Elton John's Plan to Save Music: Shut Down the Internet

Elton John has some advice on how to deal with what he sees as a dearth of good music today: shut down the internet!

"The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff. Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn’t bode well for long-term artistic vision. It’s just a means to an end. We’re talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music and that’s not going to happen with people blogging on the internet. I mean, get out there — communicate. Hopefully the next movement in music will tear down the internet. Let’s get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging. I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span. There’s too much technology available. I’m sure, as far as music goes, it would be much more interesting than it is today. In the early Seventies there were at least ten albums released every week that were fantastic. Now you’re lucky to find ten albums a year of that quality. And there are more albums released each week now than there were then."

Elton John has been sober for a while now but that's a pipe dream if I've ever heard one.

In related news, social networking sites are being seen in a new UK study as the reason for the shift of power in the music industry away from record labels, as illegal downloading has reportedly hit a new high.

Said John Enser, head of music at Olswang, a law firm specializing in intellectual property rights: "The music industry needs to embrace new opportunities being generated by the increasing popularity of music on social networking sites. Surfing these sites and discovering new music is widespread with the latest generation of online consumers but the process of actually purchasing the music needs to be made easier to encourage sales and develop this new market."

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"Gay" Blocked as Legitimate Surname at Facebook

The social networking website Facebook has reportedly blocked its users from entering the name "Gay" as a surname when registering for the popular site (at least in Australia), the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

"It's been revealed that the popular website - which boasts it has more than 30 million members from around the world - does not allow people with the common Anglo Saxon surname Gay to join, assuming it is not a legitimate name. After a story in New Zealand's Dominion Post about 30-year-old Rowena Gay, who was denied entry to site because of her last name, smh.com.au undertook a test and found a person with the last name Gay was indeed not allowed to join. 'Please enter a legitimate name,' the website stated during our attempt. And while the website refused Gay, it had no problem allowing us to join with the last name Hitler."

The paper talked with Australian lawmaker Duncan Gay about the issue: "That's a bit tough, it's pretty ordinary ... it bothers me to the extent that quite often when you give your name you get a twitter. People looking and smirking. This is a continuation of that. While it wasn't tough for me, particularly for my son going through school, with the name ... if they're removing Gay from [Facebook] it becomes a problem for my family. I'm not ruling out protesting vigorously about this."

Pictured, American sprinter Tyson Gay, who may also have a problem with it.

Facebook blocks Gay surname [sydney morning herald]
Gay? Facebook Says No. [same same]

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Gay Pride in Second Life Makes Us Yearn for a Third Life

Altoids is holding Gay Pride month at L-Word Island in the online virtual world of Second Life. According to AdRants, "events include a carnival, a date auction, gay prom and two massive parades that sync with the LA, New York and SF ones".

While the intention may have been celebratory, the result is more like direct marketing day on the island of misfit toys.

If the Flickr photostream of the events is any evidence, gay pride is wearing thin in virtual reality as well. Their parade (minus the stench, the drunks, the bare breasts, the dykes on bikes, the kettle corn, and the shirtlessness) lacks any kind of noticeable edge.

Except of course, for the hot girl-on-girl action.

Boy, looks like a lot of fun, doesn't it?

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Study Reveals Men are Crotch-Watchers

A new study on website design and eyetracking (where readers' eyes tend to travel when they are presented with text or images) reveals that men (and not specifically gay men) have a much greater inclination to check out the package than do women, based on their study of an image of baseball player George Brett:

"When photos do contain people related to the task at hand, or the content users are exploring, they do get fixations. However, gender makes a distinct difference on what parts of the photo are stared at the longest. Although both men and women look at the image of George Brett when directed to find out information about his sport and position, men tend to focus on private anatomy as well as the face. For the women, the face is the only place they viewed. Coyne adds that this difference doesn’t just occur with images of people. Men tend to fixate more on areas of private anatomy on animals as well, as evidenced when users were directed to browse the American Kennel Club site."

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News Report from Jamaica Reveals Homophobic Mob

Two weeks ago I posted about an ugly situation in Jamaica where three gay men had been cornered in a St. Andrew pharmacy by an angry homophobic mob. When the men were led to the safety of patrol cars by police, they were stoned.

Here's a fuzzy news report which reveals the extent of the sick frenzy surrounding the incident.

I pulled the video from a hateful Jamaican blog which advocated, among other things, that homosexuals should die. The blog, Killbattyman.blogspot.com had been tagged with a warning page and was apparently pulled offline by Google, which owns the Blogger hosting service, this morning. I was able to grab the address for this video before it went dark. The illustration here was the lovely logo of the site.

Before it was pulled, Google had placed an interstitial page in front of the site which read: "Some readers of this blog have contacted Google because they believe this blog's content is hateful. In general, Google does not review nor do we endorse the content of this or any blog."

UK news outlet Pink News brought the site to the attention of the British Association of Chief Police Officers who immediately condemned the site, saying "ACPO condemn this completely. This is not the sort of thing we want anyone reading on the internet."

