Twitter Empowers the People, But Iran's Mullahs Using Technology Too

Twitter Empowers the People, But Iran's Mullahs Using Technology Too

Twitter, Facebook and other sites show the power of technology to express the voice of the people and tear down walls between closed and open societies.
On the other hand, technology is also enabling oppressive regimes like Iran to exert greater control over what citizens can and can't do online. "Deep-packet" technologies provided by Siemens and Nokia have given Iran "one of the world's most sophisticated mechanisms for controlling and censoring the Internet,"
Meanwhile, all PCs sold in China starting July 1 must have government-approved software called Green Dam Youth Escort. The software is ostensibly designed to block pornography but could potentially be used to censor political opposition and religious sites.

Call for Chinese web boycott against Green Dam 'censorship' filter

(Source Times Online)Chinese internet users have called for a one-day boycott of cyberspace in protest at a government plan to fit computers with a filter to censor sensitive information.
In a posting on Twitter today, the artist Ai Weiwei —an adviser on the design of the Bird’s Nest stadium built for the Beijing Olympics — appealed for a boycott on July . He wrote: "Stop any online activities, including working, reading, chatting, blogging, gaming and mailing. Don't explain your behaviour."
He hoped that the date, the anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, could become a permanent memorial for lack of freedom on the internet in China.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6554801.ece

3D to bring new dimension, profits to PC world

3D to bring new dimension, profits to PC world

TAIPEI (Reuters) - At a packed stall during the Computex show in Taiwan this week, young buyers excitedly put on 3D-enabling glasses that turned flat images on PC screens into solid objects.

3D, long reserved for movie theaters, is emerging as a profitable niche for the PC world even though it is not quite ready for the masses yet. Some big names in the chip and display sectors are developing new products, mostly targeting the niche but lucrative gaming computer market.
They are betting a new generation of displays and state-of-the-art processors could boost demand for the costly computer machines, which tend to shape PC design trends and influence mainstream buyers.

"When you look at 3D movies, look at 3D games, you feel like you are inside the computer and the experience is very dramatic," said Nvidia CEO Huang Jen-hsun, whose company's demonstrations of 3D video games were a spotlight at the world's No. 2 PC fair.
By using special shutter glasses that connect wirelessly to personal computers, U.S. graphics chip maker Nvidia's (NVDA.O) new GeForce 3D Vision System brought stereoscopic experience to buyers at Computex.

In May, Intel Corp (INTC.O) announced a $12 million investment over the next five years to create a visual computing research center in Europe focused on 3D imaging.
Besides gaming enthusiasts who are keen to pay hundreds of dollars for new PCs, 3D imaging could soon expand to films on DVD and advanced medical and scientific research, supporters say.

Gaming PCs may be just a blip in a PC market estimated by research firm IDC at $244 billion last year, but margins of such PCs and other accessories, including keyboards and laser mice, are fatter than those used in regular computers. Read Article... http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSTRE5530WE20090604

Windows 7 Release Candidate: Download instructions

Windows 7 Release Candidate: Download instructions
Here's what you need to know:

This is pre-release software, so please read the following to get an idea of the risks and key things you need to know before you try the RC.

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You don't need to rush to get the RC. The RC will be available at least through July 2009 and we're not limiting the number of product keys, so you have plenty of time.
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Watch the calendar. The RC will expire on June 1, 2010. Starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. Windows will notify you two weeks before the bi-hourly shutdowns start. To avoid interruption, you’ll need to install a non-expired version of Windows before March 1, 2010. You’ll also need to install the programs and data that you want to use. (Learn more about installing Windows.)
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Protect your PC and data. Be sure to back up your data and please don't test the RC on your primary home or business PC.
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http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx

Nieuwe Windows 22 oktober op de markt

REDMOND (AFN) - Het Amerikaanse softwarebedrijf Microsoft brengt zijn nieuwe besturingssysteem Windows 7 op 22 oktober op de markt. Dit liet het concern dinsdag weten.
Microsoft had eerder al gezegd dat de opvolger van het impopulaire Windows Vista voor de kerst zou verschijnen. Een concrete datum was echter nog niet genoemd. Introducties van nieuwe Windows-versies gaan altijd gepaard met veel reclamegeweld.
http://www.telegraaf.nl/dft/nieuws_dft/4063122/__Nieuwe_Windows_22_oktober_op_de_markt__.html?p=31,1