Mac OS X 10.7 Lion to deliver ‘Scene Kit’ framework for 3D apps – MacDailyNews - Welcome Home: “The release of Mac OS X Lion will debut a new development framework called Scene Kit, which developers say will support easy to implement 3D rendering within their apps,” AppleInsider reports.
“A developer familiar with Lion has explained that the new framework will support the import, manipulation and rendering of three dimensional assets, handing the complex end of 3D graphics for app developers,” AppleInsider reports. This makes Scene Kit similar to the Core Animation data visualization API Apple launched in 10.5 Leopard (which was based upon the Layer Kit developed for the iPhone OS to provide easy to use transitions and other motion graphic effects).”
AppleInsider reports, “Scene Kit is ‘consistent’ with the APIs of Apple’s other graphical frameworks, including Image Kit and Core Animation, and does not require advanced 3D graphical programming skills.”
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Mac OS X 10.7 Lion to deliver ‘Scene Kit’ framework for 3D apps – MacDailyNews - Welcome Home
How to use Amazon Cloud Player | Web | Playlist | Macworld
How to use Amazon Cloud Player | Web | Playlist | Macworld: The Cloud Player doesn’t support the playback of these tracks on an iOS device. This is not a technical issue, however. Rather, Amazon is looking for browsers identified as Mobile Safari. When it receives a request from just such a browser, you see a message that your browser is not supported. This is not a limitation of the iOS device, but rather Amazon’s unwillingness to stream this content to iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads.
The proof is in an alternative browser. Download a copy of another iOS browser—Atomic Web Browser or iCab Mobile. Each of these browsers allows you to change the transmitted identity of your browser. If, for example, you choose to identify the browser as Safari Desktop, you can access the contents of your Cloud Drive. Once you do, simply tap a track and then tap the triangle menu icon. From the menu that appears, select Download. A QuickTime window will appear, and your track will play. Regrettably, there doesn’t seem to be a way to play a series of songs with one command. Rather, you must play each song using this tap-and-download method.
Sharapova reaches Key Biscayne final (AP)
Sharapova reaches Key Biscayne final (AP): Maria Sharapova lost her first service game when she double-faulted three times. She kept spraying her shots, which lacked their usual sting. Then came the turnaround. After losing the first set Thursday, Sharapova won 11 consecutive games and advanced to the final at the Sony Ericsson Open by beating Andrea Petkovic, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Apple GarageBand 6.0.2 - Complete recording studio and more.. (Commercial)
Apple GarageBand 6.0.2 - Complete recording studio and more.. (Commercial)
GarageBand... Welcome to the school of rock. A Mac-sized practice space. Your own recording studio. If you want to learn to play an instrument, write music, or record a song, GarageBand can help-whether you're a rookie or a rock star.
Version 6.0.2:
- This update improves overall stability and addresses a number of minor issues.
Mac OS X 10.6.3 or later
Download Now
Pirates vs. Ninjas vs. Zombies vs. Pandas 1.0 - Physics-based puzzle game.. (Commercial)
Pirates vs. Ninjas vs. Zombies vs. Pandas 1.0 - Physics-based puzzle game.. (Commercial): Pirates vs. Ninjas vs. Zombies vs. Pandas...It is Pirates... it is Ninjas... it is Zombies... it is Pandas and it is full on War!
Scrivener 2.0.5 - Project management, word processing tool for writers.. (Shareware)
Scrivener 2.0.5 - Project management, word processing tool for writers.. (Shareware): Scrivener is a project management and writing tool for writers of all kinds that stays with you from that first unformed idea all the way through to the first - or even final - draft. Outline and structure your ideas; take notes; storyboard your masterpiece using a powerful virtual corkboard; view research while you write; track themes using keywords; dynamically combine multiple scenes into a single text. Scrivener has already been enthusiastically adopted by best-selling novelists and novices alike. Outline... Edit... Storyboard... Write.
Automator workflow of the month: Easy voice memos on your Mac | Music and Audio | Working Mac | Macworld
Automator workflow of the month: Easy voice memos on your Mac | Music and Audio | Working Mac | Macworld: Much as we all enjoy typing the kind of text snippets that make up our daily reminders and thoughts, it can be easier and more effective to record a voice memo. Sure, you can do that with an iPhone or most iPods, but what about with your Mac? In this month’s look at Apple's automation utility, Automator, I demonstrate how to do just that. Additionally, I offer steps for taking a simple workflow and, with the addition of a couple of actions, making it more user-friendly and useful. The initial workflow goes like this. (You can download the completed, most complicated version of the workflow here.)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Is kink the new girl-on-girl kiss?
Is kink the new girl-on-girl kiss?:
Have you heard? Rihanna likes rough sex. Just in case you didn't get the message from her recent single "S&M" -- which contains the subtle lyrics, "chains and whips excite me" -- she clarifies her position, so to speak, in the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone: "Being submissive in the bedroom is really fun." She adds, "I like to be spanked. Being tied up is fun."
BlackBerry Tablet to Ship Without Mail, Messaging or Contacts
BlackBerry Tablet to Ship Without Mail, Messaging or Contacts: According to a leaked internal document, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will ship without native support for e-mail, contacts or messaging. To use any of these services, you'll have to either hook up a BlackBerry handset, or access them through the web browser.
What!?!
Push to sell marijuana in Oregon kicks off
Push to sell marijuana in Oregon kicks off:
If supporters can get the initiative on the ballot and approved by voters, it would allow any adult over 21 to buy pot at a state licensed store or grow it in Oregon.
InfoWorld: Apple’s Thunderbolt MacBook Pro, the last notebook you’ll ever need – MacDailyNews - Welcome Home
InfoWorld: Apple’s Thunderbolt MacBook Pro, the last notebook you’ll ever need – MacDailyNews - Welcome Home: “Not to take such advances for granted — after all, the one-piece machined aluminum frame and dynamic GPU switching were among many unique and jaw-dropping innovations — but where’s the ultimate to-die-for model year leap, the upgrade so substantial that we may not see its like again for five years?” Yager asks. “As tight as money is now, buyers want to see double, triple, and order-of-magnitude level improvements to justify spending $1,799 to $2,499 on a notebook.”
“With the new Thunderbolt MacBook Pro, so nicknamed for its revolutionary high-speed I/O port, that’s just what you’ll get,” Yager reports. “The 15- and 17-inch quad-core models deliver twice the CPU performance of Core 2 Duo, three times the graphics performance of the previous generation’s Nvidia GeForce GT 330M, and more than ten times the external I/O bandwidth of 800MHz FireWire. Even with a base price of just $1,199 and dual-core instead of quad-core CPUs, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro still outpaces prior Mac notebooks in terms of CPU and I/O performance.”
Yager reports, “This brand of magic can’t be conjured by Apple’s competitors. Sustained innovations like the MagSafe quick-disconnect charge port, the industrial-grade frame machined from a solid block of aluminum, digital optical audio input and output, automatic integrated/discrete GPU (graphics processing unit) switching, and a five-year battery already have no equal… This might be the last notebook computer you’ll ever need or want.”
