A hacker called muslix64 posted instructions on how to crack AACS (Advanced Access Content System) encryption, used on high-definition HD-DVD discs to prevent and illegal copying and bootlegging.
I was not aware of anyone having done that, so I did. Have a look. The AACS copy protection system is realy Unbreakable! The program is a simple implementation of the aacs crypto protocol freely available on the net. No reverse engineering! Stay tuned for source code soon! Merry Christmas everyone! - muslix64
Reuters News Click on HD-DVD AACS Copy Protection
The AACS system was developed by companies including Walt Disney Co., Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Toshiba Corp. and Sony Corp. to protect high-definition formats, including Toshiba’s HD-DVD and Sony’s Blu-ray.
Muslix64 posted a video and decryption codes showing how to copy several films, including Warner Bros’ “Full Metal Jacket” and Universal Studios’ “Van Helsing,” on a popular hacker Internet blog and a video-sharing site.
The hacker also promised to post more source code on January 2 that will allow users to copy a wider range of titles. - Reuters
The “Interactive Sonic Systems” team in the Music Technology Group within the Audiovisual Institute at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona Spain have created an absolutely magnificent digital block based techno musical instrument called the “reactable“. The reactable is a “state-of-the-art multi-user electro-acoustic music instrument with a tabletop tangible user interface”.
Read more below and check the media link for more pictures and videos.
The reactable, is a state-of-the-art multi-user electro-acoustic music instrument with a tabletop tangible user interface. Several simultaneous performers share complete control over the instrument by moving physical artefacts on the table surface and constructing different audio topologies in a kind of tangible modular synthesizer or graspable flow-controlled programming language.
The reactable hardware is based on a translucent round table. A video camera situated beneath, continuously analyzes the table surface, tracking the nature, position and orientation of the objects that are distributed on its surface, representing the components of a classic modular synthesizer. These objects are passive without any sensors or actuators, users interact by moving them, changing their position, their orientation or their faces (in the case of volumetric objects). These actions directly control the topological structure and parameters of the sound synthesizer. A projector, also from underneath the table, draws dynamic animations on its surface, providing a visual feedback of the state, the activity and the main characteristics of the sounds produced by the audio synthesizer.- reactable
Check out this very interactive Periodic Table of the Elements. This flash based educational tool has and image representation for each element but also displays information for each element when clicked. View the table of elements here: http://www.popsci.com/popsci/periodictable/
Flip through your e-books like traditional bound and printed books with this new electronic ebook reader with binding. Named the “Turnover” an E-Reader designed by Timothy Yeoh. Yeoh has created an electronic ebook reader that feels and looks like a book.
The British government has taken on a new strategy of psychological warfare and manipulation on Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. These cell phone text message attacks are being performed by a sector in the Intelligence Corps’ HQ called 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group located in Chicksands, Beds.
Texts range from simple abuse such as “We know who you are, give up” or “Go home, you’ll never beat us”. Others are disguised as messages from comrades to spread duff information. And attacks on Royal Marine commandos in lawless Helmand province are DOWN in the last month since the mind games began.
Wow, I had no idea, though I could have probably figured, yet I had not before. People around the world are building their very own personal video projectors at home. The best part about this is that many are posting their “do it yourself” video projector schematics and prototypes online for you to see and learn. There are communities dedicated to building and constructing considerably low cost D.I.Y. video projectors.
It seems the price and quality of consumer LEDs in recent years has manifested many high quality projects by videophiles alike.
Diyeitor over at lumenlab forums built this nice video projector. The color and quality look excellent though one would have to really see it in person.
You can view Diyeitor’s thread about this here: The Diy17-hdtv’s projector, my high definition projector from Spain
Check out these upright standing video projectors build by someone over at allinbox.com
I know the levitating frog is old news, but since I ran into this video, I though I might as well post it. The video depicts a frog being levitated by diamagnetism using a 10 Tesla magnetic coil.
Diamagnetism is a form of magnetism that is only exhibited by a substance in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field. It is the result of changes in the orbital motion of electrons. Applying a magnetic field creates a magnetic force on a moving electron in the form of F = qv × B. This force changes the centripetal force on the electron, causing it to either speed up or slow down in its orbital motion. This changed electron speed modifies the magnetic moment of the orbital in a direction opposing the external field. -Wiki
This is a LIVE grasshopper. An object does not need to be superconducting to levitate. Normal things, even humans, can do it as well, if placed in a strong magnetic field. Although the majority of ordinary materials, such as wood or plastic, seem to be non-magnetic, they, too, expel a very small portion (0.00001) of an applied magnetic field, i.e. exhibit very weak diamagnetism. The molecular magnetism is very weak (millions times weaker than ferromagnetism) and usually remains unnoticed in everyday life, thereby producing the wrong impression that materials around us are mainly nonmagnetic. But they are all magnetic. It is just that magnetic fields required to levitate all these “nonmagnetic” materials have to be approximately 100 times larger than for the case of, say, superconductors. This experiment was conducted at the Nijmegen High Field Magnet Laboratory. -meanbob088
In this Mythbusters holiday special television show, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage capitalize on the reaction from dropping Mentos in Cola to power this fun and comical elaborate piece of machinery.
A Rube Goldberg machine or device is any exceedingly complex apparatus that performs a very simple task in a very indirect and convoluted way. Rube devised such pataphysical devices. A Rube Goldberg machine usually has at least ten steps. The best examples of his machines have an anticipation factor: the fact that something so wacky is happening can only be topped by it happening in a suspenseful manner. One story about Rube Goldberg holds that, while sleep-walking barefoot in a cactus field, he screamed out an idea about a self-operating napkin. - Wiki
Watch the Mythbusters Holiday Special Rube Goldberg Machine Video
Check out this very interactive Periodic Table of the Elements. This flash based educational tool has and image representation for each element but also displays information for each element when clicked. View the table of elements here: 
Flip through your e-books like traditional bound and printed books with this new electronic ebook reader with binding. Named the “Turnover” an E-Reader designed by Timothy Yeoh. Yeoh has created an electronic ebook reader that feels and looks like a book.
