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The Power Geeks #102

by DarthMolen on May.25, 2011, under The Latest Shows

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We are LIVE on Ustream . Happy International Geek Pride, Star Wars week, and Towel day folks. We talk Peoples in deep space, Brain cells in a petri dish, and we have a special guest this week Barrett Brown to talk to all of us

Intro Natali
Intro Ben

Items of Interest

Geek Speak

  • Special Guest Barrett Brown talks Anonymous & Project PM
    • Barrett Brown. Ex public face of Anonymous, Reporter, Author, and contributor to Vanity fair, The Guardian & Al Jezeera
    • Campaign to encourage ppl to participate in small online groups for activism reason
    • Crowd Sourcing
    • into Intelligence contracting industry

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Deals of the Week / New Releases

  • New Movie Releases (SM)
    • The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin) GENIUS!!!
    • Platoon!
    • Tigerland (Joel Schumacher & Colin Farrell)
    • Papillon & Le Mans (Steve McQueen FTW)
  • Barnes and Noble has Unveiled it’s New Touchsreen e-reader
    • The Simple Touch Reader is a replacement for the old black and white 1st Generation Nook
    • Has a 6 inch Pearl E Ink display and is 35% lighter than the original Nook
    • Sells for $139
    • Simple design utilizes touchscreen to make the device much more tablet-like than its predecessor.
    • Promises 2 months of battery life, but this is using the default industry standard of 1 hour of use per day.
  • 2nd Release of Blizzcon 2011 tickets (SM)
    • Wednesday at 7 PM Pacific… get them before they sell out in seconds!
    • (more than likely, if you aren’t live then you missed this)
  • Duke Nukem Forever Gone Gold? (SM)
    • anonymous reports are the game is finally on the CD cut phase
    • 15 years after they started development of course

Movie Minute (new feature)

