Blast Magazine» Science and Technology

Startup Leap Motion brings “Minority Report” motion controls to computers

Andy Breeding — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:51:13 +0000

We’ve all wanted it. The ability to use our computers with just hand gestures. Flip through our emails, photos or documents with a simple hand swipe motion. While Microsoft’s Kinect makes this possible, the precision is not quite there, anyone with a Kinect for their Xbox 360 will attest to that.

Startup company Leap Motion has announced their Leap motion control device. according to the company, they claim to offer controls 200 times more accurate than anything out on the market. How this device works is the usb thumbdrive sized device projects a 8 cubic feet of 3D interactive space that will recognize pretty much any motion. Scrolling with your index finger, zooming in on a photo with a pinch, even using a pen to draw or sign with the precision of doing the same action on a piece of paper.

Te fact that Leap can do all of this in such a small, portable package is amazing in its own right. To add the fact that the device is only $70 makes pretending to be Chief John Anderton a lot easier to do anywhere you go. At the very least, Leap will make it easier for people with arthritis or other ailments that prevent them from physically typing or clicking a mouse.

Leap Motion is taking pre-orders right now for Leap. They are limited, though, so if you really want one you better head over to their site and place your order before it is too late.

Google refines searching, adds a “human touch” to results

Andy Breeding — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:46:55 +0000

Google search has always relatively lead to the thing people look for on the first page results. After the announcement on Wednesday, Google would like to refine those results even more.

Knowledge Graph is said to help with this by understanding more about the relationships and deeper connections of search terms . For example, looking up “basketball” in Google sends back the traditional links to the generic term but now with Knowledge Graph, people, places or things that are closely associated with the search term will appear in a column on the right side. For basketball, we get back the people related to the term like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, each with a little blurb about their bio.

In the blog posting, we also get info that Google’s Knowledge Graph pulls from sources such as Freebase, Wikipedia, the CIA World Factbook and hints at another source but doesn’t say much about it. The easy guess would be the numerous amounts of data collected over the years from everyday usage of searching on Google. Impressive numbers such as Knowledge Graph containing over 500 million objects and more than 3.5 billion facts about and relationships between those objects leads us to believe so.

Some U.S. English users should start seeing Knowledge Graph in action as early as today. More users and languages should be rolled out gradually although we don’t know how soon. It will also be available on smartphones and tablets.

Senators attack Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin for dodging taxes by renouncing US citizenship

Andy Breeding — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:55:51 +0000

You can now add “renounce my U.S. citizenship” to the list of ways to avoid paying taxes but maybe not for long.

Reuters is reporting that Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has two US senators accusing him of dodging taxes on Facebook stock-market profits. With the plans that Facebook has to raise billions of dollars in an initial public offering on Friday, Saverin would have to pay a hefty sum estimated to be $67 million.

Saverin relocated to Singapore for “business reasons” (Singapore has no capital gains tax)

We’re sure once we hear Saverin’s side, through his spokesman of course, we will still find that he is avoiding taxes, plain and simple. Even if he is being truthful about all of this, everything points to Saverin wanting to avoid cutting a multi-million dollar check to the US government.

One could say that since he was given a college education here and that he would have never meet Mark Zuckerburg if it wasn’t for the government letting him become a citizen here, thus having the good life with his ~~millions~~ billions. One could also say that the government is too hard on its citizens and taxes are too high. Either way, Senator Bob Casey (D-Penn.) said Thursday, “We simply cannot allow the ultra-wealthy to write their own rules.”

Not to be outdone, Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “It’s infuriating to see someone sell out the country that welcomed him and kept him safe, educated him and helped him become a billionaire.”

Of course that says nothing about the banks that took taxpayer bailouts so they could lay off workers and levy new fees against account holders. We’ll leave that one alone, right senator?

Pinterest gains $100 million in funding, bringing e-commerce with the help of Rakuten

Andy Breeding — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:03:48 +0000

I seem to know a lot of people that send me cute pictures of cats with a funny caption or some new recipe that I will end up ruining in the kitchen anyhow. All of these come from the site Pinterest.com. Apparently, numerous people love the cat pics so much that Rakuten, a company that has the largest e-commerce site in Japan and among the world’s largest by sales has raised $100 million in a funding round that had existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, and FirstMark Capital and a number of other angel investors participating as well.

Over at AllthingsD, they’re reporting that Rakuten will invest upwards of $50 million and that this funding will bring Pinterest’s value to $1.5 billion.

That is a huge step up from $200 million the company was worth last October.

“Our goal is to help people discover things they love, by connecting people through their shared interests. Bringing Rakuten on board gives us an amazing opportunity to move a step closer to this goal.” co-founder and CEO of Pinterest, Ben Silbermann, said in a statement.

Having the backing of an e-commerce company as large as Rakuten, we will likely see monetization of most functions of Pinterest, which is good for me since I can finally purchase a frameable picture of the cat who loves his couch.

Should NASA build a real Starship Enterprise?

Kristin Baver — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:32:48 +0000

One Trekkie who grew up to become a systems engineer is hoping to bring the Starship Enterprise into the 21st century.Through a website launched this week, a shadowy figure going by the name BTEDan has proposed a 20 year outline to build a full-sized, ion-powered version of the famed fictional ship complete with 1G of gravity on board.

The Christian Science Monitor reports that this “Gen1” Enterprise could get to Mars in 90 days, to the Moon in three, and “could hop from planet to planet dropping off robotic probes of all sorts en masse – rovers, special-built planes, and satellites.”

The site — buildtheenterprise.org — showcases conceptual designs, ship specs including a gravity wheel to retain the classic shape while making the craft functional, and almost every other detail imaginable, the newspaper says, down to the rather important problem of how to fund such a project in an era where government officials are taking a “been there, done that” approach to funding NASA and space travel.

Though in a quick perusal this fangirl was surprised to find that the creators did not have a thorough editor. What I lack in engineering know-how I make up for in basic fan knowledge. “Live long and proper.” BTE Dan writes on the FAQ page. Come now, Dan. You can hatch an entire $1 trillion plan to build Scotty’s beloved ship, but you bungle Spock’s signature phrase?

Easy Reader Contest — Verbatim’s New Store ‘n’ Go V3 USB 3.0 Drives

John M. Guilfoil — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:52:00 +0000

We have a handy giveaway for you this week — something that we know everyone wants, needs, and continually buys.

Verbatim, the global leader in data storage, is allowing Blast to give away two of its brand new 16GB New Store ‘n’ Go V3 USB 3.0 Drives.

The V3 drives are twice as fast as an older USB 2.0 solution, though they still work in any USB port.

All you have to do is comment on this story, follow @blastmagazine on Twitter, and Tweet a shout out to us in order to be entered. We’ll pick TWO winners on Friday morning, before we start #freegamefriday up all over again!

Product Features and Specifications

USB 3.0 Interface for faster data transfer on USB 3.0 equipped pc’s.
New retractable design, shields USB connector in transit
Compatible with all USB ports (including USB 2.0/1.1)
8GB -64GB Capacities
Available in 7 trendy colors

Class of 2012 grads gadget gift guide

John M. Guilfoil — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:27:55 +0000

As commencement season comes upon us, a lot of your favorite grads may have already amassed a fortune in gadgets and electronics. But as 2008′s gadget of the year begins to age and the student loans start to come due, you can bet your class of ’12er won’t be running around to buy the latest and greatest anytime soon.

So we put together this little gift guide. Give them one last thrill, will ya?

IoSafe Rugged Portable SSD

Speed, security, and reliability are the criteria for purchasing any hard drive, especially an external one. The ioSafe Rugged Portable is a 500GB USB 3.0 SSD drive, and it’s one of the best on the market. It is durable and reliable, and will work even with 2.5 tons of weight crushing it. It will work even if it’s soaked in fuel, oil, water, left out in the sun, sunk in salt water for three days, frozen in ice, or left in a dust storm. This is the Glock of hard drives, and your data will thank you when it’s not lost in damage or failure.

It’s also a solid-state drive, so it’s fast to boot. Technical reviewers like Maximum PC have given the IoSafe high marks. It takes a sledgehammer to break one of these babies. The sleek milled-aluminum (titanium available) case also looks great in a workspace.

Warpia ConnectHD

This may be a better gift to give to the student entering college, but either way it’s a good one. The Warpia ConnectHD is one of the better ways to communicate online over a great distance. It’s a product that looks business but is all personal when you get down to it.

The ConnectHD lets you have live, high definition video conferences online while giving you the power to stream that conference to your living room television, so you’re not stuck sitting in front of the computer to talk to your parents back home. It enables more personal communication over these long distances, and it might help empty nesters, too.

The product features 1080p streaming, HDMI output to your television, a crystal clear multidirectional mic, and 16-bit audio. While you’re running the video conference from your laptop, you can stream up to 30 feet away to your television. Setup is quick and easy, but it’s PC only.

Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400 wireless headphones

For the audiophile who has everything, we offer this. The Turtle Beach Ear Force XP400 is an uber-high quality headset that, while wireless, will not interfere with your WiFi. The set features adjustable Dolby Surround Sound with virtual 5.1 audio, digital/analog connections, and adjustable bass/treble/midrange effects.

The XP400 also features dual Bluetooth pairing, allowing you to game on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 while answering calls on your smartphone if need be.

At $219, they are an investment, but you’d be pressed to find better headphones.

MUNITIO 9mm Billet earphones

It’s hard to believe, but most people I see walking around, jamming to their tunes on their iPhone or other portable device are using the default earphones/earbuds that came with the phone/iPod.

Fair enough, but allow me, if you will, to propose an alternative.

MUNITIO 9mm Billets are machined from aircraft aluminum and deliver a clear, well-defined sound that outperforms default earbuds and similarly-priced competitors. They are comfortable and produce remarkably tight bass with little distortion on the highs.

And for those of you who multitask, there is a microphone built in for on-the-fly phone conversations.

The Green Geek gives cyber security advice

Anonymous — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:08:15 +0000

In the spirit of The Avengers we have our own superhero — a superhero of computer and IT policy. This article is written — in true superhero fashion — anonymously, by The Green Geek, whose real name you may never know.

Join together with the Green Geek in the struggle against evil vector forces that willingly destroy your computer and information security. Vectors in cyber space are villains who would maim your digital dignity, steal your identity, invade your privacy, destroy your data, and ruin your gadgets. If you let them.

What threats put you at risk? What can you do about it? Defend yourself with this Five-Point Plan from The Green Geek:

5. Value your privacy.

If you think privacy is no big deal, think again. You disclose a birthday here, a school there, you friend your mother’s mother on Facebook, expose your address or phone. Here and there you leave puzzle pieces that let us assemble your whole story.

Villains can steal your identity - costing you much time and money. Stalkers can find you. Weirdos want to know you. Friends have Too Much Information. Employers can and will use what you say against you.
Be in control. You rule the computer not the other way around. Draw a line in the sand where you will not cross for sharing private information. Use factual security questions that only you know the answer to. Do you really need 1000 people to wish you happy birthday online? Tell us about your vacation when you get back, but don’t tell the world beforehand when your house is empty. If you use f-bombs, serial date, and drink, do we have to see you share that? Do you need to save all the web searches you ever made?

