New Google Maps feature was my fantasy

Google Maps is amazing. I love the new features that they keep rolling out. Pity I still got lost though.

From the article
On Wednesday morning during rush hour I was driving down to Santa Clara from San Francisco. Faithfully following the directions of several online maps, I found myself on Highway 101 but wishing I was on the more scenic, less congested and slightly out-of-the-way Interstate 280, farther west. As I inched my way along the road, I ruminated on the mapping problem and imagined how I could have avoided the situation by somehow adjusting the route on the online map to set a preference for Interstate 280, even though it isn't the most direct route to my destination.

One day later, my daydream has become reality.

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Dresscodes: Geek vs Non-Geek

LOL. I like the dresscode for Geeks when there is no Dresscode. It’s a dressing gown! I had the whole day at home the other day to myself and never got out of my slippers. Mmmm what does that make me!

From the article
In my social circles, “Formal” means tie, and “Very Formal” means tux… The conference dinners I’ve been to have all been technical conferences. SAGE-AU, OSDC, Linux.conf, CMGA, and similar things. They’re filled with geeks, so while the standard of dress may be higher than the conference technical program, it’s not much higher.
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Pranksters-For-Hire To Help iPhone Buyers Sneak Ahead In Line

LOL….What a great idea. I got to hire myself one of these. I can really see people hiring someone like this just so they can be first.

From the article
Worried about long lines to buy an iPhone on Friday? A San Francisco man said he and his band of pranksters will create a diversion to distract everybody else in line and allow you to slide right up to the front.

The company -- called "Over Here, Jerks!" -- will go to Apple or AT&T stores and release a wild animal, let loose a bad smell, or do something else disgusting, shocking, or scary. The plan: Everybody in line runs away, except for the company's client, who'll be first up for service.

"You might even have time to grab a few lawn chairs, sleeping bags, and sandwiches amid the mayhem!" according to the group's Craigslist ad.

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Twitter.com CEO: With open source, it's all about the people

Some people get and understand Twitter. Others think it’s a complete waste of time. Personally I have tried it but honestly my life ain’t that interesting that I need to post updates on what I’m doing.

From the article
Jack Dorsey wants to change the way people communicate on the Internet. Are you used to updating your blog once every 24 hours? If Dorsey has his way, you'll soon be thinking about lots of tiny blog posts from wherever you are, whenever you want. Dorsey, a former software developer for a courier and dispatch service, is the founder and CEO of Twitter.com, a social networking Web site with a twist: in the clipped style of a taxi drivers radioing a status report to the dispatcher, Twitter users post mini-updates throughout the day and night to let friends (and the world) know the minute details of what they're doing.
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How MySpace Is Hurting Your Network

This has to be one of the reasons why these sites have been banned at my work place. I would imagine some businesses are finding their bandwidth consumption has gone through the roof.

From the article
Increasingly popular social-networking sites such as MySpace, YouTube and Facebook are accounting for such huge volumes of DNS queries and bandwidth consumption that carriers, universities and corporations are scrambling to keep pace.

The trend is prompting some network operators to upgrade their DNS systems, while others are blocking the sites altogether. Moreover, the "MySpace Effect" is expected to hit many more nets soon, as these network-intensive interactive features migrate from specialty sites to mainstream e-commerce operations and intranets.
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6 Ways to Cancel Any CellPhone So You Can Get an iPhone

I bet there is a lot of people who will be taking up the advice offered in this article. No one wants to be contract cancellation charges but everyone wants an iPhone. Some excellent advice.

From the article
If you want to get an iPhone but you're stuck in a contract, here's six ways to escape your service plan without paying a $175 early termination fee:

1. Sell your cellphone contract.

2. Complain that service isn't up to par, file complaints with PUC, FTC, BBB, AG and cc them to the company.

3. Wait for the company to change its rates (like text-messaging), then call to cancel based on the material change of contract. These are usually for the default rates and you won't be able to cancel if you have a package that takes care of it... hint: so get rid of the package and call back.... Here's some recent rate changes and cancellation success stories:
Sprint
AT&T/Cingular
Verizon
T-Mobile
US Cellular
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Should LinkedIn do battle with Facebook?

