20110612

Ο πρόεδρος της Apple, ο John Scully, και το Hellenic Quest :P

Hi!

Μου ήρθε αυτό το mail προχθές. Είναι γαμάτο.

Πριν το mail όμως, μία εισαγωγική σημείωση:
Σύμφωνα με το Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenic_Quest), το mail ήταν τόσο πιστευτό σε μερικούς από εμάς, που το ανέφερε και η Ημερησία, η ένωση Ελλήνων φυσικών και η πρεσβεία μας στην Washington. (δυστυχώς έχουν αποσύρει τις σελίδες-γιατί άραγε? Από την άλλη όμως, το wikipedia δεν είναι ελληνικό και δεν γράφεται αποκλειστικά από Έλληνες, οπότε μάλλον ψεύδεται ασυστόλως και έχει φτιάξει ειδικό software το οποίο επαναφέρει την σελίδα που λέει ότι το mail είναι ψεύτικο όταν κάποιος Έλληνας πάει να το διορθώσει)

Το καλύτερο όμως είναι αυτό. (http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=4&artid=54515)

Φυσικά, η αντιπρόεδρος της Apple, Dana Mulder, διέψευσε άμεσα οτιδήποτε έχει σχέση με τα περιεχόμενα του mail. Τυχαίο? Δεν νομίζω.

Επίσης, το γνωστό software house CNN (που σίγουρα έχετε ακούσει για αυτό από την τηλεόραση), μετά από πιέσεις του προέδρου των ΗΠΑ, του Tony Montana, σταμάτησε να διανέμει όχι μόνο το συγκεκριμένο πρόγραμμα (για το οποίο θα διαβάσετε παρακάτω), αλλά και όλα τα πετυχημένα προγράμματα που διανέμει. Από εδώ και πέρα θα διανέμει μόνο παιχνίδια, όπως το πασίγνωστο War of World-crafted-in-a-way-we-would-love-if-it-was-real.

Το εν λόγω mail:

Hellenic Quest λέγεται ένα πρόγραμμα ηλεκτρονικής εκμάθησης της Ελληνικής που το CNN άρχισε να διανέμει παγκοσμίως και προορίζεται σε πρώτο στάδιο για τους αγγλόφωνους και ισπανόφωνους.Η μέθοδος διδασκαλίας συνίσταται στην προβολή πληροφοριών στην οθόνη του Η/Υ με ταυτόχρονη μετάδοση ήχου και κινούμενης εικόνας.

Το πρόγραμμα παράγεται από τη μεγάλη εταιρία Η/Υ Apple, o Πρόεδρος της οποίας Τζον Σκάλι είπε σχετικά: Αποφασίσαμε να προωθήσουμε το πρόγραμμα εκμάθησης της Ελληνικής, επειδή η κοινωνία μας χρειάζεται ένα εργαλείο που θα της επιτρέψει ν' αναπτύξει τη δημιουργικότητά της, να εισαγάγει καινούριες ιδέες και θα της προσφέρει γνώσεις περισσότερες απ' όσες ο άνθρωπος μπορούσε ως τώρα να ανακαλύψει.

Με άλλα λόγια, πρόκειται για μιαν εκδήλωση της τάσης για επιστροφή του παγκόσμιου πολιτισμού στο πνεύμα και τη γλώσσα των Ελλήνων.

Άλλη συναφής εκδήλωση: Οι Άγγλοι επιχειρηματίες προτρέπουν τα ανώτερα στελέχη να μάθουν Αρχαία Ελληνικά επειδή αυτά περιέχουν μια ξεχωριστή σημασία για τους τομείς οργανώσεως και διαχειρίσεως επιχειρήσεων.

Σε αυτό το συμπέρασμα ήδη οδηγήθηκαν μετά από διαπιστώσεις Βρετανών ειδικών ότι η Ελληνική γλώσσα ενισχύει τη λογική και τονώνει τις ηγετικές ικανότητες.

