Can't live with them, can't live without them. At some point you've probably entertained the idea of staying single; there'd be no one to nag you, or, conversely, to ignore you while continuing to play Call of Duty for what seems like the 12th hour. Everything was fine at first, so is your significant other intentionally trying to get under your skin? Well, not necessarily. Research dating back to the early 90's points to some clear differences between guys and gals, some of which are a byproduct of evolution (or devolution depending on your stance) and the previously unexplored functions of certain parts of the brain. So as much as we know about members of the opposite sex, there's still plenty we don't quite understand -- men are from Mars and women are from Venus after all.

Video Games:

There's been a lot of talk over the years about the ways in which video games are ruining an entire generation of young males. This time consuming pastime is often used as a scapegoat for laziness or anti-social behavior, a sentiment popularized by psychologist and Stanford professor emeritus, Philip Zimbardo. But as it turns out, there's some science behind your boyfriend seeming unable to turn off his Xbox, the most prominent factor being a large release of dopamine in the brain. In 2008, the Standford University School of Medi-cine found that brain activity associated with reward and addiction was much higher in men while playing video games. And as it turns out, dopamine is also responsible for feelings of euphoria, motivation and pleasure so maybe it's not so bad after all.

Infidelity:

As a general rule of thumb, you probably shouldn't cheat on your girlfriend, but where does this inkling for infidelity come from? Well, for certain males, it may boil down to genetics. A 2008 Swedish study found that the presence of a gene called Allele 334 can cause men to feel less attached to their partners because it interferes with parts of the brain that promote monogamy. And men with two or more copies of Allele 334 were that much more likely to cheat. Successful long-term relationships were certainly possible; however, men with this genetic variation reported feeling less attached to their partners, and women could sense this as well. That being said, I should stress that this explanation isn't going to save you when your girlfriend catches you cheating. Verify at your own risk.

The Strong Silent Type:

So there's this guy who doesn't say much -- he dresses fairly well, doesn't fiddle in his desk and only speaks when called upon by a teacher. It's a bit strange, really, but there may be a reason for men exhibiting what's generally called a strong, silent type of behavior. As children, girls develop sophisti-cated language skills much faster than boys because they use an area of the brain specifi-cally for language encoding and decoding. On the other hand, boys only use specific areas of the brain depending on if the information is conveyed orally or visually, which leads to slower linguistic develop-ment. This, combined with accepted gender roles, may explain why the guys in your life don't feel like talking much, especially when it comes to their feelings.

Sexuality:

Birds and bees the world over are doing it, but for some reason your partner only wants to show you some love after certain condi-tions are met. What gives? As a male, it's completely natural to think about sex more often than your female partner, regardless of her acting in a sexual manner towards you. There's even some science behind your staring at that pretty lady across the street, even when you know it'll send your lady over the edge. As it turns out, the hypothalamus, which is responsible for controlling body temperature, releasing hormones and controlling sexual behavior, is about twice as big in men as in women due to testosterone. Also, Stephan Hamann, a researcher at Emory University conducted a study that showed that the male amygdala, which processes emotions, was more responsive to sexual stimuli than the female amygdala. Indeed, it seems both a blessing and a curse.

Gossip:

Women talk. They talk about their day, clothes, feelings and well, just about every other person that walks by. Gossiping is an inevitable part of life, good or bad, and one that is more often committed by the fairer sex. But as history shows, gossiping has held a functional place in the way women navigate society. David Geary, professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, suggests that this form of relational aggres-sion actually helped women survive at one point in time. In tribal days, women were shuffled into a new tribe after marriage, and having strong language skills was helpful in adapting and settling into a new commu-nity. Research from scientists at Northwest-ern University supports a physiological relation between superior language and communication skills in females. In the days of sticks and stones, men may have had spears and weapons but women had their words.

