TechCrunch reports that your Facebook news feed is getting a design touchup. Nothing major: new fonts, “bolder” images, and a simplified left sidebar. As for the glorious overhaul we were supposed to get last year—still no word. Read more…
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TechCrunch reports that your Facebook news feed is getting a design touchup.
A 65-foot deep shaft being dug for Los Angeles’s newest subway line is filled with buried treasure. The so-called Subway to the Sea is still nine miles from the beach, but excavation has already revealed some creatures from the ocean floor… the prehistoric ocean floor! Read more…
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Ice Age Fossils Are Being Unearthed By L.A.’s Subway Construction
Spotify now owns The Echo Nest , better known as ” the company that powers the vast majority of internet radio .” That includes competing services like Pandora, Twitter Music, Rdio and more. But today’s news doesn’t necessarily mean that those services will lose support from Echo Nest’s API, as Spotify’s news announce today says, “The Echo Nest API will remain free and open to support its robust developer ecosystem.” The Echo Nest is staying in Somerville, Mass., with employees assuredly making Revolutionary War jokes every now and again to their Spotify counterparts in England. It’s not clear just yet what this will mean for Spotify Radio, but there’s this one oblique line about the acquisition’s potential impact: “The addition of The Echo Nest to Spotify will also strengthen Spotify’s ability to help brands and partners build amazing music experiences for their audiences.” Sure! Anyway, Spotify now owns the company that powers most of your internet radio. Take that as you will. Filed under: Software , Mobile Comments Source: Spotify
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Spotify just bought the company that powers most online radio
Thinkgeek have teamed up with Ifixit to create a Game Console & Electronics Refurbishing Kit , with all the tools you need to crack the case on most games consoles, phones and other gadgets. The 3.5lb box also includes a bunch of cleaning stuff for removing scuffs and marks, to spruce up your old gear to look like the day you unboxed it. Game Console & Electronics Refurbishing Kit gives you both opening and cleaning tools Works with * Xbox One (also Xbox 360) * PlayStation 4 (also PS Vita, PS3, PSP, PS2, and the original PlayStation) * Wii U (also Wii), NES, SNES, Gamecube, N64 * Nintendo 3DS (also DSi, DS Lite, and the Nintendo DS) * Dreamcast * Game Boy Advance SP (also Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Cartridges) * PC building and repair * Smartphone repair * and a bazillion other electronic devices Includes: * 26 Bit Driver Kit * 4 mm Driver Handle – rubberized for a sturdy grip and magnetized to hold bits and screws * 60 mm Driver Extension – increase your reach into smaller devices * Metal Tweezers – grab hold of small screws and components * 26 bits in the following sizes: * Flathead sizes 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 mm * Phillips sizes #000, #00, #0, #1, #2 * Torx sizes T4, T5, T6 * Torx Security sizes TR7, TR8, TR9, TR10, TR15, TR20 (compatible with non-security) * Hex sizes 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4 mm * Tri-wing sizes #0, #1 * Spanner size U3.0 * Anti-Static Wrist Strap * Dust Blower * ESD-safe Tweezers (electrostatic damage) * Plastic Spudger * Metal Spudger Set * Xbox 360 Opening Tool * Cleaning Swabs * Plastic Opening Tools * Surface Detailing Block (great for refreshing old or dirty plastic parts) * German Detailing Eraser with Brush * Pencil Sharpener * Small ESD-safe Brush (electrostatic damage) * Large ESD-safe Brush (electrostatic damage) * 1/4″ Driver Handle * Phillips #2 * Flathead 6 mm * Game Bit 4.5 mm (Nintendo Nut Setter #6) * Game Bit 3.8 mm (Nintendo Nut Setter #8) Game Console & Electronics Refurbishing Kit
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Games console/phone refurbishing kit with specialized case-opening tools
It’s been over four years since Dyson introduced a fan that somehow worked without visible blades. And besides releasing a few new models over the years, the company hasn’t announced any major updates to its Air Multiplier line since 2009. But it turns out that’s because Dyson’s engineers were finding clever ways to make these fans even quieter—up to 75 percent quieter to be exact—on three new models being rolled out today. Read more…
That death knell AMD has been ringing for DirectX? Microsoft’s having none of it. The software giant is now teasing the next version of the Windows graphics API, inviting developers to join it at GDC for the official reveal of DirectX 12. The splash page reveals little besides the version’s numeric and announcement time, but it does feature partner logos for Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia and, of course, AMD. AMD’s disdain for the platform helped birth Project Mantle — a competing API that gives developers lower-level access (and as a result, more leverage over) PC graphics hardware. One of Microsoft’s GDC sessions suggest that something similar is in the works for its own development platform: “You asked us to bring you even closer to the metal… …so that you can squeeze every last drop of performance out of your PC, tablet, phone and console, ” reads the description for one of the firms DirectX presentations. “Come learn our plans to deliver.” It sure sounds similar, and indeed, it meshes well with recent rumors. Sources close to ExtremeTech say that while the two APIs will have different implementations , both should offer the same benefits. They also say that Microsoft’s “close to the metal” lower-level access API is a relatively new project in Redmond, meaning it probably won’t muscle in on Mantle’s territory until sometime next year. Between that, and the fact that Microsoft has recently taken to limiting Direct X upgrades to Windows upgrades , it’s possible that we might not see DirectX 12 in access until we’re installing Windows 9. Filed under: Gaming , Microsoft Comments Source: Microsoft , ExtremeTech
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Microsoft teases DirectX 12 reveal for GDC, rumors pit it against AMD’s Mantle
