Robonica looks at new robotic entertainment formats

Robonica is a start-up that is looking into new ways of robotic entertainment and aims to redefine the entertainment robotics market later this fall by rolling out a whole new range of products that come with the tagline, “The Rise of Robotic Gaming.” This new range will merge elements of robotics, R/C vehicles and electronic gaming, making them stand out from the current crop of entertainment robots that is able to offer meaningful and structured gameplay regardless of whether one is alone, with friends or through online interaction.

A smart, fully programmable and highly agile two-wheeled robot, Roboni-i is the first entertainment robot to offer unlimited play patterns. The state-of-the-art robot features 16 sensors and four processors, RF remote control and Zigbee peer-to-peer RF protocol allowing for competitive gameplay with real-world robots. It also comes packaged with game accessories and six action games enabling players to form a playing field and use the gaming controller to select a game as they enter a new dimension of interactive, real-world robotic gameplay. Whether alone or with friends, they will need to beat the odds, race against time, manage resources, neutralize threats, execute special effects and collect bonus points to improve score. The Roboni-i’s online gameplay is out of this world. By plugging Roboni-i into the PC, players enter a virtual world where they can create profiles, participate in virtual missions, play online games and interact with friends who are online at the same time. Its Advanced PC-based Command Center Software allows users to program every facet of the robot’s behavior, edit games and upload performance data.

The following online sources - ToysRUs.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and more will be the first to get hold of Robonica’s offering, followed by retailers Hammacher Schlemmer, Edmund Scientific and other specialty shops.

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ViewSonic introduces new devices

Mention ViewSonic and most of the time you would probably think about LCD monitors, but this time round they have released two devices for the masses - the smallest DLP projector from the company to date known as the PJD2121, while the WPG-350 wireless presentation gateway offers a solution for meeting rooms that won’t break the company budget. These devices are able to offer decent performance and capabilities despite their small size, making them suitable for those who do not want to be limited by projection technology in their line of work.


Let’s take a look at the Viewsonic PJD2121 first - the smallest short throw DLP pico projector from the company that tips the scales at just 2.2 pounds. This advanced device will come with integrated BrillantColor technology that is able to deliver 400 lumens of brightness, where your images are thrown at 800 x 600 SVGA native resolution, easily placing it as one of the brightest projectors available in its class. Contrast ratio for a pico projector is also pretty respectable at 1,800:1, where this combination ought to be enough to handle situations in virtually any lighting environment. It comes with a short 1:1 throw ratio that makes it perfect for tabletop personal use or for small meeting rooms, and can display images of up to 60″ from as near as just four feet away. The ‘Off to Go’ function also enables one to power the PDJ2121 automatically without having to worry about the lamp overheating due to insufficient cooling time. This filter-less design offers easy maintenance and a lower total cost of ownership, while it comes with a Kensington security lock port for added peace of mind. Each $449 purchase comes with a three-year limited parts and labor warranty, although the lamp stands at just one year.

As for the WPG-350 wireless presentation gateway, this device offers wireless capability to any compatible projector, LCD TV or large screen display without having the need to fork out a large amount of money for an embedded wireless projector. It is able to support 1,024 x 768 resolution and full-motion video up to 1080p, featuring 802.11b/g/n hi-speed wireless connectivity. Interested parties can pick up the WPG-350 wireless presentation gateway for $199.

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Ripe Fruit May Inspire Mosquito Repellents

Fruit flies actually have a love-hate relationship with the smell of fruit. And a new insight into the chemistry of that attraction and repulsion could lead to novel repellents for other insects, researchers say.


Carbon dioxide is a known turn-off to fruit flies when it emanates from stressed peers. "Drosophila sniff CO2 and avoid it like crazy," says neurobiologist Anand Ray of the University of California, Riverside. But ripe fruit puffs out the gas and still attracts plenty of flies. In this case, compounds released by the fruit block the flies' CO2 receptors, Ray and Riverside colleague Stephanie Turner report online August 26 in Nature.

Mosquitos, in contrast, outright love CO2. They hunt down blood meals by following plumes of the exhaled gas. But as in fruit flies, a fruit compound can jam CO2 receptors in the notorious mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus, the researchers say. This species spreads West Nile fever and the parasites that cause the huge limb swellings of the tropical disease filariasis. Ray proposes that compounds that could keep the mosquito detectors from sensing those plumes might render people hard to find. With a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he's starting to test the strategy.

