UK Government Envisions a Grim Future

In trying to analyze future threats to Britain's armed forces, the UK Ministry of Defence has created a chilling future scenario of global instability and devastating weapons.

Taking into account familiar threats such as global warming and the growing population in political 'hot spots' such as the Middle East, the study also notes threats such as:

• Self-directed weapons that need little or no human control


• Implanatable information chips wired directly to the brain


• 'Flashmobs' that could be mobilized instantly by criminal or terrorist groups


• A revival of Marxism and other radical political movements


• The continued growth of militant Islam

Much of this instability will be driven by declining resources coupled with increasing numbers of people living in cities.

Source: Guardian

Stem-Cell Treatment Cures Type 1 Diabetes

A clinical trial involving patients with type 1 diabetes (aka: juvenile diabetes) and stem cell therapy has shown that treatment with stem cells can help such patients produce their own insulin.

The stem cells, created from the patients' own blood, proved effective in 13 of 15 subjects in the trial, who no longer need daily insulin injections. However, more studies are needed to verify the findings and learn more about exactly how the therapy works. Experts believe that a widely-available stem cell treatment for type 1 diabetes is at least five years away. The research, furthermore, does not address type 2 diabetes.

The findings were published in the most recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Source: London Times

Lights out for incandescent lights?

The incandescent electric light was one of the paradigm-shifting inventions of the last 125 years, transforming the way people live, work and play. But the era of the incandescent light bulb may be drawing to a close.

Though more expensive up front, compact flourescent light bulbs are far more efficient -- and environmentally friendly -- than incandescent bulbs, using less electricity and lasting longer while providing the same amount of light. For that reason, local and state governments have been encouraging the adoption of compact flourescent bulbs, largely through subsidizing their cost. However, Australia is moving toward banning incandescent bulbs altogether by 2010. By enforcing minimum energy performance standards, selling incandescent bulbs would effectively be illegal. In the US, California is considering a similar measure that would outlaw sales of incandescent lights by 2012. The measure is significant because, as the nation's most populous state, California is a trendsetter in environmental and health legislation. Indeed, state governments in Connecticut and New Jersey (ironically, where Edison developed his light) are considering similar bans on incandescent lights.

The private sector is also jumping on the compact flourescent bandwagon. Retailers plan to increase shares of the bulbs substantially, and light bulb manufacturer Philips will stop manufacturing incandescent bulbs by 2016.

By switching to compact flourescent bulbs on a national level, Australia could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by four tons per year.

Source: International Herald Tribune

Bruce Sterling on Earth-Friendly Pervasive Computing

Noting that the word 'computer' is disappearing from technologists' vocabularies, science fiction author and futurist Bruce Sterling believes that as the Internet subsumes computing, we are truly on the path toward a highly embedded wireless network in which nearly everything is a node:

In 2007 the computer gave up taking over the world. Instead the world took over the computer. The Internet became a wholly owned subset of Reality 2.0. When the actual world invades the virtual world, it scatters the computer into tiny physical pieces, some no bigger than dust. "Intelligent printing," another modern darling, is semiconductor ink sprayed on cardboard. There's never been a humbler, cheaper "computer."

Sterling envisions a world in which the chips that drive it are powered by tiny amounts of ambient energy -- nearly any form of heat or light will do. Such chips would have such low power requirements that they wouldn't need a dedicated power source, and would use up hardly any natural resources.

Source: Futurismic

Lights out for incandescent lights?

The incandescent electric light was one of the paradigm-shifting inventions of the last 125 years, transforming the way people live, work and play. But the era of the incandescent light bulb may be drawing to a close.

Though more expensive up front, compact flourescent light bulbs are far more efficient -- and environmentally friendly -- than incandescent bulbs, using less electricity and lasting longer while providing the same amount of light. For that reason, local and state governments have been encouraging the adoption of compact flourescent bulbs, largely through subsidizing their cost. However, Australia is moving toward banning incandescent bulbs altogether by 2010. By enforcing minimum energy performance standards, selling incandescent bulbs would effectively be illegal. In the US, California is considering a similar measure that would outlaw sales of incandescent lights by 2012. The measure is significant because, as the nation's most populous state, California is a trendsetter in environmental and health legislation. Indeed, state governments in Connecticut and New Jersey (ironically, where Edison developed his light) are considering similar bans on incandescent lights.

