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Ziggs WebPro: find out who is googling you

Ziggs.com is the social networking site that offers a service that will let you know who is googling you online and a little bit about them. Ziggs WebPro will place Advertisements featuring your profile on a search engine which is linked to your profile by Ziggs. Although Ziggs has been marketed more as a business networking site calling itself “Your one-stop source for building your online brand, marketing yourself on the web and simplifying communications with people” users are saying its spooky to know who has googled you and when.

You can get a free trial version of this service and without ad placements if you just want to try it out, Ziggs WebPro will still tell you when people have clicked on your profile through a search engine. This service then allows you to see when someone is viewing your profile and you can receive email alerts every time someone views your profile via the search engine.

So gone will be the days of wondering if and if ever you have been googled as this service will tell you when and who has, this service can also be used via Yahoo and other search engines. So if you think it will be viable for your business networking or you just want to be spooked then give Ziggs.com ago.

Source: ibtimes

Ford’s 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic does 65mpg: But US can’t have it

The new Ford Fiesta ECOnetic will do 65 miles to the gallon which is good news for people in Europe but what about stateside? Unfortunately the new Ford Fiesta will not be available in the U.S.

The reason the Fiesta ECOnetic will not be available in the U.S. is because it runs on diesel according to Business Week. Ok, we know that in America Diesel has a bad reputation but nowadays new diesel vehicles have anti-pollution technology that makes them as clean as petrol vehicles, but there is one other snag the current exchange rate would mean the ECOnetic would cost about $25,700 in America, when the Prius will only set you back $24,000 in comparison.

So for the European readers the New Ford Fiesta ECOnetic will go on sale from November.

Read the full article in nydailynews

Toshiba NB100 netbook: Ready for UK in October

Toshiba have entered the growing netbook market with the Toshiba NB100 netbook which will be available in the UK from October.

The Toshiba NB100 netbook weighs in at less than a kilo and is compact and stylish, it measure 8.9 inch and has advanced multimedia and communication capabilities. You can get two versions of the NB100 both that are powered by the 1.6GHz Intel Atom CPU, one with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and the other with Linux Ubuntu 8.04 with OpenOffice 2.4.

The Toshiba netbook will allow you to have up to 1GB RAM and a hard disk drive of up to 120GB, the widescreen TruBrite display offers 1024 x 600 resolution with LED backlighting. To get connected you can use the WiFi, you also have three USB ports and a 10/100 Ethernet port and an integrated 0.3MP webcam. If that’s not enough this netbook allows you to charge your USB gadgets whilst it’s in sleep mode.

Connectivity includes Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) and a 10/100 Ethernet port and there’s three USB ports that get Toshiba’s nifty Sleep-and-Charge tech that keeps charging USB gadgets when the NB100 netbook is in sleep mode while there’s also an integrated 0.3MP webcam. The Toshiba NB100 will set you back around £260 and available in three colours.

Source: pocket-lint

Xbox 360: big in Japan sales surge 300 percent

Xbox 360, Microsoft Corps console had a sale surge in Japan, Amazon Japan reported a sale increase following a hardware price cut. The Xbox 360, 60GB SKU held a 317 percent increase in sales at Amazon Japan, and it now ranks on the video division at number 63 best-selling product.

Microsoft cut the price of all Xbox 360 game consoles in the U.S. between $50 to $80 to encourage sales on September 5 and on Sept 1 cut the price of all Xbox 360 hardware to as low as 19,800 yen ($189) as they wanted to make a full impact on improving market shares in Japan.

Microsoft on Sept. 1 price cut all Xbox 360 hardware in Japan to as low as 19,800 yen ($189) in an aggressive discount to build market share in the region. You can now pick up the Arcade SKU for $199, the Pro at $299 and the Elite at $399.

Source: punchjump

iPhone 3G: voted best gadget by Stuff Magazine

Apple iPhone 3G has been voted the best gadget of the year by readers of Stuff magazine, beating Sony’s PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii Fit, Microsoft Xbox 360 and the black and white Zeppelin iPod speakers.

The iPhone 3G was described as “a faster, cleverer version of an already remarkable phone”. Strangely enough the original iPhone won the coolest gadget of the year in 2007.

