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Sunday, October 31, 2010

"Cleopatra": Sex and sovereignty in the ancient world

"Cleopatra": Sex and sovereignty in the ancient world:

In 34 BC, at the height of her power, Cleopatra VII joined her consort and ally, Mark Antony, atop a pair of golden thrones in an eye-popping, kingdom-dispensing (and ultimately ill-advised) extravaganza that would later become known as the Donations of Alexandria. The couple were, in the words of the 20th century historian Grace Harriet Macurdy, "the two most magnificent people in the world." So while it's true that the Cleopatra of history differs quite a bit from the Cleopatra of popular imagination -- as embodied by femme fatale Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 film -- there are stubborn similarities, as well. Antony and Cleopatra, like Taylor and her adulterous consort, Richard Burton, were theatrical, scandalous and fabulous.




Back To The Mac in 104 seconds

Apple’s Next Macintosh OS - CBS News

Apple’s Next Macintosh OS - CBS News: The main cause of OS cancer is backwards compatibility, the need to stay compatible with existing application software. OS designers are caught between yesterday and tomorrow. Customers want the benefit of the future, new features, hardware and software, but without having to jettison their investment in the past, in their applications.
OS architects dream of a pure rebirth, a pristine architecture born of their hard won knowledge without having to accommodate the sins of their fathers. But, in the morning-and in the market-the dream vanishes and backwards compatibility wins.



Enter the iPhone.



The iPhone OS, iOS, is a Macintosh OS X derivative…but without having to support Macintosh applications. Pared down to run on a smaller hardware platform, cleaned up to be more secure and tuned for a Touch UI, iOS is the dream without the ugly past. Tens of millions of iPhones, hundreds of thousands of applications, and billions of downloads later, this is a new morning without the hangover.



Macintosh desktops and laptops are a $20B/yr business - a business that’s growing faster than the rest of the PC industry.



Intel processors suffer the same type of cancer that afflicts operating systems. Their instruction sets and, therefore, their hardware, power consumption, and cost are beset by the tortuous need to stay compatible with existing code while offering an endless procession of new features. Intel has tried a fresh approach at least three times: the iPAX 32 in the early 80s, the Itanium (promptly renamed Itanic, a political compromise hammered out to keep HP’s PA architecture out of contention), and a brief fling with ARM called the XScale. Each time, the company (or the market) decided backwards compatibility was the way to go. Intel’s position is transparent: They believe that the might of their technology and manufacturing will bulldoze the cost and power consumption obstacles of the x86 architecture.



Lindsay Lohan 'Victim Of Double Standard,' Says Producer Who Compares Her To Charlie Sheen | Entertainment/Music | Peacefmonline.com

Lindsay Lohan 'Victim Of Double Standard,' Says Producer Who Compares Her To Charlie Sheen | Entertainment/Music | Peacefmonline.com: "Lindsay hasn't been keeping entire prostitution rings in business. Charlie has. Lindsay hasn't destroyed personal property like Charlie has. Still, Lindsay's a pariah and yet when Charlie does it, it's just 'boys being boys'."

Q&A: 'God and Sex' Author Michael Coogan on the Bible - TIME

Q&A: 'God and Sex' Author Michael Coogan on the Bible - TIME:

Steve Jobs turned down Page’s and Brin’s offer to become Google’s CEO

Steve Jobs turned down Page’s and Brin’s offer to become Google’s CEO: Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin visited Apple’s Cupertino campus for a meeting with Steve Jobs...

Friday, October 29, 2010

Oct. 30, 1938: 'War of the Worlds' Induces Panic

Oct. 30, 1938: 'War of the Worlds' Induces Panic: Long before Ashton Kutcher began punking celebrities, a talented young actor with a wicked sense of humor pulled off one of the biggest pranks in American history.

Engineer Discovers Secret to Growing Ridiculously Huge Pumpkins

Engineer Discovers Secret to Growing Ridiculously Huge Pumpkins: Scientists have figured out how giant pumpkins manage to get so big. In a sort of self-perpetuating cycle, the bigger a gourd gets, the more physical stress it experiences — thus triggering giant pumpkins to grow even more.

Newly released files show Hitler's daily routine

Newly released files show Hitler's daily routine: Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler liked to have bread and marmalade for breakfast and was described as mild-mannered during personal exchanges, according to newly released documents.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

World's Most Precise Clocks Could Reveal Universe Is a Hologram

World's Most Precise Clocks Could Reveal Universe Is a Hologram: Our existence could be coded in a finite bandwidth, like a live ultrahigh-definition 3-D video. And the third dimension we know and love could be no more than a holographic projection of a 2-D surface.

A Love Letter to a Camera

A Love Letter to a Camera: David Pogue describes his affection for what he says is the best pocket camera on the market, the Canon Powershot S95.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

James Cameron's Next Movies: Avatar 2 and 3

James Cameron's Next Movies: Avatar 2 and 3: The director will take moviegoers back to Pandora in a pair of Avatar sequels that he promises will deliver the same visual and emotional impact of the original sci-fi smash.

Second accidental shooting in Douglas County in as many days

Second accidental shooting in Douglas County in as many days:

For the second day in a row there has been an accidental shooting in Douglas County. Just before 9:30 a.m., a woman called 911 and reported that she had shot her husband in the Milo area.


Oh yeah. I always hate getting shot in the Milo area. Wouldn't you?

Understanding iTunes' sorting tags

Understanding iTunes' sorting tags: Kirk McElhearn takes a look at what iTunes' sorting tags are for, and how you can use them to your advantage.




Oct. 27, 1994: Web Gives Birth to Banner Ads

Oct. 27, 1994: Web Gives Birth to Banner Ads: Wired.com, then known as HotWired, invents the web banner ad. Go ahead, blame us.



Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Douglas County property values down, taxes up

Douglas County property values down, taxes up:

Most Douglas County property owners now have their property tax bills in hand, after they were mailed out late last week, and again this year, despite a lot of the property values going down, the taxes will continue to go up.

