And not just because he’s no longer governor. California has just made it harder to pretend to be someone you’re not — at least on the Internet.
Technology
English Is Out: Chinese to Rule the World Wide Web
“Great Firewall” or not, Chinese Web surfers have overtaken the intertubes and so, it turns out, has their mother tongue. The stats are in: Chinese is poised to outpace English as the dominant language online.
The Tech Behind the Times Square Ball Drop
The ball that drops every New Year’s Eve in New York City started as a 400-pound, iron-and-wood creation. Now the ball weighs nearly six tons and features a Waterford crystal display of hearts. Find out the technological history …
Siriusly Safe: Ford to Let Parents Censor Car Radios
Howard Stern will be taken off the road, at least in some cars — and for particular drivers.
Man Tries to Rob Restaurant With iPhone
What’s worse: he’s a notoriously bad tipper.
Your Next Meal Could Come from a Printer
If a group of Cornell scientists have their way, a printer could be the new blender.
Exclusive Video: Last Minute Present Alert – The Indestructible Computer Hard Drive (Trust Us, We Tried)
We blasted with heat, and submerged in water, but the hard drive survived it all. Don’t believe us? Check out the video. (via Techland)
Behind Google’s Holiday Doodle
If you’re into Google Doodles then Micheal Lopez is your very own Santa.
China’s Robot Waiters: No Tipping Necessary
A restaurant that opened this month in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong uses robots for waiters, boosting efficiency and providing further proof that human beings are superfluous. Machines don’t grumble over tips. And …
Have Cell Phones Killed the Landline Telephone?
Need further proof that cell phones have finally over taken landlines in communication’s version of survival of the fittest? A new study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that young people lead …
Forget Rummaging Goodwill Bins. Moms Go Online to Swap for Christmas Presents
A modern version of bartering is gaining in popularity.
Does Your Online Date Have a Dirty Past? New Services Will Find Out
Nothing kills romance like discovering you’ve been flirting with a felon, or even worse, ahem, a married man online. But now, New York state and New Jersey are passing laws to regulate the billion-dollar internet dating …