Proving that Verizon doesn’t really want to open their network to consumer devices, the carrier has released a list of hardware compatible with the Verizon CDMA network sans contract. The only problem is that the list of compatible hardware stops short of including any consumer devices. Sure, there are modems, routers, and even a criminal ankle bracelet that will work on Verizon’s “open” network without a wireless contract. But, from a consumer stand point, Verizon’s open initiative looks to be full of hot air (putting it gently).

Interestingly, the sole mobile phone ever announced to be compatible with Verizon (pictured) has failed to materialize. The AirVoice handset was shown off by Verizon’s CEO earlier this year, but was left out of the official compatibility list. Verizon must really be trying to keep as many subscribers locked to wireless contracts as possible.

Of course, Verizon could just be taking its sweet time in testing and certifying actual mobile phone hardware for their “open network,” and we could be jumping the gun here. On the other hand, would it be all that surprising if Verizon’s open initiative was more lip-service (during a crucial spectrum auction that highlighted the importance of open networks) than a shift in corporate philosophy?

[Via: GearLog]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Verizon Wireless releases more details on “Any App, Any Device” network
• Top Ten US Wireless Carriers
• Verizon set to open its network to ‘any app, any device’ in 2008
• AT&T busts doors wide open - announces open network to allow ‘any device, any app’
• How does No. 2 wireless carrier Verizon increase its user base - buy them from Rural Cellular’s Unicel

Rajini Narayan, 44, is alleged to have doused her husband, Satish, with a flammable liquid while he was sleeping. When she set him alight, Mr Narayan jumped out of bed and knocked over the substance, causing the fire to spread. Prosecutor Lucy Boord said Mrs Narayan had confessed to her neighbours, telling them she was a "jealous wife" and believed her husband was having an affair. "I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else, I didn't mean this to happen," Ms Boord quoted Mrs Narayan as saying.

Polaroid PoGo Portable Printer

This is the Polaroid for the digital age. Create high quality photos on the go with this very compact printer. Prints directly from cell phones, cameras, and other devices via Bluetooth. Uses Polaroid's special ZINK paper technology instead of ink, so you can be environmentally conscious and free of worry about running out of ink. Available for around $100 at Best Buy. Also available at Amazon.(Brian)

Nomad Modular Screen

If you know someone whose home or apartment could use a quick makeover, the Nomad Modular Screen system would be a wise gift. Each Nomad set consists of 24 recycled, double-colored cardboard creations (or modules) with slotted corners that fit into each other for quickly setting up personalized indoor spaces. Without the need to use any tools or cause damage to existing structures, Nomad can help create partitions, display backdrops, or just attractive screens in any desired order of arrangement. Available in a choice of three colors at $56 per set of 24 modules. (Kanchana)

Solar laptop bag

A laptop bag might not be the most exciting gift, but if you know someone trying to green up their life it could be a very useful one - for them and the environment. The new Generator bag by Voltaic Systems is powerful enough to charge an entire laptop (an hour in the sun will get you 20 to 45 minutes of typing time). It costs $499, including special adapters for all your gadget needs. Not cheap, but oh-so worth it. (Diane)

Pangea Organics Holiday Gift Set

It is time to take serious note of the fact that the packaging of a product is as important as the contents within. Pangea Organics, makers of organic skincare products, has some amazing holiday gift packs that do this in style. And now, the gift box that each pack comes in is plantable! All you need to do is plant the gift box (first take out the contents, of course) into the soil after soaking it in water for a day, and be the proud parent of a spruce tree that will germinate within 2 weeks. Go ahead and spring a spruce tree surprise on the ladies with the "Joy" ($30), "Harmony" ($35) and "Peace" ($40) gift packs. (Kanchana)

Cuisinart CleanWater Countertop Water Cooler

Don't have room for a full-sized water cooler and tight on fridge space, too? Want to save the planet from plastic bottle overload? This may be your answer. This mini cooler microfilters tap water and then dispenses it in either hot or cold incarnations with the press of a button. Also available in a smaller, cold-only version. Available from Cuisinart. $130/$170. (Brian)