Apple taps Unisys to reach businesses, government

Apple taps Unisys to reach businesses, government: The Mac and iPhone maker turns to IT services provider Unisys to help it better serve corporate and government clients.

Signs of Destroyed Dark Matter Found in Milky Way's Core

Signs of Destroyed Dark Matter Found in Milky Way's Core: Strange cosmic rays are emanating from the Milky Way's core and astrophysicists think they may be the result of collisions of mysterious, yet-to-be-discovered dark matter particles.

Western Digital's TV Live Hub Is the Anti-Apple TV

Western Digital's TV Live Hub Is the Anti-Apple TV: Western Digital's new TV Live Hub offers a lot of storage, formats and media server capability in a low price. Contrasts WD's approach with Apple's and other set-top box providers.

Book Review: How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

Book Review: How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu: Yu, the real Charles Yu (just wait, it gets more confusing), does a masterful job of using the established conventions of science fiction to tease apart the complex web of memory and emotion. With his time machine stuck in the Present-Indefinite tense for an indeterminate period, Charles provides a literal mirror to those of us guilty of drifting through our present without ever moving forward from the past.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Apple iLife '11 full review is in

Apple iLife '11 full review is in: Read CNET's Apple iLife '11 full review to find out what's new, what's not, and whether the long-awaited upgrade to the software suite is worth your $49.

Prepare Yourself for the DVD-Free Future

Prepare Yourself for the DVD-Free Future: If you've ever considered ditching those stacks of DVDs and CDs cluttering up your home, there's never been a better time to get started. Here's how to transfer everything to your hard drive.

In the absence of major acquisition, Apple will have $90 billion in cash by 2012

In the absence of major acquisition, Apple will have $90 billion in cash by 2012: Time for four Apple (AAPL) themes and four predictions...

Behold, the Next Media Titans: Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon

Behold, the Next Media Titans: Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon: High tech and media have argued about "convergence" for a generation, and attempts to make it happen have resulted in so many business failures that few mention it anymore. Now it's clear what the problem has been: The PC will always be a lousy device to watch TV and movies on. The TV will always be a lousy device for web surfing and e-mail. Smartphones and tablets, on the other hand, are turning out to be good for all of them. And these breakthrough devices will make Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook the news, entertainment and communications networks of the 21st century.

Understanding what Facebook apps really know (FAQ)

Understanding what Facebook apps really know (FAQ): An in-depth look at how much Facebook applications know about the users who opt into them, and what it means in the bigger scheme of things.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

'The View,' 'The Talk,' and Katie Couric all diss 'Glee' GQ spread | EW.com

'The View,' 'The Talk,' and Katie Couric all diss 'Glee' GQ spread | EW.com: If there’s one thing the world will apparently never tire of, it’s policing young women’s sexuality.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Adobe Releases Its Own HTML5 Video Player

Adobe Releases Its Own HTML5 Video Player: Adobe has released an embeddable video player that shows HTML5 native video in browsers that support it, and falls back to Flash in browsers that don't. It's cross-browser and cross-platform, so it works on iPhones, iPads and other devices that don't support Flash.

Sublime Sherlocks: The Great Detective’s Brainy Descendants | Underwire | Wired.com

Sublime Sherlocks: The Great Detective’s Brainy Descendants | Underwire | Wired.com: Jeremy Brett (1933-1995)
Whodunit: In The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, actor Jeremy Brett nailed Arthur Conan Doyle's super-sleuth cold from 1984 to 1994.



Drug of choice: Mania. A manic-depressive, Brett submerged himself in Holmes, determined that the show must go on. It was a hyper-real merge: Both were obsessively prone to mental breakdowns and breakthroughs, and needed drugs to stay balanced. Holmes was partial to cocaine, while Brett needed lithium.



Weapon of choice: Devotion. An openly authentic production, the British series stuck to Holmes's old-school arsenal: a gentleman's cane, riding crop, his fists and his bottomless wits.



What's elementary? Brett's portrayal of Holmes was so seamless it's doubtful it will ever be bested. The two were too close for comfort: "It has all got too dangerous," Brett famously worried.

Oct. 22, 4004 B.C.: Universe Usshered In | This Day In Tech | Wired.com

Oct. 22, 4004 B.C.: Universe Usshered In | This Day In Tech | Wired.com:

Best Free (Actually Readable) Books for iPods and iPads | Magazine

Best Free (Actually Readable) Books for iPods and iPads | Magazine:



A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

A Gilded Age mechanic is transported back in time to Camelot. He kicks off the industrial revolution 1,200 years early.



A Princess of Mars

Its 1917 vision of the Red Planet is hinky. Four-armed green natives? Really? But it still makes for a great pulp adventure story. Pixar’s Andrew Stanton is doing a live-action film adaptation.



Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus

OK, for the last time—Frankenstein is the name of the scientist. The creature is called Frankenstein’s monster. Also, this is an absolutely gripping book.



Gulliver’s Travels

The humor in this 284-year-old fantasy story still feels fresh. Like when Gulliver extinguishes a Lilliputian house fire by peeing on it.



The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

A text search of this short-story collection reveals that Holmes never says, “Elementary, my dear Watson.”



Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

The surreal film adaptations might lead you to think Lewis Carroll’s book is strange and bizarre. It’s actually quite down-to-earth… Psyche! It’s totally fucked up!

The Closing of the Marijuana Frontier - John Gravois

The Closing of the Marijuana Frontier - John Gravois:

Netflix grabs 20 percent of peak time U.S. traffic

Netflix grabs 20 percent of peak time U.S. traffic: The heavy traffic for Netflix comes between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time--the venerable prime time for people to sit back, relax, and enjoy some programming.

Oct. 22, 4004 B.C.: Universe Usshered In

Oct. 22, 4004 B.C.: Universe Usshered In: It's the beginning of time, according to 17th century Irish theologian James Ussher -- and not just any old moment on that fateful date, but "on the beginning of the night."

