BBC gets TV on-demand service OK

TV shows such as Doctor Who will be made available on-demand as the green light is given to the BBC's iPlayer.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Scotty finally sent to the stars

The ashes of Star Trek actor James Doohan are launched into space, watched by cheering fans.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Apple admits laptop battery issue

Apple says that "some batteries" in its range of MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops have "performance issues".



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Is AI Dangerous?

The Institute for Ethics and Emerging
Technologies has published an essay
by Michael Anissimov detailing his reasons for believing that
artificial intelligence is dangerous. In short he believes that an
intelligent agent with different goals than humans, or which has the
capacity to
have different goals, is inherently a threat to the survival of the
human race. His conclusion appears based on the assumption that only
humans can be equipped with "freedom, empathy, self-determination,
consensus-building, conflict resolution, aesthetics, camaraderie, and
rapport." Why won't machines have these qualities? "What
programmer has the time to do all that
work when general intelligence without the human-like morality will be
significantly easier to achieve?"



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Supercomputer Simulates Half a Mouse Brain

The BBC
reports on a recent cortical simulation experiment run on one of the
older IBM
BlueGene/L supercomputer prototypes. The goal of the researchers is
to create a
complete, real-time simulation of a mouse brain. The current run
simulated only half of a scaled down mouse brain consisting of 8000
neurons, each with 6300 synapses. Half of a real mouse brain has about
eight million neurons, each with 8000 synapses. The IBM BlueGene/L
prototype used, probably the DD2, has
a relatively modest 4096 processers with 256MB of memory each. The
BlueGene/L computers run SUSE SLES 9 Linux and are among the fastest
computers on Earth. While the DD2 comes in at only 11 TeraFLOPS, the
production model BlueGene/L tops the list at 360 TeraFLOPS. The computer
could run a simulation of this
complexity with a resolution of 1ms and a neural firing rate of 1Hz, or
about 1/10 of realtime. So one second of simulated mouse
thoughts took 10 seconds to calculate. The researchers claim to have seen
"biologically consistent dynamical properties", including the
spontaneous formation of neuron groups and the staggered, co-ordinated
firing of synapses. A few more details can be found in the short project
description document, Towards Real-Time,
Mouse-Scale Cortical Simulations (PDF format).



Source: http://www.netchain.com

PlayStation's creator to retire

The man behind all three generations of Sony PlayStation consoles announces his retirement.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Wi-fi laptop fears for children

Laptops with wireless internet links should not be put on children's laps, a government adviser says.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Mouse brain simulated on computer

Half a virtual mouse brain has been built on a supercomputer by IBM researchers.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

DARPA Limb Update

The goal of the DARPA
prosthetics program is to create an advanced upper limb replacement
with neural control within a decade.
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics
Laboratory and other team members are conducting tests of their
Proto
1 prosthetic arm with help from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
The limb sports eight degrees of freedom and a control system
significantly better than existing technology.
The limb system includes a virtual environment for patient training,
clinical configuration, and the recording of limb movement
during testing.
More intuitive control and an improved natural sensation of grip and
touch is made possible by

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation
which transfers residual nerves from the lost limb
to unused muscle regions such as the chest.
A realistic looking covering is made with help from photographs of the
patients limb.
Demonstrations included removing a credit card from a pocket, stacking
cups with grip control based on sensory feedback instead of vision,
and walking using the free swing mode.
The next version of the limb is expected to have 25 degrees of freedom,
increased strength and speed, and as many as 80 sensors to monitor
temperature, positioning, and an artificial sense of touch.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Talking Robots: Rodney Brooks

Markus Waibel writes,
"In the latest Talking Robots
podcast interview we talk to Rodney Brooks, the
Director of MIT's Computer Science & AI Lab director (CSAIL) and CTO of iRobot. Rodney explains how mosquitoes
in Thailand caused a fundamental shift in artificial intelligence, how
to build robots that sell, and how 50 years from now you'll be fighting
with your robot for spare parts."



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Global net use makes rapid rise

African and Asian nations are using the net to catch up with other industrialised nations, says a report.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Online slavery archive launched

An online archive providing details of slaves owned by British colonists in Barbados is launched.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Hawking takes zero-gravity flight

The British physicist Stephen Hawking has completed a zero-gravity flight in a specially modified plane.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

PlayStation's creator to retire

The man behind all three generations of Sony PlayStation consoles announces his retirement.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Vista sales boost for Microsoft

The Windows Vista operating system and Office 2007 helps Microsoft beat earnings forecasts for its third quarter.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Global net use makes rapid rise

African and Asian nations are using the net to catch up with other industrialised nations, says a report.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Scientists Concerned About Autonomous Robots

More concern over the cultural implications of autonomous robots in the
news today. The BBC
reports on
a public debate held at the London Science Museum. From the aritcle:
"Autonomous robots are able to make decisions without human
intervention. At a simple level, these can include robot vacuum cleaners
that decide for themselves when to move from room to room".
Professor Alan
Winfield suggests the the worries come when you give
autonomous robots guns: "If an autonomous robot kills someone, whose
fault is it? Right now, that's not an issue because the responsibility
lies with the designer or operators of that robot; but as robots become
more autonomous that line [of] responsibility becomes blurred." The
debate also covered subjects such as the UK robot rights study that
predicted housing and healthcare rights for sentient robots. The study
was "poorly informed, poorly supported by science and it is
sensationalist" according to Professor Owen
Holland. He does acknowledge
a need for informed debate about the rights issue, however.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

CMU TeRK Project: Open Source Robots

Yesterday CMU announced
the Telepresence Robot Kit (TeRK)
project. Originally developed by CMU professor Illah Nourbakhsh and
funded by Google, Intel and Microsoft. The idea is to release several robot plans
(called "recipes") for building simple, web-enable robots from
off-the-shelf parts. They hope the sudden proliferation of
web-enabled robots will generate new interest in robotics. The robot is
based on the Qwerk
microcontroller developed by the CMU CREATE lab and Austin-based Charmed Labs. The Qwerk is
Linux-based SBC with a 200MHz ARM9 and 32MB of RAM. The board also
includes a Xilinx Spartan FPGA, USB, assorted I/O and, of course, 10/100
Ethernet for net access. At $350 each, the Qwerk is a bit pricey
compared to other recent Linux micros such
as the $69 Atmel
ATNGW100, which has similar features. On the other hand, if you
plunk down the money for the Qwerk, CMU will provide a lot of ready to
go software for you to use including the Qwerkbot
Teleop Interface, the Robot
Universal Remote (RUR), Robot
Dance Studio, Qwerk
Audio Player, the Express-O-Matic
graphic programming tool, and, well, a lot of other stuff. All of this
is Free
Software licensed under the GNU GPL.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

'Ignore the US copyright bullies'

Internet law professor Michael Geist says countries should resist US bullying tactics over copyright and intellectual property.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Detective agency 'paid to spy'

A detective agency earned thousands of pounds hacking into computers and bugging telephones, a court hears.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

'Ignore the US copyright bullies'

Internet law professor Michael Geist says countries should resist US bullying tactics over copyright and intellectual property.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Wii and DS boost Nintendo profits

Massive demand for Nintendo's Wii games machine and DS console bring record profits for the Japanese firm.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

PS3 boosts protein research plan

PlayStation 3 owners are helping with a project that tries to understand diseases such as Alzheimers and BSE.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Bionic eye tests on monkeys

US scientists have opened the way for the development of a "bionic eye" by carrying out tests in monkeys.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Vonage celebrates injunction win

A US court overturns an order stopping telecoms firm Vonage signing up new clients amid a row with rival Verizon.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Charges at Apple on shares

An ex-manager at Apple faces civil charges over the alleged fraudulent award of share options to bosses.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Good start for Amazon in 2007

Online retailer Amazon enjoys a strong start to 2007, its sales rising 32% in the first three months of the year.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Detective agency 'paid to spy'

A detective agency earned thousands of pounds hacking into computers and bugging telephones, a court hears.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

