You’re essentially looking over my shoulder as I write, think, create, invent, and — in general — ponder the world around us.  Feel free to peruse my writings and chime in as you’re so inspired.  I encourage spirited debate.

This is a specially crafted multi-pronged conduit.  Everything I type feeds parallel simultaneous streams to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my e-mail broadcast system.  It’s a global tightrope without a net.  Oh, my.

No topic is off limits. If you’re looking for a site that is “politically correct,” you’ve come to the wrong place.  Hit the back button on your browser now.

Lots and lots of new features are coming online.  They’re all in various stages of development.  You’ll soon see innovative things I’m working on — such as a live, streaming, two-way “TV channel” of sorts where you’ll be able to interact with me (audio, video, text) in real time as I type here in front of my computer.

This is my platform to push the boundaries of technology in every dimension.

Hang on tight.  We may achieve orbit.  Or we may sail off a cliff.  But the ride will be exhilarating.

– Eric

You saw it on the news. You read about it in the press. But now you can learn the inside story of the team that launched the world’s first civilian rocket into space.

As many of you know, I was one of the team leaders of this historic mission.  On May 17, 2004, after years of agonizing rocket crashes and catastrophes — some quite spectacular — we accomplished our remarkable goal.

I stuffed the book with 90 full-color photos to bring the adventure to life in vivid detail.  It’s 244 pages long in a wonderfully oversized 6×9 format.  (Paperback size wouldn’t do justice to the glorious color images.)  Check out the covers here.

You can order the book from Amazon by clicking here.

I encourage you to check out my book’s companion Web site at www.TheNewRaceToSpace.com.  You’ll see lots of interesting videos and other neat stories. And, as a bonus, you can save $2.00 if you use the Web site’s special ordering link and enter Discount Code NDE55XNW.

The icky stuff you see floating on the top of stagnant water may become the latest weapon in spotting cancer cells circulating in a bloodstream.  That’s the bottom line from renowned scientist, Yoshinobu Baba, Ph.D. , and his research with the pond-scum microbe called Euglena.

According to an article from the American Chemical Society, “Baba’s team turned to Euglena in an effort to solve the medical problem of detecting the minute number of cancer cells that break off from the original, or primary, tumor site and travel through the bloodstream. Those cells, termed circulating tumor cells (CTCs), enable cancer to spread, or metastasize, and start growing at distant sites in the body. Metastasis is the main reason why cancer can be such a difficult disease to treat. Detecting those cells would raise a red flag so that doctors could treat or more intensively monitor patients.”

Baba’s novel technique uses Euglena to help detect those minute cancer cells.  It’s an ingenious combination of scientific brilliance and Mother Nature.

For the complete article, with the scientific premise behind the technique, visit the American Chemical Society’s Web site at this link:  http://bit.ly/GRiV8R

Image courtesy of Yoshinobu Baba

Can’t get no satisfaction?  Women in the German town of Luchow are upset with design of the urinals in a men’s restroom at a Rolling Stones museum.  The urinals emulate the band’s famous red-lips logo.  But, to some, the lips look too feminine.  And that’s what has stirred the emotions.

According to Spiegel Online, Rolling Stones memorabilia collector, Ulli Schroder, opened the museum last October.  Regarding the controversy, Spiegel Online reported that Schroder was “defiant and unrepentant.”  He reportedly commented:  “That’s not a man’s mouth or a woman’s mouth, that’s art. They were damned expensive and they’re staying where they are and that’s final.”

The Stones-inspired urinals were designed by female Dutch artist, Meike van Schijndel.

For the complete news report, visit http://bit.ly/GSSLSe

Image courtesy Spiegel Online

(UPI) — The Summer Olympics could be crippled by a solar storm far more potent than the one currently wearing away at Earth’s magnetic field, a British physicist said.

“We have the potential this year to see what planners call a Black Swan event — one that is unlikely but if it happens will have an extraordinary impact on our lives,” Alan Woodward, a physicist and computer scientist at England’s University of Surrey, told the British newspaper The Guardian.

Radiation from the superfast bombardment of highly charged clouds of solar energy would likely pose little or no health risk. But it could disable computers and other electronics critical to the Olympic Games, which take place in London July 27 through Aug. 12, Woodward said.

“As the 2012 Olympics approach, we have a convergence of an event that is the most connected, computer-intensive event ever with a record level of sunspot activity, which typically leads to solar flares,” he said.

Solar flares are colossal releases of energy rocketed out into space that have been measured to be the equivalent of as much as 160 billion megatons of TNT.

To read the complete article, visit http://bit.ly/GNPrnL

Image courtesy UPI

(CNN) — A piece of a debris from a Russian Cosmos satellite passed close enough to the International Space Station on Saturday that its crew was ordered into escape capsules as a precaution, NASA said.

The six crew members were told to take shelter late Friday in their Soyuz capsules after it was determined there was a small possibility the debris could hit the station, the U.S. space agency said in a statement.

“The Expedition 30 crew aboard the International Space Station received an ‘all clear’ to move out of their Soyuz vehicles after a small piece of a Russian Cosmos satellite debris passed by the complex without incident early Saturday,” the statement said.

“They began the process of moving out of the vehicles and back to their regular duties and a weekend off.”

It is the third time in the space station’s history that a crew has had to take shelter in escape capsules because of the possibility of being hit by orbital debris. The last time the crew took cover was in June 2011.

For the complete article, visit http://bit.ly/GYylYK

Image courtesy CNN and NASA

(The Guardian / UK)  “Taking a low dose [75-milligram] of aspirin each day may prevent cancer and stop it spreading, according to three papers to be published in leading medical journals on Wednesday. It could also possibly have a use as a treatment for the disease.

“Dr Peter Rothwell from Oxford University and the John Radcliffe hospital and colleagues, the authors of the studies in the Lancet and Lancet Oncology have previously shown that long-term daily aspirin, for 10 years or so, reduces the risk of colorectal (bowel) cancer and other common cancers, but some experts have voiced concerns over potential long-term side-effects, because aspirin can cause stomach bleeding.

“The new studies reinforce aspirin’s claim to be a weapon against cancer. They show that taking daily low-dose pills for just three years can reduce your risk of cancer by about a quarter — 23% for men and 25% for women. The risk of dying of cancer is cut by 15% — and by 37% for those who take aspirin for longer than five years.

“The second study found that aspirin helped prevent the spread of cancer — or metastasis — to other organs, which is a serious threat to the patient’s survival. Aspirin reduced the proportion of cancers that spread instead of staying localised by 48%.

“The drug also reduced the risk of being diagnosed with a solid cancer that had already spread by 31%. For patients initially diagnosed with a local cancer, the risk of later metastasis was reduced by 55%.”

For the complete article, visit http://bit.ly/GDovty

Image courtesy of Scot Frei / Corbis

Want to own the most outrageous ride on the planet?  How about your very own, officially licensed,1966 Batmobiile, complete with functional flamethrower exhaust and double-bubble windshields.

And it’s more than just show:   A 280 horsepower, 325 ft-lbs of torque, GM350 crate engine will zoom you out of your bat cave, 0 – 60 MPH, in five seconds.

What’s the price for the ultimate cool car?  $161,000.   For more information on this Gotham City masterpiece, check out http://bit.ly/A0zVH9

Image courtesy of Firebox

We’ve all heard the typical predicted results of global warming — rising tides, shrinking shorelines, more intense weather, etc.  The editors of Live Science delved a little deeper and identified some surprising secondary results.

For instance, did you know that a number of mountain ranges (such as the Alps) have grown taller over the last century?  It’s true.  With the melting of glaciers that sit on top of some of the ranges, the compressive weight has been reduced, and the mountains have actually elevated to new heights.

Check out nine other unexpected results of global warming at http://bit.ly/zZ884x

Alps photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Blutgretchen

The rumor mill is buzzing with the possibility of the iPhone 5 launching in September or October of this year.  As most of my readers know, I’m partial to the Android platform.  But the iPhone does have some intriguing features, including Siri.

If you’d like to get the latest scoop on the iPhone 5, check out the article at Touch Reviews here.

Image courtesy of Touch Reviews

Doomsday prognosticators are touting the impending apocalypse on December 21, 2012.  Most base their prophecies on the supposed “end” of the Mayan calendar.

NASA scientists reviewed the top five earth-destruction scenarios — including a collision with yet-to-be-discovered planet “Nibiru” and the sudden flipping of Earth’s magnetic poles — and have offered their opinions on each.  Check out http://on.msnbc.com/ywIXon

Photo courtesy of gilderm / sxc.hu

InformationWeek wrote an excellent review of 10 lesser-known Android apps — like Glympse and Car Locator — that are both fun and helpful.   Check out the list of 10 great apps at http://bit.ly/wIRUIT.   Enjoy!

Image courtesy of InformationWeek.

Washington legislators may have finally lost their minds. Two bills winding their way through Congress — the House’s “Stop Online Piracy Act” (aka, SOPA) and the Senate’s “Protect IP Act of 2011″ (aka, Protect IP) — could gut the very foundation of the Internet.

