From: http://www.thrfeed.com/
ABC's increasingly challenged annual "Lost" recap. It's tough enough to summarize one season of the ever-twisty "Lost" in a short video, let alone all five. Here's what you need to know to catch up for the premiere in eight minutes (in 8:15 to be exact ...)...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
15 Greatest Proponents of Marijuana Legalization
by: Cowboy
Bill Maher
Adam Carolla
Peter Coyote
Jack Black
Jack Nicholson
Jennifer Aniston
Jesse Ventura
“The war on drugs is a failure for the same reasons Prohibition was a failure… Just imagine if we could find some way for addicts to get their drugs cheaply, safely, and legally. The bottom would drop out of the illegal drug market. We’d see a huge drop in organized and violent crime.”
Johnny Depp
Joycelyn Elders, M.D.
Kirsten Dunst
Michael Bloomberg
Morgan Freeman
Richard Branson
Stephen King
Brad Pitt
Windows 7 has lots of 'GodModes' (exclusive)
by Ina Fried
Those intrigued by the "GodMode" in Windows 7 may be interested to know that there are many other similar shortcuts hidden within the operating system.
Intended for developers as a shortcut to various internal settings, such features have been around since Vista and even before, according to the head of Microsoft's Windows division, who tells CNET that the so-called GodMode settings folder uncovered by bloggers is just one of many undocumented developer features included in Windows.
In an e-mail interview, Steven Sinofsky, Windows division president, said several similar undocumented features provide direct access to all kinds of settings, from choosing a location to managing power settings to identifying biometric sensors.
As with the all-encompassing GodMode uncovered by bloggers, these other settings can be accessed directly by creating a new folder with any name (GodMode or otherwise) and then including a certain text string. Sinofsky noted more than a dozen strings create particular settings folders, in addition to the overarching GodMode folder option.
Sinofsky and others say the term GodMode was coined by bloggers; it was not something the company used internally to refer to the settings folders. Although Microsoft maintains many such undocumented developer commands to access such settings, all are replicated by the operating system's Control Panel settings.
Such undocumented means of accessing various settings have occurred in previous versions of Windows, and the GodMode identified by bloggers was also present in Windows Vista. Some users of the 64-bit version of Vista, however, say invoking the GodMode folder caused their machines to crash. Microsoft says it has yet to reproduce that problem, though several readers have said they have encountered problems.
It seems that the folks in Redmond have gotten a kick out of all the attention that the Godmode has gotten and have decided to have fun with it. Sinofsky sent a list of other commands that also create special folders (see list below).
Given the Vista issues, though, I would try these only on a Windows 7 machine, ideally a test machine. To make it work, create a new folder with any name, then a period, then one of the text strings below.
For example, the first one could be a folder named "thankscnet.{00C6D95F-329C-409a-81D7-C46C66EA7F33}" (use everything inside quotes--but not the quotes themselves).
Here's the list of strings:
{00C6D95F-329C-409a-81D7-C46C66EA7F33}
{0142e4d0-fb7a-11dc-ba4a-000ffe7ab428}
{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}
{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}
{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70}
{15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-805e482dafd4}
{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}
{1D2680C9-0E2A-469d-B787-065558BC7D43}
{1FA9085F-25A2-489B-85D4-86326EEDCD87}
{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
{241D7C96-F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}
{4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}
{62D8ED13-C9D0-4CE8-A914-47DD628FB1B0}
{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}
{0142e4d0-fb7a-11dc-ba4a-000ffe7ab428}
{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}
{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}
{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70}
{15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-805e482dafd4}
{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}
{1D2680C9-0E2A-469d-B787-065558BC7D43}
{1FA9085F-25A2-489B-85D4-86326EEDCD87}
{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
{241D7C96-F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}
{4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}
{62D8ED13-C9D0-4CE8-A914-47DD628FB1B0}
{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}
And, as a reminder, to create the Godmode folder itself, use this string:
{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
The Pros and Cons of the Google Nexus One As An Enterprise Phone
Written by Alex Williams
The Nexus One is another smart phone that we will inevitably see inside the walls of the enterprise. Smart phones seem to have a way of being used for all kinds of work activities.So, what are the pros and cons of using the Nexus One in the enterprise?
