For everything from family to computers…
Free tutorials website Khan Academy has launched new computer science tutorials designed to teach anyone programming. The Khan Academy Computer Science site throws you right into the code behind a range of projects, so you can learn by experimenting with the JavaScript code. More »
from Lifehacker
It came down to a faulty fin?!! WTH!
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The Air Force tested its X-51 hypersonic unmanned war jet yesterday, and it crumbled into pieces midair. Next time? [Reuters] More »
from Gizmodo
By now, you’re likely aware of some of the repercussions that come with shooting an innocent text to a friend while being behind the wheel. Well, in an effort to keep these unfortunate accidents from ever occurring, the AT&T Foundry’s been hard at work, hoping to come up with solutions to help with this serious matter. Most recently, the Rethink Possible outfit showed off an application that’s currently in the works; one that allows parents to track their teenage drivers’ every move, as well as remotely turn off calls and disable all messaging features — which the carrier says will be a great compliment to its DriveMode app. It’s worth noting the unnamed application was being showcased on one of Cupertino’s slates, but AT&T’s said it’s willing to work with “device makers, car makers and developers,” as the ultimate goal is to ultimately “encourage more solutions.” There’s a video past the break for your viewing pleasure, and we think it’s worth all of its 197 seconds of airtime.
from Engadget
Anyone who’s had to recharge an EV — or, for that matter, any mobile device with a very big battery — knows the pain of waiting for hours while a lithium-ion pack tops up. South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology has developed a conduction technique that could cut that charging time down to less than a minute. By dousing the nanoparticle materials of the battery in a graphite solution that’s then carbonized, the researchers make a web of conductors that all start charging at once; current batteries have to charge towards the center slowly, like a not-very-edible Tootsie Pop. The immediate goal is to develop a secondary battery for an EV that could provide extra mileage in a matter of seconds. Here’s hoping that the Ulsan team’s fast-charging battery is more viable than others and spreads to just about everything — we’d love to have EVs and laptops alike that power up in as much time as it takes to fill a traditional car at the pump.
[Image credit: iFixit]
from Engadget
Say, “Hello†to Ubi. Ubi is short for ubiquitous computer because Ubi is always on and always listening. It is a truly hands-free device for your home that plugs right into an outlet on the wall, then connects straight to your home’s WiFi network. So, what can you do with Ubi? Ubi can do voice-based searches on the Internet, act as a personal assistant, control a home’s climate, be a baby monitor, and also act as a notifier for when receiving emails and other notifications.
The team is hoping to have Ubi ready and shipped out by January of 2013, but needs your help to make it happen. Check it out on Kickstarter and let us know if Ubi is something that  interests you. It definitely has our attention as long as it doesn’t go all HAL on us and telling humans what we can and cannot do.
Via: Kickstarter
Cheers Leor and Dominick!
from Droid Life
Filed under: Car Buying, Europe
Here’s a shocking statistic: The United States has fewer cars per capita than Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and 16 other countries. Even more dramatic is one of the potential causes: A declining American middle class.
According to an Atlantic report on a new study conduct by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, we’re ranked just 25th in the world in per-person car ownership. The actual number stands at 439 cars per 1,000 Americans. Further, the U.S. is an outlier when you compare the number of vehicles per capita to household consumption. While we have one of the highest rates of household spending, car buying is in decline here. It is this disparity that points to the widening income gap in the U.S. as a potential cause of our low rate of car ownership. Indeed, car ownership rates track with the size of a nation’s middle class, according to the report.
To add insult to injury, despite our low rates of car ownership, Americans still consume roughly twice as much energy as most Europeans.
from Autoblog
ReDigi has technology that helps transfer ownership of digital media—but it’s already being sued by the record industry.
In the iTunes store, the hit song “Someone Like You” by Adele sells for $1.29. Head over to ReDigi, an online marketplace where people can resell the music files they’ve purchased, and there’s the track for only 59 cents.