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Comment Google is developing children-specific versions of its products aimed at the under-12s, smashing one of the tech industry's taboos.…

Disney Research has found a way to preserve the awesome quality of high-dynamic range or HDR videos when they're shown on consumer-level TVs and displays. See, HDR videos can show shadows and light better than footage taken by conventional equipment ...

Just days after Amazon showed off its autonomous Kiva warehouse robots, the mechanized minions are already showing signs of revolt. A pair of Texas goat farmers say they received what appears to be a piece of a conveyor belt from the retail giant, instead of the book about chickens they were expecting.

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Thanks Mike (from Spain)

 

The post I am so cold… appeared first on Bits and Pieces.

I'm imagining the beginning to Stand By Me, but, instead, "Hey, kid, you ever plow a dragon?" 

Dragon Dating Simulator is a visual novel with a "novel-sized script" and "at least" four dragons (two male, two female) to love and bang (the latter implied, not explicit). It's currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo.

You are a human sent to the dragon world as part of a cultural exchange program. Why dragons? "We think dragons today are suffering from a substantial image problem. While popular media usually credits them as the amazing and powerful creatures they are, too often are they also depicted as being stereotypically evil or uncaring. Our aim is to show the world that dragons are people too. They think, speak, experience happiness and pain and can also be gentle and loving as well."

Jason Koebler writes: The shape of DNA is a double helix, right? That's what we are taught. Well, now the answer is "not always." Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered how to program DNA to be shaped like a bowl, or a spiral, or a ring, or other shapes that aren't found in nature. It's the latest in a string of discoveries about the underlying structure of life and the building blocks by which it's made. Recently, scientists created new nucleotides that do not exist in nature and inserted them into a living organism. And now, this: DNA can look like just about anything and can be assembled into many shapes.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Thanks Marni

 

The post How to Stop Car Windows Steaming Up appeared first on Bits and Pieces.

Canadian musician and artist Stephen Paul Taylor sums up life in four words and a kickass dance move during an outdoor performance in Berlin, Germany.

 Each year, some genius among my friends throws a holiday party where everyone is supposed to wear an ugly, ill-fitting sweater outfitted with pictures of deers and berries, lined with actual mistletoe. The whole tradition continues to mystify me, but still, it exists and costs around $20/year at a thrift store or hours rummaging through grandparents’ closets. But it’s not the money… Read More

via

 

The post Cure for the common cold appeared first on Bits and Pieces.

via

 

The post Are you cold? appeared first on Bits and Pieces.

Thanks Tammy

 

The post Shopping with your husband… appeared first on Bits and Pieces.

Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful for those with frustrating family members, but whatever drama exploded at your family's holiday dinner, this letter featured on Awkward Family Photos might just make you feel better about your own flesh and blood.

(Video Link)

It's pretty easy to start hating Marney just from her family letter, but when you see this interview with her, you might become a little more sympathetic, not necessarily because she defends herself well, but because she comes off looking more than a little bit cuckoo -just like some of your beloved family members.

Skype co-founder Janus Friis thinks the 11-year-old program's a liiittle outdated, that's why he now backs and advises its newest rival called Wire. "A lot has changed since then -- we are all used to free calls and texting, and we have taken to carr...

Black Desert may never see a release in the West, but that's not going to stop me from geeking out over its extensive character creator, perhaps the best I've ever encountered.

Actually, scratch that qualifier. Now that I've seen those goofy expressions starting at around 0:40, it is the best, no doubt about it. And before you ask -- yes, I took screencaps.

As nauseating as the ensuing footage of Black Desert's fast-paced, hack-and-slash action was, I watched the whole thing; I couldn't look away! My PC would cry fiery tears trying to run this.

[Via reddit]

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Our friend Jason Silva gives an interesting argument in this video: Rather than thinking that tracking ourselves—geographically and biologically—will inevitably result in our individual alienation and the ultimate slaving of humanity, he believes that it would help each and everyone of us to realize our full potential.

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Surely you’ve heard about TOR. Good or bad, the network of relays has been talked about in privacy circles for a while now. Savvy users should already know whether using TOR is right for their needs, but what about the newbies out there? How are they to decide if they want to take the plunge into the world of TOR? This infographic will show you everything you need to know about how TOR works, when you should use it, and how to get started. Via WhoIsHostingThis Click To Enlarge

Read the full article: TOR For Newbies: When Should You Use It?

Nintendo and Philips resolved their patent disputes by signing a licensing agreement, the technology company announced. Per the agreement, both Nintendo and Philips will "cross-license portions of each company's patent portfolio." However, Philips di...

The popular ZX Spectrum series of microcomputers has resurfaced as a crowdfunded plug-and-play console produced in a collaboration between Sinclair Research founder Clive Sinclair and tech startup Retro Computers. The ZX Spectrum was a low-cost home...

At this point it seems like it's just a matter of time before every device shown on Star Trek becomes a reality and, thanks to a new innovation, the holodeck could be next

A UK company called Ultrahaptics has developed a method of providing haptic feedback for holographic imagery by using ultrasonic technology

Originally developed in the research labs at the University of Bristol, the developers of the system can deliver different haptic feedback and virtually tactile shapes through ultrasonic waves by pulsing the feedback of the ultrasonic waves or changing their modulation frequency

More about Virtual Reality, Future Tech, New Interface, Tech, and Apps Software

The always excellent Tony Zhou of Every Frame a Painting takes a closer look at what makes Jackie Chan action movies so fun to watch. It's Jackie Chan's brand of action comedy that makes him so special, he plays the underdog, he uses the environment around him, he's a perfectionist and so much more.

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