Chris Rock makes his true feelings known....and watch those elite scum squirm,
All Hail Chris Rock!!.
0 Oldest human remains ever found unearthed in Israel
Researchers say teeth go back 400,000 years; others say claim is premature
JERUSALEM — Israeli archaeologists say they may have found the earliest evidence yet for the existence of modern humans.
A Tel Aviv University team excavating a cave in central Israel said Monday they found teeth that were about 400,000 years old. The earliest Homo sapiens remains found until now are half that old, and were discovered in Ethiopia.
Archaeologist Avi Gopher said Monday further research is needed to solidify the claim, which is detailed in the December edition of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. If the claim is borne out, the discovery would change "the whole picture of evolution," he said.
Accepted scientific theory is that Homo sapiens originated in Africa and migrated outward about 80,000 years ago.
Sir Paul Mellars, a prehistory expert at Cambridge University, said that the find is "important," but that it was premature to say the remains are from modern man. He said the teeth are more likely from ancient relatives of Homo sapiens, such as the Neanderthals or their ancestors, which are thought to have left Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago.
The teeth were found in the Qesem Cave, which was uncovered by Gopher and a colleague at Tel Aviv University, Ran Barkai. An international team of experts analyzed the teeth, using CT scans and X-rays, and determined that their sizes and shapes were similar to those of modern humans, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Other artifacts found in the cave — including flint blades as well as animal bones that appeared to be cut in a characteristic way — led the researchers to conclude that modern humans lived in the cave. Radioisotope dating suggests that the cave was occupied between 400,000 and 200,000 years ago.
more info http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7348103/ns/technology_and_science/
0 Technology could turn cellphones into wallets
For many people, smart phones are almost as indispensable as wallets. And soon, your smart phone could replace your wallet.A collection of the biggest wireless carriers, handset makers and software developers are putting their weight behind a technology called near-field communication.
That standard will allow your cellphone to make payments at a cash register, scan computer chips embedded in ads and posters for discounts and product info, and eventually incorporate driver's licenses and other forms of ID.
"This isn't just about payment," said Jaymee Johnson, director of strategic development at T-Mobile USA Inc. "It's fundamentally focused on transforming the ways customers shop, save and pay." 
Nokia has been supporting near-field communication for a few years, but the company's smart phones have limited market share in the U.S. 
Apple Inc ., one of the biggest drivers in smart phone trends, is rumored to be implementing NFC hardware in the next version of the iPhone.
That standard will allow your cellphone to make payments at a cash register, scan computer chips embedded in ads and posters for discounts and product info, and eventually incorporate driver's licenses and other forms of ID.
"This isn't just about payment," said Jaymee Johnson, director of strategic development at T-Mobile USA Inc. "It's fundamentally focused on transforming the ways customers shop, save and pay." T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and Dallas-based AT&T Inc. recently launched a joint venture called Isis to standardize and promote near-field communication technology and applications.
The technology enables a variety of new applications.
For example, a retailer could embed a paper-thin NFC chip in the price tags on its shelves.
When you wave your NFC-enabled phone over the tag for, say, a digital camera, it will direct the Web browser on your phone to a site with more info about that camera.
The tag could also wirelessly transfer a coupon for that camera to your phone.
So you pick up the camera and take it to the register to pay.
No need to dig out your credit card or cash.
Just swipe your phone, which also contains all your credit card info, over the NFC-enabled register, which recognizes the coupon, applies the discount, and debits your bank account.
Voilà, the digital wallet.
Or tap on a tagged movie poster to bring up the YouTube trailer to the film.
Or imagine any of the other hundreds of possibilities once individual app developers start tinkering with the software and writing programs for the phones and chips.
NFC tags could be easily, inexpensively and invisibly embedded in magazines, for instance, to bring up videos or animations related to an article, or in the automobile stickers on a dealership's lot.
DVD cases could have tags attached to let you quickly catalog every disc in your personal library. No need to photograph bar codes or other markers. Just swipe.
Faded technology
If this dream sounds like you've heard it before, it should.
Near-field communication is similar to another short-range wireless technology that was heavily hyped a few years ago but then faded: radio frequency identification, or RFID.
While RFID is used in a few niche consumer applications – TollTags and a small percentage of credit and debit cards, for example – NFC is poised to flood the market.
In fact, if the wireless carriers have their way, widespread adoption of NFC devices might take only a year or two.
