By Scott Merrill, TechCrunch – November 09, 2009 at 03:00PM
Don’t forget: John and I will be at the Surly Girl Saloon tonight around 6:30 PM. Look at the happy smiles on those faces! That could be you, this time! Feel free to tell us about the cool world-changing projects on which you’re working. We love to meet people working on amazing stuff.
By (author unknown), Core77 – April 01, 2013 at 01:30PM
In my younger years I drove an ambulance, and while I saw a broad range of nastiness, the most consistently horrific things were injuries sustained in automobile accidents. It was the era before airbags became ubiquitous, and there were still plenty of people who refused to wear a seatbelt. A subset of people subscribed to this ridiculous conventional “wisdom” of the time: “If I wear a seatbelt, I could be trapped in a burning or submerged car and die because the belt was locked shut.” There are no statistics that support this as a likely occurrence, either then or now; but pass through any junkyard and you’ll see your share of pre-airbag cars that bear the clear marks of a human head going into the windshield.
I bring this up because of the object pictured here. That’s Gerber’s GDC Hook Knife, a little two-inch device meant to be worn on a keychain, and the blade “can be used to quickly cut yourself out of a piece of clothing, seatbelt or other safety strap.”
My first thought was that it’s an unnecessary device, as that scenario is unlikely—but then I realized this $11 device could have saved a lot of lives. Not by allowing people to cut themselves free from seatbelts, but by assuring people that they could do so, and hopefully encouraging them to strap the goddamn things on in the first place. It’s a strange kind of product design placebo.
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By Alan Henry, Lifehacker – April 01, 2013 at 07:00AM
You know what today is. Today’s the day when Google “launches” new products, ThinkGeek unveils new “products,” and every tech blog has something new and astounding to “report.” Everyone gets to have a little fun, and every site gets to go a little crazy. It’s April Fool’s Day, and here are the pranks around the web worth checking out.
Go Treasure Hunting with Google Maps: Explore 2D hand drawn landmarks! Find hidden treasure chests! Beaware of pirates! Treasure Maps is our Beta Maps technology and has certain system requirements. Your system may not be able to display at higher resolutions than paper print. Take care when unfolding the map to avoid ripping it. (Go to Google Maps, then click “Start Treasure Hunting” in the lower-left corner, or “Treasure” in the upper-right. Some locations have mini maps with treasure marked with an X, and make sure to try Street View!)
Google Nose BETA: The new scentsation in search! Coming to your senses: go beyond type, talk, and touch for a new notation of sensation. Your internet sommelier: expertly curated Knowledge Panels pair images, descriptions, and aromas. Take a whiff: the Google Aromabase – 15M+ scentibytes. Don’t ask, don’t smell: For when you’re wary of your query – SafeSearch included.
YouTube’s Ready to Select a Winner: Thanks for all your great entries. YouTube finally has enough videos to begin selecting a winner. What do you think is the #bestvideo on YouTube? We’ve been thrilled with all of the diverse, creative entries we’ve seen so far, and we can’t wait to begin the process of selecting the best video. We’ll be announcing the winner in 10 years.
Gmail Blue: Gmail launched nine years ago on April 1st, 2004. Since then you’ve been able to use hundreds of new features that push the boundaries of what email can do and make it easier to get things done. Starting today, you’ll get to experience the next big step for Gmail, Gmail Blue. (Introducing Gmail Blue.)
Your Photos +Emotion: Google+ Photos is all about sharing your experiences and emotions with the people you care about. We’re constantly looking for ways to help you create richer, more expressive photographs. Many months of research on how people communicate on the Internet have convinced us that when it comes to expressing yourself, nothing beats the richness and elegance of a few properly placed colons, parentheses, letters and hyphens.
Renovate your house on Street View with Google SCHMICK: Is your house looking a bit tired and shabby? Want to make your narky step-aunt jealous? Trying to keep up with the Joneses but don’t have the money to complete an expensive reno? Now you can give your house a lick of fresh paint for free on Street View with Google SCHMICK (Simple Complete House Makeover Internet Conversion Kit).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcgWRpQP6ds&hd=1 Google Fiber to the Pole: Google Fiber to the Pole provides ubiquitous gigabit connectivity to fiberhoods across Kansas City. This latest innovation in Google Fiber technology enables users to access Google Fiber’s ultra fast gigabit speeds even when they are out and about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M278uLalYTo&hd=1 Levity Algorithm: You know the drill. Dreary two hour meetings you can’t wait to escape. Emails that go on forever without getting to the point. Another invite to a meeting with no clear purpose. Today we’re introducing the Levity Algorithm in Google Apps to help you spice up even the most boring of work days.