Intuition:

Do you ever wonder how your girlfriend or mom can always tell when you’re in a bad mood? Whether you like it or not, you know they’ll repeatedly pester you with, “Is everything okay? Are you sure?” Often, your resounding, “I’m fine,” doesn’t get them to lay off but you need to know you can’t fault them; they are only acting on natural instincts. Author Dr. Louann Brizendine suggests that a more active mirror-neuron system is responsible for females greater aptitude to empathize. In action, empathy is the ability to read facial responses and vocal intona-tion. It’s suggested this is a natural evolu-tionary trait that has evolved more strongly in women, stemming from the necessity for a mother to interact with and respond to their young children non-verbally. So in a way, women can read your mind; hence why they always expect you to read theirs.

Memory:

When it comes to confrontation or being wronged, it seems that a woman never forgets. Dr. John Gray, author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, sites research showing there may be a physi-ological explanation for why a female’s memory is, in fact, stronger than that of a male. The area of the brain that functions as the “memory center” (the hippocampus) is larger and more active in women than men. This area is specifically responsible for converting short-term memories into long-term memories – a good thing to remem-ber for communicating in relationships. So ladies, cut your guy some slack next time he forgets your favorite latte order. And fellas, when your female counterpart brings up the time you bought the wrong laundry detergent three months ago, try to forgive her, she literally can’t help but remember.

 

 

 

Travel

 

 

RoadNinja - If you're traveling back home after a rough semester or taking a trip with friends and want to try something new along the way, give RoadNinja a shot. This awesome app finds information about things to do at upcoming exits, nearby locations or places across the U.S. Categories range from attractions and education to nightlife and tacos. (Android/iPhone: Free)

 

Education

 

TeamBox - Trying to coordinate and collaborate with a group of people can be a real pain. Through its project management tools, Teambox aims to make the process more streamlined without sacrificing any power. It features a Twitter style timeline for communication and boasts integration with Dropbox, Github and Google Apps through the Chrome Web Store. You can create several project files right from your iPad and, from there, assign tasks, add people to different projects and participate in an integrated group chat. (iOS: Free)

 

Happy Hour

 

Textalyzer - Two ingredients that never mix well together, alcohol and bitterness, can be an even more toxic combo when technology comes into play. This is why Textalyzer exists—to prevent you from messaging your ex when you’re several scotch-and-sodas deep. First, enter your “forbidden list”—those folks you fumble through your contacts to find every time you’re hammered. Then, when last call rolls around, you’ll have to complete a series of tough memory and concentration tests if you want to unlock the list and make some bad decisions. It’s the sober babysitter you never knew you needed. (iOS: $0.99)

 

Information

Appsfire - Trying to keep up with new apps can be a daunting task. Fortunately, there's an app for that! Appsfire is updated on a daily basis to give you information about featured products, apps that have dropped in price and, if you connect via Facebook, apps your friends have downloaded. Android users can also choose to get results from Google's Play Store or Amazon's own app store. (Android/iOS: Free)

If you want to play catch-up from the past year or so, here are some suggestions for the best items you may have missed.

Literature

Educational

-        4-Hour Work Week: Get ideas and techniques from Princeton graduate, Tim Ferriss, on ways to enjoy a millionaire lifestyle.  Ferriss tells the story of how he became a record holding tango dancer, a cage fighter, business owner, and much more, all while asserting that your ideal lifestyle can be achieved by working only four hours a week.

A Classic

-        A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: There were a slew of deaths last year including actor Michael Clarke Duncan, author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, and music legend Whitney Houston. Each was artistic in their own way, and, to get a sense of what it’s like to evolve as an artist, it may be time to take a closer look at this read. James Joyce’s classical story on religious rebellion, sexual frustration and struggles for independence features an overarching theme of the potential dichotomy between loyalty to society and loyalty to oneself. Sound familiar?

Film

Documentary

-        Gun Fight: In light of last year’s tragedies and the increasing number of gun related deaths, American gun control laws are worth another round of consideration. That being said, this film is a bit biased due to the people portrayed on both sides — cautious intellectuals versus lowbrow gun lovers, but the bigger discussion concerning tighter gun control should still be explored.

