December 2011
75 posts
2 tags
Find All the Hackintosh-Compatible Parts You Need...
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
We’ve looked at how to find the right parts for a hackintosh on your own, but now hackintosh expert tonymacx86 has posted a comprehensive list of builds and parts for creating Intel-based machines of all kinds. It includes a quite a few sample builds as well as a very helpful, long list of compatible graphics...
2 tags
Jaybird Freedom Bluetooth headset review: Great...
[shared via Google Reader from Mobile]
Finding good Bluetooth headphones is a pain, and even big names with strong reputations in audio don’t always come through for this category. But niche headphone maker Jaybird has done a terrific job with its Freedom headset, which is most at home in the gym, where we might all be spending a lot of time in a couple of weeks working off turkey dinners and...
2 tags
Prejudice comes from a basic human need and way of...
[shared via Google Reader from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News]
Where does prejudice come from? Not from ideology, say the authors of a new article. Instead, prejudice stems from a deeper psychological need, associated with a particular way of thinking. People who aren’t comfortable with ambiguity and want to make quick and firm decisions are also prone to making generalizations about...
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This Lens Is Bigger Than Any Camera Lens Ever...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
The Canon 5200mm super telephoto lens may be the world’s largest camera lens, but it’s no match for lenses the size of an entire galaxy, so massive that they deform the light of objects behind them. They’re called gravitational lenses. More »
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Floating Fireplace Produces No Smoke, Requires No...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
The problem with real fireplaces is they’re usually impractically far from a couch to be used for anything other than heat. However, without the need for a chimney, this ethanol powered flame can be dragged wherever your marshmallows need toasting. More »
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The Stupid Things You Do When Dating (and How to...
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
Our emotions and hormones are powerful forces that can make us do things that may feel right but are not actually in our best interest. On a regular basis you may think you’re attracted to someone when you’re not, make yourself uglier when you’re trying to look good, and generally cause...
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Scientists create first solar cell with over 100...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Researchers over at the National Renewable Energy Lab have reportedly made the first solar cell with an external quantum efficiency over 100 percent. Quantum efficiency relates to the number of electrons-per-second flowing in a solar cell circuit, divided by the number of photons from the energy entering. The NREL team recorded an efficiency topping out...
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Brain-Eating Amoeba In Tap Water Kills Two In...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has issued a weird warning: if you have to irrigate your sinuses with water for some medical reason, don’t use tap water. The reason: your brains may get eaten by the Naegleria fowleri. More »
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Ho-ho-hold the phone: Santa’s on the line
[shared via Google Reader from The Official Google Blog]
Last year, Santa got his very own Google Voice number, and people around the U.S. received a special personalized holiday phone call from Santa Claus.
This year, Santa wants you to reach out to him (after all, reindeer are only so-so conversationalists). If you or your family members have a special request for Santa, you can call him...
2 tags
Dabble in Doodle history on our new site
[shared via Google Reader from The Official Google Blog]
Have you ever seen a doodle you loved, but when you went to see it again it was gone? Ever curious about what doodles in Italy look like, or how your favorite holiday has been celebrated each year? Or wanted to get a behind-the-scenes scoop on the recent Les Paul doodle, and maybe share it with your friends on Google+? If you answered “yes”...
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Coming soon: pick airline seatmates via social...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines plans to launch a service in 2012 that will enable you to pick who you sit next to on an airplane by visiting their Facebook or LinkedIn pages. “Meet & Seat” will be an opt-in service (similar to that already toyed with by Malaysia Airlines), so you can still fly anonymously — as anonymous as air travel...
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PocketCloud Explore arrives for Android, enables...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
A new product has hit the Android Market and we think you might find it quite nifty. Known as PocketCloud Explore, the app allows users to search for and view files across their PCs and Macs, all without ever needing to surrender data to the cloud. Simple file management is also part of the game, as users can remotely create, rename and delete both...