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Why ‘Gorilla Arm Syndrome’ Rules Out Multitouch Notebook Displays | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

Why ‘Gorilla Arm Syndrome’ Rules Out Multitouch Notebook Displays | Gadget Lab | Wired.com: “Gorilla arm” is a term engineers coined about 30 years ago to describe what happens when people try to use these interfaces for an extended period of time. It’s the touchscreen equivalent of carpal-tunnel syndrome. According to the New Hacker’s Dictionary, “the arm begins to feel sore, cramped and oversized — the operator looks like a gorilla while using the touchscreen and feels like one afterwards.”


According to the NHD, the phenomenon is so well-known that it’s become a stock phrase and cautionary tale well beyond touchscreens: “‘Remember the gorilla arm!’ is shorthand for ‘How is this going to fly in real use?’.” You find references to the “gorilla-arm effect” or “gorilla-arm syndrome” again and again in the scholarly literature on UI research and ergonomics, too.


Barack Obama and Steve Jobs Meeting Today to Discuss Economy and Technology

Barack Obama and Steve Jobs Meeting Today to Discuss Economy and Technology:

Silicon Alley Insider briefly reported earlier today that President Barack Obama was scheduled for a one-on-one meeting with Apple CEO Steve Jobs today following Obama's arrival in the Bay Area for a fund...

Report: Hulu Plus may see big price cut

Report: Hulu Plus may see big price cut: Consumers don't like the ads on Hulu Plus and there's little reason to pay for the service when Netflix offers more.

FarmVille makes its way to the iPad

FarmVille makes its way to the iPad: Wildly popular Facebook game, FarmVille, is now available to iPad owners as a free download. The game was made available to iPhone owners back in June.

MacDailyNews

MacDailyNews: 'This changes everything.' rolled through my head as I heard Jobs explain the new world of desktop applications," Ulanoff writes. "All the 'benefits' of apps on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch would arrive on your Mac desktop. Things that those of us who use Apple's portable devices take for granted, like remembering where you were when you open the app again (auto save and resume), one-click downloads, auto-installation and even auto-updates would all become natural parts of the desktop and laptop operating system."


Ulanoff writes, "When the Mac App Store opens for consumer business early next year, I expect it will, eventually, be a wild success. I say eventually, because the true power of the Mac App Store can't be realized without the Mac OS 10 Lion update, which transforms the Mac Desktop into a Mac/iPad hybrid. The gesture-friendly, App-ready interface, complete with a new LaunchPad for managing it all takes desktop computing to a whole new level."

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Windows Phone 7 | Download Product Review - Download.com

Windows Phone 7 | Download Product Review - Download.com:

Apple unveils new MacBook Airs, previews Lion

Apple unveils new MacBook Airs, previews Lion: Steve Jobs introduces new, thinner and lighter versions of the ultraportable, while previewing a new version of Mac OS X due next summer and showing off the latest iLife.

Apple introduces FaceTime for Mac

Apple introduces FaceTime for Mac: New video-chatting software from Apple, available in beta Wednesday, can connect to Macs, iPhone 4s, and the latest iPod touch.

Apple previews upcoming Mac OS X Lion

Apple previews upcoming Mac OS X Lion: At a special Mac-focused event in Cupertino on Wednesday, Apple introduced the next version of its OS X operating system, called Lion.

Apple releases iLife '11

Apple releases iLife '11: Apple on Wednesday unveiled iLife '11 at its Back to the Mac event in Cupertino, demoing three of the suite's updated applications -- iPhoto, iMovie, and Garageband.

The Lion's First Roar

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

1) iLife '11


Upgrade existing Macs for $49. Available today.

a) iPhoto - Full-screen, iPad-like mode. Integrated email. Flickr/Facebook sharing. New book options.

b) iMovie - Better audio editing. One-step effects. People finder. News & sports themes. "No-effort" movie trailers.

c) Garageband - Flex Time, Groove Matching, more guitar amps & effects, and new piano & guitar lessons, including a feature called "How did I play?"

2) Facetime


3) Lion - Summer 2011


Mac OS 10.7. Seven major releases in the last decade. Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard. Mac OS X meets the iPad.

a) Multi-touch gestures. Full-screen apps. Auto-save.

b) Mac App Store. They're putting the Mac App Store out on Snow Leopard and opening within 90 days. Best place to discover apps—not the only place, but the best place. One-click downloads. Free & paid apps (70/30 splits). Automatic installation. Automatic app updates. One button to update all apps. Apps licensed for use on all your personal Macs.

c) Launchpad. Home screens for your apps, just like on the iPad.

d) Mission Control.


4) One More Thing. New Macbook Air.


2 Models. Starting at $999.

What happens if a MacBook met an iPad?

Instant on. 2x faster than hard drives. Much more reliable, especially in mobile environment. 90% smaller and lighter.

7 hours of battery life. Standby of 30 days.

Machine Made of Lego Builds Anything You Want — Out of Lego

Machine Made of Lego Builds Anything You Want — Out of Lego: Watch out, humans: An invasion of self-replicating Lego robots could be at hand. Software engineer by day, Lego maniac by night Will Gorman has created the MakerLegoBot, a machine that can take a virtual 3-D model and assemble it using Lego bricks.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Google chosen to digitize Dead Sea Scrolls

Google chosen to digitize Dead Sea Scrolls: The Israel Antiquities Authority has asked Google to scan the famous documents as it grows worried about its ability to preserve the ancient paper.

How to clean malware from your PC

How to clean malware from your PC: Malware infections suck, as annoying as hard drive failure and getting your e-mail account hacked. If you suspect you've been infected, there's no reason to panic. In this how-to video, we'll walk you through several steps you can take to clean your system.

