The Cheap, Unlimited Source Of the Fizzy Water You Can’t Live Without

SodaStream is secretly the most popular kitchen gadget in the world. It almost doesn't make sense: All it does is turn tap water into sparkling water.

The world's obsession with SodaStream is weird. Can't you just buy a bottle of cheap seltzer when you've got the hankering and deal with tap water the rest of the time? More here.

Microsoft Plans Windows Phone Tango Reveal for March 21st in China

There's no doubt that China's feeling the Microsoft love as of late. After HTC broke ground last week with the launch of the country's first ever Windows Phone handset -- a re-badged Titan known as the Triumph -- Nokia quickly reacted, announcing its plans to unleash unspecified members of the Lumia line on March 28th. 

Now, further fueling MS' mobile momentum in the region, comes word of a major launch event, slated for the 21st, which centers on the official unveiling of Tango: Redmond's lighter, low-end software.

Is CO2 Making You Fat?

There's a never-ending stream of scientific explanations for obesity. The latest suggests that CO2 contributes to our weight gain and that as we pump more of it in to the atmosphere, the fatter we become. But can that really be the case?

The theory is favored by Lars-Georg Hersoug, a scientist from Denmark. He suggests that orexins—hormones in the brain that influence energy expenditure and food intake—are affected by CO2. Affected so much, in fact, that they can shift our metabolism and make us fat.

He has some evidence. Firstly, the rise in obesity in the US was fastest in the period 1986-2010 on the East Coast, where CO2 concentrations are highest. Second, that in animal tests, environmental factors—he can't say exactly which—contribute to weight gain. And third, that inhaling CO2 makes our blood more acidic, something that has been linked to changes in orexins.

Some of this sounds reasonably convincing, some of it less so. But the theory doesn't hold much sway amongst his peers. Speaking to Science Nordic, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, the leader of the Danish Obesity Research Centre, said:

"[He's] quite right in showing interest for other possibilities. [The] hypothesis is a new and very interesting idea, clearly inspired by studies using animals in captivity that have also put on weight – and a common factor for these animals and people is the air we breathe.

"But there is one problem: the obesity epidemic has developed quite irregularly in time and place, even in a small country such as Denmark, and only a part of the population is affected even though we all breathe the same air."

While it would be wonderful to point to a scientific explanation for the obesity epidemic—espeically one that is out of our immediate control—the fact remains that we're getting fat and need to do something about it. CO2 might cause some very small increase in weight in some of the population, but it's not what we need to worry about. We need to worry about losing weight instead. The most effective way to do that? Eat less and exercise more. More here.

Optical Thunderbolt Cables Arriving This Year

Intel's Dave Salvator has been talking about Thunderbolt's future, promising that optical versions of thehigh-speed interconnect will arrive this year. The copper version currently available is cheaper and can carry 10 watts of power, but it can only be run a maximum distance of six meters. 

While the fiber version loses the ability to power devices, it's reportedly far faster and capable of running to the "tens of meters." Dave Mr. Salvator wouldn't commit to a release date, or how much more we'll be expected to pay for the cables, but given that we're also expecting to see PCI-Express 3.0 bolted on to the standard soon, we'll start saving today.

New Sony Xperia Sola Offers “Floating Touch” For When Touching the Screen Is Too Much Effort

The Xperia Sola aka the Pepper, touting something called "floating touch" for "magic web browsing without touching the screen", because dragging your finger on glass is just so last year.

The Sola fits nicely within Sony's new design aesthetic – it's unmistakably an Xperia measuring up at 116 x 59 x 9.9 mm and 107g. It packs a 1GHz dual-core chip backed up with just 512MB of RAM; 8GB of internal storage; a 3.7-inch 854×480 screen; a five-megapixel rear shooter, and both xLOUD and 3D surround audio to boost its music prowess. On the connectivity front it's equipped with the usual load-out: Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; GPS; NFC with "SmartTags", plus an FM radio to boot. It'll also come with direct access to Sony's new Entertainment Network, but unfortunately is another Android 2.3 Gingerbread throwback. Sony's promising an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich "during summer 2012", which sounds like quite a while to wait to me.

Anyway, the biggest thing about the Sola is Sony's new "floating touch navigation", which allows you to essentially hover your finger over the screen rather than touch it to act a bit like a cursor. Apparently you'll navigate the screen hovering your finger above it; once you've got a link selected, a single tap will be enough to launch it (check the video below for a demo). I'm not quite sure how much better this is going to work than just actually touching the screen – a single tap on a link normally launches it on most phones. Still, it's a novel idea and I'll be interested to see it working in the flesh.

Red Meat Is Responsible for One in Ten Early Deaths

Deep down, we all know that red meat isn't the healthiest thing to eat—but that doesn't stop us tearing into a bloody steak all too often. Sadly, new research suggests that red meat is behind one in ten early deaths, so it might actually be time to make a real effort to cut back.

According to the study, carried out by the Harvard School of Public Health, regularly eating red meat massively increases your risk of heart disease and cancer. The results come from studying more than 120,000 people over 28 years.

What kinds of risk are we talking about? Well, the paper, published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, suggests that each extra daily serving of processed red meat—equivalent to a single hot dog or two strips of bacon—raises mortality rates by 20 per cent. The effect is smaller for unprocessed red meat like steak—though the researchers don't know exactly why—which increases mortality rates by 13 per cent. Professor Frank Hu, one of the researchers, told the Guardian:

"This study provides clear evidence that regular consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, contributes substantially to premature death. On the other hand, choosing more healthful sources of protein in place of red meat can confer significant health benefits by reducing chronic disease morbidity [illness] and mortality."

