CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 3523), is a successor, of sorts, to the loathesome SOPA legislative proposal, which was shot down in flames earlier this year. EFF’s chilling analysis of the bill shows how it could be used to give copyright enforcers carte blanche to spy on Internet users and censoring the Internet (it would also give these powers to companies and governments who’d been embarrassed by sites like Wikileaks).
The dead want an iPhone?
Apple’s iPhone is so popular in China that even the dead want one! It’s the latest trend in burnt paper offering, a distinctly Chinese tradition where Hell Bank Notes, and paper items resembling cars, luxury villas, computers and so on, are burnt to send to the deceased…
Continue reading… “Paper iPhones as burnt offerings for the dead”
Researchers found frequent doses of x-ray radiation were linked with more cases of the cancer.
Having more than one dental x-ray a year can double or even triple the chance of developing a common type of brain tumor, according to a new study. People who recalled having frequent dental x-rays were more likely than those who did not, to have a form of non-spreading cancer called meningioma.
Keyboard Flip-Flops
The Thailand shoe company, Kito, has designed the Keyboard Flip-Flops which quite literally put computer keyboards on your feet. Of course the keyboards don’t actually work, but they’re realistic enough to give onlookers a reason to take a second glance. Will you potentially look really stupid to the fashion forward? Yes, quite possibly. But for a price of just $1.20 a pair, a few weird looks is worth having the most hacker-friendly feet in your neighborhood. (Video)
Programming is about building a better mousetrap.
There are at least a dozen up-and-coming computer programming languages vying to become the next C++ or Java today.
Continue reading… “New computer programming languages to watch”
Two young sweat shop workers on a smoke break,
huddled under an umbrella to talk rainbows and politics.
Quote of the Day: “I have tried to know absolutely nothing about a great many things, and I have succeeded fairly well.” – – Robert Benchley
The cellphone theft problem is threatening to get out of control.
There is an unwelcome, but predictable, side effect to the soaring popularity of smartphones: an epidemic of smartphone thefts.
Continue reading… “National database planned to track stolen mobile phones”
Isolation of MAP requires collection of infected white bloods cells from blood samples via centrifugation. For direct nPCR analysis, DNA directly isolated from white blood cells is purified in multiple steps prior to amplification and detection by gel electrophoresis. Meanwhile, culture-based nPCR requires the growth of MAP in specialized liquid media for 12 weeks, followed by DNA isolation before nPCR. Hybridizing magnetic relaxation sensors (hMRS) can detect MAP DNA in minimally processed blood samples via changes in magnetic signal (”¤2) in 1 hour, as opposed to 24 hours for direct nPCR and 12 weeks for culture nPCR.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a novel technique that may give doctors a faster and more sensitive tool to detect pathogens associated with inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease.
The new nanoparticle-based technique also may be used for detection of other microbes that have challenged scientists for centuries because they hide deep in human tissue and are able to reprogram cells to successfully evade the immune system…
Continue reading… “Nanotechnology Used to Hunt for Hidden Pathogens”
Gas prices are a supreme motivator.
Drivers tend to convert to the fuel-efficiency religion once they get severely wounded in the wallet. It’s a sad fact that environmental concerns alone are often not enough… Of course, the best ways to save on gas costs are to walk, bike, and take transit (for an example of a city that has great sustainable transportation, check out Colombia’s Medellin). But if you’re going to drive, you should get the most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs. Near the top of the list, the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius can be found, and thanks to relatively high gas prices in the U.S. lately, they’ve both set new sales records in March 2012.
Continue reading… “Prius and Volt Set New Sales Records Thanks to High Gas Prices”
Does this equation makes sense?
Apple costs over $600 a share, and has nearly an unfathomable $100 billion in cash lying around. So is it any wonder its CEO is paid more than the national wealth of a small island nation?
Continue reading… “Tim Cook makes more than the GDP of the Kingdom of Tonga”
Teens are not rushing to get a driver’s license.
Getting a drivers license has been as much a rite of passage as the high school prom, but a new study suggests that young Americans are no longer rushing to get a driver’s license the moment they are eligible – and the Internet may be a major reason for that delay.
Continue reading… “Teens in the U.S. are waiting longer to drive”
Biggest porn site on the internet gets over four billion hits a month.
‘The internet is for porn,’ is the title of a song on hit musical Avenue Q. And it turns out the lyricists had touched on a home truth, because researchers have discovered that a staggering 30 per cent of all internet traffic is pornography.
Continue reading… “30% of all internet traffic is pornography”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.