Ars Technica

Ars Technica http://arstechnica.com/index.php The Art of Technology en Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:56:03 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Copyright 2010 Conde Nast Digital. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. feature: Why new hard disks might not be much fun for XP users peter.bright@arstechnica.com (Peter Bright) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/why-new-hard-disks-might-not-be-much-fun-for-xp-users.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/03/xp_hdd_list-thumb-230x130-12546-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>A rather surprising article hit the front page of the BBC on Tuesday: the next generation of hard disks <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8557144.stm">could cause slowdowns for XP users</a>. Not normally the kind of thing you'd expect to be placed so prominently, but the warning it gives is a worthy one, if timed a bit oddly. The world of hard disks is set to change, and the impact could be severe. In the remarkably conservative world of PC hardware, it's not often that a 30-year-old convention gets discarded. Even this change has been almost a decade in the making.</p> <p>The problem is hard disk sectors. A sector is the smallest unit of a hard disk that software can read or write. Even though a file might only be a single byte long, the operating system has to read or write at least 512 bytes to read or write that file.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/why-new-hard-disks-might-not-be-much-fun-for-xp-users.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/why-new-hard-disks-might-not-be-much-fun-for-xp-users.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/yQOFx_OUyL4l9vbY91fmOIUALck/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/yQOFx_OUyL4l9vbY91fmOIUALck/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/yQOFx_OUyL4l9vbY91fmOIUALck/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/yQOFx_OUyL4l9vbY91fmOIUALck/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=3HEvIACunvE:q20wPzFl07s:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=3HEvIACunvE:q20wPzFl07s:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=3HEvIACunvE:q20wPzFl07s:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=3HEvIACunvE:q20wPzFl07s:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=3HEvIACunvE:q20wPzFl07s:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=3HEvIACunvE:q20wPzFl07s:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/3HEvIACunvE" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/3HEvIACunvE/why-new-hard-disks-might-not-be-much-fun-for-xp-users.ars http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/why-new-hard-disks-might-not-be-much-fun-for-xp-users.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Features News News News Gadgets Microsoft Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:30:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/why-new-hard-disks-might-not-be-much-fun-for-xp-users.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Controversial Amazon 1-Click patent survives review segphault@arstechnica.com (Ryan Paul)  <p>Amazon's patent on one-click shopping has survived the scrutiny of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In an official notice published this month, the USPTO declared its intent to issue a reexamination certificate affirming the validity of Amazon's amended version of the patent.</p> <p>The patent, which was filed in 1997, describes a method of enabling consumers to purchase goods without having to provide credit card and shipping information during every shopping session. Amazon enforced the patent against competitor Barnes and Noble almost immediately after it was granted in 1999. The patentability of one-click Internet shopping is broadly disputed. It has become the textbook example of how a broad patent on a trivially obvious software concept can have a profoundly anti-competitive impact on a wide segment of the industry.</p> <p>Peter Calveley, an actor and patent law enthusiast from New Zealand, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2006/05/6872.ars">launched a campaign</a> against the one-click patent in 2006 and filed for a reexamination with funding that he collected from his supporters. A year later, the USPTO issued a decision rejecting 21 of the patent's 26 claims, largely due to the broad availability of well-documented prior art. Amazon decided to amend the patent in order to address some of the specific issues raised by the reexamination.</p> <p>The amended version has a slightly smaller scope, limiting the patent's coverage to online shopping cart systems rather than all one-click e-commerce. In its statement today, the USPTO declared that the new version of the patent is valid, despite the fact that it has no functional difference from the original version. This outcome, which took years four years to reach, reflects the deficiencies of the reexamination process.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/controversial-amazon-1-click-patent-survives-review.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/h0XyNIsaG55QeO5qGqHoMqS25u0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/h0XyNIsaG55QeO5qGqHoMqS25u0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/h0XyNIsaG55QeO5qGqHoMqS25u0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/h0XyNIsaG55QeO5qGqHoMqS25u0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=PJAPGxu2o_Y:FJqd4RyxeUk:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=PJAPGxu2o_Y:FJqd4RyxeUk:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=PJAPGxu2o_Y:FJqd4RyxeUk:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=PJAPGxu2o_Y:FJqd4RyxeUk:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=PJAPGxu2o_Y:FJqd4RyxeUk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=PJAPGxu2o_Y:FJqd4RyxeUk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/PJAPGxu2o_Y" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/PJAPGxu2o_Y/controversial-amazon-1-click-patent-survives-review.ars http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/controversial-amazon-1-click-patent-survives-review.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Tech-policy Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:23:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/controversial-amazon-1-click-patent-survives-review.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Power Gig: it's a rhythm game... with a real guitar bkuchera@arstechnica.com (Ben Kuchera) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/03/power-gig-its-a-rhythm-game-with-a-real-guitar.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/03/powergig_press_shot-thumb-230x130-12543-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>There is a point when playing rhythm games such as Rock Band or Guitar Hero where you hit a kind of wall; there is only so much to learn hitting buttons as notes flow down the screen. <i>Power Gig: Rise of the Six String</i>—in addition to having a terrible title—wants to break that wall by teaching you actual guitar skills if you choose to move past what the tradition rhythm game has offered. The guitar peripheral is an actual six-string electric guitar, although we're promised that the full band bundle of guitar, drums, and microphone will be priced competitively with other rhythm bundles on the market.</p> <p>We had a chance to see the game being played in front of us, although hands-on testing was forbidden. The notes came down the screen, connected by a pulsing ribbon, showing the player what button to hit on the guitar's neck. Any number of strings hit will register as a correct hit. In this mode, you will be able to use your existing rhythm game guitars. The real meat of the game happens when you move to the higher difficulty levels, where the dots are replaced by numbers, showing you what strings to play. A green two means you'll be pressing down on the second string down from the top of the neck, in the green section. Tutorials will show you how to hold your hands and fingers to create power chords.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/03/power-gig-its-a-rhythm-game-with-a-real-guitar.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/03/power-gig-its-a-rhythm-game-with-a-real-guitar.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/YT47Q1wkskpfEHS-VFWK9Kew4Hw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/YT47Q1wkskpfEHS-VFWK9Kew4Hw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/YT47Q1wkskpfEHS-VFWK9Kew4Hw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/YT47Q1wkskpfEHS-VFWK9Kew4Hw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=PyYsoHsC8kM:WYhWfHQkf7U:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=PyYsoHsC8kM:WYhWfHQkf7U:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=PyYsoHsC8kM:WYhWfHQkf7U:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=PyYsoHsC8kM:WYhWfHQkf7U:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=PyYsoHsC8kM:WYhWfHQkf7U:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=PyYsoHsC8kM:WYhWfHQkf7U:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/PyYsoHsC8kM" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/PyYsoHsC8kM/power-gig-its-a-rhythm-game-with-a-real-guitar.ars http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/03/power-gig-its-a-rhythm-game-with-a-real-guitar.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Gaming gdc powergig rhythmgames Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:20:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2010/03/power-gig-its-a-rhythm-game-with-a-real-guitar.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Code library gives homebrew iPod remotes chance for awesome jeff.smykil@gmail.com (Jeff Smykil)  <p>Not too <a href="http://davidfindlay.org/weblog/files/2009_09_07_ipod_remote.php">long ago</a>, David Finland built a device capable of communicating with just about any model of iPod via the dock connector using an <a href="http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Hardware">Arduino Nano</a>, <a href="http://www.kineteka.com/PodGizmo.aspx">PodGizmo</a> breakout board, an old USB iPod connector, and a momentary switch. While it may not sound like a big deal, there is more to it than one might think: namely programming a device (in this case the Arduino Nano) to be able to receive, interpret, and respond to messages sent from an iPod.  </p><p>This means teaching it to speak Apple Accessory Protocol and, although proprietary in nature, it has been <a href="http://nuxx.net/wiki/Apple_Accessory_Protocol">fairly well documented around the Internet</a>. Finland slung some code so that his iPod touch was hooked up to one of the famous Staples Easy buttons in his car. Now he could easily play and pause his iPod touch without having to fiddle with the on-screen controls.