Sunday 30 September 2012

Newly-discovered comet might outshine the moon

Comet

A faint glow in the constellation of Cancer should become one of the brightest lights in the sky towards the end of 2013, if astronomers' predictions are correct.


Russian astronomers Artyom Novichonok and Vitali Nevski of the International Scientific Optical Network (ISON) spotted the celestial object, which has now been confirmed as a comet by the International Astronomical Union and named 2012 S1.


By: Duncan Geere,


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/30/shiny-comet

Neil Young's 'Pono' is a music service and player for audiophiles

Audio

Musician Neil Young has waged a battle against the audio quality of MP3s for years, but now he's bringing out the big guns -- a music service for audiophiles.


Young showed off a prototype of the hardware side of the service, named Pono, in an interview with David Letterman. It's bright yellow, shaped like a prism, and comes with remarkably simple-looking controls. It'll play traditional MP3s if you want it to, but it'll also be able to play back high-quality 192kHz / 24-bit recordings.


By: Duncan Geere,


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/30/neil-young

Saturday 29 September 2012

Instagram on iPhone 5: Now you can spoil even MORE snaps

App tweaked, live image furtling banned


Apple iPhone 5 owners can now ruin tint and enrich more photos in one go on their new mobes, thanks to the extra 18 per cent of screen space and an updated Instagram app.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/27/instagram_for_iphone_5/

Google celebrates as Android hits 25 billion downloads

Getting within spitting distance of Apple


Over the next five days, the Mountain View Chocolate Factory will offer a series of discounts on products and applications in its Google Play store to celebrate hitting the 25 billion–downloads mark.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/26/google_play_25bn_downloads/

Tim Cook: 'So sorry for Apple's crap maps app - try Bing or Nokia'

Or something else that isn't Android


Apple CEO Tim Cook has, out of the blue, apologised for the crap Apple maps app in iOS 6 - and suggested punters turn to rivals Microsoft, Google and Nokia.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/29/tim_cook_maps_apology/

Public art and the 'raw material of thoughts' inspires musical soundscape

RC

Sound artist Halsey Burgand has built an app for Cambridge, Massachusetts which explores the city's public art collection through the medium of audio.


The app, named Round:Cambridge, allows users to listen to audio clips created by other users recorded in different parts of the city, about either the public art in that location or anything else that's on their mind.


By: Duncan Geere,


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/29/round-cambridge

Apple issues full apology over iOS 6 maps cartastrophe

Reading

Apple has issued a rare apology to its customers for the poor performance of the mapping app included in iOS 6.


The company put up a page on its website containing a letter, signed by CEO Tim Cook, which says that he is "extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our users".


By: Duncan Geere,


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/29/apple-ios6-maps-apology

Satellite broadband rollout for all in US: But Europe just doesn't get it

Why don't Brits trust companies selling dishes?


Dish, the US satellite provider, has switched on its home domestic broadband service, but while Americans embrace satellite Europeans don't seem interested in talking to their birds.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/29/satellite_broadband/

Friday 28 September 2012

OpenStack gets "Folsom" release out on time

Block storage and virty networking for cloud control freak


The OpenStack project has delivered the promised "Folsom" release of its cloud controller on time – ahead of the OpenStack Design Summit in the middle of next month – and delivering a much-improved implementation of OpenStack that sports many features that cloud builders need.…






via The Register - Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/28/openstack_folsom_released/

US gov on track to miss its own IPv6 deadline

Just 12% of Feds' websites are ready, says tech watchdog


US government websites will miss the deadline for transition to IPv6 on a huge scale, predicts a watchdog. Only 12 per cent of federal website domains are currently compatible with new internet protocol IPv6 according to the National institute of Standards and Technology. There are just two days to go before the deadline for compliance hits on Sunday.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/28/us_federal_agency_ipv6_deadline/

FIA releases 2013 calendar

Formula One racing's governing body, the FIA, has released the calendar for the 2013 season, following a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris, France on Friday. It features 20 races, the same number as 2012, but with the omission of the European Grand Prix in Valencia and the provisional addition of a new US round in New York

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13853.html

Brian Eno on music that thinks for itself

Scape

When you think about it, recorded music is something of a historical oddity. Imagine telling a visitor from 1650 that we like to listen to the exact same performances, over and over again, without any variation -- they might well be baffled. Or, as Brian Eno once said, perhaps it is our grandchildren who will be the baffled ones.


Scape, a musical app developed by Eno alongside composer and programmer Peter Chilvers, is a kind of album that will never sound the same twice. It's a continuation of Eno's work with generative music -- compositions which change every time they're played, as the systems behind them introduce some kind of randomness. Starting with an empty screen, shapes can be arranged to create literal "soundscapes" where they each represent a different sound. Their positions relative to each other dictate their behaviour.


By: Ian Steadman, Edited by: David Cornish


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/28/brian-eno-peter-chilvers-scape

Korea appearance for Gangnam Style star

PSY, the Korean superstar recording artist behind global hit Gangnam Style, is to perform an exclusive concert for all grandstand ticket holders at the Korea International Circuit (KIC) following next month's Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix. Rapper PSY, whose song Gangnam Style has taken the world by storm, racking up almost 300 million hits on YouTube since it debuted in July, has also been announced as an ambassador for the race by organisers

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13852.html

Alibaba pushes on with mobile OS plans despite Android setback

Taps up the Shenzhen massive for favours...


Chinese web giant Alibaba is pushing ahead with plans to get its mobile operating system Aliyun onto more handsets in the country despite a recent clash with Google which saw Acer forced to pull a new handset based on the OS.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/28/alibaba_aliyun_google_mobile_os/

Speaking at Wired 2012: Alexa Meade

Alexa Meade

Alexa Meade is a 25-year-old American artist who has developed a technique for painting directly on live models in 3D space to make them look like 2D paintings.


