US students lack hunger - official
Soft and slow
New Research Shows That Tea Can Help You To Focus
12th December 2006 12:55:51
Tea can make a difference
Had a bad day, fancy a chat with friends or really need to crack that tricky problem? What do you do? Put the kettle on of course.
We've always known that tea gives us a certain something that helps us through, but it's always been hard to define exactly what's so special about it. Until now...
New research carried out at Unilever's Beverages Global Technology Centre could help us understand why taking time out for a cup of tea is beneficial and makes such a difference.
They have established that a normal cup of PG tips tea typically delivers 22mg theanine.
Every cup of tea naturally contains the amino acid theanine. Tea is virtually the only dietary source of theanine, apart from the edible bay boletes mushroom, which explains why sometimes only tea will do.
The effects of 50mg theanine - the amount present in 2-3 cups of PG tips tea is known* to stimulate alpha brain waves which are associated with being relaxed yet alert. Alpha activity is thought to be important for the ability to focus attention.
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http://www.safetycentral.com/dissupkit.html
FOR JACK:
Fab@Home shows you how to build a fabber on your own Posted Dec 11th 2006 6:50AM by Cyrus Farivar Filed under: Misc. Gadgets Fabbers, or 3D printers, or prototyping machines, are traditionally used in product manufacturing to get an idea of how a product sketch will look and feel in real life. Just like many technological products, a homebrew open-source community has started up around fabbers -- a new one has just begun at Cornell University, appropriately called Fab@Home. The project, which is already several weeks old, has resulted in some pretty awesome projects, including a fabbing chocolate machine done by a high school student in Kentucky that makes some pretty tasty looking treats. As you'd expect, the group has put together a set of instructions and accompanying software (Windows only, sorry Mac and Linux fans) so that you too can build your own fabber, chocolate or otherwise. No word on if you can make a totally fab Fabergé egg with a fabber, however.
How Come I've Never Heard of Gustav Trouvé?
Machinima epic Bloodspell concludes
GTD Coach on Google Tools
LED Holiday Project Kits
Online Samples
Microchip Samples for all your PIC needs:
The CREATE USB Interface - where art meets electronics
DARPA reinstates Grand Challenge prize money, millions at stake Posted Dec 11th 2006 7:45AM by Cyrus Farivar Filed under: Robots, Transportation We totally heart DARPA (the folks who brought you the internet!), given all the sweet research that it funds. As such, our hearts sunk when Congress dropped the prize for DARPA'S 2007 Grand Challenge to nil back in October. But the Grand Challenge has just gotten a little sweeter, since Congress has since reinstated the prize money to $3.5 million, split three ways, (including amongst the Team B competitors): the winning team will get $2 million, the second place $1 million, and third place a cool half million clams, or bones, or whatever you call them. As you probably know, the 2007 Grand Challenge will be a 60-mile urban course, which means that the cars will have to navigate themselves through an unnamed city (or section of a city) somewhere in the Western US. Of course, this prize money isn't going to do much for offsetting the cost of such a large project, but it'll surely buy a lot of champagne at the victory party. [Warning: PDF link]
Another Look: LG’s “E-Book” Laptop
TRY A STERNO CAN IN AN EMPTY MAYONNAISE JAR, ITS CHEAPER!
Tabletop Fireplace is Wussiest Campfire Ever There's just nothing like a roaring fire in the middle of winter to warm your bones. Unfortunately, for those of us living in big cities fireplaces are rarely a viable option. Personally, I've found the flaming trash can to be a decent replacement, but if you don't happen to live in a hobo-cluttered alleyway that might not work as well for you. The Tabletop GlassFire Smokeless Fireplace uses efficient biofuel to create a blazing fire with no smoke, so you can use it indoors with no chimney. It looks pretty small, so fire-in-a-jar might be a more apt description than fireplace, but your mileage may vary. It's all yours for a mere $550. –ADAM FRUCCI Product Page [via New Launches]
Microsoft's $100,000 challenge Posted Dec 10th 2006 6:36PM by Chris Gilmer Filed under: Business, Finance, Windows, Microsoft Microsoft is on the hunt for the best small business idea, and has $100,000 on the table. If your idea is the best out of the bunch that are submitted, you get the cash, plus a free retail location in New York City for one year. How awesome would that be for a startup company? The new Microsoft Office Accounting 2007 is sponsoring this contest. Microsoft released the free Office Accounting software that used to retail for $179US back in the end of October. To be entered into the contest, visit the website, and fill out the online submission form with all of your details. The free Office Accounting software can also be downloaded from the IdeaWins.com website.
