Figures from US scientists show Arctic sea ice is at a record low, while land temperatures are likely to hit new highs.
New data from some of the world's leading climate researchers and institutions suggest that 2010 is shaping up to be one of the warmest years ever recorded.
Scientists at the US National Snow and Ice Centre Data Centre (NSIDC) report today that Arctic sea ice – frozen seawater that floats on the ocean surface – is now at its lowest physical extent ever recorded for the time of year, suggesting that it is on course to break the previous record low set in 2007.
Satellite monitoring by the NSIDC in Boulder, Colorado, shows that the melting of sea ice has been unusually fast this year, with as much as 40,000 sq km now disappearing daily.
The melt season started almost a month later than normal at the end of March and is not expected to end until September.
Meanwhile, research from the polar science centre at the University of Washington suggests that the volume of sea ice in March 2010 was 20,300 cubic km, 38% below the 1979 level when records began.
Global surface temperatures may also be at a record high, according to leading climate scientist James Hansen and colleagues at the National Aeronautic Space Administration (Nasa).
In a paper which is yet to be peer-reviewed but has been submitted to the journal Reviews of Geophysics, they suggest that the Earth has been 0.65C warmer over the past 12 months than during the 1951 to 1980 mean, and that the global temperature for 2010 will exceed the 2005 record.
Fifa video game comes to Facebook.
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The latest video game in the Fifa football series has launched on Facebook rather than on games consoles.
The popularity of social media games has risen in recent years with up to 250 million global players logging on to various games each month.
Previous console Fifa games have retailed at around £30 but FIFA Superstars is free to play online.
The footballers making up each player's team are purchased in packs at a cost of £1 - £2 per pack.
Players pit their teams against those belonging to their Facebook friends.
As the tournament progresses, each player earns points which can also be used to purchase team members.
Unlike console-based versions of Fifa games in which the player can decide to play as a manager, a player or both, on Facebook players can only be managers of virtual teams made up of real players from around the world.
The popularity of social media games has risen in recent years with up to 250 million global players logging on to various games each month.
Previous console Fifa games have retailed at around £30 but FIFA Superstars is free to play online.
The footballers making up each player's team are purchased in packs at a cost of £1 - £2 per pack.
Players pit their teams against those belonging to their Facebook friends.
As the tournament progresses, each player earns points which can also be used to purchase team members.
Unlike console-based versions of Fifa games in which the player can decide to play as a manager, a player or both, on Facebook players can only be managers of virtual teams made up of real players from around the world.
Mixing young blood with old may help reverse ageing effects.
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A new study led by scientists from Harvard Stem Cell Institute in Boston has shown that mixing blood from young people with the one from elderly might help reverse effects of ageing.
Lead researcher Amy Wagers discovered that the blood of the young animals seemed to rejuvenate ageing blood stem cells in the bone marrows of the older mice.
It also revitalised so-called "niche" cells in the bone marrow, which nourish, support and stimulate blood stem cells. Although old mice make more blood stem cells and more niche cells than young mice, many are faulty.
"The reason the old animals have too many is probably an attempt to compensate for these flaws," New Scientist quoted Wagers as saying.
Old mice also make too many myeloid blood cells, which contribute to inflammation and the development of cancer, and too few lymphoid blood cells, which orchestrate tissue repair.
Lead researcher Amy Wagers discovered that the blood of the young animals seemed to rejuvenate ageing blood stem cells in the bone marrows of the older mice.
It also revitalised so-called "niche" cells in the bone marrow, which nourish, support and stimulate blood stem cells. Although old mice make more blood stem cells and more niche cells than young mice, many are faulty.
"The reason the old animals have too many is probably an attempt to compensate for these flaws," New Scientist quoted Wagers as saying.
Old mice also make too many myeloid blood cells, which contribute to inflammation and the development of cancer, and too few lymphoid blood cells, which orchestrate tissue repair.
A dash of humour keeps you healthy.
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A dash of humour keeps people healthy and increases their chances of reaching the retirement age.
But after the age of 70, the health benefits of humour decrease, according to researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
The study is based on a comprehensive database from the second Nor-Trøndelag Health Study, called HUNT 2, which comprises health histories and blood samples collected in 1995-97 from more than 70,000 residents of a county in mid-Norway.
"There is reason to believe that sense of humour continues to have a positive effect on mental health and social life, even after people have become retirees," says project leader Sven Svebak, a professor of neuroscience at NTNU.
But after the age of 70, the health benefits of humour decrease, according to researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
The study is based on a comprehensive database from the second Nor-Trøndelag Health Study, called HUNT 2, which comprises health histories and blood samples collected in 1995-97 from more than 70,000 residents of a county in mid-Norway.