First off, anyone using the Nexus One in the enterprise will be using a rogue device. That's just the way it is. Perhaps that may change when the enterprise wakes up and realizes that people born after 1982 want to use any device to connect in any way they want. But that's the future, unfortunately. In the meantime, let's look at reality.
Compliance
The Nexus One was not built as a device that meets compliance requirements. As with almost any device, compliance is a reality in the enterprise world. We doubt, though, this will stop most users.You Can Make it Compliant
Dan Dearing of Trust Digital has a few points of advice for the IT manager with the foresight to deal proactively with the inevitability that the Nexus One will become his or her problem to solve:- Make sure that the device can be locked and swiped of its data if a user loses their Nexus One.
- Make sure Exchange ActiveSync is installed on the device so permissions for accessing data can be set up according to the policy set by the enterprise.
- Provide the ability to configure the device to remotely provision application clients and device interfaces used to reach the application source (e.g. Wi-Fi, VPN).
- Allow for PKI support that allows Android devices to receive and ingest digital certificates. The use of certificates helps automate connectivity to enterprise applications via Wi-Fi, VPN and web by making authentication transparent to users.
It's Not an iPhone
The iPhone has tight security features baked into it, and hardware encryption, too. Applications are tightly controlled with a centralized point for distributing applications. This may prove to be a temporary advantage for the iPhone over the Nexus One. According to Dearing:"The Nexus One is less secure than the iPhone 3GS. Nexus One is currently running on Android 2.1, the latest update, so is equivalent to iPhone 1.0. The iPhone 3GS provide the most comprehensive security controls with the addition of hardware-based encryption."
"The iPhone is much more mature in this area than the Nexus One. iPhone configuration profiles provides business IT with a way to configure the iPhone over the air and according to corporate policies. In addition, the iPhone 3GS provides device encryption to help meet corporate compliance requirements, ensuring the protection of sensitive corporate information."
Hooray - It's Not an iPhone
The Nexus One is a cloud-connected device, making it a true web-based, data-driven device. This to us is a huge advantage. Apple is playing catch up in developing a cloud infrastructure. Google may lose a bit on security but the ability to use the computing power of the cloud may be what shoots Google way ahead of Apple. Tim O'Reilly goes as far to say that at some point, Apple may never catch up.A Strong Start
The Nexus One represents a very strong start for Google. It's not designed as an enterprise phone but generally smart phones are meant to be used universally. We expect that as more smart phones enter the market, an ecosystem of middleware providers will emerge. These services will provide filters, treating the device as a computer, much like desktops and laptops.Seventeen-Year-Old Rowing Across Atlantic for Blue Planet Charity
From: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/
A young American adventurer, 17-year-old Katie Spotz, has started rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in a solo effort to raise $30,000 for Blue Planet Run and give clean water to 1,000 people in developing nations. The young sailor pushed off from Senegal yesterday and hopes to make the 2,500-mile journey in just over 100 days.The map above shows her progress up until now (updated every 20 minutes on her twitter page by Google Earth).
Spotz warmed up for the adventure by swimming the entire length of the Allegheny River to raise awareness of the problem of lack of clean drinking water around the world. Apparently, though, she has only been rowing for two years and was “the slow kid on her high school swim team.” However, she has run marathons, ultramarathons and bicycled across the US.
Spotz be the youngest person to row an ocean solo and the first American to row from the mainland of Africa to the mainland of South America if she completes the trip. She is eqipped with solar-powered electronics such as a water desalination machine, a GPS unit, radios, a satellite phone (for texting and updating her Twitter feed), and a laptop for updating her blog. The food and equipment take her 440-pound boat to approximately 1,000 pounds. She is living off freeze-dried food, trail mix, energy bars, and other high-energy, low-weight food.
Jason McManus
via EcoWorldly, MNN and Treehugger.
