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Robotics

Submission + - SPAM: Exoskeletons for rent in Japan 5

destinyland writes: "Cyberdyne has started renting their exoskeleton body suits in Japan. The mind-controlled wearable machine increases strength and endurance, and rents for $2,300 a month. (Sensors on the skin detect traces of nerve signals from the brain, synchronizing the power suit's movements with the user's own limbs.) New video shows the suits in use on the streets of Tokyo, and the concept may be catching on. DARPA now has a program called Exoskeletons for Human Performance Augmentation "to develop devices and machines that will increase the speed, strength and endurance of soldiers in combat environments""
Link to Original Source
Power

Submission + - Intel Redies GNU/Linux Friendly ACPI Replacement (h-online.com) 3

twitter writes: "ACPI was designed to harm free software. Ten years later, ACPI still has problems but has Intel turned over a new leaf? H-Online has an interesting introduction to Simple Firmware Interface.

A few days ago, version 4.0 of the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification was released, weighing in at a hefty 727 pages ... there are still flaws in many implementations.

Intel is now developing the Simple Firmware Interface (SFI) especially for small and low spec devices like Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) with Atom processors, and is particularly targeting the Linux operating system... SFI can be implemented in addition to, or as an alternative to ACPI, in the firmware either within a classic BIOS, (U)EFI, or with alternative firmware like OpenFirmware.

Version 0.6 has been released as a draft and there is a reference implementation for the 2.6.32 kernel."

Encryption

Submission + - Breakthru Allows Calculations on Encrypted Data 2

BBCWatcher writes: Can data be encrypted in a way that allows any calculation to be performed on the scrambled information without unscrambling it? It's a simple concept that sounds impossible, but if it were possible businesses and individuals could then protect their secrets yet still perform Web searches, medical studies, financial risk assessments, and many other tasks. Computer scientists call this idea "fully homomorphic encryption," and it was first envisioned 30 years ago by Ronald Rivest, one of RSA's coinventors. Rivest and two coauthors thought it was probably impossible. However, Craig Gentry at IBM Research recently discovered a solution, although at present the solution requires too much computing horsepower for common adoption. Nonetheless, Rivest now predicts the remaining engineering problems will be solved, yielding fully homomorphic encryption products and services. Crypto experts believe this breakthrough will make encryption much more convenient and more widespread.
Portables (Apple)

Submission + - Apple's iPhone 3GS Costs $179 to Build (tomsguide.com)

tugfoigel writes: "The entry-level, 16Gbyte version of Apple Inc.'s new iPhone 3G S carries a BOM cost of $172.46 and a manufacturing expense of $6.50, for a total of $178.96," said Andrew Rassweiler, director and principal analyst, teardown services, for iSuppli.
Biotech

Submission + - Stem cells used to restore sight for corneal disea (news.com.au)

Sean0michael writes: "Australian scientists have Restored the sight of three human test subjects using stem cells cultured in contact lenses. All the patients were blind in only one eye. Two were legally blind, but can now read the big letters on an eye chart. The third could read the first few lines, but is now able to pass a driver's test. The University of New South Wales reports that these patients all had damaged corneas, and the stem cells came from each person's good eye. The best part--the procedure is inexpensive, raising hopes for being able to push this to the third world sooner than other, more expensive medications."
Portables (Apple)

Submission + - Apple allows banned Slasher app back in App Store (artsiness.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Apparently Apple is reconsidering the status of previously banned apps. One of the first apps to disappear from the App Store back in August of 2008 was Slasher. The author, apparently after many emails and phone calls, managed to convince Apple to reverse its original decision to ban the app. This is extremely good news for others who have fallen victim to the capriciousness of Apple's prior store policy.
Privacy

Tool To Allow ISPs To Scan Every File You Transmit 370

timdogg writes "Brilliant Digital Entertainment, an Australian software company, has grabbed the attention of the NY attorney general's office with a tool they have designed that can scan every file that passes between an ISP and its customers. The tool can 'check every file passing through an Internet provider's network — every image, every movie, every document attached to an e-mail or found in a Web search — to see if it matches a list of illegal images.' As with the removal of the alt.binary newgroups, this is being promoted under the guise of preventing child porn. The privacy implications of this tool are staggering."
Image

Miss Sister 2008 Screenshot-sm 3

Rev. Antonio Rungi, an Italian priest, is organizing an online beauty pageant for nuns to give them more visibility within the Catholic Church and to fight the stereotype that they are all old and dour. Nuns will have a profile including information about their life, vocation and a photograph. It will be up to the nuns whether to pose with the traditional veil or with their heads uncovered. "We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits, but being ugly is not a requirement for becoming a nun. External beauty is gift from God, and we mustn't hide it." Rungi said. This has to lead to longer lines at the confessional.

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