Google Talk Guru turns IM into a search tool
Google Talk Guru turns IM into a search tool: A new app from Google Labs dubbed Talk Guru lets you search for information by chatting with an automated bot programmed to deliver the answers you seek.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Fox exec: That whole "Obama is a socialist" thing was a wacky joke - War Room - Salon.com
Fox exec: That whole "Obama is a socialist" thing was a wacky joke - War Room - Salon.com: Ok, but, what he said was, he thought it would be funny to repeatedly call Barack Obama a socialist, despite the fact that he believed that to not be the case, and then he was surprised when that caught on, and everyone began believing that Barack Obama is a socialist. "Inartful" is one way of putting that. "Dense" would be another way, if we take him at his word that he didn't think his silly jokes would be taken seriously.
Is there even a defense mounted there? MediaMatters says they caught the Washington bureau chief of Fox News admitting to saying something he didn't believe because he thought it would be funny and damaging to a Democratic candidate, but he said he was just 'inartful,' so no big deal, no one will care anyway.
Miss Marple gets a sexy makeover - Film Salon - Salon.com
Miss Marple gets a sexy makeover - Film Salon - Salon.com: Okay, okay, listen to this pitch: Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, only young. And hot. It can't miss! Everybody knows Agatha Christie's name even if they've never read her stories. She's a brand name. And Miss Marple is one of her most famous characters. Problem is, she's an old lady, and in today's marketplace, that's a dealbreaker. But imagine a movie about Miss Marple as a younger woman? Maybe in her mid-30s? And h-h-hawt? Maybe an American doing a British accent. Hey, Jennifer Garner!
Jon Stewart slams G.E. for corporate tax hypocrisy
Jon Stewart slams G.E. for corporate tax hypocrisy: Jon Stewart gives up! The Daily Show host took aim last night at companies who lawyer their way out of paying federal taxes, while still blithely shipping jobs overseas. Like General Electric, for example, who posted $14.2 billion in profits in 2010, yet actually received $3.2 billion in tax benefits -- and still cut a fifth of its U.S. workforce. Stewart laments that the president and network news, both well-suited to point out G.E.'s hypocrisy, don't seem to care very much.
Amazon launches cloud storage, music service
Amazon launches cloud storage, music service: Amazon on Tuesday released its Cloud Drive online storage service and its Web- and Android-based Cloud Player music player app.
How Apple played hard to get and seduced the enterprise | Phones | Macworld
How Apple played hard to get and seduced the enterprise | Phones | Macworld: AIM’s experience isn’t unique. Speaking at Apple’s quarterly earnings conference call in January, acting CEO Tim Cook said, “The iPad started shipping in April, and we are already up to 80 percent of the largest companies deploying or piloting the product. This is unheard of, at least in my dealings with the enterprise over the years. Generally enterprises are much slower, much more cautious and use things that have been in the market for a long time.”
Monday, March 28, 2011
Amazon unveils its digital music locker
Amazon unveils its digital music locker: Service will allow users to upload digital music files to Amazon's servers for playback on any PC, Mac, or Android device, where ever they are.
Technology News: Emerging Tech: Power Plant: One Small Leaf Could Electrify an Entire Home
Technology News: Emerging Tech: Power Plant: One Small Leaf Could Electrify an Entire Home: Scientists at MIT have created what may be the first practical artificial leaf -- a device about the size of a playing card capable of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen and storing the energy in a fuel cell. Placing the leaf it in a single gallon of water in sunlight could produce enough electricity to supply a house in developing countries with its daily electricity requirement, according to researchers.
Bananas Could Make Cars Leaner, Greener
Bananas Could Make Cars Leaner, Greener: Researchers find a way of using nanocellulose fibers from bananas, pineapple and other plants to make renewable plastic that's almost as strong as Kevlar but much lighter.
Persecution Complex Is the Defining Modern Psychosis
Persecution Complex Is the Defining Modern Psychosis: Over the course of the 20th century, fantasies of persecution became the defining modern delusion, suggest a pair of studies on long-term trends in psychosis.
Newsarama.com : Alex Toth | The Legacy of ALEX TOTH Explored in IDW's GENIUS, ISOLATED
Newsarama.com : Alex Toth | The Legacy of ALEX TOTH Explored in IDW's GENIUS, ISOLATED: If we were to debate who is the greatest comics artist of all time, many reputable comics scholars have argued that Alex Toth is on the short list of serious candidates. He’s also, unfortunately, among the least recognized names that would enter into such a debate.
However, Toth not only transformed the language of comics as one of the comic book industry’s formative pioneers in the 1940s, he also changed the animation field as well, streamlining character designs and allowing for simpler animation. Toth’s attention to page layouts and panel composition for DC, Standard and Dell Comics during the 1940s and 1950s redefined graphic storytelling on the comics’ page. His elegant designs helped to boost fledgling Hanna-Barbera to a place among the leaders in animation, with striking characters who were easy to animate and memorable to young viewers.
In short, fans of Warner Bros. Animation (particularly the Bruce Timm school) or Pixar owe as much to Toth as fans of Frank Quitely or Stuart Immonen.
Let's imagine Steve Jobs is President of the United States
Let's imagine Steve Jobs is President of the United States: Our society is waiting, and our political landscape is ripe, for a political figure to speak the new language. The premises outlined above form the basis of a platform for a small, focused, innovative, and human-centered government.
It's time for a new social contract. Demand it.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Earthquake Mapping
Earthquake Mapping: I'm working through the app dev book I mentioned a week or two ago. One of the examples I'm coding up grabs real-time earthquake data from the USGS and plots it on Google maps. I tweaked the overlay code to show the quakes with disks proportional in area to the magnitude of the quake (r=sqrt(10^mag/pi)). Well, I think it's pretty cool.
That is pretty cool.
Radio Shack: Free gun with your Dish Network
Radio Shack: Free gun with your Dish Network: A Radio Shack in Montana is helping its customers protect themselves by offering a free gun with every purchase of Dish Network.
Neil Gaiman to write script for 3D Journey to the West
Neil Gaiman to write script for 3D Journey to the West: Science fiction and fantasy writer Neil Gaiman (Stardust, Coraline) has joined hands with mainland director Zhang Jizhong to adapt the classic Chinese Journey to the West to the big screen.
Zhang, known for his TV dramas based on wuxia (martial arts) novels, said he wants to make a 3D trilogy out of the 16th-century adventure story of a monk and his three disciples, including the widely loved Monkey King.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Everything you need to know about Firefox 4
Everything you need to know about Firefox 4: From App Tabs to Panorama to syncing Firefox with your Android, we round up a collection of videos on the Editor's Choice-winning Firefox 4 to help you get started with the revamped browser.
"My Community Pulp Fictional Dinner with Andre"
"My Community Pulp Fictional Dinner with Andre": Last night's "Community" -- aptly titled "Critical Film Studies" -- was art. And art about art. And entertainment about entertainment. And a free-ranging conversation about the value of stories. The episode was "Pulp Fiction" metafiction wrapped in "My Dinner With Andre." It had a monologue about being and nothingness and "Cougar Town," references to Quentin Tarantino and Louis Malle, a fire gag and a poop joke, Ken Jeong in a skullcap and Chevy Chase in a fetish outfit. (Bring out The Gimp!) It was the most self-aware, self-reflexive half-hour I've seen on a broadcast network since the "Simpsons" episode "The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show." But it improved on that classic in one important respect: Even as it folded and refolded itself, morphing from analytical to sincere and back again, it focused on characters we've grown to know and love, and scrutinized two of them with such compassion that it made them seem more real than ever.
