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Submission Summary: 0 pending, 16 declined, 5 accepted (21 total, 23.81% accepted)

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Apple

Submission + - Apple Kills a Kickstarter Project (venturebeat.com) 1

Nerdfest writes: Venturebeat is reporting that:

Edison Junior, the technology and design lab behind the POP portable power station, is returning the full $139,170 in funding it received from Kickstarter backers to develop the device. Unfortunately, Apple has refused to give the project permission to license the Lightning charger in a device that includes multiple charging options.

“We are pissed,” Edison Junior CEO Jamie Siminoff told me on the phone today. “I think they are being a bunch of assholes, and I think they’re hurting their customers.”

Unix

Submission + - Rob Pike on the Origin of Dot Files (google.com) 1

Nerdfest writes: From Rob Pike's Google+ post: I'm pretty sure the concept of a hidden file was an unintended consequence. It was certainly a mistake.

How many bugs and wasted CPU cycles and instances of human frustration (not to mention bad design) have resulted from that one small shortcut about 40 years ago?

Keep that in mind next time you want to cut a corner in your code.

Android

Submission + - Apple v. Samsung: Surprising Reveals in Latest Court Documents (wired.com)

Nerdfest writes: "The lawyers behind the upcoming Apple v. Samsung trial have been hard at work filing docket after docket as their court battle looms closer, and many of those dockets have just been released to the public. We’re now seeing a lot of previously secret information about the early days of iPhone and iPad R&D, and what’s happened behind closed doors at both Apple and Samsung."

Surprises include the iPhone design being 'inspired' by Sony product ideas, and that Samsung was warned that it was copying Apple.

Submission + - Bono calls for Internet Controls (www.cbc.ca) 4

Nerdfest writes: The CBC reports that Irish rocker Bono is calling for better restrictions on the internet to protect artists and their work. "A decade's worth of music file-sharing and swiping has made clear that the people it hurts are the creators — in this case, the young, fledgling songwriters who can't live off ticket and T-shirt sales like the least sympathetic among us." And he alleges that "rich service providers" are reaping "the lost receipts of the music business."

The musician claims the technology is available to track and prevent illegal downloading, noting efforts in China which limit its populace from freely accessing the internet.

Wii

Submission + - Johnny Chung Lee's Wii Smartboard (toysgadget.com)

Nerdfest writes: In these budget conscious times, schools who want to integrate modern interactive technologies have a choice, buy a SmartBoard , or build your own for a fraction of the cost. Johnny Chung Lee has done some of the groundbreaking work with the Wii, the build instructions and downloads can be found on his site. In addition to the Wiimote, you'll need an infrared light emitting pen, which you can build yourself for short money.
The Media

Submission + - Music Labels Working on Digital Album Format

Nerdfest writes: The Guardian is reporting that the major music labels are working on an 'album' format that contains music, lyrics, artwork, etc, called CMX. Apple had also been invited, but is working on it's own format called 'Cocktail'. No word here on whether or not the format supports DRM. Here's hoping an open standard is the result of this.
Music

Submission + - Pandora Asks for Help

Nerdfest writes: Tim Westergren of Pandora.com, the streaming music provider is asking for listeners help. He says:

After a yearlong negotiation, Pandora, artists and record companies are finally optimistic about reaching an agreement on royalties that would save Pandora and Internet radio. But just as we've gotten close, large traditional broadcast radio companies have launched a covert lobbying campaign to sabotage our progress.

His blog entry has more details.
Education

Submission + - Violent video games teaching tools for aggression (www.cbc.ca) 1

Nerdfest writes: It won't be long until our favorite anti-gamer lawyer is all over this one. Father and son research team J. Ronald and Douglas Gentile found that video games share seven parallels with teaching methods, including encouraging players — or students — to learn new skills over a period of time to overcome problems and changing environments. Games, like teachers, are also able to adapt to skill levels and respond to errors.
Power

Submission + - Could seawater fuel your car? (www.cbc.ca)

Nerdfest writes: The CBC is reporting that a cancer researcher in Erie, Pa., has stumbled on a technique that could turn salt water into fuel (hydrogen) using RF. John Kanzius happened upon the discovery accidentally when he tried to desalinate seawater with a radio-frequency generator he developed to treat cancer. He discovered that as long as the salt water was exposed to the radio frequencies, it would burn.

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