Author: Terren

Memory cards in a video camera aboard a post-Second Word War military aircraft may hold a clue as to why the plane crashed on Saturday at a Reno, Nev., air show killing, nine people, including the pilot.

The next time someone tries telling you that videogames are a waste of time be sure to bring up Foldit, a game that gives players the chance to play with proteins by trying to fold them, and how it was used to solve a problem scientists have been working on for over a decade. Oh and the problem dealt with understanding an enzyme that will help lead to a cure for diseases like AIDS.

Despite the fact that putting the enzyme on Foldit was a last resort (scientists even tried using a special protein-folding program to solve this) it took members of the Foldit Contenders Group less than ten days to find a solution to this puzzle. This may be one of the coolest things I have ever read, and just goes to prove that videogames are good for more than just goofing around for a few hours. Of course, we already knew that, didn’t we?

Gamers solve molecular puzzle that baffled scientists [Cosmic Log]

Normally we wouldn’t get too excited about a thermostat, even a so-called smart one. But, unlike what normally passes for a “smart” home heating solution, Honeywell’s upcoming touchscreen devices are going to be paired with some real brains courtesy of Opower. Details of the partnership are still a little thin, but we do know that customers will be able to program and monitor energy usage, not just from the thermostat itself but, via internet connected devices like smartphones. Opower will even provide suggestions for trimming energy bills. The first trials are expected to begin in the next few months through utility companies, but Honeywell eventually expects to offer the devices through broader retail channels. Check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Honeywell and Opower team up for cloud-connected smart thermostat

Honeywell and Opower team up for cloud-connected smart thermostat originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 06:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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edit@hollywoodreporter.com (Philiana Ng)
Fox’s cult hit returns Friday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m.

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Admit it. There are a bunch of you out there who still wash your clothes in hot water. Don’t worry, I’m with you. But this just in: Stop. Use cold. Washing with hot wastes money, energy, and is bad for the environment. More »

Dish Draining Closets are a Finnish invention that combines a dish drying rack and a cabinet. If you regularly hand wash dishes you might find that using one cuts out a significant amount of work as you just put the wet dishes in the closet. More »

Have you heard about this new thing called Windows 8? It has a nifty Metro-style UI, and reader Sebastian Nielsen put together a Windows 7 desktop to bring some of that style around a little early. Along with some other attractive customizations, it’s today’s featured desktop. More »

A 20-year-old Irish man was caught by the Brazilian Federal Police with 72 bags of cocaine inside his intestines. This is how he looked inside, using a three-dimensional computed tomography body scanner. It’s actually more disgusting than I expected. More »

RIM stated yesterday that they’ll start to rebate the BlackBerry PlayBook – combined Q1 and Q2 shipments of their first tablet has only come in at 700,000. Today Rogers is the first carrier to discount the PlayBook, but only to employees. The prices are in effect until December 1st and probably best if you’re considering buying one to quickly find a friend who works at Rogers. Here are the prices: 16GB now $249.99; 32GB is $349.99 and the 64GB model is $399.

In addition, we’ve been informed that TELUS has also dropped their employee pricing, but only $100 off model.

Source: BGR

Related posts:

1. Mobilicity employees start BlackBerry PlayBook training
2. Virgin Mobile to release the BlackBerry PlayBook
3. iPad 2 available March 25th… starting at $519

As if Research in Motion’s co-CEOs haven’t done enough, shareholders inflicted serious pain overnight and early today. RIM shares plummeted, following yesterday’s dire earnings report — by about 22 percent in after-hours trading.

RIM opened at $22.89 this morning, off yesterday’s close of $29.54. The stock is fairing better in mid-morning trading, well if down nearly 19 percent could be called better. Shares are down 66 percent from their February 52-week high.

Investors are punishing RIM for what can only be called a disastrous quarter: PlayBook sales — 200,000 units; year-over-year decline in BlackBerry shipments (after about a decade run of gains); 59 percent fall in profits (to $329 million); and 10 percent drop in revenue (to $4.17 billion). Rome is burning, as RIMs co-Neros are playing their fiddles.

“Management remains in blatant denial, in our view”, say sBernstein analyst Pierre Ferragu. “For instance, the co-CEOs do not recognize the failure of the Playbook and continue to sell its merits in terms of security. The tablet shipments fell from 500k to 200k units in one quarter…we expect investors to lose all confidence in RIM’s earnings power”.

Earlier this year, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop called Symbian a burning platform. But it’s RIM’s platform that is burning now, as Android competitors and Apple snatch users from BlackBerry. It can only get worse come iOS 5’s release, when Apple unleashes its competitor to BlackBerry Messenger.

One question lingering now: What will co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis do next? Already there is expectation RIM could follow HP down price-cut row. Last month, HP gave up on TouchPad after only six weeks of sales, cutting the price from $499.99 to $99.99 before exiting the WebOS tablet market altogether. RIM isn’t likely to give up on tablets, but it also can’t let all that inventory rot on store shelves.

Earlier this week, IDC put RIM’s global tablet share at 4.9 percent, which now looks to be roughly 50,000 units too high.

But it is bad decision-making and increasing competitive pressure on BlackBerry that has set fire to RIM. BlackBerry shipments fell to 10.6 million units from 12.1 million a year earlier. While new BlackBerry OS 7 devices are off to a solid sales start, the company says, next-gen QNX won't be ready for new smartphones until some time next year. Meanwhile, Samsung's hot Galaxy S II smartphone goes on sale today from Sprint and on September 18 from AT&T. Then there is iPhone 5, which is sure to sock BlackBerry sales as much or more than the current model already has.

Photo Credit: J. Helgason/Shutterstock

An American hunter who abused wounded birds in Western Canada and videotaped his antics is facing a $15,000 fine and a three-year hunting ban in Canada.