2 tags
Pastmapper looks to take Google Maps back in time
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
There’s not exactly a ton to see there just yet, but a new website called Pastmapper has some pretty ambitious plans, and it’s off to a fairly decent start. With a little help from the Google Maps API, it’s aiming to provide maps of cities as they were in the past, complete with local business information, accurate streets, and even...
2 tags
Sir Isaac Newton's notes get a digital makeover,...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
It isn’t a rarity for the folks at the University of Cambridge to introduce us to some of their digital findings, and on this occasion they are delivering 4,000 of Newton’s manuscripts right to your virtual door. These gems are part of an abundant collection of over 12,000 handwritten notes and hardcovers that the University holds under...
2 tags
Get 3 Months of Hulu Plus for Free [Deals]
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
Hulu is offering three months of its premium TV streaming service for free for three months. Previously, Hulu offered just two months or one month with Internet Explorer, but now you can try the service for longer, a $24 value. More »
2 tags
Nowbox Turns YouTube Into a TV Guide for Better...
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
iPad: If you’ve ever wanted YouTube to look more like a TV guide, Nowbox is a new app for iPad that pulls your channel subscriptions and lays them out in the same way as cable television. More »
2 tags
The Vending Machine of Tomorrow Will Lure You in...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
There’s the potential for the next generation of touchscreen LCD vending machines to be an all out assault on our senses. So here’s hoping more companies More »
2 tags
Palo Alto Library to loan out Google Chromebooks...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Google has teamed up with the Palo Alto Library to offer its Chromebooks on loan, as part of a pilot program slated to kick off in January. As Wired explains, the Silicon Valley library has long offered laptops for visitors to use, though these devices were only available for two-hour windows, and were forbidden from leaving the premises. A few months...
2 tags
Timeline is Now Available for All Facebook Users...
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
Facebook’s new Timeline feature, which offers a new way to present your Facebook profile to the world, has gone live today, but you’ll have to opt in to get the new features right now. More »
2 tags
Cheap electronic skin edges us closer to cyberpunk...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Researchers working for the Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab have figured out how to create relatively inexpensive “electronic skin” comprising carbon nanotubes enriched with semiconductors. Their process involves an enriched single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) solution embedded in a honeycomb pattern of hexagonal holes to make it...
2 tags
Lumus teases 720p video glasses, takes...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
A new pair of glasses from Lumus won’t help you capture any precious moments, but it will help you get your discreet HBO fix. Unlike most video headgear, these marvels will let you peer past their lens-projected view screens, opening the door to an augmented reality that doesn’t rely on miniature displays. The lenses create an 87-inch...
2 tags
We've Updated Our Android Rooting Guide with New...
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
If you’ve been itching to root your Android phone but have had trouble finding a reliable method, we’ve updated our guide to include new phones, notes for phones that have been updated to Gingerbread, and a completely new method for rooting stubborn Motorola devices. More »
2 tags
Channel Master TV review
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
If you prefer your DVR with no strings attached, your choices are pretty limited these days. You can of course roll your own, but admittedly, that isn’t for everyone. Channel Master does plan to change that, though, as it’s currently accepting pre-orders for its over-the-air DVR with over-the-top features that doesn’t require a...
2 tags
American Airlines adding Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1...
[shared via Google Reader from Android Central - Android Forums, News, and Help]
American Airlines has announced that it has begun rolling out the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to select flights in place of current media devices available in the first-class section. These tablets will come preloaded with more than 70 movies, 30 of which will be new releases and three exclusives from Paramount, all in...
