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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Apple sets Snow Leopard release dev con dates • The Register

Apple sets Snow Leopard release dev con dates • The Register: "The Mac track will focus on how to take advantage of the '64-Bit From Top to Bottom' nature of Mac OS X version 10.6 (aka Snow Leopard) while remaining compatible with previous Mac OS X versions; using the CPU-to-GPU offloading capabilities of OpenCL and the multicore assistance of Grand Central; and learning how to modify code to comply with the new APIs of the new version of Apple's ubiquitous QuickTime media technology, QuickTime X.

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Google plans fifth birthday present for Gmail users

Google plans fifth birthday present for Gmail users: "The company’s Web-based e-mail service, still in beta testing five years after its launch, is due for an upgrade



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Macworld - http://www.macworld.com

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

MarsEdit 2.3 supports Tumblr blogs

MarsEdit 2.3 supports Tumblr blogs: "MarsEdit 2.3 now supports the Tumblr microblogging service, improves photo support and makes other changes.



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Macworld - http://www.macworld.com

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Carbon Nanotube Muscles Tough as Steel, Flexible as Rubber

Carbon Nanotube Muscles Tough as Steel, Flexible as Rubber: "Carbon Nanotube Muscles Tough as Steel, Flexible as Rubber
Artificial muscle made from carbon nanotubes are 30 times stronger than natural muscle and could be used for everything from artificial limbs, to robots, to solar cells."


Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

Monday, March 16, 2009

Federer, Murray advance at Indian Wells (AP)

Federer, Murray advance at Indian Wells (AP): "

Gilles Simon, of France, returns the ball against Ivan Ljubicic during a match the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., Monday, March 16, 2009.

Roger Federer and Andy Murray each took a step closer to a possible showdown in the semifinals with relatively routine victories during third-round matches Monday at the BNP Paribas Open. Federer, a three-time Indian Wells winner ranked No. 2 and trying for another shot against No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the title match, downed Ivo Karlovic 7-6(4), 6-3.


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Yahoo! Sports - Tennis News - http://sports.yahoo.com/ten

Memory Switch Could Enable Brain Hacks

Memory Switch Could Enable Brain Hacks: "By peering into the brain as it learns, scientists have found that the presence of a specific brain wave pattern predicts your ability to remember something. If it's there, you'll remember. If it's not, then, uh, you'll forget.

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Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

Is your bartender pouring you a 'cheater pint' instead of a full pint?

Is your bartender pouring you a 'cheater pint' instead of a full pint?: "

Some bars serve their customers a 'cheater pint' by using a glass with a thicker bottom and lawmakers are pushing a bill called the 'Honest Pint Program' to make sure folks get their money's worth.

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KPIC - News - Local & Regional - http://www.kpic.com/news/local

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Wolverine's Ryan Reynolds reveals Deadpool secrets

Wolverine's Ryan Reynolds reveals Deadpool secrets: "

Ryan Reynolds, who plays Wade Wilson (aka Deadpool) in the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine, told a group of reporters that the January re-shoots in Vancouver, Canada, were always built into his schedule, and not necessarily additions to the movie. He also hinted the character may be spun off in his own film.



The following Q&A features edited excerpts of a group interview on Saturday in Beverly Hills, Calif., where Reynolds was promoting the comedy Adventureland. X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens May 1.

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Sci Fi Wire - http://scifiwire.com/

Friday, March 13, 2009

New Army Weapon Would Fry Gadgets, People

New Army Weapon Would Fry Gadgets, People: "The Army works on hybrid bombs that can destroy electronics and target the operators at the same time. The key is a magnet that blows up and spontaneously demagnetizes, releasing energy as a pulse of power. Oh, and antennas made of fire.

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Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

Images: Tim Berners-Lee and the dawn of the Web

Images: Tim Berners-Lee and the dawn of the Web: "The World Wide Web was born in a modest (paper) document dated March 13, 1989, by Tim Berners-Lee. His boss found it 'vague, but exciting.'"


CNET News.com - http://news.cnet.com/

Easily change a filename while the file is being edited

Easily change a filename while the file is being edited: "Say you're working in Pages or TextEdit, but you want to change the filename of the document you're editing. In the past, I've done this with File » Save As, but then you wind up with two documents. Recently, I (re)discovered another cool way to rename an active file, one that leaves you with one file, and demonstrates the real-time connection between the file system and the app.

As an example, consider you're editing in TextEdit. Command-click on the title of the current window to see the pop-up menu attached to the title. From there, open the folder containing the file; this will open a Finder window showing that folder. In the opened folder, rename the file and close the window. When you go back to the TextEdit document, you'll see in the title bar that the filename now reflects the renamed file.