The private sector is also jumping on the compact flourescent bandwagon. Retailers plan to increase shares of the bulbs substantially, and light bulb manufacturer Philips will stop manufacturing incandescent bulbs by 2016.

By switching to compact flourescent bulbs on a national level, Australia could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by four tons per year.

Source: International Herald Tribune

Gameloft Continues to Grow

Mobile game publisher, Gameloft, announced Q1 earnings yesterday and their business is growing nicely.

The French gaming firm singled out the "strong performance" of its iPhone games, as well as "solid sales" of Java and Brew games, as helping boost mobile games sales 21% in the first quarter.

Company spokesperson Anne-Laure Descleves said that sales of Java and Brew games, usually played on traditional feature phones, rose 6% compared to the same period last year. Overall, Gameloft reported sales of 30.8 million euros ($40.8 million) in the first quarter of 2009, an increase of 22% from the previous year.

Mobile games accounts for 94% of the company's annual sales, meaning that the company earned 28.95 million euros ($38.4 million) from mobile games. Console games made up the remaining 6%. Sales of games were spread evenly in its different territories, with Europe accounting for 35% of sales, North America making up 37%, and the rest of the world bringing in the remaining 29%.

North America was Gameloft's strongest growth region, with sales up 57% in Q1.

Stem-Cell Treatment Cures Type 1 Diabetes

A clinical trial involving patients with type 1 diabetes (aka: juvenile diabetes) and stem cell therapy has shown that treatment with stem cells can help such patients produce their own insulin.

The stem cells, created from the patients' own blood, proved effective in 13 of 15 subjects in the trial, who no longer need daily insulin injections. However, more studies are needed to verify the findings and learn more about exactly how the therapy works. Experts believe that a widely-available stem cell treatment for type 1 diabetes is at least five years away. The research, furthermore, does not address type 2 diabetes.

The findings were published in the most recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Source: London Times

Palm Pre Arrives June 6

Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced pricing and nationwide availability for the highly anticipated Palm Pre phone, offered exclusively from Sprint.

Palm Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Sprint has high hopes for the device:

"It's the highest confidence I've ever had going into a device launch that this is going to be a blockbuster," said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president for product and technology development at Sprint. "I'm pretty sure we'll know within the first week."

One Thing I Wouldn't Do for a Palm Pre

The much hyped Palm Pre is just days away from release and things are getting downright weird. Check out the picture of this nut who got a huge Palm Pre tattoo on his arm in order to win a free device.

PreCentral.net is running the campaign.

Personally, I'm going to wait until the next version of the Pre to get my tattoo.

iPhone Game Review - iZombie Death March

The folks at Sonic Boom recently released their latest iPhone game - iZombie: Death March

I downloaded the game last night and had a great time killing lots and lots of Zombies. The game is very straight forward - you play as a lone gunman surrounded by Zombies who come at you from every angle. Simply touch the screen where you want to shoot and 'pow!' the Zombies go down.

There are 6 missions or chapters to choose from:

1. Point Blank
2. Guardian
3. Bunker
4. Graveyard
5. Runaway
6. Extraction

And in each chapter you can choose from four different difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Death Wish or Nightmare. As the descriptions indicate, the chapters get increasingly more difficult.

I played all 6 chapters and mixed in varying difficulty levels. My personal favorite (pictured) is Runaway where you are in the back of a pick-up truck gunning down Zombies while trying to drive away from some crazy monster chasing you down the highway.

The game is also made more interesting with the clever storyline that is displayed between chapters. There are some great quotes in here including my favorite:

'Time flies when you have a gun.'

There must be something weird going on in the Zombie space because between this game and Popcap's new PC game 'Plants vs Zombies' I've been spending too much time killing zombies, but boy, is it fun.

SonicBoom is offering iZombie Death March for an introductory price of $1.99 through iTunes. The game is very well done and it's a fun diversion for 5 minutes or longer. I highly recommend downloading this title and don't be surprised if you find yourself groaning BRAAAAAAINS!! every now and again after playing it.

The iPhone Revolution?

The iPhone, released to the public last Friday, is one of the most hyped devices in memory. But is all the excitement justified?

