Survey shows suicidal thoughts frequent on U.S. college campuses
A 2006 Web-conducted survey of students on seventy colleges and universities across the United States has shown that 15 out of 100 college students have seriously thought about suicide to solve their problems
The students surveyed stated that their reasons for thinking about suicide were to end negative thoughts about some type of physical or emotional pain, problems with a romantic relationship, or problems with school or academics.
The students gave an overdose of drugs as the most often way they would attempt suicide.
iTWire – Subscription music coming to iTunes? Maybe!
Subscription music coming to iTunes? Maybe!
MacDailyNews says it has received word from “an anonymous tipster” that “iTunes Unlimited” will be announced in September, with the service going live in late October.
Importantly, the MacDailyNews tipster asserts that iTunes Unlimited will be offered in parallel with the current sales system. If you want to keep buying music, there’s no suggestion that outright sales are going away.
Apple (it is said) will charge $US129.99 per year as a standalone subscription, or $US179.99 for iTunes Unlimited plus MobileMe. Since MobileMe normally costs $US99 per year, that’s just $US80.99 for the music, or less than $US1.60 per week.
Judge: ‘Dancing baby’ lawsuit can proceed – Breaking News – Technology – Breaking News
Judge: ‘Dancing baby’ lawsuit can proceed
A federal judge is allowing a Pennsylvania woman to sue Universal Music Corp. for forcing YouTube to take down a video clip of her baby dancing to Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.”
Universal Music demanded the removal of the 29-second home video by Stephanie Lenz of Gallitzin, Pa., because it allegedly violated copyright laws on the song.
But a San Jose-based judge says Universal needed to first consider whether the clip was “fair use” of the material.
Fair use provisions of the U.S. copyright act allow segments of copyrighted works to be used for purposes of parody or satire or in reviews and other limited circumstances.
It’s the first such legal ruling requiring copyright owners to consider fair use of their material before demanding that Internet sites such as YouTube remove material.
Battery blamed for scorching iPod – Technology – BrisbaneTimes
Battery blamed for scorching iPod
Apple says batteries from a single supplier are to blame for the meltdown of some models of its tiny iPod Nano digital music player.
Apple said the flaw affected first-generation Nanos, sold between September 2005 and December 2006, in very rare instances. The company’s statement added that “There have been no reports of serious injuries or property damage, and no reports of incidents for any other iPod Nano model.”
iTunes blocked in China after protest stunt – Technology – brisbanetimes.com.au
iTunes blocked in China after protest stunt
Access to Apple’s online iTunes Store has been blocked in China after it emerged that Olympic athletes have been downloading and possibly listening to a pro-Tibetan music album in a subtle act of protest against China’s rule over the province.
The album, called Songs for Tibet, was produced by an a group called The Art of Peace Foundation, and features 20 tracks from well-known singers and songwriters including Sting, Moby, Suzanne Vega and Alanis Morissette.
“I would advise that you contact your ISP [internet service provider] about this matter. Please also note though that accessing the US iTunes Store outside of the geographic region of the United States is not supported, and that attempting to access it while in China is at your own risk.” (OWN RISK)
Apple ‘fix’ for iPhone G3 – Technology – BrisbaneTimes – brisbanetimes.com.au
Apple ‘fix’ for iPhone G3
Apple has released an iPhone software update it says improves communication between the smart phone and wireless networks.
U2’s secret songs leaked online – Technology – BrisbaneTimes
U2’s secret songs leaked online
Four songs from U2’s upcoming album were leaked on to the internet after frontman Bono played them too loudly on his stereo at his villa in the south of France.
A U2 fanatic from the Netherlands who was holidaying in the village of Eze, on the French Riviera, heard the new tracks being blared from Bono’s window and decided to record them using his mobile phone.
The fan boasted about his find on the forum of U2 fan site Interference.com, and members there advised him to publish the clips on YouTube.
Tired teens risking their hearts – AtHome – Technology – brisbanetimes.com.au
Tired teens risking their hearts
A study of teens aged 13 to 16 found those who slept less than 6½ hours a night were up to three times more likely to have elevated blood pressure.
The author of the research, Susan Redline from University Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, said “sleep insufficiency” was often related to mobile phones, music and computers in the bedroom.
