Penemuan Teknologi Indera Keenam (6th Sense Technology)

Pranav Mistry : si jenius dari India penemu 6’th Sense Technology

Teknologi terbaru ini dinamai 6’th Sense Technology atau Teknologi Indera Keenam. Penemunya adalah seseorang asal India sebagai insinyur terkenal jebolan MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) bernama Pranav Mistry. Pranav dengan jenius telah menciptakan alat yang memadukan gerak tubuh (gesture) dengan dunia komputasi digital. Dengan teknologi ini kita bisa melakukan apa pun tanpa harus mengunakan alat yang berbeda dan tanpa harus berada di depan komputer.
Ide awal penemuan teknologi ini adalah: bagaimana kita tetap bisa melakukan aktivitas sehari-hari dengan gampang tanpa harus membawa banyak peralatan digital seperti kamera, ponsel, ataupun laptop, sekaligus dapat terhubung secara online terus menerus untuk menerima dan mencari informasi.
Seperti yang didemokan oleh Pranav, dengan teknologi tersebut dia mampu menelfon hanya dengan telapak tangan tanpa ponsel, memotret hanya dengan ujung jari tanpa kamera, melihat resensi buku, melihat delay pesawat pada ticket, membuka akses internet atau Google pada selembar kertas, membaca koran dengan animasi online, dan bahkan … transfer data atau teks hanya dengan menjumput dan memasukkannya ke monitor komputer!

1. Kamera: Webcam menangkap obyek di depan dan melakukan tracking terhadap gerakan tangan user. Data dikirimkan ke smart phone. 2. Tanda jari berwarna: Pada jari terdapat tanda berwarna merah, kuning, hijau, dan biru yang membantu kamera menangkap gerakan tangan. (Pada perkembangan teknologi ini Pranav Mistry telah menciptakan algoritma pengenalan gerak tubuh sehingga kelak tidak lagi diperlukan tanda berwarna pada jari tersebut) 3. Proyektor: Sebuah proyektor yang menggunakan LED (light emiting diode) menampilkan data yang dikirim dari smart phone ke sembarang permukaan di posisi depan user. Bisa tembok, kertas, tangan, atau orang. Saat ini Pranav sedang merancang membuat proyektor laser agar ketajamannya lebih tinggi. 4. Smart Phone: Sebuah smart phone yang terkoneksi ke Web akan memproses data video dengan menggunakan algoritma pencitraan untuk mengidentifikasi obyek. Sebuah software khusus lain melakukan searching di Web untuk ‘menterjemahkan’ gerakan tangan.

Trus, bagaimana cara kerjanya? Patty Maes, sang dosen Pranav menjelaskan bahwa cara kerja perangkat tersebut berdasar image and character recognition (pengenalan gambar dan karakter). Alat utama yang digantungkan di dada terdiri dari webcam, proyektor mini, cermin, dan smart phone. Sedangkan pada ujung jari telunjuk dan jempol kedua tangan dipasang colored cap (tanda berwarna), yang terdiri dari empat warna berbeda, merah, hijau, kuning dan biru.
Kamera berfungsi mengenali gambar, wajah, atau teks, sekaligus mengenali gerakan perintah kedua ujung jari telunjuk dan jempol. Proyektor digunakan untuk menampilkan interface (sebagai pengganti monitor) sekaligus menampilkan data-data tertentu yang akan diproyeksikan ke sembarang media mulai dinding, kertas, hingga telapak tangan. Sedangkan smart phone digunakan untuk komunikasi suara dan akses data dengan Web (lihat gambar di atas).
Menurut Patty perangkat teknologi ini masih berupa prototype, dan biaya pembuatannya tidak lebih dari $ 350. Jika rencana produksi secara masal terwujud hampir pasti harganya jauh lebih murah dengan disain yang lebih simpel dan futuristik.
Mengapa dinamai 6’th Sense Technology? Masih menurut Patty karena perangkat ini dikendalikan berdasarkan gerakan tubuh kita seakan-akan melengkapi lima indera yang lain. Itulah alasannya.
Silahkan simak video berikut. Saya yakin Andapun kagum.

http://semestabiologi.blogspot.com/2010/09/pranav-mistry-si-jenius-dari-india.html

Read More

Benarkah Blogspot Akan Dihapus?

Mengejutkan sekali, dan membuat bertanya-tanya pemakai layanan picasa dan blogspot. Tapi kalo dibaca lagi berita yang ditulis mashable itu, google bukannnya menghapus layanan tersebut tapi menggantinya dengan nama lain. Disana disebutkan bahwa kemungkinan  picasa akan berganti nama menjadi googlephoto dan blogspot menjadi googleblog. Kelihatannya google tidak setengah2 dalam meluncurkan google+ sebagai layanan terintegrasi. Merubah semua secara besar2an, mengganti namanya dengan nama yang lebih “google”
Tentu ini  menjadi pertanyaan dari pemakai blogspot, karena kita tau blogspot adalah salah satu layanan penyedia blog terbesar selain wordpress. Blogspot sendiri sebanrnya bukannlah layanan asli dari google. Blogspot adalah produk akuisisi google dari perusahaan lain.