Gifts for your Geek this year Posted Dec 10th 2006 2:02PM by Ryan Carter Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Commercial, Freeware, Holiday Gift Guide Some people can't seem to get this idea out of their heads that gifts have to be something physical. When I began to think about the holidays this year, I thought about all the things I wouldn't mind having, and I thought of mostly physical hold-it-in-your-hand gifts I want. Most of the gifts I hope to get happen to be virtual. Here is a nice rundown of some of the things you might think about buying for your own geek (both virtual gifts and physical gifts):
Get a free domain name care of Microsoft Posted Dec 9th 2006 7:22PM by Chris Gilmer Filed under: Business, Internet, Windows, Microsoft Microsoft has an incredible offer on the table right now. Free domain names! Can it really be all that? Microsoft is offering free domains through its Office Live program for businesses. The free package consists of:
Animals in the womb
AWESOME photos, well worth looking, if not reading the whole article.
http://tinyurl.com/utu8n
Blurb * Lulu
Personal bookprinting
(Inexpensive alternative to Apple iPhoto books et. al.)
http://tinyurl.com/yj3vs6
5 Displays You Can’t Buy
http://tinyurl.com/vcdq6
The Cyberlux EverOn LED Portable Light – a 'must-have' for the
emergency kit from Around The Home (296 articles) December 8, 2006 We
do get excited about useful things that become more useful in an
emergency and the Cyberlux EverOn fits that bill perfectly – it is
an easy-to-use, inexpensive emergency light that offers over 500
hours of nightlight level light, or 60 hours of a medium, room-
filling light, or 30 hours of intensely bright white light – all
from one set of 4 AA batteries. It can perform this seemingly magical
feat because it is bulb free - it uses Cyberlux solid-state LED
technology which is 90 percent more energy efficient than
conventional incandescent lighting elements found in most lanterns
and flashlights. And an ideal safety light for young children.
http://tinyurl.com/tkojs
KBPublisher - open-source Knowledge Base software
Posted Dec 7th 2006 11:00AM by Jason Clarke
Filed under: Business, Developer, Internet, Utilities, Windows,
Linux, Productivity, Open Source, Unix
At one time or another, every company I've ever worked for has said
"we should really build a knowledge base on that topic", or something
to that effect. And inevitably they did, with good and not-so-good
results. It's too bad that I didn't know about KBPublisher back then,
that's for sure. Some of the home-grown "solutions" were so bad that
you'd be lucky to find any of the useful information that was surely
in them.
http://tinyurl.com/wgzvn
Firefly MMORPG Announced
Posted by CowboyNeal on Thursday December 07, @11:53PM
from the space-ships-and-capes dept.
bishiraver writes
"Multiverse has announced that they have gained rights to a Firefly
Massively Multiplayer Online Game. Multiverse is a company started by
several former Netscape employees, and they have developed an engine/
network that works for all of their games. They intend to break into
the MMO industry by being an MMO publisher of sorts. By
standardizing, they can provide a less expensive alternative to the
tens of millions of dollars and several years it takes to currently
develop an MMO. They have said they will hire out a studio to build
the game for them. Corey Bridgets, Massive's Executive Producer,
says: 'If you're doing science fiction, you have to really think it
out and create an incredibly rich environment that is compelling in
its own right, and worth exploring and going back to week after week.