Indie

-        Beasts of the Southern Wild: A story showcasing the development of a nine-year-old girl, Hushpuppy, as she struggles to connect with her father and the culture behind a group of people willfully separated from society. Leading lady, Quvenzhané Wallis, puts on an excellent performance and is currently the youngest actress nominated for an Academy Award.

Music

Rap – If you liked Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” then try…

“R.A.P Music” | Killer Mike – Producer El-P creates an interesting mix of new and old school style beats, as Killer Mike delivers energetic verses over each track. If you want something different from radio hits, give this album a try. Notable tracks: “Go!”, “Don’t Die” and “Willie Burke Sherwood.”

Rock – If you liked Torche’s “Harmonicraft” then try…

“Yellow and Green” | Baroness – This is a fun double disc undertaking that offers a nice mix of high energy and melodic tracks to dig into. The tonal progression from one track to another is very well done, which keeps things interesting, though the second disc is a little more stagnant than the first. Notable tracks:  “Twinkler”, “Sea Lungs” and “MTNS. (The Crown & Anchor).”

Technology

Tons of new electronics are released every year, and 2012 had its own fair share of high quality products and useless commodities. For starters, Microsoft released the eighth version of Windows late last year, but should you upgrade? Good question! No, you probably shouldn’t. Windows 7 is very well established at this point and, aside from a portable, “metro” inspired interface, Windows 8 ($69.99) doesn’t bring a whole lot to the table. Instead, I would suggest taking that money and spending it on the Soundfreaq Sound Kick ($99.99), a portable Bluetooth speaker that pairs with smartphones and tablets to make your Pandora or Spotify playlists more enjoyable. The device sports a fairly sleek design, offering touch sensitive buttons and an embedded auxiliary and USB port. For the price, this speaker is hard to beat, as even at higher volumes, sound stays nice and robust.

 

Hello everyone! It’s been awhile…

Send stories my way — @whatisthex

Console Rumors

With Nintendo already offering their supposed "next-gen" console, the Wii-U, rumors about Sony's and Microsoft's new systems were soon to follow. Sony's new machine is codenamed Orbis, while Microsoft has gone with Durango, and each machine has undergone some spec leaks just in time for E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), which will most likely house an official unveiling. So far, VGLeaks claims to have the world exclusive on Durango's specs, and plans on doing the same for Orbis in the coming weeks. In the meantime, they've put up an Orbis devkit roadmap showing that development started in the middle of 2012, if not sooner. If you're completely clueless about what to expect from the new gaming consoles, Edge magazine spoke with senior analyst, Piers Harding-Rolls, about launch times, pricing, indie support and more.

Illegal Unlocks

By the time you read this, it'll already be too late. That's right, unlocking your phone for use on another carrier is now officially illegal... unless you ask your service provider first. So if your contract is over, the DMCA essentially wants you to ask for permission to use your phone on another carrier's network. That being said, you can still legally purchase an unlocked phone for a premium price or, if you're feeling lucky, unlock the phone yourself and pray that a SWAT team doesn't tear your door down.

Sadie’s Letter

A young transgender girl, Sadie, decided to write the president a letter following his inauguration speech wherein he mentioned the need to embrace the homosexual community. Wondering why transgender individuals were not included, Sadie took it upon herself to write Obama and state her position.

“The world would be a better place if everyone had the right to be themselves, including people who have a creative gender identity and expression. Transgender people are not allowed the freedom to do things everyone else does, like go to the doctor, go to school, get a job, and even make friends.”

Apparently Sadie also likes to introduce herself as a transgender and as a vegan. I'm still not sure why vegans still feel the need to tell people their vegan, but I ain't even mad.

Quick Hits

Sued for Reviews

Arguments for Windows 8

Vidya

We got Drums!

