Sunday, December 30, 2012

A Complete History Of US Nuclear Explosions In 90 Seconds

On July 16, 1945, the US Army destroyed a small part of New Mexico by testing the first nuclear bomb in human history, the most powerful weapon of all time. It then proceeded to blow up 1054 more.
A Complete History Of US Nuclear Explosions In 90 Seconds

Saturday, December 29, 2012

5 Custom Searches You Should Enable In Your Browser Right Now

Custom search engines are one of the coolest features of any modern browser. With just a few keystrokes, you can search Wikipedia right from your address bar, do a custom Google search for Lifehacker articles, or even get driving directions to a specific location. Here are five searches you should enable right now.
5 Custom Searches You Should Enable In Your Browser Right Now

The Black Stump on Facebook

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook!
The Black Stump on Facebook

Scientific American picks top 5 space stories for 2012

The magazine Scientific American announces its most important space stories for the year 2012, with the discovery of the Higgs Boson topping the list.
Scientific American picks top 5 space stories for 2012

Shopping mall shark-tank ruptures

Shanghai's Orient shopping centre experienced disaster on Dec 18 when a huge aquarium filled with lemon-sharks, turtles and fish ruptured, hurting 16 people and killing three sharks and "dozens of turtles and small fish." The tank's failure was blamed on a combination of cold temperatures and substandard materials.
Shopping mall shark-tank ruptures

Thursday, December 27, 2012

These Astounding Satellite Images Are The Best Bird’s-Eye-Views Of 2012

Our daily does of satellite imagery through services like Google Maps have made looking down at Earth seem rather hum-drum at times. But there are still magical and majestic sites to be hold, as seen in this selection from 2012.
These Astounding Satellite Images Are The Best Bird’s-Eye-Views Of 2012

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Unpublish old tweets with the Shame Eraser

Now that Twitter's finally made old tweets available, you might be inclined to nuke a few. Developer Benjamin Jackson created a tool that makes it seem easy: the Shame Eraser.
Unpublish old tweets with the Shame Eraser

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 18/2012

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 18/2012

Bye Bye TOPICA

Important note if you subscribe to our site updates via TOPICA

Their service stopped working in early November and has still not been fixed.
 Their recommendation was to start a new list which I did and quite a number of people signed up again.
That new list also does not work. Apologies for apparently wasting your time!

Hence, I'm abandoning TOPICA as a mailing list alternative effective immediately.

Please refer to the Newsletter Signup page for a number of other options that actually work.

Apologies to the TOPICA subscribees and Merry Christmas to you all!


R.I.P.: 10 Products That Were Discontinued in 2012

This year, quite a few products disappeared from the market, as technology inevitably marches on. Whether they got pulled for being faulty or just weren't commercially successful, these 10 examples have virtually expired.
R.I.P.: 10 Products That Were Discontinued in 2012

Saturday, December 22, 2012

2012's Biggest Winners and Losers

The end is near. I mean the end of 2012, not the world, as dunderheaded Mayan-acolytes believe. Even without looming global annihilation, it’s been the most manic of annums, with extreme highs and heartbreaking lows.
2012's Biggest Winners and Losers

The Most Amazing Science Stories Of 2012

2012 has been a big year for science: people sank to record depths, a private company made it into space, NASA landed something the size of a car on Mars, and physicists finally found the particle that could unify science once and for all. Here are 12 of the most exciting science stories we’ve covered this year.
The Most Amazing Science Stories Of 2012

Seinfeld Plays Ball in 'Who's on First?' Remake [VIDEO]

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello's iconic "Who's on First?" comedy routine from the 1930s just got a refresh from a few of today's funnymen.
Jimmy Fallon, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfeld as well as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon announcer Steve Higgins and writer A.D. Miles took a crack at the baseball skit in the video below.
Seinfeld Plays Ball in 'Who's on First?' Remake [VIDEO]

What is this bizarre Indian "health gadget" from 1950s Bombay?

Very rare and old Twin Transilluminator in Box from India 1950 in good condition. Its medical Instrument for sinuses and Eye therapy. Its made of steel and backlit. its electrical. on box has some description and photos about how to use this Instrument. Its rare and unique medical Instrument and must for medical instruments collectors. The size of box is 9 inch in length, and its width is 5 inch.
What is this bizarre Indian "health gadget" from 1950s Bombay?

