Music site Last.fm bought by CBS

Online social music site Last.fm is acquired by US media giant CBS Corporation for $280m (£140m).



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

Telescope boost to UK astronomy

A large telescope funded and led by the UK nears completion on a mountain-top in Chile's Atacama desert.



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

Microsoft unveils table computer

Microsoft debuts a new touch-sensitive coffee table-shaped computer called "Surface".



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

Hi-tech tool tracks city graffiti

Cities in the US are using a global positioning software system in their efforts to control graffiti.



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

Tiscali e-mail 'hit' by spammers

Spammers have knocked out the e-mail service for many of Tiscali's customers, the net service provider says.



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

Children 'meet net friends often'

Youngsters are meeting up with people they met on the internet, without their parents knowing, research suggests.



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

eBay buys StumbleUpon

EBay buys StumbleUpon, a site that recommends other websites and has almost 2.5 million registered users.



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

Google privacy policy 'is vague'

Elements of Google's privacy policy are "vague", the firm's global privacy counsel tells BBC News.



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

US backs nuclear fuel bank plan

An international scheme to produce a controlled supply of enriched uranium wins support from the US.



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

Apple TV to show YouTube

The popular YouTube video website will soon be available directly through Apple's TV set-top box.



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

EMI strikes a deal with YouTube

EMI signs a deal with YouTube that will allow the website's users to use music videos by EMI artists.



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

US arrests internet 'spam king'

A man nicknamed the 'spam king' for allegedly sending out millions of junk e-mails is arrested in the US.



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

Online and offline worlds merge

Google launches a tool designed to make it easier for computer users to access online information offline.



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

PC maker Dell to cut 7,000 jobs

At least 7,000 jobs are set to go at computer firm Dell after it said it would cut its global workforce by about 10%.



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

Wishing for Robots

Patricia Wilson of Make a Wish Foundation
writes, "I wanted to
share an incredible story about one of our wish kids who is using his
wish to help other sick children - via a robot!!" Jericho Rajninger,
a seven year old leukemia patient, wished for a robot that could
"deliver cheer and medication to other young patients at the UCSF
Children's Hospital. Aethon donated
one their TUG
autonomous mobile robots which are already in widespread use in
hospitals. Jericho had futher stipulated that his robot should be cool,
so Gensler and Daedalus Excel assisted by giving the robot the
appearance of a old-style train engine and the voice
of Don LaFontaine (MP3 format). The resulting robot is named J.R.
For more details, see the UCSF new
release or read on for the Make a Wish Foundation news release.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

No charges over 'suicide' on web

Chatroom users who watched a man apparently commit suicide over the internet will not face charges.



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

Database theft hurts customers

A database of internet service provider Bulldog was used to defraud many customers, the BBC learns.



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

Designing mobiles for the world

BBC News speaks to Jan Chipchase, principal human behavioural researcher at Nokia Design.



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

YouTube site 'blocked' in Morocco

Moroccan internet users unable to access YouTube say they fear it is being blocked by the authorities.



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

Deutsche Telekom backs VoIP firm

Deutsche Telekom backs net phone startup Jajah - one of the first major phone firms to support such technology.



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

Design win for Alzheimer's tool

A screensaver and social network for people with Alzheimer's wins a Microsoft-led software design prize.



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

Move to create less clumsy robots

Researchers in Spain set about creating a man-made version of the part of the brain that controls movement.



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

The Road to Quantum AI

When the words quantum and AI turn up in the same sentence, the first
thing that usually comes to mind is the problem of consciousness and the
theory that conscciousness is a quantum phenomenon. But there
are other reaons that quantum computing might be interesting to AI
researchers, some of them as simple as the need for improved ranndom
number generation for genetic algorithms. A new paper was posted online
recently by Kyriakos N.
Sgarbas titled, The Road to Quantum Artificial
Intelligence (PDF format), explains some of the way in which quantum
computing might benefit AI research.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

UK database theft hurts customers

A database of internet service provider Bulldog was used to defraud many customers, the BBC learns.



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

Google queried on privacy policy

Google is told that it may be breaking EU privacy laws by keeping search data for up to two years.



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

Review: i-ROBOT Poetry by Jason Christie

Jason Christie wrote a book of robot poetry. EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy
Publishing printed it. This may be a first. But what is robot
poetry? Who reads it? Is it any good? These are a few of the questions
I've attempted to answer in my review of i-ROBOT,
Jason Christie's book of robot poems. What's the bottom line? If you
only have one book of robot poetry in your library, this should be it.
For more, or if you think you might enjoy reading a robot builder's
attempt at
poetry review, read on.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

EU sets new digital media rules

The EU agrees on new rules for TV and on-demand internet video, allowing more advertising.



