eldavojohn writes"After developing and using TaintDroid, several universities found that of 30 popular free Android apps, half were sharing GPS data and phone numbers with advertisers and remote servers. A few months ago, one app was sending phone numbers to a remote server in China but today the situation looks a lot more prevasive. In their paper (PDF), the researchers blasted Google saying 'Android's coarse grained access control provides insufficient protection against third-party applications seeking to collect sensitive data.' Google's response: 'Android has taken steps to inform users of this trust relationship and to limit the amount of trust a user must grant to any given application developer. We also provide developers with best practices about how to handle user data. We consistently advise users to only install apps they trust.'"
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Research Lays Foundation for Building on the Moon -- Or Anywhere Else
ScienceDaily (Sep. 29, 2010) — The key to the stability of any building is its foundation, but it is difficult to test some building sites in advance -- such as those on the moon. New research from North Carolina State University is helping resolve the problem by using computer models that can utilize a small sample of soil to answer fundamental questions about how soil at a building site will interact with foundations.
Chinese High-Speed Train Sets New World Record
Posted by samzenpus on Thursday September 30, @05:03AM
from the speeding-bullet dept.
from the speeding-bullet dept.
shmG writes"A new high-speed train linking Chinese cities Shanghai and Hangzhou has set a fresh world record for train speed at 416.6 kilometers per hour on its trial run on Tuesday. The train is expected to cut the travel time by half, to 40 minutes for covering a distance of 202 kilometers between the two cities at an average speed of 350 kilometers per hour. 'The new record of 416.6 km per hour shows that China has achieved a new milestone in high-speed train technologies,' Zhang Shuguang, deputy chief engineer of the Ministry of Railways, was quoted as saying."
Kia Pop recharges in 6 hours with 87mph top speed and 100-mile range
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Sep 30th 2010 5:11AM
Early Life Experience Modifies Gene Vital to Normal Brain Function
ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2010) — Early life stress, such as an extreme lack of parental affection, has lasting effects on a gene important to normal brain processes and also tied to mental disorders, according to a new animal study in the Sept. 29 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
Read More
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Chinese 'Apple Peel' Turns iPods Into iPhones
angry tapir writes"The Apple Peel 520, a Chinese-developed product that drew the media's attention for being able to turn an iPod Touch into an iPhone-like device, is coming to America. The add-on device, which just went on sale in China, has been billed as a more affordable option for users wanting to get their hands on an iPhone, but lack the budget."
Destroy Entire Websites With Asteroids Bookmarklet
An anonymous reader writes"Have you ever visited a website and been so frustrated by the content, layout, or adverts that you'd love to destroy it? Well, now you can. If you head on over to the erkie GitHub page there's a JavaScript bookmarklet you can drag and add to your bookmarks toolbar. Then just visit any website and click the bookmarklet. An Asteroids-style ship should appear that you can move around with the arrow keys. Press space and it will start firing bullets which destroy page content."
Browser-Based Deep Space Nine MMO Coming In 2011
A publisher based in Germany has announced Star Trek: Infinite Space, a browser MMO based on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The game will be free-to-play, and it's planned for sometime in 2011. "Gameforge also contracted Michael Okuda, who served as scenic art supervisor for every live-action Star Trek series except for the original program, as a consultant. His wife Denise Okuda, who was a video supervisor and scenic artist for several of the sci-fi series' films and shows, will serve as a consultant, too."
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
ATMs That Dispense Gold Bars Coming To America
Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday September 28, @09:48AM
from the leprechaun-industries dept.
from the leprechaun-industries dept.
tetrahedrassface writes"As the U.S. economic woes continue unabated, a German company is bringing gold bearing ATMs to Mainstreet America. The machines accept credit cards, and will dispense 1 gram, 5 gram, 10 gram and 1 ounce units, as well as various gold coins. The company hopes to install 35 bullion machines in the United States this year, hopefully have several hundred up and running by next year. The machines will be decorated like giant gold ingots and be over two meters tall. Physical gold has both pros and cons, but mainly from a safety standpoint would it be safe to have a couple of ounces in your pocket while walking around the mall? The giant gold dispensing ATMs will monitor the market conditions for gold every 10 minutes in order to reflect spot price changes as they occur."We already covered similar machines installed in travel hubs across Germany.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Selling Incandescent Light Bulbs As Heating Device
Posted by samzenpus on Monday September 27, @10:35AM
from the a-bulb-by-any-othe-name dept.
from the a-bulb-by-any-othe-name dept.
Csiko writes"The European union has banned by law trading of incandescent light bulbs due to their bad efficiency/ecology reasons (most of the energy is transformed into heat). A company is now trying to bypass this by offering their incandescent light bulb products as a heating device (article in German) instead of a light device. Still, their 'heat balls' give light as well as heating. So - every law can be bypassed if you have some creativity!"
Could Brain Abnormalities Cause Antisocial Behavior and Drug Abuse in Boys?
ScienceDaily (Sep. 22, 2010) — Antisocial boys who abuse drugs, break laws, and act recklessly are not just "bad" kids. Many of these boys may have malfunctioning brains, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
New Zealand Scientists Make Atom-Trapping Breakthrough
Mogster writes with this news from New Zealand:"'University of Otago scientists have made a 'major physics breakthrough' with the development of a technique to consistently isolate and capture a fast-moving single atom. A team of four researchers from the university's physics department are believed to be the first to isolate and photograph the Rubidium 85 atom.' Good to see Kiwis following inRutherford's footsteps."
Friday, September 24, 2010
Vitamin C Rapidly Improves Emotional State of Acutely Hospitalized Patients, Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (Sep. 23, 2010) — Treatment with vitamin C rapidly improves the emotional state of acutely hospitalized patients, according to a study carried out by researchers at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital (JGH) and the affiliated Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI).
