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Students Create Smartphone App Capable of Detecting Malaria

by Amar Toor on April 9, 2011 at 09:00 AM

A group of grad students has come up with a way to instantly diagnose malaria, using only a smartphone and some fancy software. The team, comprised of students from around the nation, developed the prototype using a Samsung Focus smartphone, running Windows 7. After adding a microscopic camera lens to the phone, the students developed software capable of analyzing and scanning blood for ... Read more »
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Ericsson's Hyper-Connected Vision of the Future, The Torrenting Turtle Weighs In

by Thomas Houston on April 8, 2011 at 06:30 PM

Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web. Read: Fake Salem Song Teaches Internet A Lesson It'll Probably Forget Pretty Soon Yesterday the Internet lit up for a bit with news of a new track from the draggy, divisive outfit Salem. "Nite Daze," according to the email blasting it around the Internet, was "all about ... Read more »
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'Lesbian Spider-Queens of Mars' Is More Retro Than Risque

by Ben Deitz on April 8, 2011 at 05:40 PM

This week we're showing love to the latest games from some of our favorite designers. These are creators from whom we've come to expect the best -- and this week's picks certainly live up to our expectations. Self-professed "dot matrix dominatrix" Anna Anthropy (a.k.a. Auntie Pixelante) has consistently wowed us in the past. Her latest game is the intriguingly titled 'Lesbian Spider-Queens ... Read more »
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Man Goes to Prison for Threatening Eric Cantor on YouTube

by Amar Toor on April 8, 2011 at 04:00 PM

A man named Norman LeBoon is headed to prison after making threats to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a video posted to YouTube. In the clip, the 38-year-old LeBoon called the Republican "a liar" and "a Lucifer," and promised to shoot him. LeBoon pleaded guilty to the charges in November, and, on Thursday, was sentenced to two years in prison, along with an additional three years of ... Read more »
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Level Up Your MMORPG Character Using Developing Economies

by Leila Brillson on April 8, 2011 at 03:15 PM

Next time you are scoring that amazing Amethyst Helm of Schadenfreude for your Level 38 Warlock Raider (I just made that up, but I hope something like that exists), you may be helping people in developing countries to make some cash. According to the BBC and a report released by the World Bank -- which is apparently now studying the effects of 'World of Warcraft' (PDF) on the economy -- when ... Read more »
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Ghana's Email Scammers Work Hard, Pray Harder

by Terrence O'Brien on April 8, 2011 at 02:30 PM

Here's a fascinating look at the world of Sakawa, a unique blend of e-mail fraud and African religious tradition that has become a cultural force in Ghana. The young and unemployed people who use scavenged computers and Juju priests for their scams also drive a thriving music and movie scene centered on the lives of e-mail conmen. The video above is 20-minutes long, so if you're working, ... Read more »
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Convicted Hacker Says He Committed Credit Card Heist for U.S. Government

by Amar Toor on April 8, 2011 at 01:35 PM

The hacker who orchestrated the biggest computer crime operation in U.S. history is alleging that the American government authorized him to do so. Last year, 29-year-old Albert Gonzalez pleaded guilty to hacking into computer systems at TJX, Office Max, Dave & Busters, Heartland Payment Systems and other companies, in order to steal some 130 million credit card numbers. He received a ... Read more »
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Latest Scam Claims Facebook is Deleting Accounts

by Terrence O'Brien on April 8, 2011 at 12:40 PM

Haven't you ever heard the old adage, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"? Well it doesn't just apply to things that are "good" -- it works for just about anything that sounds a bit unbelievable, like that Facebook is going to close all user accounts. It's not gonna happen. That hasn't stopped a new scam from spreading via a rogue app that posts the following message to your ... Read more »
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Florida Man Guns Down SWAT Team Robot With an AK-47 -- Naked

by Amar Toor on April 8, 2011 at 11:40 AM

What's crazier than locking yourself in your house and threatening to kill anyone that crosses its threshold? Walking out of your house to shoot a robot with an AK-47. Naked. While being videotaped. A Florida man accomplished all of those feats, during a recent standoff with a camera-equipped SWAT team bot. The $65,000 robot bravely attempted to enter the man's house, where it was greeted with ... Read more »
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About Time! 'This American Life' Finally Goes iPad

by Leila Brillson on April 8, 2011 at 10:40 AM

Not to make gross generalizations, but it is pretty amazing that 'This American Life,' the NPR talk show hosted by hip geek Ira Glass, took this long to get to the iPad. NPR and iPads should have an intrinsic relationship, like Volkswagens and Macs, Starbucks and the New York Times. Once again, these are broad assumptions, but the Cult of Mac's reputation as NPR-listening, Toms-wearing folk isn't ... Read more »
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Upper Deck Evolution 'Cards' Use LCD Screens to Play Highlight Reels

by Terrence O'Brien on April 8, 2011 at 10:10 AM

We thought collecting baseball cards went out with grunge, but apparently we were wrong. Upper Deck (one of the card companies that isn't Topps) is still clinging to life and pushing the envelope of what can legitimately be called a "card." The half-inch thick Evolution Series holds a battery and a small LCD, which loops a 60-second highlight real of one of four NFL players. Check out the ... Read more »
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Pandora Provides Detailed Data, Including GPS Coordinates, to Advertisers

by Terrence O'Brien on April 8, 2011 at 09:20 AM

After it was revealed earlier this week that several smartphone app makers, including Pandora, were being targeted by a federal grand jury in New Jersey for illegally gathering and distributing user information, security firm Veracode decided to do its own analysis. It took a look at the Android version of Pandora's streaming music app, and found that it was feeding data to five different ... Read more »
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With Schools Turning to the Web for K-12 Education, Quality is a Concern

by Terrence O'Brien on April 8, 2011 at 08:30 AM

Online courses have become an accepted fact of college life. But more and more school districts are turning to Web-based learning for lower grade levels, especially as a way for struggling high school students to make up courses they've failed or missed. The online classes aren't only for those who have fallen behind, though. Due to budget constraints, some schools are using them to offer ... Read more »
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Cell Phone Evolution, Say Farewell to Voicemail

by Thomas Houston on April 7, 2011 at 06:20 PM

Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web. Read: Voicemail, an Obituary Do not leave me a voicemail. I will not listen to it. I'm going to press the corresponding number to delete your message as soon as the automated voice recording concludes. I'm going to press it with conviction, like a little boy who just won ... Read more »
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Surreal Gaming in 'Machinarium' Creator's Latest, 'Osada'

by Ben Deitz on April 7, 2011 at 05:35 PM

This week we're showing love to the latest games from some of our favorite designers. These are creators that we've come to expect the best from -- and this week's picks certainly live up our expectations. If you've played either of Amanita Design's previous works -- the 'Samorost' series or 'Machinarium' -- you know to expect a visually thrilling spectacle. Amanita's latest game, 'Osada,' ... Read more »
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