China leader urges net crackdown

"Unhealthy" content should be purged from the net, China President Hu Jintao is reported as saying.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Malicious code rise driven by web

The number of new pieces of malicious code rises, driven by delivery on the web, says a report.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

iPods and Macs lift Apple profits

Apple sells more than 10 million iPods in the first three months of 2007, helping the firm to a 88% rise in profits.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Text reveals more ancient secrets

Experts find a 13th Century prayer book has yielded yet another key ancient text buried in its parchment.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Random Robot News Roundup

In no particular order, here are several shorter news items that have
been collecting dust in our inbox. The Swirling
Brain sent a link to a sort of three-legged robot simulator called
acrobots. Is it a game? Is it a
graphics demo? Who knows, but it's fun to play with. A couple of readers
mentioned a Wired article about Bobby
Zokaites and his modified Roomba Art Bots. Roland Piquepaille
has written a new blog post about jewelry polishing
robots that can grind and polish rings faster than human jewelers.
The BBC reports that robot blimps
will be fighting crime in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. For a more
down-to-Earth story, the MAKE blog has a nice intro on the idea of Open
Source Hardware.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Robot Deters Pooping Pigeons

In addition to leaving treats on new BMW's and
damaging goods in large warehouses, aggressive birds
are known to attack small children on the playgrounds and
even peck the eyes out of farm animals.
For around $4000USD, Robop LTD can
supply a solution in
the form of a fiberglass robotic falcon programmed to
frighten away sparrows, geese and other feathered creatures.
Flapping its wings, turning its head, springing on its feet,
and calling like a Peregrine apparently convinces
intruders to pick another location for their unsavory deeds.
A trailer-mounted boom mount is also available for quick deployment.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Lords offer new angle on e-crime

A website for people to report cyber-crime is one idea being considered by a UK government committee.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Wi-fi? Why worry?

Regular commentator Bill Thompson wonders about stories questioning the safety of wi-fi networks.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Research opens way for bionic eye

US scientists have opened the way for the development of a "bionic eye" by carrying out tests in monkeys.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Robot future poses hard questions

Scientists express concerns over the use of autonomous decision-making robots, particularly for military use.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Perecption of Surface Textures

An MIT news
release describes the underlying neural mechanism researcher believe
is responsible for our ability to visually categorize surface textures.
We can tell at a glance whether a surface is a rough or glossy. The
researchers believe our brain has collections of neurons that respond to
positive or negative skewing of a luminance histogram. The asymmetry of
the histogram correlates to the surface quality. Glossy, darker surfaces
tend to be skewed positively, while rougher surfaces are skewed
negatively. There are immediately applications to machine vision, with
autonomous vehicles high on the list. Being able to easily determine if
the road is icy or dry, paved or dirt would be very useful. NTT, who
collaborated on this research, offers a more detailed summary of
the research which includes example images and histograms.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

NASA to Test Robotic Telesurgery

NASA's Aquarius
moon-walk simulations in May
will include a flight surgeon, two astronauts and a
Doctor from Cincinnati to test

remote-controlled robotic surgery on simulated patients.
The goal is to fine tune the techniques needed to bring
remote surgeon-guided procedures to future space missions.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Robots in Japan and the West

Mary King has
posted an essay
that explores the differences between Japanese and Western roboticists
and presents an explanation of how these differences came about. The
article also explore differences in how people in the East and West
approach the ideas of roboethics and robot rights. King starts at the
begining by explaining how Western audiences perceived RUR when it
premiered in 1921, compared to how Tokyo audiences perceived in when it
premiered in Japan in 1924. Along the way, she mentions a variety of
robots, some of which you may not have heard of before, such as the
Robo-Priest who has been on duty since 1993 in the Yokohama cemetary and
can perform Buddist, Protestant, and Catholic rites. Definitely an
interesting read.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Space tourist makes safe return

Billionaire space tourist Charles Simonyi and two crew from the international space station return to Earth.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

More phones can be BlackBerries

The company that makes the Blackberry is making its software available to other phone manufacturers.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

India commercial rocket takes off

India's first commercial space operation begins with a rocket blasting off to put an Italian satellite into orbit.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Switch on for Square Mile wi-fi

The City of London fires up its first mesh wi-fi network, promising access from anywhere in the Square Mile.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

The Google Master Plan

I’ve come across this interesting movie clip called The Google Master Plan in Youtube quite some time ago. It’s a movie directed and produced by Ozan Halici & Jürgen Mayer for their Bachelors’s Thesis at the University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany.
The movie basically talks about how Google can use their free services like Google [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

UK Shopping Search Engine

Online shopping has gain its popularity all around the world nowadays with the advance of the Internet. Just like the amount of websites we can find on the Internet, there are too many online deals for us to choose from. Hence we do need a search engine which helps us to aggregate all merchant offers, [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Differences Amongst Windows Vista Versions

I’m sure many of us are thinking of upgrading our computer operating system to the latest Windows Vista. Apart from wondering will the current computer hardware be compatible to Windows Vista, probably we are facing the dilemma of choosing which version of Windows Vista.
Basically, there are 5 versions of Windows Vista to choose from, they [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

iBegin Source - Place To Get Local Business Data

Yellow pages is often the source for us to search for local stores and services, be it online yellow pages or printed yellow pages. I particularly like online yellow pages very much, as usually I am just a few clicks away from what I want to find in my local area.
However, in many cases accurate [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Web 2.0 wave starts to take hold

Software which is mainly stored on PC operating systems is increasingly moving online, reports BBC Click.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Afraid of Intelligent Machines?

Recent informal
polling results reveal mixed emotions about intelligent machines.
As of 10am CST, 16.6% found intelligent machines frightening,
27.1% were not frightened, and 56.3% were not fearful of
the machines but of the humans in control of them.
This data appears to show that most people consider the controlling
agent responsible for the actions of machines and not the machines
themselves,
in spite of messages from movies and other
pop-culture sources.
A discussion
related to this topic was spawned by the killings at VA Tech.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Aldebaran Robotics NAO is Walking

Bastien Parent of French
company Aldebaran
Robotics writes, "The Nao
project continues to move forward. Now, for the very first time,
you will be able to see
him walking. We're constantly improving the motions, smoothness,
speed and stability. Stay tuned, the next steps are coming very
soon..." And, with perfect timing, Lem Fugitt of Robots Dreams
wrotes to say, "I just posted a brand new report
and video showing the Aldebaran
Robotics NAO humanoid robot prototype walking for the first time".
If you didn't catch our previous story on NAO,
it's a 22 inch high Linux-based humanoid robot.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

R2S2: Steam-Powered Astromech Droid

I-Wei Huang of of Crabfu
SteamWorks writes, "I've recently finished a steam project that
is... well you'd just have to see it, guaranteed to put a smile on your
face :)" His latest creation is a steam powered version of
everyone's favorite Astromech droid, R2D2. In honor of it's motive
power source, the robot is named R2S2, short for R2 Steam Too. This
amazing little robot burns a propane butane mix and relies on two
Wilesco D48 marine engines. This isn't the first amazing steam-powered
creation to come from Crabfu SteamWorks. We've also mentioned his steam-powered Armatron,
the steam-powered 6 Wheel
Rover, and other assorted steam-powered
critters.