“There are teens who text message or listen to music all night, compounded by early school hours. Adolescents need nine hours of sleep,” Professor Redline said.
High blood pressure in childhood is linked to heart disease in adulthood.
Problems with sleep underlie up to 70 per cent of GP visits and cost the economy more than $10 billion a year.
Fatigue is also implicated in a high proportion of car accidents, workplace injuries and cases of depression.
Sleep experts accused the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, of setting a bad example by admitting that he survives on less than five hours of sleep a night.
Apple announces Magsafe out of warranty replacement program
Apple announces Magsafe out of warranty replacement program
In a rare turnaround, Apple has acknowledged in a tech support article that some Magsafe adaptors may be faulty, and users may ‘may notice a separation of the white insulation on the magnetic end of the MagSafe adapter. Under continued use, the cable may discolor and the rubber molding may become deformed.’The good news, if you are one of the affected users, Apple will replace your Magsafe adaptor free-of-charge, whether you are in your initial warranty period or not.If you think your power adaptor is affected, either take it into an Apple Authorised Reseller, or book an appointment with a Genius at an Apple Store (obviously, only an option for Sydneysiders for now.)
$36m Aussie payday for spammers: News – Security – ZDNet Australia
$36m Aussie payday for spammers
Australians lost at least $36 million a year to so-called Nigerian scammers via the internet, according to Queensland Police.
About $3 million a month is sent from Australia to Nigeria, at least 80 per cent of which was related to fraud.
And the most likely to fall prey were residents of NSW, the Queensland fraud squad told Fairfax newspapers. Police said the figure would climb since even more money was sent to other countries as part of the same scams.
Detective Superintendent Brian Hay said NSW was the biggest victim group “by a mile”.
Nigerian scams are usually conducted via email. They try to persuade the target to send money in the hope that it will result in a windfall.
Queensland police recently contacted 139 people who had sent money to Nigeria and found 135 were victims of fraud.
NSW police did not respond to Fairfax requests for comments on the issue.
Outpost Gallifrey: Doctor Who RSS News Feed
Classic Who Comes to iTunesJust a couple of weeks following the release of complete seasons of new series Doctor Who on iTunes, a selection of classic Doctor Who adventures are now available on the download service as well.
While most of the titles released so far have already been made available on DVD, such as “Carnival of Monsters”, “Mark of the Rani” and “The Ark in Space”, a number of stories have been released that are avaiable nowhere else (with the VHS releases now long out-of-print), like “The Krotons”, “The Sun Makers” and “Planet of the Spiders”.
Nintendo on Wii hardware Australian releases
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By Patrick Avenell Melbourne: Nintendo public relations coordinator Heather Murphy has given some indications of when certain eagerly-anticipated Wii products will be released in Australia. Although not able to give exact dates, Murphy was candid when discussing the releases of the new Wii material recently launched at the E3 conference in the United States. Wii Music “should be this year,” according to Murphy, who also predicted that the Animal Crossing game, which includes the WiiSpeak microphone, would be released this year. Expectant fans of Wii Motion Plus will have to wait longer, however, with Murphy saying that the Wii remote attachment “definitely won’t be this year”. The news of these releases coincided with the release of the most recent Nintendo DS Touch Generations game, Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir. This game is RRP $49.95 and available now. |
BBC NEWS | Business | Apple admits iPod Nano ‘overheat’
Apple admits iPod Nano ‘overheat’ |
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Apple has admitted that a battery fault had led to a small number of its first generation iPod Nanos overheating. But it said that the problem was “rare”, occurring in 0.001% of devices sold between 2005 and 2006 adding there had been no serious injuries or damage. The comments came after the Japanese government began investigating a possible battery defect in the Nano. There have been two reports of the music players overheating in Tokyo, scorching nearby paper. Economy, Trade and Industry ministry official Hiroyuki Yoshitsune said the government was in touch with Apple to investigate the defect. Battery problems Apple said the overheating problem, which could lead to the iPod failing to work and being damaged, could be traced to a single battery supplier. “There have been no reports of serious injuries or property damage, and no reports of incidents for any other iPod Nano model,” it said. Any customer worried about their device, bought between September 2005 and December 2006, should contact customer services, Apple added. Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in iPods, have been blamed for a series of fires in laptops, which resulted in global recalls. In 2006, Apple was forced to recall some 1.8 million lithium-ion Sony-made laptop batteries that were prone to overheating. |
