First Look at the BlackBerry Storm 2

CrackBerry's got the first photos of the BlackBerry Storm 2, the phone that hopes to set right what once went wrong. It looks thinner than the original Storm, and has a 3.2-megapixel cam on the back. It doesn't seem like there's any other info. More pics if you head over to the site.

Clickfree Traveler External SSD is Credit-Card Sized For Convenience

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Clickfree's new external SSD comes in 16GB ($80), 32GB ($150), and 64GB ($250) capacities. Roughly the size of a credit card, the Traveler is a compact but pricey drive.

Clickfree has also released the DVD Transformer ($40), which plugs in like a standard USB drive, but automatically scans your computer for personal files and other important data then backs it up on CD or DVD. [Clickfree via CNET and Slashgear]

Selgas Cano Capsule Office Looks Great in the Forest, Would Look Better on the Moon

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Ever wonder what kind of office a cutting-edge architect actually works in? If you're employed at the Selgas Cano architectural firm near Madrid, it looks something like this.

One edge of this long, tubular office is made entirely of glass, simultaneously helping workers feel closer to nature and a bit like they're slaving away in a hermetically sealed research station on a faraway dystopian planet. A unique experience, to be sure.

Though it's not apparent in the first picture, most of the office is underground, zoo-exhibit-style. This apparently helps save on heating and cooling bills, but to try to make a practical defense of such a proudly overdesigned structure is kind of missing the point. Check out Iwan Baan's full gallery here. [Archdaily via BoingBoing Gadgets]

Deposit Checks via Cell Phone

NCR is now allowing customers to deposit checks anywhere they get reception on their data-enabled mobile phones.

Assuming you don't already direct deposit all your checks, NCR's APTRA Passport checking software could be great news. Your phone's camera, which must be at least 2-megapixels, acts as a scanner that captures an image of the check. APTRA then uses Mitek Systems' advanced recognition and image quality technologies to validate all data before transmitting those images directly to your financial institution or online banking web site. Presto! You're done.

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Microsoft Vine To Connect Family, Friends When Crisis Hits

"Microsoft is launching a new product into private beta on Tuesday morning with the aim of keeping friends and family in touch during emergencies. The idea for product, called Microsoft Vine, came to Microsoft GM Public Safety Initiatives Tammy Savage four and half years ago during Hurricane Katrina. Development started a year and a half ago.Vine is designed to keep family and friends in touch when other communication methods are either broken or not particularly efficient. Times of crisis usually involve a breakdown in mobile phone or other key communication infrastructures, and Vine is designed to be as hardy as possible to keep people connected. Vine can be accessed via a desktop client (Windows only for now), text message or email.So what is it? Vine is a tool keep people connected during a crisis, but it’s also used to for more mundane, everyday tasks."

read more | digg story

Folks losing homes dial 1-800; no one answers

• Many homeowners facing foreclosure say getting through to banks is nightmare.
• "After being on the phone with them, they send you to an automated lady."
• Lenders say they're overwhelmed by the amount of calls, doing all they can.
• Lawyer: "In the meantime, lenders are continuing to move forward with foreclosure."

The entire ordeal has been draining, especially trying to reach somebody at the bank. "You call them. After being on the phone with them, they send you to an automated lady. [Then] they send you to a Web site after you've been on the phone for an hour." Banks and lenders say that they have been overwhelmed with calls and that they're doing all they can to help ease the situation for Americans in distress.

Megan Cavallari waits on hold for more than an hour with her bank as she tries to save her home from foreclosure. Then she gets the "automated lady" -- again. It's happening to Americans time and again, with some put on hold for 2 ½ hours. "The waiting time is ridiculous," one attorney said. "They called 800 numbers that went into a black hole."

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PIN Number Scams / Malware

Instead of using mechanical means to steal from debit cardholders, some thieves are using malware to swipe huge numbers of encrypted and unencrypted PINs. It's not yet widespread, but it'll take serious work to prevent.

Basically, when you type your PIN into an ATM, the PIN is encrypted by the bank, only to be decrypted by your own bank, who (hopefully) approves the transaction. That leaves two ways for these thieves to get access to swathes of PINs. First, they can install malware to copy the PINs in the brief time they're decrypted, while they're sitting in a bank's memory cache waiting to be authorized. Banks typically rely on anti-virus software to catch this kind of attack, and resourceful hackers have taken advantage of this inattention. The second way involves a piece of software that tricks the bank's security software into providing the decryption key for the PINs.

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The Future of Firefox: No Tabs, Built-In Ubiquity

Thanks to its extensibility, Firefox quickly became the favorite browser for most power users. But while extensions are a great way to make Firefox more functional, Mozilla's designers are also currently thinking about a complete redesign of the way the browser looks and feels, in order to keep up with changing usage patterns. The most radical proposal we have seen so far would do away with the standard browser tabs, and replace them with an interface that looks more like iTunes.

read more | digg story

Desk jobs making more people obese, study finds

Desk jobs are increasing obesity, with many employees and employers ignorant of the risks of sitting down all day. A link between obesity and conditions in the workplace was growing. As the workplace becomes our second home, our traditional diets have been swapped for fast food that is high in saturates.

"A basic cause of obesity related to the workplace is a lack of awareness of how serious this issue is among employers and employees," said Athena Linos, an epidemiology lecturer at Athens University. "Factors include work-related stress, overtime and desk-bound jobs."

read more | digg story

BlackBerry App World Has Officially Launched

BlackBerry App World™ lets you personalize your BlackBerry® smartphone with tons of great apps that let you do more with your time while you’re on the go. You can download BlackBerry App World from your desktop computer or your BlackBerry smartphone at no cost. Purchasing apps from BlackBerry App World requires a PayPal® account.

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