The personal health and financial information stored in thousands of North American home computers may be vulnerable to theft through file-sharing software, according to a research study published online in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301102801.htm
Dr. Lalana Kagal and fellow researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a standard policy language to achieve flexible and dynamic Web security when information is shared between agencies, countries and organizations.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302162507.htm
The most common digital security technique used to protect both media copyright and Internet communications has a major weakness, University of Michigan computer scientists have discovered.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303162909.htm
As cloud computing moves data and services from local systems to remote centres, the question of security for organisations must be addressed. A research paper published in the International Journal of Services and Standards suggests that a cloud-free security model is the best way forward and will circumvent the fact that cloud service providers are not yet meeting regulations and legal standards.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310083838.htm
Most people are familiar with security technology that scans a person's handprint or eye for identification purposes. Now, thanks in part to research from North Carolina State University, we are closer to practical technology that can test someone's voice to confirm their identity.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100308102202.htm
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new analytical method that opens the door to faster processing of large amounts of information, with applications in fields as diverse as the military, medical diagnostics and homeland security.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100310091650.htm
Cyber-criminals are using fake e-mails to target Facebook users and deliver computer viruses that were being detected only by one-third of the 42 most common anti-virus products as of 12 noon March 18, says a leading cyber-crime researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100322100518.htm
A British computer hacker equipped with a "Dummies" guide recently tapped into the Pentagon. As hackers get smarter, computers get more powerful and national security is put at risk. The same goes for your own personal and financial information transmitted by phone, on the Internet or through bank machines.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100323121834.htm
A quantum computer could provide an enormous improvement in the processing speed of existing computers. However, as yet they only exist in the laboratory in the form of small prototypes with a capacity of a few bits. They can now be explored in more detail, at least in simulations. The Jülich supercomputer JUGENE can now simulate the largest quantum computer system in the world with 42 bits.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100331000235.htm
More and more employees are bringing personal mobile devices, such as media players, flash drives and smart phones, to work for entertainment, communications and other purposes. Equally, many employers issue their staff with such devices to allow them to be more mobile and to run business applications as part of their job.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100331081133.htm
Remote central locking is among the most convenient aspects of modern motoring. Transmission of the radio signal that activates the system is not particularly secure, however. A new encryption technique increases security without draining the key's battery.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202103754.htm
Researchers in Chicago and London have developed a method for controlling the properties of magnets that could be used to improve the storage capacity of next-generation computer hard drives.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209111801.htm
Random thermal fluctuations in magnetic memory can be harnessed to reduce the energy required to store information, according to an experiment reported in the current issue of Physical Review Letters. The development could lead to computer memory that operates at significantly lower power than conventional devices. Markus Münzenberg of Universität Göttingen and Jagadeesh Moodera of MIT describe the potential route to greener magnetic memory in a Viewpoint in the latest issue of APS Physics.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301091544.htm
Countries producing food containing harmful bacteria and toxins could be named and shamed more quickly using a worldwide alert system devised by a team of scientists from Kingston University in South West London. The team, led by Professor Declan Naughton, says the easy to use computer tool can be used to monitor contaminated products; helping to prevent them reaching shop shelves and ensuring that food is safe to eat.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100304112320.htm
TC TrustCenter has been mandated to implement certification for the CI Plus standard in Europe.
It is to provide certification to protect premium digital TV content against piracy with the new CI Plus Common Interface Standard. TC TrustCenter will provide certificate issuance and management services and the necessary registration for all manufacturers of TV devices, digital recorders and conditional access modules that want to license the CI Plus standard.
The CI Plus standard is an enhancement of the existing CI specification that eliminates vulnerabilities in content protection for Pay-TV content.
February 16, 2009 (Computerworld) A Kaspersky Lab technical support site was hacked late last month, exposing private customer information for 11 days, the Moscow-based security company admitted last week. The company learned of and closed the breach on Feb. 7 after it was notified by the Romanian hackers.
