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Cudni's DSL/Broadband Reports security forum thread shares a SecurityFocus blog on internationalization of malware. Wes Brown, the author, share his some of his observations on where malware is going like growing internationalization, culture impact, linguistic barriers, internationalization of antimalware tools, and hints.
http://www.securityfocus.com/blogs/914

Ant writes "CNN reports a new study suggests that attitude rather than availability may be the key reason why more Americans don't have high-speed Internet access. The findings from the Pew Internet and American Life Project challenge the argument that broadband providers need to more aggressively roll out supply to meet demand. Seen on Digg."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/07/02/broadband.study.ap/index.html

Variety reports on a recent study that says television/TV's median age is outside the 18-49 years demograph/demo.: "The broadcast networks have grown older than ever — if they were a person, they wouldn't even be a part of TV's target demo anymore. According to a study released by Magna Global's Steve Sternberg, the five broadcast nets' average live median age (in other words, not including delayed digital video recorder/DVR viewing) was 50 last season. That's the oldest ever since Sternberg started analyzing median age more than a decade ago — and the first time the nets' median age was outside of the vaunted 18-49 demo..." Seen on Digg.
http://www.variety.com/VR1117988273.html

LoofWaffle writes "As reported by Meredith F. Small, LiveScience's Human Nature Columnist. Think our species evolved by learning how to make weapons and fire? Maybe we did, but Katherine Rankin, a Neurophysiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, believes sarcasm was also key. As a way of making or breaking relationships this could presumably explain the creation of tribes of similarly minded people. I can see it now...
"Why we kick out Ogg?"

"Cause he not hit wooly side of mammoth?"

As such that tribe lives on with the higher skilled hunter-gatherers...
Or maybe it was just the weapons and fire."
http://www.livescience.com/history/080620-hn-sarcasm.html

Ant writes "Null Hypothesis shares many quotes from some of the greatest minds on the planet on inventions they deemed had no future: "In light of the claim that inflatable cars are set to become the vehicle of the future, the Null has found a long and distinguished list of inventions that were poo pooed by esteemed individuals, only for the product to become a raging success. Shame on you all..." Seen on Digg."
http://www.null-hypothesis.co.uk/science/strange-but-true/item/invention_failure_never_work_disaster

Ant writes "TheDaily Green mentions a study of nearly 6,000 children in Munich has found that children are much more likely to develop asthma, allergies and skin rashes if they live near major roads... Seen on Digg."
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/allergy-highway-47061301

Ant writes "This Divine Caroline article ( http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22276/50367-office-weirdos — they-re-worse — preview messes up my URL) shares six egregious workplace episodes made her and her readers' skin crawl. Hopefully, these don't inspire people to do similar behavior, but rather offer them a sense of newfound freedom in your harmless acts of deviousness around the office."
http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22276/50367-office-weirdos--they-re-worse

Ant writes "This Yahoo! News story says that it's better to be on the red team than on the blue team in an online multiplayer shooting game, according to researchers. The scientists studied the outcomes of 1,347 matchups between elite teams playing "Unreal Tournament 2004," a so-called first-person shooter game. The main activity in the game is running around and shooting at the avatars of the opposing team... Seen on Blue's News."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080611/ap_on_hi_te/tec_techbit_red_vs_blue

