Boston (dbTechno) -- It seems that details are beginning to come out in regards to the upcoming God of War III for the Sony PS3. The biggest news is that it appears God of War III is going to feature online play, a first for the franchise.
According to Kotaku, Sony Computer Entertainment America has put up a job listing for an “Online GamePlay Programmer” to work with the team behind God of War and God of War II. fulll story
30 April 2008
Details On God of War III Emerge For PS3 Fans
IT’S OFFICIAL: iPhone is Coming to Canada!
(palluxo) -- Canada’s largest telecom, Rogers Communications Inc., has announced it will be the official carrier for Apple’s iPhone in Canada. Apple gives Rogers an exclusive product to sell at a time when competition in the cellphone market is set to increase.
“We’re thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year. We can’t tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned,” Rogers CEO Ted Rogers said a statement. full story
Google map directions get Street View
Google Maps directions now are augmented with Street View imagery, where it's available.(Credit: Google)
(CNET) -- Google has built its Street View into Google Maps' ability to provide driving directions, the company said Tuesday.
With the feature, a small camera icon appears next to the intersections in the turn-by-turn directions. Clicking on the icon brings up a view of the intersection so people can see the area in question.
Google Street View is available in 44 areas of the United States, and there are strong signs Google is bringing Street View to Europe. Street View is available through the Google Maps programming interface so that those using Google Maps can add Street View abilities to their Web sites. Read More......
Study: Giant squid has biggest eyes in world
Museum of New Zealand technician, Mark Fenwick thaw out the largest known specimen of a colossal squid, caught in the Ross Sea, in a pool of brine in Wellington, New Zealand, Wednesday, April 30, 2008.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- Marine scientists studying the carcass of a rare colossal squid said Wednesday they had measured its eye at about 11 inches across — larger than a dinner plate and the biggest animal eye on earth.
One of the quid's two eyes, with a lens as big as an orange, was found intact as the scientists examined the creature while it was slowly defrosted at New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa. It has been preserved there since being caught in the Ross Sea off Antarctica's northern coast last year. full story
Microsoft Cuts Xbox Prices In Four Asian Markets
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -- Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday it is cutting prices on the Xbox 360 in four Asian regions by as much as 20 percent in an effort to expand the audience for the video game console.
The reductions will take effect this week in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, Microsoft said.
"This price drop is part of Microsoft's ongoing strategy to bring Xbox's high-definition gaming and entertainment experience to an even wider user base," Microsoft said in a statement. full story
Sony Ericsson Combines Java and Flash
(pcworld) -- Sony Ericsson is hoping to promote "wow" mobile-phone applications by enabling developers to combine the best of Java and Flash in the same applications.
On Wednesday, Sony Ericsson plans to announce new technology that lets developers combine Adobe's Flash Lite and Java ME into a single Java application. The combination of the two technologies allows developers to get past shortcomings in each technology, said Ulf Wretling, director of Sony Ericsson Developer World. full story
Grand Theft Auto 4 set to blast sales records
GTA 4 has a "Mature" rating, meaning it is intended for users 17 years old or older.NEW YORK (CNN) -- The fourth installment of the controversial video game "Grand Theft Auto" goes on sale worldwide Tuesday with expectations that it will break sales records.
Grand Theft Auto 4 is loud, violent, and racy -- and gaming fanatics can't wait to play it, some even vowing to take the day off work or school to get their hands on it.
The video game industry estimates "GTA 4" will sell about 6 million copies and make about $400 million in sales worldwide in its first week alone. If those numbers hold up, the game would break the record held by the current all-time sales champ, Halo 3. full story
29 April 2008
Wii Fit Selling at 90 Copies Per Minute
(spong.com) -- Woolworths claims that Wii Fit was selling at a rate of 90 copies per minute on Friday when it launched.
