Source: Gizmodo | 27 May 2009 | 1:20 am

Are you badass enough to make your iPhone into a Gameboy?

I don’t think you are. If you’re willing to plop down $14.99 for some red hot stickers then I suspect you might be, however, and you’d do well to do so before any one of us decides you’re too chicken.

The skins, designed by Michael Sison, has a cool little front piece that looks like a cross controller and two buttons and a back that looks like a Gameboy screen. When people look at you - and they will - they’ll think you’re talking into the back of an old skool Gameboy. For a mere $15, friends, you can be that guy.

Source: CrunchGear | 27 May 2009 | 1:09 am

Gamertell Review: Personal Trainer: Walking for DS

FROM GAMERTELL - According to the latest inclusion in Nintendo’s Personal Trainer “game” series, Gamertell’s editor is not a fat, lazy slob. Instead, he’s as active as a Daytime Deer and, some days, an Evening Owl…
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Source: Gadgetell | 27 May 2009 | 1:01 am

Ladies and gentlemen, the ugliest watch ever produced

Diesel, what were you thinking? Admittedly you don’t make the prettiest watches around, but I find it amazing that you are responsible for this abomination. This is like trying to cross an elephant with a pig, it might seem like a good idea (so much bacon!), but no good can come from it.

This is not a photo-chop, just a poor design decision; even down to the half-leather, half-steel band. Retail on this ugly POS is $219.00, but honestly, you shouldn’t buy it even if it was available for ten pesos and a pack of chiclets.

Just say no to bad design! This is how the Edsel came to be, people!

Source: CrunchGear | 27 May 2009 | 1:00 am

Future-car designers seem to have been playing too much N64

I’m all for cool-looking concept cars, but the question that these designs attempt to answer is a bad one. What will cars look like in 50 years? With climate change, urban densification, and changing power sources for cars, it’s as close to impossible to tell. That shouldn’t stop futurists from imagining stuff, of course, but they should probably think more about the major forces affecting car design, and less about what would look cool in the next version of Extreme-G or F-Zero.

The factors affecting car design are so numerous and advancing technology is changing the game so fast that you may as well ask who will be president in 2060 as what cars will look like. Still, it’s fun to play pretend, right? I guess business is going so well over at Mazda, Toyota, and Nissan that they can hire someone full-time to draw rocket cars. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Check out the rest of the list over at Pink Tentacle.

Source: CrunchGear | 27 May 2009 | 12:27 am

E3 2009: Press conferences, keynotes and TV coverage shedules

FROM GAMERTELL - It’s time to once again get ready for the annual event of much gaming goodness known as E3 2009. Start with a list of all the press conferences, speeches and TV coverage…
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Source: Gadgetell | 27 May 2009 | 12:22 am

Q&A: Donald MacDonald, Architect

Donald MacDonald has designed more than a dozen bridges since establishing his architectural firm in 1966. Today, he has bridges scheduled for construction in Dubai and Portland, OR, and he's in the midst of building the world's largest self-anchored suspension bridge: the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge's eastern span (due to be completed in 2013). We visited MacDonald's San Francisco offices to find out what it's like to build a $6.3 billion bridge, how things have changed since the "old days", and why young architects should learn to just "Draw the bloody thing!"

BBG: You have a history of updating and redoing classic bridges like the Golden Gate. What goes into reworking another architect's creation?

MACDONALD: Anytime you work on a historical structure, there's already a design vocabulary. I have a whole ritual of doing an analysis of what the original architect intended. With the Golden Gate, I went into [Irving] Morrow's documentation to see how he handled light and traffic and functional things. I try to find out all the ingredients. With the Golden Gate, I picked up certain forms that are redundant. They're not engineering, not structural. They're there for effect, to play with light and shadow. But those forms can be applied to safety. For instance, when I did the bike rail [on the Golden Gate], it has a vertical i-beam which picks up the vertical shape that's in the pickets and the light poles. So if you add something new, you use that shape and it just works.

When you want to modify a heritage structure, there are Federal 106 guidelines that state that if you do any changes, they have to be state of the art, of the moment. On the north end of the Golden Gate, underneath you can see new trusses and old trusses. The new trusses are square tubes where we plasma cut the shape to mimic the [look of the] old trusses that were riveted together in a crisscross pattern. Our tresses are much stronger structurally, but if you're a layperson and you're not cognizant, it looks the same. There's an analysis called "solids and voids." It's very simple: there's a hole (void) or something that's filled (solid). So when you do something new, the idea is to pick out those patterns and carry them through to the new form.

BBG: Your vision for the Bay Bridge is a total reimagining. The most obvious change is replacing the double-deckered east/west bound lanes (above right) with the Skyway. What was the thinking there?

MACDONALD: The design of the initial bridge was the cheapest way to build. But you're riding in this tremendous long tunnel that's like a bridge of darkness. The idea was that if you put those two flows of traffic side by side [above left], you open up views of the whole East Bay. If those two sections were attached, you'd have 14 lanes wide plus the bike lane. Opening them up helps to get light into the water below to help the fish and plant life.

BBG: All architecture is a reconciliation between design aesthetics and what's possible from an engineering perspective. With this project, how difficult was that process?

MACDONALD: The project is so big and expensive. It's $6.3 billion, which is the largest project Caltrans has ever had. So there are many players involved. You have to present to their peer-review panel, which has I think 21 people and this went on for two and a half years. We've had a tremendous amount of control on the design, but early on the panel set up some guidelines: the new bridge should pick up the west-bound half, meaning that it should look like one continuous bridge on both sides [of Yerba Buena Island]; they didn't want the tower any higher than 525 feet (that's what the towers are on the west bound); they also decided it should be either a cable-stayed bridge or a self-anchored suspension bridge. [By going with] the self-anchored system, there's a real harmony to it. If you get up in an airplane or look at the bridge from the hills, you can see the island has the reverse form of the cabling.

BBG: So the shape of the cables as they curve carries the same wavelength as the island?

MACDONALD: Yeah, basically. It picks it up so it ties the bridge into the context of the island.

BBG: And that was a design choice?

MACDONALD: It's a coincidence. The silhouette of the island is somewhat similar to the silhouette of the catenary form on the west bound. But that wouldn't have happened with a cable-stayed bridge, because those bridges are like a sail -- all straight cables with no curve. A self-anchored bridge is also more rigid in an earthquake.

BBG: Are there any unique ways the bridge is designed to withstand quakes?

MACDONALD: The main tower is like a cantilever -- the deck [roadway] is not attached -- allowing the tower to have about three feet of movement. Inside the main tower leg are four steel link beams that are like sacrificial beams. They are expected to deform and rupture under the stress of an earthquake, but the bridge will be able to stay in operation until we can go back in and fix the beams.

Engineers design the beams for the steel's elastic limit, so they can tune the link beams to pop at different periods, so as you go up the tower, the harder the earthquake, the more link beams will rupture. And [the stress] can happen in any direction, because there are four legs to it. It's a pretty unusual tower.

BBG: What's your take on the free-for-all we're seeing in Dubai?

MACDONALD: If you're an architect or a bridge designer, it's the place to be, because there are no rules. They're letting you fly. There's a lot of criticism, sure. All of a sudden you've got an instant city in the desert, and how are you gonna support it? But for me, it's a relief to really let it fly. But just about every project in Dubai is on hold, so we'll see.

BBG: What's on the horizon for bridge building, aside from huge spans?

