An early mobile phone from 1922

Video of a very early mobile phone ... fire hydrant not included.

As almost everyone and their dog has already mentioned ... it doesn't support flash, either :)

But you can stream music from the early iTunes store ...


It's no iPhone 4G, but it is in black and white... - Computerworld Blogs

Here's something you don't see every day: a 1922-vintage mobile phone. Pathé News has discovered a silent, black and white movie of this pre-historic device being demonstrated, somewhere in America. Let's take a peek at this (ahem) distant cousin of the iPhone 4G

Meet the in-laws ...

These are not new results, but more details are emerging.   Neanderthal genes occur randomly at the 1%-4% level in non-African humans, yet there is no sign of modern human genes in the Neanderthal samples.

Neanderthals and humans interbred, fossils indicate - USATODAY.com

Stocky, thick-browed and heavy-boned, the Neanderthals last shared a common ancestor with the African precursors to modern humans about 500,000 years ago. The Neanderthals populated the Near East and Europe until they vanished from the fossil record about 30,000 years ago. The gene maps produced by the DNA analysis of the bones found Neanderthal genes scattered randomly among non-Africans, Paabo says, indicating they don't account for any racial differences between modern-day Africans and anyone else. Also, the study finds no sign of human genes intruding into the Neanderthal lineage.

The Museum of RetroTechnology

Pneumatic networks, hot-air gramophones, monowheels.   Find it all at this site. 


The Museum of RetroTechnology

This elegant monowheel cycle- the word "bicycle" seems somehow inappropriate, though there are certainly two wheels involved- dates back to 1869. It was built by Rousseau of Marseilles.
"In 1869 the craftsman Rousseau of Marseilles built this monocycle, which perches the cyclist on the inside of a 2 1/2 yards-high wheel. As there is no steering mechanism, it makes uncommon demands on the rider's sense of balance." 

Apple Shuts down LaLa

Another great online music service is snuffed out, just a couple of weeks following the bizarre changes at last.fm. 

The Lala service will be shut down on May 31, 2010.
Service Available through May 31, 2010

You will be able to access and play all music in your Lala collection through May 31, 2010. Any mp3 songs purchased and downloaded from Lala will continue to play as part of your local music library. You can continue to purchase mp3 songs through May 31st using your wallet balance or other payment methods.

Lala - Where music plays

Lala is shutting down
The Lala service will be shut down on May 31st, 2010.

Unfortunately, we are no longer accepting new users.
Members, you can still use Lala through May 31st, 2010.

Neanderthals still with us.

Comparison of the entire genome of nearly 2000 people world wide reveals evidence that is best explained by two episodes of interbreeding with Neanderthals at 60K and 45K years ago.



Neanderthals may have interbred with humans twice

The research was carried out by a group of genetic anthropologists from the University of New Mexico, and leader of the team, Jeffrey Long, said the findings mean Neanderthals did not completely disappear, but “there is a little bit of Neanderthal left over in almost all humans.”

What Should the Next Supreme Court Nominee Know?

What key areas of experience and expertise might round out the current court in the absence of Justice Stevens following his retirement?   Should Obama nominate a liberal?  An Evironmentalist?  A representative of any one of the numerous underrepresented and disenfranchised groups that have suffered inequality under the law?  Maybe.  But then there's also this.   Read the article, its unbelievable. 

Our Tech-Savvy Supreme Court - Law Blog - WSJ

According to the story, the first sign of trouble came was about midway through the argument, when Chief Justice John Roberts asked what the difference was “between email and a pager?” (Cue sound of hard slap against forehead.)

Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days

True dat ... click through to see why.