By: David Cornish, Edited by: Liat Clark


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/28/wired-2012-speaker-alexa-meade

Hamilton to partner Rosberg at Mercedes in 2013

Mercedes have announced their 2013 driver line-up, with Nico Rosberg being joined by Lewis Hamilton, who moves to the team from McLaren on a three-year contract, replacing Michael Schumacher. “It is now time for me to take on a fresh challenge and I am very excited to begin a new chapter racing for the Mercedes Amg Petronas Formula One Team,” said Hamilton. “Mercedes-Benz has such an incredible heritage in motorsport, along with a passion for winning which I share

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13851.html

Japan preview quotes - HRT on Suzuka

With packed grandstands full of fervent fans and a track widely considered to be one of the best and most challenging on the calendar, the 2012 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix is one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the season. The drivers and senior team members look ahead to the Suzuka race and discuss their prospects

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13850.html

Perez replaces Hamilton at McLaren for 2013

With news of Lewis Hamilton's move to Mercedes expected to be confirmed imminently, McLaren have announced Sauber's Sergio Perez as his replacement for 2013. The up-and-coming Mexican, who has already scored two podiums this season, has been signed by the Woking team on a multi-year contract. “I'm thrilled and delighted to have become a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver,” said Perez. “The McLaren name is one of the greatest in the history of Formula One

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13849.html

Thursday 27 September 2012

Speaking at Wired 2012: Greg Asner

Rainforest

Greg Asner is a faculty member of the Carnegie Institution for Science's Department of Global Ecology and the Department of Environmental Earth System Science at Stanford University. His scientific training spans the fields of ecology, biogeochemistry, remote sensing and engineering.


By: David Cornish, Edited by: Liat Clark


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/27/wired-2012-speaker-greg-asner

Stepped noses and double-DRS out for 2013

The stepped noses seen on most of this season's Formula One cars - and deemed ugly by many - are very likely to disappear next year, thanks to a change in the FIA's technical regulations allowing teams to cover them with special fairings. The revised rules, just published by Formula One racing's governing body, give details of the 'modesty panels,' which can be used to smooth the transition between the low nose and the high chassis

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13848.html

Fuming fanbois flood 'flimsy iPhone 5 Wi-Fi' forum

Networking not working, claim puzzled punters


Punters on an Apple support forum claim they are struggling to use Wi-Fi networks with their iOS 6 gadgets. The trouble seems to affect new iPhone 5s as well as iPads and older iPhones updated to the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/27/ios_6_wifi_connectivity/

Masthead



The Wired.co.uk and Wired UK magazine editorial teams


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/wired-insider/2012/masthead

Virgin ramps 4G to a whopping 90Mbps - and switches it off

Nyah nyah nyah, you can't have this... yet


Virgin Mobile has completed its 4G trials in the UK, hitting speeds of 90Mbps both indoors and out. But don't expect EE's 4G monopoly to break any time soon despite the ongoing collaboration between the two companies.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/27/virgin_lte/

Self-regulating tyres inflate while you drive

Goodyear's self-regulating tyre

We all know the consequences of driving on under-inflated tyres: faster wear, increased potential for popping, and decreased mileage. Since 2011, Goodyear has been working on self-regulating tyres, and next year the company will begin testing its new self-inflating technology on commercial vehicles. If the system can handle the 100-plus psi requirements of big rigs, AMT (Air Maintenance Technology) will likely make its way down to passenger vehicles.


By: Alexander George, Edited by: David Cornish


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/27/self-regulating-tyres

iOS 6 maps gets thumbs up ... in China

Partners with local player for better data


Apple’s new Maps app in iOS6 may be getting an absolute pasting in most of the world but is providing surprisingly detailed results for China, where the fruity tech know-it-all has gone with local mapping info supplier AutoNavi.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/27/apple_maps_works_in_china/

Wednesday 26 September 2012

Speaking at Wired 2012: Thomas Heatherwick

Thomas Heatherwick

Since establishing the Heatherwick design studio in 1994, Thomas Heatherwick has been at the forefront of British design, working on a wide variety of disciplines from architecture, furniture, fashion and product design, to engineering, sculpture, transport and urban planning.


By: David Cornish, Edited by: Liat Clark


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via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/26/wired-2012-speaker-thomas-heatherwick

Samsung slaps swift patch over phone-wiping Galaxy S III vuln

Smartmobe owners can bonk without fear again


Samsung has whipped out a fix for an embarrassing flaw in its smartphones that allows miscreants to wipe victims' phones with a simple web link. The South Korean electronics giant is pushing out the patch right now.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/26/samsung_fix/

GiffGaff: We've got no iPhones, but here's how to cut down your SIM

And hey, we'll give you a new one if you cock it up!


While O2's discount wing, GiffGaff, isn't offering the iPhone 5, it is providing instructions for those willing to take up the scissors and give their existing SIM a trim.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/26/giffgaff_sim/

TalkTalk somehow retains most-complained-about-ISP title AGAIN

Stiff competition for masochists-favourite title


TalkTalk has once again been crowned the worst broadband and telephone provider by its cheesed-off customers, communications regulator Ofcom confirmed this morning.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/26/ofcom_quarterly_complaints_report/

Apple and Yahoo: the perfect match?

Could Yahoo solve Apple's problems?

In some important ways, Yahoo and Apple are starting to look like complementary puzzle pieces. Consider:


Yahoo makes top online services, and has a new CEO poised to refocus the company on core web technologies. Apple makes top digital devices, and has a new CEO trying to fix the company's weak online services and crappy web technologies.


By: Ryan Tate, Edited by: David Cornish


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/26/apple-and-yahoo

Austin's Circuit of The Americas passes final FIA inspection

The all-new Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, venue for November's 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand, has been signed off by F1 racing's governing body, the FIA, after its final scheduled pre-race inspection. Charlie Whiting, FIA Race Director and Safety Delegate, visited the new venue on Tuesday and after a two-hour assessment declared himself happy with the construction progress and the overall quality of the track.

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13844.html

Info-flinging service Nokia Life gets webby, gains a plus

Mobile data spreads across developing world


Nokia has extended its Life Tools selection with Life+, a web-based addition to its advice-and-information-dispensing SMS service, reflecting just how widespread basic data services are these days.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/26/nokia_li_plus/

Google swims with the fishes

StreetView adds FishView, intentionally


Perhaps inspired by the tourists who followed their Satnav and drove into the sea, Google has lugged cameras beneath the waves and added the results to the StreetView service.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/26/google_streetview_goes_underwater/

Nextgen on the block as Leighton seeks cash

Metronode and Infoplex also up for sale


Some prime pieces of Australian IT&T real estate are on the block, with construction company Leighton Holdings announcing that it intends to sell network subsidiary Nextgen Networks.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/nextgen_up_for_sale/

Tuesday 25 September 2012

RIM seeks to woo developers with REO Speedwagon cover

Shows off latest Blackberry 10 build, preps app store


Crumbling Canuck smartphone vendor RIM has taken to song in an effort to keep developers writing for the platform.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/rim_blackberry_jam_song/

iPhone 5 sales curbed by lack of smashable screens – report

Not because demand is dropping, then?