Source: http://www.netchain.com

Learn About Foreign Exchange (Forex) Trading

Being a blogger who has a chance to earn foreign currency, Foreign Exchange (Forex) is one thing I am very interested to learn. Basically, Foreign Exchange is about buying one currency and selling of another simultaneously. Since we, bloggers, now have the chance to earn US dollar learning how to trade US Dollar in Forex [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

eBay 'sorry' over policy change

Auction website eBay has apologised for not giving sellers enough notice about a change to the way it lists items.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Global mobile phone growth slows

Growth in world mobile phone shipments slowed in the first three months of 2007, led by Motorola, a report says.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Colour barcode system for DVDs

A next-generation, colour barcode system will find its way onto video games and DVDs later this year.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Blackberry reveals failure cause

Blackberry maker RIM says an insufficiently tested software upgrade was the cause of its network failure.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Users force Dell to resurrect XP

Customers have forced PC maker Dell to reverse a policy to stop installing Windows XP on new machines.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Texts monitor Nigerian elections

A team of local volunteers will monitor the Nigerian Presidential elections using a text message service.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

UK tests Moon lander technology

British engineers study the technology needed to land on the Moon - which will also be useful on a Mars mission.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Japanese Sex-Clubs Employ Robots

Human touts used to stand on the street outside sex clubs in Osaka
enticing potential customers to visit the clubs. But today, there are
laws against immoral activities to prevent this. It turns out there's
no law against robots
doing the job. So, sex clubs can now buy a humanoid robot that will
stand outside their club waving a banner and attracting new customers.
The robot tout is a 500,000 yen upgrade to one of the traffic directing
robots that are common throughout Japan. Will the robot run afoul of
the law that targets humans? "It's a robot, so no problem"
said one representative of the new robot service. For more, see the
original Japanese
article.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Wanted: Wife-Swapping Robot Enthusiasts

This is definitely the day for strange robot news. First robots touting
sex clubs, now this. The ABC reality show Wife Swap, is seeking
families
with at least one child between 6 and 17 in which one parent is a robot
"enthusiast". Apparently, the premise of the show is that the wives of
two wildly differing families are swapped for one week and the ensuing
madness is turned into a reality TV show. Julia Jenkins, one the show's
casting producers says they have always wanted to do a show involving a
robot geek and now they're asking
robots.net to help find one. If your family meets the requirements and they
pick you to do the show, you'd get paid $20,000 for your troubles in
addition to your 15 minutes of fame. Read on for the details and contact
information - and make
sure you let Julia know that robots.net sent you her way.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

VIA Announces Pico-ITX Boards

Once again, VIA is shrinking the PC motherboard. First they released the
Mini-ITX form factor at
17cm x 17cm which is now commonly used on
robots. Next came the Nano-ITX at 12cm x 12cm. The Nano-ITX, while
sounding very promising for robotics use, was plagued with delays and
when it finally became available was priced out of range for robot
hobbyists. Today VIA announced the long rumored Pico-ITX,
which is only 10cm x 7.2cm. VIA has managed to shrink everything you
need on a PC motherboard down to two chips, a C7 or Eden CPU and a VX700
chip that combines all the I/O functionality. Speaking of I/O, the board
has IDE and SATA connectors, 10/100 Ethernet, four USB 2 ports, audio
and video ports, and one RS-232. Unlike the Mini-ITX, this board appears
not to have an I2C port, so you'd need to add a microcontroller to
get some additional I/O for robotics use. No pricing was announced,
but with Atmel's recent release of a $69 Linux SBC, it will be
interesting to see how competitive VIA can be. For more details see the Pico-ITX
whitepaper (PDF format). Read on for the full text of today's press
release from VIA.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Caterpillar robot 'treats hearts'

A robotic caterpillar has been designed which can crawl across the surface of the heart to deliver treatment.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Colour barcode system to hit DVDs

A next-generation, colour barcode system will find its way onto video games and DVDs later this year.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Microsoft aims to double PC base

Microsoft software will sell for just $3 in some parts of the world in an attempt to double the number of global PC users.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Blackberry says system restored

Blackberry maker RIM says it has restored its service to "most" North American users after a network failure.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

BBC to open up archive for trial

The BBC is to open up its archive of video and audio in an on-demand trial involving more than 20,000 people.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Barclays steps up online security

Barclays Bank is sending out handheld chip-and-pin card readers in a fresh bid to tackle online fraud.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

'Smart dust' to explore planets

Tiny devices that can be carried on the wind like dust could be used to explore space, say engineers.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Mobile users create own graphics

Revenue from wallpaper and phone graphics is in decline as people use their own images, a study finds.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Wikipedia offers access offline

Wikipedia articles are sold on CD to give people without a net connection access to the web resource.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Blackberry says system restored

Blackberry maker RIM says it has restored its service to "most" North American users after a network failure.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Web counting tools 'need change'

The way web audiences are measured could be ripe for an overhaul, according to two separate reports.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Roboticist Killed in VA Tech Shooting

Kevin P.
Granata of the VA Tech Musculoskeletal
Biomechanics lab was one of several faculty members killed in
yesterday's
shooting rampage by South Korean Cho Seung-Hui at the university.
Granata's research was
in biomechanics and biomimetric robotics. He also worked on robotic
mobility aids for the elderly such as the MARC
Robotic Walker, which can switch from a passive walker to an
intelligent mobility aid that steers the user when needed. Granata was
said to be one of the top
five biomechanics researchers in the US working on the movement
dynamics of cerebral palsy. At least two other professors, including
engineer Liviu
Librescu, were killed in the shooting, along
with as many as 30 students. More
news on the shooting.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Watching art imitate life

Does turning surveillance into art make it easier to chip away at our privacy, asks columnist Bill Thompson.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Two cautioned over wi-fi 'theft'

Two people are cautioned after being caught in the street using other people's wi-fi internet connections.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

'Fatal' blow to web broadcasters

Sharp rises in royalty fees could be "fatal" to the nascent web radio industry, broadcasters warn.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Rules of Engagement for Armed Robots

"Let the machines target other machines. Let men target Men." So say
we all. Or at least so says John S. Canning of the Naval Surface Warfare
Center in his recently proposed Concept
of Operations (CONOPS) for Autonomous Use of Weapons (PDF format).
The miltary is becoming aware of the problems with autonomous robots
under the Law of Armed Combat. How do robots
fit into existing guidelines such as the Rules of Engagement and
Discriminate Use of Force? Who or what can be
destroyed by an autonomous robot and under what conditions? Will the
robot be able
to distinguish a war ship from a cruise ship? Will it be able to
distinguish between an armed, determined enemy and a mob of angry but
unarmed people? Canning's proposed rule is that only humans be allowed
to target other humans, while autonomous machines are allowed to target only
enemy machines. In other words, machines may "target the bow or the
arrow but not the archer". A DefenseTech
blog notes that the catch to the whole thing is that when the robot
targets the enemy machine, say a tank, and destroys it, the humans
inside are killed as well. The real benefit to the miltary of Canning's
legal theory
is that humans become "collateral damage" and not "targets" of
the robot, presumably lessening the red tape involved in using such weapons.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Homes get free energy monitors

UK homes are to get a free "real-time monitor" to show how much electricity is being used, ministers propose.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Concerns over NHS computers

MPs raise concerns over delays and spiralling costs of the multi-billion pound NHS IT upgrade.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

E-mail warning for employers

Legal experts say employers are breaching privacy if they spy on staff after a human rights court ruling backed a college worker.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Einstein was right, probe shows

Early results from a mission to test two key predictions of Albert Einstein show he was right about at least one.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Consumers 'shun' hacked stores

A survey suggests consumers are turning away from shops that fall victim to cyber thieves.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Online child abuse complaints up

Reports of websites that contain images of severe child abuse continue to climb, a report shows.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Concern as net hits data limits

We are starting to hit the limits of the net's current capacity to carry data, says Bill Thompson. But it isn't a reason to panic



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Virtual Big Brother is unveiled

Big Brother maker Endemol is to launch a virtual world where people can take part in familiar games and TV shows.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Adobe unveils Flash video control

Adobe unveils a version of Flash which allows control of video use, as Microsoft launches a competitor.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Broadband challenge faces Britain

The UK must act quickly to ensure it is in shape to cope with growing net use, warns a report.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