</p> <p>Fast-forward several months and Finland had all but forgotten about the project when he was asked by the folks that run <a href="http://makezine.com/">Make magazine</a> to talk about it. In particular, they wanted him to talk about the library he created for communicating with Apple’s portable audio players. He said yes, and decided to dive back into the project and attempt to add additional functionality to the project. </p><p>Finland's first go around only involved tackling the the Simple Remote portion of the Apple Remote Protocol, which handles things like mute, next playlist, skip, and turning the device on and off. With newfound interest, however, he has now tackled the Advanced Remote portion, which opens up a bevy of new functionality, including getting names of songs, albums, artists, and track time; toggling shuffle and repeat mode; and all the other neat functionality that iPods have.</p> <p>This <a href="http://github.com/finsprings/arduinaap/tree/master/iPodSerial/">newly released library of code</a> will surely appeal to the do-it-yourself hackers who love tinkering, soldering, and programming. Someone could theoretically even build his or her own iPod speaker solution with a plethora of different options and feedback. The more daring could hard-wire a solution to a car’s in-wheel audio controls. Personally, I envision some sort of bicycle solution that docks the iPod on the handlebars but allows riders to control the device without taking their hands off the handlebars. An even more enterprising individual could rig something like this up to a sudden motion sensor so that when someone enters a room, the iPod begins to play.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/code-library-gives-home-brew-ipod-remotes-chance-for-awesome.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aEC7k4TaD2vNBlehGPVFUy9StIc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aEC7k4TaD2vNBlehGPVFUy9StIc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aEC7k4TaD2vNBlehGPVFUy9StIc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/aEC7k4TaD2vNBlehGPVFUy9StIc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=g-1cN2HWH0M:Cm1TudFRVyw:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=g-1cN2HWH0M:Cm1TudFRVyw:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=g-1cN2HWH0M:Cm1TudFRVyw:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=g-1cN2HWH0M:Cm1TudFRVyw:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=g-1cN2HWH0M:Cm1TudFRVyw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=g-1cN2HWH0M:Cm1TudFRVyw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/g-1cN2HWH0M" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/g-1cN2HWH0M/code-library-gives-home-brew-ipod-remotes-chance-for-awesome.ars http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/code-library-gives-home-brew-ipod-remotes-chance-for-awesome.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Apple Gadgets diy hacking iphone ipod ipodtouch remote Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:33:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/code-library-gives-home-brew-ipod-remotes-chance-for-awesome.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Hands-on with Sony's new PlayStation Move motion controller bkuchera@arstechnica.com (Ben Kuchera) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/sony-announces-the-playstation-move-motion-controller.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2009/12/ps3_small_profile_ars-thumb-230x130-10834-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p> SAN FRANCISCO — At a GDC event today, Sony showed off its new PlayStation Move controller, along with a number of games. The audience response was positive, but the demos shown, including sports games and sword-and-shield-style battles, seemed both inspired and informed by what the Wii has done before. We got a quick hands-on with the controller, and have posted some impressions and pictures, below. </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/sony-announces-the-playstation-move-motion-controller.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/sony-announces-the-playstation-move-motion-controller.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/TJ1oc3OXq3ZB4tji5Uk31-kknbQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/TJ1oc3OXq3ZB4tji5Uk31-kknbQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/TJ1oc3OXq3ZB4tji5Uk31-kknbQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/TJ1oc3OXq3ZB4tji5Uk31-kknbQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=zOyH1PmMxPM:tPf7whfy_tY:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=zOyH1PmMxPM:tPf7whfy_tY:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=zOyH1PmMxPM:tPf7whfy_tY:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=zOyH1PmMxPM:tPf7whfy_tY:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=zOyH1PmMxPM:tPf7whfy_tY:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=zOyH1PmMxPM:tPf7whfy_tY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/zOyH1PmMxPM" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/zOyH1PmMxPM/sony-announces-the-playstation-move-motion-controller.ars http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/sony-announces-the-playstation-move-motion-controller.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Gaming Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:00:52 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/sony-announces-the-playstation-move-motion-controller.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Bad employee! 12% knowingly violate company IT policies jacqui@arstechnica.com (Jacqui Cheng)  <p>By now, it's practically a mantra that the biggest problem with corporate IT security is the employees themselves. However, we usually assume that's due to ignorant users or poorly enforced policies. Not so for a chunk of the US working population—according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 12 percent admitted to <em>knowingly </em>violating IT policy in order to get work done. </p> <p>The survey of 1,347 employed adults was conducted on behalf of <a href="http://www.fiberlink.com/">Fiberlink</a>, a company that hawks services that "help enterprises connect, control and secure laptops and mobile devices." Needless to say, the survey results fit perfectly into the company's agenda, but they are hardly surprising. After all, how many of us know someone who has left a work laptop in an unattended vehicle, sent unencrypted e-mails without permission, or reused the same three passwords over and over instead of choosing new ones every 90 days?</p> <p>Fiberlink CEO Jim Sheward warned of the obvious. "IT departments nationwide spend a lot of time and money on their compliance, usage, and access policies, but they only work if people follow the rules," he said in an e-mailed statement. [C]ompanies could face dangerous breaches that include the loss of sensitive data, competitive intelligence, or customers’ private information."</p> <p>Harris' findings are supported by previous reports saying that <a href="http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2008/07/leaky-employees-data-pose-bigger-security-risk-than-malware.ars">leaky employees are a bigger threat than malware</a>, that <a href="http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2008/10/employees-not-it-responsible-for-most-corporate-data-loss.ars">employees (not hackers) cause the most corporate data loss</a>, and that <a href="http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/07/it-admins-users-online-antics-greatest-threat-to-security.ars">employees' online activities</a> pose the greatest threat to IT security. With 12 percent of those people actively working outside of stated IT policy (and plenty more who do so out of ignorance), IT admins certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to maintain a tight ship. </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2010/03/bad-employee-12-knowingly-violate-company-it-policies.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pDp1xOgpjA-YzMzscx2nu284ZW8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pDp1xOgpjA-YzMzscx2nu284ZW8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pDp1xOgpjA-YzMzscx2nu284ZW8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pDp1xOgpjA-YzMzscx2nu284ZW8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=5wCDJtMz95Y:W5biTCpD5Ko:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=5wCDJtMz95Y:W5biTCpD5Ko:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=5wCDJtMz95Y:W5biTCpD5Ko:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=5wCDJtMz95Y:W5biTCpD5Ko:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=5wCDJtMz95Y:W5biTCpD5Ko:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=5wCDJtMz95Y:W5biTCpD5Ko:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/5wCDJtMz95Y" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/5wCDJtMz95Y/bad-employee-12-knowingly-violate-company-it-policies.ars http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2010/03/bad-employee-12-knowingly-violate-company-it-policies.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Business Security business data internet it laptop policy security Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:17:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2010/03/bad-employee-12-knowingly-violate-company-it-policies.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Researchers get plastic to act totally metal zeotherm@gmail.com (Matt Ford)  <p> Plastics became ubiquitous during the 20th century. They were hot topics of industrial and academic research, and saw innumerable consumer applications. While plastics can have a wide variety of mechanical properties, they are almost universally good insulators, both of heat and electricity. But a paper out of the Pappalardo Micro and Nano Engineering Laboratories reports on a novel processing technique that aligns the polymer chains of polyethylene, which results in a material that has both a high thermal capacitance and a high electrical resistance.</p><p>The researchers forced the polyethylene to form into this aligned morphology by slowly drawing the fiber out of solution using the tip of an atomic force microscope. The new fibrous form of polyethylene conducts heat well along the direction of the fibers—so well, it beats out many pure metals, including iron and platinum.The resulting fiber was about 300 times more thermally conductive than normal polyethylene. This surprising ability to move heat could find uses in any number of technologies that currently rely on metal as a heat transfer medium.</p><p>This new method differs from previous attempts at creating a more heat-conductive plastic in that it transforms the morphology of the underlying material instead of using an additive. These prior attempts, while scalable, resulted in only modest gains, since there was high thermal resistance at the interface between the plastic and additive. </p><p>It's not currently known how well, if at all, the process will be able to scale up to production. So far, the team has only produced single fibers in the laboratory, but they hope to be able to scale up to macro-scale production of entire sheets of this material.