TechnologyOwl.com

The case for forensic linguistics

Text message analysis is becoming a powerful tool in solving crime cases, a science festival in Liverpool hears.

Skinzi Dresses Up Eee PC

Want to stand out of the crowd despite toting an ordinary looking Eee PC? Well, French skin manufacturers Skinzi are more than willing to do that for you - at a price, of course. They're asking for €19.95 per netbook, and will be able to personalize your MSI Wind or Eee PC 700/900 series in a flash. Not only do these skins look good, they're also meant to offer a little bit of protection (against minor scratches and knocks, but definitely won't do anything for falls). Just for your information, Skinzi extends their services to cover notebooks, MacBooks, iPods and iPhones as well.

Add a comment | From: Skinzi Dresses Up Eee PC | Visit Ubergizmo

Logicool PF700 Wireless Speaker

Logicool has a new kind of wireless speaker - the PF700 that relies on Bluetooth connectivity to function with just about any Bluetooth-enabled device, be it cell phones, portable media players or computers. I don't think the $195 price tag is going to win it many new owners though, but at least you get to use this as a hands-free kit on your way to work in the car since it comes with a noice-cancelling microphone as well as the ability to detect an incoming call. There is no word on the full list of specifications, but the PF700 will hit the streets next week onwards with a 12 hours battery life.

Add a comment | From: Logicool PF700 Wireless Speaker | Visit Ubergizmo

Sennheiser MM 200 Headset

Sennheiser's MM 200 Bluetooth headset targets cell phone owners who want to live the wireless life, and it hooks up to your phone via Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity. The MM 200 is smart enough to support a couple of sources simultaneously, which means you can have your tunes and carry out a conversation without any hassle. Accompanying the CX 400 in-ear capsules are a microphone and full controls for switching between music and talk. The MM 200 comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that boasts up to 9 hours of music playback and another 2 more hours for talk time, retailing for £99.99.

Add a comment | From: Sennheiser MM 200 Headset | Visit Ubergizmo

Boombox Skin For The iPhone

Most people might want to leave their iPhone or iPod touch as it is, since those are already things of beauty at first glance. Others, however, prefer to go the extra mile, and Lyle Owerko is one of them. Here we have the Boombox Project skin that targets either the iPhone or the iPod, and it really adds that noir look to your piece of technological wizardry. Definitely something for those who want to stand out from the crowd.

Add a comment | From: Boombox Skin For The iPhone | Visit Ubergizmo

Iiyama ProLite E2607WS LCD Monitor

Iiyama has released its ProLite E2607WS LCD monitor in Japan, bringing the following features to the mass market :-

25.5" widescreen LCD display
1,920 x 1,200 WUXGA resolution
1,000:1 contrast ratio
2ms response time
300cd/m2 brightness

It will retail for approximately $500 thereabouts, and would make the perfect monitor for folks who tend to use their PC as a primary entertainment platform.

Add a comment | From: Iiyama ProLite E2607WS LCD Monitor | Visit Ubergizmo

CEC TL1N CD Player

With MP3s proliferating the marketplace, do you think there is still a market for CD players? Dedicated ones only, I suppose, and CEC is back with their TL1N CD player which features the latest DA converter along with a sophisticated belt-drive technology to faithfully reproduce all the musical information available on the compact disc. The drive mechanism is touted to be extremely quiet, capable of stabilizing the disc rotation precisely while doing away with vibration and resonance. The spindle motor in the TL1N is completely isolated from the disc turntable, where its rubber belt will immediately absrob or shit out any vibration or electromagnetic noise. Those in Japan will be able to get their hands on the CEC TL1N from September 20th onwards for a jaw dropping $7,085.

Add a comment | From: CEC TL1N CD Player | Visit Ubergizmo

Two-Headed Brain Trust Injects Fear Into Fringe

In part one of a two-part interview with Fringe co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci, the duo talk about how the hatched their latest collaboration.

The Power Of Ambient Awareness

When I first heard of Twitter I didn't get it. I saw some friends using it, and tested it out for a bit, but again concluded that it just didn't make sense to me to be able to write short, 140-character, explanations of what I was doing -- or to read similar blurbs from other people. But about a year ago, I started using it again, and quickly discovered that it was much more useful and interesting than I had ever expected -- often in totally unexpected ways. Since then, I've run into a bunch of folks who seem to feel exactly the same way. They absolutely did not understand Twitter until they actually started using it, and then suddenly found it incredibly useful in totally unexpected ways. So, I can absolutely understand the many, many people who continue to mock Twitter as being useless -- I felt exactly the same way -- but haven't been able to explain why it is actually useful.