HyFish: A Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered UAV

Horizon Fuel Cell has
issued a press
release about the successful maiden
flight (YouTube video) of a zero emission UAV prototype powered by
hydrogen. The fuel cell powered flying robot, called the HyFish
was
designed by Germany's Deutsches Zentrum
fuer Luft-und Raumfahrt (DLR - aka the German Air & Space Center). A
special fuel cell was developed for the UAV, providing 1.3kW of power
from an 800g cell. The result is a new power density record of 1.5W/gm.
The fuel cell system is expect to allow flight times of 15 to 30 hours.
The zero emission aspect is also helpful in that it may reduce the
amount of greenhouse gas resulting from aviation, which now accounts for
up to 9% of the total. The HyFish UAV will be on display to the general
public at the Hannover Fair
April 16 to 20, Stand G 32/1, Hall 13. More info, including an x-ray
image of the UAV can be found on the DLR
HyFish news release (German language). An older 3D
structural rendering is also available.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Broadband challenge faces Britain

The UK must act quickly to ensure it is in shape to cope with growing net use, warns a report.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Bloggers' search for anonymity

Bloggers find new ways of avoiding the internet censors trying to silence dissent on the web.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Talking Robots: Laurent Keller

Markus Waibel writes,
"The new Talking Robots podcast
episode interviews the biologist Laurent Keller, who is
very well known for his work on ants and other social insects. He has
been one of the first biologists to turn to robotics to perform artificial
selection experiments that are difficult or impossible to realize
with biological organisms. In this interview he gives a biologist's
perspective of robots and robotics, he talks about the advantages of
using robots rather than theoretical models and computer simulations
alone, and he comments on whether we should build animal-robot hybrids
and artificial animals."



Source: http://www.netchain.com

UK debut for Google Checkout

Search giant Google launches its online payments service, Google Checkout in the UK.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Leopard delayed by Apple iPhone

The demands of the Apple iPhone have forced a delay to the next version of the OS X operating system.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Windows XP to be retired in 2008

From early 2008 PC owners will only be able to get Windows Vista on their new machine.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Net reaches out to final frontier

A programme that could see the extension of the internet into space is announced by the US government.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Diplomat blog pulled after abuse

A British diplomat's blog offering his musings on Thailand is withdrawn after it is greeted by insults.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Get The Best Deal Online - Dealighted

If you are a frequent online buyer who purchases computer stuffs and digital devices via the Internet, you don’t want to miss out this website called Dealighted!
Its name doesn’t explain much of its operation. Dealighted is a free tool to help online buyers to find the best bargain for the products they are looking for! [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

CBS to launch online TV network

US TV network CBS is to launch an online video channel after agreeing deals with 10 distributors, including Joost.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Tags to reveal walrus migration

Scientists tag eight walruses in an effort to unlock the mystery of the Arctic creatures' summer migration.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Google unveils UK payments system

Search giant Google launches its online payments service, Google Checkout in the UK.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Making More Reliable Robots

An Engineer
Online article reports on a new European project that aims to
increase the reliability of AUVs. They hope to find
ways to reduce the
cost, complexity, and risk of failure or loss. All these problems seem to
plague the current generation of these undersea robots. Sandor
Veres of Southampton University will be leading the effort, helped
by computer scientists Alessio Lomuscio of
Imperial College, and many other researchers. In related news,
Southampton University recently announced a design
breakthrough for AUVs. Most AUVs use complex hydraulic thruster
systems with as many as 350 moving parts. Southhampton has developed a
simple
electric thruster system with just a few moving parts. To replace the
hydraulics a significant size reduction of electric thrusters had to be
achieved by integrating the motor and thruster
components into a single unit.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

EU backs mobile roaming fee cut

Plans to cut the cost of mobile phone calls between EU states may move a step closer with a key vote.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Braille converter eases web use

A free to use document conversion service that produces Braille or audio files is proving an instant web hit.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Chips stack up in third dimension

IBM says it will start to produce ultra efficient "multi storey" chips to power the next generation of computers



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Speed boost plan for file-sharing

Movies and music could be shared faster over the net thanks to a system pioneered by researchers in the US.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Worlds Smallest Autonomous Robot?

Zac Wheeler posted to
the DPRG mailing list, "I've finished (sort of)
building my first sumo bot, which I believe is also the first pico sumo robot, as
well as the current smallest robot in the world. I'm defining robot here
as self-powered, autonomous, with active sensing of its environment and
the ability to control its movement. It has a battery, intelligent
control, infrared sensors, and two motors." This brought to mind the
very first story we
posted here at robots.net back in 2001, about Sandia's
tiny robot. I mentioned this to Zak and he said, "The Sandia bot
is the one that inspired me to take this on ... their bot is a quarter
of a cubic inch - about twice
the volume of mine. Check it out on the nickel vs. mine on the dime."

Source: http://www.netchain.com

Virgin stations in console tie-up

Virgin Radio and its three sister networks become available on games consoles from Nintendo and Sony.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Halo 3 public beta arrives in May

Halo 3, one of the most anticipated games for the Xbox 360, will be released as a beta on 16 May.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

China seeks to 'limit game hours'

The Chinese government is clamping down on what it sees as a growing problem of gaming addiction.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Spring Robot Events

So, you're sulking because you missed the

North American Robot Safety Conference in Ontario this week.
No need to fret, polish up your business plan and get the suit cleaned
for the

ROBOBusiness Conference & Expo 2007 in Boston - May 15-16.
Programs include talks by Dan Kara, iRobot Chairman Helen Greiner,
and Microsoft's Tandy
Trower.
Next stop, the International

Robots & Vision show, June 12-14 in Chicago.
Then dash over to Vancouver on June 18-20 for the
WSEAS
conference on neural networks, evolutionary computing, and
fuzzy systems.
After all that running around, make way to the basement to finsh
up your project for the
Maker Faire in Texas this October.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Building the Bionic Man

Our friends at

Doctorsgadgets have a short overview
of recent replacement parts for the human body.
Everything from an
eye
to an

anus.
These advances will inevitably lead to discussions about
how far a person is willing to go to extend life.
Humans currently accept false teeth, hair, and even

limbs, but
will they accept living in a body where most of the components are
electro-mechanical?
If the current debate about implantable
ID chips is any indication, many
will draw the line soon.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether advances in electro-mechanical
replacements will occur before

biological ones.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Subsumption Examples in Real Robots

A recent
discussion on the Dallas Personal
Robotics Group mailing list led to a series of postings
by David P. Anderson about
the subsumption architecture he implemented in the control software of
his robots, SR04
and jBot.
David has compiled his subsumption postings and added references, code
samples, and
diagrams to help explain his approach in a new article posted on
the DPRG website. He also provides
links to video of his robots
demonstrating the behaviors that result. There is a wealth of useful
information here for anyone interested in the real world use of
subsumption. For more technical information on the style of subsumption
championed by Rodney
Brooks, see his paper, Intelligence
without representation (PDF format). If you're new to the whole idea
and wondering what it's all about, Wikipedia offers a concise
explanation of Subsumption architecture.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Atmel Ships New Microcontroller with Linux SDK

LinuxDevices
reports that Atmel is now shipping a very inexpensive single board
computer (SBC) that runs Linux. The ATNGW
100 board, based on Atmel's AVR32 architecture, can be had for only
$69. While it's aimed at network gateway use, robot experimenters will
be interested too because of the pricing. The board includes a
lot of stuff for $69 such as a 140MHz AT32AP7000
MCU/DSP, 32MB SDRAM, 16MB flash, an SD/MMC slot, an ATtiny24 board
controller interface, 16-bit stereo audio DAC, LCD controller, USB 2.0,
two 10/1000 Ethernet ports, RS232, USART, TWI/I2C, I2S, JTAG, timer/PWM
outputs, and GPIO pins. More details can be found on the AVR
Freaks NGW page.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Talking Robots: Jun Tani

Markus Waibel writes,
"The latest Talking Robots
podcast episode interviews Jun Tani, who is a
team leader at the RIKEN Brain
Science Institute, about his research in robot cognition and robot
consciousness. He talks about robot, animal and human brains, meta-level
cognition, and on his interest in building schizophrenic robots."



