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Apps For Healthy Kids — Where PC Meets PCstheodp writes "Put the Grand Theft Auto, Halo, and Madden away, kids! Over at Apps for Healthy Kids, First Lady Michelle Obama has a whole new slate of games for you to play with! Voting on entries in the White House-backed game development competition has begun, and you'll find exciting titles like Balanced Meal (6 votes), Blubber Blaster (9 votes), Calorie Quest (10 votes), and Count Peas (7 votes) — and that's just for starters."
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Source: Slashdot | 18 Jul 2010 | 3:32 am The Many Bottom Lines Of Businesses
Sixty-three percent of the Fortune 500, and more than half of all American businesses, are incorporated in Delaware. The state’s laws protect corporate directors and enable them to focus on the bottom line. Traditionally, that has meant maximizing profits and shareholder value. But a new trend is emerging to counter Delaware’s influence on American corporate policy, and it’s pretty thrilling for those of us in the social enterprise sector. In April, Maryland became the first state to allow entrepreneurs to form Benefit Corporations. Also known as “triple-bottom line” businesses (so named for their consideration of people, planet, and profit), B Corps now include over 300 companies representing $1.1B in revenue, including Amazon competitor Better World Books and GoodGuide, a site that rates consumer products for safety, environmental impact, and social responsibility. B Corporation, the nonprofit behind the legislation, is growing in influence — in the organization’s hometown of Philadelphia, B Corps now receive tax incentives. Benefit Corporations aren’t the only newfangled legal structures available to mission-driven entrepreneurs. Several years ago, Vermont created Low-Profit Limited Liability Corporations, or L3Cs (Vermont, bless those hippies, also approved Benefit Corporations in May). Michigan, Utah, Wyoming, Illinois, and New York followed suit. I can hear some of you scoffing. How can a business optimize across multiple types of return? How can one measure social and environmental impact consistently across the full range of businesses? Is Adam Smith turning in his grave? The notion of multiple bottom lines emerged in the 1980s, after major environmental catastrophes like Exxon Valdez and the Union Carbide gas leak in Bhopal made it clear that some firms were not counting the true environmental costs of doing business on their balance sheets. Negative environmental externalities went largely unregulated, and activists realized that business leaders were a more likely source of change than government. The first crop of these companies included Ben and Jerry’s, whose founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield famously donated 7.5% of pre-tax profit to community projects, and Dame Anita Roddick’s The Body Shop, whose “Trade Not Aid” and Greenpeace campaigns built her a reputation for business ethics. Today, there are at least 25 different approaches to measuring social and environmental impact at the firm level, ranging from Fair Trade labeling systems that focus on living and working conditions for suppliers to Jed Emerson’s popular Social Return on Investment method, and the companies that use them have access to new pools of capital. Led by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Impact Investing Network includes 30 socially conscious investors including funds like Jeff Skoll’s Capricorn Investment Group and TIAA-CREF. This activity around social business, and social capital markets more broadly, is encouraging, but highlights a central problem: in the absence of a single standard for measuring social and environmental returns, regulatory agencies can’t build effective incentives to encourage companies to adopt them. Optimizing for multiple variables is notoriously challenging; even when leaders unambiguously express their commitment to social and environmental goals by, for example, modifying their corporate mission statements, they face major tradeoffs. Prior to the advent of Benefit Corporations, people and planet took a back seat to profits. Ten years ago, Ben & Jerry’s sold to Unilever — according to Will Patten, a former executive there, Cohen and Greenfield wanted to retain control of the company but could have been sued by shareholders for not selling to an entity willing to pay well above the company’s stock price. Under Maryland’s new law, the Bens and Jerrys of the future are free to compromise profits for the pursuit of vaguely defined “public benefit,” which includes things like preserving the environment and improving human health. The directors of Benefit Corporations are required to file a “Benefit Report” to shareholders each year, and are required to consider the effects of their actions not only on shareholders, but also on employees, customers, and, notably, suppliers. In the wake of worker suicides at FoxConn and the recent discovery of $1 trillion worth of lithium, copper and iron in Afghanistan, is the tech world ready for B Corps? Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 18 Jul 2010 | 3:10 am Wi-Fi Available on 1 in 3 U.S. PlanesAccording to PC World, Wi-Fi service is offered on more than one-third of American passenger planes. Despite such growth, some users still consider in-flight Wi-Fi to be expensive, especially on longer...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Jul 2010 | 2:37 am Toy Story 3 iPhone app tops 1.7 million downloads in first monthThe Walt Disney Company announced its Toy Story 3 application for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch exceeded 1.7 million downloads a month after its App Store debut. Disney introduced the app on June 15,...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 18 Jul 2010 | 2:27 am Rat Lung Successfully Regenerated and TransplantedDr. Eggman writes "Nature Medicine brings us news of the latest success in the regeneration of the gas exchanging tissues [abstract is free; the full paper requires subscription or payment] of the lungs of a rat. Led by Harald C. Ott, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston used decellularization to produce a cellular scaffolding to serve as the basis of the transplant lungs. You may recall the previous achievements in use of this cellular scaffolding technique by Yale University. This latest announcement comes with the excellent news that the rat's airway and respiratory muscles performed the necessary ventilation (as a normal rat's would,) and that they provided gas exchange for up to 6 hours after extubation, up from the previous 2 hours. They eventually failed due to capillary leakage resulting in the accumulation of fluids in the lungs. Although there's much work to be done, as not all the cell types found in the lung were regenerated, Ott and his team remain optimistic and estimated we might see regenerated organs for use in human patients within 5 to 10 years." PhysOrg has videos of the lungs doing their thing.
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Source: Slashdot | 18 Jul 2010 | 12:40 am School's ice cream parlor dishes up life skills - Los Angeles Times
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 10:15 pm WISE Discovers 95 New Near-Earth Asteroidsastroengine writes "NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has turned up 25,000 new asteroid discoveries, 95 of which are near-Earth objects (NEOs). This mission is as fascinating as it is frightening. Capable of spotting any cosmic object glowing in infrared wavelengths, WISE has become an expert asteroid hunter, seeing these interplanetary vagabonds, some of which get uncomfortably close to our planet."
