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GSMA and Cloudmark cooking up an SMS spam reporting system
If you get just five spam text messages a day then consider yourselves lucky, as a Chinese mobile user could easily amass at least 30 messages daily, according to Cloudmark. Fortunately, said company has been working with GSMA and various network operators on building an SMS spam reporting system, which should help drastically reduce worldwide cellphone spam. The idea is rather simple: in a multi-country trial that ended last December, participants from AT&T, Bell Mobility, SFR, Sprint, Vodafone, Korea Telecom, and the Korean Internet & Security Agency forwarded suspect spam to "7726," which is short code for "spam." Cloudmark's cloud-based system would then be able to identify and block these messages in the future, be it scams, linkbaits, or just ads from perverse companies. While this sounds like a perfect solution, it's not entirely clear how much this service would cost the operators, but hey, it's never too early to start a petition if you need it that badly.
Google rolls out Chrome extension that lets you block sites from search results
Tired of waiting for Google and its algorithms to filter content farms and other shady sites out of your search results? Then you can now finally take things into your own hands thanks to an "experimental" extension that Google has just made available for its Chrome web browser. That works about as straightforwardly as you'd expect -- once installed, you'll simply see a link to block a site along with each search result, and you'll also be able to unblock sites at any time if you go a bit overboard. What's most interesting, however, is that Google says it's going to study the feedback it gets from extension and that it will consider using it as a potential ranking signal for its search results.
iPad's App Store gets search filters
According to MacStories, the iPad's App Store app just gained a very useful new feature: search filters. There are now five different filters you can assign to app searches: Category, Release Date, Customer Rating, Price and Device. Popovers allow users to adjust or clear filters. This added search functionality hasn't made it to the iPhone/iPod touch App Store apps yet, but considering how cramped the screens are on those devices, it might never show up. Notably, these filters also aren't yet available on the desktop version of the App Store, so right now the iPad seems like the best way to search for apps. No update is required on your end; this is a backend change to the App Store itself, so if you're using an iPad, you should already be seeing this updated feature. Search away!
Moog Lap Steel adds infinite analog sustain to the top of your thighs: ears-on at NAMM 2011 (video)
Leave it to Moog to give us one more reason to be jealous of lap steel players. As if their twangy, slidey Hawaiian metallics weren't cool enough in the first place, they've now got the semi-magical ability to magnetically sustain or mute each string via the pickup -- kind of along the lines of previously Moog-enhanced stringed instruments. The legendary synth manufacturer has also thrown in ladder filters and a gaggle of other switchable effects into the beautiful instruments. Orders are just being taken now, and each one will be custom-crafted (pink and purple sparkle starburst with a MIDI pickup, anyone?) by a luthier friend of the manufacturer for a little under $3000. We sat down with Cyril Lance from Moog and one of only four models in existence -- catch video of the new acid-bluegrass sounds after the break.
Moog Filtatron app makes your iOS band seem almost plausible
Lot of people these days use their iOS devices to add a little spice to their music-making, just as almost every company out there seems to be modeling their various synths and effects for handset use. Will the Moog Filtatron -- with its Ladder filter, various effects and ability to tweak both samples and real-time audio -- go the distance when compared to its hardware brethren? We don't really know, but we can tell you that this does look like it'd be a lot of fun on a long car ride. And the demo video is certainly awesome. Available now for $5. Video after the break.
Internet content filters are human too, funnily enough
Algorithms can only take you so far when you want to minimize obscene content on your social networking site. As the amount of user-uploaded content has exploded in recent times, so has the need for web content screeners, whose job it is to peruse the millions of images we throw up to online hubs like Facebook and MySpace every day, and filter out the illicit and undesirable muck. Is it censorship or just keeping the internet from being overrun with distasteful content? Probably a little bit of both, but apparently what we haven't appreciated until now is just how taxing a job this is. One outsourcing company already offers counseling as a standard part of its benefits package, and an industry group set up by Congress has advised that all should be providing therapy to their image moderators. You heard that right, people, mods need love too! Hit the source for more.
Zeon display filter ameliorates backlight bleed, improves LCD contrast and viewing angles
Is your LCD TV not fulfilling your primordial need for contrast, more contrast? If so, you could do worse than to check out these so-called polarizer plates from Zeon, which promise up to ten times better contrast ratios than current LCD tech. The Japanese company's latest wares are compatible with IPS panels (yay!) and it even has a version for OLEDs on tap, though we hardly think weak contrast is the problem with OLED displays right now. Still, the expansion of viewing angles is always welcome, so let's hope the projected mass production by the middle of this year materializes, so that we can all be talking about awesome new displays come CES 2011. Onwards and upwards. [Warning: source link requires paid subscription.]
