The passengers of the Carnival Cruise liner that was adrift in the Pacific Ocean describe what conditions were like on board and how they endured their time without electricity or hot water. (Nov. 11)
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Sure, we know how this works: cities need to justify their budgets for continued funding from state and national governments, so they buy expensive — and often unnecessary — high-tech toys for their police . And when your town’s ready to make that transition from Barney Fife to SWAT, why not call Inspector Bots? The paramilitary nature of its Mega Hurtz Tactical Robot isn’t softened by the delicious pun in its name, and if you don’t believe us ask any nogoodnik who’s had to face down its turret-mounted 20RPS Modified Mil-Sim Paintball Gun / Assault Rifle, capable of firing off twenty non-lethal (but extremely painful) pepperball rounds per second. The beast is billed as a “heavy duty 280 lb two-man-portable monster” that can record audio and video, be controlled by a remote operator, and has night vision capability. But that ain’t all! Not only does it feature a welded steel chassis designed to demolish doors and concrete walls, it also looks really awesome in the video… even if it doesn’t make the streets safer. See for yourself after the break. Continue reading Mega Hurtz gun-wielding robot has a menacing look, unfortunate name Mega Hurtz gun-wielding robot has a menacing look, unfortunate name originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Credit: Fox Searchlight When Aron Ralston set out for a climb through the Utah’s Blue John Canyon on April 26, 2003, he didn’t tell anyone where he was going. And when an 800-pound boulder slipped while he was climbing and pinned his right hand between the rock and two narrow walls, he knew he was going to die there, alone…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
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We all know Sony likes to be a bit off the wall with its commercials , so this dystopian vision of a grown-up baby’s trudge through corporate monotony shouldn’t surprise us at all. And yet, somehow, it does. It’s part of a pair of new ads destined for Latin America, the second of which awaits you after the break. Continue reading PlayStation Moves into creepy ad business PlayStation Moves into creepy ad business originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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I posted some of this on a previous Memorial Day, but I thought today would be a good time to re-run it: It is on this day we honor the sacrifices of those who have served our country in our military services.
Continue reading …Global Communications Industry Has Similar Global Warming Effect as Aviation: 3% of Total Emissions
November 11, 2010 No Commentphoto: Marina Burity / Creative Commons There have been a number of studies comparing the climate change impact of different parts of the global communications industry, from how much energy video games consume, to data centers, and so. Now, the first comprehensive study of the IT, telecommunication, media and entertainment sectors has been concluded. The result: It all adds up to 3% of global carbon emissions. That’s roughly the contribution of global aviation. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Ah, JooJoo , we hardly knew ye.That 0.2.4 firmware update did a number on your speed woes, but alas, it wasn’t enough . Fusion Garage founder Chandrashekar Rathakrishnan told e27 that the tablet didn’t meet sales expectations and that, despite his rant against the iPad business model, people apparently do want those “non-web experiences,” in his words. But like all good soap operas, this one still goes on: Rathakrishnan confirmed the company is still going, meaning there’s at least one new project in the pipeline, and yes, there’s also still a lawsuit that’ll stay alive and kicking. JooJoo is no more, Fusion Garage to keep on trucking originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Yep, that thing is a computer, and while it probably won’t be your next computer, it’s definitely an interesting one. Made by hardware startup Xi3, the aluminum case (yes, it’s available in more than just that orange mocha frappuccino color) houses three separate boards — one holds the AMD Athlon 64 processor and 2GB of DDR2 RAM, another the power / video card, and the last the input / outputs. As you may have guessed, the 20 watt modular system is meant to be tinkered with, and in addition to those internal boards, it has only two sides, eight screws, and that colorful chassis; the company will sell additional modules on its site. So, how much will that little thing set ya back? Obviously, it’s customizable, but the base model, which includes a 1.8GHz AMD Athlon 64 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 8GB of flash storage rings up at $850. That’s pricey considering it doesn’t include a Windows OS, but Xi3 told us that it’s primarily aiming this thing at the embedded market and cloud computing customers. Still, that doesn’t mean you couldn’t configure it with a larger hard drive, install your OS of choice, and find a home for the little guy on your desk. It’s available now at the source link, but before heading over there you’ll want to check out some pictures of the Xi3′s internals in the gallery below and then journey past the break for the full press release. Gallery: Xi3 computer hands-on Continue reading Xi3 Modular Computer is one cool-looking desktop in a cube Xi3 Modular Computer is one cool-looking desktop in a cube originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Motorola slaps Microsoft with a pair of patent infringement lawsuits, says it’s such a shame
November 11, 2010 No Comment
Looks like Motorola’s about to fight a legal battle on two fronts — Apple on one hand , and Microsoft on the other. Microsoft fired the first shot last month with a nine-patent ITC complaint and a second salvo alleging that Motorola was charging unfair licensing fees for 802.11 WiFi and H.264 video last week, it’s now Moto’s turn to retaliate with a pair of legal complaints. The cellular company now claims that Redmond’s infringing a total of sixteen patents with everything from Microsoft Exchange to Bing Maps to the Windows operating system itself — as well as the aforementioned video codecs and wireless tech, of course. Moto’s also determined to rub a little salt in the wound, it seems, as the company just pushed out a press release with the following statement: “It is unfortunate that Microsoft has chosen the litigation path rather than entering into comprehensive licensing negotiations, as Motorola has mutually beneficial licensing relationships with the great majority of technology companies industry-wide.” PR after the break. Continue reading Motorola slaps Microsoft with a pair of patent infringement lawsuits, says it’s such a shame Motorola slaps Microsoft with a pair of patent infringement lawsuits, says it’s such a shame originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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