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Fans snap up Harry Potter deluxe edition

2007-02-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Fans snap up Harry Potter deluxe edition

NEW YORK -- It's months away from being on bookshelves, but fans can't get enough of the seventh - and final - Harry Potter book, no matter the cost.

Not only is "Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows" topping the charts of Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com, a deluxe edition, priced at $65, is No. 2, outselling the "You" diet book, Sen. Barack Obama and an Oprah Winfrey-endorsed memoir by Sidney Poitier.

Clinton must face her demons over health

2007-02-02T06:39:00.000-08:00

Clinton must face her demons over health

DURING her first campaign swing last weekend through Iowa, the small mid-western state where a year from now, she will face the first test in her bid to win the Democratic Party nomination for the 2008 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton was asked many times whether she was prepared for the months of scrutiny of her private life and political record.

She said she had been through that sort of scrutiny and those sort of dirty tricks before and was prepared for whatever came her way.

But she was not asked how she would handle questions about perhaps the biggest political failure of her husband's first term, one that played a large role in the Republican Party's mid-term election victories in 1994 and one for which she has to take much of the "credit".

California lawmaker calls for light-bulb ban

2007-01-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

California lawmaker calls for light-bulb ban

Sacramento, Calif. — How many people does it take to change a light bulb? In California, the answer could be a majority of the Legislature.

The electricity-wasting incandescent bulb would be banned — replaced by energy efficient compact fluorescents — under a bill that Assemblyman Lloyd Levine plans to introduce.

He says the spiral light sources are so efficient that consumers should be forced to use them. The compact bulbs use one-fourth the electricity spent in an equivalent incandescent.

“Incandescent light bulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications,” said Mr. Levine, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said in a news release Tuesday. “It's time to take a step forward.”

Blood workers strike Red Cross

2007-01-30T02:14:00.000-08:00

Blood workers strike Red Cross

Hospitals across the region reported little to no effect on their blood supplies as about 160 union workers from the Greater Alleghenies Region of the American Red Cross stayed on strike for a second day.

"At this moment, it's not an issue," said Robin Jennings, a spokeswoman for Excela Health, which operates three hospitals in Westmoreland County, along with affiliates in Fayette and Indiana counties.

The strike started Sunday at 12:01 a.m. and involves members of the blood drive collection staff represented by Communications Workers of America Local 13000.

The union represents about 160 of the 700 workers at a Red Cross chapter that serves 100 counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland.

Clinton lets personality show during Iowa visit

2007-01-29T02:53:00.000-08:00

Clinton lets personality show during Iowa visitFor Iowans with no other impression of Hillary Clinton than the one etched by the national media, her weekend Iowa swing was a primer on the various traits of the Democrat now asking for support in the state's lead-off presidential caucuses.

In Davenport on Sunday, as in Des Moines on Saturday, the party's national front-runner demonstrated aspects of her personality that don't often break through the media's veneer.

Mammography Rates Inch Downward

2007-01-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

Mammography Rates Inch DownwardSummary: The latest report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that fewer American women are getting mammograms, a screening test that can find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat. The finding troubles experts, who warn that skipping mammograms may eventually lead to higher death rates from breast cancer.

'Progress' in BA talks

2007-01-27T15:29:00.000-08:00

'Progress' in BA talks

Talks aimed at averting next week's strike by British Airways cabin crew have continued with signs that some progress had been made.

The airline's chief executive, Willie Walsh, led the company's negotiators in secret meetings with officials from the Transport and General Workers Union including its general secretary Tony Woodley.

The talks lasted several hours and are set to continue throughout the weekend in the search for a last-ditch deal which would halt the planned walkout by thousands of stewards and stewardesses on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pop sponge in microwave to kill nasty germs

2007-01-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

Pop sponge in microwave to kill nasty germs Here's some good news for every- one who worries about germs: Zapping that soggy sponge in the microwave for a couple of minutes can pretty much sterilize it.

"Microwave irradiation is a cost- effective, practical, fast, easy and safe method of disinfecting household items," according to a study published recently in the Journal of Environmental Health.

Cell phone companies launch mobile Linux group

2007-01-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

Cell phone companies launch mobile Linux group
Six of the biggest names in cellular telephony have made good on a promise from last year and announced a new foundation to push Linux standardization and adoption on mobile phones.

Hardware-makers Motorola Inc., NEC Corp., Panasonic Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and carriers NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Vodafone Group Services Ltd. said last June that they planned to work together on a Linux-based open software platform for mobile phones.

Does Apple Have the Backbone to License FairPlay?

2007-01-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

Does Apple Have the Backbone to License FairPlay?Critics say Apple's digital rights management system, FairPlay, forces anyone using iTunes to use an Apple music player for the rest of their lives. Perhaps they're on to something. If Apple thinks it makes the best digital media players in the world, why lock consumers in with a tightly guarded DRM system? Licensing FairPlay would be a tremendous show of confidence from Apple.

Salad offers such variety, try a different one each day

2007-01-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

Salad offers such variety, try a different one each dayThough we aren't staunch advocates of eating at your desk (even though we do it all the time), bringing lunch from home is a good way to save money and calories.

When you can't stand the thought of one more low-fat, low-calorie, low-sodium protein-with-pasta microwaveable entree, consider the salad.

You could eat salad five days a week and never get bored as long as you change the flavors. Look for interesting dressings or make your own. You decide if they should be fat-free, low-fat or fully loaded.

Think about global flavors: Asian, Latin, Southwestern or French. Adding protein to the greens will hold off hunger longer, though it is smart to have some fruit and nuts handy for later in the afternoon.

Dogs may promote good health

2007-01-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

Dogs may promote good healthWells, of Queen's University in Belfast, said dogs can aid in the recovery from heart attacks and give early warning of an approaching epileptic seizure.It is possible that dogs can directly promote our well-being by buffering us from stress, one of the major risk factors associated with ill-health, Wells said.

Robot nurses could be on the wards in three years, say scientists

2007-01-22T04:31:00.000-08:00

Robot nurses could be on the wards in three years, say scientists

ROBOT nurses could be bustling around hospital wards in as little as three years.

The mechanised "angels" - being developed by EU-funded scientists - will perform basic tasks such as mopping up spillages, taking messages and guiding visitors to hospital beds.

They could also be used to distribute medicines and even monitor the temperature of patients remotely with laser thermometers.

Working in teams, the intelligent robots will be able to communicate with each other and co-ordinate their duties.

Scientists from the universities of Warwick, Cardiff, Dublin and Newcastle are among the engineers and software experts taking part in the "IWARD" project. They aim to have a three-robot prototype system ready by 2010.

It is hoped the machines will ease pressure on hospitals and free staff to spend more time with patients.

By helping to keep wards cleaner, they could also cut infections by hospital superbugs such as MRSA. Each "nursebot" will consist of a mobile platform mounted with a module of sensors and equipment for different tasks.

It might be fitted with a laser thermometer which can measure body heat from a distance, or cleaning equipment to mop up spills.

While the hardware and modules can employ off-the-shelf technology, making the robots sufficiently intelligent and autonomous will require ground-breaking work.

Project leader Thomas Schlegel, from the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, has teamed up with experts from the University of Warwick to develop the advanced software.

He told The Engineer magazine: "The idea is not only to have mobile robots but also a full system of integrated information terminals and guide lights, so the hospital is full of interaction and intelligence.

"Operating as a completely decentralised network means that the robots can co-ordinate things between themselves, such as deciding which one would be best-equipped to deal with a spillage or to transport medicine."

He said the robots could provide a valuable service guiding people around the hospital. A visitor would state the name of a patient at an information terminal and then follow a robot to the correct bedside.

If the nearest robot was not sure of a patient's location, it could seek help by communicating with others in the right area.

The robots will be fitted with sensors and cameras, allowing them to avoid collisions while travelling through wards and corridors. High-speed lanes could allow them to move from place to place quickly.

The robots would also employ face and voice recognition technology to communicate with patients and spot unauthorised visitors.

"But the human-robot interaction will be tricky, as the robots will have to be able to deal with people with different injuries and disabilities as well as the elderly and seriously ill patients," said Mr Schlegel.

Bill would require girls to be immunized against HPV

2007-01-21T01:41:00.000-08:00

Bill would require girls to be immunized against HPV

SACRAMENTO - When authorities approved a vaccine last summer that prevents most cervical cancers, experts cheered it as a breakthrough in fighting a disease that kills 3,700 American women each year.

Now, a Bay Area lawmaker wants to make sure California girls get that vaccine, which guards against certain strains of human papilloma virus, known as HPV, that can cause cervical cancer. Assemblywoman Sally Lieber has introduced legislation that would require girls to be immunized against HPV before they enter the sixth grade.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that parents get the vaccine for their daughters, ideally when they're aged 11 and 12. But the proposal to mandate vaccination in California, AB 16, is causing quite a stir because HPV is transmitted only through sexual contact.

Mark Mangin of San Jose, Calif., saw his sister die, at age 32, from a different kind of cancer, ovarian, a decade ago. So when he saw a television ad for the new vaccine Gardasil, Mangin wrote his wife a Post-it note reminder to research it.

Mangin said they may talk to their family doctor about whether their three daughters, who attend Leland High and Castillero Middle schools, should get the shots. And he's generally OK with the state mandating the vaccine.

But the subject does give him pause. How much would he want to tell his daughters about Gardasil? Would kids chatter about their shots in homeroom or at lunch?

"It's very complicated," he said. "You don't explain anything to your kid when they get a measles shot. The thing that crossed my mind is, what will the kids think? Will they think it's OK to have sex if you get this vaccine?"

At least 10 states from Maine to Texas are considering HPV bills.

Lieber, who already stirred debate with her recent proposal to ban spanking young children, knows the issue is fraught for many families. But, she said, California requires vaccinations for Hepatitis B, which is transmitted through sexual contact and intravenous drug use.

"This is the first time we have a chance to prevent a virulent form of cancer," Lieber said, adding, "What we're trying to do is prevent disease, not mandate morality."

The state allows parents to decline any vaccination for their children for medical reasons or because of personal beliefs, Lieber stressed. But some bill critics say that option is little publicized.

"This, to me, is clearly an issue between a child and a parent, especially when we know that this vaccine is for a disease that is shown to only occur through sexual activity," said Republican state Sen. George Runner. "The point is that I have certain values and issues to which I deal with my daughter on. And it seems like it sends an inconsistent message about sexual activity."

Runner, a father of two, said he is all in favor of a public information campaign about the vaccine. But he would vote against mandating it.

Human papilloma virus is the most common sexually-transmitted disease in the United States, affecting about 20 million people at any time. Each year, there are about 6.2 million new infections, according to the Atlanta-based CDC.

People with HPV rarely exhibit any symptoms. However, some strains of the virus can carry serious consequences, causing cervical cancer and genital warts. Some 10,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year; about 3,700 die from it.

Gardasil is effective against the strains of HPV responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. It does not protect against other sexually-transmitted diseases, AIDS or pregnancy.

Merck's Gardasil, given in three shots over six months, costs $360. It's covered by nearly all insurers. Other pharmaceutical companies are working on their own HPV vaccines.

The state's Medi-Cal program covers the shot for girls 18 and younger. The Schwarzenegger administration has proposed $11 million in additional funding to get the vaccine to 50,000 Medi-Cal recipients aged 19 to 26.

Republican Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, a mother of, is passionate that women learn about the vaccine.

"One thing I've told people with a religious objection is, `Your daughter could be a virgin on her wedding day, but you don't know where her partner has been,'" said Garcia. "Once you take off your clothes and get naked, you're at risk."

But she's also reluctant to mandate it. "I don't think that will get out of" the Assembly, she said. "It's really about having parents buy into it."

By late last year, all Kaiser Permanents facilities in Northern California had received the vaccine. It's free to Kaiser patients whose doctors prescribe the vaccine.

"There isn't resistance" to it, said Dr. Ruth Shaber, Kaiser's director of women's health for Northern California. But, "we're surprised. We had expected more women to come in on their own" requesting it, because of Merck's aggressive "One Less" series of television ads.

Shaber said her own 12-year-old daughter has gotten the first Gardasil shot. And she recommends it to her patients. But, "my push would be for more public information."

It's so new, she said, that no one knows how long the vaccine is effective for. Initial studies didn't find any serious side effects from the vaccine, but there's a "remote possibility" that new side effects could emerge as the vaccine is more widely used.

Parent Mia Burnham, who has a 12-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter at Castillero Middle School in San Jose, leans in favor of a bill.

"I would tell my daughter, `This could protect against an STD,'" she said. "'And we would want it for you because we would hate for you to get cervical cancer if we could have prevented it.'"

AB 16 will get its first hearing sometime this spring. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he hasn't seen the bill yet and doesn't have a stance on it.

---

HPV FACTS

The human papilloma virus, or HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States and it can lead to cervical cancer. A Bay Area lawmaker wants to require girls to get a vaccine against it before entering the sixth grade.

_Number of people affected by HPV: About 20 million in the U.S.

_New cases each year: 6.2 million

_Health effects: Usually causes no symptoms, but certain strains can lead to cervical cancer and genital warts.

_Cervical cancer data: 9,700 new U.S. cases a year. 3,700 deaths.

_New vaccine: Gardasil, which is effective against HPV strains causing 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts.

_Recommended recipients: Girls 11- to 12-years-old or before onset of sexual activity. Can be given to girls as young as 9. Also advised for 13- to 26-year-olds.

_Cost: $360 for a set of three shots over six months. Covered by vast majority of insurers.

_Side effects: No serious ones reported; some pain at injection site.

Google plots e-books coup

2007-01-21T01:21:00.000-08:00

Google plots e-books coupGOOGLE and some of the world’s top publishers are working on plans that they hope could do for books what Apple’s iPod has done for music.

The internet search giant is working on a system that would allow readers to download entire books to their computers in a format that they could read on screen or on mobile devices such as a Blackberry.

With 380m people using Google each month, the move would give a significant boost to the development of e-books and have a big impact on the publishing industry and book retailers.

Jens Redmer, director of Google Book Search in Europe, said: “We are working on a platform that will let publishers give readers full access to a book online.”

Full text of president's radio adress

2007-01-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Full text of president's radio adress

Good morning. For many Americans, the new year began with a resolution to live a better and healthier life. Whatever goals you have set for yourself this year, one goal we can all share is reforming our Nation's health care system.

Americans are fortunate to have the best health care system in the world. The government has an important role to play in our system. We have an obligation to provide care for the most vulnerable members of our society -- the elderly, the disabled, and poor children and their parents. We are meeting this responsibility through Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. We must strengthen these vital programs so that they are around when future generations need them.

For all other Americans, private health insurance is the best way to meet their needs. But rising health care costs are making insurance too expensive for millions of our citizens. Health care costs are growing more than two times faster than wages, and this is making it harder for working families to buy insurance on their own. Rising costs are also making it harder for small businesses to offer health coverage to their employees. Our challenge is clear: We must address these rising costs, so that more Americans can afford basic health insurance. And we need to do it without creating a new Federal entitlement program or raising taxes.

Our Nation is making progress toward this goal. We created Health Savings Accounts, which empower patients and can reduce the cost of coverage. We are working to pass Association Health Plans, so that small businesses can insure their workers at the favorable discounts that big businesses get. We must pass medical liability reform, so we can stop the junk lawsuits that drive costs through the roof and good doctors out of practice. We've taken important steps to increase transparency in health care pricing, and give patients more information about the quality of their doctors and hospitals.

One of the most promising ways to make private health insurance more affordable is by reforming the Federal tax code. Today, the tax code unfairly penalizes people who do not get health insurance through their job. It unwisely encourages workers to choose overly expensive, gold-plated plans. The result is that insurance premiums rise, and many Americans cannot afford the coverage they need.

We need to fix these problems, and one way to do so is to treat health insurance more like home ownership. The current tax code encourages home ownership by allowing you to deduct the interest on your mortgage from your taxes. We can reform the tax code, so that it provides a similar incentive for you to buy health insurance. So in my State of the Union Address next Tuesday, I will propose a tax reform designed to help make basic private health insurance more affordable -- whether you get it through your job or on your own.

As we reform the Federal tax code, we will also support the innovative measures that states are taking to address the problem of the uninsured. Governors across the Nation have put forward plans to make basic private health insurance more accessible for their citizens. When I go before Congress next week, I will announce a new effort -- led by Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt -- to help governors reduce the number of people in their states without private health insurance.

All of these changes are based on a clear principle: Health insurance should be available, it should be affordable, and it should put you and your doctor in charge of your medical decisions. I look forward to working with Congress to pass the initiatives that I lay out next week, so we can help millions more Americans enjoy better care, new choices, and healthier lives.

Unique compromise could end tiny fly's grip on SoCal town

2007-01-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Unique compromise could end tiny fly's grip on SoCal town

COLTON, Calif. - This city lives in the shadow of a 1-inch fly that zooms around like a hummingbird.

For more than a decade, the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly has been the only fly on the federal endangered species list, its best hope of survival pinned on prime breeding habitat in this city east of Los Angeles. For just as long, city officials have fought to get it off the list, arguing that restrictions on building on its habitat have cost tens of millions of dollars in economic development.

Now, however, the working-class city is offering a new proposal to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that could help relax the insect's economic clout: hassle-free development in one neighborhood in exchange for a pristine preserve nearby. The compromise could end a stalemate that has left the city with limited commercial development and the fly's best habitat marred by rusting refrigerators, off-road trails and homeless encampments.

"I'm thinking there's hope we'll finally find a good solution to a problem that has been intractable for many years," said Dan Silver, executive director of the Endangered Habitats League, an environmental group that tracks Southern California's desert ecosystem. "We'll look back and say, 'Gee, there was a lot of foresight in protecting that.'"

