Family Guy Spins off Cleveland 250
E Online is reporting that a new spinoff is currently in the works to feature Cleveland, the soft-spoken neighbor in popular animated sitcom Family Guy. "Not much is known about Cleveland other than the fact it will revolve around the Brown clan. It's unclear whether the series will remain set in the town of Quahog or whether Cleveland, along with his wife and son, will continue to appear on Family Guy, though as both series are animated, the double-billing won't so much be a logistical problem as a creative decision."
Vista SP1 Is Even Less Compatible 278
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "Microsoft is now saying that Vista SP1 disables some 3rd party applications. The KB article on SP1 incompatibility states: 'For reliability reasons, Microsoft blocks these programs from starting after you install Windows Vista SP1.' It does link to several vendor support pages with updates or workarounds. Unfortunately, at least one of the suggestions consists of merely disabling part of the program, which could leave you with half an anti-virus solution."
Mossberg Reviews the Lenovo X300 Vs. MacBook Air 362
genji256 writes "Adding to his first impressions, Walt Mossberg has published a full review of the soon-to-come Lenovo X300. As a bottom line he 'recommends the X300 for road warriors without hesitation, provided they can live with its two biggest downsides: a relatively paltry file-storage capacity and a hefty price tag.' Gizmodo lists all the comparisons with the MacBook Air that Walt inevitably makes. Final score: it's a tie, though certain points are arguable ('Doesn't use Mac OS X Leopard. Winner: MacBook Air')."
NASA Plans Lunar Mobile Phone Network 164
If NASA and the British National Space Centre succeed in their 'MoonLite mission' you won't be able to say, "In space no one can hear your ringtone." They plan on building a satellite system/phone network that would provide full four-bar signal coverage for colonists living in the base NASA wants to build at the south pole of the moon after 2020.
Has Ron Paul Quit? 878
Lally Singh sends us to the inside-the-Beltway blog Wonkette for a quick take on a letter Ron Paul sent to his supporters. In this analysis, Dr. Paul has basically called it quits. "Late Friday night, Dr. Congressman Ron Paul posted a letter to his fans basically saying it's over, but he will continue talking about his message, and plus it would be completely embarrassing for him if he also lost his congressional seat."
Birds Give a Lesson to Plane Designers 250
Roland Piquepaille points out a news release from the University of Michigan where researchers are looking to birds and bats for insights into aerospace engineering. Wei Shyy and his colleagues are learning from solutions developed by nature and applying them to the technology of flight. A presentation on this topic was also given at the 2005 TED conference. From the news release:
"The roll rate of the aerobatic A-4 Skyhawk plane is about 720 degrees per second. The roll rate of a barn swallow exceeds 5,000 degrees per second. Select military aircraft can withstand gravitational forces of 8-10 G. Many birds routinely experience positive G-forces greater than 10 G and up to 14 G. Flapping flight is inherently unsteady, but that's why it works so well. Birds, bats and insects fly in a messy environment full of gusts traveling at speeds similar to their own. Yet they can react almost instantaneously and adapt with their flexible wings."
Submission + - Is the Boeing 787 Hackable By Passengers? (bbc.co.uk)
jessiej writes: According to the BBC 'Boeing has been ordered to ensure passengers on its new 787 Dreamliner jet cannot hack into the flight system and take control of the plane.' Boeing claims their new line, shipping out in November, has 'appropriate safeguards'. The AP reports, however, that 'navigation and communications systems could be vulnerable.'
Submission + - Real-Time Reaction Polling At Presidential Debate (wmur.com)
agg123456789 writes: WMUR, a New Hampshire TV station, did real-time response polling during Saturday's presidential debates. About 30 people watched and turned dials to indicate their approval of what candidates said. Results of each dial were added together and displayed on screen as line graphs.
Submission + - BP permitted by Indiana to pollute Lake Michigan (chicagotribune.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Indiana regulators exempted BP from state environmental laws to clear the way for a $3.8 billion expansion that will allow the company to refine heavier Canadian crude oil. They justified the move in part by noting the project will create 80 new jobs. ...
The company will now be allowed to dump an average of 1,584 pounds of ammonia and 4,925 pounds of sludge into Lake Michigan every day.
The company will now be allowed to dump an average of 1,584 pounds of ammonia and 4,925 pounds of sludge into Lake Michigan every day.
