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Microsoft begins Office 15 technical preview, fills up before you knew it existed

Everybody calm… we know, we’re excited too. We’re just dying to see the latest in spreadsheet and presentation technology. But, for now, you’ll just have to wait as the technical preview for Microsoft’s next version of Office is all filled up. What exactly Redmond has in store for us it wont say but, it’s not shying away from hyperbole, declaring it “the most ambitious undertaking yet for the Office Division.” Primarily we assume that’s because every arrow in the Office quiver is being updated simultaneously, including desktop, mobile and web apps, Visio, Lync and its countless other peripheral programs. Don’t draw a warm bath and grab a straight razor, though — you’ll get a chance to play with all the updated products when they enter public beta this summer.

Microsoft begins Office 15 technical preview, fills up before you knew it existed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft begins Office 15 technical preview, fills up before you knew it existed

Mod Makes Mass Effect on PC Look Absolutely Incredible [Mass Effect]

can make Skyrim look better. They can make Grand Theft Auto look better. They can make, well, just about any PC game look better. Including Mass Effect. More »

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Mod Makes Mass Effect on PC Look Absolutely Incredible [Mass Effect]

Barnes & Noble readying 'e-reading device' for spring, doesn't want to talk about it

Oh spring, flowers blooming, bees buzzing, the smell of new e-readers in the air. According to The New York Times, the folks over at Barnes & Noble’s digital team are putting the finishing touches on a “fifth e-reading device,” to be released during the aforementioned season. Not a lot of details on that at the moment — the bookseller’s not spilling the beans. Given last year’s release schedule, timing-wise the device would fall closer in line with the company’s e-ink line of products, so perhaps the non-tablet Nook line still has a bit of fight left in it, after all.

Barnes & Noble readying ‘e-reading device’ for spring, doesn’t want to talk about it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barnes & Noble readying 'e-reading device' for spring, doesn't want to talk about it

Japan’s population to drop by 1 million each year

Japan’s rapid aging means the national population of 128 million will shrink by one-third by 2060.

Piracy is the Only Thing Keeping Many Old Video Games Alive [Piracy]

Click here to read Piracy is the Only Thing Keeping Many Old Video Games Alive

Pirating new video games is a crime. But there’s long been a rather grey area around the piracy of old games. And when I say old, I don’t mean 2008 old. I mean 1988 old. More »

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Piracy is the Only Thing Keeping Many Old Video Games Alive [Piracy]

UCLA Professor Says Conventional Wisdom on Study Habits Is All Washed Up

An anonymous reader writes “Taking notes during class? Topic-focused study? A consistent learning environment? According to Robert Bjork, director of the UCLA Learning and Forgetting Lab, distinguished professor of psychology, and massively renowned expert on packing things in your brain in a way that keeps them from leaking out, all are three are exactly opposite the best strategies for learning.”

Thousands Take To the Streets To Protest ACTA

An anonymous reader writes “The protests
against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement continue
to spread in cities across Europe. The protests began in Poland, where thousands
have taken to the streets and opposition politicians have worn Guy
Fawkes masks in protest against the country signing the agreement last
week. The scenes
from Poland and France
are remarkable, demonstrating the widespread anger over
the decision to join ACTA. A full rundown of protest plans
can be found
here.”

Facebook Expected To Go Public Next Week

First time accepted submitter foozie writes “Many credible sources, including Forbes and CBS, say that Facebook will finally IPO next week, raising about $10 billion and valuating at $75 billion, almost three times the valuation of Google at the point of their IPO in 2004. This shift raises questions about how the new ownership will affect the company’s ability to innovate and remain on the forefront of social media.”

01-28-12 – The Constructal Law

Why does lightning look like a tree when it hits the ground? How do snowflakes form similar yet completely unique shapes? Why do fish always travel in schools? And why are all of our social systems, from governments to the military, dominated by hierarchies that exhibit the same patterns and characteristics?

Adrian Bejan, Ph.D. has explored these phenomena, and can show that the universe is governed by a single law of physics, which shapes the design of everything around us. Bejan’s groundbreaking new book, DESIGN IN NATURE, proposes that everything that moves is a flow system, from the branching patterns in our lungs, to floating logs organizing themselves perpendicular to the wind. Known as the Constructual Law, this rule of physics animates every aspect of the world around us. Structures take shape not by a matter of chance, but because they facilitate movement or flow, and this is true of everything in the universe, whether animate or inanimate.

Bejan will explain these intriguing ideas in layman’s terms, and will also discuss

• Why flashes of lightning always take on a tree-like shape when striking the ground
• How the intricate crystals on a snowflake form, and why they are so similar yet unique
• The reason that fish always travel in schools, and birds in flocks
• Why lava always flows a certain why down a mountain
• What swimmers, runners, and fliers all have in common
• How urban planning resembles the human circulatory system

MOTU sneaks in MicroBook II post-NAMM, ships this Spring for $269

MOTU sneaks in MicroBook II post-NAMM, shipping this Spring for $269

Looking to add some muscle to your mobile recording kit? MOTU waited to pull the curtain back on the MicroBook II until after NAMM, revealing a revamped portable audio interface for those who fancy tracking on-the-go. The studio-quality kit plays nice with both Mac and PC, offering a compact 4-input / 6-output, bus-powered recording option with 96kHz recording and playback support. Sporting inputs for mics (XLR), guitar, keyboard and powered speakers, the MicroBook II connects to your computer of choice via USB 2.0 and boasts on-board volume controls. All four inputs can be recorded simultaneously while internal CueMix tech allows for a unique stereo mix for each output pair. Speaking of outputs, the dimunuative box houses six of said channels alongside TRS 1/4-inch, stereo mini, S/PDIF, and 1/4-inch headphone offerings. You’ll have to wait until Spring to snag one, but for now hit the PR after the break for a full list of specs.

Continue reading MOTU sneaks in MicroBook II post-NAMM, ships this Spring for $269

MOTU sneaks in MicroBook II post-NAMM, ships this Spring for $269 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MOTU sneaks in MicroBook II post-NAMM, ships this Spring for $269