Nokia has been supporting near-field communication for a few years, but the company's smart phones have limited market share in the U.S. Now, a host of other manufacturers that do have a big presence in America are about to jump in.
While it will be months before major retailers start including NFC chips in their cash registers and displays, NFC-equipped smart phones are already rolling out.
The first handset maker with a big U.S. presence to adopt NFC is Samsung, whose U.S. telecom operations are headquartered in Richardson.
Samsung last week released the Android-powered Nexus S smart phone with a built-in NFC reader.
In fact, it's the first version of Android from Google Inc. to support NFC, and Google is making freely available the tools needed to tinker with that capability.
"We're open sourcing the NFC software stack, and we've provided Android developers with [application programming interfaces] that will allow them to build applications that take advantage of NFC," a Google spokesman said.
Owners of smart phones with the NFC hardware are able to scan the chips with their handsets to see whatever data the retailer has encoded in the tag.
Johnson at T-Mobile, who's also a spokesman for the new venture Isis, noted that the three carriers have more than 200 million customers among them.
And the turnover rate on the phones those customers own is fantastically high.
"You think about how quickly handsets turn over now, if you have your handset for a year, you're ready to upgrade," Johnson said. "That's a cycle that really works to our advantage in really rapidly turning over a new technology."
Apple Inc ., one of the biggest drivers in smart phone trends, is rumored to be implementing NFC hardware in the next version of the iPhone. NFC requires additional hardware in the device, meaning older phones can't simply get a software upgrade to enable the capability.
But there are workarounds.
Visa Inc., for example, is working on a standard with Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo & Co. and U.S. Bancorp to develop microSD cards with built-in mobile payment capability that could simply be inserted into certain existing phones.
Retail support
But pushing NFC into the hands of consumers is only half the battle.
The other half is persuading retailers to install the high-tech cash registers and networks needed to connect with these wireless wallets.
Johnson said Isis will piggyback on Discover Financial Services' payment network, which is already accepted at more than 7 million locations nationwide.
But a far smaller number actually accept so-called contactless payments.
Johnson acknowledged that rustling up retail support is critical to making NFC a success but said Isis is pitching NFC as not just a payment tool.
It's also a way for companies to launch interactive loyalty and rewards programs for their customers, and get better, faster data on what products their customers want most.
"That's a story that we're eager to tell and that merchants have been very receptive to," Johnson said.
So far, Isis has not yet announced any merchant partners, but Johnson said they're coming soon.
"First half of next year we'll be making a drumbeat of announcements," he said.
Johnson declined to say how much money the carriers have invested in building out the Isis network but said it's a top priority.
"This is a big bet," he said. "This is a big opportunity for the carriers."
The one major carrier that's not on board with Isis yet is Sprint Nextel Corp.
Sprint said it is looking at a variety of options for enabling mobile payments, which could include joining Isis.
Near-field communication on handheld devices will initially focus on providing interactive information and mobile payment. But the technology could also one day allow documents such as driver's licenses and passports to be stored digitally on a phone.
"That is the next frontier," Johnson said.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/ptech/stories/122310dnbusdigitalwallet.3044eaf.html
Further reading : http://www.mavromatic.com/2006/07/nfc-chip-will-turn-your-cellphone-into-a-credit-card/
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/ptech/stories/122310dnbusdigitalwallet.3044eaf.html
Further reading : http://www.mavromatic.com/2006/07/nfc-chip-will-turn-your-cellphone-into-a-credit-card/
0 And 1 day later....
 | ||||
| A snowman was left standing Thursday afternoon at the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign on the Las Vegas Strip. Most of the snow along the Strip had melted as temperatures climbed into the 40s a day after snow blanketed the valley. Las Vegas was digging out Thursday from one of the biggest snows in its history — anywhere from 3 to 8 inches fell throughout the valley Wednesday through early this morning. The rare, heavy snow led to delayed flights at McCarran International Airport and traffic problems and accidents throughout the valley Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. However, flights resumed this morning at McCarran. And snow-covered streets, parking lots, sidewalks and highways were melting off by late afternoon under mostly sunny skies and temperatures hitting 40 degrees. |
0 RECORD SNOWFALL SLAMS LAS VEGAS
School district calls off classes for first time in 30 years, flights canceled,
 | |||
| Snow comes down on the New York-New York, as seen from the roof of the Tropicana Hotel and Casino on Wednesday. |
The rarities continued Wednesday night with the Clark County School District's announcement that students are getting a snow day today. It's the first snow day for Clark County students since 1979, when a storm dropped 9.9 inches of snow in January that year.
