Is Comcast hacking?
In my column that went up today, I examine Comcast's alleged practice of blocking uploads from BitTorrent and other applications. The practice was reported last week by the Associated Press and numerous bloggers. The company doesn't admit to the practice but does say that it takes steps to protect its network from people who abuse their service by sending out excessive amounts of information.
The company reportedly does the blocking by sending out false messages telling computers sharing files that the file is no longer needed by the person who requested it. If these reports are true, Comcast may be guilty of hacking and impersonation. Even though their motivations might be noble, their methods are scary. It's like a government agency engaging in illegal search and interrogation methods in the name of homeland security, not that that ever happens.
The company reportedly does the blocking by sending out false messages telling computers sharing files that the file is no longer needed by the person who requested it. If these reports are true, Comcast may be guilty of hacking and impersonation. Even though their motivations might be noble, their methods are scary. It's like a government agency engaging in illegal search and interrogation methods in the name of homeland security, not that that ever happens.
New Advances in Prosthetics
It's not often you meet a researcher looking for a solution to a condition they themselves are dealing with. But when you do their quest has added resonance. Hugh Herr is a double amputee having lost both his legs below the knee while mountain climbing at age 17. He's also one of the world's leading prosthetics innovators through his work at MIT. Herr was recently awarded the $250,000 Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment, but more importantly his efforts have resulted in breakthroughs for other amputees like Iraq war veteran, Army specialist Garth Stewart.
Stewart was the first recipient of Herr's rather bionic lower leg, which uses a combination of subtle mechanics and delicate robotics to better recreate human muscles and bones. Stewart, who previously had a decent but limited prosthetic, is astounded at the difference. He had part of his lower left leg blown off when he stepped on a landmine. Now, he's excited about the future possibilities, which include reduced lower back pain, something many amputee wearers suffer. And Stewart should know about fatigue since this is a guy who still practices jujitsu. (Seriously.)
But Herr isn't satisfied. He doesn't see prosthetic limbs as a replacement. In fact,quite the opposite. He sees them as an opportunity to improve on the "imperfect" design of the human body. With wireless sensors and software, Herr pushes his prosthetics to adapt to irregular terrain or faster movement. Eventually leaping higher or running faster. Forget about being disadvantaged. He believes people (be them military or other) who wear prosthetics will one day have an advantage over those who don't wear them.
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Stewart was the first recipient of Herr's rather bionic lower leg, which uses a combination of subtle mechanics and delicate robotics to better recreate human muscles and bones. Stewart, who previously had a decent but limited prosthetic, is astounded at the difference. He had part of his lower left leg blown off when he stepped on a landmine. Now, he's excited about the future possibilities, which include reduced lower back pain, something many amputee wearers suffer. And Stewart should know about fatigue since this is a guy who still practices jujitsu. (Seriously.)
But Herr isn't satisfied. He doesn't see prosthetic limbs as a replacement. In fact,quite the opposite. He sees them as an opportunity to improve on the "imperfect" design of the human body. With wireless sensors and software, Herr pushes his prosthetics to adapt to irregular terrain or faster movement. Eventually leaping higher or running faster. Forget about being disadvantaged. He believes people (be them military or other) who wear prosthetics will one day have an advantage over those who don't wear them.
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Microsoft + Facebook = More $$$
The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Microsoft is in talks to invest in Facebook by as much as 5%, which would value the social networking site at more than $10 billion. Wait, what? $10 billion?? That stake from Microsoft would reportedly be worth $300 to $500 million. It's a somewhat complicated deal that would involve advertising, strategy and cross-platform stuff. But hang on. How'd this all happen so fast? Yet another sign of the times.
Facebook has seen such a rapid rise in popularity in the past year that companies like Google and Microsoft are competing for its favor. There are more than 40 million people registered as users. Thus far, young founder Mark Zuckerberg has rebuffed any major investment from established tech companies like Microsoft or Google or Yahoo!. (Of course that doesn't mean those companies aren't developing their own "Facebook-esque" venture.) Zuckerberg often cites independence, the desire to open the site up to third-party developers and the chance to keep growing and expanding without excessive corporate influence. I applaud him for that and hope it continues. (Obviously, if this upward trend continues he'll also go public at some point. That might change the whole game.)