Apple to charge $1.99 for 802.11n update

2007-01-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

Apple to charge $1.99 for 802.11n update

Apple has confirmed that it intends to charge customers a fee to download the software that will enable the built-in 802.11n functionality in its Wi-Fi cards which shipped in some MacBook and MacBook Pro systems. Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that all Core 2 Duo and Intel Xeon-based Macs -- with the exception of the 17-inch 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo iMac -- already has the 802.11n chip during his keynote speech at Macworld. The fee, which Apple says amounts to $1.99, will appear on the company's website once its new AirPort Base Station begins shipping next month. Customers who purchase the new Base Station will receive the software update for free, but Apple has said it is required to charge customers for the software upgrade due to generally accepted accounting principals, according to News.com.

"The nominal distribution fee for the 802.11n software is required in order for Apple to comply with generally accepted accounting principles for revenue recognition, which generally require that we charge for significant feature enhancements, such as 802.11n, when added to previously purchased products," said Apple spokeswoman Lynn Fox.

The new wireless standard boasts a large increase in bandwidth over the previous 802.11g standard, offering a longer range while providing backward compatibility with older wireless standards. The 802.11n standard will likely see ratification later this year, but the Wi-Fi Alliance has said it will begin certifying products based on a draft of the standard.

Health care players offer plan for uninsured

2007-01-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Health care players offer plan for uninsured

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Many of the leading players in U.S. health care joined together as "strange bedfellows" on Thursday to propose what they called a politically practical plan to provide health insurance to more than half of the 47 million Americans who lack it.

The plan envisioned more federal funds to help more children enroll in existing public programs, new tax credits and expanding eligibility for the Medicaid insurance program. Its backers were unable to say how much this would cost the U.S. government.

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the proposal -- offered as the new Democratic-controlled Congress mulls how to address the twin problems of uninsured Americans and escalating health care costs -- was who crafted it.

It was hammered out over two years by 16 groups and companies that in the past often bickered with one another, including leading drug and insurance companies, health plans, the American Medical Association, hospital groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and consumer advocates.

Dr. Jeremy Lazarus, a senior AMA official, called the participants "the major players in health care" and said the idea is "to cover as many people as possible as quickly as possible."

The AFL-CIO and the SEIU labor union that represents service workers pulled out before the plan was finished, as did the National Association of Manufacturers.

Participants highlighted what they saw as the urgency of the problem -- 46.6 million Americans without any health insurance in a rich country of 300 million people -- and pledged to work together to demand government action.

MySpace Developing Parental Notification

2007-01-18T14:54:00.000-08:00

MySpace Developing Parental Notification

NEW YORK -- The popular online hangout MySpace.com has been quietly developing software designed to give parents the bare-bones of what their kids are doing on the site.

The tool, which will alert parents of the username, age and location a child lists on personal MySpace pages known as profiles, is designed to spark conversations about Internet safety.

But it is also meant to give kids enough room to maneuver lest they flee to rival social-networking sites such as Facebook or Xanga. Unlike third-party monitoring software available for sale, the free MySpace tool won't let parents see their kids' password-protected profiles or any communications they have with friends.

Microsoft Expands Vista Options

2007-01-18T01:33:00.000-08:00

humor
Microsoft Expands Vista Options

Microsoft is increasing the ways that users can purchase Windows Vista, and upgrade to premium versions.

Upgrade Pricing, Discount Promotions

Tomorrow, the company is expected to announce pricing for a previously revealed consumer upgrade system for Vista called Windows Anytime Upgrade. Microsoft has said it will put all of the versions of Vista on one DVD in packaged form, or on a PC if the OS comes pre-installed. Users will get a product activation key that can activate whatever edition of Vista they purchase, and then can use that to install the OS.

However, if a user decides he or she wants to upgrade to a more feature-rich version of Vista than the one originally purchased--such as from Home Basic to Home Premium--Microsoft will allow a customer to pay $79 for a product activation key for that upgrade rather than requiring that customer to go out and purchase the edition at full price, which for Home Premium would be $159.

Thursday will also see Microsoft unveil a promotion through June 30 intended to inspire computer enthusiasts with more than one PC in the home to upgrade more than one computer to Vista.

Dubbed the Windows Vista Family Discount, it will allow a customer who buys the retail boxed version of Ultimate to purchase digital licenses for Home Premium for $49 each that can be installed on up to two other PCs in the home. As I've explained in the past, the suggested retail price for Windows Home Premium is $159.

Vista, Office to be Available as Downloads

Microsoft will also announce tomorrow that, for the first time, users will be able to purchase its Windows OS by downloading it over the Internet.

On Jan 30, various consumer versions of Windows Vista--such as Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate--will be available at the company's Windows Marketplace. Microsoft Office 2007 will also be available on the site, marking the first time customers can purchase the productivity suite by downloading it.

The company revamped the site in August, adding a new feature called Digital Locker, which keeps track of a customer's license key online so that software can be downloaded and securely purchased over the Internet. This feature is one of the reasons Microsoft now feels it is safe enough to distribute Windows Vista and Office over the Web.

Oracle blocks 51 security holes

2007-01-18T01:20:00.000-08:00

Oracle blocks 51 security holes

Oracle released a quarterly patch update on Tuesday containing 51 fixes, one less than originally expected.

The January 2007 update contains security bug fixes that address vulnerabilities in a wide range of Oracle enterprise software products including flaws in Oracle Database, Application Server, Enterprise Manager, Identity Management, E-Business Suite, Developer Suite, and the PeopleSoft software packages.

More than half the patches (26 of the 51) involve Oracle's flagship database software products. Nine of these might be exploited without the benefit of knowing a user name or password, potentially making them far easier to exploit. Of these, eight involve Oracle HTTP Server. The promised, but delayed, security fix also affects Oracle's database software.

The Oracle patch batch also includes 12 new security fixes for Oracle Application Server, eight of which may be remotely exploitable without authentication, as well as seven new security fixes for the Oracle E-Business Suite. Three patches for Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise PeopleTools, one of which may be remotely exploitable without logging on, and six patches for Oracle Enterprise Manager (five remotely exploitable) complete the unfestive 51.

Secunia reports that the impact of some of the vulnerabilities is unclear while others might be harnessed to gain access to sensitive information, run denial of service attacks, or conduct cross-site scripting and SQL injection attacks.

Oracle has been criticised in the past over the time it takes to develop security patches, and been asked to be more transparent about its security practices. In October, during its last release cycle, Oracle began rating the severity of bugs in its applications according to the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), an industry-wide initiative designed to standardise vulnerability rating. Oracle rates this quarter patch batch at 7.0 in a scale from zero to 10, where 10 indicates impending internet meltdown (or some such calamity).

Amichai Shulman, CTO of Israeli database and application security firm Imperva, reckons that some of the vulnerabilities are more severe than Oracle suggests. In particular, he highlighted flaws in Oracle's HTTP server that might be exploited remotely without authentication. "The SSL implementation flaw is the worst of the lot," he added.

A number of the flaws might lend themselves to SQL injections attacks. Exploits would not be difficult for a skilled hacker to craft, Shulman added. Meanwhile, applying the patches would normally involve downtime so it might be some time before enterprises are ready to roll-out fixes.

Long lead times are involved in developing database packages, and this is as true for IBM as it is for Oracle. For this reason releasing Oracle updates on a monthly instead of quarterly basis is unrealistic, according to Shulman.

He added that although Oracle is making some progress in improving its patching process it ought to to be more flexible about the possibility of releasing unscheduled fixes closer to the time when the most severe security flaws are discovered.

Sims Line Grows with Laptop-Friendly Games

2007-01-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

Sims Line Grows with Laptop-Friendly Games

Just when you thought The Sims franchise couldn't grow any bigger, Electronic Arts has announced a whole new line of Sims games. The Sims Stories allow you to "play through all the great moments of your Sim's life," all from the comfort of your recliner. Geared toward laptop users, the Sims Stories features the ability to start and stop quickly when you open/close your laptop's lid, as well as play in a window while still staying up on email and IM.

Sims Life Stories, coming out February 6, is the first title in the line. It features a new Story Mode, in which you can follow the lives of two different characters and their love lives through twelve chapters. For instance, in one storyline, you'll play along as the character Riley decides whether she'll ditch one boyfriend in favor of another. (This is deep stuff, people.) If that sounds a bit too Days-of-Our-Lives for you, you can also play in classic mode, which is similar to the open-ended play in the original game.

Life Stories will be followed up by two other Sims Stories titles: Pet Stories and Castaway Stories, which will strand you and your Sims on an island so you can indulge all your Lost fantasies.

US doctors plan 1st womb transplant

2007-01-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

US doctors plan 1st womb transplant

New York: Many women cannot bear children because they either have a malfunctioning uterus or their wombs have been damaged due to cancer and other problems.

However, doctors in New York hospital plan on the first womb transplant in the United States. They are screening women who may be fertile enough to bear children, according to The Washington Post.

The womb can be removed after a first successful conception. So there is no need to take anti-rejection drugs through out life.

Said Giuseppe Del Priore of the New York Downtown Hospital, â€œThe desire to have a child is a tremendous driving force for many women. We think we could help many women fulfill this very basic desire.â€

However, objections have been trickling in from various quarters, according to the Post.

Many transplant, fertility specialists and medical ethicists have raised questions of whether the procedure has been tested successfully on animals and whether the transplant may put the woman and the foetus at risk.

"This raises a set of very difficult medical and ethical questions," Thomas H Murray, who heads the Hastings Center, a bioethics think tank said.

He thinks, â€œit's very questionableâ€ and would be â€œvery hard to justify."

However, various experts have also opined that the plans highlight the unique status that childbearing holds in the United States.

They feel that with the availability of such options as adoption and surrogacy, women will go ahead to experience it.

HP Develops New Chip Technology

2007-01-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

HP Develops New Chip Technology

Company researchers describe a method that will allow more transistors on a chip, leading to faster computing and lower power use.

Hewlett-Packard researchers may have figured out a way to prolong Moore's Law by making chips more powerful and less power-hungry.

Today HP Labs said it created a method of using a "crossbar switch" that more efficiently routes signals inside a common kind of chip called an FPGA (field programmable gate array). The technology could lead to the creation of chips packed with far more transistors on board, leading to faster computing times.

HP calls its new technology field programmable nanowire interconnect (FPNI). The lab hopes to make a prototype chip using the technology within a year, and HP believes it could produce chips that contain a 15-nanometer crossbar by 2010.

Keeping Moore's Law Alive

HP is one of a host of companies developing ways to keep chip innovation moving along despite looming size barriers. The battle is to keep alive Moore's Law, which states that the number of transistors on a chip will double about every 18 months. Moore's Law has been the driving force behind increasing computing speeds and the decreasing cost of electronics gear over the 40 years since it was coined by Intel cofounder Gordon Moore.

Even Moore has said his law can't go on forever because the nature of exponentials is that you push them until disaster eventually strikes. So far, the technology industry has pushed those limits to 65-nanometers for mass-produced chips. There are about 3 to 6 atoms in a nanometer, depending on the type of atom, and there are a billion nanometers in a meter. Some scientists believe the atom may be the limit.

Intel is always working on new ways to make chips smaller and more powerful. In addition, scientists from IBM last year said they created circuit patterns as tiny as 29.9 nanometers using a technique called deep-ultraviolet (DUV) optical lithography.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing has also worked on the problem, using a fish fin design to ratchet down the size of working transistors to a minute 25-nanometers. It named the transistors Omega FinFETs.

Current Technologies

FPGA chips are often used in networking devices such as those made by Cisco because they can be reprogrammed using software instead of needing to be replaced. It's an important consideration in routers, which are often in tough-to-reach places.

The most common type of chip is called an ASIC, or application specific integrated circuit. As the name implies, it is made to perform one task, such as allow a mobile phone to receive call signals. ASICs cannot be reprogrammed.

The research, by Greg Snider and Stan Williams of HP Labs, is in the January 24 issue of Nanotechnology magazine. Their paper, titled "Nano/CMOS Architectures Using Field-Programmable Nanowire Interconnect," is available for free for 30 days from publication.

Tails of the unexpected not such a blast

2007-01-15T23:57:00.000-08:00

Tails of the unexpected not such a blast

The sight of the brightest comet in Australia's skies for more than 40 years drew a mixture of amazement and disappointment from thousands of Sydneysiders who set their eyes on the western horizon at sunset last night.

Comet McNaught, named after acclaimed Australian comet discover and astronomer Rob McNaught, revealed itself shortly after 8pm above a swathe of haze hanging over the Blue Mountains.

Hundreds of people watched the cosmic phenomenon in the western sky from Observatory Hill, while many more found unobstructed views elsewhere across the city.

And if you missed it, you should have another chance to see it tonight - they are even taking bookings at Sydney Observatory (phone 9921 3485) - for about 54 minutes after the 8.09pm sunset.

Because it will be further from the sun, the contrast of the comet against a darker sky could make it appear more spectacular.

Sydney Observatory astronomer Nick Lomb said it was "certainly the brightest comet I've ever seen".

"It was impressive because it was very bright. It could be seen very early on in the twilight."

"It was brighter than the planet Venus, which is very bright for a comet."

Those with a pair of binoculars were able to appreciate the comet's shape, he said.

"It was visible to the naked eye but it was more spectacular in a pair of binoculars. You could see the head of the comet but also the tail. There was a short, stubby tail with the head of the comet."

Not since 1965, when the Ikeya-Seki comet passed by, has the world seen such a bright comet.

Dr Lomb said Comet McNaught was about 100 times brighter than the 1986 Halley's Comet, although Halley's might have appeared more spectacular because it revealed itself against a night sky rather than a twilight sky.

While Dr Lomb was impressed by it, others, such as 29-year-old Jasmine Bruce, said it didn't quite live up to expectations.

"We had a great view of the western horizon. There was a lot of cloud as the sun was setting so we watched in anticipation for quite a while," said Ms Bruce, who viewed it from Queens Park in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

"Then my friend spotted a bright light off in the distance which we got very excited about because we thought it was the comet. But then a guy sitting next to us with a pair of binoculars dashed our hopes telling us that it was an aeroplane.

"Then we could see a very faint light in the distance and we had much discussion about whether this was the comet or whether it was Venus. Then our friend with the binoculars confirmed that what we thought was Venus was in fact the comet.

"It was a little disappointing because the actual image of the sunlight reflecting off the aeroplane was actually a more exciting image than the comet."

Ms Bruce said it was not as impressive as Halley's Comet.

"My childhood memory of Halley's Comet was that it was actually brighter [than this one]. But when I borrowed some binoculars, I could see more clearly the tail of the comet and the image was a bit more spectacular than it was with the naked eye."

Human proteins produced in hens' eggs

2007-01-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

Human proteins produced in hens' eggs

Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland have laid the foundations for a new method of producing complex biomolecules: getting chickens to lay them in their eggs.

The team led by Helen Sang has genetically transformed hens to produce a mini-antibody, miR24, which is seen as a possible treatment for the skin cancer malignant melanoma. Other hens produced the antiviral compound beta 1a interferon.

Transgenic chickens developed at the Roslin Institute are chimeras containing a mix of modified and normal cells. The gene expressing the molecule of interest is combined with the gene for the main protein found in egg white, ovalbumin, together with the DNA sequence involved in regulating its expression. The sequences are incorporated in a viral vector that is inoculated into the embryo of new laid eggs.

At that stage the embryo contains about 60 000 cells and the foreign gene sequence is taken up by five per cent of them, including those of the future ovarian and testicular cells so that the protein can be expressed by future generations.

Roslin director Harry Griffin said the modified ovalbumin gene construct is stable and has been shown to be expressed in the second and third generations. Furthermore, because the protein is only expressed in the cells of the oviduct which manufacture ovalbumin, the process has no systemic effects on the health of the birds, he added.

The concentrations of the foreign proteins found in the egg white varies between the different transgenic chickens but in those producing human interferon it is a typically up to about 50ug/ml of albumin. That is rather lower than the concentration of a human protein alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) that Roslin scientists produced in GM sheep milk some years ago. But the amount of interferon needed in treatment is much lower than the daily dose of AAT used to treat blood disorders. 'So the quantities we are producing are within the range of commercial interest,' said Griffin.

One of the many advantages of chickens over mammal species when used as bioreactors is the short generation time. So although Roslin only has small numbers of modified chickens, scale-up to a commercial sized flock would only take a few months.

Roslin's collaborators in the project are Oxford Biomedica, which developed the lentivirus vector, and Viragen, which aims to commercialise any products.

Viragen's managing director Karen Jervis said the process of purifying proteins in egg white is relatively simple and well understood, as vaccines have been made in eggs for more than 30 years. The only problem with albumin is that it is 'gloopy' and needs to be diluted before the products can be extracted by standard chromatography, she said.

Researchers develop new method for better earthquake warnings

2007-01-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

Researchers develop new method for better earthquake warnings

Washington, Jan 14: Researchers have developed a new and better method to predict earthquakes.

The system uses a micro-tremor data (data for quakes with a magnitude of between -1 and 5) to analyse and estimate the complete stress tensor and monitor changes in the magnitude of stress and the instability of faults, making earthquake predictions more valid.

For their tests, researchers used data for micro-tremors in Iceland from 1990 to 2005 and found that the stress analysis accurately predicted impending earthquakes.

“This experience from Iceland therefore indicates that the sites of coming earthquakes can be determined years before they occur. What is crucial to whether the analysis is reliable is to what extent the small quakes are analyzed," said Ragnar Slunga, the lead scientist behind the project.

"Especially if the method is to be used to warn people immediately before a coming earthquake, a few days or a few hours before the quake, it's necessary to analyse very minor micro-tremors as well," Slunga added.

The project was co-ordinated by the Icelandic seismological network. '

Warning Issued on Satellite Maintenance

2007-01-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Warning Issued on Satellite Maintenance

The nation’s ability to track retreating polar ice, shifting patterns of drought, winds and rainfall and other environmental changes is being put “at great risk” by faltering efforts to replace aging satellite-borne sensors, a panel convened by the country’s leading scientific advisory group said.

