Mereja

Author: Serkadis

  • More Surveillance Can Make Us Less Safe

    In the wake of the September 11 attacks, we had a post detailing why greater surveillance wouldn’t have helped prevent the attacks. The data was all there, it just wasn’t put together. And yet, in the time since then, the government has, in fact, continually focused on gathering more surveillance (warrantless wiretaps, anyone?), rather than on making better use of the data that is there. Back in 2002, in another post, we discussed how collecting more surveillance data in data retention schemes also made it harder to find the useful data and harder to connect the dots on the data that you had.

    With the attempted terror attack on Christmas, it appears that this focus on doing more surveillance rather than better security was a major part in “failing to connect the dots” that allowed the plot to get as far as it did. The EFF points us to a report noting that the reason why Abdulmutallab was allowed on an airplane into the US in the first place — despite widespread warnings, was that there was a backlog in processing all the data:


    Abdulmutallab never made it onto a no-fly list because there are simply too many reports of suspicious individuals being submitted on a daily basis, which causes the system to be “clogged” — overloaded — with information having nothing to do with Terrorism. As a result, actually relevant information ends up obscured or ignored.

    At what point do people realize that collecting more data doesn’t make us more secure, and actually can do the opposite. As is pointed out at the Salon link above, the idea that you even can sacrifice liberty for security is wrong. The famous saying may say that you “deserve neither,” but increasingly people are realizing that sacrificing liberty doesn’t necessarily get you more security anyway.

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  • Apple seizes 16 domain names from squatter

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    Apple dropped the hammer on a domain squatter the other day, reclaiming sixteen different domain names in one fell swoop. The company filed a complaint a while back against a guy named Daniel Bijan, who didn’t bother to fight his case at all (not that he has one), and the result earlier this week gives them the rights to all of them. They run the gamut from iphonecheap.com to macbookpro.com (how did Apple not own that one?), and as of this writing, we couldn’t find any that were actually being used by Apple yet — they all seem to point to either a blank Apache page or a simple domain placeholder.

    And as you may have noticed, there are no secrets here — macfriend.com is probably just a stab in the dark on the part of the domain squatter, and ipodsbaratos.com means “iPods cheap” in Spanish. Just Apple reclaiming some of their rightful web space.

    TUAWApple seizes 16 domain names from squatter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • CES Watch: More tales from the iLounge

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    Another day at CES 2010, another round of new iPhone, iPod, and Mac-related accessories. We’re putting them all together in one post — it’s like you’re on the show floor, without the terrible AT&T reception.

    As you can tell, the iLounge pavilion at the show is packed with all kinds of things that connect to your iPhone — if anyone ever wanted to overpay for an accessory, it’s probably there. We’ll keep an eye on any other Mac-related releases during the show for you throughout the weekend.

    TUAWCES Watch: More tales from the iLounge originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Smartsheet and Google Apps: Crowdsourcing Made Easy

    smartsheetlogo.pngLet’s say you want a list of every Fortune 1,000 CEO in the United States, along with a picture and contact information.

    You can look through Google. Top page results may help a bit. But to get the granularity you need, top page results can only go so far. What’s the best way to go about discovering and collecting information that is so often scattered and fragmented?

    Crowdsourcing works but you need a process and a way to organize the information.

    Sponsor

    Smartsheet provides a way to use wikis and spreadsheets for crowdsourcing information from services like Mechanical Turk and Live Works.

    Smartsheet recently integrated with Google Apps. Clients can work from Google Apps to crowdsource information through Smartsheet.

    Let’s say you have a list of the startup companies from the top 10 metro areas in the United States. You have the names of the companies in Google Apps. But you are lacking the name of the CEO and any contact information. So, you add some columns and open the Smartsheet application directly from Google Apps.

    You may now make your request to have the work done for you. Smartsheet opens a service such as Mechanical Turk. You describe the job, what you need and set your price. As the tasks are performed, the new information pops into the spreadsheet.

    You can then import the spreadsheet back into Google Apps.

    Smartsheet integrates with a wiki environment. For example, Smartsheet works with Brain Keeper. Structured information from Smartsheet may be imported into the wiki, providing the crowd-sourced data to anyone with access.

