Rants and Raves

You beta watch this Halo: Reach thank you video

2010-05-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

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You beta watch this Halo: Reach thank you video

As a quick, dirty and violent thank you to everyone that participated in the Halo: Reach beta -- and there were a lot of you -- Bungie has released a video montage of some of the greatest and weirdest moments captured by players. Check out the video above for some killer snipes, super sticks and some truly bizarre bugs.

While we're at it, why not share some of your own badass moments in the comments?

You beta watch this Halo: Reach thank you video originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 May 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim O'Connor

SPACE

2010-05-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Very cool post and pictures.

Also - sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'll get right on that.

TomTom strikes back with Darth Vader voice pack (video)

2010-05-06T06:56:00.001-07:00

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TomTom strikes back with Darth Vader voice pack (video)

via Engadget by Vladislav Savov on 5/6/10

We guess TomTom was listening when we said it had to respond to Nokia's Own Voice app for custom turn-by-turn navigation instructions, as the Dutch company has announced a new Darth Vader voice pack. Following in the footsteps of such luminaries as Homer Simpson and Burt Reynolds, the Sith Lord has contributed his vocal stylings to the cause of guiding the lost and confused down the right path. Though it wasn't without hiccups -- check out the video after the break for the recording session -- the pack is now complete and ready for download, provided you have $13 handy to smooth the transaction. Yoda, C3PO and Han Solo packs are set to follow in the coming months. May the farce be with you.

Continue reading TomTom strikes back with Darth Vader voice pack (video)

TomTom strikes back with Darth Vader voice pack (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 03:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marvel vs. Capcom 3 coming spring 2011 to PS3, Xbox 360

2010-04-20T10:44:00.001-07:00

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Marvel vs. Capcom 3 coming spring 2011 to PS3, Xbox 360

Download in HD from Big Download As Arnold Schwarzenegger would say: "It's not a rumah!" Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds is very real, and was unveiled by Capcom last week at its Captivate 2010 event. As you can see in the trailer above, the series is going fully polygonal for round three, with visuals that its publisher says deliver "a 'moving comic' style, blurring the boundaries between 2D and 3D graphics." Save for the fairly mundane cityscape, we'd have to agree that the characters in the video look like an evolution of what Capcom was able to deliver in Street Fighter IV. Also of note: The game is being built using the MT Framework engine, which powers Lost Planet 2.

It's coming to PS3 and Xbox 360 in spring 2011. The producer and "total" director of the game (the trailer credits actually list him as such!) is none other than Ryota Niitsuma, producer of the superb versus series fighter Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. In fact, Niitsuma expressed his enthusiasm for the fighting genre to us back in January of this year. Now we know at least one of the reasons why. As for the cast of characters, the trailer (and artwork in the gallery below) give us clear looks at Ryu, Morrigan, Wolverine, Hulk, Iron Man and ... Resident Evil's Chris Redfield.

We've taken a long hard look at the silhouettes that appear behind the Capcom and Marvel logos are the start of the footage (and, again, in the background of the official art) and have, we think, identified some of the other characters, including Dante, Viewtiful Joe, Chun-Li, Frank West, Captain America, Dr. Doom, Deadpool and Super-Skrull. We know you can figure out the rest, right? There have to be some good ones, as Capcom's VP of strategic planning and bizdev, Christian Svensson, boldly claims we're in store for "the most epic fighting game ever developed."

Gallery: Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Tim O'Connor

The Only Four Chords Needed For Every Pop Song (VIDEO)

2010-04-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

Oh snap!

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The Only Four Chords Needed For Every Pop Song (VIDEO)

via The Huffington Post | Full News Feed by The Huffington Post News Editors on 4/19/10

Australian musical comedy act The Axis Of Awesome (great name, by the by) has brought this to our attention: the same four chords in the same progression has been used for pretty much every pop song ever. Two congratulations are in order here. One for Axis of Awesome for this great live medley. And the other, to pop music who's duped us for years. Very impressive. But mark our words pop music: this ends now. (via The Daily What)

WATCH:

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Pixels by Patrick Jean

2010-04-10T07:02:00.001-07:00

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Pixels by Patrick Jean

Wow, tons of you have just sent this in, and it's appearing everywhere on the internet this morning. And no wonder! Patrick Jean's new film Pixels is a great short film. We've seen the techniques here before, but this execution is ambitious, clever and well-realized. And it's the details that truly make it fun to watch. The Tetris blocks filling in the skyscrapers, Frogger leaping between cabs, and Donkey Kong on the Empire State. I really like the Atari logo appearing on the Death Star building down in lower Manhattan, too. Poor NYC, though. Always the victim of someone's VFX disaster …

One More Production is the company responsible, and they've got a ton of other great work as well.

Credits:

Written, directed by : Patrick Jean

Director of Photograhy : Matias Boucard

SFX by Patrick Jean and guests

Produced by One More Production

Posted on Motionographer

Tim O'Connor

Best sign ever?

2010-03-30T20:11:00.001-07:00

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Best sign ever?

The sign speaks for itself:

Read the comments on this post...

Tim O'Connor

Photo

2010-03-09T07:08:00.001-08:00

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Photo

via i can read on 3/7/10

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Gran Turismo 5 'Nights' trailer is appropriately unlit, pretty

2010-03-08T21:32:00.001-08:00

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Gran Turismo 5 'Nights' trailer is appropriately unlit, pretty

It's been a while since we last saw images from Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 5 -- at least ones that were capable of moving whilst being accompanied by high-octane trance music. Such moving pictures were released earlier today, likely in an attempt to remind us just how pretty the game really is. (Here's a refresher course: It's super pretty.)

You can check out the trailer posted after the jump, but we suggest having some ninjas around when you watch it, because the music will totally make you want to fight some ninjas. More than usual.

Continue reading Gran Turismo 5 'Nights' trailer is appropriately unlit, pretty

Gran Turismo 5 'Nights' trailer is appropriately unlit, pretty originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim O'Connor

It's Not A Parsnip, It's A Carrot Zombie

2010-02-11T06:59:00.001-08:00

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It's Not A Parsnip, It's A Carrot Zombie

Want a print? <--Then click there.

Tim O'Connor

10 fake Simpsons words that belong in the dictionary

2010-02-11T06:56:00.001-08:00

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10 fake Simpsons words that belong in the dictionary

Way back in 2001, Homer Simpson's most popular catchphrase – Doh! – successfully transcended beyond the status of pop culture catchphrase and entered the pantheon of legitimate English word. This momentous occasion was the direct result of the Oxford English Dictionary deciding to include the word in their 2001 edition.

However, doh is just one of many Simpsons neologisms (fake words) that have entered into both American and British mainstream vocabulary. Looking back over the years, one could argue that a number of these fake words also deserve the prestige of sitting alongside "doh" as a proper term in the American lexicon. And if any of those eggheads at Oxford are reading this article, I would like to suggest the following ten words for inclusion in their next dictionary edition:

1 Yoink

Yoink: An exclamation that, when uttered in conjunction with taking an object, immediately transfers ownership from the original owner to the person using the word regardless of previous property rights. (urbandictionary.com)

Yoink is a word that makes stealing even more fun. While this phrase first appeared in a 1960s episode of The Flinstones, The Simpsons did much to bring it into popular use. In the town of Springfield, the phrase is first uttered by Homer in a fourth season episode as he snatches a wad of cash out of Marge's hands. The word has also been used by Snake while purse-snatching, Mr. Burns while swiping a $1,000 bill from Bart and an anonymous person stealing Lenny's diamond tooth.

2 Diddly

Diddly: a filled pause, a non-word which a speaker uses to take up time or space in a sentence, and which are sometimes used for emphasis (http://www.exampleproblems.com/wiki/index.php/List_of_neologisms_on_The_Simpsons)

If "uh" and "um" have a home in the dictionary, then so too does Ned's favorite non-word. Whether used to add alliteration, replace ...

Tim O'Connor

"Photo grandpa" builds mother of all homebrew laser triggers

2010-02-04T15:38:00.001-08:00

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"Photo grandpa" builds mother of all homebrew laser triggers

via MAKE Magazine by Sean Michael Ragan on 2/3/10

A reader who saw Marc's recent post about an Arduino-controlled laser photo trigger wrote in to tell us about the amazing work of Belgian photographer and Flickr user fotoopa (which, we hear, as "foto opa," means something like "photo grandpa" in Dutch). That's him in the picture above, with the awesome homebrew laser-triggered camera rig that he uses to capture amazing pictures of insects in flight and splashing drops of colored water. I'm generally skeptical of film purists, but fotoopa makes the compelling claim that no digital camera has the shutter speed necessary to do this kind of imagery. He claims the Compur #1 shutter used in his 2008 setup has a speed of less than 5 milliseconds. Technical details about his 2009 setup are available here. [Thanks, Wilco Schillemans!]

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8-bit Left 4 Dead now available

2010-01-05T16:28:00.001-08:00

Awesome.

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8-bit Left 4 Dead now available

via Joystiq by Justin McElroy on 1/5/10

You've salivated over its pixelized undead for long enough, the day has finally come when you can play the retro, 8-bit version of Left 4 Dead that we first told you about in November. The free game is now branded Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead and is apparently the launching pad for a whole Pixel Force franchise forthcoming from creator Eric Ruth.

You can feast your fingers on the two-player co-op action right here.

[Via Blue's News]

8-bit Left 4 Dead now available originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gaming Room

2010-01-01T19:38:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure if this is awesome, or just a clear sign that this man will never marry (and if he has already, he should treasure her as much as he treasures gaming). Probably both.

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Gaming Room

via dannychoo.com - Your portal to Japan on 12/29/09

I've seen many gaming rooms/collections but this set of photos uploaded by donkey*kong from the Netherlands just blows everything away. Its like a museum!

Now this is interesting - all these games were produced by Nintendo?!

As for my history of game machines...

Sega Mega Drive
Super Nintendo
Game Boy
Mega CD (ugh!)
PC Engine Duo
NIntendo Entertainment System
Game Boy Advance
Playstation
Playstation 2
Playstation 3
Nintendo DS
Nintendo DSi
Wii

And before all that I done gaming on the Commodore 64.
Whats your list of gaming machine history?

Was interesting reading the history of Nintendo and learned that between 1963 and 1968, Nintendo set up a taxi company, food company and even love hotels.

Nintendo started business back in 1887 where they originally made card games. It was the card games that grew Nintendo to a 900 yen per stock company.
By 1964 however, the card game market was saturated and people pretty much stopped buying card games. Nintendo's stock fell from that 900 to 60 yen.

Nintendo was deep in debt and was struggling to keep the business afloat in the Toy market which Bandai and Tomy dominated.
In 1970, Nintendo brought out a robotic toy hand called the Ultra Hand which I have annotated in image 86029. It was to sell over a million units.　

By 1975, Nintendo saw how popular the video game market was and began to experiment with various products. The rest is history which you can read at Wikipedia.

All these photos were submitted to Figure.fm where we would still like to see more photos of your rooms in the Room category.
It could have been my imagination but I heard Kotobukiya say that there maybe a few pages in Otacool 2 for a few room photos...

And my room needs more game machines in it ^^;

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Modern Warfare 2 Mythbusters: Explosive hydrants uncovered

2009-12-15T17:58:00.001-08:00

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Modern Warfare 2 Mythbusters: Explosive hydrants uncovered

Though the Modern Warfare 2 community is uncovering some unsavory hidden aspects of the game for their own benefit, the kind folks from Defend The House have labored to uncover some of the game's harmless (but awesome) unadvertised features. For instance, did you know throwing knives are still lethal after bouncing? Also, you can survive a forty-foot fall with the help of a few well-placed mattresses. That's news to us!

Check out all these revelations in the first episode of Modern Warfare 2 Mythbusters, which we've posted after the jump. Oh, one last thing -- we will not rest until we kill someone by blowing up a nearby fire hydrant. Do you hear us? It is our life's new purpose.

Continue reading Modern Warfare 2 Mythbusters: Explosive hydrants uncovered

Modern Warfare 2 Mythbusters: Explosive hydrants uncovered originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim O'Connor

Special Delivery

2009-12-02T06:58:00.001-08:00

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Special Delivery

via The Daily WTF by Alex Papadimoulis on 12/1/09

Brad's phone rang with the telltale tone of an inner-office call. "Yeah," he briskly blurted out as he picked up the phone, "what'cha ya need?" That was actually his nicewayof answering the phone. As the senior trader at Æxecor, one of the world's largest energy trading companies, Brad didn't need to impress anyone and, in his mind, displaying anything less than vicious hubris would be a sign of weakness.