4. ”Don’t talk to strangers.” Vectors include viruses, malware, botnets, robots, scam artists, and worse. This is huge.

Look before you click. Only open messages and emails from senders you recognize. Someone is fishing for a sucker to bite their bait, in the form of fraudulent email. This is called “phishing“. Various sources estimate spam email takes up 90-94% of ALL email! Their purpose is to get you to look, buy, send money, accept a virus, or join a global botnet. Recognize fake and unwanted messages by their familiar but wrong sender address and weird titles. Report spam to help email vendors improve spam filtering.
Only click on links from a source you trust. Inspect hyperlinks before you click on a hyperlink, which displays one thing but underneath is the real link.
Don’t respond to emotional appeals or act on wishful thinking. What is real and hidden in the picture? Yeah, you’re lonely AND beautiful, you believe in love; or that car is a bargain! But if it is too good to be true, then it’s probably not. Some emails are written by robots. Some generic messages say nothing specific that can’t be said to everyone.
Never enter your password in response to links in an email.

3. Lock your doors, literally and figuratively.

Prevent the entry of illicit vectors into your space by limiting access. Consider security like an onion. At the center of the onion is treasure, payload, your precious stuff. How easy is it to peel off the layers of security, if any?

Physical access - How safe are your things, from smartphone to PC? Stuff should not be available for just anyone to touch. Keep these objects physically secure, not left laying around. Same as you would protect a wallet. Not left in public bathrooms, unlooked cars, or on the hood of your car.
Device access - How safe are your data files and screen displays? What if someone has access to your smartphone or PC? Require a screenlock. You should provide a uniquely personal password, finger-swipe, or biometric to see further. If you share the device or PC with other guests, then create a guest portal, so that your user session is separate from theirs.
Network security - How safe is your connection to a network for internet access? Beware of Wifi and untrusted networks, where your internet traffic travels on the information superhighway in full view, unencrypted for network admins or sniffers to capture. Be safe and sure, use your own encrypted 4G or 3G air card or USB modem. This is handy for reliable internet access anywhere anytime, and you not only don’t have to compete amongst an entire coffeehouse full of net surfers for bandwidth, but you also have the peace of mind that that your communications are safe.
Software reliability - Does your software scan for malicious vectors before you open or download objects? When you use the “cloud” – all the services are provided online via the internet on a web site or web server – make sure there is rigorous protection against vectors. Good cloud service providers will filter virus vectors from reaching your PC or device. so that you either don’t download or get your data ruined by vectors. You want to use email software that filters spam well, for example Google Mail (gmail.com).
Device defense is 1st and last - We’ve peeled the onion back. The above inevitably fail, because new vectors can sneak through until discovered. Keep your device up-to-date with the latest: operating system; web browser; anti-virus/anti-malware software; and storage encryption.
Microsoft Windows vulnerabilities created a multi-billion $$ spinoff industry just to create and administer the IT security. This gave Apple one leg up to bring to market OSX or iOS which were more closed and designed for better security. The Google browser Chrome is touted for its security. Samsung Galaxy Android and Apple iPad/iPhones are now offering the NIST FIPS 140-2 standard encryption for storage.
If you login to use software (such as email and banking), the appearance of the “padlock” icon in the browser means the network traffic is encrypted using SSL and therefore unreadable.

2. Trust NO ONE to store your credit card.

Online shopping is great. We save gas and time by browsing online, and the item is shipped faster than you can shake a green fist. Unfortunately some companies, to which we entrust our identity or financial credentials, are themselves negligently lax when it comes to IT security.

DO NOT STORE CREDIT CARDS in online accounts with any vendor. Rather [tediously, yes], enter the credit card information for a one-time purchase each time you make a purchase. This is not risk-proof either, but incrementally better than storing your credit card like a sitting duck waiting for a hunting season.
LIMIT CREDIT CARDS that you use online to a very short list. If something goes wrong you can more easily assess and contain the damage.
READ YOUR STATEMENTS. We are unaware until a breach goes public. Take for example, the intrusion to Global Payments servers in March 2012 that was not reported publicly for nearly one month. Global Payments coordinates the steps involved in authorizing the charge and submitting the transaction details for VISA and Mastercard. When you hear news about credit card theft, check your statements and activity ASAP.

1. Protect your passwords.

Some of the most famous security intrusions come from hacking passwords, but your defense in this regard is totally within your control.

Use strong passwords. A strong password is a character string generally not found in any dictionary for any language. Use a combination of Upper- and lower-case letters, mixed in with numbers and special characters. Create acronyms out of phrases.
Use different passwords for different accounts, and change the password every 60-90 days. Yes, with all your stuff in the cloud, we’re talking about a load of passwords.
Assess your risk, and firewall your passwords. Risk means the probability of something bad happening, and the impact if it did. It’s not kosher but the Green Geek does classify different accounts by degree of risk, and ramps up the security of passwords appropriately. For example, to comment on news or blogs, the Green Geek is known to reuse a password or two… For anything with private or banking information, the passwords are inscrutable. By “firewalling” passwords, there should be no crossover from an unimportant account to an important account.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication! DO IT! Multi- or two-factor/two-step authentication (“MFA” or “2FA”) adds an extra step when you enter your user password, to ensure you are who you are. When you enable MFA, you define a “token” such as a phone; and when you try to login with your username and password, you will receive a message with a code (voice or text) on your phone or token. You enter this code along with the password. If your software provider, bank, or credit card company offers this option then use it (e.g. offered by Google Mail)!

“Social engineering” in IT security refers to the ability to hack based on using known info about a person, in order to crack the security procedures for forgotten passwords, or to guess or reset their passwords. While very common, social engineering can be reduced with the above privacy practices and password discipline. MFA stops social engineering dead in its tracks. Here are three epic social engineering stories:

In 2008, when Sarah Palin was running for VP, someone hacked her Yahoo Mail and reset her password by correctly guessing Palin’s birthday and her security questions: “Where did you meet your spouse?” (Answer = Wasila High) Half the planet knows Palin’s bio; she compromised her own security when Palin chose that question.
In 2009, the corporate email, business plans, and files of Twitter.com were hacked, when someone first hacked the wife of Twitter’s founder, and used the same passwords to gain access to the Twitter company.
In 2011, the firm HBGary which specializes in corporate and government IT security got totally pwned and humiliated, when after bragging about exposing the hacker vigilante group, Anonymous, they were cyber attacked by Anonymous.

“I can explain it to you but I can’t understand it for you.” We can’t defend Stupid. But it’s not that hard. This Five-Point Plan breaks it down for you. The takeaway here is to learn from others’ mistakes, and get comfortable with security awareness.

Read more about internet crime at the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. If you are a victim of internet crime, file a complaint with the FBI. Crime or vulnerability that puts the nation at immediate risk should be reported to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT).

What is your best tip for keeping all of your devices protected? Comment below and you’ll be entered to win a $400 Amazon gift card from Kaspersky Lab.

One way to protect all of your devices is with Kaspersky ONE Universal Security. Download your FREE trial today.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kaspersky Lab. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Analysis: Defending yourself from internet crime

Sandra Giger — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:45:09 +0000

Never leave home without your IT security awareness. (Media credit/NOAA)

On May 10, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) released its annual 2011 Internet Crime Report. The 2011 Internet Crime Report is a summary overview of online criminal activity. In 2011 the IC3 received 314,246 complaints, an increase of 3.4 percent from 2010, but less than 2009. The estimated dollar loss in 2011 was $485.3 million.

The IC3 received and processed, on average, more than 26,000 complaints per month in 2011. Many online schemes use deception schemes to de-fraud victims of identities and money. The report summarizes complaint types, along with statistical breakdowns by demographics and state.

Some common themes of internet crime include:

Auto-Auction Fraud - 4,066 complaints at a loss of $8.3 Million. In fraudulent vehicle sales, criminals attempt to sell vehicles they do not own. Criminals advertise vehicles for sale at prices below book value, and claim they are moving for due to work or military deployment. They get the money because they are rushed, or take partial payment. The criminal does not deliver the vehicle. Demographically, males age 40-49 complained most, followed by males 20-29. Let’s say, “These prices are a steal!”
Romance Scams - 5,663 complaints at a loss of $50.4 Million. Scammers target individuals looking for online for companionship or romance. Victims believe they are “dating” a good person. Overwhelmingly, the most frequent complainants were women ages 50-59, with women 40-49 a close second. On average, each victim reported a loss of $8,900. Dearie, when it seems too good to be true, it’s probably not.

Work-from-Home Scams - 17,352 complaints at a loss of $20.1 Million.Cyber criminals move stolen funds using work-from-home scams. Organized crime and cyber criminals recruit victims through newspaper ads, online employment services, unsolicited emails or “spam,” and social networking sites advertising work-from-home “opportunities.” Sadly, for their participation, some “victims” are legally liable for participating in criminal activity. Victims are the “mule” for criminals who use the victim’s accounts to steal or launder money. Scammers may also damage the victim’s own identity or accounts. While all ages, except the elderly fall for this, woman are over 50% more likely than men to become victims. Everyone with an email account will probably get such an offer. PRESS DELETE, &/or report spam. Ah [sigh], don’t we wish we could get rich quick?
Loan Intimidation Scams - 9,968 complaints at a loss of $8.2 Million. A relentless continual caller claims the victim is delinquent on a loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers claim to be representatives of the legitimate-sounding law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, or they claim to be collecting debts for various companies. Callers have accurate identifying information about the victims, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, and names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. Females age 30-39 appear most at risk; perhaps struggling single mothers who are not surprised when loansharks come calling. (One avoidance tip is to never fill out an online application for a loan or credit card.) Hmmm, now I’m starting to sweat…
FBI Impersonation Email Scams - 14,350 complaints at a loss of $3.5 Million. Government agencies do not send unsolicited emails, but scammers do. Men ages 50-59, then over 60, often fell prey. Impersonating a federal agent, to defraud consumers, sure takes a lot of, um, nerve!

The typical American reader would not expect Alaska and the District of Columbia to have much in common; let us count the ways they differ. However, Alaska and DC have the highest rate of reporting internet crime per population; and are in the Top-7 for highest average dollar loss.

More advice: When you travel overseas – let’s generalize this advice for any WiFi or guest internet connection (domestic or foreign) – be careful what you view and click, and protect your computer/data.

IC3 receives, develops, and refers criminal complaints of cybercrime. IC3 provides victims with a convenient, central reporting mechanism, and coordinates the response with local, state, federal, and international levels. How low can these criminals go? To read the IC3 report, click here.

Discussing the impact of motorized vehicles in wilderness areas

E - The Environmental Magazine — Sat, 12 May 2012 13:43:12 +0000

A key element of the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act now making its way through Congress would allow motorized vehicles and equipment into wilderness areas, undermine 1964’s Wilderness Act which expressly bans motor vehicles on these last wild vestiges of untrammeled American land. (Comstock)

A new bill making its way through Congress, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act (H.R. 2834), aims to make federally managed public lands across millions of acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management property more accessible to hunters and anglers. And a key element of the bill calls for allowing motorized vehicles and equipment—as long as they are used for hunting or fishing—into these areas. Leading green groups are outraged because this would undermine 1964’s Wilderness Act which expressly bans motor vehicles on these last wild vestiges of untrammeled American land.

