Journalist shield law may not halt iPhone probe

"Under a California law dating back to 1872, any person who finds lost property and knows who the owner is likely to be--but 'appropriates such property to his own use'--is guilty of theft. There are no exceptions for journalists. In addition, a second state law says any person who knowingly receives property that has been obtained illegally can be imprisoned for up to one year."

This is the crux of the issue. I'm not sure the phone was actually "lost" either. It may have been lifted. When the identity of the "seller" comes out (police investigation, not from Gizmodo), it will be interesting to the history or background of that person.

No matter what else was done wrong, I do think that bashing in the door in the middle of the night was a bit of overkill. They could have knocked. It is not like the bloggers at Gizmodo are armed and dangerous.

If the charges are true and the receiver of the property is convicted, I think some serious community service time and probation, rather than jail, is warranted in this case.

Thoughts on Flash

The man from Apple himself, Steve Jobs, lays out why no flash will be coming to the iPhone or the iPad.

Considering how many security updates I have to do in a year and how often it crashes, I'd love to see Adobe Flash go. I didn't like it when it was Macromedia Flash. Of course, the first widespread use of it on the Web was for seemingly long loading and boring "splash screens".

Apple, with its large market share of mobile devices may just be able to force the Flash issue. Anyway, "Flash Wars" is sure fun to follow.

AMD 6-core barebones system for $500 after MIR

Wanna fabulous deal on the brand new six-core AMD Phenom II? You have until April 30th to get this launch deal:

This Bundle Includes

• Gigabyte 880GM-UD2H AM3 Motherboard
• AMD HDT55TFBRBOX Phenom II 1055T Six Core Processor with Fan
• Corsair Dominator 4GB PC10666 RAM
• Western Digital WD10EARS 1TB Caviar Green Hard Drive
• Ultra X-Blaster Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
• Ultra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply

Add an OS and a graphics card, and you have one impressive box. The reviews, and especially the computing/dollar, are very good. Tiger Direct throws in $60 in mail-in rebates to bring the final cost to $500 + shipping. That's a good deal.

1.5 million stolen Facebook IDs up for sale

A hacker named Kirllos has a rare deal for anyone who wants to spam, steal or scam on Facebook: an unprecedented number of user accounts offered at rock-bottom prices

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-25-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-25-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

HP Pavilion p6380t Core 2 Quad 2.5GHz PC for $580 + free shipping
It features an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 6GB RAM, 640GB 7200 rpm hard drive, dual layer DVD burner with LightScribe, Gigabit Ethernet, 15-in-1 memory card reader, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.
1.Click here and choose the top "Customize & Buy" button to start at $599.99
2.select "FREE Upgrade to 640GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive... (+$0)"
3.click "Review & buy" and add to your cart for $599.99
4.apply coupon code "DTAL89741" to cut the price to $579.99 with free shipping

Dell Small Business offers its Dell Vostro 230 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93GHz Mini Tower Desktop PC bundled with the Samsung 2494LW 23.6" Widescreen LCD Monitor in Black for $489. With $8 for shipping, that's $307 off and the lowest total price we could find for a Vostro 230 mini tower / 24" LCD combo. Features include an Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 2.93GHz dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, DVD burner, integrated graphics, keyboard, optical mouse, Gigabit Ethernet, and Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit.

Refurb Apple iPhone 3G for AT&T for $49 + free shipping via overnight, more
With activation of a new account and a 2-year data plan, AT&T Wireless offers deals on refurbished Apple iPhones, as listed below. (To find them, click the size — 8GB, 16GB, 32GB — under the two refurb models.) With free shipping via overnight delivery and free activation, each is $50 under the cost of a similar package with a new, factory-sealed model. Sales tax is added where applicable. Each iPhone features compatibility with AT&T's 3G network, built-in GPS navigation with Google Maps, enhanced enterprise support, a 3.5" touch screen, at least 5 hours of talk time, and more. Offer ends April 26.

SuperBiiz has the Samsung EcoGreen F2 HD154UI 1.5TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive for $95 - $10 off with coupon code IWANT10 [Exp 4/25] = $85 with free shipping. Features an average seek time of 8.9ms, SATA 3.0Gb/s and a 32 MB cache. Less than 6 cdnts per Gigabyte.

