Resistance

That 3-D Printed Gun? It’s Just the Start

"In 2009, a German hacker going by the name Ray used a 3-D printer to fabricate a plastic key to the handcuffs used by Dutch police. He created the copy using only a photograph of an actual key. Last year, Ray demonstrated how to open even high-security handcuffs. The ability to copy keys isn’t new but, as with many of these dangers, 3-D printing will make it a lot easier. Just think of all the things -- houses, cars, offices -- we still use keys to open. Professor Lee Cronin, at the University of Glasgow, has been experimenting with something he calls 'reactionware,' which he hopes will allow people to print their own medication at home." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThat 3-D Printed Gun? It’s Just the Start

Documentary Film Investigates the (Alleged) Death of Books

"Who killed the printed book—or at least hastened its demise? That’s the question posed in an absorbing new documentary, Out of Print, by director Vivienne Roumani. The primary suspects are e-readers, cell phones, and other gadgets, Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG), sluggishly evolving publishers, Facebook (FB)-addicted teenagers, people who pirate books, and perhaps even the susceptibility of the human brain to various distractions. Out of Print frames one of the central cultural questions of our time: If books are the foundation of society, how does their gradual evolution change the world of ideas—and how does it change us?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDocumentary Film Investigates the (Alleged) Death of Books

First-ever music video filmed in space is David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’

"In an amazing video published Sunday by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, he bids farewell to the International Space Station with the most epic cover of David Bowie’s 'Space Oddity' perhaps ever, in footage that will go down as the first music video filmed in space. The ISS commander has made a habit of publishing YouTube videos from far above Earth showing the amazing properties of zero gravity living and the difficulties it presents astronauts in doing common tasks like clipping their fingernails or wringing out a wet rag. Hadfield and two other astronauts are set to leave the ISS on May 14, after spending six months at the station." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFirst-ever music video filmed in space is David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’

Richard Branson: Space tourism won’t hurt environment

"More than 500 people have already reserved seats — and paid deposits on the $200,000 ticket price — for a minutes-long suborbital flight on the SpaceShipTwo (SS2) set to begin by the end of this year. 'We have reduced the (carbon emission) cost of somebody going into space from something like two weeks of New York’s electricity supply… to less than the cost of a economy round-trip from Singapore to London,' Branson told reporters in Singapore. The SS2′s lightweight carbon-fibre body will also 'reduce fuel burn dramatically', he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRichard Branson: Space tourism won’t hurt environment

Tesla’s Elon Musk Is No Dummy

"You have to be pretty smart to create an online payment company, an electric car company and a space exploration company in quick succession. Indeed, Elon Musk, who founded or co-founded PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX, has degrees in economics and physics. He started a PhD at Stanford in applied physics and materials science, but dropped out to become an entrepreneur. Smart move. Today, Musk is worth an estimated $4.3 billion after strong gains in Tesla shares, along with Solar City, where he is chairman and owns 28 percent. Proceeds from share sales will be used to pay off Tesla’s taxpayer loan under a Department of Energy program." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTesla’s Elon Musk Is No Dummy

BitPremier Sells Luxury Goods For Bitcoin

"We've found a guy who claims to be putting his Trump Soho condo up for sale. And he will only take payment in Bitcoin. Later today, he will advertise the property exclusively on BitPremier, the first-ever online Bitcoin exchange exclusively for luxury goods. The site launches today. We recently spoke by phone with BitPremier founder Alan Silbert, who also serves as a VP for GE Capital, about the goals for BitPremier. He said purchasing options for people who own lots of Bitcoin have thus far been limited. Along with the choice condo, the site will also launch with a Bahamas villa, a Leroy Neiman artwork, and a high-end watch. A Ferrari and Mercedes are also imminent." Continue reading →

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Luxury Living: Wiesmann Cars Have It All

"Wiesmann is the leading manufacturer of puristic sports cars. The name is well established in the luxury market and there are more than a thousand good reasons for that: Until today more than 1,500 handcrafteded cars left the Wiesmann factory. The company currently utilises dealership bases in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. With a bit of luck you might not only spot a Wiesmann in the Münsterland but also on the Champs Elysées in Paris or in front of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Those fortunate enough to hear, see or even drive a Wiesmann sports car will soon realise that there are more powers involved than just a strong engine." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLuxury Living: Wiesmann Cars Have It All

Tesla Motors now more valuable than Italian auto giant Fiat

"The rocketing stock price of electric sports car maker Tesla made it more valuable than Fiat Tuesday — even though the Italian auto giant produces 200 times more cars than the American upstart. After a more than 50 percent gain in the past week, Tesla’s market value topped $10 billion, compared to the Turin giant’s $8 billion, as investors reacted to the company turning a profit in the first quarter and analysts boosting their forecasts. The shares were up 55 percent in one week and 150 percent since the beginning of the year, after struggling through 2012 on production delays and questions about whether it could turn a profit." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTesla Motors now more valuable than Italian auto giant Fiat

Car Seats Only One: The Lamborghini Egoista

"Italian sports-car maker Automobili Lamborghini SpA unveiled a new vehicle called the Egoista, which is meant to mark its 50th anniversary, reports WSJ. The car, which seats one and has the look of a space ship (or a 17-year cicada), is powered by a 5.2-liter V-10 engine that puts out 600 horsepower. The company described its interior as a 'cockpit, designed like a tailor-made suit for the driver.' The driver’s compartment is built separately from the rest of the car to act as a 'survival cell,' inspired by the design of the Apache attack helicopter, the company said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCar Seats Only One: The Lamborghini Egoista

Reporting from Bitcoin Conference 2013

"All attending the first Bitcoin 2013 conference in Silicon Valley are considering it a success. There are more than 1,000 attendees and the entrance fee to the event is $350.00. At one booth, Bitcoins were being sold for cash with no ID checks. Walk up to the booth lay down your money and buy your bitcoins. The money was piling up. The less 'corporate,' the more renegade seemed to be the operators and the more willing these operators seemed to be willing to challenge the government. One corporate type said to me that virtual currencies are in their infancy and that lawsuits, fighting and jail time for some will occur before the crypto-currency world becomes more defined." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReporting from Bitcoin Conference 2013