Archive for the 'Technology' Category
Scientists Rewrite Rules of Human Reproduction
April 7th, 2012Via: Independent: The first human egg cells that have been grown entirely in the laboratory from stem cells could be fertilised later this year in a development that will revolutionise fertility treatment and might even lead to a reversal of the menopause in older women. Scientists are about to request a licence from the UK […]
Children Perceive Humanoid Robot as Emotional, Moral Being
April 6th, 2012I’m posting this more for its comedic value than because I think it’ll happen anytime soon. My four-year-old son, left to his own devices, would destroy that bot inside of ten minutes. His goal wouldn’t be to destroy it; he just wants to figure out what makes machines go. If he had access to screw […]
5000+ Artists Line Up For a Pirate Bay Promotion
April 6th, 2012“I have even gone so far that I have left my major record label and started up my own. I call it: ‘Do It Yourself Bitch Productions.’” —Soso Via: TorrentFreak: Record labels and Hollywood have described The Pirate Bay as one of the biggest threats to their business, but thousands of artists clearly disagree with […]
Britain: Proposed Law Would Require ISPs and Device Makers to Filter Internet by Default
April 6th, 2012Will VPNs be outlawed? *chortle* Via: PC Pro: A new bill presented to the House of Lords demands both ISPs and device makers filter adult content. The Online Safety Bill, raised in the Lords by Baroness Howe of Ildicote, asks for ISPs and mobile operators to “provide a service that excludes pornographic images” and for […]
Arizona Passes Sweeping Law Criminalizing Internet Speech
April 5th, 2012Via: Jonathan Turley: In one of the most sweeping attacks on free speech in America, the Arizona legislature has passed a draconian bill that would criminalize speech on the Internet (“any electronic or digital device”) that prosecutors consider “obscene, lewd or profane language or . . . suggest[ing] a lewd or lascivious act if done […]
Google Begins Testing Its Augmented-Reality Glasses
April 5th, 2012Here we go… Via: New York Times: If you venture into a coffee shop in the coming months and see someone with a pair of futuristic glasses that look like a prop from “Star Trek,” don’t worry. It’s probably just a Google employee testing the company’s new augmented-reality glasses. On Wednesday, Google gave people a […]
These Are The Prices AT&T, Verizon and Sprint Charge For Cellphone Wiretaps
April 5th, 2012Via: Forbes: If Americans aren’t disturbed by phone carriers’ practices of handing over cell phone users’ personal data to law enforcement en masse–in many cases without a warrant–we might at least be interested to learn just how much that service is costing us in tax dollars: often hundreds or thousands per individual snooped. Earlier this […]
J.K. Rowling Sells Harry Potter Ebooks Herself and They’re DRM Free
April 4th, 2012Overall, I think that this is a good development. Rowling has just routed around powerful publishers and Amazon and gone straight to people who want to buy her ebooks. There are, however, some howlers in the terms and conditions on the Pottermore site. This is from section 12.3: 12.3 You may not and may not […]
Shady Companies With Ties to Israel Wiretap the U.S. for the NSA
April 4th, 2012Via: Wired: In addition to constructing the Stellar Wind center, and then running the operation, secretive contractors with questionable histories and little oversight were also used to do the actual bugging of the entire U.S. telecommunications network. According to a former Verizon employee briefed on the program, Verint, owned by Comverse Technology, taps the communication […]
U.S. Draws Up Plans for Nuclear Powered Drones
April 3rd, 2012Via: Guardian: American scientists have drawn up plans for a new generation of nuclear-powered drones capable of flying over remote regions of the world for months on end without refuelling. The blueprints for the new drones, which have been developed by Sandia National Laboratories – the US government’s principal nuclear research and development agency – […]