Apakah kemudian blogspost akan dihapus? Kalo dilihat dari tingkat kepopulerannya sepertinya tidak, tapi kalo dilihat dari cara google mengambil keputusan bisa juga iya. Semua kembali lagi ke google dan kita tidak akan pernah bisa tau apa yang ada di otak mereka. Sama seperti algoritma pencarian google, tidak ada seorangpun yang tau apa yang mereka pikirkan kecuali Tuhan dan google sendiri.
Apa efeknya jika blogspot dihapus?

Sekali lagi kemungkinan tidak dihapus tapi diganti namanya. Efeknya jelas ada dengan penggantian nama ini apalagi jika yang diganti adalah domainnya. Beberapa hal yang kan bisa terjadi dengan penggantian nama ini adalah

1. Permalink

sudah sangat jelas pemalink akan berubah. Hal ini sangat krusial untuk pemain SEO dan pencari dollar yang menggunakan blogspot sebagai basis blognya. Akan banyak kegagalan url tujuan. Kegagalan ini otomatis akan meningkatkan jumlah url yang tidak ditemukan di google webmaster. Denga tingkat kegagalan pencarian url yang tinggi, otomatis akan mempengaruhi popularitas blog tersebut baik di mata pembaca maupun dimata mesin pencari

2. Backlink

Buat pemain seo, backlink sangatlah penting walaupun secara exact penghitungan backlink pada algoritma panda masih teka teki. Dengan berubahnya url tentu pemain seo akan kehilangan backlink karena link in tidak menemukan alamat tersebut. sebagai contoh:

backlink pada blog www.mbahsangkil.blogspot.com tidak bisa menjadi backlink pada www.mbahsangkil.googleblog.com. Link in tidak mempunyai kemampuan redirect atau mengubah arah tujuan. Link in adalah link pasif yang hanya akan menuju pada alamat yang tertulis pada url.

3. Branding

Untuk para marketer yang menggunakan blogspot sebagai alamat dimana mereka mempromosikan produknya tentu harus merubah alamat url mereka untuk jangka waktu panjang. Jika memang terjadi penggantian nama otomatis mereka harus juga mengganti nama alamat web mereka.

Lebih baik sat ini kita jangan kuatir dulu dengan berita yang berkembang mengenai hal ini. Google adalah layanan nomor 1 di dunia dengan karyawan yang bisa dibilang “ahlinya ahli” dibidangnya. Google tentu sudah memikirkan ini semua dan tentunya akan mencari cara yang paling optimal dan minim “kerusakan“. Kalaupun nantinya blogspot dihapus dan diganti dengan nama lain tentu google tidak akan gegabah dengan sistem migrasinya. Google juga tidak mau di cap otoriter dengan semena-mena melakukan perubahan, paling tidak mereka pasti akan memberikan sosialisasi dan solusi baik dalam hal teknis maupun penambahan manfaat.

Sumber http://mbahsangkil.com/2011/07/blogspot-dihapus/

Read More

In the Era of Mobile, HTML5 will Excellence

It is undeniable Flash has become an important part in the virtual world today. Multimedia content that provides animation to video utilizing Adobe technologies such. However, as the development of technology, Flash is proprietary mlai rivaled any other technology that is more flexible.

In fact, Apple, one of the major players in binsis computers and smartphones today refused to Flash on all devices. The reason Flash is difficult to grow and does not match the demands of the times. Instead Adobe survive that with the many existing web content using Flash, action as did Apple just give disappointment to the consumer.

But, Apple CEO Steve Jobs believes that Apple left the Flash will not reduce the experience of full Web access. According to Jobs it is not true because in addition to Flash, most of the videos on the web also supports the H.264 standard, so without the Flash was not really a problem.

"We strongly believe all that supports web standards should be open. Instead of using Flash, Apple would prefer to adopt HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, everything is an open standard," Jobs said in the article on Apple's website on Thursday (29/04/2010) which highlights Flash and Apple's defective welds meningglakannya. Apple even created an open standard for the web called WebKit, the engine based on open source HTML5 reader which is now used broser Android, Nokia, and later the BlackBerry.

According to Flash is the technology of the past which is suitable only for computers that use the mouse but not suitable for touch screen devices are becoming a trend today and the future. He is optimistic that HTML5 will not only surpass Flash in mobile devices but also on the computer.

"Open standards are created in the era of mobile as HTML5 will win on mobile devices and even PC. Perhaps Adobe should be more focus on developing devices HTML5 support for his future and begin to reduce criticism to Apple," Jobs lid.

Read More

Multi-platform distribution More Preferred

Online media is now facing a number of challenges. Starting from the presence of social media to mobile with a variety of platforms and operating systems. Everything is forcing businesses to devise strategies online.

We think we make the web then people access. That was then. Now we must try to distribute,

One of the loopholes to distribute content via mobile is. A large number of handsets in the communities with the ability to make mobile Internet access becomes a potential. Unfortunately, mobile development also has challenges. The number of mobile platforms and operating systems are not little.

