Older Links
Here is a collection of "not-so-recent-links" for your perusal and amusement. Also handy if you are busily avoiding doing what you should be doing right now, whatever that is.
- Man Buried in Haiti Rubble Uses iPhone to Treat Wounds, Survive
[Cool] January 25, 2010 3:14 PM
Dan Woolley was shooting a video about poverty in Haiti when the earthquake struck. He could have died, but he ultimately survived with the help of an iPhone first-aid app that taught him to treat his wounds. - Apple now has 10% of Canadian PC market
[Apple] January 25, 2010 3:12 PM
Canada may have the highest proportional number of Mac users in the world after recent gains by Apple, according to an IDC study of computer sales in the country during the spring. - The Four Big Myths of Profile Pictures
[Social Media] January 21, 2010 2:28 PM
OkCupid studied 7,000 photos of members and released their findings on the how your portrait affects how others perceive you. - Proroguing Parliament – a travesty, yet clever
[Canadian Politics] December 31, 2009 11:39 AM
Move by Harper a defeat for those who think government should be honest, open and accountable - an outrageous habit for a minority government to do regularly. - Voyager spacecraft make an interstellar discovery
[Spacecraft] December 23, 2009 11:15 PM
The solar system is passing through an interstellar cloud that physics says should not exist. - The secrets to safe snow shovelling
[Health] December 22, 2009 2:12 AM
Although few outside the world of engineering would appreciate its subtleties, shovelling snow involves a complex set of physical and mechanical interactions. - The End of Chiropractic?
[Medical] December 14, 2009 5:19 PM
An article written by 3 chiropractors and a PhD in physical education and published on December 2, 2009 in the journal Chiropractic and Osteopathy may have sounded the death knell for chiropractic. - Octopuses use coconut shells as portable shelters
[Animal] December 14, 2009 4:55 PM
Now, even invertebrates are using tools. Veined octopuses, Amphioctopus marginatus, have been filmed picking up coconut halves from the seabed to use as hiding places when they feel threatened. - Paranoid much? 'Spy coin' revealed Washington's doubts
[World Politics] December 8, 2009 8:55 PM
How much does the U.S. government really trust Canada? Maybe less than you think, according to e-mails just released, three years after original flap - Can a new two-stroke engine replace current engines?
[Cars] December 1, 2009 11:27 PM
Eco Motors is the name of a new company that has come up with a radically new type of engine. It has two opposing pistons in two contiguous cylinders, connected to a common crankshaft in the middle of the engine. - Green boxing is paying off in London
November 18, 2009 11:46 AM
The Orgaworld plant in London is using compost, rather than chemical fertilizers, to distribute to area farmers who are benefiting with increased crop yields. - Windows 7: Less bad than you would think
[MS Windows] November 1, 2009 11:52 PM
The funniest comment yet on Windows 7 - Rock Art Brewery vs. Monster Energy Drink
[Video] October 19, 2009 3:48 PM
A video telling Rock Art Brewery's side after they were sued by Monster Energy Drink over the beer named "Vermonster", and his thoughts on corporate America's bullying of small businesses. - Inside the Apocalyptic Soviet Doomsday Machine
[Weapons] October 18, 2009 2:35 PM
The technical name was Perimeter, but some called it Mertvaya Ruka, or Dead Hand. It was built 25 years ago and remained a closely guarded secret. With the demise of the USSR, word of the system did leak out, but few people seemed to notice. - Who knew The Onion could get it right
[World Politics] October 15, 2009 9:31 AM
In a January 2001 article titled "Bush: Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over" they certainly did get it right. Creepy. - Largest ring in solar system found around Saturn
[Astronomy] October 7, 2009 1:28 PM
A large ring of debris found around Saturn is the largest in the solar system. The new ring could be the smoking gun to explain the curious two-faced appearance of Saturn's moon Iapetus, whose leading hemisphere is much darker than its trailing side. - Fixing bones with dissolvable glass
[Medical] October 5, 2009 10:46 PM
Bone fractures or breaks are routinely fixed in place with metal implants. Recently, materials scientists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have designed a metallic glass that dissolves harmlessly in the body, saving the need for a second operation. - Normandy in 1944 and now in photographs
[Photography] September 27, 2009 1:57 PM
An extensive collection of photographs taken during the invasion of Normandy and in recent years. Amazing differences. - 2009 Chevrolet Malibu vs 1959 Bel Air crash test
[Cars] September 23, 2009 11:10 AM
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety commemorated its 50th anniversary with a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu against a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air in a frontal offset crash test, complete with video. - Why Users Dumped Your Open Source App for Proprietary Software
[Coding] September 15, 2009 10:41 AM
A decent summation of why users generally don't use more open source software. - 50 things that are being killed by the Internet
[Internet] September 10, 2009 6:29 PM
The Internet has wrought huge changes on our lives – both positive and negative – in the fifteen years since its use became widespread. - WTL Speaking Engagement : Society of Canadian Cine Amateurs 2009 Convention
[Video] September 7, 2009 8:23 PM
I will be speaking about Focus Enhancement's Firestore line of Portable DTE (Direct to Edit) Recorders, media management, and proper backup proceedures. Where: 2:45 PM, September 12, 2009, RA Centre at 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa (1.8 MB PDF) - Designing the ultimate wayfinding typeface
September 2, 2009 9:56 AM
Ralf Herrmann purposefully designed a font for roadway signage. I wonder if this will get adopted widely. - Finally, a use for car alarms
[Cars] July 21, 2009 11:38 AM
Car alarms have pretty much lost their effectiveness as theft deterrents. However German mechanical engineers came up with a way to trigger them collectively as an emergency warning. - Urine: A Clean Energy Source?
[Green Energy] July 8, 2009 10:50 PM
Using a nickel-based electrode, the scientists can create large amounts of cheap hydrogen from urine that could be burned or used in fuel cells. - The lost NASA tapes: Restoring lunar images after 40 years in the vault
[Science] June 30, 2009 11:17 AM
Liquid nitrogen, Mac workstations and old, refrigerator-size tape drives. These are just some of the tools a new breed of Space Age archeologists is using to sift through the digital debris from the early days of NASA. - When There's No Print Edition, Do Readers Flock to the Web?
[News] June 27, 2009 12:19 PM
What happens when a large newspaper moves from being print and web, to web only? - Speaking of Ottawa: What is a Podcast
[PodCast] May 30, 2009 11:30 AM
Take a video camera, wander around asking folks what a podcast is, throw in some editing, and voila; the first episode of Speaking of Ottawa is up. - Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology
[Online Culture] May 28, 2009 11:32 PM
In an unprecedented effort to crack down on self-serving edits, the Wikipedia supreme court has banned contributions from all IP addresses owned or operated by the Church of Scientology and its associates. - New Pattern Found in Prime Numbers
[Math] May 11, 2009 12:00 AM
Prime numbers have intrigued curious thinkers for centuries. The combination of randomness and regularity of primes has motivated researchers to search for patterns in the distribution of primes that may eventually shed light on their ultimate nature. - The 4 Hour Workday
[Self-Improvement] May 6, 2009 7:03 PM
Simple ideas to help increase productivity and shorten your workday. - Using Google Maps to track the H1N1 Swine Flu outbreak
[Medical] April 27, 2009 10:59 AM
Updated regularly. Pink markers are suspect, Purple markers are confirmed, Deaths lack a dot in marker - Study says Early birds wear out faster than night owls
[Medical] April 25, 2009 10:36 AM
In Friday's issue of the journal Science, researchers at the University of Liege used brain scans to test the alertness and ability to concentrate in 30 people who were either extremely early or very late risers. - How to Develop Film Using Coffee and Vitamin C
[Photography] April 14, 2009 11:13 PM
For those of you who can no longer find places to develop your film, give this a whirl. - 13 Tips for Improving Outdoor Portraits
[Photography] April 5, 2009 6:31 PM
Outdoor Portraits present portrait photographers a variety of challenges and opportunities. James Pickett from America the Lost suggests 13 tips to help you with your outdoor portrait work. - Google uncloaks once-secret server design
[Technology] April 2, 2009 12:49 PM
When it was revealed that Google's servers run two processors, two hard drives, a pile of memory, and an on board battery (replacing an onsite UPS), with over 1,100 of them crammed into shipping containers, the data centre industry took notice. - Twelve *other* uses for your digital camera
[Photography] April 2, 2009 12:46 PM
I have used mine a few of these ways, but like some of the other ideas as well. - Computer scientists deploy first practical, Web-based, secure, verifiable voting system
[Technology] March 9, 2009 8:47 PM
The verifiable voting system, available as open-source/free software, implements advanced cryptographic techniques to maintain ballot secrecy while providing a mathematical proof that the election tally was correctly computed. - 18 Ways to Stay Focused at Work
[Self-Improvement] March 4, 2009 5:36 PM
Apparently there's a non-productivity bug going around these days preventing people from being able to focus on working. Here are some handy tips. - The Crisis of Credit Visualized
[Finance] March 3, 2009 3:21 PM
Video: The Short and Simple Story of the Credit Crisis. - Privately, Hollywood admits DRM isn't about piracy
[DRM] February 25, 2009 1:43 AM
Perspective: Hollywood is talking off the record about its real reason for wanting DRM? Opportunities to sell you back your rights. - Residents demand companies end phone book deliveries
[Canada] February 23, 2009 2:21 PM
I hate phonebooks. Glad to hear that I'm not alone. Enough! - New RCMP policy says Tasers potentially lethal, limits use
[Security] February 12, 2009 2:01 PM
The RCMP is restricting how officers can use Tasers through a new policy that recognizes the stun guns can cause death, especially when fired on "acutely agitated" individuals, the head of the Mounties said Thursday. - U.S. Satellite Destroyed in Space Collision
[Spacecraft] February 12, 2009 12:45 AM
Iridium Satellite LLC confirmed today that one of its satellites was destroyed Tuesday in an unprecedented collision with a spent Russian satellite and that the incident could result in limited disruptions of service. - $40,000 Hasselblad medium-format (39 Megapixel) vs $500 Canon G10
[Photography] February 10, 2009 12:44 AM
I'd be curious to see how the Canon holds up against the Hasselblad when photographing people. - Ecofont
[Technology] February 4, 2009 5:33 PM
This font designed to save 20% of your toner, simply by changing the font you use for regular printing. - Comet Lulin approaches Earth.
[Astronomy] February 4, 2009 5:08 PM
The comet makes its closest approach to Earth (0.41 AU) on Feb. 24, 2009. Current estimates peg the maximum brightness at 4th or 5th magnitude, which means dark country skies would be required to see it. - Ancient snake's massive size points to extra hot jungle
[Paleontology] February 4, 2009 5:07 PM
Researchers have found the remains of what they are billing as the biggest snake the world has ever known — an animal estimated to be longer than a city bus and heftier than a car. - Why newspapers should manage more like Twitter and less like GM
[Business] February 4, 2009 11:59 AM
- Feds to post border guards at unmanned crossings in Quebec
[Canada] February 3, 2009 1:07 PM
The Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP are working on a joint project to test the effectiveness of adding border officers to some currently unpatrolled areas along access points between the two countries. - Zombies Ahead: Hacking programmable road signs
[Fun] January 28, 2009 5:58 PM
We see them everywhere these days, digital signs by the side of the road telling us about road conditions or that we should prepare to stop or that our local bridge might be closed next Tuesday from noon to midnight. - Registered with the do-not-call list? Expect more calls, says consumer watchdog
[Canadian Politics] January 26, 2009 11:04 AM
Canada's highly touted do-not-call list is having the opposite effect, leading to more telemarketer calls, says the Consumers' Association of Canada. - National Film Board of Canada makes films free online
[Filmmaking] January 22, 2009 12:14 AM
The NFB has launched a new project to allow Canadians to see its films through online streaming. Oscar winners such as 1952's Neighbours, 1977's I'll Find a Way and 2004's Ryan are among the more than 700 films now available for screening online. - Tapping the Earth for home heating and cooling
[Green Energy] January 18, 2009 3:35 PM
Ground-source heat pumps have been around for decades but every year seem to attract more homeowners and organizations who are looking for alternatives to traditional space heating and cooling. - Writing in the Age of Distraction
[Self-Improvement] January 16, 2009 11:31 PM
Cory Doctorow talks about how he manages to write content in our distraction-prone age. - Apple CEO Jobs to Take Medical Leave of Absence
[Apple] January 14, 2009 5:40 PM
Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs said he will take a medical leave of absence until the end of June, saying his health-related issues were "more complex than I originally thought." - Nortel Networks files for bankruptcy protection
[Technology] January 14, 2009 5:38 PM
Once a high-flying darling of the technology sector and a stock market heavyweight, Nortel Networks filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday in both Ontario and Delaware. - Datacentres to cut power costs with DC power
[Technology] January 14, 2009 5:31 PM
Using DC power in the datacenter can reduce wasteful conversions and yield space - Web overtakes newspapers as source of news in US survey
[News] December 29, 2008 12:42 PM
In an apparently sharp shift in habits, the research has found that the number of consumers using the web as a main news source surged from 24% to 40% in a year, overtaking the 35% who rely on newspapers. Television slipped from 74% to 70%. - Meteorite fall near Alberta-Sask. border could set record
[Astronomy] December 22, 2008 8:21 PM
The fireball that lit up prairie skies November might have resulted in Canada's largest recorded meteorite fall, a scientist who led a team that collected more than 100 fragments said on Monday. - I Believe In Open
[Canadian Politics] December 11, 2008 8:50 PM
I Believe In Open is a national movement challenging politicians to commit to - December 12: Biggest Full Moon of the Year
[Astronomy] December 9, 2008 10:41 PM
It's no illusion. Some full Moons are genuinely larger than others and this Friday's is a whopper. Why? The Moon's orbit is an ellipse with one side 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other. - Dear neighbour, about what's going on in Canada
[Canadian Politics] December 4, 2008 10:30 AM
Neil Macdonald explains the political crisis to our American neighbors. - Using Photoshop to Turn Ho-Hum Color into WOW! with LAB colour mode
[Photography] December 4, 2008 8:33 AM
The fix uses the LAB color space. This is not an often used color space and it isn’t available in most other programs so you won’t be able to mimic this effect in, for example, Photoshop Elements. However, LAB has been around in Photoshop for years. - Could consumers own their internet connections?
[Net Neutrality] December 2, 2008 12:30 AM
What's the best way to ensure "net neutrality?" Tim Wu, the Columbia Law School professor and Toronto native who first coined the term, has a simple suggestion: customer ownership of internet connections. - Scientists find fragments of 10-tonne space rock
[Astronomy] November 29, 2008 3:42 AM
University of Calgary researchers say they have found fragments from the 10-tonne space rock that caused a late-night light show near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border last week. - Regenerating a Mammoth for $10 Million
[Science] November 27, 2008 3:39 PM
Scientists are talking for the first time about the old idea of resurrecting extinct species as if this staple of science fiction is a realistic possibility, saying that a living mammoth could perhaps be regenerated for as little as $10 million. - China's hackers stealing US defence secrets, says congressional panel
[World Politics] November 22, 2008 5:55 PM
A summary of the study, released in advance, alleges that networks and databases used by the US government and American defence contractors are regularly targeted by Chinese hackers. - How Twittering Critics Brought Down Motrin Mom Campaign
[Online Culture] November 20, 2008 2:25 PM
Johnson and Johnson managed to offend some mothers with an online and print campaign for Motrin that implied moms carry their babies as fashion accessories. Then add in Twitter; one person got annoyed, and then Twittered about and the groundswell began. - Hiroshima: The Lost Photographs
[Photography] November 20, 2008 1:14 AM
A tale of lost sobering photographs of the devastation long hidden from the public - Driven: Shai Agassi's Audacious Plan to Put Electric Cars on the Road
[Cars] November 19, 2008 1:00 PM
The plan includes quick-exchange batteries, automated charging and a slew of other clever ideas that I think will actually work. Long, worthwhile read. - Ten easy tips for new Twitter users
[Social Media] November 19, 2008 12:19 PM
- New wind power generator may mean 50% more power.
[Green Energy] November 19, 2008 1:02 AM
ExRo Technologies, a startup based in Vancouver, BC, has developed a new kind of generator that's well suited to harvesting energy from wind. It could lower the cost of wind turbines while increasing their power output by 50 percent. - Google to offer Life magazine photo archives online
[Google] November 19, 2008 12:48 AM
This collection of newly-digitized images includes photos and etchings produced and owned by LIFE dating all the way back t the 1750s. Digitization should be complete in a few months. Currently, only about 20% of the 10 million photos is online. - Jelly balls may slow global warming
November 18, 2008 12:51 AM
The jellyfish-like animals are known as salps and their main food is phytoplankton (marine algae) which absorbs the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in the top level of the ocean. This in turn comes from the atmosphere. - Authors@Google: Randall Munroe
[YouTube] November 12, 2008 12:09 AM
The creator of the XKCD web comic speaks at Google. - Feature films coming to YouTube
[YouTube] November 8, 2008 1:38 AM
YouTube will begin offering feature films produced by at least one of the biggest Hollywood movie studios possibly as early as next month, according to an executive with a major entertainment company. - Boston University's College of Engineering says Lightbulbs Could Replace Wi-Fi Hotpsots
[Technology] November 5, 2008 12:52 PM
Researchers expect to piggyback data communications capabilities on low-power light emitting diodes, or LEDs, to create "Smart Lighting" that would be faster and more secure than current network technology. - Cool Earth Solar eyes rural power with balloons
[Green Energy] November 3, 2008 12:19 PM
The company plans to start testing a prototype solar plant built around rows of reflective balloons, hung on poles. Each balloon will be eight feet in diameter and can generate 1 kilowatt of electricity. - What if the whole world could vote in the US election?
[USA Politics] November 3, 2008 11:59 AM
Barack Obama is very popular world-wide, but Albania and Macedonia *really* like John McCain. - Amazon Announces Beginning of Multi-Year Frustration-Free Packaging Initiative
[Rambling] November 3, 2008 11:48 AM
Finally, someone is doing something about the crazy amounts of packaging some companies use for their products! It drives me nuts when I get a huge box for one hard drive. I hope this catches on all over. - The virtual vigil
[History] November 3, 2008 3:34 AM
Starting Nov 4 at 5:15 PM for 13 hours each night, will be the Ottawa National Vigil, streamed over the Internet - HD DVD is dead, and Blu-Ray is well on it's way.
[Technology] October 29, 2008 12:15 AM
Blu-ray is in a death spiral. 12 months from now Blu-ray will be a videophile niche, not a mass market product. With only a 4% share of US movie disc sales and HD download capability arriving, the Blu-ray disc Association is walking on thin ice. - Yes We Can remix: Lee Dorsey's funk classic meets Obama speech
[USA Politics] October 28, 2008 2:54 PM
Tano Sokolow did an amazing remix/mash-up of Barack Obama's Yes We Can with Lee Dorsey's Yes We Can Can song. - Ottawa posts $1.75B deficit in August
[Canadian Politics] October 24, 2008 12:20 PM
The federal government posted a budget deficit in August of $1.75 billion and its surplus in the first five months of the fiscal year fell to less than a fifth of its size a year earlier. Funny how this didn't come out during the election, isn't it? - Giant spider eating a bird caught on camera
[Insects] October 23, 2008 1:29 AM
A Golden Orb Weaver kills a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin that became trapped in it's web. The spider spins a strong web high in protein because it depends on it to capture large insects for food. - U.S. pilot was ordered to shoot down UFO
[Military] October 22, 2008 4:53 PM
Two U.S. fighter planes were scrambled and ordered to shoot down an unidentified flying object (UFO) over the English countryside during the Cold War, according to secret files made public recently.. - Early West Virginia voters say machines are switching votes
[USA Politics] October 20, 2008 11:52 AM
If the technology is not recording people's votes correctly, then it shouldn't be used. - So much for airport security.
[Security] October 18, 2008 3:07 PM
Airport security in America is a sham designed to make travelers feel better and catch stupid terrorists. Smart ones can get through security with fake boarding passes and all manner of prohibited items as a The Atlantic correspondent did with ease. - Time-lapse footage reveals ice sheet in crisis
[Global Warming] October 16, 2008 11:55 AM
Dramatic images taken at least every six hours over an entire year reveal how the world's fastest-flowing glacier is draining Greenland's ice sheet and contributing to sea-level rise world-wide. - Photoessay: The Sun
[Astronomy] October 14, 2008 11:33 AM
The Sun is now in the quietest phase of its 11-year activity cycle, the solar minimum - in fact, it has been unusually quiet this year. Scientists are unsure of the significance of this unusual calm, but are continually monitoring the Sun closely. - Beat the Sugar Habit: 3 Steps to Cut Sweets (Mostly) Out of Your Life
[Health] October 13, 2008 11:51 PM
Sugar for many is something they may have been battling with for a long time, but the past is the past. Time for sugar to be seen for what it really is, and for us to take back full control of our lives. - 56 Useful Mac Shortcuts
[Mac OS X] October 13, 2008 7:13 PM
A good list of basic keyboard shortcuts for Mac users. - Survey rates Canada as world's soundest bank system
[Canadian Politics] October 13, 2008 7:04 PM
Canada has the world's soundest banking system, closely followed by Sweden, Luxembourg and Australia, a survey by the World Economic Forum has found as financial crisis and bank failures shake world markets. - B.C. paleontologists seek clues in rare dinosaur tracks
[Paleontology] October 13, 2008 7:01 PM
Paleontologists in B.C. are poring over rare evidence that the largest dinosaur that ever lived once roamed the province. This summer, a group of coal miners discovered ancient sauropod tracks in the province's southeastern tip near the Alberta border. - Bell, Telus pick 4G, HSPA; iPhone possible
[Cell Phones] October 10, 2008 9:03 PM
Bell and Telus announced they would both choose Long Term Evolution (LTE) as their fourth-generation (4G) cellular network standard. Along with faster Internet access, this will allow users to move between Rogers and Bell without switching phones. - Liquid Mirror Telescopes on the Moon
[Astronomy] October 9, 2008 10:03 AM
A team of internationally renowned astronomers and opticians may have found a way to make "unbelievably large" telescopes on the Moon. - How to Improve Your Self-Control
[Self-Improvement] October 8, 2008 11:47 AM
One of humanity's most useful skills, without which advanced civilisations would not exist, is being able to engage our higher cognitive functions, our self-control, to resist temptations, like eating, drinking or spending too much. - Harper's plagiarized speech makes worldwide headlines
[Canadian Politics] October 1, 2008 1:45 PM
Media outlets including ABC, CNN, MSNBC, the BBC, Herald Tribune and the Business Times have all picked up on a story detailing how an aide to Prime Minister Stephen Harper plagiarized a speech in 2003 from then Australian leader John Howard. - Apple Threatens iTunes Shutdown over Royalty Dispute
[Copyright Law] October 1, 2008 1:41 PM
The Copyright Royalty Board is scheduled to hand down its decision on these rates Thursday. Music publishers asked the board to increase royalties paid to publishers and songwriters from 9 cents to 15 cents per track. - The Evil League of Evil is recruiting!
[Funny] October 1, 2008 12:28 AM
The rumblings you've been hearing in the criminal underground since July indeed are true: At long last, we are seeking new applicants to the League. Aspirants to new heights of Evil should submit an application video. See site for details. - Strategic Voting for a climate-friendly government!
[Canadian Politics] October 1, 2008 12:25 AM
- National Do Not Call List web site now accepting phone numbers.
[Canadian Politics] September 30, 2008 12:47 AM
The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) gives consumers a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls. The National DNCL Rules introduce new responsibilities for Canada’s telemarketers. - Canada home to world's oldest rocks, researchers say
[Geology] September 27, 2008 11:21 AM
Located on the Northern Quebec coast of Hudson's Bay, the rocks are estimated to be 4.28 billion years old, roughly 300 million years after the planet was formed, making them the oldest preserved piece of the Earth's early crust. - Sarah Palin's tale as a Disney movie
[Funny] September 27, 2008 11:02 AM
Titled "head of Skate" this well done faux-trailer is just hilarious. - Complaints pour in after digital TV test
[Technology] September 24, 2008 12:40 PM
Broadcasters in Wilmington, NC volunteered to cease analog programming on Sept. 8, ahead of schedule. Of the 1,828 people who complained to the FCC in the first five days, slightly more than half were unable to tune in one or more channels. - Mars polar cap mystery solved
[Astronomy] September 24, 2008 12:10 PM
Scientists are now able to better explain why Mars's residual southern ice cap is misplaced, thanks to data from ESA's Mars Express spacecraft - weather and the largest impact crater on Mars even though it is nowhere near the south pole. - How to Avoid the Physical Hazards of Blogging
[Health] September 22, 2008 11:05 PM
Massage Therapist Lovelyn Bettison offers advice for users who sit in a chair in front of a computer for hours at a time, which can put us at risk of getting neck, shoulder and upper back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back and sciatic nerve pain. - Scarless Surgery Uses Body's Own Openings
[Medical] September 21, 2008 10:37 PM
Surgeons have now performed the procedures on more than 400 patients worldwide, mostly in South America and India. Doctors in Europe are experimenting with them, and a handful of surgeons began trying the approach in the United States in the past year. - Microsoft’s new &I’m a PC" Ads Created On Macs
[Microsoft] September 20, 2008 12:12 PM
After dumping its $10 million contract with Seinfeld after two ads, Microsoft has created new ad copy where regular people and a few celebrities say, "I'm a PC!" One problem with the campaign's credibility: the ad work was created using Macs. - Daring Fireball on the Microsoft Ads: There’s Nothing There
[Microsoft] September 20, 2008 12:11 PM
- Television rights to Canadian SF writer Robert J Sawyer's novel Flashforward sold to ABC
[TV Show] September 20, 2008 12:09 PM
David S. Goyer (Batman Begins) and Brannon Braga (Star Trek Voyager, 24) have scripted the pilot episode, which is now in pre-production. David Goyer will direct the pilot, and Jessika Borsiczky Goyer and Brannon Braga are among the Executive Producers. - Video: Time of my Life
[YouTube] September 20, 2008 12:03 PM
Seventeen years worth of taking 2 photos a day as his head rotates in sync with the Earth around the Sun. - Goth: You Just Can’t Kill It
September 20, 2008 12:00 PM
Cintra Wilson writes about how Goth is making its way through fashion and culture. - Unplug your friends
[Funny] September 17, 2008 3:20 PM
It's an epidemic. It can strike anyone. It begins harmlessly enough... maybe with a cell phone, an online social network profile, or an IM. But before long, the electronic screens invade every corner of your life. Help those who don't know any better. - Sarah Palin's Personal Email account cracked
[USA Politics] September 17, 2008 2:07 PM
Did the internet just cause Sarah Palin to destroy evidence? The potential Veep is in a bit of trouble for using her personal, unarchived email address (gov.sarah@yahoo.com) to conduct state business. - New Ant species discovered
[Insects] September 15, 2008 11:42 PM
Found in Brazil, the ant has a pale body and no eyes, says Christian Rabeling of the University of Texas at Austin. Its mouthparts stick out like sharp forceps and are longer than the rest of its head. - RCMP didn't research Tasers enough, report says
[Police] September 13, 2008 10:54 AM
The RCMP didn't do enough independent research into Tasers and relied too heavily on data supplied by their American manufacturer before authorizing their use, a new report says. - Eating Our Way to Death, Literally
[Health] September 11, 2008 1:12 AM
A length article discussing the positive aspects of vegetarianism, which I'm *slowly* finding myself wandering over to. Time will tell. - Naked-Eye Gamma-ray Burst Aimed Directly at Earth
[Astronomy] September 11, 2008 1:01 AM
Astronomers announced that a remarkable gamma-ray burst visible to the human eye earlier this year came from an explosive stellar jet aimed almost directly at Earth. - Ars Technica's Hands-on: iTunes 8 rethinks features and rocks new ones
[Mac Application] September 11, 2008 12:59 AM
Easily the most significant new feature is Genius, an automated DJ that Apple added to iTunes. It can build custom, relational playlists based on the music in your library. Switch Genius on, and iTunes will scan your library and build its database. - New Fiesta Gets 73 MPG, But Ford Says It’s Not For The U.S.
[Cars] September 10, 2008 4:08 AM
Ford released the details of a new Fiesta it plans to begin selling this November. The new car can get 63 mpg city and 73 mpg highway. So why is it only available in Europe? It's a diesel, and Ford doesn't think Americans will ever adopt diesel cars. - How Videogames Blind Us With Science
[Games] September 9, 2008 11:36 AM
A study shows that game players are using the scientific method to decipher how games work and defeat the games. - NBC Drops Microsoft Silverlight, Runs Back to Adobe for Flash
[Microsoft] September 8, 2008 5:08 PM
NBC seems to be having a change of heart this week. The network recently wrapped up their streaming of the Olympics using Microsoft's Silverlight technology. - Comcast sues FCC to evade net neutrality
[Net Neutrality] September 4, 2008 4:00 PM
US Internet provider Comcast has sued the Federal Communications Commission to try and block the FCC's net neutrality order, which requires that the company avoid discriminating against particular types of Internet traffic when managing its network. - Canada to mount search for lost Franklin ships
[Canadian Politics] August 14, 2008 12:04 AM
Some 163 years after they disappeared into the icy fastness of the Arctic archipelago, Sir John Franklin's ill-fated ships, Erebus and Terror, are once again at the centre of a great geopolitical game over claim to the Northwest Passage. - Windows Vista security 'rendered useless' by researchers
[MS Windows] August 10, 2008 11:30 PM
Two security researchers have developed a new technique that essentially bypasses all of the memory protection safeguards in the Windows Vista operating system. - Minimalist Fitness: How to Get In Lean Shape With Little or No Equipment
[Exercise] August 8, 2008 9:24 AM
Two common barriers for people who want to exercise and get in shape are a lack of time and money needed for fitness. Who has the time to go to the gym, or buy expensive equipment, or take long bike rides? - How Cloud Computing Is Changing the World
[Technology] August 8, 2008 3:17 AM
A major shift in the way companies obtain software and computing capacity is under way as more companies tap into Web-based applications - Google backs ISP-guaranteed minimum data rates
[Internet] August 6, 2008 11:27 AM
Vint Cerf, writing on the company's official policy blog, is down on usage-based billing, an idea which has been gaining traction among some ISPs (Bell Canada, Time Warner, and others are experimenting with it). - Body-Mod: Elf Ears
[Cool] August 6, 2008 1:07 AM
I've never been into piercing and what not, but this is just plain cool. That doesn't mean I'd do it, though. Via Boing Boing. - Old-school Marketing for Old-school Clients: Using Pamphlets, Letters and Postcards
[Advertising] August 5, 2008 2:22 PM
Sending letters, postcards or pamphlets takes both time and money so you can’t afford to make any mistakes. Here are nine tips to make your next mailing stand out and ensure that the recipient takes the time to read your costly marketing materials! - Would Obama prosecute the Bush administration for torture?
