safety

Cyclists may get a hand (and arm) with safety

Although automobiles have countless safety devices and technologies, there are relatively few for bicycles by comparison. And that makes little sense when you look at the global trends, which will only increase in coming years with the growth of green initiatives.

That shortcoming inspired London design student Michael Chen to come up with a concept for a jacket he calls the "Reactiv" (that's right, there's no "e" at the end--it's not at typo or some weird British spelling). Using an accelerometer to track movement, the high-tech garment has LEDs on the sleeves that … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 698: Beacon will kill you

Today, Buzz is on your side, with such gems of wisdom as "don't shop at Staples," "bacon will kill you," and "how to opt out of Beacon." I guess that last one is pretty helpful. In other news of the day, we refuse to talk about the Google App thing, unless you can prove to us why we should. Thanks in advance. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 698

Google App Engine Blog: Introducing Google App Engine + our new blog http://googleappengine.blogspot.com/2008/04/ introducing-google-app-engine-our-new.html

California Lawmaker Proposes Music … Read more

Tech changes ideas about knowledge, solitude

Tech has changed our lives in so many ways. Two areas that interest me are our thoughts about knowledge itself, and our experience of solitude.

I used to like the game show Jeopardy and even tried out for it. I flew to Los Angeles for the day and passed the test when my daughter was five months old, proving to myself that my brain hadn't totally gone to mush. I didn't get called to be on the show, but the tryout was still a good experience.

But now, with Google and smart phones, we have all that information … Read more

Google warms up to parents with kids' safety video

Google is making its first public relations play for parents.

On Tuesday, the search company will unveil a new Family Safety Guide, a parent's resource for kids' safety online. Mountain View, Calif.-based Google also teamed with the media-awareness group Common Sense Media to produce an online video called "A common sense approach to Internet safety." The video will be featured on the guide page, on YouTube, and throughout the video-on-demand services provided by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox (which are partners of Common Sense.)

Of course, Google has long offered technology and resources for parents. … Read more

Consumer watchdogs push for FCC auction investigation

Consumer watchdog groups and some lawmakers want to know why the block of spectrum reserved for public safety in the Federal Communications Commission's 700 MHz auction didn't hit its reserve price.

On Wednesday, a coalition of nine consumer advocacy groups, including the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and the Media Access Project, sent a letter to the chairman of the FCC asking the agency to investigate whether the public safety requirements for "d" block license were too stringent. The groups also want the FCC to study whether plans for the shared public-private network are even … Read more

David Pogue downplays online safety challenges for kids and teens

I have always enjoyed and admired David Pogue's tech journalism at The New York Times, but I was disturbed by his recent piece "How Dangerous Is the Internet for Children?" which I believe dangerously minimizes the seriousness of the challenges that online life poses for families.

Pogue sets out to write a corrective narrative to what he perceives as a media-overhyped fear of online pedophiles luring children out of their homes, but in the process he discounts other reasonable concerns. The resulting commentary overreacts to the overreactions.

He talks about a mother becoming "hysterical when her 8-year-old stumbled onto a pornographic photo," and reassures us that his 7-year-old was not harmed by accidentally finding doctored "naked" photos of the animated characters The Incredibles.

"Naked pictures" covers a lot of ground, from a National Geographic photo to hard-core pornography. The type of image, extent of exposure, and intent are all relevant in deciding how harmful the experience has been. Pogue's example is not necessarily typical. As I have reported previously, I have spoken to several families whose young sons have been shown explicit, violent pornography by their 8-year-old peers. This was an incredibly upsetting experience for everyone involved.

Additionally, molesters use pornography and exposure to sexuality in many forms, including explicit online conversations, to desensitize and groom their victims.… Read more

Wii-proofing Panasonic's plasma TVs

At its 2008 product showcase in Valencia, Panasonic revealed that every year some people manage to hurl their Wii controllers at their expensive flat-panel TVs. Anyone who reads gadget sites will have read these tales of woe and possibly even seen the photos. The good news is that Panasonic has created a Wii-proof TV. Well, it's Wii-proof as long as you don't have the lobbing arm of a caber thrower.

You might think it seems daft to go to all that effort, but Panasonic didn't really have to change very much at all. Generally, plasma TVs do … Read more

Killer Download: The Big Three free security applications

As users of the Internet we face security threats every day. Nefarious hackers (not all hackers), viruses, and spyware are rampant when online, and not taking precautions can mean lost data or even worse, identity theft. Frankly, if your computer is unprotected, you are rolling the dice every time you go online. Certainly many users already know this and are already using trusted software, or have other security measures in place to ensure safe surfing. This Killer Download is for those who don't or anyone who has questions regarding their safety online.

Whenever I get a new system or … Read more

After a crash, rewind the rear-view mirror

Forget those all-in-one car media systems. The automotive convergence device of the future may be the rear-view mirror.

We've already seen versions equipped with built-in Webcams, back-up cameras, GPS tracking, and even heart monitors. And now there's one that comes with a DVR.

The "Camera Recorder Pro" isn't made for drivers who want to catch up on previous episodes of Lost while behind the wheel (we hope). Quite the contrary, it's meant as a safety device to document events at the scene of a fender-bender, according to Gizmodo.

There are plenty of other technologies … Read more

N.Y. lawmakers announce social-networking safety legislation

Updated at 11:08 a.m. PST.

New York's lawmakers have introduced legislation to keep convicted sex offenders off the likes of Facebook and MySpace.

In a press conference on Tuesday, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, State Sen. Joseph Bruno, and Assemblyman Sheldon Silver unveiled details of the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act (E-Stop), a new bill to crack down on the presence of sex offenders on the Internet, specifically on sites where they could get in touch with minors. The legislation aims to restrict convicted sex offenders' Web use, banning them from social networks … Read more