</p><p><span >Nature Nanotechnology</span>, 2010. DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NNANO.2010.27">10.1038/NNANO.2010.27</a>  (<a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/dois-and-their-discontents-1.ars">About DOIs</a>).</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/researchers-get-plastic-to-act-totally-metal.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/2cyzEqyOgLVkqfSu6wZeEAr7QP8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/2cyzEqyOgLVkqfSu6wZeEAr7QP8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/2cyzEqyOgLVkqfSu6wZeEAr7QP8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/2cyzEqyOgLVkqfSu6wZeEAr7QP8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=41ztAxlZ-4w:XY_m6qV_K5M:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=41ztAxlZ-4w:XY_m6qV_K5M:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=41ztAxlZ-4w:XY_m6qV_K5M:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=41ztAxlZ-4w:XY_m6qV_K5M:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=41ztAxlZ-4w:XY_m6qV_K5M:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=41ztAxlZ-4w:XY_m6qV_K5M:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/41ztAxlZ-4w" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/41ztAxlZ-4w/researchers-get-plastic-to-act-totally-metal.ars http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/researchers-get-plastic-to-act-totally-metal.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Science @brief materialscience polymers science Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:27:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/researchers-get-plastic-to-act-totally-metal.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Pushing the speed limits of quantum memory casey.l.johnston@gmail.com (Casey Johnston) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/pushing-the-speed-limits-of-quantum-memory.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2009/08/quantum_ars-thumb-230x130-7466-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p> It feels like <a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/guides/2010/01/a-tale-of-two-qubits-how-quantum-computers-work.ars">quantum computers</a> have barely been invented, and scientists are already testing how extensible the current technology is. A paper published in <em>Nature Photonics</em> this week describes how researchers are beginning to push the bandwidth limits of quantum memory. Using photon pulses and cesium vapor has provided bandwidths on par with broadband connections, rates 100 times those of other quantum memory systems currently being tested. However, the system's efficiency is still very low, and advances will have to be made in other fields before it can be improved. </p> <p> Since many quantum computing implementations operate on photons, a quantum memory that doesn’t involve converting photons into other media, like electrical pulses, would be ideal. Unfortunately, current photon-based media suffers from problems with storage time, retrieval efficiency, and bandwidth. The paper tackles the last issue, as current quantum systems are limited to a data rate of a few megahertz at most. </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/pushing-the-speed-limits-of-quantum-memory.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/pushing-the-speed-limits-of-quantum-memory.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/nPBMLqOC0ttAC8H1vQlwnRYwMqc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/nPBMLqOC0ttAC8H1vQlwnRYwMqc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/nPBMLqOC0ttAC8H1vQlwnRYwMqc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/nPBMLqOC0ttAC8H1vQlwnRYwMqc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=wEK6O5m-v2o:5kKBsP3lcDE:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=wEK6O5m-v2o:5kKBsP3lcDE:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=wEK6O5m-v2o:5kKBsP3lcDE:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=wEK6O5m-v2o:5kKBsP3lcDE:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=wEK6O5m-v2o:5kKBsP3lcDE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=wEK6O5m-v2o:5kKBsP3lcDE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/wEK6O5m-v2o" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/wEK6O5m-v2o/pushing-the-speed-limits-of-quantum-memory.ars http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/pushing-the-speed-limits-of-quantum-memory.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Science cesium optic photon quantumcomputer quantummemory research storage Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:39:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/pushing-the-speed-limits-of-quantum-memory.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Donkey-politician vid keeps two Azerbaijani bloggers in jail jacqui@arstechnica.com (Jacqui Cheng)  <p>Two Azerbaijani bloggers will remain in jail after using a donkey to represent their government in a satirical YouTube video. Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli lost an appeal Wednesday asking for them to be released from their respective 2 and and 2.5 year sentences. Their lawyer vowed to continue appealing all the way up to the Azerbaijan's Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.</p> <p>Hajizade and Milli had <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aaecvg7xCIk">posted the video on YouTube</a> in 2009, which made fun of Azerbaijan's government and what they portrayed to be the country's softball press. Featured was an actor dressed up as a donkey holding a press conference—the donkey, of course, representing the government. As noted by the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100310/tc_afp/azerbaijanmediarightstrialinternet">AFP</a>, the two were charged with hooliganism immediately after the video appeared online and have been in jail ever since. </p> <p>The bloggers' lawyer Isakhan Ashurov told the AFP that they had appealed the ruling because they have not committed any crimes in Azerbaijan, though authorities claim that their arrest mysteriously has nothing to do with the satirical video. Ashurov plans to press on with the appeal. "The European Court of Human Rights has already accepted two complaints from us regarding infringements of the bloggers' rights during detention," he said. "If the Supreme Court also upholds the decision we will send a third complaint."</p> <p>Like many former USSR countries, Azerbaijan is often criticized for its heavy hand in silencing criticism and free speech. Reporters Without Borders in particular has <a href="http://www.rsf.org/en-pays91-Azerbaijan.html">hammered</a> on the government for treating these two bloggers (and jailed journalists/critics in general) as dangerous criminals and for dancing around the true reasons for their arrest. If the government continues to reject Hajizade and Milli's appeals, though, their jail sentences might come to an end before the legal system gets around to dealing with them. </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/donkey-politician-vid-keeps-two-azerbaijani-bloggers-in-jail.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/C7hWaBmBLke_Zs_-S_Ql2FKA2GM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/C7hWaBmBLke_Zs_-S_Ql2FKA2GM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/C7hWaBmBLke_Zs_-S_Ql2FKA2GM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/C7hWaBmBLke_Zs_-S_Ql2FKA2GM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=2_RT1Bg6C4Y:PQFEazAJTq4:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=2_RT1Bg6C4Y:PQFEazAJTq4:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=2_RT1Bg6C4Y:PQFEazAJTq4:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=2_RT1Bg6C4Y:PQFEazAJTq4:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=2_RT1Bg6C4Y:PQFEazAJTq4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=2_RT1Bg6C4Y:PQFEazAJTq4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/2_RT1Bg6C4Y" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/2_RT1Bg6C4Y/donkey-politician-vid-keeps-two-azerbaijani-bloggers-in-jail.ars http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/donkey-politician-vid-keeps-two-azerbaijani-bloggers-in-jail.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Media Tech-policy freespeech internet satire youtube Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:41:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/donkey-politician-vid-keeps-two-azerbaijani-bloggers-in-jail.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss LifeLock fined $12 million over lack of life-locking ability jacqui@arstechnica.com (Jacqui Cheng) Image courtesy TheTruthAbout http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetruthabout/2761591290/ <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/lifelock-cant-guarantee-id-theft-prevention-after-all-settles-with-ftc.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/01/identitytheft-thumb-230x130-11477-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>Identity theft prevention service <a href="http://www.lifelock.com/">LifeLock</a> is not as pristine as its reputation claims after all. The company agreed to pay out $12 million to settle charges with the Federal Trade Commission and 35 states, which had said that LifeLock's identity-theft-prevention claims were false and that the company actually made its own customer data available and unsecured from theft. As it turns out, there is no way to fully guarantee that identity theft won't happen, no matter what someone puts on the side of a truck. </p> <p>LifeLock has made a name for itself as the go-to service if you never want to have any part of your identity stolen, ever. The company claims to proactively protect your information against fraud, alert you to any kind of shady activity, and reduce credit card offers for $10-15 per month. Those who have seen LifeLock's trucks driving around their cities know that the company used to slap its CEO Todd Davis' social security number on the side of the vehicle along with a number of claims guaranteeing that its customers won't fall victim. (As an aside, Davis' identity allegedly <a href="http://www.macsplaceonline.com/2007/09/25/reposted-ceo-of-lifelock-identity-stolen/">ended up getting stolen</a> in 2007.)</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/lifelock-cant-guarantee-id-theft-prevention-after-all-settles-with-ftc.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/lifelock-cant-guarantee-id-theft-prevention-after-all-settles-with-ftc.