Tech, Gaming, and Geek News

  • NASA to Send Astronauts into Deep Space (btm)
    • NASA announced that it plans to build new spacecraft that will fly astronauts to nearby asteroids or Mars.
    • The Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is based on the design of the cancelled Orion vehicle, originally designed to take astronauts back to the moon.
    • New vehicle is to be built by Lockheed-Martin and will carry a crew of 4 astronauts on 21 day missions.
    • Design is said to be 10 times safer than current shuttles
    • Will have 316 cubic feet of habitable space and be able to land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
    • Lockheed Martin is said to be making a version of the Orion vehicle for use as a “lifeboat” for the International Space Station. Once the shuttle fleet is permanently retired this will be a vital means of evacuating astronauts from the ISS in an emergency.
  • CDC Finally Recognizes Zombies (udg)
    • After years in healthcare and a monkey in elementary school, I can tell you the Center for Disease Controls doesn’t mess around. Which is why I find great joy in them not only acknowledging Ali Kahn’s Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse but embracing it to market to the masses the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Whether you are over the zombie craze, still lovin’ the zombie or convinced the apocalypse could never happen, it can’t hurt to prepare for it. Like the CDC says, if you are ready for a zombie apocalypse, you’re ready for any emergency. Well, except maybe that whole giant earthquake rapture thing.
    • I’m going to skip past her intro to zombies. I think everyone listening knows what a zombie is. They nom on brains. Preferably yours. They get you, you nom on brains too or just get ripped to complete shreds. Either one is gonna ruin your weekend.
    • The most important part, and the one that the CDC is really passing on is what you’re going to want in your emergency kit.  (for a full list visit the CDC Emergency page) Here are some of the basics:
  • Water (1 gallon per person per day)
  • Food (stock up on non-perishable items that you eat regularly)
  • Medications (this includes prescription and non-prescription meds)
  • Tools and Supplies (utility knife, duct tape, battery powered radio, etc.)
  • Sanitation and Hygiene (household bleach, soap, towels, etc.)
  • Clothing and Bedding (a change of clothes for each family member and blankets)
  • Important documents (copies of your driver’s license, passport, and birth certificate to name a few)
  • First Aid supplies (although you’re a goner if a zombie bites you, you can use these supplies to treat basic cuts and lacerations that you might get during a tornado or hurricane)
    • Now that you’ve got your kit made- I(’m thinking rolling suitcase is gonna be needed at least. Remember- ziploc bags are your friends too. And DO NOT FORGET A CAN OPENER) you’re gonna wanna sit down with your fam and come up with an emergency plan. I’m not ashamed to say- I already know the ideal place to hunker down in the event zombies do attack. We definitely have a plan. For more info on how you can create a plan- CDC Site
    • Don’t fear says the CDC, they have a plan too! If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. They would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation. This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine). It’s likely that an investigation of this scenario would seek to accomplish several goals: determine the cause of the illness, the source of the infection/virus/toxin, learn how it is transmitted and how readily it is spread, how to break the cycle of transmission and thus prevent further cases, and how patients can best be treated. Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas.
    • So there ya have it. My best advice? Memorize Zombieland and do not forget the double tap.
  • Draft Horses used to lay fiber optics in West Virginia (SM)
    • You would think this would be Intarwebz
    • How do you get huge spools of Fiber over and to remote locations such as mountains???
    • Wheeled vehicles can’t do it
    • Enter Desmarais and his 1200 lb draft horse “Fred”
    • West Virginia has promised broadband to every last mile by 2013 but how do you get vehicles and crews into unpassable dirt roads and swamps???
    • Fred, solves the problem by pulling the cables off the spools and not leaving a mark (unlike four wheelers)
    • He’s been working the job for 5 years now
    • On a good day? He string around 8,000 feet of cable and works a 70 hr work week
  • Micro$oft Giving College Students Free X-Box with New Computers (btm)
    • For a limited time Microsoft is giving students a special offer
    • Buy a Windows 7 PC for over $699 and get a free Xbox 360
    • If you have a .edu email address you can make purchase online
    • otherwise you’ll need to bring proof of studentship to local participating retailer and make purchase there.
    • Deal only good through Sept. 9th or while supplies last.
  • Zuckerberg Wants to Get Rid of Age Restrictions on FB (udg)
    • It’s not going to shock anyone I’m sure that there are many FB users under the required age of 13. But, it seems CEO Mark Zuckerberg is okay with that. He voiced his desire to allow younger users to use the world’s largest social networking platform at the California New Schools Summit. “That will be a fight we take on at some point,” Zuckerberg said. “My philosophy is that for education you need to start at a really, really young age. Because of the restrictions we haven’t even begun this learning process. If they’re lifted then we’d start to learn what works. We’d take a lot of precautions to make sure that they (younger kids) are safe.”
