Washington
Latest
Comcast comes through with 11 HD channels in Oregon, SW Washington
Over a month ago, we heard that Comcast would be bringing a respectable helping of new high-def options to the Portland area, but given the carrier's history of promising and not delivering in the region, we held off on celebrating prematurely. Break out the champagne folks, as we've received numerous reports from the area that the operator has indeed delivered on the day it said would, adding in Disney Channel HD (741) , ABC Family Channel HD (739), Discovery Channel HD (707), TLC HD (738), Science HD (772), Food HD (766), Animal Planet HD (743), SciFi HD (759), CNN HD (744), AMC HD (771) and TBS HD (755) to Oregon and Southwestern Washington. Also of note, Comcast launched its AnyRoom On Demand service to all digital cable subscribers, and for those kosher with a bit of SD every now and then (crickets?), NHL Network is also landing on slot 418.[Thanks, Brad]
Bus driver chooses GPS over gigantic warning sign, plows into overpass
Okay Britons, here's your shot at ripping us Americans who've had quite a few laughs at the expense of your GPS-loving neighbors. Reportedly, the driver of a charter bus carrying a high school girls' softball team decided to casually follow the soothing turn-by-turn directions that were being emitted from the nearby GPS unit rather than actually noticing the enormous clearance sign on the overpass ahead. As you can likely guess, the 11-foot, 8-inch-high vehicle plowed right into the 9-foot bridge -- which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 -- though somehow everyone on board escaped without any major injuries. Oddly enough, the driver apparently isn't alone in chipping away at the landmark, as a local even mentioned that "large trucks hit the bridge every two weeks or so," but couldn't resist noting that "this [instance was] by far the worst."[Thanks, Raleigh]
Seattle joins in, gets three new ones from Comcast
Granted, we had heard earlier this month that Comcast would be dishing out Science HD, Disney HD and ABC Family HD to a plethora of markets, but this note from Seattle / Tacoma, Washington looks to be our first sign of confirmation. As of April 23rd, subscribers in the Emerald City will receive the aforementioned trio, but there's no word on if it'll pick up any others à la just about everywhere else in America (okay, so that's a stretch). Anyone else getting just these three? Drop a note in comments if so.[Thanks, Gordon and Chet]
New law makes "malicious" RFID spying illegal, corporations can do as they please
When did the practice of lawmaking require an accompanying press release issued by a professional PR firm? An embedded photo of the sponsoring state official, too? Shameless. Nevertheless, it did bring our attention to a new law in the state of Washington which prohibits "malicious" RFID spying. When the new law (said to be a first of its kind in the US) goes into effect in July, anyone caught scanning a person remotely "without his or her knowledge and consent, for the purpose of fraud, identity theft, or some other illegal purpose" will be charged with a Class C felony. Great, so that covers the obvious criminal abuse of the technology. However, the original bill also included an opt-in measure that would require your approval before retailers and others could track your activity via that handy, store-issued discount card you carry, the implant you received during that stint in the joint, new credit card, or personal ID card you're required to carry. Unfortunately, the opt-in requirement was stricken from the bill (and therefore not in the final law) after succumbing to heavy corporate lobbying. You thinking what we're thinking? Contact information posted in the read link below.
Wave Broadband adds 8 HD channels in Port Orchard, WA
While Charter and Comcast have recently bolstered the high-def lineups in Yakima and Seattle, respectively, little ole Port Orchard is getting a decent helping of newcomers, too. Effective immediately, Wave Broadband customers located on the Kitsap Peninsula can kick back and feast their eyes on KONG-TV (82), The CW / KSTW (119), TBS HD (126), Travel Channel HD (139), TLC HD (142), Animal Planet HD (143), Discovery Channel HD (144) and Science Channel HD (145). Yep, eight new HD channels for Wave customers, bringing the total in the area to 27.[Thanks, Aaron]
Seattle Comcast customers get a half dozen new HD channels
Great news for HD junkies in the great city of Seattle, Washington -- Comcast is getting set to add six newcomers to your lineup in just under a month. Reportedly, users are beginning to see messages on their set-top-boxes informing them that Discovery Channel HD, Animal Planet HD, TLC HD, Sci Fi HD, HGTV HD and Food Network HD will be arriving on March 4th. Ten new high-definition options in around three months? Sounds like just the thing to ease the sting of those heightened rates.[Thanks, Gordon and Vince]
MASN to offer up select Orioles / Nationals games in HD?
