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Math

Submission + - Strings Link the Ultracold with the Superhot (sciencenews.org)

Submitted by
gabrlknght
gabrlknght writes: "Superstring theory claims the power to explain the universe, but critics say it can't be tested by experiment. Lately, though, string math has helped explain a couple of surprising experiments creating "perfect liquids" at cosmic extremes of hot and cold."
The Internet

Submission + - The Depressing Truth About YouTube Stardom (technologyreview.com)

Submitted by
Al
Al writes: "The arXiv physics blog reports that researchers from HP Palo Alto studied videos uploaded to YouTube and found that popularity has little to do with quality or persistence. Researchers Fang Wu and Bernardo Huberman studied the hit rates of 10 million videos uploaded by 600,000 users up to 30 April 2008 and they classified a success as a video that was among the top 1 per cent of those viewed. "The more frequently an individual uploads content the less likely it is that it will reach a success threshold," they conclude, adding that this may be because "when a producer submits several videos over time, their novelty and hence their appeal to a wide audience tends to decrease". Interesting, the researchers speculate that unsuccessful users carry on uploading because (like gammblers) "they overestimate the odds of success"."
Cellphones

Predicting The Google Phone 205

Posted by Zonk from the can-you-goog-me-now dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Inside The GPhone: What To Expect From Google's Android Alliance (an article at Information Week) argues that you can predict what the GPhone(s) will look like very easily, simply by listing the technologies of the Open Handset Alliance partners. According to this theory, the phone will have a user interface from Sweden's TAT, VCAST-like multimedia capabilities powered by PacketVideo Corp., and an iPhone-like capacitive touch-screen, from Synaptics. Hardware-wise, it'll probably be built around Texas Instruments' OMAP processors, which enable a single-chip world phone (GSM/EDGE/GPRS). "While the GPhone won't be revolutionary, it'll connect the pieces in pleasantly new ways," argues author Alex Wolfe. Should Apple be concerned?"

Microsoft Plans Flickr Competitor 156

Posted by Zonk from the piktrs-maybe-or-photoz dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Judging by newly posted job calls, Microsoft is now working on a Flickr-like online photo service. ZDNet reports: '"This feature team is building a next-generation photo and video sharing service that will compete with Flickr, SmugMug and other photo web solutions today. This is a 'v1' opportunity," the ad said. And video will be a part of the effort, too: "This role will work across the new Windows Live division with teams like Spaces, SkyDrive, Messenger and Hotmail to construct a winning strategy for Microsoft in photo and video sharing." Evidently, Microsoft sees the effort as an online extension of its current desktop technology.' Gundeep Hora, at CoolTechZone, feels that such a service is unlikely to succeed, and lays out the numerous challenges the company will face upon entering the market."
Music

Submission + - Canada may tax legal music downloads 3

Submitted by FuriousBalancing
FuriousBalancing writes: MacNN reports:

Canadians may soon pay a small tax on every legal music store download, says a new measure (PDF) sanctioned by the Copyright Board of Canada. Requested by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), the tax would apply at least 2.1 cents to every individual song download and 1.5 cents per track for complete albums. Subscription download and streaming services would themselves be charged between 5.7 and 6.8 percent of a user's monthly fees. Minimum fees would also apply for every larger download or subscription. The new tax would be retroactive to January 1st, 1996.
Power

Submission + - An engine that runs on air

Submitted by BirdDoggy
BirdDoggy writes: TG Daily has an article about a pneumatic engine developed by the French company, Moteur Developpment International (MDI). With three carbon fiber air cylinders mounted under the vehicle, the prototype is capable of speeds up to 68mph and can travel about 124 miles between recharges. The recharges can be done in 4 hours with just $2 worth of electricity.
Censorship

Submission + - DoD block soldiers' access to YouTube, MySpace

Submitted by
Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward writes: "US soldiers will be unable to access many popular Internet sites including Youtube and Myspace from today, after the Depart of Defence blocked access to these sites claiming they were taking up too much bandwidth.

If I remember correctly, it is DoD's (D)Arpanet initiative that developed into what we call the Internet today. How ironic is it that few years down the line, DoD is censoring it's own creation?"

Feed How Google translates without understanding (theregister.com)

From feed by registerfeed
Most of the right words, in mostly the right order

Column After just a couple years of practice, Google can claim to produce the best computer-generated language translations in the world - in languages their boffin creators don't even understand.
Google

Submission + - Lookout! Google watches your gaming activity

Submitted by Tookis
Tookis writes: In a recent patent filing sure to shock some, Google has proposed a real time profiling of players of online games such as World of Warcraft. Soon players of such games may see in game ads directly designed to appeal to their persona. Last month Google filed a patent in both Europe and the US which outlined plans to psychologically profile people simply by their style of play in popular online games. http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/12152/1092/
Microsoft

Why Microsoft Won't List Claimed Patent Violations 626

Posted by kdawson from the only-stick-they've-got dept.
BlueOni0n writes "Earlier today, Microsoft announced it will begin actively seeking reparations for claimed patent infringement by Linux and the open source community in general. One opinion on why Microsoft won't reveal these 235 alleged IP infringements to the public is that they're afraid of having the claims debunked or challenged — so instead they're waiting until the OS community comes to the bargaining table. But a more optimistic thought is that Microsoft may be afraid to list these supposed violations because it knows the patents can be worked around by the open source community, leaving Microsoft high and dry without any leverage at all."

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