Live blog: Apple gets 'Back to the Mac' tomorrow

Live blog: Apple gets 'Back to the Mac' tomorrow: Apple is hosting a special press event Wednesday focused on the Mac, which CNET will be covering live. There will also be a preview of the next version of Mac OS X.

Live Update: Back to the Mac

Live Update: Back to the Mac: Apple is hosting a ‘Back to the Mac’ event in Cupertino on Wednesday, Oct. 20. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific next Wednesday, and Macworld will, as always, be providing live, blow-by-blow coverage of Apple’s latest announcements.

Harman Kardon announces SoundSticks III | Speakers | Playlist | Macworld

Harman Kardon announces SoundSticks III | Speakers | Playlist | Macworld: The SoundSticks III is available now for $210.

Apple’s revolutionary iPad becoming a fixture in hospitals

Apple’s revolutionary iPad becoming a fixture in hospitals: Since Apple's iPad hit the market, doctors are increasingly using the hot-selling tablet as a clinical tool...

HP updates mobile platform with webOS 2.0

HP updates mobile platform with webOS 2.0: HP announced WebOS 2.0, and said it will first go into the Palm Pre 2.




Incoming Cosmic Rays Hit Record High

Incoming Cosmic Rays Hit Record High: More cosmic rays have reached Earth in the last two years than at any other time since we started putting stuff up in space. It's probably related to the weirdness of the most recent solar minimum, which is finally ending, but could be part of a long-term trend where the sun is quieter and cosmic ray intensities are higher overall.

Better watch out. Cosmic rays were what turned Reed Richards & Co. into the Fantastic Four. Might soon be an outbreak of superhuman-ism.

Arts & Letters Daily (19 Oct 2010)

Arts & Letters Daily (19 Oct 2010):

Great statesmen, Bismarck said, hear before others the distant hoofbeats of the horse of history. What, well may we ask, does Barack Obama hear?... more


The Hermaphrodite was denounced by moralists as soon as it was published in 1425. Its lurid poems have delighted decadents ever since... more


In Easy A, adolescent boys pay the lovely heroine for the privilege of saying that they slept with her. For our age - or any age - it's the double standard writ large... more

Intel to spend billions on new fab plant, upgrades

Intel to spend billions on new fab plant, upgrades: The chipmaker will invest between $6 billion and $8 billion to build a new fabrication plant in Oregon and upgrade four of its other manufacturing plants in the U.S.

Five fantastic Address Book tips

Five fantastic Address Book tips: When you think of Apple’s most intriguing applications, it’s unlikely Address Book springs to mind. But thanks to its close ties to Apple’s Mail and iCal as well as your iOS devices, it’s actually one of the applications you use the most. These tips will help you be more productive.

Five things to check before buying a new printer

Five things to check before buying a new printer: There are few things as anticlimactic as going through all the trouble to buy a new printer, only to find out that connecting it to your Mac results in… nothing. Here's some handy tips to help you do your homework and avoid unpleasant surprises.

Scan images wirelessly with Preview

Scan images wirelessly with Preview: Cut the cords and set up your Mac and all-in-one scanner so you can scan documents and images over a Wi-Fi connection.




HP Launches Palm Pre 2, WebOS 2.0 | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

HP Launches Palm Pre 2, WebOS 2.0 | News & Opinion | PCMag.com:

Palm Pre 2 Officially Revealed [PICS]

Palm Pre 2 Officially Revealed [PICS]: Perhaps the most important aspect of the Pre 2, however, is that it will be the first device running version 2.0 of webOS, the full details of which were also revealed this morning by HP. Key features of the new mobile operating system include enhanced multitasking, support for Flash 10.1 and free Skype-to-Skype calling. We’ll have some more details on webOS 2.0 on Mashable later today.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Disney Nabs Marvel Film Rights Early

Disney Nabs Marvel Film Rights Early: The House of Mouse has paid Paramount Pictures at least $115 million dollars to bring upcoming Marvel movies "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3" under their distribution wing while announcing a release date for the latter sequel.

Reader Photos: Ghostly Green Comet Approaches Earth

Reader Photos: Ghostly Green Comet Approaches Earth: Readers captured these images of comet Hartley 2, which will make its closest approach to Earth on Oct. 20. We want to see more of your images, so if you get one, send it in.

Apple Is No. 1 Computer Seller — If You Count iPads

Apple Is No. 1 Computer Seller — If You Count iPads: If you count iPads as computers, Apple could now be said to have the largest market share of any computer maker in the United States.



Confessions of a used-book salesman. - By Michael Savitz - Slate Magazine

Confessions of a used-book salesman. - By Michael Savitz - Slate Magazine: I spend 80 hours a week trawling junk shops with a laser scanner. I don't feel good about it.

Candidate: Gays are like alcoholics

Candidate: Gays are like alcoholics:

In a debate televised nationally on "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Ken Buck, the Republican nominee for Senate in Colorado, likened homosexuality to alcoholism, arguing that "birth has an influence over it" but that  "basically, you have a choice."




Tea Party candidate's guards handcuff reporter

Tea Party candidate's guards handcuff reporter:

Private security guards working for Joe Miller, the Tea Party Senate candidate who defines himself as a constitutional conservative, handcuffed and detained the editor of an Alaska news website who was attempting to ask Miller a question at a public town hall event Sunday.




Saturday, October 16, 2010

Collect This Now! The Shadow | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment

Collect This Now! The Shadow | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment: Whether it was poor sales or a unhappy copyright owner, the fact remains neither DC nor Conde Nast seem to be in that much of a hurry to get this material back out to the public. And that’s a real shame because even though back issues are cheap and not too hard to find, a trade collecting this work (and ideally, including Sinkiewicz’s run as well as the one issue drawn by Marshall Rogers) would, I think, bring about a new appreciation for what Helfer and Baker did. By refusing to be beholden to nostalgia or the then popular “grim and gritty” ethos, the two were able to create a manic, inspired and downright hilarious comic that is quite unlike anything that was being published at the time or has come down the pike since.


