Light your tree with your phone — howto.cnet.com — Readability

Light your tree with your phone — howto.cnet.com — Readability: "I will admit right at the top here that the following how-to is more fun than practical. You should try it anyway.

There's never been a high-tech distraction this inexplicably amusing to me since the invention of kittens and laser pointers (they really should come bundled)."

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HEL-MD takes out mortars and UAVs with vehicle-mounted laser

HEL-MD takes out mortars and UAVs with vehicle-mounted laser: "High energy laser weapons are a hot area of research with companies including Lockheed Martin, Rheinmetall and Northrop Grumman all developing systems. Boeing is also in the mix with its High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD), which is being put through its paces by the US Army. Between November 18 and December 10, the HEL MD successfully took out mortar rounds and UAVs in flight, marking a first for the vehicle-mounted system."

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Toymail lets families send messages to kids' toys

Toymail lets families send messages to kids' toys: "How can you mail a simple hello or send your love to kids too young to pick up a phone? Here's a thought – send them messages through their toys instead. Toymail, the brainchild of Clocky's inventor Gauri Nanda, lets anyone send messages to kids through cute smart toys that act as voice messengers."

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Rinspeed shows what the self-driving car will be like to ride in

Rinspeed shows what the self-driving car will be like to ride in: "Autonomous driving has consistently made headlines throughout 2013, with car companies showcasing development vehicles and detailing individual components that will help usher in the era of the self-driving car, like adaptive cruise control and self-parking systems. But, if they really want to get us excited about autonomous technology, what they should be doing is showing us a clear vision of what all those technologies are leading to: a car that drives itself while you drink your coffee and read the paper as if you're still in your recliner at home. That's the tack automotive think tank Rinspeed has taken with its new XchangE concept car."

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The meaning of "Doom" — www.economist.com — Readability

The meaning of "Doom" — www.economist.com — Readability: "TWENTY years ago today, a small Texas company called id Software uploaded a file to an FTP server at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That file was "Doom", one of the few video games that almost everybody has heard of. It sold in the millions, has been converted to run on almost any computing hardware available, and still boasts a dedicated community today, something virtually unheard of for something as ephemeral as a video game."

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Final design of Platypus underwater exploration vehicle revealed

Final design of Platypus underwater exploration vehicle revealed: "After four years of development and months of prototype testing, Platypus founder Francois Alexandre Bertrand and his team have decided on the final design for their Platypus underwater exploration vehicle that will be launched next year. Aside from sporting a more polished look, the final production version also includes a number of newly-announced features."

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"Coolest" cooler chills, blends and plays music

"Coolest" cooler chills, blends and plays music: "A good cooler keeps your drinks chilled during a picnic, backyard BBQ or camping trip. The Coolest not only does that, but it also mixes up frosty margaritas and plays music for your party. With the docking grill, it even cooks your food. Its designer hopes to get the feature-packed cooler to picnics and tailgates next year"

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Google reportedly launching a Nexus-branded set-top box — www.techhive.com — Readability

Google reportedly launching a Nexus-branded set-top box — www.techhive.com — Readability: "Google is nothing if not persistent. The Information (warning: paywall) reports that Google will be launching a Nexus-branded set-top box as early as the first half of next year."

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New on Netflix, five of 2013's best films — www.techhive.com — Readability

New on Netflix, five of 2013's best films — www.techhive.com — Readability: "It’s almost the end of the year, which means soon we’ll start seeing various tastemakers trotting out those traditional lists of the best music, books, and of course movies. But this year is better than usual—as it happens five of the best, most enjoyable movies of 2013 are newly available streaming on Netflix. We also picked some of the best films from past years, from 2009 all the way back to 1950, also new to Netflix. Of course, it’s all a game, choices are personal, and opinions change over time. But for now, these 10 are a great start—see if any make your own best-of-all-time list."

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Ultimate Ears Boom Review and Giveaway — www.makeuseof.com — Readability

Ultimate Ears Boom Review and Giveaway — www.makeuseof.com — Readability: "In the past year, I’ve had the chance to review two excellent and portable Bluetooth speakers. Both the UE Mobile Boombox and the Jawbone Mini Jambox have impressed me so much, I was almost tempted to keep them both, redundant as that may seem. So imagine my excitement when the chance cropped up to review what should be superior to them both — the Ultimate Ears Boom."

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DARPA developing giant folding space telescope

DARPA developing giant folding space telescope: "DARPA has announced planes to use a foldable plastic lens to “break the glass ceiling” of space telescopes. It’s part of the agency’s Membrane Optical Imager for Real-Time Exploitation (MOIRE) program, which aims at replacing conventional glass optics with lightweight polymer membranes that may one day make possible a foldable plastic orbital telescope 20 m (65 ft) wide that will be capable of seeing a medium-sized dog on Earth from 36,000 km (22,000 mi) away."

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Wokart: The 70 km/h go-kart for the water

Wokart: The 70 km/h go-kart for the water: "The Wokart is a featherweight asymmetric catamaran with a centrally-located 70 hp outboard motor that's designed to have the driving characteristics and low power-to-weight of a go-kart."

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