Joy : Recycled Cotton Tote

80% recycled cotton, 20% recycled soda bottles and lovely artwork make for a "Joy" tote from Mel Lim. These limited totes are available in a theme labeled "Sweet Dreams" and have pleasant colors in screenprint on a recycled canvas-like material. Definitely worth the $29 that fawn&forest quotes on it. (Kanchana)

Knu Sustainable Kids' Furniture

Going in for eco-friendly furniture from Knu will ensure that perfect icing-on-the cake touch for a child's playroom. Spread the cheer around by gifting a Knu Kids' furniture set (one table, two chairs) made from toughened birch ply and coated with attractive lead-free dyes. You can even customize the colors to match the playroom, or order extra chairs ($79 per chair) depending on the requirement. This heady combination of style, utility and eco-consciousness is available at $499 for the basic set. (Kanchana)

Ocean-inspired jewelry

Betty Belts has a wide range of great ethically sourced wooden, silver and mother of pearl accessories at prices that won't crunch your credit card (the earrings above cost $24) and which just happen to be beautiful. (Diane)

Windup Universal Remote Control

Going green on the remote control is definitely a smart gifting option for a loved one who also happens to be a confirmed couch potato. Which is where the battery-free Wind Up Universal Remote Control (controls up to 6 devices) comes into the picture. By gifting them this remote, not only will you release their dependence on batteries, but you can also take pride in introducing some exercise into their lives via the manual winding required to rev up the remote - however insignificant that might seem to be. The remote control can be fully charged with 30 winds to keep it going for 7 days. Available for around $38. (Kanchana)

Carbon offsets

Save the Planet and Win is a site/"environmental social network" that wants to make carbon-offsetting a little more fun than it sounds, so for this gift season they are offering carbon offset gift cards. It's a quirky idea, but one environmentalists (not to mention regular jetsetters) will be grateful for. Plus, the cards are free - simply register (also free) at the website. (Diane)

Plant seed cards

Womancraft in Chicago uses recycled paper and flowers to create one-of-a-kind stationery, and they employ women who have traditionally found it hard to find work due to difficult life circumstances. There could be no better (or prettier) paper to use for your thank you notes. These Wildflower Seed Notes are $13. (Diane)

Veggie message pins

One of the best things any of us can do for the environment is cut down on meat consumption (harsh as it is to hear that in the run-up to the second biggest turkey day of the year!) If you know someone who is passionate about spreading the veggie gospel then give them a pin that will let their jewelry do the talking and which looks good too - this one is just $6 from Peace on a String.

Shoplifter Tote

In the event your favorite celeb is Bai Ling or Winona Ryder and you desire to emulate her without the risk of a criminal record, this tote's for you. A must-have for those with a dark sense of humor, this will hopefully draw laughs and not store security! Perfect as a reusable market bag. From Charles and Marie. $25 for Medium Size and $35 for Large. (Brian)

Posted by Popgadget    Category: gift guides 2008
Tags: holidays
Email this | Comments (0)
]]> Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:02:50 +0000 gift gift box gift guides furniture set set gift season universal remote control remote control holiday gift packs Holiday Gift Guide: Eco-Green Gifts http://www.gadgetratty.com/article/4221dee9ddade036b934334396b33f74 http://www.gadgetratty.com/article/4221dee9ddade036b934334396b33f74 Stolen goods recovered with technology playing off the perpetrator's stupidity often require some fancy network footwork, but a student who found his stolen Xbox 360 using its wireless controller shows just how dumb thieves are.

Like the PS3 recovered by tracking it down over the PSN network—but more stupidurrrrr—the moron who yanked this Missouri State student's Xbox 360 failed to be completely thorough in his crime, even though he absconded with his illicit prize just 30 feet away from the scene.

He left an Xbox 360 controller behind, and when the victim flicked it on, he noticed it was still connected the console, meaning it couldn't be far. Through the process of elimination, moving from floor to floor and then room to room, he was able to pinpoint exactly where his Xbox 360 had vanished to. A resident assistant then opened the room, where the victim proved it was his Xbox by turning it off and on with his controller.