The products were judged on their design, performance and value as well as “that elusive cool factor” said Stuff’s Editor Fraser Macdonald. He also feels that having the readers vote for the award has been really fascinating as they are the ones purchasing the gadgets so a great barometer.

Stuff Magazine staff didn’t chose the iPhone 3G as the best gadget they chose a laptop that cost less that £300 the no-frills laptop Asus Eee PC.

Read the full article in reuters

Guinness Book of World Records 2009 Launched

If you are amazed by the world’s craziest things and love anything wierd and wonderful, then I suggest you go and buy the New Guinness Book of World Records 2009, the book will be available on Wednesday. You will find stories like: the women with the longest legs, the smallest man in the world and to bring us up to date with world change the women who has had the most cosmetic surgery in the world.

The Guinness Book of world records began back in 1955 but the book was then known as Guinness Book of records and changed its name in 2000, the book has worldwide recognition. I think it is a must have for any coffee table and can be a great conversation piece. Packed with other stories like how a man can tow a double decker bus by his ears, freaks I hear you say, but worth a look.

Two of the record holders met in Trafalgar Square to mark the launch of the book on Wednesday, one of the record holders Ms Pankratova who holds the record for the women with the longest legs said she feels proud that she is the longest person on the planet.

Source: itn

7digital becomes serious rival with iTunes as it signs four labels

7digital a London based startup which launched in 2004, yesterday stole the lead on digital music rivals such as Amazon and Apple’s iTunes as it became first in Europe to offer catalogues of all four of the big labels free of rights restrictions, this was seen as a massive leap for 7digital who were extremely happy that can now offer the majority of their 4m tracks in MP3.

A boost in download sales were also promised by 7digital, although download sales have been growing, they have not grown at the rate to compensate for the fall in CD sales.

The digital music company will slash prices of album downloads, offering back-catalogue titles for as little as £2 and £3 and some new albums as low as £5. 7digital signed deals with four huge record companies, Kings of Leon, Glasvegas, Sony BMG and Bob Dylan. 7Digital have also promised to upgrade to the new format all previous purchases of DRM-protected tracks.

Read the full article in the guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep/17/netmusic

Phorm ad-targeting: approved by EU data law

Phorm, the ad-targeting system, that has caused controversy surrounding the privacy of the service has been accepted by the UK government and has been said to conform with European data laws, but the government have warned Phorm that it must be more descriptive in their information to the customers about the programme and they have to make the opt out more straightforward.

The bruhaha - as documented by the Guardian Technology blog began when some of Phorm’s partners which included BT, were uncovered to have tested Phorm’s targeting technology without giving customers notice that they were doing so. The EU was then called in and they wanted to see clarification about how Phorm’s system worked and how they went about informing their customers, The EU demanded this information.

This resulted in the UK governments Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform today delivering a statement to the EU that Phorm users “will be presented with an unavoidable statement about the product and asked to exercise choice about whether to be involved”. Phorm’s success or failure will be a great learning outcome for the rest of the industry as the technology is breaking new grounds, although it is treading a fine line between targeting and privacy.

Read the full article in the guardian

Google will launch android smartphone to rival iPhone

Google is launching its own smartphone which is due out exclusively through T-mobile in the next two weeks. HTC the Taiwanese manufacturer will make the phone and it will be the first phone to use Google’s Android software.

Google have codenamed the phone ‘Dream’ and it will be available in the UK and America, and is tipped to be a best seller, The Android browser is designed for the smaller screens but is built using the same technology as the new Google Chrome browser.

The director of mobile platform at Google, Andy Rubin said that Android’s the reception of the first smartphone will indicate how successful it will be.

The smartphone code name ‘Dream’ by Google is set to challenge Apples iPhone 3G, the android platform will be open-source encouraging outside software developers to play with the system and create innovative and more successful mobile services and programs.

Source: dailymail

Xbox 360 game tester tells of hardware failure and loses job

Robert Delaware, an Xbox 360 games tester lost his job after talking to a journalist from Venturebeat about a problem with the Xbox 360.

In the article that was published in Venturebeat , Delaware told journalist Dean Takahashi about the problem he came across whilst working for VMC, which is a company that tests games for Mircrosoft, he told Takahashi that he could see that the “Xbox Live updates embedded in retail games could turn working consoles into worthless hulks”.

