Steven Levy Mugged for his iPhone Live on TV

I just found this. Here is a video of someone trying to take Steven Levy (a technology columnist for Newsweek) iPhone as he is being interviewed on live TV today.

Weekend Update iPhone Special (SNL)

In honor of all the hype that surrounds the release of the iPhone today. I am posting the following SNL video of the (fake) Steve Jobs showing up on Weekend Update to describe the iPhone.



To all those that waited in line to be the first to have this device, I really hope that you enjoy your gadget that you worked so hard to get.

Will science render men unnecessary?

MSNBC reports: "recently a team of scientists announced they had made artificial sperm from human bone marrow, and media reports abounded with the dire news that my goodfellas (and by extension, me) had been rendered unnecessary."

Good news men, we are not obsolete yet...

Article: Testing Out the iPhone - The Mossberg Solution

WSJ.com reports: "One of the most important trends in personal technology over the past few years has been the evolution of the humble cellphone into a true handheld computer, a device able to replicate many of the key functions of a laptop. But most of these "smart phones" have had lousy software, confusing user interfaces and clumsy music, video and photo playback. And their designers have struggled to balance screen size, keyboard usability and battery life."



This is the best information that I found on the iPhone so far. It also is the most balance opinion on the product that is not just full of hype or criticism. Read the article for all the details.

Article: New IBM supercomputer achieves petaflop

CNET News.com reports: "IBM has devised a new Blue Gene supercomputer--the Blue Gene/P--that will be capable of processing more than 3 quadrillion operations a second, or 3 petaflops, a possible record. Blue Gene/P is designed to continuously operate at more than 1 petaflop in real-world situations."

Wow, 3 quadrillion operations a second. That is truly amazing.

Article: Apple, AT&T Announce iPhone Service Plans

PC Magazine reports: "The iPhone will be available in a 4GB model for $499 and an 8GB model for $599. The data plans will be priced at $59.99 for 450 minutes, $79.99 for 900 minutes, and $99.99 for 1,350 minutes, AT&T said. An activation fee of $36 will also be charged"

Only three more days until you can start buying an iPhone. I really hope that they're worth the money. Although, we will soon find out.

Charge multiple mobile devices simultaneously with a single power cord

Chargepod is a 6-way charging device that allows you to charge multiple cell phones, PDAs, headsets, and most other mobile electronics with a single power cord. Just pick out the manufacturer-specific adapters for your devices and throw away the dozens of power cords and wall warts that are cluttering your office and home. Chargepod uses voltage regulator technology and interchangeable power adapters to safely charge all of your mobile devices regardless of manufacturer or model.

For more information check out the following web site.

Article: Portable power from trash

CNET News.com reports: "A company called AgriPower will begin production next year of a movable power generator fueled by a wide range of waste products, from walnut shells to discarded tires."

This technology would be better if they could generate the power without creating emissions.

Autocar - Supercar Group Test

A bunch of super cars compared: Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Audi R8, Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Aston Martin DB9. Who will win?

Article: I'll give up money, sex ... but not the mobile

Yahoo! News reports: "Young Britons would rather give up sex than live without their mobile phones, according to a survey. .. One in three people would not sacrifice their mobile phone for one million pounds or more"

Several years ago I gave up my land line (POTS or Plain Old Telephone Service) and I use my mobile phone exclusively. I know I am not the first or the last do this, but I don't love my mobile phone as much as these people in this article.

Article: Digital Da Vinci Codes: Thousands of Leonardo's Papers Go Online

Wired reports: "The tiny brick library in Leonardo Da Vinci's hometown is putting 3,000 pages of the genius' work online in a high-resolution, searchable archive. ... The Leonardian Library in Vinci, Tuscany, is making the Madrid Codices and the Codex Atlanticus -- two collections of scientific and technical drawings -- available as a free digital archive called e-Leo."

Proposed Amendment Would Ban All DVD Copying - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

PC Magazine reports: "A proposed amendment to the current copy protection license governing DVDs would completely ban all DVD backups, and prevent DVD playback without the DVD disk being present inside the drive."

