Images: Future Firefox fitting in

CNET News.com reports: "Firefox developers are working to make the upcoming version 3, code-named Gran Paradiso, adopt the look of the operating system on which it's running. User interface designer Alex Faaborg has published a number of mock-ups that illustrate this conformity."

Our Favorite Music Services, Part 1

PC Magazine reports: "We all remember the wild and wooly early days of online music trading, when Napster and its imitators turned millions of otherwise upright, law-abiding folk into instant criminals on a scale that previously would have been hard to imagine. Suddenly, a music collection that represented hundreds if not thousands of CDs was within the grasp of everyone with a reasonably reliable connection to the Internet and the moral flexibility to ignore the fact that it was all stolen. Yes, it was a carefree time of all the free (stolen) crappy 32 or 64 Kbps rips of songs you could stand to download. Alas, those heady days of carefree larceny are mostly gone, unless you're willing to dare the (mostly impotent) wrath of RIAA and the risk of unbridled spyware infections that often goes hand in hand with P2P file-sharing."

Here is an excerpt from part 2 of the article: "Things haven't been looking good lately for Internet radio sites. The Copyright Royalty Board decided to modify current webcast radio royalties, imposing heavier fees that could put sites like Pandora and Last.fm out of businesses. The Internet radio community has fought back hard, getting Congress to introduce the Internet Radio Equality Act that would lighten their financial burden."

Best Buy Stops Selling Analog TVs

PC Magazine reports: "Big-box retailer Best Buy said Wednesday that they had pulled all analog TVs from its store shelves, jumping on board with the digital TV transition. ... The company also announced that they will participate in the NTIA DTV Converter Box Coupon Program to help people purchase digital converter boxes for their analog televisions. Coupon-eligible converter boxes will be available in Best Buy stores beginning in early 2008, in time with the phase-out of American terrestrial analog TV broadcasts, which will happen on Feb. 17, 2008."

One more nail in the coffin of standard definition television (SDTV). Expect HDTV prices to keep coming down (hopefully).

Microsoft Live Updates Target Mobile, Maps

PC Magazine reports: "Microsoft unveiled a host of updates to its Live suite of services, focusing on mobile improvements and enhancements to its mapping technologies. In total, the company said it made seven new enhancements to Windows Live Search and its VirtualEarth services. The rollouts follow improvements to Microsoft's basic search capabilities released late last month."

It really sounds cool, I can't wait to check out some of the features.

Palm Centro: At A Glance

PC Magazine reports: "To understand the Centro, you have to understand who it's for. There's nothing here for existing Treo owners, and there's little to entice other smartphone users to switch. Rather, the Centro exists to put more power into the hands of folks who are considering devices such as the T-Mobile Sidekick ID or LG's enV—inexpensive sub-smartphones with e-mail, text messaging, and media options."

This looks like a pretty impressive little device. Read the article for a complete review.

Fit PC—A Tiny Linux PC that Fits Anywhere

ExtremeTech reports: "What if you really wanted a small PC just for web and email? Here at the Case House, we often have a need for a communal system to quickly check email or browse web sites for shopping or homework. Most of the real work gets done on personal PCs, while important files are stored on a RAID 5 NAS server. So a small PC that fits into a small space would be ideal."

This is a cool little PC that you can give someone doesn't need a fast and/or expensive computer. They would probably make great terminal devices too.

10 Wacky Wii Accessories

PC Magazine reports: "Since the release of the Nintendo Wii in November 2006, the company has sold over 9 million consoles worldwide, according to the NPD Group. Would you believe that the Wii is the second most desired gift on Amazon's wedding registry? Its popularity should come as no surprise, given that it's very interactive, promotes exercise, and welcomes friendly competition."

Great article for people who want to accessorize their Wii.

Trevor Baylis Eco Media Player Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

CNET reports: "The Trevor Baylis Eco Media Player is a wind-up MP3 player that features video playback, a photo viewer, an FM radio, a voice recorder, a line input recorder, a text reader, expandable memory, and a flashlight. You can even use it to charge your cell phone."

This $350 media player comes with a crank so that you can wind it to power the device. Watch the video to see how it works and for the full review.

Photos: Airbus delivers the A380, finally

CNET News.com reports: "It's been a long time coming. The much ballyhooed Airbus A380 jumbo jet has endured months of delays, but the world's largest passenger plane is now in the fleet of its first customer. Singapore Airlines took delivery of the jet on Monday at a ceremony in Toulouse, France."

It's going to be interesting to see what happens between Airbus and Boeing. Either both planes are going to be popular, or one of them will win out over the other.

