Archive for February, 2008...
Filed under Slashdot
Stony Stevenson writes to point out that Netscape has finally reached end of line with the release of version 9.0.0.6. A pop-up will offer users the choice of switching to Firefox, Flock, or remaining with the dead browser, but no new updates will be released. “Nearly 14 years after the once mighty browser made its first desktop appearance as Mosaic Netscape 0.9, its disappearance comes as little surprise. Although Netscape accounted for more than 80 per cent of the browser market in 1995, the arrival of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer in the same year brought stiff competition and surpassed Netscape within three years.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Filed under Tech News World, Technology
The European Union is looking at Microsoft’s vow to commit to openness and interoperability with a jaundiced eye. The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, will welcome “any move towards genuine interoperability,” it said, while pointing out that Microsoft had made “at least four similar statements” in the past on this topic. The commission also said Microsoft’s plans to commit to interoperability “does not relate to the question of whether or not Microsoft has been complying with EU antitrust rules in this area in the past.”
Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Wireless
So this team of über-nerds — NICTA — out of Australia’s Information and Communications Technology Research Centre of Excellence (or ICTRCoE for “short”) announced the preliminary results of their Gigabit Wireless Project. Here’s a hint: they were able to transmit gigabits of data — five of ‘em — per second wirelessly over 60GHz / millimeter-wave CMOS-based transceivers. Of course, range on a system with that high a frequency isn’t very far, but feel free to enjoy this moment of fantasy-future news for what it is. Oh, and NICTA crew — hate to break it to ya, but your countrymen at CSIRO broke the 10Gbps wireless barrier a couple years ago (as did the U of Essex), might be time to up the ante.
Update: Bonus! Apparently these will be ready to ship in a year, and would cost $10 per component, which is still a little expensive for a single wireless chip but not bad at all.
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Filed under Slashdot
fab writes “Italian car designer Leonardo Fioravanti (who worked for Pininfarina for a number of years) has developed a car prototype without windshield wipers. This amazing technological feat is made possible thanks to the use of 4 layers of glass modified using nanotechnology. The first layer filters the sun and repels the water. The second layer, using ‘nano-dust’ is able to push dirt to the side. The third layer acts as a sensor that activates the second layer when it detects dirt, while the fourth layer is a conductor of electricity to power this complex mechanism. I haven’t been able to find an English article, but there is always a google powered translation of the Italian article.”
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Filed under Slashdot
I Don’t Believe in Imaginary Property writes “Groklaw has examined that ‘new leaf’ Microsoft turned the other day. PJ has a lengthy analysis of Microsoft’s latest promises. To make a long story short, the promises are more of the same stuff and don’t help anyone but Microsoft. They only protect ‘noncommercial’ development and are set up to create a patented standards toll road so that Microsoft can charge competitors to compete. As PJ puts it, ‘This is a promise to remain incompatible with the GPL, as far as I can make out.’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Filed under Tech News World, Technology
Ten teams from around the world have signed up to compete for the Google Lunar X Prize, a robotic race to to the moon with a $30 million purse. The basic rules are simple: Teams will compete to be the first to land a privately funded robotic craft on the moon, have it tool around on the surface for at least 500 meters and send images, video and data back to Earth. As far as the contest is concerned, the robot’s trip is a one-way vacation — no need to get the bot back to our blue planet.
Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Ok, we have no idea why a USB hub tucked inside a long box with cable management clips would cost $80, but we won’t deny the SpaceStation is a clever and useful, if bulky and even a bit unsightly accessory. You know what we could really use though? A power strip with USB-charger ports. Why the hell hasn’t anyone made one of those? Yes, we demand royalties for these gems.
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Filed under Slashdot
eldavojohn writes “How much would you pay to be the leading video media technology right now? Is $400 million too much? Sony didn’t think so and this article speculates that’s how they won the Hi-Def format war. ‘With billions of dollars in global sales at stake, experts had predicted the Toshiba-Sony battle would go on for years - not unlike the 1980s battle of videotape formats between VHS (Matsushita) and Betamax (Sony). That war lasted a decade, leaving Sony battered and humiliated. So how did this epic battle come to such an abrupt end? The answer lies in part with the bruising Sony experienced with Betamax, which, like Blu-ray, was also the better product on paper.’”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Filed under Tech News World, Technology
Microsoft has made an announcement about future standards support, but Red Hat, in a response posted Thursday, would like to see Microsoft instead make a concrete announcement in support of existing ISO-approved, cross-platform standards next week in Geneva. Meanwhile, the European Union said they will monitor whether the principles announced by Microsoft are, in fact, implemented. In its response, Red Hat Executive Vice President and General Counsel Michael Cunningham said, “Red Hat regards this most recent announcement with a healthy dose of skepticism.”
Filed under Gadgets
Filed under: Displays, Misc. Gadgets
One of the things most people fail to realize about being sick is that sitting in a hospital bed all day can be really, really boring. Luckily, a company called Lincor Solutions has realized that people need something a little more engaging than plain-jane television these days, thus the MEDIVista was created. The basic premise is quite simple: a touchscreen, LCD display is mounted to the side of a hospital bed which the hospital staff can use to display x-rays or medical information, and the patient can use for entertainment. Users can watch IPTV, listen to the radio or audio books, make VoIP calls, surf the ‘net, check email, as well as play web and network based games. The system also logs activity and allows users to view billing information, though at this point it doesn’t look like it can play Doom, will blend, or is due to become our overlord.
[Via OhGizmo!]
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