But don’t just take my word for it. The same conclusion is represented by three distinguished law professors from Stanford, Elon, and Temple universities in their jointly published essay, “Don’t Break the Internet.”

Here are a couple of snippets from the authors’ essay:

“The procedures outlined in both bills fail [a] fundamental constitutional test. Websites can be ‘completely removed from circulation’ — rendered unreachable by, and invisible to, Internet users in the United States and abroad — immediately upon application by the government, without any reasonable opportunity for the owner or operator of the website in question to be heard or to present evidence on his or her own behalf. This falls far short of what the Constitution requires before speech can be eliminated from public circulation.”

“As serious as these infirmities are, SOPA, the House’s bill, builds upon them, enlarges them, and makes them worse. Under SOPA, IP rights holders can proceed vigilante-style against allegedly offending sites, without any court hearing or any judicial intervention or oversight whatsoever.”

In the noise of all of the other political gyrations in Washington, legislation that could undermine the foundation of the Internet could squeak through. I urge you to review the entire legal analysis at this link.  If you’re equally concerned, you may want to consider contacting your Congressional representatives.

Image courtesy Stanford Law Review.

ABC News / Australian 9NEWS:   “A U.S. transgender woman has been charged with practising cosmetic surgery without a licence after she injected a patient’s buttocks with a cocktail of substances including cement and [tire] sealant, police say.

“Oneal Ron Morris, 30, was arrested last Friday for conducting a botched butt implant at a Miami home last May, ABC reports.  Police said Morris shot a mixture of cement, glue, mineral oil and ‘Fix-A-Flat’ [tire] mender into the woman’s buttocks and then sealed the amateur incision with super glue.

“Morris, who appears to have an ‘enhanced’ rear end herself from police photos, first met her victim to discuss the procedure in May 2010.  ‘They agreed on the price of $700 for the procedure, which was intended for cosmetic purposes,’ Sgt William Bamford told ABC.  But the patient soon complained of serious pains in her abdomen and throughout her body, and was hospitalized.”

For the complete head-shaking story, visit http://bit.ly/rwQ7if

Police photo of Oneal Ron Morris courtesy of ABC News / Australian 9NEWS

Discovery News:  “Pop the red, cranberry-sized miracle fruit in your mouth and chew it for a while, allowing its juices to coat your mouth. It doesn’t taste like much. But what follows ‘is just a miracle or a kind of magic’ according to Keiko Abe, of the University of Tokyo, as you sample other foods. ‘Beer tastes like sweet juice. Lemon tastes like sweet orange.’

“Sour foods are perceived as trippily sweet when tasted for up to an hour after consuming the berry. This effect has led curious folks in the U.S. and elsewhere to seek the miracle fruit for ‘flavor-tripping’ parties: pop the fruit with friends, then sample a smorgasbord of sour-leaning snacks: limes, goat cheese, beer, grapefruit, vinegar, pickles and more.

“‘To me it was very exhilarating. It really is a very joyous experience,’ said writer Adam Gollner of trying the fruit. Gollner is author of The Fruit Hunters, which includes a chapter on the miracle fruit. “It’s almost like this thing that you can’t understand that is happening to you. That sense of incomprehensibility is a great feeling.’”

For the complete Discovery News article, click here: http://bit.ly/tW1qVS

Image courtesy of Keiko Abe / Science

Until now, your options for flat-panel TVs really boiled down to LCD, LED, or plasma.  But if you’re in the market for a large flat-panel TV, and you want to future-proof your selection, you may want to switch your sights to OLED — organic light-emitting diode technology.

OLEDs provide amazing clarity, contrast, and color saturation.  In the not-to-distant future, they’ll be the technology behind the paper-thin TVs you’ll be able to affix to your wall like wall paper.  In the meantime, manufacturers are ready to roll out more-traditional flat-screen TVs made of OLEDs — such as the stunning 55-inch TV by LG Electronics.

The soon-to-be-unveiled LG Electronics 55-inch OLED flat-screen TV is just 4mm thick  (just a little more than an eighth of an inch).  And the entire TV weighs just 16.5 pounds.

The LG Electronics 55-inch OLED TV is scheduled to be revealed at the International Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas on January 10th.  For more information, visit this link:  http://fxn.ws/tgDLlb

Image courtesy LG Electronics

My brother-in-law, Larry, gave my wife, Elsie, a musical Christmas ornament 23 years ago — when he was just 8 years old.  23 years later, the Christmas ornament still plays its song — Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — with the ORIGINAL BATTERY.  It would seem technically impossible.  But, for some unexplained reason, the ornament keeps working.

Not even today’s advanced lithium batteries would function for 23 years.  (Their shelf life is approx. 10 years.)  And back 23 years ago, the battery that was glued into the ornament was the cheapest possible — as the entire ornament only cost Larry a few dollars.  The battery should have lasted four or five years, at most.  But now we’re just two years short of a QUARTER CENTURY.

Would you like to see and hear the ornament for yourself?  Here’s a link to a YouTube video of Elsie and Larry playing the ornament on December 12, 2010.  And here’s a link to a YouTube video of Elsie, Larry, and other family members playing the ornament just a couple of days ago — on December 18, 2011.

You can also scroll down and click on the images below — to immediately play our 2010 and 2011 family YouTube videos.

None of my engineer buddies (in fact, no one who I’ve talked to) has been able to suggest a plausible reason why this ornament continues to play, year after year.  Hence it’s why our family has named it our “miracle Christmas ornament.”

Now, I’m not saying that this ornament is divinely powered.  For us, the phrase  is simply a fun way to talk about our annual family tradition regarding this amazing, never-quit, holiday gift.

How long will it keep going?  Will it make a full quarter of a century?  Impossible to predict.  We’re in uncharted territory.  I’ll keep you posted through the next couple of years.

Let me take this moment to wish a heartfelt “Happy Holidays” to all of my readers — of all faiths — around the globe.  Thank you for letting me be part of your world each week.

-- Eric

From December 12, 2010:

From December 18, 2011:

How would you like to raise up to $2 million for your startup business?  And do it by letting investors “point-n-click” the cash your way via the Web?  It may soon be nearly that simple, thanks to the “Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act” (more commonly known as the “Crowdfunding Act”) that passed the House in an overwhelming (and bi-partisan!) 407 to 17 vote.  President Obama is another driving force behind the legislation, which is designed to dramatically streamline fund-raising for entrepreneurs.

After the bill passes the Senate (and all indications are that it will), and President Obama signs the legislation into law, entrepreneurs will be able to turn on a grassroots method to raise capital — equity sales online — with greatly reduced SEC restrictions.  The freer flow of money would be rocket fuel for startups, which are an essential engine for a robust economy and job creation.

“Crowdfunding” — a way for masses of people (“the crowd”) to feed ventures with capital via the Web — has blossomed in recent years thanks to sites like Kickstarter.com.  But SEC “red tape” (primarily the Securities Act of 1933) has prohibited these sites from directly offering investment shares in the enterprises.  The new Crowdfunding Act will remove this barrier.  No longer will equity sales be restricted to accredited investors.  And the power of public-supported funding will be unleashed.

Entrepreneurial endeavors will be able to sell up to $2 million in ownership shares to an unlimited number of investors.  And individuals will be able to invest up to $10,000 or up to 10% of his or her annual income, whichever is less.

If a company seeks the maximum $2 million in funding, it must supply “the crowd” with audited financial statements.  A company can choose to bypass the audited-financial-statement requirement — but then the maximum capital it can raise is $1 million.  (That’s nothing to sneeze at!)

When the President signs the legislation into law, it will be a great day for all entrepreneurs.  Just as important for America, the ensuing new businesses will provide a shot of adrenaline for the economy and help rev up the job-creation engine.  Everyone will win.

I come across all sorts of gizmos and gadgets.  One that struck me as truly brilliant is the “iCADE” iPad arcade cabinet.  Just pop in an iPad and — presto! — you’ve transformed it into a classic arcade (see picture) capable of playing dozens of your Atari favorites, like Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Centipede, Missile Command, Battlezone, Super Breakout, and (one of my personal favorites) Tempest.  (I spent way too many hours playing Tempest in the arcade at UConn.  But I digress…)

I found the iCADE on sale at ThinkGeek for $69.99 (about 30 bucks less than other online stores).  Here’s the link:  http://bit.ly/s56vbe

And, yes, I bought one.  Couldn’t resist.

NOTE:  To complete the iPad-to-iCADE metamorphosis, you’ll also need to download the games from the Apple App Store.  Some are free (like Missile Command), some are 99 cents, and you can download the full collection of 100 Atari games for $14.99.  Enjoy!

Has your cell phone’s autocorrect feature ever made a really screwy suggestion for the word you intended to type?  Worse, have you accidentally sent the text with the nutty word, only to then have an OMG moment — wishing you could take it back?

The editors of “Damn You Auto Correct” have compiled what they believe are the 50 funniest messed-up text messages, as determined by Facebook shares, tweets, comments, and pageviews.  Check out the LOL selection of text messages here:   http://bit.ly/vxU90b

I’m following up on my earlier thoughts regarding Americans Elect.  On the November 25th “Hardball” with Chris Matthews (one of my favorite shows, btw), Americans Elect COO Elliot Ackerman had some revealing comments — a number of which were not factual.  For instance, Ackerman expressed that the donor list is “streaming live on our Web site.”  However, it is not.  He also said that Americans Elect is “not a political party.”  However, a little fact-checking reveals that Americans Elect is registered as a political party in a variety of states, including Florida, Colorado, and Arizona.