Oh yeah, this was - and still is - one of my favorites, never-to-be-parted-with.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Apple shares hit new all-time intraday, closing highs

Apple shares hit new all-time intraday, closing highs: Apple Inc. shares today rose $12.43 to set a new all-time closing high...

AutoCAD for Mac Now Available

AutoCAD for Mac Now Available:

Autodesk today announced that its AutoCAD for Mac 2D and 3D design software is now available with a 30-day free trial for all users. Officially announced about six weeks ago, the release marks a return to the Mac platform for AutoCAD after a...

Bloomberg's Steve Jobs Documentary Now Available Online, Re-Airing Tonight

Bloomberg's Steve Jobs Documentary Now Available Online, Re-Airing Tonight:

Earlier this week, we noted that Bloomberg Television would be airing a profile of Apple CEO Steve Jobs as part of its new Bloomberg Game Changers series. Following the initial airing of the episode last night, the full 48-minute video has n...

Apple’s iPad officially goes on sale at Wal-Mart

Apple’s iPad officially goes on sale at Wal-Mart: Apple's iPad tablet computer officially went on sale at Wal-Mart on Friday...

Analyst: Apple ramping up iPad production to 3 million units per month

Analyst: Apple ramping up iPad production to 3 million units per month: iPad production is on a path to hit about 3 million units per month during the current quarter...

Editing tips and tricks for Apple's mobile iMovie app | Photography | iOS Central | Macworld

Editing tips and tricks for Apple's mobile iMovie app | Photography | iOS Central | Macworld:

"30 Rock's" ambitious, uneven live episode - 30 Rock - Salon.com

"30 Rock's" ambitious, uneven live episode - 30 Rock - Salon.com:

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Love Makes You Increasingly Ignorant of Your Partner

Love Makes You Increasingly Ignorant of Your Partner: Couples married for an average of 40 years know less about one another’s food, movie and kitchen-design preferences than do partners who have been married or in committed relationships for a year or two.



Pot plants hung to dry over baby crib

Pot plants hung to dry over baby crib:

State troopers investigating an illegally killed deer found harvested marijuana plants hanging to dry - over a baby crib.

Dolby surround sound coming to Netflix streaming

Dolby surround sound coming to Netflix streaming: Netflix's streaming service will soon boast Dolby Digital Plus 5.1-channel surround sound. The PlayStation 3 gets the feature first.

Arts & Letters Daily (14 Oct 2010)

Arts & Letters Daily (14 Oct 2010):

Penmanship: to draw out letters by hand and connect them in cursive style has odd, even mysterious, effects on the development of the brain... more


Ladies, find your inner geisha: that doll-like woman with her silk kimono, scarlet lips, and exotic sex techniques. Easy to ridicule. Maybe too easy... more


Real ants offer no lessons in human moral conduct, says Deborah Gordon. Brave soldiers, dutiful factory workers: this is the stuff of our fictions, not insect behavior... more

Verizon Wireless to offer Apple’s revolutionary iPad at stores across the U.S. on October 28

Verizon Wireless to offer Apple’s revolutionary iPad at stores across the U.S. on October 28: Verizon Wireless and Apple today announced that iPad will be available at over 2,000 Verizon Wireless Stores...

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Tarot cards, palm readers highlight Psychic Fair

Tarot cards, palm readers highlight Psychic Fair:

The Mystic Earth in downtown Roseburg held a psychic fair this weekend. Several psychics, along with Tarot Card readers and palm readers gathered on Saturday.

Roseburg coach given key to city after hitting 300 win mark

Roseburg coach given key to city after hitting 300 win mark:

Roseburg High School football coach Thurman Bell has been honored by the Roseburg City Council for becoming only the third coach in Oregon history to get to the 300 win mark.

Roseburg man tries to burn out wasp nest, burns out house instead

Roseburg man tries to burn out wasp nest, burns out house instead:

The son of an elderly homeowner was trying to help get rid of a wasp nest, when the gasoline container he was using caught fire. Unfortunately, the gasoline ignited the house on fire, causing some major damage.

Repairing Mail passwords

Repairing Mail passwords: What to do when Mail constantly nags you for passwords.

Apple hosting Mac, OS X event next week

Apple hosting Mac, OS X event next week: The event, titled "Back to the Mac," promises to go over Macs and the next phase of the Mac operating system, perhaps to be called "Lion."

Apple announces Mac-focused event on Oct. 20

Apple announces Mac-focused event on Oct. 20: Apple on Wednesday issued press invitations for a Mac-focused special event to be held October 20 on Apple campus.

Apple Stock Opens Trading at $300 Per Share

Apple Stock Opens Trading at $300 Per Share: In something of a psychological milestone, Apple's stock opened for trading today at just over $300 per share, having risen 25% since late August and 42% since the beginning of the year.

Twitter Tips: Four ways to revisit your Twitter 'firsts'

Twitter Tips: Four ways to revisit your Twitter 'firsts': Trying to recall your first tweet or who your initial followers were on the Twitter microblogging service? Here are four free sites for Twitter nostalgics and sleuths.




Apple: Back to the Mac? October 20 – Andy Ihnatko's Celestial Waste of Bandwidth (BETA)

Apple: Back to the Mac? October 20 – Andy Ihnatko's Celestial Waste of Bandwidth (BETA): Or maybe we’ll get to see the next version of the OS. The fact that there’s a cat involved settles an issue that I’d been puzzling over for a few months. I wondered if Apple might sit out the next year or so and make the next release of Mac OS X a truly revolutionary 11.0 instead of a 10.7 which builds upon Snow Leopard.

Insane Clown Posse: And God created controversy | Music | The Guardian

Insane Clown Posse: And God created controversy | Music | The Guardian: America's nastiest rappers in shocking revelation – they've been evangelical Christians all along

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Review: Siri Assistant for iPhone

Review: Siri Assistant for iPhone: This free search tool, which funnels information from many sources onto your iOS device, is not without a rough patch or two. But it's an excellent addition to your iPhone or iPod touch, thanks to its searching prowess.

