Technology
The McNugget Diet
This week 17-year-old British factory worker Stacey Irvine was rushed to the hospital when she collapsed, struggling to breathe. During the exam, doctors were stunned to learn that Ms. Irvine had never in her life eaten fruit or vegetables; instead she had eaten almost nothing but fast-food chicken nuggets since she was two years old.
Her mother, Evonne Irvine, told reporters she had gone to great lengths to try to feed her daughter more nutritious food, at one point even trying to starve the girl, but it hadn’t worked. Stacey responded that, once she started eating nuggets, she “loved them so much they were all I would eat.”
Aside from collapsing and gasping for air, as Stacey Irvine did? Doctors also discovered that the veins in Ms. Irvine’s tongue were swollen and she was diagnosed with anemia. Further, such a high salt intake can increase a person’s blood pressure (which ultimately can put them at risk for a stroke or heart attack).
McNuggets are low in nutrients everyone needs, such as calcium, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fats, so a steady diet of nuggets means missing out on the health benefits of those ingredients.
A Good Wii U for You
Nintendo's chief is determined to get right the launch of its next game machine, Wii U, set for this year's holiday shopping season, and acknowledged Friday some mistakes with selling its 3DS handheld.
But Nintendo Co. President Satoru Iwata warned earnings for the fiscal year set to begin April will be the toughest ever for the Japanese manufacturer behind the Super Mario and Pokemon games.
Nintendo went against conventional wisdom with the original Wii in 2006. The quirky, cheap game console relied not on high-end graphics and complex buttons to lure in hardcore players, but on simple motion controls to lure in everyone.
Although the company successfully courted casual gamers with the Wii, it is now facing increased competition from Apple Inc.'s iPhone and other devices that offer simple games. It had hoped to win new gamers through a 3-D handheld device. But sales were slow, and Nintendo slashed prices on the 3DS within six months.
Iwata's remarks come a day after it lowered its annual earnings forecast to a 65 billion yen ($844 million) loss, much larger than the 20 billion yen ($260 million) loss projected earlier. It posted a 77.62 billion yen profit the previous fiscal year.
Iwata blamed the strong yen, which erases overseas earnings, as well as the arrival of smartphones and other devices that offer gaming.
The higher yen slashed nearly 54 billion yen ($701 million) from the company's operating profit for the April-December period.
"I can see how the red ink may be perceived as abnormal," Iwata told analysts and reporters at a Tokyo hotel. "The environment has changed."
The failure of the 3DS handheld to take off with enough momentum during the last quarter of 2011 was one of the main reasons for the dismal results, according to Iwata.
The 3DS has gradually started to sell better, but it took a price cut in August. It still lacks a strong lineup of attractive software games, a key factor for a machine to succeed in a big way.
Iwata vowed the company will be better prepared when it introduces the Wii U home console during the 2012 year-end shopping season for a strong comeback.
He declined to give details such as pricing or what the software games available at that time might be.
But he said the Wii U will come with a strong game lineup at the launch as well as secure and safe Internet services that will offer players individual accounts.
The Wii U will come with new ways of playing that will almost make the term "home console" obsolete, Iwata said. It will also offer mobile gaming. The machine has a touch-panel controller.
Nintendo has long competed against rival game makers, such as Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. These days, all face the threat from hit devices like the iPad and iPhone from Apple Inc. that also offer games.
Iwata's comments also showed Nintendo is growing less cautious about the Internet, which in the past it had brushed off as mainly for hard-core gamers.
Kyoto-based Nintendo has built its reputation on making games fun to play for casual and newcomer players.
"We are going to put to use our bitter experience with the 3DS," said Iwata.
Sonny and Cher, Together Again? Nope.
If you've been on the Internet for all of one second, you're aware that some of the information on it is false. Fake. Made up. Fiction. Wrongamundo. And yet people still fall for bad information daily -- it's why snopes.com, the great debunker of urban legends, exists. But if you have 12 million followers, as Kim Kardashian has, perhaps you should think and verify before retweeting information that even to you seems to be false. On Thursday, Kardashian tweeted "Did I just hear that Cher has passed away? Is this real? OMG."
