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Input Devices

Headband Gives Wearer "Sixth-Sense" 234

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the use-the-force dept.
An anonymous reader writes "New Scientist reports on a headband developed at the University of Tokyo that allows the wearer to feel their surroundings at a distance — as if they had cats whiskers. Infrared sensors positioned around the headband vibrate to signal when and where an object is close. There are also a few great videos of people using it to dodge stuff while blindfolded."
The Internet

Submission + - AT&T to Help MPAA Filter the Internet (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by
Save the Internet
Save the Internet writes: "Ars Technica is reporting that the MPAA is trying to convince major ISPs to do content filtering. Now, merely wanting it is one thing, but the more important point is that "AT&T has agreed to start filtering content at some mysterious point in the future." We're left to wonder about the legal implications of that, but given that AT&T already has the ability to wiretap everything for the NSA, it was only a matter of time before they found a way to profit from it, too."
Portables (Apple)

Submission + - Calling out Apple: Verizon may get iPhone in 2008 (blorge.com)

Submitted by
fdmendez
fdmendez writes: "Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone, Verizon's parent company, says iPhone sales can't even get close to hurting Verizon's numbers, criticizing Apple for making a 2G phone, but his company would love to talk to Apple when a 3G version of the phone is developed. In this day and age of digital speed, Sarin tends to ignore anything 2G even if it's Apple."
Mozilla

Submission + - Mozilla says Apple must fix Quicktime flaw

Submitted by
JavaJack
JavaJack writes: "Infoworld.com is reporting that even though Mozilla fixed "a critical bug in the way the Firefox browser works with QuickTime media files" which "gives attackers a way to run unauthorized commands on a victim's PC", Mozilla claims that the bug can't be fully fixed until Apple fixes Quicktime. From the article...

A July 2007 patch was supposed to take care of this type of problem, but [hacker Petko] Petkov showed how attackers could still run commands on a victim's system by tricking a victim into opening a maliciously coded QuickTime media file.
In fact, until Apple addresses the underlying flaw in QuickTime, there still could be headaches for users, Mozilla said in its security advisory on the issue. "QuickTime Media-link files could still be used to annoy users with popup windows and dialogs until this issue is fixed in QuickTime," the advisory states.
Mozilla's fix is included in Firefox 2.0.0.7.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/09/18/Mozilla-fixes-QuickTime-flaw-in-Firefox_1.html?source=NLC-TB&cgd=2007-09-19"
Privacy

Submission + - Justice Department Fears AT&T Destruction

Submitted by Doc Ruby
Doc Ruby writes: The US Department of Justice has been working with telcos to intercept communications (voice, email, Web...), sometimes allegedly in violation of laws requiring due process. Now analysts believe that US telcos might be liable to every person in the US who owns a phone for violating laws protecting us:

In short, it is increasingly evident that the major US TelCos enabled the surveillance of every single domestic communication, or cannot prove that they did not. So in light of the possibility that The Program monitored the communication of every American with a phone or a web connection, this means that nearly all Americans may have standing to participate in a lawsuit should any plaintiff achieve success in showing standing and damages from the program.
Such a liability could break AT&T and any other telcos bearing it. This analysis also explains recent DoJ filings taking AT&T's position against Network Neutrality. This "private/public partnership" might have done irreparable damage to everyone plugged into the switchboard.
Space

Submission + - Weather Balloon My A** 1

Submitted by
xnuandax
xnuandax writes: "A serious blow has been dealt to the conspiracy theory that aliens didn't in fact visit us at Roswell, New Mexico 60 years ago. It appears that late Army Lt. Walter Haut had signed a sealed affidavit prior to his death last year asserting that he had indeed witnessed the wreckage of an egg-shaped craft and its extraterrestrial crew whilst working at the Roswell Army Air Field. This news article reviews how Haut had worked as public relations officer for the Roswell base and was involved in the original "weather balloon" explanation of events at the time. This recent evidence would seem to confirm speculation that egg-shaped saucers are notoriously difficult to fly safely at low altitude."
Handhelds

Submission + - iPhone blasted by consumer watchdog

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: A US-based consumer watchdog has blasted the iPhone for its lack of user replaceable battery and two-year service contract. The FTCR is calling on Apple and AT&T to provide free and immediate replacement of iPhone batteries at their stores for the entire life of the iPhone. The FTCR is also outraged by the two-year service contract that iPhone users must commit to before they can activate their phone, and is calling on AT&T to allow contracts to be canceled at any time
Upgrades

Submission + - Dell expands Ubuntu offerings

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Dell has started offering the Inspiron 1420 as part of their Ubuntu offerings. This laptop comes with faster CPU and higher RAM configurations, and your choice of 8 colors. Dell has also replaced their low-end desktop model with the Inspiron Desktop 530N. Unfortunately, there is still no sign of offerings outside of the US, but John Hull of the Dell Linux Engineering team hinted at interesting announcements come later this summer, when asked of that very topic.
Nintendo

Submission + - Nintendo opens up the Wii (theglobeandmail.com)

Submitted by
Raver32
Raver32 writes: "Nintendo Co. has opened its blockbuster Wii game system to independent video-game developers for the first time, the company announced Wednesday. Nintendo said it will let individuals and outside game studios create and sell downloadable Wii games with a tool called WiiWare. Gamers will be able to purchase the games through the console's Wii Shop channel starting in early 2008. Perrin Kaplan, a Nintendo spokeswoman, said the game-creation kit is designed for people with at least some knowledge of computer programming. Developers can start designing games using a PC but must complete them on the Wii console, Kaplan said. "Independent developers armed with small budgets and big ideas will be able to get their original games into the marketplace to see if we can find the next smash hit," said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, in a statement."
Education

Submission + - No OLPCs for Cuba. Ever.

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: In a move going largely unnoticed by the developers the OLPC project now requires all submissions to the project to be hosted in the RedHat Fedora project.

While not seeming like a big deal, the implications are interesting. First, contributors have to sign the Fedora Project Individual Contributor License Agreement. By being forced to submit contributions to the Fedora repository they automatically fall under the provisions of US export law. So, no OLPC for Cuba, Syria and the likes. Ever.

But at least the OLPC project will build a nice business for RedHat The software borrows from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, with about 95 per cent of the code overlapping.
Data Storage

Submission + - main points of DDR3, the new memory standard

Submitted by
Star surfer
Star surfer writes: "Brief informative article on the new DDR3 memory standard. A higher performance RAM memory system; higher clock and bigger buffers benefiting video and graphics. CPU clocks haven't gone up much since DDR2."
Editorial

Submission + - TMS: 8 Hours Sleep in 3 Hours Time?

Submitted by IConrad01
IConrad01 writes: http://www.functionalisminaction.com/2007/05/hybri d-sheep-twice-slumberland-mileage.html Op/Ed piece from a technophile libertarian (yours truly), on recent developments in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and nootropics, that have lead to results indicating that it might be possible to pack an eight-hour night of sleep into two or three hours — with a little dig at Francis Fukuyama-style "bio-luddism" for good measure.

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