Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Hollow Earth
So I'm not sure if everyone already knows about this and I'm just behind on my game but the theory of hollow earth is honestly incredible. Some people believe that there is a whole society living right under our feet. Here is a short video explaining the theory of Hollow Earth.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Portrait by Tennae for FatCap Team
Back when New York tourist's actually looked scared when walking the streets of the city and when the subways trembled down the tracks at unpredictable times; transit 'bombers' ruled the tracks. I'm talking about young guys like John Matos, aka Crash.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Dr. Evil, are you ready to shit yourself?
Marine biologist-cum-TV personality Luke Tipple attached a 50-milliwatt green laser to a lemon shark off the coast of the Bahamas in late April. The escapade was sponsored by Wicked Lasers, a consumer-focused laser manufacturer based in Hong Kong that produces some of the most brilliant, and potentially dangerous, handheld lasers in the world.
“This was definitely a world first,” Tipple told Wired. “Initially, I told them no. I thought it was a frivolous stunt. But then I considered that it would give us an opportunity to test our clips and attachments, and whatever is attached to that clip, I really don’t care. It was a low-powered laser that couldn’t be dangerous to anyone, and there’s actually useful applications in having a laser attached to the animal.”
Tipple said the experiment was instructive in a number of ways. For starters, he was able to further test his clamping apparatus, which is typically used for traditional data-aquisition equipment.
He also wanted to verify anecdotal evidence that sharks avoid laser energy of specific spectrums and wavelengths. Curiously, at least with the Wicked Lasers model, he found the opposite to be true: “Although further testing is necessary, time and time again, sharks were actually attracted to the laser beam,” he said.
Finally, he said the experiment was helpful in measuring a shark’s velocity and trajectory in real time. “We were able to see how their body positioning relates to a target,” he said. “You can get a very clear description, via the laser, of what the shark’s body is doing.”
Other experts find the Wicked Lasers stunt of dubious value, and we’ll get to those criticisms soon. But for now, let’s describe exactly what went down in the Caribbean on Apr. 24.
Wicked Lasers supplied Tipple with the lowest-powered version of its S3 Krypton green laser. Where a simple laser pointer might generate a beam measuring about 2mW in power, the shark-deployed model, operating on its low-power setting, emitted a beam in the neighborhood of 50mW. This isn’t a beam that can be safely shined in anyone’s eye, but it’s nowhere near as dangerous as the 1-watt Krypton model Gadget Lab tested in October 2011.
“This was definitely a world first,” Tipple told Wired. “Initially, I told them no. I thought it was a frivolous stunt. But then I considered that it would give us an opportunity to test our clips and attachments, and whatever is attached to that clip, I really don’t care. It was a low-powered laser that couldn’t be dangerous to anyone, and there’s actually useful applications in having a laser attached to the animal.”
Tipple said the experiment was instructive in a number of ways. For starters, he was able to further test his clamping apparatus, which is typically used for traditional data-aquisition equipment.
He also wanted to verify anecdotal evidence that sharks avoid laser energy of specific spectrums and wavelengths. Curiously, at least with the Wicked Lasers model, he found the opposite to be true: “Although further testing is necessary, time and time again, sharks were actually attracted to the laser beam,” he said.
Finally, he said the experiment was helpful in measuring a shark’s velocity and trajectory in real time. “We were able to see how their body positioning relates to a target,” he said. “You can get a very clear description, via the laser, of what the shark’s body is doing.”
Other experts find the Wicked Lasers stunt of dubious value, and we’ll get to those criticisms soon. But for now, let’s describe exactly what went down in the Caribbean on Apr. 24.
Wicked Lasers supplied Tipple with the lowest-powered version of its S3 Krypton green laser. Where a simple laser pointer might generate a beam measuring about 2mW in power, the shark-deployed model, operating on its low-power setting, emitted a beam in the neighborhood of 50mW. This isn’t a beam that can be safely shined in anyone’s eye, but it’s nowhere near as dangerous as the 1-watt Krypton model Gadget Lab tested in October 2011.
Friday, April 27, 2012
PixelJunk
PixelJunk 4am, Q-Games’ Move-driven musical application, has entered semi-public beta this week in the United States and Europe. The is-it-a-game-or-isn’t-it program will launch on May 15 on PlayStation 3.
