Saturday, December 5, 2009 - Page 2
Cars

Robotic Sea-Glider Achieves First Unmanned Underwater Transatlantic Crossing

Charles Lindbergh may have shown human fortitude by flying across the Atlantic in his “Spirit of St. Louis,” but now he has robotic company when it comes to transatlantic records.


Dell’s Creating A Real Mobile Division To Make Phones

Dell’s reorganising the entire company to create a bonafide mobile division that will make work on phones and other portable thingers, headed up by Ron Garriques, formerly of Motorola. Incidentally, Dell’s consumer PC division is getting rolled into the small-business unit—which kinda smells weird to us, especially considering how Dell’s shrinking.


Entertainment

How 30 Rock‘s Jack Donaghy Feels About Comcast Swallowing NBC

Alec Baldwin reveals how his GE-jingoist counterpart on 30 Rock, Jack Donaghy, will take the news about Comcast buying a majority stake of NBC. It’s sort of how I feel, but about life, and without an office. [Media Decoder]


Online

I’m So Passé That I Don’t Know 95% Of These Social Networking Sites

I met my first serious girlfriend after my first divorce—yes, there are more of both—through a proto-Facebook created at Google. It was 2004, and it’s name was Orkut. But social networks go back to 1995.


There Is No Carrot Nose Small Enough For The World’s Tiniest Snowman

Snowman purists may object, because this smirking seasonal statue, which stands just one fifth as wide as a human hair, is actually built from tin and titanium, not fresh powder. But still!


Cars

USAF Confirms Secret Plane

The existence of a new secret plane photographed this week has been confirmed by the United States Air Force. The secret aircraft now has an official denomination: The RQ-170 Sentinel, a flying wing developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.


Geek Out

What Was This?

Obviously, it’s not much now but an empty lot you can find in Chattanooga, TN. But what was here once upon a time?


Software

Microsoft “Runs Out” Of The Windows 7 Family Pack Just In Time For Christmas

The Windows 7 Family Pack was a great offer, bundling three full Home Premium upgrades for $US150. It was also a limited time deal, but without a set terminus. Well, now we have an expiration date: gift-buying season.


Are You Comfortable With Google’s Level Of Control Over Your Data?

Chrome OS, Android, Navigation, Voice and DNS…these are just some of the ways Google has increased their control over our digital lives in recent months. Are you comfortable with the increasing level of control Google has over your data?


Mobile

An Exploded iPhone Is A Major Frat Party Buzzkill…Or Is It?

The latest tale of a flaming iPhone encounter comes to us courtesy of Bobby Hodges, who describes how such an incident almost ruined a fraternity house party.