David Lidsky's Blog, page 4760

NASA Seeks Ride Into Space, Can Offer Gas Money

Ahead of the imminent "space summit" next week, and in the wake of some very dramatic rumors about its future, NASA's revealed how some of the proposed restructured government funding would be spent. It's NASA's future, folks.

NASA administrator Charles Bolden spoke to the press to defend the radical cuts and changes to NASA operations that the recent budget proposal would cause--he noted it's actually a more "sustainable" vision for the agency's future, and means that efforts can be more...

Infographic: Infidelity by the Numbers

What percentage of men and women cheat? And why do they do it?

Given all the coverage we've given to Tiger Woods, it makes sense  to take a step back and look at the broader trend of infidelity. And this infographic digs up all the relevant dirt. Obviously, cheating is pretty common: 20% of men, and 10% of women admit to an extra-marital affair. And the reasons for cheating are about what common wisdom predicts: A plurality--40%--of women who cheat want more emotional attention. About 40% of...

Twitter's International Growth: Becoming the World's Water Cooler?

Not to be outdone by Facebook's impressive global growth trend, Twitter's just revealed some statistics about how many people tweet around the third rock from the sun. Get this: More than 60% of Tweeps aren't American. 

Matt Sanford, Twitter's head honcho engineer on its International Team, presents the stats (mainly in the form of that graph shown above) on the company's blog. He notes that the first Tweeps were employees in the company's San Francisco offices in 2006--naturally--but that...

WANTED: Joule iPad Stand

The Joule is a solid aluminum unibody stand, made from similar manufacturing processes as the iPad itself, says Gizmodo. It's extremely simple: a cylinder to hold the iPad, and an adjustable arm to change the viewing angle. But it's the beautiful, simple design that matches so well with the iPad that makes me really want this thing (and I don't even own an iPad).

The crevasse that holds the iPad (in either landscape or portrait style) is velvet-lined to protect the tablet's edge and has a...

Is Apple Really Committed to the iPad?

By now, you are drowning in commentary on the iPad. So, let me get to the point: Don't be fooled by the fancy hardware and "magical" talk: Apple isn't really committed to tablet computing...yet.

This can be hard to appreciate when you hold a truly gorgeous object in your hand. Hardware seems much more convincing than a piece of software or website could ever be. But, unfortunately, hardware is easy*. That is why Nokia, and the like, can churn out hundreds of handset models a year for...

Why 9:41 Is the Official Time of Apple Product Photos

Every iteration of the iPhone's mockups showed the time as 9:42. The iPad showed it as 9:41. It's slightly peculiar--the times are grouped tightly enough to be intentional, but why those numbers? Why not 9:00? Network World investigated.

Turns out Apple's keynote organizers think about this stuff right down to the tiniest detail--and this is certainly one of the tinier details. They rehearse the presentation with Steve Jobs, Phil Schiller, and whoever else will be speaking, and time it so the...

GE Brings LEDs Closer to the Mainstream With 40-Watt Household Bulb

LEDs are slowly creeping into the mainstream despite their high price tags. Lemnis Lighting recently unveiled the first household dimmable LED bulb, Digital Lumens offered up its system of networked LED lights, and companies like Philips, Panasonic, and Toshiba have rolled out LEDs of their own. But perhaps the biggest evidence of the LED's growing popularity is that GE, the inventor of the first visible light-emitting diode, has debuted a household LED bulb of its own.

GE's Energy Smart LED...

Today in Most Innovative Companies

News of note from our Most Innovative Companies, including Twitter, GE, Netflix, and HTC.

Twitter: Twitter is so popular in the U.S. that every cell phone should come pre-registered with the site. But how does Twitter stack up internationally? A lead engineer over at the startup's blog runs through various foreign stats, and it turns out--surprise, surprise--their numbers are soaring. Spain saw a 50% boost in sign-ups in the last year, Chile saw a 1,200% spike in the days after their tragic...

Facebook Limits Status Updates to 420 Characters (!)

Luckily, there's not much more to say about Facebook's 420-character limit. It only applies to updates through apps (like mobile apps) and has actually been in place for a while, though this is the first time they've publicly stated it. Comments to updates can be up to 8,000 characters. College freshmen are now permitted to giggle. (This, by the way, is what a post with 420 characters looks like. Seems adequate.)

Apple iPad and Ford Sync: Best Buddies (Eventually)

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Ford's excellent Sync, available in Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles as an option, is one of the best mobile-to-car integration services out there. It uses Bluetooth, direct input (for mass storage devices), or some specific hookups (iPod and Zune) and then gives you access to playback options via voice control.

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A video popped up today showing the iPad's integration. Even though the tablet just came out this week, thanks to its OS similarity to the iPod Touch and...