Photo: brewbooks / CC A team of botanists have unveiled a new research tool which aims to settle one of the field’s most basic of complications; there are some 375,000 plant species on Earth, but they’re known by a whopping 1.25 million names. To help ease the taxonomic disparity and consolidate the world of botanical studies, an international team of researchers have compiled an extensive ‘Plant List’ — containing every species known to man, and the various names they’re known by. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …Toshiba NB550D netbook spills specs, including 1GHz AMD Ontario APU and Harman Kardon sound
December 29, 2010 No Comment
Looks like the AMD Fusion netbook strategy may be to supplant Intel’s Atom wholesale in the leadup to CES, as Toshiba has just become the second manufacturer to swap out an Atom chip for a 1GHz AMD C-50 Ontario APU while leaving the rest of the design practically untouched. Notebook Italia just spotted this 10-inch Toshiba NB550D having a grand old time on the company’s German website, leisurely flexing its Harman Kardon speakers and newfound HDMI port, all the while dreaming about ways to upgrade its scant 1GB of DDR3 memory and 250GB of magnetic storage. Interestingly, Toshiba’s actually forecasting only 9.5 hours of battery life for the AMD version (compared to 10 hours with Intel’s 1.5GHz Atom N550 CPU), but we suppose that’s the price you pay to have Radeon HD 6250M graphics on board. We’ll try to get pricing and availability when we inevitably spot it at CES next week. Toshiba NB550D netbook spills specs, including 1GHz AMD Ontario APU and Harman Kardon sound originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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A 9-year-old female Cheetah is taking care of two cubs at a Smithsonian National Zoo complex in Virginia. But only one of the cubs is hers. Researchers did this because single cheetah cubs typically do not survive in the wild. (Dec. 29)
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Map: NASA , public domain. Good Thing “Rare Earths” Aren’t That Rare… They say that in life, timing is everything. It’s now starting to look like the re-opening of the Mountain Pass rare earths mine in California has excellent timing. During the past decade, China has dominated the market as a supplier of rare earth elements, which are minerals necessary to make all kinds of high-tech things, … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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The King County, Washington sheriff’s office says a 92-year-old man chewed through restraints to free himself after two men robbed his house. (Dec. 29)
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So you nabbed a webOS device over the holidays? Maybe you got yourself a Pixi or Pre Plus , or if you were really lucky, someone dropped a Pre 2 in your stocking. We know that Palm isn’t exactly ruling the roost when it comes to smartphones, but that doesn’t mean that your new device isn’t plenty powerful given the right apps and proper tweaks. In fact, webOS can stand toe-to-toe with the iOS and Android devices of the world, even if the selection of apps and hardware leaves something to be desired. So how do you turn your holiday cheer into a year-round workhorse? Read on after the break for the must-have apps, accessories, and more! Continue reading Just got a Palm phone? The best apps, accessories, and tips Just got a Palm phone? The best apps, accessories, and tips originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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In a May 2009 interview with the Associated Press, the late soul singer Teena Marie talks about prayer, her addiction to vicodin, having seizures and living life after the death of her musical mentor, Rick James. (Dec. 29)
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Earlier this month the US Coast Guard made a $48 million cocaine bust off the coast of Panama and detained three alleged traffickers. Official say they’ve made a real dent the the drug war. (Dec. 29)
Continue reading …N.Y. Times Downplayed Clapper ABC Gaffe — No Critics, Only Pals Who Found It ‘Deeply Misleading’
December 29, 2010 No Comment
Yesterday, we reviewed how other national networks skipped out on ABC’s accidental discovery in an interview last week that James Clapper, Obama’s director of national intelligence, had no clue about London terror arrests that had been splashed all over TV that day. Several newspapers picked up the story on December 23, but they were all stocked only with chummy Clapper supporters trying to undo the damage. Scott Shane’s article in the December 23 New York Times (headlined “White House Rallies Round National Intelligence Chief”) was mostly a White House recounting of why no one should be alarmed by Clapper’s ignorance. Readers were told the gaffe was “deeply misleading.” Shane began: “The Obama administration scrambled on Wednesday to undo the damage from an ABC News clip that appeared to show that James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, was clueless on Monday about terrorism arrests in Britain that had been a major news story for hours.” The scrambling paid off, because the Times quoted no one scolding Clapper, even the liberals who scolded him on MSNBC. It was all damage control: read more
Continue reading …Verizon to demo Home Monitoring and Control system at CES, launch pilot in Jersey next month
December 29, 2010 No Comment
Looks like home automation may finally be taking baby steps towards the mainstream — Verizon’s just announced that it’ll be demoing that long-rumored Home Monitoring and Control system at CES 2011, with a planned beta rollout in New Jersey to follow. The system will allow users to remotely view security cameras, lock doors, and control lights, thermostats, and appliances through their smartphones or FiOS TV boxes — the same capabilities most other automation systems offer, but with the added benefit of being integrated and installed by Verizon. The pilot homes in Jersey will receive an energy reader, smart appliance switches and thermostats, door and window locks, a power strip, motion sensors, an indoor pan-and-tilt camera, and a fixed indoor / outdoor camera when the system launches next month, but Verizon says that’s just the beginning. We’re told the system will use Z-Wave wireless control units and WiFi security cameras, so we’re guessing there’ll be a central box that integrates everything — and we’ve got a feeling this whole thing is based on 4Home (pictured above), which was just acquired by Motorola Mobility. We’ll find out more at CES — stay tuned. Continue reading Verizon to demo Home Monitoring and Control system at CES, launch pilot in Jersey next month Verizon to demo Home Monitoring and Control system at CES, launch pilot in Jersey next month originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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