Image Source: http://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/how-to/hacker-fundamentals-everymans-guide-network-packets-are-routed-across-web-0134491/

Although I walked into Swype’s weekly meeting to simply observe for the purpose of writing this article, it wasn’t long before I found myself following step-by-step instructions on how to perform the Wobble.

Swype, a dance group created by third-year public health student Phu Nguyen, invites everyone, regardless of skill level, to come and enjoy themselves. A third-year political science student and Swype’s President of Business Development William O-Shields encourages a model in which people can come for any reason, from having fun with friends to training for participation in on-campus events.

Leopards and Lions and... Lions?

]The Verge has a very nice video overview of Apple's newly announced Mac OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion. Many of the changes seem to be putting the iOS experience on your computer.

Notification Center: A new, blue icon will appear when new notifications have been received. Clicking the icon will open the center itself, which can pull notifications from "Calendar", "Messages" and even third-party developers.

Messages: iChat with a brand new look and better FaceTime integration.

 

Airplay Mirroring: View your computer screen on your Apple TV by clicking an AirPlay icon. Streaming music, watching video, etc. are all available options.

 

Game Kit: Multiplayer gaming between Mac, Iphone, iPad and iPod Touch will be available. With AirPlay you can use your TV to compete against a friend who’s on their iPad, while you use your computer.

 

Apple also has their own overview available.

 

Weed on a Plane

40lbs. of marijuana were found on a plane while flying through Barack Obama's airspace over Los Angeles. The president was flying from Los Angeles to a fund raiser in Corona Del Mar when a Cessna 182 aircraft began to fly closer to the White House helicopter, Marine One. The “Mary Jane” was found after the Cessna 182 was asked to land. One of the more interesting tidbits, whether the Cessna 182's pilot was high while flying, has yet to be revealed. How fun/scary would that be?

 

Be My Date?

Original Video

Video Response

My Take

 

 

 

Image Source: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01214/plane-cargo_1214188i.jpg

 

Hello everyone! I hope your year has been going well so far. Let’s jump right into it, shall we?

 

Chrome Phone

For you fancy kids rockin’ Google’s newly released Galaxy Nexus or another device running Android 4.0, Google has released a beta version of Google Chrome on the Android Market. In addition to incognito browsing, “Chrome for Android” allows users to sync whatever tabs they have open on their computer to sync with their device by signing in to a Google account. You can watch an introduction video HERE.

 

Elementary Molecules

A 10-year-old girl from Missouri, Clara Lazen, happened upon a new molecule while rearranging some atoms used to create nitroglycerin. Tetranitratoxycarbon (sound it out) is a combination of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon that does not exist in nature but can be created artificially. Her teacher, Kenneth Boehr, and a colleague realized that this was indeed a new molecule and one Professor Robert Zoellner wrote a paper on the subject, which was co-authored by Clara. In short, the atom can be used to either store energy or blow stuff up.

 

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Last week Facebook went public and many people received a nice chunk of change following the announcement including an artist, Dave Choe, who accepted stocks instead of money[/url] for painting Facebook’s Palo Alto location in 2005. ABC held an interview with Choe in which he discusses his newfound lack of privacy.

 

Dat Sh*t Cray

A Tumblr account run by a 17-year-old girl named Kate is chronicling her journey to becoming thinner. She’s currently 5’10” with a current weight of 127 and an ultimate goal of being 115 – something more in line for a woman around 4’10”. Another girl, Antonia, 16, also runs a “thinspo” blog.

 

“I like images that show skinny, happy girls,” she writes in an email to the Huffington Post. “They look so confident and we can see their bones through their skin. It's the most beautiful thing ever. I also like tips about food or how to ignore hunger.”’

 

Now there seems to be two types of “thinspo” blogs out there – those that post before and after pictures of seemingly healthy women and others that condone unhealthy dietary practices (pro-ana) to achieve a “dream body”. I don’t understand…

 

Vidya

 Robo With a Shotgun

 

 

Image Source: http://techzoomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/google-chrome.jpg

Starting things off on a bit of a somber note, the Chinese child you may have heard about who was run over and did not receive any help from bystanders died a week after intensive care treatments proved ineffective. The Huffington Post posted a video from Newsy which claims many people in China are afraid of being blamed for transgressions after only trying to help.  It’s a shame, really, and is hopefully something that gets better sooner rather than later.

