Zero Water Removes Almost Everything From Your Water

Zero Water introduces water filtering system that removes almost anything from the water, lead, perchlorates, antibiotics, hormones and other contaminants.

From the outside Zero Water looks like any other water filtration system such as Pur, Brita etc., but on the inside it offers a far more advanced filtration technology.

The filtering of water is a five-stage process:

STAGE 1 A 20 to 50 micron filter designed to remove suspended solids such as dust and rust that make your water appear cloudy.
STAGE 2 Activated carbon that is Class I rated for chlorine.
STAGE 3 A water distributor screen that also removes suspended solids.
STAGE 4 Specialty resins that reduce levels of metals such as lead, mercury, and chromium in your water.
STAGE 5 A 1 micron filter designed to removed suspended solids.

Zero Water is certified to meet the highest standards as required by the Federal government. Besides the removal of basic impurities, it also removes pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, hormones and perchlorate. The presence of pharmaceuticals in water is a major concern. Though there are no standards for the pharmaceuticals in water, Zero Water seems to perform well according to Tree Hugger.

Zero Water sells different water filtration units. The main pitcher system sells for $39.00 and the water cooler system sells for $99.00, which is useful for businesses.

The water takes a long time to be filtered in Zero Water, so you have to plan ahead to get purified water.

Another unique advantage for Zero Water system, is that the filters can be recycled free of cost. Customers send the used filters back to Zero Water and get a shipping discount for their next purchase.

Unicycle-riding girl robot 'Murata Girl' hits the road

Murata Girl Robot, Photo: Murata Electronics, Japan.

Japanese researchers have created a unicycle riding robot girl, named “Murata Girl” as a worthy successor for their bicycle-riding Murata Boy.

Murata Girl known in Japanese as “Seiko-chan” rides this unicycle with ease, she can ride forwards or backwards at 2 inches per second or be idle in one place.

There are in-built sensors which warns it if there is an obstruction in front of it or when it is about to bump some objects.



Murata Girl Robot Video.


It has a spinning disc inside to keep it balanced in one place without falling.

Murata Electronics, the makers of this “Murata Girl” robot created it for education purposes and to promote its brand.

The Murata Girl can be controlled via a Bluetooth device.

According to the Cnet article, this robot was created by three female art school graduates. The Murata Girl will be officially unveiled at Ceatec Japan, 2008 Show, which begins at September 30.



Murata Boy Video

Google Android Phone Works Seemless With Your Google Account

See how the Google Android Phone from T-Mobile works. You can synchronize your Google account seemlessly with your PC and update all your account details in real time.

With more applications, you can expect Android Phone work as good as iPhone without the strict requirements from Apple.

Buffett Calls Current Crisis an `Economic Pearl Harbor'

World’s richest man Warren Buffett, called the Wall Street crisis “an economic Pearl Harbor” and backs Paulson’s $700 billion proposal.

Billionaire investor Buffett told CNBC that the country is facing an economic crisis equivalent to “Pearl Harbor” event and supports the Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s proposal to stem the crisis.

Buffet said Paulson’s $700 billion to support the U.S. financial system is absolutely necessary, without it the market would have suffered far worse.

Buffett told CNBC:

``The market could not have taken another week...I think it was the last thing Hank Paulson wanted to do, but there's no Plan B for this.''

Buffett himself is rescuing another failing investment bank. His company Berkshire Hathaway Inc., has invested $5 billion in Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke are pushing Congress to quickly approve the plan to remove liquid assets from the banking system. But both Democrats and Republicans are wary with the proposals and want to alter the pre-conditions in it.

Buffett is urging the Congress to sign the approval quickly. He said the economy is everybody’s problem and we can’t dismiss it lightly. The public agrees, a majority 81 percent of Americans surveyed said the economy is bad or worse according to a Washington Post/ABC survey report.

Google Android Phone Makes its Debut in T-Mobile G1

T-Mobile G1 Android Phone. Photo: Google Operating System.

The first Android Operating System mobile phone is here, T-Mobile has launched it with the G1 model, which has touch screen capabilities along with a full QWERTY keyboard.

Google’s Android dream is finally taking place with the launch of the first phone in T-Mobile’s G1 handset built by HTC. Some of the main features of this phone are:

Size: 4.6 x 2.16 x 0.63 in (117 x 55 x 16 mm)
Weight: 5.6 oz (159 g)
Display: 65K color screen, HVGA (480 x 320)
Talk Time: 5 hours
Standby Time: 130 hours
Memory: expandable up to 8 GB
Camera: 3.1 MP
Google apps: Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk.

We will find more about this device at about 10:30 am EDT, when T-Mobile and Google will have a joint press conference. You can see it live at this link.

Like the iPhone Apps store, Android will have its own where software developers can submit their applications via the Android SDK. Already they have a number of applications, with more phones in the market, we will see a comparable one to iPhone’s. Unlike the screening of Apple, users will determine which ones they like most.

Android’s blog explains about the application submissions:

"Developers will be able to make their content available on an open service hosted by Google that features a feedback and rating system similar to YouTube...Content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it,"

Amazon is also partnering with Android and will have its MP3 store available on the new phone and users can search, download, play and buy music from the phone itself. Amazon has more than 6 million DRM-free MP3 songs.

Android phones will be a worthy competitor for iPhone and any mobile companies can use Android operating system for free.

CBS Launches Eyemobile for iPhone to Post Photos and Videos from Citizen Journalists

CBS has launched a website and gadget for iPhone to target citizen journalists to make it easy for them to post pictures and videos.

Media giant CBS has launched a new site CBSeyemobile.com for users to post photos and videos. It has also added an iPhone gadget to make it easy for iPhone users to capture photos and videos and post them directly from their phones.

