Technology-News on SWiK

Tattoos And Boner Pills = Olympic Gold

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:31 -0700

Apparently there's a new method of taking performance-enhancing drugs so that pesky IOC testers will be none the wiser: By tattoo.

Washington Times Lies by Inflating Bush's Approval Ratings

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:31 -0700

In an editorial, The Washington Times asserted that President Bush "had very high poll ratings (80 percent to 90 percent) throughout his first term" and went on to say that during his tenure, he "reduced unemployment to still record-levels." In fact, Bush's approval ratings peaked between in September 2001. The unemployment rate was inaccurate too.

Sunflower is First Solar Concentrator Safe for Rooftops

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:31 -0700

By concentrating sunlight more than 1,000 times, the system makes electricity cheaper than traditional PV systems. It is self-powered and doesn’t need to penetrate the roof for installation.

Plasma Power

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:31 -0700

NASA is considering flying a prototype plasma rocket engine designed by a former astronaut to the International Space Station for testing.

To DHS: Searching A Laptop Is Not The Same As a Backpack

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:31 -0700

The Department of Homeland Security has offered a new, unconvincing argument for why they can conduct border searches, and take travelers’ laptops and other electronic devices without needing any reasonable suspicion or probable cause. The public needs to help Homeland Security understand why they’re wrong.

The Lamest Self Defense Video of All Time

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:31 -0700

These moves are perfect for protecting yourself without earning anyone's respect.

UPDATED: Apple removes $1,000 featureless iPhone application (L.A. Times Tech Blog)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:30 -0700

L.A. Times Tech Blog:
UPDATED: Apple removes $1,000 featureless iPhone application — (Post updated at 1:04 p.m. with Heinrich's response about the validity of the negative review.) — (Post updated at 8:45 a.m. with response from Heinrich about compensation from Apple.) — Eight iPhone owners have joined …

State Supreme Court rejects noncompete clauses (Bob Egelko/San Francisco Chronicle)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:30 -0700

Bob Egelko / San Francisco Chronicle:
State Supreme Court rejects noncompete clauses — (08-07) 12:04 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — Californians have the right to move from one company to another or start their own business and can't be prohibited by their employer from working for a competitor in their next job, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

BlackBerry Thunder gets 9530 model designation on Verizon ... (The Boy Genius/Boy Genius Report)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:30 -0700

The Boy Genius / Boy Genius Report:
BlackBerry Thunder gets 9530 model designation on Verizon, October 13th release date? — We just got a screen cap of the product inventory screen from a Verizon tipster. It shows that the BlackBerry Thunder, which we've all been reporting as a 9500-series device is correct.

Faster Web Pages Makes Users Happy

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:11:30 -0700

I can’t believe that in this age of Twitter, 24-hour news cycles and always-on access, anyone needs to point out that slow web sites alienate customers, but just in case, there’s an interview at Royal Pingdom with Steve Souders, who works at Google on web site performance and is the creator of YSlow software, which measures web site performance. It’s a nice reminder that there are many links in the chain that create a user’s web experience, and it focuses on what developers and site designers can do to make pages load faster.

2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony [PICS]

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:11:36 -0700

Beijing held its formal opening ceremony today for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The ceremony, held in the National Stadium known as the Bird's Nest, was attended by thousands, and watched by millions more on television. Below are some highlights of the nearly 4-hour performance

APOD: The Crown of the Sun

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:11:36 -0700

During a total solar eclipse, the Sun's extensive outer atmosphere, or corona, is an inspirational sight. The subtle shades and shimmering features of the corona that engage the eye span a brightness range of over 10,000 to 1, making them notoriously difficult to capture in a single picture.

Institute Completes Decade Long Study How To Please Your Man

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:11:36 -0700

Nissan's new ECO-pedal fights back while you drive

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:11:36 -0700

A meddling gas pedal may be the key to improving fuel efficiency. Nissan has announced it will soon sell cars that push back when drivers try to drive too fast. The new “ECO Pedal” system presses back upward when it senses drivers are driving too quickly.

Create Ringtones for free with just iTunes

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:11:36 -0700

There are a few different ways to create ringtones for your brand new, shiny iPhone. While some bystanders might find the playing of your favorite song annoying, it can quickly inform you to exactly who is calling without taking the phone out of your pocket, purse, or man-bag. For instance whenever Clint Ecker hears the song Gin and Juice, he knows

Between a rock and YouTube, video execs see promise (Stefanie Olsen/CNET News.com)

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:11:35 -0700

Stefanie Olsen / CNET News.com:
Between a rock and YouTube, video execs see promise — SAN FRANCISCO—If the $1 billion Web video advertising market is to reach the level of television's estimated $50 billion, it ironically won't be thanks to YouTube, the Internet's most popular spot for watching clips.

Illiterate?