The National Weather Service finally lifted a winter storm warning at 6 a.m. today. The weather service said its Las Vegas office had reported 3.6 inches of snow by 9:50 p.m. Wednesday. And there was a report of 8 inches measured in Henderson shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday.
0 Global Warming cult takes another hit....Polar Bears are "threatened" NOT "endangered"
London, Dec 23 (ANI): The Obama administration has confirmed an earlier Bush-era decision that polar bears are merely 'threatened' NOT 'endangered'.
The government said it did not find that polar bears were on the brink of extinction, needed to qualify for the status of 'endangered'. Under the Endangered Species Act, the status of 'endangered' requires the government to assess the impact of greenhouse gases on the bears' Arctic homelands.
When the government is considering permits for oil development in northern Alaska, it must include greenhouse gas emissions in its decision. When the polar bear was listed as 'threatened' by the administration of former US President George W Bush, officials invoked a special rule saying the Endangered Species Act could not be used to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
So an 'endangered' listing is a more powerful tool for limiting industrial activity that causes greenhouse gases.
Meanwhile, environmental campaigners have said they will challenge the decision.
The Centre for Biological Diversity - one of the groups trying to get the polar bear listed as 'endangered' - said the ruling showed that the administration of US President Barack Obama was continuing to defend Bush-era 'anti-science decisions'.
It said polar bears face an 80 percent chance of extinction within 40 years and it will continue to challenge the US government in court. (ANI)
In other words....YES they can swim... and NO their numbers are NOT dropping anywhere near the former "Official" numbers.
The Scam is falling apart.....
0 South Korea to hold largest-ever live-fire drill....on the Norths border.
South Korea says it will hold its largest-ever live-fire drill near the military border with North Korea on Thursday, just as tension on the peninsula eases after Pyongyang's attack on a southern island.
The drill, involving artillery, fighter jets and the largest number of personnel in a peace-time exercise, comes after the South's live-fire artillery exercise on Monday on the island of Yeonpyeong and is bound to infuriate the North.
North Korea this week offered to re-admit UN inspectors concerned about its nuclear weapon program, leading to speculation of a resumption of six-party disarmament talks and a general sigh of relief around the world that the crisis had passed.
"Yes, it will be a show of force against that," an army officer said when asked if the shelling of Yeonpyeong last month was a factor in the drill's planning.
He added similar drills had been staged previously on more than 50 occasions, but the scale this time is unprecedented.
It will take place in Pocheon region, less than 50 kilometres north of downtown Seoul.
The Korean crisis peaked when the North shelled Yeonpyeong, just south of the disputed border, killing four people in the worst attack on South Korean territory since the end of the 1950-53 war.
The South carried out live-fire drills on Yeonpyeong on Monday, which provoked only a verbal reaction from the North.
North Korea had vowed to strike back if the South went ahead with the drills, prompting fears of all-out war.
China, North Korea's only major ally, has continually urged dialogue to resolve the crisis and urged Pyongyang to follow through on its offer to allow UN inspectors into the country.
The Chinese foreign ministry had no immediate comment on the planned drill.
Seoul's Joongang Daily said South Korea should practice "nimble diplomacy" and forge a closer relationship with China.
"As long as there is a constant threat from the North to launch a surprise attack, we must be on high alert from a military perspective," the newspaper said.
"But such preparations should be combined with diplomacy. We should reduce our diplomatic dependence on the US and strengthen our ties with China and Russia."
- Reuters
The South are doing all the provoking , but the North are getting Media blasted for threatening to retaliate....
The South are doing all the provoking , but the North are getting Media blasted for threatening to retaliate....
0 Japan bio-scientists produce 'singing mouse'
Japanese scientists said Tuesday they had produced a mouse that tweets like a bird in a genetically engineered "evolution" which they hope will shed light on the origins of human language.
A team of researchers at the University of Osaka created the animal in their "Evolved Mouse Project", in which they use genetically modified mice that are prone to miscopying DNA and thus to mutations.
"Mutations are the driving force of evolution. We have cross-bred the genetically modified mice for generations to see what would happen," lead researcher Arikuni Uchimura told AFP.
