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14 Sep 2010 11:14

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Tech: 3D printing looks kinda like the wave of the future

Could 3D printing replace manual labor for manufacturing? Well, it’s off to a good start. This architectural model was printed using a 3D printer. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Sep 2010 11:06

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Tech: Microsoft does the right thing in Russian software license case

  • To prevent non-government organizations from falling victim to nefarious actions taken in the guise of anti-piracy enforcement, Microsoft will create a new unilateral software license for NGOs that will ensure they have free, legal copies of our products.
  • Microsoft Senior Vice President and General Counsel Brad Smith • On the company’s response to a New York Times article alleging that Russian authorities were raiding political organizations under the guise of protecting Microsoft’s copyrights. “Ultimately, our goals are straightforward,” he writes. “We aim to reduce the piracy and counterfeiting of software, and we aim to do this in a manner that respects fundamental human rights.” While the nature of them dong piracy hunts is questionable in the first place, the response to this particular problem is one of the better ones we’ve seen. PR people, take note. This is how you handle a crisis. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Sep 2010 10:54

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World: Iran lets hiker Sarah Shourd go for a hefty price

  • good Sarah Shourd was able to walk free on Tuesday after 14 months of being held in Iran for hiking in the wrong place.
  • bad Her “representatives” had to score $500,000 to pull it off. Not fun. Plus, her friends are still in captivity ‘cuz they’re guys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Sep 2010 10:48

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Politics: Three major things to watch for in today’s primary races

  • delawareGOP establishment candidate Mike Castle takes on Tea Partier 
    Christine O’Donnell; if Castle wins, he wins in November. If O’Donnell does, all bets are off.
  • rangel The ethics-tainted congressman hasn’t lost the establishment and could win today, though that wouldn’t mean he’s out of the ethics woods by any means.
  • palinThe political kingmaker has endorsed five different candidates in today’s primaries. Are any of them gonna win, anyway? It could be a bellwether. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Sep 2010 10:35

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Tech: Mark Zuckerberg talks to the New Yorker; we know you won’t read it

  • Can’t wait for “The Social Network” to come out? We have good news for you! The New Yorker has its own take on Mark Zuckerberg, and this one comes from the Jesse Eisenberg-looking man himself. Key line from the entire thing (from when he regrettably called his own users dumb something-or-others over IM): “If you’re going to go on to build a service that is influential and that a lot of people rely on, then you need to be mature, right? I think I’ve grown and learned a lot.” All grown up! And he’s only 26! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Sep 2010 10:25

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Culture: Facebook movie trip report: Zuckerberg’s a jerk in the film

  • It’s just as rough on the Facebook CEO as his people feared it would be. Not because of scandalous scenes involving sex and drugs–there aren’t many of those, and they’re quite tame. It’s because the film portrays him as an insecure jerk who screws over people and becomes a much-richer insecure jerk.
  • Wall Street Journal reporter Peter Kafka • Offering an early assessment of the most anticipated film of the season, “The Social Network.” While Kafka notes the rumored coke-and-boobs scene is fairly tame (no boobs anymore, sorry), he notes that the film may not be totally accurate. But it’s still a harsh image. “At the end of the movie,” he writes. “there’s a suggestion that Zuckerberg may not actually be a jerk–he may just be someone who acts like one. That’s about it when it comes to the upside of his character: He’s the bad guy in his own creation myth.” A creation myth directed by David Fincher. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Sep 2010 09:24

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U.S.: Scary: MegaBus plows into bridge lower than bus, kills 4

Need a good reason to never take one of those ultra-cheap double-decker buses, East Coasters? Their drivers don’t account for short bridges. Yikes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

13 Sep 2010 22:54

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Politics: Guy dies, wants you to donate to Obama’s 2012 opponent

  • There really isn’t much more to add to this. But let’s just say that Mr. Donald Charles Unsworth really was passionate about fighting against that Obama jerk. Perhaps too passionate. To friends and neighbors of this Rome, Georgia, resident, don’t send flowers. Drop a money bomb. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

13 Sep 2010 21:06

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Tech: Famous first words: Nokia VP quits before being ahead

  • I am committed, perhaps even obsessed, with getting Nokia back to being number one in high-end devices.
  • Nokia VP Anssi Vanjoki • In a blog post he wrote soon after starting in his position with the company way back in July (for those playing at home, it’s September). He’s already submitted his resignation. Why? Nokia is currently in a state of disarray because they haven’t really done anything stupidly innovative in a long time. The Nokia N8 is a start, but it isn’t on the market yet, so we can’t judge. As for Vanjoki, he doesn’t seem so obsessed with getting Nokia back to the top anymore. “The time has come to seek new opportunities in my life,” he said. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Sep 2010 20:33

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World: Cuba finding full communism not working so well for them

  • 500,000 commie jobs are going away source
  • » And they’re going private: The country, with its economy in steep decline, had made a pledge to shed a million state workers and allowed them to be replaced by private jobs. But instead of sticking to the five-year timeframe that they put forward, these jobs are going to dissipate in the next six months. Hopefully the private sector can keep up.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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