We know there is Android, IOS, Symbian, Blackberry. That's great. A small lot. To be able to distribute content, a variety of platforms should be tilled. In the presentation, Edi New York Times describes the mission to develop and distribute content to all platforms.

Develop into all the platforms is not easy. There are many platforms, in terms of cost is also high and of the difficulty vary between platforms.

For the first online media who want to expand content distribution, Edi suggested, "Surely we have to choose where the most potential, the user should at most. Because this is impactnya to business."

By developing into a variety of platforms, in addition to increasing distribution of content will also increase business. From there, it could look for loopholes to get revenue. "Surely multiplatform business value will be higher than the single platform. I can not say definitely but it certainly will be higher because we are not content can be enjoyed more

Read More

Mark Zuckerberg Dominasi Peringkat Popularitas di Google Plus

Mark Zuckerberg Dominasi Peringkat Popularitas di Google Plus
Pendiri Facebook Mark Zuckerberg sekarang orang yang paling populer. jaringan sosial baru ini meluncurkan saingan dari Google Plus.
Zuckerberg terdaftar sebagai pengguna yang paling diikuti di Google + dengan 29.543 pengikut, menurut SocialStatistics dot com. Dia mengalahkan kedua pendiri Google Larry Page dan Sergey Brin, yang berada diposisi kedua dan keempat dengan jumlah pengikut 19.878 dan 15.646 .
Google media sosial guru, Vic Gundrota, ada diposisi ketiga.
Zuckerberg belum posting update status pada jejaring sosial pemula, menyebabkan banyak pertanyaan apakah itu bahkan Mark Zuckerberg nyata.

Identitasnya kemudian dikonfirmasi oleh teknologi blogger Robert Scoble via Twitter: "Zuckerberg baru saja mengirim sms kembali Says 'Mengapa orang begitu terkejut bahwa saya memiliki account Google?'."

Juga tidak popularitasnya benar-benar mengejutkan, mengingat liputan media dari Facebook: majalah Time bernama manusia Zuckerberg tahun pada tahun 2010. Dan memiliki pemenang Academy Award film tentang kelahiran perusahaan Anda juga membantu.

Tapi untuk Zuckerberg, ini lebih dari sekadar melompat pada kereta musik teknologi terbaru, pendiri Facebook harus waspada terhadap apa yang mendorong Google ke jaringan sosial terbesar namun - itu selalu baik untuk memeriksa persaingan, dengan kata lain.

Ini mungkin ternyata menjadi salah satu kelemahan Google + 's yang fatal, menulis Jay Yarow dari Business Insider.

"Setiap fitur besar Google menciptakan di Google +, Facebook hanya bisa meniru beberapa minggu atau hari kemudian, tepat seperti Google dengan Bing Dan tidak seperti dalam pencarian, Facebook karyawan dapat nongkrong di Google + dengan mudah dan hanya meminta pengguna apa yang mereka sukai.."

Google merilis Google + pekan lalu seperti yang terlihat untuk mengambil di Facebook, yang digunakan oleh lebih dari 650 juta orang di seluruh dunia.

Read More

Pesawat Terbang Tanpa Sayap Dengan Kecepatan Jet

Ppesawat inovasi terbaru buatan Firma asal Austria, Austrian Innovative Aeronautical Technology atau IAT21 menunjukkan dalam ajang Paris Air Show.Pesawat yang dinamai D-Dalus itu menarik karena didesain tak memiliki sayap dan rotor, tetapi diklaim mampu terbang secepat jet dan tak banyak menimbulkan suara bising.
Mesin D-Dalus menggunakan 4 turbin yang berputar berlawanan untuk propulsi, masing-masing mencapai 2.200 rpm. Tiap turbin memiliki sudut serangan yang berbeda yang menurut desainernya memungkinkan pendorong utama ditembakkan ke berbagai arah. Ini memungkinkan pesawat diluncurkan secara vertikal, melayang, serta berotasi ke segala arah, bahkan ke atas.
Dalam halaman situsnya, IAT21 mengungkapkan bahwa pesawat ini memiliki beberapa teknologi baru yang telah dipatenkan. Di antaranya adalah bola bebas gesekan pada G Force dan sistem yang menjaga propulsi sehingga berada pada kondisi Equilibrium  sehingga memungkinkan untuk memulihkan stabilitas secara cepat saat terbang.
Sejauh ini, D-Dalus masih berupa prototipe. Prototipe yang dikembangkan selama 3 tahun itu memiliki turbin sepanjang 1,5 meter dan bisa mengangkut muatan seberat 70 kilogram. D-Dalus telah menjalani tes awal dengan menggunakan mesin 120 bhp KTM dan uji terbang, tetapi hanya di laboratorium dekat Salzburg.
D-Dalus sebenarnya didesain untuk mendukung aktivitas pencarian dan penyelamatan, pemantauan bencana, dan pengintaian. Meski demikian, ada kemungkinkan untuk mengembangkannya menjadi pesawat pengangkut penumpang.
Saat ini, IAT21 tengah bekerja sama dengan Cranfiled University, Inggris, untuk mengembangkan pesawat dengan motor lebih kuat, lambung lebih besar, sistem kontrol yang lebih baik, serta mengupayakan sertifikat terbang. 

