Technology

Forty years ago the British invaded American pop culture, led by four polished, handsome devils from the least-polished place on earth. Upon arrival in the United States from Liverpool, England, the Beatles' went about changing American music ... forever. That impact will be commemorated in the oddest fashion when NASA blasts the lyrics for the band's popular "Across the Universe" as part of the 50th anniversary of its first space mission. Although neither anniversary is particularly odd, their combination seems an interesting 'mashup'. For a space administration that is as American as Wisconsin ... (view more)

It's now guaranteed that a major part of America's wireless airwaves will be accessible to any device or computer program. That could mean more choice for cell phone owners who want to access the Internet on their phones. The guarantee comes because ... bidding on the relevant part of the airwaves (the C block of the 700 megahertz spectrum to be precise) has passed the $4.64 billion mark. The government has agreed to proposals, championed by Google, ruling that any bidder paying more than this amount would have to follow open-access rules. The airwaves are being freed up by television ... (view more)

Although we're often told not to shoot the messenger, the Messenger is certainly shooting up outer space. The spacecraft blazed past Mercury in mid-January, and took some rather remarkable snapshots of the tiny grey planet closest to the sun. The ... most impressive of those pictures has been dubbed "The Spider," and features a massive geological formation that has dazzled scientists. Many believe the subject of Messenger's photographs -- a giant, central depression surrounded by over a hundred thin trenches zig-zagging each way outwards -- is something very new and very exciting in recent ... (view more)

America Online (AOL) has broken its vows of proprietary ownership and will soon integrate open source Jabber protocols into its AIM and ICQ instant messaging services. AOL is currently in the process of testing a new version of AIM, using the Jabber ... platform as a way to make improvements to its service and eliminate potential operating bugs. While the modifications are still in the test phase, supporters of open source software are looking forward to the potential benefits Jabber can provide. (Source: betanews.com ) Although Jabber is relatively well known within technical circles, most ... (view more)

HBO is launching a 'free' service allowing viewers to watch its programming on computers. The 'HBO on Broadband' system offers a live feed of the television channel, and more than 350 movies and TV shows to download and watch at a later time. That's ... more than most cable TV operators offer through video on demand services. There's no specific charge to use the service, but it's only available to people who subscribe to HBO's television channel. And you must get your broadband access from the same cable company from which you get HBO TV. At the moment it's only being tested on two broadband ... (view more)

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Who will Americans choose in 2008 to lead the country into a new decade? Republican? Democrat? Conservative? Liberal? Independent? The conventional wisdom is to compare the various presidential candidates on all the so-called "popular" issues: ... things like immigration, Roe vs. Wade, the war in Iraq, the economy, Global Warming, and health care. But the stance a president takes on 'high' technology can also result in world-changing events and may be more important than you think. Don't believe it? Consider President Kennedy -- his going-to-the-moon objective catalyzed years of technology ... (view more)

Do you subscribe to OnStar or use an old analog-based cellular phone? This next story might have you fuming. For those of us old enough to remember the coming of the Motorola Flip phone and its predecessors, analog satellite technology was the ... original network that made the cellular phone possible. In fact, some people argue that an analog phone is superior because it gets better reception and clarity than current digital technologies. Nevertheless -- if you are the owner of one of these devices, the end is near. As of February 2008, the analog phone network is scheduled to be shutdown per U. ... (view more)

Tests at the University of Washington have shown it's possible to reroute brain signals to move paralysed limbs. The results could eventually lead to treatment for spinal injury victims. The study works on the idea that, although spinal injuries ... damage the connections which carry nerve signals, victims usually retain both the muscles in the affected limb and the use of the motor cortex, the part of the brain which controls movement. Unlike some parts of the brain, which work on a 'use it or lose it' basis, studies have shown people can retain full control over the motor cortex even after ... (view more)

Think you're safe using a cell phone behind the wheel? Maybe; clearly there are enough people out there employing such tactics that at least a few have become experts at balancing rush hour traffic and plans for dinner and/or a movie. Unfortunately ... for British drivers, not even especially refined multitasking skills will save them from a hefty fine and even jail time, if caught. According to reports from across the pond, drivers caught talking on a cell phone could face both 24 months in prison and a fine as steep as five thousand pounds. That's over $10,000 American dollars, more than what ... (view more)