New iMac Computer Is All Display

First came the original iBook, a giant makeup compact for your desk. Now comes the makeup mirror in the form of a new iMac. Does anyone else see shades of NeXT design in this new release?

A Real Potty Mouth

The citizens of Amsterdam may now take counsel of talking toilets that expound on the perils of smoking or the futility of war and berate them on hygiene and cleanliness.

You Scream, I Scream

Armed bandits stole Edvard Munch's renowned painting "The Scream" and other masterpieces from a lightly-guarded museum in Oslo that didn't even have alarms. Something tells me that its insurers will refuse to pay this claim.

Just Leave Us Alone

Dave Pollard sees in the rise of Islamic fundamentalists a simple desire to be left alone. But is that desire stronger than the urge to kill?

Gilderoy Lockhart Rides Again

Resplendent Mango sees a fictional counterpart to the democratic nominee. If Osama Bin Laden stars as Voldemort, who is Dumbledore--surely, not GWB? Via Jen Speaks.

First Day In The Navy

Posts like this one prove you're missing one of the web's great blogs if you don't read Neptunus Lex. Shame on you.

Excusé Moi!

Another reason to hate the French: A wheelchair-bound woman with no limbs sued Air France for discrimination on Friday, alleging she was kept off a flight by a gate agent who told her a "torso cannot possibly fly on its own."

Cave Of John The Baptist Found

Archaeologists have found a cave where they believe that John the Baptist anointed many of his disciples--fascinating proof, if true, of one of the bible's stories.

Is Sci-Fi About To Go Blind?

Soon the convergence of fields such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology will push humanity past a tipping point, ushering in a period of wrenching change. Is science fiction imaginative enough to to envision a world as different as this one is from the Stone Age.

Game Plan For A New World Order

Before 9/11, we almost always knew how to end a war. If you think war has become complicated, peace is messier still.


 

 

What Me Worry?

Your daughter is almost of dating age. How will you fend off unwanted suitors? By burying a body in your front lawn, of course.

Birth Month Affects Brain Cancer Risk

The time of year in which a person is born may somehow sway the risk of developing brain cancer in adulthood, new research suggests. One more thing to blame your parents for in therapy.

Death For The 747?

The number of U.S. carriers flying the bulbous-nosed 747 has fallen to two: United and Northwest--and United is nearly bankrupt. Looks like this aircraft is headed the way of the Condor. Via Gadgetopia.

In Search of Columbus

A row over the whereabouts of Christopher Columbus's body was solved yesterday when Spanish scientists conceded that the corpse at Santa Maria cathedral was Father Guido Sarducci, not the famous explorer. Via Cronaca.

Kill Moqtada al-Sadr

Iraqi cleric Sadr and his Mahdi army have called for a truce with the U.S. military, but they aren't getting any quarter in the blogosphere or, apparently, much sympathy at home.

Nukes On Campus

Six U.S. universities house reactors that use weapons-grade plutonium. If the fuel were stolen, experts say it could give terrorists or criminals a major head start on an atomic bomb.

M.A.D. for the 21st Century

Mutually assured destruction kept the peace in the Cold War. Can it keep the peace on the war on terror--or is peacekeeping of this kind too repugnant to contemplate?

Shades Of The Flintstones

Teenage T-Rex dinosaurs grew at the astonishing rate of 4.5 pounds a day, new research suggests. One Bronto burger to go, Wilma!

Matt Is Sexier Than Paul?

One more thing to talk about in therapy: Studies show that the right name could have made you sexier. So much for plastic surgery and Botox.

Toys "R" Us May Leave Toy Business

Stung by competition from Wal-Mart and Target, the retailer contemplates life without toys. Does anyone else see pitfalls in this from a tradename perspective?

Linux to Overtake Mac This Year

Linux will soon overtake Macintosh as the second most popular desktop operating system, according to a report cited by Technically Speaking.

Like A Madison Avenue Acid Trip

What do Mr. Clean, a crash test dummy, and Tony the Tiger have in common? How about a reenactment of the cover from the Beatle's Abbey Road album.

Transdimensionally Modified

Do people have plastic surgery to transform themselves into humans who look like alien creatures? People do. Via The Superficial.

Apple Was No Microsoft

The always provocative John Gruber of Daring Fireball weighs in on whether Apple could have been Microsoft if it had licensed the Macintosh.

Broadband For Mars

Roland Piquepaille reports on NASA and MIT efforts to build the first interplanetary laser communication link between Mars and Earth. But who will they be talking to?

