In tech/biz/real estate news on May 8th: UC Berkeley students are the victims of fee hikes and cyber hackers; There’s some kind of fun cheat code on Facebook that I’m weirdly excited to try out; George Lucas’ plans to build something in Marin that looks like a Catholic boy’s school but is apparently not a Catholic boy’s school may be thwarted.
BIZ
CA’s first construction stimulus project will be in the Bay Area and will create more than 200 jobs. Maybe they’ll hire me after I graduate? I may be 5’2” but I’m really good with a bulldozer, I swear. SF Business Times
Murdoch says the days of free internet are numbered, ignores fact that the seventy-eight-year-old’s likely are as well. Tech Meme
Larry Digman says the Kindle isn’t a good deal for students. Tech Meme
Why not offer a cheaper, wi-fi Kindle? Chron
But maybe it’s worth the price? CNET
Everyone’s talking about the upcoming BART renovations: would you rather have soft, potentially germ-infested cushions or sit (if you’re lucky enough to grab one) on hard, foldable squares? Curbed
Hulu’s going international. Tech Meme
Apparently, Bay Area residents are down to stand in line for free work. ABC7
Stanford won a $20 million grant to create an energy efficiency center. SF Business Times
On the other hand, the University of California approved a 9.3% fee hike in undergraduate student fees. SF Business Times
Careful, unauthorized charges may be draining your credit card account! This article made me really excited until I realized that my account’s recent dip was due to the shoes I forgot I bought last week. CBS5
The CA High-Speed Rail authority is partnering up with Central Valley authorities to implement high-speed rail services. SF Business Times
TECH
Hackers strike UC Berkeley computer systems! True story, I got an email this morning informing me that “criminal computer hackers broke
into electronic databases containing [my] personal information.” My first reaction: what is this, ALIAS? (I kind of miss Sydney Bristow) ABC7
The Konami code has hit facebook. No, this is not a virus; it’s the most famous cheat code in video games. I was going to make some joke about how you should go try it out for yourself if you’re a huge loser but then I realized that I really want to myself. So, hit “UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A ENTER” on your keyboard and go wild! CNET
A sociology student placed a fake quote on a recently deceased composer’s Wikipedia page and found that a number of established newspapers failed to check for additional sources before including it in their obituary articles. I’m adding this to my list of reasons of why it’s pointless to go to Journalism School these days. Tech Meme
Facebook platform developers are making $$$, whether they’re creating virtual poker chips or mafia accessories. Tech Meme
Tumblr comes up with a way for users to rate how lame they are, essentially. Valley Wag
Stanford researchers are trying to develop a better (and perhaps more comfy?) colonoscopy.ABC7
New iphones probably have digital compasses. CNET
Is Google done with “silly” AdSense deals? CNET
Matt Asay wonders if all of us (even the deceased) work for Google. CNET
Google CEO: Bring on the government scrutiny! Reuters
Google presents TV ads. Google Blog
If you have a MacBook, disable this Bluetooth setting now. Wired
REAL ESTATE
Most Marin residents would rather George Lucas not build a gigantic Mission-style complex that apparently resembles a Catholic school for boys. Valleywag
What did we miss? Let us know.