[USA Politics] August 5, 2008 12:47 AM
On the campaign trail, Barack Obama was asked whether, if elected, he would prosecute Bush administration officials for establishing torture as American policy. The candidate demurred. "If crimes have been committed, they should be investigated," he said. - Stunning Shark attack photos (a seal, not a person)
[Animal] August 4, 2008 1:09 PM
These shots capture the splendour and horror of a great white shark weighing two tons leaping 10ft from the water as it closes inevitably on its victim. - How Dr. Horrible's Felicia Day Gets Things Done
[Online Culture] August 4, 2008 12:42 PM
- Security guide to customs-proofing your laptop
[Security] August 2, 2008 3:57 PM
Fortunately, you have some technological defenses against overly snoopy border agents. Keep reading for our easy-to-understand, Homeland-Security-inspired, color-coded News.com Guide to Customs-Proofing Your Laptop. - US Homeland Security: We can seize laptops for an indefinite period
[USA Politics] August 2, 2008 3:34 PM
A pair of DHS policies from last month say that customs agents can routinely- as a matter of course- seize, make copies of, and analyze the information transported by any individual attempting to enter or pass through, the USA. - Canadian Do-not-call list
[Canadian Politics] August 1, 2008 11:59 AM
Canadians will soon be able to limit the number of unwanted telemarketing calls they receive. Legislation to create a do-not-call list was passed in late 2005. In September 2008, if all goes according to plan, the list is expected to launch. - China censoring Internet access at Olympics
[Internet] July 30, 2008 4:44 PM
Olympic organizers are backtracking on another promise about coverage of the Beijing Games, keeping in place blocks on Internet sites in the Main Press Center and venues where reporters will work. - Dark Knight Shift: Why Batman Could Exist--But Not for Long
[Movie] July 28, 2008 4:09 PM
Scientific American talks about Batman and how he *could* exist, the training he'd have to undergo and how long he could keep it up for. - Yahoo Music follows MSN into DRM controversy
[DRM] July 24, 2008 9:32 PM
Yahoo is shutting off support for Yahoo Music after September 30, which means starting October 1, if users want to move music to new hard drives or computers, they will be out of luck. - Scholars plan to reunite ancient Bible
[Religion] July 23, 2008 11:06 AM
The oldest surviving copy of the New Testament, a 4th century version that had its Gospels and epistles is being made available online. The British Library says the full text of the Codex Sinaiticus will be available to Web users by next July. - Quebec gas price-fixing scheme may have been widespread
[News] July 21, 2008 8:55 PM
Thirteen people and 11 companies in total were charged in the investigation, and accused of illegally fixing gas prices in Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Sherbrooke and Magog. - Why not turn the International Space Station into a Space Ship?
[Spacecraft] July 16, 2008 4:06 PM
Michael Benson makes an argument to turn the ISS into the base for an interplanetary space craft. It's already in orbit, so why not? - Moths Remember Caterpillar Life
[Animal] July 15, 2008 3:24 PM
Published in this week's PLoS ONE, the study found that moths and perhaps butterflies often recall what they learn as ground-dwelling insects, revealing how resilient memory may be. - Ameritrade Hack Settlement: $2 Per Victim, $1.8 Million for Lawyers
[Law] July 12, 2008 11:22 AM
A proposed agreement to settle a class action lawsuit to compensate as many as 6.3 million TD Ameritrade customers whose data was stolen would cost the online brokerage firm less than $2 per victim and at least $1.8 million in fees to the attorneys. - Weight loss diary can help shed pounds: study
[Health] July 9, 2008 10:53 AM
A new study has found that overweight and obese men and women who exercised and followed a healthy diet lost more weight if they kept a diary of what they ate loosing almost twice the weight - an average of 13 pounds - compared to those who did not. - Embracing icebergs sing eerie duets
July 9, 2008 10:43 AM
They travel from Antarctica to Tahiti, can sound like laughing monkeys, or barking dogs, and some were triggered by the December 2004 tsunami: they are the eerie songs made by some of Antarctica's largest icebergs. - Google Talk for the iPhone and iPod Touch
[Google] July 8, 2008 9:09 AM
Google released a version of its instant messenger that works beautifully on the above two devices and works quite well, I would imagine it will get even better when Apple's push service will be available. Way to go Google! - Photos of Auroras over the South pole
[Photography] July 8, 2008 8:19 AM
The photos with the South Pole Telescope in the foreground were taken on July 5, 2008 and the photo at the geographic south pole marker and the photo with the main station were taken on June 30, 2008. Brr, Chilly. - Macs Are About to Get Interesting Again
[Apple Hardware] July 8, 2008 8:08 AM
Pete Mortensen asserts that Macs are poised for innovation over the next few years on a scale that we haven't experienced since the initial move to OS X in the previous decade. - AVG disguises fake traffic as IE6
[Internet] July 3, 2008 4:35 PM
In February, AVG paired its updated anti-virus engine with a real-time malware scanner that vets search engine results before you click on them. If you search Google, this LinkScanner automatically visits each address that turns up on the results page. - Quantum computing breakthrough arises from unknown molecule
[Physics] June 29, 2008 11:54 PM
The odd behavior of a molecule in an experimental silicon computer chip has led to a discovery that opens the door to quantum computing in semiconductors. - CNN talks about how upset Canadians are with Roger's iPhone pricing
[iPhone] June 29, 2008 11:51 PM
It’s taken more than a year for the iPhone to make its way across the world’s longest undefended border, which may help explain why so many Canadians are upset this weekend. - Full text: An epic Bill Gates e-mail rant
[Microsoft] June 28, 2008 12:34 PM
This is classic - Gates ripping into the install process for MS Moviemaker and chewing out the developers, encouraging them to do better. - Walking a little can go a long way
[Health] June 28, 2008 12:20 PM
What if there was something simple you could do every day that would burn calories, be good for your heart, and help you stay young. CNN provides 8 reasons why walking can be great for you. - Electro-Shock Therapy: The Chevy Volt
[Cars] June 28, 2008 12:11 PM
With the Chevy Volt, General Motors—battered, struggling for profitability, fed up with being eclipsed by Toyota and the Prius -is out to reinvent the automobile, and itself. - North Pole ice "may disappear by September"
[Global Warming] June 28, 2008 11:50 AM
Scientists who monitor the Arctic say the sea ice peaked in March and has been in dramatic decline, now retreating so quickly that scientists say there is now a 50-50 chance that it will have gone completely by September. - Odysseus' Bloody Homecoming Dated to 1178 B.C.
[History] June 25, 2008 11:02 AM
Using clues from star and sun positions mentioned by the Greek poet Homer, scholars think they have determined the date King Odysseus returned from the Trojan War and slaughtered a group of suitors who had been pressing his wife to marry one of them. - DARPA Lifts the Covers on Vulcan Engine
[Aircraft] June 24, 2008 5:14 PM
DARPA has finally released some information about its new Vulcan program to demonstrate a "constant volume combustion" (CVC) engine capable of powering a hypersonic vehicle from rest to Mach 4-plus. Exciting stuff! - Dark Knight Director Shuns Digital Effects for the Real Thing
[Movie] June 24, 2008 12:07 PM
Scott Brown covers "The Dark Knight" and director Chris Nolan's obsession with not using digital effects whenever possible. - Copyright for Canadians
[Copyright Law] June 24, 2008 11:32 AM
Another site rallying to the cause of stopping Bill C-61 from becoming law. - EFF attacks foundation of entire RIAA lawsuit campaign
[RIAA] June 24, 2008 11:10 AM
The Electronic Frontier Foundation weighed in this week on the Jammie Thomas file-swapping case, where the judge has asked for public comment on whether just making a file available for download on a P2P network should count as copyright infringement. - What To Do To Avoid Getting Ripped Off?
[Small Business] June 24, 2008 2:35 AM
Lois Knight outlines steps that can help freelancers to avoid not getting paid for work done. - A polaroid a day, for 18 years.
[Photography] June 24, 2008 12:17 AM
Jamie Livingston was a New York-based photographer, film-maker and circus performer who from March 31, 1979 through to the day of his death on October 25, 1997 took a Polaroid photograph every day. Here they are. Powerful. - Bell ordered to publicly prove internet congestion
[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission] June 23, 2008 10:47 PM
The CRTC told the company it has until June 23 to make public data that was marked confidential in a May 29 filing. Bell had said it needed to keep quiet the information, which details the level of internet traffic and possible congestion on its network. - Spectacular photos of Mars
[Astronomy] June 21, 2008 10:22 AM
A series of 17 photographs taken above, on or from Mars. - Table of Condiments That Periodically Go Bad
June 17, 2008 11:14 PM
Vegemite is only good for two months? Cheese Wiz is indefinite, and Hollandaise sauce is only good for a day? Who knew? - TimeMachine Editor
[Mac Application] June 17, 2008 11:07 PM
For those of you running OS X Leopard and would like to change the interval of the TimeMachine backups, try this nifty application that will do the trick nicely. - Talking Points to Defeat Bill C-61
[Copyright Law] June 17, 2008 9:14 PM
Brendon Wilson provides a list of points on why Bill C-61 is a bad idea for Canadians. - Apple's open secret: SproutCore is Cocoa for the Web
[Apple] June 16, 2008 11:11 AM
One of the biggest revelations at WWDC was quietly unveiled in a session on Friday morning entitled "Building Native Look-and-Feel Web Applications Using SproutCore." Many are touting it as an Apple backed, open-source Flash-killer. - How the U.S. got its Canadian copyright bill
[Copyright Law] June 16, 2008 11:05 AM
Michael Geist writes about how last week's introduction of new copyright legislation ignited a firestorm with thousands of Canadians expressing genuine shock at provisions that opposition MPs argued would create a "police state." - BILL C-61 - An Act to amend the Copyright Act
[Canadian Politics] June 15, 2008 3:14 PM
Here's the full text of the bill that's causing all the ruckus. - Posters for the fight against Bill C-61
[Canadian Politics] June 15, 2008 3:12 PM
- Victoria Times Colonist Editorial: Made-in-America copyright law
[Copyright Law] June 15, 2008 3:06 PM
No one ever accused the American entertainment business of subtlety. But its attempts to smother consumer rights in the name of copyright protection are a disgrace. And Canada is next on the industry's hit list. - Google To Develop ISP Throttling Detector
[Net Neutrality] June 15, 2008 2:39 PM
Google has been vocal on its stance for net neutrality, and has announced that they will take an even more active role by arming consumers with the tools to determine first-hand if their broadband connections are being monkeyed with by their ISPs. - Blackwater's Private Spies
[USA Politics] June 9, 2008 4:15 PM
This past September, the secretive mercenary company Blackwater USA found its name splashed across front pages around the world after the company's shooters gunned down seventeen Iraqi civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square. Here's a bit more about them. - The Mac in the Gray Flannel Suit
[Apple] June 9, 2008 1:59 AM
More office workers infatuated with iPods and iPhones are demanding Macs. Is business ready? Is Apple? BusinessWeek ponders Apple's entry into the business market. - Nerdy, fuel-stingy cars are hot wheels
[Cars] June 5, 2008 11:50 PM
Early-1990s econoboxes such as Ford Festiva, Hyundai Excel and Geo Metro — once the punch line of jokes — have seen their used car prices climb from giveaway levels as low as $1,100 a few months ago to upward of $6,000 today, Kelley Blue Book says. - Quilting Gallery, run by my friend Michele is now getting serious traction.
June 5, 2008 9:47 PM
Quilting gallery features the Quilting Bloggers directory with more than 700 quilters around the world, free patterns and tutorials, easy to understand tips and techniques and fabulous photos of finished quilts. - Digital Forensics: 5 Ways to Spot a Fake Photo
[Photography] June 5, 2008 11:50 AM
Hany Farid explains five methods one can use in detecting doctored photographs, which is increasingly common these days. - Does your password pass the test?
[Security] June 5, 2008 1:01 AM
Passwords are one of the web's most important security tools. Whether it's for your Google account, your banking center, or your favorite store, choosing a good password and keeping it safe can go a long way toward protecting your information online. - Gates Bids Adieu to Developers
[Microsoft] June 4, 2008 4:43 PM
It's fitting that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivered his final publicly scheduled speech as a full-time Microsoft employee on Tuesday to a roomful of software developers. - Online Rights Canada
[Canadian Politics] June 3, 2008 9:21 PM
Online Rights Canada is a grassroots organization that promotes the public's interest in technology policy. Canadians should have a voice in copyright law, information access, freedom from censorship, and other issues that we face in the digital world. - Unsharp Mask: How Do You Actually Use That Thing?
[Photography] June 2, 2008 4:48 PM
Here is Photojojo.com's no-nonsense, jargon-free guide to sharpening your photos using Unsharp Mask. - Comcast Hijackers Say They Warned the Company First
June 2, 2008 12:21 PM
The computer attackers who took down Comcast's homepage and webmail service for more than five hours Thursday say they didn't know what they were getting themselves into. - Inside the Attack that Crippled Revision3
[Online Culture] May 31, 2008 4:38 PM
As many of you know, Revision3's servers were brought down over the Memorial Day weekend by a denial of service attack. It’s an all too common occurrence these days. But this one wasn’t your normal cybercrime - there’s a chilling twist at the end. - Workers shifting to 4-day week to save gasoline
May 30, 2008 2:32 PM
When Ohio's Kent State University offered custodial staff the option of working four days a week instead of five to cut commuting costs, most jumped at the chance, part of a U.S. trend aimed at combating soaring gasoline prices. - This Is Funny Only if You Know Unix
[Online Culture] May 27, 2008 9:39 AM
XKCD is a fantastic web-comic that the NYT has finally taken notice of that is hilarious *and* super-geeky-funny. - Net Neutrality Rally in Ottawa
[Canadian Politics] May 26, 2008 2:32 PM
Come to Parliament Hill from 11:30AM until 1:30PM and help support network neutrality in Canada. - Phoenix lander safely touches down on Mars
[Spacecraft] May 25, 2008 10:19 PM
Touchdown! NASA's Phoenix lander has survived its harrowing descent to Mars and apparently stands poised to conduct what scientists hope will be a revealing investigation of the Red Planet's enigmatic northern plains. - "Earthquake Lights" recorded 30 minutes before Sichuan earthquake began
[Video] May 22, 2008 10:15 AM
Bizarre colourful (luminous/glowing) cloud phenomenon in the sky was observed about 30 mins before the May 12, 2008 Sichuan earthquake took place. This was recorded in Tianshui, about 450 km northeast of epicentre, by someone using a cell phone. - Photographing a Wedding and then an Earthquake
May 22, 2008 10:10 AM
Can you imagine what it was like to have been photographing a wedding in Sichuan, China when 7.9 earthquake hit and shakes for three minutes? - How Silicon Valley made Barack Obama this year’s hottest start-up
[USA Politics] May 21, 2008 2:49 PM
What's intriguing to Democrats and worrisome to Republicans is how someone lacking these deep connections to traditional sources of wealth could raise so much money so quickly. How did he do it? - Is the US government compiling a secret list of citizens to detain under martial law
[USA Politics] May 20, 2008 11:23 AM
The Continuity of Governance program encompasses national emergency plans that would trigger the takeover of the country by extra-constitutional forces. In short, it's a road map for martial law - Go Green - Buy a Used Car. It's Better Than a Hybrid
[Cars] May 19, 2008 10:11 PM
As Matt Power notes in this month's issue of Wired, hybrids get great gas mileage but it takes 113 million BTUs of energy to make a Toyota Prius - meaning it has consumed the equivalent of 1,000 gallons of gasoline before it reaches the showroom. - Business Week on Why Twitter Matters
[Online Culture] May 19, 2008 9:17 PM
Stephen Baker asks can the fledgling microblogging service become a social media powerhouse to rival giants like Facebook - or will it be gobbled up? - Using a mobile phone while pregnant can seriously damage your baby
[Health] May 18, 2008 8:59 PM
The study, surveying 13,159 children, found that using cell phones just 2 or 3 times a day was enough to raise the risk of their babies developing hyperactivity and difficulties with conduct, emotions and relationships by the time they reached seven. - Taking your laptop into the US? Be sure to hide all your data first
[Security] May 17, 2008 11:15 AM
US court recently ruled that border agents can search your laptop, and other electronics, when you're entering the country. They can take your computer and download its contents, or keep it for several days. Solution? Encrypt your files and hide them. - How Apple is changing DRM
[DRM] May 17, 2008 11:08 AM
As more stores and record labels abandon digital rights management, Apple may have an alternative plan for subscription services, writes Tim Anderson - Trailer for MacHEADS
[Apple] May 17, 2008 10:34 AM
Someone is from the looks of it putting together a movie about the Mac community. Should be fun to watch. - Federal Conservatives consider giving up UN Security Council seat bit for 2011-2012
[Canadian Politics] May 14, 2008 3:52 PM
Stephen Harper's government is expected to decide this week whether to pull Canada out of the race for a seat on the United Nations Security Council because of fears the country might suffer an embarrassing loss on the world stage, sources say. - Phoenix Mars Lander set to land on May 25th
[Astronomy] May 14, 2008 1:50 AM
Phoenix will enter the top of the Martian atmosphere at almost 13,000 mph. In seven minutes, the spacecraft must complete a challenging sequence of events to slow to about 5 mph before its three legs reach the ground. - Canada's Wireless Crisis
[Canadian Politics] May 7, 2008 11:50 AM
Dr. Michael Geist delivered the opening speech at the Spectrum 20/20 conference that focused on the state of Canadian wireless marketplace, where he discusses how Canadian wireless is in a state of crisis, with limited competition and high data prices. - Hard Drive Recovered from Columbia Shuttle Solves Physics Problem
[Physics] May 7, 2008 12:52 AM
Researchers have finally published the results of data recovered from a cracked and singed hard drive that fell to Earth in the debris from the Space Shuttle Columbia, which broke up during reentry on February 1, 2003, killing all seven crew members. - Did Earth once have multiple moons?
[Astronomy] May 7, 2008 12:51 AM
The ancient catastrophe that gave birth to the Moon may have produced additional satellites that lingered in Earth's skies for tens of millions of years. - Quebec OKs wind-power proposals
[Green Energy] May 6, 2008 12:16 AM
Hydro-Québec has accepted 15 bids to provide a total of 2,004 megawatts of wind-generated electricity, which will come on stream between 2011 and 2015. - Tories kill access to information database
[Canadian Politics] May 3, 2008 9:31 AM
The Conservatives have quietly killed the Coordination of Access to Information Requests System (CAIRS) public that helped hold the government accountable by listing of nearly every access to information request filed to federal departments and agencies. - Writing the software that runs the Space Shuttle
[Coding] May 3, 2008 9:24 AM
What makes it remarkable is how well the software works: it never crashes, never needs re-booting. This software is bug-free. Consider these stats : the last three versions of the program - each 420,000 lines long-had just one error each. Amazing stuff. - Blu-Ray sale slow
[Technology] May 3, 2008 9:13 AM
The end of the next-generation format wars did little to boost Blu-ray's prospects. Many are buying the much cheaper upconverting standard DVD players as the difference between standard definition and HD can be difficult to see to the untrained eye. - Great Fan Prank
[Funny] April 28, 2008 11:44 PM
Cabel Sasser of Panic Software played a prank on his friend Craig Hockenberry of Iconfactory who asked about the fan noise on the (then) new Intel Macs. Cursing, then hilarity ensued. - Business Week's article on Tanya Andersen's successful legal battles with the RIAA
[RIAA] April 28, 2008 11:15 AM
A lengthy article detailing her battles with RIAA and what she and her lawyer have discovered about the process. - Religion a figment of human imagination
[Spiritualism] April 27, 2008 10:25 PM
Humans alone practice religion because they're the only creatures to have evolved imagination. That's the argument of anthropologist Maurice Bloch of the London School of Economics. - Possible water wars with U.S. in Canada's future: experts
[Canadian Politics] April 27, 2008 10:22 PM
Parched U.S. states could start "water wars" in the years ahead and fight for access to Great Lakes resources as they become more desperate to meet growing needs, Canadian and American experts said yesterday at a water conference. - CHANGED: Canadian Net neutrality rally: Ottawa, May 15th, 2008 Time to be determined
[Canadian Politics] April 23, 2008 12:09 PM
Canada’s traffic shaping / net neutrality battle is moving to the streets - or, at least, to Parliament Hill in Ottawa. I will be certain to be there. - Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand
[USA Politics] April 21, 2008 11:18 PM
Many of the military experts seen on television are still working for the US military. - Moondust and Duct Tape
[Astronomy] April 21, 2008 11:06 PM
How some duct tape fixed a fender on a moon buggy back in 1972. - Europe's Babel
[World Politics] April 21, 2008 12:05 AM
Multilingualism is a special feature of the EU, but at the same time it presents an obstacle to understanding. Should Europe agree to use English as a lingua franca or must it promote each individual language? - Bikini Atoll's coral reef bounces back
[Environment] April 17, 2008 5:24 PM
Three islands of Bikini Atoll were vapourised by the Bravo hydrogen bomb in 1954. Instead of finding a bare underwater moonscape, ecologists who have dived it have given the 2-kilometre-wide crater a clean bill of health. - The Moon and the Magnetotail
[Astronomy] April 17, 2008 9:31 AM
The Moon: a slow-motion world where even a human footprint may last millions of years. Wrong. NASA-supported scientists have realized that something does happen every month when the Moon gets a lashing from Earth's magnetic tail. - Russia Plans World's Longest Tunnel
April 15, 2008 2:35 PM
ussia plans to build the world's longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65 billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia. - Neanderthals speak out after 30,000 years
April 15, 2008 11:08 AM
Robert McCarthy, an anthropologist at Florida Atlantic University has used new reconstructions of Neanderthal vocal tracts to simulate the voice. He says the ancient human's speech lacked the quantal vowel sounds that underlie modern speech. - Bell's Internet throttling defended
[Canadian Politics] April 14, 2008 11:19 AM
The last few weeks haven't been kind to Bell Sympatico. The Internet service provider has been attacked from many sides by those angry with its traffic-shaping policy. MP3s at the end of the article as well. - Analytics according to Captain Kirk
[Sci-Fi] April 10, 2008 10:03 PM
The Enterprise has a crew of 430 in its five-year mission. 59 crewmembers were killed during the mission, which comes out to 13.7% of the crew. The article goes into more depth of when and how crew die under Captain Kirk. - Canadian film stars take fight against Bill C-10 to Ottawa
[Canadian Politics] April 10, 2008 10:38 AM
Members of Canada's film and television industry will take the stage on Parliament Hill Thursday to voice their concerns over a proposed bill that would give the government the power to deny funding to productions it considers offensive. - CMA and MRIA Recommend Against Respecting iOptOut Requests
April 8, 2008 11:48 AM
Both the Canadian Marketing Association and the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association have advised their members that they may be able to ignore Canadians' opt-out requests since the requests are not "authenticated". - Asterisk making the news..
April 7, 2008 9:56 AM
Asterisk, a free software program that establishes phone calls over the Internet and handles voicemail, caller ID, teleconferencing and a host of novel features for the phone. - 29 Exercises You Can Do At (Or Near) Your Desk
[Health] April 2, 2008 12:43 AM
A full day at the office can make it hard to to exercise. But most of us have a bit of a lag between tasks as we sit in front of our computers, and we can take advantage of a few minutes here and a few minutes there to get some physical activity in. - Microsoft wins ISO vote on OOXML
[Microsoft] April 1, 2008 10:23 PM
Microsoft Corp. has won enough support to have its OOXML text and spreadsheet format certified as a global industry standard, Microsoft and the OpenDoc Society, which had opposed approval, said on Tuesday. [sigh] - Cops: Third-graders arrested in teacher attack plot
[WTF?] April 1, 2008 9:45 PM
A group of third-graders plotted to attack their teacher, bringing a broken steak knife, handcuffs, duct tape and other items for the job and assigning children tasks including covering the windows and cleaning up afterward, police said Tuesday. - Michael Geist opens up iOptOUt.ca
[Law] March 31, 2008 1:09 AM
iOptOut was created as an applied research project to support Canada's do-not-call legislation. iOptOut provides a simple procedure for Canadians to communicate their preferences to organizations exempted from the new legislation. - Nipple rings fall foul of airport check
March 29, 2008 11:49 AM
A woman who claims she was ordered by federal airport screeners to remove her nipple rings with pliers demanded an apology from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration on Thursday. - Crafty Tricks for Finding Moon Water
[Astronomy] March 29, 2008 11:33 AM
Recent radar maps of the Moon's southern pole revealed a dramatic, jagged landscape. Unfortunately, these radar images didn't provide any new information about something that would make living at the lunar pole easier: frozen water. - Huge Chunk of Antarctic Ice Breaks Loose
[Global Warming] March 26, 2008 12:03 AM
A huge shelf of Antarctic ice has collapsed, satellite imagery has just revealed, and the Connecticut-sized shelf behind it is hanging by a thread scientists say. - Archaeology of the Undead
March 22, 2008 5:38 PM
Zombie expert Max Brooks explains humanity's oldest struggle against the Zombie menace. - Hubble finds first organic molecule on extrasolar planet
[Astronomy] March 20, 2008 9:26 PM
The Hubble Space Telescope has made the first detection ever of an organic molecule in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star. This breakthrough is an important step in eventually identifying signs of life on a planet outside our Solar System. - Probe looks into military blueprints found in trash
[Military] March 20, 2008 9:25 PM
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day says he's launched a probe to find out how blueprints for a new military counterterrorism unit ended up in a downtown Ottawa garbage can -- in an area with no defence department buildings in close proximity. - Silicon-Hydrogen compound superconducts at room temperature
[Science] March 20, 2008 12:34 PM
A new superconducting material fabricated by a Canadian-German team has been fabricated out of a silicon-hydrogen compound and does not require cooling. - RIP: Arthur C. Clarke
[Sci-Fi] March 18, 2008 6:47 PM
One of my favorite authors passed away today; Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917 - 19 March 2008) was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, most famous for his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. - New video of BDI's Big Dog robot
[Engineering] March 18, 2008 11:10 AM
Boston Dynamics has just released a new video of their DARPA-funded Big Dog robot which is meant to be a "pack mule" for soldiers. In the video, the robot can simply be just creepy in how animal-like it acts - watch when it slips on ice. - The Vanguard 1 satellite turns 50 years old while still in orbit!
[Spacecraft] March 17, 2008 11:41 PM
Vanguard 1's current orbit ranges from 400 to 2,400 miles (653 to 3,839 kilometers) in altitude, and the high point has dropped only about 60 miles (100 kilometers) in the past half-century. - How To Pull Off a Rickroll In Real Life.
[Video] March 17, 2008 5:28 PM
The song "Never Gonna Give You Up"'s campy music video became the basis for an Internet phenomenon known as "rickrolling". This video is taking it into real life. Hilarious! - Photography and The Law: Know Your Rights
[Photography] March 17, 2008 5:14 PM
You're sure you haven't done anything wrong, but you don't know whose side the law is on. Fret no more- Photojojo has a list of things you can and can't do, and it's a lot more permissive than you might think. - Envisat captures the break up of the massive iceberg
[Global Warming] March 17, 2008 3:23 PM
The break up of A53A, which calved off the Larsen Ice Shelf in late April 2005, occurred in relatively warm waters, making it highly likely that numerous smaller icebergs and ice islands will calve off the two icebergs. - Russian Proton Rocket Suffers Launch Failure
[Spacecraft] March 16, 2008 7:24 AM
The second Proton failure in six months, this time with a communications satellite in a low orbit. It may be possible to salvage the mission with use of onboard fuel at the expense of the satellite lifetime (less fuel for in-orbit corrections) - How can you tell if you're being followed?
March 13, 2008 11:50 PM
So, you think you're being followed. Two questions: first, who do you think you are? Are you really so secret and important that someone is prepared to spend time and money watching where you're going? - Meteorite pair may be remnants of a destroyed dwarf planet
[Astronomy] March 13, 2008 10:51 PM
Two rocks found together in Antarctica are chunks of a dwarf planet that was smashed apart early in the solar system's history, detailed studies suggest. - iPhone SDK Downloads Top 100,000 in four days
[Apple] March 12, 2008 2:19 PM
Apple today announced that the beta iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) has been downloaded over 100,000 times in the first four days since its launch on March 6 which allows developers to create native applications for iPhone and iPod touch. - RIAA tells Ars Technica: We're not hypocrites
[RIAA] March 12, 2008 10:47 AM
Ars Technica discussed the contention was that the RIAA wanted to pay a percentage of its revenue to songwriters as its profits have fallen, but pushed for a fixed per-stream when it came to earning money from webcasters. Not so fast, says the RIAA! - How one person went from owing $40k to having a net worth over $250k in five years.
[Finance] March 12, 2008 12:11 AM
- Mankind's secrets kept in lunar ark
[Technology] March 11, 2008 12:05 AM
Construction of a lunar information bank, discussed at a conference in Strasbourg last month, would provide survivors on Earth with a remote-access toolkit to rebuild the human race. - Don't understand what Twitter is? Here it is in plain English
[Online Culture] March 10, 2008 11:20 PM
This video is a result of feedback from fans who have sent requests because they want their friends to use the micro-blogging service Twitter, but can't seem to explain it well. We hope this video helps. I'm on Twitter as WTL. Follow me! - Japanese Star Wars Gorier, Longer, More Awesome
[Cool] March 4, 2008 11:02 PM
The official Star Wars blog says the Japanese manga adaptation of the first three Star Wars movies is light years better than Marvel Comics' original adaptation. - Gary Gygax, "Father of D&D", Dies at 69
[Games] March 4, 2008 9:09 PM
Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, according to Stephen Chenault, CEO of Troll Lord Games. - "Puppy Torture" Video Sparks Outrage, Military Investigation
[News] March 4, 2008 9:04 PM
A shocking video that appears to show a U.S. Marine tossing a puppy off a cliff has sparked fierce controversy and outrage online, leading to a military investigation. - Avalanches on Mars caught on camera!
