Thursday, December 30, 2010
Lightning Captured by X-Ray Camera—A First
The first x-ray images of a lightning strike have been captured by a, well, lightning-fast camera, scientists say. The pictures suggest a lightning bolt carries all its x-ray radiation in its tip. (Get lightning facts.)
During recent thunderstorms in Camp Blanding, Florida, the camera's electronic shutter "froze" a lightning bolt—artificially triggered by rockets and wires—as it sped toward the ground at one-sixth the speed of light.
"Something moving this fast would go from the Earth to the moon in less than ten seconds," said Joseph Dwyer, a lightning researcher at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/12/101223-lightning-x-rays-camera-science-technology/
Calif marketer goes to law school to sue over spam
Daniel Balsam hates spam so much he quit a marketing career to go to law school and make a living out of suing companies that flood his e-mail inbox with offers of cheap drugs and unbelievable vacations.
From San Francisco Superior Court small claims court to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the San Francisco-based Balsam has racked up more than $1 million in judgments and settlements with e-mail marketers.
His courtroom foes contend he is one of many sole practitioners unfairly exploiting anti-spam sentiments and laws.
Balsam makes no apologies for his tactics or his mission, saying he's doing "a little bit of good cleaning up the Internet."
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9KBP5A00.htm
From San Francisco Superior Court small claims court to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the San Francisco-based Balsam has racked up more than $1 million in judgments and settlements with e-mail marketers.
His courtroom foes contend he is one of many sole practitioners unfairly exploiting anti-spam sentiments and laws.
Balsam makes no apologies for his tactics or his mission, saying he's doing "a little bit of good cleaning up the Internet."
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9KBP5A00.htm
Principle of astrology proven to be scientific: planetary position imprints biological clocks of mammals
(NaturalNews) Mention the word "astrology" and skeptics go into an epileptic fit. The idea that someone's personality could be imprinted at birth according to the position of the sun, moon and planets has long been derided as "quackery" by the so-called "scientific" community which resists any notion based on holistic connections between individuals and the cosmos.
According to the conventional view, your genes and your parenting determine your personality, and the position of planet Earth at the time of your birth has nothing to do with it.
Then again, conventional scientists don't believe the position of the moon has anything to do with life on Earth, either. They dismiss the wisdom that farmers have known for ages -- that planting seeds or transplanting living plants in harmony with the moon cycles results in higher crop yields. Even the seeds inside humans are strongly influenced by the moon, as menstruation cycles and moon cycles are closely synchronized (28 days, roughly).
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030698_astrology_scientific_basis.html#ixzz19XzymOHx
According to the conventional view, your genes and your parenting determine your personality, and the position of planet Earth at the time of your birth has nothing to do with it.
Then again, conventional scientists don't believe the position of the moon has anything to do with life on Earth, either. They dismiss the wisdom that farmers have known for ages -- that planting seeds or transplanting living plants in harmony with the moon cycles results in higher crop yields. Even the seeds inside humans are strongly influenced by the moon, as menstruation cycles and moon cycles are closely synchronized (28 days, roughly).
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030698_astrology_scientific_basis.html#ixzz19XzymOHx
In a secret Paris cavern, the real underground cinema
Police in Paris have discovered a fully equipped cinema-cum-restaurant in a large and previously uncharted cavern underneath the capital's chic 16th arrondissement.
Officers admit they are at a loss to know who built or used one of Paris's most intriguing recent discoveries.
"We have no idea whatsoever," a police spokesman said.
"There were two swastikas painted on the ceiling, but also celtic crosses and several stars of David, so we don't think it's extremists. Some sect or secret society, maybe. There are any number of possibilities."
Members of the force's sports squad, responsible - among other tasks - for policing the 170 miles of tunnels, caves, galleries and catacombs that underlie large parts of Paris, stumbled on the complex while on a training exercise beneath the Palais de Chaillot, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.
After entering the network through a drain next to the Trocadero, the officers came across a tarpaulin marked: Building site, No access.
Behind that, a tunnel held a desk and a closed-circuit TV camera set to automatically record images of anyone passing. The mechanism also triggered a tape of dogs barking, "clearly designed to frighten people off," the spokesman said.
Further along, the tunnel opened into a vast 400 sq metre cave some 18m underground, "like an underground amphitheatre, with terraces cut into the rock and chairs".
