We’ve written before about the innovative use of Google Earth to locate a previously unknown human ancestor . Archaeologists are now using the service to find and to guard against a persistent foe of the record of human life on the planet: looters. The Google Earth Blog (different from the official Google LatLong blog ) traced the development of Google Earth as an anti-looting tool. Sponsor Elizabeth Stone , an archaeologist at the SUNY Stony Brook, did an extensive satellite survey of Iraq to determine the level and location of the looting that has gone on there. Another archaeologist, Daniel Contreras , was inspired by Stone’s work and did the same thing for Peru, his area of expertise. As the blog says, “He couldn’t afford to purchase expensive satellite imagery, but soon found that Google Earth imagery did the job.” He published his findings in an article in Antiquity . If the Web world has democratized publishing to some degree, it seems likely that other areas of human investigation, such as archaeology, are starting to also see the effects of easy, or easier, access to information. Humans can be operatically stupid, but we can also be awfully intelligent and insightful. The right tools, for less money, give more people a chance to see things others haven’t. Contreras has seen the use of Google Earth as a way to survey and track looting. Catching a looter in the act is unlikely until and unless Earth goes real-time. But keeping track and produce information that in turn can create public policy regarding our intellectual and physical patrimony. “The technology is all there,” Contreras told Archaeology’s Pringle. “It’s just a question of how to administer it. And I think this would make people a little more aware of the problem of looting, as well as providing a tangible source of documentation for archaeologists.” Archaeologist Anthony Beck cautions against thinking of Google Earth as a researcher’s cure-all. Free data, he says, comes at a price. “(T)he user does not get direct access to the raw data in the viewer. This is generally important for an image interpreter as it allows them to enhance the image to provide improved interpretation. Instead, a generalised product is streamed that has been compressed using a wavelet technique. This compression technique significantly reduces file size at the expense of spatial and spectral definition.” In terms of popularizing the problem, though, and influencing public policy, Google Earth may well have a role to play. Mention Google Earth to anyone likely to be interested in the preservation of human legacy on the planet and they’ll probably know what you’re talking about, and more to the point, be able to look at the same data you did in the same way. Talk about World Wind Landsat or Ikonos MS and you’re likely to lose all but the pros. And the pros don’t set public policy, not without the plebes. Discuss

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This is one headline Google doesn’t want to see this morning. Less than 24 hours after Apple introduced its latest and greatest creation, the iPhone 4, at its conference for Apple developers, a small, but growing group of Android developers are reporting issues with their updated applications disappearing from the Android Market. What’s worse, the developers can’t seem to get Google’s attention, even after multiple forum postings, blog posts, tweets and an item posted to Android “bug tracker.” Google either isn’t aware of the problem, now several days old, or just isn’t communicating with its developer community. Sponsor Upgraded Apps Go Missing According to the developers, the Android Market has stopped showing some applications. The apps are still visible through third-party sites like AppBrain and Cyrket, which serve as searchable repositories of current Android Market apps. However, when a user navigates to the Android Market on their mobile phone, the apps are nowhere to be found. The issue seems to only be affecting applications that have been recently updated with bug fixes and/or new features. After the updated application is submitted, it disappears. Some older versions of the Android operating system can still see the apps in some cases, but the most recent versions of the OS (Android 2.0 and 2.1) cannot. That means users with an HTC Evo, Desire, Hero, Droid, Incredible, Droid Eris or Moto Milestone are currently affected. On the AndroidForums site, a member has started a list of known applications experiencing this bug. At the time of this writing, that list includes SlideScreen, LauncherPro, ADW.Launcher, Handcent SMS, People/Contacts widget, WatchDroid, Where, Better Contacts, WeGolf, Setting Profiles, NetSMS and Quick Settings. Google’s Silence: Unaware or Uninvolved? It appears that Google may simply not be aware of the problem, as the company typically addresses such issues in a more timely fashion. But in this case, the first posting was from June 3rd and there has still been no response from Google. At this time, it’s unclear what’s causing the problem, but it appears that these applications require certain permissions, which is why this issue may not have affected all developers. Even if it’s a minor issue affecting a small group, someone from Google should have spoken up before the news spread throughout