.::REALITYRECALL::.

Canadians are the most active users of the internet in the world, according to a new global report.

To every nap lover’s delight, it turns out that sleeping may play a larger role in learning than previously thought.

Dan Sarkar, a self-described “Appleseed fanboi,” says he couldn’t live any longer in a universe without cool replicas of the guns we see in the series. More »

Posted by Dave Cohen, Engineer Google Photos

Recently we updated Google Profiles to help you decide what the world sees when it searches for you. Your profile and scrapbook photos already make it easier for people to get to know you, but we want to do more to help you showcase your favorite pics.

Now you can add Picasa Web Albums to your Google profiles. By choosing to show the “PicasaWeb” tab, you will enable visitors to see your public albums. Private albums will remain visible to only the people you’ve shared them with directly.

Add Picasa Web Albums to your profile now by visiting profiles.google.com. We hope you enjoy this change, and be sure to let us know what you think in our forum. Happy posting!

If you need to create an invoice fast, Billable wants to help you out. All you need to do is visit the Billable site, edit the invoice template, and print. More »

Fun Fact of the Day: Also, the word bed looks like a bed.

[@petergriffin / nerdvana / thd.]

Tagged: boobs, Fun Fact, Peter Griffin, Webcomic

Mark Cina
Plus, a new costar speaks out: “Ego-fighting,” “pain,” “actor’s sad condition” led to CBS show’s demise.

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Posted by Stanley Chen, Software Engineer

People get a lot of email these days. On top of personal messages, there are group mailing lists, social network notifications, credit card statements, newsletters you might have signed up for, and promotional email from a shopping site you used once months ago. Gmail’s filters and labels were invented to help manage the deluge, but while I have about 100 filters that triage and label my incoming mail, most of my friends and family have all their messages in a giant unfiltered inbox.

Last year, we launched Priority Inbox to automatically sort incoming email and help you focus on the messages that matter most. Today, we’re launching a complementary feature in Gmail Labs called Smart Labels, which helps you classify and organize your email. Once you turn it on from the Labs tab in Settings, Smart Labels automatically categorizes incoming Bulk, Notification and Forum messages, and labels them as such. “Bulk” mail includes any kind of mass mailing (such as newsletters and promotional email) and gets filtered out of your inbox by default (where you can easily read it later), “Notifications” are messages sent to you directly (like account statements and receipts), and email from group mailing lists gets labeled as “Forums.”

If you already use filters and labels to organize your mail, you may find that you can replace your existing filters with Smart Labels. If you’re picky like me and still want to hold on to your current organization system, Smart Labels play nice with other labels and filters too. On the Filters tab under Settings, you’ll find that these filters can be edited just like any others. From there, you can also edit your existing filters to avoid having them Smart Labeled or change whether mail in a Smart Label skips your inbox (which you can also do by just clicking on the label, then selecting or unselecting the checkbox in the top right corner).

Labs in Gmail are a great testing ground for experimental features, and we hope Smart Labels help you more effortlessly get through your inbox. If you notice a message that was automatically labeled incorrectly and want to help us troubleshoot, you can report miscategorizations from the drop down menu on each message (in doing so, you’ll donate the full message to our engineers so that we can improve the feature). Give it a try and send us feedback on how we can make it work better for you!

It’s a bittersweet occasion, really. Space Shuttle Discovery has just returned from the unknown that we call “space,” safely returning six astronauts and one zero Robonaut 2s to Earth after a 13-day mission. Discovery’s legacy stretches back 27 years, compiling 39 flights during that span and making an indelible mark on the history of American space exploration. This guy is also the first shuttle to be retired after NASA was rocked a few years back by the impossible-to-ignore budget crunch, and already museums and institutes (29 at last count) are lining up to lobby their case for capturing it. No question, having this 170,000 pound benemoth at your museum would likely benefit admission numbers, but it’s not like Discovery will be the only craft calling it quits in the near future. As of now, no decision has been made as to where it’ll wheel off to for the final time, but you can bet whoever lands it will make quite the scene.

[Image courtesy of Stephen Clark]

Space Shuttle Discovery returns from final trip, immediately begins search for final resting place originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Space, MAKE  |  NASA, The New York Times  | Email this | Comments

First it was one, then two and a half, then eight, and now we’re into double digits. Microsoft has announced that the company has sold its 10 millionth Kinect, surprising us all by making it the world’s fastest selling consumer electronics device according to Guinness, finding buyers for somewhere north of 10 million games, too. Now, we know what you’re thinking Mr. Cynical: “Each Kinect comes with a game and so of course M$ has sold 10 million titles!” Swallow that smug grin, because that’s 10 million standalone games sold, and while a 1:1 tie ratio is hardly approaching PS2 territory it’s certainly better than many had expected — especially you, Mister C.

Continue reading Microsoft sells 10 million Kinects, 10 million Kinect games

Microsoft sells 10 million Kinects, 10 million Kinect games originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We had a hint that Microsoft would be releasing the final version of Internet Explorer 9 on March 14th, and now the company has finally, officially confirmed it. That launch will coincide with a press event / party at SXSW, and downloads will be available starting at 9PM Pacific time (or midnight Eastern time). Wondering what’s in store? Then you can always check out our review of the beta version, or simply download it yourself, of course — suffice it to say, it’s no Internet Explorer 6.

Microsoft confirms Internet Explorer 9 will launch on March 14th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ZDNet, Download Squad  |  The Windows Blog  | Email this | Comments

Well this is only the greatest thing in the world.

See other alignment charts at MightyGodKing via @erikteichmann

I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.

       — Bjarne Stroustrup

Thanks Brother Paul

You’d think Leo Apotheker, HP’s newest CEO, would want to save a bit of thunder for his March 14th event. Instead, the man continues to unleash stentorian quotes with unabashed candor like today’s claim that “HP has lost its soul.” He’s also making bold proclamations about every HP PC being able to run WebOS and MIcrosoft Windows as an integrated experience in 2012 — a move the company hopes will create a “massive platform” to attract those all important developers. Apotheker’s strategy will reverse Mark Hurd’s cost-cutting emphasis with a renewed focus on product quality and innovation — the latter achieved by breaking down inter-company barriers that currently separate product groups and by boosting the R&D budget already pegged at $2.96 billion last year (a pittance by some measurements). Click the source link below to read the Businessweek article in full if you’re interested in Leo’s issue with being the smartest person in the room and his attempts at Californication. Cool? Awesome.

WebOS will be on ‘every HP PC’ shipping next year, says CEO originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  Businessweek  | Email this | Comments

Samsung hasn’t been entirely shy about its forthcoming 8.9-inch tablet, though Mr. Blurrycam seems to be having some trouble getting on a plane in Seoul. Fortunately for us, today the Korean giant decided to give us mere mortals a sneak peek at said device, and it sure looks promising — as you can see above, the bulge seems to imply that the tablet’s general thickness almost matches the headphone jack’s height. If true, this would put Samsung’s 8.9-incher head to head with Apple’s 8.8mm thick iPad 2 in a fitness contest. Bring on March 22nd!

Samsung’s latest 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab teaser hints impressive slimness originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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