I think it would be a mistake for LinkedIn to try and take on Facebook. LinkedIn is in a totally different social networking market to Facebook. Why try and compete? Do your own thing and keep focused on what your target audience is.

From the article
Dan Farber, over at ZDNet, is reporting that LinkedIn's founder, Reid Hoffman, has made their plans clear to open up API's and create a developer platform. I am not exactly sure whether this means that developers will now be able to create applications, using LinkedIn's data to be displayed on their own site or if it will take the form of widgets on LinkedIn's own site like Facebook has done with their platform.

First off, let me make something clear. I do not think that LinkedIn can be the same type of social network that Facebook is, just like I do not think that Facebook can be the same type of network that LinkedIn is. The central focus of LinkedIn is connecting people for professional reasons, whether it be a job or something else.
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People Already Queued For iPhone

Unbelievable. People are queued outside Apples store in New York already. Ok maybe they are not there for the reason but hey I wouldn’t be surprised.

From the article
The first two folks waiting outside for the iPhone…keep in mind it’s not released until 29th (4 DAYS!)

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The Perfect Phone Storm!

I’ve never seen a single gadget generate so many articles. The iPhone has sent everyone crazy. It’s all hype and hysteria at the moment. Once the “storm” settles over the iPhone what will everyone really make of it?

From the article
Apple has dropped just enough information at just regular enough intervals to create a level of anticipation for the iPhone that can only be described as off the hook. Amid all the opinions--and the frantic warnings of doom from certain analyst groups--are a few details that have been largely overlooked.

Here's a deconstruction of a few myths that have failed to take these unhidden secrets into consideration, along with the final aspect of why Apple released Safari for Windows, as I promised to reveal in the last article. It has something to do with the iPhone, of course.
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Facebook in 40 Years

What will Blogger look like in 40 years? When we talk to our grand kids about how we once belonged to a great site like Blogger, what will they think of us?

From the article
A hilarious idea: a mockup of how Facebook will look in 40 years, once the younger generation is playing bingo and having hip operations. Take a close look at the mini-feed.
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The ten most hated words on the Internet

The rise of the Internet has certainly resulted in a deterioration of the English language. The Internet has certainly produced weird words. I agree with the term "folksonomy" being top of the list. Who thought of that one!

From the article
The Internet has much to answer for, but one of its chiefest sins its relentless stupifidication of the English language. And no, I did not just make up the word "stupifidication."1

UK pollsters YouGov have just completed a survey on the web's most-hated words, the abominations that threaten to turn English into a long series of "plzkthxbye" utterances. At the top of the list (and rightly so) is the word "folksonomy."

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Helio Launches YouTube Over 3G (Viewing AND Uploading) to Fight iPhone

Let the games begin. There is going to be blood left on the floor as other phone makers battle the iPhone. All this is off course good for us the consumer. Who will win! Well given the hysteria surrounding the iPhone you would have to say that it will come out on top but I do like some of the stuff other phone makers are coming up with.

From the article
Sky Dayton, who has been quoted several times in the last week in iPhone critique pieces, is officially putting a more powerful set of YouTube features on his 3g phones. Here comes the blood bath. This is going to be complicated to explain, so sit down and listen up.

With 3G high speed networks, that's anywhere, not just where you have a WiFi hotspot like on an iPhone. And it'll have video upload from the phone's camera, direct to YouTube, with two clicks. That's by dedicated app, that'll let you rate videos and view favorites.. And will include access to eBaum's World among other video sharing sites. They're charging $5.99. And Howard forums members have just reported to me that access to m.youtube.com directs them to a purchase page. So it appears no Mobile Youtube unless you pay. This isn't true.

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5 e-mail habits that waste time and cause problems

I can relate to all 5 of these. Email is a great tool but the way some people use it really annoys me sometimes. I especially like number one about the vague or nonexistent subject lines.

