U.S. Navy's Biofuel Plans Get The Support Of The U.S. Senate

Senate Votes To Save The Navy’s ‘Great Green Fleet’ -- Danger Room

The Senate on Wednesday threw a life raft to the Navy’s beleaguered plan to power its ships and jets with biofuel. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus trumpeted the program as key to service’s long-term stability, pledging $170 million to kickstart the wobbly biofuel industry, promising to get half the Navy’s fuel from alternative sources by 2020, and making plans to dispatch an eco-friendly “Great Green Fleet” in 2016.  

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More News On the U.S. Senate Approving The Pentagon's Plans For Bio-fuels

Senate OK’s military spending on biofuel refineries -- Stars and Stripes
Senate gives green light to Pentagon green energy -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
Navy's Biofuel Plan Gets Senate Support -- Wall Street Journal
Senate strikes restriction on military biofuel development -- Reuters
US Senate backs military, Obama on green fuels -- TG Daily
Senate Again Backs Pentagon's Green-Energy Plans -- Wall Street Journal
With Senate’s Support, Advanced Biofuel Industry Ready for Takeoff -- Energy Collective Democrats put green energy back into military budget bill -- Human Events

How Syria Turned Off The Internet

How Syria Turned Off The Internet -- Cloud Flare

Today, 29 November 2012, between 1026 and 1029 (UTC), all traffic from Syria to the rest of the Internet stopped. At CloudFlare, we witnessed the drop off. We've spent the morning studying the situation to understand what happened. The following graph shows the last several days of traffic coming to CloudFlare's network from Syria. Since the beginning of today's outage, we have received no requests from Syrian IP space. That is a more complete blackout than we've seen when other countries have been cut from the Internet (see, for example, Egypt where while most traffic was cut off some requests still trickled out).  

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More News On Syria's Internet Shutdown

How Syria Turned Off the Internet -- Gizmodo
How were Syria's networks and Internet taken offline? -- ZDNet
How did Syria shut off the Internet? -- SFGate
Assad gov't continues to block Internet in Syria -- CBS/AP
Syrian Internet Connections Cut for Second Day -- New York Times
Syria Plunges Into Internet Blackout -- PC Mag
Syria's government urged to unblock internet and mobile access to country -- The Guardian
US providers host Syrian government websites -- Computer World
Communications blackout doesn't deter hackers targeting Syrian regime -- FOX News
Anonymous Hackers Swat At Syrian Government Websites In Reprisal For Internet Blackout -- Forbes
Anonymous declares Internet war on Syria -- NBC News
Syria’s Internet shutdown leaves information void, may signal escalating war -- Washington Post Syria Internet outage: How it might have happened and what it means -- Washington Post
How To Get Around The Internet Blackout In Syria -- Or A Mass Communications Outage Anywhere -- Betsy Isaacson, Huffington Post
The three big questions on Syria’s Internet blackout -- Max Fisher, Washington Post

Scientists Beat The House At Roulette

Scientists Beat The House At Roulette With Chaos Theory -- Forbes 

Professional gamblers know that when it comes to the game of roulette, the best strategy is the same one that supercomputer Joshua applied to nuclear war in the movie WarGames: “The only way to win is not to play.” But that didn’t stop a group of chaos theorists from trying to beat it anyway. And according to new research published in the journal Chaos, it looks like they may have found a way to beat the house. They were able to model the motion of the wheel and ball and were able to confirm their predictions both in simulation and using an actual roulette wheel.

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My Comment: Their analysis makes sense .... but .... I suspect that the House knows about these "tricks".

Steve Jobs High-Tech Yacht 'Venus' Unveiled

Steve Jobs reportedly spent years designing his super yacht Venus. FOX News

Steve Jobs High-Tech Yacht Unveiled -- BBC

A year after he died, a yacht that the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, was working on has finally been launched in the Netherlands. It's a little under 80m (260 feet) long, made of lightweight aluminium and features 3m (10 feet) high windows. Just another super-yacht for one of the world's mega-rich you might think, but the clues to the owner of this sleek vessel are there, not least in the many Apple Mac computer screens on the bridge. The vessel is Jobs's yacht Venus, named for the Roman goddess of love. It has just been launched in Aalsmeer in The Netherlands. The boat has been built by the Dutch custom yacht builders Feadship.  

