Orange spokesperson Therese Wenger told the SDA news agency that it has secured rights to release the iPhone (3G version, presumably) in Switzerland and more than 10 other countries -- take that Swisscom!... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 1:40 pm
Strap a weird keyboard to your hand with rubber bands that cut off the circulation -- a feature that keeps you from using too many minutes, perhaps. Speak into your pinky, listen to your thumb. This is a step forward in handset technology? It's a concept ... yeah.
Tom sez, "mySociety's WhatDoTheyKnow.com (an in-beta UK Freedom of Information service), has just added a piece of functionality perfect for the blogging classes.
Just drop in any search term (I've used 'adwords' because one of the results is amusing/amazing) and it can generate RSS feeds when new requests or responses enter the system. So if you live in the UK and want to know whenever anyone has made a Freedom of Information request or got a response mentioning something you're interested in, you can now get notified immediately. Basically, it's a cool hack on a good law."
Link
(Thanks, Tom!)
The Fizz Cup is a cup that screws on to the top of a pop bottle. You fill it with ice-cream and squeeze the bottle and the soda rushes over the ice-cream and turns into an ice-cream float that fizzes out and into your gob, sparing you the mess of making ice-cream floats the old way.
Link
(via Shiny Shiny)
Here's a scan of the 1983 Byte review of the Compaq, the first "portable" PC clone. I think I still have a rotator cuff injury from carrying one of these around.
Ultimate Compatibility When a company advertises a computer as being “IBM PC-compatible,” the best way to test its claim is to try to load an IBM release of PC-DOS, CP/M-86, or the UCSD p-system. I didn’t have the p-system, but I did have both PC-DOS and CP/M-86 and was able to try both of them on a prototype of the Compaq computer. The systems loaded and executed perfectly, with the exception of the BASIC on PC-DOS, which wouldn’t execute because the Compaq doesn’t have ROM BASIC. The BASICA provided on disk and all of the IBM PC sample BASIC programs found on the PC-DOS disk ran without incident. I also tried some CP/M-86 assembler-level software that I had written, and it worked without a hitch as well. I spent about an hour loading and running a number of game programs and some professional packages such as Wordstar and Supercalc. With one exception, they all worked correctly. The one that didn’t was a game program that ran perfectly but died when I tried to terminate the game. One of the programmers told me that the problem was probably a result of not initializing the hardware correctly when the system was powered up. The company assured me that the problem would be solved before any machines were shipped.
Foreign Policy Magazine's roundup of the world's most dangerous gangs kind of stretches the definition of "gang" -- 100,000 armed men, operating in the open with impunity? I'm thinking "army," not gang.
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), United States and Central America
Membership: 70,000 worldwide (60,000 in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, plus 10,000 in 42 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.)
Stronghold: Central America and U.S. suburbs
Known for: elaborate tattoos (which makes ending gang membership almost impossible), suburban bloodshed, and a loose but widespread network of subsidiary groups, perfect for disseminating drugs and brutal violence
Why they’re dangerous: The MS-13 grew out of a posse (mara) of street-tough Salvadorans (Salvatruchas) who fled to Southern California in the 1980s in the wake of El Salvador’s bloody civil war. With each new wave of vulnerable immigrants from Central America, MS-13 grew in strength and breadth, forming a lose cohort of semiautonomous subsidiary gangs across the United States and Central America. Though their hallmark tattoos and violent outbursts dot North America, analysts are still uncertain just how interconnected the maras really are. In the United States, the strongest maras are based in Southern California, the northeast, and the mid-Atlantic, including the Washington, D.C., metro area. Just last spring, Salvatruchas hacked away at a rival gang member in the D.C. suburb of Alexandria, Virginia. But U.S. maras are nothing compared with their counterparts further south. Fueled by gang members deported from the States, maras in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala terrorize police and residents in hundreds of communities across the region.
biscuitfever11 writes "Bletchley Park, the home of Station X, Britain's secret code-breaking base during World War II, barely scraping by financially, as shown in these images compiled by ZDNet this week. The site has undergone major redevelopment as an act of remembrance for the Allied efforts to break the German Enigma code, but now its future is clouded — among others, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation turned them down for financial assistance (since it doesn't have to do with the Internet). Its director estimates that Bletchley Park's funds will be exhausted in three years. Hungry land developers are circling. This is an insightful look at what's happened to Bletchley Park these days and the pain it's going through."