[Astronomy] March 4, 2008 2:07 AM
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in orbit around Mars has taken the first ever image of active avalanches near the Red Planet's north pole using the HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Experiment) camera. - Nine Inch Nails Gets Creative With Radiohead-Style Release
[Music] March 4, 2008 12:56 AM
Nine Inch Nails mastermind, Trent Reznor, has unveiled a post-label strategy that takes Radiohead's In Rainbows concept further by leveraging BitTorrent and releasing songs under a Creative Commons license that permits purchasers to remix the tracks. - Buy a MacBook, get a free… husband?
[Apple] March 3, 2008 12:19 AM
According to Cosmo magazine, girls looking to find a single man need look no further than their local Apple Store. Thanks to sky-high Mac and iPod sales, Apple's 142 Stores have made the top of Cosmo's list of the The Best Places to Meet a Guy. - Leopard's iChat Screen Sharing Perfect for Quick Collaboration
[Mac Application] March 2, 2008 11:58 PM
I've used this exact tip to help solve some issues or demonstrate things. Very handy once you know how. - Teenage Hacker Is Blind, Brash and in the Crosshairs of the FBI
[Computer Security] March 2, 2008 11:39 PM
Interviews by Wired.com with Matt and his associates, and a review of court documents, FBI reports and audio recordings, paints a picture of a young man with an uncanny talent for quick telephone con jobs. - Seven Food Hacks to Stay Alert Without Caffeine
[Food] March 1, 2008 12:30 AM
Are you a zombie without your morning cup of coffee? Instead of using caffeine to stay awake, you can tweak the food you eat to get more energy. By making small changes to your eating patterns you can prevent morning grogginess and mid-afternoon slumps. - 20 Money Hacks: Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Finances
[Finance] March 1, 2008 12:07 AM
A collection of ideas on how to change how you spend money for the better. Good ideas! - Should there be a fourth movie in the Matrix series?
[Movie] February 29, 2008 11:37 PM
A rather long article justifying the case for, and offering possible ideas for the next Matrix movie. I'll admit I'd watch it. - Study: 1 in 100 U.S. Adults Behind Bars
[USA Politics] February 28, 2008 11:20 PM
In the US, the prison population grew by 25,000 last year, bringing it to almost 1.6 million. Another 723,000 people are in local jails. The number of American adults is about 230 million, meaning that one in every 99.1 adults is behind bars. - Tories plan to withhold funding for offensive productions
[Filmmaking] February 28, 2008 9:06 PM
The Conservative government has drafted guidelines that would allow it to pull financial aid for any film or television show that it deems offensive or not in the public's best interest – even if government agencies have invested in them. - Google to ISO: Say no to OOXML
[Google] February 28, 2008 3:47 AM
In an entry at Google's official blog, the open-source programs manager says that Microsoft's document format is redundant and has technical flaws. Google has backed the competing OpenDocument Format (ODF), which has already received ISO approval. - Moon's south pole revealed in dramatic new 3D map
[Astronomy] February 27, 2008 11:15 PM
Earth-based radar observations have produced a detailed 3D map of the Moon's south polar region, revealing a dramatic and rugged landscape. The map will help NASA assess the site's potential for setting up a base. - UNIX tips: Learn 10 good UNIX usage habits
[Programming] February 27, 2008 3:38 AM
Adopt 10 good habits that improve your *nix command line efficiency - and break away from bad usage patterns in the process. This article takes you step-by-step through several good, but too often neglected, techniques for command-line operations. - Event request: Jonathan Coulton in Ottawa, ON
[Online Culture] February 25, 2008 2:37 PM
If we can get 100 people on this list, geek music hero Jonathan Coulton will come to Ottawa for a performance. - NASA - Total Lunar Eclipse: February 20, 2008
[Astronomy] February 20, 2008 1:23 PM
Everything you wanted to know about tonight's eclipse and then some. - Why commercials before movies is worse than piracy
[Movies] February 19, 2008 11:07 AM
Being subjected to advertising is just something we’ve come to expect in our daily routines, and for most of us, we’ve become so conditioned to various advertising methods that we don’t even think twice about it. - Que. town's mayor tells snow critics to take a hike … to Mexico
[Quebec] February 19, 2008 11:05 AM
The mayor of Huntingdon, Que., said he won't apologize for a letter he sent to taxpayers that encourages people with complaints about snow removal to move to Mexico. - What is Canada's place in the world?
[Canadian Politics] February 19, 2008 11:03 AM
Recent surveys indicate that Canadians increasingly care about international matters and want our country to play a constructive role in world affairs. What role should that be? - Wikileaks - how censorship can backfire.
[Online Culture] February 19, 2008 10:54 AM
I'd never heard of Wikileaks until a US judge ordered it's DNS record removed, so now we use it's IP address and the site's popularity has exploded. Wikileaks is developing an uncensorable system for untraceable mass document leaking and public analysis. - Toshiba quits HD DVD business
[DVD] February 19, 2008 10:46 AM
Toshiba said Tuesday it will no longer develop, make or market HD DVD players and recorders, handing a victory to rival Blu-ray disc technology in the format battle for next-generation video. - How to Become a Rock Star
[Music] February 18, 2008 10:11 PM
Jonathan Coulton went from being just another "code monkey" to the Godfather of "Geek Rock." Here’s how he did it. - New Mississippi delta would limit hurricane damage
February 18, 2008 12:40 PM
Diverting parts of the Mississippi would create up to 1000 square kilometres of new wetlands between New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico, forming a vital storm surge buffer against hurricanes, researchers say. - Satellite spotters often learn too much for government's comfort
[Spacecraft] February 18, 2008 12:36 PM
Thousands of people form the spotter community. Many look for historical relics of the early space age, working from publicly available orbital information. - The story of Jesus through Iranian eyes
[Movie] February 17, 2008 2:46 PM
A new movie in Iran depicts the life of Jesus from an Islamic perspective. "The Messiah", won an award at Rome's Religion Today Film Festival, for generating interfaith dialogue. - Worldwide Hunt To Solve The Mystery Of Gamma-ray Bursts
[Astronomy] February 17, 2008 2:42 PM
Gamma-ray bursts are short-lived events, lasting between a few milliseconds to a few minutes. The brightest of them emit more energy in a few seconds than our Sun will emit in its whole 10 billion year lifetime. - Why are thousands of bats dying in New York?
[Animal] February 17, 2008 2:35 PM
Bats in New York and Vermont are mysteriously dying off by the thousands, often with a white ring of fungus around their noses, and scientists in hazmat suits are crawling into dank caves to find out why. - Kosovo on brink of independence
[World Politics] February 17, 2008 2:33 PM
Kosovo's parliament has begun an emergency session called to approve formal independence from Serbia. - Clam, 405, is oldest animal ever
[Animal] February 13, 2008 11:44 PM
A British scientific team discovered the 405-year-old clam, named after the Chinese dynasty and not the former Liberal Democrat leader, at the bottom of the ocean, and hope its longevity will reveal the secrets of ageing. - Total Lunar Eclipse
[Astronomy] February 13, 2008 11:39 PM
On Wednesday evening, February 20th, the full Moon over the Americas will turn a delightful shade of red and possibly turquoise, too. It's a total lunar eclipse—the last one until Dec. 2010. - Druid Grave Unearthed in U.K.?
[Archaeology] February 13, 2008 8:47 AM
A series of graves found in a gravel quarry at Stanway near Colchester, Essex, have been dated to 40-60 A.D. At least one of the burials, it appears, may have been that of a Druid, according to a report published in British Archaeology. - Video: Giant centipede eating mouse
[YouTube] February 12, 2008 12:17 PM
Obviously not for the squeamish, this centipede (scolopendra gigantea robusta) kills and eats a mouse. You almost have to watch it to believe it. - Extremophile Hunt Begins
[Science] February 12, 2008 12:04 PM
Antarctica's Lake Untersee, fed by glaciers, always covered with ice, and very alkaline, is one of the most unusual lakes on Earth. The upper 70 meters of lake water is so alkaline its pH is like strong Clorox says expedition leader Richard Hoover. - Apple release 10.5.2 Update
[Mac OS X] February 11, 2008 10:02 PM
The Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.5.1 Leopard. It includes general operating system improvements that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. - Yahoo rejects Microsoft approach
[Microsoft] February 11, 2008 12:41 PM
Yahoo has rejected a takeover bid worth more than $40 billion from Microsoft because it is too low. The Internet sighs in relief - for now. - Five Ways to Pick up the Exercise Habit Again
[Exercise] February 8, 2008 8:04 AM
Even people who consistently stick to a health and fitness routine can sometimes fall out of the exercise habit from time to time. Getting back on track can be challenging unless ways are found to rebuild a strong desire to start exercising again. - 25 Things You Must Learn to Ask For
[Small Business] February 7, 2008 2:00 AM
We all know that giving is fantastic. Give great customer service; give great rates, and always give your best. But, what about getting? What kinds of things should you expect from your clients? Shama Hyder offers up her suggestions. - Beat Blank Page Syndrome: 10 Tricks to Get Your Writing Started
[Self-Improvement] February 7, 2008 1:44 AM
Anyone who writes for school, for work, or for a living knows the scene: a blank document open on your computer screen, that little cursor blinking away, and your mind a complete blank. You know overall what you want to say, but how do you get there? - Ban All Cars Getting Less Than 35 MPG
[Cars] February 5, 2008 12:00 AM
The former head of Royal Dutch Shell has urged the European Union to ban all vehicles that get less than 35 mpg, saying it is the only way to significantly address global climate change and force the auto industry to build more efficient vehicles. - Archaeologist Finds Ancient Nasca Iron Ore Mine In Peru
[History] February 4, 2008 11:59 PM
A Purdue University archaeologist discovered an intact ancient iron ore mine in South America that shows how civilizations before the Inca Empire were mining this valuable ore. - Bush Proposes Budget With $400B Deficit
[USA Politics] February 4, 2008 11:46 PM
The spiraling growth of Medicare and the high cost of renewing President Bush's tax cuts are squeezing popular education, health, housing and anti-poverty programs in the budget blueprint that he hands lawmakers Monday. - Bytown Mac User Group of Ottawa Meeting this Sunday!
[Apple] February 1, 2008 4:55 PM
There will be demos of Billings, a time-tracking and billing application, Apple's Address Book and iCal, and Rock will present his MacWorld Report to tell us how it was to actually be there. 1:00 PM @ Patty Bolands Pub - 101 Clarence Street, Ottawa - Review: MacBook Air
[Apple Hardware] January 31, 2008 11:14 AM
Jason Snell of MacWorld extensively reviews the newly released MacBook Air, including an eleven minute video. - Bizarre spider scar found on Mercury's surface
[Astronomy] January 30, 2008 11:45 PM
A bizarre spider shape has been discovered on the surface of Mercury during the first flyby of the planet by NASA's Messenger spacecraft. The discovery of the spider is unlike anything seen elsewhere in the solar system seen todate. - US Federal Reserve has Been accused of gold-price manipulation
[USA Politics] January 30, 2008 11:43 PM
The Wall Street Journal has agreed to publish a full-page ad in which the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee charges the U.S. government surreptitiously utilizes gold reserves to engage in international swaps and other market manipulations. - Strange Japanese online clock... with video.
[Strange] January 30, 2008 3:05 PM
Via Twitter, this is the oddest clock I've seen online.. With video? - Deliver a Presentation like Steve Jobs
[Self-Improvement] January 30, 2008 11:49 AM
Carmine Gallo coach breaks down the Steve Job's latest Macworld keynote. The result? A ten part framework you can use to wow your own audience. - $1 Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Lose The Tripod
[Video] January 30, 2008 11:38 AM
Ingredients include non-stretching string, a bolt and a washer. The bolt should fit in the tripod adapter under your camera. Tie the string around the washer and bolt. Screw bolt into camera, and step on the washer. Voila! - Shark pictures show amazing killing display
[Animal] January 29, 2008 11:08 PM
These shots capture the splendour and horror of a great white shark weighing two tons leaping 10ft from the water as it closes inevitably on its victim. - Spy Satellite Could Hit US
[Spacecraft] January 29, 2008 10:47 PM
The U.S. military is developing contingency plans to deal with the possibility that a large spy satellite expected to fall to Earth in late February or early March could hit North America. - Pirates of Sundance
[Filmmaking] January 29, 2008 11:32 AM
Almost no films from Sundance can be found online. When it comes to content piracy, obscurity, not security, is the best defense. It also demonstrates that movie pirates are fundamentally parasitic, not predatory. - Have humans created a new geological age?
[Geology] January 27, 2008 9:55 PM
The suggestion that the overtaking of planet Earth by humans kicked off a new age was first made by Nobel prize-winning Paul Crutzen in 2002. He said we should now consider that we are living in the Anthropocene, an age dominated by human activities. - The life and crimes of the music biz
[RIAA] January 27, 2008 9:44 PM
Imagine the outcry if people working in a factory were told that the cost of the products they were making would be deducted from their wages, which anyway would only be paid if the company managed to sell the products. - Tesla Roadster passes federal standards, can be sold in all 50 states
[Cars] January 26, 2008 10:21 AM
In order to legally be sold as a production vehicle in the United States, a new car has to meet hundreds of requirements, some silly and some serious. The Tesla Roadster has passed every test of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. - Study: Bush, aides made 935 false statements in run-up to war
[USA Politics] January 24, 2008 7:18 PM
President Bush and his top aides publicly made 935 false statements about the security risk posed by Iraq in the two years following September 11, 2001, according to a study released Tuesday by two nonprofit journalism groups. - Going bankrupt: The US's greatest threat
[USA Politics] January 24, 2008 12:21 PM
The neo-conservatives in the White House and the Pentagon outsmarted themselves. They failed even to address the problem of how to finance their schemes of imperialist wars and global domination. - Digital Music Sales Up Worldwide
[Music] January 24, 2008 12:10 PM
Record companies' revenue from digital music sales rose 40 percent to $2.9 billion over the past year, but the growth is still failing to cover losses from collapse of international CD sales, the music industry's global trade body said Thursday. - War Breaks Out Between Hackers and Scientology
[Religion] January 24, 2008 1:01 AM
A loose confederation of online troublemakers who call themselves Anonymous have declared war on the Church of Scientology by flooding its servers with fake data requests. - AT&T Offers iPhone for Enterprise
[Apple] January 24, 2008 12:40 AM
Apple's iPhone officially entered the corporate world in the United States this week when AT&T announced Enterprise Data Plans available to corporate responsibility users with an eligible voice plan. Still no word on iPhone in Canada, though. - Turning a $70,000 industrial robot into a fireball-throwing catapult
[Cool] January 24, 2008 12:33 AM
Every hacker wants a budget to do bigger, cooler hacks. Well, we got our budget, all $1000 of it, and decided to turn a borrowed industrial robot into a catapult, a hack we'd been hoping to do for a long, long time. - Giant Internal Waves Caught Breaking
[Science] January 23, 2008 2:15 PM
A 900-mile-long string of scientific instruments across a stretch of the open ocean has revealed the first evidence of giant internal waves partially "breaking" inside the oceans. - Force strong for new Jedi church
[Religion] January 22, 2008 3:32 PM
Two Star Wars-loving brothers planning a Jedi church hope it will be much nearer than a galaxy far, far away. - New $10M teen sitcom to film in Ottawa
[TV Show] January 20, 2008 5:45 PM
Ottawa's film and television community is celebrating after successfully attracting the production of a new $10 million sitcom to the city. - How to Be a Rockstar eBook Seller
[Self-Improvement] January 20, 2008 5:37 PM
Darren Rowse interviews Cyan and Collis Ta'eed of FreelanceSwitch about their success with online eBook sales. - New material pushes the boundary of blackness
[Science] January 20, 2008 5:22 PM
U.S. researchers said they have made the darkest material on Earth, a substance so black it absorbs more than 99.9 percent of light. - MacHeist 2: 12 Applications for $49
[Mac Application] January 18, 2008 12:37 AM
$49 goes far, with six days left: 1password, CoverSutra, Cha-Ching, iStopMotion, Awaken, Speed Download, AppZapper, TaskPaper, CSSEdit, Snapz Pro X, Pixelmator, Wingnuts 2, all worth $428.65, and $200k+ raised for charity! - U.S. to Study Bizarre Medical Condition
[Medical] January 17, 2008 8:51 PM
Morgellons sufferers describe symptoms that include erupting sores, fatigue, the sensation of bugs crawling over them and - perhaps worst of all - mysterious red, blue or black fibers that sprout from their skin. - Exonerated RIAA defendant scores double victory in court
[RIAA] January 17, 2008 8:48 PM
A US District Court judge reaffirmed a magistrate's award of attorneys' fees and a dismissal of exonerated defendant Tanya Andersen's counterclaims against the RIAA without prejudice so that her class-action lawsuit against the record labels can proceed. - Computer program decodes dog communication
[Animal] January 17, 2008 9:48 AM
Computer software can distinguish individual dogs by their barks, and also suggests that certain barks act as a "universal language", carrying information about the dog's mind-set that is readily understood by their fellow pooches. - Bull-Size Rodent Discovered
[Paleontology] January 17, 2008 1:34 AM
The megarodent lived in lowland rain forests between two and four million years ago, perhaps using its massive teeth to fend off saber-toothed cats and giant, flightless, meat-eating birds, researchers say. - Sun buys MySQL
[Programming] January 16, 2008 9:04 AM
A collective "Huh?" was heard today when the announcement of this acquisition. I think this is a good thing, and avoids the nastiness of doing the much speculated IPO. - Ancient Tsunami Behind Huge Yellowstone Explosion
[Geology] January 15, 2008 8:39 PM
Tsunami-like waves created by an earthquake may have triggered the world's largest known hydrothermal explosion some 13,000 years ago, a federal scientist says. - Source of Mysterious Antimatter Found
[Astronomy] January 15, 2008 9:59 AM
Antimatter, which annihilates matter upon contact, seems to be rare in the universe. Still, for decades, scientists had clues that a vast cloud of antimatter lurked in space, but they did not know where it came from. - DIY Flash and Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers
[Photography] January 14, 2008 11:53 PM
Here is a collection of ten easy hacks for photographers to solve some common lighting and flash problems. - The RIAA speaks--and it gets worse
[RIAA] January 14, 2008 11:51 PM
The RIAA has become one of the most hated organizations in the world. Working ostensibly with the interests of the artists in mind, the RIAA has single-handedly instituted a policy of lawsuits and education in an attempt to curb the piracy of music. - Essential BBC documentaries not shown on US TV
[Video] January 14, 2008 10:12 PM
Adam Curtis exposes the public manipulation we sense but usually don't understand. These documentaries are like a graduate course in how the American and British public has been herded like cattle since the end of World War I. - Ulysses Spacecraft Flyby of the Sun's North Pole
[Astronomy] January 14, 2008 5:17 PM
Consider it a case of exquisite timing. Just last week, solar physicists announced the beginning of a new solar cycle and now, Jan. 14th, the Ulysses spacecraft is flying over a key region of solar activity--the sun's North Pole. - Solar Cycle 24 Begins
[Astronomy] January 11, 2008 3:34 PM
Solar activity waxes and wanes in 11-year cycles. "On January 4, 2008, a reversed-polarity sunspot appeared—and this signals the start of Solar Cycle 24," says David Hathaway of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. - Sir Edmund Hillary dies at age 88
[News] January 10, 2008 8:23 PM
Sir Edmund Hillary, the unassuming beekeeper who conquered Mount Everest to win renown as one of the 20th century's greatest adventurers, has died, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced Friday. He was 88. - Elections can be stolen in under a minute with Diebold machines
[USA Politics] January 10, 2008 12:53 PM
Researchers at Princeton University announced Wednesday that common electronic voting machines can be subverted by installing software which undetectably alters vote totals and, as a computer virus, spreads itself from one voting machine to the next. - The Untold Story: How the iPhone Blew Up the Wireless Industry
[Apple Hardware] January 10, 2008 11:13 AM
iPhone's story: In 2002, shortly after the first iPod was released, Jobs started thinking about developing a phone. He saw millions of Americans lugging separate phones, BlackBerrys, and now MP3 players; naturally, consumers would prefer just one device. - Why the Best Voting Technology May Be No Technology at All
[USA Politics] January 10, 2008 10:54 AM
Cringley points to Canada as an example of how voting can work rather than the electronic voting machine fiasco that has caused so much trouble in the States. - Russian police hunt for thieves who stole a 200-tonne metal bridge
[WTF?] January 9, 2008 11:49 PM
Russian police are hunting scrap metal thieves who stole a 200-tonne metal bridge in a night-time raid. The bridge in Khabarovsk in eastern Russia vanished overnight and was part of the only road leading to a local heating plant. - Network Solutions squats on domain names
[Internet] January 9, 2008 11:32 PM
If you check to see if a domain is available with Network Solutions, they will lock it so that you will not be able to register it with another registrar. If this was stocks, it would be illegal. - NetNewsWire 3.1 is now *Free* for Mac users!
[Mac Application] January 9, 2008 11:21 PM
NetNewsWire 3.1 is the latest release of the long-developed news aggregator of RSS and Atom feeds and generally considered to be one of the most capable RSS newsreaders, now available for free, the bar has been raised for all other RSS newsreaders. - Apple Introduces New Mac Pro
[Apple Hardware] January 8, 2008 10:49 AM
Let the near-uncontrollable drooling begin. Eight cores running at 3.2 Ghz, up to 32 GB of RAM, and room for four cable-free drives and two optical drives, the new Mac Pro is what I've been waiting for! - Can You Count on Voting Machines?
[Computer Security] January 5, 2008 9:36 PM
One might expect computer scientists to be fans of computer-based vote-counting devices, but it turns out that the more you know about computers, the more likely you are to be terrified that they're running elections. - First World War film stars Paul Gross, strives for authenticity on Calgary set
[Movie] January 5, 2008 10:16 AM
The $20-million Canadian film Passchendaele focuses on the experiences of Gross's grandfather, a soldier who served in the 10th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force at the Battle of Passchendaele. The film is set for release on Remembrance Day 2008. - Bookmarklette: Design
[Web Development] January 5, 2008 3:20 AM
Howly cow this is useful! Design is a suite of web-design and development assistive tools which can be utilised on any web-page. Encompassing utilities for grid layout, measurement and alignment, Design is a uniquely powerful JavaScript bookmarklet. - Color Palette Generator
[Web Design] January 5, 2008 2:49 AM
Generate a color palette based on an image, photograph or graphic. Handy! - 200 Quebec municipalities have no emergency plan: repor
[Quebec] January 5, 2008 1:48 AM
More than 200 Quebec municipalities do not have a plan to deal with disasters such as the ice storm that hit the province in 1998, even though it's required by law, according to a government report obtained by Radio-Canada. - Apple is Killing Linux on the Desktop
[Mac OS X] January 4, 2008 6:39 PM
Not that long ago there was almost a consensus that Linux would soon over take Apple. Several commentators suggested a few years ago that Apple’s biggest threat was not Microsoft, but Linux. However, Apple seems to have taken care of that threat! - Five tips every new Linux user should know
[Linux] January 3, 2008 10:38 PM
Linux is a powerful operating system with a dizzying number of choices in distributions, but chances are it's a very different operating system than any you've used before. Here are five tips to help you along the way. - Rotonda Sands,, the aborted suburb
January 3, 2008 1:45 PM
Founded in the 1960s, it's about a mile in diameter and about 80% packed with golf courses and modest vacation homes. The remaining 20% pie-wedge never really came to fruition. - Study indicates drug makers spend more on marketing than research
[Medical] January 3, 2008 1:38 PM
Using data from two market research companies, the researchers found U.S. drug companies spent $57.5 billion US on promotional activities in 2004 compared with $31.5 billion on research and development. - Sears.com: Join the Community – Get Spyware
[Security] January 3, 2008 1:32 PM
Sears.com is distributing spyware that tracks all Internet usage - including banking logins, email, and all other forms of Internet usage - all in the name of community participation. - Frugality Doesn’t Have to Mean Sacrificing Quality
[Frugal Living] January 3, 2008 1:29 PM
Sometimes spending more is better than spending less. - 10 New Year's Resolutions for the Freelance Developer
[Self-Improvement] December 31, 2007 12:36 AM
Mathias Meyer has written out ten resolutions for 2008. Some of these apply not just to developers, some are especially important for them. Some of them are inspired by one of my favorite books The Pragmatic Programmer. - Java is the new Cobol
[Programming] December 31, 2007 12:33 AM
I've been saying this for three years, but it is nice to see that someone else has picked up on it. Java is falling out of favor with developers to newer languages like Ruby on Rails, PHP, and AJAX. - North America’s Largest Solar-Electric Plant Switched On
[Green Energy] December 30, 2007 12:43 PM
The 14 megawatt power plant is at the Nellis Air Force Base in the sunny desert of southern Nevada. It’s expected to save about $1 million in power costs annually, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24,000 tons each year. - Club Thievey raises $12,000
[Online Culture] December 29, 2007 11:02 AM
Updated: What if everyone in the Mac and development communities* had matching plush lemurs? 112 people joined, raising $12,000, including leroux.ca. Hurray for the lemurs! - Asteroid Impact on Mars: Collision Probability Increased
[Astronomy] December 29, 2007 12:15 AM
"The impact probability resulting from the recent orbit refinement has increased to a surprising 3.9 percent - about 1 in 25 odds," explain JPL's Near Earth Object Program website, updated today regarding the asteroid meets Mars altercation. - How to Sell Yourself on Lifestyle Change
[Self-Improvement] December 27, 2007 12:10 PM
It’s coming up on that time of year again. You know, the time where you seriously commit to the same resolution that you seriously committed to last year… before life got in the way and it evaporated into thin air. - 8 Ways to Achieve Success in 2008
[Self-Improvement] December 27, 2007 12:09 PM
Too many of us go through life without reaching success not because there’s something wrong with us but because we’ve failed to define what success even means to us. - Common Cold Mutates, Becomes Stronger
[Medical] December 27, 2007 12:05 PM
The bug causing the serious disease is adenovirus 14, one of the 51-odd strains of adenovirus that can cause colds to conjunctivitis and gastroenteritis. Researchers believe it has mutated into a more virulent form, first identified in 2005. - Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2007
[Science] December 27, 2007 12:01 PM
And so begin the top x lists of the year. Shrinking transistors, stem cells, possible life-harbouring planets, transparent materials as strong as steel, isn't science wonderful? - zZz is playing: Grip
[Video] December 27, 2007 11:59 AM
zZz is playing: Grip, is the first video of Roel Wouters aka Xelor. it's a one take, top shot music video with trampoline gymnasts simulating typical video effects. - Obvious: Study says no proof airport security makes flying safer
[Security] December 22, 2007 8:37 AM
A team at the Harvard School of Public Health could not find any studies showing whether the time-consuming process of X-raying carry-on luggage prevents hijackings or attacks. - Asteroid Threatens to Hit Mars
[Astronomy] December 22, 2007 7:51 AM
Astronomers are monitoring the trajectory of an asteroid named 2007 WD5 that is expected to cross the orbital path of Mars early next year. Calculations indicate that the 164-ft wide asteroid may pass within 30,000 miles of Mars on Jan. 30, 2008. - Quebec first province to make winter tires mandatory
[Cars] December 21, 2007 12:43 AM
Quebec motorists will be required to swap their summer tires for winter ones starting next winter, under a provincial law passed Wednesday. - Christmas Eve Sky Show
[Astronomy] December 20, 2007 4:10 PM
On Christmas Eve, the 98% full moon may be the brightest moon you've ever seen. That's because it's the highest-riding full moon until the year 2023. - Moon is younger and more Earth-like than thought
[Astronomy] December 19, 2007 4:53 PM
New research suggests it is actually 30 million years younger than anyone had thought, and that it is merely a chip off the old block of Earth rather than being made up of the remnants of a Mars-sized body that slammed into Earth billions of years ago. - Mac users more honest than PC users?
[Apple] December 19, 2007 4:52 PM
A study conducted by the NPD Group today revealed that Apple owners are much more likely than PC users to pay for music downloads. - Beautiful libraries of the world
[Photography] December 18, 2007 10:58 PM
These really put some of the libraries I have been in to shame. - Peter Jackson to produce two Hobbit films
[Movie] December 18, 2007 10:56 PM
I've seen this all over the net, and everyone is excited - and hopeful he can pull it off. - Commodore 64 still loved after all these years
[Computers] December 18, 2007 2:08 AM
Like a first love or a first car, a first computer can hold a special place in people's hearts. For kids who grew up in the 1980s, that first computer was the Commodore 64. 25 years later, that first brush with computer addiction is as strong as ever. - The #1 Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2007: Microsoft Vista
[MS Windows] December 18, 2007 12:36 AM
Five years in the making and this is the best Microsoft could do? - Environment Canada adds RSS support for weather
[Weather] December 13, 2007 3:31 PM
I requested this about a year ago, and am very pleased to see that they have implemented it. - A Guide to Twitter
[Online Culture] December 13, 2007 12:33 AM
I use twitter regularly, and have even written two Applescript applications for it. I enjoy usinging it. This explains what Twitter is, and what it can be used for. - Body clock "control switch" found
[Health] December 12, 2007 8:59 PM
Researchers say they have identified the chemical switch that controls the genetic mechanism regulating people's internal body clocks - TV shows now available from iTunes Canada Store
[Apple] December 12, 2007 2:41 PM
There aren't a huge number of shows there yet, but they will add more content I'm certain. - Amazon.com sends a fantastic customer service email
[Funny] December 11, 2007 10:47 PM
It certainly is nice to see that once in a while, companies are capable of having a sense of humour. - Massive dinosaur discovered in Antarctica sheds light on life, distribution of sauropodomorphs
[Paleontology] December 11, 2007 10:46 PM
new genus and species of dinosaur from the Early Jurassic has been discovered in Antarctica. The massive plant-eating primitive sauropodomorph is called Glacialisaurus hammeri and lived about 190 million years ago. - Just in time for Christmas: We're All gonna die, Merry Christmas!