The site called for the death of high-profile gay men including designers Dolce & Gabbana and Outrage! UK activist Peter Tatchell. It also mocked the recent stoning of three Jamaican gay men by a homophobic mob outside a pharmacy in St. Andrew, as seen in the video above and in my recent post.

You may have missed...
Angry Homophobic Mob of 2,000 Attacks, Stones Gays in Jamaica [tr]

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Peel Away!

I came across a great new application for those of you who enjoy finding new music on the web. It's called Peel and it's basically a newsreader for mp3 blogs that integrates with iTunes. It has been ages since I found a music application this useful.

If there are music websites that you visit frequently (a few of my top hits are Arjan Writes, Fluxblog, and Stereogum) and they post mp3s on a regular basis, Peel is for you. It allows you to view the mp3s at a glance, preview them, and download them directly to iTunes if you like. It also allows you to flip between a preview screen of the mp3s and the actual site that they are on, so if there is text discussing the music, you can check it out.

I believe it's only available for Mac OSX. It's also a free download at the moment and you can't beat that.

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News: The Moon, Web Celebs, Homophobic T-shirts, Ryan Reynolds

Remember the controversy a few weeks back about a scientist working to change the sexuality of sheep? Well, it turns out that when PETA began a campaign against the scientist's fairly innocuous reasearch, it began a chain of media coverage that turned out like a bad game of telephone. The scientist wasn't really trying to do that at all. We stand corrected.

Judge sides with school officials in homophobic high school T-shirt case: "U.S. District Judge John A. Houston ruled that the case became moot when Tyler Chase Harper graduated from Poway High School last year, but agreed to consider the issues as they affected his sister, Kelsie Harper, still a student. Houston then relied on an earlier appeals court decision in the case to find that the school's actions didn't infringe on students' rights of free speech, free exercise of religion, nor were they hostile to a particular religious viewpoint. He cited that decision, which found that schools have a responsibility to stop harassment on the basis of sexual orientation because it 'adversely affects the rights of public high school students.'"

Hypocrite hunt: An Indiana blogger has sent the call out for those with information on closeted Indiana legislators to come forward...

Gay Southern California athlete who came out to his high school wrestling team dies in car crash.

REPORT: AT&T to give away free service for a year and a half to new customers who buy Apple's iPhone.

Fashion-bots descend on Paris.

Ryan Reynolds goes for plastic surgery after passing out in the bathroom.

The Web Celeb 25: Forbes lists what it considers the biggest stars of the internet.

Researcher: Earth's moon to disintegrate in 5 billion years. "The Moon will be torn to pieces and every crater, mountain, valley, footprint and flag will be scattered to form a spectacular 23,000-mile-diameter (37,000-kilometer) Saturn-like ring of debris above Earth's equator. The new rings will be short-lived. Theory dictates they'll eventually rain down onto Earth's surface."

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Crystal Clear: Hohenthaner Cleans up its Act

Following our post last week on Hohenthaner's tasteless ad for gadget bedazzling, you wrote to them, a T-Mobile representative who reads the site became aware of the ad, and CBS News on LOGO did a report on it.

The result, above, as seen in the same publication. Nice work, everyone.

Hohenthaner did the right thing.

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Showtime on for Apple

Those of you salivating for the next iPod may be in for a treat a week from today as Apple promises an announcement about something, which most likely means lifting the veil on full-length downloadable movies from the iTunes music store and something new and shiny to run them on.

New whispers about the Apple iPhone were heard coming from American Technology Research today, however, as an analyst shared details of the forthcoming device: "We believe this smart phone has been in development for over 12 months and has overcome substantial challenges including design, interference, battery life and other technical glitches. The design will be an iPod nano-like candy bar form factor and come in three colors (we are not certain of the exact colors but we suspect black, white and platinum, similar to Apple's current color scheme of iPods and Macs)."

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A Look Back: Internet

One of the early news reports on this fascinating new mode of communication.

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News: Lance's Other Guy, Hackers, Tony Bennett Kiss...

Like vultures, Westboro Baptist Church shows up at funeral for Montana Senator Max Baucus' nephew, slain in Iraq.

The pre-Reichen days: Lance Bass' closet companion Jesse.

Man who killed his classmate in 1985 for revealing he is gay is released from prison after serving 20 years: "Rosenkrantz of Calabasas was 18 when he was sentenced to a 17-year-to-life term for second-degree murder in the June 28, 1985, shooting death of his boyhood friend Steven Redman. The 17-year-old boy was shot 10 times after revealing Rosenkrantz was gay following their graduation from Calabasas High School."

Fighting the dog that moos: Focus on the Family just spent half a million dollars on new group to battle two anti-gay ballot measures in Colorado.

Paramount Pictures demands Tom Cruise take pay cut before greenlighting any more films: "Cruise fans fears that, unless the hardworking actor learns some humility, an illustrious career which has matured from the cocky boy of Risky Business and Top Gun to more naunced performances in The Last Samurai and Collateral may burn out. 'Right now,' said an insider close to the negotiations, 'he is simply too expensive to employ.'