That's what Joss Whedon did with Firefly.'"
http://tinyurl.com/y3dq94
Tongue not tied. Gene Simmons, eat your heart out. The nectar bat
(Anoura fistulata) boasts a tongue 50% longer than its entire body, a
record for all mammals, including 1970s rock stars. At 8.5
centimeters, the tongue is so long that it's anchored deep inside the
creature's chest cavity rather than at the base of the mouth. The
researcher who made the find, reported 7 December in Nature,
speculates that the Ecuadorian bat's tongue evolved to feed from the
8.5-cm-long funnel-like flowers of the Centropogon nigricans plant.
(Photo: Murray Cooper)

http://tinyurl.com/yzf2mu
I AM ALL FOR INNOVATIVE INEXPENSIVE USE OF EXISTING TECHNOLOGY.....
Silly String in Iraq
American troops in Iraq apparently use Silly String to reveal hidden
trip wires that trigger bombs. From the Associated Press:
Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can
shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to
the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they
have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible.
In other cases of battlefield improvisation in Iraq, U.S. soldiers
have bolted scrap metal to Humvees in what has come to be known as
"Hillybilly Armor." Medics use tampons to plug bullet holes in the
wounded until they can be patched up.
Also, soldiers put condoms and rubber bands around their rifle
muzzles to keep out sand. And troops have welded old bulletproof
windshields to the tops of Humvees to give gunners extra protection.
They have dubbed it "Pope's glass" — a reference to the barriers
that protect the pontiff.
Link (Thanks, Gabe Adiv, who is growing a mustache for charity!)
posted by David Pescovitz at 06:00:43 PM permalink | Other blogs'
comments
http://tinyurl.com/yahuo6
I STILL HAVE NOT FIGURED THIS ONE OUT:
Forgotten invention: the Rolamite
Kaden says:
Ever hear about Rolamites? The only "basic mechanism" invented in the
20th century, they came out of Sandia Labs in the mid '60's.
I've prototyped a few variations, and they're *damned* fascinating...
almost like alien technology, or something that fell through that rip
in the space-time continuum that leads to the parallel universe.
A guy named Don Wilkes developed them, and they're pretty freakin'
cool. A couple of rollers tracked into a spring metal band, and Bob's
yer uncle: stored energy with (no shit) frictionless constrained
movement,
I remember reading about them in PopSci when they were first
developed, then promptly forgot about them, what with being 9 years
old and all. They popped back into my mind last night while pondering
the Zen of primary mechanisms.
They currently seem to be *somewhat* popular in force sensor
mechanisms, and there's ongoing research into using 'em in prosthetic
joints, but for all intents and purposes, they've fallen through the
cracks, Makerwise.
Link
posted by Mark Frauenfelder at 04:46:39 PM permalink | Other blogs'
comments
http://tinyurl.com/y9qmhd
This is the America we have becomeThe Horrors of Extraordinary Rendition
IEEE votes 100G as the next Ethernet speed, scheduled for 2010
Ah, the NEW camera that I will drool over for the next year until
around this time when, still unable to afford this one, I will start
drooling over a NEWER one:
Olympus E-400 DSLR review roundup
Posted Dec 1st 2006 5:34AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Sure, we all heard about how "small and light" this newfangled E-400
was supposed to be, but seeing it in its (relatively speaking) wee-
sized glory sure put things in perspective. Olympus downsized its
E-500, upped the resolution to match the bevy of competitors, and
managed to include "the first anti-dust system" (Supersonic Wave
Filter) reviewers at CameraLabs had ever tested "that proved
genuinely effective." While we're always skeptical when there's high
praise across the board, the E-400 truly seems like a solid offering
through and through; its ease of use (in auto and manual modes),
pocket-friendlier size, "excellent" image quality, and exceptional
versatility seemed to deliver in all the areas that make or break a
DSLR. Reviewers did mention that consumers may be immediately turned
off by the somewhat higher pricetag, but noted that the "high
quality" lens kit that accompanies this model actually offers
"excellent value for the money." Moreover, it was nearly unanimous
that the E-400 should've landed in place of the E-300 in order to
seem "more revolutionary," and now faces an uphill climb in an
attempt to dethrone the current kings of DSLR. Overall, however,
reviewers couldn't find much to complain about in the results
department, and noted that it made for an outstanding option if
you're just now thinking about delving into this (admittedly wallet-
draining) addiction hobby -- so if Olympus' latest has caught your
eye, be sure to hit the read links below for the variety of opinions.