MACDONALD: There's no smashing new technology in bridges. It's a very slow progression of form. The Brooklyn Bridge was when Roebling introduced wire cable and he wasn't even sure about how to use a suspension bridge, so he's got two systems: a cable-stayed overlapping a suspension system, which is redundant, but for him at the time I think he felt he didn't have enough mathematical analysis available so he wanted to use both systems. And nowadays you can use one or the other, but if you mix them, it's more expensive. There's a whole scale for bridges. The most expensive is the expansion bridge. The next one's the cable-stayed bridge, then the arch and boxed girder. The engineers help decide which type based on a variety of dilemmas. The budgets are become very much a part of the process.

BBG: How has your work changed as technology, rendering software, etc. has gotten easier to use and cheaper?

MACDONALD: Computers haven't done a damned thing as far as the economics of producing a building. They're just as expensive as just five guys drawing. There's tremendous inefficiencies in computers because just about everybody doesn't just work on a computer. They check the news or check the stock market, personal emails. There's a lot of inefficiencies and a loss of manpower and hours that are billable. In the old days when you sat and drew, you didn't get on the phone all day.

But another downside [to technology] is you can't evaluate a young architect's credentials very well. Since everything is done inside a computer, you can't understand how he thinks. Some architects become really good at [rendering with] computers, but putting things together, they screw up. There's been a lot of lawsuits because of leaks in buildings where it's taking some design, one detail, and pulling it into your database and nobody checked it out, so it goes onto 20 buildings. But in the old days, when you re-drew it each time, you'd check it out.

The other thing is you don't have the same flexibility to move personnel. It's like now I gotta get a guy that's on ArchiCAD or AutoCAD. I'm old enough that I'm not that patient with it. Draw the bloody thing! Just sketch it out! And [a lot of young architects] can't draw anymore.

Universities are going back to teaching drawing. I lectured at Notre Dame about six months ago, and it's my understanding they're going back to drawing. Students focus on [drawing by hand] for the first few years and then they go into computers after that. So the school produces guys who can draw beautifully and render well. And they're in high demand now.

Of course, it's not all negative: there are great efficiencies in emailing photographs and drawings. We used to do a lot of work with Germany, and shipping used to take 3 days over, 3 days back. But as far as people and production, it's the shits, as far as I'm concerned.

BBG: What about your own use of computers for rendering?

There's tremendous redundancy in computers. Instead of erasing a line, you go into the computer and change the line, and then print. In the old days, you would just erase the line and change it [on the same draft]. We have CDs here that must have hundreds of drawings, just for the Bay Bridge. They want to archive it at the Bancroft Library, but who's going to sit there and go through hundreds and hundreds of illustrations?

BBG: That's a problem with a lot of industries. We're creating tons of data we don't know how to sort through.

MACDONALD: They don't even know how to archive all that stuff. I say, "Well, should I print it out on archival paper?" Libraries have a tremendous problem... Anyhow, there's good stuff and there's bad stuff [to technological progress and computers], but in general it costs the same amount of money, takes the same amount of time to get the buildings up.

BBG: Why else is a hand drawing preferable to a computer rendering?

MACDONALD: It's better to show a drawing to the public, because it's general enough. With a computer, it's got to be pretty well worked out, because it's real; it represents reality. So it's not a good way to begin a design process, because you're stuck with the damn thing. Whereas, with a hand drawing you've still got moves -- eyewash, so to speak. You can start with generalizations and slowly melt them down with details.

So now there's a real demand for drawings. I'll draw my little hand off doing 10 drawings in two days, because no one wants to make a presentation with a computer rendering. They also take way too long. I can do a rendering in about 3 hours [by hand]. For a guy on a computer, it takes a goddamn week just about. It's just a riot.

BBG: You've been working on the new Bay Bridge since 1997. What's it going to be like for you when the old Bay Bridge is demo'd into the water and the last piece of your new bridge drops into place?

MACDONALD: If I'm still around in 2013 [laughs]. I hope I'll be sitting right there at the front of the line, probably on the main deck near the tower. It'll be spectacular. Once in a lifetime, old boy.

[photo by Dan Cressman]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 27 May 2009 | 12:12 am

Laser-cut gingerbread bridge

Today is Bridge day over at Boing Boing Gadgets. Steve Leckart found this laser-cut gingerbread bridge, still under construction.


Source: Boing Boing | 26 May 2009 | 11:54 pm

Topsy Search Launches: ReTweets Are The New Currency Of The Web

New search engine Topsy, which has been in stealth development for three years, launches, well, now.

Before Google, search engines like AltaVista determined relevance based on how well a web page matched the query. Then came Google, which views the web as a network of documents. Today, all search engines analyze linking behavior around the web. When a web page is linked to a lot, it’s given more influence than other pages competing for attention around the same topics/keywords. Jeff Jarvis summed it all up nicely in 2005 “In this new world, links are currency. Links grant authority. Links build branding. Links equal value.” There’s lots more to it, but the notion that links create value is what drives Internet search.

Well, it’s no longer 2005. Back then blogs were giving Google fits because of how fast and irregularly they updated. Google had to make decisions on how often to index pages. Indexing is expensive, so there’s a tradeoff. Ping servers and blog search engines rose briefly to fill the niche, but Google indexes most popular blogs so often that those blog search engines are no longer much better.

Now, though, we have so much real time content being created that Google and the other engines can’t keep up. Most of this content is on Twitter, but FriendFeed, Facebook, Digg and lots of other services are adding to it, too. The result - more and more people are doing searches on Twitter Search in addition to Google. For me, someone who’s obsessed with news and stuff that’s happening right now, Twitter search is about 25% of my total Internet searches. The ratio keeps going up over time.

That’s where Topsy comes in. It’s not strictly speaking a real time search engine like Scoopler, which we wrote about earlier this month. Topsy is just a search engine. That has a fundamentally new way of finding good results: Twitter users.

The 30 million or so Twitter users are an army of little content-finding machines. Topsy says those users are sending tens of thousands of unique links per day to interesting things around the Internet.

Some of those users have more influence than others. And some links are sent by lots of Twitter users, others just sent once. Those links, combined with the information in the Twitter message itself, is what Topsy uses as the basis of its search engine.

And the results are…amazing.

New stuff in particular percolates up very quickly. A search for Facebook, for example, shows lots of news about the funding that was announced earlier today. And the links are sorted by those that Twitter users are sending around the most, weighted in favor of links sent by more influential Twitter users. You can sort results over all time (going back to September 2008), last month, week, day or hour. For all time, top results for Facebook are the Facebook site and developer site, among others. But in the last hour and day, it’s all about the funding news.

Results show popular links but also the most influential users tweeting about that topic. Click on that user and you’ll see all their tweets about the topic. Here’s the results for TechCrunch and Facebook, for example.

User influence is a hot topic, of course. Topsy isn’t looking at the number of followers. Rather, Influence is gained when others retweet links you’ve sent out. And when you retweet others, you lose a little Influence. So the more people retweet you, the more Influence you gain. So, yes, retweets are the new currency on the web. Told you.

Topsy was founded in 2006 and has raised nearly $15 million to date in venture and debt funding. More information on the funding and founders is on the CrunchBase page for Topsy.

Here’s a video where the Topsy founders give an introduction to the service and how it works:

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

Source: TechCrunch | 26 May 2009 | 11:51 pm

Obama's Supreme Court Pick Schooled in Cyberlaw

Sonia Sotomayor, President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, would come to the court schooled in cyberlaw, having already ruled on hot-button issues ranging from copyright law in a digitized world, warrantless computer searches, so-called click-wrap agreements and national security letters.

Source: Wired Top Stories | 26 May 2009 | 11:50 pm

Warning: Twittercut Worm Plays On Your Desire For More Followers

Everyone wants more Twitter followers. It’s kind of the name of the game. But if you see some tweets in your stream that proclaim: “OMG I just got over 1000 followers today from http://twittercut.com” — don’t be fooled, it’s a scam. The link takes you to a site that requests your Twitter login and pass. It then sends out this tweet to all your followers — a typical worm.