In fruit flies, the aversion to CO2 turned up when researchers shook the insects or zapped them with a little electric shock. The stressed flies released an odor with CO2 as a key component, and unharmed flies fled from that odor.

"There was this paradox," Ray says. The same fruit flies that avoid stressed flies and even unripe CO2-exhaling fruit, crowd around ripe fruit as well as other strong CO2 sources such as beer.

To study the contradiction, Ray and Turner turned to the sensory detectors on the insects' antennae. "Each antenna is shaped like a strawberry, with hundreds of tiny hairs on it," Ray says. Inserting minute electrodes into pores on some of the hairs let the researchers check for activity in a neuron bearing the the specialized receptor known to detect CO2. The researchers monitored that activity while releasing both fruit odors and CO2. Two of the fruit odors strongly reduced the neuron's reaction to CO2.

Those two inhibitor molecules, 1-hexanol and 2,3-butanedione, were quite a surprise, Ray says. "They do not look anything like CO2."

Yet he and Turner note that earlier studies show that as bananas ripen, concentrations of 1-hexanol increase by 777 percent and 2,3-butanedione by 4,900 percent.

To see whether the inhibitors indeed act on the receptor, "we took the awesome power of fly genetics," Ray says, and put the receptor protein in a neuron that normally has nothing to do with CO2 detection. Isolated in this alien neuron, the receptor still jammed when the inhibitors wafted by.

Mosquito neurons responded to one of the inhibitors, 1-hexanol. The 2,3-butanedione didn't produce much of a reaction but a closely related compound, 1-butanal, did, Ray and Turner found.

The new paper looks like a significant contribution toward developing new controls for disease-spreading insects, says neuroethologist Pablo Guerenstein of the Argentine National Research Council in Diamante and Entre Rios National University in Oro Verde, Argentina. Now, Guerenstein says, he wants to know more about the results' biological significance, such as whether the inhibitors affect the way insects perceive CO2 in the natural blend of odors from a fruit. Also, he points out that the inhibitory 1-hexanol appears in some vertebrate odors, and he would like to know about its role there.

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Robofish Takes To Water

Aug. 28, 2009 -- A school of small, robotic fish has been developed by MIT scientists. Made with a only handful of parts and a blend of polymers, the fish wiggle their way through water like trout and tuna.

These new robofish could be equipped with sensors to monitor oil spills or other environmental contaminants.


"The interesting aspect of this research is that we are the first group to tailor different polymers in different parts of the body with different dampening and stiffness properties," said Kamal Youcef-Toumi, a scientist at MIT who, along with Pablo Vildivia Y Alvarado, is developing the robofish.

"We are also looking at using the natural motion and behavior of the fish and replicating those motions," said Youcef-Toumi.

The 18 new robofish have advanced significantly since the original Robotuna was created at MIT in 1994. Robotuna had more than 2,000 parts, including six motors, encased in its four-foot body.

These new models have less than 10 parts, including one motor, and are between five and eight inches long.

Youcef-Youmi and Vildivia Y Alvarado began developing the five-inch robofish four years ago, modeling their movements on freshwater fish like trout and bass. These small fish swim mostly by moving the tail, while the rest of the body remains motionless.

The most recent robofish are eight inches long and modeled to swim like salt water tuna. Instead of wiggling just the tail, tuna swim by moving their body as well, undulating back and forth to swim faster than trout or bass.

Whatever the length or swimming method, all the robofish are encased in a special blend of molded polymers. The body of the fish is one single piece of material, but each section of the body has a different stiffness, allowing the motion of one actuator to move through the robofish's entire body, propelling it forward.

One actuator allows for limited movement, basically forward and side to side. To move up and down and more complex movements will require two additional actuators be installed.

The unibody construction also protects the electrical and mechanical parts inside the robot; some robofish have been swimming for more than four years.

The robofish might mimic real fish, but they can't compete in terms of speed. The maximum speed of the robofish is less than one body length per second. Some fish can swim up to 10 body lengths per second.

Movement requires energy, and the robofish currently get their power from an attached power cable. Batteries could be installed to power robofish remotely in streams and bays, where they could be equipped with sensors to detect pollution or cameras to study animals that would be disturbed by the noise caused by propellers.

Fish aren't the only underwater creatures the MIT robotics team is studying. During the next few weeks, MIT scientists plan to test robotic salamanders and robotic manta rays.

