Business, Entertainment, Historical Perspectives, Hot Issues

Apple Changes In-App Purchase Policy to Protect Parents’ Credit Cards

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Children may be raiding their parents credit cards.

Apple has changed its policy for in-app purchases to prevent users, especially children, from accidentally purchasing virtual goods.

Previously, consumers have been able to make an unlimited number of purchases without entering a password for 15 minutes after a change was made using a password. Parents complained that this policy made it easy for their children to incur huge iTunes charges without understanding that they were spending money or asking for parental permission…

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Breakthrough Thinking, Culture, Economy, Education, Historical Perspectives, Latest News

Is America a Nation in Decline?

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How does America still rank?

If you listen to the pundits on TV and radio (on both sides of the political spectrum), it seems like this country is going to hell in a handbasket with jets strapped to our backs. But are they actually right?

Fareed Zakaria of TIME magazine takes an in-depth look at whether America’s best days are behind it:

Despite the hyped talk of China’s rise, most Americans operate on the assumption that the U.S. is still No. 1.

But is it? Yes, the U.S. remains the world’s largest economy, and we have the largest military by far, the most dynamic technology companies and a highly entrepreneurial climate. But these are snapshots of where we are right now…

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Analysis, Brain, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Teens Can Resist Temptation as Their Brains Develop

MRI scan brain

Teens can resist the temptation for risky behavior.

Teenagers become more able to resist the urge to take part in risky behavior as their brains develop, not less, a study indicates.  MRI scans of boys’ and girls’ brains aged 10 and 13 show that activity in a part of the pre-frontal cortex tasked with deciding whether or not to take risks, called the ventral striatum, increases significantly.

Photo Perspectives, Science & Technology News, Space

Amateur Astronomer Takes Stunning Photo of a Smoke Ring Emitted by the Sun

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This image of the sun with a massive detached prominence hovering just above its surface.

Somewhat alarmingly, it looks like a close-up of a tennis ball blowing a smoke ring.  But this incredible image is actually of the sun with a massive detached prominence hovering just above its surface.  It shows the aftermath of a large solar flare – or prominence – emitted by an erupting sunspot earlier this month. (pics)

 

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Analysis, government, Internet, Latest Trend, Science & Technology News

The Coming Privacy Bill of Rights

Online-Privacy

McCain and Kerry are backing a bill that would require companies to seek a person’s permission to share data about him with outsiders.

Sens. John McCain and John Kerry are circulating proposed legislation to create an “online privacy bill of rights,” according to people familiar with the situation, a sign of bipartisan support for efforts to curb the Internet-tracking industry.

 

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Analysis, Big Problems, Health & Fitness, Latest Trend

Most Dangerous Spring Break Cities in the U.S. – Orlando Tops the List

spring-break

A little spring break fun in the sun can be a dangerous thing.

Orlando wins this year’s dubious honor as the most dangerous spring break city in the USA.  The rankings are compiled by the AVVO website, which offers free ratings and profiles of lawyers and doctors, and is based on violent crimes data, FBI crime statistics, car crashes and murder rates.

 

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Breakthrough Thinking, Great New Product, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Latest News

Toepener – Hands-Free Foot Door Opening Solution

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The Toepener

The Toepener is a simple device that attaches to doors, enabling users to open the door with their feet. It is the ideal solution for exiting a public restroom.

It provides a sanitary, hands-free alternative for users to open the door and avoid touching the handle…

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Green Friendly, Health & Fitness, Latest Trend, People Making a Difference

Barcelona Gives Away ‘Olipots’ To Promote Kitchen Oil Recycling

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Save that oil!

The mediterranean cuisine is known to be one of the healthiest, and yet, Spaniards like their fried tapas or churros every now and then. In 2010 the recycling centers, called ‘Green Points’, collected 195.136 liters of used kitchen oil from households, which only counts for 2,5% of the total oil used in one year by Barcelonians. In order to make recycling oil easier, Barcelona City Council has launched the Olipot, an easy to use bottle that helps you bring your old oil to the recycling centers. That way it does not contaminate the water but instead can be turned into soap, biodiesel and paint.

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Analysis, Art, Historical Perspectives

The Models Who Were Used In ‘American Gothic’ Standing By The Painting

american goth models

They don’t look any happier in person.

American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood’s inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window and a decision to paint the house along with ‘the kind of people I fancied should live in that house.’

The painting shows a farmer standing beside his spinster daughter (not his wife, as so many parodies and references assume).

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Breakthrough Thinking, Crazy Stuff, Culture, Human Behavior, Humor

The Dull Men’s Club

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They have a fascination with luggage carousels and park benches. They enjoy watching paint dry and, around this time of year, sap drip. These are the members of the Dull Men’s Club, and they don’t care if they bore you.

“We’re not a 12-step program where we’re trying to change our ways,” says club president Leland Carlson, 71, of London, where the club, known as DMC, is based. “We’re a two-step program: We admit we’re dull and we’re gonna keep it that way.”

The club, which Carlson founded in New York City with a few bored — and boring — pals in the mid-’80s, has remained true to its founder’s words. It’s never grown, it’s never held an event and it’s never had a membership drive…

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