After having already banned Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the Chinese government has now decided to outlaw Skype, as well. The move, announced in the People’s Daily, means that all Internet phone services will now be considered illegal within the country, except for those offered by two state-operated telecom companies — China Unicom and China Telecom…
When I think of Sears, or Kmart, a lot of products come to mind: discounted clothing, inexpensive tools, televisions, bicycles and apple pie. But one thing that doesn’t pop into my head is online movie rentals.
Sears hope that will all change soon with the start of a new online video rental service called Alphaline Entertainment that is powered by RoxioNow, an online video streaming service owned by Sonic Solutions…
We all own many different cool gadgets and items that are important to us either for the utility they provide or perhaps because of an intimate or personal reason. Whatever the reason is, we really hate it when someone comes and touches our personal belongings and worst yet…steals them.
In order to avoid such mishaps and unfortunate events, we have gathered here a great collection of different Anti Theft Gadgets and Bizarre Designs that are meant to help individuals make their devices and belongings less attractive, appealing or desired to a normal bystander.
The following aren’t guaranteed to deter thieves or work colleagues from getting at your gadgets but are meant as additional things to make them think a second time before getting at your personal stuff…
As you’re no doubt aware, some of the precious metals used in consumer electronics — like palladium — can be both pricey and hard to come by, which has prompted some to harvest the materials from old electronics and reuse them, while others have been busily working on more readily available alternatives. Among that latter group are a team of researchers from Japan’s Kyoto University, who have just announced that they’ve managed to create a palladium-like alloy using what’s being described as “present-day alchemy.” More specifically, they used nanotechnology to combine (and “nebulise”) rhodium and silver, which don’t ordinarily mix, into the new composite, which they say could eventually replace the real thing in a whole range of electronics and other products…
In 2010, consumers spent an average of 4 hours and 24 minutes each day watching TV and video, while being online for 2 hours and 35 minutes.
There are only so many hours per day that consumers can spend watching TV, reading newspapers and surfing the internet. But as marketers may suspect, the time devoted to media is undergoing some not-so-subtle changes.
Continue reading… “Trends in the Time Consumers Spend with Media”
Having cured cancer and other serious ailments, a team of Japanese scientists from the University of Osaka turned to the next most vexing scientific problem facing the world today, the lack of singing mice, and licked that problem too. No seriously. Singing mouse.
A team of researchers at the University of Osaka created the animal in their “Evolved Mouse Project”, in which they use genetically modified mice that are prone to miscopying DNA and thus to mutations…
Continue reading… “Scientists Created Singing Mouse. No, Seriously.”
Inventor of the Year – Jerome Rifkin, Tensegrity Prosthetics
The DaVinci Institute’s annual Inventors Showcase featured 39 inventors showcasing all manner of creations, from audio-enabled greeting cards to jewelry to roving robots inspecting the show floor.
Continue reading… “Inventors Compete for Distinction at the Annual DaVinci Inventor Showcase”
The Ark
Speaking to the world’s rising sea levels, Russia-based architectural firm Remistudio proposes this arch-shaped floating hotel as a refuge from even extreme floods. Called (quite appropriately) the Ark, the futuristic structure has the ability to exist autonomously on the surface of the water. Designed to be a bioclimatic building, the Ark incorporates several innovative green strategies and elements to ensure that its residents can survive aboard for months at a time. (Pics)
Continue reading… “‘The Ark’ – A Floating Hotel Designed to Withstand Even the Most Extreme Floods”
Roofus
Roofus is a radio-controlled snow plow designed to remove snow from roofs of buildings (thus, the name Roof-us) where it would be particularly risky for a human to do so. Personally, I would like to employ it for my driveway during the winter and sit back with a warm coffee, directing it’s efforts. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Roofus – Radio-controlled Robotic Snow Plow”
If you’re robbing a pizza joint asking for ‘dough’ and pointing to a bag behind the counter, don’t look surprised when you end up with a bag full of pizza ingredients.
Most lawbreakers aren’t exactly geniuses, but these troublemakers cross the line between foolishness and downright ineptitude…
Continue reading… “12 Tips From The Stupidest Criminals Of 2010”
“I don’t have a solution but I certainly admire the problem”
“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” – – Douglas Adam
A 3D image replica of a 28,000-year-old skull found in France shows it was 20 per cent larger than ours.
It’s not something we’d like to admit, but it seems the human race may actually be becoming increasingly dumb. Man’s brain has been gradually shrinking over the last 20,000 years, according to a new report.
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.