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GamesArchive for January, 2011
Collecting wild mushrooms is something I would have to be really, really hard-pressed to undertake. I mean, it would have to be like apocalypse bad, because I think cooked mushrooms taste like slimy rubber — and I don’t even want to think of the musty horror they appear to be when raw. But that doesn’t [...]
Earlier this week, TechStuff’s Jonathan Strickland e-mailed Chanel and me with a link about Archie Comics’ decision to stop using the Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval beginning in February. The announcement followed one from DC Comics, which is moving to its own ratings system. (Marvel stopped using the seal about a decade ago.) Jonathan thought it looked like something for FanStuff — he’s helpful that way.
10 Best Cities for a Valentine’s Getaway
by Amanda Arnold | January 27, 2011
Your other half wants to go somewhere romantic for Valentine’s (yes, yes she does), and for goodness sake, February is so gloomy — you two should get outta here!
Here’s a list of the top 10 most romantic cities in the United States …
Answer: They’ve both excelled in their respective fields thanks, in part, to their outsider status. At least that’s the theory proposed by a pair of political scientists who compared the effectiveness of male and female members of Congress in the United States. Dubbed the “Jackie (And Jill) Robinson Effect”, the idea is that since women politicians have so many obstacles in their way, particularly voter bias, only the best of the best will win Congressional seats. So while women comprise a minority in Congress, they’re more successful at securing federal money for their districts and sponsoring and co-sponsoring legislation than male legislators.
What could a federal ban on violent video games mean for consumers?
by Chanel Lee | January 27, 2011
In a matter of weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court could very well decide to make a California law regulating violent video games — and banning their sale to minors — the law of the land. As Tracy mentioned in her news roundup of the case last November, there are three basic questions before the Court: Are violent video games protected by the First Amendment? Is it constitutional to ban their sale to otherwise law-abiding minors? Along the way, the Court may have to definitively answer the trickiest question of all: Are these video games obscene?
OK. So I’m guessing that by now most of you know at least a little something about Bluetooth technology, correct? Well then, at least you’ve heard about Bluetooth technology, right? Well, just in case you answered no to either one of those questions, here’s a super-fast way to get up-to-speed on what it’s all about. And if you took the time to follow that link, then you’ll understand why Bluetooth technology has been a very popular feature in cars and trucks ever since…
The University of Georgia had stalled for nearly one and a half years before admitting its first African-American students, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes. By the time federal judge William Bootle’s ruling allowing their admission arrived on Jan. 6, 1961, they were halfway through their sophomore years at other colleges. But after that, things moved quickly.
Outer space is rough. If it had a Yelp profile, users would probably give it one star, raving about the view but decrying the nausea, bone loss and nightmare toilets. But is this common sense or diva-like behavior? Instead of changing space or terraforming other worlds to meet humanity’s ridiculously specific backstage rider, should we maybe just change the space traveler?
Yep, in the latest episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and I contemplate what sci-fi author Clifford D. Simak dubbed “The Werewolf Principle” — the concept of using technology and medical science to alter the human form to better meet the harsh demands of space travel.
313 Miles Per Gallon? Volkswagen’s XL1 concept car makes this claim
by Marshall Brain | January 27, 2011
Take one gallon of diesel fuel and drive 313 miles – that is the claim of Volkswagen’s XL1 concept car: VW unveils an ultra-efficient car The XL1, which seats two adults, combines a 0.8 litre two cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor. The car is constructed around a carbon fibre reinforced polymer monocoque to [...]
The news is all over the place but I heard it first on engadget: Sony has unveiled a new gaming platform for Android-based devices called PlayStation Suite. The platform is a PlayStation emulator that will allow users to play PlayStation games (from the original PlayStation) on phones and tablets. There will be touchscreen controls for devices that don’t have physical keyboards. New games designed specifically for PlayStation Suite are soon to follow.
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