Friday, June 7, 2013

News Tech Today

News Tech Today


The Story Behind the Gay Kiss That Quieted Campus Preacher

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 09:03 PM PDT

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It started with a simple question. "Anthony, want to make out?"

But this wasn't a simple proposition between two friends. It was meant to prove a point. And the resulting scene, caught on video by a random bystander, has been gaining traction online. The clip features two college students, Kyle Murray and Anthony Lopez, successfully silencing an anti-gay preacher at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif

"I was out there and I was watching and it really aggravated me. And I was thinking, 'What can I do?' People were yelling back and trying to reason with her, which didn't work because there was no logic behind what she was saying," Murray said Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Lgbt, Watercooler, and Videos

Toy Critic Pug Has No Time for Your Silly Rubik's Cube

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 08:42 PM PDT

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Squished faces, curly tails, a discerning taste in toys — pugs have it all.

Meet Toy Critic Pug, a plump pooch with an opinion on bouncy balls, puppets, Rubik's Cubes and anything else you'd find in the playroom

This elite gizmo reviewer's real name is Queenie and while she knows the ins and outs of toy boxes, she has a serious fear of llamas.

[H/T Holykaw]

Image via iStockphoto, Dose Creative Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Dogs, Cute Animals, Watercooler, and Videos

3 Rules for Creating a Beautiful Online Portfolio

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 08:06 PM PDT

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If you're a creative professional — e.g. a designer, photographer, writer or advertising exec — you'll likely need to show an online portfolio as part of the application process for any job.

But no matter what field you're in, having a permanent link where people can access your work has other benefits, too. It's standard practice these days for recruiters to Google candidates' names to see what they can dig up. And when they do, having a website that shows off the articles you've written, campaigns you've been a part of or other past work you're particularly proud of can be a huge asset.

In addition, an online portfolio allows you to easily collect all of your clips or work samples in one spot. When you need to pull together materials to showcase in an interview, you'll be happy that everything is available and up-to-date. I've found my collection of clips that I keep on Tumblr to be a great way for others to see my latest articles all in one place and for me to assess the trends and topics that I cover best. Read more...

More about Online, Photography, Portfolio, Graphic Design, and How To

This Amazing Bear Performs Better Tricks Than Your Dog

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 07:30 PM PDT

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When you see Fido catching a Frisbee or playing dead, it might seem like an impressive trick — but you haven't seen this bear

A YouTube video has been circulating online that features a Russian grizzly bear performing a series of tricks with his trainer that go beyond any simple fetch or obstacle course.

The first minute of the video is nothing special, but it soon gets pretty astounding, if a little unbelievable. Prompted by vocal commands and treats, this bear can hula hoop, sit properly on a chair and even play the trumpet. Amazed yet?

It might be a toss-up as to what's the most talented species on the Internet, but this well-trained grizzly is definitely bolstering the bear competition. You know an animal is pretty special when its coordination beats that of some humans. Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Videos, Animals, and Watercooler

SolePower Shoe Insole Charges Your Phone While You Walk

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 06:51 PM PDT

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It's funny how our mobile devices are anything but mobile when they run low on battery. Instead, we're stuck plugging gadgets into a wall outlet and waiting for them to juice up. But now a Pittsburgh, Pa. startup has designed a creative solution for this #FirstWorldProblem that can even help the developing world.

Energy harvesting startup SolePower created a shoe insole prototype that charges portable electronics while you walk, as explained in the video above. This special shoe sole fits in your shoe and a charging wire snakes through your laces. The charging wire plugs into a battery, which is fastened around your ankle or clipped to your shoe. Read more...

More about Startups, Chargers, Kickstarter, Gadgets, and Newsy

Heat-Sensitive Telescope Could Find Aliens

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 06:13 PM PDT

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We might be able find aliens using the heat their civilizations give off, astronomers say, but it will take a megatelescope to do the job. The development of such a telescope is in the works.

The telescope — called Colossus — would be a massive 250-foot (77-meter) telescope, which is more than double the aperture of any telescope yet constructed.

To keep costs down, the proposed $1 billion telescope would use thin mirror technology and few large aperture mirror segments to build Colossus. The sensitivity of the scope could be enough to spot cities or other signs of aliens for planets as far as 60 to 70 light-years from Earth, its backers said. Read more...