Sales of the iPhone 5 on the first weekend of its release were lower than expected because the phone is so innovative, not because customer interest is tailing off, reports newswire Bloomberg.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/iphone_5_sales_display_manufacture/

iPhone 5 'jailbroken' ... before most fanbois even have it

All this has happened before. All this will happen again


Hardware enthusiasts claim they have already figured out a way to jailbreak the iPhone 5.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/iphone_5_jailbreak/

A single web link will WIPE Samsung Android smartphones

Magic number in URL triggers factory reset


An enterprising hacker has demonstrated how a simple web page can reset various Samsung phones back to the state they left the factory - enabling a click, bump or text to take out a victim's mobe entirely.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/samsung_flaw/

Xbox Live gamers blown offline by 'Virgin Media routing balls-up'

Telco and Microsoft investigating cause of outage


An unknown number of Virgin Media customers have been locked out of Xbox Live due to unconfirmed reports from users suggesting that routing issues are affecting the telco.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/virgin_media_xbox_live_access_dead/

Samsung scribbles in UK Galaxy Note II debut date

Stylus council


Samsung has said that its Galaxy Note II 5.6in, 1280 x 720 smartphone-cum-tablet, which was launched earlier this month at the IFA show, will be out on Monday, 1 October.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.reghardware.com/2012/09/25/samsung_sets_galaxy_note_ii_uk_launch/

BT to fibre up another 163 exchanges, coy on exactly where

Keen to bag more UK.gov funds to lay cable across Blighty


BT has indicated another 163 exchanges will deploy fibre in 2013 as part of its £2.5bn broadband upgrade for two thirds of the UK.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/bt_163_exchanges_flagged_for_fibre_upgrades/

Microsoft flashes fat mobe wallet, whispers: 'Just rub our hub'

But don't mention NFC nor Windows Phone


Microsoft has showed off its Windows Phone Wallet - which sits in version 8 alongside the Games and People Hubs, but stores payment and loyality cards rather than games and business cards.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/windows_phone_nfc/

Eric Schmidt: Ha ha, NO Google maps app for iPhone 5

'Apple should have kept ours. But what do I know?'


Google has not made a maps app for the iPhone 5, its chairman Eric Schmidt said this morning - and his company is not working on one.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/google_maps_on_ios6/

Motorola's Razr design daddy legs it, gets inside Intel

Why bagging top electronics bod is a coup for chip giant


Roger Jellicoe, the veteran engineer behind Motorola’s greatest hits – the MicroTAC, StarTAC and Razr – has joined Intel as a vice president at the newly formed Devices R&D team within its Mobile Communication Group (MCG). It's an awesome coup for Intel, and a loss for Google, after mass redundancies signalled the Chocolate Factory’s effective closure of Motorola as a top-tier phone manufacturer.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/jellicoe_motorola_man_leaves_for_intel_veep/

Facebook denies Timeline publishes punters' private posts

It's just a Web2.0rrhea rumour... bitch


Facebook has denied claims it has exposed its users' private messages on their profile pages.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/facebook_alleged_private_messages/

Castration allowed Korean eunuchs to live longer

Korean eunuchs lived longer than ordinary men

Again and again in the animal world, males have shorter lifespans than females, an effect scientists attribute in part to the deleterious effects of testosterone.


Now researchers who looked at historical records of Korean eunuchs castrated during boyhood found that the eunuchs lived considerably longer than ordinary, testicled men.


By: Brandon Keim, Edited by: David Cornish


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/25/castration-led-to-longer-life

Huawei wants to be telepresence king

Dethroning Cisco and massive domestic retail rollout to chase US$100b revenue goal


Chinese telecoms and handset giant Huawei has its sights on dominating yet more markets, with plans to leapfrog Cisco to top spot in the video conferencing space in three years and to expand its retail presence in thousands of domestic bricks and mortar stores to boost handset sales.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/huawei_device_telepresence_number_one/

Myspace mutates Windows 8 with new look

Video demo would do Redmond proud


Myspace* has released a video that shows off a new look that, at first glance, owes a fair bit to the design thinking behind Windows 8, with a dash of Pinterest thrown in for good measure.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/myspace_new_look/

Cisco scores AUD$38m NBN win

MPLS routers, switches and firewalls will power Australia's NBN


Cisco has sunk its claws deeper into NBNCo, after the networking giant picked up a tender to provide routers for the NBN's operational networks.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/cisco_wins_nbn_deal/

iPhone 5 Lightning cables sticking in USB ports

Wires revealed, tempers frayed


Owners of the new iPhone 5 are reporting a sticky problem with the new "Lightning" cable used to connect their handsets to power sources or computers stickin in USB sockets.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/25/iphone_5_lightning_cables_sticking_in_usb_ports/

Broadband too costly in developing countries, says ITU

National network policy now all the rage


In a new report that digests international broadband policies, the ITU has found that services remain too expensive in many countries.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/24/itu_2012_broadband_report/

Monday 24 September 2012

Smartphones may soon listen in on you while they sleep

Advantage: hands-free convenience. Disadvantage: g'bye, privacy


Your smartphone may soon be able to hear and respond to you even when it's in sleep mode – that is, if the combined efforts of engineers at speech-recognition leader Nuance Communications and chipset makers succeed in their goal.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/24/nuance_always_on_speech_recognition/

Polish Samsung Galaxy S IIIs first to scoff Jelly Bean update

More Euro countries and a Galaxy of mobes to follow


Samsung has started rolling out Android Jelly Bean to a lucky few Europeans who have a capable gadget and don't have a pesky network operator standing in the way.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/24/jelly_bean_updates_start/

Tacky mobile ad networks could kill publishing, survey shows

Audience are leaving, but their dollars don't follow


As if they haven't got enough to worry about: magazines and newspapers are seeing audiences migrate to mobile, but the advertising revenues they need to keep their publications running just aren't following.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/24/mobile_ads_cheese/

How to use technology in urban gaming



Smart cities, fast networks and clever phones offer brilliant new possibilities for making games and play in public spaces. But when you are off the sofa and out of the living room, designing a coherent experience becomes all the more important. Watershed's Clare Reddington, featured in the 2012 Wired 100, considers how to use new technologies for making play.


