08.30.2012]blodic.us

WIRED|blodic.us

If Your OS Isn't Flat Yet, It's in for a Radical Redesign

Everyone's talking about flat. Flat Windows 8, flat Apple iOS 7, flat Google+ and Google Now?flat is the design trend du jour, yet we're still waiting for its arrival.

How an Entirely New, Autistic Way of Thinking Powers Silicon Valley

I propose a new category of thinker in addition to the traditional visual and verbal: pattern thinkers. In society, three kinds of minds ? visual, verbal, pattern ? naturally complement one another. Yet society puts them together without anybody thinking about it.

Amazon's Urban Biospheres Give New Meaning to 'Tech Bubble'

In case you doubted that the 21st century as envisioned by past generations' pulp futurists had arrived, check out the biospheres Amazon has proposed to anchor its new downtown Seattle headquarters.

Turncoats: How the Taliban Undermines and Infiltrates the Afghan Local Police

The U.S. strategy in Afghanistan depends on the loyalty of the Afghan Local Police. But that loyalty is being tested by an apparent Taliban campaign of infiltration.

A Practical Guide to the Catchphrases of emArrested Development/em

If you're one of the dozen or so people who still haven't seen the show, never fear: Wired has prepared a handy guide to communicating with your friends and neighbors via Arrested Development catchphrases. Soon, you'll be yelling "No touching!" with the best of them.

Watch Live: Hunt for Scar Left by Biggest Moon Explosion Ever Seen

Get up close and personal with the gibbous moon in a search for the impact crater left behind by the biggest explosion from a meteorite impact seen on the lunar surface. This live show starts comes via the Slooh Space Camera and begins tonight at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST.

Navy's High-Flying Spy Drone Completes Its First Flight

This is the Navy's MQ-4C Triton, its next-generation surveillance drone. It just flew its first flight test out in California. And it wants to scan 2,000 miles of ocean at once.

Adorably Chubby Mini-Spider Species Discovered in China

Tiny spiders with oversized rumps have been discovered in China. The little arachnids, each about a mm long, represent two new species of orb-weaving spider. They belong to the Mysmenidae family of orb-weavers, and were described on May 21 in the journal ZooKeys.

Someone Paid $36,000 for Luke Skywalker's Pants

For most, Star Wars was about a band of rebels standing up to a totalitarian regime, but for others it was all about Luke Skywalker's pants, apparently.

Tesla Pays Off All $465M in Federal Loans 9 Years Early

Tesla haters just lost another quiver in their dwindling arsenal. The upstart electric automaker has paid off the entirety of its Department of Energy loan -- a whopping $451,8M -- and did it nine years ahead of schedule.