Scenes from "Star Wars the Musical"
Scenes from "Star Wars the Musical":
Forget "Glee": In 1996, three high school students from California decided that they were going to do some really epic musical theater. Funded entirely out of their own pockets and with no adult supervision, 17-year-olds Garrin Hajeian, Michael Heilman, and Kevin Bayuk put on a 40-person rock opera of "Star Wars: A New Hope." Adjusting the lyrics from the tunes from "Les Miserables," "Grease," and "Godspell," the three-night production of "Star Wars the Musical" sold out every performance and ended up with a "New York Times" review and a cease-and-desist letter from George Lucas.
Will "The Book of Mormon" save Broadway's soul? - Theater - Salon.com
Will "The Book of Mormon" save Broadway's soul? - Theater - Salon.com: Apparently, "The Book " will have you speaking its language in no time at all. As for the inter-mingling of songs like "Fuck You God" and the story of Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Trey and Matt treat their source materials with equal reverence.
Web App Makes Kindle a Universal Translator
Web App Makes Kindle a Universal Translator: The 3G Kindle can now serve as a nearly universal language translator, thanks to a website called Kindlefish, an easy-to-use front end for Google Translate.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
GarageBand for iPad: Music Talent Not Required
GarageBand for iPad: Music Talent Not Required: Houston Chronicle technology columnist Dwight Silverman, a non-musician who “can only intermittently carry a tune,” describes how he was able to release his inner Clapton using the Smart Guitars and stomp box effects included in GarageBand for iPad. He writes, “Even if you can’t play a note, GarageBand for iPad will have you playing and even composing music soon after you first fire it up. It’s an astonishing piece of software, easily the best application I’ve seen so far this year.”
10 for X: A decade of Mac OS X
10 for X: A decade of Mac OS X: 
On the tenth anniversary of Mac OS X's release, Dan Moren looks back at the significance of the operating system to Apple's past decade and what the decade ahead might hold.
Circus Ponies NoteBook 3.0.9 - Organize photos, email, documents & more.. (Demo)
Circus Ponies NoteBook 3.0.9 - Organize photos, email, documents & more.. (Demo): Circus Ponies NoteBook is the revolutionary award-winning application that helps Mac users manage all those bits of information that lack a good home: web clippings, notes, even the e-mails, diagrams and documents of a project. Create Notebooks, with sections and subsections, to hold it all. Add text, drag in files, "clip" web pages and other content. Annotate your information with diagrams and sketches, highlighting and keywords, even voice recordings. Find anything instantly with NoteBook's patented Multidex. Then convert it all to PDF, or publish directly to your MobileMe account or FTP server. Access your Notebooks on the go with the iPad version of NoteBook.
David E. Kelley Speaks On "Wonder Woman" - Comic Book Resources
David E. Kelley Speaks On "Wonder Woman" - Comic Book Resources: "Well I first said no, for all the obvious reasons," he explained in the interview. "It’s not really what I do; it’s not a genre that’s in my wheelhouse. But then I started thinking about, What if there were such a person in today’s world and what must it be like to be her? And I was imagining the sense of social isolation that she must feel, that she indeed would probably be a rather complicated beast. When I started thinking about all the complications and potential layers to this superhero, I just got more and more intrigued. It was also something I was a little bit afraid of. That’s good, too. Any writer should get out of his or her comfort zone, and this was way outside of mine.
"So I took a deep breath and decided to go for it. I did not truthfully commit to doing it until I wrote the script. I was going to try writing it, and if I failed on my own terms, I would say no. If I thought, Yeah, this is something I believe in, then I’d turn it in. And it was something I ultimately did get behind. It was hard, but I had a good time writing it. And Warner Bros. and DC both responded very positively — and off we went."
How Mac OS X Came To Be [Exclusive 10th Anniversary Story] | Cult of Mac
How Mac OS X Came To Be [Exclusive 10th Anniversary Story] | Cult of Mac: Mac OS X celebrates it tenth birthday today. The groundbreaking operating sytem was introduced to the public on March 24, 2001. Mac OS X helped reverse Apple’s fortunes in the desktop PC market, and has underpinned a lot of Apple’s subsequent success. Most importantly, it spawned iOS, which runs today’s iPad’s and iPhones.
Below is the story of how OS X’s game-changing interface came about. The story gives some insight into corporate creativity at Apple. OS X’s interface started as a side project but as soon as Steve Jobs got wind of it, it was fast-tracked.
Jobs also became intimately involved in its development — a scary prospect for the programmers working on it.
But the struggle wasn’t just in its development. Apple had to nail the switch from the old Mac OS to the new, or it could easily have sunk the company. Guess which ally was crucial to the transition — Apple’s old enemy, Microsoft.
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware: Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware is an anti-malware application that can thoroughly remove even the most advanced malware. It includes a number of features, including a built in protection monitor that blocks malicious processes before they even start.
I have to post a comment here: Time and again, I have had to deal with ignorant Windows users (All Windows users are, by definition, ignorant. It's in "The Devil's Dictionary" by Ambrose Bierce. Go ahead, look it up.) who have been tricked into installing "anti-malware" that is nothing more than a Trojan Horse designed to separate the fool from the money. And, time and again, I have googled their removal, only to find, time and again, that Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is the solution. Lesson learned.
The paid version does more, but the free trial detects and removes trojans (I can think of a few other things that remove trojans, but that's another story...). A Toolkit Essential.
Paglia on Taylor: "A luscious, opulent, ripe fruit!"
Paglia on Taylor: "A luscious, opulent, ripe fruit!": I remember reading your essay on Elizabeth Taylor from Penthouse in 1992 (it appeared in the collection "Sex, Art and Political Culture"), where you called her "a pre-feminist woman." You said: "She wields the sexual power that feminism cannot explain and has tried to destroy. Through stars like Taylor, we sense the world-disordering impact of legendary women like Delilah, Salome, and Helen of Troy. Feminism has tried to dismiss the femme fatale as a misogynist libel, a hoary cliche. But the femme fatale expresses women's ancient and eternal control of the sexual realm."
Happy 10th birthday, Mac OS X!
Happy 10th birthday, Mac OS X!: Happy 10th Birthday, Mac OS X!
Mac OS X is built upon an incredibly stable, open source, UNIX-based foundation called Darwin and features true memory protection, preemptive multi-tasking and symmetric multiprocessing when running on the dual processor Power Mac G4. Mac OS X includes Apple’s new Quartz 2D graphics engine (based on the Internet-standard Portable Document Format) for stunning graphics and broad font support; OpenGL for spectacular 3D graphics and gaming; and QuickTime for streaming audio and video. Mac OS X also features an entirely new user interface called Aqua. Aqua combines superior ease of use with amazing new functionality such as the Dock, a breakthrough for organizing, documents and document windows.