Many of have some kind of Microsoft product in our lives, and Google has certainly become ubiquitous with searching online. But does every successful networking startup (see: Flickr, YouTube) have to cash in? I mean, don't get me wrong. Many young programmers begin with a dream to carve out a niche, and some are eager to be bought out by the bigger fish. Fine. I get it. But as a regular Facebook user I LIKE that it's different than Microsoft or Google or Yahoo!. I LIKE that it's unique and simple and actually quite handy for a transplanted Canadian. I guess I'm naively hoping it'll stay that way. Poke poke.
Facebook has seen such a rapid rise in popularity in the past year that companies like Google and Microsoft are competing for its favor. There are more than 40 million people registered as users. Thus far, young founder Mark Zuckerberg has rebuffed any major investment from established tech companies like Microsoft or Google or Yahoo!. (Of course that doesn't mean those companies aren't developing their own "Facebook-esque" venture.) Zuckerberg often cites independence, the desire to open the site up to third-party developers and the chance to keep growing and expanding without excessive corporate influence. I applaud him for that and hope it continues. (Obviously, if this upward trend continues he'll also go public at some point. That might change the whole game.)
Many of have some kind of Microsoft product in our lives, and Google has certainly become ubiquitous with searching online. But does every successful networking startup (see: Flickr, YouTube) have to cash in? I mean, don't get me wrong. Many young programmers begin with a dream to carve out a niche, and some are eager to be bought out by the bigger fish. Fine. I get it. But as a regular Facebook user I LIKE that it's different than Microsoft or Google or Yahoo!. I LIKE that it's unique and simple and actually quite handy for a transplanted Canadian. I guess I'm naively hoping it'll stay that way. Poke poke.
Google Searching For Moon Landing
Don't get too excited -- you can't book a cruise on the Sea of Tranquility just yet. But Google and the X Prize Foundation are trying to bring citizen travel to the moon a little closer to reality. A little. During Wired magazine's NextFest today the two groups announced a joint contest called the Google Lunar X Prize for landing a robot on the moon. How does $20 million sound?
The total purse is actually $30 million, with $20 million for the grand prize and $5 million for second place and $5 million for performance bonuses. (Second place would really be a bummer.) To win, the robot must move for at least 500 meters and be able to send video, images and data back to Earth. The grand prize will decrease to $15 million after Dec. 31, 2012, and it will remain at that level for another two years. After that, organizers will decide to extend or terminate the project.
The X Prize Foundation is no stranger to lofty goals, of course, having offered a few multi-million dollar rewards for science and exploration over the years. Most notably in the aerospace realm, the $10 million Ansari X Prize was awarded in 2004 to Mojave Aerospace Ventures (Burt Rutan, Paul Allen and co.) when they successfully (technically) sent a human into space twice within two weeks aboard SpaceShipOne.
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The total purse is actually $30 million, with $20 million for the grand prize and $5 million for second place and $5 million for performance bonuses. (Second place would really be a bummer.) To win, the robot must move for at least 500 meters and be able to send video, images and data back to Earth. The grand prize will decrease to $15 million after Dec. 31, 2012, and it will remain at that level for another two years. After that, organizers will decide to extend or terminate the project.
The X Prize Foundation is no stranger to lofty goals, of course, having offered a few multi-million dollar rewards for science and exploration over the years. Most notably in the aerospace realm, the $10 million Ansari X Prize was awarded in 2004 to Mojave Aerospace Ventures (Burt Rutan, Paul Allen and co.) when they successfully (technically) sent a human into space twice within two weeks aboard SpaceShipOne.
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A Wikipedia Wecord
(Wikipedia)
The Wikipedia announcement can be found here. It points out that the El Hormiguero entry, which covers a Spanish TV comedy show, was erroneously thought to be number two million. (El Hormiguero? Who knew. If this alone doesn't illustrate the breadth of Wikipedia then I don't know what does.) So the search is on for the rightful record holder.
For most journalists, the information on Wikipedia remains forbidden ground. There have simply been too many cases of errors or altered entries to use it as a primary source, as tempting as it may be. That said, it's a very handy tool to settle dinner-time disputes like the tallest building in the world or who began marketing the "Crazy Frog" ring tone. With Web surfing included in nearly every mobile device these days it must be outlawed by trivial pursuit gatherings across the country.