Unfortunately for the victim, the criminal was just smart enough to be dangerous—he already erased the hard drive. [The Standard Online via DailyTech]

Mexico has started down the road to closing their vulnerabilities to “the improper use of cellular phones,” said Gustavo Cardenas, head of the communications committee in the lower house. Mexico’s lower-house of Congress has passed a bill that would require wireless carriers in the country to require that subscribers provide proof of address and a fingerprint upon registering for a wireless plan.

Prepaid SIM cards are notoriously easy to purchase, and can be exploited for criminal purposes. The arrest of two Indian men accused of providing pre-paid SIM cards to the Mumbai terrorists only serves to hammer home the need for stricter regulation over mobile phone records. Mexico’s new wireless bill would not only require stricter registration for prepaid calling plans, but would also demand that operators keep wireless and wireline phone records for 12 months.

The legislation’s potential impact on Mexico’s wireless industry is unclear. It’s estimated that Mexico ended the first half of 2008 with 73.45 million mobile phone subscribers, 95% of which is comprised of pre-pay subscribers. Other countries that have enacted stricter regulation over wireless calling plans have seen subscriber numbers decline by as much as 10%.

The new bill would create a reliable and comprehensive database of wireless subscribers in Mexico.

[Via: CellularNews]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Indian Police Arrest 2 Men for Providing SIM Cards to Mumbai Terrorists
• Verizon Wireless gives customers freedom to change plans
• Virgin Mobile USA lowers prepaid international calling rates
• Sprint’s Pivot Service Announced
• T-Mobile rolls out unlimited family plans, adds 7PM nights and mobile-to-mobile minutes to pre-paid plans

Everything in Japan is upside down and what the elderly do with all their free time is no exception.

Long story short: On the northern island of Hokkaido for every two teenagers arrested, police collar three people 65 or older.

Said Hirokazu Shibata, a Hokkaido police official who leads a crime prevention task force, "Theft used to be a crime of the young, but now it is overwhelmingly a crime of the old."

Here's Blaine Harden's story from the November 30, 2008 Washington Post about this unexpected phenomenon.

Silver-Haired Shoplifters On the Rise In Japan

Criminology is being stood on its head in fast-graying Japan.

Here on the cold northern island of Hokkaido, history was made in 2006 when total arrests of elderly people exceeded arrests of teenagers. The elderly accounted for 880 arrests, mostly for shoplifting, while teens were nabbed 642 times. Since then, elder crime has surged. For every two teenagers arrested on this island, police collared three people 65 and older.

The trend echoes across Japan, where crimes committed by the elderly are increasing at a far faster pace than the elderly population itself.

While the 65-and-older population has doubled in the past two decades, crime among the elderly has increased fivefold, according to government statistics released this month. Japan's overall crime rate, always low by world standards, has fallen for the past five years.

"We never dreamed we would be focusing on these old people," said Hirokazu Shibata, a Hokkaido police official who leads a crime prevention task force. "Theft used to be a crime of the young, but now it is overwhelmingly a crime of the old."

Around the world, criminologists have found that the propensity to commit crime peaks in the late teens and early 20s, and falls off steadily as people age. But Japan, with the world's oldest population and lowest proportion of children, is headed into uncharted waters for criminal behavior. Experts here predict that the entire country, like Hokkaido, will soon record more arrests of the old than of the young.

The elderly in Japan are committing crimes — nearly all of them nonviolent offenses, mostly petty theft — because of loneliness, social isolation and poverty, according to a Justice Ministry white paper released this month.

"When people feel lonely, there is an impulse to commit a crime so they will somehow connect with someone," said Shibata, whose task force has questioned 220 elderly people arrested mostly on charges of theft.

Shibata and other police in Hokkaido have also found what they describe as a consistent pattern of isolation and anxiety among elderly people who commit crimes.

"They are not in touch with their children and have no connection with their brothers and sisters," Shibata said. "These are people who worked so hard for so many years for their companies and for their country. All of a sudden, all their work has come to nothing. They have empty time on their hands."

A desperate desire for human contact or for novelty in their lives leads many elderly people to shoplift, experts say.

"They want somebody to talk to," said Hidehiko Yamamura of National Shoplifting Prevention Organization, a nonprofit group in Tokyo. "If they get caught, they can talk to the police. They are very easy to catch."