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Cyrus the Tux Droid and his friend, Fux

According to a LinuxDevices
story, the latest robot to come out of Europe is the Belgian Tux Droid, named Cyrus. Despite the
name, the Tux droid doesn't run Linux. Inside is an Atmel AVR
microcontroller. The robot does include a Python based API called
tuxdaemon that allows it to be controlled from a Linux box using a fishy
USB dongle called "Fux". The Tux
droid communicates
with Fux using a 2.4GHz full-duplex RF link. So what's the robot
actually do? It can move its beak and LED eyes. It can flap its
wings, and spin. The wings
and head have pressure
sensors that can trigger behaviors. It also has a speaker and
microphone, allowing it to reproduce sounds or even act as VOIP phone.
Suggested uses include dancing when you receive an email or acting as an
alarm clock. Among the other features, it includes
an IrDA
transceiver and an I2C bus connector that
might allow some interesting new sensors or actuators. Find out more on
the Tux Droid community portal.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Laser Equipped 50 Foot Michael Jackson Robot

The Swirling
Brain sent us a Michael-Jackson-robot news
item so weird, we at first assumed it
was an April Fools joke, but it appears to be for
real (or at least as
real as anything is in Michael Jackson's universe). The eccentric
pop personality may have a 50 foot tall "robot" constructed in his own
image.
Laser beams
would "shoot out of it", making it visible from passing aircraft. The
robot would be constructed in Vegas where it would promote his shows
(and perhaps use it's lasers to destroy those who don't attend?).
Drawings of the robot were prepared by fashion designer Andre Van Pier, who has designed
other
futuristic props such as spacesuits worn by U2 members during a benefit
concert. How would Jackson pay for his 50 foot robot
doppelganger? There is speculation that Paul McCartney may invest in the
project to get back part of the 25 percent of the Beatles catalog still
owned by Jackson. Gizmodo
editors note, "No word on whether there will be a 35-foot-tall
little boy for him to molest as well.". The Monterey
County Herelad suggests a 10 foot companion would be more likely.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Old Toaster + Human Creativity = Robot

What can you do with a broken tachometer and a rusted coffee pot?
An old sprinkler head and a dented jello mold?
A dirty tail light and an antique can opener?

Paul Loughridge knows - make a robot sculpture.
With flexible pipe from an old toilet
and a cylinder head from a 2-cycle engine,
Paul creates amazing works of art that appeal to the
techno-geek and normal alike.
We've reported on
robot art before, but each creator offers designs
unique enough to warrant their own spotlight.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

One Laptop Per Robot?

Chris Jang writes, "The
company that manufactures the OLPC plans
on
marketing the technology commercially. This is going to be great for
portable field computers." Unless you've been stranded on a desert
island the last few years, you probably know that
the OLPC
(One Laptop Per Child) is a project to build a $100 laptop
computer, called the XO, for educational use by children. The XO is
based on the AMD Geode CPU, uses LinuxBIOS
firmware and the GNU/Linux OS. When multiple laptops are used, they
form a wireless mesh network. All this makes it
very appealing to robot builders and other hardware experimenters.
Despite lots of demand, the OLPC project doesn't plan to make
XO laptops available in the US (apparently our teachers union and political
administration or not fond of new ideas that might improve the
educational system, so OLPC decided to help countries that
actually wanted to be helped). US hardware hackers will likely
welcome the news of a commercial unit similar to the XO even at $200. Hardware
specifications of the OLPC XO Laptop are available on the OLPC wiki.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

The Mystery of Consciousness

In a recent Prospect
essay, neuropsychologist Paul
Broks reviews Nicholas
Humphrey's book, Seeing
Red: A Study in
Consciousness. He also recounts his own experiences of consciousness and
his travels to a recent meeting of philosphers and scientists who
debated the matter. As the color in the title portends to those who
follow theories of consciousness, this book is largely concerned with
qualia, the
mysterious phenomenological experiences by which some philosphers
believe we are aware of sensations, thus making it a critical part
of understanding consciousness. The essay acknowledges that some
philosphers, such as Daniel
Dennett, are begining to view qualia with a
bit of skepticism these days. It's an interesting essay and well worth a
read of you're fascinated by these sorts of things.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Berkeley Develops Ballistic Jumping Microbots

Researchers at the UC Berkeley have
developed autonomous micro-mechanical robots that can jump 30 times
their height. The microrobots
use solar power to stretch a 9 micron-thick rubber band (the world's
smallest known rubber band!). Releasing the stretched rubber band powers
their ballistic jumping behavior. The 7mm robot can jump over 200mm
high. This flea-like jumping solves two of the major problems that have
plagued
microrobots - their inability to move large distances quickly and the
problem of scaling uneven terrain. One obvious use of the jumping microbots
is to load them with sensors and create distributed sensor networks for
military-surveillance. Hundreds or thousands of hopping flea-bots could
be dropped from planes. For more see the UC Berkeley microbots website or the paper by researcher Sara Bergbreiter
titled, Design
of an Autonomous Jumping Microbot (PDF format). This research is
part of the Smart
Dust project which we've reported on before.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Japan Drafts Guidelines for Safe Use of Robots

Japan is following the lead of other countries and drafting guidelines
for a future filled with robots. According to a TimesOnline
article a document, titled Draft Guidelines to Secure the Safe
Performance of Next Generation Robots, was developed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and
Industry. Like the recent South Korean Robot Ethics
Charter, the Japanese document seems primarily concerned with
regulating how humans can and cannot use robots. This is
in contrast to the UK
Robot Rights Plan which is concerned with the ethical problems that
may result from conscious robots being treated as servants without rights.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Metal-Less Motor Runs on Air and Light

A new motor made out of plastic, ceramic and rubber,
driven by air, and controlled by light has been created by the
Johns Hopkins Urology Robotics Lab.
Because the motor contains no metal and doesn't rely on electrical
signals, remote controlled
robots can be constructed which can operate within
an MRI
during medical procedures.
The result will be precision movements as fine as
50 micrometers which should improve results for delicate
tumor removal and tissue sample collecting procedures.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Test of Space Repair Robot Continues

Roland Piquepaille writes, "The launch of the Orbital Express
mission, with its two satellites ASTRO and NextSat, the first one
servicing the other, was widely covered a month ago. But what is
happening in space now? In Robotic
satellite servicer rehearsal underway in orbit, Spaceflight Now
reports about the progress done. A week ago, the two satellites were
able to link to each other to operate the first transfer of hydrazine
fuel from ASTRO's propellant tanks into NextSat. This weekend, ASTRO's
ten-foot-long robotic arm is going to be used to move objects to
NextSat. But what does it mean for international satellite operators
when they need help with their space birds? Will they use a system
designed for U.S.'s DARPA? We'll see." For more details see Roland's blog or our previous story on the
ASTRO and NextSat autonomous repair robots.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Verro Pool Cleaning Robot Making Waves

iRobot, makers of the popular and hackable Roomba floor
sweeping robot and the Scooba floor moper, takes
on dirty swimming pools with the introduction of Verro.
Verro comes in two models offering various filtration capacities and
scrubbing techniques.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Nokia Launch Mobile Mapping Service

Just about a year ago, I blogged about Nokia Mobile Search, which is a free application for Nokia mobile phones to search local services, websites, images and mobile contents. Besides, I also blogged about the free mobile mapping service provided by Mobile GMaps for viewing Google Maps on Nokia mobile phones.
Well, today I present you [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Smart2Go Review

Hafiz Ismail sent me a comprehensive review of Smart2Go he did last week. He is a Malaysian reader of this blog who currently stays in the UK. Not to mention he is an enthusiast of mobile application too. I sincerely thank him for the wonderful review and for informing me Smart2Go now supports maps in [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Online Backup And Storage

There are many online backup and storage sites we can choose from on the Internet nowadays, but are they reliable and secure you might ask?
IBackup Online Storage and Backup is a online backup, storage and data sharing service you can rely on for consumers and small businesses purposes. They have won several reputable awards including [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Smart2Go Video Review

Hafiz Ismail, the author of Smart2Go review I posted last week, has done another excellent review with a couple of video shots.
If you have not downloaded the well written review, it is still available here (PDF, 573KB).
While a picture speaks a thousand words, a video speaks tenfolds more I would say.
Below are the supplement videos [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Email Newsletter For Bloggers

One of the hardest job bloggers are facing nowadays is to retain the readership of their blogs. Some readers read our blog entries by directly dropping by our blogs, some read them via RSS syndicates. Well, coming over to our blogs or read the blog posts via RSS may be a hassle to the blog [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Exabytes RM0.99 Domain Crazy Sale

I have blogged about some crazy domain sales from Yahoo and GoDaddy before. Today there is another unbeatable crazy sale of domain name, this time is from one of famous local hosting companies, Exabytes!
They are now selling .com, .net & .org domain names at only RM0.99!! Yes, the price is quoted in Ringgit Malaysia!
Exabytes claims [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Is Your PC Windows Vista Capable?