Hacker proves crackability, clonability of RFID (radio frequency identification technology) tags planned for use in new passports: I spend most of my time making the RFID industry's life miserable," the doctorate student told AFP. "I am not anti-RFID. It has the potential to make people's lives easier, but it needs to be used responsibly. The industry and government needs to not be scared of us," Rieback said. "They need to talk with us and to work with us. Hopefully, together we can come up with some kind of reasonable compromise."

Jake Gyllenhaal gives a dog a bone.

Smoking rate higher in gay community: stress, targeted ads, club and bar scene cited. Researcher: "If you said you smoke because of job stress, well, for an LGBT person, stresses can include 'Do I come out at the office?' and 'Am I going to get fired if they find out I'm gay?' There's sort of an added layer for LGBT people."

Tony Bennett on receiving a surprise kiss from Elton John at a recent benefit concert: "I told the audience it was the first time I'd been kissed by a man. I liked it!"

UK gay rights group Stonewall announces first annual awards to honor positive contributions to gay community from individuals and organizations. Awards will be handed out in London on November 2nd.

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TED Talks Arrive

>TED is an annual conference that happens every year in Monterey, California that brings together 1,000 leaders in technology, entertainment, and design (thus, TED). Up till now, only attendees have been able to hear the keynote speeches given by invited guests like Al Gore, Majora Carter, Sir Ken Robinson, and David Pogue.

Friend of Towleroad and former Planet Out CEO Tom Rielly has just informed me that a series of TED talks is now online, available both at their website and available on iTunes as Podcasts.

These talks are meant to enlighten and inspire and may provide a great aural alternative at the beach for those of you not interested in jamming along to Jessica Simpson's "A Public Affair".

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Towletech V.9

Here's this weeks round-up of science and tech from Daniel Williford!

Okay, Apple has done some gimmicky things in the past with their special edition iPods and and joint promotions, but this is absolutely on the mark. Coming this July, Apple and Nike will jointly release a new line of products and software geared towards athletes. The campaign is built around a new device: a small receiver attaches to the base of the iPod Nano and receives signals from a small disk that hides in your shoe, allowing the music player to record and respond to your movements. The Nike Plus shoe conveniently has a special pocket under the inner sole to store the disk. The Nano tracks your distance, pace, and calories burned, and transmits it to your computer so that you can analyze and view your progress over time. You can compare your progress with others over the internet, and even challenge other users to a virtual race. And iTunes, of course, will offer a number of new downloads, such as continuous workout mixes that offer coaching and training tips over-top of the music. That is HOT, but not as hot as watching Lance Armstrong demonstrate the device.

This cute and clever polyester tub is as portable as it is playful. The steel coils act as a wood burning fireplace, gently heating the water. When it's filled with boys, it's like a big bowl of noodle soup! [via uncrate]

With Tivo and on-demand video over the internet, analysts have been worried about the fate of traditional commercials, which provide a large part of the financial backing that making television programming possible. Google this week has made it clear that one possibility is, like everything, the internet. The darling of search has launched a program that will enable video commercials to display on the network of websites that display its ads. Like YouTube, the "video clip" advertisements will not run until users click them, allowing for targeted, voluntary and therefore highly effective ads.

MIT showed off its first working prototype of a $100 laptop, in an ongoing effort to get cheap laptops to children in developing countries. It is part of the non-profit project One Laptop Per Child, which encourages research into mass-producing $100 laptops to distribute through government initiatives. [via gizmodo]

Does your boyfriend spend too much time on the computer after you go to bed? Or too much time in front of the television when you go to bed? You need Bob. Not a kinky threesome (let's face it, when you tried that last summer it was a disaster), but an electronic time manager that lets you control the power source of any device with an a/c plug. Limit his time away from you by allotting set time limits and times of day that a device can be used. It locks with a key and is controlled with a secret pin number. He'll learn to love the power play, and you'll learn to love being second choice. [via outblush]

We're totally hot for this classy brand of leather electronics cases. These colorfully stylish leather fashions slip onto cell phones, slide over iPods, and bottom for digital cameras. Pictured are the Motorola V3 and the Palm Treo 650, dressed and ready to play.

An ambitious new start-up called M2Z has approached the FCC requesting a band of radio spectrum to be used as a national, free high-speed internet connection, comparable to that of broadcast television. While the innovative idea depends on cooperation of the FCC, the company would give them some unfortunate control: "M2Z plans to include a filter with the free service that would block access to "indecent" material, a definition [the company] says could be made by the government, just as it controls standards for broadcast television."

Visit Daniel Williford on the web at Until Today!

Access past versions of Towletech here!

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Towletech V.8

We continue this week's Apple worship in our latest installment of Towletech from our correspondent Daniel Williford!

Apple replaced its popular iBook on Tuesday when it introduced the new MacBook. The specs on this latest laptop rival those of the MacBook Pro, making the consumer-friendly MacBook a much better value starting at $1099. New features include a 13" glossy screen that provides a crisp, vivid display, and a new color in the series: matte black.

