PS3 Owners to Join Folding@Home Project
Sony is allowing Internet-connected PlayStation 3 owners to participate in a program created by Stanford University that would employ unused processor power in the console to research protein folding.
The program -- Folding@Home -- already has been operating on PCs since 2000, with over 1,000,000 computers participating during the life of the project. The addition of the PS3 would mark the first time a non-PC device would be used for such a project.
Vodafone Tests Skype Cell Phone Calls
Vodafone showed off an application it is working on code-named "Starfish," which would allow its users to chat with their buddies via MSN, Yahoo, AOL, and Skype, as well as make VoIP calls through the popular chat network.
Like the Skype service being offered by Vodafone competitor 3, which is owned by Hutchison Whampoa, Starfish uses a voice channel to place the VoIP call. Once the base station receives the call, it is then routed through the Internet.
Medical Data CD Recovered in Philadelphia
Clients of Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield can breathe a little easier as a CD earlier reported missing has turned up in Philadelphia, the New York Times reports.
Magellan Behavorial Services, a third-party contractor that deals with mental health services for Empire disclosed that it had received a phone call from a Philadelphia resident Wednesday who reported he had mistakenly received the CD in January.
75,000 Affected by WellPoint Data Loss
WellPoint, a health insurance company that handles coverage for Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield disclosed Wednesday that a CD containing medical records and other personal data may have been lost.
Approximately 75,000 members of the insurer have been affected after a company called Magellan Behavioral Services had apparently lost the disc, the New York Times reports.
Microsoft Steps Up Cybersquatting Fight
Microsoft is stepping up efforts against cybersquatters in the United States and Britain, saying Wednesday it had filed several new lawsuits in the US and expanded another. Several cases are now in settlement.
The newest action is against Maltuzi, LLC of California, which Microsoft says is profiting off of domain names that use Microsoft trademarks. The company is accused of registering large blocks of domain names in an attempt to profit off of their sale later.
Nokia to Roll Out Sprint 4G WiMAX Network
Nokia said Wednesday that it had been selected by Sprint to begin building out its fourth-generation wireless network based on WiMAX technology. Four Texas markets, including Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin will be first to receive service in early 2008.
Sprint plans to cover about 100 million people across the nation with its WiMAX network by the end of next year, according to the company. Nokia would be in charge of deploying the necessary infrastructure in the initial markets. No announcement was made as to whether Nokia will be involved in other locations.
Microsoft Expands Xbox Live to Windows
Microsoft continued to build on the success of its Xbox platform by extending it's popular Live gaming platform to Windows PCs. The service would debut on May 8, and would connect gamers on both platforms together.
"Shadowrun" will be the first PC and Xbox 360 title to allow gamers on either platform to play one another in a single environment starting in June, although the Vista version of "Halo 2" due May 8 will permit person-to-person matches across either platform.
Second Draft of 802.11n Moves Forward
802.11n wireless networking came closer to becoming an actual standard on Tuesday, as the IEEE said that 'Draft 2.0' received more than the required 75 percent supermajority required for the process to move forward.
Nearly 84 percent of those eligible to vote approved of the draft. While the vote does not mean the fight over the 802.11n standard is over, it does show all involved are beginning to meet eye-to-eye when it comes to the actual technical standards within the draft.
Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.4.9
Apple on Tuesday released what is likely to be its final update to Mac OS 10.4 "Tiger" before it releases Leopard this spring. Included in the patch are fixes for .Mac, Bluetooth, Mac OS X's standard productivity applications, networking, and printing, among other issues.
The Cupertino, Calif. company has repeatedly pointed to a spring 2007 release date for the next update to Mac OS X. As with past releases of its operating system, Apple has stuck to a pretty much monthly patch schedule with major releases coming about once every 12 to 18 months.
Reports: Microsoft to Acquire Tellme
Microsoft is close to a deal with Tellme Networks, a company that specializes in voice recognition technology. An acquisition would likely bring voice recognition to several of Microsoft's Web-based products.
It is said the deal could be worth as much as $800 million, and would allow Microsoft to push into an area that is widely untouched by its rivals. Other projects like Office or Windows Mobile could also benefit by the acquisition.
Samsung Debuts 8GB Mobile NAND Flash Chip
Samsung has begun shipping samples of a new 8GB NAND flash chip, which could be integrated into phones to eliminate the need for a separate memory slot. This would allow for smaller devices, the company says.
Called moviNAND, the technology consists of four 50-nanometer 16-Gigabit NAND flash memories along with integrated MultiMediaCard support for companies who still wish to add expandable memory.
Digital TV Converter Box Rebate Announced
The Commerce Department approved a plan Monday that would allow every U.S. household to be eligible for two $40 coupons that could be used towards the purchase of a digital-to-analog converter box beginning in January 2008.
Such boxes will be a requirement for any analog television set to continue receiving signals past February 17, 2009. At that time, all full-power television stations would end analog broadcast transmissions.
Apple MacBook Fire Poses New Safety Questions
Apple finds itself in a peculiar situation after a MacBook in Australia catches fire, apparently from a malfunctioning battery. However, the battery was not on the list of recalled units.
The report, first posted on the Australian Mac enthusiast site MacTalk, indicates that the user awoke in the middle of the night to find the laptop on fire. According to witness accounts, before the fire started, a hissing sound and large amounts of smoke poured out of the device.
Study: Cell Phone Use Safe in Hospitals
Add the hospital as another place where cell phones may soon become even more common: a new study contradicts claims by some that the devices create interference with hospital equipment.
Not all electronic equipment fairs the same, however, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. A portable CD player did cause interference to an electrocardiogram device when used nearby.
Seagate Encrypts Laptop Hard Drives
Seagate is shipping two new models in its Momentus line of laptop hard drives - one that includes built-in encryption software to protect data integrity, and another that offers better protection of data if the laptop is dropped.
Both drives will begin appearing through the company's retail channels over the next month, the company said in a statement. Seagate's announcements also reflect an acknowledgement by the company that consumers are increasingly turning to laptops as their primary computer.
Ed's Bio
Ed Oswald is a freelance journalist from the Reading, PA area. Although he has written across a variety of subjects, Ed’s passion and focus has been on technology and gadgets. His work regularly appears on tech news sites BetaNews, PCWorld, and Technologizer, and has been syndicated to eWeek, Time’s Techland blog, VentureBeat and the New York Times.
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