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More News On The Launching Of Steve Jobs Yacht

Steve Jobs-designed yacht launched in the Netherlands -- CBS/AP
Steve Jobs’ Yacht, Venus, Makes Public Debut -- ABC News
Steve Jobs' Yacht, 'Venus,' Sets Sail -- PC Magazine
Super yacht designed by Apple's Steve Jobs unveiled -- FOX News
Yacht Commissioned by Steve Jobs Launched -- Sci-Tech Daily
Steve Jobs’s 256-Foot Yacht Launches Posthumously -- HITC
About Steve Jobs’s New, iMac-Controlled Yacht -- Vanity Fair
Steve Jobs' custom, aluminum-hulled super-yacht "Venus" now seaworthy -- Ars Technica
Steve Jobs’s yacht: a floating Apple store with elements of iPhone -- The Week
Steve Jobs' superyacht breaks cover -- Motorboat & Yachting
Steve Jobs' magnificent yacht reflects the success of Apple -- Examiner

How 3D Printers Will Revolutionise The Manufacture Of Deadly Weapons

Making Guns In Your Garage: How 3D Printers Will Revolutionise The Manufacture Of Deadly Weapons -- The Telegraph

In the very near future, someone will be killed with a gun not bought from a dealer or a dodgy bloke in a pub, but printed at home in metal and plastic with a 3D printer. The tools necessary to replicate a deadly weapon will soon be affordable to someone toiling away at home. The cost of 3D printers has dropped substantially: models are available for as little as £400. Extremely polished designs such as the MakerBot Replicator 2 and Form Labs Form1 reveal how close the technology is to becoming a mainstream consumer proposition. Read more .... My Comment: The below video explains how this incredible tech works. One can only wonder what future developments will hold.

Here Comes The U.S. Army's Monster Laser Truck

Not quite handheld yet... The truck-mounted laser weapons system that Boeing and the Pentagon hopes will prove the efficacy of the technology on the battlefield

The Death-Ray On Wheels: US Army Begins Testing Monster Laser Truck That Can Shoot Down Anything, Including Missiles -- Daily Mail

* Boeing's land-based laser weapon could be used for missile defence * Beam will hit targets at a phenomenal 186,000 miles a second Laser weapons are a step closer to deployment on Earth's battlefields as a U.S. defence company gears up to test a new land-based device. Boeing has announced that it has successfully mounted a 10kw solid-state laser on an eight-wheeled, 500-horsepower truck that could be used alongside conventional Army forces. The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) is now ready for field testing and over the next year will have a chance to show off its ability to acquire, track and destroy targets. Read more ....

More News On Boeing's U.S. Army Laser Truck

The Army's eight-wheeled laser truck that zaps enemy missiles -- The Week Boeing Just Put The Finishing Touches On An 8-Wheeled Laser Truck -- Business Insider Boeing trucks ahead with 8-wheeling laser weapon -- CNet Truck Mounted High Energy Laser For Destroying Incoming Rocket and Artillery To Be Tested Next Year -- Ottawa Citizen Pew pew: Boeing's laser truck powers up -- Dvice Boeing lands $16M laser weapon follow-up -- Optics.org

Global Hunger Continues For One In Eight In The World

One In Eight Of World Population Going Hungry: U.N. -- Reuters

(Reuters) - One out of every eight people in the world is chronically undernourished, the United Nations' food agencies said on Tuesday, and aid groups warned that rising food prices could reverse gains in the fight against hunger. In a report on food insecurity, the UN agencies said 868 million people were hungry in 2010-2012, or about 12.5 percent of the world's population, down more sharply than previously estimated from about 1 billion, or 18.6 percent in 1990-92. The new figures, based on a revised calculation method and more up-to-date data, are lower than the last estimates for recent years that pegged the number of hungry people at 925 million in 2010 and 1.02 billion in 2009. Read more ....

More News On Global Hunger

UN says world hungry not 1 billion after all -- Seattle Times/AP UN Says World Hungry Now Under 1 Billion -- Voice of America MDG target to halve prevalence of hunger within reach, says UN -- The Guardian UN tweaks the methodology of malnourishment -- Globe and Mail Hunger falls but still unacceptably high-FAO chief -- Reuters

The Volcano That Destroyed The Minoan Civilization Is Stirring To Life Again

Cruise ships muster in the bay of the island of Santorini. The volcanic peak can be seen at the top-right of the image. 

 'Atlantis'-Killer Volcano Under Island Of Santorini Wakes Again -- News.com.au

IT destroyed the Minoan civilisation and sent shockwaves through history as the legend of Atlantis. Now, the volcano of Santorini is stirring again. Almost four thousand years ago, the island of Santorini was probably much as it is now - a scenic retreat for the Minoan's wealthy and powerful. And history may be set to repeat itself: Magma has been detected once again pouring up to 20 million cubic metres of molten rock into chambers deep beneath the idyllic island.

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My Comment: We have been lucky in the modern age to not experience a major earthquake in this part of the world .... but if this report is true .... it appears that the clock is ticking.