At the CBSeyemobile.com, users can see the videos, post comments and embed at other sites.
With the iPhone gadget, users can browse other user submitted videos and post comments also.

To get this iPhone gadget from iTunes click this link here.

Other media companies also have similar services such as CNN’s iReport, Fox News’ UReport and Associated Press has one as well.

Anyone with a mobile can now become a citizen journalist, thanks to CBS and others.

SanDisk Introduces 'slotMusic' - Music Albums On microSD

'slotMusic' microSD music cards from SanDisk. Photo: TechCrunch.com.

SanDisk, the inventor of microSD is leading the technology behind “slotMusic”, music in microSD format. Entire album of artists will be available in microSD format, and users can play this card anywhere with its USB connection.

With “slotMusic” cards, customers can enjoy music from their favorite artists in their mobile phones, laptops, computers with or without internet connection. The music will be DRM-Free. Users can insert the microSD cards into any of the microSD enabled mobile phone or MP3 player to hear the music.

Instead of CDs, SanDisk in partnership with EMI, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group is bringing music in microSD card formats.

The reason behind the “slotMusic” cards is take advantage of an increase in music-enabled mobile phones globally, which is estimated to grow to 1.2 billion phones.

The “slotMusic” cards will come in a tiny USB sleeve, which will enable them to play in any operating system, Windows, Mac and Linux. The MP3 songs can be played up to 320 kilobytes per second (kbps), offering a high quality music experience according to SanDisk. The cards will boast 1GB of capacity and will hold liner notes, album art, videos and other content besides the song. Since it is as a read and write memory card, customers can add their notes as well.

According to TechCrunch, the price is expected to be around $7 to $10 including the USB converter. Since the price of 1GB microSD card is around $8.50, Arrington wonders how they are going to make a profit with this pricing model.

This “slotMusic” is going to be a failure for sure; customers no longer want to be tied up to one single memory format. Why would customers buy the whole album again unless all of them are great songs? Customers are no longer interested in paying $18 to $20 for one or two good songs. Online downloading is the best and easy option for the music labels to distribute the music and the cost of distribution is minuscule. They are better off distributing via iTunes, Amazon, Real Rhapsody and other online music sites.

New Microsoft Ads: 'I'm a PC, You're a PC'

Jerry Seinfeld/Bill Gates ad experiment was a failure, but Microsoft is determined to move along with its $300 million ad campaign. This time it enlists the real users of PC.

Microsoft has come back with a better set of ads than the first part that showed Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. This time it wants to keep it simple and direct to go against Apple’s “Get a Mac” ad campaign.

The new ads seem to support the PC guy, who is ripped apart in the Apple’s ads. This one has John Hodgman-look-a-like Microsoft product manager named Sean Siler. He begins the narrative with: Hello, I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype."

The ad then shows various users with diverse background, who find Microsoft useful and say “I’m a PC”. Some of them are famous like Deepak Chopra, Tony Parker and others are regular users worldwide.

While the Apple ads points out its various strengths even in a small ad segment, the PC ads still doesn’t show it strengths or superiority over Apple products, just gives only a general or vague opinion.

Will these new Microsoft ads translate to more people buying Vista or other Microsoft products?

Google's Co-founder Sergey Brin Launches Personal Blog

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has launched a personal blog today. He said the blog will reflect his life outside work (Google).

Sergey Brin wants to share his thoughts with his fans with this new blog called “Too” too.blogspot.com. Just like the word Google originated from the number “googol” an infinitely large number (1 followed by one hundred zeros), this blog will have the name "Too" based on the smaller number “two”.

In his first blog, he wrote a short one saying that his blog will reflect mostly his life outside of work. In the second blog, he is pretty serious talks about Parkinson’s diseases and how he carries a high risk for contracting it.

Welcome to my personal blog. While Google is a play on googol, too is a play on the much smaller number - two. It also means "in addition", as this blog reflects my life outside of work.

His mother has Parkinson’s disease, so he was worried whether it may be hereditary, luckily it is not. But when he checked his DNA from his wife’s company 23andMe, which provides a health profile after a DNA analysis, he found out that he has a markedly higher chance of developing Parkinson’s in his lifetime. He carries a 20 to 80% risk of getting this disease.

This blog is more of a serious note. We tend to expect all blogs to be enlightening but this is good also because it is about life.

Historic Snapshot of a Planet 3,106 Trillion Miles From Earth

University of Toronto scientists have discovered a strange planet orbiting a star 500 light years away from the planet Earth. The new found planet orbits the star at a far distance 330AU, which are rare in the sky.

The image of this planet is the first time that has been recorded from the sky. The discovery was possible because of its enormous separation from the parent star. The University of Toronto scientists are recording the new found planet’s movements to see how it synchronizes its rotation with respect to the star named 1RXS J160929.1-210524.

The three scientists, David Lafrenière, Ray Jayawardhana and Marten H. van Kerkwijk of the University of Toronto recorded this image using ALTAIR adaptive optics system on the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii.

Scientists have discovered planets in other solar systems but until now they were unable to capture its image. The body of the planet weighs eight times the mass of Jupiter and lies at a distance nearly 11 times Neptune’s average distance from the sun (or 330 AU, where 1 AU is the distance between the Earth and the Sun). This distance is unusual because most of the planets form near the central star, when they are further away, they can only grow to a small size and usually vanish into the surroundings in million years. Whereas this planet is not only big in size but also lies at a far distance from the star.

Theorist Adam Burrows of Princeton University told Science News:

“If this object is a planet at such a wide separation it would challenge our conceptions of planet and companion formation...The bulk of the material from which planets might form is significantly closer to the parent star,”

The three scientists will investigate further and try to understand more about this strange new planet.