"There is reason to believe that sense of humour continues to have a positive effect on mental health and social life, even after people have become retirees," says project leader Sven Svebak, a professor of neuroscience at NTNU.
Nature 'is an energy booster': Study
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Feeling tired? Just step outside, say researchers.
A new study has claimed that a mere 20 minutes outdoors can have the same "pick-me-up effect" as a cup of coffee due to instant energising from nature.
Many associate getting out of the house or the office with doing something more active. But in fact we become more energised outdoors even if we are doing nothing, the 'Daily Express' reported.
Prof. Richard Ryan from the University of Rochester, New York State, was quoted as saying, "Nature is fuel for the soul." To come to conclusion, Prof. Ryan and his team conducted experiments on 537 student volunteers, exposing them to situations both active and sedentary, inside and outside.
A new study has claimed that a mere 20 minutes outdoors can have the same "pick-me-up effect" as a cup of coffee due to instant energising from nature.
Many associate getting out of the house or the office with doing something more active. But in fact we become more energised outdoors even if we are doing nothing, the 'Daily Express' reported.
Prof. Richard Ryan from the University of Rochester, New York State, was quoted as saying, "Nature is fuel for the soul." To come to conclusion, Prof. Ryan and his team conducted experiments on 537 student volunteers, exposing them to situations both active and sedentary, inside and outside.
Car device prompts driver to stay in proper lane .
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When the steering wheel starts vibrating strongly, it indicates your car is too close to the edge of the road. WayPilot, a new Norwegian product, helps to keep it where it should be in the driving lane.
Examples of such systems include driving lane aids that warn the driver if his vehicle leaves the lane without the blinker being activated as can happen when the driver nods off.
Safety equipment of this sort has reduced both collisions and cases of driving off the road.
"What many of these systems have in common is that they utilise video-cameras to orient themselves with respect to the road," says SINTEF research manager Terje Moen.
Examples of such systems include driving lane aids that warn the driver if his vehicle leaves the lane without the blinker being activated as can happen when the driver nods off.
Safety equipment of this sort has reduced both collisions and cases of driving off the road.
"What many of these systems have in common is that they utilise video-cameras to orient themselves with respect to the road," says SINTEF research manager Terje Moen.
Kaka kisses controversial Jabulani ball.
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Kaka kissed the controversial Jabulani World Cup ball which has been criticised by some of his Brazil team mates on Friday.
Kaka, advertising face of Jabulani makers Adidas, was handed the ball by surprise by a reporter during the news conference at the Brazil team's hotel and kissed it in front of dozens of cameras.
"I'm not going to criticise the Cup ball," the 28-year-old Real Madrid playmaker told a news conference.
"Everything that's new, new technology, makes a different impression. At first, opinions were critical, but who knows if that won't change during the World Cup.
Play Playstation games on android with PSX emulator
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Partnering with the experienced emulator creator of NESoid and GameBoid to give himself an emulator base, the PSX emulator is shaping up to be a dream come true for nostalgia. Controls use the touch screen, the hard buttons, and even the trackball, however the interface seen above is that from GameBoid the Game Boy Advanced emulator for Android, and will not be the final product.
There is also full screen support for the games however Shadensu of Digital Disbeliever says the emulator is currently a bit sluggish and doesn't quite hit the 60 FPS sweet spot.
Facebook Beats Yahoo, Wikipedia in Pageviews.
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Google's DoubleClick reports that Facebook has defeated 999 other web-related opponents on Google's list of top 1,000 sites. In the midst of all this success, Facebook's co-founder Mark Zuckerberg says he's "not making decisions to maximize the amount of money" that he's making and that one of the most transformative things to build in the world is "something that helps people share information and stay connected."
According to Google's Doubleclick, Facebook receives 570 billion pageviews per month, which is eight times as many pageviews as Yahoo, 15 times as many pageviews as MSN, and 72 times as many pageviews as Wikipedia.
According to Google's Doubleclick, Facebook receives 570 billion pageviews per month, which is eight times as many pageviews as Yahoo, 15 times as many pageviews as MSN, and 72 times as many pageviews as Wikipedia.
Google’s iTunes Competitor Will Likely Be Called Google Music.
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music
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Google also announced the acquisition of Simplify Media. Using Simplify’s technology, Google will offer a desktop app that will give you access to all DRM-free media on Android devices remotely.
This new market wouldn’t be Google’s first foray into music. Last fall, Google announced Music Onebox, new kind of Google search result that lets you instantly stream songs directly from Google’s results page; and Google Discover Music, a search engine to find songs on the web.
iPhone 4G is out but not apples its Shanzhai 4G iPhone.