The reason to watch out for this is not only for the tweets of your friends and the retweets, but the links seem to have originated from the account twittercut — which was suspended. But then the links started up again from the account tweetcut (which has also been suspended). In other words, it looks like the perpetrators are just jumping from account to account to keep this thing going.

As a Twitter Search shows, the worm is spreading quickly. Do not give it your Twitter credentials.

If you do click through to the site, you’ll notice that they didn’t even attempt to create fake pages for the bogus site navigation. There is no “About” page, etc. Here’s the message on the page:

TwitterCut.com is the best place for you to grow your twitter network and gain a ton of followers. We recommend giving it a shot, it’s free and will help you get the followers you need. This system is brand new, so the quicker you get involved the better it will be, fill out the form below and get started right away…

The quicker you get involved! The play on getting more Twitter followers is a smart one — something that wouldn’t necessarily work for a Facebook’s worms of a similar nature. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of these. Again, do not give this site your Twitter info.

Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

Source: TechCrunch | 26 May 2009 | 11:42 pm

Apple Plans $1 Billion iDataCenter

1sockchuck writes "Apple is planning a major East Coast data center to boost the capacity of its online operations, and may invest more than $1 billion in building and operating the huge server farm. That's nearly twice what Google and Microsoft typically invest in their massive cloud computing centers. The scope of the project raises interesting questions about Apple's plans, and has politicians in North Carolina jumping through hoops to pass incentives to win the project. The proposed NC incentives build on a package for Google that later proved controversial."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 26 May 2009 | 11:41 pm

Sanyo releases information on two new Gorilla GPSs

Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

The Japanese based Sanyo has recently introduced two new in-dash navigation systems that look to lead the Gorilla GPS lineup.  The two GPS models include the NVA-GS1609FT and the NVA-GS1409DT, both of which feature similar specs, but the main difference is the fact that the NVA-GS1609 boasts 16GB of storage, while the other features only 8GB of storage.

In terms of screen size, both GPSs sport 7-inch LCD touch screens, with 480x240 resolution.  For the 16GB device, half of its SSD hard drive will specifically hold maps and other navigation information, while the other 8GB allow it to store ripped CD music as well as play DVDs.  In addition, AAC, WMA, and MP3 file formats are supported, and it even comes with a 1Seg B-CAS tuner. 

Now, when driving, it is important to know the traffic conditions.  The tuner allows the driver to watch live video broadcasts which can help keep the driver updated on local and distant road conditions.  Not to mention the ability to watch a few shows during down time. 

iPod and SD memory expansion are both supported by the device, as you can opt in playing back music or videos directly from either the iPod or SD card.  One cool feature of the map display is that it will be split in half, one half will show your current position, and the other map will show the route you are taking.  Both of which should be handy features. 

Both GPSs come with a feature that I find interesting and helpful.  It features a GPS sensor and a sort of computer that calculates how “aggressively or smoothly” the car is driving.  It will probably help save gas as it will warn you when you are idling for too long. 

Unfortunately for us Americans, it is highly unlikely that these GPSs will reach the U.S.  For people living in Japan, expect the NVA-GS1609FT in-dash entertainment systems to become available on June 20, while its counterpart is set to be available on June 25.  Price will certainly be a dominant factor if you are considering purchasing either device.  The NVA-GS1609FT will cost $1,740, while the NVA-GS1409DT will only cost $1,420.

Via [Electronista]

Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 26 May 2009 | 11:28 pm

Need A Witty “App For That” Phrase? There’s An App For That.

I’m a big fan of coming up with ridiculous “App For That” headlines. You know, the kind that mock Apple’s iPhone App Store commercials that basically proclaim there’s an app for everything you could ever possibly want to do. So it brings me great pleasure today to report that the next time I need one of those headlines: There’s an app for that.

App For That, is a website that gives you a series of user submitted “App For That” jokes, which you can vote on, tweet out, email, etc. The service looks like the iPhone’s text app, with submissions written in chat bubbles. Below that is a submission form for your own jokes.

Oddly enough, this is a web app, and not an actual iPhone app. (Come on guys, get on that — the joke cannot come full circle until you have one.) But here are a few of my favorites:

• “If you just murdered your friend and need to find the nearest city dump, there’s an app for that.”
• “Your momma’s so fat, there’s an app for that.”
• “If you want to write an app that makes fun of apps, there’s an app for that.”
• “If you want to get your drunk roommate out of bed, there’s an app for that.”
• “If your reading this, there’s an app for that.”

[thanks Nick]

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Source: TechCrunch | 26 May 2009 | 11:27 pm

This week's New Yorker cover created on iPhone - CNET News

ABC News

This week's New Yorker cover created on iPhone CNET News by Rick Broida These days, all you need to create magazine cover-worthy artwork is an iPhone and Steve Sprang's $4.99 Brushes app. New Yorker Cover Art Created on an iPhone PC World Artist, iPhone unite to literally finger paint New Yorker's June cover DVICE New York Times - New Yorker - Los Angeles Times - NBC Bay Area all 76 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 26 May 2009 | 11:22 pm

Zombie haiku contest -- best entry wins the game of Plants vs. Zombies

Plants vs. Zombies continues to fascinate three out of the four members of our household. To share the love, I'm giving away this Plants vs. Zombies gift card. I won't send you the actual card, though. Instead I'll send you another photo of this card without the dry roasted edamame beans that cover up the code you need to enter to unlock the game for unlimited play.

How do you win? By writing the best zombie-themed haiku in the comments. Deadline is 2am Pacific Time.

You can download a one-hour trial of the game here.


Source: Boing Boing | 26 May 2009 | 11:11 pm

Seasoned Columbia Internet Developers Launch Monkey Business to Help Recession-Crunched Consumers and Businesses Save Money

COLUMBIA, S.C., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- A plump blue bird points a wing towards the screen of a MAC desktop computer, urging visitors to move forward in creating their own custom Twitter background for just $75.
Source: RedOrbit News - Technology | 26 May 2009 | 11:04 pm

Church of Scientology On Trial In France

An anonymous reader sends word that a trial has opened in Paris that could shut down Scientology in France. The organization stands accused of targeting vulnerable people for commercial gain. Scientology does not have the status of a religion there, as it does in the US, and anti-cult groups have pursued it vigorously over more than 30 years. The current case is based on complaints filed by two women in December 1998 and July 1999. Three other former members who had initially joined the complaint have withdrawn after "reaching a financial arrangement with church officials." If convicted, the seven top Scientologists in France face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of €1M. The Church of Scientology-Celebrity Centre and its Scientology Freedom Space bookshop not only face a much larger fine but also run the risk of being shut down completely.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 26 May 2009 | 10:54 pm

Psystar's bankruptcy protection filing could minimize Apple suit - CNET News

UberGizmo.com

Psystar's bankruptcy protection filing could minimize Apple suit CNET News by Erica Ogg Psystar, the controversial Florida company trying to sell so-called clones of Apple computers, says it doesn't have the money to fend off Apple's legal dogs. Psystar files for bankruptcy Inquirer Computer Maker In Apple Copyright Suit Files For Bankruptcy Wall Street Journal ChannelWeb - InformationWeek - PC Magazine - BusinessWeek all 65 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 26 May 2009 | 10:52 pm

Mac News Briefs: Berbie Software releases Trail Runner 2.0 (Macworld.com)

Macworld.com - On Tuesday, Berbie Software released Trail Runner 2.0, an update to its route-planning and journaling software designed to work with Garmin GPS or Nike+ devices.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 26 May 2009 | 10:37 pm

Rumor Repeat: iPod Nano to Gain a Camera

iPod fan blog iLounge claims an insider has leaked details about Apple’s next iPod Nano. The publication says it’s received enough information to produce the above mock-up of the device.

iLounge’s source claims the fifth-generation iPod Nano screen will get widened to a 1.5:1 aspect ratio (up from 1.33:1). A major change will be the addition of a camera on the back, according to the source.  Also, the click wheel will be slightly reduced in size and scooted downward on the device, the tipster said.

