Hasta La Gadget!

Still unable to resist its techno–philanthropic urges, Google has just unveiled the Web Lab at the Science Museum in London. Paid for entirely with Google juice and constructed in a basement area that was previously used for storage, the exhibition consists of five experiments that help us to “discover the power of the internet while we’re on the internet.” That might sound cheesy, but we’ve had a good play with each installation and they’re actually very well thought out and accessible — although, if you’re already a hyper-connected nutcase then you might find it more appropriate for friends and family.

We won’t give too much away in case it spoils your fun, but you can get a flavor from the attached promo video we saw back at Google I/O, plus our gallery and the PR after the break. In any case, it’s safe to say that each experiment involves creating and sharing media in a way you’ve never tried before. What’s more, everything you do is stored in a little personal account in the cloud that you can access using the unique “lab tag” shown in the photo above. (Incidentally, all those symbols floating around in the background represent other individuals who are also currently participating in the project — which ought to give you some idea of the overall premise.) The exhibition opens to the public tomorrow, is free to enter and follows the same opening hours as the main museum — although the lab’s online dimension will remain active for a distinctly un-British 24-7-365.

Continue reading Google opens Web Lab at London’s Science Museum, because ‘the internet is incredible’

Filed under: Science, Internet

Google opens Web Lab at London’s Science Museum, because ‘the internet is incredible’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The folks in Kansas City, Kansas here in the United States are about to get the web at 100 times the speed most Americans have on average today. The release date for Google’s Fiber program has been set today at July 26th, a little over a week from today, this just a bit more than a year since the project was first announced. With speeds this fast, we’ll have to see what the city will do it it all – perhaps streaming video will become more popular than television at a rate greater than the rest of the world – speedy!

Though this announcement doesn’t include one whole heck of a lot more information on the system than we saw at the launch of this project, we can see that the end-goal for the situation is what Google set out for it to be. As Google vice president of Access Services Milo Medin said back in 2011, Google’s goal was and is, “is to deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today.”

Those of you in Kansas City that want to take part in this system can sign up at Google.com/Fiber – and Google will also be bringing more information on the project on the 26th of this month as well. For now have a peek at the presentation video that acts a bit more like a commercial than anything else above, and get ready for speed!

Have a peek below at our timeline of the history of Google Fiber as well – come to Minnesota next, please!

Google Fiber hits Kansas City in just over a week is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’re always being told we need more fiber in our lives. For most people, that might constitute a second bowl of cereal in the morning — for the lucky Google Fiber-receiving residents of Kansas City (or Kansas City) however, it means big spoonfuls of super fast internet. While the project has been in the virtual pipes for a while, finally it looks like we’re ready for the next step. July 26th, Google advises, is the date for diary. Better pencil that one in, and consider any last-minute hardware upgrades.

Continue reading Google Fiber is coming on July 26, Kansas readies to open its pipes

Filed under: Internet

Google Fiber is coming on July 26, Kansas readies to open its pipes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 12:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It takes a lot to find something new on the Internet that makes you hate our entire species, and yet, this: dozens of brats who use Instagram as nothing but a way of showing off money they didn’t earn. Vomit. More »

The UK government needs to step up with more aggressive cyber-attack retaliation, a committee established to develop guidelines for how responses to hack attempts should be handled has insisted. The joint Intelligence and Security Committee argues the UK government’s security agencies should push ahead with “interfering with the systems of those trying to hack into UK networks,” with protecting the “interests of UK national security” taking priority over any potential backlash.

Meanwhile, the government’s security services should consider actively disrupting online foes by targeting “accessing the networks or systems of others to hamper their activities or capabilities without detection (or at least without attribution).” The committee cites Stuxnet and its impact on the Iranian nuclear enrichment program as a perfect example of how that could be facilitated.

“While attacks in cyberspace represent a significant threat to the UK, and defending against them must be a priority, we believe that there are also significant opportunities for our intelligence and security Agencies and military which should be exploited in the interests of UK national security” Intelligence and Security Committee

The UK is already undertaking the National Cyber Security Programme, a £650m ($1bn) scheme to explore potential online threats and to beef up Britain’s “weaponry” for such warfare. UK security services estimated in late 2010 that at least 20 foreign intelligence services were “operating to some degree against UK interests” with the internet as the battleground.

“Twenty months into the National Cyber Security Programme, there appears to have been some progress on developing cyber capabilities” the committee concludes. “However, cyber security is a fast-paced field and delays in developing our capabilities give our enemies the advantage. We are therefore concerned that much of the work to protect UK interests in cyberspace is still at an early stage.”

[via eGov monitor]

Step up your cyber warfare experts urge UK government is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.