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How About Them Apples?
OK, so after the iPhone was released in late June I must say I felt pretty burned out by Apple mania. The hype and hysteria was everywhere and I was in the middle of it. That said, I did break down and buy an iPhone. I also bought a video iPod for my wife's birthday last week. After today's series of announcements I'm wishing that I'd waited on both purchases. Curse you, Steve Jobs. In my books, your timing is NOT impeccable.
The iPod Touch looks similar to the iPhone except it doesn't have the phone component and a few other features. But it does have increased storage space (8GB/16GB vs. the iPhone's 4GB/8GB versions) and features Wi-Fi iTunes. It's supposed to be in stores in a few weeks. It'll even have a version of Apple's browser Safari. That's easily the headline from the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco, though Jobs did throw out a few other iPod updates. There'll be increased storage, new colors, and better interfaces such as a wider screen. Plus there's a new partnership with Starbucks to buy songs while waiting for your Frappuccino, and there'll soon be do-it-yourself ringtones available for the iPhone.
That's all well and good. And being an early adopter of most things I can't complain too much, but I sure wish Apple had rolled out the iPod Touch first instead of the iPhone. Of course, then they wouldn't have hooked hundreds of thousands of people in a two-year AT&T contract. (Jobs claims Apple is close to selling its one millionth iPhone.) The phone feature of the iPhone is fine, but I'd scale down to the iPod Touch. Oh, and Jobs also announced a price cut in the iPhone 8GB model, which he said is the one most people want. Starting today it's down to $399 from $599. So now I REALLY wish I'd waited. A lesson for those of us eager to be first.
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The iPod Touch looks similar to the iPhone except it doesn't have the phone component and a few other features. But it does have increased storage space (8GB/16GB vs. the iPhone's 4GB/8GB versions) and features Wi-Fi iTunes. It's supposed to be in stores in a few weeks. It'll even have a version of Apple's browser Safari. That's easily the headline from the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco, though Jobs did throw out a few other iPod updates. There'll be increased storage, new colors, and better interfaces such as a wider screen. Plus there's a new partnership with Starbucks to buy songs while waiting for your Frappuccino, and there'll soon be do-it-yourself ringtones available for the iPhone.
That's all well and good. And being an early adopter of most things I can't complain too much, but I sure wish Apple had rolled out the iPod Touch first instead of the iPhone. Of course, then they wouldn't have hooked hundreds of thousands of people in a two-year AT&T contract. (Jobs claims Apple is close to selling its one millionth iPhone.) The phone feature of the iPhone is fine, but I'd scale down to the iPod Touch. Oh, and Jobs also announced a price cut in the iPhone 8GB model, which he said is the one most people want. Starting today it's down to $399 from $599. So now I REALLY wish I'd waited. A lesson for those of us eager to be first.
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How About Them Apples?
(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
The iPod Touch looks similar to the iPhone except it doesn't have the phone component and a few other features. But it does have increased storage space (8GB/16GB vs. the iPhone's 4GB/8GB versions) and features Wi-Fi iTunes. It's supposed to be in stores in a few weeks. It'll even have a version of Apple's browser Safari. That's easily the headline from the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco, though Jobs did throw out a few other iPod updates. There'll be increased storage, new colors, and better interfaces such as a wider screen. Plus there's a new partnership with Starbucks to buy songs while waiting for your Frappuccino, and there'll soon be do-it-yourself ringtones available for the iPhone.
That's all well and good. And being an early adopter of most things I can't complain too much, but I sure wish Apple had rolled out the iPod Touch first instead of the iPhone. Of course, then they wouldn't have hooked hundreds of thousands of people in a two-year AT&T contract. The phone feature of the iPhone is fine, but I'd scale down to the iPod Touch. Oh, and did I mention the iPhone will now sell for $399 down from $599? Another reason I wish I'd waited to buy.
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Video Games -- Are You Addicted?
Let's start with this premise: video game addiction is a controversial subject. No surprise there. And let's get this out the way: most people play video games and suffer no ill side effects (other than sore thumbs or a bruised ego). Video game addiction is also a debate that isn't going away any time soon. This weekend members of the American Medical Association are considering whether to take video game addiction more seriously, and potentially one day deem it an official medical diagnosis.