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Source: Slashdot | 17 Jul 2010 | 9:33 pm Symbian^4 screenshots show off new user interface [Images]Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile  It looks like Symbian^4 is going to come sporting a new look. That is, at least based on these recently revealed screen captures (of which there are seven). They are coming courtesy of the Symbian Foundation wiki and are showing off goodies including the some of the homescreen and some of the application screens. And as much as I may take criticism for this comment, these screenshots make me think of a cross between iOS and Android. Read [Symbian Foundation] Via [Electronista]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 9:11 pm Defiant Jobs Stands by iPhone 4 - ABC News
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 8:23 pm Defiant Jobs stands by iPhone 4 (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Jul 2010 | 8:21 pm Samsung Captivate for AT&T higher-ups shipping in fancy packagingSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  Earlier today we mentioned that AT&T had begun selling the Samsung Captivate a little earlier than expected. Certainly good news, but how about this fancy Captivate packaging. According to the details of the story, this fancy bundled Captivate was given to one of the higher-ups within the AT&T ranks. So no, this will not be the one you find at your local AT&T location. Fancy looking box, fancy looking packaging and what appear to be real metal hinges. I think I am jealous. Hit the link below to check out the rest of the gallery. Via [Engadget]  Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 8:01 pm Google bolsters its search with Metaweb, social too - Fortune
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 7:23 pm Boxee Box first run units arrive at Boxee HQ, get shown off on videoSection: Video, Gadgets / Other
To celebrate the arrival of the box, we have Zach Klein of Boxee showing the small details of the box. The box is incredibly easy to set up, all you have to do, according to Zach, is power the Boxee Box and plug it into a TV via HDMI (or any of the plethora of other outputs). He also points out the silicon bottom that helps the Box stick to any surface, and continues to the “kick-up” which makes the box much easier to pick up and move around. According to the video, the Boxee Box is set for release in “late October, early November.” It falls in line with the delays we heard previously, but just seeing the box makes it seem more real. Now all we have to do is wait until we can finally get our hands on some factory-made units of our own. The first Boxee Box arrived from the D-Link Factory from Zach Klein on Vimeo. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 6:59 pm Inside Apple’s Actual Distortion Field: Giant Chambers, Fake Heads, And Black Cloaks
If Apple really wanted to silence critics, they have a place to do so. I’ve now seen it with my own eyes. Inside Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, CA, there are a collection of rooms that house 17 giant anechoic chambers. Basically, they’re rooms where no waves (sound or electromagnetic) can reflect off of anything, so there is absolutely no interference when it comes to wireless testing. Apple places their devices from iPhones to iPads in these chambers to ensure the performance is up to their standards. Yesterday after their press event, Apple gave myself and a handful of other journalists the chance to take a tour of these facilities. It was the first time anyone outside of Apple has ever seen them. In fact, most people who work at Apple have never seen them, we were told. The tour was led by Ruben Caballero, Apple’s senior antenna expert (and, incidentally, the man in the news recently thanks to a BusinessWeek story — a story which Apple says is a “crock” and “total bullshit”). Also there to answer questions were Apple executives Phil Schiller, Bob Mansfield, and Greg Joswiak. Right off the bat, it was made very clear to us that we were not allowed to take pictures or record video inside of these rooms. (The pictures in this post are the ones Apple provided.) It’s pretty clear why. While the chambers themselves are custom-made for Apple by various third party industrial manufacturers, the areas these chambers are in also contain a ton of other testing equipment. And yes, there were several things hidden under black cloaks on tables in these rooms. “This lab used to be secret. Most people don’t know it exists,” Caballero told us. Dubbed the “Black Labs,” when I asked about the black cloaks, Caballero said that “we have a lot of other projects going on.” At one point we were told that the iPad had been in testing in this facility “for years.” Even more interesting may be that the iPhone 4 specifically had been in testing in these chambers for 2 years. You know that means. Not only was the iPhone 5 likely in the same room that we were in. But the iPhone 6 may have been around as well. Sadly, we weren’t allowed to lift up the cloaks. The point of our visit to these labs was clear: Apple wants it to be known just how much testing goes into devices such as the iPhone. More specifically, Apple wants to the world to know just how much testing the iPhone 4 went through before they deemed it ready to go. Again, it was in these various chambers for 2 years. This is obviously a direct response to allegations made recently that perhaps Apple didn’t test the device enough before they shipped it. So how do they test it? There are four stages. The first is a passive test to study the form factor of the device they want to create. The second stage is what Caballero calls the “junk in the trunk” stage. Apple puts the wireless components inside of the form factor and puts them in these chambers. The third part involves studying the device in one of these chambers but with human or dummy subjects. And the fourth part is a field test, done in vans that drive around various cities monitoring the device’s signal the entire time (both with real people and with dummies). We were shown three different anechoic chambers, each used for slightly different purposes. Some were used to test the devices by themselves, some were meant for testing with humans and the devices.
The most interesting of these rooms was one that Caballero called “Stargate.” Why? Because well, it looks like it belongs in the movie/TV series Stargate. Inside this room, there’s a giant ring that a human sits on a raised chair in the center of. This chair slowly rotates around as signals are passed around the entire outer circle. This creates a 360 degree test area. I was told this room is completely safe for humans. And people typically spend 40 minutes in there at a time for testing. By comparison, devices can stay in the other anechoic chambers for up to 24 hours at a time. Speaking of movies, one chamber we didn’t get to see was a giant one that looks exactly like Cerebo from the X-Men films. I mean, just look at the picture Apple provided (bottom). It’s the same thing. Of course, in Apple’s Cerebo, I assume the subject standing in the center can’t read every human beings’ mind. But I can only assume that as we didn’t get to see this room. Each of these chambers is also a bit frightening because each is covered from floor to ceiling with giant blue spikes. Sure, these spikes are made of foam and simply used to absorb and dampen any waves, but still, these chambers look like they belong in a nightmare. Again, if Apple needs a place to silence critics, they have the rooms. These chambers vary in cost, but each of the ones we saw cost over $1 million. All told, Apple said it has spent over $100 million on these testing facilities. We then went into a room that contained fake heads. Obviously, these are used to test the various devices without having to use real humans. And Apple goes so far as to fill these heads with liquid mixtures of sugar, water, salt, and other components to replicate the make-up of the human brain. There were also replicas of the human hands and feet (that latter for Nike+ testing). If the tour started out as a bunch of people going to see the inside of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for the first time, I was starting to grow concerned that it was turning into that scene where they enter the strange psychedelic tunnel. But that feeling quickly subsided as we headed outside to see the vans Apple uses to test their devices in the real world. These are giant white vans with antennas on the top of them to pull in both cellular and GPS signals. The back of these vans contain various computer equipment to collect all the data and send it back to the labs at the headquarters. Mansfield closed the tour by noting that they had hoped it was now a bit more clear the amount of time and energy Apple puts into testing these wireless products. “We hope to give you a sense of the real engineering going on here,” Mansfield said. It’s not just testing, it’s re-testing — and this goes on for months, he said. No matter what your take is on the iPhone 4 antenna — my take is here: it’s real, but not a big deal — there is no question that Apple spends a huge amount of time and money testing these devices. And the fact that the thing people will care most about in this whole 1,200-word post is the passing mention that the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 may have been in one of these rooms, says just about all you need to say about the state of the iPhone. For those interesting in learning more, Apple has also posted the following page (and video) about the antenna labs.
     
Source: TechCrunch | 17 Jul 2010 | 6:52 pm Jolicloud 1.0 Has an HTML5 UIkai_hiwatari writes "Jolicloud 1.0, a Linux based OS for netbooks, was launched a few days back. In this new release, the developers have completely replaced the old interface based on Ubuntu Netbook Remix in favor of a new one based on HTML5. Jolicloud 1.0 also features a new syncing feature using which you can sync installed applications across all your systems running on Jolicloud. Other interesting features includes new app center, social stream, etc."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 17 Jul 2010 | 6:30 pm Videogame events at Comic-Con 2010FROM GAMERTELL - Comic-Con 2010 will host a few gaming panels. We’re going to share three with you today. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:48 pm 10 Vintage Apple Ads That Time Forgot [VIDEOS] (Mashable)Mashable - As Apple's latest TV commercials for the iPhone 4's "FaceTime" functionality dazzle us with blandness, it got us thinking about the company's ad campaigns of years gone by.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:47 pm AwayFind Makes Sure You See The Emails That Matter
All of the site’s alert settings are customizable: you can choose to receive an alert every time your boss emails you, or only when you get a new message in an especially important email thread. You can also choose time limits for each alert, and there’s also an auto-responder feature that you can use to direct people to a personal contact page (Awayfind lets you make one, or you can link to your own website).
The site’s signup flow is a little too involved (you’ll have to verify each SMS/voice account you want to send messages to, decide if you want to use the signature feature, and so on). But once you’re set up it’s pretty straightforward, with tabs listing your filters, signatures, and an inbox of messages that your filters have flagged as especially important. The service works best if you’re using Gmail in tandem with AwayFind’s browser extensions, which are available in Firefox and Chrome, and lets you set up filters directly from your inbox (AwayFind also has an email gadget on the Google Apps Marketplace, which is the company’s fastest growing segment of user acquisition). If you aren’t on Gmail, AwayFind also supports other email accounts through IMAP and Exchange; you just won’t be able to use the browser extension and will have to manage your filters from the AwayFind site. As with similar services, AwayFind can potentially access your email messages, which may turn off security-conscious users. That said, it uses oAuth to access your Gmail account which is safer than if you were actually handing over your password (which you’ll have to do if you want to use an IMAP account). And AwayFind says it only stores content from your email when you tell it to archive messages. The service is free for now, with plans to eventually change to a freemium setup — the company is still deciding which features will be free and which will only be available to premium users. Also see Etacts, a Y Combinator-funded company that helps you keep in touch with the contacts that are most important to you (see our past coverage here).
Information provided by CrunchBase      
Source: TechCrunch | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:36 pm Damn Vulnerable Linux — Most Vulnerable Linux EverAn anonymous reader writes "Usually, when installing a new operating system the hope is that it's as up-to-date as possible. After installation there's bound to be a few updates required, but no more than a few megabytes. Damn Vulnerable Linux is different; it's shipped in as vulnerable a state as possible. As the DVL website explains: 'Damn Vulnerable Linux (DVL) is everything a good Linux distribution isn't. Its developers have spent hours stuffing it with broken, ill-configured, outdated, and exploitable software that makes it vulnerable to attacks. DVL isn't built to run on your desktop – it's a learning tool for security students.'"