John McCormick of Baseline suggests that the iPhone could blow the market for handheld rich Internet applications wide open, even though the iPhone was designed for the consumer rather than the enterprise market. Om Malik concurs, noting the significance of the built-in Safari browser that brings the full Web experience to mobile phones for the first time. Smart Mobs opines that mobile phones (not just the iPhone) represent a mass medium unto themselves that are revolutionizing the fundamental ways in which we communicate.

UPDATE: Read a contrarian view...

The Risks of Autonomous Robots

Anyone familiar with the Terminator or Matrix movies has an idea of the dangers of intelligent machines running amok. But as scientists develop ever more autonomous robots, such warnings are moving from speculation to reality very quickly.

Samsung, for example, has developed an armed robotic sentry for use in patrolling the tense border between North and South Korea. Such military applications alarm robotic ethicists, who suggest that society is not ready to confront the consequences of autonomous robots designed to kill. They are also concerned about the growing use of robots to care for the elderly, particularly in Japan. Is society, they ask, truly ready to entrust its most frail members to these machines, particularly since our experience with them is relatively limited? Or, could an automated, autonomous nursing home prove to be a 'dumping ground' for those whose care is too inconvenient?

Source: BBC

Self-Healing Plastic

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have developed a nanotechnology polymer that can 'heal' itself by filling in cracks and tears automatically. Although self-healing plastic is not an entirely new concept, the UIUC material is different because it can repair itself multiple times without any intervention.

The material could have important uses where making repairs is difficult, where materials are under enormous stress and/or where material failure would be catastrophic -- such as in implanted medical devices, airplane and spacecraft components, and microprocessors. The UIUC researchers emphasize, however, that practical applications are years away, and that initial products will be highly expensive.

Source: MIT Technology Review

Gameloft Continues to Grow

Mobile game publisher, Gameloft, announced Q1 earnings yesterday and their business is growing nicely.

The French gaming firm singled out the "strong performance" of its iPhone games, as well as "solid sales" of Java and Brew games, as helping boost mobile games sales 21% in the first quarter.

Company spokesperson Anne-Laure Descleves said that sales of Java and Brew games, usually played on traditional feature phones, rose 6% compared to the same period last year. Overall, Gameloft reported sales of 30.8 million euros ($40.8 million) in the first quarter of 2009, an increase of 22% from the previous year.

Mobile games accounts for 94% of the company's annual sales, meaning that the company earned 28.95 million euros ($38.4 million) from mobile games. Console games made up the remaining 6%. Sales of games were spread evenly in its different territories, with Europe accounting for 35% of sales, North America making up 37%, and the rest of the world bringing in the remaining 29%.

North America was Gameloft's strongest growth region, with sales up 57% in Q1.

Palm Pre Arrives June 6

Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced pricing and nationwide availability for the highly anticipated Palm Pre phone, offered exclusively from Sprint.

Palm Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Sprint has high hopes for the device:

"It's the highest confidence I've ever had going into a device launch that this is going to be a blockbuster," said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president for product and technology development at Sprint. "I'm pretty sure we'll know within the first week."

Flick Fishing First to a Million Paid Downloads

Congrats to iPhone game developer Freeverse, who announced today that over the weekend they sold the millionth copy of their Flick Fishing game, making Flick Fishing the first paid application to reach the one million download milestone.

Flick Fishing allows iPhone and iPod touch users to take a virtual fishing trip with the flick of a wrist.  The game uses the iPhone's accelerometer to recreate a casting motion, then a combination of bait choice and fishing skill helps players land the big fish.

The iPhone OS 3.0 update issued last week for Flick Fishing allows peer-to-peer networking for players to compare their catches while competing in a blackjack style fishing contest. In addition, in-app purchases of a new fishing location and new fish have been made by nearly 10 percent of users since the OS 3.0 update was issued.
 
'We couldn't be happier that so many people decided to put on their virtual fishing cap and give Flick Fishing a try,' said Ian Lynch Smith, president and co-founder of Freeverse. 'We're very proud that over one million players have discovered that Flick Fishing is a great way to enjoy summer fun on your iPhone without the pesky flies and mosquitoes.'

The game can be purchased from iTunes for $.99 by clicking here.

Palm Pre Arrives June 6

Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced pricing and nationwide availability for the highly anticipated Palm Pre phone, offered exclusively from Sprint.

