Vik's News Clippings

31-Mar-2011 AM clippings

2011-03-31T10:52:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Chapman Tripp and its allies are casting FUD at New Zealand's upcoming ban on software patents. The MED is not impressed:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/chapman-tripp-urges-re-think

Two more Registration Authorities have had their SSL signing keys compromised. Web of trust fail:
https://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/comodo-says-two-more-registration-authorities-compromised-033011

Acer lines up a dual-screen tablet PC as Microsoft waits for the tablet fad to pass:
http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/29/6367167-acers-dual-screen-tablet-behaves-like-a-laptop

The first commercially viable nanogenerator, a flexible chip turning body movement into power, is shown to the American Chemical Society:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/pressroom/newsreleases/CNBP_026949

And finally. Atomic wristwatches go out of kilter all over Japan. Not from radiation; the radio sync transmitter is 16 km from the Daiichi:
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/03/atomic-clocks-go-dark-in-japan.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

28-Mar-2011 AM clippings

2011-03-28T10:13:00.000+13:00

Enjoy:

Microsoft seeks US state laws requiring customers of companies that use pirated software to pay the penalty (proprietary s/w only):
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=2011032316585825

Rumours abound that Amazon is about to release its own Android tablet, and ebook makers start to turn to Android too:
http://gigaom.com/mobile/how-e-books-are-coming-full-circle-thanks-to-tablets/

An attacker broke into the Comodo Registration Authority (RA) based in Southern Europe and issued fraudulent SSL certificates:
http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/phony-web-certificates-issued-google-yahoo-skype-others-032311

The first processor is printed on a sheet of plastic. Well, two sheet. One for the CPU, one for the code:
http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/37126/?p1=A2

And finally. What do you do if a grizzly attacks you while you're stoned? Why, you claim ACC of course:
http://www.brobible.com/bronews/montana-man-gets-workers-comp-for-getting-mauled-by-bear-after-smoking-pot

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

23-Mar-2011 AM clippings

2011-03-23T10:47:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

The UK prepares to introduce a national IP blocking system in the name of preventing piracy of movies and music. For now:
http://torrentfreak.com/100-domains-on-movie-and-music-industry-website-blocking-wishlist-110322/

A look at the new features in the recently released Firefox 4 web browser:
http://www.businessinsider.com/new-features-in-firefox-4-2011-3

A new 3D nanostructure for lithium and NiMH batteries allows very rapid charging - an electric vehicle in 5 mins if you have the amps:
http://news.illinois.edu/news/11/0321batteries_PaulBraun.html

Quantum computing should hit the magic 10 qubit level this year. That's where it starts to surpass some standard computing techniques:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12811199

A discussion with a scientist who is actually building things atom by atom and his take on when it will be possible to make machines:
http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/philip-moriarty-discusses.html

And finally. A facebook app that peels the clothes off people in your friends' pictures. Works with guys, girls and sad people:
http://www.thesmokingjacket.com/humor/falseflesh-facebook-app

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

22-Mar-2011 AM clippings

2011-03-22T09:39:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

NZRise is formed from a group of New Zealand IT firms as a non-profit organisation to promote home-growm IT expertise:
http://nzrise.org.nz/about/

The US is designing surveilance robots that know how to hide from human sentries. No news on the counter-surveilance robot yet:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20928044.700-surveillance-robots-know-when-to-hide.html

Ars Techinca asks why the web is not using the HTTPS protocol by default, rather than only for shopping carts? :
http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2011/03/https-is-more-secure-so-why-isnt-the-web-using-it.ars

Nanotchnology promises low-power CPUs and is touted ans making mobile phones last longer. But call time is related to transmit power:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/nanotechnology/nanotechnology-could-make-batteries-in-mobile-devices-obsolete

And finally. A shipwreck in The Pirate Bay as the user database is compromised and used to send out spam. Again:
http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-user-database-compromised-and-exploited-again-110320/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

26-Jan-2011 AM clippings

2011-01-26T09:24:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

The Australian decision to use Microsoft OOXML as a standard fromat is reopened, and comprehensively dismantled in the comments below:
http://agimo.govspace.gov.au/2011/01/21/back-to-the-future-another-chance-to-influence-coe-development

Latvia announces that all Government departments must accept documents written in ODF format, as part of a Europe-wide programme:
http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Latvia-ODF-acceptance-mandatory-1173340.html

British police are caught posting messages to incite violence and illegal activity on independent open media bulletin board sites:
http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news755.php http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12232936

Free Openframeworks workshop to be held in Auckland on Thursday 27th January @4pm, Auckland University of Technology:
http://www.opentoko.org/upcoming-tokos-2/openframeworks-workshop-in-auckland/

And finally. An exclusive interview with that most controversial celebrity in qwertydom, Caps Lock:
http://www.cracked.com/blog/an-interview-with-caps-lock-most-misunderstood-key/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

21-Jan-2011 PM clippings

2011-01-21T12:30:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Two NZ Open Source companies make the CIO list of those thriving on disruptive change; Ingress and Catalyst IT:
http://cio.co.nz/cio.nsf/specials/259284F8F3D2F03CCC25781D0004FF39

Twitter is sued for violating a patent on letting famous people talk to mere mortals:
http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/20/twitter-lawsuit-vs-technologies/

Vodafail.com sumbits a 30 page report and 12,000 complaints from Australian Vodafone users to the Australian watchdog committees:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4564891/Vodafail-submits-damning-Vodafone-report

The first "dead drop" appears in NZ. Basically it's a USB stick cemented into a wall for people to share files through:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4550538/New-Zealands-first-Dead-Drop-kicks-off

And finally. How to build a toaster from scratch, as in ore, oil etc. I prefer the fire & fork method myself, but here's to hi-tech:
http://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_thwaites_how_i_built_a_toaster_from_scratch.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

13-Jan-2011 AM clippings

2011-01-13T08:00:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Welcome to the 2011 season of Clippings. Happy New Year!

Catalyst IT starts a pilot "Academy" in Wellington to boost the number of students with skills in Open Source systems:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/schools-in-for-open-source-advocates

France follows suit, announcing plans to make Paris a centre for Open Source software development to boost economic growth:
http://news.techworld.com/operating-systems/7508/france-plans-open-source-centre-of-excellence

World-wide protests planned on the 15th January in defence of WikiLeaks and our freedom of expression:
http://www.whyweprotest.net/en/

Sony starts shutting CD outlying plants as downloading starts to bite into the sales of physical media:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/sign-digital-times-sony-shutting-plant-used-m

Google's Chrome and Opera to end support for H.264 in favour of open codecs for HTML5 video. Apple holds back:
http://www.muktware.com/n/12/2011/661

And finally. Using outside air-cooled PCs in the home to do your little bit for the environment:
http://hackaday.com/2011/01/10/outside-air-cooled-pc

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

28-Oct-2010 AM clippings

2010-10-28T11:14:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Open Network Libraries starts up to encourage the use of Open Source tools such as Koha in a diverse community of librarians:
http://onl.org.nz/

Twitter bots seem to be heavily used by the right-wing US parties to create artificial waves of pro-party messages. Detection available:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19649-twitter-tool-roots-out-disguised-mass-postings.html

Firefox 4 release pushed out to "early 2011" following delays in the feature complete beta which will not be available until November:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/27/firefox_4_slips/

The world's smallest game console - not much bigger than a CR1632 battery and fits under a joystick button:
http://hackaday.com/2010/10/27/smallest-gaming-console-ever-ever/#more-29804

Nanowire transistors capable of being switched into 4 distinct states and retaining data are made on flexible substrates:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=3064

And finally. The Ig Noble Prize for Engineering goes to Dr. Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse & co for their whale snot collecting helicopter:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tech-transport/novel-idea-for-collecting-whale-snot-via-rc-helicopter-wins-nobel-prize.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

27-Oct-2010 PM clippings

2010-10-27T12:46:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

That's it. XP is dead. PC Makers are no longer allowed to install the OS on new computers says Microsoft. Downgrade packs coming soon:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/microsoft-orders-computer-makers-to-kill-windows-xp/

A Clarian Human Resources' interim survey shows that technical staff are in short supply as NZ emerges from recession:
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/technical-amp-professional-staff-shortage-continues-nz-comes-out-recession/5/69044

Another patent attack on Google from the French company Gemalto Corp. aims at the implementation of the Dalvik VM:
http://business2press.com/2010/10/26/google-htc-samsung-motorola-android-patent-lawsuit/

Suzette, a chatbot designed to tackle the Turing Test, wins the Loebner Prize and US$3,000 fooling one judge along the way:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19643-prizewinning-chatbot-steers-the-conversation.html

Slight oops from Apple. How to defeat the iPhone lock and make calls without knowing the PIN:
http://venturebeat.com/2010/10/26/glitch-lets-anyone-make-calls-from-your-iphone-os-password-lock-screen/

And finally. Build a T-Shirt with a see-through portal for hallow'een:
http://hackaday.com/2010/10/26/portal-shirt/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

26-Oct-2010 PM clippings

2010-10-26T15:40:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Canonical denies that they are forking GNOME, and say they are just switching to the unity interface. But this has 3D dependencies:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/ubuntu-moves-away-gnome

Asus and Garmin part company, as mobile phones become good enough to start replacing GPS navigators. Garmin may go pure software:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/asus-and-garmin-untie-their-smartphone-knot/

Firesheep, a firefox plugin that makes http hijacking point and click:
http://www.gizmag.com/firesheep-http-hijacking-tool/16726/

And finally. US$400,000 of robots, two eight-core i7 Xeon system servers, 5MP vison, 48 GB of memory, lasers - and they make pancakes:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=3062

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

27-Sep-2010 PM clippings

2010-09-27T12:04:00.000+13:00

Enjoy:

Open Polytechnic of New Zealand launches the Open Source Learning Laboratory for training in open source software:
http://www.eduforge.com/

iPhone owners may have bleary eyes today - the daylight savings code for NZ didn't work to plan:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/4170853/iPhone-alarms-ring-early-in-daylight-savings-glitch

Cantabrians install a DIY network of 180 USB earthquake sensors set up by volunteers in the region. Data to be made public:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4169158/Cantabrians-join-programme-to-catch-earthquakes

The stuxnet worm appears to have been targeted at Iran's first nuclear power station. I wonder who? No damage reported:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11414483

The Open Source Arduino microcontrollers get new additions to the family, allowing the USB to be used for non-serial interfacing:
http://arduino.cc/blog/2010/09/24/dinner-is-ready/

And finally: Google is to fund the Schweeb pedal-powered monorail as a solution to city transport. What will monorail cat think?:
http://topnews.net.nz/content/28456-google-funding-shweeb-s-invention-cycling-monorail

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

01-Sep-2010 AM clippings

2010-09-01T09:38:00.000+12:00

Enjoy:

Burning Man is the test zone for the OpenBTS cellular test site, offering up free GSM access to 50,000 people from a shoebox:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/083010-open-source-voip-cell-phones-at-burning-man.html?hpg1=bn

How the adoption of Open Source and Open Standards in UK local government stands to save UKP51m in Windsor & Maidenhead:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/aug/26/local-government-spending-open-standards-saving

3D Printers start to drop in price and drop onto desktops, but what are they good for?:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/robotics/diy/3d-printers-proliferate

NZICT vote in a new chair from Simpl, a company claiming "direct relationships with Microsoft in Redmond, MS UK, Canada, AsiaPac & NZ":
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/new-nzict-chair-elected

Google adds VoIP capabilities to gmail, allowing subscribers to call mobile and landlines in the US and UK. More to come:
http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2010/8/25/google-brings-voice-gmail/

LG Electronics have 19" flexible e-Paper screens, and will make them available in 2011 together with colour e-Paper:
http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/08/lg-will-mass-produce-19-inch-flexible-e.html

And finally. Some say he'll be named in a new autobiography, others say the case will be heard in private. All we know is, he's The Stig:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11139252

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

24-Aug-2010 AM clippings

2010-08-24T08:44:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Some time this month, the 5 billionth device will plug into the internet:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/081610-5billion-devices-internet.html

The New Zealand Open Source Awards panel has been chosen and you can now nominate your favourite piece of Kiwi Open Source goodness:
http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2010/new-zealand-open-source-awards-judges-announced

Following a complete lack of - well, anything from Oracle really - the OpenSolairs Governing Board dissolves itself:
http://mail.opensolaris.org/pipermail/ogb-discuss/2010-August/008012.html

Tohoku University uses a cantilever tip to achieve a magnetic data density of 4 trillion bits/sq inch. Seagate think they can do 50:
http://www.physorg.com/news201250166.html

And finally. A direct plea to the Russian president may save the Pavlovsk seed bank that scientists starved to death in to preserve:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/16/russia-president-pavolvsk-twitter

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

17-Aug-2010 AM clippings

2010-08-17T08:53:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

NZ Police to install WiFi video cameras inside people's homes without needing any warrant:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4026464/Select-committee-backs-police-spycams

Google calls Oracle's Java claims baseless, suggesting things will turn into a long-running battle:
http://www.intomobile.com/2010/08/13/google-calls-oracle-android-lawsuit-baseless/

Plastic Logic cancels its e-ink-base Que ProReader, realising that it is bringing an overpriced item to a maturing market:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/4016865/Que-e-reader-shelved