Read More

T-Shirts Innovative Change Music Into Electricity

Towards the holding Glastobury Music Festival in the UK, innovation comes from the French telecommunications company, Orange. They create a shirt that could change noise into electricity that can be used the user to recharge the handset battery when watching the musical performances.

Prototype t-shirts called "Sound Charge" is now being developed. T-shirts are made of piezoelectric material film, a material capable of converting sound into electricity through a quartz crystal interlaced compression. Once could be 'resurrected', the electricity will be stored in the reservoir to the existing battery can then be streamed to the handset.

Reveal the reasons of creation of this shirt, Andrew Pearcy of Orange in the UK branch was quoted as saying Gizmag, saying, "In such a noisy atmosphere at Glastonbury, the sound is the medium that is certain and natural for use in the development of a prototype t-shirts this year."

These shirts are not as fashionable ordinary shirts. But the main by developers, the shirt can support the movement of care for the environment and remain comfortable to wear. Developers also noticed that the shirts will also need to be washed. Therefore, all electronic devices are designed to be removable so that shirts can be washed. Noise in music festivals in the UK that will last a week it could be a time trial the efficacy of t-shirts recharge the handset.

However, the technology website the Register reported, even in a week music festival T-shirt can only save electricity 6 Wh so that can only recharge cell phones and smartphones double standard at all.

Last year, Orange has also created boots with a charger at the bottom so that it can generate electricity from the user step. Very helpful is not the end all that you wear can generate electricity?

Read More

Sony Bersiap Luncurkan PlayStation 4

Jakarta - Sony mengatakan tengah mengembangkan

Read More

Inilah Ponsel Termurah dari HTC

Jakarta - Ponsel pintar besutan HTC memang identik dengan harganya yang tinggi, namun pabrikan asal Taiwan itu juga mengklaim memiliki produk berharga terjangkau, Wildfire S.

Wildfire S merupakan ponsel Android terbaru HTC yang diluncurkan bersama tablet HTC Flyer. Ponsel tersebut memiliki bentang layar berukuran 3,2 inchi dengan berbagai jensi warna eye catching.

"Wildfire S merupakan ponsel HTC yang paling terjangkau dan paling mudah digunakan. Tetapi fitur di dalamnya tetap diperkaya fitur khas HTC," ujar Darren Sng, Head of Product Marketting HTC Asia.

Wildfire S, dibanderol pada kisaran harga Rp 3 juta termasuk paket data unlimited gratis selama 6 bulan dari Telkomsel. Berikut adalah spesifikasi ponsel tersebut:

- Sistem operasi: Android Gingerbread
- Prosesor: Qualcomm 600MHz
- Layar: capacitive touchscreen, 3,2 inchi, 320 x 480 pixel.
- Dimensi: 101.3 x 59.4 x 12.4 mm
- Bobot: 105 g
- Kamera: 5MP
- Baterai: Li-Ion 1230 mAh




( eno / rou )

Read More

Wow, Kamera 200 Megapixel Dibanderol Rp 380 Juta

Jakarta - Penyuka kamera yang mampu menghasilkan foto beresolusi tinggi bakal terpuaskan oleh perangkat ini. Betapa tidak, kamera Hasselblad H4D-200MS ini mampu menghasilkan foto dengan resolusi 200 megapixel.

Read More

Sambangi Bandung, Iconia Manjakan Penggemar Hiburan

Bandung - Setelah diluncurkan di Jakarta awal Mei lalu, Iconia A500, tablet terbaru besutan Acer menyambangi Bandung. Gadget canggih ini dijanjikan bisa memanjakan para pencari tantangan dan penggemar hiburan di Bandung.

"Kebutuhan masyarakat akan perangkat mobile yang canggih semakin tinggi. Ini (Iconia - red) adalah tablet pertama di bandung.blogspot.com>Indonesia yang berbasis Android 3.0. Atau yang lazim disebut Honeycomb," ungkap Astrid Warsito, Public Relation Specialist, Acer Group bandung.blogspot.com>Indonesia di sela-sela peluncuran Iconia A500 di Istana Plaza, Bandung, Kamis (26/5/2011).

Sejak masuk ke pasar smart handheld pada 2010 silam, Acer memang fokus menggarap ceruk pasar ini. Beberapa

Read More

Skype Reports 'Small Number' of Users Locked Out

Skype reported Thursday that "a small number" of its subscribers have been unable to sign in to the global communications service since Wednesday evening. Still, even if the problem only affects a small percentage of Skype's 170 million connected users worldwide, it can cause some major headaches -- especially if small-business operators are impacted.

Skype's current sign-in problem follows on the heels of Microsoft's pending acquisition of Skype under an $8.5 billion deal announced earlier this month. The irony is that Skype said its current outage problems are predominantly limited to users equipped with PCs running versions of Microsoft's Windows.

