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Submission + - Ghoulish gadgets: cool Halloween tech (itworld.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Some would say that Halloween is not a techie-type holiday. To those people I, and the creative (read: demented) makers of these gadgets, say "Boo!"
Facebook

Submission + - Facebook Apps Transmit, Sell Personal Info (foxnews.com)

Submitted by plastick
plastick writes: Many of the most popular applications, or "apps," on the social-networking site Facebook Inc. have been transmitting identifying information, in effect, providing access to people's names and, in some cases, their friends' names to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies, a Wall Street Journal investigation has found.

"Apps" are pieces of software that let Facebook's 500 million users play games or share common interests with one another. The Journal found that all of the 10 most popular apps on Facebook were transmitting users' IDs to outside companies. The apps, ranked by research company Inside Network Inc. (based on monthly users), include Zynga Game Network Inc.'s FarmVille, with 59 million users, and Texas HoldEm Poker and FrontierVille. Three of the top 10 apps, including FarmVille, also have been transmitting personal information about a user's friends to outside companies.

Submission + - Why Sex in Space Is a Bad Idea (foxnews.com) 1

Submitted by plastick
plastick writes: In their experiments, researchers employed human embryonic stem cells, which possess the extraordinary ability to become any other cell. To simulate microgravity on Earth, the scientists used a NASA-designed machine which kept the cells nourished with oxygen and nutrients while constantly spinning to keep the cells in a state of freefall for 28 days.

After this experiment, the cells showed vast differences on the molecular level, with 64 percent of their proteins differing from those grown under normal gravity. Specifically, these microgravity-exposed cells generated more proteins that degrade bone and fewer proteins with antioxidant effects. Antioxidants protect against reactive oxidants that can damage DNA.

Microgravity also influenced levels of a broad range of other proteins. These include those involved in cell division, the immune system, the muscle and skeletal systems, calcium levels within cells, and cell motility.

These findings in embryonic stem cells may not bode well for attempts at procreation in microgravity.
Facebook

Submission + - Top Facebook Apps Violate Privacy Terms: Report (crn.com) 1

Submitted by cgriffin21
cgriffin21 writes: No stranger to privacy concerns, Facebook is one again in in the privacy spotlight following a Wall Street Journal report that some popular Facebook applications leak personal information to advertisers. "Many of the popular applications, or 'apps,' on the social-networking site Facebook Inc. have been transmitting identifying information — in effect, providing access to people's names and, in some cases, their friends' names — to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies," according to The Wall Street Journal, which wrote about Facebook Sunday in the latest installment of its recent "What They Know" series about advertising and the Internet.
Apple

Submission + - iPad To Debut On Verizon

Submitted by
Ponca City
Ponca City writes: "InformationWeek reports that Apple and Verizon have teamed up to make the iPad available on Verizon's nationwide wireless network. Verizon is offering the Wi-Fi only, non-3G version of the device in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB editions, at Apple's suggested retail prices of $499, $599, and $699, respectively. However Verizon is also offering a bundle that includes the Novatel Mi-Fi 2200 router, which will allow users to tap Verizon's 3G wireless network through their Wi-Fi enabled iPads. Until now, AT&T has had exclusive carrier rights to the iPad and iPhone. But, stinging from complaints about poor reception on the AT&T network, Apple appears ready to embrace Verizon as an alternative carrier. In addition to the iPad deal, it's expected that Verizon will offer the iPhone 4 starting next year."

Submission + - The Reality about Hearing Aids - Cure for Hearing (hearingaidsdelhi.com)

