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• Hawking Says Humans Have Entered a New Stage of Evolution
    movesguy sends us to The Daily Galaxy for comments by Stephen Hawking about how humans are evolving in a different way than any species before us. Quoting: "'At first evolution proceeded by natural selection from random mutations. This Darwinian phase lasted about three and a half billion years and produced us beings who developed language to exchange information. I think it is legitimate to take a broader view and include externally transmitted information as well as DNA in the evolution of the human race' Hawking said. In the last ten thousand years the human species has been in what Hawking calls 'an external transmission phase' where the internal record of information handed down to succeeding generations in DNA has not changed significantly. 'But the external record in books and other long lasting forms of storage' Hawking says 'has grown enormously. Some people would use the term evolution only for the internally transmitted genetic material and would object to it being applied to information handed down externally. But I think that is too narrow a view. We are more than just our genes.'" read more >>

• Amazon Wants Patent For Inserting Ads Into Books
    theodp writes "Three Amazon inventors set out to correct what they felt was a real problem: that 'out-of-print or rare books ... typically do not include advertisements ... the content is fixed and therefore has not been adapted to modern marketing.' Their solution is spelled out in newly-disclosed Amazon patent applications for On-Demand Generating E-Book Content with Advertising and Incorporating Advertising in On-Demand Generated Content. From the patent apps here's what the future of reading may look like: 'For instance if a restaurant is described on page 12 [then the advertising page] either on page 11 or page 13 may include advertisements about restaurants wine food etc. which are related to restaurants and dining.' So what would a delightfully-tacky-yet-unrefined Hooters ad do for your Hemingway experience?" read more >>

• Fake Tamiflu "Out-Spams Viagra On Web"
    cin62 writes "The number of Internet scammers offering fake versions of the anti-swine flu drug Tamiflu has surpassed those selling counterfeit Viagra reports CNN. Since the H1N1 virus also known as swine flu was declared a global pandemic last month there has been an increase in the number of Web sites and junk emails offering Tamiflu for sale. 'Every Web site that used to sell Viagra is now selling Tamiflu. We are pretty sure that the same people are making the Tamiflu as are making the Viagra' said Director of Policy for the UK's Royal Pharmaceutical Society." This news fits in nicely with a report Wired ran a couple weeks ago about the hysteria behind H1N1. read more >>

• Source Code of Several Atari 7800 Games Released
    jadoon88 writes to share a series of old Atari 7800 games that have been unofficially open sourced. "Remember Dig Dug or Centipede or Robotron? They used to be favorites when Atari's 7800 series was still around. Since the era of those consoles is over and a different world of interactive reality gaming has taken over Atari has unofficially released source code of over 15 games for the coders and enthusiasts to admire the state-of-the-art (because this is what it was back then). During those times nobody would have imagined in their wildest dreams the games that Atari's developers floated into the gaming thirsty market and instantly swept across continental boundaries. But things changed soon after that and a company once regarded as one of the most successful gaming console manufacturers and developers faded away in the pages of our technology's hall-of-fame." read more >>

• How To Get Your Program Professionally Marketed?
    one-man orchestra writes "I'm the sole programmer of a small multi-platform commercial audio program (a spectrogram editor). After over 6 months on the market I realized that the program would never just sell itself and that I need some real marketing done for it. Being a one-man orchestra is becoming increasingly difficult; I only can devote so much time to marketing my skills in that department are lacking and I'd much rather spend more time coding. Despite my lackluster part-time marketing effort I still manage to make a modest living out of the sales. My logical assumption is that with someone competent taking care of that part revenue could greatly scale up. But what's the right way to go about doing this? What type of people/company do I need to contact? What to expect? What to look out for?" read more >>