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

Online retailing 'surging ahead'

Online retailing in the UK has grown at its fastest annual rate since the dotcom bubble burst, a survey finds.



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

Wi-fi and RFID used for tracking

Wireless tracking systems could be used to protect people and assets, backers of the technology say.



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

Wal-Mart to sell Dell computers

Dell's profits and sales miss analyst's targets and the computer firm warns earnings will remain under pressure.



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

EU caps roaming mobile fees

The cost of making mobile phone calls in Europe is set to fall after lawmakers backed plans to cap roaming fees.



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

Students criticise staff on net

University students are warned over possible legal action for criticising lecturers on two websites.



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

Game net distribution 'lift off'

Steam, the online distribution platform for videogame content, signs up more than 13 million users.



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

Third of bloggers 'risk the sack'

More than a third of UK bloggers are risking the sack by posting derogatory details about their job, a study claims.



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

Backing for tool to battle spam

A tool that could help in the battle against spam and phishing attacks receives industry approval.



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

Review: i-Robot by Jason Christie

Jason Christie wrote a book of robot poetry. EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy
Publishing printed it. This may be a first. But what is robot
poetry? Who reads it? Is it any good? These are a few of the questions
I've attempted to answer in my review of i-ROBOT,
Jason Christie's book of robot poems. What's the bottom line? If you
only have one book of robot poetry in your library, this should be it.
For more, or if you think you might enjoy reading a robot builder's
attempt at
poetry review, read on.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Which freedoms do we want online?

Today's online services give us new ways to decide who we are, says Bill Thompson.



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

China abandons blog identity plan

China backs down from a censorship plan that required people to register on blog sites with their real names.



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

EU caps roaming mobile phone fees

The cost of making mobile phone calls in Europe is set to fall after lawmakers backed plans to cap roaming fees.



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

EU caps roaming mobile phone fees

The cost of making mobile phone calls in Europe is set to fall after lawmakers backed plans to cap roaming fees.



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

Sony handheld to offer net calls

BT and Sony announce plans to allow PlayStation Portable owners to make calls using the handheld console.



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

Google bans essay writing ads

After complaints about students buying essays over the internet, Google is to ban essay adverts.



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

Google invests in genetics firm

Google takes a stake in a biotech firm co-founded by one of the search engine group's presidents.



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

Intel and STMicro form flash firm

US chip manufacturing giant Intel and European rival STMicro are merging their flash memory businesses.



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

MySpace to report sex offenders

Networking website MySpace agrees to hand over details on US sex offenders removed from its service.



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

Robots of Maker Faire

Maker-Faire,
San Mateo, May 2007 had its share of
robots including roboboxers, the knife-wielding robot,
various airships, steam powered robots,
the giant giraffe, drink-mixing robots, you name it!
Check out the
photos,
photos,
and more
photos.
Next stop, Maker Fair, Austin Texas, October 20-21.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

War of words over '$100 laptop'

One Laptop per Child's Nicholas Negroponte accuses Intel of undermining his not for profit scheme.



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

Teachers want bullying answers

Teachers have shown the schools minister evidence that cyberbullying is still continuing.



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

Google to list top 100 searches

Google unveils a feature listing the day's 100 fastest-rising search requests to show what is baffling web users.



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

Google bans essay writing adverts

After complaints about students buying essays over the internet, Google is to ban essay adverts.



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

Intel and STMicro form flash firm

US chip manufacturing giant Intel and European rival STMicro are merging their flash memory businesses.



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

Spammers plunder Plusnet e-mail

Customers of UK net provider Plusnet are changing their passwords after hackers steal a list of e-mail addresses.



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

Success for Everest mobile effort

A British climber has set a world record by making a mobile phone call from the top of Mount Everest.



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

'$100 laptop' sparks war of words

One Laptop per Child's Nicholas Negroponte accuses Intel of undermining his not for profit scheme.



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

Wi-fi health fears are 'unproven'

Scientists say there is no evidence to suggest a link between the use of wi-fi and damage to health.