ETA? Between July and September. September is a good guess since it’s back-to-school season.

iLounge’s report corroborates an earlier rumor reported by HardMac claiming both the iPod Nano and the iPod Touch would gain cameras. We initially doubted the Nano would adopt a camera, but it’s worth noting iLounge has been correct with iPod rumors in the past, so now we’re a little less skeptical.

iPod nano 5G, Next-Gen iPhone Design Changes Revealed? [iLounge]

Illustration: iLounge

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 26 May 2009 | 10:33 pm

Video: A Tiny Bridge of Floating Water

David Pescovitz blogged about this phenomenon previously, but until now I'd never seen a water bridge caught on video.

PhysOrg explains:

When exposed to a high-voltage electric field, water in two beakers climbs out of the beakers and crosses empty space to meet, forming the water bridge. The liquid bridge, hovering in space, appears to the human eye to defy gravity...

Initially, the bridge forms due to electrostatic charges on the surface of the water. The electric field then concentrates inside the water, arranging the water molecules to form a highly ordered microstructure. This microstructure remains stable, keeping the bridge intact.

After the jump, check out more video of this crazy weird awesome phenom.

Spiral flow visualization

Density gradients

Two thermographic visualizations

Laser deflection

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 10:32 pm

Take-Two tops forecasts, but delays 2 titles (Reuters)

Reuters - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Inc reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results but cut its fiscal year revenue forecast as it delays the release of two titles.

Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 26 May 2009 | 10:21 pm

A Push To End the Online Gambling Ban

Hugh Pickens writes "Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts has introduced legislation that would roll back a ban on Internet gambling enacted when Republicans led Congress. The legislation would allow the Treasury Department to license and regulate online gambling companies that serve American customers. Frank's bill has roughly two dozen co-sponsors and the backing of the The Poker Players Alliance, with over a million members. But opponents are mobilizing to defeat the bill including social conservatives and professional and amateur sports organizations, which say more gambling opportunities could threaten the integrity of their competition. 'Illegal offshore Internet gambling sites are a criminal enterprise, and allowing them to operate unfettered in the United States would present a clear danger to our youth, who are subject to becoming addicted to gambling at an early age,' says Representative Spencer Bachus, Republican of Alabama and the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee. Another powerful roadblock could be the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada. 'Gaming is an important industry to the state, and anything that affects it will be reviewed carefully,' says Reid's spokesman."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 26 May 2009 | 10:08 pm

90 Percent of E-mail Is Spam, Symantec Says (PC World)

PC World - Spammers seem to be working a little bit harder these days, according to Symantec, which reported Tuesday that unsolicited e-mail made up 90.4 percent of messages on corporate networks last month.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 26 May 2009 | 9:50 pm

UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News

Chrome coatings replaced with safer alloys CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 26 (UPI) -- U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 9:44 pm

Shields Up!: Ransomware

Section: Computers, Security, Features, Originals

Imagine being on your computer one day, minding your own business, surfing the web-and then suddenly finding yourself locked out of your own computer!  A message pops up on your screen saying control will be returned to you-for a price.  It might even tell you dire things will happen to your files if you don’t pay.  Is it a joke?  No.  Unfortunately you’ve got ransomware.

Where it started

Ransomware is a vicious type of malware that takes over a computer, locks the files away, and demands payment in return for restoring access to them.  At one time it was pretty rare, but it’s begun to become more and more common.  Ransomware was first discovered back in 1989 and used only weak encryption methods.  By 2006 several more powerful variants had hit the net, including Gpcode, TROJ.RANSOM.A, Archiveus, Krotten, Cryzip, and MayArchive.  The most recent one is a Trojan called Gpcode.AK, which uses a 1024 bit RSA key which is computationally impossible to crack without a large, distributed effort.

How it works

All ransomware works pretty much the same.  The malicious code installs itself and goes to work.  It locates the user’s documents folder and either encrypts it, or creates a new file, moves all the documents to it, encrypts that, and deletes all the original files.  The type of encryption used is growing more and more complex.

Once the encryption is complete the victim is presented with a message telling them of the attack and what to do to get their files back.  Usually it involves a payment demand of anywhere from $10 up to $100 or more.  The payment is usually directed to be sent via Western Union or via an online currency service like eGold.

Once the payment is received the user is sent a code that unlocks the files and restores the computer to normal.  Other ransomware variants demand the victim purchase a special removal tool, or in a new twist, purchase a specific amount of drugs from a Russian pharmacy.  In case the victim is skeptical, some ransomware variants add a threat that one file will be permanent deleted every half hour until the ransom demand is met (Fortunately it’s just a hoax - nothing is actually deleted). Some try embarrassment and display pornographic images on the victim’s desktop until the ransom is paid.

How to deal with ransomware

Since the only known way around the ransomware is to reformat the system (and resulting in file loss unless you’ve made regular backups-which you do, right?), the best way to deal with ransomware is not to get infected in the first place.  Most of it uses web based distribution methods, usually pop ups or other drive by downloads that exploit security holes in browsers like IE.

Ignore those popups (and any sites) offering free games, ringtones, screensavers, cute cursors and other junk as they are likely to be malicious. It’s also a good idea to stay away from bittorents and other sites offering pirated music, movies, or software as malware, including ransomware, often lurks within them. 

Finally, keep you anti-virus software up to date and make sure to install all security patches issued by Microsoft - and back up your critical files regularly! You won’t be sorry.

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 26 May 2009 | 9:34 pm

Get This Guy To Finish His Laser-Cut Gingerbread Bridge

Instructables user rstraugh is building a kick-ass model of the Oberbaum Bridge in Berlin out of gingerbread, using an Epilog Laser. So far, the project looks awesome, but he says he probably won't finish it until next Christmas. :(

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 9:29 pm

Chemical "Infofuses" Communicate Without Electricity

Al writes "Researchers at Harvard and Tufts University have developed a way to send coded messages without using electricity. David Walt, professor of chemistry at Tufts, and Harvard's George Whitesides have developed 'infofuses' that can transmit information simply by burning. The fuses — metallic salts depositing on a nitrocellulose strand — emit pulses of infrared and visible light of different colors whose sequence encodes information. They were developed in response to a call from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for technologies to allow soldiers stranded without a power source to communicate. In the first demonstration of the idea, they used the infofuses to transmit the message look mom no electricity." Currently the researchers are "trying to figure out a way to dynamically encode a message on the fly in the field without specialized equipment."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 26 May 2009 | 9:22 pm

Intel Boosts Nehalem as Itanium Delayed Again - PC Magazine

CNET News

Intel Boosts Nehalem as Itanium Delayed Again PC Magazine by Mark Hachman Intel acknowledged that a scalable version of its Nehalem processor will ship in time to appear in systems early in 2010, coincidentally about the time a delayed version of its "Tukwila" Itanium processor will also appear. Intel Offers Details On Xeon Nehalem-EX InformationWeek Intel Previews Nehalem-EX, Plans To Ship Late '09 ChannelWeb CNET News - RedOrbit - Register - X-bit Labs all 90 news articles

