Thursday, January 3, 2013

New Map Tracks The Location Of Drone Flights Across The U.S.


Newly Released Drone Records Reveal Extensive Military Flights in US -- EEF.org 

Today EFF posted several thousand pages of new drone license records and a new map that tracks the location of drone flights across the United States. These records, received as a result of EFF’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), come from state and local law enforcement agencies, universities and—for the first time—three branches of the U.S. military: the Air Force, Marine Corps, and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).

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My Comment: Bottom line .... they are everywhere.

Video Tour Of The International Space Station



Video Tour Of The International Space Station -- Slate 

Before she came back to Earth in a ball of fire surrounding her Russian re-entry capsule, astronaut Sunita Williams took time out of her packing for the trip home to give a nickel tour of the International Space Station. When I clicked this, I figured I’d watch for a minute or two … and found myself watching the whole thing, because it was simply fascinating.  

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My Comment: Yup .... I also spent the next 25 minutes watching it.

The Rise Of E-Books

The Nook tablet is seen during a demonstration at the Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York in this 2011 file photo. The share of US adults reading a digital book jumped in 2012 while the share of those reading a traditional book fell, accoridng to a new survey. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters/File 

Digital Reading Rises, While Books Fade -- Christian Science Monitor  

Share of adult Americans reading an e-book jumps from 16 to 23 percent in a year, Pew survey finds, while traditional book reading falls from 72 to 67 percent.

The tastes of the reading public are turning digital. A Pew Internet Research Center survey released Thursday found that the percentage of Americans aged 16 and older who read an e-book grew from 16 percent in 2011 to 23 percent this year. Readers of traditional books dropped from 72 percent to 67 percent. Overall, those reading books of any kind dropped from 78 percent to 75 percent, a shift Pew called statistically insignificant.

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My Comment: My favorite e-book library is here.

A New Trend Called Rooftopping

Daring photographer Tom Ryaboi snaps the Toronto skyline from the top of skyscrapers 

Rooftopping? It's Just Jaw-Dropping! Vertigo-Inducing Pictures Taken By Rooftopper Who Wants To Take Photography To New Heights -- Daily Mail 

* Photography craze of Rooftopping sees thrill seekers climbing to dizzying new heights for the perfect picture

If the thought of walking along the edge of skyscrapers completely unprotected turns you queasy, it's probably best you look away now. Daring photographer Tom Ryaboi snaps the Toronto skyline from the top of skyscrapers as a pioneer of the heart-stopping photography movement rooftopping. To achieve these breathtaking photographs, he often has to evade security guards, dogs - and even urban falcons defending their nests.

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My Comment: The pictures are vertigo-inducing. My suggestion to those who are foolish to want to try it .... do not do it on a windy day.

What Global Warming?

Colder: Since 1977, the mean annual temperature has been steadily rising but starting in the early 2000s that has been falling

What Global Warming? Alaska Is Headed For An Ice Age As Scientists Report State's Steady Temperature Decline -- Daily Mail 

* Since 2000, temperatures in Alaska have dropped by 2.4 degrees Fahrenheit
 * Scientists reviewed weather reports from 20 climate stations operated by the National Weather Service located across Alaska
 * 19 of the 20 weather stations reported falling temperatures
* An ocean phenomenon has disrupted a storm regulating system thus allowing cold winter storms to linger longer and bring a deep chill
* Local residents have noticed the colder temps but say its no big deal since they are already bundled up for 20-below zero temperatures

New research from the Alaska Climate Research Center shows that since the beginning of the 21st century, temperatures in the snow covered land of Alaska are actually getting colder - bucking the overall global warming trend.

In the Last Frontier, where temperatures can get as cold as 50 degrees below zero, local residents have experienced the increasing chill and scientists now confirm that the Northwest state is indeed seeing a temperature drop.

A new report from the research center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks reveals that the 49th state of the union has cooled by 2.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 2000.

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My Comment: Dittos in Montreal (where I live) and for what my relatives (who live in Russia) are telling me this winter.

Intel Wants To Offer People The Ability To Subscribe To Individual Channels

Intel has been looking at TV for a while. Dan Frommer, Business Insider 

Intel Is Reportedly Going To Destroy The Cable Model By Offering People The Ability To Subscribe To Individual Channels -- Business Insider 

Intel is reportedly on the cusp of delivering something that consumers around the world have been wanting for a long, long time.

