Saturday, December 4, 2010

Watch Times Square Transform From Trash To Tourist Treasure

3:40PM December 4, 2010 | Sam Biddle

Times Square is synonymous with everything squeaky clean and American. Souvenirs! Flashing lights! Gigantic candy stores! But it wasn’t always that way. It’s taken 30 years to convert the landmark, a fascinating progression the New York Times has captured perfectly. More »


Online

See How You Have Been Tracked Online

3:00PM December 4, 2010 | Kit Eaton - FastCompany

Online tracking is a murky business. That’s why the Open Data Partnership is attempting to demystify how Netizens have been tracked. Will it actually change anything? More »


Entertainment

This Week’s Top Web Comedy Video: The World’s Worst We Are The World

2:20PM December 4, 2010 | Splitsider

These celebrities are not singers. In many cases, they’re barely even celebrities. But it’s the 25.75th anniversary of “We Are the World,” gosh darn it. Tributes must be made! More »


Cameras

WiFi Baby 3G System Turns Your iPhone Into A Baby Monitor

1:40PM December 4, 2010 | David Zax - FastCompany

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://www.youtube.com/v/V18Hd5KUCW8&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1","customParams":[] ,"width":500,"height":332.5,"ratio":0.615,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube","wrap":true,"agegate":false} ); Why not turn your iPhone, iPad, or other device into a baby monitor? That way you can keep an eye on the little one no matter how far away you are while avoiding the static that plagues many traditional devices. More »


Tetris "L" Piece Screws Architect

12:20PM December 4, 2010 | Kyle VanHemert

As far as real life Tetris photos go, this is certainly one of the best. And after waiting in vain for that straight block on so many occasions, it’s one I totally identify with. [Reddit] More »


Science

Video Of The First Military Shuttle Landing

12:00PM December 4, 2010 | Jesus Diaz

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://www.youtube.com/v/48sZrAmhMG8&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1","customParams":[] ,"width":500,"height":332.5,"ratio":0.615,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube","wrap":true,"agegate":false} ); Watch as X-37B—the unmanned military space shuttle operated by the U.S. Air Force—zooms through a runway at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, in fantastic FLIR thermal-o-vision. Then, watch USAF people take care of it in special suits. More »


Computing

Watch This iPad Get A Giant Hole Punched In Its Face By An Industrial Drill

11:40AM December 4, 2010 | Sam Biddle

What is it about witnessing expensive electronics be destroyed that’s so inherently fascinating? We may never know! What we do know, is that this iPad destruction video is a bit more elegant than the rest—though no less fun. More »


Mobile

PlayStation Phone Caught On Video

11:17AM December 4, 2010 | Rosa Golijan

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://www.youtube.com/v/O6cxaVRs60w&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1","customParams":[] ,"width":500,"height":332.5,"ratio":0.615,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube","wrap":true,"agegate":false} ); We’ve seen a video of thePlayStation phone before, but it didn’t exactly show us very much. This latest little clip though actually reveals a bit of the device’s interface. Check it out. [Engadget] More »


Geek Out

Electric Eel-Powered Christmas Trees Are Shockingly Better Than Yours

11:00AM December 4, 2010 | Sam Biddle

Everybody loves a nice pretty string of Christmas lights, but they’re not exactly thrilling. So how do you jazz up the ol’ tree? Power it with trapped electric eels. It’s like spending the holiday at a James Bond villain’s house! More »


Cameras

This Isn’t A Jellyfish, It’s A 3D Camera Made From 100 Small Lenses

9:40AM December 4, 2010 | Kat Hannaford

We all know about surround sound, but surround sight? I suppose this camera—with 100 small cameras dotted around its sphere—is the all-seeing example, able to see all 360-degrees in 3D. More »