Submitted by hearingaidsindia
hearingaidsindia writes: The next time you come across the word- "hearing aids", don't get surprised as the much connoted term has nothing to do with sexually transmission of diseases, like AIDS. Though AIDS, i.e., acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has some other agents too, from which the disease travels from one person to another, but on the contrary hearing aids can happen to anyone without the requirement of a particular source to transfer itself. Basically excessive noise is the number one reason for hearing loss finally resulting in hearing aids.
Emphasising on the literal meaning of hearing aids, it is something that aids in hearing. More precisely it can be defined as a small electronic device that is worn in or behind the ear which makes sounds louder so that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate, and participate more fully in day to day activities. Like any another mechanical device the complete functioning of a hearing aid is controlled by its three parts, a microphone, amplifier, and speaker. The microphone receives sounds, converting the sound waves into electrical signals and sends them to an amplifier. The amplifier enhances the power of the signals and finally the signals are sent to the ear through a speaker.
A hearing aid user can't expect the full rectification of his/her hearing loss problem, as hearing aid just makes sound more accessible to the patient suffering from hearing loss resulting from the damage of the small sensory cells in the inner ear, called hair cells. A hearing aid magnifies sound vibrations entering the ear. The hair cells in the ear detect the larger vibrations and convert them into neural signals that are passed along to the brain. The ear has over 25,000 tiny hair cells helping to hear the nuances of sound. Mathematically, the tendency of hearing & the damage of hair cells inside the ear are proportional to each other. The greater the damage to a person's hair cells, the more severe is the hearing loss; As a result greater hearing aid amplification is needed to make up the difference.
One can visit to otolaryngologist or audiologist for curing out hearing loss problems. An otolaryngologist is a physician who specializes in ear, nose, and throat disorders and will investigate the cause of the hearing loss. An audiologist is a hearing health professional who identifies and measures hearing loss and will perform a hearing test to assess the type and degree of loss. Furthermore, the level of hearing loss and the origin in ear that is causing the hearing loss determines the type of hearing aid a patient requires. There are small hearing aids designed to fit directly into the ear and larger hearing aids that fit behind the ear. Manufacturers use abbreviations such BTE (behind the ear), ITE (in the ear), ITC (in the canal) and CIC (completely in the canal) when describing their hearing aids.
Hearing loss is not just an ailment of old age. It can strike at any time and any age, even childhood. The signs of hearing loss can appear very slow or they can make a sudden appearance. Whatever the case may be the problem of hearing loss creep in with negative social and emotional repercussions. It's very annoying when in a social gathering a person finds it difficult in following conversation involving many people or requires frequent repetitions or tend to read lips or more intently watch people's faces when they speak. This kind of difficulty hearing gives an experience of distorted and incomplete communication that it seriously impacts their professional and personal lives, at times leading to isolation and withdrawal.
Visit us at : http://www.hearingaidsdelhi.com/
Expert Advice: +91 9810074489
News

Submission + - What Happens With Our Sun? (messagetoeagle.com)

Submitted by stargazer68
stargazer68 writes: Life on Earth which is rich in flora and fauna, is the result of the presence of sunlight and water.
However, recently, scientists from Imperial College London and University of Colorado discovered an unexpected relationship between solar activity and climate on Earth.

Submission + - Researchers find key genetic trigger of depression

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Yale University researchers have found a gene that seems to be a key contributor to the onset of depression and is a promising target for a new class of antidepressants, they report Oct. 17 in the journal Nature Medicine. "This could be a primary cause, or at least a major contributing factor, to the signaling abnormalities that lead to depression," said Ronald S. Duman, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Yale and senior author of the study.

Submission + - Desktop Linux is Dead (pcworld.com)

Submitted by digitaldc
digitaldc writes: According to PCWorld, desktop Linux is dead...
It kills me to say this: The dream of Linux as a major desktop OS is now pretty much dead.Despite phenomenal security and stability--and amazing strides in usability, performance, and compatibility--Linux simply isn’t catching on with desktop users. And if there ever was a chance for desktop Linux to succeed, that ship has long since sunk...Ultimately, Linux is doomed on the desktop because of a critical lack of content. And that lack of content owes its existence to two key factors: the fragmentation of the Linux platform, and the fierce ideology of the open-source community at large.
Ubuntu

Submission + - Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition vs the iPad (pcpro.co.uk)

Submitted by Barence
Barence writes: PC Pro's Darien Graham-Smith has written a blog post explaining why he's given up an iPad in preference to Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition. "It may not feel quite so zippy as the iPad, but it’s perfectly responsive: if you’re used to the plodding pace of Windows on a netbook, I strongly recommend switching to Ubuntu, as the difference in performance is like night and day," Graham-Smith writes. "To be sure, the Eee PC doesn’t have the battery life of the iPad. Nor does it wake up quite so quickly, though the difference is only a matter of seconds. But it has a similarly dinky footprint, plus a keyboard, a self-supporting screen and an open ecosystem (unhindered by egos and embargoes), that I’m much happier to buy into — not to mention conveniences such as USB ports and an SD card reader."
Security

Submission + - Acrobat Readers Gets Sandbox Security (securityweek.com)

Submitted by wiredmikey
wiredmikey writes: Adobe today announced its new Acrobat X Family of products, In the new release, Adobe is adding an entirely new security strategy by introducing a new “Protected Mode” — Protected Mode utilizes "sandboxing" technology based on Microsoft’s “Practical Windows Sandboxing technique ” – a method of isolating the application from the rest of the operating system and tightly controlling its resources.
Facebook

Submission + - Digg: A Cautionary Tale for Facebook (internetevolution.com)

Submitted by rsmiller510
rsmiller510 writes: Digg lost an astonishing 26 percent of its daily page views just one month after a site redesign that upset regular users. Facebook may want to pay attention to just how quickly things can change in the online social world.
Technology

Submission + - Deal finalised on fusion reactor (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The European Union and six member states have reached a deal on the financing and timetable for an experimental nuclear fusion reactor.

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