Palm Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Sprint has high hopes for the device:

"It's the highest confidence I've ever had going into a device launch that this is going to be a blockbuster," said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president for product and technology development at Sprint. "I'm pretty sure we'll know within the first week."

Britain Piloting First Biofueled Train

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group has embarked on yet another venture -- Virgin Trains, which seeks to replace traditional diesel trains with models run on biofuel.

Virgin Trains' pilot project will test a train running on 20% biological material (typically a type of vegetable oil) in Britain for six months. If the test is successful, Virgin Trains will use the 20% mix full-time, with an eye toward engines run purely on biofuel. Virgin Trains says that switching to biodiesel could cut emissions by 14%.

Source: MSNBC

DIY Mobile Networks

Ever dreamed of having your own mobile phone network? If so, Sonopia offers customizable, 'virtual' mobile networks for small businesses and nonprofit groups. Partnering with Verizon, Sonopia has offered networks to churches, rock bands, sports teams, and the National Wildlife Fund. Nonprofits can offers as an incentive to prospective customers a donation of profits to charitable causes.

Sonopia charges no setup fees, so even the smallest groups -- and even individuals -- can establish their own mobile networks.

Source: Springwise

Is Tesla Getting the Electric Car Right?

If the internal combustion engine is the technology environmentalists love to hate, the electric car is the technology everyone else hates to love. Electrics have long had the reputation for being underpowered, inefficient, and no more eco-friendly than any other type of car, as the electricity needed to run them normally comes from fossil fuels.

Enter Tesla Motors, a California-based startup that has developed the Tesla Roadster, a stylish, high-performance electric car that can reportedly go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and travel up to 250 miles between charges. The Roadster is still in the prototype stage, but just as important as the car itself is the way that Tesla proposes to fuel it. Tesla envisions a distributed network of charging stations that draw power from sustainable, environmentally friendly sources.

Source: Long Tail

Bird Population Falls Over Past 40 Years

A recent study by the National Audubon Society has found that bird populations -- even those of common, robust species such as grackles -- have fallen drastically over the past 40 years. The populations of whiporwills and bobwhites have fallen by well over 80 percent, a drop so great that these once-common birds are now seldom seen or heard in the eastern US. Deforestation is partly to blame, as well as global warming, which appears to be affecting arctic birds especially hard. Because cold-climate birds must migrate farther north each year to reach their shrinking habitat, they rarely migrate below the northernmost regions of the US.

'These are not rare or exotic birds we're talking about -- these are the birds that visit our feeders and congregate at nearby lakes and seashores and yet they are disappearing day by day,' said Carol Browner, Audubon board chairperson and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator in the Clinton administration. 'Their decline tells us we have serious work to do, from protecting local habitats to addressing the huge threats from global warming.'

Source: Boston Globe

Interesting iPhone Data from Nielsen

Consumer research firm, The Nielsen Company, released some interesting data on the iPhone this week. The study found:

- As of April 2009, there are 6.4 million active iPhone users in the U.S., up from 2.1 million a year prior.

- 37% watch video on their phone (6x as likely as the typical subscriber).

- There are roughly as many iPhone users 55 and older as there are 13-24. (see chart)

- 98% of iPhone users use the data features of their phone, services that should improve with the enhanced speed promised by the iPhone 3G S.

- 88% use the Internet (4x as likely as the typical subscriber).

- 75% download apps (5x as likely as the typical subscriber).

- 72% use location based services (7x as likely as the typical subscriber).

None of this data is overly surprising but it is good news for all of us in the mobile data market as more and more consumers will be buying iPhones (and other smartphones) so overall usage of applications, mobile web, mcommerce, etc. is about to explode.

Cheaper iPhone Coming Soon?

Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference kicks off Monday and according to Financial Times, Apple plans to introduce a cheaper version of its popular iPhone as soon as Monday, in a move that could dramatically increase the company's share of the smart phone market.

Analysts said that the company is likely to introduce either a $149 phone or a $99 phone, down from the current low end of $199.

Citing a firm survey of consumers, Morgan Stanley analyst Kathryn Huberty said that a $50 price cut could increase demand for the phone by 50% and a $100 cut by 100%.