However, Clive Thompson has done an excellent job with his latest piece for the NY Times Magazine, explaining the concept of "ambient awareness" that describes Twitter and things like Facebook's news feed. It's not so much about telling everyone everything you're doing, or knowing everything that everyone is doing, but it does give you an amazing ambient view into what's going on in the lives of whoever you follow, and in an odd way makes you feel much more connected to them than you might otherwise. I know that I've become much closer friends with some folks entirely due to Twitter just because I'm more aware of what they're up to on a regular basis, rather than only talking to them infrequently.

I think the problem is that many people, myself included, originally think of Twitter in similar terms to email or instant messaging, where you're really expected to provide your undivided attention and to respond to what is sent to you. But Twitter doesn't work that way. It really is an "ambient" flow of information about what's happening with lots of different people, which makes you feel much more connected with them. It's great to see Thompson do such a good job explaining why, because despite experiencing it, I couldn't have put the concept into words like he did.

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Going for online gold

Bill Thompson is keeping an eye on the Olympics but isn't interested in medal winners

Amazon Offers 120GB Zune

A day before Microsoft announces the 120GB Zune, Amazon has already put it up on their site. This news comes after knowledge of the same model being sold to a Fry's electronics customer by accident, and the lack of security surrounding a product launch is surely detrimental to the "newly launched" effect. Out of the eight vendors listed on Amazon's product page, seven of them have the device in stock with expedited shipping.

Add a comment | From: Amazon Offers 120GB Zune | Visit Ubergizmo

Fujitsu Announces L1010 Laptop

Fujitsu has introduced its L1010 laptop for Generation Y-ers - folks who grew up on a steady diet of video games and are well versed in technology. The L1010 will feature the following :-

Intel Core 2 Duo processor
Intel PM45/GM45 Express chipset
Intel WiFi Link 5300AGN chipset
1.3 megapixel webcam
Microphone
NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS 256MB video card
14.1" LCD display
HDMI out

Interestingly enough, the Fujitsu L1010 comes with a special hinge design that cleverly hides itself whenever the cover remains closed. No word on pricing or availability, but it will come in a choice of several colors.

Add a comment | From: Fujitsu Announces L1010 Laptop | Visit Ubergizmo

Zune 120GB Features Leaked

Looks like features of the upcoming 120GB Zune has already leaked out no thanks to loose lips, featuring a Buy from FM option which allows users to tag tunes on the radio for future purchase on the PC, Device to Cloud, Channels and Games options. Will this make the Zune a serious contender to the iPod? I don't think so, but if you're a Zune lover and have a penchant for all things Microsoft, this bit of news would be interesting to you.

Add a comment | From: Zune 120GB Features Leaked | Visit Ubergizmo

Willcom D4 Ver. L

Strangely enough, I thought that new versions of various devices will come in numerical increases, but Willcom takes a different route with the Willcom D4 Ver. L. Heck, I sure didn't find version A, B, C, etc., but that's another bone to pick for a different day. The Willcome D4 Ver. L is also known as the Sharp WS016SH(B)P, and it comes with three new major improvements - a better software/performance, battery life and lowered price tag. It will still be powered by the same Atom Z520 1.33GHz processor and 1GB RAM, but you won't find Microsoft Office inside any more. The CE-BL58 extended battery is included as a standard accessory, allowing you to go the distance without having to find a power outlet.

Add a comment | From: Willcom D4 Ver. L | Visit Ubergizmo

Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet Ships

Do you happen to have $500 to spare for your next device purchase, but have no idea on what to pick up? Here's a suggestion - the Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet. They're already starting to ship, and you can bet your bottom dollar that each penny here is well spent thanks to the plethora of hardware specifications crammed inside. The 60GB, 120GB and 250GB models will retail for $350, $400 and $450, respectively. Won't knock the iPod off its lofty perch anytime soon though.

Add a comment | From: Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet Ships | Visit Ubergizmo

Dell Mouse Spyshot

Here's an image of an upcoming Dell mouse, featuring a sensor that reads "LaserStream Technology". Just in case that sounds a wee bit familiar to those who are more well-versed with the hardware world, it is a trademark used by Agilent Technologies - the very same company that disposed off its laser technology to Swiss company Logitech. This sensor looks pretty much the same as those found in the Logitech G-series, so that would mean a maxed out DPI of 2,000. Well, the mouse doesn't really look as though it will win any prizes in the aesthetics department, but hey - as long as it functions all right, I'm down with it.