Vatican: Evolution is OK but no apologies to Darwin

The Vatican finally gives approval to the theory of evolution proposed by Charles Darwin but said there is no need for a posthumous apology to Darwin.

Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican’s culture minister made this speech after he announced a Rome conference of scientists, theologians and philosophers to be held next March to mark the 150th anniversary of the Darwin’s book “The Origin of Species”.

Christian churches were long hostile towards Darwin, when he published his book because his theories conflicted with the biblical account of creation.

Earlier this week, a leading Anglican churchman, Rev. Malcolm Brown told reporters that the Church of England owed Darwin an apology for the way his ideas were ridiculed by the Anglicans in Britain. But Ravasi doesn’t think an apology is necessary.

He told Reuters:

"Maybe we should abandon the idea of issuing apologies as if history was a court eternally in session,"

He added that there is no apology necessary because the Catholic Church never condemned Darwin’s theories nor banned his book.

Only recently Catholics like Pope Pius XII approved Darwin’s theory in 1950 and called evolution as a valid scientific approach to the development of humans. Pope John Paul repeated the same in 1996.

Some Christians like the conservative Protestants believe in Creationism that God created the world in six days as described in the Bible. While the Catholic Church teaches “Theistic Evolution”, which accepts evolution as a scientific theory and believes God could have used a natural evolutionary process in the forming of the human species. It considers the six days theory as an allegory for the way God created this world.

Ravasi said creationism belongs to the "strictly theological sphere" and could not be used "ideologically in science."

Professor Philip Sloan of Notre Dame University, which is jointly holding next year's conference with Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, hopes the conference will explain the Catholics’ stand on evolution.

Pope Benedict also favors the “theistic evolution” approach, in a speech in Paris last week, he spoke out against biblical literalism.

Also, read Bart’s excellent report on Darwin, they provide more background about Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Gmail Labs Adds Forgotten Attachment Detector, Mark Read, Vacation Responder And More Features

Gmail has added a number of features recently that will enhance your email application. Here are some important ones that you will find it useful.

1.) Forgotten Attachment Detector: Often time we send emails with attachments and some cases we miss the attachment file. By the time we realize it, there is plenty of time lapse between. In order to avoid such a mistake, Google has added this feature. Go to labs in your Gmail account and enable this feature “Forgotten Attachment Detector” and save it. Once you enable it, when you type the words “I’ve attached” or “I have attached” and don’t attach a file, Gmail will issue a pop up and warn you that there are no files attached. This is a great feature but one drawback is it doesn’t recognize all the options of the attached words in the email you write. For example if you write “I attached a file” or “Check the attached file” it doesn’t recognize it according to Alex Ionut.

2.) Mark as Read: Some cases you want to mark the email as read without reading it. To have a “Mark as Read” button, go to Labs in your Settings and enable this feature. This is another handy tool.

3.) Vacation Responder: Previously Gmail had this feature but didn’t let us specify a fixed period of time, we can only turn it on or off. Whereas the new “Vacation Responder” feature you can set up a start up date and closing date with a brief vacation message. To enable it go to your Labs section and turn it on.

There are more features at the Lab section, Gmail is constantly adding new ones so check it regularly.

Iceorb: An ice tray that makes, chills, serves and stores ice

Iceorb ice tray. Photo: Fusionbrands.com.

It is an ice tray with a slight twist, it produces ice cubes, stores it, chills salads and ice creams all in one product.

Iceorb is a patented ice tray that makes, chills, serves and stores ice in one. It is a simple concept and yet efficient.

To use it just pour water in the rubber container with bumpy edges as shown in the picture and video. Then a plastic cylinder is inserted, which fills the water into the cubed portions. Then top the lid and let it freeze.

To get the ice cubes, reverse the above process, open the plastic cylinder and the ice cubes can then be stored in the container and stored with a plastic lid. The manufacturer, Fusion Brands claims that the ice tray is odor free and air tight.

While the container is filled you can repeat the process to make more ice cubes.



Once the container is filled with ice, you can use it to chill champagne or use the container to keep the salads and ice cream chilled with ice cubes inside the cubed portions.

Here are the main features of Iceorb:

• Makes 21 cubes of ice on a vertical wall
• Stores up to 51 cubes - airtight and odor free
• Chills wine and other beverages in a bottle
• Use as a cooler to keep cold foods fresh while serving
• Use lid under orb while serving to catch condensation
• Spill-proof design
• Dishwasher safe - top rack only
• 6" diameter x 5" tall

It costs $16 + shipping and you can purchase at the link here at Fusion Brands.

9-year-old Girl Helps Deliver Mom's Baby

When a 9-year-old girl’s mother suddenly began having contractions, there was no one around except her. After calling 911, she was able to guide her mom to deliver the baby after receiving instructions over the phone.

Valerie Lujan was only seven months pregnant when she began to have contractions at home. Home alone with her daughter, Jaden Lujan, 9, the mother delivered the baby.

Daughter Jaden took directions from 911 emergency dispatchers and was able to help her mom deliver the baby safely. She tied a shoelace around the baby’s umbilical cord and the paramedics arrived soon after.

The mom and the 3-pound, 8-ounce baby boy are recovering at the Mercy San Juan Medical Center.

Jaden was calm and didn’t panic during the whole situation according to her mother.

Jaden, who plans to become an art teacher when she grows up, talked about this special delivery:

"You know, I think my face was the first face he saw, like because his eyes were open when he came out...So, he was like staring up at me. Then, he started peeing."

Perfect

Marc Jacobs. Photo: Wikipedia.

Marc Jacobs is a famed and eccentric international fashion designer. He is well known for his shoes, clothing but most importantly women's' bags. Jacobs has gone through a troublesome career with ups and down but so far he is standing tall and doing great.

During one of his downward spirals due to alcohol and drug abuse, he learnt a fabulous lesson from the rehabilitation program he was undergoing. This lesson we also can learn immensely from it.

