Technology Category
Independent news, views, opinions and reviews on the latest gadgets, games, science, technology and research from Apple and more. It’s about the technologies that change the way we live, work, love and behave.
Facebook Killers Murder Three Teenagers – Mary Bale Is Protected
THREE teenagers in Colombia named on a Facebook “hit list” have been killed. The dead are 19-year-old Norbey Alexander, 16-year-old student Diego Ferney Jaramillo and 17-year-old Eibart Alejandro Ruiz Munoz.
In all, 97 named appear on the list. The others are all alive. Although a warning has been posted that all must leave Puerto Asis, in southern Colombia:
Get out of town within three days or suffer the same fate as the victims.
The note has since been blocked by Facebook.
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Posted: 26th, August 2010 | In: Technology | Comments (21)
How Facebook Promotes The Call To Legalise Marijuana
DO adverts to legalise marijuana tempt you to smoke a joint? Facebook had been carrying adverts for weed legalization group Just Say Now. The adverts were headed “End the war on marijuana”.
You might not have noticed them. But the Just Say Now ads have been banned. The ads are now free to air. And why were they banned? Well, here’s the reason:
“The image in question was no longer acceptable for use in Facebook ads,” wrote Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes in an e-mail to Wired.com. “The image of a marijuana leaf is classified with all smoking products and therefore is not acceptable under our policies.”
A pot leaf need not be linked to smoking. You can bake the stuff and make it into a tincture. Or you can smoke it like David Cameron or Barack Obama. Had they have been arrested they would have earned criminal records. But they escaped. Not everyone is as lucky.
Says Just Say Now:
After our advertisements appeared over 38 million times on Facebook, the social network giant decided to pull the plug. Why? Because our logo contains a pot leaf. We’re fighting back against this censorship and standing up for marijuana legalization. Will you join us?
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Posted: 24th, August 2010 | In: Technology | Comment (1)
The Earth From Space To A Plant Cell – An Amazing Gallery Of Life
ENJOY this gallery of Earth. It’s a dot in space. And then you zoom in. And in. The details are all. And finally you see the building blocks of life. These are incredible pictures. All you ever wondered and thought about is here…
Posted: 19th, August 2010 | In: Key Posts, Technology | Comments (4)
Two Men ‘Killed’ By Exploding Nokia Mobile Phone
TO Rajasthan, India, where an exploding mobile phone has killed 23-year-old farmer Gopal Gujjar. He died from injuries sustained to his neck, right ear and shoulders.
So says Sky News:
The victim, named as 23-year-old Gopal Gujjar…
Or as the Herald Sun says:
Manoj Singh, 24, was found dead Monday night with burns to his left ear, neck and shoulders in a forest near Bandha village close to the city of Kota in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.
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Posted: 18th, August 2010 | In: Technology | Comments (2)
In Pictures: The Qatar Supercars Of London In First Gear
LONDON is throbbing to the oil-rich Al-Thani royal family;s supercars. Outside the Dorchester Hotel you can see a Pagani Zonda, a Bugatti EB Veyron and a McLaren Mercedes SLR. There is also a huge salmon pink Rolls Royce, and another red one close by.
The other cars are a £1.2 million Koenigsegg CCXR and £350,000 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, both have been clamped while parked outside the Harrod’s shop the family’s Qatar Holding group bought from Mohammed al Fayed.
The Koenigsegg does 0-60 in 2.9 seconds. Only six were made. So drive carefully – spare parts are tricky to come by.
Of course, in London the top speed is 7mph – something the supercar should reach in the time it takes for a white van delivery driver to go from calm to explosive. But the thing is that although being stuck in traffic is for everyone, not everyone gets to sit in the traffic in a work of art.
It’s all relative:
My car is a supercar
His car is a sports car
Their car is over-compensating for a small penis
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Posted: 10th, August 2010 | In: Technology | Comment
STAR WARS I-PAD BRIEFING: Video Guide
THE Star War iPad Brief is unbelievable – way better than a laptop.