I have always said that I believe in a companies right to protect its intellectual property. But I believe in the consumer's right to make 'personal use' backups of media that they have legally purchased.

Article: Is Open Source Dying?

eWeek reports: The Free Software Foundation and Linux continue to engage in a pissing match over some of the terms of GPLv3, making the open-source community seem, once again, like splinter groups of some radical political organization more interested in winning arcane theological disputes than actually taking power."

I personally don't want to see the demise of open source, but there are a lot problems and most of them have existed for years.

Videos: The Future of Media

"It is the best of times, it is the worst of times."

About two years ago, I saw a video called 'Epic 2014', it talked about the 'Evolving Personalized Information Construct'. At the time it was a very powerful video, it also made some wild predictions about what the 'media scape' might look like (such as Googlezon [Google/Amazon merged]).

Below is the updated sequel to the original video, with a slightly different prediction of the future.



Like the previous video, this one contains some imaginative guesses at what the Web and media could look like in the next 40-50 years. According to the predictions from the video Google will buy Microsoft, Amazon will buy Yahoo, and Second Life becomes the dominant virtual world.

Photos: The gadget days of summer

ZDNet has created a very interesting photo gallery of cool gadgets of summer. You will see things like the Auto Mower from Husqvarna, or the Solaire line of infrared grills from Rasmussen. There's also UVB detecting stickers for you toddler, 75-Mile Range Thunderstorm Detector, and more.

Article: GDrive “Platypus” still in development

ZDNet.com reports: "Do you remember GDrive (also known as Platypus)? Well it looks like it’s in development and still being used internally at Google. How do I know? Wakoopa says so. “Scoops” noticed several Google employees have the Wakoopa application tracker installed on their machines — giving us a window into what their computers run from day to day. I have verified the users listed on this page either currently work for Google or have at some point in the past."

I have not seen a lot of information on the GDrive (Google's on-line storage service) in a long time but here is one update that I found.

Videos: Easy Science Experiments

Below are some great science experiments that you can do with your kids, using stuff that you can find around the home. Marshall Brain (web site) created these and posted them on the web for your viewing pleasure.

What do yeast like to eat?


Electromagnets


Make Your Own Ice Cream


Insulation


How much sugar is in a can of soda

Article: FBI tries to fight zombie hordes

BBC reports: "The FBI is contacting more than one million PC owners who have had their computers hijacked by cyber criminals. ... The initiative is part of an ongoing project to thwart the use of hijacked home computers, or zombies, as launch platforms for hi-tech crimes. "

I applaud the FBI for taking this action, and having the foresight to realize that it can also be exploited by fraudsters to steal your personal information. Here is a excerpt from the FBI press release on how they will handle the situation: "The FBI will not contact you online and request your personal information so be wary of fraud schemes that request this type of information, especially via unsolicited emails. To report fraudulent activity or financial scams, contact the nearest FBI office or police department, and file a complaint online with the Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov.

If you want more information about Botnets here is article from Wikipedia about it.

Video: Best Space Battles (Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and More)

What happens if Battlestar Galactica went against an Imperial Cruiser (Star Wars)? Or how about Battlestar Galactica vs Imperial Cruisers vs. ships from the Star Trek and Babylon 5 universe? Its computer graphic madness...

Battlestar Galactica Vs Star Wars



Battlestar Galactica Vs Star Wars Vs Star Trek Vs Babylon 5


As a bonus, I have included some other funny Star Wars based videos...

Star Wars Orchestra


Monty Python - Black Knight Skit (Star Wars Parody)

Video: What is Your Day Job? (San Diego Comic Con)

Big Time Attic journeys through the San Diego Comic Con, boldly asking costumed heroes about their day jobs. Includes annual con favorites like Black Superman, Drag Queen Supergirl, Elvis Trooper and Monkey Woman from "Who Wants To Be A Superhero"

Video: The New Shining Trailer

What if the movie 'The Shining' was a lighthearted drama. Here is a trailer to show you what it would look like.