She may have heard it, but it wasn't, of course, true. (The Huffington Post has tracked the rumor to the Twitter accounts which may have kicked off the hoax.) Kardashian didn't just tweet once, she tweeted twice about the death-that-didn't-happen, later tweeting: "I hope this is a twitter joke and not true. I don't see it on the news anywhere. I'm praying its not true." Twitter user the boss was one of many to set her straight, tweeting "Of course not, Cher will outlive you."
She's not the first celeb to grab information that has not been researched and run with it. Back in November, Ashton Kutcher came under fire when he expressed anger that Penn State had fired coach Joe Paterno. He had his facts right -- Paterno was fired -- but Kutcher later claimed he didn't know anything about the much-publicized child sexual abuse cases involving former coach Jerry Sandusky, and thought Paterno was fired for a bad football season. For Kutcher, the fallout was so bad that he moved to a less-open Twitter account, saying his tweets would now go through a management team rather than just fly out as he thought them up.
Sure, there's a lot to be said for the spontaneity of a fun tweet, but it's different when only a few dozen of your friends are seeing it. Who knows how many people -- maybe even family and friends of Cher herself -- thought the singer really was dead because Kardashian sent it out there to 12 million followers? Kardashian was apparently corrected on her error within an hour. She then tweeted: "Can't believe people would make up a sick joke like Cher died. These people need to get a life! Thanks Twitter for clearing that up."
Other Twitter followers were quick to reprimand Kardashian. A.J. Nelson tweeted at the reality star: "Can't believe u would immediately start tweeting about it before finding out facts." In summary: Cher -- not dead. Kim Kardashian -- not that careful about facts. The Internet -- still trying to trick people. The beat goes on.
9 Google Search Tips
Google users were delighted recently by the discovery of a new Search trick, "do a barrel roll". Here's how it works: Type the command "do a barrel roll" into Google's search bar and watch the Search interface perform a 360-degree somersault before your eyes. And this isn't the only goodie to be found within Google's vast web of Internet properties.
Google engineers are surprisingly committed to injecting otherwise ho-hum internet searches with a bit of whimsy. Their iconic logo alone has been updated over 1,000 times to celebrate holidays, birthdays and historical events. Some of these so-called Google Doodles have featured complex animated videos, such as the epic birthday tribute to Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, while others offered hilarious interactive surprises, like the playful Muppet animations on Jim Henson's birthday.
There are also goodies to be found in other products like Google Maps, Google Earth, YouTube and Gmail.
But not all the weird stuff found in Google products is there on purpose. Incredible and incredibly strange satellite images of bottomless pits, underwater cities and car accidents have been captured by the Google Earth satellites. Similarly odd pictures have shown up on Google Street View, too. (Check out our slideshows of the oddest finds in Google Earth and Google Street View.)
To see intentional goodies, take a look at the slideshow (below) for some of the coolest Easter eggs that users can find within Google Search. Have you noticed any awesome extras in Google Search (or other Google products)? We want to know what they are! Share your finds in the comments.
Top 10 Best Flash Websites of 2011
Here are our our picks for the Top 10 Best Flash Websites of 2011 based on visual artistry, integrated sound, ease of use, and uniqueness.
1 | We Choose The Moon
WeChooseTheMoon.org was designed to celebrate the Fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 Lunar landing by developing an interactive recreation of the event. The site uses Flash to mesh archival video, audio, & photos into an experience that will make you feel as if you too had walked on the moon that day.
2 | Moodstream | Getty Images
Moodstream is a hypnotic website brought to you by the folks at Getty Images that offers a brainstorming tool designed to help get your creative juices flowing. By simply tweaking the mood sliders you can adjust a stream of images, footage, & audio that can help inspire your creative direction.
