Quality engineering at work

This is an example of some very well thought out engineering.  You know those LED traffic lights that are popping up everywhere?  Nice and bright with a really low power draw?  Well guess what?  That low power draw means that the bulbs no longer produce heat.  THAT means that the traffic lights don't melt the snow that drifts into them, an issue that was never a problem with the horrendously inefficient and hot running incandescent lamps.  This means that the colder states are now seeing crashes, and apparently even one fatality, as a result of the snow blocked lights.  Fun!

Dante's Inferno demo hitting the PSN

Dante's Inferno, a next gen video game based on the classic poem and one of the three games I most look forward to, is due out mid February.  Thankfully for those of you who neeeeeed the instant gratification, the demo is due to hit the playstation network this Thursday the 17th, and should hit Xbox live on Christmas Eve.  Check out the video below for an idea of what we can expect.



Also, just FYI, the other two games I'm looking forward to:

Darksiders
Final Fantasy XIII

AT&T to limit iPhone data plans?

It seems that AT&T is regretting the unlimited data plans that are provided to all iPhone customers.  Due to a small percentage (three percent) of extremely high bandwidth usage customers, the available 3g bandwidth for the entire network is being reduced by 40%.  They say this is due to high bandwidth video streaming applications such as CNN's mobile app.  As a result of this imbalance, AT&T wants to impose a limit on smartphone monthly bandwidth, such as the one that exists for their connection cards.  Will it fly?  At this point, who knows. Will there be fallout if it does?  Let me say this:  When AT&T loses their exclusive hold on the iPhone, I for one don't plan on sticking around.

Nook reviews are coming in

Well, Engadget has its review up for the much anticipated e-reader, the Barnes & Noble nook.  They cover the device very thoroughly, and include a video of the interface in action.  If you have any interest in the nook in particular or e-readers in general, I recommend taking a look.

If you'd prefer the short version:

Pros:  It's pretty.  The available library is huge, and buying books is an excellent experience.  Dual screens are a solid benefit.

Cons:  It's slow.  Interface is clunky, and occasionally buggy.

Basically, its a solid offering considering that e-reader tech is still in its infancy, but it isn't quite the kindle-killer some of us were hoping for.

Ewwww...

Sorry about the recent lack of updates folks.  On one hand there has been a lack of particularly interesting nerd news lately, and on the other I've been delving into the Wheel of Time again, and so have procrastinated in writing the *THREE* game reviews that I need to get up here.  In the mean time, an interesting if unsettling tidbit:

It seems that there are some doctors out there who can cure certain types of blindness with... get this... TEETH. I'm not kidding.  They extract one of the patients teeth, drill a hole in it, and then place an artificial lens in the hole.  The whole mess is then implanted in the eye, with somewhat disconcerting results.  The tooth is necessary to avoid the rejection that would take place with an artificial base.

You cant make this stuff up people.  Video below, but be warned: it's a tad graphic.