Toyota Has Pattern of Slow Response on Safety Issues	the biz
Link #149548 submitted by Mac on Feb 6, 2010 06:21pm.   (+370XP) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/business/global/07toyota.html?hp
Toyota’s recalls and disclosures in recent months are part of a lengthy pattern in which the automaker has often reacted slowly to safety concerns, in some instances making design changes without telling customers about problems with vehicles already on the road, an examination of its record shows. Comments: 3   Hits: 67   Points: 165954   Rating: 8.0 / 4   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

'Green' experiment at City Hall stinks	government
Link #149547 submitted by Mac on Feb 6, 2010 03:20pm.   (+320XP) http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/2033203,CST-NWS-stench07.article
There's been a stench coming from the second floor of City Hall -- and it has nothing to do with the steady stream of Chicago aldermen convicted on corruption charges.     Waterless urinals installed to promote water conservation in the public men's room outside the City Council chambers have turned into a stinky mess. The odor got so bad that the "green" urinals are now being ripped out and replaced with the old-fashioned kind at a cost City Hall has refused to disclose. Comments: 1   Hits: 89   Points: 164110   Rating: 9.2 / 4   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

ultra-precise quantum clock puts old atomic clock to shame	blinded by science
Link #149546 submitted by lola_ice on Feb 6, 2010 01:08pm.   (+290XP) http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/02/General-Science-Physics-The-World...
"Scientists have built a clock which is 100,000 times more precise than the existing international standard.     The quantum-logic clock, which detects the energy state of a single aluminum ion, keeps time to within a second every 3.7 billion years. The new timekeeper could one day improve GPS or detect the slowing of time predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity.     "It could it be a real contender for the next frequency standard, or next timekeeper", said physicist Chin-wen (James) Chou of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, lead author of a study to appear in a forthcoming Physical Review Letters." Comments: 0   Hits: 105   Points: 162768   Rating: 8.8 / 5   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Authors cry foul over Google 'rights grab	the wired
Link #149545 submitted by johnny2000 on Feb 6, 2010 08:30am.   (+230XP) http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/01/authors-google-rights-g...
British authors are divided over plans by Google to create the world's largest online library and profit from out-of-print titles.     Google Books would carry "substantial extracts" of books that are out of print but still within copyright, with US buyers then paying to download the title in full. Revenue generated would be split, with 63% going to the rights holder and the rest to Google. Although only US consumers will be able to use this service, the titles include works published in Britain, Canada and Australia as well as the US.     But, in a move that has angered critics, writers had to choose to opt out by 28 January. For those who did not, their work would be automatically included. Comments: 0   Hits: 87   Points: 159852   Rating: 9.3 / 3   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Police want backdoor to Web users' private data	the wired
Link #149544 submitted by johnny2000 on Feb 6, 2010 08:28am.   (+260XP) http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10446503-38.html
Anyone with an e-mail account likely knows that police can peek inside it if they have a paper search warrant.   But cybercrime investigators are frustrated by the speed of traditional methods of faxing, mailing, or e-mailing companies these documents. They're pushing for the creation of a national Web interface linking police computers with those of Internet and e-mail providers so requests can be sent and received electronically.     The most controversial element is probably the private Web interface, which raises novel security and privacy concerns, especially in the wake of a recent inspector general's report (PDF) from the Justice Department. The 289-page report detailed how the FBI obtained Americans' telephone records by citing nonexistent emergencies and simply asking for the data or writing phone numbers on a sticky note rather than following procedures required by law.     Some companies already have police-only Web interfaces. Sprint Nextel operates what it calls the L-Site, also known as the "legal compliance secure Web portal." The company even has offered a course that "will teach you how to create and track legal demands through L-site. Learn to navigate and securely download requested records." Cox Communications makes its price list for complying with police requests public; a 30-day wiretap is $3,500. Comments: 1   Hits: 97   Points: 159839   Rating: 8.6 / 3   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

‘Don’t Be Evil,’ Meet ‘Spy on Everyone’	the wired
Link #149543 submitted by johnny2000 on Feb 6, 2010 08:23am.   (+250XP) http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/02/from-dont-be-evil-to-spy-on...
How the NSA Deal Could Kill Google     The National Security Agency is widely understood to have the government’s biggest and smartest collection of geeks — the guys that are more skilled at network warfare than just about anyone on the planet. So, in a sense, it’s only natural that Google would turn to the NSA after the company was hit by an ultrasophisticated hack attack. After all, the military has basically done the same thing, putting the NSA in charge of its new “Cyber Command.” The Department of Homeland Security is leaning heavily on the NSA to secure .gov networks.     But there’s a problem. The NSA and its predecessors also have a long history of spying on huge numbers of people, both at home and abroad. During the Cold War, the agency worked with companies like Western Union to intercept and read millions of telegrams. During the war on terror years, the NSA teamed up with the telecommunications companies to eavesdrop on customers’ phone calls and internet traffic right from the telcos’ switching stations. And even after the agency pledged to clean up its act — and was given wide new latitude to spy on whom they liked – the NSA was still caught “overcollecting” on U.S. citizens. According to The New York Times, the agency even “tried to wiretap a member of Congress without a warrant.”     All of which makes the NSA a particularly untrustworthy partner for a company that is almost wholly reliant on its customers’ trust and goodwill. We all know that Google automatically reads our Gmail and scans our Google Calendars and dives into our Google searches, all in an attempt to put the most relevant ads in front of us. But we’ve tolerated the automated intrusions, because Google’s products are so good, and we believed that the company was sincere in its “don’t be evil” mantra. Comments: 0   Hits: 103   Points: 159797   Rating: 10.0 / 3   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Internet Detective	the wired
Link #149542 submitted by dorian on Feb 6, 2010 08:12am.   (+210XP) http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective
Internet Detective has been developed to benefit the higher and further education community in the UK. It may be freely used for non-commercial academic and research purposes in the UK and elsewhere. Comments: 0   Hits: 141   Points: 159722   Rating: 8.6 / 3   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