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Source: Slashdot | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:11 pm Hitler Sees A Double RainbowOkay, admittedly, this doesn’t have a lot to do with tech other than the fact that it’s on YouTube. But it’s awesome. And happens to mashup two of our favorite memes in recently memory: Double Rainbow and Hitler Is Upset. Mike loves the Double Rainbow thing so much that he made a mashup with me, the iPhone, and the two glorious rainbows. Meanwhile, the Hitler thing never gets old. It would just be great if the filmmakers would loosen up and stop taking them down from YouTube. For now, we may have to enjoy it this way. Behold: Hitler Sees A Double Rainbow. “Don’t tell me what to do, I’m looking at a double rainbow! It’s soooo beautiful!“
     
Source: TechCrunch | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:00 pm Suburu Slaps In-Car Wi-Fi into its 2011 Outback - PC Magazine
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 4:45 pm Motorola: eFuse won’t brick your Droid XSection: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile 
Just before the Droid X was released, there were fears that the presence of eFuse on the chipset would make it impossible to root the device. The fear was that if the software on the phone wasn’t correct, eFuse would cause the phone to brick. Now Motorola is saying that the presence of eFuse will actually be of help to hackers when software is installed unsuccessfully. According to Motorola eFuse will cause the Droid X to reboot into recovery mode if the phone detects unapproved software. This apparently will actually help hackers, as unsuccessful attempts at installing software will only result in the phone booting into recovery mode, rather than bricking it. The security on the phone is actually similar to that of the Milestone, which doesn’t brick when the bootloader is changed, meaning the same is possible on the Droid X. So, the Droid X is just as hackable as every other Android phone, and is theoretically even nicer about it. It’ll be easier for hackers to see what works and what doesn’t since the phone will simply reboot into recovery if it doesn’t work, and it won’t be lost forever if something goes wrong. Now all we have to do is wait for the phone to be rooted to see how well Froyo can work on the device. Read [Electronista] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 4:37 pm Weekend Giveaway: spruce up your wardrobe with a $500 gift certificate giveaway from ShirtsMyWay.com I wrote about ShirtsMyWay, the design-your-own dress shirt service, last month. I've since learned about a variety of other sites providing customized products, and I'll be writing a wrap-up post about the trend toward custominzation in general some time soon. But for now, please enjoy this brief review of the shirts created by ShirtsMyWay, and learn how one lucky reader can get a chance to win $500 to spend at ShirtsMyWay.com!
Source: TechCrunch | 17 Jul 2010 | 4:30 pm CrunchDeals: Mmm, a leather-bound 500GB hard drive for $70
Source: CrunchGear | 17 Jul 2010 | 4:20 pm Windows Vulnerable To 'Token Kidnapping' Attackscuppa+tea writes "More than a year after Microsoft issue a patch to cover privilege escalation issues that could lead to complete system takeover, a security researcher plans to use the Black Hat conference spotlight to expose new design mistakes and security issues that can be exploited to elevate privileges on all Windows versions including the brand new Windows 2008 R2 and Windows 7."
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Source: Slashdot | 17 Jul 2010 | 4:09 pm As Facebook Users Die, Ghosts Reach Out - New York Times
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:42 pm HTC, RIM and Nokia Challenge Apple's Antenna Claims (Mashable)Mashable - Apple claimed at its press conference Friday that virtually every competing smartphone faces the same antenna challenges as the iPhone 4, but three of its competitors â HTC, RIM and Nokia â have since stood up and challenged that claim.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:29 pm RIM to Apple: Man up and leave us out of it
Strong words. But will anyone other than those following the industry care for this kind of objection? [via Crackberry]
Source: MobileCrunch | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:28 pm Subaru brings (optional) in-car Wi-Fi to the 2011 OutbackSection: Communications, Broadband Cards, Mobile, Computers, Wireless, Gadgets / Other, Transportation  Mobile 3G access is getting to the point where it actually seems fairly easy to acquire. Well easy, but still not free. Either way though there are plenty of options available ranging from USB dongles to MiFi devices to Mobile Hotspot apps on smartphones. Granted the MiFi and Mobile Hotspot apps are a little more convenient because they allow you to connect a few other devices over Wi-Fi. And given these can go anywhere you go and are generally small enough to fit in most pockets that should be what you would want. Enter Subaru and in-car Wi-Fi. They seem to think that we want our cars to be broadcasting as a mobile hotspot. And honestly, a few years back I would have been all over something like this. At this point I will stick with my Mobile Hotspot app. But if you feel different and want a mobile hotspot equipped car then you may want to consider the 2011 Subaru Outback, which will be equipped with Autonet Mobile. In short, Autonet Mobile is a router that is installed in your car. And as you would expect—it comes with a price. Both in the form of upfront cost and a monthly cost. The option to have it installed will be $499 (plus a $35 activation fee). And then you pay $29 for the service every month. But hey, at the very least the kids will be happily surfing the interwebs in the back seat on long drives. Otherwise the Autonet Mobile service will allow up to 10 devices to connect and work in a range of about 150 feet. Sounds like a crowded car with 10 devices. But hey, at least you can now check Twitter and or Facebook when you step out of the car to take care of other business. That is as long as you stop and park within 150 feet of your destination. Read (and image) [CNET]
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:20 pm Steadiseg: Finally, a use for a Segway I can get on board with
What do you think, camera guys? Would this work? Seemed to go well for this guy. [via Doobybrain]
Source: CrunchGear | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:20 pm HOPE: scheduled keynote by Julian Assange of Wikileaks Announcers at The Next HOPE are introducing Julian Assange as the keynote speaker, as I type this blog post. Despite earlier reports of federal agents at the hacker con hoping to detain and question the Wikileaks founder, he is rumored to be present in NYC—though I wouldn't bet my PGP key on it. False rumors and disinfo flow at hacker gatherings as freely as do the caffeinated beverages. Keynote to be streamed here, whoever delivers it, and from wherever they happen to be speaking. IMAGE: a packed crowd in the room where the presentation will take place (photo: PDP7). UPDATE: Jake Appelbaum will apparently be delivering the keynote in Assange's place.
UPDATE 2: Here's Jake's talk in MP3. Announced during the session, blog.wikileaks.org has been launched, and several APIs will soon be released. The first blog entry details some architectural and security updates. (thanks, Quinn)
HOPE: scheduled keynote by Julian Assange of WikileaksAnnouncers at The Next HOPE are introducing Julian Assange as the keynote speaker, as I type this blog post. Despite earlier reports of federal agents at the hacker con hoping to detain and question the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:19 pm HOW TO: Give Your Photos a Vintage Look (Mashable)Mashable - Your profile photo is an important part of your online personality, offering a glimpse of you to the wider world. We've previously brought you tips for creating the perfect profile pic, and in this post we'll be looking at some great online services that can help you create a variety of fun, vintage-looking pics for your profile.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:07 pm Panasonic DMC-LX5 compact enthusiast camera arrives on the net early
The full specs are available over at 4/3rds Rumors, who found the leak, or at the Panasonic UK microsite, but here are a few vitals:
There you have it. Looks like a competent camera, although these fixed-lens guys are looking less sexy every day as the nicer M4/3 cameras drop in price, with their sexy pancake wide-angle primes. I’m looking forward to Panasonic’s own GH2, in fact. The LX5 will be officially announced July 21, at which time we’ll get pricing and availability. I notice the UK site actually refers to it as the LX5K, but that might just be a local variant.
Source: CrunchGear | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:05 pm Developing a Niche Online-Content Indexing System?tebee writes "One of my hobbies has benefited for 20 years or so by the existence of an online index to all magazine articles on the subject since the 1930s. It lets you list the articles in any particular magazine or search for an article by keyword, title or author, refining the search if necessary by magazine and/or date. Unfortunately the firm which hosts the index have recently pulled it from their website, citing security worries and incompatibilities with the rest of their e-commerce website: the heart of the system is a 20-year-old DOS program! They have no plans to replace it as the original data is in an unknown format. So we are taking about putting together a team to build a open source replacement for this – probably using PHP and MySQL. The governing body for the hobby has agreed to host this and we are in negotiations to try and get the original data. We hope that by volunteers crowd sourcing the conversion we will be able to do what was commercially impossible." Tebee is looking for ideas about the best way to go about this, and for leads to existing approaches; read on for more.