    • The minimum age of 13 is actually set by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection act, which is a federal law that was passed in 1998.  With many news stories highlighting online bullying, some ending very tragically, this makes for a very bold statement. Add in the fact FB continues to face some huge backlash over their handling of personal information and it’s very easy to dismiss Zuckerberg’s dream as simply an attempt to grow its user base.  Then again, he could be walking the line of a change in opinion. According to Fox News reports, the % of parents that feel comfortable with their child using social media has doubled over the past year. But, that’s only 17% of those polled.
    • WIth 7.5 million Facebook users under 13, and 5 million of those under 10, it would seem if kids can’t be stopped from using the service, then perhaps Zuckerberg is right and Facebook should be adapted to better suit them That is going to mean providing stronger content filters and parental notifications for starters. But, first Zuckerberg will have to head up a campaign to change the law, and deal with the angry mob of parents that want to keep their kids off FB and other users that agree with them. It’s going to be a hell of a ride I’m sure and one definitely worth a watch. I’ll bring the popcorn.
  • Blast Rips Through Chinese Apple Plant (btm)
    • (SM)wow, 500,000 iPads revealed with a bang!
    • Blast in Chengdu factory killed 3 and injured 15 employees
    • Caused by combustible dust in workshop that polishes iPads
    • Explosion isn’t expected to cause delays unless safety inspections exceed 2 or 3 weeks
    • Many are saying this is an example of the dangers of concentrating product production in one or two areas. One disaster has potential of causing major shortages.
  • Automotive Black Boxes (udg)
    • Later this year, the National Highway Safety Administration is talking about proposing a requirement that all new vehicles contain a black box pretty much like the ones on aircrafts that will record vehicle inputs and provide a snapshot of the final moments before a crash.
    • Who would have access to it? Law enforcement, insurance companies, automakers and I’m guessing anyone that figures out how to hack it. You won’t be able to turn it off and i’m sure all you’ll know about it is the little legal disclosure in your owner’s manual. Sound way too big brother? Guess what- if you’re driving a car with airbags, odds are there’s already one of these devices under your hood.
    • Turns out Automakers have long installed electronic data recorders in their automobiles and ever since late 2006 the NHTSA has required them to tell consumers about the devices.  That federal rule also outlines what information is recorded and stipulates that it be used to increase vehicle safety.
    • This proposal would “Expand the availability and future utility of the EDR data” – so, in other words, all automobiles have the devices. The proposal is expected sometime this year and I’m guessing there is going to be A LOT of opposition to it.
  • How fast is your Internet? (btm)
    • Researchers have set a new record sending data at 26 terabits per second
    • Equivalent of sending the contents of 1,000 HD DVDs in a second
    • Uses “fast Fourier transform” to unpick separate colors of light in laser beam, each encoded with its own data.
  • Brain Cells Grown in a Lab (udg)
    • When it comes to brain cells, most people think of neurons. Well, the most common ones are actually astrocytes. They are small, star-shaped cells that actually act like little body guards for neurons. Because of that, they play an important role in diseases of the central nervous system like dementia. And now, we can grow them in a lab.
    • “Not a lot of attention has been paid to these cells because human astrocytes have been hard to get,”  said study researcher Su-Chun Zhang from UW-Madison. “But we can make billions or trillions of them from a single stem cell. Without the astrocyte, neurons can’t function,” Zhang went on to say “Astrocytes wrap around nerve cells to protect them and keep them healthy. They participate in virtually every function or disorder of the brain.”
    • These little bad boys also perform basic housekeeping functions, like regulating blood flow, cleaning up excess neurotransmitters and help control the blood-brain barrier, which keeps toxic substances out of the brain.
    • Zhang created the cells from both embryonic and adult stem cells by treating them with special proteins to get them to grow into astrocytes. These cells could also be useful as a transplant, to treat diseases like Lou Gehrig’s disease, in which the neurons are overworked. Transplanting healthy astrocytes could rescue the injured neurons. This really is a HUGE breakthrough.
  • PSP Games Coming to PS3 (SM)
    • Plans to bridge between its handheld and its cadillac
    • PSP Remaster = most popular psp games ported to PS3
    • Given 3D support for good measure
    • Most games can be played on either the PSP or PS3 w/ saves transitioning through cloud
    • Only game announced? Monster Hunter Portable 3D HD
    • NGP already announced with 5” oled screen and dual thumb sticks
    • Already in turmoil, probably another attention grab to try and add sales
    • (SM) Will I have to buy the game twice???
  • Netflix Ups Viacom Content (btm)
    • Over the weekend many folks online were concerned that Netflix was losing all Viacom content as it was all set to expire on May 22
    • Actually this was because new contracts between Netflix and Viacom were going into effect to provide even more Viacom content.
    • New content will include:
      • More episodes of “Jersey Shore” (god knows we need that)
      • More of “The Hills”
      • New shows from BET including “American Gangster”
      • Comedy Central shows like “The Sarah Silverman Program”
      • More episodes from Nickeloden of “Sponge Bob”
      • More unspecified content from VH1, Logo and Spike

