multiply

One of the drawbacks of many basic calculators is that you can't view each operation in a long equation all at once. CCCalc seeks to remedy this problem by providing users with a view of their work as though it's been written on a piece of graph paper. The program isn't crammed with features, but it is a nice alternative for people who like to view their work as they go.

The program's interface is plain, with a keypad at the bottom and the graph paper-style display on top. The keypad can be turned off if … Read more

Last year, Dyson attracted a lot of attention with a couple of blade-free fans that used something called Air Multiplier technology to blow a nice, even stream of air to cool you down. Those 10 and 12-inch models aren't exactly cheap, costing $299.99 and $329. But instead of making more affordable fans, Dyson is coming out with two larger higher-end models that will cost $450.

The AM02 Tower (pictured left), available in iron, blue and silver, or just silver, stands 1m tall and measures 19cm wide, whereas the AM03 Pedestal fan is even larger and pumps out more … Read more

At first glance, James Dyson's latest invention looks like a powerful HD antenna or perhaps a small portal into another world. But in fact, the device, which carries the vaunting title of Dyson Air Multiplier, is something much more common: a fan.

What, a fan with no blades? Yes, that's exactly what you're looking at, and what makes the Air Multiplier so hard for people to classify at first. This fan uses some innovative airflow engineering to pull air up through an energy-efficient brushless motorbase and multiply it 15 times, expelling it through an airfoil-shaped ramp at a rate of 118 gallons a second, according to the press release.

Dyson, the company, says its fluid dynamics engineers spent four years "running hundreds of simulations to precisely measure and optimize the machine's aperture and airfoil-shaped ramp" and air fluctuations were mapped with something called a Laser Doppler Annometry. … Read more

Multiply, the small social network that acquired MSN Groups when Microsoft shuttered the product late last year, has launched a redesign.

In addition to a new news-feed-based homepage, there are now plug-ins for Google's Picasa and Microsoft's Windows Photo Gallery for easy syncing, a better auto-upload tool, and increased prominence of the "media locker" where members can store high-resolution versions of their photos.

Multiply, which has between 13 million and 14 million members, makes money from premium accounts, photo-printing services, and advertising on free accounts. The company says that right now, those three revenue streams are … Read more

An e-mail snafu has led to the leak of Microsoft's decision to shutter its MSN Groups service, according to LiveSide.net. It's not a surprise, as MSN Groups was one of the last vestiges of Microsoft's Web services strategy pre-Windows Live.

MSN Groups will be closing on February 21, 2009. It'll be replaced with a new service, Windows Live Groups, which debuts on November 17.

Here's the catch: The LiveSide post indicates MSN Groups will not be migrating to Windows Live Groups; the new Windows Live service will be different enough so that the transition … Read more

Multiply, a social network that has done a fine job of flying under the radar since its 2005 launch, has announced a new paid-account program that focuses on media storage. Called a "digital scrapbook," this premium feature will cost $19.95 annually.

Members who opt in to the "digital scrapbook" program will be able to store high-resolution photos, as well as videos up to 20 minutes long. They will also be able to surf the site without ads.

Multiply has also launched a tool that automatically uploads photos and videos to a private "locker," … Read more