Author: Connor Livingston

Man has possessed the power of technology-assisted flight for over a century now, but the way that birds are able to fly is something that has eluded us until now. We first covered the Festo SmarBird earlier this year. Now, TED and Festo team leader Markus Fischer give us the flight of the bird once again, this time to a standing ovation in England. As a bonus, Fischer voice has a striking resemblance to a former governor of California. …

The easiest way to get people to use a service is to save them money. That fact has been the catalyst for the tremendous growth of Daily Deals group buying companies like Living Social and Groupon over the last couple of years. Will it continue to be hot the way that other aspects of social networking have or will it die as quickly as tie dye? That’s the question that the folks over at GPlus tackled with the infographic below. In it, they take a look at these and other sites, comparing how large they’ve grown both online and through physical presence and try to determine what the future holds for this type…

There is a well-known transition of thought that has been singularly clear since the beginning of human existence: Data becomes information Information becomes knowledge Knowledge becomes wisdom It’s that simple. Over the centuries, the way we store and manage data has evolved in ways that have created a nearly-infinite improvement. What takes seconds to store now could have taken literally years to reproduce on stone tablets in the past. It’s an amazing technological world. This infographic by SocialCast breaks down that evolution visually. Click to enlarge. …

When Scott Pilgrim vs. The World hit Comic-Con last year, many declared it a hit before it made it to theaters. The excitement surrounding the geek crowd was electric and the reviews were, for the most part, stellar. It didn’t break $30 million in domestic ticket sales. This is not an isolated event. Comic-Con, the yearly Mecca of geek entertainment, has built a reputation as incorrectly predicting the overall success of movies. The image above tells the story. People get into a certain frame of mind when they go. There is tons of cosplay, eager fans waiting in long lines to watch premiers, and a celebrity…

Here is a quick tutorial on how to transfer your photos from Facebook to your Google+ account. It’s possible that Facebook could shut this off at any time, so do it as soon as possible if you want to do it at all. Create an account on PrimaDesk Add accounts, first Facebook, then Picasa (the login is the same as your Google+ account information) Click on the Camera tab on PrimaDesk You’ll see both accounts and your Facebook photos available Create a matching album on your Google+ account Drag and drop from Facebook to Google+ That’s it. Here’s the video describing it all from HouseholdHacker. …

Most modern games offer in-game features that add to the overall experience in ways that have nothing to do with the game or the mission itself. One such feature is the whiteboard used in Duke Nukem Forever. While the game itself was met with a certain level of criticism and the advertising agency working with them failed even more, this feature of the game has brought out some amazing creativity in people. Check out this video putting a little nibble from another popular game into this one. Pretty epic. …

Many who have graduated from college and headed towards to the promised land of Silicon Valley in the last few years have dreamed of innovations, lifestyle improvements, and potentially even a little fame. It has become the Hollywood of technology where people go to make their fortunes. Are they? This breakdown by Focus looks at what people can expect to make if they do plunge forward into the fast-paced society of Silicon Valley. Live fast. Code hard. Have a great looking condo. That’ the dream. Click to enlarge. …

There are a few things that are still up in the air about whether or not Google+ will succeed, whether it can take down Facebook, or whether they can co-exist. One man who has some experience with building a social network has jumped on the bandwagon and been more than just a little active. Tom Anderson, one of the founders of MySpace and the face of the company (literally) during the glory years is out with a vengeance learning about and promoting Google+. He will soon be part of over 70,000 circles and is treating the network as more than just a passing fancy. His posts are often long, thought-out, and…

There has been a lot of press surrounding bitcoins lately. They are viewed as a fun way to invest and play a virtual market with high potential gains. There is risk involved as with any investment, but there’s a huge advantage of trading bitcoins that few realize. Taxes? What taxes? This graphic by the money-knowing folks over at Intuit breaks down the loophole and shows the advantages and disadvantages of the digital currency world. When you have money without borders, what could go wrong? Answer: a lot. Is it worth the risks? …

We’re not quite to the point where we can push a button and say, “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” Then again, we may not be as far off as most would believe. The amazing technology behind the 3D printer is mind-blowing. From scanning and understanding every aspect of a tool, even moving parts, all the way to the actual “printing” process are things that are clearly out of a science fiction book and not reality, and yet there it is. Watch the video. Be amazed. Dream about the future. …