Apple will work with Japanese manufacturer Softbank on the first official iTunes cell phone, IDG News Service reported this week. The phones will reportedly be available next year and will eventually link directly to the iTunes store for content downloads.

Along the path of evolution, did modern humans and chimps develop through inbreeding? That's the latest theory. "It's a totally cool and extremely clever analysis. My problem is imagining what it would be like to have a bipedal hominid and a chimpanzee viewing each other as appropriate mates, not to put it too crudely," responded one Harvard scientist. Sometimes it gets lonely in the jungle.

Windows released Windows Media Player 11, the latest version of its music player. This time, however, it's gotten a major upgrade to look and function more like iTunes. It provides an interface to organize and access all digital media, from music to photos to videos, and it is also integrated with MTV's new music store URGE, which sells songs on-demand for .99 cents or via monthly subscription. To help find compatible players to go with the new setup, Microsoft's PlayForSure program promotes digital devices and online services that aren't Apple.

Motorola & Bono released a red SLVR phone this week in the UK to raise money for fight against AIDS. The phone works with all carriers, and both the sale of the phone and the monthly cost of service contribute to the cause. "I would be very disappointed if this did not generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the global fight to fight AIDS," said Ron Garriques, president of Motorola Mobile Devices.

Motorola, however, makes 9 of the top 10 highest radiation-emitting cell phones in the US, and the SLVR is number one. You can't save them all, Bono. Look up your cell phone's SAR rate (that's the quantity of radio-frequency energy absorbed by your body when using a cell phone) at CNET.

Moby turned up in DC yesterday to show support for legislation that would ensure net neutrality. The legislation comes in response to telecom companies, who provide the backbone of the internet via their own network of telephone and fiber-optic lines, threatening to provide better, faster performance only to websites that pay them for the privilege. At the press conference Moby spoke on behalf of a group called Savetheinternet.com. Warned Moby: "If Congress guts Net Neutrality, independent music and news sites would be choked off, consumer choice would be limited, and the Internet will be become a private toll road auctioned off by companies like AT&T."

Hillary Clinton also issued a statement yesterday, declaring her intentions to cosponsor new net neutrality legislation. "Any effort to fundamentally alter the inherently democratic structure of the Internet must be rejected."

Remember the lava lamp? Yeah, me 'neither. But this classy mood light might add some ambiance to your next cocktail party. The egg-shaped lamp houses 10 LED lights that connect to your MP3 player and change color in sync with the music. Groovy.

It was all about online video this week. AOL launched it's UnCut Video portal (slogan: "See it. Shoot it. Share it."; HOT!), Yahoo launched its own video site allowing you to search video on the web as well as upload your own, and Google re-launched an enhanced video search page, with less-restricted video hosting. Why do you care? Because, these are several more outlets for guys to post videos of their wet underwear parties. Duh!

Past editions of TowleTech can be found here!

Daniel Williford can be found on the net writing his blog Until Today. Give him a visit!

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Apple Geeks Unite: Behold the Cube

I'm not exactly sure why I get slightly giddy over this stuff, but I guess there are a lot of unanswered questions in life. Anyway, here's Manhattan's newest retail shrine, the Fifth Avenue Apple Store, in its full glory. IFO Apple Store has a series of pictures and video of its unveiling. Here it is unopened. The Wall Street Journal ran a big piece yesterday on Apple's retail strategy.

Word is there's going to be some sort of free concert (U2?) at tomorrow night's opening. The line has already begun. Crazy. Not sure it will rival the crazy line that formed two years ago in Japan, but who knows?

Windows devotees please pardon this entry.

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Towletech V.7

Towleroad correspondent Daniel Williford is back to make your joystick happy with this week's edition of TowleTech.

The big news in tech this week was the Electronic Entertainment Expo, where the top three video game console manufactures dazzled gamer enthusiasts with the next generation of video gaming. It became clear, even for non-gamers, that this was an area where a lot of innovation is happening in the realm of computing. The "console with the most buzz" award certainly went to Nintendo, which launched its Wii (pronounced "wee") console. Wii's primary remote-like wireless controller includes physical movement as part of the interface, allowing for a new form of interaction between the user and the game. The attachable "nunchucks" controller brings in a two-handed approach, creating a never-before-seen use of video game controlling. Expect to see these innovations bleed into desktop computing in the future, and expect to hear a lot more about video games these year -- Wii isn't due out until this Fall.

AIM (that's AOL Instant Messenger) launched a major competitor to MySpace this week with AIM Pages, a new social networking site. This is huge, since MySpace is one of the top websites on the internet today, and since AIM is the widest-used instant-messaging program on the market. Aside from that, however, AIM Pages offers little innovation in social networking sites. However, some of the designers of AIM Pages are kinda cute...

Though the title of this NYT article is Why the World Doesn't Need Hi-Def DVD's, it offers some insight into the up-and-coming DVD format. "As you watch the brilliant colors, super-black blacks and ridiculously sharp detail — up to six times the resolution of a standard DVD — you realize that you've never seen anything quite this cinematic-looking in your home before." The article notes, however, that you need a large-screen television to appreciate the high-res images.

