No Police Surveillance Policy Change At Skype

Skype Denies Police Surveillance Policy Change -- BBC

Microsoft's online message, phone and video chat service Skype has denied making changes to its system "in order to provide law officers greater access" to its members' conversations.

It follows reports suggesting infrastructure upgrades had made it easier to hand on users' chat data.

Skype has now posted a blog saying the changes were made solely to improve user experience and reliability.

But it added it would pass on messages to law enforcement when "appropriate".

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My Comment: But everyone now knows that the technology exists to make it possible .... a fact that Skype will never be able to discount. And while the focus is on police agencies .... no one is discussing what the intelligence agencies are doing.

Rome's Colosseum Is Now Leaning

Rome's ancient Colosseum is seen from a helicopter, in this August 12, 2004 file photo. The ancient Colosseum of Rome, where gladiators fought for their lives, is slanting about 40 cm (16 inches) lower on the south side than on the north, and authorities are investigating whether it needs urgent repairs. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi/File

First Pisa, Now Rome's Colosseum - It's Leaning -- Yahoo News/Reuters

ROME (Reuters) - The ancient Colosseum of Rome, where gladiators fought for their lives, is slanting about 40 cm (16 inches) lower on the south side than on the north, and authorities are investigating whether it needs urgent repairs.

Experts first noticed the incline about a year ago and have been monitoring it for the past few months, Rossella Rea, director at the 2,000-year-old monument, said in an article published in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Sunday.

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My Comment: the roman Colosseum has been standing for a long time .... so it should not surprise us if it is due for some repairs.

American Flags Are Still Standing On The Moon

Still there: The flag planted by Apollo 17 astronauts in December 1972 -- the last manned mission to the moon -- is seen here in this image taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera

New NASA Photos Reveal American Flags Planted During Moon Landings Proudly Yet Wave FOUR DECADES After Last Apollo Mission -- Daily Mail

Four decades after the last astronauts landed on the moon and planted an American flag in lunar soil, scientists wondered: 'Does that star spangled banner yet wave?'

Finally new images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) have given proof in the night, that the flags are, indeed, still there.

All but one of the six flags left by American astronauts remain standing, according to an analysis of the shadows they cast on the surface of the moon.

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Ten Of The Best Classic Cars

The Morgan 4/4

Ten Of The Best Classic Cars - Invest In A Stylish Motor From Under £1,000 -- Daily Mail

Classic cars have a huge fan base in the UK as they offer an alternative to the common modern-day motors that populate our roads, and for many they hold a prestigious and nostalgic value.

When it comes to purchasing a classic car, many believe that it will be out of their price range. However, owning a vintage motor doesn’t have to break the bank.

Classic cars are worth a second look, especially if you keep your annual mileage low.

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My Comment: I am the skeptical of the prices that are quoted .... but those are great classic cars.

How Science Can Be Used To Predict Which Olympic Events Will Be The Most Exciting To Watch

How Science Predicts Which Olympic Events Will Be The Most Exciting To Watch -- Popular Science

You can't watch everything, so let an analysis of physics data guide you to this summer's most competitive events.

The Olympics represent something very special in the culture of sport, but from a viewing perspective they are a logistical nightmare. Multiple events play out at the same time, forcing you to pick and choose between your favorite events. Where will the next dazzling, record-breaking performance take place? Will someone rob Usain Bolt of his 100-meter record? Will there be a Kerri Strug moment in the gym? There's no way to to tune into the Games with absolute certainty that you'll see something historic, but Steve Haake thinks you can increase your chances. Science can tell us where we’re most likely to see the closest competitions or record-breaking performances, and where we’re least likely to see anything exciting at all.

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My Comment: Women's beach volleyball is where all the action is. :)

The Physics of Fire Walking

The Physics of Firewalking -- io9

Last Thursday, close to two dozen participants at a motivational seminar hosted by Tony Robbins suffered burns on their feet, while attempting to tromp across lanes of red-hot coals. So what did these burn victims do wrong?

The Associated Press reports that most of those injured sustained second- and even third-degree burns, but event organizers have since released a statement claiming that 6,000 attendees walked across the coals that day and emerged from the embers unscathed. Educate yourself on the physics of firewalking — here's what you need to know to keep from getting burned.

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My Comment: Making sure that your feet are wet is an additional precaution to prevent serious burns.

Free Internet For 7 Years From Google

Google Is Now America’s Most Awesome ISP -- Geek Mom

Kansas City is about half an hour from my house, taunting me with fast download speeds.

After a summer of waiting, Google finally emerged with details on their new Kansas City Fiber network. The price for Google Internet starts at free. That’s right, for the $300 installation fee, Google will give you free Internet at “today’s speeds” for at least 7 years. If you’re used to thinking of these speeds as fast, take a gander at this comparison and then imagine seven years of technology innovation.

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My Comment: Where can I sign up?

The Rimac Concept One Electric Supercar

Only 88 Rimac Concept Ones will be made, costing $1 million apiece

Rimac $1 Million Electric Supercar Debuts -- The Telegraph

Rimac's $1 million, 190mph Concept One electric supercar is heading to London.

The Rimac Concept One electric supercar makes its debut at the Salon Privé supercar show and concours d'élégance, which takes place from September 5 to 7 at Syon Park in west London.

