Archive for March, 2011
Meridian Helps Smartphone Users Navigate the Great Indoors
by Chris Pollette | March 24, 2011
I ran into a post by Jennifer Van Grove at Mashable the other day that piqued my interest. Van Grove wrote about an application by Spotlight Mobile called Meridian. It gives iPhone users a way to get their bearings, like many other navigational apps. But it doesn’t just tell you how to get to the store or attraction, it shows you where you’re going inside the building.
Obviously, this isn’t nearly as necessary when you’re going to the convenience store (now why did they have to move the pretzels? How will I ever find them?), but for larger buildings, I think it could be very useful. According to Spotlight’s Web site, the company is working to partner with organizations that want to help customers and patrons navigate large areas. The app just launched and has only one location to choose from. As it happens, it’s my favorite bookstore on the planet, Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Ore.
Cascadia: The West Coast Fault Line That Is “Nine Months Pregnant” – “Ever since the massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck Japan, I’ve been thinking a lot about my friends in Oregon. Why? Because the impending “Big One” that Californians are nervous about is actually a lot more likely to occur off the coast of Oregon—and [...]
Restaurants You Should Try While You Travel
by Amanda Arnold | March 24, 2011
I’ve been editing a TLC article on restaurants you should try before you die, and I’m really intrigued by this chef Grant Achatz, owner of Alinea in Chicago; he sketches dishes and cocktails on paper. For example, in this sketch (via GQ), an edible wall divides the cocktail in half; on one side, the beverage is cold and on the other it’s hot. Servers will instruct the patron to remove the wall, eat it, and then take a swig of the hot/cold cocktail — “which showcases the temperature contrast,” Achatz told GQ.
I mean, whoa.
How Liz Taylor Tangentially Relates to Transhumanism
by Josh Clark | March 24, 2011
The death of Elizabeth Taylor got me to thinking that it’s probably a good thing that Michael Jackson didn’t live to see her die. Based on past interviews, I’m not sure that he would have handled it very well. At the least he would have sought more than usual comfort in propranolol, Michael’s “milk” that got him so staggeringly annihilated every day. Anytime I think of the painkiller propranolol these days I’m reminded of a paper on its use as a treatment in post-traumatic stress disorder.
How to Plan a Vacation Abroad: Part Two, Passport Edition
by Jessika Toothman | March 24, 2011
I finally sent off my passport application in the mail today. My old one wasn’t expired, but several years ago I changed my name very slightly (that “k” started out as a “c”) and although it was a minor change which is overlooked surprisingly often in somewhat official situations, I didn’t want to take any chances of being turned away in customs. Not on this trip! Then, too, there was my travel companion to consider; he doesn’t currently have a passport and needed to apply as well. During the whole application process, I learned quite a bit. So I thought I’d share some of the more useful info I garnered.
World Backup Day – a day to remember to backup your computer
by Marshall Brain | March 24, 2011
We’ve talked before about the importance of backing up your computer: Have you backed up your hard disk lately? How To Backup Your Hard Disk Now there is a day of the year that is dedicated to remembering to backup your computer – World backup Day on March 31: WorldBackupDay.net This article gives you some [...]
This video presents an interesting theory for the end of the world – or at least for life on earth to end. It is the upcoming geomagnetic reversal, the first hints of which seem to be occurring today. Here is an explanation: By the end of the video, he concludes that, although compasses will stop [...]
The TechStuff episode that published yesterday was all about seismological equipment. We have an excellent article on the site about How Earthquakes Work, which also includes a helpful section about seismological equipment. Chris and I recorded that show more than a week before the massive earthquake that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. Since that event, the whole world has been looking at earthquakes, earthquake science and some hypotheses that don’t seem to have any scientific support at all.
Recent Postings by Category
BrainStuff
- Thank You and Best Wishes to Marshall Brain
- Contest – Design a $300 house and win $25,000
- How the Philtrum works – the place under your nose where your face comes together
The Coolest Stuff on the Planet
- The Latest in Frugal Lodging: Camping in Somebody Else’s Backyard
- The Painted Beauties of Bucovina
- The Cat Passageways and Track Furniture of Gillette Castle
Keep Asking
- Why can a 5 foot 8 inch man dunk a basketball on a 10 foot rim while some people of taller stature can’t?
- What happens to our sun once it runs out of fuel?
- How do we know the age of the universe?
Stuff Mom Never Told You
- Who invented the Christmas card?
- How the Kinsey Report Fueled Whiskey Sales
- How to Get Your Wedding Announcement into The New York Times
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
- Space Music: DJ Food and ‘The Search Engine’
- Stuff to Blow Your Mind: Hug it Out
- Space Music: Jay-Z and Beyoncé to Film Music Video in Orbit
Stuff You Should Know
- The Southern Death Cult, the Maya and Georgia
- Deformed Baby Spider Brains
- Amazing Medical Conditions: Maple Syrup Urine Disorder
The Stuff of Genius
CarStuff
- Why is NASA studying car safety?
- Tips for in-car Navigation Systems
- Tips for Using Bluetooth in the Car
How-to Stuff
- How to Swim with Dolphins (When Deep Water Terrifies You)
- How to Cure a Homemade Cookie Craving Without Turning on the Oven
- How to Know When It’s Time for a New Pet
PopStuff
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 36: Now Available in 3-D
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 35: Let’s do brunch!
- PopStuff Show Notes: Episode 34: Play it again, Sam
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
Stuff to Change the World
- Who will own the Arctic?
- Obesity: The New Global Crisis
- Bill Gates Makes For A Pretty Decent Cartoon
Stuff You Missed in History Class
- Butch Cassidy: Should we read between the lines?
- Are we rooting for D.B. Cooper?
- Party Time: A Look at Unconventional Politics

