Robots make breakfast for scientists, bide time (video)

By Brian Heater 
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a growing robot -- it's also an easy and relatively quick way to lull a group of scientists into a false sense of security. Now, we're not saying that James and Rosie here had an ulterior motive when they put together a breakfast of Bavarian sausage and baguettes for a group of researchers at Munich's CoTeSys lab -- as far as robotic couples go, they seem very nice. James, a US-designed PR2 robot, sliced the bread, while German-designed Rosie boiled up some sausages, as some hungry roboticists looked on patiently. Oddly, this isn't the first time we've seen a robot prepare a morning meal -- it's nice to know, however, that after the robot apocalypse, at least we'll all still be well fed. Super sped up video of cooking robots after the break.

Droid Charge update brings personal hotspot back in time, adds improvements

By Richard Lai 
Boy, it sure has been a fun ride for Samsung Droid Charge fans. Since the beginning of this month, said LTE phone's been plagued by a rather silly bug: its mobile hotspot feature only works if you set the date to some time in May. Thankfully, Verizon has now released an update that'll bring the device back in time for some hassle-free hotspot action, so that TARDIS of yours can be stowed away for now. Also added in the package is a whole stash of enhancements here and there, including boosted battery life during voice calls, better browser performance, new email folder structure, improved GPS performance, and many more goodies. As usual, anticipating owners can keep an eye out for the OTA update notification, but feel free to chill in May if you're enjoying the vacation.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
sourceVerizon
http://www.engadget.com/

HP rolls out the YouTube carpet for TouchPad slate, prices accessories (video)

By Sean Hollister
Now that HP's TouchPad has a confirmed July 1st release date, the company's going to do its darnedest to make sure you're excited for the slate, and the company's starting off rather well if you ask us -- instead of attempting to find a new anthem, it's simply showing off what the dual-core tablet actually does. The nine YouTube videos after the break may not be the most exciting things you'll watch all day, but they certainly do show off the multitasking magic of HP's card-based operating system. If that's not nearly enough TouchPad information, though, Geekazine also taped a 37-minute conversation with HP product manager Tim Pettitt, where he reveals that the final TouchPad won't have a traditional gesture area, but it will recognize the traditional swipe up for opening and closing apps. By the by, all the TouchPad's accessories have now been priced: you'll drop $30 for a charger, $50 for the official folding case, $70 for the Bluetooth keyboard, and $80 for the new Touchstone dock. Pricey...

KinectShop concept is ready to televise your shopping revolution (video)

By Vlad Savov
Does anybody actually enjoy the laborious process of trying out clothes? The sheer physical effort, the risk of breaking a sweat... it's just not for us. We're much more comfortable with virtual reality fitting rooms, which is where Microsoft's Kinect motion camera has found yet another raison for its etre. Razorfish, the folks who already impressed us with some neat Kinect hacking, now have a new shopping platform that's said to actually wrap clothes around your frame and thereby provide a 3D preview of what you and they would look like together. The current iteration only shows some giddy ladies exploring the wide world of handbags, but they do look suitably impressed with the system. There are also sharing options via QR codes and NFC, plus the obligatory social networking tie-ins. Skip after the break to see the KinectShop on video.

Codemasters website hacked, 'tens of thousands' of personal accounts compromised

This must be the season of the hacking witch as we've now seen yet another company's online security walls breached. Independent UK games developer Codemasters, responsible for titles like Dirt 3 and Overlord, has reported that its website was hacked on the third of June, exposing the names, addresses (both physical and email), birthdays, phone numbers, Xbox gamer tags, biographies, and passwords of its registered users. Payment information wasn't compromised, but when you consider that almost everything else was, that feels like hollow consolation. For its part, Codemasters says it took the website offline as soon as the breach was detected and a subsequent investigation has revealed the number of affected users to be in the tens of thousands. Those who might have been affected directly are being emailed with penitent apologies, while the rest of us are being pointed to the company's Facebook page while its web portal is kept offline.
sourceBBC

PhoneIt-iPad available via Cydia now, claims it'll turn your iPad 3G into a phone (video)