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/3aAXx_X7TRtO4vnwh3YBXFTBmuo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/3aAXx_X7TRtO4vnwh3YBXFTBmuo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/3aAXx_X7TRtO4vnwh3YBXFTBmuo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/3aAXx_X7TRtO4vnwh3YBXFTBmuo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=0Yyu1Q6ckNk:Mow2OEbzmsA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=0Yyu1Q6ckNk:Mow2OEbzmsA:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=0Yyu1Q6ckNk:Mow2OEbzmsA:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=0Yyu1Q6ckNk:Mow2OEbzmsA:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=0Yyu1Q6ckNk:Mow2OEbzmsA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=0Yyu1Q6ckNk:Mow2OEbzmsA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/0Yyu1Q6ckNk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/0Yyu1Q6ckNk/lifelock-cant-guarantee-id-theft-prevention-after-all-settles-with-ftc.ars http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/lifelock-cant-guarantee-id-theft-prevention-after-all-settles-with-ftc.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News News Security Tech-policy Web identitytheft internet lawsuit lifelock privacy security settlement Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:37:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/lifelock-cant-guarantee-id-theft-prevention-after-all-settles-with-ftc.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Cellcos hoping to cash in on iPad with 3G/4G mobile hotspots chris.foresman@arstechnica.com (Chris Foresman)  <p>Though the 3G-equipped version of the iPad will only be able to get data services from AT&T, Verizon apparently sees the introduction of Apple's tablet device as "an opportunity" for the company to sell data services. A supposed <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/09/eternal-optimist-verizon-calls-ipad-launch-an-opportunity-to-s/" title="Engadget: Eternal optimist Verizon calls iPad launch 'an opportunity' to sell some data plans">internal sales memo</a> published by Engadget reveals Verizon's plan to push its MiFi mobile hotspot for the WiFi-only version of the iPad, which will be <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/apple-taking-wifi-ipad-preorders-march-12-shipping-april-3.ars" title="Ars Technica: Apple taking WiFi iPad preorders March 12, shipping April 3">available April 3</a>.</p> <p>The memo points out that the WiFi + 3G iPad won't go on sale for at least a few weeks after the WiFi model, costs $130 more, and can only get service through AT&T, which the memo describes as "an overloaded network with limited coverage." Ouch.</p> <p>To be fair, the extra $130 includes GPS hardware in addition to the 3G radios, and AT&T continues to make improvements to its network. But, if you don't want to wait, don't want to pay extra, or just don't want to use AT&T service, Verizon has a point—a mobile hotspot like the MiFi (which can connect up to 5 devices at once) can make a good alternative.</p> <p>A <a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband/?page=products_mifi" title="Verizon Wireless: MiFi 2200">MiFi 2200 from Verizon</a> will run you $50 with current promotions and a two-year contract; without a contract expect to pay about $250. However, Verizon's plans <a href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband/?page=plans" title="Verizon Wireless: Mobile Broadband Plans for Wireless Internet Access">aren't as generous or affordable</a> as the data options AT&T offers for the iPad. Through AT&T, you'll pay $15 per month for up to 250MB of data or $30 per month for unlimited via AT&T, and those plans don't require a contract. With Verizon, you'll pay $40 per month for up to 250MB, or $60 per month with a 5GB cap. Prepaid, non-contract options start at $15 per day with a 75MB limit. Like AT&T, however, your plan also includes free access to Verizon WiFi hotspots.</p> <p>Sprint offers a <a href="http://nextelonline.nextel.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/DisplayPhones?phoneSKU=NV2200WFDO" title="Sprint: MiFi 2200">branded MiFi 2200</a> as well, though you can get it free after a $50 mail-in rebate. The company only offers one data plan, though: $60 per month with a 5GB cap (and a 300MB cap on roaming). Sprint also offers the Sierra Wireless <a href="http://nextelonline.nextel.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/DisplayPhones?phoneSKU=SWW8013G4G" title="Sprint: Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless">Overdrive 4G/3G hotspot</a> for those in an area with WiMAX coverage. Though it costs $100 after rebate, for the same $60 a month you'd get unlimited 4G data and 5GB of 3G data.</p> <p>For a 4G-only option, you can go directly through Clear to get a 4G USB modem and a <a href="http://www.clear.com/shop/devices/devicedetails/equipment_id/clearspot/" title="Clear: Clear Spot">Clear Spot</a> WiFi adapter that works with up to eight devices for under $200 total. Data plans start at $40 per month for 4G-only access, though bundles with home service or 3G fall-back are also available.</p> <p>Other combinations of mobile data modems and/or mobile hotspots are also possible, and it's probably worth it to check with the provider in your area to see what options are available. Despite the extra cost of the WiFi + 3G iPad and the associated data plans, you're not likely to find a cheaper alternative. But going this route means you'll have data access for other devices, such as a laptop, iPod touch, or Nintendo DSi, and can serve data to multiple devices at the same time. The extra flexibility may fit your particular needs and justify the extra cost.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/cellcos-hoping-to-cash-in-on-ipad-with-3g4g-mobile-hotspots.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JElY9LupHkAA99HAyG5SeBKhtro/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JElY9LupHkAA99HAyG5SeBKhtro/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JElY9LupHkAA99HAyG5SeBKhtro/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JElY9LupHkAA99HAyG5SeBKhtro/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=dLSE9Zgb57Q:yRtq99XhPIA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=dLSE9Zgb57Q:yRtq99XhPIA:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=dLSE9Zgb57Q:yRtq99XhPIA:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=dLSE9Zgb57Q:yRtq99XhPIA:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=dLSE9Zgb57Q:yRtq99XhPIA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=dLSE9Zgb57Q:yRtq99XhPIA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/dLSE9Zgb57Q" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/dLSE9Zgb57Q/cellcos-hoping-to-cash-in-on-ipad-with-3g4g-mobile-hotspots.ars http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/cellcos-hoping-to-cash-in-on-ipad-with-3g4g-mobile-hotspots.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News Ipad News News Apple Gadgets 3g apple clear ipad mifi mobilehotspot sprint verizon wimax Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:55:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/cellcos-hoping-to-cash-in-on-ipad-with-3g4g-mobile-hotspots.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Free wireless broadband plan is dÃ©jÃ vu all over again ars@lasarletter.net (Matthew Lasar) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/free-wireless-broadband-plan-is-deja-vu-all-over-again.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2009/06/free_spectrum_ars-thumb-230x130-6744-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>As part of the grand hoopla-fest building up to the release of the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan this month, the agency hosted a <a href="http://www.newseum.org/news/index.aspx?item=news_index&style=f#3153">Digital Inclusion Summit</a> at Washington, DC's Newseum on Tuesday. Co-sponsored with the Knight Foundation, during the course of the event the FCC disclosed <a href="http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-296733A1.pdf">more components</a> of The Plan. These include recommending the creation of a Digital Literacy Corps "to conduct skills training and outreach in communities with low rates of adoption," and tapping into the agency's Universal Service Fund to subsidize broadband for low income people.</p> <p>But what really got our attention was this: the NBP will ask the government to "consider use of spectrum for a free or very low cost wireless broadband service.'' </p> <p>That's odd, we thought, since the FCC and Congress have been considering such an idea for years.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/free-wireless-broadband-plan-is-deja-vu-all-over-again.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/free-wireless-broadband-plan-is-deja-vu-all-over-again.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/v5Ds_NiLAo9wsdtrrx8ydd_phVo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/v5Ds_NiLAo9wsdtrrx8ydd_phVo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/v5Ds_NiLAo9wsdtrrx8ydd_phVo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/v5Ds_NiLAo9wsdtrrx8ydd_phVo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=7n4jpemHXt4:0KdbPCODHUw:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=7n4jpemHXt4:0KdbPCODHUw:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=7n4jpemHXt4:0KdbPCODHUw:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=7n4jpemHXt4:0KdbPCODHUw:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=7n4jpemHXt4:0KdbPCODHUw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=7n4jpemHXt4:0KdbPCODHUw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/7n4jpemHXt4" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/7n4jpemHXt4/free-wireless-broadband-plan-is-deja-vu-all-over-again.ars http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/free-wireless-broadband-plan-is-deja-vu-all-over-again.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Tech-policy Telecom @needsedits aws3band fcc freewireless johnmuletta kevinmartin m2z tmobile Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:13:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/free-wireless-broadband-plan-is-deja-vu-all-over-again.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Street Fighter IV: as good as you can expect on the iPhone bkuchera@arstechnica.com (Ben Kuchera)  <p><i>Street Fighter IV</i> is now available on Apple's App Store; you can pick it up right now for $10 if you'd like to see what Capcom can do with Apple's hardware. Capcom also threw quite the party at GDC, allowing the press and community some hands-on time with the game. After playing for about 15 minutes, the verdict is in: this is about as good as you can expect from a fighting game on the iPhone.</p> <div class="news-item-figure ImageRight " > <div class="news-item-figure-image"> <img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/Gaming/SFIViphone.jpg" /> </div> <div class="news-item-figure-caption"> <div class="news-item-figure-caption-text">It looks great, but you'll still be fighting the controls</div> </div> </div> <p>As a tech demo it's amazing. The characters are large and detailed, and they move fluidly with grace. Many people enjoyed simply watching others play the game; this is one of the prettiest portable fighting games out there. The problem is simple: the iPhone doesn't have any actual buttons. Many gamers are snobs about the input for their <em>Street Fighter </em>experience, playing with only arcade-quality parts. Going from my home set-up to virtual buttons on the iPhone screen took a while to get used to.