There the police found a full-sized cinema screen, projection equipment, and tapes of a wide variety of films, including 1950s film noir classics and more recent thrillers. None of the films were banned or even offensive, the spokesman said.
A smaller cave next door had been turned into an informal restaurant and bar. "There were bottles of whisky and other spirits behind a bar, tables and chairs, a pressure-cooker for making couscous," the spokesman said.
"The whole thing ran off a professionally installed electricity system and there were at least three phone lines down there."
Three days later, when the police returned accompanied by experts from the French electricity board to see where the power was coming from, the phone and electricity lines had been cut and a note was lying in the middle of the floor: "Do not," it said, "try to find us."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/sep/08/filmnews.france
Officers admit they are at a loss to know who built or used one of Paris's most intriguing recent discoveries.
"We have no idea whatsoever," a police spokesman said.
"There were two swastikas painted on the ceiling, but also celtic crosses and several stars of David, so we don't think it's extremists. Some sect or secret society, maybe. There are any number of possibilities."
Members of the force's sports squad, responsible - among other tasks - for policing the 170 miles of tunnels, caves, galleries and catacombs that underlie large parts of Paris, stumbled on the complex while on a training exercise beneath the Palais de Chaillot, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.
After entering the network through a drain next to the Trocadero, the officers came across a tarpaulin marked: Building site, No access.
Behind that, a tunnel held a desk and a closed-circuit TV camera set to automatically record images of anyone passing. The mechanism also triggered a tape of dogs barking, "clearly designed to frighten people off," the spokesman said.
Further along, the tunnel opened into a vast 400 sq metre cave some 18m underground, "like an underground amphitheatre, with terraces cut into the rock and chairs".
There the police found a full-sized cinema screen, projection equipment, and tapes of a wide variety of films, including 1950s film noir classics and more recent thrillers. None of the films were banned or even offensive, the spokesman said.
A smaller cave next door had been turned into an informal restaurant and bar. "There were bottles of whisky and other spirits behind a bar, tables and chairs, a pressure-cooker for making couscous," the spokesman said.
"The whole thing ran off a professionally installed electricity system and there were at least three phone lines down there."
Three days later, when the police returned accompanied by experts from the French electricity board to see where the power was coming from, the phone and electricity lines had been cut and a note was lying in the middle of the floor: "Do not," it said, "try to find us."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/sep/08/filmnews.france
Obscene, threatening comments posted at anti-TSA website traced to Homeland Security servers
Officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seem to now be going on the offensive against those who oppose its new invasive and unconstitutional airport security protocols being carried out by agents of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA). According to George Donnelly, owner of WeWontFly.com, government workers appear to be posting hateful messages on his anti-TSA blog under the guise of anonymity.
One such comment, which has since been deleted, said, "F**k you, f**k all you c**ksuckers, you wont change anything." Another stated, "Ride the bus, TSA is here to stay there [sic] doing a great job keeping americia [sic] safe."
Donnelly says that upon tracing the origin of the comments, he discovered that they came from the servers of dhs.gov, the official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Nineteen comments in total were all posted from the same server, including the two previously mentioned. And while all were worded in different tones and voices, they all expressed hostility to those opposing the TSA.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030860_TSA_Homeland_Security.html#ixzz19XzXVnQM
One such comment, which has since been deleted, said, "F**k you, f**k all you c**ksuckers, you wont change anything." Another stated, "Ride the bus, TSA is here to stay there [sic] doing a great job keeping americia [sic] safe."
Donnelly says that upon tracing the origin of the comments, he discovered that they came from the servers of dhs.gov, the official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Nineteen comments in total were all posted from the same server, including the two previously mentioned. And while all were worded in different tones and voices, they all expressed hostility to those opposing the TSA.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030860_TSA_Homeland_Security.html#ixzz19XzXVnQM
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Florida school board members recount meeting horror
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/15/florida.meeting.shooting/index.html?hpt=C2
Duke ended up firing shots but didn't hit anyone. Wounded by a security officer, Duke fell to the ground, where he turned the gun on himself. He was pronounced dead at a hospital of a gunshot wound to the head, authorities said.
" He had caps Mike, Thats what he wanted Mike."
So he had caps, but shot himself in the head to die of suicide...?!
The proceeds were set to go to a charity run by Mike Jones, the district security chief who wounded the gunman before he killed himself.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/17/purse-fla-school-board-shooting-auction/#ixzz18TjjEhOR
Duke ended up firing shots but didn't hit anyone. Wounded by a security officer, Duke fell to the ground, where he turned the gun on himself. He was pronounced dead at a hospital of a gunshot wound to the head, authorities said.
