[via telegraph.co.uk]

Domestic violence incidents increased sharply on the day England were knocked out of the World Cup Photo: PA

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) recorded 353 incidents on June 27, when England suffered their humiliating 4-1 defeat against Germany.

It is the highest number recorded in a day so far this year, save New Year’s Day, the force said.

Kent Police said it witnessed a 400 per cent rise in cases of domestic abuse on the same day.

There were 26 offences reported in the south Kent area, compared to an average weekend total of six.

Chief Superintendent Chris Hogben, of Kent Police, said: “I find it quite disgraceful that we have seen this level of physical abuse of vulnerable people by what I would describe as cowardly bullies.

“Whilst I cannot scientifically link this surge in domestic violence with the football, we would probably expect to see perhaps six offences of this nature in that time period.”

Home Office statistics show the number of cases of domestic abuse rise by almost 30 per cent on England match days.

GMP launched a campaign to urge victims of domestic abuse to seek help during the World Cup, and 653 people phoned a special helpline in June.

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: “I want to send a clear message to offenders that there is no excuse for domestic abuse at any time.

“We will look to ensure that those responsible are caught and brought to justice.”

Former X Factor contestant and Happy Mondays singer Rowetta Satchell, who has escaped an abusive relationship, helped to launch the campaign.

She said: “Evidence shows that the combination of a major sporting event, good weather and alcohol leads to a significant rise in domestic abuse.

“I’ve been in a violent relationship and know how hard it can be to get out.”

Link to article: Sharp rise in domestic violence after England knocked out of World Cup

[via bit-tech.net]

The humble but able Ethernet cable forms the basis of the proposed HDBaseT standard

The guys over at DailyTech are reporting on an up and coming new A/V standard that, unlike most new A/V standards, actually makes sense.

The beautifully simple new standard, which is called HDBaseT, is turning to the humble and ubiquitous Ethernet cable to provide a cheap and easy way to pipe HD and 3-D video around your home. We assumed that such a simple and common sense idea would have been dreamt up by an unknown startup company looking for some positive headlines but HDBaseT has been developed by a industry group that includes LG, Samsung, Sony and Valens Semiconductor.

The kind of heavyweight support that such large players can offer is likely to be instrumental in getting the new standard into peoples homes.

We’ve got to admit we’re surprised. Most new A/V standards developed by large industry groups come saddled with the baggage of a proprietary connector, ensuring consumers have to go out and buy an exorbitantly priced cable just to keep up with the latest standards (we’re looking at you HDMI). Ethernet cables on the other hand are as cheap as chips and can even be made at home with gear bought down at your local PC World or Maplins. Its a touch of common sense we’re unaccustomed to seeing in the technology world.

The standard purportedly allows for cable lengths of up to 328 feet, more than enough for most peoples needs, and will be rolling out at the end of this year if all goes to plan.

Link to article: New Ethernet A/V standard aims to take down HDMI

[via thepoke.co.uk]

Facing criticism that the proposed VAT rise could damage high street spending, Chancellor George Osborne has announced plans to “sex up” the economy with a newly-designed one pound coin.

In a speech delivered to the House of Commons, he declared that the coin “symbolises the need for a sensual relationship with money, something we lost under the previous Labour government.” He went on to argue that consumers have “shrivelled in fear” during the recession, and that the new coin will promote “a renewed sense of pride.”

Talking this morning on BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme, the Chancellor insisted that the new coin would play a key role in Britain’s economic recovery.

“When the budget comes into effect, even if you do wind up having less money in your pocket, at least now when you take that money out of your pocket and have a look at it, you will now get what we economists call ‘fiscal stimulus’. Yet another example of how this coalition government is leaving the the old, boring politics far behind.”

Responding to suggestions that the new coin was a “gimmick” Osborne replied:

“It is essential that we all do our part to stimulate the economy right where it needs it, as soon as possible, and then keep on stimulating it, again and again. This new coin is crucial to that. Remember this is going to be a double dip recession. Perhaps multiple dips. We must stimulate the economy hard and long. Pound, pound, pound. We must all just keep on pounding.”

Link to article: Osborne unveils new plan to regenerate sterling

Right now European institutions are deciding on legislation that would ban illegal timber, which devastates forests and enriches organized crime. But certain member states with large timber industries are blocking negotiations.

Within days, the European Union could ban illegal timber from entering the market — but powerful companies are blocking discussions.

Forests are the habitat and life source of many peoples and are essential in preventing climate change, but while there is high demand for timber, illegal logging thrives, killing species, and fuelling corruption and organized crime.