http://tinyurl.com/yl2nho
Windows Live Search For Mobile vs. Google Maps Mobile
Microsoft's Windows Live Search for Mobiles just went live last
night, and we took it for a spin, comparing it to Google Maps for
Mobile, which has traffic, maps local business searches and
directions as well. Windows Live Search runs on both J2ME (Java)
phones and on Windows Mobile phones, whereas Google Maps only works
on J2ME phones. So which is better? Without a doubt, Microsoft's was
the winner. This matchup could have been a bit uneven. We were
running WLS on a Windows Mobile phone, seeing as the Windows Live
Search had a "native-app" feel, because it was a native app. Google
Maps on Java ran like Java always does. Painfully.
http://tinyurl.com/ykbnop
THE URL SAYS IT ALL:
http://www.billgatesforpresident.net/
SURE, LETS MAKE THE WORLDS LEAST RELIABLE FORM OF POWERED FLIGHT INTO
A UBIQUITOUS PEOPLE MOVER, PILOTED BY YOUR AVERAGE IDIOT!
A slow liftoff for the personal helicopter
Posted by Kurtis - Dec. 1, 2006 - 12:51 am from ZDNet
It is taking a little bit longer than expected to get a personal
helicopter off the ground. AirScooter, which hopes to sell a line of
mini-helicopters, has tweaked the design of its maiden vehicle and
will try to move it into production in 2007, said Dwaine Barnes, the
company's president. The company is also in the process of getting
the approval to sell the machines. When the production and regulatory
issues are clearer, the company will figure out its sales road map.
http://tinyurl.com/yz5ywv
Tangoes
Classic puzzle in great package

Simple games are the best. Tangrams are an old puzzle based on a set
of elemental shapes that can be arranged in thousands of different
patterns. To recreate a given picture is challenging, yet not too
daunting even for kids. Playing gently encourages lateral thinking.
It exercises a geometrical logic, rather than words or numbers. The
puzzles are almost like peanuts; you keep wanting just one more.
We use tangrams as an after dinner parlor game. Everyone gets a set
and we compete to find the solution first. Since the shapes can be
contained in one large square, you can easily cut your own version
from cardboard or plastic (and we have). But I've found that this
Tangoes model is precise, won't wear out, and crates up easily and
tidily. Each Tangoes case contains two sets of tangrams (in two
different colors) and a nifty set of puzzle pattern cards, all of
which slide into a plastic case with instructions on the inside. It's
a very nice package. We have several sets, to fill all the seats at a
table.
-- KK
Ultra Tangoes
$9
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by Tangoes
http://tinyurl.com/ykmv95
Amazon shopping tips and hacks
Yan Bezugliy at ProBargainHunter.com recommends an effective way to
find clearance at Amazon. It is as easy as adding &pct-off=percent at
the end of the amazon URL, where percent can be a number to get exact
discount % (like &pct-off=60-), or a range (like &pct-off=50-70):
You can easily customize the link by changing the department (which
is the number after “node=”) and/or discount percentage. Try these
links for example:
Link to 60% off Office Products
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?node=1064954&pct-off=60-
Link to 85% off Electronics
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?node=172282&pct-off=85-
Link to 70% off Apparel
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?node=1036682&pct-off=70-
Sounds easy to get some good deal at amazon? There are couple more
quick tips in the article. Check’em out.
Amazon shopping tips and hacks - [ProBargainHunter.com]
http://tinyurl.com/yc3rb2
Grockit Helps MBA Hopefuls Study For The GMAT
http://tinyurl.com/yfe84e
VERY COOL LOOKING:
Cactus building They placed the 98 residential units on 19 floors,
using the pattern of outdoor spaces to determine the overall
appearance of the project. The slightly irregular pattern alternates
these outdoor spaces to create what are in effect double-height
spaces. Each unit then receives more sunlight than a typical stacked
composition.
http://tinyurl.com/yn6sht
250 Free Office Templates and Documents
http://tinyurl.com/y46hm6