I bet all PC manufacturers are now bundling their computer with the latest Windows Vista operating system (OS) since the launch of the OS early this year. Most of the new PC are now built/designed for Windows Vista, but what about old PC that we are still using right now?
Many people, including myself, are curious [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Spam Commentssssss

After another hectic week with server outage issues, death of desktop’s motherboard and some offline activities, I’m finally back to blogging again.
Every time when I come back blogging, the first thing I need to deal with is the spam comments. This is the biggest trouble I need to face because usually the number of the [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Online Blog Chat Service

Google’s GMail has a nifty feature which allows us to chat from within the user interface of the email system. That is really a good idea to keep in touch with anyone in your mailing list, in a fast and easy way. As for blog owners, we can put a chatter box in our blogs [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

100 Million iPod Sold

iPod’s fans have made history as Apple announced yesterday that there have been 100 million iPods sold to date, since its launch in November 2001! 100 million sold in five and a half years is incredible and there is no doubt iPod is still the pioneer in music player industry.



Aside from making history, one of [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Blazing the Tech Trail: Tips for Implementing New Technologies in a Risk-Adverse Environment

Abstract:

Purpose – Provides good suggestions about how to introduce new and emerging technologies in public library environments that may not initially welcome change or new methods of doing things or utilizing technology more effectively.Design/methodology/approach – The article is in the form of suggestion for actions. Findings – Trying different things is the key here and overcoming excuses about why it is not right or the timing is not there to do something different. There are human as well as environmental reasons why technology is not embraced when it can make a real impact in how things are done. Originality value – Demonstrates how change is good and what it takes to exercise risk in public libraries and try something new and powerful. That empowerment technology allows can be introduced in different ways and this piece introduces different approaches to test, pilot and launch new technologies and how to evaluate the experience.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Interview with Mitchell Brown, Incoming Co-editor of <IT>LHTN</IT>

Abstract:

Purpose – To introduce the new co-editor and expose his current thinking about issues related to library automation and technology. Design/methodology/approach – The article is the result of an interview. Findings – Mitchell Brown brings his experience as a science librarian to this new role as journal editor and offers a good sense of what interests him about information technology in different environments. Originality – Getting to know an academic librarian and what influences his thinking and what readers of future issues of LHTN may expect.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

ARL/ACRL Institute on Scholarly Communications: Workshop Report

Abstract:

Purpose–To report on the Association of Research libraries (ARL)/Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Institute on Scholarly Communications held in December 2006 in Durham, North Carolina. Design/methodology/approach–Provides a review of some of the events of the conference. Findings–The second ARL/ACRL Institute on Scholarly Communications aims to provide attendees continuing professional education on scholarly communications issues, publishing models, strategies for encouraging advocacy programs, copyright, and author's rights issues. The workshop combined presentation with working sessions for attendee teams to work on individual scholarly communication action plans for their institutions. Originality/value–A workshop report of interest to information professionals dealing with scholarly communications issues in academia, corporate and governmental information centers and libraries.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Eighth International Conference on Grey Literature: Conference Report

Abstract:

Purpose–To report on the Eighth International Conference on Grey Literature held 4-5 December 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Design/methodology/approach–Describes the main points of the conference. Findings–Conference continues to offer a global platform for discussions about changes in grey literature. Originality/value–New applications are shared, deeper understandings about power of Internet and electronic publishing and collection intensities.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Conference Report from the Charleston Conference 2006

Abstract:

Purpose–To provide a conference report on the annual Charleston Conference, a meeting that blends acquisitions, serials, collection development and general publishing trends. Design/methodology/approach–Describes the highlights of the conference. Findings–Many trends continue to evolve in the area of electronic publishing, scholarly communications practices and library/publisher/vendor relations. Originality/value–This conference however covered by the press, attracts a “straight shooters” sharing the latest ideas and implications from doing new things in the area of acquisitions, serials, collection development, publishing developments and increasingly user services.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Future Libraries: Science and Technology, A Report on “Shaping Things to Come:” DASER III and Eighth Quadrennial Tri-Society Symposium

Abstract:

Purpose – To share information and insights from the 2006 Digital Archives in Science and Engineering Resources (DASER) and American Society for information Science and Technology Conferences. Design/methodology/approach – The article is a description of the main highlights. Findings – Institutional and professional challenges face libraries and librarians as they consider a more electronic environment both as the preference of users and due to the new availability of resources that are consistently being released that way. How to create space for new academic functions and student needs is a primary goal at many institutions. Many ideas were floated about ways that is being done at large research universities. Originality/value – The informal nature of the DASER Summit lent to much collegiality and sharing of information and could have extended a lot longer if time allowed.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

EDUCAUSE: A Conference Report

Abstract:

Purpose – To report on the 2006 EDUCAUSE Conference held in October in Dallas, Texas Design/methodology/approach – Provides a review of some of the events of the conference. Findings – EDUCAUSE is a non-profit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. The programs were designed to help participants tackle current issues and prepare them for future challenges. The conference focused on the theme “Transforming the Academy: Dreams and Reality” and the program included pre-conference seminars; track sessions; poster sessions; small group meetings; and corporate exhibits, presentations, and workshops. Originality/value – A conference report of interest to information management professionals, especially those involved with higher education.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Hackers target WoW players

World of Warcraft players are being singled out by software that exploits flaws in Microsoft Windows.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Take-Two's finance boss resigns

The chief financial officer at Take-Two Interactive Software, the firm behind Grand Theft Auto, resigns.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Virgin stations in console tie-up

Virgin Radio and its three sister networks become available on games consoles from Nintendo and Sony.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Halo 3 public beta arrives in May

Halo 3, one of the most anticipated games for the Xbox 360, will be released as a beta on 16 May.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Weblogs 'need content warnings'

Readers should be warned about blogs that may contain "crude language", a draft blog code of conduct suggests.



Source: http://newsrss.bbc.co.uk

Spam Commentssssss

After another hectic week with server outage issues, death of desktop’s motherboard and some offline activities, I’m finally back to blogging again.
Every time when I come back blogging, the first thing I need to deal with is the spam comments. This is the biggest trouble I need to face because usually the number of the [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Online Blog Chat Service

Google’s GMail has a nifty feature which allows us to chat from within the user interface of the email system. That is really a good idea to keep in touch with anyone in your mailing list, in a fast and easy way. As for blog owners, we can put a chatter box in our blogs [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

100 Million iPod Sold

iPod’s fans have made history as Apple announced yesterday that there have been 100 million iPods sold to date, since its launch in November 2001! 100 million sold in five and a half years is incredible and there is no doubt iPod is still the pioneer in music player industry.



