Introducing Cornucopia, the food printer – “US scientists have introduced a concept design of the “Cornucopia” or Digital Fabricator, a “personal food factory” able to print food from specified ingredients, with no waste at the point of cooking…”

Ecology: A world without mosquitoes – “Eradicating any organism would have serious consequences for ecosystems — wouldn’t it? Not when it comes to mosquitoes, finds Janet Fang…”

Neurons to inspire future computers – “Researchers are developing novel computers by mimicking the way that neurons are built and how they talk to each other. Basing computers around neurons could lead to improvements in visual and audio processing on computers…”

With This Rinse, Performance Improves – “Exercise scientists say they have stumbled on an amazing discovery. Athletes can improve their performance in intense bouts of exercise, lasting an hour or so, if they merely rinse their mouths with a carbohydrate solution. They don’t even have to swallow it…”

Build a $200 Linux PC – “Times are still tough out there, but our needs and desires don’t always flag just because the economy does. If an accident or an equipment failure has punched an unexpected hole in your computing life, you may be in need of a system—any system—to fill it. Or maybe you’ve discovered that your family just needs one more box to use as a Web terminal to keep the more powerful systems free more often. Whatever the circumstance, you may be tempted to drop $500 or even more on one of the cheaper, pre-fab models you can find at Costco, Wal-Mart, or from one of the major manufacturers. But once you’ve factored in all the attendant costs, taxes, and shipping, you could be spending a lot more than you planned—and that’s something to avoid, especially when every penny counts….”

Antibody Neutralizes 91% of HIV Strains, Strong Step Towards a Vaccine – “Will HIV eventually go the way of smallpox and polio? Earlier this month, scientists at the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced their discovery of three new HIV antibodies, the most powerful of which neutralizes 91% of all HIV strains. These are the strongest antibodies yet found, and they could hold the key to developing a vaccine to AIDS…”

Die young, live fast: The evolution of an underclass – “FROM feckless fathers and teenaged mothers to so-called feral kids, the media seems to take a voyeuristic pleasure in documenting the lives of the “underclass”. Whether they are inclined to condemn or sympathise, commentators regularly ask how society got to be this way. There is seldom agreement, but one explanation you are unlikely to hear is that this kind of “delinquent” behaviour is a sensible response to the circumstances of a life constrained by poverty. Yet that is exactly what some evolutionary biologists are now proposing….”

The Top 100 Free Apps for Your Phone 2010 – “Whether you’re toting an iPhone, Droid, BlackBerry, or Palm Pre, it’s the apps that make your smartphone brilliant. And the app scene is booming. The iPhone still leads the app race, with more than 225,000 apps, but developers are churning out apps for other platforms as well. Google’s Android Market now has over 60,000 apps. Palm’s App Catalog for the Pre and Pixi has risen from hundreds to more than 2,000 apps during the past several months alone. And there are thousands of apps for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Symbian phones….”

India develops world’s cheapest tablet that’ll cost only $35 – “After world’s cheapest car Tata Nano, India, the second largest growing economy has the world’s cheapest tablet PC readied. Unveiled by the Indian Human Resource Development minister Kapil Sibal, this poor man’s iPad is expected to be priced at about $35 (INR 1,500). This access-cum-computing device is scheduled for an early 2010 release for students and teachers to begin with, but could be eventually owned by public at large… “

Top countries by robot density

Facebook’s 500 Million Members

Social vs. Market Norms at Reddit – “How would you feel if a friend you loaned money to came back and suggested you supply them a regular line of credit? That’s a how some users of social news aggregator Reddit feel as the site’s admins grapple with the question of making the web pay. Earlier this month those operating the site–which is owned by Vogue and Wired publisher Conde Nast–issued a plea for cash donations (a “pledge drive”) to help them keep the site running smoothly. The response of their community seemed generally positive. Then, at the start of this week, the admins unveiled a subscription service that for $3.99 a month allows “gold” users to opt out of adverts and enhanced “friends” features. This time the response appears more nuanced…”

Running the world on a single energy source – “With population and energy demands at an all time high, there is keen competition between the developers of renewable energy for a meaningful share of the energy market. While it is unlikely that a single alternative or renewable energy source could meet the needs of the entire world, it is important to look at just how much energy each type of renewable energy source could provide…”

The Tax Tsunami On The Horizon – “Many voters are looking forward to 2011, hoping a new Congress will put the country back on the right track. But unless something’s done soon, the new year will also come with a raft of tax hikes — including a return of the death tax — that will be real killers….”

