Student 'Twitters' his way out of Egyptian jail

On April 10, James Karl Buck, a graduate student from the University of California-Berkeley, was in Mahalla, Egypt, covering an anti-government protest when he and his translator, Mohammed Maree, were arrested. On his way to the police station, Buck took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter. The message only had one word-- "Arrested." Within seconds, colleagues in the United States were alerted that he was being held. This simple message allowed Buck's college to hire a lawyer on his behalf and Buck was eventually released. Maree was, however, transferred to another police station. Buck wrote another message after his release-- "Free" to let others know that he had been released.

Twitter is a social-networking blog site that allows users to send status updates, or "tweets," from cell phones, instant messaging services and Facebook in less than 140 characters. Biz Stone, co-founder of of Twitter, said that, "James' case is particularly compelling to us because of the simplicity of his message -- one word, 'arrested' -- and the speed with which the whole scene played out. It highlights the simplicity and value of a real-time communication network that follows you wherever you go."

Buck is now using his story and the Twitter page as a way to rally people looking for answers about Maree's status

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/25/twitter.buck/index.html

Jennifer Wang

Google Launches Mobile Banner Ads

With the rising popularity of Blackberries and the ability to search the web on one's cell phone, advertisers are beginning to experiment with mobile advertising. Last week, Google announced that they will begin to deliver mobile banner ads, joining only a handful of companies who already display banner ads on mobile web pages - Yahoo and Microsoft to name a few. Although mobile internet usage is still relatively low, the rising trend of accessing the internet on the go and the technological development of cell phones with WiFi capabilities signal that mobile internet usage has nowhere to go but up. Google and other Internet companies are increasingly interested in targeting mobile users because they believe the mobile market represents a new opportunity for earning advertising revenue. No company as of yet has emerged as a clear leader in mobile advertising.

Lauren Song
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145031/google_launches_mobile_banner_ads.html

There are robots that compete in Germany to find their way through a maze. The maze simulates a natural disaster/terrorist attack. While the competition is just for fun, sources say that they plan on eventually perfecting these robots in order to replace humans on urban search and rescue missions to eliminate searcher casualties.
I chose this article because it hits close to home, (my dad is an active member of the USAR program) he has been to oklahoma city, katrina, and most notably 9/11. He hasn't heard anything about these robots because they are still in practice stages but thinks its a great idea even though he loves his job as a fireman and a rescue worker.

-Mark Sanchez

http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn13744-rescue-robots-compete-to-save-dolls-in-distress.html

Smile, you're on a bar Webcam

Bar Webcams are a new craze sweeping the country. Webcams are not a new phenomenon and are being used for everything from scouting waves for surfers to talking to friends and families overseas.  In the bars, they are being promoted as a way for patrons to observe the crowd at the bar before heading out.  The cameras allow people searching for a mellow scene or a busy night to find a bar accordingly.  These cameras are also very popular with tourists, as it is a way for people around the country to see them while they are on vacation.  Many have complained about the infringement of privacy. However, because they are in a public space, it is not violating any laws.  Since the concept has started, many companies have started to take advantage of the craze.   These companies install the webcams and host the sites with the videos.  They receive fees from the bars, as well as advertising revenue from the webpages. 

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6230898.html

Jamie Hughes

Holographic Storage LINK

http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=313

Holographic Storage

At the beginning of the semester we watched clips from A Space Odyssey. You probably remember that in the film, the astronaut disconnects the HAL 9000’s memory. Recent technology has made it possible that by May this year, users will be able to buy real holographic storage. This type of technology ensures high density with no media flaws. According to the article holographic storage has a couple properties that make it stand out,” 1. A small fragment of a hologram can reconstruct the entire data image. The fragment won’t let you move as far around the image, but for 2D images, like a photograph, it means a scratch isn’t fatal. 2. Data density is theoretically unlimited. By varying the angle between the reference and illumination beams - or the angle of the media - hundreds of holograms can be stored in the same physical area.” This news is great because scientists have been working on how to create holographic storage such as this for years. However, the product is expected to cost about $18,000. The article compares this new product to IBM’s RAMAC disc in the 1950’s. It just goes to show how much seemingly unrealistic technological advances can become a reality.
Cassandra Wilson T.A.-Sanders

"The other Microsoft-Apple Battle"

http://www.cnet.com/8301-13506_1-9920062-17.html

Although many are familiar with the Apple TV many are unaware of how much capability the competing Microsoft Xbox 360 has. Many people underestimate what the Xbox 360 is capable of doing and simply place it in the category of gaming technologies when in fact the Xbox 360 offers alternative modes of entertainment like television and music. In response to the question as to why Microsoft has not succeeded in fully promoting the Xbox Live Marketplace, the poster of the article, Don Reisinger, stated that this could be a reaction to the public's distaste for game console devices that offer too much and/or are too complex. In addition, one could infer that Microsoft is simply incapable of successfully promoting their products and that is why people are unaware of the capabilities of Microsoft devices like the Xbox 360. Since Microsoft is always in competition with Apple, it would be wise of Microsoft to begin promoting the Xbox 360 as something that challenges the capabilities of the Apple TV.