Source: Google News - Sci/Tech | 26 May 2009 | 8:54 pm

Mac Clone Maker Psystar Files For Bankruptcy

StikyPad was one of several readers letting us know that Psystar has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. We've discussed the Mac clone maker's battles with Apple extensively. The company apparently has over $250,000US in debt, and states that it cannot turn a profit in the current economy. "The Chapter 11 filing will temporarily suspend Apple's copyright infringement suit against Psystar, which is currently before the US District Court of Northern California. But once the bankruptcy protection is sorted out, the copyright case will resume." And PC Mag is reporting that, on the other side of the Atlantic, two new clone companies are just getting started. Like PsyStar, FreedomPC and RussianMac promise to deliver PCs with OS X preloaded.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 26 May 2009 | 8:35 pm

'Blob' Of Material Under The US West Great Basin

Image 1: New seismic images of Earth's mantle beneath the Great Basin show a "lithospheric drip." Credit: J.D. West, Silverheels PhotographyImage 2: The Great Basin is a desert region of parallel mountain ranges separated by valleys. Credit: J.D. West, Silverheels PhotographyImage 3: Crossing the Great Basin, the surface offers no clues to the lithospheric drip below. Credit: J.D. West, Silverheels Photography
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 8:30 pm

China-made face paints recall is expanded

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the expanded nationwide recall of China-manufactured face paint items to include two additional colors. The FDA said the importer, Fun Express Inc., has expanded its May 12 recall of the products to include white and yellow paints.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 8:21 pm

One of My All-Time Favorite Bridges

From Iron Man and The Big Lebowski all the way back to 1984's Starman, one of the most resilient and complex "bridges" of our time has been Jeff*. The Dude's mostly-handwritten web site is always surprising and enjoyable, especially the way he uses his own drawings to hyperlink to "Stuff" he likes.

*No disrespect to Lloyd, Beau, or Todd.

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 8:19 pm

Microfossils Challenge Views Of Effects Of 'Snowball Earth' Glaciations On Life

Image 1: An exposure of Chuar Group in Carbon Canyon, Grand Canyon. Credit: Carol DehlerImage 2: Robin Nagy on a UCSB geology field trip to Death Valley. Credit: Susie Leska-AndersonImage 3: Susannah Porter with slide of microfossil from the Grand Canyon. Credit: George Foulsham, Public Affairs, UCSB
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 8:17 pm

Judge Threatens Sanctions in NSA Wiretap Case

A federal judge in a closely watched wiretapping case is threatening to rule against the Obama administration for "failing to obey the court's orders."

Source: Wired Top Stories | 26 May 2009 | 8:04 pm

Garmin's New Forerunner Is King of Wrist-Mounted Trainers

The newest Garmin Forerunner must be a fan of the Doobie Brothers. Why? Between the power, calories, heart rate, speed, distance, and elevation readings, it keeps you runnin'.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 8:00 pm

Implantable Telescope Helps Restore Vision

The first implantable telescope is developed for human eyes.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 26 May 2009 | 7:56 pm

Facebook's $200M investment values co. at $10B (AP)

AP - Facebook is getting a $200 million investment from a Russian Internet investor that values the social networking company at $10 billion even though it has yet to turn a profit.
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 26 May 2009 | 7:55 pm

NASA Plans Briefing On New Global View Of Ocean Health

NASA will hold a media teleconference on Thursday, May 28, at 1 p.m.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 7:47 pm

Ericsson to cut down on over-seas fraud

Let’s say you’re going to Somalia for a family vacation, you know, just to get away from it all. Additionally, lets say you brought your Visa card for any transactions while you’re away, because cash is for suckers. But wait! When you go to buy that tiki-lamp that you haggled on for nearly an hour, you find that your bank has denied the purchase. Inconvenient? Sure. But how is your bank supposed to know it’s you buying a tiki-lamp, and not some high-profile identity theft extraordinaire? Ericsson, a Swedish-based mobile solutions company, wants to make the whole process a bit less kludgy.

As stated by Peter Garside, U.K. and Ireland regional manager for Ericsson’s IPX, this service uses a person’s mobile phone to provide a confirmation that he or she is in the country where the transaction is occurring. Ericsson will play middle-man with charging and transferring funds from banks to the mobile networks using the service, keeping a fraction of the money involved.

Some people may assume this is another way of ‘big brother’ keeping an eye on your every move, but rest assured the information is used once and then omitted from Ericssons’s servers, says Garside. Once the approximate location is known, the bank receives the approval and the transaction will be completed.

This service seems to be a small victory for all parties involved. The mobile networks have an opportunity to generate a small income that is paid by the bank, the customer has an added element of security and convenience for travel, and the banks can really cut down on fraud that they have to suffer from all too frequently.

As reported by APACS, a payment card trade association in the U.K., nearly 40 percent of all fraudulent transaction that were tied to banks in the United Kingdom were actually made overseas, equating to a total amount of £535 million (or USD $848 million).

This is just a bang-up idea. This will be an opt-in service which seems illogical to refuse. Ericsson’s really making headway and trailblazing this movement, setting many customers at ease with third-world crime and identity theft. But we’ve got one question: what happens if the identity thief also snagged your phone?

[Via PC World - Picture Via Andres Rueda]

Crunch Network: TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies

Source: MobileCrunch | 26 May 2009 | 7:47 pm

Green GT's All-Electric Supercar Unveiled

Mike writes "Swiss auto company Green GT recently released the first details on a svelte all-electric supercar that is being heralded as the most powerful electric race car ever built. Designed with the 2011 Le Mans race in mind, the Twenty-4 will boast a sleek carbon fiber chassis and twin 100-kw electric motors totaling 400 hp — enough to push the vehicle from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds flat, and to a top speed of 171 mph. GreenGT's head engineer Christophe Schwartz has stated that 'The GreenGT Twenty-4 design study could become our 2011 Le Mans Prototype electric racer, or it could even become an electric road-going supercar. There is a possibility to do both!'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 26 May 2009 | 7:46 pm

China Begins Work On World’s Largest Earthquake Simulator

Shanghai’s Tongji University announced on Tuesday that it has started building the largest earthquake simulator anywhere in the world.The announcement comes just one week after the one-year anniversary of a deadly 8.0 magnitude quake in southwest China that left nearly 87,000 dead or missing.  The new simulator will be used to accurately test the designs of bridges, subways, tunnels, stadiums and skyscrapers, said the university in a statement emailed to AFP.It will consist of four vibrating platforms with the ability to carry 200 tons, and will generate a simulated earthquake that will test a model's ability to endure the destructive forces.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 7:31 pm

Bored at work? Watch comedy on Hulu with no commercials

Section: Video, Content, Web, Websites, Online Music/Video

Every now and then Hulu goes commercial free.  Today, Hulu’s comedy channel will be commercial free thanks to a deal with Toyota.  Toyota is promoting its newest Prius.  If you are unaware, Hulu has several different ways to watch programs and movies.  You can do searches for video or use their channels.  These channels make it easier to stumble upon videos based on genre since a search box can only get you so far.

Earlier this month, the entire Hulu site went commercial free with a deal from McDonald’s.  I don’t think they have run this kind of promotion before where a particular genre was getting special treatment.  Perhaps Hulu is showing off what it can do for potential advertisers by only limiting its services to one genre.  Maybe we’ll see other products promoting a particular type of video—maybe some kind of antidepressant promoting dramas?

If you’re interested in that new Toyota Prius, the ad claims 50 miles per gallon.  That’s not too shabby, but maybe Toyota could do something with that design so it’s not so ugly.  The comedy channel will be commercial free for less than 12 more hours.  Go watch some Internet TV.

