Human Brain Connections Surprise Researchers

Cnet is reporting about imaging developments made at Stanford School of Medicine revealing that the human brain is more complex than anything previously imagined. Come to find out, a single brain contains more switches than all of the electronic switches on Earth. The cerebral cortex alone contains more synapses than the stars in 1,500 Milky Way galaxies. Researchers are also learning that each synapse is not merely a binary switch, but a complex cell capable of computation and data storage. These new findings may shed light on why silicon-based machines have as yet been unable to duplicate computing abilities found in biological systems. Publication at Neuron.

Source: http://robots.net/article/3075.html

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September 18 is National Offlining Day

Eric Yaverbaum and Marc DiMassimo (two savvy marketers) have launched a campaign to turn September 18 a national day of offlining - a digital sabbath:

"Try making an Offlining Resolution. Have an Offline Father’s Day. Consider committing to a weekly Offline Sabbath. We think you’ll be glad you did, and we’re pretty sure you’ll find others who are glad too."

They put together some clever viral graphics as well. September 18, notably, is Yom Kippur. There's a pledge too. Count me out.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steverubel/~3/ZSGoaS_lpmE/september-18-marks-national-offlining-day

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Razer Switchblade impressions: It's a 7" gaming PC with an LCD keyboard

Razer may be best known for its well-regarded line of angular, extreme gaming peripherals for the core PC gaming set - think mice, keyboards, mouse pads and yes, motion controllers - but the San Diego-based company is looking to branch out into an area you may not have expected: efficient (and graphically anemic) netbook computers.

While it's an unusual move for the peripheral maker, it's not a departure from their core competency. Gaming laptops may have whittled down the bulk required for a high-end gaming experience but they're still far from portable. Inversely, netbooks are steadily becoming increasingly capable laptop replacements, but fall short when performing the most demanding tasks ... like video gaming.

Continue reading Razer Switchblade impressions: It's a 7" gaming PC with an LCD keyboard

JoystiqRazer Switchblade impressions: It's a 7" gaming PC with an LCD keyboard originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/razer-switchblade-impressions-its-a-7-gaming-pc-with-an-lcd-k/

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Earth Defense Force 2 Portable being released as two-pack in Japan

D3 Publisher is including an unusual, but sensible bonus with a limited edition of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable: a second copy of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable. The first print run of the PSP remake will be available as the "Double Enlistment Pack," containing two UMD copies of the game -- in full retail packaging -- bundled together for ¥6,279 ($76), a significant discount over buying two ¥5,040 ($61) copies individually. It'll be out in Japan April 7.

This is a great way to get a co-op game into the hands of a population that already has a bunch of PSPs and a taste for multiplayer on that system, thanks to Monster Hunter.

JoystiqEarth Defense Force 2 Portable being released as two-pack in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/earth-defense-force-2-portable-being-released-as-two-pack-in-jap/

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In the Maker Shed: Peggy 2 LED display kit

MKEMS3-212.jpg
Peggy 2 is an updated version of the original Peggy light-emitting pegboard display. Version 2 adds simple animation capability and Arduino compatibility. Like its predecessor, the open-source Peggy 2 provides a quick and efficient way to drive up to 625 LEDs.

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Maker Shed Store | Digg this!

Source: http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/01/in_the_maker_shed_peggy_2_led_displ_1.html

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Earth Defense Force 2 Portable being released as two-pack in Japan

D3 Publisher is including an unusual, but sensible bonus with a limited edition of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable: a second copy of Earth Defense Force 2 Portable. The first print run of the PSP remake will be available as the "Double Enlistment Pack," containing two UMD copies of the game -- in full retail packaging -- bundled together for ¥6,279 ($76), a significant discount over buying two ¥5,040 ($61) copies individually. It'll be out in Japan April 7.

This is a great way to get a co-op game into the hands of a population that already has a bunch of PSPs and a taste for multiplayer on that system, thanks to Monster Hunter.

