Apple's Unibody Mac Mini

From: http://gizmodo.com/

There were rumors of a refresh and today Apple delivered more than we were expecting: The mini gets a new unibody aluminum casing, plus HDMI port and SD card slot, and the price starts at $699.

There are two options available, with the main differences being the Snow Leopard Server, a bumped-up processor and RAM, as well as storage capacity. The full release and details are below - [MacMini]

Hands-on pics via TechRadar:

Apple® today unveiled a completely redesigned Mac® mini, featuring up to twice the graphics performance, a new HDMI port and a new SD card slot, all in an amazingly compact aluminum enclosure. Mac mini is the world's most energy efficient desktop and starting at $699, is the most affordable way to enjoy Mac OS® X, iLife® or Mac OS X Snow Leopard® Server.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100615/SF20941)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100615/SF20941)

"The sleek, aluminum Mac mini packs great features, versatility and value into an elegant, amazingly compact design," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With twice the graphics performance, HDMI support and industry-leading energy efficiency, customers are going to love the new Mac mini."

Created with the unibody construction process pioneered by Apple, the new Mac mini features a compact aluminum enclosure just 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches thin. A new integrated power supply eliminates the need for an external power adapter, reducing overall system volume by 20 percent and keeping cable clutter to a minimum. A removable panel underneath provides quick access for memory expansion. Mac mini is incredibly versatile, effortlessly connecting to existing peripherals such as mice, keyboards and digital displays, while the new HDMI output connects Mac mini to an HDTV and the new SD card slot enables easy transfer of photos and videos from a digital camera.

Inside its sleek, compact enclosure, the new Mac mini includes the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market today. With 48 processing cores, the NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor delivers up to twice the graphics performance of its predecessor, making Mac mini ideal for graphics intensive applications or visually rich games. Mac mini comes standard with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 320GB hard and 2GB of RAM for $699.

With twice the graphics performance, the new Mac mini is still the world's most energy efficient desktop.* The new Mac mini reduces power consumption by an incredible 25 percent to less than 10W at idle, less than half the power required by competing systems. Mac mini meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold status.** The new aluminum enclosure is highly recyclable and Mac mini uses PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants and features material-efficient system and packaging designs.

Mac mini comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world's most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple's innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto®, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand® which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server fulfills all the server needs of a workgroup or small business including email, calendar, file serving, Time Machine® backup, Wiki Server, Podcast Producer and more. Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server uses less than 11W of power at idle, a fraction of the power consumed in comparison to typical entry-level tower servers.*** Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server is faster than before with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, two 500GB hard drives now running at 7200 rpm, 4GB of RAM and supports unlimited clients for $999.

Pricing & Availability

The new Mac mini is shipping today and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The Mac mini, for a suggested retail price of $699 (US), includes:

2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB of shared L2 cache;
2GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable up to 8GB;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm;
NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics;
AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet;
four USB 2.0 ports;
SD card slot;
one FireWire® 800 port;
one HDMI port and one Mini DisplayPort;
HDMI to DVI video adapter;
combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack); and
combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack).

Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 8GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 500GB hard drive running at 5400 rpm, Apple Remote, Aperture™ 3, Final Cut® Express 4, Logic® Express, iWork® (pre-installed), Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Apple 24 inch LED Cinema Display and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.

The Mac mini with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server, for a suggested retail price of $999 (US), includes:

2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB of shared L2 cache;
4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable up to 8GB;
two 500GB Serial ATA hard drives running at 7200 rpm;
NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics;
AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet;
four USB 2.0 ports;
SD card slot;
one FireWire 800 port;
one HDMI port and one Mini DisplayPort;
HDMI to DVI video adapter;
combined optical digital audio input/audio line in (minijack); and
combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack).

Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 8GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, External SuperDrive, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Apple 24 inch LED Cinema Display and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

*Claim based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA Energy Star 5.0 database as of June 2010.

**EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the 23 required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.

***Claim based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA Energy Star Small Scale Server database as of June 2010.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system, and iLife, iWork and professional applications. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

© 2010 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iLife, Snow Leopard, iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, Time Machine, Apple Store, SuperDrive, AirPort Extreme, FireWire, Aperture, Final Cut, Logic, iWork and AppleCare are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

MasterCard trialling smart credit cards with display & keypads

By Chris Davies
From: http://www.slashgear.com/

MasterCard has announced that it will be rolling out new credit and debit cards with integrated display screens, in an attempt to further prevent bank fraud. The cards, developed by NagraID Security, resemble their regular counterparts, but – when an integrated button is pressed – display a one-time passcode that can be used to authorize online and phone transactions.