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Source: Slashdot | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:04 pm Extrapolating the Apple-Android Showdown: Who's Right? - PC Magazine
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 2:35 pm A real Mario Kart coin-op kiddie rideFROM GAMERTELL - Yesireeebob, it’s ye olde coin-op kiddie ride with the Nintendo name on it featuring the likeness of Mario. Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 2:15 pm Nokia and RIM Respond To Apple's Antenna Claimsawyeah writes "In response to Apple's press conference, where videos of a few devices were shown losing signal bars with a tight grip, RIM and Nokia have both taken shots at Apple. RIM's co-CEOs say that Apple's claims 'appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public's understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple's difficult situation.' Meanwhile, Nokia, noting that they are pioneers in antenna design and were the first company to bring to market a phone with an internal antenna, prioritizes 'antenna performance over physical design if they are ever in conflict.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:57 pm WISE Discovers 95 New Near-Earth AsteroidsAstronomers using the Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WISE) have detected up 25,000 new asteroids, 95 of which are considered "Near-Earth Objects."Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:41 pm For Women, Social Media is More Than "Girl Talk" (Mashable)Mashable - Jessica Faye Carter is an award-winning author and columnist. Her company, Nette Media develops social media technologies for women and multicultural communities, and she blogs at Technicultr.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:40 pm First Halophile Potatoes HarvestedRazgorov Prikazka writes "A Dutch-based company from Groningen is trying to create a potato race that is able to survive in a saline environment. The first test-batch was just harvested (English translation of Dutch original.) on the island Texel and seem to be in good shape. The company states that rising sea-levels will create a demand for halophile crops. I do wonder if one still has to put salt on ones potatoes when they are grown in salt water."
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Source: Slashdot | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:36 pm Giveaway: spruce up your wardrobe with $500 at ShirtsMyWay
I should preface this review with the fact that I am probably not the most qualified person to review quality menswear. Most of my wardrobe comes from Threadless and Woot. I own two suits, both of which were purchased at a discount retailer, and only get worn to weddings and funerals. I’ve never purchased a handmade shirt before. Keep all of that in mind when I say I like the ShirtsMyWay shirts. The presentation of the shirt in the package is nice. It looks like a quality product, and not something you picked up at Target or Wal-Mart. I particularly like the fact that plastic hooks are used instead of straight pins. Although ShirtsMyWay accepts raw measurements for a perfectly tailored shirt, I opted instead to select the pre-defined size of XL. I told them that I usually wear XL Tall, so they added two extra inches to the sleeves for me. This worked out perfectly, and the shirt fit me as it should. The fabric is comfortable. The seams are solid, and there are no loose threads. The buttons are all securely fastened, and feel like they’ll stand up well to my manhandling of them as I attempt to look decent. My wife and her mother, both more informed about clothing than myself, remarked upon the quality of the shirts and how good they looked. The entire process of designing your own shirt is super easy. You can see nice full color photos of each fabric, allowing you to make sure you get the pattern you want. The customizability of the shirts is a bit overwhelming, actually, with 7 trillion combinations; but that’ll make sure you get the right shirt for you. Full disclosure: I had my lady wife design a shirt for me, since I’ve no sense of taste to speak of (witness my complete failure to iron these shirts before wearing them), and ShirtsMyWay sent it plus another shirt that they designed to me. I get to keep the shirts. CONTEST! The gang at ShirtsMyWay have generously offered $500 to one lucky reader to buy their shirts. In order to have a shot at this wardrobe makeover, you simply need to visit shirtsmyway.com, browse their selection of fabrics, and then leave a comment on this post stating which fabric was your favorite. We’ll pick a random winner on Monday afternoon. Unlike most of the contests we run, this one is actually open to the international community, and not just people with a U.S. mailing address. If you live in one of the countries to which ShirtsMyWay delivers, you can enter! If you’re not in one of those countries, we can still be friends, right? Also, the $500 credit cannot be exchanged for cash, and it expires in six months. Even if you’re not a winner of this contest, ShirtsMyWay is offering a pretty generous discount to first-time customers. Sign up for their mailing list to get the full details. But hurry: the deal ends Tuesday, July 20!
Source: CrunchGear | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:30 pm CreatureCast: Fried Egg JellyfishOn the latest episode of CreatureCast, from Casey Dunn's evolutionary biology lab at Brown University, we meet the Fried Egg Jellyfish and learn about "some of the dramas that play out on jellyfish stages." Sophia Tintori interviewed Trisha Towanda, and animated and edited the video. The music is by Amil Byleckie. From the episode description: In the vast ocean, without walls and far from the floor, jellyfish can become drifting islands of activity. Creatures from far and wide will congregate on them to act out the ups and downs of life and death. Jellyfish have symbiotic relationships with living things of all sizes, from fish and shrimp that feed off them or off the pieces of food left between their tentacles, to single-celled photosynthesizing organisms that take shelter inside the cytoplasm of the jellyfish's cells.CreatureCast- Jellyfish Theater
 Source: Boing Boing | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:23 pm CreatureCast: Fried Egg JellyfishOn the latest episode of CreatureCast, from Casey Dunn's evolutionary biology lab at Brown University, we meet the Fried Egg Jellyfish and learn about "some of the dramas that play out on jellyfish stages...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:23 pm Windows XP SP2 and 7 Other Things Microsoft Killed This Year - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:16 pm Brazil vows to continue clean energy push at summitBrazil hopes to demonstrate its commitment to renewable energy, which currently provides half the country's power, at a clean energy summit in Washington this week, Energy Minister Marcio...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:10 pm Google receives last shipment of Nexus Ones, end is in sightSection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Websites, Google
Read [Google] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 1:04 pm Weekend Open ForumWhat about Second Life or anything else even vaguely related is on your mind this weekend? Say here, say here!Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 12:57 pm Engineers Create Tiny Wires WIth Old TechniqueGamp writes with this interesting snippet: "As microprocessors have shrunk, the wiring between them hasn't always kept up. But engineers at the University of Illinois are changing that with a decades-old metalworking technique. It's called electrodeposition. It's basically the same process used in electroplating, but instead of depositing metal on a surface, as when trying to make a gold-plated piece of jewelry, the metal is deposited in a wire. 'People weren't thinking about how to fabricate a wire in three dimensional space,' said Min-Feng Yu, a professor of mechanical science and engineering."
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Source: Slashdot | 17 Jul 2010 | 12:50 pm FDA cites quality problems at NY brain-imaging labA respected brain-imaging center run by Columbia University has halted some research after federal officials repeatedly complained that some patients were getting drugs that failed purity...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 12:46 pm Could the Droid X Replace Your Laptop? - PC World
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 12:39 pm Divers Find 230-Year-Old Champagne in Baltic ShipwreckPerfectly preserved 230-year-old champagne has been discovered by Swedish divers.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 17 Jul 2010 | 12:29 pm Could the Droid X Replace Your Laptop? (PC World)PC World - The Droid X appears to be an opening day hit. Motorola's new smartphone--Verizon Wireless' answer to the Apple iPhone 4 via AT&T and HTC EVO 4G via Sprint--has already sold out online and at various retail shops across the nation. The ongoing iPhone 4 antenna soap opera has no doubt helped spur interest in the Droid X, as have positive reviews and Verizon's aggressive and snarky ad campaign.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Jul 2010 | 12:15 pm AT&T has begun selling the Samsung Captivate a few days earlySection: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile
Of course, this may be the case of a few isolated incidents, but it could also be that AT&T has simply decided to throw caution to the wind and begin selling the Captivate a little early. Either way, if you were holding out for the AT&T flavored Galaxy S then you may want to give your local AT&T retail location a quick call.
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 11:51 am How Social Media Drives New Business: Six Case Studies
And while major brands like Starbucks, Virgin, and Levi’s have been participating in the social web for some time now, the rate of adoption among small businesses is increasing too. According to a recent University of Maryland study, social media adoption by small businesses has doubled from 12% to 24% in the last year. But as these businesses look to Facebook and Twitter to connect with customers, many are finding that some strategies work and some do not produce results. We’ll be exploring these questions at a panel on Social Media and Businesses at our Social Currency CrunchUp on July 30. We’ve found some local and national businesses using social media effectively, ranging from Levi’s to a creme brulee cart, whose case studies are below. Some of these businesses will be sharing their experiences at the CrunchUp (You can buy tickets to the CrunchUp here).
The other use of Twitter for Kimball is to tell people what flavor of creme brulee he is serving in a given day. And Kimball says that Twitter gives him the ability to develop a personal relationship with his followers and others. He says he tries to engage his followers by asking for suggestions of what type of custard to serve or where he should park his cart, and he always tries to keep things humorous. Kimball says he has no marketing budget and Twitter has been a great way to amass fans. He doesn’t have as much of a presence on Facebook, and he’s not sure the model is as efficient as Twitter. “Twitter can absorb more than Facebook with very little effort,” Kimball adds. Yelp has also been a valuable source of referrals for the entrepreneur. The cart has 224 reviews and is rated with 4 and a half stars.
