http://cooln.esCooln.es: Internet Hourly NewsWed, 03 Apr 2013 03:36:20 GMTPyRSS2Gen-1.0.0http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rsshttp://www.ibtimes.com/print/blackberry-z10-features-blackberry-10-can-bbm-anything-youre-watching-even-if-its-porn-1166817"The new BBM in BlackBerry 10 has the option to automatically share what music you're listening to as one's status update . As it turns out, this BBM feature in BlackBerry 10 can actually share anything you're listening to with your BBM network, including videos. Therefore, any videos viewed in the BlackBerry Z10 browser or media player will be displayed for all of one's BlackBerry contacts to see, even if you don't want your network to know you're watching certain videos."http://www.ibtimes.com/print/blackberry-z10-features-blackberry-10-can-bbm-anything-youre-watching-even-if-its-porn-1166817Wed, 03 Apr 2013 02:48:24 GMThttp://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/11/06/initiative-502-passes-to-legalize-regulate-and-tax-marijuana/"Last fall, the state of Washington passed a marijuana legalization referendum , and needed to acquire an outside consultant to run the program . 'As it normally does, the state put out a request for proposal for a consultant to run the new legal marijuana program,' writes Ron Miller. 'As word leaked out that there was an RFP open for what essentially was a "pot czar," the floodgates opened. It would be the most popular RFP in the state's history. The Liquor Control Board needed a way to process these requests quickly and cheaply.' In a typical RFP scenario, they would get maybe half a dozen responses. This one got close to 100. Miller writes about the cloud workflow required to solve the task: 'He chose these particular tools because they all had open APIs, which allowed him to mash them together easily into the solution. They were easy to use, so reviewers could learn the system with little or no training, and they were mobile, so users could access the system from any device. In particular he wanted reviewers to be able to use the system on a tablet.' I suppose this could have been written about more mundane RFPs, but I bet you'll find this more interesting than most."http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2012/11/06/initiative-502-passes-to-legalize-regulate-and-tax-marijuana/Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:48:21 GMThttp://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/04/02/firefox-20-launches-with-per-window-private-browsing-new-download-manager-separately-close-hanging-plugins/"Mozilla on Tuesday officially launched Firefox 20 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android . The improvements include per-window private browsing, a new download manager in the Firefox toolbar , and the ability to close hanging plugins without the browser hanging. The new desktop version was available as of yesterday on the organization's FTP servers, but that was just the initial release of the installers. Firefox 20 has now officially been made available over on Firefox.com and all users of old Firefox versions should be able to upgrade to it automatically. As always, the Android version is trickling out slowly on the official Google Play Store . The changelogs are here: desktop and Android ."http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/04/02/firefox-20-launches-with-per-window-private-browsing-new-download-manager-separately-close-hanging-plugins/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:48:19 GMThttp://blogs.computerworld.com/hardware/21985/i-love-my-chromebook-worry-about-its-future"PC manufacturers may try to corral Chromebook, much like Netbooks, by setting frustratingly low hardware expectations. The systems being released from HP, Acer, Lenovo and Samsung are being built around retro Celeron processors and mostly 2 GB of RAM. By doing so, they are targeting schools and semi-impulse buyers and may be discouraging corporate buyers from considering the system. Google's Pixel is the counter-force, but at a price of $1,299 for the Wi-Fi system, reviewers, while gushing about hardware, believe it's too much, too soon. The Chromebook is a threat to everything, especially PC makers , as its apps improve. Compare Tweetdeck's HTML5 version with its native app. Can you tell the difference? It might be a year or two before Adobe delivers Web-only versions of its products, but if it doesn't it will be surrendering larger portions of its mindshare to users of Pixlr, Pixel Mixer, PicMonkey and many other interesting and increasingly capable tools."http://blogs.computerworld.com/hardware/21985/i-love-my-chromebook-worry-about-its-futureTue, 02 Apr 2013 22:48:18 GMThttp://fremycompany.com/BG/2013/Internet-Explorer-11-rsquo-s-leaked-build-395/"The biggest problem with IE10 as far as modern web apps go is its lack of WebGL support. Now we have strong evidence that IE11 will support WebGL. A leaked build of Windows 'Blue,' aka Windows 8.1, also contained an early version of IE11. Web developer Fran�ois Remy decided to see what it was hiding and found that there were WebGL APIs, but they were non-functional . Rafael Rivera, who