By 2010, the number of operating earth-observing instruments on NASA satellites, most of which are already past their planned lifetimes, will likely drop by 40 percent, the National Research Council of the National Academies warned in a report today.

The weakening of these monitoring efforts comes even as many scientists and the Bush administration have been stressing their growing importance, both to clarify risks from global warming and natural hazards and to track the condition of forests, fisheries, water and other resources on an increasingly crowded planet.

Several prominent scientists welcomed the report, saying that while the overall tightening of the federal budget played a role in threatening earth-observing efforts, a significant contributor was also President Bush’s recent call for NASA to focus on manned space missions.

“NASA has a mission ordering that starts with the presidential goals -- first of manned flight to Mars, and second establishing a permanent base on the moon, and then third to examine Earth, which puts Earth rather far down on the totem pole,” said F. Sherwood Rowland, an atmospheric chemist at the University of California at Irvine, who shared a Nobel prize for identifying threats to the ozone layer.

In an e-mailed statement, John H. Marburger III, President Bush’s science adviser and director of the White House’s science and technology policy office, acknowledged there were many challenges to maintaining and improving earth-observing systems, but said the administration was committed to keeping them a “top science priority.”

The report, “Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond,” proposed spending roughly $7.5 billion on new instruments and satellite missions through 2020 that would satisfy various scientific and societal priorities while holding annual costs around what they were, as a percentage of the economy, in 2000.

“We’re trying to present a balanced, affordable program that spans all the earth sciences,” said Richard A. Anthes, the co-chairman of the committee that wrote the report and the new president of the American Meteorological Society.

The report is the latest in a string of findings from such panels pointing to dangers from recent disinvestment in long-term monitoring of a fast-changing planet.

“This is the most critical time in human history, with the population never before so big and with stresses growing on the earth,” Dr. Anthes said. “We just want to get back to the United States being a leader instead of someone you can’t count on.”

Satellite-borne instruments, using radars, lasers, and other means, have revolutionized earth and climate science, allowing researchers to accurately and efficiently track parameters like sea level, fields of winds across the oceans, tiny motions of the earth from earthquakes, the amount of rain in a cyclone and moisture in air, and the average temperature of various layers of the atmosphere.

The committee identified significant gaps in instrumentation or plans for satellites orbiting over the poles, around the equator, and positioned so that they remain stationary over spots on the rotating earth.

One of the most important aspects of such monitoring is having new satellites built and launched before old ones fail.

Without overlapping streams of data, it is hard to assemble meaningful long-term records that are sufficiently precise to reveal some new, potentially dangerous, trend amid the naturally variable conditions in oceans and the atmosphere, the report’s authors said.

The report went beyond discussing ailing hardware and said that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy should do more to insure that society and science were benefiting fully from the reams of data flowing from orbiting instruments.

Typically, the satellites and sensors are developed and launched by the space agency and then, once they have proved useful in weather forecasting, climate research, and the like, are operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA.

That kind of handoff has caused many programs to falter, the report said.

“There’s a bias toward the new thing,” Dr. Anthes said. “NASA is a research and technology organization. Once they’ve demonstrated the technology, there’s not much interest in keeping doing it.”

Senior officials at NASA and NOAA welcomed the report and said its findings would be weighed as they sought ways to sustain earth observations in a time of tight budgets.

Australia cannot be stopped

2007-01-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

Australia cannot be stopped

NOT even a hat-trick from New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond could slow the relentless Australia cricket machine yesterday.

The home side faced a new rival, but it was the same result.

After months of dishing out punishment to England, Australia continued its perfect summer with a first-up thumping of the Black Caps in Hobart.

A brutal late-innings partnership of 90 runs from 70 balls between Australia's enforcers Andrew Symonds and Cameron White proved the difference between the teams at Bellerive Oval, pushing the home side to a first innings total the Kiwis then collapsed trying to haul in.

Set 290 for victory, New Zealand folded for just 184 in the 39th over after a steady stream of wickets from Australia's pacemen, including a maiden scalp for local boy Ben Hilfenhaus, swept them to a bonus-point win and showed the suggestions of an unbeaten summer are not too fanciful.

New Zealand showed feint signs of becoming sterner opposition than England courtesy of some individual brilliance, including Bond's hat-trick and a quickfire 84 from rookie Ross Taylor, but it was unable to match the ruthless efficiency of the all-round team effort of Australia.

As displayed in the Ashes, Australia players across the board stepped up to collectively smother any sign of resistance from the traditionally plucky Black Caps.

Hilfenhaus, called in as a late replacement for Glenn McGrath, was given a huge ovation from his home crowd when he snared his maiden limited-overs wicket in just his second over, trapping Brendon McCullum leg before for five to throw the New Zealand run-chase into early trouble.

While the bowlers finished the job, it was Australia's batsmen who had laid the foundation with a perfectly weighted innings of power and caution.

Seeing the Bellerive Oval pitch as a good for batting, Ricky Ponting had no second thoughts about putting New Zealand in the field after winning the toss. Australia's opening batsmen confirmed Ponting's instinct, as Adam Gilchrist and Matt Hayden raced to 0-69 after 10 overs.

Gilchrist departed on 61 from 58 balls.

Australia trundled through the middle overs as the Kiwis did a fair job of containing Michael Clarke for 33, Mike Hussey for 20 and initially Symonds.

But when White joined Symonds with 10 overs to go in the innings and the score at 5-196, it sparked a Twenty20-style finale from the burly all rounders.

White showed the value of his power hitting at No.7 when he opened the shoulders and smashed three big sixes, including two in one Daniel Vettori over. Symonds said it was unlikely there was a cleaner hitter than White in Australian cricket.

"You'd have to say so after that Twenty20 effort the other night (40 off 20 against England) and today," Symonds said. "It's not like he's just clearing the rope. When he hits it in the middle, it's maximum."

Symonds took the cue and the pair added 90 from 70 balls. Bond finally managed to halt the carnage with a hat-trick in the 50th over, just the second hat-trick in the Kiwis' limited-overs history, snaring White, Symonds and Bracken in as many balls during the final over.

White was caught deep on the mid-wicket boundary chasing late runs, Symonds caught behind also attempting a slashing stroke and Bracken was finally clean bowled with a slower ball.

Microsoft Offers Online Trial of Windows Vista OS

2007-01-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Offers Online Trial of Windows Vista OS

Microsoft Virtual Labs launched a new Test Drive site to help give exposure to the Windows Vista operating system. The test drive site allows anyone to launch and try out various scenarios in a completely isolated, sandbox environment before they purchase and install the product on their own equipment.

In the past, many Microsoft applications have been made available on a test drive or trial basis by utilizing a Citrix client connection. The Vista OS trial is more of an "eat your own dog food" type demonstration as Microsoft is utilizing Microsoft Virtual Server to push out the trial.

In order to test drive this online trial, you must be using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, you must have JavaScript enabled, and you must install the ActiveX control "Virtual Server VRMC Advanced Control" from Microsoft. And don't forget about your popup blocking software. Mine complained numerous times as I tried to launch various scenarios within this test drive.

The Test Drive of the operating system is being powered by Microsoft Virtual Labs. In this particular test drive, Microsoft attempts to showcase four main areas of Windows Vista Business: Safe-Efficient-Connected-Collaborative. Each of these topics contains a number of videos and labs, which all-in-all total around 18.

While I personally found that the videos and step-by-step scenarios were all very helpful in learning about the product and how to use it, my experience with the actual hands-on Vista desktop interaction was quite slow. The video refresh and redraw of the graphics on this virtual machine was at times painful. But I expected that going into this demonstration, knowing how graphic intensive Windows Vista would be and combining that with the fact that I was using a remote connection over the Internet to run the test drive.

If you haven't installed or used Windows Vista yet, I invite you to try this product test drive. Visit the following Web site to begin your trial.

Taco Bell E. coli outbreak linked to Calif. lettuce

2007-01-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

Taco Bell E. coli outbreak linked to Calif. lettuce

Prepackaged iceberg lettuce from California has been linked to two separate outbreaks of E. coli that sickened more than 150 Taco Bell and Taco John's customers late last year on the East Coast and in the Midwest, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

The news comes just months after officials fingered prepackaged California spinach in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that sickened more than 200 people and killed three.

It deals another blow to California's leafy greens industry, which dominates the nation's supply. The iceberg lettuce industry alone harvested $750 million worth of greens in 2005 — nearly 75% of the nation's crop. Most of it was grown in the Greater Salinas and Central valleys.

"It just adds more fuel to the fire of the need to address this," said Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer for the FDA's food safety center.

The recent outbreaks apparently have vindicated concerns he voiced last September, when he unenthusiastically announced his agency's decision to lift a warning against eating fresh bagged spinach from California's Central Coast. He pointedly noted at the time that of the 20 E. coli outbreaks from lettuce and spinach since 1995, nine were linked to the Greater Salinas Valley.

"Until some fundamental fixes are put in place in the areas where this contamination is happening," Acheson said during a conference call with reporters, "there is obviously a concern that two months from now we'll be having the same conversation, talking about outbreak No. 21."

And, indeed, outbreaks No. 21 and 22 occurred about two months later. People began falling sick after eating at the fast food chains Taco Bell and Taco John's in November. In the Taco Bell outbreak, which involved restaurants in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware, seventy-one fell ill and 53 were hospitalized. The Taco John's outbreak involved three eateries in Minnesota and Iowa. Eighty-one were sickened, including 26 who were hospitalized.

Wider area affected

Outbreaks 21 and 22 also showed that problems in California extend beyond the Greater Salinas Valley, where the tainted spinach was grown.

Taco Bell's tainted lettuce was traced, via packaging, to farms in the Central Valley, although no specific sources have been named. The Taco John's produce was traced both to the Central Valley and to the coast south of Salinas.

As with the spinach outbreak, investigators suspect that the initial point of lettuce contamination occurred at the farms, not in processing or distribution, said Jack Guzewich, director of emergency coordination and response for the FDA's food safety center.

Conflicting land uses

One potential problem is the proximity of ranching and farming operations in parts of California. Cattle and other animals harbor the bacteria, which is shed in their feces.

Indeed, officials said, the same sub-strain of E. coli involved in the Taco John's outbreak was found in two unidentified "environmental samples" from dairy farms next to one of the chain's lettuce growers.

In the spinach outbreak, the implicated greens were ultimately traced to four farms in Monterey and San Benito counties. Near one of the farms, which was next to a cattle ranch, officials found the sub-strain that caused illnesses in cow manure, a wild pig's intestines and creek water.

The three successive outbreaks, all of which have run their course, also raise questions about what is causing them to occur with such frequency, said Trevor Suslow, a UC Davis food pathologist.

"The fact that it seems to be happening even more frequently, in a more compressed time frame, one would have to speculate something is either being missed or something has changed to elevate the level of risk or potential of contamination," Suslow said.

Tim Chelling, spokesman for the Western Growers Assn., said one possibility is increased vigilance by public health authorities, enabling outbreaks to be detected faster and with more precision.

"I think it's an indication of the heightened sensitivity of the food safety network," Chelling said. "At the same time, everyone here is treating it as the serious matter that it is."

Brian Dixon, spokesman for Cheyenne, Wyo.-based Taco John's International Inc., said it was a relief that investigators are making progress in their probe.

Student Loan Consolidation: Do It Now

2007-01-13T04:34:00.000-08:00

Student Loan Consolidation: Do It Now

Student loan consolidation can save you hundreds of dollars a year onrepaying your student loans -- the process is not complex, and it's easy tofind a trusted name when using debt consolidation.

Check with your bank, or ask your parents if their bank has a family planor rate for student loan consolidation or debt consolidation.

Consolidating can simplify repayment and even lower your monthly payments,combining your existing loans and delivering great benefits.

The Federal Consolidation Loan is one of the best ways to streamlinerepayment, combining all of your federal loans into one new loan with onemonthly billing payment, eliminating bills from multiple lenders with theirmultiple fees.

Consolidation also makes it easier to met your payments, making only onepayment instead of 3-10.

Women's car insurance 'under less threat from hazardous driving'

2007-01-13T04:28:00.000-08:00

Women's car insurance 'under less threat from hazardous driving'

Fewer female drivers risk their women's car insurance through potentially dangerous techniques in a bid to avoid being snapped by speed cameras.

The findings were made through research by Brunel University, which highlights that one in ten female drivers would employ hazardous driving techniques compared with four in ten male motorists, the Independent reports.

Drivers are believed to speed up when approaching a speed camera, brake suddenly when passing the device and then accelerate away, leaving room for accidents which could jeopardise men's and women's car insurance premiums.

According to the publication, there has been a sevenfold increase in the number of Britons attempting to avoid being caught by the cameras, with many motorists developing their own methods of not being snapped.

The number of speeding offences now detected by speed cameras has risen to 79 per cent from 30 per cent since their numbers increased, the publication states.

Recently, a motorists' pressure group in Essex stated that speed cameras in the area had no effect in cutting the amount of deaths on the area's roads.

Eight out of ten women's car insurance customers could save on their premiums with Kwik-Fit Insurance.

PayPal to offer extra layer of protection

2007-01-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

PayPal to offer extra layer of protection

PayPal provider of secure online payment transactions, and popular form of payment among users of EBay, the online auction leader, is currently testing a variant of RSA Security’s SecurID token.

The PayPal Security Key is free to business accounts but a $5.00 service fee will be issued to personal accounts. These accounts require users to enter a randomized six-digit code in correspondence with their username and password. Aimed at protecting consumers and members from fraud, the PayPal Security Key is currently in beta testing by PayPal employees. It will go into public testing in the next few months.

The key itself calculates a numeric password every thirty seconds, making the feature useful as the keys are designed for one use only. This type of security is already in place at several financial firms across the United States.

You can activate the feature under the profile section of your personal PayPal account, and from there, sign up to get the key. If you loose or break your key, a common problem for many who use these types of devices, PayPal said that you could still login to your account; only you will need to verify it. They did not say in their FAQ pages how you would verify your information but anyone who has ever called PayPal over the phone is familiar with playing twenty questions to prove your identity.

The new level of security offered by PayPal might stem from the fact it is often the target of phishing scams and many victims of online fraud stem from having their PayPal, and subsequently their bank accounts drained, because of it. The service, when launched officially, would be of great value to anyone who is persistent user of EBay or other online merchants with their PayPal account.

Several high street banks, such as HSBC, already offer this service to their business customers.

Beavers act as "surrogates" for frogs

2007-01-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

Beavers act as "surrogates" for frogs

Being friendly to beavers could have the unexpected effect of saving whole populations of frogs. Researchers have found that two species of frogs and the endangered western toad like to breed in beaver ponds.

Cameron Stevens and colleagues at the University of Alberta in Canada looked at 24 streams in central Canada: 15 that were built up with beaver dams, forming a total of 54 ponds, and 9 streams that were not frequented by beavers.

In each of these, they estimated the number of breeding wood frogs, boreal chorus frogs and western toads by recording their mating calls during the springs of 2001 and 2002. Then, over the course of three summers, they trapped frogs and toads to measure the abundance of young frogs.

The researchers did not record any frog songs in any streams that were not occupied by beavers. In the beaver ponds, however, they recorded about 5000 frogs and toads.

What is more, they captured 5.7 times more young wood frogs, 29 times more western toads and 24 times more boreal chorus frogs in traps close to beaver ponds than they did on nearby free-flowing streams.

Surrogate mother

"We are trying to promote the use of beavers as a surrogate species in conserving amphibians," explains Stevens, who is now working for Golders Associates, and engineering and environmental services group.

Much like a human surrogate mother provides a healthy womb for another woman's baby, beaver ponds give frogs an excellent environment for their young. This is largely because of their warm, still water which is high in oxygen thanks to a greater presence of plants.

Stevens explains that using a species that is easy to see to monitor another, more hidden species is a new concept in the field of conservation.

"It's easy to monitor a beaver pond," he says. "You can take an arial photograph and see the pond. It’s a lot more cost effective than actually going to a remote site and trying to estimate if there's an amphibian population."

Intel files countersuit in Transmeta patent case

2007-01-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

Intel files countersuit in Transmeta patent case
January 11, 2007 (IDG News Service) -- Intel Corp. has filed a countersuit against Transmeta Corp. in an ongoing patent infringement disagreement between the two companies.

Transmeta first sued Intel in October, saying Intel's Pentium and Core PC processors violate 10 Transmeta patents. Intel, in a court document filed Tuesday, denied it had infringed any Transmeta patents, instead accusing Transmeta of infringing seven of its own patents.

Intel's claims cover a variety of patents on processor functionality, including power usage and packed data. Transmeta's patents aren't legitimate, because Transmeta officials "withheld, concealed and/or mischaracterized" information about other patents and technologies in their patent applications, Intel lawyers wrote in the counterclaim, filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware.

Instead, Transmeta infringed Intel patents that came before the Transmeta patents, Intel lawyers wrote.

Transmeta won't have a comment on the Intel countersuit until it can study it further, a Transmeta spokesman said.

Nine of the 10 Transmeta patents in the October lawsuit cover basic processor functions like scheduling and addressing instructions on the chip.

Transmeta, founded in 1995, targeted Intel's market dominance in the notebook PC market. Transmeta developed software that reduced power consumption, allowing PCs to run longer, but its processors did not gain a large market share. Intel has recently focused on lowering power consumption as well.

In its first nine years of business, Transmeta, based like Intel in Santa Clara, Calif., posted $650 million in losses. In 2005, the company switched business models and now focuses on licensing its technology. In November, Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled a converged computer and mobile phone that runs on a Transmeta processor.

Prostate cancer treatment may shorten penis

2007-01-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

Prostate cancer treatment may shorten penis

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Men who receive combination treatment with hormone therapy plus radiation for local or locally advanced prostate cancer may experience a significant reduction in penile length, according to a report in the January issue of the Journal of Urology.