    Crowdsourcing is a classic example of how the enterprise can get information almost immediately that could take hours to collect if done manually by one person.

    The cost savings alone makes Smartsheet an application worth giving a try.

    SmartSheet is a subscription service. Pricing starts at $9.95 per month on a per-user-basis.

    Discuss


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  • India Submits Letter of Request for Potential Boeing C-17 Order

    The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that the U.S. government has received a Letter of Request from India’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Indian Air Force regarding the potential acquisition of 10 C-17 Globemaster III advanced airlifters.

    “Boeing is very pleased that the Indian government has expressed interest in acquiring the C-17 to modernize its airlift capabilities, and we look forward to working closely with them,” said Vivek Lall, vice president and India country head, Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

    “We believe the C-17 can fulfill India’s needs for military and humanitarian airlift to help it meet its growing domestic and international responsibilities.”

    The C-17 conducted demonstration flights in February at Aero India 2009 in Bangalore, where members of the MOD and Indian Air Force had the opportunity to see the aircraft’s capabilities in action.

    The Indian Air Force wants to replace and augment its fleet of Russian-made AN-32 and IL-76 airlifters.

    “Nations looking to modernize their airlift capabilities turn to the C-17 because it has the highest reliability and mission-capable rate of any airlift aircraft,” added Tommy Dunehew, Boeing Global Mobility Systems vice president of Business Development.

    “It is available right now, without any development risk. Plus, the C-17 is an acquisition success story, with deliveries on or ahead of schedule for the past decade.”

    A tactical and strategic airlifter, only the C-17 can carry large combat equipment and troops or humanitarian aid across international distances and deliver them directly to small austere airfields anywhere in the world.

    It can land combat-ready troops on semi-prepared runways or airdrop them directly into the fight. The C-17’s ability to back up allows it to operate on narrow taxiways and congested ramps. With a payload of up to 170,000 pounds, the C-17 can take off and land in 3,000 feet or less.

    There are currently 212 C-17s in service worldwide, including 19 with international customers. The U.S. Air Force, including active Guard and Reserve units, has 193.

    Other customers include the United Kingdom (which recently announced a contract for a seventh airlifter), Qatar, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations.

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence announced Jan. 6 that the UAE has signed a contract for the acquisition of six Boeing C-17s.

    About Boeing Defense, Space and Security

    A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft.

    Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

    MEDIA CONTACT:Jerry Drelling, 714-318-7594
    Boeing Global Mobility Systems
    [email protected]

    Brian Nelson, +1-321-258-6189
    Boeing BDS India Communications
    [email protected]


  • Apple Slate to Feature Aluminum Chassis, Q2 Ship Date [Digital Daily]

    aapl_tablet-150x150Here’s another heaping pile of grist for the Apple rumor mill: The company’s Taiwanese manufacturing partners are said to be ramping up production of the touchscreen panels and aluminum chassis intended for the tablet/slate computer Apple (AAPL) is widely expected to uncrate at an as-of-yet unannounced special event Jan. 27. Which means the mysterious device is likely to arrive at market sometime in Q2.

    “Production of the cases will begin in February, so everything points to a second-quarter launch right now,” an unnamed source told Reuters. “It doesn’t take that long for the company to assemble the PC together, but a second-quarter shipment date is what we’re looking at now.”

    This isn’t the first time we’ve heard such predictions. Last month, Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Yair Reiner said his checks into Apple’s supply chain indicated that “the manufacturing cogs for the [device] were creaking into action” with an eye toward a spring launch.

    Additionally, sources this week told The Wall Street Journal that Apple would ship a tablet device to customers in March.

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  • Former Chicago Cub Andre Dawson Elected To Baseball’s Hall of Fame

    ‘The Hawk’ to Attend and be Honored at 25th Annual Cubs Convention

    Former Cub outfielder Andre Dawson was today elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

    Dawson appeared on 77.9 percent of the ballots submitted by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

    Dawson is the 46th former member of the Cubs organization to earn Baseball’s highest honor.

    He is scheduled to attend the 25th annual Cubs Convention next week at the Hilton Chicago.

    “The Chicago Cubs congratulate Andre Dawson on his long-deserved election to Baseball’s Hall of Fame,” said Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts. “‘The Hawk’ registered six outstanding seasons on the North Side, none finer than his 1987 MVP season when he paced the league with 49 home runs and 137 RBI.