For Sale: Titan Missile Base Central Washington

For US $1,500,000.00 you can own the former Larson Air Force Base Complex 1A Titan ICBM Facility (eBay item 190132455924). It's located in Central Washington between Moses Lake and Ritzville. The property includes about 57 acres, and 16 underground buildings.

If you're looking for something like this check out the follow eBay auction.

Free and Easy Web Conferencing

eWeek reports: "And while Web conferencing has improved since its early days, it can still be a hassle for many. For those workers who have to deal with multiple meetings hosted on multiple platforms, it often means having to install several different applications on the desktop just to attend these meetings. And businesses that run multiple meetings a week through one of the leading providers can find that the cost of these Web conferences can quickly add up."

This sounds like an interesting service to check. When you read the article you will find out its called DimDim.com.

Microsoft's Social Events Planning Service Goes Live

eWeek reports: "Organizing an event? Microsoft is hoping that customers will use its latest free online service, Windows Live Events. ... This new social events planning service was unveiled Oct. 11 and will be rolled out over the next few days. ... Windows Live Events is designed to make it easy for users to create personalized event Web sites using a range of customized templates, to which they can add photographs, videos and stories via blog posts after the party is over."

Google Commands 60% of Global Searches

eWeek reports: "Google captured roughly 60 percent of the searches conducted worldwide in August, blowing away the field with 37.1 billion of 61 billion queries, according to new statistics from comScore. Five billion of Google's August searches came from the Mountain View, Calif., company's video property YouTube.com."

61 billion queries a month, that mean that almost 2 billion queries are made per day. That is a lot of searching...

Windows Home Server Hits Store Shelves

PC Magazine reports: "Microsoft's Windows Home Server, which we've been tracking , through its limitations, and through to its final review. As we previously reported, the price should have been about $189, and that's exactly where it is, according to this list of online vendors who have the operating system on their store shelves."

I have been reading a lot of good reviews about the Windows Home Server. Although PC Magazine didn't say much about it in this article.

Microsoft's Social Events Planning Service Launches

PC Magazine reports: "After months of new feature launches and beta rollouts, the reinvented Windows Live suite is finally starting to coming together. The latest introduction to the service is Windows Live Events. Introduced yesterday, the service looks to be an eVite/MyPunchbook competitor, giving users the ability to send out event invitations, stay in touch with friends and family, and share photos of the event, after it's over."

Read the article for a little more inforamtion.

Guys Start Bon Fire With Jet Engine

These guys build a huge stack of wood and other debris and then uses in a large jet engine to start the fire.


Guys Start Bon Fire With Jet Engine - Watch more free videos

Asteroid heads for Earth, Russian astronomer claims

PhysOrg.com reports: "An asteroid discovered three years ago could be a threat in 2029 when it crosses Earth's orbit, a Russian astronomer said Monday."

There is not much to the article, but its still interesting.

Jedi order establishes a new temple in lower Manhattan

Wired reports: "In the Star Wars universe, a Jedi fashions a lightsaber by packing Adegan crystals into a handle with a power cell. In the New York Jedi galaxy, knights order them for $150 to $700 a pop from a guy upstate."

May the Farce be with you...

The Miniature Earth

Microsoft Unveils New Zune Players

Microsoft Unveils New Zune Players - News and Analysis by PC Magazine: "The new Zune 80GB ($249.99) will offer much more hard drive space for your tunes and videos than the original model. Another improvement is the player's slightly larger 3.2-inch screen (compared with the 30GB model's 3-inch display). Though we have no word on actual dimensions yet, it appears that this Zune will have a trimmer profile despite its pumped-up storage capacity."

Images: Observatories at the top of the world

TechRepublic reports: "A dormant volcano in the Hawaiian islands called Mauna Kea is the unlikely home of the most important collection of astronomical observatories in the world. At least it might seem unlikely: the big island of Hawaii is better known for cattle ranches, macadamia nuts and black sand beaches. But because the Mauna Kea summit, at 13,796 feet, is so high in the atmosphere, because it's far from light pollution, and because it's usually free of clouds, it's the best place on the planet for atmospheric and astronomical observations."

ConsumerReports.org - Car Crash Test

Find out how well your car can protect you in the event of of crash. ConsumerReports.org has posted several video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on several different makes, models, and years of cars.

Mars Is Amazing

Yes this is a joke...

Microwave Experiments

Warning: Under no circumstances should you try to reproduce any of these experiments, none of them are safe. Just watch the video to see what happens.