“This is not good for any company, especially for a company dealing with security,” acknowledged Roel Schouwenberg, a senior antivirus researcher at Kaspersky, in a conference call last week. “This should not have happened.”
http://www.hacking-news.com/2009/01/16/hackers-attack-antivirus-firms-tech-support-site/
The websites of two major providers of security products have been hit by hackers.
The website of Russian IT security provider Kaspersky Lab was hit at the weekend by a Romanian ‘white-hat’ hacker.
A group calling itself ‘the Romanian Security Team’ claimed that the hackers achieved full access to the database supporting the websites – which includes customer data – by simply altering a parameter in the URLs. They could also perform SQL injections to remotely introduce harmful code into the database.
The group also claimed to have hit the Portuguese site of US anti-virus provider BitDefender, with the personal details of thousands of users viewed. The hackers said that they alerted the two companies of the security flaw and did not expose any of the data they found.
http://www.hacking-news.com/2009/01/16/kaspersky-lab-and-bitdefender-websites-hit-by-hackers/
A new Valentine’s Day spam email has been detected by Websense as containing a Waledac variant. Websense Security Labs has reported to have seen several fake Valentine’s Day sites serving up malware recently, with an increase in adult dating and ‘healthcare’ related email spam released to mark the occasion. Carl Leonard, Websense threat research manager, claimed that it works by the user opening the URL in the spammed message and being redirected to a site with two puppies and a love heart to give a Valentine’s theme. The user is then enticed to download a Valentine’s kit to prepare a present for a loved one, which is a new Waledac variant.
http://www.hacking-news.com/2009/01/16/the-websites-of-two-major-providers-of-security-products-have-been-hit-by-hackers-the-website-of-russian-it-security-provider-kaspersky-lab-was-hit-at-the-weekend-by-a-romanian-%E2%80%98white-hat/
This week could be ‘hectic’ with Microsoft offering a critical patch for Internet Explorer.
Alan Bentley, regional VP EMEA of Lumension, said even though there are only two critical patches being issued tomorrow, it could still be a hectic week as the most critical patch this month is the IE bulletin requiring a reboot of all XP and Vista machines in the organisation running IE 7.
Bentley said: “Large-scale reboots of all desktops can lead to disruption and productivity hits if not planned and coordinated appropriately. As organisations are looking at the IE 7 update, they should also look at the recently released critical update for the Firefox browser, more stealthy malware is being introduced to endpoints via browser exploits; therefore, critical browser updates need to be made a higher priority than ever before.â€
It is a disgrace that humans haven’t still got the hang of setting passwords. It seems as though that most internet users have inextricably tethered themselves to a promise of not setting strong-enough passwords, which may force hackers to reconsider their choice of profession for its grueling nature. As you devour more of this story, you will begin to envy hackers for having it stroll-in-the-park easy.
A new study has revealed – rather reiterated - that internet users nonchalantly continue to set unimaginative, fatuous passwords. The study appraised 28,000 passwords that were recently stolen from a U.S website.
http://www.hacking-news.com/2009/01/16/internet-users-continue-to-amaze-with-foolish-passwords/
One thing that got lost in the commotion of the extensions launch is a feature that is near and dear to my heart: Google Chrome 4 now natively supports Greasemonkey user scripts. Greasemonkey is a Firefox extension I wrote in 2004 that allows developers to customize web pages using simple JavaScript and it was the inspiration for some important parts of our extension system.
Ever since the beginning of the Chromium project, friends and coworkers have been asking me to add support for user scripts in Google Chrome. I’m happy to report that as of the last Google Chrome release, you can install any user script with a single click. So, now you can use emoticons on blogger. Or, you can browse Google Image Search with a fancy lightbox. In fact, there’s over 40,000 scripts on userscripts.org alone.
http://www.hacking-news.com/2010/02/01/40000-more-extensions/
NTT DoCoMo is to demonstrate a prototype handset based on the high-speed wireless data technology LTE later this month, according to the Japanese mobile operator’s handset partner, NEC.
