Eavesdropping on Bluetooth Headsets
If you didn't know just how trivial it is to do this.
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If you didn't know just how trivial it is to do this.
You have probably heard the statistic that a driver using a cell phone is as dangerous as a slightly drunk driver. But did you know that the following countries have passed laws against it?
Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe
The United State's answer is a resounding: What do you mean? We drive drunk all the time. Only the following states have passed definitive bans against cell phone usage while driving:
Many states have passed laws banning bus drivers from talking on cell phones while driving, and some states have pending laws on the subject. Why does the U.S. federal government blackmail the states via highway funding on the issue of BAC intoxication standards but remain silent on this issue?
Okay, okay, driving drunk is one thing, cell phone use while driving is another. I admit I partake from time to time, but I think the one that takes the cake is shooting video for podcasts or video presentations while driving. A video of lane splitting is one thing, but imparting deep wisdom or funny anecdotes - do you really want to be distracted from driving reducing the quality of your spoken and recorded message? Discuss.
Nokia's bid was for 16 NOK per share for the entire company (though 35,024,830 shares representing a 66.43% share in the company were stated to be a part of the official deal - they're a majority owner, but not necessarily the sole owner). This values Trolltech at an equivalent of approximately $150 million USD. The stock currently trades at 15.70 on the Oslo stack exchange, up from around 10 on Friday. The offer has already been accepted by the Trolltech Board of Directors in a unanimous decision.
These guys drive me nuts, but its great to see this thing in action.
The One Laptop Per Child project has been getting plenty of press lately. The initiative purports to be a “charitable” one, and whatever sticky legal status that word defines it as, the project has grown a head of steam large enough to attract some major business interest. Microsoft can't resist designing a version of XP to market for the sublaptop, although Bill Gates has complained that the screen is too small. Intel, who was at first a sworn enemy of OLPC, now sits on its board of directors.
The machine was originally promised at a cool $100, but now that OLPC has revealed its “first sale” of 100,000 machines (never mind the original reports of several million ordered by certain African nations) the price has almost doubled.
More than one nation has complained that there is no point in providing undernourished children with computers- that what they need is teachers and classrooms, not laptops. At $100 the “XO” seems like a no-brainer. But the tune of $188 is a little more difficult tune to whistle.
Cell phones, like microwaves, haven't been around long enough to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are safe. The following studies have linked cell phone usage to degraded health:
Cancer
The Institute for Environmental Medicine in Stokholm has proposed a 300% increased chance for the development of acoustic neuromas amongst decade-long cell phone users.
Brain damage
The Collaborative on Health and the Environment cites serious neuronal damage to rats when exposed to levels of cell phone radiation on a scale analogous to what humans routinely experience.
Infertility
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine recently revealed that cell phone use has a direct, sliding scale correlation with sperm count. Men who use cell phones for more than four hours per day have up to a 25% decrease in sperm count.
Birth defects
The Biological Effects Laboratory in New Mexico cites various consequences of exposure to cell phone radiation that culminate in birth defects in pregnant females. The exposure standard for their researchers is 100 times more stringent than the FCC's standard for civilian exposure.
Immune system changes
The Wiley Interscience Journal cites a study that determines elevation of PFC (antibody producing cells) count in response to exposure to low levels of cell phone radiation.
Genetic damage
The Indian Journal of Human Genetics found “DNA migration” in 40% of the cell phone users they studied.
Sleep loss
MIT's Progress in Electromagnetic Research Symposium reported that cell phone radiation causes sleep deprivation by retarding the rate at which users move through the various stages of sleep.
Hopefully that's enough to make you think twice before strapping on a holster for your mobile phone. Turn it off and stick it in a lead-encased desk drawer.
Wowie Zowie Wammy Blammy.
When I first saw the specs on this puppy, and I'm talking about back before the 770 was released, my mouth got wet, though there were some shortcomings (like voip, and I believe external keyboards were even available when this was first released).
