Techno-News Blog

by the BBC

The sport has been rocked by a series of scandals Fat-fingered sumo wrestlers, unable to tap the keys on a standard mobile phone, are being given iPads to help improve communication. The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) said it would distribute 60 iPads among all of the sport’s 51 training stables. The announcement comes as the JSA outlined measures to deal with a series of recent scandals. The iPads are intended to speed up communication between JSA officials, wrestlers and coaches, who have until now relied on telephone or fax.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11082125

by the BBC

A 2008 cyber attack launched from an infected flash drive in the Middle East penetrated secret US military computers, a Pentagon official says. The attack by a foreign spy service was the “most significant breach” ever of US military networks, Deputy Defence Secretary William Lynn said. Writing in Foreign Affairs magazine, Mr Lynn described it as a “digital beachhead” to steal military secrets. He urged the US to speed up its cyber defence system procurement procedure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11088658

By Maggie Shiels, BBC News

Google’s Craig Walker said the product promotes “cheap easy communication” Google is taking on internet telephone companies like Skype by allowing users to call from its free web-based email service. The service allows users to make calls to landlines and mobiles from inside their Gmail account. Phoning anywhere in the US and Canada will be free until the end of the year, while calls to the UK, France, China and Germany will cost 2 cents a minute.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11092212

By Maggie Shiels, BBC News

iTunes app store has millions of users ITunes accounts linked to Paypal have been targeted in a scam with a number of users complaining that they have been cleaned out. Apple and Paypal refused to discuss the details of the incident. Experts told the BBC that victims had most likely fallen for an e-mail scam, rather than being targeted via a flaw in iTunes or Apple servers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11065301

By Leah Hoenen, Cape Gazette

Incoming freshmen at Cape High will get iPads for their math classes this year as part of a grant to help improve math scores by using more technology in classrooms. Cape Henlopen High School is on watch because too many 10th graders are not proficient in math, while Sussex Central High School, in Indian River School District is under a corrective action plan. Both districts are required to improve their math scores. So, technology teams from both districts got together and applied jointly for a grant. They call the program Cape Henlopen Indian River Partnership (CHIRP).

http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/201008-16-31/17001-math-ipads.html

By Ben Bain, Government Computer News

Even though you may not have read much about him, Ernest McDuffie is central to the government’s overall bid to improve cybersecurity nationwide. McDuffie leads the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) that’s being coordinated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Obama administration said it started NICE earlier this year to expand from a federal to a national focus the cybersecurity education programs started under the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI). That program began during the George W. Bush administration. A need for improved education is chief among the challenges that experts cite for U.S. computer security efforts.

http://gcn.com/articles/2010/08/16/web-nist-cyber-mcduffie-q-and-a.aspx

by BBC

An Ofcom reports show that half of our day is spent using media and older people are catching up on the young. The communications watchdog’s Peter Phillips describes how trends are changing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11025226

By Mark Savage, BBC News

Shirlena Johnson is one of the X Factor acts whose vocals were supposedly tweaked X Factor producers have been accused of enhancing contestants’ vocals to make them sound better – but what is “autotune” and how does it work? If you’ve ever removed red-eye from a photograph, or used a spell checker to correct an essay, then you know how computer software can… well, “enhance” your raw material. Autotune performs exactly the same function with music, by smoothing out sharp or flat notes to make singers pitch perfect.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11056840

By Maggie Shiels, BBC News, Silicon Valley

The bill would penalise those who pretend to be others online The internet has often been referred to as the wild west, where reputations can be trashed with just a few clicks of a mouse. Now, California aims to outlaw the growing practice of online impersonation, which is often used for nefarious purposes. A bill, authored by State Senator Joe Simitian, aims to update laws written in 1872 to recognise that “in the age of the internet, pretending to be someone else is easy”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11045070

By Nicholas Kolakowski, eWeek

Google is testing a new feature that offers instant search results as users type their search term. Google’s search-engine feature testing, and recent acquisitions, suggest the company’s interest in maintaining its dominance in search. Google has been testing a new feature that provides instant results for whatever the user types in the search box. Search-engine optimization consultant Rob Ousbey has been widely credited with spying the Google test first. Ousbey posted a video on his blog, showing Google’s search results shifting dynamically on the page as he types terms such as “strawberry,” “cheesecake,” “recipe,” “pictures,” “video.”

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Search-Engines/Google-Tests-Instant-Search-Results-710968/?kc=rss

By Nicholas Kolakowski, eWeek

Apple has filed a patent application for technology that would restrict unauthorized access to a mobile device such as an iPhone in the event of theft or hacking. The question remains how such technology would affect “jailbreaking” the iPhone to run software unauthorized by Apple. Apple has filed a patent application for technology that would restrict unauthorized users’ access to a mobile device such as an iPhone.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apple-Files-iPhone-AntiTheft-Patent-182923/?kc=rss