Wired's got a strange and evocative slideshow of paleo-air-hostesses from the early days of commercial aviation online. Did they really fly long-haul in miniskirts and knee-high high-heeled boots? Christ, they must have been in agony.
Link
Artist Dan Funderburgh is currently exhibiting his collection of beautifully laser-etched, lacy and whimsical hand-tools (and other metal bits) at Riviera gallery.
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(via Make)
By Luke Anderson I've always enjoyed the fact that I've made it this far in my life without any addictions. I don't smoke, do illegal drugs or even drink all that much. But the sad truth is that I am an... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 12:51 pm
By Luke Anderson How often do you look at your power strips? Honestly, I do my best to keep them out of site, as they aren't really anything special to look at. If you had a cool looking strip, would you... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 12:50 pm
France's Cartonnistes sculpt beautiful, whimsical full-size furniture from old cardboard -- and offer workshops on making your own pieces.
Link
(via Cribcandy)
The picture that accompanies this post is not of a polar bear, it's of a political football. Wednesday's decision to list the bears as a threatened species, everyone involved seems to agree, did very little... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 12:47 pm
Sharon's Tiny Buildings blog features many delightful tiny buildings made from card, packaging, and odds and sods. This is my kind of model village.
The third 'chapel' happens to be an attempt to replicate the actual building, in a vineyard, where the reception was held. It is a beautiful old stone farm building, with a loft space for parties and weddings and such.
This invitation was handmade by the couple, with loads of patience, creativity, and joy, it seems. They used small strips of colorful illustrations from magazines and other sources to create obi-wrapped bundles of paper. The colors they selected evoked the Tuscany-like place they had their ceremony; and were a great contrast with the naive austerity of the printed invitation.
An anonymous reader brings news that Verizon Wireless has announced plans to use a Linux-based software platform for phones on its network. Verizon is the first US mobile carrier to join the Linux Mobile Foundation, the goal of which is to "collaboratively develop a comprehensive Linux-based mobile software stack that can be modified easily and used at no cost on a wide range of hardware devices." Many had expected Verizon to go with Android, but according to the Register, Verizon feels Android "isn't as open as it would prefer." Continuing: "Yes, Google bills Android as open. And, yes, it's backed by the Open Handset Alliance, another industry consortium calling for the open development of mobile apps. But [Verizon spokesman Jeffrey] Nelson argues that at this point, Google is calling the shots. 'Google said "Here's the plan. Sign on the dotted line if you support." It may end up being collaborative. It may end up being collegial. But it need not be.' He actually has a point. But maybe Verizon just wants more control over the situation. It should be noted that the company made sure it has a place on the LiMo board. In any event, Verizon says that customers will be free to attach any device and any application to its network by the end of the year - provided those devices and applications met certain minimum specifications. So, in theory, you'll have free rein to attach an Android phone even if you don't buy it from Verizon."
They fought like cats and dogs for a long time but now the OLPC nonprofit that wants to put a $100 laptop in the hands of every poor kid around the world has let Microsoft into the tent. The inclusion of Windows on the meant-to-be Linux box will raise the price (already $188 anyway) but could lead to new hardware design efficiencies that drops the price.
They fought like cats and dogs for a long time but now the OLPC nonprofit that wants to put a $100 laptop in the hands of every poor kid around the world has let Microsoft into the tent. The inclusion of Windows on the meant-to-be Linux box will raise the price (already $188 anyway) but could lead to new hardware design efficiencies that drops the price.