developer community sites where those affected are now beginning to leave angry comments about the lack of response. With the growing “smartphone war” between Apple and Google, it’s more important than ever that Google doesn’t drop the ball when it comes to its responsiveness with its developer community. Developers, after all, can make or break a phone. (Just ask Palm). Android Apps Are Supposed to be Instantly Approved Even Apple, whose App Store is curated by editors, had to address concerns regarding delays in app approvals when CEO Steve Jobs took the stage yesterday at the company’s developer conference, WWDC. “We get about 15,000 apps submitted every week,” said Jobs. And “95% of the apps are approved within seven days,” he noted, referring to the many stories about severe, sometimes months-long delays in app approval for iPhone applications. Google, on the other hand, doesn’t “approve” apps. In fact, that’s one of the key selling points of its Android operating system and app marketplace. You build an app, submit it and it goes live – no waiting. Given this process, delays like those now being reported are even odder. As Google continues to either ignore (or remain blissfully unaware) of the issue, developers are getting itchy…and angry. “As far as I can tell, the Market has been broken since Friday,” writes one developer . “Google is eerily silent.” Another is less kind, saying “this is a very serious issue and Google’s silence is unacceptable.” We’ve contacted Google ourselves for a response and will update when and if we hear back. Discuss

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The iPhone 4 is now here and it’s all that we had hoped for and… well, that’s about it. Apple’s now predictable keynote began with stats, ended with “one more thing” and detailed a few highlights throughout regarding the company’s latest creation, the iPhone 4. But one thing didn’t happen today: We weren’t blown away. We weren’t surprised. We didn’t jump up and down, screaming. We don’t even know if we’ll rush right out and get one. In fact, we might just skip the iPhone altogether and get an Android phone instead. Sponsor Blame Gizmodo if you will, for spoiling all our fun with its spy shots of the iPhone prototype “found” in a bar. But we don’t think that was the problem. No, the problem is that iPhone has lost its edge. Meanwhile, Android is killing it. iPhone 4 or Android? Case in point, here’s the conversation this blogger had with the spouse: Me: It’s only $199 to upgrade my iPhone! Him: Is it 4G? Me: No. Him: What’s cool about it? Me: Um, it’s got a better camera. And it’s faster. And it has a 3-axis gyro thingy. Him: What’s that? Me: This thing for games, it helps when you rotate the phone, the game rotates. Him: That’s cool, but you don’t really play games, do you? Me: Not really. But it has HD video recording! Him: So does your camera. Me: And threaded email… And video chat! Him: Over 3G? Me: Well, no. Over Wi-Fi. And only with other iPhones. But EVO has Qik, and that works over 4G, actually. Hmm, maybe I should just get an EVO. In fact, maybe I just will. While I’m at it, here are a few more things that Apple didn’t announce today: 1. 4G No, it was not the “iPhone 4G,” it was the iPhone 4. Why? Because AT&T isn’t set to roll out its 4G network until next year. And Apple didn’t surprise us by finally confirming the mythical Verizon iPhone – not that we expected it at this point. But still. Where’s my iPhone 4G already? 2. Cloud iTunes/OTA Sync Sure, Apple just bought Lala.com , but couldn’t they have at least teased us about the forthcoming “cloud iTunes?” After all, that’s what Google did. At its recent I/O conference, Google announced that an upcoming version of the Android Market would allow music and app downloads and automatic over-the-air sync. Is Apple even thinking about doing this? We have no idea. 3. 3G Video Chat FaceTime, Apple’s new mobile iChat-like application, will probably be fun, but it’s not game-changing. It only works over Wi-Fi for one thing (thanks, AT&T), not 3G. Meanwhile, Qik and Fring already have video chat apps for Android, and Skype is hinting at an Android app arriving this year. Oh, and Qik on EVO offers 4G video chat, too. 4. Mobile Hotspot In the current version of the Android operating system (the operating system!), there’s a feature that lets an Android phone function as a mobile hotspot. Carriers can choose to implement this feature or not. The iPhone, meanwhile, can be tethered for $20 extra per month via USB or Bluetooth on AT&T. 5. Free MobileMe Apple wants to compete with Google, but still charges $99/year for MobileMe (for the smallest package) while Google gives away its low-end services for free. That’s not working for us either. 6. Voice Input Trying to stop your dangerous texting while driving habit? Better get an Android phone. Although universal voice input is probably coming to the iPhone thanks to Apple’s acquisition of Siri – a cutting edge, voice-based digital assistant – it’s not here yet. When it is arriving, though? Apple’s reluctance to disclose future plans has us again, looking to Android, which does this right now. 7. Free navigation Navigation on the iPhone? There’s an app for that! Yep, but it’s not free . Google, meanwhile, offers Google Maps Navigation for free on all Android phones. Apple, either provide your own app or make nice with Google and use theirs, for goodness’ sake. 8. Dashboard We were halfway hoping that the recent news about Apple killing off all the dashboard apps on the iPhone and iPad meant the company was going to launch its own dashboard-like app similar to Android’s widgets. Guess we were wrong here, too. Conclusion? All this being said, the iPhone 4 is still a great smartphone thanks to other hardware-based innovations like its “retina display” (326 pixels per inch!), its integrated antennas, and its glass and stainless steel casing housing the thinnest iPhone to date: 9.3 mm thick. But now that the hardware has been modernized, maybe Apple can focus on the software? Discuss

