What's That Smell in the Movie Theater? It's an Ad - Advertising Age - News: "Popcorn, and perhaps body odor, are the scents usually associated with a trip to the movies. But in a European cinema, you might just smell bread, chocolate or whatever else an advertiser wants you to.
Cinescent first tested the technology for Beiersdorf's Nivea, and exit polls showed a 515% rise in recall for the Nivea ad compared with moviegoers who saw the spot without the scent.
A company called Cinescent is giving marketers the chance to pump out the scent of their brands in German theaters, where it first tested the technology for Beiersdorf's Nivea. For the test, a specially made 60-second spot showed a typical sunny beach scene, with people lying around on deck chairs or sunbathing on towels while waves crashed and seagulls cried in the background."
Cinescent first tested the technology for Beiersdorf's Nivea, and exit polls showed a 515% rise in recall for the Nivea ad compared with moviegoers who saw the spot without the scent.
Protect Your iPhone at the Beach with Press 'n Seal
A cheap and effective way to use your iPhone at the beach with no worries. Wrap it in Glad Press 'n Seal. Allows use all of the functionality with full protection from sand and light moisture. This is a simple solution and well worth it!
click picture for larger image
click picture for larger image
A New Era In Search For 'Sister Earths'
Research presented at a recent astronomical conference is being hailed as ushering in a new era in the search for Earth-like planets by showing that they are more numerous than previously thought and that scientists can now analyze their atmospheres for elements that might be conducive to liferead more | digg story
Eight of the Biggest Stories at 2008 Olympics!
From Michael Phelps' quest for Olympic history, to two tumbling teens batting for gymnastics gold, here are eight of the biggest stories at the 2008 Olympics.
read more | digg story
Iphone 3g Battery: How To Maximize Your iPhone 3G's Questionably Adequate Battery Life
Iphone 3g Battery: How To Maximize Your iPhone 3G's Questionably Adequate Battery Life: "The new iPhone's brighter screen, GPS and 3G connectivity are nice, but you know what's nicer? Not running out of batteries halfway through the friggin' day. iPhone 3G battery life may or may not be shorter; even the geek gods at Ars don't have a definite answer. But chances are with the new apps and faster internet, you're using it a lot more often. Here's how to live with the iPhone's battery life while using it a whole lot."
18 Common Phrases to Avoid in Conversation
Some things should never be said. Here, how to avoid putting your foot in your mouth—and what to use instead.
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The Early Graffiti, Stencils, and Drawings of Banksy
Banksy is an artist who has risen to a strangely anonymous brand of fame with his graffiti, most of which involves stenciling. But there are many sides to this elusive artist, and his drawings, which are seen by far fewer people, are just as provocative as his large outdoor pieces.
read more | digg story
The Great Male Survey
Who and what is "the modern man"? Read on to discover what you and your fellow men feel about dating, sexuality, lifestyle, money, and our gender in 2008 -- in short, who the modern man is.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Richard Dawkins Slaps Creationists into the Primordial Soup
When Dawkins set out long ago to bring science to the masses, he says he was not consciously imitating Darwin, but had the same aims as him: “To be understood, to inspire.” In these times, Dawkins gives people something substantial to chew on. His audience is relieved to see someone slapping creationists as well as explaining atheism positively.
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Brides Demand Breast-Surgery for Their Bridesmaids
AFTER the band was chosen and the napkins color-coordinated to match her shoes, Kacey Knauer, a bride-to-be, had another critical matter to address: her skin, and the skin of the nine women in her bridal party.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Plasma Blade Sci-Fi Like Surgical Tool of the Future
Instead of a sharp metal edge, or even an electrosurgical cutter, the Plasmablade uses pulses of plasma generated around its tip to locally cut and cauterize flesh.
read more | digg story
George Brett pine-tar-nutty video 25 years old today
But it's surprisingly difficult to find on the Internet. Not on YouTube. Google shows that it appears to have been stripped from other sites where it once lived. Turns out Major League Baseball has this gem in a secure location: Its own Web site.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Charles Barkley tips well, pays busboy's tuition to Temple
Charles Barkley is giving his money away again. No, no, no, don't judge! This time, instead of feeding quarters into some slot machine or doubling-down on 14 at the blackjack table, Barkley's picked up the tuition for a busboy at a restaurant in Philly. From the Philadelphia Daily News:
read more | digg story
5 Painful Facts You Need to Know
First off, let's set the record straight: Pain is normal. About 75 million U.S. residents endure chronic or recurrent pain. Migraines plague 25 million of us. One in six suffer arthritis.
