Land Walker Homebrew Mecha.  [TransportTrends via MotherDigital via Gizmodo 4/5/2005; 12:53:37 PM] Calling this mecha the 'Land Walker' might be a bit generous—it's more like the 'Land Shuffler.' Nevertheless, it's a heck of a project, apparently mostly the work of one man. Too bad the guns are just for show. On the upside, there's a video, which makes it look a lot less photoshopped than in these pictures. More Information. [Sakakibara Kikai via Slashdot Japan] 4/5/2005 11:27:45 PM    

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Explore alternatives to Visual Studio .NET. [TechRepublic.com 4/5/2005; 1:54:16 PM] Visual Studio .NET is a powerful development tool, yet it's often overkill or too pricey if you're in a smaller shop or working on a smaller project. There are a myriad of alternative tools available... 4/5/2005 11:16:25 PM    

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Time to get a passport [The Globe And Mail 4/5/2005; 2:53:03 PM] Canadians travelling to the United States will be required to show a passport or other so-called “secure document” when crossing the border beginning at the end of 2006, and by 2008 Americans will be unable to return to the United States without a passport. Currently, Canadians and Americans are able to enter the United States with little more identification than a driver's licence or a birth certificate, though a passport has sometimes made it simpler to satisfy immigration officers at the border. 4/5/2005 11:12:29 PM    

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Quirks and Quarks as MP3s. [Boing Boing 4/5/2005; 3:53:39 PM] Cory Doctorow: Every Saturday morning for as long as I can remember, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has aired a brilliant science show called Quirks and Quarks, currently hosted by the erudite and fascinating Bob McDonald. Listening to these shows growing up is partially what's responsible for my interest in technology and science today. Since moving away from Canada, I've really missed my Quirks and Quarks -- so imagine my delight at discovering that the CBC is now making every episode available as a downloading MP3s. There is also a Podcast feed. 4/5/2005 11:05:39 PM    

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Battle Brews Over Unlocking PC secrets. [CNET News 4/5/2004] As computer makers move to embed security features deep within PCs, a fight is erupting over a rarely noticed but crucial piece of system software. As the BIOS becomes more powerful, these critics argue, consumers must be allowed to freely develop their own alternatives. "We need a free BIOS, because if we don't control the BIOS we don't control our computers," said Richard Stallman, president of the Free Software Foundation. "It puts me in an ethically compromised position to have a nonfree program in my machine." The free-BIOS initiative comes at a time when the BIOS is undergoing the first major change in its history - a transition from software based on machine code to a new framework dubbed the Extensible Firmware Interface, or EFI. Ultimately, the free BIOS would emulate software such as the LinuxBIOS - a free BIOS that's already in existence for Linux, but does not work with a large number of PCs - on a much broader scale. 4/5/2005 10:56:27 PM    

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Feds Hack Wireless Network in 3 Minutes [Slashdot: 4/5/2005; 12:54:02 PM] At a recent ISSA (Information Systems Security Association) meeting in Los Angeles, a team of FBI agents demonstrated current WEP-cracking techniques and broke a 128 bit WEP key in about three minutes. Special Agent Geoff Bickers ran the Powerpoint presentation and explained the attack, while the other agents (who did not want to be named or photographed) did the dirty work of sniffing wireless traffic and breaking the WEP keys. This article will be a general overview of the procedures used by the FBI team. 4/5/2005 10:46:26 PM    

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First Confirmed Picture of a Planet Beyond the Solar System [space.com April 1, 2005 but NOT, it turns out, a joke] Astronomers have finally obtained the first photograph of a planet beyond our solar system. The planet is thought to be one to two times as massive as Jupiter, according to the scientists who imaged it. It orbits a star similar to a young version of our Sun, about 1 million years old, whereas the Sun is middle-aged, at 4.6 billion years old. The star GQ Lupi is part of a star-forming region about 400 light-years away.
Astrophysics, abstract astro-ph/0503691: Evidence for a co-moving sub-stellar companion of GQ Lup [arXiv.org e-Print archive] We present a companion of the le 2 Myr young classical T Tauri star GQ Lup in the Lupus star forming region at 140 pm 50 pc from imaging, astrometry, and spectroscopy. With direct K-band imaging using VLT/NACO, we detected an object 6 mag fainter than GQ Lup located 0.7 arc sec west of it. 4/5/2005 10:41:42 PM    