Because Americans Elect doesn’t have to reveal its donor list, that invites big money to sneak in the back door — along with wink-and-nod influence.  And the organization, itself, was kicked off with $1.55 million from Wall Street billionaire Peter Ackerman.  Yes, that’s the COO’s father.  So there’s a strange mix of things going on here.  The organization may very well have a significant impact on the 2012 election.  But will it be a healthy impact?  Stay tuned for further perspectives.

In the meantime, check out the Wikipedia information here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_Elect

And here’s a link to the above-referenced Hardball interview: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/#45406374

NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has discovered an Earth-like planet with balmy 70-degree temperatures: “Kepler-22b”.  The plant is 2.4 times the diameter of Earth, and orbits its sun in 290 days.

But we won’t be visiting anytime soon, as the planet is 600 light years away.  How far is 600 light years?  Well, consider that light travels 186,287 miles each second.  Now multiply 186,287 miles times the number of seconds in 600 years.  Whew!

Scientists have pointed the 42 dish antennas that comprise California’s Allen Telescope Array on Kepler-22b to see if it can detect any radio waves — to perhaps catch a Keplerian broadcast of “Dancing with the Stars” (sorry — couldn’t resist that).

Something to think about:  If scientists on Kepler-22b were scanning Earth for radio or TV broadcasts, they wouldn’t hear anything.  Radio waves travel at the speed of light.  So, they’d be examining Earth as it was 600 years ago — and radio was invented here less than 150 years ago.

For additional details about this planetary discovery, including a video of the mission managers discussing their find, check out the following article in the San Jose Mercury News:  http://bit.ly/smOSZF

Artist’s conception courtesy of NASA / Ames/ JPL-Caltech

“Carrier IQ is a piece of software installed on millions of mobile phones that logs everything their users do, from what websites they browse to what their text messages say.

“No, it’s not part of some great Orwellian plot; it’s a diagnostic tool that carriers say plays a crucial role in helping them assess and troubleshoot their networks. But the recording app, which flew under the radar for years until security researchers drew attention to it recently, is setting off red-alert privacy and security alarms.

“It’s also spotlighting how little customers — and, sometimes, the carriers and manufacturers themselves — know about what goes on under the hood of their data-stuffed mobile devices.”

For the full article, including a link to an insightful YouTube video, visit http://cnnmon.ie/ruPxSh

Image courtesy John F. Coughlin / CNNMoney

I’m not big on politics.  But I am on technology.  And I’ve spotted an emerging technology platform that has a legitimate potential to profoundly impact the U.S. presidential election less than a year from now.

It’s called Americans Elect www.AmericansElect.com.  Its goal:  Allow the public to select its own President / Vice President candidate ticket — and put the pair on the election ballot in all 50 states.

What distinguishes this endeavor from a symbolic gesture is that Americans Elect is collecting signatures nationwide to place the selected candidates on the ballot in all 50 states.  So, in theory, the Americans Elect ticket could become President and Vice President of the United States.

As stated by Americans Elect:  “We’re using the Internet to break the gridlock in Washington, open up the political process and give every single voter — Democrat, Republican or independent — the power to nominate a presidential ticket in 2012. Your voice matters. You decide the issues. You choose the candidates. And in a secure, online convention next June, you will make history by putting the Americans Elect ticket on the ballot in every state.”

Could this actually happen?  Given the volatile political climate, and now the technology infrastructure, it’s not impossible.  Check out the Web site www.AmericansElect.com and keep an eye on things.  And if Americans Elect blossoms into a real political force, remember where you heard it first.

I recently came across a Bushnell BackTrack Point-5 ultra-portable GPS at an L.L. Bean store.  It was on sale for $79.  I couldn’t resist finding out what such a low-priced GPS unit could do.  The unit also features a digital compass, altimeter, thermometer, and clock.

I was pleasantly surprised.  This little unit performed like a champ.   Within about 20 seconds of popping in two AAA batteries, the unit had already “locked” onto GPS satellites.  With a press of a button, the unit stored my location.  It gave me a choice of five location icons, as the device will allow up to five “waypoints” to be kept in memory.

My wife and I then went for a few-mile hike in an area with plenty  of hills, trees, and thick brush.   The  BackTrack Point-5 made our return trip simple.

With its small size and attached carabineer, you can just clip it onto your belt or backpack — and off you go.  For easy hikes, it may be all you need.  For more complex journeys, it would make a great backup.

If you’re looking for a “stocking stuffer” for the person who appreciates  unique gadgets, this should certainly be a pleaser.

HEAD’S UP:   I already thought it was a super deal for $79.  But I’ve also spotted it for just $68 at Walmart (online only) and $67 on Amazon.

Check out a minute-and-a-half video and product details at this link.

Image courtesy Bushnell

As I reported in an earlier post, NASA’s Curiosity rover is about twice as long and about five times heavier than the most recent Opportunity and Spirit rovers.  But what’s really unique is that it’s powered by a radioisotope power system instead of solar panels.  The result:  Curiosity should be able to operate continuously through sandstorms and Martian winters for years.

If you’d like to read more about NASA’s Curiosity rover and its innovative power plant, check out a CNET article at this link:  http://cnet.co/rs8Xlz

Image courtesy of NASA

I’ve come across one of the most bizarre music videos that I’ve ever seen.  It is a group of Chinese senior citizens performing Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”  Picture scantily clad women musicians playing clear-plastic fiddles with seniors gyrating to the music in a life-size dollhouse.  I’m not making this up.

If you dare to unlock a weird and freaky place in your brain, turn up your speakers and click on this article’s image and link.  You’ve been warned…

Just when you thought scientific research couldn’t get any more bizarre, here’s a new benchmark:  Researchers at the University College London have apparently discovered a link between the number of Facebook friends and the size particular of brain regions, such as the amygdala, where memory and emotion are processed.

The researchers do not suggest whether they believe it was Facebook activity that increased the size of these portions of the brain — or — if someone’s amygdala size, for instance, influences a person’s desire to acquire Facebook friends.

If you’d like to know more about this unusual study, check out the Reuter’s report here:  http://reut.rs/rm6Apb.  And, yes, feel free to share the details with your friends on Facebook.

Image courtesy of Reuters

Chime.in, a just-launched social-media site, claims it will pay all content posters 50% of the advertising revenue generated on their profile pages.  This in stark contrast to Facebook, which has built a $65 billion empire by leveraging members’ content to attract advertisers and amass revenue.

To provide a first-hand report, I created Chime.in account (very simple to do), and explored the site.  Although the site is still in beta, I must say the user interface is well thought out.  Since the site has just turned on, you probably have a good shot to get your personal name as your user name.  Hey, it’s free.  Go for it.  www.Chime.in

The following is a snippet of a Huffington Post article about Chime.In:

“While Facebook has earned billions of dollars selling ads next to the content uploaded by their 800 million members, users haven’t seen a dime from their posts.

Share with Chime.in and Chime.in will share with you. The site, which allows individuals to post photos, links, videos and text in two thousand character ‘chimes,’ will give users 50 percent of the revenue it earns from selling advertising on their profile pages.

‘This is a firing shot in social media,’ [Bill Gross, the founder] told The Huffington Post. ‘Finally, the interests of the content creators are aligned with the interests of the publisher because they get something for their hard work.”

For the complete article, visit http://huff.to/ogyFGi

Image courtesy The Huffington Post and Getty Images.

London (CNN) — An independent study of global temperature records has reaffirmed previous conclusions by climate scientists that global warming is real.

The new analysis by the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature project examined 1.6 billion temperature reports from 15 data archives stretching back over 200 years in an effort to address scientific concerns raised by climate skeptics about the data used to inform reports published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Researchers found “reliable evidence” of a rise in average world land temperatures of one degrees Celsius — or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit — since the mid-1950s.

[NOTE:  To attempt to quell any straggling skeptics, the researchers have published their methodology, entire data set, and software code, in a fully transparent and well-designed research protocol.   Here's the link:   http://berkeleyearth.org]

“Our biggest surprise was that the new results agreed so closely with the warming values published previously by other teams in the United States and the UK,” professor Richard A. Muller, Berkeley Earth’s scientific director said in a statement.

“This confirms that these studies were done carefully and that potential biases identified by climate change skeptics did not seriously affect their conclusions,” Muller added.

Climate skeptics have consistently challenged the findings of studies by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the UK’s University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit, whose research is used by the IPCC.

For the complete CNN report, including links to the actual study, please visit http://bit.ly/qNMjJE

Image courtesy of CNN

I came across this inspiring two-minute video on YouTube about entrepreneurs.  They formed the fabric of our country — and could (and should) be our engine to the future.  Start your day off with this video.  It will lift your spirits.  Then take that rush of adrenaline and dose free spirit — and go for it.  Change the world.