Γι' αυτό έχει μεγάλη αξία, όχι μόνο στην πληροφορική και στην υψηλή τεχνολογία, αλλά και στον τομέα οργανώσεως και διοικήσεως ..

Αυτές οι ιδιότητες της Ελληνικής ώθησαν το Πανεπιστήμιο Ιρμάιν της Καλιφόρνια να αναλάβει την αποθησαύριση του πλούτου της... Επικεφαλής του προγράμματος τοποθετήθηκαν η γλωσσολόγος -Ελληνίστρια- Μακ Ντόναλι και οι καθηγητές της ηλεκτρονικής Μπρούνερ και Πάκαρι.

Στον Η/Υ Ίμυκο αποθησαυρίστηκαν 6 εκατομμύρια λεκτικοί τύποι της γλώσσας μας όταν η Αγγλική έχει συνολικά 490000 λέξεις και 300000 τεχνικούς όρους, δηλαδή σαν γλώσσα είναι μόλις το 1/100 της δικής μας. Στον Ίμυκο ταξινομήθηκαν 8.000 συγγράμματα 4.000 αρχαίων Ελλήνων και το έργο συνεχίζεται.

Μιλώντας γι' αυτό ο καθηγητής Μπρούνερ είπε: Σε όποιον απορεί γιατί τόσα εκατομμύρια δολάρια για την αποθησαύριση των λέξεων της Ελληνικής απαντούμε: Μα πρόκειται για τη γλώσσα των προγόνων μας. Και η επαφή μας μ'αυτούς θα βελτιώσει τον πολιτισμό μας .

Οι υπεύθυνοι του προγράμματος υπολογίζουν ότι οι ελληνικοί λεκτικοί τύποι θα φθάσουν στα 90 εκατομμύρια, έναντι 9 εκατομμυρίων της λατινικής. Το ενδιαφέρον για την Ελληνική προέκυψε από τη διαπίστωση των επιστημόνων πληροφορικής και υπολογιστών ότι οι Η/Υ προχωρημένης τεχνολογίας δέχονται ως νοηματική γλώσσα μόνον την Ελληνική. Όλες τις άλλες γλώσσες τις χαρακτήρισαν σημειολογικές .

Νοηματική γλώσσα θεωρείται η γλώσσα στην οποία το σημαίνον, δηλαδή η λέξη, και το σημαινόμενο, δηλαδή αυτό, που η λέξη εκφράζει (πράγμα, ιδέα, κατάσταση), έχουν μεταξύ τους πρωτογενή σχέση. Ενώ σημειολογική είναι η γλώσσα στην οποία αυθαιρέτως ορίζεται ότι το πράγμα (σημαινόμενο) εννοείται με το (σημαίνον).

Με άλλα λόγια, η Ελληνική γλώσσα είναι η μόνη γλώσσα της οποίας οι λέξεις έχουν πρωτογένεια, ενώ σε όλες τις άλλες, οι λέξεις είναι συμματικές, σημαίνουν, δηλαδή, κάτι, απλώς επειδή έτσι 'συμφωνήθηκε' μεταξύ εκείνων που την χρησιμοποιούν.

ΟΛΕΣ οι λέξεις στην Ελληνική ΣΗΜΑΙΝΟΥΝ, π.χ. η λέξη ενθουσιασμός = εν-Θεώ, γεωμετρία = γη +μετρώ, προφητεία = προ + φάω, άνθρωπος = ο άναρθρων (ο αρθρώνων λόγο).

Έχουμε δηλαδή αιτιώδη σχέση μεταξύ λέξεως-πράγματος, πράγμα ανύπαρκτο στις άλλες γλώσσες. Τα πιο τέλεια προγράμματα Ίμυκος , Γνώσεις και Νεύτων αναπαριστούν τους λεκτικούς τύπους της Ελληνικής σε ολοκληρώματα και σε τέλεια σχήματα παραστατικής, πράγμα που αδυνατούν να κάνουν για τις άλλες γλώσσες.