Friday, December 21, 2012

Boeing Creates 360° 'Dream Pass' Video of its 787 Dreamliner

Attention wannabe pilots: Here's your chance to experience the next best thing to flying Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner. The company created the Boeing 787 Dreamliner "Dream Pass," a 360-degree online video that lets you take an immersive virtual ride in the plane's flight deck, and tour its wings and engines.
Boeing Creates 360° 'Dream Pass' Video of its 787 Dreamliner

Thursday, December 20, 2012

The Newest Gmail And Google Drive Tricks

Gmail and Google Drive are both popular choices amongst Lifehacker readers. The Google Australia team recently shared a list of some of the changes to those products over 2012 with us, ranging from big additions to small tweaks. Ready for an update? Let’s review.
The Newest Gmail And Google Drive Tricks

Golden eagle snatches kid

One second this eagle is gliding around above a park, majestic, then moments later it swoops down and tries to grab a toddler. It's just so sudden and unexpected: the bird looks small when it's far away, but oh god nope that's one of those Hobbit-carrying guys and little red monkey hat is off to Mordor.
Golden eagle snatches kid

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Handy Flowchart Picks a Christmas Film for You

If you’re having trouble picking a holiday film, this handy flowchart can help. Need a film with just the right touch of animation and creepiness? Belief in Santa Claus and swimming pools? The chart has you covered.
Handy Flowchart Picks a Christmas Film for You

Sunday, December 16, 2012

These Are The Last Words That Were Said On The Moon

Everyone knows the first words that were said on the moon, but what about the last? 40 years ago yesterday we left the moon for the last time, so now’s as good a time as any to ask. The answer? Well there are a few and you can pick which one you like better.
As Commander Eugene Cernan stood on the moon’s surface before climbing back into the Apollo 17 module and blasting off towards home, he recited a little speech, fitting to be the last words on the body. It went like this:
These Are The Last Words That Were Said On The Moon

Friday, December 14, 2012

What Parents Need to Know About Facebook's New Privacy Controls

Facebook changed its privacy settings on Wednesday and it's important to know what the new changes mean for users, especially your digitally-connected children.
What Parents Need to Know About Facebook's New Privacy Controls

Unusual baby names of 2012

Of all the factors that parents consider in picking a name for their child, one floats consistently to the top: Picking a unique name. (So says our annual baby-naming survey, answered this year by more than 4,000 parents.)
As you can see from the list below, some parents did a bang-up job. Read on to see some of the most unusual, creative names given to babies in 2012.
Unusual baby names of 2012

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Handy Hints – avoid high data roaming charges

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has released its quarterly report on complaints about telcos (see separate story). This time the TIO has published some handy hints on how to avoid high global roaming charges.
Handy Hints – avoid high data roaming charges

Watch North Korea State TV Cover Illegal Rocket Launch

North Korea launched a ballistic missile, which reportedly placed a satellite into orbit. The Dec. 12 launch contravened United Nations resolutions forbidding Pyongyang to develop ballistic rocket capacity, angering its neighbors but marking a chance for new leader Kim Jong-Un to claim a victory.
Watch North Korea State TV Cover Illegal Rocket Launch

10 Videos to Help You Survive the Apocalypse

This could be it. It. One of the last posts you or I ever read. The world as we know it, in all its magnificent, wondrous glory, is coming to an end on Dec. 21. Everything we've ever known -- gone, destroyed and vanquished. For good.
At least that's what they say. According to some interpretations of the Mesoamerican Long Count (Mayan) calendar, next Friday will be humanity's very last. You've probably heard about it.
10 Videos to Help You Survive the Apocalypse

The risks of visiting volcanoes

In 1993, Stanley Williams survived a close-encounter with a volcano. A volcanologist, he was standing on the rim of Colombia's Galeras volcano when it erupted with little warning. Six of his scientific colleagues and three tourists were killed. Williams fled down the mountain's slope — until flying rocks and boulders broke both his legs. With a fractured skull, he managed to stay conscious enough to huddle behind some other large boulders and dodge flying debris until the eruption ended and his grad students rescued him.
The risks of visiting volcanoes

Google’s Zeitgeist 2012: A Year In Review

Once a year Google releases their Zeitgeist–an overview of what the world was searching for during the previous year. Check out the year in review video and then browse the entire project.
Google’s Zeitgeist 2012: A Year In Review

The Best (Worst?) Typos, Mistakes, and Correrctions of 2012

Typos! We love them, we love to hate them. They make us laugh, they make us cry. They come in many shapes and sizes. And so do those corrections—not always typo-related—added to many a newspaper article when it turns out things weren't written exactly as they should be.
The Best (Worst?) Typos, Mistakes, and Correrctions of 2012

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

12 Problems Solved by Tech in 2012

Some of the hottest tech trends of 2012, like mobile apps and solar energy, are changing the world for the better. This year, we saw a variety of inspiring innovations tackle some of the world's greatest challenges.
12 Problems Solved by Tech in 2012

Mount Everest Doesn't Look That Big From Space

At more than 29,000 feet above sea level, Mount Everest's peak reaches the farthest into the sky of any piece of Earth. But when seen from space, even this monster appears just part and parcel with the crust of the planet it is part of. As Russian cosmonaut Valentin Lebedev observed, "How many people dream of conquering Everest, so that they can look down from it, and yet for us from above it was difficult to even locate.
Mount Everest Doesn't Look That Big From Space

I am itchy. You are itchy. We're all itchy together

Some itches are caused by obvious physical triggers (OMG, there's a spider on your arm!). Others, though, have a more complicated source. Watching other people itch can make you feel itchy. In this piece at Scientific American blogs, Scicurious explains the neurobiology behind sympathetic itching.
I am itchy. You are itchy. We're all itchy together

Monday, December 10, 2012

Radio Shack computer catalog from 1983

On the Internet Archive, a hi-rez scan of the 1983 Radio Shack computer catalog, which is a wonderland of jaw-dropping prices for prosumer equipment from my boyhood that doesn't even qualify as a toddler's toy today.
Radio Shack computer catalog from 1983

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Top 24 Most Inspiring Photos of 2012

Photos have a way of transporting us to a place that words cannot. What's captured in the fraction of a second it takes to snap a picture can live forever. During 2012, we saw some truly inspiring moments; moments now seared into our minds because of the photography that captured the subtleties of emotion, triumph and grace in the face of adversity.
Top 24 Most Inspiring Photos of 2012

Thursday, December 06, 2012

Prisoners in Australia, 2012

Contains national information on prisoners who were in custody on 30 June each year. The statistics are derived from information collected by the ABS from corrective services agencies in each state and territory. Details are provided on the number of people in correctional institutions (including people on remand), imprisonment rates, most serious offence and sentence length. A range of information is also presented on prisoner characteristics (age, sex, Indigenous status) and on the type of prisoner (all prisoners, sentenced prisoners, and unsentenced prisoners (remandees).
Prisoners in Australia, 2012

Amazing, invisible work that goes on when you click an HTTPS link

Jeff Moser has a clear, fascinating enumeration of all the incredible math stuff that happens between a server and your browser when you click on an HTTPS link and open a secure connection to a remote end. It's one of the most important (and least understood) parts of the technical functioning of the Internet.
Amazing, invisible work that goes on when you click an HTTPS link

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

One Minute of Life Changing Advice From Steve Jobs

Innovator, genius, imitator, businessman, designer, turtleneck lover. Steve Jobs tended to generate opinions from across the spectrum, but being inspirational reamins a steadfast quality in the Apple founder.
One Minute of Life Changing Advice From Steve Jobs

Banned Children’s Toys from Christmases Past

What could possibly go wrong giving a child a nuclear science kit that includes highly poisonous materials inside? Everything of course, which is why that particular toy only lasted a single holiday.
Banned Children’s Toys from Christmases Past

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Now You, Too, Can “Follow” Pope Benedict, Get News As It Happens

When you wake up tomorrow morning, the Catholic Church will have taken another bold step into the era of new media.
Now You, Too, Can “Follow” Pope Benedict, Get News As It Happens

Look up medications more quickly and easily on Google

We get a lot of queries for medicine on Google. So to make it quick and easy for you to learn about medications, we’ll start showing key facts -- side effects, related medications, links to in-depth resources, and more -- right on the search results page.
Look up medications more quickly and easily on Google

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Watch Five Hours Of Commercial Jet Flyovers Timelapsed Down Into Thirty Crowded Seconds

What?! Is that a squadron of commercial airliners?! Not quite, but through the magic of editing, it sure looks like it. With the help of Adobe Premiere, Cy Kuckenbaker took five hours of plane landings on Black Friday and condensed them down into just 30 seconds using composite and timelapse techniques.
Watch Five Hours Of Commercial Jet Flyovers Timelapsed Down Into Thirty Crowded Seconds

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 17/2012

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 17/2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

What to do on Mt. Everest when you're dead

We all know that people do sometimes die while attempting to climb Mt. Everest. But it's easy to overlook what happens to those people after they've died. You can't bring a body down from the mountain. In fact, many of the people who have died there had to be abandoned before they were dead because they couldn't walk and no one could carry them safely back to a place they could get medical care. And that means Mt. Everest is littered with dead bodies.
What to do on Mt. Everest when you're dead

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Planhacker: Every Australian 4G Contract Mobile Phone Deal Compared

Want a super-speedy 4G mobile phone but can’t afford to buy it outright? We’ve rounded up every 4G phone available on contract in Australia so you can compare and make the best choice for your needs.
Planhacker: Every Australian 4G Contract Mobile Phone Deal Compared

North Korea May Launch Rocket, Photo Shows

North Korea may be preparing to attempt another rocket launch in the next few weeks, new satellite imagery suggests.
North Korea May Launch Rocket, Photo Shows

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Apollo 11 Moon Rocks Found in Storage Area

When Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins came back to Earth on July 24, 1969, they also brought home 22 kilograms of lunar rocks.
President Nixon gave out many of those rocks as gifts, including a little desktop display and plaque that went to each state. Over the years, some of those rocks were lost. But five of them have just been found — in a storage area belonging to the Minnesota National Guard.
Apollo 11 Moon Rocks Found in Storage Area

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The Bing Top Searches of 2012 Report

Believe it or not, it’s already time to look back at 2012 and reflect on the moments that most fascinated Americans this year. From one of the most hotly contested elections in US history, the pageantry of the Olympic Games in London and high profile IPOs to rising stars, reality TV and Gangnam Style, it’s been a pretty exciting twelve months.
The Bing Top Searches of 2012 Report

Monday, November 26, 2012

The Four Leading Electric Novelties of 1897

Scanned and Flickr'd by Captain Geoffrey Spaulding, an ad for Ohio Electric Works, 1897.
The Four Leading Electric Novelties of 1897

Friday, November 23, 2012

How to Pinpoint Food Allergies: 13 steps

If you suspect you have a food allergy, there are several key ways to identify the particular food or foods that are causing problems. Follow these steps to pinpoint your potential food allergies.
How to Pinpoint Food Allergies: 13 steps

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Watch This Spectacular Water Spout Lash The Australian Coastline

Sea tornados off the coast of Australia are not new. But this one is particularly striking and huge. It was filmed this Sunday at Batemans Bay, in New South Wales.
Watch This Spectacular Water Spout Lash The Australian Coastline

5 Ways to Protect your Accounts When Shopping Online

As we gear up for the holiday shopping season, it’s important to remain mindful of online identity theft and cybersecurity.
Whether you’re part of the 41% to 45% of consumers concerned about online privacy, computer viruses or identity theft, it doesn’t hurt to be aware of how to make yourself more secure.
Although it’s tempting to find a deal and splurge during the gift-giving time of year, the five tips below encourage you to be extra cautious while serving as a guide to protecting yourself.
5 Ways to Protect your Accounts When Shopping Online

Monday, November 19, 2012

A Map Of Stupid Things People Have Said To US Airport Security Officials

The first rule of air travel in the modern world is to avoid making jokes about bombs at the security checkpoint, but that doesn’t stop people coming out with comments like “I have a torpedo in my brassiere”. We’ve mapped some of the most ridiculous offenders.
A Map Of Stupid Things People Have Said To US Airport Security Officials