I’ve been talking with folks lately about the need to develop distributed strategies for news, which includes: * Widgets that enable people to embed your news (and links and brand) anywhere. * A... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 11:40 am
French wireless operator Orange said Friday it has signed a deal with Apple Inc. to sell its iPhone in the Middle East, Africa and several European countries. Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 11:37 am
French wireless operator Orange said Friday it has signed a deal with Apple Inc. to sell its iPhone in the Middle East, Africa and several European countries. France Telecom's Orange... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 11:23 am
SAN DIEGO and LONDON, May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated , a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, today announced that it has acquired 40 MHz (1452-1492 MHz) of L-Band radio spectrum recently auctioned by UK communications regulator Ofcom, at a cost of GPB 8,334,000. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Napolitano, Alessandra De Lucia, Maria; Panzella, Lucia; d'Ischia, Marco ABSTRACT The characteristic absorption and photochemical properties of pheomelanins are generally attributed to "benzothiazine" structural units derived biogenetically from 5-S- cysteinyldopa. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Anonymous Clariant International Ltd. and Zhejiang Baihe Chemical Holding Group today announced the expansion of the Hangzhou Baihe Clariant Pigments Co. joint venture by investing in a plant for the production of Quinacridone specialty organic pigments. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Bart Mills, The Lima News, Ohio May 16--LIMA -- The $290 billion farm bill finally passed the House and Senate, but that doesn't mean the debate has ended. The Senate approved the bill 81-15 Thursday, just a day after the House gave it overwhelming approval. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Jenny Haworth ANIMAL, bird and fish populations across the world have plummeted by almost a third in the past 35 years because of humans demanding too much from the planet, according to a new report. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Kevin Brass The developer Nakheel has released the master blueprint for Waterfront City in Dubai, the centerpiece of a plan to transform 130 million square meters of empty desert into an urban center twice the size of Hong Kong. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
Los Angeles can lay claim to more than the Hollywood Bowl, Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Venice Beach boardwalk. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Sharif Durhams, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. May 16--Cabarrus County building industry leaders will join a lawsuit to challenge a fee developers pay to build county schools. Builders announced their plans at a public meeting Thursday night. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Cathy Benson cathy.benson@botetourtview.com Irene Backman of Buchanan saw what she believes to be a mountain lion at 10 a.m. on April 8 on James River Terrace just south of Buchanan. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Curtis Morgan, The Miami Herald May 16--Water managers on Thursday moved toward permanently imposing the twice-weekly irrigation restrictions on homeowners now in place across South Florida. Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Michael Biesecker, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C. May 16--RALEIGH -- A panel appointed by Gov. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Scott, David Meerman Whenever I begin a speech, I ask a series of four questions and have the audience raise their hands if the answer to a question is "yes." Consider your answers: In the past 2 months, either privately or professionally, in order to find an answer to a problem or research (or buy) a product, have you: 1) Responded to a direct mail advertisement? 2) Used magazines, newspapers, TV, or radio? 3) Used Google or another search engine? 4) Emailed a friend, colleague, or family member (or used instant message, chat room, or equivalent) ... Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Brynko, Barbara Back in 1984, Information Today rolled off the presses for the first time as "The Newspaper for Users and Producers of Electronic Information." And here we are 25 years later, delivering the news and trends that shape our industry today. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercury Nashville's super duo Sugarland will release their third studio album entitled, LOVE ON THE INSIDE, July 22. Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush co-wrote all 13 tracks and have teamed up with Byron Gallimore again to produce. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
Siemens Home and Office Communication Devices (SHC) is enlarging its portfolio of WiMAX end-user devices with the addition of an outdoor modem. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c91918) has announced the addition of new e-Marketer report, "Mobile Social Networking: Connecting to Consumers" to their offering. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Kenneth C. Crowe II, Albany Times Union, N.Y. May 16--TROY -- If you're trying to figure out what to do with the kids on a summer day, Connected Kids may have the answer. Connected Kids is an online resource that provides information about youth services. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Reschke, Debra A listing of IT companies providing services for the petroleum marketing industry IN TODAY'S BUSINESS WORLD, MANAGING TECHNOLOGY IS OF critical importance for petroleum retailers. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Frank Norton, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C. May 16--Morrisville-based eTix is expanding locally and raised $1 million to add several sales and marketing positions this year. Founded in 1999, eTix has grown to about 70 employees worldwide, including 40 locally. Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 16 May 2008 | 11:00 am
