Kohler just introduced a $6,000 toilet with built-in Bluetooth receiver, USB port and SD card reader.
Uncategorized
Windows revenue flat
Microsoft had a great quarter, but Windows revenues were flat.
Windows 8 to regain the Start button
Bloggers report that Microsoft may re-add the Start button to Windows 8.
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3-inch hands-on
ZDNet has a hands-on look at the absurdly large Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3-inch “phablet.”
Nokia Lumia sales increase worldwide, but not in US
Nokia’s sales of its Lumia phone have increased, but not in the United States.
‘Iron Man 3 to get smell-enhanced screenings in Japan’
Some lucky Japanese audiences will have the “pleasure” of seeing and smelling Iron Man 3 when it debuts in theaters.
Usage stats suggest Chromebooks are a dismal failure
Chromebooks – laptops designed to work with Google’s Chrome OS, don’t make a dent in web usage polls, which suggests that very few people are using them.
Fiat readies EV version of 500
Wired takes a look at the Fiat 500e, an EV version of the tiny Italian coupe.
NPR hacked by Assad sympathizers
The “Syrian Electronic Army” hacked NPR sites and social media accounts, according to a report.
Where do you rank on the list of “The World’s Richest People”?
Every year, we hear from Forbes and others about the people who are the “x richest people in the world”. Have you ever wondered where you might fall on that scale?
The Global Rich List asks users how much their yearly salary adds up to, and then let’s them know what percentage of the world’s richest people they’re in.
You’ll be surprised at how high on the list you are, compared to the vast majority of the world’s population.
Boston Marathon
Explosions at the end of the Boston Marathon have created casualties and caused fatalities – our thoughts are with the runners, friends, families and spectators affected by the event.
Why Google Fiber matters
Why Google Fiber is important – and it’s not for the reason you might think.
Dish makes bid for Sprint
Dish Network is making a $25.5 billion to buy Sprint before Japanese corporation Softbank can close an acquisition deal.
How to understand Bitcoins
Bitcoins are in the news. What are they, and why should you care?
‘The PC industry is digging its own grave’
Roger Kay offers a biting criticism of Microsoft and Intel.
PDFpen 6: the powerful, all-purpose PDF editing tool from Smile
If you need to do anything with PDFs, you need PDFpen. You can add a signature, make changes to text and images, correct a typo, fill out forms–and that’s only the beginning. Got a scanned document? PDFpen includes OCR so you can convert that scan into text that can be searched, copied, and corrected. Want to remove sensitive info such as tax ID numbers from your PDF before sharing it? PDFpen can perform redaction, removing the stuff you want to keep private.
The big news is that PDFpen 6 is now available, and the new features make it more powerful and easier to use than ever. The interface and tools have been updated and improved. And now you can export your PDFs to Microsoft Word format for sharing or editing. If you want to see the new features in action, check out the great video by David Sparks where you can see the new features.
Buy PDFpen for $60 in the Mac App Store or directly from Smile. Or buy PDFpenPro for $100 and you’ll get advanced features like form creation tools and document permission settings. Find out more at Smile Software.
Ship My Pants
KMart’s new ad encourages people to ship their pants. And other stuff.
How to complete ‘Snake’ and accept the emptiness of life
The Verge:
It takes 13 minutes and seven seconds to complete Snake, the decades-old game that enjoyed a renascence (sic) through Nokia’s early mobile phones. What reward lies at the end of this snake’s insatiable desire for food?Nothing.
Weirdly mesmerizing.
How the United Center is converted from ice to hardwood
Chicago Tribune:
For the Bulls and Blackhawks to share the floor at the United Center, it takes a choreographed conversion from ice to hardwood and back again — something that will happen 26 times this season. Once a Blackhawks game ends, the crew of 45 springs to action, changing the playing surface in about two hours.
Fascinating video and description of the process of turning a hockey rink into a basketball arena.
Ebooks now account for almost a quarter of US publisher sales
Ebooks accounted for nearly one quarter of the total sales of U.S. trade books in 2012, reports the Association of American Publishers.
Verizon offers $35 prepaid plan for ‘dumbphone’ users
Verizon’s offering a $35 per month prepaid plan for users who don’t want a smartphone.
Atlanta tops America’s Nerdiest City poll
Atlanta wins Movoto’s poll as the nerdiest city in the U.S.
‘Analyst: BlackBerry Z10 returns outnumber sales’
An analyst reports that sales of BlackBerry’s Z10 smartphone have actually been eclipsed by returns.
Felix Baumgartner: The man who pierced the sky
When Felix Baumgartner set out to make a living by stunt jumping—from cliffs, buildings, and bridges—the young Austrian had no idea where it would take him: to a pressurized capsule nearly 24 miles above New Mexico, last October 14, preparing to free-fall farther than any man in history, and at supersonic speed. Detailing Baumgartner’s quest, William Langewiesche explores what drove him to ever greater heights.
I’m still not as hugely impressed as some by Baumgartner’s stunt but the story has many interesting details regarding what it takes to put together this kind of event.
Ken Block in Russia
How much fun would it be to be Ken Block for a day?
Microsoft plans 7-inch tablet
Microsoft plans a seven-inch tablet to complement its current line of Surface devices
The 25 books every kid should have on their bookshelf
This month marks the 70th anniversary of one of our favorite children’s books of all time, the beautiful, contemplative novella The Little Prince. To celebrate the book’s legacy (and to encourage any parents currently dragging their feet to get it for their little ones), we’ve put together a list of 25 essential books that every kid should have on his or her bookshelf growing up.
Embarrassed to say I’ve only actually read two of these – “The Phantom Tollbooth” and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” How many have you read?
IDC: Global PC shipments show worst drop since records began
PCs saw the worst sales drop ever for the first calendar quarter of 2013, according to research firm IDC.
The best cheap camera is the Canon 320 HS
It’s actually harder to pick a good, affordable camera than it is to pick an expensive, high-end one. But, with a bit of leg work, we’ve managed to plow through the fifteen or so vaguely respectable cameras that cost less than $150 and narrow it down to the Canon PowerShot 320 HS.The comparatively low image noise, sharp photographs, and kinda-fast lens put it ahead of most of the competition at this price point. And while the touchscreen and Wi-Fi may not be perfect, they’re still good features to have on hand.
Barnes & Noble rebrands, expands self-publishing platform as Nook Press
Barnes & Noble has rebranded PubIt as Nook Press; the self-publishing platform for Nook now features web-based publishing tools.