"I was surprised because I had been expecting mice that are different in physical shape," he said by telephone, adding that in fact the project had also produced "a mouse with short limbs and a tail like a dachshund".
The laboratory, directed by professor Takeshi Yagi at the Osaka University's Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences in western Japan, now has more than 100 "singing mice" for further research.
Scientists have found that birds use different sound elements, put them together into chunks like words in human languages and then make strings of them to sing "songs", that are subject to certain linguistic rules.
"Mice are better than birds to study because they are mammals and much closer to humans in their brain structures and other biological aspects," Uchimura said.
"We are watching how a mouse that emits new sounds would affect ordinary mice in the same group... in other words if it has social connotations," he said, adding that ordinary mice squeak mainly under stress.
Considering that mutant mice tweet louder when put in different environments or when males are put together with females, Uchimura said their chirps "may be some sort of expressions of their emotions or bodily conditions."
The team has found that ordinary mice that grew up with singing mice emitted fewer ultrasounds than others, which could indicate that communication methods can spread in the same group like a dialect.
Uchimura dreams of further "evolution" of mice through genetic engineering.
"I know it's a long shot and people would say it's 'too absurd'... but I'm doing this with hopes of making a Mickey Mouse some day," he said.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.ef9a9f0039fc069765a1d48a270a6be2.31&show_article=1
I would imagine singing like a bird would probably be the last thing a mouse would want.....
0 Cancer-causing chemical found in US tap water...the reason the US have not taken to the streets yet?
LOS ANGELES - Hexavalent chromium, a cancer-causing chemical, is found in the tap water of 31 cities out of a total of 35 tested by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), it was reported on Monday.
The chemical was detected when EWG researchers made the first nationwide analysis of hexavalent chromium in tap water in the US, according to USA Today.It is estimated that at least 74 million people in 42 states regularly drink chromium-tainted water, and a considerable proportion of it is in the carcinogenic hexavalent form, the report quoted the EWG as saying.
Analysis showed that highest levels were present in the tap water in Norman of Oklahoma, Honolulu of Hawaii, Riverside of California, Madison of Wiscosin and San Jose of California, the report said.
Hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6 in drinking water shows "clear evidence of carcinogenic activity" in animal studies, significantly raising the likelihood of the development of gastrointestinal tumors, according to EWG.
In 2008, the US National Institutes of Health deemed chromium a "probable carcinogen." The chemical has been linked to leukemia and other cancers in animals, as well as liver and kidney damage, according to the report.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is weighing whether to set a limit on levels of hexavalent chromium in tap water, the report said.
Despite growing evidence of the dangers of hexavalent chromium in tap water, the EPA has done nothing about legal limit requirements, while water utility companies don't even have to test for levels in their tap water, scientists say.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2010-12/21/content_11733568.htm
0 Mind Mouse Allows You To Control Your Computer With The Power Of Your Mind.
There’s three main piece of software: Master Mind, Mind Mouse, and Think Tac Toe. The little blurb on their Web site says of Master Mind: “Existing PC games such as World of Warcraft and Call of Duty can now be played with the power of your mind, rather than using the traditional computer keyboard and mouse.”
Or if gaming’s not your thing, there’s also Mind Mouse, which “is a revolutionary thought-controlled software application which allows the user to navigate the computer, click and double click to open programs, compose email and send with the power of their mind.”
I have no idea what to make of any of this—MIND CONTROL?!—, but I did laugh at the guy in the above embedded video playing Modern Warfare 2. What’s the mind control method of uninstalling that nonsense?
Then we have Mind Mouse, which is more for everyday software applications.
The narrative is nice and all, helping disabled folks use their computer a little more effectively, but I think it’s only prudent to be skeptical here.
The narrative is nice and all, helping disabled folks use their computer a little more effectively, but I think it’s only prudent to be skeptical here.
0 False Flag Uncovered? Egypt charges 2 Israelis with spying
CAIRO -- Egypt's State Security says an Egyptian and two Israelis have been charged with recruiting agents in Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon to spy for Israeli intelligence. Prosecutor Hisham Badawi in press conference Monday charged an Egyptian businessman with harming the country's national interests. Two Israelis were charged in absentia as well.
Khaled Hassan, the suspect, was arrested in August.