2 tags
You Can Make Free Calls on Gmail Through 2012...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
Google just announced an extension to free domestic calls using Gmail and the Google Voice web app. I’m currently calling every phone in America. So yeah, I’m pretty excited about the news. More »
2 tags
Honda's Self-Balancing Unicycle: A Segway For...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
Comfort and safety are the top features when it comes to buying a new car, so in an attempt to make its U3-X personal mobility device more consumer-friendly, Honda has improved both those aspects in its new Uni-Cub concept. More »
2 tags
Google's new Street View feature provides eerie...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Google has put the devastation of March’s Japanese tsunami in hauntingly stark relief, with the release of a new Street View feature that covers the country’s most ravaged regions. It’s all part of an initiative to “digitally archive” the aftermath of this year’s earthquake and tsunami, with Street View images...
2 tags
xPrintserver offers up wireless printing for iOS...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
So you have your iPad. You also have some highly important contracts that have just landed in your inbox and needed printing 30 minutes ago. There’s no time to faff around with that archaic work PC — what are you going to do? Well, Lantronix think it’s got the answer in xPrintserver. This iPhone-sized box will plug right into your...
2 tags
MIT builds camera that can capture at the speed of...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
A team from the MIT media lab has created a camera with a “shutter speed” of one trillion exposures per second — enabling it to record light itself traveling from one point to another. Using a heavily modified Streak Tube (which is normally used to intensify photons into electron streams), the team could snap a single image of a...
2 tags
Microsoft's Beloved Note-Taking Tool OneNote Now...
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
You guys listed OneNote as one of your favorite note taking applications, and today Microsoft finally released an iPad-optimized version of the awesome tool, while adding a tabbed interface, quick note creation, and more. More »
2 tags
Groundbreaking photonic chip could spark Quantum...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Quantum Computers already exist, but not in the “universal” form that would truly revolutionize computing. That’s why the latest innovation from Bristol University has so much promise: a team from its center for Quantum Photonics has built a reprogrammable quantum chip. The 70mm x 3mm box is capable of measuring and manipulating...
2 tags
The Money of the Future Will Shine Like Crazy...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
The Blue Morpho butterfly shines such a brilliant blue it almost seems electric. Its secret? Microscopic holes that play with light in an incredible way. And by using nanotechnology, we can replicate those same effects on printed objects, like money. Bling! More »
2 tags
Spherical hexapod robot walks like a crab, dances...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Kåre Halvorsen (aka Zenta) is something of a genius in the robotic arts, as testified by the latest development in his long-running MorpHex project. By adding curved polycarbonate panels to its six feet and upper half, he’s given his creation the ability to curl up into a ball when it gets tired of scuttling. Alas, he hasn’t managed to make...
2 tags
Nine Stubborn Brain Myths That Just Won't Die,...
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
Brain games will make you smarter! The internet is making you dumber! Alcohol is killing your brain cells! The brain is a mystery we’ve been trying to solve for ages, and the desire to unlock its secrets has led to vast amounts of misinformation. Many of these false notions are more widely believed than the...
2 tags
Print Your Own Waterproof Maps on Trash Bags [DIY]
[shared via Google Reader from Lifehacker]
Instructables user hpstoutharrow was sick of storing his hiking maps inside a plastic bag, so he decided to look into ways to print on plastic. He ended up finding a way to print simple maps onto trash bags using an iron and an ink jet printer. More »
2 tags
Toshiba Thrive 7-inch slate officially drops...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Just in time for you to get your holiday shopping wrapped up early, the Toshiba Thrive 7-inch tablet will officially go on sale tomorrow, December 11th. Sneaking in before the early December reports that we’d heard pass, the slate will allow you snag a piece of Honeycomb and a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor for “less than $400.” While...
2 tags
Aldebaran Robotics announces Nao Next Gen humanoid...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Aldebaran Robotics’ Nao robot has already received a few upgrades from both the company itself and other developers, but it now has a proper successor. Aldebaran took the wraps off its new and improved Nao Next Gen robot today, touting features like a 1.6GHz Atom processor and dual HD cameras that promise to allow for better face and object...