“We’re pushing it less as a game, more as an instrument, really,” lead designer Rowan Parker told me last year at Q-Games’ Kyoto office. As musical instruments go, it has one of the easiest learning curves this side of the triangle. Within minutes of my first attempt I was hearing what sounded like actual music rather than the random cacophony one might expect from a novice.
As difficult PixelJunk 4am is to classify, it is even harder to describe in action. You must imagine you are standing inside of a cube.
“We’re pushing it less as a game, more as an instrument, really,” lead designer Rowan Parker told me last year at Q-Games’ Kyoto office. As musical instruments go, it has one of the easiest learning curves this side of the triangle. Within minutes of my first attempt I was hearing what sounded like actual music rather than the random cacophony one might expect from a novice.
As difficult PixelJunk 4am is to classify, it is even harder to describe in action. You must imagine you are standing inside of a cube.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Sony Z Series
Sony is no stranger to thin, portable laptops. Take the company’s Vaio Z series laptop, a 13-inch device that’s just 0.66 inches thick and weighs only 2.57 pounds. While those specs make most of us think “ultrabook,” Sony on Wednesday revealed its first true, Intel-approved ultrabooks, the Vaio T series.
The irony? The 13-inch model in Sony’s new ultrabook line-up is a bit thicker and much heavier than the company’s existing super-thin Z series notebook. It’s a curious data point given device thinness and lightness is an ultrabook calling card. The new T13 weighs 1.6kg. That’s about 3.5 pounds — nearly a full pound heavier than the Vaio Z series notebook.
As for thinness, the T13 ultrabook is 17.8 mm, about 0.7 inches. That’s just a smidgen thicker than Sony’s 0.66-inch Z series notebook, but it’s still a noteworthy data point considering ultrabooks are supposed to own the thin-and-light crown.
Beyond this, the new Vaio T computers include what you’d expect in an ultrabook. The lineup features 11-inch and 13-inch models, the Vaio T11 and Vaio T13, respectively. The computers feature slick silver bodies made of magnesium and aluminum, and include HDMI and VGA ports, as well as SD/MMC card reader slots.
Sony’s 13-incher will come with 4GB of memory, a 1366×768 display, hybrid 320GB HDD and 32GB SSD storage, and Intel HD Graphics 3000. It promises up to nine hours of battery life, and an “any time” charger for your smartphone, allowing you to charge your phone even when the laptop is off, or in sleep mode.
The T Series specs aren’t mind-blowing, but they’re on par with ultrabooks currently on the market. But, unfortunately, what’s on the market right now will soon be outdated when Intel’s third-generation Ivy Bridge processors begin arriving in hardware. Sony’s specs show that the T Series ultrabooks will run Intel’s Core i3-2367M processor, a Sandy Bridge chip that will be eclipsed by Ivy Bridge.
It seems strange that Sony would announce and release its first ultrabook on the Sandy Bridge platform only months before we’re expecting to see Ivy Bridge ultrabooks. We reached out to Sony for comment, but received no response by press time.
The T11 and T13 will be available within the month in the European market, according to a Sony press release. There’s still no word on pricing or stateside availability.
The irony? The 13-inch model in Sony’s new ultrabook line-up is a bit thicker and much heavier than the company’s existing super-thin Z series notebook. It’s a curious data point given device thinness and lightness is an ultrabook calling card. The new T13 weighs 1.6kg. That’s about 3.5 pounds — nearly a full pound heavier than the Vaio Z series notebook.
As for thinness, the T13 ultrabook is 17.8 mm, about 0.7 inches. That’s just a smidgen thicker than Sony’s 0.66-inch Z series notebook, but it’s still a noteworthy data point considering ultrabooks are supposed to own the thin-and-light crown.
Beyond this, the new Vaio T computers include what you’d expect in an ultrabook. The lineup features 11-inch and 13-inch models, the Vaio T11 and Vaio T13, respectively. The computers feature slick silver bodies made of magnesium and aluminum, and include HDMI and VGA ports, as well as SD/MMC card reader slots.
Sony’s 13-incher will come with 4GB of memory, a 1366×768 display, hybrid 320GB HDD and 32GB SSD storage, and Intel HD Graphics 3000. It promises up to nine hours of battery life, and an “any time” charger for your smartphone, allowing you to charge your phone even when the laptop is off, or in sleep mode.
