Leap Year Explained [video]

5 Bizarre Ways People Amused Themselves Before TV

Mental_floss posted an amusing list of 5 strange ways people killed time in the ‘Good Old Days’. The list is –

– Unwrapping Mummies

– Public Executions

– Tours of Insane Asylums

– Watch Military Battles

– Fun With X-rays

Get the details of each item HERE.

The Happy Train [pic]

World’s Most Expensive Cologne – $435,000!

On sale at Amazon –

Clive Christian Imperial Majesty Perfume for Men 16.9 oz Perfume Imperial Majesty is a limited edition of a Clive Christian signature scent. A limited Edition collection piece of the worlds most expensive perfume presented in a hand crafted Bacarrat crystal bottle with a 5 carat brilliant cut diamond.

Parrot And A Laser Pointer [video]

Parade Magazine From 1963

I just finished uploading all 16 pages of Parade Magazine from November 24, 1963 to STLPapers.epizy.com. The cover story is about what modern Americans can learn from the ‘savages’ on the Hawaiian Islands. Interesting stuff for history buffs.

Check out the entire magazine HERE

5 Pearls of Scottish Wisdom [pic]

On/Off Switch On Credit Cards Prevents RFID Theft – “You’re Holding It Wrong”

This simple design change for credit cards may be unnecessary as major credit card issuers plan to require the use of PIN numbers for all transactions in the near future. Is it possible that the on/off switch could be used in conjunction with PIN cards?

Researchers at the Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering are working on a simple new technology that would require customers to place their finger on the card to turn it “on” when they pay. When you place your finger on a specific spot on the card, say a logo or icon, it would complete a circuit and enable readers to charge the card. If the circuit isn’t complete, the card’s NFC or RFID technology would be disabled. “Our new design integrates an antenna and other electrical circuitry that can be interrupted by a simple switch, like turning off the lights in the home or office,” explains professor Marlin Mickle in a statement. “The RFID or NFC credit card is disabled if left in a pocket or lying on a surface and unreadable by thieves using portable scanners.”

Continue reading HERE

 

Boob Truck Raises Awareness Of Breast Feeding

From BuzzFeed –

I’m sorry, what were you saying? I was too busy staring at the giant metal breast with a flashing nipple siren on top of your ice cream truck. A lactation activist (lactivist) by the name of Jill Miller drives this vehicle around Pittsburgh to spread the good word on nursing. Jill Miller drives her Milk Truck, near her Pittsburgh home. The truck is a vehicle she made for spreading the message that nursing mothers have the need and the right to feed their infants in public.

More pictures HERE

Self-leveling Pool Table On A Cruise Ship – Amazing [video]

8 Misconceptions About Animals [video]

NASA Shuts Down Its Last Mainframe

Networkworld reports –

This month marks the end of an era in NASA computing. Marshall Space Flight Center powered down NASA’s last mainframe, the IBM Z9 Mainframe.  For my millennial readers, I suppose that I should define what a mainframe is.  Well, that’s easier said than done, but here goes — It’s a big computer that is known for being reliable, highly available, secure, and powerful.  They are best suited for applications that are more transaction oriented and require a lot of input/output – that is, writing or reading from data storage devices.

Continue reading HERE