The disclosure comes just a day after authorities announced the discovery of a spy cell involved four Egyptians and two Israelis whom were allegedly plotting to kidnap tourists in Sinai peninsula. It is unclear if there is any connection between the two cases.
The four were detained in May and authorities say they notified Interpol about the two Israeli officers working as their handlers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/20/AR2010122000639.html
0 Study Confirms That Fox News Makes You Stupid
A new survey of American voters shows that Fox News viewers are significantly more misinformed than consumers of news from other sources.
Yet another study has been released proving that watching Fox News is detrimental to your intelligence. World Public Opinion, a project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, conducted a survey of American voters that shows that Fox News viewers are significantly more misinformed than consumers of news from other sources. What’s more, the study shows that greater exposure to Fox News increases misinformation.
So the more you watch, the less you know. Or to be precise, the more you think you know that is actually false. This study corroborates a previous PIPA study that focused on the Iraq war with similar results. And there was an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that demonstrated the break with reality on the part of Fox viewers with regard to health care. The body of evidence that Fox News is nothing but a propaganda machine dedicated to lies is growing by the day.
In eight of the nine questions below, Fox News placed first in the percentage of those who were misinformed (they placed second in the question on TARP). That’s a pretty high batting average for journalistic fraud. Here is a list of what Fox News viewers believe that just aint so:
- 91 percent believe the stimulus legislation lost jobs
- 72 percent believe the health reform law will increase the deficit
- 72 percent believe the economy is getting worse
- 60 percent believe climate change is not occurring
- 49 percent believe income taxes have gone up
- 63 percent believe the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts
- 56 percent believe Obama initiated the GM/Chrysler bailout
- 38 percent believe that most Republicans opposed TARP
- 63 percent believe Obama was not born in the U.S. (or that it is unclear)
The conclusion is inescapable. Fox News is deliberately misinforming its viewers and it is doing so for a reason. Every issue above is one in which the Republican Party had a vested interest. The GOP benefited from the ignorance that Fox News helped to proliferate. The results were apparent in the election last month as voters based their decisions on demonstrably false information fed to them by Fox News.
By the way, the rest of the media was not blameless. CNN and the broadcast network news operations fared only slightly better in many cases. Even MSNBC, which had the best record of accurately informing viewers, has a ways to go before it can brag about it.
The conclusions in this study need to be disseminated as broadly as possible. Fox’s competitors need to report these results and produce ad campaigns featuring them. Newspapers and magazines need to publish the study across the country. This is big news and it is critical that the nation be advised that a major news enterprise is poisoning their minds.
This is not an isolated review of Fox’s performance. It has been corroborated time and time again. The fact that Fox News is so blatantly dishonest, and the effects of that dishonesty have become ingrained in an electorate that has been been purposefully deceived, needs to be made known to every American. Our democracy cannot function if voters are making choices based on lies. We have the evidence that Fox is tilting the scales and we must now make certain its corporate owners do not get away with it.
0 Al Qaida The Toilet.
"The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida. And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity representing the 'devil' only in order to drive the TV watcher to accept a unified international leadership for a war against terrorism. The country behind this propaganda is the US . . ." -- Former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook
"Ana raicha Al Qaeda" is colloquial for "I'm going to the toilet". A very common and widespread use of the word "Al-Qaeda" in different Arab countries in the public language is for the toilet bowl. This name comes from the Arabic verb "Qa'ada" which mean "to sit", pertinently, on the "Toilet Bowl". In most Arabs homes there are two kinds of toilets: "Al-Qaeda" also called the "Hamam Franji" or foreign toilet, and "Hamam Arabi" or "Arab toilet" which is a hole in the ground. Lest we forget it, the potty used by small children is called "Ma Qa'adia" or "Little Qaeda".
So, if you were forming a terrorist group...
would you call yourself, "The Toilet"?
0 The Saliva PH test, Saliva pH and Cancer
How to Perform the Saliva pH Test
First, you must wait at least 2 hours after eating. Fill your mouth with saliva and then swallow it. Repeat this step to help ensure that your saliva is clean. Then the third time, put some of your saliva onto the pH paper.
The pH paper should turn blue. This indicates that your saliva is slightly alkaline at a healthy pH of 7.4. If it is not blue, compare the color with the chart that comes with the pH paper. If your saliva is acid (below pH of 7.0) wait two hours and repeat the test.
