Sony just released Crackle, an app that streams full-feature movies and popular TV shows to your iPhone and iPad for free. For free. For free! We’re talking popular TV shows like Seinfeld and Married with Children and big time movies like The Da Vinci Code and Stranger Than Fiction straight to your iPhone and iPad. And all completely free! More
Solid State Drives cost more per gigabyte than standard hard drives but promise better performance, durability, and more. Just how much more? Macworld tested a couple of MacBook Pros (one with typical HDD and the other upgraded with SSD) to find out. More
Many science fiction scenarios have planets with two or even more stars. How would life evolve differently under such a system?
In a new study, researchers have assessed the potential for photosynthetic life in multi-star systems with different combinations of sunlike stars and red dwarfs to figure out what plants might be like. The team has speculated that on an Earth-like planet with two or three suns, the vegetation may appear black or grey.
“If a planet were found in a system with two or more stars, there would potentially be multiple sources of energy available to drive photosynthesis,” said PhD student Jack O’Malley-James from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
“The temperature of a star determines its colour and, hence, the colour of light used for photosynthesis. Depending on the colours of their star-light, plants would evolve very differently.”
If a life form evolved to use two different colors of light for energy, the vegetation would appear black to our eyes. They might even develop the ability to use infrared or ultraviolet light that we can’t see at all to power photosynthesis. Link -via reddit
Read this article:
Life Under a Binary Star
The lawsuit that accused Taco Bell of only having 36% beef in their seasoned beef has been dropped. Taco Bell says no money exchanged hands and that they weren’t changing any products either. Taco Bell estimates they spent $3 to $4 million dollars combatting the false accusation in advertising. Go ahead and order your Gorditas and Chalupas again. It’s 88% beef! [LA Times] More
Rutger Hauer is straight to cable in Hobo with a Shotgun, with a limited theatrical release coming in May. The reviews are in, and it’s extremely good. [Flooby Nooby]
Read More:
Hobo with a Shotgun earns rave reviews
Here is video proof that I Am Legend would have been a lot better with practical monsters. Watch this makeup test for an I Am Legend plague zombie, that the film-makers passed over in favor of a CG army. More
We’ve seen plenty of concepts designed to lessen the physical burden of being a member of the military-Marines using portable renewable power stations, clothing that charges radios and GPS devices. But there’s not much being done to address drinking water, one of the heaviest yet most critical battlefield necessities. Now the Oak Ridge National Laboratory might have a solution that can help lessen the weight of water. More
It won’t bring you the success or adoration that Brian Eno’s enjoyed, but the Otomata sequencer could have you making noise like the Roxy Music alum in seconds. Way back in 1996, Eno espoused the idea of generative music, which is a non-repetitive form of music created, in this case, anyway, by a piece of software. Otomata takes that idea and puts it to use in a cellular automaton, consisting of a simple grid of cells in different states. With Otomata, each selected cell has four states: up, down, left, and right. When activated, the cells move in the direction of their given state, and when they encounter an obstacle, like a wall, a pitched sound is created. After each collision, the cells turn around and head in the opposite direction until they hit another obstacle, and the process continues indefinitely. The result is a chaotic but somehow lulling symphony of electronic sounds, a la Mr. Eno, that anyone with a mouse can muster. Head on past the break to see for yourself.
Continue reading Otomata sequencer creates generative music for the melodically challenged (video)
Otomata sequencer creates generative music for the melodically challenged (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
According to an AP report, Dish Networks, the soon-to-be new owner of Blockbuster, is keeping the leases on 500 of Blockbuster’s physical stores. The reasoning, while on the surface inscrutable, will give Dish a physical presence and allow it access to Blockbuster’s assets and brand to sell its own satellite TV service to consumers.
Dish finalized the sale this month and signed the papers to maintain the stores last week. It bought the beleaguered video rental chain for $228 million, giving Dish access to Blockbuster’s limited assets as well as all branding.
Excerpt from:
Dish Taking Over Blockbuster Leases, Will Maintain Physical Stores