In addition, more complex versions of the cards can include a 12-digit keypad, and be used for electronic signature and authentication modes, as well as to enhanced security features such as challenge-response applications and PIN code card protection. MasterCard even envisage being able to show customers their current balance on the card’s display.

Pilot schemes with the cards are kicking off in association with a Turkish bank, and if successful MasterCard are looking to spread the use of the technology to other countries. The real irony is, in the middle of writing this article, my own bank called to say my card had been cloned – I guess these new display cards can’t come soon enough!

Press Release:

MASTERCARD and NAGRAID Security Introduce new Display Cards with Extended Features for Secure Banking Applications

NagraID Security developed a new family of MasterCard financial cards with integrated display screen allowing:

Optimized security for online transactions thanks to strong owner authentication
Display of the card balance on the card’s screen

La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland, 10th June 2010 – NagraID Security, a subsidiary of the Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD), is pleased to announce that its families of display cards passed MasterCard’s (CSI – Card Structure & Integrity) approval process, thus demonstrating the required levels of durability, safety and compliance to ISO standards required for the commercial launch of banking cards and the introduction into MasterCard’s brand standards and rules.

The innovative Debit and Credit MasterCard Display Card looks and feels like a normal credit or debit card but comes with an additional small display and a button that enables card holders to use the same card for standard banking payment functionality and to generate second-factor one-time passwords (OTPs), thereby providing strong authentication.

The cards are very reliable and extremely simple to use. They offer optimal security to achieve banking transactions outside payment terminals using one single device.

This password generation technology complies with the requirements of MasterCard’s 3D Secure Chip Authentication Program (CAP). Optionally, a touch-sensitive keypad with twelve keys permits access to advanced functionality such as electronic signature and authentication modes, as well as to enhanced security features such as challenge-response applications and PIN code card protection.

Historically, banking institutions who protected access to their services with a One-Time Password required the use of a separate cumbersome token.

“Cards were born from cardboard, they’ve been ‘mag striped’ and ‘chipped’ and now we enter their silicon age, with an LCD display and touchpad opening up a multitude of possibilities. With NagraID’s recent achievements to demonstrate compliance to industry standards, the stage has well and truly been set to deliver the next generation consumer’s card proposition” says Eric Tomlinson, MasterCard Europe.

“This display card is designed to provide a very high level of security and reliability as well as ease of use. Users simply press a button to generate an OTP for secure access to their online services,” commented Philippe Guillaud, Executive Vice President and CTO of NagraID Security. He also added “The programmable nature of this platform makes it future proof and one can expect to see even more exciting and fantastic functionality in the near future.”

MasterCard directed promotional initiatives and large scale roll-outs will ensure that market price expectations are achieved. “As the world evolves towards increasing online and cashless transactions, the timing of our partnership with MasterCard is ideal, as it enables the growing security expectations of a rapidly expanding base of digital technology users to be quickly addressed via a secure, reliable and unified solution in a familiar and convenient form-factor.” said Cyril Lalo, President and CEO of NagraID Security.

Full-length Gran Turismo 5 E3 2010 trailer in HD

From: http://www.gameranx.com/

Sony has released the E3 2010 trailer for Gran Turismo 5. Unfortunately, there is no release date at the end of the trailer, but it should be announced in a few days time at Sony's E3 Press Conference. The trailer features some brand new footage of the game's gorgeous cars and detailed, realistic tracks.

Check out the Gran Turismo 5 E3 2010 trailer in HD below:

Another trailer was released on Playstation's official blog which is the full-length trailer, also offering some retrospective of the previous titles in the series.

Undersea Yacht Submerges When Your Sunburn Starts Hurting

It's like something from a James Bond film. You can just see Daniel Craig jumping effortlessly from the land-dock onto the deck of a yacht gliding away slowly, and as he hurries into the cabin the yacht submerges, bubbles rising.

While firmly in the concept stage, the undersea yacht (or U-010 to give it its pretend-real model number) was dreamed up by the type of people who probably think the DUKW is the perfect way to get around a city.

Should the U-010 actually be made, its designers would make it 66.5m long, and styled just like any normal yacht—except for its unique ability to run on diesel and then electric propulsion. I can't help but want one, after seeing the photos below. [Seatec via Born Rich]

Send an email to Kat Hannaford, the author of this post, at khannaford@gizmodo.com.

iPhone 4’s Crystal Clear Retina Display [VIDEO]

Last week, Steve Jobs unveiled the forthcoming iPhone 4 at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Among the most praised features of the new smartphone is its new “retina display,” but how good does the iPhone 4’s screen really look?