Aside from making history, one of [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Blazing the Tech Trail: Tips for Implementing New Technologies in a Risk-Adverse Environment

Abstract:

Purpose – Provides good suggestions about how to introduce new and emerging technologies in public library environments that may not initially welcome change or new methods of doing things or utilizing technology more effectively.Design/methodology/approach – The article is in the form of suggestion for actions. Findings – Trying different things is the key here and overcoming excuses about why it is not right or the timing is not there to do something different. There are human as well as environmental reasons why technology is not embraced when it can make a real impact in how things are done. Originality value – Demonstrates how change is good and what it takes to exercise risk in public libraries and try something new and powerful. That empowerment technology allows can be introduced in different ways and this piece introduces different approaches to test, pilot and launch new technologies and how to evaluate the experience.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Interview with Mitchell Brown, Incoming Co-editor of <IT>LHTN</IT>

Abstract:

Purpose – To introduce the new co-editor and expose his current thinking about issues related to library automation and technology. Design/methodology/approach – The article is the result of an interview. Findings – Mitchell Brown brings his experience as a science librarian to this new role as journal editor and offers a good sense of what interests him about information technology in different environments. Originality – Getting to know an academic librarian and what influences his thinking and what readers of future issues of LHTN may expect.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

ARL/ACRL Institute on Scholarly Communications: Workshop Report

Abstract:

Purpose–To report on the Association of Research libraries (ARL)/Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Institute on Scholarly Communications held in December 2006 in Durham, North Carolina. Design/methodology/approach–Provides a review of some of the events of the conference. Findings–The second ARL/ACRL Institute on Scholarly Communications aims to provide attendees continuing professional education on scholarly communications issues, publishing models, strategies for encouraging advocacy programs, copyright, and author's rights issues. The workshop combined presentation with working sessions for attendee teams to work on individual scholarly communication action plans for their institutions. Originality/value–A workshop report of interest to information professionals dealing with scholarly communications issues in academia, corporate and governmental information centers and libraries.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Eighth International Conference on Grey Literature: Conference Report

Abstract:

Purpose–To report on the Eighth International Conference on Grey Literature held 4-5 December 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Design/methodology/approach–Describes the main points of the conference. Findings–Conference continues to offer a global platform for discussions about changes in grey literature. Originality/value–New applications are shared, deeper understandings about power of Internet and electronic publishing and collection intensities.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Conference Report from the Charleston Conference 2006

Abstract:

Purpose–To provide a conference report on the annual Charleston Conference, a meeting that blends acquisitions, serials, collection development and general publishing trends. Design/methodology/approach–Describes the highlights of the conference. Findings–Many trends continue to evolve in the area of electronic publishing, scholarly communications practices and library/publisher/vendor relations. Originality/value–This conference however covered by the press, attracts a “straight shooters” sharing the latest ideas and implications from doing new things in the area of acquisitions, serials, collection development, publishing developments and increasingly user services.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Future Libraries: Science and Technology, A Report on “Shaping Things to Come:” DASER III and Eighth Quadrennial Tri-Society Symposium

Abstract:

Purpose – To share information and insights from the 2006 Digital Archives in Science and Engineering Resources (DASER) and American Society for information Science and Technology Conferences. Design/methodology/approach – The article is a description of the main highlights. Findings – Institutional and professional challenges face libraries and librarians as they consider a more electronic environment both as the preference of users and due to the new availability of resources that are consistently being released that way. How to create space for new academic functions and student needs is a primary goal at many institutions. Many ideas were floated about ways that is being done at large research universities. Originality/value – The informal nature of the DASER Summit lent to much collegiality and sharing of information and could have extended a lot longer if time allowed.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

EDUCAUSE: A Conference Report

Abstract:

Purpose – To report on the 2006 EDUCAUSE Conference held in October in Dallas, Texas Design/methodology/approach – Provides a review of some of the events of the conference. Findings – EDUCAUSE is a non-profit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. The programs were designed to help participants tackle current issues and prepare them for future challenges. The conference focused on the theme “Transforming the Academy: Dreams and Reality” and the program included pre-conference seminars; track sessions; poster sessions; small group meetings; and corporate exhibits, presentations, and workshops. Originality/value – A conference report of interest to information management professionals, especially those involved with higher education.



Source: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

Disc Read Error Fix for PS2 Without Opening It

If you are looking for a disc read error fix for PS2 without opening it, that problem may be a complicated one to overcome, but there are good technical forums online that can bring you as close to a solution as you can get with this problem.� First of all, it is said that if the PS2 is opened for the purpose of fixing a disc read error, then if the disc read error is not fixed with the process, Sony then reserves the right to not fix your problem with a disc read if you then send it into Sony to fix.

However, there is a place online that gives out advice on what the problem may be with your Sony machine when you are trying to find a disc read error fix for PS2 without opening it.� This site online is a technical forum that is called Tech Faq, located at techfaq.com online, where there are lots of people who give advice on the cause of the disc read error that you may be experiencing with your Sony PS2 and guides you on how you can begin to fix the disc read error that you have obtained on your PS2 without opening it.

There are other places around the Internet that suggest completely replacing the disk on the PS2, which does involve opening it, and the trick is to not touch anything else when you do, or you could acquire many major problems with your PS2 by ruining other parts of the machine.� The removal of the disk, according to one place on line, is the best thing, and replacing it with another disk, which usually solves the whole problem, but when you do, you open it at your "own risk."

My advice would be to consult with good forums located at places that specialize in PC disk read errors, then go from there.� Ask questions in regard to your disc read error problems with your PS2.� Places online such as PC Pitstop and PC Tools may be able to help you with your disc read error fix for PS2 without opening it.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Add the Station AOL Radio Listening

If you are looking for instructions on how to add the station AOL Radio Listening to your presets list or your favorite places list, then the instructions on how to do so are listed below:

For the steps in adding the station AOL Radio Listening to your preset lists, follow the instructions given below:

1. On the AOL Radio player, click the Radio Setup button.


2. Select a station name from the list of available stations, then click the Add button.


3. Repeat Step 2 to add as many as five stations to your list of favorites.


4. When you have finished adding favorites, click the Save button. Your personalized My Presets list will appear at the top of the Stations by Category list.

These steps will manually add a station to your preset list.� To save the station AOL Radio Listening to your favorite places list, follow the instructions below:

1. On the AOL Radio player, click the Heart icon.


2. Click the Add to Favorites link.


3. Click Favorite Places. Your saved AOL Radio station will now appear in the My Favorite Places list.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Final Fantasy X at Fan Fiction Website in C2

If you are familiar with the Fan Fiction website, then you probably know that there are many Final Fantasy X stories at this site that are in the C2 section of the website.� Just on a search at the website, located at finalfiction.com, I found several Final Fantasy X stories in the C2 section; as a matter of fact, my search through the C2 section of the site produced close to 3000 total stories located online at this resource.

Of course, in order to make it a bit more clear as to what this website entails, it is an X-rated story website where explicit� language is within the content of the story.� The Fan Fiction website has stories that are commented on at the site in blogs for each one, and there are reviews by the audience for each story.� As a matter of fact, this website has a menu section where you can search through the database of stories in their directory, which includes the C2 section.

Remember when you search through the stories that this site is recommended for adults only.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Free Fix It For Trojan Horse

If you are looking for a free Fix It Utility for the Trojan Horse virus, then the best utility that you can take a look at for free is the No-Adware Free Fix It for Trojan Horse, which is offered as a free download scan at the website located at Remove Spyware Forever, removespywareforever.com.� No-Adware is guaranteed to remove Spyware, Trojans, Dialers Viruses, and Worms.

For your convenience, the symptoms of a computer that might be infected with a Trojan virus or spyware are as follows:

1. If you have downloaded music online.


2. Your PC is running extremely slow.


3. You are getting a large number of pop-up ads.


4. Your homepage has been hijacked.

In order to get a free download of the No-Adware Free Fix It for Trojan Horse, go to the website address above and follow the instructions.

Also, there are other sites online that offer the Trojan Horse Fix It Utility, but this one site was the most informative one that I could find among the others that I researched online.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

How Do I Create My Own Virtual Pet Site?

If you've been asking yourself "how do I create my own virtual pet site", there are places online that will allow you to do just that.� One of the virtual pet sites online that allows you to create your own virtual pet for use on your desktop and for your own virtual site is located at Kenopets.� Kenopets.com online is a virtual pet site that allows people to own and play with a virtual pet of their own.� The site, which is created and powered by a team of website experts, Jacbox.net, is a good example of a virtual pet site that is set up to allow users to enjoy their very own virtual pet to play with on their desktops or around their favorite website.