    “An eight-time All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner, Andre created countless memories for our fans and, along with fellow Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, helped bring playoff baseball to Chicago in 1989. We look forward to celebrating Andre’s election with him and our fans when he attends next week’s Cubs Convention.”

    “Andre was one of the elite players of my era,” said Sandberg. “Not only was he a terrific player, but his work ethic, his character and the way he played the game of baseball was very deserving of this honor bestowed upon him today.

    “On the field, Andre was a five-tool player with one of the best arms in the outfield that I’ve ever seen. His stolen bases combined with his home run totals are certainly Hall of Fame numbers. He represented the teams that he played on with class and always had a team-first attitude.”

    A member of the Cubs for six seasons from 1987-92, Dawson batted .285 with 174 home runs and 587 RBI in 867 games with the club. He ranks 11th in team history in home runs and sixth with a .507 slugging percentage (minimum 3,000 plate appearances).

    Dawson recorded his lone Most Valuable Player campaign in his first season with Chicago, batting .287 with 49 home runs and 137 RBI, falling only a batting title shy of the Triple Crown. He also led the National League in total bases (353) and ranked third in extra base hits (75) en route to his first of five All-Star appearances with the Cubs (also 1988-91). Dawson also won his first of two Gold Glove Awards with the Cubs in 1987 (and again in 1988). He also won a Silver Slugger Award in 1987.

    The remainder of the attendees for the 25th anniversary Cubs Convention will be announced next week.


  • Invisibility Cloak Technology Back On Track; Wand Technology Still Lacking [Science]

    Scientists are fickle, aren’t they? First they’re saying we can’t have invisibility cloaks, now they’re saying we can. I vote “can,” obviously. How will it work? The same way everything in the future will work: nanoparticles.

    A team from Fudan University in Shanghai believes that silver-plated nanoparticles suspended in water could be the trick to draping yourself in invisibility:

    In the absence of a magnetic field, such nanoparticles would simply float around in the water, but if a field were introduced, the particles would self-assemble into chains whose lengths depend on the strength of the field, and which can also attract one another to form thicker columns.

    The chains and columns would lie along the direction of the magnetic field. If they were oriented vertically in a pool of water, light striking the surface would refract negatively – bent in way that no natural material can manage.

    This property could be exploited for invisibility devices, directing light around an object so that it appears as if nothing is there, or be put to use in lenses that could capture finer details than any optical microscope.

    See, scientists? That wasn’t so hard! I hope this is lighting a fire under the asses of the USPS owl-training division. [New Scientist via Slashdot]







  • Pancreatic and Islet Grafts and the Cure

    Any purported cure for type 1 diabetes which involves transplanting tissue so that it is in contact with the body’s immune system is irrational, since the graft can only be protected by extremely toxic immunosuppressive drugs, whose side-effects are more damaging than uncontrolled diabetes itself. Not only do these drugs cause heart disease, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, neuropathy, infection risk, and a quadrupling in the risk of death by cancer, but they also cause diabetes in many patients. There is no sense in replacing diabetes due to autoimmunity by diabetes due to immunosuppressive drug toxicity, at the cost of all the other risks of those drugs plus an elaborate operation. This is why pancreatic or islet transplant is now usually offered only to diabetics who require a kidney transplant and toxic immunosuppression anyway.

    Not only does pancreatic and islet transplant face the normal problem of rejection by the body’s reaction to foreign tissue, but it would also be confronted by the persisting autoimmune attack on pancreatic beta cells by the antibodies which caused the diabetes in the first place.

    A further problem is that the amount of human pancreatic or islet tissue available for transplant is extremely small. The waiting list for various human organs for transplant is growing much faster the the organs available for transplant, which have remained stagnant since the 1990s, and patients in the U.S. can wait for seven or eight years for a new organ. The shortage would be extremely serious for pancreatic transplants, since while there are only about 400,000 people in need of a new kidney, there would be about 1.5 million people in line for a new pancreas. Islet transplants do little to solve the problem, since it usually requires tissue from two pancreases to harvest enough islets for one patient. Some have estimated that if pancreatic and islet transplants were made available to all type 1 diabetics, the supply of cadaver source organs would suffice to treat only about 1% of those needing a transplant. Animal tissue grafts could never be used to make up the shortfall, since any animal tissue in direct contact with the human immune system would be destroyed in a few hours by the process of hyperacute rejection. When the first kidney transplants were attempted at the University of Strassbourg in 1905, a pig’s kidney was attached to a cut-down vein and artery in the patient’s arm, and it withered away in just a few hours.

