Windows
Someone has apparently crunched the numbers and estimated that more than 100 million birds are killed every year due to collisions with glass surfaces – not to mention the untold numbers of beverages spilt by surprised people as a bird slams into a nearby window. Birds see the tree or sky reflected in a window or the environment behind the glazing, but not the glass itself. German company Glaswerke Arnold (or Arnold Glass) has come up with a simple way to prevent these collisions by producing a glass that appears normal to humans but is visible to birds. Read More
Imagine if all the windows of a building, and perhaps even all its exterior walls, could be put to use as solar collectors. Soon, you may not have to imagine it, as the Norweigan solar power company EnSol has patented a thin film solar cell technology designed to be sprayed on to just such surfaces. Unlike traditional silicon-based solar cells, the film is composed of metal nanoparticles embedded in a transparent composite matrix, and operates on a different principle. EnSol is now developing the product with help from the University of Leicester’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Read More
We’ve only recently come to terms with the fact that Windows 7 is the capable, stable OS we’ve been waiting for since XP, and already rumors about the functionality you can expect with Windows 8 are starting to circulate. Initially reported by Italian blogger Francisco Martin, the information we have so far comes from a number of leaked slides that detail a range of interesting improvements, and seem to have some credibility. Read More
MSI has announced the launch of a Windows-based software tool that puts an end to all that bothersome fiddling around in the BIOS to enable inactive processor cores. The tool lists available cores, and with a few simple clicks on the basic interface and a reboot, a user is able to unleash previously disabled ones. Read More
The popularity of karaoke on home gaming consoles might have been a godsend to those frequenting bars and clubs, but the flipside is that the tone deaf are now free to belt out numbers of questionable taste and with even more questionable talent at all hours of the day or night. If there’s a shared wall between you and such noise-polluting offenders you might want to consider gifting them this USB microphone that provides a veritable cone-of-silence around it. Read More
Just the other day we brought you the story of SUNLIGHT, an art project featuring a giant solar-powered projection of the sun. It was designed and is being installed by Brooklyn artist Adam Frank. Upon looking over Mr Frank’s website we found an interesting little projector-type thingy-ma-jig that you can set up right in your own home. It’s called REVEAL, and it simulates the sun-cast shadows of a window frame and swaying tree branches on your inside walls. Just the thing for that dingy basement office. Read More
Many people recognize Macs as being great work tools, especially for those in the creative sectors. However, if you like your games, often the PC was your best platform because of the amount of available content. Some Mac users were forced to deploy Parallels, Crossover Games, or Boot Camp, to play PC games on their Mac, but they've all got their drawbacks. So Mac users rejoice – Valve, a major provider of online gaming through its Steam online distribution service, is coming to OS X users. From April, Steam and Valve's library of games that include Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and the Half-Life series will be available on the Mac. And because the company is treating Macs as a tier-1 platform, all future games and updates will be simultaneously released on Windows, Mac and Xbox 360. Read More
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has unveiled the Windows Phone 7 Series at Mobile World Congress 2010, saying it has been designed for "life in motion". The new phone will bring together Xbox LIVE games and access Zune music and video for the first time, with manufacturing partners already building handsets which should be available in stores by mid-2010. Read More
China's XP-themed Linux now available in English
Linux lovers and Windows haters everywhere are gonna love this! Chinese company Ylmf (an abbreviation for Yulinmufeng, or Rainforest Wind) has released a Linux distribution that's skinned to look exactly like Windows XP. The company has even gone so far as to purchase the XP.com domain, for a reported US$100,000, which currently redirects to their website. Read More