In less than a year, Joie De Vivre has booked over 1,000 room nights through these types of deals—rooms that otherwise would have stayed empty. The company has also started a partnership with coupons site Mobile Spinach to offer coupons for the group’s restaurants. And the company has partnered with Foursquare to offer deals for check-ins at its various restaurants. In terms of flash sales, Joir De Vivre has done a number of deals with travel sites like Gilt’s Jetsetter as well as RueLaLa, and Nadeau says these deals have done moderately well. The company’s marketing VP Ann Nadeau tells me that because of the economy the hotel industry’s marketing budgets have shrunk, and social media efforts have proved to be a great way to both drive sales and build loyalty. The company’s social media efforts are not solely deal based. This summer, Joie De Vivre encouraged consumers to enter its Road Trippin’ California contest, which asked people to submit videos on YouTube that share why they love California. Three winners, out of 270 videos that were submitted, were selected to win all-expense California road trips with stays in the company’s hotels. In terms of using social media for customer service, Nadeau says that each property hotel manager is responsible for monitoring conversations and reviews on Twitter, Facebook, and Yelp. Stone Korean Kitchen: Co-founded last November by chef Terry Lin, and LinkedIn employees Robby Kwok and Dan Yoo, Stone Korean Kitchen aims to bring modern Korean cuisine to the Financial District in San Francisco. Yoo tells me that as soon as the restaurant launched, he started a presence on social media sites, including Twitter, Yelp, and Facebook. But the challenge of many small businesses with social media is driving traffic to the right social media channel rather than splitting it between various sites. Yoo says that interconnecting content between the various profiles has helped gain Twitter followers and Facebook fans. Currently the restaurant’s Twitter profile has 65 followers and its Facebook page has 107 fans. Many of these are repeat customers. For a small restaurant, it doesn’t take that many loyal customers to keep the kitchen busy.
But what really tipped the scales for Yoo was Groupon (disclosure: my husband works for Groupon). Yoo says that restaurant saw significant traction in both sales and traffic to its Yelp sites and Facebook page when the restaurant signed up for a Groupon deal in April. Stone Korean Kitchen sold 2600 groupons in one day, and saw a packed house for two months for both lunch and dinner. Now Yoo says that they see around 5 to 10 Groupons per day instead of 30 or 40 but the restaurant is still seeing a good number of repeat customers from the Groupon deal, says Yoo. One effect of the Groupon deal, besides increased sales, was that there were a flux of Yelp reviews. It took the company six months to accumulate 80 reviews on Yelp and after the deal, the restaurant accumulated 90 reviews within three months. Yoo also says that he’s seen a steady increase in Foursquare check-ins following the Groupon deal. Of course, since Yoo and Kwok are both LinkedIn employees (chef Lin manages the restaurant on a day-to-day basis), they put their heads together to figure out how they could use the professional social network to drive sales. With the ad targeting capabilities on LinkedIn, the restaurant started serving ads that target lawyers and bankers in the San Francisco area, as both industries are centralized in the financial district. They’ve noticed an increase in foot traffic and corporate catering requests as a result. In the future, Yoo says that the restaurant is working on a promotion with Foursquare. And he is in talks with Twitter on featuring a deal on the social network’s new Earlybird venture. Dr. Irena Vaksman, Dentist: Social media and dentistry don’t necessarily go hand in hand, but one San Francisco dentist has forged an impressive social media campaign to raise awareness of her recently launched practice. She has a Twitter profile, a Facebook page, a YouTube channel and an website. Dr. Vaksman’s husband, lawyer Robert Vaksman, has been the strategist behind her social media efforts. Robert says that his wife is confronted with the challenge of practicing in a building that houses hundreds of other dentists that have more established practices. He says that it’s a no brainer to be looking at as many social channels as possible for marketing efforts.
While the practice is still young, the Vaksmans say that they are starting to see patients and potential patients begin to communicate with them on the Facebook page, which has 70 fans. Vaksman will publish her Yelp reviews from patients on the site as well as YouTube videos containing educational content about dental procedures. Twitter is still a fairly new forum for the practice says Robert, and he’s still trying to determine the best way to engage with potential customers on the network. Last October, Dr. Vaksman signed up for a Groupon deal in San Francisco, and received 320 new patients because of the deal, which was for a patient exam and x-ray. The Vaksmans say that the deal propelled the five month old business in the right direction and boosted its patient base significantly. Robert is also looking into partnering with Facebook campaign startup Wildfire to set up a promotional sweepstakes for the practice’s Facebook page. Levi’s: Now more than ever, retail brands are engaging consumers on social networks to offer deals, allow users to socialize around purchases, and more. Levi’s Jeans was one of the brands that was first to use Facebook as a tool for sales and marketing initiatives and has launched a number of compelling campaigns using Facebook. As one of Facebook’s initial partners using the social network’s new Like functionality, Levi’s allows Facebook users to like products on Levi’s online store and its Facebook page (which has nearly 500,000 likes) and share their favorite items with their friends. Within the first week, Levi’s got more than 4,000 likes, says Inside Facebook.
The jeans giant also promoted a major campaign in conjunction with SXSW this year, partnering with music publication The Fader to promote a music event at the festival. The company worked with brand marketing platform Involver to incorporate music and video into their page, with the hopes of driving music fans to buy jeans from the Levi’s brand. Most recently, Levi’s has begun to promote retail offerings with geo-targeted event advertisements on Facebook. In terms of Twitter, Levi’s recently enlisted a “Levi’s Guy,” 23-year-old USC graduate Gareth, to engage consumers on the microblogging platform. He has over 6,000 followers and is responsible for responding to and engaging in conversations about the Levi’s brand on Twitter. The company is currently in the process of trying to find a Levi’s Girl, which will serve as a female foil to Gareth. Levi’s director of digital marketing, Megan O’Connor, told us that the engagement with both Twitter and Facebook is about creating and informing brand ambassadors that will help drive sales through their own actions and word of mouth. Starbucks: Most experts will agree that Starbucks has one of the best social media strategies out there. Now that it is giving away free WiFi, it is even more of a magnet for roving laptop warriors. And with 10 million Facebook fans, Starbucks is now close to surpassing the Facebook fan base of Lady Gaga. The company has held a number of promotions on its page to drive engagement. For example, Starbucks held a promotion for free pastries on its Facebook page, allowing customers to access a coupon that would give them a free pastry with a purchase of a coffee drink. Advertising on the social network has also helped to drive traffic to Starbucks’ page. In terms of Twitter, Starbucks has also been incredibly active on the microblogging network, amassing nearly one million followers. Not only does the company’s Twitter stream serve as an engagement tool with customers who are talking about the brand on Twitter, but it is also used as a way to spread news from Starbucks. Starbucks has also participated in Twitter’s promoted Tweets program, which allows advertisers to buy sponsored links on Twitter.
The combination of geolocation and social networks is also a huge avenue for Starbucks and the company was one of the first major brands to broker a deal with popular location-based social network Foursquare. In March, Starbucks started offering Foursquare mayors of retail stores special ‘Barista’ badges that would come with discounts on drinks and food. Starbucks also partnered recently with mobile social network Brightkite to give members special discounts on drinks. Photo Credit/Flickr/Snickclunck      
Source: TechCrunch | 17 Jul 2010 | 11:20 am Eat Kellogg’s cereal, earn 1,000 DSi points, possibly win a DS or DSiFROM GAMERTELL - Kellogg’s currently has a pair of Nintendo promotions that involve a lot of cereal and special codes that can score you 1000 DSi points (worth $10) or a Nintendo handheld game system (DS or DSi). Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article » Source: Gadgetell | 17 Jul 2010 | 10:44 am GeekBeat.TV #10 – iPhone 4 Battery Packs and Cute Turtle RobotsThe first wrap-around battery pack for the iPhone 4 hits the market, researchers are closing in on a cure for Alzheimer’s, Sony has the world’s first HD camcorder with interchangeable lenses, and a cute turtle robot to steal your geeky heart. Cali Lewis brings you all the news in GeekBeat.TV #10.