read more | digg story
Old School: Adults Rush to Play Dodgeball, Duck-Duck-Goose
This is Old School P.E., a two-hour exercise program strictly for adults, built around grown-up versions of gym class staples. Participants say getting in shape is a bonus to the main attraction -- a Friday night out with friends, away from the kids.
read more | digg story
Friday, July 25, 2008
What We Learned from "Oregon Trail"
Lessons from the Oregon Trail video game like "Dysentery is Worse than Cancer"
read more | digg story
Why a fat friend could make you fat as well!
Spending time with fat friends means you are more likely to become fat yourself, according to research.
read more | digg story
Exploring the Wonderful World of Mantises [w/ pics]
Mantises, Mantes, Mantids or whatever term you prefer to use for their plural form, are among the most fascinating and at the same time scariest insects in the world.The 2,300 species of praying mantises comprise an order of insects called Mantodea.
read more | digg story
Buck O'Neil becomes an immortal
Sometimes Buck O’Neil would walk toward the Field of Legends and stop. He would stare at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s statues of the greatest black ballplayers, Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige and Oscar Charleston and Cool Papa Bell and half a dozen others and, after soaking in the glory of it all, start to tell stories about each of them.
read more | digg story
Hole in Qantas jet forces emergency landing - CNN.com
Hole in Qantas jet forces emergency landing - CNN.com: "An inspection revealed a hole in the Boeing 747-400's fuselage, and initial reports indicated that a section of the fuselage had separated in the area of the forward cargo compartment, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in a written statement.
'There was an almighty crack,' one passenger said. 'We dropped a bit in the air, but other than that it was fine.' The Associated Press reported that the plane was at 29,000 feet when the incident happened before descending to 10,000 feet."
10 Revolutionary Computers
Despite appearances, today's online world did not spring to life fully formed. Before they were made a major part of our lives, some pioneering computers either had to capture the public's imagination, establish what could be done by computers, or both. Here, we'll look at some computers that played, and sometimes continue to play, a major role.
read more | digg story
How a tiny bug is ravaging Colorado's forests
"We have no illusions, no choice," says Tony O'Rourke, executive director of Beaver Creek's Home Owners Association. "We can't stem the tide." O'Rourke's dire tone comes from the resort's lost battle with a bug--the mountain pine beetle--that is destroying much of Beaver Creek's lush green vistas and reducing them to barren brown patches....
read more | digg story
The Man Who Walked Over the Towers [PICS]
Philippe Petit gained fame for his illegal walk between the former Twin Towers on August 7, 1974
read more | digg story
You Wanted to Name her WHAT? 28 Musicians name their babies
From Moon Unit (Fran Zappa) to Fifi Trixibelle (Bob Geldof), these are the top 28 baby names from Musicians. These names sort of solidify the notion that drug use is pretty high in the Music biz.
read more | digg story
Research puts finger on virtual iPhone button
Research puts finger on virtual iPhone button: "Now researchers are using tiny vibrations to imitate the feel of a button when a user touches the keypad. The user will be able to feel the edges of each key so will be able to identify where each key is without checking visually.
Researcher Eve Hoggan, from the University of Glasgow’s Department of Computing Science, said: “We found that, compared to a standard keyboard, touchscreen keypads were less accurate in terms of text input. Without being able to identify through touch when a key had been selected there was a significant increase in errors made. When in a rush it can be very time consuming to check each character has been entered correctly and is particularly difficult when travelling. Feedback through the finger is more natural and the brain can process it faster than visual feedback. By providing tactile feedback we will bring the iPhone keypad close to the performance of a real physical keyboard.”"
Fugitive Spam King Dead in Apparent Murder-suicide
Fugitive Spam King Dead in Apparent Murder-suicide: "Convicted penny-stock spammer Eddie Davidson has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, apparently after killing his wife and three year-old daughter in his home town of Bennet, Colorado, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday
Davidson had been a fugitive from the law since walking away from a federal minimum-security prison camp in Florence, Colorado on Sunday. He had been serving a 21 month sentence after pleading guilty to criminal spam charges late last year."
Will the Electric Car Replace the iPhone as the Next Great Icon?
