Noteworthy on the Web- Ars Technica: Google paying users to track 100% of their Web usage via little black boxGoogle is working to collect information about Internet users that it can't get from just monitoring its own browser, services, and Android devices. The company has set up a new program called Screenwise, which offers money to users who install a black box on their home network to "measure Internet... […]casey.johnston@arstechnica.com (Casey Johnston)
- AnandTech: Hitachi Releases Ultrastar SSD400S.B: 25nm SLC NAND Is Here25nm MLC NAND has been in the market for roughly a year now and it is very common in today's consumer SSDs—there are only a few models using 3Xnm MLC NAND (OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS for example). In the enterprise space, however, 25nm SLC NAND is just starting to... […]Kristian Vättö
- Lifehacker: Color Code Audio Outputs with Paper Reinforcement Labels to Find Them Quickly [Clever Uses]Having trouble finding the proper output jack on the back of your computer for your headphones? Instructables user philip42 suggests using a school supply favorite, reinforcement labels, to help you find the right audio jack easier. More » […]Thorin Klosowski
- DPReview News: Sigma DP series reinvented as DP1M and DP2M with 15MPx3 sensor from SD1Sigma has totally reinvented its DP series of large sensor compacts with the DP1 Merrill and DP2 Merrill. The DP Merrill models are named after Dick Merrill, inventor of the Foveon sensor and include the most recent version of his technology - the 15x3MP APS-C sensor first seen in Sigma's... […]DPReview News
- Pop Wuping: Papernomad CasesMade from a special paper formulation that is flame, water and tear resistant (wow!) Papernomad makes a range of cases for the iPad, iPhone and other less interesting devices. I prefer them as is but if you have some illustration talent, or even better your kids do, you can draw... […]Popwuping
- The Brooks Review: ‘Path Uploads Your Entire iPhone Address Book to Its Servers’Arun Thampi:Upon inspecting closer, I noticed that my entire address book (including full names, emails and phone numbers) was being sent as a plist to Path. Now I don’t remember having given permission to Path to access my address book and send its contents to its servers, so... […]BenBrooks
- Ars Technica: Google (finally) brings Chrome to AndroidGoogle is finally bringing Chrome to the Android platform. A beta releaseof the increasingly popular Web browser was published this morning in the Android Market and is available to users who are running Android 4. The port includes Chrome's advanced HTML rendering engine and many of the browser's popular... […]segphault@arstechnica.com (Ryan Paul)
- The Register: USER-TRACKING Firefox sparks Mozilla civil warDevs spar over user ID numbers in phone-home Telemetry code Mozilla coders are arguing among themselves about the open-source outfit's Telemetry project, which was designed to monitor Firefox usage metrics. Several coders in the Mozilla camp have expressed concern about how some developers are proposing Telemetry should collect data from... […]The Register
- The Consumerist: What's On The Menu? The Chef's Specially Smushed Together Meat Glue SteakLook at that nice, pink cut of beef, cooked rare for your steak-gobbling pleasure. Now look a little closer and hey! It could be just smushed together pieces of diced beef, bound with something called "meat glue." Not so appetizing now, eh? Komo Newsreports on a new, slightly troubling... […]Mary Beth Quirk
- Better Living Through Design: Unique Nail FileNail files aren’t a favorite subject in design, for obvious reasons. They’re throw away items that we wouldn’t give a second thought, or at least they were before this little item. It’s made from natural stone from the Pyrenees Mountains and will never wear out. That’s right, never. There’s... […]Katie
- Acquire: Zenith Montre d’Aeronef Type 20Zenith tips its hat to the classic pilot watches of yesteryear with the Montre d'Aeronef Type 20, a massive 57.5mm watch encased in Grade 5 titanium which is to be released in a limited run of 250 pieces. The classically styled timepiece houses Zenith's Caliber 5011, a manual wound movement... […]Acquire
- DPReview News: Canon renews full-frame lenses with 24-70mm F2.8 II and stabilized wide-angle primesCanon has released three EF lenses, including an updated 24-70mm F2.8 II USM. The latest version features what is promised to be a more durable body, despite being a little smaller. In addition to this high-end full-frame standard zoom, there are completely redesigned semi-fast 24mm and 28mm F2.8 primes, both... […]DPReview News
- DPReview News: Just Posted: Nikon D800 hands-on previewWe've had some time with a pre-production D800 and have prepared a detailed in-depth preview. Nikon's latest DSLR boasts core technology borrowed from the top-end D4, married with a 36.3MP CMOS sensor that comfortably eclipses the rest of the DSLR market in resolution terms. As well as first impressions of... […]DPReview News
- DPReview News: Nikon D800 and D800E 36MP full-frame DSLRs announcedNikon has announced the D800 and D800E 36MP full-frame DSLRs. The pixel count of the long-awaited replacement for the D700 means it also trumps the D3X as the highest-resolution camera in Nikon's lineup. As well as the 'stock' D800, Nikon has also revealed a more expensive model, the D800E that... […]DPReview News
