2006 May

In an online survey of public attitudes conducted recently and released today by Harris Interactive, 8 out of 10 (82%) adults polled said they believe that “if tax dollars pay for scientific research, people should have free access to the results of the research on the Internet.”
In addition, six out of 10 (62%) adults believe […]

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
I’m debating whether to tell my wife about this. She is such a Mario fan that this might actually force her to overcome her fear of flying to visit the park.
The Nintendo Amusement Park is a project by three New York University students who want to create a life-size obstacle course […]

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
Yes, we’re talking about that Three Mile Island. A security guard was so engrossed while playing a handheld video game that he failed to notice repeated approaches by an inspector during a surprise inspection. Apparently, the game itself was not an issue as employees are allowed to participate in mind-stimulating activities […]

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
According to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Google has no plans to build a Web browser to compete with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, or any of the other browsers available. Schmidt made this statement during a conference call with Wall Street analysts.
It looks like people have some good browser choices already,” Schmidt […]

Americans have long had a relationship with automobiles that transcends all understanding. Hot rods, deuce coupes, Stingrays, all of the popular muscle cars that we remember from our youth. But along with those memorable cars were some not so memorable ones. Can you spell Edsel? Relationships with cars were not limited to just the United […]

The nano world is getting brighter. Nanowires made of semiconductor materials are being used to make prototype lasers and light-emitting diodes with emission apertures roughly 100 nm in diameter - about 50 times narrower than conventional counterparts. Nanolight sources may have many applications, including “lab on a chip” devices for identifying chemicals and biological agents, […]

As gas prices soar and greenhouse gases continue to blanket the atmosphere, the need for a clean, safe and cheap source of energy has never seemed more pressing.
Scientists have long worked to meet that need, exploring alternative energy technologies such as wind and solar power. But, after decades of quiet progress, the spotlight is now […]

This sounds like the perfect invention for me! Seth Borenstein of the Associated Press (via The Washington Post) writes:

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
The European Union is investigating possible taxes on emails and SMS messages as a new source of funds for the 25 member bloc. A European Parliament working group, headed by Alain Lamassoure, a prominent French MEP, is doing the investigation. Initial proposals are to add a tax of around 1.5 cents […]

With all of the technology that surrounds us these days, it is not unusual to be hit with the same news story many different times during the day. Depending on how you get your news, you may get several different slants on the same story (many stations call that sort of slanting “editorializing”). The Internet […]

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
Although the codebase used to compile the different versions of IE7 is the same, the version of the browser provided in Vista will have a slightly different name, meaning “Internet Explorer 7+.” Aside from Vista-only features provided by the OS, such as Protected Mode, Parental Controls, and improved Network Diagnostics, there […]

To many of you out there, this must sound silly. No one can own this concept of perceived usability, right? Or can they?

So is one country trying to screw other the other with regard to wireless standards? Suppose it depends who you are asking. Personally, I just found the story itself really interesting.

Joaquim P. Menezes of IT World Canada writes:
A resolution has been reached in a high-profile “corporate espionage” case with WestJet airlines admitting culpability today, apologizing to Air Canada, and agreeing to pay settlement costs totalling $15.5 million.
The amount includes a $10 million donation that WestJet will make in the name of Air Canada to children’s […]

The times they are a changin’, as Bob Dylan sings in one of his greatest hits. That is not only true in the music world, but in some of our favorite Web sites and techno toys. Recently, HP announced that it would be shifting emphasis from its iPaq Pocket PCs to “converged devices,” whatever that […]

Just as “visionaries” of the Age of Enlightenment in 18th century Europe pursued progress through rationality, the developers of the 21st Century’s “New Internet” will “benefit the public good by balancing the needs of users and society,” said Dr. Ralph W. Wyndrum, Jr., IEEE-USA’s 2006 President. Delivering a keynote address on 19 May to some […]

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
The deals keep on coming, today. Reuters has reported that two insiders revealed that Dell and Google have reached an agreement for Dell to factory-install a package of Google software on Dell PCs. This would solidify the test that the two companies started in February, when the two companies confirmed such […]

Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
Canon has announced it will halt development of new film cameras as it considers whether or not to exit the shrinking market. In doing so, Canon came very close to joining the ranks (sure to expand) of camera makers who are dropping film (as Alice wrote earlier in the year, Nikon […]

Keeping computer files private requires only the use of a simple encryption program. For criminals or terrorists wanting to conceal their activities, however, attaching an encrypted file to an e-mail message is sure to raise suspicion with law enforcement or government agents monitoring e-mail traffic.
But what if files could be hidden within the complex digital […]

In the mood for a good movie tonight? Want to see a movie but you’re too lazy to get up and go to the video store? Or, if you do, you find out it is out of what you want to see? Well, if that’s the case, you will LOVE the Warped site we have […]