Does-Nothing-o-Matic

Photos: Converting from analog to digital TV

CNET News.com reports: "February 17, 2009, is the day when analog broadcasts shut down, and government agencies are planning ahead for the transition. The U.S. Department of Commerce staged a public meeting and expo on Tuesday devoted to the upcoming digital television transition. Parked in front of its Washington headquarters was this TV-shaped truck, which National Association of Broadcasters representatives plan to use for a 'road show' later this fall."

It looks like standard definition television (SDTV) is going the way of the dodo. Come February 17, 2009 broadcasters are suppose to cease broadcasting the SDTV signal.

For those who still have a regular TV that can only receive the
older signal, will be eligible to recieve a $40 credit to buy a special converter. The converter allows older TVs to utilize the newer HDTV signal.

LED-Backlit Laptops

PC Magazine reports: "It's hard to distinguish one laptop display from another, let alone the technology behind it, but not all screens are the same. There's been an influx of laptop screens that use LED backlighting in place of conventional CCFL or fluorescent backlighting. This is the future of laptop screens. ... The advantages of an LED screen can be enormous if you have a keen eye for detail and knack for judging colors on the fly. ... Best of all, they consume less power, so they can save significant battery life."

Most modern laptops have an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen. One of the problems with this technology is that it uses a CCFL or fluorescent backlighting which can drain your laptop's battery. LED (Light Emitting Diode) screens produce a better pictures vs. LCD, and consume less power.

Microsoft Revamps Windows Live Search

PC Magazine reports: "The Windows Live Search rollouts continued Thursday with the release of several updates intended to improve search results, core technology and presentation."

I have to admit I really like the interface changes that Microsoft has made to their Live.com site. I also find the search results to be much more accurate then it was before.

To take another excerpt from the article: "Microsoft said it has quadrupled the size of its search index. Improvements have also been made to better predict query intent, enhance core algorithms, and extract information across the web for search returns"

Photos: iRobot phones home, cleans gutters

CNET News.com reports: "iRobot CEO Colin Angle introduces the Looj gutter-cleaning robot at DigitalLife 2007 in New York on Thursday. The Looj, whose photos were accidentally leaked earlier by the Federal Communications Commission's Web site, is a robot for cleaning gutters on the outside of the home. While it looks neat, the robot is more or less a home-helping tool that works by remote control."

These are some pretty cool new toys, ummm... I mean robots for the home. The 'ConnectR' was the coolest robot I have seen in a long time.

Microsoft: 'Halo 3' nets biggest day in entertainment history

CNet reports: "Halo 3, the much-anticipated Xbox 360 game that launched Tuesday, set the all-time record for most revenue earned in a single day by any entertainment property, Microsoft said Wednesday. ... The company said that Halo 3, the third and final episode in the hugely popular franchise, netted $170 million in sales in the U.S. in its first day. If true, that would top previous records set by the motion pictures Spider Man 3 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

All I can say is "cool"...

The Canadian Press: Health Canada approves first human trial for experimental cancer drug

The Canadian Press reports: "Health Canada has approved the first human trial of an experimental cancer drug called dichloroacetate, or DCA, in people with an advanced form of an aggressive brain cancer. The molecule has drawn international attention after the University of Alberta's Dr. Evangelos Michelakis published promising results in January showing it significantly shrunk tumours in rats. This new trial will give doctors a clue as to whether the research's impressive results will make the jump into human subjects."

I have recently been following articles about Dichloroacetate (DCA) because it MIGHT be a promising cure for cancer. We will know more after the human trials have been completed.

Halo 3 Xbox 360 Review

1UP reports: "Master Chief just wouldn't shut up. For a few years now, the sci-fi action hero has been going on and on about 'finishing the fight' whenever video trailers and Microsoft marketing materials would allow him. But now the time's come -- Halo 3, the finale to the epic first-person-shooter trilogy, is here, and we finally get to see whether Mr. Green (and his somewhat confusing story from Halo 2) gets to finish the fight that a few evil alien races started. (Don't worry, spoiler-free review ahead....)"

Halo 3 was released today, and here is a review of the game incase your interested in it.

The four trends that will change PCs and computing over the next two years

TechRepublic.com reports: "If there’s one thing you can count on from the annual Intel Developer Forum, it’s that you won’t be bombarded with the kind of pipe dreams and vaporware you get at most of the events that cover “emerging technologies.” In the 10 years since IDF began in 1997, the conference has been a regular harbinger of what’s to come in computing, from the emergence of Wi-Fi to hyper-threading and dual-core processors."

I was a little skeptical about reading this article based on the title, but it does make some interesting points.

Images: Lincoln's on the lookout on new $5 bill

CNET News.com reports: "The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing is preparing the image of President Lincoln to scare away would-be counterfeiters in a new $5 bill that will be released in early 2008."

Check out the new security features of the new US currency.

