Mewes News #7: News from the Mewes Studio

Sharp's 90-inch smart TV: hands-on with the world's largest LED TV (The Verge) 

(When Sharp broke its own record for the world's largest LED TV with a Wi-Fi-enabled 90-inch behemoth, many were skeptical: would a nearly bed-sized television really be viewable in only 1080p resolution? At a recent Pepcom showing, we were able to put Sharp's smart TV to the test.)

Microsoft Surface tablets: High-end hardware but better be cheap (ZDnet) 

(The Microsoft secret event that unveiled the new company-branded tablets sent a wake-up call to the PC industry. The folks in Redmond were no longer happy to let OEMs release me-too PCs to showcase the revolutionary new Windows 8. Microsoft is making a statement that it is in it to win it, but it may run into the same hardware pricing quandary its partners have faced for years.)

1976 Apple Computer Sells For $375,000 (The Indy Channel) 

(Think the iPad's price tag is steep? One famed Apple product, the original Apple I, sold for $374,500 on Friday. Auction house Sotheby's sold a 1976 Apple I Computer -- which still works! -- in New York on Friday, after a bidding war broke out between two potential buyers.)

Aiming for Seamless Surfing and Streaming at 30,000 Feet (NY Times) 

(At first, being able to get an Internet connection on an airplane seemed like one of life’s modern miracles. Soon enough, though, passengers got a little jaded and started complaining about how slow that connection could sometimes be. Now the companies offering in-air Wi-Fi say they are trying out ways to speed things up and broaden the service’s availability.)

Verizon raises FiOS bills, adds higher Web speeds (Reuters) 

(Verizon Communications is raising prices for some FiOS customers as it offers higher speeds, a move that one analyst says will potentially lead to higher prices from cable rivals such as Cablevision Systems Corp. The telephone company said it expects the majority of its FiOS Internet customers to have to pay $10 to $15 more per month to avail of new offerings, but it noted that they could change their television package to keep their monthly fee unchanged.)

'Nuns on the Bus' taking America by storm (AFP) 

(Signing autographs along the way, a group of Catholic nuns is taking a road trip across America to stand up for the poor. The media-savvy "Nuns on the Bus" tour kicked off in the midwestern state of Iowa on June 17 and is making a slew of stops around the country to convey concern about social injustice. "Our bus is about a policy conversation ... to say we the people of the United States, we can be a better union," organizer Simone Campbell told AFP during a stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where the sister on Thursday hailed a historic US Supreme Court ruling that upheld the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law.)

Jellyfish sting? Peeing on it only adds insult to injury, experts say (Houston News) 

(Home remedies for jellyfish stings, including meat tenderizer, baking soda, alcohol and even urine – may be less effective at relieving pain than plain hot water and lidocaine, according to a recent paper. “Some of the remedies promoted by word of mouth and online, such as vinegar, actually make the pain worse with certain species of jellyfish,” said lead study author Dr. Nicholas T. Ward, of California San Diego.)