Techie's Junkyard: September 2012

Sunday 30 September 2012

Why Is the Sky Dark at Night? [Video]

Click here to read Why Is the Sky Dark at Night?

The answer to that question seems easy: Because it's night, duh. But on second thought, you'll remember the sky is actually littered with stars, and even though our sun is pretty close, it seems like a few hundred thousand (Hundred million? Hundred trillion?!) other stars should at least put out a better glow. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/D_XCfvKm8QA/why-is-the-sky-dark-at-night

ELECTRONIC DATA SYSTEMS ELECTRONIC ARTS ECLIPSYS

Sony shuts down PSP Comic Store after October 30th, leaves most of us in the lurch for now

PSP Comic Store, we hardly knew ye. No really, we hardly knew ye -- which is probably why Sony is warning PSP owners that its comic book portal is shutting down after October 30th. Come Hallowe'en, we'll lose the option to download the necessary app or buy additional titles. Any currently owned comics will be available to download again until mid-January, but readers will be on their own to preserve existing libraries after that. Outside of Japan, that creates significant problems for literary PlayStation fans: while PS Vita owners in Sony's home country will get a Manga store and reader in October, there's no equivalent crutch for other countries (or any PSP owners) at this stage. The console maker is non-committal and says there's nothing it can discuss "at the moment," which to us is a hint that we shouldn't plan our reading hours around a PSP or PS Vita in the near future.

[Thanks, Sooraj]

Filed under: Gaming

Sony shuts down PSP Comic Store after October 30th, leaves most of us in the lurch for now originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Sep 2012 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | source

Sony (1), (2) | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/2dA_xal6OJw/

MOODYS MISCROSOFT OFFICE MICROSOFT

Facebook, Twitter Poke Holes in China's Great Firewall

Despite government-imposed bans, Facebook and Twitter have tens of millions of users in China. Facebook use in China has reportedly swelled to 63.5 million people, a roughly eightfold increase over the 7.9 million who used the site two years ago. Twitter, meanwhile, has nearly 36 million users in China.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/23ed5fdf/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C762740Bhtml/story01.htm

VERIFONE HOLDINGS VEECO INSTRUMENTS VARIAN SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATES

18 People Who Already Somehow Broke Their iPhone 5 [Iphone 5]

Click here to read 18 People Who Already Somehow Broke Their iPhone 5

Even though the iPhone 5's aluminum backing removed the odds of shattering the glass by 50%, some people will always be on the wrong side of the odds. These are those people. Those poor, unfortunate, unlucky souls who have already broken their brand new iPhone 5 after only a week. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VHkHlPIEVdY/18-people-who-already-somehow-broke-their-iphone-5

FEI COMPANY FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR INTERNATIONAL FAIR ISAAC

Saturday 29 September 2012

Rutherford-Bohr Model Atom Necklace

As the saying goes, I’ve forgotten more chemistry than most people ever know, but I did earn a degree in chemistry. This necklace from ThinkGeek really appeals to the chemistry geek that still lives inside me. This Rutherford-Bohr Model Atom Necklace has a 16″ sterling chain, and the pendant is made of silver-plated brass with [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/09/29/rutherford-bohr-model-atom-necklace/

RF MICRO DEVICES RED HAT RADISYS

Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser

Back when I was a kid, I used to love crafting ornate puzzle boxes out of Lego. There would be just one way to open the box, by carefully shifting and rotating a bunch of pieces. Well, either that, or breaking the box in frustration.

Interlocked takes that spirit and turns it into a beautiful Flash game. It's a good thing the soundtrack is soothing, because the game itself can get pretty frustrating.

At the start of each level, you're presented with a box built out of blocks in different colors. You can click and drag the mouse to rotate the box any which way. Once you decide you want to shift a part of the box, hit SPACE to switch into "move" mode. You can then click any part of the box and drag it. Of course, you can only move a part as long as nothing is in its way. So it becomes a matter of understanding how the box is built, and what parts you need to move around so you could eventually take the box apart.

It's a tricky, difficult game, but it's a great brain teaser -- and definitely a keeper.

Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/29/interlocked-is-a-three-dimensional-brain-teaser/

YAHOO XILINX WESTERN DIGITAL

Flickr adds to sharing options, now easier to share photos across the Web

It sure is nice to see some new developer action over at Flickr. The relatively slow-moving photo-sharing service has just announced a new sharing update, which consists of several new and easy ways to embed or link to your photos:

Share from Photo page: There's a new sharing option on each and every photo page. When logged off, the button shows only Facebook and Twitter options. But once you log on, you get Tumblr and Blogger too, and can configure other sharing venues as well.
Share non-public content on Facebook: This doesn't sound like a great idea, but you now can share private photos on Facebook if you're so inclined (and if you trust your privacy settings).

That's the gist of the update; it makes it easier to show off your pretty pictures in a plethora of places.

Flickr adds to sharing options, now easier to share photos across the Web originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/flickr-adds-to-sharing-options-now-easier-to-share-photos-acros/

IMS HEALTH IMATION IKON OFFICE SOLUTIONS

What do you think of iOS 6 Maps? [Poll]

So iOS 6 has been out for over a week now, and that means everyone has had a chance to test out the new iOS 6 Maps apps for over a week. So what do you think of it? Is it the best Maps app ever? Is it okay with a few rough edges? Is it bad but you hope it gets better? Or is it a totally mapping disaster?

Back before Apple even announced the new Maps app at WWDC 2012, Rene wrote a post on what to expect in terms of both potential features and problems. And I dare say it's turned out to be pretty accurate. Do you think people were expecting too much? Or do you think Apple failed to deliver too much? Should Apple have done a better job warning users that there might be growing pains?

Apple can make beautiful map tiles and fancy flyover views all they want, but if the core map data isn't accurate, it's a big problem. If it's accurate in some places and terrible in others, that's still a big problem. Especially since Google doesn't seem likely to have a Google Maps app ready for the App Store any time soon, and the Google Maps mobile website is a stop-gap at best.

I know you've got an opinion on this one, so vote up top and tell me how you really feel in the comments!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/7GObFcltLdw/story01.htm

DIEBOLD DELL CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR

Friday 28 September 2012

Netflix updated for iPhone 5, iOS 6

Netflix has updated with iPhone 5 and iOS 6 support, so now you can enjoy your 16:9 content on a fully 16:9 screen as nature and Hollywood intended. There's also a new interface that lets browse titles, tap for information, and double tap to play. It's a good use of the taller/wider screen space, and a good improvement to the Netflix app in general.

Free - Download now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/aK5EJYJ8yf0/story01.htm

ITRON IRON MOUNTAIN INORATED IOMEGA

YouTube Live now streaming select partners in real time

Not content with limiting its dominance in streaming uploaded videos, YouTube is now ready to take on competitors like Justin.TV and Ustream. The new YouTube Live service is being rolled out to select YouTube partners and will enable real-time broadcasting. In its official announcement, Google states that "The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead."

You can check out live broadcasts at http://www.youtube.com/live, where you'll also find a schedule of upcoming episodes from beta partners like Revision3 and Destructoid. You're also able to subscribe to YouTube Live broadcasts -- which will ensure you're notified when a new episode is coming up.

YouTube Live now streaming select partners in real time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/11/youtube-live-now-streaming-select-partners-in-realtime/

WESTERN DIGITAL VOLT INFORMATION SCIENCES VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY

Exagon Motors Furtive-eGT electric supercar eyes-on

There are few things we love more than custom-crafted carbon fiber cars with meaty all-electric powertrains and torque for miles and miles and miles. So, when we wandered by the display for the Furtive-eGT from Exagon Motors and, we couldn't help but stop and throw together a gallery -- despite that company trotting out mildly modified versions of this concept for a few years now. The all-electric supercar weighs just over 3,600 pounds and has dual electric motors, one for each rear wheel, pumping out a combined 402 horsepower. That's good for a 0 - 60 dash in 3.5 seconds and, with its carbon ceramic brakes, it can pull 1.2G while doing a hard stop. Exagon says it could manage up to 225 miles on a charge. When will it ever go into production, and how much will it cost if it does? The company still isn't saying, but if you have to ask...

Gallery: Exagon Furtive-eGT