Annncng: Twttr: Starting today, we are shifting to a two-tiered service: Everyone can use our basic service, Twttr, but you only get consonants. For five dollars a month, you can use our premium “Twitter” service which also includes vowels. We’re doing this because we believe that by eliminating vowels, we’ll encourage a more efficient and “dense” form of communication.
Hulu: Hulu has a huge update today, including a celebration of the 85th anniversary of the hit children’s show “Itchy and Scratchy,” new episodes of “The Rural Juror,” “Inspector Spacetime” and “Space Teens with Robin Sparkles,” and two exclusive serieses to Hulu, “Ya Herd with Perd” from the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department and the UK’s craziest game show, “Numberwang.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=Tc_iT1bSrJM Scope Bacon: “For breath that sizzles.” Scope Bacon is the newest addition to our line of products. It tastes like bacon, while still killing 99.9% of bad breath germs. And, it keeps your breath minty fresh 5 times longer than brushing alone.
Play-Doh 3D Printer: Why buy things from stores when you can print them yourself? The DIY 3D printer revolution is here, friends, and have we got the entry-level 3D printer for you. It’s the Play-Doh 3D Printer, and it’s loaded with features without a price tag that will set your wallet on fire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OluXGI967xw&hd=1 Adventure Time BMO Interactive Buddy: We want to play video games, especially if they are Adventure Time video games. And there’s only one person(?) we want to play Adventure Time video games with – that that’s BMO! BMO is everyone’s favorite gaming system, whether they know it or not, and now we have to joy to present to you the Adventure Time BMO Interactive Buddy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1G5CqGJVcE&hd=1 Aliens Chestburster-in-a-Can: Just picture it: you’ve been circling a boring sector of space for months on a “routine” USCM patrol mission. The call comes down that in a few days, you’ll be escorting a civilian from some space freighter to planet Acheron. The rest of the crew gets excited, and you know it’s the perfect time to strike. You replace one of the standard USCM Ration Cans with a Aliens Chestburster-in-a-Can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7lGyLQNYZ8&hd=1 Death Star Trench Toss: Everything that has transpired has done so according to our design. We wanted the perfect outdoor game for our BBQ parties this summer, something that would be enjoyable for our non-geek relations while offering the opportunity for cosplay and Jedi jokes. Fortuitously, at a very un-fun family reunion, one of our monkeys stumbled on the perfect idea—and Death Star Trench Toss was born.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=zbzHqVQL4zQ&hd=1 Sony Introduces Animalia Line of Tech Products for Pets: Today, we are stoked to announce the Animalia line of technology products specially designed and created for pets. The introductory line-up includes Sony-branded products targeted at owners with dogs, cats and hamsters, with additional devices and networked services slated for release later this year. Check out this video to learn all about our new K9 4K TV, M3-OW KittyCans, and In-Cage Speakers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=6bSoeKMNBgI&hd=1 Naga Phone Update: When your mouse is your phone, your phone is your PWN. Through a simple firmware update, you can now unlock the ability to transform your Naga into a communications device. Utilize VOIP functionality and even tie into your existing phone # to keep your friends and family as close as your enemies. With the Naga Phone, communication is always in the palm of your hand. You won’t have to dig through your pocket mid-game to answer that important call. And after taking out a couple of n00bs, you can even order take-out.
The Freedom Bay: You probably heard about our recent move to North Korea.
Many of you rightfully bashed us for siding with a dictatorship. We want you to know that we have listened to your critique. So without further due, we hereby announce that we have moved our servers from the evil North Korea to the greatest fuckin nation in the entire world. The United States of America, f**k yeah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9DQq0LPtJQ Get Glossy With The NEW Revision3!: In the wake of G4’s recent rebranding as Esquire, Revision3 was faced with a difficult question: What is the future of media today? We’re happy to announce that the future of media today is here NOW! And it’s magazines! That’s right! Rev3 is rebranding itself as magazines. And not just any magazines… ALL MAGAZINES! Say goodbye to tech reviews, video game analysis and science news. And say hello to the paper cut free online magazine experience!
Lift: v0.1 Goal Tracking by Mail: For the first time ever, we’re offering Goal Tracking by Mail. You can capture your progress toward Lift goals by filling out a simple paper star chart and sending it in to Lift HQ.