Dramatic cost reductions in electronic paper displays and support chips point to e-readers becoming cheaper still:
http://www.slate.com/id/2263787

Kogan's A$189 eBook reader goes on sale on the other side of the Tasman, undercutting the Kobo and Kindle:
http://www.gizmag.com/kogans-au189-ebook-reader/16018/

And finally. Ronald McDonald gets busted for marijuana, but the charges are later dropped. I guess that's what makes a "Happy Meal":
http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2010/08/marijuana_charges_dropped_against_ronald_mcdonald.php

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

12-Aug-2010 PM clippings

2010-08-12T13:10:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Oracle to continue development of Solaris, but not OpenSolaris:
http://www.serverwatch.com/news/article.php/3897706/Oracle-Details-Upcoming-Solaris-11-Release.htm

Argentina's President starts their 60,000-student deployment of OLPC computers. Bolivia may follow suit:
http://blog.laptop.org/2010/08/05/argentina-embraces-olpc-supports-bolivia/

The WikiReader palm-size Wikipedia reader is now available in 14 languages. Soon to add the Project Gutenberg archives:
http://www.gizmag.com/wikireader-goes-multilingual/16004/

Rather than display sensible error diagnostics that anyone can read, LG appliances will now beep R2D2-like at a calltaker on the phone:
http://www.gizmag.com/lg-smartdiagnosis/16000/

Support for Australia's universal internet filter wanes as parties realise that education is the best way to protect the kids:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/11/australia_conroy_lonely/

And finally. Why have we been stuck with the QWERTY layout since the 1870's, even though we're now using touchscreens half the time:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10925456

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

11-Aug-2010 AM clippings

2010-08-11T10:18:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

How do you make a touch display irresistable? Well, you use fibre optics to make it furry:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19250-future-on-display-technology-youll-want-to-stroke.html

The Motorola Driod 2 is official, and so is the R2-D2 version for dedicated Star Wars fans. Han shot first!:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/10/motorola-droid-2-and-r2-d2-edition-finally-official-android/

For Star Trek fans, here is a comparison between the development process of Star Trek clipboards and the iPad:
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/08/how-star-trek-artists-imagined-the-ipad-23-years-ago.ars

Luminar is a lighbulb-format computer with a mini-projector and camera. It fits in a lamp and projects a workspace on your desk:
http://fluid.media.mit.edu/people/natan/current/luminar.html

A new solar energy conversion process called PETE converts heat and light to power simutaneously and works well in solar concentrators:
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/august/new-solar-method-080210.html

And finally. German boar might not fly, but they do have a very unhealthy radioactive glow - and their numbers are increasing:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,709345,00.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

26-Jul-2010 PM clippings

2010-07-26T13:03:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Irony abounds as Australia's "Open Government" censors 90% of its plans to spy on its citizens' mail and internet use to stifle debate:
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/no-minister-90-of-web-snoop-document-censored-to-stop--premature-unnecessary-debate-20100722-10mxo.html

While in Austria, Linz is to have not just Open Source, but an Open Commons, Open Courseware, Open Data, advisory and coordination centre:
http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/first-open-commons-region-in-the-world-linz-austria/2010/07/24?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+P2pFoundation+%28P2P+Foundation%29

Dell drops Ubuntu from its online store, claiming that advanced users will order it by phone. Are they incompetent or being lent on?:
http://www.techi.com/2010/07/get-this-damned-ubuntu-out-of-dells-internets/

India's US$35 computing device seems to be just a pipe-dream, for the foreseeable future at least:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/07/india-35-tablet/

And finally. A classic example of the stupidity of the "free market", viz. the 6-bladed razor. I gave up at 2 blades + slime strip:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072305083.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

22-Jul-2010 AM clippings

2010-07-22T11:14:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Facebook now has half a billion users. They reckon the next half billion won't take nearly as long:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10713199

Apple Store apps now starting to sprout hidden functionality to get around Apple's application censorship:
http://gizmodo.com/5592521/how-a-guy-tricked-apple-with-a-disguised-iphone-tethering-app

Dell discovers firmware trojans in PowerEdge server motherboards:
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/07/pc-giant-warns-of-hardware-tro.html

And finally. An ecobot that runs on food waste sounds like a good idea, until you realise what goes in must, eventually, come out:
http://www.botjunkie.com/2010/07/21/ecobot-iii-eats-poops-moves/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

14-Jul-2010 AM clippings

2010-07-14T08:17:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Labour plan to give kids free computers, in a plan sounding much like that implemented by OLPC. National balks, exaggerating the costs:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3883527/Labour-may-give-free-computers-to-schoolchildren

The heat is still on the software patents issue. Patent supporters say we should follow EU, opponents that we not emulate their mistake:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/software-patent-debate-rages-on

Brazil, meanwhile, tables a law that makes hindering fair use or public domain material (ie sticking DRM on it) illegal:
http://techdirt.com/articles/20100711/22043810167.shtml

Hacking of iTunes accounts and mystery purchases to boost app store ratings seems to be widespread:
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/07/04/appstore-hack-itunes/

With PCs and now mobile phones all taking the same power supplies, attention moves to doign the same with laptop power bricks:
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/218954,laptop-makers-push-for-a-universal-power-supply.aspx

And finally. Tea is found to be healthier to drink than water, and rehydrates as well as water does:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5281046.stm

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

06-Jul-2010 AM clippings

2010-07-06T10:20:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

40 Apps pulled from the Apple App Store after 40 of the 50 top- selling books are found to be not books and have no reviews:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/200503/apps_disappear_from_app_store_amid_hacking_complaints.html

All Finns now have the right of access to a 1Mbit broadband connection. 100Mbit promised by 2015:
http://globalthoughtz.com/2010/07/access-to-broadband-internet-connection-a-legal-right-in-finland/

US Newspaper uses Open Source production software for a day to celebrate Independence Day:
http://sar.jrcbenfranklin.com/top-news/07/04/ben-franklin-day-at-the-saratogian-a-declaration-of-independence-from-newsroom-software-with-video

A quick survey of 24 users by PC World suggests that ebooks are not as easy to read as the old dead-tree version:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2366065,00.asp

And finally. Why do the youngsters get all the fun? Well, here's a playground in the UK designed for pensioners:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-511253/Playtime-Grandma-Council-opens-new-playground-60s.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

01-Jul-2010 AM clippings

2010-07-01T11:02:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Urgent ACTA communique endorsed by 90 academics and public interest groups points out that all assurances given to date are flawed:
http://www.wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/acta-communique

Even plastics are going Open Source. This one is a bio-sourced resin suitable for injection moulding:
http://www.natureworksllc.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2010/06-08-10-open-source-3801x.aspx

Another Sony mass recall. Not batteries this time, but Vaio laptops are overheating. Sony don't want to call it a recall:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10466317.stm

Even Microsoft wants users to ditch IE6:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3872378/Microsoft-begs-users-to-ditch-IE6

And finally. It's a boat! It's a plane! It's the Pentagon's latest shape-shifting robot prototype:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7863181/Morphing-cars-and-planes-closer-as-Pentagon-develops-shape-shifting-robot.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

23-Jun-2010 AM clippings

2010-06-23T09:52:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

How Stuff.co.nz crowd-sourced the analysis of MP's expenses:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/blogs/from-the-newsroom/3822722/Crowdsourcing-MP-expenses

Australian governement wants ISPs to log all a prisoner\\\\\\\citizen's websurfing and link it to their passport number:
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/06/the-government-now-wants-isps-to-link-your-online-history-with-your-passport/

Killacycle, the world's fastest electric motorcycle, to use FLOSS electronics & s/w from the NZ Tumanako group to drive a 1MW motor:
http://www.killacycle.com/

HTTPS Everywhere is a handly little utility that switches http web services to https automatically in Firefox, reducing snooping:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/use-effs-firefox-add-encrypt-your-web-browsin

E-reader prices start to plummet, driven by cheaper hardware, greater demand, and the use of Open standards between devices:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/3839049/Amazon-slashes-e-reader-prices

Toshiba announces 128GB OEM NAND Flash modules, destined for mobiles, cameras, tablets, and ultimately USB sticks:
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2010_06/pr1701.htm

Free toolkit allows Android phones to converse with Arduino microcontroller kits:
http://www.amarino-toolkit.net/index.php

And finally. Thinkgeek apologizes to the US Pork Board over its April 1st launch of canned unicorn meat, and offers discounts to readers:
http://i.imgur.com/Covah.jpg

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

17-Jun-2010 AM clippings

2010-06-17T09:56:00.000+12:00

Enjoy:

NZ Commerce Commission recommends government regulation of the fees telcos charge for interconnecting mobile calls:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/3820828/Mobile-regulation-put-up-by-consumer-watchdog

Dell calls Ubuntu "Safer than Windows." Item #6 on the list:
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/ubuntu?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=anavml

SCO Is finally dead. Novell wins, the vultures can swoop:
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20100610161411160

The ARM A4 CPU used in the iPad is coming out in a Samsung Android phone later this year, the Galaxy S:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/09/ipad_samsung/

And finally. New Zealand tops the charts as the most peaceful country on the planet. Oz is 19th. Let's have a peace riot to celebrate!:
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi-data/#/2010/scor

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

09-Jun-2010 AM clippings

2010-06-09T09:43:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The NZOSS "Public Sector Remix" project produces a set of guidelines for reducing the hidden cost burdens of proprietary software:
http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2010/floss-policy-new-zealand

If you do manage to get hold of a Kobo or similar eReader, you can download news from Stuff into it from here:
http://www.feedbooks.com/newspaper/9757

Andalusia in Spain deploys 220,000 Ubuntu workstations to its schools and finds it not only cuts costs but encourages creativity:
http://www.ubuntu.com/products/casestudies/Andalusia-deploys-220000-Ubuntu-desktops-in-schools-throughout-the-region

Adobe Flash Player and PDF viewer is vulnerable to a zero-day exploit again. All platforms affected:
http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3886396/Adobe+Warns+of+ZeroDay+Flaw+in+Flash+PDF.htm

Apple announce the iPhone 4 with higher resolution screen, better and more cameras & 6-axis gyro for US$199. 3G drops to US$99. Not in NZ:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/iphone-4-announced/

And finally. Quadcopters go distributed. These helicopters can dock together to form large, stable flight platforms:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-06/video-tiny-autonomous-copters-dock-voltron-style-create-larger-stronger-aircraft

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

01-Jun-2010 AM clippings

2010-06-01T09:11:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

New Top 500 Supercomputers list is out, with China in the top 10 and NZ at 280 thanks to Weta Digital. Most run linux:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10181725.stm

Malaysia's government has been encouraging Open Source use since 2004, resulting in huge savings and better performance. Report:
http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2010/malaysia-open-source-update

Whitcoulls release of the Kobo eReader exceeds their expectations, selling out completely over the weekend:
http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/whitcoulls-ahead-local-ebook-market-3573426

Google release a beta of a plugin that allows you to opt out of Google Analytics. Nice, but one thinks that one should opt in:
http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Sony's latest prototype flexible OLED screen is thinner than a human hair and can display streaming video while being rolled up:
http://inhabitat.com/2010/05/26/sony-unveils-flexible-oled-thinner-than-a-strand-of-human-hair/

And finally. 3D-Printed tooth scaffolds might allow new teeth to be grown in the patient's mouth in as little as 9 weeks:
http://www.gizmag.com/dental-implants-grown-in-mouth/15253/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

27-May-2010 PM clippings

2010-05-27T15:18:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Air New Zealand to introduce SMS and e-mails in-flight, if they can convince the CAA that mobiles on planes are OK after all:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10647696

Whitcoulls launch their own ePub reader, the Kobo eReader, for a paltry NZ$295. ePub file apps are also available for mobiles:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3745917/Whitcoulls-launches-eReader http://www.koboereader.com/

NZ Govt. says NZ/Oz roaming charge price transparency is inadequate, consumer awareness of prices low, prices high. Seeks feedback:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10647811

3D Printers are now printing atomic force microscopes capable of manipulating matter one atom at a time:
http://www.biophysik.physik.uni-muenchen.de/projects/plastic-afm

And finally. The Rubik's Cube is 30 years old today:
http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/rubik-s-cube-celebrates-milestone-3568848

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

26-May-2010 PM clippings

2010-05-26T14:32:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Microsoft releases code to read their OST Data format as used by Outlook under the Apache licence. Writing to come:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/24/microsoft_outlook_open_source_tools/

Google's online Powermeter real-time electricity monitoring system is now available in NZ - if you have an ENVI meter:
http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/56E73222ECCADBF6CC25772E00140864

Chrome 5.0 is released for Windows Mac and Linux - the first time all platforms have had a stable release:
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Google-releases-Chrome-5-0-for-Windows-Mac-OS-X-Linux-1007527.html

Secure communications apps start to appear for Android mobiles. VoIP and SMS can be encrypted in transit and in stored messages:
http://blogs.forbes.com/firewall/2010/05/25/android-app-aims-to-allow-wiretap-proof-cell-phone-calls/

The Amazon Kindle gets a lot of flack in college. Students love it for reading novels, but treat textbooks in a very different way:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011938870_kindle24.html

US GPS System to get a US$8 billion upgrade to make it more accurate as competition hots up from Galileo and GLONASS:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/23/business/la-fi-gps-20100523

