U.S. space tourist set for blast-off
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (Reuters) – U.S. video game magnate Richard Garriott will blast off into space aboard a Russian spaceship on Sunday watched by his father, a NASA astronaut who went into space at the height of the Cold War.
Garriott, who paid $35 million for a ride to the International Space Station, will lift off aboard the Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft alongside U.S. astronaut Michael Fincke and Russian cosmonaut Yury Lonchakov at 1:03 p.m. (0503 GMT).
Russian-born Google co-founder Sergei Brin , who has put down a $5 million deposit on a seat on a private space flight, was on hand for a send-off at the Baikonur cosmodrome attended by the trio’s family and friends.
World of Warcraft fans unite for pilgrimage to Blizzcon
Thousands of gaming fans left a virtual world to unite in the real one and test an update of their obsession. By day they are human, but in their spare time they become mythical heroes such as wizards, dwarfs and blood-elves. At the weekend, in California, 15,000 of them logged out of World of Warcraft, the world’s biggest online game, to gather in a hall the size of an aircraft hangar for the “big nerdfest” that is Blizzcon.
They were drawn to the Anaheim Convention Centre in California by their love of the virtual worlds they inhabit. Blizzcon is part video game carnival, part trade fair and part religious pilgrimage, organised by Blizzard Entertainment, which makes World of Warcraft and the real-time strategy game Starcraft.
Google Earth plumbs the depths of the oceans
Google Earth, the online mapping service that offers a bird’s-eye view of the globe, will now let users see underwater landscapes from around the world.
The new feature lets people go on a virtual dive, seeing some of the most endangered marine spots on the planet. The software, which can be downloaded now, comes with video streams, photo galleries and stories from marine protected areas across the globe.
It has been produced as part of the Google Earth Outreach programme, which gives charities and campaign groups access to Google’s data and programming resources. Previous projects have shown the sites of attacks on refugees in the Darfur region of Sudan and the environmental impact of mining in the Appalachian Mountains.
Tech world prepares for cut-price Apple laptops
Apple is next week expected to unveil new notebook computers, perhaps even a laptop with an $800 (£475) price tag.
The company has sent out invitations to reporters and analysts for an event next Tuesday with the message: “The spotlight turns to notebooks”.
The tech community has been buzzing as rumours of a new manufacturing process called “brick” have gained attention. It is thought this might refer to a new aluminium casing for the new range.
Release date set for Manhunt 2
UK gamers will finally be able to buy Manhunt 2 for Playstation 2, PSP, and Wii on 31 October.
Originally released in the US over a year ago, the game was refused a certificate by the British Board of Film Certification in June 2007.
Following multiple appeals and changes to the game, it was granted a certificate in March.
The goriest scenes were blurred out in the American version of the game but have been removed altogether in the UK.
In the game, players assume the role of a mental asylum patient who must escape by any means including attacks with improvised weapons in an effort to discover why he has been imprisoned.
EU to expand e-shoppers’ rights
The European Commission has unveiled proposals to give more rights to consumers shopping online across the borders of the 27-nation EU.
The proposals aim to boost online shopping in Europe to allow people to take advantage of cheaper prices during the economic crisis.
The commission is asking EU governments to give consumers a two-week cooling-off period to back out of a sale.
Consumers could also get the right to a refund for delayed deliveries.
Norton Antivirus firm buys rival
US anti-virus software firm Symantec has agreed to buy web security firm MessageLabs for $695m (£401.2m).
Best known for its Norton range of PC security software, the move is set to allow Symantec to expand its internet services business.
MessageLabs produces security products for instant-messaging, e-mail and the internet.
Subject to regulatory approval, the firms hope the deal will be completed by the end of the year.
‘Unbreakable’ encryption unveiled
Perfect secrecy has come a step closer with the launch of the world’s first computer network protected by unbreakable quantum encryption at a scientific conference in Vienna.
The network connects six locations across Vienna and in the nearby town of St Poelten, using 200 km of standard commercial fibre optic cables.
Quantum cryptography is completely different from the kinds of security schemes used on computer networks today.
These are typically based on complex mathematical procedures which are extremely hard for outsiders to crack but not impossible given sufficient computing resources or time.
Test explores if robots can think
An experiment has been taking place in Berkshire to see if robots are capable of intelligent thought.
Scientists at the University of Reading tested five machines to see if they could pass themselves off as humans in text-based conversations with people.
The test was devised in 1950 by British Mathematician Alan Turing, who said that if a machine was indistinguishable from a human, then it was “thinking”.
One robot, Elbot, came close on Sunday by reaching 5% below the pass mark.
No robot has ever passed the Turing Test, which requires the robot to fool 30% of its human interrogators.
Bank turmoil fuels phishing boom
Hi-tech fraudsters are taking advantage of the global financial turmoil, say governments and security experts.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning saying phishing gangs were using the turmoil to extract valuable information from consumers.
A UK parliamentary group said it expected a move away from ID theft towards attacks on account holders.
The news comes as a UK banking group reveals that phishing attacks were up more than 180% in a year.