• Professor Gets 4 Years in Prison for Sharing Drone Plans With Students
    Hugh Pickens writes "Retired University of Tennessee Professor Dr. John Reece Roth has been sentenced to four years in prison after he allowed a Chinese graduate student to see sensitive information on Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) also known as drones. In 2004 the company Roth helped found Atmospheric Glow Technologies won a US Air Force contract to develop a plasma actuator that could help reduce drag on the wings of drones such as the ones the military uses. Under the contract for which Roth was reportedly paid $6000 he was prohibited from sharing sensitive data with foreign nationals. Despite warnings from his university's Export Control Officer in 2006 Roth took a laptop containing sensitive plans with him on a lecture tour in China and also allowed graduate students Xin Dai of China and Sirous Nourgostar of Iran to work on the project. 'The illegal export of restricted military data represents a serious threat to national security' says David Kris of the US Department of Justice. 'We know that foreign governments are actively seeking this information for their own military development. Today's sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who knowingly discloses restricted military data in violation of our laws.' During his trial Roth testified that he was unaware that hiring the graduate students was a violation of his contract. 'This whole thing has not helped me it has not helped the university' said Roth. 'And it has probably not helped this country either.'" read more >>

• Copyright Should Encourage Derivative Works
    Techdirt has an interesting look at copyright and the idea that an author is the originator of a new work. Instead the piece suggests that all works are in some way based on the works of others (even our own copyright law) and the system should be much more encouraging of "remixing" work into new unique experiences. "Friedman also points back to another recent post where he discusses the nature of content creation based on a blog post by Rene Kita. In it she points out that remixing and creating through collaboration and building on the works of others has always been the norm. It's what we do naturally. It's only in the last century or so when we reached a means of recording manufacturing and selling music — which was limited to just those with the machinery and capital to do it that copyright was suddenly brought out to 'protect' such things." read more >>

• Open Source Facing a Difficult Battle For Cloud Relevance
    A recent eulogy for open source's relevance to cloud computing by Redmonk analyst Stephen O'Grady caught the attention of Matt Asay who breaks down the difficulty of this David and Goliath problem. "In a world where horsepower matters more than the software feeding those 'horses' in terms of the entry cost to compete and where big vendors like Amazon and Google are already divvying up the market the odds of a small-fry open-source start-up challenging 'Goliath' are slim. It's not a new argument: Nick Carr has been suggesting for some time that only a few big companies can afford relevance in this hardware-intensive business. Given this fact O'Grady thinks the best we can hope for (and he thinks it's pretty important) is 'a loose coalition or confederation of [open-source] projects and vendors that will together comprise an increasingly viable top to bottom alternative to some of the cloud providers today.' He includes projects like Puppet (Reductive Labs) and Hadoop in this mix but is careful to point out that he doesn't see a full-fledged open-source alternative seriously challenging the closed platforms of Google Amazon Salesforce and the other mega-clouds." read more >>

• Phoenix Lander Discovers Nighttime Snowfall On Mars
    Many outlets are reporting on the recently released results of the various experiments and observations of NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander. Most notable is the discovery of nighttime snowfall on the planet lending credibility to the idea of a hypothesized active water cycle based on earlier data collection. "The papers rely on evidence from a variety of the instruments on the lander and the description of the data provides an impressive catalog of the various ways that Phoenix could prod and query the Martian pole. In the months before Martian winter shut the lander down it managed to dig a dozen trenches taking soil samples from each. These samples went into wet and dry chemistry labs had their conductivity tested and were even examined using an atomic force microscope. Meanwhile cameras and a LIDAR system (a laser-based range detector) scanned the surroundings. The overall conclusion is that the northern pole has an active water cycle. This had been suggested by a variety of evidence from orbital sensors as well early images returned from Phoenix. It's also not a huge shock given the seasonal growth and retreat of the polar ice cap. Still Phoenix provided some significant details on the cycling of water in the area where it landed." read more >>

