Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/asus-eee-pc-t101mt-review/
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ASUS Eee PC T101MT review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Metamaterials, of course, are artificial materials engineered to exhibit properties that don't come easily in nature. Such materials could have a range of applications, from superlenses to solar cells to active camouflage. And while this isn't the first light-bending metamaterial we've ever seen, it is the first one that operates on visible light, doing all of its negative-index refracting in the blue part of the spectrum.
Not only that, but this new metamaterial is simpler than previous attempts at negative-index metatamaterials. It requires only a single functional layer, yet is seriously versatile, handling light at any polarization and functioning at a wide range of incident angles. That could potentially enable superlenses that image past the diffraction limit, solar cells that are able to scoop up a lot more sunlight, and even invisibility cloaking.
Previous metamaterials required several layers of resonant elements to create this negative-index response, but the Caltech method requires only a single layer of silver with plasmonic waveguide elements distributed throughout that route the light waves through the material. Involving only a single layer in the process means this new material is easier to manufacture and easier to tune to different wavelengths of light.
While it's more fun to think about a Harry Potter-like invisibility cloak, the real breakthrough here could be in solar gathering technology. The fact that this metamaterial is tunable means engineers could potentially tweak it to better sync with the solar spectrum, manufacturing solar cells with a far higher efficiency that could in turn make solar a more feasible alternative to fossil fuels. Which is almost -- but not quite -- as exciting as an invisibility cloak.
[PhysOrg]
Source: http://lifehacker.com/5524463/entrustet-secures-your-accounts-after-death-with-legal-backing
Entrustet offers a free account that lets you set up three unlimited password-protected accounts to be transferred over to a trust person upon your passing. How does it know when you're gone? You assign a trusted person to be your Digital Executor, who will notify Entrustet and then provide a death certificate scan to activate the password conveyance upon your death. You can also assign your estate attorney to execute your Entrustet transfer upon your death, and the site offers up a few attorneys officially on board with Entrustet—though we imagine any savvy attorney can be conscripted for the duty. Additional security and ease-of-use features (for the executor and recipients, at least) are included with paid plans.
It's a bit like previously mentioned Legacy Locker—it's a smart idea, but those interested enough in their post-mortem web accounts likely will have their own scheme set up, rather than pay for Entrustet's extra accounts and features. Still, there are other features to come, like an Account Incinerator, that you might find convenient when you're not exactly in a position to fine-tune things.
Entrustet is free to sign up for and try out with a few accounts. Tell us the (general) details of your own plans for your online life after your passing in the comments.
Source: http://lifehacker.com/5524793/google-skymap-for-android-puts-detailed-star-gazing-in-your-pocket
Install Google Sky Map for Android on your phone and you don't just get a chance to scroll through the heavens—although you can switch it to manual mode for fun zooming around—you actually get to see the celestial sphere as you would see it with perfect telescope-vision. Check out the video below to see it in action:
Tilt the phone up towards the sky and you see what's above you, thanks to the GPS, compass, and tilt-sensors in your phone. Tilting it down, by the way, is even more fun as you get to see what's on the other side of the earth—with a powerful enough laser beam I could shoot through my file cabinet, the planet, and nail the moon.
Visit the link below for more information or hop into the Android Market and search for "Sky Map" to grab a copy. Have a tip or trick for using Google Sky Map or just an Android app your itching to share? Let's hear about it in the comments. Thanks TheMoFo!
Source: http://lifehacker.com/5525281/google-earth-arrives-inside-google-maps-on-the-web
Google Earth itself still has merit, mind you. The stand-alone application still supports KML files, ocean, sky, and even Mars views, historical layers, and that oh-so-nifty flight simulator, among other advantages. But if you're looking to get a new look at a destination—like, say, what that Eyjafjallajokull volcano looked like in less eruptive times—or skim an area with an angular satellite view, Maps' own Earth view is all you need.
Using Earth View requires the installation of a browser plug-in that is, at the moment, available for Windows and Mac. Chrome users may not need to install the plug-in, but I seemed to require it in Windows.
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