Posts

Media Platforms Design TeamThis year’s E. coli outbreak sickened more than 3900 victims and killed 52 people in Europe and North America. Complicating treatment, the rare strain proved resistant to antibiotics. For seven decades, humanity’s primary weapons against harmful bacteria such as certain strains of have been other organisms. For example, penicillin is naturally produced by a mold that kills bacteria—it introduces a compound that breaks down the harmful microorganism’s cell walls....

LAS VEGAS — Nokia hasn’t unveiled any interesting phones here for the U.S. market, though they did tease us with a couple of knockout models for Europe and Asia. But the most interesting release from this powerhouse phone-maker is actually a computer—the N800 Internet Tablet, which can get online by joining a Wi-Fi network or by synching up with a Bluetooth cellphone. It’s a lot like an ultramobile PC; actually, that’s exactly what it is....

The American Power Boat Association (APBA) Offshore is the sanctioning body for powerboat racing in the United States. The organization is making major changes in the way it conducts races and does business. Offshore racing, which had long been a semilawful fiefdom of high-rolling and high-energy egos, is being whipped into shape and disciplined into the professional and entertaining sport it has always wanted to be.To do this, APBA has had to create level playing fields for the different classes, using boat weight and powerplant limitations as the major levelers....

Media Platforms Design TeamA New York–based company has developed a nearly foolproof way to distinguish genuine parts and components from counterfeit copies—by marking them with plant DNA.“The DNA is the forensic backstop,” says Judy Murrah, CIO of Applied DNA Sciences. “It’s an absolutely uncopyable and unique identification.“Five years ago, as Applied DNA Sciences began this work applying biotechnology to secure supply chains and aid law enforcement, the U.S. military had a problem: Media reports surfaced of counterfeit electronic parts from microchips to sensors showing up in the U....

Build a Staircase in Three Easy StepsMedia Platforms Design TeamSome major renovations seem like they are way too big for home improvement weekend warriors. Indeed, sometimes it is best to call a professional. Stairs, requiring both accurate math and accurate cuts, scare off some homeowners. The DIY Guy shows a simple three-step process to build your own stairs with ease–just make sure to double-check your measurements. Rejuvenate Your Bathroom With a Glass-Block WindowMedia Platforms Design TeamNew windows can change a lot about a home, whether bringing in more light by installing a new skylight, or making it easier to clean by installing tilt-wash windows....

Media Platforms Design TeamExtra evidence that the future of tablet computing is going to be very active—today RIM dropped some details on its upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook seven-inch tablet, with a new BlackBerry Tablet OS. It’s smaller than Apple’s existing 9.7-inch iPad screen, but it promises to be more powerful and feature-rich, with a dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of embedded RAM, dual front and rear HD cameras, HDMI video output, tethering to BlackBerry phones and support for Adobe Flash 10....

Media Platforms Design TeamPhoto by RM AuctionsIn the summer of 1967, during the filming of future heist classic The Thomas Crown Affair, that bastard Steve McQueen decided he wanted a new Ferrari 275 GTB/4. And he wanted it in very specific spec—Chianti Red with a telescoping radio mast, riding on the Borrani wire wheels from his old 275 GTB NART Spyder. He also wanted one-off seat trim and a custom rearview mirror....

Despite its unprecedented price, the iPhone X might not be making big money for Apple. Analysts from the Susquehanna International Group estimate that despite the phone’s $1,000 price tag, Apple may make less on the sale of an iPhone X than it has on phones of the past. According to the Wall Street Journal: The starting price of the new flagship iPhone X is about 50% more than the $650 starting price of last year’s iPhone 7 [but] the components cost an estimated $581, up from $248 for components in the iPhone 7, according to Susquehanna International Group....

The beer pong table has a bright future. A Canadian man has created one that comes equipped with flashing LED lights, a built-in scorekeeper and a sanitary ball washer. That disgusting piece of plywood you played on in college shudders with inadequacy.Creator Jeff Nybo first came up with the table, called the BPT X5, two years ago when he attended Saskatchewan Polytechnic. He told CBC News that he started fiddling around with his friend’s tables and notices they could use some more excitement....

Envision Solar LifePort Electric vehicles need a place to recharge at home. Sure, you could plug into the grid, but why not make your own clean power from the sun? The LifePort does just that, while offering owners a DIY-assembled carport to boot. Manufactured with recycled steel and weighing no more than 100 pounds per main piece, this 22 x 22-ft. solar structure’s setup is eminently doable-and customizable, since it still works when covered by stucco and other materials to match your roof, vinyl siding and the like....

Media Platforms Design TeamFirst off, a word that’s already been coined: “Netflix” exists in the popular vernacular both as a noun (not only referring to the insta-rental company itself, but also to the paper-packed discs they ship) and as a verb (“I can’t wait when I get home!”). If vocabulary adoption is a sure sign of success these days (Xerox and Google are just the beginning), you can now chalk up one more definition for the movie-by-mail powerhouse’s entry in Webster’s: to stream video content directly to your television via a low-cost set-top box....

A Lafayette, Calif., rock climber and his Japanese partner snatched the world record for fastest climb up the Nose of El Capitan on Wednesday in a thrilling, heart-stopping display of strength, endurance, concentration and pure guts.Hans Florine, 44, who grew up in Moraga, and Yuji Hirayama, 39, of Hidaka, Japan, pulled themselves over the top of the immense slab of granite and touched the tree that serves as the finish line in 2 hours, 43 minutes and 33 seconds....

First things first. We would have to do some trimming. Here are the products that do not deserve to make the cut.Ditch: Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge CaliberMedia Platforms Design TeamBack when Daimler was running the show, there were two design exercises for a Jeep based on the Dodge Caliber. One was a more traditional boxy Jeep, while the other was a sportier “soft roader.” Chrysler couldn’t decide which one to produce, so instead, they built both....

A line is drawn in the sand. On one side, radio astronomers searching for distant quasars, pulsars, solar activity, and cosmic phenomena that can be heard but not seen. On the other side, lawnmower drones. Bloomberg has the report.The National Radio Astronomy Observatory runs a giant telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia, one the quietest and more curious places in America. To reduce radio interference with the astronomers’ work, the federal government has declared the area around Green Bank a quiet zone, meaning the people who live here don’t use cellular phones or other wireless tech....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe largest commercial aircraft ever built in the United States, the Boeing 747-8, took off on its maiden flight Monday afternoon, marking an important step forward for the manufacturer’s iconic—but aging—747 family of airliners. After lifting off from Boeing’s factory at in Everett, Wash., flew loops around northwestern Washington for a few hours of tests before returning to Everett.Paine FieldBoeing Flight 501 HeavyPowered by four of General Electric’s new high-tech GenX engines and fitted with a redesigned wing, the new 747-8 promises to fly further while burning less fuel and carrying more payload than earlier 747 models....

Media Platforms Design TeamTechnology can go a long way towards protecting motorcyclists from the inevitable two-wheeled mishap, and high-dollar devices like Alpinestars’ $5,000 airbag suit uses body sensors and predictive algorithms to determine when an accident is about to occur, and inflate an air bag around the collarbone area within milliseconds to prevent breakage of the commonly injured clavicle. But if you’re not one for pricey solutions, SaferMoto builds a far simpler airbag system that starts at $375, and has been attracting buzz within motorcycle and equestrian circles....

Start with the right gearYour phone may be convenient, but it is not a camera. Even a point-and-shoot, while definitely an upgrade, won’t get you the control or the -advanced sensor you need to take great pictures. For a long time the DSLR, with its nearly instant autofocus and interchangeable lenses, has been the only choice for serious digital photography.Devon JarvisBut in the past ten years a new category has gained popularity: Mirrorless cameras like the Sony a6000 ($550), above, remove the mirror that bounces an image from the lens to the eyepiece in a DSLR, instead relying on a digital viewfinder....

Media Platforms Design TeamMedia Platforms Design Team NEW YORK — In March, we got the first look at the new Giant Twist Freedom DX bicycle, an electric bike that uses a cyborglike mix of muscle and machine power to propel riders as far as 75 miles on a single charge. At $2000, it’s a pricey bike, but Giant is touting this ride as a cost-effective alternative for commuters upset about record gas prices....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe phrase “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” no longer applies to the heavy duty truck market. After the compact and midsize car segments, these trucks represent probably the most competitive chunk of the U.S. market these days. Commercial and small business buyers go for HD pickups and vans to support towing and hauling needs, and with the economy and housing markets showing signs of life, truck sales are expected to accelerate....

Media Platforms Design Team It’s launch morning for iPhone 3G, and there’s already fallout from the immense amount of traffic that Apple and AT&T’s servers are getting right now—from worldwide activations of the new phone and firmware updates on the old one: The original iPhone isn’t working. When we tried to update our first-generation iPhones this morning, the process rendered them useless. Apple didn’t respond to an immediate request for comment, with AT&T telling Gizmodo it’s reported some issues this morning....