They hacked Facetime onto the iPhone 3GS, and now they've done it again -- the iPhoneIslam team's bringing cellular calling and texting to your jailbroken iPad 3G. We haven't been able to test it for ourselves quite yet, but the new PhoneIt-iPad app should be available through the team's Cydia repository right now, and it'll cost $20 to bring out the full potential of your slate. And with that, it's only a matter of time before iPad sidetalking becomes a meme.

web coverage Sky Go Channels, FAQ Toshiba Thrive pre-order now live, starts at $430 and ends up in your hands in mid-July

By Vlad Savov 
As promised, Toshiba is marking June 13th with pre-order availability of its Thrive Android (3.1!) tablet, a device whose life aspiration and name happen to coincide perfectly. This 10-inch Tegra 2 portable has the usual 1280 x 800 resolution, dual cameras (5 megapixel on the back, 2 megapixel up front), a gigabyte of RAM, and a 23WHr battery, but it also brings nice expandability with full-size HDMI, USB 2.0 and SD card slots. The Easy Grip back covers can be swapped -- which, yes, means you can also replace the battery -- though you'll have to splash out $20 for any non-black hues. The 8GB Thrive costs $430, followed by the 16GB unit at $480 and the 32GB option at $580. You can order yours directly from Toshiba or at Amazon, Best Buy or Office Direct, with deliveries slated for mid-July.

[Thanks, Matthew]
sourceToshiba
http://www.engadget.com/

Sky Go consolidates live TV streaming on UK PCs and iOS devices next month

By Richard Lawler
Over in the UK, Sky TV is streamlining its efforts to serve up TV channels away from the TV by launching the new Sky Go service July 6th. It combines and replaces the existing online Sky Player and Sky Mobile TV services into one offering that's free for subscribers, and in August will open up to those who don't have Sky TV service for between £15-£40 per month. The new package also means changes for Sky Player on the Xbox 360 (which has its own changes in store) and Fetch TV, which will now just be "Sky" and will no longer count as one of the two allowed Sky Go device activations. Check the link below for the full list of channels which includes all the Sky Sports feeds, MTV, Disney and even ESPN without requiring the WatchESPN app we have in the US. There are a few drawbacks however, as it drops support for Windows Media Center and so far only iOS devices (running version 4.0 or higher - no first gen iPod Touches allowed) are on the approved list, but the official FAQ mentions an Android version on the way this year.
Sky TV Goes Online and Mobile for all 10 million customers
Sky Go brings together online and mobile TV in a single, simple service,
free to Sky TV customers

Γέφυρα Αυτοκτονίας Σκύλων (The Dog Suicide Bridge)

Στη νοτιοδυτική πλευρά της Σκωτίας, δίπλα στην πόλη Dumbarton, οι κάτοικοι προσπαθούν εδώ και πολλές δεκαετίες να καταλάβουν μία σειρά από περίεργους και τραγικούς θανάτους. Στην πόλη αυτή υπάρχει ένα μέρος που ονομάζεται «Γέφυρα Αυτοκτονίας Σκύλων» (The Dog Suicide Bridge).Πάνω από 50 σκυλιά έχουν πηδήξει από τη γέφυρα αυτή. Ο λόγος που τους ωθεί στην απόφαση να βάλουν τέλος στη ζωή τους αποτελεί ένα μυστήριο. Τι είναι αυτό που εξηγεί αυτήν την περίεργη συμπεριφορά τους, με το που αντικρίζουν τη γέφυρα; Ποια «εσωτερική φωνή» τους σπρώχνει στο θάνατο; Έχουν οι σκύλοι τάσεις αυτοκτονίας;

Τι σπρώχνει τα σκυλιά στο κενό;

Δεν είναι ακριβώς γνωστό πότε και για ποιο λόγο τα σκυλιά άρχισαν να...