Και τούτο επειδή η Ελληνική έχει μαθηματική δομή που επιτρέπει την αρμονική γεωμετρική τους απεικόνιση.

Ιδιαιτέρως χρήσιμα είναι τα ελληνικά προσφύματα ΟΠΩΣ : τηλέ , λάνδη=...LAND, ΓΕΩ...,νάνο, μίκρο, μέγα, σκοπό....ισμός, ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟ...., κυκλο...., ΦΩΝΟ...., ΜΑΚΡΟ...., ΜΙΚΡΟ...., ΔΙΣΚΟ...., ΓΡΑΦΟ..., ΓΡΑΜΜΑ..., ΣΥΝ..., ΣΥΜ..., κ.λπ..

ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΓΜΑ : ΤΟ ΓΝΩΣΤΟ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ C D = COMPACT DISK = ΣΥΜΠΑΚΤΩΜΕΝΟΣ ΔΙΣΚΟΣ

Οι ηλεκτρονικοί υπολογιστές θεωρούν την Ελληνική γλώσσα «μη οριακή», δηλαδή ότι μόνο σ' αυτή δεν υπάρχουν όρια και γι' αυτό είναι αναγκαία στις νέες επιστήμες όπως η Πληροφορική, η Ηλεκτρονική, η Κυβερνητική και άλλες.

Αυτές οι επιστήμες μόνο στην Ελληνική γλώσσα βρίσκουν τις νοητικές εκφράσεις που χρειάζονται, χωρίς τις οποίες η επιστημονική σκέψη αδυνατεί να προχωρήσει.

Γι' αυτούς τους λόγους οι Ισπανοί Ευρωβουλευτές ζήτησαν να καθιερωθεί η Ελληνική ως η επίσημη της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης διότι το να μιλά κανείς για Ενωμένη Ευρώπη χωρίς την Ελληνική είναι σα να μιλά σε έναν τυφλό για χρώματα.

Προωθήστε αυτό το μήνυμα! Όχι για λόγους σοβινιστικούς, Μα για να μαθαίνουν σιγά-σιγά την αλήθεια οι απληροφόρητοι!


Using the Greek language we will reach for the stars! And we shall find Dune. And the Emperor will propose a challenge, to each of the Houses. One of them will be the noble Atreides (o γνωστός οίκος των Ατρειδών [που έβγαλε παλικάρια όπως ο Αγαμέμνονας και ο Μενέλαος], δηλαδή οι Έλληνες)

Ta ta,
--
elias a.k.a. diluted

20110610

Microsoft loses $290 million patent battle, begins searching couch cushions

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/09/microsoft-loses-290-million-patent-battle-begins-searching-cou/
Hurrah for the Canadians :D
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Bluetooth 4.0 health monitors will arrive later this year

 
 

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The Bluetooth SIG is releasing new, health-oriented specifications for version 4.0 of its popular wireless technology. As a result, power-saving blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, and other devices should be available by the end of the year, the organization says....

 
 

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20110609

New 'semi-solid' battery could recharge EVs as fast as pumping gas

 
 

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via Engadget by Sharif Sakr on 6/8/11

Researchers at MIT reckon they've struck oil. In fact, you're looking at what they call "Cambridge crude" -- a substance that could halve the weight and cost of EV batteries and make them quicker to charge too. The black goo is packed with a high concentration of energy in the form of particles suspended in a liquid electrolyte. When separated by a filter, these particles function as mobile electrodes that can be pumped into and around a system before the energy is released. So instead of waiting up to 20 hours to juice your Nissan Leaf, you could potentially just pump this pre-charged substance into it -- rather like dirty old gas. Until now, no such "semi-solid flow cell" has been able to hold useful quantities of energy, but this stuff literally oozes with it. Not only could it power EVs, it could even be used for large-scale electricity storage for utilities. The researchers insist this energy revolution is years off -- but when it comes, there will be blood.