Metafilterest: Metafilter, inspired by Pinterest, has changed its homepage so all articles are headlined by images of adorable kittens. Or Vermont. Or ponies, whatever you choose from the drop-down menu on the upper left of the screen. The articles are real, the kittens are just a bonus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=l1Vvyu99GxA&hd=1 Coursera: Underwater Basketweaving: In this course, you will learn to weave beautiful, structurally superior wet-weave baskets in the ancient Aquacamamata style. Underwater basket weaving is a craft that seamlessly merges scientific intellectualism, manual dexterity, and deep spiritual engagement. We look forward to having you with us on this exciting journey into art and anthropology!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=GMQoWInZVvQ&hd=1 The Amazing Nose Light!: The future, is NOW! Hackaday is pushing the boundaries of modern technology and good taste with our latest invention, the Nose light. Never fumble with a flashlight again! Simply engage your nostril lamp and see the world under a new light! Comfy design makes this implant a pleasure to install, and as you can see, removal is super fun!
Did Da Vinci Invent Google Glass?: Leonard Da Vinci, the 15th-century Renaissance man, is credited with envisioning or outright inventing hundreds of modern-day devices; facsimiles of everything from a machine gun to parachutes and even today’s helicopter can be found in his detailed drawings. The schematics and notes he left behind are a treasure trove for researchers, including Dr. Burt Wilde. The University of Illinois researcher says he’s discovered evidence that the first design for something very much like Google Glass was created by the master himself. “The drawing is rudimentary, but the text and notation are unmistakable,” said Wilde in a phone interview.
We’ll update throughout the day with additional pranks as we find them. Let us know which ones are your favorites in the discussions below!
Want to see what was popular in years gone past? Here are some of the best April Fool’s pranks from 2012, 2011, and 2010.
By (author unknown), Groklaw NewsPicks – April 20, 2010 at 01:32PM
[PJ: I’m happy to tell you that the Patent Absurdity movie funded by FSF is now the top story on Patently O, and the comments are quite funny, as patent lawyers try to tell programmers to … well. I’ll let you read it for yourself. But here’s my personal favorite: “You might also ask yourself what good has Linux done? What is new about Linux?
And the model of development was not new by the way. Linus Turval did not innovate anything as far as can see.” Heh heh.
But I would like to commend Dennis Crouch for being willing to at least present the anti-software patents side of the story.] – Patently O
By Adam Flaherty, MAKE – April 20, 2010 at 08:00AM
Taking a picture of a circuit board just got a little easier. Using aftermarket automotive LED headlight rings and a spare lens hood, maker Udi Tirosh has fashioned a DIY macro lighting LED ring. [Thanks, Udi!]
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By Ethan Siegel none@example.com, ScienceBlogs » Highlighted – April 19, 2010 at 09:30PM
If you are caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron.
–Lee Trevino, golfer who actually has been struck by lightning.
Today’s astronomy picture of the day is absolutely gorgeous.
Of course, this is the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, erupting and spewing up volcanic ash. But, of course, the most interesting part of this picture is the lightning, which looks like it both originates and ends in the Volcanic ash itself!
(Image credit for both images above: Marco Fulle, via helicopter.)
First off, I’d like to be concrete about this. The way it looks — that the lightning originates in the volcanic ash — is exactly the way it is! This isn’t some “lucky shot” by a photographer, either. Check out this picture of Eyjafjallajökull from April 17th.
(Image credit: Snaevarr Gudmundsson, through Universe Today.)
Is it just this volcano? Eyjafjallajökull, it turns out, is not remarkable at all for having volcanic lightning. If we look at some other major recent eruptions, we can see volcanic lightning in the ash there as well. Here’s Chile’s Chaitin volcano, from its 2008 eruption.
(Image courtesy of National Geographic.)
And here’s another one: Sakurajima, from its eruption in 1991.
(Image credit: Sakurajima Volcananological Observatory.)
All told, there have been more than 150 different eruptions over the past couple of centuries where volcanic lightning has been recorded. In fact, I’ve managed to dig up some photographs of volcanic lightning from before I was born! Here’s Mount Vesuvius — and the accompanying volcanic lightning — from 1944!
(Courtesy of an old tripod.com website.)
Okay, so now you’re convinced that lightning happens in volcanic ash all the time. Yes, it makes for a spectacular picture, but how do you get this in the first place?
Well, what is lightning? You create a big enough electric potential difference between two places, and you can get all of these excess charges to “jump down” to the lower potential. In air, it takes a voltage of about 33,000 Volts (!) to get a spark to jump even one centimeter! Lightning that goes from a high cloud down to the ground can have a voltage difference in excess of a billion Volts!