Only 88 of the Croatian cars will be produced, each costing $1 million. The team behind the Rimac Concept One includes former Pinifarina designers and leatherworkers from Bulgarian company Vilner, among others.

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My Comment: The car definitely has a sleek design.

Printing Weapons At Home

3-D Printed Gun. HaveBlue

A Working Assault Rifle Made With a 3-D Printer -- Popular Science

Making weapons at home just got much easier.

Get ready. It's now possible to print weapons at home.

An amateur gunsmith, operating under the handle of "HaveBlue" (incidentally, "Have Blue" is the codename that was used for the prototype stealth fighter that became the Lockheed F-117), announced recently in online forums that he had successfully printed a serviceable .22 caliber pistol.

Despite predictions of disaster, the pistol worked. It successfully fired 200 rounds in testing.

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My Comment: I had to do a double-take when I first read this story. But you cannot help but be impressed with the realization that as the tech gets better .... and better materials are developed (and used) to make these products more stronger and durable .... anything then becomes possible.

Building A UK Flagship

(Click on Image to Enlarge)
'Lust for adventure': An artist's impression of the proposed UK flagship, which is gathering growing support from senior ministers

Flagship Shows The Nation's Lust For Adventure: Ministers Salute Mail's Plan For Iconic Vessel -- Daily Mail

* Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Education Secretary Michael Gove among MPs behind privately-funded project

Crucially, the 650ft, four-masted UK Flagship will not be funded by taxpayers’ money, instead drawing on donations from businesses, philanthropists and the public.

Mr Clegg said: ‘This is directly in line with Britain’s proud naval tradition which stretches back hundreds of years. Our country has always been at the forefront of trade, exploration and scientific research and the UK Flagship can help us to continue to be so.

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My Comment: Impressive .... and at 650 ft .... a big boat.

Incan Mummy Frozen After Human Sacrifice Still Has Infection In Lungs After 500 Years

Maiden of the mountain: A 500-year-old frozen Incan mummy known as was suffering from a bacterial infection when she died - and being able to 'diagnose' the disease could lead to new insights into diseases of the past

Incan Mummy Frozen After Human Sacrifice Still Has Infection In Lungs After 500 Years - Giving New Insight Into Diseases Of The Past -- Daily Mail

* First time infection has been diagnosed in ancient body
* New technique could be used to study diseases such as Spanish flu
* Could be used to prevent re-emergence of deadly diseases of past
* Study on 500-year-old mummy frozen on Argentinean volcano

A 500-year-old frozen Incan mummy known as 'The Maiden' was suffering from a bacterial infection when she died - and being able to 'diagnose' the disease could lead to new insights into diseases of the past.

The discovery could help defend against new illnesses - or the re-emergence of diseases of the past.

The mummy was suffering from an illness similar to tuberculosis when she was sacrificed on the Argentinian volcano Llullaillaco, 22,100 feet above sea level.

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My Comment: This is the first time that an illness has been diagnosed in an ancient body .... now that is impressive.

An Aids Cure?

Two More Men With HIV Now Virus-Free. Is This A Cure? -- NBC

Two men unlucky enough to get both HIV and cancer have been seemingly cleared of the virus, raising hope that science may yet find a way to cure for the infection that causes AIDS, 30 years into the epidemic.

The researchers are cautious in declaring the two men cured, but more than two years after receiving bone marrow transplants, HIV can't be detected anywhere in their bodies. These two new cases are reminiscent of the so-called "Berlin patient," the only person known to have been cured of infection from the human immunodeficiency virus.

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My Comment: They are getting there .... albeit slowly.

Captain Morgan's Treasure

The Underwater Archaeologists Searching For Captain Morgan -- Popular Science

Off the coast of Panama, a team of archaeologists uncovers a ship that may have belonged to one of the most famous pirates who ever lived.

So this is what a pirate's sword feels like.

I wrap my hands around the straight iron blade. It's probably a 17th-century rapier, I'm told, but it'd hard to know for sure. The handle is missing, and though I can see and feel its fuller groove, a layer of sea shells and some sort of hardened concretion cover the blade's finer details. "That's either calcium carbonate or coralline," Texas State University archaeologist Fritz Hanselmann tells me as he takes the blade and places it in a makeshift holder his crew had just MacGyvered from a metal CD rack, rebar, and scraps of a yoga mat.

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My Comment: Not a story about rum .... but definitely a story about a rum company helping to boost it's brand.

Attack Of The Vampire Sun!

Vampire star! New research using data from ESO¿s Very Large Telescope has revealed close binaries transfer mass from one star to another, a kind of stellar vampirism depicted in this artist's impression

Attack Of The Vampire Sun! Astronomers Spot Binary System Where One Star Sucks The Life Out Of Another -- Daily Mail

The Universe is a diverse place, and many stars are quite unlike the Sun.

Now an international team has used the Very Large Telescope in Chile to study what are known as O-type stars, which have very high temperature, mass and brightness.

These stars have short and violent lives and play a key role in the evolution of galaxies. They are also linked to extreme phenomena such as 'vampire stars', where a smaller companion star sucks matter off the surface of its larger neighbour.