A Roadmap of the Shadow Banks	the biz
Link #149541 submitted by dorian on Feb 6, 2010 08:11am.   (+180XP) http://rortybomb.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/a-roadmap-of-the-shadow-b...
To many investors and policy-makers during the bubble, shadow banking vehicles (like “SIVs”) appeared to perform precisely the same functions as commercial banks, but were more efficient. Unfortunately, shadow banks proved to be extraordinarily fragile; both the asset and liability components of their business models suffered as the credit cycle turned. Unwilling to risk a shutdown in the short-term funding markets, central banks and governments stepped in to prop up the shadow banking system. Comments: 0   Hits: 95   Points: 159658   Rating: 7.6 / 3   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Death of the battery	blinded by science
Link #149540 submitted by kid-ney on Feb 6, 2010 12:42am.   (+350XP) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1248829/The-end-batt...
-- The battery, which has powered our lives for generations, may soon be consigned to the dustbin of history.     British scientists say they have created a plastic that can store and release electricity, revolutionizing the way we use phones, drive cars - and even wear clothes.     Comments: 0   Hits: 229   Points: 155180   Rating: 10.0 / 5   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

India abandons IPCC, sets up own panel	government
Link #149539 submitted by Mac on Feb 5, 2010 07:33pm.   (+270XP) http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20100205/india-ipcc-un-climate-chan...
The Indian government has moved to establish its own body to address and monitor science surrounding climate change, saying it "cannot rely" on the official United Nation panel.     The move is a severe blow to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) following the revelation parts of its 3000 page 2007 report on climate science was not subjected to peer review.     A primary claim of the report was the Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035, but the claim was not repeated in any peer-reviewed studies and rebuffed by scientists.     "There is a fine line between climate science and climate evangelism," Ramesh said. "I am for climate science." Comments: 3   Hits: 86   Points: 151814   Rating: 5.4 / 5   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Lobbying Imperils Overhaul of Student Loans	government
Link #149538 submitted by Mac on Feb 5, 2010 12:15pm.   (+360XP) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/us/politics/05loans.html?hp
Four months ago, it appeared all but certain that the White House and Democrats in Congress would succeed in overhauling the student loan business and ending government subsidies to private lenders.     President Obama called the idea a “no-brainer” last fall, predicting it would take billions of dollars from the profits of private lenders and give it directly to students, and many colleges were already moving to get loans directly from the federal government in anticipation of the next move by Congress.     But an aggressive lobbying campaign by the nation’s biggest student lenders has now put one of the White House’s signature plans in peril, with lenders using sit-downs with lawmakers, town-hall-style meetings and petition drives to plead their case and stay in business. Comments: 3   Hits: 52   Points: 147240   Rating: 8.6 / 3   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

The BAE files	the biz
Link #149537 submitted by dorian on Feb 5, 2010 12:13pm.   (+350XP) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/bae
The British arms firm BAE Systems has accepted guilt and agreed to pay penalties in the US and the UK totalling several hundred million dollars to settle all the long-running corruption allegations against it, first disclosed in the Guardian in 2003. Here, David Leigh and Rob Evans publish their investigation into the company Comments: 2   Hits: 64   Points: 147239   Rating: 8.7 / 4   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Image Forensics: Error Level Analysis	the wired
Link #149536 submitted by dorian on Feb 5, 2010 12:08pm.   (+330XP) http://errorlevelanalysis.com
Error level analysis shows differing error levels throughout this image, strongly suggesting some form of digital manipulation. Areas to note are the lips and shirt, as well as the eyes. All are at significantly different error levels than their surroundings. Presumably, colours have been altered and areas brightened.     jpg only Comments: 1   Hits: 170   Points: 147321   Rating: 7.5 / 7   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Artist Book Database	it's the arts
Link #149535 submitted by dorian on Feb 5, 2010 11:58am.   (+190XP) http://www.artistbookdatabase.org
An online database of artist books, zines, catalogues and independent publications.     Updated regularly. Comments: 0   Hits: 93   Points: 147098   Vote Now!   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

Ocean Drilling Records Set in the Canterbury Basin	blinded by science
Link #149534 submitted by dorian on Feb 5, 2010 11:55am.   (+230XP) http://geology.com/press-release/deepest-hole-in-oceanic-crust
For eight weeks beginning in November 2009, off the coast of New Zealand, an international team of 34 scientists and 92 support staff and crew on board the scientific drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution were at work investigating sea-level change in a region called the Canterbury Basin. It proved to be a record-breaking trip for the research team.     At present 10 percent of the world's population lives within 10 meters of sea level. Current climate models predict a 50-centimeter to more than one-meter rise in sea level over the next 100 years, posing a threat to inhabitants of low-lying coastal communities around the world.     To better understand what drives changes in sea level and how humans are affecting this change, scientists are "looking to our past for answers and digging back as far as 35 million years into the Earth's history to understand these dynamic processes.   Comments: 0   Hits: 54   Points: 147042   Rating: 9.3 / 3   [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ]

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