TOP TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Ever wondered just what goes on behind the scenes of England’s overload of CCTV cameras? This video, from the Guardian, shows us the dirty details inside the Westminster’s CCTV control centre in Central London.

You knew, of course, that you can be tracked almost everywhere you go but were you aware that drivers of London’s iconic taxicabs are in radio contact with the CCTV controllers – reporting on “aggressive beggars" or “illegal street trading", or that there is a direct line from the CCTV station to the police, aside from the regular police channels? Were you aware of it?

What is worse, and what brings this into the realms of the Gadget Lab (apart from the CCTV tech itself) is the line on photographers, or any honest citizen using a recording device.

A blog has published what appears to be a PowerPoint presentation revealing AT&T’s plans to sell the iPhone 3G without requiring a contract.

TheBoyGeniusReport posted slides that appear to educate AT&T employees on how they’ll sell the iPhone 3G contract-free starting Mar. 26. The policy change will also eliminate the requirement to activate the phone when purchasing it.

"Starting March 26, 2009, AT&T is offering a No-Commit price for existing customers who wish to purchase iPhone 3G without a contract," one slide reads.

Apple’s upcoming iPhone event is re-igniting speculation of an Apple tablet launching soon.

ComputerWorld’s Seth Weintraub on Monday laid out his solid argument for why he thinks a Mac tablet will be announced tomorrow. He points to a job listing from last year seeking an engineer to help develop a platform that will run on various devices including the iPhone. And he also cites three different reports from China claiming Apple is developing a 9- or 10- inch touchscreen.

We agree that it seems inevitable that Apple will release a Mac tablet — but whether that announcement will be made at the Tuesday iPhone event is anyone’s guess. (We’re going to bet "No.") In December, TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington claimed three independent sources told him a Mac tablet was coming Fall 2009. 

Illustration of a fake, large-screen iPhone: vernhart/Flickr

Born to run? You’re probably doing it all wrong! Due to a sneaker industry that produces shoes filled with gels, air and other assorted cushions most runners strike the ground flatfooted. This is wrong. A barefoot running style is better; it’s more efficient and will lead to less physical stress and faster times.

Have you ever thought to yourself "This computer is really tricky to pick up" or "I hope my notebook doesn’t scratch this table"?

No? Neither have we. But for those amongst you with this kind of obsessive compulsive disorder, the answer is Laptop Lifts, small, stick-on rubber rails that add precious millimeters to the height of your machine.

The full name of this car-seat tray contains, like a fractal or a strand of DNA, the entirety of the product itself. Behold, the Portable Car Auto Seat Mount Tray Laptop Table Cup Holder.

The flip-down tray is very similar to those found on the back of airline seats and presumably, although it isn’t listed, contains the best function of the in-flight table: If somebody especially annoying is sitting behind you, a quick, jerky reclining of your own seat will send scalding liquid into the passenger’s lap.

Nokia has found a fix for the 5800 XpressMusic phones that made their debut two weeks ago to a slew of customer complaints regarding connectivity to some 3G networks.

"We have concluded this was an isolated situation related to a configuration change in the North American variant," said a Nokia spokesperson in a statement. "We have now adjusted the configuration and will resume sales shortly."

Nokia sells the 5800 phones for $400 as an unlocked and unsubsidized device in the U.S. and the phone is available only through the company’s stores.

This is a fantastic idea: When your batteries go flat, pull them out and toss them into a sunny corner. A little while later, they’re charged. This is the promise of the SunCat solar powered batteries: “The batteries should just bask in the sun like a cat and left for a while, in a sunny window, they would slowly recharge.”

These batteries are actually hand made by Knut Karlsen.

Apple and Mac cloner Psystar have filed a protective order to ensure trade secrets are not leaked before their November trial.

Filed Wednesday, the 18-page order requests restrictions on expert testimony as well as access to software. If honored by Judge William Alsup, the order will allow both companies to label sensitive materials as "CONFIDENTIAL" or "CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEY’S EYES ONLY." 

Apple in July filed a lawsuit against
Psystar alleging copyright, trademark and shrink-wrap infringement. Psystar has been selling Mac clones — non-Apple PCs hacked to run the Mac operating system — since April.