At 326 pixels per inch, the pixel density of the iPhone 4 is four times that of the iPhone 3. Jobs claimed at the conference that the resolution surpassed that of the unaided human eye, which cannot differentiate detail past 300 pixels per inch; Wired revealed later, however, that this claim was false.

According to blogger Robert Scoble, it’s the best smartphone display “by far.” This morning, he posted a high-resolution photograph and video of the new iPhone; see below for close-ups. The video is particularly telling.

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[img credit: Robert Scoble]

'Grow-your-own' organs hope after scientists produce liver in lab from stem cells

By Fiona Macrae

From : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Scientists have grown a liver in a laboratory, offering fresh hope to hundreds of thousands of patients with diseased and damaged organs.

It raises the prospect of those in need of transplants one day being offered livers that are ‘made to order’.

The first pieces of lab-grown livers could be used in hospitals within just five years, the researchers said.

A decellularised rat liver retaining its network of blood vessels, a technique grown by scientists which could be used to grow livers for human transplants

Patches of artificial tissue could be used to repair livers damaged by injury, disease, alcohol abuse and paracetamol overdose.

Other possibilities include sections of artificial livers to keep those needing transplants alive – in much the same way as a dialysis machine is used to treat kidney failure.

HOW TO GROW OWN LIVER

1. Donated but damaged liver bathed in detergent to remove the cells.

2. All that remains is a 'scaffold' made of collagen and blood vessels.

3. Scaffold is seeded with healthy liver cells, made from the stem cells created from the patient's skin.

4. The new liver is used to replace the patient's damaged one. As it is made from their own cells, the body will not reject it.

At least one million of Britons live with liver disease and it claims more than 16,000 lives a year – more than diabetes and traffic accidents combined. Up to 600 transplants are carried out a year.

The latest experiments, which were carried out on animal livers, are still in the early stages but could one day lead to an alternative supply of organs.

The process began with a donor liver being ‘washed’ in detergent, stripping it of its cells, leaving only a collagen and blood vessel ‘scaffold’ in which the new liver cells could grow.

The U.S. scientists then injected it with up to 200 million healthy liver cells, in four shots, each ten minutes apart.

The cells spread across the scaffold, and, provided with an artificial blood supply, the liver survived in a petri dish for up to ten days, the journal Nature Medicine reports.

Tests showed that, just like a real liver, it was capable of breaking up toxins.

The researchers, from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, also transplanted the liver into a rat, for several hours.

Lead researcher Dr Korkut Uygun said: ‘As far as we know, a transplantable liver graft has never been constructed in a laboratory setting before.

‘Even though this is very exciting and promising, it is a proof-of-concept study only. Much more work will be required to make long-term functional liver grafts that can actually be transplanted into humans.

‘We haven’t been able to go beyond several hours in rats, but it’s a great start.’

Hurdles to overcome include creating a liver with all the types of cells needed for full function, including specialised cells that destroy bacteria and other invaders.

Changes in cigarette pack colors called not so mild

From: http://www.usatoday.com/

		"Lights" out: Faced by a ban on labels such as "mild" and "light," cigarette makers have lightened package colors. AP

Changes in cigarette pack colors called not so mild

By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY

In anticipation of a ban against using words such as "light" or "mild" on cigarette labels and ads, tobacco companies have lightened package colors to convey the same message, a move the American Lung Association and Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., have attacked as disingenuous.

The ban, part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act signed a year ago by President Obama, takes effect June 22. The act gave the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco products.

As an FDA guidance document notes, many smokers mistakenly believe that cigarettes labeled "light" or "mild" "cause fewer health problems" than others.

As for the color changes, "this is a transparent attempt by the tobacco industry to evade the law and mislead consumers," Waxman said Friday.

"The tobacco industry is masterful in its knowledge of consumer behavior and marketing," says Paul Billings, vice president for national policy at the lung association.

David Howard of R.J. Reynolds, maker of Salem and other brands, says the "smoking experience," not safety, is "light" cigarettes' appeal. Different-colored packages ensure smokers can still get the taste they desire, Howard says. All Salem packages used to be the same shade of green, but now packages previously called "lights" are a lighter green and white, and "ultra lights" are a pale gray and white. "The bottom line is there is no safe cigarette," Howard says, "and that is certainly well-known among adult cigarette consumers."