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iphone
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You might be wondering what is shanzhai ??? Its the first to roll out its own version of apple 4G iPhone, similar to the appearance made in the web world.
The first of what we’re sure will be many 4G iPhone clones to come, this first generation shanzhai version, called the GPS-Phone, according to tipb.com features a front facing camera, TV antenna, mini USB interface, camera flash and even supports the installation of Java applications and an iPhone-like interface.
Foursquare apps can make your life virtual interesting game.
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A popular smartphone app called Foursquare, lets players use their phones to "check in" to the various restaurants, bars, art galleries and friends' apartments they visit in the course of their day.
With each stop, they earn points; people who complete special challenges like visiting 20 pizza joints, staying out past 3 a.m. on a "school night" or being a serial karaoke singer get special merit badges, as if they were digital Boy Scouts.
Crowley sees these video-game-style rewards as reason enough for Foursquare users to make more effort to explore the real world and, in the process, to have more fun with their daily lives.
It was launched in 2009 and having a good download.
With each stop, they earn points; people who complete special challenges like visiting 20 pizza joints, staying out past 3 a.m. on a "school night" or being a serial karaoke singer get special merit badges, as if they were digital Boy Scouts.
Crowley sees these video-game-style rewards as reason enough for Foursquare users to make more effort to explore the real world and, in the process, to have more fun with their daily lives.
It was launched in 2009 and having a good download.
Hackers plant viruses in Windows smartphone games.
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Hackers have planted viruses in video games for smartphones running on Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system, according to a firm that specializes in securing mobile devices.
The games -- 3D Anti-Terrorist and PDA Poker Art -- are available on sites that provide legitimate software for mobile devices, according to John Hering, CEO of San Francisco-based security firm Lookout.
Those games are bundled with malicious software that automatically dials premium-rate telephone services in Somalia, Italy and other countries, sometimes ringing up hundreds of dollars in charges in a single month.
Those services are run by the programmers who built the tainted software, Hering said on Friday.
The games -- 3D Anti-Terrorist and PDA Poker Art -- are available on sites that provide legitimate software for mobile devices, according to John Hering, CEO of San Francisco-based security firm Lookout.
Those games are bundled with malicious software that automatically dials premium-rate telephone services in Somalia, Italy and other countries, sometimes ringing up hundreds of dollars in charges in a single month.
Those services are run by the programmers who built the tainted software, Hering said on Friday.
Three burgers a week can make you asthmatic.
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Children who love junk food and eat at least three burgers in a week are inviting asthma, says a latest research.
The study which was conducted on 50,000 children across 20 countries revealed that the risk of asthma, because of improper diet, is highest of all in better-off countries, express.co.uk reports. The findings showed that youngsters who enjoy a healthy diet rich in fruit, fish and vegetables have the lowest risk to get affected by the disease.
When compared between rich and poor countries, it was found that a diet high in fish protected children against wheeze in well-off countries, while a diet rich in cooked vegetables guarded youngsters in poor countries.
Elaine Vickers, of Asthma UK has advised children to "eat a healthy, balanced diet and get plenty of exercise".
The study which was conducted on 50,000 children across 20 countries revealed that the risk of asthma, because of improper diet, is highest of all in better-off countries, express.co.uk reports. The findings showed that youngsters who enjoy a healthy diet rich in fruit, fish and vegetables have the lowest risk to get affected by the disease.
When compared between rich and poor countries, it was found that a diet high in fish protected children against wheeze in well-off countries, while a diet rich in cooked vegetables guarded youngsters in poor countries.
Elaine Vickers, of Asthma UK has advised children to "eat a healthy, balanced diet and get plenty of exercise".
Now, 'dipstick' test to determine blood type.
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Scientists have developed what they say is the first 'dipstick' test which can instantly determine blood type of a patient or donor.
The inexpensive and portable test involves placing a drop of blood on a specially treated paper strip which then changes colours to determine the type of the blood.
Australian scientists, who reported their research in the American Chemical Society's journal Analytical Chemistry, said the new blood testing method could be a boon to health care in developing countries.
"The test also could be useful in veterinary medicine, for typing animals' blood in the field," they noted.
The inexpensive and portable test involves placing a drop of blood on a specially treated paper strip which then changes colours to determine the type of the blood.
Australian scientists, who reported their research in the American Chemical Society's journal Analytical Chemistry, said the new blood testing method could be a boon to health care in developing countries.
"The test also could be useful in veterinary medicine, for typing animals' blood in the field," they noted.
Cric X', India's 1st cricket-based 3D animation film .
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Nearly 600 budding animators have developed India's first-ever 3D animation movie on cricket called 'Cric X'.