</p> <p>I was able to pull off the dragon punches and fireballs after a while, but the game never felt good to me. It never felt like a game I could sit down and play for hours. The iPhone just isn't set up for this kind of game, and <i>Street Fighter IV</i> felt like someone trying to prove that it could be done. The question they should have asked was <i>should</i> it be done. A good iPhone game takes advantage of what the hardware can do well and works around what it does poorly. <em>Street Fighter IV</em> is simply a graphical curiosity.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/street-fighter-iv-as-good-as-you-can-expect-on-the-iphone.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Ef5xvK2UVsnfC8vZhAOXkgAFYF0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Ef5xvK2UVsnfC8vZhAOXkgAFYF0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Ef5xvK2UVsnfC8vZhAOXkgAFYF0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Ef5xvK2UVsnfC8vZhAOXkgAFYF0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=l7p4niym-a0:iLw2rGvTbFw:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=l7p4niym-a0:iLw2rGvTbFw:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=l7p4niym-a0:iLw2rGvTbFw:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=l7p4niym-a0:iLw2rGvTbFw:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=l7p4niym-a0:iLw2rGvTbFw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=l7p4niym-a0:iLw2rGvTbFw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/l7p4niym-a0" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/l7p4niym-a0/street-fighter-iv-as-good-as-you-can-expect-on-the-iphone.ars http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/street-fighter-iv-as-good-as-you-can-expect-on-the-iphone.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Apple Gaming iphone streetfighteriv Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:30:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/street-fighter-iv-as-good-as-you-can-expect-on-the-iphone.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Nanotubes help create thermopower waves casey.l.johnston@gmail.com (Casey Johnston) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/nanotubes-help-create-thermopower-waves.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2009/03/Carbon_Nanotubes_Listing-thumb-230x130-3239-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p> A paper published in <i>Nature Materials</i> this week details a new method for using nanotubes to generate significant amounts of power, at least for their size. When multi-walled carbon nanotubes are covered with a material that produces an exothermic reaction, the nanotubes help conduct the heat in one focused direction. To the apparent surprise of the researchers, this created an electrical pulse, a quick surge of power, that could be put to a number of uses. </p> <p> When you couple a heat-activated material with exothermically-reactive chemicals, it's theoretically possible to create self-propagating waves of heat. However, there are a couple of problems with implementing systems like these. The waves generally propagate in all directions, which is not terribly efficient for heat- or power-generating purposes. Furthermore, materials that both prevent the wave of the pulse from scattering and can stand up to a large amount of heat are fairly rare. </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/nanotubes-help-create-thermopower-waves.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/nanotubes-help-create-thermopower-waves.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mcCROkmIhbbDYn5NgaiQPi8EaZw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mcCROkmIhbbDYn5NgaiQPi8EaZw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mcCROkmIhbbDYn5NgaiQPi8EaZw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/mcCROkmIhbbDYn5NgaiQPi8EaZw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=Lkx-vkJ_tZQ:AkyscVnzT3s:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=Lkx-vkJ_tZQ:AkyscVnzT3s:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=Lkx-vkJ_tZQ:AkyscVnzT3s:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=Lkx-vkJ_tZQ:AkyscVnzT3s:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=Lkx-vkJ_tZQ:AkyscVnzT3s:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=Lkx-vkJ_tZQ:AkyscVnzT3s:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/Lkx-vkJ_tZQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/Lkx-vkJ_tZQ/nanotubes-help-create-thermopower-waves.ars http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/nanotubes-help-create-thermopower-waves.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Science carbon chemicalreaction nanotech nanotube power research thermopower waves Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:48:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/nanotubes-help-create-thermopower-waves.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Getting chopped: why True Crime loves bladed weapons bkuchera@arstechnica.com (Ben Kuchera)  <p>Jeff O'Connell is the lead producer of the new <em>True Crime</em> game, and he's showing off the game's hand-to-hand fighting. The part of the game we saw was low on gunplay, but it looked great, with some cinematic-looking moves and kills. The game takes place in Hong Kong, and we're told the art team took 27,000 reference photos of the city. They wanted a bright, saturated look that showed the difference between night and day; a stark contrast in the city.</p> <p>There were very few guns, and a good amount of slicing with meat cleavers. We asked O'Connell about this strange aspect of the game.</p> <p>"Hong Kong is not as much an action movie as you'd think, to even possess a single bullet will put you in jail. The triads rely on fists and feet and chopping weapons. In the real Hong Kong these Muay Thai gyms are triad owned and operated. They teach their guys how to do Muay Thai because it's an extremely effective street-fighting mechanic. It's really brutal—it's knees and elbows and things that will brutalize you and put you down." That's why they focused on martial arts, with brutal stomps to knees and vicious kicks and punches... not to mention those slicing weapons.</p> <p>"The cleaver aspect... guns are hard to come by. There's even a line in the cut scene where a character says 'he brought guns into this,' there's an escalation into guns, it doesn't start in a world where there are guns."</p> <p>Being sliced up is simply a part of organized crime in Hong Kong. "They call it being 'chopped' by the triads," he explains. "They target you, mutilate you, and often leave you alive. He talks about a recent story of a radio personality who said the wrong thing about a man with triad connections, and he was hacked up with cleavers. The game will feature many chopping weapons; there is not an emphasis on firearms. The hand-to-hand fighting mechanics are impressive, with environmental kills and a free-flowing action movie aspect to the game.</p> <p>When I told people I was going to see the new <i>True Crime</i>, they had one question: will there be a fight against a dragon? The last game featured a somewhat infamous section where you fought a dragon, and gamers do not remember it fondly.</p> <p>O'Connell places both hands in the air, as if taking a solemn oath. "You will not, at any point in the game, fight any type of mystical beast, including a dragon." We're sold. <em>True Crime </em>is coming fall of this year, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/getting-chopped-why-true-crime-loves-bladed-weapons.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J0kQfeSfTvpZKDp7gHIEkbAerA0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J0kQfeSfTvpZKDp7gHIEkbAerA0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J0kQfeSfTvpZKDp7gHIEkbAerA0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/J0kQfeSfTvpZKDp7gHIEkbAerA0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=DfpZpqLxujg:oeEceAjCnE8:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=DfpZpqLxujg:oeEceAjCnE8:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=DfpZpqLxujg:oeEceAjCnE8:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=DfpZpqLxujg:oeEceAjCnE8:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=DfpZpqLxujg:oeEceAjCnE8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=DfpZpqLxujg:oeEceAjCnE8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/DfpZpqLxujg" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/DfpZpqLxujg/getting-chopped-why-true-crime-loves-bladed-weapons.ars http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/getting-chopped-why-true-crime-loves-bladed-weapons.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Gaming gdc truecrime Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:05:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/03/getting-chopped-why-true-crime-loves-bladed-weapons.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Google Apps becomes a platform, gets its own app store segphault@arstechnica.com (Ryan Paul) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/google-apps-becomes-a-platform-gets-its-own-app-store.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2009/11/google_toolbox_ars-thumb-230x130-9648-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>At the Campfire One event last night, Google launched the Google Apps Marketplace and demonstrated how external Web applications from other vendors can be integrated into Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and other services that are part of the search giant's Web-based productivity suite.</p> <p>In the quest for <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/why-google-makes-it-easy-to-leave-google.ars">data liberation</a>, Google's hosted Web services have long offered a wide range of APIs for third-party developers. With the launch of the new marketplace, however, Google Apps for domains is opening up even further and enabling external software to expose its own functionality directly through Google's Web-based applications. This will make it possible for third-party software in the cloud to offer broad interoperability with Google Apps and very tight integration.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/google-apps-becomes-a-platform-gets-its-own-app-store.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/google-apps-becomes-a-platform-gets-its-own-app-store.