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15 Nov 2010 20:43

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Tech: Mars: Where astronauts check in, but don’t check out

  • The main point is to get Mars exploration moving.
  • Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Washington State University astrobiologist • Suggesting that the first people to go to Mars shouldn’t come back to Earth, but rather stay there and help colonize the place. But, as NASA’s not convinced (“We want our people back,” a spokesperson said), Shulze-Makuch suspects they might need “an eccentric billionaire” for the project. Michael Bloomberg, what’re you up to? source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2010 20:24

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U.S.: California Supreme Court: Yay immigrants, state’s rights

  • YES illegal immigrants can pay in-state tuition source
  • » Score one for state’s rights. In 2002, California passed a law allowing illegal immigrants at California public universities to pay in-state (read: cheaper) tuition, so long as they’d applied to legalize their immigration status. Plaintiffs argued that federal law, which bars illegal immigrants from gaining “any postsecondary education benefit,” trumped California’s law. But the California Supreme Court disagreed, allowing California universities to continue its policy. The decision was unanimous, and also allows California high school grads who reside in other states to qualify for in-state tuition.
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2010 20:21

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Music, Tech: The long, winding road between Apple Inc. and Apple Corps

  • It’s been a very long time coming. The Beatles and Apple have been on each other’s bad side for so long that the rock legends’ appearance on the Apple Store is almost anticlimactic, and likely to be incredibly boring. But the WSJ’s reporting that it’s finally going to happen. We’d like to remind you all how this happened and the stakes that were involved.
  • 1967 The Beatles form their own company, Apple Corps, which they used mostly for their own music.
  • 1976 Two computer nerds and a third guy still kicking himself found Apple Computer. It’s a big hit.
  • 1978 One Apple sues the other, and they make a deal not to encroach on each other’s businesses.
  • 2003 Apple starts up its iTunes Music Store, causing another lawsuit, which they won back in 2006.
  • 2010 Reports come out suggesting that The Beatles will finally be on the iTunes store. Finally. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2010 19:57

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Offbeat, U.S.: Car theft works in victim’s favor

  • bad A BSU student left his car running outside his house while getting ready. When he returned, the car was gone.
  • good A half hour later, police found the car. It was parked at BSU, right outside the kid’s next class. Convenient!
  • amusing“I just put a couple quarters in the parking meter, and went to class,” the student told reporters. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2010 11:16

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Tech: iTunes has major announcement in store. We can’t wait.

  • “We’re getting rid of this crappy iTunes Music store and replacing it with Lala.” We can dream, can’t we? That site was freaking awesome. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2010 11:11

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Biz, Tech: Microsoft sells crapload of Xbox Kinect units right off the bat

  • 1.3
    million     number of Kinect accessory units Microsoft has sold worldwide in only ten days (not bad)
  • $250
    million     amount in revenue that breaks down to, meaning Microsoft already has a huge hit on its hands source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2010 10:57

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World: 28-story Shanghai tower goes ablaze; here’s the video (holy crap)

  • Good God. In Shanghai today, a fire erupted around this 28-story tower, killing 9 and injuring 90 others. But it looks far worse than even those injuries would suggest. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

15 Nov 2010 10:47

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Politics: Charles Rangel walks out of his House ethics hearing

“Fifty years of public service is on the line. And I truly believe that I am not being treated fairly. I deserve a lawyer.” Rangel needs a new defense team. His old one left in September. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2010 10:39

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Tech: Social network Path: Like Facebook on opposite day, apparently

  • one The just-launched social network was launched with help from Napster’s other founder, Shawn Fanning. No Sean Parker in Path’s way.
  • two Rather than allowing you as many friends as you can stand, Path limits you to 50, so that (presumably) you’ll limit it to your best friends.
  • three The site does not allow you to do such things as like or comment on photos, publish to other sites, or search for friends. WTF? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2010 10:25

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World: Aung San Suu Kyi pushing hard for democracy in Myanmar

  • I don’t want to see the military falling. I want to see the military rising to dignified heights of professionalism and true patriotism. I think it’s quite obvious what the people want; the people just want better lives based on security and on freedom.
  • Recently-freed dissident Aung San Suu Kyi • Revealing her hopes for bringing democracy to Myanmar (also known as Burma), which has been led by a military junta for the last two generations. She wants military leadership to end, though. “I think we also have to try to make this thing happen,” she said “Velvet revolution sounds a little strange in the context of the military, but a non-violent revolution. Let’s put it that way.” As you might guess by what she’s saying, she had no conditions set on her freedom. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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