Can Think's electric car revolutionize the auto industry?

CNN Money reports: "But first, Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums takes the wheel. While the moneymen fiddle with their BlackBerrys, Willums, looking slightly rumpled like the academic he once was, turns the ignition, and the stub-nosed coupe silently rolls toward an open stretch of pavement. Suddenly he punches the pedal, and the car takes off like a shot, the AC motor instantaneously transferring power to the wheels. The only sound is the squealing of tires as Willums throws the little car into a tight turn and barrels back toward his startled guests."

This might be a company to keep your eye on. The article is long, but interesting.

Laminar Flow

Interesting video showing Laminar Flow and demonstrating fluid flowing in layers. Filmed at the University of New Mexico - Physics Department.

More Science Experiments...

Looking for some easy science projects that you can do with your kids to get them interested in science? Check out some of the experiments below.

Warning: These experiments generally require adult supervision.

Finding Your Way


If you were lost in the woods, would you be able to determine which way was north?

Heating a Balloon


Can you hold a balloon in a candle flame without popping it? You can if you know the right science.

Möbius Strip


Use the science of Topology to make an object with only one side and only one edge. This experiment is one of my favorites.

Can Crushing


Use steam and air pressure to crush a can in a fraction of a second.

Wii Fit Parody

SarcasticGamer.com presents a satircal look at one of Nintendo's "Big" announcements at E3. Wii Fit was billed as a fitness breakthrough. It just looked like standing around to us.

Mount Rushmore Singers

The Wealthiest Americans Ever

The New York Times has published a list of America's Wealthiest people ever. There are several surprises, and some that you will say 'well I knew that'.

All of these billionaire have had the equivalent value of their fortunes converted into today's dollars. There are also short interesting profiles on each of these billionaire.

Wrightspeed X1 (Review)

CNET reviews the Wrightspeed X1 proof-of-concept electric vehicle, that can go 0-60 MPH in 3 seconds, with the equivalent of 170 MPG; and can go 110 MPH in first gear. The only car faster then the X1 is a Bugatti Veyron that costs $1.4 million.

DDR3 Memory: Not Ready for Prime Time

ExtremeTech reports: "DDR3 memory has arrived on the scene, but the move to DDR3 memory is looking a lot like the transition from DDR SDRAM to DDR2. What's happening is that newer memory trades off latency for bandwidth. ... The recent release of the Intel P35 and G35 chipsets is the beginning of the shift to DDR3, a new memory technology that builds on the foundation built by DDR2."

Do you want DDR3 memory, then you might want to check out this article before you buy it.

Glimpse of the Future (1994)

A view of the future of the Web, circa 1994 from DEC.

Core 2 Extreme QX6850: Intel Refines the High-end Processor

ExtremeTech reports: "Ever since launching its Core 2 microprocessors in July, 2006, the Santa Clara company has maintained a steady pace, with new Core 2 introductions occurring every few months. The quad-core QX6700 launched last November. Meanwhile, price drops have occurred on a regular basis as well."

Are you looking for information about the fastest processor available today for your PC. Here is an article about Intel's new Core 2 Extreme QX6850.

The World's Tiniest PCs

Wired reports: "PCs come in all shapes and sizes. The larger they are, the more performance they tend to offer, and that's the metric that drives a market still ruled by Moore's law and its myriad derivatives. There's a certain appeal to small systems, however -- especially if you go the DIY route, proving once again that even if small can't quite run World of Warcraft, it sure can be beautiful."

Some of these devices are really cool, but you have figure out what you're going to do with it.

Free Phone Calls Forever (Podcast)

A company called ooma is launching a new hardware-based VOIP device that plugs into your existing phone system and provides unlimited landline calling in the U.S. with no monthly fee. To learn more about this device listen to the following podcast between Jim Rapoza and Andrew Frame, CEO of ooma to get all the details. The ooma hub will cost about $400, and is suppose to be available in September.

The service also offers free unlimited voicemail, and has some other specialize features (more information is available in the podcast). There is support for international calling, but the rates are similar to Skype.

I am the very model of a Singularitarian

Charlie Kam has written and recorded a humorous Singularitarian version of Gilbert & Sullivan's "I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General," from the Gilbert & Sullivan opera, "The Pirates of Penzance."

Here is Wikipedia's definition of Singularitarianism.