Facebook has really messed up its News Feed.  Overwhelmingly, people want the Facebook News Feed to function the way it was.  Here’s a simple 1-2-3 to do just that:

(1)  In the left-hand column, click on LISTS.

(2)  Click on the “Create a List” button and type “Most Recent” as the name.

(3)  Select all of the friends you’d like to follow by clicking on their pictures.

That’s it!  Now when you want to see a “normal” most-recent list of the activities of your friends, just click on the “Most Recent” link in the left-hand column.

Bonus option #1:  If you’d like the “Most Recent” link to conveniently appear in your “Favorites” at top of the left-hand column, simply mouse-over the “Most Recent” list name, click on the pencil icon that pops up, and then click on “Add to Favorites.”

Bonus option #2:  If you’d really like to tweak the position of the “Most Recent” link, say to put it at the very top of your “Favorites,” that’s easy too.  All you have to do (once it is in your “Favorites”) is mouse over the “Most Recent” link again, click on the pencil icon again, and select the “Rearrange” option.  Now click and drag the “Most Recent” link to the position you’d like.

Facebook creative director, Ji Lee, spilled the beans about Facebook’s upcoming Facebook Music service when he tweeted:  “The ‘Listen with your friend’ feature in ticker is blowing my mind. Listen to what your friends are listening. LIVE.”

The “ticker” Lee referred to is the live scrolling updates of your friends, as implemented in the recent interface update of Facebook.

The graphic associated with this post is a snippet of a screenshot by quick-fingered Twitter users — before Lee and Facebook removed Lee’s tweet from public view.

What the Facebook Music feature will look like, and how it will actually function, is still a secret.  Keep an eye on both the ticker and the general Facebook user interface over the next couple of days.

NASA has introduced a plan to pay private aerospace companies $1.6 billion to ferry U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS).  A variety of new commercial aerospace companies are expected to compete for the job of providing “turnkey” launch, flight, return, maintenance, and ground-support operations.

The commercialization of space will be an exciting era.  The retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet may provide a short-term space-transportation gap, but — in the long run — the opportunities and new doors that will open will be amazing.

ISS graphic courtesy of NASA

I’ve received a ton of requests to dig through my archives for one of my most popular & fun items from years ago.  So, by popular request, “Rockin’ Rickie Rocket” — the virtual percussionist I first posted in 2004 — is back.  I re-discovered Rickie on YouTube.  It’s the same video clip from seven years ago.  Turn up your speakers, click on the image, and rock out to Rickie!

NASA’s Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is expected to fall to earth by Friday. Much of the satellite will burn up during its blazing flight through the atmosphere, but large components will likely survive to impact land or water. Because of the satellite’s orbital path, northern Canada and southern South America are most at risk from any incoming debris.

For more information, visit the following Reuters report:  http://reut.rs/n0IMAo

NASA is also posting regular updates here:  www.nasa.gov/uars

Photo courtesy of Space.com and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

The America Invents Act is the most significant overhaul of U.S. patent law since 1952.  Through this Act, American inventors can hope to see a breakthrough in the logjam of patent applications that hold up applications for years at a time.  (At last count, there are over 700,000 backlogged patent applications — slowing countless product and business innovaions from seeing the light of day.)

The bill also gets the U.S. on the same patent footing as the rest of the world, by changing our system from a “first-to-invent” standard to a “first-to-file” standard.  This one change, alone, is designed to eliminate the myriad of court cases that try to resolve which inventor came up with an idea first.

Additional information can be read at the following AP report: http://bit.ly/pWOQR0

Photo courtesy of the AP.

Renown photographer, Spencer Tunick, has a arranged a photo shoot of 1,000 naked Israelis at the Dead Sea tomorrow.  Tunick is trying to raise worldwide awareness of the receding waters and overall demise of the Dead Sea.  F.Y.I., 3,000 individuals applied for the shoot; 1,000 were accepted.  That must have been an interesting screening process, to say the least.  To see some of Tunick’s, um, revealing work, click here.

Photo courtesy of SpencerTunick.com

Facebook users have long wished they could organize their friends into groups — as some posts that may be appropriate for one segment of your social network (like your close friends) might be shocking for others (like your grandmother).  Starting this week, you can now do just that with Facebook’s new “smart lists” feature.

Facebook’s system makes an initial guess at parceling your contacts into separate groups, based on proximity, family relationship, business name, or school association.  You can override and edit Facebook’s guesses, to get your groups just the way you want them.

Facebook has been working on this feature for some time.  But Google’s recent roll out of Google+ and its “circles” concept seems to have spurred Facebook to speed things to completion.

Image courtesy of USA TODAY

According to the Associated Press, “IBM’s supercomputer system, best known for trouncing the world’s best ‘Jeopardy!’ players on TV, is being tapped by one of the nation’s largest health insurers to help diagnose medical problems and authorize treatments.  WellPoint Inc., which has 34.2 million members, will integrate Watson’s lightning speed and deep health care database into its existing patient information, helping it choose among treatment options and medicines.”

I have mixed feelings about this development.  We all remember how the HAL 9000 turned against the astronauts in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Sure, that was science fiction.  But so were artificial satellites when they were envisioned a decade before Sputnik by the master science-fiction writers Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein.  Computers are marvelous tools.  But good ol’ fashion intuition, by a seasoned physician, is (with current technology) impossible to replicate.

For the full AP article, visit http://bit.ly/n621oi

Photo courtesy AP and IBM

If you can locate the Big Dipper (Ursa Major), and you have a good pair of binoculars or small telescope, you’ll be able to observe a supernova along with amateur and professional astronomers all over the world.

The best time for viewing is right after sunset, before the moon comes up and washes out the sky with its reflected light.

Here’s a link to an excellent one-and-a-half-minute YouTube video by Berkeley Lab scientist Peter Nugent that will help you spot and view the supernova:   http://bit.ly/qilPZ9

For additional information and images, visit the USA TODAY article at http://usat.ly/okjuOS.  (Click on the “BEFORE” and “AFTER” buttons in the USA TODAY interactive image.)

Image of The Pinwheel Galaxy (where the supernova is occurring) courtesy of Reuters and The Guardian.

Call me crazy, but I think it’s ridiculous that Microsoft charges $499.99 for its Office Professional 2010; that’s more than what I paid for the laptop that I’m using to write this post.

If you’re content with all of the features of your current version of Microsoft Office, but would like to open and edit those new .DOCX (for Word), .PPTX (for PowerPoint), and .XLSX (for Excel), just download the 100% free “compatibility pack” from Microsoft.  Here’s the link:  http://bit.ly/rb0Ifl.  The installation will take you less than a minute.

And if you’re totally fed up with Microsoft, just download and use Oracle’s 100% free OpenOffice suite.  As described at OpenOffice.org:  “OpenOffice.org 3 is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose.”

As mentioned above, OpenOffice lets you read and edit Microsoft Office files (like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).  So you can remain fully compatible with Microsoft files you’ve previously created, or files you share with clients and colleagues.

To give OpenOffice a whirl, just visit www.OpenOffice.org.

Perhaps a little competition will nudge Microsoft towards more reasonable pricing for its products.  I’m all for it.

According to a news report from the BBC, the world’s smallest electric motor “could have applications in both nanotechnology and in medicine….

“The butyl methyl sulphide molecule was placed on a clean copper surface, where its single sulfur atom acted as a pivot….  As well as forming a part of the tiniest machines the world has ever seen, such minute mechanics could be useful in medicine — for example, in the controlled delivery of drugs to targeted locations.

“The next thing to do is to…couple it to other molecules, lining them up next to one another so they’re like miniature cog-wheels.”

To read the complete BBC report, visit http://bbc.in/qZKTg4

Amazon’s Android-based Kindle tablet is about to send shock waves through the tablet PC marketplace.  The device is still so top secret, no photos have yet leaked out (but you can bet they will over the next few days).  Here’s what we do know:

*  Full-color 7″ screen
*  Two-finger multi-touch screen interface
*  Runs a specially customized version of Android 2.2
*  $250 — about half the cost of Apple’s base iPad

Amazon has a huge, loyal customer base and almost unlimited content. Its release of what will be an impressive full-color tablet PC, running the popular Android operating system, will be a game changer.  No, it won’t knock Apple off its roll with the iPad.  But it will make a serious dent.  As for the other tablet makers?  They’re in deep doo-doo.

Volkswagen’s annual car-design competition has a particularly bold entry by designer, Zhang Yuan.  Her design — called the Volkswagen Aqua — runs on hydrogen fuel cells that drive powerful fans for lift and propulsion.  The vehicle is designed to continually transition between land and water (snow and ice, too), so you could literally travel anywhere over any terrain.  Anticipated top speed is 62 MPH.

Check out a recent article at Discovery.com here:  http://bit.ly/jQXfGz

Fuel cells are becoming more and more viable as a zero-emission power source.  For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell.

Image courtesy Zhan Yuan / Volkwagen

Less than a month into its five-year journey to Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft took this nifty picture of the Earth and moon, as part of the vehicle’s “JunoCam” checkout procedures.  The Earth is the larger bright spot on the left, and the moon is the dot on the right.