NEC said on Monday that NTT will demonstrate the handset receiving streaming high-resolution video across an LTE network at Mobile World Congress, which kicks off on 15 February in Barcelona. According to NEC, the handset uses an LTE chipset that was developed by Fujitsu, NEC, NTT DoCoMo and Panasonic, and first sampled in October.
LTE, the ‘long-term evolution of 3G’, is the successor to HSDPA and is roughly 10 times faster, providing theoretical downlink speeds of at least 100Mbps and a theoretical uplink of at least 50Mbps. The technology was designed to reduce latency in data transmission and improve the efficiency of frequency usage, making it more suitable than 3G for services such as streaming HD video, video conferencing and online gaming.
http://www.hacking-news.com/2010/02/01/4g-handset-to-be-demonstrated-this-month/
Google and Neustar UltraDNS have proposed a extension to try to build some geographic awareness into the Domain Name System.
The proposed extension, called Client IP information in DNS requests, would send along the first three quarters of a user’s IP address along with an DNS request. The last quarter would be cut off to preserve some privacy, but the first part should be enough to geographically target the answer in some cases, Google said in a blog post on Wednesday.
http://www.hacking-news.com/2010/02/01/google-aims-to-speed-up-dns-requests/
Search and advertising giant Google is phasing out support for Internet Explorer 6 in its cloud services, starting with Google Docs and Google Sites, from 1 March.
Google announced in a blog post on Friday that from the beginning of March, certain key functionality in Google Docs and Google Sites “would not work properly” with IE6 and older versions of other browsers.
“Please take the time to switch your organisation to the most up-to-date browsers available,” said Rajen Sheth, Google Apps senior product manager, in the blog post.
http://www.hacking-news.com/2010/02/01/google-to-drop-ie6-support-in-cloud-apps/
Hacker tinkers with news articles undetected.
In a development that exposes grave risks of news manipulation in a time of crisis, a hacker demonstrated Tuesday that he could rewrite the text of Yahoo! News articles at will, apparently using nothing more than a web browser and an easily-obtained Internet address.
Yahoo! News, which learned of the hack from SecurityFocus, says it has closed the security hole that allowed 20-year-old hacker Adrian Lamo to access the portal's web-based production tools Tuesday morning, and modify an August 23rd news story about Dmitry Sklyarov, a Russian computer programmer facing federal criminal charges under the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
http://www.securityfocus.com/news/254
Madonna and her boyfriend Jesus Luz had dinner with her friends Gwyneth Paltrow and Stella McCartney in London last night (31.03.10)
The 51-year-old singer and the 23-year-old Brazilian model met up with the actress and fashion designer for a meal at a private members’ club in Chelsea.
Italian fashion designer Valentino was also in attendance.
The 'Celebration’ hitmaker kept her signature look of an all-black ensemble for the evening, teaming a leather jacket with a pair of patterned black trousers and open toed shoes।
http://music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?H=Madonna-and-Jesus-out-with-Gwyneth-Paltrow-and-Stella-McCartney&nItemID=33524
Sarah Jessica Parker is a huge fan of Lady Gaga.
The actress thinks the eccentric pop star – who is famed for her outrageous fashion choices – is like her 'Sex and the City’ character Carrie Bradshaw because she is 'unconventional'.
Sarah said: "She breaks all the rules; she's unconventional. It’s extremely flattering that people think she’s like Carrie.'
The 45-year-old actress insists she was a fan of the 'Telephone’ singer months before she hit the mainstream।
http://music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?H=Sarah-Jessica-Parker-is-a-huge-fan-of-Lady-Gaga&nItemID=33521
Susan Boyle was overcome with emotion after her fans threw her a surprise birthday party in Japan.
The 'Wild Horses’ singer – who is currently in Tokyo promoting her album 'I Dreamed A Dream’ - burst into tears as her admirers brought out a cake and sang 'Happy Birthday’ in honour of her turning 49.