[Funny] December 8, 2007 10:12 PM
This video is of a shoot of Malcom Middleton at BBC Radio One's performing the song with a choir, and is apparently a contender in the UK for #1 Christmas Single. Awesome! The brits have such wonderful humour. - Former "No Nukes" Protester: Stop Worrying and Love Nuclear Power
[Green Energy] December 7, 2007 8:57 AM
Gwyneth Cravens, a novelist, journalist and former nuke protester's new book, Power to Save the World: The Truth About Nuclear Energy, is a passionate plea to understand, instead of fear, atomic power. - Beautifully done 1/32 scale battle-damaged AT-AT model
December 5, 2007 5:24 PM
Made of Starship Modeler's Wrecks content. - Cherry Chocolate Rain Original Song by Tay Zonday
[Cool] December 4, 2007 2:43 PM
It is nice to see him making some money (in theory) over his Internet celeberitydom. And I think I want to try this new Dr Pepper flavour (Cherry Chocolate) - Video: Too cool.
[Funny] December 4, 2007 2:42 PM
This video is a classic example of a well done viral video - short and funny. - VEGANS: Modern Day Witches
[Religion] December 4, 2007 2:37 PM
I can't tell if these people are serious or not: "One needn’t look any further than Christ’s words to see that so-called "vegans" are nothing more than sorcerers and demons, mocking God while spitting on His Son’s final supper." - Scientists Get Rare Look at Dinosaur Soft Tissue
[Paleontology] December 4, 2007 2:36 PM
A high school student hunting fossils in the badlands of his native North Dakota discovered an extremely rare mummified dinosaur that includes not just bones but also seldom seen fossilized soft tissue such as skin and muscles, scientists will annou - Minuatur Wunderland
[Trains] December 4, 2007 2:31 PM
Photos of the largest model railway installation in the world in Hamburg, Germany. - How America Lost the War on Drugs
[Law] December 2, 2007 11:16 PM
After Thirty-Five Years and $500 Billion, Drugs Are as Cheap and Plentiful as Ever: An Anatomy of a Failure. - 50 years on: The Keeling Curve legacy
[Global Warming] December 1, 2007 11:52 AM
The Keeling Curve - may be scarcely known outside scientific circles, but the jagged upward slope showing rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere has become one of the most famous graphs in science, and a potent symbol of our times. - Strange, yet cool video: Chocolate Bunny by Sander Plug
[YouTube] December 1, 2007 12:25 AM
Chocolate bunny + heat = Strangely cool. Honest. - Jonathan Coulton's awesome song, "re: your brains" translated into French!
[Music] December 1, 2007 12:17 AM
Well worth the time to listen, and pricelessly funny. Now I can sing along in two languages! - The 25-Foot Apple Store Tractor Beam
[Apple] November 30, 2007 11:10 PM
If you don't want to be sucked into a vortex of iPods, iMacs, iPhones and various other Appley products, stay at least 25 feet away from Apple Stores - Google's Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal
[Energy Generation] November 29, 2007 12:12 AM
The newly created initiative, known as RE- US plans to "fight the net" revealed
[Military] November 28, 2007 11:26 PM
A newly declassified document gives a fascinating glimpse into the US military's plans for "information operations" - from psychological operations, to attacks on hostile computer networks.- Ottawa opens up wireless industry to more competition
[Canadian Politics] November 28, 2007 5:12 PM
The Conservative government on Wednesday paved the way for new cellphone companies by announcing new rules for an auction of radio airwaves designed to spur competition in the wireless industry.- A new Canadian copyright law is coming
[Canadian Politics] November 28, 2007 12:51 AM
Ottawa copyright circles are buzzing with hints that the government is preparing its new revised copyright bill, to be tabled soon. The buzz is that the new law will basically be a copy of the controversial US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).- The World’s Biggest Military Buildups
[Military] November 28, 2007 12:41 AM
Since the end of the Cold War, most of the world’s militaries have downsized. But in recent years, a few countries have been bulking up. Foreignpolicy.com takes a look at the countries that are going large while everyone else is slimming down.- Lawyers: Even Microsoft Confused Over Vista Marketing
[MS Windows] November 28, 2007 12:37 AM
A Microsoft product manager couldn't correctly explain the "Vista Capable" marketing slogan, according to recent filings in a lawsuit that claims the company misled consumers with a prerelease Vista campaign last year.- Judge tells record labels to cough up download expenses
[RIAA] November 28, 2007 12:34 AM
Judge Robert M. Levy ordered the record labels to provide Marie Lindor with the expenses incurred for each of the 38 songs at issue in the case, writing that Lindor's request may "lead to the discovery of admissible evidence."- Phantom load
[Wikipedia] November 27, 2007 12:51 PM
The Wikipedia entry for Phantom load, sometimes referred to as standby power or leaking electricity is the power consumed by any device while it is switched off. Read and learn!- Clever idea; The Warranty Scam Buster Account
[Frugal Living] November 27, 2007 12:26 PM
Instead of buying the extended warranty on items, take that amount and place it in a savings account. I like the idea.- Scientists’ Tests Hack Into Electronic Voting Machines in California and Elsewhere
[USA Politics] November 27, 2007 12:23 PM
Computer scientists from California universities have hacked into three electronic voting systems used in California and elsewhere in the nation and found several ways in which vote totals could be altered, according to reports released by the state.- How to Improve Your Concentration
[Self-Improvement] November 27, 2007 12:13 PM
In concentration we marshal all our dispersed energies into focusing on just one thing. When mastered, it can be of unimaginable benefit in our life; we can increase our productivity and give ourselves greater peace of mind.- Q&A: Talking with Stephen King
November 27, 2007 4:01 AM
Stephen King likes to start the conversation and so the horror author began asking questions before TIME's Gilbert Cruz could take a seat to interview him in New York City, which led to some interesting reading.- Eighth wonder of the world?
[Cool] November 23, 2007 8:25 PM
near Turin, Italy, 100ft down and hidden from public view, lies an astonishing secret - one that has drawn comparisons with the fabled city of Atlantis and has been dubbed 'the Eighth Wonder of the World' by the Italian government.- Six Tom Thomson paintings up for sale
[Art] November 23, 2007 8:24 PM
ix works by the late iconic Canadian painter Tom Thomson go on the auction block at the Heffel Fine Art sale in Toronto Friday with one holding particular sentimental value for the seller.- Have you unsubscribed?
[World Politics] November 23, 2007 8:23 PM
Unsubscribe sends out a clear message to the government that we will no longer tolerate the abuse of human rights in the name of 'the war on terror'. Most petitions ask you to sign up, we are asking to take your name off.- Undersea slide set off giant flow
[Geology] November 22, 2007 8:36 PM
An enormous underwater landslide 60,000 years ago produced the longest flow of sand and mud yet found on Earth.- Parasite found in every Ontario bee sample
[Insects] November 22, 2007 8:31 PM
The Ontario Beekeepers' Association experts collected about 446 bee samples from 25 keepers and every one contained Nosema apis, a single-celled protozoan that affects the bees' digestive systems.- UK retailers to record labels: DRM is killing us
[Music] November 22, 2007 1:25 PM
In response to declining music sales in the UK, the Entertainment Retailers Association has called for the music industry to put an end to DRM, blaming the draconian copy protection technologies for the slow growth of the digital music market.- Wii Light Sword brings out the Skywalker in you
[Games] November 21, 2007 1:14 PM
Ever since Nintendo revealed the Wii remote's motion-sensing capabilities, gamers have been clamoring for someone, to come up with a way to use it as a lightsabre. A Wii purchase in this household has moved from possible to probable.- Man-sized sea scorpion claw found
November 20, 2007 11:43 PM
The 390-million-year-old fossilised claw of a 2.5m-long sea scorpion has been found in Germany. The creature, which has been named Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, would have paddled in a river or swamp.- Mr T and William Shatner play World of Warcraft?
[Games] November 20, 2007 11:40 PM
Two great ads you can watch online of WoW. This game keeps tugging at me, slowly drawing me in. And then there is EVE online.. It may be hopeless for me.- Ontario Power Generation retrofits dams to squeeze out more power
[Energy Generation] November 20, 2007 7:11 PM
OPG hopes to generate more hydroelectric power in the province by upgrading its existing dams with new technology and building massive new ones in the province's north as Ontario prepares to phase out its coal-fired power plants.- Flying Spaghetti Monster Inspires Wonky Religious Debate
[Religion] November 20, 2007 6:56 PM
SAN DIEGO -- To a group of earnest academics who study faith, the Flying Spaghetti Monster -- the spiritual icon of a new internet-based religion -- is more than just a spicy pop-culture dish.- Top 50 Fictional Weapons
[Weapons] November 20, 2007 10:53 AM
Chris Ward names the 50 greatest fictional weapons of all time from proton packs to Cosmic Cubes.- Vista worries lead IT pros to consider Linux, Mac alternatives
[MS Windows] November 19, 2007 11:19 PM
Ninety percent of some 961 IT professionals surveyed said they have concerns about migrating to Microsoft's Vista operating system and more than half reported they have no plans to deploy Vista at this time.- A modest proposal for Senate reform: jury duty
[Canadian Politics] November 19, 2007 1:59 AM
Our society already calls on its citizens to do their duty by sitting on a jury and participating in the enforcement of our laws. Why not have citizens do their duty by participating in the making of those same laws?- Is the VW Space Up! interface developed by Apple?
[Cars] November 16, 2007 4:45 PM
As Autoblog describes it, the concept touchscreen monitor controls all conceivable functions and is meant to demonstrate how future human-machine interfaces might look and operate. The touchscreen uses proximity sensors to react to gestures.- Privacy: Who Needs It?
[Law] November 16, 2007 12:00 AM
Editorialists have decried these losses of privacy, as if it were the most sacred of human rights. But just what is the value of privacy? Do we really need it? And, indeed, can we afford it? First published in Maclean's, October 7, 2002.- Sensitive Guantánamo Bay Manual Leaked Through Wiki Site
[USA Politics] November 15, 2007 1:37 AM
A never-before-seen military manual detailing the operations of the U.S. detention facility has been leaked to the web, affording a rare inside glimpse into the institution where the USA has imprisoned hundreds of suspected terrorists since 2002.- How to Win at Monopoly - a Surefire Strategy
[Games] November 15, 2007 1:29 AM
The return on investment data used on this page comes from the webpage: Probabilities in the Game of Monopoly. The odds of landing on any given square were calculated by creating a model of the game and running billions of computer simulations. Read on..- Real Geek Heart Beats in XKCD's Stick Figures
[Cool] November 15, 2007 1:22 AM
A geek with a paper cut does not bleed CH3, and every nerd has a heart lodged in his chest instead of a TI-85. Behind those thick lenses is a man of flesh and blood, a man who deserves to be loved. Don't believe him? He has the graphs to show it.- Canadian firetruck responding to U.S. call held up at border
[News] November 14, 2007 12:20 PM
Fire officials battling the blaze called for help from nearby Quebec, using a longstanding, often-used mutual aid agreement. But the first truck that arrived at the border crossing was delayed as officials checked documentation of the firecrew.- US trousers-claim judge loses job
[Law] November 14, 2007 12:17 PM
A US judge who lost a $54m (lawsuit against his dry-cleaners over a pair of missing trousers has not been reappointed.- Canadian Government Commissioned Study Finds P2P Downloaders Buy More Music
[Music] November 12, 2007 6:31 PM
A newly study commissioned by Industry Canada, including some of the most extensive surveying of the Canadian population on music purchasing habits, finds that there is a positive correlation between peer-to-peer downloading and CD purchasing.- David Peralty's Post creation process
[Blogging] November 12, 2007 3:42 PM
David explains, at my request, his process for writing posts for his slew of blogs so often and with such consistency. Well worth the read.- Yet another reason not to buy Maxtor disks.
[Computer Security] November 12, 2007 12:32 AM
Around 1800 of the portable Maxtor hard discs, produced in Thailand, carried two Trojan horse viruses: autorun.inf and ghost.pif, that sent data to www.nice8.org and www.we168.org.- Event: PodCamp Ottawa
[Ottawa] November 10, 2007 9:12 PM
A meeting of Podcasters to discuss the ins and outs of the technology of podcasting. Should be plenty of fun. Sunday, Nov 25th, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM- Bush visits injured vets
[USA Politics] November 10, 2007 9:09 PM
This slideshow of a George W Bush photo-op of him visiting dismembered and disfigured vets just pisses me right off. Especially the one where he is show smiling, giving a disfigured vet a t-shirt. Grrr.- Farming the wind efficiently
[Energy Generation] November 10, 2007 1:51 AM
Viktor Jovanovic's Stormblade Turbine is a revolutionary new design of wind turbine that looks more like a jet engine than a propeller and promises unparalleled levels of performance and efficiency.- Blogging 95 year old granny a hit with surfers
[Blogging] November 7, 2007 12:09 AM
With 60,000 regular readers so far, Lopez's homely mix of memory and chat, available at http://amis95.blogspot.com/, attracts regular readers from around the world and has put her back in touch with the younger generation in a way she had never imagined.- Electric car maker hopeful after Ottawa grants safety stamp
[Cars] November 5, 2007 11:58 PM
The founder of a Toronto electric car company says that after 18 months, Transport Canada has given the vehicle its safety approval. Transport Canada confirmed it had given the ZENN (zero emissions, no noise) electric car the National Safety Mark.- Suicide Bombing Makes Sick Sense in Halo 3
[Games] November 5, 2007 2:33 PM
Clive Thompson used to find it hard to fully imagine the mind-set of a terrorist. That is, until he played Halo 3 online, where he found himself adopting - with great success - terrorist tactics. Including a form of suicide bombing. Explanation follows.- The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food
[Food] November 5, 2007 2:30 PM
This two-part article looks at the many ways to freeze food (including specifics for common food types), as well as a few suggestions for getting the most out of your freezer itself. It can be a wonderful piece of equipment.- What Is Metric Time?
November 5, 2007 2:22 PM
Metric Time is an attempt to create a time system for our base-10 world. This is a neglected part of the Metric System which has created a measuring system based on 10 for nearly everything, but no official decimalized time units for day-to-day use.- Improve Your Writing with these Editing Tips
[Self-Improvement] November 3, 2007 9:34 AM
Just about everyone seems complain often and loudly that people today don't know how to write. The article's author is convinced, though, that a big part of the problem is that people don't know how to edit.- A video how-to: Solar Powered USB Charger
[Video] November 3, 2007 9:30 AM
Turn those useless Solar Powered garden lights into an all purpose solar charger for your USB devices. This might be worth trying out.- Comcast Admits Delaying Some Traffic
[Net Neutrality] November 3, 2007 9:27 AM
Comcast Corp. on Tuesday acknowledged "delaying" some subscriber Internet traffic, but said any roadblocks it puts up are temporary and intended to improve surfing for other users.- How the AP busted Comcast for blocking BitTorrent
[Net Neutrality] November 3, 2007 9:26 AM
P reporter attempted to download, using file-sharing program BitTorrent, a copy of the King James Bible from two computers in the Philadelphia and San Francisco areas, both of which were connected to the Internet through Comcast cable modems.- Consumer Groups Ask FCC to Fine Comcast
[Net Neutrality] November 3, 2007 8:35 AM
A coalition of consumer groups and legal scholars on Thursday formally asked the Federal Communications Commission to stop Comcast Corp. from interfering with file sharing by its Internet subscribers.- Why Apple Should Acquire Adobe
[Apple] November 2, 2007 12:52 PM
Apple may be in command of audio and video, but if they want graphics and Web, then they’d have to build an in-house solution from scratch to compete with Adobe, and that’s not an easy company to compete with. Solution for Apple? One word: acquisition- Top 23 Snacks for All-Night Gaming
November 1, 2007 2:02 PM
Here are a variety of snacking choices, many of them fairly light but deliciously satisfying. Not every item on the list is healthy, and some require a touch of preparation, but they're all worthwhile just the same!- Video: Make my logo bigger cream!
[Funny] November 1, 2007 1:56 PM
This video is absolutely hilarious if you are a designer. If you aren't a designer, or graphically inclined, you will want to buy these products.- Adium video chat coming soon
[Mac Application] October 31, 2007 8:59 PM
he team behind Adium, the multi-protocol instant messaging client, has been working hard on enabling compatibility with AIM video chat, and is currently testing branches of an upcoming release, version 2.0, that will support video conferencing.- Church ordered to pay $10.9 million for funeral protest
[Religion] October 31, 2007 8:45 PM
A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the USA's tolerance of homosexuality.- WTF? Bomb Iran, say 52% of Americans says in new poll
[USA Politics] October 31, 2007 11:49 AM
The hostile rhetoric against Iran has drummed up enough fear of a nuclear holocaust or a World War III that a majority of Americans are in favor of a US strike against the country aimed a curtailing its apparent nuclear ambitions, a new poll shows.- Minimum Sea Ice Comparison: 2005, 2007 and the 1979-2007 Average
[Video] October 31, 2007 12:17 AM
The 2007 Arctic summer sea ice reached the lowest extent of perennial ice cover on record. The area of the perennial ice has been steadily decreasing since the satellite record began in 1979, at a rate of about 10% per decade. Video links on the right.- The Svalbard Global Seed Vault Atop the World
[Agriculture] October 31, 2007 12:08 AM
High above the icy fjord, the vault is almost complete. Inside a frozen mountain not far from the North Pole, workers are building three concrete chambers to withstand global warming, floods and fires, wars and nuclear holocaust.- Halloween zombie mistaken for murder victim
October 30, 2007 11:59 PM
A 24-year-old man fell into a drunken slumber on his way home from a Halloween party in Hamburg while on the train. Passengers on the train mistook a Halloween reveller dressed up as a gore-covered zombie for a murder victim and called the police.- Lunar Lander Challenge Ends in Fire, Disappointment
[Spacecraft] October 30, 2007 8:16 PM
The rocketeers at Armadillo Aerospace, thwarted by engine problems and other mechanical failures, left this year's X Prize Cup empty-handed after their spacecraft burst into flames on ignition Sunday.- US intelligence budget disclosed
[USA Politics] October 30, 2007 8:13 PM
The US has revealed that it has spent $43.5bn (£21bn) on intelligence during 2007, the first time the figure has been made public in almost a decade.- Apple Sells Two Million Copies of Mac OS X Leopard in First Weekend
[Mac OS X] October 30, 2007 3:47 PM
Apple today announced that it sold (or delivered in the case of maintenance agreements) over two million copies of Mac OS X Leopard since its release on Friday.- Apple Trusts Users more than Microsoft?
[Apple] October 30, 2007 3:16 AM
Chris Prillo posts a short video talking about the vast difference between how Apple and Microsoft licence their products. Apple trusts you will buy the family pack for $199 - with five licences, with *no* activation. Try doing that with Windows.- U.S. annexes Canadian landmark in new video
October 28, 2007 11:28 PM
A slick new campaign to promote U.S. tourism treats viewers to the impressive sight and sound of water roaring over Horseshoe Falls, the only one of Niagara's three waterfalls to lie on the Canadian side of the border separating western New York state.- Prince, Record Label Go Crazy over Dancing Baby
[RIAA] October 27, 2007 1:41 PM
In the battle between record companies and Internet users over copyright issues, an 18-month-old baby dancing to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" finds himself smack in the middle.- FEMA sorry for fake news briefing
October 27, 2007 1:36 PM
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's No. 2 official apologized Friday for leading a staged news conference in which FEMA staff posed as reporters while real reporters listened on a telephone conference line and were barred from asking questions.- Colbert's Campaign may run afoul with the law
[USA Politics] October 27, 2007 1:30 PM
With its Doritos sponsorship, dual party affiliations, and Senator Craig as a possible running mate, Colbert's presidential run is hardly serious business. But the joke could be on Colbert if federal election officials decide his candidacy is for real.- Video: Do you smoke?
[Health] October 26, 2007 12:28 AM
Little experiment which shows what are you doing with your lungs during smoking. It can be good motivation to give up smoking- Behind Enemy Lines With a Suburban Counterterrorist
[Terrorism] October 26, 2007 12:25 AM
Shannen Rossmiller talks about how she has managed to infiltrate her way into various al Qaida websites and help track down terrorists.- Defect Suspected in Fabric of Space-Time
[Astronomy] October 26, 2007 12:24 AM
An enormous cold spot in our universe could be explained by a cosmic defect in the fabric of space-time created shortly after the Big Bang, scientists say- Emergency Zombie Defense Station
[Cool] October 25, 2007 12:39 PM
People underestimate the dangers zombies pose to society. Every home should have at least one anti-zombie kit because, you never know when they'll show up again.- How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Other People
[Self-Improvement] October 25, 2007 12:33 PM
Comparing yourself to other people has got to be one of the easiest things for any person to do. We can’t help it. People feel the need to do it in order to understand where they stand in society’s "hierarchy".- Wrongly Convicted Man Sued for Child Support
[Law] October 25, 2007 12:22 PM
A man who was pardoned after spending 18 years behind bars for a rape he didn't commit has been sued for child support for the years he was in prison.- 15 Great Decluttering Tips
[Self-Improvement] October 25, 2007 12:13 PM
Getting rid of clutter can be made incredibly simple: just go through your stuff, one section, closet, drawer, or shelf at a time, and get rid of everything that isn't absolutely essential, that you don’t love and use often.- 10 Useful Secrets the Major Airlines Don’t Want You to Know
[Trips] October 23, 2007 11:55 PM
Ironically, traveling by air is getting more and more annoying as overbooked flights, lost luggage, and pricey ticket sales become more common. Here is a list of useful secrets that will help you find cheaper, better, more convenient ways to fly.- Spammers turn to MP3s to deliver pitches
[Spam] October 23, 2007 11:50 PM
The latest in unwanted electronic communication is an MP3 file that began landing in inboxes around the world last week. It features a spooky, synthesized Darth-Vader-sounding female voice touting the stock of Exit Only Inc.- Scientists a step closer to steering hurricanes
[Weather] October 22, 2007 5:14 AM
Scientists have made a breakthrough in man's desire to control the forces of nature – unveiling plans to weaken hurricanes and steer them off course, to prevent tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina.- Russia's Space City Frozen in Time
[Spacecraft] October 22, 2007 5:13 AM
The city itself is a rusting relic of the golden age of Russian rocketry, yet if anything, its place in the space industry is heading toward expansion.- WTF? Why we curse.
[Language] October 21, 2007 3:09 PM
I have frequently wondered about the uproar a mere word can have.- Carleton professor's lesson veiled in delivery
October 21, 2007 3:05 PM
Students at Carleton University in Ottawa were given the chance to learn a lesson in culture and cultural assumptions this semester when their non-Muslim sociology professor hid her face by wearing a veil.- Apple's iPhone the No. 4 U.S. handset during third quarter
[Apple Hardware] October 20, 2007 11:09 AM
Apple Inc.'s iPhone ranked No. 4 amongst all U.S. handset for the third calendar quarter of 2007 in terms of sales and is on track to potentially take over the No. 1 spot sometime in the next two quarters, according to a new report.- The Spinning Beachball of Death
[Funny] October 19, 2007 6:50 PM
Next time you get the Marble of Doom on your Mac, head over to this site, enter the application along with the time spent waiting for it to relinquish control of your system and vent your frustrations in a semi-humorous manner.- Couple make burglar clean up at gunpoint
[Crime] October 19, 2007 6:43 PM
A burglar in Alabama chose the wrong family to mess with. Adrian and Tiffany McKinnon returned home and caught a thief red-handed in their home. They held the suspect at gunpoint and made him clean up all the mess he made while awaiting police.- Bernie's Better Beginner's Guide to Photography for Computer Geeks Who Want to be Digital Artists
[Photography] October 19, 2007 6:33 PM
This is a great article that covers all the basics!- Law Firm Uses Copyright Claim To Say You Can't View Its Website's HTML Source
[Law] October 19, 2007 6:29 PM
One sure thing one can do to invoke the power of Internet mockery is to make silly statements like this.- "Artist" Chains Up Dog Until It Dies… Is This Art? Or Animal Abuse?
[Sad] October 19, 2007 1:29 AM
Guillermo Habacuc Vargas paid 2 children catch a dog. He then chained the dog and used the dog as "art". He told everyone not to feed this dog. The dog died in the gallery. He should be tied up in the same manner and left to die as well.- Amazon's 1-Click patent picked apart by US Patent Office
[Patents] October 18, 2007 11:50 AM
The US Patent Office has dealt a blow to Amazon over its controversial 1-Click shopping cart patent, filed for in 1997. Now, the USPTO has rejected 21 of the 26 claims in the patent, leaving only five as "patentable".- Montreal man dies following Taser incident
[Police] October 18, 2007 11:43 AM
Montreal police had stopped Quilem Registre believing he was intoxicated and that he became aggressive during questioning and otherwise resisting them resulting in the use of a Taser. He was taken to hospital, where he died the next day.- Lunar Lander Teams Throttle Up for Cash
[Spacecraft] October 18, 2007 11:39 AM
Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge is a major event at the upcoming Holloman Air & Space Expo in New Mexico. The countdown clock is ticking as the Oct. 27-28 expo draws closer, staged in collaboration with the Wirefly X Prize Cup.- Bride sues over flower color
[Law] October 18, 2007 12:02 AM
The wedding was lovely, except for the flowers: They were the wrong color. Solution: sue. The flowers cost $27,435.14. The lawsuit asks for more than $400,000 in restitution and damages.- Top 70 Vampire Movies of All Time
[Movies] October 17, 2007 10:30 PM
Can you spot the movie in the list that was made in Ottawa? There are a few movies on this list I have yet to see.- Bad Word List & Swear Filter
[Programming] October 16, 2007 11:07 PM
If you ever need a list of "bad words" to filter through, here is a pretty reasonable start. And it is kind of fun to read through.- Ancient reptile tracks unearthed
[Geology] October 16, 2007 10:18 PM
The 315 million-year-old fossilised tracks, which were found in New Brunswick, give an insight into a key milestone in the history of life, when animals left water to live on dry land.- Ten Videos to Change How You View the World
[Video] October 16, 2007 1:13 PM
A collection of videos from the TED conference which are well worth taking some time to watch over the next few days.- Youthful-looking galaxy conceals ancient stars
[Astronomy] October 16, 2007 1:11 PM
A bizarre galaxy thought to have started forming stars billions of years after its peers is not such a late bloomer after all, new observations reveal.- High-speed rail lines needed, says study
[Trains] October 16, 2007 1:08 AM
A report on high-speed Via Rail service in the Toronto-Montreal corridor says it's time to stop studying the issue and make some decisions.- Ion Propulsion Helps Spacecraft Cruise Solar System on the Cheap
[Spacecraft] October 16, 2007 12:43 AM
The Dawn mission to the asteroid belt passed a critical test last weekend, exercising its gentle, yet reliable, ion-propulsion system to accelerate its mission to two destinations during an eight-year voyage through our solar system.- iTunes Plus DRM-free tracks expanding, dropping to 99 cents
[Music] October 16, 2007 12:42 AM
Apple plans to expand iTunes Plus to include certain indie music labels starting sometime this week. This tiny step is encouraging for those of us who like freedom with our music.- Carbon-impregnated plastic: Strong as steel! Thin as cellophane!
[Science] October 14, 2007 11:53 PM
Nicholas Kotovof the University of Michigan claims to have invented a brick-and-mortar technique that creates a material as strong as steel, but ultra-thin and transparent.- Venn Diagrams and graphs...
[Funny] October 14, 2007 11:46 PM
Of nearly everything from the looks of it. Some funny, some serious... But mostly funny. I think this qualifies as a web comic.- Man dies after Taser incident at Vancouver airport
October 14, 2007 11:23 PM
RCMP have confirmed they used a Taser on an out-of-control man who died at the Vancouver International Airport early Sunday morning.- CNN asks: Are Record Labels Dead?
[Music] October 14, 2007 11:21 PM
Prince freed himself from record labels years ago. Paul McCartney, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have followed. Now the Material Girl appears to be kissing her big-name record company goodbye for a cool $120 million.- Developers In Pain
[YouTube] October 13, 2007 11:29 AM
This video is amusing in the sense that everything they say is oh so true. Laugh, sure - go ahead. Try living it. ;-)- Knights Templar win heresy reprieve after 700 years
[Spiritualism] October 12, 2007 8:14 PM
The Knights Templar, the medieval Christian military order accused of heresy and sexual misconduct, will soon be partly rehabilitated when the Vatican publishes trial documents it had closely guarded for 700 years.- How does it feel to die?
[Health] October 11, 2007 9:36 PM
Death comes in many guises, but one way or another it is usually a lack of oxygen to the brain that delivers the coup de grâce.- Young People Rejecting Christianity, Have Perception of Religion as Homophobic
[Spiritualism] October 11, 2007 9:32 PM
A new study by The Barna Group conducted among 16- to 29-year-old Americans shows that a new generation is more skeptical of and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago.- Giant Atmospheric Waves Over Iowa
[Weather] October 11, 2007 3:33 PM
Undular bores are a type of "gravity wave" - so called because gravity acts as the restoring force essential to wave motion.- Ottawa to start curbside compost pickup
[Energy conservation] October 11, 2007 12:08 AM
The city of Ottawa will turn yet a deeper shade of green in March 2009, when it will begin collecting residents' organic food waste in curbside composting bins, the city council decided Wednesday.- Don't Post This Cease-and-Desist Letter, Or Else
[Law] October 10, 2007 11:20 PM
DirectBuy doesn't want you to hear from customers who don't think the deal is such a good one. The company's law firm sent a strongly worded demand letter to the owner of InfomercialScams.com, claiming that consumer complaints on the website are defamator- Ontario 2007 Election results
[Canadian Politics] October 10, 2007 11:18 PM
From the Globe and Mail. Liberals Win, MMP doesn't appear likely to pass.- The Kennebunkport Warning And The Rogue B-52 - Confirmation With A Vengeance
[USA Politics] October 9, 2007 11:13 PM
The Kennebunkport Warning as one of the most remarkable successes of open source intelligence forecasting in recent decades. It may even have directly helped to stop Cheney's plan for a nuclear sneak attack on Iran.- Chris Garrett's Top 5 Biggest Freelancing Mistakes
[Self-Improvement] October 9, 2007 11:09 PM
It is often said we learn more from mistakes than successes. Sometimes it is nice to learn from another persons goofs rather than your own! Every freelancer will have their own stories to tell, here are Chris Garrett's.- Dice Stacking video.
