It's Hot In Australia

Hot Hot Heat Australian Bureau of Meteorology 

Official Australian Weather Map Gets New Colors To Depict Extreme Heat -- Popsci.com 

Record-breaking temperatures require a meteorological redesign. It's going to be a rough week in Australia, where the weather service had to add new colors to their climate map in preparation for an extreme heat forecast.

The Bureau of Meteorology recently added pink and purple areas to its maps to make room for higher temperatures. On the map issued for next Monday, Central Australia gets the dubious distinction of being the first region shown in purple, meaning temperatures are likely to rise above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

This last Monday was the country's hottest day on record nationwide, with average maximum temperatures around the country of 40.33 degrees, and officials expect more to come. The new pink code is reserved for temperatures from 52 to 54 degrees Celsius, more than 125 degrees Fahreinheit.

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My Comment: Yup .... it is definitely summer in Australia right now.

Coming Soon To The Defense Department: Android-Based Smart Phones And Tablets Capable Of Handling Classified Information

The Pentagon Is Expanding Its Smartphone For Spies Program -- Foreign Policy

While the rest of the DC press corps is talking about Chuck Hagel's qualifications to be the next defense secretary, Killer Apps is lucky enough to be writing about smart phones. Secret smart phones, that is.

That's right, the National Security Agency and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) are set to expand the program that gives government officials Android-based smart phones and tablets capable of handling classified information.  

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My Comment: The Pentagon is so far behind the curve on this one .... but at least they are catching up.

Sleep Disorders Detected In Manned Mars Mission Simulation

Fake Mission To Mars Leaves Astronauts Spaced Out -- The Guardian 

Trip to Mars in pretend spaceship on Moscow industrial estate affects sleep, activity levels and motivation of six-man crew 

As the cheerless skies and grim economy sap all will to return to work, take heart that even on a trip to Mars, it is hard to get out of bed in the morning.

The drudge of interplanetary travel has emerged from research on six men who joined the longest simulated space mission ever: a 17-month round trip to the red planet in a pretend spaceship housed at a Moscow industrial estate.

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More News On The 'Fake Mission' To Mars  

17-month mock Mars mission turns up down-to-Earth sleep problem -- NBC
Astronauts on Mars Mission May Be Exhausted on Arrival -- Bloomberg
Sleep problems could jeopardise future missions to Mars -- BBC
Astronauts on Long Space Missions Will Need Earth-like Sleep Habits -- Voice of America
Sleep Disorders Detected in Manned Mars Mission Simulation -- US News and World Report

U.S. Nuclear Weapons Lab Removes Suspicious Chinese Tech From Their Computers

Los Alamos National Laboratory. (Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory)

Exclusive: U.S. Nuclear Lab Removes Chinese Tech Over Security Fears -- Reuters

A leading U.S. nuclear weapons laboratory recently discovered its computer systems contained some Chinese-made network switches and replaced at least two components because of national security concerns, a document shows. A letter from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, dated November 5, 2012, states that the research facility had installed devices made by H3C Technologies Co, based in Hangzhou, China, according to a copy seen by Reuters. H3C began as a joint venture between China's Huawei Technologies Co and 3Com Corp, a U.S. tech firm, and was once called Huawei-3Com. Hewlett Packard Co acquired the firm in 2010.  

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More News On Los Alomos Removing Chinese Tech because Of National Security Concerns

Huawei gear discovered, removed from U.S. nuclear lab -- ZDNet
Chinese computer parts replaced at U.S. nuke lab -- CBS
A U.S. Nuclear Lab Removed Chinese Tech Due to a National Security Risk -- Gizmodo
US nuclear lab drops China-made tech – report -- Information Age
Los Alamos To Rip Out Chinese Networking Gear For Security Concerns -- CRN  

Update: Spy fears lead nuke lab to dump gear from HP unit, not Huawei -- CNet

15 Potentially Habitable Planets Discovered

Artist’s impression of the view from a moon around planet PH2b 

15 Potentially Habitable Planets Discovered by Amateur Astronomers -- Wired

Volunteers from the Planethunters website have identified 15 new habitable planet candidates among data collected by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft.

One of the 15, a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting the solar-type star KIC 12735740, has been officially confirmed as a planet (with 99.9 percent certainty).

Named PH2 b, it is the second confirmed planet to be found by Planethunters.org, part of the Oxford University-led Zooniverse citizen science project that turns raw data over to keen amateur researchers.

The remaining 14 planet candidates are at least 90 percent likely to be planets.

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My Comment: This is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

Incredible Image From International Space Station Shows Mount Vesuvius And The Bay Of Naples

(Click on Image to Enlarge) 

Italy's Mount Vesuvius as never seen before, with an new image from NASA, taken from space. The mouth of the active volcano can clearly be seen in the bottom portion of the image 

Astronaut's View Of A Sleeping Giant: Incredible Image From International Space Station Shows Mount Vesuvius And The Bay Of Naples -- Daily Mail 

 NASA has released an incredible image, taken from the International Space Station, giving a new perspective on one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world - Mount Vesuvius in Italy.

The image was taken from the observatory module of the International Space Station (ISS) on New Year's Day.

The image shows just how close the active volvano is to the densely populated city of Naples.

Located 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) east of Naples, the core of the volvano can be seen in the photograph, and resembles a nipple.

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My Comment: Cool.

The Vehicle That You Need To Survive In After The World Ends

Conquest Vehicles  

15 Vehicles That Will Help You Survive After The World Ends -- Business Insider 

By some accounts, the world is going to end on Friday. It's unclear exactly what will go down, but it's not going to be pretty. If you are one of the few to make it to Saturday, staying alive in a post-Apocalyptic world will be tough. To help you prepare, we've put together a list of 15 cars and trucks that will be your best bet for survival. That means fuel-efficiency (as resources will be scarce), no electric cars (since the grid will go down), and no convertibles or motorcycles (they don't offer enough protection).

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My Comment: Taking the bus has clearly not made this list.

Here Comes The Giant 27-Inch ‘Coffee Table PC’

Lenovo 

Lenovo to Release Giant 27-inch ‘Coffee Table PC’ -- Time/AP 

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dismayed that family members are spread out over the house, each with a separate PC or tablet? Lenovo has something it believes will get them back together: a PC the size of a coffee table that works like a gigantic tablet and lets four people use it at once. Lenovo Group Ltd., one of the world’s largest PC makers, is calling the IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC the first “interpersonal computer” – as opposed to a “personal computer.”

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My Comment: For family games and entertainment .... I can see this being a hit.

A New Way To Look For Signs Of Life In The Cosmos Being Launched By British Astronomers

The night sky above Paranal in Chile, where NGTS will be built. In the foreground is the Very Large Telescope. Photograph: Yuri Beletsky/European Southern Observatory British Astronomers Launch Advanced Planet Search To Look For Signs Of Life -- The Guardian Robotic telescopes in Chile's Atacama desert will conduct Next Generation Transit Survey to analyse atmospheres for clues The art of hunting planets has come so far that astronomers can now list hundreds of alien worlds that orbit stars so faint they are not even visible as pinpricks in the clear night sky. Little is known of these far-flung planets. The most conspicuous are huge, the size of Jupiter, and scorched from circling so close to their suns. Others are giant iceballs, or waterworlds, or even rocky like Earth. But the finer details are a mystery, the stuff of speculation more than science. Read more .... My Comment: This is what I call exciting work.

Smartphone Sales To Hit 1bn A Year

Despite soaring sales of smartphones, research suggests one in five owners will rarely, if ever, use them to access the internet. Photograph: Lee Jae-Won/Reuters 

Smartphone Sales To Hit 1bn A Year For First Time In 2013 -- The Guardian  

Accountant Deloitte predicts the smartphone will become a mass market phenomenon and an everyday object worldwide.

The smartphone is predicted to become a mass market phenomenon this year, with annual shipments soaring to 1bn globally for the first time, although a fifth of the devices will rarely be used to go online.

In 2013 the smartphone will become an everyday object worldwide, according to a study by accountants Deloitte, bringing the number of active phones with either a touch screen or an alphabet keyboard to 2bn by the end of the year.

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My Comment: It's easy to see the day when almost everyone has a smart phone .... and the cost of communicating will be almost free.

Sunsets From Around The World

Palette of purple: From the burning red clouds of the Austrian mountains to the soft-coloured skies of Thailand, these are the sunsets of a lifetime 

Why Sunset Really Is The Most Beautiful Time Of Day: Incredible Images Of Early Evening Light From Across The World -- Daily Mail 

These stunning pictures of sunsets across the globe truly prove the old adage of 'red sky at night, shepherd's delight'.

A selection of breathtaking snaps that have captured scarlet skies, brilliant hues of lavender and rich blue wisps of cloud cannot fail to draw gasps of wonder from everyone who sees them.

The images of the jaw-dropping beauty are the product of a technician who was determined to capture sunsets from across the globe.

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My Comment: The Hawaiian sunset is my favorite.

Japan Bluefin Tuna Sells For $1.76 Million

Japan Bluefin Tuna Sells For Record $1.76 Million -- NBC/AP 

A bluefin tuna sold for a record $1.76 million at a Tokyo auction Saturday, nearly three times the previous high set last year — even as environmentalists warn that stocks of the majestic, speedy fish are being depleted worldwide amid strong demand for sushi.

In the year's first auction at Tokyo's sprawling Tsukiji fish market, the 222-kilogram (489-pound) tuna caught off northeastern Japan sold for 155.4 million yen, said Ryoji Yagi, a market official.

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My Comment: Now that is a big (and expensive) fish.

A 'Flower' On The Surface Of Mars?

Does this image taken by Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager show a "Martian flower?" (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Finds ‘Flower’ On Surface Of Mars -- The Slide 

NASA has released a series of new photos taken by its Curiosity rover that appear to show a “flower” on the surface of Mars.

NBCNews.com’s photo blog reports that the photos were taken as part of an effort to capture 360-degree images during Curiosity’s trek through Mars’ Yellowknife Bay.

New Jersey-based journalist and photographer Ken Kramer has assembled the Curiosity photographs, adding color to give a realistic view of what the rover is seeing on the planet’s surface.

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My Comment: I doubt that it is a 'flower' .... but it is an interesting geological anomaly.

Astronomers Estimate That at Least 100 Billion Planets Populate the Galaxy

A new analysis of data from NASA's Kepler mission finds evidence for at least 100 billion planets in our galaxy. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) 

Planets Abound: Astronomers Estimate That at Least 100 Billion Planets Populate the Galaxy -- Science Daily 

Look up at the night sky and you'll see stars, sure.

But you're also seeing planets -- billions and billions of them. At least. That's the conclusion of a new study by astronomers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) that provides yet more evidence that planetary systems are the cosmic norm. The team made their estimate while analyzing planets orbiting a star called Kepler-32 -- planets that are representative, they say, of the vast majority in the galaxy and thus serve as a perfect case study for understanding how most planets form.

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My Comment: Only a 100 billion?

More Secrets From A Famed Roman Shipwreck

Archaeologists secure an amphora from the Antikythera wreck.(Photo: Ephorate of Culture/Greece) 

Famed Roman Shipwreck Reveals More Secrets -- USA 

Today Ancient artifacts resembling the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient bronze clockwork astronomical calculator, may rest amid the larger-than-expected Roman shipwreck that yielded the device in 1901.

 Marine archaeologists report they have uncovered new secrets of an ancient Roman shipwreck famed for yielding an amazingly sophisticated astronomical calculator. An international survey team says the ship is twice as long as originally thought and contains many more calcified objects amid the ship's lost cargo that hint at new discoveries.

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My Comment: The ancient Romans were advanced .... more than what we give them credit for.

Early U.S. Flu Season Accelerates

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Early Flu Season Accelerates; No Peak Yet, CDC Says -- NBC 

The nation’s early flu season continued to grow in the U.S. this week, with no sign yet of a peak in the spread of coughing, achy, feverish illness, health officials said Friday.

"I think we're still accelerating," said Tom Skinner, a CDC spokesman.

Twenty-nine states and New York City reported high levels of flu activity, up from 16 states and NYC the previous week. Flu was widespread in 41 states, up from 31 states, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of the week ending Dec. 29, 2,257 people had been hospitalized with flu, and 18 children had died from complications of the illness, CDC reported.

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My Comment: Take the flu shot and washing my hands is my remedy.

Will This Be The U.S. Military's Future Means To Ship Materials And Soldiers?

A concept of the airship on the battlefield, where it could be used to transport tanks and soldiers directly onto the front line

Thunderbird 2 Flies Again: The Astonishing Airship Set To Revolutionise Haulage, Tourism... And Warfare -- Daily Mail

* The Aeroscraft can carry three times more than the biggest military cargo planes over thousands of miles
* Heavily backed by the U.S. military, it is now at the prototype stage and is set for its first test flight * It is capable of vertical take off and landing and doesn't even need a landing strip

A radical new kind of airship funded by the US military is about to make its first test flight - and it looks uncannily like the Thunderbird 2 craft from the classic TV show.

The Aeroscraft airship will carry three times as much as the biggest military cargo planes over thousands of miles, use a third of the fuel, and it doesn't even need a landing strip.

It could also have major implications for cargo haulage, and almost everything now laboriously transported across the planet's surface by boat, train and lorry could within years be carried through the skies, its makers claim.  

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My Comment: It's an old concept but with a modern twist. I wish them well.

Is This Samsung's Galaxy S4?

The image that website Sammobile claims is the new Samsung Galaxy S4 

 Is This Samsung's Galaxy S4? Pictures Claiming To Be New Flagship Handset Leaked Online -- Daily Mail 

* New images claim o show the next version of Samsung's best selling Galaxy Handset - which could go on sale next year
* Image shows sleek design with no button - but does not appear to show rumoured 'bending' screen
* Could be revealed at the CES event in Las Vegas next week

The latest version of Samsung's hugely popular Galaxy S mobile phone has been spotted, according to one online site.

An image obtained by Sammobile shows the new gadget sporting a 5 inch display, and a new design with no buttons on the case. The handset is also believed to have a quad core processor and a 13 megapixel camera.

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My Comment: I guess we will have to wait for a few weeks to find out if this story is accurate.

An Alternative To GPS?

A U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenant Uses An Army Issued Smartphone To Pull Up A Map For Afghan Villagers United States Army via Wikimedia

New Ground-Based Indoor Positioning Tech Is Accurate Down 
To Just A Few Inches -- Popular Science

Locata's technology goes where GPS can't, delivering a signal one million times stronger than those beamed from satellites.

 Indoor navigation is most certainly the holy grail for positioning system makers right now. Satellite-based location technologies like GPS work wonderfully out under the open sky, where signals bounced from satellites to receivers on the ground are unhindered by man-made structures or natural obstructions. Take that same technology into the subway or a large shopping mall, and the signal goes dead. But a new ground-based positioning system called Locata could soon replace or augment satnav using radio signals that are a million times stronger than GPS signals, indoors or out.  
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My Comment: The military will love this .... if it works.

What's On Darpa's 2013 Wish List?

U.S. Navy Diver DARPA wants a new dive suit that automatically monitors the diver's physiology and adjusts his or her air mixture accordingly. U.S. Navy

On DARPA's 2013 Wish List: Extreme Diving, Portable Brain Reading, And Gravity Vision -- Popular Science

The Pentagon's mad scientists want to bring brain scans to the smartphone, swarming satellites to space, and self-healing software everywhere.

DARPA solicitation days are like Christmas morning for technology nerds, occasions whose bounty defense tech geeks look forward to precisely because we have no idea what we are going to get. And in case you thought DARPA might scale back its far-out R&D ambitions in light of impending defense budget cuts, be advised: the DoD’s blue-sky researchers fear no fiscal cliff (in fact, it has likely already developed a self-assembling hypersonic vehicle that will automatically scramjet the agency to safety should any cliff, fiscal or otherwise, be autonomously detected). So what does DARPA want in 2013? Read on.

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My Comment: I call this the "golly-gee' stuff from Popular Science.