"This predominantly affects people using Skype for Windows," Skype said in a blog on Thursday. "We have identified the problem and will issue a fix in the next few hours."

Quick To Blame Microsoft

Some Skype users were quick to lay the blame at Microsoft's feet, claiming the software giant had "broken Skype after owning it for literally days," tweeted Tim Redfern. "Looks like Microsoft completed their purchase of Skype, and broke it," added Tommy McCarthy in another Thursday tweet.

However, Microsoft's deal for Skype, which is subject to regulatory approval, isn't slated for completion until later this year. Still, many Skype users seem to be anticipating potential problems ahead -- with some no doubt recalling Microsoft's infamous Windows "blue screen of death" on malfunctioning PCs during the final decade of the 20th century.

So if Skype's report of an outage limited to a small number of users is accurate, this would be good news for Microsoft. The software giant plans to leverage Skype's huge client base and powerful consumer brand in today's post-desktop -PC era in which stationary platforms no longer dominate the computing environment. For this strategy to succeed, Skype's brand needs to remain untarnished.

Local phone numbers, three-way video conferencing, business administration, and making calls to real phone numbers are all things that people will pay for, noted Forrester Research Vice President Ted Schadler. "Skype has never had the money to market these services," Schadler wrote in a blog. "Microsoft does."

And the more Schadler looks at the Microsoft/Skype deal, the more he likes it. "Microsoft gets a scaled network and a valuable disruptive innovation ," he added later in a tweet. (continued...)

1  |  2  |  Next Page >

 

Read More

5 ways to keep your cords tidy, organized in your bag

www.cocooninnovations.coma

The Grid-It system, from Cocoon Innovations, offers a smart way to stay tangle-free in your suitcase.a

By Sean O'Neill, Budget Travela

Here are five ways to contain all the little items roaming around in your bags for your next trip:a

One Budget Travel reader uses stretch hair bands instead of using rubber bands, which tend to break, for binding electronic cords together. (Find them at dollar stores.)a

Toilet-paper tubes can have a surprising second-life as storage tools for digital gear. Wrap cell phone and digital camera cords, chargers, and other cables inside the cardboard tube. (A pro trick: Secure each plug end in a notch cut at the tube's rim.)a

A fancier way to stay tangle-free is to buy the Grid-It system, from $9. It's essentially a set of elastic bands that are woven into a solid surface and protected by a neoprene sleeve.a

Many travelers swear by Eagle Creek's packing cubes and half-cubes, which are zippered mesh compartments. Each container lifts out of your bag and is "squishable" to fit into tight spaces. Prices start at $10.a

Last but not least, clear plastic bags, such as by Ziploc, make it easier for you and the TSA to find stuff, of course. Many of our readers stow their electronic accessories and cords inside of such bags. One clever reader marked each bag with masking tape, on which he wrote the name of what is supposed to go inside the bag. That way, when re-packing his luggage, if he sees one of the Ziploc bags without an item inside, he'll be prompted to remember to find it in the room where he accidentally left it.a

More stories from Budget Travela

10 Islands to See Before You Die Confessions of a Cruise Ship Musician World's Most Beautiful Waterfalls

Read More

Mark Zuckerberg kills what he eats

John Schults / Reuters a

Yo! I just hit a marmot! Let's eat! a

By Helen A.S. Popkin

Nothing ingratiates 20-something billionaires to the public like self-righteous bloviating about one's new-found dietary practices ... and animal slaughter!a

In what may or may not be the latest attempt to show the world that oversharing is caring, Mark Zuckerberg rolled back his own privacy settings to email Fortune about his latest personal challenge. "The only meat I'm eating is from animals I've killed myself," the Facebook CEO apparently actually wrote, according to Fortune.a

"I just killed a pig and a goat," Zuckerberg posted May 4 on his private Facebook profile, a status update which "drew a stream of emotional comments, which were a mixture of confusion, curiosity, and outright disgust," Fortune reports. Perhaps they thought Zuck had run amok in FarmVille. Maybe, it was just, "Dude! Pig OR Goat!" Probably, like the hordes of PETA protesters heading his way, they were totally skeeved.a

But, hey! Since the killing began, "I'm eating a lot healthier foods. And I've learned a lot about sustainable farming and raising of animals," Zuckerberg told Fortune. "It's easy to take the food we eat for granted when we can eat good things every day."a

Zuck's blood lust for better health began last year, during a cookout epiphany in which he came to realize he was better than everyone else:a

I started thinking about this last year when I had a pig roast at my house. A bunch of people told me that even though they loved eating pork, they really didn't want to think about the fact that the pig used to be alive. That just seemed irresponsible to me. I don't have an issue with anything people choose to eat, but I do think they should take responsibility and be thankful for what they eat rather than trying to ignore where it came from.a

Get with it, nonbillionaires too busy picking your kids up from daycare to take out your own supper at novelty slaughter farms for a fee!a

Under the tutelage of Silicon Valley chef and Palo Alto neighbor Jesse Cool, Zuckerburg visits local farms such as the one where he helped the aforementioned pig and goat slip their mortal coils. "He cut the throat of the goat with a knife, which is the most kind way to do it," Cool told Fortune. One might think sleeping pills or old age would be the kindest way to meet one's maker, but then again one isn't a star chef who hangs out with dotcom billionaires, is one?a

