Not Very PC: Why Typewriters Beat Computers

If it's on your lap, it's heating things up

(NEWSER) - This study involves the phrases "scrotal temperature elevation" and "scrotal hyperthermia," so you know it can't end well. SUNY researchers found that using a laptop on the lap for only 10 or 15 minutes heats up men's testicles—figure about 1-degree Celsius in 15 minutes if sitting with knees close together. Spreading them helps a bit, though lap pads make no difference. Researchers don't know if this actually affects fertility, but they're pretty sure it can't help, notes the LA Times . The study's in the Fertility and Sterility Journal . More»

Walt Mossberg reviews 3 cutting-edge laptops

(NEWSER) - Cheap netbooks aren't profitable for PC makers, so it’s logical they're trying to lure consumers toward laptops that are just as thin, but have bigger screens, more features—and a heftier price tag. Walt Mossberg reviews three such models for the Wall Street Journal, and finds pros and cons for each but no clear winner:

• Toshiba Satellite T135, $600. This model boasts the best battery life of the three and is the cheapest, but it has a slippery, hard-to-use keyboard and touchpad.

Drunken sailors' screaming contest wins 'coveted' Bulwer-Lytton prize

(NEWSER) - A tale of screaming seafarers has won a Washington man this year's grand prize for terrible writing, AP reports. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest—named in honor of the British writer who coined "It was a dark and stormy night"—rewards the author who can come up with the worst beginning to an imaginary novel with a small sum and huge bragging rights. More»

Sales slowdown hides fact that low-cost laptops are taking over

(NEWSER) - You may not be able to buy a "netbook" in the not-too-distant future, but a new generation of low-power, low-priced laptops descended from the netbook are poised to conquer much of the PC market, experts tell Wired. Sales of the netbook—one of last year's hottest gadgets—haven't met expectations so far this year, but manufacturers are turning their attention to new categories like "consumer ultralow-voltage notebooks." More»

Low-cost computer is part of plan to update nation's colleges

(NEWSER) - India’s government will launch an ultra-cheap laptop computer tomorrow as part of a new initiative to update the nation’s educational system, the Guardian reports. The Sakshat will sell for $10 (500 rupees), a price India hopes will be accessible for most students. The laptop is the centerpiece of a national plan to give college students access to textbooks, class lectures, and homework online. More»