By: Guest Author, Edited by: Liat Clark


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/24/how-to-urban-gaming-tech

New Zealand intelligence illegally spied on Kim Dotcom

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key

New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key announced on 24 September that he has requested an inquiry into illegal spying on Kim Dotcom and other employees of Megaupload by New Zealand's Government Communications Security Bureau, the country's counterpart to the US National Security Agency.


The revelation is just the latest in a series of exposed missteps by New Zealand authorities in their eagerness to assist the US government in apprehending Dotcom and his colleagues, and throws even more uncertainty on the ongoing efforts by the New Zealand and US governments to extradite Dotcom to the US for prosecution.


By: Sean Gallagher, Edited by: David Cornish


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/24/new-zealand-intelligence-spy-on-kim-dotcom

Peeved bumpkins demand legally binding broadband promise from UK.gov

DCMS claims to be on track with meeting 2015 target


The UK government's plans to deploy faster broadband connections to 90 per cent of homes and businesses by 2015 has once again been criticised by landowners in England and Wales, who have labelled the BDUK process as "too bureaucratic".…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/24/country_land_and_business_association_broadband_gripes/

Adelaide hospital rolls out RFID tagging

Wireless everywhere to track kit, people, in AUD$71M project


Visionstream will deploy a AUD$71 million ICT solution for the Royal Adelaide Hospital that is aimed to integrate government development on high end data services with actual health care provision.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/24/visinstream_hooks_up_rah/

Libs launch broadband poll

Tell us what you want from NBN, says Turnbull, so we can target rollout


Australia's federal coalition has launched a "Broadband Test" that shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told the ABC will help participants to understand the speed of the broadband service they receive.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/23/liberals_nbn_survey/

NTT demos petabit transmission on single fibre

5k HD videos per second


Japan’s NTT has announced an impressive speed/distance demonstration, achieving one petabit per second over a distance of 50 Km.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/23/ntt_petabit_fibre/

Sunday 23 September 2012

Webber loses point after post-race penalty

Red Bull's Mark Webber has been penalised by the Singapore stewards for gaining an advantage by going off the track while battling Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi during Sunday's Marina Bay race. The Australian was handed a drive-through penalty after the race, which meant 20 seconds was added to his overall race time, dropping him from 10th to 11th in the final results

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13841.html

FIA post-race press conference - Singapore

Drivers: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing), 2 - Jenson Button (McLaren) and 3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) PODIUM INTERVIEWS (Conducted by Eddie Jordan) Q: Sebastian you're a back-to-back winner here. What's the secret? Sebastian Vettel: I think it's one of the

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13839.html

Schumacher handed 10-place grid penalty for Japan

Mercedes' Michael Schumacher has been punished by the Singapore stewards for his collision with Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne during Sunday's Marina Bay race. Schumacher receives a 10-place grid penalty for the next round in Japan. After investigating, the stewards decided the German driver was at fault for the accident. Schumacher and Vergne both retired immediately after the Mercedes driver slammed into the back of the Frenchman's STR7 on the race's restart following the first safety-car period.

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13838.html

Race - selected team and driver quotes

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton on the gearbox failure that ruled him out of the running; Mercedes' Michael Schumacher and Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne on their race-ending collision; Timo Glock on taking a worthy 12th for Marussia; and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel on clinching his second successive Singapore victory. All the drivers and senior team personnel report back on Sunday's action…

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13837.html

Race - resurgent Vettel wins action-packed Singapore round

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel jumped into stronger contention for the world championship after scoring a comfortable victory in Singapore over McLaren's Jenson Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Once Lewis Hamilton's leading McLaren had quit after 22 laps with a gearbox fault, Vettel had no trouble in keeping Button's sister MP4-27 at bay as the Englishman struggled with balance on the soft Pirelli tyre. Meanwhile, Alonso found his Ferrari lacking the pace to do anything about either of them.

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13836.html

Explore Panoramical's musical landscapes with a Midi controller

Panoramical

Indie developer Fernando Ramallo is working with Proteus composer David Kanaga on a musical landscape game called Panoramical, which you can explore using a Midi controller.


The game's brief trailer, embedded in this post, shows a series of clouds or mountains, complete with a day/night cycle. The peaks eventually recede into the darkness.


By: Duncan Geere,


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/23/panoramical

Plymouth University to develop computer that composes mood-driven music

The ICCMR research team

A Plymouth University research project to develop a computer capable of reading a person's emotional state and writing music in response has been awarded an £880,000 funding grant.


The project hopes to develop a music-writing computer system with therapeutic applications, helping patients suffering from stress or forms of depression, but applications in computer games and the entertainment industry are also a possibility.


By: David Cornish, Edited by: Olivia Solon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/23/music-writing-computer

iOS 6 maps has wrong location for Apple Store

Google gets location for Sydney mothership right, Bing doesn't know it exists


Apple's new maps app for iOS 6 can't find one of its own stores in Sydney, Australia.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/23/ios_6_maps_get_apple_store_sydney_location_wrong/

Saturday 22 September 2012

FIA post-qualifying press conference - Singapore

Drivers: 1 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), 2 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams), 3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) Q: Lewis, a phenomenal margin, very, very quick indeed, well done. Lewis Hamilton: Thank you. The guys have done a fantastic job all week and to come here with some small things that have improved from the last race. Obviously we

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13831.html

Large print edition of world's smallest book in the works

Teeny Ted

The holder of the Guinness World Record for the smallest book is planning on creating a large print version of Teeny Ted From Turnip Town.


The book, which measures a few micrometres across, was etched onto a microchip in 2007 using a focused ion beam and a scanning electron microscope. It tells the story of Teeny Ted, who triumphs at a turnip contest at his county fair.