The Juno spacecraft has 439 million miles to travel before it gets to Jupiter.  One can only imagine the other photos it may take along its celestial course.

For more information regarding the photo, check out the NASA JPL article at http://1.usa.gov/pDDjTh

For more information on the Juno mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/juno

A recent study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research discovered that the communities near large, busy airports received more precipitation than surrounding regions.  Why so?

Well, scientists speculate that the rapid compression and expansion of air around turboprop propellers chills and condenses the water vapor in the air creating (depending on the season) snow or rain.

Could air travel have an effect on global precipitation — and climate in general?  Not really.  Given the enormous volume of air that comprises the atmosphere*, the influence of air travel is (you might say) a drop in the bucket.

It didn’t appear that the researchers looked at the air compression / expansion caused by air flow around the wings of a plane, but I believe that could play a role too.

*In case you’re curious, and if I did my math correctly, the volume of air in the atmosphere is 4.18 billion cubic kilometers…give or take. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug — Zalboraf — that has shown effectiveness in treating a challenging, and in some cases fatal, form of skin cancer.  This is the second melanoma treatment to be approved this year; in March, the FDA approved the drug Yervoy.  For more information, review the article at http://bit.ly/pxhyhW

Many people believe that the first human to step foot on Mars will be from the U.S.  Well, think again.

Discovery published today an interesting article (“Russia and Europe to Send Man to Mars?”) that challenges the common perception that an American would be first to walk on the red planet.

The article quotes Jean-Jacques Dordain, the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), as saying that the ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) would “carry out the first flight to Mars together.”

Russia and the ESA are wrapping up a project in which six individuals simulated a year-and-a-half round-trip to Mars; the team lived the entire time in a cramped 550-cu.-ft. simulated spaceship. The experiment, which will conclude in November, has examined the effects of continuous, close-quarter working on the mind and body.

With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, Russia clearly leads in “heavy lift” rocket technology.  And just this week they unveiled the design of a new manned spacecraft at an international air show.  Bottom line:  Russia and Europe have “the right stuff” — and are doing the right things — to propel them to the goal of Mars.

For the thought-provoking Discovery article, check out http://bit.ly/olFmgH

Mars image courtesy of NASA

As reported in the European Respiratory Journal, dogs can be trained to sniff the breath of patients and confirm cases of lung cancer.

The four dogs in the study were two German shepherds, a Labrador retriever, and an Australian shepherd.  The dogs’ overall accuracy was 71%.

For additional details, take a look at the following excellent report in today’s Daily Mail: http://bit.ly/q0ChrB

Over the last couple of months I’ve seen a flurry of doom ‘n’ gloom scenarios based on the nearing peak (in mid 2013) of the 11-year solar cycle.  For instance, a little over a week ago I read in the International Business Times, “Severe Solar Storm to Create Global Chaos and Complete Darkness” followed a week later by “Severe Solar Storms Could Disrupt Earth This Decade.”

I’m not picking on the IB Times.  I’ve seen similar reports in Popular Science, such as the June 30th article entitled, “Are We Prepared for a Catastrophic Solar Storm?”

So are we all toast?

Here’s the reality:

It’s true that with the near total dependence on computers for every aspect of our lives, we’ve never been more vulnerable to solar activity.  I described in a previous article a recent near-miss of a CME (corona mass ejection) — essentially a ball of plasma ejected by the sun.  If a large CME hits our planet, power could certainly go down for an extended period of time.

One of the biggest concerns of scientists is the “Fukushima Effect” in which the backup generators and battery systems at nuclear power plants run out power.  Such a circumstance could cascade to the point where water-cooling systems would become inoperable — and result in Fukushima-like catastrophes around the world.  The actual chances?  Hard to predict precisely.  But, by legitimate estimates, pretty low.

More likely to occur:  Gas pumps at your local service station would stop working.  (They’re essentially computerized pumps; the credit-card processing network would also likely go down.)   “Telecommuting” would not be possible, as phone and Internet would be flicked off like a switch.  Cell phone service would also go down as soon as the backup generators and / or batteries at the cell towers run out of juice.  (You won’t be able to charge your cell phones, anyway.)

If the power grid goes down, once your food runs out (or spoils) in your fridge, don’t count on restocking at the supermarket.  The 18 wheelers that are the mainstay of food delivery across the country would also quickly run out of fuel — and, as mentioned above, the services stations would be unable to refill the rigs.

The probability of a sweeping, worldwide catastrophe as outline above is low.  But CMEs can, and have, made direct Earth strikes over the centuries — and caused significant disruptions.  Do a Google search for the “Carrington Event.”  In 1859, during the peak of another solar cycle, a CME knocked out telegraph offices around the globe (and even shocked some of the telegraph operators).  Most scientists agree that — because of entrenched computerization and satellite-based communications — the same magnitude CME today would disrupt society on a widespread basis.

I’m hoping the media doesn’t escalate the risks to an astronomical level.  The last thing we need is a massive wave of hysteria.  But, hey, it can’t hurt to keep an extra candle or two around the house.  And, perhaps, a couple of cans of Spam…

For a reasonably well-proportioned (non-hyped) news report — with an exceptional piece of video from NASA of a CME — check out the following two-minute CNN video:  http://bit.ly/h7GEmn

For reference, the NASA image associated with this article shows the approximate size of the Earth as compared to a solar eruption.  (In reality, the Earth is 93 million miles away from the sun — so a flare would never envelop the Earth as in the NASA comparison.)

The Los Angeles Times reports that MIT scientists have created a drug that “…takes advantage of a molecule called double-stranded RNA, which is produced by many, many viruses when they infect mammalian cells. Uninfected, our cells usually don’t make this double-stranded RNA, and to some extent our cells have evolved to recognize this structure and respond. Just not potently enough. The drug created by the MIT team can enter mammalian cells and is engineered to induce the cells to commit suicide if — and only if — they contain double-stranded RNA.”

The scientists’ preliminary studies were effective against 15 virus types, including Dengue fever and H1N1.  It will be interesting to see if the next phase of research can replicate this significant level of success.

For the full LA Times article, visit http://lat.ms/q077Jb

I received lots of e-mails regarding my 3D human-organ “printer” articles.  On the lighter side of 3D printing are the amazing new “factory in a box” devices available to the public.  Make model cars, cutlery, drink bottles, chess set pieces, a lunch box, toy soldiers — let your imagination run wild — with just a push of a button.

MakerBot’s “Thing-O-Matic” is one of the leading gadgets in this new marketplace.  For $1,225, you can manufacture with plastic almost any hand-sized object you can imagine.  Just plug the Thing-O-Matic into your PC’s USB port and (using supplied software) it squirts out molten plastic, layer by layer, until your creation is completed.

Check out an excellent article from the UK’s DailyMail here http://bit.ly/fCQvkY.

“Scientists for the first time have used gene therapy to successfully destroy cancer tumors in patients with advanced disease — a goal that has taken 20 years to achieve.  Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania engineered patients’ own pathogen-fighting T-cells to target a molecule found on the surface of leukemia cells.  The results provide ‘a tumor-attack roadmap for the treatment of other cancers,’ including those of the lung and ovaries as well as myeloma and melanoma, researchers said.”

For the complete article, visit http://reut.rs/p3tGN9

Photo courtesy of Reuters

Visit the following link http://1.usa.gov/qjThYb to watch the Perseids meteor shower from the comfort of your computer.  You’ll connect to NASA’s Web cameras.  Tonight (Friday, August 12th into tomorrow morning) is the shower peak.  At the Web site, you can also chat with NASA astronomers and support team.  Of course, you can watch the meteor shower the ol’ fashioned way by strolling out into your backyard.  For the best viewing, give yourself a few minutes for your eyes to fully adjust to the dark.  Enjoy!

Amazon just launched a new service called Kindle “Cloud Reader” that carries on the company’s “buy once, read everywhere” philosophy.   You can read books directly from your Web browser.  And you can pick up where you left off, just like with any other Kindle application.

It looks like the service currently only supports Chrome and Safari browsers.   So, if you’re a fan of say Firefox (like me), you’ll need to download a version of either browser .  But, hey, they’re free — so no big deal.  Check out additional details at https://read.amazon.com.

One of my readers asked me to research something he spotted a couple of years ago: a mouse suspended in mid air without any perceivable support mechanisms.

Yes, it did occur. It was a rather unique NASA experiment. The trick? Scientists used a superconducting magnet to levitate the water inside of a mouse. Here’s an article from LiveScience: http://bit.ly/kb330d

If NASA could develop the system on a larger scale, it’s possible that the same technique could be used with humans to simulate the effects of microgravity. (We’re 60 – 70% water, so the technique should, in theory, work.)

If that fizzles for NASA, fear not: Perhaps the gadget could become part of the next Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas.

In the swirl of the 24-hour news cycle, an important discovery like this might slip through the cracks.  But this is substantial news, as it touches upon possible origins of life here on Earth.

