Satellite mapping was interesting but not very useful until Google bought Keyhole and kicked things into high gear. Mapquest even dropped the satellite feature from its service due to lack of interest. (Whoops!)

Today Microsoft announced it was getting into the act with a new service called Microsoft Virtual Earth that offers satellite imagery at a much closer distance than Google’s current offering and at a new angle that can show more building detail. The image on your right is an example of what the platform can do (and I can almost see my office). Of course, Google is planning a major upgrade to Google Maps and Microsoft is also going to beef up the product, so I guess you can say we have a war on our hands, and than means cool features and low or no prices for us all. Hooray!

“Microsoft executives hope to differentiate their service through an exclusive contract with Pictometry, which uses cameras mounted on light aircraft to collect images from U.S. skies. The Pictometry images can show buildings at a 45-degree angle from the earth, allowing them to record details of the buildings such as store names, according to Stephen Lawler, the Microsoft general manager in charge of the Virtual Earth project. The Pictometry images are now mostly used by law enforcement and government organizations.

“A version of the service coming this summer is expected to include the ability to display the results of multiple searches on a map that’s overlaid on a satellite image. A search, for instance, for dry cleaners in a given area would display all the cleaners on the satellite image.”

Mr. Gates’s demonstration followed Google’s showing last week of a coming version of its satellite-mapping and local-search product called Google Earth. The service, an update to an existing service which has a price starting at $30 per year, uses data about the terrain of the earth obtained from space to simulate three-dimensional images of locations.

“Google has a separate free search and mapping search called Google Maps, which shares some of the same functions and does not currently carry advertising. The company has not yet disclosed pricing for its new Google Earth, which will require a user to run special software on his computer — leaving open the possibility that there might be a free version. Both services pinpoint local businesses on maps for users. At a demonstration last week, Google co-founder Sergey Brin conducted a virtual fly-through of the Grand Canyon, showing Superman-style views of swooping over the floor of the canyon. “I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon before,” Mr. Brin deadpanned. “Now I don’t need to go.”Source: Wall Street Journal Online

I am a big fan of slider style cell phones. My newest is the Samsung P777 which offers in my opinion the best of all worlds: the smallness of a clamshell phone with the visible screen of a “candy bar” or stick model. I’ll post a review of the phone shortly, but in the meantime here’s a phone from the Korean company Pantech that offers bizarre and disturbing three-way sliding. Talk about overkill, the think looks like a Swiss Army knife. via Gizmodo

By Alice Hill

READ THIS ONE

I am re-running this one in light of the many new credit data scandals.

The news seems to carry this same sort of story every day: “xxx,xxx names and social security numbers are leaked by Company Y” (and then usually re-stated a day or so later with the totals even higher) But here’s an interesting thing I learned. The leaked info doesn’t come from a sloppy e-tailer in cyberspace, but a hidden code in the magnetic strip of the actual credit card that you use in a store. The code is not supposed to be captured and stored, but some retailing software packages left the codes in and opened the doors to massive identity theft.

Here’s a report from the Wall Street Journal:

“The computerized systems that manage much of U.S. commerce are supposed to purge most credit-card information — including a secret three-digit code that can enable criminals to counterfeit cards — after each transaction. But merchants, banks and credit-card associations say many widely used retail-software packages often retain this information — creating an alluring target for hackers.

“The recently revealed security breach at Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. is a case in point. Banking giant HSBC PLC notified the clothier last fall that credit-card data from some of its customers may have been compromised. A Polo spokeswoman said an investigation found that the software Polo has used at check-out counters in more than 180 stores improperly retained the sensitive card details. Polo scrambled to purge the data from its systems. Hundreds of other merchants are now conducting similar purges. In at least one case, security experts say, hackers hit a half-dozen merchants that use similar software after figuring out how to tap into these three-digit codes.

“The sensitive information encoded in the magnetic stripe on credit cards “was out there more than we thought,” says John Shaughnessy, senior vice president for risk management at Visa USA. These secret codes are “jewels” for thieves, Mr. Shaughnessy says. “The fact that it’s stored anywhere is troublesome.”

“The three-digit number on the magnetic stripe — which is different from the visible verification codes found on the backs of most credit cards — is particularly sensitive because it is necessary for creating counterfeit cards. The secret code can be used to produce a card in which the visible name on the card’s front need not match the account information on the magnetic stripe. That could allow fraudsters to present a driver’s license or other identification to “validate” a fake card. But the account number on the stripe isn’t that of the person who’s name is on the front of the card. Many times the fraudulent purchase wouldn’t even be known or reported until the victim of the card theft sees his or her monthly statement.” Source: Wall Street Journal Online (Subscription Required)

Schwinn the company was known mostly in business school circles for blowing it when it missed the whole mountain biking trend. It went from being THE bike maker, to something quaint and retro at a time when that wasn’t what people wanted, and it made a great case study on what not to do. This past year though, I noticed kids in Sonoma riding around on these cool bikes with huge fat rear tires. At Costco I finally saw them up close - Schwinn was taking the bike in a new direction and it looks like the product was a hit. Today I found out that Schwinn is taking the new Sting-Ray and adding an electric motor, making it the coolest moped I’ve ever seen. Too bad it can only do 14mph - too wimpy for serious commuting, but I can sure see this being a hit. Price: about $400.

