Sony, which has been shipping their FIU-600 fingerprint reader for some time, has now announced that they are shipping it in the US with their "Puppy Suite" authentication integration software, which they also have available for Windows. One annoying thing is that Mac users will be paying about $20 more …

A story from CNet details a new e-commerce security service from Verisign (corporate press release also available) that aims to pair your credit card information with the location of the network address that you are coming from. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea: if you have a …

Not a whole lot of details yet, but Handspring has a new Treo in the works that is smaller, faster, and more feature-laden. Features include: PalmOS 5 Built-in Camera JavaScript-enabled web browser SD/MMC expansion slot No schedule yet on when any particular mobile carrier will be supported, but the …

The heck with due process, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), powerful head of the Senate Judiciary Committee has come out in favor of destroying the computers of people who swap files on the internet. I'd love to say that this AP article (from Yahoo!) was taken out of context, but the …

It's big, but it's finally here. The Neverwinter Nights beta for the Macintosh. Weighing in at 240MB it isn't for the faint of internet connection, but it will provide you access to the training level and the combat feature set. Download it from MagGameFiles.Com

United Airlines has announced that they will be offering in-flight email using Verizon's JetConnect service. Don't get too excited, though. The cost ($15.98 per flight for the first 2K and 10 cents per K after that) is going to be ridiculous. JetConnect Email is an extension of the already-present …

In a good announcement for CDMA users, Qualcomm (inventors of CDMA cellular telephony and purveyors of many of the phones) have announced a deal with Broadcom (a chip manufacturer) which heralds the inclusion of Bluetooth features in future CDMA phones. I've been a very happy Bluetooth user for some time …

CNet is reporting that the latest Nielsen/NetRatings report on internet access claims over 40 million US internet users are now on broadband. This means about a third of the total users, with the remaining two thirds being dial-up. This is a substantial move from this time last year, when …

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) has issued new guidelines for consumer protection, and they include some references to spam. CNet has an article pointing out some of the specifics, but the gist is that they are encouraging the use of new electronic systems to share information about …

In a new twist reported by BBC News, a recent virus (called the AVF Virus) is finding its way around the net that opens up a back door for spammers to send their spam from infected machines. The virus appears to be a classic Trojan horse program, but in an …

SCO tells IBM their license is revoked. (CNet) IBM tells SCO it isn't. (IBM Press Release) SCO amends their complaint from $1B to $3B. (CNet)

An article from CNet describes the reaction of some long-time Microsoft partners to the company's recent moves to sell direct to smaller enterprise customers. Most of the article discusses the current licensing plans and Microsoft's push to lower the entry for companies from 500 seats to 250, but it does …

When Dean Kamen was working on preparing his Segway Human Transporter for release, he jetted around the country trying to get advice from people such as Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos. The Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge has an excerpt from an upcoming book on the Segway (Code Name Ginger …

An article from CNet tells of a dilemma caused by the anti-terrorism fervor in San Francisco. Apparently, the fine folks in SF decided that sling shots were a likely terrorist weapon, so they banned them, leaving Sun's James Gosling (Java guru) without his traditional implement of T-shirt flinging at this …

For those families that buy Macintoshes between now and August 10, they can enroll their kids in a free Apple Camp that will be held at local Apple Stores during the weeks of August 11th and 18th. The camps include two sessions, Standard and Advanced, each of which consumes some …

If the Council of Europe were to have its way, they would be able to create a direct link from my story here to an article on their site, rebutting it. Further, they might be able to require me to put actual content on my site if they so choose …

An article from Newhouse News Service is reporting that a recent case involving speeding and vehicular manslaughter was won by the State of Florida with the help of the Electronic Data Recorder (EDR) in the perpetrator's car. Based on the fact that accident investigators believed the care was going at …

My alma mater is at it again. Scientists from the UIUC's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology have announced that they have created a "smart brick", capable of monitoring temperature, vibration and other factors while being a part of the walls. The NSF-funded project uses wireless technology to transmit …

An article from Car Audio Electronics magazine is reporting that there has been a recent agreement by auto makers in the US and Europe about the adoption of a 36-Volt system for cars. The drivers are environmental impact and the growing power needs of the automobile user (TV, VCR, cell …

An article from the New York Times (magazine) over the weekend details a plan to put windmills (130 of them 161 feet tall and spaced 1/3-1/2 mile apart) just off the coast in Nantucket Sound. Despite the potential for supplying nearly 2% of the power for New England's …