Will the Electric Car Replace the iPhone as the Next Great Icon?: "Will the electric car soon become a cultural, business, and lifestyle icon that will transform modern urban society? The sign are emerging everywhere that the answer will be: 'Yes.' The introduction of the electric car is being driven by many of the pioneers of the Web and Silicon Valley technology culture.
The early adopters of the electric car are our industry thought leaders– from Detroit to Silicon Valley to Wall Street and Hollywood. They represent the concerned citizens of our planet –the leaders of our shift to a mobile world and the green revolution."
The balcony is closed - Roger Ebert's Journal
The balcony is closed - Roger Ebert's Journal: "I was surprised how depressed I felt all day on July 21, when Richard and I announced we were leaving the 'Ebert and Roeper' program. To be sure, our departures were voluntary. We hadn't been fired. And because of my health troubles, I hadn't appeared on the show for two years. But I advised on co-hosts, suggested movies, stayed in close communication with Don DuPree, our beloved producer-director. The show remained in my life. Now, after 33 years, it was gone--taken in a 'new direction.' And I was fully realizing what a large empty space it left behind.
Yes, we're planning to continue the traditional format in a new venue, and taking the thumbs along with us. I'm involved in that, and it will be a great consolation. But somehow I thought the show Gene Siskel and I began would roll on forever. How many other TV formats had survived so long?"
Secret of Colorful Auroras Revealed
Secret of Colorful Auroras Revealed: "A flotilla of NASA probes has solved the 30-year mystery behind the most colorful aurora displays on Earth and the explosive magnetic 'substorms' that spawn them.NASA's five THEMIS spacecraft in different orbits around Earth spotted the trigger for the substorms, powerful energy bursts in the planet's magnetic field that can interfere with satellites, power grids and supercharge the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights."
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Scientists find Complete Dinosaur Fossil
Japanese and Mongolian scientists have successfully recovered the complete skeleton of a 70-million-year-old young dinosaur, a nature museum announced Thursday.
read more | digg story
Study Reveals Why Low-income People Buy Lottery Tickets
Although state lotteries, on average, return just 53 cents for every dollar spent on a ticket, people continue to pour money into them -- especially low-income people, who spend a larger percentage of their incomes on lottery tickets than do the wealthier segments of society. A new Carnegie Mellon University study sheds light on the reasons why.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
16 Unanswered TV Questions
TV shows that center on unfolding mysteries face a frustrating conundrum: Solve those mysteries too soon, and the audience is likely to lose interest and wander off. But string the questions out too long, and the audience is just as likely to leave out of irritation. Worse yet, if the mystery lasts long enough, odds are, the show will be cancelled.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
6 Unsolved Disappearances
People vanish all the time, and we usually find out what happened to them eventually. Usually, not always. Jimmy Hoffa and Amelia Earhart are the most famous unsolved missing persons cases in the modern era. But there are many others who left us with far more questions than answers. Here are six you may not be familiar with.
read more | digg story
Great Opening Sentences From Science Fiction
You can tell a lot about a science fiction book from its first sentence. Those first few words (or few dozen, in some cases) have to pull you into the story and bring you into a whole alternate world. A good first sentence "hooks" you, pulling you into the story with a quick jolt of action and mystery.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
25 Visionaries Who Created Empires From Virtually Nothing
Today, we celebrate 25 of these iconic figures - businessmen, technology entrepreneurs, even celebrities and athletes - by recalling the tales of their rise to glory.
read more | digg story
25 Greatest Game Shows of All Time
TV game shows have entertained viewers for years with everything from trivia questions to reality competitions - read on for our picks of the 25 greatest game shows of all time.
read more | digg story
Schoolgirls' math skills now measure up to boys'
Schoolgirls' math skills now measure up to boys'
In the largest study of its kind, girls measured up to boys in every grade, from second through 11th. The research was released Thursday in the journal Science.
Parents and teachers persist in thinking boys are simply better at math, said Janet Hyde, the University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher who led the study. And girls who grow up believing it wind up avoiding harder math classes.
"It keeps girls and women out of a lot of careers, particularly high-prestige, lucrative careers in science and technology," Hyde said.
The Extremely Long Odds Against the Destruction of Earth
The Large Hadron Collider, also known as the world’s largest particle accelerator, is about to go online, creating black holes in its hotter-than-the-sun depths. But will these manufactured black holes swallow life as we know it, as many fear?
read more | digg story
16 Actors & Actresses Who Never Saw Their Last Movie [pics]
Besides Heath Ledger, Tupac and Marilyn Monroe... Many other famous actors and actresses have died before actually having a chance of seeing their last work...
read more | digg story
The way to market Vista... Don't mention it's Vista!