More about Space, Astronomy, Astronomy Magazines, Telescope, and Alien

Krispy Kreme Doughnut Sloppy Joe Arrives at San Diego Fair

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 05:40 PM PDT

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Just when we thought the doughnut couldn't outdo itself, it ups the ante (and the calories) a few hundred notches.

Friday was National Doughnut Day, so Krispy Kreme and its competitor, Dunkin Donuts, gave out free doughnuts to customers in the U.S. and Canada. It's also the perfect time for Dunkin Donuts to announce its new Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich, a 360-calorie, artery-clogging concoction sure to satisfy the gnarliest of sweet teeth

However, as we've come to expect, the Krispy Kreme will not be outdone.

Chef "Chicken" Charlie Boghosian, California's "deep-fry king," has announced on Facebook that he will unveil a Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joe sandwich at the San Diego Fair on Saturday. Judging from the picture, the edible behemoth includes a glazed donut cut in half with a mountain of meat, sauce and cheese stuffed in between. Read more...

More about Krispy Kreme, National Donut Day, Watercooler, Conversations, and Sloppy Joe

MakerBot Opens Large New Factory in Brooklyn

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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3D-printing firm MakerBot opened its new — and much larger — factory in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Friday.

The 50,000-square-foot building is located in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. Its main purpose is to accommodate the company's growing staff — they plan to increase by more than 50 over the summer — and extend production on a product for which demand is rapidly growing.

"We were 120 employees at the start of the year. Now we're at 267," Bre Pettis, MakerBot's CEO, told Mashable. "The game is on. There was no market for this when we started, so we kind of had to create one from the ground up. People are starting to realize that, with this, you really have the superpower to create anything. It's the next industrial revolution." Read more...

More about Photos, Features, Makerbot, 3d Printing, and Business

Obama Ordered Overseas Target List for Cyberattacks

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 04:40 PM PDT

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President Barack Obama has asked for a list of potential overseas targets that the U.S. could hit with cyberattacks, according to a top-secret directive that reveals how the government intends to step up its offensive cyber capabilities.

The top-secret document was obtained by The Guardian and published on Friday. The document was issued last October and portions of it were revealed in January, but this is the first time we are seeing it in its entirety.

The leaked presidential policy directive calls for the secretary of defense, the director of national intelligence, and the CIA director to draw a plan "that identifies potential systems, processes and infrastructure against which the United States should establish and maintain OCEO [Offensive Cyber Effects Operations] capabilities." Read more...

More about Cybersecurity, Us World, Us, World, and Cyberweapons

LED Tunnel Lights Up in Reaction to Tweets

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 04:11 PM PDT

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In conjunction with Benevolent Society, Designworks created an interactive light installation that launched at Vivid Sydney 2013. The unique sensory experience "Hundreds and Thousands" is comprised of thousands of LED lights that can be controlled individually, and that respond when visitors interact with them

Designed as a tunnel for people to walk through, the LED lights represent the thousands of hopes Australians have.

For the last 200 years, the non-profit Benevolent Society (Australia's first charity organization) has taken on the ambitious mission of helping people change their lives through support and education Read more...

More about Twitter, Art, Led Light, Social Media, and Travel Leisure

Robots Help Firefighters Rescue Victims

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 03:35 PM PDT

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Recent headlines about autonomous robots have suggested that smart machines have a license to kill. But a new project from engineers at the University of California, San Diego suggests a different reality. The UC engineers have built a pack of tiny autonomous robots that could help save the lives of both fire victims and firefighters.

These lifesaving robots, which look a lot like small Segways, were designed for mobility, agility and reconnaissance. As the first to enter burning buildings, they can serve as scouts for firefighters arriving at the scene of an emergency.

The robots are equipped with infrared and red-green-blue (RGB) cameras, which they use to record temperatures, detect volatile gases and check for structural integrity — all while also searching for victims. Using on-board software systems, the bots turn the information they gather into 3D maps, which can be viewed by firefighters in real time. Read more...

More about Robot, Fire, California, Tech, and Gadgets

Zuckerberg Personally Denies Facebook Involved in PRISM Snooping

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 03:09 PM PDT

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Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is personally denying Facebook's reported involvement in the National Security Agency's secret PRISM Internet surveillance program.

From Zuckerberg's Facebook page:

I want to respond personally to the outrageous press reports about PRISM:

Facebook is not and has never been part of any program to give the US or any other government direct access to our servers. We have never received a blanket request or court order from any government agency asking for information or metadata in bulk, like the one Verizon reportedly received. And if we did, we would fight it aggressively. We hadn't even heard of PRISM before yesterday

When governments ask Facebook for data, we review each request carefully to make sure they always follow the correct processes and all applicable laws, and then only provide the information if is required by law. We will continue fighting aggressively to keep your information safe and secure. Read more...