Of course, don't get the impression Zuckerberg's killing 24/7, coding away with blood on his paws. He said that thanks to the new DIY diet, he's eating less meat. "This year I've basically become a vegetarian since the only meat I'm eating is from animals I've killed myself," Zuckerberg wrote Fortune, expressing as much understanding of vegetarianism as he apparently has of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.a

advertisement advertisement advertisement

Friends who come to dinner at Zuckerberg Manor to get their meal on don't eat nearly as much these days, Zuckerberg told Fortune. "I guess they feel like I don't have too much meat, so I should eat it myself," he said. That, or they don't want him killing more things.a

Zuckerberg's Extreme Urban Chicken Farming (yes, he's killed a chicken) is the latest personal challenge, something he says he's done every year in recent memory.  Last year he took up Chinese. In 2009, he wore a tie everyday. In 2012, he hunts humans.a

OK, probably not. Though if the Harvard dropout did take up "The Most Dangerous Game," he's likely smart enough not to post it on Facebook. According to Fortune however, Zuck has expressed an interest in hunting. And about that chicken kill — he reportedly ate its heart and liver and posted a picture of it on Facebook with a list of its fated dishes. He even saved the feet ... which he reportedly used to make stock, and not a beak bracelet or add it to a growing trophy collection of his many barnyard kills.a

He uses every part of the animal —that's the great thing about Zuck! (Think of it that way. You'll have less nightmares.)a

To be fair, slaughter and butchery is hot among the previously self-righteous vegan hipsters right now, so Zuckerberg is hardly alone in his practice or opinions. But you know what? Needle felting is all the rage, too ... and only half as creepy.  a

via Fortunea

More on the annoying way we live now:a

Facebook is coming for your children Hillary Clinton too sexy for Situation Room Bieber fans go on Grammy-fueled Wikipedia rampage

Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Join her self-rigteous bloviating on Twitter and Facebook, won't you?a

Read More

Microsoft's Ballmer: Should He Stay or Should He Go?

Should he stay or should he go? That's the question surrounding Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

David Einhorn, a hedge fund tycoon perhaps best known for his connections to Lehman Brothers, kicked off the debate. He accused Ballmer of being "stuck in the past" and suggested he step down, according to Reuters. Indeed, Einhorn had strong words about Ballmer, comparing his management style to Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strip.

"His continued presence is the biggest overhang on Microsoft's stock," Einhorn, president of Greenlight Capital, said at the Ira Sohn Investment Research Conference in New York on Wednesday.

Microsoft's Valuation Slide

Although some observers expect a battle that Ballmer won't back down from, other news reports suggest the Microsoft chief has something that will guarantee him success: Support from the board of directors. CNBC cited an unnamed board member who said Ballmer has the board's support.

Greenlight Capital is a Microsoft investor and owns about nine million shares of Microsoft stock. That equals .11 percent of the company's outstanding shares, according to Thomson Reuters data . Although he feels Microsoft stock is undervalued, Einhorn nevertheless wants Ballmer to "give someone else a chance."

Microsoft has lost ground under Ballmer's watch. Last May, Apple officially overtook Microsoft as the most valuable technology company in the world, thanks to its mobile devices. And just last week, IBM surpassed Microsoft in value.

Then there's Google . Despite Microsoft's Bing search alliance with Yahoo, Google continues to dominate the search market.

Looking at sheer numbers, Microsoft's stock has dipped 58 percent since the early part of the century while IBM, Apple and Google stocks have exploded.

Don't Fix What Ain't Broken

Michael Disabato, managing vice president of network and telecom for Gartner , isn't sure the notion of a Ballmer exit is a worthy debate. As he sees it, Microsoft has made some strong moves under Ballmer's watch.

"Microsoft brought out SharePoint -- arguably one of their best products -- and they brought out Windows 7, which is probably the best operating system they've developed," Disabato said. "Windows Phone has a better shot at becoming popular than Windows Mobile ever did. Wall Street shouldn't be running these companies."

Wall Street valuations are not a reason to get rid of CEOs, Disabato said. If Ballmer started to perform incompetently and consistently launched poor products, he added, that would be a reason to call for his resignation.

"Ballmer has fixed Windows -- and I can't even believe I'm saying that," Disabato said. "Wall Street can complain about the stock price. Let's see what the technicians have to say about the products."
 

Read More

20 videos about "Star Wars: The Old Republic"

Biowarea

By Todd Kenreck

Jedi, Sith, bounty Hunters, smugglers and troopers battle it out in this highly-anticipated Star Wars game. For your viewing pleasure here are 20 videos all about the massively multiplayer online game "Star Wars: The Old Republic" in one big, fat, massive auto-playlist; so sit back, enjoy, and click right here.a

Read More

Google Wallet Could Transform Mobile Payments

After heavy speculation this week -- and even over the past year -- Google is teaming up with some heavy hitters in credit cards and mobile phones to launch the long-awaited Google Wallet.