By: Duncan Geere, Edited by: Olivia Solon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/22/turnip-town

Qualifying - selected team and driver quotes

Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi on failing to make the Q2 grade; Williams' Bruno Senna on clipping the wall and ending his Saturday running early; Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel on failing to translate his practice speed into Q3 pace; and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton on taking his second successive pole position. All 24 drivers and senior team personnel report back on Saturday's action…

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13829.html

Qualifying - Hamilton blasts to Singapore pole

Lewis Hamilton and McLaren dramatically turned the tables on Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull in qualifying for Sunday's 2012 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix, as the Englishman took pole position by half a second around the Marina Bay Street Circuit. But the real surprise of the session was a superb lap from Pastor Maldonado, who put Williams on the front row and left Vettel licking his wounds in third place

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13828.html

Bright lights streak across UK skies

Meteor

Across Britain and Northern Ireland, reports have been coming in of bright objects falling through the night sky.


A number of observers saw large streaks of orange light fall from the sky, around 130 kilometres up, near the top of the atmosphere.


By: Duncan Geere,


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/22/bright-lights

Pic given time penalty for Singapore race

Marussia driver Charles Pic will have 20 seconds added to his race time after Sunday's Grand Prix for passing under red flags during Practice Three. Pic and his engineer must additionally perform a day's community service on behalf of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign. The Frenchman was deemed to have overtaken a car after he had passed by four sets of red flags towards the end of Saturday's final practice session. The session had been halted after Caterham's Vitaly Petrov collided with a wall and broke his rear suspension.

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13826.html

Final practice - Vettel makes it three from three

Sebastian Vettel's domination of practice for the 2012 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix was completed this evening when he took his Red Bull round the Marina Bay Street Circuit 0.325s faster than his nearest challenger, Lewis Hamilton. The German lapped in 1m 47.947s on Pirelli's super-soft tyres, with Hamilton's response for McLaren stopping the clocks in 1m 48.272s. Nobody else got a chance to make decent runs, as the session was stopped

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13825.html

Gearbox penalty for De la Rosa

Pedro de la Rosa is set to drop five places on the grid for Sunday's race in Singapore after HRT opted to change the gearbox on his car at Marina Bay. Gearboxes are required to last five consecutive Grands Prix. De la Rosa, who finished the last round in Monza in 18th place

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13824.html

Friday 21 September 2012

Verizon CFO: 'unlimited' data is just a word

Customers might reply that so is 'cancellation'


Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo has told analysts that "unlimited" when used to describe data is "just a word" and the idea of an open pipe is heading to extinction.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/21/verizon_unlimited_data_word/

FIA Friday press conference - Singapore

Team representatives - James Key (Toro Rosso), Toto Wolff (Williams), Bob Fearnley (Force India), Jean-Francois Caubet (Renault Sport F1), Martin Whitmarsh (McLaren) and Tony Fernandes (Caterham). Q: James, welcome back, new shirt, you've had your feet under the desk for a week or two now, what have found at

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13823.html

Jürgen Mayer: the driverless car will remodel our cities

DLD

The city streets of the future will be at the front line of the divide between the digital and physical worlds as the ways we get around change, claims acclaimed architect Jürgen Mayer.


The introduction of driverless cars has implications not just for how we get around, but also the spaces we get around in. That could mean that the cities of the future will be as different as today's cities are from those of a hundred years ago.


By: Ian Steadman, Edited by: David Cornish


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/20/jurgen-mayer-on-the-driverless-car

Startup of the Week: Adzuna



Adzuna is a search engine for UK jobs, property and cars. The company was set up in 2011 by Doug Monro, formerly of Zoopla and Gumtree, and Andrew Hunter, who also worked at Gumtree before moving to Qype. Adzuna trawls 1000s of sites to list every job, property and car into a single classifieds search engine. It incorporates social search by connecting with LinkedIn and Facebook, allowing users to map their friends to find, for example, where to live. The site also generates huge amounts of data, which can be sifted through with tools such as price and salary comparisons.


By: Wired.co.uk Staff, Edited by: Olivia Solon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/21/start-up-of-the-week-adzuna

Facebook complies with EU data protection law, dumps facial recognition



The Irish Data Protection Commission has said it is largely satisfied with the changes Facebook has made to comply with its July recommendations, including its removal of the facial recognition tagging system, and revealed the social network has four weeks to comply with outstanding requirements.


The investigation stemmed from a complaint made by Austrian law student Max Schrems after he found out just how much personal data the social network stores. Schrems was suitably horrified by what he uncovered: IP addresses of the machines used to access the site, along with information on other users that have logged on from the same machine; user's last location; old deleted messages and wall posts.


By: Liat Clark, Edited by: Olivia Solon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/21/facebook-data-protection-audit

School summer holidays might have saved TFL’s Olympics

TFL's game saver

London survived the Olympics unscathed, and its transport network in particular was widely praised for not collapsing under the weight of all those new visitors. But how?


Jon Reades of the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) has been analysing the huge piles of data compiled from Transport for London's (TFL) ticketing systems over the course of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Even though it's only just the beginning, there are some surprising results -- it appears that the school holidays led to a bigger drop in bus usage than any of the official warnings.


By: Ian Steadman, Edited by: David Cornish


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/21/holidays-save-tfl-olympics

Friday practice - selected team and driver quotes

The light may have dimmed in Singapore through Practice One to a nocturnal Practice Two but one man was consistently quick - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who topped the timesheets during both sessions. The drivers and senior team personnel reflect on their progress at Marina Bay…

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13819.html

Practice Two - Vettel dominates day one in Singapore

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel once again topped the timesheets as Practice Two brought Formula One activity to an end at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Friday. The reigning world champion ended the hour and a half session 0.311s clear of McLaren's Jenson Button, with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Mark Webber on their tails. Vettel lapped his Red Bull in 1m 48.340s, with Button getting closest with 1m 48.651s to Alonso's 1m 48.896s and Webber's 1m 48.964s. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton looked to be Vettel's closest challenger for a long time, but after getting down to 1m 49.086s, which at the time undercut Ferrari's Felipe Massa by a second for fastest time, the Briton focused on long distance runs.

