GeekPress

Light Blogging Notice

2013-05-24T01:01:00.000-06:00

Admin note: Blogging may be lighter than usual through the holiday weekend and early next week due to external obligations.

Real Life Medical Tricorder

2013-05-24T00:03:00.001-06:00

"A Real-Life Tricorder Is Now Available For You To Buy And Scan Yourself".

It's clearly not as advanced as the fictional versions on Star Trek. But like the first cell phones, it could be the beginning of cool things to come. (Via Jennifer A.)

Do Elephants Have Souls?

2013-05-24T00:02:00.000-06:00

"Do Elephants Have Souls?"

More on Google Glass and Ubiquitous Surveillance

2013-05-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

"The Google Glass feature no one is talking about"

[Off topic] Hsieh PJM OpEd: Is Obamacare's Fatal Flaw Taking Effect?

2013-05-23T00:10:00.000-06:00

Off topic: Yesterday's PJ Media published my latest OpEd, "Is Obamacare's Fatal Flaw Taking Effect?"

Star Trek and San Francisco

2013-05-23T00:04:00.000-06:00

"Why Star Trek Made San Francisco the Center of Its Futuristic Utopia"

3-D Printer Helps Save Dying Gaby

2013-05-23T00:03:00.000-06:00

"3-D printer helps save dying baby"

Surveillance and the Internet of Things

2013-05-23T00:02:00.000-06:00

Bruce Schneier: "Surveillance and the Internet of Things"

Earth-Sized Bowling Ball

2013-05-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

xkcd on bowling-ball sized Earth and Earth-sized bowling balls.

CNN on Elizabeth Loftus

2013-05-22T00:04:00.000-06:00

CNN has a nice profile of Elizabeth Loftus, the psychologist who has done tremendous research on memory and "false memory".

One-Time Pad Reinvented To Make Electronic Copying Impossible

2013-05-22T00:03:00.000-06:00

"One-Time Pad Reinvented To Make Electronic Copying Impossible"

Harvesting Shoe Power

2013-05-22T00:02:00.000-06:00

"Rice University Students Develop Shoe Energy Harvester to Power Medical Devices". Video at the link.

Riker Sits Down

2013-05-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

I hadn't noticed this until I saw this supercut of Riker sitting down:

Update on Twin Prime Conjecture

2013-05-21T00:04:00.000-06:00

Wired: "Rumors swept through the mathematics community that a great advance had been made by a researcher no one seemed to know — someone whose talents had been so overlooked after he earned his doctorate in 1992 that he had found it difficult to get an academic job, working for several years as an accountant and even in a Subway sandwich shop..."

I also really liked this statement from Zhang, "There are a lot of chances in your career, but the important thing is to keep thinking".

3 People Explain Why They Want To Make One-Way Trip To Mars

2013-05-21T00:03:00.000-06:00

"Why sign up for a one-way Mars trip? Three applicants explain the appeal".

Applicants #1 (SF icon David Brin) and #3 gave thoughtful reasons. Not as sure about #2, an 18-year old college student.

Wi-Fi Rifle Lets Amateurs Hit Targets 1 km Away

2013-05-21T00:02:00.000-06:00

"Wi-Fi rifle lets amateurs hit targets from one kilometre away". (Via @InternetCases)

5 URL Expanders

2013-05-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

"5 URL Expanders to Help You Avoid Spammy Links"

Why Cicadas Like Prime Numbers

2013-05-20T00:04:00.000-06:00

Why cicadas like prime numbers. (Via Radley Balko.)

Are Quantum Computers Faster than Regular Computers?

2013-05-20T00:03:00.000-06:00

Are quantum computers faster, slower, or both at once?

Google Glass Is Watching

2013-05-20T00:02:00.000-06:00

WSJ: "Google Glass Is Watching -- Now What?"

Personally, I expect social norms for Google Glass will change very quickly (and much faster than critics anticipate).

Related story in NYT: "At Google Conference, Cameras Even in the Bathroom". (Via S.K.)

Charge Phone in 20 Seconds

2013-05-20T00:01:00.000-06:00

"Teen's invention could charge your phone in 20 seconds"

Onion Hacked By Syria

2013-05-17T00:04:00.000-06:00

The Onion was apparently hacked by Syria. (A serious post from their tech team.)

Here's their more typical Onion-style response.

Islam, Internet, and Privacy

2013-05-17T00:03:00.000-06:00

"Islam, the internet and privacy"

StrongBox and Other Tools for Journalists to Protect Themselves From Government

2013-05-17T00:02:00.000-06:00

StrongBox and other tools for journalists to protect themselves from the government

Get a Lifelog

2013-05-17T00:01:00.000-06:00

Will some people want to record every 30 seconds of their lives?