Mapping agency builds all of Great Britain in Minecraft

Mapping agency builds all of Great Britain in Minecraft: British governmental mapping company Ordnance Survey has re-created the entirety of Great Britain in Minecraft using real-world data.

America’s Best Unknown Writer by Jonathan Raban | The New York Review of Books

America’s Best Unknown Writer by Jonathan Raban | The New York Review of Books: Gaddis arrived in New York with a pile of pages that by March 1952 had grown to “almost 100,000 words,” or “just barely more than half finished.” For the winter of 1952–1953 he holed up in a borrowed farmhouse outside Montgomery, New York, emerging in the spring with a completed novel of around 500,000 words. By then, he had also signed a contract with Harcourt, Brace, and collected an advance of $1,000, which enabled him to work full-time on revising his enormous manuscript, and ditch his part-time job with the US Information Service, writing propaganda pieces for the magazine America Illustrated. That winter of hectic composition shows. For all its life, inventiveness, and seriousness of intent, The Recognitions is riddled with clumsy sentences to which an author in less haste would have mailed rejection slips. As Homer may sometimes nod, Gaddis can take disquietingly long naps.

JIM STERANKO Slams AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Premiere

JIM STERANKO Slams AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Premiere: The NICK FURY: AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. writer/artist calls show disorganized and without menace.

"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Dominates Tuesday Ratings

"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Dominates Tuesday Ratings: With 11.9 million viewers and an impressive 4.6 rating, the debut episode of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is the highest-rated TV drama premiere in nearly four years.

Roku channels its efforts into updated hardware, new content options | TechHive

Roku channels its efforts into updated hardware, new content options | TechHive: M-Go customers on Roku will also get two free movie rentals to try out the service. (Note that M-Go is available only in the U.S.)

To show how serious M-Go and Roku are about the partnership, M-Go is getting a dedicated launch button on the new Roku remotes, alongside Netflix, Amazon, and Blockbuster. M-Go tries to distinguish itself from other non-subscription video services (Vudu, iTunes Store, Amazon, and so on) by focusing on features related to personal relevance: custom lists (Cards) for quick access to favorite shows, movies, actors, and directors; the capability to fine-tune recommendations; and even links to other services that offer the content you’re looking for.

Roku unveils trio of new boxes, M-Go integration: Hands-on with restyled $50 Roku LT, $60 Roku 1, and $80 Roku 2 | Digital Media Receivers - CNET Reviews

Roku unveils trio of new boxes, M-Go integration: Hands-on with restyled $50 Roku LT, $60 Roku 1, and $80 Roku 2 | Digital Media Receivers - CNET Reviews: The upside with M-Go is that Roku owners won't need to sign up for any new account, as it works with your Roku account and the credit card that's required during setup. (This fact still irks some Roku buyers.) M-Go will also allow you to link your UltraViolet account, giving you access to any content have stored in your digital locker.
The software update is coming in October to all "current-generation" Roku boxes, which includes the Roku LT, Roku HD, Roku 2 HD, Roku 2 XD, Roku 2 XS, Roku 1, Roku 2, Roku 3 and Roku Streaming Stick.

The 7 best things about iOS 7 | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews

The 7 best things about iOS 7 | iPhone Atlas - CNET Reviews: I decided to round up my favorite parts of iOS 7 that I think are truly useful and stand out from the other changes. Tomorrow, I'll be writing what I think are the 7 worst things about iOS 7, so don't get caught up thinking this is just an iPhone fan-fest.

iOS 7 Tidbits: iMessage Timestamps, App Switching, Spotlight Search, and More

iOS 7 Tidbits: iMessage Timestamps, App Switching, Spotlight Search, and More: Apple released iOS 7 to the public earlier today and while we highlighted a number of the major features in the operating system, there are more than 200 changes in all, including hundreds of minor tweaks and improvements. We’ve gathered up a list of some of the lesser known iOS 7 features below and additional information about iOS 7 can be found in our iOS 7 forum and our post on the iOS 7 release.

CDC Threat Report: 'We Will Soon Be in a Post-Antibiotic Era'

CDC Threat Report: 'We Will Soon Be in a Post-Antibiotic Era': The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just published a first-of-its-kind assessment of the threat the country faces from antibiotic-resistant organisms. The news isn't good.

Google buys Bump for smoother file sharing

Google buys Bump for smoother file sharing: Android, Chrome, and maybe even the iPhone could get a jolt in the file sharing department with Google's acquisition of Bump, which was announced Monday.

How Apple’s unmatched A7 64-bit processor gives iOS plenty of headroom for the future and Apple a distinct competitive advantage

How Apple’s unmatched A7 64-bit processor gives iOS plenty of headroom for the future and Apple a distinct competitive advantage: Bisson writes, “With a virtualisation-ready processor in its new phone, Apple can now start to move iOS in the direction of a hypervisor-controlled sandbox environment… Here the operating system component of a VM is tailored to the application it is hosting – minimising the attack surface of each secure partition. Combined with a fingerprint sensor to identify users, Apple has the tools it needs to deliver biometric access control, allowing devices to support multiple users, with files and apps for one user hidden from another using hardware encryption.”

Google+ snaps Snapseed into Chrome browser | TechHive

Google+ snaps Snapseed into Chrome browser | TechHive: This should come as no surprise. Snapseed, a photo editor created by Nik Software, was long a favorite of mobile snap shooters, and when the company was acquired by Google last year, it was obvious that it had big plans to boost the visibility of this respected product. With the Google+ social network out there as an increasingly popular Facebook rival, it needed some high-powered photographic goodness to go with it.