100 Cupcakes, 100 games (PICS)
From: steelheadstudio.com — Every year, we throw a big, game party to ring in the new year. This year (2010) is our house's 100-year birthday, so we celebrated with cupcakes... ...and the cupcakes were a game. Here they are in random order - see how many you can guess! Mouse over the question mark to reveal the answer.
Click here to see all 100 Cupcakes, 100 games
38 Snowmen Nightmares: Calvin and Hobbes In Real Life
Click here for the whole Gallery
Flash Player 10.1 on Google’s Nexus One
If you’re an iPhone owner, you probably don’t want to hear about Flash. Full support for Adobe’s rich media technology has been promised for the iPhone many times, but it’s still not there yet. However, if you plan on getting the Nexus One, you’ll be one of the first users to be able try out Flash Player 10.1, currently in beta.
Adobe posted a video showing the latest Flash Player happily working on the Nexus One. It can be used to browse Flash-heavy sites and play online games, but it can also be used to deliver Flash-based ads. From what we can see in the video, Nexus One’s powerful Snapdragon CPU handles Flash with ease. Check out the video below.
First Look At Will Forte In The MacGruber Movie!
By Josh Tyler:
The images are, every bit as awesome as you'd hope. MacGruber looks more heavily mulleted than ever and to prevent theft, he's wisely chosen to carry his car stereo with him... everywhere. Check out the first ever shots of Forte as MacGruber below, and for more info hit our MacGruber preview:
CES: iPhone-controlled drone unveiled at tech show curtain-raiser
AR.Drone – a flying 'quadricopter' with on-board cameras and internal guidance system – shown at Las Vegas industry event
- Bobbie Johnson in Las Vegas
The Parrot AR.Drone: 'Easy to control and flies like a dragonfly.' Photograph: Andrew Gombert/EPA
The AR.Drone, an iPhone-controlled helicopter powered by four separate blades, has been unveiled at the agenda-setting Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Boasting built-in military grade systems such as wind compensation and autopilot functions, the drone is able to hover for hours over a single spot – or fly under the command of a pilot using a wireless controller such as an iPhone.
The toy also boasts a number of other hi-tech embellishments, including a pair of on-board cameras and a computerised internal guidance system that allow it to track objects and react to the environment automatically.
"With video cameras and a powerful computer, we have developed a very stable drone that is easy to control and flies like a dragonfly," said Henri Seydoux, the founder and chief executive of the Paris-based company behind the toy, Parrot.
A spokesman for the company, which is better known for making Bluetooth headsets and in-car systems, would not say how much the AR Drone will cost – but confirmed that it would be available to buy later this year.
"Our first project was a Bluetooth race car. We've developed it, but I was not satisfied," said Seydoux. "So I started with the idea of a quadricopter."
The company was demonstrating the device at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, one of the world's biggest technology industry showcases.
Thousands of computer buffs and hi-tech entrepreneurs are expected in the city this week as the world's most powerful electronics brands fight it out for top billing. Among the 2,500 companies in attendance are Microsoft, Sony, Samsung and Nokia – who are all launching major new products at the event.
The show's organisers expect more than 100,000 enthusiasts to turn up over the next four days to get their hands on new products such as touchscreen tablet computers, record-breaking television screens and electronic books.
Despite the focus on expensive gadgets and gizmos, however, toys are an increasingly significant part of the show – with a manufacturers showing off robots and hi-tech contraptions aimed at youngsters.
The high levels of interest and excitement come despite a difficult period for the event, which is entering its 42nd year. In 2009 many exhibitors were left reeling by the global economic crisis, and many have scaled down their plans for this year's show.
Organisers say that visitor numbers could be even lower this week than they were this time last year, although more new companies have signed up to exhibit than ever - a signal that the excitement that was absent last year has returned.
"There's a great deal of enthusiasm leading into 2010 that just wasn't there in the 2009 show," said Jason Oxman, a senior vice-president of the Consumer Electronics Association, which organises the event.