A source said: 'She couldn’t believe her eyes and burst into tears।'
http://music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?H=Susan-Boyle-overcome-in-Japan&nItemID=33520
Carrie Underwood’s dog is to be the ring-bearer at her wedding.
The country singer – who is set to marry ice hockey star Mike Fisher this summer – treats her beloved Chihuahua Ace like a child so thinks it is only right he is involved in the bridal party.
She said: 'He'll be one of the ring-bearers. I don't know if I'll give him the actual ring. He would probably run away with it or eat it or something.
"He's like my kid। It would be like if I was getting married and I had a child - of course my child would be in the wedding!"
http://music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?H=Carrie-Underwood%E2%80%99s-dog-to-be-ring-bearer&nItemID=33522
The 40-year-old singer-and-actress is preparing to make a comeback with a world tour and new movie, 'The Back-Up Plan’, two years after giving birth to twins Max and Emme – her children with husband Marc Anthony – and admits having such a long break has made her feel like she is starting out again.
She said: 'I feel like it’s a new beginning। It’s a bit like when I was a teenager about to embark on this career but it’s much more challenging, difficult and harder.
http://music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?H=Jennifer-Lopez-feels-like-a-teenager-again&nItemID=33523
Paris Hilton treats her dogs to snacks before bed.
The animal-loving star – who has several pet pooches - makes sure her beloved mutts go to sleep on a full stomach every night.
She tweeted: 'Just finished giving all my puppies their late night snack and now tucking myself into bed. Sweet dreams everyone!'
Before she heads off to bed Paris – who is dating former 'The Hills’ hunk Doug Reinhardt – sticks to a special routine to get herself ready for a good night’s sleep।
http://music-news.com/ShowNews.asp?H=Paris-Hilton-treats-her-dogs-to-bedtime-snacks&nItemID=33525
We learned earlier this month that Clint Eastwood was interested in directing a J. Edgar Hoover biopic with a script by Milk writer Dustin Lance Black. Not only does Deadline confirm that Eastwood is directing the biopic, but they also report Leonardo DiCaprio is in early talks to play Hoover, the man who founded the FBI in 1935 and is responsible for putting together an elite organization tasked with investigating and preventing the most dangerous, heinous and notorious crimes. Universal made the choice to pass since they weren't up for taking another risk with a period picture, so Warner Bros is getting things moving instead.
David Fincher fans - we've got news for you. The Playlist has confirmed that Fincher's next film following The Social Network will be the US remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (watch the trailer). The Swedish flick, which is only the first in a trilogy, has been getting quite a bit of buzz for just being another fantastic Swedish film and for the kind of names (like Fincher) that it has attracted here in Hollywood. On the other hand, apparently Fincher is not going to direct that Tobey Maguire chess movie Pawn Sacrifice, even though he did take a meeting but that's about it. So it'll definitely be Dragon Tattoo for Fincher next.
Although we just heard today that Leonardo DiCaprio is in early talks to play J. Edgar Hoover in the Clint Eastwood directed biopic, another project has already had that actor attached for a while now. The Deep Blue Good-By is an adaptation of the first book in John D. MacDonald's mystery series first published in 1964 and is one of DiCaprio's many projects in development as an actor and a producer. Now Deadline and RiskyBiz (both thinking they have the "exclusive") have learned that Oliver Stone is interested in directing. This would be the second adaptation he's considering to follow Wall Street 2 with, the other being Savages.
Read more: http://www.firstshowing.net/category/movie-news/#ixzz0jxsMEri0
As if Disney and Pixar didn't already have enough weight to throw around in the animation circuit (though How to Train Your Dragon shows DreamWorks isn't out of the running yet), Variety reports the dynamic duo have brought back stop-motion director Henry Selick (Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas) in an exclusive long-term deal to make stop motion flicks. That's right, folks, Disney/Pixar now has some of the best talent in 2-D, computer and stop-motion animation. The deal is more of a homecoming, as Selick began his career at Disney in the 70's and even went to CalArts with Pixar's Brad Bird, John Lasseter and others.