“Wii Fit has been flying off the shelves at a rate of over 90 a minute this morning”, says Woolworths games trading manager, Gerry Berkley. “This is a revolution in computer gaming. For a game not targeted at gamers to sell in numbers like this is unheard of and is genuinely changing the market.
Berkley went on to state that the game - which comes with the Balance Board peripheral - was selling... well, we'll let him tell you. “Wii Fit will definitely smash its targets and in terms of volume and speed of sale it is even bigger than the launch of the Wii itself." full story
Saints Row 2 Trailer, With "Uncle Gary"
Satchet Charges and Throwing People featured in this Saints Row 2 clip, with "Uncle Gary".
28 April 2008
VitalJacket: Heart Monitoring Shirt
(medgadget) -- In an attempt to make heart monitoring less visible and bulky for individuals requiring continuous monitoring of their heart, BioDevices, SA, has a unique solution. The company has developed a T-shirt which continuously monitors heart rate and ECG waves. This is an ideal solution for elderly patients and has a lot of potential for fitness applications as well. full story
Pico Series: World's Smallest 8GB USB Drive
The Pico A and C drives is water resistant
(supertalent) -- Pico Series USB drives are incredibly small and stylish flash drives offering up to 8GB data storage. Pico drives feature up to 30 MB/s (200X) transfer speeds. Measuring merely 1.50”x0.50”, not only are Pico drives ideal for transporting data, digital images, and presentations, they are also the perfect accessory to adorn keychains, mobile phones, or wearing as a necklace.
Dimensions:
A: 38.7mm x 12.4mm x 3.9mm
B: 31.8mm x 18.8mm x 4.4mm
C: 31.3mm x 12.4mm x 3.4mm
Researcher finds new way to hack Oracle database
(IDG News Service) -- Security researcher David Litchfield has released technical details of a new type of attack that could give a hacker access to an Oracle database.
Called a lateral SQL injection, the attack could be used to gain database administrator privileges on an Oracle server in order to change or delete data or even install software, Litchfield said in an interview on Thursday.
Litchfield first disclosed this type of attack at the Black Hat Washington conference last February, but on Thursday he published a paper with technical details.
In a SQL injection, attackers create specially crafted search terms that trick the database into running SQL commands. Previously, security experts thought that SQL injections would work only if the attacker was inputting character strings into the database, but Litchfield has shown that the attack can work using new types of data, known as date and number data types. full story
Fight against cyber crime intensifies
(AlJazeera) -- In recent years governments have been spending millions of dollars trying to stop people using computers to access their secrets. Now Nato has come up with a new initiative to try to prevent efforts to find out about its weapons and intelligence. The Cyber Defence Management Authority was given the green light at the latest meeting of the organisation this month in Romania. The body means Nato is now focusing its efforts on protecting the computer capabilities of its member countries - not just its own internal systems.
SingStar PS3 dated for US
(el33tonline) -- Sony has announced that SingStar PS3 will be arriving on North American shores on the 20th of May. The announcement was tucked away in a press release detailing SCEA’s participation in the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival.
Sony has not yet priced the game or released a final set list for the US version of the game. SCEA’s press release did state that “Songs will be available to purchase and download, and a sizeable number of new songs will be added on a continual basis every few weeks.” full story
PS3 and Xbox 360 are Driving HDTV Sales, Study Finds
(dailygame) -- Sony may have wanted its PlayStation 3 to drive sales of Blu-ray Disc movies, but it looks like the company's newest game console is just as responsible for driving HDTV sales as well.
A recent study conducted by Magid & Associates shows that the PS3 and Xbox 360 have been responsible for 18 percent of all HDTV sales between September 2007 and January 2008.
According to the study, 5.5 million U.S. households purchased their first HDTV set during the holidays and Super Bowl season, raising HDTV penetration to from 20 percent to 25 percent. From September 2007 to January 2008, three million homes added a second HDTV.