From the article
Few communications tools give you as much exposure as e-mail. Unfortunately, mistakes in your e-mail will receive that same exposure as well. Depending on who sees your e-mail, your job, reputation, or career could suffer. Fortunately, avoiding these mistakes is easy. Here are five e-mail habits that annoy me (and maybe you as well), and what you can do differently. I’ll share another five in my next article.

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iPhone to Offer YouTube Videos

This is really great news. I love YouTube and I'm counting down the days to the iPhone. Being able to combine the two like this is really neat. Tick Tock, Tick Tock, getting closer!

From the article
Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone, which debuts later this month, will include an application for wirelessly streaming YouTube videos, the companies announced today. Additionally, YouTube announced they will be encoding their videos in H.264 format, which will make iPhone the first mobile device to offer the high quality format. Initially 10,000 videos will be offered in H.264, with the rest of YouTube’s massive catalog being “H.264’d” by fall.

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EBay yanks its ads from Google

Do Google care? I don’t know as I don’t know how much Ebay spent on advertising with Google but I’m sure Google will survive. As for Ebay well I’m sure they will be back. Yes they will survive without advertising on Googles network but honestly no other advertising platform as the reach that Google does. I’m sure Ebay will be back.

From the article
Online auctioneer eBay Inc. has pulled its advertising from search company Google Inc.'s AdWords network in the United States, an eBay spokesman said Wednesday.

"This is part of an ongoing experiment to look at how we market across all media channels," said eBay spokesman Hani Durzy.

AdWords is Google's advertising system that shows ads based on words in Web searches and is the source of virtually all of Google's revenues.

Technology trade publication Computerworld, which originally reported the move, cited a source as saying it was in response to Google's decision to hold a party starting at the same time as an eBay conference for merchants who sell on its site.

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FBI plans huge anti-terror data-mining

More privacy invasion. I agree with the last paragraph I have quoted. Some innocent people will be caught up with this and at what cost.

From the article
The FBI wants to compile a massive computer database and analyze it for clues to unmask terrorist sleeper cells. Two congressmen are worried about whether the bureau will protect the privacy of U.S. citizens.

Reps. Brad Miller, D-N.C., and James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., the chairman and ranking Republican on the House Science and Technology investigations subcommittee, asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the proposal. Their June 4 letter to GAO was released Tuesday.

Miller and Sensenbrenner questioned both the FBI's ability to properly manage such a large trove of data and whether predictive data-mining even works or just falsely casts suspicion on innocent people.
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It’s Bebo Tunes!

This is a logical move. Tapping into the huge social networking sites such as Bebo really does make sense. It’s a ready-made audience. I expect this move will see a boost to Apple and it’s music sales. I’m all for integration of this kind.

From the article
Apple is looking to target the youth demographic in a more direct manner, leveraging Bebo’s music-focused social network to sell iTunes songs directly to users and site visitors. Apple will initially offer this option for UK and Ireland Bebo users, and may then expand it to Bebo’s 30+ million users worldwide. Bebo will also be offering a free download weekly to promote new artists.

From what we can tell, registered bands will be able to sell their songs to visitors via iTunes with a link that takes them directly to the purchase page, if their music is available in the iTunes catalog. This model is very similar to what MySpace has worked out with Snocap.
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It’s Bebo Tunes!

This is a logical move. Tapping into the huge social networking sites such as Bebo really does make sense. It’s a ready-made audience. I expect this move will see a boost to Apple and it’s music sales. I’m all for integration of this kind.

From the article
Apple is looking to target the youth demographic in a more direct manner, leveraging Bebo’s music-focused social network to sell iTunes songs directly to users and site visitors. Apple will initially offer this option for UK and Ireland Bebo users, and may then expand it to Bebo’s 30+ million users worldwide. Bebo will also be offering a free download weekly to promote new artists.

From what we can tell, registered bands will be able to sell their songs to visitors via iTunes with a link that takes them directly to the purchase page, if their music is available in the iTunes catalog. This model is very similar to what MySpace has worked out with Snocap.
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Chime.TV: A Prettier Way to Watch YouTube

As much as I like YouTube the player and site is kind of ugly. Do I want a “pretty” player to watch my videos in. Sure why not. Chime.TV’s offering is not bad. Certainly a lot nicer than the standard player on YouTube.

