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Cloud

Submission + - Useable, private addressbook system?

Submitted by qwerty8ytrewq
qwerty8ytrewq writes: I was really horrified recently to discover that Apple iOS makes my address book available without asking my permission to installed apps (specifically the Twitter app in my case, but there are no doubt others). I carefully chose an iphone vs Android or whatever other options specifically because of security. Sure, I run Google apps for business, and all my data goes through there, but I (perhaps naively) told myself that this is a paid service, so I am paying them, to leave my data alone (ish) and at least not sell it to the highest bidder.
For the first time ever I am totally happy with my address-book system, I enter data once, in the field and then its backed up and useable.

The thing that really smarts here is that Apple, who I paid big money for iphone and iOS, (Apple are not offering me a free service in exchange for my data like FB ) have neglectfully given away my address book, and perhaps a lot of other data without even a 'by your leave'!
I think this is unethical practice by Apple, and at best a grey area. All I think to do to fix it is go back to a paper address book, seriously? Thoughts?

Comment My frustration, free vs paid (Score 1) 222

by qwerty8ytrewq (#39245903) Attached to: Have We Lost Our Privacy To the Internet?
I was really horrified recently to discover that Apple iOS makes my address book available without asking my permission to installed apps (specifically the Twitter app in my case, but there are no doubt others). I carefully chose an iphone vs Android or whatever other options specifically because of security. Sure, I run Google apps for business, and all my data goes through there, but I (perhaps naively) told myself that this is a paid service, so I am paying them, to leave my data alone (ish) and at least not sell it to the highest bidder.
For the first time ever I am totally happy with my address-book system, I enter data once, in the field and then its backed up and useable.

The thing that really smarts here is that Apple, who I paid big money for iphone and iOS, (Apple are not offering me a free service in exchange for my data like FB ) have neglectfully given away my address book, and perhaps a lot of other data without even a 'by your leave'!
I think this is unethical practice by Apple, and at best a grey area. All I think to do to fix it is go back to a paper address book, seriously? Thoughts?
Books

Submission + - The ebook Backlash 1

Submitted by
Hugh Pickens writes
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "The NY Times reports that people who read ebooks on tablets like the iPad are beginning to realize that while a book in print is straightforward and immersive, a tablet is more like a 21st-century cacophony than a traditional solitary activity offering a menu of distractions that can fragment the reading experience, or stop it in its tracks. “The tablet is like a temptress,” says James McQuivey. “It’s constantly saying, ‘You could be on YouTube now.’ Or it’s sending constant alerts that pop up, saying you just got an e-mail. Reading itself is trying to compete.” There are also signs that publishers are cooling on tablets for e-reading. A recent survey by Forrester Research showed that 31 percent of publishers believed iPads and similar tablets were the ideal e-reading platform; one year ago, 46 percent thought so. Then there's Jonathan Franzen, regarded as one of America’s greatest living novelists, who says consumers have been conned into thinking that they need the latest technology and that that e-books can never have the magic of the printed page. “I think, for serious readers, a sense of permanence has always been part of the experience. Everything else in your life is fluid, but here is this text that doesn’t change.""
Cellphones

Submission + - AT&T Clarifies Data Limitations on "Unlimited" Data Plans (hothardware.com) 1

Submitted by
MojoKid
MojoKid writes: "Several months ago, AT&T notified customers that it would begin throttling network speeds for users who exceeded a certain threshold, with the definitive throttle point defined as an imprecise "the top 5% of mobile data users." The company has issued a statement clarifying this policy after irate customers with unlimited data plans demanded to know what the cap was and how the company determined who should and shouldn't be throttled. The magic number is 3GB, which conveniently happens to be the maximum amount of tiered bandwidth AT&T will sell you. So why would AT&T want unlimited users to move to tiered pricing when its maximum tier is also set at 3GB? Simple — the amount of money the company makes on customers who exceed that 3GB limit. The fine print reads: "If 3GB is exceeded, an additional 1 GB is automatically provided at a rate of $10 for each additional 1 GB." Anyone using above 3GB on an unlimited plan is a customer who isn't paying enough for the privilege (from AT&T's perspective)."
Technology

Submission + - The vortex gun - coming soon to a protest near you? (dvice.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: From the article: Vortex technology has been used in everything from rocket-powered fire extinguishers to Nerf guns, but neither of those things are capable of giving the beat-down to hapless protesters. By giving spinning vortices an electric charge, though, pepper spray can be sent over 150 feet at between 60 and 90 mph.

A vortex gun uses a pressure wave and a carefully designed barrel to fire donut-shaped rings of air that can hold themselves together over long distances. The military (starting with the German military during World War II) has been running experiments with using vortex canons to knock things over, but it's not a particularly efficient or effective way to go. What the gas rings can be used for is transporting other gasses (like pepper spray or tear gas or pesticide) long distances with a decent amount of accuracy, holding their cargo inside the calm center spinning vortex
Cloud

Submission + - Time-lapse taken while trekking Annapurna Circuit (vimeo.com)

Submitted by qwerty8ytrewq
qwerty8ytrewq writes: A very beautiful and interesting stop-motion video made from a collection of time-lapse images. Photos where taken while trekking Annapurna Circuit and Tilicho lake Nepal. Detailed cloud motion is fascinating.
Google

Submission + - Google+ Approaching 50 Million Users (thecompiler.org)

Submitted by gzomartin
gzomartin writes: Only days after Google+ went into open beta it has risen to 50 Million users even though many have stated that it is a ghost town, and that its dying. These stats completely disprove that, and show that it is going to start being a real threat to Facebook.