Whatever type of robot is being created, "the underwater environment is the most difficult environment for robotics," said Huosheng Hu, a professor of computer science and electronic engineering at the University of Essex. Hu has built his own realistic robotic fish which was on display at the London Aquarium.

Hu likes the new unibody robofish, but doesn't think that the new robofish have any particular new advantage in terms of three dimensional swimming, or at least won't until the additional actuators are installed.

Despite the current limitations of robofish, human engineers will continue to chase natural fish in terms of speed, maneuverability and endurance.

"We still have a long way to go to achieving the same performance as real fish," said Hu.

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Naruto Shippuden Episode 124

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Kiba Episode 51 THE END

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Kiba Episode 50

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Kiba Episode 49

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Kiba Episode 48

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Kiba Episode 47

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Kiba Episode 46

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Kiba Episode 45

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Kiba Episode 44

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Kiba Episode 43

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Kiba Episode 42

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Kiba Episode 41

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Kiba Episode 40

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Kiba Episode 39

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Kiba Episode 38

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Kiba Episode 37

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Kiba Episode 36

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Kiba Episode 35

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Kiba Episode 34

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Kiba Episode 33

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Kiba Episode 32

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Kiba Episode 31

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Kiba Episode 30

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Kiba Episode 29

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Kiba Episode 28

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Kiba Episode 27

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Kiba Episode 26

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Kiba Episode 25

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Kiba Episode 24

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Kiba Episode 23

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Kiba Episode 22

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Kiba Episode 21

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Kiba Episode 20

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Kiba Episode 19

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Kiba Episode 18

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Kiba Episode 17

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Kiba Episode 16

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Kiba Episode 15

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Kiba Episode 14

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Kiba Episode 13

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Kiba Episode 12

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Kiba Episode 11

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Kiba Episode 10

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Kiba Episode 9

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Kiba Episode 8

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Kiba Episode 7

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Kiba Episode 6

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Kiba Episode 5

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Kiba Episode 4

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Kiba Episode 3

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Kiba Episode 2

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Kiba Episode 1

Kiba's main character is Zed, a 15-year-old boy who lives in a place called "Calm". Frustrated by his current situation in life he feels that somewhere out there is a place where he can live more fully. One day, at the invitation of a mysterious wind, Zed dives into a space-time crevasse (portal), seeking the answers that might be there. Riding on the wind, he is transported to a war-torn world where magic users called "Shard Casters" fight endlessly with each other, using spells in the form of marble-like "Shards". With the power of the Shards, the Shard Casters are able to use spells and control monsters called "Spirits". Fascinated by that power, Zed aims to become a Shard Caster. However, he still doesn't know that residing in his body is "Amil Gaoul", a mighty Spirit with the power to influence the world's future. Amil Gaoul is one of the "Key Spirits" that, when together with the other Key Spirits, can destroy or save the world. There are a total of six Key Spirits: Amil Gaoul, Pronimo, Sachira, Monardi, Jumamis and Shadin. Zed undergoes countless trials in order to find out who he really is and what is most important to him.

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Naruto Shippuden Episode 123

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Bacteria Desalinate Water, Generate Power

Aug. 25, 2009 -- Bacteria can be used to turn dirty salt water into electricity and drinkable water, according to new research from scientists at Penn State University and Tsinghua University.

The research presents a new spin on microbial fuel cells, which have been used in the past to produce electricity or store it as hydrogen or methane gas.

"The idea of a microbial fuel cell is based on taking organic waste and turning it into a source of energy," said Bruce Logan, a scientist at Penn State and co-author of a paper in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

"In this newest discovery, we figured we would desalinate water by modifying the electricity generated by the bacteria."

The researchers start with a cup full of water from a pond or other natural source. Among the millions of microbes in the sample, some of the bacteria (scientists haven't identified the specific species) will naturally produce electrons and protons inside their cells and transport them outside themselves.

Other bacteria scavenge those free electrons and protons and use them as fuel to create hydrogen, methane or other chemicals, which can serve as energy sources.

Using only two thin pieces of plastic, the researchers have discovered the key to harnessing the power of these microbes. The membrane created by the Penn State scientists can draw away the electrons, ions or gases created by the microbes, towards an anode or a cathode, which are positively and negatively charged electrodes.