It's a bit unfortunate that such a big rumor that may have legitimate grounds has to hit on April Fool's Day, but alas, this rumor is real (unlike IESB's fake story that Hugh Laurie was cast as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man reboot - oh how I wish that was true). Apparently the rumor may have a reliable source too as IESB says the same insider who tipped them off to Spider-Man 4's indefinite delay on production before the aforementioned reboot came to fruition has told them fanboy favorite Joss Whedon is on the short list to direct Marvel's highly anticipated adaptation of The Avengers. Honestly, this sounds too good to be true.
If they weren't in black, this week's best dressed celebrities were shimmering in glittering metallic tones. Jennifer Aniston glistened in a gold lace dress by Valentino at the Berlin premiere of The Bounty Hunter, while Charlize Theron worked a mercurial Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci sheath in LA. 
http://www.vogue.co.uk/celebrity-photos/100401-best-dressed-of-the-week--010420.aspx
Beach-side spa treatment under an Alice Temperley-designed tipi at Le Saint Geran
Where... Le Saint Geran, Mauritius
I knew I'd arrived when... "I was led outside via the hotel's dramatic cavernous main hallway, and an incomparable view of creamy sand and gentle turquoise spilled out in front of me. Le Saint Geran is set on a stunning peninsula - walk to its sandy tip and you can almost convince yourself you are walking on water - and what a dreamy beach it has, punctuated so perfectly by swaying coconut palms, discreet waiters bearing iced water and luxuriantly sized hammocks. There's a real sense of warmth here, thanks to the long-serving staff, who treat the place and the guests with real affection. Mature gardens and homely comforts meld seamlessly with the new at the Saint Geran. The fitness studio is a glossy temple to toning and firming with a full Kinesis and Wellness System of apparatus. The one-on-one assisted stretching session is a must, plus there's an 18m lap pool for those wishing to work out without collision.
The treatment highlight... Le Saint Geran is one of the few places in the world you can experience a Bastien Gonzales medical pedicure with a Bastien trained chiropodist. The result is astonishing, and where better to flaunt butter-smooth, preened feet than on holiday?
Don't forget to pack... A snorkel mask - you can always borrow, but with fish this glorious just a short swim away, a perfectly-snug mask just right for you will be a real asset.
Try this... Book a spa treatment on the beach in the hotel's glorious cream silk cotton tipi designed by Alice Temperley, which twinkles with jewels and mirrored glass.
Avoid this... Dinner on the beach unless fully shielded with insect repellent. KG
Contact: A stay at One&Only Le Saint Geran starts from £620 for a Junior Suite on a per room, per night basis. Price is based on double occupancy and includes breakfast. www.oneandonlyresorts.कॉम
http://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/news/100331-le-saint-geran-spa-mauritius-.aspx
In the April issue of Vogue we rounded up some of the world's loveliest spas for your delectation, but since going to print more Voguettes have reported back from their travels, so here's some further inspiration for yours...
Enjoy beach-side treats in dreamy Mauritius >>
Fluxus appointed Project Runway winner Jeffrey Sebelia as Head Designer. His collection is a mix of special wax treatments, sheer modal, and black stripe burnout putting a twist on the classics to give them a cool update while maintaining the everyday functionality Fluxus is known for. Introducing a line of knit garments in cutting-edge treatments, cuts, and shapes, the Fluxus partnership with Jeffrey redefines and challenges traditional silhouettes in easy-to-wear fabrics, creating, “a blend of classic fashion and modern flair.”