According to the non-profit Wilderness Society, the motorized vehicles provision “would result in the destruction of the very wilderness values that millions of American hunters and anglers cherish.”

“The practical effect could be to open all designated wilderness areas to all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorbikes, motorboats, chainsaws and other motorized vehicles and equipment…” warns Wilderness Society president William Meadows in a letter to Congress. He adds that buildings, towers and temporary roads could even be built in currently pristine stretches of wilderness if the proposed bill becomes law.

But what’s most troubling to Meadows and others is language in the bill saying that “any requirements imposed by [the Wilderness Act] shall be implemented only insofar as they facilitate or enhance the original primary purpose or purposes for which the federal public lands or land unit was established and do not materially interfere with or hinder such purpose or purposes.” Meadows fears this could be construed to allow road building, timber cutting, mining, oil and gas drilling and other development in our remaining wilderness areas.

Another beef environmentalists have with the bill is that it would exempt decisions made or actions taken with regard to hunting and fishing on federal lands from federal environmental review and public disclosure regulations established under 1969’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Wilderness Society reports that this part of H.R. 2834 would keep the public and concerned parties out of decisions to compromise the integrity of wilderness but also other types of protected lands.

First introduced in the house last September by Michigan Republican Dan Benishek (with 45 bi-partisan co-sponsors), H.R. 2834 made it through the House Natural Resources Committee within three months and is poised for a full House vote later this spring. If it passes there, the Senate will take up a companion version, S. 2066, sponsored by Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin. Depending on how it plays out, the bill could be on the President’s desk by the summer.

“Recreational fishing and hunting are important and vital recreational activities on our federal public lands,” concludes the Wilderness Society, “but the anti-Wilderness provisions of H.R. 2834 should not be allowed to become law.”

CONTACTS: H.R. 2834, www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr2834; Wilderness Society, www.wilderness.org.

Coming Soon: Oil drilling on the Arctic Ocean’s outer continental shelf

E - The Environmental Magazine — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:15:40 +0000

Despite U.S. Geological Survey warnings that drilling in waters north of Alaska could have deleterious effects on ocean habitats and wildlife, the Obama administration proceeded with a lifting of the moratorium on off-shore drilling. Pictured: An Oiled brown pelican awaits cleaning in the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.

In November 2011 the Obama administration began lifting the moratorium on off-shore drilling that had been imposed in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a five year plan including 15 leases for oil development on Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf and in the Gulf of Mexico. For now the East and West coasts of the continental U.S. have been spared from drilling, but environmentalists are particularly worried about opening up the fragile Alaskan Arctic to off-shore rigs.

“This five-year program will make available for development more than three-quarters of undiscovered oil and gas resources estimated on the [Outer Continental Shelf], including frontier areas such as the Arctic, where we must proceed cautiously, safely and based on the best science available,” Salazar told reporters.

Republicans were incensed that more acreage was not being made available for off-shore drilling, but environmentalists couldn’t believe what they were hearing for different reasons: In June 2011 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) had released a 292-page report commissioned by Interior Secretary Salazar “to identify the gaps in scientific or technical knowledge about how drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas north of Alaska would affect the region,” reports Jerry Bellinson in Popular Mechanics. The report, Bellinson says, “details several areas where those gaps exist, including oil-spill cleanup technologies, basic mapping of currents and the effects of underwater noise on sea mammals.” Despite the USGS’s warnings, the Obama administration decided to proceed anyway.

“Drilling infrastructure permanently alters ocean floor habitats,” reports Defenders of Wildlife. “Drill rig footprints, undersea pipelines, dredging ship channels, and dumped drill cuttings—the rock material dug out of the oil or gas well—are often contaminated with drilling fluid used to lubricate and regulate the pressure in drilling operations.” The group adds that contaminated sediments are carried long distances by currents and can kill important small bottom-dwelling creatures at the bottom of the marine food chain.

Defenders also argues that spills, leaks and occasional BP-like catastrophes are unavoidable with off-shore oil drilling, if history is any guide. “Even with safety protocols in place, leaks and spills are inevitable—each year U.S. drilling operations send an average of 880,000 gallons of oil into the ocean.”

As for wildlife, off-shore drilling can have devastating effects even with no spills or leaks. “Seismic surveys conducted during oil and gas exploration cause temporary or permanent hearing loss, induce behavioral changes, and even physically injure marine mammals such as whales, seals and dolphins,” reports Defenders. “Construction noise from new facilities and pipelines is also likely to interfere with foraging and communication behaviors of birds and mammals. Because they are at the top of the food chain, many marine mammals will be exposed to the dangers of bioaccumulation of organic pollutants and metals.” And off-shore drilling only adds insult to injury as far as Defenders is concerned: “In the face of the climate crisis, the U.S. needs to look for ways to decrease petroleum consumption, not…increase it.”

CONTACTS: Defenders of Wildlife, www.defenders.org; Popular Mechanics, www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/oil-drilling-in-the-arctic-ocean-is-it-safe.

Red Bull Launchpad — Ideas wanted

Blast Magazine Newsroom — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:02:18 +0000

Have you ever wanted to skydive from space, do a back flip on a jet ski, or snowboard down sand dunes? Well you’re in luck, my friend. Red Bull is ready to give your wildest idea wings with Launchpad, a head-to-head battle where voters pick the ideas they like best. Visit the Red Bull Launchpad here then record your video (30 seconds or less) summarizing your idea. Upload and share with your friends, then watch the world view and vote the craziest stunt into a reality.

This article is sponsored by Red Bull.

WordPress developer WooThemes hacked

Ivan Favelevic — Tue, 01 May 2012 19:12:40 +0000

South African startup WooThemes has acknowledged that it has been hacked. According to memeburn.com, the premium WordPress developer released a statement today where it confirmed that it was the victim of a “very malicious & severe hack, which has been the reason for WooThemes.com being offline for this time.”

Co-founder Adriaan “Adii” Pienaar assured users that despite possible user account data loss, any credit card information is safe. WooThemes has stated that any future product development has been stopped and all effort is concentrated on fixing any damaged caused by the intrusion.

The company was bringing is about $2 million in sales as of 2010 and had over 50,000 paying costumers. It’s biggest product was the WordPress plugin WooCommerce which let users turn their WordPress site into an e-commerce site, allowing users to customize a micro-economy in their site, with the ability to track sales modify shipping rates.

WooThemes will update customers via its blog over the coming days and weeks.

WooThemes powered the Bvents Blast Magazine events calendar. As a precaution, we have taken the calender site down and have decided to seek alternate software to power it in the future.

Cloud computing has a substantial footprint

E - The Environmental Magazine — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:31:20 +0000

Greenpeace wants companies like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft to make smarter, cleaner energy choices now that "cloud computing" services have ratcheted up power consumption considerably. (Media credit/Wichary via Flickr)

Leading tech companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft are now offering unprecedented amounts of data storage and access to “apps” on huge Internet-connected servers, saving consumers and businesses the hassle of installing and running programs and storing information on their own local computers.

This emerging trend, dubbed “cloud computing,” means that these providers have had to scale up their power consumption considerably, as they are increasingly responsible for providing more and more of the computing horsepower required by the world’s two billion Internet users. No doubt, sharing such resources on centralized servers is more efficient than every individual and business running their own versions separately. In fact, the research firm Verdantix estimates that companies off-loading data and services to cloud servers could save $12 billion off their energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 million metric tons within the next decade. But for the greenhouse gas savings to be realized, the companies offering cloud computing services need to make the right energy choices.

Greenpeace has been tracking sustainability among tech companies for over a decade, and recently released a report, “How Green is Your Cloud?” assessing the green footprint of the move to cloud computing. According to the analysis, some of the major players (Google, Facebook and Yahoo) have gone to great lengths to ensure that significant amounts of the power they need come from clean, green sources like wind and solar. But Greenpeace chastises others (Apple, Amazon and Microsoft) for relying on so-called “dirtier” sources of power, such as coal and nuclear, to run their huge data centers.

“When people around the world share their music or photos on the cloud, they want to know that the cloud is powered by clean, safe energy,” says Gary Cook, a Senior Policy Analyst with Greenpeace. “Yet highly innovative and profitable companies like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft are building data centers powered by coal and acting like their customers won’t know or won’t care. They’re wrong.”

Greenpeace’s report evaluates 14 major tech firms and the electricity supply chains in use across more than 80 different data centers that power cloud-based services. Some of the largest data centers are in buildings so big they are visible from space and use as much power as 250,000 European homes. If the cloud were its own country, says Greenpeace, it would rank 5th in the world in electricity consumption.

“Companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook are beginning to lead the sector down a clean energy pathway through innovations in energy efficiency, prioritizing renewable energy access when siting their data centers, and demanding better energy options from utilities and government decision-makers,” reports Greenpeace. But unfortunately the majority of the industry is not marching in step. As such, Greenpeace is calling on all tech companies with cloud services to develop siting policies based on access to clean energy sources, invest in or directly purchase renewable energy, be transparent about their energy usage, share innovative solutions so the sector as a whole can improve, and demand that governments and utilities increase the percentage of clean, green power available on the grid.

CONTACTS: Verdantix, www.verdantix.com; Greenpeace, www.greenpeace.org.

ODOC tries Kickstarter to create a sleek, portable iPhone dock

Ivan Favelevic — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:55:58 +0000

When it comes to iPhone docks, there is little to chose from outside of a large brick shaped set of speakers. In a way, you give up stylish design for powerful sound. Left Field Design is trying to to change all that with the new ODOC, a compact dock that will fit right in with your Apple products, but not break the bank like them.

The ODOC is built in a small cylindrical shape out of die cast aluminum built with glass and stainless steel hardware. To call it sleek would be an understatement, with perfect curves in a compact package, it is a looker. A small foot stand hold the dock in place while the 30-pin connector can be angled in 5 different positions allowing for easy gaming and Facetime. The dock also features a “one hand” removal, meaning no jiggling the with the phone and slowly deteriorating the connection. At three pounds, it is also durable and easy to carry. It can charge the iPhone with or without a case and can be plugged into any sound system for the complete dock experience.

The ODOC is still a project on Kickstarter, but with a donation of $79, early adopters can get their hands on it and give it a test ride.

With successful funding, the ODOC will be available in the ranges of $129-$149 later this year. Looking at the early models, it appears to be a sleek new attachment for any generation of iPhone. While the lack of speakers is to be noted, based on looks alone it is just asking to be let into the Apple elite line of iPhone accessories.

Google Drive — Cloud storage becomes habit-forming

Sandra Giger — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:56:32 +0000

Yesterday Google publicly launched Google Drive with an announcement on its Official Blog. Drive is a new service where you can store your files online in the cloud. Drive enters the market for cloud storage where competing options already exist — notably, Dropbox, SugarSync, Apple iCloud, Microsoft Skydrive, and Amazon Cloud Drive.

