tolls

Mapquest adds football-themed directions

Mapquest rolled out a new feature for football fans that transforms turn-by-turn into play-by-play directions.

By selecting "Play by Play" from the Featured Sites tab on Mapquest's Web site, mundane GPS directions become strategic maneuvers to help you get from kickoff to end zone. The navigation site will also release City's Best guides for travel tips and places to watch the big game.

And if you're lucky enough to be using the Mapquest Play-by-Play directions to get to Cowboys Stadium, you may want to check the "avoid highways" option if you're in … Read more

Will you survive Left 4 Dead DLC?

For some time now I've only been a two-console owner, the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. I received a lot of flack from co-workers and friends for not having an Xbox 360 and was even referred to as a "Sony fanboy."

Then Valve released Left 4 Dead and a group of us from the office downloaded the demo and had a little PC LAN party. From that moment I knew I had to add that game to my library; however, it was only available for the PC and Xbox 360. I was never a big PC … Read more

Hacking electronic-toll systems

LAS VEGAS--Electronic toll systems like FasTrak and E-ZPass may be convenient for drivers, but they are rife with privacy risks, a security expert said Wednesday at the Black Hat 2008 security conference.

Strangers with the right transponder reader walking through a parking lot can steal the ID number off the transponders that are visible through the windshield, put the data on their devices and pass through bridge and other tolls for free, with the victim paying the bill, according to Nate Lawson, principal of security consultancy Root Labs.

The transponder ID, which lacks encryption, could be wiped and switched with … Read more

Blabatocracy's new mantra: All Jeremiah Wright, All the Time

If my hunch is right, Chris Tolles has a better shot at representing the future of media than does Chris Matthews and his ilk. And that would be so fine by me--and probably lots of you, as well.

At the Web 2.0 Expo last week, I had a long conversation with Tolles, who runs Topix.com, about the fragmentation of media and where technology is taking it. If you're not familiar with Topix, get to know it.

Tolles operates on the sound assumption that the media outlets with the most engaged audiences will thrive. Nowadays, about 60 percent … Read more