kenmay

Netflix Now Works On Linux With HTML5 DRM Video Support In Chrome

An anonymous reader writes “Beginning with the Chrome 38 Beta it’s now possible to watch Netflix without any Wine/Silverlight plug-ins but will work natively using Chrome’s DRM-HTML5 video capabilities with Netflix. The steps just involve using the latest beta of Chrome and an HTTP user-agent switcher to tell Netflix you’re a Windows Chrome user, due to Netflix arbitrarily blocking the Linux build.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Netflix Now Works On Linux With HTML5 DRM Video Support In Chrome

Jell-O and Marshmallows Make a Quick and Tasty Fondant

Fondant icing is the ingredient cake artists use to create their masterpieces. Grocery stores don’t always carry it, though, and it’s expensive if they do. Use some marshmallows and flavored gelatin instead and make your own. Read more…

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Jell-O and Marshmallows Make a Quick and Tasty Fondant

Find Your Computer’s BIOS Version From the Command Line

The next time you update your PC or try to troubleshoot compatibility problems, you’ll may need to know your current BIOS. You could reboot the computer, but it’s much easier to use the Windows command line utility. Read more…

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Find Your Computer’s BIOS Version From the Command Line

F-Secure: Xiaomi Smartphones Do Secretly Steal Your Data

They may be well reviewed and China’s new top selling phone, but reader DavidGilbert99 writes with reason to be cautious about Xiaomi’s phones: Finnish security firm F-Secure has seemingly proven that Xiaomi smartphones do in fact upload user data without their permission/knowledge despite the company strongly denying these allegations as late as 30 July. Between commercial malware and government agencies, how do you keep your phone’s data relatively private? Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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F-Secure: Xiaomi Smartphones Do Secretly Steal Your Data

Disney Research 3D-Prints Figurines With the Most Lifelike Hair Ever

3D printing can make an action figure copy of your body and face, but the hair usually ends up looking like a Lego minifig wig. The mad scientists at Disney Research just solved that, with an algorithm so powerful it can trace your hair’s shape and color with ultra-realism. Read more…

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Disney Research 3D-Prints Figurines With the Most Lifelike Hair Ever

Study Finds That Astronauts Are Severely Sleep Deprived

sciencehabit (1205606) writes “Researchers tracked the sleep patterns of 85 crew members aboard the International Space Station and space shuttle and found that despite an official flight schedule mandating 8.5 hours of sleep per night, they rarely got more than five. In fact, getting a full night’s rest was so difficult that three-quarters of shuttle mission crew members used sleep medication, and sometimes entire teams were sedated on the same night. Given that sleep deprivation contributes to up to 80% of aviation accidents, it’s important to better understand why sleep is so difficult in space, the authors say.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

A "Dumpcano" of Trash Erupted in the Arctic and Won’t Stop Burning

It began rather quietly as a underground fire at a dump in Canada’s remote northern reaches. Then in May, the fire “erupted, ” spewing forth flames and toxic fumes over the city of Iqaluit. Faced with a football field-sized smoldering dump fire, this week the city council finally scrounged up the $2.2 million to put it out. How the hell does a dump fire spontaneously ignite—and why is it so expensive to put out? Read more…

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A "Dumpcano" of Trash Erupted in the Arctic and Won’t Stop Burning

Carriers have to let you text 911 by the end of the year

You’ve had the option of texting 911 in a handful of US cities for a couple of months, thanks in part to voluntary efforts from bigger cellphone carriers. However, the FCC doesn’t want you to be left out solely because you’re on a smaller network. The agency has just adopted rules requiring that all American wireless providers have the capability for text-to-911 by the end of the year. You won’t necessarily get emergency messaging by that point, but carriers will have six months to implement it in a given region if a local call center makes a request. Right now, the new regulation won’t make a big difference. Only Maine and Vermont are fully prepared to handle SMS in a crisis, and you’ll only find some form of coverage in 16 states. However, the FCC’s move means that adoption could grow very quickly — now that carriers can’t say no, 911 facilities are more likely to push for the technology. Don’t be surprised if you can soon send a text-based cry for help at any moment when a voice call would be difficult or dangerous. Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Mobile Comments Via: GigaOM Source: FCC

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Carriers have to let you text 911 by the end of the year

Dungeons, Dragons & Design: Geek Chic’s Gorgeous Gaming Tables

David Roentgen’s transforming gaming table is the most amazing piece of furniture I’ve ever seen. It’s also from the 18th Century. But here in the 21st, a company called Geek Chic is making modern-day gaming tables. Their stuff is beautiful, and as the company’s name suggests, the products are aimed at the Dungeons-and-Dragons roleplaying game crowd. Their top-of-the-line model is called the Sultan , and no, it ain’t a table for eating on. The center surface is what the company calls the Game Vault, where the Gamemaster lays out the unspoilt fantasyland devoid of your landlord, boss, spouse and parents. The sides feature integrated flip-out trays and drawers within, as well as little pull-out shelves to hold your dice and/or a cup of magic potion. (more…)

Find the Real Number of Email Messages in Your Gmail Account

Gmail doesn’t display a true message count by default, because Gmail uses the conversation view. Turn the conversation view off to see the real number of individual messages in your Gmail account. Read more…

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Find the Real Number of Email Messages in Your Gmail Account

Ken May

Author: kenmay