In addition, Mac OS X includes hundreds of new features, such as:
• Dynamic memory management, eliminating “out of memory” messages or need to adjust the memory for applications
• Advanced power management, so that PowerBook and iBook systems wake from sleep instantly
• QuickTime 5, shipping for the first time as an integrated feature of Mac OS X
• Automatic networking, allowing users to get on the Internet using any available network connection, without adjusting settings
• A single interface to easily manage all network and Internet connections, including direct support for DSL systems that require PPPoE connectivity
• Full PDF support and PDF integration into the operating system, so that Mac OS X applications can generate standard PDF documents to be shared with any platform
• Direct support for TrueType, Type 1 and OpenType fonts, and an intuitive and flexible interface for managing fonts and groups of fonts
• More than $1,000 of the best fonts available today, including Baskerville, Herman Zapf’s Zapfino, Futura, and Optima; as well as the highest-quality Japanese fonts available, in the largest character set ever on a personal computer
• iTools integration into Mac OS X, for direct access to iDisk free Internet storage in the Finder and Open/Save dialog boxes, and free IMAP mail for Mac.com email accounts
• Built in support for popular HP, Canon, and Epson printers
• Easy to administer multi-user environment, with access privileges to keep documents secure
• Powerful web development tools and technologies such as WebDAV, XML, Apache and QuickTime
• BSD UNIX services including popular shells, Perl and FTP
• Support for symmetric multi-processing, so that on dual-processor Power Mac G4 systems, both processors are used automatically to deliver up to twice the productivity
• File system and network security including support for Kerberos
• Support for Java 2 Standard Edition built directly into Mac OS X, giving customers access to cross platform applications
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Otto Matic 3.1.2 - Rocket ship game (free for limited time).. (Free)
Otto Matic 3.1.2 - Rocket ship game (free for limited time).. (Free): Otto Matic... Your rocket ship will take you to each of the planets, starting with Earth. While on each planet you must save as many humans as you can, but be careful because the Brain Aliens will try to abduct the humans before you can save them. When you save humans, they are teleported to your rocket ship. To escape the planet you must also collect rocket fuel. Once The Giant Brain has been defeated and peace restored to the galaxy, you will return to Earth with your human cargo where they will be freed.
Jon Stewart tracks Republican hypocrisy over Libya
Jon Stewart tracks Republican hypocrisy over Libya:
The Daily Show offered its best gotcha-media perspective on Republicans' criticism of Obama's actions in Libya. Just a few weeks ago, prominent GOPers like John McCain and John Bolton insisted that a no-fly zone would be the best action the United States could take in the warring North African nation. When Obama committed to the no-fly zone with U.N. support, the same camp was quick to scold the President for his lack of leadership in gathering support for a no-fly zone.
Ultima III 2.1 - Modern update of a classic fantasy role playing game.. (Shareware)
Ultima III 2.1 - Modern update of a classic fantasy role playing game.. (Shareware): 
Ultima III is a modern Macintosh update of a classic computer fantasy role playing game which helped define the genre. Create a party of four adventurers, slay wandering evil beasts, and talk to townspeople to find out about the evil that has come over the once-peaceful land of Sosaria. Hear the villagers speak to you with speech synthesis, and a beautiful original soundtrack accompanies you on your journeys.
Ultima III inspired dozens (at least!) of knock-offs that used the same concepts. With each Ultima, the bar was raised for the role-playing standard. No matter how the video game industry tries to compensate for a lack of good gameplay in their titles with 3D graphics, digital video, and full DVD installs, they just can't capture the addictive simplicity of role playing pioneers like Ultima III.
Features:
- Smooth full screen operation
- Original music soundtrack and speech
- Automatic combat and healing
- Use standard graphics or select Apple II, Commodore, Mac B&W, Console, and PC variations
- 'Classic' mode for old timers
Version 2.1:
- Improved standard graphics to be smoother, with nice shadows.
- Added Ultima V tileset.
- Fixed numerous minor bugs.
Mac OS X 10.2 or later
Download Now
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Laser Space Telescope Could Test for Vanishing Dimensions
Laser Space Telescope Could Test for Vanishing Dimensions: The universe may have started out with fewer dimensions than the three we live in, and could still collapse down to one dimension at extremely high energies. The idea could solve some of the thorniest problems in particle physics and, unlike more popular models like string theory, can be tested with the next generation of space telescopes.
New Chameleon project helps developers port iOS apps to the Mac
New Chameleon project helps developers port iOS apps to the Mac: The Iconfactory has released its open-source framework Chameleon, which helps developers port their iOS apps to the Mac.
First Look: Firefox 4 Web browser
First Look: Firefox 4 Web browser: 
For years, Firefox has trundled along at the back of the browser pack, a beast of burden laden with fancy features but lacking speed. Not anymore.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.6.7
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.6.7: Apple today released Mac OS X 10.6.7 Update which is recommended for all users...
Sprint dials up Google Voice for all subscribers
Sprint dials up Google Voice for all subscribers: A new deal between Sprint and Google imbues every cell phone in Sprint's service with Google Voice's powers.
Lets subscribers use their Sprint phone number as a Google Voice number to access the service's features. These include transcribed visual voice mail (manage voice messages as you would your e-mail), call forwarding (calls ring through on your cell phone, home phone, office phone, Gmail inbox, and so on), custom voice mail greetings, and competitive international calling rates.
To turn this on, look for your list of phones in your Google Voice account and look for a link next to your mobile number saying “Enable Google Voice on Your Sprint phone.”
Japan's disaster toll rises with 18,000 deaths
Japan's disaster toll rises with 18,000 deaths: The toll of Japan's triple disaster came into clearer focus Monday after police estimates showed more than 18,000 people died, the World Bank said rebuilding may cost $235 billion and more cases of radiation-tainted vegetables and tap water turned up.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
AT&T To Buy T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion
AT&T To Buy T-Mobile USA for $39 Billion: AT&T said on Sunday it would buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion, creating the largest wireless company in the United States from what were the nation’s second and fourth providers.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
What happens when computers stop shrinking? - Computers - Salon.com
What happens when computers stop shrinking? - Computers - Salon.com: Today, your cell phone has more computer power than all of NASA back in 1969, when it placed two astronauts on the moon. Video games, which consume enormous amounts of computer power to simulate 3-D situations, use more computer power than mainframe computers of the previous decade. The Sony PlayStation of today, which costs $300, has the power of a military supercomputer of 1997, which cost millions of dollars.
As novelist Max Frisch once said, "Technology [is] the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it."
Inside your laptop there is a chip whose transistors can be seen only under a microscope. These incredibly tiny transistors are created the same way that designs on T-shirts are made.
ICANN Approves .XXX Red-Light District For The Internet
ICANN Approves .XXX Red-Light District For The Internet: ICANN has given the .XXX top-level domain (TLD) its final seal of approval. The TLD is meant to give pornographic websites a clearly marked home on the Internet, but it has gone through so many ups and downs over the last 11 years that it’s almost a shock that it has finally gone through.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Red-light district for the Net gets green light
Red-light district for the Net gets green light: You've heard of ".com" and ".org." Joining them soon will be ".xxx" for pornographic websites.
First Photo of Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman - Comic Book Resources
What, then, would star Adrianne Palicki wear in the NBC show?
The answer came this afternoon, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, and it's a cross between the classic costume and the hotly debated redesign created by Jim Lee and introduced in "Wonder Woman" #600. Gone are the star-spangled shorts, replaced by long pants. But also absent are the choker and jacket from Lee's design.
I like it.
Kinect scrubs in to help surgeons operate
Kinect scrubs in to help surgeons operate: Instead of relying on assistants, doctors simply wave their hands and the Kinect translates the movements to zoom scanners in and out, giving them a clearer view of what's happening.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Make-believe billionaire candidate Donald Trump is a birther now
Make-believe billionaire candidate Donald Trump is a birther now:
Donald Trump, a reality show host and savage parody of post-industrial Great Stagnation-era capitalism, is pretending to run for president, as a sort of performance art piece mocking the contemporary fad among elites of celebrating plutocrat billionaires as our wise superiors and pretending their vanity campaigns for elected office are some sort of charitable selfless "public service."