Where to Get pH Paper
My favourite source for pH paper is here. What you are looking for is narrow range pH paper measuring pH 4.5 to 7.5 or pH 4.5 to 8.5. These pH strips to measure acid/alkaline balance belong in every family medicine cabinet.
My favourite source for pH paper is here. What you are looking for is narrow range pH paper measuring pH 4.5 to 7.5 or pH 4.5 to 8.5. These pH strips to measure acid/alkaline balance belong in every family medicine cabinet.
Saliva pH and Cancer
| "When healthy, the pH of blood is 7.4, the pH of spinal fluid is 7.4, and the pH of saliva is 7.4. Thus the pH of saliva parallels the extra cellular fluid...pH test of saliva represents the most consistent and most definitive physical sign of the ionic calcium deficiency syndrome...The pH of the non-deficient and healthy person is in the 7.5 (dark blue) to 7.1 (blue) slightly alkaline range. The range from 6.5 (blue-green) which is weakly acidic to 4.5 (light yellow) which is strongly acidic represents states from mildly deficient to strongly deficient, respectively. |
Most children are dark blue, a pH of 7.5. Over half of adults are green-yellow, a pH of 6.5 or lower, reflecting the calcium deficiency of aging and lifestyle defects. Cancer patients are usually a bright yellow, a pH of 4.5, especially when terminal." The Calcium Factor: The Scientific Secret of Health and Youth, by Robert R. Barefoot and Carl J. Reich.
Virtually all degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney and gall stones, and tooth decay are associated with excess acidity in the body. While the body does have a homeostatic mechanism which maintains a constant pH 7.4 in the blood, this mechanism works by depositing and withdrawing acid and alkaline minerals from other locations including the bones, soft tissues, body fluids and saliva. Therefore, the pH of these other tissues can fluctuate greatly. The pH of saliva offers us a window through which we can see the overall pH balance in our bodies.
Cancer cannot exist in an alkaline environment. All forms of arthritis are associated with excess acidity. Acid in the body dissolves both teeth and bones. Whatever health situation you are faced with, you can monitor your progress toward a proper acid/alkaline balance by testing your saliva pH.Further reading on the links with PH and Cancer :
http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/Killing_Cancer_Cells_with_High_pH_Therapy.html
http://healthrecipes.com/ph_cancer.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/Killing_Cancer_Cells_with_High_pH_Therapy.html
http://healthrecipes.com/ph_cancer.htm
0 Australian scientists beat pain with "Spinal Chip"
Sydney researchers are getting ready to conduct human trials next year of a smart chip, which, when implanted in the spinal cord, can measure and stop pain signals from travelling to the brain.
The technology, targeting chronic pain, was developed in Sydney by National ICT Australia (NICTA) over the last two years by experts in biomedical, electrical and mechanical engineering, as well as textile technology and software applications.
The smart chip is put into a biocompatible device, which is a little smaller than the head of a match. A couple of the devices are sewn into a 1.22mm wide micro-lead made from polymer yarn and electronic wires. The wires are then inserted into the spine (or elsewhere) and connected to a device containing a battery and a computer processor. The battery can be charged wirelessly.
This set-up, according to NICTA, can then measure the properties of nerves carrying pain signals to the brain and can send a 10V electric pulse to block the signals, which tricks the brain into thinking there's no pain.
According to NICTA CTO implant technologies Dr John Parker, current devices used to block pain signals to the brain are larger, around the size of a matchbox.
The smaller size of the NICTA device improves its reliability as it can be implanted closer to the spine and needs shorter connection leads.
The device could be used to treat chronic back pain, leg pain and pain from nerve damage, but could also help those suffering from migraines, Parkinson's disease tremors or epileptic seizures.
NICTA wants to commercialise the technology in Sydney, planning to create a new spin-out company called Saluda Medical.
The organisation quoted research which said that chronic pain costs the Australian economy more than $34.3 billion a year and results in more than 36 million lost working days a year.
0 3D, Internet TVs Fail To Inspire Consumers So Far
TV manufacturers are learning that cutting edge features such as razor-thin LED TVs and fantastical 3D technologies are just not enough to stage a comeback in the United States. Best Buy Co Inc CEO Brian Dunn told analysts on Tuesday that sales of 3D televisions had fallen below industry expectations. "There was confusion about 3D early (on)," said Dunn. "It was a little short on content."