This is from the New Yorker article:

Jacobs has the word "perfect" tattooed on his right wrist. He was asked why he has this word tattooed.

He said:

"It was from something that I was studying at this rehab that I went to...It felt so right to me when I read it: that I have a choice. We all have a choice in how to look at things, and when things don't go the way I like I tend to think they're a problem. Well, you can look at something as a problem or look at it as a learning experience or an opportunity for growth or whatever. This idea that everything happens for a reason and is perfect and you will benefit from it even if you can't see the benefit-it's just a nicer ideal to subscribe to than 'Oh God, I've got all these problems and life is full of obstacles.' "

Whenever something bad happens he rubs the word "perfect" and follows the lesson he learned.

"I put it there to remind me, for when I'm looking at myself and wishing that I could be stronger in this way or better at that thing, and I can just go No. I'm exactly how I need to be. So, perfect."

When bad things happens instead of complaining take it on the chin like a boxer's jab and move on stronger. If you yield further or give up too easily, it can only get worse. Consider it "perfect", we can learn a lot from the situation.

Panasonic will launch world's smallest SLR camera with Lumix-G1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1: World's Smallest SLR Camera. Photo: Imaging-resource.com

Japan's Panasonic will soon launch the world’s smallest digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera that will weigh slightly more than a regular can of beer. The camera body and lens is expected to sell for $839.

The SLR cameras are bulky and, in some instances, are too heavy to carry all the lens and accessories in one package. This is putting off many users, who want instead portable SLRs that also perform well.

Panasonic wants to do just that with their new Lumix SLR model, DMC-G1, which is 27 per cent smaller than its existing SLR camera DMC-L10. Here is a picture showing side by side comparison of the two cameras. The DMC-L10 is shown left and the DMC-G1 is shown right.

Panasonic DMC-L10 and DMC-G1 Cameras.

Imaging-resource.com (Public Domain)

How are they able to produce the camera in a thinner package?

Panasonic and Olympus are following the Micro Four Thirds standard, which is aimed at allowing a significant reduction in the size and weight of interchangeable lens digital cameras, achieved by eliminating the bulky mirror box from the design. With the mirror box gone, the "back-focus distance" (or back focal length) of compatible lenses can be reduced. In the existing Four Thirds system, this dimension was 40mm; for Micro Four Thirds, it has been slashed to just 20mm. Obviously, this change allows for a significant reduction in the size and weight of the camera body while retaining the same sensor size.

The weight is 385 grams (0.85 lbs), or slightly more than a can of beer.

SLR cameras (high-end models with interchangeable lenses) are the fastest growing and most lucrative segment of the digital camera market. Panasonic wants to capitalize on this trend.

The camera will go on sale in Japan on Oct. 31 and will sell it for $839 (camera body + lens). The overseas launch will be either at the same time or in November.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., who is behind the Panasonic brand, will change its name officially to Panasonic on October 1.

For in-depth information about this DMC-G1 camera, click the Imaging Resource link.

Handpresso Wild, a portable espresso maker without the electricity

Handpresso Espresso Coffee Maker. Photo Handpresso.com.

Instead of paying $4 a cup of espresso, you can make your own espresso at home with Handpresso Wild. The machine requires no electricity.

The gadget is easy to make and ,as shown in the video, you can drink a nice cup of espresso coffee in the jungle, thousands of miles away from Starbucks.

The espresso maker needs just boiling water and a coffee pod. With the hand-held pumping, the espresso maker creates a 16-bar pressure sufficient enough to make the perfect espresso. Once you create the correct pressure, add boiling water and a coffee pod (bag).

Handpresso is extremely light and durable, can be easily stored in drawers, backpack or camping gear. Cleaning is easy to clean and requires little maintenance, according to the manufacturer.

The espresso maker costs $130 and the price of the cup averages to just 36 cents per day (plus the price of the coffee pods) according to Daily Candy.



The specifications for the Handpresso are as follows:

• 16 bar pressure
• Water reservoir 1.69 floz.
• 8.7 x 3.9 x 2.8 in.
• 1.2 lbs
• black
• E.S.E pod compatible

If you like espresso, then you can try this Handpresso at the link here.

Bionic lens will restore vision in five years

UK scientists have developed prototype flexible artificial lens that can restore perfect vision to long and short sighted by replacing their defective eye lens. They plan to market this bionic lens within the next five years.

Professor James Wolffsohn, Aston University, has created this prototype lens and is working with optics companies to produce these lenses for the markets.

Current technologies provide contact lens that is either disposable on a weekly or yearly basis. Previously they offered hard type lens but soft lens has replaced it and are widely used now. It requires vision check and contact lens replacement every year.

There are laser surgeries in the market that fixes eye problems by altering the shape of the lens, but in the long run the patients may still end up with long-sighted problems as their eye lens ages. Some may require another surgery as well.

Whereas the bionic lens offers a permanent solution and restores perfect vision. It will fix both long and short sighted problems according to Wolffshohn.

The lens will be commercially available within the next five years and patients can restore their vision permanently for less than £1,000 ($1,749).

I think every one with eyesight problems would love to have this if this technology works fine without any side effects or maintenance.

Totspot: A Facebook for Children

More parents are getting involved in social network for children and posting the daily activities of their kids like a diary and sharing it with other parents and children.

Totspot is one such social network for toddlers. Parents can blog (or add brief comments like Twitter) about their children in their own private space called Totspot page and socialize with other parents and share stuff about children.

Dominic Miguel Alexander Carrasco is only 7 months old and already has a blog and his mom adds all his favorite activities and preferences such as his favorite name, favorite book, favorite food etc.