The European Parliament has just voted for harsh penalties and criminal sanctions for importers of timber that was harvested illegally in other countries, but now the EU Council and the Commission have their say, and some member states with large timber industries are threatening to water down the crucial controls.

Let’s build a massive citizens’ outcry to get the Council’s approval. Sign the petition below, and forward this email to all your friends. Together, we can urge the EU to end illegal timber imports and save our forests. Take action now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_stop_illegal_timber

20-40% of the global timber market is estimated to be illegal. That’s roughly 10-15 Billion Euros a year which is stolen and funnelled to criminal syndicates. The US has already approved strong laws against illegal timber — but the EU is one of the world’s leading timber importers and as long as it does not ban the trade, it is directly responsible for around a 3 billion Euros share in this black market.

The social and environmental impacts of this industry are truly devastating and it is inciting money laundering, corruption and violence. Mismanaged deforestation drives global climate change and robs both indigenous peoples and animals, who rely on the forests, of crucial natural resources.

Last year the timber companies beat the ban, working with timber import countries to delay European legislation. But this year the Parliament has proposed even stronger laws and some sectors of the timber industry as well as the UK, Denmark, Belgium and Spain have come out in favour of an outright ban.

Let’s not let the companies which fuel misery and destruction win again. Together, we can tackle illegal logging and protect our forests and their peoples. Sign the petition — then spread the word:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_stop_illegal_timber

Forests are a vital resource and our first line of defense on climate change, but they are being destroyed across the planet. When the EU imports this timber we become accomplices to the devastation and environmental crime that criminal networks inflict. Let’s tell our leaders it’s time to stop.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_stop_illegal_timber

With hope,

Luis, Iain, Ricken, Alice, Graziela, Pascal, David, Veronique, Ben, Milena and the rest of the Avaaz team

SOURCES:

See WWF’s report on Illegal logging and the EU — click on the link to download the PDF version:
http://www.avaaz.org/wwf_illegal_timber_report

More on the Parliament vote and Council stand-off:
http://uk.oneworld.net/article/view/165086/1/5795

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/064-74282-127-05-19-911-20100507STO74261-2010-07-05-2010/default_en.htm

———————-

Support the Avaaz community! We’re entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way — donate here.

Link to article: EU: No More Illegal Timber

[via readwriteweb.com]

Security researchers are warning of the newest Facebook threat, something they’re calling “likejacking,” a Facebook-enabled clickjacking attack that tricks users into clicking links that mark the clicked site as one of your Facebook “likes.” These likes then show up on your profile and, of course, in your Facebook News Feed where your friends can see the link and click it, allowing the vicious, viral cycle to continue.

According to security firm Sophos, hundreds of thousands of users have already fallen for this new “likejacking” trick thanks to the clever and tantalizing linkbait the spammers use to entice people to click their links. For example:

"LOL This girl gets OWNED after a POLICE OFFICER reads her STATUS MESSAGE."

"The Prom Dress That Got This Girl Suspended From School."

After clicking through on a link, victims don’t get to see the promised content, but rather a blank page reading “click here to continue.” This page contains the clickjacking worm (Troj/Iframe-ET) embedded via an invisible link. Click anywhere on the page and the message is posted to your profile and News Feed, allowing the worm to further its spread.

This particular exploit is made possible by way of Facebook’s new “like button” and its associated developer code. According to the Like Button documentation, the buttons can be customized with meta data that includes things like the title of the webpage, the name of the Web site and the URL of a picture for the page. By customizing these fields, spammers and hackers can easily create links that are, in fact, malicious “likes.”

Told You So

The popularity of this particular attack vector is not surprising. Soon after the launch of the Facebook like button, we reported on its potential as a threat, noting how incredibly easy it is to create like buttons that link to anything on the web – even pages you have never visited.

It was only a matter of time before spammers and hackers started exploiting this weakness for their own purposes. (Frankly, we’re surprised it took this long.)

The problem has to do with the overly simple way Facebook has implemented the “like button” feature. Non-developers can plug a URL into a wizard that generates code which can be copied and pasted anywhere on the Web. Like buttons created this way or manually, via handwritten code, will function properly even if they point to a webpage that’s on a different domain from the page where the button is being hosted.