Mac Gems: TextWrangler 3.5.3
Mac Gems: TextWrangler 3.5.3: 
TextWrangler is an excellent text editor for anyone who needs to work with large amounts of text, text in large numbers of files, or both. It makes manipulating text a breeze, and its price just can’t be beat.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
After the Quake
After the Quake: The Japanese stock market in 1995 and 2011. It's not over yet. Remember that earthquakes, both physical and financial, are measured on a logarithmic scale. Meanwhile, this might be a good time to re-read After the Quake by Haruki Murakami.
iPad 2 Is the “Holy Grail” of Computing
iPad 2 Is the “Holy Grail” of Computing: Computerworld reviewer Michael deAgonia writes, “Despite the arrival of other tablets, the iPad 2 remains the best available.” He praises its “beautifully sleek unibody design,” speed (“everything feels faster”), long battery life, and “silky smooth” iOS 4.3. Having used iPad for a year, deAgonia calls it “the Holy Grail of computing” and argues that it “may really be the closest thing to a perfect computer.” He concludes: “If you need or want a tablet, get an iPad 2.”
Stunning story revealed in latest Netflix movie stats
Stunning story revealed in latest Netflix movie stats: New study underscores stunning emergence of Netflix as a dominant supplier of digital movies.
Rachel Maddow delivers another tutorial on Japan's nuclear crisis
Rachel Maddow delivers another tutorial on Japan's nuclear crisis:
The situation continues to worsen at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant. That in mind, Rachel Maddow dedicated her second segment in four days to articulating exactly what is at stake in northeastern Japan, illuminating in lay terms, the physics at work in a failing nuclear reactor. She also brought on David Lochbaum, director of the Nuclear Safety Project for the Union of Concerned Scientists, to explain the consequences of the blasts that have rocked the power plant in recent days.
Internet Explorer 9 Arrives With More Speed, Better Web Standards Support
Internet Explorer 9 Arrives With More Speed, Better Web Standards Support: Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 9, the first major update for Microsoft’s browser in nearly two years. Internet Explorer 9 is a huge leap forward for the IE line, bringing much-needed web standards support, better performance and hardware acceleration for faster graphics and animations on supported PCs.
Monday, March 14, 2011
My Weekend with the iPad 2 | Ted Landau's User Friendly View | The Mac Observer
My Weekend with the iPad 2 | Ted Landau's User Friendly View | The Mac Observer: My biggest surprise was how fast the line moved once the doors opened. Apple has the procedure down to a science. If there is a better way to handle this, I can’t imagine what it is. An Apple employee had a set of cards, each one representing the specs for an iPad in stock. While waiting in line, you told her what model you wanted and she handed you the appropriate card. When you at last entered the Store, you confronted a line of Apple employees. You were immediately paired with the employee at the front of the line, who then led you to the back of the Store to get the iPad model on your card. If you wanted any accessories, he’d assist you with that as well. When you were done, he’d pull out an iPhone with a credit card reader attached (it looks slightly bulkier than one of those iPhone cases with a built-in battery pack). You paid on the spot — and were on your way. I was out of the Store by 5:20.
The power of lonely - The Boston Globe
The power of lonely - The Boston Globe: But an emerging body of research is suggesting that spending time alone, if done right, can be good for us — that certain tasks and thought processes are best carried out without anyone else around, and that even the most socially motivated among us should regularly be taking time to ourselves if we want to have fully developed personalities, and be capable of focus and creative thinking. There is even research to suggest that blocking off enough alone time is an important component of a well-functioning social life — that if we want to get the most out of the time we spend with people, we should make sure we’re spending enough of it away from them. Just as regular exercise and healthy eating make our minds and bodies work better, solitude experts say, so can being alone.
Hollywood tale for replacing DVD a cliffhanger | Media Maverick - CNET News
Hollywood tale for replacing DVD a cliffhanger | Media Maverick - CNET News: UltraViolet (UV) is the name of new technology standards expected to debut this summer that Hollywood hopes will help reignite the public's interest in collecting movies and cauterize the bleeding in their home-video divisions. The consortium that created UV includes all the big film studios--with the exception of Disney--and numerous movie-sector allies, such as Microsoft, Nokia, Sony, Comcast and Netflix, said in January that the technology will ensure consumers will be able to play their movies and TV shows on a wide range of devices and services.
At the core of UV's offer to consumers is the ability to store films on a service provider's servers, or what is commonly referred to as the cloud. One new feature being discussed at UV calls for asking users to load their DVDs into their computers so UV can scan them and verify they possess the movies, according to film industry insiders who spoke with CNET. After verification, UV would place a copy of the film in the person's digital locker.
Twitter Was Born 5 Years Ago Today, @Jack Tweets the Story
Twitter Was Born 5 Years Ago Today, @Jack Tweets the Story: It was a year later that I joined Twitter, personally. It was still small but very hyped up among San Francisco tech lovers. I thought it sounded like a waste of time, but signed up to try and catch some news at South by Southwest. Four years later, Twitter has changed my life dramatically. Thanks Jack and team for taking that leap. I look forward to reading Jack's tweets about Twitter history over the next few weeks.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Japan races to avert multiple nuclear meltdowns
Japan races to avert multiple nuclear meltdowns: Japan's nuclear crisis intensified Sunday as authorities raced to combat the threat of multiple reactor meltdowns and more than 170,000 people evacuated the quake- and tsunami-savaged northeastern coast where fears spread over possible radioactive contamination.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Japan earthquake science: Japan earthquake shifted Earth on its axis - latimes.com
Japan earthquake science: Japan earthquake shifted Earth on its axis - latimes.com: Already, just over 36 hours after the quake, data-crunchers had determined that the temblor's force moved parts of eastern Japan as much as 12 feet closer to North America, scientists said — and that Japan has shifted downward about two feet.
'Fringe': Save this show! A guide (and a plea) for new fans. | Ken Tucker's TV | EW.com
'Fringe': Save this show! A guide (and a plea) for new fans. | Ken Tucker's TV | EW.com: The bonds of family, the ecstasy of romance, the exhilaration of intellectual inquiry, and a secret government agency working to protect you from all kinds of crazy, weird stuff. If I told you there was a TV series featuring all of that, plus great acting and superb action sequences, wouldn’t you want to watch that?
Sure you would. And people who are watching Fringe now know it’s doing something rare. It’s a TV show working on all levels, characters with which anyone can identify, imaginative scripts, crackling dialogue, and a positive message (boiled-down: All you need is love). It’s the kind of show that, every time you finish watching the latest installment, you want to see its next episode right now.
First Look Video: Mac OS X Lion
First Look Video: Mac OS X Lion: We checked out a prerelease version of Mac OS X Lion, coming this summer from Apple, and we like what we've seen. Check out some of the new features in this First Look at Mac OS X Lion.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Quake brings modern Tokyo to a standstill
Quake brings modern Tokyo to a standstill: Japan's huge earthquake brought super-modern Tokyo to a standstill Friday, paralyzing trains that normally run like clockwork and stranding hordes of commuters carrying mobile phones rendered largely useless by widespread outages.
Major tsunami in northern Japan after 8.9 quake
Major tsunami in northern Japan after 8.9 quake: Japan was struck by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake off its northeastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that washed away cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicenter. There were reports of injuries in Tokyo.