ZipZoomFly has the Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive for $110 - $15 rebate [Exp 5/31] = $95 with free shipping. This drive uses the new generation SATA 6.0gbs interface that features increased transfer speeds as well as updated power efficiency and native command queuing

Eforcity has the Foldable USB Silicone Keyboard for $11 - $2 off with coupon code EFWS041937 [Exp 4/25] = $9 with free shipping. Fold-up QWERTY keyboard features five rows of full-size keys (including numbers). Can be cleaned with just soap and water

Newegg Mall has the Neiko Stainless Steel 6" Digital Caliper with Fraction Display for $19 + $0 shipping = $19 shipped. Has both metric and SAE markings on the body while the LCD can switch between SAE and metric at the touch of a button

ZipZoomFly has the Western Digital AV-GP WD20EVDS 2.0TB SATA Hard Drive for $160 - $15 rebate [Exp 4/30] = $145 with free shipping. This drive is supposed to be more durable in high heat and always-on conditions

SuperBiiz has the Super Talent 8GB SM Style USB Flash Drive for $17 - $5 off with coupon code DONUT4505 [Exp 4/25] + $2 shipping = $14 with free shipping. You never have to worry about losing your cap since this model comes with a steel swivel lid.

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) With so many stories in the news about nuclear disarmament I was kind of googling around reading articles when this story came up about securing a potential Nuke during the earthquake in Chile, that story here http://news.yahoo.com. A spinoff from that article led me to the reason I’m using this as my green link. In the article they were talking about processing the weapon grade material into fuel for nuclear power, I thought why not warheads so I googled and found this article http://www.world-nuclear.org. As much as I am deep down disturbed by the whole nuclear thing, if we can recycle the stuff, it solves many problems.
2) It has been a while since I have put up anything on U.F.O.s so here we go. I have friend in California who went to the yearly reenactment of this event, he liked it a lot. Any way during the conversations back and forth I ran across this video. It is about the “Battle of Los Angles” in this video they use the old radio news casts, show old video of the shooting (big guns), also interviews. Very well done, if you never heard of the Battle of Los Angles, you should check it out. http://www.youtube.com
3) This is one of the more disturbing articles I have read lately, seems we are about to go off planet in a new way. Not so sure it is the military I want to replace NASA in advancing our space efforts. World is getting scary, I mean if we don’t they will, several other countries are on their way. It’s not like the “Outer Space Treaty of 1967” (worth a google) is going to stop anyone. http://www.dailymail.co.uk
4) Thought this might interest the phone group, referring to an article about app’s for the military. Interesting to hear them say their smart phones may soon be as important as their rifles. http://www.defensenews.com
5) Thought for geek I would use this article about Face Book it is interesting to consider just how this clash between freedom and privacy comes down. There are really endless possibilities thinking about the world getting smaller, but the information base getting so much larger. http://social.venturebeat.com

Cyberattack on Google Said to Hit Password System - NYTimes.com

It looks like Google got hit a lot harder than they have admitted so far, when hacked in China....

Ten free apps to install on every new PC • reghardware

Product Round-up You've just taken delivery of a new PC, and you're looking for some good apps to run on it. You'll no doubt have a few in mind, but before reaching for your wallet, check out these ten essentials, all of which we think you'll find darn useful - and they won't cost you a penny.

This is an interesting article. I never though about what free apps I run on a PC, Of the 10 listed here I run 7 and there was only 1 or 2 I didn't know about. The last one to back up your data was new to me.

If you have a new PC and need some software to help you work or play, here is a good place to start.

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

AlaskaJoe

Apple's Next iPhone - Iphone 4 Pictures and video

Go to the link in the title and you will see pics and video of Apple's new iPhone - Earl

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-18-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-18-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

10-Port Powered USB 2.0 Hub for $12 + free shipping
Meritline.com offers this 10-Port Powered USB 2.0 Hub in Black for $19.97. Add coupon code "10pusb12" to your cart to cut it to $11.99. With free shipping, it's the. It includes an AC adapter and USB cable. Deal ends April 20