By Andrew Liszewski Remember when I was all excited because someone put one of the Tim Burton era Batmobiles on eBay? Well I'm glad the auction was removed because it allowed me to save my money for this... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 10:23 am
By Andrew Liszewski The Titanic falls into the same category as Mickey Mouse in that it's probably harder to find someone who hasn't heard of it, than someone who has. But if you're not familiar with the... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 10:04 am
willyhill writes "I'm a Sci-Fi and Fantasy book nut, but in the last few years I've found it more and more difficult to find the time to read. Contrary to what most people would think, I actually have a hard time finding books, rather than cuddling up with them. In reality, I don't have time to mess around at my local Barnes & Noble and browse books, and I find it dicey and expensive to do the same at Amazon or other online retailers. I was looking at a magazine the other day and I found an advert for the Science Fiction Book Club. While my experience with CD clubs and the like in the past has not been entirely positive, I was prepared to give it a shot given the fact that it would be less expensive than Amazon in the long run. The problem was that their selection is not exactly grand. Having read the Simmons Hyperion Cantos, for example, I was ready to give Ilium a go, but I could only find its sequel. How do other readers get their hands on Sci-Fi books? I tried Googling for book clubs and the like, but there's too much static out there, mostly caused by Oprah. Any suggestions would be appreciated!"
ZYB, a mobile social network that we gave high marks to in August 2007, has been acquired by Vodafone for 31.5 million, or about $50 million. The company had raised just 3 million in venture capital. ZYB... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:09 am
By Evan Ackerman This week on BotJunkie, we spent the weekend getting drunk on robots at RoboExoticUS, were slightly disturbed to learn that Wall-E's Eve is more or less designed by Apple, felt a whole... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNBlogTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:06 am
HUGHESVILLE, Pa., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local Lycoming County residents in the northern part of... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:05 am
BEAVER SPRINGS, Pa., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local Snyder County residents in the Beaver Springs, Snyder... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:05 am
BENTON HARBOR, Mich., May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At least two of every three consumers consider their kitchens cluttered, according to a recent survey conducted by... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:00 am
EAGAN, Minn., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Four out of 10 American adults say they pay little or no attention to the political opinion polls that tell them which presidential... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:00 am
SINGAPORE, May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Flextronics (Nasdaq: FLEX) today announced that Thomas J. Smach is resigning as chief financial officer to pursue other... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:00 am
WALTHAM, Mass., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Ounce Labs(TM), the industry leader in software risk analysis, today announced that it has signed a Global Alliance Partner program Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:00 am
ORLANDO, Fla., May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), announced today a new promotion with Bill Me Later,... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:00 am
MCLEAN, Va., May 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. ("Booz Allen") today announced that it will separate its US government and global... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:00 am
SANTA ANA and SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ExaDigm, Inc., the leading innovator of wired and wireless point-of-sale (POS) terminal solutions,... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsTech | 16 May 2008 | 9:00 am
longacre writes "The Associated Press is reporting an indictment has been handed down in the sad case of Megan Meier, the girl who committed suicide after receiving upsetting MySpace messages from someone she perceived to be her boyfriend. It was later determined the boy, Josh Evans, was a fictitious identity created by a neighbor of Meier's family. Lori Drew, of a St. Louis suburb, has been charged with 'one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to get information used to inflict emotional distress on the girl.' Interestingly, despite the alleged crime having occurred strictly in Missouri, the case was investigated by the FBI's St. Louis and Los Angeles field offices, and the trial will be held in Los Angeles, home of MySpace's servers. Wired is running a related story about the potentially 'scary' precedent this case could set."