    Because of unknown causes which have been labeled simply ‘chronic allograft disease,’ transplanted tissue never lasts as long as normal tissue, even apart from problems with rejection by the immune system. Even if a pancreatic or islet transplant is undertaken, it will only function for a few years, and it would be rare for such a graft to last more than a decade. Future transplants would be more likely to be rejected by the immune system, since antibodies to foreign pancreatic tissue would be formed by the first transplant, which would then already be lying in wait to destroy any new tissue of the same organ type.

    The transplantation of a new pancreas is difficult since it is surgically extremely difficult to position it in the locus of the natural pancreas. Instead it is positioned elsewhere in the abdomen, and the digestive fluids it produces have to be artifically ciphoned off directly into the bladder, which sometimes results in further metabolic abnormalities. Overall, pancreatic transplant has more complications than the typical kidney, liver, or heart transplant.

    Interestingly, pancreatic transplantation is much less helpful in prevening diabetic complications than would be predicted by the predominant theory that blood sugar abnomalities cause the complications of diabetes. In one survey of the results of a large number of pancreatic transplants, the recipients’ retinopathy was found to improve clearly in 8.8% of patients, but it seriously worsened post-transplant in 17.1% Overall, the retinopathy became worse in 46% of all patients following their pancreas transplant, while it stabilized in 54%. In another study no improvement in cardiac disease, no improvement in severe retinopathy, and no improvement in diabetic neuropathy was found after pancreatic transplant.

    Sources: A. Koenigsrainer, et al, "Does Pancreas Transplantation Influence the Course of Diabetic Retinopathy?" DIABETOLOGIA, vol. 34, no. 1, p. 586 (1991); J. de Sa, et al, "The Evolution of Diabetic Chronic Complications After Pancreas Transplantation," DIABETOLOGY AND METABOLIC SYNDROME, vol. 1, no. 1, p. 11 (2009).

  • Sarah Chalke Welcomes Baby Boy Charlie

    Sarah Chalke is celebrating the arrival of her first child!

    The Scrubs star and her entertainment-lawyer fiancé, Jamie Afifi, welcomed a baby boy named Charlie Rhodes Afifion Christmas Eve, the actress’ rep told PEOPLE.com on Friday.


  • RING OF KERRY

    Here are some photos I toke on a tour provided by Bus Eiréann to the Ring of Kerry on September 2008.






































  • White House: Obama State Of The Union Address Won’t Bump “Lost” Premiere

    Lost fans can breathe a sigh of relief: President Obama has opted not to give his State of the Union speech on Feb. 2 — which is ironically the same night ABC has scheduled the premiere of the show’s sixth and final season.

    “I don’t foresee a scenario in which millions of people that hope to finally get some conclusion in Lost are pre-empted by the president,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told The Associated Press at press briefing this afternoon. “I assume it’s a big deal at ABC.”

    The network has set aside a three-hour block to show the first episode of the wildly popular show’s last season. Frantic Lost fans launched a Twitter campaign protesting a possible Feb. 2 State of the Union after reports surfaced earlier this week suggesting the Lost premiere would be preempted for the program. No word on when Obama’s first State of the Union will actually be held.


  • VIZIO announces endorsement deal with Beyonce

    VIZIO, America’s #1 LCD HDTV Company, announced today that it has entered into a three year, North American endorsement agreement with international pop-music icon and film star, Beyoncé Knowles – Carter.  Financial terms of the agreement were not released, but the contract does provide language that allows the parties to expand the relationship as VIZIO enters new markets around the world.

    The agreement grants name and likeness rights to VIZIO for North American advertising, product packaging, web, promotions, public relations and point of sale materials.  The partnership will also allow Knowles to participate in the design and performance characteristics of new products from VIZIO’s ever-expanding line of audio, visual and web-enabled products.

