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Halaxis

Science

Are Taser Guns Torture?

By Posted on 1.22.2008 9 Comments
Last week, the United Nations Committee Against Torture ruled that the Taser gun is a form of torture, and "can even provoke death." The group issued the statement in response to news that Portugal has purchased Taser X-26 stun guns for its police force. Basically, the UN thinks that's a bad idea, and a violation of the UN'S Convention against Torture. Naturally, Taser isn't too happy about this conclusion. The company says the UN group is "out of touch" and questions its contention that there is evidence the stun guns can provoke death. Yet it's not exactly surprising that people are raising questions, since two people died after being jolted by the gun in Canada in the last two months. There's no evidence that the Taser devices actually caused the deaths, but officials are looking into both events.—Gregory Mone Via Engadget

7.10.2009 at 02:53pm - Comment by Halaxis

You know what, the personal opinions passed off as facts is starting to annoy me. Everyone on Popsci seems to think their opinion is correct and everyone else is wrong. Ego checks any one? For the level headed people who have some decency, kudo's to you. Currently, everything here is opinion. None of it is true fact, unless someone can back up that claim with SCIENTIFIC FACT. People aren't just going to take your word for it. Professional Articles, or it didn't happen. P.S. Adding scientific words to your comment doesn't make it any more valid, I doubt half of people on Popsci even know what their really talking about, again, to people who do, props to you. And seriously? The immature, lonely, child who posted the deeply offensive "Heil Hitler" needs to learn not satisfy his insecurity by trolling for attention on "educated forums." I'm glad no ones feeding the troll. Come on people, Give us some proof as to why Taser's are either harmful or helpful other than the obvious of the technology being a non-lethal tool or can cause problems with the heart.
Entertainment & Gaming

Tested: The Sports Drink from Space

By Mike Haney Posted on 7.7.2009 5 Comments
Editor Mike Haney is training for the New York City Marathon with all the help from high-end running tech he can get. Read his previous posts here. Did you know that several of the NASA research centers scattered around the country keep lists on their Web sites of the technologies they have available to license and sell to the public? Neither did I, but that's why I'm not launching businesses like David Belaga is. He's the CEO of Wellness Brands, which plucked a beverage NASA developed to keep astronauts hydrated and just started selling it as The Right Stuff, a concentrate for elite athletes that want to separate their electrolyte intake from their carb intake (carbs in sports drinks typically being some form of sugar). I consider myself more of an elite non-athlete, but on a few recent runs, I poured some Right Stuff vials into bottles of water to see if it helped keep my whistle wet.

7.8.2009 at 10:47am - Comment by Halaxis

yeah, Stop advertising here, you trolls.
Gadgets

Microsoft: “Sayonara Vista…Hello 7!”

By Tom Conlon Posted on 2.9.2009 27 Comments
Is Microsoft finally admitting that Windows Vista is a lost cause? Well, that’s certainly not the official company line, but it does kind of seem that way to me. The embattled OS’s successor, Windows 7, wraps up a public beta in a few days and speculation is that Microsoft is planning to crown its heir to the Windows kingdom as early as the Fall. By then, Vista will have been on store shelves for less than three years. That’s not a very long time compared to XP, which was top dog for five years before being replaced by Vista—if it was ever really replaced at all.

6.13.2009 at 06:30pm - Comment by Halaxis

And if you want to be a bit**y 5 year old whos mother won't let him buy candy at Super Fresh, go to some Anti-Microsoft Forum and be a bigot there sil vous plais.
Gadgets

Microsoft: “Sayonara Vista…Hello 7!”

By Tom Conlon Posted on 2.9.2009 27 Comments
Is Microsoft finally admitting that Windows Vista is a lost cause? Well, that’s certainly not the official company line, but it does kind of seem that way to me. The embattled OS’s successor, Windows 7, wraps up a public beta in a few days and speculation is that Microsoft is planning to crown its heir to the Windows kingdom as early as the Fall. By then, Vista will have been on store shelves for less than three years. That’s not a very long time compared to XP, which was top dog for five years before being replaced by Vista—if it was ever really replaced at all.