New 'semi-solid' battery could recharge EVs as fast as pumping gas originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MIT News  |  sourceAdvanced Energy Materials  | Email this | Comments

 
 

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The Netherlands Second Country to Codify Net Neutrality After Chile

Let's all go to live in Chile or in the Netherlands :D

 
 

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via OSNews by donotreply@osnews.com (Thom Holwerda) on 6/8/11

I've been keeping you up to date about the situation around net neutrality in The Netherlands - and today, everything finally came to its logical conclusion. During a debate in our lower house, most of the kinks were ironed out, and our minister of economic affairs, Maxime Verhagen, will now turn net neutrality into law. This means that after Chile, The Netherlands will be the second country in the world to do so.

 
 

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20110607

Nintendo Wii U Next-Gen Console Official [Video]

pretty cool actually

 
 

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via SlashGear by Rue Liu on 6/7/11

Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference has officially unveiled the much anticipated next-generation Wii game console. Nintendo's original Wii revolutionized gameplay and naturally its next offering would draw a lot of attention. What could the company come up with next? Well, its the Wii U and we've already brought you early details on it during our coverage of the press event, but here now is a video of the announcement plus trailer along with the official press release.

Many of the rumors surrounding the next-gen console turned out to be true. The Wii U's game controller will indeed sport a 6.2-inch screen and a front-facing camera as suspected. It will also have an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, a microphone and speakers. Classic controller buttons such as two analogue Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R butttons, as well as ZL/ZR buttons in addition to the new features will create many new possibilities in gameplay. There's even a new "Shield Pose" that uses the controller as a shield to block attacks by projectiles.

In single player mode, the controller can display information on its screen that you won't find on the TV. For example, you could view a terrain from a different vantage point such as a birds-eye view. In multiplayer mode, the player using the controller can have a different view than the players using the TV.

The new Wii U console will support full HD and will come with one new Wii U controller. It will be fully compatible with classic Wii Remote controllers as well as be backwards compatible with all Wii games. The release date for the new console has not been confirmed yet, but will likely come out in the first half of next year. In the meantime, there are several new Nintendo 3DS titles for your to enjoy. For the full details you can take a look at the video and press release below.

Press Release:

Nintendo's Upcoming Wii U Console Features Controller with 6.2-inch Screen
Nintendo 3DS Continues its Evolution with Mario Kart, Super Mario and the Nintendo eShop as Nintendo Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)– At the E3 Expo, Nintendo introduced a new paradigm for video games and home entertainment: Wii U™, a new console that includes a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Adding a second screen to the living room creates a multitude of new video game experiences while offering families a variety of options to customize their entertainment.

Previously, video games played on a home console have been confined to the TV and offered identical viewpoints to each player in a multiplayer environment. Furthermore, watching TV and playing console games have been completely separate experiences. The new controller removes these boundaries, creating a more dynamic and fluid gaming and entertainment experience. Visitors to the E3 Expo will see firsthand the type of gaming experiences made possible by Wii U and the new controller such as:

In single-player games:
The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.
The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.

In multiplayer games:

The player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and cooperative opportunities.

In addition to the 6.2-inch touchscreen, the new controller also features an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers. Adding these features to the Classic Controller™ button scheme – two analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons – will enable a breadth of game-play experiences while appealing to both casual and dedicated video game players.

Wii U combines motion-sensing game play with the ability to support full HD graphics. Each Wii U console will be partnered with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote™ or Wii Remote Plus controllers. The system is also backward compatible and can play all Wii games and use all Wii accessories. The Wii console has sold more than 86 million units globally and greatly expanded the overall audience for video games. Wii U aims to expand that audience even further. Developers worldwide are already working on new games and experiences for the console.

"Wii U redefines the structure of home entertainment by fundamentally changing how the TV, the game console and the Internet function and interact together," said Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. "The experience enabled by Wii U and the new controller takes players deeper into their games, while reaching out wider than ever before to be inviting to all kinds of gamers."

