Badger makes creating Adobe AIR install badges a breeze. §

You know how the GPS system is going to fail soon and airplanes are going to be forced to circle the equator until they run out of fuel and kill all known pandas in existence? Turns out it probably won’t (via @brianw.) 400 so called journalists copied the GAO press-release and it took a blogger to correct them. §

Some fascinating wind turbine designs (via @tomraftery) §

@waterfordcity The new Waterford Suir bridge is a year ahead of schedule and will open in September/October 2009. It will have a toll but it is a beauty of a bridge and will be worth it for the sight. And the reduction in Waterford city traffic. §

Catholic Church in Ireland. The report from the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. §

Cool posters for the 2012 Olympic Games but I notice the absence of the god-awful official logo.

Woah, they are remaking V. §

For TSSG TED Friday today we watched two interesting videos. Dan Dennett on dangerous memes looks into how human evolution has been co-opted by memes, that biological imperatives (procreation, survival etc.) are being beaten by ideas. “Ideas to die for” sums it up nicely; freedom, truth, communism, capitalism, Catholicism etc. These are all memes that have in replication compelled people to death. He calls for memetics to be studied dispassionately, scientifically. Ray Kurzweil on how technology will transform us shows that technological evolution is exponential, fitting neatly into his idea that we are approaching a singularity. One interesting point is that of paradigms following each other. For example as we reach the end of the life of transistors (as they reach atomic sizes that we can no longer miniaturize further) there is pressure to find the next paradigm of computing power. Computing power still grows exponentially even though Moore’s Law reaches its conclusion. §

More shenanigans over at Apple HQ where an iPhone e-book reader app., Eucalyptus, has been rejected for allowing access to the Kama Sutra. Never mind that you can read the Kama Sutra in Mobile Safari and a few other e-book readers already available on the iPhone. I hope developers realise there is no plot here, Apple aren’t maliciously trying to give people a hard time. It’s just an individual bad reviewer. These reviewers are unlikely to be highly paid scholars. They are probably more like call-center kids just out of college or some poorly paid Joe you’d meet down at the DMV. This is going to keep on happening. §

Finally, some next-gen iPhone rumours from someone who isn’t talking out of his arse. Gruber pretty much confirms a faster CPU, more memory, more storage, compass and video recording with editing. Form factor should remain the same, battery life probably too. §