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German Left Courts the Working Class
A new political party in Germany has made saving the working class and the country's welfare system rallying points for attracting votes. Die Linke, or the Left Party, is drawing support from mainstream parties with a radical message.
Categories: News
Brando unites external iPhone battery with speaker at long last
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
Nothing says "I'm mad as hell about my iPhone 3G's battery life and I'm not going to take it anymore" better than blasting it out of a loudspeaker. Bonus points for that loudspeaker being integrated with a battery pack, which in turn connects to your -- you guess it -- iPhone 3G (or original iPhone, if that's how you roll). Well, $44 to the folks at Brando will buy you that very opportunity, it turns out. Who knew?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Categories: Nerd, Technology
Sony delivers the first 240Hz LCDs November 10
Sure Samsung had 240Hz (and wavier hair) first, but with its TVs stuck in development until 2011, Sony's back with another first / best of the night in the W1 series display, packing four times the speed of previous LCD HDTVs, and double that of the new 120Hz your best friend just picked up. Allegedly smoother than Billy Dee Williams cracking open a Colt 45 in Cloud City, the KDL-46W1 and KDL-40W1 bring 1080p with a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, BRAVIA Engine 2 image processing, 24p support and an assortment of hookups from modem to HDMI. Stop by your nearest Japanese electronics shop November 10 to get a peep at these and their slim, sexy sister, but bring ¥400,000 ($3,652 U.S.) for the 46-inch or ¥290,0000 ($2,648 U.S.) for the 40-inch -- you could try showing up without it, but why take chances?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Categories: Nerd, Technology
Diageo expects 'challenges' ahead
Diageo, owner of Guinness and Johnnie Walker, says it faces a "challenging" market after seeing little change in annual profits.
Categories: News
Ponting supports Olympic Twenty20
Australia captain Ricky Ponting says Twenty20 cricket will become an Olympic sport in the future.
Categories: News
net@night 64: Pizza Pizza
China re-unblocks iTunes, Miss Sister 2008, John Cleese, Dexter, 12seconds, Bagel Tech, and more.
Audible pick of the week: The work of author Terry Pratchett. To sign up for a free book, visit Audible.com/night.
Bandwidth for net@night is provided by AOL Radio.
Hosts: Amber MacArthur and Leo Laporte
Running time: 55:59Bill Clinton backs Obama for president
Bill Clinton resoundingly endorses Barack Obama, who is formally nominated by US Democrats as their presidential candidate.
Categories: News
Leo Laporte - The Tech Guy 485
Politics and the Internet, Windows's Mojave project, RIAA, Scott Wilkinson on TI's 3DTV, and your calls.
For detailed show notes, visit techguylabs.com.
Bandwidth for the Tech Guy podcast is provided by DSL Extreme
Host: Leo Laporte
Running time: 2:00:00Daily Giz Wiz 644: Franklin Speaking Spelling Bee
You and your friends can test your speling skills with the Franklin Speaking Spelling Bee.
For more details and a chance to win the Mad Magazine "What The Heck Is It?" contest, visit GizWizBiz.com.
Bandwidth for the Daily Giz Wiz is provided by AOL Radio
Hosts: Dick DeBartolo with Leo Laporte
Running time: 15:42Quebec Gov Sued For Ignoring Free Software
Mathieu Lutfy writes "The CBC is reporting that "Quebec's open-source software association is suing the provincial government, saying it is giving preferential treatment to Microsoft Corp. by buying the company's products rather than using free alternatives. "...Government buyers are using an exception in provincial law that allows them to buy directly from a proprietary vendor when there are no options available, but Facil said that loophole is being abused and goes against other legal requirements to buy locally.". The group also has a press release in English."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Malaysia's Anwar sworn in as MP
The Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been sworn in as a member of parliament, ending a decade's absence.
Categories: News
Sony unveils world's thinnest LCD HDTV - 9.9mm KDL-40ZX1
Sony's taken the crown in the race for thinnest LCD HDTV. At just 9.9mm thick the KDL-40ZX1 nearly halves the depth of Hitachi's former champ (likely throwing up in the bathroom right now) and comes within a whisper of Pioneer's ultra thin concept. Featuring a LED backlighting, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 120Hz MotionFlow tech, x.v.Color and BRAVIA Engine 2 image processing this is about as close to a 40-inch window on your wall as is likely to arrive soon. Only one HDMI in is directly on the screen itself, all unnecessary HDMI / USB / component inputs are relegated to a base station, with the option for wired or -- possibly WHDI based? -- 5Ghz wireless (unfortunately limited to 1080i max resolution for now). We'd mention the XMB GUI, AcTVila video on-demand and DLNA support, but at some point it's just piling on. A mere 490,000 yen ($4,474 U.S.) puts the ZX1 on your wall, due at your local Japanese retailer November 10. See you there?
[Via AV Watch]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Categories: Nerd, Technology
Physicists develop microlens with earth-shatteringly short focal length
Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets
It's hard to say when we, the consumers, will actually see any real benefit from the latest noteworthy discovery from Northeastern University, but we can only imagine that Srinivas Sridhar and team aren't wasting any time moving things forward. Said crew has recently created a "new microlens that focuses infrared light at telecommunication frequencies," and if you're looking for specifics, it can focus an infrared beam to a spot just 12-micrometers away from the surface. The science behind the discovery is probably only digestible by those that understand rocket science, but the long of short of it is this: the "research shows that it is possible to create smaller, ultra-compact infrared optical components that can be integrated into existing semiconductor technologies while not sacrificing image quality." Now that's something even the layman can appreciate.[Via Physorg]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Categories: Nerd, Technology
Management shake-up at Fannie Mae
The US mortgage giant announces a shake-up of top executives in an attempt to restore confidence.
Categories: News
Thai PM changes tack on protests
The Thai PM says he will not use force against thousands of protesters besieging government, in an apparent change of heart.
Categories: News
House prices 'fall 10.5% in year'
UK house prices are down 10.5% on a year ago, the first annual double-digit fall since 1990, the Nationwide says.
Categories: News
Democrats Make Historic Pick: It's Obama
Barack Obama sailed into history Wednesday as the first African-American to head a major-party presidential ticket. Prompted by Hillary Clinton, the party nominated him by acclamation. And after VP pick Joe Biden spoke, Obama joined him onstage.
Categories: News
Pakistan car bomb hits jail bus
At least seven people die after a car bomb targets a prison bus in Pakistan carrying police, police say.
Categories: News
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