"Err," the receptionist nervously answers, "there's a… err, delivery for you, sir. They—"

"Hmphf," Brad's scoff cut her off. "So just sign for it, then! Is that really that hard to do? You can do that, can't you?"

"Well sir," the receptionist winced, "they're asking for mooring instructions? And we need to pay wharfage charges? They said you'd know. I'm at a loss."

"Fine," Brad scowled, "I guess I have to do everything around here!" He slammed down the phone and marched out of his corner office. Despite Æxecor's location – the "old docks" district – their office was one of the most posh in the city. On one end of the expansive, former warehouse sat the executive suites, which had a tremendous view of the city skyline. The other end – where Brad was headed towards – was the reception which overlooked its own, private bay on the river.

"Okay, I'm here!" he angrily announced once he stepped foot in the lobby. "So let's do this! What do I need to—"

Brad stopped mid-sentence. His eyes were immediately drawn through the floor-to-ceiling windows and onto the river bay that Æxecor's building overlooked. There was an absolutely gigantic barge – nay, an armada of tightly-connected barges – overfilled with enormous piles of coal that was attempting to dock in front of the building. "What… the… fuuu—"

"You mus' be Brad," a cheerful voice jumped in. Brad's eye's shifted towards the scruffy fellow wearing some sort of workman's uniform who was sitting in one of the reception chairs. "Now first and foremost, how in the Sam Hill are we 'sposed to moor this boat? I count two cleats, but we sure as heck can't hitch these. And, shoot, do you even have a bulk berth?"

For once, Brad was speechless. He had absolutely no idea who that man was and he could hardly understand a word he said. Plus, there was that gargantuan vessel that was slowly moving towards the building. "Uhh," he stuttered, "wait. Are you delivering… coal? To… uhh, us?"

"Well, yeah! Twenty-eight thousand tons of the good ol' black gold!" The workman sarcastically furrowed his brow adding, "I mean, we did get the right address, har har. This is Æxecor? And this is Pier 53? And you are Brad, the fella who ordered it, right?"

It was that moment that Brad's palm almost immediately made contact with his forehead. He realized that something must have really gone awry: instead of virtually trading 28,000 tons of coal, Brad had somehow ended up with 28,000 tons of real coal.

Commodity Futures Trading 101

If you've ever watched Trading Places, the 1983 classic starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, then you're probably at least familiar with commodities markets. At a basic level, commodities such as gold, wool, and soy beans are sold by producers and, eventually, delivered to buyers. But Billy Ray Valentine didn't strike it rich and bankrupt the Duke Brothers by hauling around Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice (FCOJ); instead, they worked the commodities market by buying and selling FCOJ futures contracts. Actually, that's really the only way to trade in commodities.

A futures contract is pretty straight forward: you agree to buy X units of commodity Y at $N per unit at some fixed future date. While it might seem a bit strange for an individual to agree to buy twenty tons of pork bellies in April for $34,420 (even if he really loves bacon), the idea is to sell the to-be-delivered pork bellies long before April, and to sell them for more than $34,420. Just about every conceivable commodity is bought and sold in this manner long before the commodity is even produced. The whole point of all this trading is to shift the risk (and rewards) of fluctuating commodity prices from the producers (farmers, miners, etc) to the traders.

Of course, because commodity traders don't actually want to be stuck with tons and tons of pork bellies, a whole series of middlemen — from the brokers to the exchanges to the clearing houses — work hard to ensure that, when you say "I'll buy 300 tons of pork bellies for $518,000 in May," you don't actually buy 300 tons of pork bellies for $518,000 in May.

Brokers, for example, will set up round-turn trades so that, for each futures contract purchased, an offsetting contract can be sold to whoever actually wants to buy the goods. The exchange's automated trading systems have all sorts of rules-engines to make sure that obvious errors (like delivering truckloads of commodities to a commercial office park) don't slip through. And finally, processors at the clearing house will double-check transactions to make sure they weren't sent over in error.

All that said, it's almost impossible for traders to actually buy the commodities they are buying. Well, almost impossible.

A Perfect Storm

Æxecor traded coal on only one exchange (the WTFSE), and they didn't trade coal very often. As such, when WTFSE upgraded its public-facing, WebService-based API, Æxecor's internal trading system could no longer communicate with it. With a couple pending coal trades, this presented a bit of a problem.

Fortunately, Æxecor had a staff of crack programmers, and they were able to hack together a solution that worked with the WTFSE's new API. Essentially, the coder added a bit of XML to their trading requests, including this following snippet.

 <AdditionalProperties>    <PhysicallyDeliver>       <value>False</value>    </PhysicallyDeliver> </AdditionalProperties>

Notice anything off about that XML? If you said, "value should be 0 instead of False", then give yourself a pat on the back. As it turned out, WTFSE only recognized 1's and 0's to represent True and False and, if the value was nether 1 nor 0, it simply defaulted to 1. Whoops!

Now, this normally wouldn't have been that big of a deal; to ensure accurate transactions, the WTFSE (and just about all other exchanges) sends back a trade confirmation with all of the original information encoded in their XML. That way, both parties have to understand each other's data. On Æxecor's end, everything looked hunky dory, especially as a result of the following line of code.

 bool physicallyDeliver =      (getNodeVal("PhysicallyDeliver").toLower() == "true");

Kudos to the developer for verifying the correct case... but, a string can be infinitely more things than simply "true" or "false". Such as "1" or "0". Whoops.

Even a mistakenly confirmed incorrect trade shouldn't have been that big of a deal, since the clearing house would notice some pretty big problems with the trade. You can't just call up FedEx and request delivery of thousands upon thousands of tons of raw material to some office complex downtown. Commodities can only be delivered to a fixed number of delivery points, such as warehouses adjacent to train yards or ports. Of course, since Æxecor's offices were in located on Pier 53, a recently redeveloped warehouse district off the river, it would have seemed like the logical place to accept delivery of a whole bunch of coal, especially to a rules engine. Whoops.

Fortunately, the commodity futures trading market doesn't rely entirely on software. There are back-office personnel on both sides of the transaction (and several places in the middle) to make sure that a trader doesn't do something silly like accidently click the "physically deliver" checkbox, enter into round-turn trades that creates an instant net loss, and so on.

So with everyone looking over transactions, you'd think that someone along the way would have noticed that trading giant Æxecor asked for physical delivery of a million-and-a-half dollars worth of coal. Actually, someone probably did, but because the trade came from Brad, there was just no way it could be made in err.

As the senior trader at Æxecor, Brad made it very clear that no one — "not even His Holiness, the Pope" — shall question his trades. After all, Brad makes complex trading decisions that no one else could possibly comprehend. Sometimes he buys high and sells low. Sometimes he holds in a decline. Sometimes he refuses to sell at any price. Brad works in mysterious ways, and if he said "do it", then it better get done.

An Early Christmas

"Now don't go telling me that this coal ain't yours," the workman said defensively, sensing something was awry. "I mean, if you don't want it, that's your business. But this here is your coal, mister Brad."

As much as Brad wanted to deny it, he knew it was his. And not only that, but he had haughtily confirmed, re-confirmed, and re-re-confirmed with Æxecor's own back-office processing team. He had just assumed, like he always did, that the mouth-breathing paper-pushers couldn't read English. As he played back the last thing he told one of the processors about the coal order – "what part of 'execute my f*ing trade' don't you understand!?" – he wondered what he could possibly do with 56,000,000 pounds of real coal.

Try to imagine for a moment how you would unload a mountain of coal worth million-and-a-half dollars. Craigslist does have its limits, after all.

As it turned out, it was more difficult than Brad could have ever imagined to sell real coal. The commodities market really only deals in futures, and everyone who actually needs 28,000 tons of coal has bought it long in advance. And besides, who wants to buy coal from some guy named Brad? Eventually, after paying exorbitant wharfing, shipping, environmental, docking, unloading, loading, and multiple-fee fees, Brad was finally able to unload it for twenty cents on the dollar.

Ever since "The Big Purchase", Brad has never been able to live down his mountain of coal. Every time he passed others in the hallway, he knew that they knew about the coal, and they knew that he knew that they knew. No one really poked fun or laughed at him, but it didn't matter. Brad was no longer thought of the senior trader at Æxecor; instead, he was the guy who accidently bought all that coal.

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Schwarzenegger Gives California Legislature A Hidden Finger

2009-10-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

lolz

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Schwarzenegger Gives California Legislature A Hidden Finger

There is absolutely no way I'll be able to make this relevant to tech. But I'm posting it anyway. Our Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, vetoed a California legislative finance bill – AB 1176. The letter is terse and to the point. And the first letter of each line in paragraphs 2-3 are even terser and more to the point.

Schwarzeneggers battles with the state legislature are epic. But this just goes way beyond epic. It's something for the history books.

I wish I had the time to do this kind of thing in my posts here on TechCrunch.

See the SF Chronicle for all the quotes and denials.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programing.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it's time for you to find a new Job2.0

Tim O'Connor

chuck & beans

2009-10-10T17:11:00.001-07:00

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chuck & beans

Tim O'Connor

Gaming glasses not a scam after all

2009-10-09T08:58:00.001-07:00

lolwut

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Gaming glasses not a scam after all

via Joystiq by Richard Mitchell on 10/9/09

Ars Technica recently decided to try out a set of Gunnar Optiks, glasses which are designed to improve your gaming performance. You may recall we found another use for them during PAX 2009. The Gunnar website espouses scads of advantageous features, including scientifically miraculous coatings, tints, shapes, and materials -- which are purported to do everything from reducing glare to "blocking out evaporative air currents."

Given such claims, we're sure many gamers might scoff or, at the very least, cock an incredulous eyebrow. Ars Technica harbored similar feelings, but it turns out the glasses actually do help. The site spoke to a optometrist, who noted that she offered many of the same features in the glasses she sells in her practice. More importantly, Ars Technica took the glasses for a spin and found that they did have a positive effect during prolonged gaming sessions.

Still, at prices hovering around (and above) $100, Ars suggests you price glasses with similar features with your eye doctor before taking the plunge.

Gaming glasses not a scam after all originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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San Jose Sharks Re-Make Appears Complete

2009-09-13T14:07:00.001-07:00

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San Jose Sharks Re-Make Appears Complete

When the San Jose Sharks lost in the first round of the 2009 playoffs many of their fans called for wholesale changes. The team had done increasingly better in the regular season for the last few years but had no significant playoff success. They won the 2009 President's Trophy and were expected to do better than a first round playoff loss.

The urge was to trade away key players. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau were among the candidates to be shipped out of town. That would have been a bad idea for the Sharks. They were not going to get better by subtracting parts. They were highly unlikely to add better pieces in their place if they were trading away their best players.

Continue reading "San Jose Sharks Re-Make Appears Complete"

Tim O'Connor

The Secret to Connecticut’s Success

2009-09-02T12:25:00.001-07:00

AWESOME

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The Secret to Connecticut’s Success

via Daily Intel by Dan Amira on 9/1/09

A few months ago, during one of many pathetic stretches of New York state government this year, we lamented the fact that the nearby Connecticut legislature was able to somehow function with such bipartisan efficiency. Now we know how they do it: by playing solitaire and reading espn.com instead of getting all worked up about the budget debate going on in front of them.

[Hartford Courant via Drudge]

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The Kopp-Etchells effect

2009-09-02T12:24:00.001-07:00

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The Kopp-Etchells effect

via TYWKIWDBI by Minnesotastan on 9/1/09

When helicopters pass through dust storms, contact of the particles with the rotating blades produces either sparks or static electricity. The phenomenon has been observed during combat operations in Afghanistan; Michael Yon has documented the effect, and has named it after two U.K. soldiers who died there.

Credit, with more photos and information. Via Izismile.

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Hehe…this prank took some thinking.

2009-09-01T17:31:00.001-07:00

haha

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Hehe…this prank took some thinking.

via EXTRALIFE - By Scott Johnson by Scott Johnson on 8/31/09

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Fig. 8 lets you turn work into fun

2009-08-31T07:55:00.001-07:00

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Fig. 8 lets you turn work into fun

via Joystiq by David Hinkle on 8/30/09

Some jobs in this world are super boring. If you sit in a cubicle all week, drawing up technical diagrams, you know what we're talking about. Well, there's no reason you can't turn all of those lines and numbers into fun, because beneath the surface of all that ink lies a game, one called Fig. 8.