Watch [Hulu.com]

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 26 May 2009 | 7:30 pm

Study: Climate may affect birds' songs

U.S.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 7:26 pm

Conservationists Protest Beginning Of Iceland’s Whaling Season

Tuesday marked the beginning of Iceland’s whaling season, despite protests from animal rights groups and international calls to reduce whaling quotas, AFP reportedIceland is one of only two countries in the world that allows commercial whaling.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 7:21 pm

Wine Tasting Taken A Step Farther

Researchers have taken wine tasting a step further by using complex chemical analysis to determine the home forest of the oak barrels that are used in the casks where wine is aged.Regis D.
Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 26 May 2009 | 7:16 pm

HOWTO Build a Rope Bridge

A small rope bridge can be assembled in 30-45 minutes. I've never built one, but I sure want to try. Glenn Cockwell's Scouting Bridge guide seems like enough to get a beginner going. If you have any tips, suggestions or resources of your own, let me know.

[photo by Antonio Jiménez Alonso via Kees Jan Koster NEW image via Sir Garlichad]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 7:00 pm

iPhone App Review: Deer Hunter 3D

When I was a kid, I loved going to arcades and playing shooting games. Something about wielding a fake, plastic gun and mindlessly blasting away at aliens, dinosaurs, or zombies was truly exhilarating. Of course, as time went on, I became a more somber and critical gamer–I wanted “realism” and thought it was ridiculous I could kill 500 enemies without getting hit once myself. The wildly successful Deer Hunter franchise capitalizes on that sensibility in older gamers by offering a more realistic hunting experience. After years of developing the series for countless feature phones, Glu has finally brought Deer Hunter to the iPhone with Deer Hunter 3D.

Alas, the wait might not have been worth it. Glu generally makes fantastic games, but this isn’t one of their best. Deer Hunter is a classic hunting game in which the player is tasked with finding and killing deer, moose, or bears in a realistic environment. In this version, players can choose between three different environments: the grassy American Midwest, the snowy Northern Europe, and the forests of Western Russia.

Within each environment, there are 9 different “scenes”, each having slightly different landscapes to provide variety to the game’s look and feel. On the screen is a crosshair that you slide around to your target, and then you tap the screen to shoot. It takes a head shot or upper-chest shot to kill the target. You go through each environment until you kill 5 animals or the time runs out, with each kill earning you points. You get more points for capping heavier animals and for using certain weapons (the compound bow, for example gets you more points than the rifle). Certain weapons are equipped with a scope, which becomes quite useful later in the game.

With more developers focusing primarily on the iPhone, we’re growing accustomed to great looking games. That said, we’re still impressed by the look of Deer Hunter. The landscape looks great, and the animals appear in awesome detail. This becomes really obvious when you zoom in through the sniper scope and can see the deer or moose move as they bend down to drink water or obnoxiously move out of your way as you’re about to shoot.

However, the gameplay is inconsistent throughout the game, and the major reason I won’t write home about it. The design is actually really good–the crosshair doesn’t stay still, simulating the shakiness of a novice shooter, and it gets steadier as you rack up more points and become a more “experienced” hunter. The sniper scope was extremely well-done, and using it got me all tingly inside thinking of the possibilities for other games. Beyond that, the execution falters. After you hit an animal (without killing it), the animal just runs off full speed into the wilderness. I know bears are tough but even the fiercest bears probably won’t run full force after a shotgun slug to the stomach. Also, after you shoot an animal down, it takes way too long to exit the scope mode and get ready for the next shot.

Another problem was the controls–I found it too easy to “press the wrong button.” You tap anywhere on the screen to shoot, but the problem is that there are 3 other controls, requiring you to swipe or tap on specific spots on the screen. Too often I found myself trying to toggle the sniper scope, only to accidentally bust a cap into the air and spook the animal. It gets easier with a bit of practice, but I still found myself errantly firing a shot or two on occasion.

The Hunting Trip mode of the game, in which you travel through the different geographies and rack up points, was pretty fun and challenging. Also, there is a good variety of guns and a “lightning round” mode where you try to kill as many animals as you can within an allotted time. You even get a bonus round where you pop off rabbits, squirrels and prairie dogs. [Though this is the only place in the game where these animals appear].

Ultimately, I wouldn’t recommend shelling out the 6 bucks Glu wants for this game unless you’re a fan of the series. The graphics are a treat to look at, but there are games out there with better gameplay and similar graphics. It will probably be appreciated by hunting enthusiasts, but casual gamers should proceed with caution.

What we like:

• Great graphics; realistic scenery. Animals that look so real you might just wish you could bring their heads home and stick ‘em above your fireplace.
• Sweet story mode, with increasing difficulty as the game went on. This is surprisingly hard to find in most games these days.
• 6 guns, including an AK-47. Who wouldn’t want to shoot up a bunch of e-deer with a fully automatic assault rifle?

What we didn’t like:

• Realism - or lack thereof. Since when can a deer get hit in the leg and then break off into a dead sprint to escape its hunter?
• Controls. For the first two hours of gameplay, I probably fired my weapon on accident more than on purpose. ‘Nuff said.
• Not enough replay value. There is only so much fun you can get seeing the same scenery with the same animals over and over. With a few more challenges and perhaps another animal or two, this wouldn’t be as much of a problem.

Screenshots:

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Source: MobileCrunch | 26 May 2009 | 6:53 pm

Bridges: Monuments To Progress

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 6:46 pm

Mac Cloner Psystar Files for Bankruptcy

Mac cloner Psystar has filed for bankruptcy, effectively stalling Apple’s legal case against the Florida-based startup.

Filed with the federal courts in Florida, the voluntary petition for bankruptcy protection temporarily puts Apple’s lawsuit on hold while the bankruptcy court begins proceedings.

Apple in July 2008 filed suit against Psystar alleging copyright, trademark and shrink-wrap license infringement. Psystar opened its Mac clone business in April, selling a PC hacked to run OS X Leopard.

Apple strictly forbids its operating system to be installed on anything but Apple products. The corporation alleges Psystar is violating the Mac OS X end-user agreement, which states, “You agree not to install, use or run the Apple Software on any non-Apple-labeled computer, or to enable others to do so.” The corporation also alleges Psystar is committing copyright infringement by installing OS X on non-Apple hardware.

Psystar did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, the bankruptcy petition suggests Psystar’s investors may have withdrawn from financially backing the company. The bankruptcy filing also implies that Psystar likely cannot afford a legal team to win its battle against Apple.

Winning the lawsuit would be a large victory for Apple, as it would set a legal precedent enabling the corporation to easily squash other existing Mac cloners.

The Florida court on June 5 will hold a hearing revealing Psystar’s equity creditors, meaning if there any large entities backing the Mac cloner (e.g., Microsoft), we’ll know who they are very soon.

Suggestion of Bankruptcy [PDF via MacObserver]

See Also:

• Apple, Psystar File to Protect Secrets Before Battling in Court …
• Psystar Marches Forward With Beefy Mac Clone
• Mac Copycat Psystar Gets Ammo to Countersue Apple
• Psystar: Apple Is Paranoid for Alleging Conspiracy
• Psystar: Blu-Ray Hackintosh for Sale; MacBook Clones on the Way …
• Psystar Tags Back Apple With Antitrust Suit
• Apple Cries Corporate Conspiracy Behind Psystar
• Apple Finally Sues Mac Copycat Psystar

Image courtesy of Psystar

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 26 May 2009 | 6:09 pm

Don't jump off the Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is frequently cited as the #1 suicide spot in the world. Someone jumps about every other week. It's supposedly one of the surest ways to die, although some &mdash like one guy interviewed in the super depressing documentary The Bridge &mdash do actually survive the fall.