Φωτογραφίες από το ηφαίστειο της Χιλής




Το προηγούμενο Σάββατο, στις 4 Ιουνίου, έγινε μία έκρηξη ηφαιστείου στη Caulle Cordon της νότιας Χιλής. Η έκρηξη ήταν τόσο ισχυρή που ελαφρόπετρες και ένα σύννεφο στάχτης έφτασαν σε ύψος 10 χιλιόμετρων και 5 χιλιόμετρα σε μήκος από το κρατήρα του ηφαιστείου. Φυσικά τα πάντα καλύφθηκαν από… ηφαιστειακή σκόνη ενώ η σκόνη έχει ταξιδέψει μέχρι και την Αργεντινή!
Δείτε παρακάτω περισσότερες φωτογραφίες από το ηφαίστειο και το πανικό που προκάλεσε…

Μου έκοψες κλήση για το ποδήλατο; Τώρα θα δεις τι θα πάθεις!




Παίρνεις το ποδήλατο και κάνεις μια βολτίτσα στην πόλη. Και ξαφνικά σε σταματάει ένας αστυνομικός και σου κόβει μια κλήση.
«Κύριος, οδηγούσες στο δρόμο και όχι στον ποδηλατόδρομο! Πώς μπόρεσες, κύριος; Άρπαξε την κλήση σου και άντε… ώρα καλή και μη σε ξαναδώ εκτός ποδηλατόδρομου.»
Προσπαθείς να τον πείσεις ότι «Κύριε αστυνομικέ μου, δεν είναι πάντα το καλύτερο να πηγαίνω από τον ποδηλατόδρομο… Δεν είναι ασφαλές!» Μάταια όμως.
Τι κάνεις λοιπόν; Παίρνεις την κάμερα και κάνεις ότι κάνει ο κύριος στο βίντεο. Τι κάνει; Για πάμε να δούμε…

Το εντυπωσιακό Metro της Στοκχόλμης




Οι Σουηδοί αγαπούν την τέχνη και κανείς δεν μπορεί να το αμφισβητήσει. Ξέρουν πως να δίνουν χρώμα στη ζωή τους και πως να παίζουν με τις πλατείες τους! Όλοι θα συμφωνήσετε ότι το Metro της Αθήνας είναι βαρετό. Βαρετό θα ήταν και το Metro της Στοκχόλμης αν δεν είχαν… την καταπληκτική ιδέα να το κάνουν κέντρο τέχνης!
Σίγουρα κανείς από τους επισκέπτες του Metro δεν μπορεί να το βαρεθεί καθώς όλοι οι σταθμοί είναι ουσιαστικά έργα τέχνης όπως θα δείτε και παρακάτω. Πολλά συγχαρητήρια στους Σουηδούς που πραγματικά ξέρουν πως να δίνουν χρώμα στους κοινόχρηστους χώρους τους!

Αυξάνεται το κόστος των διαφημίσεων στο Twitter


Η διαφημιστική υπηρεσίαpromoted trends έκανε ντεμπούτο στο Twitter πριν από ένα και πλέον χρόνο. ΤονΑπρίλιο του 2010, το κόστος για τον διαφημιζόμενο ήταν 25 με 30 χιλιάδες δολάρια ανά ημέρα. Το μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον των εταιρειών, όμως, έχει εκτοξεύσει την τιμή στα ύψη.

Όπως ανέφερε ο Adam Bain του Twitter, αν κάποιος θέλει πλέον να διαφημιστεί στα...

Κακόβουλο πρόγραμμα τιτλοφορείται ως αναβάθμιση των Windows


Η εταιρεία προστασίας για το διαδίκτυο, Sophos, εξέδωσε μία προειδοποίηση για ένα κακόβουλο πρόγραμμα μεταμφιεσμένο ως αναβάθμιση λειτουργικού των Windows. Η ιδιαίτερότητα αυτού του προγράμματος είναι ότι κοροιδεύει τους χρήστες ώστε αντί να κατεβάσουν κάποια αναβάθμιση ασφαλείας να καταλήγουν να κατεβάζουν το ίδιο το πρόγραμμα. Οι υποψήφιοι «μολυσμένοι» χρήστες βλέπουν στην οθόνη τους ένα ακριβές ομοίωμα της κεντρικής σελίδας αναβαθμίσεων των Windows, με μία μικρή διαφορά από την οποία θα μπορούσαν να αντιληφθούν ότι πρόκειται για απάτη. Το πρόγραμμα αυτό...