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Absorbent Paint Could Soak Up Chemical Weapons

U.S. Army M1A1 Abrams tank. U.S. Army via Wikimedia Commons

Absorbent Paint Could Soak Up Chemical Weapons, Protecting Vehicle Occupants From Deadly Gas -- Popular Science

Syria’s regime announced for the first time this week that it has chemical weapons, and stands ready to use them if attacked. A new type of paint could potentially guard against it, protecting tanks and armored vehicles with a special chemical-absorbing topcoat.

Scientists at the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, like a British DARPA, worked with a company called AkzoNobel to develop the paint. It contains super absorbent silica gel, the same stuff that comes in those little bead-packets inside new shoeboxes and bags. The material can absorb chemicals, like maybe nerve gas, before they could reach a vehicle’s interior.

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My Comment: A simple but effective counter-measure. This is smart.

There Goes The Paperwork As Tablets Now Rule In The White House

President Obama Wants Smartphones, Tablets To Improve Intel Monitoring -- Aol Defense

WASHINGTON: When the Presidential Daily Briefing occurs, a top intelligence official traditionally hands the president a folder with a sheaf of paper inside. The president may read what's inside or have it presented by the intelligence official. Then comes question time, when the chief executive and commander in chief can ask how reliable a source is or question the assumptions of an analysis he's just read.

But that will change. The president and his top officials want and will get a single mobile device allowing them to access highly classified and unclassified data wherever they are. The early fruits of the intelligence community's early efforts to do that are visible in the photo above. It shows President Obama in the Oval Office on January 31 using a technically neutered tablet as part of the Presidential Daily Briefing.

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My Comment: I still prefer paper .... but digital is what the young (including this President) now want.

How The Next Great Pandemic Will Be Spread

When Contagion Strikes, It's Honolulu You Should Avoid -- The Guardian

MIT researchers have analysed which airport hubs would be key to spreading a virulent disease, with some surprising results

When the next outbreak of Sars or Swine flu hits, New York's John F Kennedy airport and Los Angeles's airports will likely be the key spreaders of disease, according to a new study. But while the influence of these super-hubs may not come as much of a surprise, the third most outbreak-friendly airport in the states is far smaller, and far less obvious – Honolulu International.

In a paper published Monday in the journal PLoS One, a team of researchers from MIT outlined a new computer model that predicts how the 40 largest American airports may contribute to the diffusion of contagious disease within the first few days of a potential epidemic.

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My Comment: Scary stuff when you think of the worst case scenario.

iPhone 5 In Production

iPhone 5 mockup.
(Credit: Overdrive Design)

iPhone 5 Production BeginsIin Shanghai, Says Report -- CNet

Pegatron has begun production of the iPhone 5, adding to the growing number of reports claiming that iPhone production lines are humming.

iPhone 5 production reports are rolling in from Asia with more frequency. This time, a Taipei-based report claims that Pegatron has started making the next iPhone.

The Taiwan-based manufacturer has begun production of a new version of the iPhone at its factory in Shanghai, according to Digitimes, citing "industry sources in Taiwan."

This follows a week-earlier report claiming basically the same thing -- though that report did not specify the manufacturer.

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My Comment: It looks very sleek.

Are Dolphins Math Geniuses?

Dolphins May Be Maths Geniuses -- ABC News (Australia)

Dolphins may use complex nonlinear maths when hunting, according to a new study that suggests they could be far more skilled than was ever thought possible before.

Inspiration for the new study, published in the latest Proceedings of the Royal Society A, came after lead author Tim Leighton watched an episode of the Discovery Channel's Blue Planet series and saw dolphins blowing multiple tiny bubbles around prey as they hunted.

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My Comment: They have been around longer than modern man .... it looks like they have their act together.

Invasion Of The Super-Yachts For The London Olympics

Octopus, the £130m super-yacht of Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, enters South Dock in the Canary Wharf the weekend before the games begin.

Invasion Of The Super-Yachts: They've Got Swimming Pools, Helipads And Even A Mini-Submarine. How The World's Mega-Rich Are Turning London Into A Floating Olympic Playground -- Daily Mail

This could be Monaco, or an exclusive resort on the Med as the world’s most lavish superyachts jostle for space. Their perfectly scrubbed decks bristle with security guards, while hot tubs bubble and helipads wink at the sky.

This is the playground of billionaires, oligarchs and A-list celebs. There are rumours that Roman Abramovich’s sumptuous $1billion boat will arrive tomorrow.

At 557ft, the Russian tycoon’s Eclipse is the largest private yacht in the world. It has two swimming pools, two helipads, a dedicated disco hall, 30 cabins, a cinema, a mini-submarine, and even its own missile defence system. Abramovich’s master suite is armour-plated and protected by bullet-proof windows and a laser system designed to dazzle long-lens photographers.

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My Comment: I know that this is not a science story .... but I love beautiful yachts. Here is an easy prediction .... the best Olympic parties will be on these yachts.

The Ultimate Space Station Video?

The world below: Time-lapse photographer Knate Myers painstakingly stuck together thousands of still images from the Space Station to create perhaps the most beautiful video ever captured from the orbiting craft

Is This The Ultimate Space Station Video? Fan Compiles Thousands Of Time-Lapse Shots Into Haunting Tour Over Our World, 240 Miles Up -- Daily Mail

Time-lapse photographer Knate Myers painstakingly stuck together thousands of still images from the Space Station to create perhaps the most beautiful video ever captured from the orbiting craft.

The images capture the world hurtling past beneath and the stars forming kaleidoscopes as the Space Station tumbles past.