JoystiqEarth Defense Force 2 Portable being released as two-pack in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/earth-defense-force-2-portable-being-released-as-two-pack-in-jap/

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Blizzard launches StarCraft 2 Master League, plans for Grandmaster League

Have you found competition in StarCraft 2's online multiplayer "Diamond League" to be unrewarding? Do you hang, effortlessly, from the very highest rungs of the tallest competition ladder? It's time for you to shed your burdensome chrysalis and ascend to your next challenge: the recently launched "Master League," which pits the top two percent of players from each region against one another for true StarCraft supremacy. If you're eligible for the new league, you won't have to do anything special to join; Blizzard automatically elevates top-two-percenters to the Master bracket.

Of course, the raw exclusivity of this new ladder will lose a bit of its luster when Blizzard launches the "Grandmaster League," which will only invite the top 200 players from each region to battle. There's no timetable for the release of this ladder, though we imagine it'll come well before the arrival of the Great-Grandmaster League, which forces the very best player on the planet to play against an evil clone of him or herself all day, every day, for twenty years. You get a T-shirt if you win that one, though, so it's totally worth it.

JoystiqBlizzard launches StarCraft 2 Master League, plans for Grandmaster League originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/13/blizzard-launches-starcraft-2-master-league-plans-for-grandmast/

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Markdown is a Skill Every Modern Communicator Should Learn


The US Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence in pen and ink but the true road to revolution was paved by the printing press. It cast the word far and wide that change harkened.

Flash forward to today. The presses still hum. However, just as during colonial times, information travels fastest over a newer medium; but this time it's entirely digital, social and mobile. Those who wish to inspire, teach, cajole, convey or simply express today use these means to do so. They default to digital first. They harmonize text, links, video, imagery and even apps. They're true transmedia storytellers.

It used to be that much of what we published was prepared for physical distribution. But with tablets and ereaders rising, the last stalwarts of physical distribution are in decline and an all-digital future is in sight.

Today anyone who wants to spread their ideas far and wide ? and that?s pretty much every modern communicator ? will focus first on digital means to do so. Markdown, to me, is becoming an essential lingua frança that makes writing and preparing digital-ready copy a snap. Above all, it makes it highly portable so that others can take what we've started and build on it. It?s also supported by many major platforms, including Posterous and Squarespace among others.

In short, it?s a skill every modern communicator should learn at least the basics.

The future is in text

Video and imagery are critical. But, still, nothing on the web flies the way text does. Words power the web. So it?s critical that every communicator know how to succinctly organize, convey and present ideas for the web and mobile so that they build up readers like nutrients do, rather than weigh them down like junk food.

This realization led me a few months ago to fall in love with text editors. I have since abandoned all proprietary systems for storing and managing what I write, in favor of using simple text editors that let me easily move my information around across platforms.

My favorite tools are WriteMonkey for Windows, WriteRoom for Mac OS X and Elements and PlainText on the iPad. None of them blink an eye when I try to edit a text file that I started elsewhere.

A good text editor is your friend. Befriend one.

Markdown is what?s next for text

Text alone, however, is not enough. It needs to contain references to links and formatting that guides a busy web reader?s eyes to where they want to go. Markdown makes it easy to mark up your text without any knowledge of HTML and without getting locked into a more complex editor that others might not use.

Markdown, developed by Jon Gruber half a decade ago, is a simple set of ?strings? that you add to text as you write it. It utilizes sets of characters that you already know like brackets, asterisks and dashes to format and add links to your copy once previewed in a browser. Both WriteMonkey for Windows and Elements on the iPad support integrated Markdown previewing and exporting.

The value here is that Markdown forces you to organize your content, but does not lock you into a system. What?s more, it makes it easier to not only create digital-ready content but also change it later. Your work can find its way into others' hands to build on.

To me, Markdown is what?s next for text, so therefore it?s an essential skill to learn. For more about Markdown visit this page on Wikipedia and then use Gruber?s syntax guide for more advanced formatting. (I even use Markdown to write my to do lists and notes.)

Long live text!

Image credit: Posterous

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steverubel/~3/Ldjqzna1gdk/markdown-is-a-skill-every-modern-communicator

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A Day in the Life of Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals the Plight of the Working Mother [The Rich]

Unsurprisingly, as she is the world's most perfect person, Gwyneth Paltrow really gets how hard it is to be a working parent. Luckily she's decided to document a typical mothering day in her newsletter Goop, for our benefit. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gawker/full/~3/tmTWUrsktvk/a-day-in-the-life-of-gwyneth-paltrow-reveals-the-plight-of-the-working-mother

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