For fans of the Baltimore Orioles and / or Washington Nationals, things could be getting an awful lot clearer when you tune in to catch their games this season. After the Kansas City Royals found a way to get its games broadcast regionally in high-definition, the O's and Nats stood as the final two MLB clubs with a dedicated channel that only beamed out its games in SD. According to an e-mail reportedly forwarded from an employee of a "local cable company," MASN is indeed planning to finally ditch its pixelated ways and go HD. More specifically, the note states that customers that receive the channel will be able to catch "at least 60 MLB games in 1080i" during the 2008 season, and that those matchups would be split evenly between the Orioles and Nationals. When a MASN publicist was questioned about the apparent leak, he casually stated that the station was working with its cable and satellite operators on "providing some games in HD in 2008," but didn't go out of his way to outright confirm or deny the whispers. Sounds like positive news, but we aren't getting our hopes up (too high) quite yet.[Image courtesy of NastyNats, thanks Tom]
More states cracking down on phone use while driving
Add Oregon and Washington to the list of states that now officially frown on yapping while driving. Oregon's sporting the less restrictive legislation of the two Pacific Northwestern states, preventing teens from using cellphones in the car as of January 1. Washington already banned the idiotic practice of texting while driving last year, and will ban handsets altogether (except for handsfree devices) this July. Of course, with lawyers eternally in the mix, let's just hope the fine lawmakers out there have dotted their I's and crossed their T's lest these new laws spend more time in court than they do on the road.
Halo stalker arrested after making 2,600 mile trip
A 20-year old male was arrested in Spokane, Washington this past weekend for stalking a 15-year old girl he met online playing Halo (the report does not specify which iteration). The accused was from Saratoga Springs, New York, which means by our estimations he drove around 2,600 miles in order to drive past the girl's house and send her a text message. According to Seattle news outlet KOMO-TV, the parents of the girl caught his license plate number as he passed and called the police. He has been charged with a felony count of stalking. Let this be yet another warning to all online gamers out there: don't give out your personal information, including where you live and your phone number.[Thanks, Foolio]
Charter adds four new HD channels in Yakima, Washington
Given that Seattle just received a few new HD options of its own, it's good to see Yakima getting some high-definition love, too. According to tipster Nicholas, Charter Communications has added HD flavors of The Weather Channel, TLC, FSN and Discovery Channel in the Yakima, WA region, which should give those parked in the area plenty to do if things get a bit too chilly in the coming days.[Thanks, Nicholas M.]
Seattle / Tacoma Comcast users gain four more HD channels
Although there's been no official announcement from Comcast, it seems that subscribers in the Seattle / Tacoma region have recently been blessed with four more HD options. According to tipster Cameron, the operator informed customers via postcards that it would be adding A&E HD, History Channel HD, USA HD and National Geographic HD as of December 6th. Comically enough, Comcast also sent out a friendly letter informing users in the area of price hikes that were coming in 2008, but we suppose you've got to pay to play, eh? As for channel numbers, you can catch the aforementioned additions on 670, 671, 672 and 673, respectively.[Thanks, Cameron]
Smart Card Alliance calls RFID licenses unsafe, can't say why
We're all for some genuine privacy concerns or legitimate RFID security scenarios, but we think this Enhanced Driver License scenario might be a bit overblown. The new licenses, which are due to launch in Vermont and Washington in 2008, are designed to expedite passport-free border crossing into Canada and Mexico. The critics point out that the RFID tags emit a unique ID tag that can be picked up by standard equipment, but beyond that they haven't really locked down a specific threat that a leaked ID number could be to users. "I'm tapping in to the emotion of those people who are sensitive to their rights to privacy," said Randy Vanderhoff of the Smart Card Alliance, which is promoting a competing standard. The licenses are completely voluntary, and both Vermont and Washington are going to be offering radio-blocking sleeves to users to allay any privacy concerns.[Thanks, SickNic]
Microsoft to buy a piece of Nintendo (land)
A 28-acre plot of land owned by Nintendo of America has just been sold to Microsoft, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Both Redmond, Washington-based companies are located close to one another, actually separated by this land.The deal will reportedly be finalized in the middle of this month, according to NOA's VP of marketing and corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan. The financial details have not been disclosed, but the land had previously been appraised for $23 million. According to Kaplan, there is no relation to the sale of the land and the recent decision to move its sales, advertising and marketing departments to New York. (NOA Headquarters is staying in Redmond.) Her comments echo what she said back in May when they confirmed the company was taking bids on the land. The employee shift has also sparked rumors that key players Kaplan, George Harrison and Beth Llewelyn were leaving the company. Those murmurings, rather unsurprisingly, were not addressed in the Seattle P-I report.[Via Gamespot, thanks hvnlysoldr]
Washington first state to ban texting while driving
Following up on a prior threat, Washington has put its legislative rubber to the road to become the first state to turn texting drivers into criminals. While the safety of handsfree voice calling continues to be a source of controversy, texting behind the wheel is a pretty boneheaded move any way you slice it -- seeing how it robs you of your eyes, your hands, and your attention -- so we applaud Washington's stance here. For the time being, though, it's more of a symbolic move since the state's politicians gave the law virtually no bite to back up its bark; besides the relatively light $101 fine, DWT is a secondary offense, meaning that a driver already needs to be nailed for something else (say, speeding) to get thrown the book. Maybe a little time in the pokey would get violators on the straight and narrow?