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SRt4K59wAH6qEYlQMHPC1dZjeMs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SRt4K59wAH6qEYlQMHPC1dZjeMs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SRt4K59wAH6qEYlQMHPC1dZjeMs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/SRt4K59wAH6qEYlQMHPC1dZjeMs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=35OLOR2cJow:_Ek__FXAw5g:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=35OLOR2cJow:_Ek__FXAw5g:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=35OLOR2cJow:_Ek__FXAw5g:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=35OLOR2cJow:_Ek__FXAw5g:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=35OLOR2cJow:_Ek__FXAw5g:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=35OLOR2cJow:_Ek__FXAw5g:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/35OLOR2cJow" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/35OLOR2cJow/google-apps-becomes-a-platform-gets-its-own-app-store.ars http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/google-apps-becomes-a-platform-gets-its-own-app-store.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Software Web Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:31:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/google-apps-becomes-a-platform-gets-its-own-app-store.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Winning the war on cancer? US death rates show broad decline jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer)  <p> President Nixon declared war on cancer in 1971 and, since then, the National Cancer Institute (part of the NIH) has funded research on prevention, surveillance, and treatments. But, despite the effort, progress has been elusive, leading to press reports in <em>Newsweek</em>, <em>Fortune</em>, and <em>The New York Times</em> suggesting that, at best, cancer is fighting us to a draw. But a new analysis of death rates, performed by staff at the American Cancer Society, indicates that cancer death rates peaked around 1990, and have been declining broadly since. As a result, they're now below where they started in 1970. </p> <p> The dynamics in many specific populations are quite distinct. Relative to women, men started out with a higher age-standardized death rate, saw a more rapid increase, peaked a year earlier, and then have seen a far more dramatic decline. Various ethnic groups also had different trajectories, but all have shown declines in recent years. The trends have been more dramatic in younger populations as well. </p> <p> The changes also vary based on cancer types. "The 2006 death rates for Hodgkin lymphoma in men, cervical cancer in women, and stomach cancer in both men and women were less than one-third of the 1970 rates," the authors conclude. In contrast, liver cancer death rates are increasing, as are pancreatic cancers in women, and melanoma and esophageal cancer in women. But, for 15 of the 19 cancers studied, rates have dropped. </p> <p> The biggest factor in the change, according to the authors, is prevention: people are smoking less, and we should see continued improvements in this regard due to the decreased rates of smoking in adolescents. Mammograms, the Pap smear, and increased colonoscopy rates all account for drops in their relevant cancers, indicating that detection is also playing a role, while new treatments had impacts in lymphomas, leukemias, and testicular cancer. </p> <p> There are a couple of take-home messages here. For one, we tend to expect success in the war on cancer to come in terms of treatments, but prevention and early detection are having a far more significant effect. But they take much longer; the oldest generations are missing out on the drop in smoking because the time-lags are so long. Finally, there's some indication that the rise in a few cancers may be tied to increased obesity, however, so there's no guarantee of continued success. </p> <p> <em>PLoS One</em>, 2010. DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0009584">10.1371/journal.pone.0009584</a>  (<a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/dois-and-their-discontents-1.ars">About DOIs</a>). </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/winning-the-war-on-cancer-us-death-rates-show-broad-decline.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_VHKQT1SHotuawSX0aHI-BG9EZM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_VHKQT1SHotuawSX0aHI-BG9EZM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_VHKQT1SHotuawSX0aHI-BG9EZM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_VHKQT1SHotuawSX0aHI-BG9EZM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=Eaz6WyQ5fNU:DpUM8ZZdu7Q:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=Eaz6WyQ5fNU:DpUM8ZZdu7Q:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=Eaz6WyQ5fNU:DpUM8ZZdu7Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=Eaz6WyQ5fNU:DpUM8ZZdu7Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=Eaz6WyQ5fNU:DpUM8ZZdu7Q:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=Eaz6WyQ5fNU:DpUM8ZZdu7Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/Eaz6WyQ5fNU" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/Eaz6WyQ5fNU/winning-the-war-on-cancer-us-death-rates-show-broad-decline.ars http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/winning-the-war-on-cancer-us-death-rates-show-broad-decline.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Science biology cancer health medicine Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:52:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/winning-the-war-on-cancer-us-death-rates-show-broad-decline.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss CodePlex refresh, FOSS projects more compatible with Windows segphault@arstechnica.com (Ryan Paul) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/03/codeplex-foundation-announces-new-board-members.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/03/window_wall_ars-thumb-230x130-12527-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>The CodePlex Foundation has announced the arrival of several new board members, including Jim Jagielski, the Chief Open Source Officer of SpringSource. Jagielski, who was one of the original cofounders of the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), brings a lot of credibility and leadership experience to the CodePlex Foundation.</p> <p>When the CodePlex Foundation was established by Microsoft last year, an interim board of directors was assembled to help get the organization off the ground while permanent board members were being chosen. A number of the interim board members, including Novell's Mono project leader Miguel de Icaza, will be turning their seats over to new representatives. Former Microsoft open source evangelist Sam Ramji, currently VP of strategy at Sonoa, will be remaining on the board, along with Microsoft .NET Framework program manager Davies Boesch.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/03/codeplex-foundation-announces-new-board-members.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/03/codeplex-foundation-announces-new-board-members.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/U5gUqxQqbCvsEZL5m0s2EZOMnfk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/U5gUqxQqbCvsEZL5m0s2EZOMnfk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/U5gUqxQqbCvsEZL5m0s2EZOMnfk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/U5gUqxQqbCvsEZL5m0s2EZOMnfk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=KeQOkE74s7U:gDM65PpSi5Q:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=KeQOkE74s7U:gDM65PpSi5Q:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=KeQOkE74s7U:gDM65PpSi5Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=KeQOkE74s7U:gDM65PpSi5Q:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=KeQOkE74s7U:gDM65PpSi5Q:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=KeQOkE74s7U:gDM65PpSi5Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/KeQOkE74s7U" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/KeQOkE74s7U/codeplex-foundation-announces-new-board-members.ars http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/03/codeplex-foundation-announces-new-board-members.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Microsoft Open-source Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:09:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/03/codeplex-foundation-announces-new-board-members.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss feature: True story: the making of the Terminator's laser-sighted .45 pistol bkuchera@arstechnica.com (Ben Kuchera) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/03/just-what-you-see-the-story-behind-the-45-long-slide-laser-siting.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/03/terminator_45_list-thumb-230x130-12416-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>One of the most striking images from <i>The Terminator</i> was the weapon he carried and used in his first attempt on Sarah Connor's life: the .45 Longslide, with laser sighting. Who can forget the scene in the gun shop? The gun was likewise such a striking presence on screen it was used on the film's poster. There are <a href="http://www.myteespot.com/45-Longslide-With-Laser-Sighting-Arnold-Schwarzenegger-Termi-p-9053.html">T-shirts dedicated to the gun</a>.</p> <p><em>Terminator</em> was released in 1984, and while laser sights on weapons are common now, when the film was first shown the red laser was able to communicate something subtle and powerful to the audience: this is a machine, deadly accurate and futuristic. It made the Terminator seem other-worldly and terrifying. At a party during CES, Deputy Editor Jon Stokes and I bumped into some representatives from <a href="http://www.surefire.com/">SureFire</a>, a company that specializes in tactical flashlights. We talked about some of our favorite moments with technology in cinema, and <em>The Terminator</em> came up.</p> <p>"We created that laser!" I was told. They told me the gentleman who built the prop was named Ed Reynolds, and he was still with the company. More than a little jazzed about bumping into a fun part of film history, we knew we had to get the full story behind the Terminator's gun.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/03/just-what-you-see-the-story-behind-the-45-long-slide-laser-siting.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/03/just-what-you-see-the-story-behind-the-45-long-slide-laser-siting.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/C5SC7JAAaDjvpSb6_MhUBu1eIbY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/C5SC7JAAaDjvpSb6_MhUBu1eIbY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/C5SC7JAAaDjvpSb6_MhUBu1eIbY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/C5SC7JAAaDjvpSb6_MhUBu1eIbY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=AIp02VIG5xI:mKOz7Wvkids:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=AIp02VIG5xI:mKOz7Wvkids:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=AIp02VIG5xI:mKOz7Wvkids:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=AIp02VIG5xI:mKOz7Wvkids:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=AIp02VIG5xI:mKOz7Wvkids:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=AIp02VIG5xI:mKOz7Wvkids:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/AIp02VIG5xI" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/AIp02VIG5xI/just-what-you-see-the-story-behind-the-45-long-slide-laser-siting.ars http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/03/just-what-you-see-the-story-behind-the-45-long-slide-laser-siting.