Drivable R2-D2 Could Be the Awesomest Make-A-Wish Ever Granted [Video]

The Make-A-Wish Foundation does some pretty awesome things for kids with life-threatening conditions, but of all the wishes I've seen granted over the years, this giant drivable R2-D2 ranks pretty close to being the most amazing. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/RKckXElTBzE/drivable-r2+d2-could-be-the-awesomest-make+a+wish-ever-granted

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Student hacks into Facebook, gets eight months in prison, twelve likes

The next time you get caught hijacking your friend's Facebook, remember it could be worse. On Friday, British Student Glenn Mangham was sentenced to eight months in not-so-social jail, for hacking deep into Facebook's servers. Apparently no user details were taken, with Mangham heading straight for "invaluable" intellectual property instead. Facebook alerted the authorities after it discovered the breach last May, the FBI then followed the digital thread back to the Briton's UK address. It's believed Mangham gained access to the inner sanctum after hacking into a Facebook employee's account, though it's not known if the comedy status update and embarrassing profile picture were also part of the attack.

Student hacks into Facebook, gets eight months in prison, twelve likes originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/19/student-hacks-into-facebook-gets-eight-months-in-prison-twelve/

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Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5

torus
As far as Tetris goes, most variations look quite similar. You're usually looking at a "wall" of bricks directly from the front. Torus takes that notion and throws it away; as you might have guessed from the name (or screenshot), this Tetris clone is played on a ring-like 3D surface.

You rotate the ring itself with the arrow keys, while a Tetris-like piece slowly (excruciatingly slowly, in fact) descends from the top. As soon as you make a solid line, it disappears.

Not all pieces are Tetris-like; some of them wouldn't really work with a regular Tetris game but are a good fit for Torus' 3D format.

Torus is ideal for playing at the office, because it has absolutely no soundtrack. The game is dead-quiet. It's also very very slow (slow enough for me to mention it twice in one post) so you can safely look away for a moment and then keep playing. Also, as soon as the game loses focus, it automatically pauses.

Bottom line: It's an impressive demo of the power of HTML5; if it were a bit faster, it would have some serious addictive potential.

Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/17/torus-is-an-impressive-3d-tetris-game-powered-by-html5/

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I Have Seen The Future, And Its Sky Is Full Of Eyes

bee-swarmAllow me just a little self-congratulatory chest-beating. Four years ago I started writing a near-fiction thriller about the risks of swarms of UAVs in the wrong hands. Everyone I talked to back then (including my agent, alas) thought the subject was implausible, even silly. Well, it's not like I'm the next Vernor Vinge -- it always seemed like a pretty blatantly obvious prediction to me -- but I am pleased to see that drones and drone swarms have finally become the flavor of the month. In the last month, the Stanford Law Review has wrung its hands about the "ethical argument pressed in favor of drone warfare," while anti-genocide activists have called for the use of "Drones for Human Rights" in Syria and other troubled nations; the UK and France declared a drone alliance; and a new US law compels the FAA to allow police and commercial drones in American airspace, which may lead to “routine aerial surveillance of American life.”

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/LT69V7eC8MM/

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CM9 for TouchPad gains access to nightly builds

CM9 Alpha 6 for TouchPad gets access to nightly builds
Happy tidings for TouchPad owners looking for the latest Android 4.0 action: the Alpha 6 build of CM9 can now tune into nightly broadcasts of fixes and updates, courtesy of Teamwin and Eyeballer. This is an unofficial development branch and users have so far seen mixed results, but the main CyanogenMod crew seems content enough to recommend it -- at least until a new Alpha or Beta build comes along with major improvements like video playback or camera support. It's definitely healthier than holding your breath.

CM9 for TouchPad gains access to nightly builds originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/cm9-for-touchpad-gains-access-to-nightly-builds/

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TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers

When TweetDeck landed in the Chrome Web Store, it seemed like an indication that it might eventually evolve into a pure HTML5 Web app. Now it looks as though that's exactly what's going to happen, with TweetDeck announcing that a new, not-just-for-Chrome Web client is ready for beta testing.

It's a natural progression for TweetDeck, especially since its originally Adobe Air app is practically all Web code. TweetDeck Web will sport a feature set which is nearly identical to the Chrome app, with the notable exception of Twitter streaming.

Initially, TweetDeck is targeting Firefox 4 and 3.6, Google Chrome, and Safari. Opera and Internet Explorer 9 won't be invited to the dance until a bit later on.

If you'd like to get in on the TweetDeck Web beta, head on over and register -- or sign up using your existing TweetDeck account.

TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/tweetdeck-to-launch-as-web-app-now-accepting-beta-testers/

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Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs

Firefox slow-addons list
Mozilla, continuing its year-long crusade to speed up Firefox startup and shutdown times, has published a name and shame list of the Firefox's slowest add-ons.

The list is just one part of Mozilla's new efforts to highlight slow add-ons, and to help developers make their add-ons more efficient. Over the next two weeks, 'slow performance warnings' will be introduced in the add-on gallery so that users can see, before installation, which add-ons will slow down their browser. If that isn't enough to spur developers into cleaning up their add-ons, Mozilla has also begun reaching out to developers of slow add-ons with tips on how to improve add-on performance. Finally, add-on developers will soon have the ability to perform 'on-demand performance testing,' so that they can test their add-on before it's deployed publicly.

Mozilla reports that the average Firefox add-on slows down Firefox's start-up time by 10% -- which means, if you install 10 add-ons, you will double your start-up time. On fast desktop PCs that kind of slowdown might be negligible, but on older computers, laptops and smartphones, it could be the difference between a 5 and 10 second startup. Mozilla has obviously realized that while massive performance gains might've been made with Firefox 4, the addition of third-party add-ons can destroy any user-perceived improvements.

In other news, Mozilla says that a future build of Firefox will block the installation of add-ons (such as toolbars) by third-party software. Add-ons and toolbars that are bundled in this way will require explicit approval when you next open up Firefox. Hooray!

Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/mozilla-publishes-name-and-shame-list-of-slow-firefox-add-ons/

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Notion Ink's ICS build for Adam goes beta, adds 3G, GPS

Last month Adam owners got a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich after Notion Ink released an Alpha build, but if the limited functionality didn't do it for you, how about an improved Beta version? The developers hope that HDMI video, functional GPS, better WiFi and a working compass will keep you happy while they iron out the remaining niggles, like non-functioning camera and microphone. If this sounds a bit more like it, you should be able to get your hands on it over the weekend. Hit the source link below for the deets.

Notion Ink's ICS build for Adam goes beta, adds 3G, GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Feb 2012 06:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/18/notion-inks-ics-build-for-adam-goes-beta-adds-3g-gps/

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Pantech Burst review

Pantech Burst review
Consider the high-end smartphone. While you lust after those, Pantech is on the prowl, steadily adding to and improving upon its army of budget offerings in the US. It may not be as formidable a force as the Samsungs and Motorolas of the world, but the outfit is finally beginning to leave a mark. Once a complete unknown outside of Asia, the phone manufacturer is keeping itself incredibly busy on this side of the Pacific, cranking out low-cost devices for AT&T and Verizon. Now, Pantech's focus has turned to LTE, starting with the $50 Breakout on Big Red, followed by a smartphone and tablet option on Ma Bell.

The Pantech Burst is the inaugural entry-level LTE smartphone in AT&T's lineup, debuting at $50 with a two-year commitment. Don't let that bargain-basement price turn you off, though -- this thing's got plenty of mojo to back it up, which makes the Burst a stark contrast to its Verizon counterpart. But what can we expect from a budget-friendly handset? Is Pantech finally pushing out a device that will help it earn a new level of respect from American consumers? We're bursting at the seams to answer those questions and take the device for a spin after the break. (Yes, we just went there.)

Continue reading Pantech Burst review

Pantech Burst review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/pantech-burst-review/

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First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced

Firefox 5, 6, 7 and release channels
Mozilla's Engineering Project Manager, Christian Legnitto, has detailed the release schedule for Firefox 5, 6 and 7. If all goes to plan, Firefox 6.0a1 will be released next week, April 12, and Firefox 7.0a1 in the middle of May. The final build of Firefox 5 should be released on June 21, exactly three months after the release of Firefox 4.

Along with the faster 6-week release cadence, Firefox's new Chrome-like release channels have also been given names and anticipated update frequencies. The most notable change is the introduction of a new alpha channel -- which is analogous to Chrome Canary -- that will be called 'aurora' and will update nightly. Aurora will be where fixes and features are tested, and either approved for Beta, or backed out to Central. Aurora will have a new icon, too.

The Nightly (mozilla-central) channel will remain unchanged in name and frequency, but it will gain a new 'nightly icon.' The Beta (mozilla-beta) channel will remain as-is, with new builds rolling out weekly. The Release (mozilla-release) channel will also remain as-is, with security and stability updates coming every 6 to 12 weeks.

It should be noted that the names (including 'aurora') are not necessarily final, but it's unlikely that they'll change. We're also awaiting the arrival of the new 'channel switching' technology, which should arrive in the next few days -- in time for the release of Firefox 6 aurora!

First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/first-firefox-6-build-next-week-firefox-7-by-may-and-aurora-ch/

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