[robg adds: This has worked for, well, a really long time, but it's something that those new to the platform may not be aware of.]



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Mac OS X Hints - http://www.macosxhints.com

Adium gets its Twitter on in version 1.4

Adium gets its Twitter on in version 1.4: "The open-source multiprotocol instant-messaging client for the Mac operating system is getting better, as it integrates new functions for the popular Twitter microblogging service."


CNET News.com - http://news.cnet.com/

It was 20 years ago today: The Web

It was 20 years ago today: The Web: "Tim Berners-Lee and others are gathering at CERN on Friday to fete the document that laid the intellectual groundwork for the World Wide Web."


CNET News.com - http://news.cnet.com/

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Android App Scans DVD Bar Codes, Starts BitTorrent Download

Android App Scans DVD Bar Codes, Starts BitTorrent Download: "An Android phone app could allow users to scan DVD bar codes at a store, and have the videos downloaded for free. The app, which gets the flicks from the leading BiTorrent search engines, is expected to be available in a month.

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Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

Disney shareholders get sneak peek at Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter

Disney shareholders get sneak peek at Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter: "

In a blink-and-you-missed-it moment during the Walt Disney Company's annual shareholder meeting Tuesday, attendees were given the first true glimpse of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter from Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland, the New York Times reported.

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Sci Fi Wire - http://scifiwire.com/

Marvel delays release of Thor, Captain America, Avengers

Marvel delays release of Thor, Captain America, Avengers: "

Marvel Studios pushed back the release date of Thor, Captain America and The Avengers in a schedule shuffle it said was designed to maximize the visibility of its single-character superhero films, leading to the highly anticipated release of the multi-character Avengers.



Spider-Man 4 remains on track for release on May 7, 2010. Iron Man 2 remains slated for release on May 6, 2011.

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Sci Fi Wire - http://scifiwire.com/

A new spin on battery technology

A new spin on battery technology: "Researchers have discovered a new battery form charged by the application of a very strong magnetic field, the Magnetic Tunnel Junction."


CNET News.com - http://news.cnet.com/

OLED lighting going mainstream

OLED lighting going mainstream: "DisplaySearch research analyst predicts uptick in mass market production beginning in 2011."


CNET News.com - http://news.cnet.com/

Ihnatko’s Hackintosh: Running Mac OS X on a Dell Mini 9 netbook

Ihnatko’s Hackintosh: Running Mac OS X on a Dell Mini 9 netbook: "For nearly a week, I’ve been running Mac software on a Dell Mini 9 netbook..."


MacDailyNews - http://www.macdailynews.com/

Making sense of OS X's folder structure

Making sense of OS X's folder structure: "Multiple instances of Library and StartupItems folders confusing you? Here's the lowdown on OS X's folder structure.



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Macworld - http://www.macworld.com

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

$12 Computer: Playpower Wants to Save the World, 8 Bits at a Time

$12 Computer: Playpower Wants to Save the World, 8 Bits at a Time: "A group of researchers are using the heart of the Apple II, the 8-bit 6052 processor to create $12 computing systems for citizens in developing countries.

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Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Convicted DUI offenders could lose access to alcohol under proposed law

Convicted DUI offenders could lose access to alcohol under proposed law: "

The proposal, which is still being fine-tuned, would put a special mark on a repeat drunk driver's license.' The license would tell a bartender, waitress or grocer not to sell alcohol to that person.

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KPIC - News - Local & Regional - http://www.kpic.com/news/local

RUMOR: Apple poised to take on netbooks with ‘MacBook touch’

RUMOR: Apple poised to take on netbooks with ‘MacBook touch’: "Apple purchased PA Semi, a chip designer that builds powerful, power-sipping processors for the U.S. military, for $278 million..."


MacDailyNews - http://www.macdailynews.com/

Hands On With Elgato’s EyeTV Hybrid

Hands On With Elgato’s EyeTV Hybrid: "Elgato’s EyeTV Hybrid is a TV tuner USB stick that can pick up analog signals, digital broadcasts and also FM radio. It allows users to watch TV on their Mac and is popular among Mac Mini users.

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Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

PC World: ‘Empty’ inkjet cartridges not so empty

PC World: ‘Empty’ inkjet cartridges not so empty: "PC World ran printers until they said it was time to change the cartridge—and found that some left more than 40 percent of their ink unused.



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Macworld - http://www.macworld.com

Future of Cloud Computing: A Long-Term Forecast

Future of Cloud Computing: A Long-Term Forecast: "Cloud computing is at an awkward stage: Is it the next big thing or a fundamentally flawed idea?

