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military

Do You Think This New Urban Camo Will Fool Anyone?

By Sam Biddle on at

It goes without saying Western soldiers haven't seen a lot of jungle and woodland shooting these days. The arid climes of the Middle East—and their urban centers—have been warfare hotspots. So how about some crazy new urban camouflage?

food

Magnetic Resonance Used to Artificially Taste and Improve Canned Tomatoes

By Andrew Liszewski on at

What makes something taste 'good' is a complex psychological and physiological human process that has made creating artificial tasters, or accurate scientific models, very difficult. But researchers at the University of Copenhagen have come up with what's described as a "magnetic tongue" that could allow factories to monitor and improve the flavor of tinned tomatoes during the canning process.

guts

Finally, an Electronic Paper Display I Can Crumple Up and Throw Away

By Andrew Liszewski on at

E-ink technology is easier on the eyes for reading, even if the devices it's currently deployed in feel nothing like a book or magazine. But AU Optronics gives us another tantalising look at the future with a proof of concept ereader that's completely self-powered, while still as flexible as a piece of paper.

photography

Lens Band: A Livestrong Bracelet to Eliminate Zoom Creep

By Andrew Liszewski on at

Because of their size and the heavy glass components inside, large lenses are subject to something known as 'zoom creep' where they have the tendency to extend or collapse under their own weight when pointed upwards or downwards. In some situations the problem can be easily solved by just holding the zoom ring, but other times you might need a specialised tool.

photography

Polaroid's Dua Flash Embraces Videographers and Photographers

By Andrew Liszewski on at

Like skiers and snowboarders sharing the same powder, I envision some kind of uneasy truce between those using their DSLRs for still photography, and those using them for videography. I have no basis for the dirty looks and stink eye I imagine them giving each other, but it still warms my heart to see a company like Polaroid trying to bring those two sides together.

apple

Apple Buys Company to Add Killer 3D to Its Maps

By Kyle Wagner on at

For the past few years, Apple has been hammering away at building its own mapping platform to shake the yoke of Google Maps. It just took another step toward assembling its cartographic Frankenstein monster by buying up C3 Technologies, which assembles hyper-realistic 3D maps and integrates them with more traditional 2D maps and photos.

iphone

What's Going on With the iPhone 4S Battery?

By Andrew Liszewski on at

The original iPhone 4 stumbled out of the gate with an infamous antenna issue that left many users very disappointed. And while the problem was eventually resolved in a modified housing that carried forward to the recently released iPhone 4S, the latest model seems to be suffering from its own serious performance issues.

jailbreak

The iPhone 4S Has Already Been Jailbroken

By Andrew Liszewski on at

It's not going to help your battery life issues, but if you want to break free of Apple's checks and balances that prevent you from running any old app on your new phone, you'll be happy to hear that the iPhone Dev-Team is already demonstrating a preliminary jailbreak for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.

cameras

Panasonic Lumix GX1 Photos Leaked Ahead of its Official Reveal

By Andrew Liszewski on at

While Panasonic has already alluded to its existence, their new Micro Four Thirds Lumix GX1 camera has been kept under tight wraps before its official November 8th unveiling. But since it's nearly impossible to keep new gear a secret these days, a handful of photos, of what's assumed to be the first snapper in the Lumix GF professional line, have appeared on the Taiwan Mobile01 forum.

space

Are Stars the Origin of Organic Life?

By Andrew Tarantola on at

Our Sun's energy is the source of all life on the planet, sure. But what if it was also the source of the first organic compounds that gave rise to life itself? A team of Hong Kong researchers believe they've proved just that.

desired

Daily Desired: Cool Your Bubbly in this Cylinder From a Hot Engine

By Mario Aguilar on at

Happy people are always celebrating. Your laptop battery is charged! You actually put on pants today! But everyone really needs to find cause to keep a classy bottle icy now that Porsche has unleashed this bottle cooler on the universe.

food

Rotten Fruit and Hot Pots: The Secret Techniques of Cellblock Cuisine

By Brent Rose on at

Prison is a sad, cold, horrible place to be. What reminds you of home more than a hot, home-cooked meal? Nothing. Since these prisoners can't go home— Maybe ever—they have to bring home to the cell block.

audio

Headphones Deserve Monoblock Tube Amps Too

By Adrian Covert on at

Monoblock tube amps are favoured for their ability to deliver extra power and provide less cross talk (aka interference manifested as noise) when used as a pair. But monoblock amps dont normally support speakers and headphones as this one does.

wtf

Misguided DIY-er Severs His Own Arm with a Homemade Guillotine

By Kyle Wagner on at

You presumably deal with a lot of weird stuff when you work at a urology clinic. But dealing with a walk-in patient who's severed his arm with a homemade guillotine is probably a new one.