Dell Inspiron 15 Intel Dual Core 2.2GHz 16" Laptop for $399 + $13 s&h
Dell Home offers the 5.8-lb. Dell Inspiron 15 Pentium Dual-Core 2.2GHz 15.6" Widescreen Notebook in Jet Black for $399 with $12.95 for shipping. This notebook features an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4400 2.2GHz processor, 15.6" 1366x768 widescreen LED-backlit LCD, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, 802.11g wireless, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Newegg has the LG GH22LS50 22X LightScribe SATA CD/DVD Writer for $24 with free shipping. Even though Blu-ray discs and drives are the new hotness, DVDs will still be here to stay for a while

HP has the HP Pavilion G60t Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz 15.6" Notebook for $644 - $100 off instantly - $50 off with coupon code NBS21653 [900 uses] + $19 shipping = $513 shipped. Configured as below to reach $644 ($599 coupon minimum). [Compare]
• Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 2.2GHz, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Win 7 HP x64
• Intel GMA 4500MHD, 15.6" 1366x768, SuperMulti DVD, 802.11b/g/n, 6-cell

Newegg has the Logitech G330 3.5mm/ USB Circumaural Gaming Headset for $50 - $10 off with coupon code EMCYRZT46 [Exp 4/22] - $15 rebate [Exp 4/22] = $25 with free shipping. Ideal for use with all MP3, CD, DVD players and portable gaming systems.


ZipZoomFly has the Seagate Barracuda 250GB ST3250318AS 7200.12 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive for $44 - $10 rebate [Exp 4/30] = $34 with free shipping. Features a 7200rm rotational speed, 8MB cache, and a 3gb/s SATA interface.


Toshiba has the Toshiba Satellite 15.6" L500-ST2544 Core i3 Notebook for $499 with free shipping. • Core i3-330M 2.13Ghz processor 2GB DDR3, 250GB HDD, 6-cell
• Intel GMA HD, DVD SuperMulti, 802.11n, webcam, Windows 7 HP x 64
‘’’’


Dell has the AMD-powered Dell Inspiron 546 MT Desktop for $399 + $13 shipping = $412 shipped. AMD Athlon X2 7550 2.5GHz, 4GB DDR2, 500GB HDD, Windows 7 HP x64
16x DVD Writer, Integrated Radeon HD 3200 video card, 5.1 channel audio


Newegg has the Samsung G3 Station 1.5TB HX-DU015EC External Hard Drive for $110 with free shipping. Weighs 1.96lbs and inside you'll find a 3.5" hard drive. Covered by a 3 year limited warranty.

Newegg has the Hitachi Deskstar HD31000 IDK/7K 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive for $85 - $15 off with coupon code EMCYRZS28 [Exp 4/21] = $70 with free shipping. Features an average seek time of 8.2ms, and a three year parts/labor warranty.

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) This is an article about that glacial collapse in Peru that created a tsunami in a lake causing damage to local towns. While the general track of the article involves global climate change, there is quite a bit of general info here, complete with several videos, interesting read if you are interested in the current view about losing our glaciers. http://wwfblogs.org
2) I have posted quite a few links in the nano-tech field in the past; almost all of them were on new possibilities, and advancements in the technology. Well there is always down side to consider this article points to some major concerns about where we might be going with this. http://www.aolnews.com
3) Not sure what to make of a story like this, the implications are pretty much endless, if it turns out to be true. It makes me think of several other stories, subjects from cell memory, to after death possibilities, in other words one of those items that make me think a little deeper. http://www.dailymail
4) This article about predictive software is rather disturbing, and reminds me of a movie plot back there somewhere. Seems they want to predict bad behavior before it happens, they decide you are incline to commit a crime by analysis now they will follow you around just in case? Sounds pretty goofy to me, but I.B.M. dumped a lot of money into it so who knows? http://gizmodo.com
5) This made me wonder just how much have agreed to through that who has time to read all this, I will just click, sign, whatever just give me my toy now. I mean when they trick me into giving up my eternal soul OMG what else did I miss. http://news.cnet.com

Internet Explorer 8's Malware-Blocking Madness - PCWorld

Since its launch, Internet Explorer 8 has blocked access to over 560 million sites that it determined were serving malware, or about 3 million blocks per day, said Brandon LeBlanc in a blog post on Friday.
Some people say not to use Internet Explorer at all, this article talks about how well IE8 works.

