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"