Here in Sapporo, police in September arrested a 71-year-old retired man in a grocery store after he tried to steal 14 items, including ice cream, worth $27. He told police that he often shoplifts.

The man receives a social welfare check for about $1,600 a month and lives with his wife, who is ill and unable to do housework. He told police that his wife's illness caused him stress but that when he steals, he feels "refreshed."

At the time of his arrest, he had $7,500 in cash in his pocket. He told police that he preferred not to spend money on groceries.

This country of 127 million has the oldest population on record. Slightly more than 22 percent of residents are 65 and older. (In the United States, about 12 percent of the population is that age.) For the first time in Japan's history, people 75 and older make up more than 10 percent of the population.

The number of children, meanwhile, has declined for 27 consecutive years. Demographers say the elderly — who tend to live longer in Japan than elsewhere — will continue to increase until 2040, when they will outnumber the young by nearly 4 to 1.

To slow the growth of elder crime, the Justice Ministry recommends that the government create programs to stabilize the lives of those older than 65, financially and socially.

The government, though, has moved in the opposite direction in recent years. As many as 64 million government pension records have been lost as part of a botched effort by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to computerize the pension system. Despite government reassurances, the loss of the records has frightened the elderly, many of whom are concerned that there will be no pension for them in the future, said Koh Fukui, an official of the shoplifting-prevention group.

"Some elderly people are shoplifting because they feel that with all the problems of the pension system, they should save their money for the future," he said.

A government survey of 137 elderly shoplifters in Tokyo found that a desire to "cut back on spending" was a primary motivation of 59 percent of the women arrested. Two-thirds of men said they stole because of their tough financial situation.

The global financial crisis, which has plunged Japan into what economists predict will be a severe and protracted recession, is likely to limit the government's ability to spend more on programs for the elderly. Spending is also limited by the government's enormous debt burden, the highest among wealthy countries, which amounts to 182 percent of gross domestic product.

Police and nonprofit groups say few organizations in Japan are able to provide counseling for the elderly, either before they are arrested for shoplifting or after they have been taken into custody.

Elderly people accused of petty theft are usually released after a warning if they show remorse, police say. In most cases, prison terms are given only to serious repeat offenders.

When the elderly are released from prison, most return to the same isolated lives that helped push them into petty theft, police say.

In supermarkets and convenience stores across Japan, public-awareness campaigns to prevent theft have been hindered by foot-dragging among store owners, who do not want to offend loyal customers.

"There is resistance to putting up posters saying, 'Shoplifting is a crime,' " said Fukui, of the prevention group. "Merchants don't want their customers to think that they are regarded as potential shoplifters."

Jurors aquitted her of felony charges and were deadlocked on a conspiracy charge, returning misdemeanor verdicts on three counts of accessing a computer without authorization.

For Meier's family, it's justice. Evidence at the trial demonstrated that Drew was responsible for a campaign of harassment—against a child—unbelievable in its depth and cruelty. Drew's conviction could be a valuable stepping stone to better laws targeting online harassment.

The court's ruling, however, is a problematic one. Here's Rebecca Lonergan, a law professor at University of Southern California, as interviewed by Reuters:

"The thing about this case that really bothered members of the public is the teenager's suicide, and the involvement of a grown woman in (allegedly) causing that suicide," she said. "And the main problem is that the charges weren't about the suicide. They were about computer hacking, essentially."

Drew's a callous sociopath, but she's not a hacker. In using the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to successfully prosecute Drew, prosecutors have established breaking a website's terms of service as a criminal offense. The accused had to travel to MySpace's jurisdicton to defend herself, thanks to another clause in the unread, unsigned 4,350-word legal document that one "agrees" to whenever visiting MySpace.

Legislatures are working to ensure that harassment laws apply to the internet, but "in the meantime" decisions like have a legislative effect of their own. Here are a just a few examples from MySpace's Terms that now seem open to abuse by zealous prosecutors — even if MySpace itself would rather see the whole story just go away.