Cameron Chase is only one-month old and his mom has started blogging about him. She added recent activities at their Winter Garden, Florida home and talked about the recent Tropical Storm Fay. Though Cameron cannot understand it yet, his mom Kristin Chase hopes he will find this blog or online scrapbook interesting as he grows up. Kristin blogs about him and updates it almost on a daily basis.

Kristin shares Cameron’s blog with her relatives and with other mothers in the site and exchange information with them. Cameron’s dad blogs about it at another site named Odadeo, where dads meet and discuss about their babies.

Besides Totspot, Odadeo, there are Lil’Grams and Kidmondo. All these sites are secure and private, only those invited can access the kid’s page.

Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist for the Pew Internet & American Life Project told New York Times:

“It’s an interesting model...Everyone can decide how much or little they want to know about a baby, which avoids the situation of receiving a few too many e-mails about someone’s wonderful child, and parents can decide how much they want to share — in minimal or maximal ways.”

A social network for babies might look odd, but it could be used to share information with families and friends and also keep a history about the baby.

These baby social networks are doing well. Totspot which started recently has more than 15,000 users. Kidmondo and Lil’Grams, both started last year are also doing well worldwide.

Adam Ostrow, the editor of Mashable said in his blog:

“We’re seeing a rising tide of parenting interest on social networks...Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of Facebook users are adding their children to their profiles.”

This is a natural evolution, almost everyone from every age group are part of social network in some form or the other, why not the babies or children.

At these social networks for babies, parents are choosing profiles based on what their kids like and also choosing what friends they may prefer to hang out.

When Erin Carrasco, 25, mother of Dominic, was pregnant, she became friends with other moms-to-be and they now socialize in Totspot along with their kids. They also formed a group within Totspot and discuss about babies’ health issues.

Julie Ward, 38, on the other hand keeps her son Dixon’s page private and makes it available only for known relatives and friends. Julie blogs about her son's recent activities as it occurs. She recently added an entry when her son ate his first Oreo cookies two weeks ago. She said so far privacy issues are well covered in the site she is blogging.

Though moms and dads use these sites predominantly now, Daniel Hallac and his wife Carole, co-founders of Kidmondo, believe that children will come back and read about it later.

John Palfrey, a professor at Harvard Law School and an author of “Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives” warns parents posting intimate details about their children online, since security is a big issue online. He told New York Times:

“Whether or not they realize it as such...parents are contributing to their child’s digital dossier. And, who sees that dossier later on may be of concern.”

Karen Kavanaugh, who has a Totspot page for her 7-month-old daughter understands the dangers but said she wants to keep this daily record so that her daughter will enjoy it in the future. Karen only adds stuff that respects her daughter.

Do babies need a social network also? I think so, it will bond parents and children more.

NASA May Abandon Sending Crew To Space Station After 2011

NASA will no longer be able to send U.S. astronauts in Space after 2011 because of budget woes and no suitable alternative for the beleaguered Space Shuttle.

This news will be extremely disconcerting for all the scientists involved in NASA. Unless Bush or his successor intervenes and helps NASA space program, there won’t be any flights to either the International Space Station or any human expedition to Moon (or Mars). If not it will be a huge setback to scores of scientists and astronauts and will take a long time to bring the space program back to normalcy.

One, NASA’s former shuttle manager Wayne Hale wrote in his blog:

"That horse has left the barn,"

He is implying that there is no coming back for NASA.

The Space Shuttle program is coming to an end in 2010. NASA instead of repairing further, they want to invest in a new space vehicle called Orion. But Orion program won’t be ready until 2015, almost five years after the shuttle stops flying.

NASA will have no other alternatives but to rely on Russian’s Soyuz capsules, but with the current political climate between the two because of Georgia situation that might be affected as well. But NASA administrator Michael Griffin doesn’t believe that Congress will pass the legislation needed for NASA to keep the Soyuz assembly lines running.

Griffin sent emails to his top NASA managers and said:

"My guess is that there is going to be a lengthy period with no U.S. crew on (the space station) after 2011,"

This email message was posted on the Orlando Sentinel's Web site.

NASA cannot purchase Russian rockets directly because Congress issued a trade sanction in 2005 after Russia helped Iran develop nuclear weapons technology. Griffin said unless Congress gives an exemption by early 2009, the astronauts won’t be sent to the space station.

Griffin further wrote in his email:

"Exactly as I predicted, events have unfolded in a way that makes it clear how unwise it was for the U.S. to adopt a policy of deliberate dependence upon another power for access to ISS. In a rational world, we would have been allowed to pick a shuttle retirement date to be consistent with Ares/Orion availability … and we would have been provided the necessary budget to make it so.”

"The rational approach didn't happen, primarily because for OSTP (Office of Science and Technology Policy) and OMB (Office of Management and Budget) retiring the Shuttle is a jihad rather than an engineering and program management decision,"

NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, Bill Gernstenmaier hopes things will change soon and Congress will be able to work out a solution. He said currently NASA is concentrating on upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope.

If NASA is unable to send any astronauts in Space after 2011, it will be a real shame. How Bush and Congress are able to spend $2 billion per week for Iraq war alone but can’t afford to pay for the much needed space program, which costs much less? It is mind boggling.

Big Success for 'Big Bang' Large Hadron Collider experiment

The world’s most powerful “Big Bang Experiment” Large Hadron Collider (LHC) sent the first beam around its 27 kilometer long tunnel without a hitch.

The LHC project took three decades to be completed cost nearly £5 ($8.83 billion) and involves thousands of engineers and scientists from more than 100 countries. All those efforts are paying well in the end when the first beam was successfully sent around the 27 kilometer (16.78 miles) long tunnel near the Swiss-French border. LHC is operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

The first beam of particles was sent around the long ring successfully without incident.