    “Beyoncé is in an elite class of entertainers who are globally known and respected for their talent on stage and in front of the camera,” said Laynie Newsome, Co-Founder and VP Sales & Marketing Communications of VIZIO. “We believe both VIZIO and Beyoncé are closely aligned as American success stories who have redefined the rules in our respective industries.”

    VIZIO has maintained the #1 U.S. LCD ranking though the third quarter of 2009*, and had twice the Q3 shipment volume of Sony in the U.S. VIZIO now has more than 13 million U.S. households who own VIZIO HDTVs.  They have recently been named one of Advertising Age’s Hottest Brands.

    “What I love about VIZIO is how committed they have been to customers and their focus on delivering tremendous performance at a great value,” said Knowles – Carter. “As a performer, I can relate to that, because my fans spend their hard-earned money to see me perform, and I give everything I can to make sure I exceed their expectations. I’m excited to be associated with such a successful company.”

  • Casio’s ‘Artistic’ Digital Photo Frames Make Any Photo Horrifically Tacky [BadIdeas]


    Casio has set up some new digital photo frames with what’s essentially a set of automatic artsy Photoshop filters, allowing grandmas to make pictures of their grandkids look like robotic watercolors. Good lord.







  • Chicago preview: BMW brings back the Alpina B7 for 2011

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    2011 Alpina B7 – Click above for high-res image gallery

    BMW has stated several times that it has no plans to do an official M version of the current F01 7 Series, but that doesn’t mean it won’t offer a hotter version of its flagship sedan courtesy of Alpina.

    At next month’s Chicago Auto Show, BMW will be reviving the Alpina B7, and while the sweet 4.4-liter twin turbocharged V8 remains under the hood, the dial has been turned up from the stock 400 horsepower to a full 500 hp, along with 516 pound-feet of twist. That should be enough to catapult the big sedan to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.

    By itself, big power is useless unless spend all your time at the drag strip and the 7 Series is capable of so much more. Handling has long been a BMW hallmark and the 21-inch, 20-spoke Alpina wheels wrapped in Michelin PS2 rubber should provide plenty of grip for directional changes and positive and negative acceleration. A deeper front air dam and a rear decklid spoiler help keep the car glued to the pavement at autobahn level velocities, while inside the B7 coddles its occupants in upgraded leather and wood trim.

    The B7 goes on sale this spring in both standard and long wheelbase formats, although pricing has yet to be announced. Make the jump for all the details.

    Gallery: 2011 Alpina B7

    [Source: BMW]

    Continue reading Chicago preview: BMW brings back the Alpina B7 for 2011

    Chicago preview: BMW brings back the Alpina B7 for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • REPORT: ‘Tea Party’ demonstrators to picket at Detroit Auto Show

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    On Monday, the Tea Party is coming to Detroit and crumpets are not on the docket (*rimshot*). The traveling band of disgruntled Americans is heading over to General Motors’ Renaissance Center between 9:30 AM and noon to protest against the fed’s stake in GM and Chrysler. The protest is well-timed, with 6,000 journalists and government dignitaries a few hundred yards away at the first media day of the Detroit Auto Show.

    The Detroit News reports that Tea Party organizers say the goal of the rally is to “make a peaceful yet clear statement against government takeover of America.” An online flier reportedly distributed by the anti-tax party states, “What Michigan needs is a responsible auto industry that can become profitable, self sustainable and efficient in ways that provide more private jobs and economic success.”

    While the Tea Party undoubtedly picked a great day to protest against the federal government’s 61 percent stake in GM, we’re a little confused as to why organizers chose the Ren Cen instead of Cobo Hall. With all the journalists inside, attending press conferences and avoiding Michigan weather, the protesters won’t have the opportunity to get the media attention they’re after. Too bad. It could have made for some interesting people watching.

    [Source: Detroit Free Press | Image: Jewel Samad/Getty]

    REPORT: ‘Tea Party’ demonstrators to picket at Detroit Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • State Successfully Sells $3.466 Billion of General Obligation Bonds to Fund Employee Pensions; Second Largest Bond Sale by State of Illinois

    The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget of the State of Illinois today is pleased to announce the successful sale of $3.466 Billion in taxable General Obligation Bonds at a rate of 3.854% to be deposited into the Pension Contribution Fund.