A T-REX For Your Home or Office

Triebold Paleontology, Inc. offers "The famous 'Peck's Rex' Tyrannosaurus rex is now available to amaze your visitors! At 42 feet in length and 13 feet in height at the hips, Peck's Rex is the second largest T. rex in existence." You can own one for only (US)$95,000.

Article: Intel readies massive multicore processors

News.com reports: "Last year, Intel showed off a prototype chip with 80 computing cores. While the semiconductor world took note of the achievement, the practical questions immediately arose: Will the company come out with a multicore chip with x86 cores? (The prototype doesn't have them.) Will these chips run existing software and operating systems? How do you solve data traffic, heat and latency problems?"

First we had dual core CPUs, now we have quad core CPUs. Intel has a processor with 80 cores. My questions is when will we have enough logical cores on a single physical processor?

Article: Google's Advertising Footprint

Want to know how much of the advertising market in different categories Google controls? Check out this article.

Article: How a Motherboard is Made

ExtremeTech reports: "About ten years ago, I was given a tour of a Visioneer scanner factory in San Jose. Even though I knew that only global companies like Toyota could essentially afford to build a car through an almost entirely automated process, I was nevertheless amazed at how many people were required to actually assemble a scanner. And I'm not talking about management, but hands-on 'put this widget there' assembly. ... What's interesting is that in a decade, how little has changed."

Favorite Sign...

This has to be one of the best signs available.

Video: Will Dogs Take Over the World?

Video: Sony's Flexible OLED

Sony presented their new OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) display which is only 0.3mm thick and is flexible. You can see how the man presenting it is bending it and how the movie is still visible and still played.

You can really appreciate the potential (i.e.: low power requirements, no back lights, etc.) of OLED display after watching this video. This technology has a million applications, from super-thin TV, to laptops, to other portable devices.

Video: Top Gear - Richard Hammond's Car Accident

If you're a Top Gear fan, you might want to check out Richard Hammond's car accident. If you don't know what Top Gear, it worth checking out this video. Basically Richard is driving a jet powered car with 5,000-10,000 horse power, then guess what happens.

I am not going to ruin the video for you.

Video: History of Video Games (Extended Edition)

Extended Edition of a video called "History of Video Games 1972-2007".

List of games (* = newly added):