3 | Monoface
Mono is an advertising agency based in Minneapolis, MN that lives by the motto that "simpler is better." The "Mono"face site lives up to that motto by presenting visitors with a fun and simple Flash application that allows them to sculpt a Mr. Potato Head style face that contains 759,375 entertaining possibilities.
4 | Waterlife
Waterlife is a showcase for the documentary film of the same name that offers its audience a wonderful preview of the lush cinematography and rich storytelling found in the film. The true genius of the site, however, is found in its fluid navigation that recalls the gentle motion of a lake.
5 | Louis Vuitton - Greatness
Louis Vuitton’s an Encounter with Greatness website allows users to come face-to-face with three of soccer’s greatest stars; Pele, Diego Maradana, and Zinedine Zidane. Through this experience fans can engage in a one-on-one interview with their hero’s that will surely broaden your appreciation of their talent.
6 | Infinite OZ
Infinite OZ is an artistic collaboration that uses Flash to bring to life the world of the Sci-Fi miniseries event the Tin Man. Visitors are taken on a wonderful journey through the many visually stunning locales that make up the fabled emerald city that may make you want to get lost there forever.
7 | Get The Glass
Get The Glass is the work of the California Milk Processor Board and was designed to encourage increased milk consumption by inviting visitors to participate in a comically entertaining Flash based game whose objective is to Get the Glass--of milk of course. The current design appeared in late 2007.
8 | Marc Ecko
MarcEcko.com is a wonderful example of using the vast possibilities of Flash to accurately reflect the ethos of a consumer brand within a website. Even visitors unfamiliar with the Ecko brand will feel they understand the art & philosophy it symbolizes within a few minutes of touring the site.
9 | AgencyNet Interactive
AgencyNet Interactive is a design studio based in New York City and Fort Lauderdale whose current website design appeared in January of 2010. The depth of the site leaves you feeling like you've really had the chance to get to know the team at AgencyNet and its charm makes you want to work with them.
10 | Dave Werner's Portfolio
Dave Werner uses his Flash skills not only to publish his portfolio, but through the use of well narrated video, he also gives visitors a sense of his personal story which seeks to give stronger voice and context to his featured work. The current version of OkayDave.com went live in mid 2006.
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1 | We Choose The Moon
WeChooseTheMoon.org was designed to celebrate the Fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 Lunar landing by developing an interactive recreation of the event. The site uses Flash to mesh archival video, audio, & photos into an experience that will make you feel as if you too had walked on the moon that day.
2 | Moodstream | Getty Images
Moodstream is a hypnotic website brought to you by the folks at Getty Images that offers a brainstorming tool designed to help get your creative juices flowing. By simply tweaking the mood sliders you can adjust a stream of images, footage, & audio that can help inspire your creative direction.
3 | Monoface
Mono is an advertising agency based in Minneapolis, MN that lives by the motto that "simpler is better." The "Mono"face site lives up to that motto by presenting visitors with a fun and simple Flash application that allows them to sculpt a Mr. Potato Head style face that contains 759,375 entertaining possibilities.
4 | Waterlife
Waterlife is a showcase for the documentary film of the same name that offers its audience a wonderful preview of the lush cinematography and rich storytelling found in the film. The true genius of the site, however, is found in its fluid navigation that recalls the gentle motion of a lake.
5 | Louis Vuitton - Greatness
Louis Vuitton’s an Encounter with Greatness website allows users to come face-to-face with three of soccer’s greatest stars; Pele, Diego Maradana, and Zinedine Zidane. Through this experience fans can engage in a one-on-one interview with their hero’s that will surely broaden your appreciation of their talent.
6 | Infinite OZ
Infinite OZ is an artistic collaboration that uses Flash to bring to life the world of the Sci-Fi miniseries event the Tin Man. Visitors are taken on a wonderful journey through the many visually stunning locales that make up the fabled emerald city that may make you want to get lost there forever.
7 | Get The Glass
Get The Glass is the work of the California Milk Processor Board and was designed to encourage increased milk consumption by inviting visitors to participate in a comically entertaining Flash based game whose objective is to Get the Glass--of milk of course. The current design appeared in late 2007.