From the article
Chime.Tv’s video player has got the kind of flash and style Ruby developers would envy, especially since it’s programmed in PHP and AJAX. The player, which dishes out 22 themed channels of viral video content, with a bunch of added utilities.

The full page player is similar to Joost and Babelgum, but in your browser. Like the IPTV guys, you can flip through pre-made channels, roll your own, or search for content by keyword. The player is pretty hands off, and will just run if you give it a channel or a search term to munch on. The player searches through videos on YouTube, Veoh, Metacafe, Google Video, and DailyMotion. You can reorganize the results by title, length, or randomize. They also have a bookmarklet so you can add content to your channels as you surf the web.
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MediaPredict.Com - Finding The Next Blockbuster

If I could only gaze into my crystal ball I would be a wealthy man.

From the article
Think consumers can predict the next big book, CD, television show or movie better than top producers and publishing houses can? Media Predict challenges users to put their virtual money where their mouths are with an online prediction market game, where players buy and sell shares based on how well they think new entertainment ventures might do in the real marketplace.

Here’s how it works: when users register, they get 5,000 virtual dollars to begin investing. They can scan the markets for book proposals, up-and-coming musical acts, script treatments and TV pilots. Each is valued in virtual dollars per share based on perceived potential.
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Apple's iPhone Open to Software Developers

Party time. Everyone ran down the street chanting iPhone! This is excellent news for those of us that will be getting an iPhone which is a lot of us. 3rd party apps will make an already appealing device that much more appealing.

From the article
Third-party software developers can create Web 2.0 applications to run on Apple Inc.'s forthcoming iPhone, company CEO Steve Jobs said Monday.

Jobs told an enthusiastic audience at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2007 in San Francisco that developers could write applications that work and look like iPhone applications from Apple, including those for making calls, sending e-mail and other functions.

The iPhone, a combination of cell phone, Web browser and video and music player, goes on sale June 29.

Developers will be able to create applications for the iPhone by using Web 2.0 programming tools like Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) and taking advantage of the full version of Apple's Safari Web browser incorporated into the devices. A separate, special software developer kit is not needed, Jobs said.

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I Gave Up To Twitter. Have You?

Yes I have to confess I Twitter. I’m not sure why I really do it but I do anyway. Can be kind of addictive. I’m not into getting Twitter updates on my mobile though. I guess you can Twitter too much.

From the article
I was laughing at Twitter, I thought it was absolutely useless and saw no sense at all. But after at least 10 people asked how could I, a blogger, avoid twittering I finally gave up. It proved easier than I thought and takes less time (check this post by Robert Sanzalone on twittering from Skype, this makes using Twitter incredibly easy). So after I found a way to Twitter and get updates from people I'm interested in easily I was hooked. But that's no news, I've already seen many bloggers write similar revelations.

What I wanted to do actually is to post a small poll here about your usage of Twitter and simultaneously test the updated SodaHead widget. We have already reviewed SodaHead on Profy and recently received an update from the developers on the major update of the widget - now they call it "the best polling widget on the planet". So what's new in this widget?

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Facebook Hammers MySpace on Almost All Key Features

MySpace and Facebook are such different beasts. As a member of both I can see pros and cons of each. Overall I am more in favour of Facebook though. What is your preference?

From the article
When you think of social networks you probably think of MySpace. But recently, Facebook has been gaining popularity - since it opened up beyond college users, it has enjoyed a flood of new users, boosted further by the launch of Facebook apps. It’s time these two social networks fought it out.

Round 1: Design
Layout: Facebook wins here because the profiles are well set up and neatly organized and it’s easy to navigate through the profiles to find the info you want. It mainly beats MySpace because most profiles are so ugly and inconsistent.

Overall Site Design: Facebook is obviously the winner here. MySpace looks so unprofessionally done when compared to Facebook, mainly again because of it’s inconsistent design. This time its MySpace themselves, not the users, who make the site difficult to use.
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Sampa Brings Personalized Pages to Facebook

Seems everyone is bringing out Facebook Apps these days. I hadn't heard of this service before. From my first look at what Sampa have to offer it's looks rather good.

