The Google-China drama continues as China makes a veiled response that only law-abiding companies are welcome in the People's Republic. More information came out indicating the Gmail hacking was done by the government in China. This isn't over folks. We'll keep on it. But there is other news. Apple lawyers strike back over tablet rumors, and app stores are all pretty much the same.

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EPISODE 1145

Is Sprint making money off of your text message donations?

http://consumerist.com/2010/01/att-and-sprint-are-making-money-off-of-your-text-message-donations.html

China says Internet firms abiding by its laws welcome

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aA6hDqJb8dlw

Google attack part of widespread spying effort

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9144221/Google_attack_part_of_widespread_spying_effort

Researchers identify command servers behind Google attack

http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2010/01/researchers-identify-command-servers-behind-google-attack.ars

Hackers used rigged PDFs to hit Google — and Adobe, says researcher

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9144378/Hackers_used_rigged_PDFs_to_hit_Google_and_Adobe_says_researcher

Apple lawyers strike back at Valleywag over tablet bounty

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/14/apple-lawyers-strike-back-at-valleywag-over-tablet-bounty/

iPhone, Android, BlackBerry users share same app tastes

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/35630/iPhone-Android-and-BlackBerry-users-share-same-app-tastes

Mac sales can’t keep pace with cheap PCs, Apple slips to No. 5

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9144658/Mac_sales_can_t_keep_pace_with_cheap_PCs_Apple_slips_to_No._5

ATI pushes DirectX 11 into mainstream value segment for less than $100

http://www.dailytech.com/ATI+Pushes+DirectX+11+Into+Mainstream+Value+Segment+for+Less+Than+100/article17361.htm

Challenge to U.S. government over seized laptops

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/13/has-your-laptop-been.html

Y chromosome not stagnating, men not idiots

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/634939.html

Man uses drake equation to explain girlfriend woes

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/01/13/1510229/Man-Uses-Drake-Equation-To-Explain-Girlfriend-Woes?

VOICE MAIL

Allen has a bone to pick with Tom

Camden in Philly w/ Facebook Paranoia

E-MAIL

One issue with Facebook’s idea about scanning your system for viruses before letting you back on after your account was hacked is that yes the pc you used to clear the virus lock on is clean. What about all the other systems you use. Your netbook, your friends' pc, the system at the library, the internet cafe, etc.

As always some protection is better then none I’m just worried the message from Facebook will say “You have no viruses welcome back” instead of “This machine currently has no viruses that we know about, proceed with caution.” (I'd say the house is white on this side but Tom may be the one who'd grok it.)

You also suggested having AV software have the capability of broadcasting that the system you’re on is clean. The problem with this idea is the first thing a maleware creator would do is spoof the clean system message.

Yes the protocol could include protection for this. But unless it was cheap or free and in some way open to companies, then what would happen to software like AVG, or the next AVG.

Love the show.

Ken the Lurker

**********

OK, so remember a few years back when I told you guys that one of my students was doing research on video game aggression? Well, this year one of them is doing cell phone distraction research.

Melissa (the psych honours student) is doing her thesis with me and she has designed a way cool study. (I wish I could take more credit, but she has designed most of this herself, I am just her supervisor).

People are going to be 'driving' (using a wheel and a PS3) and they will either talk to Melissa

live

on a cell phone

on a hands free cell phone

they won't talk, a control group.

Now that is pretty straightforward. The interesting twist is looking at the complexity of the conversation. Half of the participants will get a simple conversation and half will get a complex one. These 'conversations' will consist of Melissa firing either easy or hard arithmetic problems at the subjects. We expect there to be little effect with the simple conversation and a big effect with a complex one in both the phone and hands free group.

The Algoma University psychology department, where much of the research is inspired by BOL…

I will keep you posted. That is if you care…

Dave (the psychologist)

**********

Hey buzz crew

I am a long time listener to the show and have even had one of my e-mails read on your show. I live in Haiti. We suffered losses in the earthquake. The most important thing is that my family is ok. Cell phones are down and we are getting spotty internet. The wierd thing is that it is easier for me to talk (via skype) to friends and family abroad than it is to talk to my brother who lives just 1.5 miles from my house. We had to communicte via facebook, skype, and e-mail. Please ask your listeners fro their prayers and if they can to try to help. The smallest thing helps a lot. Go to whitehouse.gov to see how you can help. Thank you and even if I am not able to to listen to the show these days I still love the show.

Geff (Geek at Large)

Geoffrey H. Boutros

Port-au-Prince, Haiti