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13818.html

Wired.co.uk Podcast 94: Warp drive feasibility, iOS 6 launch, Russian diamond stash and the Tokyo Game Show

Wired podcast

On the show this week we discuss warp drives, the iOS 6 launch, and a Philippines law that makes cybersex illegal. We'll also be talking about Russia's enormous diamond stash and the latest releases at the Tokyo Game Show


By: Nate Lanxon, Edited by: Olivia Solon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/podcast/episode-94

Renault's Abiteboul confirmed as new Caterham CEO

Caterham have confirmed that Cyril Abiteboul, currently deputy Managing Director of Renault Sport F1, is to become the team's new CEO. Abiteboul will split his duties between Caterham and Renault until next January in order to finalise on-going projects. "I am obviously really happy to join this team that is still only in its third year

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13817.html

School summer holidays might have saved TFL’s Olympics

TFL's game saver

London survived the Olympics unscathed, and its transport network in particular was widely praised for not collapsing under the weight of all those new visitors. But how?


Jon Reades of the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) has been analysing the huge piles of data compiled from Transport for London's (TFL) ticketing systems over the course of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Even though it's only just the beginning, there are some surprising results -- it appears that the school holidays led to a bigger drop in bus usage than any of the official warnings.


By: Ian Steadman, Edited by: David Cornish


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/21/tfl’s-olympics

Five years, five iPhones: the evolution of Apple's mobile

Five years of the iPhone

With the iPhone 5 on sale today, Wired.co.uk compares it to its great-great-great-great grandfather, the debut non-3G iPhone released on 9 January 2007. What refinements has Apple made to its mobile over the last five years?


By: David Cornish, Edited by: Nate Lanxon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/21/iphone-comparison

Practice One - Vettel off to a flyer in Singapore

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton staged a battle for fastest time round the Marina Bay circuit here in Singapore on Friday evening, with the honour finally going to the reigning world champion by 0.049s. The opening session began on a track that was still damp in several places after the heavy storm that blew in just before GP2 practice, but eventually it dried out almost completely.

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13816.html

iOS 6 Maps is not the disaster you think it is



Let me preface this with something that might be familiar to a few of you. I get lost. A lot. Like between the desk I'm sitting at and my own front door. My life without maps would be a hollow shell of walking around in circles, certain I'm headed in the right direction but ultimately turning up an hour or two late for every appointment.



I'm also a bit of a geek -- having dabbled in iPhone development for a while, I downloaded the iOS 6 beta back in June to get a feel for the new features (and predictably, a lot of crashes.) And despite the crashes, which are to be expected with beta software, I used it as my main phone for a couple of months.


By: Max Tatton-Brown, Edited by: Olivia Solon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/21/ios6-maps-rocks

BlackBerry network goes titsup inopportunely AGAIN

You don't want an iPhone, because >bzzert<


RIM's BlackBerry network is down again, disconnecting users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but that won't come as a surprise to the socially connected.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/21/rim_outage/

Microsoft drives German patent tank into Google's front room

Joins Apple panzer in smashing up House of Android


Microsoft has won a patent case against Google's Motorola Mobililty that is really about the Android operating system.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/21/microsoft_wins_moto_patent_case/

Japanese fanboy robbers empty shops of iPhone 5s ahead of launch

Yoink! Now we just need a load of nano SIMs ...


While fanbois around the world waited in line for their shiny new iToys a Japanese gang spent the early hours nicking all the iPhones they could find from three Osaka stores.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/21/japanese_iphone_5_robbers/

Single NFC bonk subjugated Samsung Galaxy SIII and slurped it out

Attackers groped about until they had total dominance


A Galaxy S III running Android 4.0.4 was infected with malware over an NFC connection at a hacking contest in Amsterdam using nothing more than a bump in the dark.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/21/android_nfc/

OpenWave fires ten-gun patent broadsides at Apple AND Google

The enemy of my enemy is ... also my enemy


Apple and Google will find themselves on the same side of the patent court defending against Unwired Planet, which has accused the pair of infringing 20 patents filed while it was known as OpenWave.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/21/unwired_planet/

Most Hong Kong iPhone 5s to be smuggled into China

Analyst reveals massive grey market racket


A whopping 70 per cent of shiny new iPhones and iPads bought in Hong Kong this year will be smuggled into China and sold on the grey market to feed the insatiable demand for all things Apple, according to analyst firm Forrester.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/21/hong_kong_grey_market_apple_china/

SingTel gets app happy with Pixable

Snaps up social pic streamer for US$26.5m


The acquisitive hand of SingTel has reached out to the US to buy smartphone happy snap app Pixable for US$26.5 million.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/21/singtel_buys_pixable/

iPhone queue is ‘superficial and pretentious’ says queuing fangirl

Reg hack braves world’s first iPhone sales frenzy


Apple Stores have started selling the iPhone 5 in Australia, the country where this kind of thing happens first thanks to accidents of geography and the location of the International Date Line.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/20/iphone_5_on_sale_in_australia/

Thursday 20 September 2012

'Cloud' services to bag $109bn in 2012

Even more people rush into the cloud


Even more folks are going to be seduced by the cloud this year, making the meteorological market a hundred-billion-dollar one, according to beancounters at Gartner.…






via The Register - Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/cloud_services_market_forecast/

FIA Thursday press conference - Singapore

Drivers - Timo Glock (Marussia), Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), Bruno Senna (Williams), Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) and Sergio Perez (Sauber). Q: Timo, obviously you finished second here in 2009. Is that one of the reasons why you say this is your favourite race

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13811.html

Vimeo 'tip jar' lets users pay creators for content



The battle to monetise user generated content took another step forward today with the launch by Vimeo of a new "tip jar" feature. Available to anyone with a paid Vimeo account, it allows content creators to activate a button that will appear next to every video and allow viewers to donate anywhere from one to five hundred dollars by Credit Card or Paypal.