Source: CrunchGear | 17 Jul 2010 | 10:29 am Alleged GQ Photoshop Disaster features Lindsay Lohan's Mighty Morphin' belly buttonFollowing in BoingBoing's noble tradition of bringing truth and justice to sloppy Photoshop jobs in fashion magazines, our reader Nicole posts this truthy expos and says, The current issue of the German...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 10:03 am Alleged GQ Photoshop Disaster features Lindsay Lohan's Mighty Morphin' belly buttonFollowing in BoingBoing's noble tradition of bringing truth and justice to sloppy Photoshop jobs in fashion magazines, our reader Nicole posts this truthy exposé and says,
Source: Boing Boing | 17 Jul 2010 | 10:03 am EU drug cops baffled by new wave of "designer narcotics" brewed in China, sold online"With catchy nicknames like Meow Meow, Spice and NRG-1, the drugs are often sold online as 'legal highs.' They typically come in powder form and can be snorted, licked or packed into tablets and create highs that mimic drugs ranging from cocaine to ecstasy, which some narcotics experts say has become less available amid a world-wide effort to blunt production." WSJ on "designer drugs" cooked up in China and sold in Europe. Some 24 new strains were identified last year. Sellers sometimes try to evade liability by marketing the drugs as "plant food," "bath salts" or "pond cleaner."Source: Boing Boing | 17 Jul 2010 | 9:31 am EU drug cops baffled by new wave of "designer narcotics" brewed in China, sold online"With catchy nicknames like Meow Meow, Spice and NRG-1, the drugs are often sold online as 'legal highs.' They typically come in powder form and can be snorted, licked or packed into tablets and create...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 9:31 am New tactic for "narcoterrorists" in Juarez, MX: car bombsPolice in Juarez, Mexico were killed this week by a car bomb rigged up with an improvised explosive device. More video and photos in this Spanish language report. Decapitation, torture, disappearance, and executions are nothing new in Mexico's drug war, but this is. Said a source in this Al Jazeera item, "This has raised the bar to a level of violence that Mexico has not seen yet. It is reminiscent of Colombia ... What we're seeing now is what the military is running into in Iraq and Afghanistan." (thanks, Jorge Spinosa)Source: Boing Boing | 17 Jul 2010 | 9:11 am New tactic for "narcoterrorists" in Juarez, MX: car bombsPolice in Juarez, Mexico were killed this week by a car bomb rigged up with an improvised explosive device. More video and photos in this Spanish language report. Decapitation, torture, disappearance,...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 9:11 am '70s motor-boat ad celebrates "your johnson" (video)
You, your friends, and your johnson. (thanks, Matty Granger)
'70s motor-boat ad celebrates "your johnson" (video)You, your friends, and your johnson. (thanks, Matty Granger)Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 9:01 am GQ Photoshop Disaster featuring Lindsay Lohan's Mighty Morphin' belly-buttonFollowing in BoingBoing's noble tradition of bringing truth and justice to sloppy Photoshop jobs in fashion magazines, our reader Nicole posts this truthy expos and says, The current issue of the German...Source: RSS feed - channel BNBlogTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 8:55 am Apple’s Bumper band-aid won’t heal everything (Appolicious)Appolicious - Apple’s (AAPL) offer to give ticked-off iPhone 4 owners a case sounds about as satisfying as if Ford (F) in the 1970s sent exploding Pinto owners a fire extinguisher.Source: Yahoo! News: Technology News | 17 Jul 2010 | 8:44 am Archaeologists Discover Tomb Of Mayan KingA team of archaeologists led by Stephen Houston has discovered a royal tomb in Guatemala, filled with materials that have been preserved for approximately 1,600 yearsA well-preserved tomb of an ancient Mayan king has been discovered in Guatemala by a team of archaeologists led by Brown University’s Stephen Houston. The tomb is packed with of carvings, ceramics, textiles, and the bones of six children, who may have been sacrificed at the time of the king’s death.The team uncovered the tomb, which dates from about 350 to 400 A.D., beneath the El Diablo pyramid in the city of El Zotz in May. The news was made public yesterday during a press conference in Guatemala City, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, which authorized the work.Before making the actual discovery, Houston said the team thought “something odd” was happening in the deposit they were digging. They knew a small temple had been built in front of a sprawling structure dedicated to the sun god, an emblem of Maya rulership. “When we sunk a pit into the small chamber of the temple, we hit almost immediately a series of ‘caches’ — blood-red bowls containing human fingers and teeth, all wrapped in some kind of organic substance that left an impression in the plaster. We then dug through layer after layer of flat stones, alternating with mud, which probably is what kept the tomb so intact and airtight.”Then on May 29, 2010, Houston was with a worker who came to a final earthen layer. “I told him to remove it, and then, a flat stone. We’d been using a small stick to probe for cavities. And, on this try, the stick went in, and in, and in. After chipping away at the stone, I saw nothing but a small hole leading into darkness.”They lowered a bare light bulb into the hole, and suddenly Houston saw “an explosion of color in all directions — reds, greens, yellows.” It was a royal tomb filled with organics Houston says he’d never seen before: pieces of wood, textiles, thin layers of painted stucco, cord.“When we opened the tomb, I poked my head in and there was still, to my astonishment, a smell of putrification and a chill that went to my bones,” Houston said. “The chamber had been so well sealed, for over 1600 years, that no air and little water had entered.”The tomb itself is about 6 feet high, 12 feet long, and four feet wide. “I can lie down comfortably in it,” Houston said, “although I wouldn’t want to stay there.”It appears the tomb held an adult male, but the bone analyst, Andrew Scherer, assistant professor of anthropology at Brown, has not yet confirmed the finding. So far, it seems likely that there are six children in the tomb, some with whole bodies and probably two solely with skulls.And who was this man? Though the findings are still very new, the group believes the tomb is likely from a king they only know about from other hieroglyphic texts — one of Houston’s specialties in Maya archaeology. “These items are artistic riches, extraordinarily preserved from a key time in Maya history,” said Houston. “From the tomb’s position, time, richness, and repeated constructions atop the tomb, we believe this is very likely the founder of a dynasty.”Houston says the tomb shows that the ruler is going into the tomb as a ritual dancer. He has all the attributes of this role, including many small ‘bells’ of shell with, probably, dog canines as clappers. There is a chance too, that his body, which rested on a raised bier that collapsed to the floor, had an elaborate headdress with small glyphs on them. One of his hands may have held a sacrificial blade.”The stone expert on site, Zachary Hruby, suspects the blade was used for cutting and grinding through bone or some other hard material. Its surface seems to be covered with red organic residue. Though the substance still needs to be tested, “it doesn’t take too much imagination to think that this is blood,” Houston said.“We still have a great deal of work to do,” Houston said. “Remember, we’ve only been out of the field for a few weeks and we’re still catching our breath after a very difficult, technical excavation. Royal tombs are hugely dense with information and require years of study to understand. No other deposits come close.”Houston, a 2008 MacArthur fellow, is the Dupee Family Professor of Social Science and professor of anthropology at Brown.Houston’s co-director of the site is Edwin Román. He is working with a group of Brown graduate students and researchers, including Thomas Garrison, a former postdoctoral fellow at the Joukowsky Institute and the Department of Anthropology, and graduate students Sarah Newman, Nick Carter, James Doyle, Alex Knodell, and Alex Smith. Scherer, the bone analyst, is working with graduate student Kate Blankenship and undergraduate Morgan Ritter-Armour on the laboratory portion of the analysis.---Image 1: The artifacts discovered in the ancient tomb have been preserved for approximately 1,600 years. Credit: Arturo GodoyImage 2: Looking into the tomb for the first time, archaeologists saw “an explosion of color in all directions — reds, greens, yellows. These items are artistic riches, extraordinarily preserved from a key time in Maya history.” Credit: Arturo Godoy---On the Net:Brown UniversitySource: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Jul 2010 | 8:35 am Chump Dump: Get Rid Of “Friends” On Twitter
The somewhat irreverent concept is both funny and serious; gain points for ceasing to follow people on twitter. The app recalls Crispin Porter’s Whopper Sacrifice campaign for unfriending people on Facebook, but has a much purer and utilitarian result in mind—clean up the list of people you follow on Twitter using game mechanics, actual metrics and crowdsourced conversation. As funny or rebellious as the app seems on the surface, when you get down to it, its goal is functionally sound and it gets people to ask the real question “why am I following this chump on Twitter?”
Ultimately, I think an app like this could actually add more relationship value and reputation status to your Twitter stream if you are not actively analyzing the people you follow. Or, you know…you could just have fun dumping people too. You can also see the list of “dumped chumps” using their Chumpdar (like as in radar) mashup . Pretty funny. Check out Dan’s own description of the app in the video below and while you’re at it, I would recommend checking out some of the other products over at the Big Kitty Labs website, like ParsePlz or HashParty. These guys seem to be thinkers with solid design chops and a great sense of humor!