The T Series specs aren’t mind-blowing, but they’re on par with ultrabooks currently on the market. But, unfortunately, what’s on the market right now will soon be outdated when Intel’s third-generation Ivy Bridge processors begin arriving in hardware. Sony’s specs show that the T Series ultrabooks will run Intel’s Core i3-2367M processor, a Sandy Bridge chip that will be eclipsed by Ivy Bridge.
It seems strange that Sony would announce and release its first ultrabook on the Sandy Bridge platform only months before we’re expecting to see Ivy Bridge ultrabooks. We reached out to Sony for comment, but received no response by press time.
The T11 and T13 will be available within the month in the European market, according to a Sony press release. There’s still no word on pricing or stateside availability.
Bye Bye Kindle?
Amazon might make America’s number one e-reader and Android tablet But for all its brand equity, Amazon can’t stop one of America’s largest brick-and-mortar retailers from pulling its hardware from store shelves.
The Verge reported last night that Target was phasing out its Kindle inventory. After the story broke, Target sreleased a statement aying it would be removing all Kindle devices and accessories in spring 2012.
But the retailer isn’t getting out of the e-reader space entirely: “We will continue to offer our guests a full assortment of e-readers and supporting accessories including the Nook,” said Target’s statement.
The Verge reported that a source said Amazon devices were being pulled from stores because of a “conflict of interest.” Whatever that conflict may be, Target isn’t saying.
The most logical explination is that Target is concerned about selling a device made by a direct competitor in the retail market. Currently, Amazon has an app that allows consumers to price-check items within brick-and-mortar stores. So, if an item is cheaper on Amazon’s site, customers can quickly purchase the item from Amazon while standing in a Target shopping aisle.
The Verge reported last night that Target was phasing out its Kindle inventory. After the story broke, Target sreleased a statement aying it would be removing all Kindle devices and accessories in spring 2012.
But the retailer isn’t getting out of the e-reader space entirely: “We will continue to offer our guests a full assortment of e-readers and supporting accessories including the Nook,” said Target’s statement.
The Verge reported that a source said Amazon devices were being pulled from stores because of a “conflict of interest.” Whatever that conflict may be, Target isn’t saying.
The most logical explination is that Target is concerned about selling a device made by a direct competitor in the retail market. Currently, Amazon has an app that allows consumers to price-check items within brick-and-mortar stores. So, if an item is cheaper on Amazon’s site, customers can quickly purchase the item from Amazon while standing in a Target shopping aisle.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Slim iPhone 5?
We're all familiar with Apple's love for thin devices. Although the third-generation iPad surprised many by gaining about half a millimeter of thickness, it looks like Apple could be back to trimming product dimensions by using a new kind of display technology in the next iPhone.
Instead of using a display comprising a number of separate layers, Apple could use in-cell touch display technology, according to a Friday report from Digitimes. The report says Apple would be sourcing its in-cell displays from Toshiba and Sharp.
"The advantage of in-cell is that you're streamlining the manufacturing process, so in time you should be able to drive efficiencies and reduce cost," IHS analyst Rhoda Alexander told Wired. "Additionally, by reducing the number of layers, you reduce the size and thickness of the device, making it thinner and lighter."
If the iPhone has a larger 4- to 4.3-inch display, as some reports expect it to, that extra glass could add a bit of heft to the iPhone's weight. Thus, Apple would need to find new ways to keep the phone from gaining too much weight.
Currently, the iPhone's "on cell" display is layered a bit like a sandwich. At the very bottom, you've got the back light. Directly above that, the LCD section, which houses the red-, green-, and blue-colored pixels of the display. Then there's a layer of glass.
On top of that is the capacitive touch layer, which is then topped off by a tough layer of Gorilla Glass. The middle layer of glass separates the liquid crystal portion of the display from the touch portion.
In-cell display tech eliminates that middle layer of glass, combining the LCD and touch sections of the display into a single layer.
Right now, in-cell touch displays are still an emerging technology. So while the core technology promises long-term benefits, yield rates could be a problem in the shorter terms, Alexander says.
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| Possible leaked photo of the iPhone 5 |
So is in-cell really something Apple would pull the trigger on? "We do believe that the next iPhone display will implement in-cell touch," DisplaySearch's Paul Semenza told Wired via e-mail. But of course, we'll have to wait and see how it pans out when the next iPhone actually debuts
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