The role of the internet in Iran's recent unrest has been stunning; so too have been the regime's efforts to minimize it. Luckily for the government, Iran's networks are rigged for suppression, courtesy of Nokia and Siemens.

The core of the regime's online efforts is a process called deep packet inspection, which essentially scans nearly all internet traffic for offending material and can give authorities the ability to block the offending communications or, more importantly, identify where they came from. As you can imagine, this is quite a terrifying prospect for protesters, journalists and dissidents.

Here's how it happened: In 2008, the Iranian government contracted Nokia Siemens Networks, among others, to help update its communications infrastructure, predictably requesting power to monitor and control internet traffic. With the government's full monopoly on the industry and poor human rights record in full view, Nokia Siemens Networks obliged, installing a cutting-edge "monitoring center", which the WSJ calls one of the "most sophisticated" in the world.

Obviously Nokia and Siemens couldn't have foreseen this exact outcome, but honestly, what did they expect? For a government to use powers like this for good? [WSJ]

Fake Steve is writing as if he's slowly coming back from cryogenic sleep. Or something. Dan Lyons (the author of Fake Steve Jobs) says he couldn't resist posting, but he warns it may not go on for long. [CoM]

Attention manufacturers: don't even think about flying, R/C Terminator helicopter heads. Bladez has already cornered the market for this hot item.

Features:

•Combat Function – Terminator V Resistance Battles
•Hit opponent 3 times to disarm the enemy
•Terminator branded helicopter, handset and packaging
•Realistic battle sound effects
•Coaxial structure enabling steady flight
•10 meter range, 8 mins (approx) flight time
•High spec lipo battery Li-Po 3.7V 100mAh
•Crash friendly blades fold on impact
•Tri-band switch allow 3 helicopters to fly together
•Precision digital proportional control
•Sticker set to personalize resistance and Terminator helicopter and handset.
•Infra red

So why flying Terminator heads? Perhaps someone at Bladez had a bad dream. Perhaps this was one of the concepts voted too absurd even for the filmmakers behind Terminator Salvation. Whatever the reason, it does exist—and it can be yours for about $50. [Bladez via Likecool via OhGizmo]

It's not hard to spend $16,000 (or much, much more) on a wedding. So you might as well get a zero gravity flight out of the deal.

New Yorkers Erin Finnegan and Noah Fulmor tied the knot on Zero Gravity Corp's G-Force One, a padded Boeing 727-200 flown with parabolic zero-g-inducing maneuvers.

The bride had to tie her hair down so that it didn't float. The groom wired his tux tails so that they wouldn't develop a mind of their own.

As you might expect, the ceremony was actually quite awkward since it consisted of a multiple microgravity first-timers donning formal gowns. At one point, a member of the bridal party's ring floated off, confusing the bride and groom as to just what to do with a third wedding band.

And then there was the magic of the first kiss:"The physics of the first kiss were off. I could feel where I was going, I knew where I needed to be, but it was hard to reconcile the differences," he told reporters.

"Noah knocked into my nose and I thought it would bleed," Finnegan said.

Beautiful. Read the full story over at Reuters. [Reuters via Bornrich]

If you're willing to fork over $1500, the Vaio P got a slight spec jump this morning as you can now score one with a 1.6GHz Atom processor (up from 1.33GHz).

More notably, that price also includes a 128GB SSD, GPS and Verizon Mobile Broadband module. Still...$1500? That's like...a whole lot to spend for an internet connected makeup case—as pretty as that makeup case may be. [SonyStyle via Engadget]

If you are the person responsible for supplying the office with Dunkin' Donuts products, prepare to have your mind blown. Dunkin' Donuts new "Dunkin' Run" iPhone app is going to change your life forever.

Dunkin' Run brings customers a completely new and unique social online group ordering experience and tools. To begin, "Runners" can initiate a group order on www.DunkinRun.com through their computer or mobile device, or via an iPhone application available for free download at the iTunes online store. Immediately, interactive alerts are sent to the Runner's list of friends or co-workers, telling them when a trip to Dunkin' Donuts is planned along with a personal message inviting them to place an order online. Invitees can view the Dunkin' Donuts menu to place their order, and registered users can select from their own personal list of favorites and/or previous orders. All Dunkin' Donuts core foods and beverages are presented using interactive product images to make personalizing an order both simple and fun.

All of the orders are integrated onto a single page/screen which the Runner either prints or uses their iPhone or mobile device to bring to any Dunkin' Donuts store. Dunkin' Donuts crew members will use this checklist to fulfill orders quickly and ensure order accuracy. The Runner can also use this page as a checklist to ensure that everyone in the group gets what he or she ordered.

Hear that? It's everyone in Boston cheering and weeping with happiness. [iTunes and Dunkin Run]

DUNKIN' DONUTS UNVEILS "DUNKIN' RUN(tm)" TECHNOLOGY
TO MAKE GROUP ORDERS FASTER, EASIER AND MORE FUN

Unprecedented new web tools and iPhone app
create a unique social online group ordering experience for Dunkin' Donuts customers

CANTON, MA (June 22, 2009) — America still runs on Dunkin', but today everything changes for anyone responsible for getting Dunkin' Donuts coffee and baked goods to keep friends or colleagues running. Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, today unveiled "Dunkin' Run(tm)," an innovative interactive web site and iPhone application that will enable customers to solicit and place Dunkin' Donuts group orders in just a few clicks with unprecedented ease, speed, accuracy and fun.