Steve Jobs' Vision of the World

A New Electric Car World Speed Record

The Nemesis, driven by Nick Ponting, 21, hit 148.7mph - breaking the 137mph set by Don Wales, the grandson of speed ace Sir Malcolm Campbell, 10 years ago

 Electric Car Smashes World Speed Record - Clocking 148.7mph To Beat Record Set By Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Grandson -- Daily Mail

* Creators want to 'smash the sterotype that electric cars are 'slow and boring cars that Noddy would drive'
* Team also wants 'debate about how everyone will move around when the world runs out of oil'

There was no roar from the engine as this super-charged sports car topped 150mph on its record-breaking run yesterday. Only the relatively gentle sound of tyre rolling over road disturbed the peace and quiet as the UK land speed record for an electric car was shattered.

The team behind a supercar powered by energy from wind turbines believe they have smashed the UK land-speed record for an electric car. Their recorded speed of 148.7mph breaks the record of 137mph set by Don Wales, the grandson of speed ace Sir Malcolm Campbell, 10 years ago.

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My Comment: Here is some more info .... the Nemesis can travel from 100-150 miles between charges, depending on driving style, and can be charged from empty in less than 30 minutes.

Bright Comet To Light Up The Sky In A Late 2013 Pass-By

Photo: Hale-Bopp sailed overhead, leaving two trails: An ionic trail of magnetically-charged particles facing directly away from the sun (left), and a trail of dust and debris.

Comet 'Shining 15 Times Brighter Than Moon' Will Fly By Our Planet In 2013 -- Daily Mail 

They are one of the most spectacular views a human could hope to see - and next year a comet which could outshine the moon is due to fly by the Earth.

Comet ISON is visiting the inner solar system and is set to put on spectacular views for the Northern Hemisphere across November and December as it heads towards the sun.

 It may prove to be brighter than any comet of the last century - visible even in broad daylight - and this may end up being its one and only trip to the solar system, as its trajectory may see it plunge into the sun in a fiery death.

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My Comment: Let's hope that it will be a bright one for everyone to see.

New 200mph McLaren British Supercar With £800,000 Price Tag

State-of-the-art: The super-lightweight but powerful supercar (pictured) is being built at McLaren's factory in Woking, Surrey

New 200mph McLaren British Supercar With £800,000 Price Tag Is Revealed For The First Time Ahead Of Paris Motor Show -- Daily Mail

* Lightweight but powerful vehicle being built at McLaren's state-of-the-art factory
* It is being seen as the spiritual successor of the three-seater McLaren F1 supercar of the 1990s

A new 200mph British supercar has broken cover with a scintillating £800,000 price-tag to match.

The new flagship two-seater McLaren P1 will accelerate from rest to 62mph in under three seconds and is set to be one of the stars of next week’s Paris Motor Show.

The super-lightweight but powerful supercar is being built at McLaren’s state of the art factory in Woking, Surrey and has the ambition of being the best road and track car in the world for drivers.

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My Comment: She looks very hot.

Can We Finally Break The Speed Of Light?

Space time mapped out: Teams at NASA are exploring ways to warp the universe to enable faster than light travel. Pictured is a model of how a ship, enclosed in a space-time 'doughnut', could reach the stars

Can We Finally Break The Speed Of Light? Nasa Breakthrough Suggests Star Trek's 'Warp Drives' May Not Only Be Possible - But Practical -- Daily Mail

* NASA suggests new model which could reduce energy requirements for warp-speed travel from planet-sized to car-sized
* 'Humble experiments' in laboratory could lead to faster-than-light travel

As we take our virgin steps into space, there is one thing that could always put a cap on our ambitions.

Despite our desire to explore the stars, we are limited by travelling at less than light speed - and even if we managed to match that pace, we would still be listing our voyages from star to star in years, centuries or millenia.

But, in what could be a huge breakthrough, theorists from Nasa say there is 'hope' that we can achieve faster-than-light travel, after physicists found a theoretical possibility for warp speed travel.

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My Comment: Faster please. :)

The Complete Guide To Twitter’s Language And Acronyms

The Complete Guide To Twitter’s Language And Acronyms -- Twitter

The beauty and challenge of Twitter is stuffing your most sophisticated thoughts and feelings into a measly 140 characters (or less). Unfortunately, our traditional methods of communication have proven to be a poor training ground for micro-messaging, and even the most savvy platform users have sighed in exasperation as those bright red negative character signs mock our basic intelligence. But, perhaps even worse, no good tweet is ever going to be 140 characters because it’s impossible to share, respond or reference a tweet that’s already at it’s max. If you want to make a big statement with a small message, you have to trim the fat.

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My Comment: A useful and brief list.

More Countries Are Blocking YouTube Over Anti-Islam Video

More Countries Push To Block YouTube Over Anti-Islam Video -- L.A. Times

As protests over an online video mocking the Islamic prophet continue to simmer in Pakistan, Indonesia and elsewhere, more countries are trying to keep it from being seen around the world.