Students from Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) worked through nine months and developed the 80-minute feature film under the institute's Mentorship Series `Creative Shop', Mr Sanjeev Waeerkar, the chief creative officer, MAAC, and the creators (students) of the movie said.
'Cric X' is inspired by the popularity and craze people have for cricket in India, they said.
The movie revolves around the fun, excitement and dreams associated with cricket, complete with imaginative, visually appealing and excellent story telling, Mr Waeerkar said.
Students from Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) worked through nine months and developed the 80-minute feature film under the institute's Mentorship Series `Creative Shop', Mr Sanjeev Waeerkar, the chief creative officer, MAAC, and the creators (students) of the movie said.
'Cric X' is inspired by the popularity and craze people have for cricket in India, they said.
The movie revolves around the fun, excitement and dreams associated with cricket, complete with imaginative, visually appealing and excellent story telling, Mr Waeerkar said.
Four-day school weeks gain popularity across US.
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Peach County is one of more than 120 school districts across the country where students attend school just four days a week, a cost-saving tactic gaining popularity among cash-strapped districts struggling to make ends meet. The 4,000-student district started shaving a day off its weekly school calendar last year to help fill a $1 million budget shortfall.
It was that or lay off 39 teachers the week before school started, said Superintendent Susan Clark.
"We're treading water," Clark said as she stood outside the headquarters of her seven-school district. "There was nothing else for us to do."
The results? Test scores went up.
So did attendance -- for both students and teachers. The district is spending one-third of what it once did on substitute teachers, Clark said.
And the graduation rate likely will be more than 80 percent for the first time in years, Clark said.
It was that or lay off 39 teachers the week before school started, said Superintendent Susan Clark.
"We're treading water," Clark said as she stood outside the headquarters of her seven-school district. "There was nothing else for us to do."
The results? Test scores went up.
So did attendance -- for both students and teachers. The district is spending one-third of what it once did on substitute teachers, Clark said.
And the graduation rate likely will be more than 80 percent for the first time in years, Clark said.
Legal notices can be sent via Facebook, rules judge.
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Online social networking site Facebook can also be used to serve legal notices on those evading court hearing, an Australian judge has ruled.
An Adelaide court ordered that Facebook be used for sending legal documents on an elusive alleged father involved in a child support dispute.
The federal magistrate, Stewart Brown, said the case was unusual but "demonstrative of social movements and the currency of the times".
The accused, Howard, had a brief relationship with a woman who later gave birth. The father's name was not mentioned in the birth certificate and the mother's child support application was rejected for lack of legal proof of paternity.
An Adelaide court ordered that Facebook be used for sending legal documents on an elusive alleged father involved in a child support dispute.
The federal magistrate, Stewart Brown, said the case was unusual but "demonstrative of social movements and the currency of the times".
The accused, Howard, had a brief relationship with a woman who later gave birth. The father's name was not mentioned in the birth certificate and the mother's child support application was rejected for lack of legal proof of paternity.
Toshiba's LCD Panel Displays 2D, 3D Images at Same Time.
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Toshiba Corp developed an LCD panel that can partially convert a 2D image to a 3D image and can be viewed with the naked eye.
The LCD panel was announced at SID 2010, the largest international conference on display technologies that took place from May 23 to 28, 2010, in Seattle, the US.
The LCD panel is compatible with the "integral imaging method," which the Toshiba Group has been developing, and has nine viewpoints. Its screen size is 12 inches. The pixel count is 1,400 x 1,050 for 2D images (full screen) and 466 x 350 for 3D images (full screen).
The panel displays 3D images by using the "GRIN (gradient index) lens," which changes the distribution of refraction indexes by controlling the gradient (orientation) of liquid crystal molecules.
Advanced Robotic Arm Controlled by Monkey’s Thoughts [Video].
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Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have demonstrated a monkey controlling an advanced robotic arm by using its thoughts. The experiments were led by Dr. Andrew Schwartz, a professor of neurobiology and involved a high degree of complexity in the robotic arm, the level of control, and the intricacy of the manipulations.
This is not the first time that Dr. Schwartz implanted sensors in a monkey’s brain to control a robotic arm. Back in May of 2008 experiments were conducted by Dr. Schwartz, using a simpler mechanical arm, to teach a monkey to feed itself. This was a four-degrees-of-freedom arm with shoulder joints, elbow, and a simple gripper.
This is not the first time that Dr. Schwartz implanted sensors in a monkey’s brain to control a robotic arm. Back in May of 2008 experiments were conducted by Dr. Schwartz, using a simpler mechanical arm, to teach a monkey to feed itself. This was a four-degrees-of-freedom arm with shoulder joints, elbow, and a simple gripper.
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