Anode, cathode and membranes are all encased within a clear plastic case about the size of a small tissue box. Add a cupful of pond water between the two membranes, and the bacteria start their jobs. The entire process leaves almost pure -- about 90 percent -- water behind.

The exact purity of the water can be changed depending on the needs of the scientists or the desalination industry, if the process is scaled up commercially. These microbial fuel cells can create pure, drinkable water. It may also remove most of the salt from water to make conventional purification methods cheaper by reducing the amount of electricity necessary.

Whatever the resulting salinity, "this is the first time that any one has used a microbial fuel cell for desalination," said Hong Liu, a scientist at Oregon State University also developing microbial fuel cells.

"(Using this approach) you basically need zero power input, and it could even produce energy if you use organic material as the input," said Liu.

For now, microbial fuel cells, whether they desalinate water, generate electricity or create hydrogen, methane or other gases, are limited to small-scale laboratory devices. That will change next month, however, when Logan and his colleagues install a larger microbial fuel cell to turn waste water from a Napa Valley winery into hydrogen gas.

"This project is just a demonstration for now," said Logan. "But ultimately (the winery) could use the power generated by the microbial fuel cell to power cars, forklifts or other vehicles."

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Watermelons 'could be used as fuel'

Researchers in the US believe that watermelons may provide an unlikely source of renewable energy.

A study has revealed that ethanol biofuel can be fermented from the juice of "reject" watermelons that go unsold.

Scientists say the fruit could generate fuel at the rate of 220 litres per hectare, or 2.5 acres.

Dr Wayne Fish, from the US Department of Agriculture, said: "About 20% of each annual watermelon crop is left in the field because of surface blemishes or because they are misshapen.

"We've shown that the juice of these melons is a source of readily fermentable sugars, representing a heretofore untapped feedstock for ethanol biofuel production."

Writing in the online journal Biotechnology for Biofuels, researchers say watermelon juice could also be a useful source of the two health supplement "nutri-chemicals" lycopene and L-citrulline.

Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant while L-citrulline improves blood flow.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

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Naruto Shippuden Episode 122

Naruto Shippuden 122 pt @ Yahoo! Video

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Just for Laughs - Funny Emergency

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Just For Laughs [Toilet]

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Just For Laughs - Wrong Toilet Side

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Just for Laughs - Girl Gym Workout!

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Just for Laughs - Bikini Man

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just for laughs waterpark

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Just 4 Laughs : Gags

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Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

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La Ink - Jesse Metcalf

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Chris Garver: Japanese Dragon Tattoo

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GIANNA LYNN on Miami Ink

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Miami Ink - Kat Von D Pinup

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Miami Ink - Virgin Mary

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Miami Ink - Japanese Temple Guard

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Miami Ink - Geisha Girl

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Canon G11: better, stronger, faster

The Canon G11 sports a 5x optical zoom that's 2 stops faster than the G10.

Canon has announced the latest in the “G” series, the Powershot G11, which sports a larger, 5x zoom len (28-140mm 35mm equivalent) which is 2 stops faster, a 10MP CCD (backing down from 14MP in the G10) with better low light performance thanks to an upgraded anti-noise sytem, and a 2.8 inch viable angle color LCD. Can we call it the bionic cam?


In addition to an upgraded CCD and faster, longer zoom lens, the G11 has all the typical features expected from the G series including RAW support, full manual options, mode dials for exposure compensation and ISO adjustment, and the ability to use an external Speedlight flash or underwater housing.
The Canon G11 sports a new viable angle LCD screen.

The Canon G11 sports a new viable angle LCD screen.

The G9 was a popular backup camera for professionals looking for a shirt pocket option where a full DSLR rig was either impractical or unexpected. The G11 gives them faster exposure options, and while the larger vari angle LCD gives great room, Canon still managed to hang onto the classic viewfinder for those who enjoy shooting “old school.” And with the noise limiting technology and faster lens, Canon shows it can think outside the box when it comes to increasing megapixel capacity, but without allowing noise to creep in at higher ISOs or in low light.

The Powershot G11 will be available this October for an MSRP of about $500.

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Deadly Dog Flu Spreads

Aug. 18, 2009 -- Canine influenza, the potentially deadly H3N8 virus commonly known as dog flu, is spreading.