However, those sets weren't necessarily purchased to watch It's a Wonderful Life in high-definition or to see Super Bowl ads in HD. Instead, the survey found that 18 percent of consumers who purchased their HDTV during the past year did so to experience the 1080p or 720p content coming from their Xbox 360 and/or PlayStation 3.
Other factors surely contributed, including the falling prices of HDTVs and the misperception that an HDTV is required to view the high-definition broadcasts mandated by the FCC to begin in February 2009, but the study's 18-percent figure makes it hard to ignore the impact of the PS3 and Xbox 360 on HDTV sales.
Alone In The Dark European Limited Edition Packs In The Extras
(gamingbits) -- Atari has announced details of the Alone In The Dark Limited Edition. It looks like this bundle may be exclusive to Europe.
The Alone In The Dark European Limited Edition will include:
• Alone in the Dark game, one of the most anticipated games of the year;
• Figurine of the game’s legendary hero, Edward Carnby;
• Official Soundtrack CD featuring 8 in-game tracks of original music by Olivier Derivière and performed by Grammy® Award-winning choir The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices;
• Full colour, bound art book featuring never before seen production sketches, storyboards and original artwork from Eden Games;
• ‘Making Of’ documentary feature DVD with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes footage and additional bonus content.
Pricing of the limited edition was not announced. There's been no announcement of a limited edition for the US. Alone In The Dark is scheduled for a June 2008 release.
Resident Evil 0 Wii edition debut trailer
This is the trailer for the upcoming Resident Evil 0 remake exclusively for the Wii. This game will be released in July 10th 2008, but only in Japan...for now.
Retailers discount Wii Wheel to $9.99
(punchjump) -- Retailers this weekend began discounting Nintendo Co.'s Wii Wheel to $9.99 in conjunction with the release of the racing title Mario Kart Wii.
Retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy and Toys R Us are all offering the Wii Wheel for $9.99, down from an MSRP of $14.99.
Mario Kart Wii is the first title to support the new peripheral, which allows users to insert the Wii Remote for wireless racing action.
The title will include 16 new courses and 16 classic courses from previous titles, a choice of karts or motorbikes, and the option to place a Mii character in the driver's seat.
Nintendo this month announced that the game title Wii Fit will be sold for $89.99 in May. The product will include the Wii Balance Board to facilitate more than 40 yoga, aerobics, and strength training exercises.
NPD Group Inc. this month reported that the Wii sold 720,000 units in the month of Mar. to rank as the No. 1 video game hardware in the U.S. for the month.
27 April 2008
Jellyfish robot: AquaJelly & AirJelly
Festo, has developed a graceful robot inspired by a creature of the sea. In fact, they have developed two versions, both based on the common jellyfish: the AquaJelly and the AirJelly. According to Festo, the AquaJelly is "an artificial autonomous jellyfish with an electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system." Apparently the idea is to have several of the robots autonomously working together using a communication system composed of Zigbee short-range radio on the surface and LEDs when underwater.
As for the AirJelly, this remote controlled device can glide through the air using a helium-filled ballonet, a central electric drive and an intelligent, adaptive mechanical system. Apparently, this design offers "fascinating possibilities for "lighter-than-air" aviation." I'm not sure about all of that, but I can at see how the technology behind the AquaJelly could have some practical application on complex underwater projects.
Swiss jumps using Leonardo da Vinci-designed parachut
PAYERNE, Switzerland (AFP) -- A 36-year-old Swiss amateur parachutist made a successful 650-metre (2,130-foot) drop Saturday using a replica of a parachute designed more than 500 years ago by Leonardo da Vinci.
"I came down... smack in the middle of the tarmac at Payerne military airport," said Olivier Vietti-Teppa. "A perfect jump."
Vietti-Teppa is the first person to have made it safely to the ground with the Leonardo model.
In 2000, Britain's Adrian Nicholas tried it but had to pull the ripcord on a modern backup parachute to complete his descent safely. full story
Star Trekking
(scotsman) -- Stargazers in one of the darkest corners of the UK can now watch the night sky from Europe's newest observatory.