Kelly Clay at Forbes reports Intel is going to blow up the cable industry with its own set-top box and an unbundled cable service.

Clay says Intel is planning to deliver cable content to any device with an Internet connection. And instead of having to pay $80 a month for two hundred channels you don't want, you'll be able to subscribe to specific channels of your choosing.

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My Comment: I have trouble seeing content providers giving Intel that type of power over their means to distribute their product. Cable has been good to these providers, Intel will have to offer something better.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

U.S. And New Zealand Secretly Tested 'Tsunami Bomb'


U.S. And New Zealand Secretly Tested 'Tsunami Bomb' Designed To Trigger Tidal Waves And Destroy Coastal Cities In WWII -- Daily Mail
* Countries carried out covert tests of a device designed to use underwater explosions to trigger massive tidal waves
* Testing saw almost 4,000 bombs detonated in waters around New Caledonia and Auckland during the Second World War
* Details of top secret Project Seal unearthed in military files in New Zealand's national archives by an author researching a new book

The U.S. and New Zealand collaborated on a top-secret plan to develop a 'tsunami bomb' capable of devastating coastal cities, it has emerged. The countries carried out covert tests of the potential weapon of mass destruction - designed to use underwater explosions to trigger huge tidal waves - in waters around Auckland and the Pacific island of New Caledonia during the Second World War. Details of the secretive operation, code-named Project Seal, were discovered in military files buried in New Zealand's national archives by author and film-maker Ray Waru.  

Read more ....

More News On The 'Tsunami Bomb'

'Tsunami bomb' tested off New Zealand coast -- The Telegraph
Tsunami bomb feasible, secret WWII test showed -- Sydney Morning Herald
NZ and US tested 'tsunami bomb' that could devastate small cities -- TNT Magazine
From UFOs to 'tsunami bomb': N.Z. archive secrets revealed -- France24/AFP

The Growth Of Snapchat

Snapchat Withstands Facebook Challenge -- Financial Times 

A smartphone app that shares self-destructing photos has emerged as Silicon Valley’s latest obsession after withstanding a head-on challenge from social-networking group Facebook. Snapchat, whose popularity among teenagers has made it a US hit, has been in the App Store’s top 10 for the past few months. The free app’s disposable photos mark it out against rivals such as Instagram, one of last year’s most-hyped apps.

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My Comment: This is a smart idea .... and does help to create that personal and private environment that many people crave for.

Approaching Comet May Be The Brightest In Decades

Approaching Comet May Outshine The Moon -- Reuters 

* Comet ISON discovered in September
* Could be brightest comet in decades Dec 28

(Reuters) - A comet blazing toward Earth could outshine the full moon when it passes by at the end of next year - if it survives its close encounter with the sun. The recently discovered object, known as comet ISON, is due to fly within 1.2 million miles (1.9 million km) from the center of the sun on Nov. 28, 2013 said astronomer Donald Yeomans, head of NASA's Near Earth Object Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. As the comet approaches, heat from the sun will vaporize ices in its body, creating what could be a spectacular tail that is visible in Earth's night sky without telescopes or even binoculars from about October 2013 through January 2014. If the comet survives, that is.

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Update #1: 2013 could be the best year for comet spotting in generations -- CNet  
Update #2: 2013 Has A Spectacular Comet In Store For Us -- Business Insider

My Comment: Something to look forward ro at the end of the year.

Africa's Energy Demands Are Starting To Skyrocket

Africa's Energy Consumption Growing Fastest In World -- Christian Science Monitor

Africa's energy demands are skyrocketing, but with 64 recent major discoveries of fuel deposits, it is in a good position to meet its needs. As the sun sets over Africa each day, instead of flicking a light switch or heating up the oven, most people put a match to a kerosene lantern or a burning ember to a charcoal stove. Africa, home to 15 percent of the world’s population, consumes just 3 percent of the world's energy output, and 587 million people, including close to three-quarters of those living in Sub-Saharan Africa, still have no access to electricity via national grids. But the situation is changing, and swiftly. At 4.1 percent growth, Africa’s per capita energy consumption is growing faster than anywhere else, driven by improved infrastructure, inward investment, and efforts to tackle corruption.  