7.9 magnitude quake hits Japan
7.9 magnitude quake hits Japan: Japanese television has shown major tsunami damage in northern Japan on Friday, following a magnitude-7.9 earthquake.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The case for the dollar coin
The case for the dollar coin: In an effort to cut costs, the Government Accountability Office recently suggested that the federal government eliminate the one dollar bill. According to a report released last week, using a dollar coin instead could save up to $5.5 billion over the next 30 years. Here’s the argument in favor of the switch:
March 10, 1876: 'Mr. Watson, Come Here ... '
March 10, 1876: 'Mr. Watson, Come Here ... ': A Boston lab assistant has the dubious distinction of being the first worker ever summoned to his boss' office on the phone. Read all about it.
Clark: An unbelievable evening, even for the most casual of observers - Oregon Daily Emerald - Sports
Clark: An unbelievable evening, even for the most casual of observers - Oregon Daily Emerald - Sports: Phil Knight and Co. presented the 12,220 spectators in attendance with one of the greatest shows, albeit a light-hearted one, that anyone could have dreamed of. Knight pulled four of the biggest names in tennis to Eugene just days — actually one day — before the fifth-largest tournament on the ATP tour was set to begin in Indian Wells, Calif.
And for the most part, the quartet of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka seemed to enjoy their brief stay in our rainy little college town. Each of them spoke to the energy of the crowd, the astonishing venue, and above all else, put on a pretty awe-inspiring performance.
Mossberg reviews Apple iPad 2: Moves the goal posts; lighter, thinner, more powerful – MacDailyNews - Welcome Home
Mossberg reviews Apple iPad 2: Moves the goal posts; lighter, thinner, more powerful – MacDailyNews - Welcome Home: Mossberg reports, “The iPad 2 moves the goal posts, by being slimmer and lighter, boosting speed and power, and holding its price advantages, available apps and battery life. As of now, I can comfortably recommend it as the best tablet for average consumers.”
Mozilla releases Firefox 4.0 release candidate | Browsers & Add-Ons | Macworld
Mozilla releases Firefox 4.0 release candidate | Browsers & Add-Ons | Macworld: The user interface has been completely revamped and streamlined, with the menu bar condensed under a single button. The JavaScript Engine has been overhauled for speedier performance. The Add-ons Manager has been upgraded to a full-page interface.
Tab management has also taken a great leap forward. Users can bundle sets of tabs into different groups, under a feature called Panorama. They can add small permanent tabs to the top of the browser, for those pages and applications they continually keep open.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
NPR caves to O'Keefe -- and we all lose
NPR caves to O'Keefe -- and we all lose:
There is much more to say, but I'm angry, and I want to say this quickly: We're all on notice now. Keep your eyes open and your ears cocked. Public life is becoming a maze of entrapments, and the press is enabling the deceit.
Apple TV Update Adds MLB.tv and NBA League Pass Streaming Video Subscriptions - Mac Rumors
Apple TV Update Adds MLB.tv and NBA League Pass Streaming Video Subscriptions - Mac Rumors: As noted by Business Insider, Major League Baseball has announced that live and archived streams of baseball games are now available through the Apple TV. The new services are available through a software update released today as part of the iOS 4.3 rollout.
Enjoy select Spring Training games and a full slate of regular season games on Apple TV.
Regular Season features include:
- HD Quality (where available)
- LIVE and archived games
- Home and away broadcasts*
- Quick navigation to run scoring plays or a particular at bat
The service requires a subscription to MLB.tv, which is available in packages costing $19.99 per month ($99.99 per year) or $24.99 per month ($119.99 per year).
The update also adds access to the National Basketball Association's League Pass feature, providing free access to scores and stats while also offering the option to upgrade to receive live and archived video feeds of games. Video pricing is set at $64.95 for access to watching games for up to seven teams througout the season, or $99.95 for access to all teams' games.
Other improvements include Dolby 5.1 sound for Netflix streaming, a redesigned onscreen keyboard, and new photo slideshow transition options.
Apple Releases Xcode 4 to Developers, Coming Soon to Mac App Store for $4.99 [Update: Now Available]
Apple Releases Xcode 4 to Developers, Coming Soon to Mac App Store for $4.99 [Update: Now Available]:
Apple today updated its Xcode information page to note that Xcode 4 is now officially available free of charge for all registered members of the company's iOS and Mac Developer Programs. Interestingly, it appears that non-members will have t...
Francis Fukuyama on Why Analog Is Often Better Than Digital - WSJ.com
Francis Fukuyama on Why Analog Is Often Better Than Digital - WSJ.com: On Dec. 30, Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, Kan., stopped processing Kodachrome film and the world passed an important if little-heralded milestone: the end of Kodachrome, a beautifully saturated color transparency film that was immortalized by Paul Simon in his 1973 song ("Mama don't take my Kodachrome away"). Kodak had long since ceased its manufacture and the lab shutdown was yet another stage in the slow death of chemical, film-based photography.
March 9, 1945: Burning the Heart Out of the Enemy
March 9, 1945: Burning the Heart Out of the Enemy: In the single deadliest air raid of World War II, 330 American B-29s rain incendiary bombs on Tokyo, touching off a firestorm that kills upwards of 100,000 people, burns a quarter of the city to the ground, and leaves a million homeless.
First Spider-Man Comic From 1962 Sells for $1.1 Million -- NEW YORK, March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
First Spider-Man Comic From 1962 Sells for $1.1 Million -- NEW YORK, March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --: NEW YORK, March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can ... but also what no other 1960s comic book can do ... sell for $1,100,000!
ComicConnect.com, one of the industry's leading online auction sites, just sold an extremely rare, highest graded copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, the Marvel comic book by legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, that introduced the world to the web slinging, wall crawling superhero known as Spider-Man, a.k.a. Peter Parker. The sale of this legendary comic is second only to the Guinness World record 8.5 VF+ Action Comics #1, which marks Superman's 1938 debut that was also sold by www.ComicConnect.com last year for a whopping $1,500,000.
Faster Forward - HP to ship all PCs with webOS
Faster Forward - HP to ship all PCs with webOS: Leo Apotheker, the head of Hewlett-Packard Co., said that all of the company's PCs will ship with webOS with the capability to dual-boot the company's operating system with Windows.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Nadal beats Federer in Oregon exhibition (AP)
Nadal beats Federer in Oregon exhibition (AP): Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 7-5 in an exhibition match Tuesday to warm up for the upcoming BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Joining Nadal, the No. 1 player in the world, and Federer, who is No. 2, at the Clash of the Champions were Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, who also played a match at the University of Oregon's new $227 million basketball arena.
The amazing del Toro movie that just got spiked
The amazing del Toro movie that just got spiked:
The New Yorker's news desk ran a melancholy addendum to its Feb. 7 feature about director Guillermo del Toro and his attempts to make a $150 million live-action film of H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness." Apparently Universal refused to greenlight the project due to del Toro's insistence that it be released with an "R" rating rather than a "PG-13."
Study: Women use Facebook to compete for men
Study: Women use Facebook to compete for men: Researchers say that women who base their self-worth on their appearance tend to share more photos on Facebook. Results suggest they do it to compete for attention.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Ten tips for mastering the iPad | Tablets | iOS Central | Macworld
Ten tips for mastering the iPad | Tablets | iOS Central | Macworld: Not to worry—we’ve assembled this list of tips for subduing the iPad’s on-screen keyboard, managing your multitude of apps, searching through the contents of your tablet, and more. Learn these skills, and you’ll soon impress everyone with your iPad-savvy, whether you’ve owned an iPad since day one or if the iPad 2 is your first model.
