Startling but true, according to one of those expert sources that make these kinds of pronouncements: Alcohol is more harmful to both users and those around them than crack cocaine. It’s worse than heroin too. The study that says so was just published and publicized by the U.K. medical journal The Lancet. Here’s a link to the study itself; the BBC expounds below.
Continue reading …3G Kindle a hit on the Chinese gray market for its ability to bypass the "Great Firewall"?
November 1, 2010 No Comment
A report this morning from the South China Morning Post claims that Amazon’s 3G-boasting Kindle is selling fast on the so-called “gray” market in China because of its 3G internet connectivity and browser. The device, it seems, offers the Chinese a rare opportunity to side-step the ” great Firewall ” of the Chinese government, which restricts access to sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Amazon does not officially sell the Kindle in China, which has the world’s largest internet-connected population at 420 million. The Kindle, which seems to have been overlooked by the Chinese authorities thus far, makes use of Amazon’s own network, Whispernet. 3G Kindle a hit on the Chinese gray market for its ability to bypass the “Great Firewall”? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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A new poll finds Republican Pat Toomey has an apparent 5-point lead over Democrat Joe Sestak. The candidates are competing to succeed five-term Sen. Arlen Specter, whom Sestak beat in the May primary. (Nov. 1)
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There’s been a lot of speculation about what’ll happen to ye olde Droid 2 when the GSM-enhanced Droid 2 Global finally busts loose, but it looks like we might now have the answer: it gets a lower price tag. The original model has now fallen to $149.99 on contract on Verizon’s site, and evidence from the carrier’s internal systems (see after the break for that) suggests it’ll be hanging around at that price until at least the tail end of January. Meanwhile, that same internal screenshot is also showing the Droid X holding steady at $199.99 until December 30, so we wouldn’t count on getting any sweet deals — or a dual-mode version of the 4.3-inch beast — at any point in 2010. Interestingly, the Droid 2 R2-D2 edition is holding steady at $250, so you’d better really want it. Go ahead and follow the break for the evidence. Update: The Droid Incredible is now $150 direct from Verizon, too — and considering how universally well-liked that thing is, the Droid 2 might still be a tough sell at the same price. Decisions! Continue reading Motorola Droid 2 falls to $150, makes room for $200 Droid 2 Global Motorola Droid 2 falls to $150, makes room for $200 Droid 2 Global originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Shades of Fridgehenge ; now we have the Fridge Igloo. Moritz Bappert visited artist Ralf Schmerberg’s igloo built from 322 old fridges in Hamburg. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
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The US Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday about the federal court’s decision to throw out California’s ban on violent games, marking the first time a case involving the interactive medium itself has gone before the Supreme Court. (Nov. 1)
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Photo: Ricardo, Flybus flywheel transmission mated to CVT Old Buses Can be Retrofitted The FLYBUS consortium, which brings together Optare , Ricardo , and Torotrak , aims to create a bus prototype that uses a high-performance flywheel mated to a special CVT transmission to capture braking energy and thus reduce fuel consumption. Such a system would be less expensive than diesel-electric hybrid buses with batteries and electric motors, so they could replace them in certain situations, and they could even b… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Continue reading …The NY Times, Charmed by Jon Stewart’s Shtick on the Mall, Skips Inconvenient Facts
November 1, 2010 No Comment
The New York Times was clearly enchanted by Comedy Central host Jon Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” held on the National Mall on Saturday afternoon. Brian Stelter and Sabrina Tavernise reported the story on Sunday, “ At Washington Rally by Two Satirists, Thousands — Billions? — Respond .” While Stelter and Tavernise nailed the political tone as “overwhelmingly liberal,” the rally's agenda didn't stop them and other Times reporters from enjoying the rally both in print and through live blogging while hyping the numbers for a gathering that was apparently smaller than the one held two months ago in D.C., “Restoring Honor,” sponsored by Fox News host Glenn Beck. The print edition story ran with a photo of Stewart and Stephen Colbert with Yusuf Islam, the former singer Cat Stevens, who supported the deadly fatwa against novelist Salman Rushdie in 1989 (more on that later).
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There still isn’t much in the way of actual details or pictures, but 4/3 Rumors is reporting that it’s heard from sources who say the Panasonic GF2 Micro Four Thirds camera (successor to the GF1 ) will be announced as soon as next week. What’s more, those same sources say that the camera will be the smallest mirrorless camera to date, and that it will use the Panasonic G2 12-megapixel sensor. That rumor is further backed up by a new listing for a GF2 at the Korean Radio Research Agency, although that unfortunately doesn’t provide any details beyond the name. You might not want to ditch your GF1 just yet, though — while camera will supposedly be announced next week, it apparently won’t actually be released until sometime early next year. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Panasonic GF2 rumored to be announced this week, released early 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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photo: Kevin Dooley / Creative Commons Late last week at the Convention on Biodiversity a resolution was adopted which places a moratorium on geoengineering unless it can be proven that the method in question can be shown to not have an adverse effect on biodiversity. Opponents of geoengineering cheered, TreeHu… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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