8 | Marc Ecko
MarcEcko.com is a wonderful example of using the vast possibilities of Flash to accurately reflect the ethos of a consumer brand within a website. Even visitors unfamiliar with the Ecko brand will feel they understand the art & philosophy it symbolizes within a few minutes of touring the site.
9 | AgencyNet Interactive
AgencyNet Interactive is a design studio based in New York City and Fort Lauderdale whose current website design appeared in January of 2010. The depth of the site leaves you feeling like you've really had the chance to get to know the team at AgencyNet and its charm makes you want to work with them.
10 | Dave Werner's Portfolio
Dave Werner uses his Flash skills not only to publish his portfolio, but through the use of well narrated video, he also gives visitors a sense of his personal story which seeks to give stronger voice and context to his featured work. The current version of OkayDave.com went live in mid 2006.
viaHTC’s U.S. Smartphone Shipments Top Samsung And Apple In Q3 2011
In a recent report, Samsung had topped Apple to become the world's largest smartphone maker for Q3 2011. Now, in a report studying smartphone sales in individual countries, Samsung has once again shipped more phones than rival Apple inside the United States.
But that only makes them numbers two and three: HTC has taken the lead in the U.S. smartphone market, becoming, for one quarter at least, America's biggest handset maker,
The numbers of handset shipments in America for Q3 2011, according to research firm Canalys:
1. HTC (5.7 million)
2. Samsung (4.9 million)
3. Apple (4.6 million)
The research also confirmed the findings of an earlier report by Strategy Analytics; both companies pegged Samsung as the leader in the worldwide smartphone market for Q3 2011.
It is HTC that is the biggest story here, however, as the Taiwanese handset maker had a huge quarter, with both its high-end and low-end offerings taking the top spots in the States. Perhaps bolstered by its August purchase of Beats by Dre audio -- and by consumers waiting for Apple to release its newest iPhone -- HTC shipped almost 25 percent of all smartphones in America last quarter.
Shipments are different than sales, of course: Shipments refers to the number of devices that the manufacturers send out to re-sellers and not the number of devices that customers actually buy in stores. At least one prominent tech writer has called into question the correctness of declaring a company a "winner" based purely on shipment numbers.
Regardless, Canalys is calling HTC the victor of Q3. Don't expect them to be calling HTC's name in Q4, however: With record-breaking sales of the iPhone 4S already reported, and HTC publicly stating that they are going to ship far fewer phones this winter, HTC's reign atop the American smartphone rankings is bound to be short-lived.
Facebook Holds User Data, is Fined $138k
Facebook‘s Ireland offices are being audited, as the company is facing a possible €100,000 ($138,000) fine for retaining data deleted by users, The Guardian reports.
The case began when a 24-year-old Austrian law student, Max Schrems, asked Facebook for copy of all his personal data in June. Facebook complied, sending him a CD containing 1,200 pages of data, including his likes, “friend” and “defriend” history, and chat logs.
The problem? Schrems had deleted some of the data returned to him from his profile, yet Facebook retained his information.
Schrems proceeded to start an initiative called Europe vs. Facebook, and filed 22 individual claims about the social network’s practices.
The complaints include some of the ways Facebook keeps deleted user data, and highlight some of Facebook’s Terms of Service and business shortcomings.
“Postings that have been deleted showed up in the set of data that was received from Facebook,” says one complaint. “The privacy settings only regulate who can see the link to a picture. The picture itself is “public” on the internet. This makes it easy to circumvent the settings,” says another.
According to ZDNet, the complaints have already yielded results: Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has called for an audit of Facebook’s offices, which will take place before Christmas.
Should the DPC find Facebook has breached Irish data protection law, it can ask the company to change the way it handles personal data. Should Facebook fail to comply, it could face a fine of up to €100,000 ($138,000). Of course, for Facebook, the negative publicity could be more damaging than the amount of the fine.
In February 2009, Facebook changed its Terms of Service, giving itself the right to use or modify user data in any way it wants, even if a user quits the service.