By: Max Tatton-Brown, Edited by: Olivia Solon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/20/vimeo-tips

HTC Droids get working bonk-payment NFC setup in China

Networks, iPhone 5 owners not invited to tapcash party


HTC and China Merchants Bank have launched a mobile wallet, allowing owners of HTC Android smartphones to pay for stuff wirelessly by tapping their phone on the till or what have you. The technology is stored in a secure chip in the handset and thus is available without approval, or notification, of the network operator.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/20/china_nfc/

UK.gov lays out just what cities will get in broadband cash divvy

'Digital leaders, digital stage, digital, er ... thingmy'


Freshly-installed culture Secretary Maria Miller announced this morning just how much cash will be slapped on 10 major cities to improve local broadband, after the Treasury's initial £100m allocation ballooned to £114.1m.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/20/maria_miller_broadband_cities_fund_stretched_to_114_million_pounds/

Watkins tributes planned for Singapore weekend

Following the sad news of the death of FIA Institute Honorary President and renowned former FIA medical delegate, Professor Sid Watkins, last week, the FIA, FIA Institute and Formula One Management has arranged a number of tributes to his memory at this weekend's 2012 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13809.html

Bonking payment by NFC doubled by Olympics splash

Slapcash getting some traction ... not with iPhone fans


As an Olympics sponsor Visa used the London games to highlight pay-by-bonk technology, successfully doubling the number of contactless payments across the UK while taking a fifth of the transactions within the park.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/20/visa_nfc/

Chilton appointed Marussia reserve

Marussia have announced that GP2 star Max Chilton has been promoted from the team's young driver programme to the position of Formula One reserve for the final six rounds of the year, starting in Japan next month. “I'm delighted to be given this fantastic opportunity to be part of the Marussia F1 Team

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13808.html

Apple slip-up slows iOS 6 upgrades

iDevices tried to find missing web page before activating WiFi or 3G connections


Fanbois rushing to install iOS 6 on their iThings have been frustrated by the absence of a web page the devices need to visit when reconnecting to networks after the upgrade.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/20/apple_ios6_upgrade_bug/

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Lowe: Qualifying pace a boon for McLaren

Technical director Paddy Lowe believes McLaren's excellent qualifying pace has played a key role in their victories at the last three Grands Prix, even though the team haven't been placing a conscious emphasis on their Saturday speed. The previous four rounds of the season have been won from pole, including McLaren's triumphs in Hungary, Belgium and Italy

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13806.html

Bioware founders retire to drink beer and save the world



Bioware, creator of franchises including Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republic and and Mass Effect, has revealed that its two co-founders will be retiring from the company after twenty years at the helm.


As former medical school grads, this won't be the first time the two have stepped into a new career path but it does mark the biggest change in the company's constitution since it was bought by Electronic Arts in 2005.


By: Max Tatton-Brown, Edited by: Olivia Solon


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/19/bioware-founders-leave

Iraq's first hackerspace needs 'irrational optimism' to be a success

Lamba Labs

After decades of tyranny, sanctions and war, Iraq has a better reputation for destroying things than building them. That's why an Iraqi-American who's trying to create the country's first hackerspace believes it'll take "irrational optimism" for Iraqis to remember they were among the planet's first maker cultures.


"I realise the ridiculousness of what we're trying to do," says Bilal Ghalib, a 27-year-old geek who, in a month, will return to Iraq, the country of his parents' birth. He wants to convince Iraqis they can reverse the brain drain resulting from Iraq's long, searing experience with political violence and "own their world" again. It starts next month in Baghdad with a two-day pop-up hacker space, where entrepreneurs, builders and nerds can fabricate everything from a heart-rate monitor to a sense of national unity.


By: Spencer Ackerman, Edited by: David Cornish


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/19/iraq-hackerspace

FIA press conference schedule - Singapore

Thursday evening in Singapore sees drivers including Perez, Raikkonen and Vettel fielding the questions, while on Friday night it will be the turn of the team bosses, with Fernandes, Whitmarsh and Wolff among the names attending. The line-up in full

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13805.html

iPass Wi-Fi hands the boss control, staff get the bill

All hands on deck


IT departments tired of forking out to keep staff connected to the internet will be delighted by iPass Open Mobile Express: it leaves control with bosses while letting the workers pay for it.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/19/ipass_local/

AGIMO's final cloud guidance released

Urges modest pilots when first vaporising IT


The Australian Government Information Management Office has released its final Guide to Implementing Cloud Services (PDF).…






via The Register - Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/19/agimo_final_cloud_guidance_revealed/

Sony announces new PlayStation 3

Playstation 3

At a press conference in Japan, Sony has announced a redesigned PlayStation 3, which includes larger hard drives and a new flash-based model for the UK.


The new model is 25 percent smaller than the previous design, and 50 percent smaller than the original model released seven years ago. It resembles the previous model in its general curved aesthetic, but now features a sliding disc cover on the top of the console instead of a slot-loading mechanism.


By: Nate Lanxon,


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/19/new-playstation

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Microsoft, RIM ink new licensing agreement

Calm down, Microsoft isn't the one buying


Shares of Research in Motion spiked briefly on Tuesday on news that the struggling smartphone maker had signed a new licensing agreement with Microsoft, but investors who hoped the deal meant Redmond would bundle BlackBerry technology with its phones were in for a disappointment.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/microsoft_rim_licensing/

Lenovo gobbles Stoneware, joins cloud storage game

Room for one more on that bandwagon?


Lenovo has joined the cloud computer game by buying privately held Utah-based Stoneware for an undisclosed sum.…






via The Register - Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.channelregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/lenovo_buys_stoneware/

UK.gov squatting on £1bn IPv4 motherlode

Epetition asks DWP to flog its /8 block of internet addresses


The UK's Department for Work and Pensions is sitting on up to £1bn worth of IPv4 addresses that it is not using, according to an online petition.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/dwp_ipv4_addresses_unused/

Virgin Media STILL working on fix for SuperHub corrupt downloads glitch

Promises it's nearly fixed as punters resort to buying other routers


Vexed Virgin Media customers dissatisfied with the telco's SuperHub kit are having to resort to buying their own routers to try and get the service to work adequately.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/virgin_media_superhub_still_failing_punters/

All you need to know about nano SIMs - before they are EXTERMINATED

The chip inside the iPhone 5


Apple's iPhone 5 uses a nano SIM, the smallest SIM ever designed and, quite possibly, the last SIM we'll see in any mobile telephone.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/nano_sim/

Mobile phones still failing to kill people – Nordic scientists

Boffins call out hypersensitive types


Mobile phones still aren't killing people, according to the latest research from Norway, but in contrast to previous studies the Norwegians aren't calling for more money to fund research.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/mobile_safety/

iPhone 5 "has laser keyboard, holographic images"

Fox out-foxed by fanboi video


US television station Fox 5 New York has aired a report in which it claims the iPhone 5 comes equipped with a laser keyboard and holographic projector.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/fox_iphone_laser_keyboard/

RIPE NCC handing out last European IPv4 addresses

Going, going, almost gone


The Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) has started to hand out the last remaining Internet Protocol version 4 addresses in its possession.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/ripe_ncc_last_ipv4_addresses/

Monday 17 September 2012

Yahoo! ditches! BlackBerry! for! 'smart! fun!' phones!