ClearPlay introduces first content filtering 1080p upscaling DVD player
ClearPlay -- remember those guys? You know, the outfit who garnered all sorts of attention years ago by having their content filtering DVD players yanked from store shelves, only to be vindicated by Congress itself? Amazingly enough, these cats are still hanging around, and they've just pushed out their first filtering DVD player to upscale content to 1080p over HDMI. As expected, the $99.95 deck still sports the same filtering technology that gives dutiful parents the ability to block objectionable content based on customizable settings, but now you can rest easy knowing that any slip-up in blocking a steamy bedroom scene will be viewed by your impressionable youngster in glorious high-definition. Huzzah.
China backtracks, makes Green Dam 'optional'
China's efforts to preload the Green Dam censorware on all PCs in the country have been going pretty poorly so far, with accusations of software piracy and manufacturer displeasure causing delays. Now the government is backing down from that stance, stating that the original regulation wasn't "expressed clearly, and gave everyone the impression that [Green Dam] was mandatory." For home computers, that means the internet filtering software will likely continue to be bundled as an optional (and inactive) extra -- something Acer, ASUS, Lenovo and Sony have been doing since early July -- but if you're at school, an internet cafe or some other public access point, expect to see Green Dam running, alive and well. Censorship is dead, long live censorship. [Via CNET]
Sony now including "Green Dam" filtering software on PCs sold in China
Well, there was some evidence earlier this month that some piracy issues in China's mandated "Green Dam" content-filtering software could cause PC exports to the country to be stalled, but it looks like Sony has now gone ahead and included the software on its PCs regardless, albeit with a few major caveats. According to the document above (included with a VAIO PC sold in the country, and translated by RConversation's Rebecca MacKinnon), Sony says that it is including the software "in accordance with government requirements," but that it "cannot guarantee the authenticity, legality, or compatibility of the software's content, function, service or any other feature." It's also apparently only including the program on the hard drive and providing installation instructions, rather than providing it completely pre-installed itself. Still no word from any of the other major PC manufacturers, it seems, but you can be sure this won't be the last word on the matter.[Via TG Daily]
MobileMe silently filtering email to spamcop.net
According to Mac OS X Hints, if you're trying to send an email to someone with a spamcop.net email address with your MobileMe account, chances are the message will never arrive, and you won't be notified. What's worse, apparently if you're sending the message to a distribution list, and only one of those recipients has an address at spamcop.net, nobody will receive the message. Apparently the problem has been happening for months, since Apple moved everyone from .Mac to MobileMe. A participant in the Apple Discussions thread notes that it's common for service providers to filter their outgoing mail by domain in order to avoid being blacklisted. So far, only spamcop.net appears to be affected. A workaround for now would be to try to send the message using a different email account. We'll let you know if Apple offers a fix in the meantime. Update: Friendly reader Jason sent me a detailed explanation about why this might be. In a misguided attempt to control their individual load of spam, some users choose to forward all their MobileMe mail to a spamcop.net address. Spamcop, unfortunately, thinks the "spam" originated at MobileMe, not the actual origin of the spammy badness. So, MobileMe, to combat this, forbids forwarding to domains like Spamcop in order to avoid being blacklisted. There's nothing sinister going on here, just honest network administrators doing what they can with what they've got. Thanks, Jason!
Band on the Run takes a World Tour
For those of you who'd like to see The Beatles make their way into some music game, you might be able to have a nice consolation prize. Guitar Hero: World Tour has just been confirmed to include a plethora of new tracks, one of which is Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run." Whether you're a fan of the man's post-Beatles efforts or not, you have to admit it's a catchy tune. The full list of confirmed tracks is after the break.
Block evil websites with censorit
Go look at your son. Does he enjoy playing with his PSP? You probably think it's something innocent, like Patapon or WipEout Pulse. No, that's where you're wrong. He's clearly looking at porn on his PSP's internet browser. How dare you not recognize that!Thankfully, a new service, censorit, will help make you a better parent. By subscribing for only ???4 a month, you'll be able to install a proxy client on the handheld that will block and monitor internet access on the PSP. If your child tries to circumvent the censor, PSP's built-in parental controls will stop him. If he manges to outwit the parental controls, you can see when the censor becomes deactive. No porn for him! At least, not on his PSP.[Via Pocket Gamer]
All hands on deck for combat log changes
If you're anything like me you're chomping at the bit to devour any new piece of information regarding the highly anticipated Sunwell patch. I was fascinated to read Slouken's description of upcoming changes to the in-game combat log. These changes, he reports, are driven to help assist in with game AddOns in the future. One of the major changes is the ability for players to filter their combat logs by a number of criteria. This will send only necessary data through the user interface, which can then be picked up by the AddOn. Other changes include formatting options that allow the language and presentation of the combat log output to mimic existing AddOns in syntax and color coding. Blizzard is implementing these changes so that players do not have to use "middle-man" AddOns.
