“Search 121,617,892,992 web pages” claims the front page of the new search engine Cuil (pronounced “cool” apparently). Those 120 billion pages are about three times as many as Google actually indexes, according to developer Anna Patterson… and she should know as until 2006 she worked there. Presented in a kind of “magazine style,” Cuil will apparently get more pertinent results as it drills into the contents of a page, unlike Google’s complex ranking system. Since two more of the development team also worked for Google, and there’s US$33 million of venture capital behind the new site, it is certainly going to be an interesting development to keep tabs on. Cuil takes search requests from today… though as it can’t find me I’d say it needs tweaking. [Cuil via Physorg]
Now, if this door makes the classic Pphssshshm Star Trek door noise when it opens and shuts, the manufacturers are onto a winner. It sounds like a neat solution for dogs and cats that like to roam: you pop a weatherproof RFID tag in their collar, and when they approach the Plexidor pet door it automatically slides up to let your pets in or out. Its safety mechanism means it won’t guillotine your pet if they dawdle, and it shuts automatically so you only get your animals in your home. It’s made of the same stuff as football helmets, so it should withstand some tough weather, and it’s available now for between US$130 and US$800, depending on features and size. [Electronic House]
When will these people get a clue? News.com.au is reporting that the next time you travel with your iPod, those friendly customs officials could pull you aside, slap on the latex and give your iPod a full-body cavity search for pirated music.
The push – which originates from the RIAA in the US – is global in scale, and the Australian government has openly admitted it is partaking in the discussions (although they haven’t agreed to any aspect of the arrangement).
There’s also a lot of confusion over exactly what will be considered as commercial levels of piracy.
If the government is foolish enough to vote this draconian ruling in, I think it would be a good time to join one of those floating communities in the Pacific… How the government can even be considering such a stupid proposition is beyond me.
This lies firmly in the “rumour” camp at the moment, but ZDnet are reporting that Virgin are planning on launching the iPhone 3G within the next two weeks.
This morning at the Sydney Apple Store, there was a queue of about 20 people in the Optus line waiting to become new iPhone owners while the Vodafone and Telstra desks stood there, devoid of customers. Considering that Virgin is a subsidiary of Optus, this could be a very good chance for potential iPhone customers to enter the market on a cheap, easy plan… if it’s true.
The good news is that if ZDnet are correct, then it isn’t a long time to wait for all those people who don’t want to line up for hours to buy a new phone just yet.
[ZDnet]
When you listen to Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart talk about the US government’s current approach to deflecting ELE asteroids away from Earth, you’d be excused for thinking the great minds at NASA had watched Armageddon a few too many times. That’s because NASA’s preferred method, as outlined in a 2007 report, is to blast threatening asteroids out of the sky with nuclear weapons. The approach is America, Fuck Yeah!-approved, for sure, but at the very least it’s ineffective, Schweickart told attendees during a public lecture in San Francisco last week. At the very worst it’s a government-pressured nightmare scenario right out of Dr. Strangelove.
When the lights go out, be wary of flashlight-shaped Bluetooth 2.0 speakers, because they’ll do little to illuminate anything, and you’ll just blow your eardrum out when the power comes back on. Still, this baton-sized speaker pairs up nicely with a mobile on the road, and if you aren’t travelling it plugs in too. Output is 2W×2ch with a frequency zone of 20Hz – 20kHz. Power is supplied by a Lithium battery, AC adaptor, or even USB. Japan-only for US$76, but for that price I kind of want it to light up and flash in rhythm to the music, or at least help me find candles in the dark. [New Launches]
We have covered quite a bit of DIY Iron Man components–including arc reactors, masks and repulsors–but never an entire DIY suit (unless you count Tony Stark minifigs). Thankfully, we only had to wait to this year’s Comic-Con for it. I was going to headline this “Iron Man: the Retirement Years,” but I’m sure you will come with better options in the comments. Updated: if you thought this was horrible, nothing–and I say nothing–will ever prepare you for the worst nightmare Comic-Con 08 had to offer (Warning: Not Safe for Lunch.)
The Laser Star is new to the States, but it’s already made a name for itself in Europe as a cheap, effective way to jam police speed trap lasers. These demonstrations from Laser Jammer Tests show why. No fewer than four police-issue laser detectors were foiled by the Laser Star without so much as a hiccup. Regardless of your views on this kind of tech, it’s still amazingly cool how the Audi S4 in the videos is effectively invisible to the laser detectors. And when you aren’t fighting the man, Laser Star’s sensors help park the car too. Personally, I can’t wait to get one and recreate my favourite Vin Diesel scenes from The Fast and the Furious.
This picture, showing a soldier “riding” an Apache helicopter–one of the coolest, deadliest flying toys ever–outside its cockpit, is going to make the usual “FAKE!” web shouters jump off their chairs. But before you do that, military expert Christian Lowe at Defense Tech thinks it may be real. And indeed, here’s video of a similar ride under enemy fire to prove it.