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

Progress on Self-Aware Robots

We reported on Christope Menant's proposal for achieving machine
consciousness by building on self-consciousness and
self-representation. We've also reported in the past on Black Starfish, an
experimental robot that is self-aware. With perfect timing, a Burlington
Free Press article on Josh Bongard and his Black
Starfish robot
appeared today. Black Starfish's self-awareness is somewhere
between basic self-representation and true self-awareness. Bongard
believes getting from there to consciousness is theoretically possible
but notes, "I'm not sure of the practical value". Philosphers and
scientists have long pondered the purpose of our own consciousness which
seems to them to have neither a functional purpose in our behavior nor an
evolutionary benefit. New Scientist got in on the fun as well by posting
an update
on Nico (article intro only). Nico
is another robot with rudimentary self-representation capabilities that
we've mentioned
before. To understand how it may be possible to get from
self-representation to consciousness with the help of a little anxiety,
see Menat's 2006 poster on the evolution
of consciousness (PDF format).



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Madeleine film aired at Cup final

A film asking for help in the search for missing girl Madeleine McCann is shown before the FA Cup final.



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

Transformers Movie Trailers

Trailers
for the soon-to-be-released Transformers movie are now
available on Yahoo and it looks AWESOME!
"It's a robot, you know, like a super advanced robot.....it's probably
Japanese."



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Random Robot News Roundup

Here's your weekly dump of random robot news that has been collecting in
our inbox. CNET posted a new interview
with Rodney Brooks. Yes, another one. You can never have too many Rodney Brooks
interviews. Roland Piquepaille emailed three recent robot stories from
his blog, one about a new robotic cable inspection
system, one about a predictive SLAM
algorithm being developed at Purdue University, and one
about a Japanese
effort to develop a 2 cm robot that can swim within the human
gastrointestinal tract. Roger F. Gay wrote to tell us about a somewhat
optimsitic
essay he wrote on new proprietary genetic programming software
designed to give robots an imagination. John Palmisano of the Society of
Robots website wrote to let us know about his new step-by-step
tutorial for building a robot with a budget of less than $50. He's
also created a
contest for the cardboard-wheeled robots and is offering two $100
prizes for the winners. Known any other robot news, gossip, or amazing
facts we should report here? Send 'em
our way please.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Madeleine film plan for Cup Final

Footage of missing Madeleine McCann is to be screened at the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.



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

Simulator 'may cut friendly fire'

A network of flight simulators for UK and US pilots could help reduce the risk of "friendly fire" deaths, it is claimed.



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

Microsoft buys ad firm for $6bn

Microsoft says it will pay $6bn to buy digital marketing firm Aquantive in its biggest acquisition to date.



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

Young women dominate UK net

In the UK, women aged 18- 34 are the dominant group and spend the most time online, research finds.



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

Millions visit Madeleine website

A website set up to find missing Madeleine McCann has had more than 50 million views, its organisers say.



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

Yahoo 'censored' Flickr comments

Yahoo is accused of censorship on photo site Flickr in a row over an online gallery selling pictures.



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

Global net censorship 'growing'

The level of state-led censorship of the net is growing around the world, according to a survey.



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

Artificial Consciousness from Self-Consciousness

Christophe
Menant writes, "Let me inform you about a submission I just made
to AAAI fall 2007 Symposium on AI and Consciousness. Title is Proposal
for an Approach to Artificial Consciousness Based on
Self-Consciousness (PDF format). It is close to [robots.net] posts
made last
year on Robot anxiety
and consciousness.
Feel free to comment." For those not familiar with Menant's
research, he proposes that consciousness (in the phenomenal sense)
evolved from self-consciousness, which in turn evolved from
self-representation. He believes using self-consciousness rather than
phenomenal consciousness as a reference model will be a more productive
route to developing artificial consciousness. This could also lead to
interesting new ideas for robot perception and behavior.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Malware hits Windows Updates'

Virus writers may be able to smuggle malicious files onto a PC using Microsoft's patch updates, a security expert says.



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

Hewlett fired up by laptop sales

Strong sales of laptops and printers help Hewlett Packard beat second quarter profit forecasts.



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

BT claims broadband supremacy

BT says it has overtaken Virgin Media to once again become the UK's largest provider of broadband.



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

Google overhauls main search

Changes to Google searches will make it easier to find results from video, news and blogging sites.



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

Estonia hit by 'Moscow cyber war'

Estonia says its websites are under heavy attack, blaming Russia for playing a part over a row about a war memorial.



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

Halo 3 beta extended after delay

Thousands of gamers were unable to play the test version of Halo 3 due to technical problems.



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

Young women dominate UK net scene

In the UK, women aged 18- 34 are the dominant group and spend the most time online, research finds.



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

BioRobotic Concoctions

An interesting array of fanciful images combining biology and
robotics can be had at
A Thrilling Wonder. My favorite is the Beetle working on his
friend's carburetor.
Also worth mentioning is the gallery of
robots from Japan.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Taxpayers 'should build Galileo'

The European Commission says public funds will be needed to build the stumbling Galileo satellite-navigation system.



