molecules

Observe the science of a snowflake

You might agree that the complex design in a snowflake appears almost comparable to a work of art. Do you know how that tiny frozen masterpiece comes to life, though? If you're like me, you may never have witnessed a complete representation of that journey from cloud to ground before.

The trip isn't as simple as you think. … Read more

LittleBigPlanet Karting races into living rooms soon

Sackboy and friends put the pedal to the metal in a new racing adventure set to debut in 2012.

Media Molecule announced yesterday LittleBigPlanet Karting for PS3, a kart racing game made in collaboration with ModNation Racers co-creator United Front Games. The title retains the familiar "Play, Create, Share" motto used in previous LittleBigPlanet releases but offers large areas for driving instead of just side-scrolling adventures. … Read more

Smallest electric motor now just a nanometer wide

Way back in the early days of 2011, the world's smallest electric motor was so...big. At 200 nanometers wide, it was a whopping 1/300th the size of a human hair.

Now, chemists at Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences have smashed that record, which was set in 2005, with this weekend's unveiling of their single-molecule electric motor, which at 1 nanometer wide could be the first in an entirely new class of devices with potential use in medicine and engineering.

That's right: 1 nanometer. That's been estimated to be about 1/60,… Read more

LittleBigPlanet 2: Redefining replay value

After a minor delay that pushed it out of the holiday release window, LittleBigPlanet 2 is finally among us, offering up a clever story mode, robust level creation tools, and a fleshed-out online community that ensures that players see the best of the best when it comes to user level design.

Jeff: LittleBigPlanet 2 redefines replay value. Sure, the same thing could be said for its predecessor, but LittleBigPlanet 2 is so many light-years ahead of its younger brother in terms of potential, it's like rediscovering the concept of user-generated content for the first time.

What separates the first game from the sequel is the ability to create a variety of games within the LittleBigPlanet universe. Gone are the limitations of linear level design; LittleBigPlanet 2 allows gamers to create shooters, button-mashers, matching games, and more.

At first, game and level design is a bit intimidating--we'd recommend sitting through the various tutorials--but soon enough we found ourselves appreciating a whole new understanding of game design.

The story mode is well crafted and definitely worth a play-through--especially if your heart is set on level design. The expert creativity here surely can't be taught, but it serves as an excellent source of inspiration for would-be game and level designers.… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1224: Regulation vibrations (podcast)

There's all kinds of vibrating on today's episode. from the server farm I imagine sits in Rafe's bedroom, to the oscillations of molecular computing, to the vibrations of sound from our rant about Drive Safe.ly. And Molly's rant on Net Neutrality last Friday also caused some vibrations, and we get to chatting about how much regulation you really need. Oh and don't forget you have no privacy.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1224

Alliance of Wi-Fi and WiGig Standards in 60 GHz … Read more

BOL 1052: An actual piece of horse

I'm not sure why I mentioned an actual piece of horse, but it had to do with trojan horses and mysterious laptops showing up at Governor's offices around the US. We also help you get hooked up with Snow Leopard compatibility and warn you against a couple of scary government initiatives.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1052

Snow Leopard Application Incompatibilities Compiled http://www.macrumors.com/2009/08/27/snow-leopard-application-incompatibilities-compiled/ http://snowleopard.wikidot.com/ http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3258

Snow Leopard’s malware protection only … Read more

'Little Big Planet' Valentine's Day Mini Pack on PS Store

Ah, February 14, love is in the air...well, maybe not for everyone, but it's Valentine's Day nonetheless: the day loved ones do things together, or at least should, like download the Little Big Planet Valentine's Day pack from the PlayStation Network.

Media Molecule has put together a Valentine's Day theme pack. In addition to their McLovin SackBoy costume, the theme pack comes equipped with a full array of stickers and decorations that will surely inspire some wild and crazy creations. So go on, create that ultimate Valentine's Day level or object for your chosen … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 854: Death to the Moon

We thought about calling this podcast graves in space, or delicious Yak, or Jason makes the earth move. But soup_n_salad in the chat room nailed it. A new company wants to send 5,000 capsules full of cremated remains to the moon for burial. Natali and Jason think this is littering, essentially. I think they gotta go somewhere and the Moon has space. We also talk about the new Asus phone, Flash on Windows mobile, and more. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 854

Obama can’t use his BlackBerry http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/us/politics/16blackberry.html… Read more

Koran expressions delay PS3 title 'Little Big Planet'

Updated at 1 p.m. PDT Monday, October 20, with name of song and artist and link to YouTube video of the track.

Sony is delaying the much-anticipated PlayStation 3 title Little Big Planet due to a late discovery that background music tracks contained two expressions found in the Koran, an inclusion some might deem offensive.

"We have taken immediate action to rectify this and we sincerely apologize for any offense that this may have caused," Sony said on its official PlayStation blog Friday. "Sorry for the delay, and rest assured, we are doing everything we can … Read more