Patients with deficient levels at the time of diagnosis are more likely to have their cancer metastasize and turn deadly, researchers say. But experts caution against treating cancer with supplements... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 7:00 am
Electronic files that Bogota says prove Venezuela offered aid to FARC rebels are found to be unaltered. Interpol... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 7:00 am
The defeat could mean fewer jobs at Boeing's El Segundo facility, which would have made the satellites. In another... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 7:00 am
The proxy battle is on as the billionaire investor backs an alternative slate of directors aiming to revive merger talks with Microsoft. ... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 7:00 am
The network hopes the deal will greatly expand its advertising reach on the Web. Critics say the broadcaster's $1.8-billion offer is too high. ... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 7:00 am
A Minnesota woman ordered to pay $222,000 in the nation's first music download trial may get another chance with a jury. Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 7:00 am
narramissic and several others have written to point out that Carl Icahn has initiated a proxy battle with Yahoo's board of directors over their rejection of Microsoft's bid for the company in February. Icahn has purchased millions of Yahoo shares over the past week and assembled a group of nine other investors (including Mark Cuban) to persuade the board to resume talks with Microsoft. Yahoo remains unimpressed. Icahn's letter to Yahoo accuses: "It is unconscionable that you have not allowed your shareholders to choose to accept an offer that represented a 72% premium over Yahoo's closing price of $19.18 on the day before the initial Microsoft offer. I and many of your shareholders strongly believe that a combination between Yahoo and Microsoft would form a dynamic company and more importantly would be a force strong enough to compete with Google on the Internet."
In today's Boing Boing tv, More gems from Bay Area Maker Faire 2008: Boing Boing co-editor David Pescovitz speaks with Kaden Harris, author of Eccentric Cubicle, and the brains behind Eccentricgenius.ca -- eccentric antiques from a parallel universe. He shows us his Silicon Projectile Centrifuge (a lovely lethal weapon that shoots marbles at high velocity), a combination lamp/bong, and other exotica from the halls of beautiful Eccentric Manors.
Then, Xeni is zapped by Jack Sparx, who uses his body as an electrical transformer, zapping all who come near with low-level shocks in the name of science. As Xeni demonstrates, the jolts from his mini-Tesla Coils are not *that* low-level, either.
Bonus: ironic t-shirt catwalk; Xeni and the BBtv crew stopped Maker Faire attendees in their tracks, and asked them to explain their hipster t-shirts.
sciencehabit writes "New calculations suggest that black holes are not a one-way street. Anything that falls into them may eventually come out. The findings lend important support to quantum gravity, but fly in the face of Einsteinian relativity. They also support Stephen Hawking's reluctant admission that information couldn't be destroyed by black holes. Penn State researcher Ahbay Ashtekar was quoted saying, 'Once we realized that the notion of space-time as a continuum is only an approximation of reality, it became clear to us that singularities are merely artifacts of our insistence that space-time should be described as a continuum.' Let the physics infighting begin."
DALLAS - Yahoo Inc. , defending itself against Carl Icahn's bid to take control of the board, said it was right to reject Microsoft Corp.'s $47.5 billion offer and that its directors are the most qualified... Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 4:00 am
NEW YORK - CBS Corp. agreed to buy CNET Networks Inc. , a technology news provider, for about $1.8 billion to become one of the 10 largest website companies. Source: Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperTech | 16 May 2008 | 4:00 am
Lasers are like your favorite uncle who can do no wrong. You know, the one who's always hip to the latest technology, does amazing magic tricks at all the family dinners, always photographs well, and has more than once saved baby Med-Tech from a burning house of boring. All the other technologies wish they were he, and Wired.com readers openly admit he's their favorite.