Basically, you ride around environments on a bike, grinding lines and avoiding diagrams for points. You gain multipliers as you keep your bike straight, with the overall goal being to survive as long as you can. Now that we've got technical diagrams covered, how about turning these TPS reports into a game?

Fig. 8 lets you turn work into fun originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snake's not alone in this 9-minute Metal Gear Peace Walker trailer

2009-08-20T16:53:00.001-07:00

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Snake's not alone in this 9-minute Metal Gear Peace Walker trailer

via Joystiq [PlayStation] by Andrew Yoon on 8/20/09

Are you ready for some hot Snake-on-Snake-on-Snake-on-Snake action? Hideo Kojima finally fulfills the wishes and dreams of MGS yaoi fanfic writers with Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, a multiplayer co-op addition to the revered franchise. In typical Kojima fashion, this trailer takes itself rather seriously, highlighting the various boxes you can use in the game. In addition to Naked Snake's adorable Love Pack (er ...), the video showcases the very exciting tank box!

Grab some popcorn and watch the new trailer. At nine minutes long, it's about as long (and interactive) as one of Kojima's notorious (but nonetheless entertaining) cutscenes.

Snake's not alone in this 9-minute Metal Gear Peace Walker trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Construction above my office

2009-08-17T08:53:00.001-07:00

It was a little loud...

(781): Are you seriously drinking...

2009-08-13T06:43:00.001-07:00

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(781): Are you seriously drinking...

(781): Are you seriously drinking already? It's 11AM. Still morning.

(1-781): I'm going by McDonald's time. And since they stop serving breakfast at 10:30 and start serving lunch, it is now afternoon.

Tim O'Connor

A Ride with Mom

2009-08-12T15:43:00.001-07:00

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A Ride with Mom

via Pixdaus: Popular Today Pics on 8/11/09

"A Ride with Mom"

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Self-Portrait With Ground Squirrel

2009-08-10T06:56:00.001-07:00

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Self-Portrait With Ground Squirrel

via Neatorama by Queuebot on 8/9/09

Melissa Brandts wasn't trying to take a photo of this ground squirrel at Banff National Park. She'd set up the camera's timer so that she'd have a nice picture of herself and her husband, with spectacular Lake Minnewanka in the background.

She hadn't counted on this ground squirrel hogging the foreground.

Photo by Melissa Brandt, from the Your Shot Daily Dozen at National Geographic magazine

Link - via ngm

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Marilyn Terrell.

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Chloe - drop the puck already!

2009-08-08T22:41:00.001-07:00

Respect the old school

2009-08-08T15:15:00.001-07:00

(title unknown)

2009-08-03T14:01:00.001-07:00

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(title unknown)

via GIF PARTY on 8/2/09

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Fwd: Three Sheets is Back!

2009-07-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

A show worth watching!

Tim O'Connor

Begin forwarded message:

From: "MOJO HD" <mojohd@email.indemand.com>
Date: July 27, 2009 11:40:32 AM PDT
To: timsoconnor@comcast.net
Subject: Three Sheets is Back!

This e-mail was sent by iN DEMAND L.L.C. (for promotional purposes only), located at 345 Hudson St, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10014 (US). To receive no further e-mails, please click here or reply to this e-mail with "unlist" in the Subject line.

Michael Jordan/Gatorade street art photos

2009-07-20T10:56:00.001-07:00

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Michael Jordan/Gatorade street art photos

via Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports by J.E. Skeets on 7/14/09

A street art tribute to Michael Jordan made out of 19,000 Gatorade bottles, including the new Gatorade Limited Edition Jordan Series, glows on a basketball court Monday on Chicago's South Side. Local Jordan fans and longtime Jordan teammate Scottie Pippen helped construct the mosaic, which Gatorade organized as a way to celebrate Jordan's Hall of Fame career.

Pippen talked to Kelly Dwyer about the event, his own first-ballot worthy career, and much more.

Check it out, and then hit the jump for some more photos.

Sharp-dressed Scottie Pippen and Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee place a few Gatorade bottles into the Jordan mosaic. Pip is actually featured alongside his former teammate on one of the six collectible Limited Edition Jordan Series bottles. Hopefully, it's the best tasting flavor.

The slick display was filmed for a Gatorade commercial that will debut later this summer.

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Harry Potter and the Tremendous F***-up. [Built on Facts]

2009-07-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

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Harry Potter and the Tremendous F***-up. [Built on Facts]

via ScienceBlogs Select by Matt Springer none@example.com on 7/15/09

Or: Deconstructing Dumbledore.

(Major and serious spoilers for Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows follow. In fact if you haven't read them this will make very little sense.)

There's a lot of villains in the Harry Potter series. They are young and old, male and female, human and otherwise, magical and muggle. They range from indolent and reformable pests to soul-sucking embodiments of death personified. Not all of them set out to be bad. Some are good people who made bad choices; some are power-mad petty bureaucrats. But if you want to pick out the single person who caused the most damage, it's an easy task.

He is, of course, Albus Dumbledore.

You think I'm joking? On the contrary, through a combination of staggering incompetence, dereliction of duty, and wholly unmerited hubris he managed to spend his entire life busily nurturing minor problems into world-ending catastrophes.

Let's start at the beginning. Like most young English wizards, Dumbledore learned of his talents early in life and entered Hogwarts as soon as he came of age. While there he rose to seldom-seen levels of magical skill and along the way befriended another young wizard named Gellert Grindelwald. Grindelwald was a German expat wizard, having been kicked out of Durmstrang (the German equivalent Hogwarts) for being a dangerous nutjob. If you accept the author's word as canonical, the situation is even weirder: Dumbledore was not merely a friend but actually in love with Grindelwald. The books themselves contain no real indication that Dumbledore batted for the other team, nor does the author give any indication that Grindelwald returned the interest. But however you slice it, they were certainly very close. Lie down with dogs and get up with fleas, and soon enough Grindelwald had Dumbledore solidly radicalized. The two of them plotted to take over the world and rule the muggles for their own good. Dumbledore's younger brother Aberforth had more sense and confronted the two over their plans. Their other sister, the brain-damaged and disabled Ariana, was also there. It would have made a great Jerry Springer episode, what with the gay/racist/disability trifecta. Well, except being wizards they had considerable magical firepower at their disposal and Ariana was killed in the ensuing fight. Good job, Dumbledore!

All that was tragic enough, but things were just getting warmed up. Grindlewald went off and started a massive wizarding war. Dumbledore dithered ineffectually for several years as his former friend / gay lover wrecked Europe. Apparently he didn't want to be reminded that he was at least partially responsible for the death of his sister. Presumably he didn't worry too much about also being at least partially responsible for the FREAKING HOLOCAUST. Because let's be honest about Grindelwald: evil German, interested in a master race ruling the rest of humanity, beaten in 1945, tried and imprisoned in Nurmengard (hmm)... he was either Hitler or the magical power behind the Fuhrer. We do know that the real Hitler was pretty darn interested in the occult, after all.

So Dumbledore finally got out of his funk and defeated Grindelwald in battle. He then retired to the countryside where he could live out his life in peace. Ok, well, the first sentence is true. Actually he went off to become the headmaster of Hogwarts (the British boarding school jokes write themselves) and shape the minds of tomorrow. Because he's clearly such an excellent judge of character.

About this time there's a young half-wizard fellow named Tom Riddle. An orphan from a horribly difficult background, he displays sociopathic tendencies, a serious red-flag magical ability to talk to snakes, and considerable but largely unexplored latent skill in magic. Dumbledore is nothing if not consistent at being a reliably dangerous fool, and so of course he immediately sends him to the one place were he can learn the most powerful abilities on the planet, and furthermore allows a talking hat to place him in Slytherin the psychopath factory. (Why no one shut down Slytherin is beyond me. The best that can be said is that while every dangerous lunatic wizard was a Slytherin, not all Slytherins were dangerous lunatic wizards. Still, they pretty much to a man abandon the good guys in the climactic good/evil battle at the end of the last book. It would've saved everyone a lot of pain if the whole house had been shut down. So obviously Dumbledore didn't.)

As you could guess from Dumbledore's success at working alongside and/or fornicating with wizard Hitler, Tom Riddle turned out pretty much how you'd expect. He declared himself Lord Voldemort, started a magic army of overtly Klan-style terrorist wizards, killed a bunch of people, and rather successfully began taking over. Dumbledore leaped into action and organized the Order of Rank Incompetence. Excuse me, I mean the Order of the Phoenix. So far as I can tell their successes were minimal to nonexistent, consisting largely of a single unsolicited defection. Under the enervated leadership of Dumbledore, a massive fraction of their membership was brutally slaughtered, the parents of the infant Neville Longbottom were tortured to insanity, and James and Lilly Potter were murdered while protecting their infant child Harry Potter. Thanks to some staggering luck that Dumbledore never planned or anticipated, Voldemort failed to kill Harry and was in fact reduced to impotent ghostliness.

Dumbledore, realizing that he was obviously as bad as humanly possible at working with young wizards, retired. Excuse me, that's what he'd have done if he had any decency. He didn't, so he stayed on at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter grew up and matriculated at Hogwarts. Long story short, Dumbledore spends most of the first five books failing to prevent the repeated infestation of Hogwarts by villains of various stripes, failing to do even slight due diligence on the applicants for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and failing to prevent the subsequent and repeated near-deaths of Harry and other students. In some cases like the poor unfortunate Cedric Diggory, it's actual death. There's little more Dumbledore likes better than repeating past failures, so he reforms the Order of the Phoenix. It fails to accomplish anything. Well, not other than getting Sirius Black killed horrifyingly right in front of Harry. Good thing he wasn't one of Harry's few real adult friends and father figures - oh wait, he was. And though we don't know it until book 7, Dumbledore figures out at some point that Harry and Voldemort's fates are linked. Not to put too fine a point of it, at that point he's pretty much trying to get Harry killed. His plans are cut short in book 6 by his own death.

Wanna know what kills him? I don't know if you watched Lord of the Rings, but it's pretty much Magic 101 that you DO NOT TOUCH EVIL RINGS OF POWER. Dumbledore found one, and like a retarded puppy licking a electrical outlet, he tried to use it. He survives his injuries for another year, which he spends failing to clue poor Harry in on what's going on. Finally he dies in front of Harry in the most traumatizing way possible.

Harry wins, of course. He gets killed first, but he comes back to life and kills Voldemort for good. Everyone celebrates the memory of Dumbledore because the narrative requires it. Whatever, Dumbledore you old bat. When Snape waxes you I'll be cheering in the theater.

Read the comments on this post...

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Picture This: F-18 Buzzes Detroit Apartment

2009-07-20T10:50:00.001-07:00

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Picture This: F-18 Buzzes Detroit Apartment

via Wired: Danger Room by David Axe on 7/15/09

A Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet crew got permission for a low-level demonstration flight, as part of the opening ceremony for a speedboat race on the Detroit River, last weekend. This is what it looked like, for Motor City residents.

[Photo: AP/The Detroit News, Steve Perez. Originally spotted at the Daily Mail]

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In Afghanistan, Part Two

2009-07-18T11:06:00.001-07:00

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In Afghanistan, Part Two

via The Big Picture on 7/17/09

(Part two of two) - Today, nearly eight years after the initial invasion of Afghanistan, the country remains unstable at best, and the U.S. is now pouring thousands of new troops into the country, joining the international coalition to combat the Taliban insurgency. This year, bomb attacks on coalition troops have reached an all-time high - at least 46 American troops killed by IEDs this year, part of the larger figure of 1,249 coalition deaths to date. On June 25th, U.S. officials announced the launch of Operation Khanjar - 4,000 U.S. Marines and hundreds of NATO and Afghan forces pushing into various parts of Helmand province attempting to secure the area ahead of Afghanistan's presidential election next month. Consider this entry a double-issue - there has been so much powerful photography coming out of Afghanistan the past few months, I had a very hard time editing down to just these, recent photographs from Afghanistan. (see part 1) (32 photos total)

Members of the security detail for Karl Eikenberry, US Ambassador to Afghanistan, stand in front of a U.S. army Chinook helicopter as it lands near a newly constructed bridge south of Tarin Kot, in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan July 9, 2009. (REUTERS/Tim Wimborne)

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Cool photos of the Apollo landing sites from low Moon orbit

2009-07-17T22:44:00.001-07:00

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Cool photos of the Apollo landing sites from low Moon orbit

I said yesterday that NASA would be taking some new photos of the Apollo landing sites with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Turns out that happened pretty quickly...they just released photos of the Apollo 11, 14, 15, 16, and 17 sites. Here's the Apollo 11 site:

The lunar module is the small white bit in the middle casting the long shadow. The Apollo 14 site is the coolest...you can see the path the astronauts took out to some scientific instruments. The LRO hasn't reached its final orbit yet so future images "will have two to three times greater resolution". !!! See also my giant Apollo 11 post.