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

Darwin's letters archived on web

Nearly 5,000 letters written by and to the great scientist Charles Darwin are made available online.



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

Amazon to sell unprotected music

Amazon plans to launch a digital music store whose music will come without any copyright protection.



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

Google wins adult photos appeal

A judge overturns a ruling preventing Google displaying thumbnail pictures from an adult website.



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

Halo 3 launch date is announced

Halo 3 will go on sale on 25 September in the US and one day later in Europe, says Microsoft.



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

Microsoft's Vista sales power up

Microsoft, the world's largest software firm, has sold 40 million copies of its new Vista system, Bill Gates says.



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

PS3 launch costs hit Sony profits

Sony reports a large fall in annual operating profits following the launch of its PlayStation 3 games console.



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

Malware 'hijacks Windows Updates'

Virus writers may be able to smuggle malicious files onto a PC using Microsoft's patch updates, a security expert says.



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

Darwin's letters debut on the web

Nearly 5,000 letters written by and to the great scientist Charles Darwin are made available online.



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

Robotic Car Progress

Professor Jurgen Schmidhuber from (IDSIA)
gives us a short overview of robotic
automobile progress
starting with Stanford's Shakey and finishing up with
vehicles from
DARPA's
Grand Challenge.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Is Consciousness Computable?

A new paper by Daegene Song titled, "Non-Computability of
Consciousness" (PDF format), suggests consciousness may not be a
computable process. The paper is heavy on math and light on explanation
but it appears there is an assumption in the proof that consciousness is
a quantum phenomenon. Based on his assumptions, the author believes he
has proved a limited case in which this theorized quantum consciousness
is not computable. But
he allows that a more complete
mathematically analysis may produce different results. Even if he is
correct, the phenomenon in question
is fully representable on a quantum computer, so all is not lost for
those who hope to build conscious machines. The connection between
consciousness and quantum phenomena has been proposed before, notably by
Penrose, but with very little evidence so far to back up the idea.
Their reasoning appears to be, as Philosopher David Chalmers has noted,
that "consciousness is mysterious and quantum mechanics is mysterious,
so maybe the two mysteries have a common source".



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Web 2.0 'neglecting good design'

The hype about Web 2.0 is making sites lazy about good design, says usability guru Jakob Nielsen.



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

Students create 'sensual' phones

Next generation devices, including ones that tingle if a friend is nearby, go on display.



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

Call to tackle pirated software

More than one-third of software used in businesses is pirated, says an industry watchdog.



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

Free tool offers 'easy' coding

A free programming tool that allows anyone to create their own animations and video games launches.



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

Walrus project banks on one tag

The Greenland walrus tagging project followed by the BBC may have lost contact with most of its animals.



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

Web 2.0 'neglecting good design'

The hype about Web 2.0 is making sites lazy about good design, says usability guru Jakob Nielsen.



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

Free tool offers 'easy' coding

A free programming tool that allows anyone to create their own animations and video games launches.



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

Cornell Microcontroller Design Final Projects

Final projects
for Cornell's
Microcontroller Design class
this year includes many that should prove
instructive and inspirational to the robot builder such as:
an
artificial retina with color tracking,

robot navigation via audio triangulation,
a
simple ultrasonic ranging system,

speech recognition.,
and a
Mega32-based CCD imaging system.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Finding myself through online identities

Today's online services give us new ways to decide who we are, says Bill Thompson.



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

China launches Nigerian satellite

A Nigerian satellite, expected to boost broadband internet services in Africa, is launched by China.



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

Children warned on web safety

More than half of UK children using the internet have had an "unwanted experience", a survey suggests.



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

War book wins Blooker blog prize

A book written by a US soldier about his experiences in post-war Iraq wins a book and blog prize.



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

Students create 'sensual' phones

Next generation devices, including ones that tingle if a friend is nearby, go on display.



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

Web 2.0 'distracts good design'

The hype about Web 2.0 is making sites neglect good design, says usability guru Jakob Nielsen.



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

Children warned on web safety

More than half of UK children using the internet have had an "unwanted experience", a survey suggests.



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

Talking Robots: Dario Floreano

Markus Waibel writes,
"The latest interview in the Talking
Robots podcast series talks to Dario Floreano,
the head of the Laboratory of Intelligent
Systems at the EPFL in Lausanne,
Switzerland. He talks about Evolutionary Robotics and explains how it
can be used to automatically create control systems for single robots
and robot teams." Markus also notes that this will be his last
episode of Talking Robots: "On a sidenote, after 17 interviews I will
pass my role as a host of
Talking Robots to my colleague and good friend Sabine Hauert. While I'll focus on
the last months of my PhD, she'll continue the show and, without giving
away too much, I can already say that she has an impressive lineup of
guests waiting for you! Enjoy! :)" Robots.net wishes you good luck
with PhD and thanks for all the interviews!