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Lies, fake news about Facebook and outright scams have grown more common on the giant social network than weeds in a Farmville player’s fields. Now the problem has reached the very top of the organization, with one of only four members of Facebook’s hyper-exclusive Board of Directors apparently handing his account credentials over to a service that started spamming his friends with a fake offer of a “Facebook phone number.” If a guy like that falls for it, who can blame little old you or me if we fall for such a scam, too? Apparently the Board Member, investor Jim Breyer, has had his Facebook account suspended over the spam. “Users whose accounts have been compromised are put through a remediation process, where they must take steps to re-secure their account and learn security best practices,” a Facebook official told leading financial industry blog PEHub yesterday, “This is what happened with Mr. Breyer’s account.” If Facebook becomes all the more awash in scams and spams, this may be a key symbol of when the tide turned and it became too much. Sponsor If you’re a regular Facebook user and have friends outside the tech industry, you no doubt see all kinds of scams, spam and rumors being passed around. For example, that Facebook will soon start charging users for their accounts. (Totally untrue.) Facebook is now a very mainstream phenomenon, and so the same millions of people who are too busy doing other things in their lives to know what an internet browser or other basic technical matters are, now push messages around Facebook sometimes with little familiarity with how things work and with less friction than ever before. In as much as Facebook has brought push-button publishing and social graph technology to hundreds of millions of people around the world for the first time – this is a big challenge the company is going to have to deal with in order for its service to have maximum, long-lasting impact on our culture. Smart people fall for phishing scams, there’s nothing new about that. Phishing is old enough too that it probably doesn’t make sense to feel ashamed, either. In as much as Facebook has brought push-button publishing and social graph technology to hundreds of millions of people around the world for the first time – this is a big challenge the company is going to have to deal with in order for its service to have maximum, long-lasting impact on our culture. Can Facebook Kill the Spam? See also: What Happens When You Deactivate Your Facebook Account and “How Do I Delete My Facebook Account” – A Fast Growing Query Facebook does have a unique advantage over email, the company points out. When a message from a source is discovered to be spammy, the company can zap it system-wide all at once. Apparently that’s only proven so effective so far, though. If every social network rises and falls, though, effectively tackling this problem may be important to protecting the Facebook user experience from “pulling a MySpace.” When the problem reaches the very top of the company, it may be time to be concerned. MySpace took big steps to kill spam years ago, but not until it was too late and the company’s reputation was set. Can Facebook save itself from a similar fate? We’ll see. Discuss

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Should college students consider buying an iPad to use in place of netbook or notebook computer? Since the release of the new Apple slate device a week ago, this question has weighed on the minds of students, parents, teachers and school administrators alike. On the surface, the iPad seems like it could be the ideal device for mobile computing on campus with features like its optional iWork office suite, an Internet-connected bookstore called iBooks which supports the commonly used DRM-free ePub format, the 160,000+ applications available via iTunes, many of which are educational in nature and, of course, access to the greatest research tool ever invented: the Web. However, despite the iPad’s pluses, there are still some issues that students should consider before purchasing this device. Sponsor Problem #1: Wi-Fi Access (or Lack Thereof) The iPad comes in several models , each with varying storage sizes and Internet connectivity options. At the bottom of the lineup is the $499 Wi-Fi only 16 GB iPad, the model that money-strapped students can just barely afford, if they can afford an iPad at all. But without a 3G data connection, Internet access may be limited. In fact, students may not even be able to connect