If you are someone who loves to stay connected all the time, you will certainly love the iPavement - sidewalk paving stones that are also Wi-Fi hotspots. A Spanish tech company has incorporated hardware into the tiles that allows them to provide Wi-Fi Internet and Bluetooth connectivity.

Weighing around 24 kilograms and measuring in at 15.75 x 15.75 x 2.76 in, the iPavement tile is coming equipped with a 5 GB microprocessor that connects to a mobile device via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

A hard-wired 1,000-watt cable supplies power and internet access to each stone, and you don’t have to worry about losing connection while walking as the stones will be installed no more than 20 meters from one another.

You will be able to use most of the common browsers and will also get access to a number of cloud-based apps while in the area. The apps are available in different languages and the list includes a digital library, maps showing local restaurants and other attractions, a music service, and there’s even an app that provides statistics on local foot traffic, although that requires special footstep-registering stones. And your device will receive promotional messages via a Bluetooth service, something that most people won’t enjoy.

But internet usage can also be offered via equipments mounted on the surface, but it looks like the iPavement will make sure that everything is neatly tucked inside. The thing will only work between -10 and 45 ⁰C, so its installation in some countries will be a challenge.

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Private companies are “encouraged” to “monitor” for “cyber threat” information happening on their networks, even if they have no real reason to do so. As Kendall Burman from the Center for Democracy and Technology explains in the video below, the breadth of the bill is remarkably broad, covering just about any kind of Internet activity at all. It doesn’t even really say what “government” can demand this kind of information, leaving it very vague and wide-reaching.

Ironically, even GOP candidate Rick Santorum went out to say that the Internet is “not a free zone,” and that regulations have to be in place to prevent an “anything goes” environment online. So much for small government. Following the Supreme Court ruling that allows getting strip searched for even the most minor of offenses, CISPA could allow the strip-searching of your online habits too… even without any kind of offense at all.

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The next generation Xbox (Xbox 720 maybe) codenamed Durango is expected to be an impressive gaming console. The latest rumors suggest that the machine is going to be a powerhouse, but will also be a big blow to the used games market.

According to VG247, Microsoft is planning to release the Xbox 360 successor during Christmas 2013, which is also rumored to be the launch timing for the PlayStation 4/Orbis, and the new console will feature either four or six core processors. It will also boast two GPUs that will be as fast as “two PCs taped together” and a built-in Kinect sensor.

The new rumor also suggests that the Durango will arrive with a Blu-ray drive. We are a bit doubtful about that info as we heard a lot of reports earlier that suggested the company was thinking about moving its content delivery to digital download only.

But what will be the most alarming info for many is that the Durango will require an internet connection at all times while it is being used. That move is most probably for combating used game sales. A mandatory internet connection could mean that there will be a requirement to authenticate discs and lock them to user accounts, and this would restrict the resale of games; if there are any discs that is.

But, of course, none of this should be taken without a pinch of salt. Do let us know whether you will be interested in the new Xbox if it comes with the above said features, and stay tuned for updates.

[ Source ]

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Going directly against popular services like Dropbox and SugarSync, Google Drive is a cloud service that lets you synchronize your files across computers. This is totally up Google’s alley already, considering that all of its most popular services are already in the cloud. Do you use Gmail? Google Docs? YouTube? This is just an extension of that.

To make matters even more interesting, as with so many other Google Apps, GDrive will likely be a free offering to consumers with the possibility of a paid “premium” account for businesses. Expanding the infrastructure to support Google Drive is a walk in the park for the search engine giant. Expected features include the ability to upload media and enjoy them from any web-connected device, as well as the ability to automatically upload your photos and videos to Picasa through Instant Upload. Sounds like Dropbox’s idea, doesn’t it?

No word on a rollout date, of course, but the beta could see the light of day within the next few months.

[ source ]

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The project is called the Hackerspace Global Grid and the goal is to launch an independent satellite into space. This is meant to “support unrestricted channels on the Internet” and will provide a connection to a series of independent ground stations. The net result is a “network of nodes completely independent from the Internet itself.” No censorship. No rules. No restrictions.