Dunkin' Run brings customers a completely new and unique social online group ordering experience and tools. To begin, "Runners" can initiate a group order on www.DunkinRun.com through their computer or mobile device, or via an iPhone application available for free download at the iTunes online store. Immediately, interactive alerts are sent to the Runner's list of friends or co-workers, telling them when a trip to Dunkin' Donuts is planned along with a personal message inviting them to place an order online. Invitees can view the Dunkin' Donuts menu to place their order, and registered users can select from their own personal list of favorites and/or previous orders. All Dunkin' Donuts core foods and beverages are presented using interactive product images to make personalizing an order both simple and fun.

All of the orders are integrated onto a single page/screen which the Runner either prints or uses their iPhone or mobile device to bring to any Dunkin' Donuts store. Dunkin' Donuts crew members will use this checklist to fulfill orders quickly and ensure order accuracy. The Runner can also use this page as a checklist to ensure that everyone in the group gets what he or she ordered.

According to Dunkin' Donuts' Brand Marketing Officer, Frances Allen, Dunkin' Run is a powerful example of the company's commitment to bring value to people in new and innovative ways. "People love Dunkin' Donuts because more than any other brand, we're all about offering high-quality, easy-to-order products and getting our customers on their way and back into their busy lives as quickly as possible," she said. "Dunkin' Run extends that same spirit and commitment to the office, the dorm or any group, leveraging fun and exciting online and mobile tools to make it even faster and easier to keep yourself and others running with a great cup of coffee or a breakfast sandwich any time of day."

Dunkin' Run was a joint collaboration between Dunkin' Donuts and its advertising and digital agencies of record, Hill Holliday and Studiocom, respectively.

"We conceived of Dunkin' Run as a social application that helps hard-working Americans stay slightly more productive," said Baba Shetty, Hill Holliday's Chief Media Officer. "It's based on the idea of reciprocity - I'll get your coffee today and hopefully you'll get mine tomorrow - in a way that perfectly complements the 'we're in it together' ethos of the Dunkin' Donuts brand."

"Dunkin' Donuts has always been an innovator, so developing new ways to socially engage with consumers via the mobile web and the iPhone application is an extension of that tradition," said Thomas Spicer, Managing Director of Studiocom. "We created a platform that simplifies and expands upon existing consumer behaviors, making it easier and more convenient for groups to interact and order, whether they are at home, work or on the go."

We get it, Associated Press, Paul Simon wrote a popular song with the word "Kodachrome" in it. But that's only a tiny—if annoying catchy—part of the film's tremendous legacy, which stretches back to 1935.

On a technical level, Kodachrome—the first truly popular color film—is a dinosaur, requiring color to be added during development in a process which a particularly charitable technician might call "exacting." Nonetheless, for decades many photographers swore by the format for its color accuracy, versatility, and pedigree. Today, just one lab still processes the film, and it makes up less than one percent of Kodak's total still film sales, which, let's face it, probably aren't very high right now.

What sounds like a boring, inevitable "death of film" story at first is transformed into something of a tragedy with context—a favorite of motion and still film professionals, Kodachrome film is behind some of the most iconic images of our, our parents', and our grandparents' times: Steve McCurry's famous "Afghan Girl" photo for National Geographic, above, was shot on the film, as was Zapruder's video of Kennedy's assassination. (See this interview for McCurry's thoughts on Kodachrome). Kodak has assembled a gallery of the film's greatest hits, excerpted here. It's fairly spectacular, even to a child of the digital age. [AP]

Credit: Steve McCurry, via Kodak
Credit: Steve McCurry, via Kodak
Credit: Steve McCurry, via Kodak
Credit: Steve McCurry, via Kodak

We get it, Associated Press, Paul Simon wrote a popular song with the word "Kodachrome" in it. But that's only a tiny—if annoying catchy—part of the film's tremendous legacy, which stretches back to 1935.

On a technical level, Kodachrome—the first truly popular color film—is a dinosaur, requiring color to be added during development in a process which a particularly charitable technician might call "exacting." Nonetheless, for decades many photographers swore by the format for its color accuracy, versatility, and pedigree. Today, just one lab still processes the film, and it makes up less than one percent of Kodak's total still film sales, which, let's face it, probably aren't very high right now.

What sounds like a boring, inevitable "death of film" story at first is transformed into something of a tragedy with context—a favorite of motion and still film professionals, Kodachrome film is behind some of the most iconic images of our, our parents', and our grandparents' times: Steve McCurry's famous "Afghan Girl" photo for National Geographic, above, was shot on the film, as was Zapruder's video of Kennedy's assassination. (See this interview for McCurry's thoughts on Kodachrome). Kodak has assembled a gallery of the film's greatest hits, excerpted here. It's fairly spectacular, even to a child of the digital age. [AP]

Credit: Steve McCurry, via Kodak
Credit: Steve McCurry, via Kodak
Credit: Steve McCurry, via Kodak

HP just announced their new HP Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web, which has a web-connected touchpanel on the front, allowing you to print out content such as maps and coupons, straight from your printer.

The Touchsmart Web UI has a widescreen panel about 4" in size which has a series of thumbnails that you flick through to access web content. In addition, the printer will come with an open API, letting any web content developer create widgets for the printer.

Showing off content demos from partners such as Google, Snapfish and USA Today, HP is convinced this will "revolutionize" and "change the way people think about printing." While that remains to be seen, we do know the printer itself is wi-fi enabled, can copy/scan/fax and will cost $99.

HP just announced their new HP Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web, which has a web-connected touchpanel on the front, allowing you to print out content such as maps and coupons, straight from your printer.

The Touchsmart Web UI has a widescreen panel about 4" in size which has a series of thumbnails that you flick through to access web content. In addition, the printer will come with an open API, letting any web content developer create widgets for the printer.

Showing off content demos from partners such as Google, Snapfish, Fandango and USA Today, HP is convinced this will "revolutionize" and "change the way people think about printing." While that remains to be seen, we do know the printer itself is wi-fi enabled, can copy/scan/fax and will cost $399.