Blogging With Mac OS Tiger

Welcome news: The next major release of the Mac OS will include Blojsom, a weblog interface that uses a simple file system (folders and files) as its content database. Blojsom offers comment and trackback support, appearance themes, and remote posting via popular weblog interfaces. Are iBlog's days numbered? We shall see.

You Can Tell By The Way I Walk

Watch this video to the end and be amazed at the dance moves a human body can perform. Well, at least this guy's body. Link via Honest Dave.

From Papa With Love

A UK company says it has delivered the first synthetic diamond made from the ashes of a man. Brian Tandy's wife and daughters plan to wear gems created from the remains of the late geologist as a "very personal memorial." That it is.

The Making Of The President

Photomatt.net has created a mosaic of George Bush comprised entirely of photographs of soldiers killed in Iraq. I strongly disagree with the use of soldiers' images in this fashion, but the mosaic is a remarkable artistic achievement and a powerful political statement.

Black Like Me

David Anderson spent an afternoon reading black conservative blogs. The experience left him speechless.

Beheading Video A Hoax

He's unapologetic, but Benjamin Vanderford says he faked a beheading video widely circulated on the internet as a stunt to draw attention to his one time campaign for city supervisor. How San Franciscans passed up a chance to elect this guy, I'll never know.

Ireland As Atlantis?

Talk about a boon for tourism: A Swedish scientist argues in a forthcoming book that the measurements, geography, and landscape of Atlantis as described by Plato match Ireland almost exactly.

Affluence Kills

Smoking and obesity diminish in an economic downturn. Shouldn't the government do everything in its power to keep us in abject poverty?

Goodbye iPod, Hello Convergence

Why Real Networks' dispute with Apple marks the beginning of iPod convergence, the death of the iPod, and the birth of something even better.

No War Hero?

John Kerry's former military colleagues are speaking out about his candidacy. But with friends like these, who needs enemies? Via Cry Freedom.

My Millionaires Are Tougher Than Yours

David Anderson says: "I find the whole debate about who is funding the mudslinging going on in the campaign hilarious ... Let both sides' Millionaires spend their fortunes. It is American Democracy at work..."

In Search of iRobot

If the manual of life is encoded in our DNA, where do we look to find the blueprint of consciousness? Via Ray Kurzweil.

They'd Rather Be An Army Of One

A growing number of Fiinish soldiers are being discharged for internet addiction. How long can it be before this rationale is used as a defense in a court martial?

Soyuz To The Moon?

Sure, it's 1960s technology built with communist Russian engineering, but with the shuttle fleet grounded, Soyuz capsules may be the best hope for returning to the moon in this decade, Comrade. Happy landings! Via Slashdot.

Riding A Fine Line

A grad student has built a bicycle that receives text messages and prints them in foot-high chalk letters, then blogs a digital photo and GPS map of the printing, all while moving. But what will he do when the phone receives SPAM? Via Volokh Conspiracy

Stalking The Star Trek Vote

Bush-Cheney 2004 boldly goes where no campaign has gone before, with a subliminal campaign pitched to Star Trek fans, starring Dick Cheney as a Ferengi.

The Big Freeze

Directed energy weapons that freeze muscles and fry skin may save lives, but like Han Solo in Star Wars, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Jobs Doing Well After Cancer Surgery

Steve Jobs is recovering from weekend surgery for pancreatic cancer. Tim Cook, a shrewd and smart exec with whom I once worked at Apple, is filling in. Wishing Steve a speedy (and lasting) recovery.

E.T. Found Within 20 Years?

Astronomer Seth Shostak says technology will advance enough in the next two decades to find intelligent life elsewhere.

Bring On The Air Car

A Berkeley Exhibit shows off imaginative visions of a future that never came to pass. Via Gizmodo.

Annie Jacobsen's Legacy

How can we live as a society in a world dominated by fear?

Put A Trainer In Your Pocket

A jogger can now use Bluetooth to store data from a road sensor attached to her, while the device delivers music, tracks pulse rate, and shouts encouragement.

This Song is Whose Song?

Woody Guthrie lifted the melody to "This Land Is Your Land" from another song. Now, his executors are threatening legal action over a parody. Where's the love?

Look, Up In The Sky!

New technology lets 4th-6th graders produce a film with special effects recalling those in the original Buck Rogers. I need teachers this cool when I was in school!

Walking On Water

Yoav Rosen's invention lets him walk on water, but will it make him wealthy?