A Chronicle reporter described the jump as follows:

The body goes from roughly 75 to 80 mph to nearly zero in a nanosecond. The physics of inertia being what they are, internal organs tend to keep going. The force of impact causes them to tear loose. Autopsy reports typically indicate that the jumpers have lacerated aortas, livers, spleens and hearts. Ribs are often broken, and the impact shoves them into the heart or lungs. Jumpers have broken sternums, clavicles, pelvises and necks. Skull fractures are common.

The Golden Gate Bridge was built in 1937 by Joseph Strauss, and the reason the bridge is so easy to jump from is because Strauss was just five feet tall and he wanted to be able to look out on the bay, too. So he changed the rail height from the originally intended five and a half feet to four feet. 10 weeks after completion, a WW1 veteran strolled onto the bridge, climbed over the rail, and took the first plunge.

The good news is that the Golden Gate Bridge is finally getting a barrier. After years of discussion and no action, a committee called the Golden Gate Bridge Physical Suicide Deterrent System Project agreed on a steel safety net 20 feet below the walkway, a yet-to-be-funded project that will cost three years and $50 million. (The lag was due to bureaucrats bickering about how to make one without ruining the bridge's aesthetic for years. Ultimately, they decided to paint the barrier's horizontal mesh wiring orange.) It's about time &mdash the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower already have suicide barriers in place, and Aokigahara forest in Japan, reportedly the #2 suicide hot spot of the world, has signs reminding people that their life is a precious gift from their parents and begging them to reconsider.

I hope this new initiative will go through, and that it will reduce the number of suicides in San Francisco.

Image by Dawn Endico via Flickr

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 5:51 pm

Rumor: Nano next iPod to get a camera?

According to iLounge: Yes. That'll mix things up a bit!

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 5:48 pm

HOWTO Build a Model Bridge

It's harder than it looks, especially if you want a mini-bridge that is structurally sound. Garrett Boon's "5 Steps to Building a Model Bridge" is a terrific resource (available as a free PDF, but donations are welcome). He explains everything from choosing wood, glue and tools to drawing plans.

So who is Garrett Boon?

I spent seven years participating in Science Olympiad building and technology events. I won 17 awards in the Bridge Building, Tower Building, & Boomilever events, including seven 1st places. In the spring of 2004, I took first place at the Georgia State Finals in Bridge Building, breaking a 4-year efficiency record with my bridge.

Garrett's web site is also a treasure trove of mini-bridge info with plenty of pics and tips on building with popsicle sticks, balsa wood, drinking straws, toothpicks, and spaghetti. He also sells plans and kits.

[image by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 5:42 pm

The longest arch bridge in the world will be in Dubai

Fxfowle, the NY architecture firm that built the NY Times Building and the Conde Nast Building, is now working on what will be the longest arch bridge in the world in Dubai. When &mdash and if &mdash completed in 2012, it will be a mile long, 670 feet tall, and have 12 lanes of traffic with train tracks dividing them in the middle. [via io9]

Source: Boing Boing Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 5:42 pm

SLIDE SHOW: Hottest Solar Images

Images of the sun by spacecraft reveal its dynamic, energetic weather.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 26 May 2009 | 5:41 pm

Nokia Ovi App Store Faces Turbulent Start

Nokia’s Ovi store got off to a rocky start Tuesday as users faced problems accessing the store and downloading the programs.

“Shortly after launching the Ovi Store at 2 a.m. ET, we began experiencing extraordinarily high spikes of traffic that resulted in some performance issues for users accessing store.ovi.com and store.ovi.mobi,” said Eric John, head of product marketing for Nokia Ovi in a blog post. “We immediately began to address this issue by adding servers, which resulted in intermittent performance improvements.”

The store features games, applications, podcasts and videos for smartphones running Nokia’s Symbian operating system.

The problems with Ovi’s launch do not bode well for Nokia, which has been struggling to better Apple’s App Store, whose more than 46,000 titles have been downloaded more than 1 billion times since the store’s July 2008 launch. Nokia has lagged other mobile platforms such as Research In Motion’s BlackBerry and Google’s Android OS, both of which launched their own app stores months ago.

The Ovi store can be accessed by about 50 million Nokia device owners worldwide, including the soon-to-be launched N97. The store will have more than 20,000 titles at launch, said Nokia, including both free and paid apps. Customers can visit Ovi through their phone’s browser to personalize and downloads services and programs.

“Ovi is open for business and we’ve stocked the shelves with both local and global content for a broad range of Nokia devices,” said Tero Ojanperä, Executive Vice President, Nokia Services in a statement. “Ovi Store makes shopping for content and applications easy for feature phone and smartphone owners alike.”

But some Nokia fans aren’t pleased. Inability to access the Ovi store on launch isn’t the only trouble that users say they faced. Allaboutsymbian.com, a web site that follows Nokia closely, pointed out that the Ovi store does not offer a clear distinction between Java and native Symbian apps.  The performance of the store client was also slow and the store did not have much content, said the site.

Ovi store users in the U.S. will face additional challenges buying from the Ovi store. U.S. consumers can access and purchase content from the Store via unlocked devices using AT&T or T-Mobile. But those purchases will require a separate credit card transaction. Later this year. AT&T has said it will offer carrier billing, so purchases from the store become a part of the monthly service bills.

Photo: Ovi store rendering on Nokia N97 (dekuwa/Flickr)

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 26 May 2009 | 5:22 pm

Nokia Ovi App Store Faces Turbulent Start

Nokia's Ovi app store seen as the answer to Apple's iTunes and iPhone app store got off to a rocky start.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 5:22 pm

Nokia attempts to compete in app market by opening Ovi Store

Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile

Today Nokia has officially opened the doors to its application site, the Ovi Store.  Through the Ovi Store, users will have the ability to download mobile applications, like games, videos, podcasts and more.  This is the company’s attempt to stay viable in a crowded market and offer similar applications as the iPhone.

The Ovi Store will be usable with 50 different Nokia devices and is starting up with over 20,000 applications. The store will be accessible through the PC as well as the phone’s mobile browser.  Nokia has said that about 50 million Nokia cell phone users will have the ability to use the Ovi Store.  Users can arrange applications by suggestions, phone combatiability or categories.  Additionally, ratings and user reviews help with the selection process.  There are both free and paid applications available for download.

Unfortunately, the launch of the Ovi Store has not been going so well.  Due to unexpected high traffic, users have been experiencing slow downloading and page upload times.  According to the Ovi blog, developers are working to fix the issue.

Site: [Ovi Store]

Full Story » | Written by Heather Wood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 26 May 2009 | 5:11 pm

Are you a Pre person?

This popped up this weekend but it’s worth a look. Apparently there’s a special manual that Palm and Sprint put together to train in-store folks how to sell the Pre. They won’t sell the phone to just anyone, mind you. Only early adopters and artsy hipsters with jobs AKA “non-IT Centric business users” should apply. Real business people should look elsewhere including the WinMo-powered Treo Pro.