By Brian Prince, eWeek

A computer infected with a Trojan failed to trigger an alarm that could have kept an ill-fated flight on the ground in 2008, a report finds. The plane crashed in Madrid shortly after takeoff, killing 154 people. A Trojan may have played a role in a 2008 plane crash in Madrid that claimed the lives of 154 people, according to a media report. The Spanair flight was headed for the Canary Islands in August 2008 when it crashed just after takeoff at Madrid-Barajas Airport. Just 18 people survived the crash.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Trojan-may-have-Played-Part-in-Spanish-Plane-Crash-819515/?kc=rss

By Dave Lee and Snezana Curcic, BBC World Service

 There is an immovable force in the blogosphere. They come in their thousands, and command dedicated followings who trust in their every word. They are the so-called mummy bloggers. Real mothers, blogging about the minutiae of family life to offer a no-holds-barred account of life with children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11004804

By Michelle Maisto, eWeek

Verizon Wireless announced the build-out of new cell sites in Maryland and Virginia as part of it annual multi-billion-dollar investment to stay on top of user voice and data demands. Verizon Wireless’ plans to roll out a 4G LTE-based network during the fourth quarter haven’t stopped the company from continuing to extend its 3G footprint. The nation’s largest wireless network has increased its 3G coverage in four areas on the East Coast. The increased coverage, the carrier said Aug. 20, is part of its multibillion-dollar investment each year to stay on top of growing demand.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Verizon-3G-Network-Expands-Even-as-4G-Rollout-Underway-553299/

by Tony Daltorio, Investment U Research

About 30 years ago, VHS and Betamax dueled to rule the video recording technology world. Today, those two technologies never existed for all that many consumers now. Instead, the big technology debate is all about fourth generation mobile phone networks (4G). In the ring this time are Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax. But it’s already a late round and the winner seems clear (LTE). So now it’s only left to be seen how to take advantage…

http://www.investmentu.com/2010/August/long-term-evolution-vs-wimax.html

By Glenn Chapman (AFP)

Clashes between the maker of Blackberry smart phones and India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the latest rounds in a cat-and-mouse game pitting authorities against technologies racing beyond their grasp. “What is going on is this elegant dance we go through when countries think their sovereignty is being threatened by new technology,” said Mark Rasch, who headed the computer crimes division at the US Department of Justice for nine years. “Governments are very ready to deploy technology that invades privacy, but privacy enhancing technologies make them nervous.”

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iHREyfbV9Nvh_YapXtQDtBkL66vg

by Seth Doane, CBS News

In the wake of the BP oil disaster, calls for greener energy sources are growing louder. CBS News’ Seth Doane takes a look at a number of alternate energy sources America is developing to help end our addiction to oil. Imagine a future in which abundant energy could be ours, simply by harnessing the wind, or capturing sunlight, or tapping into the heat of the Earth itself. Seth Doane explores America’s alternative energy hopes and challenges: “Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash America’s innovation to seize control of our own destiny,” President Obama said in June.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/15/sunday/main6774678.shtml

By Joshua Geist, Computer Technology Review

Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) are terms that have been in common use for well over a decade, and reflect the business world’s acknowledgment that data matters – and that corporate leaders need to protect their companies by deploying solutions that ensure that it’s “business as usual” in the event of infrastructure loss. And while companies everywhere have embraced the increasingly sophisticated technology that has flooded the market in recent years, the “how-to” technology related to BC and DR has pretty much stayed the same.

http://www.wwpi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8992:enter-the-cloud-recovery-as-a-service-&catid=99:cover-story&Itemid=2701018

By Don Reisinger, eWeek

News Analysis: With Intel planning to acquire McAfee, there are a number of possible outcomes that might make this either a good or bad deal for both companies. Take a look at some of those potential developments. In stunning news on Aug. 19, chip-maker Intel announced that it will acquire security-firm McAfee in a $7.68 billion deal. Much of the talk surrounding the announcement revolves around what Intel plans to do with McAfee. At this point, it hasn’t had much to say.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Intel-Buys-McAfee-10-Possible-Outcomes-663106/?kc=rss

By Clint Boulton, eWeek

Google said that more than 100 million people per month are using its Google Maps for mobile app, setting up a nice mobile ad battle with Facebook Places in the future. Google Aug. 19 announced that more than 100 million people per month are using its Google Maps application from a mobile phone to get directions and find local businesses. The news about Google Maps for mobile came one day after Facebook unveiled its Places application, and many believe Google’s trumpeting of user numbers is no coincidence.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Google-Maps-for-Mobile-Surpasses-100M-Monthly-Users-142069/?kc=rss

By: Nicholas Kolakowski, eWeek

HP confirms that a “product” running Palm WebOS will debut in early 2011. Although confirmed details are scarce, the general assumption is that HP will launch WebOS on a tablet PC. Hewlett-Packard confirmed during its Aug. 19 earnings call that a device running its recently acquired Palm WebOS operating system will ship sometime in early 2011. Although the company executive who confirmed the “product” offered no other details, the general assumption is that HP will load WebOS onto a tabletlike device. “You’ll see us with a Microsoft product out in the near future and a WebOS-based product in early 2011,” Todd Bradley, executive vice president of HP’s Personal Systems Group, said during the call.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/HP-WebOS-Tablet-Device-Is-Confirmed-for-2011-717070/?kc=rss