Nintendo 3DS™, which lets users see 3D images without the need for special glasses, launched in the United States on March 27 and continues to evolve. Owners will find that their Nintendo 3DS experience is different every time they pick up the system, thanks to new content and updates delivered by Nintendo, by third parties and exchanged between users.

A new system update is now available for the Nintendo 3DS system. Users who connect to a wireless broadband Internet connection and install the system update will instantly gain access to the Nintendo eShop, which contains a variety of games and applications for download using a cash-based system.

Users can browse original 3D software, 3D Classics (select classic video games re-mastered in 3D), classic Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color games, and more than 350 games and applications currently offered for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service. Visitors can also see videos and screen shots for games, plus see how other players rank games.

The system update also provides Nintendo 3DS owners access to free items, including an Internet browser that can show 3D images on sites specifically designed to show 3D images, a download of a re-mastered 3D version of the NES™ classic Excitebike™ game (free until July 7) and Pokédex™ 3D, which lets users discover and view more than 150 Pokémon™ from the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games in visually engaging 3D.

Nintendo also announced a huge lineup of upcoming new and fan-favorite franchise games, many of which are playable on the E3 Expo show floor in booth 4922.

Nintendo 3DS: Super Mario™, Luigi's Mansion™ 2, Mario Kart™, Kid Icarus™: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Star Fox 64™ 3D, Animal Crossing™, Paper Mario™, Picture Lives!, The Rolling Western™.

Wii: The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword, Kirby™ Wii, Wii Play™: Motion, Mystery Case Files™: The Malgrave Incident™, Mario Party™ 9, Rhythm Heaven™ and Fortune Street™.

Nintendo DS™: Kirby™ Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the Last Specter™, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker™ 2 and Super Fossil Fighters™.


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Nintendo Wii U Next-Gen Console Official [Video] is written by Rue Liu & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2011, SlashGear. All right reserved.


 
 

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20110606

VIDEO: Japanese workers urged to wear less

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-asia-pacific-13673284

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Science ups the 'anti' on matter

 
 

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via BBC News - Home on 6/6/11

Scientists trap anti-hydrogen atoms for more than 15 minutes, greatly improving their ability to study the mirror of the material our Universe is made from.

 
 

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Moons like ours 'could be common'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-13609153
This could also be true for life ;)
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20110605

Status detection

We should implement a system that will detect the actual status of the person whose phone is ringing (i.e. the callee) using various sensors and report it back to the caller.

Example: "Elias is busy, he is trying desperately to break into a house at <address>. Calling the police would be great. Thank you."

or "Elias has just fallen in a radioactive pool at <address>. Calling an ambulance would be great. Thank you."

or "Elias has just missed the last train at the station <station name>. Calling a cab would be great. Thank you."

or "Elias has won the lottery and is on his way to Bali. Please try again in two weeks, because we all hate roaming charges. Thank you."

Of course it will be possible to limit the information that is being delivered to the caller.

Example: "Elias is.. um.. very busy.. um.. fighting with.. um.. Chuck Norris.. or.. whatever.. he'll.. um.. call you?"
--
elias a.k.a. diluted

Newest Kinect hack: a grocery cart that loyally follows disabled shoppers (v...

nicely done

 
 

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via Engadget by Jesse Hicks on 6/4/11


Microsoft's Kinect is the gift that keeps on giving for hackers, spawning everything from glasses-free teleconferencing to Tesla coil manipulation to uh, well, Android dance parties. But Luis de Matos's wi-Go project is one of the most socially conscious we've seen: it adds a laptop and (despite its name) a Kinect to a shopping cart, enabling the cart to follow a wheelchair user. Improving on the B.O.S.S. bot we saw a half-decade ago, the wi-Go could allow anyone -- including the disabled or elderly -- to shop independently, regardless of physical capability. De Matos doesn't offer many technical details, but see the video above for a before-and-after demonstration.

