History

Samurai Slipper Socks For The Cloven Few

by Steve Levenstein

Fight for your right to relax like a warrior! These traditionally inspired brocade samurai slipper socks feature an odd "cloven hoof" design that looks as odd as it is comfortable.

1 comment

Neurologists Discover Michelangelo's Paintings Of God With A Brain

by T Goodman

Michelangelo was a religious man, but he was also a scientist. He must have been very conflicted about painting a brain and brainstem in God's head and neck, especially in the Sistine Chapel. After all, he was commissioned by the Church, which did not take too kindly to literal images on its murals.

4 comments

Solar Impulse May Set Precedent in Solar Flight Tomorrow

by Gloria Campos

A solar-powered aircraft, shaped like a dragonfly, called Solar Impulse is attempting to take a 24-hour solar powered flight today. The goal is to fly through the night. The plane took off early this morning fueled only with solar power.

Conflict Minerals For Cell Phones Fuel Genocide In Congo

by Ron Callari

I speculated recently about the amount of lithium recently found in Afghanistan - like oil in Iraq - could become the number one resource for the war to continue in that country. In a post, titled, "The Smartphone Wars Seek Trillion Dollar Spoils," I believe that mobile phone manufacturers will compete heavily to secure this resource. In the Congo, a similar scenario has already played out with 'conflict minerals' with more dire consequences.

1 comment

Icelandic Law Seeking To Become Epicenter For Journalists' Safe Haven

Iceland, Home to Journalists' Safe Haven

by Ron Callari

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange and his flight from the authorities pertaining to his whistleblowing expose on the US military's classified documents gives one pause for concern about the safety of journalists and whistleblowers globally. Iceland is one of the first countries to propose international law to provide journalists with a safe haven.

The Smartphone Wars In Afghanistan Seek Trillion Dollar Spoils

by Ron Callari

As oil was one of the major factors for our six-year tour of duty in Iraq, the vast deposits of minerals recently found in Afghanistan may have the same type of effect in protracting our stay in that country.

1 comment

China's Quieter, Gentler 'Great Firewall' Or Social Media Ploy?

by Ron Callari

Today, China released a white paper titled, "The Internet in China," that in Western parlance could be considered a public relations make-over for a brand that has long been associated with censorship and government control. Is there a crack in the Great Firewall, or has China been dogged into corner by its netizens crying for their right to free speech on the Internet?

The Boy Who Invented TV Gets Social Media App Named After Him

by Ron Callari

I'm sure the boy who invented TV would be very proud of how far TV has come since the late 1940s. PHILO TV, the app and Web platform which launches today combines television with the power of social media to create an interactive user experience with real-time and multi-screen functionality. And it has that inventor to thank for it.

Chommy, Foursquare Mayor May Be Blocked From Tian'anmen Square Check-ins?

by Ron Callari

Thirty-one years ago to the day, Tian'anmen Square (aka, Gate of Heavenly Peace) was the site that witnessed the massacre of thousands of student protesters. Each year on its anniversary, the Chinese attempt to eradicate all memory of the horrifying events that occurred on June 4, 1989.

Hurricane Alex, The First To Potentially Turn Oil Spill Into Black Surf

by Ron Callari

As of June 1, with 'Alex' as the nom de plume of the first, the hurricane season is officially underway and will run its course from now until November 30, 2010. The clock is ticking away for the BP clean-up in the Gulf to ward off any possibility of a 'perfect storm' combining the oil spill calamity with the climatic forces of hurricane winds.

4 comments

Prehistoric Figurine Shows Our Ancestors' Appreciation For The Female Form

by Steve Levenstein

A sensuously sculpted clay torso found in Japan's Shiga prefecture is estimated to be 13,000 years old and indicates appreciation for the female figure is as old as er, the hills.

Mr. Zuckerberg Goes To Washington -Shouldn't Facebook's Privacy Briefing Be …errh Public?

by Ron Callari

Facebook has invited members of the House and Senate to attend a special privacy-centric briefing. Based on the ongoing backlash from its user-base and the blogosphere, Facebook will be facing off with perhaps its toughest critics, namely Senators Begich, Bennet, Franken and Schumer.

Holy Smoke Monster, The "Lost" Ending Is Near & Going To Be Simulcast

by Ron Callari

Being lost on a desert island is not a new premise for a TV series. If you can remember back far enough, the theme song of the 1964 classic TV show talked about a 'fearless crew' and 'ship that was lost' and coming ashore an 'uncharted desert isle.'

Twitter vs Facebook On TIME Mag, 'Open Conversation' vs 'Open Graph'

by Ron Callari

What makes the cover of a Time Magazine have longed been a cherished tradition of speculation by readers the world over. Like the old refrain from the song "New York": "if you can make it there - you can make it anywhere." Of recent date, the two major social networks of the day have taken center stage on those covers -one lauded for how it changed the way we communicate, while the other critiqued for perhaps pushing that communication too far.

3 comments

Vietnamese Social Network Says 'Good Morning Vietnam,' Goodbye Facebook

by Ron Callari

When the pilot version of the go.vn site (www.goonline) was launched this week, it caused a bit of an international dust-up with one major social network and the netizens of Vietnam. Seems like Facebook can't cut a break any where in the world these days!

Has Digg Finally Dugg Its Own Grave?

by Ron Callari

Perhaps a sign of the times. Perhaps a social media tool that's outlived its usefulness. Perhaps it couldn't compete with the major power players in the social media space. But with nervous investors, the exodus of Jay Adelson, a recent 10% layoff of its staff and a lot of talk-but-no-action on a redesign of their site, with the red flags rising - they might as well be flying at half mast.

1 comment

My Brother, The Bloodsucker

by T Goodman

This little fellow is a Rhodinus prolixus, aka South American bloodsucker, and his DNA may be in my DNA! Don't be smug now... It could be in yours too. And though maybe he's not our brother, he might very well be a distant cousin. So don't step on him.

Bloggers & Twitterers Beware - Shield Laws Might Not Have You Covered!

by Ron Callari

The much debated iPhonegate pertaining to the alleged stolen iPhone 4G continues to perplex Apple, the authorities and the legal system. The Shield Law and even First Amendment rights can be challenged all the way up to the Supreme Court, as a result of this case. But perhaps the one group that may end up coming up short on this debate are those getting the least attention - the Bloggers and Twitterers!

2 comments

Graphic.ly Speaking, Here Comes iPads & Social Networking For Comic Books

by Ron Callari

Since the introduction of the comic-book format in 1934, followed by graphic novels and Manga, the market for writers, illustrators and fans have grown exponentially within the last decade. While the printed format may at some point follow in the footsteps of the dying legacy newspapers, there are digital solutions emerging. Graphic.ly is an option in the social media space, while iPads, on the device end may actually take the place of the printed comic book and graphic novel, in the near future.

2 comments

Is Cyberwar The Next Cold War?

by Ron Callari

If 'war' connotes huge conflict on a grand scale between nations, and 'détente' is a harbinger of intermittent periods of calm and high tension - could Cyberwar be the 21st Century's version of the Cold War? George Orwell who was the first to coin the phrase "Cold War" sourced the ideological confrontation between the US and Russia. Today, Cyberwar is of equal threat, but the enemies aren't just confined to nations.

1 comment