Saturday, November 27, 2010
A Card Trick Leads To A New Mathematical Bound On Data Compression [Mathematics]
This might sound crazy but...
I blew off my shrink appointment this morning because it was raining outside and I didn't want to get out bed, so I'm just going to show up tomorrow at the same time and pretend they got the day wrong.
Source: http://www.prettyinthecity.com/blog/2010/10/1/this-might-sound-crazy-but.html
Friday, November 26, 2010
Google Wave looks set to be rescued by Apache
The Apache Software Foundation, that is, not an ominously portentous, Wagner-blaring helicopter.The beleaguered Wave project, which Google has ceased developing, will soon shut down. Last week, Google gave us the ability to export our existing waves as Zip files, and now, thanks to Apache and the Wave in a Box off-shoot, you may soon have somewhere to import them to. It won't be exactly the same as Google Wave, but it could be pretty damn close.
The Register is reporting that the Apache Software Group is looking to roll Wave in a Box into its current management and build systems. It's currently only in the incubator phase, but the the full proposal for Apache Wave reads like a serious, concerted effort. There are a ton of Googlers on the list of code committers, at any rate.
If all goes to plan, you may soon be able to easily set up your very own Wave server, for internal collaboration efforts. Who knows, maybe big-name email and instant messaging providers like Microsoft, Yahoo and Google will one day provide an end point for our waves!
Google Wave looks set to be rescued by Apache originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/24/google-wave-looks-set-to-be-rescued-by-apache/
'Burlesque' Is About The 'Tease,' Cher Says
Plus: We badger co-star Stanley Tucci about why he doesn't get a song-and-dance number in the film.
By Kara Warner
Cher
Photo: MTV News
After weeks of seeing those titillating "Burlesque" billboards and TV spots, the movie is finally here! For those looking for something fun to see this holiday weekend — specifically a musical with a little sugar and spice, plus Cher, Christina Aguilera and a lot of eye candy — then this is the movie for you.
And despite the stars' admissions to a few unsexy moments during production, it's safe to say that the majority of the film is sexy, sassy fun. But don't take our word for it; take Cher's. When we caught up with the legendary star recently and sly, quick-witted co-star Stanley Tucci, they gave us a rundown on what sexy is all about: chest hair.
To better set up this scenario, it should be noted that when MTV News walked into the interview room, Cher and Tucci were involved in a playful exchange about whether Tucci should button more buttons on his shirt.
"I can see the little 'I think I'm sexy,' because you've got the button happening," Cher told Tucci about his chest hair peeking out of his shirt.
"Oh, the button, yeah. Oh, I can't [button it up]. That would be sad," he quipped.
"Also, the hair is pushing the shirt away, so you've got to let it out," Cher shot back.
"That's right," Tucci said, opening his collar wider. "That's right, baby."
"It's gotta be free, it's gotta run wild," Cher added.
With a break in the friendly banter, we told Tucci that with all the song-and-dance action in the film, we were disappointed that his character doesn't have his own number.
"No, believe me, you're not," he said, which made Cher laugh out loud.
"Everybody keeps asking that question!" she exclaimed.
"If there had been, there would have been real disappointment," Tucci insisted.
Surely with all the downtime on set, he picked up a few things, like some dance moves.
"I did, but I got shots for those," he joked. "No, I'm not a singer, I'm not a singer."
Very well. We then turned the conversation back to the subject at hand — "Burlesque" — and Cher's take on what makes the film's style of dance sexy without being all about sex.
"Burlesque itself is more about tease," Cher said. "It's more about what you think is going to happen, not necessarily what's happening. It's kind of fun."
Check out everything we've got on "Burlesque."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653019/20101123/cher.jhtml
Chameleon Lamp Copies the Color of His Surroundings, For Only $30 [Video]
Land Crawler exTreme robot carries 175 pounds of human
Human-carrying (or human-assisting) robots come in all shapes and sizes, but we haven't seen anything quite like this so-called Land Crawler exTreme bot. Weighing in at just 27 pounds, the robot can apparently carry a person weighing up to 175 pounds (providing they have good balance), or it can simply amble around on its twelve legs all by itself. Practical? Maybe not. But it is quite a sight to behold -- see for yourself after the break.
Continue reading Land Crawler exTreme robot carries 175 pounds of human
Land Crawler exTreme robot carries 175 pounds of human originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Vagabond Works | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/26/land-crawler-extreme-robot-carries-175-pounds-of-human/
Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, John Paul Jones Unveil Supergroup
Them Crooked Vultures make their debut with a post-Lollapalooza set.
By James Montgomery
Dave Grohl (file)
Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Officially, Lollapalooza ended Sunday night in Chicago's Grant Park, with dueling sets from the Killers and Jane's Addiction. Unofficially, it ended very early Monday morning, across town at venerable rock club the Metro, with a surprise show by Them Crooked Vultures.
To the unfamiliar, the Vultures might seem like an odd choice to close out Lolla weekend ... until you realize that they're made up of Foo Fighters frontman/ former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Queens of the Stone Age mastermind Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin legend John Paul Jones. And their gig at the Metro was their world premiere.
According to some reports, the Vultures actually turned down Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell's request to replace the Beastie Boys as headliners at the festival, opting to debut in front of some 1,100 super-psyched fans at the Metro, rather than 75,000 in Grant Park (tickets for the gig were announced via Foo Fighter/ QOTSA fan clubs). Meaning that, in a lot of ways, this was the most sought-after ticket in town.
Taking the stage just after midnight, the Vultures — Grohl on drums (of course), Homme on guitar and vocals, Jones on bass and keys and frequent QOTSA contributor Alain Johannes on guitar — ripped through 12 songs in 80 minutes, all taken from their upcoming debut, which may or may not be called Never Deserved the Future, and may or may not be hitting stores on October 23 (early "promo" videos touting both those facts were revealed over the weekend to be hoaxes perpetrated by QOTSA fans).
The songs, with appropriately Homme-ian titles like "Scumbag Blues," "Mind Eraser (No Chaser)," "Caligulove" and "Interlude w/Ludes," sounded pretty much how you'd expect, given the band's pedigree. They rocked, hard — Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot described them as "fresh, invigorating and just plain nasty" — delving off into psychedelic, reverb-filled excursions and exploring proggy territory, "both of the old-school Yes variety, and the more modern Tool flavor," according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis.
It's not known if Monday's Metro performance was a one-off event for the Vultures — there have been whispers of a full-blown tour, but a spokesperson for Homme had not responded to MTV News' request for comment at press time. Nor was it clear whether or not they'll have an album out in October.
Early Monday, a Crooked Vultures Twitter account, which had previously posted links to the band's official-looking Web site and the Metro's online ticketing site — posted a link to what appears to be the group's first bit of official merchandise: a Deserve the Future T-shirt. Cost: $30.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsSource: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1617950/20090810/foo_fighters.jhtml
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