RIM's platform not smart enough to give away


Apparently, new Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer doesn't think BlackBerrys count as smartphones: she has launched a program to give a free smartphone to every employee, but handsets from Research in Motion (RIM) didn't make the cut.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/17/yahoo_free_smartphones/

Winklevoss twins stuff $1m into social network for the FILTHY RICH

Zuck on that, Mark


Wanna know what the world's been lacking? A social network for hedge-fund bods, of course. And who better to be at the helm of such a brave Web2.0 venture than square-jawed Olympic rowing twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss - who rose from the ashes of their legal spat with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to plunge some of their settlement cash into SumZero.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/17/winklevoss_invest_in_sumzero/

BT to win Norfolk broadband contract - if Europe gives the nod

Hopes to ink fibre rollout deal over next few weeks


BT has been chosen by Norfolk County Council as the preferred bidder for a £39.3m contract to run fibre-optic broadband out to the sticks.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/17/bt_preferred_bidder_for_norfolk/

Oi, don't leave Cymru in broadband slow lane, MPs warn

Welsh demand alternatives to BT fibre


The UK government's broadband rollout plan fails to address the needs of businesses in Wales, MPs have warned in a report published today. The dossier highlights an apparent "gap" in internet access in more remote parts of Cymru.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/17/welsh_affairs_committee_broadband_report/

Google defends nuking Acer's newborn Alibaba Linux mobe

Android biz fears den of 40,000 thieves


Google exec Andy Rubin has defended his advertising giant's decision to block Acer from launching a mobile phone for Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, claiming the Android ecosystem is quite fragmented enough.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/17/google_alibaba/

Apple admits iCloud 'unacceptable', vows to not go titsup again

iYawn 5 maker sparks 10-hour email outage outrage


Apple has apologised to fanbois hit by an iCloud outage, and described the ten-hour downtime as "not acceptable".…






via The Register - Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/17/icloud_email_outage_apple_sorry/

Massa helps set new Ferrari record at Silverstone

Ferrari's Felipe Massa helped establish a new world record at Silverstone on Saturday, as part of the biggest parade of Ferraris ever organised. A total of 964 cars graced the British Grand Prix circuit, beating the previous record of 490 set at Japan's Fuji Speedway in 2008. “It was a really unforgettable experience,” commented Massa

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/9/13801.html

Why lock your digits to a phone? Telefonica to flog cloudy numbers

Voice-minute cash cow is slowly dying


Mobile operators are facing an inevitable squeeze as voice minutes disappear and the golden goose of messaging dies, but O2 owner Telefonica Digital has a plan: bring on the Chuckle Brothers and shell the OS out of existence.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/17/telefonica_digital/

Sunday 16 September 2012

FTL simulates the glory and horror of space exploration

FTL

Shanghai-based indie developers Justin Ma and Matthew Davis have released a Kickstarted spaceship simulation game in which you'll die. A lot. It's called FTL.


FTL puts you in the boots of a starship captain fleeing a rebel fleet with information critical to its destruction. By warping between star systems you'll upgrade your ship and your crew, and then probably be destroyed by a combination of hull damage, boarders, and fire spreading through the ship.


By: Duncan Geere,


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/16/ftl

Mapping the smells, taste, and sound of a city

Auld Reekie

Cartographer Kate McLean has put togethera series of "sensory maps" that show how people use their different senses to navigate a city.


She explains on her website: "My research investigates smell perceptions of the city environment, depicting the findings in a variety of artistic, cartographic forms and augmenting and altering the maps on the basis of audience response."


By: Duncan Geere,


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/16/smell-maps

Opus audio codec standardised, beats all-comers

Opus Codec

The internet engineering task force has standardised the Opus audio codec, which beats out other audio compression techniques in almost every application.


The codec, which has been given the codename RFC 6716, is a one-size-fits-all solution to the problem of encoding audio. Traditionally, codecs are designed for specific tasks -- MP3 or Vorbis for music, and something like Speex for low-latency voice recordings.


By: Duncan Geere,


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/15/opus-codec

Thorium potential 'overstated' says government report

Thorium

A report into the much-touted nuclear fuel alternative thorium has concludedthat many of its supposed benefits are "overstated".


The paper, which was compiled for the Department for Energy and Climate Change by the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory, notes that thorium has "theoretical advantages" in the fields of sustainability, reduced radiotoxicity and lower proliferation risk, but adds: "While there is some justification for these benefits, they are often overstated."


By: Duncan Geere,


Continue reading...



via Wired.co.uk



http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-09/15/thorium-overrated

Saturday 15 September 2012

Hong Kong visitors get all-in-one guidebook and phone

International calls, 3G internet and discount deals aplenty


Visitors to Hong Kong’s sub-tropical shores got a welcome boost on Thursday with the launch of a new rental smartphone service designed insulate short stay punters from bill shock and high roaming charges and offer pre-loaded local guides and discount deals.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/15/handy_rental_smartphone_hong_kong/

IT chiefs' purses drained, security budget still safe - report

CIO study finds spending maintained or rising, despite recession


Security looks set to be one part of companies' IT budgets that will be comparatively safeguarded in the recession, if the beancounters at Gartner are to be believed.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/13/gartner_security/

Google offers tool to bridge Android and iOS app dev

Translates Java code to Objective-C


Google has released a tool aimed at making it easier to port software between the two major smartphone platforms, by converting Java code for Android into Objective-C code that can be compiled to run on Apple iOS devices.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/15/google_j2objc_tool/

Friday 14 September 2012

Apple wins second round of Samsung patent slugfest

Will trade commission ban Korean kit from the US? Stay tuned ...


Apple has won a round of their ongoing battle with Samsung, scoring a complete four-patent victory at the US International Trade Commission, which has the power to block importation of Samsung devices into the States.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/14/apple_wins_samsung_case_at_usitc/