Tags: Apollo Apollo 11 Moon NASA space

Tim O'Connor

What's the baby sitter up to?

2009-07-17T22:42:00.001-07:00

Interesting read.

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What's the baby sitter up to?

She's the source of fear, frustration and sexual fantasy. A new social history looks at girls who care for our kids

Tim O'Connor

Big Brother Amazon Remotely Deletes Purchased Copies of 1984 and Animal Farm From Thousands of Kindles [Amazon]

2009-07-17T22:40:00.001-07:00

My main argument against digital distribution.

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Big Brother Amazon Remotely Deletes Purchased Copies of 1984 and Animal Farm From Thousands of Kindles [Amazon]

Amazon basically guaranteed that I'll never buy a Kindle last night by bending to the wishes of a publisher and deleting every single legitimately-purchased copy of 1984 and Animal Farm from all Kindles remotely. Ridiculous.

Apparently, the publisher changed its mind about having electronic versions of Orwell's books. So Amazon removed them from the store and in the process remotely deleted the books from the Kindles of anyone who bought them, depositing a refund in their account in the process.

If there's a better argument for dead-tree books and against the Kindle, I'd like to know what it is. If you can't be sure that you own something after you pay for it, what's the point? How many people were halfway through these books that they paid for and now are shit out of luck?

Amazon says this is a "rarity," but even once is too many times for bullshit like this to happen. Once I buy a book from Barnes & Noble, I never have to worry about them breaking into my house and taking it back, leaving me a pile of singles on my nightstand.

And of course the fact that this happened to 1984, of all books, makes this even more surreal. [NY Times via Boing Boing]

Tim O'Connor

Facebook for iPhone 3.0 Coming Soon - Preview and Details

2009-07-04T12:18:00.001-07:00

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Facebook for iPhone 3.0 Coming Soon - Preview and Details

via Inside Facebook by Jessica Lee on 7/1/09

Facebook's iPhone application is one of the most popular iPhone apps overall - nearly 25% of all iPhone owners use it according to Joe Hewitt, lead engineer for Facebook's iPhone application. Today, Hewitt shared some more details on the upcoming version 3.0 of the Facebook iPhone app.

What will be coming in the new version?

1. The "new" News Feed
2. Like
3. Events (including the ability to RSVP)
4. Notes
5. Pages
6. Create new photo albums
7. Upload photos to any album
8. Zoom into photos
9. Easier photo tagging
10. Profile Pictures albums
11. A new home screen for easy access to all your stuff, search, and notifications
12. Add your favorite profiles and pages to the home screen
13. Better Notifications (they link to the comments so you can reply)
14. Quickly call or text people right from the Friends page
15. Messages you are typing will be restored if you quit or are interrupted by a phone call

The new home screen will definitely make for a friendlier user experience, especially with the addition of Events, Notes, Pages, and photo albums. The addition of the Pages feature means that brands with Facebook Pages will have increased visibility when users are on the go.

While Hewitt said he didn't know when the app will be submitted to Apple, it is about "98% done." However, Push Notifications, which are in high demand, will be included in Version 3.1 later this summer, Hewitt says.

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The Aliens of the Star Iota Horologii Are Just Watching Captain Kangaroo Now...

2009-07-04T12:17:00.001-07:00

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The Aliens of the Star Iota Horologii Are Just Watching Captain Kangaroo Now [Space]

via Gizmodo by Adam Frucci on 7/2/09

When our broadcasts leave Earth, they slowly travel into space. There is, however, a sizable delay between what we watch and what distant aliens watch. This convenient chart shows us what TV various stars are receiving today. [AbstruseGoose via TDW]

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2009-06-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

Clicky

Using the blog as a reference, and I'm thinking of undertaking the same type of setup alongside a backup solution.

imagesgamers-mentality-small.jpg (JPEG Image, 500x400 pixels)

2009-06-22T08:40:00.001-07:00

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imagesgamers-mentality-small.jpg (JPEG Image, 500x400 pixels)

via FFFFOUND! / EVERYONE by faresende on 6/11/09

via http://bitsandpieces.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/imagesgamers-mentality-small.jpg

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Hello Wars: Star Wars and Hello Kitty Mashed Up, Adorable

2009-06-21T14:22:00.001-07:00

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Hello Wars: Star Wars and Hello Kitty Mashed Up, Adorable

My geeksugar readers, I know some of you love Hello Kitty. And I know some of you love Star Wars. Do you love both?! If so, then meet Hello Wars, a series of stickers that puts Star Wars characters' faces on Hello Kitty faces and then renders them in sticker form!

Each awesome sticker is just $1 each, which means I'll be spending my whole allowance on these and covering my binder with them. I am not too old for stickers.

Tim O'Connor

SNES USB cartridge adapter should set eBay aflame

2009-06-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

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SNES USB cartridge adapter should set eBay aflame

Sick of having to use your inconvenient mouse and keyboard to do "internet searches" for ROMs of your favorite retro games? Well a gentleman named Matthias might just have the answer to your prayers -- a USB SNES cartridge adapter. The enterprising DIY'er has created a combo hardware and software solution that allows you to plug in your dusty carts directly to your rig, and see the ROMs appear as standalone files which you can then load into the emulator of your choice. Apparently there are still some kinks to work out (like getting data rates up for larger games), and Matthias already has plans underway for a multi-system solution. Still, this is impressive stuff, even if it means we'll have to repurchase any titles we're missing from reputable online auction houses. Hey, at least it'll cut down our visits to "Russian porn sites." Check out the video of the whole thing in action after the break.

Continue reading SNES USB cartridge adapter should set eBay aflame

Filed under: Gaming

SNES USB cartridge adapter should set eBay aflame originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim O'Connor

A Snow Cone-Like Cocktail from the 1950s Gourmet

2009-06-12T09:07:00.001-07:00

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A Snow Cone-Like Cocktail from the 1950s Gourmet

via The Kitchn by Elizabeth Passarella on 6/12/09

Gourmet has been running favorite cocktails from the 1940s to today, and this one (from November 1959) caught our eye immediately. Big surprise, huh? It looks like a rainbow slushy. But don't be fooled. This heavy-hitter is for adults only...

The cocktail is called a madras, but it's not the normal orange juice/cranberry/vodka drink we're familiar with. This is a mix of EIGHT different liqueurs (eight!), and that's not the only hitch. You also need shaved ice to create this beauty. • Get the recipe: Madras Cocktail The instructions call for delineating seven different sections on the top of your shaved ice dome and pouring in a teaspoon each of seven liqueurs (things like apricot liqueur, green chartreuse, and créme de cacao). Then, in case that's not enough, you pour a teaspoon of cognac over the whole thing. The effect is really spectacular, though. Maybe you could do something similar with fewer ingredients? Or, who knows? Maybe you've got a full liquor cabinet and are up for a challenge. Anyone ever made a drink like this? Related: Straight Up: How to Make the Best Ice Cubes for Summer Cocktails (Image: Romulo Yanes for Gourmet)

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Social Media Venn Diagram

2009-06-12T08:29:00.001-07:00

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Social Media Venn Diagram

via Neatorama by John on 6/11/09

A Venn diagram showing the psychological forces at work among users of social networking tools — a new shirt from the comedy geniuses at Despair, Inc.

Link

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Do This! Anchor Your Skewers

2009-06-11T10:19:00.001-07:00

Great tip - I love skewers of vegetables!

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Do This! Anchor Your Skewers

via The Kitchn by Sarah Rae Trover on 6/11/09

The phrase "anchor your skewers" sounds like some dirty code sailors might use, but it's one of the greatest tips we've picked up in our years of grilling (other than using a charcoal chimney). It sounds so simple, but quickly becomes an important detail before you find yourself fishing flaming tomatoes out of your coals! We anchor ours with...

Red Onion and it does the trick every time! Because of their natural curvy shape they hold fast and keep all the other tasty things on our skewers in place. Not a huge "hunk of onion" fan? Add them to the ends and roast them anyway! Store them in your freezer for your next need for some already roasted off. Many other vegetables lose the majority of their water content during the grilling process and although they are still soft and moist, they don't do so well holding the weight of the other pieces of food during the flipping and rotating that goes on. What do you anchor your skewers with? Let us know in the comments below! Related: • Vegetarian Skewers Five Ways • Times Top 5: Rosemary Skewers for Grilling • Grilling Tip: Do You Need to Soak Kabob Skewers? (Image: Sarah Rae Trover)

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A Hobby of Mine

2009-06-11T10:15:00.001-07:00

lol

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A Hobby of Mine

via PW FULL RSS FEED by Ree on 6/10/09

There's not much to do out here in the country. I can't go to a movie. I can't run to the mall. I can't walk down the street and chat with neighbors. I can't go to the arcade and play games.

Well. I guess I could garden. Cook. Clean. Wash my children's clothes. Deal with loose papers. Clean out junk drawers.

But I'd so much rather do this.

I wait until Charlie is in a deep, deep sleep. In the hot summer, his naps are are always deep.

Then I place a small morsel of food in the proximity of his nose. This happens to be a small piece of scrambled egg left over from breakfast.

Seconds pass with no response. So I nudge it a little closer.

Still no response, so I nudge it even closer. Not a wink of a reaction.

Charlie drives a hard bargain.

So I break out the big guns.

"The big guns", in this case, is bacon.

Just a tiny sliver of bacon. But that's usually all it takes.

C'mon, Charlie. Don't let me down. Folks are watching.

Oh, yes. I believe it's going to happen.

Oh, yeah. It's definitely going to happen.

Wait…

Oh, no! I can't believe it.

He's going back to sleep?

It's not possible!

Oh, ho ho ho.

I knew he'd come through.

And…

Three seconds later…

He's back to sleep.

Charlie leads a very hard life.

But I wanna try the egg one last time.

Heh heh. See, now I've awakened his senses.

Here we go.

And, three seconds later…

He's gone.

Help me Rhonda, I love this dog.

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Nokia develops phone that recharges itself without mains electricity

2009-06-11T10:13:00.001-07:00

That is amazing.

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Nokia develops phone that recharges itself without mains electricity

via textually.org by emily on 6/10/09

The Guardian reports on a new prototype phone from Nokia that is able to power itself on nothing more than ambient radiowaves – the weak TV, radio and mobile phone signals that permanently surround us.

The power harvested is small but it is almost enough to power a mobile in standby mode indefinitely without ever needing to plug it into the mains, according to Markku Rouvala, one of the researchers who developed the device at the Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge, UK.

... Instead of harvesting tiny amounts of power (a few microwatts) from dedicated transmitters, Nokia's prototype is able to scavenge relatively large amounts of power — around a thousand times as much — from signals coming from miles away. Individually the energy available in each of these signals is miniscule. But by harvesting radiowaves across a wide range of frequencies it all adds up, said Rouvala.

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The System 222

2009-06-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

D'oh

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The System 222

via Rosscott, Inc. by admin on 6/8/09

In honor of today's Apple keynote from WWDC, comes this comic about upgrading your technology and gadgets. NOTE: It was really hard to decide when to use the word "dammit", since it fit so well into every panel. Obviously, this one kinda picks up where the one about upgrading iPods leaves off.

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Futurama Rumored To Return On Comedy Central

2009-06-10T08:07:00.001-07:00

Sweet merciful crap - this is fantastic news.

If the show features at least the same or any trace amounts of more Zoidberg, Lisa and I will be thrilled.

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Futurama Rumored To Return On Comedy Central

via Slashdot by kdawson on 6/9/09

avajcovec points out a brief note on Collider.com that Comedy Central has ordered 13 new episodes of Futurama. Quoting: "Though still technically a rumor at this point, word is that 'Futurama' production offices have already opened and that casting is about to move forward. This should be a welcome surprise to fans of the show who have already gone through the series' cancellation and resurrection as direct-to-DVD movies."