So far the virus has led to the death of one dog last week, closed down the kennel at Virginia's Fairfax County Animal Shelter, and, according to experts, is now affecting dogs in at least four other states: Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

While the reason for the shelter outbreak, which killed a 15-year-old whippet owned by a clinical technician and sickened 26 dogs, remains unknown, it's possible that one or more infected dogs from Philadelphia or D.C. introduced the illness to Virginia.


"Dogs often move in and out of shelter systems over long distances, such as via breed and rescue groups," Edward Dubovi, director of the virology center at Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory, told Discovery News.

"Boarding kennels and even elite doggie day care centers can also result in cases, since, as for kennel cough spread, the virus is highly contagious and dogs may catch it from one another," added Dubovi.

He first isolated the canine influenza virus in 2004, after University of Florida researchers sent him fluid and tissue samples from greyhound race dogs that had died from a then mysterious respiratory illness at a Florida racetrack.

Dubovi and his team determined the cause was the H3N8 equine flu virus, which jumped from horses to dogs. In addition to spreading from dog to dog, canines can also catch it from humans, who may have come into contact with infected animals.

The illness has not yet sickened any people.

Symptoms in dogs can include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite and a respiratory infection that may last a few weeks. One to five percent of victims die from related hemorrhagic pneumonia.

Although 30 states have reported cases over the past five years, Dubovi said outbreaks are "usually sporadic and then die out."

"For example, we've seen outbreaks in San Diego, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, but those all ended," he explained.

As officials work to contain the Virginia cases, nearby states and cities are also on guard.

Tara deNicolas, a spokesperson for the Washington Humane Society, told Discovery News, "No cases are currently in our shelter."

She added, "We're being very proactive, however, and are ordering tests whenever any possible symptoms surface."

Just last month, a vaccine was released for canine influenza. Dubovi said that, "in clinical trials, it reduces viral shedding and diminishes signs" of the illness. It's given in two doses, three weeks apart.

Dubovi would like to see "blanket vaccinations in affected areas, as it would be nice to get this virus out of the dog population."

The virus at present is more adapted to horses than to dogs, so wiping out the illness now would prevent future possible mutations within canines.

Since dogs are in regular contact with their owners and other people, the illness could potentially spread from dogs to humans in the future, he suggested, given that it has already jumped from one species of mammal to another.

More bad news appears to be on the horizon. Next month, Dubovi said he will announce the discovery of yet another new virus.

In the meantime, researchers continue to study why some viruses jump species, and what can be done to eradicate these illnesses.

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Nobody - Ouz Wonder Girls (cover) @ Thailand

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Air Pollution Travels, Kills Thousands Annually

Aug. 14, 2009 -- Unseen and odorless, microscopic particles of air pollution wafting overseas and across continents kill some 380,000 people each year, according to a new study.

Exhaust from diesel engines, sulfur from coal-fired power plants, and desert dust swirl into an insidious cocktail of of tiny particles that can spend weeks airborne.

The most harmful are the smallest, less than 2.5 microns in diameter; when inhaled they can irritate the lungs or pass directly into the bloodstream and damage arteries.

Scientists and regulators know this is a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. But less clear is the effect that air pollution generated in regions like China and Southeast Asia has on far-off lands -- say, North America.

Particulate pollution born overseas that floats into Canada, Mexico and the United States accounts for 6,600 premature deaths each year, Junfeng Liu of Princeton University and a team of researchers found.

Similarly, their study, published in the journal Atmospheric Environment suggests that a dust plume from Africa and a fog of pollution from Europe converge on the Indian subcontinent, condemning nearly 200,000 people to early deaths.

Globally, the team estimates that some 380,000 people die prematurely as the result of particulates emigrating from foreign lands.

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Nasa unveils Mars crater images

A dramatic new image of a crater on the red planet has been captured by Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, revealing sand dunes in the half-mile wide canyon.

The image of the Victoria Crater in the Meridiani Planum region of the planet was taken at a slightly oblique angle, which allowed Nasa to see more of the steep curves in the walls of the nearly 200ft (60m) deep crater.

Nasa used its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRise) camera to take pictures of the crater floor.

A Nasa rover called Opportunity landed on Mars in 2006 and investigated the area until August last year, leaving marks that are still visible on the north side of the crater.

The new colour-enhanced image showed a bright band near the rim that marks the boundary between the bedrock and the material that was removed when the asteroid, which formed the crater, crashed.