Open Source systems making significant gains in the 3D printing market:
http://www.designnews.com/article/509073-Open_Source_Systems_Emerge_in_3D_Printing.php

And finally. Auckland trumps Wellington as the world's most livable city in the Mercer 2010 survey. Dorkland was 4th, Welly 12th:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3739128/Wellington-less-livable-than-Auckland

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

25-May-2010 PM clippings

2010-05-25T13:57:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

In Memoriam. Paul Reynolds, renowned New Zealand digital pioneer, radio presenter and author passed away suddenly on the weekend:
http://passthesource.org.nz/2010/05/24/where-are-the-libraries-of-tomorrow-going-to-be/

Telecom NZ takes its all-you-can-eat Big Time broadband plan off the menu as people start using it for all they can eat:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10646147

Microsoft files a patent lawsuit against Salesforce.com, a rival provider of online CRM services:
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/05/microsoft-files-rare-patent-lawsuit-against-salesforcecom.ars

Protecting your software without patents. It can be done but the best method is "innovate and innovate fast":
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/protecting-ip-in-a-post-patent-environment

HP To put Palm's WebOS onto a slate-type device:
http://www.liliputing.com/2010/05/hp-webos-slate-on-the-way-dont-expect-a-webos-netbook.html

Meanwhile an Open Source ultra-portable clamshell called Pandora, the most powerful gaming handheld there is. Selling for US$330:
http://www.open-pandora.org/

And finally. No bull. HP Suggests data centres should be coupled with cattle farms for optimal efficiency. Sysadmins & dairy as cow-orkers:
http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/05/18/hp-envisions-cow-powered-data-centers

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

20-May-2010 PM clippings

2010-05-20T12:56:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

New Zealanders are the fourth less likely bunch to pirate software in the world - yet we still get charged 40% more:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3703560/Kiwis-go-unrewarded-for-low-piracy-rates

The MPAA goes to war in Iraq - against the US military:
http://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-worries-about-pirating-u-s-soldiers-in-iraq-100515/

Google releases the VP8 codec as Open Source, using it in the WebM format specification. Chrome, Youtube and Firefox to support it:
http://www.fsf.org/news/free-software-foundation-statement-on-webm-and-vp8

Fighting crapware on new PCs. How vendors pay to have their trial crap put on your new PC to the detriment of its performance:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/3708734/Fight-rubbishware-on-your-PC

OLPC Laptops going to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. All children there to get one. Palestine deployment continues:
http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/05/13/olpc-kicks-off-ambitious-new-efforts-in-africa-and-middle-east.aspx

Looks like the new Chevy Volt car might have the Android OS. Makes sense. Like the Android handsets, Chevy's hate sharp corners:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/googles_android_os_headed_to_the_chevy_volt.php

At least one distributed, secure social networking project is underway. Could Facebook's days be numbered?:
http://www.gizmag.com/diaspora-open-source-social-network/15098/

And finally. How to propell baby at frightening speed along the pavement and get some fun out of it. Next, the babyhelmet:
http://www.gizmag.com/roller-buggy-stroller-scooter-hybrid/15140/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

13-May-2010 PM clippings

2010-05-13T16:53:00.000+12:00

Enjoy:

The NZ Open Source Society offers its non-partisan assistance in developing an Open Source strategy for Wellington:
http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2010/free-and-open-source-strategy-wellington

Google to be asked why it has been wardriving while taking photos for Google Street maps:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3692659/Does-Google-want-your-Wi-Fi-data-too

SAP is to buy Sybase for US$5.8 billion in the latest round of database company growth-by-acquisition:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64B5OT20100513

Rumours that Android 2.2 is significantly quicker than earlier versions:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/196153/android_22_packs_5x_performance_boost_says_report.html

Dr Nadrian Seeman and his colleagues demonstrate a functional prototype of a nanoscale factory:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704247904575240380352719428.html

And finally. If you want to open a bottle of Villa Maria methode traditionelle bubbly, you now have to reach for the bottle opener:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/3692565/Never-mind-the-pop-check-the-taste-and-the-bubbles

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

12-May-2010 PM clippings

2010-05-12T14:03:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Sony issues an "upgrade" to the PS3 to prevent it running Linux and wipes out a whole series of PS3-based supercomputers:
http://nexus404.com/Blog/2010/05/07/sony-accidentally-ends-ps3-supercomputing-sonys-removal-of-the-otheros-feature-prematurely-ends-ps3-supercomputer-clusters/

Linux users will need a Microsoft Office bulk license to use Office Web Apps:
http://www.itwriting.com/blog/2598-linux-users-will-need-a-microsoft-office-license-to-use-office-web-apps.html

InternetNZ to host a series of seminars on the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing Amendment) Bill, to assist the Select Committee:
http://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2010/internetnz-targets-seminars-copyright-infringing-file-sharing-amendment-bil

The independent game bundle with a set-your-own-price-tag nets US$1 million. 30% Goes to charity and 4 games will now go Open Source:
http://www.wolfire.com/humble

A review of the latest "Lucid Lynx" release of Ubuntu:
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2010/05/lucid-dream-ars-reviews-ubuntu-1004.ars

Mandriva, the Paris-based Linux distribution, runs short of cash and puts itself up for sale:
http://www.osnews.com/story/23276/Mandriva_S_A_For_Sale

Vodafone's latest offer is the last straw for the Commerce Commission and mobile call termination rates will now be regulated:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10644395

3D Printers now printing with recycled glass:
http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/401-you-can-now-3D-print-in-glass-with-Shapeways.html

And finally. The Bill & Melinda Gates foundation wants to sterilize men in developing countries by zapping their testes with ultrasound:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8674380.stm

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

11-May-2010 PM clippings

2010-05-11T15:54:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The State Services Commission stipulates an Open Source solution in a tender for its new website. This seems to be a growing trend:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/ssc-backs-exclusively-open-source-spec

Open Source featured heavily in the UK election campaign where it is seen as a way of preventing spending blowouts:
http://www.burgess.co.nz/law/uk-election-2010-the-technology-vote

Open Source hardware is now making money, with at least 13 companies making US$1 million or more with it:
http://singularityhub.com/2010/05/10/13-open-source-hardware-companies-making-1-million-or-more-video/

Cellphones to be allowed on some flights into NZ, but not within it:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/cellphone-use-on-some-nz-bound-planes-permitted

Google's Android phones are now outselling iPhones in the US. The Blackberry is still number one there:
http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/05/10/google-android-outsells-apple-iphone-ranked-second-in-u-s-smartphone-market/

WirelessHD and WiGig clash over frequency allocation for short-range transfer at very high data speeds for video etc.:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/05/new-frequency-set-to-turbocharge-wi-fi/

And finally. Students in Canada create a 3D printer that prints with ice. Ice sculptors and ice lolly makers not up in arms:
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/01/3d-printing-with-ice.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

29-Apr-2010 PM clippings

2010-04-29T14:18:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

HTC To pay Microsoft a licence fee for every Android phone it makes just in case it infringes any Microsoft patents:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/29/microsoft_htc_linux_patents/

HP Buys up Palm for US$1.2 billion:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8650504.stm

Labour in NZ seek input on how voters think an Open government should be run:
http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2010/04/29/openlabournz-a-new-way-of-doing-things/

Telecom XT looks like it will get a re-branding. If only the money was spent on providing a reliable service...:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3636818/Telecom-XT-set-for-new-look

A grain of truth in the Apple rumours as Apple buys Inrinsity, a developer of ARM cores allegedly used by Apple:
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/04/apple-purchase-of-intrinsity-confirmed.ars

And finaly. The movie "Avatar" sets two Blu-ray records. The most illegal downloads and the most disk sales. Go figure:
http://www.gizmag.com/avatar-blu-ray-record-most-illegal-downloads/14917/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

28-Apr-2010 AM clippings

2010-04-28T09:57:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Google's Android apps store passes 50,000 and looks set to hit 100,000 by the year's end:
http://www.gizmag.com/android-market-passes-50000-apps/14908/

Rumours circulate that Apple will lock down OSX 10.7 to only run applications approved by Apple. The official denial doesn't help:
http://rixstep.com/1/20100424,00.shtml http://www.macstories.net/news/steve-jobs-no-mac-app-store/

How releasing Open data saved the Canadian government C$3.2 billion:
http://eaves.ca/2010/04/14/case-study-open-data-and-the-public-purse/

A review of Microsot Office Web Apps and the inevitable comparison with Google Apps:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/27/office_2010_web_apps_review/

Sony to finally end sales of 3.5" floppy disks in March 2011:
http://www.examiner.com/x-16352-Japan-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m4d24-Sony-to-discontinue-35-inch-floppy-disk-in-Japan

Bluetooth 4.0 spec includes configurable range, and the ability to run in low power mode on button cells for months:
http://www.gizmag.com/bluetooth-v40-specification/14873/

And finally. A spinning ball of LEDs proves that LEDs are still cool:
http://www.youtube.com/v/sO2-tqoyGik

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

22-Apr-2010 PM clippings

2010-04-22T13:41:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

A bug in McAfee's antivirus program go into continuous reboot mode, perpetuated by automatic updates. Disruption is widespread:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/3609889/Antivirus-software-bug-hits-NZ

The countries involved in the ACTA talks feel that perhaps now the time is right to release their hitherto secret negotiations:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/secretive-counterfeiting-treaty-talks-open-up

ACTA Text here:
http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2010/acta-be-public

The NZ Computer Society comes out in support of the ban on software patents following a poll of its membership. So does InternetNZ:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/nzcs-lobbies-to-end-patent-protection-for-software http://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2010/internetnz-agrees-no-software-patents

US and UK Governments to make their funded research results available to everyone for free:
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100407/full/464822a.html http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7102743.ece

Adobe drops support for the iPhone after Apple decree that code must be written in "Objective-C, C++ or JavaScript":
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/21/adobe_iphone/

Fab@Home release the second generation of their personal 3D fabricating machine. Simpler and easier to assemble:
http://www.fabathome.org/?q=node/10

And finally. A new capcha system that validates humans by getting them to read a resistor's colour bands:
http://hackaday.com/2010/04/21/are-you-human-resistor-edition/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

12-Apr-2010 PM clippings

2010-04-12T12:20:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

PublicACTA "Wellington Declaration" now available online, together with a petition collecting signatures in support:
http://publicacta.org.nz/wellington-declaration/

Commerce Minister Simon Power adds his backing to the decision to make software unpatentable in New Zealand:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3570621/Power-to-delete-software-patents

The NZICT seems to be speaking more for the international corporations in ICT rather than the NZ part on software patents:
http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2010/software-science-or-software-alchemy

Electrowetting displays may soak up existing technologies used in e-book readers:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/8610962.stm

And finally. The jandal mouse, designed as an input device for the disabled, but might just catch on with bare-footed Kiwis:
http://www.gizmag.com/toe-mouse-concept/14759/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

08-Apr-2010 PM clippings

2010-04-08T13:35:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Google may have let Chinese hackers break in to their systems, but it is giving US authorities consensual access to e-mail accounts:
http://itnews.com.au/News/171122,opinion-conroy-is-right-to-question-googles-privacy-record.aspx

Telecom's XT network goes down yet again, this time Aucklanders get it in the neck as the network goes intermittend Nort of Taupo:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3560440/Telecom-XT-outage-hits-Auckland

Ubuntu is now claiming 12 million users worldwide, alongside Red Hat which claims 24 million:
http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reports/7032/1/

Diamond wafers now look to be a real possibility as researchers in Tsukuba seamlessly stitch "cloned" CVD diamond sheets together:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18736-diamond-chips-to-make-meaner-greener-electronics.html

And finally. A multi-cellular organism resembling a jellyfish is found that does not need oxygen and apparently never used it:
http://www.physorg.com/news189836027.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

07-Apr-2010 AM clippings

2010-04-07T11:47:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

InternetNZ weighs in on ACTA and finds economic evidence that ACTA's proposed controls over the internet are not needed:
http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/FF781B3E4EC60084CC2576FD00186BE6

Woosh Wireless not doing so great. Record loss of $38 million leaves them $12m in the red:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3551911/Woosh-Wireless-plunges-to-record-loss-of-38m

Apple iPads look like they have problems connecting to Wifi anyway:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/193579/apple_confirms_ipad_wifi_issues_suggests_fixes.html

IBM Breaks its vow not to use patents against OSS, filing suit against the Open Source Hercules project that emulates Syztem Z:
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/04/ibm-breaks-oss-patent-promise-targets-mainframe-emulator.ars

A superconductor that works in sub-nanometer lengths is discovered, opening the way for highly miniaturised superconducting processors:
http://www.thinq.co.uk/news/2010/3/30/worlds-smallest-superconductor-discovered/

And finally. Is allowing Japan to continue whaling a fair trade for a trading deal between New Zealand Japan? Ask the man in the middle:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/3549910/Whales-govt-harpooned

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

01-Apr-2010 AM clippings

2010-04-01T10:43:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

SSL CA Certificates may not be worth the paper they're printed on, as governments and CAs have subverted the system to allow spying:
http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2010/03/govts-certificate-authorities-conspire-to-spy-on-ssl-users.ars