Google Drive offers more features than simply uploading and storing files to a directory in the cloud. You can store you stuff - video files, photos, Google Docs, PDFs, etc. You can also create, view, convert formats, make comments, index and search, collaborate on projects, and manage sharing with friends and family. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology allows word search of scanned documents. Accessibility options for sight-impaired Drive users enable the use of a screen reader. Google calls Drive a platform, making possible 3rd-party add-on apps for purposes such as faxing files or editing videos.

With feet firmly on the ground, access your Drive from anywhere – over the web, from your home or office, or using mobile devices. From Google Play, install Drive on your Mac or PC, or download the Drive app to your Android phone or tablet. (Not ready yet: Drive app for iOS devices.)

Current Google users will appreciate the Drive upgrade from the old Google Docs portal. Google users’ existing familiarity with Docs, and Drive’s integration with other Google Account services, make Drive a seamless transition and no-brainer choice for many Google users. The rollout of Drive for existing Gmail users and enterprise Google Apps customers will be automatic; but if you don’t have it enabled yet, you can request it.

Which way to the cloud? What does it cost? Which community cloud are you?

Google Drive is free for the first 5GB of storage. Upgrade to 25GB for $2.49/month, 100GB for $4.99/month or even 1TB for $49.99/month. When you upgrade to a paid account, your Gmail account storage will also expand to 25GB.

Dropbox is free for the first 2GB of storage. (If you refer new customers, you can get 500MB per each, up to 18GB free.) Or select a plan: 50GB for $9.99/month (or $99.99/year); 100GB for $19.99/month ($199.99/year); plus you get 1GB free storage per referral for up to 32 new customers. Team plans and terabyte storage also available. (Given the comparison to Google, can we expect a price drop? Else you need to refer more customers.)

SugarSync is free for the first 5GB of storage. Or select a plan: 30GB for $4.99/month (or $49.99/year), 60GB for $9.99/month ($99.99/year) or 100GB for $14.99/month ($149.99/year). (Given the comparison to Google, can we expect a price drop?)

Apple iCloud is free for the first 5GB of storage, for the Mac OS X Lion and every new iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch with iOS 5. Upgrade for an additional 10GB for $20/year, 20GB for $40/year, or 50GB for $100/year. iCloud also integrates seamlessly across the Apple platform. Remember the famous ads, ”Are you PC or Mac?” For mobility and the cloud market, the new question is ”Are you a Mac or Googler?”

Microsoft updated Skydrive this week too. You get 7 GB of free storage. Additional storage options are available with a Windows Live ID at $10, $25, or $50/year for 20GB, 50GB, or 100GB. Skydrive syncs files with Windows, Windows Phone, Mac OSX, and Apple iOS clients. (Note no Android app.) Developing target apps for OSX and iOS is now mandatory to stay competitive in the consumer market.

Last but not least, the Amazon Cloud is free for the first 5GB of storage, plus 1000 songs. Additional plans are available – including unlimited MP3 music storage for songs purchased at Amazon – per year for 20GB @ $20, 50GB @ $50, 100GB @ $100, 200GB @ $200, 500GB @ $500, or 1TB @ $1000. (Did you notice a pattern?)

A walk down Memory Lane

Gmail began in 2004, when the way to get an account was by invitation only. Back in the day, there was an open source hack/kluge, called “G-drive”. This version installed a virtual drive in your [Windows] file directory. You could drag and drop files onto G-drive, which sent email to your Gmail with the G-drive files as attachments. No longer do people need to email files to themselves. At last, in 2012, Google Drive is here.

The tale of the toothbrush and the cloud

On April 5, Larry Page published his letter to investors, “2012 Update from the CEO.” In it he reiterates and updates the Google vision. He describes the “toothbrush test” for Google products. Do we use Google products twice a day? Page’s metaphor intends to go beyond simply choosing Google as a favored brand to use twice a day. Page is describing how we create new habits and change our culture where no need previously existed. On February 27, National Public Radio aired a feature story [listen here] about the new book, “The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in Life and Business”, by Charles Duhigg. The story goes, in early 1900s America, people didn’t brush their teeth daily until a Pepsodent toothpaste ad campaign compelled them to want to have the appeal of clean teeth. Upon enjoying Pepsodent toothpaste, and flattered by the Pepsodent advertising, the American public changed their habits and began to brush their teeth.

Internet access is all you need to use a cloud service provider, such as Google. You should avoid email service that is dependent on your local electric, cable-TV, phone or internet service provider, because what happens to your account if move or change ISPs? Or hardware dependent, for that matter. Back to 2005, watching the destruction in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina, I decided to have a cloud strategy for me and my family. I changed my habits to safeguard my data. You might move to the cloud intentionally, or it might creep up on you little-by-little for convenience. Cloud storage will help you organize the clutter or confusion of your data, and multiple versions of it, in too many places. Maybe a cloud drive will replace your thumb drive. Maybe even make obsolete the desktop computer. Your habits will evolve. Resistance is futile.

What’s your iPad buyer’s IQ? Take the quiz

Sandra Giger — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:39:25 +0000

The new Apple iPad doesn’t fall far from the Apple tree, and the taste just keeps getting better. Apple is growing in both the stock market and the mobile market. One month ago, March 16, released the 3rd generation iPad (“iPad 3″) in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK. Within the first three days, three million were sold. Early this month, April 5, Apple’s stock closed at $633.68 per-share, exceeding Google stock which closed at $632.32 (before Google’s subsequent 2-for-1 stock split last week). With the pace of Apple next generation products, one is left wondering… Is Apple now competing with Apple, and are there other mobile products besides Apple?

Now Apple makes the iPad 3 available in an additional 21 countries. To name a few – On April 20 in South Korea, Malaysia, and Latin America; and on April 27 in India, Israel, South Africa and Thailand. As the 3rd generation iPads go global, should you be among those buying the new iPad?

The iPad 3 will dazzle you. Its showcase feature is the Retina Display, a 9.7″ screen with a 2048 x 1536 pixel, higher-resolution. An “A-Ha!” moment. A frontside FaceTime camera for video chat. A backside iSight camera for 5 megapixel photos and 1080 resolution videos. Ready for WIFI or 4G LTE wireless network communications. Um, “Take dictation, please,” with the dictation feature. Bundled richly with Apple Apps. Steve Jobs had in mind the iPad 3 when he envisioned our lives changing for the better.

For balance, here’s the down side. Your old (low-res) photos may look grainy or pixelated on the intended to be crisp Retina Display. The battery may tend to overheat. If you watch streaming movies in their brilliant hi-res glory, be sure to manage your 4G data communications plan so that you don’t get charged for using over your quota. Add in the comms cost; it’s not cheap.

It’s all good. But are you ready to buy? What’s your new iPad Buyers Interest Quotient (IQ)? What’s in it for you? To find out your new iPad Buyers IQ, take this quick six-question test. The purpose of the test is to help you see where your best interests lie. For all of the questions, except one that is marked, you may select all that apply. No wrong answers.

Question #1: What do you do in a typical day? (Check all that apply)
____ (1) Use PC desktop apps, such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop.
____ (2) Use Mac apps like iLife, iWork, iCloud, or other Mac apps.
____ (3) Search and surf. Read news and eBooks online.
____ (4) Watch online streaming videos (from Amazon, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix).
____ (5) Use the cloud to organize my life and go paperless for meetings, work, family and school.

Question #2: Presently, how do you connect with friends and family? (Check all that apply)

____ (1) Liking mobile apps like 4Square, Words with Friends, and/or Instagram.
____ (2) Into Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Tumblr, blogging daily.
____ (3) Video chatting weekly.
____ (4) Use my cell phone for talking and texting daily.
____ (5) I typically email friends and family from a laptop or desktop computer daily.
____ (subtract 5) I’m all already about mobile apps, games, and video chat using Google Hangout, or Apple FaceTime.

Question #3: What’s your current setup? (Check all that apply)

____ (1) iPhone4S
____ (2) I have an iPad already but wanna give it away and buy a new one.
____ (3) Use Apple OSX Mountain Lion on a Mac
____ (4) Mac OSX Snow Leopard or earlier
____ (5) Android, Windows pc, and/or cellphone
____ (subtract 10) Got all of the above.

Question #4: What do you want to do in the near future? (Check all that apply)
____ (1) Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Tumblr, blogging, and/or chat
____ (2) Video chat, such as Skype or Google Talk.
____ (3) Mobile social apps, suck as 4Square, Words with Friends, or Instagram.
____ (4) Music and mobile apps for tools, education, books, and games – from either Google Play or Apple Appstore.
____ (5) Apple iWork, iLife, iCloud and hi-res video chat using Google Hangout or Apple FaceTime.

Question #5: What is absolutely necessary in your mobile setup? (Pick TWO max)
____ (1) Typing on tactile keys.
____ (2) Fits in my pocket.
____ (3) Fits in my bag.
____ (4) Hi-res front and rear camera.
____ (5) Audio sound and screen resolution that makes the heart go THUMP.

Question #6: What communications do you currently have and/or plan to? Remember don’t drive while messaging! (Check all that apply)

____ (1) No 4G service in my area.
____ (2) Have internet at home, 3G for wireless, and a data plan for my smartphone.
____ (3) Access WIFI anywhere anytime.
____ (4) I live in a city with 4G LTE service, and can spring for a 5GB/month data plan costing $50/month.
____ (5) I need unlimited! I’ll get a 4G LTE data plan of 10GB/month costing $80/month.

Calculate your iPad Buyers IQ. Add up the numbers adjacent to the answers you check-marked. What’s your iPad 3 destiny? Should you buy or wait? Look up your result below:

55 Points or over: You are in a great position to get a iPad 3. What’s not to love? If you scored above 60, run don’t walk to buy the iPad 3, fully loaded with storage and 4G LTE. It costs $829 (US) for the iPad3, plus $50 (US) or $80/month for the communications. If you scored closer to 55, then get the iPad 3 4G LTE with a 5GB data plan at $50/month. You go!
40-55 Points: The iPad 3 is very cool, its charm is hard to resist. I’m just saying, consider other options: Wait for the next generation, or go with an Android tablet, Amazon Kindle Fire, and Google Chromebooks, which are great values. If you have reliable access to Wi-Fi then the iPad 3 for Wi-Fi only is your best value.
25-40 Points: You can find lower cost mobile alternatives to the iPad 3. You don’t have to be like everyone on the planet with an iPad afterall. Maybe you need a smartphone? Or maybe just enjoy what you have for now.
10-25 Points: Do you have some combo of iPad 2s or iPhone 4S or Droids or Macs? The Macs last “forever”, and Android laptop too. But the smartphones are only good for two years max… So enter the market later, when the next generation comes. Or maybe it’s a good time for you to upgrade your home computer?
under 10 Points: Don’t buy a thing! You’re fine as you are.

If you are still unsure, then pick the screen (size and resolution) and typing method (tactile keys or touch pad) that works best for how you intend to use it.

The iPad 3 Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The iPad Wi-Fi + 4G models will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model.

One regrettable footnote. A 17-year-old male high school student named Wang, from central China, sold his kidney for $3,500 for an organ transplant, in order for Wang to buy an iPhone and iPad (versions not identified). Reportedly he is now suffering from renal insufficiency. Oh why!? His IQ would be a fail.