This subtle change in Facebook’s TOS prompted a huge public backlash, ultimately forcing Facebook to backpedal a little. In an elaborate blog post, Mark Zuckerberg explained why the company feels it needs to retain a copy of user’s data.
While some of his arguments are valid — for example, it’s very tricky to permanently delete a message you’ve sent another user, as the other user also has the right to keep his/her copy — this latest incident might once again spark complaints from users feeling Facebook has granted itself too many liberties with their data.
With the public roll-out of Timeline on the horizon, many users are bound to have a slew of new privacy concerns. If you are already using Timeline, have you found any of your data you thought was hidden or deleted appearing publicly? Please share your experiences below.
[via The Guardian]
90-Minute Steve Jobs Rememberance
As you read this, Apple is closing its stores for a 90-minute tribute to Steve Jobs. The event is being held at Apple's Cupertino, California headquarters and webcast to the live to the stores, for employees only. This is shaping up as Apple's day of mourning.
In addition to the closure and memorial, the company today also launched a "Remembering Steve" page, excerpting some of the more than 1 million email tributes it has received since its co-founder and former CEO passed away. Anyway, if you see closed Apple Store doors and are unable to pick up your new iPhone, buy an iPad, get your MacBook serviced or whatever, try not to flip out.
[via]
To Bud or not to Bud? Earbud Etiquette is the Question.
Slate's Farhad Manjoo and Emily Yoffe had a discussion today about whether or not it's rude to talk with your earbuds in. But is rudeness the issue with this particular practice, or is it another factor entirely?
It's not that rude. Sure, someone barking at you with their earbuds in is kind of annoying. But not because it's rude, or because I find it particularly offensive. But rather because it probably means they're using crappy headphones.
If, after hitting pause on your phone or MP3 player, you can hear what someone is saying well enough to where your first instinct isn't to pull your earbuds out, they probably have a terrible pair of headphones that don't block out external noise well at all. And someone treating their ears like that is unforgivable.
Someone will eventually tell them they look like a damn idiot. Which they do. And hopefully they change their ways. [Slate]
Why Apple Launched The iPhone 4S Instead Of The iPhone 5
When Apple launched the iPhone 4S instead of the iPhone 5 last week, I initially thought it was a disappointment and a mistake.If Apple had launched the actual iPhone 5, I thought, they'd have sold more of them.
And that's probably right.
If Apple had launched a radically new iPhone 5, more of the folks who currently own iPhone 4s would have upgraded, so Apple would have sold some more 4S units. As it is, the iPhone 4S is likely to appeal primarily to iPhone 3G and 3GS owners, non-smartphone owners, and non-iPhone owners, most of whom (like me) are presumably stoked to buy the iPhone 4S.
But viewing the 4S as disappointing ignores Apple's likely thinking behind it, which Asymco analyst Horace Dediu explains very clearly here.
The thinking is that most iPhone 4 owners are still bound by the 2-year contracts they had to enter into when they bought the iPhone 4, so they'll be less likely to now upgrade anyway (barring carriers waving those contracts, which they might have if Apple had released the "5").
So the 4S isn't aimed at these folks. It's aimed at the other three categories of iPhone 4S buyers:
- Pre-iPhone 4 iPhone users (~70 million of them)
- Non-smartphone users (1+ billion, who can now get a 3GS for free, if price is an issue)
- Non-iPhone smartphone users (Blackberry, Android, Nokia)
- It has to be good enough to get iPhone 3G and 3GS users drooling (check)
- It has to be good enough to get non-smartphone users to want to upgrade to it or the free 3GS instead of an Android phone (check)
- It has to be good enough to get some Android and Blackberry users to switch (check)
- It has the same form-factor and supply chains as the 4, so it will be easier to ramp production to the desired levels (without having a huge gap in production capacity between the 4 and 4S).
- It isn't such-an-amazing-upgrade that the ~70 million iPhone 4 owners stuck with their iPhone 4s for the next year will be pissed that they upgraded a year too soon.
