Category: Techie

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From Blog Stu: Instant Impatience

The Internet does much more than affect the way that we gather information, it also has an impact on our attitudes in general. I wrote about this subject in a post – Warning: The Internet May Cause Distraction and Inability to Learn. The Infographic below talks about how the Internet is causing many to become impatient about everything. It’s a well known story that Steve Jobs forced developers to shorten the boot time of Apple computers since even 10 seconds adds up to “dozens of lifetimes” when spread amongst millions of users.

Take a deep breath and remember that not everything can be done instantly…

Instant America
Created by: Online Graduate Programs

from Blog Stu

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From Ars Technica: Hands-on: NetZero to offer no-contract 4G mobile hotspot service


Two things surprised us in the last few days: first, NetZero still exists. This is the company that had ubiquitous ads for its dial-up Internet service in the early 2000s (in fact, still sells dial-up). Second, that company is entering a new product arena: mobile hotspots.

The new mobile access points from NetZero come in both USB stick and hotspot form. This is unique because they fill out tiers of usage not covered by hotspot plans available from big carriers like Sprint and Verizon. They also come without contracts.

Read the rest of this article...

 

from Ars Technica

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From Engadget: Kinect makes pact with head-mounted display, virtual reality Skyrim ensues

Kinect and head-mounted display make love, give birth to virtual-reality Skyrim

Yeah, streaming Skyrim on a Tegra 3-powered Ice Cream Sandwich tablet is nice and all, but what about folks who want a more immersive experience with their beloved time sink? One tech-savvy gamer took matters into his own hands — conjuring a bit of electronics alchemy by throwing together Sony’s HMZ-T1 head-mounted display with a Kinect sensor, a TrackIR5 for head tracking and voice recognition software. The result is an experience that allows any wannabe adventurer to press onward into Tamriel’s frozen north by marching in place while imbibing in a true, head-mounted first-person perspective. Admittedly, stomping around and flailing one’s arms may lack the elegance and playability of The Gadget Show’s $650,000 Battlefield 3 simulator, but at $1500, it’s a homegrown virtual reality experience that’s actuallywithin reach. Now go forth and explore the video after the break.

Continue reading Kinect makes pact with head-mounted display, virtual reality Skyrim ensues

 

from Engadget

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From Autoblog: Video: Lada emergency is no mere fire drill

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Exploding Lada in Russia

We imagine that many a Russian Lada has been compared to a ticking time bomb – which is not to say that there aren’t any good Ladas out in the wild, of course – but the example you’ll see in the video pasted below takes the cake. It is, quite literally, an Improvised Explosive Device.

If an exploding Lada alone isn’t enough reason for you to watch, perhaps the reaction of the passengers is more of a draw. Their reaction to the impending doom is so quick that it’s almost as if the two occupants were just waiting for the engine of this poor machine to reach its glorious and destructive demise.

See what we’re talking about in the video pasted below.

Continue reading Lada emergency is no mere fire drill

 

from Autoblog

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From Popular Science – New Technology, Science News, The Future Now: Video: See (and Hear) the Space Shuttle Launch Like Never Before

Shuttle Rocketcam NASA

Michael Interbartolo, a staffer on the Space Shuttle Program, has posted this video of a shuttle launch, with the cameras attached to the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). Apparently this video will be an bonus feature on the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray release of Ascent: Commemorating Shuttle (which you can watch here). The big deal here is the sound–there was some assistance from Skywalker Sound, the company that provides the sound for George Lucas’s movies. Watch (and listen) for the splash into the Atlantic in the video, embedded after the jump. [via Discover]

from Popular Science – New Technology, Science News, The Future Now