Remember today is Windows Update Tuesday so DO YOUR WINDOWS UPDATES!

AlaskaJoe

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-11-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-11-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Apple Goes Where The Portals Failed: It’s The Hardware, Stupid | Epicenter | Wired.com

Apple morphs itself again -
Most of its money still comes from selling computers, iPhones, iPods and iPads. But with its move into advertising, the spike in revenue from selling iPhone aps (four billion downloads and counting), as well as its move to take a percentage of book and other content sales on the iPad have NEW MEDIA COMPANY written all over them

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) Cars that run on air have been a subject of interest to me since I saw a video on Youtube quite a while ago. I was very interested to see a man in Australia who was powering a fork lift in his warehouse with compressed air. I was struck by the fact the engine needed no oil or lubricant of any kind of due to air pressure filling in any and all gaps between moving parts thus zero friction, meaning the engine should last just about forever. This is an interesting site on air powered vehicles that delves into several areas dealing with the pros and cons of the technology. http://auto.howstuffworks.com
2) This is something I have seen mentioned several times lately on the net in different venues. Seems NASA is currently searching for what they are calling the Death Star. There is a lot of evidence pointing to the discovery we have a sister sun; somehow I never considered we might have a duel star solar system. The death star reference comes from the theory that stars gravity is slinging comets at us from a distance. Interesting read here http://www.telegraph.co.uk
3) It would appear there is some rumbling going on with the theory of evolution. I’m not talking about the religious debate, this is pure science. Actually the research is pointing to a challenge in the area of natural selection being the only driving mechanism of evolution. The article is about the new field of epigenetics, and discoveries dealing with environmental information being transferred through the epigenome which is part of DNA causing changes in the offspring. The unsaid thing that struck me about the subject which is of interest to me is how this might relate to the concept of cell memory. This is a fascinating read http://www.guardian.co.uk
4) Time for something a little edgy, over the years I have heard stories about raining fish, frogs, and the like, well it may have happened again in Australia raining fish, in the desert yet. The usual explanation for this phenomenon is a tornado, or water spout in a nearby lake or ocean, they say they eliminated that possibility. The other oddity is the fish were still alive, if they were caught in a massive updraft of some kind at seventy thousand feet they should have been frozen, or died due to lack of pressure. http://www.ntnews.com.
5) My geek link for the week is kind of a bookend link; I could have used it as a green link, that’s a first. Anyway it seems we can save toner and printer ink just by changing the font we use. This article is about how the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay is saving quite a bit of money by changing to a greener font. I think I may do the same heck if I get another 3-5% for what I do it might get me another month or two. http://www.greenbiz.com

Earl's Cyber Steals and Deals

Dell Small Business offers the Dell PowerEdge T105 Athlon 64 X2 2.3GHz Server for $438. Coupon code "Q5QJ$3Z5NS9Z9?" knocks it to $229. With $25 for shipping, it ties last month's mention for the best deal we've seen on this system. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4450B 2.3GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, Serial ATA DVD-ROM drive, and Gigabit Ethernet. An operating system is not included. Coupon ends April 28 or after 200 uses.
.
best bet is the Studio One 19 Desktop Intel Dual Core 2.7GHz 18.5" Desktop PC in Charcoal (pictured) for $728 before the coupon, $546 after. With $12.95 for shipping, that's $53 under February's mention and among the best total prices we've seen for any new Studio One 19 system. It features an Intel Pentium Dual Core E5300 2.6GHz processor, 18.5" 1366x768 touchscreen LCD, 3GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, dual layer DVD burner, webcam, keyboard, mouse, and Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit.

Dell Home offers the 5.8-lb. Dell Inspiron 15 Pentium Dual-Core 2.2GHz 15.6" Widescreen Notebook in Jet Black for $399 with $19 for shipping. That's tied with our mention earlier in the week, since expired, for one of the least expensive Inspiron 15 laptops we've seen with a dual-core processor. Sales tax is added where applicable. This notebook features an Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4400 2.2GHz processor, 15.6" 1366x768 widescreen LED-backlit LCD, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, 802.11g wireless, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Newegg has the Samsung EcoGreen F2 HD103SI 1TB 5400 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive for $70 with free shipping. Features Samsung's Eco-Triangle technology, designed to use less energy in read/write and idle modes.

