- Tech NewsApple
iPad Apps Stand at 10,000, Growing Faster Than Original iPhone App Store
Approval process be damned, the dedicated iPad App Store section is 10,000-strong and shows not signs of slowing down anytime soon. Even more impressive is that iPad apps have reached the 10,000 milestone faster than their iPhone cousins. Back in 2008, it took a full five months for dedicated iPhone/iPod tuch apps to reach 10,000. … Continued
By Jack Loftus - io9Television
Is a Blue Beetle live-action TV series on the way?
Today, DC Comics’ Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns tweeted that Jaime Reyes, DC Universe’s current bearer of the Blue Beetle mantle, would possibly be getting the live-action treatment. Johns hopes that footage from the show will hopefully debut at Comic-Con. On Sunday June 13, Johns tweeted the following: Fans of Batman: The Brave and The … Continued
- Tech NewsApple
Chocolate-Covered iPad
Stefan Magdalinski’s wife is a self-described “Apple nut.” We could debate whether that’s redundant or not all day, so instead we’ll just marvel at the fact that the gift Stefan gave her is very fitting: Yes, as the headline lets on, the perfect gift was a chocolate-covered, perfectly functioning iPad. Word is there would have … Continued
By Jack Loftus - Tech News
Pilot Kisses Death On the Lips and Flies Away
If you’re lucky, one day you may have a near-death experience that will make you appreciate the joy of life in the most powerful way imaginable. If you are a Red Bull Air Race pilot, those experiences look like this. This is Matt Hall at the qualifying day—June 5th—of the Red Bull Air Race World … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
- Tech News
World Cup Tech: Natural/Artificial Pitch Hybrids Dot South Africa
The Beautiful Game is played on a beautiful field, typically one comprised of grass. So, when ESPN commentator Adrian Healy said 2 million artificial fibers were woven into the Moses Mabhida Stadium pitch this morning, I was dubious. No longer: You see, for all intents and purposes the field is predominantly grass. Beautiful Game integrity … Continued
By Jack Loftus - io9Movies
The case for a new Star Trek series
Do we need a new Star Trek TV series? Yes — with the present vacuum of big-ticket scifi and adventure shows, a new, Federation-centric Trek series could rule the ratings. Hollywood has had a thing for remakes lately. This weekend alone will see new adaptations of The Karate Kid and The A-Team. We’ve already had … Continued
Andrew Belonsky - ScienceSpace
Hayabusa Probe Disintegrates Over Australia
NASA captured the re-entry of Japan’s troubled but still successful Hayabusa probe early this morning over Australia. The payload reportedly ejected without incident and parachuted to earth. What you see here is everything else going to hell (by design): According to the BBC, the probe’s coveted near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa dust cargo is OK: On … Continued
By Jack Loftus - Tech NewsApple
Stoner Duo Busted for Ambitious “Blue Dream” Pot-for-iPad Craigslist Ad
Pro tip: When you post a Craigslist ad proposing an iPad-for-“blue dream straight outta Cali” marijuana trade and also post a picture of said illegal substance for all to see, the local police will find and arrest you. I know this because it just happened to an enterprising duo in Gilbert, Arizona the other day … Continued
By Jack Loftus - io9
This comedy sketch once killed a man with laughter. Do you dare watch it?
In 1975, Alex Mitchell of England was laughing maniacally while watching the “Kung-Fu Kapers” episode of the UK comedy program The Goodies. After 25 solid minutes of guffawing, Mitchell let out one last chortle and died of a massive coronary. Mitchell, a 50-year-old bricklayer from King’s Lynn in Norfolk county, was particularly tickled by this … Continued
- Tech News
Sigma SD15 DSLR Finally—Finally!—Gets Launch Date
The Sigma SD15, notable for its Foveon sensor that captures RGB at different depths on its sensor, will finally start shipping at the end of the month. It was announced back in 2008, and was spec’d only as recently as February. The body alone will cost about $1,300. Kit? Slightly more at roughly $1,500. And … Continued
By Jack Loftus - io9Movies
Where are all the good alternate history movies?
We’ve got tons of alternate history books, comics, and video games, and yet we have so few committed alt-history motion pictures. On this Sunday’s Great Moments in Alternate History, we’re going to the movies! Before we explore the above questions, I should take a moment to explore the state of alternate history cinema. Excluding films … Continued
By David Daw - Tech News
And Here Is Windows 7 Running Hot On a JooJoo Tablet
The JooJoo tablet, possibly big in Europe but not much else, now runs Windows 7 with touchscreen controls for some reason thanks to Joojoo Forums dweller darkdavy. The tablet runs about four hours with Windows 7 shoehorned in there, during which time it doubles as a space heater thanks to the heat it puts off … Continued
By Jack Loftus - io9
Potsdam’s Einstein Tower is an earthbound space oddity
The Einstein Tower in Potsdam, Germany was built by architect Eric Mendelsohn between 1920-1921. The tower, which researches solar magnetic fields, was inspired by Albert Einstein’s study of relativity, but it’s unknown whether Einstein approved of its design. The Expressionist Einstein Tower, or Einsteinsturm, became fully operational in 1924. Einstein toured the facility, but — … Continued
- ScienceSpace
Cosmic Spectators Train Their Sights on South Africa
Humans and the occasional antelope aren’t the only beings training their eyes on South Africa for that World Cup thing. Indeed, there are a few artificial spectators as well, hovering above, hundreds of miles in orbit. These are their stories. OK, actually they don’t have any stories, because they are satellites, but they do have … Continued
By Jack Loftus - io9
Why is total darkness colored blue in the movies?
Why do colors change as it gets darker? Why do we associate dark blues with pitch black night? For the answer, let’s look at the Purkinje Color Effect. We’ve all seen it in movies. The sun goes down behind the hills. The shadows get longer and larger. Soon it will be pitch black onscreen, and … Continued
- Tech News
100,000 LEGO Bricks Build One Hell of a Robotic Chess Set
Monster Chess is a big fat “checkmate” to all other do-it-yourself chess sets. The incredible set took a team of 4 over a year to construct, using $30,000 worth of LEGO bricks. And it’s even more impressive in action: I was going to liken this to a real life version of Wizard’s Chess from Harry … Continued
- Tech News
A Soccer Ball To Light Up Developing Nations
Just in time for the World Cup, the sOccket 2.0 offers an ingenious solution for illuminating developing nations. Kicking the induction coil-equipped ball around for ten minutes provides 3 hours of LED light. We’ve already seen how the World Cup soccer ball has developed over the years, but sOccket puts that same ball to use … Continued