2 tags
Windows Defender beta gains 'offline'...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
PC users have been using Windows Defender to free themselves from the bane of viruses, malware and spyware for quite a while, but until now, you’ve needed Microsoft’s OS running for it to do its work. That changes with a new beta, which creates bootable CDs or USB sticks that can run the utility. Those interested can begin by downloading the...
2 tags
Now playing: Faster movie search on Android and...
[shared via Google Reader from Google Mobile Blog]
(Cross-posted on the Inside Search blog) With the December movie season in full swing, we’ve just made it even faster and easier to discover movies, showtimes and theaters, all from your smartphone. Now when you search for [movies] or your favorite theater like [century san francisco] on Google.com from your phone, you’ll see interactive results...
2 tags
HP's webOS joins Android in the land of...
[shared via Google Reader from Android Central - Android Forums, News, and Help]
Android just got a new friend in the open-source playground. HP today announced that the beloved-but-floundering mobile operating system will released to the open-source community. “HP plans to continue to be active in the development and suppport of webOS,” the company said. Like the core Android OS,...
2 tags
Apple just arrived at Grand Central Station, we...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
For many New Yorkers, Grand Central Station is where you go to escape the island — not to leisurely browse aisles of iPhone accessories, or pop in for a Genius Bar appointment. But apparently Apple has a slightly different vision for the city’s transportation hub, opening its fifth NYC store along the main hall’s 23,000 square foot...
2 tags
Here Is the Absolute Saddest Business Card in the...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
John Kneeland does not have an easy job at the moment. John Kneeland is probably nervous about his career every morning. John Kneeland is probably worried about the future right now. John Kneeland works in HP’s maybe-dead WebOS division. More »
2 tags
Smart to unveil tiny For-US electric pickup at...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Do you dig the size and efficiency of the Smart Fortwo, but need something a little more manly than that snub-nosed hatchback? Well, it looks like your prayers will be answered at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Reports have it that will be where the For-US, Smart’s plug-in pickup, will have its official...
2 tags
Google Currents is hot off the press
[shared via Google Reader from Google Mobile Blog]
We strive to give you beautiful and simple ways to experience all the content the web has to offer, such as sharing photos on Google+, watching YouTube videos and discovering books, movies and music from Android Market. Today we’re expanding our content offering with the introduction of Google Currents, a new application for Android devices, iPads...
2 tags
Iran Reveals Captured American Super Drone (And...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
Iran has finally offered proof of its captured RQ-170 Sentinel drone, the top of the line stealth killer. And it looks like it’s in perfect shape. Very bad news for American death from above, and very good news for China. More »
2 tags
Rubber Band Macro Lens Fits Any Smartphone...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
This is simply genius. Since smartphone cameras don’t have lens mounts, attaching a macro or zoom lens usually requires a cumbersome case. But by embedding one in an elastic band, this macro lens can easily be used on any smartphone. More »
2 tags
Kevlar Tether Keeps Your iPhone From Plummeting To...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
Having never dropped my iPhone from a ski lift I consider myself one of the lucky ones, because apparently the problem is so common that Kenu created a kevlar tether to ensure a skier’s phone never falls to its death. More »
2 tags
Eyez 720p video streaming / recording glasses...
[shared via Google Reader from Engadget]
Sure, you may already lead an exciting life, but wouldn’t it be great if you could broadcast those daily escapades — you know, to all of your internet friends? ZionEyez hopes to deliver a method for sharing your point of view — quite literally — in realtime, across the web. The company’s first product, a set of 720p...
2 tags
Inside This Giant Metal Sphere Lives a Miniature...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
So how do you study the Earth’s core and magnetic fields when it’s protected by 1,800 miles of crust? Easy—you just build your own miniature version in a laboratory, using over 28,000 pounds of molten sodium. More »
2 tags
HP's $99 TouchPad Firesale Is Finally Back...
[shared via Google Reader from Gizmodo]
The time’s come, cheapasses: HP’s $99 TouchPad firesale is about to make its triumphant return. Oh my god I’ve waited so long for this. More »