Lady GaGa Remixed by Latest YouTube Sensations
By: 
Jennifer Van Grove
Jennifer Van GroveEnter Yale students Sam Tsui and Kurt Hugo Schneider, a singer/guitar player duo who’ve done the almost impossible: achieved repeat viral hits on YouTube.
The allure of YouTube (
) is the potential for instant recognition and the promise of web fame with a viral hit. It’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times before, but few can ever claim repeat viral video hits.
Nevertheless, the talented Yale team has produced a medley of unique covers based on hit pop tracks that are racking up the view count on YouTube. Their latest viral sensation is “Lady GaGa Medley,” a perfect arrangement of the pop star’s radio hit “Poker Face” that’s already amassed more than 1.2 million views.
The YouTube veterans have also covered the Glee version of “Don’t Stop Believing.” That video alone has upwards of 3.5 million views. Then there’s the a cappella rendition of a hodgepodge of Michael Jackson songs, which is closing in on four million views fast.
Here’s what Mediate has to say about the powerhouse acoustic duo:
Check out their fantastic cover of Lady GaGa below:
The allure of YouTube (
) is the potential for instant recognition and the promise of web fame with a viral hit. It’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times before, but few can ever claim repeat viral video hits.Nevertheless, the talented Yale team has produced a medley of unique covers based on hit pop tracks that are racking up the view count on YouTube. Their latest viral sensation is “Lady GaGa Medley,” a perfect arrangement of the pop star’s radio hit “Poker Face” that’s already amassed more than 1.2 million views.
The YouTube veterans have also covered the Glee version of “Don’t Stop Believing.” That video alone has upwards of 3.5 million views. Then there’s the a cappella rendition of a hodgepodge of Michael Jackson songs, which is closing in on four million views fast.
Here’s what Mediate has to say about the powerhouse acoustic duo:
“They are…college kids at Yale. And they are REALLY talented. Sam is the singer, Kurt plays guitar (and helpfully provides all the chords) and together they do some great stuff, in that simple format — or as an a cappella group, with Sam singing all the parts (!), or in their original (and ridiculously well-produced) web series, ‘College Musical.’ Yes. Really. They’re awesome.”Almost anything these guys touch turns to pure YouTube gold. Is it a stretch of the imagination to think these students could attract the attention of music producers or monetize their online machinations? Of course not, and we look forward to hearing more from the pair in the coming months.
Check out their fantastic cover of Lady GaGa below:
Coca-Cola Greens Lights and Power for Iconic SF Billboard
The company also is offsetting 100 percent of the electricity used by the billboard through purchase of Green-e certified Renewable Energy Certificates for wind energy from Sterling Planet.
Coca-Cola and the YESCO, the Salt Lake City, firm that engineered, manufactured and installed the retrofit, showed off their handiwork today.
Standing 112 feet above Bryant Street atop a three-story building in San Francisco's South of Market area, the billboard has been a landmark for drivers going to and from the Bay Bridge since 1937 -- the year after the bridge that connects San Francisco to Oakland opened.
The Spencerian script of the logo with its glowing background in a shade known as Coca-Cola Red was originally illuminated with neon. It alternately twinkled and shone for the better part of seven decades, but in recent years began showing its age.
Seventy-feet long and 30 feet high, the new sign is about the same size as its predecessor, but the look at night is crisper and the colors seem more vibrant.
That's largely due to advancements in lighting technology, according to the project partners.
The lumen output of the new sign is similar to that of the old one, said Jeff L. Krantz, an account executive at YESCO.
Krantz and Coca-Cola Energy Efficiency Manage Richard Crowther stressed that while the technology is new, the traditional design has been preserved.
That was the directive from the community as well as the company, they said.
"It was very important to everyone involved in the project to replicate that classic look and feel," said Krantz.
The work to remove the original lighting system and reface the billboard with 4,800 CFLs for the white lettering and strip LEDs for the background started November 30, and the new sign was in place and lit by Christmas Eve, said YESCO project manager Danny Hunsaker.
Ninety percent of the metals and wiring from the original sign were recycled, and disposal of neon and other materials that could not be recycled were handled according to regulatory guidelines, Coca-Cola said.
