Technical News - 14 August 2011

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Bachmann and Perry - a beautiful 2012 rivalry
August 14, 2011
AMES, Iowa (Reuters) - It was Michele Bachmann's big moment in the political spotlight and Rick Perry stomped all over it.
Pawlenty drops out of presidential race
August 14, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Tim Pawlenty, a former Minnesota governor, has decided to drop out of the 2012 presidential race after struggling to convince his party that he would be the best bet to beat Democrat Barack Obama.
What's the Carbon Footprint of Bicycling?
August 14, 2011
Hugh Pickens writes "Brian Palmer writes that although none of the major manufacturers has released data on their energy consumption and how much greenhouse gas making a bicycle requires, Shreya Dave, a graduate student at MIT, recently estimated that manufacturing an average bicycle results in the emission of approximately 530 pounds of greenhouse gases. Therefor given a 'typical U.S. diet,' you would have to ride your bike instead of driving for around 400 miles to cover the bike's initial carbon
China Bright Food to buy Manassen for $516 million EV: source (Reuters)
August 14, 2011
Reuters - China's state-owned Bright Food Group has agreed to buy Australian branded food business Manassen Foods, giving it an enterprise value (EV) of over A$500 million ($516 million), a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Sunday.
Syria navy shells port city of Latakia-rights groups
August 14, 2011
AMMAN (Reuters) - The Syrian navy shelled the main Mediterranean port city of Latakia Sunday, residents said, as President Bashar al-Assad broadened a military offensive to crush street protests against his rule.
Boxee introduces iPad app for users and nonusers alike (Appolicious)
August 14, 2011
Appolicious - TV addicts: at this commercial break allow yourself to explore socially-linked media center Boxee's new app Boxee for iPad. It allows Boxee and Boxee Box users (and anyone else with an iPad) to use the service to find and share web-based video content. The app, working in combination with the Boxee Bookmarklet and Boxee Media Manager, allows users to link to their Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr accounts in order to see the videos their friends are sharing online. ...
Suicide bombers, gunmen kill 22 in central Afghanistan
August 14, 2011
PARWAN, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 22 people in a bold attack on a governor's compound in central Afghanistan during a security meeting Sunday, officials said, with gunbattles and several blasts heard before the assault was put down.
Libya rebels enter strategic town near Tripoli
August 14, 2011
ZAWIYAH, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan rebels hoisted their flag in the center of this town near the capital on Sunday after the most dramatic advance in months cut off Muammar Gaddafi's capital from its main link to the outside world.
A Closer Look at Apple's Planned Spaceship-like Headquarters
August 14, 2011
The city of Cupertino, Calif., has released new images of what Apple's planned new headquarters complex will look like
The Death of Booting Up
August 14, 2011
theodp writes " Booting up was a bear,' recalls Slate's Farhad Manjoo, 'something to be avoided at all costs.' But now, he adds, 'It's time to rejoice, because all that's in the past. Computers these days can go from completely off to working within 30 seconds, and in some cases much faster. Apple's MacBook Air loads up in 16 seconds, and machines based on Google's cloud-based Chrome OS boast boot times of under 10 seconds. Even Windows computers are fast-with the right set-up, your Windows 7 laptop
Sales of gold up on eBay amid stock market turmoil (AP)
August 14, 2011
AP - For gold sellers on eBay, the recent stock market turmoil has been a boon for business. Gold and silver sales on eBay had already been rising steadily over the past several years — so much so that eBay Inc. created a special area in May to make it easier for buyers to find sellers.
Stanford says it has the fastest solar car ever (photos)
August 14, 2011
Later this year, Xenith will travel across the Australian Outback powered by nothing but sunlight. CNET got a sneak peek at the speedy solar car before it shipped out for the World Solar Challenge.
A beginner's guide to telecom jargon, part 5
August 14, 2011
CNET tackles one of the most overly used and overly hyped buzzwords: cloud.
Are math skills genetic?
August 14, 2011
Research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that some people are naturally good at math, whereas others may never be.
Bing More Effective Than Google?
August 14, 2011
Xiph1980 writes "Experian Hitwise claims Bing and Bing-powered search to be more effective than Google. The success rate for Bing searches in the U.S. in July was 80.04%, compared to 67.56% for Google. The market watcher defines 'success rate' as the percentage of search queries that result in a visit to a website. Searches made through sites owned by Yahoo, which farmed out search to Bing under a deal struck in 2009, were also more efficient than Google. Those searches yielded a success rate of
After Cell-Phone Switch-Off, Anonymous Promises BART Protest
August 13, 2011