If you’ve been wondering what Eminem’s been up to since he’s been clean, Rolling Stone posted an interview discussing his new album, his past experience with drugs and what it’s like to get into his recording studio, amongst other things. Fun fact – his current home in Detroit was owned by the former CEO of K-Mart.

Or if you’re more into politics, movie critic Roger Ebert and comedian Victoria Jackson have taken an interest in Occupy Wall Street. In his Chicago Sun-Times blog, Ebert compares the stances of the Tea Party and the OWS protestors but takes no clear side with either. In any case, it’s cool to see the movement picking up steam. SNL comedian Victoria Jackson actually interviews some of the protestors.  Whether or not you actually agree with her position is an entirely different story.

A new biography titled “Steve Jobs” written by Walter Isaacson is set to be published Oct. 24 and the Associated Press reports that the book covers such topics as Jobs’ religious outlook, a string of diets Jobs undertook in order to avoid surgery and his outrage at Google’s supposed poaching of Apple’s ideas. AP reports that after Schmidt, former Google CEO, left Apple as a board member, Jobs noticed that many features present in the iPhone were being reproduced on Google’s android powered Nexus One. Jobs wasn’t happy to say the least.

"I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong," Jobs said. "I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this."

Whether you’re interested in the way Jobs “came up” or would like to get a closer glimpse at his life, the biography is bound to be interesting.

Awesome video time!

 

Image Source: KenRockwell.com

If you have even the slightest interest in some of the physiological effects that the war overseas has caused soldiers, you should, at the very least, check out Vice’s interview with Jim Frederick, author of the novel Black Hearts.

 

The interview covers a portion of the hardships endured by a platoon of the 101st Airborne Division while they were fighting in an area called the “Triangle of Death”. It’s crazy stuff and really makes you wonder how often things of this nature occur. Spoiler alert, they would have gotten away with it if everyone had kept their mouths shut.

 

On a lighter note, have you seen this 3-D printer? You scan any object, make any modifications that you’d like (such as the coloring of a certain area) and this printer will actually make a tangible replica of whatever you’ve scanned. You can check it out at LiveLeaks. I can’t imagine this being at all affordable but it’s still interesting, nonetheless.

 

Also, this video is awesome.  Hooray for risking your life!

There are a bevy of new phones released throughout the year but Apple has been fairly consistent with their annual release of the iPhone. This year will see the coming of the iPhone 5 which, in addition to an updated OS, will see a few hardware revisions as well. No official announcements have been made by apple thus far but there are a few rumors floating around.

Apple Looses Their Phone... Again...
Cnet reported that an Apple employee lost a prototype of the iPhone 5 after leaving a tequila bar in San Francisco. A very similar incident occurred last year when the previous iPhone was set to be released. Coincidence? I think not, especially since Apple has taken great strains to improve their security since last year. Moreover, the newly misplaced iPhone was supposedly sold on Craigslist for not $2000, but $200. This sounds a little unlikely to say the least.

Sprint to Release New iPhone

According to the Wall Street Journal, Sprint is next in line to begin selling the iPhone and "people familiar with the matter" are expecting the device to release in mid-October. Bloomberg is reporting that Sprint's iPhone will also offer unlimited data unlike the AT&T and Verizon variants. Which is awesome.

iPhone 5 Redesign

Thisismynext.com says that its' sources claim that the new iPhone will look "more like the iPod touch than the iPhone 4." The home button is supposedly more elongated to allow for gestures similar to those found on the iPad. The screen is said to occupy much more space on the phone. Additionally, Verizon CFO Fran Shamoo states that the new iPhone will be a global device (meaning you can use it even when traveling overseas). 

 

iPhone 5 Facial Recognition