Just like hard drive sectors can fail, neurons can go bad as data processing, memory-storing units in your brain. In this video, a neuron lacks the protein needed to make connections with other cells, essentially becoming a bad sector. More »

Microsoft certainly set off a firestorm of controversy yesterday with the revelation that Windows Phone 7 Series won't have copy and paste, since it doesn't necessarily line up with what the company has said in private before -- and the issue seems to have gotten even more clouded as people have started hacking around the emulator. So let's set the record straight on what we were told, since it wasn't ambiguous in any way: Microsoft says leaving clipboard operations out was a conscious design decision based on user research showing that people don't actually use copy and paste very often, and that instead 7 Series features a systemwide data detection service which recognizes things ike phone numbers and addresses so you can take action on them. Third-party apps can hook into this service, so that an email address can be routed to the email client of your choice, but there's no copy and paste functionality. We specifically asked about Office and OneNote, and we were told that Microsoft's research shows that people mostly want to view and comment on documents, not move things around. We also specifically asked if copy and paste was coming later and were told no, although we'd guess that it's at least being worked on for a future version. Don't take it from us, though -- listen to Microsoft's Todd Brix for yourself:

Microsoft on copy and paste in Windows Phone 7 Series: 'people don't do that' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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digg_url = 'http://digg.com/microsoft/Microsoft_on_copy_paste_in_WM7_People_dont_do_that'; Microsoft certainly set off a firestorm of controversy yesterday with the revelation that Windows Phone 7 Series won't have copy and paste, since it doesn't necessarily line up with what the company has said in private before -- and the issue seems to have gotten even more clouded as people have started hacking around the emulator. So let's set the record straight on what we were told, since it wasn't ambiguous in any way: Microsoft says leaving clipboard operations out was a conscious design decision based on user research showing that people don't actually use copy and paste very often, and that instead 7 Series features a systemwide data detection service which recognizes things ike phone numbers and addresses so you can take action on them. Third-party apps can hook into this service, so that an email address can be routed to the email client of your choice, but there's no copy and paste functionality. We specifically asked about Office and OneNote, and we were told that Microsoft's research shows that people mostly want to view and comment on documents, not move things around. We also specifically asked if copy and paste was coming later and were told no, although we'd guess that it's at least being worked on for a future version. Don't take it from us, though -- listen to Microsoft's Todd Brix for yourself:

Microsoft on copy and paste in Windows Phone 7 Series: 'people don't do that' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microprocessor mega-shocker: self-assembling silicon chips could lead to ever smaller circuitry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microprocessor mega-shocker: self-assembling silicon chips could lead to ever smaller circuitry originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Between alcohol-fueled holidays and everyday health issues, some of us might eventually wind up needing new livers or some other organs. Turns out scientists could build us those new organs using metal nano-particles suspended in a magnetic field. More »

One day, you're going to die. And when you do, your online presence—like your social network profiles, your blog comments, and your web services—will serve as your very first memorial. Here's how it'll play out. More »

digg_url = 'http://digg.com/microsoft/Windows_Phone_7_Series_won_t_have_multitasking_confirmed'; We've definitely learned a ton about Windows Phone 7 Series here at MIX, but getting the full picture on multitasking has been difficult, since the OS isn't ready, no one has final hardware, and the emulator seems to behave differently than actual devices and Microsoft's descriptions. So let's set the record straight on multitasking: it's not going to happen, at least not in the traditional way. Not only have we directly confirmed this with Microsoft executives several times, but the developer sessions here are totally clear on the matter -- you don't tell 1000+ devs that they should expect their apps to be killed whenever the user switches away from them if you don't mean it. Now, that's not to say that the OS can't do multitasking: first-party apps like the Zune player and IE can run in the background, and third-party apps are actually left running in a suspended state (Microsoft calls it "dehydrated") as long as the system doesn't need any additional resources. If the user cycles back to an app, it's resumed ("rehydrated") and life continues merrily along, but if the user opens other apps and the system needs additional resources, the app is killed without any indication or remorse.

If that sounds familiar, it's because it's basically a single-tasking riff on Android and Windows Mobile 6, both of which also purport to intelligently manage multiple running applications like this, and both of which usually find themselves greatly improved with manual task managers. We'll have to see if Windows Phone 7 Series can do a better job once it ships -- we have a feeling it will -- and later down the line we'll see if Microsoft decides to extend multitasking to third-party apps. But for now, just know that you're not going to be running Pandora in the background while you do other tasks on a 7 Series device -- it is a question we have specifically asked, and the answer, unfortunately, is no.

P.S. Still don't believe us? Hear it for yourself directly from Microsoft's Todd Brix:

Windows Phone 7 Series multitasking: the real deal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're used to feeling oddly insulted by Sony ads, but for once it's everyone else who might need a hug. Because in this PlayStation Move ad, the competition gets named, shamed, and leaves crying for mommy. [Ars Technica via Kotaku] More »