Check out the excellent report published today at SPACE.com via this link: http://bit.ly/ptYTRb

I’ve experimented with a number of ways to transfer a Facebook friend list to Google+ and found the following method still works.  Use this technique before Facebook plugs it up:

1.  Log into (or sign up for) a Yahoo! account.

2.  Click into your address book.

3.  Select “Import Contacts”

4.  Click on the Facebook option.

5.  When the popup box appears, click OK to share contacts.  (Depending on your browser, you may need to enable popups to see this box.)  Like magic, the data representing your Friends list will begin downloading.

6.  Open a new tab in your browser and log into your Google+ account.  Click on the Circles tab.  Click on “add and invite” and select the Yahoo! icon.  Presto!  Your Facebook friends will now be imported.

A recent study of 700 lunches packed for children attending daycare found that nearly all of the lunches were at an unsafe-to-eat temperature by lunchtime.

It was common for the researchers to find milk, fruit, and meats above 40 degrees F.  It was also common for hot items, such as soups, to have cooled to the point that could foster bacteria growth.  It only takes an hour or two for bacteria levels to rise enough to make a child sick.

According to the CNN article that discussed the research, “If your child complains of a stomach ache or is vomiting or has diarrhea, it’s not necessarily a bug caught from another child.”

There are easy steps to help your children’s food stay at the proper temperature.  Many of these steps are outlined in the following CNN article  http://bit.ly/qmloax

CNET just published a nice tribute to the birth of the Web, an event that happened 20 years ago — August 6, 1991.  Check out CNET’s tribute at http://cnet.co/r2IyJD

The accompanying  illustration is from Tim Berners-Lee’s original proposal for a Web-based computer network using hyperlinks and a computer network.  (Content credit: CNET and W3C)

As you’re strolling memory lane, other notable items from 1991 include the start of the first Gulf War, the end of Apartheid in South Africa, Lech Walensa elected President of Poland, and Freddie Mercury, the wonderfully talented lead singer of Queen, passing away from AIDS.

A water reservoir — 140 trillion times the earth’s ocean water — was recently discovered in space, according to the International Business Times. The water is being consumed by a quasar (the tandem of a galaxy center and a massive black hole).   The complete article can be viewed here http://bit.ly/n2rcyE.

The more astronomers look, the more water is found throughout the universe.  If water is essential to life, as most scientists believe, then the universe is a very welcoming spa.

Artist rendering of a quasar by NASA

A couple of weeks ago I described how living organs for transplant procedures are being created with stem cells.  Well, the breakthroughs on the bioengineering front continue to happen fast and furious.

Just recently, researches have successfully “printed” a living blood vessel using a fluid containing a brew of blood-vessel cells and muscle cells.  This is an ingenious application of 3D printers — remarkable devices that can create three-dimensional objects by applying multiple layers of a liquid construction material.  (For more info, visit this Wiki article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing.)

Printed blood vessels could have tremendous applications in surgery.  For instance, a patient awaiting bypass surgery could have blood vessels printed in the days leading up to the procedure — with the vessels made from a small sampling of his or her own cells.  The ultimate vision is to print complete organs — even new hearts — as an alternative to transplants.

Given the pace of this technology’s development, I believe were only talking a handful of years before we see it saving lives in major hospitals.  Very exciting.

According to InformationWeek: “Google has purchased more than 1,000 patents from IBM in an effort to build up its intellectual property portfolio, possibly with an eye to fending off the increasing number of IP lawsuits the search giant faces from competitors such as Microsoft.  The 1,030 patents cover a wide range of technologies, including ‘the fabrication and architecture of memory and microprocessing chips.’”

It will be interesting to see what Google really has up its sleeves.

For additional information from the InformationWeek report, visit http://bit.ly/ppz9ca

SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation), a leading private aerospace firm founded by Elon Musk (co-founder of PayPal), intends to fly its Dragon capsule via the company’s Falcon launch vehicle to the ISS on November 30th.  It would be huge news if they can pull off this feat, especially with the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet.

According to Garrett Reisman, a veteran NASA astronaut and now an employee of SpaceX:  “The next flight of the Dragon we’re going to go all the way and berth it to the space station, drop cargo off and bring stuff back.”

Stay tuned for more information. 

Dragon capsule image courtesy SpaceX

According to published reports, in nine years Russia intends to de-orbit and dump the ISS into the Pacific Ocean in nine years.  Other ISS partners, however, have different intentions.  The consortium of the U.S. (NASA), Japan, Canada, and the European Space Agency (ESA) has expressed support to keep the space station flying until at least 2028.

In March 2001, the Russian MIR space station was disposed of similarly, as Russia de-orbited the station into the South Pacific Ocean.

Additional information about Russia’s apparent plans for the ISS can be read at http://bit.ly/pxdAR2.  Photo courtesy of NASA

Numerous reports came out today citing the National Institute of Health and its thought that a “universal” flu shot is not to far off.  The intent is to create a single shot for all strains of flu, and potentially eliminating the need for annual flu shots.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/nYgYhb.

Photo courtesy International Business Times

In 2007 President Bush signed into law an energy bill that requires light bulbs to be 30 percent more efficient by 2012.  Sounds like a good idea, right?  Today’s old-fashioned “Edison” bulbs turn only 10% of electricity into light — with the other 90% turned into heat.  But now some “brilliant” lawmakers want to overturn the 2007 law, and they’ve introduced legislation to do so.

Their rationale?  People should have the right to choose how they want to light their homes and businesses, regardless of bulb type or efficiency.  Now, I’m all for a free society and minimal government impact on our lives.  But the reality is that America has five percent of the world’s population, but consumes a whopping 25% of the world’s energy.  Expressed another way:  On average, each one of us consumes five times more energy than an individual in any other country on the planet.  And lighting is one of the heftiest contributors.

Edison bulbs have been around since 1879.  As we all learned in school, Thomas Edison found a way to create light by sending a current through a metal filament, causing it to glow. But this ancient technology, as mentioned above, is a terribly inefficient light source; for most homes, it’s the second-largest energy expense.

Today’s energy-efficient light-bulb alternatives come in all shapes, sizes, and types.

The now-popular “curly” fluorescent light bulbs (a.k.a., compact fluorescent lights, CFLs) are much more energy efficient (20% or more).  But some people don’t like the slight turn-on delay.  And, contrary to recent media reports, they don’t contain life-threatening levels of mercury.  Yes, they contain some mercury — but only about one hundredth (1/100) of the mercury as the medical thermometers we grew up with.

My personal preference is the LED light bulb, based on the same LED technology used in everything from flashlights to TV displays.  They are considerably more expensive — $20 to $40 per bulb.  But, because they are up to 80% efficient (vs. an Edison bulb’s 10% or a CFL’s 20%), they pay back quickly in energy savings — and can save hundreds of dollars per year in operating costs.  And forget about replacing them.  Under typical usage, a single LED bulb can last up to 25 years.

Watch for the costs of LED bulbs to plummet over the next year or two, as demand and production increase.

Companies are springing up, all across America, to manufacture both CFLs and LEDs.  These companies are creating jobs and fostering innovation.  Now if only the light bulb would go on in the heads of our politicians.

Physicists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology reaffirmed Einstein’s position that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light — thus squashing hopes that time travel and other sci-fi temporal concepts are not possible. The physicists studied the travel of a single photon in a vacuum (like that of space). So humankind’s dreams of gallivanting around the cosmos, in some warp-speed spacecraft, are just not going to happen. Well, at least not in our present universe. But that’s another story…

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/p1ddmu

Image courtesy of Discovery News

Want a polite way to avoid certain people who want become your social-media friend?  Gagetwise posted an interesting solution that I thought I’d pass along:

“Create a Google+ circle of people you don’t want to snub, but don’t want to share your life with, either. You can call it anything you want –  Frenemies, for example — since Google+ doesn’t expose the names of your circles to others. When an annoying semifriend adds you on Google+, quickly add them to your Frenemies circle. They’ll get a notice that you’ve added them to a circle. Hurray! They’ll even show up on your profile page as one of the people in your circles.”

For the complete article, check out http://nyti.ms/pnIcLP

The Space Shuttle program may be over, but NASA is looking to spread its wings in other high-flying missions.

For instance, NASA has a presidential mandate to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 — a mind-boggling challenge on multiple dimensions.  As a recent Washington Post article describes:  “You can’t land on an asteroid because you’d bounce off — it has virtually no gravity. Reaching it might require a NASA spacecraft to harpoon it. Heck, astronauts couldn’t even walk on it because they’d float away.”

Check out the very interesting piece by the Washington Post, describing the many technological hurdles of a manned mission to an asteroid, at this link:  http://wapo.st/oNK3Wr

Image courtesy NASA / JPL

Many patients don’t survive the waiting list for a donor organ.  I know, first hand, as I lost a long-time friend while he was waiting for a compatible donor heart.

This logjam is beginning to open with the medical community’s announcement that a patient received a trachea (“windpipe”) that was created with the patient’s own stem cells.  (Stem cells are a versatile type of cell that can transform into many types of cells. http://1.usa.gov/ubcAp)

The trachea was constructed with an artificial “skeleton” of a spongy material which was then immersed in a solution of stem cells.  The cells grew into the sponge material, creating a living organ in less than two weeks.  The resulting trachea was then implanted into the patient (who was suffering from tracheal cancer).  The patient’s body accepted new-formed organ as if it was the original trachea.