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Blade of Grass

2009-06-09T08:22:00.001-07:00

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Blade of Grass

via Design Milk by Jaime on 6/4/09

Blade of Grass is plexiglass and an LED light, designed by Stefano Merlo and recognized with the 1st prize in the 2nd International Outdoor Furniture Contest by Gandia Blasco.

[READ MORE...]

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The dying goodwill toward AT&T

2009-06-09T08:15:00.001-07:00

This is just ridiculous. I can't believe how poorly AT&T is responding to the advancements within their own exclusive contract. It's as if they WANT to drive Apple to another carrier.

The author of this article is spot on: I would probably jump ship if the iPhone does the same.

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The dying goodwill toward AT&T

via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) by Megan Lavey on 6/8/09

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, WWDC, iPhone

Congratulations! When Apple releases iPhone OS 3.0 next week, we'll finally be gaining the following features ...

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)! ... unless you're on AT&T.

Tethering! ... unless you're on AT&T

A brand new 16GB iPhone 3G S for only $199 with a two-year contract! ... unless you're on AT&T and already own an iPhone 3G.

AT&T has long been the subject of grumbling from the community of US iPhone users who want to use their phones legitimately. Ever since the original release back in 2007, it feels like AT&T has been trying to play catch-up when it comes to service and tower availability. But, the release of the iPhone 3G S might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I can walk down to my local AT&T store and pick up a cheap handset for less than $100 that will have MMS. AT&T knew this day was coming. The company may wail and gnash its teeth, complaining that it aren't ready for this, but it should be, especially since Boy Genius Report tells us that all AT&T needs to do is manually remove the opt-out code!

It was even apparent during the keynote yesterday that Apple sounds pretty disgusted with how far behind AT&T is dragging them. Notice the absence of any AT&T personnel on stage. Had AT&T been on the ball to begin with, it most likely would have taken center stage -- boasting about all the improvements that would garner shiny new services for iPhone users and more money for the corporate coffers. But it didn't, and the tension coming from Apple during the moments when MMS and Tethering were announced was pretty tangible. Apple had all of these features that people have been begging for ready to go, and now Cupertino is forced to wait for AT&T to finish twiddling its thumbs and do what it should have done two years ago. I wouldn't even be surprised if AT&T somehow found a way to block copy/paste!

A small footnote on Apple's iPhone page indicates that MMS support from AT&T will be coming later this summer. Another note on the 3.0 software pages says that tethering isn't available in the U.S. and some other countries, although Engadget cites AT&T sources who say it's coming -- there just isn't anything to announce yet.

Then there comes iPhone pricing. Those expecting a repeat of last summer's offer to replace their current iPhones with the latest model on the cheap are being sorely disappointed. You can read full details on that kerfuffle thanks to one of the recent additions to our team, Michael Jones. However, our commenters do have a point with that one -- those who bought the first generation iPhone paid the full price right off the bat, but later buyers were able to get the iPhone 3G at a subsidized price. Like with any other subsidized phone with any other carrier, you'll have to pay a pretty hefty price for the privilege to upgrade before you're eligible. For me, that'll be in October 2010. By then, the iPhone 3G s4π will most likely be out. Still, people aren't happy with this one either.

The ramifications for AT&T will come when it sits down at the negotiation table with Apple to extend its current gig as exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the United States. Apple won't forget that AT&T didn't have key features in place when they needed to be there. If Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, or any other carrier can convince Apple that they would be ahead of the game while AT&T lags (and, believe me, it wouldn't be that hard of an argument to make), Apple will take its toys and go elsewhere. And loyal iPhone users would follow. I know I would.

TUAW The dying goodwill toward AT&T originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Very talented

2009-06-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

I Have You Now on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2009-06-06T08:28:00.001-07:00

Words can't describe how awesome this is.

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I Have You Now on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

via http://www.flickr.com/photos/balakov/3500989490/

Tim O'Connor

Ten "You Might Be A Redneck" Limos [Limousines]

2009-06-06T08:19:00.001-07:00

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Ten "You Might Be A Redneck" Limos [Limousines]

Wedding season's quickly approaching and if you're riding in one of these ten limos to recite your vows, start a life of baby-manufacturing and welfare-collecting, well, you might be doing Jeff Foxworthy proud.

[via photobucket, museumofhoaxes, flickr 1, flickr 2, flickr 3]

10.) Ma and Pa wanted a lakefront wedding reception so cousin Jed hooked them up.

9.) There's enough room to fit all twenty-six and a half hound dogs in this Suburban beast.

8.) This particular example brings Luigi Colani to mind. The handiwork is impeccable.

7.) This motorcycle limo is perfect for your brother/second-cousin/uncle looking to have his Kodiac chaw and not worry about having to spit into his favorite Nascar commemorative collectible cup. Dale would approve.

6.) Thanks to this lifted show of brute force, we're actually starting to wish we were rednecks.

5.) The perfect limo for when both Bo and Luke need to simultaneously marry that ultra hot cousin of theirs.

4.) Ever take that Astro-limo off any sweet jumps?

Tim O'Connor

Crunch Berries Not a Fruit, Judge Rules

2009-06-05T14:23:00.001-07:00

Wow. Really?

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Crunch Berries Not a Fruit, Judge Rules

via Slashfood by Sara Bonisteel on 6/4/09

Filed under: Food News

This just in from the Department of Duh: Cap'N Crunch Crunch Berries are not a fruit.

Last month, a judge in California dismissed a claim brought by a woman who believed PepsiCo, the parent company of Cap'N Crunch manufacturer Quaker Oaks, had misled "reasonable consumers" with its colorful Crunch Berries.

"Plaintiff contends that the colorful Crunchberries, combined with use of the word 'berry' in the Product name, convey the message that Cap'n Crunch is not all sugar and starch, but contains redeeming fruit," the opinion says.

Find out what Judge Morrison C. England Jr. thought after the jump.

Continue reading Crunch Berries Not a Fruit, Judge Rules

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Did Conan Model His New Tonight Show Set After Mario Brothers?

2009-06-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

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Did Conan Model His New Tonight Show Set After Mario Brothers?

The folks at Serious Lunch raise an interesting discussion point - Did Conan O'Brien intentionally model his new Tonight Show set after the game Super Mario Bros.?

The evidence, in .gif form, is staggering:

Whether or not this is actually intentional (I like to believe it is, just as I like to believe that Conan himself sat down and designed the set), I think we all pretty much have to concede that the new Tonight Show set is therefore already the greatest backdrop in television history. Excluding Best Week Ever's, of course.

I just hope Conan doesn't get eaten by that big red fish while he's still big, because that would be, and has always been, bullsh*t.

(via ONTD)

Tim O'Connor

Award-Winning Pie! Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry Pie

2009-06-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

Marked for later consumption.

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Award-Winning Pie! Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry Pie

via The Kitchn by Faith on 6/2/09

Did you know that there is an entire organization devoted to the preservation and encouragement of America's pie heritage? Did you know that they sponsor a huge national pie contest every year? This is the story of the American Pie Council, and here is the pie that won the Best in Show award at the 2009 competition. We were so interested in this, since we ran our own pie contest last year, and we love all things pie. Read on for the story of this very summery pie, and get the recipe too.

The Best in Show pie was chosen out of 130 other entries at the American Pie Council Pie Championships, and it was baked by Linda Hundt from DeWitt, Michigan. Hundt is the owner of the Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe, a vintage-style bakery where most of the pies are named in honor of her family members. Her prize-winning pie was named for her brother-in-law Tom, who tragically passed away just a week before the competition. You can find out more about Hundt and her bakery here, with stories and photos of all her pies: • Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe And more about the Pie Council here, including more photos from this year's contest: • American Pie Council Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry Pie Crust: 1 1/2 cups of flour 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1/2 cup Crisco shortening Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer on medium speed swiftly until crust appears "pea like." Carefully sprinkle ice cold water in crust mix until it just starts to be fully moistened and gathers together. Pat into disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least one half hour. Roll out on floured surface and make and crimp piecrust. Freeze until ready to use. Filling: 4 1/2 cups Montmorency tart cherries –frozen 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/2 tsp real almond extract 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/2 tsp orange zest 1/2 cup dried Michigan cherries 1 1/2 cups of frozen blueberries Combine frozen cherries, dried cherries, sugar, cornstarch. Stir constantly on med-hi heat until boiling. Add blueberries. Boil for one minute or until thickened. Add almond extract, lemon juice and zest. Pour blueberries in bottom of pie shell and pour cherry mixture over them. Crumb Topping 1 cup sugar 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 stick butter softened Mix together all crumb topping ingredients by hand or a pastry blender until crumbly. Cover filling with crumb topping. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour or until filling is bubbling over crust. Related: The Kitchn's Best Pie Bakeoff 2008 (Images and recipe: Courtesy of the American Pie Council)

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This is the Star Wars: The Old Republic trailer you're looking for

2009-06-02T07:09:00.001-07:00

Ok, this is what the prequel trilogy should have been. Awesome.

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This is the Star Wars: The Old Republic trailer you're looking for

via Joystiq by Mike Schramm on 6/1/09

Filed under: PC

Bioware released the first cinematic trailer for their Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO, and it's so awesome you might just forget that Jar-Jar Binks ever existed. Bounty hunters, Jedis, lightsabers, blasters, dramatic orchestral soundtracks, and gravelly Sith voices making threatening statements -- if it's from a long time ago and a galaxy far away (and incredibly awesome), you'll find it in this trailer.

The trailer itself is called "Deceived," and apparently it's about the Sith Empire's sacking of Coruscant. And that's how it begins -- Sith baddies are invading a Jedi temple, and dispatching the meager forces they find there. But a Jedi temple has some strong defense of its own... and that's where the video gets really good. Bioware has also released information about something called The HoloNet, an ingame database of gameworld history, classes, planets and factions, and they've told us that the game is "fully voiced" -- every character you meet will have audio to share. Head on over to our sister site Massively for more.

This is the Star Wars: The Old Republic trailer you're looking for originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Primes Every Passion With Games That Rock, Race and Sizzle

2009-06-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

Xbox 360 Primes Every Passion With Games That Rock, Race and Sizzle

Shark Notes - 6/1

2009-06-01T12:43:00.001-07:00

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Shark Notes - 6/1

via Sharkspage by PJ Swenson on 6/1/09

- Sharks EVP/GM Doug Wilson and President/CEO Greg Jamison appeared on Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area's hour long Chronicle Live sportstalk progam last Tuesday with Mercury News opinion columnist Mark Purdy and host Greg Papa. Doug Wilson talked about the anger and disappointment from the postseason remaining strong, "having said that we have to ramp up the autopsy and start making business decisions in the next couple of weeks, I can't let that cloud our decision making process." Wilson talked about premiere teams wanting to face pressure instead of trying to avoid it. When asked about the roster, Papa lead off with a question about Joe Thornton. "Having met with Joe Thornton, Joe Thornton will be back on this hockey team next year..." Wilson said.

When asked whether captain Patrick Marleau was a lock to be on the roster next season, Wilson said he has more meetings with Marleau on the horizon. "Patrick Marleau is an interesting guy because has played very well in the playoffs on the goal scoring side of it, but he needs much like a lot of our guys to compete at a higher level." Papa also commented the offensive outage on the second line, noting that they scored 70 goals in the regular season and only 2 in the playoffs (both on the power play). Commenting on the team's performance against Anaheim, "Our goaltending, our defense and our forwards honestly, I don't think any of them played maybe better than 70% of their capabilities. We got beat, and we got beat across the board," Wilson said.

Four clips of the program are available via CSNBA: the first clip features Wilson talking about San Jose Sharks captain Patrick Marleau and the offseason player meetings that will determine the future direction of the hockey club, in the second clip Greg Jamison discusses the recent State of the Sharks question and answer session with fans, and in the third clip Jamison discusses whether an early playoff exit might result in reduced ticket sales for next season.

In the fourth informative clip posted above, Doug Wilson discussed where he thinks the season changed for San Jose and why he does not use injuries as an excuse:

I felt there was a time right after the allstar break where we kind of let things slide a little bit. People bring up the excuse of injuries, we had 8 or 9 key players out, but that is a reality in our sport. That is going to happen.