Comment Excellent stop-motion would promote this project (Score 1) 103

by qwerty8ytrewq (#37505990) Attached to: High School Student Launches a Trash Bag Aircraft
Brilliant concept, well executed! Helium is a good choice, I initially thought that the balloon might be thermal, powered by wax or some liquid fuel. (eg kerosene). The ballon project video is good but it could be improved.
Perhaps with a 360 degree fisheye or some kind of spin correction system, I felt a bit dizzy watching it. A really stand-out high-altitude stop-motion vid' with good production like this one of mountain views of Annapurna in Nepal can be really successful and might do a lot to promote this amazing balloon project.

Submission + - Nanoscale nonlinear light source (physorg.com)

Submitted by Freddybear
Freddybear writes: "Not long after the development of the first laser in 1960 scientists discovered that shining a beam through certain crystals produced light of a different color; more specifically, it produced light of exactly twice the frequency of the original. The phenomenon was dubbed second harmonic generation

The green laser pointers in use today to illustrate presentations are based on this science, but producing such a beautiful emerald beam is no easy feat. The green light begins as an infrared ray that must be first processed through a crystal, various lenses and other optical elements before it can illuminate that PowerPoint on the screen before you.

It was later discovered that applying an electrical field to some crystals produced a similar, though weaker, beam of light. This second discovery, known as EFISH – for electric-field-induced second harmonic light generation – has amounted mostly to an interesting bit of scientific knowledge and little more. EFISH devices are big, demanding high-powered lasers, large crystals and thousands of volts of electricity to produce the effect. As a result, they are impractical for all but a few applications.

In a paper published today in Science, engineers from Stanford have demonstrated a new device that shrinks EFISH devices by orders of magnitude to the nanoscale. The result is an ultra-compact light source with both optical and electrical functions. Research implications for the device range from a better understanding of fundamental science to improved data communications."

Submission + - Violation of ToS Should not be a Crime (eff.org)

Submitted by
Khyber
Khyber writes: "Three data and security breach notification bills have been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, one of which includes an amendment that adds clarity with regards to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. These three bills would require businesses to develop data privacy and security plans, and it would set a federal standard for notifying individuals of breaches of very sensitive personally identifiable information, such as credit card information or medical records. This clarification is welcomed, making the statute more focused towards hackers and identity thieves, instead of consumers that run afoul of ToS or AUPs of websites and service providers."
Medicine

Submission + - Virus kills breast cancer cells in laboratory (psu.edu)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A nondisease-causing virus kills human breast cancer cells in the laboratory, creating opportunities for potential new cancer therapies, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers who tested the virus on three different breast cancer types that represent the multiple stages of breast cancer development.

Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) is a virus that regularly infects humans but causes no disease. Past studies by the same researchers show that it promotes tumor cell death in cervical cancer cells infected with human papillomavirus. Researchers used an unaltered, naturally occurring version of AAV2 on human breast cancer cells.

Cells have multiple ways of dying. If damage occurs in a healthy cell, the cell turns on production and activation of specific proteins that allow the cell to commit suicide. However, in cancer cells these death pathways often are turned off, while the proteins that allow the cell to divide and multiply are stuck in the "on" position.

One way to fight cancer is to find ways to turn on these death pathways, which is what researchers believe is happening with the AAV2 virus.

In tissue culture dishes in the laboratory, 100 percent of the cancer cells are destroyed by the virus within seven days, with the majority of the cell death proteins activated on the fifth day. In another study, a fourth breast cancer derived cell line, which is the most aggressive, required three weeks to undergo cell death.

Submission + - Crowdsourced evolution of 3D printable objects (endlessforms.com)

Submitted by
JimmyQS
JimmyQS writes: "The Cornell Creative Machines Lab, which brought us chatbots debating God and unicorns, has developed Endlessforms.com, a site using evolutionary algorithms and crowdsourcing to design objects that can be 3D printed in materials such as silver, steel or silicone. MIT's Technology Review says "The rules EndlessForms uses to generate objects and their variants resemble those of developmental biology—the study of how DNA instructions unfold to create an entire living organism. The technology is 'very impressive,' says Neri Oxman, director of the MIT Media Lab's Mediated Matter research group. She believes the user-friendliness of the evolutionary approach could help drive the broader adoption of 3-D printing technologies, similar to how easy-to-use image editors fueled the growth of digital photography and graphic manipulation. Oxman [notes] that this could ultimately have an impact on design similar to the impact that blogs and social media have had on journalism, opening the field to the general public." The New Scientist has a quick video tour and describes how the same technology can evolve complex, artificially intelligent brains and bodies for robots that can eventually be 3D printed."

Comment good or bad depending. (Score 2) 408

by qwerty8ytrewq (#36137398) Attached to: The Rise of Filter Bubbles
This is only an issue when it is invisible, or out of your control. When I watch a trashy movie, I want a filter on everything else. When I go to news feeds, social sites, I want a challenge, many do not. they just want to not be bored. All this is only a problem if one treats Google, Fbook etc as being a 'true' and 'correct' view of the world. any monoply supply leads to this kind of problem.

The issue here is that these big algorythms are actually tuned to collect and hold and direct attention of users as first priority. Not to hand out accurate info, advice, wisdom, world views etc. I think It is easy to forget that " free " on the net actually means "you pay us with your valuable attention".

This is really interesting stuff... good book that I am reading (too early to review it sorry) http://cliftonchadwick.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/is-the-internet-changing-the-way-you-think-book-review/

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