If you're worried by the findings—and if you eat a lot of beef, lamb and pork you probably should be—there's an easy solution. First, limit your intake of red meat. The World Cancer Research Fund suggests, for example, that you eat a maximum of 1lb of it a week. Instead, switch to fish or chicken; this new research also suggests that replacing red meat with either of those leads to a longer life. Happy eating. More here and here.

Kony 2012 Is the "Most Viral" Video of All Time

Kony 2012 was unleashed on the internet just six days ago, and it has already been viewed more than 100 million times. By some accounts that makes it the most rapidly spreading video ever, beating out the likes of Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Rebecca Black, Beyoncé, and Miley Cyrus.

No matter how you feel about the controversial documentary about Ugandan general Joseph Kony, you've got to admit its reach is remarkable. Just read some of these stats reported by the video metrics firm Visible Measures:

As of this morning, the Kony campaign has generated well over 100 million views, 112 million to be exact. The views come from over 750 clips across the web, most coming from video responses to the campaign. There are even translated and subtitled versions of the documentary popping up in Spanish, Italian, French, and Chinese. There are over 860,000 comments for the campaign.

Does this really make Kony 2012 the "most viral" video of all time? It's hard to argue with that assessment. The video's passed through our collective feeds and inboxes so many times that more than a shocking documentary, it's starting to feel more like chain mail. The filmmakers clearly accomplished the goal of raising awareness about Joseph Kony's war crimes. Now we need assess whether the documentary will succeed in accomplishing any good. Will this documentary make the world a better place? Or will Kony 2012 just be the latest video to top the charts until Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber take the top spot again.

Instagram Hits 27 Million User Milestone, Teases Android app

Rejoice, photo filter fans, Instagram is heading to Android "very soon," according to founder Kevin Systrom. Speaking at South by Southwest, Systrom raved about the app's growth, boasting of its 27 million registered users. "They're not excited about it because it makes your photos look beautiful," he says, "They're excited because it networks people across the world and it's the single fastest growing thing in mobile period." The Android version is currently being tested in a private beta, and it's reported to be superior than its iOS counterpart. "It's really, really fast," Systrom said. Don't look so surprised, he did tell us, after all, that iOS was just the beginning.

 

 

Windows 7 on a Smartphone

It's only equipped with a 1.3-megapixel front-facing webcam instead. You'll also find two call buttons and a power button around the top right corner, whereas the HDMI Micro socket is located on the left along the bottom side. There's no 3.5mm headphone jack, so here's hoping there'll at least be an adapter of some sort. Likewise, hopefully ITG will add volume adjustment function into the call buttons.

On the back there's a loudspeaker along with a small monochrome LCD for showing the phone's various statuses, caller number and eventually text messages (ITG's still working on Chinese compatibility). The battery cover and most of the body is made out of a smooth, sturdy magnesium alloy -- a huge improvement from the original xpPhone's cheap plastic body -- though we hope the final product will have finer seams. Inside it sits a huge 11.1Wh battery, which is almost twice as much juice as those on a regular smartphone these days. ITG has yet to confirm the phone's final weight, but you can imagine it being the equivalent of a slightly larger smartphone with an extra standard battery.

The China-exclusive xpPhone 2 won't be cheap when it launches in a month or two: its various flavors (with either silver or gold highlight) will cost between ¥7,000 ($1,110) and ¥12,000 ($1,900), so it's not the kind of phone that you'd want to accidentally drop into the toilet.

 

 

Researchers Capture First-Ever Images of Atoms Moving Inside a Molecule

That ripple effect you see in that photo up there represents any changes the molecule went through during the quadrillionth of a second that transpired between laser pulses. Yes, that's the kind of rare, psychedelic shot that's sure to earn DiMauro and team bragging rights, but the scientists also say this technique could have practical implications for observing -- and ultimately manipulating -- chemical reactions at an atomic level. 

Of course, it could be a long time yet before scientists analyze complex proteins in such detail: for the purposes of this experiment, the researchers stuck with simple nitrogen and oxygen molecules, with which chemistry scholars are already quite familiar. In fact, the researchers don't elaborate at all on specific studies where this technique might be useful, but you might want to hit up the source link nonetheless for some of the more technical details of how they pulled off this experiment in the first place. More here.

 

 

Self-Standing Pens Are Easier To Grab

Designed by Gustav Widström and Marcus Heneen, the Slända pens always remain standing when you put them down so they're easier to grab the next time you need them. Solving a particular problem that, let's be honest, doesn't really exist.

Technically they'll let you rid your desk of organizers and pen holders, but the Slända's unique design also means it's never going to roll off a table. Which could be its biggest selling point. Either way, for around $30 it should at least stand out enough (get it?) in your office for no one to try and steal it. More here.

 

 

The Sombrero Bottle Juicer Will Zestify Your Spring Water

For only five bucks the convenient Sombrero Bottle Juicer can be yours. Apparently it was invented because the designer saw a friend trying and failing to squeeze a lemon into his bottled water. This is a very clever solution to that problem, but the juicer can also be a clever kitchen accessory for squeezing and storing fresh juices for cooking. There's nothing like a little lime-juice zip to make your taste buds do the Mexican Hat Dance. Get it here.

 

 

Motorola's MOTOACTV gets Software Update March 9th, Brings 40 new Fitness Activities Into the Fold

Late last year, Motorola announced its MOTOACTV device for fitness fanatics. Since then, the wrist-mounted gadget got a firmware update for better battery life, and on March 9th it's getting another fresh dose of code that brings even more functionality. The update adds 40 new custom activities including yoga, handball, skiing and dancing, so you can track all your fitness endeavors individually.