-Lindley Wren

Facebook users translating site for free

Three years ago when Facebook was created, the intention of the website was to make the communication process between students and their teachers more efficient. As time has passed, it has slowly progressed into a networking cite for everyone. Since Facebook is an international cite, the company has chosen to create versions of Facebook that are consistent with the different cultures with the help of their consumers. Although they have some supporters, there are others that are worried that the translations will not be accurate. The article explained that “the concept of collaborative translation is familiar in open-source programming communities.” For example: one of the situations in which translations have been a problem has been regarding the “poke” setting. In English it is a term referring to “giving someone a playful nudge.” But when translated into others languages, the intention is not the same. Overall there is much conversation going on regarding Facebook’s choice of allowing its users to contribute to the new changes that are being made.

Candice Setareh
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/18/facebook.translating.ap/index.html

Into the Wild With WiFi

Are we at a point where we can’t go anywhere without a connection to the Internet? In an article in Tech News World by Gary Stoller, it is reported that many state parks are offering WiFi to visitors. Internet is provided in campgrounds, lodges, and visitor centers. Providers of the service say that visitors can now plan their activities better because they can check information, such as weather, more readily. It also allows adults or students to stay longer in the parks or keep a child entertained. Some outdoor enthusiasts do not like the idea because they go to the park to escape technology, but the number of state parks with WiFi is growing rapidly anyway. In the end, WiFi is there for park visitors who want to use it while being unobtrusive to people who don’t.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Into-the-Wild-With-WiFi-62550.html

Jennifer Stambaugh

Brain Scanners Can See Your Decisions Before You Make Them

In a world where everyone has become accustomed to the idea of free will, new studies are showing that maybe we may not have so much of it after all. According to Wired.com writer Brandon Klein, researchers used brain scanners in a new study to predict people’s decisions a whole seven seconds before the test subjects were conscious of making these decisions.

In the study, test subjects were asked to press a button either with their left or right hand, and scientists studied changes in neural patterns using an MRI machine. Results showed increased brain activity in the “high-level planning” and “sensory integration” areas of the brain before the test subjects hit the button, and the predictions were accurate every time.

Coming back to the question of free will, there are possibilities that the brain has the ability to make last-minute decisions that throw off this cycle of decision-making that we have no control over, but scientists say this is unlikely. Additionally, scientists admit that when it comes to big, real-life decisions—for example: should I go to this university?—the brain scanners aren’t as helpful in letting us know how these decisions are made.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/04/mind_decision

-Peter Rutti

Viruses Up, Effectiveness Down

A recent report on PC World expects the world to see it's one millionth virus by the end of 2008. The article explained that the number of viruses being created per year has increased significantly and that 25 percent of the world's viruses have been created in the last six months. However, this is not that big of a cause for concern.

Viruses are being created more regularly because their effectiveness is significantly down. Computer spyware, as well as spam and phishing filters on email, have been able to thwart most attacks. Five years ago, one in forty emails with a virus attachment made it to an inbox, today that number is down to one in a thousand. However, virus creators have designed a new method of malware.

The most effective viruses today are known as drive-by downloads. Drive-by downloads are downloaded to a computer simply by that computer accessing an infected website. The user has no control over this malware because it downloads automatically and invisibly. Drive-by downloads are a problem today, but based on the never ending evolution of spyware to combat the evolution of malware, there should be a shield for it soon.

-Jonathan Stallsmith

GreenPrint: eco-friendly and penny-saving printing

Printing from the web can be a pain, especially when paper and ink is wasted on unwanted documents. Hayden Hamilton has invented a special software called GreenPrint which "analyzes what a computer sends to a printer" (Hamilton, 2008). This is great because the program allows the user to select or delete certain parts of the web document to print, which saves paper, ink and money.

However, the software is not exactly time efficient. The time spent deciding which parts of the page to print can make the printing process more lengthy. But this is a good thing because the software also saves web documents as PDF files so you don't even have to print anything. I'm not sure I would actually buy this software, but it would be nice to have! Save the trees and your money? Why not?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/03/07/printing.green/index.html

Marisa Maxwell