There has been anecdotal evidence that radiation therapy can reduce penile length but, to the authors' knowledge, the present study is the first to determine if penile length changes following combination treatment with hormone therapy plus radiation.

Dr. Ahmet Haliloglu and colleagues at the University of Ankara in Turkey enrolled 47 men with local or locally advanced prostate cancer. The patients, who were followed from 2000 to 2005, received leuprolide or goserelin injections every 3 months, for a total of three doses. At month 7, radiotherapy, using a 70-Gy dose, was initiated and continued for 7 weeks.

Just before treatment began, the average stretched penile length was 5.6 inches. Eighteen months later, the average penile length had shortened significantly to 3.4 inches.

Erectile function was also adversely affected by treatment. Roughly 23 percent of men had normal erectile function before therapy. Eighteen months later, 12.5 percent were able to have an erection that was suitable for intercourse.

"Quality of life concerns are important when considering treatment options for prostate cancer," the investigators conclude. Before starting combination hormone and radiation therapy, the patient should be told that "penile shortening may occur."

SOURCE: Journal of Urology, January 2007.

UK firm seeks green light for two robotic missions to the moon

2007-01-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

UK firm seeks green light for two robotic missions to the moon

· Probes could find sites for future manned bases
· Cost now low enough for UK to go it alone

Alok Jha, science correspondent
Thursday January 11, 2007
The Guardian

Britain could soon be sending probes to the moon if ambitious plans submitted to the UK's space research agency get the go-ahead. Details of two satellites were unveiled yesterday at an international conference of space scientists, who were discussing how Britain might get involved in the European Space Agency's plans to explore the moon and beyond.

"The UK has already completed a feasibility study of two robotic mission options to the surface of the moon focused on exploiting the UK's leadership in small satellites and miniaturised science instruments," said David Parker, head of space science at the government-backed Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC).

MoonLITE would be equipped with missile-shaped devices to penetrate two metres into the lunar surface. Launched by 2010, it would carry instruments to investigate the moon's interior and gather information on possible "moonquakes".

A secondary mission, called MoonRaker, would land a craft on the moon and search for suitable sites for future manned bases.

Both proposals were prepared by Surrey Satellite Technology, a company formed by the University of Surrey and based in Guildford. Sir Martin Sweeting, its founder, said the cost of space exploration had fallen enough for the UK to go it alone on a moon mission. He said a small mission might cost €500m (£335m) today, but the cost could probably be cut by a fifth with advances in satellite technology. Dr Parker said the last year had seen a "remarkable effort" by representatives from 14 worldwide space agencies, including Nasa, Esa and the UK, to find ways to work together to create a global exploration strategy.

Whether a proposed British moon mission gets the go-ahead will depend on further discussions between scientists and funding agencies. The PPARC said it would set up a working group to develop Britain's position in space. Its chief executive, Keith Mason, said: "It will review global and European plans and establish UK interests and opportunities. A report, which will also include a review of the case for human space exploration in the global context, will be submitted to the UK Space Board this summer."

The science minister Malcolm Wicks said: "The great adventure of the next few hundred years is going to be the exploration of space that's going to involve human beings. Robots may go first but human beings are going to follow and for anyone to say British men and women will never explore space in the future is just a nonsense."

His sentiments go against decades of government reluctance to fund a British astronaut programme. "In the 1960s and 70s, people in Britain might have been cautious, which is why we've been careful about manned exploration of space, about the cost side, but I think in this century people will realise the economic benefits as well as the economic costs of this," he said.

Mr Wicks said he wanted to see a closer relationship between Britain and Nasa. Last month he met the agency's administrator, Mike Griffin, to discuss how Britain could get more involved in the American agency's long-term plans to explore the moon and Mars.

The UK is the second-largest European contributor to Esa's Aurora programme, an ambitious plan to explore the moon, Mars and beyond. Current projects include a proposed lander for Mars that will fly on board Europe's ExoMars mission to slated for launch in 2013.

Low-cost laptop computer should be ready by summer

2007-01-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

Low-cost laptop computer should be ready by summer

LAS VEGAS – For the past 40 years, the Consumer Electronics Show has served as a mecca for the latest technological marvels geared to the tastes of affluent first-worlders.

But at this year's show, one new device aims to suit some of the world's poorest consumers. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Initiative unveiled its final industrial prototype of the XO - a laptop computer with a toylike look. But to say it's a toy is misleading. The device is intended to bring the most isolated tribal village into the Information Age, with the ultimate goal of offering one to every child on the planet.

The XO is designed to survive and thrive in a rugged, power-sparse environment. Whereas a typical modern laptop requires 40 watts of power to use, this power miser needs a meager three watts to browse the Web, and less than a single watt to display an electronic book.

The reason for the emphasis on low-power usage becomes clear when you realize that the power supply for the computer is human. The XO is equipped with a yo-yo-like generator that can be pulled with either a hand or a foot. By keeping power consumption low, the XO can offer between two and five minutes of computing for every minute spent generating power.

"Power was obviously our main concern," said Michalis Bletsas, OLPC's chief connectivity officer, at Monday's unveiling in a small ballroom at the Bellagio Hotel.

But that didn't prevent the designers from making the laptop as powerful as they could manage. The computer includes an innovative "mesh" networking technology that automatically connects every child in a village to each other, as well as to any Internet connection that might be available, as in the case of a satellite link or cellular connection. The mesh can link XOs up to 600 meters (one-third of a mile) apart.

The XO's innovative screen can operate in either color or black and white. In black-and-white mode, it can be viewed clearly even in the brightest sunlight, ideal for rural villages where many activities occur outside. The laptop also has a video camera and built-in speakers.

The XO runs a trimmed-down version of the open-source Linux operating system. According to Mr. Bletsas, both Microsoft and Apple offered versions of their operating systems for the project, but neither was compact or secure enough to meet OLPC's needs.

The goal price is less than $100 per unit, which the initiative hopes to achieve by 2008. "Currently, we're closer to 100 euros [USD $130] per laptop," Bletsas says.

By keeping the price low, the OLPC initiative hopes that governments in the developing world will be able to afford them. Already, Argentina, Brazil, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Uruguay, and, most recently, Rwanda have committed to participate in the program. Rwanda hopes to have laptops for all of its schoolchildren within five years.

OLPC expects to start delivering the machines this summer, with the goal of delivering 5 million units the first year.

Adobe Patches Acrobat Security Flaw

2007-01-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

Adobe Patches Acrobat Security FlawAdobe's Acrobat flaw caused a stir when it was first announced by researchers Stefano Di Paola and Giorgio Fedon, in large part because Acrobat has seen enormous adoption rates by companies and consumers alike. The flaw let hackers use a technique known as cross-site scripting, in which they blend malicious JavaScript with a link to a PDF file on a Web site to hijack a user's computer.
On Tuesday, Adobe released a patch for a security flaw that affects several of its widely used programs, including Acrobat Reader, one of the Web's most popular software titles.

In fact, the flaw affects not only Acrobat Reader, but also Acrobat Standard, Professional, and Elements in versions 7.08 and older. The most recent version of these programs -- version 8.0, which had been released at the time the flaw was discovered -- is immune. In a published statement, Adobe noted that Acrobat 3D was also at risk, but did not state which versions were affected.

The flaw let hackers use a technique known as cross-site scripting, in which they blend malicious JavaScript with a link to a Portable Document Format (PDF) file on a Web site to hijack a user's computer. The problem does not affect PDF documents themselves, and can only be used when someone attempts to retrieve a PDF document by clicking a malicious link, such as one a spammer might embed in unwanted e-mail.

The Fix

Worried users can avoid the problem by upgrading their software to version 8, the most recent release. For users who can't upgrade to version 8, Adobe has released a patch for the affected programs, allowing users to upgrade to version 7.0.9.

Further information on upgrades and patches can be found on Adobe's Web site, or simply by using the auto-update features in Adobe's software.

Adobe also offered Web designers guidance on avoiding cross-site scripting attacks that involve PDFs by changing the way they deliver those files on their Web sites.

A Victim of Success

Adobe's mishap caused a stir when it was first announced by researchers Stefano Di Paola and Giorgio Fedon, in large part because Adobe's software has seen enormous adoption rates by companies and consumers alike.

Adobe's system for making, reading, and sending PDF documents -- in which the same document can be read by Windows, Mac, and Unix machines -- neatly solved one of the Web's more complex data-sharing conundrums.

But any software that's widely used by consumers and knowledge workers can be widely attacked by hackers, too, no matter what developer creates it.

"The more prevalent the software is, the more important the threat is for you within your organization to handle," said Khalid Kark, an analyst at Forrester Research. Kark noted that as software gets more popular, its "footprint for risk" grows in tandem.

Fast Turnaround

But Adobe patched the problem in roughly a week -- a fast response by nearly any yardstick. In fact, researchers who find security holes often give companies a full month to patch them before releasing their findings to the public.

"That's kind of the unsaid rule," said Kark. "If you give them a few weeks or at most a month, that should be more than sufficient to figure out what needs to get done and come out with a patch."

There are, of course, those who give companies little notice at all -- a problem that's growing, according to Kark. And there's always the phalanx of hackers who consider advance notice a courtesy that's quickly disposed of. The result? As companies work harder to protect their software, more and more could be forced to match Adobe's response time.

Bush signals confrontational turn in Iran policy

2007-01-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

Bush signals confrontational turn in Iran policy

WASHINGTON: In promising to stop Iran from meddling in Iraq, President George W. Bush returned to a strategy of confrontation in dealing with Tehran, casting aside what had been a limited flirtation with a more diplomatic approach toward it.

Bush accused Iran of providing material support for attacks on American troops and vowed to respond. "We will disrupt the attacks on our forces," he said in his speech Wednesday. "We will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq."

Bush said that the United States would send another aircraft carrier and its supporting ships to the Gulf. Administration officials said that the battle group would be stationed within quick sailing distance of Iran, a response to the growing concern that Iran is building up its own missile capacity and naval power, with the goal of military dominance in the Gulf.

Bush also announced the deployment of Patriot missiles to protect America's Gulf allies. A battery of such missiles is already in Qatar, having been moved there several months ago. The more combative talk reflects increased frustration in the administration with Iran, which American officials blame in part for the rising death toll in Iraq.

Military officials in Baghdad say that they have documented a gradual rise in the number of sophisticated roadside bombs using so-called shaped charges, a type of weapon that commanders believe is imported from Iran. According to military statistics, 78 coalition troops were killed and 243 were wounded by these bombs between September and December of last year, compared with 53 troops in the previous nine months.

American officials have provided members of Congress with information to support the contention that Iran is helping to orchestrate attacks on Americans in Iraq, but the administration has not made that information public.

The American officials say that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds force trains inside Iran and then dispatches operatives into Iraq, using contacts with Iraqi Shiite militias to attack American troops. "They're training to kill coalition forces," said one senior American counterterrorism official, requesting anonymity. "Their comments about wanting to see a stable Iraq are belied by this type of activity."

One American official who recently returned from a trip to Baghdad said that American commanders in Iraq believed Iran was using its vast political influence to press Shiite politicians not to forge any long-term agreements with Sunnis.

"We caught them with their finger in the cookie jar last month," a senior administration official said, referring to the arrest of five Iranians in Iraq who the Americans accused of running guns and planning sectarian attacks. The Iranians were eventually released by the Iraqi authorities.

American officials maintain that the latest moves should not be seen as preparations for a military strike against Iran. But they also said that Bush's top deputies, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Stephen Hadley, the national security adviser, had decided that, barring some major conciliatory move from Tehran, American moves to engage Iran had run their course.

The United States has grown frustrated with what one administration official described as the "molasseslike" pace of diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to impose broad sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear program.

India Tests Technology for Space Vehicles

2007-01-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

India Tests Technology for Space Vehicles

India has launched a satellite designed to test re-entry technology that could be used to prepare for a future manned mission. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the experiment is the first step toward a more ambitious foray into space.

A red and white rocket blasted off Wednesday from Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh carrying four payloads: an Indian remote sensing satellite, two foreign-built satellites and a satellite designed to test technology for space vehicles re-entering the atmosphere when they return to earth.

The head of the Indian Space Research Organization, G. Madhavan Nair, said on national television the satellites were successfully placed in orbit.

"It is a great day for the country," he said. "We have done it, we have done it precisely, we have put all the four spacecraft into the orbit. I think I have no other words than to say it is a textbook mission."

For Indian scientists, the main focus of Wednesday's launch is on the 550-kilogram capsule that will help them test re-entry technology for the first time.

The capsule is designed to orbit the earth for 13 to 30 days before plunging into the Bay of Bengal, where it will be recovered.

The Indian Space Research Organization says this capsule will test technology for "navigation, guidance and control during the re-entry phase."

Only a handful of countries possess re-entry technology, which is a needed for sending manned missions into space.

A spokesman for the Indian space agency, S. Krishnamurthy, says this experiment will give India crucial technology for more ambitious missions.

"These are some of the technologies which of course will be useful for the future for whatever we do, whether it is manned or even to send this type of capsule, carry some experiment, do it in space, and recover those experiments after some time," he said.

India has not announced plans for a manned space mission, but the country's scientists have shown growing interest in space exploration.

They plan to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in the next three years. Scientists hope this mission will be the first step in India's voyage to other planets.

For decades, India's space program has focused on providing services such as telecommunications and weather forecasting. In recent years, the program has also developed vehicles that can put smaller satellites into space.

Officials say Wednesday's launch recaptured the space program's confidence. Last July an attempt to launch a communications satellite failed.

'One of the great success stories of 20th-century medicine'

2007-01-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

'One of the great success stories of 20th-century medicine'

MONTREAL — The number of adults with congenital heart disease has soared by 85 per cent in a generation, an increase that reflects the startling advances in the detection and treatment of heart defects in children.
"This is one of the great success stories of 20th-century medicine," said Ariane Marelli, director of the adult unit for congenital heart disease excellence at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, whose team reported the findings.
Darren Prentice, a Montreal contractor, is one of those success stories.
He was first diagnosed with heart trouble at age 7 when a cardiac ultrasound revealed a mass of fatty tissue growing on his aortic valve, a condition known as severe congenital aortic stenosis. Shortly thereafter, he underwent open-heart surgery. Mr. Prentice underwent more surgery when he was 12 to have the valve replaced, then again at 17 when the plastic valve grew too small for his developing heart.
He was problem-free until last year when he suffered a bout of endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valve caused by a bacterial infection) and then life-threatening arrhythmias.
That required another open-heart procedure for a new valve and the installation of an implantable cardiac defibrillator.
"The amazing thing is people wouldn't know looking at me that I have heart disease -- not in a million years," Mr. Prentice, 37, said in an interview.
"I do physical work. I'm healthy. Unless you lift up my shirt and see all the scars, you have no idea."
Mr. Prentice said he is confident that advances in surgery and monitoring technology have ensured him of a long life, and he doesn't worry unduly about his increased risk of heart disease.
"The way I look at it is that my heart is under constant surveillance, so I'm in good hands. There are a lot of other people out there who are ticking time bombs and they don't have a clue."
In a paper published in today's edition of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, Dr. Marelli and her team estimate that one in every 85 children and one in every 250 adults are now living with congenital heart disease.
That translates into about two million North Americans -- half of them adults. It also signifies that CHD, once considered strictly a pediatric condition, is now commonplace among adults.
That has significant implications because people with congenital heart disease, while they appear perfectly healthy, require life-long care and are at higher risk of developing other forms of heart disease including heart failure and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat).
The new research, the first to try to pinpoint the number of people living with congenital heart disease, examined the number of patients diagnosed with CHD between 1985 and 2000 in Quebec.
During the study period, the incidence rate rose by 85 per cent among adults and 22 per cent in children. Significantly more females than males suffer from CHD, the paper reveals.
What is unclear, Dr. Marelli said, is whether the number of children being born with congenital heart disease is increasing.
Because more women older than 35 are having babies such an increase is likely, particularly when the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome (a condition that includes heart abnormalities) rises sharply.
At the same time, however, newer technologies allow the early detection of heart defects at earlier stages of pregnancy, and that may result in fetuses being aborted.
"We don't have good, updated information on absolute birth rates of babies with congenital heart disease," Dr. Marelli said.
What is much more clear, she said, is that improved surgical techniques have decreased mortality and prolonged life expectancy.

FDA Approves MedImmune's New Fresh Vs. Frozen Flu Vaccine Inhalant

2007-01-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

FDA Approves MedImmune's New Fresh Vs. Frozen Flu Vaccine Inhalant

Gaithersburg, MD (AHN) - MedImmune Inc. announced today that their refrigerated formulation of FluMist has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Although a frozen formulation of FluMist has been on the market since its approval from the FDA in 2003, MedImmune's latest refrigerated formulation of FluMist will be available to the public in the 2007-2008 vaccination period for the next influenza season.

Both frozen and refrigerated formulations of FluMist are free of preservatives, such as thimerosal, which is a product that causes an allergic reaction in some individuals. Thimerosal is still currently being used to formulate the injectable flu vaccinations.

MedImmune's latest formulation of the FluMist was tested on children as young as 6 weeks old and as old as 98 years of age.

To date there have been 42 clinical trials that involved 60,000 study participants to test the effects of the FluMist product. The latest results of the 2004-2005 influenza season study found that using FluMist demonstrated a significant 55 percent reduction in strains that are included in the FluMist and even those that were not included in the formula in comparison with the injection form of the flu vaccine.

MedImmune is one of several manufacturers approved by the FDA to make the vaccine available to the public.

The nasal spray delivery of Flu-Mist is a well-tolerated influenza prevention option for healthy individuals in the listed age group. Current approved applications of this vaccine apply to healthy children and adults ages 5 to 49 years only as a nasal inhalant.