• Seattle Data Center Outage Disrupts E-Commerce
    1sockchuck writes "A major power outage at Seattle telecom hub Fisher Plaza has knocked payment processing provider Authorize.net offline for hours leaving thousands of web sites unable to take credit cards for online sales. The Authorize site is still down but its Twitter account attributes the outage to a fire while AdHost calls it a 'significant power event.' Authorize.net is said to be trying to resume processing from a backup data center but there's no clear ETA on when Fisher Plaza will have power again." read more >>

Philly Business:

• June is the cruelest month for many Shore businesses
    OCEAN CITY N.J. - A cool wet spring that coasted into a cool wet early summer has made it a rough ride for Jack Glanzmann and his bike-rental concession. >> read more or comment

• Barnes move might displace Children's Crisis Center
    The impending move of the Barnes Foundation to the Parkway is prompting other neighborhood changes - including the potential displacement of a nonprofit that provides mental-health services to thousands of troubled Philadelphia children. >> read more or comment

• An old hand at fresh seafood
    Mike Monichetti will spend this weekend as he always does: on his stool behind the counter at Mike's Seafood in Sea Isle City thinking. He's thinking about the weekend's business - and about the sacrifices of his grandparents and parents who brought him to his place down the shore. >> read more or comment

• Searching for a movie and he means 'searching'
    John Young never went to a drive-in as a kid but now he runs something called "guerilla drive-in" a roving outdoor movie night for people he dubs "adventure nerds." >> read more or comment

• US Airways inaugurates direct flight to Tel Aviv
    If a prize were given for who came the farthest to be on US Airways Group Inc.'s inaugural flight to Tel Aviv Israel Rabbi David Glickman and his family would win. >> read more or comment

• Minority role pushed in President's House project
    When supporters of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition converge on the site of the future President's House memorial at 4 p.m. today they will be seeking to redeem the unpaid labor of enslaved forebears by ensuring paid labor in the here and now. >> read more or comment

• The end of a bridal era
    It's the last day of business at Suky the Delaware Valley's premiere bridal boutique and owner Mary Helen Ranieri is still the consummate image-maker. She doesn't want the store to be photographed without the vast selection of strapless snow-white confections. But it is what it is: the end of a bridal era. >> read more or comment

• Older job seekers struggle to overcome age barrier
    Like many unemployed older workers 64-year old Allan Kellum fears his age has made it harder to find a new job. At a recent job fair Kellum expressed interest in a supervisory role coordinating an international health assistance program. A recruiter set him straight: "The people applying for that are young." >> read more or comment

• Property income not only retirement tax concerns
    Retirement doesn't necessarily mean a light tax load. So pre-retirees whose savings aren't sufficient to carry them comfortably through the years ahead may find it particularly essential to assess their future tax situation. But focusing exclusively on states that don't tax personal income or those where property taxes are lighter can be a mistake. >> read more or comment

• Web retailers states tussle over tax rules
    In a big break for online shoppers Web retailers generally don't have to charge sales taxes in states where they lack a store or some other physical presence. >> read more or comment

• Steve and Mia: Is Internet the right connection?
    Q: Regarding the 50-year-old you gave advice to about "beefing up" her Internet profile to attract a better class of suitors it AIN'T going to work! You two may know people who have had successful relationships from the Internet but they are >> read more or comment

• Harry Gross: She claims she was his dad's wife
    Dear Harry: My father died last year. He was 80 years old and he was supposedly married to a woman who was 31 years his junior. I tried to find some evidence of the marriage but I could not. In his obituary it never stated that they were married . . . >> read more or comment

• Discovery Labs won't pursue Surfaxin if FDA requires new study
    The Warrington biotechnology company lost half of its market value yesterday after disclosing that regulators won't approve its first drug without more data. >> read more or comment

• Networking on over-drive
    Well the U.S. Labor Department dispatched its usual grim report yesterday about the economy shedding 467000 jobs and the unemployment rate creeping up to 9.5 percent in June. That's why it's key for those of you who are unemployed to be strategic about your job search. On Monday I interviewed local career coach Ford Myers in the Philadelphia Inquirer. He wrote a book titled "Get the Job You Want When No One's Hiring." Myers talks alot about networking. What follows is one of his suggestions from parts of the interview that didn't make into the newspaper for space reasons. >> read more or comment