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Skynet Goes Live in the UK

When the British military developed hunter-killer UAVs knowns as MQ-9
Reapers, reminiscent of those seen in the Terminator series of
movies, you knew it wouldn't be long. According to a UK government IT news
site, Skynet
has gone live with the launch of Skynet 5A, the first of three
satellites that will make up the Skynet miltary communications network.
Skynet 5B will be launched later this year and 5C in 2008. Skynet will
be used to control the UK miltary at home and abroad. According to NORAD,
the Skynet satellites are hardened against impacts and capable of
repelling jamming attacks. And what about those flying hunter-killer
robots? They carry 3,750 lbs of laser-guided missles, smart bombs, and
JDAM munitions. The
Register notes that several of those munitions have already been used
to target individual humans. Don't forget to brush up on your surivial
techniques. For more, see the
Register's story on Skynet.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

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

Nasa unveils Hubble's successor

Nasa shows a full-scale model of a new telescope intended to see to the farthest reaches of the universe.



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

Google searches web's dark side

One in 10 web pages scrutinised by Google contains malicious code that could infect a user's PC.



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

CMUcam3: Open Source Vision Sensor

The CMUcam has been popular
with robot builders for a while. The third version of the CMU vision
sensor is out and should be even more popular becase CMU has open
sourced the code. The CMUcam3
is based
on the ARM7TDMI with code written in C and compiled using a standard GNU
gcc toolchain. The sensor provides 352x288 RGB CIF resolution, a frame
rate of 26 frames per second, and a basic image manipulation library
that includes image clipping, downsampling,thresholding, convolution
functions, color blobs, frame differencing, and historgram generation.
The CMUcam3 goes for about $240. For more technical details, see the
recently released technical report from the CMU Robotics Institute
titled, CMUcam3:
An Open Programmable Embedded Vision Sensor (PDF format).



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Joost reveals five new investors

On-demand video service Joost - backed by the founders of Skype - raises $45m from five investors including CBS and Viacom.



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

Highest mobile call climb begins

A British climber is making final preparations for an attempt to make a mobile phone call from Everest.



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

Bandwidth leap for British forces

UK forces in Afghanistan and Iraq start using their upgraded Skynet satellite communications system.



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

Google searches web's dark side

One in 10 web pages scrutinised by Google contains malicious code that could infect a user's PC.



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

ID card cost rises above £5bn

The cost of the ID card scheme has soared to more than £5bn, admits the Home Office.



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

'Guessing' robots find their way

Robots that use "guesswork" to navigate through unfamiliar surroundings are being developed by US researchers.



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

Nasa unveils Hubble's successor

Nasa shows a full-scale model of a new telescope intended to see to the farthest reaches of the universe.



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

Software to reveal Stasi secrets

Experts pilot new software to reassemble secret documents shredded by East Germany's secret police.



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

Galileo firms miss key deadline

A consortium asked to run the European Union's Galileo satellite navigation system misses a key deadline.



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

MP3 players could boast sat-nav

Computer experts aim to add satellite navigation to hand-held music devices such as MP3 players.



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

ID card cost rises above �5bn

The cost of the ID card scheme has soared to more than �5bn, admits the Home Office.



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

New Shadow Robotics Tactile Sensor

The Shadow Robot Company, Ltd.
has produced a new type of tactile sensor for The Johns Hopkins
University in Baltimore. The sensitivity of the new sensors, which are
based on Quantum Tunnelling Composite (QTC) as the sensing medium, are
said to approach that of the human fingertip. The sensor will be used by
the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics
Lab as part of their DARPA-funded advanced
prosthetics project that we reported on last
month. Shadow has been added to the already impressive list
of subcontractors working with APL. The sensors are designed to be
used on the tips of thumbs or forefingers and have applications to
robotics as well as prostethics. Read on the full text of the press release.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Galileo system 'in a deep crisis'

Europe's proposed sat-nav system, Galileo, will need more public funds if it is to be built, observers say.



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

Child porn suspects blame fraud

A BBC investigation raises concerns about the conduct of child pornography inquiry Operation Ore.



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

Spore game 'delayed until 2008'

The widely-anticipated Spore game from legend Will Wright is being delayed until 2008.



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

Second Life 'child abuse' claim

Second Life members allegedly trading virtual child abuse images are being sought by German police.