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My Comment: These energy trends are going to guarantee a few things .... (1) global oil and energy prices will remain high, (2) global warming advocates will be alarmed, and (3) tensions and conflicts will start to develop between different African countries over energy supplies (i.e. South Sudan - Sudan oil deposits, Ethiopia wanting to dam the Nile river, Nigeria delta oil reserves, etc.).

Did Neil Armstrong Lie About The Origins Of His ‘One Small Step’ Speech?



Did Neil Armstrong Lie About The Origins Of His ‘One Small Step’ Speech? And Did He Still Fluff His Lines? -- Daily Mail 

A new documentary has cast doubt on Neil Armstrong's claims that he came up with his iconic 'one small step' line hours after touching down on the surface of the moon. The first man on the moon had stubbornly maintained up until his death in September that his historic words were unplanned, but a recent interview with his brother claims that he thought up the famous speech months before the July 1969, Apollo mission - and that the phrase he planned to utter did include an 'a'. Hundreds of millions around the world heard the NASA astronaut say, 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind', but Armstrong insisted that he said 'a man' but that the 'a' was not heard because of static.  

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My Comment: He will always be remembered for saying 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' .... and that's good enough for me.

Is There A Link Between Alzheimer's Disease And Space travel?

Little is know about the ultra high-energy cosmic rays that regularly penetrate the atmosphere. J. Yang / NSF 

 Space May Accelerate Alzheimer's In Astronauts -- NBC  

Exposure to radiation levels could speed up changes in brain, study finds. Radiation in space might harm the brains of astronauts in deep space by accelerating the development of Alzheimer's disease, a new study on mice suggests. The research reveals another risk that manned deep-space missions to places such as Mars or the asteroids could pose, scientists added. "This study shows for the first time that exposure to radiation levels equivalent to a mission to Mars could produce cognitive problems and speed up changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease," study author Kerry O'Banion, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said in a statement.

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My Comment: Maybe so .... but if I had the chance, I would still want to go up into space.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Facebook, Google And Twitter Release 2012 Trends

Felix Baumgartner's daring freefall from near space was a top trend on Google. 

Facebook, Google Release 2012 Trends -- CNN 

 (CNN) -- If you can't recall everything you loved and hated about 2012, Facebook, Twitter and Google all just released their year-in-review reports. And all three reflect what many of us experienced firsthand: Thousands of strangers gathering to watch a rover land on Mars and a man fall from space. A hurricane slamming the East Coast while the world watched tragedy strike and heroes emerge. Social media, combined with the ability to search and surface information almost instantly, repeatedly brought Internet users together to huddle around the virtual campfire, sharing their stories through image, text and sound.

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CSN Editor: For more on the trends:

Meet Roboy, One Of The Most Advanced Humanoid Robots In The World



Advanced Humanoid Roboy To Be ‘Born’ In Nine Months -- Kurzweilai 

Meet Roboy, “one of the most advanced humanoid robots,” say researchers at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Zurich. Their 15 project partners and over 40 engineers and scientists are constructing Roboy as a tendon-driven robot modeled on human beings (robots usually have their motors in their joints, giving them that “robot” break-dance look), so it will move almost as elegantly as a human. Roboy will be a “service robot,” meaning it will execute services independently for the convenience of human beings, as in the movie Robot & Frank.

 Read more ....

My Comment: Impressive.

2,750-Year-Old Temple Found Near Jerusalem

An employee of the Israeli Antiquities Authority displays figurines at Tel Motza archaeological site on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Baz Ratner / Reuters 

Israelis Find 2,750-Year-Old Temple -- NBC 

Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,750-year-old temple near Jerusalem, along with pottery and clay figurines that suggest the site was the home base for a ritual cult, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said Wednesday. The discovery was made during excavations at the Tel Motza archaeological site, about 3 miles (5 kilometers) west of Jerusalem, during preparations for work on a new section of Israeli's Highway 1, the agency said in a statement.

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My Comment: More evidence that Jerusalem is built on a history that spans many millennium

The Secret Of Scotland's Islay Malt Whiskeys

The Secret Of Scotland's Islay Malt Whiskeys -- CBS  

(CBS News) We all know Scotch whisky comes from Scotland. But to true Scotch drinkers, just WHERE in Scotland makes all the difference. Willem Marx takes us on a tasting tour: At the outermost edge of Scotland's wild Atlantic coastline lies a small island with a big reputation. The Isle of Islay is called the "Queen of the Hebrides" for its natural beauty, and can seem rather a peaceful little spot. But the sleepy harbors, flowery meadows and ancient villages today play host to an increasingly global industry. While Jamaica is liked for its rums, and Madeira known for its sherries, this island is loved and famous for its unique-tasting Scotch whiskys, known as Islay malts. Islay has just over 3,000 year-round residents, but in their midst nine whisky distilleries are thriving.

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My Comment: Makes me want to move to Scotland

Is Beer Food?

Beer Now Considered Alcohol, Not Food, In Russia As New Restrictions Take Hold -- NBC 

It will be tougher for Russians to cry in their beer in 2013. Restrictions on when and where beer can be sold go into effect Jan. 1 with a law that declared beer is alcohol, not food. Under the new rules, beer can only be sold in licensed outlets — not street kiosks, gas stations and bus depots like it has been. Russians won't be able to buy it from shops between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., and beer commercials are a thing of the past. The limits are part of a government effort to reduce alcohol abuse in Russian, where one in five male deaths are linked to booze, according to world health experts. Not everyone is toasting the change, however.

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My Comment: My dad (who is Russian and when he was alive loved beer) always treated beer as food.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Russia's GPS Network Is Put On Hold

RIA Novosti / Oleg Urusov

Russian Military's Support Of GLONASS On Ice After Corruption Scandal, Technical Failures - Report -- RT

The Russian Defense Ministry has reportedly refused to adopt GLONASS, the country’s rival to GPS, due to its technical shortcomings. One of the system’s 24 satellites has malfunctioned, and besides, GLONASS is still in its testing phase. ­

The malfunctioning satellite will not be operational any time soon as it has already exhausted its power after 96 months in service, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports. And due to a difference in orbit inclination, no existing reserve satellite can substitute it.  

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My Comment: After a decade of war the U.S. has clearly shown the value of GPS systems for precision bomb strikes. Not having this essential network is a significant loss for the Russian military.  
Update: A link to how China and other countries are trying to develop their own GPS system.

Christianity Is 'Close To Extinction' In The Middle East

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Christianity 'Close To Extinction' In Middle East -- The Telegraph

Christianity faces being wiped out of the “biblical heartlands” in the Middle East because of mounting persecution of worshippers, according to a new report.

The study warns that Christians suffer greater hostility across the world than any other religious group. And it claims politicians have been “blind” to the extent of violence faced by Christians in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The most common threat to Christians abroad is militant Islam, it says, claiming that oppression in Muslim countries is often ignored because of a fear that criticism will be seen as “racism”.

 It warns that converts from Islam face being killed in Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Iran and risk severe legal penalties in other countries across the Middle East. The report, by the think tank Civitas, says: “It is generally accepted that many faith-based groups face discrimination or persecution to some degree.  

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My Comment: I have remarked on more than one occasion that this is one of the most under-reported stories of the past few years.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Is Now On Facebook

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Photo On Facebook

Iranians Can't Use Facebook, But Ayatollah Does -- NBC News

Facebook — banned in Iran due to its use by activists to rally government opponents in 2009 — has an unlikely new member: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Launched a few days ago, the Facebook page "Khamenei.ir" displays photographs of the 73-year-old cleric alongside speeches and pronouncements by the man who wields ultimate power in the Islamic Republic. While there are several other Facebook pages already devoted to Khamenei, the new one — whose number of "likes" quadrupled on Monday to over 1,000 — appeared to be officially authorized, rather than merely the work of admirers.  

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More News On Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Being On Facebook

Iran's supreme leader 'likes' Facebook despite ban -- ITV
Internet ayatollah: Iran's supreme leader "likes" Facebook -- Reuters
Iran's Supreme Leader adds Facebook to growing online presence, despite official ban -- The Verge Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Gets Nostalgic On Facebook -- Tech Crunch  

My Comment: I doubt that he is posting himself .... someone on his staff is probably doing this. but it is interesting that he feels that he needs an online presence for the international community to read and follow. More proof (once agaion) on the power of social media.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Facebook page is here.