Add a comment | From: Dell Mouse Spyshot | Visit Ubergizmo

BlackBerry Bold Out October 2nd

It is getting clearer that the BlackBerry Bold will hit retail stores come October 2nd over AT&T's network, but there are also rumors swirling that one will be able to start placing pre-orders from September 24th onwards. This ought to give you enough time to come up with an excuse to the missus before obtaining her approval for you to upgrade your previous handset to the Bold. No idea if retail stores have their hands tied the moment stock arrives though, but then again good things always come to those who wait.

Add a comment | From: BlackBerry Bold Out October 2nd | Visit Ubergizmo

Review: 10 Things I Learned From 'Spore'

Here's the review of SimCity creator Will Wright's latest brainchild -- the game Wright said would simulate the entire history of life on Earth, from cells flagellating in the primordial soup all the way up to space travel.

Microsoft Job Posting Hints at Cross-Platform Zune Environment?

http://members.microsoft.com/career...B1-26DA1DD7ED08

"We've heard Microsoft make vague references for some time about a Zune-like experience involving non-Zune devices (Windows Mobile phones, Xboxen), and it looks like they may be making real moves in that direction. A recent job posting from Redmond for a 'Software Development Engineer in Test' calls on someone who 'dream[s] about having a mobile phone based entertainment experience powered by a unified entertainment service across devices such as Zune, Xbox and PC.' Someone, the ad reads, who will, 'create a 'Connected Entertainment' experience, realized through the Zune service, that spans multiple devices such as Zune, Xbox, PC and Mobile phones.'"

When I read this the first thing that pops into my head is "It is about time they started focusing on convergence!" I mean, seriously, how long have we been in the 21st century now? This is basic stuff we were promised whenever someone mentioned the future! This, and flying cars, and we all know those aren't being created anytime soon so why not just give us the one basic thing that is well within the grasp of technology? Well I'm glad the good folks at Microsoft are starting to realize this as well. Better late than never I always say. I am really excited and looking forward to Microsoft and mobility in 2009. With the new 3rd generation Zunes right around the corner and the awesome features they will bring, as well as the rumblings of Windows Mobile 7 devices out in consumer hands around Q1 of next year, it really is starting to look like 2009 will be the year Microsoft comes out swinging!

Cyber thieves to hit supermarkets

Cyber thieves are hatching a plan to steal US funds through British supermarkets, the BBC learns.

Gallery: Wired.com Photo Contest Winners

Our photo contests have become so popular that we thought we'd take a minute to look back at our favorite winners so far, from Holga, to Summer, to Transportation. The winners were selected by readers' votes over a two-week period of grueling competition. Enjoy!

Out next contest is Portraits. We want to see those soul-stealing photos we're always hearing about. Check out the contest page for more info.

Left:

Eye of a Tokay Gecko, winner of the Macro contest.
Submitted by Alan M

Photographer's comment:

"A close-up shot of a Tokay Gecko. Their eyes remind me of old-fashioned keyholes. Thanks for looking!"

Sunset Over Wheatfield, winner of the Summer contest.
Submitted by Andrew Brooks

Photographer's comment:

"Late summer 2006, in the south of England."

After Flight, winner of the Holga contest.
Submitted by Vitala Tauz

Photographer's comment:

"Double-exposure shot with a Holga 120 S."

The One, winner of the Water contest.
Submitted by Javier Uclés

Photographer's comment:

"Photo taken at sunset in Conil, Cadiz. Used Sigma 10-20 + Cokin Filter ND8."

Payphones (Red Wall), winner of the Red contest.
Submitted by Kevin B

Photographer's comment:

"Captured these payphones on a supersaturated red wall in Venice Beach, California."

Cubicles, winner of the Cities contest.
Submitted by Giant Ginkgo

Photographer's comment:

"Another evening at work, in Chicago's loop. If you take a close look, you might even see a superhero or two."

The Needles at Night, winner of the Night contest.
Submitted by Jason J. Corneveaux

Photographer's comment:

"Taken in the back-country of the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in Utah.

Captured at F4, 30 second exposure, ISO1600, 17-mm focal length (but two side-by-side vertical images were stitched together)."

The Land of Ghosts, winner of the Transportation contest.
Submitted by Peter Bowers

Photographer's comment:

"Paddling in the Leslie Frost wilderness area, Ontario, Canada."