The new code also allows users to activate the display with a flick of the wrist (instead of pressing the power button) and configure WiFi connections right on the device. Not a moment too soon, Moto, summer's closing in and this should help us get that beach (as opposed to blogger) body we've always wanted. More here.

Start8 Download Resurrects the Start Button on Windows 8

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available and has taken the Windows interface to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the preview did not come with a desktop feature that the world makes use of billions times a day, the “Start” menu. Luckily, we have a solution!

Start8 brings the “Start” menu back to Windows 8. This product is free and is available now! Enter your email address below to receive a download link.

Features

- Adds a “Start” menu to the Windows 8 taskbar
- Enables quick access and searching of your installed applications
- Adds Run... option via right-click menu
- Adds Shutdown... option via right-click menu
- Choose a custom Start button image

System requirements

- Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Even the Pedestrian You Accidentally Hit Now Gets Their Own Airbag

Volvo has always built some of the safest cars on the road, protecting the vehicle's passengers when the unthinkable happens. But now the company has added anadditional airbag to its V40 that could save the life of a pedestrian.

In addition to a long list of new features designed to protect the passengers, the new V40 wants to make sure the chances of you hitting a pedestrian are lessened, and if you do, their chances of survival are increased.

First there's its new Pedestrian Detection system which uses a combination of grill-mounted radar and a video camera to detect and recognize a person in the vehicle's path. It can also gauge if they're moving and based on the car's current speed, whether the two are on a collision course. If there is a risk of the pedestrian being hit, an audible alarm will alert the driver. And if there's not enough time for them to react, the vehicle will automatically brake on its own.

But sometimes there's not enough time to avoid hitting someone who darts out in front of your car. So to minimize injuries, the V40 includes an external airbag designed specifically for passengers. Sensors in the bumper register the impact at which point the hood is released and automatically raised by an inflating airbag that extends far enough to provide a cushion as the person rolls up onto the vehicle.

The severity of the accident is dependent on the vehicle's speed and how the person was hit. But if I was a pedestrian who accidentally stepped out in front of a moving vehicle, I sincerely hope there was a Volvo logo on its grill. More here.

 

 

Huge Solar Flare to Hit Earth Today, Disrupting Power and Communications

NASA reports that two massive solar flares erupted from the sun on Tuesday which are expected to hit Earth this morning—and they could affect power, communication and GPS systems.

The flares are a result of Coronal Mass Ejections; events where the sun spits out huge amounts of energy in the from of plasma. The resulting flares send clouds of charged particles racing through space and, in this case, we're in the way. The first cloud—due to hit the planet at around 7am EST—is travelling at over 1,300 miles per second, while the second is traveling at about 1,100 miles per second. The video shows footage of the flares recorded by NASA.

Earth will probably be bombarded by particles until sometime on Friday. But while NASA haswarned that the event could disrupt power, communications and GPS services, in reality there's not too much to worry about. While satellites and electronics might be temporarily affected, no lasting severe damage should occur.

In fact, there's one upshot: these events increase the chances of spotting auroras, reports the Telegraph. So while you might not be able to check-in on Four Square for a while, you might see something pretty this evening. More here, here and here.

The New iPad 3 How It Stacks Up to Other Leading Tablets

Well, it's finally here, Apple's new hotness. But how does it compare to the new hotness from Asus, Samsung, Amazon, BlackBerry, or heck, the iPad 2?

Clearly the toughest competitor in this chart is the Asus Transformer Infinity. The new iPad has it beaten on pixels per inch, but not by a ton. On paper it looks like the Transformer Infinity crushes the new iPad in terms of guts—the quad-core Tegra 3 is one mean mother—but we'll have to wait and see how Apple's new A5X performs in benchmark tests. Similarly spec'd Android tablets will be coming out all year, which means, considering this is a new product, Apple may not be as far of the curve (technology wise) as one would hope. At the same time, Apple products have a long history of outperforming their specs so let's not jump to conclusions just yet.

The new iPad pretty much beats everything else in the chart. It's hard to see a single compelling reason to take the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 over it or the Transformer (other than price). Amazon's Kindle Fire and BlackBerry's Playbook likewise get chomped, but here at least there is a significant difference in price. $200 is very cheap. For people who primarily want a tablet for reading books and watching the occasional movie, the Kindle Fire might just be a more frugal investment.

iPad starts is $500, $600, or $700 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version at 16, 32, and 64GB, respectively. For Wi-Fi plus 4G it's $630, $730, and $830, for the the 16, 32, and 64GB versions, respectively.

*Note the forthcoming 4G LTE version of the Transformer Infinity will feature Qualcomm's dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor in stead of the quad-core Tegra 3. You might think that's a step down, but initial benchmarking of the S4 has been extremely good, so in most contexts performance is likely to be just as solid.

P.S. Note that while Tim Cook spent a lot of time talking about the new iPad's four core GPU, that does not make it a "quad-core tablet." That's the graphics processor. The CPU (the main processor) is dual-core. By comparison, the Transformer Infinity has a quad-core CPU and at 12 core GPU. And yes, they were deliberately sneaky about that, knowing that only geeks would know the difference.

 

 

The Most Advanced Fake Meat in the World Is Still Gross

I've never understood the desire of some vegetarians to make their food resemble meat; it's creepy and seems to contradict their love of vegetables. Sadly, the practice shows now sign of stopping so, with some reluctance, I present to you the most advanced fake meat in the world.

What you're looking at here is the product of the LikeMeat research project—a collaboration designed to make the meatiest fake meats the world has ever seen. From a rather wonderful press release:

"It looks like a cutlet, it's juicy and fibrous like a cutlet, and it even chews with the consistency of a real cutlet — but the ingredients are 100 percent vegetable."