If you are waiting, what are you waiting for? The new Apple iPhone 5 is expected in near October 2012. The rumored 7.85″ screen Apple Mini tablet is pegged for summer. Keep an eye out for a new Kindle Fire model in 2012, and the rapid roll-out of more Android tablets (Samsung Galaxy Tab 2), including Google tablets.

Is your iPad Buyers IQ where you want it to be? I hope this helps sort out the choices. Consumers will be on the receiving end of some great choices, while Apple, Androids and Amazon (the “Triple-A”) are competing like mad dogs. If you can bear to sit out the iPad 3 hype, get into position for Christmas 2012, or early 2013, to make your Triple-A move. However, if not the iPad, some Apple will likely be the right IQ for you.

“Spring Cleaning” gadgets gift guide

John M. Guilfoil — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:47:27 +0000

Spring is in full force — with 80 degree days tempered by torrential rain tempered further by dry spells and brush fires here in New England. Gotta love the weather.

Spring cleaning is a chance to throw out the old and bring in the new. It is a chance to declutter and demessify your domicile. As a lover of gadgets and cleanliness (not extremely good at the latter) I decided to put out this little guide to gadgets that will not only help you be cleaner, they might axe some of the clutter on your desk and allow you to throw out a few monthly bills in the process. It’s spring, start anew!

IQAir HealthPro Plus

All the hundreds and thousands of dollars that people spend on devices and chemicals designed to eliminate allergens and make their homes smell better — it’s a waste. You need one product to improve the air quality in your home, and it’s the same device that hospitals use to purify air in some operating rooms. It’s the same company that’s been in business for 45 years. It’s not available in the Sharper Image catalog.

The Swiss-made IQAir HealthPro Plus is simply the best air purifier on the market today or ever.

Around 100x more powerful than a traditional HEPA filter, the HealthPro Plus eliminates particles down to 0.003 microns. It strips viruses, pet dander, dust mites, air pollution and harmful cigarette smoke. It allows you to live with a dog or cat despite your allergies.

It’s good for asthma, too.

Depending on where you live, an air purifier is a must-own device. Save yourself money, trouble, and failure. At under $1,000, this is an investment in your health. I’ve used the IQAir HealthPro Plus for months, and it’s the best air purifier you can own.

Altec Lansing inMotion Air — $179

This six-pound, battery or AC powered modern boom box lets you stream any audio wirelessly, up to 300 feet away via Bluetooth or any Apple device via the Apple Remote App.

You can take your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphone and Bluetooth devices and play your music in crystal clear, CD quality excitement with the Altec Lansing inMotion Air.

I’m a big fan of all things Altec Lansing. I’ve been reviewing their products since 1996, and I haven’t found anything to dislike. This is a great way to do spring cleaning, because it can replace a bulky bookshelf unit and all the wires that it brings. You also save energy by blasting you music without having to power up your home theater or PC equipment.

netTALK Duo WiFi

For $60, you get a year of phone service.

The tiny size and free Enhanced 911, 411, visual voicemail, call waiting, conference calling, and fax service make the netTALK Duo WiFi a great way to remove a monthly bill from your stack and ditch your phone company. You clean up by removing outdated equipment from your house and you REALLY clean up with the money you’ll save.

Honeywell with Febreze Freshness Cool & Refresh Fan

Fabreze is all the rage right now, and it’s no surprise that a fan maker finally caught on and incorporated “Fabreze Freshness” into a room fan. Honeywell’s Cool & Refresh Fan does both of what it says — it cools you off and makes a room smell better. It’s not a replacement for the IQAir HealthPro Plus, but if you have a room that the pets tend to stay in or a bedroom that needs a freshness boost, Honeywell has made a very affordable winner for only an astounding $30.

While we’re talking about fans, Honeywell would like to point out that 65 percent of Americans say that they get a better night’s sleep with a fan, while 73 percent use one at night for white noise. I had a fan in my bedroom — it was old, dirty, and didn’t look right in the room. Honeywell cleaned the room up and styled it up at the same time.

iHome iDM11B Wireless Speaker

There are wireless “sound bricks” you can get for your iPad or smartphone in the $99 and $150 range. This one does it for about $70 and sounds amazing. We know the iHome brand. We’ve been reviewing these guys since 2007. We like the quality and love the price.

The iDM11B is a Bluetooth speaker system with a rechargeable battery. No wires. No mess. Sounds great. Clean looking.

The speaker works with tablets, media players, smartphones, laptops, and anything else that works with Bluetooth. Great bass and crisp highs make this one a good value and a good way to clean up your desk.

Swingline Stack-and-Shred 60X

Talk about the ultimate cleaning device for any home, or office, or home office. You need a heavy duty shredder, and the Stack-and-Shred is the one. You can feed a few sheets up top, or you can open it up and toss in up to 60 pieces of paper for mega-massive destruction. It also takes out credit cards.

Everyone needs a reliable shredder in this day and age. The Swingline not only shreds documents but destroys them with cross-cutting blades. Try putting that back together again.

CBTL Americano single cup coffee maker

OK, I’ll say it, if you already have a Keurig coffeemaker, you can skip this section. But if you still have an old, 2006ish Tassimo single-cup coffeemaker, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s CBTL single serve beverage system is a great upgrade and a very interesting alternative to the Keurig.

I first encountered this system in an upscale hotel, and was pleasantly surprised. It makes a fantastic espresso and makes everything from tea to various shades and flavors of traditional coffee. It costs a little more than an entry-level Keurig, and New Englanders won’t be too moved by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf brand, which is much bigger on the West Coast. But if you still have a Tassimo, toss it and upgrade.

Reports: Next iPhone coming in October, will be 4G and made of “Liquidmetal”

John M. Guilfoil — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:48:32 +0000

Let’s just ignore all the obvious “Terminator 2″ references, K?

The next iteration of Apple’s hugely popular iPhone will be available in October with some amazing new aspects, according to reports.

According to Bloomberg, the iPhone 5 will feature a new body design and work on 4G/LTE networks, citing according to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray.

Munster had originally predicted an August release date for the iPhone 5. The push comes after chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. announced supply problems — it is not meeting demand for the types of chips that would enable the iPhone to run on faster networks.

The phone’s new body design will feature a technology called LiquidMetal. Two years ago, Apple paid Liquidmetal Technologies, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., $30 million for the rights to use the tech.

Liquidmetal features an amorphous atomic structure, delivering “no discernable patterns exist in the atomic structure of the unique Liquidmetal alloys,” according to the company’s website. The company claims the process results in stronger, harder metal with superior strength-to-weigh ratio, high elastic limits, corrosion and wear resistance, better acoustical properties, and low metal shrinkage rate. It’s a futuristic supermaterial.

Mashable rumored that Apple would use Liquidmetal in a new iPhone early last year.

Apple finally delved into 4G speeds with its New iPad, but the iPhone is, by far, Apple’s best selling product, accounting for 53 percent of its sales in Q4 2011.

Update: About 6 million Gmail users lost service Tuesday for about an hour

John M. Guilfoil — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:23:52 +0000

Update — 4 p.m.

Google says it has fixed an error which put about 6 million Gmail users in the dark Tuesday afternoon for about an hour.

According to the computer conglomerate, the outage affected less than 2 percent of users, though there was no discernible geographic pattern.

Gmail has more than 350 million active users.

Original story

According to multiple reports, scattered outages of Gmail, Google’s email service, are going on.

CNET reports that Google is investigating the outage, but has not determined a cause.

“We’re investigating reports of an issue with Google Mail. We will provide more information shortly,” Google said in a statement today.

The Google Apps Status Dashboard confirms a “service disruption” of the email service.

Many users are getting the following message when they try to log-on:

We’re sorry, but your Gmail account is temporarily unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience and suggest trying again in a few minutes.

Apps like Google Docs and Google+ are also down for the users who are unable to access Gmail.

The issue does not appear to be Geographic, as scattered users in the Boston area report outages, while others say they have no issues at all.

We will bring you more as this story develops.

Are there health or environmental concerns with LED lights?

E - The Environmental Magazine — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:13:29 +0000

LED bulbs appear poised to displace compact fluorescents (CFLs) as the king-of-the-hill of green bulbs, but a study published in late 2010 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that LEDs contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially dangerous substances. (Thinkstock)

LED (light emitting diode) lighting seems to be the wave of the future right now, given the mercury content and light quality issues with the current king-of-the-hill of green bulbs, the compact fluorescent (CFL). LEDs use significantly less energy than even CFLs, and do not contain mercury. And they are becoming economically competitive with CFLs at the point of purchase while yielding superior quality lighting and energy bill savings down the line.

But LEDs do have a dark side. A study published in late 2010 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that LEDs contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially dangerous substances. LEDs are touted as the next generation of lighting,” says Oladele Ogunseitan, one of the researchers behind the study and chair of the University of California (UC)-Irvine’s Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention. “But as we try to find better products that do not deplete energy resources or contribute to global warming, we have to be vigilant [about] toxicity hazards….”

Ogunseitan and other UC-Irvine researchers tested several types of LEDs, including those used as Christmas lights, traffic lights, car headlights and brake lights. What did they find? Some of the worst offenders were low-intensity red LEDs, which were found to contain up to eight times the amount of lead, a known neurotoxin, allowed by California state law and which, according to researchers, “exhibit significant cancer and noncancer potentials due to the high content of arsenic and lead.” Meanwhile, white LEDs contain the least lead, but still harbor large amounts of nickel, another heavy metal that causes allergic reactions in as many as one in five of us upon exposure. And the copper found in some LEDs can pose an environmental threat if it accumulates in rivers and lakes where it can poison aquatic life.

Ogunseitan adds that while breaking open a single LED and breathing in its fumes wouldn’t likely cause cancer, our bodies hardly need more toxic substances floating around, as the combined effects could be a disease trigger. If any LEDs break at home, Ogunseitan recommends sweeping them up while wearing gloves and a mask, and disposing of the debris — and even the broom — as hazardous waste. Furthermore, crews dispatched to clean up car crashes or broken traffic lights (LEDs are used extensively for automotive and traffic lighting) should wear protective clothing and handle material as hazardous waste. LEDs are currently not considered toxic by law and can be disposed of in regular landfills.

According to Ogunseitan, LED makers could easily reduce the concentrations of heavy metals in their products or even redesign them with truly safer materials, especially if state or federal regulators required them to do so. “Every day we don’t have a law that says you cannot replace an unsafe product with another unsafe product, we’re putting people’s lives at risk,” he concludes. “And it’s a preventable risk.”

Of course, we all need some kind of lighting in our lives and, despite their flaws, LEDs may still be the best choice regarding light quality, energy use and environmental footprint. That said, researchers are busy at work on even newer lighting technologies that could render even today’s green choices obsolete.

CONTACT: UC-Irvine study, www.pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es101052q?prevSearch=irvine%2Bled.

Scientists demonstrate “information synchronicity” with quantum networks

Sandra Giger — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:57:39 +0000

Bloch sphere diagram of a quibit (WIkimedia)

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Germany announced yesterday, in the journal Nature, they created an elementary quantum network to transmit data via photons.