According to researchers, although early estimates suggested that the Victoria Crater is somewhere between 10-100 million years old, the rocks within the depression could be much older.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

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Electronic Breast Enhancer is the new Bust Must

I usually don’t cover products like the Electric Bust Enhancer, but I or someone else has covered all the other coolest gadgets for this Friday.

What you are seeing there are two devices that a lady sticks in her bra cup, and then it massages. Apparently, this soft vibration keeps breasts healthy, and protects “against age and gravity”. According to the Uxsight web site, a lot of women have seen the results quite quickly, and is “enjoyable for the women”.

Ye-e-a-ah. I’m not certain I should be covering this, but who am I to crown myself the king of prudes? Anyway, each of those cups is battery powered with an AG13 cell, and there doesn’t seem to be a warning about wearing these too much.

So, does anyone know if there is a scientific principle that would make this work? Considering the money that plastic surgeons are given by aging trophy wives every year to restore their (insert any word for “breasts” here, go on, you have such a limitless choice) it would be simpler if this device could save them.

Well, feel free to leave a comment to let me know what you think. If you decide that this product is for you, feel free to head over to the Uxsight web site and lay down $10.69 for a pair of these good vibrations.

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Portable Folding 4 Port USB Hub with Light

It seems these days a hub is not allowed to be just a hub. It has to be in some fancy shape that shows the world your true interests in life. That or it has to have some other function besides being a hub. Well this one is no exception, not only is it a hub, but it shines a light on anything you happen to choose. If you sometimes feel that light is not adequate whenever you are traveling, this would be one way to solve the issue without resorting to packing a spare desk lamp.

When the hub is not in use, the light wraps around the hub, protecting it from any dirt that might collect inside the small ports. Although it appears that there are only two ports on this hub, there are actually a total of 4. You just can’t see the other two within this picture. The hub only comes in the bright green you see here, so if you’re not a green fan, you might not want this gadget. You can purchase the hub for $6.69 from UXSight.

Source: GadgetVenue

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Planetary Smash-Up Leaves Ring Around Star

Aug. 13, 2009 -- Vaporized remains of rock and lava circle a very young star, creating a ring of debris scientists believe formed after a violent crash of two planetary bodies.

The host star is HD 172555, located about 100 light-years away in the southern constellation Pavo, or Peacock.

Scientists using NASA's infrared-sensitive Spitzer Space Telescope found unexpected chemical signatures when they analyzed the star's light.

Lead researcher Carey Lisse, with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., recognized the fingerprints of melted glass and gases such as silicon monoxide -- created by vaporized rock -- that he had seen from the comet-smashing Deep Impact and the comet-sampler Stardust missions.

"Without those two missions we wouldn't have had the confidence to say what it is we were seeing. Now we're aware of what's possible," Lisse told Discovery News. "This was something that really stood out hard."

Scientists suspect an object about the size of Earth's moon crashed into a Mercury-sized body orbiting HD 172555 about 1,000 years ago, creating an unusual debris ring circling about as far as the distance of Jupiter from the sun.

A similar event early in the history of our solar system is believed to have positioned material for Earth's moon to form. The crash around HD 172555, however, likely booted debris too far from its fledgling planet's gravitational grasp to coalesce into a moon.

"The impact that formed (Earth's) moon had to happen relatively slow," Lisse said. "It's much easier to see a big, spread-out mass."

The scientists' research appears in next week's Astrophysical Journal. It follows a report this week of another potential cosmic collision that turned around a planet's orbit.

WASP-17, which orbits a star about 1,000 light-years from Earth, is the first planet ever found that circles its mother star in the opposite direction from how the star spins. WASP is the acronym for the Wide Area Search for Planets, run by a consortium of U.K.-based universities.

So far, the most likely explanation for the backward orbit is that the planet's path was reversed very early in its history as a result of an impact or near-miss with another body.

"It's one that the theorists need to do a lot of investigation on," astronomer Coel Hellier, of Keele University, told Discovery News. "All the (computer) models that would result in having a retrograde (backward) orbit, you need some other body that is perturbing it."

While comets and other small bodies have been found orbiting backwards, WASP-17 is the first large body to do so, Heillier said.

The planet's odd orbit may explain its huge size. WASP-17, which is the largest planet found so far, has billowed out to roughly twice the size of Jupiter, though it has approximately the same mass.

