Tag archive: Life

New evidence shows that the ingredients for life on Earth may have originated in outer space, according to recently revealed findings from a group of NASA-funded researchers. The scientists discovered that building blocks of DNA, the unique molecule that carries the genetic instructions necessary for life to develop, which they found in meteorites, were likely created in space. “People have been discovering components of DNA in meteorites… Read More

You think you're smart? Well, not as smart as this guy. Jack Eisenmann, a programmer who just graduated high school, has built his own 8-bit homebrew computer completely from scratch using an old keyboard, a television, and a ton of TTL logic chips. No, he didn't buy some computer parts and snap them together; he blueprinted every wire and connection and then built it, wire by wire. After he finished construction, he had to teach it… Read More

In perhaps one of the most important scientific findings of all-time, astronomers have discovered a young star that is blasting massive amounts of water — yes, water — into space, reports National Geographic. The discovery may have unlocked the mystery of how H2O, the key to life, gained such a prevalent presence on planet Earth, and could have implications beyond our greatest imaginations. Located about 750 light years form Earth, the… Read More

Scientists now estimate that there are as many as 50 billion planets in our own Milky Way galaxy, reports the AP. More interesting, 500 million of them may be in zones where life could exist. These numbers come, of course, from NASA's Kepler telescope, which was launched specifically for scientists to search for other planets. Thanks to the mission's success, NASA has been feeding us interesting information for weeks now. The… Read More

Fall City, WA isn’t that far from Redmond, where some of the country’s major computer-related action happens. But it wants to be a world away, almost literally, since Heavensfield there is the site of reStart, the home of the country’s first Internet and gaming addiction recovery clinic. So, if you feel “guilty, ashamed, anxious, or depressed” as a result of your online activities and are “withdrawing… Read More

Ruggedized notebook computers can be a great thing for engineers, first responders, law enforcement, contractors, inspectors, or just about anybody who needs to take a computer into the boonies—whether urban or rural. They take the bumps and thumps and detritus of a hard knock life and keep on ticking a whole lot better than those fragile and fashionable notebooks all the cool kids are carrying around. But while ruggedized notebooks… Read More

Don't let the date on the announcement fool you: to all appearances, this is not an April Fools' joke. Linden Labs, the makers and operators of the popular virtual world Second Life, have announced they're working on a version of Second Life for enterprises that can be deployed as a server product behind corporate firewalls. The effort would create stand-alone, behind-the-firewall versions of Second Life that companies and… Read More

Second Life developer Linden Lab is making a major play for the pocketbooks of virtual world residents—right in its own back yard: The company has announced deals to acquire XStreet SL and OnRez, the two largest Web-based marketplaces for virtual goods in Second Life. Financial details of the deals were not disclosed. The two sites offer online marketplaces where in-world developers and content creators can offer their goods for… Read More

Google has done a deal with Life magazine to put its entire photo archive online. The iconic collection of pictures is now available in part, and eventually there will be around 10 million images, 97% of which have never been seen before. There will also be work from other archives, the Guardian reports. The collection will contain the entire work of such esteemed photographers as Alfred Eisenstaedt, Gjon Mili and Nina Leen, and images of… Read More

Amy Taylor and Dave Pollard met in an online chatroom. So perhaps there’s justice in the fact that she’s filing for real life divorce after accusing him of betraying her in a virtual relationship with another woman on Second Life, according to the Guardian. After Taylor and Pollard moved in together they both enjoyed Second Life, she as DJ Laura Skye, he as Dave Barmy. All was well until she discovered him having cyber sex with… Read More

Sony has formally launched its Life with PlayStation service for the PlayStation 3, enabling PS3 owners to set up a news, lifestyle, and information channel right on their PS3 consoles. Initially, Life with PlayStation will feature a Live Channel with a world map interface, where users can access information based on place and time. Initial content includes news headlines from Google News, live camera images of almost 60 cities around the… Read More

At this week's Virtual Worlds Expo, Linden Labs, the creators of the popular virtual world Second Life, announced a new instant messaging and voice client that will let Second Life residents communicate with the Second Life world without the significant overhead of the full-blown Second Life clients. Dubbed “SLim,” the application will enable users to chat with their Second Life cohorts, breaking down some of the barriers… Read More

Ever wondered what those spam filters can do for you and your computer? To see just how effective they could be, and what life might be like without them, security company McAfee invited 50 people from various countries to spend a month living the online life without them. The results proved very interesting, showing the US to be the most-spammed country, with participants there receiving over 23,000 spam mails during the month, followed by… Read More

You can find a lot of strange things up for bids on eBay, but how about an entire life? That’s what Ian Usher was selling, however. The Briton, who moved to Perth, Australia, six years ago, had his “entire life” up for bids on the auction site, in hope of raising enough money to make a fresh start after spltting with his wife of five years, realizing everything he owned reminded him of her. And what makes up Usher’s… Read More

Technology giant IBM has long been one of the most prominent corporate presences in Linden Labs' virtual world Second Life—and it turns out the company like SL so much, it's planning to set up its own private world. Earlier this week, IBM announced it will be the first company to host regions of the Second Life environment behind its corporate firewall. The idea is to create a region of Second Life where IBM employees can… Read More