The largest American electronics chain cut its full-year profit forecast, and its disappointing results put pressure on shares of Best Buy -- and other electronics companies.
"The fund got killed today," Frank Ingarra, co-portfolio manager of Hennessy Funds, which holds 32,000 Best Buy shares, told Reuters. The retailer's shares dropped 15.5 percent to $35.25 in afternoon NYSE dealings on Monday.
Despite better-than expected November retail sales performance, consumers are holding off on big-ticket items, such as new TVs with high-tech features.
Investors are now looking for answers as to why big retailers aggressively pushed for a new generation of TVs after many consumers had just upgraded to their first flat-screen models this year.
"People don't understand the added benefit of 3D," Ingarra said. "When you get into $2,000 TVs, you start thinking: 'At what point do I really need this, and is it going to make my viewing experience that much better?'"
Most consumers are also put off by the need to purchase expensive 3D glasses that go along with the new TVs, said NPD analyst Ross Rubin. 3D content has also made some viewers feel nauseous. "If the 3D content hasn't been produced well -- if it has been aggressive on certain kinds of effects -- that can result in discomfort for viewers," he told Reuters.
Consumers seem to have been more interested in buying TVs with bigger screens this holiday season, rather than pricier ones with more features, Rubin added.
Sales of TVs with Google TV software, which lets viewers surf the Web directly from their TV sets, were also hurt as consumers realized they could find the same services, like movie service Netflix Inc, elsewhere. "People can also buy lower-priced alternatives to connected TVs, be it video game players, Blu-ray players or Apple TV," said Rubin.
0 Voyager probe nears edge of the Solar System
The furthest man made object from Earth reaches a major landmark as it approaches interstellar space.
Travelling at 38,000 mph, the Voyager 1 probe was launched on 5 September 1977 with the intention of studying Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Now, 33 years later and almost 11 billion miles from home, it is going where no Earth object has gone before.
Both Voyager probes are approaching the interstellar medium, with Voyager 1 further ahead than its sister ship Voyager 2 (which is travelling at 35,000 mph). It is here that the nature of the environment is expected to dramatically alter.
Dispatched towards deep space, the Voyager probes have functioned far beyond expectations, with their radioactive power packs continuing to work and send data back to Earth, although at such a distance away any radio message takes 16 hours to reach us.
Speaking to the BBC, Edward Stone, the Voyager project scientist, said: “When Voyager was launched, the space age itself was only 20 years old, so there was no basis to know that spacecraft could last so long. We had no idea how far we would have to travel to get outside the Solar System. We now know that in roughly five years, we should be outside for the first time.”
Our solar system is contained inside an area of space known as the heliosphere. Up to the heliosheath our Sun exerts a magnetic and energetic influence, with its solar wind extending to all corners of the system. Upon reaching the heliosheath, the solar wind slows considerably and begins to heat up as it reaches a shockwave known as the termination shock.
Voyager 1 crossed the termination shock in December 2004. Using data from its Low-Energy Charged Particle Instrument, the velocity of the surrounding solar wind has been constantly measured.
At the edge of the heliosphere is the heliopause, where the Sun’s influence is less apparent. It is here that Voyager 1 – and later Voyager 2 – will enter the interstellar medium, the matter between stars in our galaxy.
It is theorised that at this distance from the Sun, over 11 billion miles, the velocity of particles emitted by the Sun will slow to zero. Although it is not quite there yet, once Voyager 1 reaches interstellar space there should be a sudden drop in the density of hot particles and an increase in that of cold particles. The success of the Voyager probes so far has markedly increased our understanding inside our solar system, and its continuing journey will give us unprecedented information on the outside as well.
0 Cordless phones: the unspoken hazard at home and at work
You will be unaware of what they do, but if you have one, read the following carefully. Many people will be equally unaware of neighbours using DECT (Digital Electronic Cordless Telephones)
Many people will be equally unaware of neighbours using DECT, whose pulses penetrate right through their walls. DECT comes with no guidance and no health warnings.