Intarweb Goldmine

  • Marriage Proposal via Movie Trailer (btm)
    • OMG this made me all kinds of tear up. The bastards. (udg)
    • An Atlanta man has made one of the coolest marriage proposals ever.
    • He worked with a wedding videographer to make a fake movie trailer that features him asking his girlfriend’s father’s blessing to marry her.
    • He then arranged for the trailer to be shown at their local theater prior to a showing of “Fast Five”
    • Made excuse that he “had to work” and sent her to theater with her brother.
    • Secretly filled the audience with family and loved ones.
    • After the trailer he enters the theater and proposes to her.
  • So Wrong in So Many Ways (udg)
    • Justin Lawther staged a 1 man topless protest outside the RSPCA office in Burwood East and claims he’s going to return every day and is considering a hunger strike until he gets his Angus back in his arms.  Who is Angus? Oh the parrot he had seized from him after he filmed it clinging to a windshield wiper as he drove down the Eastern Freeway. Yup.
    • “I would die for him. He is my life,” he said. “I don’t tag him with ownership or call him my pet, because he’s my best mate.”
    • In March, Mr Lawther posted a video on YouTube of Angus’s ride, and another where the bird was thrown around by wipers.
    • Angry animal lovers set up a Save Angus the Eclectus Parrot page on Facebook.
    • On Friday, after a seven-week search and police intervention, the parrot was taken into custody.
    • Mr Lawther claims the bird was removed from his care without due process. “They didn’t even ask if he is on treatment or an exercise regimen, which he is,” he said. “It has been a rollercoaster and I’m not doing very well. I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
    • The RSPCA plans to file a court application to stop Angus being returned to Mr Lawther.
  • Chinese Exploding Watermelons (btm)
    • 115 acres of melons have been ruined after bursting open
    • contributing factors may be from the chemical forchlorfenuron a fruit growth enhancer
    • Chinese health officials are saying heavy rains after a recent draught caused the melons to burst, but director of the US National Watermelon Association says that rainfall alone doesn’t cause melons to burst like this, only mildew and shallow surface cracking.
  • Speaking of Watermelons- Don’t Toss This Guy’s Into the Ocean (udg)
    • It seems 68 year old Karl Ludwig Eichner takes his watermelon very seriously. Perhaps too seriously. In fact police arrested the Florida man at Lowdermilk Park after he harassed a woman with a pool noodle before punching her in the face.
    • According to the police report, the women noticed a watermelon that was carved into the shape of a head resting in the sand. The seemingly abandoned melon was attracting insects, so the woman picked it up and, thinking the melon would eventually disintegrate, disposed of it in the ocean.
    • Eichner, however, retrieved the watermelon and returned it to the beach, only to have the woman once again dispose of it in the ocean.
    • And that’s when Eichner stopped using his noodle, according to investigators.
    • “Eichner approached the woman with his swim noodle full of water and dumped the water on her as she was sitting on her towel,” according to the police report. “He then punched her in the cheek.”
    • Personally I make it a point to never mess with anyone that carves a watermelon into the shape of a head.
  • Depression Era America, in Color (btm)
    • We’ve all seen the old black and white pictures from the Great Depression and World War II
    • Library of Congress has recently released about 1,700 new photos from the early 1940s and they’re in color.
    • These beautifully shot pictures show everyday life in America as the Great Depression grew close to an end and World War II was on the horizon.
  • There Can Be Only One (udg)
    • A Louisville woman faces first-degree disorderly conduct and menacing charges after police said she took out a sword during an argument at a Pizza Hut.
    • According to an arrest report, Wynika Mason was causing trouble at the Pizza Hut on Seventh Street Road and police were called.
    • When police arrived, she began yelling at them, the report said.
    • Customers and employees were in the restaurant, and employees said they felt threatened by Mason’s behavior.
    • An employee told police Mason had a sword with her and began yelling and pulling it out of the scabbard, according to the police report. The report also stated Mason’s brother said he took the sword from her and put it in the car.
    • Officers were given consent to search the vehicle and found the sword on the driver’s seat.

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