Star Wars plus iPad – it’s an internet hit readymade.
It’s best to watch it on the iPad – way better than viewing it on a PC or a Mac.
You can zoom in on things.
And, of course, it’s awesome…
Posted: 10th, August 2010 | In: Technology | Comment
Ciaran Finn-Lynch’s Stem Cell Windpipe Is Science At Its Best
CIARAN Finn-Lynch has had his windpipe rebuilt using his own stem cells. This is our uplifting story of the day. Science is not all guesswork on global warming. Science matters.
The North Irish boy was taken to London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for the operation. Stem cells were removed from his hip and injected them into a donor windpipe (removed from a body in Italy), a collagen tube with no cells attached.
The organ was implanted and the magic of stem cells rebuilt the windpipe. The boy can breathe again:
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Posted: 6th, August 2010 | In: Technology | Comment (1)
For Sale: Diana Dors’ 1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster (Pictures)
FOR Sale: The 1949 Delahaye Type 175 S Roadster bought by Sir John Gaul of Monte Carlo for Miss Diana Dors.
Price: $4,000,000-$6,000,000 US
Spec: 165 bhp, 4,455 cc naturally aspirated overhead valve inline six cylinder engine, four-speed electro-mechanically actuated Cotal Preselector gearbox, Dubonnet coil spring front suspension, De Dion rear axle with semi-elliptic springs, and four-wheel hydraulic finned alloy drum brakes. Wheelbase: 116″.
The Car
The Star
Posted: 3rd, August 2010 | In: Technology | Comments (5)
The Shame Of Owning A Gold Ferrari
THE shame of having to travel by car when all your mates have trains. That gold-plated Ferrari is pathetic.
Dear dad…
Posted: 26th, July 2010 | In: Technology | Comment (1)
Women On the Web And Other Vindictive Vigilantes
ZOE Willaims tells Guardian readers what women look for on the intenet. Clue: it;s not porn, banking, sport, Zoe Williams or laughs:
Contrary to popular presentation, Mumsnet is not the only site women visit. There are acres of girly chat. Not very much chat-traffic is criminal or exploitative, but check out the Facebook groups for a flavour of how unpleasant some of the supposedly mumsy stuff is. There’s a proliferation of vigilante rage directed at child abusers: “jamie bulger’s killers should never have been released!”; “i bet i can find a billion people who are against jon venables and r thompson!!!!”; “Don’t forget about Maddie”; “Justice for Baby P”. The numbers of signatories are enormous – sure, at over 37,000 names, the Venables/Thompson page loses a bet with itself about finding a billion. But 37,000…
And let’s not forget Siobhan O’Dowd, with her “38,000” Raoul Moat Moatites.
Posted: 17th, July 2010 | In: Technology | Comments (2)
Is Miscrosoft’s Virtual Boy Milo The Ultimate Paedophile Training Tool?
MILO, the Microsoft boy, is the answer to wannabe paedophiles’ dreams. Now the perverts can practice being a paedophile without having to go to the expense of a puppy of a trail of Smarties.
Milo has been devised for – get this – Miscrosoft’s hands-free Xbox 360 motion controller called Kinect.
The brains behind this creepy boy, who apes you movements and emotions, is the UK’s Peter Molyneux:
“I want to introduce a new revolution in storytelling. Films, TV, even hallowed books, are just rubbish because they don’t involve me. It’s a sea of blandness.”
Anything can be improved with a virtual boy. Take this article. How much better it would be if a boy was sat in the corner picking his nose or torturing a grasshopper with a magnifying glass? Can you resist kicking Tiny Tim’s wood-wormed legs away or getting the young Jesus to attract Disciples with a cheeky wink and a Twitter advert to “Follow Me Now With Twitter And Audi”.
