Morning Xtra: 'COLBERT' Flies on Space Station; 'Galaga' on iPhone
NASA Honors Comedian With Space Treadmill
NASA won't be naming a module of International Space Station after Stephen Colbert, even though the television comedian won the online naming contest with 230,000 votes after urging his viewers to put his name on the ballot. The space agency reserved the right to choose the final name, instead opting to call the module 'Tranquility.' As a consolation to the true contest winner, NASA announced the station's newest exercise machine, an elaborate treadmill, will be rechristened the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or COLBERT. Colbert stated on his show that he believes the treadmill is actually better than the new module, because the module is merely a box for the treadmill. Beautiful. [From: USA Today]
Finally, 'Galaga' for iPhone/Touch
It amazes us that it took so long, but the classic arcade game 'Galaga' is finally available for the iPhone/iPod Touch. Released by Namco/Bandai, 'Galaga Remix' ($6) offers a revamped version of the arcade favorite, as well as the untarnished original that we love so well. So put down that roll of quarters and head to the iPhone app store for space blasting, pixelated goodness. [From: USA Today]
Twitter May Be Hazardous to Your Morality
Caution: Twitter and other rapid-fire news sources could make you an immoral monster, incapable of compassion or human sympathy. This according to scientists at the University of Southern California, whose recent study supposedly found that people were quick to respond to signs of pain or anguish in others, but much slower in showing compassion or admiration. Researchers fear that sites like Twitter, which constantly bombards users with new information, may trigger indifference to human suffering and could harm a viewer's moral compass. We could not disagree more -- in our opinion, all forms of media tend to abstract suffering. It's no different than finding it hard to feel sad about events around the globe that you read about in the newspaper. Twitter has nothing to do with it. [From: CNN]
Big Rumors About Microsoft Zune
There are definitely big things going on in the world of Zune this week. Images of a new release of Microsoft's portable media player called Zune HD leaked out late last week, and now we're hearing reports of a new Zune mobile service code-named 'Pink.' No word yet as to what all the service could entail, but rumor has it that we may be seeing a relaunch of Zune as media software for the Windows Mobile platform. [From: Engadget]
Auto CEO Drinks Battery Fluid to Prove A Point
One of the largest factors holding back electric cars from mass production is batteries -- there is still much more development needed to make them safe and powerful enough for everyday use, although there are new developments every day. Chinese battery company and automaker BYD set out to develop a completely recyclable electric car battery. Wang Chuan-Fu, the company's founder and CEO made big headlines recently by chugging his company's non-toxic battery fluid. Check out the full story, including how BYD is attracting big-time investor Warren Buffet, here. [From: CNN, Via: Autoblog]
Twitter War Between Ashton Kutcher and Larry King
Oh, it's on! CNN host Larry King issued this YouTube response to Ashton Kutcher, who, yesterday, challenged the global news network to see who could be the first Twitter member to reach one million followers. Currently, CNN is in the lead with around 930,000 followers, but Kutcher isn't too far behind. This Twitter war thing has become a bit of a phenomenon, which began way back in February when comedian Michael Ian Black challenged actor LaVar Burton. We'll try to keep you updated on Kutcher vs. King, but in the meantime, get yourself over to Twitter and throw in your hat with one of the contenders! [From: TechCrunch]
Lame Video Game Trains Hilton Employees
As if employee training videos weren't bad enough, Hilton Hotels now has its own employee training video game. Developed for the Sony PSP, the game, titled 'Hilton Garden Inn Ultimate Team Play,' apparently simulates lets the player clean rooms, work the front desk, and manage the hotel's supply of salt as a food server. In other words, you do exactly what you'd do if you were an hourly employee at the hotel. We're sure it's an absolute blast, but we'll stick with good 'ol on the job training thank you. [From: Joystiq]
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