The Kielder Observatory has been built in a remote part of the vast Kielder Water and Forest Park in Northumberland. With almost no light pollution from surrounding settlements, the area has breathtaking views of the night sky.
Artist Alec Finlay has created a Star Diary to mark the launch which enables astronomers to plot star charts spanning the next 100 years. Events to look forward to include a near miss with a meteor in 2029 and the next appearance of Halley's Comet in 2061. full story
Honda's ASIMO robot to conduct Detroit orchestra
HIROSHIMA, JAPAN (japantoday) -- Honda Motor Co said Friday its ASIMO humanoid robot will conduct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at a special concert for young people on May 13.
ASIMO will conduct the orchestra in a performance of “Impossible Dream,” a song from musical “Man of La Mancha,” to open the concert featuring renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Honda is providing the orchestra with more than one million dollars this year to establish The Power of Dreams Music Education Fund for young people.
26 April 2008
Sea angels found outside natural habitat in Miyagi Prefecture
A clione that was found off Miyagi Prefecture swims along with a clione that was found off
Abashiri, Hokkaido. (Photo courtesy of Marinepia Matsushima Aquarium)
JAPAN, MATSUSHIMA, Miyagi (mainichi) -- A pair of clione -- sea creatures that look like angels and which usually live in cold seas like the Okhotsk -- were found in a warmer sea off Miyagi Prefecture, and were put on display at an aquarium here.
The clione, which are classified as mollusks and are also known as sea angels, have been on display at Marinepia Matsushima Aquarium in Matsushima since earlier this month.
A fishing boat caught the pair of clione, which measure about 2 centimeters long, in a fishing net off Miyagi Prefecture on April 16 in an extremely unusual case of the creature found alive in a sea further south than Hokkaido. full story
Ship hired by U.S. military fires warning shots in Gulf
A cargo ship contracted by the U.S Military Sealift Command has fired at leastone shot toward an Iranian boat, a U.S. defense official said on Friday.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A cargo ship hired by the U.S. military fired warning shots at approaching boats in the Gulf, the U.S. Navy said on Friday, underscoring tension in the region as the Pentagon sharpened its warnings to Iran.
According to American defense officials, the Westward Venture cargo ship chartered by the U.S. Defense Department was traveling in international waters when two unidentified small boats approached on Thursday.
After the boats failed to respond to radio queries and a warning flare, the cargo ship's security team fired "a few bursts" of machine gun and rifle warning shots, according to Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet. full story
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US: We have the power to strike Iran
Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen gestures during
a news conference at the Pentagon. Photo: AP
(jpost) -- The United States has the combat power to strike Teheran if needed, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff warned Friday.
He alleged Iran was ratcheting up its support for militias in Iraq by providing them with newly manufactured weapons and bringing them across the border to receive training from members of Teheran's Republican Guard.
Mullen said the military is preparing to roll out evidence, including date stamps on newly found weapons caches, to prove that recently made Iranian weapons are flowing into Iraq at a steadily increasing rate. full story
Molecular Analysis Confirms Tyrannosaurus Rex's Evolutionary Link To Birds
Genetic sequencing show link of T. rex with birds and mastadons with elephants.(Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation)
(sciencedaily) -- Putting more meat on the theory that dinosaurs' closest living relatives are modern-day birds, molecular analysis of a shred of 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex protein -- along with that of 21 modern species -- confirms that dinosaurs share common ancestry with chickens, ostriches, and to a lesser extent, alligators. full story
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Ancient Praying Mantis Found in Amber
A praying mantis trapped in amber that was found in Japan in January 2008dates back 87 million years, to the late Cretaceous period.
(nationalgeographic) -- An 87-million-year-old praying mantis found encased in amber in Japan may be a "missing link" between mantises from the Cretaceous period and modern-day insects.
The fossil mantis measures 0.5 inch (1.4 centimeters) from its antennae to the tip of its abdomen.