One mistake and this turns into scrambled eggs, winner of the Food contest.
Submitted by eirikso

Photographer's comment:

"With the current fuel prices it's too expensive to drive twice."

Wrong Era, winner of the Self-Portrait contest.
Submitted by Baron Von Foss

Photographer's comment:

"Born in the wrong era."

Isla Azul, winner of the Blue contest.
Submitted by Eric Cabahug

Photographer's comment:

"White Island, Camiguin, Philippines."

Changing the way we think

Bill Thompson asks if the web changes how we think

Is the Google-Yahoo Deal Really a Bad Thing?

That's what advertisers think, according to the trade group Association of National Advertisers. The ANA on Sunday filed a letter to the Justice Dept., recommending against the deal under which Yahoo will run Google ads on some of its Web...

Pupils reveal mobile snapshot

Students at a school in Tynemouth carry out a survey of mobile phone use as apart of the BBC's School Report project.

Ofcom seeks help on mobile rules

Mobile owners with views on the state of the telephony market are being sought by regulator Ofcom.

Poor earning virtual gaming gold

Nearly half a million people in developing countries earn virtual goods in online games to sell to players, a study shows.

Sept. 8, 1966: Liftoff for the Starship Enterprise

1966: Star Trek makes its network television debut.

Given the cultural impact and enormous franchise spawned by the original Star Trek series, it's hard to believe that the show lasted just three seasons -- 80 episodes -- and was canceled by NBC in 1969 because of low ratings.

But if network numbers-crunching and the short-sightedness of advertising sponsors doomed it, Star Trek's long-term survival, evidenced by its ongoing syndication, not to mention the numerous TV spinoffs and feature-length films it inspired, is both a vindication of and a tribute to its creator and executive producer, Gene Roddenberry.

And Roddenberry was a guy badly in need of vindication. His career began promisingly: Roddenberry wrote scripts for some popular 1950s TV shows like Naked City, Highway Patrol and Have Gun, Will Travel. But the original Star Trek TV series, as well as the first feature-length film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, were conspicuous successes in an otherwise unremarkable and often problematic association with Hollywood.

The commercial success of the first Star Trek movie would spawn other films and a new TV series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, although Roddenberry's involvement with those projects was diminished. But if his relationship with the industry had its rough patches, his reputation as a futurist and visionary -- which begins and ends with Star Trek -- is assured.

The original show's most visionary aspects were social, not scientific, and that had everything to do with the times. The country was in turmoil, embroiled in Vietnam and the growing civil rights movement. Roddenberry said later that these events influenced many of the themes, as well as the multicultural makeup of the crew.

Roddenberry remained in demand on the lecture circuit to the end of his life, speaking not only at universities but at some other pretty significant places, too, including the Smithsonian Institution and NASA.

Star Trek's impact on popular culture is matched by only a handful of other television shows, and surpassed by precious few.

The original cast members on the USS Enterprise's 1966 flight deck became household names: Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner), First Officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Communications Officer Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takei). Navigator Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig), who joined the cast in the second season to give the Russians their due in space, was also a popular character.

Phrases like "Beam me up, Scotty" and "Live long and prosper" and "to boldly go …" entered the lexicon, and the show's cult following, kept visibly alive by the numerous and rollicking Star Trek conventions, remains strong to this day. An 11-foot model of the starship Enterprise is on display at the Smithsonian.

On the tech front, the communicator used by Enterprise crew members is said to have been the inspiration for the flip-open cellphone.

The original pilot episode for the series, "The Cage," was filmed in 1964 but not aired in its entirety until 1988. After the original pilot was rejected by NBC, "The Cage" was chopped up and heavily edited, and eventually shown under the title "The Menagerie" during Star Trek's three-year run.

Nimoy's Mr. Spock was the only character from the pilot to later appear in the TV series, although he was most un-Spock like, showing a lot more emotion than your average Vulcan. In the pilot, the Enterprise was commanded by Capt. Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter).

Because of all the spinoffs that resulted from it, Roddenberry's Star Trek is often referred to as The Original Series. For a lot of us who came of age watching Shatner chewing on all that alien scenery and nibbling on all those alien necks, it was The Only Series.

Have some favorite Star Trek moments you'd like to share with us? Wired.com wants to hear about your favorite Star Trek series, episode and feature film. Have a copy of the Animated Series on Laserdisc? Please, do share.