Kyle Bragger, a Web entrepreneur who just launched Forrst, an online community for developers and designers, warned Facebook users of “like fraud” back in April by way of personal blog post. To circumvent potential likejacking attempts such as these, he created a Facebook “like” bookmarklet which safely “likes” the page you’re on, allowing you to feel secure that you’re actually liking the real thing and not some shady linkbait. (Or likebait, if you will).

If you’ve been hit with this likejacking attack, the best you can do is remove the like from your profile and delete the post from your News Feed. You might want to apologize to your friends with a Facebook status update, too.

Link to article: “Likejacking” Takes Off on Facebook

[via disinfo.com]

Too good to be true? From Murdoch-owned Fox/Sky News:

U.S. scientists developed a vaccine that could prevent breast cancer and save the lives of millions of women, Sky News reported Monday.

The treatment was tested on mice and showed “overwhelmingly favorable results.”

Dr. Vincent Tuohy, who led the research at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, said there was evidence in the initial tests that the vaccine could prevent cancers from forming and stop the growth of existing tumors.

“If it works in humans the way it works in mice, this will be monumental,” he said.

“We could eliminate breast cancer. We believe that this vaccine will someday be used to prevent breast cancer in adult women in the same way that vaccines have prevented many childhood diseases.”

Researchers injected the test vaccine into six mice that were specifically bred to be prone to breast cancer. None developed any signs of tumors.

A further six mice bred in the same way were injected with a placebo vaccine and all developed tumors.

The drug makes the immune system attack a particular protein found in most breast cancer cells and in the mammary tissues of breastfeeding women.

If clinical tests of the vaccine on humans are successful, women over 40 could be vaccinated against the disease. At that age, breast cancer risk begins to increase and women are less likely to be breastfeeding.

Link to article: New Vaccine ‘Could Eliminate’ Breast Cancer

Israel’s deadly raid on a flotilla of aid ships headed for Gaza has shocked the world.

Israel, like any other state, has the right to self-defence, but this was an outrageous use of lethal force to defend an outrageous and lethal policy — Israel’s blockade of Gaza, where two thirds of families don’t know where they’ll find their next meal.

The UN, EU, and nearly every other government and multilateral organization have called on Israel to lift the blockade and, now, launch a full investigation of the flotilla raid. But without massive pressure from their citizens, world leaders might limit their response to mere words — as they have so many times before.

Let’s make the world’s outcry too loud to ignore. Join the petition for an independent investigation into the raid, accountability for those responsible, and an immediate end to the blockade in Gaza — click to sign the petition, and then forward this message to everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_flotilla_3/?vl

The petition will be delivered to the UN and world leaders, as soon as it reaches 200,000 names — and again at every opportunity as it grows and leaders choose their responses. A massive petition at a moment of crisis like this one can demonstrate to those in power that sound bites and press releases aren’t enough — that citizens are paying attention and demanding action.

As the EU decides whether to expand its special trade relationship with Israel, as Obama and the US Congress set next year’s budget for Israeli military aid, and as neighbours like Turkey and Egypt decide their next diplomatic steps — let’s make the world’s voice unignorable: it’s time for truth and accountability on the flotilla raid, and it’s time for Israel to comply with international law and end the siege of Gaza. Sign now and pass this message along:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_flotilla_3/?vl

Most people everywhere still share the same dream: for two free and viable states, Israel and Palestine, to live side by side. But the blockade, and the violence used to defend it, poisons that dream. As a columnist wrote to his fellow Israelis today in the newspaper Ha’aretz, “We are no longer defending Israel. We are now defending the siege. The siege itself is becoming Israel’s Vietnam.”

Thousands of pro-peace activists in Israel today protested the raid and the blockade in demonstrations from Haifa, to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem — joining demonstrations around the world. Regardless of which side threw the first punch or fired the first shot (the Israeli military claims it did not initiate the violence), Israel’s leaders sent helicopters of armed storm-troopers to raid a convoy of ships in international waters bringing medicine and supplies to Gaza, and some now lay dead.

Their lives cannot be brought back. But perhaps, together, we can make this dark moment a turning point — if we arise with an unshakable call for justice, and an unbreakable dream of peace.