6.13.2009 at 06:28pm - Comment by Halaxis

Well, it simply comes down to this. Your mindset. If you think that Windows is the biggest turd in the universe, then it is. If you're open about it or like Vista, its great. Also, Every computer is different, even if they have the same specs. For example, take my school, there are 100's of computers of the EXACT same specs, save a few that were upgraded for the video creation class, and they all have different problems, start ups, shut down, load times, internet speeds, etc. etc. No two computers are the same so some will run Vista like s*** and others like its god. Stop whining and swich your OS if you don't like Vista, or clean out you computer with CCleaner(recommended to me by BestBuy). It will speed up nearly every aspect of Vista.
Science

Can the Internet be Addictive?

By Posted on 1.22.2008 4 Comments
An article describing something called "Internet addiction disorder" has been spreading around the Web, and Vaughan Bell, a psychiatrist at King's College London, is fuming over what he calls the "infuriating and self-contradictory" piece. Bell just published a paper in the Journal of Mental Health detailing why this supposedly new brand of psychological addiction is, in fact, impossible. He says that people can become addicted to substances or activities, but stresses that the Internet is neither. Instead, he says it's a medium of communication, and that one can be no more addicted to it than to language or radio waves. Bell acknowledges that there are people who have significant psychological problems and do spend too much time online, but says there's little evidence that all the surfing causes those problems. The Japanese, he says, are approaching the issue the right way. They've identified the problem driving the individuals known as hikkikomori, who spend all their time using the Internet and playing video games, as social withdrawal. The gameplay and surfing are just symptoms of that larger issue. This isn't the first time scientists have fought over this question of excessive Internet use, and it may be that the courts help decide the issue. A former IBM worker recently sued the company for wrongful termination after he'd been caught spending too much time in chat rooms. His excuse? An acute case of Internet addiction. Which may or may not be real.—Gregory Mone

6.9.2009 at 05:19pm - Comment by Halaxis

It's all relative to the family. My Parents consider me "addicted" because I play Xbox online with my friends and use Facebook to talk with my friends(actual people I know) for a total of less than 3 hours of the day. Kinda comforting to see this.
Technology

The Top-Secret Warplanes of Area 51

By Posted on 1.22.2008 23 Comments
For a closer look at the exotic aircraft the Air Force might be cooking up at Area 51, launch the photo gallery.

5.4.2009 at 04:15pm - Comment by Halaxis

Bob. Sometimes,its best not to know.
Technology

A New ISS Module Named...Colbert?

By Posted on 3.25.2009 14 Comments
No longer content with simply having bridges and minor league hockey mascots named after him, Stephen Colbert has taken his quest for domination beyond the stratosphere. The results from NASA’s contest to name Node 3, a new International Space Station module, are in. The write-in winner? “Colbert.”

5.3.2009 at 01:53pm - Comment by Halaxis

Colbert,after all the sci-fi or predictable names like Earthrise, Legacy and Venture. Colbert would be nice to add on. Or Bungie,it will further their goals of world domination. Which is good.
Gadgets

The Top 100 Innovations of 2008

By PopSci Staff Posted on 12.9.2008 7 Comments

5.2.2009 at 07:57pm - Comment by Halaxis

Agree with Niatriac1, page 69+ won't load in Google Chrome.
Technology

Developing Lasers for the Battlefield

By Posted on 10.7.2008 16 Comments
Laser weaponry is a hot topic lately (excuse the pun), especially for those who question the ethics of using them on the battlefield. In late September, the Senate approved a Defense Authorization Bill that would provide new funding for military laser weapons.

4.30.2009 at 06:50pm - Comment by Halaxis

Sudden urge to say,Captin Kirk,Fire the Proton Torpedoes... anyways, totally cool.Laser weaponry.The future, and every little boys dream is coming true.