So in celebration of one of our greatest news topics here at Wired.com, we've selected a compilation of the best recent laser appearances on our site. Thanks for the memories, Big L. (Have your own favorite laser news item? Let us know in the comments.)
Scientists have switched on the world's most powerful laser, which for one-trillionth of a second is 2,000 times more powerful than all the power plants in the United States. The laser's output tops a petawatt, which is a quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) watts of power.
The power of a laser, its output in watts, is determined by the energy of the laser pulse, measured in joules, divided by its duration, measured in seconds (tiny fractions of a second in this case). So, to get high power, you can either turn up the energy or cram the same amount of energy into a shorter duration pulse -- or do both. The problem is that turning up the energy makes it more difficult to get short pulses.
The solution to this problem requires an almost Rube Goldberg setup inside a 1,500-square-foot clean room. The most powerful laser in the world starts, poetically enough, with a "seed laser" that puts out a wimpy nanojoule of energy for a couple of hundred femtoseconds (that's 10-15 seconds). It must be run through a series of amplifiers, compressors and stretchers before it can recreate the conditions inside the sun for a trillionth of a second.
Photo: Courtesy Mikael Martinez and Texas Petawatt Project, led by Todd Ditmire
If Dr. Evil of Austin Powers fame were more musically minded, he may have demanded something like the beamz -- a musical instrument with "fricking lasers" attached to it. This large USB peripheral includes six laser beams that, when broken, activate elements of 30 songs stored on your computer.
Forget stickers. Real geeks show their commitment with something more permanent: laser engraving. And Jason Fields takes your etching and raises you one QR code. Sure, it's too big for most little QR readers to handle, and the gray on gray isn't exactly contrasty, but Jason has squeezed in his "e-mail signature file, postal address, with links to my blog and twitter pages as well."
This is the Tele Atlas map machine, a Toyota van tricked out with tens of thousands of dollars worth of cameras, laser range detectors and global-positioning hardware. The laser sensors on the back (the devices labeled SICK) are used to determine the height of overpasses and buildings to help delivery vehicles find the route with the most overhead clearance.
Raydiance, a startup company in Petaluma, California, has developed a laser it says can cleanly cut just about any material you can think of -- from human skin to glass -- without throwing off heat or damaging the surface.
This glass slide is seconds away from being ablated by the Raydiance USP laser.
A new patent granted to Lockheed Martin seeks to combine multiple lasers into a single, higher-power beam, which would, in theory, help achieve the power output needed for laser weapons. The patent outlines a method to "combine multiple laser beams into a single coherent beam without requiring insertion of optical elements into the laser beam."
Ph.D. student Elliot Fraval (left) and Dr. Jevon Longdel perform scientific measurements on light in the lab at Laser Physics Centre at Australian National University.
For decades, scientists have been slowly working on a laser that never runs out of shots -- and can be "tuned" to blast through the air, at just the right wavelength. For most of that time, all they could get was a laser at light-bulb strength. But researchers at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility finally managed in 2004 to assemble a "Free Electron Laser," or FEL, that could generate 10,000 watts of power.
Now the Navy has started an effort to design and build a new FEL, 10 times as strong. That would bring the laser up to 100 kilowatts -- what's considered the minimum threshold for weapons grade. But it would also be just a steppingstone on the way to an energy weapon as powerful as any produced. If ray gun researchers can get the thing to work, that is.
They can do everything from nuclear fusion to vaginal rejuvenation, so you know it's a mathematical certainty that lasers = awesome. Plus, your right to tinker with dirt-cheap lasers in your basement is all but guaranteed in the Constitution! With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite DIY laser hacks. (Disclaimer: If you are foolhardy enough to try any of these and end up maiming yourself or getting sucked into the Tron game grid, something else was probably going to remove you from the gene pool soon anyway.)
It might not cut as effectively as a lightsaber, or even a real laser cutter, but at least your lines will be (theoretically) straight.