A few more tidbits:

* The device can be supported by existing IT infrastructure and will make many IT managers’ standards list.
* [Non-Palm] charging solutions may not work properly.
* Due to anticipated high demand, employee availability will delayed to first meet the needs of our customers.
* The sealed form factor of the device makes repairs challenging and the potential for damage is significant.
* Palm ® Pre™ Smokes the Competition

Most interesting, however, is Charlie Sorrel’s take. Charlie is a great guy - met him a few times in Barcelona - and he believes that the Pre is the iPhone’s Zune - a nemesis that spirals into obscurity and in-jokes after a few weeks. Man, Chuck, harsh on many buzzes much?

via Eng

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Source: MobileCrunch | 26 May 2009 | 5:07 pm

New Yorker Cover Drawn With an iPhone App

Think you’re artistic? Try finger painting a magazine cover with your iPhone. Standing outside Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Times Square, illustrator Jorge Colombo dabbed this week’s cover of The New Yorker with an iPhone app called Brushes. Its companion app Brushes Viewer captures every step of how Colombo composed the picture. (See video above.)

We love this stuff. In February, Wired.com compiled a gallery of illustrations made with the iPhone and iPod Touch. Check that out and submit your iPhone art to our Reddit widget.

Cover Story: Finger Painting [The New Yorker]

Brushes Download Link [iTunes]

Source: Wired: Gadget Lab | 26 May 2009 | 4:46 pm

Samsung Gloss hits US Cellular, everyone makes fun of it for looking funny

The conversation I had with a female roommate this morning, upon receiving the press release for the Samsung Gloss:

Me: Check this out! It’s called the Samsung Gloss. It’s a QWERTY flip phone built for the ladyfolk.

Her: Misogynist!

Me: It’s pink! It has flowers! It’s called “gloss”!

Her: Still. Plus, why is it called “gloss”? If they’re going off the idea that it looks like make-up, lipgloss comes in a tube. That looks more like a compact.

This is the world I live in, folks. Anyway, Samsung Gloss launches on US Cellular this morning, with Stereo Bluetooth, full QWERTY keyboard, and 1.3 megapixel camera en tow. If nothing else, it’s a good way to get people to say “Wow! That’s a very stout cell phone!”

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

Source: MobileCrunch | 26 May 2009 | 4:28 pm

Quick Review: Nesoid NES Emulator for Android

I’m a big fan of the T-Mobile G1 but to say that the selection of quality games from the Android Market has been underwhelming (at best) would be sugar-coating it. Luckily none of that really matters any more, as Android finally has a decent NES emulator.

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Crunch Network: TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies

Source: MobileCrunch | 26 May 2009 | 4:20 pm

Hair Loss Gene Found in Mice

A genetic discovery in mice could lead to treatments for balding in humans.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 26 May 2009 | 3:31 pm

Dell offers new Ubuntu equipped, options crippled, laptop

Section: Computers, Laptops

By now most of us know that Dell has promised to release computers running on Canonical’s Ubuntu Linux.  So far it’s been following through with a select few of its machines.  Most notably it includes the option to customize with Ubuntu on every netbook the company offers.  Dell has now decided to offer Ubuntu on its Studio XPS 13 laptop.

The Linux option isn’t all that surprising—what is surprising is how the machine is handled by Dell.  The Studio XPS 13 with Ubuntu cannot be upgraded as fully as the Vista version of the same laptop.  It’s limited to a 2.53 GHz processor upgrade from 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, while the Vista machine can go up to 2.66 GHz.  The Ubuntu version can only be upgraded to 4 GB of RAM, with the Vista version going all the way up to a possible 8 GB.  There’s also the lack of availability of any mobile broadband module or 9-cell battery that the Vista laptop can come equipped with.

It’s more than a bit annoying that Dell sets these limitations on the Ubuntu version.  The OS can definitely handle all of those upgrades that Vista can, and can greatly benefit from them.  Obviously Ubuntu may not be the most popular choice among Dell customers, but that’s not an excuse to cripple the upgrade options for any Ubuntu-equipped machine compared to a Windows one.  It makes more sense to just buy the fully upgraded Vista version, and then replace it with Jaunty Jackalope rather than getting stuck with limited options and Ubuntu 8.10 from Dell.

Read [Electonista]

Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 26 May 2009 | 3:13 pm

Rooks Quickly Learn Tool-Use

Laboratory studies with rooks show the birds quickly pick up how to use tools to get food.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 26 May 2009 | 2:11 pm

Apple Relents on 'Pornographic' iPhone Reader

Apple has decided to approve the Eucalyptus e-book reader for the iPhone after banishing it because it made available the classic tome "Kama Sutra."

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 2:08 pm

Audiopoint helps the visually impaired use Google Calendar

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Gadgets / Other, Household, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Web, Google

Audiopoint, the provider of Voice Terminal Services, introduced an upgrade to its services that is aimed at helping those with vision impairments have access to their calendars on Google Calendar.  A user accesses the service by calling from any landline or cellphone.  Using voice prompts, the user can hear their appointments and add events in quick or detailed mode.  In the future, Audiopoint hopes to add modifying and canceling functions for its Google Calendar service.

Voice Terminal Services is a text to voice service that can read voice-enabled web pages to its users.  It supports e-mail, news, and online calendars, to name a few.  The user can use any phone to access the service. 

Users can subscribe on a monthly or annual basis starting at $1.99 a month for 125 minutes of service, $4.95 a month for 250 minutes, and $12.95 for 1000 minutes. Annual plans start at $199 and max out at $499.  All visually impaired U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are being offered the service for free.  If you are reading this then you probably don’t need the service, but you might know someone who does, so please pass it on as you see fit. 

Site: [Audiopoint]

 

Full Story » | Written by Merlyn Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 26 May 2009 | 1:14 pm

Whales, Sharks Need Major Rebound, Study Shows

The seas once supported far more animals than exist today. Could it happen again?
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 26 May 2009 | 1:11 pm

Smart Wind Turbines to Switch Shapes

Scientists are creating intelligent wind turbines that shape-shift with the wind.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 26 May 2009 | 12:51 pm

Are You the Wrong Customer for a Palm Pre?

What appears to be a pre-launch marketing manual for the Palm Pre has been leaked, and it sounds very much not like a contender for the Business Smartphone Hall of Fame.

Source: Wired: Gadgets | 26 May 2009 | 12:34 pm

Nokia’s N900 Internet tablet specs, image leaked

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers

We have what appears to be a legitimate set of specs along with an image of the upcoming Nokia N900 Internet tablet.  The device, which will be the successor to the current N810 is going by the code name of Rover and appears to be a solid offering—that is assuming these specs are accurate.

Anyway, you can see the image, off to the right.  However, in this case it is the specs that deserve a little more attention.  The N900, or Rover is being rumored to have a:

• 3.5-inch 800×480 (WVGA) touchscreen
• OMAP3430 500/600 Mhz processor
• 1GB total virtual runtime memory
• 32GB internal storage, expandable up to 48GB via external memory
• 5.0 MP Carl Zeiss camera with dual-LED flash, auto-focus and sliding cover
• Wi-Fi, HSPA, GPS, accelerometer
• Maemo 5
• Dimensions: 59.7mm x 111mm x 18.2mm
• Weight: 180g

Overall, this looks like something to look forward to, that is if you are a fan of smaller sized Internet tablets.  However I cannot help but wonder how well this will do in terms of HSPA.  After all, we are seeing netbooks with built-in options as well as endless choices of smartphones.  I would imagine it will work well, however do we really want (or need) another broadband option that is tied to one device.

As far as when we can expect to see the Nokia N900 become available, currently the rumored launch is sometime in June 2009.  Let’s just hope for the sake of doing well that Nokia decides to launch it at the end of the month.  That way the Palm Pre and next-gen iPhone have a chance to leave the spotlight a little.

Additionally, and this one is still also a rumor, however it is being reported that carrier deals may be in the works. Currently there has not been any mention of an expected price. Of course, that will depend on whether this is a purchase or a carrier subsidy.

Read [CellPassion]  Read [MobileCrunch]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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Source: Gadgetell | 26 May 2009 | 11:02 am