    Funds from these bonds will reimburse or fund the State’s required deposit to its pension systems for fiscal year 2010.  The bond principal amount will be paid in equal installments over the next five years.

    “This is a very successful deal for the State of Illinois and the 3.854% rate is proof the State’s economy is strong,” said Gov. Pat Quinn.

    “Investors have expressed confidence in our State and have allowed us to meet our Pension Contribution for this fiscal year.”

    Close to 200 investors, including major American, European, and Asian investors purchased these bonds. Demand exceeded $8 Billion resulting in an oversubscription of $3.9 Billion-a 2 to 1 coverage.

    The oversubscription allowed pricing to be improved 15 basis points over initial indications.

    “The level of demand for this bond issuance reflects the markets belief in the State’s long term financial strength, said David Vaught, Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.

    Eleven Banks participated in this transaction including J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Loop Capital Markets who served as Joint Book Running Senior Managers.

    Mesirow Financial served as Senior Manager.  Seven other firms completed the underwriting syndicate.  Peralta Garcia Solutions served as financial advisor to the State in connection with this financing.

    “I’m very pleased with the hard work and great execution provided to the State by our bank group,” said John Sinsheimer, Director of Capital Markets for the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.

    This is the State’s first issuance of medium term notes for its pension system and is the second largest deal ever done by the State.  It is one of only a handful of deals this size ever completed by state issuers.

    The General Assembly authorized these bonds during the July 2009 Session.  In excess of $800 Million from this bond sale will be used to reimburse the Common School Fund and the General Revenue Fund for monies already advanced to the pension funds.


  • Christina Aguilera Requested Edgier Role In “Burlesque”

    Christina Aguilera has come a long way since her days as as aspiring pop star on The Mickey Mouse Club. Now a married mother of one, X-Tina is gearing up for her upcoming big screen debut alongside legendary diva Cher in the motion picture musical Burlesque.

    The singer was so determined to make a made splash in Hollywood that she asked screenwriters to give her character more of an edge.

    ”[It was] kind of like my first day at school,” she tells Marie Claire in its February issue. “I didn’t want to do something that was easy for me. I’ve actually had my character rewritten to be tougher and a little more spunky.”




  • MagicJack Plans to Offer VoIP Calling in the Home via Cellphones [VoIP]

    MagicJack is set to release a new box that will connect and route cellphone-based VoIP calls (without special software), using other cell provider’s towers (without permission, mind you), offering service inside your house for just $40 a year.

    According to the AP, MagicJack feels their within the realm of legality because wireless spectrum licenses don’t extend to personal homes. The wireless MagicJack requires a broadband connection. and comes bundled with a GSM-based SIM card (which mostly means AT&T and T-MO handsets only). When the SIM is inserted, the phone will require a one time sync up, then will automatically connect to the device when its within range (3000 ft.). And while the cell towers are used to establish connections, the actual calls are VoIP-based.

    Legal issues aside, I’m still not entirely sure what advantages this has over a standard MagicJack. Will it really reduce cell bills that much? Is constantly swapping SIM cards really worth it? I guess it’s a super-easy way to make VoIP calls around the house. And if you have an extra GSM phone laying around anyways, it could be easier than using a standard cordless phone. [AP]

    Photo courtesy of AP/Paul Sakuma







  • Roadmap Leak: HTC Android Phone With WiMax Coming to Sprint This Year? [Smartphones]

    If Phone Arena’s leaked roadmap is correct, Sprint will be launching an Android WiMax phone from HTC in 2010.

    The document says that an HTC A9292 is on the way, possessing a candybar form factor. And comparing that to HTC’s convention for model numbers, means that the phone will be powered by Android. Also interesting is that Phone Arena’s tipster brought up the possibility of Sprint launching the Palm C40 (which isn’t on the list), and a Motorola WinMo phone though nobody has a clue what those could be. But Phone Arena says that Moto has no plans to launch a WinMo 6.5 phone, so it’s possible that could be running 7.0 instead. Curious.

    Other than that, the rest of the products listed look like run-of-the-mill dumbphones and featurephones. Yawn. [Phone Arena via Slashgear]