[YouTube] October 9, 2007 11:04 PM
He stacks dice with a cup. Quickly. Impressive.- Funky 300 MPG Car Taking Pre-Orders
[Cars] October 9, 2007 10:36 PM
Aptera says that the $500 reservation fee buys you a spot on the list and is credited toward the cost of the vehicle upon purchase. You can then have input into what the vehicle will be eventually called, its graphics, and accessory options.- Record label defections by major acts a troubling sign for recording industry
[Music] October 9, 2007 10:27 PM
When Brit-rock veterans Radiohead decided to self-publish their next album online, it was a bucket of ice-cold water over the heads of the old-school music industry. It was also the starting shot for other artists to do the same.- Bail hearing delayed for brothers accused in crash
[Canadian Politics] October 9, 2007 10:17 PM
Two brothers accused of excessively speeding down a Brampton, Ont. highway, causing an accident in which two women were killed, will remain in police custody until at least Friday. Each face two counts of criminal negligence causing death.- Nobel Rumors Boost "Draft Gore" Activists
[USA Politics] October 9, 2007 10:08 PM
Gore's admirers in California launched a signature-gathering campaign to put him on the ballot. They need 26,500 qualified signatures by December 4. That's 500 qualified signatures from registered Democrats in each of the 53 congressional districts.- Battlestar Galactica Season 3 Gag Reel
[Sci-Fi] October 9, 2007 1:52 PM
Thirteen minutes of out takes from the third season of BGS.- Have Jupiter's smallest moons been obliterated?
[Astronomy] October 9, 2007 1:40 PM
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has found hints that Jupiter's tiniest moons have been obliterated. The findings are among a wide variety of observations of Jupiter and its moons that were released today by mission scientists.- Super-Efficient Car Prototype Turns Up at Frankfurt Auto Show
[Cars] October 8, 2007 11:10 PM
Loremo (Low Resistance Mobile) uses good old fashioned efficiency to achieve its super mileage; an extremely lightweight, low-drag design that just sips at its diesel engine without bothering with newfangled hybrid drivetrains or high-tech battery packs.- Dell vs. Apple: 10 Years Later
[Apple] October 8, 2007 11:05 PM
It was 10 years ago that Michael Dell, speaking before several thousand technology executives at ITxpo97 in Orlando, answered a question about what he would do if he were CEO of Apple with a remark he probably instantly regretted- Mixed member proportional representation
[Wikipedia] October 8, 2007 5:01 PM
Mixed member proportional representation, also termed mixed-member proportional voting and commonly abbreviated to MMP, is a voting system used to elect representatives to numerous legislatures around the world.- Novell wants SCO's bankruptcy stay lifted so federal trial can proceed
[Linux] October 8, 2007 1:29 AM
Novell fired its first legal salvo against the bankrupt SCO Group when it sought to lift the Lindon company's bankruptcy protections so it can recover millions of dollars in licensing fees it claims SCO wrongfully "hijacked."- No matter what the question is, Rudy Giuliani says 9/11
[USA Politics] October 8, 2007 1:28 AM
Giuliani wastes no opportunity to bring up 9/11 on the campaign trail. Sometimes, it looks like a stretch.- Babies for sale: The scandal of China's brutal single child polic
October 7, 2007 11:43 PM
The BBC Channel 4 documentary, secretly filmed by director Jezza Neumann, discovered that Chinese couples, hampered by the one-child rule, buy and sell babies in order to guarantee a male child to look after them in old age or a bride for their son.- CBC Marketplace Expose: Getting Gouged by Geeks
[Computers] October 6, 2007 4:02 PM
What you should know before you call a geek in to fix your computer. Their dorky company names and their cute little cars give off an air of friendly, helpful competence. But do the people who make computer house calls actually know what they're doing?- What the font?
[Web Design] October 6, 2007 3:26 PM
This site claims to be able to identify fonts in images from your computer or the Internet. In my tests it works about 25% of the time, but has the potential to be extremely helpful, so it bears keeping an eye on.- Physicists Tackle Knotty Puzzle
[Physics] October 6, 2007 3:18 PM
Research initiated by an undergraduate student at the University of California, has resulted in the first model of how knots form. The study investigated the likelihood of knot formation and the types of knots formed in a tumbled string.- How to Read a Painting
[Art] October 6, 2007 3:15 PM
Art is a great status symbol in modern society and because of that it can be quite intimidating to the casual viewer. For many the first impulse is to blow it off, to see it as a worthless plaything for the rich and boring- Coconut crab
[Wikipedia] October 6, 2007 3:08 PM
The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world. It is a derived hermit crab and is known for its ability to crack coconuts with its strong pincers in order to eat the contents.- Blind pedestrians protest quiet hybrid cars
[Cars] October 6, 2007 3:00 PM
Members of the Maryland affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind are protesting against hybrid cars on the grounds that they are too quiet to hear coming.- How Much Should You Charge for Your Web App?
[Web Development] October 6, 2007 2:40 PM
Ben Yoskovitz dislikes the"Give it away for free and sell advertising." model,even though it's the de facto one for consumer web apps. For business-to-business web applications, the model should be different.- Earthquake rocks see daylight
[Geology] October 6, 2007 2:12 PM
For the first time, rocks have been extracted from California's San Andreas Fault by scientists drilling some three kilometres below the surface.- Grim Illiteracy Statistics Indicate Americans Have a Reading Problem
[USA Politics] October 6, 2007 2:08 PM
Every year, at least 2 million functionally illiterate adults join the ranks of Americans who can't read. If this critical problem isn't addressed soon, American society will most certainly pay the price. 42 million American adults can't read at all!- Once Cent Now campaign draws request for payment from Royal Canadian Mint.
[Canadian Politics] October 6, 2007 1:59 PM
The Royal Canadian Mint, a corporation of the federal government, has now demanded that the City of Toronto pay $47,680 for the public education campaign.- 13 Step Method For Buying A Car While Controlling The Sale And The Price
[Cars] October 4, 2007 9:32 PM
Do your research, pick a price, and be ready to walk out of the dealership.- 10 Amazingly Simple Tricks to Turn Your Brain Into a Powerful Thinking Machine
[Self-Improvement] October 4, 2007 8:59 PM
There are two basic principles to keep your brain healthy and sharp as you age: variety and curiosity. When anything you do becomes second nature, you need to make a change.- RIAA wins first-ever file-sharing case to go to trial, awarded $222,000
[RIAA] October 4, 2007 8:19 PM
The first RIAA file-sharing case to go to trial just wrapped, and sadly, the outcome isn't a positive one.- The Future of Ignoring Things
[Online Culture] October 4, 2007 1:55 AM
Our email application may strive to learn what is and is not spam, but it expends practically no effort on figuring out which of the non-spam emails are important and which ones can be safely ignored, dropped into archival folders, or deleted unread.- The 10 Best Foods You Aren't Eating
[Health] October 3, 2007 12:52 PM
Want to do your body a world of good? It's as easy as expanding your grocery list- RIAA anti-P2P campaign a real money pit, according to testimony
[RIAA] October 3, 2007 12:16 PM
During an occasionally testy cross examination, a Sony executive said what many observers have suspected for a long time. The RIAA's four-year-old lawsuit campaign is costing the music industry millions and is a big money-loser for the record labels.- The dark truth about Blackwater
[Iraq] October 3, 2007 12:03 AM
Outsourcing the war to private military contractors such as Blackwater has shattered the United States' moral authority and its ability to win wars like that in Iraq. Long, but worthy read.- First RIAA trial gets under way with jury selection, opening statements
[RIAA] October 3, 2007 12:02 AM
Capitol Records, et al v. Jammie Thomas (the name of the suit changed after the RIAA dropped the sole Virgin recording from the case) got under way this morning in Courtroom One of the Federal Building in Duluth.- Arctic ice island breaks in half
[Global Warming] October 2, 2007 4:52 PM
The giant Ayles Ice Island drifting off Canada's northern shores has broken in two - far earlier than expected.- Why Microsoft must abandon Vista to save itself
[MS Windows] October 2, 2007 4:09 PM
Don Reisinger talks about how Vista has turned out to be one of the biggest blunders in technology. With a host of inexcusable issues and features that are taken from the Mac OS X and Linux, Microsoft has once again lost sight of what users want.- Ten Easy Arithmetic Tricks
October 1, 2007 8:27 PM
Math can be terrifying for many people. This list will hopefully improve your general knowledge of mathematical tricks and your speed when you need to do math in your head.- The Sun Rips Off a Comet's Tail
[Astronomy] October 1, 2007 5:27 PM
On April 20, 2007, the comet had just dipped inside the orbit of Mercury, perilously close to the sun, when a solar eruption struck and literally tore the comet's tail off.- Ebola (Ebolavirus Reston Ebolavirus, Sudan Ebolavirus, Ivory Coast Ebolavirus, and Zaire Ebolavirus)
[Wikipedia] October 1, 2007 11:30 AM
Ebola is both the common term used to describe a group of viruses belonging to genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, and the common name for the disease which they cause, Ebola hemorrhagic fever.- Ignore the Social Media Scoreboard
[Online Culture] October 1, 2007 11:26 AM
Ben Yoskovitz writes about the biggest downfall of anyone getting involved in social media and social networking is the Social Media Scoreboard.- How to Survive as the Family Tech Support Guy (or Gal)
October 1, 2007 11:19 AM
One of the most insidious pressures on tech-savvy people these days is the seemingly constant pressure to provide quick, top-quality computer and web support - to our friends and families.- Harper to snub annual Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner
[Canadian Politics] October 1, 2007 11:13 AM
Amidst a new round of fall election speculation, the Prime Minister's Office has made one thing clear: Stephen Harper won't be bringing the house down next month.- Space Shuttle Discovery Reaches Launch Pad
[Spacecraft] October 1, 2007 11:10 AM
Shuttle Discovery rolled out to its Kennedy Space Center launch pad Sunday, marking the start of a final push to the planned Oct. 23 launch of an International Space Station assembly mission.- Ebola outbreak may be on the verge of containment
[Medical] October 1, 2007 11:08 AM
The Ebola outbreak that drew a large international assistance effort to the Democratic Republic of Congo may be coming under control, one of the Canadian experts involved in the response said Sunday.- Lamborghini Car Painted Amazingly
[Cars] September 30, 2007 9:52 PM
In this case the owner wanted more from his Lamborghini, and he painted his car in a way that will 100% get your attention, no matter what. In my opinion, it was a horrible thing to do to such a work of automotive genius.- Microsoft launch campaign worthy of a politician in it's vagueness
[Microsoft] September 30, 2007 9:49 PM
When they say "State Government" what they really mean is one guy ( who NO LONGER works for state government ) said this.. not that this is the position of "state governments".- Top 50 Dystopian Movies of All Time
[Movies] September 30, 2007 5:18 PM
Massive dehumanization, totalitarian government, rampant disease, post-apocalyptic terrains, cyber-genetic technologies, societal chaos and widespread urban violence are some of the common themes in dystopian films.- Wired: Adult Swim's Low-Budget, High-Geek, Stop-Mo Hit Robot Chicken
[Filmmaking] September 30, 2007 4:04 PM
So, what's the secret sauce in Robot Chicken, a zesty hodgepodge of pop-culture in-jokes that took its name from a Chinese take-out dish?- Stephen Petranek: 10 ways the world could end
[Video] September 30, 2007 3:56 PM
Stephen Petranek reveals the question that occupies scientists at the end of the day: How might the world end? He lays out the challenges that face us in the drive to preserve the human race. Will we be wiped out by an asteroid? Eco-collapse?- Survivor in dramatic tale of escape from World Trade Centre "made it all up"
September 29, 2007 12:33 PM
For six years, Tania Head symbolized the courage and determination of 9/11 survivors. She told a dramatic story of how she was set ablaze when a plane smashed into the 78th floor of the World Trade Centre south tower as she waited for a business meeting.- Q&A: Ridley Scott Has Finally Created the Blade Runner He Always Imagined
[Movie] September 28, 2007 12:45 AM
Wired talks to Ridley Scott who is finally satisfied with his most challenging film.- How To Deal With Invasive Clients
[Small Business] September 28, 2007 12:11 AM
Picture this: You got a contract, the pay is really good, but there is one major problem, your client is invasive, almost stalking you.- Not sure what to wear?
September 27, 2007 4:59 PM
Try using dresscodeguide.com which decodes the various levels of dress code you can find out there.- Video of Giraffes fighting.
[YouTube] September 27, 2007 4:52 PM
They fight? They seem to be using their heads as clubs.- Photos of the Moscow underground
September 27, 2007 4:00 PM
Two Moscow inhabitants decided to explore collecting system under the building where they live. So they found the right gully grating, opened it and came down. How they were surprised, discovered the whole system of caves with the real underground river.- Massive Underwater Forests Found in Pacific
[Nature] September 27, 2007 3:46 PM
A team of scientists says it has found a string of vast, rich forests in an unexpected setting: far below the coral reefs found in the tropical Pacific Ocean.- Judge quashes RIAA subpoenas in campus file-sharing case
[RIAA] September 27, 2007 3:42 PM
A lawyer convinced a judge yesterday to quash several RIAA subpoenas directed against anonymous University of South Florida students.- Saddam asked Bush for $1bn to go into exile
[USA Politics] September 27, 2007 3:39 PM
The extraordinary offer was revealed yesterday in a transcript of talks in February 2003 between George Bush and the then Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar at the President's Texas ranch.- September 26th is Petrov Day
[Military] September 27, 2007 1:42 AM
On September 26th, 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov was the officer on duty when the warning system reported a US missile launch. Then the system reported another US missile launch. And another, and another, and another.- Ten Simple Tips for Using Email
[Email] September 26, 2007 8:18 PM
We all use email, but, sometimes we use it too much or use it inappropriately. To get the most out of email we need to use it carefully and judiciously.- Earth's water brewed at home, not in space
[Geology] September 26, 2007 8:05 PM
Where did the Earth's oceans come from? Most scientists think they came from water-rich asteroids and comets raining down on the planet in its youth. But now planetary scientists suggest the oceans may have formed here on Earth.- Apple Macbook Touch Concept and Thoughts on the Newton 2 Rumors
[Apple Hardware] September 26, 2007 7:59 PM
Apple's portable platform is probably next for a redesign, with 9to5mac pointing at the long-fabled ultra-slim MacBooks and now AppleInsider mumbling about the Son-of-Newton.- Creationist vs. Atheist YouTube War Marks New Breed of Copyright Claim
[DMCA] September 25, 2007 11:09 AM
A dispute between an atheist group and a creationist group over some postings on YouTube has critics of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act crying foul.- DIY lab scanner made from standard CD drive
[Science] September 25, 2007 11:04 AM
Fixing two additional light sensors to a normal CD or DVD drive can transform it into a highly accurate scanner for chemical or medical tests, Spanish researchers have shown.- Don't turn on a stolen Mac
[Crime] September 25, 2007 12:15 AM
Because it will probably upload your photo to Flickr. I wonder if this will lead to the guy's capture.- Victorious RIAA defendant gets attorneys' fees, turns to class-action plans
[RIAA] September 25, 2007 12:03 AM
Calling the RIAA's case unjustified "as a reasonable exploration of the boundaries of copyright law," a federal magistrate judge last week awarded former RIAA defendant Tanya Andersen attorneys' fees.- Coolest Tech Jobs: Driving the Mars Rover
[Spacecraft] September 24, 2007 11:44 PM
From 100 million miles away, engineers maneuver the rover remotely and enthusiastically.- Over 100,000 cans, bottles of Moosehead stolen
[Crime] September 24, 2007 10:43 AM
Drinkers of Moosehead beer in Ontario are being advised to stock up on their favourite brew after thieves made off with more than 100,000 cans and bottles. Ah, crime in Canada- Xhtml Friends Network
[Blogging] September 24, 2007 10:02 AM
XFN enables web authors to indicate their relationship(s) to the people in their blogrolls simply by adding a rel attribute to their <a href> tags- Cupid's Dear John letter generator
[Funny] September 23, 2007 11:39 PM
Friends! Is silly old procrastination keeping you from penning the cold, heartless farewell missive which will finally bring your sad, pathetic, and doomed relationship to long-overdue closure?- 7 reasons Derek Sivers switched back to PHP after 2 years on Rails
[Web Development] September 23, 2007 2:12 PM
Derek Sivers talks about his two year ordeal with Ruby on Rails, and his subsequent switch back to php for the redesign of CD Baby's website.- How to humanely catch a mouse without a mousetrap
September 23, 2007 1:39 PM
A simple trick that requires a toilet paper tube- Was Pope John Paul II Euthanized?
September 23, 2007 1:27 PM
Dr. Lina Pavanelli argues that Pope John Paul II didn't just simply slip away as his weakness and illness overtook him in April 2005. She has concluded that the ailing Pope's death was caused by what the Catholic Church itself would consider euthanasia.- Iran promises missiles will fly if US attacks
[Iran] September 23, 2007 12:56 PM
Iran has threatened to retaliate with missile attacks if Western forces launch raids against the Islamic state's nuclear programme — putting on a defiant show of military force to back up the message.- The Discussion That Isn't Happening
[USA Politics] September 23, 2007 12:43 PM
The US Senate is debating the defense bill now, and the central fact about the proceedings is that nobody's talking about money.- A Guide to CSS Support in Email: 2007 Edition
[CSS] September 20, 2007 9:57 PM
David Greiner writes about the most significant of the changes to CSS email support was in the wrong direction, with Microsoft's recent decision to use the Word rendering engine instead of Internet Explorer in Outlook 2007.- This Is Why I Rent: Median Incomes Do Not Support Median Home Prices
[Finance] September 20, 2007 9:39 PM
When you rent, most people mistakenly assume the decision is made out of necessity, not rationality. But there is a very good reason to rent in today's bubble-stricken market - Ben W. explains.- Loonie hits par with the U.S. dollar
[Finance] September 20, 2007 2:44 PM
The Canadian dollar rose as high as US$1.0001 just before 11 a.m. on Thursday - something that hasn't happened since Nov. 25, 1976. The dollar fell back in later trading. By 1:40 p.m., it was selling for US99.80 cents.- Cellphone class-action suit gets green light
[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission] September 19, 2007 7:51 PM
The suit, lodged by lawyer Tony Merchant, alleges that Canadians have been misled by the carriers into thinking the access fee was a tax by the government or the CRTC, when in fact it was simply extra revenue for cellphone companies.- Wednesday is International Talk like a pirate day... Arrrrr
[Cool] September 18, 2007 11:27 PM
International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which adopted Treasure Island star Robert Newton as its patron saint, now attracts fans worldwide.- :-) turns 25
September 18, 2007 11:25 PM
Twenty-five years ago, Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman says, he was the first to use three keystrokes - a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis - as a horizontal "smiley face" in a computer message.- Should All Cars be Banned from London?
[Energy conservation] September 18, 2007 11:03 PM
The Greater London Authority has pledged to reduce CO2 emissions in London 60% by 2025. Many believe is unreachable using current methods. A new study shows that some radical moves might be needed, such as banning all cars from London.- Scores ill in Peru 'meteor crash'
[Astronomy] September 18, 2007 10:46 PM
Some 600 people in Peru have required treatment after an object from space - said to be a meteorite - plummeted to Earth in a remote area, officials say.- Windows Vista attacked by 13-year-old virus
[MS Windows] September 18, 2007 10:56 AM
A batch of laptops pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium was infected with a 13-year-old boot sector virus called Stoned.Angelina. Amusingly, the pre-installed Bullguard anti-virus software, failed to detect and remove the malware.- Web video collaboration coolness
[Video] September 17, 2007 9:24 AM
What happens when you get an office full of people all working on a one shot music video? Awesomeness.- Steampunk Bellydance? Cool!
[Bellydance] September 17, 2007 9:16 AM
These custom-made corset-belts are the kind of thing only the 'net makes possible.- Fearing Legalized P2P Downloading, CRIA Declares War on Private Copying Levy
[CRIA] September 15, 2007 10:29 AM
The Canadian Recording Industry Association this week quietly filed documents in the Federal Court of Appeal that will likely shock many in the industry.- 10 Tasty, Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas
[Health] September 15, 2007 10:26 AM
Most of the list looks fine to be, but the scrambled tofu just sounds disgusting.- Happy 10th Birthday, Google!
[Google] September 15, 2007 10:16 AM
Born 10 years ago, the Google Internet search engine has grown into the electronic center of human knowledge by indexing billions of web pages as well as images, books and videos.- Good Math, Bad Math
[Math] September 15, 2007 12:08 AM
Finding the fun in good math and squashing bad math and the fools who promote it.- Seth Green Says Leave Chris Crocker Alone!
[YouTube] September 14, 2007 10:59 PM
In case you missed the hilarious video of Chris Crocker tearfully defending Britney Spears, Seth Green has kindly provided a parody for you.- SCO declares bankruptcy after failed patent suits
[Linux] September 14, 2007 10:56 PM
Service provider SCO Group ended a major phase in the history of both UNIX and Linux today by declaring chapter 11 bankruptcy, forcing the company to reorganize before it can resume normal business.- Sometimes winning the lottery isn't the greatest thing.
[Life] September 14, 2007 1:31 PM
The nearly $315 million Powerball jackpot turned into a nightmare: Jack Whittaker's wife left him, his granddaughter - his protege and heir - died, and the near-constant legal action. He often wonders if he should have just torn up that winning ticket.- Defendant: RIAA abusing courts to shore up "failing business model"
[RIAA] September 14, 2007 1:08 AM
Another defendant who says she has never used file-sharing software is fighting back against the RIAA, accusing the music industry of waging war in the US court system to "e;shore up the American recording industry's failing business model".- Unusual Wikipedia Articles
[Wikipedia] September 14, 2007 1:05 AM
Leave it to Wikipedia to have a page on unusual Wikipedia pages.- Thirteen Tricks to Motivate Yourself
[Self-Improvement] September 13, 2007 2:04 PM
Who needs Tony Robbins when you can motivate yourself? Overcoming the emotional hurdle to get stuff done when you’d rather sit on the couch isn’t always easy. But unless calling in sick and waking up at noon have no consequences for you, it’s often a must- Montreal Bureaucrats have no sense of style
[Apple] September 12, 2007 2:36 PM
When Apple asked if it could pay to remove the parking spaces in front of the new Apple store opening at 321 Ste. Catherine St. W, the city wisely said Non, because.. well we don't know why.- Russia tests giant fuel-air bomb
[Military] September 12, 2007 9:47 AM
The Russian air force has tested a giant fuel-air bomb which the military says is the biggest non-nuclear explosive device in the world.- Eight Difficult Stains and Easy Ways To Remove Them
September 12, 2007 9:38 AM
Beatrice Adams posts a list of common stains and some simple ways to deal with them.- With trial date looming, RIAA tries to avoid facing a jury
[RIAA] September 11, 2007 7:12 PM
The over 20,000 file-sharing lawsuits that have been filed over the past few years share a single distinction: not one of them has made it to trial. The RIAA is trying to keep Virgin Records, et al v. Jammie Thomas from a jury trial.- Godwit makes record-length Pacific flight
[Animal] September 11, 2007 11:09 AM
The bar-tailed godwit, a female known as E7, landed in New Zealand this past weekend after taking a week to fly 11,500km from Alaska to New Zealand.- Melting ice cap triggering earthquakes in Greenland
[Global Warming] September 8, 2007 4:25 PM
The Greenland ice cap is melting so quickly that it is triggering earthquakes as pieces of ice several cubic kilometres in size break off.- Photoshopped Partial Face Transplants Pictures Gallery
September 7, 2007 7:58 PM
Some very well done work - other are just plain creepy.- 35 Absolutely Essential Mac Apps
[Mac Application] September 7, 2007 9:26 AM
I use a healthy portion of these applications. And will probably start using some others.- Russian warplanes intercepted by RAF jets
[Military] September 7, 2007 9:14 AM
RAF Tornado jets were scrambled today to intercept eight Russian military aircraft which were approaching British airspace. What in the world is going on?- Australian Scientisits Cut, Grind and Polish Perfect Kilogram
[Science] September 7, 2007 9:11 AM
Researchers at the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization are cutting, grinding, and polishing a boule — a big crystal — of ultrapure silicon 28 into two baseball-sized spheres (one is for double-checking).- The Meth Minute
[Video] September 7, 2007 8:56 AM
An animated tribute to the internet people of the world, wherever you may be. Animated by Dan Meth, with music by Dan Meth and Micah Frank. How many can you identify?- How to Untangle MP3 Headphones using your cat
[Video] September 5, 2007 11:03 AM
Great video demonstrating a simple way to get your MP3 headphones untangled. Its a little messy maybe but very effective.. Ewww.- Scientology Faces Criminal Charges
September 5, 2007 11:01 AM
A Belgian prosecutor on Tuesday recommended that the U.S.-based Church of Scientology stand trial for fraud and extortion, following a 10-year investigation that concluded the group should be labeled a criminal organization.- US B-52 in nuclear cargo error
[Military] September 5, 2007 10:53 AM
A B-52 bomber flew across the US last week mistakenly loaded with up to six nuclear-armed missiles, unnamed air force officials are quoted as saying.- Video: YO! GAH!
[Video] September 4, 2007 3:28 PM
This is why I don't do yoga. And, it is funny to boot!- iPhone Becomes Leading U.S. Smart Phone Model in July
[Apple] September 4, 2007 12:59 PM
Apple's iPhone outsold all smart phones in the United States during July, and equaled the sales of the most popular feature phone, according to iSuppli Corp. The iPhone accounted for 1.8 percent of all mobile-handset unit sales to US consumers during July- ISO votes to reject Microsoft's OOXML as Standard
[Microsoft] September 4, 2007 12:48 PM
Many standards advocates breathed a sigh of relief as Microsoft has failed in its attempt to have its Office Open XML document format fast-tracked straight to the status of an international standard by the International Organization for Standardization.- Chasing Bugatti: Two Upstart Carmakers Race to Beat the King
[Cars] September 4, 2007 12:45 PM
Many car companies are vying to beat Bugatti's Veyron for the spot for fastest production car in the world - here are two.- Great Wall of China: Gone in 20 years?
[Archaeology] September 2, 2007 11:44 PM
The Great Wall of China, which has been chosen as one of the new wonders of the world, could be gone in 20 years.- Ice Cube Trays: Your Passport to Huge Savings
[Frugal Living] September 1, 2007 3:51 PM
Myscha Theriault writes how ice cube trays can be used to save you loads of time, and money in the kitchen. Numerous liquids and sauces can be frozen in them, and then stored in gallon freezer bags for future use.- What would a relativistic interstellar traveller see?
[Physics] September 1, 2007 3:23 PM
Alexis Brandeker explains what would likely actually happen if we could get up to 99% of the speed of light.- Chupacabra shot and killed in Texas?
[Strange] September 1, 2007 2:45 PM
Phylis Canion and her neighbors discovered the 18 KG bodies of 3 animals in July outside her ranch in Cuero, Texas. She saved the head of the one so she can get to get to the bottom of its ancestry through DNA testing and then mount it for posterity.- Strange Martian feature not a 'bottomless' cave after all
[Astronomy] September 1, 2007 2:39 PM
An extremely dark 150 by 157-metre feature on Mars is probably just a pit not the entrance to a deep cavern, a new image reveals. The feature was first noticed in an image taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in May 2007.- Study: US preparing massive military attack against Iran
[Military] August 29, 2007 12:35 PM
The United States has the capacity for and may be prepared to launch without warning a massive assault on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, government buildings and infrastructure, using long-range bombers and missiles, according to a new analysis.- As bees go missing, a $9.3B crisis lurks
[Animal] August 29, 2007 12:27 PM
The mysterious disappearance of millions of bees is fueling fears of an agricultural disaster, writes Fortune's David Stipp.- After $1.4M IBM server falls off forklift, customer sues IBM
[Law] August 29, 2007 12:24 PM
A Virginia company is suing IBM for more than $1.4 million over the loss of a server that fell off a forklift during shipping. The company, T.R. Systems Inc., a federal contractor, blamed IBM for not packaging the server properly.- Death of a Mountain - Radical strip mining and the leveling of Appalachia
[Environment] August 28, 2007 5:22 PM
This is a sad tale of a mountain being strip-mined for coal. A long, very worthy read.- Writing hacks (hacks for writing) Part 1: Starting
[Self-Improvement] August 28, 2007 4:19 PM
Getting started writing can certainly be the hardest thing to do. Scott Berkun offers some solid advice on how to get moving.- Diet Tips & More for a Healthy and Trim Body
[Health] August 28, 2007 4:08 PM
Things like timing, portion size, eating slower, and snacking can help.- First R-Rated Aliens vs Predator: Requiem Trailer
[Movie] August 28, 2007 1:44 PM
Gore abounds in this trailer. I think I know what I want to be doing on December 25th. Alien vs Predator goodness!- Crash destroys rocket ahead of X Prize contest
[Spacecraft] August 28, 2007 12:55 PM
Armadillo Aerospace's Texel plummeted to the ground and exploded after a sensor malfunctioned.- Merlin Mann on improving presentations.
[Self-Improvement] August 28, 2007 12:03 PM
After Merlin's recent Google Talk, he talks about what he has learned to make presentations better using some simple techniques.- In Case of Zombies, Break Glass
[Cool] August 4, 2007 12:45 PM
Every home should have this - because you never know when zombies will attack.- 35W just came down right in front of my house
[Blogging] August 3, 2007 12:38 AM
Blogger posts about the bridge coming down in front of his place. Wowsers- Little CSS print stylesheet tip
[CSS] August 2, 2007 11:59 PM
A fairly simple way to do eliminate most of the work in a CSS print stylesheet. Clever.- Scan This Guy's E-Passport and Watch Your System Crash
[Computer Security] August 1, 2007 11:58 AM
Lukas Grunwald, an RFID expert says the security flaws allow someone to seize and clone the fingerprint image stored on the biometric e-passport, and to create a specially coded chip that attacks e-passport readers that attempt to scan it.- Insurers Claim Global Warming Makes Some Regions Too Hot to Handl
[Global Warming] August 1, 2007 1:42 PM
As the United States braces for an active hurricane season, private insurers jump ship, leaving federal and state governments liable for ever increasing payouts- Vegansexuals - Carnivore sex off the menu
[WTF?] July 31, 2007 12:02 PM
Vegansexuals are people who do not eat any meat or animal products, and who choose not to be sexually intimate with non-vegan partners. One wonders if this will lead to any discrimination lawsuits in the US.- Google's battle for wireless spectrum
[Google] July 31, 2007 9:54 AM
An upcoming Federal Communications Commission spectrum auction is pitting search giant Google against the largest phone companies in the US in a public-policy battle that could determine how Americans access the Internet in the future.- Model T takes on a HUMMER in hill climb
[Cars] July 30, 2007 7:09 PM
A one hundred horsepower 1921 Model T speedster beats a three hundred & sixteen horsepower 2003 Hummer H2 up a 475-foot-tall hill in Evansville, Indiana.- Secret tunnels under Tokyo?
July 29, 2007 2:55 PM
Shun Akiba wrote a book called 'Imperial City Tokyo: Secret of a Hidden Underground Network' published in 2002, now in its fifth edition, and for some odd reason, no on is paying attention.- What does 120 calories look like?
[Health] July 29, 2007 2:49 PM
A photo gallery of what 120 calories of a number of foods looks like.- Democrat says US-India nuclear agreement breaks law Bush signed
[USA Politics] July 29, 2007 2:34 PM
A Democratic Congressman who has longed opposed greater US-India cooperation on nuclear energy technologies said a new agreement between the countries breaks a law signed by President George W. Bush at the end of 2006.- Veteran, 109, revisits WWI trench
[History] July 29, 2007 2:31 PM
The last known surviving British soldier to have fought in the trenches of World War I has revisited the site where he fought 90 years ago.- Coin dealer flies dime worth $1.9 million to NYC
July 28, 2007 10:30 AM
John Feigenbaum flew out of San Jose this week in first class, with flip-flops on his feet, a T-shirt on his back and a dime worth $1.9 million in his pocket.- The Physics of Extraterrestrial Civilizations
[Astronomy] July 27, 2007 7:27 PM
Michio Kaku asks How advanced could they possibly be? Although any conjecture about such advanced civilizations is a matter of sheer speculation, one can still use the laws of physics to place upper and lower limits on these civilizations.- Google's Privacy Chief Backs T-Shirts, Not Ties
July 26, 2007 4:49 PM
Glad to see that *finally* this is catching on. I can't imagine having to wear a suit all the time. I *hate* suits.- John C Dvorak, PC curmudgeon extraordinaire, and his Mac
[Apple] July 26, 2007 11:15 AM
The world must be ending. Dvorak has started to use a Mac and *likes* it.- Building Green? Your Neighbors May Block You.
[Energy conservation] July 25, 2007 7:56 PM
Kristi and Tom Cohen wanted to build their green dream house, and chose a modular design by renowned California architect Michelle Kaufmann. The design, called the Sunset Breezehouse, includes solar panels, recycled materials and a living green roof.- Russian North Pole mission stalls
July 25, 2007 7:05 PM
A Russian naval expedition on its way to explore the ocean floor below the North Pole has come to a sudden halt. The Akademik Fyodorov research ship suffered engine failure a day after setting off from Murmansk port and is drifting in the Barents Sea.- Video: Winnebago Man
[YouTube] July 25, 2007 3:02 PM
Anyone who has spent anytime producing videos has seen this type of stuff happen - but that does not make it any less funny.- The Business Plot to overthrow Franklin D. Roosevelt
[USA Politics] July 24, 2007 11:20 PM
When retired Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler testified before a Congressional committee that a group of men had attempted to recruit him to serve as the leader of a plot and to assume and wield power once the coup was successful.- BBC: The Whitehouse Coup
[USA Politics] July 24, 2007 11:07 PM
The coup was aimed at toppling Franklin Roosevelt with the help of half-a-million war veterans, allegedly plotted by some of the most famous families in America, (including George Bush’s Grandfather, Prescott), with the goal of creating a Fascist regime.- 10 Essential Email Skills for Any Freelancer
[Self-Improvement] July 24, 2007 10:52 PM
Leo Babauta writes about 10 ways that you can improve email skills.- Chinook, the unbeatable checkers-playing computer
[Games] July 21, 2007 4:25 PM
Scientists at the University of Alberta report that they've built an unbeatable checkers-playing computer named Chinook that has solved checkers: It proves that if two players play perfectly, making no mistakes, the game of checkers will result in a draw.- Hubble Space Telescope maps minerals on the moon
[Astronomy] July 21, 2007 9:15 AM
Geologists have used the Hubble Space Telescope to study minerals on the moon. It might be one small step for them, but it's a giant leap towards building a lunar outpost.- Retailers call iPod levy a 'tax'
July 20, 2007 9:05 PM
The Copyright Board of Canada announced a decision yesterday rebutting a ruling made by the Federal Court in 2004 that a private copying levy should applied to iPods and other digital audio recorders, beginning in 2008.- Get Exceptional Service Every Time, Without Paying for it
July 20, 2007 8:24 PM
Wouldn’t it be nice if you received great service every time and never had to pay extra for it? This is not only possible – it is likely if you go about it the right way. Be nice. See? Easy.- Google announces conditional intent to bid on 700MHz spectrum auction
[Google] July 20, 2007 8:12 PM
In a letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission today, Google CEO Eric Schmidt announced his company's intentions to enter the bidding for the 700MHz spectrum early next year - if Google's proposed auction rules are adopted.- Mars Rovers Caught in Severe Dust Storm
[Spacecraft] July 20, 2007 5:32 PM
NASA engineers are taking proactive measures to protect the rovers. The rovers are showing robust survival characteristics. After three and a half years, could this be the end of the robust rovers?- Man with tiny brain shocks doctors
[Strange] July 20, 2007 10:26 AM
A man with an unusually tiny brain manages to live an entirely normal life despite his condition. Scans of the man's brain showed that a huge fluid-filled chamber that took up most of the room in his skull, leaving a thin sheet of actual brain tissue.- Google wants to do for TV what it did for the Web
[Google] July 20, 2007 10:23 AM
It appears that Google is considering getting into TV ads - that they want to make them more relevant to the viewer, hence more likely that the viewer will actually watch them! Imagine that.- Farscape's unlikely but welcome return
[Sci-Fi] July 18, 2007 3:28 PM
Sci Fi Channel announced that the outer-space series Farscape would be resurrected as an online entity. The new live-action content will "revive and expand the beloved Farscape universe," according to the channel's press release.- 10 Articles All Bloggers Should Read (at least once)
[Blogging] July 18, 2007 2:03 PM
Ryan Caldwell provides a list of ten articles he thinks every blogger should read at least once. I generally agree.- Firefox now a serious threat to IE in Europ
[Web Browsers] July 15, 2007 11:39 AM
A study of nearly 96,000 websites carried out during the week of July 2 to July 8 found that FF had 27.8% (up 3.7% since March) market share across Europe, IE had 66.5%, with other browsers including Safari and Opera making up the remaining 5.7%.- Rare giant squid washed up in Australia
[Animal] July 14, 2007 5:32 PM
One of the largest giant squid ever found has washed up on a remote Australian beach, sparking a race against time by scientists to examine the rarely seen deep-ocean creature.- Optimal copyright term is 14 years
[MPAA] July 13, 2007 12:53 PM
Cambridge University PhD candidate Rufus Pollock's work is based on the promise that the optimal level of copyright drops as the costs of producing creative work go down. RIAA and MPAA are going to hate this, I bet.- CBC streams new episodes of Doctor Who!
[Sci-Fi] July 12, 2007 5:53 PM
They will have the last four episodes online at any one time, and limit your viewing to two episodes, then you have to reload.- Baby mammoth find promises breakthrough
[Animal] July 12, 2007 9:37 AM
The discovery of a baby mammoth preserved in the Russian permafrost gives researchers their best chance yet to build a genetic map of a species extinct since the Ice Age, a Russian scientist said on Wednesday.- Scientists find water on extra-solar planet
[Astronomy] July 12, 2007 9:36 AM
Scientists have, for the first time, conclusively discovered the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere of a planet beyond our Solar System, according to an article appearing in Nature.- Wireless costs block iPhone's entry in Canada
[Apple Hardware] July 12, 2007 1:48 AM
High wireless data rates are the main reason why Canadians don't yet have Apple Inc.'s much-desired iPhone, Michael Geist, Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa says.- Darth Vader Supreme Edition Costume
[Star Wars] July 11, 2007 6:28 PM
For the price of $850 you can get the this is the amazing Star Wars collectors supreme edition adult Darth Vader Costume, that comes with a Darth Vader FX Lightsaber to boot! The authentic costume is from the Lucas Studios original Darth Vader patterns.- Former Bush surgeon general says he was muzzled
[USA Politics] July 11, 2007 8:23 AM
The first U.S. surgeon general appointed by President George W. Bush accused the administration on Tuesday of political interference and muzzling him on key issues like embryonic stem cell research.- What Special Project Lives in FBI HQ Room 4944?
[USA Politics] July 11, 2007 8:03 AM
The Justice Department revealed that FBI agents had sent out fake emergency letters to phone companies, asking to turn over phone records immediately by saying that the proper papers had been filed with US attorneys, though in many cases this was untrue.- Great Perseids
[Astronomy] July 11, 2007 8:02 AM
Got a calendar? Circle this date: Sunday, August 12th. Next to the circle write 'all night' and 'Meteors!' Attach the above to your refrigerator in plain view so you won't miss the 2007 Perseid meteor shower.- A World of Reasons to Ditch Bottled Water
[Energy conservation] July 10, 2007 10:29 PM
Approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil—enough to run 100,000 cars for a whole year—are used to make plastic water bottles, while transporting these bottles burns even more oil.- The future of the Web as seen by its creator
[Internet] July 10, 2007 3:33 PM
An interview with Tim Berners-Lee discussing the future of the web, and some of the potential pitfalls that lie ahead.- Inside the World of Mileage Running
July 10, 2007 3:31 PM
Mileage runners are the high-tech nomadic wanderers of the air. They scour the web for cheap flights to fly the longest itineraries they can string together.- Europeans Plan Floating Windmills for North Sea
[Energy Generation] July 9, 2007 9:54 AM
Currently, windmills have to be built on land or in shallow off-shore seabed sites, where they often generate complaints that they spoil the landscape, and concerns that the turbines batter birdlife. A floating windmill could be placed far out at sea.- Spammers overcome Hotmail and Yahoo CAPTCHA systems
[Spam] July 9, 2007 9:51 AM
It appears that spammers have found a way of automatically creating Hotmail and Yahoo email accounts, having already created more than 15,000 bogus Hotmail accounts, according to security company BitDefender.- A half-octopus, half squid found
[Animal] July 7, 2007 12:50 PM
The specimen was found caught in a filter in one of Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority's deep-sea water pipelines last week. The pipeline, which runs 3,000 feet deep, sucks up cold, deep-sea water for the tenants of the natural energy lab.- Girl, 11, charged with DUI after high-speed chase
[WTF?] July 7, 2007 12:47 PM
Police in Orange Beach, Alabama who chased a car for miles along a highway at speeds up to 100 mph said the driver was drunk, but there was more: When they looked inside the flipped vehicle with guns drawn, they found an 11-year-old girl at the wheel.- Massive Dust Storm on Mars Could Doom Rovers
[Spacecraft] July 6, 2007 12:02 PM
A giant dust storm that now covers nearly the entire southern hemisphere of Mars could permanently jeopardize the future of the Mars Exploration Rovers mission, said NASA officials.- What would make Jonathan Coulton's song, Code Monkey more awesome?
[YouTube] July 6, 2007 1:06 AM
An anime video version! This Anime Music Video was a finalist at the Anime Expo 2007 AMV Contest. It features the song Code Monkey by Jonathan Coulton, using footage from the anime Black Heaven- Swarm Theory
[Animal] July 5, 2007 10:04 AM
A single ant or bee isn't smart, but their colonies are. The study of swarm intelligence is providing insights that can help humans manage complex systems, from truck routing to military robots.- Perspectives on Terrorism
[Terrorism] July 4, 2007 4:15 PM
The last major terrorist attack in the US is now almost 6 years ago, and the one before that, was in 1995. So how have Americans been persuaded that their duty and their destiny is to lead the world in a long war against terrorism?- Accelerating serendipity with coworking
[Community] July 4, 2007 10:52 AM
This is a fantastic idea for the self-employed that I think will take off. I'll have to see about getting something like this started in Ottawa.- 10 Essential Habits for Freelance Workers
[Self-Improvement] July 3, 2007 10:23 AM
Without someone forcing you to work, why should you? It’s much easier to find distractions. And if everything’s up to you, that also means you’re responsible for everything - from start to finish.- Jim Butterfield has passed away.
[Community] July 2, 2007 3:58 PM
Jim was a great guy - answering tonnes of questions from a young lad who was struggling to learn machine language on the C64. Thanks, Jim.- Mechanical Fingers Give Strength, Speed to Amputees
[Health] July 2, 2007 1:00 PM
If the X-Finger looks like a prop from The Terminator, relax. It isn't out to kill you, and it isn't robotic. In fact, it's a mechanical prosthetic finger so effective it provides articulation as fast and flexible as the real thing.- 500,000 iPhones Sold This Weekend
[Apple Hardware] July 2, 2007 12:58 PM
That is a heck of a lot of iPhone sales - and I wonder how long it will keep up for.- Roswell aliens theory revived by deathbed confession
July 2, 2007 12:55 PM
Lieutenant Walter Haut died last year but left a sworn affidavit to be opened only after his death which asserts that the weather balloon claim was a cover story and that the real object had been recovered by the military and stored in a hangar.- Thousands of rubber ducks to land on British shores after 15 year journey
July 2, 2007 12:54 PM
The armada of 29,000 plastic yellow ducks, blue turtles and green frogs broke free from a cargo ship 15 years ago, travelling 17,000 miles, floating over the site where the Titanic sank, landing in Hawaii and even spending years frozen in an Arctic ice.- The Record Industry's Decline
[Music] June 28, 2007 11:06 AM
Rolling Stone's take on how record sales are tanking, and there's no hope in sight: How it all went wrong. Part one of two.- Rideau Canal named UN World Heritage site
[Ottawa] June 28, 2007 10:45 AM
The Rideau Canal, which stretches from Ottawa to Kingston, was confirmed as a World Heritage site on Thursday, joining more than 800 sites on the list of international cultural treasures.- EVENT: Ottawa Final Cut Pro User Group Inaugural Meeting
[Final Cut Pro] June 28, 2007 2:46 AM
From 6 to 8, there is a demonstration of FInal Cut Studio 2, followed by OFCPUG's first meeting. The group's goal to offer invaluable resources, for all ranges of experience in Final Cut Pro and the other Studio applications. For more details, click!- Eating For Energy Or For Stress Relief?
[Self-Improvement] June 27, 2007 10:36 AM
Brian Armstrong would think about that burger, fries, and milkshake all day. About how juicy and tasty it would be, how satisfied he would be afterwards, and how good it make me feel. The food was a drug he took to relieve stress!- Giant microwave turns plastic back to oil
[Environment] June 27, 2007 10:30 AM
A US company is taking plastics recycling to another level – turning them back into the oil they were made from, and gas.- Fast-food chains refuse to put calories on menus
[Health] June 27, 2007 10:23 AM
Understandably, fast food restaurants don't want to show how many calories are in a given product - it would prompt people to likely walk out. The solution? Change your offerings to something more healthy, or reduce portions.- Sprint begins campaign against Apple iPhone; expects initial customer loss up to 6%
[Apple Hardware] June 26, 2007 4:09 PM
Some Sprint employees are being told to expect a drop of their current smart-phone customer base from the iPhone launch. Extrapolate this to the other carriers and you can clearly see how Apple iPhone has the potential to rock the entire industry.- Crater Could Solve 1908 Tunguska Meteor Mystery
[Astronomy] June 26, 2007 9:46 AM
Italian researchers now think they've found a smoking gun: The 164-foot-deep Lake Cheko, located just 5 miles northwest of the epicenter of destruction.- Exonerated defendant sues RIAA for malicious prosecution
[RIAA] June 25, 2007 11:37 PM
Former RIAA target Tanya Andersen has sued several major record labels, the parent company of RIAA investigative arm MediaSentry, and the RIAA's Settlement Support Center for malicious prosecution.- Tricks to Keep Your House Cool this Summer
[Energy conservation] June 25, 2007 4:07 PM
As the temperature rises, so does the cost of cooling your home, especially if you use an air conditioner, but there are other options that don’t raise your energy bill quite significantly.- What is the worst that could happen - AKA The Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See
[Global Warming] June 25, 2007 12:25 PM
This video presents a fairly simple decision making process one can follow to decide what to do about global warming.- Four Eyed Monsters - the film
[Movie] June 25, 2007 9:28 AM
The entire film Four Eyed Monsters in on YouTube until August 15th, so when you have 75ish minutes, sit down and watch it.- Fans Help Filmmakers Win YouTube Deal
[Filmmaking] June 25, 2007 9:25 AM
The autobiographical drama, financed with $100K on credit cards, runs 71 minutes and has been viewed more than a half million times since it was posted on YouTube last week.- How to give yourself the best chance of a good life (Part 2)
[Self-Improvement] June 25, 2007 9:24 AM
Here are some more straightforward and practical ways to give yourself the best possible chance of living a good life, focusing on what is most likely to produce lasting changes for the better.- How to give yourself the best chance of a good life (Part 1)
[Self-Improvement] June 25, 2007 9:23 AM
The greatest and most persistent blockages to your progress in life usually come from a single source - yourself. Here are some simple, practical ways to give yourself the best possible chance of living a good life.- 11 Causes and Cures for Procrastination
[Self-Improvement] June 23, 2007 10:00 AM
Here are 11 common causes of procrastination and corresponding tips to help you find the pace you're looking for.- The (potentially) Never-Ending Light Bulb!
[Environment] June 22, 2007 9:43 AM
When the lamp is put in the presence of a microwave emitter a concentrated electric field forms in the tube of gas which promptly turns into plasma. More than 50% of the energy is emitted as light.- Intersection Repair: Building Community Over Automobile Throughput
[Community] June 21, 2007 8:30 AM
City Repair in Portland, Oregon hosts an annual Village Building Convergence where hundreds of people come together to build diverse projects for the benefit of their communities and to take back their streets via a process known as Intersection Repair.- "Dark galaxy" continues to puzzle astronomers
[Astronomy] June 21, 2007 8:04 AM
The Hubble Space Telescope has not revealed the expected number of stars in VIRGOHI21, the mysterious, galaxy-sized cloud of hydrogen, bolstering the idea that the gas cloud is the only known example of a dark galaxy that never kick-started star birth.- 10 Techniques I Used To Go From 0 To 12,000 RSS Subscribers In Seven Months - With No Ads Or Leverag
[Blogging] June 21, 2007 7:50 AM
Good groundwork to help increase your RSS subscribers.- Trick Your Body Into Submission
[Self-Improvement] June 20, 2007 10:02 AM
A list of 18 tricks you can do to help control your body - for example, if your throat tickles, scratch your ear.- Free Audiobook from Audible via This Week in Tech
[Books] June 19, 2007 2:12 PM
If you have been looking to get started with Audible, you can sign up, and get your first audio book free.- Copyright coalition: Piracy more serious than burglary, fraud, bank robbery
[MPAA] June 18, 2007 2:15 PM
NBC/Universal general counsel Rick Cotton suggests that society wastes entirely too much money policing crimes like burglary, fraud, and bank-robbing when it should be doing something about piracy instead.- Waxahachie, Texas man calls for EMS, gets police Tasers
[WTF?] June 18, 2007 2:12 PM
Allen Nelms says a 911 call to get medical attention for his diabetic seizure resulted in police breaking down his door with their guns drawn before shooting him multiple times with a Taser as he lay in bed.- Why you can't buy Apple's new phone - in Canada (yet)
[Apple] June 18, 2007 11:14 AM
The most hyped consumer electronics device in years will make its debut on June 29, but Apple Inc's iPhone will be conspicuously absent from Canadian store shelves. Sold out? No — just not for sale.- How Stanford's Robotic Car Passed Its Driving Test
[Cars] June 18, 2007 11:10 AM
The Stanford Racing Team's autonomous car, Junior, passed a complex driving test Thursday, making it one of the few robots in the world able to deal with the complexities of city traffic. Well, maybe small town traffic.- Are Computer Keyboards Dishwasher Safe?
[Computers] June 16, 2007 10:45 AM
Studies show that computer keyboards have more bacteria than toilet seats. But it's hard to clean all those keys. So some people advocate an extreme solution: Throw your keyboard in your dishwasher.- Apple's Mac OS X Tips archive
[Mac OS X] June 15, 2007 8:15 PM
An ever-expanding collection of tips for Mac OS X - most are extremely simple, yet powerful shortcuts to help with making life on the Mac better.- Fans of Firefly & Serenity Organize 'Global Sci-Fi Charity Event Of The Year'
[Ottawa] June 14, 2007 5:47 PM
Fans will be holding screenings in 51 cities (including Ottawa) in nine countries to raise money and awareness for Equality Now. In its second year, Can't Stop The Serenity looks to raise over $100,000 in donations for the charity.- How-To: The Ultimate iTunes Media Server
[Apple] June 14, 2007 4:08 PM
This is a bit on the crazy side - 14 x 400GB for storage could be considered excessive, but the system also handles security camera inputs, as well as the usual iTunes bells and whistles.- Guide to lacing your shoes.
June 14, 2007 10:17 AM
There are some neat looking ways to tie your shoes, but I think in general very few people would use them because they likely take too much time.- Copper thieves create electrocution risks
[News] June 14, 2007 10:15 AM
Increasing copper thefts from Ontario transformer, distribution and service stations are putting Hydro One staff and the public at risk of electrocution, the company says.- Portrait of the Modern Terrorist as an Idiot
[Terrorism] June 14, 2007 10:13 AM
The recently publicized terrorist plot to blow up John F. Kennedy International Airport, like so many of the terrorist plots over the past few years, is a study in alarmism and incompetence: on the part of the terrorists, our government and the press.- Apple Goes on Safari With Hostile Security Researchers
[Apple] June 14, 2007 10:11 AM
Security researchers have long speculated that Apple has benefited from security by obscurity, escaping attention from malicious hackers, but Apple's new Safari for Windows puts it right in hackers' crosshairs.- Google's Powerpoint Viewer Goes Live
[Google] June 12, 2007 7:12 PM
Gmail users who get Microsoft PowerPoint attachments in their in-boxes can now view them without having PowerPoint installed on their machines. Google appears to have flipped the switch to allow this feature as of last night.- Botnet assault: Spammers launch DDoS offensive
[Spam] June 12, 2007 3:31 PM
The spammers behind last year’s destruction of Blue Security are back with a vengeance, using a variant of the ‘Storm Worm’ malware to launch a sustained distributed denial-of-service attack against three anti-spam services.- 106 Tips to Become a Master Connector
[Self-Improvement] June 12, 2007 9:52 AM
Donald Latumahina summarizes what he learned from the book Never Eat Alone into 106 tips. To succeed, who you know is just as important as what you know. In fact, relationships should be your top priority.- Screencast: First look at Safari for Windows
[Apple] June 12, 2007 9:04 AM
Brad Linder does a nice job of introducing Safari to Windows users.- Get it here: Safari 3 beta for Mac *and* Windows
[Apple] June 11, 2007 2:36 PM
Reportedly far faster than other web browsers. I'm downloading it now to give it a spin.- Notes from Apples WWDC keynote speech
[Apple] June 11, 2007 2:18 PM
Some seriously cool new features.- Nuking Iran: The Republican Agenda?
[USA Politics] June 8, 2007 10:17 AM
At the Republican debate last night, almost all the candidates said that they would not rule out a nuclear attack on Iran as a means to prevent it from getting its own nuclear weapons.- How NOT to use Powerpoint
[Funny] June 6, 2007 8:28 AM
Don McMillan gives a short comedy sketch (in the video above) around powerpoint presentations and the common mistakes that people make. Having been a victim of bad PowerPoint presentations, there is so much people can learn from this.- By the Numbers: How Guy Kawasaki built a Web 2.0, bells & whistles site for Site for $12,107.09
[Web Development] June 5, 2007 2:06 PM
Essentially the article is about how for very little (in relative terms) money you can start up a Web 2.0, User-Generated Content, Citizen Journalism, Long-Tail, Social Media Site.- Radio wave on Saturn's moon hints at hidden ocean
[Astronomy] June 5, 2007 9:11 AM
A mysterious radio wave detected on Saturn's largest moon may point to the location of an ocean hidden beneath its surface, the European Space Agency announced.- RIAA throws in the towel in Atlantic v. Andersen
[RIAA] June 4, 2007 10:26 PM
One of the most notorious file-sharing cases is drawing to a close. Both parties in Atlantic v. Andersen have agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice, which means that Tanya Andersen is the prevailing party and can attempt to recover attorneys fees.- Making Your Own Toenail Necklace
[Strange] June 4, 2007 1:27 PM
What is an ultrarunner to do with all the lost and blackened toenails from those 100-milers? Why, make a necklace, of course!- Groups call for competitive spectrum auction
[Technology] June 4, 2007 9:39 AM
New broadband providers should be given a better chance of winning pieces of valuable wireless spectrum to be auctioned by early next year, several groups said Friday.- Brushed Metal iMacs coming at WWDC?
[Apple Hardware] June 4, 2007 9:20 AM
One of the better rumours floating around is that Apple is set to unleash a new iMac design that will utilize the company's trademark "Brushed Metal" look.- M41-A Pulse Rifle (prop)
[Weapons] June 3, 2007 8:05 PM
One of the coolest sci-fi weapons of all time, recreated, as seen in the 1986 movie Aliens, this prop became an instant classic.- Pair riding horses to avoid drinking and driving charged with public intoxication
[Dumb] June 3, 2007 8:48 AM
Two people police say were hoping to avoid drinking and driving chose instead to head home on horseback, and ended up under arrest anyway.- Vladimir Putin threatens to target Europe with missiles
[World Politics] June 3, 2007 8:35 AM
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, the Russian President has threatened to target Europe with missiles, including potentially nuclear weapons, in a dramatic escalation of his Cold War-style showdown with the United States.- 10 Free Ways to Track All Your Passwords
[Computer Security] June 2, 2007 7:58 AM
Keeping all of your passwords online secure and organized can be tedious - unless you use the same password for everything - which you really, really shouldn't do.- Tobacco's radiation dose far higher than leaves at Chernobyl
[Health] June 2, 2007 7:55 AM
If nothing else, this should worry smokers: the radiation dose from radium and polonium found naturally in tobacco can be a thousand times more than that from the caesium-137 taken up by the leaves from the Chernobyl nuclear accident.- Feds reject Ontario's call for handgun ban
[Canadian Politics] June 2, 2007 7:47 AM
The federal Conservatives have rejected Ontario's call for a ban on handguns. Such a move would be useless, and might do more harm than good, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said Friday after meeting with his provincial and territorial counterparts.- Loonie ends day at highest value since July 1977
[Canada] June 2, 2007 7:44 AM
The Canadian dollar closed on Friday at 94.22 cents US, its highest value since July 1977, and economists are saying it will continue to rise.- Battlestar Galactica to end
[Sci-Fi] June 2, 2007 7:29 AM
Ending Battlestar Galactica with the upcoming 22-episode fourth season was a creative decision made by the hit show's executive producers Ronald Moore and David Eick.- 40% efficient solar cells to be used for solar electricity
[Energy Generation] June 2, 2007 7:25 AM
Scientists from Spectrolab, Inc., a subsidiary of Boeing, have recently published their research on the fabrication of solar cells that surpass the 40% efficiency milestone—the highest efficiency achieved for any photovoltaic device.- Plasma could turn old tyres into new
[Environment] May 29, 2007 8:21 AM
Blasting old tires with super-hot gas offers a way to turn them back into new ones, say UK researchers. This would tackle one of the world's biggest waste disposal problems.- Ottawa mayor's task force to recommend new LRT plan
[Ottawa] May 29, 2007 8:09 AM
Ottawa should build a light rail transit system that runs both north-south and east-west, Mayor Larry O'Brien's transit task force is expected to recommend.- Elephant herds found on isolated south Sudan island
[Animal] May 28, 2007 9:13 AM
International wildlife experts have located hundreds of wild elephants on a treeless island in the swamps of south Sudan, where they apparently avoided unchecked hunting during more than 20 years of war.- Top 25 Censored Stories of 2007
[News] May 27, 2007 9:35 AM
Project Censored has kept an eye on the news and stories that should have made the front page, but seemingly didn't.- Helix — a 1D skyscraper with a single corridor
[Engineering] May 24, 2007 10:08 AM
The principle is a cylindrical building with a helical shape for the floor. The slope of the floor is 1.5% (a rise of 1.5 cm per meter), thus hardly noticeable.- How to bake a car: the amazing story behind Skoda's new TV ad
[Cars] May 23, 2007 4:17 PM
The 60-second commercial - which is reported to have cost up to £500,000 to make - shows a team of bakers, model makers and home economists as they set about creating an edible version of the car.- The Last Temptation of Al Gore
[USA Politics] May 23, 2007 10:25 AM
Will the Academy Award–winning, Nobel Prize–nominated environmental prophet with huge reserves of political and cultural capital at his command run for the presidancy? There's only one problem. The former Vice President just doesn't seem interested.- Shark pup result of 'virgin birth'
[Animal] May 23, 2007 10:17 AM
The senario: three sharks are in a tank, all three are female and all were captured when they were sexually immature babies. They spend three years in the tank together without ever coming in contact with a male. Then, one day, a baby shark pops up.- http://blog.opendns.com/2007/05/22/google-turns-the-page/
[Google] May 23, 2007 10:11 AM
About a year ago Google and Dell announced a partnership to include the Google Toolbar and a special second program on new Dell computers so users would have Google as their default search engine in IE7. More in the article.- Rising corn prices hit grocery shoppers' pocketbooks
[Environment] May 23, 2007 10:10 AM
The rising demand for corn as a source of ethanol-blended fuel is largely to blame for increasing food costs around the world, and Canada is not immune, say industry experts.- An FBI Target Puts His Whole Life Online
May 23, 2007 9:34 AM
Hasan Elahi says the US government mistakenly listed him on its terrorist watch list. To convince the Feds of his innocence, Elahi has made his life an open book- posting photos of everything and has a GPS that sends his current location to the web.- The Surprising Truth Behind the Construction of the Great Pyramids
[Archaeology] May 22, 2007 3:35 PM
After extensive testing, Barsoum and his research group finally began to draw some conclusions about the pyramids. They found that the tiniest structures within the inner and outer casing stones were indeed consistent with a reconstituted limestone.- Elon Musk Is Betting His Fortune on a Mission Beyond Earth's Orbit
[Spacecraft] May 22, 2007 10:41 AM
Musk was just another lucky young Internet lion starting a commercial space company - to fly resupply missions — with astronauts! — to the International Space Station, at 250 miles up in low Earth orbit.- Power station harnesses Sun's rays
[Energy Generation] May 22, 2007 10:38 AM
It is Europe's first commercially operating power station using the Sun's energy this way and at the moment its operator, Solucar, proudly claims that it generates 11 Megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power up to 6,000 homes.- Bush Anoints Himself as the Insurer of Constitutional Government in Emergency
[USA Politics] May 21, 2007 8:12 PM
With scarcely a mention in the mainstream media, President Bush has ordered up a plan for responding to a catastrophic attack. In a new National Security Presidential Directive, Bush lays out his plans for dealing with a 'catastrophic emergency.'- Order of the Stick
May 21, 2007 10:55 AM
Published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, this comic strip based on soome D&D characters is pretty fun to read., And if you've played D&D, you've been in these situations.- Robotic submarine reaches bottom of deepest sinkhole
[Robotics] May 21, 2007 10:45 AM
A robotic submarine yesterday mapped the bottom of the world's deepest water-filled sinkhole in Mexico for the first time. Similar autonomous craft could some day be used to explore the oceans of Jupiter's moon Europa, researchers hope.- Get Linux on a car at the Indy 500
[Linux] May 21, 2007 10:43 AM
Their goal is simple: they want to collect community donations to enter a Linux sponsored car in the 2007 Indianapolis 500, and need your help! If less than 1% of the Linux community donates $1, this will happen... will you do your part?- Snowbird pilot dies in crash at Montana air show
[Aircraft] May 19, 2007 9:51 AM
A Canadian Forces Snowbird pilot has died after his plane slammed into the ground in Malmstrom, Montana, during a rehearsal for two air shows this weekend.- Learn to touch-type
[Self-Improvement] May 18, 2007 8:38 AM
In school, I took accounting rather than typing - so I rely on what I refer to as 'modified hunt and peck' - which allows me to type quite quickly, but probably not as fast compared if I touch-typed.- 325 KM/Hr VW Golf?
[Cars] May 18, 2007 8:22 AM
Behold, the Golf GTI W12-650: W12-Zylinder, 650 HP (477 KW with 6.000 rpm), which can catapult the Golf to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. With a maximum speed of 325 km/h the Golf GTI W12-650 leaves behind nearly all of the world's supercars.- Latest Transformers Trailer
[Movie] May 18, 2007 8:10 AM
This looks incredibly cool. With Michael Bay at the helm, I'm looking rather forward to this movie. Ah, Transformers... There's more than meets the eye.- Sweden Mulls Freeze-Drying As New Burial Method
[Environment] May 17, 2007 9:22 PM
The freeze-drying method offers an environmentally friendly burial transforming corpses into organic compost. Traditional burials and cremations pollute the air and water, as a corpse buried in a coffin will take many years to decompose completely.- EhMac is having a contest!
[Apple Hardware] May 16, 2007 2:57 AM
Yup, they are giving away an iPod shuffle to one lucky person (me, I hope) who posts the link outside of ehMac, which if you are a Mac user is a great site.- The Art of Humble Confidence
[Self-Improvement] May 15, 2007 1:37 PM
To be confident or not to be confident, that is the question. Do you really need to be more confident or should you try to be more humble? Scott Young thinks the answer is both – you just have to know where to use it.- I want my attention back
May 15, 2007 1:33 PM
Oh, how I relate to this article.- Panda mating
[Funny] May 15, 2007 1:31 PM
Hilarious.- Linkin Park's Mysterious Cyberstalker
[Internet] May 15, 2007 1:16 PM
Hunting down the cyberstalker took time, guesswork and led on investiagtors to Sandia National Laboratory.- The King of Speed
[Funny] May 14, 2007 10:07 PM
A possibly-true story about a crew of an SR-71 plane having some fun while cruising at high speed.- Vegan parents guilty in infant murder
[Sad] May 14, 2007 5:59 PM
The parents will get an automatic life sentence for the death of their 6-week-old infant, Crown. After being fed a diet largely consisting of soy milk and apple juice, he weighed only 3 1/2 pounds when he died.- Crashing the only Koenigsegg CCXR in existance
[Cars] May 14, 2007 10:19 AM
The story went like this. There was only one CCXR in existence, the first-ever biofuel-powered Koenigsegg. Now the possession of a valued customer, the worth of this car was said to be greater even than its £606,000 price tag suggested.- Row over Scientology video
[Spiritualism] May 14, 2007 10:00 AM
The battleground is YouTube and Scientology's weapon is a clip of John Sweeney losing it in the 'Mind Control' section of a gruesome exhibition. I can understand why he would loose his temper with these people.- Hybrid Cars' Fantasy Mileage Ratings Drive Into the Sunset
[Cars] May 14, 2007 9:48 AM
Hybrid car economics will face a new road test this month with the arrival of fresh models sporting revised mileage ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency as new test standards have forced manufacturers to lower advertised efficiency claims.- Who's afraid of Google?
[Google] May 14, 2007 9:39 AM
From Madison Avenue to Hollywood, some of industry's most powerful entities are marshaling their forces to combat a company that has risen to the top of the business world in less than a decade.- Mysterious object probably space junk
[Spacecraft] May 12, 2007 11:45 AM
The object that crashed through the roof of a New Jersey home earlier this year was not a meteorite, but is most likely orbital debris, made of a stainless-steel alloy that does not occur in nature, said Rutgers University geologist Jeremy Delaney.- 101 Steps to Becoming a Better Blogger
[Blogging] May 12, 2007 11:33 AM
A rather long list (101!) of suggestions on how to be a better blogger - although I don't see much in the way for improving your actual writing.- Nasa unveils Hubble's successor
[Astronomy] May 12, 2007 11:10 AM
NASA has unveiled a model of a space telescope that scientists say will be able to see to the farthest reaches of the Universe. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is intended to replace the ageing Hubble telescope.- Preventing "Sick" Spaceships
[Spacecraft] May 12, 2007 10:58 AM
In 1998, U.S. astronauts participating in the NASA 6 and NASA 7 visits to Mir collected environmental samples. Imagine their surprise when they opened a rarely-accessed service panel and discovered a soccerball-sized free-floating mass of water. Eww- 70 Expert Ideas For Better CSS Coding
[CSS] May 10, 2007 3:25 PM
Smashing Magazine has taken a close look at some of the most interesting and useful CSS tricks, tips, ideas, methods, techniques and coding solutions and compiled them into a useful list.- WTL's latest video a "featured video of the day" on video.ca
[Video] May 10, 2007 2:34 PM
I don't know how long it will be on the front page, but hey, it is fun.- How to Be a Better Photographer - Video Tutorial
[Photography] May 10, 2007 12:54 PM
This 45 minute video tutorial is one that was filmed recently at a conference in Vancouver, Canada. It features fashion photographer Kris Krug. The video/audio quality fades a little at time - but if you’ve got some time, grab a coffee and have a watch.- Sizzling Planet Makes Some Stars Look Cool
[Astronomy] May 10, 2007 12:28 PM
Located 279 light-years away in the constellation Hercules, HD 149026b is a giant gas planet that orbits very close to its star. It is a scorching 2,040 degrees Celsius, three times hotter than Mercury and hotter than the coolest stars.- Stop your engines: council makes good on 'idle' threat
[Ottawa] May 10, 2007 12:23 PM
Ottawa drivers will soon face a $100 fine if they are caught idling their vehicles for too long in Ottawa. A controversial bylaw that bans drivers for running their engines for more than three minutes while stopped was passed by city council.- Gas gouging as much as 27 cents a litre: study
[Canadian Politics] May 10, 2007 12:20 PM
Canadians are being gouged at the gas pumps across the country by as much as 27 cents a litre, says a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).- Making of the Doctor Who theme
[YouTube] May 9, 2007 1:57 PM
Footage of the early 80s remake of the doctor who theme song for the show of the same name by Peter Howell. Get a great behind-the-scenes view of how it was made and close glimpse at the equipment used. Freaky cool.- Spybot Search and Destroy's response to DeskMates
[MS Windows] May 9, 2007 12:02 PM
DeskMates contacted SpyBot that they would sue if Spybot didn't fulfill a list of requirements - removing their software from the program, removing references, deleting emails from users, etc. You just have to love a company that makes quality software.- Got Cash? You Can Loan Money Like a Big-Time Banker
[Small Business] May 9, 2007 11:57 AM
Using Prosper, lenders like Boon are rerouting money from banks, mutual funds or other assets to thousands of U.S. residents, who are borrowing the money for myriad reasons, from consolidating credit-card debt to expanding an existing small business.- How Lightsabers Work
[Sci-Fi] May 8, 2007 6:54 PM
You have probably seen a lightsaber at one time or another, whether on the evening news or down at the local cantina. Therefore you know that it is an amazing and versatile device that is able to cut through nearly anything in a matter of milliseconds.- Canada hit with ban on Hollywood movie previews
[Movies] May 8, 2007 2:15 PM
Citing a failure by the government of Canada to make illegal the recording of movies directly from the screen by camcorder, Warner Brothers will not issue advance screenings. I wonder if they expect a citizen revolt. We'll just go see other movies.- Japanese find sleep and shelter in cyber cafes
May 7, 2007 10:43 AM
At about 1,400 to 2,400 yen ($12-$20) for a night in a central Internet cafe - free soft drinks, TV, comics and Internet access included - prices beat those of Japan's famous capsule hotels, where guests sleep in plastic cells.- Canadian poppy quarter triggered U.S. spy alert
[Funny] May 7, 2007 10:32 AM
Canada's harmless poppy quarter has given some suspicious U.S. army contractors red faces after it was revealed they filed espionage accounts on the world's first coloured coin.- EcoFraud
[Environment] May 5, 2007 2:58 PM
A bit of commentary on our current government's plan on plan for dealing with climate change.- Does The MPAA Simply Make Up Piracy Numbers Out Of Thin Air?
[MPAA] May 5, 2007 2:44 PM
The MPAA kept claiming that Canada was a hotbed of this activity - accounting for approximately 50% of camcorded movies and is now claiming that New York City is responsible for 40% of camcorded movies, leaving 10% for the rest of the world. Yeah, right.- NRA: Don't Ban Gun Sales to Suspects
[Weapons] May 5, 2007 12:15 PM
The National Rifle Association is urging the Bush administration to withdraw its support of a bill that would prohibit suspected terrorists from buying firearms. Good grief!- Perhaps the most sought-after passport of them all.
[Cars] May 5, 2007 12:08 PM
The Rosso Passport from Ferrari gives its bearer entrance to the factory, unrestricted access to all the restricted areas, and no-questions-asked carte blanche to borrow any of the cars in the factory's fleet. The hard part is getting one.- Bits of Halley's Comet to produce meteor shower
[Astronomy] May 5, 2007 10:37 AM
Bits of Halley's Comet will streak into the night sky before dawn on Sunday during the peak of the eta Aquarid meteor shower, although only the brightest will be viewable due to the full moon.- Vista draining laptop batteries, patience
[MS Windows] May 5, 2007 10:03 AM
The main culprit appears to be the Vista's Aero Glass interface, a spiffy new user interface that makes Vista more pleasing to the eye with transparent windows and animated transitions when moving from one application to another.- Skeleton Of Sun's Atmosphere Reveals Its True Nature
[Astronomy] May 5, 2007 10:00 AM
The Sun's outer atmosphere or corona is incredibly complex, as shown in observations from space. Scientists have now made a major breakthrough in understanding this complexity by studying the ‘skeleton’ of the magnetic field.- Methane Rocket engine test
[Spacecraft] May 5, 2007 9:43 AM
While most NASA rockets are powered by liquid oxygen and hydrogen or solid chemicals, this 7,500 pound-thrust LOX/methane engine is still in an early stage of development and isn't ready for space. Video of test firing included.- Mercury's Core is Liquid
[Astronomy] May 5, 2007 9:40 AM
To figure out whether Mercury's core was liquid or solid, a team of scientists led by Jean-Luc Margot at Cornell University measured small twists in the planet's rotation.- Did Microsoft just patent sudo?
[Microsoft] May 5, 2007 9:34 AM
Sudo was first conceived and implemented by Bob Coggeshall and Cliff Spencer around 1980 at the Department of Computer Science at SUNY/Buffalo. It ran on a VAX-11/750 running 4.1BSD. Microsoft filed the patent in 2000. Ah, Microsoft.- PC World Editor Quits Over Apple Story
[Apple] May 5, 2007 9:14 AM
PC World magazine Editor-in-Chief Harry McCracken quit abruptly today because the company's new CEO, Colin Crawford, tried to kill titled 'Ten things we hate about Apple' and also told editors that they had to start being nicer to advertisers.- Robert J Sawyer interviewed on Sounds like Canada (MP3)
[Books] May 3, 2007 9:15 PM
At just over 24 minutes in length, this interview covers his newest novel, Rollback.- Sun Microsystems joins porting effort for OpenOffice.org for Mac
[Mac Application] May 3, 2007 7:46 PM
The MacOSX porting history is basically as old as OpenOffice.org itself. Practically from the start there was the plan to have a native version for Mac, however as a first step the community decided to produce an X11 port as temporary solution.- 10 Golden Lessons From Steve Jobs
[Self-Improvement] May 2, 2007 10:34 AM
This man with boundless energy and charisma is also a master of hype, hyperbole and the catchy phrase. Even when he’s trying to talk normally, brilliant verbiage comes tumbling out.- 18 ways to improve your body language
[Self-Improvement] May 2, 2007 10:23 AM
Improving your body language can make a big difference in your people skills, attractiveness and general mood.- Businesses push for Ottawa casino
[Ottawa] May 2, 2007 10:09 AM
Apparently, the Bank Street Business Improvement Area thinks that Ottawa needs a casino, which while I see the economic benefit of it, I see the social problems it also brings.- 33 Rules to Boost Your Productivity
[Self-Improvement] May 2, 2007 9:47 AM
Steve Pavlina posts a collection of tips to help get things done. I'm a fan of rule number one - if you can, nuke it.- Business magazine fails to heed its own tech advice
[Computers] May 2, 2007 9:34 AM
Business 2.0, a magazine published by Time, periodically reminds readers of the importance of backing up computer files, likening backups to flossing - everyone knows it's important, but rarely do. Last week, Business 2.0 got caught forgetting to floss.- Neutrality.ca shuts down, looking for new owner.
[Net Neutrality] May 1, 2007 11:34 AM
"Due to increasing legal concerns resulting from our public participation in the Net Neutrality debate, we have at this time decided to shut down the operation of these sites." I hope that they can find someone to take the site over soon.- The 15th Century Rosslyn Chapel reveals secret code
May 1, 2007 11:30 AM
The church has revealed another mystery hidden in secret code for almost 600 years. A father and son who became fascinated by symbols carved into the chapel's arches say they have deciphered a musical score encrypted in them.- Geologists discover world's largest fossil forest in the ceiling of an Illinois coal mine
[Geology] May 1, 2007 10:40 AM
Illinois geologists have discovered the remains of one of the world's oldest tropical rainforests, preserved in the ceiling of a coal mine 250 feet below the surface and is four-square-miles in size, in the 300-million-year-old Herrin coal bed.- Condemned To Google Hell
[Google] May 1, 2007 10:31 AM
Don't anger the Google gods, Paul Sanar learned -too late- last year. Up until last fall, the 21-year-old New Yorker depended solely on the search engine to keep traffic flowing to Skyfacet.com, his online diamond business.- Blogger trying to harness the power of the Internet to find missing sister.
[Blogging] April 30, 2007 10:25 PM
His sister, Nicole Vienneau, has gone missing in Syria, and hasn't been heard from since March 29th.- Switzerland and guns
[Guns] April 30, 2007 2:38 PM
Guns are deeply rooted within Swiss culture - but the gun crime rate is so low that statistics are not even kept. Ever wonder why?- Is the RIAA Pulling a Scam on the Music Industry?
[RIAA] April 29, 2007 9:29 PM
The Internet radio game is rigged and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has rigged it in their favor.- Pachelbel's Canon in D rant
[Funny] April 28, 2007 12:58 PM
Rob Paravonian rants about how much it sucks to play Pachelbel's Canon in D on a cello, and how pervasive it is in modern music. Recorded live at Penn State.- Craigslist post from an angry soldier
[Rant] April 28, 2007 10:19 AM
This solidier is pretty angry, and justifiably, I think.- Antarctica Erupts!
[Geology] April 28, 2007 10:12 AM
George Steinmetz was drawn to Mount Erebus, in Antarctica, by the ice. The volcano constantly sputters hot gas and lava, sculpting surreal caves and towers that the photographer had read about and was eager to see.- Japanese Dog owners fleeced in poodle scam
[Duh] April 26, 2007 4:16 PM
A scam that had flocks of lambs which were shipped from the UK and Australia to Japan by an internet company and marketed as poodles was only spotted after a leading Japanese actress said her 'poodle' didn't bark and refused to eat dog food.- Mozy Online backup
[Internet] April 26, 2007 2:44 PM
Free 2Gb of online storage to back up files. I'm giving it a whirl.- Hyperdrive to become reality? Mars in 5 hours?
[Physics] April 26, 2007 11:16 AM
In 2006, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics awarded a prize to a paper calling for experimental tests of an astonishing hyperdrive engine that would propel a craft through another dimension at enormous speeds.- Ban means future dim for inefficient lightbulbs
[Global Warming] April 25, 2007 10:03 AM
The Conservative government has announced details about its plan to ban "inefficient" incandescent lightbulbs, as part of its national environmental initiative, which was inadvertently leaked one day earlier.- 10 Tips from Lincoln on Writing a Kick-ass Speech
[Self-Improvement] April 25, 2007 10:00 AM
If you ever have to give a speech, unless you’re an accomplished public speaker, it’s often best to write your speech beforehand. Be prepared. Here are the 10 best things we can take away from Abraham Lincoln.- A movie of a massive explosion on the Sun
[Astronomy] April 24, 2007 6:04 PM
The footage, gathered by Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on Dec. 13, 2006, shows sunspot 930 unleashing a powerful X-class solar flare. It's one of the most detailed movies of a flare solar physicists have ever seen.- Ottawa Weblogger April Meetup
[Event] April 24, 2007 5:56 PM
Are you a blogger in Ottawa? Free Wednesday night? Come on over and chat with other bloggers.- Panic releases Coda an entire web-development package.
[Mac Application] April 23, 2007 11:09 PM
Text editor + Transmit + CSS editor + Terminal + Books + More = Whoah. - That pretty much says it all right there. I've downloaded it and will give it a whirl.- CSS Edit 2.5 released!
[Mac Application] April 23, 2007 11:42 AM
Sweetness! A slew of improvements and new features to make your CSS editing easier. Thank you Mac Rabbit!- Digital proves problematic
[Filmmaking] April 22, 2007 10:51 PM
As far as movies are concerned, digital, like diamonds, was supposed to be forever. Just one problem: For long-term storage, digital is - so far - proving to be a time bomb, more permanent than sand painting but not much else.- Changes to chocolate?
[Food] April 21, 2007 10:59 PM
The FDA is quietly preparing to let manufacturers adulterate chocolate by replacing cocoa butter with cheap vegetable oil.- June Callwood on The Hour
[YouTube] April 21, 2007 9:27 AM
June Callwood was a Canadian journalist, author and social activist. She was born in Chatham, Ontario and grew up in nearby Belle River, interviewed by George Stroumboulopoulos of the CBC show The Hour.- Russia Plans World's Longest Tunnel, a Link to Alaska
[Engineering] April 19, 2007 3:44 PM
Russia plans to build the world's longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65 billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia.- New Legislation Would Overhaul U.S. Patent System
[Technology] April 19, 2007 3:41 PM
A group of U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislation that would overhaul the U.S. patent system, earning them praise from a number of technology groups.- The End of a 1,400-Year-Old Business
[Small Business] April 17, 2007 10:36 AM
The world's oldest continuously operating family business ended its impressive run last year. Japanese temple builder Kongo Gumi, in operation under the founders' descendants since 578, succumbed to excess debt and an unfavorable business climate in 2006.- Close to 25% of Use Rate in Europe for Firefox
[Internet] April 17, 2007 10:23 AM
Firefox continues to gain in popularity worldwide.- Virginia Tech massacre
[News] April 16, 2007 9:46 PM
A currently-unidentified gunman on April 16, 2007, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, killed 32 people then committed suicide. Sadness.- Apple releases Final Cut Studio 2
[Final Cut Pro] April 16, 2007 12:51 PM
Yup, I'm probably going to upgrade, although probably not until the fall.- French knew of al Qaeda plot before 9/11
[World Politics] April 16, 2007 12:46 PM
A French intelligence service learned as early as January 2001 that al Qaeda was working on a plot to hijack U.S. airliners, and it passed the information on to the CIA, a news report said Monday.- Five reasons to turn down a potential client
[Web Design] April 16, 2007 12:28 PM
A good piece on when you should turn some people down - I've had to do it a few times, but I sometimes bend the rules, depending on my feeling about the person/project.- Dusty Hurricanes
[Weather] April 15, 2007 11:43 PM
Throw gasoline on a fire, and the flames swell to a raging inferno. Throw dirt on a fire, and the flames suffocate. But what happens when you throw dirt on a hurricane?- Flying wind farms
[Energy Generation] April 15, 2007 10:46 PM
IF IT ever seems windy where you live, be thankful you do not live 10km up in the air. At that height, the jet-stream winds blow stronger and more constantly than ground level winds, carrying up to a hundred times more energy.- Are mobile phones wiping out bees?
[Insects] April 15, 2007 10:42 PM
It seems like the plot of a particularly far-fetched horror film. But some scientists suggest that our love of the mobile phone could cause massive food shortages, as the world's harvests fail.- Massive spam shot of Storm Trojan reaches record proportions
[Spam] April 14, 2007 7:04 AM
A massive spam outbreak that tries to trick recipients into opening a file attachment that can hijack their computers has already broken records, security companies said today. I haven't noticed anything, but I'm using MailPolice.- Monkeys, Humans Tie in Memory Game
[Animal] April 13, 2007 2:36 PM
Humans pride themselves on their intellectual superiority over other animals. When playing a memory game, however, both humans and rhesus monkeys play equally well or, one might say, equally poorly.- 25 Code Snippets for Web Designers (Part3)
[Web Design] April 13, 2007 8:31 AM
A useful collection of chunks of code for web developers.- Apple's iPhone delays Leopard until October
[Apple] April 12, 2007 6:30 PM
Apple said its highly anticipated iPhone handset has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned. Which is fine for me, as I'm loosely looking at a Mac Pro in the fall.- Ottawa to get citywide composting by 2008
[Ottawa] April 12, 2007 2:28 AM
After six years of pilot testing and 10 years of debate, council voted Wednesday in favour of starting a full-scale program in the fall of 2008 to compost Ottawa's organic waste. We have composted at home for nearly 10 years, so this will be great.- Two Nickelback songs, released two years apart, basically the same song.
[Music] April 12, 2007 1:51 AM
2001's How your remind me and 2003's Someday, played at the same time (one song left speaker, the other, right speaker) that you can hear that they are pretty much the same song. Sure sounds like it.- U.S. divorce rates for various faith groups, age groups, & geographic areas
[Spiritualism] April 12, 2007 1:48 AM
Athiests and Agnostics are the least likely to get divorced?- Cheeta the Tarzan chimp star turns 75
[Animal] April 12, 2007 1:46 AM
Officially the world's oldest chimp, Cheeta, who was 'discovered' by an animal trainer on a trip to Africa in the 1930s, is said to be in excellent shape at a primate centre in Palm Springs, California.- Top Ten Most Influential Amiga Games
[Games] April 11, 2007 12:38 PM
When it was unveiled 22 years ago, the Commodore Amiga was instantly recognized as a groundbreaking multimedia machine; with some absolutely amazing games: Syndicate, Cannon Fodder, Lemmings, Worms, Shadow of the Beast, Defender of the Crown, and others.- US Air Force Report: Bring Back Chem Weapons
[Military] April 11, 2007 12:23 PM
A recent study out of the Air War College calls for using chemicals as 'first-use weapons against terrorists' - part of a larger pitch to rethink the long-time pariah of military warfare. I can't believe that they'd consider this road. Insanity.- Macs making inroads in the corporate sphere
[Apple] April 11, 2007 12:20 PM
Walk into any decent-sized company that has more than four or five Macs, and you're likely to notice a pattern: they're only used by the creative departments, and reluctantly (if at all) managed by corporate IT.- Sunspots reaching 1,000-year high
[Astronomy] April 10, 2007 10:45 AM
Sunspots have been monitored on the Sun since 1610, shortly after the invention of the telescope. They provide the longest-running direct measurement of our star's activity.- La Fiorenza on CBC Radio 2
[Music] April 10, 2007 1:37 AM
La Fiorenza, the winning ensemble of the 2006 Montreal Baroque Festival Galaxie-CBC Rising Star Competition performs early Italian music as part of the CBC-McGill concert series, will be featured in a broadcast on CBC radio April 10, between 8 and 10 PM.- Canadians reported 736 UFO sightings last year
[Canada] April 10, 2007 12:10 AM
Aliens and spaceships are a bit passe these days, but 736 reported UFO sightings across Canada last year shows an 'underlying, real phenomenon' going on, says one of the country's top UFO researchers.- What would occur if one of the world's great violinists had performed incognito?
[Music] April 9, 2007 11:30 PM
A onetime child prodigy, at 39 Joshua Bell has arrived as an internationally acclaimed virtuoso. Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston's stately Symphony Hall, where merely pretty good seats went for $100.- 10 tips for optimizing MySQL queries
[Programming] April 9, 2007 9:59 PM
Ten *good* tips on optimizing those messy MySQL querries we all end up with.- Canada Worse than 3rd World Countries when it comes to Mobile Data Access
[Canadian Politics] April 9, 2007 9:32 PM
It certainly is strange that Rwanda has less expensive wireless services than Canada. $74 vs $375 to $1,600. Good thing the CRTC is looking out for us.- Scientists predict Southwest mega-drought
[Global Warming] April 8, 2007 12:44 PM
Researchers studied 19 computer models of the climate, using data dating back to 1860 and projecting into the future, to the year 2100. The same models were used in preparing the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.- Microsoft is dead.
[Microsoft] April 8, 2007 12:40 PM
An essay worth reading about the position Microsoft has gotten itself into.- Mysterious outbreak of bedbugs in all 50 states
[Insects] April 8, 2007 12:31 PM
Nearly eradicated in the United States 50 years ago, resistant strains of super bedbugs are infesting mattresses at an alarming rate. All 50 states are reporting outbreaks of the blood-sucking nocturnal critters.- Do compressed music files sound any different at 256 kbps?
[Music] April 8, 2007 12:27 PM
Studies have found that as long as you're using high-quality encoding software, music compressed to a bitrate of 128 kbps or more is 'transparent' in other words, most listeners can't distinguish it from CD quality.- Snakes in a plain... old... office building!
[Google] April 8, 2007 11:59 AM
Sunday April 1st, NYooglers (a word for New York Googlers) receive an email about a python. I assume it's either Guido van Rossum talking about his programming language, or, because it's April Fool's, something like Gmail Paper or PigeonRank.- ex-ICANN Board member says .COM costs $0.14
[Internet] April 8, 2007 11:35 AM
Verisign is raising the price of domains by $0.42 to $6.42, because, apparently 4200% markup isn't enough. Greedy bastards.- Vimy Ridge: The making of a myth
[History] April 8, 2007 11:02 AM
The victory at Vimy has become inseparable from the Canadian identity. But how it got that status is a murkier matter, and a more interesting one.- Japan's Mileage Maniacs Hack Hybrids, Beat Toyota Engineers
[Cars] April 8, 2007 10:52 AM
Toyota says its Prius gasoline-electric hybrid car gets about 55 mpg, making it one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road. That's not good enough for Takashi Toya, who puts special tires on his Prius, and other modifications for maximum milage.- B-52, Where Are You?
[Military] April 5, 2007 10:17 PM
Why the Pentagon doesn't want you to know its bombers finally work.- The Ring of Truth: Atoms featuring chef Mark Pi
[Video] April 5, 2007 3:38 PM
A clip from Philip Morrison's 1987 PBS program "The Ring of Truth: Atoms" featuring chef Mark Pi making noodles to demonstrate the principle of halving.- How to Use English Punctuation Correctly
[Self-Improvement] April 5, 2007 12:42 PM
The rules of proper punctuation usage can be hard to remember. The following is a list of common English punctuation marks and their usage.- Ancient human unearthed in China
[Archaeology] April 5, 2007 12:41 PM
The remains of one of the earliest modern humans to inhabit eastern Asia have been unearthed in a cave in China.- Grindhouse
[Movie] April 5, 2007 4:52 AM
Two full length feature horror movies written by Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez put together as a two film features, including fake movie trailers in between both movies. I'm debating going to see it Friday.- Black Sheep - Movie Trailer
[YouTube] April 5, 2007 1:02 AM
There are 40 million sheep in New Zealand and only 4 million inhabitants. After a genetic experiment goes wrong, New Zealand's sheep start turning nasty, and it's the humans who begin bleating.- Unhealthy skepticism
[Spiritualism] April 4, 2007 3:22 PM
Atheists should spend less time pretending to be smarter than anyone else and more time convincing people there are moral alternatives to religion- How to get over your fear of public speaking
[Self-Improvement] April 4, 2007 12:09 PM
Does reading the title make you nervous/scared? Got that sick feeling in your stomach? The number one fear in the world, ahead of even the fear of death, is the fear of public speaking.- Cops swoop in on bikers in 3 provinces
[News] April 4, 2007 12:06 PM
Raids targeting Hells Angels members and associates were underway Wednesday morning at nearly 40 locations in three provinces, the Ontario Provincial Police said.- Ottawa may lease 20 new tanks for Afghan mission
[Canadian Politics] April 4, 2007 12:33 AM
The tanks we spent millions to send over don't have air conditioning powerful enough to allow the tanks to be used in the summer. So, we'll spend millions more leasing new tanks, and millions more getting them to Afghanistan.- The Daylight Saving change: no savings, no point
[Energy Generation] April 3, 2007 9:02 PM
The US government's plan to boost energy savings by moving Daylight Saving Time forward by three weeks was apparently a waste of time and effort, as the technological foibles Americans experienced failed to give way to any measurable energy savings.- iScroll2
[Mac Application] April 3, 2007 3:07 PM
Two-Finger-Scrolling for pre-2005 PowerBooks and iBooks- Does Multitasking Really Make You More Productive?
[Self-Improvement] April 3, 2007 1:40 PM
Can you walk and chew gum at the same time? Of course you can!- Ottawa urged to build waste-to-energy incinerator
[Ottawa] April 3, 2007 12:39 PM
Ottawa should get a plant with the power to turn trash into electricity, a waste disposal company said in a pitch to the city Monday morning that seemed to convince at least some councillors.- French train breaks world speed record at 570 km/h
[Trains] April 3, 2007 12:29 PM
A French train broke the world speed record Tuesday for conventional rail trains, reaching 570 km/h as it zipped through the countryside to the applause of spectators. It didn't beat the record set by Japan's maglev train, which hit 581 km/h in 2003.- Very active Atlantic hurricane season forecasted
[Weather] April 3, 2007 12:26 PM
The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be 'very active,' with 17 named tropical storms and nine hurricanes, a top forecasting team said Tuesday.- Robert Rodriguez Interview
[Movie] April 3, 2007 12:20 PM
The outlaw director on resurrecting grindhouse and pressing Quentin Tarantino to shoot digital. In April directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez release Grindhouse, their take on low-budget '70s exploitation films.- In EMI-ITunes Deal, the Big Loser May Be Microsoft
[Music] April 3, 2007 12:16 PM
- 10 Things You Can Do with Mixed Media RSS
[Internet] April 3, 2007 12:07 PM
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, has played a huge role in making the internet what it is today. It’s made blogs and podcasts subscribable, it’s taken search to a new level and it’s changed the way many people read news.- Serenity named top sci-fi movie
[Movie] April 3, 2007 11:56 AM
Serenity has beaten Star Wars to the title of best sci-fi movie in an SFX magazine poll of 3,000 fans. - I'm a huge Firefly/Serenity fan myself, and would dearly love to see the show back in production.- Google goes solar
[Energy Generation] April 3, 2007 3:32 AM
Google's commitment to green is serious; rolling out the largest commercial solar deployment in the US—a 1.6MW installation that covers most of the buildings at Google's campus and extends even to shaded parking spaces.- The Once and Future Republic of Vermont
[USA Politics] April 3, 2007 12:24 AM
The winds of secession are blowing in the Green Mountain State. Vermont was once an independent republic, and it can be one again. We think the time to make that happen is now.- Was Amelia Earhart a doomed castaway?
[History] April 3, 2007 12:13 AM
A rediscovered diary may point the way to Earhart's final resting place - a small island in the Pacific ocean where aircraft parts, a woman's shoe and a partial skeleton has been found.- Test: Helvetica or Arial?
[Microsoft] April 3, 2007 12:02 AM
Once there was an extremely popular typeface called Helvetica. Later, Microsoft 'borrowed' Helvetica for their operating system and called it Arial. Can you tell the difference between the original and the rip-off in these ten examples?- List of artists signed to EMI
[Music] April 2, 2007 4:52 PM
With today's announcement by EMI and Apple, I thought I should run down a list of the musicians who are with EMI - turns out I have music from a fair number of their musicians. Yay!- Apple Unveils Higher Quality DRM-Free Music on the iTunes Store
[Music] April 2, 2007 12:04 PM
Apple today announced that EMI Music's entire digital catalog of music will be available for purchase DRM-free (without digital rights management) from the iTunes® Store (www.itunes.com) worldwide in May.- Massive quake triggers tsunami in Solomon Islands
[News] April 1, 2007 11:37 PM
A tsunami wave several metres high hit the west coast of the Solomon Islands after a massive earthquake struck Monday morning local time in the South Pacific.- ByMUG April Meeting, 1:00 PM, Sunday, April 1.
[Event] March 31, 2007 12:08 PM
ByMUG is celebrating it's first year this meeting. Tobias Lütke will present a demo of Shopify, and will also be talking about developing in Ruby on Rails on the Mac. Thomas Leroux will be demoing Delicious Library.- How Britons were conned by Iranian gunboat trick
[World Politics] March 31, 2007 6:57 AM
The speed and cunning shown by the Revolutionary Guards suggests that their action was premeditated.- Wired Editor Vogelstein receives Email about himself from Microsoft
[Microsoft] March 31, 2007 6:44 AM
Microsoft is involved in a rather embarrassing email slip-up, which revealed the tactics used by Microsoft’s PR machine to generate favorable media coverage. Fred Vogelstein, received a file that Microsoft and Waggener Edstrom keeps on him.- Is Greenpeace Off the Mark on Apple?
[Apple] March 31, 2007 6:42 AM
The group says Apple isn't ridding its products of nasty chemicals fast enough. But it may be holding the company to different standards.- Homeland Security Classifies 1982 film TRON as Sensitive
[Movie] March 31, 2007 6:36 AM
Reports are emerging from members of the movie industry that the Department of Homeland Security has designated TRON as sensitive, and ordered Walt Disney Studios to turn over all copies of the film in its posession. What a great way to stop terrorism.- History 1980-2000 has disappeared into the ether. Sorry
[History] March 31, 2007 6:20 AM
We know what was written in the first telegram, sent by Samuel Morse in 1844, the words spoken by Alexander Graham Bell when he made the first telephone call in 1876, but we have absolutely no idea what was said in the first e-mail, just 35 years ago.- 10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World.
[Nature] March 31, 2007 6:17 AM
There are probably hundreds of majestic and magnificent trees in the world - of these, some are particularly special. Great photos.- Mystery killer strikes Ontario beehives over winter
[Animal] March 31, 2007 5:30 AM
Some Ontario beekeepers are finding their hives lifeless this spring, realizing fears raised by the mass die-off of bees across the U.S. Ontario beekeepers are now checking to see how their hives fared over the winter, and for many, the news is not good.- Can Newton's 2nd Law be Violated on Earth?
[Physics] March 31, 2007 5:19 AM
Astrophysicists have found evidence that a corrected version of Newton’s 2nd Law works well on the grand scale of the universe. These modifications to Newtonian physics are known as 'modified Newtonian dynamics' (MOND).- Dispelling The Top 10 Nutrition Myths
[Health] March 31, 2007 5:07 AM
Don't drink alcohol. Take vitamins. Avoid eating eggs. We've heard these pieces of nutritional advice for years - but are they accurate?- New Green Comet Set for April Show
[Astronomy] March 31, 2007 5:03 AM
A new comet has recently been discovered, and like the brilliant Comet McNaught from earlier this year, this latest discovery belongs to an Australian: Comet Lovejoy (C/2007 E2).- Wife of Chinese diplomat announces defection in Ottawa
[World Politics] March 31, 2007 5:01 AM
The wife of a Chinese diplomat in Ottawa said Friday she has defected to Canada to avoid being sent to back to China where she might be persecuted for her beliefs.- Google Goes Back to Pre-Katrina Maps
[Google] March 31, 2007 4:48 AM
Google's popular map portal has replaced post-Hurricane Katrina satellite imagery with pictures taken before the storm, leaving locals feeling like they're in a time loop and even fueling suspicions of a conspiracy.- Windows Vista Suicide, Courtesy of McAfee
[MS Windows] March 31, 2007 4:44 AM
Windows Vista, Microsoft's extensively applauded most secure Windows platform to date can be taken down by an animated cursor. The video at the end of the article is especially amusing to watch Windows Explorer stop and restart repeatedly.- DVD consortium loses court case over DVD copying
[DRM] March 31, 2007 4:39 AM
A California judge handed a victory to Kaleidescape, which manufactures home media servers, ruling that the company's products do not violate the DVD industry's CSS license.- Why Microsoft Should Fear Apple
[Apple] March 31, 2007 4:26 AM
It isn't about Apple's market share or quarterly sales numbers. It's about perception. Should Microsoft fear Apple's Macintosh? Redmond should be concerned. Scot Finnie tells you why; Apple has gotten smarter about how it competes with Microsoft.- Ottawa pulls funding from cycling safety group
[Ottawa] March 29, 2007 4:46 PM
City council voted Wednesday not to reverse an earlier council decision to cut the $50,000 for Citizens for Safe Cycling from the city's budget.- Fusion Experiments Show Nuclear Power's Softer Side
[Science] March 29, 2007 4:40 PM
Currently, fusion doesn't work. In hopes of changing that, international consortia have plunged billions into research, with the latest project, ITER, tagged at $13.3 billion.- 254 uses for Vinegar
[Frugal Living] March 29, 2007 4:20 PM
- Committee pushes Ottawa to compost by 2008
[Ottawa] March 29, 2007 4:20 PM
Ottawa should commit to composting its garbage after a decade of debate, says the city's planning and environment committee.- Shot Spotter
[Technology] March 29, 2007 4:09 PM
Last year there were 148 homicides in Oakland. Today, when someone fires a gun on a city street, a network of hidden microphones kicks in — triangulating the exact location. And alerting police. Can a tech startup help put a dent in violent crime?- RIAA Backs Down After Receiving Letter from Defendant's Lawyer
[RIAA] March 29, 2007 4:06 PM
In SONY v. Merchant in California, after receiving a sternly worded letter from the defendant's lawyer, Merl Ledford III, of Visalia, California, threatening a malicious prosecution lawsuit, the RIAA immediately withdrew its lawsuit- Cassini Images Bizarre Hexagon on Saturn
[Astronomy] March 29, 2007 4:04 PM
An odd, six-sided, honeycomb-shaped feature circling the entire north pole of Saturn has captured the interest of scientists with NASA's Cassini mission.- Flaming space junk narrowly misses jet
[Spacecraft] March 29, 2007 4:01 PM
Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit narrowly missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean on March 28th.- How to mount a Windows shared folder on your Mac
[Mac OS X] March 27, 2007 3:44 PM
Handly little how-to.- Top 40 sites according to FeedBurner stats
[Internet] March 27, 2007 12:22 PM
Mostly tech news, geeky stuff, and notable bloggers, but currently number three is Simply Recipes, which I though was surprising.- Newfound data could help solve NASA's Pioneer Anomaly
[Spacecraft] March 27, 2007 12:18 PM
It’s been years since NASA last heard from either of its two Pioneer probes hurtling out of the solar system, but scientists are still debating the source of an odd force, dubbed the Pioneer Anomaly, pushing against the outbound spacecraft.- Engineers to help find Homer's Ithaca
[Archaeology] March 27, 2007 12:14 PM
A geological engineering company said Monday it has agreed to help in an archeological project to find the island of Ithaca, homeland of Homer's legendary hero Odysseus.- PM coy about federal vote following Que. election
[Canadian Politics] March 27, 2007 12:11 PM
I wonder how long this government will last. Quebecers have elected the first minority government in nearly 130 years, voting Jean Charest's Liberals to power with the ADQ forming the official opposition. The Parti Quebecois finished third.- Bruce Lee Lives On
[Movie] March 27, 2007 12:08 PM
Filmmaker Justin Lin brings back Bruce Lee and the whole tradition of Bruceploitation with his latest project, Finishing the Game, a hilarious homage to the kung fu king and the search for his replacement after an untimely death.- Form field hints with CSS and JavaScript
[CSS] March 27, 2007 11:48 AM
Now this is nice. As you tab through form selections a handy box with instructions/details appears. I like!- Vista's long goodbye
[MS Windows] March 27, 2007 11:44 AM
Windows Vista suffers from a bug that causes many machines to stall while deleting, copying and moving files, a flaw that has provoked consternation in online forums.- Quickest Patch Ever
[MS Windows] March 27, 2007 11:42 AM
If you really want to see Microsoft scramble to patch a hole in its software, don't look to vulnerabilities that impact countless Internet Explorer users or give intruders control of thousands of Windows machines. Just crack Redmond's DRM.- Inside Apple's Leopard Server OS
[Mac OS X] March 27, 2007 11:21 AM
John C. Welch gives you the inside technical scoop on what we know so far about Apple's new OS X Server 10.5, which will be showcased at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June.- Survey: Many Americans see little point to Web
[Internet] March 26, 2007 12:55 PM
A little under one-third of U.S. households have no Internet access and do not plan to get it, with most of the holdouts seeing little use for it in their lives, according to a survey released Friday.- Astronomers Puzzled by Titan's Missing Craters
[Astronomy] March 26, 2007 12:20 PM
A recent radar sweep of Saturn’s moon Titan by the Cassini probe revealed a portion of what appears to be a 180 kilometer diameter impact crater. If it is a crater, it would only be the fourth such crater discovered on Titan, a surprisingly small number.- Bigelow Aerospace Sets a Business Trajectory
[Spacecraft] March 26, 2007 12:19 PM
While its Genesis 1 expandable module circles the Earth, Bigelow Aerospace of North Las Vegas, Nev., is preparing a follow-on inflatable spacecraft for launch and getting ready to unveil its long-term business plan for space habitats.- National Security Letter Gag Order
[News] March 26, 2007 1:50 AM
Three years ago, someone received a national security letter (NSL) in their capacity as the president of a small Internet access and consulting business. The letter ordered them to provide sensitive information about one of their clients.- 22 TV Opening-Credit Sequences That Fit Their Shows Perfectly
[TV Show] March 26, 2007 1:47 AM
Homicide: Life On The Streets, Love Boat, The Six Million Dollar Man, Buck Rogers, Cowboy Bebop, and many others.- Apple Pro Profile: South Park Studios
[Apple] March 26, 2007 12:40 AM
It doesn’t get much more serious than South Park. Not that the show is dull or somber. It simply has the most manic production schedule of any animated series on television — probably ever.- Two-killowatt laser heats coffee
[Cool] March 26, 2007 12:37 AM
All you'll need is a sturdy mug, coffee grinds (or a tea bag, whichever you prefer), a bit of water, and a spare two-kilowatt laser to get things a steamin'.- Astronomers Explode a Virtual Star
[Astronomy] March 24, 2007 2:00 AM
or years astronomers have tried in vain to blow up an Earth-size star using strings of computer code. Finally, mission accomplished. And the resulting 3-D simulation has revealed the step-by-step process that fuels such an explosion.- 16 things it takes most of us 50 years to learn
[Self-Improvement] March 24, 2007 1:38 AM
I must be prematurely old. I already know most of this list.- Novell Launches Pro-Linux 'Get a Mac' Spoofs
[YouTube] March 24, 2007 1:32 AM
Apple just might create the most parody-inducing advertisements in the world. Both the dancing iPod-listeners and 'Get a Mac' have kept YouTube busy over the last year.- Serendipitous sensors reveal secrets of storm surge
[Science] March 23, 2007 11:53 AM
Hurricanes can wreak havoc by creating a storm surge. Now, instruments fortuitously placed in the path of 2004's Hurricane Ivan have provided invaluable information that could help predict these surges. I always love alliteration in an article title.- Accounting for the big plunge in 'music sales': the digital singles effect
[Music] March 23, 2007 11:50 AM
The music industry quaked as reports surfaced indicating that CD sales have plummeted 20 percent compared to the same period last year. This is just the latest a string of bad news for music sales over several years. The question is, what's to blame?- DScreen 1.0
[Mac Application] March 22, 2007 3:43 PM
This application permits you to run a screensaver as a desktop picture. Both my machines are running with Flurry in the background. Eyecandy goodness!- Virb - social networking with a beautiful interface
[Internet] March 22, 2007 2:39 PM
Think of MySpace, but with a beautiful interface. Cali Lewis said it was as if they let Apple's design team have at it. I agree completely. A breeze to use, you can find me there at WTL.- DNA solves mystery of Vimy Ridge soldier
[Military] March 22, 2007 11:38 AM
Thanks to hard work by a team of Canadian scientists, genealogists and Defence Department historians and officials, the Private Herbert Peterson's body was recovered in 2003 and identified earlier this year.- UAV Fooled to Hide Iraq Murder
[Iraq] March 22, 2007 11:29 AM
CAMP PENDLETON, California -- As they carried out the killing of an Iraqi civilian, seven Marines and a Navy medic used their understanding of the military's airborne surveillance technology to spoof their own systems, military hearing testimony charges.- Elton John signs entire back catalog exclusively to iTunes.
[Music] March 22, 2007 11:14 AM
Elton John announced that his entire back catalog will be available on iTunes on March 26. This will consist of 30-something albums and 400+ tracks, starting with his 1969 album Empty Sky, exclusively through iTunes through April 30.- Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) & Networks
[Games] March 22, 2007 11:04 AM
The greatest barrier to creativity is a lack of boundaries. Counter-intuitive - almost zen-like. And this is why people play D&D (and other games), and why network engineers often spend time putting out fires when they could be improving the network.- Judge's decision leaves RIAA with lose-lose situation in Elektra v. Santangelo
[RIAA] March 22, 2007 11:01 AM
The case of Elektra v. Santangelo has been one of the more closely followed cases in the RIAA's crusade against suspected file sharers, due in no small part to the aggressiveness of Patti Santangelo's defense.- New Phenomena on the Sun
[Astronomy] March 21, 2007 4:46 PM
It's enough to make you leap out of your seat: A magnetic vortex almost as big as Earth races across your computer screen, twisting, turning, finally erupting in a powerful solar flare. Japan's Hinode spacecraft recorded just such a blast on Jan. 12, 2007- huh corp
[Funny] March 21, 2007 4:02 PM
Welcome to the world's most dynamic eBusiness marketing, design and consulting agency. We provide distinct clients with groundbreaking business strategies and cutting-edge designs to aggressively and creatively compete in a changing economy. - Hahahaha- duh corp
[Funny] March 21, 2007 4:01 PM
Does your PHP network have double back-end XHTML redundancy? Is your PDA hard drive triple access enabled for Wi-Fi management? If you don't have end-point security in your adaptive architecture strategy, then you need us. -hahahaha- Desktop Tower Defense
[Games] March 21, 2007 1:47 AM
I can't remember who sent me this, but damn you! Fun little time sink.- 15 Terminal Commands for Hidden Mac OS X Settings
[Mac OS X] March 20, 2007 11:16 PM
There is a huge amount of hidden settings for Mac OS X and its applications that aren't accessible from preferences dialog boxes or the System Preferences. From the Terminal it is possible to edit any preferences file for any application on your Mac.- How Jarrett Became A Music Pirate
[DRM] March 20, 2007 7:45 PM
Jarrett thought he was the music industry's dream consumer. As a 40 year old male with a long-standing passion for all things music, he spent a bundle on his collection. The came his encounter with DRM'd music, and things went rapidly downhill.- Computer tech wipes out info on $38B fund
[Computers] March 20, 2007 4:05 PM
While doing routine maintenance work, the technician accidentally deleted applicant information for an oil-funded account — one of Alaska residents' biggest perks — and mistakenly reformatted the backup drive, as well.- More Efficient Wind Turbine Blade Designed
[Green Energy] March 20, 2007 11:24 AM
A new wind turbine blade design that researchers at Sandia National Laboratories developed in partnership with Knight & Carver promises to be more efficient, significantly reducing the cost-of-energy of wind turbines at low-wind-speed sites.- Commons Picture of the Year 2006: Results
[Photography] March 20, 2007 9:49 AM
The Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year 2006 competition is now over, and the winner has been selected. There are some beautiful photographs (and animations) there.- First class flight with a corpse
[Strange] March 19, 2007 10:09 PM
A passenger in first class woke up to a shock when he found himself sitting near a corpse on a British Airways flight. Paul Trinder, said cabin crew moved the body of the elderly woman from the economy section where she had died after take-off.- Activity discovered at Yellowstone supervolcano
[Geology] March 19, 2007 9:56 PM
One of the largest supervolcanoes in the world lies beneath Yellowstone National Park and scientists say activity there is increasing.- RIAA Wins Worst Company In America 2007
[DRM] March 19, 2007 9:10 PM
The RIAA won The Consumerist's 'Worst Company In America 2007' reader poll with 56% of the votes.- Free Plugins for Final Cut Pro
[Final Cut Pro] March 19, 2007 3:58 PM
Patrick Sheffield is a pillar of the Apple Discussion FCP forum, who has come up with a bunch of free plug-ins for Final Cut Pro. Captain Mench's blow-out fixer will likely be a filter that I'll rely on for some of the dance events I cover. Thanks!- Listen up, says caterpillar, I'm quite disgusting
[Animal] March 19, 2007 12:42 PM
When disturbed, caterpillars of the silk moth Antheraea polyphemus emit a series of audible clicks - about as loud as lightly snapping your fingernails. They do so to warn predators they are about to puke, something the predators find repugnant.- Crater lake bursts banks under scientists' noses
[Geology] March 19, 2007 12:35 PM
A dramatic lahar struck on New Zealand's Mount Ruapehu, as natural dam of volcanic ash and sand crumbled, sending an estimated 1.3 million cubic metres of water, mud and debris flooding down the side of the volcano.- Managing Hubble Science
[Astronomy] March 19, 2007 12:28 PM
In late January, just past the deadline for submitting proposals to use the Hubble Space Telescope, the Advanced Camera for Surveys, went dark. About 500 of the more than 700 proposals received were suddenly obsolete.- Net Neutrality in Canada
[Canadian Politics] March 18, 2007 6:05 PM
Network neutrality has come under attack by a number of Canadian corporations, many of whom you will find listed on this site. Demonstrably, net neutrality is not a hypothetical problem; it is one that is occurring today, on the ground, in Canada.- Huntingdon, Qc
[Wikipedia] March 18, 2007 5:54 AM
The town of Huntingdon (Quebec, Canada) is located 75 kilometers southwest of Montreal, and close to the border with New York State. Its latitude and longitude are 45° 05' 00" N 74° 10' 00" W. Population is roughly 2,600.- Huntington's disease
[Health] March 18, 2007 5:53 AM
Huntington's disease (HD), also known as Huntington disease and previously as Huntington's chorea and chorea maior, is a rare inherited neurological disorder affecting up to 8 people per 100,000- Facing Life With a Lethal Gene
[Health] March 18, 2007 5:38 AM
The Huntington’s test was positive. Katharine Moser thought she was as ready as anyone could be to face her genetic destiny. She had undergone the recommended neurological exam, but she realized in that moment, she had never expected to hear those words.- Possible Cave entrances spotted on Mars
[Astronomy] March 17, 2007 5:57 PM
Scientists studying pictures from Nasa's Odyssey spacecraft have spotted what they think may be seven caves on the surface of Mars.- Happy Saint Patrick's Day
[Holidays] March 17, 2007 10:17 AM
Saint Patrick's Day, is the feast day which annually celebrates Saint Patrick (373-493), the patron saint of Ireland, on March 17, the day on which Saint Patrick died. The day is the national holiday of the Irish people and is celebrated widely.- High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is working.
[Spacecraft] March 17, 2007 8:56 AM
The glitches that seemed to be spreading and worsening on the most powerful camera ever sent to another planet seem to have stabilised.- Client-co-pi-a
[Web Design] March 16, 2007 7:16 PM
There's no getting around it. At some point in your career, your patience will be tested with a stupid client who is so clueless that you'll question your sanity, career choice, and the future of mankind.- Debug CSS with... more CSS
[CSS] March 16, 2007 1:08 PM
Tableless layouts can be quite complex at times, even to the experienced coder. And even more so if your working with someone else's code. Here are some ways that you too, can 'debug' your CSS code.- Most Germans want speed limit on autobahn?
[Cars] March 16, 2007 12:46 PM
Nearly two in three Germans believe a speed limit should be introduced on the car-loving nation's notoriously fast autobahns, according to a new poll.- The universe is a string-net liquid
[Science] March 16, 2007 11:05 AM
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University have come up with a prediction for a new state of matter, and even a tantalising picture of the nature of space-time itself.- 'Kiss of life' increases risk after heart attack
[Health] March 16, 2007 8:04 AM
People who collapse from a sudden heart attack should not receive mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, according to a study that overturns the advice given on how bystanders should react in such a situation.- Yahoo Betrayed My Husband
[Yahoo] March 16, 2007 7:49 AM
Yu Ling's husband is now in Beijing Prison No. 2, serving 10 years for inciting subversion with his pro-democracy internet writings. According to the written court verdict, the Chinese government convicted Wang, in part, on evidence provided by Yahoo.- Cracking Google's secret sauce algorithm
[Google] March 16, 2007 7:38 AM
Rand Fishkin knows how valuable it is to rank high in a Google search. But even this president of a search engine optimization firm was blown away by a proposal he received at a conference in London last month, where he was a panelist.- Immense ice deposits found at south pole of Mars
[Astronomy] March 16, 2007 7:19 AM
The ESA's Mars Express orbiting Mars has scanned huge deposits of water ice at its south pole so plentiful they would blanket the planet in 10 metres of water if they were liquid, scientists said on Thursday.- Google beefs up search privacy
[Google] March 15, 2007 11:08 AM
Under revisions announced late Wednesday, Google promised to wrap a cloak of anonymity around the vast amounts of information that the Mountain View-based company regularly collects about its millions of users around the world.- Ten Ways to Improve Your Quality of Life
[Self-Improvement] March 15, 2007 11:04 AM
Marcus Vorwaller at the Best Tool For The Job blog has finished his series on ways to improve the quality of your life. The titles themselves give you enough to think about.- Should You Really Be Playing?
[Self-Improvement] March 15, 2007 10:59 AM
Scheduling play everyday instead stimulates your soul to work much more productively, while keeping your morale higher than a freakish eagle.- Giant Remnants of Cosmic Collision Found Beyond Neptune
[Astronomy] March 15, 2007 10:48 AM
Shiny, gray boulders floating in the Kuiper Belt are the remnants of an ancient collision involving two massive objects, the larger of which was nearly the size of Pluto. It currently is football-shaped, with a diameter of about 1,500 kilometers.- Tasmanian devils may bite the dust
[Animal] March 15, 2007 1:59 AM
The Tasmanian Devil, a rare carnivorous marsupial found only on Australia's southern island state of Tasmania, faces extinction in 10 to 20 years without a cure for the facial cancer now decimating the population.- UNBF researchers achieve hydrogen storage technology breakthrough
[Science] March 15, 2007 1:03 AM
Researchers at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton have made a breakthrough in hydrogen storage. They have successfully condensed hydrogen gas into a usable solid under mild conditions.- Nine Inch Nails (band) releases song in Garageband format for all!
[Music] March 15, 2007 12:30 AM
Although I'm not a huge fan, I am impressed that NiN would do this. The entire song is there, for everyone to remix and play with. In the future, they'll allow uploads of fan remixes. Way to go NiN - they get it!- Shooting Marbles at 16,000 mph
[Astronomy] March 14, 2007 4:59 PM
NASA scientist Bill Cooke is shooting marbles and he's playing 'keepsies'. The prize won't be another player's marbles, but knowledge that will help keep astronauts safe when America returns to the Moon in the next decade. NASA gets to have all the fun.- The Trouble With EM ’n EN (and Other Shady Characters)
[Web Design] March 14, 2007 11:20 AM
The dawn of the web has frequently been compared to the invention of the printing press. But the web has also destroyed one of the greatest features of nearly every press since Gutenberg: the ability to publish pleasing type. Unfortunately true, however.- Web Design is 95% Typography
[Web Design] March 14, 2007 11:04 AM
95% of the information on the web is written language. It is only logical to say that a web designer should get good training in the main discipline of shaping written information, in other words: Typography.- Squirrel + fermented pumpkin = funny
[YouTube] March 14, 2007 10:15 AM
Apparently, this squirrel ate some old pumpkins that had fremented - so the squirrel became drunk.- Radical new Boeing aircraft takes flight
[Aircraft] March 14, 2007 9:48 AM
The company's new blended-wing plane prepares for its first test, carrying with it the airline's hopes for fuel-saving planes.- Happy ϖ Day!
[Holidays] March 14, 2007 2:01 AM
Worthy of celebration because everyone likes Pi.- Nobodys watching
[Video] March 13, 2007 6:31 PM
Two clever guys have been putting out videos for a while now. Funny as hell - I especially like 10 years of Friends in 90 seconds.- Apple releases 10.4.9
[Mac OS X] March 13, 2007 4:42 PM
Most the last update between now and Leopard (10.5).- Canadian census sees cities surging
[Canadian Politics] March 13, 2007 10:57 AM
Canadians are officially city folk, with four out of five people living in urban centres. The first data from the 2006 Census puts Canada's national population at 31.6 million, a rise of 5.4 per cent since the 2001 census.- Can Oscar Pistorius make it into the Olympics?
March 13, 2007 10:42 AM
His legs were amputated when he was a year old. Now Oscar Pistorius is on track to make the South African Olympic team. Is he an engineering marvel — or just one hell of a sprinter?- New Horizons probe snaps photo of volcanic eruption on Io.
[Astronomy] March 13, 2007 10:27 AM
This processed image provides the best view yet of the enormous 290-kilometer (180-mile) high plume from the volcano Tvashtar, in the 11 o'clock direction near Io's north pole. - US plans to "fight the net" revealed