Microsoft last week traveled to San Francisco, rounding up XP users who had negative impressions of Vista. The subjects were put on video, asked about their Vista impressions, and then shown a "new" operating system, code-named Mojave. More than 90 percent gave positive feedback on what they saw. Then they were told that "Mojave" was actually Vista
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Desperate Banks Are Selling Everything That Isnt Nailed Down
President Bush neatly summed up the complex problems in the financial sector last week in terms he could understand. "Wall Street got drunk," he said. "It got drunk and now it's got a hangover." And to pay for the hangover cure, Wall Street is now selling Grandma's silverware and little Billy's new bicycle.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Vizio readies release of bargain-price sound bar with wireless subwoofer
Vizio readies release of bargain-price sound bar with wireless subwoofer: "Back in January at CES we'd heard that Vizio, which is known for its bargain-price TVs, was looking to make a play in the home audio arena--and soon it will. Slated for a September release, the company is putting out a faux-surround system that includes a slim sound bar and wireless subwoofer for $299."
Smoke is gone, but bars still stink...of people
While secondhand smoke is hazardous to our health, the smoke in bars hid some of the stink. Now that smoke is banned, bars should smell good, right? Think again.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
TOP 10 Unintentionally Funny Websites
TOP 10 Unintentionally Funny Websites: "It all seems innocent enough when you’re creating the domain name for your brand new website. You’ve written it down, asked your friends what they think and finally decided that THIS is the name you will go with. But then it shows up here, on a TOP 10 List of Unintentionally Funny Websites."
FakeTV Burglar Deterrent Device
ThinkGeek :: FakeTV Burglar Deterrent Device: "This small white box is only vaguely reminiscent of a TV, but it features a series of LED lights that glow to simulate the changing screen of a real TV. Put it behind some blinds or in an upstairs window and it creates the completely convincing effect of an active TV. Potential thieves will assume you are at home and instead choose to break into your neighbor's house and rip off their collection of old betamax VCRs."
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Rumor: MacBook touch Coming in October
Rumor: MacBook touch Coming in October: "Those of you clamoring for an Apple tablet may finally get what you've been waiting for. According to a MacDailyNews source who leaked wireless iTunes a week before its official announcement, we can expect a sort of 'MacBook touch' in October. And the source wasn't light on the details, either:"
Monster octopi with scores of extra tentacles
Monster octopi with scores of extra tentacles : "In nature, it is quite rare to encounter octopi with extra tentacles (or “arms,” for the purists), but a pair of aquariums in Japan’s Mie prefecture have some extraordinary specimens on hand."
Ajolote
Ajolote: "Is it a worm, a snake, a lizard, or something out of a movie? No special effects here; this is a ajolote, a reptile found in Mexico that has only two legs. It lives underground, where front legs for digging are more valuable than hind legs that would only be dragged along."
Top 10 New Video Games: Hands-on @ E3 2008
Popular Mechanics: "This year's massive E3 show is over, and the stage is set for the holiday season, with a slew of high-stakes showdowns and rematches: Rock Band 2 vs. Guitar Hero World Tour, Gears of War 2 vs. Resistance 2, Sony vs. Microsoft, and the Wii ... well, no one can mess with the Wii. Here are our picks for the best games at E3 2008. Hopefully they'll all avoid the show's repeat offender problem and actually be available before we go again next year."
Fish pedicures: Carp rid human feet of scaly skin
Fish pedicures: Carp rid human feet of scaly skin: "Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your tootsies in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away.
Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.
'This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet,' Ho said."
Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.
'This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet,' Ho said."
Genius Junk Food: 6 Snacks That Are Actually Good For You
Genius Junk Food: 6 Snacks That Are Actually Good For You: "Did you know there are more than 15 types of saturated fat? And despite the fact that they've been damned as a whole by nutrition experts for decades, some of them are actually heart healthy. That's good news, since high-fat foods are often the tastiest.
But a bad reputation is hard to shake. And though saturated fat is the most obvious example of a bad food gone good, it's not the only one. I've run the numbers and scoured the research to determine which vilified foods have been unjustly convicted. The result: six snacks and drinks that deserve an immediate pardon."
