chicken

NASA battles solar storm with rubber chicken

Calm down, already. NASA swears that the Earth absolutely, definitely will not be annihilated by a massive flaming belch from the sun this year.

But just in case you're still a little worried, you'll no doubt be reassured to know the august space agency is holding nothing back in its efforts to study the sun's activity in 2012. In fact, it's even gone so far as to enlist the help of a very, very serious group of high school students, equipped with that most serious of scientific instruments: the rubber chicken.

Yes, students of Bishop Union High in Bishop, Calif. -- along with their mentor, Science@NASA's Tony Phillips, and a group of fifth-grade assistants -- recently launched a rubber chicken into the stratosphere during the most intense solar radiation storm since 2003.

Don't post a nasty, budget-related comment just yet, though. This wasn't any old astrorubberchicken; this was Camilla -- the mascot of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory -- and she was wearing a specially knitted spacesuit complete with high-tech sensors for measuring radiation. She was also accompanied by a specially modified lunchbox equipped with four cameras, two GPS trackers, a cryogenic thermometer, two-dozen sunflower seeds, and seven insects.… Read more

Recipes on your Android

Epicurious for Android lets you bring your handheld device into the kitchen and to the grocery store to serve as a cooking companion, and it's one of the best in the category. The home screen gives you quick links to specific categories of recipes (e.g. recipes for kids, party snacks, cocktails), but by entering a keyword into the search box at the bottom of the interface you can browse more targeted online recipes.

If you want even more control over your search, you can skip the search box and hit the search button at the bottom of the … Read more

Two turned chickens and no microphone

When it comes to chicken, ordering extra is rarely a bad idea. Able to be eaten hot or cold, any leftovers can be used in a variety of applications. From salad and sandwiches to soups and snacks, cold chicken has a use in every kitchen. When preparing chicken at home, there is an endless number of ways to get the job done. Sometimes that means digging into the back of the cupboard for a specialty appliance. Then, more than ever, it just makes sense to make two.

The Deni Vertical Rotisserie ($129.99) is capable of cooking two chickens at … Read more

Chicken came before egg, evidence suggests

British scientists claim to have solved one of the great mysteries of life, the universe, and everything in it: The chicken came before the egg, they say, and they're not mincing words.

"It had long been suspected that the egg came first, but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first," Sheffield University's Colin Freeman, according to a report in the Metro.

Researchers from Scotland and England used a supercomputer called HECToR to look in such detail at a chicken eggshell that they were able to determine the vital … Read more

The 404 581: Where we try to eat the meat off the chicken feet (podcast)

Warning: Today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast is not for the faint of stomach. Please take a moment to scoot that trash can closer to your person prior to viewing.

404 listeners Derrick the Unofficial 404 Photographer and Henry the Unofficial 404 Uncle surprise us in the office today with breakfast! Well, kind of. Chicken feet, anyone?

That's right, the boys were kind enough to make a stop in Chinatown to pick up a few select dim sum dishes for us to try on the air, and by "us" I actually mean "Wilson,&… Read more

Two birds, one beer can chicken cooker

What's better than a beer can chicken? Why that would be two beer can chickens, of course. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of good ol' fashioned common sense to create a kitchen contrivance worthy of taking on the shiniest of kitchen gadgets. Here there is no touch screen, no icons, not even any need for electricity (assuming of course you have a gas oven and a fresh-as-can-be chicken), but this piece of kitchen cookware can stand up to anything else.

The new Tumbleweed Pottery Double Chicken Cooker takes a good idea and makes it twice as … Read more

Gadgettes Podcast 163: The Technology We're Thankful For Episode

Today's cornucopia of technology is perfect for when you travel to visit your family for the Thanksgiving holiday. Some tech makes getting there safer and capturing the moment easier. Other tech was meant for your escape from the in-laws.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video)Read more

The ultimate chicken roaster

A perfect roast chicken can make for a delicious meal and the Ultimate Chicken Roaster, from All-Clad, promises to deliver perfection every time. The unique design of the roaster uses a detachable suspension arm that holds a chicken above the pan. The placement allows for the entire chicken to brown evenly, as well as provides room for a full pan of roasted vegetables. The pan has a flared design that allows the chicken to have full exposure to heat. The arm also has a reservoir, that can be filled with flavors like wine or beer to take your roast chicken … Read more

Is Google Adsense good for Android?

Last week Google announced the beta version of Adsense for mobile applications. With this new service, developers will be able to better monetize their applications and games. What's more, the revenue generated should be enough to encourage developers into spending more time on their Android projects.

In order to qualify for the beta service, a developer's application must generate 100,000 impressions per day. The developers generate revenue based on the number of people who click on an advertisement they display. The click-through rate, or CTR, is often higher on mobile ad units because they are highly targeted … Read more

The 404 336: Where sometimes it's good to be alone

Wilson's out slaving for CNETTV at the Amazon Kindle DX unveiling, leaving Jeff and I to man the show sans laughter...we'll let you judge the outcome. Today we veryveryvery briefly touch on the biggie Kindle, and also discuss the dangers of gaming to the death, Apple's new iPhone replacement policy, Oprah's free chicken giveaway, and more!

We'd first like to thank Randall Bennett, former host of The 404, for having us on his new show Tech VI--check us out!

One story from today comes from our brothers in the East, and by "… Read more