But, says research scientist Maansi Basal-Travers of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, more than half of the more than 1,000 smokers she surveyed "believed that a high-tar or full-flavored cigarette is twice as likely to cause illness as a low-tar."

And, she says, studies show that the lighter the package, be it food or cigarettes, the more healthful it seems.

The FDA "should conduct a thorough science-based review and then ban any deceptive use of colors," Waxman said.

Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a pediatrics professor at the University of California-San Francisco, says "it's plausible that just the packaging difference is enough" to make young smokers think certain cigarettes are safer.

FDA spokeswoman Kathleen Quinn said that though the ban covers "light," "low" and "mild" as of June 22, the FDA will evaluate other potential violations case by case.

Oh, The Difference Glasses Can Make..

Posted by i.WA
From: http://images.wildammo.com/

Digg Digg

The Evolution of Shanghai: 1990 to 1996 to 2010

Shanghai in 1990



Shanghai in 1996



Shanghai in 2010

Conan O'Brien, Jack White Team for Surprise Show

From: http://www.rollingstone.com/

Legally Prohibited band covers Elvis, the White Stripes at rocker's Third Man Studios

Courtesy of TeamCoco.com

By Daniel Kreps

Three hundred loyal Team Coco supporters were treated to a concert by Conan O'Brien and his Legally Prohibited touring band at Jack White's Third Man Studios yesterday in Nashville. The surprise gig, which was announced by White in a mysterious video on the Third Man site, came just one day before O'Brien began his stint as emcee of the comedy tent at Bonnaroo in nearby Manchester. About 24 hours before the performance, more than a thousand Conan fans had already lined the Third Man building in the scorching Nashville heat, hoping to get in. Conan and Jack White tossed water bottles from the Third Man roof to the fans waiting below, the AP reports.

Once inside, fans were treated to an intimate performance highlighted by cover versions of Elvis Presley's "Blue Moon" and "Poke Salad Annie," the Stray Cats' "Rock This Town," the Band's "The Weight" and a humorous version of Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" ("My old show again/I just can't wait to get my old show again" — only 150 days until Conan's TBS tenure begins.) O'Brien and his band also paid tribute to their host with a raucous rendition of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army."

Read our full report from O'Brien's first Legally Prohibited live show.

Rolling Stone previously spoke to Conan about his special bond with White, which led the Stripes to stage a four-night residency on Late Night With Conan O'Brien in 2003 and briefly end the White Stripes' still-ongoing hiatus with a performance of "We're Going to Be Friends" on Conan's final Late Night episode.

"The BEST part of the night was that the whole thing was being recorded on a reel to reel tape! Why reel to reel? Because tonight's performance is going to be pressed into a record that people at the show could buy," Conan's Team Coco blog reports. "What that also meant for the show was that halfway through, Conan & the band had to stop for a few minutes so that the reel could be changed!" According to reports, the vinyl was already up for pre-ordering for the lucky 300 in attendance, but details regarding the sure-to-be-limited-edition release have not yet been posted on the Third Man Records site.

While Conan and his band took their performance seriously for the most part, O'Brien did have some fun when the band detoured off the set list to cover Radiohead's "Creep," a song he previously sound-checked during a Legally Prohibited tour stop in Eugene, Oregon. "This is the only way I can sing Thom Yorke songs, as a 19th-century chimney sweep with a top hat and a smudge on my cheek," O'Brien said. Midway through the performance, Jack White jumped onstage to put a top hat on Conan's head. White eventually came onstage, guitar in hand, for the evening's last song, a cover of Eddie Cochran's "Twenty Flight Rock." "This is probably the most fun I've had in show business," O'Brien said prior to the encore.

O'Brien and White — with the Dead Weather — will both perform to much larger audiences this weekend at the Bonnaroo Festival. For Rolling Stone's full 'Roo coverage, click here:

• Rolling Stone's Essential Bonnaroo 2010 Coverage

And to read Max Weinberg's most recent comments on whether he'll be joining Conan on TBS this fall, check out Max Weinberg on His Future With Conan and Bruce.

50 Year Old Discovery in London Subway (PICS)

divinecaroline.com — Back in the 1950’s, old lifts were removed in the Notting Hill tube station in favor of more modern escalators. Recent work at the station revealed these posters in the old lift passageway.

click here for the full gallery: http://www.divinecaroline.com/

LINO - A Stop Motion Surf Film

youtube.com — This is a cool little surf video. Stop motion Lino Surfing - The pursuit of perfect waves in the plastic world...