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Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

Monday, March 9, 2009

Religion: Biological Accident, Adaptation -- or Both

Religion: Biological Accident, Adaptation -- or Both: "The areas of the brain involved in religious thought are not a separate region. An fMRI study showed that the region that is active when people listen to statements about God is the same area that is used to understand what other people are thinking. This suggests that religious thought may have begun as a byproduct of other kinds of thinking.

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Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Five fun ways to waste time with Google Earth 5.0

Five fun ways to waste time with Google Earth 5.0: "The latest version of Google Earth gives you plenty of eye-catching ways to pass the time, from exploring Mars to getting a pitcher’s eye view of Fenway Park’s Green Monster. CIO.com’s Diann Daniel shows you what you can do with the 3-D mapping software.



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Macworld - http://www.macworld.com

March 6, 1899: Tales of Hoffmann's Aspirin

March 6, 1899: Tales of Hoffmann's Aspirin: "

1899: Felix Hoffmann, a young pharmacist working for the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, patents a new pain reliever. The trademark name is aspirin.



Hoffmann, who was said to be seeking an effective pain reliever for his father's rheumatism, successfully synthesized acetylsalicylic acid in August 1897. It would later be marketed as aspirin — 'a' for 'acetyl' and 'spirin' for Spirea, the genus name of the source plant for salicylic acid, the pain-relieving agent.



That August, incidentally, was an especially fertile period for Hoffmann: The month also saw him synthesize heroin, which he accomplished accidentally while attempting to acetylate morphine to produce codeine. Obviously, that discovery didn't pan out like aspirin.



The benefits of salicylic acid as a pain reliever and fever reducer had been understood since antiquity. Salicylic acid, an extract from willow bark, was commonly found in salves and teas of the period. Though effective in reducing pain and fever symptoms, it could also carry some pretty unpleasant side effects, notably stomach irritation.



When Hoffmann produced his acetylsalicylic acid, no less than the head of Bayer's pharmaceutical laboratory, Heinrich Dreser, tried it out to gauge its potential toxicity. Satisfied that this represented a true leap forward, Dreser fast-tracked the new drug from animal and human testing to a patent application.



The application was rejected in Germany, because it turned out Hoffmann had not actually invented acetylsalicylic acid: Two chemists, one German and the other French, had synthesized the substance decades earlier. Hoffmann, however, was the first to synthesize it in a stable, usable form.



The U.S. patent office had no such qualms over priority and issued a patent to Hoffmann and Bayer, which began an aggressive worldwide marketing campaign. The German patent office came around, too, and Bayer AG still holds the rights to the trade name aspirin in more than 80 countries. Elsewhere, as in the United States, the word is often used generically to refer to almost any brand of acetylsalicylic acid and even other over-the-counter pain relievers.



Legal maneuvering aside, Hoffmann's wonder drug was a gold mine. Bayer certainly cleaned up, seeing as how it held a monopoly on aspirin through the end of the First World War.



Following Germany's defeat, Bayer was forced to sell off its U.S. production plants as part of war reparations. An American company, Sterling, acquired the rights to sell aspirin under its own name in the United States.



Although aspirin is not without its own side effects — Reye's syndrome is associated with a reaction to acetylsalicylic acid — it remains one of the world's most widely used pain relievers.



Source: Various


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Wired News - http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml

Monday, March 2, 2009

Everybody must get stoned

Everybody must get stoned: "A new plan to legalize marijuana in California would create a $1 billion tokin' tax and thousands of green jobs. Now that's a stimulus plan!

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Salon - http://www.salon.com/?source=rss&aim=/

World of Warcraft: The 'crack cocaine' of gaming

World of Warcraft: The 'crack cocaine' of gaming: "Sweden's Youth Care Foundation declares World of Warcraft the most dangerous game in the world. Every case of game addiction it has worked on has involved WoW, it says."


CNET News.com - http://news.cnet.com/

Review: The Complete Motion Comic DVD may be a better Watchmen than the movie

Review: The Complete Motion Comic DVD may be a better Watchmen than the movie: "

If you've ever wondered what a true adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen would look like, forget about that live-action version coming soon to theaters and pick up Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic.



A panel-by-panel recreation of the original graphic novel series, the two-disc, five-plus hour DVD and Blu-ray leaves nothing out and most importantly, changes nothing, offering fans an animated epic that revisits the visionary artwork and storytelling that made the Watchmen such iconic figures in the comic-book world.

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Sci Fi Wire - http://scifiwire.com/