Ever tried loading websites full of selfies and filtered food images on a shabby connection? If your answer is yes, then you know it always leads to tears and frustration. Good thing Mozilla’s got your back — the non-profit behind Firefox just announced a project called mozjpeg, which aims to shrink JPEG file sizes for faster-loading web pages. To get the ball rolling, the group made a fork of an existing JPEG codec ( libjpeg-turbo ) and threw in a feature that crunches photos without affecting quality. That gave rise to mozjpeg software version 1.0, which successfully shrunk the file sizes of 1, 500 JPEG photos by an average of 10 percent during a test run. It even worked on PNG images, though it was a lot less effective and only managed to shave 2 to 6 percent off their sizes. Mozilla chose to improve JPEG compression instead of developing an alternative because the org believes the two-decade-old standard won’t be going away anytime soon. Also, unlike newer choices (such as Google’s WebP ) that promise better quality at smaller sizes, JPEG’s already compatible with most software and browsers. Sticking to JPEG means you won’t have to endure years of poor compatibility, and you can now get through a lot more cat pics on your coffee break. Filed under: Misc Comments Via: CNET Source: Mozilla Research
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Mozilla to improve web page load times through image trickery
The CIA’s Inspector General has asked the Justice Department to consider criminally charging CIA agents who spied on a senate committee that was engaged in writing a report that was highly critical of the CIA’s use of torture. Senator Mark Udall, who sits on a CIA oversight committee and whose staff was spied on by the CIA alleges that the CIA surveilled overseeing senators and their staff with Obama’s knowledge and consent. In a recent hearing, Senator Ron Wyden asked the CIA director repeatedly whether the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, America’s major anti-hacking statute, applied to the CIA, and whether the CIA spied domestically. CIA director John Brennan replied “yes” and “no,” respectively. If Udall’s allegations are correct, this means that Brennan lied to Congress (in the second instance) and committed a felony (in the first instance). The report that caused some CIA agents to spy on their bosses was about how the CIA was wasting time, getting nowhere and doing something illegal and cruel when it kidnapped terror suspects and tortured the shit out of them. McClatchy and the New York Times reported Wednesday that the CIA had secretly monitored computers used by committee staffers preparing the inquiry report, which is said to be scathing not only about the brutality and ineffectiveness of the agency’s interrogation techniques but deception by the CIA to Congress and policymakers about it. The CIA sharply disputes the committee’s findings. Udall, a Colorado Democrat and one of the CIA’s leading pursuers on the committee, appeared to reference that surreptitious spying on Congress, which Udall said undermined democratic principles. “As you are aware, the CIA has recently taken unprecedented action against the committee in relation to the internal CIA review and I find these actions to be incredibly troubling for the Committee’s oversight powers and for our democracy,” Udall wrote to Obama on Tuesday. Obama knew CIA secretly monitored intelligence committee, senator claims [Spencer Ackerman/The Guardian]
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CIA spied on Senate committee writing damning torture report and Obama knew about it
The Delhi police lost the password for a portal that hosted complaints that had been passed on by the Central Vigilance Commission after an initial vetting. 667 complaints had been judged serious enough to be passed onto the police since the password was lost in 2006, but none have been acted upon, because no one had the password. Now they have the password. Presumably, the 667 unserved complainants believed the police to be either too slow or incompetent to have gotten back to them. Each Delhi government department under the CVC, including the MCD, DDA and several investigating agencies, have a chief vigilance officer to look into complaints. If a complaint reaches the CVC, either it tackles it independently or it sends it to the concerned department. In 2006, a portal monitored by the CVC was created, putting the complaints it sent to departments online. Each department could access the portal with a password. Complaints regarding the Delhi Police were also sent to the portal. Every year, the CVC holds meetings with government departments to take stock of the complaints with them. Sources said that since 2006, the CVC had got no feedback on complaints pending with the police. Vigilance complaints pile up as Delhi Police doesn’t know password [Shalini Narayan/Indian Express] ( via BBC News )
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Delhi police lost password for complaints portal in 2006, haven’t checked it since
Off-white business cards with Silian Rail lettering are so passé — these days; it’s all about creativity . This Game Boy look-alike, for instance, demonstrates its creator’s skills in one fell swoop: It doesn’t just display a résumé, it’s also a simple gaming handheld that can play Tetris . The device was made by Oregon programmer Kevin Bates, who calls it the Arduboy, because it uses a barebones Arduino board (the tiny computer also found inside Kegbot and Fish on Wheels ) connected to an OLED screen. To make the hand-held gaming experience as authentic as possible, he also equipped the card with capacitive touch buttons, a speaker and a replaceable battery that lasts up to nine hours. Thanks to all the feedback he’s received since demonstrating the card on YouTube, Bates is now planning to launch a Kickstarter project in the coming weeks, specifically for DIY enthusiasts. He aims to sell Arduboy kits for at least $30 per card and promises to make assembly as beginner-friendly as possible through video instructions. Not exactly fond of Tetris ? Don’t worry, Bates is also developing another version that runs Pokemon . Comments Via: Boing Boing Source: Bateske
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This Arduino-powered business card looks like a Game Boy and runs Tetris (video)