Google has already stopped the film trailer from being viewed on YouTube in Egypt and Libya “given the very difficult situation” and has restricted it in Indonesia and India over concerns that it violates local laws. Malaysian news media reported that the video was also inaccessible there late Monday after government officials lodged similar complaints with the company about the amateurish video.

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More News On Countries Blocking YouTube Over Anti-Islam Video

YouTube blocked in Saudi to stop anti-Islam film -- Houston Chronicle/AP
Pakistan, Bangladesh Block YouTube Amid Islam Film Protests -- Bloomberg Businessweek
YouTube selectively restricts access to anti-Islam film -- Daily Star
In Egypt, despite Google claims, anti-Islam film can be seen online -- Bikyamasr
Google Refuses to Censor Anti-Islam Film in America but Bars Access in Muslim Countries -- News Busters

Real Time Map That Shows You Every Plane In The Air Right Now

Flightradar 24 makes it possible to track flights all around the world

Rush Hour In The Skies: Real Time Map That Shows You Every Plane In The Air Right Now -- Daily Mail

At any given moment there are an estimated 5,000 commercial airplanes in the skies over the United States and now there's a website that enables you to track them, in real time, on a map.

Flightradar24 makes it possible to track flights all around the world, whether commercial airliners, private jets or military aircraft.

The website's flight map is updated every couple of seconds. Using the map you can track a specific flight, mark out its route, the airport from which it departed and where it is supposed to land. You can even see its altitude and speed.

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Editor: Flightradar24's website is here.

A Final Tribute To Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong To Be Buried At Sea: Family -- Reuters

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, will be buried at sea, family spokesman Rick Miller said on Thursday.

Armstrong died on August 25 following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. He was 82.

A public memorial service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on September 13 and will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed online at nasa.gov and nationalcathedral.org.

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My Comment: I guess he does not want a grave-site turned into a public memorial and place for those to gather and acknowledge his moon-walk accomplishment.

FBI To Start A Face Recognition System Database Across America

FBI Begins Installation Of $1 Billion Face Recognition System Across America -- RT

Birthmarks, be damned: the FBI has officially started rolling out a state-of-the-art face recognition project that will assist in their effort to accumulate and archive information about each and every American at a cost of a billion dollars.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reached a milestone in the development of their Next Generation Identification (NGI) program and is now implementing the intelligence database in unidentified locales across the country, New Scientist reports in an article this week. The FBI first outlined the project back in 2005, explaining to the Justice Department in an August 2006 document (.pdf) that their new system will eventually serve as an upgrade to the current Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) that keeps track of citizens with criminal records across America .

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More News On The FBI Installing Software Across The Country

FBI to roll out $1 billion public facial recognition system in 2014, will be on to your evildoing everywhere -- Endgadget
The FBI Banks $1 Billion For Facial Recognition Tech -- Fast Company
FBI moves forward with plans to build $1billion database of Americans' photographs for new facial recognition software -- Daily Mail
FBI launches $1 billion face recognition project -- New Scientist
How the feds are tracking us -- PC World
FBI Wagers $1 Billion On Facial Recognition Software -- Inquistr

My Comment: It will only be a question of time before no one will be able to hide.

Two Planets ... Two Stars

Two Planets ... Two Stars: Nasa Detects Strange New Solar System (And One Of The Planets Occupies The Life-Supporting 'Goldilocks Zone') -- Daily Mail

* First time that planets have been seen orbiting a two-star system
* 'Theorists will be going back to the drawing board to improve our understanding of how planets are assembled'

Nasa has announced the discovery of a solar system which is home to not one, but two stars.

The Kepler solar system, 4,900 light-years away from Earth, has two stars - called a binary system - orbiting each other in a cosmic dance.

What makes this discovery exciting is the discovery of two planets circling the system - and one of them inhabits the so-called 'Goldilocks Zone', where the planet is the right distance ('not too hot, not too cold') to support liquid water and potentially support life.

Before today, it was unknown whether planets could form around a two-star system.

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My Comment: Another mystery solved.

How One U.S. Navy Captain Used A Creative Way To Provide For His Family If He Died

Stamp Auction

Neil Armstrong Couldn't Afford Life Insurance, So He Used A Creative Way To Provide For His Family If He Died -- Business Insider

After all the danger, glory, and fame it's easy to forget that at the end of the day astronauts are federal employees subject to the same General Schedule (GS) pay scale as everyone from typists to CIA agents.

Unfortunately, a federal salary wasn't enough for Apollo 11 astronauts to purchase life insurance.

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My Comment: A small confession .... as a stamp collector, I would pay $5,000 for such a signed postcard.