TechEBlog

Backdoor Taxes to Hit Middle Class Story Withdrawn by Reuters

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Tis the season to be filing taxes, but the middle class isn’t so lucky, as according to Reuters: “Millions of middle-class households already may be facing higher taxes in 2010 because Congress has failed to extend tax breaks that expired on January 1, most notably a “patch” that limited the impact of the alternative minimum tax.” Strangely enough, Reuters withdrew the story minutes after it went live.

The AMT, initially designed to prevent the very rich from avoiding income taxes, was never indexed for inflation. Now the tax is affecting millions of middle-income households, but lawmakers have been reluctant to repeal it because it has become a key source of revenue.

[via Yahoo]

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iPhone 3.1.3 Update Released, Fixes Battery Meter Bug

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Apple has just rolled out the iPhone 3.1.3 update, which fixes a battery meter bug along with “a number of security updates related to CoreAudio, ImageIO, Recovery Mode and WebKit.” Simply sync the handset with iTunes and you’re ready to go.

The update also reportedly resolves an issue where third-party applications would not launch in some instances. It also addresses a bug that could cause applications to crash when using the Japanese Kana keyboard.

[via Appleinsider – image via]

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NASA’s Hubble Captures Strange Spaceship-Like Object Going 11,000MPH

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NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope recently captured a strange, spaceship-like object traveling at 11,000mph. Unlike comets, this object has an “X-shaped debris pattern [and] its 460-foot-wide nucleus is outside the dust halo and separated from the trail.” Continue reading for a close-up.

This behavior is something which has never been seen before in a comet or any other solar-system-swooshing object.

[via Gizmodo]

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Urban Dictionary Defines Twitterati

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Urban Dictionary, a web-based dictionary of slang words launched by Aaron Peckham in 1999, has posted the definition for Twitterarti as: “The Tweet elite, whose feeds attract thousands of followers and whose 140-character spews capture the attention of the rapt who doggedly monitor them.” Other highlights include: “Twitter Ninja”, “Twitter Zombie”, and “Twitteranity”. Click here to look up your favorite words.

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Full House House for Sale at $4-Million

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Before plasma and LCD televisions, there was the TV sitcom “Full House”. Now, “the historic house, one of the famous “Painted Ladies” of San Francisco’s Alamo Square, is going on sale for $4 million.” Continue reading to watch the Full House intro.

In the ABC series Full House, the Olsen twins, John Stamos, and the rest of the Tanner-Katsopolis brood picnicked in front of 722 Steiner, also known as the Shannon-Kavanaugh House.

[via NBC]

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F1 Testing Underway in Valencia

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F1 testing is now officially underway in Valencia and of the 13 teams participating, “seven are taking part today in Spain including the new Mercedes GP car [above].” Two teams, Force India and Red Bull, have opted out of this testing session and will participate in Jerez and Barcelona. Continue reading to see Michael Schumacher’s GP2 test, which took place on January 12th. Click here for first picture in gallery.

New teams Campos, Lotus, US F1 and Virgin Racing are all expected to test by the end of this month.

[via Autocar]

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Live3D Lets You Embed Live Photography into Google Earth

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Getting live Google Earth updates just got easier, with Live3D. This web application, developed by the Media and Machines lab of Washington University, overlays live webcam images onto Google Earth. More information. Video demonstration after the break.

There’s a database of live webcam images, and it’s super easy to add your own via drag ‘n drop tools in Google Earth itself. So as long as there’s a webcam operating in the area, you get a constantly updating view of whatever the webcam sees.

[via OhGizmo]

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NASA Budget Cubacks Could Mean End of Moon Missions

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New NASA budget cutbacks could mean the end of moon missions. Put simply, “Obama will seek to shelve the $81bn Constellation programme, which called for a return to the moon by 2020 and human landings on Mars by the middle of the century.” Continue reading for a video of NASA’s Constellation program (2008).

The budget could also spell the end for Nasa’s successor to the space shuttle, the Ares 1 rocket, which has already cost billions of dollars to develop.

[via Guardian]

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Groundhog Day for 2010 is Tomorrow

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Tomorrow (February 2nd) is Groundhog Day, a holiday that originated in central Pennsylvania during the 18th-19th century signifying winter will soon. Continue reading to see some of the best scenes from the 1993 film.

February second is the exact halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is the winter midpoint or cross-quarter day. The duskiest, coldest season is now officially half over.

[via Huffingtonpost – image via]

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