Now, Delaware has lost his job at VMC for breach of his confidentiality contract, but he has said that he doesn’t care if it leads to a battle in court with Microsoft. When asked how he feels now he lost his job, Delaware said “It feels good it was the moral thing to do”. It seems that Delaware is ready for a fight with Microsoft, he seems pretty confident and not backing down to Microsoft.

Source: pocket-lint

Best Buys purchases Napster for $121m and joins online music arena

Best Buys have joined the online music arena, purchasing the online music service Napster for $121m (£67.5m) in cash and investments. The acquisition share values more than doubled its market share on Friday, reaching $2.65 a share.

Best Buys want to reach new customers by influencing Napster’s existing 700,000 existing subscribers. In a Best Buys statement, Dave Morrish an executive vice president of Best Buys said that they can foresee Napster’s easy-to-use interface, streaming music and mobile offerings were the service’s key strengths, using Napster’s platform for accelerating growth in the emerging industry of digital entertainment, taking it past music subscription.

Napster had recently acquired smaller online music outlets, such as those run by AOL and Virgin Digital.

Read the full article at BBC

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, set to launch World Wide Web Foundation

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the man who built the world’s first web site in 1991, said the World Wide Web must be controlled to prevent malicious conspiracy theories and rumours spreading and being passed off as factual information, this is why he is launching the World Wide Web Foundation.

Sir Tim said he is becoming very concerned how easily the “thinking of cults” can be accepted by mainstream internet users and spread across the world as truths. People have believed that the Large Hadron Collider could end the world and the MMR vaccine could give children autism, through the harmful online campaigns.

Sir Tim, who is preparing to launch a foundation aimed at upholding the Web’s founding principles; he said that system rating sites’ trustworthiness was urgently needed.

The World Wide Web foundation will offer kite mark-style branding to websites it thinks are a reliable source of information, he also added that this would not threaten freedom of speech and it will advance a web which is open and free. Basically it’s going to be a way to separate fact from fiction.

Read full article: Telegraph

Electronic Arts ends merger talks with Take-Two Interactive

The maker of top-selling video game “Grand Theft Auto” Take-Two Interactive Inc Shares fell after talks with Electronic Arts Inc of a takeover bid ended, the shares fell lower than in almost 7 years, Take-Two fell 27 percent down to $15.93 percent at 9.42am New York Time, this is the biggest drop since December 2001. Electronic Arts shares fell just 2.7 percent down to $43.77.

Last Month, Redwood City, California based Electronic Arts had decided to go into talks with Take-Two and drop its $2 billion hostile bid the well known game maker based in New York.

However yesterday Electronic Arts said they will not make a proposal to buy Take-Two in view of due-diligence materials and management presentations.

Read the full article in Bloomberg

Abaco: Europes first Atom Dual-core desktop

For all you stylish Italian gadget mad readers, how would you like to get your hands on an Abaco Intel Atom dual-core PC? if your not impressed, what if I tell you it only measures 27 x 20 x 10 cm, that’s just less than 11 x 8 x 4 inches for those who haven’t made it over to centimeters yet.

This classic and stylish Abaco Computer is straight out of Milan and is actually Europe’s first Intel Atom dual-core PC, the “box” looks at first glance like a Betamax VCR is actually a reasonably stacked PC that boasts up to 2GB RAM, 1.6 GHz Atom CPU, its advertised as having a generous six USB ports but its looks like from the photo on the box that you only have 4, so we will try and get the correct information for you.

The Abaco comes with Ubuntu 8.04 fully loaded. It’s said that you can purchase this in thin client, Solid state and desktop depending on what you would prefer. Prices will go according to the configuration, and it’s pretty obvious that it’s not available in the USA.

Source: engadget

Facebook users will have to change to the new site

If you are a regular facebook user, then you will already know that the facebook site gave you an option to go with the new facebook or stick with the old, basically we are all going to have to go to the new site.

Over one million of the user signed a petition against the sites controversial redesign, but that facebook have over 40 million members, so, it’s not really a huge percentage. 30 million users have already changed over, Mark Slee the facebook Product Manager said although some users will be uncomfortable with the changes over time they will appreciate the advantages that the new design and feature it has to offer.

