Nov 27
We, as private citizens, are screwed. The government has a whole terrifying fleet of drones. But now TMZ wants its own army of robotic paparazzo in the sky. Someone, President Obama, Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, anyone, please help! More »
Nov 27
Ask the Mastermind of This Amazing Rain Forest Treehouse Community Anything
Posted in: Today's Chili
Did you see Return of the Jedi as a kid and wish you could live in the trees in the middle of the forest, but your family and friends would all be connected in a community? Guess what: now that exists. More »
Nov 27
When I was a child I loved to bury myself in the centerfold cutaway illustrations of the monthly scientific magazines my father subscribed to for me. Cars, tractors, ships, trains, engines—I loved every tiny detail. I loved pretending I was one of the tiny men in the pictures. More »
Nov 27
Were Yakov Smirnoff here, he’d probably try and crowbar in an “In Soviet Russia, cities Google you!” gag, but we’re above such mischief. As such, we’ll just let you know that Mountain View’s Russian branch has added detailed mapping information for 45 new cities, including Vladivostok, Donetsk and Sochi, the home of the 2014 Winter Games. We’d suggest downloading the mapping data for the whole bunch while over your 3G connection and see if you don’t win a prize, after all, it’s happened before.
Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Internet, Google
Source: Google Russia (Translated)
Nov 27
Coolest Gadgets Gift Picker is constantly changing recommendations – based on what you like! More popular items rise to the top so you can find a hot gift for someone on your list.
Currently hot in the ‘home’ and ‘office’ category is the Can You Imagine Time Machine Tabletop Clock. This kinetic clock resembles something from a museum which would make a unique addition to any gift recipient’s home or office. Turn it on and the clock’s mechanism transfers one of the chrome balls every minute. As time ticks on you can easily read hour and minute. Slowly but surely they stack up through the day. What a good way to help someone watch their work day literally pass by.
Find gadget-y gifts like this on the Gift Picker. Simply tell us about the person on your list we will give you options they are sure to enjoy.
[ Hot Gift Alert: Time Machine Tabletop Clock copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Nov 27
Facebook Copyright Law (For Idiots)
Posted in: Today's Chili
We already explained just how worthless that Facebook copyright privacy status update gobbledygook is. But just in case you or one of your friends needs it spoken outloud to you because word-things are too hard, College Humor breaks it down for you in plain English. More »
Nov 27
If you happen to ever get your cell phone stolen in New York City, the New York Police Department will be on the case. They’ve been quietly building a collection of phone call records from victims who report their mobile phone stolen. They subpoena all call records from the day that the phone was swiped and onward. Then, they add the call records to a searchable database.
The New York Times reports that the NYPD routinely subpoena the call records of theft victims, and that police documents suggest that thousands of subpoenas have been issued every year. However, while it seems fine that the police would check phone records to investigate criminal activity, some privacy groups question the practice of authorities storing personal data that’s not related to an active criminal investigation.
The database stores the calls that you made before your phone was stolen on that day, and all this data is put into what’s called the Enterprise Case Management System. All the records are hyperlinked so that they can be cross referenced to other cases as well. However, these call records are obtained without your knowledge, and carriers are complying with authorities without telling their customers in advance.
The NYPD isn’t commenting on the situation, but the Times says that T-Mobile cooperated with 297 subpoenas in January 2012 alone, and since T-Mobile is one of the smaller carriers, Verizon and AT&T are probably seeing larger numbers. While the police haven’t said whether or not they’ve actually used victim call records, the scary aspect about this is that they simply have access to the data. It’s not really clear what the NYPD plans on doing with the database in the future, and it doesn’t seem useful in helping solve phone theft crimes, since the Times reports that phone records seldom lead to an arrest.
[via The New York Times]
NYPD building database of call records from stolen phones is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Nov 27
When it comes to games like Dead or Alive, you know for sure that one of the top draws of the series would be the cast of colorful characters whom you choose to dispense bone crunching punches and kicks. Well, traditionally speaking, most the the gaming demographic tend to lie with males, which is why some video game studios decided to go along with what sells most of the time – sex. Having said that, the upcoming costume pack for Dead or Alive 5 will be a very varied bunch, sporting China-made outfits, formal get-ups, as well as scantily clad clothes which belong in a swimsuit competition or a men’s mag instead of in a video game.
The “China Pack” will offer Helena, Gen Fu, Jann Lee, and Brad Wong a new and fresh look, while the “Special” Pack would mean less cloth for Christie, Kasumi, Mila, and Zack, with the “Formal Pack” ensuring James Bond receives a run for his money from Elliot, Bass, Tina, and Leifang. All the packs will cost $13, while individual packs cost $6.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Bungie Reveals Destiny Official Screenshot, Battlefield 3 Patch Corrects Input ful Lag, Balances Weapons And Squashes Bugs,
Nov 27
Tech Deals of the Day: 11/27/2012
Posted in: Today's Chili
Our friends over at TechBargains.com compiled a list of daily deals and we wanted to share them to help you save money.
Keep in mind that as with any true deal, the products are limited quantity and can sell out quickly – so don’t hesitate to check them out now. Also if you’re looking to buy a product from a specific store, you save money with updated and verified coupon codes here.
Computers & Peripherals:
- Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve Universal CPU Cooler $14.99 plus free shipping (normally $34 – use this form)
- Asus VS247H-P 23.6″ LED-Backlit LCD Monitor $119.99 plus free shipping (normally $219 – use this form and coupon code: TSAXLAY14)
- Toshiba U845W-S410 Intel i5-3317U Dual-Core Ivy Bridge 14″ Ultra-Wide Notebook $599.99 plus free shipping (normally $999)
- HP Elite L2201x 22″ Ultra Slim LED LCD Monitor w/ MVA Panel $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $299)
- PNY Attaché 2 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive $6.99 plus free shipping (normally $11)
- Nexus 7 7″ 32GB Tablet w/ 8GB MicroSD Card $224.99 plus free shipping (normally $249)
- Seagate Backup Plus 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $79)
- Logitech G9X Laser Gaming Mouse + G105 USB Gaming Keyboard Bundle (Call of Duty: MW3 Edition) $54.99 plus free shipping (normally $149)
Home Entertainment:
- Sceptre X322BV-HD 32″ LCD HDTV $179.98 plus free shipping (normally $249)
- Mitsubishi C Series WD-73C12 73″ DLP Projection HDTV $799.99 plus free shipping (normally $1599)
- Panasonic Viera TC-L42E50 42″ IPS LED LCD HDTV $529.99 plus free shipping (normally $848)
Personal Electronics:
Nov 27
Battlefield 3 Patch Corrects Input ful Lag, Balances Weapons And Squashes Bugs
Posted in: Today's Chili
Whenever a patch is released for any game or software, you can be sure that it will address some of the more immediate as well as pressing issues at hand. Case in point, the Battlefield 3 expansion “Aftermath” which rolls out today for Premium players on the PS3 would also know that they are in for some patching, and the latest Battlefield 3 patch will do away with input lag. All right, perhaps that might be a tad too optimistic, but at least this patch will help alleviates the issue surrounding input lag as well as address audio drop-out issues.
Not only that, some of the weapons would also be tweaked for a more balanced gameplay, in addition to a few bugs that allows you to disarm MCOMs from all sides now, while bringing a semblance of balance to the gunship – meaning there is no more thermal optics or massive splash damage. As for the Gun Master issue on console, DICE claims that a fix for that is in the pipeline, ready for deployment in a few days’ time.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Bungie Reveals Destiny Official Screenshot, Dead Or Alive 5 Costume Pack Gets All Risque,
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