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

Sounds bring Google Earth to life

Users of Google Earth may soon be able to hear the sounds found in some locations.



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

ID card costs rise above �5bn

The cost of the ID card scheme has soared to more than �5bn, admits the Home Office.



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

'Guessing' robots find their way

Robots that use "guesswork" to navigate through unfamiliar surroundings are being developed by US researchers.



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

Vecna BEAR Rescue Robot

Tom Atwood of Robot magazine wrote
to let us know about a new
article posted on their website that's loaded with photos and
diagrams of the Vecna
Battlefield Extraction Assist Robot (BEAR). The BEAR is a rescue
robot designed to extact injured people from dangerous situations where
human rescue teams can't reach them. Possible uses include extracting
people from "buildings rendered unsafe due to fire, mudslide or
explosion, as well as areas contaminated with biological or chemical
toxins or nuclear radiation." It can also extract wounded soldiers
from battlefields, which explains why the Army's Telemedicine and
Advanced Technology Research Center is funding development.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Pegasus Explains their Urban Challenge Strategy

Igor Carron writes,
"Our team Pegasus is
competing in the track B of DARPA's Urban Challenge race.
Throughout the whole pre-selection round, we
are going to explain what our algorithm does and how we are
implementing it. I have started a little bit to do that but if any of
your readers want us to address something specific, I am sure that if
time permits, I could do that as well." For more see the Team Pegasus website and the Team Pegasus blog. You may
remember our previous stories about team Pegasus from the Darpa Grand
Challenge, when they GPL'd
the telemetry data from their trial run. Later they GPL'd the drive by wire
code for their Grand Challenge robot.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Facing up to Facebook fears

Internet law professor Michael Geist says attempts to block social media sites such as Facebook are misguided.



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

Smart hat brings play to disabled

Two British inventors design an interface to allow disabled children to 'drive' radio-controlled cars.



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

Spore game 'delayed until 2008'

The widely-anticipated Spore game from legend Will Wright is being delayed until 2008.



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

Second Life 'child abuse' claim

Second Life members allegedly trading virtual child abuse images are being sought by German police.



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

Mobile TV predicted to be a hit

Mobile TV starts to attract millions of viewers signalling the beginning of a mass market, analysts say.



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

Get a Hobby - Robotics!

A new book Get
a Hobby!: 101 All-Consuming Diversions for Any Lifestyle
explores Ant Farming, Ice Sculpturing, Lego Building, and yes - Robot
Building!
That's right, a few pages past Quilting and just before Rubber Stamping
is a section on that once obscure endeavor where the tools of choice are
a dremel, a soldering iron, and a Kernighan and Ritchie book.
Author Tina Barseghian is a
contributing editor of ReadyMade, a
do-it-yourself magazine focusing on art and design, and whose husband Lloyd
tinkers with robots himself.
Seeing robot building listed right alongside mainstream crafts is
quite amazing for those of us who have dabbled with it since disco was
stylish.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Web Based Remote Computer Technical Support Service

Remote computer support can be provided either via Windows Remote Assistance or software that specially designed which we have to install on our PC. As a result, there is always a hassle to install a separate software onto the PC in order to provide or receive remote assistance.
To save the one who provides or receives [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Open your laptops and begin

Microsoft is showing signs that it is willing to evolve but it needs to do much more to survive, argues Bill Thompson



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

Touch-and-pay cards go ahead

UK consumers will soon be able to settle bills of less than £10 with a touch of their credit and debit cards.



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

Galileo system 'in a deep crisis'

Europe's proposed sat-nav system, Galileo, will need more public funds if it is to be built, observers say.



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

Linux evolves for mobile devices

A mobile version of the popular Linux operating system Ubuntu will be developed, it is announced.



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

Pointing Device For Your TV

Ever think of using a “mouse-like” device as pointing device for your TV instead of the dull TV remote control? You know, like having a cursor moving in your TV just like what we have for PC?
Hillcrest Labs actually has this revolutionary pointing device for TV called HōMETM Interactive Media System.




Quoted:
Hillcrest Labs’ HōMETM Interactive Media [...]



Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com

Currys to eject audio cassettes

The humble cassette is no longer able to compete with digital music says the electrical retailer.



