gibNews - Articles - Computers and Technology

Libraries step into the age of iPod

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:57:34 CDT

By Paul Thomasch

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It may be about time to dig out that old library card. Hoping to draw back readers, libraries have vastly expanded their lists of digital books, music, and movies that can be downloaded by their patrons to a computer or MP3 player -- and it doesn't cost a cent, unlike, say, media from Apple Inc'siTunes or Amazon.com Inc.

Eight People Bought Useless $1,000 iPhone App

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:26:15 CDT

By Brian X. Chen

Eight people had $1,000 to burn on a useless iPhone application before Apple removed it from the App Store, according to a story in the LA Times.

‘Fakeproof’ e-passport is cloned in minutes

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:10:53 CDT

Steve Boggan

New microchipped passports designed to be foolproof against identity theft can be cloned and manipulated in minutes and accepted as genuine by the computer software recommended for use at international airports.

Researchers Propose $12 Computer for Developing Countries

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:20:55 CDT

One Laptop Per Child 'Applauds' Effort but Dismisses Comparisons
By ASHLEY PHILLIPS
Aug. 7, 2008

As the prices of educational laptops for children in developing countries creep upward, a group of researchers attempts to create a new, even lower-tech computer that would cost as little as $12.

UPDATE: What New Products Could Apple Have In Mind?

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:06:12 CDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) -- For a company as secretive about its upcoming products as Apple Inc., comments from Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer might as well have been equal to giving up the launch codes for the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

New service helps callers avoid awkward cell-phone moments

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:44:11 CDT

NEW YORK (AP) -- The old song had it right: Breaking up is hard to do. But a free new phone service called Slydial might make it easier to get through that and other awkward moments -- without actually having to talk to anyone.

The Coming of the Car-Bot

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:56:42 CDT

In the near future, autonomous driving will lead to safer roads and great fuel-efficiency

by David Kiley

Imagine the scene: You're driving your car to an office building in New York City, five minutes from a job interview. No worries. You have already dialed into the car's memory the parking garage where it's going to stay, and prepaid the bill. You shut the door. And off it goes. Driverless. And the chances of the car getting into an accident while it travels five or six treacherous city blocks are less than if the hopeful job applicant had tried to park it himself under time pressure.

3K offers $299 notebook

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:31:32 CDT

By Wolfgang Gruene

Boca Raton (FL) – A small Florida-based PC builder is jumping on the cheap notebook train with a UMPC-sized device that is offered in only one version and priced at $299 – which makes it, at least as far as we know, the cheapest notebook currently offered in the U.S

Chrysler will offer wireless Internet access in 2009 models

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:55:00 CDT

The struggling automaker's announcement comes shortly before California enacts a law that requires hands-free cellphone use while driving.

By Ken Bensinger, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 25, 2008

Have you ever thought rush hour on the 405 Freeway might be more bearable if you could check your e-mail, shop for a book on Amazon, place some bids on EBay and maybe even, if nobody is looking, download a little porn?

Then perhaps you should be driving a Chrysler.

Dubai 'shape-shifting skyscraper' unveiled

no@spam.com (Doug Perry) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:31:13 CDT

(CNN) -- Ambitious plans to build a revolutionary 420-meter shape-shifting skyscraper in Dubai have been unveiled by architects.

The 80-story Dynamic Tower, described as the "world's first building in motion," will also be the first skyscraper constructed from prefabricated units, according to a press statement released by New York-based architect David Fisher's Dynamic Group.

Each floor would be capable of rotating independently, powered by wind turbines fitted between each floor.