bubbles

Why a hyper-personalized Web is bad for you (Q&A)

We all like having things tailored to our specific needs and interests. But Eli Pariser thinks we should beware of the substantial risks inherent in the increasing personalization of the Internet.

Better known (so far) as the executive director of the progressive political action committee MoveOn.org, Eli Pariser is making noise these days as the author of "The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding from You." His new book, which was released yesterday, argues that the latest tools being implemented by the likes of Google and Facebook for making our Internet experiences as individual as possible … Read more

Bubble Blast 2 for Android

Bubble Blast 2 for Android is a free puzzle game that, yet again, pits players against poppable, monochromatic bubbles. Choose from two game modes: Puzzle and Arcade.

In Bubble Blast 2, each level is covered in a different configuration of bubbles, with some bubbles being more difficult to pop than others. In order to advance, you must set off chain reactions of bubble-poppage to clear each screen. The game is not only fun and addictive, it's also quite a brain teaser, as it forces you to weigh several different courses of action when attempting to clear each level.

If … Read more

Game by 14-year-old outsoars Angry Birds

While Angry Birds is still the top paid iPhone game, a game written by an eighth-grader has spent the last few days atop Apple's free charts.

Bubble Ball, a physics simulator, was coded by Robert Nay, a 14-year-old from Spanish Fork, Utah. The game challenges players to use objects and gravity to guide a ball to its destination.

Nay spent the better part of a couple of months writing the game, which debuted in the App Store late last year and is also available for Android devices. In recent days, though, it has been rivaling Angry Birds Lite atop … Read more

The 404 659: Where we check out the bubbles on that one (podcast)

Facebook is about to get a whole lot creepier. A small group of users are beta-testing a new "subscribe" button located under users' profile pictures that could make Facebook stalking as simple as a single click.

The button is a lot like "following" someone on Twitter and here's how it works: If you click the "subscribe" button, all of that user's activities, from new pictures to status updates to videos and links, will show up in your notifications. Few details have been released so far, but we're interested in knowing if the service will show you who's stalking your profile or if you can subscribe to non-friends, which would take the creep factor up to a solid 10.

Moving on to another creepy story, a school zone in West Vancouver is testing a rather extreme measure to force drivers to slow down in their vehicles.

The experiment places a 3D hologram of a young girl chasing a ball in the middle of the street that drivers will see about 100 feet away, giving them plenty of time to slow down...or have a heart attack and veer off the road. We can see the utility in a 3D cop on the side of the road or a flashing light to alert drivers entering school zones, but this is a little nuts.

To Jeff's delight and Wilson's girlfriend's dislike, Angry Birds is now available on the Android operating system. Granted, it's a "Lite" version in beta and many users (including Jeff) are experiencing random restarts and freezes, but it should tie over your addiction until the official version finally drops. For all the iPhone players out there, don't forget that the Angry Birds Expansion Pack is also available.

Finally, we have a handful of voicemail messages that we haven't gotten to play all week, and today's batch inquires about the infamous "Cheese Stands Alone" episode, voicemail phone numbers, and a rare appearance from everyone's favorite Verbose Asian Guy! Set it on repeat, guys--it ain't happening again! :)

Episode 659 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Green tech can't shake the bubble question

BOSTON--In green-tech investing, expect mini bubbles and endless discussion of what role government should play in energy.

A panel of big thinkers and investors at the AlwaysOn GoingGreen East conference here on Wednesday found little agreement on the ongoing financial bubble question, with most of the talk focused on the role of government policies.

Since the dot-com boom, there have been recurring questions of whether new sectors, such as clean-energy technologies, are in danger of overinvestment. As the green-tech category has attracted billions of money in venture capital over the past decade, there's concern that money will be lost, … Read more

Nasdaq 5,000: Ten years after the dot-com peak

A decade ago, on March 10, 2000, it seemed almost difficult to find someone skeptical about the dazzling future of dot-com stocks.

An undeniably prescient strategist at Warburg Dillon Read, now part of UBS, told the New York Times that "I don't see the end in sight." The Los Angeles Times quoted a Banc of America Securities analyst as saying that, before "too long," the Nasdaq index would double.

It was exactly 10 years ago that the Nasdaq index reached its all-time peak of 5,048.62, and the tech-heavy index has never come close … Read more

Hints of a bubble in green-tech IPOs

With investors getting smarter and start-ups getting bought, the mood is brightening in green tech. But the high-profile companies seeking to go public this year have some industry watchers talking bubbles.

For proof, investors point to the spate of planned initial public offerings, including electric car maker Tesla Motors, solar company Solyndra, and biofuels maker Codexis. Smart-grid company Silver Spring Networks and biofuels maker Amyris are rumored to be on deck.

Long-term trends may favor innovative green companies, as concerns about energy resources and the environment grow. But that doesn't mean this year's leading companies can navigate the … Read more

Gadgettes 128: The Husky Episode

Molly and Kelly bring you "The Husky Episode." WARNING: You will gain 10 pounds by listening to this podcast.

Listen now: Download today's podcast Episode 128

Fat-fighting body mod approved for Europe http://dvice.com/archives/2009/03/fat-fighting_bo.php

Gruve measures movement, vibrates until you get up off your duff http://dvice.com/archives/2009/03/gruve_measures.php

Dance, puppet, dance: Dance for your right to change the channel http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2009/03/dance_puppet_da.html

NitroCream is the $35,000 ice cream maker of your dreams http://dvice.com/archives/2009/03/nitrocream_is_t.php… Read more

A multitude of Vista tweaks

The options for customizing your Vista settings are endless with this free utility, but it lacks password-protection and a useful Help feature.

WinBubble has so many tweaking options that it could easily overwhelm users. The user interface uses tabs and check boxes to keep the multitude of options organized and easy to activate. The program lets you add more options to your context menu, including a Safely Remove Hardware icon, an encrypt/decrypt option, and a WinBubble icon. The Tweaking Toolbox clears your cache and resets folder views. You can even customize icons and add a custom screensaver. Security options … Read more