Physics of the Angry Birds Slingshot
I was going to finish my analysis of the Green angry bird, but I was distracted when Angry Birds for the Chrome browser came out. Now, I have to work my way back up the level to get back to the green bird. Alas.
The new Chrome-based angry birds does do something new. It gives me a new method for capturing the motions that I need to analyze. Previously, I was stuck with either using youtube videos that others created or using a camera to record my own iPod. Neither of these worked too well.
Now that I am running the game on a computer, I can use screen capture software. After trying both...
Curvy, Slim Xperia Arc Is Leggy Supermodel of Smartphones
Undeniably attractive and super skinny, Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc is ready for a career as a runway model.
This fashionable specimen measures a mere 0.46 inches thick at its thinnest point, the middle of the concave arc that runs vertically down the back of the phone. It manages to make my iPhone 3GS look almost obese in comparison.
Slimness is a virtue in devices, as it reduces that embarrassing Visible Phone Line in your pocket. But premium phones usually have a bit of heft to them, and in that respect, the Xperia Arc feels a little too thin. Flimsy, even. At 4.13 ounces, it’s incredibly l...
Doping Bombshell Could Signal Cycling's Turning Point

Olympic goal medalist Tyler Hamilton, seen here during the 2009 Tour of California, has leveled the most serious doping allegations against Lance Armstrong to date.
Cycling champion Lance Armstrong has long denied ingesting performance-enhancing drugs and engaging in blood doping, but allegations from a former teammate suggest that not only did Armstrong lie and cheat his way to seven Tour de France titles, but that a larger conspiracy covered up a positive 2001 drug test and that widespread cheating on Armstrong’s team was the norm.
American Tyler Hamilton, a former teammate of Armstrong’s who ...