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Posted: 14th, July 2010 | In: Technology | Comments (22)
If It’s Not An iPhone Why Would I Want It A Video
IF it’s not an iPhone why would I want it? NSFW:
Posted: 11th, July 2010 | In: Technology | Comment
Range Rover Hires Victoria Beckham To Design – Range Rover Designer Dies: Evoque Pictures
THE new Creative Design Executive for Range Rover is…Victoria Beckham. Vicky was there to celebrate the Range Rover brand’s 40th birthday and stand in front of the Evoque mo-del – a “global car“.
Says Vicky, designer without portfolio:
“I’m incredibly excited to be collaborating with Range Rover… I like to take on a challenge and I’m ready for it.”
In other news:
Spen King, a designer of the original Range Rover, has just died.
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Posted: 2nd, July 2010 | In: Technology | Comments (2)
The Bionic Vet Gives Oscar The Cat Artifical Feet: Pictures
OSCAR the cat wears a new pair of prosthetic feet. Oscar was given a pair of new artificial feet in a single surgical procedure by the Surrey-based neuro-orthopaedic surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick. The work of this pioneering vet will be the focus of a new six part documentary series The Bionic Vet, to be broadcast on BBC1 from June 30.
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Posted: 25th, June 2010 | In: Technology | Comment (1)
Ben Paton Beats Alex Lee To Buy First Apple iPhone 4: Apple iPhone 5 Coming Soon
THE iPhone 4 went on sale at apple’s shop in central London. Like a poser magnet for the socially needy, the device attracted gadget fans in droves. Alex Lee, of Dubai, was first in line after having queued for 32 hours to buy a mobile phone. But Somerset’s very own Ben Paton, 23, became the first customer to complete his purchase after having registered in advance online and queuing for a mere16 hours. If only Alex had had some way of communicating with apple he would have won…
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Posted: 24th, June 2010 | In: Technology | Comment (1)
Southwark Tube Station Gets Countdown Technology
OUTSIDE Southwark Tube Station, the pedestrian crossing is blessed with “countdown technology”. The number tells walker how long they have to cross the road before the lights turn green and all hell is unleashed. Says one black cabbie:
“It’s a step in the right direction. What we need now is a countdown on the red lights to who long before I can catch one.”
Look out for road safety campaigners warning schoolchildren not to start the Chicken Dash when the number hits ‘2’…
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Posted: 21st, June 2010 | In: Technology | Comment
The Greatest Self-Timer Photograph Ever
EAT your heart out Adrianne Curry, Tila Tequila, Kim Kardashian, Coco and all other Twitter self-pic promoters. Presenting the greatest self-timer picture ever. You point the camera. You click the self-timer. You get into position. And the technology does the rest… Picture 2 is the money shot:
Twitter Pics – The Sexy Celeb Ones
Tila Tequila (NSFW)
Page 3 Girls Retrospective
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Posted: 21st, June 2010 | In: Key Posts, Technology | Comment (1)
World Cup: England Fans Miss The Goal As ITV HD Goes Down
FOR those of you watching the World Cup on ITV in swanky HD, Steven Gerrard scored a goal. He scored while you were watching an advert. He scored in black and white. He scored on the radio. He scored on the web. He scored on the normal telly.
World Cup: Barack Obama Thanks ‘Agent’ Beckham
An ITV spokeswoman says:
“A transmission problem temporarily affected ITV1’s HD service during the England-USA match. ITV standard definition service continued uninterrupted. We apologise for the interruption in transmission.”
Adding: “But what an interruption! The clarity!!”
Posted: 12th, June 2010 | In: Key Posts, Technology | Comments (5)
Is The Riversimple Hydrogen Car Britain’s Tata Tano?
THE Riversimple hydrogen fuel cell car is on its way to Leicester. Can it be the UK’s own Tata Tano? Inventor Hugo Spowers motored the prototype at De Montfort Hall in Leicester. In 2010, Riversimple will site and operate a refuelling point for fleet of 30 cars. The car, constructed at Silverstone, can reach top speed of 50 mph and can go 200 miles on a single tank of hydrogen – equivalent of 300 miles per gallon. It weighs 350 kg. Would you drive one? Or drive over one?