There are plenty of arguments to ponder like whether it's a mental disorder, which games trigger it and why, how is "addiction" defined versus "obsessed" or "avid," if/how does it affect the pleasure centers of the brain like other stimulus, who is most susceptible to it (if it exists), what can be done to curb or cure it, etc. You get the point. But it seems clear to me there are those out there -- even a small percentage -- who do need help.
We've done stories on this in the past, including as part of our "Caught in the Web" series when we interviewed Kay Johnson in Arkansas. She calls herself a "recovering addict" after losing her husband and much of her financial foothold while playing "Diablo 2" and "Final Fantasy XI." She says she must now keep an eye on her soon, too, as he goes away to college.
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There are plenty of arguments to ponder like whether it's a mental disorder, which games trigger it and why, how is "addiction" defined versus "obsessed" or "avid," if/how does it affect the pleasure centers of the brain like other stimulus, who is most susceptible to it (if it exists), what can be done to curb or cure it, etc. You get the point. But it seems clear to me there are those out there -- even a small percentage -- who do need help.
We've done stories on this in the past, including as part of our "Caught in the Web" series when we interviewed Kay Johnson in Arkansas. She calls herself a "recovering addict" after losing her husband and much of her financial foothold while playing "Diablo 2" and "Final Fantasy XI." She says she must now keep an eye on her soon, too, as he goes away to college.
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Enter: The Gadget Lab
Time for some shameless self-promotion, but then what blog isn't in some way; this week I started a new segment for the CBS Early Show called "The Gadget Lab." It'll be an at least twice-monthly chance to push, pull, and twist the latest high-tech toys. (It's also very portable.) This morning in the Gadget Lab (sans white coat) I checked out a cornucopia of GPS handhelds.
Future Gadget Lab segments may include durable cases to protect your beloved and vulnerable devices from water, heat or sun this beach season and "outside-the-box" ways of listening to your digital music (e.g. wirelessly, etc.). We're open to adventurous and creative ideas so please send them along. I always say a successful day in any lab is when nothing catches on fire.
Our Maker Faire piece (see last week's blog entry) will be airing in an upcoming edition of CBS Sunday Morning. When I know the exact airdate I'll post it. And we're in the midst of editing my new "online gaming adventures" for CBSNews.com, which will likely go a long ways in solidifying my nerdiness. But that's a good thing, I say! Follow along as I battle mutant spiders, orcs and countless creatures that defy description in "World of Warcraft," "Lord of the Rings Online," "Eve Online" and other virtual worlds.
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Future Gadget Lab segments may include durable cases to protect your beloved and vulnerable devices from water, heat or sun this beach season and "outside-the-box" ways of listening to your digital music (e.g. wirelessly, etc.). We're open to adventurous and creative ideas so please send them along. I always say a successful day in any lab is when nothing catches on fire.
Our Maker Faire piece (see last week's blog entry) will be airing in an upcoming edition of CBS Sunday Morning. When I know the exact airdate I'll post it. And we're in the midst of editing my new "online gaming adventures" for CBSNews.com, which will likely go a long ways in solidifying my nerdiness. But that's a good thing, I say! Follow along as I battle mutant spiders, orcs and countless creatures that defy description in "World of Warcraft," "Lord of the Rings Online," "Eve Online" and other virtual worlds.
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A Small World (I Mean REALLY Small)
I won't even pretend to be an expert in photo microscopy. Sure, I loved microscopes in science classes, and I've dabbled in semi-professional photography over the years but mainly rock concerts and stage shows. But we're talking images of plankton at 400X magnification. That takes a whole different level of skill, understanding and squinting. So I was a little surprised when Nikon approached me to help judge their annual Small World competition. But I jumped at the chance.
The contest is a long-standing tradition at Nikon, dating back to 1974. (At one point the CEO of Nikon came in to greet us.) It's grown immensely over the past several years in conjunction with the growth of digital cameras. And so it was up to me and my four fellow judges to determine the top 100 images, then order the top 20, ultimately deciding on the best submission. Here's the rub: We started with 1,709 photographs.