9 jaw-dropping caves

From: http://www.mnn.com/

CREDIT: ZUMA Press

A spelunker's dream

Humans have discovered and stepped on almost every swath of terrain on the planet, yet there are still places that have not been explored. Modern spelunking expeditions are unlikely to produce such fantastical results as Jules Verne's "A Journey to the Center of the Earth", but there are still some stunning sights to behold. Here are nine amazing caves from around the world that will make your jaw drop. (Text: Caitie Leary/MNN)

CREDIT: Courtesy of Carsten Peter/National Geographic

Cave of the Crystals

The discovery of the Cave of the Crystals in 2000 by miners working 1,000 feet underground proved that there are still astounding natural wonders that humans have yet to stumble upon. Located in the Naica Mine near Chihuahua, Mexico, the cave features enormous crystalline blocks and beams jutting out from all directions. The selenite crystals — some of the largest ever found — formed when the cave, situated along an ancient fault, filled with hot, mineral-rich water. The water remained in the cave for about 500,000 years, providing an ideal climate for the giant crystals to grow.

CREDIT: wanderingz/Flickr

Fingal's Cave

Fingal's Cave, a sea cave located on the uninhabitated island of Staffa, Scotland, consists of a large series of hexagonally shaped basalt columns. It was named after the hero of an 18th century Scottish epic poem by James Macpherson. Because of its arched ceiling, it produces eerie echoing sounds, which prompts its name, "Uamh-Binn," which means "cave of melody" in Gaelic.

CREDIT: Inspiration Point Studio/Flickr

The Eisriesenwelt

About 40 kilometers south of Salzburg, Austria, in the market town of Werfen, lies the largest ice cave in the world. It's called Eisriesenwelt, which means "World of the Ice Giants" in German. It was first explored in 1879 by scientist Anton Posselt. Long before he arrived, locals knew about the cave and believing it was the entrance to hell — and they avoided it. The cave extends 42 kilometers, though only the first kilometer or so is covered in ice, which was formed when snow from outside the cave melted, drained in the cave and froze again during winter. Today the Eisriesenwelt is a popular tourist destination, with about 200,000 visitors every year.

CREDIT: Dave Bunnell

Mammoth Cave

As the longest known cave system in the world, it’s no wonder Mammoth Cave was established as a national park. The Kentucky cave has 367 miles of passageways, and it’s widely believed that many more miles have yet to be discovered. The cave's name originates from it's vast length, as opposed to the popular (yet false) belief that it has something to do with the now-extinct woolly mammoth.

CREDIT: ZUMA Press

Blue Grotto

This famous sea cave is located off the coast of the island of Capri, Italy. It is notable for its gorgeous and brilliantly blue waters, a color created by sunlight shining through the seawater into the underwater passageway. During the times of the Romans, the cave was thought to be the home of witches and monsters, but that doesn't deter visitors today — it remains one of the most popular attractions on the island of Capri.

CREDIT: Stubb/Wikimedia

Cave of the Swallows

First documented in December 1966, the Cave of the Swallows is a pit cave located in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, that plunges more than 1,400 feet down. It attracts many tourists, especially BASE jumpers and vertical cavers. The cave gets its name from the large number of birds — mainly white-collared swifts and green parakeets — that live within the walls of the cave.

CREDIT: ZUMA Press

Dongzhong Cave

Even though its name means "in cave" in Chinese, Dongzhong is both a cave and a school. Opened in 1984 in Ziyun County in China's Guizhou Province, this natural, air hangar-sized cave serves as an educational institution for 186 students and their eight teachers. The cave was carved out from wind, water and other natural forces over the course of thousands of years. It now features small buildings, rooms and sport and recreational areas.

CREDIT: Wikimedia/GNU/CC license

Carlsbad Caverns

Discovered in the late 1890s by cowboy Jim White, Carlsbad Caverns is located near the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and boasts the third largest cave chamber in the Americas. The park features a vast array of rooms and chambers: the Big Room, the New Mexico Room, King's Palace, Queen's Chamber, the Spirit World and more than 100 others. It was officially established as a national park in 1930, and since then, it has welcomed 400,000 visitors a year.

CREDIT: Yam Bare Munch/Flickr

Waitomo Glowworm Cave

The Waitomo Glowworm Cave is located in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Waitomo Caves system, which includes Ruakuri Cave and Aranui Cave. As the name suggests, the cave serves as the home to glowworms, specifically Arachnocampa luminosa, which are a type of fungus gnat species that glow in their larval stage. Because it was underwater 30 million years ago, the cave is made from limestone composed of fossilized shells, skeletons and coral.