Scientists at LHC had received death threats earlier, after some feared the world will end on Wednesday because of this “Big Bang” experiment, but so far nothing untoward has happened.

Another beam will be sent in a counter clockwise direction. After which two beams in opposite directions will smash at high speeds (close to speed of light) and forces, which will recreate the earliest conditions in the Universe, just moments after the Big Bang.

Dr Tara Shears, a particle physicist at the University of Liverpool told BBC:

We will be looking at what the Universe was made of billionths of a second after the Big Bang...We will be able to see deeper into matter than ever before,"

The 27-km tunnel contains more than 1,000 cylindrical magnets arranged end-to-end. These magnets will steer the two proton beams around the long ring.

The two proton beams will then cross paths, smashing together near four massive “detectors” that will monitor the collisions for interesting events. Scientists hope that new sub-atomic particles might be created during the collision and might reveal insights about the nature of the cosmos.

The LHC will answer questions about the mass of the particles in the cosmos. The currently favored model involves a particle called the Higgs boson - dubbed the "God Particle". According to the theory, particles acquire their mass through interactions with an all-pervading field carried by the Higgs.

Astronomical observations have suggested that the galaxies, gas, stars and planets make up only 4% of the Universe; the remaining is dark matter (23%) and dark energy (73%). Scientists hope they will be able to detect the mass of the mysterious stuff in Cosmos.

After Wednesday's preliminary tests, engineers will get two beams running in opposite directions around the LHC and carry out the collisions by smashing them together at high speeds.

It is a great start in LHC with plenty of new discoveries to follow soon.

Psychiatrist Suggesting Gandhi Pills, Moral Performance Enhancers For Patients

Can pharmacology help enhance human morality? - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Can pharmacology help enhance human morality?

A British psychiatrist argues that pills can be developed to make one a better person and already some clinics are prescribing it for patients.

Sean Spence of the University of Sheffield is suggesting moral steroids to improve one’s behavior and make them more “humane” towards others.

He has published his research work in the current journal of British Journal of Psychiatry. Spence wrote in the article:

"Within many clinical encounters, there may already be a subtle form of moral assistance going on, albeit one we do not choose to describe in these terms,"

These new drugs behave just like the performance-enhancing drugs but instead of improving the physique it improves one morality. So far there have been some drugs to make one smarter or keep them more focused in studies or research, but there are no drugs that will make one improve their behavior towards others especially those suffering from personality disorders.

Sean Spence describes one case in the article, where the man was suffering from “antisocial personality disorder”, a behavior between dangerously sociopathic and being a jerk. The man requested drugs from his psychiatrists in order to prevent him from harming his girlfriend.

Spence thinks such drugs will be developed soon and may help such a personality disorder. He believes that others will develop drugs that can increase a pro-social feeling and improve “kindness” behavior.

In other words, the pill will bring about Gandhi-like behaviors out of that person. Gandhi didn’t become Mahatma Gandhi overnight, it took him a lifetime to be that persona, so I doubt a drug can create that in one pill or few pills. Some extreme cases might require this pill, but I hope they don’t start distributing it in stores like “over the counter” drugs.

Google Digitizes Historical Newspapers, Makes Them Searchable

Search old articles online in Google News Archive Search. Photo: Google Operating System.

Google has started its quest to digitize old newspapers such as the Washington Post, New York Times, St. Petersburg Times and others. The company will make them available in the Google News Archives.

It is another feather in the cap for Google: Now we can go back in time and search articles from old newspapers. Google is partnering with newspapers to provide a digital version of old dailies in the Google News Archive.

When you search for an article, the Google News Archive has the article as well as the original ads listed in the paper. Most of them are in PDF format, but you can scroll up and down, and side to side, using your computer mouse.

Click this link to read the sample article about computers as shown below.

An old article in Google News Archive

Cgullworld.blogspot.com (Public Domain)

On its official blog, Google said:

"Today, we're launching an initiative to make more old newspapers accessible and searchable online by partnering with newspaper publishers to digitize millions of pages of news archives. This effort expands on the contributions of others who've already begun digitizing historical newspapers. In 2006, we started working with publications like the New York Times and the Washington Post to index existing digital archives and make them searchable via Google News Archive."

You can also find old articles from the New York Times and Washington Post, but unlike other digitized versions they have converted all articles into digital formats and have put them up as Web pages. So, they look like recent articles but they are dated exactly when they were published.

If you have used Google's Book Search before, this Google News Archive search looks the same. Most of the news archives are available in university libraries but searching through them can be tedious, as you have to scroll manually for hours to find a particular article. Google News Archive, on the other hand, makes it easy for anyone to find anything by digitizing articles online.

Use Multiple Google Accounts Simultaneously in One Browser With Google Chrome

How to Open a Browser in Incognito Mode

Do you want to use multiple Google accounts in one browser? Then you can use Google Chrome to access two different Google accounts.


Google Chrome Browser. Photo: Cnet.com.

Many users have multiple Google accounts and Google Apps accounts, so if you want to use two different accounts in either regular Google or in Apps, then you have to log out from one to access another. But with Google Chrome, you can access them both in the same browser without logging out from either account.

Google Chrome has a “incognito” mode feature, where you can browse safely and without storing any of your information or cookies. By opening one of your accounts in a regular tab in Google Chrome and another one in incognito mode, both the information of either accounts are kept separate from interfering with each other.

To open multiple Google accounts, follow these steps:

1.) Open the Google Chrome browser.

2.) Log on to one of your Google accounts in one of the tabs.

3.) To open another window, press “Ctrl+Shift+N”, which will open an “incognito” window, where you can log on to another Google account.

4.) Now you can open all the applications in Google in both of these windows, without interfering with each other.