• 1972 Pong (Atari, Arcade)
• 1980 Space Invaders (Atari, Atari 2600)
• 1980 Defender (Williams, Arcade)
• 1980 Adventure (Atari, Atari 2600)*
• 1981 Pac-Man (Namco, Arcade)
• 1981 Ultima (California Pacific, Apple II)
• 1981 Frogger (Konami, Atari 2600)
• 1982 Pitfall (Atari, Atari 2600)
• 1983 Centipede (Atari, Atari 2600)*
• 1983 Pole Position (Atari, Atari 2600)*
• 1983 Microsoft Flight Simulator (Microsoft, PC)*
• 1984 Donkey Kong (Nintendo, NES)
• 1984 King's Quest (Sierra, PC)
• 1985 Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, NES)
• 1985 Duck Hunt (Nintendo, NES)
• 1986 Bubble Bobble (Taito, Arcade)
• 1986 The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo, NES)*
• 1986 Space Quest (Sierra, PC)*
• 1986 Metroid (Nintendo, NES)*
• 1987 Leisure Suit Larry (Sierra, PC)
• 1987 Final Fantasy (Nintendo, NES)
• 1987 Afterburner (Sega, Arcade)
• 1987 Castlevania (Konami, NES)*
• 1987 Maniac Mansion (LucasArts, PC)*
• 1987 Mega Man (Capcom, NES)*
• 1988 Double Dragon (Tradewest, NES)
• 1988 Battle Chess (Interplay, PC)
• 1989 Prince of Persia (Broderbund, PC)
• 1989 Tetris (Nintendo, Nintendo Gameboy)
• 1989 SimCity (Maxis, PC)
• 1989 Golden Axe (Sega, Arcade)
• 1990 Commander Keen (ID Software, PC)
• 1990 Secret of Monkey Island (LucasArts, PC)
• 1991 Civilization (Microprose, PC)*
• 1991 Micro Machines (NES, Codemasters)*
• 1991 Lemmings (Psygnosis, PC)
• 1991 Out of this World (Delphine Software, PC)*
• 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega, Sega Genesis)
• 1991 Zelda: A Link to the Past (Nintendo, SNES)
• 1992 Sensible Soccer (Sensible Software, PC)*
• 1992 Dune II (Westwood Studios, PC)*
• 1992 Wolfenstein 3D (ID Software, PC)
• 1992 Flashback (Delphine Software, PC)*
• 1992 Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis (LucasArts, PC)
• 1992 Super Mario Kart (Nintendo, SNES)
• 1992 Alone in the Dark (Infogrames, PC)*
• 1992 Street Fighter II (Capcom, SNES)
• 1992 Mortal Kombat (Midway, Sega Genesis)
• 1992 Minesweeper (Windows Desktop Game)
• 1993 Sam & Max Hit the Road (LucasArts, PC)
• 1993 Doom (ID Software, PC)
• 1993 Myst (Broderbund, PC)
• 1993 FIFA Soccer '94 (Electronic Arts, Sega Genesis)
• 1993 SimCity 2000 (Maxis, PC)*
• 1994 The Settlers (Blue Byte Software, PC)*
• 1994 Earthworm Jim (Shiny Entertainment, Sega Genesis)
• 1994 Need for Speed (Electronic Arts, 3DO)
• 1994 Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo, SNES)*
• 1994 Worms (Ocean, PC)*
• 1995 Command & Conquer (Westwood Studios, PC)
• 1995 Rayman (Ubisoft, Atari Jaguar)
• 1995 Daytona USA (Sega, Sega Saturn)*
• 1995 Virtua Fighter (Sega, Sega Saturn)
• 1995 Ridge Racer (Namco, Playstation)*
• 1995 Tekken (Namco, Sony Playstation)
• 1996 Tomb Raider (Eidos Interactive, Sony Playstation)
• 1996 Quake (ID Software, PC)
• 1996 Super Mario 64 (Nintendo, Nintendo 64)
• 1996 Resident Evil (Capcom, Playstation)*
• 1996 Dead or Alive (Tecmo, Arcade)*
• 1997 Ultima Online (Origin, PC)*
• 1997 Age of Empires (Microsoft, PC)*
• 1998 Unreal (Epic Games, PC)*
• 1998 Half-Life (Sierra, PC)*
• 1998 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo, Nintendo 64)*
• 2000 The Sims (Maxis, PC)
• 2000 Crazy Taxi (Sega, Sega Dreamcast)*
• 2001 Halo (Bungie Studios, Xbox)
• 2001 Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games, Playstation 2)
• 2002 WarCraft III (Blizzard, PC)*
• 2003 Call of Duty (Activision, PC)*
• 2004 Wario Ware Inc. (Nintendo, Nintendo Gamecube)*
• 2004 Rome Total War (Sega, PC)
• 2005 World of Warcraft (Blizzard, PC)
• 2005 God of War (SCEA, Playstation)*
• 2005 Guitar Hero (Red Octane, Playstation 2)*
• 2006 Final Fantasy XII (Square Enix, Playstation 2)
• 2006 FIFA Soccer '07 (Electronic Arts, Xbox 360)
• 2007 Gears of War (Microsoft, Xbox 360)
• 2006 Wii Sports (Nintendo, Nintendo Wii)
• 2006 Viva Pinata (Microsoft, Xbox 360)*
• 2007 MotorStorm (Sony, Sony Playstation 3)

Video: Steam Trek: The Moving Picture (Star Trek Parody)

From YouTube: "In Space, no-one can hear you!" Classic sci-fi as it might have been done 100 years ago by George Melies. (This version cut to fit YouTube restrictions - full version is on my website at www.sisterson.co.uk.)