It took a full day of deliberation last week in the Nikon headquarters in Melville, NY, (not unlike jury duty). Each image was displayed to us in a plasma screen and we discussed whether to keep it or toss it. Somewhere between image number 1,267 and 953, I honestly began to wonder if this was really how I agreed to spend my day. (I know I wasn't alone with that sentiment.) There were no fights (nothing involving thrown chairs anyway), though there was lots of spirited debate. At times it was mentally exhausting. So what kept us going? It's actually really cool and impressive stuff. From cancer cells to microchips to flowers to embryos to bugs. A true convergence of art and science at a microscopic level. Not only do these images potentially provide a greater understanding of, say, the eye pattern on a fruit fly, it's also an astonishing collection of colorful and creative imagery. Many times we were simply curious to know what we were looking at.
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The contest is a long-standing tradition at Nikon, dating back to 1974. (At one point the CEO of Nikon came in to greet us.) It's grown immensely over the past several years in conjunction with the growth of digital cameras. And so it was up to me and my four fellow judges to determine the top 100 images, then order the top 20, ultimately deciding on the best submission. Here's the rub: We started with 1,709 photographs.
It took a full day of deliberation last week in the Nikon headquarters in Melville, NY, (not unlike jury duty). Each image was displayed to us in a plasma screen and we discussed whether to keep it or toss it. Somewhere between image number 1,267 and 953, I honestly began to wonder if this was really how I agreed to spend my day. (I know I wasn't alone with that sentiment.) There were no fights (nothing involving thrown chairs anyway), though there was lots of spirited debate. At times it was mentally exhausting. So what kept us going? It's actually really cool and impressive stuff. From cancer cells to microchips to flowers to embryos to bugs. A true convergence of art and science at a microscopic level. Not only do these images potentially provide a greater understanding of, say, the eye pattern on a fruit fly, it's also an astonishing collection of colorful and creative imagery. Many times we were simply curious to know what we were looking at.
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The Trouble With Today's Digital Still Cameras
Timothy Culp is an electronic graphics technician who works on Special News Events and the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.
The camera manufacturers continue to seduce the public with ever-increasing megapixel counts. It is now common for consumer cameras to have 7, 8 and even 10 megapixel sensors, resolutions comparable to top of the line pro cameras. On the surface, what could be better. We can all now make huge 16 x 20" prints from a camera that will fit comfortably in our shirt pockets. It is, however, that very small camera size which is the cause of the problem we're tackling in this article.
A tiny camera by design must contain a tiny sensor. It is the resolution of the sensor which determines how large a print you can make. A 10 megapixel sensor can produce a much larger print than a 3 megapixel sensor can. An old world analogy is comparing a print from a 4x5" negative to that from a 35mm negative.
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(Kodak)
A tiny camera by design must contain a tiny sensor. It is the resolution of the sensor which determines how large a print you can make. A 10 megapixel sensor can produce a much larger print than a 3 megapixel sensor can. An old world analogy is comparing a print from a 4x5" negative to that from a 35mm negative.
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Mobile Wireless Computing
Charlie Wilson is a video editor for CBS News in Washington D.C.
The trend these days in mobile families, and single people, is to ditch their traditional land-line service and use their cell phone exclusively. With today's cell packages it is economically feasible compared to the $1 a minute when cell phones first debuted in the 1970's. Also more cell towers have made the quality inside buildings and especially homes, much better. In my case it comes down to the carrier. In my area only one carrier works in my home in the burbs, but if you live near a major city, chances are it will work for most at home.
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(CBS)
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Not Your Father's 'Mario Bros.'
(Nintendo)
Educational games of some kind have been around for many years, dating back to the days of Pac-Man. But as the technology for commercial games has evolved so too has the sophistication and interaction for educational ones. This digital learning method has gotten the attention of unlikely allies like the Federation of American Scientists and the MacArthur Foundation. The latter has offered $50 million in research to explore how these high-tech environments can benefit the next generation.
We recently traveled to a rural high school called Oak Hill in Converse, Indiana, and watched history teacher Dave McDivitt put "Making History" to work. He says the kids who play the game in his class do as well or better than those who don't. (You can find a link to McDivitt's blog here).