Staples has the Acer X223WDbd Black 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor for $140 with free shipping. Features 1680x1050 resolution, 250cd/m2 brightness, 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 5ms response time, and Energy Star rating

TradePub has the Free How to Choose a Hosting Provider that Fits Your Needs Guide. This guide will help explain the differences between the various hosting options as well as help you understand how much of your time and efforts will be focused on managing servers or driving innovators for your business

Newegg has a 100 pack HP 4.7GB 16X DVD+R Media Model 2041 for $17 + $2 shipping = $19 shipped. Ideal for general purpose recording.

HP has the HP Pavilion Elite HPE-180t Core i3 Desktop PC on sale for $550 - $20 off with coupon code DTAL89741 [Exp 4.30] = $530 with free shipping. [Compare]
Intel Core i3-530 2.93GHz, 4GB DDR3, 640GB HDD, Windows 7 HP x64
IntelHD graphics, Lightscribe 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti, 7.1-ch sound
Integrated 10/100/1000, 6-in-1 memory card reader, keyboard and mouse

Newegg has the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1500GB (1.5TB) 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive for $110 - $15 off with coupon code EMCYRYX29 [Exp 4/11] = $95 with free shipping. This drive uses their 2nd generation Perpendicular Recording technology

Newegg has the Toshiba Satellite L505D-LS5002 15.6" Notebook for $360 - $10 off with coupon code EMCYRYX77 [Exp 4/11] = $350 with free shipping.
AMD Sempron M100 2.0GHz, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB HDD
ATI Radeon 4100, 802.11b/g, DVD-R/RW, Win 7 HP, 6 cell battery

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-04-10

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-04-10. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific that's 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links from the Gregg Zone

1) My green link for the week was sent to me by Wills, I thank you. Sometimes I look at these ideas and can only think wow!! The concept is great (I suppose that’s why they call them concept cars), but they all seem to run into that special environment restriction. If you were building a city from scratch with lots of design control it might work very well, in New York City no. Although, it would increase the parking spaces by a factor of ten, and you could have a lot more cabs and they should be cheaper to run, but making sense would never be enough cause to change anything. It is a great idea and I was impressed by the Segway - GM collaboration seems like there is a lot of potential in a union like that. I imagine they have someplace in mind to test market, it will be interesting to follow. http://editorial.autos.msn.com/
2) This is another along the green transportation line sent to me by Troll, thank you sir. A link to a story about electric motorcycles in California being touted by Arnie, they are even offering a rebate. According to the story the cost of operation is about one cent per mile, on average terrain, and speeds. That link here http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com When, I first looked at this story I thought there was something familiar about the bike, then I remembered seeing it on Youtube it was being ridden by a dirt competition rider who was impressed with the bike. I was looking for the video when I found this story about the bike it predates the other link some, in this article they mention that the Zero-S Arnies model is coming out soon and will be equipped for street use. The article is interesting especially about the origin of the motor, this article is about the zero-X my impression is they are same bike, with different equipment. That link here http://www.motorcycle.com
3) This is an article about some new tricks they are working on in genetics, referring to it as Genetic Code 2.0 kind of says it all. They are talking a total rewrite using phrases like synthetic biology, synthetic organisms, almost sounds like a cross between the Island of Dr. Moreau – and a robotics team at MIT. It has the look of a beginning, but I am not sure I want to know the ending. As with most things there is potential for both good and evil, bet you will see it referenced to in a movie soon. http://www.newscientist.com
4) When I saw this I was drawn in because of the neural computer talk noticed in my initial scan. The idea of creating an artificial intelligence has long been one of those fields that arouse my curiosity. The articles early reference to finding “electronics long lost missing link” did not hurt either. Seems that they have demonstrated a working memristor, oops spell check did not like that, but maybe that is going to change soon. This Looks like it is a big deal, and it may make some serious changes in the future. The article has also fostered an interest in slime mold, I will be looking into that after the show. http://hplusmagazine.com
5) Link to a Farmville vs Mafia Wars review, I must admit his description pretty much fits my mental picture of what the games are like. Although with millions playing there must be more to it. I scanned the comments section, but my overall impression is that like a lot of things in the world it is just not for me. http://www.uproxx.com/