Apple News: Apple hires former head of Environmental Protection Agency
Apple has long been criticized by environmental organizations for its lack of effort to reduce its carbon footprint. The criticism got so bad at one point, that Steve Jobs himself felt that it was necessary to address the topic via an open letter on Apple’s website. But things have changed a lot since Jobs’ infamous ‘A Greener Apple’ post. The company has taken several steps to become more environmentally-friendly, including constructing large solar farms, and apparently hiring the former administrator of the EPA.
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Technology News: An Insider’s View of the Myths and Truths of the 3-D Printing ‘Phenomenon’
From a major VC firm’s recent $30 million investment in the industrial-grade 3-D printing space to the news that Staples will become the first major U.S. retailer to sell consumer-friendly 3-D printers, it’s clear that 3-D printing has reached its inflection point. And perhaps its hype point, too.
Read full story => Wired

Programming News: The Next Level of Ruby Cryptography
At RubyConf in Denver, I gave a talk presenting krypt. This here shall be the first in a series of posts where I describe in more detail what krypt is all about, what it does and finally, why I believe it to be a good idea. I’d like to start this series with the obligatory introduction, describing what motivated the project, some of the fundamental design principles, and exactly why and how it deviates from other cryptography projects. I will also try to explain where krypt may be headed in the future and what you can finally expect from it, should you want to use it.
Read full story => Emboss

Photography News: Make Great Photo Collages for Free on a Mac
I’m always game for free software. I’ll regularly jump over to the Mac App Store and see what’s topping the charts (especially the free charts). I came across Fotor recently, which offers two primary modes for working. … Verdict: You get more than what you pay for. If you’re looking for an easy to use photo editor or a way to add quick borders, this is a great choice. I see myself using the collage feature to make quick combo images for social media and blog posts. Recommend as easy to use and absolutely free.
Read full story => PhotoFocus