"Smallville" Turns 200

"Smallville" Turns 200: Producers Brian Petersen and Kelly Souders spoke with CBR News about the 200th episode of "Smallville" while teasing at some of the things in store for the remainder of the tenth and final season of the series.

World's Most Powerful Laser on Target for Awesome Science

World's Most Powerful Laser on Target for Awesome Science: Scientists pulled together the pieces of the world’s most powerful laser last week and, in a first-ever complete dry run, pulled the trigger on a peppercorn-sized pellet of nuclear fuel. The energy crushed the capsule instantly, causing it to spew a shower of neutrons. In short: It worked.


About 10 trillion neutrons zoomed out of the capsule during the test shot, signaling the successful fusion of some tritium and deuterium atoms — the “heavy” hydrogen fuels in the pellet. Moses said 1,000 more neutrons should fly out during the ultimate goal of a fusion chain reaction.

Beyond NIF’s three-pronged mission, there’s also the promise of developing a safe fusion energy source that releases 30-40 times the energy put in. The only theorized “pollution” would be helium, which is the universe’s most pervasive and inert gas.

Camera basics: Using scene modes

Camera basics: Using scene modes: Do you trip over nighttime shots, fast action, and tough indoor scenes? With the right scene modes and a few advanced tricks, you can unlock your digital camera's hidden powers.

Toshiba's no-glasses 3D TV: How it looks

Toshiba's no-glasses 3D TV: How it looks: Toshiba became the first major television maker last week to announce TVs that produce pictures with the illusion of depth but don't require glasses. Martyn Williams gets some hands-on time and compares the new TVs to 3D models that require you to wear glasses.

Wal-Mart to start selling iPad on Friday

Wal-Mart to start selling iPad on Friday: The big box retailer joins Target and others in selling Apple's iPad, with plans to have the tablet in over 2,300 stores by the start of the holiday shopping season.

Walmart to begin iPad sales on Friday | Tablets | iOS Central | Macworld

Walmart to begin iPad sales on Friday | Tablets | iOS Central | Macworld: The iPad's transition into the mainstream retail market appears to be largely complete with Tuesday's report that retail giant Walmart will begin selling Apple's blockbuster tablet on Friday.

Monday, October 11, 2010

A Change of Socks

The best thing I ever learned from my friend Gordon Durand was how refreshing a simple change of socks in the afternoon can be. Thanks, Skipper!

"Trimming" tracks in iTunes

"Trimming" tracks in iTunes: Cutting the virtual cruft from iTunes tracks.

Why Marijuana Effects Are So Unpredictable

Why Marijuana Effects Are So Unpredictable: Why are the effects of marijuana so unpredictable? Jonah Lehrer takes a look at why THC can do everything from make us paranoid to make us want multiple bags of potato chips.

The ratio of THC to cannabidiol seems to be the key variable: Skunk-type strains, for instance, contain a higher ratio of THC to cannabidiol than, say, hashish.

The basic moral of these studies is that the endocannabinoid system is tightly interwoven with the stress system. For instance, it’s long been recognized that stressing out a male newt leads, not surprisingly, to a rapid surge of corticosterone, a stress hormone. As a result, these poor males have little interest in sex, even when exposed to a lovely female newt. Here’s where the data gets surprising: The effects of the stress hormones seems to be mediated by the endocannabinoid system, so that when these endocannabinoid receptors are blocked stress has no effect. The males keep on having sex, even though they’ve just been through the ringer.

The reason marijuana has been around for thousands of years (and remains one of the most popular drugs in the world) is that it acts on an incredibly important neural system. EC receptors sit at the intersection of appetite and stress, pain and and anxiety.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

"How to Live": Grandfather of the writing we love to hate - Laura Miller - Salon.com

"How to Live": Grandfather of the writing we love to hate - Laura Miller - Salon.com: The word Bakewell uses most often to describe her subject's outlook is "nonchalance." Inspired by classical philosophers of the Epicurean, Stoic and Skeptical schools, Montaigne adopted a Zen-like attitude in which everything is subject to doubt and nothing should be taken too seriously. As Bakewell puts it, "He went with the flow."

"Disconnect": Why cellphones may be killing us - Nonfiction - Salon.com

"Disconnect": Why cellphones may be killing us - Nonfiction - Salon.com:

Friday, October 8, 2010

Zeta Woof: Them's Good Eatin'!

Zeta Woof: Them's Good Eatin'!: I know what you're thinking: cut to the chase and tell me what it is and where I can get some.
Three amino acids: Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine

Full Sail's Beers Make Headway With Wired, Mother Jones

Full Sail's Beers Make Headway With Wired, Mother Jones: The October Madness beer tournament came home to Wired's San Francisco headquarters on Oct. 7, where we met up with the hard-working and extremely beer-deserving staff of Mother Jones magazine to taste some relatively unknown and surprisingly good beers from Full Sail Brewing Company.


Their Amber Ale? - Yumm!

Google hanging up on GOOG-411

Google hanging up on GOOG-411: With so many people now using phones with sophisticated mobile Web browsers, Google has decided to stop supporting its first voice-to-text search service.

Smart ways to work with smart folders

Smart ways to work with smart folders: Learn how to use OS X's smart folders to save time finding, tracking, and organizing files and folders.

Oct. 8, 1582: Nothing Happens ... in Catholic Lands

Oct. 8, 1582: Nothing Happens ... in Catholic Lands: Parts of Europe switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, skipping 10 whole days between Oct. 4 and Oct. 15.

