Friday Links #61
25 Jul 2009Programming Computers
Closures in JavaScript - James Padolsey - A closure, in JavaScript, can simply be described as a retained scope; at least, this is how I think of it. The benefit of a closure is in the fact that it retains the scope (the “scope chain”) of the outer (or “parent”) execution context.
| [HTML5 and The Future of the Web | How-To | Smashing Magazine](http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/07/16/html5-and-the-future-of-the-web/) - Some tips and insight into HTML5 to help ease the inevitable pain that comes with transitioning to a slightly different syntax. |
CodeProject: Bing API in Action - C# - Microsoft made available its API to public so that we can use it from our own applications. This article explains how to make a sample application which uses a Bing search feature.
The Edge Extensions Project - .NET Extensions and Utilities – More C# extensions than a dog with spots. Unit tests included.
When Cast doesn’t Cast to T - Bill Blogs in C# - A friend asked me about some issues he was having using Enumerable.Cast(). In his mind, it just wasn’t working. Like so many problems, it was working correctly, just not the way he expected.
Using your Personal Computer
Scott Hanselman’s Computer Zen - Upgrading my Lenovo W500 to a OCZ Vertex 250GB SATA II Solid State Disk - The difference between an SSD and a regular Hard Drive is the difference between shooting a bullet and throwing it.
Free Multi-function Screen Capture / Image Editor Impresses - PicPick is a free utility that combines into one package different functions normally handled by several different programs.
Science and the Environment
| [Green Dream: A Solar Power Plant in Your Backyard | Popular Science](http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-07/green-dream-solar-power-plant-your-backyard) - The folks at RawSolar are creating what looks like a very affordable solar thermal tracking dish. |
| [Windpower Could Provide 40 Times Earth’s Power Needs | Popular Science](http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-07/more-windpower-previously-thought) - A team at Harvard decided to reinvestigate the potential for windpower around the globe, and found their new results to be significantly different than previous studies. According to the new study, we’re capable of someday producing 40 times more power via wind than we currently consume overall. |
Inhabitat » OLED Breakthrough Yields 75% More Efficient Lights - Recently announced breakthrough in OLED technology that shatters all prior efficiency standards, reducing the ultra-thin lights’ energy consumption by 75%!
| [New Integrated Circuits Consume No Standby Power | Popular Science](http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-07/new-integrated-circuits-consume-no-standby-power-computer-chips) - New engineering breakthrough allows integrated circuits inside chips to consume no power when they’re briefly inactive between cycles. |
Humans Glow - The human body literally glows, emitting a visible light in extremely small quantities at levels that rise and fall with the day.
On the Web
Microsoft stuns Linux world, submits source code for kernel - In an historic move, Microsoft on Monday submitted driver source code for inclusion in the Linux kernel under a GPLv2 license. In other news, pigs were seen flying…
Gmail Now Automatically Displays Images in Messages from Contacts - Now, instead of blocking all images by default until you click on the Display images below or Always display images from X links, Gmail will display images by default from your contacts (right now, contacts is defined by anyone who you’ve emailed at least twice, though that number is subject to change).
Perfection: Mark Buehrle of Chicago White Sox pitches perfect game - Mark Buehrle pitched the 18th perfect game in major league history, and Chicago White Sox center fielder DeWayne Wise got the assist.
Stuff I just Dig
| [Sailing On the Ground, at 126 MPH | Popular Science](http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-06/road-runner) - The wind may be restless, but the fastest air-powered ground vehicle is surprisingly steady as it sails over the dusty ground. |
The Iceorb Keeps Your Chilled Foods Chilly - beat the heat – Lifehacker - Essentially, the iceorb is a nested storage container in which the outside container is full of little ice cubes so that, when in use, the contents of the inner container remains nice and cool for as long as the ice in the outer container lasts.
Create Your Own Sun Jar: Lifehacker Edition - Here’s a step-by-step guide to building sun-capturing jars that create outdoor lighting at a fraction of the retail cost.
Pick of the Week
Code Project Add-in – Browse and load CodeProjects from within Visual Studio.