Gadget Access

Aha! I knew it. We already knew that there’s no link between video games and violent behavious, but it also turns out that kids who don’t play video games have a statistically higher risk of getting into trouble than those who do. Here’s a video interview of 2 Harvard profs who’ve done the research and written a book.

We were always suspicious (in our own boyish ways) of other boys who didn’t play (video games or sports or just horsed around). Now we know; science has shown the way.

via Techdirt via Kotaku.

Posted in Gaming & Toys

by Donald Melanson, posted Apr 18th 2008 at 11:18AM There’s certainly no shortage of Eee PC competitors these days, and it looks like another one recently snuck its way into the Philippines, where Blue Digital’s diminutive Deep Blue H1 is apparently now on sale. Unlike the Eee PC, this one packs a 1.0GHz VIA Esther processor, though it boasts a similar 7-inch 800 x 480 display, along with 1GB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, and the LinPus Linux distro as the standard OS, with Windows XP available as an option. Our tipster in Manilla also informs us that while it’s only available in basic black at the moment, you’ll apparently soon be able to get your choice of white or sky blue models as well. No word on a release anywhere else, unfortunately, but those in the Philippines can snag one for Php 16,995, or just over $400.

[Thanks, Alan]

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Filed under: Laptops

Did you know that the electricity required to keep a PC running overnight generates up to 51 lbs of CO2 every month, and the combined energy wasted by consumer electronics in standby mode is as high as 10% of all residential power consumption in developed countries*?

Of course you did. So join up and take the Give Your Computer a Rest challenge presented by DeviceVM and Carbon Rally, which gives people a place to sign up, spread the word and learn new ways to reduce their carbon footprint (CO2 emissions).

Carbon Rally harnesses the power of Internet communities and on-line gaming to “engage people in environmental action on a massive scale.” Some of the challenges are a small as encouraging people to drink tap water vs. bottled water and avoiding disposable coffee cups The site regularly poses challenges entailing small lifestyle changes but ties it into hard science by publishing studies on the effect on greenhouse gas emissions. (So, for the doubters in your group, send them to the site for the data.)

Why is DeviceVM involved? Because their Splashtop software lets users access the Internet and key applications seconds after turning on their computers, so you can resist the temptation to keep your computer on because the next morning you have to wait for a traditional OS to boot up, cursing the entire time. (Splashtop is bundled with motherboards, desktops and notebooks by their manufacturers and is currently available on ASUS Motherboard.)

So far with this challenge 427 people have reduced CO2 emissions by 9.59 tons by completing this challenge. That’s equal to turning off the electricity of 5 homes for about 1 month!

Come on, do your bit and take the challenge. It won’t hurt a bit.

*according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

As outlined in a white paper on managing phishing written by its risk management unit, PayPal is set to implement a new policy that will block users from using PayPal from “unsafe browsers.” These browsers include Internet Explorer 4 and 5 and other older version browsers. But don’t worry if you are still using anything unsafe, because PayPal will first warn you about the browser. If you insist on trying to use it even after you were warned, then that’s the time when PayPal will step in and block you from accessing its site.

PayPal said that old browsers such as IE 4 are very vulnerable to phishing attacks since they lack the security and safety features of their newer versions which ward off phishing and other forms of online attacks. PayPal is encouraging users to use browsers which support the Extended Validation SSL certification when doing their PayPal transactions. These browsers prompt users by turning the address bar of the browser green when they are browsing a legitimate site. These browsers include the latest versions of IE and Firefox. Apple’s Safari browser for Mac and PC unfortunately does not support EV SSL certificates at this time.

Read [BBC News]

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Harmonix announced that the 1st album will be Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance. Sweet. This is the 1st in hopefully what will be many albums that they release. If you’re into NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal), then you’ll love the choice. IMHO (my opinion only, so no need to argue), this is one of the best Priest albums. Next up, Def Lep’s Pyromania, or Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast?

I feel that if Rock Band is to have some sort of lasting future, that this is exactly what they need to continue doing, but of course they also need to release lots and lots of singles, especially current and new ones to add to the variety and excitement.

I’m so excited, I pulled up some Priest to listen to on Rhapsody!

via Kotaku.

Posted in Gaming & Toys

Just recently we were able to give you some details about Sony Ericsson’s upcoming Z780 handset and now there has been some new and thankfully better images leaked. As we previously mentioned the Z780 is very similar to the current Z770 and these images just further prove that. Overall it looks like the Z780 will be the successor and retain much of the Z770’s features in a new and somewhat more stylish outer shell. Keep reading for another image with both models side by side…

Via [SlashPhone]

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