More about Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Privacy, Prism, and Us World

PRISM Internet Surveillance Thwarted NYC Attack: Report

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 02:51 PM PDT

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Information obtained under the National Security Agency's recently revealed PRISM Internet surveillance program foiled a planned terrorist attack on New York City's subway system, according to a report.

The information helped prevent an "Islamist militant plot" against the public transit network, according to Reuters, which cited U.S. government sources. Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan-born U.S. resident who was planning the attack, pleaded guilty in 2010 to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, among other charges.

The Reuters story sheds light on House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers' (R-Mich.) earlier cryptic defense of PRISM. Rogers claimed a domestic attack had been foiled with intelligence gathered under PRISM, but did not provide specific information, claiming it was classified. Read more...

More about New York City, Privacy, Prism, Us World, and Politics

Can Science Cure the NBA's Flopping Epidemic?

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 02:32 PM PDT

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There exists a scourge in professional basketball these days, one that threatens the very sanctity of the game itself. No, we're not talking about performance enhancing drugs (at least not yet). We're talking about flopping

Flopping, for the uninitiated, is the tactic employed by some NBA players of overreacting to the slightest touch or invasion of personal space. It's characterized by flailing arms and over-dramatized falls, and is meant to fool referees into doling out favorable — yet misinformed — calls

The dark art has become more commonplace in recent years, forcing the league to step up its punishment. During this season's playoffs, a player determined to have flopped is hit with a $5,000 fine. A fourth violation draws a $30,000 fine. Read more...

More about Nba, Entertainment, and Sports

Larry Page: Google Has Nothing to Do With PRISM

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 02:03 PM PDT

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Did tech giants like Google, Facebook or Apple really give the NSA unfettered access to their user's data? On Thursday, almost all of them denied that. On Friday, Google's CEO Larry Page came forward to clarify and reiterate that Google has nothing to do with the newly revealed secret surveillance program PRISM.

In a blog post published on Friday, Page started off by saying that he wants to give users "the facts."

"First, we have not joined any program that would give the U.S. government — or any other government — direct access to our servers," he said. "Indeed, the U.S. government does not have direct access or a 'back door' to the information stored in our data centers." As Apple did, Page claimed Google had not heard of a program called PRISM until yesterday." Read more...

More about Private Beta, Privacy, Surveillance, Prism, and Us World

Are You Surprised by the NSA, PRISM News?

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 01:57 PM PDT

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The public has been in an uproar after reports revealed that Verizon has been providing telephone records of millions of its subscribers with the National Security Agency (NSA). Another report acknowledged that major Internet companies, such as Facebook and Google, are also allowing the NSA to access user data through a program called PRISM.

With all the news about your data potentially being tracked, how do you feel about this? Are you surprised by this news? Do you feel safer knowing these investigations are taking place? Share your opinions in the poll below and please add any other questions you've had about this situation. Read more...

More about Google, Facebook, Poll, Politics, and Privacy

Clueless Lakers Fans Are Pumped Their Team Made the NBA Finals

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 01:40 PM PDT

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Lakers fans have a certain, shall we say, reputation around the sports water cooler. They're daft, the thinking goes — a bunch of partiers and posers who just want to latch onto a big name but don't actually have any substance as fans or even really follow the team

But of course that's just an unfair stereotype perpetuated by disgruntled fans of less successful NBA franchises, right? Right? Well, not according to the hilarious video above

The clip comes from Jimmy Kimmel Live's popular "Lie Witness News" series. This time, his crew hit the streets of Los Angeles to find Lakers "fans" who were pumped to see their team in the NBA finals again Read more...

More about Lakers, Nba, Jimmy Kimmel, Entertainment, and Videos

Watch Brian Williams 'Rap' Warren G's 'Regulate'

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 01:27 PM PDT

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In case you haven't heard, Brian Williams is now moonlighting as a rapper. Kind of.

The wonderful people over at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon have been mashing up Bri-Wi with famous hip hop hits to produce some hilariously awkward renditions. On Wednesday night, they released a YouTube clip of him "singing" Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's "Nothin' but a G Thang" (below), and followed it up with Warren G's "Regulate" (above).

