This week at GigaOM ‘s NetWork 2010 conference in San Francisco, we briefly mingled with our robot overlords and survived to tell the tale. Anybots was letting its $15,000 QB telepresence robot decimate roam the crowd, and we were invited to interact with one and then take another for a spin by way of remote control. The experience was entertaining but still rather impersonal, mostly due to the lack of two-way video, something that’s billed as “coming soon.” There’s no word on whether the robots — which are starting to (literally) roll off the assembly line — were amused or not. Based on our abysmal remote-control skills, we can only assume our lives were spared for one reason: to write this post. Take a look at our videos after the break! Gallery: Anybots QB hands-on Continue reading Anybots QB hands-on Anybots QB hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Caused By Short-Term Extreme Weather Not Gradual Temperature Rise
December 10, 2010 No Comment
The blue areas in this image represent changes in elevation of the ice sheet from 2003-2006; the grey areas represent no change in elevation. Image: NASA Goddard Photo and Video / Creative Commons . We’ve all heard that the Greenland Ice Sheet is melting and that should it disappear completely some really dr… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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It’s a predictable cycle that goes something like this: Scientists’ research unearths new findings about ecology or human health that prove inconvenient to corporate interests. Industry ignores it. The body of research grows. Corporations bankroll (directly or indirectly) ‘experts’ to attempt to discredit research in Congressional hearings and other public venues. Conf… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Image credit: Markarthu Christine has discussed the risks and benefits of raw milk before. And with Senate Bill 510 potentially putting raw milk in danger , and with armed police reportedly swooping on organic coops in Ohio , the battle over if and how food regulations designed for an industrial … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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In AP’s weekly Video Game Video, “The Fighter” director David O. Russell talks about how he’s adapting Sony’s popular “Uncharted” game franchise into a family-focused movie – set to star Mark Wahlberg. (Dec. 10)
Continue reading …Vandals Kill ‘Holy’ Tree Supposedly Grown from Joseph of Arimathea’s Staff
December 10, 2010 No Comment
Image credit: Jez Cope , used under Creative Commons license. From illegal tree killings to boost real estate values , to Berkeley tree protesters’ controversial actions , chopping down even one tree can stir up a lot of anger. But when that tree is also a religious icon that is said to have grown from a staff bel… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Photos via Core77 Does every family include a relative that tucks a $2 bill into a child’s hand? Design site Core77.com gives you the power to be that relative with its 2010 holiday gift guide . A $2 bill is just the beginning of the 77 gifts on the list — all under $77. (For more design-savvy gifts, check out our Holiday Gift Guide for the Design Junkie .)… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Hey, it’s December, what else are you going to do but monger rumors of the next iPad ? Reuters has rounded up no less than four sources from within Apple’s component suppliers, all expressing their belief that the hallowed tablet will be refreshed some time in early 2011. A pair of the tipsters could only go so far as to say that production at places like Wintek and Simplo is expected to ramp up in the first quarter, while the other two were more decisive in identifying the cause for the extra activity as Apple’s next tablet iteration. As to the future iPad’s camera or cameras, one source says it’ll feature both a back-mounted and a front-facing module, with Largan and Genius identified as having received new orders from Cupertino for churning out imagers. Notably, the latter is currently also supplying the iPhone 4′s photon collector and there’s no confirmation that whatever they produce will inevitably land in an iPad 2, but the tea leaves seem to be in agreement: parts are targeted for a February shipment in preparation for an April iPad refresh . Whether the new slate arrives at that time, however, will be another matter altogether. iPad 2 will have rear and front-facing cameras, say multiple sources originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 03:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Boy, we know the Cr-48 is supposed to be a test platform and all, but even by that standard, Google’s Chrome OS laptop has had a very rough first day on the job. Ambushed by one of our kindly tipsters upon its arrival, the Cr-48 has been gutted and disassembled (mostly, the motherboard is mercifully left attached to the chassis), revealing the typical arrangement of tiny electronics, which includes Hynix memory chips and a SanDisk-branded SSD. We’re just glad to see that masking tape isn’t playing a structurally integral role in its construction. Things don’t really get much better for the slinky 48 once it gets back home to Google HQ, however, as its makers have put together an entire video composed of creative destruction methods for it. Cruel, cruel people. Gallery: Google Cr-48 laptop torn down Continue reading Google Cr-48 laptop torn down and destroyed in one unlucky day (video) Google Cr-48 laptop torn down and destroyed in one unlucky day (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 02:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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