You can do this because you can get a huge amount of charge separation. For example, in a big lightning strike, you separate out about 1020 electrons! But ash and rocks — even molten rock — are electrically neutral, right? So how to we get a big voltage from neutral matter?
Thankfully, the ash that comes out is hot enough so that not every particle is neutral: many are positively charged ions and many are negatively charged ions.
If you can make something push the positive ions differently than it pushes the negative ones, you can create a charge separation! If you get enough charges separated, you can make a large enough voltage to give you lightning!
This should be easy, because when you get charged particles moving around, you make electric and magnetic fields, which is exactly the ingredient you need to separate these charges. As long as these fields are here, differently charged ions are doomed to separate away from one another! And as soon as you get a large enough charge accumulated in different parts of the sky, that’s the tipping point, and then you get lightning!
And for those of you who like details with your pretty pictures and explanations, there is some uncertainty as to the exact mechanism that gives you this separation of charge. (Some ideas are here, and some research into the topic is available here.) But this really is lightning from within the volcanic ash! It certainly makes for quite a show, so enjoy it, but enjoy it from a safe distance!
Read the comments on this post…
Also check out the featured ScienceBlog of the week: Eruptions
By Darren Murph, Engadget RSS Feed – April 19, 2010 at 06:44PM
We’d love to say that many have tried, but really, the bona fide docking station market dried up years ago in every sector save for enterprise, and while a few companies have served up “universal” alternatives, none of them were particularly well-designed. Out of nowhere, Henge Docks has emerged in order to provide a solution to your MacBook docking woes, and we’ve got to say — for a first try, the products being offered up here look mighty fine. Designed to work with most modern MacBooks as well as 13/15/17-inch MacBook Pros, these all-white stands hold your machine vertical while providing seamless access to desk-strapped peripherals (a monitor, iPod dock, mouse, heated USB blanket, etc.) It also uses Apple’s own MagSafe adapter, and your optical drive is still flipped out if you need to access it. The 13-inch MBP model is available now for $59.95 to $64.95, while every other flavor is available for pre-order; check out a video after the break if you’re having issues pulling the trigger.
Continue reading Henge Docks: finally, a well designed docking station for Apple’s MacBook line
Henge Docks: finally, a well designed docking station for Apple’s MacBook line originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
By Erez Zukerman, Download Squad – April 19, 2010 at 02:02PM
Filed under: Design, Developer
IOGraph is a Java application that traces your mouse movements while you work. The screenshot above shows about 1:20hrs of my work, during which I took a break (it shows up as the large blob near the middle).
The reason there’s a large blank area on the right side is that I have a dual-monitor setup. I usually use the right-side (secondary) monitor for displaying information, while keeping my main work area on the primary monitor. If you work in one application for hours on end (such as a graphics editor or a work processor), IOGraph can also provide interesting usability data when overlayed on a screenshot of your window (Photoshop, in this case, by the application’s developer).
While the application does perform its main function (and is the only one I know of, in this niche), not all options work. For example, there’s an option called “use desktop for background,” which just didn’t work, no matter how I tried to activate it (while recording, before starting, etc). If you do get it to work, tell me how you did it in the comments (or, of course, if there’s a better app for this).
IOGraph maps your mouse movements on Windows, Mac, and Linux originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Linux – window – Microsoft Windows – Download Squad – Macintosh
By (author unknown), The Big Picture – April 19, 2010 at 12:23PM
By Peter Friedman, Techdirt. – April 19, 2010 at 10:01AM
To prove a point about how few people actually read the “terms and conditions” when making a purchase online, British game retailer GameStation decided to play an April fools joke on its customers, tricking many of them into agreeing to hand over the rights to their soul. GameStation’s current terms require online purchasers of its products to agree to the following:
By placing an order via this Web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. Should We wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul, and any claim you may have on it, within 5 (five) working days of receiving written notification from gamesation.co.uk or one of its duly authorised minions.
The company provided a simple opt-out check-box and inferred from the number of shoppers who didn’t click the box (about 88%) that very little attention is paid to such agreements. The fact that so few people read the contracts they sign is not exactly news, but the troublesome part is that these contracts are generally enforced — although, in this case, GameStation admitted that they would not hold customers to the “immortal soul” clause. Contract law is founded on the notion that we are all free and equal individuals left to our own devices to enter into whatever transactions we wish. Moreover, many believe that any limitations on what individuals can be allowed to agree to (within certain well-accepted limits) are counter to economic wisdom. But when we face up to the fact so few people actually read these agreements, sooner or later we’re likely to have to admit that some limits on what retailers can require in these agreements may make sense.
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