But enough talk. I know you're dying to know how they make it. Oh boy, it sounds tasty:

"The main ingredients — water and plant proteins — are brought to a boil and slowly cooled down... As the temperature sinks, the protein molecules start to form chains. This gives rise to a fibrous structure that is quite similar to that of meat."

Yum. Sadly, the researchers are only able to produce 60 to 70 kilos of the meat substitute per hour at the moment, but Florian Wild, one of the team, reassures us that its "consistency and texture are already superb."

While I can't deny that a modest reduction in meat consumption might be a good thing for the planet, the solution isn't to eat the products of LikeMeat; the solution is just to eat a few more vegetables. In the meantime, fake meat might be more advanced, but it's still gross. More here.

Why You Have Your Best Ideas When You’re Least Productive

We all have our favorite times to power through work; some of us are up at the crack of dawn toiling away, while others feel more productive when the sun's setting. But a new study suggests that out best ideas actually come to us when we're not at our best.

Researchers have been studying how innovation and creativity varies with circadian rhythms—the natural patterns that make you a morning person or an evening type—and the findings are suprising.

A lot of studies have shown that we perform best—or at least, get most done—during peak times in our circadian rhythms when we're most alert. But the new study, by Mareike Wieth and Rose Zacks, reveals that during the lulls in productivity we're more easily distracted, and that those distractions can help aid creativity. Their conclusion: you have your best ideas when you're least productive.

To establish that, they asked participants a mixture of analytic and insight questions. The analytic questions required laborious, tedious working to establish an answer; the insight questions required a flash of inspiration to crack. The result? Insight questions were completed more effectively when participants were stuck in a circadian rhythm rut.

You see, being less focused on a task makes you more open to distraction, and in turn to exploring new ideas. So, depending on what kind of work you do, you may well be better served by shifting your schedule around a little. If you can pound through work in the morning, take advantage of it and get your tedious, mechanical work done then. That way, you can save lulls for your more thoughtful, idea-based labors. More here.

Nokia’s Insane 41-Megapixel Phone Isn’t Coming to the US

If you've lusted over the prospect of owning Nokia's new 808 PureView—despite the fact that its pixel count is rather needless—you're out of luck.

According to Nokia's developer site, the phone will enjoy global release... excluding North America. But you'll still be able to pick up an unlocked handset, and who knows, it might makes its way to these shores officially at some point. More here.

’90s-Inspired Case Gives You the Flip iPhone that Apple Never Will

Last year ThumbsUp! created an '80s iPhone case transforming your fancy Apple creation into the clunky bricks of that era. This year the company's back with a '90s iPhone casethat instead gives it the flip-style functionality that none of us actually miss.

While I can't see someone using this for anything other than irony, I will give ThumbsUp! credit since the case—designed to fit the iPhone 4 and 4S—has a working speaker in the lid and an aerial that can be pushed to lock the phone. It should be available sometime in the fall for about $24, sadly without the stylish belt clip that would certainly complete the '90s look. More here.

Turn a Pile Of Dishes Into a Designer Clock

Tired of being nagged about the ever-growing pile of dishes next to your kitchen sink? With Kyouei Design's Water Clock you can just turn them into a stylish timepiece, and not worry about prepping them for the dishwasher like you're supposed to.

For a ridiculous $325 all you actually get is the square base which you stack a plate and cup on top, fill with water, and then float a couple of small balls in. I'm assuming the magic of magnets once again comes into play here, positioning each ball so they indicate the hour and minutes. But as cool as the effect is, just remember that it will stop telling time once all the water evaporates. More here.

Galaxy Player 70 Plus: Samsung's First Dual-Core Media Player

Samsung's barely finished packing up from its recent stint in Barcelona, but that hasn't stopped another device surfacing on the Korean peninsula. The Galaxy Player 70 Plus appears to be a powered-up version of its 5-inch device from last year, side-stepping the design tweaks we saw last week on theGalaxy S WiFi 4.2 -- the other new (similarly long-winded) Android PMP from Samsung.

Alongside a dual-core 1GHz processor, other hardware improvements include a (Korea-only) DMB TV tuner, 5-megapixel camera and a 2,500mAh battery to keep that expansive screen running for longer. The media player will arrive in both 16GB and 32GB capacities, priced up at 399,000 won ($356) and 469,000 won ($418) respectively, although there's no news just yet on whether the wider world will get to wrap their hands around that substantial 5-inch screen.

Beef Straws Will Obviously Make Any Beverage Better

They're designed to be used with more savory drinks like a bloody mary, but there's no way these edible beef straws—made from hollowed out Slim Jims—won't improve the flavor of any beverage.

A pack of 30 will cost you $34, so Benny's Bloody Mary Beef Straws certainly aren't a cheaper alternative to regular plastic drinking straws. But like licorice, they're completely edible. And unlike licorice, they're made from more delicious seasoned beef.

I would also like to point out that I've taken the high road with this post, since the suggestion of sucking on a beef straw is ripe for more childish jokes and wordplay than my mind can comprehend. More here.

Smartphones Spread out: 46 Percent of US Adults Now Own One

Our master plan is slowly working, and soon every man and woman in our great nation will own a smartphone. Pew Research Center reports that just under half of adult Americans, or 46 percent, own smartphones currently, meaning that smartphone owners now outnumber their feature phone counterparts by five percent. Pew polled multiple demographics to get its numbers, and there was growth across the board over the last nine months. 