Citigroup, MasterCard, First Data, and Sprint Nextel joined Google in its New York offices Thursday to offer the press an official demo of a Google app that essentially works to transform a smartphone into a wallet. The demo showed how consumers can tap, pay and save using a phone and Near Field Communication (NFC). Google Wallet is currently in field testing, with no official release date.

"Google Wallet is a key part of our ongoing effort to improve shopping for both businesses and consumers," Rob von Behren and Jonathan Wall, the founding engineers for Google Wallet, wrote in a blog. "It's aimed at making it easier for you to pay for and save on the goods you want, while giving merchants more ways to offer coupons and loyalty programs to customers, as well as bridging the gap between online and off-line commerce."

More Than a Wallet

Google Wallet will initially support both Citi MasterCard and a Google Prepaid Card. But Google said consumers can fund the prepaid card with almost any credit card. In practice, consumers can tap their phone to pay wherever MasterCard PayPass is accepted. Google Wallet will also sync a consumer's Google Offers account, which can be redeemed via NFC at SingleTap merchant venues or by showing the bar code to a cashier at checkout.

Google Offers is a beta service that competes with Groupon. The city-specific service offers deals on products and services. Although the number of participating merchants is limited at launch, Google said many merchants are working to integrate their offers and loyalty programs with Google Wallet.

"Because Google Wallet is a mobile app, it will do more than a regular wallet ever could. You'll be able to store your credit cards, offers, loyalty cards, and gift cards, but without the bulk," von Behren and Wall wrote. "When you tap to pay, your phone will also automatically redeem offers and earn loyalty points for you. Someday, even things like boarding passes, tickets, IDs and keys could be stored in Google Wallet."

Accelerating Development

Like most everything else it does, Google said it's building an open commerce ecosystem around Google Wallet. The company is planning to develop APIs that will allow integration with partners. At launch, Google Wallet will only be compatible with the Nexus S 4G by Google smartphone, which is exclusively available on Sprint.

"Google Wallet with its myriad promotional and loyalty capabilities is very powerful for merchants, advertisers and consumers. One question is how many consumers will be able to use the system in the near term?" asked Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence.

"It appears that there's a substantial installed base of merchants -- approximately 100,000 -- that are ready for the system, but it could take several years for this to become mainstream. However, the announcement today will do for mobile payments what the iPhone did for smartphones: Dramatically accelerate the development of the market."
 

Read More

Nigerian hackers hit their own government

By Helen A.S. Popkin

A group of Nigerian hackers is currently attacking government websites.a

Earlier today, NaijaCyberHacktivists announced via Twitter the takedown of the National Poverty Eradication Programme website, including a link to its work:a

"http://napep.gov.ng/news.php?id=15 down..NAPEP has been hacked! Poverty Alleviation SCAM! You enrich your pockets at the mercy of the poor."a

@NaijaCyberHack/Twittera

The image placed on websites hacked by NaijaCyberHackistsa

On Wednesday, the hackers infiltrated the website for the Niger Delta Development Commission, an agency set up to develop the region, posting a nine-

h letter protesting the N1 billion ($6.6 million) budget for President Goodluck Jonathan‘s upcoming inauguration.a

The website was momentarily restored, but completely unavailable at the time of this post, apparently the victim of a denial-of-service attack.a

Nigeria is both lousy with unemployment and rich in raw technology talent. That's a big reason those 419 scam emails are still rampant on the Internet. So named for the Nigerian Criminal Code article dealing with fraud, 419 scams offer easy money or love, or an offer not to kill you, if you just provide access to your bank account.a

People still fall for these scams, even though websites inreasingly block Nigerian ISPs. Now, however, the country's poverty seems to have inspired some of its computer-saavy citizens to use their talent to challenge the government.  a

The new NaijaCyberHacktivists letter, posted on the Poverty Eradication Programme website homepage, references the N1 billion inauguration budget, as well as a Nigerian Freedom of Information Bill set for review May 29. Should the inauguration budget remain and the FOI not pass, NaijaCyberHacktivists promise cyberattacks will expand from government websites, to all financial institutions, networks and telecommunications companies. a

As the recent crippling attacks on U.S. financial institutions, and the ongoing attacks on Sony networks by other hacktivist groups illustrate, NaijaCyberHacktivists plan of action may be doable.a

Here is the letter currently posted on the the Poverty Eradication Programme website:a

A letter from HELLa

Mr Presidenta

With great sadness in our heart we bring you this message.The Nigerian General Elections of April 2011 have come and gone. But, yet again, like all important functions of the Nigerian political system, they have provoked violent uprisings in parts of Nigeria - this time, mostly in the Northern States of Nigeria - and they have left a legacy of blood and tears, and of inter-group animosity and hate.Nigerians have endured it all - usually assured by political self-seekers and false prophets that such problems are temporary birth pangs of a new country. But the events of the past April, and of recent months, have at last blown away all this self-deception and we are saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!a

