The site and it’s various sub-sites are going to a bit slow over the next 24 or so hours as my web-host is moving their servers to a new datacentre. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Category: General
Detailed View of a Solar Eclipse Corona
Posted by – 18/03/2010
Click image for full-size picture (1600x1112)
Only in the fleeting darkness of a total solar eclipse is the light of the solar corona easily visible. Normally overwhelmed by the bright solar disk, the expansive corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere, is an alluring sight. But the subtle details and extreme ranges in the corona’s brightness, although discernible to the eye, are notoriously difficult to photograph.
Pictured above, however, using multiple images and digital processing, is a detailed image of the Sun’s corona taken during the 2008 August total solar eclipse from Mongolia. Clearly visible are intricate layers and glowing caustics of an ever changing mixture of hot gas and magnetic fields.
A milestone
Posted by – 17/02/2010
Welp, this site has racked up over 10,000 RSS feeds, and gets around 2,000-3,000 pageviews a day. I’d just like to thank you guys for that :)
Proctor & Gamble Open to Outside Ideas, but No Kitty Swiffers
Posted by – 07/01/2010
[via nytimes.com]
Swiffer kitties? Just attach little dusting pads to your felines’ paws, so they can help keep your floors clean while making their rounds.
A bit farfetched? Executives at consumer-products king Procter & Gamble Co. thought so, too, and sent the idea to the discard pile.
P&G also rejected pitches from outside inventors for a bellybutton lint brush, a Knees and Toes body wash to complement Head and Shoulders shampoo, and a ”man handle” to keep marital harmony in the bathroom by making it easier to raise and lower the toilet seat.
Perpetual Notion
Posted by – 04/01/2010
[via futilitycloset.com]
The balls on the right exert greater torque than those on the left, so the wheel ought to turn forever, right?
Sadly, the balls on the left are more numerous.
“If at first you don’t succeed,” wrote Quentin Crisp, “failure may be your style.”
Dinosaur chopsticks are not, sadly, made of dinosaurs
Posted by – 03/01/2010
[via gizmodo.com]
Chopsticks are ancient, but not this ancient
How China wrecked the Copenhagen deal
Posted by – 03/01/2010
[via guardian.co.uk, originally written by Mark Lynas]
A woman listens to Barack Obama's speech at the Copenhagen climate change conference on 18 December. Photograph: Axel Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images
Copenhagen was a disaster. That much is agreed. But the truth about what actually happened is in danger of being lost amid the spin and inevitable mutual recriminations. The truth is this: China wrecked the talks, intentionally humiliated Barack Obama, and insisted on an awful “deal” so western leaders would walk away carrying the blame. How do I know this? Because I was in the room and saw it happen.
Inside Microsoft’s Chicago Data Center
Posted by – 03/01/2010
[via datacenterknowledge.com]
A view of the container area in the new Microsoft data center in Chicago
The interior of a 40-foot container inside the new Microsoft Chicago data center, packed with servers on either side of a center aisle
More than 2,000 servers can fit inside a container, with the tight space allowing for granular control of airflow and cooling. The density is ideal for providing scalability for the Microsoft Live online services powered by the Chicago facility.
A look at the water storage towers at the Chicago data center site during construction last winter.
Acer Announces New Aspire One AO532h Netbook
Posted by – 03/01/2010
[via techpowerup.com]
Acer America today debuts the next generation of its acclaimed line of Aspire One netbooks. These new Aspire One AO532h netbooks are packed with powerful features and performance to boost productivity and battery life, enhancing the mobile computing experience. Designed for all day mobility and connectivity, the Aspire One AO532h netbooks feature the latest Intel technology with the Intel Atom N450 processor, 10 hours of battery life, fast Wi-Fi connectivity, a 10.1-inch LED-backlit TFT LCD and a large keyboard with a Multi-Gesture touchpad. All this power and functionality comes in a package that is only 1-inch thin and weighs just over 2-1/2 pounds, making it a true mobile companion.