- Ars Technica: Google to strip Chrome of SSL revocation checkingGoogle's Chrome browser will stop relying on a decades-old method for ensuring secure sockets layer certificates are valid after one of the company's top engineers compared it to seat belts that break when they are needed most. The browser will stop querying CRL, or certificate revocation lists, and databases that... […]dan.goodin@arstechnica.com (Dan Goodin)
- Fraser Speirs: Digital Exams on the iPadIt's prelim week at Cedars. In Scotland, pupils with additional needs can use a “Digital Question Paper” to complete their exam. A DQP is a PDF with embedded forms. The pupil sits at a computer and fills in the form to answer the questions. For exams involving graphs, equations or... […]Fraser Speirs
- In the Pipeline: Glass Structure, Atom by AtomFor a really stunning electron micrograph of the thinnest possible layer of glass, see here. (If you don't have journal access, here's a release with some details). What's even more striking is that the semi-random arrangement of atoms is basically an exact match of a hypothesisfrom 1932 by... […]In the Pipeline
- Carryology: Carry Candy :: Hard Graft 3FoldCarry Candy :: Hard Graft 3Fold This is quite the Carry Candy piece. Anything that comes in at this price level is def candy you ain’t going to be eating anytime soon. Andrew Tsui gives us his thoughts on the 3Fold in a semi drive by/carry candy style post, either... […]Leather
- Monday Note: Strange Facebook EconomicsTweetExactly three years ago, Charlie Rose interviewed Marc Andreessen, the creator of Netscapeand Facebook board member. In his trademark rapid-fire talk, Marc shared his views on Facebook. (Keep the February 2009 context in mind: the social network had 175 million users and Microsoft had just made an investment... […]Frédéric Filloux
- Lifehacker: Frozen Garlic and Onion Purees Save Time and Money [Food Hacks]Some people end up buying and peeling an onion and a head of garlic when they only need a portion of that for their recipe and end up tossing the rest, only to need it again a few days later. Freezing a puree of garlic, onion, and olive oil means... […]David Galloway
- Ars Technica: Google paying users to track 100% of their Web usage via little black box
Category Archives: Food
Nob Hill’s culinary renaissance
I live in San Francisco’s Nob Hill. Nob is a contraction of Nabob, itself a corruption of the Urdu word Nawab, meaning the governor of a province in the Mughal empire. Of course, many locals call it Snob Hill, even … Continue reading
Michael Recchiuti Hazelnut Praline
The dukes of Praslin-Choiseul stem from one of the most illustrious noble families in France, but they are best known because one of their pastry chefs invented the confection known as praliné in honor of his patron. Brillat-Savarin famously wrote … Continue reading
Chocovic Ocumare
The world’s best chocolate comes from the criollo variety of Venezuela, renowned for its complex and subtle flavor. Unfortunately, this variety, the original and purest variant of cacao, is fragile and has poor yields, making it expensive to produce. That’s … Continue reading
You say “tomato”
Britain is not known for being a gastronomic haven (although the situation has improved dramatically in London over the last 20 years or so). Still, they have some decent grocery products, like shortbread or Ribena blackcurrant drinks. US specialty groceries … Continue reading
Annals of idiotic California legislation
Gubernator Arnold Schwarzenegger signed on Wednesday a bill to ban the production and sale of foie gras in California in 2012. The bill was pushed by his outgoing horse-trading partner, Democratic state senator John Burton. The highly dubious rationale is … Continue reading
The Bay Area, a bread basket?
Bread is the staff of life. – Jonathan Swift Atkins faddists notwithstanding, bread has been with us ever since mankind migrated from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle to agriculture, and to urban civilization, its corollary. Bread plays an important role in religious … Continue reading
Etienne Guittard Soleil d’Or
Ghirardelli is the best-known chocolate maker from San Francisco, but by no means the only one. The Bay Area is very serious about food, and boasts many fine chocolatiers such as Guittard, Scharffen-Berger, Joseph Schmidt, and Michael Recchiuti, all of … Continue reading
Amedei Porcelana
I recently purchased a bar of Amedei Porcelana chocolate. Fog City News sells them for $11 here in San Francisco. When a bar of chocolate is individually numbered in a limited edition, you know it is going to be expensive… … Continue reading
Richart Chocolates opens a San Francisco store
This morning, while walking to work, I noticed a brand new Richart Chocolates shop on Sutter street. Apparently it opened a month ago. Richart is a Paris chocolatier who pioneered ornately decorated chocolate palets (their byline used to be “Richart … Continue reading
Chocoholics rejoice!
Berkeley-based chocolatier Scharffen-Berger finally yielded to customer demand and introduced milk chocolate to their line, much to the gnashing of teeth of dark chocolate snobs nationwide, no doubt. According to the salesman at Fog City News, where I bought my … Continue reading