1. Obscuring MySpace's ads, or putting up your own ads.

2. Being "patently offensive."

3. Posting nudity or violent materials, or posting a link to a website that contains adult content.

4. Posting an email address, telephone number or home address.

5. Glorifying "illegal activities."

6. Promoting a commercial activity without MySpace's prior written consent.

7. Posting a photograph of someone without their consent

8. Promoting your band using sexually suggestive imagery.

9. Asking other MySpace users to embed your music player in their own profiles.

10. Copyright infringement

Dead Teen's Mother: Misdemeanor Convictions a 'Stepping Stone' in Cyberbullying Case [Wired: Threat Level]

"Squatting is not a criminal offence in British law, but a civil matter, and if squatters remain for 12 years, and no attempt is made to evict them, they can become the property's legal owners."

I find that fascinating.

I happened on it in Andy McSmith's November 8, 2008 Independent (UK) story, which follows.

The caption under Jeremy Selwyn's photo up top (which accompanied the story) reads, "Squatters outside the property at 18 Upper Grosvenor Street, where the black anarchist flag flies from a balcony."

Squatters take over £6m Mayfair house

An elegant Mayfair property valued at more than £6m (even in today's depressed market) has been occupied by anarchist squatters. The penniless youths from the self-styled Da! Collective have become neighbours to some of the wealthiest individuals, swankiest restaurants and well-heeled businesses in the country.

The Grade II-listed, five-storey building with 9,000 sq ft of floor space, at 18 Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, belongs to the Duke of Westminster, Britain's wealthiest private landlord, and is leased to a property firm registered in the British Virgin Islands. It now carries a black anarchist flag, flicking in the breeze.

Five squatters made their entrance last month by donning high-visibility jackets, to make them look like builders, and putting up a rented ladder against the front of the building. One man climbed up on to a balcony, and was delighted to find an unlocked window.

They have since connected up to the utilities, and say that they will pay their energy bills. Bedding paraphernalia, rucksacks and "artworks" cover the floors. The new tenants feed themselves by rummaging in bins. They claim that far from damaging the house, they are improving it after years of neglect, and deny that they are breaking the law.

"Other people can come here," one of the squatters, 21-year-old Stephanie Smith, said. "We want people to use it as project space. People can work here, stay wherever they want."

The building was the headquarters of the Iranian-born property tycoon Vincent Tchenguiz until 2005, when his Consensus Group moved into bigger premises in Park Lane. The house is considered big enough to accommodate a firm employing 310 staff.

Throughout its 250-year history, Upper Grosvenor Street, near Hyde Park, has been considered to be one of the most desirable residential areas of central London.

No 18 is one of only 15 of the street's original houses, built in the 1730s, still standing. Its former owners include a colliery owner, F Wooton Isaacson, and a Scottish landowner and Conservative MP, Sir Victor Warrender.

In addition to the US embassy around the corner in Grosvenor Square, the street houses the consulate general of Monaco and the offices of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board. An empty two-bedroom flat near the anarchist squat is up for sale for an asking price of £1.65m.

A City law firm has been engaged by the official tenants, Deltaland Resources, to reclaim the property. Squatting is not a criminal offence in British law, but a civil matter, and if squatters remain for 12 years, and no attempt is made to evict them, they can become the property's legal owners.

[via Milena]

“I stopped and I lifted up my sweatshirt and I took out the cell phone to check it to see if it was damaged and this bullet falls out,” Richard told the local CBS affiliate WWL. He said the shot—which was strong enough to tear a hole in his sweatshirt—felt like a punch to the chest.

Investigators said that the bullet could have come from as far away as a quarter of a mile, and that people shoot guns in that area all the time.

“We have no reason to believe that there was any type of criminal intent,” Sheriff Jack Strain told WWL. “That this truly was just an incident where someone discharged his weapon, whether it was target practicing or hunting." He did add though, "To have such an impact at such a vital location and to be saved by your cell phone, I'm sure has given [Richard] time for pause, and to be thankful.”

Well, Motorola, it seems this Thanksgiving at least one customer is going to thank you for saving its life—probably one more than Samsung, Nokia or even Apple can claim. [WWL-TV (check out the video) via AP, Thanks, David]