How The Lord Of The Rings should have ended

MC Frontalot - It Is Pitch Dark

It's a video about Zork from the nerdcore rapper MC Fontalot.

First U.S. GPL lawsuit filed

Linux-Watch reports: "For the first time in the U.S., a company and software vendor, Monsoon Multimedia, is being taken to court for a GPL violation. Previously, alleged GPL violations have all been settled by letters from the FSF (Free Software Foundation) or other open-source organizations, pointing out the violation. ... The SFLC (Software Freedom Law Center) announced on Sept. 20 that it had just filed the first ever U.S. copyright infringement lawsuit based on a violation of the GNU General Public License (GPL) on behalf of its clients. The group's clients are the two principal developers of BusyBox."

I think this is going to be the first real test of the GPL in U.S. court. I believe this case could possibly set a precedent for future GPL cases.

How to Buy a GPS

PC Magazine reports: "The portable GPS market has virtually exploded in the last year or two. On the one hand, it means more choices for consumers, one the other hand it means that shopping for a GPS device can be quite an overwhelming experience. In order to get your money's worth, you should consider how often and for what purpose you will use the device. Do you want a multipurpose system that will play your music and display your photos in addition to getting you to your destination? Or do you just want an inexpensive, basic device that will just keep you from getting lost? You also need to think about the types of trips you'll use a GPS for—whether you're looking to avoid traffic on the way to work or find the shortest route to grandma's house or both, choosing the GPS with the right feature set is key. We help you wade through the options by breaking down the specs and sharing some of our favorite GPS devices. Be sure to read our guide before you buy."

I am always keeping my eye out for the ultimate affordable (i.e.: best features for a great price) portable GPS for my car. Although, I have to admit I am still looking.

Glider vs Soul Flyers

Loic Jean Albert using a wingsuit catches up with a glider airplane in flight. The wingsuit is a special jumpsuit that shapes the human body into an airfoil which can create lift. It does this by using fabric sewn between the legs and under the arms.

7 reasons why Linux won't succeed on the desktop

itnews.com.au reports: "There are at least seven solid reasons, which I'll detail below, why Linux hasn't moved the needle beyond a single-digit desktop market share since it hit the scene in 1991, and never will. Desktop Linux's failure to launch is all the more mystifying when you consider that it's hard to think of any technology which has been backed by such an enthusiastic and committed group of supporters. Unfortunately, that boost has largely backfired."

Personally I like and respect the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. I use Windows as my primary OS, but I could easily use OS X or Linux if I choose to. Windows is a great OS for me. Although I will admit I enjoy dabbling in the other OSs once in while.

My biggest problem with the Mac or Linux operating systems, are the OS zealots. I get really tired of the all anti-Windows/Microsoft rhetoric. Each OS has its own pros and cons. Finally, there is no such thing as the perfect OS. My suggestion is just pick one, and use it.

The article makes some good points about why Linux will won't become the predominant desktop OS.

Hottest Sauces in the World

You have heard of Web 2.0, well this page is Web .02. The list attempts to summarize the hottest sauces in the world. The page starts with Tabasco sauce which is rated at 2,140 scoville units (a measurement of heat for hot sauces), to another one that is 16,000,000 units.

I love spicy food, but 16,000,000 scoville units sounds deadly.

Digital 'smiley face' turns 25

Yahoo! News: "It was a serious contribution to the electronic lexicon. :-) Twenty-five years ago, Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman says, he was the first to use three keystrokes — a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis — as a horizontal 'smiley face' in a computer message."

Happy anniversary Smiley. :-)

New Phoenix BIOS Can Snap Thieves in the Act

PC Magazine reports: "In mid-October, Phoenix Technologies is expected to announce FailSafe, a new BIOS solution with lockdown, tracking, data retrieval and other capabilities – even remote Webcam operation to snap a picture of a laptop thief. The solution won't be available directly to consumers; unlike rival Absolute Software, Phoenix sells its BIOS software directly to OEMs, which can implement the features they want to add. However, as one of the major BIOS vendors, there's a good chance that this will turn up on a next-generation business PC."

This is great technology, but it also scares me how this technology can be used against you. Somebody could make your laptop spy on you if they wanted.

Weird Al Yankovic - Another One Rides the Bus

This is Weird Al Yankovic first appearance on television was on 'The Tomorrow Show' with Tom Snyder. He does his parody of Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust'. Click here to watch the video.

The Most Amazing Tetris Player

This guy has to be the most amazing Tetris player I have ever seen, or he has some type of system. If he has figured out a pattern that the game follows that would partially explain his speed. Although, its still an interesting video to watch.

