Author: Toby Leftly

Stephen Hawking has spoken out about extraterrestrials, and is almost certain they exist. Furthermore, he believes that humans should be extremely cautious about first encounters. “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach.” If this sounds familiar, it’s because the uber-genius is paraphrasing from almost…

If you’re one of the many people who simply don’t get Twitter, this might help: BitRebels provides a rundown on the different kinds of tweets and twitterers. The seven type of twitters are Content Providers, Twitter DJs, Retweeters, Time And Weather tweeters, Quotes and Inspiration posters, Help Tweeters and Conversationalists. The first are the kind who are posting new information, responsible for new trending topics and retweet fodder. Twitter DJs are those who use Twitter to spread music and information about music, Retweeters are those who only ever re-post other people’s tweets, time…

You don’t see much stained glass outside your weekly (or slightly more occasional) trip to church, but how many of you would feel more spiritual in a church with Star Wars and video game themed art on the windows? This design treat features some of the holiest topics around – Luke Vs. Vader, Mr. T and Super Mario to name a few. If the geek thing isn’t your bag, there’s Elvis and Lady Gaga too. These less crashy kinds of Windows are the  work of RadianceArt, available on Etsy.com. The Mario Mushroom costs $175. Source: WebUrbanist…

Google is now rolling out subtle changes to their look and feel and site updates to some regions. Google, well known for their simple homepage and only minor, occasional revisions have been experimenting with slight changes to their logo and the layout of their search pages. The new logo uses brighter colours with a less emphasized bevel and drop shadow. Changes to search pages include more consistent hyperlink appearances, a cleaner, leaner sidebar, with icons to assist users looking to refine searches. Google is well known for its overly logical approach to design. Douglas Bowman, now at…

Starting today, Israel is reversing its ban on Apple’s iPad. The device was previously banned amid questions of the devices compliance with Israel’s laws and requirements for wireless power output. Israel’s Minister of Communications stated that after intensive technical scrutiny, the device would no longer be confiscated by customs officials. “Starting Sunday we will begin allowing iPads into the country” said Moshe Kakhlon. The ban was based on suspicions that the iPad interfered with the wireless capability of other equipment. The Ministry also authorized the release of twenty iPads…

The legality of Gizmodo’s iPhone Prototype scoop may at last catch up with them as police begin investigating the theft. The issue has been debated back and forth all week on the web, with some commenters saying the prototype was straight up stolen, and others saying Gizmodo acted inside the letter of the law. The iPhone 4G prototype was “found” in a bar in Santa Clara, then sold by an unknown party to Gizmodo for a $5000 fee. California’s laws on property loss regarding this matter seems less than clear, but it is clear that whoever found the phone could have done more to return it to its rightful owner….

The rumors are beginning to circulate about Mac OS X 10.7, Apple’s next major update to its Mac operating system. Software company Rixstep says developers should be prepared for a Mac experience similar to the iPhone and now iPad method of developing and distributing apps. With the full designation as yet unknown (Lion? Bobcat? Tabby?), 10.7 is expected to bring a face lift to Apple’s ex-flagship OS, but other details remain unknown. Rixstep says that “10.7 will have kernel support for (‘insistence on’) binaries signed with Apple’s root certificate”. Roughly translated, this means that…

Absolutely the coolest thing I’ve seen in weeks, the iRetrofone is exactly what it appears to be – an old skool phone that uses your iPhone rather than your phone line. That’s right, 1955 called, it wants its phone back. With this add-on you’ll be perfectly suited to take that call. The iRetrofone is hand made, lovingly cast one at a time in resin. It also allows you to connect via USB to your computer for syncing and charging. Available in black, pink and clear, the iRetrofone will set you back $195, a hefty sum over and above the ha’penny price tag one might expect for such an item. Oh well – no one ever said…

The web has been around for some time now, and the world is divided into two camps: people who get it, and people who don’t. If you open a browser, type ‘google.com’ in the address bar and then type ‘facebook.com’ into the Google search box, you don’t really ‘get’ the web. Google is hoping to rectify that, with a small, and fairly obvious change that no one has ever really thought too much about. Their Chrome browser no longer displays the ‘http://’ in front of the domain name in the address bar. The change has caused a stir in the web nerd community, with accusations of dumbing down the web, and questions…

Meet the OM Mouse, a new mouse designed to relieve the strain produced by long term mouse use. The trendy, futuristic looking accessory is the product of studies that show the strain on your hands comes from the fingertips, so the mouse was designed to force users to spread their hand while using it. The mouse is wireless, of course, but it’s only major feature is it’s ergonomic advantage. For a long time I favoured the Microsoft standard mouse, so the Apple Magic Mouse I now use feels pretty flat. It’s got nothing on the Om mouse though. Like many design showcases, this is more of a proof-of-concept…