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Morning Xtra: Photo Fun With Currency, Netflix on Media Center

by Sean Captain on May 20, 2009 at 12:03 PM



You're So Money
Think that only dead people get their faces on currency? Think again. Akademi Fantasia has a delightful collection of photos showing how images on bills match up with real-live faces. There are no examples with greenbacks, though, so maybe dead white men do still rule the U.S. [From: Akademi Fantasia]

Au Revoir Internet Freedoms
The French government has just proposed new legislation, dubbed "Loppsi 2," that allows it to keep close tabs on Internet users. Provisions include the right to install keylogging programs on suspects' computers and requiring ISPs to aid in censoring child pornography. [From: Ars Technica]

Netflix comes to Windows Media Center
Microsoft's forgotten triumph, the brilliant Windows Media Center application got a bit more sparkle today with the addition of access to Netflix's online library of streaming videos (currently encompassing more than 12,000 movie and TV shows). Netflix access is already built into the Xbox 360 game console and several Blu-ray disc players. [From: Venture Beat]



Video calls with a better-looking version of yourself
Funny that we always imagined video calls would involve an image of ourselves... Turns out, people would much rather see each others' avatars. Linden Labs recently announced that users in its 'Second Life' world have made 15 billion minutes worth of phone calls in the game since the feature was introduced 18 months ago. [From: New York Times]

SanDisk proclaims imminent death of Blu-ray
In the apples-vs-oranges category, CEO Eli Harari of flash-memory maker SanDisk has proclaimed the end of Blu-ray. The reason: you can't fit a Blu-ray disc into a smartphone, but you can insert a flash memory chip holding an HD movie. We're not convinced. [From: Reuters]

Gmail to provide translations
Gone are the days when you had to actually know a foreign language (or at least how to use a dictionary) to write to your French or Japanese pen pal. Google now makes it automatic by integrating its language translator right into Gmail. [From: Download Squad]

Cars imitating video games
Graphics giant Nvidia has announced a new chip designed especially for rendering automobile instruments in 3-D. Instead of building instrument clusters for each model, carmakers might install a common screen and use software to render unique gauges in 3-D for each car. [From: Cnet]

iRobot's swarming droids
They may not be as sexy as the robotic spiders that hunted down Tom Cruise in Minority Report, but iRobot and the U.S. military are producing a similar capability with a one-pound, tank-like robot called "Ember." Able to form ad-hoc wireless networks, the little droids could be set loose to infiltrate and gather data on enemy hideouts or other military targets. Check out the video of the Ember in action, here. [From: Wired]

The USB Menace
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the "new" 'Star Wars' on June 10th (my, time flies!), Mimoco will begin selling commemorative USB flash drives. The one to eight-gigabyte drives will depict 'Phantom Menace' characters such as Darth Maul. [From: GeekSugar]

Tags: breaking news, breakingnews, morningxtra, top

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