Of particular interest is the rise in ownership in the study's lowest income demographic -- under $30,000 a year -- which spiked 12 percent to 34 percent. Additionally, it showed that Android and Apple are neck and neck, with 20 and 19 percent market share of mobile owners, respectively, and Blackberry ownership declined from ten percent to six percent. The largest growth came from the 18-24 age group, up 18 to 67 percent. More here.

YouTube Android app Update Brings HD Video Streaming to 'capable' 2.2+ Devices

Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich Android-running hardware has had access to HD resolution YouTube streams since launch (as seen above), but an update to the app that rolled out yesterday finally brings HD to some devices running Froyo or Gingerbread. 

The catch is that YouTube HD res won't work on every Android 2.2 or 2.3 phone or tablet, it is set dynamically based on screen size and resolution. Another quirk is that some devices still won't install the updated version directly from the Market, like our Epic 4G Touch. Still, assuming you can snag the update -- through official or unofficial means -- if you have the pixels to spare you should see upgraded video quality from now on. Get it here.

Fading Highlighter Makes Textbooks Easier To Sell

Selling your textbooks at the end of a semester to recoup some of their outrageous price tags could get even easier with Quirky's Fader highlighter. After five months the yellow streaks will disappear completely, netting you top dollar for your pristine books.

At the moment Quirky is still putting out feelers for demand, and gauging how much students would be willing to pay for it. But according to its site, the average scholar spends $1,168 on textbooks during a four-year degree. So Quirky could probably still charge a ridiculous amount for the Fader if it meant that students could get considerably more cash for their used reference materials.

It also means you're not giving your competition in a lower grade an advantage with a used textbook that includes all the important bits already highlighted. More here.

The Ugliest Sandals in the World Are Actually Based on Foot Science

Look how ugly these sandals are. They look like a radioactive gummy bear pooped on a milk crate. But these Sazzi sports sandals are actually biomimeticly designed to keep your feet safe from uneven terrain, if not deeply judgmental eyes.

Barefoot running has been popular for a few years now. The five-fingered shoes you see pounding down the sidewalk really do help people stabilize themselves while they run by letting the muscles in your toes and feet do the work they were meant to do. Same goes for the Sazzi sandals, except, like, as sandals.

You probably won't be putting in a ton of roadwork with these, but they might warrant a look. Er, wear. They warrant a wear. Don't look directly at them. They'll be out in May for $80-$100.

Apple iPad 3 Event Confirmed for March 7th in San Francisco

You've heard all the rumors, and now Apple has finally confirmed the details of its next iPad launch event. It will take place on Wednesday, March 7th at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. The company is keeping things suitably vague beyond that, of course, promising only that it has "something you really have to see. And touch.

In Japan, You Can Order McDonald’s Using Your Car Navigation System

Apparently fast food still isn't fast enough for the residents of Japan. Starting in March, McDonald's will be testing out a new systemallowing drivers to order and pay for a happy meal right from their car's navigation unit.

Using the country's wireless traffic news network known as the ITS, vehicles passing near one of McDonald's' restaurants will automatically be provided with a menu that can be navigated via their GPS device's touch screen. They can order and pay for food—hopefully not requiring them to dig out their credit card number while driving—where they'll then be directed to the nearest location to pick up their meal.

It all sounds rather efficient and a great way to speed up the drive through window, but how is this any easier than just creating a smartphone app with the same functionality? Custom menus could be updated every day, the driver's location could be easily pinpointed, and paying with your phone in Japan is already commonplace.

As it stands, the test involves 26 different companies to make it happen including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Panasonic System Networks, Toyota, Pioneer, and financial institutions. When, really, all that's needed is a solid app developer with some backend upgrades allowing restaurants to take orders remotely.

How to Get Windows 8 Right Now

The beautiful Windows 8 Consumer Preview is upon is, and although it's not the final version, it's getting close. This isn't just for developers—it's for you. So get downloading and start using Microsoft's amazing new beginning.

Are you already a Windows diehard? Or an Apple user, looking to see how the other half lives? Either way, we've got you covered like a thick flannel blanket. Made out of preview software.

First things first: download Windows 8 from here

Then you need to put that file on something you can install it with. That means either burning the ISO disc image to a DVD or copying it to a USB flash drive. A little annoying, but that comes with the territory when installing a separate operating system.

Whether you're using Windows or OS X, this feature is built right in.

Now let's install that sucker. (If you're prompted for an activation key, use this: DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J)

On a PC

Once you've got the Windows 8 file, you'll want to install it alongside the current version you're using—this will allow you to dip your toes in without committing, but requires some minor hard drive futzing.

If you want to run Windows 8 on its own slice of hard drive real estate, you'll need to create a disk partition—clearing out a blank space on your computer for Windows 8 to settle into. This is easy! Our pals at Lifehacker have a full guide if you need it, but you really only need to follow this:

Open the Start Menu and right click on the "Computer" option. Click "Manage", and in the window that appears, click on "Disk Management" in the left sidebar.

Find your system hard disk in the graphical list that appears in the bottom pane. Right-click on it and then click "Shrink Volume". Shrink it down so you have at least 20GB of space left on the end of the drive, and click OK. Then, click on the "Unallocated" block of that drive that appears and click "New Simple Volume". Click Next on the next few windows until you get to the "Format Partition" window. Here, give it a volume label you'll recognize (like "Windows 8") and click Next. It should format the drive for you. Now you're all set to install Windows 8.

Simple, right?

Your PC will now boot into Windows 8 by default, but if you want your previous version to auto-start, go to "Change Defaults or Choose Other Options" from the Windows 8 boot menu.

You've now got a two-headed computer.

