Detroit, Midwest leaders visit European cities on rebound Detroit and other Rust Belt cities hoping to reverse decades of decline are finding new inspiration in unexpected places — the older industrial cities of Europe. In recent weeks, leaders from Detroit, Flint, Cleveland and other Midwest cities have traveled to Europe as part of a “Cities [...]

Suburbs to consider fight for water dept. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and others are ramping up efforts to increase suburban oversight of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, following an indictment Wednesday alleging former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick used the agency to dole out millions of dollars in contracts to a friend. Read [...]

Justin Bieber’s World Cup iPad: 2010 in keywords The end of the calendar year is a time to reflect on our experiences of the last twelve months, and to look ahead to what the next twelve have in store. Read more on BetaNews

Why is it that student pilots are being taught to fly traffic patterns that would be too large for even a Boeing 777? AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli explores the question in this not-so-gentle but humorous video. Viewer discretion advised.

More info on this mission + tons of photos: improveverywhere.com For our latest mission, six undercover actors burst into song in a grocery store in Queens. Three minutes and lots of silly choreography later, they returned to their roles as shoppers and stock boys. The mission was filmed with hidden robotic, lipstick, and wearable cameras. [...]

Google rolls out 3-D maps for Android Android smart phone users will now be able to browse maps in 3-D, even when their Internet connection is on the fritz. Google announced the launch of Google Maps 5.0 for Android on Thursday. The new-generation app uses vector graphics… Read more on Los Angeles Times

Take a tour of Google SketchUp and learn how to make a 3D model of a house using components, shapes, push/pull, materials, and shadows. Model anything you can imagine. Download Google SketchUp at sketchup.google.com

Repeatedly stabbing monkeys with sharpened objects may have an adverse effect on their health, according to a new study. More coverage at: onion.com

With Facebook Tie, Clicker Wants to Be Personal Web TV Guide The well-financed start-up on Wednesday became one of only a few companies to embrace Facebook ’s “instant personalization,” a controversial service that allows users to bring their Facebook friends onto another site with them. Read more on New York Times

Chef Brendan McDermott shows Rebecca an easy, delicious, affordable recipe for homemade flatbreads.