Naturally, the group is going to face more than its fair share of challenges. It has to build the infrastructure of terrestrial nodes, design and build the satellite itself, and then hitch a ride on someone else’s rocket so that they can get the pirate satellite into low-Earth orbit. That’s expensive and complicated, but once achieved, the possibilities are endless.  Think, unrestricted satellite telephones, VoIP and even cellular communications.

The project was pitched at the Chaos Communications Congress in Berlin, a hacker conference hosted by the German Chaos Computer Club. Keep up with their progress on the official HGG wiki.

The post Hackers To Build Pirate Internet With Pirate Satellites appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Recently enacted by the Japanese parliament, the law would punish the people who are creating viruses, but also those who are willfully distributing them. If you create or spread a computer virus “with no justifiable reason,” you could be hit with up to three years in prison or up to 500,000 yen (US$6,200) in fines. If you’re just storing a virus, you could still get hit with two years in jail or a 300,000 yen fine; that obviously doesn’t include storing it from an infected state.

It’s debatable what is considered a justifiable reason. Ask the anarchists and they’ll say their reasons are even more justified than others. This is where the privacy and freedom of speech people come into the picture, opposing the new law and saying that it could give the police too much power. With it in place, law enforcement officials can seize email communications of suspects from their ISPs.

Given the international nature of cybercrime, it’s going to be tough to crack down on these virus makers. The hope is that the new law in Japan will get us closer to at least minimizing these kinds of malicious attacks.

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Since its conception the Internet has continued to evolve, it has grown leaps and bounds to accommodate its increasing audience. Even today we are still pushing the Internet into new frontiers and expanding its reach to previously untouched markets. From WiFi on your flight to New York, to providing a connection in a remote village, it has become a global network that works to bring the world together.

Wilson Electronics is bringing some of that innovation a little closer to home with their announcement of a new product line of 4G signal boosters. The 4G AWS is the first product up for release and it boosts signals on the Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) spectrum band. It’s intended for indoor installations, whether for home or office, and it will strengthen the connection range and also increase transfer speeds in places that are subject to a weaker signal.

It is intended to support devices on T-Mobiles HSPA+ network, giving a much appreciated signal boost to customers in various “rural areas” that use the AWS band for fixed broadband service.

“The 4G AWS booster should provide the most benefit to customers in rural areas who are hoping to use AWS as a replacement to the slower, satellite Internet connections currently available”

You can expect the Wilson 4G AWS to be available mid-Q1 2011; Wilson also plans to release a mobile signal booster that amplifies the signal for current cellular brands, later this year.

[Wilson Electronics]

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I guess you could whip out your laptop, turn it on, and let it do the search for wireless networks, but that’s an unnecessarily cumbersome way of doing it. Instead, you may want to consider the generic Wi-Fi Seeker and Light.

This car remote-sized device offers two features, as you can probably tell. Hit one of the buttons and the single LED flashlight will turn on to light your path. Hit the other button and it will show you the signal strength of any Wi-Fi network in the area.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that this handy little remote will not tell you the SSID of said network, nor will it tell you if the network is password-protected in some way. It also won’t tell you if the network is for internal purposes only or if it opens up to the world wide web.

Yeah, I guess it can be pretty handy, but I think I’ll stick to my WiFi-enabled smartphone for scanning instead.

Source: Gadgetreview

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Bell is trying to say that you can get Internet access from them without having to deal with messy service agreements and long-term contracts. In doing this, Bell says that their Internet is “perfect for hookups with no commitments.”

Hookups, eh? Bell further completes the mental imagery of a college “hookup” by having a gal move in nice and close on an unsuspecting guy. Maybe they’re at a keg party and she’s telling him that she loves following on Twitter and she wants to follow a little closer. Or something.

If Buddy plays his cards right, he’ll score tonight with “no strings attached.” Go for it! Just make sure you have an adequate, ahem, antivirus program in place.

Source: Intomobile

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