All modern (DECT) digital cordless phones emit the same type of pulsed microwave radiation (about 1.8 GHz) as ordinary (GSM) mobile phones. Emissions can be about 6 V/m within a metre of the base unit, for as long as it is plugged in. These base stations emit their radiation even when the phone is not in use. All DECT base units emit microwaves continuously 24 hours a day as long as they are plugged in. For this reason cordless phones are regarded as bad news. The latest Lennart Hardell paper on mobile phone use and brain tumours (× 3 for 5 years use and × 3 to 4 for 10 years use) also show a dose response increased brain cancer risk for long-term (over 5 years) regular cordless phone use. A DECT phone is a mobile phone, and its base is a mobile phone mast in your house or office. You must use one? Keep the base unit and remote extra handsets away from where you sit or sleep, and remember that you are transmitting into neighbouring property through your walls.
Unlike mobile phones, DECT cordless phones work at a fixed power. Mobiles turn their power down to the lowest level possible, so when you are near a base station this can be much lower than a DECT cordless. DECT pulses are far more aggressive than for mobiles.
0 JP Morgan Admits To & Reduces Massive Silver Short Position, Proves Millions Of Conspiracy Theorists Correct
In the latest example that virtually every conspiracy theory is almost always inevitably proven to be fact, the Financial Times reports that JP Morgan, the firm targeted by thousands of "tin foil hat" wearing, conspiratorially-oriented "gold bugs", has cut back on its US silver futures. "JPMorgan has quietly reduced a large position in the US silver futures market which had been at the centre of a controversy about its impact on global prices for the precious metal." And in what can only be considered an unprecedented victory for all those who have over the past year agitated to putting JP Morgan out of business, most recently spearheded by the likes of Mike Krieger and Max Keiser, by forcing a massive short squeeze on its commodities trading desk, we learn that "the decision by JPMorgan was an attempt to deflect public criticism of the bank’s dealings in silver, a person familiar with the matter said. The person added that the bank’s position in silver would from now on be “materially smaller” than in the past." Of course, the latter is pure and total bullshit: as Bart Chilton indicated over the weekend, it is JP Morgan who at one point or another (and possibly very recently) controlled as much as 40% of the silver market, via a massive short. Attempting to make others believe that this short could be covered without pushing the price of the silver metal to over $100/ounce is an indication of either how stupid JPM believes the general population to be, or just how desperate the firm is to end the ongoing short squeeze onslaught. Either way, we are confident that this first unprecedented confirmation that a) JPM is indeed massively short silver and b) that it is hurting bad, will merely redouble efforts to put the world's biggest financial company out of business. Lastly, this means that silver is about to really blast off as the push to really hurt JPM takes off in earnest.
From FT:
The US regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, announced in September 2008 that it was investigating complaints of misconduct in the silver market, although it did not name specific entities.
However, JPMorgan said in a statement: “It is absolutely incorrect to say or imply that the Nymex, CFTC or any other exchange or regulator has instructed or asked us to reduce our position.” The bank declined to comment on whether it had reduced its position in the silver market.
The price of silver has risen more than 70 per cent since mid-August to hit a 30-year high of $30.68 a troy ounce last week on the back of a surge in investor buying and a rebound in industrial silver consumption.
In two previous reviews of the silver market, the CFTC has dismissed claims of manipulation. Most analysts say there is little reason to believe the price of silver is being systematically manipulated.
But Bart Chilton, a CFTC commissioner, said in October that he believed there had been “fraudulent efforts” to “deviously control” the silver price. He did not name any party.
Publicly available data on individual traders’ positions are sketchy. In a speech last Wednesday, Mr Chilton said that “earlier this year, one trader held more than 40 per cent of the silver market”. He declined to identify the trader.
The CFTC’s Bank Participation Report shows that one or more US banks held a gross short silver futures position equal to 19.1 per cent of the total number of outstanding contracts in early December. In January the share was 30.2 per cent.
The CFTC only reports data for the US silver futures market, a small corner of the global derivatives market for the precious metal, which is centred in London and largely traded via private over-the-counter deals. The data also do not cover transactions in the physical market.
Analysts and traders said that JPMorgan’s large short positions on New York’s Comex exchange, a division of Nymex, were hedges for the bank’s long positions in physical silver and London’s over-the-counter market.
JPMorgan has invested nearly $3bn over the past two years in its commodities business led by Blythe Masters.
And while we revel in the knowledge that the short squeeze is causing massive pain for JPM, we are far more overjoyed that the days of Blythe Masters as head of JPM's commodities desk is coming to an end: any comparable massive admission of weakness by a trader is always and inevitably followed by some very high profile terminations.
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