Video: Photosynth (Amazing technology)

From the site: "Using photos of oft-snapped subjects (like Notre Dame) scraped from around the Web, Photosynth creates breathtaking multidimensional spaces with zoom and navigation features that outstrip all expectation. Its architect, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, shows it off in this standing-ovation demo. "

Want to try out Photosynch for yourself, go to: http://labs.live.com/photosynth

Article: If It's Not Tennis Elbow, It May Be "Wiiitis"

PC Magazine reports: "When Dr. Julio Bonis awoke one Sunday morning with a sore shoulder, he could not figure out what he had done. It felt like a sports injury, but he had been a bit of a couch potato lately.
... Then he remembered his new Wii."

First they diagnosed 'Space Invaders wrist' in 1981. Then in 1990 they called 'Nintendinitis', which is exactly like 'Space Invaders wrist' with a different name. Both of these aliments describe a sharp cramp that is caused by playing video games for too long.

Now in 2007 we have 'Wiiitis', which is just another name for sore muscles caused by actually doing something with your body rather then sitting... :-)

Soviet-Era Arcade Games Crawl Out of Their Cold War Graves

Wired reports: "If American teenagers during the Cold War ever stopped to consider how their Eastern bloc counterparts spent the weekend, they probably imagined dreary groups of Red Youth robotically singing hymns to Soviet wheat production and discussing the glories of socialist brotherhood from Hanoi to Havana."

Its interesting to see some of these Russian video games. I never heard of them until I read this article. Make sure to check out the gallery.

Article: Gonzales proposes new crime: 'Attempted' copyright infringement | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

CNET News.com: "Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is pressing the U.S. Congress to enact a sweeping intellectual-property bill that would increase criminal penalties for copyright infringement, including 'attempts' to commit piracy."

This is just scary legislation...

The iPhone is Coming... (June 29)

Its official, the Apple iPhone is coming June 29. In fact Apple and AT&T has just release three new iPhone commercials (called "Calamari" "How To", and "Never Been an iPod"). They're all available for viewing on Apple's web site.

Video: Richard Dawkins Talks About our Bizarre Universe (TEDTalks)

Richard Dawkins is Oxford University's "Professor for the Public Understanding of Science." In this talk, titled, "Queerer Than We Suppose: The strangeness of science," he suggests that the true nature of the universe eludes us, because the human mind evolved only to understand the "middle-sized" world we can observe. (Recorded July 2005 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 22:42) - More TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com.

Video: The Future of Civilization

Theoretical physicist and 2057 host Michio Kaku speculates on the future of civilization. The questions is will we survive? Watch the video to find out what I am talking about.

Video: How To Make Instant Hot Ice (using Sodium Acetate)

Create liquid that radiates heat and turns solid if something touches it. For more information on Sodium Acetate.

Video: First Time Machine (Discovery)

Here is a a clip taken from the Discovery Channel documentary 'The First Time Machine'. It is very interesting, but I have heard a similar theory based on 'worm holes'.

The way the machine works is that it allows a portal to be opened from the time it is turned on. So in theory it would be possible information or matter to be brought back from the future to the time that the machine was first turned on.

Interesting theory, but then we have to deal with the consequences of time paradoxes.

Video: Eurocopter BO-105 (An Amazing Helicopter)

Here is a Eurocopter BO-105 CBS 4 Twin engine helicopter, with a stock Rigid Rotor system which allows it to do the aerobatics.

Article: Mac Coming into Focus As Attack Target

eWeek reports: "There haven't been mass Mac exploits to date, but interest is growing, as evidenced by the quick turnout of exploit code for a recently disclosed vulnerability."

I wonder if Macs may need anti-virus and anti-malware software pretty soon?

Video: Saltwater into fire 2 (John Kanzius)

John Kanzius discovered that his radio frequency generator could release the oxygen and hydrogen from saltwater and create an incredibly intense flame. For more information check out this web site.

Hands on With 'Microsoft Surface': The Coffee-Table PC - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

PC Magazine reports: "Microsoft has been looking beyond the desktop for sometime now, but with the launch of 'Milan,' the company is showing the potential for so-called 'surface computing' to revolutionize everything from retail kiosks to the common coffee table. At its core, Milan is a PC running Windows Vista, but don't expect to use it with a keyboard and mouse. Instead, Milan uses a touch-sensitive display that enables multiple users to navigate the system's interface."

Hopefully one day I will be able to own one...