Source: Various

Japanese Schoolgirl Watch: Transform Yourself in a Dressing Room for Hire

Many Japanese gals lead double lives: Mild-mannered students in plain-Jane uniforms by day; French maids, furries, and goth Lolitas by night. Legions run around Tokyo, wheeling suitcases full of makeup and costumes. But Superman had a phone booth — where are schoolgirls supposed to suit up? Luckily, Japanese company COS-Pa has introduced tiny dressing rooms for women in the trendy Shibuya district, where 500 to 700 yen (roughly $5 to $6) buys 30 minutes of private mirror time, free Wi-Fi, beauty supplies, and a nonalcoholic beverage. Says COS-Pa's owner firmly: "Ladies should not have to get beautiful in a bathroom."

Games Without Frontiers: How Videogames Blind Us With Science

A few years ago, Constance Steinkuehler -- a game academic at the University of Wisconsin -- was spending 12 hours a day playing Lineage, the online world game. She was, as she puts it, a "siege princess," running 150-person raids on hellishly difficult bosses. Most of her guild members were teenage boys.

But they were pretty good at figuring out how to defeat the bosses. One day she found out why. A group of them were building Excel spreadsheets into which they'd dump all the information they'd gathered about how each boss behaved: What potions affected it, what attacks it would use, with what damage, and when. Then they'd develop a mathematical model to explain how the boss worked -- and to predict how to beat it.

Often, the first model wouldn't work very well, so the group would argue about how to strengthen it. Some would offer up new data they'd collected, and suggest tweaks to the model. "They'd be sitting around arguing about what model was the best, which was most predictive," Steinkuehler recalls.

That's when it hit her: The kids were practicing science.

They were using the scientific method. They'd think of a hypothesis -- This boss is really susceptible to fire spells -- and then collect evidence to see if the hypothesis was correct. If it wasn't, they'd improve it until it accounted for the observed data.

This led Steinkuehler to a fascinating and provocative conclusion: Videogames are becoming the new hotbed of scientific thinking for kids today.

This makes sense if you think about it for a second. After all, what is science? It's a technique for uncovering the hidden rules that govern the world. And videogames are simulated worlds that kids are constantly trying to master. Lineage and World of Warcraft aren't "real" world, of course, but they are consistent -- the behavior of the environment and the creatures in it are governed by hidden and generally unchanging rules, encoded by the game designers. In the process of learning a game, gamers try to deduce those rules.

This leads them, without them even realizing it, to the scientific method.

This is what Steinkuehler reports in a research paper -- "Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds" (.pdf) -- that she will publish in this spring's Journal of Science Education and Technology. She and her co-author, Sean Duncan, downloaded the content of 1,984 posts in 85 threads in a discussion board for players of World of Warcraft.

What did they find? Only a minority of the postings were "banter" or idle chat. In contrast, a majority -- 86 percent -- were aimed specifically at analyzing the hidden ruleset of games.

More than half the gamers used "systems-based reasoning" -- analyzing the game as a complex, dynamic system. And one-tenth actually constructed specific models to explain the behavior of a monster or situation; they would often use their model to generate predictions. Meanwhile, one-quarter of the commentors would build on someone else's previous argument, and another quarter would issue rebuttals of previous arguments and models.

These are all hallmarks of scientific thought. Indeed, the conversations often had the precise flow of a scientific salon, or even a journal series: Someone would pose a question -- like what sort of potions a high-class priest ought to carry around, or how to defeat a particular monster -- and another would post a reply, offering data and facts gathered from their own observations. Others would jump into the fray, disputing the theory, refining it, offering other facts. Eventually, once everyone was convinced the theory was supported by the data, the discussion would peter out.

"It blew my mind," Steinkuehler tells me.

And here's the thing: The (mostly) young people engaging in these sciencelike conversations are precisely the same ones who are, more and more, tuning out of science in the classroom. Every study shows science literacy in school is plummeting, with barely one-fifth of students graduating with any sort of sense of how the scientific method works. The situation is far worse for boys than girls.

Steinkuehler thinks videogames are the way to reverse this sorry trend. She argues that schools ought to be embracing games as places to show kids the value of scientific scrutiny -- the way it helps us make sense of the world.

One of the reasons kids get bored by science is that too many teachers present it as a fusty collection of facts for memorization. This is precisely wrong. Science isn't about facts. It's about the quest for facts -- the scientific method, the process by which we hash through confusing thickets of ignorance. It's dynamic, argumentative, collaborative, competitive, filled with flashes of crazy excitement and hours of drudgework, and driven by ego: Our desire to be the one who figures it out, at least for now. It's dramatic and nutty and fun.