MedImmune has requested that the FDA expand the age group allowable for FluMist, which is still pending approval. The manufacturer wishes to include children as young as one year of age as long as they do not have any history of asthma or wheezing.

The anticipated future application of MedImmune's latest formulation of FluMist is scheduled for early August 2007.

Charity issues anorexia internet warning

2007-01-07T05:28:00.000-08:00

Charity issues anorexia internet warning

WEB sites that promote anorexia and bulimia as a lifestyle choice rather than as diseases are "literally killing people", a British charity helping people with eating disorders said today.

Pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia Web sites present themselves as support networks and deny that they are encouraging people to remain thin, but they also offer tips for becoming thinner alongside glamorous images of slim celebrities and models.

"The danger of these sites is that often young people with an eating disorder don't understand what is happening to them," Steve Bloomfield, the Eating Disorders Association's head of communications, told BBC Radio.

"The great danger is that the people who construct these sites often have no idea of the terrible medical complications that come - the danger of losing your fertility, of developing osteoporosis - for some people if you resist treatment.

"About one in five people who don't get appropriate treatment die prematurely, so they are literally killing people."

According to Professor Janet Treasure, head of the eating disorders service and research unit at King's College London, about five to ten percent of women aged 14 to 24 in Britain suffer from some form of eating disorder.

The ratio falls to 1 percent for the whole female population.

"We have seen research from the States that has definitely identified that the people who use these sites are more resistant to seeking help and treatment," added Bloomfield.

In December a pilot study - published in the American Academy of Pediatrics' journal Pediatrics - of eating disorder patients aged between 10 and 22 in the US showed that up to a third learn new weight loss or purging methods from Web sites that promote eating disorders.

Internet chat rooms also enable users to share tips, such as what drugs induce vomiting and what Internet sites sell them.

Eating disorders returned to the global spotlight recently when two models suffering from anorexia died in Brazil and Uruguay.

The fashion industry has long been blamed for encouraging anorexia and bulimia among teenagers with its use of excessively thin catwalk models.

In September, the city of Madrid banned models below a certain weight from its fashion week shows.

Ultra mobile PC's are starting to gather steam

2007-01-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

Ultra mobile PC's are starting to gather steam

Laptops are the new workhorse, outselling desktops for the first time last year. But there's a new challenger on the horizon. Ultra mobile personal computers are starting to make some noise, hoping to cash in on our growing need to be connected at all times. The devices are smaller than laptops yet more powerful and larger than most PDAs and can take advantage of the growing number of Wi-Fi networks.

One of the latest and most robust examples is being unveiled at CES this year by a Nevada company called Seamless Internet. Called the Seamless NeXt Generation ultra mobile PC, or S-XGen for short, the converged devices sports an impressive list of features.

The device, which runs on Windows Pocket PC edition, includes a full fold-out keyboard and eights hours of battery life on one charge. The PC is about 6 inches long, four inches wide and weighs in at 14 ounces.

The idea is that people don't always want to carry around a laptop, but still want to get full PC functions on a mobile device. With the S-XGen, you get not only a full PC, but also tri-band GSM cellular access, built-in Wi-Fi and a 20 GB hard drive. The machine has plenty of company these days as everyone from Nokia, Samsung and even the Bay Area's OQO are putting out some form of compact or tablet PC.

At a suggested retail price of $1,395 with Windows Office Suite, the S-XGen will likely first appeal to road warriors. But company officials think it won't be long before we all want our own little mobile do-it-all machine.

Tips for Protecting the Home Computer

2007-01-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

Tips for Protecting the Home Computer

Botnet programs and other malicious software largely take aim at PCs running the Microsoft Windows operating system, because Windows’ ubiquity makes it fertile ground for network-based attacks.

Using a non-Windows-based PC may be one defense against these programs, known as malware; also, anti-malware programs and antivirus utilities for the PC are available from several vendors.

Microsoft entered the computer-security business last year and now offers a free malware-removal tool for download from its Web site. The company says the program removes about two million pieces of malware each month, of which 200,000, or about 10 percent, are botnet infections.

Like Windows, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser is also a large, convenient target for code-writing vandals. Alternative browsers, like Firefox and Opera, may insulate users. Microsoft’s most recent browser release, Internet Explorer 7, is said to offer significantly improved defenses.

Adding software to your browser like Noscript, a plug-in utility, can limit the ability of remote programs to run potentially damaging programs on your PC.

Security experts also offer these tips:

¶Don’t share your computer (on which you pay your bills) with your children (who download games).

¶Use a firewall program that warns you about outgoing connections that botnets make to communicate with control software.

¶Don’t use the same password on more than one financial site.

¶Don’t let your browser store your password for such sites.

¶Don’t buy anything offered by a spammer.

¶Don’t click if someone offers you something too good to be true. It is.

JOHN MARKOFF

Scientists Discover Second Species of Sucking-Action Bats

2007-01-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

Scientists Discover Second Species of Sucking-Action Bats

In the world of bats, there was only one known sucker-foot. Now there are two.

Scientists have discovered a second species of bat with adhesive organs, or suckers, attached to its thumbs and hind feet, allowing the creatures to climb and cling upright to smooth tree leaves.

The new species, Myzopoda schliemanni, discovered in the dry western forests of Madagascar , belongs to a family of bats, Myzopoda, found in Madagascar and nowhere else in the world.

• Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Natural Science Center.

Previously, scientists knew only of a sister species, Myzopoda aurita, which lives only in the humid eastern forests of Madagascar.

Both species are spotted where broad-leafed plants, especially the Travelers' Palm, are plentiful. The bats often roost in the slick greens during the day.

Up to now, sucker-footed bats were considered endangered because there was only one known species in the family and because of their limited distribution worldwide.

But the finding of the second sucker-footed species means their range is broader than previously thought.

And given the discovery of the new bat in a dry forest, members of the sucker-footed bat family could survive even if tropical forests are lost to deforestation, a huge issue in Madagascar where less than 10 percent of the country's original forest cover remains.

"For now, we do not have to worry as much about the future of Myzopoda," said Steven M. Goodman, Field Museum biologist and lead author of a study published online in the journal Mammalian Biology. "We can put conservation efforts on behalf of this bat on the backburner because it is able to live in areas that have been completely degraded, contrary to what is indicated or inferred in the current literature."

Goodman and colleagues believe that because of the similarities between the two Myzopoda, one species evolved from another, most likely after the bat dispersed from east to west.

Biodiversity in Madagascar, an island off the eastern coast of Africa, is one of the most critically threatened in the world. The nation has one of the highest levels of endemism worldwide (endemism is the condition when a species is found only in one location or region in the world).

Hitachi Ready To Launch 1-TB Drive

2007-01-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hitachi Ready To Launch 1-TB Drive

Hitachi's soon-to-debut Deskstar 7K1000 will offer a full terabyte of storage that might seem enormous to those who can remember when hard drives were still measured in the megabytes; but at $399, Hitachi's new terabyte drive will cost just under 40 cents per gigabyte, on par with other drives on the market.
In a neck-and-neck race with Seagate Technologies, Hitachi has announced not one but two terabyte-sized hard drives for home users whose thirst for storage space never ends.

The Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000 is designed for gaming and high-end PCs, such as those found in home entertainment systems where high-def videos chew up a hard drive's space as quickly as broadband connections can download them.

The drive will debut at next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where almost every gizmo- and gadget-maker on the planet will show off the latest cutting-edge toys. At a suggested retail price of $399, the Deskstar costs just under 40 cents per gigabyte.

Hitachi also has announced the CinemaStar 7K1000 for DVRs and computers that record TV directly to hard drives. Like the Deskstar, it can hold up to 1 TB of storage and will be released to consumers in the first half of 2007. Hitachi plans to release a business model later this year, too.

How Much Is Enough?

A full terabyte of storage -- 1,000 or 1,024 gigabytes, depending on which definition you use -- might seem enormous to those who can remember when hard drives were still measured in the megabytes.

"We all know that the demand is growing for digital content storage like audio and video downloads, home movies, pictures, etc., but would one really need or want a 1-TB drive?" asked Shawny Chen, analyst and storage expert at research firm Current Analysis.

But Chen and her firm track a national retail panel that includes Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, RadioShack, and Staples -- and the data is surprising.

"The 500-GB to 999-GB capacity band for internal desktop drives is the only one showing significant growth year-over-year," she said. "It still represents about 6 percent of hard drive unit sales; but a year ago, that figure was a mere 0.3 percent and this is the only capacity band that shows significant year-over-year unit growth."

And the Answer Is...

"Yes, eventually consumers will get to 1 TB," said Chen, who herself remembers when her mother bought a 1-GB external drive that, years ago, seemed huge.

Yet Hitachi's new drives beat older models in more than just space. The Deskstar offers increased shock protection and three "idle" modes designed to help the drive consume less power. In turn, the CinemaStar boasts Smooth Stream Technology designed to maximize the performance of audio and video applications.

When all is said and done, the terabyte mark remains the drives' best selling point, of course -- and a true beachhead.

In a published statement, Hitachi's Shinjiro Iwata, the company's chief marketing officer, said, "The industry's first one-terabyte hard drive represents a milestone that is 50 years in the making."

Hyperbole? Perhaps. But not without at least some cause.

'Proof' of methane lakes on Titan

2007-01-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

'Proof' of methane lakes on Titan

The Cassini probe has spotted what scientists say is unequivocal evidence of lakes of liquid methane on Titan, Saturn's largest moon.

Radar images reveal dark, smooth patches that range in size from three to 70km across (two to 44 miles).

The team says the features, which were spied in the moon's far north, look like crater or caldera lakes on Earth.

The researchers tell the journal Nature that everything about the patches points to them being pools of liquid.

"They look very similar to lakes on Earth," explained Dr Ellen Stofan, a Cassini radar team member from Proxemy Research in Washington DC, US.

"They have channels feeding into them just like you have rivers feeding into lakes on the Earth. Their shapes, their shore-lines, all of those geologic aspects are actually very familiar."

Northern strip

The atmospheric chemistry on Titan is dominated by nitrogen and carbon-based compounds.

And with temperatures on the Saturnian satellite rarely venturing above -179C (-290F), it has long been hypothesised that abundant volumes of methane should pool on the surface into lakes, and even large seas.

But evidence for current bodies of liquid material on the surface has until now been sparse and equivocal.

Cassini must use radar to pierce the photochemical haze that obscures Titan's surface from its optical camera system.

The latest data was obtained last July, when the probe made its most northern radar pass of Titan to date.

The spacecraft imaged a narrow strip about 250km wide and over 1,000km long. It was found to contain more than 75 lakes.

Everything scientists know about the atmospheric chemistry on Titan suggests the liquid in the lakes should be predominantly methane, with some ethane also mixed in.

Some of the liquid would be expected to rain out of the sky, some could have welled up from below the surface.

Methane cycle

"The methane-ethane would become transparent, the way water is on Earth; it would be behaving like water, the lakes could have small waves on the surfaces," speculated Dr Stofan.

"So if it was possible for you to stand on Titan and look at the lakes, you wouldn't really know it's this weird chemistry."

On Earth, the cycling of water between the atmosphere, the land and oceans is known as the hydrological cycle. Titan would appear to be the only other place in the Solar System to have a similar, active fluid cycle. Scientists have already dubbed it the "methane-ologic cycle".

Last month, it was announced that the radar instrument on Cassini had found an enormous mountain range on Titan.

The range lies south of the equator and is about 150km long (93 miles), 30km (19 miles) wide and about 1.5km (nearly a mile) high.

Scientists told the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting that the range was probably as hard as rock, but made of icy materials.

The mountains appeared in the radar images to be coated with layers of material that researchers thought could be methane "snow".

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of the US space agency (Nasa), the European Space Agency (Esa) and the Italian Space Agency (Asi).

Karzai tells Pakistan's PM ties worsening

2007-01-04T10:26:00.000-08:00

Karzai tells Pakistan's PM ties worsening

ABUL, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated sharply over the past year, underscored by a lack of trust, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday. Ties between the countries, major U.S. allies in the war against terrorism, have been hurt largely due to the help resurgent Taliban rebels get on the Pakistani side of the border, Karzai said after meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. "I explained ... about terrorism, about the burning of schools," Karzai told a news conference with Aziz in Kabul. "And that, unfortunately, the gap in ties is increasing between Afghanistan and Pakistan ... It is with a lot of regret that relations face a lack of trust," he said. More than 4,000 people including nearly 170 foreign troops have been killed in Afghan violence over the past year, the bloodiest since U.S.-led troops overthrew a Taliban government in 2001. In the latest violence, five members of a pro-government militia force were killed in a remote-controlled blast in the southern province of Uruzgan late on Wednesday, an Afghan army commander said. Afghanistan says the Taliban are only as strong as they are because of the help they can get on the Pakistani side of the border. An angry Karzai last month for the first time publicly accused the Pakistani government of involvement in helping the Taliban. "COMMITTED" Pakistan, which backed the Taliban before the Sept. 11 attacks on the Untied States, denies helping them but says some militants are able to cross the porous frontier. Stung by criticism from Afghanistan and its allies over Taliban sanctuaries, Pakistan said last month it would build a fence and lay landmines on parts of the border to stop militants crossing into Afghanistan. But Afghanistan, which does not recognise the border, said the fence and mines would unfairly split ethnic Pashtun communities that straddle both sides of the 2,500 km (1,500 mile) frontier. Afghanistan said action should be taken against militant leaders operating in Pakistan instead of fencing the border. While Karzai told the news conference he had received assurances from Aziz on addressing Afghanistan's concerns, Aziz said security challenges existed in both countries and they needed to cooperate. "Pakistan as a country, as a government, is totally committed in fighting terrorism, extremism ... we need to face these challenges because it is in our respective national interests," Aziz told the news conference. Aziz said Pakistan would go ahead with its plan to fence and mine parts of the border with Afghanistan. He also said a Pakistani commission was looking into how a grand council of tribal elders from both countries might be convened to look into ways to end the Afghan violence. No dates have been fixed for the councils which Karzai and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf agreed upon during talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in September.

Boeing Sets Record for Airplane Orders

2007-01-04T10:20:00.000-08:00

Boeing Sets Record for Airplane Orders

SEATTLE — Aerospace giant Boeing Co. on Thursday said it recorded 1,044 net commercial airplane orders during 2006, setting a new record for the second straight year.

Boeing recorded 1,002 net orders in 2005.

Gross orders last year, which exclude cancellations and conversions, totaled 1,050, compared with 1,029 gross orders in 2005.

The 737 program achieved a record with net orders of 729 airplanes, up from 569 in 2005.

Seventy-six different customers ordered Boeing airplanes in 2006, including passenger airlines, cargo carriers, leasing companies and private customers, according to a company release.

Shares of Chicago-based Boeing added 12 cents to $89.29 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Patent Lawsuit Filed Over Bluetooth

2007-01-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

Patent Lawsuit Filed Over Bluetooth

Three major electronics makers have been accused of violating patented work from the University of Washington with their use of the Bluetooth wireless technology found in millions of computers, cell phones and headsets.

Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. and Finland's Nokia Corp. were accused of illegally incorporating unlicensed Bluetooth chip sets in a variety of products. The federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and an injunction barring the companies from selling those products.

Matsushita, known globally for its Panasonic brand products, and Samsung produce a wide range of electronics products, while Nokia is the world's largest manufacturer of cellular telephones. Bluetooth, whose products feature a distinctive, blinking blue light, enables wireless exchanges of data between cell phones, computers, headsets and other devices.

The lawsuit was filed late last month in U.S. District Court in Seattle by the Washington Research Institute, a nonprofit group that seeks commercial uses and enforces patents for technology developed at Washington's public universities.

Analysts said Wednesday that consumers likely won't be affected by the legal wrangling.

Defendants would be quick to settle if it appeared the case was immediately threatening their product lines, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst with the Enderle Group.

But Enderle said Broadcom Corp. of Irvine, Calif., the only chip manufacturer that has licensed the technology, stood to profit mightily until the dispute is resolved.

"This is like a blazing advertisement for Broadcom," he said. "As long as this is in play, they can say, 'If you want to do Bluetooth products without problems, we're the only guys you can license it from.' This is a huge potential competitive advantage."

He also said timing was fortuitous, coming just ahead of next week's International Consumer Electronics Show, when many buyers and sellers are making design decisions about future products.

Nokia officials, following long-standing policy, would not comment on the lawsuit early Wednesday. A Samsung representative acknowledged that the lawsuit had been filed but would not comment further. No one answered a telephone call to Matsushita after business hours.

According to the lawsuit, Bluetooth-based computers, cell phones and headsets made by the companies have violated four patents, including one issued for research done in the mid-1990s by Edwin Suominen when he was an undergraduate student at the University of Washington. All four patents are now held by the Washington Research Institute.

The institute's principal lawyer, Michael Lisa, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that the court filing followed three years of informal attempts to resolve the issue.

Any damages received will go to the university and to Suominen, who is serving as a technical adviser in the case, John D. Reagh, the institute's manager of business development and legal affairs, told The Seattle Times.

Institute officials did not immediately return a call Wednesday from The Associated Press.

The three manufacturers use chip sets made by CSR PLC of Cambridge, England, which has not licensed the disputed technology. CSR said in a filing with the London Stock Exchange that the suit is without merit and that the company will "vigorously" defend its products. CSR shares fell 2.9 percent to close Wednesday at 640 pence ($12.60) on the LSE.

Lisa said the institute was targeting the product manufacturers rather than the chip makers because "their products sell for more and yield higher profits and royalties."

Shares in Matsushita slipped 6 cents to close at $20.03 on the New York Stock Exchange, while Nokia shares rose 34 cents, or 1.67 percent, to finish at $20.66 on the NYSE.

Bird flu raging in Vietnam’s Mekong delta

2007-01-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

Bird flu raging in Vietnam’s Mekong delta

Nguyen Hien Trung, head of Hau Giang’s animal health department, said a new site had been identified in Vi Thuy district yesterday after a dead bird had tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus strain.