Though the NBC Nightly News anchor typically reports on world events, this isn't his first foray into music performance. He appeared on Late Night in January to slow jam the fiscal cliff with Fallon, and, as evidenced by this latest video, he not only has a knack for straight-faced spitting — but also for collecting impressive ties Read more...

More about Youtube, Mashups, Nbc, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and Tv

NSA Surveillance News: Everything You Need to Know

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 01:16 PM PDT

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Confused about this week's deluge of news about the NSA's secret surveillance programs? Start here

It began on Wednesday, with the revelation that Verizon had received a secret court order requesting it to give the National Security Agency access to the metadata of all Americans' phone calls. In a few hours, reports confirmed it was a standard, routine, ongoing, and recurring practice, one which is reauthorized every three months

On Thursday, another secret NSA program called PRISM was revealed. The program involves some of the larger Internet companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple, which have all apparently collaborated with the government to wiretap their foreign users communications Read more...

More about Privacy, Surveillance, Us World, Us, and World

Doughnut Porn: Sink Your Teeth Into These Sweet Holes

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 01:11 PM PDT

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Doughnuts get a lot of flak in the pastry department. Most would not associate the spherical treat with more sophisticated desserts, like tiramisu or chocolate soufflé

Which is why we're taking #foodporn to a whole new, SFW level. In honor of National Doughnut Day, we've added sex appeal to the doughnut industry.

SEE ALSO: 10 People Who Take Doughnuts Too Seriously

You'll never write off another pink sprinkled doughnut as bait to trick cops out of a parking ticket again.

Subscribe to Mashable on YouTube. Read more...

More about Video, Watercooler, Videos, Desserts, and Food

UrbanWonderer Turns Your Smartphone Into a Tour Guide

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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History buffs and urban explorers alike can get a sense of New York and its best sights, without having to read an entire guidebookUrbanWonderer, the free iPhone and Android app created and narrated by licensed NYC tour guide Steven Craig Sickles lets you select from a variety of self-guided audio tours through the city

This way, you can ditch the clunky guidebook and travel through the city’s neighborhoods while getting tips on the best restaurants, museums and parks, and exploring each area’s history. You can even check out where famous films and TV shows were shot.

Read more...

More about Travel, Apps, Iphone, Android, and Apps Software

LED Ballroom Dresses Dazzle the Stage

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 12:43 PM PDT

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When ballroom dancers from Brigham Young University (BYU) took the stage at a recent international competition, it wasn't just their moves that generated buzz

BYU student engineers designed custom dresses with LED lights for the dancers, which incorporate some smart technology that syncs with the music.

The project grew from a collaboration between the BYU Ballroom Dance Company, alongside computer and electrical engineering students working on their senior projects. The dance company wore the unique dresses during the prestigious British Open Championships in Blackpool, England on May 29.

BYU says each dress included eight LED-light strips, attached to a computer chip and battery. Over the past school year, about 17 engineering students worked on the project. Doran Wilde, a BYU associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, says his students worked closely with the dance team to design the dresses Read more...

More about Dancing, Dresses, Dress, Wearable Tech, and Lifestyle

These 20 Vine Videos Helped Set a World Record

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 12:26 PM PDT

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Mashable and (RED) challenged you to set the RecordSetter world record for the most Vine videos sent for a social cause on Wednesday.

The results are in; we did it!

We set this record to raise awareness for the fight against AIDS, and we were so excited to see such a wide array of creative entries from all over the world — from Kenya, Thailand, the UK and beyond. A few people even dedicated their very first Vine video to help set the #REDworldrecord.

SEE ALSO: 11 Types of Vine Videos You Haven't Tried

To participate, you simply had to create a Vine video that showed something red or share a Vine video that used your voice to help spread the message. Read more...

More about Red, Vine, Social Media, Apps Software, and Social Good

50+ Events in San Diego, London and More

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 12:16 PM PDT

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They say great minds think alike. That’s why Mashable's Events Board is here to help you make valuable connections — when you attend your industry’s leading conferences, that is. Whether you work in advertising, technology or media, we can help you find the perfect conference.

This week we’ve gathered up five events, held in cities like San Diego, London and New York, to help propel you in the right direction. And if you don’t see something that strikes your fancy, check out more than 50 events in our complete listings.

Sort listings by date, get discount codes exclusive to Mashable readers, or maybe watch a video of a past event so you won’t be caught by surprise. You can also subscribe to our events newsletter or follow our events account on Twitter so you'll never miss a thing. Read more...