Japan says NoPoPo, please pee pee

The Boy Genius Report: "This has to be one of the strangest pieces of technology to come out of Japan in a while, which is quite a statement given their predilection towards bizarre inventions. These new batteries, somewhat aptly named NoPoPo, look tame enough, until you peer just a little bit closer. When the charge runs out, owners are encouraged to urinate on the batteries to juice ‘em up."

I would hate recharging these batteries. I certainly hope this is not a joke.

Iron Man (Trailers)

The new Iron Man movie trailer is now available. It's scheduled to be released 05/02/08. The movie stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Samuel L. Jackson and Hilary Swank.

Eudora E-mail Program Reborn as Open Source - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

PC Magazine reports: "Eudora, a pioneering e-mail program named after author Eudora Welty, is rising from a technical grave as an open source program after owner Qualcomm Inc quit selling the product in May. ... Eudora routinely got strong reviews from computer magazines and had a loyal user base, but commercially it was overshadowed by software that Microsoft Corp included with new personal computers, International Business Machine's Lotus software and Web e-mail programs."

If you're a Eudora user, and you love the program this is good news for you.

Firefox 3: A look at its new security features | IT Security | TechRepublic.com

TechRepublic.com reports: "Mozilla Firefox is one of the most popular Web browsers around today. But what does the Mozilla team have in store for us along security lines? To find out, let’s take a look at the pre-release version of Firefox 3"

This update is very evolutionary and not revolutionary...

Internet People! - The Meth Minute 39

Very funny. See how many references you recognize.

Cheap GPS Cell Phones

PC Magazine reports: "Dedicated navigation systems can be pricey, but these GPS-capable phones can help you stay on track for less than $100."

Its amazing what you can do with a cellphone these days. So here is one more trick, that you can teach your phone.

How to be the Perfect Girlfriend

There are a lot of truths about males in this video. The same people who created this video have to produce one for men about women. The only problem is that we (males) might not have a long enough attention span to watch it. ;-)

The Simpsons Intro (Star Wars Version)

This is the introduction to The Simpsons TV show with a Star Wars twist. An original cartoon parody by animator Rich Cando.

Googlephone on the Way?

Google Watch reports: "A few weeks ago, rumors of a Google browser captured the public's imagination, but that's a rumor that's been going around for a few years. The latest rekindled rumor, propagated yesterday in a blog post by Engadget's Ryan Block, is that Google is inching ever so closely to announcing the alleged Googlephone."

This product will be interesting to see (if it's real)...

Front Fell Off

IMHO: I don't know the background story, but I think this was real. Its still very funny...

Job Interview Brainteasers

CNN Money reports: "Dream of landing a coding job at an A-list tech company? It might be a good idea to prep for your interviews by pondering how many golf balls can fit inside a school bus. Or how much you would charge for washing all the windows in Seattle. Or why, exactly, manhole covers are round and not, say, square."

The first rule to solving these brain teasers is don't be afraid to ask lots of questions (in fact most of the time the interviewers want you to ask questions). Second rule is sometimes the answers is just obvious, and other times they can be very vague.

Clark, the Canadian Hockey Goalie

A 3-time MVP of the Saskatchewan Moose Lodge Hockey League (SMLHL), Clark wanted to try something new for the off-season.

Speed Racer the Movie (2008)

For all those who grew up watching the cartoon Speed Racer, I just found out today that they're creating a live action movie that will be release in 2008. I can hardly wait to watch the trailer when it becomes available. The movie is also being shot using a new type of 'revolutionary camera' that is suppose to keep the foreground and background in focus at the same and make it look more like a cartoon.

Below is excerpt from the plot summary on IMDB: "Hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel. Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized-the legendary Rex Racer-whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret-some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. ..." You can read the rest at the IMDB site.

Photos: Scanning brain waves

TechRepublic reports: "Hans Lee, chief technology officer of EmSense, wearing the company's wireless headband, which includes a dry EEG (electroencephalogram) sensor to measure the electrical activity of the brain without the use of gels; an accelerometer, which detects motions and facial twitches; and a heart-rate monitor that can gauge stress rates. ... With data from these sensors, EmSense can detect whether or when the wearer blinks, blushes or sweats. Advertisers and video game companies are using the technology to find out how people feel about their products and sales pitches."

Code Monkey Video

A music video about the life of the common lowlands code monkey.

What Works: 3-D printing for the rest of us

Business 2.0 Magazine reports: "After midnight, it's dark and nearly silent in the Klock Werks Kustom Cycles shop in Mitchell, S.D. The only sound is the low hum emanating from a box that looks like a cross between a dormitory fridge and a Xerox machine. ... Behind a compartment of clear glass, the device - a Stratasys Prodigy 3-D printer - is constructing a complex shape, all curves and spaces, out of plastic."