The jury finds for Novell in the SCO vs Novell case. Now SCO have no leg to stand on vs Red Hat & IBM, so look likely to go down the tube:
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20100330152829622

Microsoft and Ford gang up to produce smart-charging electric cars. But do you want to have to buy Microsoft-compatible batteries?:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3539961/Ford-Microsoft-team-up-on-electric-cars

"Prefab" scans a computer's virtual screen to look for buttons, boxes etc and then overwrites them to change the app's apparent behaviour:
http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleid=56581

Royalties & cross-licencing sorted out for the OLPC/Pixel Qi screens that are daylight-readable and low-power. Coming to OEMs near you:
http://laptop.org/en/utility/press/release20100330.shtml

Google now blocked in China. No surprise, but good to see them making a stand against cnesorship. Who will be next?:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1262294/Google-services-blocked-China.html

Seton Hill University of Pennsylvania will be locking every full-time student into an iPad:
http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/03/30/university-give-students-ipad-suddenly-feel-thirst-knowledge/

And finally. Tweeting undewear to give notification to caregivers when their charges are a wee bit damp:
http://www.simavita.com/pages/simsystem/simsystem_technology/default.asp

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

31-Mar-2010 AM clippings

2010-03-31T10:41:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

The NZ Select Committee report into the new patent bill recommends that software should not be patentable:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/thumbs-down-for-software-patents-in-nz http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/B6E4F834-C47A-426A-86B8-F573ED4F5E04/132519/DBSCH_SCR_4679_PatentsBill2352_7434_1.pdf

pCubee is a prototype cube that appears to hold interactive 3D contents that can be shaken, or stirred with a stylus:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2851

Firefox 3.0.19 is out, with a few stability fixups and some potential security holes plugged:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.0.19/releasenotes/

Meanwhile, Microsoft patches 10 actual vulnerabilities in IE, some of which have been exploited for weeks:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9174432/Microsoft_patches_10_critical_IE_bugs?taxonomyId=85

And finally. Some audio. Inventive Auckland students come up with a way to distribute OLPC data & text over old-fashioned AM/FM radio:
http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/twu/twu-20100327-1340-Wireless_access-048.mp3 http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/twu/twu-20100327-1340-Wireless_access.ogg

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

30-Mar-2010 PM clippings

2010-03-30T13:28:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

IBM, Canonical, and Simmtronics to market an Atom-based notebook in South Africa and Asia for US$190. Time for the parallel imports...:
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS5247302500.html

Nvidia drops the Open Source "nv" video driver for their cards, won't support or even mention the Open replacement "nouveau" driver either:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=nvidia_kills_nv&num=1

OpenSSL 1.0 has been 11 years in the making but is available now:
http://www.openssl.org/

Mike Davey builds a Turing Machine that actually writes 1's and 0's on a piece of tape with a pen and wipes them out with a rubber:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/an_actual_turing_machine.html

Skinput uses your arm as an input device. Tap it with the other hand or pinch fingers together and it can recognise up to 10 "keys":
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8587486.stm

And finally. A New York Federal court rules that patents on genes from breast and ovarian cancer - & thus many more - are invalid:
http://www.aclu.org/free-speech-womens-rights/patents-breast-cancer-genes-ruled-invalid-aclupubpat-case

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

24-Mar-2010 PM clippings

2010-03-24T14:35:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

There is support for the Linux Desktop, at least in NZ, Victoria University finds. But proprietary retailers prevent adoption:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/survey-finds-support-available-for-open-desktop-shift

Firefox dropped on Windows Mobile due to a lack of native development kit from Microsoft. Mozilla will now concentrate on Android phones:
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/340570/mozilla_stops_development_firefox_windows_mobile/

The EU will propose Opening the ACTA negotiations in the secret meeting in Wellington next month, and may withdraw if that fails:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/192157/ec_to_urge_transparency_in_secret_copyright_treaty_talks.html

A fully hackable Linux PDA goes on sale for US$99. The "Ben" uses a MIPS CPU in a clamshell case. 32MB DRAM, 2GB Flash, 320x240 display:
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Qi-Hardware-Ben-NanoNote/i

How to write really, really small programs using modern day tools:
http://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/software/tiny/teensy.html

Having standardised the micro USB connector on mobile phones, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Fuji try to standardise electric car chargers:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iLfCgTv7rwsa5g887V77rxfwlhRA

And finally. Here's a project for doing in the garden shed. Make your own OLEDS using common items and weird chemicals:
http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/nanolab/oLED/index.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

11-Mar-2010 PM clippings

2010-03-11T15:15:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Talkabout Special:

PublicACTA, talks to discuss and analyse what we know about ACTA to be held in Wellington 10th April, weekend before secret ACTA talks:
http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2010/michael-geist-to-keynote-publicacta-internetnz

Nat Torkington on the problems of making data sets Open:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2010/03/truly-open-data.html

A public lecture in Auckland on the public conception and mis-conceptions of science from the media. By Prof. Lawrence Krauss:
http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/events/template/event_item.jsp?cid=246813

And finally. A coffee-powered car. Seats 4, max speed of 100km/h. Needs re-beaning every half hour and does 3 miles to the kilo:
http://hackaday.com/2010/03/10/coffee-powered-car-puccino/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

10-Mar-2010 AM clippings

2010-03-10T09:04:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

The EU tables a bill to make ACTA negotiations transparent, put a ban on the "three strikes" model and no personal border searches:
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4848/125/

The UK government "clarifies" a bill to stop people freely sharing their wifi. From neighbours to cafes - but not big companies:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1594048/uk-kill-internet-cafes

A breakdown of Apple's patent lawsuit against HTC. This appears to be goading Google into supporting HTC, then attacking Google:
http://i.engadget.com/2010/03/02/apple-vs-htc-a-patent-breakdown/

Nokia patents the use of shakeable rechargers in mobile phones:
http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/news-mobile-wireless/nokia-patent-targets-mobile-device-kinetic-energy-charging-5723

A worthy deployment to Afghanistan; 3,700 OLPCs to teach the beleaguered kiddies with:
http://blog.laptop.org/2010/03/09/olpc-provides-children-of-afghanistan-access-to-a-modern-education/

HTC Magic phones found to come pre-installed with Mariposa bot client. Some of the perps are arrested:
http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/htc-phones-pre-installed-mariposa-bot-client-030910

The Energizer Bunny pulls something magical out of the rabbit hole - a virus that is spread by an Energizer USB charger:
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/338752/energizer_bunny_software_infects_pcs/

The US to drop its embargo on selected software to Iran, Cuba etc. The selected software is mostly social networking and e-mail stuff:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/58290

And finally. Cullinary investigators take on the Girl Guide Biscuit as a sub-standard batch shocks Wellington biscuit affectionados:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10631052

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

02-Mar-2010 AM clippings

2010-03-02T11:39:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Massive ACTA document leak from the EU dated Feb 2010. Ironic that we have to get NZ's ACTA position from European document leaks:
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4829/125/ http://blog.die-linke.de/digitalelinke/wp-content/uploads/ACTA-6437-10.pdf

Europe to get user selectable cut-off limits for roaming phone bills and limits on roaming charges:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/190413/new_eu_limits_on_mobile_roaming_begin.html

Rickrolling is killed off by YouTube, as it removed the original video after a terms-of-use violation. No, I won't rickroll you:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/190128/rip_rickrolling_youtube_kills_original_video.html

British company Pelikon shows a keypad for mobile phones that serves as a touchpad. It is illuminated to highlight different key functions:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/01/pelikons-morphpad-demoed-combines-touchpad-morphing-keyboard/

UK Spy drone makes its first arrest, fingering a perp hiding in the bushes in Merseyside:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2811

And finally. An amazing litte super-compact electric bike. Just wish it had a super-compact price tag too:
http://www.yikebike.com/site/gallery

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

25-Feb-2010 AM clippings

2010-02-25T10:09:00.000+13:00

Enjoy:

Youtube alerts IE 6 owners to the fact that their browser won't work properly on their site after the 13th March:
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/02/youtube-to-kill-ie6-support-on-march-13.ars

The copyright industry tries to put countries whose governments promote Free software onto the pirate-friendly bad boys list:
http://www.technollama.co.uk/encouraging-open-source-could-land-you-in-trouble

Google's global privacy counsel does everything by the book but is convicted by an Italian court anyway causing uproar:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9161818/Google_privacy_convictions_in_Italy_spark_outrage?taxonomyId=16

Flyfire attempts to produce 3D displays using a swarm of little helicopters with LEDs on:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2804

And finally. Instructables open a restaurant. Not only can you get the source code of the meal, but the chair, table, lamp...:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/57846

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

23-Feb-2010 PM clippings

2010-02-23T12:36:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Leaked ACTA texts confirm that a draconian crackdown on ISPs and guilt by accusation laws are still part of the plan:
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/21/acta-internet-enforc.html

Craig Barth, a critic of Microsoft and origin of the "report" that Windows 7 ran out of RAM, turns out to be an IDG journalist's alias:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10457226-92.html

Telecom's chief technical officer, Frank Mount, resigns over the Telecom NZ XT network failures. The network failed again last night:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10627972

Engadget's 2009 Gadget Awards are out, with the Motorola Droid picking up a lot of the prizes:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/the-winners-of-the-2009-engadget-awards/

Google to stop working on Google Gears, concentrating on HTML5 instead:
http://mashable.com/2010/02/20/google-gears-rip/

Online laser cutting service provider Ponoko branches out into Europe with a deal in Germany. Formulor will cut objects for the EU:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3358145/Ponokos-software-reaches-Europe-design-market

And finally. The UK's Science & Techonology Select Committee recommends a complete withdrawal of hopeopathy funding:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2010/feb/22/mps-verdict-homeopathy-useless-unethical

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

22-Feb-2010 AM clippings

2010-02-22T10:58:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Telecom moves forward the deployment of 33 cell sites for its troubled XT network to this year:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/3355189/Telecom-to-beef-up-XT-coverage

From the 1st of March European Windows users will have the opportunity to pick which browser is used by default:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8524019.stm

A Google phone gadget that OCR's text in real time and then translates it for you using Google Translate:
http://googletranslate.blogspot.com/2010/02/integrating-translation-into-google.html

A new solar cell design traps light amongst silicon fibres like the hairs do in a polar bear's coat. The fibres make it flexible too:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527485.200-silicon-wire-forest-makes-wearable-solar-cells.html

And finally. New Zealand's bill to outsource search powers, remove the right to silence & allow fishing expeditions is before parlaiment:
http://www.indymedia.org.nz/article/78229/search-and-surveillance-bill-parliament

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

18-Feb-2010 AM clippings

2010-02-18T10:23:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Some actual details on the Mexico ACTA talks are released. As a leak, of course. Activities now include spin-doctoring to sooth the public:
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4795/125/

Google injects US$2 million into Wikipedia on the quiet:
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/02/17/google-gives-2-million-to-wikipedia/

RepRap 3D printers can now print objects using clay as well as plastic:
http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2010/02/a-reprap-printing-in-clay/

The latest ARM Cortex-A9 CPU uses 28nm fab to improve performance by 40% and cut power by 30% running at 2GHz. Ready for ARM laptops?:
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/ARM-Holdings-and-Globalfoundries-provide-details-of-28nm-part/

Chip-stacking brings the possibility of 1 TB FLASH drives in 2012, with this working prototype by Toshiba existing today:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2791

And finally. DNA Hackers produce functioning DNA that uses a 4-bit rather than 3-bit code and can incorporate artificial amino acids:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20527484.000-lifes-code-rewritten-in-fourletter-words.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

16-Feb-2010 AM clippings

2010-02-16T10:45:00.000+13:00

Enjoy:

Mattel introduce "Computer Engineer Barbie" for Christmas. Any resemblance between it and a real female engineer is, well, missing:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/14/computer_engineer_barbie/

Google to roll out an experimental 1Gbit/sec fibre-to-the-home network to 50,000+ lucky Americans on a trial basis:
http://www.gizmag.com/googlei1-gigabit-per-second-fiber-to-the-home-network/14140/

The cracks are starting to show around the edges of the top secret ACTA negotiations as the Europeans fail to "bend over":
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/technology/08piracy.html

ACS:Law in the UK is condemned for its mass mailout of dubious demands for settlement for alleged copyright infringement:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8483482.stm

Intel and Nokia bad together on Meego, a merge of Maemo and Moblin, and a Linux distro that interestingly will run on ARM:
http://jaaksi.blogspot.com/2010/02/meego-time.html

Physiologists hack a camera and mirror array from a projector to make a camera that can shoot 400 frames/sec and still have 1MP resolution:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18522-offtheshelf-camera-hacked-to-grab-highspeed-video.html

And finally. The captain of Ady Gil, sunk by Japanese whalers, boards the whaler with an arrest warrant and invoice on a jetski:
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-100215-3.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

11-Feb-2010 PM clippings

2010-02-11T12:14:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Sourceforge removes the blanket blocking of access by countries the US doesn't like and places blocking in the hands of project admins:
http://ostatic.com/blog/sourceforge-removes-blanket-block

Norway's eGovernment agency declares OOXML to be unsuitable, recommending PDF and ODF use instead:
http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/article/335505

The Motorola Droid mobile phone can be persuaded to turn its USB port into "host" mode, theoretically allowing USB sticks etc. to work:
http://www.tombom.co.uk/blog/?p=124

