IT News HeadLines (HardOCP) 02/08/2010

Health Advice Smartphone App Launches in South Africa
Most of the smartphone apps are for whims, pleasure or light applications, but Afridoctor is actually something that can make a big difference in the health field possibly saving lives in the process. When Nokia launched a competition inviting entrants to design apps for its upmarket mobile models, Blueworld Communities developed Afridoctor in three weeks and submitted it. It was the winning entry. The company is now refining and testing a version of the app that will work on more basic Nokia phones and WAP enabled handsets.
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Firefox 4 Beta 2 Hits the Streets
This definitely lives up to its Beta status, the new update is worth the download, but testing proves it's not ready for the prime time quite yet. A few more laps around the track Firefox, but well worth watching. The really important changes will be coming under the hood, and they're at most three-quarters baked at this point. HTML5 and WebM -- which aren't more than partially implemented -- have enormous potential to get us all weaned off Flash. Lazy frame construction should make page rendering faster, although Firefox has a long way to go to catch up with Chrome.One thing's for sure: Even if you love Chrome or Opera (or even Internet Explorer!), Firefox 4 struts some new stuff that's well worth absorbing.
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Google Tops the List for Malware Searches
In a report from Barracuda Labs, Google was named the most popular search engine used by malicious attackers. I'm sure that is a dubious honor Google would just as soon pass on. Although, Google's aware of the situation, and is catching up pretty fast, cybercriminals remain ahead of the game. Interestingly, based on the data gathered, the most popular topic of choice for cybercriminals were spyware related searches, followed by entertainment news, with hosting sites, P2P and proxies related searches showing a significant growth.
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FCC Gives Thumbs-Up to First LTE Phone Sale
I'm certainly happy that no one was on fire and the FCC was sent for waterÂ….they have finally approved the 4G Long Term Evolution phone for sale. This move paves the way for other 4G devices and networks to get rolling. Some significant actions should be made before the end of the year in LTE technology. The Samsung SCH-r900 will be the first LTE phone to market in the US, which MetroPCS hopes to launch "this summer" according to InformationWeek. We're still mostly in the dark as to where MetroPCS plans to build out its LTE network (the company said earlier this year that it was targeting a number of metro markets, but only named Las Vegas), but regardless, it looks like Sprint will soon have to share the 4G limelight.
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Seniors Take National Wii Golf Title
When the Wii system was invented, no one had any thoughts that it would take off the way it did or the number of lives it would effect. Take for example the foursome of senior citizens who range in age from 74 to 89, who just won the National Seniors Golf title. Not only has Wii golf brought out the competitive nature of some of Parc at Duluth's residents, it has brought together residents who might not otherwise socialize with one another- Sanger and Taylor are just one example. Socialization is one of the reasons corporate wellness director Angela Butler-Hackett recommended the purchase of a Wii gaming system for all four of the Parc facilities in metro Atlanta. A recreation therapist, Butler-Hackett recognized the multiple benefits a Wii could have.
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Chevy Volt Production Increased by 50%
General Motors is showing confidence in the Chevy Volt by increasing 2012 production from 30k to 45k due to the strong public interest in the Volt's green technology and gas savings. The Volt offers a total driving range of about 340 miles and is powered by electricity at all times. For up to the first 40 miles, the vehicle drives gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free using electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt's battery runs low, a gas-powered, engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 300 miles on a full tank.
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Army Enlists Tentacled 'Snakebots'
The U.S. Army is taking robotics in a new direction by taking already existing robot technology and joining them together to make a completely new system of operations. The snakes also work in groups, acting more like fingers or the tentacles of an octopus. Arranging several of them on a circular base creates an array that can gingerly pick up, rotate, and inspect an IED or possibly even open a door
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