With hope,

Ricken, Alice, Raluca, Paul, Iain, Graziela and the rest of the Avaaz team

SOURCES:

Live coverage from Al Jazeera:
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2010/05/31/live-coverage-israels-flotilla-raid

Live coverage from the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2010/may/31/israel-troops-gaza-ships

“The Second Gaza War: Israel lost at sea” – Bradley Burston, Ha’aretz
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/a-special-place-in-hell-the-second-gaza-war-israel-lost-at-sea-1.293246

Analysis of violence from IDF’s perspective from Debka, reporters with ties to Israeli intelligence:
http://debka.com/article/8824/

70% of Gazans suffer from food insecurity – 2008 ICRC report, cited by al Jazeera:
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/05/20105319333613851.html

Analysis of possible political consequences of the flotilla attack:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gtowfFjiFD4HYdHuYgxydKNwVRDwD9G2B3880

Link to article: Gaza: investigate the raid, end the blockade

Netbook News has come up with this video footage of an Android tablet powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor. The video only shows off footage of Gridiron game BackBreaker, but there are enough details to grab our attention.

The Tegra 2 is a next-generation, ARM Cortex 9 processor, which is a generation ahead of the chipset found inside the Apple iPad.

The prototype on display is said to have 1GB of RAM, a front facing webcam and microphone, a MicroSD slot, 2 USB slots and possibly a slot for loading in a SIM card.

The screen is 8.9 inches, which is smaller than the iPad’s, but it’s a 16:9 ratio as opposed to the iPad’s 4:3, which makes more sense for TV and movie watching.

The prototype is said to be manufactured by Foxconn, who is Apple’s partners for the iPad, although it’s not certain if Foxconn will be involved in mass production of real world products. We should have a better idea of what to expect after the Computex expo in Taiwan, which starts on 1 June.

Link to article: Nvidia shows off Tegra 2 Android tablet

[via pocket-lint.com]

Nvidia has announced that it is in cahoots with various partners, including Alienware, Asus, Dell, Microsoft and Toshiba, in order to bring 3D PCs to the world. Speaking at the Computex expo in Taipei, Nvidia also welcomed Asus chief Jerry Shen to the stage to announce three new 3D capable PCs.

“Asus has a strong track record of pioneering new categories of PCs, as we did with the netbook,” said Shen.“Now Asus is very bullish on developing the 3D PC category by shipping notebooks, desktops and an all-in-one PC equipped with Nvidia 3D Vision. We believe that all entertainment-based PCs will become 3D capable within a few years.”

Nvidia is saying that a 3D PC must include a pair of 3D active-shutter glasses, like its 3D Vision kit, a 120Hz 3D-capable display and a discrete graphics processor, like its GeForce GPU, that is capable of delivering high definition imagery to the 3D display.

Nvidia states that a 3D PC will let you play 3D games, view and modify 3D photos, look at the web in 3D and watch 3D Blu-rays.

Asus boss Jerry Shen announced three machines that would be joining Nvidia’s 3D revolution. First up is the Asus G51Jx-EE, a laptop that relies on Nvidia’s 3D Vision active shutter glasses. Next is the Eee Top ET2400 which is a desktop with USB 3.0 support and a 23.6-inch LCD monitor. Lastly, the CD5390 tower was described as the “world’s most powerful gaming solution,” complete with a GeForce GTX 480 GPU and compatibility with three different 3D LCD displays.

There’s no official news on these machines and when we might be seeing them in the shops as of yet (thanks to Engadget for the details). We’ll be bringing you the full specs as soon as we get word from our Asus contacts.

3D is beginning to take hold in a big way. The cinema is experiencing a massive 3D boom as a result of huge titles like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, home cinema is also getting in on the act with 3D Blu-rays and TV sets and gaming is about to undergo some serious 3D enhancements. It seems only fair that PCs come along for the ride too.

Link to article: Nvidia gets serious for 3D PCs

[via gsmarena.com]

Qualcomm’s has just started shipping its latest generation chipsets to manufacturers. Offering two application processor cores running at 1.2 GHz, integrated graphics core and 1080p video encoding those should become available on high-end smartphones in the near future.

The Snapdragon MSM8660′s integrated graphics core supports OpenGL 2.0 and allows 1080p video recording and playback. The maximum display resolution support is extended to 1280×800 pixels with 24-bit color. The other features of the chipset include an integrated GPS receiver and dual-mode HSPA+/CDMA and 1xEV-DO Rev. B capabilities.

The other Qualcomm’s third generation chipset – MSM8260 is basically identical to the MSM8660 but only works on GSM and UMTS networks (HSPA+ support is included though).

The final member of the Qualcomm dual-core family, the QSD8672, which has its CPUs clocked at 1.5GHz, isn’t avaialble yet, but will launch before the end of the year.

It seems the smartphones we are going to get for this year’s holiday season will pack quite a lot more oomph than we are seeing now.

Link to article: Qualcomm starts shipping 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragons