Oct 28
Nikon has announced the winners of their classic photomicrography competition. All the entries are spectacular, but these are the very best, the top ten. More »
Oct 28
As if the prospect of being watched by security cameras wasn’t unsettling enough, they may not only be watching you. Computerized surveillance software currently under development will also let them predict what you’re about to do. More »
Oct 28
Why Does Apple Ignore Gaming?
Posted in: Today's ChiliApple finds itself in an extremely enviable position. For years now, the company has been the envy of companies that wish they could generate billions of dollars each quarter on products that make customers drool. Apple is a special case. And it seems that every market it enters, it’s successful in.
That’s precisely why I’m confused by Apple’s seeming unwillingness to jump into the gaming space.
Apple’s iOS platform is rather interesting. Although Apple didn’t really plan it this way, its mobile operating system has become one of the most popular gaming platforms in the world. For years, customers have been turning to their iPhones, iPads, and iPods to play titles. And with each new hardware improvement, developers have been jumping at the chance to increase the playability (and beauty) of their games.
And yet, Apple has done little to acknowledge that. Each year at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple invites game companies on stage to show off their new creations for the latest version of iOS, but Apple has balked at portraying itself as a gaming leader. Instead, it simply wants to allow game developers to succeed on its products without truly mentioning its important involvement.
I think that’s a mistake. Apple has become a gaming company, whether the firm wants to admit it or not. And Apple’s success in mobile gaming could very easily translate to success in the console market.
Think about it: whenever Apple launches hardware, customers flock to buy it. When the company unveiled a new iPad Mini recently, it took only hours before the white version’s initial supply was sold out. The iPhone 5 is still on backorder for some models.
“Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo are coasting”
Right now, the gaming space is ripe for Apple’s involvement. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo are coasting without focusing too much on dramatic improvement. Instead, the companies are content with iterative updates that might be appealing to customers now, but won’t be able to hold up over the long-term. After all, the Wii U can match the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but can it really be expected to compete with the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4?
Apple, meanwhile, has the cash and the know-how to do something special in gaming. The company could deliver a console that bests anything Microsoft and Sony might offer in the coming years. And with the billions in cash it has on hand, it wouldn’t take much for Apple to acquire a developer or two and get quality first-party titles onto store shelves.
And yet, Apple ignores gaming. The company seems content to deliver tablets, computers, smartphones, and music players, and couldn’t care less about consoles.
Hopefully things will change. Apple has all of the ingredients to become a leader in the console market. And its brand recognition is second to none. The company should jump into gaming and start putting pressure on the current competitors. After all, why wouldn’t it want to control another multibillion dollar market?
Why Does Apple Ignore Gaming? is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Oct 28
…no, not that Alien Queen, just the pixelated 8-bit type appears on these fun, officially-licensed Space Invaders playing cards.
Designed by Pieter Woudt, these playing cards have a cool perforated design which lets you see through them, without being able to see the rank or suit of the card from the back. They’re actually even waterproof, so you can take them in the pool if you think you’ll be safer from the alien invasion in the water.
Each of the face cards features a different alien design, and the Joker is most definitely that little bugger of an invader who’s the last one left on the screen and races at you at what seems like 1000mph.
They’re available over on Amazon for about $9(USD) a deck.
Oct 28
There’s a storm a-brewing, and as always, that makes for a great photo-op. Whether it’s the barren store shelves, lines of people waiting patiently to get inside a store full of barren shelves, or a shot of the foreboding sky, looming down over us, there are plenty of great pictures to be had. What’s the best you’ve seen so far? More »
Oct 28
I have a love-hate relationship with vending machines. They’re often loaded with tasty, junk food treats, but the type with those stupid turning wire racks often get stuck and you end up losing your money, or with a vending machine on top of you if you shake it too vigorously. Now, you can have a constant reminder of these machines with you, wherever you take your iPhone.
The iPhone Vending Machine case from Luckybrew Designs features a photorealistic image of a snack machine, loaded with all sorts of goodies, including potato chips, Doritos, M&Ms and Ho-Hos and even pink Sno-Balls. Why couldn’t I have ever worked in a place with a vending machine selection like this? Every office I ever worked in had a crappy selection of wintergreen Certs, Necco wafers and 5-year-old egg salad sandwiches in its machines. But I digress…
The vending machine case is available over on Etsy for $15.88(USD), and comes in black or white plastic or rubber, as well as a clear plastic, and is currently only available for the iPhone 4 and 4S. That said, I’m sure they’ll get around to an iPhone 5 version at some point. So the next time you’re tempted to shake a vending machine when it eats your quarters, just whip out your iPhone instead and jostle it around a bit.
Oct 28
Forget about the Montauk monster. This extraordinary photo—taken by Dorit Hockman, from the University of Cambridge’s More »
Oct 28
IBM Labs develops ‘initial step’ towards commercial fabrication of carbon nanotubes
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Commercialization of carbon nanotubes is one of the holy grails of next-gen computing, and IBM thinks it’s made crucial steps toward making this a reality. This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard such a claim, of course, but IBM’s considerable resources will make this particularly interesting. The specific problem it’s been tackling is placing enough semiconducting nanotubes together to be useful in commercial chips, with current attempts being more in the hundreds, rather than billions that would be required. The new approach uses ion-exchange chemistry that allows controlled placement of nanotubes at two orders of magnitude greater than before, with a density of roughly a billion per square centimeter. To achieve this, the nanotubes are mixed with a soap-like substance that makes them water-soluble. Next, a substrate comprising two oxides and a hafnium oxide “trench” is immersed in the soap-solution, which results in the nanotubes attaching to the hafnium oxide canals with a chemical bond. Simple when you think about it! IBM hopes that as the materials and method are readily accessible now, that industry players will be able to experiment with nanotube technology at a much greater scale. Though, as we’ve become accustomed, there’s no solid timescales on when this might realistically unfold.
Continue reading IBM Labs develops ‘initial step’ towards commercial fabrication of carbon nanotubes
IBM Labs develops ‘initial step’ towards commercial fabrication of carbon nanotubes originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Oct 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oct 28
Today is a pretty big day for the folks at SpaceX and NASA, as the Dragon capsule has detached from the International Space Station and will soon begin plummet toward the surface of Earth. Engineers on the ground remotely controlled the station’s robotic arm as it removed the Dragon capsule from the ISS earlier today, pointing it in the right director for its return trip. To get back to Earth, Dragon will use a set a pre-programmed commands to perform a series a burns, with the final one happening in just about an hour (2:28 PM Eastern) to slow the capsule down and prepare it for re-entry.
Then, at about 3:20 PM Eastern this afternoon, Dragon will splash down in the Pacific ocean, 250 miles off the coast of Baja California. The capsule carried 882 pounds of supplies with it to the space station, but it will be returning with even more. When Dragon reaches Earth, it will be packed with 1,673 pounds of stuff, which includes “163 pounds of crew supplies, 866 pounds of scientific research, and 518 pounds of vehicle hardware and other hardware.”
Those 866 pounds of scientific research include things like urine and blood samples taken aboard the International Space Station, and they’ll need be returned to NASA within 48 hours of Dragon’s splashdown for testing. The hardware that’s being returned to NASA include defective parts from the Space Station, which will need to be examined by scientists here on the ground. Make no mistake, Dragon has a lot of important stuff on board, so here’s hoping that everything goes as planned this afternoon.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule has been attached to the International Space Station since October 10. There were a couple hiccups with the launch, but Dragon made it to ISS intact – though those hiccups did have some unintended consequences for a satellite carried into space on the back of the Falcon 9 rocket. Be sure to check out our story timeline below for more on the SpaceX Dragon!
[via NASA]
SpaceX Dragon capsule leaves ISS, returning to Earth today is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Oct 28
During the past couple of centuries, it hasn’t been uncommon to design a clock or watch in a way that reminds you of your own morality, “memento mori.” This silver skull watch from the late 18th century is a particularly well-made—and morbid—example. More »
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