GPS Safety, Part 2: Which Products Get It Right?

Using a GPS navigation unit in the car may not be as dangerous as texting, but some kinds of devices are safer than others. Voice-activated controls let the user make commands without taking his or her eyes off the road. Larger screens are easier to glance at while driving, and if you're using a cellphone-based nav app, investing in a dash or window mount is probably a good decision.

The Blood and Guts of Biometric Systems

In some instances, biometric security technology can be preferable to a traditional username/password system. However, biometrics is not synonymous with perfect security. For instance, trying to get a machine to recognize voices and faces without being fooled is tricky. Still, vendors are sharpening their techniques to make sure that the body part being scanned really is yours -- and that it's still attached.

The New Darling of the Green-Tech Movement

Apple has pleased green activists with its latest disclosures. The company is going way beyond what most tech firms do by including information on the environmental impact of its products throughout their lifecycles -- not just when Apple itself has control of them. Greenpeace was quick to praise Apple for its transparency and comprehensive disclosures.

Google Dashboard Lights Up User Access to Privacy Controls

Google Dashboard is a new offering that gives users with Google accounts a view of what Google knows about their use of services like Gmail, YouTube and Picasa. The goal is to give users more transparency and control of the data Google stores about them. Google doesn't appear to be instituting new privacy policies or procedures, but rather offering easier, more efficient ways for users to access controls they already have.

Nokia Siemens eyeing cost cuts, layoffs

Damaged by lower sales, huge operating losses, and a falling market share, Nokia Siemens Networks is pinning its hopes on a major reorganization.

The network equipment maker, jointly owned by Nokia and Siemens, announced Tuesday that it will lay off 5,700 employees and cut its five business units to three as part of a plan to slash expenses by 500 million euros ($740 million) by the end of 2011.

The layoffs will represent around 7 percent to 9 percent of the company's 64,000 global employees and is likely to be felt across all countries in which Nokia Siemens has a presence. The company did not state which jobs would be affected but did say that any disruption to sales positions that deal directly with customers should be limited.

The three new revamped business units are expected to launch on January 1 and will include Business Solutions, Network Systems, and Global Services.

"As our customers make purchasing decisions, they want a partner who engages in issues well beyond a traditional discussion of technology," said Rajeev Suri, chief executive officer of Nokia Siemens Networks, in a statement. "Business models, innovation, growth and transformation are now very much front and center when it comes to the selection of a technology partner - and our planned new structure will position us well in this changing market."

The company said it's also looking at potential new acquisitions and partnerships that could enhance its product line or expand its customer base. In June, Nokia Siemens bought Nortel's wireless technology for $650 million.

"We recognize that we are operating in a market where customer needs are evolving fast," said Mika Vehvilainen, chief operating officer of Nokia Siemens Networks, in a statement. "We see acquisitions and expanded partnering as important tools to help meet these needs in the fastest, most efficient way possible."

Sony Ericsson details its first Android phone

Sony Ericsson has released details and a video of its upcoming Xperia X10 smartphone based on Google's Android operating system.

The X10, which had been code-named Rachel, has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, which should make this one of the fastest Android phones yet. The phone will sport version 1.6 of Android--aka Donut--and it will run applications from the Android Market and Sony Ericsson's PlayNow arena. The device will also feature an 8-megapixel camera, with autofocus and an LED photo light.

Expect to see the Xperia X10 in stores in the first quarter of 2010. Meanwhile, here's a video that Sony Ericsson posted Monday.

In 2012, spend 3 nights at space hotel for $4.4m - Science - Home - The Times of India

BARCELONA: A company behind plans to open the first hotel in space says it is on target to accept its first paying guests in 2012 despite critics questioning the investment and time frame for the multi-billion dollar project.

The Barcelona-based architects of The Galactic Suite Space Resort say it will cost $4.4 million for a three-night stay at the hotel, with this price including an eight-week training course on a tropical island.

During their stay, guests would see the sun rise 15 times a day and travel around the world every 80 minutes. They would wear velcro suits so they can crawl around their pod rooms by sticking themselves to the walls like Spiderman.

Galactic Suite Ltd’s CEO Xavier Claramunt, a former aerospace engineer, said the project will put his company at the forefront of an infant industry with a huge future ahead of it, and forecast space travel will become common in the future. “It’s normal to think that your children, possibly within 15 years, could spend a weekend in space,” he said.

Galactic Suite Ltd, set up in 2007, hopes to start its project with a single pod in orbit 450km above the earth,with the capacity to hold four guests and two astronaut-pilots.

It will take a day and a half to reach the pod — which Claramunt compared to a mountain retreat, with no staff to greet the traveller. “When the passengers arrive in the rocket, they will join it for 3 days, rocket and capsule. After that the passenger returns to earth,” he said.