Not only has facebook had a facelift, they have also design a very slick, intuitive site dedicated to the iPhone.

Source: trustedreview

Peek email device is now available

We previously reviewed the Peek email device and have posted the link below, but good news for those who have been waiting to purchase the Peek, it is now officially available from the Peeks online store.

The device is simply just an email device and has no phone or camera facilities, however, the Peek can send and receive unlimited emails via select services including, Yahoo mail, AOL and Gmail via the GPRS data network. You cannot expand the memory, and the onboard storage is 8MB, so probably not an ideal device if you want to store heavy attachments such as high res images.

For full spec click our review below, the Peek is currently available only in gray at $100, but will be available in cherry and aqua in a few weeks time, Peek does not come with a contract and T-Mobile provide the data coverage across America.

Read the Peek review

Source: electronista

iTunes 8 from Apple crashes Vista with critical error

iTunes 8 Apple Inc’s latest version that was released on Tuesday, seems to be causing havoc with Windows Vista, the lauch of iTunes 8 was to coincide with the iPod refresh.

It’s been reported by lots of users on the Apple support forum, that as soon as a iPhone or iPod is connected to a PC with Window Vista the PC crashes, and the user gets the “blue screen of death” (BSOD) appearing on the screen, this critical error appears on a blue background and the user then has to reboot to recover.

One user posted on the forum that they installed the iTunes 8 over the iTunes 7 on Vista and the Blue screen of death appeared, this happened three times, the post had been viewed almost 10,000 times and has collected nearly 300 messages, as other users discussed their problems with iTunes 8 and offering possible solutions. There were a lot of responses from users who said it could be that they need a approved Apple USB driver, but of cause this is user speculation, we will have to wait and see what the solution is from Apple.

Read the full article at computerworld

Spore game attacked by anti-spore website over theme

The Species simulation game “Spore” has caused a stir, an anti-Spore site has been found on the internet that is protesting against the extremely popular game and its evolutionary message.

One of the messages on the anti-spore site says that EA Spore game is their “biggest attack on Christian values to date” and “will not be tolerated” it goes on to say that the game will “invade our homes and poison the minds of our children”.

Spore has been branded a game that you will lose yourself in, as there is so much to do in it, but the anti-spore site clearly is not a fan of the game, saying that the E for Everyone ESBR rating, is misleading and apparently it should actually mean E for ‘everyone’ means everyone they want to teach evolution to.” The site then goes on to attack the staff working at EA.

Source: pocket-lint

CERN scientists perform rap to explain the LHC on YouTube

As the scientists start work at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN, they have recorded a rap song to celebrate. The video that goes with the rap has been posted on YouTube and has had more that 2.5 million hits in less than a week.

In the video you can see the scientists in white coats dancing in the collision chamber, the rap was written by Kate MacAlpine whose rap name is Alpinekat and she is a trainee at CERN.

Kate said she wrote the rap on her journey’s to and from work, and then the staff all got together to do the video, Kate said the scientists hope that it explains what goes on at CERN, with lyrics such as “Twenty seven kilometres, a tunnel underground, Designed with a mind to send protons around.
We have to wait 30 days for the first atom smashing will take place at the LHC, which is reported as the world’s biggest scientific experiment.

You can watch the YouTube video by CERN here

Read the full article at vnunet

Is Europe the centre of physics? We look at the Large Hadron Collider

If particle physics is your thing, then the Large Hadron Collider represents a huge victory for Europe as well as particle physics.

There seemed to be many years ago, a brain drain between Europe and the U.S. with the obvious Albert Einstein in the 1930’s and the Wehrner von Braun in the 1940s this carried on through to the 1990s.
But if we look to the present day, there is no doubt that Europe, in the centre of the science world, especially CERN. With the Europeans taking the lead in building the LHC, throwing in $6 billion, but according to MSNBC the U.S. only contributed just over $500 million.

France is home to the ITER fusion research centre, and also could be to another fusion project the HiPER laser-fusion facility. However, in Washington, politicians decreased their physics research by $94 million, although some funding has been restored, a lot of positions were lost.

Read full article at government.zdnet