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Study: Windows Reputation Gets a Lift. [Redmondmag.com 4/5/2005; 1:54:10 PM] Microsoft made strides among customers this year in improving the image of Windows servers against Linux servers on security, quality, performance and reliability, according to a new independent study.
[Slashdot: 4/4/2005; 8:52:33 PM] A survey by Yankee Group analyst Laura DiDio shows Windows and Linux are viewed as equal by U.S. businesses. In the eternal OS wars, '88 percent of respondents said that the quality, performance and reliability of Windows was equal to or better than Linux.' Companies were also asked to rank the operating systems on security. On a scale of 1 to 10 'companies rated Microsoft's security at 7.6, double the rating in a similar survey conducted last year. Linux's rating was mostly the same at 8.3.' Conclusion? 'DiDio said that most companies -- whether large or small -- rarely take the huge step of replacing one operating system with another. Instead, they usually add a mix of Windows and Linux server software to expand functionality.' Microsoft used last year's Yankee Group survey results in their Get the facts campaign. 4/5/2005 10:22:42 PM    

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Don't Lead With Your Heart. [Silicon.com via Linux Today 4/5/2005] When technology is both your livelihood and your passion, it can be hard not to get emotional about preferences for particular platforms, standards, products and vendors. Nowhere is this clearer than with operating systems and the ongoing mindshare battle between proponents of the open source Linux and Microsoft's Windows... Yet let's not get stuck on Linux vs. Windows. Biases exist in all corners of the IT world. We all have them, loathe though we may be to admit it. But being a professional means recognising any prejudices - and then moving beyond them to make clear-headed decisions that are in the best interest of the efficiency and health of your organisation. Security concerns are the main reason IT managers consider switching from Windows to Linux on the desktop - but the cost of migration and compatibility issues remain significant barriers, according to a study by analyst house Quocirca. 4/5/2005 10:17:12 PM    

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Sony announce the NW-HD5 Network Walkman.  [Pocket-LintUK] via [Gizmodo 4/5/2005] Sony has just taken the wraps off their new NW-HD5 hard disk-based music player, a tiny little thing with 20GB of storage but weighing just 125 grams. Sony is also promising an ample 40 hours of bettery life and an easily removable battery. The NW-HD5 will be available in silver, red, and black and will go on sale in the UK next month for £200 (no word of a US release yet). The coolest trick is probably its new 'Follow Turn Display,' which orients the interface screen depending on which way the NW-HD5 is held. Pocket-LintUK will be posting a review of the new player by the end of the week. 4/5/2005 10:02:16 PM    

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Canada put on the on-line map [The Globe And Mail: Business 4/5/2005; 4:53:46 PM] A free, interactive, Web-based, Atlas of Canada has been launched. The maps allow users to zoom and pan, add and remove overlays, and interact with informative themed Web pages to explore details of Canada's geography, culture and people. "Themed modules invite an in-depth exploration of topics ranging from weather to flora and fauna, as well as Canada's diverse people and its unique history. These modules feature rich media including video and animated graphics." 4/5/2005 9:43:12 PM    

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Coming to an eye near you: video glasses [Times Online 3/31/2005] Scalar is now selling an impressively lightweight LCD screen that can be mounted on ordinary glasses. The 7 gram, ¼in screen offers a simulated 14-inch screen with 180,000 pixels (roughly television resolution -  360x500?). It connects to any standard audiovisual unit. It's not terribly expensive, either, at just $460 or so. Teleglass has already been a hit with a select few Tokyo commuters who managed to get hold of early versions of the gadget. The first batch produced by Scalar was discreetly sold from its website — and sold out almost immediately. Now the company is now embarking on a large sales drive and should have the devices in Japanese stores within a few weeks. More info: Teleglass by Scalar [medgadget]; Ultra-Lightweight LCD Glasses [I4U]. 4/5/2005 12:23:12 PM    

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