Fourth Property of Electrons? Electric Dipole Moment Would Explain Creation of Universe – “Electrons are negatively charged elementary particles. They form the shells around atoms and ions. This or something similar is what you will find in text books. Soon, however, this information may have to be supplemented…”

Porn unblocked for Chinese web users – “Word leaked out slowly, spread by web-savvy folks on Twitter: Internet porn that once was blocked by Chinese government censors was now openly available. “Are they no longer cracking down on pornographic websites? A lot of porn sites and forums are accessible,” technology blogger William Long wrote on his feed. Messages like that startled Chinese web surfers, long accustomed to the authorities’ internet blockades…”

Internet will soon be running on IPv4 address fumes – “This wasn’t the first time someone said that we were going to run out of IPv4 addresses soon. Or, to stick to the TV theme: all of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again. It all started with the Internet Engineering Task Force in the early 1990s. Reportedly, it was determined that we’d run out of addresses in 2005….”

Brewing Coup Against Microsoft CEO – “Senior Microsoft executives, disenchanted with the company’s stagnant stock, have been secretly discussing how to kick Chief Steve Ballmer, and maybe the board, to the curb…” See also: Brewing Exec Revolt against Microsoft’s Ballmer

Certified Lies: Big Brother In Your Browser – “You probably feel safe when you see the padlock on your browser window indicating secure communication with your bank or e-mail account. You probably think your users are safe if they are accessing your network over your SSL VPN. What if instead of worrying about man-in-the-middle attacks, it became government-spy-in-the middle eavesdropping? Is Big Brother spying on you? Before I’m done showing you these surveillance products, you will probably be ticked for both security and privacy reasons….”

What is the minimum number of people you need in order to maintain our current level of technological civilization? – “Let’s take a look at the superficial structures around us. How many people does it take to design a new automobile? Back in Henry Ford’s day, it needed an office full of draughtsmen, a handle of senior engineers to sort out each major mechanical subsystem (gear train, engine, electrics, brakes, suspension, bodywork), and experts on coachbuilding to dictate the shape of the bodywork. There would be time and motion men to dictate the speed and sequence of assembly line activities, and more drafting work to design the tools the production line workers would use … it took the effort of a few hundred men. But modern cars are different. A typical 2010 automobile may contain roughly 20-30 electric motors and actuators (for everything from the central locking system to the air conditioning and the motorized seats and windows). There’s a similar number of microprocessors involved in everything from the engine and gearbox management systems to the entertainment, navigation, communication, and accident mitigation systems (for example, the sensors and microprocessors that control the sequence of pyrotechnic detonators that inflate air bags, tension seat belts, and collapse the steering column in event of a collision)….”

Experts: Health Hazards in Gulf Warrant Evacuations – “When Louisiana residents ask marine toxicologist and community activist Riki Ott what she would do if she lived in the Gulf with children, she tells them she would leave immediately. “It’s that bad. We need to start talking about who’s going to pay for evacuations.”"

Four Letters Ease Housing Fears For Some: Rent – “With so many homes and apartments on the market, rents are being held down, according to the government’s consumer price index for rent. The CPI inched up just 0.3 percent over the past year — that’s the lowest yearly increase since the late 1940s…”

Wylie’s Amazon deal brings the end of the publishing world nigh – “News that power-broking agent Andrew Wylie has bypassed conventional publishers to sell his clients’ ebooks direct to Amazon has created panic. Is it curtains for conventional publishing?”

The Bailout, One Year Later: Where Are They Now? – “One year ago, America’s auto industry was going through very tough times. Caught in the quagmire of recession, two of Detroit’s Big Three had filed for bankruptcy, and they’d brought a few of their pals along for the ride. Americans were mixed about the federal government’s bailout of the sector, with a handful of pundits claiming that taxpayers would lose every penny in the process. Today, however, the outlook for the industry and the American people seems slightly better than folks had feared….”

Analyzing The Facebook Contract: Is Mark Zuckerberg Screwed? – “Now that we’ve seen the full alleged “contract” that Mark Zuckerberg signed in 2003 with upstate New York wood-pellet vendor Paul Ceglia (read it here), two things seem clear: * First, if the contract is legit, Ceglia has a much stronger case than most people think (Ceglia claims the contract gives him 84% ownership of Facebook)…”

The Air Guitar – “When the competitors in the 2010 U.S. Air Guitar Championships hit the stage at New York City’s Irving Plaza on July 22, an audience of roughly 1,000 rabid fans will be treated to the most absurd display of Pete Townshend windmills, Keith Richards posturing and Iggy Pop stage diving they’re ever likely to see. And whom do we have to thank for this brand of bizarrely awesome escapism? Finland, of course…”

Twitter’s earthXplorer: Simply Amazing! – “For more than 20 years, his production work with the travel industry has taken him to nearly 80 countries: to the Mediterranean marvels of Spain; the ancient ruins of Egypt; and the stunning landscapes of New Zealand. And one can’t help but be impressed with his epic journey across the entire continent of Australia…”

[[[Jump to - Interesting reading #535 – Amazing robbery, cheaper doctors, Flying tanks, HULC exoskeleton, Vampire airplane and much more…]]]