writes the Within Windows blog, dug a little deeper and discovered the registry keys that have to be changed to enable WebGL support . Apparently the API works so well that you can take existing WebGL programs (with OpenGL shaders) and just run them . As the implementation also supports DirectX HLSL shaders, it seems reasonable to guess that the implementation maps OpenGL to DirectX, thus avoiding Microsoft having to endorse OpenGL use."http://fremycompany.com/BG/2013/Internet-Explorer-11-rsquo-s-leaked-build-395/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 21:48:18 GMThttp://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/04/smartphone-data-trail/all/"To probably no one's surprise, wiping a smartphone by standard methods doesn't get all the data erased. From an article at Wired: 'Problem is, even if you do everything right, there can still be lots of personal data left behind. Simply restoring a phone to its factory settings won't completely clear it of data. Even if you use the built-in tools to wipe it, when you go to sell your phone on Craigslist you may be selling all sorts of things along with it that are far more valuable — your name, birth date, Social Security number and home address, for example. ... [On a wiped iPhone 3G, mobile forensics specialist Lee Reiber] found a large amount of deleted personal data that he recovered because it had not been overwritten. He was able to find hundreds of phone numbers from a contacts database. Worse, he found a list of nearly every Wi-Fi and cellular access point the phone had ever come across — 68,390 Wi-Fi points and 61,202 cell sites. (This was the same location data tracking that landed Apple in a privacy flap a few years ago, and caused it to change its collection methods.) Even if the phone had never connected to any of the Wi-Fi access points, iOS was still logging them, and Reiber was able to grab them and piece together a trail of where the phone had been turned on.'"http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/04/smartphone-data-trail/all/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:48:15 GMThttp://hybridmemorycube.org/files/20130402_HMCC_SpecRelease.pdf"The three largest memory makers announced the final specifications for three-dimensional DRAM, which is aimed at increasing performance for networking and high performance computing markets . Micron, Samsung and Hynix are leading the technology development efforts backed by the Hybrid Memory Cube Consortium (HMC). The Hybrid Memory Cube will stack multiple volatile memory dies on top of a DRAM controller. The result is a DRAM chip that has an aggregate bandwidth of 160GB/s, 15 times more throughput as standard DRAMs, while also reducing power by 70%. 'Basically, the beauty of it is that it gets rid of all the issues that were keeping DDR3 and DDR4 from going as fast as they could,' said Jim Handy, director of research firm Objective Analysis. The first versions of the Hybrid Memory Cube, due out in the second half of 2013, will deliver 2GB and 4GB of memory."http://hybridmemorycube.org/files/20130402_HMCC_SpecRelease.pdfTue, 02 Apr 2013 20:48:15 GMThttp://europa.seti.org/one-small-step-for-a-mission/"It may not be a lander or an orbiter, but its something. Europa, one of Jupiter's largest moons, has been the focus of much scrutiny over its potential life-bearing qualities. It has an icy crust over a liquid water ocean and now salts have been detected on its surface, suggesting a cycling of nutrients from the surface to the interior. This only amplifies the hypothesis that Europa not only could support basic life, it could support complex life. But how can we find out? The proposed Europa Clipper received interest at NASA HQ last year as it would optimize the science while keeping the mission budget under $2 billion. It would be a spacecraft that will be in orbit around Jupiter, but make multiple flybys of Europa to assess the moon for its habitable qualities. Now, in a bill signed by President Obama and approved by lawmakers, $75 million has been allocated (for the remainder of this fiscal year) for a 'Jupiter Europa mission.' Could it represent the seed money for the Europa Clipper? We'll have to wait and see."http://europa.seti.org/one-small-step-for-a-mission/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:48:13 GMThttp://cenm.ag/env111"NASA researchers have compared nuclear power to fossil fuel energy sources in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution-related deaths. Using nuclear power in place of coal and gas power has prevented some 1.8 million deaths globally over the past four decades and could save millions of more lives in coming decades, concludes their study . The pair also found that nuclear energy prevents emissions of huge quantities of greenhouse gases. These estimates help make the case that policymakers should continue to rely on and expand nuclear power in place of fossil fuels to mitigate climate change, the authors say."http://cenm.ag/env111Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:48:10 GMThttp://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/ftc-awards-50k-prizes-cut-exasperating-robocalls"The