Scientists suspect extreme tidal and gravitational forces are to blame. The planet orbits extremely close to its mother star, circling in just 3.5 days. Mercury, the closest planet in our solar system to the sun, takes 88 days to complete an orbit.

Any debris from a crash that may have flipped WASP-17 would have long settled into new bodies or scattered away, Heillier added.

"It there was a collision, it was probably a billion years ago or something very early on in that planetary system. This system is quite old, two to three billion years old," he said.

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Galapagos Wildlife Threatened by Tourism

Aug. 12, 2009 -- Mosquitoes brought into the Galapagos on tourist planes and boats threaten to wreak "ecological disaster" in the islands, central to Darwin's theory of evolution, a study said Wednesday.

The insects can spread potentially lethal diseases in the archipelago off Ecuador's Pacific coast, used by Charles Darwin as the basis of his seminal work "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection."

"Few tourists realize the irony that their trip to Galapagos may actually increase the risk of an ecological disaster," said Simon Goodman of Leeds University, one of the study's co-authors.

"That we haven't already seen serious disease impacts in Galapagos is probably just a matter of luck."

The study found that the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, was regularly hitching rides on planes from the South American mainland, and island-hopping on tourist boats between the different islands.

Species threatened by diseases such as avian malaria or West Nile include the islands' best-known residents, its giant tortoises, as well as marine iguanas, sea lions and finches.

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Baby born with two faces, four eyes, two noses, two mouths

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Stalking Cat

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Lizardman

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Big mouth

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Face Dance

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Lady popping her eye out

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Aesop's crow 'may have been real'

The crow is truly as clever a bird as legends portray it to be, new research has shown.

Scientists at Cambridge University have demonstrated that the millennia-old fable about a thirsty crow that raised the water level of a pitcher by throwing stones into it is based on the bird's innate ability.

The problem-solving ability described in the tale written by Ethiopian slave Aesop was tested by a team of zoologists on a group of rooks, birds belonging to the same corvid family as crows.

The study published in the journal Current Biology, reports how the four rooks - Cook, Fry, Connelly and Monroe - were offered a juicy worm floating on water in a vertical tube, just beyond their reach. Their behaviour was recorded on video.

To start with they appear to be thinking through the problem by examining the tube from all angles.

The researchers then place a handful of pebbles near them. The birds pick these up with their beaks, drop them in the tube and bring the worm within reach. While Cook and Fry succeed at their first try, it takes Connelly and Monroe two attempts.

Cambridge University zoologist Christopher Bird, who led the study, said: "Corvids are remarkably intelligent, and in many ways rival the great apes in their physical intelligence and ability to solve problems," said Mr Bird, a PhD student.

"This is remarkable considering their brain is so different to the great apes."

Copyright © Press Association 2009

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3D images reveal ancient spiders

Scientists have unveiled 3D images of early spider-like creatures that lived around 300 million years ago.

Around 3,000 high-resolution CT (computerised tomography) scans of the fossils of two species - Cryptomartus hindi and Eophrynus prestivicii - were brought together using imaging software by researchers at Imperial College, London, to create the models.
Both species - about the size of a 50p piece - are believed to have lived during the Carboniferous period, before the age of the dinosaurs.

Cryptomartus, which are thought to have been an ambush predator that lay hidden in logs and plant fronds before pouncing on victims, had two forward-pointing front legs that may have been used to grab prey.

Meanwhile, Eophrynus, which possibly hunted on the open forest floor, had long legs that enabled it to run through leaf litter after prey.

Researcher Russell Garwood, from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, said: "Our models almost bring these ancient creatures back to life and it's really exciting to be able to look at them in such detail.

"Our study helps build a picture of what was happening during this period early in the history of life on land."

The findings are published in the journal Biology Letters.

Copyright © Press Association 2009

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mate...ya got a hole in your head

old guy has a hole through his left eye. you can see his optic nerve!

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Electric Human

All over the world, there are cases of human beings who claim they can harness the power of electiricity, who are they, what are their powers. click more videos



Jose Ayala seems to be immune to electric shocks but what will a group of physics professors make of him?


The ordinarily shy jose decides to show his special power over electricity off to his neighbours

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Human Face Transplants

At a military hospital in China, surgeons are experimenting with human face transplants to improve the lives of disfigured patients.