This sexy video features French figure skater Brian Joubert training on an interesting piece of fitness equipment. Could this high-tech gadget be the future of gym equipment? Like a balance ball-cum-elliptical machine, the athlete demonstrates a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that you may very well be using in the future. And he does it in his underwear. While speaking French. I'm just saying...

While we're not sure how they get away with it, we're duly impressed with Spot Bit's offering of dozens of magazines in downloadable PDF formats -- for free! Grab Vanity Fair, Men's Health, NME, and Time...before someone gets sued.

MSN shows off some amazing space photography released in recent weeks.

The WaterMat is a 20 foot by 6 foot floating island that supports up to 1500 lbs of summer fun. "Walk. Jump. Dance. Slide. Relax. All on the surface of the water." And all in tiny amounts of clothing. God, I love summer. (via uncrate)

Wired reports that, in lieu of megapixels, which have hit a certain maximum for the average consumer, digi-cam manufacturers are focusing on other details, such as better lenses, automatic quality adjusters, and image recognition. This Kodak V610 uses two lenses for a better-quality zoom lens and includes software that recognizes faces and scenes and automatically organizes photos by content.

According to scientists who study this sort of thing, dolphins actually call each other by name when they make those crazy squealing sounds, "making them the only animals besides humans known to recognize such identity information."; A leading researcher was able to translate 'Eee-eeeh, eeee-eeeet!'; as 'Hey Bryce, did you notice the size of that fin on Cristiano?'; Thank you, I'm here all week.

Daniel Williford writes our weekly Towletech column and also has his own blog, Until Today, which you're very welcome to visit!

Past editions of TowleTech can be accessed here!

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Towletech V.5

We're back with a gizmotastic update of the latest wired news from our fearless correspondent Daniel Williford.

Internet telephone provider Skype announced that they will sell a selection of Madonna songs as ring tones before rolling out a catalog of thousands more ring tones licensed from major artists. The announcement comes after the leading VoIP service struck a deal with several major recording labels to sell their artist's songs. Of course, by the time you hear your favorite part of "Vogue" your caller may have hung up on you...

Casio's latest point-and-shoot digital camera, the Exilim Z1000, packs a whopping 10 Mega-pixel resolution, a big, bright 2.8" LCD viewer, and an impressive digital zoom for a measly $399. If the image quality lives up to the specs, this is a bargain for a super-sweet digicam. Available in June. [via pcmag]

Yahoo recently released free software that allows users to record television onto their computers for viewing any time. The surprisingly aggressive move puts Yahoo in competition with Digital Video Recorder manufacturers like Tivo and with operating systems like Windows Media Center. As with iMac's FrontRow, the software also enables users to view digital photos and listen to music through their televisions. The software currently works only on Windows, and requires a minimum set up of 20GB storage space, 512MB of RAM, a 1Ghz processor, and a TV Tuner card. More info and download instructions at Yahoo Go.

If your plastic computer monitor is ruining your Feng Shui, you'll definitely need the element of nature provided by this bamboo-encased flat-screen. Soon to be available in 15, 17, and 19-inch models at Playengine.co.uk. (via treehugger)

Hotmail will soon be dead. Hotmail's 200 million monthly users can now switch to the free e-mail provider's long-overdue upgrade, which will be re-branded as Windows Live Mail. The interface is far cleaner and apes that of Microsoft Outlook. New features include the ability to read e-mail in a "preview" pane and the option to customize the color scheme. I like pink, myself.

A new study shows that songbirds may be able to learn basic grammar -- high-language skills long thought to be specific only to humans. "Starlings learned to differentiate between a regular birdsong 'sentence' and one containing a clause or another sentence of warbling." Phase two of the experiment will be to teach male starlings more masculine vocal techniques and mannerisms, which will later be shown to have always existed "naturally" as a mechanism of procreation that scientifically justifies the hegemony of heterosexual norms.

Apple releases its latest Intel laptop: the big 17" MacBook Pro. While Apple has been a bit slow on releasing goodies to its legions of Appleholics (here!), notes from a recent shareholders meeting revealed that big things may soon be coming from the company. In his cryptic way, Steve Jobs "told investors to potentially expect an Apple DVR as well as but he kind of said it in this sly, annoying way that made us think this thing will come out in 2078 alongside the touchscreen iPod and the 40-inch MacBook Pro++. When one shareholder asked for the DVR, Jobs said: 'We hear you loud and clear.'"

The browser war is in full effect. Not only will Windows Live applications, which will soon be ubiquitous as users upgrade to the next version of Windows, not be available on non-Internet Explorer browsers, but Microsoft has now launched the new-and-improved Internet Explorer 7 Beta for XP users. FireFox supporters retaliated with a new site called Explorer Destroyer, which encourages website developers to ban Internet Explorer users from viewing their site. The group also promote's Google's incentive program that pays websites if their users download FireFox. "Mozilla built us a wonderful tool.  Google gave us a carrot.  Now take the stick and beat IE's ass."