But a bad reputation is hard to shake. And though saturated fat is the most obvious example of a bad food gone good, it's not the only one. I've run the numbers and scoured the research to determine which vilified foods have been unjustly convicted. The result: six snacks and drinks that deserve an immediate pardon."
UCLA Bruins to send a total of 37 athletes and coaches to Beijing
UCLA Bruins to send a total of 37 athletes and coaches to Beijing: "Looking to add to its rich Olympic history yet again in 2008, UCLA will send a total of 37 athletes and coaches to this summer's Olympic Games, which will be held Aug. 8-24 in Beijing, China. Of the 37 Bruins traveling to Beijing, 31 are athletes (27 former, 3 current, 1 incoming), and six are coaches.
UCLA was one of the nation's most successful universities at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, ranking No. 1 among all universities in number of different medalists (19) and number of Olympians (57 representing the United States and 13 foreign countries). Of the 19 medals UCLA took home in 2004, eight were gold, eight were bronze and three were silver. If UCLA were a country, it would have placed 14th overall in the medal count."
Monday, July 21, 2008
Giant lobster that sparked bidding war saved from pot
Giant lobster that sparked bidding war saved from pot: "Dee-Dee the giant lobster will be avoiding a boiling pot of water and will be sent to a New Brunswick aquarium.
For about a week, Dee-Dee, a 100-year-old 10-kilogram lobster stayed at a Shediac, N.B. fish shop and was the centre of a cross-country bidding war between those who wanted to eat him and those who wanted to set him free.
The store owner, Denis Breau, said he accepted a $1,000 bid from Vancouver resident Laura-Leah Shaw to save the lobster, despite receiving a $5,000 bid from an Ontario group that wanted Dee-Dee for a banquet."
Baby Name Trends: NameTrends.net
Baby Name Trends: NameTrends.net:
Popularity since 1880
Map of changing geographic popularity since 1960
Well-known namesakes
Groups to which it belongs
Similar names: sound, popularity over time, regional popularity, and start with the same letter
Should We Make Cents?
There is an ongoing debate in Washington as to whether it is actually worth the trouble for the U.S. Mint to continue producing copper pennies. Morley Safer reports on the issue of cents.
The Kanzius Machine
Tooth Lasers Could Make Drilling A Thing Of The Past
For some people, just the sound of a dental drill is enough to cause panic—but the good news is that this barbaric procedure may be a thing of the past.
read more | digg story
Just stop it already: Women do play video games
Over the past few weeks, I've heard from reputable news outlets that video games are made specifically for men and most women find little reason to play.Yeah, RIGHT!!!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Twitter took off from simple to 'tweet' success - USATODAY.com
Twitter took off from simple to 'tweet' success - USATODAY.com: "'What are you doing?'
That question is the rocket fuel for Twitter — a hot social-network service that lets you tell people what you are up to at any given moment of the day — via cellphone, instant messenger, or the Web. Never heard of it, you say?
'What are you doing?' is the question Twitter asks 'Twitterers' to answer in a simple text message as they connect with friends, co-workers or the wider world. Twitterers 'tweet' about everything from what they had for lunch to how much they enjoyed their latest Netflix DVD. If that sounds silly and incredibly narrow at first, don't worry, you're not alone.
'When people hear about Twitter, their immediate reaction is that it's the simplest and stupidest idea in the world,' says co-founder Biz Stone."
Google Map of Starbucks Closings
Google Map of Starbucks Closings: "Here's a handy map provided by CNN Money, based on a list released Thursday of the 616 stores closing by the first half of 2009.
Starbucks operates 7,087 stores in the United States, so this represents an 8.7 percent drop."
Fallon Will Start ‘Late Night’ on the Web - NYTimes.com
Fallon Will Start ‘Late Night’ on the Web - NYTimes.com: "With a new round of shake-ups in late-night television set to begin next year, Lorne Michaels has decided to try to get a jump on things by starting NBC’s next edition of “Late Night,” with its new host Jimmy Fallon, as a nightly entry on the Internet.
Mr. Fallon has been named as the replacement for Conan O’Brien when Mr. O’Brien takes over the “Tonight” show from Jay Leno next year, and Mr. Michaels, the long-time boss of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” who also serves as executive producer of “Late Night,” told television reporters here Sunday that he wants Mr. Fallon to work out as many of the rough spots in his presentation as possible in performances on a website.
Mr. Michaels said he did not know yet which site he will use to post the shows with Mr. Fallon, but he was sure of several of the plans:"
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