A total of three communes in two districts had bird flu, he said.

Luong Ngoc Lan, head of Bac Lieu’s department of agriculture and rural development, said more poultry deaths had been reported in Hong Dan, Hoa Binh, Vinh Loi, and Gia Rai districts on Sunday.

The dead birds had tested H5N1 positive in Hong Dan and Hoa Binh while results were awaited from the other two districts, Lan said.

In Ca Mau many poultry reportedly died Monday.

The peidemic has hit at least 13 districts in the three provinces, prompting the slaughter of tens of thousands of fowl. Four people in Bac Lieu and two in Soc Trang provinces have been hospitalized with bird flu symptoms.

Last week Vietnam launched a national anti-bird flu campaign to stamp out the epidemic.

The World Bank has approved a US$10 million grant for a program to combat bird flu.

At least 42 people have died of the H5N1 virus in Vietnam since 2003 with the latest case reported in November 2005.

The disease has killed 157 of the 261 people infected globally since 2003.

Bungee-Powered Backpack Can Lighten Your Load

2007-01-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

Bungee-Powered Backpack Can Lighten Your Load

December 30, 2006 Biologists at the University of Pennsylvania have announced details for a suspended-load ergonomic backpack that reduces the force of a backpacks load on the wearer by 86%, allowing wearers to run far more comfortably with heavy loads. The backpack was created with soldiers and emergency workers in mind and could prevent the sort of muscle and joint injuries associated with running while carrying heavy items. The backpack will also benefit schoolchildren, since heavy school bags have been linked to muscle and orthopedic injury. "For the same energetic cost, you can either carry 48 pounds in a normal backpack or 60 pounds in a suspended-load ergonomic backpack," Larry Rome, a professor in Penn's Department of Biology, said. "It is like carrying an extra 12 pounds for 'free.'"

The backpack is based on a rigid frame pack, much like the type familiar to hikers everywhere; however, rather than being rigidly attached to the frame, the sack carrying the load is suspended from the frame by bungee cords.

Last year, Rome, an expert in the physics of muscle movement, introduced a power-generating backpack that converts mechanical energy from walking into as much as 7.4 watts of electricity, more than enough energy to power a number of portable electronic devices at once. His findings were published in Science.

The suspended-load ergonomic backpack has a similar sliding motion as the electricity generating-backpack, but it is tuned differently. Rather than having stiff springs, the load is suspended by very compliant bungee cords.

"The ergonomic backpack reduces the force of the load on the wearer by reducing the effect of the load as it shifts up and down," Rome said. "What is striking is that you can feel the 86% reduction in force with every step."

With a normal backpack, the peak force exerted by the load on the body during walking is twice as high as the static force, and during running its three times as large, exerting extreme forces on the joints.

The backpack shifts the timing of how force is applied as the wearer takes a step.

Essentially, the bungee cords permit the load to stay at nearly constant height from the ground while the wearer walks or runs around it, Rome said. The pack actually reduces the metabolic cost of walking from one point to another by about 40 watts, or the equivalent of carrying 12 extra pounds.

Penn researchers involved in development and testing of the Suspended-load Backpack at the Rome laboratory at Penn are Louis Flynn, an engineer, and postdoctoral fellow Taeseung D. Yoo. Funding for this research comes from the National Institutes of Health and the Office of Naval Research.

Bush mulls plan as US toll hits 3000

2006-12-31T15:49:00.000-08:00

Bush mulls plan as US toll hits 3000

WASHINGTON - American deaths in the Iraq war reached the sobering milestone of 3,000 on Sunday even as the Bush administration sought to overhaul its strategy for an unpopular conflict that shows little sign of abating.

The latest death came during one of the most violent periods during which the Pentagon says hate and revenge killings between Iraq‘s sects are now a bigger security problem than ever.

President Bush is struggling to salvage a military campaign that, more than three-and-a-half years after U.S. forces overran the country, has scant support from the American public. In large part because of that discontent, voters gave Democrats control of the new Congress that convenes this week. Democrats have pledged to focus on the war and Bush‘s conduct of it.

Even so, the steadily mounting toll underscores the relentless violence that the massive U.S. investment in lives and money — surpassing $350 billion — has yet to tame, and may in fact still be getting worse.

From mid-August to mid-November, the weekly average number of attacks in the country increased 22 percent from the previous three months. The worst violence was in Baghdad and in the western province of Anbar, long the focus of activity by Sunni insurgents, said a December report.

The American death toll was at 1,000 in September of 2004 and 2,000 by October 2005.

"The most painful aspect of the presidency is the fact that I know my decisions have caused young men and women to lose their lives," Bush said.

"We will be fighting violent jihadists for peace and security of the civilized world for years to come. The brave men and women of the U.S. military are fighting extremists in order to stop them from attacking on our soil again," Stanzel said.

"Last year, America continued its mission to fight and win the war on terror and promote liberty as an alternative to tyranny and despair," Bush said in the statement released from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he and first lady Laura Bush are spending New Year‘s Eve with friends.

In an interview on Dec. 21 with The Associated Press, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the war was "worth the investment" in American lives and dollars.

In his strategy reassessment, Bush has consulted Iraqis, his uniformed and civilian advisers, an outside bipartisan panel that studied the failing war, and other defense and foreign policy experts. New Defense Secretary Robert Gates journeyed to Iraq in his first week on the job in December to confer with American commanders and Iraqi leaders.

Among the president‘s options was a proposal to quickly add thousands of U.S. troops to the 140,000 already in Iraq to try to control escalating violence in Baghdad and elsewhere.

Others believe too much blood and money already have been sacrificed. Democrats have wanted Bush to move toward a phased drawdown of forces, while the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended removing most U.S. combat forces by early 2008 while shifting the U.S. role to advising and supporting Iraqi units.

Having launched the war against the advice of a number of nations, the Bush administration never got a huge international contribution of troops, meaning foreign forces helping the Iraqis are overwhelmingly American.

The death toll shows it. As of late December, the British military has reported 126 deaths in the war so far; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 18; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; and Denmark, six. Several other countries have had five or less.

Rival to IVF 'is safer and cheaper'

2006-12-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

Rival to IVF 'is safer and cheaper'

Women who have difficulty conceiving will be able to benefit from a new method of IVF that is cheaper and safer than conventional fertility treatments, doctors say.

Clinical trials in Denmark have shown that a pioneering technique known as in-vitro maturation (IVM) has a success rate of 30 per cent, comparable to standard IVF procedures. The patient, however, does not have to take expensive fertility drugs that can carry serious side-effects.

With conventional IVF doctors stimulate the release of mature eggs using hormone drugs and collect them during a woman’s monthly cycle before fertilising them in the laboratory with a man’s sperm.

The IVM method involves taking undeveloped eggs from ovaries and maturing them in the laboratory before fertilisation, while using hardly any drugs or no drugs at all.

More than 400 healthy babies have so far been born to women using the technique, which could reduce the cost of fertility treatment by up to half and give thousands more women the chance to conceive.

Professor Svend Lindenberg, a Danish scientist who has helped more than 1,000 women become pregnant using IVM, told a London fertility conference that the process had now achieved “stunning results”.

“We have demonstrated that it is possible to take an egg and fertilise it without having to use the heavy-duty drug approach,” he said. “We are achieving results that are better than nature and as good as high-stimulation IVF, without the risk of potentially life-threatening ovarian hyperstimulation and, of course, saving thousands of pounds per cycle in the cost of drugs.”

Professor Lindenberg, who works at the Nordica Fertility Centre in Copenhagen, explained: “We give a very low dose of a stimulating drug for three days early in the cycle and rescue up to ten eggs. For the first 24 hours a tiny amount of stimulating hormone is added to the culture, in fact one hundreth of the dose the woman would receive, and after that the eggs go on to mature in the culture alone.”

Under present IVF methods many women have been reluctant to donate their eggs for IVF because the drugs they must take can lead to life-threatening complications and an increased risk of cancer.

The demand for donor eggs is huge — potential recipients outnumber donors by two to one in Britain. In Denmark the move to IVM has been driven by women who are reluctant to take drugs, often because the problem lies with the male partner and not themselves, Professor Lindenberg said.

The technique is not suitable for all women; it works best in those who are under 37 years of age, have regular cycles or polycystic ovary syndrome, where women frequently fail to ovulate naturally. “This is part of a worldwide move against high-dose stimulation IVF,” Professor Lindenberg said. There was now no excuse to continue giving women high dosages of stimulation to the detriment of their health and their financial and emotional wellbeing.

IVM has previously been successful in creating animal embryos but the process has only recently been tried on human eggs. It was originally developed by Bob Edwards who, with Patrick Steptoe, were resposible for Louise Brown, the world’s first IVF baby.

It has been made easier by the development of finer needles to aspirate the eggs from an ovary and new scanning techniques that now show doctors the best follicles to select when seeking eggs to remove.

Bush Delights at Hussein Execution

2006-12-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

Bush Delights at Hussein Execution

Washington, Dec 30 (Prensa Latina) The execution of ex Iraqi president Saddam Hussein pleased US President George W. Bush, after a difficult year for his troops in the Arab country.
In brief declarations to the press at his ranch Crawford in Texas the leader said the Hussein death is a milestone for the nation of the Persian Gulf.
Bush recognized that things have gone wrong since the ex chief of the Iraqi government was defeated by the English-US invasion on March 2003.
Hussein s execution won t end violence in Iraq, noted the president, in agreement with analysts that the sentence could bring about armed actions of rebel groups against the occupying forces.
The New York Times daily news said Bush is considering increasing the number of Pentagon soldiers in Iraq from 17 to 20 thousand.
The White House is also looking at new economic initiatives for the Middle East nation, which along with the increase of soldiers will help stabilize the country.
The republican leader held a closed-door meeting with his National Security team this Thursday to consider strategy changes in Iraq.

US forces ready for any surge in violence in Iraq

2006-12-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

US forces ready for any surge in violence in Iraq

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said Friday that U.S. forces in Iraq are braced for any violence that may follow the execution of former President Saddam Hussein.

''U.S. forces in Iraq are obviously at a high state of alert anytime because of the environment that they operate in and because of the current security situation,'' said spokesman Bryan Whitman. ''They'll obviously take into account social dimensions that could potentially led to an increase in violence which certainly would include carrying out the sentence of Saddam Hussein.''

Saddam has been in U.S. custody since he was captured in December 2003, and his lawyers said Friday that he had been handed over to Iraqi authorities. But there was conflicting information.

Tom Casey, deputy spokesman at the State Department, said in early afternoon that ''there has been no change in his status'' and that Saddam remained in American hands. In Baghdad, an Iraqi government official who refused to be identified by name because he was not authorized to release the information said authorities there were not yet in control of Saddam.

Casey said the information he had was provided by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

''I don't have any more details to offer you,'' he told reporters at the State Department. Casey reiterated the Bush administration's view that ''we think it's very important there be acountability.'' He said ''it was up to the Iraqis'' to formally request that Saddam be brought forward for execution.

Asked when that might occur, Casey said, ''I really don't have a timeline on this.''

The White House declined to comment on the timing of the execution.

Deputy White House press secretary Scott Stanzel, talking to reporters Friday from Crawford, Texas, where President Bush was vacationing, said the hanging of Saddam was a matter for the sovereign Iraqi government. Earlier, the White House said the appeals court decision to uphold the sentence marked an important milestone for the Iraqi people's efforts to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law.

Said Whitman: ''Our forces stay at a constant state of high readiness in Iraq and I would expect through this period they would do the same.''

He wouldn't comment further on any potential troop movements to strengthen security for the execution, but said the commanders in Iraq have the ability to move forces as they deem appropriate based on conditions on the ground.

Whitman also said he wouldn't comment on anything that President Bush might be contemplating in terms of changing U.S. war policy in Iraq or in connection with the intensive administration review now under way on American strategy there.

Bush reports 'good progress' on new Iraq plan

2006-12-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

Bush reports 'good progress' on new Iraq plan

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) -- President Bush said Thursday he was making "good progress" in coming up with a fresh strategy on Iraq, as he met with top advisers at his Texas ranch.

Bush, who plans to unveil his plan next month, gathered with Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and national security adviser Stephen Hadley. Gates and Pace reported their findings from a trip last week to Iraq, Bush told reporters.

"Success in Iraq is vital for our own security," Bush said. He said he was "making good progress toward coming up with a plan that we think will help us achieve our objectives. As I think about this plan, I always have our troops in mind."

He said that he has "more consultations to do" and said his administration would be speaking with members of Congress.

As criticism mounts over his handling of the war, among the options Bush has been considering is a short-term "surge" in U.S. forces to help contain rampant violence. There are currently 134,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

Democrats say November elections in which they took control of Congress from Bush's Republican Party reflected public discontent with the Iraq war and desire for change.

But Bush, who prides himself on sticking to decisions, has brushed aside a proposal from a bipartisan panel to ask U.S. foes Iran and Syria for help in stabilizing Iraq and is said to be looking closely at a temporary troop increase.

Sen. Joseph Biden, the Delaware Democrat who will be the next chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and other Democrats already have expressed opposition to a troop increase.

John Edwards, who announced his presidential candidacy Thursday and has called his vote for the Iraq war a mistake, said the United States should begin withdrawing troops rather than "escalating" the conflict by sending more troops. (Watch Edwards explain during his announcement why leaving Iraq is the solution )

The White House suggested Democrats and other critics should hold their fire until they hear Bush's recommendations.

Former Republican President Gerald Ford, who died on Tuesday, said in a 2004 interview embargoed until after his death that he thought Bush and his top advisers made a "big mistake" in their justification for invading Iraq.

Ford told Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward he would have "maximized our effort through sanctions, through restrictions, whatever, to find another answer." (Full story)

US Board Probes Incident of Plane Carrying Blair (Update2)

2006-12-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

US Board Probes Incident of Plane Carrying Blair (Update2)

Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) -- A U.S. safety board said it's investigating an incident in which a British Airways Plc jet carrying U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair overshot a runway after landing at Miami International Airport yesterday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said statements will be taken from the flight crew and damage to two runway lights has been documented. While the NTSB doesn't always examine such incidents, ``this involved a jumbo jet at a major airport'' with a government leader on board, spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz said today in an interview.

No one was hurt when Flight 209 from London, with 343 people on board, rolled off the runway at 6:15 p.m. Miami time, the NTSB said in a statement. The Boeing Co. 747 returned to London after an airport inspection found no damage to the jet, the board said.

The plane after landing ``taxied beyond the end of the runway and went into the paved runway overrun area,'' the NTSB said. British Airways spokesman John Lampl in a telephone interview yesterday disputed that the aircraft overshot the runway, saying there was ``no emergency, no overrun.''

After landing, the pilot couldn't see the correct taxiway because of poor lighting, Lampl said. The pilot stopped the plane, radioed for help and was guided to the gate, he said.

Lopatkiewicz said the incident doesn't count as a runway overrun because the plane had already landed successfully and was taxiing to the gate when it ran over the lights. The plane was towed from the overrun area to a taxiway and then went to the gate under its own power.

Brendan O'Grady, a spokesman for Blair's office in London, said the prime minister was on vacation and occasionally uses commercial flights.

A call to British Airways' press office today wasn't immediately returned.

Saddam offers self as sacrifice

2006-12-27T14:29:00.000-08:00

Saddam offers self as sacrifice

Ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein said in a letter released on Wednesday that he would go to the gallows as a “sacrifice” and called on his former Iraqi subjects to unite against their enemies.

Saddam, in a letter written to the Iraqi people from his cell before his appeal against a death sentence failed, said, “I sacrifice myself. If God wills it, he will place me among the true men and martyrs.”

Defence counsel Khalil Dulaimi said in Jordan that Saddam had written the letter in November when he was first sentenced to death and that it had been released to the public after the news that his appeal had failed. “Its release was delayed by the length of the procedures imposed by the Americans,” Dulaimi said, by way of explanation.

On Tuesday, a panel of appeals court judges confirmed Saddam’s conviction for crimes against humanity and ordered that he be hanged within 30 days. In what might therefore be his final message, Saddam blamed his old enemies the United States and Iran for the bloodshed engulfing Iraq, which is in the grip of a sectarian war between Sunni and Shiite factions.

“The enemies of your country, the invaders and the Persians have found your unity a barrier between you and those who are now ruling you. Therefore, they drove their hated wedge among you,” he declared.

“O faithful people, I bid you farewell as my soul goes to God the compassionate,” he wrote. “Long live Iraq. Long Live Iraq. Long live Palestine. Long live jihad and the mujahideen. God is great.”

Sudan Agrees To Hybrid Peacekeeping Force

2006-12-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

Sudan Agrees To Hybrid Peacekeeping Force

The Sudanese government agreed in a letter to the United Nations to accept a joint United Nations and African Union peacekeeping effort in the country's war-torn Darfur region, according to a copy of the document obtained Tuesday.

In a letter to outgoing Secretary General Kofi Annan obtained by Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, Sudan's President Omer Hassan Ahmed Al- Bashir said his country is ready to accept the conclusions of a November conference in Addis Ababa, in which the UN offered to send military advisers and logistical support to the AU mission in Darfur.

Al-Bashir urged the UN Security Council to endorse the plan and authorize financial support for peacekeeping in the region.

The cash-strapped AU mission comprises a force of around 7,000 soldiers patrolling an area the size of France. Critics charge it cannot adequately protect civilians under its mandate.

Sudan last month reportedly agreed to the joint mission, but later sent conflicting signals with some top officials suggesting UN troops would be allowed on the ground, while others said Sudan would only accept UN financial and logistical support.

Bush's Bold Plans To Exterminate Bald Eagle

2006-12-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Bush's Bold Plans To Exterminate Bald Eagle

Because it’s important to destroy the symbols of liberty, too, the White House will formally remove America’s Magical Bird — the majestic fish-eating Bald Eagle — from the Endangered Species list next month.