Daniel Williford is Towleroad's tech correspondent and writes his own (not necessarily tech) blog, Until Today. Stop by and check it out!

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Towletech V.4

This week's big byte of science, tech, and gaming news is brought to you by Daniel Williford.

As reported earlier, the Supreme Court declined right-wing televangelist Jerry Falwell's appeal that sought to shut down Fallwell.com, run by gay Falwell critic Christopher Lamparello. Laprello followed up to the news with a response on his site, re-articulating his commitment to debunking the hate-speech of Falwell:

"Many otherwise well-meaning people have accepted the untruth that gay people are committing a sin. Jerry Falwell has been one of America's leading promoters of this mistaken idea. This notion has created profound suffering and torment, not only for gay people, but for their friends and families as well. The idea that being gay is a sin and is something that a person can pray away is simply ridiculous. In the year 2006, we should no longer be afraid to reject these antiquated notions about sexual orientation. The truth must be permitted to illuminate one's faith. Jerry Falwell works hard to maintain society's stigma against gay and lesbian people. That stigmatization hurts a lot of people who are gay or lesbian. Some of them will turn to drugs or alcohol to numb that pain. It is sad that a misguided minister could single handedly cause so many human beings such grief."

The owner of preeminent GLBT news website Pinknews.co.uk says that Google unfairly cut the site out of it's money-making advertising network, charging the site of "click fraud." Benjamin Cohen, Editor and CEO of the site who is known in the UK as a young internet entrepreneur, claimed in one of his recent Times.co.uk columns that Google's AdSense staff falsely accused him of fraud and subsequently banned Pinknews from using their network while refusing to provide any evidence. [Via nyt]

For those of you who spend time deciphering the potential symbolic meaning of cloud formations appearing in the cult hit tv-show Lost, it looks like you'll have your work cut out for you: Gizmodo posts an "anonymous tip" that details The Lost Experience, an "alternate reality" game. "Fans looking to solve the puzzle will find audio, video, and text clues in locations around the world, along with an online community in which to connect and collaborate with others. Just like any other good mystery, clues can and will happen anywhere at anytime across multiple platforms."

Losttalk.net notes that in a podcast several weeks ago, Lost Executive Producers gave this hint: "This internet experience will actually be launched during one of the shows in May, and will be a pathway that will lead to a lot of information about the show that we're not gonna get to on the show. But it's not just behind the scene stuff either. Its like, real mythology, cool storytelling; which will hopefully in some degree satisfy the desire for new material for Lost over the summer."

Do you have an HP or Compaq laptop computer? Check here to see if you are at risk for fire hazards or burns. HP announced a major recall of laptop batteries shipped in 2005.

A market research company is predicting that an official Apple branded cell phone is coming soon, and further predicts that Apple will team up with Helio to provide service. Helio, a new company that will launch this spring, is a virtual network provider targeting a niche demographic much like Virgin Mobile or Amp'd Mobile (mentioned in TTv2).

While this all remains speculation, Helio's founder commented on the brands demographic in a recent interview, saying "You’re going to sign up for Helio not because you want to save a bunch of money, but because we offer something that’s really different." Hmm, so one could say that they are more pricey, kind of like the BMW of cell phone companies? And that their customers are the type who think different?

This week another HIV vaccine trial began phase one testing, with 12 volunteers receiving low-dose injections to test their immune system response. Within the next month, a total of 36 volunteers will be given stronger doses to test their reactions. There are over 30 HIV vaccine trials being tested worldwide.

In other virtual quest news, Google is helping to promote the upcoming film-adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks by sponsoring a month-long online game where users solve riddles to win prizes. The Da Vinci Code Quest began April 17th, with a clue released daily, each one more difficult than the last. "These daily puzzles will pull you deeper into the world of The Da Vinci Code.  Answer all 24 puzzles correctly for a chance to win untold riches." Google says the cross-promotion with the entertainment industry is a first for the search engine company.

Design Intelligence: Researchers learned that octopuses have an ability to contract the muscles in their tentacles to form wrist-like and elbow-like joints to create an "arm" similar to our own. "The similarity of structural features and control strategies between jointed vertebrate arms and flexible octopus limbs suggests that these configurations evolved separately in octopuses and vertebrates, a result scientists call an example of convergent evolution."

Thanks to Daniel for this week's installment, and congrats to him on his recent registration at UCLA. You can find Daniel online at Until Today...

Previously
Towletech V.3 [tr]
Towletech V.2 [tr]
Towletech V.1 [tr]

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Towletech V.3

Here's this week's edition of gizmos, gadgets, and science gossip, presented by Daniel Williford.

News came recently that Apple's rumored iPod video may be delayed because of problems with the touch interface that the company is developing. Here's a very cool video demonstrating the touch technology Apple may have in mind down the road for its computers and musical devices, created by the researchers who developed it.