From the article
Sampa is a personal website creation tool that lets you customize your own freely hosted website. Unlike Weebly and Synthesite, Sampa is not as much focused on layout as it is on content. Site creation is focused instead around adding content to your site through modules. They’ve recently crossed 1,000,000 page views to their site last month on a $4,000 per month burn rate and have added their service to Facebook today.

Sampa sites revolve around modules. You can add modules for blogging, photo galleries, static pages, YouTube, Flickr, Twango, Amazon, Delicious, Blue Dot and Blogger. When you add a module, a link to it is added to the menu bar at the top. You can restrict access to any of your content to anyone, friends, or different Sampa members. The layout of the page is basic, allowing you to move around modules and adjust the number of columns. The design can be changed by applying any of the templates from their gallery.

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A big Google-Apple partnership next week? Bet on it.

Google and Apple getting in bed together. Now that would be interesting. I see the benefits of these two giants working closer together. More rason for Microsoft to be worried.

From the article
I don't typically join the gaggle of folks trying to guess what Steve Jobs' next move is going to be, but for once I can't resist. On Monday Jobs is taking the stage at Apple's worldwide developers conference in San Francisco to do what he does best - tell us all about Apple's latest products and reinforce his place as the most charismatic CEO on the planet. He'll probably announced a new Ipod, tell us more about the iPhone etc etc. One announcement I'm almost sure of, however : A far reaching, cloud computing partnership with Google. Both companies have been hinting about it for months, and it makes perfect sense.

Cloud computing is the hot new thing in the world of technology right now; Apple is a complete laggard; and it knows it needs to fix it. Apple makes beautiful hardware, but it hasn't improved on .Mac, its cloud based storage offering, in years. You get 1GB of storage on .Mac for $100. That's laughable in an era where you can get double that for nothing.

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Second Life Not Immune to Bullying

I might start up a counselling service in Second Life. I will charge those Second Lifers who have been bullyed some exorbadent feed for my services. I have spent some time in Second Life myself and have to say that to date I haven’t experience any problems (touch wood).

From the article
Not even the virtual world is safe anymore. Researchers from the University of Nottingham have discovered in a recent study on cyber-bullying that griefing may have negative consequences for users in both Second Life and the real world.

According to the study's leader, Dr Thomas Chesney, griefing is "intentional, persistent, unacceptable behavior which disrupts a resident's ability to enjoy Second Life".

The study aimed to "determine how and why griefing happens and the impact it can have on First Life," said Chesney. Along with his team of experts and the consent of Linden Lab, Chesney rented a plot of land in Second Life, set up his own office and ran four cyber-based focus groups.

A variety of behaviors were observed by researchers, such as shooting, hitting with swords, nudity, annoying noisy objects that followed people around and a lot of swearing.
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Mozilla Disputes Firefox Flaws

No software is perfect. Some is just more perfect than others. Sure there is the odd flaw with Firefox but pale in comparison to say the flaws that float around IE. My message to Mozilla is that you make a fantastic product but a threat is a threat, doesn’t matter if it’s “high” or “low”. Keep your adoring fans happy and fix it.

From the article
Mozilla Corp.'s security chief Tuesday panned a pair of Firefox bugs revealed Monday as low-level threats but hours later changed her mind and said that when used together, they could pose a greater risk.

The researcher who disclosed the vulnerabilities agreed with her. Mostly.

Michal Zalewski, who regularly publishes browser flaw findings, on Monday posted details on the Full-disclosure mailing list about four browser vulnerabilities, including two affecting Firefox. He categorized one as a "major" threat, and he saw the other as only a "medium" threat.
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The New Ask.com: More Skin, More Features, And Simpler Still

Everyone’s a buzz with news of the new Ask.com. I like what they have done. Is it a threat to Google? Well probably not but it has it’s own loyal band of supporters and will pick up some more with it’s latest spruce up. To the Ask.com team, I say job well done.