When Fluxus owner Martin Paquette met Jeffrey in August 2009, it became clear that the combination of Jeffrey’s elegant rock’n’roll aesthetic and Fluxus’ art-driven philosophy would create a revolution in the apparel industry। Introducing a line of knit garments in cutting-edge treatments, cuts, and shapes, the Fluxus partnership with Jeffrey redefines and challenges traditional silhouettes in easy-to-wear fabrics, creating, as Paquette puts it, “a blend of classic fashion and modern flair.”http://www.fashionnews.com/2010/03/11/fluxus-appoints-jeffrey-sebelia-as-new-head-designer/
BIFF & BIL 2010, ASEAN Integration Textiles-Apparel-Leather set to drive ASEAN’s fashion industry on global stage
Thailand, Bangkok – 4 March 2010 – Organised by the Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, in collaboration with the private sector, Bangkok International Fashion Fair and Bangkok International Leather Fair 2010, BIFF & BIL 2010 is scheduled for April 1st to 4th at Challenger Hall 1 – 3, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Thailand.
Under the theme “Look East” with the tagline “ASEAN Integration Textiles – Apparel – Leather” BIFF & BIL 2010 is to present the great potential and grandeur of ASEAN’s fashion industry, covering everything from upstream, midstream to downstream।
http://www.fashionnews.com/2010/03/04/best-ever-international-fashion-and-leather/
Intertextile Pavilion at Shenzhen is confirmed to take place for three days from 8 July 2010 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Centre. Last year’s successful show attracted 243 exhibitors and 11,900 buyers across the apparel industry chain from designers and retailers to garment manufacturers and buying offices, proving the relevancy of this important sourcing fair in Southern China.
Chinese government continues to support the garment industry
Shenzhen accounts for nearly 50 percent of the total export value in Guangdong province, which takes up one-third of the overall garment and export production in China। In 2009, the Chinese government decided to eliminate export quotas, resulting in record highs for the Guangdong garment export industry. More specifically, by January 2010, the region’s garment exports reached USD2.2 billion, an increase of 14.6 percent year-on-year.
http://www.fashionnews.com/2010/03/29/intertextile-pavilion-at-shenzhen-returns-from-8-%E2%80%93-10-july-2010/
http://www.fashionnews.com/2010/03/29/intertextile-pavilion-at-shenzhen-returns-from-8-%E2%80%93-10-july-2010/
The famous Dramatic Chipmunk (known from YouTube) is now starring the new Live Borderless campaign from LG. The prairie dog called Dramatic Chipmunk became famous in 2007 in a five-second video turning its head while the camera zooms in and dramatic music from the Frankenstein film plays on the background.
Through five videos LG wants to drive people to the campaign site www.liveborderless.net where they sign up for a competition which will send the winner on a trip around the world in 80 days with $100,000 on the pocket!http://www.fashionnews.com/2009/12/30/dramatic-chipmunk-starring-in-new-lg-campaign/
Boutique salon concept unveils Carrie, Amanda, Charlotte and Samantha colors available now on www.myjulep.com
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) March 29, 2010 — To celebrate the upcoming premiere of Sex and the City 2, Julep Nail Parlor today introduced four new nail colors: Carrie, Amanda, Charlotte and Samantha. The polishes are available online for $7।25 each or $24.50 for the set of four.http://www.fashionnews.com/2010/03/29/sex-and-the-city-2-julep-nail-parlor-unveils-four-new-inspired-nail-colors/
Basel, Switzerland (March 17, 2010) – TW Steel celebrated the start of BASELWORLD 2010 by unveiling its new ‘Renault F1 Team’ collection – the first executions produced as the Dutch watch brand begins its association as ‘Official Timing Partner’ to the Renault F1 Team in 2010.
TW Steel’s newest offerings are based on two separate design platforms। The four-model ‘Renault F1 Team Pilot’ collection celebrates Renault’s early association with the aviation industry and specifically the origins of the first oversized watches. The ‘Renault F1 Team CEO Tech’ collection, also with four-models, offers a more luxurious edge to TW Steel’s partnership embracing the team’s world championship winning pedigree.http://www.fashionnews.com/2010/03/17/tw-steel-unveils-renault-f1-team-collection/
LOS ANGELES, CA (February 2010)–The Makeup Show LA is excited to announce a new Editorial Forum: From Concept to Cover Shot: Working in Editorial featuring LA, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, on Monday, March 1, 2010 from 1pm-2:30pm.