But remember: not only is this a beta product several months away from release, it's also dramatically different from any operating system you've used before. So proceed with the knowledge that you'll volunteering to be Microsoft's guinea pig.

The Pirate Bay Removes All of Its Torrent Links

The Pirate Bay, the largest torrent site on the Internet, is no more. Or well, it's not like it once was. As of this moment, they've taken down all torrent links on the website and will now only use 'magnet links'.

Though it sounds really bad, it's more of an act to "future proof" The Pirate Bay website than anything else. So don't worry! The Pirate Bay will still be able to work. It's not dying, it's just changing. In their words, "just click the red button instead of the green one and all will be fine".

From now on, torrent files being shared by more than 10 people will be replaced with "magnet links". So instead of downloading .torrent files from a central Pirate Bay server like before, .torrent files will have to be downloaded from other BitTorrent users. Basically, very few .torrent files will be hosted by Pirate Bay itself. The magnet links will work for users trying to get .torrent files as long as one person in a swarm has the file. Rely on each other!

The change is supposed to help keep the Pirate Bay up and prevent it from shutting down. We're hoping it works.

Sniffing Rosemary Makes You Smarter

There are plenty of strange alternative uses for herbs. Rosemary, for instance, is supposed to soothe the skin and cure dandruff—though I can't promise how well it will do either. Science, however, now tells us it definitely can make you smarter.

A team of scientists from the University of Northumbria, UK, has discovered that one of the oils which gives rosemary its pungent scent improves speed and accuracy when performing certain mental tasks. Which means you definitely want to start cooking more herb-crusted lamb right about now.

To work that out, subjects were asked to complete numerical reasoning tests before and after being exposed to the scent of rosemary oil. The researchers then measured the levels of 1, 8-cineole, the main chemical constituent in rosemary's oil, after the experiments and compared it to the test scores. The higher the levels of 1, 8-cineole, the higher the score test. The research is reported in Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology.

Sadly, nobody has any idea how it works, which makes it a tortuously frustrating finding. One other big question remains, though: is it possible to overdose on rosemary? "Rosemary has been used as an herb for generations, and there is nothing to say it is potentially harmful, at least in the short term," Dr. Christy C. Tangney told WebMD. Phew. Let's get cooking. More here.

This Is the ‘World’s Smallest PC’, and You Can Buy It Now

A dual-core computer that's the size of a USB stick. Well, production is underway, and you can pre-order one right now.

Packed inside its tiny little frame is a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor built by Samsung, along with an ARM Mali-400 GPU. It also packs HDMI-out, WiFi and a Micro USB port— and comes with Android or Ubuntu pre-loaded as the OS. It also handles MPEG-4 and H.264 video formats, so you could plug it into a TV and use it as a rudimentary media PC.

It's soon set to be rivalled by the Raspberyy Pi; a British effort to produce a similar product for around $35. To use the Pi, however, you'll need to be at home with a command line.

If that's not for you, the FXI Cotton Candy is available for pre-order at $199, and should arrive sometime in March. More here.

The Future of Farming Is Brain-Dead Chickens?

The poultry industry routinely takes heat for the densely-crowded conditions birds are subjected to. But what if the animals didn't feel pain or suffer stress? One student thinks he has the solution—raise chickens like vegetables by lobotomizing the lot of them.

Architecture student André Ford has presented a very radical solution increase the efficiency and humaneness in raising poultry. Under his plan, birds would have their frontal cortexes surgically severed, rendering the animals permanently unconscious with no zero sensory input while maintaining their lower brain functions—breathing and such—so that they continue to grow.

The form and function of a chicken plant would change drastically as well. The birds would be suspended and immobilized from hanging racks. Their feet would be removed (not going to be doing much walking in their state) and the animals would receive nutrients through an esophageal tube. A second tube would remove waste—Matrix-style. The birds could literally be stacked—quadrupling the density from one chicken every 10 square feet to four—quietly growing until they're large enough to be harvested.

"Harvested" is an oddly applicable phrase for what this method would entail. The birds are effectively reduced to being fleshy vegetables that just sit there until picked. But that can't be any worse than their current living conditions, right?

So far, this is still simply an art project dubbed The Headless Chicken Solution at the Royal Collage of Art. But it could well be a glimpse into the future of industrial-scale farming. More here.

There Are Nearly a Half-Million Android Apps Now

Android is poised to take over the world—at least according to new numbers from Google. The number of Android apps has exploded to 450,000 up from 150,000 just a year ago. And that's just the beginning.

The Android numbers posted today by Google are seriously impressive: There are 800,000 Android device activations a day, and 300 million (!) Android devices worldwide. If this inspires you to go get an Android phone, start doing your research because more than 800 different Android devices have launched to date.

Duracell Powermat WiCC Could Bring Wireless Charging to any Smartphone

Powermat may have a bright future, but the company's products to date have been expensive, slightly clunky and a generally imperfect solution for bringing wireless power to mobile devices. That could all change with WiCC. The Wireless Charging Card (WiCC) is an IEEE Power Matters Alliance (PMA) standard, with the potential to integrate Duracell Powermat technology within every mobile gadget. The incredibly thin device resembles those wafer-like SmartMedia cards once used in early digital cameras, with a similar form factor, but significantly more practicality. Each WiCC includes all the PowerMat circuitry found in the company's charging cases, while also doubling as an NFC antenna. The card's success is of course contingent on cooperation from device manufacturers, who will need to add a slim connector above the battery leads, including two for power, two for NFC and two for data -- an app will monitor charging. Powermat reps say that such a connector would cost pennies to implement, however, making it a potentially easy sell.