So if that gets you out of sync, or off your game, then you better look a little bit deeper because you can't expect... coming into the playoffs playing a team like Anaheim that won a Cup two years ago that knows what it takes, to all of a sudden hit a switch.

When our players came back into the lineup, I think they had been playing really good hockey for the last 12-15 games in Anaheim, we hadn't been quite on top of our game. We continued to play that way in the playoffs.

We don't really tolerate excuses. You know what is going to be ahead of you. You know the history in this league of what happens come playoff time, when teams are playoff hardened. We should have met that challenge. We didn't. Their goaltender was good, their defense was good. We were 0-12 on the power play the first two games. That is unacceptable. You are not going to win in the playoffs that way.

At the State of the Sharks event on May 14th head coach Todd McLellan speculated that the coaching staff may have made a few mistakes integrating injured players back into the lineup at the end of the regular season, but he also noted in a discussion with reporters after the season that they were unsure at the start of the playoff series with Anaheim how much they were going to be able to use an injured Patrick Marleau.

There were factors in the playoff loss the Sharks could have controlled, and factors beyond their control. Excuses come when using factors beyond your control to explain why you did not accomplish the things under your purview. There is no excuse for coming into a Stanley Cup playoff series against a bitter intra-state rival flat, and this is the fifth straight shaky postseason exit. There are tough offseason questions that need to be asked in the organization from the top down.

- Merc columnist Mark Purdy was the third wheel on the Chronicle program, and in his subsequent column he lead with the fact that the Sharks would not be trading Joe Thornton or Joe Pavelski. "The hunch here is that of the team's stars, Marleau is still the most likely to be moved," Purdy opined.

When Doug Wilson took over the reigns of the Sharks franchise from Dean Lombardi on May 13th, 2003, he said that he wanted to remould the team in a younger, more up-tempo and offensive fashion. After two false starts against Calgary and Dallas in the playoffs last year, Wilson butressed the team and the coaching staff with individuals and players who have had Stanley Cup winning experience.

There is a possibility that the Sharks could go in another direction with Patrick Marleau, either via a trade or his position as team captain. When asked earlier about the specifics of Marleau's no-trade clause as he enters the second year of a $12.6 million contract extension, Doug Wilson declined to discuss them given upcoming GM meetings. Marleau is a key component of the Sharks offensive style. He registered a career high 38 goals in the regular season and scored the only 2 game winning goals against Anaheim in the first round despite playing at 60-70% because of a knee injury. He was named the team's MVP, and no other player contributed to as many areas of the ice.

The Sharks are not going to get a greater on-ice value with any Marleau trade, it is much more likely to be a reverse Joe Thornton affair. San Jose could see a bigger impact with more structural changes. ESPN's E.J. Hradek noted that the Sharks needed a defenseman to step up and take the #2 role behind Dan Boyle. The Sharks split their defensive talent in order to have three solid defensive pairs. If Rob Blake returns to play with Vlasic, moving Christian Ehrhoff together with Boyle for 82 games could have a significant impact on both sides of the ice.

Evgeni Nabokov has started an average of 69.5 games the last two seasons, 85% of all regular season starts. Goaltender Brian Boucher went on an 8-1-1 tear when Nabokov went down with an injury early in the season, but his game and his confidence suffered when he returned to a more sporadic backup role later in the season. As Jonas Hiller, Simeon Varlamov and Cristobal Huet demonstrated, going into the postseason with a 2 goaltender solution can pay off if one struggles.

Up front the Sharks struggled all season to get offensive and defensive production from the third and fourth lines. A giant injury black hole swallowed any center that even looked at the third line, and the fourth line often received limited minutes and a greatly reduced role late in games. Following a Detroit model means getting contributions and game changing blue collar shifts throughout the forward lines.

The final internal change could come with Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton. Do you play them together, where they continue to dominate games and put up numbers, or do you split them on the top two lines? Each are players that make their linemates significantly better. Thornton was a catalyst for Cheechoo's Rocket Richard winning 56 goal season in 2005-06. Marleau centered two rookie wingers in Milan Michalek and Steve Bernier and helped cast them into the power forward roles they would develop into down the line. If a Marleau or a Thornton goes down with an injury in the playoffs, it does not affect the team as drastically if they are split, and they can still be utilized together on the power play.

There are significant changes that could be made across the board with the existing core group of players. The local media as well as the national and Canadian hockey media reflexively leaped into trade Thornton, trade Marleau and trade Nabokov discussions after the first round playoff exit. New faces can be brought in, star players can be moved out, or adjustments can be made within the organization. All signs point to the front office still being in the evaluation phase.

GABRIEL DESJARDINS STRENGTH OF SHOT CHART 2001-07

- In April Gabriel Desjardins crunched the numbers to determine the Top 10 NHL Goaltender Performances 5v5 for 2008-09 using the same excellent strength of shot methodology he used above in 2007. That analysis charted every goal scored from 2001-07 and calculated the number of goals from each quandrant that an average goaltender would allow given the same number of shots.

The 2008-09 Top 10: Tim Thomas -0.77, Nikolai Khabibulin -0.70, Roberto Luongo -0.69, Henrik Lundqvist -0.63, Tomas Vokoun -0.59, Kari Lehtonen -0.56, Jonas Hiller -0.56, Martin Brodeur -0.49, Craig Anderson -0.47, and Manny Fernandez -0.45. Boston and Florida were the only two teams with a pair of goaltenders in the top 10. Full stats for all goaltenders are available via behindthenet.ca here. Evgeni Nabokov finished with a -0.2 rating this season in 62 games played, Brian Boucher with a -0.4 in 28 games played.

Last year Desjardins also smacked down those calling for Evgeni Nabokov to earn the Vezina over Martin Broduer, (mainly me), with his full 2007-08 5v5 goaltender peformance numbers that gave Brodeur a definitive edge in terms of shot quality against. Three first time finalists are competing for the Vezina Trophy this year, Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom (37-24-8, .923SV%, 2.33GAA, 8SO), rookie Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason (33-20-7, .916SV%, 2.29GAA, 10SO), and Boston's Tim Thomas (36-11-7, .933SV%, 2.10GAA, 5SO).

Save percentage goes to Thomas (.933), improvement over expected save percentage (Desjardins methodology) goes to Thomas (-0.94), goals against average also goes to Thomas (2.10). Steve Mason received critical acclaim for his phenomenal rookie debut, but the favorite heading into the NHL Awards show June 18th in Las Vegas has to be Tim Thomas, despite splitting time with Manny Fernandez. All of that overlooks the fact that Backstrom received less goal support, started more games and earned more wins.

For more from Gabe visit puckprospectus.com or become an ESPN Insider to read his columns on the four letter network.

- The last 2 episodes of the DOH podcast delve into the Sharks offseason plans, download episode 49 here, and 50 here. The latest Globe Sports podcast previewed the Stanley Cup Finals between Detroit and Pittsburgh, and delved into the coaching situations in Edmonton and Calgary.

- A report last month noted that 2 NHL teams had permission to talk with San Jose Sharks assistant coach Todd Richards. Minnesota Star Tribune beat reporter Michael Russo confirmed the Wild were one of the teams interested. He added that the Minnesota native and former University of Minnesota defenseman would be a "heavy favorite" as GM Cliff Fletcher originally hired him as the AHL coach in Wilkes-Barre, where he lead the team to a Calder Cup Final last season. Richards focused on the power play and on the forward lines as an assistant coach in San Jose.

Pat Quinn was named the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers last week, with former New York Rangers head coach Tom Renney joining the staff as an assistant coach. After firing head coach Mike Keenan last week, Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter told the media that he was the best candidate for head coach at this point in his search. Former San Jose Shark and 19 year NHL veteran Dave Lowry also recently surfaced as a possible candidate in Calgary. Montreal also reportedly hired Jacques Martin as of this morning.

- Last month Steve Simmons noted in the Toronto Sun that the Sharks were interested in "free-agent big-shot" Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson. According to Simmons Gustavsson has narrowed down his list to Toronto, San Jose, Colorado and Dallas, but only Colorado had promised him a role as a starting goaltender.

A day later, his agent Joe Resnick told ESPN's Scott Burnside that no team had offered him a role as a starter and that as many as 20 NHL teams expressed interest in his services. Burnside says that Toronto GM Brian Burke draws comparisons of Gustavsson to Henrik Lundqvist.

Would a Nabokov-Gustavsson tandem be better than a Nabokov-Boucher or Nabokov-Greiss tandem? One more offseason question to add to the queue.

- Consider the source, but last month Eklund of Hockey Buzz floated a rumor that San Jose was the leading candidate for defenseman Rob Blake's services next season in his Top 20 UFA rankings for next season. The only other UFA on the radar for San Jose according to HB was New Jersey Devils defenseman Johnny Oduya.

Haven't heard the Oduya-to-SJ connect from any other sources, but his agent Don Meehan told the New Jersey Star Ledger that Oduya was a top 4 defenseman on any NHL team. Oduya earned $600,000 the last 2 seasons, but he should receive a significant bump after registering 7 goals and 29 points for New Jersey in 82 games played this season. How much the Sharks are going to budget for the 2009-10 season and the fate of UFA defenseman Rob Blake are going to play a large part in how active they are in the free agent market.

- More from the NJ Star Ledger: NHL general managers preparing for decrease in salary cap as free agency approaches.

As they compile their wish lists for the start of free agency beginning July 1, GMs will likely be facing the first decrease in the salary cap since it was instituted for the 2005-06 season.

The cap could drop by as much as $2.5 million for the 2009-10 season from its current $56.7 million figure, according to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. Although Daly couldn't say, it is not inconceivable that the figure could fall to $50 million for the 2010-11 season.

"At this point, we don't really have a good estimate of where the cap will be," Daly wrote in an e-mail to The Star-Ledger. "If the NHLPA wants a 5 percent inflator, and we agree, the cap should be relatively 'flat.' If there is no inflator applied, the cap will be down $2-$2.5 million."

- The Sharks have 12 players under contract for 2009-10 (Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo, Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi, Jamie McGinn, Dan Boyle, Christian Ehrhoff, Brad Lukowich, Douglas Murray, Evgeni Nabokov), 8 restricted free agents (Ryane Clowe, Marcel Goc, Torrey Mitchell, Tomas Plihal, Brad Staubitz, Lukas Kaspar, Riley Armstrong, Thomas Greiss), and 10 unrestricted free agents (Mike Grier, Jeremy Roenick, Claude Lemieux, Travis Moen, Tom Cavanagh, Ryan Vesce, Rob Blake, Alexei Semenov, Kent Huskins, Brian Boucher) as well as a $46.751 million cap hit according to NHLnumbers.com.

Last year Daily News writer Rich Hammond broke down Rob Blake's departure from Los Angeles and his signing in San Jose with a timeline from general manager Dean Lombardi and a timeline from Blake's agent Pat Brisson. Feathers were ruffled in Los Angeles when the former Allstar and captain said the Kings never made him an offer in a conference call.

A resurgent Blake piled up 14 more points (10G, 35A) and 54 more shots on goal (198) than a difficult season in 2007-08 with Los Angeles. Blake was a large component of the Sharks agressive offense 5-on-5 and on the power play, but another $5 million contract for 2009-10 might be difficult to pull the trigger on. If the Sharks are going to take ownership of the worst playoff exit in franchise history, that should be reflected in contract numbers for next season, core players like Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Rob Blake, and Evgeni Nabokov included.

- The Economics of The Southern NHL - mc79hockey.

- Lukowich Joins S.J. Sharkie for Street Hockey, The Sharks defenseman attends Mobile Shark Tank at Holly Oak Elementary.

Defenseman Brad Lukowich cut through the traffic in front of the net, perfectly stick-handling between the outstretched sticks attempting to stop him. The last player to beat was the goalie, who was clearly struggling to keep up with Lukowich's speed. Left to right, forehand to backhand, a flick of the wrist and the puck was in the back of the net.

Cheers erupted from the second and third graders at Holly Oak Elementary School, from both the sidelines and from the students playing on Team Teal. Lukowich just gave his side a 2-0 lead over Sharkie's Team Orange.

Today was the Sharkie Lunch Bunch Day for Holly Oak's students and that meant that the Mobile Shark Tank was coming. Included in the visit was Sharks mascot S.J. Sharkie, who helped his crew who set up a street hockey court for the students. Also present was Lukowich, who assisted by playing in the games and serving ice cream. "Lots of these kids only see us on the ice during games," Lukowich said, "so to come out and do something like this helps them realize that we are just like them."

