How has technology changed the way dissent and protest happens?
Facebook: It’s 4.7 degrees of separation
In the Facebook age — when digital “friends” are just a click away — the distance between people seems to be shrinking, according to data the social network released on Monday night.
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Facebook: It’s 4.7 degrees of separation
Ham Radio Licenses Top 700,000, An All-Time High
Velcroman1 writes “The newest trend in American communication isn’t another smartphone from Apple or Google but one of the elder statesmen of communication: Ham radio licenses are at an all time high, with over 700,000 licenses in the United States, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Ham radio first took the nation by storm nearly a hundred years ago. Last month the FCC logged 700,314 licenses, with nearly 40,000 new ones in the last five years. Compare that with 2005, when only 662,600 people hammed it up and you’ll see why the American Radio Relay League — the authority on all things ham — is calling it a ‘golden age’ for ham. ‘Over the last five years we’ve had 20-25,000 new hams,’ said Allen Pitts, a spokesman for the group.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Make a Musical Greeting Card to Annoy or Delight Your Friends and Family [DIY]
Love them or hate them, musical greeting cards will almost always bring a smile to someone’s face, but the smile might be widened a bit if you create your own music and card. Blogger Jarv shows his easy method to making the music happen. More »
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Make a Musical Greeting Card to Annoy or Delight Your Friends and Family [DIY]
The Next Windows Won’t Be a Nightmare to Install [Video]
More good news from Microsoft: Windows 8’s upgrade process won’t be like a mythological Greek hell punishment. Through clever software design, Windows 8 ‘s setup will blow Windows 7 away—82% fewer clicks, and massively cut install times. More »
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The Next Windows Won’t Be a Nightmare to Install [Video]
AT&T exec discusses plans for home energy management service
Verizon has already dipped its toes into the home energy management business, and it looks like AT&T is about to do the same as well. Speaking on a Broadband Breakfast panel in Washington, DC last week, AT&T Executive Director of Public Policy Jeffery Dygert revealed that the company is “in the process of developing” its own home energy management system, which would let users monitor their electricity usage and manage its use more efficiently. That service is said to be a part of the company’s broader Digital Life Project, and it will apparently be marketed to both AT&T’s wireless and wireline customers, but details remain otherwise light for the time being. Hit the source link below for a video of the panel discussion.
AT&T exec discusses plans for home energy management service originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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AT&T exec discusses plans for home energy management service
Heads-Up Display Contact Lenses Are One Step Closer After Passing Safety Tests [Science]
The days of traditional screens could be numbered if the news coming out of Washington University is anything to go by. It’s testing contact lenses that could project information into the wearers eyes and initial safety tests look promising. More »
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Heads-Up Display Contact Lenses Are One Step Closer After Passing Safety Tests [Science]
Qualcomm’s Mirasol Full Color E-Ink Displays Nearly Ready [EReaders]
Qualcomm’s Mirasol screen technology, which promises full color, low-power, e-ink displays that’ll bring Sunday supplements to life like never before, are about to launch. E-reader specialist Kyobo has shown off the first finished product. More »
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Qualcomm’s Mirasol Full Color E-Ink Displays Nearly Ready [EReaders]
Up To 30 Gbps: New Chip Enables Record-Breaking Wireless Data Transmission Speed
It looks like we can expect faster wireless connections in the near future: Japanese electronic parts maker Rohm yesterday announced [JP] it has developed a chip that reached a wireless data transmission speed of 1.5 gigabits per second in experiments, the highest level ever. And according to the company, even 30Gbps will be possible in the future.
The semi conductor device uses terahertz waves for data transmission, has a micro antenna attached to it and is 2cm long and 1cm high (size of the module). Rohm developed the technology in cooperation with a research team at Osaka University.
According to Japanese business daily The Nikkei, Rohm expects the new chip to cost just “several hundred yen” to produce (100 Yen currently translate to US$1.30). By way of comparison: the terahertz-based wireless chips out there now cost “several million yen”, are about 20cm square and reach a top speed of just 0.1Gbps, The Nikkei says.
Rohm plans to start mass-producing the new chips in three to four years.
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Up To 30 Gbps: New Chip Enables Record-Breaking Wireless Data Transmission Speed
For Just $67,000, These Guys Will Make a Custom Video Game About Your Life [Amuse Me]
Oftentimes it feels as though my life has video game-like qualities. Mind you, it wouldn’t be a very interesting game, but I’d love to see my commute to the burrito shop or my time spent at a desk writing… about video games… rendered into a custom video game. Actually that might be a bit too meta, even for me. More »
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For Just $67,000, These Guys Will Make a Custom Video Game About Your Life [Amuse Me]