Roku takes on Google with new Chromecast-like feature | Internet & Media - CNET News

Roku takes on Google with new Chromecast-like feature | Internet & Media - CNET News: The new Roku feature -- known as discovery and launch protocol (DIAL) -- will essentially turn a user's smartphone into a remote control. While Roku's iOS app and its Android app can already do this, the added feature will let users stream video from third-party apps. Chromecast currently does this with Netflix and YouTube. It's unclear what apps will be able to do this for Roku.

The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c: What you need to know | Macworld

The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c: What you need to know | Macworld: here are our answers to some of the most pressing questions about the new smartphones, based on what Apple has told us and our own investigations.

Apple silently sends off Cards for iPhone

Apple silently sends off Cards for iPhone: It looks like you’ve sent your last 100-percent cotton letterpress card. Apple on Tuesday quietly discontinued its iOS-based service for sending photo postcards via good ol’ fashioned snail mail, removing the related iOS app from the App Store.

Should you still have the app installed on your phone, you’ll receive the following message when you attempt to create a new card:

The Cards service is no longer available. You can review your previous purchases in Saved Cards.

Born in 2011, Cards was a relative of the late iCards, which passed away in 2008, and is survived by iPhoto’s card and calendar printing service. Pour one out in memory of the dearly departed app and service—it was taken from us too soon. We can only hope it joins iCards in the hallowed Hallmark halls of heaven.

Apple to release iOS 7 with completely redesigned user interface on September 18

Apple to release iOS 7 with completely redesigned user interface on September 18: Apple today announced iOS 7, featuring a completely redesigned new user interface, will be available starting Wednesday, September 18 to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users as a free software update. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes. In addition, iOS 7 has been engineered with deep technical and design integration with both iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

Apple Announcements Sept. 10, 2013

iOS 7

iOS 7 will be available for free on September 18.

iWork FREE!! iWork apps, iPhoto and iMovie -- all now free. (Only on new devices.)

iPhone 5C

Colors. Made of a hard-coated polycarbonate. Inside it's build with a steel-reinforced structure. Inside it's powered by an A6 chip, with blazing-fast performance and console-level graphics. It has a slightly larger battery than the iPhone 5.

8MP iSight camera, backside illumination, and IR filter. Front side has a new FaceTime HD camera that's even better in low-light, bigger pixels, better backside illumination. Works with FaceTime audio.

iPhone 5C supports more network bands than any phone we've made, more LTE bands than any other phone in the world. Up to 100Mbps download and Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0.

16GB configuration at $99 or 32GB at $199 (with two-year contract).

So, instead of continuing to make the 5 available for $99, this time they're replacing the 5 with a new model at at price.

iPhone 5S

Performance

A brand new system-on-a-chip from Apple: A7. First ever 64-bit smartphone.

The A7 is a 64-bit desktop class architecture, with a modern ARM instruction set that's more efficient, 2x general-purpose registers, 2x floating-point registers, over 1 billion transistors and in the same die size as the A6.

We haven't told you yet that iOS 7 has been re-engineered for 64-bit, as have all the apps that come with your device.

They've updated Xcode to support 64-bit to let developers make 32-bit and 64-bit apps simultaneously. For customers, apps run side-by-side and transparently.

A7 is up to 2x as fast with CPU tasks and graphics tasks.

Typically converting to 64-bit is a lengthy process, but with Apple's tools, one person converted the code in 2 hours.

M7 - Motion coprocessor. Takes advantage of all the sensors and continuously measures the data coming from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass without having to wake up the A7.

iSight Camera

New five-element Apple-designed lens, larger f/2.2 aperture. New sensor with a 15% larger active area. The pixels on this sensor are 1.5 microns in size, larger than iPhone 5 and larger than other smartphones. More light, better picture.

Before you take a picture, iPhone does auto white balance, auto exposure, creating a dynamic local tone map around the image to get better highlights and shadows, autofocus matrix metering for more sharpness, and it actually takes multiple photos, analyzes them in real time for which is the sharpest, and that's what you see.

New flash: the True Tone Flash. Flash in iPhone 5S solves this; two LEDs, one a cooler white one and another a warmer one. Over 1000 unique variations to give you the right color flash for the room or situation you're in.

Auto image stabilization.

New Burst mode. Hold down on the shutter it'll burst a bunch of photos; 10 fps for as long as you hold the shutter.

Slo-Mo. Captures HD video at 720p at 120fps.

Security

Touch ID. It reads your fingerprint at an incredibly detailed level, using a touch ID sensor. 170 microns thin, has 500 ppi resolution, scans sub-epidermal skin layers for a better image; you can teach it about more than one finger, and no matter what orientation, it can tell.

Starts with 16GB at $199; 32GB at $299; and 64GB at $399, all with two-year contract.

The 8GB 4S is staying in the line-up for free.

iPhone 5C pre-orders open on Friday, September 13.

Elvis Costello!

Celtx review: Professional screenwriting software at starving-artist prices

Celtx review: Professional screenwriting software at starving-artist prices: Powerful, cross-platform writing tool Celtx Plus includes most of the features a screenwriter needs at a fraction of Final Draft's price. The free Celtx works neatly for personal screenwriting projects.

SpaceX to build spacecraft parts with motion tech and 3D printers

SpaceX to build spacecraft parts with motion tech and 3D printers: Elon Musk's new endeavor to build rocket ship parts with Leap Motion hand gesture technology, Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets, and 3D laser metal printers makes sci-fi look antiquated.

Plein Air: Bringing art to the outdoors in Roseburg

Plein Air: Bringing art to the outdoors in Roseburg: There were over 50 artists participating in the third annual Plein Air Arts Festival at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center in Roseburg.

In Coos: Colin Farrell orders chowder, fish and chips

In Coos: Colin Farrell orders chowder, fish and chips: Colin Farrell ate dinner at SharkBite's Seafood Café in downtown Coos Bay on Tuesday night.