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Features News News Gadgets phasedplasmariflesinthe40wattrange terminator weaponry Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:30:07 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/03/just-what-you-see-the-story-behind-the-45-long-slide-laser-siting.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss HTC lawsuit came after warning by Apple to handset makers chris.foresman@arstechnica.com (Chris Foresman) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/htc-lawsuit-came-after-warning-by-apple-to-handset-makers.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/03/frozen_smartphones-thumb-230x130-12514-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>Apple COO Tim Cook's <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/01/apples-massive-371-page-iphone-patent-granted-by-ustpo.ars" title="Ars Technica: Apple can now swing +6 mace of multitouch at enemies">warning</a> from early 2009 wasn't the only one that handset makers received before Apple <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/htc-feeling-apples-fury-over-smartphone-patents.ars" title="Ars Technica: HTC feeling Apple's fury over smartphone patents">sicced the lawyers</a> on HTC last week. According to a research note from Oppenheimer analyst Yal Reiner, Apple began <a href="http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/09/apple-talks-tough-to-handset-makers" title="Fortune: Apple talks tough to handset makers">warning top executives</a> at companies such as HTC and Motorola in January that it wasn't too happy about seeing allegedly iPhone-related IP showing up in proposed new products.</p> <p>According to "industry checks," Cook's comments last January during the quarterly analyst call—that Apple "will not stand for having our IP ripped off, and we'll use whatever weapons that we have at our disposal"—were taken seriously by the likes of LG, Samsung, and even Nokia. Though the Palm Pre openly flaunted multitouch capabilities (what most handset makers believed were at the heart of Cook's warning), its sales numbers haven't proven to be much of a concern for Apple so far.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/htc-lawsuit-came-after-warning-by-apple-to-handset-makers.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/htc-lawsuit-came-after-warning-by-apple-to-handset-makers.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/IUFRkxuH3QVLwXbZ-nc_C1VwqPY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/IUFRkxuH3QVLwXbZ-nc_C1VwqPY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/IUFRkxuH3QVLwXbZ-nc_C1VwqPY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/IUFRkxuH3QVLwXbZ-nc_C1VwqPY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=SPIWab3ejec:y0b7oIPAv4k:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=SPIWab3ejec:y0b7oIPAv4k:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=SPIWab3ejec:y0b7oIPAv4k:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=SPIWab3ejec:y0b7oIPAv4k:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=SPIWab3ejec:y0b7oIPAv4k:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=SPIWab3ejec:y0b7oIPAv4k:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/SPIWab3ejec" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/SPIWab3ejec/htc-lawsuit-came-after-warning-by-apple-to-handset-makers.ars http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/htc-lawsuit-came-after-warning-by-apple-to-handset-makers.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News News Apple Gadgets Tech-policy apple htc ip itc lawsuit lg motorola nokia patent samsung smartphone Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:25:04 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/htc-lawsuit-came-after-warning-by-apple-to-handset-makers.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss MRI's successes put the brain on trial jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) NIH <a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/mris-successes-may-put-the-brain-on-trial.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/03/MRI_brain-thumb-230x130-12513-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>A typical neuroscience paper (or a typical report on one) is a laundry list of structure:function relationships between brain regions and the mental tasks they perform. The amygdala deals with registering rewards, the hippocampus handles memory, and so on. These relationships have been the result of over a century of work, starting with rare cases of brain injury and building through modern medical imaging, which can detect ever-smaller lesions and associate neural activity with specific cognitive processes. Doctors routinely rely on the combination of brain imaging and structure:function relationships for diagnostic purposes, but is wider society willing to trust it in the courtroom, where it might make the difference between guilt and innocence? </p> <p> That question was handled in a rather unusual manner at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: a mock trial. Most other panels consisted of a set of scientists who each gave a fairly standard presentation. This one was presided over by Louis Rodriguez, an Orange County Superior Court Judge, and featured a law school professor and a practicing attorney, each with a neuroscientist as an expert witness. Although the proceedings were heavily scripted, anyone who's sat through a jury trial would recognize that they were a reasonable attempt to approximate a normal courtroom experience. </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/mris-successes-may-put-the-brain-on-trial.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/mris-successes-may-put-the-brain-on-trial.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/h_xzDDKCR0q49X7T9pt7ysR40w4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/h_xzDDKCR0q49X7T9pt7ysR40w4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/h_xzDDKCR0q49X7T9pt7ysR40w4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/h_xzDDKCR0q49X7T9pt7ysR40w4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=ppRz3yNYxq4:fHa1R4gE0nA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=ppRz3yNYxq4:fHa1R4gE0nA:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=ppRz3yNYxq4:fHa1R4gE0nA:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=ppRz3yNYxq4:fHa1R4gE0nA:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=ppRz3yNYxq4:fHa1R4gE0nA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=ppRz3yNYxq4:fHa1R4gE0nA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/ppRz3yNYxq4" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/ppRz3yNYxq4/mris-successes-may-put-the-brain-on-trial.ars http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/mris-successes-may-put-the-brain-on-trial.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Science Tech-policy biology brain law legalsystem mri neuroscience science Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:24:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/03/mris-successes-may-put-the-brain-on-trial.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Facebook's location feature expected to launch next month jacqui@arstechnica.com (Jacqui Cheng)  <p>Facebook is allegedly planning to roll out location sharing capabilities next month, once again playing catch-up to other services that have gained popularity thanks to location data. The rumor comes courtesy of anonymous sources who have been "briefed on the project" speaking to the <em><a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/facebook-will-allow-users-to-share-location/">New York Times</a></em>, who said that Facebook will announce the feature at Facebook's annual <a href="http://www.facebook.com/f8">f8</a> conference in late April. </p> <p>The company's plans for such a feature have not been entirely secret—Facebook hinted at location features when it updated its privacy policy in November. Like other postings made to Facebook, location information will only be made available to the people <em>you</em> decide to broadcast it to.</p> <p>"When you share your location with others or add a location to something you post, we treat that like any other content you post," reads the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/policy.php">policy</a>. "If we offer a service that supports this type of location sharing we will present you with an opt-in choice of whether you want to participate."</p> <p>The location features will come in the form of an API for third-party developers and from Facebook, according to the <em>Times</em>' sources. </p> <p>The feature will undoubtedly be popular among many of Facebook's 400 million users, as it has already proven itself with other services. For example, <a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter</a> added geolocation to its API last year, not to mention that <a href="http://foursquare.com/">Foursquare</a>, <a href="http://brightkite.com/">Brightkite</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/latitude">Google Latitude</a>, and <a href="http://www.loopt.com/">Loopt</a> have all built their success solely upon the use of user location data. Needless to say, it's not something that will be new to the Web, though it probably will be new to a sizable chunk of Facebook's audience. Let's just hope the company rolls it out the right way, as implied by its privacy policy, and doesn't end up broadcasting everyone's locations to the world by default. </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/facebooks-location-feature-expected-to-launch-next-month.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Yzwujfug_GS0WFZeh3mWH5keMX8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Yzwujfug_GS0WFZeh3mWH5keMX8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Yzwujfug_GS0WFZeh3mWH5keMX8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Yzwujfug_GS0WFZeh3mWH5keMX8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=jKM0zn6PS68:2TL0xRFMQkA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=jKM0zn6PS68:2TL0xRFMQkA:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=jKM0zn6PS68:2TL0xRFMQkA:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=jKM0zn6PS68:2TL0xRFMQkA:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=jKM0zn6PS68:2TL0xRFMQkA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=jKM0zn6PS68:2TL0xRFMQkA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/jKM0zn6PS68" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/jKM0zn6PS68/facebooks-location-feature-expected-to-launch-next-month.ars http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/facebooks-location-feature-expected-to-launch-next-month.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Web api facebook internet location privacy socialnetworking Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:10:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/facebooks-location-feature-expected-to-launch-next-month.