Video games have occasionally served as a convenient scapegoat for whatever ails youth. But just this week, the normal trickle of blame has become a torrent, with loud proclamations from many quarters that computer games are making kids VIOLENT, STUPID AND SICK. Here’s why they’re wrong.

Original post by Mike

Filed under: Messaging, Software, NEC

We’ve already seen the idea of data-to-voice translation passed around, but NEC’s latest software is far beyond the drawing board. Reportedly, the firm has developed a system that can understand around 50,000 Japanese words and translate them to English text on the mobile’s display in just a second or two. The software was made compact enough to “operate on a small microchip mounted in a cellphone,” and was designed especially to help users convert common travel phrases. Notably, it would be technically possible to make the English translation vocal, but according to NEC spokesman Mitsumasa Fukumoto, the firm isn’t looking into that possibility at the moment. No word on when we’d see this technology hit the masses, nor if any other language combinations were in the works, but this would certainly make touring English-speaking locales a lot less strenuous for Japanese speakers.

[Via Physorg]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Information has leaked that UK’s Security Service, also called MI5, sent more than 1,000 letters yesterday to the CEOs of UK businesses informing them that “it has noticed an upsurge in ELECTRONIC ESPIONAGE attempts made or launched against a lot of UK companies.” Martin Jordan, principal advisor of IT advisory services at KPMG, told a reporter that Chinese spies are “targeting financial information relating to deals which may occur and involve Chinese companies…. [the spies] are trying to find out the financial limits of such deals to subsequently push UK companies to pay out the maximum or receive the minimum amount of money within such deals.”

Original post by Mike

Installing electricity-generating home wind turbans — also called “micro-wind turbines” — is all the rage among yuppies who want the neighbors to know how eco-friendly they are. But now the UK’s Building Research Establishment Trust says “turbines are likely to add to, not subtract from, a home’s CARBON FOOTPRINT.” The reason is that the turbines harm the environment in their construction and maintenance, a harm that can’t be paid back in energy generation in urban areas.

Original post by Mike

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, T-Mobile, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA

It was only a matter of time til T-Mobile’s answer to Orange’s Touch Dual arrived, and it has, in the form of the MDA “Touch Plus”. Thankfully, T-Mobile has also opted for the 16-key layout, and aside from the obvious branding we don’t expect any surprises — by surprises, we mean, anything new — in the device. Word from Paul at MoDaCo is that Orange has some type of exclusivity deal, so don’t hold your breath if you were hoping to gift yourself this holiday season. Check the read link for a glance at the manual

[Thanks, Paul at MoDaCo]

Read – MDA Touch Plus manual [Warning: PDF link]

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Original post by Sean Cooper

Filed under: Cellphones

Rumors are circulating that Motorola is prepped to launch a series of multimedia handsets under the ZiNE brand. Meanwhile, Moto was just spotted (November 26th, to be exact) begging the USPTO for a trademark on “DEXT.” That’s the rather serious looking mark pictured to the right. The request covers “mobile telephones, pagers, radio transceivers, electronic personal organizers, headsets, microphones, speakers” and the related software for such things as the transmission of audio and video. We’ll just have to wait and see whether this has anything to do with their accidentally on purposely “leaked” 2008 lineup.

[Via Trademork]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Misc

Hear that America? That’s the sound of the hammer dropping on our beloved cartel of carriers. Google’s bid for the 700MHz “C Block” is on, and they’re doing it without any bidding partners. Eric Schmidt, Google Chairman and CEO, says the following:

“We believe it’s important to put our money where our principles are. Consumers deserve more competition and innovation than they have in today’s wireless world. No matter which bidder ultimately prevails, the real winners of this auction are American consumers who likely will see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet.”

The bidding begins on January 24th with a minimum of $4.6 billion required for the open-access C Block. Wake the kids, phone the neighbors, it’s going to get ugly fast.

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

The Chinese military is reportedly developing both the means and contingency plans to “destroy or temporarily incapacitate every enemy space vehicle when it is located above China,” according to the annual report of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. “The Chinese also plan to ATTACK U.S. GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS (GPS) satellites through various means, including anti-satellite weapons, high-energy weapons, high-energy weather monitoring rockets and ground attacks on earth-based stations.”

Original post by Mike