In theory, the same process could be used to create other, more complex organs:  liver, pancreas, heart, etc.  We’re still quite a ways from this level of organ development.  But the medical door is now open a crack.  Further progress is just a matter of time.

For more information and additional photos, take a look at a recent article at CNN http://bit.ly/qAibNI.

Image courtesy Harvard Bioscience

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced $41.5 million in grant money for the re-invention of the toilet — the porcelain appliance that’s been a staple of homes and living quarters since the 1700s.  The Foundation stated that current toilet technology is too costly for families in third-world communities, and requires water and sewer connections that many developing societies do not have.  So they’re reaching out to inventors and creative thinkers, everywhere, for a new solution.

If you have some clever ideas swirling in your head, take a look at the  “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge” information PDF at http://bit.ly/p4qVZs

You can also read a great overview article at http://bit.ly/ottbCy

Image courtesy of CNN

ZDNet just released a great review on the five top tablet PCs. If you’ve been considering a tablet for yourself, or looking for one for son or daughter as a back-to-school tool, then this is the review for you.

Product insights, photos, and accessories — including nifty keyboards that turn a tablet into a full-fledged computer workstation — are all provided in this tablet review. Check it out at http://zd.net/o8ZsIt

CNET’s Car Tech blog reviewed the top eco-friendly cars across six fundamental criteria:  Cost, Range, Annual Fuel Cost, Seating, and Cargo Capacity.  Included in the review were the 2011 Nissan Leaf, 2011 Chevy Volt, 2011 Toyota Prius, and the 2011 Jetta TDI Sportwagen.

The “winner” of the CNET review was the Toyota Prius, due to its low base cost, driving range, and passenger compartment volume.

For the full review, visit http://cnet.co/oB8MhM

Look out, Mars.  Here comes one bad-ass dune buggy.  If all goes as planned, the Mars Sciences Laboratory (MSL) — nicknamed “Curiosity” — will blast off to Mars early this winter.  It’s about the size of a Mini Cooper — five times larger than the previous rovers Spirit and Opportunity — and can travel faster, farther, and over rougher terrain than its Mars-vehicle cousins.

Curiosity is an audacious technical marvel in search of past or present life on Mars.  It uses a state-of-the-art radioactive power system to generate electricity and heat.  It’s jam-packed with a multi-million-dollar laboratory of scientific instruments.  And its ingenious landing system is right out of a science-fiction novel:  A “sky crane” will literally lower Curiosity from an above-flying descent stage to the Martian surface.

The launch window is November 25th through December 18th.  Pencil in August 2012 for a wild ride down to the Martian surface.

Rendering courtesy NASA / JPL-Caltech

Click through the following slide show of 15 stunning Space Shuttle images:  http://huff.to/o7i0zG

On June 30th, the NHTSA provided exceptions to allow the “Transition” — the flying car by Terrafugia — to be driven on any road or flown from any regional airport.  With a push of a button, the wings extent or fold up.  For more info, visit www.terrafugia.com.

(1)  Visit http://www.facebook.com/videocalling and click on the Get Started button.  (2) Click on a person to call from your chat list.  (3) Follow the pop-up window prompt to set up video calling.  (4) Video-call the person you selected.  It’s that easy.  Enjoy video-calling your Facebook friends!

Even though tomorrow’s launch of the Space Shuttle marks the end of this venerable space-launch system, NASA still has a few innovations up its sleeve — including a bag designed to turn astronaut urine into a “sugary drink.”

In the 1960s, the rage was “Tang” in space.  Today it’s a sports drink that I’ve dubbed “Sweet Pee.”  (If that name becomes a hit, remember where you heard it first.)

Image courtesy Wired Magazine

I caught a short piece the other day by Dr. Michael Welner, forensic psychologist.  He said (paraphrasing) that the 1938 radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds” could be considered the first mass-media manipulation of the public.  Interesting perspective.

As is etched in history, on October 30, 1938 (the night before Halloween), Orson Welles aired his radio play of H. G. Wells’ War of the Worlds.  A frightened public truly believed that the world was under attack by Martians.

Never before had the media portrayed a fictitious event as if it was actual news.  The news-bulletin format of the radio broadcast only amplified the realism.

Fast-forward 73 years.  Look at the way some elements of the media manipulate public opinion under the thinly veiled cover of “the news.”  Flashing graphics, endless replays, “breaking news” bulletins.  They all seem eerily familiar — nearly three-quarters-of-a-century later.

You would think with all of the sources of information today, from traditional media to new media, it would be easy to cobble together an accurate assessment of the news.  However, on some days, separating fact from fiction — or even science fiction — is easier said than done.  We live in an interesting time, to say the least.

Image:  New York Times headline from October 31, 1938

My wife and I went to the supermarket this weekend.  In addition to the food in the cart, we added eight two-liter bottles of soda.  At checkout, because of the weight of the soda bottles, we asked the young man who was bagging to “double bag” them.  He said “sure” and dutifully put just two bottles of soda in each bag.

The editors at PCWorld were fortunate to be included in Google’s “field trial” — and they put Google+ through its paces.  Check out their very comprehensive review of Google+ at http://bit.ly/lfznOe

Look out, Facebook.  The 500-pound gorilla just entered the room.  Read the just-published “Is Google+ social media done right?” review by Joe Wilcox and Betanews.  Includes videos of key  Google+ features.  Also read about the central Google+ functions:

+Circles — online places users create to socialize and interact with different groups of people,  not everyone.

+Hangouts — multi-person video calling.

+Mobile — group messaging, location services, and photo and video uploads and sharing.

+Sparks — social sharing service.

Check out the full review here:   http://bit.ly/kuEUfs.

If I was a bigwig at Facebook, I’d be worried.  At first glance, Google+ looks very impressive.

Image courtesy of The Globe and Mail.

Google is set to roll out its own social media service, designed to compete with Facebook.  Initial reports are that it will look and function similar to Facebook, with real-time updates (including posted photos) from your circle of friends.  Google hopes to avoid a repeat of the social media debacle that occurred last year when they launched Google Buzz.

The date for the public launch of Google+ has not been announced.  The service is already being used by Google’s own staff.  So it is reasonable to assume that a phased public roll out could occur as early as the next few weeks.

The pace of research and discoveries in the field of medicine, in cancer research particularly, is nothing less than stunning.  Some of the greatest strides are in the field of “personalized medicine,” where diseases are treated at the genetic level — with treatments optimized for each individual patient.

Scientists have discovered that any particular type of cancer is actually a defined group of related cancers.  For instance, prostate cancer is actually comprised of a family of 24 cancers.  And there are eight primary variants of breast cancer.  Knowing the specific cancer variant, in any particular patient, gives doctors an inside track to targeting the cancer with the optimum treatment.

But that’s just the first step.  The most-recent breakthroughs are in the knowledge of each individual’s genetic code.

Just a few years ago, it would have cost millions of dollars to map the entire genome (genetic blueprint) of a single person.  But that price tag has plummeted to $5,000 — thanks to innovative technology companies like Complete Genomics.

Combining precise knowledge of a person’s genome with specific knowledge of a cancer variant is a powerful one-two punch.  It has the real potential to enable ultra-tailored, ultra-effective cancer treatments.  We’re not there yet.  But the convergence of technologies is happening right before our eyes.  Stay tuned.

For additional reference, visit these links:

Wiki genome information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome

Genomics and the treatment of prostate cancer:  http://bit.ly/lRLPtI

Interesting article on Complete Genomics:  http://bit.ly/k8ZW4K

Graphic courtesy of MIT / Technology Review

(Space.com) “A piece of space junk zoomed uncomfortably close by the International Space Station today (June 28), so close that the outpost’s six-man crew had to take shelter in Russian space capsules in case of a collision.  The space debris made its closest approach to the space station at 8:08 a.m. EDT (1208 GMT), coming within 850 feet (260 meters) of the space station, where it posed a slim chance of hitting the station. However, the debris passed by the station without incident and the spaceflyers were able to re-enter the station after about a half hour.”

For the complete Space.com article, please visit http://bit.ly/k2BVd6

Image courtesy of NASA

(ABC News) “A small asteroid, estimated between 16 and 65 feet in diameter, whipped past Earth this afternoon – missing by a mere 7,600 miles.  Asteroid 2011 MD approached Earth at 1 p.m. EDT.”

“NASA said that an object the size of Asteroid 2011 MD is expected to come this close to Earth about every six years on average. Scientists say that when Asteroid 2011 MD makes another pass in 2022, an impact with Earth is possible.”

“A larger, 1,300-foot asteroid, Asteroid 2005 YU55, is expected to flash past Earth on Nov. 8, 2011.”

For the complete article, visit:  http://abcn.ws/j4b2w9

Image courtesy ABC News

We’ve all heard the pre-flight airplane safety briefing that says, “In case of cabin decompression, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Pull a mask towards you and place it firmly over your mouth and nose, and breathe normally.  Please note that the bag may not inflate.”