Apple sells about 11% of the world's smart phones, trailing Nokia at 41% and Research in Motion (Blackberry) at 20%, according to Gartner figures from the first quarter.

One Thing I Wouldn't Do for a Palm Pre

The much hyped Palm Pre is just days away from release and things are getting downright weird. Check out the picture of this nut who got a huge Palm Pre tattoo on his arm in order to win a free device.

PreCentral.net is running the campaign.

Personally, I'm going to wait until the next version of the Pre to get my tattoo.

Marketers Have to Take Mobile Seriously Now

Interesting article on Mobile Advertising in BusinessWeek that is worth a read.

The article talks about Pandora - a nine-year-old, free online service that lets users design 'radio stations' based on their musical preferences. Pandora has become a very popular mobile app as well and advertisers like Best Buy, Dockers, Target, and Nike have started to buy ads on Pandora to experiment with what remains a cheap advertising medium.

'We've reached a tipping point,' says Domino's Pizza advertising executive Rob Weisberg. 'Marketers, especially consumer brands, have to take mobile seriously now. You have to be where your customer works, lives, and plays.'

Pandora mobile advertisers are seeing pretty solid response rates to their ads which bodes well for the medium.

Cellphone Calls from 29,000 feet

Can You Hold On Honey? I Have to Climb This Mountain Real Quick.

For all you cell phone users out there planning on climbing Mt. Everest, you can breathe a little easier now. Earlier this week Nepal Telecom, Nepal's largest telecom company, announced that they plan to build a cell phone tower that will provide coverage for up to 3,000 calls at a time. One can only assume that limit will never be reached.

Nepal Telecom has a base of 2.8 million customers, about a tenth of all people from Nepal, and 60% of all cell phone users in the country. The company has installed seven satellite antennas around the mountain, and will be providing coverage as early as June this year. The Nepali company hopes to provide an alternative to those who have rely on satellite telephones when taking the climb.

Let's hope we never hear about an avalanche caused by a chatty climber.

Gavin Nachbar is a freelance writing cell phone talker who he, himself, never plans on climbing Mt. Everest.

Nokia 5800 Picked up by Cincinnati Bell

Cincinnati Bell, the small regional telecom company, became the first U.S. carrier to sell the Nokia 5800 touchscreen smartphone. The phone had previously only been sold inside the United States at Nokia's flagship stores.

'The touch screen Nokia 5800 XpressMusic adds a new dimension to Cincinnati Bell's growing smartphone line up,' said Tim Bracken, director of consumer wireless for Cincinnati Bell. 'It truly is a modern entertainment device with advanced Web browsing, built-in GPS, picture messaging, and music capabilities that surpass expectations for a fresh everyday smartphone. Also, the Nokia 5800 is WiFi-enabled, which means customers can achieve some of the fastest data speeds available today.'

The phone will sell for $149 with a two-year service contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. Nokia trumpeted the success of the phone worldwide, and announced in February that it had sold 1 million units in three weeks. However, the phone has not been picked up by any of the Tier 1 U.S. carriers.

Remote-Controlled Pigeons

Chinese scientists have reportedly been able to control a pigeon's flight remotely through electrodes that stimulated different parts of the bird's brain. Scientists at the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center at Shandong University were able to send the pigeon commands to fly left, right, up and down. It is reportedly the first such successful experiment in the world, and could have important implications for neurology and even remote mind control.

Source: MSNBC

The iPhone Revolution?

The iPhone, released to the public last Friday, is one of the most hyped devices in memory. But is all the excitement justified?

John McCormick of Baseline suggests that the iPhone could blow the market for handheld rich Internet applications wide open, even though the iPhone was designed for the consumer rather than the enterprise market. Om Malik concurs, noting the significance of the built-in Safari browser that brings the full Web experience to mobile phones for the first time. Smart Mobs opines that mobile phones (not just the iPhone) represent a mass medium unto themselves that are revolutionizing the fundamental ways in which we communicate.

UPDATE: Read a contrarian view...

UK Government Envisions a Grim Future

In trying to analyze future threats to Britain's armed forces, the UK Ministry of Defence has created a chilling future scenario of global instability and devastating weapons.