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Posted: 10th, June 2010 | In: Technology | Comments (13)
Environmentalist Michelle Branch Launches 4×4 Mini Countryman
WITH Michelle Branch to the launch of the Mini Countryman, a new 4×4 MINI. What better place for the Mini Countryman’s unveiling than Mudchute City Farm in east London. Yes, the launch of car attended by Michelle Branch – the environmentalist. (Timbaland went too.)
As she writes:
I am on my way to San Francisco to play a few acoustic songs for an amazing event this evening and wanted to share it with you all. Since becoming a mother, the reality of the state of our planet has become a very real fear. It has inspired many changes in my own family’s lives. We’ve changed to a mostly vegan diet which I know most of you have all been so curious about. In a few months I will be launching a “green” tour. Not only will we be using bio-diesel for our tour buses but our other goals are having a full “green” set and merch made of recycled and organic, reuseable materials. As you can tell, this is very close to my heart.
And the band played on…
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Posted: 9th, June 2010 | In: Technology | Comment (1)
First UK eBay Seller Prosecuted For Online Auction Fixing
PAUL Barrett, 39, from Stanley, is the first eBay seller in the UK to be prosecuted for online auction fixing – he bid against himself to inflate the price on his own items.
Skipton Magistrates’ Court heard that Barrett, who hires out minibuses for a living, was called “shanconpaul” when selling and “paulthebusman” when buying.
(He should learn from online poker and have pals in other parts of the world to fix the thing for him, allegedly.)
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Posted: 7th, June 2010 | In: Technology | Comment
iPad Triggers Surge In Newspaper Sales In Japan: Want To Know Why?
THE iPad is the new way to spot a tosser on the Tube. Or is it?
In Japan, you can’t see the iPad because the shame-faced punters and posers are wrapping the things (chip wrappers – geddit?!) around their iPads on the underground.
The given excuse is that it stops them being stolen. The real rason we have touched upon: shame.
How the iPad saved newspapers… Read all about it!
Posted: 3rd, June 2010 | In: Technology | Comment
Daily Express Readers Invited To Give Facebook Thumbs Up To Derrick Bird Massacre
DERRICK Bird: How much does the media – and Facebook – like Derrick Bird?
Well, he has allowed the media to be full of facts. How many are dead? 12! 13! Any more? Come on. Any more? We’re waiting…
And there’s loadsa opinion about why it happened. Like these. And those. And his. Derrick Bird has allowed the media to titillate us with gory details.
Do, do we like it? Facebook users of the Daily Express wants to know. Do you want to be the first of your friends to like the story of death and maiming. Thumbs up?
File under: perils of using social media. Spotter: Belam
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Posted: 3rd, June 2010 | In: Technology | Comments (3)
Before iPad And Apple A Pictorial History Of Computers
BEFORE the iPad and apple made computing into a thing for posers and the superficial, the machines were going to save the world. They would feed penguins. They would mow the lawn. They would launch rockets and play chess. Remember Commodore Computers and the ZX Spectrum? We do. We’ve put together an archive of pictures of how computers used to be sold to the masses. It’s was high-tech boffinry. It as in black and white…
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Leslie Russell computer operator at Trans-World airlines new data communications centre in Rockleigh, New Jersey, USA, was looking to the future at her "Moon Desk" after the fwentastic success of Apollo 10's lunar mission. The company received 3,000 requests for reservations to the moon. Though there was no immediate prospect of regular lunar flights, the requests were transferred to magnetic tape for storage when TWA activated it's computerised reservations system on it's round the world routes.
Posted: 31st, May 2010 | In: Technology | Comment
Spot The IT Consultant: Horrified IT Expert Mistaken For Real Estate Agent
CAN you spot the IT Consultant amid a sea of estate agents at Dean’s Property, your first choice for property in Sydney’s fringe? Where’s Paul? It’s gonna be tough to spot him. But study hard. Ignore your preconceptions, prejudices and stereotypes. Just stick to the facts. Good luck!
Posted: 30th, May 2010 | In: Technology | Comment