Swappable Soles Let These Boots Adapt To Any Condition

No one wants to spend their money on a uni-tasker. They want as much bang for their buck as they can get, so Korkers has expanded their line of convertible fly fishing boots for use in snow and ice as well.

Using the company's OmniTrax 3.0 Interchangeable Sole system, the new SnowJack, IceJack and StormJack boots can be customized for different conditions requiring different types of traction. Each pair of boots includes a rubber sole for treading through snow, and an alternate sole augmented with 16 carbide spikes providing extra grip on ice.

Thanks to a snap-on system the soles can be easily swapped even while the boot is being worn, and they lock into place with reassuring clicks once you take your first steps. The new boots range in price from $140 to $200—depending on the level of waterproofing and insulation you need—while additional soles for particularly extreme conditions can also be purchased. More here.

Nokia is The Largest Windows Phone Maker in The World, After one Quarter

Boston, MA - February 24, 2012 – According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global Microsoft smartphone shipments grew 36 percent sequentially to reach 2.7 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011. Nokia captured top position as the world’s number one Microsoft smartphone vendor for the first time ever.

Alex Spektor, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “Global smartphone shipments using the Microsoft operating system grew 36 percent sequentially to reach 2.7 million units in Q4 2011. Microsoft smartphone shipments remain tiny, but they are showing tentative signs of growth. Nokia overtook HTC and others to become the world’s largest Microsoft smartphone vendor with 33 percent market share. Nokia’s global Microsoft smartphone shipments hit 0.9 million units, as distribution of its Lumia family expanded across numerous countries and operators.”

iPhone-Branded gas Stoves Seized by Chinese Authorities

Ordinarily, if you use your iPhone to fry eggs, it's time to check when your warranty expires. Not so for these KIRF iPhones, which can't make calls or download apps (let alone use Siri) but can fry your bacon rather well. 681 of these bafflingly branded gas stoves were seized by police in Wuhan, each bearing the legend "Apple China Limited." 

Apparently the units did not come with flame-out protection and only ran iOS 4.1, leading to the swoop. We should probably take that as solid confirmation that the iPhone 6's killer feature is going to involve making brunch on the go.

The Chair That’s Always the Right Height

The SCRW's striking design is brilliant. No matter how tall you are or what table you're sitting at the chair adjusts with just a turn to exactly the right height.

Designed by Manuel Welsky, the chair's seat is a big piece of cork with threads that screw into an aluminum frame. When your tall friend comes over for dinner, just turn the seat till it's at the right height. Those of you who play drums—or are familiar with drums, anyway—might recognize similarities to the screw-seat design of a drum throne.

At $660, the SCRW is pricey, but that's OK because it really shouldn't be the only piece of beautiful adjustable furniture out there. Someday, hopefully, all chairs will be this brilliant. More here.

Use a 50 Caliber Bullet to Open Your Silver Bullet

Like Beer?! Like Guns?! Let this bottle opener made from a real 50 caliber bullet casing serve as a token of your love for 'Merica. Don't just tap the Rockies; rip through it with the biggest bullet $20 can buy. More here.

Samsung Rugby Smart Officially Coming to AT&T March 4 for $100

After having seen the Samsung Rugby Smart poke its head out from time to time, Samsung's new rugged smartphone is officially hitting AT&T stores on March 4th. Much like the Pantech Element, the Rugby Smart will be "waterproof," meaning it can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in one meter of water.

The phone itself is built to mil-spec 810F standards, so it's going to handle most extreme conditions pretty well. So let's list off the specs we've heard so far: it will launch with Android 2.3 -- shocker, we know -- as well as a 3.7-inch WVGA Super AMOLED panel, 4GB of internal storage, 1,650mAh battery and a 1.3MP front-facing shooter for video chat along with a 5MP rear facing autofocus camera with LED flash and 720p video capture. 

How Much Does It Cost to Climb Mount Everest? More Than a Porsche

Alan Arnette has an excellent post on Outside detailing the costs of reaching Earth's highest summit, Mount Everest. I've never thought about it before but it totally makes sense that there are a lot of thingsthat go on to make that climb, right? And all those things cost a lot of money! Like $83,000 a lot of money.

Arnette details the three ways you can climb Mount Everest: putting together your own expedition, joining a logistics only expedition or joining a fully guided expedition. Fully loaded fully guided expeditions sound fancy — sushi, five star chefs, open bar, espresso machines — but of course, all that pizazz comes with a price, as those climbs can reach more than $100,000 plus tip and bonuses. Logistics only expeditions are considerably cheaper and less fancy but come with very little included. You want oxygen? Pay more. You want to know what the weather will be? Pay more. You get the idea.

The most clear breakdown Arnette gives is in planning your own personal expedition:

Travel expenses: $2,375 - $6,225
Getting to Everest Base Camp: $2,150
Climbing fees and deposits: $19,700 - $37,700
EBC equipment and cooks: $9,300
Oxygen and climbing Sherpas: $8,525
Gear: $7,000
Misc (medical kits, communications, evacuation): $8,250-$12,000

On the high end, that all totals up to $82,900. Is it worth that much money to see our world from its highest point? Maybe! But probably not for regular humans. I mean, as a reference, you can get a Porsche 911 Carrera for $82,100. Mount Everest or a Porsche?

Sorry, I'm getting the Porsche and climbing Mount Everest from my couch. More here.

Insanely Strong Molecular Glue, Inspired by Flesh-Eating Bacteria

If you've ever stuck your fingers together with super glue, you know pain. But imagine sticking them together with glue that bonds materials at the molecular level: that's realpain. It's also what scientists are doing, with the help of flesh-eating bacteria.