From the article
Ask.com. There’s a lot of love for the fourth-most-popular search engine on the Net. It’s an industry player that’s okay with not having to fight for the top spot. (Though it certainly would take it if the crown were offered.) It caters to loyalists and is content in knowing it offers more bang for the buck than just about any portal in existence today. Of course, it’d enhance it’s allure even further if I’d take Jeeves out of retirement to start serving results on a red-coated silver platter once again, but hey, we can’t have everything we want. Besides, the penguin suit probably carried with it something of a snob factor, and really, no one likes snobby search engines.

Putting aside the question of where the iconic butler is today, we’re delighted to deliver you news that Ask just had some serious sprucing done to its insides and outsides and has added quite a few new amenities to its repertoire, and hey, what d’ya know, we really, really like it. Okay, I like it. I don’t know how the heck the rest of the team here at Profy feels about it. I presume they’re bullish.

It’s appropriate to start off by stating the obvious: The new Ask.com is gorgeous. Google and Yahoo! aren’t the most attractive engines on the Net, no. But Ask.com? It’s way, way up there.

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Firefox 3.0 may Block Sites Fingered by Google

Firefox and Google have always been quite cosy. This is another example. Still I’m all for attempts to block sites that do naughty things. As long as it works then it’s a good thing.

From the article
Mozilla Corp. is considering adding a tool to Firefox 3.0 that would automatically block Web sites thought to harbor malicious downloads, but the company's security chief refused to spell out details, saying Mozilla is "not ready to talk about the feature."

Even so, there are numerous details to be found on a blog by a Firefox designer and in a back-and-forth discussion of the feature in Bugzilla, the management system that Mozilla uses to track changes in its software. Together, the two offer a behind-the-scenes look into Mozilla's open-source development process.

"Similar to how Firefox 2 blocks Web sites that are potentially going to try to steal your personal information, Firefox 3 will block Web sites that we believe are going to try to install malicious programs on your computer," said Alex Faaborg, a user experience designer in a blog entry last week. "Mozilla is coordinating with Google on this feature."
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Who Blogs?

Well I blog for one. I think don’t think you can say bloggers are any particular sex, age, race or whatever. My experience of bloggers is that they are very varied. Everyone has there own reasons for blogging.

From the article
America is going to the blogs.

Every year millions of people create blogs, and even more check in daily to read them.

There are about 15 million active blogs read by 57 million people, a number that gives bloggers great credibility, power and influence as sources of information for everything from news to corporate reputations to product purchasing.

"This is simply not a passing fad that can be ignored," said Michael Gartenberg, analyst with Jupiter Research.
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Second Life "land" dispute moves offline to federal courtroom

This is quite an interesting case. All Second Lifers will be watching the outcome of this one with interest. What happens in virtual worlds should have the same consequences, legal rights etc as if it was in the “real” world.

From the article
A virtual land dispute in Second Life will be resolved in federal court after a judge's ruling. A lawsuit filed in May of 2006 by Pennsylvania attorney Marc Bragg accused Linden Lab and its CEO Philip Rosedale of wrongfully seizing his virtual land and unilaterally shutting down his Second Life account—intellectual property that Bragg says is worth thousands of (real-life) dollars. Linden Lab filed two motions to dismiss the suit, arguing that Bragg came into possession of his land wrongfully, but the Pennsylvania judge denied those motions.

Linden Lab has long maintained that virtual "property" owned by its residents in Second Life belongs to the players. Therefore, things like virtual clothing, buildings, and land all legitimately belong to the residents who created or purchased them, and the burgeoning trade of such is legitimate. Linden Lab sells "land" to residents directly—which translates in real life to server space for the land and things that are built on it—and does so through online auctions. Bragg purchased the land in question through an auction offered by the company, which he argues is the company's fault for selling it to him if he wasn't supposed to have it.
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WhosOff: Easy Workplace Leave Management

I've always foound the good old fashioned wall planner works well for keeping track of my staffs leave. Still this system does sound quite good. Maybe I will check it out and if it's good then I can replace by wall planner with a poster.

From the article
WhosOff is an online workplace leave management service that makes organizing time off easy.

The service is directed at administrators, company owners and managers who deal directly with managing time off, from keeping a record of leave taken to balancing the demands of future leave requests.

