Two monkeys with tiny sensors in their brains have learned to control a mechanical arm with just their thoughts, using it to reach for and grab food and even to adjust for the size and stickiness of morsels when necessary, scientists reported on Wednesday.
The new experiment goes a step further. In it, the monkeys' brains seem to have adopted the mechanical appendage as their own, refining its movement as … Read more
Yahoo on Thursday will take one of its first big steps to make its site a more vital part of the Internet.
The company will offer developer tools to let programmers start using SearchMonkey, technology to make search results more elaborate and, the company hopes, more useful. SearchMonkey lets programmers write applications that can turn dry textual listings in search results into a much more elaborate display, and Yahoo hopes its search business will benefit.
"We want this to be the most productive search experience anywhere," said Amit Kumar, whose title is chief searchmonkey.
In addition to taking … Read more
Mac users may have it easy with iTunes, but Windows fans should look elsewhere for solid features, a customizable interface, and device syncing support that doesn't devour resources. That's why there's MediaMonkey, which juggles excellent library-management tools with skins, plug-ins, autotagging, links to the Amazon.com MP3 store, track encoding, podcast catching, and more.
Upon first launch, the program scans your drive for supported digital media files to add to the library. Files are sorted based on their ID3 tags, and the helpful Auto-Rename and Auto-Tag From Filename features keep untagged tracks from falling through the cracks. … Read more
At least on the PC, iTunes' performance has been less than stellar. Sure, it set the standard for jukeboxes early on, but most of that was probably tied to its then-exclusive ability to sync with the ubiquitous iPod. Now that device syncing, and especially iPod syncing, is a must-have feature, iTunes' other flaws are standing out like a mohawk in Mecca.
Swinging in to the rescue on one heck of a lengthy vine is MediaMonkey 3. The latest free version of this Windows stalwart, which has been beating its chest since the beginning of the decade, showcases some great new … Read more
LAS VEGAS--If the jabs from venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki weren't enough, Steve Ballmer took a bunch of no-holds-barred queries from the audience at Mix '08.
He was asked whether, given Apple's iPhone announcement, Microsoft was trying to get Silverlight on the Apple phone.
"Silverlight for the iPhone is, of course, interesting," he said. "I can't say there's been extensive discussion with Guy's old boss."
He also said it was unclear whether Apple's business model, which takes 30 percent of iPhone application revenue, would allow for royalty-free distribution of Silverlight. (Apple … Read more
A lot of people have talked about selling stock in bands as a means to help finance promising musicians. In Great Britain, a company called Slicethepie.com is enabling fans to trade shares of music acts the way they would a publicly traded company.
The Web start-up has financed 13 bands and generated the equivalent of nearly $80,000 for its 40,000 "scouts," according to a story from Reuters. The company enables members to test their skills at evaluating talent and in this way they become mini music moguls.
"We effectively turn every music fan into … Read more
I get my music from several places. Over time I've ripped most of the CDs in my collection and have also bought songs on iTunes. Though file sharing is tempting--and fairly popular judging by our Most Popular list--I've only used those applications a couple of times over the years for long lost remixes. I guess I try to stay legal out of respect for the musicians, but this article isn't about the legality of file sharing.
The problem is, when you get your music from a lot of different sources, you end up with strangely tagged tracks … Read more
His publicist (Yeah, I know, give him a break he has a kid) has said he will bring his guitar. Assuming that's not just because he has some sort of separation anxiety, we assume he means to play it.
So what should he play?
Post your requests in the comments section below. We'll look 'em over and pass along the suggestions to JoCo.
I love my Archos Gmini 220. It doesn't play movies, make phone calls, or take snapshots, but it provides me 20GB of digital music and files that I can take anywhere and transfer to any computer. It also only cost me $150 two years ago and is still going strong (with the help of one critical rubber band). It's also very solid as a lo-fi recording device for live shows.
While I don't need a portable music player that massages my back or sorts my laundry, I do need one that can shuffle my tracks randomly. Unfortunately, … Read more
The majority of the nearly 50,000 celebrants at the Burning Man counter-culture event have been re-adjusting for two weeks to the real world of running water, cubicles and commutes. With the week-long party in the Nevada desert in the rearview mirror, how green was the burn?
Supporters and critics of the festival of radical self-expression anticipated that this year's Green Man theme would set the ephemeral city apart from those of the past. Many hoped that Burning Man would clean up its act, show off promising clean technologies and set a fresh example for eco-friendly events. Others accused … Read more
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Christina Milian and the gadgets she loves
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