beijing

Hoist an electromechanical Olympic torch

Spectators at the Olympics will get a chance to touch the flame-bearing torch--a replica of it, that is. Instead of fire, the torches have a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), an accelerometer, and lines of LEDS embedded within.

By waving the torch, an internal sensor will determine the left and right points, while the MEMS measures the degree of movement and transmits the information to a microchip that activates the LEDs to display "in the air" preprogrammed words or images relevant to the Olympics.

This idea is not novel, and you've probably seen similar products in gift shops. But … Read more

The 404 159: Where Justin burns down the 404 studio

On today's show: In Jeff's absence, Justin takes over the studio and all hell breaks loose. Natali Del Conte rushes in to save the day! Wilson sits back and laughs, and we discuss a few stories about free Olympic condoms, annoying neighbors, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, and lost light sabers.

When Jeff's away, the SPig will play! That's right, Jeff's on vacation in Atlantic City, New Jersey, gambling his salary away, so I decide to take up the reins and jump into the hot seat! And trust me, you don't want … Read more

RFID goes prime time in Beijing Olympics

Radio frequency identification technology will be facing one of its first major tests during the Beijing Olympics, taking care of ticketing for the estimated 3 million athletes, journalists, and spectators. Despite the Chinese government's current uptight security measures, the RFID chips embedded in Olympics tickets will be not carrying personal information. Instead, they'll be linked to a remote database, designed primarily to combat counterfeits, facilitate check-in, and so on.

Following the recent food scare originating from China, local authorities will also be using an RFID-based food management system to maintain close tabs on food production, processing, and deliveries. … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 782: Two-steppin' robot cows

You can lead a cow to the dance-hall, but you can't make him two-step. Unless, that is, you've got a dollop of artificial intelligence and some wraparound earphones. In technology news of the day, universities fight back against the RIAA, a cut-and-paste application appears for iPhone (and it's really, really hard), and robots learn to move themselves.

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 782

Episode 782

11 charged in theft of 41 million card numbers http://news.cnet.com/11-charged-in-theft-of-41-million-card-numbers/2100-7348_3-6244876.html?tag=newsLatestHeadlinesArea.0

Tufts tells judge, we can’t tie IP addresses to MAC … Read more

Blu-ray releases for the week of August 5

With the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies happening this Friday, we're betting most of you will be stuck on the couch all weekend, rooting for your home country (probably the good ol' USA, right?) as they compete in baseball, basketball, football, maybe even synchronized swimming for those select few.

You should, since NBC, CNBC, Universal HD, and most of NBC's channels will be broadcasting the games around the world in gorgeous 1080i. If not, consider picking one of following new Blu-ray releases. Yes, the selection is slim for this week, but one of them did win an Oscar for … Read more

Olympic head: No deal on Internet censorship

Olympic officials on Saturday said there was "no deal" with the Chinese government to restrict Internet access for foreign journalists covering the Beijing Games.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said during a press conference in Beijing that he is "adamant in saying there has been no deal whatsoever to accept restrictions," according to the BBC. In addition, he applauded the organization of the Summer Games, falling short of an apology following widespread public criticism that China had backtracked on assurances that members of the media would not be restricted.

Rogge did not address reports that had surfaced … Read more

Olympic committee bans 'professional' cameras for visitors

If you're heading to Beijing (or are already there) for the Olympics, take note that the Beijing Organizing Committee has imposed bans on several items, one of which is "professional camera equipment." Unless you have official press credentials, we suggest you just bring your point-and-shoot to the games.

So what constitutes "professional camera equipment"? Are there any measurements or benchmarks to compare with? Although the definition wasn't detailed on the official Olympics Web site, some netizens are speculating that the ban refers to SLRs with big lenses that could block other spectators' views. But … Read more

Are the Olympics a trap?

The Olympics may be an elaborate trap, the Onion reports. Via Danwei. The Beijing Olympics: Are They A Trap?

Can you 'report freely' on Olympics with Net restrictions?

The International Olympic Committee has acknowledged that it acceded to Chinese government demands that some Internet censorship be kept in place during the Olympics, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Nevermind that IOC promised journalists could "report freely" from the games. Still, is this really a problem for reporters?

Long story short: this isn't much of a problem. Journalists arriving in Beijing without regularly being stationed there have already spent however much money to get to China and stay in hotels. They can afford a VPN service, which will completely circumvent the government restrictions--that is, if their … Read more