Although the forelegs, head, and antennae appear to be well preserved, the wings and abdomen have been badly crushed.
Kazuhisa Sasaki, director of the Kuji Amber Museum, found the fossil creature in January buried 6.5 feet (2 meters) below the surface in an amber mine in Japan's northeastern Iwate Prefecture. full story Read More......
Super Mario Singing Glow Star
(ubergizmo) -- One of the most memorable parts in any Mario game is obtaining the star which provides invincibility for a certain period of time. The Super Mario Singing Glow Star brings back those fond memories, that's for sure. Put one of these little beauties on your desk and anytime you need protection just hit the button on the back. The Star flashes on and off and plays the invincibility song just like the Super Mario Brothers game. Voilà ! instant invincibility for the duration of the snappy little tune. We're thinking the US military should invest in several million of these nifty Singing Glow Stars and employ some highly trained monkeys to continually hit the button on the back. The Super Mario Singing Glow Star will retail for $17.99 and does not offer protection against an irritated colleague who is about to unleash a shiner on you due to its non-stop, irritating ditty.
iPhone Portable Power Station
(wirelessground) -- Recharge your iPhone on the go with the iPhone 2200mAh portable power station. Charge your iPhone without any power outlets. With this charger, you can still use your iPhone while the phone is charging. You can even use the power station as a cradle. The portable power station comes with its own silicone skin to prevent scratches on the charger.
Features:
* Recharge your iPhone in a convenient way
* Access to key buttons and ports
* Also serves as a docking station
* LED indicator when power is on
* Includes silicone skin case for the portable power station
Compatible with the iPhone only.
Portable Power Station (SPPS200)
(geekzone) -- The new Portable Power Station by Battery Geek, Inc. supplies an additional 6+ hours of mobile computing time for the Apple MacBook Pro, providigin support for most Microsoft Windows based laptops as well.
With an 140 watt-hour capacity spawned from premium grade Li-ion cells, the Portable Power Station provides power to support a demanding mobile office.
The external battery can power devices from 3v to 28v making it a versatile external battery. The Portable Power Station doubles as a battery backup for mobile phones, PDAs and media players.
Designed as a MacBook companion, the Portable Power Station is roughly half the size of the 13" MacBook and weighs less than 2 pounds. The shock resistant aluminum shell protects the battery from damage, and its compact profile slides conveniently inside a laptop case.
Specifications:
Capacity: 200Wh
Output Voltage: 3V,5V,6V,9V,12V,16V,19V,21V,24V,28V
Output Current (Max): 6A
Charging Time: 6-6.5 Hours
Dimensions: 9.85x5.90x1.33(in)
Weight: 4.40 lb.
Storage/Operating Temp.: -4~122F / 14~104F
Compatibility: Mac, Sony, IBM, Dell etc. as well as all devices which require a 3V~28V power supply. iPod, PSP, MP3, MP4, DC, DV, PDA, Cell Phone, Digital Camera, CPAP device, Laptop, etc.
Inflatable Lounger With Built In Speakers
(likecool) -- This Inflatable Lounger(GBP 20; about $40) built-in two speakers that you can connect your i-Pod, MP3 player, or CD player. It also has another desirable feature to make you time at sea more enjoyable. The Inflatable Lounger features it is easy to inflate and deflate, and does not need batteries or power cables. Of course, most important of all, it has a acceptable price.
[HWDN1] Hi Gain Wireless-300N USB Dish Adapter
(forevergeek) -- Nothing advertises that you’re a geek as much as whipping out a satellite dish whenever you surf. And with the new And that’s what you’ll do with the nifty Hi-Gain USB Wireless-300N Dish Adapter from Hawking Technologies.
This portable satellite dish is attached to your laptop and what it does is to amplify weak Wi-Fi signals. This is a great solution for people who surf in areas with a weak signal or in areas where you are forced to sit in an area that is farthest from the Wi-Fi router. The new dish now supports 802.11n and has an extended range of an impressive 4,000 feet. With that kind of reach, leeching a Wi-Fi signal from your apartment will be a breeze.