It is awesome when Toronto shuts down Yonge Street for street hockey in the summer, it is awesome to see Lukowich don the (sandals) for street hockey in San Jose. Photos from the event are available from the official website here.

[Update] Hat tip to GB: Silicon Valley venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, recently named the most popular VC blogger according to TechCrunch, twittered that former Shark Alexander Korolyuk was in town last month playing pickup hockey against him at a local rink. Kawasaki's blog is available here.

[Update2] Commissioner Gary Bettman's State of the N.H.L. News Conference - NYT Slapshots blog.

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Battery Salt and Pepper

2009-06-01T08:31:00.001-07:00

[jaw_drop]

Must have salt & pepper shakers!

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Battery Salt and Pepper

via Design Milk by Jaime on 5/27/09

Add a touch of the industrial to your table.

http://www.a2591.com/2009/05/im-not-battery.html

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How To Build A Better Burger

2009-06-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

Mental note / for those who want to know:

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How To Build A Better Burger

via The Kitchn by sarahrae on 5/27/09

We've always been real sticklers for the manner in which we build our burgers. We change up the ingredients going into the patty quite often, but today we're talking about the physical order in which the ingredients are layered. By stacking your burger in a certain manner, you can actually help tame the rogue condiments and escaping vegetables (we're looking at you tomato) and enhance the flavor of your burger!

We've been told 100 times over (and then some) that all of this is nonsense, just throw some meat and veg on a bun and dive in! But for us, there are certain tastes on a burger that when in combination with each other enhance their flavors, plus there are some things that just get messy when placed next to each other. To start, we'd like to say that deep down, we're burger purists. We like a toasty bun, perfectly cooked farm fresh meat and if we're feeling saucy some bacon or jalapeno with a little mayo. But, we know that many of you prefer a burger with a bit more color and design and structure to it. Here's how we go about it: We begin with the bottom bun (obviously!) which we prefer toasted slightly. It will help hold your condiments in the bread and not on your shirts. This would stand to reason that condiments come next, but only your ketchup and mustard. Mayo has a more delicate texture and can get lost down below, plus it can help anchor your veggies up top! Next up is pickles. They go under the meat so their strong crisp flavor doesn't overpower your tomato that gets added later. Add your meat and your cheese (which is hopefully melted) and then your tomato. If your cheese is melty enough it should hold the tomato still. Add your lettuce (it acts like a blanket and keeps the tomato in place) and then your onion and mayo. We prefer red onion for taste and color both. Top it off with your toasted top bun and you're all set. If we use bacon we place it on the meat, but under the cheese. It keeps it in place and allows the taste of the two meats to mingle. Plus, it's nice to have the cheese hang onto things so you don't take one bite and end up with an entire strip of bacon that's pulled out of the assembly. It seems like a great deal of information, but once you start assembling, it will go together in a snap! Do you like your burger layered a different way? Let us know how and why in the comments below! Related: Recipe: Old-Fashioned Juicy Burgers (Image: Alaina B. licensed for use under Creative Commons and Sarahrae)

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Google's new "Wave"; was the name actually inspired by Firefly?

2009-06-01T08:23:00.001-07:00

I heart google.

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Google's new "Wave"; was the name actually inspired by Firefly?

via Whedonesque | a weblog about Joss Whedon on 5/29/09

http://wave.google.com/

Curious if the name of Google's new application called "Wave" might be Whedon-inspired, I watched the developer preview...

just a few minutes in to the video and I became certain of it. The presentation includes the lead programming engineers and project managers making multiple Firefly/Serenity references and even the "Wave" program itself prints the words, "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!" at the bottom of the screen when it unexpectedly crashes (it's still in development). Kudos to Google's programmers for their good taste and for creating what looks to be a frikin' awesome new application!

[ edited by Penthos on 2009-05-31 03:44 ]

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Family Mealtime: How To Make Your Own Baby Food Guest Post from Cheryl of Ba...

2009-05-29T08:31:00.001-07:00

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Family Mealtime: How To Make Your Own Baby Food Guest Post from Cheryl of Backseat Gourmet

via The Kitchn by Faith on 5/28/09

This isn't a lecture about making your own baby food. I will only ask this: why wouldn't you? Sure, it takes a bit of time and a bit of freezer room. But other than a blender, food mill, food processor, or a strong arm and a fork there is no special equipment required. How do I get a load of baby food made and in the freezer with a toddler on hand and a busy schedule? When all is said and done, an hour of work once every week or two will get you loads of food.

One thing that definitely helped was teaching the toddler how to peel veggies. While the little one napped The Monster and I would stand and peel veggies. It was a great activity for both of us. And the pride she had when she had seeing her sister eating the food she made was enough to make a Mama Foodie cry. In the end, I've created a future cook. You can't be a true foodie if you can't cook. Baby Food Making Supplies Vegetable peeler Sharp knife Pot with tight fitting lid/ Steamer Water Fork Food processor/blender/food mill Ice Cube Trays Plastic Bags or plastic containers Wash and peel any vegetables like carrots, parsnips, beets, squash, sweet potatoes. Trim the ends of beans and zucchini. Peel all fruit (except berries). Chop the veggies into uniform pieces and place them in a small pot with a fitted lid (what I do) or a steamer. Add about a half cup or so of water, not to cover, only to fill the bottom of the pot. Set it on the stove, with a burner turned to high. Don't walk away and watch TV, otherwise you will boil away all the water and burn your veggies (trust me). Steam the veggies until a fork will go through them easily, adding more water if necessary. All veggies, barring cucumber, should be cooked. I also cook my pears and apples, essentially making an applesauce. But I do not cook berries, mango, papaya, or bananas. When veggies/fruit are done, drain them of any water. Reserve the cooking liquids. Put your veggies in your blender/food processor/food mill. You may need to add water to get the desired consistency. To start with you may want quite smooth purees. Unless it is a veggie like a sweet potato or cauliflower you might have to add water to do this. If you run out of cooking water I usually take what's left in the kettle after boiling my water for tea that day. Some veggies have a lot of water in them and you won't need to add any, like zucchini. Do not feel like you are diluting your food if you add water. I'm not a nutritionist, so don't quote me if I say it's okay. But I do know that babies bowels have a hard time with new foods and the little bit of extra water generally helps if they are constipated. It's not like I'm serving her soup! Once you've reached the desired consistency, pour your puree into clean ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen you can store in plastic bags or plastic containers. Each cube is essentially one serving. You can defrost the cubes in the microwave or leave a few in the fridge each morning to defrost. They are easy to transport and you can still feed your kid your homemade love when you are out and about. I want to make a special note about meat here. Generally I will poach the chicken, or keep a tiny piece of red meat or fish aside for her. No seasonings, but broil it or bake it as I do the rest for the family. You need a good blender to really get small pieces, and I generally have to add water (the poaching liquid). When you are feeding the little one, I find it easier to mix it right in with the veggies, you get a better consistency for them. With fish I don't even bother blending it. You can flake it into small enough pieces that are easy for a babe to eat. The next step is encouraging your child to eat and explore food. • Let them get messy. It sure isn't pretty and it's hard on cloth bibs and clothes. But I'm thankful we have dogs that have learned that the floor is pretty tasty after the girls eat. And I highly recommend bibs that cover the shoulders to save yourself some laundry headaches. • Let them decided how much they are going to eat. We should all eat like babies - they get loads of colour in their mostly plant based diet and they stop when they are hungry. • Let them try new things, even if they didn't like it the first time. I saw some guy on TV once (how's that for a source?) who said kids need to be exposed to something about 10 times before they can truly establish a like or dislike for it. Keep offering it. • Don't let a lack of teeth stop you from introducing chewy and rough textures. My little one still only has her two bottom front teeth, and that's it. And she regularly eats steak, pizza, and raw peppers. One final note. Please listen to your public health nurse or health care provider on the recommended way to introduce food. Certain foods should be avoided in the first year, strawberries and egg whites, for example. I'm only a mom, not a nutrition or health care expert. Thank you for sharing, Cheryl! We actually split Cheryl's introduction to baby foods into two posts, so make sure you check out her first post here too: Family Mealtime: Cooking for Babies.

Visit Cheryl's weblog:
Backseat Gourmet

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National Food Roundup: Olive BreadFrom Nationwide Newspaper Food Sections 05...

2009-05-29T08:27:00.001-07:00

Tasty!

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National Food Roundup: Olive BreadFrom Nationwide Newspaper Food Sections 05.27.09

via The Kitchn by Joanna on 5/28/09

It may be the season for salads and grilling, but comfort food doesn't seem to be going anywhere – it's just a little lighter for summer. We've rounded up a few recipes below, and why not start with a slice of homemade olive bread?

It may take 10-12 days to prepare the sourdough starter, but the Providence Journal says this Olive Bread from Seven Stars Bakery (pictured) is well worth the wait.
The Denver Post's Black Mushroom Fideau combines two kinds of pasta with fresh mushrooms, a homemade broth and garlic aioli.
The San Francisco Chronicle celebrates the marriage of pasta and vegetables and maps out the rest of the summer with the perfect seasonal recipe for each month. For May, it's Asparagus Broth with Seashell Pasta, Lime & Pecorino, and June is Zucchini, Fava & Arugula Soup.
The Oregonian offers a two-for-one recipe. A Tomato-Braised Chicken with Kale, Olives and Polenta turns into a second meal of Tomato-Chicken Soup With Polenta Croutons.
The Los Angeles Times puts together a cioppino (fish stew) that's perfect for summer entertaining.

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USA Today: Jay-Z/Eminem limited edition DJ Hero pack coming

2009-05-29T07:11:00.001-07:00

Spiritual sequel to Amplitude?

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USA Today: Jay-Z/Eminem limited edition DJ Hero pack coming

According to a USA Today article, Activision has turned to Jay-Z and Eminem to provide some added value to a special-edition release of DJ Hero. In addition to the game, the bundle reportedly includes greatest-hits CDs from both rappers, possibly with new tracks, an "advanced version of the controller, a DJ stand and metal traveling case." In addition, the two will serve as "consultants" to Activision, and will, of course, contribute tracks to the game.

Another collaborator, DJ Shadow, put four screenshots of DJ Hero up on his website that finally show some gameplay. It appears to be very similar to Guitar Hero, except sometimes the note line moves a bit, which we believe indicates switching tracks on the crossfader.

[Via NeoGAF]

USA Today: Jay-Z/Eminem limited edition DJ Hero pack coming originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 May 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim O'Connor

Google Wave: What Might Email Look Like If It Were Invented Today?

2009-05-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

Good read.

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Google Wave: What Might Email Look Like If It Were Invented Today?

Yesterday's Google I/O keynote highlighted the power of HTML 5 to match functionality long experienced in desktop applications. This morning, Google plans to announce an HTML 5-based application - still very much in the early stages of development - that represents a profound advance in the state of the art.

Lars and Jens Rasmussen, the original creators of Google Maps, will take the stage to unveil their latest project, Google Wave. As Lars describes it, "We set out to answer the question: What would email look like if we set out to invent it today?"

That is exactly the right question, and one that every developer should be asking him or herself. The world of computing has changed, profoundly, yet so many of our applications bear the burden of decades of old thinking. We need to challenge our assumptions and re-imagine the tools we take for granted. It's perhaps no accident that this project, carried out secretly at Google's Sydney office over the past two years, had the code name Walkabout. That's the Australian aboriginal tradition of going off for an extended period to retrace the songlines and learn the world anew.

In answering the question, Jens, Lars, and team re-imagined email and instant-messaging in a connected world, a world in which messages no longer need to be sent from one place to another, but could become a conversation in the cloud. Effectively, a message (a wave) is a shared communications space with elements drawn from email, instant messaging, social networking, and even wikis.

It turns out that Jens had the idea back in 2004, when Google first acquired the company that became Google Maps. As Lars tells the story:

We were excited to join Google and help create what would become Google Maps. But we also started thinking about what might come next for us after maps.

As always, Jens came up with the answer: communication. He pointed out that two of the most spectacular successes in digital communication, email and instant messaging, were originally designed in the '60s to imitate analog formats — email mimicked snail mail, and IM mimicked phone calls. Since then, so many different forms of communication had been invented — blogs, wikis, collaborative documents, etc. — and computers and networks had dramatically improved. So Jens proposed a new communications model that presumed all these advances as a starting point....

