4:09 PM
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/world/Drug-cartels-smuggling-illegals-create-security-risk_-officials-say-95815904.html
BAE-funded University project is developing swarms of autonomous military vehicles capable of sharing video images to create high-resolution 3D panoramic maps for dangerous battlefield areas before the troops have to enter the area:
http://www.theengineer.co.uk/vehicles-to-map-battle-environments/1002842.article
Solar-powered robot (140-pounds and 6 feet long) is a cost-effective way to examine thousands of miles of the aging power lines in the US:
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/solar-powered-robot-crawls-aging-power-lines-inspect-grid
BP has insisted that no more than 5,000 barrels of oil were spilling into the gulf each day and said that the government was exaggerating the problem. However, scientists have now corrected BP's assertions and said that at least 40,000 barrels a day is being spilled! This means that the BP well has released oil at a rate of one Exxon Valdez spill every 6.5 days:
http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/40000-plus-barrels-day-pouring-gulf
Interesting new theory on how comets are born. Thank you to Ben for the link!
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1995914,00.html?hpt=T2
Qualcomm appears to have won the bidding for the 20 MHz broadband spectrum in India--they outbid 10 other bidders with their $1 billion final bid. They will use LTE in that spectrum instead of WiMAX:
http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/press-releases/qualcomm-wins-bwa-spectrum-2-3-ghz-band-india
Sprint plans to throttle the data for users that use more than a certain amount--so, they allow unlimited data but make the data rate drop when people use too much. T-Mobile is already doing data throttling, so Sprint is following suit. AT&T is charging for overages and Verizon hasn't announced what they will do yet--but they say they will do something (probably using AT&T's model) when their 4G networks launch later this year:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/11/sprint-to-begin-throttling-data-this-summer/
Not only can Verizon smartphone users use unlimited free Skype-to-Skype calling, Verizon will extend Skype to non-smartphone customers! Skype mobile will be available in Spanish, Korean, and Chinese to provide flexibility and the ability to easily make international calls:
http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/press-releases/more-and-more-verizon-wireless-customers-use-skype-mobile-unlimited-skype-skype-calls
Photos and specs for the Motorola Droid 2, one of 2 Android smartphones that Motorola is expected to release next month for Verizon:
http://www.droid-life.com/2010/06/10/exclusive-first-photos-of-the-motorola-droid-2/
Photos and discussion for the other Motorola Android smartphone (no physical keyboard on this one) that is coming to Verizon next month:
http://www.androidcentral.com/new-pics-droid-x-emerge
Microsoft is opening its second retail store in California at San Diego's Fashion Valley Mall. They hoped for big lines and a lot of excitement for the opening of their store...but they are opening their store on the same day and just 4 stores away from an Apple store on the day that the iPhone 4 is going on sale! The Apple store will have *long* lines and really make Microsoft look bad...whoever failed to pick a better day for Microsoft's San Diego launch should be fired:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/06/10/ms.store.undermined.by.launching.near.iphone/
A high school student in Oregon who will be attending Harvard in the fall explained why he chose Harvard instead of Yale despite being named *Yale Fan*. He was not name for the university, Yale is just "phonetically similar" to his Chinese name:
http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/blog/?p=4226