Ant writes "Broadcast Engineering reports that millions of over-the-air viewers are going to be faced next February (2009) with a harsh reality: install a sophisticated new outdoor antenna or subscribe to a pay-television/TV service. That's because in many parts of the United States (U.S.), viewers are going to find that reception of digital signals over the air is not so easy. In fact, due to many conditions, it may be impossible even with an antenna. Centris, a market research firm, estimates these issues will affect more than 40 million primary and vacation households and that the government is leaving out two key details in their digital television (DTV) education campaign. The firm outlined its differences with the government and answered their public criticism in a new DTV Reception Study Fact Sheet. The first detail relates to the type of antenna the government assumes the viewer is using. The assumption is that the TVs are connected to an outdoor antenna 30ft above the ground with an electric motor that allows the user to point the antenna toward the desired station. In its research, Centris found that 75 percent of over-the-air households use indoor antennas on their TVs, and only 13 percent have an outdoor motorized roof-top antenna. In households with indoor antennas, the need for the TV signal to penetrate the premises causes it to be at least between three and 100 times lower in power due to loss. The second important detail is the digital "cliff effect." Today, many viewers watch analog signals that are less than ideal, perhaps with minor impairments of noise, Centris said. However, digital signals exhibit a cliff effect so that unless signals are well above levels that many people consider acceptable for analog, the digital signal will not work at all. Seen in alt.video.digital-tv newsgroup."
http://broadcastengineering.com/RF/analog-shutdown-nears-antenna-reality-emerges-0609/

Ant writes "GamesSpot shares a News.com.au story on Australian's study has revealed that video game addicts don't suffer from social problems, shyness, or self-esteem problems. Dan Loton from Melbourne-based Victoria University undertook an honours research project to determine if there was a relationship between games, social skills, and self-esteem. Loton found that there was no direct connection between excessive game playing and social skills and self-esteem. According to the study, when it comes to game addicts, only 1 percent suffered from shyness..."
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23814312-5014117,00.html

Ant writes "Yahoo! News report that "disinfectant wipes routinely used in hospitals may actually spread drug-resistant bacteria rather than kill the dangerous infections, British researchers said on Tuesday. While the wipes killed some bacteria, a study of two hospitals showed they did not get them all and could transfer the so-called superbugs to other surfaces, Gareth Williams, a microbiologist at Cardiff University, said..." Seen on Neatorama."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080603/hl_nm/infection_wipes_dc;_ylt=AhtW9vPyUXv4DjHUDXvH_K1a24cA

Ant writes "BBC News report: "Scientists say they have located the parts of the brain that comprehend sarcasm — honestly. By comparing healthy people and those with damage to different parts of the brain, they found the front of the brain was key to understanding sarcasm. Damage to any of three different areas could render individuals unable to understand sarcastic comments..." Seen on Blue's News."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4566319.stm

Ant writes "The Washington Post reports that malicious software makers are using social networks, video sites, and blogs to peddle their wares to other online criminals... Malware is big business, and groups are trying to cash in, using the latest Web 2.0 tools: social networking profiles, blogs, and other publicly available media and Web pages. The digital desperados are moving more and more into wide-scale advertising and brand building on public sites and networks to grow their underground trade. But wait a minute — how can people get away with selling programs for breaking into your personal computer/P.C. or stealing your identity? Simple: Selling malware is not directly illegal in the United States/U.S. (or nearly anywhere else). Only using it is illegal... Seen on Digg."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/31/AR2008053100106.html

Ant writes "This two pages Cracked.com article says "... robots can make everything cooler, from wars to weddings. Hollywood knows this and tries, when possible, to give us what we crave in the form of kickass robots with kickass abilities. Most of the time, though, these robots that look so cool on screen are so incompetent at their jobs, they'd have had better luck just sending a random intern to do it..." Listed, are eight movie robots... Seen on Digg."
http://www.cracked.com/article_16338_8-classic-movie-robots-that-actually-suck-at-their-job.html

Ant writes "CNET News.com reports: "In advertising these days, the brass ring goes to those who can measure everything — how many people see a particular advertisement, when they see it, who they are. All of that is easy on the Internet, and getting easier in television and print. Billboards are a different story. For the most part, they are still a relic of old-world media, and the best guesses about viewership numbers come from foot traffic counts or highway reports, neither of which guarantees that the people passing by were really looking at the billboard, or that they were the ones sought out. Now, some entrepreneurs have introduced technology to solve that problem. They are equipping billboards with tiny cameras that gather details about passers-by — their gender, approximate age, and how long they looked at the billboard. These details are transmitted to a central database..." Seen on Digg."
http://news.cnet.com/Billboards-that-look-back/2100-1024_3-6240681.html