An interesting vulnerability in Microsoft Paint, allowing remote code execution via JPEG images. Use Gimp instead:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS10-005.mspx http://gimp.org

Ferroelectric memory makes the news again, this time with a completely organic base material:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18503-organic-crystals-promise-lowpower-green-computing.html

And finally. The UK trials the first amphibious bus service, the amfibus, run by Stagecoach across the River Clyde:
http://www.gizmag.com/stagecoach-amphibious-bus-amfibus/14130/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

04-Feb-2010 PM clippings

2010-02-04T13:44:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Remix Project for FLOSS in govt. halted by incumbents. "Itâ™s never been anyoneâ™s job to look at the OS on public-sector desktops":
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/technology/remix-project-makes-limited-desktop-headway

The Australian Federal Court finds the ISP iiNet not liable for the downloading habits of its customers in a case pushed by Hollywood:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3293242/Aussie-ISP-battles-Hollywood-and-wins

How to teach children to adapt to the inevitable changes in IT rather than learning legacy applications by rote - and save money:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10623790&pnum=2

Catalyst IT in NZ brings out a demo ENUM application for Android to demonstrate the benefits of a single point of contact (AGPL3):
http://www.ohloh.net/p/enumdiscoverer

A phishing scam reselling fraudulently obtained European carbon credits nets the perpetrators around 1.5 million Euros:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,675725,00.html

And finally. The face of Microsoft in Bosnia. Well, obviously not the official one...:
http://www.microsoft.ba/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

02-Feb-2010 PM clippings

2010-02-02T15:30:00.000+13:00

Enjoy:

Wikileaks is taken down. Not because of any great free speech or copyright scandal but because they can't pay the bills:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8490867.stm

Telecom to pay nearly $5 million compensation to customers affected by last week's XT outage, just as Taranaki has a new outage:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3283981/5m-in-Telecom-XT-compensation

As of next year, the Danish Parliament will ditch some Microsoft- based software in favour of ODF standard support:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/29/danes_ditch_microsoft/

And finally. Now we know what colour dinosaurs were - or at least their feathers. Reds, blacks, browns & greys in various patterns:
http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2010/01/what_colours_were_dinosaur_feathers.php

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

28-Jan-2010 AM clippings

2010-01-28T09:47:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

The evidence for the recent spate of attacks blamed on China appears to be dodgy at best. An algorithm allegedly Chinese is in wide use:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/26/aurora_attack_origins/

A free consignment of refurbished OLPCs is going to Haiti to help kids as 75% of the schools have been destroyed:
http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/olpc-sends-refurbished-laptops-to-haiti-3130

The Apple iPad has an optional keyboard dock and will work with existing bluetooth keyboards:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/ipad-has-optional-keyboard-dock/

Now 3D printers can theoretically print 2D printers that don't depend on expensive consumables, a project starts to build an Open one:
http://openprinter.wikia.com/wiki/Openprinter_Wiki#Welcome_to_the_OpenPrinter_project

The Foresight Foundation announces a US$80,000 prize for the design of a better RepRap 3D printer. An interim $20,000 is also on offer:
http://objects.reprap.org/wiki/GadaPrize

Telecom's XT phone network goes down South of Taupo again:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10622743

LG Show their 19" flexible e-paper screen off. That's an A3 display. An 11.5" version is to go to mass production soon:
http://www.lgblog.co.uk/2010/01/21/lg-display-unveil-worlds-largest-e-paper/

And finally. Now botulism toxins are being produced on the black market, you can mail order very large quantities from China:
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/01/pity-the-biowarrior-starting-i.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

26-Jan-2010 PM clippings

2010-01-26T13:15:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Australia plans to censor the internet using the old Nazi "to protect the children" myth. Not good, and you'll be next. Object. Now:
http://www.internetblackout.com.au/

ACTA Is also being discussed again, in Mexico this time. It appears the excessive secrecy is even preventing UK MPs from seeing the deal:
http://creativefreedom.org.nz/story.html?id=460

Stuff article on more IE holes. Curiously, 70% approx. of the user poll claim to not use IE anyway, and 12% say they've switched:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3261498/More-IE-security-holes-found

NZ's Albany Senior High now held as an example of how to run a school using Open Source infrastructure:
http://linux.slashdot.org/story/10/01/25/0230231/NZ-School-Goes-Open-Source-Amid-Microsoft-Mandate

The NZ health sector is not so lucky. It seems to be saying it is saving money by paying more for its software licences. Come again?:
http://passthesource.org.nz/2010/01/25/health-dollars/

GPS Navigation to come bundled on Android phones. Just so long as you are not in New Zealand. Sigh:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/technology/3257771/End-of-the-road-for-standalone-GPS

And finally. The extra loud soundtrack that we're told advertisements don't have is to be lowered in volume at last:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/technology/3257760/TV-ads-may-get-quieter

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

14-Jan-2010 PM clippings

2010-01-14T16:30:00.000+13:00

Enjoy:

The author will be attending LinuxConf 2010 in Wellington next week, and so Clippings may be more erratic than usual. See ya on Open Day?:
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/programme/open_day

Hints from Google that they are going to try to run an uncensored search in China, and if that can't be done they may shut google.cn:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html

The Tumanako Open Source electric racing car tests out its new inverter software, giving it a bit more speed:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/wordpress/tumanako/2010/01/13/tumanako-inverter-packaged/

Why the OLPC's Pixel Qi screen looks so good, and why it may well take the upcoming tablet/e-book market by storm:
http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2010-01/pixel-qi-lcd-screen-could-finally-kill-paper-forever

And finally. What do you do with your expired Christmas tree? Launch it on top of a bunch of rockets of course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCjHV63MQ4w

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

13-Jan-2010 AM clippings

2010-01-13T10:19:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

The French agency Hadopi that enforces copyright on file sharers unveils its logo - using unlicenced fonts. Legal action to follow:
http://torrentfreak.com/french-3-strikes-group-unveils-copyright-infringing-logo-100112/

LinuxConf is held in Wellington next week, including a Free Open Day at the end (23rd Jan) in the Town Hall for the curious. All welcome:
http://www.lca2010.org.nz/programme/open_day

The Snapdragon ARM CPU used in the Nexus mobile phone is due to get a more efficient 1.3GHz sibling, and a dual-core 1.5GHz version:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/186737/mobile_snapdragon_processor_2010.html?tk=rss_news

ICD Shows off their 15.6 and 7 inch Android-based tablets, one of which is pitched for use in the kitchen:
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/ICD-Ultra-and-Vega/

And finally. How will people cope, when all they know about technology is obsolete by the time they're 20?:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/weekinreview/10stone.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

12-Jan-2010 AM clippings

2010-01-12T09:51:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Open Source in government is about to get an airing in Wellington, as international govt departments meet for a conference on FLOSS:
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/30403/1090/

Microsoft pulls Office from its online stores in complaince with a US court order finding it in breach of a patent on XML use:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9143818/Microsoft_pulls_Office_from_own_online_store?taxonomyId=146

Firefox 3.6 release candidate is out. Improvements include Open web font use, accelerometer interfacing and a new theme engine:
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/01/firefox-36-almost-ready-release-candidate-available.ars

Feedback from the Nexus One users so far is mostly critical of the technical support side of things:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8451473.stm

Google agrees to stop scanning Chinese books, and starts trying to hammer out an agreement with the authors:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10432212-265.html

A new approach to computing uses synthetic neurons as "wetware":
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8452196.stm

And finally. A drag bike arrives in NZ that does 0-100 in less than a second, the quarter mile in 7.8s and all on 14c worth of electricity:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1001/S00054.htm http://blog.greenstage.co.nz/2010/01/killacycle-tour-updates.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

07-Jan-2010 PM clippings

2010-01-07T14:03:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Waikato University uses an Open Source mobile framework from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a student e-guide:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1001/S00005.htm

Amazon makes a new, larger Kindle ebook reader - but you can't have one in New Zealand. Thanks heaps, again:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/3211200/NZ-stiffed-again-over-larger-Amazon-Kindle

So how prevalent will NZ's new e-tracking be? In the US one carrier (Sprint) alone received 8 million warranted location requests:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/12/surveillance-shocker-sprint-received-8-million-law

One set of research into mobile phone radiation on rats suggests it may actually help stave off Alzheimer's disease:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8443541.stm

And finally. 30 Novotels categorise what we leave behind at the hotel, what we take, and what we throw out of the window...:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/3212745/Sex-and-sex-toys-the-new-vibe-at-hotels

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

06-Jan-2010 PM clippings

2010-01-06T13:52:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

NZ's November web usage stats show IE 8.0 in the front with 26% and Firefox 3.5 close on its heels with 23%. Chrome has a slight upturn:
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser_version-NZ-weekly-200942-200951 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/4588C88B3EA4A81ECC25767F00666BC0

NZ introduces surveillance super-powers, allowing one warrant to cover all a suspects e-services. Next, one warrant for all NZ?:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3203448/NZs-cyber-spies-win-new-powers

An Italian Consumers' Association is preparing a class-action lawsuit to reclaim the cost of unwanted preinstalled Microsoft software:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/185915/class_action_suit_microsoft.html?tk=rss_news

A US$200 tablet computer is on the cards for release this year, with a 1GHZ CPU, 1/2GB RAM, 64GB flash, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Android:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/185764/A_199_Tablet_for_Everyone_And_Its_Not_From_Apple.html

And finally. The whales get a new friend, as a 3rd vessel joins the anti-whaling fleet. It's a shame some NZ PR firms are anti-whale:
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-100105-1.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/3209484/Secret-ship-confronts-whalers

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

17-Dec-2009 AM clippings

2009-12-17T11:25:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Clippings will be shutting down for the Xmas season, so it'll all go quiet for a couple of weeks. Unless we find something really cool. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Microsoft caught copying code again, this time in their Chinese Twitter clone, Juku. 80% of a rival's code reportedly copied:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/15/microsoft-plurk

iFixit release their Apple hardware repair guides under the Creative Commons licence for iPhones, Macs and iPods:
http://www.ifixit.com/blog/?p=2023

This one, shot 3 times by Israeli security forces, is beyond their help. Maybe the "I (heart) Gaza" sticker was a bad move:
http://thenextweb.com/applicious/2009/12/15/macbook-bullet-ermno-pics/

A zero-day Adobe Reader vulnerability appears to have exploits in the wild. Solution is to disable JavaScript. Or not use Adobe:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142326/Kill_JavaScript_in_Adobe_Reader_to_ward_off_zero_day_exploit_experts_urge

And finally. Is "World Famous In New Zealand" owned by an American company or not? Cocal Cola thinks they should get the Trademark:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3168875/Kiwis-scrap-with-Coca-Cola-world-famous-in-NZ

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

16-Dec-2009 PM clippings

2009-12-16T13:26:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

The Ministry of Economic Development breifing fails to give a draft text of ACTA, or even define New Zealand's negotiating position:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/9B4A33AC48022F9BCC25768D0082657C

Vendor group NZICT delivers a strategy that closely aligns with government priorities, but not entirely with the NZ ICT industry:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3162343/NZICT-priorities-earn-praise

French ERP (enterprise resource planning) vendor Nexedi bids to take over the MySQL database from Sun Microsystems for a beer token:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20091214/tc_pcworld/erpvendorofferstotakeovermysql

The Software Freedom Law Centre sues 15 companies - some well-known brands - over GPL violations related to BusyBox:
http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2009/dec/14/busybox-gpl-lawsuit/

US Government considering a bill to fund Open Source textbooks:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s111-1714

And finally. The Japanese Sogo & Seibu department store is offering customised robots that look like their owners. For US$225,000:
http://www.physorg.com/news180018368.html#top

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

15-Dec-2009 AM clippings

2009-12-15T11:57:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Telecom to compensate 100,000 or so XT network users following the recent massive outage. It'll be clawed back on your bill somewhow:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3160496/100-000-to-get-redress-after-Telecom-XT-outage

New Zealand survey reveals that Kiwi firms are adopting Open Source software and solutions, and the public sector is into it too:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3155595/Open-source-making-its-mark-in-NZ

Swedish revenue figures show that music artists are making more money but the music distributors are not, echoing experiences in the UK:
http://techdirt.com/articles/20091213/1648377324.shtml

Microsoft accused by the Delhi High Court of using "money power" to harass defendants in four copyright cases:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/MS-fined-for-using-money-power/articleshow/5336125.cms

And finally. Remember the scene in Return of the Jedi where C3PO tells a story to Ewoks? The NAO humanoid robot can too:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2694

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

14-Dec-2009 PM clippings

2009-12-14T12:20:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Telecom XT network is down on the North Island, affecting everything South of Taupo except for emergency calls:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/3156329/Telecom-XT-outage

Google Goggles service lets you take a picture of something, and then find out more about it. Like your boss, for example...:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10615395

Presumably this capability will be linked with Googles quantum computing project to provide faster recognition:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18272-google-demonstrates-quantum-computer-image-search.html

The EU is objecting to Oracle buying up MySQL:
http://blogs.computerworld.com/15246/opposition_mounts_to_oracles_mysql_acquisition?source=rss_blogs