'All credit goes to the crews on board the ISS,' says Myers, a photographer from Albuquerque.

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My Comment: Beautiful.

First American Woman In Space, Sally Ride Dies At 61

Astronaut Sally Ride monitors control panels from the pilot's chair on the flight deck of the space shuttle Challenger during her historic space mission in 1983. Floating in front of her is a flight procedures notebook. Ride died on Monday after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Nasa/Reuters

First American Woman In Space, Sally Ride, Dies At 61 -- MSNBC

Former astronaut loses 17-month battle against cancer; hailed as role model.

The first American woman to go into space, Sally Ride, died Monday after a 17-month battle against pancreatic cancer, her company said.

Ride made history in 1983 as a crew member on the space shuttle Challenger, breaking the gender barrier for U.S. spaceflight. Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space in 1963, but it took another 20 years for NASA to follow suit.

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More News On The Death Of Sally Ride

Sally Ride, America's first woman in space, dies at 61 after battling cancer -- Daily Mail
Sally Ride, first American woman to fly in space, dies of cancer at age 61 -- Washington Post
Sally Ride, first American woman in space, dies -- CNet
Sally Ride, Trailblazing Astronaut, Dies at 61 -- New York Times
Astronaut Sally Ride 'broke barriers with grace and professionalism,' says NASA -- Christian Science Monitor
Sally Ride Dead; First American Woman in Space Was 61 -- ABC News
Sally Ride, the first US woman in space, dies aged 61 -- BBC

The Heroic Story Of Four Navy SEAL 'Musclemen' Who Brought Apollo 11 Astronauts Home

Tall order: Navy SEAL John Wolfram, center, was supposed to lasso a high-tech bucking bronco and attach an underwater parachute - called a sea anchor - to stop the drifting capsule

The Extraordinary Untold Story Of Four Navy SEAL 'Musclemen' Who Brought Apollo 11 Astronauts Home -- Daily Mail

When thinking back to the Apollo 11 mission, the things that immediately come to mind are Neil Armstrong’s inspiring first words broadcast from the moon and the lasting image of the crew planting a U.S. flag on the dusty lunar surface.

However, very few people nowadays remember a four-person team of courageous Navy SEALs who had made the astronauts’ safe return possible 43 years ago.

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My Comment: They must have been in fantastic shape to do what they did.

Who Really Invented The Internet?

Xerox PARC headquarters.

Who Really Invented The Internet? -- Gordon Crovitz, Wall Street Journal

Contrary to legend, it wasn't the federal government, and the Internet had nothing to do with maintaining communications during a war.

A telling moment in the presidential race came recently when Barack Obama said: "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen." He justified elevating bureaucrats over entrepreneurs by referring to bridges and roads, adding: "The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all companies could make money off the Internet."

It's an urban legend that the government launched the Internet. The myth is that the Pentagon created the Internet to keep its communications lines up even in a nuclear strike. The truth is a more interesting story about how innovation happens—and about how hard it is to build successful technology companies even once the government gets out of the way.

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My Comment: I recall reading in the 1980s an autobiography on Steve Jobs where he was boasting that many of his ideas (the use of the mouse, the mac, ethernet, etc.) .... all came came from Xerox Parc. As for Darpa's contribution to the internet .... they did a lot and have been credited for it .... but it is Xerox Parc that did the heavy lifting.

Drug-Resistant HIV Increasing In Sub-Saharan Africa

Monitoring of patients helps in detecting drug resistance

Drug-Resistant HIV 'On Increase' In Sub-Saharan Africa -- BBC

Drug-resistant HIV has been increasing in parts of sub-Saharan Africa over the last decade, according to experts writing in the Lancet.

Studies on 26,000 untreated HIV-positive people in developing countries were reviewed by the team.

They said resistance could build up if people fail to stick to drug regimes, and because monitoring could be poor.

A UK HIV organisation said resistance was a serious problem in Africa where alternative treatments were lacking.

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My Comment: People failing to stick to drug regimes is probably the number one cause.

Watch The Entire Firefly 10 Year Reunion Panel

My Comment: 10 years already .... wow.

Clever Shark

Watch A Clever Shark Suck Heaps Of Fish Right Out Of A Fisherman’s Net -- io9

Why go to all the trouble of chasing down schools of tasty fish when fishermen have conveniently gathered them up inside one location? This bold shark decides to help itself to a a stolen snack, sucked right out of a fisherman's net.

Mark Erdmann of Conservation International discovered that whale sharks in Indonesia's Cendrawasih Bay have taken to swimming about the fishermen's lift nets and have figured out how to suck the silverside baitfish right out of the holes. The fishermen don't typically kill the sharks, deeming them to be good luck, but they are looking to design new nets that the sharks can't use as an all-you-can-eat buffet. [via Neatorama]

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A Future Military Plane?

Batman’s Got A Brand New Plane -- Popular Mechanics

Batman’s fleet of incredible vehicles gets a new addition in The Dark Knight Rises: A plane called the Bat. Production designer Nathan Crowley and special effects coordinator Chris Corbould talk about using real-life military vehicles as inspiration and how they made the Bat fly.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies begin in the director’s garage. "We always get into a film by designing the vehicle," production designer Nathan Crowley says. For The Dark Knight Rises, out July 20, Nolan wanted Batman to add an aircraft to his fleet. "I like jump jets and Chris likes the Osprey," Crowley says. "So we said, okay, let’s try and mix the two and make the craft look like the Batmobile."

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My Comment: A future military plane .... no .... just in our dreams.

Could Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Cause UV Damage To Your Skin?

CFL Bulb. Wikimedia Commons

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Could Cause Ultraviolet Damage to Skin -- Popular Science

We know CFL bulbs are world-changingly efficient, producing the same level of light as their incandescent parents while using a quarter of the energy. But they're still a relatively new device, and few long-term studies have been carried out on them. One of the most recent, a new report from a team at Stony Brook, suggests CFLs might cause damage to skin by releasing UV rays.

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My Comment: Personally .... I hate CFBs. My eyes do not like the light. As to what long-term studies may reveal .... do not be surprised if more abnormalities are discovered.

Amazing New Pictures Show Nasa's Enterprise Space Shuttle In Its New Home

Space Shuttle Enterprise is the centrepiece of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum's new Space Shuttle Pavilion

The End Of A Very Long Journey: Amazing New Pictures Show Nasa's Enterprise Space Shuttle In Its New Home As It Finally Goes On Public Display In New York -- Daily Mail

It has flown over Manhattan on a jumbo jet, floated down the Hudson river on a barge and even had a close up view of the Statue of Liberty.

From today, the space shuttle Enterprise, a prototype created in 1976, is finally becoming a New York attraction itself.

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum has installed the space shuttle on the runway of the aircraft carrier "Intrepid," a museum facility docked at a pier on Manhattan's West Side.

From today, the public will finally be able to see Nasa's prototype shuttle up close for the first time inside a specially constructed inflatable dome.

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My Comment: I rather se these shuttles flying .... but such is the state of NASA today .... in short ... in a museum.

A Look At One Of The World's Top Cyber Sleuths

Eugene Kaspersky

Russia’s Top Cyber Sleuth Foils US Spies, Helps Kremlin Pals -- Danger Room

It’s early February in Cancun, Mexico. A group of 60 or so financial analysts, reporters, diplomats, and cybersecurity specialists shake off the previous night’s tequila and file into a ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. At the front of the room, a giant screen shows a globe targeted by crosshairs. Cancun is in the center of the bull’s-eye.

A ruddy-faced, unshaven man bounds onstage. Wearing a wrinkled white polo shirt with a pair of red sunglasses perched on his head, he looks more like a beach bum who’s lost his way than a business executive. In fact, he’s one of Russia’s richest men—the CEO of what is arguably the most important Internet security company in the world. His name is Eugene Kaspersky, and he paid for almost everyone in the audience to come here. “Buenos dias,” he says in a throaty Russian accent, as he apologizes for missing the previous night’s boozy activities. Over the past 72 hours, Kaspersky explains, he flew from Mexico to Germany and back to take part in another conference. “Kissinger, McCain, presidents, government ministers” were all there, he says. “I have panel. Left of me, minister of defense of Italy. Right of me, former head of CIA. I’m like, ‘Whoa, colleagues.’”

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My Comment: Eugene Kaspersky also has a great blog .... it is here.

Artificial Jellyfish Created In Lab

The silicon jellyfish can mimic swimming movements thanks to muscle cells from rat hearts implanted onto it. Photo: Harvard University and Caltech

Artificial Jellyfish Created In Lab From Rat Cells -- The Telegraph

An artificial jellyfish which is able to swim with the help of beating heart muscle cells has been created by scientists.

The tentacled artificial creature, made from silicon, has been dubbed "Medusoid" because of its resemblance to the snake-haired character from Greek mythology whose gaze turned people to stone.

It is able to mimic the swimming movement of a jellyfish thanks to muscle cells from rat hearts which were implanted onto its silicon frame and grown into a pattern similar to the muscles of a real jellyfish.

By applying an electric current to a container of conducting liquid, the scientists demonstrated they could "shock" the muscles into contracting so that it began to move through the water.

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'Minority Report' Software Coming Soon

An employee demonstrates the use of a data glove to navigate a map on a computer screen at Los Angeles-based software company Oblong Industries' offices in Washington in June 2012. The software behind the film "Minority Report" -- where Tom Cruise speeds through video on a large screen using only hand gestures -- is making its way into the real world.

'Minority Report' Software Hits The Real World -- France24/AFP

he software behind the film "Minority Report" -- where Tom Cruise speeds through video on a large screen using only hand gestures -- is making its way into the real world.

The interface developed by scientist John Underkoffler has been commercialized by the Los Angeles firm Oblong Industries as a way to sift through massive amounts of video and other data.

And yes, the software can be used by law enforcement and intelligence services. But no, it is not the "pre-crime" detection program illustrated in the 2002 Steven Spielberg sci-fi film.

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My Comment: Just thinking of the game applications that are now possible is enough to make me salivate.

Google Wants To Fight Against International Crime Groups

'I'm Feeling Lucky': Google Turns Its Search Powers To Hunting Down The World's Most Wanted -- Daily Mail

* 'Google Ideas' think tank working with international groups
* Google technology to be used to fight crime

Google's engine is the most powerful search tool ever created - and now the Californian giant aims to use its powers for good

Instead of just finding kitten videos, Google aims to use its technologies to crack through the cyber defences of international crime.

Google is working with international crime organisations to find 'back doors' into international gangs of terrorists, drug dealers and human traffickers.

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My Comment: Google is getting ambitious. Not surprising .... Google is also short on specifics on how they are going to do this.

A New Drug To Reduce The Risk Of HIV Infection

The HIV 1 virus shown under a microscope. The US FDA has approved a drug shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection. Photograph: Institut Pasteur/AFP/Getty Images

US FDA Approves First Drug Shown To Reduce Risk Of HIV Infection -- The Guardian

Pill potentially offers powerful weapon in battle against Aids, but support group labels move 'completely reckless'

A daily pill to protect people at risk of HIV from infection has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), potentially offering a new and powerful weapon in the battle against Aids.

The pill, Truvada, will be available in the US to people at extreme risk of HIV because their partners are infected. But at $14,000 (£9,000) a year, it will be expensive – even though far cheaper than a lifetime of treatment after infection – and those without health insurance are unlikely to get it.

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My Comment: This drug is not going to be cheap.

Making Food Better Through Science

Can Science Make Food Taste Better? -- The Telegraph

Is seafood best by the sea? Do pheromones make chocolate even sweeter? And why is the food industry so keen to know the answers?

A few years ago, a trainee chef from Boston, Massachusetts, called Molly Birnbaum went for an early-morning jog. She ran past an apartment block; she can remember the smell of laundry coming out of the air vents. Then she ran across a road. But she never got to the other side; a car smashed into her. When the car’s windscreen made contact with her head, Birnbaum’s brain smacked against the side of her skull, destroying her sense of smell. That laundry would be one of the last things she would smell for years.

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My Comment: I never realized that so much that goes into flavour is smell .... but it does.

A Look At The Decay Of Detroit Through A Modified Quadrocopter With An HD Camera

Magnificent Decay: Detroit by Drone -- Autopia

Urban ruin porn has gotten so ubiquitous it’s morphed into a dedicated genre, and no other city seems to garner the attention of amateur shooters cataloging a metropolis’ decline more than Detroit. But how do you take it to the next level? Cue the drones.

YouTube user Tretch5000 took to the skies to show the beauty and blight of one of the U.S.’ former industrial hubs, flying his modified quadrocopter with an HD camera over abandoned homes and factories, the majestic Michigan Central Station and the lush grounds of Belle Isle nestled within the Detroit river.

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Here Comes The New 'And Armed' Tiny Drones

Armed Quadrotors Are Coming -- Popular Mechanics

For now, tiny drones carrying guns are just the stuff of video games. But U.S. military researchers are building such sinister devices in their labs.

A camouflage quadrotor armed with a machine gun zips around a test range, destroying targets and setting dummies ablaze.

By now, most of the nearly 11 million people who've seen the YouTube video know it's a fake. There's no armed Russian quadrotor drone; the video is a bit of CGI trickery, a viral advertisement for the next Call of Duty game. But real-life weaponized quadrotors may be a lot closer than you think, thanks to a project undertaken by Marine Corps Maj. Derek Snyder at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

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My Comment: I know that the above video is a fake .... used to market a video game .... but it gives a good idea on what can happen on future battle fields.

A Bio-Retina Implant That Could Give Laser-Powered Sight To The Blind

Instant Eye, Kevin Hand

Bio-Retina Implant Could Give Laser-Powered Sight To The Blind -- Popular Science

A new bionic eye implant could allow blind people to recognize faces, watch TV and even read. Nano Retina’s Bio-Retina is one of two recent attempts to help patients with age-related macular degeneration, which affects 1.5 million people in the U.S. Although a similar implant, Second Sight’s Argus II, has been on the market in Europe since last year, it requires a four-hour operation under full anesthesia because it includes an antenna to receive power and images from an external apparatus. The Bio-Retina implant is smaller because it doesn’t have an antenna. Instead, the implant captures images directly in the eye, and a laser powers the implant remotely. Because of Bio-Retina’s compact size, an ophthalmologist can insert it through a small incision in the eye in 30 minutes—potentially more appropriate for seniors. The Bio-Retina will generate a 576-pixel grayscale image. And clinical trials could begin as soon as next year.

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My Comment: It will be a few years before this becomes available .... and if things worked out as planned.

Korea Militarizes Samsung's Smartphone Apps

Korea Militarizes Samsung Smartphone Apps -- Tech Eye

Invade the North? There's an app for that

South Korea has been developing battlefield applications for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S and other Android-based smartphones.

According to the Korea Times, nine apps have been completed with more coming.

The big idea is that the Koreans want to use smartphones in military operations and since it has a big smartphone maker close it thought it would use it.

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My Comment: Expect even more apps with a military concept in the near future.

Biggest Laser Pulse Fired In Human History Could Power New Kind Of Nuclear Reactor

The future of energy? NIF Director Edward Moses said. 'It is fully operational, and scientists are taking important steps toward the quest for clean fusion energy.'

'Step Towards Clean Energy': Biggest Laser Pulse Fired In Human History Could Power New Kind Of Nuclear Reactor - And Solve Energy Crisis Forever -- Daily Mail

* 'Shaped pulse' of energy generated 500 trillion watts of peak power
* 1,000 times more than the whole United States uses at any given moment
* Array of 192 lasers aims for 'laser fusion' - a 'Holy Grail' of clean energy
* Facility aims to ignite controleld version of reaction found in heart of stars, and in hydrogen bombs

The most energetic laser shot in mankind's history was fired at the stadium-sized National Ignition Facility in California this month.

On July 5, an array of 192 lasers filed a pulse of ultraviolet laser light that deliver generated 500 trillion watts of peak power - 1,000 times more than the whole of the U.S. uses at any given time.

The pulse is a historic moment for the 'fusion' facility, which aims to generate power using a nuclear fusion reaction - similar to what happens in hydrogen bombs.

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My Comment: They still have a long way to go before anything practical comes from this research.

Ever Heard The Sound Of A Nuclear Bomb Going Off?

The sound of the largest man-made explosion: A cinematographer films an atomic mushroom cloud on July 19, 1957 in Yucca Flat, Colorado

Ever Heard The Sound Of A Nuclear Bomb Going Off? Historian Unveils One Of The Few Surviving Audio Recordings Of Blast From 1950's Nevada Tests -- Daily Mail

They are surely the most horrifying offshoot of modern technology - nuclear warheads which can smite hundreds of thousands of people dead within seconds, and leave lasting scars on a landscape for generations.

And while most of us will have seen archive footage of nuclear explosions before, one thing we are unlikely to have heard is their sound.

For, according to one expert, most films we see of a nuclear blast use stock 'explosion' sound effects for the bang - and audio footage is few and far between.

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My Comment: It sounds like hell.

Aerographite, The Lightest Material Ever Created

Video: Aerographite, Tthe Lightest Material Ever Created -- Popular Science

We've been impressed in the past by aerogel, a lattice-like solid that's almost entirely made of air but can support weight and also has tremendous insulating properties. Then last year an ultralight metal caught our eye, weighing in at 99.99 percent air, which leaves 0.01 percent solid.

Now we are excited to meet aerographite, a sponge grown of carbon nanotubes that's the least dense solid ever: a cubic centimeter of it weighs just two ten-thousandths of a gram.

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Women Now Outperform Men On IQ Tests

Brainier Than The Male -- The Telegraph

Telegraph View: Women now outperform men on IQ tests. But were they always cleverer, just keeping quiet about it?

It was only a little over a century ago that it first occurred to psychologists to measure people’s brainpower. Since then, men have consistently outscored women – until now.

For the first time, women are doing better at IQ tests than the male of the species. According to the American academic James Flynn, the doyen of IQ measurers, the scores of both sexes have been rising since the turn of the last century, but women’s have risen faster.

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My Comment: The women in my life are not surprised by this result.

Silicon Valley Exposed: Map To The Tech Stars’ Homes!

CSN Editor: The map can only be viewed at Vanity Magazine's site. The link is here.

The Original Logos Of Tech Companies Were 'Awful'

The Original Logos of Tech Companies Were All Terrible -- Gizmodo

A lot of the giant technology brands and companies you know and love today didn't look anything like they do now when they first started. Just look at their original logos: almost always butt ugly, but slowly grew into what they are now. Here are the humblest beginnings for all to see:

The fine folks at Stock Logos compared famous logos with their original forms, and it's hilarious to see how unrecognizable they all are now. They're universally awful. Who gave the okay on some of these? Were they made as a joke? See for yourself below.

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My Comment: The RCA Victor logo is OK.

Too Many Memories Cause Amnesia?

Image: Muharrem Oner/iStockphoto

Memories Clutter Brain In Amnesia -- Science News

Complex patterns slow down object recognition in patients with disorder.

In a paradoxical twist, people with amnesia can get bogged down by too many memories. Unwanted, irrelevant information crowds in and prevents amnesiac patients from recognizing objects, scientists report in the July 12 Neuron. The finding suggests that amnesia isn’t strictly a memory problem, and may even point out ways to help people with the disorder live more normally.

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My Comment: I can identify with this story.

Creeped Out By Robots? This Might Be Why (Video)

Tackling Wine Allergies

Tech Tackles Wine Allergies -- Discovery News

Some people are allergic to certain wines -- that nice Loire Valley red gives them a rash or headache, or that California Chardonnay makes them sneeze. The University of British Columbia's Wine Research Center might have found a way to solve this problem.

The team at UBC has modified two genes of a strain of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has been used in winemaking for decades (if not centuries). The yeast was modified to eliminate the need for a species of bacteria needed for the winemaking process. That bacteria produces chemicals that cause allergic reactions. About 30 percent of the population has some allergy to wine.

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My Comment: What struck me about this article was the following stat .... about 30 percent of the population has some allergy to wine. that's a big market being left out.

New Wi-Fi Hotspots For New York City

A pilot program will turn 10 New York City payphone kiosks into wireless hotspots, with more to follow.

Wi-Fi Hotspots To Revive NYC Payphones -- CNN

(CNN) -- Remember payphones? This might sound crazy, but if New York City has its way, people might actually start using them again to communicate with each other.

The city announced Thursday that it has created Wi-Fi hotspots at 10 payphone kiosks in three of the city's boroughs. It's the first step in a pilot program designed to make wireless access available to as many people as possible in the city.

The kiosks (seven in Manhattan, two in Brooklyn and one in Queens) have antennas that create Wi-Fi hotspots providing free wireless service up to 300 feet away. More will be added in the coming months, according to the blog post announcing the program.

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My Comment: If it is free .... it will succeed.

Apple Goes Green Again

Thanks to its non-removable battery, Apple's MacBook Pro with retina display may be difficult to recycle or disassemble.

Apple: No Wait, We're Green Again -- CNN

(CNN) -- Calling its decision to abandon a green certification system for electronics "a mistake," Apple on Friday announced it would again submit its products for EPEAT certification.

"We've recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system," Apple's senior vice president for hardware engineering, Bob Mansfield, said in a statement. "I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT."

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My Comment: This was a screw-up.

Evidence Of 'Dark Galaxies' Discovered

Ultraviolet light from a quasar (in the red circle) causes hydrogen gas in dark galaxies (blue circles) to fluoresce. ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/S. Cantalupo (UCSC)

First Evidence Of 'Dark Galaxies' Discovered -- The Telegraph

Astronomers in Chile have observed what appears to be evidence of the existence of dark galaxies, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) announced on Wednesday.

Dark galaxies are small, gas-rich galaxies from the early universe that are believed to be the building blocks of today's bright, star-filled galaxies, said the ESO, an intergovernmental organisation supported by 15 countries.

"For the first time, dark galaxies – an early phase of galaxy formation, predicted by theory but unobserved until now – may have been spotted," the ESO said in a statement.

"Using ESO's Very Large Telescope, an international team thinks they have detected these elusive objects by observing them glowing as they are illuminated by a quasar," it said.

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How Did Dinosaurs Mate?

Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs mating - like most dinosaur species, the creatures mated like dogs

The Joy Of T-Rex: Scientists Show How Dinosaurs Had Sex (Tricky, When You Weigh 30 Tonnes And One Crucial Part Is 12ft Long) -- Daily Mail

Palaeontologists answer many tricky questions about dinosaurs - but perhaps the most interesting is how did 30-ton animals larger than four-storey buildings have sex.

A surprising amount of research has been devoted to the subject - and most researchers have concluded that dinosaurs made love like dogs

'All dinosaurs used the same basic position to mate,' said Dr Beverly Halstead, an English researcher who was one of the first to tackle the subject. 'Mounting from the rear, he put his forelimbs on her shoulders, lifting one hind limb across her back and twisting his tail under hers.'

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My Comment: 12 feet long?

Native American Settled The New World In Three Major Waves

Americas 'Settled In Three Waves' -- BBC

The biggest survey of Native American DNA has concluded that the New World was settled in three major waves.

But the majority of today's indigenous Americans descend from a single group of migrants that crossed from Asia to Alaska 15,000 years ago or more.

Previous genetic data have lent support to the idea that America was colonised by a single migrant wave.

An international team of researchers have published their findings in the journal Nature.

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A New Way to Treat Diabetes?

Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered a chemical that offers a completely new and promising direction for the development of drugs to treat metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes -- a major public health concern in the United States due to the current obesity epidemic. (Credit: Image by Peter Allen, UC Santa Barbara)

Discovery of Chemical That Affects Biological Clock Offers New Way to Treat Diabetes -- Science Daily

ScienceDaily (July 12, 2012) — Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered a chemical that offers a completely new and promising direction for the development of drugs to treat metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes -- a major public health concern in the United States due to the current obesity epidemic.

Their discovery, detailed in a paper published July 13 in an advance online issue of the journal Science, initially came as a surprise because the chemical they isolated does not directly control glucose production in the liver, but instead affects the activity of a key protein that regulates the internal mechanisms of our daily night and day activities, which scientists call our circadian rhythm or biological clock.

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My Comment: A promising direction to help type 2 diabetes patients.

Robotic Hand Also Doubles As A Human Exoskeleton

Festo's robotic ExoHand also works as a human augmentation device.

Sophisticated Robotic Hand Also Doubles As A Human Exoskeleton -- Singularity Hub

It may be time to jettison the notion that robots in the future will have grippers or claws for hands. The German robotics company Festo recently unveiled the ExoHand, a sophisticated robotic hand that is capable of the fine motor skills that allows the human hand to have a delicate touch or perform complex manipulations.

The ExoHand comes in two forms: as the extremity of a robotic arm or a wearable exoskeleton glove. The system is designed so that the glove can aid assembly line workers performing repetitive tasks with their hands or be used for the remote manipulation of the robotic arm by a user wearing the glove.

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Scientists Bring 500 Million-Year-Old Bacteria Back To Life

The new 'chimeric' bacteria has mutated rapidly - and some have become stronger and healthier than today's germs

Jurassic Park In A Petri Dish: Scientists Bring 500 Million-Year-Old Bacteria Back To Life - What Could Possibly Go Wrong? -- Daily Mail

* 'Frankenstein' germ spliced with gene from 500-million-year-old bacteria
* Bacteria is now thriving in lab
* Some of the 'chimeric' E Coli is now stronger than normal bacteria
* Scientists hope to 'restage' evolution
* Will answer questions about how and why organisms evolve

A 500 million-year-old bacteria has been brought back to life in a laboratory at Georgia Tech in an experiment with echoes of Jurassic Park's disastrous recreation of the dinosaurs.

The researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene and inserted it into a modern E Coli bacteria.

The 'Frankenstein' germ has thrived. In the lab, the creation has now lived through 1,000 generations.

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My Comment: It's only a matter of time before they start working on larger gene sequences.