drag2share: Apple and carriers will donate free devices and broadband to US schools

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/04/apple-and-carriers-support-connected-schools/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

The White House won't be going it alone as it brings US classrooms into the internet era through its ConnectED initiative -- it just revealed that a host of technology firms will also lend a hand. Apple plans to donate $100 million in iPads, MacBooks and software to underprivileged schools, while Autodesk and O'Reilly Media will give away free software and content. Microsoft, in turn, will heavily discount Windows to lower educational PC prices. Carriers are getting in on the action, too. AT&T and Sprint have both pledged to offer free wireless broadband to schools for multiple years; Verizon ! isn't giving away service, but it will donate up to $100 million in cash and other commitments. The combined efforts aren't going to fix the American education system by themselves, but they could create a level playing field for schools across the country.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

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The Best Temperatures and Uses for Common Cooking Oils

Source: http://lifehacker.com/the-best-temperatures-and-uses-for-common-cooking-oils-1513582291

We've talked about why you should have more than one cooking oil in your kitchen, but this graphic breaks down the differences between them nicely. It shows you smoke points for common oils, and their most popular uses, all in one good-looking chart.

One of the biggest reasons you'd want multiple oils in your kitchen, especially more than just olive oil, is because different oils smoke at different temperatures, which means they lend themselves—and their flavor—best to different cooking methods. For example, ghee (clarified butter) or avocado oil both have high smoke points (well over 500 degrees F) so they're great for high-heat cooking, frying, and broiling in ways that sesame or pumpkin oil, which have lower smoke points (closer to 300 or 400 degrees F, respectively,) are not. Similarly, the chart shows you which types of oil are best applied in which types of cooking, regardless of their smoke points. For example, it notes that coconut oil is great for baking, sauteing, and frying, while your extra virgin olive oil and sesame oil may be better off used in dressings and to add extra flavor.

The graphic, made by the folks over at Chasing Delicious (who are responsible for a fewother greatkitchengraphics we've highlighted) tells the whole tale. Hit "expand" on the image below to see it in full size, or head over to Chasing Delicious at the link below to buy a print for your wall—you can get them in 8.5" x 11" ($18) or 11.5" x 17.5" ($24).

Kitchen 101: Cooking Fats and Oils | Chasing Delicious

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drag2share: How LED Streetlights Will Change Cinema (And Make Cities Look Awesome)

source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/vip/~3/3gslqzF0leM/led-streetlights-will-change-hollywood-and-make-every-c-1514840416

The announcement last year that Los Angeles would be replacing its high-pressure sodium streetlights—known for their distinctive yellow hue—with new, blue-tinted LEDs might have a profound effect on at least one local industry. All of those LEDs, with their new urban color scheme, will dramatically change how the city appears on camera, thus giving Los Angeles a brand new look in the age of digital filmmaking. As Dave Kendricken writes for No Film School, "Hollywood will never look the same."

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Google finally opens Chromecast SDK, invites developers to get hackin'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/03/google-opens-chromecast-sdk/

The Chromecast is already a pretty easy sell: It's $35 and brings most of the biggest names in streaming media to your TV with minimal hassle. So, now that Google has opened the SDK to developers, it's pretty much a no-brainer. While there are no specific apps to announce at the moment, it's safe to assume the Play store will be flooded with updates soon enough. The SDK will allow coders to add a cast button to their app or site, be it on Android, iOS or in Chrome. The obvious use is for video apps, but there are plenty of other potential options here as well. If a developer decides to create a "custom receiver application" (rather than use the pre-built one provided by Google), they can put any standard web technologies on the big screen. So expect at least a few games and productivity apps to make the jump to Chromecast as well. Imagine firing up a presentation from Google Drive, displaying it on your 4K TV and controlling it with your phone. Or maybe Sony will build a version of Jeopardy where the board and clues are shown on the TV and your handset acts as the buzzer. Obviously, we're just speculating right now, but if we see those ! ideas co me to fruition, we'll be expecting a nice royalty check. If you're more technically inclined, check out the video overview of the Chromecast SDK after the break.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, Google

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Source: Google Blog, Chromium Blog

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Google Now comes to the desktop in Chrome and Chrome OS betas

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/03/google-now-desktop/

Rumblings of Google Now on the desktop first started surfacing back in December of 2012, but it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that it actually broke cover. If you were a user of the Canary build of the Chrome browser, you could enable the card alerts by ticking an option buried deep within the recesses of chrome://flags. This week though, Google will bring the desktop version of its virtual assistant to the betas of Chrome on Windows and OS X, as well as Chrome OS. You won't need to dig through any advanced options; you'll just need to sign in with the same account you use on your handset -- so long as you have Now enabled on your phone. Unfortunately, it sounds like Linux users are left out in the cold for now. Presumably that has something to do with how Now ties into existing notification systems on those other platforms (we've asked Google to clarify). With Now hitting the beta channel, enabled by default, it's only a matter of time before Mountain View brings the feature to the masses. But if you're anything like us, you're already using the beta build and are maniacally hitting the update button hoping to be among the first customers it rolls out to.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

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Source: Google Chrome Blog

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