Source: CrunchGear | 17 Jul 2010 | 7:20 am Russia Gazprom denies RWE invitation to South StreamVARNA, Bulgaria, July 17 (Reuters) - Gazprom , Russia's gas export monopoly, denies on Saturday it has invited the German utility RWE to join its South Stream pipeline in order to weaken the rival Nabucco...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsTech | 17 Jul 2010 | 6:03 am Genetically Altered Mosquitoes Are Malaria-ProofScientists at the University of Arizona have achieved a breakthrough in the fight against malaria: a mosquito that can no longer give the disease to humansFor years, researchers worldwide have attempted to create genetically altered mosquitoes that cannot infect humans with malaria. Those efforts fell short because the mosquitoes still were capable of transmitting the disease-causing pathogen, only in lower numbers.Now for the first time, University of Arizona entomologists have succeeded in genetically altering mosquitoes in a way that renders them completely immune to the parasite, a single-celled organism called Plasmodium. Someday researchers hope to replace wild mosquitoes with lab-bred populations unable to act as vectors, i.e. transmit the malaria-causing parasite."If you want to effectively stop the spreading of the malaria parasite, you need mosquitoes that are no less than 100 percent resistant to it. If a single parasite slips through and infects a human, the whole approach will be doomed to fail," said Michael Riehle, who led the research effort, the results of which will be published July 15 in the journal Public Library of Science Pathogens. Riehle is a professor of entomology in the UA's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and is a member of the BIO5 Institute.Riehle's team used molecular biology techniques to design a piece of genetic information capable of inserting itself into a mosquito's genome. This construct was then injected into the eggs of the mosquitoes. The emerging generation carries the altered genetic information and passes it on to future generations. For their experiments, the scientists used Anopheles stephensi, a mosquito species that is an important malaria vector throughout the Indian subcontinent.The researchers targeted one of the many biochemical pathways inside the mosquito's cells. Specifically, they engineered a piece of genetic code acting as a molecular switch in the complex control of metabolic functions inside the cell. The genetic construct acts like a switch that is always set to "on," leading to the permanent activity of a signaling enzyme called Akt. Akt functions as a messenger molecule in several metabolic functions, including larval development, immune response and lifespan.When Riehle and his co-workers studied the genetically modified mosquitoes after feeding them malaria-infested blood, they noticed that the Plasmodium parasites did not infect a single study animal. "We were surprised how well this works," said Riehle. "We were just hoping to see some effect on the mosquitoes' growth rate, lifespan or their susceptibility to the parasite, but it was great to see that our construct blocked the infection process completely."Of the estimated 250 million people who contract malaria each year, 1 million – mostly children – do not survive. Ninety percent of the number of fatalities, which Riehle suspects to be underreported, occur in Sub-Saharan Africa.Each new malaria case starts with a bite from a vector – a mosquito belonging to the genus Anopheles. About 25 species of Anopheles are significant vectors of the disease.Only the female Anopheles mosquitoes feed on blood, which they need to produce eggs. When they bite an infected human or animal, they ingest the malaria parasite.Once the Plasmodium cells find themselves in the insect's midgut, they spring into action. They leave the insect's digestive tract by squeezing through the midgut lining. The vast majority of Plasmodium cells do not survive this journey and are eliminated by the mosquito's immune cells. A tiny fraction of parasite cells, usually not more than a handful, make it and attach themselves on the outside of the midgut wall where they develop into brooding cells called oocysts.Within 10-12 days, thousands of new Plasmodium cells, so-called sporozoites, sprout inside the oocyst. After hatching from the oocyst, the sporozoites make their way into the insect's salivary glands where they lie in wait until the mosquito finds a victim for a blood meal. When the mosquito bites, some sporozoites are flushed into the victim's bloodstream."The average mosquito transmits about 40 sporozoites when it bites," said Riehle, "but it takes only one to infect a human and make a new malaria victim."Several species of Plasmodium exist in different parts of the world, all of which are microscopically small single-celled organisms that live in their hosts' red blood cells. Each time the parasites undergo a round of multiplication, their host cells burst and release the progeny into the bloodstream, causing the painful bouts of fever that malaria is known and feared for.Malaria killed more soldiers in the Civil War than the fighting, according to Riehle. In fact, malaria was prevalent in most parts of the U.S. until the late 1940s and early 1950, when DDT spraying campaigns wiped the vectors off the map. Today, a new case of malaria occurs in the U.S. only on rare occasions.The severity of the disease depends very largely on the species of the Plasmodium parasite the patient happens to contract."Only two species of Plasmodium cause the dreaded relapses of the disease," said Riehle. "One of them, Plasmodium vivax, can lie dormant in the liver for 10 to 15 years, but now drugs have become available that target the parasites in the liver as well as those in the blood cells."That said, there are no effective or approved malaria vaccines. A few vaccine candidates have gone to clinical trials but they were shown to either be ineffective or provide only short-term protection. If an effective vaccine were to be developed, distribution would be a major problem, Riehle said.Researchers and health officials put higher hopes into eradication programs, which aim at the disease-transmitting mosquitoes rather than the pathogens that cause it."The question is 'What can we do to turn a good vector into a bad vector?'" Riehle said."The eradication scenario requires three things: A gene that disrupts the development of the parasite inside the mosquito, a genetic technique to bring that gene into the mosquito genome and a mechanism that gives the modified mosquito an edge over the natural populations so they can displace them over time.""The third requirement is going to be the most difficult of the three to realize," he added, which is why his team decided to tackle the other two first."It was known that the Akt enzyme is involved in the mosquito's growth rate and immune response, among other things," Riehle said. "So we went ahead with this genetic construct to see if we can ramp up Akt function and help the insects' immune system fight off the malaria parasite."The second rationale behind this approach was to use Akt signaling to stunt the mosquitoes' growth and cut down on its lifespan."In the wild, a mosquito lives for an average of two weeks," Riehle explained. "Only the oldest mosquitoes are able to transmit the parasite. If we can reduce the lifespan of the mosquitoes, we can reduce the number of infections."His research team discovered that mosquitoes carrying two copies of the altered gene had lost their ability to act as malaria vectors altogether."In that group of mosquitoes, not a single Plasmodium oocyst managed to form."At this point, the modified mosquitoes exist in a highly secured lab environment with no chance of escape. Once researchers find a way to replace wild mosquito populations with lab-bred ones, breakthroughs like the one achieved by Riehle's group could pave the way toward a world in which malaria is all but history. This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.Reference: Corby-Harris et al. Activation of Akt Signaling Reduces the Prevalence and Intensity of Malaria Parasite Infection and Lifespan in Anopheles stephensi Mosquitoes. Public Library of Science (PLoS) Pathogens, July 2010 issue.---Image Caption: Under UV light, this mosquito larva reveals a red fluorescent marker in its nervous system, causing eyes and nerves to glow. The marker's presence tells the researchers in Riehle’s team that this individual carries the genetic construct rendering it immune to the malaria parasite. Credit: M. Riehle, University of Arizona---On the Net:University of ArizonaPLoS PathogensSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:50 am Zephyr Solar Powered Plane Sets Endurance RecordThe Zephyr solar-powered plane recently broke the endurance record for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The aircraft took off from the U.S. Army's Yuma Providing Ground in Arizona last Friday and is still in the air. Its non-stop operation has gone five times longer than the official mark recognized by the world air sports federation. The defense and research company Qinetiq has developed the UK-built Zephyr. Jon Saltmarsh, its project manager, told BBC news that Zephyr would be brought down once it had flown non-stop for a fortnight. "Zephyr is basically the first 'eternal aircraft'," he said. The UAV has been under development for years at Qinetiq. Solar-powered high-altitude long-endurance UAVs are expected to have a wide range of applications in the future. The military plans to use the aircrafts as reconnaissance and communications platforms. Civilian and scientific programs will equip them with small payloads for Earth observation duties. Their solar cells drive propellers during the day and use up their batteries to maintain the craft through dark hours of the night. An autopilot feature helps to keep the craft circling over the same spot. The Zephyr is now 50 percent bigger than earlier versions of the solar-powered aircraft. The new vehicle has a wingspan of 73 feet and features a new wingtip and tail design that dramatically improves aerodynamic performance. The Zephyr has a wider configuration than previous models in order to accommodate more equipment. The team also upgraded the avionics and power management systems on board. "The launch was absolutely beautiful; it was just so smooth," Saltmarsh told BBC. "We had five people lift it above their heads, start running and it just lifted away into the sky."U.S. robot Global Hawk set the old world endurance record for a UAV staying afloat for 30 hours and 24 minutes. Zephyr has already recorded an 83-hour continuous flight, but representatives from the Federation Aeronautique International (FAI) were not present to witness the proceedings. However, they are at Yuma so the latest flight will go down as an official world record provided the FAI is satisfied its rules have been followed. "This is a huge milestone that puts us at the leading edge," Saltmarsh told BBC News. "It's a practical system that can actually be used rather than simply a demonstration of small technical achievements."The aircraft's flight is the second event of note this year in solar-powered aviation. Andre Borschberg became the first person to pilot a manned solar powered plane through the night last month.