Author Archive
This Is China’s New Attack Helicopter
By yanko at 7 February, 2012, 7:15 am
The Chinese continue to upgrade their military to new levels. This is their new attack helicopter, the Z-19, a two-seater painted in badass black that looks a lot like the Eurocopter Dauphin. That’s because it’s based on the Eurocopter Dauphin. Like with previous designs, the Chinese licensed the designs from the manufacturer — for their previous helicopter, the Z-9 — and t …
Read More >>Press-To-Open Keyring Just Blew My Mind
By yanko at 7 February, 2012, 6:30 am
I’m really sorry dress pant sweatpants, but there’s only room in my heart for one amazing invention at a time, and you’ve just been replaced by these brilliant Free Key rings that open with a simple press. I consider myself a fairly dexterous individual, but I’d rather be tasked with finding Atlantis than putting a new key onto a keyring. At least I know I’d be more s …
Read More >>How Much Abuse Can A Blackberry Take?
By yanko at 7 February, 2012, 5:00 am
RIM just put out a series of videos showcasing the durability tests a Blackberry has to withstand prior to its release. Pretty cool! The featured victim is a Blackberry Curve, which is dunked in water, bent to excess and dropped. Details are slim regarding the specifics of the tests and their outcomes, but it’s still nice to have a window into the process. And now, let the Blackberry jokes c …
Read More >>We’ve Finally Reached That 20 Million Year Old Lake Beneath Antarctica
By yanko at 7 February, 2012, 4:00 am
After 20 years of drilling, Russian scientists have finally punched a hole in the bottom of the planet to reach the ancient lake 4km beneath Antarctica. The scientists had been radio-silent for about a week, which prompted some concern, but is generally the price of doing business in Antarctica. More pressing was the concern that the frigid Antarctic winter would move in and postpone the breach un …
Read More >>Apple May Have To Stop Selling The iPad In China
By yanko at 7 February, 2012, 2:30 am
After losing a trademark lawsuit last year against a Chinese company, Apple may have to pay a fine and stop selling and marketing the iPad in China. An ironic outcome, if it finally goes through. Last year, Apple sued a company called Proview Technology Shenzhen. The latter said they had the rights to the iPad name in continental China, even while the company’s Hong Kong branch sold the name …
Read More >>Woman Who Assembles iPads Shown iPad For First Time In Her Life
By yanko at 7 February, 2012, 2:00 am
“Ms Chen”, as CNN calls her, works in a Foxconn plant installing iPad screens for virtually every waking hour of her life. Despite this, she never actually saw an iPad until CNN whisked her away. Her reaction will surprise you. The video investigation, popping up (deliberately) close to the New York Times ‘ piece on Apple labour practices, tells us what we already know: m …
Read More >>Woman Gets Tasered For Blocking McDonald’s Drive-Thru
By yanko at 7 February, 2012, 12:30 am
Evangeline Marrero Lucca, 37 years old and devoted Chicken McNuggets fan, got tasered at a McDonald’s drive-thru by police officers. She cut into the car line and then refused to move and wait her turn when instructed to do so. According to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office spokewoman Debbie Tanna, she got really violent when the police arrived, called by frustrated and scared McD …
Read More >>Bacteria-Killing Plasma Torches Could Make Raw Food Safer
By yanko at 6 February, 2012, 11:00 pm
When it comes to kitchen safety, raw chicken can be even more dangerous than a sharp knife because of bacteria like salmonella. But a new study reveals that cold plasma torches could eliminate those harmful pathogens, without cooking the food. The study, conducted by food researchers at Drexel University, found that normal levels of harmful bacteria like salmonella and campylobacter could be almos …
Read More >>‘Apple HDTV’ Detailed In Customer Survey
By yanko at 6 February, 2012, 10:00 pm
According to a slide uncovered by The Verge , Best Buy is asking its customers for thoughts on a 42-inch, $US1500 Apple HDTV. And it sounds dreamy: runs iOS, full App Store and iCloud support, an iSight camera. Too bad it’s all probably just a guess. For all the goodness packed into the hypothetical Apple HDTV, there are some weirdnesses. The survey claims Skype is baked in, which se …
Read More >>New York City’s Energy Consumption Mapped Out, Building-By-Building
By yanko at 6 February, 2012, 9:30 pm
Scientists have mapped the entire energy use of New York City, building by building. The interactive map, created by Bianca Howard, a PhD student in mechanical engineering at Columbia University, uses publicly available data to work out which buildings are using the most energy and how they are using it. Then, it displays the energy use on a colour map. Howard’s PhD supervisors, Professor M …
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