The Altered States of America: A Map of American Sci-Fi History

American history is among the richest in the world. I’m not just talking about what went down in the real world, but also everything that transpired in the realm of science fiction, horror, and fantasy.

In an attempt to map the most notable of these fictional events, Chop Shop has launched a Kickstarter project called the “Altered States of America.”

SciFi Map

It’s essentially a print project, where backers can make pledges to receive buttons and posters featuring the parts of the map or the completed map itself.

Putting the map together will require a lot of work. In fact, the Chop Shop team is already on it, but they’re inviting anyone who wants to contribute to send in their suggestions of which events to include on various parts of the map – especially those states with a shortage of otherworldly occurrences.

A minimum pledge of $5(USD) will get you two one-inch buttons featuring the state (and its corresponding artwork) of your choice.  Contributions between $30 to $40 will score you an individual state print, while $70 will get you the full 36″ x 24″ silkscreened print.

The project wraps funding on September 23, so you’ll want to head over to Kickstarter now if you want to get in on the action.

[via io9]

All Arguments Should Be Settled With Lightsaber Thumb Wrestling

All Arguments Should Be Settled With Lightsaber Thumb Wrestling

If a lightsaber can turn a drunken bar brawl into what appears to be an elegant duel, imagine what it could do for the thumb wrestling matches you have with your roommates to decide on pizza toppings. But you don’t have to imagine, because thanks to the ‘never say no’ attitude of Disney’s marketing team, this clever game-in-a-book lets you resolve any debate with a set of miniature thumb-worn lightsabers.

Read more…


    



Take a tour of Abbey Road Studios

(Credit: Geoffrey Morrison/CNET)

On a recent trip to London, I got a chance to tour storied speaker company B&W’s factory. They asked if I’d also like to tour Abbey Road Studios.

Yes. Yes I would.

And I did. It was awesome and I have pictures.

This is the first of three behind-the-scenes tours I did on my recent UK trip. Tomorrow the B&W factory tour will go live, and Thursday will be electronics and speaker manufacturer Meridian Audio.

Abbey Road is probably the most famous recording studio in the world. The artists who’ve recorded there reads like a who’s who of the great acts of the 20th and 21st centuries: The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Adele, Queen, Oasis, Radiohead, and many more. The zebra crossing in front was immortalized by Iain Macmillan for the cover of the Beatles album that gave the studio its name.

Abbey Road Studios Tour (pictures)

1-2 of 22 Scroll Left Scroll Right

DARPA Wants a Spacejet That Makes Drones Look Like Paper Planes

DARPA Wants a Spacejet That Makes Drones Look Like Paper Planes

Putting satellites into orbit is no easy task, especially with the demise of the Space Shuttle program. Which is why DARPA’s going to make itself a spacejet.

Read more…


    



Will regular consumers hate or love the new Apple look and feel?

Will regular consumers hate or love the new Apple look and feel?

iOS 7—Apple’s revamped mobile operating system—will be available for all consumers tomorrow. It will be a shock for every John and Jane out there. Will they hate it or love it?

Read more…


    



Facebook Offers Tools To Help Prevent Suicide

Facebook Offers Tools To Help Prevent Suicide

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and Facebook is sharing a new infographic and a site-wide public service announcement to help users find the resources they need when a friend makes troubling posts on the social network.

Read more…


    



Zoho Docs For Desktop Announced, Brings Two-Way File Sync

Zoho Docs For Desktop Announced, Brings Two Way File Sync

Zoho Docs is an online document management application with an integrated online office suite. Today, Zoho released a desktop application called Zoho Docs for Desktop, the app brings two-way file sync capability. Through this app, users can sync files stored on their local Windows, Mac and Linux computers with the cloud and vice versa. Users can choose if they want to sync all files and folders or just specific ones.

Files are synced between Zoho Docs cloud application and local computers instantaneously. Files located on multiple computers linked to a Zoho Docs account will be synced instantaneously as well. Users can also sync shared workspaces on their desktops, any changes made to a workspace file will be immediately synced across all connected computers. Changes made to files edited or created while the computer is offline will be immediately reflected into the cloud once the computer goes online. Zoho Docs for Desktop is available immediately free of charge. Zoho Docs free edition comes with 5GB of storage and support for unlimited users. Standard Edition costs $5 per user per month, it comes with 250GB of storage. Minimum five users are required to sign up for Standard Edition. Enterprise Edition comes in at $8 per user per month, requires 10 minimum users and touts 1TB of storage.

  • Follow: General, Zoho Docs,
  • Zoho Docs For Desktop Announced, Brings Two-Way File Sync original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    Stop Worrying About the New iPhone’s Fingerprint Scanner

    Stop Worrying About the New iPhone's Fingerprint Scanner

    Last week’s announcement that the new iPhone 5 will include a fancy new fingerprint scanning security system was met with a chorus of protests. What if someone lifts my prints and makes a fake finger and unlocks my phone? What if the government snoops on my phone (more than it already does) and steals my fingerprints?? Oh God, what if muggers cut off my thumbs to unlock my phone when they steal it?!? Relax. None of that’s going to happen. Here’s why.

    Read more…


        



    Windows 8.1 Price And Packaging Detailed

    Windows 8.1 Price And Packaging Detailed

    Today, Microsoft has detailed Windows 8.1 price and packaging through an official blog post. Consumers who’re already using a device with a legitimate copy of Windows 8 will receive Windows 8.1 update free of charge through the Windows Store on October 18th. Those who want to upgrade from an older Windows version will have to buy this update. Windows 8.1 can either be bought through a retailer as a packaged DVD product or it can be purchased as a download from Windows.com. Pricing will vary by market, but in the U.S., Windows 8.1 will cost $119.99 and Windows 8.1 Pro $199.99. Pricing and editions for this update are similar to that for Windows 8.

    Customers who purchase a device later this year that comes with Windows 8.1 pre-installed will be able to upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro for $99.99, the add-on will not only unlock Pro features, it will also bring Windows Media Center. Customers with devices that have Windows 8.1 Pro pre-installed can purchase Windows Media Center for $9.99. Customers who upgrade from Windows 7 will be able to retain all their files, though they will be required to reinstall desktop apps, even Microsoft Office. Microsoft says that Windows 8.1 is not designed for installation on devices that run Windows XP or Vista, but if customers want to upgrade those devices, they should buy a retail packaged DVD and boot from the disc to do a clean install. Files, settings and programs will not be transferred to the Windows 8.1 installation in this case. Microsoft releases Windows 8.1 to the public on October 18th.

  • Follow: Computers, , ,
  • Windows 8.1 Price And Packaging Detailed original content from Ubergizmo.

        



    Evernote releases native app for BlackBerry 10

    Evernote releases native app for BlackBerry 10

    Evernote’s had a presence on BlackBerry 10 since the early days of the OS, but today the cloud-based service is taking things a bit further. As of now, BB10 users can download a native version of Evernote, which offers a more streamlined, intuitive experience than what’s currently available via the Evernote integration inside the built-in Remember app. Note-takers will still be able to save and sync stuff, naturally, but they’ll be able to do so directly from an Evernote-made app and with a UI that makes it easier to take advantage of what the service has to offer. Better yet, Evernote for BlackBerry 10 won’t cost you a nickel, so head to the source link below if this is one you’ve been waiting for.

    Filed under: , , ,

    Comments

    Via: CrackBerry

    Source: BlackBerry World