I hope these devices get cheaper and cheaper. These devices can allow the small inventor to create things that they have never been able to create before.

Toshiba Unveils First 32GB High-Density Flash Card

eWeek reports: "Toshiba revealed Aug. 22 that it will soon add three new high-density flash memory cards to its product lineup—including one it touts as the world's first 32GB flash card. ... The Tokyo-based company, which partners with SanDisk to produce SanDisk High Capacity cards, also announced a 16GB SDHC card and an 8GB microSDHC card."

Is this the beginning of the end of mechanical hard drives? These devices could also evolve into special niche markets, where a lot of cheap storage is needed.

Updated iRobot Roombas Suck More, Fortunately

PC Magazine reports: "Three new Roombas were unveiled: the 500, the 530, and the 560, priced at $249, $299, and $349. All three robovacs are available immediately within the U.S., iRobot said, from three locations: iRobot's Web site, Amazon.com, and the Home Shopping Network. Retail partners including Best Buy and Linens 'N' Things will start carrying the vacuums this fall."

I am finding more and more of a reason to buy one of these device. And, as the title says these new Roombas "Suck More, Fortunately".

Gamers' world reveals secrets of the next epidemic

CNET News.com reports: "A plague carried around the world by travelers, pets and curious teenagers may show that experts have not taken everything into account when planning for an outbreak of disease, researchers said Monday. ... Luckily, the world involved is an Internet game."

Time Travel Machine Outlined

LiveScience reports: "Unlike past ideas for time machines, this new concept does not require exotic, theoretical forms of matter. Still, this new idea requires technology far more advanced than anything existing today, and major questions remain as to whether any time machine would ever prove stable enough to enable actual travel back in time."

25 Most Active Open Source Projects at Microsoft's CodePlex

eWeek reports on the 25 most active open source projects at Microsoft's CodePlex.

Life Expentacy Calculator

Enter your vital statistics (i.e.: age, race, body type, etc.) and your lifestyle information (i.e.: how you eat, do you smoke, etc.) and find out how long to you might live until.

Asteroid Deflection Strategies

From WikiPedia: "(Asteroid) 1950 DA is the near Earth object with the highest known possible probability of impacting Earth, according to the Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale. For a few days in December 2004 it was temporarily surpassed by 99942 Apophis (which at the time was named only by its provisional designation 2004 MN4)."

It is projected that asteroid 1950DA will approach the Earth on March 16, 2880. They predict two possible outcomes. One, the asteroid completely misses the earth by millions of miles. Two, it will have a 1 in 300 chance of hitting the earth and devastating the human race. If you want to know how we plan to protect ourselves, check out the following Wikipedia page.

For more information, watch this video.

Japan seeks to replace the Internet

TechRepublic reports: "On August 17, 2007, Japanese communications minister Yoshihide Suga said that Japan will start research and development on technology to replace the Internet using a new generation of network by 2020."

The Internet was originally composed of several smaller network that were combined together to create a bigger network. The next generation Internet could consist a few or several high speed networks combined together again. Although a lot can happen in 12+ years.

New Ransomware Scam

Security Watch reports: "Ransomware is malware—or sometimes just e-mail—that attempts to extort money out of the recipient, generally with the threat of some damage to the system. Sunbelt Software has uncovered an interesting example in an installation of the the adware system IFRAMEDOLLARS."

You need to be careful what you download, and make sure that you have good backups of all your data. You also need to make sure that you have all your programs up-to-date.

PC Magazine: Top 100 Classic Websites

This is PC Magazine's list of the best web sites that the Internet has to offer in 2007.

• Article
• Slideshow

How phishers defeat online banking controls - CNET reviews

CNET reports: "A new financial services requirement calling for two-factor authentication should make online banking secure, but one researcher says it's actually making things worse. At this year's DefCon gathering in Las Vegas, security researcher Brendan O'Connor outlined several scenarios in which online banking has gotten worse, rather than better. Under Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) guidelines that went into effect at the end of last year, banks are required to provide some form of multifactor authentication of their customers."

The article talks about the pro and cons of each type of multi-factor technology. Although the article really seems to focuses on the cons of the technologies.

Jeff Russell's Starship Dimensions

Have you ever wanted to compares ships from different science fiction series (such as: Star Trek, Babylon 5, Star Wars, etc.) to similar objects in the real world? Jeff Russell's Starship Dimensions is by far the best site for answering these questions.

Next Generation Paint Software (Comedy)

Pac Man: The Movie

The trailer for the long-awaited film about the greatest hero who ever lived.

