Firefox is finally 64-bit on your Windows PC

Believe it or not, Firefox on Windows has been a 32-bit affair until now — while Google and Microsoft made the leap to 64-bit web browsing a while back, Mozilla hasn’t been quite so quick off the mark. All’s well after today, though, as Mozilla has released a 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows. So long as you’re running at least Windows 7, the browser can take better advantage of processors from recent years. The software won’t necessarily run faster, but you should get improved security, greater app compatibility (some intensive web apps won’t run otherwise) and other upgrades that come with the added headroom. There’s more, regardless of what platform you’re running. You can now use Private Browsing to block a wider range of web trackers, and you can choose search suggestions right from the address bar. It’s also better about supporting Windows touchscreen devices by bringing up the keyboard when you need it. If you ditched Firefox a while back, it might be worth a second look. [Image credit: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez] Source: Mozilla (1) , (2)

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Firefox is finally 64-bit on your Windows PC

Go To Jail For Visiting a Web Site? Top Law Prof Talks Up the Idea

David Rothman writes: Eric Posner, the fourth most-cited law professor in the U.S., says the government may need to jail you if you even visit an ISIS site after enough warnings. He says, “Never before in our history have enemies outside the United States been able to propagate genuinely dangerous ideas on American territory in such an effective way—and by this I mean ideas that lead directly to terrorist attacks that kill people. The novelty of this threat calls for new thinking about limits on freedom of speech. The law would provide graduated penalties. After the first violation, a person would receive a warning letter from the government; subsequent violations would result in fines or prison sentences. The idea would be to get out the word that looking at ISIS-related websites, like looking at websites that display child pornography, is strictly forbidden” There would be exemptions for Washington-blessed journalists and others. Whew! Alas, this man isn’t Donald Trump — he is a widely respected University of Chicago faculty member writing in Slate. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Go To Jail For Visiting a Web Site? Top Law Prof Talks Up the Idea

200-year old giant salamander discovered outside a cave in China

Chinese giant salamanders are incredible amphibious beasts that look more like monsters from a movie than something that could exist in real life on this here Earth. They are comically huge, like brown boulder-sized beings who are unaware of how big they are. This one, discovered outside a cave near Chongqing, China, is over 4 and a half feet long and weighs nearly 115 pounds. Experts believe that it may be around 200 years old. Read more…

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200-year old giant salamander discovered outside a cave in China

How the potato changed the world and altered the course of history

French fries. Baked potatoes. Mashed potatoes. Potato chips. Potatoes are everywhere because they’re easy to grow, nutritious, and totally delicious. But they’re also crucially important to the creation of the world as we know it. The modern world was built on potatoes! Ted-Ed explores the history of potatoes and shows how Western countries rose to power off the backs of potato eaters. Read more…

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How the potato changed the world and altered the course of history

YouTube axes direct video uploads from webcams

If you’re one of the few recording to YouTube straight from your webcam, the video-hosting site will soon get rid of that feature. On January 16th, you’ll no longer be able to capture video straight from the camera connected to your computer and upload it to the web. Google says the feature is “rarely used” and runs on “tech” (read: Flash ) that’s no longer supported. The tool has been around for years, debuting the same year Mountain View nabbed YouTube . Despite the direct upload abilities, it seems the feature wasn’t very popular with folks posting videos on the site. When the time comes, users will need to first save footage on their computer or mobile device before uploading via the web or YouTube apps for Android and iOS. [Image credit: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images] Via: The Next Web Source: YouTube

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YouTube axes direct video uploads from webcams

This Snail Lives Its Life Upside Down on a Bubble Raft

This snail is happily hanging upside down from what looks like a mirror, but it’s actually the surface of the sea. The violet snail spends its adult life surfing from place to place on a bubble raft. Read more…

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This Snail Lives Its Life Upside Down on a Bubble Raft

Soon We Could Have Displays and Windows That Change Color with the Flick of a Switch

Medieval artisans unwittingly used nanotechnology when they mixed gold chloride into molten glass to create richly hued stained glass windows. Soon we could have full-color displays or stained-glass windows that change color at the flick of an electrical switch, thanks to the same kinds of light-scattering nanoparticles. Read more…

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Soon We Could Have Displays and Windows That Change Color with the Flick of a Switch

This electric car took almost a decade to build

We drive the Arcimoto SRK from Mark Frohnmayer’s Oregon-based electric carmaker to see how the eighth-generation concept stacks up against previous prototypes.The last time we checked in with Arcimoto, the Oregon-based electric carmaker was on the fifth version of its “everyday electric” SRK prototype. The year was 2011 and Arcimoto President and Founder Mark Frohnmayer was brimming with ideas to further improve the company’s SRK concept. Now, four years and three generations later, we catch up with Frohnmayer and the team at Arcimoto to see how the company’s eighth-generation SRK improves on its predecessors in every way. “A few weeks ago we finished our generation-eight prototype, ” said Frohnmayer. “It’s certainly a huge leap beyond what we had on the road in 2011 and this is what we’re actually intending to bring to the marketplace late next year.” By dropping nearly half the weight of previous versions, the eighth-gen SRK improves on range, performance and price, at a target MSRP of $11, 900. “The notion of the SRK was to be a product that anybody could afford, ” said Frohnmayer. Have an RSS feed? Click here to add Translogic . Follow Translogic on Twitter and Facebook . Click here to learn more about our host, Jonathon Buckley.

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This electric car took almost a decade to build

Is This California Pier the First Victim of El Niño?

Southern California residents witnessed a foreign substance falling from the sky as rain swept through the region over the last 24 hours. The storm also brought huge waves to the coast which ended up smashing the city of Ventura’s pier. Read more…

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Is This California Pier the First Victim of El Niño?