Google explains this process as follows:

"Webpages that you open and files downloaded while you are incognito won't be logged in your browsing and download histories; all new cookies are deleted after you close the incognito window. You can browse normally and in incognito mode at the same time by using separate windows."

When you close the “incognito window” all the cookies are deleted from the browser. To access your account again, you have to log in once more. The only limitation is you can open only two accounts at a time, which however is not a bad one.

I also do this in Firefox but with a different method. I open one Google account in one tab and open another Google account with an “IE View” tab, which opens the page in Internet Explorer mode and thus keep both accounts separately.

Google Chrome surpasses Opera and gaining share from Internet Explorer

Google’s new Chrome browser has overtaken Opera in browser market share in just two days what Opera had achieved in a decade.

Google launched Chrome browser two days ago and is already ranked No. 4 in the browsers behind Safari, Firefox and No.1 Internet Explorer.

Opera has 0.74% share and Google’s Chrome hovers around 1%. Though Google may have surpassed Opera, the latter is a good browser also, very safe to use with more features.

TechCrunch has reported that about 6 percent of its readers use Chrome and has gained this share mostly from the Internet Explorer market share. This indicates that many tech users are using Chrome browser over Internet Explorer. Microsoft has another Google problem to solve now. But its lead is so vast now (nearly 72%), it may ignore Google for a while.

I use Firefox, Safari and Chrome, each has its own uses and advantages. Competition is pushing them and others to produce excellent browsers, which is good for us.

Add Photos by Email in Picasa Web Albums

Google’s Picasa Web Albums has enabled a new feature allowing you to upload photos to its online site via email. You can send photos from your mobile also.

Picasa Web Albums is free for everyone. You can store your photos online and share it with your friends and family easily. You can also post photos at any blogs or sites after you have uploaded the photos to Picasa Web Albums.

Picasa Web Albums has desktop software to collect, edit and transmit photos. But if you don’t want to use a software, you can use the below method to send photos to your online Picasa Web Albums account via email.

To enable this feature follow these steps:

1.) Go to Picasa Web Albums site.

2.) Go to “Settings” Page.

3.) Browse down settings page and go to section “Upload Photos by Email” and check the feature “Allow me to upload photos by email”.

Secret Email settings in Picasa albums to send pho

Cgullworld.blogspot.com (Public Domain)

4.) It needs a secret email address, where you can send your photos. Enter the secret email address, which has the following format: username.secretkey@picasaweb.com. The secret key can be up to 15 characters long. Make one that you can remember it easily.

5.) Click “Save Settings”.

Now once the secret email address is set up, you can send photos via email. In order to send the photos to the correct album, enter the album’s name in the “Subject” line in the email as shown below:

Send photos to online Picasa albums via email

Googlesystem.blogspot.com (Public Domain)

You can send up to 20MB of photos in JPG, GIF and PNG formats.

Picasa Web Albums also has a mobile site for iPhones and other mobiles, but they don’t have an upload photos feature. So you can email the photos until that feature is available in mobiles.

Get 250 Bags of PG Tips Black Tea for $2.52 including Shipping

This is a great deal from Amazon.com.

You can get 250 bags 0f PG Tips Black Tea for an incredible $2.52 including shipping. The original price is $25.30.






To get this discount, purchase the item from the link here PG Tips Black Tea, Pyramid Tea Bags, 240-Count Boxes (Pack of 2) and checkout Amazon the usual manner. When you enter your credit card information, there is a box below the payment details where you have to enter both of these codes:

PGTIPS51 and CLRNCFTY

click continue, you will see the new amount $2.52.

Hurry up, this offer may not last long.

Eiffel Tower plans to cut the lights out to save energy

The Eiffel Tower in Paris added 20,000 lights to usher the new millennium in 2001 but now the government thinks the lights are draining too much electricity. They plan to turn the lights on only for five minutes instead of the previous 10 minutes show.

It was a brilliant display in Paris on January 1, 2000, the 20,000 light bulbs on Eiffel tower looked spectacular and put on a great show. Since that day, the lights on the tower were flashed on for about 10 minutes mainly for tourist attraction. But from next month onwards, the lights will be turned on only for five minutes by Sete, the company that manages the tower for the French government.

In total, the lights on the Eiffel tower will be turned on for 200 hours per year only.

The tourism deputy of Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë told Telegraph:

"It's above all a symbolic decision, as the cost savings are not enormous"

But mainly they are doing this to show that the French government is serious about sustainable development and being environment friendly. The tickets and documents in the tower will be made of recycled paper and all the energy they currently use comes from renewable sources only. They plan to add solar panels to restaurants’ roofs in the tower.

France is also doing this green initiative for other monuments. They have an ambitious plan to replace all incandescent light bulbs with metal iodide light bulbs on 125 of its monuments. The newer bulbs are five times more energy efficient and last longer. Thanks to this effort, the power requirement to light the monuments has reduced by one fourth.

The tourists might be upset with this decision but this is for a good cause.

DYMO LetraTag Handheld Label Printer For Only $15.99

This is another great deal, you can't miss, it is available only for a short time so hurry. The Dymo LetraTag Handheld Label Printer is quite useful for homes, you can label, quickly and easily without any need for technology expertise.

The original price is $29.99 but they have a 50 percent discount + Free Ground Shipping, which makes it $15.99 total. Great deal, don't pass up.