The company greened its giant sign in Times Square last year. The retrofitting of company signs is part of Coca-Cola's ongoing drive to embed its environmental stewardship credo in all its operations.
The global firm had a big presence at the climate conference in Copenhagen, where CEO Muhtar Kent spent time with GreenBiz.com Senior Contributor Marc Gunther to talk about the company's latest efforts.
Those include its development of the PlantBottle, a container made from recyclable PET plastic, 30 percent of which is sourced from Brazilian sugar cane and molasses, and the company's recently announced commitment to replace all its vending machines using hydrofluorocarbons with coolers that employ more environmentally friendly refrigerants by 2015.
There's also a major campaign to reduce energy use at facilities including those of Coke-product bottlers around the world, said Crowther.In California, for example, Coca-Cola Enterprises -- the production, distribution and marketing firm that serves as the leading bottler of Coca-Cola products -- is slashing its electricity consumption by 5.6 million kilowatt-hours a year as a result of an energy efficiency overhaul of lighting systems at 24 facilities in the state.
The various initiatives all stem from Coca-Cola's ultimate goal of growing its business without increasing its carbon footprint, Crowther said.
More information on Coca-Cola's sustainability work is available at www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship.
Images courtesy of the Coca-Cola Company.
Current Crop of Smartphones: A Cost and Feature Comparison
Looking at this you realize 1.) there's no clear winner in the bunch feature-wise and 2.) we all spend a ridiculous amount of money on mobile phones and service. My only nitpick with this chart is that the T-Mobile/Nexus One "Average Usage" plan should be listed at $79.99 a month, not $89.99 (unless they're counting taxes and fees). Click to enlarge the big picture to check it out.
Smarterware is Lifehacker editor emeritus Gina Trapani's new home away from 'hacker. To get all of the latest from Smarterware, be sure to subscribe to the Smarterware RSS feed.
Contact information for this author is not available.
CES Showcase: Asus Announces Four New Laptops
from: http://hothardware.com/
It's CES time and that means a flurry new products will be hitting the streets soon. Today, we attended the Asus 2010 CES Event at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas
where company chairman Jonney Shih revealed the company's latest products and technology. Here's a quick preview of what was on display...
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Asus NX90 Bang & Olufsen Notebook
Let's get right to the good stuff. The NX90 is a multimedia notebook that combines modern design and cutting-edge technology. Designed by Bang & Olufsen Chief Designer David Lewis, the NX90 features a polished aluminum exterior and palm rest that contrast the matte-black keyboard and dual touchpads. Two speakers featuring ICEpower technology flank a large display. Exclusive Sonic Focus technology helps to ensure that all audio is reproduced as flawlessly as possible, according to Asus. The NX90 also offers a unique way to interact with the system, in the form of dual touch pads. These work in concert with the Rotation Desktop software to provide users with an intuitive DJ-like control. Specific hardware options consist of Intel's Core i7 820QM or 720QM processor, up to 12GB DDR3 1066, 18.4" LED display, NVIDIA GT 335M, dual HDD support, Blu-Ray, and USB 3.0. Expect to drop well over $2K for this beast.
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Republic of Gamers G73Jh Notebook
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Eee PC Seashell Karim Rashid Collection
Karim Rashid is a renowned designer based in New York. Don't worry if you've never heard of him, we hadn't either. The goal of the Eee PC Seashell Karim Rashid Collection is to marry high tech with high fasion and realize Karim's vision of hip computing. The high gloss case you see is soft to the touch and available in two colors - hot pink and brown gold.
U53 Notebook - U Series Bamboo Collection
In an effort to protect the environment and be more green, Asus reveals the latest model in the environmentally friendly Bamboo Collection. The U53 Series laptop is thin, light, and clad in bamboo that is warm to the touch. It features a unique design thanks to the subtle variations in its manufacturing material and will sport USB 3.0 and Intel's Core i5 processor.
For more information on the NX90 and G73Jh notebooks, check out these videos:
For more information on the NX90 and G73Jh notebooks, check out these videos: