Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Google’s 10 Oddest Patents

Google has a number of patents listed at the USPTO that have little to do with search - things like a waterproof cellular telephone case, or a medical instrument that can be “introduced into an animal or human body.”
Google’s 10 Oddest Patents

10 Tech Skills you should develop during the next Five Years

If you want a job where you can train in a particular skill set and then never have to learn anything new, IT isn't the field for you. But if you like to be constantly learning new things and developing new skills, you're in the right business. In the late 80s, NetWare and IPX/SPX administration were the skills to have. Today, it's all about TCP/IP and the Internet.
10 Tech Skills you should develop during the next Five Years

Woman visits her own Heart

Transplant patient Jennifer Sutton paid a visit to an exhibition in London called The Heart today, mainly to check out a particular item on display - her own heart.
Woman visits her own Heart

Password Policies. Once again.

Recently in the newsgroups (news:microsoft.public.security, to be specific) the question of password polices and the out-of-box defaults came up. The poster lamented a number of things: that Microsoft doesn't enable account lockout by default, that they don't have a built-in mechanism for automatically disabling unused accounts, that the 42-day default expiration is troublesome.
Password Policies. Once again.

Traffic lights see into the Future

A traffic system that predicts whether two cars will collide could help motorists avoid crashes, especially at intersections that lack lights or signs.
Traffic lights see into the future

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, Jul 2007

In trend terms, short-term visitor arrivals to Australia during July 2007 (468,300 movements) decreased 0.5% compared with June 2007 (470,600 movements). Currently, short-term visitor arrivals are 3.0% higher than in July 2006.
Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, Jul 2007

"Storm worm" adds millions of Computers to Botnet

The authors behind a specific strain of malware are trying every trick in the book to get users to succumb to their ill-meaning plans. You name it, they've used it: weather news, personal greetings, reports that Saddam Hussein is still alive, reports that Fidel Castro is dead, sexy women, YouTube, and even blogs. The group seems hellbent on creating the largest botnet to date, and they just might do it.
"Storm worm" adds millions of computers to botnet

How to Learn More and Study Less

Time spent studying does not equal learning.
More studying time won’t help if the way you are studying is flawed to begin with.
How to Learn More and Study Less

From Egg To Chicken… The Cycle of Life…

Two neat articles from Quedat.
From Egg To Chicken… The Cycle of Life…
and
25 of The World’s Most Interesting Animals

Monday, September 03, 2007

Air Show Collision

(Sept. 1) - Two small planes collided during an acrobatic display at an air show in Poland on Saturday, killing both pilots. Photos and Video follow.
Air Show Collision

Longest Word in the Dictionary

“What’s the longest word in the dictionary?”
“It depends on what counts as a ‘word,’ and it depends on the dictionary.” That answer doesn’t satisfy most people, since the follow-up question is typically something like, “No, really, is it antidisestablishmentarianism or supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?”
Longest Word in the Dictionary

Muslim Journeys in Australia

From the Afghan camel drivers who helped open the Australian continent's vast interior, to the Turkish families who answered a call for willing workers in the 1970s, Muslims have contributed much to Australian life. They journeyed to an unfamiliar land, bravely seeking opportunities in a culture inclined to view them with suspicion. Their surprising stories of adventure and adversity can be explored through the rich collections of the National Archives.
Muslim Journeys in Australia

Pussy in the Well?

Jennifer and Jim kept getting huge water bills. They knew beyond a doubt that the bills weren't representative of their actual usage. But no matter how they tried to conserve, the high bills continued. Although they could see nothing wrong, they had everything checked for leaks or problems: first the water meter, then outdoor pipes, indoor pipes, underground pipes, taps, toilets, washing machine and dishwasher - all to no avail.
Pussy in the Well ?

Dumbest Drivers in the World

Think of this like the Darwin Awards of driving!
Dumbest Drivers in the World

DIY: Whiten your Teeth with Strawberries

The secret to this inexpensive home whitening method is malic acid, which acts as an astringent to remove surface discoloration. Combined with baking soda, strawberries become a natural tooth-cleanser, buffing away stains from coffee, red wine, and dark sodas.
DIY: Whiten your Teeth with Strawberries

Digital Collections; Music Australia

Explore the Australian story through captivating pictures, rare historical maps, early Australian sheet music, manuscripts belonging to famous Australians, selected printed works from our Australian and overseas collections, and selected audio recordings of our oral history and folklore items.
National Library of Australia Digital Collections; Music Australia

24 Tips To Becoming An Early Riser

Getting up is crucial to success as an entrepreneur. And better yet: waking up early is really just a habit. You don't need any skill to do it. You just need to wake up consistently to condition your body to the routine. Here are some tips.
24 Tips To Becoming An Early Riser

Sunday, September 02, 2007

The Way Of All Flesh

A small cosmetics case picked up at a flea market was found stuffed with photos almost all of which were of the same woman. The bulk of the photos were photobooths and portraits documenting her as she aged over the course of about 50 years or so. The dates where available are underneath each photo. Given the date of the first photo she was probably born in late 1937 or early 1938. The last photo dates from the early 90s so she's somewhere in her early-to-mid 50s there.
The Way Of All Flesh

16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump

Even the most motivated of us can feel unmotivated at times. In fact, sometimes we get into such a slump that even thinking about making positive changes seems too difficult.
But it’s not hopeless: with some small steps, baby ones in fact, you can get started down the road to positive change.
16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump

Top 10 Greatest Hoaxes of all Time

A hoax is an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real. We came up with a selection of the Top 10 Greatest Hoaxes of all time.
Top 10 Greatest Hoaxes of all Time