The Max Planck quantum network was comprised of two nodes in two laboratories 21 meters apart that were connected by an optical fiber. To create the quantum effect, each node placed a rubidium atom in an ”optical cavity” between a pair of reflective mirrors half a millimeter apart. After stimulating the atoms by laser, the atoms emitted a polarized photon with matching filtering controls. One photon was translated as quantum information, and transmitted by optical fiber to the recipient atom, which accepted the photon as itself.

In classical networks, i.e. our information superhighway or today’s internet, we use binary bits to transmit data. Bits are set to 0 or 1. Bits are bundled, transmitted, or encrypted using mathematically-based methods and algorithms. Our classical networks are increasingly complex, in order to provide secure solutions.

I’m coining the term “information synchronicity” to help explain in household terms the physical phenomena that occurs in quantum networks. The “information superhighway” is no longer the right analogy to describe the quantum world. In quantum computing, a “qubit” is the unit of quantum information. The value of a qubit may be 0, 1, or a superposition expression of its state. See the “Bloch spere” diagram, which depicts a qubit. When two photons across a distance are filtered to be identically polarized, a strong correlation results, and the atoms are able to recognize or “feel” each other. This is known as “quantum entanglement”. The beauty and simplicity of a quantum network is that transmission between sender and recipient is securely dedicated to their message exchange. Synchronicity enables secure data transmission because no entity may “hack” or intercept the message because they cannot adopt that same photon identity.

To get my head wrapped around all this and what it implies, I contacted Sachiko Graber, a senior Physics major and Teaching Assistant at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa. Ms. Graber explains, “Quantum networks are a really cool new way to implement ideas of quantum physics in the ‘real world.’” Ever since the famous EPR paper and thought experiment, physicists have been researching the possibilities of quantum teleportation. (The EPR Paradox paper, written in 1936 by Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen, challenged quantum mechanics that it is impossible to know both the position and the momentum of a quantum particle at the same moment.) Ms. Graber says, “The high speed secure network is one possible application of the quantum networking idea. Quantum networks go one step beyond quantum cryptography, which uses quantum keys to keep data secure. A secure high speed network deploying quantum entanglement will be the next step. However, this is a very, very basic prototype. It will still be a long time before we get there.”

Quantum cryptology applications already exist in the “real world”. Since 2005, Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has supported a Raytheon/BBN and QinetiQ partnership for quantum cryptology on a network in the Boston-Cambridge, Massachusetts area. Voters in Geneva during the October 2007 Swiss parliamentary elections cast their votes securely using the process, by Id Quantique, which used secure encryption encoded by a key generated using photons.

I’m liking the term “Information Synchronicity”. Albert Einstein didn’t like the term “entanglement”. Instead he sardonically referred to entanglement as “spooky action at a distance.” In 1951, Carl Jung wrote and lectured on Synchronicity, regarding the nature of relationships and consciousness. Jung described synchronicity as an “acausal connecting principle” and drew parallels to quantum physics, and discussed it with Albert Einstein. In quantum networks, the awareness is atomic.

A quantum network is an exciting development, indeed! Future expectations are to extend applications to transmissions across space and long distance, to ships, airplanes, and satellites.

Cyberspace is a buzz about this. Nerd humor is all the rage in blog comments, such as on Engadget. Imagine, what is the next killer mobile quantum ap? What do you think? Share your comments.

When déjà vu is Flashback on a Mac, you’ve got trouble

Sandra Giger — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:50:03 +0000

Mac users have had it easy. We enjoy fun stuff without worrying about the endless toil and trouble of virus scanning, security patching, and the added expense, which we see our Windows cousins engage in.

But, do you recall updating your Mac for Adobe Flash? It’s a vague nauseous feeling of been there done that. Be aware, this likely was malware.

It’s called Flashback. It simulates an update for your Adobe Flash. We all do this. Most of us are probably generally aware that Apple and Flash are like apples and oranges, or rather oil and water. It seems as if Adobe updates are as frequent as iTunes updates. After a while we get lazy and drop our guard. Therefore, when we see another [annoying] update for Flash come across the screen, it’s no surprise…

You clicked install?! If it was Flashback, then it is a Trojan horse. Malware. We know now that this fake Flash module, which was first written about back in September 2011, lurks on your Mac, takes screenshots of your password screens, and ships them off to evil locations unknown…

Don’t let that happen to you… and don’t panic. Follow the method defined by the security experts to test for the virus, and if you find it remove it.

How to test if you are affected?

Find “terminal.app” in your Mac’s Applications/Utilities folder.
Click on Terminal to open.
You next type in or copy and paste the diagnostic commands.
Type these three lines:
- defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
- defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
- defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
If each time you got the response “does not exist”, then congratulations, you dodged this bullet.

For those unlucky people with the Flashback Déjà vu:

I’m guessing you didn’t win Mega Millions. No worries, no one reading or writing this did either. Doctor Web and Kaspersky Lab, antivirus companies, estimated that by the end of last week, over 600,000 Mac computers were infected with some strain of the Flashback Trojan horse.

If you’ve got Flashback, please follow the advice of experts to get rid of it. Flashback exploited a vulnerability with a version of Java. You will need to update your Java, but you don’t want to toast your Mac further with more trial and error.

You have choices for help. Kaspersky Lab launched a website to help you diagnose and fix the issue.

Credit Juan Leon for creating an automated app to fix the problem. Or if you want the devil’s details, see Arstechnica.com’s diagnostic help plus “How to get rid of Flashback“, which they copied from F-Secure which first distributed a free fix and instructions.

Two more steps:

Even if you don’t have Flashback, prevent it from happening. If you haven’t yet today, go next to System Preferences or your Apple menu, and run a “Software Update…” You want your OSX and Safari up to date.

While you are housekeeping, why not delete your Flash cache, because your Flash cache is never cleared when you clean your browser cache and cookies(back to the Apple and oranges thing)? Repeat this occasionally because over time it’s a drag on performance for some Macs.

Go to System Preferences / Other, open Flash Player, and “Delete All” Browser Data and Settings.

Are you a Mac?

Hope this helps. Stay healthy! Whoever said Macs are zero-maintenance? Still pretty good by comparison. (Hey for zero-maintenance, how ’bout those Chromebooks, for those in the cloud? But I digress.)

For more information about the Flashback Trojan malware, read the blog from The Next Web Conference.

Apple may release smaller iPad

Erin Farnsworth — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:38:26 +0000

Rumor has it that Apple has been testing a smaller, 7.85 inch model of the iPad. This size change would be contrary to the late Steve Jobs’ opposition.

Apple blogger, John Gruber, said that the company is “kind of noodling” with the smaller iPad, and that the reduced size might appeal to markets overseas, especially Asian countries. The smaller tablets would be more convenient for commuters, though they would not necessarily have the same retina-quality display that the recently new iPad and iPhone have.

Facebook buys Instagram for $1 Billion

Bill Peloquin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:55:28 +0000

Today was a historic day for Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, as it marked the first time that the social site has acquired another hugely-popular (and possibly one day competitive) website or program. Through a statement posted to Facebook today, Zuckerberg announced that the popular mobile photo-sharing app Instagram will soon become an integrated part of Facebook. Instagram is a popular smart phone app that allows users to instantly edit and share photos that they take with their cell phones. From Zuckerberg’s statement:

“I’m excited to share the news that we’ve agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook. For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family. Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.”

Before Instagram fans everywhere get upset about it, both Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom have assured users that much of the program will remain the same and that it will still be possible to use and enjoy the app without any relation to Facebook. In fact, Zuckerberg has promised to maintain Instagram’s ability to post to social networks other than Facebook, such as Twitter. Writes Zuckerberg:

“We think the fact that Instagram is connected to other services beyond Facebook is an important part of the experience. We plan on keeping features like the ability to post to other social networks, the ability to not share your Instagrams on Facebook if you want, and the ability to have followers and follow people separately from your friends on Facebook.”

So any anti-Facebook Instagram users out there can breathe a sigh of relief. Still, this important acquisition by Facebook begs the question: if the company can spend $1 billion (in cash and stock) to buy Instagram, what up-and-coming program or website can’t the company buy? Could this be the beginning of a spending spree, in which Facebook ends up snatching up every promising social-media style website that pops up? Zuckerberg tried to put the kibosh on that sentiment as well:

“This is an important milestone for Facebook because it’s the first time we’ve ever acquired a product and company with so many users. We don’t plan on doing many more of these, if any at all.”

Each day it seems more and more that the end goal for Facebook is to allow users to do everything on the internet without ever leaving the social networking site. Recently, the site made it possible to stream some movies straight from Facebook.

Fuel efficient car choices for 2012

E - The Environmental Magazine — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:37:09 +0000

Increased environmental awareness, high gas prices and a continually slumping economy have combined to make fuel efficient cars are all the rage today. Pictured from top to bottom: the Electric Mitsubishi Miev, Toyota's Plug-in Hybrid Prius; General Motors' gas sipping Chevy Sonic.

Given increased environmental awareness, high gas prices and a continually slumping economy, it’s no wonder that more fuel efficient cars are all the rage these days. The best deal going may be Honda’s hybrid, the 42 miles-per-gallon (MPG) Insight ($18,350). Meanwhile, the newest version of Toyota’s flagship hybrid, the Prius ($23,015), garners an impressive 50 MPG. Other solid choices include Toyota’s 41-MPG Camry hybrid ($25,900), Ford’s 39-MPG Fusion hybrid ($28,700), Lexus’ 42-MPG CT 200h ($29,120) and Lincoln’s 39-MPG MKZ Hybrid ($34,755).

For even greater efficiency and lower sticker prices, consider going electric, whereby you can charge your vehicle at ordinary electric outlets at home or work. Mitsubishi’s new MiEV ($29,125) electric is the most fuel efficient car available to U.S. consumers in the 2012 model year, achieving 112 “MPG-equivalent” (the U.S. Environment Protection Agency’s rating for electric vehicles that swaps in electricity for gas in its calculations) and a 62 mile range per full charge—not bad considering four adults can fit fairly comfortably inside. Another option is Smart’s FourTwo Electric ($28,752), a two-seater with an 87 MPG-equivalent. And Nissan’s all-electric Leaf ($35,200) achieves 99 MPG efficiency for a range up to 100 miles.

So-called “plug-in” hybrids also allow drivers to charge their vehicles’ electric batteries via common power outlets, but also can use gasoline as needed for a longer range. Though pricey at $39,145, the Chevy Volt may save you money in the long run because it gets a whopping 94 MPG-equivalent in its preferred all-electric mode. An onboard gas generator produces more electricity as the vehicle is driven, extending the car’s range with a full tank of gas to some 375 miles. Toyota released a plug-in version of its Prius ($32,760) this year, as well. It gets 87 MPG in electric mode (but this will only get you 15 miles without gas assistance) and a respectable 49 MPG in regular hybrid mode.