University of Washington's Raven to try surgery in simulated spacecraft
If you thought ASTRO and NextSat were the only two autonomous robots frolicking around in testing environments, Raven would certainly beg to differ, as NASA has recently announced that the University of Washington's mobile surgical robot will soon be off to tackle surgical tasks whilst underwater. The 12th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations test will see the mechanical MD pick up the tools in a simulated spacecraft submerged near Key Largo, Florida, where the "mission will test current technology for sending remote-controlled surgical robotic systems into space." Thanks to a combination of wired and wireless networks, a trio of seasoned veterans back in Seattle will be dictating the movements remotely, as the bot attempts to "suture a piece of rubber and move blocks from one spindle to another." Interestingly, there was no word on whether Raven was scheduled to pick up the night shift at Seattle Grace upon its return from the depths.[Via MedLaunches]
Electrochromic sunglasses change color on demand
We'll admit, we didn't think MyDo's Bururu vibrating spectacles would be topped anytime soon, and while the University of Washington's smart sunglasses don't snatch the crown outright, they certainly make a solid case. The admittedly gaudy prototype certainly isn't the most attractive eyewear we've ever seen, but researchers are insisting that we focus on the electrochromic material that enables on demand color / tint changing rather than the bulky frames. The film can purportedly alter its transparency depending on the electric current that flows through it, essentially giving athletes and motorists an easy way to instantly adjust the level of reflection and tint depending on the ever-changing circumstances around them. Touted as "more active and more intelligent" that existing specs, this watch-battery-powered device allows the wearer to alter the shade by simply spinning a wee dial on the arm, and while we wish we could tell you that U-Dub's swank new specs would be arriving before the bright summer rays, it'll be quite "a few years" before these hit commercialization.[Via Primidi]
Energy-efficient Deepglider scours the ocean for scientific data
The University of Washington's Deepglider won't go down as the first manmade projectile to scour the ocean for random (albeit useful) tidbits of information, but it does sport an ultra-modern frame and energy source that certainly sets it apart. Similar to the nuke detector, Edinburgh Duck, and the bevy of other submarines used for the benefit of mankind, this concoction is used to capture underwater data to aid researchers in discovering more about global warming and seafloor conditions, but its autonomous nature and carbon fiber enclosure gives it the ability to remain underwater "for up to a year" and sink to depths of nearly 9,000 feet. The 71-inch long, 138-pound device carries sensors to measure "oceanic conditions including salinity and temperature," and when not patrolling the seas based on satellite-driven controls, it can transmit the data remotely using the same signal path in reverse. Notably, the torpedo-like device boasts an energy-efficient, battery-powered design that allows it to stay submerged for ridiculous amounts of time without needing a recharge, and while we're not too sure if its researchers are too caught up in its unmatched diving abilities to notice how swank the power system is, they've apparently got a good thing going.
President's Day surprise: Jefferson (?) in Twilight Princess
Even after the day, the spirit of President's Day (sure, why not) continues in Videoland. Zelda Dimension posted this picture of a painting found on a wall in Zelda: Twilight Princess, and it looks an awful lot like Thomas Jefferson ... or maybe George Washington? Or maybe dust? Apparently, one of the NPCs is a student of American history. We love finding secrets in Zelda, but we don't like being confronted with a blurry texture in a Wii game. Maybe the Zelda Dimension blogger was using composite cables, and that's why the picture is blurry? Yeah, that's the ticket!We look forward to seeing the Zelda timeline theorists chew on this one.[Via digg]
Detection algorithms to enable sign language on-the-go
Sure, texting has taken the entire world by storm and is likely to remain the next best option to actually speaking to someone for quite some time, but for those who feel that keying in paragraphs of information takes a bit too much time, they're looking for alternatives. Designed to assist the mute and deaf (or those who just love the limelight) who rely on cellphones, the MobileASL video compression project seeks to enable sign language over video telephony, even on less-than-speedy data networks. Developed at the University of Washington, the specialized skin detection algorithms are able to key in on critical moving parts (read: hands and fingers) and utilize the limited bandwidth to broadcast the most important vectors first. The ASL encoders are compatible with the H.264 / AVC compression standard, and while it wasn't directly stated just how viable this option was for those stuck on a 1xRTT connection, you can hit the read link to get in on the user studies if you're down with signing.[Via Slashdot]
Robotic Cable Inspection System checks for damage on electrical conduits
It's true that we've never met a robot that we didn't like (ok, those snakebots were a bit weird) -- while we're a sucker for nursebots and singerbots and bartenderbots, we're especially partial to those silicon-based lifeforms that can perform some tedious and important task that would be pretty tough for us humans to do ourselves. The latest one we've spotted that fits this bill is a bot created by researchers at the University of Washington, which can crawl along high-voltage power cables to inspect their integrity before they blow up and/or cause some sort of significant damage. The Robotic Cable Inspection System is able to detect problems with the infrastructure via its heat sensor, acoustic sensor and "water tree" detector that examines if water has gotten into the insulation. Earlier this week, the team completed the robot's first field test at the Lockheed Martin Michoud NASA Assembly Facility in New Orleans as a way to promote more safety bots in work environments. We just hope that if the little guy does find damage that it's got time to scamper away before being shorted out itself. [Via Robot Gossip]
