Short Attention Span Blogging

…where science, futurism, and anything else Stephen finds interesting are

thrown together in an informational stew for your consumption.

Enjoy!

Follow Stephen on Twitter: @stephentgo

• Personalized Life Extension Conference, October 9-10 #future http://bit.ly/9eRLTc

• Skype Killer? Google had one million Gmail calls on first day http://bit.ly/bICkjs

  Sydell
  Here’s my take on Google’s new gmail phone service. http://su.pr/1LaXT0

• George Dvorsky: Optimize your health with The Zone and Paleo diets [life extension] http://bit.ly/bfhGZ1
• Engadget: Commodore USA announces the PC64, an Atom-powered PC in a replica Commodore case http://bit.ly/akTxK2
• Engadget
  Nike files patent for auto-lacing sneakers, Marty McFly doth protest http://bit.ly/dBBbP7
  Thu Aug 26 2010 00:04:50 (Central Daylight Time)

• Tech Review’s best Young Innovators http://bit.ly/bBOOn5
• Space-based detector could find anti-universe – A huge particle detector to be mounted on the International… http://tumblr.com/xptgqdy2b
• Engadget: Sony’s Netbox streams Netflix, YouTube and other internet stuff for $130 http://bit.ly/c1FqZM
• Searchinvaders
  Report: iTunes to rent TV shows for 99 cents http://bit.ly/9cuDm6

• ALA_TechSource: “Conflict over ebook rights and royalties is one of the most outstanding irritants in the transition to digital publishing.”
• Neiltyson asks: “Why do aliens always disembark via ramp? Do they have problems with stairs? Or are flying saucers just handicap-accessible?”

  I’m sure the guy in the E.T. suit appreciated the ramp.

• Kaplan Publishing experiments with free e-books http://dlvr.it/4FhSG

  Kaplan primarily does test prep guides: SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.

• digg_sciences
  “New microbe discovered eating oil spill in Gulf ” – http://digg.com/d21aHFQ?t10

  Well, new to us…

• Engadget: Sharp’s e-reader ready to ‘rival the iPad’ by year’s end, may have a 3D future http://bit.ly/azffFj

  Rivaling Apple – that’s the trick isn’t it? Those guys stay a generation ahead.

  Not that they should get cocky…

  (Mildly NSFW)

• The evolution of Pixar. http://bit.ly/uFPE2
• From the Department of Useless Trivia: Dr. Suess coined the word, “nerd”. http://yourmindblown.com/post/993403657/dr-suess-coined-the-word-nerd
• A TEDx talk from Shimon Schocken at TEDx TelAviv on mountain biking with incarcerated youth: http://on.ted.com/8WGB

• Jerry Bruckheimer: “Great dinner with Cuba Gooding Jr at La Esquina NYC this weekend. He heard that I had dinner with Cruise last week… he reminded me Tom’s not really his agent.”
• Jeremy Piven: “Not how hard you hit, it’s how hard u can get hit that makes the difference in your life….”

  Love that speech from “Rocky Balboa.”

  Sylvester Stallone reminded us why the first “Rocky” won best picture.

• Scifipop.com News: Download an up-and-coming science fiction magazine for a quarter [Deals] http://bit.ly/9bLtAY
• Mike Anissimov: Here’s a good quote from the current Halcyon website: “Sequence data will spark the greatest medical revolution since hygiene.”
• Are ants the key to Artificial Intelligence? http://bit.ly/aqRafu

  Start small.

• Sally J Morem: “Cassini’s been a very, very busy little space probe, check out the pix:”

  http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/08/cassini-gallery/all/1

• Apple patent filed back in January discloses research into layering iOS (iPhone’s OS) functionality atop Mac OS X. http://j.mp/d1GS77
• digg_sciences
  “Urine Could Be a Source of Renewable Energy?” – http://digg.com/d21aBFl?t10

  A fuel cell powered by urine? This might actually be useful in remote areas. I’m less sure it would catch on here in the city.

  A less messy solution? Recharging cell phones from radio waves.

• New Compound Has ‘Superhero-Like’ Powers http://ff.im/-pBUoV
• It’s not all about Ray: There’s more to Singularity studies than Kurzweil #future http://bit.ly/ckrthv

  Not all but some:

  PBS Gives Exposure to Ray Kurzweil, The Singularity, and Bio-ethics #future http://bit.ly/bzSjk9

• GristC
  http://bit.ly/bwYGqZ Mark Twain’s autobiography to finally be published 100 years after his death

• This puts a whole new light on things – how Greek statues originally looked – in full color http://bit.ly/9Kiqy0
• mims
  Using Einstein to Speed Up Supercomputer Simulations 10,000% http://bit.ly/9UiWAX

• TEDx: Here’s a stunning new #TED talk on data visualization by design genius David McCandless http://on.ted.com/8W90
• Syfy
  What do u think r the most memorable, iconic, or best single episodes of sci-fi TV?

  Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “Inner Light.”

• Engadget: Stamp $50 Android tablet prototype raises eyebrows in India and beyond (video) http://bit.ly/aHArYd
• Bad Astronomer: Penn and Teller’s awesome vaccine demo is now on YouTube! http://youtu.be/RfdZTZQvuCo NSFW. Duh.
• Mike Treder: Nanotechnology, For Better or For Worse #future http://bit.ly/bGGC0l
• Scifipop.com News: Fingerprint check-in tried at 24 Hour Fitness – San Francisco Chronicle http://bit.ly/aXDVWA
• Neurosecurity: The mind has no firewall http://bit.ly/cfTfEA
• Underground Wonders of the World: Labyrinths, Crypts and More – Creepy strange places of death. http://bit.ly/9CmKHm
• TEDxB
  #TEDxBerkeley video release! The amazing @tedprize winner Dr. Jill Tarter, @SETIInstitute Director http://bit.ly/90hbVw #TED #TEDx #space

• digg_sciences
  “A Machine That Turns Plastic Back Into Oil” – http://digg.com/d21a7kJ?t10