WhosOff is not simply an administrator controlled database where information is gathered. WhosOff supports full employee access; employees can submit requests for leave or even log sick days. Appointed administrators can then accept or decline requests no matter where they are; being a web based platform decentralizes user access.

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iPhone to Hit Stores June 29th?

This is very exciting. The countdown has begun. Better begin queuing for it on June 28th. So who out there will be getting one on day one.

From the article
Apple has made a type of an announcement regarding the release date for its iPhone, setting the date as June 29th.

During a commercial on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Apple indicated that the iPhone will be available for purchase on June 29th. This hasn’t been confirmed in its entirety yet, meaning we don’t have any details regarding the areas in which it will be available, and when. There also has been no formal announcement from Apple, but we’ll expect to see people lining up at Apple stores around the country on the eve of June 29, 2007.

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Kevin Rose: Digg Expanding to Images, Restaurant and Product Reviews

Soon you will be able to Digg anything. Like a lot of sites that are focused on a particular market, you can only grow so far. Digg have seen the need to expand into other areas.

From the article
On Friday, Kevin Rose spoke via video link at TheNextWeb conference in Amsterdam, outlining Digg’s plans for expansion (update: see video below). The good news is that they plan to add images - one of the most demanded features. The mixed news is that they plan expansion into product reviews and more diverse topics.

Rose was speaking about the company’s 6-12 month plans, saying that product and restaurant reviews may be among the new content for voting on. They’ll add virtually everything, in fact, that you could imagine Digging. Additionally, Rose has finally hinted that Digg will become more personalized: rather than focusing on what is popular among all users, it’ll deliver a more customized view based on your interests (ie. what you Dugg). Depending on how that’s implemented, it could lessen the power of a “front page” story, but also offer opportunities for more diverse topics to get attention.

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Feds Arrest 'Spam King' On 9 Charges

I hope they really through the book at this bloke. Hopefully it will send a message to all spammers out there that we will get you and once we do watch out. I say a public flogging is what is really in order for this bloke.

From the article
The man the feds have dubbed the "Spam King" was arrested this week on charges of identity theft, fraud, and money laundering.
Robert Alan Soloway, 27, the owner of Newport Internet Marketing Corp. of Seattle, is looking at five counts of identity theft, mail fraud, wire fraud, fraud in connection with electronic mail, and money laundering. If convicted on all the charges, he could face up to 75 years in prison.

"Spam is a scourge of the Internet, and Robert Soloway is one of its most prolific practitioners," said Jeffrey C. Sullivan, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, in a written statement. "Our investigators dubbed him the 'Spam King' because he is responsible for millions of spam e-mails."

Soloway is a major player in the spammer community. He first appeared in the Spamhaus Block List in 2001, according to an announcement on the spam fighter's site. In 2003, he even made the Spamhaus "worst of the worst" list of criminal spammers. In its announcement, Spamhaus called Soloway a "long-term nuisance on the Internet."
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What lurks below Microsoft's Surface?

I have to say that the new Microsoft Surface computer thingy looks pretty impressive. While I think it will be a few years before it is in my house I would love to get my hands on one and give it a workout. What is everyones impression of it?

From the article
Minority Report meets the kitchen table in the new Surface from Microsoft. Claiming that surface computing is "as significant as the move from DOS to GUI," the company today announced a tabletop device with an integrated 30-inch screen and five cameras to enable multitouch access to music, photos, the web, and more. According to Microsoft, Surface isn't simply a regular PC with a touch interface—it's a whole new category of computing device that will supplement rather than replace traditional machines. We talked with Microsoft about the concept and what's powering it.

Awash in the near-infrared
Surface features a touch interface, but it doesn't use a touch screen. Instead, five separate cameras are used to record motion on the table's surface. Ars spoke with Nigel Keam, a member of the Surface team, about the technology in the device, and he explained that five cameras were needed because of field angle issues. In order to get the table as low as it is, five cameras are used so that each one can have a small field of view. That translates into better resolution and speed (measured in pixels/second) than a single camera with an exceptionally wide-angle view of the table surface.
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