Glassfish)
will be dual-licensed (your choice of GPLv2 or the existing CDDL).
If it sounds funky to release parts of the Java EE, remember that Open Office
was quite incomplete in its first release. Sun have licensing encumbrances
that must be bought out, fought out, or written out.
See: http://planetjdk.org/, http://openjdk.org/,
and http://www.sun.com/opensource/java/.
Journal Journal: High Definition LED Front Projector 1
Prism, Inc. is planning on unveiling a secret research and development project at CES 2007. A source inside the company says the project is a high definition (1080p) front projector that uses light emitting diodes (LEDs). In contrast to the LED pocket projectors currently on the market (example), this device will produce hundreds of lumens at cinema quality resol
Submission + - Review of Worlds Slimmest Pocket PC Phone with GPS
Brandon Miniman writes: "E-TEN has created a device that claims to be the "World's thinnest Pocket PC Phone, GPS and WiFi all-in-one." Though the device is slim and is built very well, it has its faults, such as no 3G, a slow camera application, and poor one-handed functionality. For more details, read the review."
Submission + - Playing with Magnets - seven tesla magnets!
jd writes: "The BBC is reporting that Nottingham University — the place where the MRI was first invented — has upgraded. The super MRI operates at an amazing 7 tesla. This is not the largest MRI yet built — the University of Illinois at Chicago has a 9.4 tesla unit which they constructed two years ago — but the few published Chicago images are much fuzzier and the research center has published nothing about it since March 2005. The new Nottingham University scanner — which can monitor brain activity in real-time as well as take brain snapshots — will be used for studying the dynamics of the brain under various conditions. The article goes on to say that the largest MRI used in regular research is about 3 tesla. The largest MRI for routine hospital MRI scans is a pitiful 1.5 tesla and is only really good for watching water molecules."
Submission + - G Mail vs Ameritrade
__aagowu7954 writes: Changed my main E Mail address to a G mail account so I naturally changed all of my relevant online info including my E Mail address for various Ameritrade accounts I maintain. Suddenly started recieveing all my Ameritrade statements through the snail mail. Contacted Ameritrade to ask them how this could have happened and was told — a G mail address does not offer the appropriate electronic signature to allow them to verify I am who I say I am so they would not allow that change to be made- had to revise my accounts back to a Yahoo account to get my stuff back ino electronic form.
My son, suggested I write to this forum and see if anyone could suggest how it would be possible given how big both gmail and Ameritrade are for something like this to exist. Seems hard to believe they would have such an incompatibility between their systems.
Submission + - Not allowed to vote in Maryland
JeremyDuffy writes: "It's a proven fact that e-voting is insecure and lacks auditing controls that would provide any kind of confidence that your vote counts. When I went to polls and refused to use the machines, they told me I couldn't vote. Apparently, people who are knowledgable about computer security aren't allowed to vote in Maryland. Read the whole story HERE."
Submission + - Is Computer Science still worth it?
prostoalex writes: "Is it a good idea to go into Computer Science? Yes, there are certainly pending labor shortages as Indian companies outsource to the United States, but speakers of Stanford Computer Forum generally agree that it's a good career choice: "To ensure job security, students must learn business, communication and interpersonal skills, Vardi recommended. The personal touch will become as important as technological expertise, he said. "There are jobs galore," agreed Suzanne Bigas, assistant director of the Stanford Computer Forum.""
Submission + - Coming Soon: Channel Xbox 360
Matt writes: "A week ago the rumor of full length HD video downloads to your Xbox 360 seemed like a distant fantasy. One of the naysayers at Planet Xbox 360 admits he was wrong and takes a closer look at the promise and pitfalls of direct download video on the Xbox 360."
Submission + - Wii Preorders will be taken Thursday November 9th
nerdism writes: ""News has just gotten out via Gamestop's newsletter that they will be taking Online Preorders for the Wii thursday night.
You will have to purchase an entire bundle online, they start at $699 plus tax and handling and it will be delivered right to your door!
There is a limit of 1 wii order per household, this is to be expected, and only to the US. Orders aren't guaranteed to ship the day of the launch due to such high demand. They will be shipped on a first come, first serve basis. However, the bundle will be removed from the site once they have exceed their quota."
Via Live Nintendo"
Google Moving Strongly Into Radio Advertising 54
AvgGatsby writes to let us know about Google's move into radio. The company is hiring "scores" of radio sales people in major markets and is offering them 50% above prevailing salaries. From the article: "Google spokesman Michael Mayzel said this week that the company will begin a public test of Google Audio Ads by the end of the year. Advertisers will be able to go online and sign up for targeted radio ads using the same AdWords system they use to buy Web search ads. It made a clear move into radio in January when it agreed to pay more than $1 billion, depending on performance, for dMarc Broadcasting Inc., which connects advertisers to radio stations through an automated advertising system. It's all part of what Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt has said is an investment in radio advertising that could grow over time to include up to 1,000 Google employees — not just in ad sales, but also in engineering and operations."
Submission + - Wave Powered Desalination
dptalia writes: "Scientists think they've found a way to harness the energy of waves to desalinate salt water. Currently deslination is an energy intensive process, but this new design harnesses the renewable energy of waves. Many countries depend on desalinated water to support their population, and this would signifgantly lower the cost of water generation."