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BBC NEWS | Technology | Intel details new core chip line
Intel details new core chip line |
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Intel has unveiled the processors that will form the core of its product line from 2009 onwards. Details about Nehalem, now officially called Core i7, were given at the Intel Developers Forum in San Francisco. The chips will appear in laptops, desktops and servers and with them Intel aims to boost processing ability, cut power use and improve graphics. “Nehalem will be the backbone of Intel for years to come,” said Intel fellow Rajesh Kumar. Turbo power “It provides the best of both worlds,” he said. “Higher performance and energy efficiency are not mutually exclusive if you innovate enough.” With Nehalem Intel has combined memory and processing functions into a single chip instead of using two. On the most powerful Core i7 processors this will result in as many as eight processing cores co-existing on a single chip. Intel claims the innovations on the family of products will offer three times the memory bandwidth of the previous generation of chips and twice the performance of 3-D animation. |
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BBC NEWS | Technology | Intel unites the internet with TV
Intel unites the internet with TV |
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Intel has signed a deal with Yahoo to drive web applications to TV and refresh the viewing experience. The collaboration will product a “Widget Channel” that lets viewers e-mail friends, trade stocks or check the weather while watching TV. The internet based services will run on a new set of Intel chips designed specifically for consumer electronics. “This is not a copy of a pc on TV,” said Eric Kim, head of Intel’s digital home group. “We are setting a new bar and delivering a richer internet experience to TV like never before,” he said. Unveiling the alliance at the Intel Developers Forum in San Francisco Mr Kim said previous efforts to unite the net and TV had failed because the internet stopped people using their set for its prime function – watching programmes. ‘Beam me up Scotty’ With TV available in more than 1.3 billion households worldwide thwre was no doubt, he said, about its ubiquity.
“Who shot JR? Beam me up Scotty. You’re Fired! and Good night and Good luck. You know these lines better than I do,” he said. “I don’t have to name the show or the stars. Why? Because we all want and we all love TV.” |
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US company sues Nintendo in Wii wand patent suit – Breaking News – Technology – Breaking News
US company sues Nintendo in Wii wand patent suit
August 21, 2008 – 4:51PM
Nintendo’s hit Wii console with its wandlike remote controller has been targeted in patent infringement complaints by a U.S. technology company.
Hillcrest Laboratories, based in Rockville, Md., has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington D.C., and a patent infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Maryland against Nintendo Corp., the company said in a statement Wednesday.
Kyoto-based Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa said Thursday the Japanese video game company has not yet received the lawsuit and had no comment.
Hillcrest is accusing Nintendo of infringement in four patents dealing with technology for a handheld three-dimensional pointing device and a display interface system for organizing graphic content on a TV, it said.
“While Hillcrest Labs has a great deal of respect for Nintendo and the Wii, Hillcrest Labs believes that Nintendo is in clear violation of its patents and has taken this action to protect its intellectual property rights,” it said.
The Wii console has been a big hit around the world, selling a cumulative 29.6 million worldwide since its arrival in late 2006.
With its trademark wandlike remove controller, which users have dubbed “Wiimote,” the Wii has scored success against the PlayStation 3 from Japanese rival Sony Corp., which went on sale about the same time, as well as against the Xbox 360 from Microsoft Corp.
Unlike old-style games that require players to push a complex combination of buttons, Wii comes with an easy-to-use remote to swing around like a tennis racket or fishing pole. The machine has proven appealing to relative newcomers to gaming, including women and the elderly.
Nintendo _ which also makes the Nintendo DS handheld machine and Pokemon and Super Mario game software _ aims to sell 25 million Wii consoles in the fiscal year through March 2009.
Touch and go – Articles – Games – Digital Life – brisbanetimes.com.au
Nintendo’s console is dominating the hand-held market, writes Jason Hill.
The Nintendo DS handheld, the biggest-selling console in Australia in 2007, has continued to dominate throughout 2008.
Nintendo has now sold more than 1.3 million DS handhelds in Australia with players of all ages drawn to its touch screen and games such as Brain Training, Pokemon and Nintendogs.
Other popular DS games include The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, New Super Mario Bros, Animal Crossing and Mario Kart.
