29 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 29th 2008 3:37PM by Nilay PatelFiled under: NetworkingSure, the researchers at Alcatel-Lucent have already sent data 50 miles at 25.6Tbps, but it looks like now they’re going for distance rather than speed: the company announced yesterday that it’s now pumped bits over a 1584-mile long link at 16.4Tbps. Sure, that’s slightly slower than the record, but being able to firehose bits at distances like that is even more impressive, if you ask us (you didn’t). The core tech is essentially the same as used in the earlier speed record: bundling several 100Gbps optical signals at different wavelengths into one multiplexed transmission, shooting it down fiber, and splitting it up at the end. (Read the full post about ‘Alcatel-Lucent sends data 1600 miles at 16.4Tbps’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 29th 2008 1:54PM by Joshua TopolskyFiled under: cellphones If you happen to own an iphone, and you happen to have updated to the 1.1.4 firmware, you can now easily jailbreak, activate, and unlock your phone with a couple of simple solutions. As you may have heard, iNdependence 1.4 beta 5 is out, which will do all sorts of non-Apple approved things to your device from OS X, though if you’re looking for the ultimate cross-platform solution, you probably can’t do better than the latest version Zibri’s all-in-one package, Ziphone 2.5. Both apps make it about a million times easier than this was a few weeks ago, though we’ve seen video of a new solution — jailbreaking directly from iTunes — that could make this process even simpler (though considerably more illegal). (Read the full post about ‘Easy 1.1.4 jailbreaking with iNdependence, Ziphone, and… iTunes?’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 29th 2008 1:24PM by Donald MelansonFiled under: Gaming, Home Entertainment As if seeing the Commodore logo slapped on a whole slew of thoroughly unremarkable devices wasn’t enough to make folks of a certain age feel a little wistful for their early computing days, legendary game developer Microprose is now getting in on the action as well, and seemingly outdoing Commodore to boot. As the Classic Gaming website reports, Microprose, once known as the name behind Civilization, Railroad Tycoon and other classic games, is now set to release a bundle of new products that likely wouldn’t garner a second glance if not for the brand. (Read the full post about ‘Microprose returns to show Commodore how to really tarnish a brand’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
According to PayPal, if you want to be safe from phishing attacks on the Internet, then avoid using Apple’s Safari browser.
The warning comes from PayPal’s chief information security officer, Michael Barrett, who said:
Apple, unfortunately, is lagging behind what they need to do, to protect their customers … Our recommendation at this point, to our customers, is use Internet Explorer 7 or 8 when it comes out, or Firefox 2 or Firefox 3, or indeed Opera … I’d love to say that Safari was a safer browser, but at this point it isn’t.
The reason PayPal is not happy with Safari is due to two key anti-phishing features the browser does not currently have.
(Read the full post about ‘PayPal suggests you don’t use Safari’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
Why should your iPod have all the cool cases? Griffin has now released two of their most popular cases for the iPhone. For the rugged individual, there’s the multi-purpose Courier which is made of compression-molded EVA outer jacket for abrasion-resistant durability and can either wrap around the strap of your backpack or bag (up to 4 inches wide), or be secured by a industrial-strength hook & loop closure (see photo above). The detachable case fits iPod classic/iPod with video and ipod touch, and your precious iPhone. With a hidden zipper pocket for key, money, ID, and a second flapped pocket for sync cable, earphones, or whatever you need, this utiilty case is all you need to carry. (Read the full post about ‘New iPhone cases - Reflect and Courier’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 29th 2008 12:21PM by Donald MelansonFiled under: Desktops You don’t have to venture very far to dig up unofficial concepts for Apple products of all sorts, but this one from designer Nuno Teixeira is certainly more attention grabbing than most, even if it isn’t any more realistic. Dubbed the “iMac iView,” the main distinguishing feature here is obviously the curved screen, which isn’t actually all that far out there, but still a ways from becoming anywhere near commonplace. As if that wasn’t enough, the concept also boasts a second screen on the rear (pictured after the break), and webcams on both the front and back, which would finally let you have impersonal conversations with the person sitting right across from you. (Read the full post about ‘Curved iMac concept bends beyond the realm of plausibility’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
We’ve reported on Parrot products before, especially with their new lineup at CES. I was greatly impressed with their new line of picture frames, and I finally had a chance to try out one of their newest: the DF7220. The DF7220 is a complex piece of hardware, yet is simple to use. All I had to was plug the frame in an ordinary wall outlet, and it was ready to download pictures. Then I plugged in the USB into frame and transferred the files from a computer with a simple Cut and Paste procedure. There is also the option of downloading via Bluetooth from a mobile phone or camera. According to the official record of the product, the frame can hold 300 photos. (Read the full post about ‘Parrot DF7220 Wireless Digital Photo Frame’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
Posted Feb 29th 2008 10:14AM by Darren MurphFiled under: Laptops Get this: an Estonian newspaper has teamed up with HP to find the country’s most unsightly laptop, and while the one pictured above hasn’t been deemed the victor (yet), it definitely looks to have been on the wrong end of a Russian cyber attack. Apparently, the contestants have already been selected, and users can surf on over and place their vote for the single most repulsive machine in the mix. (Read the full post about ‘Hot or Not: Estonia laptop edition’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
I think that I was born to be a writer, looking back it’s obvious really. First, I’ve always had horrible handwriting, which means I could have become either a doctor or a writer, and since I had no desire for an extra 10 years in school, there wasn’t much of a chance for being a doctor. When my school finally received new computers they began testing our typing skills, which I excelled at. We had boring typing games to track out WPM count, nothing cool like this cool USB Speedometer. I honestly don’t know how many words per minute I can type anymore, as it’s been a long time since I really cared. (Read the full post about ‘Track your typing skills with this USB Speedometer’…)
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29 Feb, 2008
Philips has filed a patent application for electrical wallpaper. The paper contains evenly spaced stripes of conductive material, alternately carrying the live and return parts of a circuit. Lamps and other devices have pins spaced to match the stripes, which are then pushed through the insulating paper to contact the strips. Because the spacing matches, it is impossible to short the circuit. Thus it is a lot easier to move lights around the wall without rewiring.It’s not entirely clear exactly what Philips is patenting here. It doesn’t look like the actual idea of under-paper wiring, as the document admits that Different electrical contact systems are already existing which are basing on a plurality of conductive stripes being arranged underneath the wallpaper.So it could just be a small technical detail about the implementation. (Read the full post about ‘Philips Patents Electric Wallpaper’…)
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