seals

Bing map shows CIA's secret Bin Laden compound mock-up

In 2011, Navy Seal Team Six was prepping for a possible raid to capture or kill a high-value target living in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The target, of course, was Osama bin Laden. A satellite image of the training facility located in Perquimans County, N.C., (via the Atlantic Wire and cyptome.org ) was captured by Microsoft's Bing search as it was ramping up its satellite data.

It's identified on the map as the Harvey Point Defense Testing Activity, near the Albemarle Sound.

The staged Bin Laden compound closely resembles the actual compound below:

The buildings … Read more

A bass fanatic's headphones an audiophile could love

Bass may be the single most important sound characteristic people focus on when auditioning headphones. There's either not enough or too much bass, or it's too thick or boomy, and getting just the right balance can be tricky. I like bass, but it has to be clear and well-defined, and Audio Technica's new ATH-WS55 full-size headphones ($100) are exceptional in that regard. Before you get the wrong idea, the ATH-WS55's midrange and treble are just as pure and detailed as the bass.

It's a lightweight (165 gram) design and features Audio-Technica's new Double Air … Read more

The 404 833: Where we're burning up the quarter-mile (podcast)

On today's show, we have CBS' own Morgan Seal, who recently came to the company from Clicker.com, along with CBS Interactive's new president, Jim Lanzone. She joins us today to chat about her history with Clicker.com, as well as Intel's strange new Museum of Me app on Facebook, Malaysia's Twitter punishment, a war between The Oatmeal and FunkyJunk, Shaq's retirement announcement on Twitter, and more!

The 404 Digest for Episode 833

Intel's Facebook 'Museum of Me' is a must-try. Malaysia defamation case: 100 apologies on Twitter. The Oatmeal vs. FunkyJunk: a war for copyrights. Shaq chooses Twitter to announce retirement.

Episode 833 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

German TV: 'Star Trek' terrorists killed bin Laden

Sometimes our eyes are wide shut. In moments when we think we see one thing, we see quite another.

This often happens when our emotions are high and our thinking faculties subdued.

Sympathy, therefore, must be ladled toward the German news station N24, which was extremely keen to tell the world about last week's killing of Osama bin Laden by the U.S. Navy's SEAL Team Six.

Unfortunately, in its haste to offer a SEAL logo, someone at the station actually mustered the logo of the "Star Trek" Maquis Special Operations Seals Team VI--a bunch of … Read more

Leaky house? Bring in the blower door

The next time someone tells you that you need all sorts of expensive equipment for energy-efficient buildings, make sure to mention air sealing.

Most people know that adding more insulation to an attic is a good way to cut your energy bills and environmental footprint, but restricting the flow of air into a building is also very valuable, say green building pros.

On a fittingly chilly day last week, I was reminded how important air sealing is when I had a blower door test done at my house. The test, which measures how leaky a building is, showed me that … Read more

Before you buy full-size headphones, read this

Though there are many types of full-size (circumaural) or earpad (supra-aural) headphones, for this blog I'm going to compare an open-back headphone from Grado, the SR225i ($200), with a closed-back headphone from Phiaton, the PS 500 ($299).

Sure, other manufacturers make open- and closed-back (aka sealed) headphones, but generalizations about the sound of the two types hold up pretty well. DJs, musicians, and recording engineers generally prefer closed headphones because they seal the wearer's ears, limiting how much sound they hear from the world around them, and at the same time, people close to the person wearing the headphones don't hear very much sound "leaking" from the headphones. So closed 'phones are great to wear in bed. Isolation from external sound isn't as effective as a noise-canceling headphone, but the closed-back headphone doesn't use batteries to power the noise-canceling circuitry. And closed-back headphones tend to make a lot more bass than similarly priced open-back designs.

The Phiaton PS 500's outer earcups and earpads are covered with genuine black leather, and the cloth-covered cable adds a touch of luxury to the design. It's a very comfortable and beautifully built headphone.

With an open-back headphone, like the Grado SR225i, you hear external sound quite clearly. This is a good thing if you ever want to listen on the street. Anyone near you will hear some of the sound of the Grado. Bass may not have the weight of a closed-back design, but the bass quality and definition are clearer than most closed-back designs. Open-back headphones tend to be directed to the audiophile market, but that's not to say there aren't closed models that appeal to audiophiles. For me, the biggest sonic difference is spatial: closed headphones make a sound that's "inside the head," and open models are literally more open, so they sound a bit more like speakers. The better closed headphones exhibit less of the inside-the-head quality, but they sound less open than the very best open headphone models. … Read more

Former Senator Bob Kerrey to lead MPAA

Robert "Bob" Kerrey, a former U.S. Senator and governor from the state of Nebraska as well as a Vietnam war hero has agreed to steer the Motion Picture Association of America.

A high-level film industry source confirmed a report in the blog, The Wrap. According to The Wrap, which broke the news, all the parties have agreed in principle but have yet to sign a deal.

There's little technology focus in Kerrey's background but his resume is impressive nonetheless. He is a former unsuccessful candidate for U.S. President (1992) and during his Vietnam service … Read more

Top 25 tough iPhone cases

Note: If you own an iPhone 4 or 4S for, please go to Top 20 tough cases for iPhone 4 and 4S. This article features iPhone 3GS cases.

How you choose to protect--or not protect--your iPhone is a matter of personal choice. Sure, plenty of people like to leave their iPhone naked, reasoning that any protective cover diminishes its sleekness. But the majority of iPhone owners realize it's probably a good idea to give your precious device some degree of armor, particularly if you don't like the idea of seeing your iPhone's lovely finish dinged and scratched … Read more

Keep food fresher, longer

Sometimes it's the simple things that make the biggest difference. Ever used a chip clip on a bag and been disappointed to find that your chips are stale anyway? Next time, try the Banana Seal, which essentially turns any bag into a zip-top resealable bag.

Press a tube into the sealer on the opposite side of the bag to seal in freshness, even in the freezer. The clip is virtually unbreakable and creates an airtight seal for bags of snacks, crackers, frozen foods, brown sugar, and so on. It's particularly useful for anyone with dexterity issues, because it'… Read more