Last month Nintendo sold an astonishing 49,000 DS consoles in a single week – a new record for any console in Australia.
Australian weekly sales for its main competitor – Sony’s PSP (PlayStation Portable) – are about 3000 units.
Review: MyLife console – Reviews – Games – Digital Life – brisbanetimes.com.au
MyLife console and game
$129
Rating: 2/5
http://www.mylifeclub.net
Take one look at this chunky-buttoned pink contraption aimed at teenage girls and you can’t help suspecting that Second Life and Gameboy had a one-night stand in the back of a Barbie campervan.
Designing your avatar is a highly superficial process. You choose between tall, average and short stature, and thin, average or big builds; once all the girls have chosen tall and thin, they’ll then have to select skin colour (white, chocolate brown or fake-tanned), hair style, eye colour and shape, and the size of their nose and pout. Personality, intelligence and interests are clearly unimportant. Regardless of your choices, your avatar is bound to end up looking like a Bratz doll – grossly disproportionate and overtly sexualised.
Parents will hate this: batteries aren’t included, you need the world’s smallest screwdriver to open the battery compartment and the “music” it produces when you finally turn it on will have you regretting your efforts in minutes. With no external volume slide, you’ll have to persevere with annoying menus and frequently unresponsive buttons until you find the volume section.
The game revolves around ensuring the avatar eats, sleeps, washes, looks after the dog and attends school regularly – if not, she winds up in the hospital purchasing a “super medicine” that cures all her problems or is denied her allowance by Dad, who is eternally parked in front of the home TV. Woe betide if she’s spent her allowance at the mall and can’t afford the medicine. Even a phone call to Mum, who is confined to the kitchen, can’t help – you’ll have to restart the game from scratch.
But you might not want to bother. MyLife is mind-numbingly repetitive and nauseatingly shallow. You’d be better saving your money for a real Gameboy – at least then you can change the game.
Digital Life – MP3 player news and articles
MP3 driving ban sought
July 9, 2008
A pedestrian rights group says a new police campaign warning road users of the dangers of MP3 players does not go far enough, and that listening to portable devices while driving should be made a criminal offence.
NSW Police began a campaign this week aimed at pedestrian and motorists, warning of an increased risk of accidents while listening to music through headphones.
While police do not keep statistics on the number of accidents attributed to the use of portable players, they say anecdotal evidence suggests it is on the rise.
“The public needs to be aware of the impact of these new technologies and the distractions they create, for both pedestrians and motorists alike,” said the traffic services commander, Chief Superintendent John Hartley.
Anti-semitic ‘terror TV’ live in Australia – National – BrisbaneTimes
Anti-semitic ‘terror TV’ live in Australia
The federal government must consider “creative” ways to tackle an anti-semitic satellite television station’s broadcasts being beamed into Australia, a leading Jewish figure says.
Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television channel is broadcast into Australia from Indonesian company Indosat and carries talk shows and documentaries dedicated to anti-Israeli, anti-western and pro-militancy ideas.
It also carries children’s programs and music videos along with calls for viewers to donate.
Asked if the government should consider outlawing the viewing of Al-Manar in Australia, Australia-Israel and Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said he was open to the idea.
“The Attorney-General (Robert McClelland) needs to look at some of the loose ends implicit in this case,” Mr Rubenstein told AAP.
“It’s illegal to download pedophile material so I think there’s some scope for creative legislation here. Al-Manar recruits terrorists and effectively advertises for donations.”
Judge: ‘Dancing baby’ lawsuit can proceed – Breaking News – Technology – Breaking News
Judge: ‘Dancing baby’ lawsuit can proceed
August 21, 2008 – 10:56AM
A federal judge is allowing a Pennsylvania woman to sue Universal Music Corp. for forcing YouTube to take down a video clip of her baby dancing to Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.”
Universal Music demanded the removal of the 29-second home video by Stephanie Lenz of Gallitzin, Pa., because it allegedly violated copyright laws on the song.
But a San Jose-based judge says Universal needed to first consider whether the clip was “fair use” of the material.
Fair use provisions of the U.S. copyright act allow segments of copyrighted works to be used for purposes of parody or satire or in reviews and other limited circumstances.
It’s the first such legal ruling requiring copyright owners to consider fair use of their material before demanding that Internet sites such as YouTube remove material.
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