According to the San Francisco Appeal, the cellphone service shut-down that the BART system imposed Thursday (by disabling transponders which allow cellphone communications in the underground portion of the system), besides drawing rebukes from various civil liberties groups, has generated plans for a protest Monday organized by Anonymous.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Should professional social networks make a play for the enterprise?
August 13, 2011
Social software has been making its way into the enterprise for a while, but usually from vendors that are experts at enterprise needs. Now it appears that professional social networks on the...
CDBurnerXP 4.3.8.2631
August 13, 2011
CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface. Everyone, even companies, can use it for free. It does not include adware or similar malicious components.
Awesome OS X Lion First Impressions
August 13, 2011
Here is my reaction to using Lion for about 3 hours. Worst user interface Apple has ever done. Don't get me wrong. I hate Lion, but OS X still knocks the shi...
Letter from the U.K.: If We're Turning Off Social Media, I Want News Channels Shut Down, Too
August 13, 2011
Amidst widespread calls from MPs, David Cameron has pledged to investigate the possibility of turning off social networks during times of crisis, lumping Britain in with some rather unsavory company.
Space Elevator Conference Prompts Lofty Questions
August 13, 2011
itwbennett writes "Even the most ardent enthusiasts gathered at the annual Space Elevator Conference on Friday don't expect it to be built anytime soon, but that doesn't stop them from dreaming, planning, and trying to solve some of the more vexing problems. One of the trickiest questions is who's going to pay for the operational costs when an elevator is eventually built. 'It's been nine years we've been looking for someone' to study that, said Bryan Laubscher, one of the leading space elevator
Dear HP: Do not squash the Palm DNA for innovation
August 13, 2011
The PC space is not one known for product innovation with the exception of Apple. HP has always been a conservative company, but with Palm DNA has the chance to shake things up.
Moving beyond the PC, iPad in hand
August 13, 2011
Is the tablet the device of choice for the post-PC paradigm? That's what an IBM executive who helped developed the first IBM PC claims. My take is different, but not that different.
Photogram for iPhone
August 13, 2011
There must be a thousand ways you can send pictures from your iPhone to your friends and family, so I am always looking for new ways to do so.
How To Be an Expert Liar and Not Alienate Your Friends Online
August 13, 2011
If there's anything I've found to be painfully clear about social media, it's that having friends is exhausting. Privately, I don't care if it's your birthday.
CERN Physicist Says Dark Matter May Be an Illusion
August 13, 2011
anonymousNR writes "A CERN physicist has a new theory explaining the rotational curves of galaxies. 'The key message of my paper is that dark matter may not exist and that phenomena attributed to dark matter may be explained by the gravitational polarization of the quantum vacuum,' Hajdukovic told PhysOrg.com. 'The future experiments and observations will reveal if my results are only (surprising) numerical coincidences or an embryo of a new scientific revolution.' Given the many theories around
Worst-case scenario: the only thing worse than an angry user....
August 13, 2011
Timeless observation from Geek & Poke's Oliver Widder: What's far worse than a pack of angry users?
MobileTechRoundup show #245; Tablets, RIM, and Mango
August 13, 2011
The weekend is here and thus another MoTR podcast is available for you to enjoy. Kevin and I had lots to talk about, including tablets, RIM devices, and Windows Phone Mango.
The iPhone: Will it Double as a Mini Projector?
August 13, 2011
Once again, Apple applies for a patent that has techies' tongues wagging
Eurostar is the best way to get from London to Paris
August 13, 2011
Road Trip 2011: Though there are planes and ferries that can take you between the English and French capitals, the convenience and speed of the Eurostar train is unmatched. Just be careful how much luggage you bring.
New Parking App Promises to Save Time, Gas, and Carbon Emissions
August 13, 2011
A new website app creates an online marketplace for information about when coveted parking spots will open up.
AMD might package Bulldozer processors with liquid-cooling kits
August 13, 2011
As if the anticipation for AMD's new Bulldozer (a.k.a. Zambezi a.k.a. FX Series) processors isn't already high enough among enthusiasts, the company may up the ante further by including a...
2012 Hyundai Equus Loses iPad Manual, Goes Back To Paper
August 13, 2011
We're so used to seeing carmakers taking leaps forward in in-car technology and mobile innovations that it comes as a shock when progress takes a step back.
Can I Connect a Mac to DSL or Cable?
August 13, 2011
A common question that comes up in discussions over high speed broadband Internet is the matter of connecting an Apple Mac to a DSL or cable network.
Buzz Aldrin finds the sparkle gone from his space odyssey
August 13, 2011
Over four decades after he became one of the first men on the Moon, astronaut Buzz Aldrin is experiencing the dark side, writes Jacqui Goddard.
Introducing Gmail Mail Merge v2.0
August 13, 2011

Would you like to send personalized email messages to your contacts using Gmail?
The new version of Gmail Mail Merge adds support for HTML email templates, you can add file attachments to your emails and other improvements.
The accompanying video tutorial has been updated as well. Give it a shot!