Apple declares that audio books must have DRM on them - even if the audio can be freely distributed:
http://torrentfreak.com/apple-says-audiobooks-must-have-drm-091212/

And finally. A pair of Kiwis smash the gliding distance record, facing -35C temperatures to fly 2500km over nearly 15 hours:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10615370

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

26-Nov-2009 AM clippings

2009-11-26T10:56:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Weather balloons used to loft mobile phone base stations:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/23/space_data_weather_balloon_base_station/

Auckland's Downtown carpark is highlighted as a major source of fraudulent credit card transactions:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10611513&ref=rss

Microsoft isn't simply releasing the code at the centre of its recent GPL violation. It seems to be mucking about with it first:
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/11/microsoft-delays-open-sourcing-windows-7-tool.ars

Diamond, or rather imperfections in it, offers a new and unexpected way to create quantum computers:
http://www.gizmag.com/diamonds-boost-quantum-computing-speed/13431/

Implantable silk-based electronics may provide LED tattos. Not for decoration but displaying medical information and stimulation:
http://www.gizmag.com/implantable-electronics/13334/

And finally. If you want Ubuntu installed, find a 7 year-old girl:
http://www.gnomejournal.org/article/88/the-un-scary-screwdriver

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

11-Nov-2009 PM clippings

2009-11-11T14:53:00.000+13:00

Enjoy:

Despite talk of piracy damaging their cut and the recession, the APRA manage to announce a substantial increase in profits:
http://www.apra.co.nz/html/news_item.php?id=6908&newsCat=h

Security firm FireEye takes out the Mega-D/Ozdok botnet. 1/3 of all spam came from the botnet's 264,000 zombie machines:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/10/fireeye_takes_out_ozdok/

Emotive's wireless, mind-controlled USB interface is set for sale to eager Amnericans for Xmas. But is it just a resistance sensor?:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/10/emotiv-epoc-human-computer-interface-supposedly-on-track-to-ship

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo have a seasonal scrap over who can offer the best free wifi connectivity this Xmas. US only, unfortunately:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/181852/Free_WiFi_Wars_Google_vs_Microsoft_vs_Yahoo.html?tk=rss_news

Wellington Makerspace turns out an outrigger canoe and launches it with a can of V. Not high-tech, but it is capable of bathing geeks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNEsXxw3UP4

And finally. In celebration of the end of the Berlin Wall, some Palestinians tear down a chunk of the Israeli version:
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2009/11/2009119151639325464.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

27-Oct-2009 AM clippings

2009-10-27T10:14:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

IBM Launches its challenger to the Microsoft Windows 7 desktop, aiming to provide more functionality on less expensive hardware:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/8A5192A220209541CC257655007F5E37

Windows 7 itself is not noticably faster than Vista, but on the plus side doesn't seem to need fancier hardware:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10604962

Sequoia Voting Systems ne Diebold accidentally releases the SQL code for its voting databases. SQL is interpreted and thus prohibited:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/10/20/795343/-Sequoia-Voting-Systems-hacks-self-in-foot

The Internet Archive has digitized 1.6 million books, and has made them available to the One Laptop Per Child ("$100 laptop") computers:
http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2009/10/24/internet-archive-opens-1-6-million-e-books-to-olpc-laptops/

whitehouse.gov is now running on Drupal, an Open Source content management system, and itself is running on the Open LAMP stack:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/10/whitehouse-switch-drupal-opensource.html

Toyota experiments with replacing the steering wheel in their cars and using a joystick instead:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/102109-goodbye-steering-wheel-here-comes.html

The excellent Pixel Qi daylight-readable, low power screen used in the One Laptop Per Child machine is finally made available to OEMs:
http://www.liliputing.com/2009/10/pixel-qi-displays-shipping-to-oems-soon.html

And finally. Tasers suffer a stunning turnaround as the manufacturer warns users not to fire Tasers at the victim's chest:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2988818/Taser-company-issues-warning-over-use

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

21-Oct-2009 PM clippings

2009-10-21T13:59:00.002+13:00

Enjoy:

After 6 months of work, Dr Te Taka Keegan's work with Google comes to fruition and Google Translate now supports the Māori language:
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=8485

Microsoft seem to be doing fairly well at recovering the personal data from the wreckage of the Sidekick/Danger servers:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220601016

Digital NZ are running another hackfest in Auckland on the 7th Novemeber, inviting people to play with their mashup API:
http://digitalnz.org/blog/news/article-digitalnz-api-hackfest-auckland-7-november-2009

How using Open Source in healthcare could turn the current system of pockets of healthcare into a more efficient, interoperable whole:
http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2009/thank-goodness-small-things

Barnes and Noble to release their e-book called the "nook". US only, much like a kindle, US$259 but free wi-fi in Barnes & Noble stores:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOSShzYsemD9j-R56E-h0eUaVwIwD9BF29T00

The self-fabricating RepRap 3D printers can work upside down. Which means they should be able to work in space:
http://blog.reprap.org/2009/10/printing-in-space.html

And finally. MIT Reworks the pop-up book with modern technology so that it lights up, moves and makes noises. The book, not MIT:
http://hlt.media.mit.edu/popables/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

15-Oct-2009 PM clippings

2009-10-15T13:10:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

NZ Telecom gets nailed in court for anti-competitive behaviour and has to pay a NZ$10 million fine for breaches of the commerce Act:
http://www.nbr.co.nz/node/113209

Amberdms Billing System V1.3 is out as GPL. A web application with accounting, invoicing, service management, time keeping & support:
http://www.amberdms.com/index.php?cms=products_billing_overview

Solar-powered mobile phones are a hit in Uganda. All you have to do is find somewhere to leave it in the sun where it won't get nicked:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/2966124/A-new-future-with-solar-mobiles

Hackers manage to join a proper keyboard to the iPhone. It's a bit of a bodge, but shows the way seeing as Apple won't do Bluetooth:
http://hackaday.com/2009/10/14/finally-a-keyboard-for-the-iphone/

And finally. The Swedes find the missing dot in their internet, but invoke ire by heating homes in Varmland by burning fluffy bunnies:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6316530/Stockholms-rabbits-burned-to-keep-Sweden-heated.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

14-Oct-2009 AM clippings

2009-10-14T09:37:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

A room-temperature superconductor gets even closer, as the latest candidate superconducts at -19 Celsius; like in a domestic freezer:
http://www.superconductors.org/254K.htm

The US$99 Wikireader. All of wikipedia in a wee box that runs off AA batteries with an eInk screen. Update SDs available by subscription:
http://www.thewikireader.com/about.html

Microsoft halts sales of the Sidekick cellphone after losing most of the network users' private data stored in their cloud:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8303952.stm

In a mistake of IBM-like proportions, Sweden's entire .se top-level internet domain goes down due to a DNS script cock-up:
http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/10/13/sweden%25E2%2580%2599s-internet-broken-by-dns-mistake/

Gartner tips Android to be the number 2 phone operating system by 2012, beaten only by Symbian:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/print/9139026/Android_to_grab_No._2_spot_by_2012_says_Gartner?taxonomyName=Mobile Devices&taxonomyId=75

And finally. Becoming a registered hypnotherapist is so easy a cat could do it. Several times with several organisations, apparently:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8303126.stm

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

12-Oct-2009 AM clippings

2009-10-12T09:59:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Air New Zealnd's systems take a hit, possibly beacuse of a power failure. The truth will out:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10602700

In America, T-Mobile manages to lose almost all the data that users of the Microsoft/Danger system, urging users to keep phones charged:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=5798

Red Hat hosts an Asia-Pacific "boot camp" for teachers doing Open Source courses in institutes of higher learning. Based in Singapore:
http://www.prwire.com.au/pr/14922/red-hat-hosts-first-dedicated-boot-camp-for-open-source-teachers

Amazon drops the prices of their Kindle ebook readers and "goes global." Global doesn't include New Zealand, of course...:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173270/amazon_drops_kindle_price_takes_it_global.html

South Koreans discover what happens when your country is a Microsoft monoculture.exe:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2009/09/123_52401.html

In Germany at least, illegal downloads seem to be far more profitable for artists than legal ones thanks to good ol' extortion:
http://torrentfreak.com/illegal-downloads-150x-more-profitable-than-legal-sales-091009/

And finally. An American wins the Golden Spurtle for porridge-making in Scotland, attended by 1,000 hungry Scots on World Porridge Day:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8299671.stm

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

07-Oct-2009 PM clippings

2009-10-07T15:14:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Nobel prizes go out to the development of the practical fibre optic cable and the creation of the CCD image sensor:
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/10/ccds-fiber-optics-take-home-physics-nobel-prize.ars

The London Stock Exchange expects to save approximately UKP 10 million annually with it's new Linux-based system:
http://www.computerworlduk.com/community/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=2568&blogid=14

A microkernel that has been formally checked mathematically is developed, seL4, for safety-critical and secure software:
http://nicta.com.au/news/current/world-first_research_breakthrough_promises_safety-critical_software_of_unprecedented_reliability

Google discovers DRAM errors are far more common than was previously believed. A mean of 3,751 correctable errors per DIMM per year:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=638

And finally. The first engagement ring is reprapped by Adam Elkins of Philladelphia - and she said "Yes!":
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1097

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

06-Oct-2009 AM clippings

2009-10-06T10:04:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

Another Australian laptop rollout to schools, this time in Elcho Island, a Northern Territory. They're getting Open OLPCs:
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/computer-dream-sees-light-of-day-20090929-gb30.html

Australian electricity company Integral Energy's control systems get infected by a virus, but the day is saved by development Linux boxes:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1556944/linux-saves-aussie-electricity

Apple decides that iPhone users won't be getting Flash. Flash is now good enough to write apps in, breaking the App Store lockdown:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173121/apple_slams_the_door_on_adobe_flash.html

The New Zealand Computer Society launches its own certification scheme for IT professionals; ITCP:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00066.htm

Malware gets cunning, checking your bank limit to make sure it doesn't steal too much and rewriting your bank statements:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2575

Google's electric car fleet comes up with some hard data on how people use them and which battery technology is best:
http://www.gizmag.com/google-smart-charging-software-electric-vehicles/13021/

And finally. Meet Aimee Mullins, the actress with 24 legs:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427286.400-aimee-mullins-two-legs-good-24-legs-better.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

02-Oct-2009 AM clippings

2009-10-02T11:07:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

New Zealand Open Source Society announces a draft Public Sector Remix policy to accelerate adoption of Open data, standards & software:
http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2009/public-sector-remix-proposes-open-data-open-standards-open-source

Danish schools move to using Open Source software to stop students using unlicenced programs and stretch the budget for more PCs:
http://www.osor.eu/news/dk-lyngby-taarbek-moves-schools-to-openoffice

In Spain meanwhile, 450,000 Open Source laptops are being distributed in an almost exact reversal of the locked-down Australian laptops:
http://www.osor.eu/news/es-andalusia-to-distribute-open-source-laptops-to-schools

The UK's High Court gives a complainant permission to serve an injunction via twitter:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8285954.stm

Utah researchers use a a 34-node IEEE 802.15.4 wireless network and signal strength monitoring to create wall-penetrating radar:
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/24193/

And finally. William Kamkwamba of Malawi learned about windmills, went back to his village and built an electricity supply from junk:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8257153.stm

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

29-Sep-2009 PM clippings

2009-09-29T15:31:00.001+13:00

Enjoy:

The Open Source Hardening Project, sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, puts 11 projects on rung 2 and fixes 7,500 bugs:
http://news.cnet.com/Open-source-security-moves-to-next-step/2100-1002_3-6225700.html?subj=news&part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Efforts underway to turn the Australian locked-down Microsoft-centric SchoolBook into something useful for young people:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2559

"Courier" - Microsoft's secret competitor to the Apple tablet. Not so secret anymore and actually looks quite nice:
http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet

The Bing/Google war continues, with Bing gaining some ground. Google retaliates with a Chrome plugin for Internet Explorer:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9138393/Bing_gains_more_ground_in_search_war_with_Google http://gizmodo.com/5365362/internet-explorer-now-powered-by-google-chrome

Firefox plans to bring the Microsoft 2007 ribbon interface in. Why, guys? Why? I feel a fork coming on:
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/351808/firefox-tidies-up-with-office-2007s-ribbon

Linuxcon 2009 seems to concentrate on embedded devices, pushing the Linux desktop only at people who actually have a choice:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/22/linuxcon_2009_joe_brockmeier/

Using deep ocean water to cool seaside data centres in Mauritius:
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/22/seawater-cooled-data-centers/

And finally. In what seems to be an almost certain candidate for the Ig Nobel prize, a dead salmon is put in an MRI machine and "sees":
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/fmrisalmon/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

22-Sep-2009 AM clippings

2009-09-22T10:54:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

US Justice Department advises the court to reject the settlement between Google and authors worldwide to distribute their work:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/reject-google-book-deal-us-justice/story-e6freuz9-1225776988432

A German retailer is ordered to pay damages caused by the Sony CD "copy protection" rootkit fiasco:
http://torrentfreak.com/retailer-must-compensate-sony-anti-piracy-rootkit-victim-090914/

A translation of Microsoft's Marketing Manger's explanation of why there is no 3rd party applications store for the Zune player:
http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/09/15/zune-translation