Video chat coming to Yahoo's mobile apps

Video chat coming to Yahoo's mobile apps: The chat giant says it's bringing video chat to mobile phone users. The feature will let users video chat with each other from their handsets over Wi-Fi and a cellular data connection.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

DC Cuts $3.99 Ongoing Series to $2.99

DC Cuts $3.99 Ongoing Series to $2.99: DC Comics has announced that as of January, 2011, the publisher wll be decreasing prices on their standard length $3.99 titles to $2.99 citing the long term health of the industry as their reason for the new pricing


Comic book prices are going down!!??!? That NEVER happens!

MacDailyNews

MacDailyNews:

• Google is going after "input one" on your TV -- the first input where your cable box is plugged in, which is a really big, really risky bet. Most people don't mess with input one. How often do you switch cable or satellite providers? Or set-top boxes? Rarely, if ever.

• Apple, meanwhile, is going after "input two," where your DVD player or videogame machine is probably plugged in. In most households, that's likely to be an easier entry point -- mentally easier to unplug, easier to experiment with.

Frommer writes, "That, combined with the significantly lower initial cost for Apple TV versus the Google TV gadgets, is why we think that Apple will have higher adoption this holiday season than Google TV... Because of the simpler message and lower price tag -- $99 is within impulse-purchase range, while $300 is not -- Apple should at least have an easier time convincing people to give Apple TV a try than Google will for Google TV. And that's how Apple has won this early first round."

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Verizon iPhone to Start Mass Production, Apple Working on 5th-Gen iPhone

Verizon iPhone to Start Mass Production, Apple Working on 5th-Gen iPhone:

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is planning to begin mass production of a new Verizon-compatible iPhone 4 by the end of 2010. This would allow Verizon Wireless to begin selling the iPhone "early next year". The Wall Street Journa...

Hobby turns hit: Apple TV on pace to sell 1 million units per quarter

Hobby turns hit: Apple TV on pace to sell 1 million units per quarter: "Apple (AAPL) seems to have a modest hit on its hands with the new Apple TV box...

Oprah loves her iPad; reveals her favorite apps

Oprah loves her iPad; reveals her favorite apps: We know Oprah's a fan of the iPad...

Opinion: Apple needs an iTunes Server version

Opinion: Apple needs an iTunes Server version: Kirk McElhearn discusses why Apple needs to build a server version of iTunes, and how it should work.




Top reason for Facebook unfriending: Too many useless posts

Top reason for Facebook unfriending: Too many useless posts: The No. 1 reason why friends dump friends on Facebook is when they get fed up seeing too many useless posts, according to new research out of the University of Colorado Denver Business School

Tweet Library lets you archive, organize Twitter posts

Tweet Library lets you archive, organize Twitter posts: If you've ever wondered what happened to a tweet, Tweet Library could be just the tool to help you organize and archive your posts.

HP readying WebOS phones for early 2011

HP readying WebOS phones for early 2011: HP is planning to launch some WebOS-based smartphones toward the beginning of next year, the company's senior vice president said today.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Zack Snyder to direct "Superman" reboot

Zack Snyder to direct "Superman" reboot: The production team behind the latest "Superman" remake is finally taking shape, and it's a doozy. Filmaking demigod Christopher Nolan is producing, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer, co-writers of "The Dark Knight," are penning the script (guess which movie they want to emulate), and it was recently announced that Zack Snyder will direct.

Google brings Goggles visual search to iPhone, iPod touch

Google brings Goggles visual search to iPhone, iPod touch: After introducing its 'search the world with your camera' feature to Android phones nearly a year ago, Google has finally brought Google Goggles to the iPhone.

Clive Thompson on the Power of Visual Thinking | Magazine

Clive Thompson on the Power of Visual Thinking | Magazine: When I went online to shop for a laptop this summer, I faced a blizzard of choices. Was an ultralight worth the price, or would a heavier model do? Did I need a big screen, or would it make the computer a pain to lug around? As I flipped from page to page reading screenfuls of specs, the options baffled me. So I picked up a different thinking tool: a crayon.

Using one of my son’s Crayolas, I drew doodles of all the laptops and covered them with little icons depicting the pros, cons, and cost of each. When I stood back and looked at the pictures, the answer leaped out. I could now “see” at a glance which deal best fit my needs and pocketbook (13-inch MacBook Pro with 8 gigs of RAM).

In essence, I used “visual thinking”—drawing pictures to solve a problem. And if you believe the visualization experts, a new language of pictures may be precisely what we need to tackle the world’s biggest challenges.

Remembering the Macintosh TV

Remembering the Macintosh TV: Revisiting Apple's first foray into TV-computer integration, circa 1993.




Experimentation, orgasms, and the rise of anal sex. - By William Saletan - Slate Magazine

Experimentation, orgasms, and the rise of anal sex. - By William Saletan - Slate Magazine:

Personal Health - Though Hard to Measure, Tai Chi Pays Health Dividends - NYTimes.com

Personal Health - Though Hard to Measure, Tai Chi Pays Health Dividends - NYTimes.com:

Monday, October 4, 2010

Eyes-on, glasses off, with Toshiba's glasses-less 3D TV

Eyes-on, glasses off, with Toshiba's glasses-less 3D TV: The talk of Ceatec so far is the 3D TV from Toshiba that requires no 3D glasses. We check it out in person and find that while it works surprisingly well, there are some major drawbacks.

Apple iPad adoption rate fastest ever, passing DVD player

Apple iPad adoption rate fastest ever, passing DVD player: Apple’s iPad sold three million units in the first 80 days after its April release...

New Apple TV Allows App Installation, Needs Launcher

New Apple TV Allows App Installation, Needs Launcher:

As reported by Gizmodo, developer Steven Troughton-Smith has discovered that iOS applications can in fact be installed on the new Apple TV with only slight modification of the applications required to identify them as Apple TV-compatible.

Prevent a Hangover

Prevent a Hangover: We have been to the Moon and split the atom, but a true cure or foolproof preventative measure for the hangover remains elusive. It's just not fair. But here are some tips for easing the pain.