Το γεράκι του Σιάμ


Ο Κωνσταντίνος Γεράκης ή Κοστάντζο Φαλκόνε ήταν χαρισματικός τυχοδιώκτης Ελληνικής καταγωγής, ο οποίος κατάφερε να διοριστεί πρωθυπουργός του Σιάμ την περίοδο 1683 - 1688.Ποιος ήταν ο Κεφαλλονίτης που ξεκίνησε άφραγκος από το νησί του για να καταλήξει πάμπλουτος και δοξασμένος πρωθυπουργός στην Αυλή του βασιλιά Ναράι;
Εικόνα: Κωνσταντίνος Γεράκης (Κοστάντζο Φαλκόνε). Ο πρωθυπουργός της Ταϊλάνδης
Ποιος ήταν ο Κεφαλλονίτης που ξεκίνησε άφραγκος από το νησί του για να καταλήξει πάμπλουτος και δοξασμένος πρωθυπουργός στην Αυλή του βασιλιά Ναράι; Η μυθιστορηματική βιογραφία του Κωνσταντίνου Γεράκη αναπλάθει το...

Fanta Song

Το τραγούδι που παίζει στη διαφήμιση της Fanta είναι το παλιό και αγαπημένο It’s Like That των Run DMC. Απολαύστε το και χορέψτε το ....It’s Like That....

Chevy drops Volt base price by $1,000 for 2012, makes saving the world slightly more affordable

By Brian Heater

Chevy wants to know what it can do to get you into one of its plug-in hybrids today. A $1,000 price drop? You got it. The carmaker announced this week that the 2012 Volt base price will come in a grand lower than its predecessor, thanks to the sorts of additional configurations that come with increased availability. The 2011 version was available in seven states and the District of Columbia and came in three configurations -- 2012's Volt is available nationwide in seven different packages, ranging from $39,995 to $46,265. And keep in mind that those prices don't factor in potential tax credits. The latest version of the plug-in vehicle is available now for order and offers up features like MyLink media streaming, OnStar driving directions, and passive locking (though the new base model does strip away a couple of features found in its predecessor). Also there's the whole lessening your dependence on gasoline, if you're into that sort of thing.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/11/chevy-drops-volt-base-price-by-1-000-for-2012-makes-saving-the/

Heart-rate monitoring belt marks Bluetooth 4.0 milestone, stops to rest for Bluetooth 4.0 phones

By Christopher Trout 

Heart monitoring belt marks Bluetooth 4.0 milestone, stops to rest for Bluetooth 4.0 phones
Some firsts represent truly monumental achievements. Others, like the world's first production-readyBluetooth Low Energy heart-rate chest belt, are just a mouthful. This little black belt claims to be the very first of its kind, and promises to "spur the development of a...

Russian ATM uses voice analysis to tell when you're lying

By Michael Gorman

Credit card applications via automated teller are all the rage abroad these days. That's why Russia's Sberbank is using Speech Technology Center's voice recognition system in its new ATM to tell when you fudge your financials to get approved. Like apolygraph, the technology senses involuntary stress cues to ferret out fib-filled statements -- only instead of using wired sensors, it listens to your angst-ridden voice. Designed using samples from Russian police interrogation recordings where subjects were found to be lying, the system is able to detect the changes in speech patterns when a person isn't telling the truth. Of course, it's not completely accurate, so the biometric voice data is combined with credit history and other info before the...

Apple boots Sandy Bridge-based MacBook Air into mass production? (update)

By Sean Hollister

Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is starting to build a bit of a reputation for accurate Apple rumors, so you may be able to take this with a slightly smaller dose of NaCl: Kuo told AppleInsider that Cupertino's allegedly ordered 380,000 of those new MacBook Air models with Intel's Sandy Bridge processors on board, to be completed within the month. Of course, if Apple's got its heart set on distributing silica scaffolding, it has to...

Ask Engadget: best (non-gaming) wireless headphones?

