Millions of retired and disabled people in the United States had better brace for another year with no increase in Social Security payments.
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Medicare rise could mean no Social Security COLA
Month: March 2011
Five More Warner Bros. Movies Can Now be Streamed on Facebook [Facebook]
Uh-oh, it's catching—Warner Bros has seen fit to offer up two Harry Potter films; Life as We Know It; Yogi Bear and Inception to the Facebook audience. Cue status updates on a whole new level from those finally catching up with Inception. Like with The Dark Knight, they can be digitally rented using $3 worth of Facebook credit. [Reuters] More
Silicine might be the new graphene, now that it’s been physically constructed
Surely you’ve heard of graphene, the one-atom-thick layer of pencil lead that has the potential to change the world of computers, batteries and screens? You might want to familiarize yourself with the term “silicine,” too. It’s basically a version of graphene constructed out of silicon, which doesn’t naturally align itself into the same eminently useful honeycomb shape — but, given a little prod here and a layer of silver or ceramic compound there, can do much the same thing, and with better computing compatibility. First proposed around 2007, it’s reportedly been produced twice now by two different teams, which gives physicists hope that it could actually be useful some day. For now, researchers need to figure out a way to easily produce it so detailed experiments can be performed — from what we understand, the good ol’ scotch tape method just won’t do the job.
Silicine might be the new graphene, now that it’s been physically constructed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles
After dipping a toe in the waters with The Dark Knight, starting tonight Warner is offering five more movies for streaming on Facebook including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Inception, Life as We Know It and Yogi Bear. The deal remains the same, with United States viewers able to pay for a 48-hour viewing window instantly in Facebook credits then enjoy the flick with full functionality on the page, and pause/resume tied to their login on the site. Even with an increasing number of movie titles including recent ones like Yogi Bear that just debuted last week, it’s hard to see any VOD service seriously challenging the current video rental incumbents like iTunes and Netflix, especially one that offers only SD rentals viewable on the PC. What it does offer however is a quick way for Warner to monetize the significant Facebook communities around popular movies, which may be enough to keep this program growing for the foreseeable future. Either way, the pages should be live starting at 1 a.m., check the press release after the break if you need more details.
Continue reading Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles
Warner Bros. expands movie rentals via Facebook with five more high profile titles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Intel rolls out third-generation SSD 320 Series drives
It’s had quite a run, but Intel’s venerable X-25M series of SSDs has now finally been replaced by the company’s new, third-generation SSD 320 Series. Those rely on some brand new 25nm Intel NAND flash memory, and are available in capacities ranging from 40GB to 160GB for mere mortals, plus some higher capacity 300GB and 600GB models for particularly demanding users. What’s more, Intel is quick to boast that the new drives are actually 30 percent cheaper than the previous generation, with prices running from just $89 for 40GB to $1,069 for that 600GB drive. Head on past the break for the official press release, and check out the more coverage links below for some early reviews.
Continue reading Intel rolls out third-generation SSD 320 Series drives
Intel rolls out third-generation SSD 320 Series drives originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
DARPA’s Urban Photonic Sandtable Display enables 3D battlefield planning without goofy glasses
You probably point and laugh at your friends when they have big, bulky 3D glasses perched on their noses in theaters. That kind of tomfoolery just won’t do amongst the military brass, who frown at the slightest hint of snickering in the operations room. This new 3D system, called the Urban Photonic Sandtable Display (UPSD), should help. It’s a DARPA project, a fully holographic table (no glasses required) that can be scaled up to six feet diagonally and allows visual depth of up to 12-inches. The technology comes courtesy of Zebra Imaging, which earlier wowed us with some insane 3D printouts, and the data will come from LIDAR systems like this ROAMS bot. No word on when the system will be deployed to the field, but it should allow grizzled commanders and uppity businessmen to find unobtanium deposits, even if they happen to be located right under a big ‘ol tree.
DARPA’s Urban Photonic Sandtable Display enables 3D battlefield planning without goofy glasses originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Brain-computer implant has passed 1000-day milestone [Mad Neuroscience]
A paralysed woman was still able to control a computer cursor with her thoughts 1000 days after having a tiny electronic device implanted in her brain, say researchers who devised the system. The achievement demonstrates the longevity of brain-machine implants. More
Watch Jim Henson’s pre-Muppet Show pilot for the Wizard of Id [Video]
In 1969, Jim Henson created a test pilot for the medieval-themed comic strip The Wizard of Id. Check out a clip of this Muppet show that never was. More
This Is How You "Fly" Trucks Up a 6,500-Foot Mountain With No Roads [Image Cache]
Ubuntu 11.04 Will Let You "Test Drive" Applications Without Installing [Video]
Ubuntu’s store-like Software Center was the first step in making applications much easier to find and install for the Linux desktop. The next step: letting users try out apps without having to even commit to a temporary installation. As shown in the demonstration video, apps are loaded and streamed from Ubuntu’s servers in a quick pop-up window. It won’t work for every app, and the next Ubuntu (11.04, due April 28) isn’t finalized yet, but it’s an intriguing idea and preview. [Web Upd8 via Download Squad] More