The Challenge

The story of Mecca as it's never been told before

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:30:05 PDT

The story of Mecca as it's never been told before - From a few thousand people traveling by camel in the 7th century to three million a year today: The story of the Hajj -- the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca -- is an epic journey.That journey is celebrated in the first major exhibition dedicated to the Hajj, opening at the British Museum in London on January 26.It includes sacred objects, pictures

What to do in Tokyo

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:24:01 PDT

What to do in Tokyo - The Japanese capital is still Asia's premier metropolis. Here's where to find Tokyo's best hotels, eats, drinks, nightlife and attractionsTokyo is a city that can roar one moment and whisper at the next, a place where almost anything seems possible. And sometimes is. After all, 13 million people share this 2,188-square-kilometer piece of the planet, which is home to some of

The Mystery of the Flying Laptop

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:05:57 PDT

The Mystery of the Flying Laptop - Standing in line at security at San Francisco International Airport not long ago, family in tow, I dutifully pulled the laptop out of my bag and placed it in a separate bin for its solo trip through the X-ray machine. I also had an iPad in my backpack, so I caught the eye of a security agent. “Excuse me, does the iPad come out too?” I asked.“Not here,” she said.

Nobody Knows if Iran's Drone Hack Was a Hoax

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:58:20 PDT

Nobody Knows if Iran's Drone Hack Was a Hoax - Iran's reverse-engineering of a U.S. Sentinel drone was either a complete hoax or an unprecedented intelligence coup. While U.S. officials insist Iran fabricated its Sunday announcement that it recovered data from the RQ-170 drone, aviation and computer security experts are split on whether the regime's claim passes the smell test. As evidence that

Your Tweets Can Be Subpoenaed

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:18:25 PDT

Prosecutors don't have to get a warrant to subpoena your tweets, even if you delete them, because they're public information owned by a third party, a New York judge ruled on Monday. But the lawyer for the Occupy Wall Street protester trying to block a subpoena says the judge mixed up his metaphors in the ruling. Malcolm Harris, who's been fighting a subpoena of his Twitter account, faces as many

The Vatican’s Mob Murder Mystery

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 05:07:41 PDT

The Vatican’s Mob Murder Mystery - The faint smell of incense and candle wax permeates the church of Sant’Apollinare near Rome’s famous Piazza Navona. The basilica is one of a handful of churches outside the walls of Vatican City owned by the Holy See. It is used primarily by members of the ultra-conservative Opus Dei prelature for special masses for student priests and for celebrations of

Japanese man, 76, braves typhoons and biting insects living naked on tropical island (so long as he gets his weekly supply of rice cakes)

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:55:55 PDT

Japanese man, 76, braves typhoons and biting insects living naked on tropical island (so long as he gets his weekly supply of rice cakes) - Remote spot is just a kilometre wide - Currents are so dangerous fishermen hardly ever cast nets in the area - 'I've decided here is the place for me to die' - He rarely wears clothes and eats almost nothing but rice cakes but Masafumi Nagasaki says the

Somebody call elf 'n' safety, standards are on the slide! Ninety years ago, how taking a risk was all part of playtime fun

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:42:18 PDT

Somebody call elf 'n' safety, standards are on the slide! Ninety years ago, how taking a risk was all part of playtime fun - With their rickety ladders leading to a steep descent with little or nothing to hold on to, these 1922 slides would have today’s health and safety zealots scrambling for their clipboards.But the children, in their school ties, caps and shorts, seem perfectly happy to

How to Set Up Your Phone as a Wi-Fi Hotspot

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 05:13:00 PDT

How to Set Up Your Phone as a Wi-Fi Hotspot - It's great to have access to the Internet on your phone, but sometimes you'd really like to share that connection with a laptop or tablet. You can! It's called tethering; turning your phone into a personal Wi-Fi hotspot. But which phones can tether, how do you do it, what will it cost — and is it worth it?What is tethering?Tethering, or setting up a

Spotify’s 'Play Button' will transform music blogging

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:32:14 PDT

Spotify’s 'Play Button' will transform music blogging - Spotify’s new Play Button will put an end to broken and poor quality audio links, and crucially gain it a whole new following, writes Emma Barnett.Spotify’s latest move, the launch of the Play Button, which will allow every writer, from the unknown music blogger to the well known critics at music bibles, such as Rolling Stone magazine, to

BlackBerry beats a shambolic retreat

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:26:29 PDT

BlackBerry beats a shambolic retreat - Technology watchers are debating whether RIM’s new BlackBerry strategy really means it will stop competing for consumers or not, in another indication of the shambles the firm has become.RIM’s spokesmen have been calling anyone who will listen to assure them that its plan, announced overnight, to "refocus on the enterprise business" does not mean that it

New Google Chrome OS takes on Windows

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:04:04 PDT

New Google Chrome OS takes on Windows - Chrome OS, the operating system that Google hoped would challenge Windows, now includes a taskbar and a file structure remarkably similar to Microsoft’s OS.Launched in late 2010, Google’s Chrome OS is an operating system based on the company’s popular Chrome web browser. Until the latest release, however, Chrome OS provided a simple web browser window as