Just announced: the special edition Sony Ericsson W300i Robbie Williams cell phone! This surly, sexually ambiguous phone boasts all of the features of the Ericson W300i, plus it comes preloaded with Robbie Williams concert footage, Robbie Williams ringtones, Robbie Williams wallpapers, and a whole gallery of images of Robbie Williams' penis. Call me! [via gizmodo]

Google just released Google Calendar, an online application that seeks to rival Microsoft Outlook. In it's typically simplistic style, the calendar is uncluttered and easy to use, but has many advanced features such as multiple calendars that layer on top of each other, shared calendars, public calendars, publishing calendar data online via RSS, and an Evites-like event invite and tracking feature. Since rival Yahoo has had a calendar application for, like, ever, they went ahead and released an enhanced travel website. The site provides lots of information and guidebooks, as well as every possible on-line way to purchase anything related to travel. They don't, however, ever mention Gay and Lesbian travel anywhere on the site.

According to a paper published this week, a 4.2 million-year-old fossil of a human ancestor was recently found in Africa, providing a key link between other known species which paints a more precise picture of human intelligent design evolution. Australopithecus anamensis was discovered in the same geographic region where other human ancestors were found, which is crucial to its significance. "The key here is the sequences. It’s about a mile thickness of rocks in the Middle Awash and in it we can see all three phases of human evolution."

It's tax time! Congressional Finance Committee heads urge a move toward full, free electronic filing, which the government currently does not support on an individual basis. Opponents argue that Congress should leave those technical feats to the private sector. Thanks to the continuing Free File program by the IRS, you may currently qualify for free e-filing through private tax-prep companies if you were under 50 last year and earned $50k or less. Check out Taxfreedom.com.

While doing your taxes this year, keep in mind what you bought last year online. States like New York and California want you to know that just because your favorite online store didn't charge you sales tax, doesn't mean you don't have to pay it -- they're just not going to pay it for you. Hint: You're supposed to declare it on your taxes. "If you've written zero or left [that field] blank, during the audit we're going to make you produce your financial records, bank statements, credit card statements. If we find out you have made purchases you haven't reported to us, not only are you going to be liable for the amount owed, the tax liability, but also interest and penalties," said some creep from New York Department of Taxation and Finance. In related news, Amazon prepares for potential legislation that will force online vendors to calculate and charge sales tax for each of its customers.

The beginning of the proliferation of High Definition DVDs began this week with TDK's announcement that they have begun shipping blank Blu-Ray disks. Get used to the BD-R (Blu-Ray Disc - Recordable) and BD-RE (Blu-Ray Disk - Re-Writeable) formats to replace CD-Rom disks in the near future. The disks hold 25 Gigabytes of data and are priced at 19.99-24.99 each. The Beta vs. VHS media of the 00's, high-definition DVDs will be a hot topic this year, with the Blu-Ray format (backed by Apple, Dell, Sony, Disney, and others) competing with the HD-DVD format (backed by Toshiba, NEC, Microsoft, Paramount, and others) to become the universal high-definition DVD format.

BMW announced today at the New York International Auto Show an updated, integrated iPod interface in its new line of cars, which will also feature integrated support for High Definition Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.

Nanotechnology successfully destroyed malignant cells in a prostate tumor, researchers announced this week. The microscopic-level treatment was effective in lab experiments on mice. "Researchers used custom design 'nano-particles' to home in on, and then enter, malignant cells, delivering lethal doses of chemotherapy while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Not everyone is thrilled, however. In a Salon.com article, Alan H. Goldstein warns that nanotechnology in medicine is the beginning of the end of the human. "In order to understand the astonishing leap we are about to make, one needs to grasp that nanobiotechnology is more than just another tool. It is also a monumental experiment in molecular evolution over which we may ultimately have very little control." As long as it don't turn out to be one of them human-animal hybrids that Mister Bush warned us about...

Are you looking to buy a slim digital camera? What about a slimming digital camera? The
Hewlett Packard R927 includes a setting that will apply a slight horizontal warp to your image, in an effort to make your subjects look leaner around the waist. The electronics manufacturer had no comment on a rumored line of "lengthening" web cams.

Myspace has been in the hot seat in recent weeks due to the startling revelation by parents and law enforcement that hundreds of thousands of kids use it. In response to concern that kids are making themselves vulnerable by sharing too much information about themselves on the social networking site, Myspace responded by hiring a Chief Security Officer to "oversee safety, education and privacy programs and law enforcement affairs."

Thanks to Daniel for the update. If you have a moment, check out his blog, Until Today!
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Towletech V.2

Here's our second installment of Towletech which will hopefully be a regular Friday feature on technology, science, and the internet, and also introduce some new voices to this blog.

This week's edition was put together by Daniel Williford and me, with some help from Towleroad reader Ryan Murphy.

The biggest news in the computer world this week was Apple's introduction of Boot Camp, a software application that will allow all Mac users to boot Windows XP on their computers. The move is an attempt by the company to get PC users to switch to Macs. Some PC users have been hesitant to switch because either they own a lot of the Windows software, they use a PC at work, or they're just used to the Windows operating system.

