Super-Fast Broadband Via the Sewer System

Bournemouth, UK, is often mocked by many of the British for the average age of its citizens. In short, a seaside resort where many go to die. Jack Dee once quipped that the shop windows are all fitted with bi-focals to allow passers-by to ascertain what lies within.

But the citizens, it seems, are having the last laugh as it has been reported this week that the town is to be the first in the UK to make use of the sewer system in a whole new way.

Physicists Create Universe Smaller Than a Marble

At Lancaster University, they’re unraveling the secrets of how to build a universe. In fact, they have already formed one, or something very much like it. This scientific breakthrough lies in the bottom of a chamber no larger than your pinky finger, filled with helium and cooled to 0.0003 degrees Fahrenheit above absolute zero.

Last.fm announces original video programming

Last.fm, the social music service that CBS Interactive acquired last year, is venturing into original content for the first time with a new video series called Last.fm Presents.

The series consists of interviews with popular and rising bands and artists; among the first artists featured are techno legend Moby, rising alternative-pop singer Santogold, and popular indie band Spoon. Last.fm has also made a selection of live concert footage available on its site to complement the interviews.

Sprint Spending $100 Million to Kick iPhone in the Nuts (iPhone Wearing Cup)

Starting May 9th, Sprint will begin a massive, $100 million marketing campaign aimed straight at the iPhone’s nether regions. Stacking its 3G Instinct against the iPhone, Sprint hopes to show that EVDO and GPS make their product way better than anything coming out of Cupertino.

The problem isn’t that the Instinct is necessarily a bad phone, or that Sprint is a worse service than AT&T. It’s that Sprint’s series of commercials will cost the company $100 million to promote a message that will most probably be a moot point in one month if/when Apple announces their 3G iPhone. Here’s their second commercial:

newVideoPlayer(“instinctiphone2_giz.flv”, 463, 387,””);

Also, in a more general suggestion to the advertisers of the world, never put a your device side by side against a competitor if the competitor has a higher screen to case ratio. We’ll probably be posting the other three spots as they come in…but even if we don’t, expect to see the series all over the television soon. Oh, and to put $100 million into some perspective, that’s more money than it would cost to run a 2009 Super Bowl commercial every day for a month.

Helio and Virgin Mobile to Merge?

Source: Gizmodo

mocoNews reports talks are going on between Helio and Virgin Mobile USA about a possible merger between the two wireless phone carriers. Helio has had some finanical issues over the past year, and it’s owner, SK Telecom, has been looking to make a splash in US markets. Current talks include SK Telecom buying out Virgin Mobile USA, infusing it with cash, and having Virgin Mobile buy out the Helio via stock purchase. Seeing as both carriers operate on Sprint’s network, technical logistics won’t be a huge hurdle, which leaves financials to deal with. But this is still very much in the early stages.