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

Vernor Vinge Still Betting on the Singularity

ITWorld.com
interviews Vernor Vinge, the modern popularizer of the Singularity
concept.
The Singularity is Vinge's name for the idea that the rate of
technological change will soon exceed the ability of humans to
comprehend. Some view this as a disaster scenario to be avoided and others
view it as a sort of "geek rapture" in which humans and machine merge to
form a
new dominate species. In this latest interview he touches on the
relevance of IBM's Deep Blue, the Internet, genetics, nanotechnology,
and whether or not the 5,000 military robots in Iraq represent the
beginings of a "Terminator scenario". He also predicts future mobile
robots that will be more agile and coordinated than human athletes.
It's always worth noting when talking about the Singularity that some researchers now
suspect that the perception of an exponential curve of technological
progress is really just the result of the way our brains and collective
societies compress historical.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

IPTV for deaf people takes off

A new web-based television service for sign language users is launched in the UK.



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

Daniel Wilson on Coast Tonight

Grab some caffeine and tune into Coast to Coast AM tonight for
an interview with Daniel
Wilson, author of How to
Survive a Robot Uprising. Daniel and Art will chat about
the current state and future of robotics and AI.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

K-State Building Robots for Dangerous Jobs

A Kansas
State University new release describes their project to develop
robots for extremely dangerous jobs such as searching buildings for
weapons of mass destruction or improvised explosive devices. The
university has received a $219,140 defense department grant to develop a
"Test-bed
for intelligent, mobile sensors". The researchers are planning a
cooperative team of robots that will exhibit organizational reasoning.
Working together the robots should be able to adapt to their environment
and solve problems. The teams will inclcude both ground and air robots.
This work will be done at K-State's Multiagent & Cooperative Robotics Lab.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Social lending gains net interest

Social networking spawns a new concept as banking harnesses the potential of Web 2.0.



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

E-mail 'Domesday Book' compiled

A "21st century Domesday Book" - a snapshot of Britain seen through e-mails - is being compiled by the British Library.



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

Online TV viewing 'on the rise'

Almost half of European broadband users are using their computers to watch TV online, a survey claims.



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

Pioneering US astronaut dies

Walter Schirra, a US space pioneer who was the only man to fly on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, dies.



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

YouTube facing football lawsuit

The English Premier League is to sue video-sharing site YouTube, accusing it of copyright infringement.



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

European rocket powers to record

Europe's commercial launcher, the Ariane 5, puts a two-satellite nine-tonne payload in orbit.



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

Yahoo shares up on Microsoft talk

Yahoo shares jump as much as 14% on reports it has been approached by Microsoft about a potential tie-up.



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

Hi-tech row over 2012 Olympics

The method of allocating technology crucial to the London games is questioned by an MP.



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

Pioneer US astronaut dies aged 84

Walter Schirra, a US space pioneer who was the only man to fly on Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, dies.



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

Firms hit rivals with web attacks

Web firms are turning to hi-tech crime gangs to help cripple their rivals, say security experts.



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

DRM group vows to fight bloggers

The body behind copy protection on some hi-def DVDs says it will fight efforts to break its technology.



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

Robots Climbing the Walls at CMU

A Technology
Review article has an interesting description of the latest
improvements to wall climbing robots developed by researchers at CMU.
The new robots can traverse smooth walls and ceilings at rates up to six
centimeters per second using wheel like-legs. Each leg is tipped with a
foot pad covered in a microfabricated fiber material that emulates the
atomic van der Waals bonding forces used by geckos. Likely applications
include robots that could walk around on the hulls of spacecraft for
repair operations.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

Space telescope spots new planet

The French-led Corot mission spies its first planet - a distant world that is hotter and bigger than Jupiter.



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

Pandora to block non-US listeners

Net radio station Pandora is to block most users from outside the US because of music licensing constraints.



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

Snowflakes promise faster chips

Chips will run faster and be more energy efficient by copying nature's creation of snowflakes, says IBM.



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

Robot nose given keen smell

A layer of artificial mucus gives an "electronic nose" the ability to precisely sniff out different odours.



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

E-mail 'Domesday Book' compiled

A "21st century Domesday Book" - a snapshot of Britain seen through e-mails - is being compiled by the British Library.



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

DRM row sparks user rebellion

Attempts to suppress the spread of a DVD crack have led to a user-generated revolt in the blogosphere.



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

Online TV viewing 'on the rise'

Almost half of European broadband users are using their computers to watch TV online, a survey claims.



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

Call for Apple to go even greener

Plans by tech giant Apple to go greener are given a cautious welcome by environmental groups.



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

Technology row over 2012 Olympics

The method of allocating technology crucial for the London games is questioned by an MP.