I was flying to Chicago the other on business.  Curiosity finally got the best of me and I asked a flight attendant “Why don’t those little bags inflate?”  He didn’t know.  He asked the other flight attendants.  They didn’t know either.

Since my last flight, I did a bit of searching online.  It turns out that even some pilots in discussion forums were unsure.  But I finally pieced together the answer:  With every inhale, we breathe in quite a volume of air — about half a liter per inhale.   However, the oxygen-delivery system in an airplane can’t deliver that large volume as quickly as we consume it.  So the little bags mix our exhaled air (which still contains a substantial amount of oxygen) with the relative trickle of pure oxygen that’s coming into the bag from the airplane’s supply tube.  When we breathe in, the bag quickly compresses as we inhale all of the air in the little bag plus whatever oxygen has trickled in from the oxygen tube.

So the bag is really just a mixing device, combining the exhaled air from our lungs with that of the supplemental oxygen.  But because our inhales are so large (compared to the size of the bag), the bag will not inflate.

Mystery solved.

And regarding the “breathe normally” part of the safety briefing?  Yeah, right.  Under those circumstances, I think most of us would be sucking in air as fast as our lungs would work.

Image courtesy of London Heathrow Airport.

Beginning on January 12, 2012, the door will open to essentially unlimited variations of domain names.  The current suite of 22 gTLDs (generic top-level domains, such as .com, .org, .net, .edu) will blossom to almost anything you can imagine.

According to the ICANN press release:

“ICANN has opened the Internet’s naming system to unleash the global human imagination. Today’s decision respects the rights of groups to create new Top Level Domains in any language or script. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind,” said Rod Beckstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN.

New gTLDs will change the way people find information on the Internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence. Virtually every organization with an online presence could be affected in some way.

Internet address names will be able to end with almost any word in any language, offering organizations around the world the opportunity to market their brand, products, community or cause in new and innovative ways.

“Today’s decision will usher in a new Internet age,” said Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman of ICANN’s Board of Directors. “We have provided a platform for the next generation of creativity and inspiration.”

For the full press release, please visit http://www.icann.org/en/news/releases/release-20jun11-en.pdf

Image courtesy of CBS News and iStockPhoto.

InfomationWeek published a wonderful visual tour of IBM’s unique place in the technology and computer revolution.  As the author of the article wrote:

“IBM took on massive projects ranging from implementing the Social Security Act of 1935, to developing Cold-War-era aircraft tracking systems and atomic research labs, to building guidance systems for the early space program. IBM has plenty of inventions to its credit along the way, from electric tabulators and typewriters, to dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and hard disk drives, to the barcodes and magnetic-stripe cards now ubiquitous in retail transactions.”

Take a stroll down “memory” lane.  The museum-quality pictures (and  the accompanying story) are extraordinary.   Visit http://bit.ly/jQjxdU.

The workhorse of America’s aerospace program for the last 30 years, the Space Shuttle, is about to fly its last mission on July 8th.  Space.com has put together a wonderful article documenting NASA’s preparations for this final mission.   Included are some fantastic pictures.   Check it out at http://bit.ly/kHe9AE

From the soda straw you used last night at your favorite restaurant to the cute charm that popped out of a gumball machine when you were seven years old, they all still exist.

In fact, every piece of plastic created since plastic’s invention in 1856 is still around in some form.  (Okay, unless the plastic item was burned to ashes somewhere.  But you get the idea.)

A plastic container, like a water bottle, buried in a landfill can take a million of years to degrade.  That’s not a typo.  A million years.

Look around you right now.  All of the plastic you see (even the keys on your keyboard) may well be around a million years from now.  Perhaps long after our species has migrated into the vast reaches of the cosmos.  (Weird to think that my toothbrush may be orbiting the sun on a big empty rock eons from now.)

Compounding matters is that plastic is made from petroleum.  The manufacturing of plastic accounts for about 5% of the total U.S. petroleum consumption.  That’s a good chunk of our country’s energy resources.

No, I’m not suggesting that we boycott plastics.  I like sipping a cool drink with a straw as much as anyone.  But, for me, I’m going to give a little extra thought before I casually reach for another plastic water bottle after a run.

Image credit:  PhysOrg.com and Wikimedia Commons

Google’s popular “voice search” tool for mobile devices is now being rolled out to the desktop.  That’s one of the announcements Google execs made today at an event in San Francisco.  If you’re running the Chrome browser, you’ll now see a little microphone icon which, when clicked, will allow you to speak the item you are searching for.  (Chrome is an excellent & fast browser, BTW.)

Google also unveiled a “search by image” feature inspired by its mobile Google Goggles app.  Insert an image and Google will try to provide a search result that it feels is associated with that image.

For more information on this breaking news, check out the following article at SearchEngineLand.com:  http://selnd.com/mg13Jp

As reported in PhysOrg.com, researchers at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine in Massachusetts have succeeded in creating a “living laser” out of human cells.

According to the report, “It sounds like something out of a comic book or a science fiction movie — a living laser — but that is exactly what two investigators [at the Center] have developed.”

The researchers used a human cell and genetically re-engineered it to emit light using the same principle in which some types of jellyfish emit light.

Scientists hope that these biological lasers could someday be used in “photodynamic therapies.”  That is, treating diseases such as cancer by applying light — from inside the body — to activate photosensitive drugs to destroy cancer cells.

To read the complete PhysOrg.com article, visit http://bit.ly/mRzGqR

The sun spewed out a huge solar flare (called a CME, or coronal mass ejection) on Tuesday, June 7th. Fortunately, we missed the brunt of the CME.

We are approaching a period that scientists call a “solar maximum”:  an eleven-year cycle of increased solar activity. With the world’s dependence on satellites for communications, scientists are concerned that a closer approach (or direct hit) of a CME could wipe out a good portion of the world’s satellite network. It could have even more far-reaching effects, such as shutting down electrical power grids on a global scale.

This is not a pie-in-the-sky worry. As mentioned in yesterday’s PC Magazine article: “In 1859, the biggest flare on record hit, creating auroras worldwide and interrupting telegraph service for weeks. Considering today’s connected world, and our reliance on satellites, a major solar storm could be disastrous.”

Is there any way we could protect ourselves from such an event? Unfortunately, not. The sun is essentially playing roulette with our technology infrastructure. All we can do is hope that our number doesn’t come up.

To read the PC Magazine article, including an incredible video of the flare as provided by NASA, please visit http://bit.ly/iP6pId.

P.S.  If there is any good news, it is that the solar flare set the stage for aurora borealis (“Northern Lights”). If the sky is clear in your portion of the U.S. tonight (June 9th), take a peek to the north. You may be treated to an extraordinary light show.

New scientific research suggests that human hearing may have evolved from our sense of touch.

As reported in the current issue of ScienceNews:

“[The] connection between sound and touch may run deep [Tony Ro, a neuroscientist at the City College of New York] and colleagues said during presentations May 25 at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. Both hearing and touch, the scientists pointed out, rely on nerves set atwitter by vibration. A cell phone set to vibrate can be sensed by the skin of the hand, and the phone’s ring tone generates sound waves — vibrations of air — that move the eardrum.

“Elizabeth Courtenay Wilson, a neuroscientist…has also seen strong connections between areas of the brain that process hearing and touch. ‘We’re suggesting that the ear evolved out of the skin in order to do more finely tuned frequency analysis,’ adds Wilson, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.”

It has long been speculated that hearing, across all species, evolved out of the ability of fish to sense their environment through sound waves.  So it is reasonable to consider that the human sense of hearing evolved from touch, as well.

For the full article at ScienceNews, visit http://bit.ly/jChqzB

And if you’d like information on how fish hear sounds, visit the excellent article at http://bit.ly/kHv3nW

The researchers at CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics, have  reported that they were successful in creating and harnessing antimatter for 1,000 seconds (or 16 minutes and 40 seconds).  The previous “record” was just 172 milliseconds — or about two-tenths of a second.  Being able to study antimatter for significant lengths of time may open the door to breakthroughs that could be beneficial to each and every one of us…such as new sources of energy.  Time will tell.

For more information, visit the following article in Scientific American:  http://bit.ly/jYvgjp

(eMarketer) A digital revolution in couponing coupled with the belt-tightening of the recession have combined to make coupons cool among more than just those clipping the Sunday circular. Digital coupon usage is now firmly a part of the online shopping experience of millions of U.S. consumers.

eMarketer estimates that by the end of 2011, nearly half of U.S. adult Internet users, or 88.2 million people, will have redeemed an online coupon or code for use either online or offline in the past year. By 2013, 96.8 million adults will redeem an online coupon.

For the full report, visit http://bit.ly/lZfDE1

CNN recently published a list of the cell phone models that emit the highest and lowest levels of radiation.  In the same article, they provided a handy link to a searchable database of all models.  With current concerns over cell phone radiation and health, it can’t hurt to know about relative radiation exposure levels prior to making a purchase or considering an upgrade.

The following is a link to the full CNN article with the list of highest and lowest radiation emitters:  http://bit.ly/iTpgj6

And here’s a link to the searchable database of all cell phones:  http://bit.ly/kz9GJ9

Photo courtesy of CNN