But this is one of those rare situations in which the Bush Administration isn’t really to blame and the change is actually for the good, not bad. Hooray! While it’s hard to even remember back when the United States was a rich and powerful country beloved by the world, it was only seven years ago when our prosperous, peaceful America happily realized the bald eagle had recovered magnificently from near extinction.

The eagles are plentiful now, but Washington is still mourning the loss of Martha, the famous Wilson Bridge bald eagle named for Rep. John Murtha. Government forces euthanized the loyal bird in October.

Couple sees what Brown can do for them

2006-12-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

Couple sees what Brown can do for them

A Calumet Region couple was swiping gifts as fast as the UPS driver could deliver them, police in Illinois and Indiana say.

Charges against Marcus McCoy, 30, and Tanya White, 37, likely will include theft, burglary, forgery and unlawful use of a credit card, authorities said. Police listed two addresses for McCoy and White, 4849 Gladiola Ave. in East Chicago and 14915 Main St. in Harvey.

After a 4 p.m. Friday raid on the East Chicago address, Lake County sheriff's police confiscated "tens of thousands of dollars" worth of merchandise, including a collector's edition light saber worth about $800, Chicago White Sox American League Championship plaques, a flat-panel plasma TV, stereo systems, clothing and toys.

The loot packed the back of a Lake County Sheriff's Department van and the trunk of a police car, and poured onto the lawn as officers waited for a cargo truck.

"These are truly the grinches that stole Christmas from kids all over this area," said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Nick D'Angelo, who was present at the Indiana search.

Police say the couple stole packages from people's porches, used stolen credit cards to buy merchandise online and burglarized homes.

McCoy and White were arrested about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday by the Lansing officers who responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle following a UPS truck.

Lansing police Sgt. Chris Mizner said the couple was following the United Parcel Service vehicle and waiting for the driver to drop off packages so they could steal them.

The UPS driver told police he had noticed the same van following him a week earlier. A customer told the driver he saw a man get out of the van and take a package from someone's front porch, a police report said.

After noticing the suspicious vehicle Wednesday, the UPS driver pulled over and waited for the van to drive past him. He then wrote down the licence plate number, police said.

Police followed a trail of empty UPS boxes littering the road, and found the burgundy full-size Chevrolet van with Illinois license plates on 178th Street and Arcadia Drive. White and McCoy were in the van, along with the couple's 2-week-old baby, according to police.

As an officer waited for the van to be towed, he noticed a brown UPS box between the two front seats. The officer then looked in the back of the van and saw the vehicle was filled with various consumer products.

Police said White's father came to the station and took custody of the child. Police also contacted the Department of Child and Family Services.

McCoy and White are suspected of stealing gifts or scamming them in Homewood, Flossmoor and Lansing in Illinois, D'Angelo said.

Police in Indiana towns, including Munster and Hammond, also are checking their cases for possible connections.

"We're happy to arrest a grinch anytime," said Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez, whose department assisted in the investigation. "During the holiday season, these people never take a break."

Along with the stolen items, the department confiscated a printer with journal paper that officials said they believe the couple was going to use to print receipts to return items for profit.

They also found mounds of shredded wrapping paper removed from merchandise. Cmdr. Shaw Spurlock, of the Lake County Sheriff's Department, pulled crumpled red wrapping paper with a tag "Love Grandma Mary and Aunt Renee" still attached.

D'Angelo said a true value couldn't be placed on the stolen presents.

"To the kids who aren't going to get any Christmas gifts because of these guys, it's priceless," he said.

Residents who believe they are missing gifts that should have arrived can call (219) 755-3246.

2006-12-24T00:28:00.000-08:00

Comptroller Pleads Guilty and Resigns Over Use of Driver
ALBANY, Dec. 22 — After calmly assuring a judge that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs and agreeing to pay a $50 fee so that his DNA could be included in a statewide database of convicted felons, State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi pleaded guilty Friday morning to defrauding the government and resigned from office.

Mr. Hevesi, the state’s top fiscal watchdog, told the court in a hoarse voice that one of the state workers he had assigned as a driver for his wife, Carol, had done much more than provide security for her. Prosecutors filed court papers revealing that the worker had also watered her plants, driven her to Bloomingdale’s and dropped off her dry cleaning.

“I apologize to the court, but until this issue became a public matter, I did not plan to reimburse the state for his time,” Mr. Hevesi told the court under oath, in a reversal of the statements he made this fall during his successful re-election campaign.

In a deal with the Albany County district attorney’s office, Mr. Hevesi pleaded guilty to a single felony, agreed to pay a $5,000 fine on top of the more than $206,000 he has already reimbursed the state, and agreed to resign for the rest of his current term and for the term that begins Jan. 1. The agreement will spare him prison time.

City of Amsterdam announces experiment

2006-12-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

City of Amsterdam announces experiment

The City of Amsterdam said Friday it will spend euro300,000 (US$400,00) testing open source software in two administrative districts in 2007, in a potential blow for the city's current main supplier, Microsoft Corp.

Open source software is developed for free by volunteer programmers, and leased by providers who usually only charge for service and support.

City spokeswoman Marjolijn van Goethem said Amsterdam's housing department and one of its borough offices _ Zeeburg _ would test a Linux-based operating system on city computers, and open-source document software, replacing Microsoft Windows and Office.

Numerous European towns and cities, notably Munich, Germany, and Vienna, Austria, have switched partially or mostly to open source systems but they remain a tiny slice of the overall market.

"Earlier this year, a study ordered by the (Amsterdam) city council showed that an 'open' software strategy leads to more independence from suppliers," the city said in a statement. "In addition, the use of open software can lead to better exchange and storage of information, without unacceptable financial or logistical risks."

The test is scheduled to run during the first half of 2007, and, if successful, the rest of the city may start using open source software, the city statement said.

It said it didn't plan to stop using Microsoft software entirely in any case, but "it is the expectation that a new contract with ... Microsoft will be smaller." The current contract expires in at the end of 2008.

The statement did not reveal further details of the Microsoft contract.

Nine other Dutch cities, including Haarlem, Groningen, Eindhoven and Nijmegen have joined in signing Amsterdam's "manifesto for open software in government," penned earlier this year.

But Van Goethem said it was up to each city individually to decide how it will honour that statement of principle.

The Muslims are coming, the Muslims are coming!

2006-12-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

The Muslims are coming, the Muslims are coming!

One right-wing politician voiced his alarm that the election of more Muslims to high office could diminish American values. His solution was to severely limit immigration. This alarmism is not a political gaffe, but is rather a rabble-rousing way to stake out his corner of the right-wing circus.

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) wrote a letter to select supporters opposing Muslim representative-elect Keith Ellison's (D-MN) choice to swear in on the Qur'an. He also warned that ignoring his immigration plan would result in "many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Qur'an." He wanted to end visas "allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country."

Ignoring FDR’s call to fear nothing but fear itself, he wrote: "I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped."

We may never have come across this insight into the art of religion-baiting if the letter was not accidentally sent to the chair of the local Sierra Club chapter. This letter was revealed by Charlottesville's alternative newspaper, the C-Ville Weekly.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported that Members of Congress came out against his statement. Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. wrote him a letter saying he was "greatly disappointed and in fact startled" by the letter. Rep. Pascrell pointed out that they are both "committed to fighting extremism." However, this "’fight’ will not be confused or misdirected to discriminate against any race, religion or ethnicity."

New rules aim to protect chemical plants from terrorists

2006-12-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

New rules aim to protect chemical plants from terrorists

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration issued a proposal Friday that would require the nation's "high-risk" chemical facilities to assess their vulnerability to terrorists, draw up security plans for federal approval and implement them or face $25,000-a-day fines.

The Department of Homeland Security published the proposal after the Congress gave the department the power this fall to regulate companies that make chemicals or use them in manufacturing.

DHS was ordered to finalize its regulations by April 4, 2007, to reduce the chances of a catastrophic chemical release near a major city. Normally, the rule-making process can take years.

The draft rules note that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had concluded that voluntary efforts by many chemical facilities "will not provide sufficient security for the nation."

Chertoff said in a statement that "the consequences of an attack at a high-risk chemical facility could be severe for the health and safety of the citizens in the area and for the national economy."

He called the new regulations, which major chemical companies preferred over tougher restrictions on manufacturing and storage, "both sensible and disciplined, allowing owners and operators the flexibility to determine an appropriate mix of security measures at their facility . . . subject to our approval."

Critics, including Democrats who wanted to force companies to shift to less hazardous chemicals, have assailed the authorizing legislation as too lenient toward industry.

The proposals call for facilities fitting certain profiles, such as those near major population centers, to fill out risk assessment questionnaires on a DHS Web site and, if found to be among the highest risk, to submit vulnerability assessments within 60 days and security plans within 120 days.

The department would then review the plans and conduct its own inspection and audit, if appropriate, and order any necessary changes. Facilities failing to comply would face civil penalties and, if necessary, orders to cease operations.

The exact number of facilities affected has yet to be determined. The proposed regulations note that many of the 15,000 facilities that the Environmental Protection Agency required to draft accident prevention plans in 1999 would likely be covered.

Also still unclear is whether the proposed rules would undermine New Jersey's new, more stringent chemical facility security law by letting DHS relax stricter state laws, if necessary, to give a facility flexibility in choosing security options.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, issued a statement noting that the new federal law didn't empower the DHS to set aside any state laws. She criticized the agency for crafting a more aggressive position "out of whole cloth."

Commissioner Lisa Jackson of New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection, who oversees the state's efforts to protect "a very dangerous stretch" of concentrated petrochemical facilities along the New Jersey Turnpike upwind of New York City, also expressed dismay.

"We are going to be very concerned with any attempt by the federal government to weaken our standards," she said, noting that the state's laws already have prodded some companies to shift to less hazardous chemicals.

The proposal drew praise from the American Chemistry Council, which says its 133 members have spent $3.5 billion since Sept. 11 ramping up security at 2,000 facilities, which provide 85 percent of the nation's chemical production capacity.

"We're not looking for a free pass," council spokesman Scott Jensen said. "We want the work that our members have accomplished to be recognized. And if the rules require us to go further, obviously, we will comply with what DHS is asking."

Friday's proposals were issued a week after the department announced different ones aimed at securing the transport of essential, but potentially harmful chemicals, such as chlorine and anhydrous ammonia, by freight rail.

Jensen noted that many chemicals are shipped mainly by truck, whose security the agency has yet to address.

As Year Comes To A Close, Bush Finds Himself In A Bind

2006-12-23T05:58:00.000-08:00

As Year Comes To A Close, Bush Finds Himself In A Bind

Why did President Bush hold a high-profile year-end press conference when he had nothing new to say about solving the biggest problem he faces? It was because he fears the question asked of President Clinton during his own final years as a scandal-ridden, troubled lame-duck chief executive: Are you still relevant?

Embarrassingly, Clinton replied (to much amusement and sarcasm) “the president is relevant here.” Turned out later he was correct, but at the time it was problematic. Bush wanted to beat reporters to the punch. An unpopular figure who has lost most of the power he arrogantly flaunted his first six years in office, the president met the press he disdains one last time to close out an unhappy year.

But the traditional gesture didn't do a thing for him. Even his attempts at chummy old-boy humor fell flat. Too fake. He insisted that he still wanted to set the national agenda, even though neither the Iraqis nor a majority of American voters think he is doing a good job of that so far.

The agenda he wants to set here at home sounds remarkably like what the Democrats have been pushing for years and he has been ignoring. And as for the agenda in Iraq, take your pick of the contradictory things he said.

He has become the king of mush, agile at the skill of political vamping but not at delivering the clear message of a decisive leader confronted with an international crisis of his own making. The blunt-talking, super-confident president of old has crumbled into a tentative figure who can't decide whether to dig our military deeper into Iraq or get the dickens out before more lives are lost.

”I'm able to help focus people's attention on important issues,” he said authoritatively. Wow. Well, he certainly did that by invading Iraq and inaccurately claiming that Iraq was connected to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, harbored weapons of mass destruction and would be thrilled to be led by us into a new democratic era in the Middle East. It is only now, after too much negative evidence and military rebellion, that he is conceding that perhaps it was not a totally clever move.

He has moved from the absolutist attitude of going all-out for victory in Iraq to something far squishier, “not winning but not losing.” There is all sorts of talk that he favors a U.S. troop “surge” in Iraq, but its duration, mission, cost and effectiveness are a murky mess. It's chief advantage seems to be that the troops could be reduced before the 2008 elections. If, of course, they had accomplished anything.

The president was not his former self. Faced with an opposition Congress at last and growing anger about the Iraq war, he insisted that he had no regrets about the war and declined reporters' efforts to pry open his soul to find out what might be going on there. He had insisted in an earlier interview that despite his crumbling presidency he was sleeping well — unlike the admissions of previous presidents who have admitted to troubled nights over dubious decisions, particularly in time of war. Instead he fell back on familiar rhetoric promising “my administration can ...fashion a new way forward that can succeed in Iraq.”

Gates Working on Fresh Iraq Strategy

2006-12-23T03:33:00.000-08:00

Gates Working on Fresh Iraq Strategy

It took Defense Secretary Robert Gates just five days on the job and a whirlwind trip to Iraq to get to work mapping out a new course for the war.

Though he declined to detail the broad new strategy he is finalizing with his military commanders, he offered a few hints about some of its possible components during his three days in Iraq.

In the larger context, he spoke optimistically about Iraq's political leaders and their commitment to taking over their own security and dealing with the militias that have brought the country to the brink of civil war.

"I think that they do have some concrete plans in mind" to deal with militias, Gates said Friday, "and putting flesh on those bones" is what Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, will be discussing with the Iraqis in the coming days.

Gates returned to Washington Friday night, then headed to Camp David, Md., to join Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley and others Saturday in briefing President Bush.

One of the biggest concerns expressed by members of Congress and other critics is that American troops will remain mired in Iraq unless the Iraqis are threatened with an imminent withdrawal of U.S. forces and forced to meet specific benchmarks.

But Gates' comments suggested some progress in the political discussions with the Iraqis that could lead to an agreement on how they will proceed.

Based on his conversations with Iraq's leaders, Gates said: "I think these are people who take their responsibilities seriously. I think they are eager to take the lead. They understand they have to take responsibility for their own country, that it has taken longer to get to this point."

PATH Tunnels Are Really Really Vulnerable

2006-12-22T16:14:00.000-08:00

PATH Tunnels Are Really Really Vulnerable

This is just the way you want to end your work week before Christmas holiday: Hearing from the NY Times that the PATH tunnels are "seen as fragile" in a bomb attack. Even a small ("a significant but not necessarily very large") bomb would cause a PATH tunnel to flood in 6 minutes.

How did the Times find out about an analysis that was given to the Port Authority three weeks ago? A government official sent it to them, upset with the "lack of action" by the Port Authority about the findings. From the Times:

A 19-page summary of the analysis details some of the measures the Port Authority has been planning to put in place to better secure the PATH system: laying concrete blankets atop the tubes to plug holes caused by a blast, strengthening portions of the tubes and installing floodgates to prevent the system from being overwhelmed.
The official who gave a copy of the report to The Times said the Port Authority, whose executive director and board members are appointed by the governors of New York and New Jersey, had informed neither state executive of the most recent results. Neither has it yet shared the new findings with the United States Department of Homeland Security, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the New York Police Department or other law enforcement agencies, the official said.

The official disputed the Port Authority’s contention that it had increased patrols and bag searches.

Further, the PATH tunnels are especially vulnerable because they "lie in the soft riverbed, unlike other tunnels that are bored through the underlying bedrock." Oy. And you want more oy? There are some subway tunnels that are also in the riverbed (hello, East River crossings!).

Growth in US troops possible for Iraq

2006-12-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

Growth in US troops possible for Iraq

BAGHDAD -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told visiting Defense Secretary Robert Gates that he would let US generals decide whether there is a need for a surge in US troops deployed in Iraq, according to Iraqi officials with knowledge of the meeting.

In a press conference, Gates said his conversation with the Iraqi prime minister and defense minister included "no numbers. . . . We were really talking in broader terms."

Iraq's defense minister, Abdul Qadir, later indicated general acceptance of an idea that has emerged as one of the chief options President Bush is considering as he reevaluates Iraq policy. "I did not say no to an increase in the number of US troops," Qadir said in a brief interview after the meeting at Maliki's residence in the Green Zone. "If we need it, we need it."

But after seeing Gates, Maliki met with Shi'ite members of his alliance where divisions unfolded over whether more US troops were needed, said Sami al-Askari, a Shi'ite member of Parliament who is close to Maliki. Askari, who attended the second meeting, said there was a general feeling that "there's no need for further troops."

Gates said that he "emphasized . . . the steadfastness of American support" for Iraq during his meeting with Maliki. The message he heard back from Maliki, he said, is that the Iraqi government wants to take the lead role in solving the country's security problems, including in the most violent zones in and around Baghdad.

Gates has billed his trip to Iraq, launched the day after he became defense secretary earlier this week, as key to formulating his recommendations for President Bush on how to re shape the US approach in Iraq. But in his public comments he gave little indication of how his two days of talks with generals, enlisted soldiers, and Iraqi officials have affected his views.

Update: Operations To Resume At Denver Airport

2006-12-22T11:30:00.000-08:00

Update: Operations To Resume At Denver Airport

PORTLAND - Things are looking up for travelers stranded because of the blizzard in Denver, Colo., where crews have been working around the clock to get at least two of the runways operational.

The Denver International Airport will resume operations on two of its six runways at noon on Friday and hopes to open a third runway later in the evening.

The snow that blanketed Eastern Colorado continues to affect travelers in Portland.

DIA has been shut down since Wednesday afternoon due to weather conditions, leaving thousands of holiday travelers stranded. Nationally, 2,500 flights have been affected by the closure and airports are filling up.