Photos: Unmanned vehicles take to air, land and sea

TechRepublic has a photo gallery of some of the robots and unmanned aerial vehicle that are currently being used in the armed forces, and law enforcement agencies for everything from spying, to disarming bombs, to catching illegal immigrants, and more.

Google Browser - Gbrowser in the Works?

Google Watch reports: "I love it when old stories resurface like so many TV spin-offs and movie sequels. Rumors that Google is creating a Web browser are again afoot thanks to some healthy speculation from Netconcepts Search Strategist Chris Silver Smith. Smith theorized that the search engine may be cooking up the ole Gbrowser after reading Ryan Naraine's post saying Google had hired browser security expert Michal Zalewski to help make its products more secure."

I wonder if they're going to use the Firefox's Gecko engine to render HTML or if they're going to create they're own rendering engine. It should be interesting to see what they do, if they do it.

Chocolate Rain by Chad Vader

Chad Vader, Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother.



If you have not yet already watched "Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager" episodes 1-7, you may want to watch them to get the background story. I have included links to these videos below:

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6 & 7
• Episode 8
  

Dyson: Climate models are rubbish

The Register reports: "British-born physicist Freeman Dyson has revealed three 'heresies', two of which challenge the current scientific orthodoxy that anthropogenic carbon causes climate change. 'The fuss about global warming is grossly exaggerated,' writes Dyson in his new book Many Colored Glass: Reflections on the Place of Life in the Universe, published on Wednesday."

Believe it or not...

Google Charging for Extra Shared Storage

AppScout reports: "Fresh on the heels of Microsoft's Windows Live SkyDrive online shared storage announcement, Google has come out with an online storage announcement of its own: You can now pay for more space for your Picasa Web Albums and Gmail accounts."

I wonder if this is a sign of thing to come (charging for services). Generally if Google gives services away, then others that provide similar services follow. For example, when Google offered 1GB free email, services like Yahoo tried to follow.

This is a revenue opportunity for these companies, so they might follow soon or try to beet Google and give more away. We will have to wait and see.

Indians predated Newton 'discovery' by 250 years

PHYSORG.com reports: "A little known school of scholars in southwest India discovered one of the founding principles of modern mathematics hundreds of years before Newton according to new research. Dr George Gheverghese Joseph from The University of Manchester says the 'Kerala School' identified the 'infinite series'- one of the basic components of calculus - in about 1350."

Very interesting article.

Flash mob in Estonia - The First True Cyberwar

CNET reports: "Flash mobs may have been responsible for those denial-of-service (DoS) attacks in Estonia last May. So says Gadi Evron, security evangelist for Beyond Security, who gave a thorough presentation last week at Black Hat and then again at Defcon, recounting in detail the events surrounding the attack, some of which he experienced first-hand, surrounding the attack. Although he originally joked that the KGB was to blame--and quickly explained that the KGB no longer existed--Evron said could not prove conclusively that the Russians were behind the events. Yet he did call it the first true cyberwar, if only that the commerce and day-to-day functions of one country were interrupted significantly."

This article really makes you think how any country these days could be effected by cyber-warfare.

Minesweeper The Movie

Now that it's a movie, you can use it to procrastinate for a full 90 minutes.

Dueling Banjos Guitar Hero 2

The Dueling Banjos from Deliverance (here is the scene if you have never seen the movie) played using Guitar Hero 2. When you watch this video it's like you know you should look away, but you just can't stop watching.

Tom Snyder's TOMORROW Show - w/3 Original Star Trek Cast Members

The late Tom Snyder, conducted a series of television interviews with several of the original Star Trek cast members: James Doohan (Scotty) [deceased], DeForrest Kelley (McCoy) [deceased], and Walter Koenig (Chekov).

• Part 1 of the Interview
• Part 2 of the Interview
• Part 3 of the Interview
• Part 4 of the Interview
• Part 5 of the Interview

This show was taped on July 30, 1976, and is an original Beta X-1 recording off the air.

Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD: By the numbers...

TechRepublic has compiled a great chart that shows how well Blu-ray is doing against HD-DVD format. From the numbers on the this chart it looks like Blu-ray format is winning.

Here is an excerpt from the article that goes along with this chart: "The expected next-generation DVD format war isn't quite the deadlock many expected. ... Target's announcement Thursday that it would sell a Sony Blu-ray player in its stores alongside Blu-ray discs in a special feature promotion is important because the second-largest retailer in the U.S. doesn't sell HD DVD players in its stores, outside of the external HD DVD drive made for Microsoft's Xbox 360. It does sell a Toshiba HD DVD player on its Web site, however. "

Underground at the Titan Missile Museum

TechRepublic reports: "The Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, Ariz., about 20 miles south of Tucson, is a former Titan missile launching site. There, crews of four worked 24-hour shifts during which two people always had to be together to ensure safety and security. In this image, the tip of the missile--with warhead removed--is viewed from above through a glass window that allows museum visitors to peer down into the silo."