We started with a set of tough questions:

Why do we have to live with divides between different types of communication — email v...

Tim O'Connor

Apple iPhone 3.0 rumor roundup

2009-05-28T07:49:00.001-07:00

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Apple iPhone 3.0 rumor roundup

Heard any good iPhone 3.0 rumors lately? No? That's because they're all here in this tidy little roundup. The latest (pictured above) is a purported top-facing bezel frame for the "Apple iPhone 3Gen 2009." Besides being black unlike the chrome edge of the iPhone 3G, iLounge and others have noticed a repositioned ear speaker, tucked high against the top-edge that could be making way for a front-facing camera or additional sensor(s). iLounge also created a render (pictured after the break) of a 5th gen iPod nano based on information provided by a source who "has a perfect track record for accuracy." In addition to a slightly larger screen with 1.5:1 aspect, there's now a camera on the back; a redesign that dovetails nicely with rumors about Apple to getting serious with integrated video and digital cameras. iLounge also claims that there will be three new models (3G, enhanced 3G, and mainland China version lacking WiFi we suspect) of iPhones with matte plastic bodies less prone to scratching. Importantly, countries will get the phone appropriate to their telco's capabilities -- iLounge says users won't have to choose between a fast and slow iPhone, they'll get what their carriers can support. Each will ship in a choice of two capacity options with 32GB being the top-end rumored. Oh, and iPhone 3.0 will also get into the Nike+ game without requiring an adapter (like the iPod touch). These rumors ride a wave of reports that inventories of the iPhone 3G are running low and component makers are now shipping parts for the next generation iPhone. So Steve Jobs or not, we're still expecting the hardware to be announced at WWDC with possible July 17 launch.

Tim O'Connor

Kojima teaser site updates with ... Big Boss [update]

2009-05-27T07:38:00.001-07:00

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Kojima teaser site updates with ... Big Boss [update]

via Joystiq [PlayStation] by Randy Nelson on 5/26/09

Another countdown has come to an end on Kojima Productions' now-infamous teaser site, and, in among flashes of lightning, the unmistakable face of Big Boss appears on screen. He looks older than he did in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and is wearing a beret bearing a patch which reads "Militares Sans Frontieres" (Military Without Borders).

In Metal Gear canon, Big Boss was part of Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) in Vietnam during 1969 -- five years after the events of Snake Eater and one year before Portable Ops takes place. Will we once again be donning the Greatest Soldier's boots, this time on a sneaking mission in/during 'Nam? The new countdown ends just as E3 begins. Our anticipation? It's endless.

Update: A number of commenters (thanks, guys!) have pointed our attention to a Famitsu scan which shows, among other titillating images, a clear shot of Raiden, assumedly amidst the countdown page's thundering teasers. As techno-Raiden and Naked Snake can't really occupy the same period of time, we're beginning to think Kojima's "NEXT" big project is ... well, two projects. We'd love to hear your hypothesis after the jump (where we've posted a clip of said scan). The article's headline roughly reads: "[Interviewer:] Can I possibly publish this all? Kojima: Only if you blank out certain key words."

Continue reading Kojima teaser site updates with ... Big Boss [update]

Kojima teaser site updates with ... Big Boss [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 May 2009 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Even the Model of Shanghai is Huge

2009-05-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

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Even the Model of Shanghai is Huge

via (title unknown) by Trey Ratcliff on 5/25/09

Look at this crazy place I found in Shanghai!

This was inside one of the many government buildings. It was a multi-story complex dedicated to the past, present, and future of Shanghai. It was filled with multimedia presentations on the water systems, photo exhibits of the Bund under British control, and video extrapolations of what the city would become in 2020.

Of all these cool things, the best was this gigantic model of Shanghai. I walked around it about five times, trying to get some kind of sense of how to photograph the dang thing. Then, finally, I decided to grab a shot that included a few tourists to show the scale of this monstrosity.

By the way, thanks so much for all the interest in the Newsletter yesterday! I put a map on that page showing where all the early subscribers are coming from. I was, frankly, surprised how many people signed up! Now the pressure is on to deliver something that is worthwhile!

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Tall, Cool Drinks for a Relaxing Long Weekend Straight Up Cocktails and Spirits

2009-05-22T09:12:00.001-07:00

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Tall, Cool Drinks for a Relaxing Long Weekend Straight Up Cocktails and Spirits

via The Kitchn by Nora on 5/22/09

Memorial Day weekend's almost here. These last lazy days of May call for something tall, cool, and refreshing. Something that's quick and easy to mix so you can get back to that very important job of relaxing... Here's a roundup of some of our favorite no-hassle patio drinks:

Dark and Stormy Deliciously spicy ginger beer is mixed with rich, dark rum and accented with a zippy wedge of lime. Even if you're just enjoying a sunny moment on your fire escape, Bermuda's national drink is the perfect thing to put you in an island mood. (Full recipe here.) Pimm's Cup This very British, very refreshing drink brings to mind Wimbledon, cricket matches, and sailing regattas. The delicately spicy liquor, Pimm's No. 1 is mixed with ginger ale or lemonade, and garnished with fresh herbs and fruit. Nothing like it after a day of gardening. (Full recipe here.) Gin and Tonic We featured this summer classic just last week - and it's well worth mentioning again. Cool, zesty, and crisp, the Gin and Tonic is one of the most perennially popular patio drinks. (More on G & Ts here.) Gin and Lemonade The tart, citrusy snap of lemon and the cool, crisp juniper-y flavor of gin, with a little sweetener to round things out. Pour 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of gin into a glass, top with lemonade, add a little ice and you're good to go. You can use homemade lemonade, frozen lemonade, or the fizzy, bottled stuff - it's all pretty tasty on a hot day. Lorina sparkling French lemonade is a personal favorite splurge (and it has a great re-usable bottle, I always rationalize to myself). Club Soda and... (Your Pick) Club soda and other kinds of fizzy water (we'll be taking a closer look at the various types in next week's column) make great staples for impromptu tall drinks. They mix well with everything from high-octane infused vodkas to delicate cordials such as St. Germain elderflower liqueur and Crème de Violette. For a quick and delicious cooler, try adding club soda to a measure of Campari or Limoncello. The possibilities are endless. And Don't Forget.... Ice. Make sure your freezer's well-stocked before the weekend begins. (Tips on making perfect cubes for warm-weather drinks here.) Have a great one! What will you be drinking this weekend? Related: Summer Cocktails! The Full Roundup (Images: Nora Maynard) -Nora Maynard

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NPD: Video gaming surpasses moviegoing

2009-05-20T17:37:00.001-07:00

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NPD: Video gaming surpasses moviegoing

via Joystiq by Griffin McElroy on 5/20/09

Are you puzzled as to why visionary director Steven Spielberg recently made the leap from managing motion pictures to creating block-n-ball Wii games? The answer can be found in a recent NPD study: According to the NPD research group, 63 percent of Americans have played a video game in the past six months -- but only 53 percent of Americans went out to the movies over the same time period. Mr. Spielberg is jumping off a burning ship.

Do you realize what this means? We're winning. We're not sure what we're winning, but surely someone, somewhere, was arguing about why video games are better than films. The NPD just supplied this lone crusader with an invaluable piece of empirical evidence. Keep the fire, brother. Your hour of victory draws near.

For more stats about how great video games are, check out the NPD's full report.

NPD: Video gaming surpasses moviegoing originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 May 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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emo_lawn_tshirt.jpg (JPEG Image, 350x350 pixels)

2009-05-16T08:59:00.001-07:00

Heh. I'll try to remember this once Lisa and I get a lawn! ;-)

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emo_lawn_tshirt.jpg (JPEG Image, 350x350 pixels)

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Tim O'Connor

SETI Picks Up Regular Laser Pulse Emanating From Space [Aliens]

2009-05-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Scary and cool at the same time.

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SETI Picks Up Regular Laser Pulse Emanating From Space [Aliens]

Astrophysicist Ragbir Bhathal works with SETI to scan the skies for possible communications from extraterrestrial intelligences. Unlike most SETI facilities, which look for radio signals, Bhathal's looks for laser pulses. And now he's found one.

Several years ago Bhathal, a researcher at the University of Western Sydney, suggested that a likely form of extraterrestrial communication would be laser bursts. He set up a facility at his lab which sweeps a nearby volume of space, within about 100 light years, for laser bursts that come in a regular pattern. Any kind of communication would likely be distinguished from background noise by coming in repeated or non-random patterns.

And a few months ago, Bhathal found the kind of regular pattern he's been looking for. He's been analyzing it and seeking a repeat pattern in the same area of space ever since. Though he's cautious about claiming it as a genuine extraterrestrial signal, his discovery has been making local news. Read all about it in The Australian.

Image by Lynett Cook.

Tim O'Connor

Logitech Harmony Adapter for Playstation 3 now shipping

2009-05-15T10:16:00.001-07:00

Thank goodness for this, finally I can use my Harmony One as truly "one" remote control.

Stupid Sony, trying to make Bluetooth the new standard when every device out there responds to IR. I can see trying to move towards Bluetooth (line of sight is annoying) but at LEAST keep in the IR capability.

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Logitech Harmony Adapter for Playstation 3 now shipping

via Engadget by Darren Murph on 5/15/09

Just try to wrap your minds around this, Harmony / PS3 owners: this weekend is the last weekend that your otherwise awesome universal remote won't be able to power on your otherwise awesome Blu-ray / media player. Wild, we know. Logitech's heralded Harmony Adapter for PlayStation 3 -- which converts the IR blasts coming from your Harmony-branded remote to Bluetooth signals that the console understands -- is now shipping. You can pretty much take your pick of e-tailers, but the read link leads to a sweet 10 percent off promotion that'll save you a few bones compared to buying from Amazon. Whatever the case, the MSRP is $59.99, so feel free to track down the best deal in all your free time.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Logitech Harmony Adapter for Playstation 3 now shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 May 2009 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Incredibly Strange Landscapes Created By Humans [Aerial Photography]

2009-05-15T10:07:00.001-07:00

Amazing photos.

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Incredibly Strange Landscapes Created By Humans [Aerial Photography]

via io9 by Annalee Newitz on 5/14/09

No, this isn't Photoshopped - it's a real image, taken from a helicopter among the apartment buildings of mainland Hong Kong. Photographer Jason Hawkes captures bizarre human-made formations from the air - some unrecognizable.

This is in England, in a lot where cars and vans are stored before being shipped out to dealers. When Hawkes flew overhead, it just happened to be red SUV day.

What the hell is this? Balls? Trash? Grain? No. These are heaping piles of tomatoes dumped along a river in France.

Sadly this is not a set of mining platforms for sucking ultra-dense deuterium out of the Jovian atmosphere. These are the Maunsell Sea Forts, built in the UK's Thames and Mersey estuaries during World War II.

Check out more of Hawkes' brilliant photography on his site. (via Boston Globe's Big Picture)

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Private Browsing Sweater [PIC]

2009-05-14T08:33:00.001-07:00

Proof positive that sweaters will one day overtake humans and the T-800s. They just need to figure out how to flip themselves out like this and we are all doomed.

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Private Browsing Sweater [PIC]

via FFFFOUND! / EVERYONE by blankenship on 5/11/09

via http://www.buzzfeed.com/reddit/privacy-pic

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FDA to General Mills: Your Marketing Has Made Cheerios Into A Drug [Fda]

2009-05-14T08:31:00.001-07:00

FDA-pwned.

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FDA to General Mills: Your Marketing Has Made Cheerios Into A Drug [Fda]

via Consumerist by Meg Marco on 5/12/09

Do you want to know something about Cheerios that, until recently, General Mills didn't know? Of course you do. Cheerios is a drug. No, really. The WSJ Health Blog says that General Mills made a slight, um, let's call it a "miscalculation" when they were drafting their marketing speech and by claiming that Cheerios is "clinically proven to lower cholesterol," they inadvertently "cause[d] it to be a drug." Whoopsies!

The FDA says, in a letter to General Mills:

Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios® Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.

The letter continues on to say that Cheerios "may not be legally marketed with the above claims in the United States without an approved new drug application."

Is it wrong that we desperately want to read such an application?

FDA Warns General Mills: Cheerios Is a Drug [WSJ]
(Photo:Superchou)

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