Hundreds flock to Canyonville for Greatest of the Grape
Hundreds flock to Canyonville for Greatest of the Grape:
Nearly 1,000 people came out to sample some of Douglas County's finest wine this weekend, in the Greatest of the Grape at 7Feathers in Canyonville.
Mission-critical Apple iPads in cockpits may hasten end of era for paper charts
Mission-critical Apple iPads in cockpits may hasten end of era for paper charts: Apple Inc.'s iPad won approval from U.S. regulators to display navigational charts...
Wimbledon finals to be filmed in 3-D (AP)
Wimbledon finals to be filmed in 3-D (AP): Wimbledon is going 3-D. The men's semifinals and men's and women's finals at this summer's tournament will be shown live by 3-D-capable movie theaters around the world. Wimbledon becomes the latest major sporting event to be available in 3-D. The deal was announced Monday as part of the Wimbledon's multiyear partnership with Sony.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
"Saturday Night Live" tees off on Charlie Sheen
"Saturday Night Live" tees off on Charlie Sheen: "Saturday Night Live" made the most of the ongoing Sheen media frenzy in two different segments last night devoted to the sitcom star with "tiger blood" and "adonis DNA." Leading off the night was a sketch in which Charlie Sheen hosts a new talk show, naturally titled, "Duh! Winning!" Guests included notable non-winners such as Lindsay Lohan, Moammar Gadhafi and John Galliano, dressed like a "methed-out musketeer."
Meet Alex Jones, the Talk Radio Host Behind Charlie Sheen's Crazy Rants | Rolling Stone Politics
Meet Alex Jones, the Talk Radio Host Behind Charlie Sheen's Crazy Rants | Rolling Stone Politics: The New World Order's methods are many: manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and — above all — inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria. The endgame, Jones believes, is a mass eugenics operation that will depopulate the planet by poisoning our food and water with fluoride, radioactive isotopes and various futuristic toxic soups being engineered in New World Order laboratories. Those who resist are being tracked by secret, federalized police bunkers known as "fusion centers" that will eventually round up every dissenter and throw them into camps run by the Federal Emergency Management Authority.
By disseminating such theories over the airwaves and online, where followers can get the word out faster than any film distributor, Jones can draw a million viewers within days for a documentary like his The Obama Deception. "In the past, such theories were circulated in booklets, books, public speeches and sermons," says Chip Berlet, who studies conspiracy culture for Political Research Associates, a Boston-based think tank. "Jones reaches more people over the Internet than any conspiracy crank in U.S. history."
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Disposable Woman - NYTimes.com
The Disposable Woman - NYTimes.com: Our inertia is not for lack of evidence. In 1990, he accidentally shot his fiancée at the time, the actress Kelly Preston, in the arm. (The engagement ended soon after.) In 1994 he was sued by a college student who alleged that he struck her in the head after she declined to have sex with him. (The case was settled out of court.) Two years later, a sex film actress, Brittany Ashland, said she had been thrown to the floor of Mr. Sheen’s Los Angeles house during a fight. (He pleaded no contest and paid a fine.)
In 2006, his wife at the time, the actress Denise Richards, filed a restraining order against him, saying Mr. Sheen had shoved and threatened to kill her. In December 2009, Mr. Sheen’s third wife, Brooke Mueller, a real-estate executive, called 911 after Mr. Sheen held a knife to her throat. (He pleaded guilty and was placed on probation.) Last October, another actress in sex films, Capri Anderson, locked herself in a Plaza Hotel bathroom after Mr. Sheen went on a rampage. (Ms. Anderson filed a criminal complaint but no arrest was made.) And on Tuesday, Ms. Mueller requested a temporary restraining order against her former husband, alleging that he had threatened to cut her head off, “put it in a box and send it to your mom.” (The order was granted, and the couple’s twin sons were quickly removed from his home.) “Lies,” Mr. Sheen told People magazine.
"Happythankyoumoreplease": "How I Met Your Mother" star's likable film debut
"Happythankyoumoreplease": "How I Met Your Mother" star's likable film debut:
A genial combination of mid-period Woody Allen romantic neurosis and, say, "He's Just Not That Into You," "Happythankyoumoreplease" marks the writing and directing debut of Josh Radnor, the star of TV's "How I Met Your Mother." It's not an event that will go down in cinema history, exactly, but Radnor offers an entertaining and not especially self-indulgent ensemble comedy about young love in the big city that spotlights an appealing cast of youthful fringe-of-Hollywood talent.
I really like that show.
'Star Wars' 3D coming to theaters in early 2012
'Star Wars' 3D coming to theaters in early 2012: "Star Wars" is heading back to the theaters next year, Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox reveal. "Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace" will be in 3D on February 10.
How to Kill a Recovery - NYTimes.com
How to Kill a Recovery - NYTimes.com: Over the next few weeks, House Republicans will try to blackmail the Obama administration into accepting their proposed spending cuts, using the threat of a government shutdown. They’ll claim that those cuts would be good for America in both the short term and the long term.
But the truth is exactly the reverse: Republicans have managed to come up with spending cuts that would do double duty, both undermining America’s future and threatening to abort a nascent economic recovery.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
“Mind-Blowingly” Fast MacBook Pro
“Mind-Blowingly” Fast MacBook Pro: PC Magazine reviewer Cisco Cheng calls the new 15-inch MacBook Pro “the fastest, most technologically advanced laptop to grace our Lab’s benches.” Highlighting standout features like its “mind-blowingly fast” performance, improved battery life, ultrafast Thunderbolt input/output connection, and new FaceTime HD camera, Cheng calls MacBook Pro a “technological tour de force.”
iPad Lets Scientists Drag, Pinch and Swipe Single Molecules
iPad Lets Scientists Drag, Pinch and Swipe Single Molecules: Using laser beams to control individual molecules is a precise, difficult operation rendered nearly impossible by the limitations of the computer mouse.
The iPad displays the view through the microscope, and wirelessly sends the computer the information on where the user’s fingers are. A user can select up to 11 different objects by tapping them, move them around by dragging them, and use the pinch-zoom feature to move the objects up and down in space.
Theoretically, scientists could be sitting on the couch with an iPad at home moving beads or molecules in the lab.
The toxic seeds of John Galliano's fall - Celebrity - Salon.com
The toxic seeds of John Galliano's fall - Celebrity - Salon.com: "I'm tired of pretending I'm not special anymore." -- Charlie Sheen
It has been a red-letter week for the grand-mal celebrity meltdown.
The Bush administration took an imperialist stance, rooted in delusions of American exceptionalism -- i.e., America decided to view itself as Charlie Sheen. Because of America's tiger blood and Adonis DNA, the U.S. was too special to be understood by any normal country, so we decided to do strafing runs in our underwear before we had our first cup of coffee. Karl Rove's secretive, post-reality, ideological hubris resulted in a credibility gap that the American political system has yet to recover from. Dick Cheney's personal cornered-rat paranoia resulted in policies that ushered in a preemptive war on a sovereign nation -- and ever since, we are a nation that debates the merits of torture and lives in fear. Neoconservative fiscal policies ushered in the fastest, most balls-to-the-wall economic calamities that have ever happened in America. And American life, as a result, took on the morose character of the Bush administration: We became isolated, paranoid and morally bankrupt and ultimately broke -- a dry-drunk nation, in other words, that had totaled its car and lost all daddy's money.
Exploding stars seem to have the same illness shared by oligarchs, plutocrats, dictators, tyrants and serial killers. For the sake of discussion, let's call it Extreme Morbid Elitist Narcissism (X-MEN). It turns people into Superheroes that need to fight their biggest and only deserving enemy: themselves.
