Link Collection

I think that it is GREAT news for our country that more high school students are applying to Engineering schools. This is at least partially due to reports that engineering graduates earn higher starting salaries than graduates with other degrees. One other big factor is that more girls are now choosing Engineering, which may be partially aided by the increase in female Engineering professors:
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/rise-number-us-students-majoring-engineering

The Department of Homeland Security is proposing to spend billions to collect fingerprints and eye scans from all foreign travelers at US airports as they leave the country. The US already collects biometric data (fingerprints, not eye scans) from visitors arriving in the US via air or sea:
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/us-considers-facial-recognition-eye-scans-border

The world's first active iPhone worm spread over the weekend--this worm switched the iPhone's wallpaper to Rick Astley's face, so at least the worm creator wasn't looking to harm iPhone users...but other people might discover how this worm was created and use it for harmful effect:
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/iphone-hit-first-worm

Rupert Murdoch is considering trying to block Google's access to all his newspaper websites and instead have the readers pay to read his newspapers online:
http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/fox-news-takes-google-506?source=IFWNLE_nlt_notes_2009-11-09

These reports state that Apple will be releasing a new iPhone this summer that will run on Verizon! This will technically not violate Apple's exclusive deal with AT&T because this is a "mini" iPhone that is smaller and the new phone should work anywhere in the world:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/06/report_apple_to_launch_verizon_iphone_in_q3_2010.html

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/iPhone-For-Verizon-In-siliconalley-2248610916.html?x=0&.v=4

Sprint is reportedly providing $1 billion in funding and Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Intel together are providing another $500 million in funding, with the $1.5 billion coming close to the $2 billion that Clearwire was looking for. Interestingly, Google is NOT providing more funding to Clearwire despite their previous large investments:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aq.Zmwvfiwew

HTC has made a smartphone that includes a built-in WiFI router--it should hit the US in a few months:
http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/htc-intro-smartphone-built-wifi-router/2009-11-08?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Sculpture of a New Zealand government minister crafted from cow manure sold for $2,220 on eBay...I wonder how they will ship that?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/06/ap/strange/main5555165.shtml?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesAreaMain;cbsnewsLeadStoriesHeadlines

Oakland man needed to get to court for his auto theft charge...so he stole a car and was arrested for auto theft on his way to court for a previous auto theft charge!
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_13732247?nclick_check=1