A team of researchers from the University of Oxford has created a molecular glue inspired by Streptococcus pyogenes, which can cause flesh-eating diseases, reports PhysOrg. In fact, the team was interested in a single protein: one which the bacterium uses to bind and invade human cells. "The protein is special because it naturally reacts with itself and forms a lock," explains Dr Mark Howarth, one of the researchers.

Taking that single protein as a design cue, they've developed a molecular glue which uses the same concepts. Their new protein forms covenant bonds when it comes into contact with a partner protein. The bonds it forms are so strong that, when they tested a sample, the equipment used to measure the strength broke before the glue.

As well as being incredibly strong, the technology can be used to make highly selective adhesives: the binding proteins adhere to themselves, but not to other entities. All that remains is to develop ways of incorporating the proteins into other molecular structures in order to create insanely strong, selective glues. More here.

New Snapdragon Chip With Integrated LTE Will Save Your Battery

Qualcomm's next-generation system-on-a-chip is set to turn up inside consumer devices at the Mobile World Congress—and judging by its rumored speed and integrated LTE technology, it could cause quite a stir.

Qualcomm has announced that the new chip—MSM8960, or Snapdragon S4 to its friends—will debut in several handsets next week in Barcelona. Whilst only dual-core, the exciting news is that Qualcomm has been able to roll LTE connectivity into the chip.

Currently, phones have a separate LTE processor that both adds bulk and kills battery performance. An integrated system should help alleviate those issues by sharing resources.

AnandTech has also had an opportunity to benchmark the new processor, and the results look promising, with the chip trumping the highest results from any currently shipping devices by a factor of two. In real-world tests, they found that compared to a Galaxy Nexus, the Snapdragon S4 helped reduce web page loading times by 0.3 seconds with the cache disabled or 1.4 seconds with it turned on. That is massive.

Qualcomm is planning to launch a quad-core version of the processor too, which should be interesting.

Nintendo 3DS hits 5 Million Units Faster Than DS

While it had a rocky moment in the middle, some heavy price-cutting and top-drawer games helped the system sell five million within a year in its native homeland. According to Nintendo, these are legitimate sell-through figures and as predicted, make the 3D-capable console Nintendo's fastest selling console to date.

Eating Dessert for Breakfast Can Make You Skinny

Your mother, doctors and life lied to you. According to scientists (science, people!), combining a low-calorie diet that includes dessert for breakfast will help you lose weight. Sweets, cookies, creme brulee, cake. ALL OF IT will help you lose weight if you start your day off like that. I love breakfast now.

According to the study, scientists put 144 obese people on a low carb, low calorie diet (1,400 calories for women, 1,600 calories for men) that were exactly identical except that one of the diets included "a high-carbohydrate, protein-enriched breakfast with a choice of cookies, chocolate, cake or ice cream for dessert."

What's interesting is that during the first 16-week period, the average weight loss was the same—both groups lost 32 pounds on average. Where it got suuuper interesting was the 16 week followup, people with the dessert for breakfast diet lost 13 more pounds while the other group gained back all but 3.5 pounds of the weight they lost. WHAT. IS. THIS. MADNESS. (It's supposedly something that deals with satisfying your cravings or something after a diet)

The full study is in the March 10 issue of the journal Steroids. I don't care, all I know is, get to eating dessert before 10 in the mornin' kids. It's good for you. More here.

Intel Launching New Atom-Based Processors With Digital Wi-Fi

If you thought Intel's Atom processor line was dead, think again: the company is launching a new version of the silicon, code named Rosepoint. Don't be too quick to dismiss it, either, because it sounds like the new mobile processor could mean business.

Wired reports that the new line of chips should bring significant reductions in power, cost, and size to Intel-powered smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Perhaps most interestingly, the chip has Wi-Fi built in as part of the digital chip. Current Wi-Fi chips tend to be analog, and a digital version should in theory be easier—and cheaper—to scale down. Indeed, Intel Chief Technical Officer Justin Rattner told Wired that the digital Wi-Fi chip should scale with Moore's law and has "state of the art power efficiency."

Even though Intel is officially announcing the chip in San Francisco this week, it won't be commercially available for at least two years. Given that it currently supports just 2.4GHz and Wi-Fi, that seems a little odd—though apparently versions with cellular data and built-in radio antennas are in development. More here.

New 8GB Nook Tablet Launching February 22nd?

According to leaked documents seen by The Verge, Barnes & Noble is launching an 8GB version of its Nook Tablet this week. That drop in capacity means one thing: it's planning to match, or undercut, the Kindle Fire.

The news comes from a leaked Walmart document. From The Verge:

"All we know for sure is that Walmart plans to launch this new device at 12:01AM on Wednesday, February the 22nd, and deliveries of the 8GB Tablet should be arriving in stores already."

Currently the 16GB Nook Tablet retails at $249, which is $50 more than the Kindle Fire. If a drop in capacity means that Barnes & Noble can match—or,even better, undercut—the Fire on price, it can expect to sell a whole heap more.

Microsoft reveals Windows 8's new logo: 'It's a window not a flag'

Microsoft is making plenty of big changes with its Windows 8 operating system, and that has now also extended to a new logo. As explained by Microsoft's Sam Moreau in a post on the official Windows blog, the logo was created with the help of the design agency Pentagram, which posed a simple question when it began on the project: "your name is Windows. Why are you a flag?"

That discussion eventually led to the four-paned window you see above, which not only looks more like a window than the previous logos, but clearly echoes the company's new Metro design language. Microsoft also notes that the logo is "authentically digital," and says it will welcome you with a slight tilt and change color based on your desktop. More here.