Horizon highlights – $10 laptop, Google in your driveway, lost Van Gogh
Our regular roundup of sci-tech stories from across the web includes: unleashing the net on art masterpieces, Google says yes, it can peek down anyone’s driveway, and the $100 laptop is too expensive for India – they want a $10 computer. Let's kick it off:
Responsible Tech – Now, $10 laptop for students
"After displaying its prowess in developing the world's cheapest car, India is on track to rolling out the world's cheapest laptop computer that could cost as low as $10, a top official said..." [Via The Economic Times]
From the Monitor's archive – More computer brands chase the '$100 laptop' : So while some PCs continue to bulk up and tout their speed and raw power, others represent a new trend: slimming down. Way down. These smaller, simpler machines are aimed at a potentially lucrative market: the next 1 billion PC users around the planet.
Generation E – Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?
"Books are not Nadia Konyk’s thing. Her mother, hoping to entice her, brings them home from the library, but Nadia rarely shows an interest. Instead, like so many other teenagers, Nadia, 15, is addicted to the Internet." [Via NYTimes]
Digital Omnipresence – Google: No such thing as complete privacy
"Google's Street View service didn't invade a Pittsburgh couple's privacy, the search giant said in a response to the couple's April lawsuit over the matter. "Plaintiffs' privacy claims fail, among other reasons, because the view of a home from the driveway that can be seen by any visitor, delivery person, or telephone repairman is not private," the company said in response to the suit…" [Via CNET]
From the Monitor's archive – ISPs enter the targeted ad game : Until recently, Internet service providers (ISPs) were just that: a bare-bones channel through which the Web flowed to customers. They were stuck manning the Internet spigot as Google and Microsoft lapped up the profits from incredibly successful targeted ads…. But now, many ISPs want in on targeted advertisements. From their perspective, they are the best source for user data. Google can only track what users do on its sites. But since ISPs control the flow, they can monitor everything a customer does online.
Hidden Talent – Portrait of Woman Revealed Beneath Van Gogh Painting
"A previously unknown portrait of a woman by Vincent van Gogh has been revealed in a high-tech look beneath another of his paintings, it was announced today." [Via LiveScience]
Vox Pop – Reader Contest: The Search Engine Litmus Test
"Slate wants your suggestions on the most useful queries that, when given to a variety of search engines, neatly show the differences between them. To borrow an example from my review of Powerset, the phrase 'Who shot John Lennon?' demonstrates the semantic search engine's ability to answer simple questions better than Google; more conventional queries usually favor the incumbent." [Via Slate]
Vox Pop Art – 85 Famous Works of Art 'Improved' via Modern Technology
"For this week's Photoshop Contest, I asked you to put modern technology in famous works of art. I've got to be honest, these might be the best results from a Photoshop Contest yet." [Via Gizmodo]
From the Monitor's archive – Iran’s digital duping : Yesterday’s Iranian missile tests escalated tensions between the Islamic Republic and Israel. A single image captured this bold gesture for many news outlets: four missiles blasting toward the sky. But the picture was fraud – digitally embellished before the Agence France-Presse photo service circulated it around the world.