Another factor to consider when deciding which of these new uber-efficient vehicles may be right for you is the availability of additional incentives. Buyers of a new Volt, MiEV, FourTwo Electric or Leaf, for example, can cash in on a federal tax credit of $7,500—and some states may offer additional incentives—bringing the overall cost of these cars down to within the range of similarly sized traditional car models. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) posts all of the relevant federal tax incentives online at its Fuel Efficient Vehicle Tax Information Center website. For state-by-state incentives, check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE), a free online resources maintained by the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).

Of course, consumers don’t have to go hybrid or electric to enjoy improved fuel efficiency these days. Scion’s iQ ($15,265) and Honda’s CR-Z ($19,545) each get 37 MPG out of sporty little gas-powered internal combustion engines. Kia, Toyota, Chevrolet, Hyundia and Nissan also make smaller traditional cars that get a respectable 33-34 MPG for sticker prices under $15,000.

CONTACTS: DOE’s Fuel Efficient Vehicle Tax Information Center, www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxcenter.shtml; DSIRE, www.dsireusa.org; Edmunds’ “Decoding Electric Car MPG,” www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/decoding-electric-car-mpg.html.

IBM creates an app that’s nothing short of math porn

Sandra Giger — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:26:13 +0000

“Minds of Modern Mathematics” is a new free iPad app that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Half a century ago, the husband and wife design team Charles and Ray Eames, created the exhibit Mathematica: A World of Numbers… and Beyond. This evolved into the ground breaking IBM-sponsored exhibition at the 1964/1965 World’s Fair in New York, called Minds of Modern Mathematics (MoMM), which was seen by millions. It was a richly vivid visual display of 1000 years of mathematical history, mathematicians and their discoveries, culture and events. It included a stunning 50 foot long timeline.

Now, IBM is offering this invaluable World’s Fair-in-an-app from the comfort of your iPad, for free. Students, teachers, families, and avid fans can peruse history in new and exciting ways. You can be at any level of knowledge about math. MoMM covers the history of “Modern Mathematics”, that is from 1000 to present.

Be you right-brained or left-brained, this app has it all. You can view milestones and people in the context of their culture and history, and with detailed closeups. The Millennium view, captures a big picture view of the entire history of math, including the explosion of discoveries in recent times. View by century, with the ability to zoom on the interplay of ideas between math and culture. View the entire timeline, one object at a time. Consider the lives and biographies of these interesting men who’ve paved the path for what we have today in math and science. View the World’s Fair exhibit, as if you were there! Or check the “Men of Mathematics” poster rendition, which you, mom or dad might recall from display at school. MoMM brings all these traditions to the iPad, but now it’s paperless. Plus we have the benefit of nine original Eames educational videos and over 500 other hi-res images.

Let your fingers do the dancing, in this wonderful iPad remake of MoMM. What’s not to like?

Indulge yourself in some trivia. Who’s Fibonacci? Pascal? How did those cathedrals get built? Why do I want to know this? If you think, therefore you do.

We can all agree, nothing is sexier than a nerd. So get your geek on, slip into something comfortable, and download this app.

For more informations see the IBM Minds of Math site and the Eames Office.

NASA ok’s more funding for the Kepler space mission

Brittney McNamara — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:03:15 +0000

NASA announced on Wednesday that the Kepler space observatory will continue to search for new planets and life in outer space for at least four more years.

Funding for Kepler was supposed to run out this November, but a review committee has OK’d the mission through fiscal year 2016.

“The Kepler mission is an outstanding success,” committee members wrote, according to space.com. “Kepler is not only a unique source of exoplanet discoveries, but also an organizing and rallying point for exoplanet research.”

The $600 million mission was launched in March 2009 in order to find Earth-sized planets, and has already located 2,300 potential and 61 confirmed alien planets. The Kepler team has asserted that 80 percent or more of the candidates will end up being actual planets, some capable of supporting life.

Extending the funding for this mission will allow more time to find more planets. The longer the mission is in space, the more likely it is to find planets because the signals it sends out to detect planets will be able to return from longer distances.

Currently, it costs about $20 million to operate Kepler, according to the review committee.

Gamer, YouTube sensation Athene launches Facebook-based fundraiser to end hunger

Anthony Geehan — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:57:54 +0000

2012 is beginning to make its mark as the year of online activism, from the multisite blackout in protest of S.O.P.A. and P.I.P.A. to the use of Twitter in organizing the Occupy Movement. Now, famous M.M.O.R.P.G. player and foul-mouthed YouTube sensation Athene has launched ShareCraft 2012, a competitive, customizable Facebook-based fundraising campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise $1 million in 100 days to help alleviate the famine plaguing the Horn of Africa.

Athene’s YouTube video to launch the project originated as a reaction to the Kony 2012 success and subsequent fallout. In the video, Athene narrates, “Not long after (Kony 2012), the backlash started. The people that were supporting it were starting to get criticized for not doing their homework.”

Regardless of the debate, he continues, “The phenomenon of the film’s virality shows that the common perception of being powerless against injustice in the world and the idea that people tend to be indifferent is obviously inaccurate. The Internet has come to such a point that the only thing we need to overcome this widepsread belief is to collectively reach out for what we believe is right.”

With 9o days to go as of press time–the fundraiser ends July 4–ShareCraft 2012 has raised $137,500 from 2,078 donors. Donations can be made directly to the fund at opsharecraft.com, but the project’s hook is that contributors can start their own sub-fundraisers, using Facebook, Twitter and email to spread the word. Specialty gaming items from Razer will be given as prizes to the sub-fundraisers that raise the most money. The funds will ultimately be given to the Save the Children Foundation, an independent charity working to support the famine-stricken population of such countries as Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

Google’s Project Glass introduces new, wearable HUD

Joe Sinicki — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 01:03:53 +0000

You’re running late. You need directions and your boss is calling you. You fumble through your pockets and pull out your phone, waiting for it load
everything you have to do. It’s really a hassle when you think about it. It’s also a hassle that Google is looking to make a thing of the past.

Today, the internet giant announced Project Glass, a revolutionary new eye-wear system that looks to blend your world, with the social and online experiences you already use like chat, maps and social media. Confused? Check out the announcement video:

Looks pretty cool right? Don’t get too excited, Google warns that the system is nowhere near ready for release, and is still in a very early development stage, noting that the video is just conceptual. “A group of us from Google[x] started Project Glass to build this kind of technology, one that helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment,” the official Google Labs page stated. “We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input. So we took a few design photos to show what this technology could look like and created a video to demonstrate what it might enable you to do.”

Nick Bilton of the New York Times reported that even the actual hardware is still in development, and there are several versions of Project Glass currently being tested at Google HQ.

Want to help shape the future of Project Glass? Google is looking for feedback here

5Star Emergency Response App Review

Ivan Favelevic — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:16:39 +0000

There are those times in life where we are faced with emergencies that need an expert hand and the Internet is not fast enough. We know it is a crisis but it is not serious enough to call 9-1-1. For those moments there is 5Star. The popular product from greatcall is now available in App form for iPhones and Android and it provides a level of safety rarely seen from emergency response apps.

Every emergency is different, and 5Star will personalize the situation to your need. When you get the App you must go through a registration process where you fill in your information. Everything from where you live to potential allergies to the car you drive are taken into account. This can all be seen by the 5Star operator when you call in and they will make sure to cater the help to your needs.

The 24/7 operator is no joke as we tested the App in 3 different cities (Boston, Chicago and Seattle) at different times of the day and there was always someone on the other line within seconds. Furthermore the instant GPS location is a godsend when you need to get directions to the hospital or just need to find the nearest public bathroom. 5Star also offers access to a live nurse which will quickly diagnose anything from a sore throat to a serious ailment.

Developed by: greatcall
Published by: greatcall
Price: $14.99 per month
Platform: iPhone, Android
Buy it if: You are going to a new place, you have significant others you need to keep a close eye on.
Skip it if: You play it safe at every aspect of your life.
4 out of 5 stars

When we first received the App, we were not sure if we would even need it during our test time. However, in several instances (such as getting locked out of your car in a shady neighborhood or having a small medical emergency) 5Star proved to be the answer over the police or ambulance. Nonetheless, the operators can dispatch the authorities at any time they feel you are in more danger than previously expected.

5Star by greatcall is a smartly designed app that will have more uses than one expects. Several features, such as the “Shake for Help” method that will dial in 5Star when you shake your phone, stand out in the impressive package to prove that is was not designed in a rush.

Retailing for $14.99 a month, 5Star can provide the security overprotective moms seek or just help out a college student in a jam. While it may not be necessary for every month of your life, it can prove indispensable when you are visiting a new city or just moved to a strange new place.

The television set-top box will die in 2012

William H. Thompson — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:41:17 +0000

About one trillion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2015, and that’s not just smartphones and mobile devices. Now even everyday items like thermostats and scales have embedded connectivity. Just think of your living room. I bet you need at least two hands to count the number of devices you have connected to your WiFi network: desktop and laptop computers, connected TVs and media players, phones, tablets and video game consoles, all competing for bandwidth and creating a huge amount of strain on your network. Now add Internet movie and music services like Netflix and Pandora to the mix, and it’s no wonder that the dreaded “buffering” symbol is making a comeback.

The old fix of scattering WiFi signal repeaters around your place won’t adequately solve the problems of buffering video and dead zones. But the solution may already exist, hidden behind your walls. The same coax cables that you use to receive cable or satellite TV can also deliver high speed Internet to your connected devices, eliminating buffering so that you can watch a movie on Netflix or game on Playstation without the inconvenience of 10 minutes loading time.

Right now each TV in your place is probably connected to a set-top box that receives its signal from coaxial cable. And if you have a smart TV or media players from companies like Roku, Apple and Western Digital, you run Ethernet cables out of modems and routers to each device, or connect all of them to WiFi. The result is a mess of wires and plugs, and devices that suffer from spotty Internet access. Not exactly the sleek home theater you dreamed about when you dropped four grand on a 60-inch wall-mountable flat screen.

The good news is that most cable and satellite service providers don’t want to rely on the set-top box anymore and are moving towards using existing coax wiring to deliver both television and Internet content to connected TVs…Meaning one less box littering your home theater set up. Look out for new service offers from your cable company that minimize the number of set-top boxes, and you’ll be on your way to eliminating these eyesores from your home. For example, DIRECTV has partnered with RVU to upgrade to its Whole Home service, which lets subscribers access one HD DVR on all TVs without set-top boxes. While Verizon has also announced its plans to eliminate the set-top box altogether.

Wired connections provide the strongest Internet connection but WiFi is a great option if you’re looking to eliminate wires and declutter your home entertainment area. IPTV devices like Roku, Boxee and Apple TV let you access Internet-only content through Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube and Pandora, but performance suffers if the devices are placed too far away from your router or single WiFi access point. Performance also decreases as the number of devices connected to the access point increases.

Using coaxial cable to create a network of multiple WiFi access points throughout your home dramatically improves signal strength and accessibility. This standard of technology, which uses coax to deliver multimedia content, is called MoCA (no, not the type you pick up at your local coffee shop). The technology is used in new networking solutions like WiPNET, which creates a wired backbone for your WiFi network to eliminate buffering from the home entertainment experience. This solution will be available in retailers nationwide in May.

