Tech Links: May 18, 2012

"Felidae" from XKCD

Entertainment

Designers vs. Developers

Gadgets

Sonic weapons deployed in London during Olympics

News

From the department of come-upings: Google Demands $4 Billion A year From Microsoft

How Apple avoids paying billions in tax

In Fort Lee, New Jersey, police officers are now handing out tickets to pedestrians that text while J-walking. In March 2012, Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli issued a pedestrian safety statement (pdf) that suggests that pedestrians “need to resist talking on their cell phones and/or taking their headphones off while crossing a street.” According to Myfoxny.com, more than “20 pedestrians have been hit by cars so far this year in the borough.” [More]

Reading & Discussion

How Yahoo Killed Flickr and Lost the Internet

Is The Free Internet A New God?

Please don't learn to code (Coding Horror). Please Don't Become Anything, Especially Not A Programmer. (Learn Code the Hard Way).

Take Back The Nerd: Five Ways To Be A Good Fan

The problem with nerd politics: If we don't operate within the realm of traditional power and politics, then we will lose

Software

On Diaspora's Social Network, You Own Your Data: Surely online personas could be a better visual depiction of personalities. Diaspora’s hoping that with the right tools, people could be proud of the things they make online and could channel the joy of DIY creativity.
Why publishers don't like apps.

Technology

For the first time since she was paralyzed by a stroke 15 years ago, a woman in the BrainGate2 clinical trial served herself a drink of coffee ... with a brain-controlled robot arm (with heartwarming video)

Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sight

A new world record for fuel efficiency has been set. John and Helen Taylor drove a a 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE for 1,626.1 miles, averaging 84.1 miles per gallon, using hypermiling techniques. The EPA lists the vehicle at 31 mpg city and 43 highway. Meanwhile, youtube user "Fidallyb" is upset because the BlueMotion TDI Passat he rented while vacationing in Europe got over 78 mpg and yet isn't available in the United States. Here are five more fuel efficient cars you can't buy in the United States.

Why the death of DRM would be good news for readers, writers and publishers

Tutorials

How To Cut Your Linux PC’s Boot Time in Half With E4rat

Turn Your PlayStation Vita into a cell phone