The price of oil sunk to its lowest level since October following an unexpected rise in U.S. commercial crude inventories.
From Business and financial news – CNNMoney.com: J.D. Power: Top quality cars
These cars are best-in-class when it comes to working right and meeting owners’ expectations right from the very start.
From Engadget: Shaka turns smartphones into wind meters, gives surfers and kiteboarders the gnar they need (hands-on)
Ever missed an amazing set in spite of your sick surfboard because you packed it in not knowing that the wind was picking up and about to deliver the perfect wave? Or maybe you didn’t realize just how hard the breeze was blowing and as a result, your tee shot wound up deep in the rough. Good news, sporting friends, because start-up company Shaka is here to make you more air-aware with a wind meter that plugs into the 3.5mm jack on your smartphone. It’s a small, plastic fan, not much bigger than a box of matches, that pairs with the company’s app to deliver wind speed and direction wherever you are — and it works by simply holding the thing up in a stiff breeze. The app then keeps a record of all your measurements and allows you to share them via your favorite social networks. Not only that, it also overlays the results on a map so you can see where the wind is just right for all your favorite wind-reliant activities. It’s currently iOS-only, but we’re told Android and Windows Phone versions are in the works as well. The price for knowing when wind perfection is upon you? For now Shaka’s seeking to sell them for around $59 bucks, but that could change if the powers that be (read: investors) decide otherwise.
from Engadget
From WSJ.com: What’s News US: WTO Rules Against China Duties on U.S. Steel
A WTO panel ruled that China violated some global trade rules by imposing duties on U.S. electrical steel, a victory for the Obama administration.
From Technology Review RSS Feeds: Statistics Unmask Phony Online Reviews
Computer analysis spots the fingerprints that fraudulent raters leave behind.
Searching for hotels in cities they’ve never visited, people often turn to customer-written reviews on websites such as TripAdvisor. But how do they know those reviews weren’t written by the hotel manager, or by someone paid to post fake opinions online? The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has issued fines when it has uncovered such “opinion spam,” but there’s no easy way to spot it.
From Geeks are Sexy Technology News: Online Retailer Charges a 6.8% Tax to IE Users
The people running this Australian-based online store are my new heros. If a visitor purchases a product on the site while using IE 7, he gets charged an additional 6.8% tax on top of his order.
And while being on the subject of Internet Explorer, there is still 1% of our visitors that use IE 7 and 1% that use IE 6. Guys, now would be the perfect time to upgrade. Seriously.
From Gizmodo: 9-Year-Old School Lunch Blogger Silenced By Politicians
For the past two months, one of my favorite reads has been Never Seconds, a blog started by 9-year-old Martha Payne of western Scotland to document the unappealing, non-nutritious lunches she was being served in her public primary school. Payne, whose mother is a doctor and father has a small farming property, started blogging in early May and went viral in days. She had a million viewers within a few weeks and 2 million this morning; was written up in Time, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and a number of food blogs; and got support from TV cheflebrity Jamie Oliver, whose series “Jamie’s School Dinners” kicked off school-food reform in England. More »
from Gizmodo