This story, Introducing Gmail Mail Merge v2.0, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on August 13, 2011 under Tech Notes.
Bring Language Translation Capability to any Windows Software
August 13, 2011

You can easily add language translation capability to your web browser with the help of extensions but what about the other desktop apps – like the Office suite, the desktop email program or your instant messenger – that you again use very frequently.
If you are looking to integrate Google Translate in Windows such that you can translate text from one language to another inside any software program, check out Trasmiti.
Transmiti sits quietly in your Windows system tray – select some text inside any program, press the hotkey (the default is the Windows key but you can change that) and, within seconds, you'll see the translated version of that text on your screen.
Internally, the service uses Google Translate and thus it can be used to translate text across all languages that are supported by Google including the Indian languages.
The app is and also portable so you can use it without installation. See the other options for translating Outlook emails and Word documents.

This story, Bring Language Translation Capability to any Windows Software, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on August 13, 2011 under Google Translate, Windows, Software.
Inside Turntable.fm: saving music radio from itself
August 13, 2011
For two decades traditional and Internet radio have faced an uncertain economic future. Now comes a new social network called Turntable.fm, which lets clusters of users pick songs and chat about them in real time. Will TT.fm revive the golden age of free form radio?
Google+: It's more of a suburban parents thing
August 13, 2011
A new study suggests that Google's social network is doing well with those who aren't too embedded on Facebook--suburban parents. It's not, however, doing so well with the younger generations.
New details of Apple's campus: Really 21st century?
August 13, 2011
The city of Cupertino, Calif., releases further details of Apple's proposed new campus. It's supposed to be a really 21st century working environment. But is it?
Find the Perfect Mobile Plan and Save Money!
August 13, 2011
If you are based in India and carry a mobile phone, which you do for sure, here's something that may help you pick the best (or most cost-effective) voice and text plan for your phone based on your current actual usage.
The service, known as 3gsimplified, is available as a mobile app for Android phones and also as a web app in case you are using a different phone or would like to compare mobile plans from the desktop.

Which is the Best Mobile Plan for you?
You install the app and choose your region (or circle) and also your existing cellular operator from the available options. The app will read the voice call logs from the phone and based on the local / national (STD) usage, it will recommend you a list of the most cost-effective plans from different operators in your region.
With mobile number portability (MNP) available across India, it has become so easy to switch operators now. Alternatively, you may configure the Plan Hound app to only show plans from your existing operator or from the preferred operators.
Then there's the web app, available at 3gsimplified.com, for mobile users who are not on Android. Here you need to manually input your monthly voice usage for Local and STD calls and the service will use the exact algorithm to determine a more cost-effective plan for your mobile phone.
The idea is impressive and well implemented except for one limitation - the mobile app does not consider the roaming usage – calls you made while you were outside your circle – while recommending the voice plans. For frequent travellers, the roaming charges may often constitute the bulk of their monthly mobile bill.
The Plan Hound app was one of the shortlisted entries at the Nasscom Emerge contest and secured the third position. If you want to save on your monthly mobile bill but don't have the time to analyze your call logs, get this app!
Also see: A Good Site for Comparison Shopping in India

This story, Find the Perfect Mobile Plan and Save Money!, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on August 13, 2011 under Android, Mobile, India.
Google asks U.S. Patent Office to re-examine Lodsys patents
August 13, 2011
The search and software giant has asked the United States Patent and Trademark office to re-examine the patents of Lodsys, a firm that's gone after developers of applications for both Android and Apple's iOS.
It's 3D, IN Your Glasses
August 13, 2011
Vuzix is a company that's been pushing out wraparound head goggles for some time now, mostly focusing on bringing portable video right in front of your eyes. They seem a bit awkward at first, but it's the only way to experience a big screen while on an airplane, for example. Now, the next logical step is into the world of the third dimension....
Android Ice Cream Sandwich Images Leaked
August 13, 2011
Show off a few new features.
Nokia C2-03 And C2-06 Announced By Nokia
August 13, 2011
These dual-SIM handsets will make way to the Indian market soon.