And it's pretty much how kids already approach the games they love. They're already scientists; they already know the value of the scientific method. Teachers just need to talk to them in their language, so that the kids can begin to understand the joy of puzzling through the offline, "real" world too.

At one point, Steinkuehler met up with one of the kids who'd built the Excel model to crack the boss. "Do you realize that what you're doing is the essence of science?" she asked.

He smiled at her. "Dude, I'm not doing science," he replied. "I'm just cheating the game!"

- - -

Clive Thompson is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and a regular contributor to Wired and New York magazines. Look for more of Clive's observations on his blog, collision detection.

U.S. Army, iRobot Sign $200M Pact

The U.S. Army has awarded iRobot a $200 million contract to build robots and spare parts for use on the battlefield.

5 cool hacks for your entertainment gadgets

Add external storage to your TiVo, beef up your Xbox 360, rip DVDs to your media player, play your iTunes purchases on any device, and use your standard cable remote to skip commercials.

Atom chip stymied by testing bottleneck

A testing bottleneck has caused a shortage of Intel's popular Atom processor, which hardware makers are using for so-called netbook computers.

Gathering Green

Companies that are moving to green IT are motivated by cost savings, market advantages and concern for the planet. Here's how to get started today, move greenly into tomorrow and plan for a verdant future.

Intelligently designed? Ars reviews Spore

Spore has much riding on it, as it comes from the mind that gave us the Sims and the company that gave us infinite expansions to the same. Will Spore turn you into a God, or a frustrated consumer? The truth lies, maddeningly, in the middle. Our full review, inside.

Review: Dell Inspiron Mini 9 mini-notebook

The sub-$500 Mini 9 carries a 1.6-GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM and a solid-state drive, making it a good starter machine for basic computing at a reasonable price.

Microsoft's WinMobile Team: Big on futures, slow on deliverables

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1562

"With Google’s Chrome browser announcement and revelation of plans by Microsoft to roll out an iPhone app store competitor, all eyes should be on Windows Mobile... Google had no plans to develop its own browser, Eric Schmidt and Co. are doing just that... From a July 2008 speech at the Microsoft partner conference by Andy Lees 'Well, of course, consumers want to use the devices to be able to do things like to access the Internet. That’s why we’re putting Internet Explorer 6.0 on Windows Mobile where we’ll complete that in the next six months, and that’s so that you get the full PC experience on a mobile device. That’s not a cut-down browser; it’s the full IE 6.'... SkyMarket, SkyLine and SkyBox are all in their early/startup phases. Windows Mobile 7 is expected to be released to carriers in late 2008/early 2009, which means the first WinMo 7 phones — with an IE 6 browser and maybe a new app marketplace — should hit later on in 2009. Is Microsoft falling too far behind to stay competitive in the mobile space, clearing the way for Google’s Chrome to come in and clean Redmond’s clock?"

You would think with all of the security flaws that surrond Internet Explorer 6 that they would just trash the source code by now. Even if all the security flaws weren't an issue the simple fact that Web Developers have to jump through hoops to get their code to function corerctly on IE6 would be enough to make them make a more standards compliant browser for their mobile offerings. You would think that after finding out about this in July I would have time to have calmed down and not be so disgusted by the information, but no, I'm still horribly upset about it.

We are now reaching the point with the release of the Beta of Internet Explorer 8 where web developers, like myself, were starting to jump for joy at the chance to drop Internet Explorer 6 support. Internet Explorer 6 is nothing less than a nightmare. Hopefully Microsoft realizes their folly before the release of Windows Mobile 7 because including a browser that is over 5 years old on your devices when the competition are using top of the line WebKit browsers is a definite shot in the foot for Microsoft.

Gustav Finds IT Execs Prepared for the Worst

Hurricane Gustav didnt strike a Katrina-like blow against the Gulf Coast. But IT departments in New Orleans were prepared for the worst with disaster recovery upgrades that followed Katrina.

Microsoft Adds Virtual Vista Options

Effective in January, Microsoft is adding several new licensing options for running virtualized versions of Windows Vista on PCs.

WAN acceleration helps mortgage lender

LSI Mortgage Plus is boosting its WAN performance between various U.S. offices with equipment from Expand Networks and 3Com.

U.S. Army, iRobot Sign $200M Pact

The U.S. Army has awarded iRobot a $200 million contract to build robots and spare parts for use on the battlefield.