The first USB 3.0 device is certified. Not a complete peripheral, but the NEC xHCI host controller:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/21/first-usb-3-0-product-gets-certified-floodgates-get-closer-to-b/

And finally. To boost employment, save the environment, and live a happier life, take all your Fridays off ever. Works for me:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327251.800-better-world-take-friday-off-forever.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

15-Sep-2009 AM clippings

2009-09-15T10:01:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Software Freedom Day approaches, with events all over New Zealand, and indeed the rest of the world on or about the 20th September:
http://softwarefreedomday.org.nz http://softwarefreedomday.org

Motorola unveil their new Android mobile phone, the Cliq:
http://ostatic.com/blog/motorola-unveils-details-of-its-android-platform-play-shows-cliq-phone

Open Source collision avoidance software ported from the F22 jet fighter target identification system into the new Ford Taurus:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8249530.stm

BeOS didn't die, it went off to form the Haiku Operating System. This is now under the BSD licence and has just hit alpha release status:
http://www.haiku-os.org/

An Andriod phone app that lest you "test" a Windows PC for the current unpatched remote BSoD vulnerability:
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/14/android-app-tests-windows-vulnerability/

And finally. A homemade rail gun with instructions and build video. No baby BB launcher this - 5.6kJ muzzle energy, and V2.0 is coming:
http://gizmodo.com/5357776/diy-rail-gun-is-terrifying-comes-with-building-instructions

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

10-Sep-2009 PM clippings

2009-09-10T12:19:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The ARM notebook is not dead, with Chinese telecom operators interested. Two manufacturers are working on them at least:
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUST11240820090908 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/171560/foxconn_developing_inexpensive_armbased_smartbooks.html

A look at the upcoming OLPC XO-1.5 hardware which has enough grunt to run Java and full-screen video. Uses a VIA 1GHz variable speed C7-M:
http://www.olpcnews.com/laptops/xo15/olpc_news_exclusive_xo-15_laptop.html

A remote crash exploit using SMB that takes out Windows 7 beta, Vista and Windows Server 2008. No patch available:
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/09/windows-7-and-vista-crash-via-smb-exploit/

Google & Hasbro team up to offer Monopoly on Google Maps for free. It crashed under heavy load on the first day:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/2848996/Monopoly-teams-up-with-Google-Maps

And finally. PC too hard to use? A new mouse pad uses the old peel-up reusable slate concept as a place for jotting phone numbers etc. :
http://www.gizmag.com/scratch-n-scroll-mouse-pad-uses-finger-to-write/12767/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

09-Sep-2009 AM clippings

2009-09-09T11:10:00.000+12:00

Enjoy:

Computerworld runs an Open Source special; appropriate timing with Software freedom Day on the 20th. Shame they didn't mention it:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/cwfeatures?OpenForm&y=Open_source http://softwarefreedomday.org.nz/

Were Microsoft trashing Linux in their training material given to Best Buy? Ars Technica have the slides, so judge for yourself:
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/09/microsoft-teaches-best-buy-employees-how-to-troll-linux-users.ars

Microsoft's security bulletin for September is out. 5 critical remote vulnerabilities:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms09-sep.mspx

A sneak preview of Firefox 4.0:
http://hothardware.com/News/Firefox-40-Coming-Late-Next-Year/

Data transfer by carrier pigeon looks to be faster than ADSL in South Africa. But the data dropout due to hawks is a killer:
http://www.henriska.com/blog/?p=615

Borderless screens are giving a little more space for stacking our multiple monitors. TVs get the tech first, with motion remotes:
http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2009/09/04/lg-sl9000-borderless-tv-beauty/

Apitek pocket projectors now plug into the iPod without drivers, so you can play full-size video right out of your pocket:
http://www.gizmag.com/aiptek-portable-projector-range/12747/

And finally. Continuing with the last Clippings' pyrotechnic bent, Mythbusters make a 1,000,000 matchhead match bomb in an oil drum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuIdAIzXAxU

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

08-Sep-2009 AM clippings

2009-09-08T09:43:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The numbers quoted by the UK government for illegal downloads are traced to a cooked survey by Jupiter Research, not the cited source:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/04/sabip_7m_stat_sponsored_by_bpi/

Google will not include current European books in their online library and puts 2 non-US people on the board:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10346253-93.html

Nokia release a mini version of the popular N97 smartphone:
http://www.gizmag.com/nokias-n97-mini/12708/

Skype not only gets new owners, but a capability that has been missing from day 1 - connection to the Asterisk Open Source PBX:
http://www.thevarguy.com/2009/09/01/skype-dials-new-owner-and-open-source/

An 8-bit, hand-held processor doesn't seem too spectacular, but this one runs of air, and can be powered by a hand-pump:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17730-new-microprocessor-runs-on-thin-air.html

And finally. Something to definitely not try at home - switching the compressed air can on an air horn for butane, and applying a match:
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/02/fire-horn/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

02-Sep-2009 AM clippings

2009-09-02T10:46:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

NZ Telecom puts some TV shows on "Mobile TV" which is being offered free on their XT network until the end of November:
http://www.telecom-media.co.nz/releases_detail.asp?id=3614&page=index

The Australian Defence Force's latest flight simulator runs on a Suse cluster of Opteron servers running OpenGL. It cost A$1.7 million:
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/154262,defence-spends-17m-on-ultimate-linux-flight-simulator.aspx

1150 Free New Zealand ebooks available now, including the Edmonds iconic Cookery Book. 3rd edition:
http://activitypress.com/2009/08/28/looks-like-new-zealand-already-has-its-first-1000-ebooks/

Turnkey Linux offers a variety of specialised configurations based on Ubuntu and all available as a Live CD. Wordpress, wiki, MySql...:
http://www.turnkeylinux.org

Malware now available to record a Skype conversation and deposit it on a remote server for retrieval by the perp:
http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/154401,skype-trojan-can-log-voip-conversations.aspx

Another googlefail, but only 1 hour 45 mins this time:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=219500837

Google might have more trouble with Germany, as the Germans oppose the Google/Authors Guild proposals:
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090901-711989.html

Acer have caught the all-in-one low powered PC bug, and are releasing yet another model - the Veriton Z280G desktop PC. http://www.gizmag.com/acer-veriton-all-in-one-desktop-pc/12647/

Japan's RIBA robot for moving patients around gets a makeover including a teddybear head. Me, I find it kinda scary:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2500

And finally. The technology behind breathalyzers is subverted to test the nostril hair-singing capabilities of flatulence:
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-08/there-scientific-way-measure-fart-smell

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

26-Aug-2009 AM clippings

2009-08-26T10:34:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The New Zealand Open Source Society gathers 14 government agencies to trial Open Source desktops in The Public Sector Remix project:
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/2646B719C2A81AC0CC25761D00731DF7 http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2009/public-sector-remix-project-launch

The UK Government reports that its surveillance cameras solve one crime per 1,000 cameras per year. In other words, a waste of money:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8219022.stm

The US courts decide Novell does get paid by SCO, but that the UNIX copyright should go to court. The Ch. 11 trustee decides, not Darl:
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20090824142203182

Intel predicts a 4nm fabrication plant by 2022. At that point we're virtually knocking on the door of nanotechnology:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20090822094141_Intel_Outlines_Process_Technology_Roadmap.html

And finally, an interesting list of things that you can do and end up paying less than the fine for sharing twenty four songs:
http://www.prefixmag.com/news/seven-crimes-that-will-get-you-a-smaller-fine-than/32033/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

24-Aug-2009 PM clippings

2009-08-24T13:20:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The G33k Show broadcasts a compendium of New Zealand's Maker and Crafter activities, from electroluminescent crochet to 3D printers:
http://theg33kshow.com/node/227

Oracle gets given permission to buy Sun by the US Justice Deparment for a cool US$7.4 billion:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8213425.stm

Microsoft patents the evolutionary tree; no prior art there eh? Yale Univerity fears multiplication table patents:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/21/microsoft_evolutionary_tree_patent_application/

Younger kids don't need or want a fully-blown office package at school. They could use Abiword, or now there's Openoffice For Kids:
http://wiki.ooo4kids.org/index.php/Main_Page

The Arduino microcontroller platform now has a pin-compatible big brother called Maple that runs the ARM CPU. Open Source too:
http://hackaday.com/2009/08/22/maple-beats-up-arduino-takes-its-shields/

And finally. Suspicion grows that people with a higher body mass index have smaller wossnames, er, brains. Cause or effect?:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327222.400-expanding-waistlines-may-cause-shrinking-brains.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

19-Aug-2009 PM clippings

2009-08-19T14:37:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Microsoft requests the court to waive the requirement for a bond to cover patent infringements in its case with i4i. Filed under seal:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351691,00.asp

i4i Confirms that OpenOffice and ODF documents do not infringe the patent that has caused issues for Microsoft:
http://gcn.com/articles/2009/08/17/federal-future-microsoft-word-uncertain.aspx

Linux catches it in the neck with another NULL pointer vulnerability in kernels 2.6.0 up to and including 2.6.30.4, and some 2.4:
http://lwn.net/Articles/347006/

How DNA "digital origami" is made, creating features just smaller than the finest we can machine. Bottom-up meets top-down:
http://www.dna.caltech.edu/Papers/DNAorigami-nature.pdf

And finally. AeroVironment video of their hovering 10g uAV, with a wing span of 7.5cm, speed 10m/s, control range of up to a km:
http://www.gizmag.com/nano-aircraft-video-aerovironment/12524/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

13-Aug-2009 AM clippings

2009-08-13T09:54:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, prohibits Microsoft from selling Microsoft Word that can open custom XML:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/176223.asp?from=blog_last3

Nokia's plan to put Office apps on smartphones may be just another nail in Microsoft Mobile's coffin:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9136601/Nokia_alliance_may_spell_doom_for_Windows_Mobile

Palm meanwhile annoy their customers by getting the Palm Pre to contact Palm HQ at regular intervals, giving the user's GPS location:
http://kitenet.net/~joey/blog/entry/Palm_Pre_privacy/

NEC and Panasonic are releasing 9 new cellphones, all powered by the non-profit LiMo mobile linux OS:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/technology/2743757/Nine-open-source-mobiles-on-the-way

Tales of exploding iPhones and iPods. Apple's response? To offer a refund if the owner signs a confidentiality agreement:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/12/exploding_iphone/

Intel offers 32Gbit NAND Flash chips, storing 3 bits per cell, and moving the standard small Flash disk size from 2 to 4Gbytes:
http://www.dailytech.com/Intel+Micron+Joint+Venture+Rolls+Out+32Gb+3bpc+NAND/article15954.htm

And finally. A money-scramble brings Dallas traffic to a halt as an armoured truck drops US$1,500 in coins down the expressway:
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/weird/Spilled_Quarters_from_Loomis_

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

12-Aug-2009 AM clippings

2009-08-12T09:02:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The US invests in rural wifi. A much sounder bet than the fancy fibre plans we've got here:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/11/smallbusiness/stimulus_billions_for_rural_broadband.smb/index.htm?postversion=2009081104

Microsoft patents its OOXML XML Office format in the US, including its use in web-based editors:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/07/microsoft_word_patent/

Penguin Computing release Penguin on Demand, an HPC cluster for rent much like Amazon's EC2 but with a lot more grunt:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/11/penguin_on_demand/

Google hires cyclists to ride a tricycle around the pedestrian-only areas of Paris to complete their street-view maps:
http://www.physorg.com/news168863440.html

And finally. For the environmentally-friendly grafitti artist we have the self-charging LED spray can. It recharges when you shake it:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/10/halo-led-spraycan-lets-you-make-grafitti-the-cheap-legal-way/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

10-Aug-2009 AM clippings

2009-08-10T10:10:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

A Neilson survey shows that Stuff has had 1 1/2 million different browsers connecting to it, putting it ahead of its rival The Herald:
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/herald-gets-stuffed-107097

Sky TV to offer internet remote control of Sky Boxen for no additional cost. Control by TXT message to come soon:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/2734003/Sky-TV-to-offer-Remote-Record

Cannonical to move Ubuntu developers onto Debian to quell critics and persuade Debian to go for a feature freeze:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/07/shuttleworth_ubuntu_debian/

German researchers at Chemnitz University of Technology are able to print paper-thin batteries for smartcards from manganese and zinc:
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218400704

A new Wine free Windows runtime for Linux is released with 120 bugfixes and multiple language updates:
http://www.winehq.org/announce/1.1.27

And finally. Researchers find that dogs are about as smart as the average human ywo-year-old - for a given value of smart:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/5994583/Dogs-as-intelligent-as-two-year-old-children.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

07-Aug-2009 AM clippings

2009-08-07T10:01:00.000+12:00

Enjoy:

Twitter is not only suffering from a DDoS attack, but is under legal attack too. The grounds seem dubious:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/06/twitter_outage/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8187331.stm

The new KDE 4.3 desktop includes the ability to integrate web access with it to create a vendor-neutral "Social Desktop":
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2009/08/hands-on-kde-43-delivers-a-social-desktop.ars

Upgrade charts comparing the process of upgrading Windows with the process of upgrading OS X:
http://4.media.tumblr.com/hHF7RUMhjqs0v87s0D43K2SKo1_400.png http://www.joewilcox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/windows7-upgrade-chart.png