Newest Kinect hack: a grocery cart that loyally follows disabled shoppers (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jun 2011 02:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Kinect Hacks  |  sourceLuis de Matos (Vimeo)  | Email this | Comments

 
 

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Eee Pad Transformer caught playing nice with PS3 controller (video)

15 days remaining

 
 

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via Engadget by Terrence O'Brien on 6/4/11

ASUS EeePad Transformer Plays Nice with PS3 Controller
Earlier this week the Eee Pad Transformer scored itself a sweet upgrade in the form of Android 3.1, and with it came USB host support. When we did our hands-on with the Honeycomb update we couldn't demo the feature because, well, the Xoom doesn't have any USB ports. But that Transformer keyboard dock has a pair of 2.0 jacks and someone was kind enough to post a YouTube vid of a PS3 controller and the ASUS tablet getting their game on. Theoretically, this should work with any USB gamepad, including those for the Xbox 360. The only drawback? You've got to be wired in -- no Bluetooth support here. Follow the break to see it in action and satisfy your Android-loving curiosity.

[Thanks, Ben]

Continue reading Eee Pad Transformer caught playing nice with PS3 controller (video)

Eee Pad Transformer caught playing nice with PS3 controller (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink HKtech  |  sourceASUS UK (Twitter), MrEverblue82  | Email this | Comments

 
 

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UN Declares Internet Access a Human Right

Ο ΟΤΕ και οι εταιρίες που τους δίνει την εργολαβία να φτιάχνουν τις καλωδιακές βλάβες μου στερούν τα δικαιώματά μου. Για 3 μήνες τώρα. Assholes.

 
 

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via OSNews by donotreply@osnews.com (Thom Holwerda) on 6/4/11

Since it's weekend, let's start with some good news we can all be happy about. The United Nations has declared internet access a human right, and has called upon all nations to not instate any laws that have the power to cut people off the internet, with France and the UK being singled out because they passed three strikes laws.

 
 

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20110603

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Ironmandroidflash!

:D

 
 

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via SlashGear by Shane McGlaun on 6/3/11

It's not uncommon to find little hidden pictures and other content in the ROM of some of the mobile devices we all use. There are always some geeks that will poke through the ROM to find the little Easter Eggs and then share them for us all to look at and wonder WTF. The WTF moment for today is here with the unearthing of the pic below.

That picture of the Android mascot dressed up like Ironman with the Flash logo on his chest came from the ROM of the Samsung Galaxy S II. I will call him Ironmandroidflash. He's fast, can show you web video, and has a sweet costume after all so the name is fitting. This is all the proof I need to know that the devs working on the Galaxy S II are comic book geeks.

I'd rather run across a muscle bound Incredible Hulk version of Android in the ROM myself, that would be sweet. What's the oddest Easter Egg you have ever found hidden inside the software of a tech product?

[via Android Community]


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It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Ironmandroidflash! is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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LEGO-licious Star Wars Sandcrawler used 10,000 bricks

\m/

 
 

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via SlashGear by Shane McGlaun on 6/3/11

I mentioned a cool LEGO kit yesterday that is the largest Technic set LEGO has ever offered at about 2,000 pieces. That LEGO kit is nothing compared to this DIY LEGO construct that Marshal Banana spent nine months building. That is a long time for the birthing process of a 3-foot long 10,000-piece Star Wars Sandcrawler. I would have never finished something this epic. The crawler has remote control steering and is incredibly detailed.

I'm trying to not have a nerd aneurism over the trifecta of geek perfection this thing embodies with LEGO, RC hardware, and Star Wars all in one device. The crane the Sandcrawler has is also remote controlled as is the conveyor belt. The interior of the crawler is fully detailed and looks like the set of the latest LEGO Star Wars video game.

There is so much to talk about and see on this project that worlds can't do the thing justice. You have to check out the video below to see what the Sandcrawler has to offer. This is a good way to spend nine months of work for a geek with time on his hands.

legosand-1 legosand-2 legosand-3 legosand-4 legosand-5

[via Brothers-brick]


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LEGO-licious Star Wars Sandcrawler used 10,000 bricks is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2011, SlashGear. All right reserved.