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Dede the tree man friend in the circus

After Dede the Treeman recieved treatment for his condition, a British doctor is now trying to help Dede's friends form the circus.
for more video of friends of Dede Click >>
Indonesian circus performerms come together once more for an emotional reunion and the hope of finding out more about their.


David Koppel is hopping that the Clan will agree to be medically examined to learn more about their conditions, bout one member's family is not keen


It is time for David to return to the UK and leave the Clan to commence treatment with the doctors in Jakarta


Meet the members of the Sadaluk Clan, who until last year performed in a unique Indonesian freak show

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miracle baby

The mother was stabed 10 times and the babys father opened her stomache, pulled the baby out riped its omblilical cord and threw the baby into a latrine.

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Baby born with two faces, four eyes, two noses, two mouths

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Human Oddities

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World's Tallest Woman

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Treeman the Cure

An Indonesian fisherman who feared that he would be killed by tree-like growths covering his body has been given hope of recovery by an American doctor - and Vitamin A.

Dede, now 35, baffled medical experts when warty "roots" began growing out of his arms and feet after he cut his knee in a teenage accident.

The welts spread across his body unchecked and soon he was left unable to carry out everyday household tasks.


Surgery alone won't help Dede, he needs drugs to kill off the growths too


Dede undergoes surgery to remove 5kg of his tree-like growths


Given a chance to visit Dede in hospital the producer asks how he's keeping up


Optimistic about his recovery, Dede starts to look to the future

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Dirty Minded?

WATCH AT FIRST SIGHT

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Acer to launch world's first Atom based Android Netbook

Since the launch of the Google G1 smart phone running Android, there has always been talk that Android could be a great mobile platform for small notebooks. And with the popularity of Netbooks being sky high - the most popular selling computers so far this year - there has been talk that sooner or later, there will be an Android driven netbook on the market. And it looks like Acer is goin’ for it in a huge way.

Scheduled to ship this fall, the Acer Android netbook will be based on the Aspire One with the Atom processor and 10 inch screen. Unveiled at the Computex Electronics show last June, Acer showed that not only can the Aspire run Android, but it can also run in a dual boot configuration with Windows XP. This can be especially advantageous until more Android based Netbook applications come online.

Acer is the first company to offer an Android based netbook running the Atom processor, and the advantage that Android has over a Windows configuration is it’s open source community development which would translate into a more affordable netbook.

No word on how much the Aspire Android will run, but it’ll be here this Fall.

Hat Tip - PC World

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Spycam Video Sunglasses

Forget about sunglasses that feature MP3 playback - those aren’t nearly as cool as the Spycam Video Sunglasses from ThinkGeek, filling up a hole in your voyeuristic instinct.

The Spycam Video Sunglasses are not intended to be part of any disguise - they are the disguise - concealing a tiny video camera in the center of the glasses. Capable of capturing excellent quality video and audio, these Spycam Video Sunglasses can be comfortably worn nearly anywhere to help you get the footage. Video is stored in AVI format on a Micro SD card. These glasses also feature easy-to-use controls which are located on the glasses frame. The built-in battery is rechargeable via USB connection and has a battery operating life of about 3-4 hours.

Would you drop $149.99 for this, or do you prefer other kinds of spy gadgets which are even more discreet?

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'Bald' bird a first for Asia in 100 years

HANOI (AFP) - – A "bald" bird discovered in Laos is Asia's first new species of bulbul -- a type of songbird -- in more than 100 years, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said Thursday.

Scientists from the Society, as well as the University of Melbourne, identified the bird, which has a practically bald head, WCS said in a news release.

They reported their findings in the July issue of Forktail, the scientific journal of the Oriental Bird Club, a United Kingdom charity.

"This paper describes for the first time in over 100 years a new Asian species of bulbul," the scientists wrote of their discovery late last year in an area of limestone karsts in Laos's Savannakhet province.

The bird, named the Bare-faced Bulbul, is not completely bald but has a narrow line of hair-like feathers down the centre of its crown. It also has a distinctive featherless, pink face with bluish skin around the eye extending to the bill, said the Society, which manages urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo in New York.

"Its apparent restriction to rather inhospitable habitat helps to explain why such an extraordinary bird with conspicuous habits and a distinctive call has remained unnoticed for so long," said Iain Woxvold, the University of Melbourne scientist who was part of the team that made the discovery.

Limestone karsts remain among the least studied ecosystems in Southeast Asia, he and the other scientists wrote in their journal article.

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