More about Events, Business, Advertising, Marketing, and Media

'Red Wedding' Is the Most Social Episode of Any HBO Show Ever

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 12:12 PM PDT

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Sunday's shocking Game of Thrones episode, "The Rains of Castamere," was HBO's most social episode for any show in the history of the network, HBO told Mashable on Friday.

With more than 700,000 mentions on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, news sites and forums, online chatter about the episode surpassed the social buzz for HBO's next two most social episodes: the season three premiere of Game of Thrones and the season five premiere of True Blood. HBO calculated mentions from Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT to Monday at 7 p.m.

The stats, from social analytics firm mashwork, also show that social volume increased 44% during the episode compared to this season's premiere Read more...

More about Entertainment, Tv, Hbo, Game Of Thrones, and Red Wedding

Shin-Kicking Is the World's Most Unpleasant Sport

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 12:03 PM PDT

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Some kids dream of becoming international soccer stars. Some kids fantasize about the NBA hardcourt. Others have their sights set on NFL glory

These men are boys who grew up to become competitive shin-kickers

Yes, that's right. Shin-kicking is an actual sport in one English town, and it looks just about as unpleasant as the name implies

Here's how shin-kicking works. Two contestants fill their pant legs with straw for padding. They lock in by gripping one another by the shoulders. Then they start kicking. Whoever wimps out or falls down first loses. Read more...

More about Entertainment, Videos, Sports, and Watercooler

Design Guru Slams NSA's PowerPoint Skills

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 11:52 AM PDT

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Say what you like about the NSA's Internet-monitoring PRISM program. One thing is clear from the leaked slides that revealed it to the world: The top intelligence agency in the U.S. has some pretty awful PowerPoint skills.

No one knows that better than Edward Tufte, an author, Yale profesor and expert on presenting visual information. Tufte frequently lectures on the curse of PowerPoint; he believes it has led to millions of boring, incomprehensible presentations with way too much text in them. Steve Jobs was a fan of Tufte's work, which is why you would never see bullet points in Jobs keynotes Read more...

More about Powerpoint, Prism, Tech, and Dev Design

These Two Senators Tried to Warn Us About the NSA's Snooping

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 11:37 AM PDT

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For years, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore., pictured) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) have been dying to tell us about the NSA's secret data-gathering methods

Wyden called the phone records gathering program something "I have been concerned about for years" in a Thursday statement, but added that he's still "barred by Senate rules from commenting on some of the details at this time." Udall told the Denver Post Thursday he "did everything short of leaking classified information."

As members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, they likely knew intimate details about the NSA's goings-on. The problem? It was — and remains — illegal for them to share details about the classified program. That didn't stop them from dropping hints, though. Read more...

More about Privacy, Congress, Data Mining, Us World, and Politics

This Contact Lens Computer Is Like Google Glass, Without the Glasses

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 11:26 AM PDT

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For those who find Google Glass indiscreet, electronic contact lenses that outfit the user's cornea with a display may one day provide an alternative. Researchers at several institutions, including two research arms of Samsung, have already built contacts of this kind, which use new nanomaterials to solve some of the problems that have made contact lens displays less than practical.

A group led by Jang-Ung Park, a chemical engineer at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, mounted a light-emitting diode on an off-the-shelf soft contact lens, using a material the researchers developed: a transparent, highly conductive and stretchy mix of graphene and silver nanowires. The researchers tested these lenses on rabbits — whose eyes are similar in size to humans — and found no ill effects after five hours. The animals didn't rub their eyes or grow bloodshot, and the electronics kept working. This work is described online in the journal Nano Letters. Read more...

More about Computer, Tech, Dev Design, Contact Lenses, and Health Fitness

'Song for Pic' Adds Music to Instagram Photos

Posted: 07 Jun 2013 11:19 AM PDT

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Ready to add a little music to Instagram photos? A new platform called Song for Pic randomly matches songs to your pictures and lets you and your friends vote on which works best.

The free service, which syncs with your existing Instagram account, can be played and shared with friends, letting everyone vote on a soundtrack for certain pictures.

Here's how it works: After Song for Pic connects to your Instagram account (just sign in), it will randomly choose a picture from your library. Then, it offers four song choices, which can be played by selecting one of the colored boxes highlighted below the image. A voting feature lets others weigh in on their favorite song pick. Read more...

More about Music, Instagram, Facebook, Tech, and Apps Software

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