Federal Trade Commission today said it picked two winners out of nearly 800 entries for its $50,000 Robocall Challenge which dared technologists to come up with an innovative way of blocking the mostly illegal but abundant calls. According to the FTC, Serdar Danis and Aaron Foss will each receive $25,000 for their proposals, which both use software to intercept and filter out illegal prerecorded calls using technology to 'blacklist' robocaller phone numbers and 'whitelist' numbers associated with acceptable incoming calls."http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/ftc-awards-50k-prizes-cut-exasperating-robocallsTue, 02 Apr 2013 17:48:10 GMThttp://slashdot.org/topic/cloud/google-glass-and-surveillance-culture/"Tech journalist Milo Yiannopoulos asks the question lurking in everyone's mind about Google Glass. 'It's an audacious product for a company no one trusts to behave responsibly with our data: a pair of glasses that can monitor and record the world around you,' he writes. 'But if Glass becomes as ubiquitous as the iPhone, are we truly to believe that Google will not attempt to abuse that remarkable power ?' With each new eyebrow-raising court judgment and federal fine levied against Google, he adds, 'it becomes ever more clear that this is a company hell-bent on innovating first and asking questions later, if ever. And its vision, shared with other California technology companies, is of corporate America redefining societal privacy norms in the service of advertising companies and their clients.' He feels that Google will eventually end up in some sort of court battle over Google Glass and privacy. Do you agree? Does Google Glass deserve extra scrutiny before it hits the market?"http://slashdot.org/topic/cloud/google-glass-and-surveillance-culture/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:48:08 GMThttp://www.xconomy.com/boston/2013/04/02/a-sandwich-a-startup-and-a-lawsuit-the-crunchbutton-story/?single_page=true"Crunchbutton, founded by Yale grads, is trying to replicate the success of its one-button food delivery service in and around Brown University. The controversy began when the startup delivered a popular Brown sandwich called the 'Spicy With' to students. Brown's lawyers sent Crunchbutton a cease and desist letter, demanding that the company remove any associations with the university or its name. The startup says it has complied with the demands, yet Brown has not backed off, and it expects to be served with a lawsuit. This tale illustrates the perils of encouraging entrepreneurship while protecting the interests of a big educational institution."http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2013/04/02/a-sandwich-a-startup-and-a-lawsuit-the-crunchbutton-story/?single_page=trueTue, 02 Apr 2013 15:48:07 GMThttp://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTM0MDc"In preparation for the "Steam Box" game console that will make necessary their own Linux-based software platform, Valve developers have started publishing Debian packages for their platform which looks like their first-generation operating system will be derived from Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS. So far the packages being published include a new "Plymouth" boot splash screen as the operating system loads, a Steam desktop wallpaper, auto-updating system scripts, and experimental NVIDIA Linux graphics drivers."http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTM0MDcTue, 02 Apr 2013 15:48:08 GMThttp://techland.time.com/2013/04/02/an-interview-with-computing-pioneer-alan-kay/"Over at TIME.com, we've published David Greelish's interview with Alan Kay , the famously quotable visionary whose Dynabook proposal has provided much of the inspiration for advances in mobile computing for over 40 years now. Kay talks about his work, laments that the computer has failed to live up to its potential as an educational tool, and says that the iPad betrays the vision that he and others created at Xerox PARC and elsewhere in the 1970s."http://techland.time.com/2013/04/02/an-interview-with-computing-pioneer-alan-kay/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:48:06 GMThttp://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/03/alfred-anaya/all/"Alfred Anaya was a custom stereo installer who branched out to making secret compartments for valuables, who the DEA sent to prison as a co-conspirator when a drug dealer used his creation to smuggle drugs. But Wired points out the bigger question: 'The challenge for anyone who creates technology is to guess when they should turn their back on paying customers. Take a manufacturer of robot kits for hobbyists. If someone uses those robots to patrol a smuggling route or help protect a meth lab, how will prosecutors determine whether the company acted criminally?'"http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/03/alfred-anaya/all/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:48:04 GMThttp://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57577393-93/mp3-resale-violates-copyright-law-court-rules/" A judge has sided with Capitol Records in the lawsuit between the record company and ReDigi — ruling that MP3s can only be resold if granted permission by copyright owners . From the article: 'The Order is surprising in light of last month's United States Supreme Court decision in Kirtsaeng v. Wiley & Sons, which reaffirmed the importance and applicability of the First Sale Doctrine in the United States of America.'"http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57577393-93/mp3-resale-violates-copyright-law-court-rules/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:48:04 GMThttp://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/040113-ieee-400g-ethernet-268261.html"The IEEE this week launched a study group to explore development of a 400Gbps Ethernet standard to support booming demand for network bandwidth. Networks will need to support 58% compound annual growth rates in bandwidth on average, the IEEE claims, driven by simultaneous increases in users, access methodologies, access rates and services such as video on demand and social media. Networks would need to support capacity requirements of 1 terabit per second in 2015 and 10 terabit per second by 2020 if current trends continue, the organization says."http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/040113-ieee-400g-ethernet-268261.htmlTue, 02 Apr 2013 12:48:02 GMThttp://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/google-privacy-director-alma-whitten-leaving-040113"Alma Whitten, the director of privacy at Google, is stepping down from that role and leaves behind her a complicated legacy in regards to user privacy. ... Whitten has been at Google for about 10 years, and while she has been the main public face of the company's product privacy efforts in the last couple of years, she has been involved in engineering privacy initiatives for even longer. Before becoming the privacy lead for products and engineering in 2010 in the aftermath of the Google Street View WiFi controversy , Whitten had been in charge of privacy for the company's engineering teams. During that time, she was involved in the company's public effort to fight the idea that IP addresses can be considered personally identifiable information."http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/google-privacy-director-alma-whitten-leaving-040113Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:47:54 GMThttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/04/pictures/130401-arkansas-oil-spill-pictures/The pipeline rupture forces an evacuation of homes in Arkansas and highlights questions about safety in the push to move tar sands oil from Canada south to U.S. refineries.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/04/pictures/130401-arkansas-oil-spill-pictures/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:37:37 GMThttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/pictures/130401-india-holi-krishna-vishnu-holiday-religion-culture/In India, the spring celebration of Holi takes a messy—but beautiful—turn.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/pictures/130401-india-holi-krishna-vishnu-holiday-religion-culture/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:37:37 GMThttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130401-geckos-stick-adhesive-reptiles-science-technology-animals/The tropical reptiles can cling to surfaces that don't get easily wet, like waxy leaves, a new study says.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130401-geckos-stick-adhesive-reptiles-science-technology-animals/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:37:37 GMThttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/04/130401-new-york-fracking-health-questions/As debate rages in New York State over whether to allow fracking, researchers are attempting to shed light on its public health effects.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/04/130401-new-york-fracking-health-questions/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:37:38 GMThttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/040113-elephant-bird-egg-easter-madagascar-animals-science-auction/An auction at Christie's inspires another kind of egg hunt as a writer goes looking for National Geographic's elephant bird egg.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/040113-elephant-bird-egg-easter-madagascar-animals-science-auction/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:37:38 GMThttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/130401-global-warming-antarctica-sea-ice-science-environment/Melting ice shelves are keeping warm water away from the ocean surface, giving ice a chance to build, a new study suggests.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/130401-global-warming-antarctica-sea-ice-science-environment/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:37:38 GMThttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/pictures/130401-april-fools-day-2013-pranks-science/From a woman birthing rabbits to a human-dog hybrid—see pictures of famous animal hoaxes, including some used as April Fools' Day pranks.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/04/pictures/130401-april-fools-day-2013-pranks-science/Tue, 02 Apr 2013 06:37:38 GMT