18 amazing Star Wars sand sculptures

From: http://scifiwire.com/

Summer's just around the corner, so what better time to share some of the most awesome Star Wars sand sculptures ever created?

Click here for the Full Gallery of 18 amazing Star Wars sand sculptures

How To Park Your Car When There Is Nowhere To Park Your Car

Best Laptop Ever

The Motorcycle of the Future Has Arrived

• By Chuck Squatriglia
• From: http://www.wired.com/
  

This is the MotoCzysz E1PC. It is electric. It is almost certainly the most advanced motorcycle on the planet. And it is the future.

We told you moto-genius Michael Czysz — pronounced sizz — was building another contender for the TT Zero electric motorcycle race on the Isle of Man. But we caught up with him early in the build and he wasn’t providing details or pics. Now that the bike’s hit the track, Wes Siler of Hell For Leather has all the details on the MotoCzysz E1PC in a piece posted over at Popular Science.

This bike is bad-ass, no two ways about it. It has a custom-built 12.5-kilowatt-hour lithium polymer battery that can be swapped in seconds. The custom-built, oil-cooled motor generates 100 horsepower (continuous) and 250 pound-feet of torque. It all hangs from a custom frame. Of course, it’s got the usual top-shelf hardware. Ohlins. Brembo. You know the drill.

Czyzs and his crew in Portland, Oregon, were literally buttoning the bike up before the first practice session on the Isle of Man, having just gotten the body panels through customs. No one had tested the bike before, but rider Mark Miller smoked the field during practice, finishing more than three minutes ahead of the competition. The bike hit a top speed of 140 mph and lapped the 37.7-mile course at an average speed of 94.66 mph.

For all the high-tech componentry, the E1PC is designed first and foremost as a motorcycle, so it’s meant to be hammered. Many bikes racing in the TTXGP series suffer ground-clearance issues when leaning into a turn, but the E1PC has no such trouble. Siler says riders accustomed to a conventional sportbike will feel right at home on the E1PC.

Take a close look at the pics. You’re looking at the future of motorcycling.

Photos: Amadeus Photography. More after the jump and over at PopSci.

B.A. Baracus’s Best Insults From The A-Team TV Series

Scott Tunstal
From: http://flicksided.com/

No offense to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson who plays B.A. Baracus in the big screen adaptation of The A-Team, but Mr. T will always be the B.A. of choice. His signature Mohawk haircut, mountain of gold neck chains and quick trigger temper made him one of the most memorable personalities from ’80s pop culture. B.A. was also known for his hysterical insults and threats. Writers made sure to reserve the best lines for his character. As luck would have it, someone was shrewd enough to edit together a video featuring some of B.A.’s greatest barbs. I pity the fool who doesn’t enjoy this! (Via scratchersscratcher on YouTube.)

Warner Bros. Announces New Mortal Kombat for 2011

New fighter being developed for PS3 and 360, will have tag-team mode and "reinvented" 2D gameplay. See the first trailer.

By Kris Pigna

From: http://www.1up.com/

That live-action Mortal Kombat trailer recently released on YouTube maybe didn't have anything to do with a new Mortal Kombat game, but it makes little difference as Warner Bros. today has coincidentally announced a new Mortal Kombat game anyway. Evidently dubbed simply "Mortal Kombat," the new game is being developed by a new team for release in 2011.

The new team, called NetherRealm Studios, is being guided by original Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon. This new Mortal Kombat promises a "reinvention of its classic 2D fighting mechanic" along with a "new graphics engine." It's a little unclear from the wording, but it sounds like it'll go the Street Fighter 4 route, with 3D visuals but strictly 2D gameplay.

This new entry will also add tag-team modes in addition to standard one-on-one bouts, including a "co-op arcade mode" that has two players teaming up to take on other teams online. Warner Bros. also promises the "deepest story mode of any fighting game" with a return of "iconic warriors" from past Mortal Kombat games, but no specific characters are mentioned. And of course, there will also be a return of Fatalities.

"This game really is a response to what players have been demanding: mature presentation, reinvented 2D fighting mechanic and the best, most gruesome fatalities ever," said Boon in a statement.

Mortal Kombat is being developed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and other than 2011, no more-specific release date was announced. But as usual with just about every new game announcement these days, we wouldn't be surprised to find out even more about it at E3 next week.