At $20, though, it's probably too cheap to actually do its job. If you've ever used a cheap saw you know that the blade will flex and buck, leaving your supposedly neat cut looking about as straight as Earring Magic Ken. And the laser doesn't even come with a battery. We say: Avoid. You'll get a better result with an old popsicle stick.
What's cooler than a green laser? A green laser that paints semirandom moving spirograph patterns on your wall. Toronto-based hardware hacker Artur Petrovskyy shows you how to make one of your own from about $80 in parts in a new how-to on Instructables.com: Laser show for poor man.
1960: Physicist Theodore Maiman uses a synthetic-ruby crystal to create the first laser.
Maiman began tinkering with electronic devices in his teens and even earned college money repairing appliances and radios. He was working at the Hughes Research Laboratories of the Hughes Aircraft company in Malibu, California, when he built the first working laser.
The laser is a device that produces monochromatic (all the same wavelength), coherent (all the waves in phase) light. Today they're used in eye surgery, dentistry, range-finding, astronomical measurement, and welding and other manufacturing uses. You'll find them at the heart of scientific instruments, communications networks, weapons, music systems and supermarket scanners. Lasers are everywhere.
The concept was already bouncing around in the research world in 1960. Arthur L. Schawlow of Bell Labs and Charles H. Townes of Columbia University had written a 1958 paper and patent application proposing an optical version of the maser, or microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.
Columbia grad student Gordon Gould jotted the idea in his notebook in 1957 and applied for a patent in 1959. He'd delayed because at first he thought he needed a working apparatus to apply. But it was Gould who coined the word laser.
Maiman made his own alterations to the Schawlow-Townes concept. He coated the ends of a ruby with silver mirrors, one coating thinner to let some light escape as a beam. He used a flash tube to energize the crystal's atoms. Maiman enclosed the whole shebang in a polished aluminum tube.
Schawlow and the Bell researchers heard of Maiman's realization of their concept with mixed emotions, but they soon bested him by using an arc lamp to produce a continuous, rather than pulse, laser.
Bell got its patent in 1960. Maiman applied for a patent for "Ruby Laser Systems" in 1961, but didn't receive it until 1967. Gould spent decades mired in lawsuits before winning some patents in 1977.
The 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics went to Townes for the laser and Soviets Nicolay Basov and Aleksandr Prokhorov for their earlier work on the maser. Schawlow was acknowledged in the 1964 presentation speech and went on to share the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physics for his "contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy."
Maiman was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize, but did not win it. He received many other awards before his death in 2007 at age 79.
Multiple readers have written to let us know that an experiment at the upcoming Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference will use RFID to track the movements of at least 1,500 registrants for the duration of the conference. Those movements will be transmitted onto screens which "show in real-time where people go, with whom they associate, for how long and how often." The system will also be used for games which involve manipulation of the available data. Meanwhile, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a method for testing large quantities of RFID tags, which may serve to greatly speed distribution.
In their eagerness to prosecutor a 49-year-old woman involved in the Megan Meier suicide tragedy, federal officials are making novel use of an anti-hacking law, potentially making a felon out of anybody who violates the terms-of-service on any website they visit.
Apro+im points out a NYTimes report which states that Microsoft and the OLPC project have officially agreed to put Windows XP on the XO laptop. While Microsoft has been working toward this for some time, analysts began to think a deal was more likely after Walter Bender resigned from the project and was replaced by Charles Kane. Former OLPC security developer Ivan Krstic had a lot to say about Windows on the XO as well. From the Times: "Windows will add a bit to the price of the machines, about $3, the licensing fee Microsoft charges to some developing nations under a program called Unlimited Potential. For those nations that want dual-boot models, running both Windows and Linux, the extra hardware required will add another $7 or so to the cost of the machines, Mr. Negroponte said. The project's agreement with Microsoft involves no payment by the software giant, and Microsoft will not join One Laptop Per Child's board. 'We've stayed very pure,' Mr. Negroponte said.
GameSpot is reporting that details for Guitar Hero 4 have been released. The biggest news seems to be that the new release will be adding drums and vocals a la Rock Band. The new drums are to offer three pressure-sensitive pads (which can tell if you are just tapping or really wailing), two elevated cymbals, and a pedal. "The details in Game Informer also clear up the mystery surrounding the 'innovation' which Activision promised was coming to the Guitar Hero series in a recent earnings report conference call. The article outlines the game's studio mode, which will give users a variety of ways to create their own songs. Players will be able to jam along with one of the game's existing tracks, record songs as they're played, or meticulously detail note charts."
Anonymous writes "With the releases of Fedora 9, Hardy Heron and OpenSuSE 11 so close together, it's looking more than ever like an evolution to a common interface for major Linux distributions. Here's a compilation of screen shots and descriptions that make it appear to be the case. Would this be a good thing or a bad thing?" There are plenty of other options out there, of course, even considering only Linux distros that are based on Gnome and KDE, and plenty of wilder (or at least less common) desktops to choose from besides.
The odds General Motors will have the Volt rolling off an assembly line by the end of 2010 are much stronger now that it's got the lithium-ion battery and gas-electric drivetrain in a test car.
The judge who presided over the nation's first file sharing trial says he is considering granting a retrial. The judge said that Jammie Thomas, who was being sued by the recording industry, may not have gotten a fair trial.
CNET staffers are joking that CBS bought their company purely for the coveted News.com domain name. But nobody is complaining about the windfall.
"The scuttlebutt … around here is that News.com will be used for CBS' News operations and that our News.com will end up being a tab off that page," said one staffer, who asked not to be identified.
It's inconceivable that CBS paid a staggering $1.8 billion just for a domain name, but nonetheless, most of the reporters at News.com -- the tech news division of CNET -- are expecting that CBS will take the domain name for its own news operation, the staffer said.
"It does seem clear we will lose our domain name," the staffer said. "At least we have a parent that's solid and has some money -- and isn't News Corp."
Once the highflier of online media, CNET has recently been rocked by stock option scandals, hostile takeover attempts, layoffs and staff attrition. Skeleton crews run many departments and morale is low.
While CBS is seen as stodgy, the company is stable and has a solid reputation for supporting the expensive business of news.
Delighted rank and file are busy trying to tabulate the worth of their shares, which they've been told will all vest immediately.
CBS paid a premium $11.50 per share for CNET, a 44-percent premium above CNET's closing price yesterday.
"We feel it's pretty good news, and we're all pretty happy," said another employee at CNET who also asked not to be named. "It was a good price, and we're all going to make a bit of money off of it."
None of the staffers have yet been told CBS's plans but a company-wide meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, they said.
"Me personally, my initial reaction was 'Oh, fuck, corporate media is getting to us.'" said one CNET designer, who also asked not to be identified. "Every channel of communication in this country is owned by five or six companies, and we're joining that group … I just don't know if there's a way around that anymore."
But the designer said, generally, the staff welcomed the acquisition.
"The general feeling in the small talk going around is that this is a positive development," the designer said. "We're finally going to have some money behind us, because CNET has been hurting for the last couple of months. The first two quarters have been kind of hard, so I think this comes as good news, because obviously CBS is a big company that has a lot of capital."
"The mood is light. People are upbeat about it," said one staffer. "There's no worrying or anything. I think people think it's a good thing overall for the company."
Toyota has sold 1,028,000 Prius hybrids in the past decade. Sales have gone through the roof as gas prices reach record levels, and Toyota can't keep up with demand. Supplies are dwindling and prices are climbing.
WWDC 2008 will undoubtedly see some major announcements from Apple. But what? Here we predict what El Jobso will proclaim at his keynote complete with easy to digest Vegas odds.
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), United States and Central America
Comment by Reed Hopper Principal Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation
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