The Catch-22 with WiFi is that as the signal grows faster, the range grows smaller. The new 802.11ac specs are incredibly fast, but one access point won’t have the reach of one currently transmitting 802.11g/n. Turning your existing network of coax cables into an Internet network with multiple Ethernet ports and WiFi access points will enable you to enjoy buffer-free television programming and IPTV content on your televisions, computers, tablets, videogame consoles and other connected devices anywhere in your house. So free yourself from being chained to your modem and set-top box…And stop wandering around your house, looking for a stronger Wi-Fi signal.

NetZero: Obviously using their own dial-up

Benjamin Nadeau — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:58:51 +0000

In attempt to once more become relevant, NetZero has added a new product: the
mobile hotspot. More popularly known for their dial-up services, NetZero has
developed hotspot locations in many places that Sprint and Verizon do not carry.

The most basic data plans from NetZero will be free, however, those services appear
to be slow and inefficient. In comparison to most smart phones, NetZero’s data plans
aren’t worth the wait or convenience.

NetZero has six data plans to chose from, ranging from free (200mb) to $50
dollars for 4gb a month. Available in hotspot form and USB, NetZero’s product has
contracts—something that most companies cannot offer.

Gas prices rise for 10th straight day

Benjamin Nadeau — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:43:41 +0000

Gas prices, such as in this gas station in Chicago, have been on a steady increase over the past ten days.

Around the country, people continue suffering at the pump as gas prices rise for the
tenth straight day. The nationwide average for a tank of gas was $3.54 a gallon just
last month; however, today’s prices stand at $3.842. Prices are quickly approaching
July 2008’s all-time high of $4.114.

Prices for oil itself have gone up 5% over the past month due to scares involving
Iran and possible complications in the near future. According to CNN, “Gasoline
averages more than $4 a gallon in seven states: Alaska, California, Connecticut,
Hawaii, Illinois, New York and Washington.” The lowest gas prices come from
Wyoming, but $3.43 a gallon isn’t low either.

Gas prices are up 17% this year and with the skyrocketing stock market, the prices
per gallon will most likely continue to go up.

Wanted: Young farmers

E - The Environmental Magazine — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:30:50 +0000

Convincing young people to take up farming is a hard sell but a necessary one: For each American farmer under the age of 35 there are now six over 65 and one quarter (500,000) of all American farmers will retire over the next two decades. (iStockPhoto)

American farmers as a whole are an aging group today as young people gravitate more towards virtual realities than tilling in the soil. The National Young Farmers’ Coalition (NYFC) reports that the total number of American farmers has declined from over six million in 1910 to just over two million today, and that for each farmer under the age of 35 there are now six over 65. With the average age of U.S. farmers now at 57, one quarter (500,000) of all American farmers will retire over the next two decades. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is calling for hundreds of thousands of new farmers nationwide, but convincing young people to take up farming remains a hard sell.

NYFC would like to see action at the local, state and federal levels to help beginning farmers. “At the local level, communities can create market opportunities for farmers by starting Community Supported Agriculture groups and shopping at farmers markets, as well as protecting existing farmland through zoning and the purchase of development rights.” States can be helpful, the group adds, by offering incentives to preserve farmland and giving tax credits for farmers who sell their land to new practitioners.

But real change has to come from the top down. NYFC and others are pinning their hopes on the inclusion of the “Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Opportunity Act” in Congress’ next Farm Bill. The purpose of the proposed legislation is to invest in the next generation of American agricultural and livestock producers by enabling access to land, credit and crop insurance to help new farmers and ranchers launch or strengthen their businesses and become better stewards of their land.

“The future of family farming and ranching in America—and the viability of our nation’s food supply—depends upon removing existing obstacles to entry into farming so that more people can start to farm,” says the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, another backer of the proposed legislation. “This bill encompasses a national strategy for addressing those barriers, focusing on the issues that consistently rank as the greatest challenges for beginning producers.” Backers of the bill warn that, at a cost of just a fraction of one percent of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) budget, the nation can’t afford not to pass the bill given its potential long term benefits to both our food supply and trade deficit.

The good news is that interest in healthier, greener food is driving a resurgence in organic agriculture. As such, many of the new farmers cropping up to replace their retired forebears are eschewing genetically modified crops and harsh chemicals, thus improving the quality of our agricultural land base overall.

Tierney Creech of the Washington Young Farmers’ Coalition (WYFC) calls this influx of green enthusiasm an agrarian revival. “We’re not just a few people spread across the country, we’re a well organized, politically active group that can be documented,” she says. “We know who our senators and representatives are, we vote, and our friends and families vote. We need USDA and government support to succeed and we’re going to let the nation know that.”

CONTACTS: NYFC, www.youngfarmers.org; National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, www.sustainableagriculture.net; WYFC, www.washingtonyoungfarmers.org; Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Opportunity Act, thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.3236:

Are there natural bug repellents?

E - The Environmental Magazine — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:28:36 +0000

There are several companies now selling natural insect repellents, many of which use essential oils as their active ingredients. (iStockPhoto)

While the industry standard insect repellents rely on the insecticide DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) to keep bugs at bay, many environmental and public health advocates worry that regular long-term exposure to even small amounts of the chemical can negatively affect the human nervous system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that, in studies, DEET has been shown to be “of low acute toxicity,” although it can irritate the eyes, mouth and skin. The EPA concluded after a comprehensive 1998 assessment that DEET does not present a health risk as long as consumers follow label directions and take proper precautions. And since nothing works quite as well as DEET in deterring disease-carrying ticks and mosquitoes, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is relatively bullish on its use in order to reduce incidences of Lyme disease, encephalitis and other insect-borne diseases.

Regardless, many consumers would prefer natural alternatives, and there are several companies already selling DEET-free insect repellents, many of which use essential oils as their active ingredients. WebMD reports that soy-based repellent formulas (such as Bite Blocker for Kids) are the most effective substitutes for DEET, usually lasting for 90 minutes, which is longer than some low-concentration DEET formulas. Some other leading alternative repellents include All Terrain’s Herbal Armor, Quantum Health’s Buzz Away Extreme, Lakon Herbals Bygone Bugz, and California Baby’s Natural Bug Blend Repellent.

WebMD adds that, despite popular opinion, products containing citronella are not the best non-chemical choice, as their effectiveness typically wanes within an hour. Likewise, peppermint oil and some other plant-based oils are also effective as insect repellents. Even venerable Avon Skin-So-Soft bath oil, long thought to deter pests as well as DEET, only keeps mosquitoes away for up to a half hour.

Beyond repellents, there are many other ways to keep pests away. For one, avoid floral fragrances from perfume, deodorant or other sources that can attract mosquitoes and other bugs. The EarthEasy website recommends eliminating standing water around your home to keep mosquito breeding at bay. Bird baths, wading pools and pet water bowls should be changed at least twice a week; also make sure your gutters are draining properly. Also, since mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide released from campfires and barbeque grills, EarthEasy recommends throwing sage or rosemary on the coals to repel the mosquitoes.

If all else fails and DEET is your only option, use it sparingly. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using repellents with no more than a 30 percent concentration of DEET for kids over two-months old (and no repellent for younger babies). Keep in mind that formulas with lower concentrations of DEET may work just as well as others but not for as long. A 10 percent DEET concentration, for instance, should work for up to two hours outside. Applying DEET-based bug spray to your clothing instead of skin can help minimize any negative effects of exposure. Also, kids and grown-ups alike should wash off any DEET-based repellents when they are “out of the woods” so to speak.

CONTACTS: EPA DEET Fact Sheet, www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm; CDC Insect Repellent Use & Safety, www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm; EarthEasy, www.eartheasy.com; American Academy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org; WebMD, www.webmd.com.

Rumors of a new Google may be old news

Brittney McNamara — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:56:26 +0000

Google may be overhauling its search engine technology in a big way, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The popular search tool might begin to rely on something called “semantic search,” which finds that actual meaning of words. Keyword searches, which it uses now, won’t be abandoned in the overhaul but will be used in unison with the new technology. Google will also provide more answers and facts on its own, rather than linking to other sites, the Journal reports.

However, Search Engine Land refuted the rumors, claiming that Google already uses this technology, and it would not be new.

Google did not respond to questions from PCMag, or the Journal, and the source of the rumors is unknown so far. The news is believed to have stemmed from a Journal interview with Google executive Amit Singhal, in which he said the future of Google searches will “better match search queries with a database containing hundreds of millions of entities’ – people, places, and things – which the company has quietly amassed in the past two years.” He claimed the searches will be more intune with how people think.

Google being investigated by the FTC over privacy policy violation

Ivan Favelevic — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:22:49 +0000

Google may soon find itself in the ugly side of a legal investigation. An international group of government agencies is inquiring reports by Apple that the search engine giant used cookies as a method of tracking people’s activities on their computers. Apple’s web browser, Safari, has a privacy agreement which bans that type of tracking software.

The software was used as a method of targeting advertising to individual user. It not only affected computers, but iPads and iPhones were targeted as well.

“We will of course cooperate with any officials who have questions,” a Google spokeswoman said. “But it’s important to remember that we didn’t anticipate this would happen, and we have been removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers.”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into Google’s practices and whether they are in violation of last year’s legal settlement where Google stated that they would not “misrepresent” its privacy practice with consumers, reports the Wall Street Journal.

According to the FTC, the fine for violating the agreement it $16,000 per violation, per day. Considering the millions of users using Apple’s browser, the bill can really add up.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, Europe’s investigation is being led by the French Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés, or CNIL, which fined Google last year for collecting passwords when Google vehicles were gathering information for the Street View feature in Google maps.

The majority of Google’s revenue comes from ad sales, a practice that the company has made a premium for several advertisers by targeting ads to specific users.

Google’s recent jump into social networking came with Google Plus, a service that the company has pushed into all corners of the organization, said former Google executive James Whittaker. The company publicly stated that it had bypassed some of Apple’s privacy setting when implementing Google Plus’ “1+” button into the Safari browser.

Original source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304692804577283821586827892.html

Google outbids Facebook to acquire Milk

Ivan Favelevic — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:22:04 +0000

The bidding war between two internet giants has come to a close as Google just acquired mobile app developer Milk, out bidding Facebook in the process.

The San Fransisco-based developer is helmed by Digg co-founder Kevin Rose.

TechCrunch reports that the acquisition cost around $30 million, making each of the employees in the small studio a millionaire.

Milk recently shut down its app Oink, a Yelp type app that allowed users to rate and suggest items within a store.

Apple’s shares climb to $600 in anticipation of iPad “3″

Ivan Favelevic — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:19:21 +0000

With the new iPad set to release this Friday, Apple’s stocks reached a record high of $600 per share. This 1.8 percent increase occurred for a brief time this moment before they settled back to $585. Nonetheless, this jump comes just one month after Apple’s shares broke the $500 mark.

Several analysts, including Gene Munster from Piper Jaffray who predicts’ the shares to rise above $700, have foreseen the stock domination by the company, especially after Apple reported its largest quarter ever in sales, earning $46.33 billion and profiting $13.06 billion.

As a company, Apple is now worth more than 84 percent of the world’s countries, including Argentina, Greece, Denmark and Austria.