Powerless filtration system increases fuel cell efficiency
While we've been seeing methanol fuel cells pop up in all kinds of concept devices for a while now, there have been precious few actual shipping products that get their juice on with a fuel cell. That might be slowly changing, as a research team at the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan has come up with a novel filtration system that increases the efficiency of methanol cells to potentially usable levels. The system, which is 10 times more efficient than conventional waste pumps, features a series of 100 50-micron holes that allow waste CO2 to escape out of the cell, while excess water is pulled off by a hydrophobic Teflon ramp (boy do we love those hydrophobic Teflon ramps!) that drives H20 molecules away from the methanol and into a collector. Since this method doesn't require any power to work, it's well-suited to cell phones and laptops, as the cells can be made smaller and quieter. While this doesn't mean we'll be seeing fuel cell Zunes anytime soon, you can bet those guys in Texas with the booze-powered robots just crossed a big X off their dev charts.(Photo is of an unrelated Toshiba fuel cell concept.)[Via DailyTech]
Hori's Dust and Nicotine Guard 3 keeps your PS3 from inhaling
If you rock your PS3 with a side of smoke and filth, then Hori's got you covered with its new Dust and Nicotine Guard 3. We definitely don't advocate you sucking down cancer sticks in your nicotine-stained apartment swarming with dust bunnies, but if you're gonna do it, there's no sense in your PS3 suffering with you. The $17 filter accessory won't be available to grimy gamers 'til April 26th (plenty of time for them to save the cash and kick the habit).[Via PS3 Fanboy]
DIY infrared digicam filter on the cheap
If you're looking to get in touch with your artsy side, check out Instructables' DIY infrared filter project, which not only involves crafting the hack, but also adds some new flavor to your digital photography routine. With some cardboard tubes, old negatives, electrical tape, and a few other minor tools, you can whip up one of these in a jiffy. You're good to go as long as your camera's sensitive to infrared light -- something you can test using an IR remote. We suggest experimenting with subject matter like nature scenes or architecture, but if you decide to perv it up, good luck trying to peep those Japanese Olympic swimmers.
Avril Lavigne premieres new song in Burnout Dominator
Burnout Dominator is getting something new. And no, it's not Infrastructure support. It's something just as good, we swear! "Girlfriend", Avril Lavigne's latest single will be debuting in EA's latest racer. Some of the artists included in the game's somewhat eclectic soundtrack include: B'z, Filter, Jane's Addiction, Killswitch, N.E.R.D., Sugarcult and Wired All Wrong. "The Burnout series is an amazing, proven platform for launching the world's biggest songs and artists, and we're thrilled to be working with Avril Lavigne this year to help debut her new song "Girlfriend," said Steve Schnur, EA's Worldwide Executive of Music. "From pop to rock to metal Burnout Dominator is all about attitude and rebellion, which makes it a perfect fit for the 33 artists."
Inventor patents personal TV censor
Inventor Matthew Jarman looks to be out to make the untamed TV landscape a little more palatable for those with sensitive ears, developing an application that'll mute out offensive language based on your potty-mouth tolerance level, or block programs all together if they prove to be unmutable. The system apparently works by monitoring the closed-captioning text that accompanies most television programs, muting the audio whenever it comes across a word you've deemed unsuitable -- seemingly a tricky thing to time properly, especially given the delay usually associated with CC feeds, although Jarman appears to be quite confident in its efficacy. To block entire programs, the system simply relies on program descriptions provided by electronic program guides. While there's no indication when or if the system will actually make it to market, a quick search of the ever-entertaining patent database reveals that some of Jarman's other content-blocking inventions have been licensed by none other than ClearPlay, Inc, which would seem to increase the likelihood that this one may follow suit.[Via New Scientist]
Optional filter blocks porn from DS Opera browser [Update 1]
We felt a great disturbance in the Force here at the DS Fanboy offices, as if millions of preteen boys cried out in frustration and were suddenly silenced ... in Japan, at least. Digital Arts, Inc., a Japanese security firm piggy-backed their optional DS content-filtering service onto the release of the Opera DS browser in Japan. The service, called i-Filter (because i equals cool, right?), will block pornographic or other "undesirable" content for a monthly fee of 315 yen (less than three dollars American). What is "undesirable" content, exactly? Good question. But Digital Arts promises that their employees personally check which sites to blacklist in order to avoid the blocking of non-offensive sites. Now that's a job to brag about at parties!"I'm a stockbroker. I have a yacht. And what do you do?""Me? Oh, I get paid to surf the internet for offensive content."That's a win every time. But it probably comes with long hours, considering .... [Update 1: Clarification issues!]
