Terrence O'Brien
Staten Island - http://www.terrence-obrien.com
NVIDIA Optimus Switches Between High Performance and Battery Savings
Today, NVIDIA unveiled Optimus, which aims to make switching between the two modes completely seamless. Optimus uses software profiles to detect whether or not an application requires extra graphic muscle, and then automatically switches between the two different video processors. So, if you're just browsing the Web or working in Excel, Optimus sticks with the low-key IGP. Play an HD video or launch 'Crysis,' however, and it will automatically switch to the high-powered chip.
Hacker Cracks Security Chip Known as 'Digital Fort Knox'
Hacker Christopher Tarnovsky has accomplished what many thought was nearly impossible: cracking the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Described by some as a "digital Fort Knox," the TPM is a specialized processor dedicated to encrypting data and keeping sensitive information from prying eyes. The chips, found in many PCs, are an important line of defense for businesses and governments who need to protect their secrets.Tarnovsky was able to crack the flagship model from Infineon, which is one of the market leaders and has chips in PCs, smartphones, set-top boxes, and the Xbox 360.
Are the Health Hazards of Cell Phones Being Covered Up?
Grab your tinfoil hats everyone. We're going on a wild ride through the world of cell phone radiation, industry cover-ups, and government complicity. If you've been following Switched, or tech news at all, you know that one of the most contentious debates right now is over wireless technology and its effects on the human body. Studies come out nearly every week, alternately declaring cell phone and Wi-Fi radiation safe and announcing its responsibility for countless health issues. GQ's Christopher Ketcham did some digging and turned out one of the most thought-provoking (if slightly alarmist) articles on the physiological effects of wireless radiation we've ever read.
According to Ketcham's article, the lack of a scientific consensus doesn't spring from the difficulty of observing subtle shifts in biochemistry, or from maintaining viable documentation of the long-term effects. Instead, Ketcham, and his sources, most notably neuroscientist Allan Frey, accuse both the communications industry and the Defense Department of actively covering up the truth, and exerting influence over government agencies and the scientific community here in the U.S.
While that might sound like the ramblings of a paranoid Fox Mulder type, it's not as insane as it seems. Private industry has a long and proud history of covering up its own health hazards, while convincing the government to turn a blind eye. The tobacco industry, asbestos manufacturers, and the makers of both DDT and Agent Orange long denied and actively hid overwhelming evidence that their products caused cancer and other health problems.
Your Choice of Search Engine Says a Lot About You
The study claims that your favorite search engine doesn't merely indicate a preference for JetBue or a tendency to buy Toyotas. The companies believe they were able to build complex psychological profiles of the various engines' average users. Google customers are "the average Internet Joe" -- conventional, yet open to trying new things. Yahoo! users, on the other hand, tend to be older, lack imagination, and feel like they can't control their future.
Even Fictional Characters and TV Shows Need Social Networks
The real world has more than enough social networking sites to keep us occupied for decades. The TV world doesn't have the time to address the differences between Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and DoggySpace, though -- not to mention the potential legal issues with placing MySpace at the center of a plot about a child molester. Often, TV shows and movies create catch-all fictional social networks that serve whatever purpose the plot demands.
'Law and Order: SVU' has FaceUnion, '30 Rock' has YouFace, and the novel 'Snow Crash' has the Metaverse. All of these are included in Geekosystem's 'Pocket Guide to Fictional Social Networks'. Our favorite, and perhaps strangest, entry on the list is YouTwitFace; from its beginnings as a one-liner in Conan O'Brien's 'In the Year 3000' sketch, it has spawned a mock developer blog.
Impressive 'Siri' App Makes Your iPhone a Virtual Assistant
Siri is a new voice search and "virtual assistant" application for the iPhone that takes "natural language" requests and turns them into actionable results. For example, ask Siri "where can I get the best sushi," and it will, using the iPhone's GPS, search Yelp to find recommended sushi restaurants near you.
Using Nuance, the same speech-to-text engine that powers popular tools like Jott and ...Barnes and Noble Nook Finally in Stock, Still Not That Compelling
While the Kindle has been met with nearly universal (and, at least in this writer's opinion, undeserved) praise, its most visible competitor -- the Nook -- has been dogged by issues including a generally lukewarm reception and an almost complete lack of availability.
Well, Barnes and Noble has finally ramped up production and removed the "out of stock" label on its Web site. Just in time for ...Is Google Street View Taking Its Cameras Indoors?
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Google Street View can take you down almost any street in America, and through just about every major city worldwide. But Street View stops right where its name implies -- in the street. That might be changing though, if a source that e-mailed the blog, Search Engine Land, is to be believed.
New York City nut and candy shop, Oh Nuts, e-mailed Search Engine Land claiming a representative ...Latest Internet Explorer Flaw Exposes Any File on Your PC
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Internet Explorer is no stranger to security vulnerabilities, but a flaw revealed by Microsoft on Wednesday is one of the most stunning we've ever seen. The flaw affects IE6, IE7, and IE8 on Windows XP as well as IE7 and IE8 on Vista and Windows 7 if protected mode has been disabled (though protected mode is turned on by default).
The exploit would allow a hacker to access any file on ...Major Facebook Redesign Starts Rollout; Chat, Search, Links Affected
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That major Facebook face-lift we told you about at the end of December is finally being rolled out to users, starting with 80 million members last night. The latest changes are the most drastic in some time, and make navigating the Web site a significantly different experience.
Most obviously, the top menu bar has gotten an overhaul that moves the search box front-and-center, and puts ...