to their own college’s Wi-Fi network. For example, George Washington University’s I.T. Communications and Marketing Manager Rachel Blevins recently told a reporter at the school’s independent newspaper that the university’s wireless network would not work with the Apple iPad. The problem, explained Blevins, is “both a security and a support issue, because many of the small [personal digital assistants], smartphone, and pad systems use sign-in security, which is currently not compatible with our systems.” What Blevins is referring to is the VPN client software currently used at the university to connect students to resources typically limited to campus use only. Although the iPad software has built-in PPTP, IPSec, Cisco VPN software many universities (and of course, businesses too, as we pointed out earlier ) use SSL VPN, a more secure solution which is not supported by the iPad. That means that students with the Wi-Fi only iPad may not be able to connect to their college’s network – often the only method of Internet access available in classrooms and other on-campus hangouts. Problem #2: Writing Papers The iPad doesn’t come with a keyboard. Although one is available as an optional $69 accessory , the included keyboard on the iPad is a virtual, on-screen keypad. In tests, many iPad reviewers found this keyboard was surprisingly easier to type on than they expected, especially in landscape mode, but for students writing long term papers, it may still fall short. A generation from now, after kids have grown up with touchscreen technology , that may no longer be the case. But at the moment, most college students will likely prefer hardware keyboards. Another issue: when the paper is complete, many professors still require a printout, not an electronic document. However, the iPad doesn’t include a printing function. There are a few third-party applications that offer this ability ( WSJ’s Walt Mossberg recommends Print Online’s $5 app, for example), but none are as simple as a built-in technology would be. (Side note: printing support may be a feature added to the upcoming iPhone/iPad software Apple is announcing later today. Check back for an update). Problem #3 : iWork Doesn’t Work for Students? The optional iWork applications (Pages, Sheets and Keynote) are Apple’s version of Microsoft Office’s Word, Excel and Powerpoint. However, some are already finding them difficult to use for their purposes. One example: in the tests documented here , creating files on the iPad went well, but the sync solution provided by iTunes caused issues for the reviewer. We also noticed some problems ourselves, documented in an early review by Frederic Lardinois: “While you can easily import and export documents (Pages and Word) by email or through iTunes , complex documents don’t always survive this move intact,” Lardinois explained. “Footnotes and endnotes, for example, are simply deleted, making Pages for the iPad almost useless for a lot of students and academics. Tables of content simply become part of the text, which means that they don’t auto-update any more.” He also noted that Pages on the iPad doesn’t offer a word count, something many college students need in order to know if their paper meets a professor’s requirements. Finally, Apple’s document-sharing service iWork.com , while great for sharing files with other people, doesn’t function as a way to sync files between devices. Problem #4: No USB Port iPad’s lack of a USB port may not be an issue for some – so much of what we do now is web-based, after all. However, for college students who have become accustomed to porting their files around on keychain drives, the missing USB port requires a change in their workflow which may not fit in with their current lifestyle. Instead of being able to plug in a portable flash drive to the iPad as they could with their Mac or PC, files can only be sent to the iPad via iTunes sync, email or web download. There are some third-party applications that can help, but again, nothing is as good as a built-in solution. Conclusion: iPad’s a Great “In-Between” Device, But Not a Notebook Replacement Despite these disadvantages, the iPad still has a lot to offer college students as an additional device, if not a PC replacement. For example, Blackboard’s free iPad application looks quite useful. From the app, students can check grades and assignments, add discussion board comments and blog posts and email instructors and classmates. Plus, the iTunes Application Store has thousands of educational applications like advanced calculators, reference guides, dictionaries, note-taking apps, planners, utilities and much more. The iPad also plays podcasts, like those offered via iTunesU , the collection of audio and video presentations created by many universities to distribute recorded lectures, films, schedules, syllabi, notes, maps and other information to students. However, given the issues listed above, it’s clear that the iPad and its software – at least in its current form – is not able to fully replace a notebook computer. Some of the problems may be addressed in time with revisions to the device’s software, but for now the device remains a great “in-between” mobile gadget, not a next-gen notebook computer. Discuss

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