Truck Rams Into Chicago Train Station, Killing 2
Emergency personnel remove a semi from the front of a Chicago Transit Authority elevated train station after the truck crashed into the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line station on April 25, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois.
CHICAGO (nytimes) -- A tractor-trailer careened into a busy local train station here during the evening rush hour on Friday, killing two people and injuring nearly two dozen others just south of downtown in Chinatown.
Witnesses described hearing a deafening screech then the tremendous roar of the truck slamming into the street-level waiting area of the elevated train station, a bustling stop on the Red Line which runs a north-south route through the downtown Loop. The truck crashed through the glass front of the station, Cermak-Chinatown, and caused the escalators to collapse. full story
AT&T, Starbucks : Coffee And Wi-Fi Across The U.S. By May 1
(efluxmedia) -- Starbucks and Wi-Fi, now the combination is on, as the coffee giant and AT&T officially launched the service in Starbucks stores in San Antonio. The two partners promised to continue the Wi-Fi campaign across the U.S. all throughout the next month.
The service was first announced in February this year, when Starbucks ended a partnership with T-Mobile and started a brand new one with AT&T, promising to offer consumers Wi-Fi connectivity in all the 7,000 Starbucks locations in the U.S.
"With the power of our Wi-Fi network, and through our partnership with Starbucks, we're strengthening our ability to meet the needs of today's mobile consumer virtually anywhere and everywhere," said chairman and chief executive officer Randall Stephenson. full story
GTA IV Soundtrack Revealed For Xbox 360, PS3
Boston (eCanadaNow) -- The Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition soundtrack has been revealed, one week before it is set to ship with the special edition release of the game on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
Amazon.com revealed the list of songs which will be featured in the soundtrack today.
It is not believed that this is the complete and official soundtrack for the game.
Reports are stating though that this will be a major portion of the soundtrack. We will have to wait and see whathe full-out soundtrack holds next week.
1. Soviet Connection (Theme from GTA IV) by Michael Hunter
2. Dirty New Yorker by Mobb Deep (feat. Havoc & Prodigy)
3. No Sex for Ben by The Rapture
4. No Fraid A by Munga
5. Where's My Money by Busta Rhymes
6. I Want You by C.J.
7. Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh
8. Stand Up Jamrock by Bob Marley & The Wailers and Damian Marley
9. Liberty City: The Invasion by Seryoga
10. Vagabond by Greenskeepers
11. On a Journey by Electrik Funk
12. Nickname by Qadir
13. Holy Thursday by David Axelrod
14. War is Necessary by Nas
15. Zombie by Fela Kuti
16. 5:23 (Maiden Voyage) by Global Communication
Grand Theft Auto IV PS3 Bundle Announced...for Europe
(psxextreme) -- So we've seen the pictures, and some questioned the validity, but last night, Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe confirmed that the Grand Theft Auto IV bundle is very much real. The bundle will launch alongside the release of Grand Theft Auto IV next week on April 29th. It will feature a 40GB PlayStation 3 that comes with a SixAxis controller, and a standard edition copy of GTAIV. The total cost will run European PS3 hopefuls 439-Euros, or 319-Pounds for those in the United Kingdom. full story
China claims to top U.S. for Internet population lead
internet cafe in china(IDG News Service) -- China has proclaimed itself to be the world's largest online market, with a total of 221 million Internet users as of the end of February, the state-run China Daily newspaper reported Thursday.
The claim by the English-language publication was based on statistics cited by the Chinese government's Ministry of Information Industry, which received the data from the China Internet Network Information Center. The center, which is known by the acronym CNNIC, is a quasi-governmental organization that reports to the MII. full story
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Nintendo: No plans for Wii, DS price cuts
(CNET) -- Nintendo does not anticipate cutting prices on its popular Wii or DS handheld game systems, President Satoru Iwata told an analyst meeting on Friday.