By Darren Murph

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from reader Conception, who has a pretty hilarious story to tell. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.
"What is the best wireless headphones on the market (non-gaming headset -- no need for microphone) for the cheapest dollar while listening to...

iCloud Communications sues Apple for obvious reasons

By Sean Hollister

You probably know the drill by now -- Cupertino introduces a new product with a name that ostensiblybelongs to someone else, and for better or worse that someone decides to take Apple to court. Today, it's iCloud Communications charging out of the left corner to sock Apple's iCloud square in the wallet. Arizona-based iCloud Communications appears to be a VoIP equipment and service provider, though in court documents it claims to be a cloud computing company as well, and claims that it's been using the term iCloud (and the above logo) to sell such services since 2005. It's asking the court to destroy all iCloud marketing materials, pay damages and even invalidate the iCloud trademark that Apple bought from Xcerion -- the only registered iCloud trademark so far -- but what's probably going to actually happen here is a nice little settlement out of court. We'll let you know if there's any reason to break out the popcorn.

[Thanks, Tamaine M.]

Virgin Mobile lets Android run Blur-free on the Motorola Triumph

By Sharif Sakr

Motorola hopes to rescue its tarnished MOTOBLUR UI with a name-change. We, however, think the rust runs deeper than that -- and it seems we're not alone. Virgin Mobile has decided to give its prepaid customers the "true Android experience" from now on, which means you'll find no proprietary shell whatsoever sitting atop its new Motorola Triumph handset. Aside from a few bits of Virgin bloatware, the Triumph escapes with a relatively standard install of Android 2.2. Meanwhile, MOTOBLUR will still be foisted on pay-monthly customers who buy a Photon 4G or XPRT from Sprint, Virgin Mobile's parent company. Some of them might like the shell and its add-ons, but others will be better off without such OScontamination.

Verizon teams with Payfone for one-click mobile web purchases

By Sean Hollister

Verizon's already partnered with AT&T and T-Mobile on the Isis network, but it has fingers in another mobile payment pie -- the Wall Street Journal reports that the carrier's working with Payfone to let you put internet purchases right on your cell phone bill. Mind you, a previous partnership with BilltoMobile already did much the same thing, but Payfone should add more purchase possibilities and generally expand the potential offerings. Yes, perhaps direct carrier billing isn'tquite as exciting as Google Wallet's brand of full-on NFC, but while you're waiting for the world to catch up with the latest in payment technology, it's something.

Vers le plateau d'Iroire



En partant vers le village de Seyne on se retrouve dans les Alpes, notamment en empruntant le chemin qui monte jusqu'au plateau d'Iroire. A cette saison les fleurs des champs sont en pleine forme et tout cela donne un paysage alpestre typique, de ceux qui donnent envie de se rouler dans l'herbe. Arrivés au plateau, nous apercevons au loin, étonnés car nous n'osions pas y croire, bien qu'on nous ait prévenu qu'il était possible qu'on en rencontre, un petit groupe de marmottes qui gambadent joyeusement (comme le font habituellement les marmottes), au fond d'un vallon près de la rivière.

http://lecridubigorneau.blogspot.com/?expref=next-blog

Gaïa : l'indispensable compagnon de Siècle bleu ?




La vision poétique de la Terre vue depuis l'espace par les astronautes est le coeur du projet Siècle bleu (cf. l'article regard d'astronautessur le site sieclebleu.org).

J'avais découvert en 1996 ces images dans un livre admirable : Clairs de...

Kanye West Dating Mary-Kate Olsen?


Mary-Kate Olsen and Kanye West
Mary-Kate Olsen has sparked speculation of a new romance with Kanye West after they were spotted kissing during a night out, according to reports.

The actress-turned-fashion mogul got close to the rapper as he celebrated his birthday at the Submercer Bar in New York City's Mercer Hotel in...

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie donate $500,000 to Joplin, MO recovery effort

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie donate $500,000 to Joplin, MO recovery effort


Several weeks ago, in a post about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie shopping for Shiloh's fifth birthday, I threw in some quotes Brad had given about the tornados and floods in Missouri, and specifically the devastation in Joplin. I just cut-and-pasted from Fox News, and many of you pointed out that Brad might have made a mistake, or perhaps Fox News made a mistake, because it seemed like Brad was quoted talking about JOPPA' Missouri. Which doesn't exist. Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for that mixup. I still don't know who made the mistake.

Anyway, Brad grew up in Missouri, as we know. And Brad and Angelina have ended up...

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