A process of growing carbon nanotubes a metre or more long is developed at Rice University:
http://www.gizmag.com/nanokites-nanotechnology-swnt/12434/

And finally. Budget airlines consider charging people to go to the toilet. Hmm, another use for those little zippy plastic bags...:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/2727889/We-won-t-pay-to-pee-Aussie-travellers-say

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

06-Aug-2009 AM clippings

2009-08-06T10:26:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Google acquires On2, the company behind the development of the Ogg Theora codec, fuelling rumours of Google's support for the format:
http://www.betanews.com/article/Future-of-open-Web-video-may-change-with-Google-acquisition-of-On2/1249481107

The Nikon Coolpix S1000pj features a 12.1MP sensor and an LED projector that can produce a 40" image of your snapshots:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/04/nikon-coolpix-s1000pj-projector-cam-beams-into-reality-with-frie

Some 2degrees customers have been getting other people's details when trying to apply for a 2degrees SIM card on their web site:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10588803

2degrees Themselves seem to have got a very good deal from Vodafone. NBR looks at some of the horse-trading behind the scenes:
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/revealed-vodafone-s-secret-deal-with-2degrees-107030

OpenOffice can now ape the Windows 2007 "ribbon" interface - but opinion is divided over whether this is a good idea:
http://blogs.sun.com/GullFOSS/entry/prototyping_a_new_ui_july

LinuxConf 2010 gets over 300 submissions for presentations:
http://lca2010.blogspot.com/2009/08/300-submissions-for-main-conference.html

DNA Logic is demonstrated that can solve simple deductions:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8184033.stm

Why Apple's iPhone wants you dead at 75:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327203.100-over-75-time-to-go.html

And finally. The Register takes a look at the excessive packaging used in IT sales, including a mouse strapped to a pallet:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/29/aboxalypse_now/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

04-Aug-2009 AM clippings

2009-08-04T10:33:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

In the worst Orwellian move yet, the UK government is to install CCTV cameras in 20,000 homes to ensure that the owners behave "properly":
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/115736/Sin-bins-for-worst-families

Defcon participant Righter Kunkel shows how to hack the US Federal Aviation Authority's flight plan system:
http://deals.venturebeat.com/2009/08/01/defcon-hacker-excuse-me-while-i-change-your-aircrafts-flight-plan/

Intel confirms a serious data corruption bug in their SSDs and halts shipment. If you have one, do not change or disable the password:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9136200/Intel_confirms_data_corruption_bug_in_new_SSDs_halts_shipments

ProvencoCadmus, purveyor of EFTPOS terminals in New Zealand, goes into receivership following unmanegable debts:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/market-data/2715716/ProvencoCadmus-in-receivership

The Apple Tablet seems to have some basis behind the rumours, or at least someone who claims to have handled it:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/169476/apple_tablet_prototype_is_real_nov_launch_expected_says_report.html

And finally. That alcoholic hand sanitizer causes an Uruti school Principal to fail an initial breath test. No, she didn't drink it:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2716658/Swine-of-an-encounter-for-Margie

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

27-Jul-2009 PM clippings

2009-07-27T12:50:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Amazon apologises for deleting people's e-books from their Kindles:
http://www.amazon.com/tag/kindle/forum/ref=cm_cd_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdThread=Tx1FXQPSF67X1IU&displayType=tagsDetail

Advert click statistics reveal Bing users to be more gullibe than Google or Yahoo users, and may be using it because they saw an ad:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/24/are-bing-users-are-twice-as-likely-to-click-on-an-ad-than-google-users/

An 8% slip in the Microsoft share price has some concerned that the recession is not over in the IT sector:
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssITServicesConsulting/idUSN2447126820090724

Russian companies try to get legislation passed to ban Skype, because the local VoIP companies just can't compete. Protectionism? Why, yes:
http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/voip/russia-may-ban-skype-to-protect-domestic-firms-619865

Karoo, the trigger-happy UK ISP, has now stopped disconnecting users on demand and instituted a 3 written warnings policy:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8166640.stm

European versions of Windows 7 to ship with a "ballot screen," so users can pick their browser. Not a bad idea for Linux either:
http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/windows-7-with-ie8-in-europe-microsoft-s-statement-619796?src=rss

And finally. A truly new twist in Bluetooth headset design. Starting as a ring with caller ID, it morphs into a small but stylish headset:
http://www.gizmag.com/the-orb-bluetooth-headset/12313/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

21-Jul-2009 AM clippings

2009-07-21T10:47:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

NZ Post shifts all its e-mail services into the Google cloud:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10585647

Microsoft releases Linux drivers for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V under the GPL 2.0:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/Jul09/07-20LinuxQA.mspx

Vulnerability found in the new Firefox 3.5.1 bowser. Turn off javascript or use NoScript plugin until fix available:
http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200929/4087/New-vulnerability-discovered-for-Firefox-3-5-1

The first serious Linux kernel bug for a while appears too. Confirmed in versions 2.6.30 and 2.6.30.1 :
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/17/linux_kernel_exploit/

Jonathan Lamy, chief spokesperson for the RIAA, declares DRM dead:
http://torrentfreak.com/drm-is-dead-riaa-says-090719/

New Zealand's road toll is increasing, due in part to the increased use of mobile phones by drivers:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10585679

And finally. If Amazon was going to reach into people's Kindle e-book libraries and delete books, only "1984" could procude maximum irony:
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2009/07/amazon_blows_it.html

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

18-Jul-2009 AM clippings

2009-07-18T11:03:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

An update pushed out on Arabic BackBerries is shown to be designed to CC all e-mails to the local authorities. Their server then crashed:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/14/blackberry_snooping/

TerreStar Offers the world's 1st quad-band GSM & tri-band WCDMA/HSPA smartphone. If it can't find that, it switches to satellite:
http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/mobile-phones/terrestar-offers-worlds-1st-quad-band-gsm-tri-band-wcdmahspa-smartphon.asp

MontaVista shows a dashboard application cold-booting on Linux in under one second on a Freescale chip:
http://www.mvista.com/press_release_detail.php?fid=news/2009/Ultra-fast-boot.html

The Pirate Bay discovers self-replicating 3D printers and likes them. How long until illicit 3D objects are downloaded like music?:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/news.phtml/25532/pirates-aim-at-3d-printers.phtml

And finally. NanoFET is not a Star Wars bounty hunter, but a "stick on" rocket engine machined from a silicon wafer:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2396

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

15-Jul-2009 PM clippings

2009-07-15T12:46:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

New Zealand sees the re-emergence of its 3-strikes law but with disconnection proposed as an option, not a mandate, by tribual:
http://torrentfreak.com/modified-3-strikes-back-on-agenda-for-new-zealand-pirates-090714/

YouTube schedules the end of IE6 support:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/14/youtube-will-be-next-to-kiss-ie6-support-goodbye/

Microsoft's current unpatched exploit gets a lot of unwanted attention:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135499/Attacks_against_unpatched_Microsoft_bug_multiply

The US Postal service switches the 1,300 machines running its tracking service to Linux from Solaris:
http://ostatic.com/blog/u-s-postal-service-gives-stamp-of-approval-to-foss

And finally. A selection of human parasites brought to you in glorious close-up by New Scientist magazine. Squirm. Wriggle:
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/mg20327161300-enemy-within-human-parasites

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

13-Jul-2009 PM clippings

2009-07-13T13:46:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The Section 92A Copyright Zombie Act is expected to raise its head this week. Very few have had input to it so little is known so far:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/2586890/Round-2-in-copyright-fight

Telco insiders say that fibre to nodes is not a step on the way to fibre to the door, and question the NZ government's strategy:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10584025

Matt Hunt discusses the rapid bugfix cycle of Open software in comparison to proprietary fix/release cycles:
http://passthesource.org.nz/2009/07/10/freely-supported/

Orange to launch an LG touchscreen 3G wristphone with a camera, voice recognition, HSPDA, bluetooth and text-to-speech for TXTs:
http://www.gizmag.com/orange-touch-screen-watch-phone/12177/

A nice look at the Eee keyboard computer. Built-in screen where you would expect the numeric pad to be, HDMI output. Article in French:
http://www.blogeee.net/2009/07/08/test-eeekeyboard-fonctionnement-et-composants/

And finally. Happy Birthday to the WWW, which is now 20 years old and over a trillion unique URLs strong. Thank you Tim Berners-Lee:
http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/celebrating-20-years-of-the-world-wide-web-615150

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

09-Jul-2009 PM clippings

2009-07-09T13:28:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Google throw their hat into the laptop/desktop OS ring and come up with the Chrome OS, optmised for web browsing - surprise:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html

In just over three months, Internet Explorer has seen its overall market share erode by 11.4 percent to just 54.4%. Firefox @27.6%:
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/05/since-march-internet-explorer-lost-114-percent-share-to-firefox-safari-and-chrome/

Mobile comms company Orange in the UK tried to bolster IE6 by threatening staff with a UKP250 fine if they upgrade to firefox:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/08/orange_and_ie6/

Sony Ericsson have an Android phone in the works. Handy, as Vodafone don't seem to have the HTC one anymore:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/167869/leaked_sony_ericssons_upcoming_android_phone.html

And finally. It appears that hydrogen can be more easily separated from urea than water. So hydrogen cars might be powered by, erm...:
http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1022028_can-urine-rescue-hydrogen-powered-cars

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

08-Jul-2009 AM clippings

2009-07-08T09:15:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

Microsoft are allowing anyone to implement the ECMZ 334 and 335 specs covering cross-platform C# and CLI apps - even under the GPL:
http://port25.technet.com/archive/2009/07/06/the-ecma-c-and-cli-standards.aspx?

The use of Snapper payment cards on Wellington busses leads to the discovery of a 1/2 million dollar theft by drivers:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2573231/Drivers-sacked-money-missing

SUSE 11 Linux takes off better than SUSE 10, though there seems to be some foot-dragging over KVM owing to Novells investment in Xen:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/07/novell_sles11_uptake/

As OLED displays inch nearer to use in larger screens, Canadian researchers are picking colour schemes that minimise power use:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17419-limitedcolour-screens-could-boost-cellphone-battery-life.html

A new biodegradable resin is developed for 3D printers, allowing them to produce scaffolds for growing new replacment human organs on:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2388

And finally. A useful transformer bot that converts from a shipping container to Blade Runner-esque restaurant in 90 seconds:
http://www.gizmag.com/muv-box-portable-restaurant/12162/

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

07-Jul-2009 AM clippings

2009-07-07T11:45:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

IBM and the EU have released the world's first Open Source laerning compiler, "Milepost GCC" aimed at speeding up mobile phone apps:
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Milepost-GCC-speeds-mobile-development/?kc=LXDEMNL070109

Microsoft warns of a serious vulnerability in Internet Explorer on XP and Windows Server 2003. No patch available yet:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10582963

The London Stock Exchange abandons its mission-critical Windows-based system, TradElect, under a cloud of controversy and denial:
http://blogs.computerworld.com/london_stock_exchange_to_abandon_failed_windows_platform

Vodafone withdraws the HTC Magic phone running Google's Android OS for reasons that are very unclear but may involve naked girls:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10582108

And finally. A passenger on a Thomas Cook flight in the UK steps forward, repairs the plane, and then (comfortingly) flies in it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8136193.stm

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

06-Jul-2009 AM clippings

2009-07-06T11:18:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The State Services Commission is suggesting that government agencies should drop some common Microsoft apps, as they're underused:
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/state-services-commission-tells-govt-agencies-dump-microsoft-104584

Tridge of Samba fame releases a patch that allows Linux to use FAT filesystems without being targeted by patent trolls:
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/07/vfat-linux-patch-could-circumvent-microsofts-patent-claims.ars

New Zealand suggests conducting trials by videoconference to save money in prisoner transfer fees:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10582761

The EU caps roaming mobile phone calls, TXTs and data charges making them 60% cheaper for most users and ending the great roaming rip-off:
http://www.gizmag.com/eu-roaming-mobile-tariff-cuts/12134/

The next release of Wine is out, allowing yet more Windows apps to run on an x86 Linux machine:
http://www.winehq.org/announce/1.1.25

And finally. Air NZ find a unique way of making people pay attention to the pre-flight safety video. The presenters are naked (SFW):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Mq9HAE62Y

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz

02-Jul-2009 AM clippings

2009-07-02T11:08:00.001+12:00

Enjoy:

The New Zealand Land Cover Database (LCDB) is released. Free, and under a Creative Commons Attribution licence:
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/land/land-cover-dbase/index.html

Canonical is working with Eucalyptus to create Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud Services; an internal compute cloud distro like EC2:
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2009/07/01/ubuntu_cloud_support/

Firefox 3.5 weighs in at twice the speed of 3.0 and matching the speed of the original, unbloated, Google Chrome browser:
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/software/0,39029471,49302846,00.htm

The Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition package is reviewed. By itself. These should bee intersecting:
http://www.gizmag.com/dragon-naturallyspeaking-10-speech-to-text-review/12122/

A US Department of Defense{sic} data glove is released to civilians. The Acceleglove is programmable in Java and costs a mere US$499:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2382

And finally. The Mars rover Spirit takes a tip from Wall-e's ebook and does a spot of star gazing:
http://technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2381

Vik :v) Diamond Age Solutions Ltd. http://diamondage.co.nz