There is no comfort in perceiving yourself as being so exceptional as to be utterly divorced from the family of man. The inner poverty of having no common language of human experience -- nobody bigger than you, in your own mind, no equal or superior on earth or in heaven -- is deadly. To think of yourself as glaringly exceptional -- whether you are a designer or an actor or a country -- is to invite the most grievous form of hellish isolation. The super-elite person/class/nation who hates him/her/itself must punish and humiliate itself in the absence of a thunderbolt-hurling Zeus that will do it.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
On his birthday, Dr. Seuss' books top App Store
On his birthday, Dr. Seuss' books top App Store: The celebrated children's book author, who would be 107 today, has 80 percent of the top spots in the books-as-apps category in the Apple App Store.
Apple Launches iPad 2
Apple Launches iPad 2: Apple today introduced iPad 2, featuring an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad while maintaining the same 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen and up to 10 hours of battery life. iPad 2 also features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing-fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras — a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and Photo Booth and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video. iPad 2 is available in black or white, features models that run on AT&T’s and Verizon’s 3G networks, and introduces the innovative iPad 2 Smart Cover in a range of colors. iPad 2 will be available on March 11 in the US through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers.
It's the Inequality, Stupid | Mother Jones
It's the Inequality, Stupid | Mother Jones: Eleven charts that explain everything that's wrong with America.
— By Dave Gilson and Carolyn Perot
The scandal no one talks about: Income inequality
The scandal no one talks about: Income inequality: The March/April issue of Mother Jones magazine has a fascinating account of the growing income gap and staggering economic inequality in America. Bolstered by a selection of illuminating infographics, MJ writer Kevin Drum paints a bleak picture of opportunity in the U.S.:
The top 10 percent of Americans earn nearly three-quarters of all income in the country, leaving the poor with whatever is left.
Roseburg boys and girls roll to victory in bowling championships
Roseburg boys and girls roll to victory in bowling championships:
Over the weekend, the Roseburg High School boys and girls bowling teams competed in the state competitions. Both teams knocked down the competition and rolled to a solid victory.
'Nanoscope' makes live viruses visible for first time
'Nanoscope' makes live viruses visible for first time: High-tech microscope breaks record for tiniest object viewable under normal light. And with no limit on imaging capacity, who knows what life forms may soon be seen?
Apple discounts original iPad to as low as $350
Apple discounts original iPad to as low as $350: With the iPad 2 as the New Hotness, Apple is making room by offering killer deals on its original tablet, selling them new for less than they often go for on Craigslist.
Jobs unveils iPad 2
Jobs unveils iPad 2: Despite being on medical leave, Apple CEO Steve Jobs steps back in the spotlight to show off the 2nd generation of the iPad tablet. Shipping on March 11, the thinner, lighter iPad 2 is also faster, and it comes with two cameras.
iPad 2
Thinner than the newest iPhone.
2X CPU. 9X GPU.
Black & White.
Shipping March 11.
HDMI video output.
Photo Booth. Facetime. iMovie. Garage Band.
http://www.apple.com/ipad
Sex is cheap: Why young men have the upper hand in bed, even when they're failing in life. - By Mark Regnerus - Slate Magazine
Sex is cheap: Why young men have the upper hand in bed, even when they're failing in life. - By Mark Regnerus - Slate Magazine: When attractive women will still bed you, life for young men, even those who are floundering, just isn't so bad. This isn't to say that all men direct the course of their relationships. Plenty don't. But what many young men wish for—access to sex without too many complications or commitments—carries the day. If women were more fully in charge of how their relationships transpired, we'd be seeing, on average, more impressive wooing efforts, longer relationships, fewer premarital sexual partners, shorter cohabitations, and more marrying going on. Instead, according to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (which collects data well into adulthood), none of these things is occurring. Not one. The terms of contemporary sexual relationships favor men and what they want in relationships, not just despite the fact that what they have to offer has diminished, but in part because of it. And it's all thanks to supply and demand.
Startlingly attractive and an all-star in all ways, she patiently endures her boyfriend's hemming and hawing about their future. If she were operating within a collegiate sexual economy that wasn't oversupplied with women, men would compete for her and she would easily secure the long-term commitment she says she wants. Meanwhile, Julia, a 21-year-old from Arizona who's been in a sexual relationship for two years, is frustrated by her boyfriend's wish to "enjoy the moment and not worry about the future." Michelle, a 20-year-old from Colorado, said she is in the same boat: "I had an ex-boyfriend of mine who said that, um, he didn't know if he was ever going to get married because, he said, there's always going to be someone better."
Advice to writers: Skip the scenery
Advice to writers: Skip the scenery: Recently, I was asked to speak to a class of writing students on what critics look for in debut novels. After canvassing my colleagues, I had a few answers -- a distinctive voice, an interesting perspective, strong writing and so on -- but they didn't seem especially helpful. Presumably, every writer already starts out with the most distinctive voice and interesting perspective he or she can conjure. How about telling them what to avoid instead?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Former RealNetworks Execs Want You To “SocialEyes” With Video Chat
Former RealNetworks Execs Want You To “SocialEyes” With Video Chat: Video chat has been tried countless times on the Web and mostly failed, but a new startup called SocialEyes is giving it another shot. Backed by $5.1 million from RealNetworks founder Rob Glaser and Ignition Partners, SocialEyes is a group video chat service that hooks into your Facebook social graph. SocialEyes is Chatroulette + Facebook, with a little bit of the old video Seesmic thrown in. As soon as I logged on this morning, I was invited into a group chat with CEO Rob Williams and marketing VP Joel Andren (those lurkers!), who are preparing to launch the service today at DEMO.
New Statesman - How to write the perfect sentence
New Statesman - How to write the perfect sentence: This little miracle you have performed is called a sentence and we are now in a position to define it: a sentence is a structure of logical relationships. Notice how different this is from the usual definitions such as, "A sentence is built out of the eight parts of speech," or, “A sentence is an independent clause containing a subject and a predicate," or, "A sentence is a complete thought." These definitions seem like declarations out of a fog that they deepen. The words are offered as if they explained everything, but each demands an explanation.
Mac Gems: DropCopy 1.6.8
Mac Gems: DropCopy 1.6.8: If you want an easy way to transfer files across your local network, DropCopy makes it drag-and-drop simple.
Everything You Need to Know About Near Field Communication | Popular Science
Everything You Need to Know About Near Field Communication | Popular Science: Compared to other wireless protocols like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, NFC is exceedingly slow, with a maximum data transfer speed of 0.424 Mbps, less than a quarter that of Bluetooth. But NFC has several key advantages over Bluetooth: It consumes a mere 15 mA of power (practically nothing for today's jumbo smartphone batteries), it has the possibility for greater security (more on that in a bit), and it forgoes the involved "pairing" process of Bluetooth entirely. Bluetooth needs to be configured; NFC is completely effort-free, requiring nothing more than a tap.
DEMO 2011: It's All About Social
DEMO 2011: It's All About Social: Social Eyes, an ambitious app that lists among its competition some big hitters like Skype, is a "social video service that instantly connects you to your friends and groups of people who share your interests." So how does this differ from Skype? Social Eyes is a video and text chatting service that is centered on your existing social graph. You sign in using your Facebook login and it automatically populates your list of contacts according to your Facebook friends that have also signed up.