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Networking

Submission + - New Zealand suggests .bank.nz TLD

Submitted by
spir0
spir0 writes: ""NZ plans on setting up a new Top Level Domain (TLD) under the .nz banner. Aimed at the banking institution, the new TLD is .bank.nz. While on the surface, this may seem like a great idea — separating the banks into their own little community, the long term effects of this are dubious, or redundant at best."

This issue has been beaten around for the global registry, and I don't see a .bank TLD yet, but New Zealand is so small and there are so few banks, that I question the legitimacy of this suggestion."
Upgrades

Submission + - Giant Rabbits Solve North Korea's Hunger Problems

Submitted by
iamdrscience
iamdrscience writes: "
Karl Szmolinsky, a 67 year old, East German pensioner that have breds [sic] rabbits the size of dogs for 47 years was asked by North Korea's ambassador whether he might be willing to sell some rabbits to set up a breeding farm in North Korea.
So far he has sold 12 rabbits for 80 per rabbit instead of the usual price of 200-250. Each of the rabbits weighs about 7kg and can be used to feed eight people."
Space

Submission + - McNaught "brightest comet in recorded history&

Submitted by
WFFS
WFFS writes: "There's a new comet in town, and it could be a beauty. Discovered by Robert H. McNaught, the comet has been seen in Canada, Alaska, and the Scandinavian countries, and as far south as the midwest of the US. It is so spectacular, that NASA astronomer Tony Philips said that "It could emerge as the brightest comet in recorded history." After January 15, Comet McNaught can be seen in the southern hemisphere, where it will rival Venus in luminosity. In the local venacular... Strewth! Bloody ripper!"
Sci-Fi

Submission + - Preferred preservation method?

Submitted by
Bifurcati
Bifurcati writes: "Preferred preservation method?

* Transfer of consciousness to The Matrix
* Liquid nitrogen, ready for thawing
* Black hole event horizon
* Canopic jar
* Corpse case mod"
Networking

Submission + - A Wii Bit of Porn

Submitted by mreed911
mreed911 writes: According to a story on WFAA (ABC affiliate in Dallas, TX), the Wii and PS3 being targeted as "porn gateways."

From the article:
"Some porn sites are advertising they are "Wii Friendly." Their screens have been reconfigured to fit the Wii and the Playstation 3.

No mention is made of the XBox and it's online capabilities, or the DS, or the PSP... but one can imagine that similar themes could come into play. Are porn sites really re-configuring themselves to be console-compatible? What will this mean for content-control systems like CyberNanny, etc. in the console space?
Media (Apple)

Submission + - Top 10 things to hate about the Apple iPhone

Submitted by
SlinkySausage
SlinkySausage writes: "APC Magazine has looked at Apple's iPhone with a critical eye and spotted 10 areas that are significantly lacking. In summary: slow mobile data, battery life that sucks, non-user replaceable battery, potential for touch screen problems, heavy data usage, last-generation camera, proprietary tie-ins, no video chat, carrier lock-in, and not much storage space for video.

"Don't get me wrong," writes the article's author Dan Warne. "I want an iPhone as badly as the next guy, but in the midst of the gushing hype-stream out there, I'd like to provide a little balance and point out that the iPhone's far from perfect. Is it one of the most technologically advanced phones on the market? Absolutely. Do we live in a perfect world? Of course not. Do I wish Apple had reconsidered a few aspects of the iPhone to make it even better? Yep."
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft tries to patent RSS

Submitted by bitserf
bitserf writes: As some blogs are reporting, Microsoft appears to have submitted a patent application for RSS. This appears to be a pretty cynical move on their part, think back to when people were pushing for them to integrate this into their platforms. It would be quite ironic if the inventor of RSS ended up not being able to use the technology he developed and evangelized for fear of infringing on their patent. The filing date of the patent is June 21, 2005.
Announcements

Submission + - Pee soup is off the menu in China

Submitted by
TheCybernator
TheCybernator writes: "Pee soup is off the menu as China makes its English more savoury "Complicated cake", "pee soup", "five sliced things", "dumpling stuffed with the ovary and digestive glands of a crab" and, hopefully, "crap in the grass" are being banished from Beijing's restaurants — as part of a plan to improve English spelling and standardise signs and menus for the 2008 Olympics. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article20 91871.ece"
Handhelds

Submission + - Taking GPS underwater

Submitted by
Jonathan Fogg
Jonathan Fogg writes: "The local BBC channel here in the UK is reporting that Node, a mobile media company, are making a specialist version of their device for deep underwater use. The product seems to be targeted at scuba divers and the many people who enjoy snorkling etc. with a view to guiding them to, and around, the many amazing underwater sites in the world.

Their technical researchers have been demoing it on a wreck off the south west coast of the UK. It uses GPS to help you navigate around the wreck, whilst triggering various media and information that relates to the site — all whilst your 35 meters underwater.

It got me wonder whether there were actually any Divers out there who would be interested in using such a specialist device, and whether the explosion of specialist gadgets like this one has once and for all proved that the convergence theory is codswallop?"
Robotics

Submission + - iLimb Bionic Hand trialled in Scotland

Submitted by
Fix'll Jim It
Fix'll Jim It writes: "The BBC News website has a video report featuring the first recipient of the iLimb prosthetic hand, the 'world's most advanced bionic hand'. From the site: "An advanced version of a bionic hand, with five individually powered fingers, has been fitted to a man in Scotland.".

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/nolavcons ole/ukfs_news/hi?redirect=st.stm&news=1&bbram=1&bb wm=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&nol_storyid=6197793

Web 3D Studio, a leading agency specialising in interactive 3D content for the Internet, have had an interactive model of the iLimb up on their site for a while now.

Link:
www.web3d.co.uk (Portfolio -> Touch Bionics)"
X

Submission + - Discovery of mammals that can smell underwater

Submitted by
Science_afficionado
Science_afficionado writes: "A scientist using a high-speed video camera has discovered that some semi-aquatic mammals can do something that experts had considered to be impossible: using their sense of smell underwater. A multimedia story on Exploration, Vanderbilt's online research magazine, includes video clips that show how the critters do it. The URL is http://www.vanderbilt.edu/exploration/stories/unde rwatersniffing.html. (FLASH is required.)"

Spore to be PC Only, For Now 111

Posted by Zonk from the got-to-get-it-right dept.
Joystiq reports the news that, for the time being, Spore will be only on the PC. This, despite Will Wright's hopes that it would see publication on the Wii, 360, PS3, Gameboy, DS, and PSP. EA seems to be wanting to 'get it right' on the PC to begin with, though, and is discounting the game's publication on those platforms at this time. From the article: "The Wii reference may be a direct result of UK magazine NGamer's recent article that suggests Spore is coming to Nintendo Wii in Spring 2007. As it stands, Wright's team is '100% focused on finishing Spore on the PC and PC only.' That said, you'd have to be pretty foolish to believe Spore will remain exclusive to any format. Like The Sims before it, Wright's latest project will likely invade every screen -- television, computer, mobile phone, etc. -- on Earth."

Nanocosmetics Used Since Ancient Egypt 252

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the lead-good-for-the-skin dept.
Roland Piquepaille writes "French researchers have found that Egyptians, Greek and Romans were using nanotechnology to dye their hair several thousands years ago. Nanowerk Spotlight reports they were using lead compounds which generated lead sulfide (PbS) nanocrystals with a diameter of only 5 nanometers. At a moment where many people wonder if the use of nanoparticles is safe, it's good to know that nanotechnology has been widely used for a very long time."

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