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss Microsoft browser ballot gives Opera, Firefox a boost p_emil@hotmail.com (Emil Protalinski)  <p> The Microsoft browser ballot released <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/02/microsofts-eu-browser-ballot-approved-arrives-march-1.ars">this month</a> to Windows users in the EU is already doing Microsoft's rivals a favor. Two of the major competitors to Internet Explorer have seen an increase in downloads, while the other two are not willing to share data. We contacted the makers of Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera; here's what they had to say. </p> <p> Opera, the Norwegian browser maker that first filed a complaint with the European Union <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2007/12/opera-tries-to-force-ie-into-w3c-compliance-with-eu-complaint-firefoxs-success-may-work-against-it.ars">in December 2007</a>, accusing Microsoft of violating EU antitrust law by bundling IE with Windows, is pleased with the progress its browser is making. "Since the browser choice screen rollout, Opera downloads have more than tripled in major European countries, such as Belgium, France, Spain, Poland, and the UK," an Opera spokesperson told Ars. The company said it currently did not have more detailed numbers but plans on sharing more as they become available. </p> <p> Mozilla, which has a <a href="http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/03/firefox-3-marketshare-exceeds-internet-explorer-7-in-europe.ars ">particularly solid foothold in Europe</a>, was slightly more specific in the progress it was seeing with its browser downloads. "Early data suggests 50,000 to 100,000 new users chose Firefox as a direct result of seeing the Ballot Choice screen," a Mozilla spokesperson told Ars. "We expect these numbers will increase as the Ballot Choice rolls out in additional countries and will share updated metrics as they become available." </p> <p> Apple did not respond at all, and while Google was happy to respond, the company wouldn't get specific: "We generally don't share download stats on that granular of a level," a Google spokesperson told Ars. The company did not respond to a follow-up question if Chrome saw an increase in number of downloads period. While Apple and Google haven't said much, we think it's likely that both have also seen a bump in the number of downloads of their browsers. Hundreds of thousands of users who may not have known of a world outside of Internet Explorer are being confronted with the alternatives.</p> <p> The browser ballot will be presented on Windows computers across the EU for at least the next five years. Microsoft's rivals are, however, already pushing to have it appear <a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/push-on-to-take-microsoft-browser-ballot-on-worldwide-tour.ars ">outside of Europe</a> as well. </p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/microsoft-browser-ballot-gives-opera-firefox-a-boost.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/IqQ5QBprJcNLLHrSdvH2NoWDBHs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/IqQ5QBprJcNLLHrSdvH2NoWDBHs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/IqQ5QBprJcNLLHrSdvH2NoWDBHs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/IqQ5QBprJcNLLHrSdvH2NoWDBHs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=WArMNSx_5aY:kjg2w61jH_M:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=WArMNSx_5aY:kjg2w61jH_M:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=WArMNSx_5aY:kjg2w61jH_M:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=WArMNSx_5aY:kjg2w61jH_M:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=WArMNSx_5aY:kjg2w61jH_M:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=WArMNSx_5aY:kjg2w61jH_M:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/WArMNSx_5aY" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/WArMNSx_5aY/microsoft-browser-ballot-gives-opera-firefox-a-boost.ars http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/microsoft-browser-ballot-gives-opera-firefox-a-boost.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Microsoft browser chrome eu firefox google internetexplorer opera safari Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:22:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/03/microsoft-browser-ballot-gives-opera-firefox-a-boost.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss The Internet of tomorrow: 100Gbps to your house by 2030 nate@arstechnica.com (Nate Anderson) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/the-internet-of-tomorrow-100gbps-to-your-house-by-2030.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/01/fiber_optic_us_map_ars-thumb-230x130-10884-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>Google's recent announcement of a 1Gbps fiber-to-the-home testbed has <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/desperate-cities-beseech-st-google-bless-us-with-thy-fiber.ars">communities across the US salivating</a>—but imagine what the Internet might be like if that connection to your home were even faster. Say... 100Gbps. In less than 20 years, such speeds will be possible, but only for companies who installed the right sort of fiber architecture.</p> <p>The UK telecoms regulator Ofcom commissioned a <a href="http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/technology/research/emer_tech/fibre/fibre.pdf">lengthy report on the future of fiber</a> (PDF) (or "fibre," in this case) from the firm Analysys Mason. In it, the company sketched out the future of fiber capacity with a pair of handy charts. Both are clear: between 2025 and 2030, shared fiber tech will be able to offer 10Gpbs to each user; individual fiber can offer a full 100Gbps. Whether ISPs will support it or not is a separate question.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/the-internet-of-tomorrow-100gbps-to-your-house-by-2030.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/the-internet-of-tomorrow-100gbps-to-your-house-by-2030.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PfIonKArWy66ch_sggbM_ZbNsKQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PfIonKArWy66ch_sggbM_ZbNsKQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PfIonKArWy66ch_sggbM_ZbNsKQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PfIonKArWy66ch_sggbM_ZbNsKQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=CI5aqMZW3dk:mY-nxim4m8w:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=CI5aqMZW3dk:mY-nxim4m8w:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=CI5aqMZW3dk:mY-nxim4m8w:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=CI5aqMZW3dk:mY-nxim4m8w:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=CI5aqMZW3dk:mY-nxim4m8w:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=CI5aqMZW3dk:mY-nxim4m8w:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/CI5aqMZW3dk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/CI5aqMZW3dk/the-internet-of-tomorrow-100gbps-to-your-house-by-2030.ars http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/the-internet-of-tomorrow-100gbps-to-your-house-by-2030.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News Tech-policy Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:33:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/the-internet-of-tomorrow-100gbps-to-your-house-by-2030.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss FileMaker Pro goes to 11, admits people like spreadsheets chris.foresman@arstechnica.com (Chris Foresman) <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/filemaker-pro-goes-to-11-admits-people-like-spreadsheets.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss"> <img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="right" src="http://static.arstechnica.com/assets/2010/03/filemaker_pro_11_listing-thumb-230x130-12506-f.jpg" /> </a>  <p>Apple subsidiary <a href="http://www.filemaker.com/">FileMaker</a> has released <a href="http://www.filemaker.com/products/filemaker-pro/whats-new.html">version 11</a> of its flagship FileMaker Pro database. The updated software purports to make building and maintaining databases even easier, while acknowledging that many users are accustomed to using spreadsheets for database purposes by including pivot table-like reporting and Excel-like charting features. FileMaker Pro Server has also been updated, dropping the simultaneous client access limit for the Advanced version.</p> <p>FileMaker Pro already laid claim to being one of the easiest cross-platform database tools available, but the company added additional features designed to enhance that ease of use. The Quick Start screen has been improved, offering clear ways to begin a new database. You can start from scratch; import existing data in tab or comma-separated files, Excel spreadsheets, or Bento databases; or choose from a number of Starter Solution templates. A new invoicing template has been added in version 11 to make that common business task practically a plug-and-chug operation; customer data can later be linked for other purposes.</p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/filemaker-pro-goes-to-11-admits-people-like-spreadsheets.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss" title="Click here to continue reading this article"><img src="http://static.arstechnica.com/mt-static/plugins/ArsTheme/images/read-more.jpg" alt="Read the rest of this article..."></a></p> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/filemaker-pro-goes-to-11-admits-people-like-spreadsheets.ars?comments=1&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss#comments-bar">Read the comments on this post</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/3zcdFLNXI6sgCYUgdhkOH21slzI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/3zcdFLNXI6sgCYUgdhkOH21slzI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/3zcdFLNXI6sgCYUgdhkOH21slzI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/3zcdFLNXI6sgCYUgdhkOH21slzI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=3Wh5cL38gAc:P7r12ukHiPM:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=3Wh5cL38gAc:P7r12ukHiPM:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=3Wh5cL38gAc:P7r12ukHiPM:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?i=3Wh5cL38gAc:P7r12ukHiPM:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=3Wh5cL38gAc:P7r12ukHiPM:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?a=3Wh5cL38gAc:P7r12ukHiPM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/arstechnica/index?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~4/3Wh5cL38gAc" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/3Wh5cL38gAc/filemaker-pro-goes-to-11-admits-people-like-spreadsheets.ars http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/filemaker-pro-goes-to-11-admits-people-like-spreadsheets.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss News News News Apple Software apple database filemakerpro macosx software windows Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:06:00 -0600 http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/filemaker-pro-goes-to-11-admits-people-like-spreadsheets.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss