Seven Amazing Robots Of 2012

The X-47B Click here to see this amazing image even larger. Douglas Sonders 

 The 7 Most Amazing Robots Of 2012 -- PopSci.com 

Okay, we know we're a little late on this, but that's because there was so much amazing stuff to sift through! In 2012, robotic technology made some huge leaps forward. We put the world's most sophisticated planetary rover on Mars using a daring--and precise--robotic delivery system. We launched marine robots capable of taking on hurricanes and rebuilding damaged coral reefs. We saw four-legged robots set new land speed records, and winged, autonomous robots strut their potentially lethal stuff on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

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Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

Pacific Bluefin Tuna's Population Has Collapsed

Pacific Prey Wikimedia Commons 

Pacific Bluefin Tuna Population Has Dropped By 96 Percent -- Popsci.com 

The dark side of sushi's surge in popularity. For the Pacific bluefin tuna, sitting at the popular kids' table sure isn't paying off. The stock of the fish is at historically low levels and is being dangerously overfished, a new report shows. Fisheries scientists from the International Scientific

Committee to Study the Tuna and Tuna-Like Species of the North Pacific Ocean estimate that the Pacific bluefin population has declined from its unfished level by more than 96 percent. The report warns that stock levels likely won't improve by extending the current fishing levels. All the world's scrombrids -- a family that includes tunas and mackerels -- are on the endangered list.

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My Comment: The next step will be a ban on Pacific Bluefin Tuna fishing.

Asia’s Coming “Sci-Fi” Arms Race

Image credit: Wikicommons

Lasers: Asia’s Coming “Sci-Fi” Arms Race -- J. Michael Cole, The Diplomat

True to Newton’s Third Law on Motion, weapons development is a constant battle of adaptation with one side unveiling new technology only for the other to respond with countermeasures. Very few platforms in recent years have been as influential or attracted as much publicity as have unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which have greatly enhanced surveillance capability while giving their owners the ability to target enemies thousands of miles away at relatively little cost.  

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My Comment: I guess the Americans are not the only ones who are trying to develop laser based weapon systems.

NASA Making Way For Private Companies

Boeing's CST-100 Vehicle, As Rendered by an Artist. Boeing 

The Next Crews With The Right Stuff Will Work For Private Companies, Not NASA -- Popular Science  

Spaceship builders will assume the flight risk first with their own test pilot employees.

 Private companies are already sending cargo into space on their own, but no one is sending any people yet--for now, Americans can only get to space with help from the Russians. When commercial aerospace firms do start delivering Americans to space for the first time, they will not be wearing NASA meatball patches on their breast pockets.

Instead, commercial test pilots employed by spaceship builders will fly the first crewed missions, according to NASA officials. The space agency is letting the private firms bear that risk before exposing its own astronauts to a privately built ship.

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My Comment: Another sign that the US government is broke.

The Oldest Star In The Universe

An artist's impression of how the oldest known star in the universe might look 

The Oldest Star In The Universe: Astronomers Find HD 140283 Is At Least 13.2 billion Years Old -- Daily Mail 

* Star known as HD 140283 has been observed for more than a century
 * It formed within the first 600 million years of the Big Bang
 * Earth lies just 186 light years away from the oldest known star

More than a century after it was first observed by astronomers a star has been identified as the oldest yet seen in the universe.

The star is just 186 light years away from Earth and is at least 13.2 billion years old, and quite possibly many millions of years older than that.

The Big Bang is calculated by scientists to have taken place about 13.77 billion years ago and the star, known only as HD 140283, was among the earliest stars to form.

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My Comment: 13.2 billion years old .... just a blink of time to the universe.

The PaperTab Tablet Will Look And Feel Just Like A Sheet Of Paper

Photo: PaperTab (credit: Plastic Logic/Queen’s University)

 A Paper-Thin Flexible Tablet Computer -- Kurzweilai

A flexible paper computer developed at Queen’s University in collaboration with Plastic Logic and Intel Labs could one day revolutionize the way people work with tablets and computers. The PaperTab tablet looks and feels just like a sheet of paper.

However, it is fully interactive with a flexible, high-resolution 10.7” plastic display developed by Plastic Logic, a flexible touchscreen, and powered by the second generation Intel Core i5 Processor. Instead of using several apps or windows on a single display, users have ten or more interactive displays or “PaperTabs”: one per app in use.

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My Comment: I prefer something more solid in my hands .... but I am probably an exception to this rule.

New Rifle Technology Can Turn A Novice Into A Dangerous Sniper

Smart' hunting rifle makes up for jittery aim 

Using state of the art digital range finders and a very smart trigger, the TrackingPoint rifle can make a sharpshooter out of anyone, including NBCNews.com's Wilson Rothman. 

Futuristic Rifle Turns Novice Into Sharpshooter -- NBC 

It all goes back to "Top Gun." In the heads-up display on Maverick's Tomcat, you can see a computer compensate for human aim with precision laser guidance and careful calculations. How long before that technology made its way to to a conventional hunting rifle? It's here now, with a price tag of $17,000 to $21,000.

We came to Las Vegas the first week of January, the way we always do, for the Consumer Electronics Show. The vast trade show features over 3,300 exhibitors, and covers 1.9 million square feet. But there are no shooting ranges at CES. To check out TrackingPoint, we had to drive out to the hills outside of town.  

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My Comment: Great for snipers and soldiers in a combat zone. Great for hunters who do not want to hunt. One more worry for the US Secret Service.

GravityLight: Lighting For A Billion People

The GRAVITY-Powered Lamp That Could Bring 1.5billion People Out Of The Darkness -- Daily Mail 

* The GravityLight uses a sand-filled sack to pull a rope through a tiny generator to power an LED light
 * It's makers claim a single pull can keep the light going for up to 30 minutes
 * They hope to distribute 1,000 free to impoverished communities in India and Africa

A British company hopes to bring electric light to 1.5billion people who live off the grid with an incredible electric light that is powered by gravity.

The GravityLight uses a sack of sand to gradually pull a piece of rope through a dynamo mechanism which generates electricity to power an LED light.

A three-second pull on the rope to raise the sack will keep the LED bulb running for up to 30 minutes, its makers claim.

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My Comment: This is just the first generation prototype .... I can only imagine what subsequent innovations will bring.

The Top 50 ‘Pictures Of The Day’ For 2012

© Jay Nemeth/Red Bull Content Pool  

Editor: The photo gallery starts here.

Panama Canal Expansion Proceeding On Schedule

Expanded Panama Canal Sparks Race To Be Ready For Bigger 
Cargo Ships --Washington Post

PANAMA CITY — This is a story about big, and how one of the biggest construction projects in the world, the remaking of the Panama Canal, will let bigger boats sail into deeper harbors, where authorities are spending billions dredging channels, blasting tunnels and buying cranes from China the size of 14-story buildings to accommodate super-sized cargo.

All this might knock a couple of dollars off the price of a smartphone shipped from Shanghai — or alleviate poverty in Panama, where the government plans to make a fortune in tolls — or create a windfall for the ports ready to receive the big ships, such as those in Baltimore and Norfolk.  

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My Comment: Panama has certainly come a long way from the days of having narco thugs like Manuel Noriega running the country.

Beijing Pollution Hits An All Time High

Residents In Beijing Warned To Stay Indoors As Air Quality Hits 'Worst On Record' After City Is Engulfed By Thick Smog -- Daily Mail

* Pollution in the city rises to 30 to 45 times above recommended safety levels
* Experts warn the conditions could last another two days
* Residents warned to stay indoors as pollution is trapped by low pressure

Air quality in Beijing was the 'worst on record' over the weekend, according to environmentalists, as pollution in the city rose to 30 to 45 times above recommended safety levels.

The Chinese capital, home to around 20 million people, has been wrapped in thick smog since Friday, reducing visibility and disrupting traffic.

The city's pollution monitoring centre has warned residents to stay indoors as pollution levels rose to the worst on record, according to Greenpeace.  

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Update #1: Beijing cancels outdoor activities, warns of hazardous air due to off-the-charts pollution -- Washington Post/AP  
Update #2: Beijing Pollution Hits Highs -- Wall Street Journal  
Update #3: On Scale of 0 to 500, Beijing’s Air Quality Tops ‘Crazy Bad’ at 755 -- New York Times  

My Comment: I first visited China in the mid 1980s .... and while I saw massive deforestation in many areas, the air quality was still OK. One of the best moments in my life was visiting a plantation in Fujian province that is responsible for growing Oolong tea. I was walking on the side of the hill and got caught in a warm monsoon rainfall. The warm rainwater, the air filled with the smell of tea, the freshness of the air .... it is an experience that describing it will not do it justice .... you have to experience it to appreciate it. But today .... if I go there ... and I get in a warm monsoon rainfall .... my primary worry will be acid rain and the need to quickly change my clothes.

51 Things You Aren't Allowed To See On Google Maps

Blurred Out: 51 Things You Aren't Allowed To See On Google Maps -- ITSecurity

Depending on which feature you use, Google Maps offers a satellite view or a street-level view of tons of locations around the world. You can look up landmarks like the Pyramids of Egypt or the Great Wall of China, as well as more personal places, like your ex’s house. But for all of the places that Google Maps allows you to see, there are plenty of places that are off-limits. Whether it’s due to government restrictions, personal-privacy lawsuits or mistakes, Google Maps has slapped a "Prohibited" sign on the following 51 places.  

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My Comment: I expected a longer list.

No Aple App For Syria

There's No App For Syria -- Michael Peck

Why did Apple ban a game on the Syrian civil war?

The idea seemed laudable. Create a computer game app on the Syrian civil war that is simple enough for the general public to learn a bit about a complex conflict. Thus was born Endgame: Syria -- which puts the player in command of the Syrian rebels as they battle to overthrow Bashar al-Assad's regime. It runs on Android tablets, and it will soon be available on the Apple app store, promises British publisher Auroch Digital.  

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My Comment: A surprising ruling from Apple .... especially since there are scores of violent games in their app store. I guess the issue of Syria is too sensitive for some in Apple, and prefer it to be swept under the table. On a side note ..... Steve Job's biological father was Syrian.

Iran Denies Launching Cyber Attacks Against U.S. Banks

Iran Denies Cyber Attacks on US Banks -- ABC News

The Iranian government has officially denied any involvement in the wave of relatively unsophisticated cyber attacks that have struck glancing blows on websites for U.S. financial institutions over the past months. "Unlike the United States, which has, per reports in the media, given itself the license to engage in illegal cyber-warfare against Iran, Iran respects the international law and refrains from targeting other nations' economic or financial institutions," the Iranian mission to the United Nations said in a statement, according to a report published late Thursday by Iran's semi-official PressTV.  

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More News On Reports That Iran is Launching Cyber Attacks Against U.S. Banks

Bank Hacking Was the Work of Iranians, Officials Say -- New York Times
Attacks On U.S. Banks' Websites Seen As Work Of Iran -- NPR
Iran Suspected in Bank Site Hacking -- ABC News
New wave of ‘Iranian’ cyber attack hits 20 U.S. banks -- Gant Daily
U.S. Officials Point Finger at Iran in Bank Hack -- Daily Tech
Banks' Cyber Attackers Are Sponsored by Iran, Using Cloud Computing: Report -- American Banker Iran Denies Responsibility for U.S. Bank Cyber Attacks -- FOX News
Iran denies behind cyber attacks on US banks -- Phys.org
Bank Attacker Iran Ties Questioned By Security Pros -- Information Week
Did Iran Attack the US Banks? -- Israel Defense
Cyberwar in Iran Comes Home to U.S. Banks. Is Anyone Surprised? -- Arik Hesseldahl, AllThingsD  How Iranian Hackers Used The Cloud To Attack Major Banks And Why It Matters -- Andrea Peterson, Think Progress

Are Rare Earth Metals The Next Oil?

The Next Oil?: Rare Earth Metals -- Elliot Brennan, The Diplomat

Rare earth metals are quickly becoming the next important strategic resource. For many countries in Asia, the stakes are big.

Rare earth metals (REM) are increasingly becoming a critical strategic resource. The 17 elements can be found in most high-tech gadgets, from advanced military technology to mobile phones. China currently holds claim to over 90 percent of the world’s production. As global demand increases, Beijing’s export reductions in recent years have forced high-tech firms to relocate to China and forced other governments to pour money into their exploration and production. An emergent India is among those concerned about China’s control of rare earths. In the past 12 months, the geopolitics of rare earths has become evident. REMs are becoming a strategic resource over which the two emerging giants are competing in Asia. Indeed, one might say rare earths are fast becoming “the next oil.”  

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My Comment: A good review on why rare earths play a vital role in today's modern economy .... and why they are essential to the defense industry.

Killer Whales Trapped In Arctic Ice Have Been Freed

Killer Whales Trapped In Ice Have Been Freed (VIDEO) -- Global Post 

The 11 killer whales that were trapped in ice in Quebec's Hudson Bay have been freed after a passage of water to the sea was created.

MONTREAL — The 11 killer whales that were trapped in ice in Quebec's Hudson Bay have been freed, the mayor of a nearby village said Thursday.

NBC News reported that two scouts from the nearby Inuit village of Inukjuak, on the eastern shore of the Hudson Bay, went to check on the killer whales at around 8 a.m. Thursday.

They found that a path of water had been created to the open sea (nearly 25 miles away) and that the whales were gone from their small ice hole.

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My Comment: Awesome video.

Drones Are Now Going Mainstream

Drones Go Mainstream -- CNN

They're coming. And they're not just for the military anymore. Dozens of companies have sprung up in the last few years making remote controlled, mini-aircraft mounted with cameras, that are increasingly being used for commercial and even entertainment purposes. But these aren't the remote controlled helicopters you remember flying as a kid. Today's drones are lighter, have better software, longer lasting batteries and vastly improved camera technology. Read more .... My Comment: Drones are not only becoming mainstream .... but they are also getting cheaper.

The EU Orders Google To Change Way It Presents It's Results

Joaquin Almunia stressed that he was more concerned with the way that Google presents its results, rather than the complex codes at their heart Photo: Bloomberg News 

Brussels Orders Google To Change Way It Presents Results -- The Telegraph  

Google will be forced to change the way it presents search results in Europe or face sanctions from Brussels for unfairly manipulating its position as the world’s biggest internet search engine.

The European Union’s competition chief, Joaquin Almunia, told a newspaper that it is his “conviction” that Google is unfairly promoting links to its own services above those of third party companies, and that he fears it is abusing its dominant position.

Google has been locked in a long-running row over whether it has changed its search results to give preferential treatment to links to its own services, at the expense of those from competitors.

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My Comment: So EU bureaucrats are telling the world's number one search engine on how to it business .... this is not going to end well.

Car Keys Will Soon Be A Thing Of The Past

Hyuandai 

Your Smartphone Will Replace Your Car Keys By 2015 -- Autopia/Wired 

Your smartphone has the potential to replace nearly everything else in your pockets, so why not your car keys?

Hyundai is working to do just that, with an embedded NFC tag that allows you to open your car, start the engine and link up to the touchscreen with a simple swipe.

Hyundai outfitted its i30 compact hatch (aka the Elantra in the States) with NFC technology in its “Connectivity Concept” recently shown at its European headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. The idea is simple: Nix the key fob and let your smartphone handle it all.

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My Comment: What happens if you do not have a smartphone?

Central Park As You've Never Seen It Before

The incredible Manhattan panorama that won creator Sergey Semenov of Russia a prestigious prize 

Central Park As You've Never Seen It Before: The Incredible Interactive Panorama That Lets You Fly Through Manhattan From Your Sofa -- Daily Mail 

* Unique image was created from panoramic pictures of New York electronically stitched together
* Sergey Semenov, the Russian amateur photographer who created it, this week won a major photography prize for the incredible image
* Image is just one of several incredible panoramic images to triumph at the Pano Awards for panoramic photography

It is an astonishing view of Manhattan, showing Central Park and its surrounding skyscrapers from a unique perspective.

The astonishing image, which has just won a prestigious photography award, was created from a 360-degree panorama that lets you tour one of the world's most impressive cities and zoom into tiny detail - all from the comfort of your computer.

The breathtaking image and its accompanying panorama was created by Sergey Semenov of Russia.

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My Comment: Yup .... it is a view of Central park that i have never sen before.