Netflix, NBC Universal content deal brings Battlestar Galactica, SNL and more to Watch Instantly
By Richard Lawler posted Sep 24th 2010 6:16AM
Researcher Builds Machines That Daydream
schliz writes"Murdoch University professor Graham Mann is developing algorithms to simulate 'free thinking' and emotion. He refutes the emotionless reason portrayed by Mr Spock, arguing that 'an intelligent system must have emotions built into it before it can function.' The algorithm can translate the 'feel' of Aesop's Fables based on Plutchick's Wheel of Emotions. In tests, it freely associated three stories: The Thirsty Pigeon; The Cat and the Cock; and The Wolf and the Crane, and when queried on the association, the machine responded: 'I felt sad for the bird.'"
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Man Prevented From Finding Chipped Pet Under Data Protection Act
Posted by samzenpus on Thursday September 23, @09:50AM
from the clause-22 dept.
from the clause-22 dept.
Dave Moorhouse was elated when he was informed that a microchip provider had information on the whereabouts of his stolen dog. This joy soon faded when the company informed him that it could not divulge the Jack Russell terrier's location because it would breach the Data Protection Act. Last week a court agreed with the chip company and refused Mr Moorhouse's request for a court order compelling them to reveal the name and address of the new owners. Steven Wildridge, managing director of the chip company said: “This is not a choice, it’s an obligation under the Data Protection Act. If the individuals involved do not want us to pass on their details to the original owner then we cannot do so unless compelled to following a criminal or civil proceeding."
Putting on the Pounds After Weight Loss? Hit the Gym to Maintain Health Gains
ScienceDaily (Sep. 22, 2010) — Although obesity is a major risk factor for disease, much of the threat may be associated with the metabolic (or cardiometabolic) syndrome, a cluster of risk factors related to diabetes and heart disease. Losing weight can improve health and reduce many of these risk factors. However, many people struggle to keep the weight off long-term. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that people who perform resistance training while regaining weight can help maintain strides in reducing their risks for chronic disease.
New Target for Alzheimer's Disease Identified
ScienceDaily (Sep. 21, 2010) — Neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found a new therapeutic target that can potentially lead to a new way to prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The target called neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) is a protein that when activated, can cause a chain of reactions in the cell leading to neuronal death and memory loss.
Less Pain for Learning Gain: Research Offers a Strategy to Increase Learning With Less Effort
ScienceDaily (Sep. 22, 2010) — Scientists long have recognized that many perceptual skills important for language comprehension and reading can be enhanced through practice. Now research from Northwestern University suggests a new way of training that could reduce by at least half the effort previously thought necessary to make learning gains.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Microwave Map of Entire Moon Revealed
Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday September 22, @03:31PM
from the quickest-route-mode dept.
from the quickest-route-mode dept.
Zothecula writes"The first complete microwave image of the Moon taken by Chinese lunar satellite Chang'E-1 has been revealed. Chang'E-1 is China's first scientific mission to explore planetary bodies beyond Earth and the on-board Lunar Microwave Radiometer has made it possible for the first time to globally map the Moon in microwave frequencies. Radar observations of the Moon are unable to provide thermal information, and microwave observations taken from Earth cannot reach the far side of the moon. So Chang'E-1's (CE-1) orbit was conducted at an altitude of 200km (124 miles) and allowed it to observe every location of the moon with a nadir view and at high spatial resolution."
The Surprising Statistics Behind Flash and Apple
Barence writes"PC Pro's Tom Arah has dug up some statistics that cast severe doubt over Steve Jobs' assertion that Flash is the technology of the past, and Apple's iOS is the platform of the future. He quibbles with Net Applications' assertion that iOS growth is 'massive,' considering that mobile accounts for only 2.6% of web views, and the iOS share stands at only 1.1%. By comparison, Silverlight penetration now stands at 51% while 97% of web surfers have Flash installed, according to Stat Owl. 'At least when Bill Gates held the web to ransom he had the decency to first establish a dominant position,' Arah claims. 'In Steve Jobs' case, with only 1.1% market share, the would-be emperor isn't even wearing any clothes.'"
Australian Schools Go iPad-Crazy Posted by timothy on Wednesday September 22, @06:23AM from the all-nu-perfect-forever dept. australia education hand
An anonymous reader writes"Looks like it's not just Apple fanboys that are going wild for the iPad: in Australia, virtually every state education department is trialling the tablet in schools — and some schools are even trialling it without the official support of their department. One university in Adelaide has even abolished textbooks for first year science students and is allocating free iPads to first year students instead. It will be interesting to see what happens when the inevitable wave of Android tablets hits over the next six months."
Paper-Thin Batteries Provide Bendable Power Posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday September 22, @09:38AM from the battery-paper-airplanes-please dept. powe
powerPosted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday September 22, @09:38AM
from the battery-paper-airplanes-please dept.
SkinnyGuy writes"New carbon nanotube-based technology could literally allow companies to paint layers of electricity-holding lithium-ion on standard pieces of paper. The possibilities are endless."You can also read the actual paper.
Microsoft Says IE9 Beta Demand Overwhelming
cgriffin21 writes"Microsoft expected Internet Explorer 9 to be popular, but after more than two million people downloaded the IE9 beta in the first two days after its release, the software giant is having a hard time choosing which eye-popping statistics to cite. Microsoft says its "Beauty of the Web" site, which illustrates the aesthetic advantages of IE9's support for HTML5 and hardware acceleration, has had more the 9 million visits and 26 million page views since the IE9 beta launch on Sept. 15. Microsoft's developer-oriented IE Test Drive Site has had 4 million page views during the same period."
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