" He had caps Mike, Thats what he wanted Mike."
So he had caps, but shot himself in the head to die of suicide...?!
The proceeds were set to go to a charity run by Mike Jones, the district security chief who wounded the gunman before he killed himself.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/17/purse-fla-school-board-shooting-auction/#ixzz18TjjEhOR
Word Lens
Word Lens instantly translates printed words from one language to another using the video camera on your iPhone. No network delay, no roaming fees, and no reception problems.
Word Lens is a dictionary -- evolved. It looks up words for you, and shows them in context. You can use Word Lens on your vacations to translate restaurant menus, street signs, and other things that have clearly printed words.
Word Lens has its limits. Sometimes the translation will be hard to understand, but it usually gets the point across. If a translation fails, there is a way to manually look up words by typing them in. Word Lens does not read very stylized fonts, handwriting, or cursive.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Army sees smartphones as important for soldiers
The Army plans to roll out wireless Common Access Card readers for the iPhone in January and for Android phones in April. This would give soldiers secure access to their e-mail, contacts and calendars.
At war, smartphones would let soldiers view real-time intelligence and video from unmanned systems overhead, and track friends and enemies on a dynamic map, officials said. But the Army must first work through the complex task of securing the data and the network before it sanctions smart phones on the battlefield.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-12-13-army-smartphones_N.htm?csp=34tech
At war, smartphones would let soldiers view real-time intelligence and video from unmanned systems overhead, and track friends and enemies on a dynamic map, officials said. But the Army must first work through the complex task of securing the data and the network before it sanctions smart phones on the battlefield.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-12-13-army-smartphones_N.htm?csp=34tech
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Holidays about survival as jobless benefits end for 2 million.
Shawn Slonsky's children know by now not to give him Christmas lists filled with the latest gizmos. The 44-year-old union electrician is one of nearly 2 million Americans whose extended unemployment benefits will run out this month, making the holiday season less about celebration than survival.
"We'll put up decorations, but we just don't have the money for a Christmas tree," Slonsky said.
Benefits that had been extended up to 99 weeks started running out Wednesday. Unless Congress approves a longer extension, the Labor Department estimates about 2 million people will be cut off by Christmas.
Support groups for the so-called 99ers have sprung up online, offering chances to vent along with tips on resumes and job interviews. Advocacy groups such as the National Employment Law Project have turned their plight into a rallying cry for Congress to extend jobless benefits.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/2-million-lose-jobless-apf-3550208522.html?x=0
"We'll put up decorations, but we just don't have the money for a Christmas tree," Slonsky said.
Benefits that had been extended up to 99 weeks started running out Wednesday. Unless Congress approves a longer extension, the Labor Department estimates about 2 million people will be cut off by Christmas.
Support groups for the so-called 99ers have sprung up online, offering chances to vent along with tips on resumes and job interviews. Advocacy groups such as the National Employment Law Project have turned their plight into a rallying cry for Congress to extend jobless benefits.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/2-million-lose-jobless-apf-3550208522.html?x=0
Holographic Singer Selling Out Concerts in Japan
And you thought Autotune was bad. Looks like the future of pop music is in the computer-animated hands of holograms thanks to Crypton Future Media, a Japanese company that uses Vocaloid software to bring you Hatsune Mika, holographic idol.
The first installment in the Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series (oh yes, there will be more), Hastune was released to the world in 2007 and has since begun selling out stadiums, playing to thousands and being supported by a legitimate backing band.
The three-dimensional pop star is a legitimate pop culture sensation – as you can see from the glow-stick waving crowd below and her 50,000 facebook fans. While many of today’s pop stars are highly manufactured anyway, Hatsune Mika offers a refreshingly honest personality. One that we’re pretty sure won’t end up in rehab.
The first installment in the Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series (oh yes, there will be more), Hastune was released to the world in 2007 and has since begun selling out stadiums, playing to thousands and being supported by a legitimate backing band.
The three-dimensional pop star is a legitimate pop culture sensation – as you can see from the glow-stick waving crowd below and her 50,000 facebook fans. While many of today’s pop stars are highly manufactured anyway, Hatsune Mika offers a refreshingly honest personality. One that we’re pretty sure won’t end up in rehab.
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