Join LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine Editor Nancie Clare and Creative Director Rip Georges for a unique panel presentation on the behind-the-cover creative process of working in print and multimedia, from concept to selecting the creative team to artistic direction and cover shot।http://www.fashionnews.com/2010/02/20/the-makeup-show-la-to-feature/
Previously on Computers Designed For Children, protagonist PeeWee PC introduced us to its creation, the Pivot Tablet Laptop, a cute little netvertible with childish specs -- but a $600 price that set it well out of reach of the average piggy bank. One year later, PeeWee has matured, but not necessarily for the better. For $100 less, the new PeeWee Power Laptop sports the same carry handle and kid-friendly construction as its predecessor (though with a faster 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, mind you), but completely ditches the tablet PC functionality. Without a stylus or touchscreen for kids on which to express their creativity (read: color outside of the lines), we're not quite sure of the point. In truth, the Power Laptop is neither laptop nor powerful -- merely a kid-friendly netbook at an adult price point. But hey, it's got a carry handle!
Look, we're not sure what appadvice is using to back its claims, but it's been pumping out supposed iPad app leaks for a few weeks now with screenshots and videos that tell a convincing story. Now they've linked us to a host of new iPad apps with Netflix and ABC player being two of the most notable. The free Neflix app is said to be launching along side Apple's slate on April 3rd letting Netflix subscribers browse and manage their queues. More importantly, it will also allow subscribers to stream Netflix's online collection of videos. Of course, if this is true then we expect to see a Netflix app land for the iPhone and iPod touch as well in adherence to Reed Hastings' previous comments.
Time to add HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster to the list of publishers who've managed to strongarm Amazon into acceding to their supposedly industry-saving agency pricing model. Under the new agreement, you might still see e-book versions of bestsellers priced at the familiar $9.99, but the majority will be jumping up to $12.99 and $14.99 price points, depending on the publisher's discretion. This is essentially the same deal that brought Macmillan books back to Amazon.com, and the e-tailer is believed to also be in advanced negotiations with Hatchette Book Group and Penguin Group to ensure that no book is left behind. This development was cryptically predicted by Steve Jobs mere hours after the iPad's launch and then reiterated by Rupert Murdoch with regard to HarperCollins, so we can't exactly act surprised now, but we can at least grimace a little at having to face a more expensive e-reading future.
Linux fans who want to keep their favorite OS on their PlayStation 3 will be able to do so -- but only if they're willing to leave their console "frozen in time," noted Parks Associates analyst Pietro Macchiarella. Linux users are a small percentage of the installed base using the PS3, but "it's a very loyal percentage," he said. Many of them probably chose the PS3 for its Linux compatibility.
Anytime immigration comes up in public debate, you can be sure there will be arguments that America should tighten its borders. However, in a global world where capital moves at will, and investors can and do take their money out of the U.S. to fund innovative ideas overseas, the concept of attracting people with entrepreneurial talent to America makes a lot of sense.
Thunar and Rox Filer are different from the average file manager, and different from each other too. Both are powerful and flexible, offering features unavailable in other Linux file managers. Thunar has an XP-like interface but it's Linux to the core. Rox has a unique look and feel -- and a rhyme and reason all its own. It grows on you.
Scientists may have to learn a few new media tricks if they want to protect their research and avoid becoming victims of the blogosphere's blazing-fast rumor mill. The scientific community's culture -- which has long preferred addressing contentious science topics through reasoned debate and measured challenges -- can put researchers at a disadvantage in the "assymetric warfare" enabled by the Web.
Facebook's policy changes occur so often, some users can't keep up with them -- or just don't care. However, a bigger problem is that scrutiny on the part of regulators is pretty much absent, according to EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg. Facebook "has learned that it can disregard the commitments it has made to users in its privacy policy because the government won't react," he said.
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