Taking into account familiar threats such as global warming and the growing population in political 'hot spots' such as the Middle East, the study also notes threats such as:

• Self-directed weapons that need little or no human control


• Implanatable information chips wired directly to the brain


• 'Flashmobs' that could be mobilized instantly by criminal or terrorist groups


• A revival of Marxism and other radical political movements


• The continued growth of militant Islam

Much of this instability will be driven by declining resources coupled with increasing numbers of people living in cities.

Source: Guardian

The Future of TV News

If news websites can allow users to subscribe to certain news categories, will TV news be able to do the same thing someday? Dave Winer of Scripting News muses on the possibilities, including the ability to block out categories in which the user has no interest. He even provides a mockup of an interface.

Cell Phone Gaming Taking Off

According to a new consumer study conducted by research firm Information Solutions Group on behalf of casual games publisher PopCap Games, 57% of AT&T wireless subscribers play mobile games.

The advent of the iPhone and its App Store have made the download and usage of mobile games easier than ever, and the mobile gaming industry is expected to grow more than 10% per year to hit $6.3 billion in user spending by 2011, according to a report from Gartner.

52% of gamers cited 'distraction from daily life issues' as the top benefit derived from mobile gaming, followed by 'relaxation and stress relief' (40%) and 'improved mood' (12%)--in addition, 52% of gamers said they play mobile titles during work hours, and 14% selected 'during my work day, when I need a short break' as the time when they most often play games on their phone.

60% of all mobile gamers cited 'while waiting for an appointment' as a time when they play mobile games, with 'during the day on weekdays' selected by 34% of respondents and 'when traveling on vacation' and 'on the weekend' tying for third at 25% each.

The Information Solutions Group study reports that 59% of AT&T gamers play games on their phone at least once a month, and 40% said they play weekly or more often--41% said they played less than once per month. 91% of mobile gaming sessions last fewer than 30 minutes, and 62% extend fewer than 15 minutes. In all, 71% of mobile gamers play games on their phone for less than an hour per week, although 52% of those who play daily said they play for three or more hours per week.

Asked to name 'games you enjoy playing on your cell phone,' 20% of AT&T gamers cited Tetris, followed by Bejeweled at 18% and Solitaire at 17%. Puzzle games topped popular genres at 66%, followed by card/casino titles at 51%--board games earned 15% of the vote, with action/adventure trailing at 11%.

86% of mobile gamers also play video games on one or more other devices, with 76% of gamers playing on computers, 41% on consoles and 24% on handheld game devices.

17% of mobile gamers consider their mobile handset their primary gaming device.

First Step Toward Organ Regeneration in Humans

Research conducted at Stanford University suggests that humans may one day be able to regenerate damaged organs and nerves, and possibly even regrow limbs. This research has focused on primitive animals such as the sea squirt, which can heal itself in ways that higher-order animals cannot. By understanding the way in which animals repair damaged body parts, scientists hope to be able to replicate such processes in humans.

Source: Biology News Net

Capcom Mobile Launches KENKEN for iPhone

Capcom Mobile, a leading developer and publisher of mobile games, and NEXTOY today announced the launch of the hit puzzle game KENKEN on the Apple App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. KENKEN: Train Your Brain!, features stunning graphics, intuitive controls and 250 new puzzles to challenge puzzle masters and casual gamers alike.

KENKEN has become a certified phenomenon with more that 1.5 million puzzle books sold and regular puzzles appearing in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Detroit Free Press, Readers Digest and on NYTimes.com.

The brainchild of Japanese Math teacher Tetsuya Miyamoto and made famous by puzzle master Will Shortz, KENKEN requires simple arithmetic calculations and logic to decipher the ingenious puzzles. Translated as 'wisdom squared' in Japanese, KENKEN involves addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

With difficulty levels from beginner to advanced, KENKEN puzzles improve logical thinking, concentration and perseverance.

If you've never played KENKEN it is in the same category as Sudoku but with a different twist. You can try it out online here and see what you think, or you can watch a how to play video here.

KENKEN: Train Your Brain is available from iTunes for $4.99.

AT&T Leads in Smartphone Users

Citing independent market research, AT&T announced its customer base now boasts twice as many smartphone users as any other U.S. mobile operator, reporting that close to 32% of its postpaid subscribers now use an integrated device. According to AT&T, more new and existing customers activated integrated devices in Q1 than the carrier added in new postpaid subscribers. AT&T credits the smartphone user growth to its 3G network and nearly 20,000 U.S. WiFi hotspots.

