day

Airware's OS for commercial drones takes flight

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- While hobbyist use of drones is all the rage these days, there are few ways for commercial or enterprise customers to get unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the air.

But that's what Airware, one of the startups in the winter 2013 Y Combinator class, showed off at Demo Day today.

The Newport Beach, Calif., company aims to give commercial companies an easy-to-use development platform that will get their purpose-built drones up and flying in no time. Airware's platform comprises both on-board hardware and software, founder Jonathan Downey said. It also features elements that all … Read more

The spectacular science of exploding glass

When you drop molten glass into cold water, you get a curious object: a Prince Rupert's Drop, shaped like a teardrop with a long, wiggly tail. What's so curious about the Prince Rupert's Drop is that you can hit the bulb as hard as you like with a hammer, throw it against the wall, and yet, even though we think of glass as fragile, it will not break.

That is, until you hit the sweet spot. If you damage any part of the tail, just a tiny bit, the entire drop explodes outward in a stunning display.

Although the drops have been around for centuries, the reason for this strange behavior has only been discovered recently -- and it can be seen by watching the glass explode in slow motion. That's what YouTube science educator Destin of Smarter Every Day has done. … Read more

Apple kicks off free next-day shipping for all iPhones

Buy an iPhone through Apple online, and you can now score free next-day shipping.

The deal is good for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 4 but restricts purchases to two per buyer. Apple already offers free standard shipping on orders that total more than $50. But next-day shipping normally kicks in an additional charge depending on the size of the order.

The offer may be especially appealing to iPhone 4 buyers since that model is free with a standard two-year contract. Apple's order page doesn't indicate how long the promotion will last.

In the past, Apple … Read more

On Pi Day, Japanese propose with 0.314-carat diamonds

If you're a Japanese math geek with romantic inclinations, March 14 is a big day.

Not only is it Pi Day, the international day to celebrate the mathematical constant, it's also White Day, a sort of second Valentine's Day when men reciprocate gifts received on February 14.

Japanese jewelry retailer Brilliance + is cashing in on this coincidence by mixing a love of math with love itself in its "Propose With Pi" campaign.

The idea is that men can compare their undying, eternal love for their ladies to the never-ending digits of pi -- and, of course, express that love with a 0.314-carat diamond ring. … Read more

Unite the happy couple using careful dual-finger controls with Tied - Valentines Day Edition

The App store is filled with games celebrating various holidays. From holiday or seasonal versions of popular apps to one-off games designed to get the name of a new developer on the map, there are dozens of options released for seemingly every major holiday. One such app is Tied - Valentine's Day Edition, a whimsical, enjoyable version of Tied that perfectly captures the agony of love (in more ways than one) and the joy of uniting. The game is delivered in a beautiful package, the interface is incredibly simple, and with a couple quick swipes, you can get right … Read more

The 404 1,217: Where it's kind of hot in these rhinos (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Discussion: Are you spoiling a movie for yourself by listening to the soundtrack before watching the movie? Inspired by Clint Mansell's new "Stoker" score available to stream.

- Discussion: Which programs are still shown in standard definition?

- The New York Times warns against sitting at work.… Read more

Adobe issues emergency patch for zero-day Flash vulnerabilities

Adobe Systems released an emergency security update today that addresses a trio of vulnerabilities in Flash, two of which the company said were already being exploited by hackers.

Today's surprise update -- the company's third for the browser plug-in this month -- patches holes "that could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system," Adobe said in a security bulletin.

"Adobe is aware of reports that CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648 are being exploited in the wild in targeted attacks designed to trick the user into clicking a link which … Read more

App to start fresh on Valentines day

Face it dude, what's done is done. Get over your ex by purging your collections and recollections so that you can get back in the game with a fresh state of body, mind, and wallet.

Now for some precautionary measures. I'm not one to doubt you guys as those who lack self control and willpower, but hey, it's that time of year so why risk it? Use Stupid Phone Calls Blocker to stop yourself from 'accidentally' dialing that ex boyfriend/girlfriend of yours. You can also use this to stop incoming calls and texts from he/she-who-must-not-be-named. … Read more

Where to find hearts in OS X

With it being Valentine's Day, you might wish to send your significant other an amorous message or two, and while a card, flowers, or a box of chocolates may be the traditional ways to do so, sending a quick e-mail or chat message is not out of the question, either. Of course, you may wish to enhance said message with a heart or two. Sure, the first way that comes to mind would probably be to search the Web for an image you would like, but there are actually a couple of nice heart images buried in OS X … Read more