Wednesday, June 30, 2010

"In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple with veteran engineer Ron Wayne. Ten days later, Wayne signed away his 10% of the company in exchange for $800. Here's what he's up to thirty-four years later, $22 billion poorer."
What your font choice says about you. (Via GMSV.)
"How Wi-Fi Drains Your Cell Phone"
Why Hollywood uses fake "555" phone numbers.

And a related column from the Straight Dope archives. (Via @shlevy.)

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

"Facebook is divorce lawyers' new best friend":
Forgot to de-friend your wife on Facebook while posting vacation shots of your mistress? Her divorce lawyer will be thrilled.

Oversharing on social networks has led to an overabundance of evidence in divorce cases. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers says 81 percent of its members have used or faced evidence plucked from Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites, including YouTube and LinkedIn, over the last five years.

"Oh, I've had some fun ones," said Linda Lea Viken, president-elect of the 1,600-member group. "It's very, very common in my new cases."
"Programmable Matter Takes Shape with Self-Folding Origami Sheets".

I'm sure nothing could possibly go wrong with this technology!
Researchers design more reliable invisibility cloak.
"FAQ: The iPhone 4 antenna flap"

Monday, June 28, 2010

I don't think I'd want to be treated for a brain disorder in this medical office building.
"Italian Scientists Who Failed To Predict Quake Indicted For Manslaughter".

Related story from Nature.
Fixing iPhone4 reception problems with a 1/2-cent strip of electrical tape.

This is, of course, much cheaper than buying Apple's $30 "bumper case".
"Quantum Entanglement Holds DNA Together, Say Physicists"

Sunday, June 27, 2010

"Daily Mail runs iPhone 4 recall story based on fake Steve Jobs tweet".
Two more advances in quantum computing.
Roll-up computers.
"Weird antimatter particles discovered."
Detailed analysis of the iPhone 4 antenna issues.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

"Why having a toddler is like being at a frat party". (Via AM.)

Thursday, June 24, 2010

How to recycle an airplane. (Via GMSV.)
"iPhone 4 Loses Reception When Antenna Band is Touched: Firmware Issue?"
Got an iPhone 4 yet? Hold it carefully by the glass, avoiding the new steel antenna band that runs around the edges. Note the number of signal-strength bars you have. Now, touch the steel band with your other hand, preferably the left and bottom sides together. You will almost certainly see your signal disappear, or drop by three or four bars...
Wall Street Journal: "'I Hate My Room,' The Traveler Tweeted. Ka-Boom! An Upgrade!"
Flowchart of the day: "Is Twitter down during the World Cup?"
Update on the earlier photo of the skydiver watching the rocket launch.

According to a regular GeekPress reader, it's the June 7 liftoff of the Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, not the space shuttle. Thanks for helping to set the record straight!
Off topic: If you're a supporter of free speech rights, then you'll want to check out the new blog from the Institute for Justice, "Congress Shall Make No Law".

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Great moments in set-theory history! (Via @shlevy.)
"Google Voice: A Guide to Getting Started". (Via @bbspot.)
"iPhone 4 Takes You on a Fantastic Voyage Through a Virtual Colon"
"Why engineers don't like Twitter". (Via BBspot.)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Toshiba dual-screen, er... um... tablet? Or e-reader? Or ultra-mobile PC?
Exponential growth in cyberattacks.
"How much do street prostitutes earn?"
"Can brainwaves be detected in lime Jell-O?"

Monday, June 21, 2010

Photo of the day: "Shuttle launch as seen by skydiver". (Via @DianaHsieh.)
Ars Technica has a detailed review of Apple's iOS4.
Best cease-and-desist letter: National Pork Board threatens ThinkGeek for fake unicorn meat ad that calls unicorn "the new white meat".
"Illinois court sets standard for unmasking anonymous commenters"

Sunday, June 20, 2010

The software that keeps Facebook running.
"Depressed student goes off his meds, attacks some Hell's Angels with a puppy, and then escapes on a stolen bulldozer. Both student and puppy are safe in custody." No, really.

(Reuters link and German news.)
How a rare voice recording of Thomas Edison was recovered with modern technology:
There are other nuggets among the recordings, such as a portion of a high school basketball game believed to be the second oldest surviving sports broadcast and the earliest known recording of the famous NBC chimes.

In one of the recordings, Edison spoke about the creation of the incandescent light bulb on its 50th anniversary.
(Via Howard Roerig.)
Video of the day: Star Trek (TOS)/Kesha "Tik Tok" mashup. Excellent visuals.



For those who are interested, here's the original.

(Via Donald Heath.)