 
 

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US confirms $500m Chrysler sale

Good job Fiat. The ubiquitous Jeep trademark is yours now :P

 
 

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via BBC News - Home on 6/2/11

The US Treasury confirms that it is to sell its remaining 6% stake in Chrysler for $500m, giving Fiat a majority stake.

 
 

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Defamation settlement requires Malaysian man to apologize 100 times on Twitter

LOL ROFL :D

 
 

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via Engadget by Brian Heater on 6/2/11

The punishment, the saying goes, should fit the crime. When working within the legal system, however, it can be pretty tough to come up with a truly appropriate sentence. Settlements, on the other hand, offer a little more room for creativity, and after a Malaysian political aide / social activist used Twitter to air a grievance about a pregnant friend's employer, the publishing company turned to the social network for inspiration. Fahmi Fadzil tweeted an apology shortly after, but BluInc Media wasn't satiated. The two parties finally reached an elementary school-esque out of court decision, requiring Fadzil to apologize for his initial statement 100 times on the microblogging service. He began the apology today at 9:00AM his time, and will continue on until June 4th, as per the rules of the agreement. Those looking to inject a little diversity into their Twitter stream may want to wait a bit before following the guy.

Defamation settlement requires Malaysian man to apologize 100 times on Twitter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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20110602

South Africa in anti-piracy deal

wow. I thought that this had to do with illegal movie, music and software downloads :P

 
 

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via BBC News - Home on 6/2/11

South Africa and Mozambique agree to join forces to fight piracy off Mozambique's 2,470km-long coastline.

 
 

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Gigantic LEGO Technic set is a Mercedes Unimog truck

nicely done :)

 
 

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via SlashGear by Shane McGlaun on 6/2/11

Geeks like LEGO, specifically the LEGO Technic sets that are so crazily detailed that you have to put the littlie LEGO pistons into the little LEGO engines of some models. The latest LEGO Technic set to be unveiled is a scale model of a truck that we rarely see in the States, but is apparently pretty common in Europe. The truck the kit is modeled after is the Mercedes Benz Unimog. That is a strange name, Unimog sounds like some sort of subterranean mythical creature that Hercules fought.

The Unimog kit is being produced by LEGO to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the truck and its kit has 2000 pieces and is the largest Technic set ever sold by LEGO. I would end up losing at least 500 of those parts during the build. The kit is a 1:12.5 scale, which considering the size of the real vehicle makes the Technica set gigantic as well. The features of the model are the same as the real vehicle.

The Unimog LEGO kit gets a winch on the front and a pneumatically operated crane on the rear than can move 360-degrees. A snowplow is optional as well. This is one of the kits that has pistons you have to install into the little LEGO motor. The kit will cost you about $250 when it lands in August. Go ahead and add this to your Christmas list now.

unimog-1 unimog-2

[via Jalopnik]


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Gigantic LEGO Technic set is a Mercedes Unimog truck is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2011, SlashGear. All right reserved.


 
 

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Skype protocol reverse engineered and source offered for download

skype (i.e. microsoft) will probably hire the guy :P

 
 

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via SlashGear by Shane McGlaun on 6/2/11

This news will not make Skype happy at all. A hacker by the name of Efim Bushmanov that calls himself a freelance researcher has announced that he has reverse engineered Skype and offered the source code up for download. Bushmanov says that he aims to make Skype open source and is looking for friends that can spend the "many hours" needed to completely reverse engineer the software.

The man claims that most of the hard things for the project are already done for versions 1.x/3.x/4.x of Skype. The hard parts that are complete include the rc4 and arithmetic compression. Bushmanov also offers a "unique chance" to look at the Skype internal protocol and encryption and notes that it uses AES and RSA encryption.

Apparently, the man offers a working "send message to Skype" code, but notes that it is based on the old Skype 1.4 protocol that is changed now. You can download the code if you want from the skype-open-source website. I wonder how Skype will respond to this.


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Skype protocol reverse engineered and source offered for download is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 - 2011, SlashGear. All right reserved.



 
 

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