“The original Sting-Ray, widely considered the most popular bicycle of all time, was first introduced in 1963 during the muscle car craze and remained on the market until 1982. More than 1 million bikes were sold in 1968 alone resulting in teenagers on every corner tricking out their banana seat Sting-Rays with headlights, mirrors, wheelie bars and other accessories to make each bike unique. Any kid not lucky enough to have a Sting-Ray certainly dreamed of owning one

“Special features of the electric model include: variable pedal, electric or dual power mode; an on-board computer to make best use of energy; LED throttle indicator of battery condition; removable rechargeable battery; and rear wheel motor mount eliminating chain or belt breaks. Most importantly, the battery pack has been designed to look like the traditional V-twin motor that powers the world’s choppers. In February 2005, the 20″ Street Series Sting-Ray was named the 2004 Outdoor Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association, Inc. That Sting-Ray model had sold nearly 600,000 units in less than a year, making it what Schwinn claims to be the fastest selling bicycle in history.

“When Schwinn Bicycles launched the new Schwinn Sting-Ray “Street Series” juvenile chopper bike in April 2004, the company knew it was on to something special. The first retailer to receive the bicycles sold what was thought to be a three-month allocation in one weekend. Soon, every retailer selling the new Schwinn Sting-Ray was asking for more Sting-Rays to meet unprecedented consumer demand.” Source: Gizmag

Last Friday was a record traffic day when over 30,000 people came to RealTechNews.com!! (W00t) To the many new newsletter subscribers and visitors, I just wanted to offer up a hearty welcome. Let us know how we can keep serving up technology news from in independent but professional perspective. –Alice

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By Alice Hill
RealTechNews.com

When I lived in New York, I noticed an odd trend among the homeless - wearing a giant ski cap packed with aluminum foil. I called the phenomenon “foil heads” and always wondered why some of the population felt the need to line their heads with layer after layer of aluminum foil. Some of the hats were so huge, they made the wearers look like they had giant alien heads.

Diagnosing mental illness is certainly not my specialty, but what I was able to piece together is this: extreme sensitivity to radiation and radio waves can cause someone to hear voices (from a radio station like Marcia Brady experienced), feel like they are being burned alive, and eventually turn to foil which interestingly enough does act as a barrier to radiation. So my question was: were the poor foil heads in NY “crazy” or did they have some sort of extreme sensitivity to the waves of radiation, cellular, microwave, radio and so on that fills our lives, and also found a clever way to exist?

I mention this because today, there is a family in Sacramento that has lined their home with foil, claiming that microwave radiation is burning them alive and they need sheet metal to ward off the danger:

“A home in Sacramento’s south Natomas neighborhood is surrounded by sheet metal, and neighbors are calling it an eyesore. The D’Souza family lives in the home on Timberwood Court, and claims the aluminium pieces are necessary to protect them from unknown neighbors who have been bombarding them with radio waves and making them sick. “(It’s) a shield to protect against radiation, because microwave radiation is reflected off of aluminium, so it’s a protective measure,” resident Sarah D’Souza said.

“The D’Souzas said the bombardment began after the first anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and that the radio waves have caused them health problems ranging from headaches to lupus. Sacramento Code Enforcement officials have gotten involved and ordered the family to remove the metal by Monday or face a misdemeanor citation. “Eleven years in Sacramento and few other years in Southern California and this is the first time I’ve ever seen (anything like this). The inside of the house is also covered with foil and the beds are covered with a foil-like material as well,” Sacramento Code Enforcement spokesman Josh Pino said. The D’Souzas said they will comply with the order and remove the sheet metal, but they also plan to gather evidence to show city officials what they believe is a problem with radiation.” Source: The KCRA Channel

So what do you think? Crazy? Or is something really there?

Hype is everywhere with the new consoles even though none really exist. But here’s a piece from the Wall Street journal that looks behind the console curtain to see what Microsoft is really up to:

“If you thought the latest, fastest and best always ends up in a business desktop, think again. All that was familiar, at least since the PC became techdom’s central object in the mid-1980s, is being torn asunder. To get the machine it wanted, Microsoft has put itself in direct competition with former best friends, computer makers like Dell and HP. To get the chip it wanted, it dumped a long-time ally, Intel, and signed up IBM — which also makes chips for Apple as well as forthcoming game machines from Sony and Nintendo. Even so, Microsoft, which once left hardware to others, is taking proprietary ownership of the Xbox “chipsets,” signaling an interesting reintegration of software, semiconductors and end-user gadgetry.

“In dumping old friends, Microsoft is switching its alliances to new ones like Samsung and other consumer electronics makers, who hope for an escape from commoditization. Microsoft, with its new game machine, is already crediting itself with inaugurating the “HD era” in home entertainment, positioning Xbox the digital “hub” for the zillions of dollars of new peripherals (hi-def TVs, surround-sound stereo systems) that consumers will rush out and buy.” Source: Wall Street Journal Online

Alice’s Take: very interesting piece. I proclaimed Samsung the new Sony and Intel is trying to crank out new home PCs that look like toilets. They may be onto something. Shame the actual games lookedonly so-so at E3. You gotta have the games.

Here’s an innovative way to get kids exercising: no TV until they have walked 12,000 steps or roughly 5 -6 miles.

“The shoes - dubbed Square Eyes - contain an electronic pressure sensor and a tiny computer chip to record how many steps the wearer has taken in a day. A wireless transmitter passes the information to a receiver connected to a television, and this decides how much evening viewing time the wearer deserves, based on the day’s exertions. The design was inspired by a desire to combat the rapidly ballooning waistlines among British teenagers, says Gillian Swan, who developed Square Eyes as a final year design project at Brunel University in London, UK. “We looked at current issues and childhood obesity really stood out,” she told New Scientist. “And I wanted to tackle that with my design.”‘ Source: New Scientist

Alice’s Take: I can hear it now, “When I was your age I had to walk SIX MILES just to watch a TV show.” And of course, I can also see kids sitting outside pounding the shoe against the curb 12,000 times, which I guess you could say is also a form of exercise.