Thursday, June 17, 2010

"Chatroulette Plans P*n*s-Recognition Algorithm to Block Pervy Users". (Via Instapundit.)
"iPhone 4 Has More RAM Than iPad"
"The genius of Facebook & Twitter: reply-optional"
Poor font choice. (Via @bbspot.)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Get ready for more Twitter "fail whale".

Twitter is saying they can't handle the traffic related to the World Cup.
Dating website to match up Apple fanboys/fangirls.
Using subtle power line fluctuations to date voice recordings and detect covert editing. (Via Bruce Schneier and @Qwertzo.)
Visualizing insect flight with smoke and mesh.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Has the cyberwar threat been grossly exaggerated? (Via @laforgetm.)
"Why Starbucks is smart to offer free internet access".

On the other hand, Jeff Bertolucci of PC World thinks it will just attract WiFi squatters.
"Self-balancing wheel: the end of training wheels". (Via @keithie.)
Tesla update.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Tweet of the day:
@mwickens These guys need a new acronym if they want to be taken seriously. http://bit.ly/9AY4JI
"Human Genome Project; Flat Part of the Exponential Curve; Unstable Equilibrium".
Can devices be powered using ambient radiation from existing broadcasts?
"The Lost Prestige of Nuclear Physics". (Via SciTechDaily.)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

"Shanghai: 1990 Vs. 2010".
Twittiquette lesson of the day: MT vs. RT vs. PRT vs. "via".

No, I don't make this stuff up. (Via @LyndsiM.)
Larry Niven's Ringworld visualized. (Via @bbspot.)
"The Little Feature That Led to AT&T's iPad Security Breach"
Self-healing metal.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

"Is This the Craziest Bridge Ever Designed?":



From the post:
It's a clever solution to a very real and obvious problem, however.

The bridge is part of a proposal by NL Architects to connect Hong Kong with mainland China. To do that, they had to solve a problem: In Hong Kong, people drive on the left side of the road. In mainland China, they drive on the right side. Here's the solution: A road flipper that physically twists the roads over each other.
More information here. (Via @foodphilosophy.)
Video of the day: "BP Spills Coffee"



(Via Diana.)

Update: Kendall at The Crucible explains why the video is not funny.
18 hacked digital road signs. (Via A.M.)
Nine puzzles of space and time.
Off topic: PajamasMedia has just published my latest OpEd, "Free Speech: Use It or Lose It".

Update: Thank you, Instapundit!

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

How Android, Chrome, and the iPad are shielding us from malware.
Crazy military experiments.
"AT&T Learns Exactly The Wrong Thing About Data Usage"
"How not to be a Twitter dork". (Via @LyndsiM.)

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

What secret technology is DARPA hiding from us?
The Shortest Theoretically Possible Game of Monopoly: Two Turns. (Via BBspot.)
Why experienced car thieves like The Club.
More from Rand Simberg at AOL News: "SpaceX Launch Shows Promise of Private Space Travel".

Monday, June 07, 2010

How to spot a CIA officer.
Massively inappropriate magazine cover of the day.
Wrong and right ways to carry your man-bag. (Via @mwickens.)
Rand Simberg: "One Giant Leap For Commercial Space".

Sunday, June 06, 2010

How to open a bottle of wine with your shoe. (Via @RadleyBalko.)
What AT&T's Limited Data Plans Mean for You"
Crocs sandals save boy from severe electrical shock.
"15 Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek". (Via Cool Infographics.)

Friday, June 04, 2010

Today's Darwin Award nominee: A few days ago, I read a chest x-ray from an ER patient who was a 62-year old man with severe emphysema, requiring him to use an oxygen tank to breathe:



(You can click on the image to see it full size).

Thursday, June 03, 2010

Japanese surgeons use iPad during operation. Includes video. (Via @AriArmstrong.)
Nanofluidic cooling.
"How iTunes Genius Really Works"

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

I, for one, welcome our replicating robot overlords!
Scientific basis behind acupuncture? And a related article. (Via @Vix27.)
The Hobbit movie is apparently delayed because of problems at MGM studio corporate level. Plus director Guillermo del Toro has reportedly quit over this issue.

The same problems are also delaying the production of the next James Bond film. (Via BBspot.)
The state of the "net neutrality" fight. (Via Jon Henke.)

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Real-life hoverboard? (Via BBspot.)
Obsolete occupations.
"FCC asked to monitor 'hate speech', 'misinformation' online." (Via @JonHenke.)
How bloggers duel.
Off topic: The May 31, 2010 PajamasMedia has just published my latest OpEd, "Beware Dr. Galbraith's Snake Oil".

My theme is that even in the face of the Greek situation, some economists continue to argue that deficits don't matter.