Here are the full technical details for this Printer:


Brand: DYMO
Model: 11944

Specifications
	Labelmaker Dimensions: 8" x 3" x 2 1/2" Weight: 0.5 lbs.
Features
	•Direct thermal technology prints durable high quality labels fast. •Color-coded ABC style keyboard with oversized keys for quick entry of label messages. •Large 6-character digital display with print preview for editing label message before printing. •Prints 1 or 2 lines per label for flexibility. •Easy to read Helvetica font in 4 sizes. •Prints labels vertically or horizontally, and adds emphasis with bold, italic, shadow, underline, symbols, boxes and background features. •Last label memory, no need to re-enter message information. •Auto power-off to extend battery life and low battery indicator. •Includes one 1/2" white paper tape. •Uses 6 "AA" batteries (not included). •The LetraTag hand-held label maker makes labeling a breeze. Prints label horizontally or vertically, and adds emphasis with bold, italic, underline, symbol, boxes and more. The LetraTag features a large LCD display and print preview. Easy to hold, handle and load, it prints up to two lines on 1/2" wide paper, plastic, metallic, magnetic and Iron on LetraTag tapes

To purchase this Dymo LetraTag, click the New Egg Link.

How To Use Important Features of Chrome Browser

One Box for Everything. Search, browse, all in one page.

New Tab Page. Click the "+" sign to open a new browser.

Application Shortcuts. Create applications at the desktop and access them off-line.

Dynamic Tabs. You can move your tabs and keep them independent.

Crash Control. If one tab crashes when you have multiple tabs. Only one tab is taken down, others remain.

Incognito Mode. This is a private browsing feature, you can browse the web safely and anonymously.

Safe Browsing. Browse safe from phishing attacks.

Instant Bookmarks. Create Bookmarks easily.

Importing Settings. You can import your Firefox and other browser passwords, bookmarks etc. into Google Chrome.

Simpler Downloads. Downloads are quick and easy to start from the browser itself.

Chrome also passed the Acid3 test with flying colors.

Google Chrome browser is faster than other leading browsers Firefox 3 and Internet Explorer 7 based on the Acid3 test for browsers.

The Chrome browser was introduced yesterday with much fanfare and performs as promised. It is easy to use, safe and very fast. The Chrome was testedagainst other browsers in the market via the Acid3 test, which tests how well the browser performs with a given set of web standards.

Chrome currently clocks in at 78 out of 100 on Acid3 compared to Firefox’s 71 and IE7’s 14. Only Opera is higher with 83. These are all stable full release browsers. But when compared to other beta release browsers, Chrome has still a long way to go.

The Firefox 3.1 Beta 1 has a score of 85, Opera Beta has 91 and Safari 4 Beta has 100. Both Safari and Chrome are built on WebKit framework, so we can expect higher scores for Chrome in the near future.

Acid3 Test is an important goal for browser developers, so Google should be happy with the initial release version passing the test with an high score.

I have added a number of Chrome Browser videos here, which are very useful if you want to use all the important features of Chrome. Just like the video shows they are easy to use.

Which is Worse?

Cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar on May 3rd, 2008.

Which is worse of the two? Callousness or the one that injures?

It is the former that could have prevented the latter from committing the said injuries.

- Chris Veerabadran in "All Are One".

Free Belkin Laptop Alarm Lock - 1 Db Audible Usb Security Alarm

Get a Belkin Laptop Alarm Lock for free after Rebates at Frys.com. Laptops are the most stolen item in the world right now. There are number of software that will help you locate the stolen laptops but if you want a conventional one that gives a loud alarm like the car alarm detector, then you should get this Belkin Laptop Alarm Clock. It has a loud noise with up to 1 decibel alarm sound.

Please note the product costs $10 with free shipping and the rebate is valid until today, September 2, 2008.

Here are the main features for this alarm lock.

• Laptop theft is rampant everywhere, protect yours with this simple, inexpensive solution.
• The alarm plugs into any available USB port, and features a cable to be wrapped around a secure object, safely anchoring your computer.
• If this cable is cut or disconnected, the alarm sounds.
• Set the alarm with an activation key, turn the alarm off by reinserting the key.
• Extend the cable length by adding a standard USB extension cable.

The link to purchase this is here.

Google introduces a new browser Chrome

Google Chrome Browser. Photo: Cnet.com.

Google introduces a competing browser named Chrome that will go head to head against Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari and others.

The Chrome browser will be a Webkit-based browser like Safari and will have its own JavaScript engine and will launch very soon at http://Google.com/chrome. It is an open-sourced browser; others can create any web based applications as well make improvements in the browser.

TechCrunch's Arrington said though Chrome appears to be competing against other browsers it is basically going against Microsoft Windows. Google wants to have all the applications to run on a browser, so an operating system like Windows won’t be necessary. The new JavaScript engine will make the applications on the web much faster and run far more efficiently.

Arrington said in the article:

Chrome is nothing less than a full on desktop operating system that will compete head on with Windows.

Expect to see millions of web devices, even desktop web devices, in the coming years that completely strip out the Windows layer and use the browser as the only operating system the user needs.

With Google Gears, the applications can be run off-line as well and also store the data off-line as a backup.
Here is a comic demo illustrating the Chrome browser, what is it based, how it is going to run and what are the various things the users can do in a browser.

The video shows a general look of the Chrome browser.





Some features of the Chrome browser are the following:

1.) Compared to Firefox, the tabs appear at the top.

2.) Google said in its blog, unlike other browsers, if one tab crashes, the other tabs keeps working in the new chrome.

3.) They have improved the speed of browsing and also are trying to keep it very secure.

4.) Chrome also provides private browsing like the Safari and the new Internet Explorer.

5.) Chrome browser has a powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even available yet.

6.) Only Windows version is available, but Google will also release Chrome in Mac and Linux version very soon.

7.) The new Chrome will be available in 100 countries.

Mozilla’s CEO John Lily told Om Malik that he is not afraid about the Chrome browser, though he should worry about it. But it will take Chrome some time to surpass Firefox. Recently Google signed a three year agreement with Mozilla.

Do we need another browser? Apparently not right now, but if Chrome demonstrates that it is a great browser, safe, fast and makes us run the important applications on the web without an operating system, I think many users would love to use it.