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Tuning In To Satellite Radio Merger
The long-rumored merger between XM and Sirius satellite radio was announced yesterday, and it set off plenty of speculation over whether it'll get approved by regulatory bodies and the Justice Department. Analysts are split at this point, many giving it a 50-50 shot.
There are about 14 million satellite radio subscribers between the two of them (I'm not one, by the way), but neither company has managed to turn a profit and actually report billions in losses. So, it seems it was a case of love thy enemy, coming together so both could survive rather than battling it out at the detriment to both.
But this proposed deal is not static-free. Questions abound over whether the FCC will allow this to proceed (a current rule prohibits it), and anti-trust concerns have been flagged by opponents. I spoke with an XM PR rep yesterday who says they see their competition as everything from iPods to HD Radio to Internet radio to online music. He called it a "merger of equals" and says it'd benefit the consumer with more choice. I guess that's true, though I'm sure it'll ruffle some subscriber feathers along the way. For example, if you're an XM subscriber now you'd need some kind of adapter to access the Sirius programming and vice versa. Some tech blogs are saying satellite radio is "so 2002" and even with a merger it's best days are in the past. What about all the "exclusive" partnerships and deals with people like Howard Stern, Oprah, and all the sports leagues? Or the car manufacturers -- what are they supposed to install in new vehicles? Lots of questions. In any case, any approval decision or rejection is likely at least a year away. (I can't help but wonder how strange it would be for the two companies to go back to being competitors if it's ultimately not approved. Maybe that's why they haven't announced even a new name.)
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There are about 14 million satellite radio subscribers between the two of them (I'm not one, by the way), but neither company has managed to turn a profit and actually report billions in losses. So, it seems it was a case of love thy enemy, coming together so both could survive rather than battling it out at the detriment to both.
But this proposed deal is not static-free. Questions abound over whether the FCC will allow this to proceed (a current rule prohibits it), and anti-trust concerns have been flagged by opponents. I spoke with an XM PR rep yesterday who says they see their competition as everything from iPods to HD Radio to Internet radio to online music. He called it a "merger of equals" and says it'd benefit the consumer with more choice. I guess that's true, though I'm sure it'll ruffle some subscriber feathers along the way. For example, if you're an XM subscriber now you'd need some kind of adapter to access the Sirius programming and vice versa. Some tech blogs are saying satellite radio is "so 2002" and even with a merger it's best days are in the past. What about all the "exclusive" partnerships and deals with people like Howard Stern, Oprah, and all the sports leagues? Or the car manufacturers -- what are they supposed to install in new vehicles? Lots of questions. In any case, any approval decision or rejection is likely at least a year away. (I can't help but wonder how strange it would be for the two companies to go back to being competitors if it's ultimately not approved. Maybe that's why they haven't announced even a new name.)
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Getting Joost
So, I've been promising to write about an intriguing new technology for a while and now I can as the story is set to air during tonight's CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. Be sure to check it out as you won't find this insider look anywhere else. In the meantime here are some details before you watch the visuals.
Video: It's called Joost. Think what you will of the name, the concept is pretty revolutionary and will soon be coming to a desktop near you. The easiest way I can describe it is that it's like a combination of iTunes, YouTube and your car's dashboard. To put it even more simply, it's like TV over the Internet minus the cable companies. Oh, and free and legal.
For the past couple of years the idea has been code-named The Venice Project, created by the same guys behind the controversial file-sharing service Kazaa and the immensely popular Internet phone call company Skype. They've now taken the same peer-to-peer or shared user backbone and outfitted it with broadcast-quality TV. (You'll remember peer-to-peer services like Napster in the late 1990s really set the table for digital music – and angered the recording industry in the process.) It's on-demand, always-on and eliminates the need for dedicated servers.
Click here for Sieberg's Evening News report on Joost.
How is this possible for TV, you say? Well, you will have to endure some advertising. The Joost folks promise it will be limited to a minute or so per hour of programming. And not all your favorite shows will be available right out of the gate. For now it's limited to documentaries, specialty shows, music videos, some sports and older shows (as I recall there's a Lassie channel). Plus, there's always the lingering question of whether people prefer to watch TV or movies on their computer versus a big-screen plasma or LCD or something larger than the typical monitor.
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