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

The Android Man

A Tallahasee
Democrat article describes The Android Man (aka Mark Miller). In his
Dream and Imagine Studio, Mark builds androids. In their
current state, his creations resemble humanoid robots about 48" high.
Inspired as a child by the robot on Lost in Space, Miller has spent most
of his life tinkering with robots, focusing on humanoid and android
designs. In addition to the photo in the
article, a collections
of photos with explanations of his design can be found online.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

The evolution of a giant

Microsoft is showing signs that it is willing to evolve but it needs to do much more to survive, argues Bill Thompson



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

Warning over 'talking CCTV' plans

Talking CCTV cameras may be a "bridge too far", the Information Commissioner tells MPs.



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

Putting 'i' on Google homepage

The search giant allows users to create their own content and dismisses Viacom's claims against YouTube



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

'Green eye' tech centre launched

A UK Earth observation centre will lead the development of new technologies to monitor our changing planet.



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

Robot nose given keen smell sense

A layer of artificial mucus gives an "electronic nose" the ability to precisely sniff out different odours.



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

Warning over 'talking CCTV' plans

Talking CCTV cameras may be a "bridge too far", the Information Commissioner tells MPs.



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

Putting 'i' on Google homepage

The search giant allows users to create their own content and dismisses Viacom's claims against YouTube



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

'Green eye' tech centre launched

A UK Earth observation centre will lead the development of new technologies to monitor our changing planet.



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

Synthetic snot boosts robot nose

A layer of artificial mucus gives an "electronic nose" the ability to precisely sniff out different odours.



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

DVD DRM row sparks user rebellion

Attempts to suppress the spread of a DVD crack have led to a user-generated revolt in the blogosphere.



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

AUV Practices for Icy Oceans of Europa

Roland Piquepaille writes, "Three months ago, I mentioned DEPTHX, a
robot built to explore deep water in Mexico. Now, scientists from the
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and NASA are working on a reengineered
version of the robotic probe. This new autonomous underwater vehicle
(AUV) will be called ENDURANCE.
This robotic device will be used to map
the icy waters of Antarctica. It will perform two exploration campaigns
of West Lake Bonney, a lake perpetually trapped beneath 12 to 15 feet of
ice in 2008 and 2009. Then it will be redesigned again to explore
gigantic Antarctica's Lake Vostok and maybe one day the icy oceans of
Europa, one of Jupiter's moons." For more details see Roland's blog post about the
ENDURANCE. See also our previous mention of DEPTHX and its journey down a
Mexican sinkhole.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

US issues warning over piracy

China and Russia top a list of 12 nations not doing enough to tackle copyright piracy, a US trade report says.



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

YouTube fights Viacom legal bid

Google says a $1bn copyright action from MTV-owner Viacom against YouTube "threatens" internet use.



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

Old Robots Information Website

TheOldRobots.com offers a fun
overview of many toy and hobby robots complete with pictures of
packaging and accessories.
From Compurobot to
Radio Shack's Armatron,
and even a nice gallery of
Robot Controllers
and Posters.
I find the guts of J.A.K.E. and Hero 1 particularly
interesting.
Downloads are also
available for the user guides of Omnibot, Verbot, Robie SR, and a few
others.



Source: http://www.netchain.com

BBC gets TV on-demand 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

Yahoo web ads deal with Comcast

Yahoo signs a deal to run display and video advertising for the website of US cable television giant Comcast.



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

Art degree show in Second Life

Art students at a London university are to stage their degree show in the virtual world of Second Life.



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

Joost opens online video service

On-demand video service Joost - backed by the founders of Skype - launches its service commercially.



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

BBC scoops three Webby awards

BBC News Interactive and music station BBC Radio 1 are among the winners of the annual Webby awards.



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

Personal touch to Google homepage

Search giant recognises users desire to create own content and dismisses Viacom's claims against YouTube



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

Dell to use Ubuntu on Linux PCs

Computer maker Dell selects Ubuntu as operating system for its Linux-range of computers.



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

Motion-sensitive laptop developed

A motion-sensitive laptop which can be controlled much like a Nintendo Wii remote is being developed.



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

Indoor Mobile Robot Localization

The Robotics Institute released a
report recently titled Parrots:
A Range Measuring Sensor Network (PDF format) that describes a
wireless sensor network that can be used for localization by indoor
mobile robots. The network consists of nodes, called Parrots,
that measure the range to other nodes using ultrasonic sensors. Each
node includes a 16bit microcontroller, a wireless link, and a sensor
board with 4 ultrasonic sensor arrays. When lots of Parrots are placed
in an area, they automatically form a multi-hop ad-hoc wireless network.
The robot carries a Parrot node as well, allowing the network to accurately
map the location of the robot as it moves through the area. This research
was done by the CMU Field Robotics
Center.



Source: http://www.netchain.com