Future of mobile communications

Coming to Your Laptop: 1.2TB Hard Drives

PC World reports: "Fujitsu is expected to announce a breakthrough this week that could lead the company to produce hard drives with storage capacities of up to 1.2TB. ... The patterned alumina nanohole media was created via a Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) processes using nano-imprint lithography (enabling discrete distance from bit to bit or track to track), anodic oxidation and cobalt electrodeposition at a density of 100-nanometer-pitch nanoholes suitable to existing head technology."

The wonders of Perpendicular Magnetic Recording, I can hardly wait for these drives. Hopeful it will reduce per terabyte cost of a SAN. Which I figure is $4-5,000 per terabyte of raw storage.

Metal Storm: Next Generation Weapon

http://view.break.com/347453 - Watch more free videos

Metal Storm is what I would classify as a next generation weapon. It is a fully computerized gun, with no moving parts (except for the bullets), that can fire up to 1 million rounds per minute.

Perpetual Motion Machine?

Invented by Mr. Reidar Finsrud, the whole machine is placed inside a glass mount, to prevent visitors who view the machine in the gallery from touching it.

A steel ball (about 2.7 inch diameter, 20 pound) is rolling on an aluminum track, about 25 inches in diameter, placed horizontally. Three pendulums, about 45 inches long with tunable weights at the lower end, controls three horse-shoe magnets that the steel ball has to pass by on the track. Embedded in the track is a (mechanical) controlling/timing mechanism. It looks like a steel wire bent into a triangular track, 5 inches long. The ball rolls over it and pushes the wire down through a slot in the track. This affects one of the pendulums and regulates its swinging motion. The steel ball has not stopped revolving for months.

The magnets and pendulums overcome the intermittent effect of the friction. Basically, the pull of the magnetism resets the velocity of the ball on each pass.

Outside of being an interesting device to watch, I can't think of a practical application for it.

The Impotence of Proofreading By Taylor Mali

It makes a real good point about spell checkers and proof-reading your work...

Omni-Directional Treadmill

This device could be a step forward in Virtual Reality applications (for example, games and other types of simuations).

World's Worst Dating Videos

Chad Vader Episode 8

This is the latest installment of the continuing story of Chad Vader, Darth Vader's less-talented, less-charismatic younger brother. This episode includes long awaited battle between Clint and Chad.

Episode 8


If you have not yet already watched "Chad Vader - Day Shift Manager" episodes 1-7, you may want to watch them to get the background story. I have included links to these videos below:

• Episode 1
• Episode 2
• Episode 3
• Episode 4
• Episode 5
• Episode 6 & 7
  

FAQ: How far does the new wiretap law go?

CNET News.com reports: "Just before leaving town for a month's vacation, a divided U.S. Congress acceded to President George Bush's requests for expanded Internet and telephone surveillance powers."

CNET News.com created an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) that helps explain what the 'Protect America Act of 2007' means.

Redesigned Apple iMacs Include Massive Displays

PC Magazine: "Apple has updated its iMac line, as expected, complete with massive new flat-screen displays. ... The three iMac models will be priced at $1,199, $1,499, and $1,799, and each will be characterized by the size of its monitor: two 20-inch displays for the two lower-priced models, and a whopping 24-inch flat-screen display for the premium version."

Apple makes some great hardware, but these changes are evolutionary and not revolutionary...

Top Gear Polar Special

Can you travel to the North Pole in a car, or actually a Toyota Hilux pickup truck? Watch this latest Top Gear episode Jeremy Clarkson and James May and find out if they succeed...

Its a pretty amazing video to watch.

Software: BBC iPlayer

The BBC has released their new iPlayer (Beta) which lets you download their television programs for free from the last seven days. The programs that you download are stored in the iPlayer Library on your local computer for up to 30 days.

The iPlayer does have restrictions/limitations:

• You have to be based in the UK.
• You have to be age 16 or older.
• Currently only available for Windows XP.

Check out the web site for more information.

Study: Some Laser Printers Produce Office Smog

PC Magazine: "Scientists at the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia are scheduled to release the report to the Environmental Science & Technology journal. The report's contents have been viewed by a few publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, which reproduced the report online."

This is kind of scary if you work around laser printers on a regular basis. I am sure ink jet manufactures are going to play this up...