• Older job seekers face age-barrier struggle
    WASHINGTON - Like many unemployed older workers Allan Kellum 64 fears his age has made it harder to find a job. At a recent job fair Kellum expressed interest in a supervisory role coordinating an international health-assistance program. A recruiter set him straight: "The people applying for that are young." >> read more or comment

• Exelon increases hostile bid for NRG to $8 billion
    COLUMBUS Ohio - Exelon Corp. sweetened its hostile takeover bid yesterday for NRG Energy Inc. 12 percent to $8 billion in stock citing newly identified cost savings along with NRG's recent deal for Reliant Energy Inc.'s Texas retail business. >> read more or comment

• California judge rebuked for porn on his Web site
    A special judicial panel in Philadelphia has admonished a prominent federal judge in San Francisco for storing pornographic images that were accessible to the public on a personal Web site. >> read more or comment

• Factory orders up 1.2% beat forecast
    WASHINGTON - Orders to U.S. factories jumped in May by the largest amount in nearly a year another sign that the nosedive in manufacturing is nearing an end. >> read more or comment

• Report on jobs sends stocks to 6-week low
    NEW YORK - The stock market found little to celebrate heading into the long holiday weekend. Major stock indexes fell more than 2.6 percent yesterday pushing the Dow Jones industrials to their lowest level in six weeks after the government said the unemployment rate hit a 26-year high and employers cut far more jobs than expected. >> read more or comment

• Unemployment reaches 9.5 percent
    Even as economists and pundits talk wistfully about the barest hints of recovery the nation's payrolls continued to disgorge workers: 467000 of them in June. >> read more or comment

Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce:

• Business Community Steps Up to Provide 1000 Paid Internships for Philadelphia Youth
    The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce will kick off its paid summer internships program for the third consecutive year when 1000 Philadelphia young people begin work at local companies on July 6 2009. This six-week program is an initiative b... >> read more or comment

• Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Announces Rob Wonderling to Become Its Next President & CEO
    Philadelphia PA – June 1 2009 – The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce announced today that Pennsylvania State Senator Rob Wonderling (R-24th) has been chosen to become the next President & CEO of the region’s premier business advocacy o... >> read more or comment

• GPCC Asks Commonwealth of PA to Consider Pension Plan Reform
    The Chamber sent a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell on May 21 copying Pennsylvania legislative leaders supporting the City of Philadelphia’s request for the state to approve a new amortization schedule for the City’s pension plans. As par... >> read more or comment

• Pennsylvania’s Chief Implementation Officer Headlines Region on the Rise
    The trickle down effect of the commonwealth’s economic stimulus package was the primary focus of yesterday's Region on the Rise half-day event. The Hon. James P. Creedon Secretary of the Department of General Services for the Commonwealth of Pennsyl... >> read more or comment

• Greater Philadelphia Region Life Sciences Cluster Attains Top Rankings
    Atlanta GA and Philadelphia PA – A comparative study conducted by the Milken Institute ranks the Greater Philadelphia region second in the study’s Overall Composite Index after only Boston and ahead of Greater San Francisco. The study’s full findi... >> read more or comment

• Finance Director Presents Philadelphia Budget Overview to Chamber Members
    At the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Forum program yesterday at The Pyramid Club Rob Dubow Finance Director for the City of Philadelphia described the city’s financial situation and proposed five-year budgetary plans. Dubow... >> read more or comment

• Chamber Mourns Passing of Dr. Constantine N. Papadakis
    The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) joins the Drexel University community as well as the region’s business community in mourning the death of Dr. Constantine N. Papadakis. The 2007 recipient of the William Penn award he was a true ci... >> read more or comment