The Internet Is Broken

Breaking News: All data has been lost when the Internet went down. Officials confirm that all the online data has been lost and the government has forgotten to make a backup of it... Source: The Onion

Googling "how to crack a safe" nets robbers $12,000

Ars Technica reports: "Google has become so ubiquitous in many people's daily lives that it serves as the all-encompassing information source on how to do nearly anything: jump a car, tie a tie, fold a pocket square, remove ketchup stains. Oh, and crack open a safe to steal $12,000. That's what a couple of burglars did last month in Colorado, when they broke into an indoor amusement center called Bigg City armed with the knowledge they thought they needed in order to get into a couple of safes. The burglars knew the passcodes to the safes in question but were still unable to open them after several tries, so they eventually resorted to their good friend Google to tell them how."

It's amazing what people can now use Google for...

Will It Blend? The iPhone (now with iSmoke)

Everybody knows that the iPhone can make phone calls, play movies & music, surf the web, and a lot more. But, Will It Blend? That is the question.

You can also bid for the the blended iPhone on eBay.

Free Conference Calling Services

Are you looking for a free phone conference services? There are several providers out there providing the same basic services, but not all of them are created equal. Most of these services also have a 'catch' you need to be aware of.

First, all free conferencing providers don't offer toll-free dial-in numbers to access your conference. So you will be required to make a long distance call to use the service. Although if you have free long distance services on your phone this shouldn't be a problem.

Some of the free conferencing providers below have registration requirements and others don't to use their services. So you will have to find the service that you like the best.

Finally, below is the list of providers that you can use for having audio phone conferences with your family and friends.

• FreeConferenceCall.com: This free service requires you to register to receive an account. You will be provided with a dial-in number and access code for phone conferencing. Features: reservationless conferences, that can accommodate 96 callers, for up to 6 hours at a time.
  
• PowWowNow: This is another free conference calling service. All you have to do is to create a PIN (6 to 9 digits long) and share it will your friends and family. Then all they have to call the number provided on the site, enter the PIN to join the conference.
  
• FreeConference: Offers both reservations and reservationless conference calling. You do not have to set up a account or provide any information regarding your conference, everyone who calls the same Dial-in Number and enters the same Participant Access Code will be connected together.
  
• BV FreeConferencing: Free conference calling, after you register you will receive the dial-in information with your bridge number and moderator PIN. Then you can invite up to 250 attendees to join your conference call.
  

Note: This is not a complete list of free conferencing providers, if you do a search in your favorite search engine you can find more providers.

Nanotechnology Takes Off

From Lawrence Berkeley National Labs to Silicon Valley, researchers are manipulating particles at the atomic level, ushering in potential cures for cancer, clothes that don't stain, and solar panels as thick as a sheet of paper.

Videos: Easy Science Tricks

The following video include science tricks that you can do with your children. I tried to be very selective in finding ones that use household items and are relatively safe.

Although if these experiments are performed by children, there should be a responsible adult present to supervise. Finally, you do these experiments at your own risk.

Amazing Eggs And Science


Dozen Nails Trick


Water Defies Gravity


Chill A Coke In 2 Minutes


Simple Science

Requires: a bowl, milk, food coloring, q-tips and dish soap.

The Tonight Show: Anti-Helium

Sulfur hexafluoride gas is over five times denser than air, it can be poured into an open container and it won't escape. If breathed, the gas can also alter breather's voice by making it sound very deep due to the gas' density. Also light objects that contain air inside them can float on top of this gas.

Sony Cuts Price on PlayStation 3 by $100

PC Magazine reports: "Sony Corp. cut the price of the PlayStation 3 by $100, or 17 percent, in the United States on Monday ... The PlayStation 3, which includes a 60-gigabyte hard drive and a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, will now cost $500, or $20 more than the most expensive version of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360."

This is good news for people who wanted to buy a PS3 but though it was too expensive. From a hardware perspective, the PS3 is a very impressive gaming console. Although it has been plagued with poor sales due to multiple factors.

"Mac or PC" Rap Music Video

Very nerdy, but funny...

Watch A Car Bent Like an Aluminum Can

Its pretty amazing to watch these two 50 ton manipulators rip a car apart, they bend it like it was an aluminum can. The white smoke coming from the car is probably hot coolant escaping as steam from the engine.

Google: Single-Word Translations

Google is now offering single-word translations services. You were able to have similar functionality using the existing interface. Although the new service offers more comprehensive information about the word you enter.

To use the service, goto the site, enter a word or phrase that you're looking for (such as "hello" or "good night"), and then select a language pair (i.e.: English to Italian, Italian to English, etc.). Here is an example.

The iPhone Disassembled

I am a person who likes to know how everything works. So when
iFixit (an Apple parts and upgrade site) disassembled their brand new Apple iPhone and posted pictures. I want to to see it and share it.

Microsoft Touts Supercomputing for the Masses

eWeek reports: "At the International Supercomputing Conference in Dresden this week, Microsoft—a tiny player in the $10 billion market—campaigned to bring high-performance computing (HPC) to the mainstream."