To gain information on how to create your own virtual pet website, you can utilize the information located at jacbox.net, where the experts who created the virtual pet website at Kenopets are willing to give consultations and create a virtual site designed for your special needs.� If you need more information on the creation of a special virtual pet website, contact the site solutions experts at the jacbox.net site and go ahead with your very own virtual pet site. Gaining tips and ideas from the Kenopets virtual pet site is also a good idea when thinking about how you would prefer your own virtual website to be designed.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

How to Become a Member of Runescape for Free

If you would like to know how to become a member of Runescape for free, you can do so by visiting the online site sponsored by CNET Networks Entertainment, which includes a gamespot.� After joining the CNET Gamespot at gamespot.com, you will then have the opportunity to search for Jagex.� In turn, Jagex is supposed to offer a membership to Runescape for Free.

Go to the Gamespot.com site, which is sponsored by CNET Networks Entertainment and give it a try.� The suggestion to join Jagex, which then gives you free access to Runescape comes from another article, or blogspot, that I found online called 43 Things, 43things.com.� This suggestion is backed up on the blogspot by someone with knowledge of how to become a member of Runescape for free.

According to the blogs at CNET Networks Entertainment's Gamespot, runescape is a "Javabased multiplayer online game." Sounds like fun to me.� Make sure that you read the news article, which is listed under "Stories," at the CNET Networks Entertainment's Gamespot section.� This will give you a much better idea of just what an awesome game Runescape is and exactly how to become a member of Runescape for free.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

How Do I Clean a Fedora?

Have you been asking others, how do I clean a Fedora?� The best way to clean the Red Hat/Fedora is to use PERL- SOAP - Clean RPM packages.� Now, if this is confusing to you, then a bit of an explanation is in order.� First of all, the product that is named above is SOAP Clean, which is, according to DAG online, dag.wieers.com, "a set of modules for quickly and simply deploying SOAP client and servers."� The online site at DAG online has tools necessary to begin the process of utilizing this SOAP Clean software for the purpose of using the PERL - SOAP - Clean RPM packages with which to clean the Red Hat/Fedora.

All instructions on how the RPM packages can be used to clean the Red Hat/Fedora are included at the online site for DAG.� So, if you have been asking "how do I clean a fedora?", then utilize the software to deploy SOAP client and servers at the official website, and, remember to read the instructions and suggestions thoroughly before using or find other sites to back up the information at the DAG site.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

How to Make a Cool GIF

If you are wanting to make a cool GIF, there are endless possibilities on what you can come up with for a GIF design.� First of all, the most convenient and the quickest way to produce a cool GIF file is to go to the Yahoo Webpage to begin with and search under the "image" search engine.� When inputting your search criteria into the "image" search engine for Yahoo, input whatever image that you would like to produce a GIF file of into the search engine.� For example:� I input the criteria "rose gif" into the search engine, and I got a numerous amount of image files that came up with that search criteria.� In searching around the GIF files within this "rose gif" search selection category, I then copied and pasted the URL information at the bottom of the particular rose GIF file that I selected as the one that I would like to produce.� When I opened up the file, I then found a directory of all sorts of rose GIFs that I could utilize in an email to someone for Valentine's day.� The particular rose GIF that I selected to use was the "heart rose" GIF, and it produced many images that I could then transfer for download to a website, copy into an email, and use for any design purpose that I saw fit, such as a very nice Valentine's card to send out to special loved ones or friends.

So the next time that you would like to know how to make a cool GIF, just utilize the Yahoo "image" search engine by inputting your criteria for the particular image that you want to produce and add the extension "GIF" to the name of the image, and you will come up with several results to choose from.� You can design logos, make pictures, postcards, emails, and many other artistic designs with this feature on Yahoo "image" search.�

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

How Can I Do Streaming From Windows Media Player?

If you are wondering "How can I do streaming from Windows Media Player?", the best resource that I found on all the different versions of Windows Media Player is located at Wikipedia.com online.� At Wikipedia, you can learn about how you can do streaming from Windows Media Player under the Features section of the article that Wikipedia has online under the title of Windows Media Player.� The one Windows Media Player that is featured in the Features section of the article is the Windows Media Player 11, which is the newest version of Windows Media Player.

There are also other older versions of the Windows Media Player, including the Windows Media Player 6.1, the 6.4, and the 7, 8 ,9, and 10 series of Windows Media Player.� Streaming can also be done from the palm size or handheld PC, as well as Windows Media Player will work on the MAC, too.� The Windows Media Player 11, which is featured at the article from Wikipedia, has the Windows Vista operating system, as well, but the older versions of the Windows Media Player run on Windows, from Windows 95, all the way up to the Windows Vista version.

For more information on how to do streaming from Windows Media Player, visit the article at the above URL.�

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

How Do I Find Free Wifi in Chicago?

If you are asking yourself "how do I find free WiFi in Chicago?", you have come to the right place to find free wireless hotspots.� One online directory that is easy to use can help you find Wifi hotspots all over town.� The first result that comes up in Chicago, by going through this city-wide Wifi hotspot directory, is Jazz It Cafe, located at 4202 West Irving Park Road in Chicago, Illinois.

It is a user-friendly directory for locating Wifi hotspots in Chicago and it's called Anchor Free.� At this directory, you can find many special tips and products to assist you in your search for free Wifi across the Chicago area.� So don't sit around waiting to find that Wifi hotspot in Chicago that you've been looking for; try the directory now and make plans to go out and have some fun!

For more information on Wifi hotspots in Chicago, check out Anchor Free and you'll be on your way to a super Wifi hotspot in no time. Remember, if you run into someone else who asks you "How do I find free WiFi in Chicago?", you'll have a good place to send them now.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

How Do I Set a Background on My MySpace?

I've been asking this question for a long time now myself…� "How do I set a background on my MySpace profile page"?� Now, I have found several answers to the questions that I've been posing for quite some time to other MySpace users.� I see all these lovely decorative homepages and profiles on MySpace, and I think to myself "how do they do this?"� I've tried using the simple background settings at the site for my profile page, and nothing really seems to work like it's supposed to.� How can all these other people be so talented, and my profile look so bland, in the scheme of things?

There is quite a bit of good information on the Internet on how to set a background on your MySpace profile page to make it look as if it is professionally designed by a web designer now.� A lot of great information on how to set a background on MySpace is located on the Chatcake website.� At this blog or informational site, you can find all kinds of good forums on how to use HTML code for setting backgrounds on MySpace to dress your page up perfectly.� So, don't wait around to do what you've been wanting to do for a long time now; get started with all the good forums on how to set a background on your MySpace immediately at the above URL.�

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

How to Make Your Very Own Free Website With Your Own Domain

If you have been eager to know how to make your very own free website with your own domain, one suggestion that I will pass along to those who would like to learn how to set up their very own free website with their own domain is to find a service that offers a free blog site.� The most popular one around today is located at Google's Blogger, www.blogger.com.� The website homepage then opens the set-up page for a free blog with your own domain that can be utilized for your very own website.� Within the blog, you can post your own content, buy your content to post, and you can also advertise your goods and services or advertise goods and services for others that redirect traffic to those websites that have something that your audience may be interested in.

The step-by-step instructions on how to set up your very own free website with your own domain by creating your own blog at Blogger are given in three easy steps.� Follow the instructions closely, and, when it comes time to pick a name for your blog/website, be sure and try to assert your creativity and look into the future of what your vision for your very own website with your own domain is going to be.� There are also many helpful tips on setting up your very own free website with your own domain at the Blogger set-up site, as well as other tips all over the Internet, particularly when you are looking to promote products or services with your own site.� Find out how fast and easy it is to make your very own free website with your own domain through utilizing Google's Blogger tools.

Source: http://www.articledashboard.com