• Chamber Applauds Senator Specter’s Decision on EFCA
    On behalf of the 5000 businesses and organizations represented by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Mark Schweiker sent a letter of appreciation to Senator Arlen Specter thanking him for his decision today to oppose c... >> read more or comment

• Chamber Board Chairman and President Respond to Mayor Nutter’s FY2010 budget and five-year plan
    Statement from DAVID L. COHEN CHAIRMAN OF THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:We commend the Mayor for making the hard choices that are embedded in his “shared sacrifices” FY2010 budget and five-year plan announced today. This budget has so... >> read more or comment

• GPCC Opposes the Employee Free Choice Act Because EFCA Would Eliminate Workers’ Private Ballot on Unionization
    The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) is urging federal lawmakers to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) legislation that if accepted would strip workers’ right to a federally supervised private ballot process in union electio... >> read more or comment

• GPCC Paradigm Award Presented to Judy Spires President and CEO of ACME Markets
    The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) presented Judy Spires President and CEO of ACME Markets Inc. with its 2009 Paradigm Award – the region’s most prestigious award honoring a female chief executive of a for-profit company whose pro... >> read more or comment

• Summer Internships Initiative Launch at Annual Mayoral Luncheon
    The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Michael A. Nutter kicked off the 2009 campaign yesterday to identify paid summer internships for Philadelphia young people. Companies in the 11-county region were asked to offer an internship at ... >> read more or comment

Philadelphia Tech News:

• Tech Stocks: Techs sink as broader market falls on jobs news (Market Watch)
    The tech sector tumbles amid a broad market slide following grim news about rising unemployment in the United States. read more >>

• Tech Stocks Tumble As Grim Job News Sinks Market (Fox News)
    Tech Stocks Tumble As Grim Job News Sinks Market read more >>

• TECH STOCKS: Techs Sink As Broader Market Falls On Jobs News (Nasdaq)
    The tech sector tumbled Thursday caught in a broad market sell-off as investors reacted to gloomy news about the U.S. employment picture. The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) lost 2.7% to close at 1797. read more >>

• TECH STOCKS: Techs Sink As Broader Market Falls On Jobs News (Nasdaq)
    The tech sector tumbled Thursday caught in a broad market sell-off as investors reacted to gloomy news about the U.S. employment picture. The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) lost 2.3% to stand at the 1804 level with about an hour left in the session. read more >>

• TECH STOCKS: Techs Sink As Broader Market Falls On Jobs News (Nasdaq)
    The tech sector tumbled Thursday caught in a broad market sell-off as investors reacted to gloomy news about the U.S. employment picture. The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) lost 2.4% to stand at the 1802 level as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) slumped by more than 170 points. read more >>

• TECH STOCKS: Techs Sink As Broader Market Falls On Jobs News (Nasdaq)
    The tech sector tumbled Thursday morning caught in a broad market sell-off as investors reacted to gloomy news about the U.S. employment picture. The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) lost 2.4% to stand at the 1802 level as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) slumped by more than 160 points. read more >>

• TECH STOCKS: Techs Sink As Broader Market Falls On Jobs News (Nasdaq)
    The tech sector tumbled Thursday morning caught in a broad market sell-off as investors reacted to grim news about rising unemployment in the United States. read more >>

• Tech Stocks: Techs kick off third quarter with gains (Market Watch)
    The tech sector kicks off the third quarter with modest gains as bellwethers Intel Microsoft and Oracle advance. read more >>

• Tech Stocks Rise Led By Intel Microsoft Oracle (Fox News)
    Tech Stocks Rise Led By Intel Microsoft Oracle read more >>

• TECH STOCKS: Techs Kick Off Third Quarter With Gains (Nasdaq)
    The tech sector kicked off the third quarter with modest gains Wednesday as bellwethers Intel Corp. Microsoft Corp. and Oracle Corp. advanced. The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) rose 0.6% to close at 1846. read more >>

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