"AT&T made a big push to be the mobile broadband and smartphone leader many years ago and it's clearly paying off in a big way for us and our customers," said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "We've taken integrated devices mainstream and nearly a third of our postpaid customers use one. Our industry-leading 3G and Wi-Fi networks make mobile data accessible to everyone—from road warriors with advanced smartphones to texting teens with quick messaging phones. We offer something for everyone."

This is an impressive statistic as smartphone users outspend non-smartphone users considerably and are generally more profitable as well.

The iPhone Revolution?

The iPhone, released to the public last Friday, is one of the most hyped devices in memory. But is all the excitement justified?

John McCormick of Baseline suggests that the iPhone could blow the market for handheld rich Internet applications wide open, even though the iPhone was designed for the consumer rather than the enterprise market. Om Malik concurs, noting the significance of the built-in Safari browser that brings the full Web experience to mobile phones for the first time. Smart Mobs opines that mobile phones (not just the iPhone) represent a mass medium unto themselves that are revolutionizing the fundamental ways in which we communicate.

UPDATE: Read a contrarian view...

M-Commerce Usage Grows According to PriceGrabber

According to a new report from PriceGrabber.com, the increased popularity of Web-enabled phones in the United States has helped online shoppers become mobile Internet shoppers. One in 10 online consumers said they purchase online from their mobile device, 16% compare prices and another 16% research product details/specifications. Of the online consumers making purchases from their mobile phones, 58% have purchased digital content for their phone, 51% have purchased consumer electronics, 37% have purchased computers, 36% have purchased books, and 31% have purchased clothing.

Smartphone and iPhone owners are comfortable using the mobile Internet to make purchases. 56% of Apple iPhone owners and 28% of smartphone owners already are comparing prices online with their mobile phones. Additionally, 27% of iPhone owners and 35% of smartphone owners anticipate that they will be comparing prices within two years.

Click here to read the full report.

The report is based on a survey of 3,305 U.S. online consumers with mobile phones, which was conducted from March 10-31, 2009.

Top Ten Emerging Technologies for the Environment

Live Science has ranked the top ten emerging environmental technologies in a slide show format. Among the top-rated concepts (not all of which are new) that have the promise to reduce waste, conserve energy and protect natural resources are electronic paper, decontaminating microbes, and energy from waves and ocean temperature.

Cell Phone Gaming Taking Off

According to a new consumer study conducted by research firm Information Solutions Group on behalf of casual games publisher PopCap Games, 57% of AT&T wireless subscribers play mobile games.

The advent of the iPhone and its App Store have made the download and usage of mobile games easier than ever, and the mobile gaming industry is expected to grow more than 10% per year to hit $6.3 billion in user spending by 2011, according to a report from Gartner.

52% of gamers cited 'distraction from daily life issues' as the top benefit derived from mobile gaming, followed by 'relaxation and stress relief' (40%) and 'improved mood' (12%)--in addition, 52% of gamers said they play mobile titles during work hours, and 14% selected 'during my work day, when I need a short break' as the time when they most often play games on their phone.

60% of all mobile gamers cited 'while waiting for an appointment' as a time when they play mobile games, with 'during the day on weekdays' selected by 34% of respondents and 'when traveling on vacation' and 'on the weekend' tying for third at 25% each.

The Information Solutions Group study reports that 59% of AT&T gamers play games on their phone at least once a month, and 40% said they play weekly or more often--41% said they played less than once per month. 91% of mobile gaming sessions last fewer than 30 minutes, and 62% extend fewer than 15 minutes. In all, 71% of mobile gamers play games on their phone for less than an hour per week, although 52% of those who play daily said they play for three or more hours per week.

Asked to name 'games you enjoy playing on your cell phone,' 20% of AT&T gamers cited Tetris, followed by Bejeweled at 18% and Solitaire at 17%. Puzzle games topped popular genres at 66%, followed by card/casino titles at 51%--board games earned 15% of the vote, with action/adventure trailing at 11%.

86% of mobile gamers also play video games on one or more other devices, with 76% of gamers playing on computers, 41% on consoles and 24% on handheld game devices.

17% of mobile gamers consider their mobile handset their primary gaming device.