"Our earnings projection for the year is not based on hardware price cuts, and I don't think we are going to need them," Reuters quoted Iwata as saying.
Earlier this week, Nintendo reported that operating profit for the year ended in March more than doubled against the previous year, and predicted a 9 percent gain this year to 530 billion yen ($5.08 billion).
The forecast was below analysts' expectations, but Iwata's comments are an indication that company is not concerned about slowing sales.
25 April 2008
Avant Browser
Avant Browser is a multi-window (tabbed) browser based on the Internet Explorer core. It allows you to browse multiple Web sites simultaneously, block popup windows, block Flash advertising, and offers additional mouse functions for faster navigation. Additional features include an integrated privacy cleaner that helps to remove surfing tracks, a built-in Yahoo/Google search, RSS/ATOM Reader, Popup blocking and more.
Download Avant Browser
Mozilla’s Thunderbird 2
Thunderbird is a full featured email program with built-in junk mail controls, message filters, address book, news groups and more. It offers a clean and easy to use (customizable) interface. Thunderbird also offers security features such as S/MIME, digital signing, message encryption, support for certificates and security devices. Other features include IMAP/POP compatibility, support for HTML mail, labels, quick search, return receipts, LDAP address completion, import tools and more.
Download Mozilla’s Thunderbird 2
DeepBurner
DeepBurner is a CD/DVD burning software that lets you create Data Cds, Bootable CDs, and Audio CDs as well as data DVDs. In addition, it lets you burn ISO files, create ISO images and includes a tool to create and print CD/DVD labels, and also lets you design an auto start menu to launch documents or programs from the CD.
Download DeepBurner
Winamp Media Player
A popular, fast, flexible high-fidelity music player for Windows. Winamp support MP3 and MP2 audio with it s native Nitrane high-performance decoder as well as CD-audio, MOD, S3M, IT, XM and even SID audio formats. Winamp supports more than 10000 interface skins , 300 visualization plug-ins and CDDB for automatic CD audio title listing.
Download winamp
WinPatrol
WinPatrol allows you to get a better understanding of what programs are being added to your computer. It monitors important system areas that are commonly altered by many malicious programs. This includes the startup groups (registry and startup folder), cookies and active tasks. You can terminate processes and enable or disable startup programs.
The cookie monitoring option allows you to automatically delete cookies based on a keyword found in the cookie name. Additional features include a WHOIS lookup tool and an option to alert you on changes. WinPatrol is easy to understand, yet quiet powerful. Optional upgrade to a Plus version available.
Download WinPatrol
24 April 2008
Stuntman gravely injured on James Bond set in Italy
An Aston Martin, James Bond's iconic car, is seen in Limone sul Garda,on the Garda Lake, northern Italy, Thursday, April 24, 2008.
MILAN, Italy (AP) -- A stuntman was seriously injured in a car crash while filming an action sequence for the new James Bond movie on a famously winding lakeside road in northern Italy, a local official said Thursday.
The London-based production company for "Quantum of Solace" said that an experienced stunt driver of an Alfa Romeo car remained hospitalized in serious condition following the accident Wednesday. A second stunt driver in the same car also was injured, but less seriously. full story
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UN move expands Australia's territory: minister
Australia's territory has expanded by an area five times the size of France afterthe UN agreed to its jurisdiction over a massive amount of seabed.
SYDNEY (AFP) -- Australia's territory has expanded by an area five times the size of France after the UN agreed to its jurisdiction over a massive amount of seabed, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said Monday.
The UN decision to extend the country's borders south, west and east to include a further 2.5 million square kilometres (965,255 square miles) could potentially provide a "bonanza" in underwater oil and gas reserves, he said.
"I am pleased to announce that Australia, the largest island in the world, has just been dramatically increased in size," Ferguson told reporters in Canberra. full story Read More......