To worsen the matter, the FG is to spend N1b on Jonathan inaugurationa

An inauguration is simply an induction into office, the formal transfer of power to an individual AND NOT a costly long-running festival nor a series of open-ended events organized into convoluted books and chapters.a

We, NaijaCyberHactivists are therefore joiningvoice with other well-meaning Nigerians and WE SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"! WE ARE WATCHING and we promise thata

1.) If the FG decides to go on with the N1b budget2.) If the FOI Bill is not passed before May 29a

WE WILLa

1.) Launch an attack against ALL financial institutions2.) Launch an attack against the epayment bodies in the country3.) Take down the Networks4.) Cripple the telecommunication companies5.) Take down all government sites.a

Related: a

WikiLeaks: Bradley Manning's forgotten Facebook page An online bank scam worthy of a spy novel Hackers: 'Stupid Sony, so very stupid'

Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Join her on Facebook and/or Twitter, won't you? a

 a

Read More

Japan, Germany, Serbia, named safest place to surf the web by Kaspersky

aaaaaPress release: Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, presents statistics for IT threats in the first quarter of 2011. All the data was obtained from consenting participants of the Kaspersky Security Network which brings together millions of users of Kaspersky Lab’s products from 213 countries around the world.

aaaaaAccording to the company’s research, in the first quarter of 2011, the number of web-borne attacks blocked stood at 254,932,299. Notably, 89% of all web resources used for hosting malware were detected in just 10 countries. The United States still tops this list â€" between January and March 2011, the share of malicious hosting sites in the US increased by 1.7 percentage points. The bulk of the malicious content is located on compromised legitimate sites. The number of malicious hosting sites continued to fall in China and Germany, with the volume of web attacks originating from the two countries falling by 3.33 and 3.28 percentage points respectively compared to the final quarter of 2010.

aaaaaThose facing the highest risk of infection via the Internet were users in Russia and Oman. Nearly every second computer (49%) in those two countries became the target of a web attack during the first three months of the year. Other high-risk countries included Iraq, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The safest countries for Internet surfing were Japan, Germany, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg.

aaaaaDuring Q1 2011, Kaspersky Lab’s solutions successfully blocked 412,790,509 attempted local infections of users’ computers connected to the Kaspersky Security Network. The Top 10 list of countries where users’ computers were exposed to the highest risk of local infections consisted entirely of Asian and African countries. First place in the ranking is occupied by various malicious programs detected with the help of cloud-based technologies. These technologies work when a malicious program first enters circulation and the antivirus databases do not have signatures or heuristic tools to detect it; at this time, information about this malware may well exist in the cloud.

aaaaaThe main point of interest in the Top 10 vulnerabilities detected on users’ computers was the presence of just a single Microsoft product vulnerability in 8th place. Vulnerabilities in Adobe products occupied a total of five positions in the list, including 1st and 2nd places.

aaaaa“The statistics collected from computers belonging to KSN subscribers show that users’ computers in the developing countries are at the highest risk of both local and web-borne infection. With local infections, the groups within the maximum and high risk brackets consist exclusively of developing countries. In the countries that fall into the maximum risk bracket, local threats are blocked on over 60% of all computers that have Kaspersky Lab’s security products installed on them, while the corresponding figure for the high risk bracket is 40-60%. IT penetration is increasing rapidly in these countries, and levels of IT security awareness may not always advance at the same pace,” explains Yury Namestnikov, Kaspersky Lab expert and author of the quarterly report.

aaaaa“However, the most advanced Trojans such as TDSS, Sinowal and Zbot, etc., primarily target users in developed countries, including the US, Germany, the UK, Italy, France and Spain. It is the digital wallets of users living in these countries that the cybercriminals are really after.”

Read More

TV remote wasn't always so ... remote

L5 Technologya

The L5 Remote app for iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad; it costs $59.95.a

By Suzanne Choney

Some of us don't have the remotest idea how to work today's remote controls, other than using the power, volume and channel buttons. That's testimony to how complicated remotes have become since they first landed in our hands some 60 years ago, and why products like universal remotes have become universally disliked.a

This tool of convenience has turned many into frustrated flingers of said devices. But it wasn't always this way.a

At Technologizer, Harry McCracken provides a fun overview of the remote's history, sharing a Zenith ad from 1951 showing its appropriately named "Lazy Bones" controller.a

"No jumping up, not one knob to touch or retune!" boasts the ad. Of course, this is why we're all out buying the Wii today, because we stopped jumping up to change stations or the volume and became BarcaLounger lizards and now need to do something about that.a

McCracken notes that the TiVo remote, aka" Mr. Peanut" because of its Mr. Peanut-like shape and look, was probably the "most iconic new-and improved remote control of its era," largely because  of its "user-friendly consumer-electronics interfaces in general," with the buttons being "thoughtfully arranged and well-labeled ... There’s a lesson there for everyone who’s attempted to radically rethink the remote over the years."a

Now, of course, we can use our smartphones as remotes. And some of us can just use our minds — not to turn the set on, but to keep it off.a

Related stories:a

Can your iPhone replace your remote controls? Secrets of Verizon iPhone tests revealed New app lets you schedule text messages

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.a

Read More