As of Thursday, Portland International Airport had canceled 28 flights headed for Denver as either a connection or a final destination.

The closure is affecting most airlines, but United Airlines is especially taking a hard hit. Denver is a major hub for United flights and travelers were faced with long lines at ticket counters, but they weren't getting many answers. The reopening of the airport is strictly dependent on the weather.

Maths solution tops science class

2006-12-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

Maths solution tops science class
A solution to one of the most difficult problems in mathematics was the most important advance of 2006, according to the prestigious journal Science.

Grigory Perelman's proof of the century-old Poincare Conjecture has caused a sensation, and not just because of the brilliance of the work.

In August, the Russian became the first person to turn down a Fields Medal, the highest honour in mathematics.

He also seems likely to turn down a $1m prize offered by a US maths institute.

Dr Perelman is said to despise self-promotion and describes himself as isolated from the rest of the mathematical community.

But his work has set the field alight with excitement - and controversy.

Terence Tao, professor of mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, called Perelman's result "the best piece of mathematics we have seen in the last 10 years".

Timofey Shilkin, a former colleague of Perelman at the Steklov Mathematics Institute in St Petersburg, Russia, told BBC News: "He definitely deserves the Fields Medal - that is my personal opinion. I am completely sure he is a genius."

'Excellent mathematician'

He added: "I'm afraid he is quite a self-enclosed person. We know about him approximately the same as you know - not too much.

"I met him when he was a member of our group and our contacts were about once a week, but we had only short discussions.

Murdoch buys back News Corp shares

2006-12-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

Murdoch buys back News Corp shares
News Corp is planning a $11 billion deal to buy back US media giant John Malone's 16.3% stake in the company.

The deal also includes Malone's Liberty Media taking News Corp's stake in the US satellite broadcaster DirecTV, three regional sports networks and $550 million of cash.

Though the buyback still needs the approval of the other shareholders, it will strengthen Murdoch and his family's 30% stake in the company. If approved the deal is expected to be completed in the second half of 2007.

When Malone took 19% of News Corp voting shares three years ago, the company moved to prevent him building his stake any further.

It is thought Murdoch eventually wishes to hand the running of News Corp to one of his sons, most likely James Murdoch, who is currently chief executive of BSkyB, which is 39% owned by News Corp.

Pfizer's departing chairman's package valued at $200M

2006-12-22T06:10:00.000-08:00

Pfizer's departing chairman's package valued at $200M

Former Pfizer Inc. (PFE) chief executive of Henry A. "Hank" McKinnell, who was forced out earlier this year due in part to anger over his pension, will leave the company with a package of pay and benefits valued at a potential $200 million, according to a regulatory filing.

The bulk of the package was contained in the pension, valued at $82.3 million, which became the subject of shareholder ire earlier this year when the number was first disclosed. The disclosure was prompted by Harvard academic Lucian Bebchuk, who estimated it to be worth roughly $80 million.

McKinnell will also receive $78 million in deferred compensation, with $67 million of it coming from his pocket. Pfizer contributed $2.5 million to the plan; the remaining $8.2 million was earnings on the investment.

McKinnell will also receive a lump-sum severance of $11.9 million, which is two times his base salary and bonus. The company will pay him a 2006 bonus, pro rata, of $2.1 million, and $5.8 million in accelerated vesting of his restricted stock and restricted stock units. Unused vacation, benefits and unpaid bonus accounted for an additional $3 million.

McKinnell was replaced as chief executive by Jeffrey Kindler in July amid shareholder discontent over the pension and the company's five-year stock price. Between 2000 and 2005, Pfizer's stock declined by 49%, yet the company paid its chief executive an average annual salary of $25 million, according to data from Institutional Shareholder Services, a firm that advises shareholders on proxy votes.

The company announced Monday that Kindler had also succeeded McKinnell as chairman. McKinnell is to depart the board of directors in February.

At the company's annual shareholder meeting in April, investors flew a plane with a banner reading "Give it back Hank." But despite a campaign backed by high-profile investors like John Bogle to oust the directors responsible for McKinnell's pay package, no board member received less than 78% of the vote for retention.

The pension value is an estimated lump-sum amount for McKinnell's 35 years with the company, the filing said. Annually, the pension is worth about $6.6 million.

McKinnell will also continue to be eligible for performance-based stock compensation. If Pfizer meets its targets, he will be due about $18.3 million worth of stock at recent Pfizer stock prices, the filing said. Otherwise, he walks away with more than $180 million.

McKinnell's stock options will also fully vest, the filing said. The company didn't estimate the value of that benefit.

FDA Approves Head-Cooling Device to Treat Newborn Brain Disorder

2006-12-22T04:26:00.000-08:00

FDA Approves Head-Cooling Device to Treat Newborn Brain Disorder
ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 20 -- The FDA today approved Olympic Cool-Cap, a device that cools the head to prevent damage caused by neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a condition that affects 5,000 to 9,000 newborns each year.

The agency said Cool-Cap was indicated for treatment of moderate to severe HIE. The device keeps the head cool while the body is maintained at a slightly below-normal temperature.

In making the announcement, Daniel Schultz, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said until now HIE treatment was limited to supportive care.

He said historically about 20% of HIE babies died and another 25% suffered permanent disability because of neurological deficits.

The Olympic Cool-Cap treats the patient by maintaining a steady flow of water at a selected cool temperature through a cap covering the infant's head.

The system, which consists of a cooling unit, a control unit, temperature probes and a water-filled cap, was found safe and effective in a study with 234 infants with moderate to severe HIE. At 18 months of age, there were fewer deaths and fewer severe cases of neurodevelopmental disability in the cooled group compared with the control group.

As a condition of the approval, Olympic Medical Corporation of Seattle, maker of the device, will set up a patient registry to collect information on device usage and to track treatment outcomes.

The company will also organize a training and certification process for all operators of the device.

The FDA also directed Olympic to restrict the use of the device to patients who meet the eligibility criteria defined by the original study.

Fish oil during pregnancy could boost baby's coordination

2006-12-22T00:52:00.000-08:00

Fish oil during pregnancy could boost baby's coordination

Women who take high doses of fish oils during pregnancy could dramatically boost their children's coordination, say researchers.

A new study reveals the benefits of using so-called "clever capsules" to help develop the full potential of babies while still in the womb

It found a significant advance in hand-eye coordination among toddlers whose mothers took fish oil supplements during the second half of pregnancy compared with those who did not.

The last three months of pregnancy are thought to be a key time for intake of fish oil because there is a growth spurt in the human brain during this time, which carries on into the first few months of a baby's life.

Other research suggests cod liver oil taken during pregnancy may increase birthweight and reduce the risk of the baby developing type 1 diabetes.

But as well as immediate benefits to the child, studies show fish oils can help mums-to-be in a number of ways, including reducing high blood pressure and easing post-natal depression.

The latest study from the University of Western Australia looked at 98 pregnant women, who were either given 4g of fish oil supplements or 4g of olive oil supplements daily from 20 weeks of pregnancy to the bith of their babies.

When the children reached the age of two and a half, they were given various tests measuring growth and development.

Children whose mothers had taken fish oil supplements scored significantly higher in hand-eye coordination than those whose mothers had taken olive oil supplements.

Other research suggests cod liver oil taken during pregnancy may increase birthweight and reduce the risk of the baby developing type 1 diabetes.

But as well as immediate benefits to the child, studies show fish oils can help mums-to-be in a number of ways, including reducing high blood pressure and easing post-natal depression.

When the children reached the age of two and a half, they were given various tests measuring growth and development.

Children whose mothers had taken fish oil supplements scored significantly higher in hand-eye coordination than those whose mothers had taken olive oil supplements.

US measles outbreak tied to traveler from Romania

2006-12-22T00:38:00.000-08:00

US measles outbreak tied to traveler from Romania

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - A measles outbreak last year in Indiana in which 34 people became ill was spread by a 17-year-old U.S. girl who visited Romania without being vaccinated, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detailed the cause of the outbreak -- the largest in the United States since 1996 -- in an annual report on measles. CDC said there were 66 confirmed cases of measles in the United States in 2005, with no deaths. The 37 cases of measles in 2004 was the lowest ever recorded in the United States. The highly infectious, sometimes fatal viral illness has largely been eliminated in the United States by vaccination.

Savvy squirrels outwit trees

2006-12-22T00:17:00.000-08:00

Savvy squirrels outwit trees

Like good stock brokers, red squirrels predict when the market will be flooded with seeds and then invest big by producing a second litter of young, a new study finds.

"Lots of animals time their reproduction to match predictable increases in resources like the new growth of plants every spring," said lead researcher Stan Boutin of the University of Alberta. "But the interesting twist here is that these squirrels have figured out a way to produce this second litter of babies at a time when they have little food and before an ‘unpredictable’ boom in seed production.”

The results are detailed in the Dec. 22 issue of the journal Science.

Smart squirrels
Boutin and his colleagues monitored two species of red squirrels, including a natural population of American red squirrels in southwestern Yukon, Canada from 1987 to 2004, and Eurasian red squirrels in Belgium and Italy.

Somehow the squirrels could anticipate when the trees would be laden with cones, and only during these years they produced a second litter of young.

In addition to predicting the future, the squirrels were able to reproduce while females were breast-feeding the first litter — something that doesn't normally occur in mammals, said study team member Andrew McAdam of Michigan State University.

While the researchers still aren’t certain how the squirrels can predict the cone market from year to year, they think it might be some chemical or visual cue from the buds that ultimately form tree cones. Every summer the squirrels nibble on these buds. "Squirrels could be using a visual cue or a hormonal cue they gain from eating the buds," Boutin said.

Battling the holiday bulge — with bacteria?

2006-12-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

Battling the holiday bulge — with bacteria?

"There's new research that suggests it may not be what you eat that makes you fat, but what eats what you eat.

According to two studies in the journal Nature obese mice — and people — had more of one type of bacteria and less of another kind. They both had a lower percentage of a family of bacteria called Bacteroidetes and more of a type of bacteria called Firmicutes. But the researchers aren't quite sure if the Firmicutes make people fat or if people who are obese grow more of that type of bacteria.

The researchers found that when lean mice with clean guts were given lots of Firmicutes, they got twice as fat and took in more calories from the same amount of food than mice with the more normal bacteria ratio.

So perhaps some time in the future, when the holiday binge is over for yet another year, gym memberships won't top the list of people wanting to lose weight. Maybe it'll be a heapin' helping of bacteria."

A new type of explosion, cause unknown

2006-12-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

A new type of explosion, cause unknown

Over the summer of this year, NASA's Swift satellite program detected something that defies our understanding of the universe. Seen was a phenomenon titled a hybrid-gamma ray burst, most likely signaling the formation of a new black hole. As one may surmise, a hybrid gamma ray burst is a combination of two classes of gamma ray bursts, but this specific one, named GRB 060614, exhibited features that could not be explained with a simple combination approach.

Gamma ray bursts are the most powerful explosions in the universe, however they only last for a short time and until recently were hard to detect. The Swift program was designed to detect such bursts. Since the discovery of GRB 060614 many of the world's other telescopes, both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial (Hubble, et al), have spent a large amount of time studying the source of GRB 060614. There are two main types of gamma ray bursts: short bursts lasting less than a second or two, and long bursts lasting longer than two seconds. Gamma ray bursts are often a sign that something else is about to happen or has happened; long bursts are often the result of a massive star collapsing into a black hole which can precede a supernova; short bursts, on the other hand, are often the result of two massive bodies merging. GRB 060614 lasted for a whopping 102 seconds, putting it well into the long-burst range, but it was missing the tell-tale sign of a supernova—which often accompanies a long gamma ray burst.

Through measurements of the photons that reached earth shortly after the burst, scientists have found that GRB 060614 behaved much more like a short-bust blast. However, there is currently no theory of merging massive bodies that would explain a burst of the duration of GRB 060614. This leaves scientists in uncharted territory. Some scientists suggest that this may not be an unprecedented event. By searching through old data of past gamma ray bursts (note: this one actually occurred 1.6 billion years ago, so it is very old as well), they believe they have found other hybrid bursts that defy current explanation but do not have the same amount of follow-up examinations as with GRB 060614. As it stands now, scientists are divided over what this was—a very long short burst, or a long burst without the accompanying supernova. Whichever it is, it provides scientists with a new challenge and shows what happens when new evidence reveals that a currently-held theory cannot explain everything. Scientists are regrouping in search of a new explanation that can encompass both our previous knowledge of gamma ray bursts as well as this newly discovered phenomenon. Even in the face of new evidence, science will continue to explore and seek new understanding.

Russia secures control of key Siberian project

2006-12-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

Russia secures control of key Siberian project
The Russian state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom is to take a 50% plus one share stake in the Shell-operated Sakhalin-2 energy project. The deal was signed at a Kremlin meeting between President Vladimir Putin and top executives from Shell and Gazprom along with officials from the project's Japanese shareholders.

Putin said: "With regard to the Sakhalin-2 project, I am aware that a few years ago Shell had already invited Gazprom to take part. The Russian government is interested in realising this project as much as its investors are. And I would like to thank you for the flexibility that you expressed in the course of these negotiations."

The new ownership leaves Shell with 27.5% and of its Japanese partners, Mitsui get to keep 12.5% and Mitsubishi 10%.

The budget has risen to 17 billion euros and the site has estimated reserves of 45 billion barrels of oil.

The deal ends a year long campaign in which Moscow threatened to take away Shell's permits on environmental grounds and to block investment plans unless Gazprom was allowed to join the project.

Three Landing Sites Ready for Return of Space Shuttle Discovery

2006-12-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

Three Landing Sites Ready for Return of Space Shuttle Discovery
NASA is pondering the landing of the STS-116 crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Specifically, officials are deciding whether to land the shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center (the primary landing site)—since weather is forecast to be unacceptable for a landing—or to land at alternative sites at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico or Edwards Air Force Base in California.

New method of scanning brain could help diagnose Alzheimer's

2006-12-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

New method of scanning brain could help diagnose Alzheimer's

The brain scan, if verified by other studies, could give doctors a way to visualize the plaque and tangles of Alzheimer's in living people, Small says. Right now, doctors give memory tests to diagnose the disease, but the only way to verify the diagnosis is with an autopsy.

The people in the study all got a PET scan that analyzes the amount of the chemical marker in the brain. The team found that people with advanced Alzheimer's disease had lots of marker accumulating in areas of the brain hit hardest.

Some of the people with mild memory problems also had scan results that indicated they had the start of Alzheimer's, Small says.

'Reset' Is Newest U.S. Military Catch-word

2006-12-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

'Reset' Is Newest U.S. Military Catch-word

The newest term the U.S. military has adopted in dealing with troop stress management is "reset," as heard in a CNN interview with U.S. Army Gen. Richard Cody.

Cody, the vice chief of staff Army was asked about mounting suicide rates among troops facing multiple combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he used his own son as an example, saying he's had three combat tours "and is now in that 12- to 13-month reset," and was getting ready to go back to combat.

Cody then used the term three times in the next sentence.

"What we do, when we reset the unit, when it comes back, is we have to reset the equipment as well as reset the soldiers," he said.

The term also came up Tuesday when U.S. President George Bush was answering questions in Washington about whether he will increase troop numbers in Iraq.

"We need to reset our military. There's no question the military has been used a lot," Bush said.

Holocaust denier returning to UK

2006-12-21T08:22:00.000-08:00

Holocaust denier returning to UK
British historian David Irving is being expelled from Austria and returning to the UK after his early release from prison for denying the Holocaust.

He has been banned from returning to Austria and will be escorted to Vienna's airport by police.

Irving was convicted in February in a case that sparked international debate about the limits of freedom of speech.

NY board approves big Brooklyn redevelopment plan

2006-12-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

NY board approves big Brooklyn redevelopment plan

ALBANY, N.Y. -- To supporters, it stands for jobs, housing and major league sports in Brooklyn for the first time in half a century.

To opponents, it amounts to destroying neighborhoods, creating a traffic nightmare and forcing people unwillingly out of their homes.
From any perspective, the $4 billion Atlantic Yards redevelopment stands to reshape Brooklyn with an NBA basketball arena, office towers and thousands of apartments. The project got state approval Wednesday, though it still faces a federal lawsuit filed by Brooklyn property owners and tenants. They have charged that it's unconstitutional to seize their property for the development under the legal doctrine known as eminent domain.

"The federal eminent domain lawsuit brought by citizens protecting their constitutional rights is rock-solid, and without those plaintiffs properties, Atlantic Yards as we know it cannot be built," said Daniel Goldstein, one of the plaintiffs, told The New York Times.

Al-Qaida hints at power status in Iraq

2006-12-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

Al-Qaida hints at power status in Iraq

In a January audiotape, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden offered a "truce" to the United States for unspecified conditions — the only previous suggestion of a negotiation with Washington. But al-Zawahri said in a later video the offer was retracted after the U.S. rejected it.

Bush presses his case for expanding US forces

2006-12-21T07:16:00.000-08:00

Bush presses his case for expanding US forcesWASHINGTON -- President Bush prepared the nation yesterday for a "long struggle" against enemy forces in Iraq and around the world and said more US troops would be needed to confront the global terrorist threat.
"We're going to be in a long struggle against radicals and extremists. And we must make sure that our military has the capability to stay in the fight for a long period of time," Bush said in an end-of-the-year news conference at the White House. "I'm not predicting any particular theater, but I am predicting that it's going to take a while for the ideology of liberty to finally triumph over the ideology of hate."

BA cancels domestic flights from Heathrow Friday

2006-12-21T06:50:00.000-08:00

BA cancels domestic flights from Heathrow Friday

"So far for Friday Dec. 22, BA has cancelled around 100 shorthaul flights, including domestics, to and from Heathrow out of a normal shorthaul flying schedule of 400 flights, but warned that there may be further cancellations," the airline said in a statement.