With Boot Camp, which allows users to choose which operating system they'll use upon booting their computers, there's little reason not to make that switch. Reaction from Wall Street was overwhelmingly positive, as analysts saw the move as a way for Apple to gain market share in personal computers. Apple's stock shot up on the news. Boot Camp is currently in Beta status but is available as a free download on Apple's site. — AT

LOGO announced that it will make its programming available for cell phones via Amp'd Mobile's service. "The new gay and lesbian content, called Logomotion, will include shows such as Noah's Arc, which is about four friends in Los Angeles; Trip Out, a look into gay-friendly hot spots around the world; and Real Gay Stories, a behind-the-scenes look at Logo's documentaries and reality series....[and] will also include special programming, such as a stand-up comedy series created exclusively for mobile viewers." — DW

Motorola has introduced three new shades of Razr phones for those of you with mobile communication color fetishes. — RM

Beginning last Monday, six major movie studios began licensing their films to be distributed online. Movielink and CinemaNow began offering the downloads, while sites like Amazon and iTunes are busy working to arrange their own deals with Hollywood. As for the first phase of downloadable movie content, it's a start, but not ideal: "CinemaNow will allow the movies to be played only on a single computer. Movielink will allow the movie to be copied onto a DVD, from which the movie can be downloaded to two other computers, but it cannot be played on a conventional DVD player." Studios expect to make content available to portable players later this year. — DW

In a related story, Wired reports that CinemaNow subsidiary All Adult Channel will soon begin offering downloadable DVD's of its adult films. In the near future you could be the proud owner of a high-quality, full-length copy of Candy Ass: Take the Pledge without even having to unstick your fingers from your keyboard. — DW

Serve it chilled. Ever put a warm can of soda in the freezer to get it cold quickly, forget about it, and return later to find a mini-mess when you realize it exploded? Here's a handy device that will get your cans chilled in 60 seconds and bottles of wines chilled in six minutes. It sells for $80 and works by spraying a cold jet of water over the bottle or can. — AT

Scientists have discovered more rings around Uranus. Like the new Razr phones, they come in shades of blue and red. Apparently moons are the cause of the blue rings: "The outermost ring is only the second blue ring to have been observed, a team led by Imke de Pater of the University of California, Berkeley, reports in Friday's issue of the journal Science. Also blue is Saturn's outermost ring, the researchers said. And they noted that each of the known blue rings has a moon embedded within it, while the red rings do not. They speculated that the moons swept up larger pieces of debris, leaving only dust and tiny items that reflect more blue light than the red ring, which could have larger pieces of debris. Fascinating. — AT w RM

The release date of the updated version of Microsoft's Windows operating system Vista was pushed back to January 2007. To inform consumers about this delay and to assuage new PC buyers, Microsoft announced a program where stickers reading "Windows Vista Capable" will appear on systems that meet the minimum requirements for the Vista upgrade when it is available. The PR spin may backlash even before the first stickers have shown up, since systems with only the minimum requirements may experience limits on Vista's features. "If it's a low-cost PC and it has a 'Capable' sticker on it, 'it will probably run the features of Home Basic but not anything else'". — DW

Chalk up 1 for Darwin, 0 for creationists. Scientists reported on one of the most important fossil discoveries of all time this week. The crocodile-like species, dubbed Tiktaalik roseae, is said to be the "missing link" that demonstrates how sea creatures became land creatures. The skeleton of Tiktaalik indicates that it could support its body under the force of gravity, whether in very shallow water or on land," said co-author Farish Jenkins, a professor of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard University. This represents a critical early phase in the evolution of all limbed animals, including humans -- albeit a very ancient step." So now whenever you see Ian Thorpe and his gigantic feet lumbering out of a pool, you'll know what to reference. — AT

Following controversy over the potentially damaging effects of listening to an iPod at full volume over extended periods of time, Apple this week released an iPod patch that allows users to lock in their choice of maximum volume. The feature works regardless of output device, but your music might sound more fun on Aural New York's new pink iPod headphones. — DW

The iAudio 6 by Cowon is the latest digital media player to threaten iPod's domination -- and from the looks of it, it might be a legitimate threat, indeed. Claiming to be the first device to use a 4GB hard drive that's only .85" thick, the diminutive 3" x 1.4" x .75" iAudio 6 competes with Apple's flash drive-based Nano, but is expected to beat the Nano's $249 price tag. It also boasts photo and video playback, support for multiple file formats, voice recording capabilities, FM radio with a live recording option, and a whopping 20 hours of continuous playback. Check out a video clip of the iAudio in action at Gizmodo. — DW

Bill Gates recommends a three-monitor workstation for maximum efficiency. "The screen on the left has my list of e-mails. On the center screen is usually the specific e-mail I'm reading and responding to. And my browser is on the right-hand screen. This setup gives me the ability to glance and see what new has come in while I'm working on something, and to bring up a link that's related to an e-mail and look at it while the e-mail is still in front of me." We assume those aren't Apple Cinema Displays. Read more of Gates' first-person essay on how he uses technology at the office. — DW

Finally, here's a very cool photo that was taken from the International Space Station as it passes over central Turkey during last week's total solar eclipse. The Mediterranean Sea can be seen in the photo, along with the moon's smoky shadow.