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One Potato, Two Potato Orbiting Mars

One Potato, Two Potato Orbiting Mars

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)


Phobos and Deimos are just two of many moons of the solar system. Meet Deimos in color as viewed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on 21 February 2009.


And here is Phobos image taken by the same spacecraft on 23 March 2008.

Nicolas Kristof - Online News is all about ME

Nicolas Kristof - Online News is all about ME

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

In his NY Times opinion column, Nicolas Kristof worries about the fact that people prefer to read things that reinforce their own preconceived notions, instead of things that challenge them. The demise of print newspapers accelerates this trend, because we can pick and choose, more easily than ever before, which ideas we're exposed to:

When we go online, each of us is our own editor, our own gatekeeper. We select the kind of news and opinions that we care most about.

Nicholas Negroponte of M.I.T. has called this emerging news product The Daily Me. And if that’s the trend, God save us from ourselves.
Reproduction: No Surprise, Inbreeding Depression Is Not Random

Reproduction: No Surprise, Inbreeding Depression Is Not Random

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

We’re all aware of the severe genetic and unpleasant physical consequences that result from reproducing with a closely related relative.  Aside from unfortunate aesthetics, inbreeding can also lead to the extinction of small organismal populations.  This decrease of reproductive success is referred to as “inbreeding depression” and mechanisms that cause it are still being debated by biologists. 

Autosub - The Yellow Submarine In Antarctica

Autosub - The Yellow Submarine In Antarctica

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

The Antarctic landmass is losing its frontier status.  Housing thousands of decreasingly rugged inhabitants in heated, internet-ready comfort, it’s been so well-mapped that we even know where to find the donuts.  Underwater, however, is a different story.  Harsh temperatures, currents, pressure and ice surfaces have kept the submerged landscapes of glaciers inaccessible to all but penguins and Morgan Freeman’s voiceover.

A joint US-British team has nominated a new Ernest Shackleford to explore the uncharted Antarctic underwater.  But this time around, he’s a robot.
Nimbuzz IPhone App Bridges 3G VoIP Gap

Nimbuzz IPhone App Bridges 3G VoIP Gap

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- VoIP Over 3G, Skype Out, SIP Calling, and Twitter Support Make Nimbuzz the Most Comprehensive Mobile Social VoIP and Instant Messaging Application - and Turns iPod Touch Into iPhone

Ice, Polar Bears & Penguins

Ice, Polar Bears & Penguins

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

There is an old gag which asks: "Why don't polar bears eat penguins?" The answer is that polar bears inhabit arctic regions, whereas penguins inhabit antarctic regions, as shown here.

There is a saying that the poles are where weather is made. Weather is a heat-driven system, the temperature difference between the poles and the equator, amongst other things, drives our weather. Air is constantly being either warmed or cooled in a planet-wide system, but air is warmed much more in the equatorial regions and cooled more in the polar regions.  (Please note: this is a deliberate oversimplification for purposes of explanation.)
A Sign That Web Development Is Being Redefined In 2009

A Sign That Web Development Is Being Redefined In 2009

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

PITTSBURGH, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- The Release of ComponentOne Studio Enterprise 2009 Sets the Pace

The leader in the Microsoft Visual Studio component industry, ComponentOne, has expanded its offering of custom controls in the most complete suite in the market, ComponentOne Studio Enterprise 2009. This release includes new controls and updates that bring enhanced performance and presentation to Windows, Web, and Mobile application development.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080410/NEW078LOGO )

Occlutech Obtains Favourable Ruling In Proceedings Initiated By AGA Medical

Occlutech Obtains Favourable Ruling In Proceedings Initiated By AGA Medical

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

JENA, Germany, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Occlutech GmbH today announced that it had defeated a request for insolvency, launched at the Amtsgericht Gera in Germany by its US competitor AGA Medical.

The request by AGA was based on wrongful assumptions about Occlutech, and AGA announced that it had started the said request to recover damages. However, the court - Amtsgericht Gera in Germany - stated, that a proceeding regarding any damages has not yet been started.

Native American Creationism

Native American Creationism

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

There's a federal law that says Native American bones held by museums or other institutions have to be returned to the tribe they are associated with - if the tribe can prove the bones are in fact associated with them. Nature is reporting that the University of California is planning, over the objections of researchers, on handing over 10,000 year old bones to the Kumeyaay tribe, which claims the bones came from one of their sacred burial ground.
NASA March Madness begins

NASA March Madness begins

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

Alert! Voting starts today with NASA's goofy but fun Launch Madness brackets, mimicking sports' March Madness. A bit ironic given I'd just written on how voting does not make science. That said, choose your favorite missions and see how your vote stacks up! mission-madness.nasa.gov (Warning: Flash required) Good luck with the acronyms. I had to check to see MER was the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. I predict that anything marked STS-# will not do well, as it's harder for "just another shuttle mission" to compete with a focused mission that also has a catchy name.
IMGROUP And Clarity Systems Announce Partnership To Deliver Corporate Performance Management (CPM) Solutions To UK Customers

IMGROUP And Clarity Systems Announce Partnership To Deliver Corporate Performance Management (CPM) Solutions To UK Customers

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

LONDON, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarity Systems, a leader in corporate performance management (CPM) and Information Management Group (IMGROUP), an award-winning provider of information management services, today announced a partnership to provide planning, budgeting, financial consolidation and performance reporting solutions to UK businesses, public sector and not-for-profit organisations.