The 100-year leap

The 100-year leap:

In December 1837, the British mathematician Charles Babbage published a paper describing a mechanical computer that is now known as the Analytical Engine. Anyone intimate with the details of electronic computers will instantly recognize the components of Babbage's machine. Although Babbage was designing with brass and iron, his Engine has a central processing unit (which he called the mill) and a large amount of expandable memory (which he called the store). The operation of the Engine is controlled by program stored on punched cards, and punched cards can also be used to input data.




Punched cards created for Babbage's Analytical Engine. From Flickr user lorentey.

Punched cards created for Babbage's Analytical Engine. From Flickr user lorentey.



Inside the mill, individual operations are controlled by the equivalent of a microprogram. The microprogram is stored on cylinders covered in studs (much like in a music box) that Babbage refers to as the barrels. Data is transferred from the store to the mill for processing and returned to the store for later use. In his plans Babbage described an Engine with 100 storage locations holding 40 decimal digits each (which is roughly equivalent to 1.7KB). He even anticipated the need for ever more memory, describing an Engine with 1,000 storage locations (17KB) and external storage (he would have used punched cards where we use disks).



For output, the Analytical Engine plans call for both a printer and a plotter. The entire Engine would likely have been powered by steam and would have been the size of a small steam locomotive. Its programming language -- if it can be called that -- included loops and conditionals. The only surprising thing about the architecture of the Analytical Engine is when it was invented.



It wasn't until 100 years later that computers came into existence, with Babbage's work lying mostly ignored. In the late 1930s and 1940s, starting with Alan Turing's 1936 paper "On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem," teams in the US and UK began to build workable computers by, essentially, rediscovering what Babbage had seen a century before. Babbage had anticipated the impact of his Engine when he wrote in his memoirs: "As soon as an Analytical Engine exists, it will necessarily guide the future course of science."



During his lifetime Babbage only constructed parts of the Analytical Engine (which can be seen in the Science Museum in London). His son, H. P. Babbage, working from his father's designs, built a demonstration version of the mill after his father's death. The elder Babbage left behind extensive documentation and plans for the Engine, all of which are safely stored in London and have been examined by historians.




The mill of the Analytical Engine.  From Flickr user Gastev.

The mill of the Analytical Engine. From Flickr user Gastev.



Babbage came up with the idea of the Analytical Engine while working on a machine to automatically produce mathematical tables (such as tables of logarithms). Mathematical tables were extensively used at the time -- and well into the 20th century -- and they were calculated by hand by people referred to as "computers." Babbage hoped to eliminate errors made by these computers by replacing them with a machine capable of performing the relevant calculations automatically.



The machines he invented are called the Difference Engines (because they use the mathematical technique of differences to perform their calculations). These machines were not completed during Babbage's lifetime partly because of his difficult personality and partly because of the withdrawal of government support for the project. The conception and construction of Babbage's Engines was an enormous undertaking in the 1800s. Despite repeated setbacks, Babbage continued essentially alone, working on plans and designs up until his death and spending his own fortune on the work. Twentieth-century computer pioneer Maurice Wilkes describes being "haunted by the thought of the loneliness of [Babbage's] intellectual life" while working on the Analytical Engine.



The British government had initially supported Babbage and covered some of the costs of construction of the first Difference Engine. But as costs rose and years wore on, the government was advised that the machines would be of little use, were unlikely to pay for themselves, and the money expended would have been better invested and the dividends used to hire additional human "computers" to do the work.



Soldiering on alone with the conviction that his machines would be of great benefit to mankind by taking what had been mental effort and making it mechanical, Babbage wrote that "Another age must be the judge" of his inventions.



Simply put, we live in that age. In the late 1980s the Science Museum in London undertook a project to demonstrate that Babbage's Engines could have been built during his lifetime. The museum constructed his Difference Engine No. 2 and the associated printer using historically accurate materials and to within historically accurate tolerances. In 1991, the working machine was unveiled, and it can still be seen on display in the museum (a copy of the machine is also on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA).




Difference Engine No. 2.  From Flickr user psd.

Difference Engine No. 2. From Flickr user psd.



The Science Museum's Difference Engine No. 2 project put to rest any doubt about the limits of Victorian engineering. Babbage's Engines were achievable in Victorian Britain and Babbage's 100-year leap in inventing the computer could have been realized.




It's time to build the Analytical Engine




I hope to finish Babbage's dream and build an Analytical Engine for public display. I've launched a project called Plan 28 to raise the money and bring together people to work on the Engine. Babbage left behind extensive documentation of the Analytical Engine, the most complete of which can be seen in his Plan 28 (and 28a), which are preserved in a mahogany case that Babbage had constructed especially for the purpose.



There are three important steps to achieve this goal:




  1. A decision must be made on what constitutes an Analytical Engine

  2. The Engine should be simulated on a computer to help debug the physical machine

  3. The machine must be built



The first step is necessary because Babbage continually refined his designs -- he was constantly aiming at simplification and faster computational speed -- and left behind a mixed collection of plans and notebooks. Sorting through this material will require the help of historians and specialists in Victorian engineering.



Simulating the machine using 3D modeling software and a physics engine would enable us to bring the machine to life without making any metal parts. Given the size and complexity of the machine, this step is vital. And since the final machine would wear out if constantly used, it would provide a way of demonstrating the Engine.



It might seem a folly to want to build a gigantic, relatively puny computer at great expense 170 years after its invention. But the message of a completed Analytical Engine is very clear: it's possible to be 100 years ahead of your own time. With support, this type of "blue skies" thinking can result in fantastic changes to the lives of everyone. Just think of the impact of the computer and ask yourself how different the Victorian world would have been with Babbage Engines at its disposal.



What seemed like costly research that was unlikely to have any short-term value turned out to be the seed of one of the greatest revolutions mankind has seen. I hope that future generations of scientists will stand before the completed Analytical Engine, think of Babbage, and be inspired to work on their own 100-year leaps.






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