---On the Net:QinetiQZephyr - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI)Source: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:30 am Indonesia Setting Aside Forest For OrangutansAn official said Friday that Indonesia will reserve thousands of hectares of forest in Borneo island for about 200 captive orangutans, which will be released in a conservation drive. "A foundation has asked for a permit on about 86,000 hectares of forests in Kutai area in East Kalimantan (Borneo) to be used for orangutan conservation," forestry ministry secretary general Boen Purnama said.Conservationists have been looking for large areas to try and release the apes as vast tracts of Indonesian jungle have been cleared for plantations and logging. Purnama told AFP news that the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) asked for the space in the forests, which were formerly used for logging. BOSF spokesman Nico Hermanu said "We expect to release about 190 out of 226 orangutans, which are being held in captivity in East Kalimantan, in the forests.""Our hope is to release all orangutans in rehabilitation before 2015 to reach the government's target," Hermanu told AFP.The government also said that it plans to attend an international meeting on orangutan conservation in Bali on Thursday. "Conservation of orangutan habitat is a triple-win scenario," USAID Director for Indonesia Walter North said in a statement."It preserves endangered great apes, protects forest biodiversity, and sequesters large amounts of carbon to combat climate change," he said.Experts say there are about 50,000 to 60,000 orangutans left in the wild, and 80 percent of them are in Indonesia and the rest are in Malaysia.---On the Net:Borneo Orangutan Survival FoundationSource: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:26 am Everest Photos Reveal Ice ShrinkageNew photos taken from the same spot that British climber George Mallory captured on camera in 1921 show significant ice loss.The Asia Society (AS) arranged for the pictures to be taken. "The photographs reveal a startling truth: the ice of the Himalaya is disappearing," according to an AS statement."They reveal an alarming loss in ice mass over an 89-year period."The photos taken by Mallory reveal a powerful, white, S-shaped sweep of ice on the mountain. Mountaineer David Breashears took the 2010 photos, which reveal that the main Rongbuk Glacier is shrunken and withered. "Returning to the exact same vantage points, Breashears has meticulously recreated their shots, pixel for pixel," the AS statement said."The photographs illustrate the severity of the loss of ice mass among the glaciers surrounding Mount Everest."According to the AS, the findings are "vitally important" because the Himalayas are home to the world's largest sub-polar ice reserves. "The melt waters of these high altitude glaciers supply crucial seasonal flows to the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Salween, Irrawaddy, Mekong, Yangtze and Yellow rivers, which hundreds of millions of people downstream depend on for their livelihoods," the statement said."If the present rate of melting continues, many of these glaciers will be severely diminished by the middle of this century."Breashears retraced the steps of the 1921 expedition by using photos taken by surveyor and photographer Maj Edward Wheeler and amateur photographer Mallory, who later died attempting to reach the summit of Everest in 1924. "The melt rate in this region of central and eastern Himalaya is extreme and is devastating," Breashears told an AS meeting in New York on Wednesday.He followed in the footsteps of Mallory, but also those of Italian photographer Vittorio Sella. The results of this expedition showed a series of photographs from Tibet, Nepal and near K2 in Pakistan. "If this isn't evidence of the glaciers in serious decline, I don't know what is," Breashears told AFP news.One glacier near K2 required three climbs of 6,000 feet before he found the same view that Sella enjoyed. "We were totally in awe of the people that had been there before," Breashears said.Breashears recorded each of his spots with GPS coordinates so future photographs can be taken easier.---On the Net:Asia SocietySource: RedOrbit News - Science | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:15 am Sharp Announces Recordable Blu-Ray DiscSharp announced Friday that it will release a recordable Blu-ray disc this month that can store as much as four seasons of a television series. The Japanese electronic maker told AFP news that the world's first triple-layer disc has a capacity of 100 gigabytes, twice as much as the dual-layer discs on the market. The disc will be available in Japan from July 30, with the price expected to be about $60 each. The company also will sell recording machines compatible with the format. Sharp said that the format allows users to record 12 hours of terrestrial digital television broadcasts, or 8.6 hours of satellite digital broadcasts. Recording time can be made 10 times quicker if the image quality is lower. This would also make it possible to store a library of four entire seasons of a TV drama on a single disc. ---On the Net:SharpSource: RedOrbit News - Technology | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:05 am Why I’m Craigslisting My iPads
When the iPad was first announced, I predicted that it would be a game changer. I touted, to my Twitter followers, that grandma would soon be able to tell her cable company to take back its cable modem. She would no longer have to deal with the complexities of configuring Wi-Fi connections on her router. All she would need in order to surf the web and check email is the $15/month AT&T 3G service. Junior would soon be able to traverse new virtual worlds and learn world history while playing games on this slick new device. I also expected that I wouldn’t need to carry around my bulky laptop; instead I would have a device that provided almost the same features as my laptop, but had the elegance and simplicity of an iPhone. I really believed that this cool new device would solve the world’s technology problems and reduce the number of electronic gadgets I had to carry around. I still think that Grandma and Junior should keep theirs, but it just doesn’t do its magic for me any longer. Here’s why: First, I can’t easily load my Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents on the iPad or access the year or more of e-mails that I carry around on my 32 GB USB drive. The iPad has no USB port, and its means of transferring documents—through iTunes—is pathetic. Apple’s cloud strategy seems to be centered on iTunes. This is fine for buying movies and music, but not good for document management and retrieval. Yes, there are apps that provide a drop-box service. But I have thousands of research papers and other documents that I need to be able to search and retrieve; a drop box doesn’t provide what I need. Second, Apple’s Microsoft Office-like products on the iPad are just cheap imitations. Apple’s Pages is a decent word processor, and Numbers is okay as a spreadsheet manager, but these don’t hold a candle to Microsoft Word and Excel. Moreover, I can’t use the excellent cloud-based word processing tools that Zoho offers, or the decent tools in Google docs. The iPad doesn’t recognize the rich-text format that these applications use, so it doesn’t display a keyboard when you try to type. Third, I usually need to view different applications in multiple screens when I am writing. I want to have my web browser appear in a split screen next to my text editor, and I want to be able to jump between applications—just as I do on my Mac and in Windows. The multi-tasking in iOS 4 allows me to listen to music as I work, but doesn’t do much more for me. Fourth, on many of the websites I visit, I can’t watch Flash presentations. I am tired of the blue legos telling me that Flash isn’t supported. Last, I didn’t miss the camera that didn’t come with my iPad until I got my new iPhone, but now I can’t fathom why it isn’t there. Facetime, on the new iPhone, is a killer app. It changes the way you use your phone and the way you communicate with your friends and relatives. The iPad lets you make Skype calls over Wi-Fi, but there is no Facetime app—and that’s because there is no camera. I know that the iPad’s book reader is awesome, and that the device can play some cool games. But these are things I also have on my Macbook Air—and there I have a full keyboard, larger screen, and multiple windows in case I want to take some notes. The iPad doesn’t replace my laptop, and it doesn’t replace my iPhone. So, for me, it’s neither here nor there; it’s simply an extra gadget that I need to carry around. I am sure that the iPad 2 will have the camera and magnificent new features. And I will, without doubt, get in line and wait for hours with my fanboy comrades on the day it is released. So, Steve, have no fear. You still have a loyal fan. But until then you won’t see me carrying around an iPad or tweeting about how it is going to change the world. (And Steve, no worries about that iPhone antenna, I agree this issue is blown out of proportion.) Editor’s note: Guest writer Vivek Wadhwa      
Source: TechCrunch | 17 Jul 2010 | 5:02 am Old Spice smells like social media success - BusinessWeek
Source: Sci/Tech - Google News | 17 Jul 2010 | 3:02 am
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