Hubble telescope captures crashing galaxies
Hubble image of Arp 148 is the staggering aftermath of an encounter between two galaxies, resulting in a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed companion. The collision between the two parent galaxies produced a shockwave effect that first drew matter into the center and then caused it to propagate outwards in a ring.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Images of colliding galaxies show them spinning, sliding and slipping into one another, wreaking stellar destruction that will give birth to new and larger galaxies.
The Maryland-based Space Telescope Science Institute released 59 new images from the Hubble Space Telescope on Thursday to celebrate the 18th anniversary of its launch.
"This new Hubble atlas dramatically illustrates how galaxy collisions produce a remarkable variety of intricate structures in never-before-seen detail," the Institute said in a statement. full story
Brian Greene: The universe on a string
(TED) -- Brian Greene explains how our understanding of the universe has evolved from Einstein's notions of gravity and space-time to superstring theory, where minuscule strands of energy vibrating in 11 dimensions create every particle and force in the universe. (This mind-bending theory may soon be put to the test at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva.)
Black holes reveal more secrets
Artist's conception of region near supermassive black hole where
twisted magnetic fields propel and shape jet of particles.
(BBC) -- Scientists say they have unlocked some of the secrets behind black holes, the gravitational fields known for sucking up light and stars from the Universe.
In a report in the journal Nature, US researchers say they have worked out how black holes emit jet streams of particles at close to light speed.
The University of Boston team say the streams originate in the magnetic field near the edge of the black hole.
They say it is within this region that the jets are accelerated and focused.
Despite the fact that it is probable that a black hole lurks at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy, astronomers still know very little about these celestial monsters which vacuum up almost everything in their path, even light. full story
Intel Challenges AMD By Slashing Prices In Half
(efluxmedia) -- Intel made a surprising spring price cut for some of its processors, such as the Q6700 Core 2 Quad or the Intel Xeon X3230. Some price cuts go as high as 50 percent, while other processors have had their price reduced by 30 percent.
The motivation for this initiative remains unknown, but Patrick Ward, spokesman for Intel, said most of the processors were built on the 65 nanometer technology, while Intel is now promoting its 45nm chips, Computer World reports. full story
Hollywood film bear kills handler
(BBC) -- A grizzly bear which featured in the recent Will Ferrell film Semi-Pro has killed its handler in California.
Rocky, a 700lb (317kg) bear, bit Stephan Miller, 39, in the neck at a centre where wild animals are trained for film and TV productions.
But officials have said they are puzzled by what provoked the bear, who had been touted as one of the "best trained" in showbusiness.
Two other trainers subdued Rocky with pepper spray and were unhurt.
The attack occurred during a training session at the facility, Randy Miller's Predators in Action at Big Bear Lake, east of Los Angeles. Three experienced handlers, including Stephan Miller, were present, a spokeswoman from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.
Mr Miller was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. full story
Read More......Samsung launches LCD with 20,000:1 contrast ratio
(afterdawn) -- Samsung has introduced its Touch of Color LCD line for desktops which claims to have the same excellent visual effects as its 6 series HDTVs.
Each LCD will have the same "blown glass effect with red accents at top and bottom" but what should be most notable is the very high contrast ratios. Samsung claims dynamic lighting lets "every display output up to a 20,000:1 contrast ratio," a much higher ratio than most LCD monitors or even HDTVs. full story
Vista SP1 Released to Automatic Update
(pcworld) -- Windows Vista customers can now receive the first service pack for the operating system via the Microsoft Automatic Update service, Microsoft said Wednesday.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will download automatically to PCs that have the automatic update feature of the OS turned on, the company said. Previously, Vista was available to customers via Windows Update, but people had to specifically download it.
Not all customers will receive SP1 immediately via Automatic Update, however. The company is distributing it in phases to "ensure a seamless download experience," Microsoft said. A timeline for when all customers would receive Vista SP1 via Automatic Update was not immediately available. full story