Look, no lens! Photographer takes 'impossible' self-portrait in mirror - where you can't see the camera

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:36:30 PDT

Look, no lens! Photographer takes 'impossible' self-portrait in mirror - where you can't see the camera - 'Trick' photo stitched from three separate images - 'Removes' camera so it appears as if made by a 'magic mirror'Anyone who's bought (or sold) anything shiny on eBay will know the problem - you can often catch a glimpse of the photographer, camera in hand taking the shot.But a photographer

Photographer captures Soviet avant-garde architecture

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:42:08 PDT

Photographer captures Soviet avant-garde architecture - British photographer Richard Pare is on a mission to capture Soviet avant-garde buildings before they turn to ruins in the hope of raising awareness about this little-known period of experimentation in modern architecture.The exhibition "Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935", which opened in Berlin on Thursday,

AOL to sell 800 patents to Microsoft for $1 billion

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:44:55 PDT

AOL to sell 800 patents to Microsoft for $1 billion - AOL Inc said it would sell over 800 of its patents and related applications to Microsoft Corp , and would grant Microsoft a non-exclusive license to the patents it retains, for slightly over $1 billion in cash.AOL's shares jumped 37 percent to $25.16 in trading before the bell on Monday. They closed at $18.42 on Friday on the New York Stock

Trigger Words to Remove from your Email Subject Lines NOW

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:15:05 PDT

Trigger Words to Remove from your Email Subject Lines NOW - Writing successful email subject lines for your email marketing campaign is as difficult as trying to win a chilli cook-off in Texas. You need the right elements, steps, time and of course, a secret ingredient.In a reverse-secret ingredient process we’ve put together a list of ingredients that shouldn’t be in your email subject line

Interest in 1940 US census paralyzes website

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:57:29 PDT

Interest in 1940 US census paralyzes website — Interest in the newly released 1940 U.S. census is so great that the government website with the information was nearly paralyzed shortly after the records became available to the public for the first time.Miriam Kleiman, spokeswoman for the U.S. National Archives, told The Associated Press that the site registered more than 22 million hits in just

1940 US Census now available for free online, but it’s not your only option

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:49:48 PDT

1940 US Census now available for free online, but it’s not your only option - The internet age has made a wealth of information available to anyone with a working connection, and being able to move backward in time through detailed records offers the chance to see our family trees in a whole knew way. The United States National Archives has just released an excellent tool for researching just

Flying car gets closer to reality with test flight

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:43:07 PDT

Flying car gets closer to reality with test flight - Flying cars aren't just science fiction anymore.Woburn, Mass.-based Terrafugia Inc. said Monday that its prototype flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle — dubbed the Transition — has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be

U.S. trial program would spy on Internet users to prevent animal abuse

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:39:26 PDT

U.S. trial program would spy on Internet users to prevent animal abuse - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offered an unusual contract (PDF) this month, soliciting bids from private software developers for a trial program that would scour the Internet for detailed information on all animal sales, potential animal welfare abuses and other unlawful economic activities relating to

PayPal Here Turns Phones Into Credit Card Readers

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:50:13 PDT

PayPal Here Turns Phones Into Credit Card Readers - You're likely familiar with PayPal as an online payment system. The company's logos are frequently found on eBay pages or on other websites. Click it and you can pay big or small retailers online via credit card or checking account.But the equivalent of those online PayPal buttons are going to start showing up in the world outside of your

Small film, big success

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:59:10 PDT

Small film, big success - Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try and Maruti Dasari set his goal. From concept to treatment and promotion - all were executed as per plan and it is heart warming to see a digital film made with Canon5D, with a budget of 60 lakh drawing houseful collections at the box office .“In the past 16 years of my career I have never seen a small budget film get a

Smartphone : the best of the best

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:47:46 PDT

Smartphone : the best of the best - There has never been a better time to get a better phone. The market has been flooded with gorgeously designed, powerful smartphones in recent months, which means plenty of choice for the consumer. It also means that buying a new phone has never been as daunting a proposition. The biggest challenge for prospective smartphone owners is choosing

The best 10 apps you need to own

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:40:25 PDT

The best 10 apps you need to own - The biggest revolution in smartphones wasn't touchscreens or internet access, but the rise of mobile apps, which allow users to engage with information intuitively. Regardless of whether you use iPhone or Android (or even Windows Phone), having the right apps will dramatically improve your experience with your smartphone. With that

Who's looking at your data?

noreply@blogger.com (naknik) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:32:36 PDT

Who's looking at your data? - A loosening of words in the terms and conditions of major websites could see government surveillance becoming commonplace, warns an Australian internet law expert.David Vaile of the UNSW Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre said he had seen the terms of web companies including Google move from using phrases such as “court order” to the more worrying “government request”