Archive for April, 2012:
Acer Iconia Tablet Lightning Review: The Transformer Prime’s Chubby Cousin [Android]
Acer isn’t exactly the first name that pops into your head when it comes to top-tier tablets, but the company’s trying to change that with the Iconia A510. But does it hit the sweet spot between performance and price? More »
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Delay that Apple gratification and save bucks, data shows
Three years worth of Apple product pricing data once again says you can save a chunk of change by waiting a few days or months after it's released.
A Map of Where You Have to (Or Will Soon Have to) Pay Taxes on Amazon [Amazon]
Not paying taxes on stuff from Amazon is one of those little (slightly unpatriotic but whatever) joys that make life worth lifeing. Right now, there are just five states that tax the online retailer, but more are eyeing the chance. Here’s a map, made by Reuters with data from the University of Tennessee, of where you do and don’t get hit by the tax. More »
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SpaceX Prepares For Launch With Test Firing of Rocket Today
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Why iOS Apps Look Better Than Android Apps [Apps]
You might think app design is app design, whether the software is being developed for iOS or Android. But, in fact, creating highly polished, elegant-looking apps is simply easier to do when developing for iOS. That’s the prevailing conventional wisdom among developers who code for both platforms. More »
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We Waste a Billion Gallons of Gas a Year Because We’re So Fat [Factoid]
Heavier cars use more fuel. Now some bright spark has calculated that the US uses one billion gallons more gas every year than if the entire population had remained at the average weight of the 1960s. For every extra pound added to the average weight, the country uses another 39 million gallons of fuel each year. More »
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Dr. Who’s Sonic Screwdriver a Step Closer To Reality
cylonlover writes “A University of Dundee research team led by Prof. Mike MacDonald has demonstrated that both levitation and twisting forces can be applied to an object by application of ultrasonic beams. The team of physicists at the University of Dundee in Scotland (with associates at Bristol University in England) have succeeded in generating an ultrasonic vortex beam strong enough to lift and rotate a rubber disk submerged in water. This latest breakthrough is part of a wide-ranging U.K. research effort to develop a device not unlike the “sonic screwdriver” made famous by the TV series Doctor Who.” We covered the beginning of the sonic screwdriver project by Bristol University engineers a little over a year ago.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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The USAF’s Ultimate Flight Simulator Had Two Cockpits and Actually Flew [Monster Machines]
Before spending the cash on expensive, full-size aircraft prototypes, US Air Force engineers needed a way to ensure that their experimental designs actually, well, worked. Their solution—an airborne flight simulator mounted on the front of a transport plane. More »
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Ugly Meter app makes a pretty penny via Howard Stern
The application is now ranked second in the U.S. listing of top paid iPhone apps, and has reportedly generated $500,000 for its owners.
Temperature Regulating Chairs Bring Peace To Office Thermostat Wars [Chairs]
Finding the perfect ambient temperature for a crowded office is harder than tracking down the Higgs Boson. So instead of searching for the elusive thermostat setting that pleases everyone, a company called Temptronics puts that control in the hands, or butts, of every employee with a temperature controlled chair. More »
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