Infor Reveals The Future Of Enterprise Software At Inforum Middle East 2009

Infor Reveals The Future Of Enterprise Software At Inforum Middle East 2009

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- IDC Keynote Speech on Middle East Enterprise Applications Market

Infor today announced that it will hold its inaugural Middle East customer event - Inforum Middle East 2009 - on Wednesday April 22, 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Deira Creek, Dubai. This event gathers Infor customers, partners, prospective customers and industry experts who want to connect, learn and maximise the value of their Infor solutions. Educational sessions, customer case studies and product-specific networking opportunities unite attendees with others in similar business environments.

Frost Sullivan: Advances In Biometrics Remedy The Need For Increased Security

Frost Sullivan: Advances In Biometrics Remedy The Need For Increased Security

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

LONDON, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

Security concerns in the present world continue to grow in intensity and complexity. This opens the door to many opportunities within the European biometrics market, which is expected to experience substantial growth in the coming years despite the current economic downturn. Many of the common identity management measures currently in place such as access cards, employee IDs, password protection, personal identification numbers (PINs), passports, and the like, can be forgotten, lost, disclosed, or changed. Biometrics offers a more secure solution because it identifies an individual through the unique physiological or behavioural patterns.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO )

Atmel Targets Mobile Devices With Low Cost 4-Channel QTouch Capacitive Touch Button Controller

Atmel Targets Mobile Devices With Low Cost 4-Channel QTouch Capacitive Touch Button Controller

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

SAN JOSE, California, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

Hughes Announces Next Generation HX Routers

Hughes Announces Next Generation HX Routers

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

GERMANTOWN, Maryland, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- New HX260 Mesh and HX200 Broadband Satellite Routers, Ideal for Private Networks and Cellular Backhaul, with Advanced DVB-S2/ACM Bandwidth Management

IRIS Accountancy Practice Solutions Sets UK Record For Tax Return E-Filing

IRIS Accountancy Practice Solutions Sets UK Record For Tax Return E-Filing

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

DATCHET, England, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- 1.745m Returns Filed With HMRC Through IRIS Software by January Deadline

- IRIS Customers Filed Almost as Many Returns As All Other Software Vendors Customers Put Together

IRIS Today announced that figures released by HMRC show that returns filed online using IRIS tax software amounted to an incredible 1.745m in the run up to the January 31st 2009 deadline.

Unite Photo Opportunity - City Rally To Fight For Fair Access To Local Construction Jobs

Unite Photo Opportunity - City Rally To Fight For Fair Access To Local Construction Jobs

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

LIVERPOOL, England, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- When: 10.00 am, Saturday 21st March 2009

- Where: Myrtle Parade/Bedford Street, Liverpool (see below)

Hundreds of unemployed construction workers from across the North West will rally in Liverpool city centre on Saturday 21st March calling for fair access to jobs on UK engineering and construction projects.

Unite is leading the fight to stop the growing problem of UK workers being refused work from important engineering and construction projects in the UK. The union believes there should be a level playing field for workers who wish to apply for work on UK construction contracts. It also calls for overseas workers to be paid agreed UK rates.

DotMobi To Release DeviceAtlas For Microsoft ASP.NET

DotMobi To Release DeviceAtlas For Microsoft ASP.NET

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

DUBLIN and WASHINGTON, March 19 /PRNewswire/ --

- dotMobi now accepting beta applicants to trial award-winning DeviceAtlas mobile device database for the ASP.NET programming framework

dotMobi today announced it is now accepting applicants into beta trials for a new edition of the award-winning DeviceAtlas(TM) mobile device database designed exclusively for developers building sites with Microsoft ASP.NET.

With DeviceAtlas for Microsoft ASP.NET, developers using ASP.NET 2.0 and above will now be able to easily expand their sites to embrace mobile audiences as well as PC-based users. DeviceAtlas for Microsoft ASP.NET will seamlessly replace Microsoft profiles with this new Web-based service.

Dreampark Boosts IPTV User Experience With Improved SVG Client For Middleware

Dreampark Boosts IPTV User Experience With Improved SVG Client For Middleware

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

NORRKOPING, Sweden, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Dreampark, one of the leading IPTV middleware providers on the European market, announced today that it will exhibit at the 2009 IPTV World Forum, March 25-27 in London, and demonstrate how the new Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) technology in its Dreamgallery(TM) middleware is able to bring the IPTV user experience to a new level.

InSightec Ltd. Announces US$15 Million Investment Round

InSightec Ltd. Announces US$15 Million Investment Round

Mar 19 2009 | comment(s)

TIRAT CARMEL, Israel, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- InSightec Ltd. reported today that it has closed an internal round of financing totaling US$15 million from its existing investors.

Elbit Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: EMITF) (EI) has invested US$7.5M on March 18, 2009. Additional US$7.5M would be invested no later than 12 months following the date hereof by its existing investors.

The investment will take the form of Preferred Shares B, which are convertible to InSightec's ordinary shares subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions stipulated in the agreement.

InSightec reported that the funds would be used to expand its research and development efforts, for marketing and sales activities, and for general corporate purposes.