Malware turns PSP into expensive brick

Yes, it's a trojan for the incredibly popular Playstation Portable. This trojan is disquised as a hack to allow the PSP owner to use it for things that are not Sony authorized. Like a bad morality play, those trying to use a device they own as they please by implementing an unauthorized hack, find that their expensive handheld is about as useful for gaming, or anything else, as a brick.

Generate Light: LTT lit bathtub

"This illuminated, self standing, polyethylene bathtub is sure to add drama to your bathroom. Available with internal multicolored, programmable LED light unit, or with a regular light fitting." I think some people have way to much time on the hands!

Sharp Makes a Million-to-One Shot - Home Video News - Designtechnica

"Electronics maker Sharp has announced it has developed an LCD display with a mind-blowing one-million-to-one contrast ratio."
Can you smell the roses yet?

PCWorld.com - Best Defenders

"Spyware is getting smarter. The newest threats are better than their predecessors from just a few months ago at hijacking your browser, watching your Web surfing, and stealing your data. Your current anti-spyware program may not be up to the challenge. "

Technology News Article | Reuters.com

"The record industry may next aim its legal guns at satellite radio due to a dispute involving new portable players which let listeners record and store songs, an analyst and industry sources said on Wednesday. " I guess the record industry can't make money selling music so they want to make it off of us listening to the music instead.

BBC NEWS | Technology | PlayStation loses chipping case

BBC NEWS | Technology | PlayStation loses chipping case: "Sony has lost a legal battle in Australia over the modifying of its PlayStation games console. "

Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | Breaking America's grip on the net

It was announced yesterday that the "EU had decided to end the US government's unilateral control of the internet and put in place a new body that would now run this revolutionary communications medium."

More info at the article in the title.

--MissM

Robert Scoble says there's a google rss reader, the first time I went, I got a server error, so I hit refresh and there it is. Interesting, I'll have to check it out. :)

--MissM

Broadband Over Power Lines Debuts in D.C. Suburb

"MANASSAS, Va. -- Just one year after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved rules for the deployment of broadband over power lines (BPL), the technology made its commercial debut in this Washington suburb. " It will be nice if it works.

Alaska Before You Die - The vacation of a lifetime

Remember Geek Meet 2006 will be up here in Anchorage, I'm sure hope you can make the trip, it is the trip of a lifetime! The 3rd weekend in June is Geek Meet 2006, but you should plan on spending a week or two up here. Notice the date on the license plate!
You won't be sorry. :)
Joe

Slew of Windows patches coming | Tech News on ZDNet

"As part of its monthly patching cycle, Microsoft on Tuesday plans to release eight security alerts for flaws in the Windows operating system. "
I only have one thing to say, DO YOUR UPDATES!

Another busy Patch Tuesday

After a couple of months of relatively little activity, all of us Windows system administrators are going to be busy again this upcoming week. Nine security bulletins on the way; eight of them for Windows, one for Excchange.

TechCrunch: Verisign Acquires Weblogs.com

w0w, its getting wacky with all the news of purchases, Weblogs.com is Dave Winer's company, and he's in Greensboro, NC for ConvergeSouth, a blogging conference I'm dragging the kids to, tomorrow. They are really looking forward to sitting in meetings, all day... NOT! :)

--MissM

CNET News.com's Blog 100

Here is News.com list of top 100 weblogs, its fascinating, and worthy of discussion. My question for you, dear reader, is... How many of these were on your list before you read it, and after? I prolly have about half of them, already... too many to count for accuracy, especially this early in the morning. I know I'll be working my way through the list. I hope I don't go above 200 items in my aggregator :)

--MissM

Level3.Net is being Internet Terrorist in my opinion

According to Todd, at geeknewscentral.com Level3.Net is blocking Level 1 internet peer access to Cogent. That must be why the internet has been really, really slow for me, the last day, or so...

read more | digg story

Update: a link to News.com with more details.

Google formally declares war on Microsoftt i

The link is to a story in The Courier-Mail. You will have to decide for yourself whether or not it is overly dramatic. I think it is not.

Google is going to offer word processor and spreadsheet software online, for free. This is a direct threat to Microsoft's cash cow-Office, though exactly what percentage of the market for Office might be tempted to take advantage of the Open Office applications Sun and Google will offer in conjunction with each other. Even a 10% defection from Microsoft's suite would represent a few hundreds of millions of dollars directly subtracted from Redmond's bottom line.

It is almost inevitable a Google browser will follow in due time.

Now the rumor mill has it that there will be PCs with Sun's Java Desktop System (a Linux distribution with Sun's own desktop) or Sun's desktop running on Solaris 10 for x86. That may or may not be over the top. Who can tell at this stage? It's getting interesting, isn't it?

Jack

How Dell repels attempts to buy its 'open source' PC

Here's an interesting bit at The Register.

Dell evidently did not put out a press release about offering the "open source friendly" E510n. They just tipped off a few journalists who ran with it. Dell gets a free boost in the public eye. But go to Dell's site and try to find, much less buy, this computer and you'll find a very different story.

The PC is hidden well on Dell's site and, despite the fact that you're not having to pay for a copy of Windows, you won't be saving any money on this model. It's a tricky deal to figure out and evidently nearly impossible to consummate. There's also a page of almost hilarious chat transcript with a Dell salesperson. Apparently, they really don't want to sell you this machine.

Jack

Paidcontent.org: AOL buys Weblogs, Inc.

After Ebay paid US$2 Billion for SkyPe, now aol is buying out Weblogs, Inc. which publishes Engadget, which is a blog with the newest gadgets, among others. They may end up paying in the US$20-25 million for Weblogs, Inc.

Is this another dot.com surge?? What else is for sale??

--MissM

Dude! I'm getting a DELL

Just found out, all us mopguys are getting DELL desktops. It will be connected to a central server. This will finally allow us to submit things without paper. I for one am a happy mopguy! I'll keep you updated as things happen.

Shell Extension City: Fun for Geeks

Shellcity.net is a very interesting site for those computer hobbyists with a good set of backups and a recent system restore point or two. Caveat emptor. Lots of tweaks and code to supplant and improve Windows.

Now, If I Could Only Read Hindi, Telugu or Tamil

MICROSOFT Corporation India is set to launch the Windows XP Starter Edition priced at 1,000 rupees ($US22.72) that fits well into the 10,000 rupee ($US227) price personal computers that have begun to proliferate in the country.

The Starter Edition is attractively priced targeting countries such as India and Russia. The edition comes with high localisation and would be available in a local language interface such as Hindi, Telugu and Tamil.

Looks like I'll be paying a lot more than Indian consumers for my next copy of Windows XP...