Daily Bits

Happy Birthday, Steve Jobs!

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Steve Jobs Birthday
Join the rest of the world in making a toast to one of the most brilliant people of our generation: Steve Jobs. Born Steve Paul Jobs in February 24, 1955, the co-founder and CEO of Apple has made himself a lot of critics – and even more devotees – over the years. Whether you admire him or you hate him, there is no doubt that Steve Jobs has made an impact in your life – one way or another.

Today, Steve Jobs celebrates his 56th birthday. We have not heard much from Mr. Jobs in the recent weeks, although rumors about his failing health have been circulating. We may not hear from him or Apple regarding this memorable day, but we can still send a greeting his way. Some Steve Jobs fans have created a web site – Happy Birthday Steve Jobs – where anyone can leave a message for the Apple CEO. Whether or not he gets to read your message, you may never know – but it’s the thought that counts!

In case you want to do something more than leave a message on that site to commemorate Steve Jobs’s birthday, check out an infographic I shared about a year ago: 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Steve Jobs. And, if you’ve got a hankering for something sweet, why don’t you make some ice cream just the way Steve Jobs likes it? You can find the recipe here.

Got any ideas on what to do on Steve Jobs’s birthday to send good vibes down his way?

The New MINI Micro Car Concept

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MINI Coopers are among the most beautiful cars there are. True – that statement is rather subjective, but in my mind, these cars are undeniably eye candy! While there may be people who would not want to own a MINI, you will be hard pressed to find someone who will say outright that a MINI is an ugly car.

Yesterday, MINI released photos of its new concept car – the MINI Rocketman. The concept car is based on the idea that the future of living is in cities. While this may be arguable, there is no doubt that people continue to flock to urban areas and that space is a prime commodity in cities. Bearing this in mind, the guys at MINI have designed the urban car of the future.

To give you an idea how small this car is, it measures in at only a little over 3 meters. While the Rocketman has tons of distinctive features, it does not totally diverge from what makes MINIs the beauties they are. Here are some features of the car:

  1. Future-forward carbon construction
  2. Doors that glide forward instead of having hinges. This design allows for more space when getting in and out of the car
  3. 18-inch wheels
  4. Solid glass roof with distinctive lighting (the similarity to the Union-Jack was done on purpose)
  5. Customizable LED lighting in the cockpit
  6. Downward-opening tailgate for efficient storage

The Rocketman is going to be showcased at the International Geneva Motor Show from the 1st of March to the 13th of March. For those of us who won’t be able to make it there, here are some photos of this beauty. Get some tissue ready to wipe off that drool!
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For more on the MINI concept car, visit PSFK and the MINI Space Blog.

Xbox Kinect Opens Arms to Hackers

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Hackers may not be the proper word to use, but there is no doubt that hackers are clapping their hands with glee with the recent announcement from Microsoft. The software giant recently announced that it is going to open up the playing field by releasing a software development kit sometime in spring. This will allow software developers to play around with the Kinect on a deeper level than the average user.

According to Microsoft, “The intent of releasing a “starter kit” for application developers is to make it easier for academic research and enthusiast communities to create even richer experiences using Kinect technology.” Furthermore, with the release of the software development kit, people will be able to access “deep Kinect system capabilities such as audio, system APIs, and direct control of the sensor”.

At first, the software development kit will be targeted at amateurs only. Those who want to jump into the fray for commercial purposes will have to wait a little longer for the commercial release. Just how long – there is no word as of yet.

Personally, I will never be able to take advantage of this software development kit as I have no idea what to do with it, but I am sure there are enough “hackers” out there who cannot wait to try and see what they can do with the Kinect.

If Microsoft can be believed, the Kinect is the fastest selling gadget of all time. It really is not that surprising as it really upped the ante after the Wii revolutionized the way we play our games, is it?

Via The Telegraph

If Only All Beer Commercials Were This Good

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Remember the TV commercial I shared late last year? It was Bahrain Telecommunications Company’s ad, which I think is one of the best commercials I have ever seen. Well, here is another commercial that caught my fancy. It is not a new one – it was created sometime last year – but the graphics and the blending of the images and sound just come together perfectly. Of course, the two dragons breathing fire kind of made everything perfect for me!

This commercial is for Sapporo beer, arguably the most popular beer in Japan. I think this ad was made to promote the beer in Canada, which is also now being brewed in Ontario. I think the ad makes excellent use of real people and CG to create a great a collage of the process of brewing Sapporo beer whilst sharing distinctive elements of the Japanese culture. I’ll speak no more about it – watch in amazement yourself!

Are You a File Sharer? Hand Over $1000!

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file-sharing
Some people just do not think – or they are too easily intimidated. Now, don’t get me wrong – I am not advocating illegal downloading or file sharing, but this piece of news that I just read boggles the mind!

So what happened? Movie studio Liberty Media decided to issue a statement that they are going to sue people who have illegally download files that belong to them. Take note – they have not taken any action towards filing a lawsuit. They only announced their intention of doing so. They went one step further, though, and boldly stated that if people who have been involved in downloading content that belong to the movie studio want to avoid being sued, they should just turn themselves in and pay $1000.

Say what? Yes, you read that right. But it does not end there! In response to the announcement, people actually turned themselves in!!! Ten people have come clean and coughed up $1000 to avoid the potential lawsuit.

If you are shaking your head in disbelief, there is more that might just make your eyeballs pop out of their sockets. Liberty Media, apparently encouraged by the $10,000 that easily came in, courtesy of the announcement, has issued another statement. This time, they say that they are already preparing lawsuits against 36,000 BitTorrent users. Of course, it cannot be said that the movie studio is a heartless b#st#rd – there will be another amnesty program that will prevent users from being sued – to the tune of $1,900.

Is it just me or is there an emerging pattern here?

Source: Torrent Freak
Photo via Sure Articles

Wi-Fi Speeds to Possibly Double

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Can you imagine life without Wi-Fi? I am pretty sure that for many of us, life was just fine without wireless connection as recent as five years ago. With the sudden deluge of Wi-Fi compatible devices, though, life without Wi-Fi (the Internet) could very well be unimaginable for a lot of people today.

Think about it – when you go to a restaurant or a coffee shop, what is one of the first things you consider? When you book a hotel for a vacation, what is on the top of your list? I am willing to bet that Wi-Fi somewhere in there.

So technology has given us so much convenience, but we could all use faster Wi-Fi, right? If the guys at Stanford are successful, we just might enjoy Wi-Fi at double the speed. They have developed a technology that will allow the use of a single Wi-Fi channel to receive and transmit signals simultaneously. The technology is called antenna cancellation, and basically, it deals with the self-interference that occurs when transmitting and receiving on a single channel. The result? Possibly full duplex communication.

The implications of this technology are huge, especially for wireless providers. Even better, the technology is not limited to Wi-Fi – all radio communications can benefit from it.

At the moment, the technology still needs some work, especially with regard to making it commercially viable. The researchers mention the need for antenna separation, but also say that there is no theoretical limit as to the applications of the technology.

As for us consumers, we just need to wait till they get it out in the market, and we just might enjoy much faster wireless connections in the near future.

Via NewsFactor