Submission + - Only in USA-Owner Ticketed For 'Excessive Mooing' (kare11.com)
prashc writes: You can accuse Wally the steer of a lot of things.
His kisses are a little sloppy and his nudges might be a little too much.
But these days Wally's crazy ways are going beyond the pasture because Wally is apparently a nuisance. Why? Because Wally, shockingly, is mooing and apparently he's mooing loudly.
"I'm being charged with a criminal complaint," Wally's owner Karyl Hylle said.
That's right the Washington County Sheriff's Department cited Hylle, who owns the 33 acre farm where Wally resides, with a misdemeanor. The ticket specifically cites her for ongoing nuisance cow mooing.
"I honestly am speechless," Hylle said.
It seems Hylle's next door neighbor has called authorities more than 20 times claiming Wally is a moo-maniac. But in the more than an hour we were on the farm, we couldn't get Wally to make a peep.
"I mean he does moo, he's a cow, but it's rare and it's few and far between," Hylle said.
Karyl says Wally lets out a moo about twice a day. Hardly enough, she thinks, to warrant 21 complaints that have been filed with Washington County by the neighbor.
It's important to note too that Karyl's land is a zoned farm. She could have 50 head of cattle if she wanted to.
The beef on the complaints is the mooing but when officers showed up to the farm, the complaint says the cow didn't moo for them either.
So after one court appearance Karyl faces a $1,000 fine and or 90 days in jail for Wally daring to do what all steer have done before. Moo.
The Hugo city attorney says in his 15 years of prosecuting for the city he has never seen a case like this. He says the next step is to find out if this really is an enforceable citation. He says his hunch is, that it isn't.
His kisses are a little sloppy and his nudges might be a little too much.
But these days Wally's crazy ways are going beyond the pasture because Wally is apparently a nuisance. Why? Because Wally, shockingly, is mooing and apparently he's mooing loudly.
"I'm being charged with a criminal complaint," Wally's owner Karyl Hylle said.
That's right the Washington County Sheriff's Department cited Hylle, who owns the 33 acre farm where Wally resides, with a misdemeanor. The ticket specifically cites her for ongoing nuisance cow mooing.
"I honestly am speechless," Hylle said.
It seems Hylle's next door neighbor has called authorities more than 20 times claiming Wally is a moo-maniac. But in the more than an hour we were on the farm, we couldn't get Wally to make a peep.
"I mean he does moo, he's a cow, but it's rare and it's few and far between," Hylle said.
Karyl says Wally lets out a moo about twice a day. Hardly enough, she thinks, to warrant 21 complaints that have been filed with Washington County by the neighbor.
It's important to note too that Karyl's land is a zoned farm. She could have 50 head of cattle if she wanted to.
The beef on the complaints is the mooing but when officers showed up to the farm, the complaint says the cow didn't moo for them either.
So after one court appearance Karyl faces a $1,000 fine and or 90 days in jail for Wally daring to do what all steer have done before. Moo.
The Hugo city attorney says in his 15 years of prosecuting for the city he has never seen a case like this. He says the next step is to find out if this really is an enforceable citation. He says his hunch is, that it isn't.
Submission + - New Dell-Ubuntu Systems
An anonymous reader writes: Dell is now offering Ubuntu preloaded on two new systems: the Inspiron 1420N notebook, and the Inspiron 530N desktop. Could this be a sign that Ubuntu sales have gone quite well? Also, news that Dell will be offering Ubuntu systems outside the US, with further details later this summer.
Submission + - Hero Rats Employed in Land Mine Disposal (herorat.org)
Nethemas the Great writes: Every 20 minutes someone somewhere is hurt or killed by a landmine. In Africa Hero Rats are being trained up to tackle the task of detection. Traditional methods using metal detectors can hit on anything from sardine cans to nails and still miss the plastic cased mines. In each case though they have to be treated as if they're the real deal. The hero rats however, sniff out the explosives with a sense of smell roughly 1 million times stronger than a human and can clear a 100 square meter area in just 30 minutes. What's more unlike their human counter part these guys are so light they don't accidentally set off the mines.
Submission + - FDA Considering Allowing Fake Chocolate
Anonymous Coward writes: "First, they replaced our cane sugar with icky, fattening high-fructose corn syrup. Now, the "great American chocolate bar" may soon be made of fake fillers so big candy companies can shave more profit off the cocoa bean.
This New York Times Op-Ed (registration maybe required) describes how "Industrial confectioners have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to be able to replace cocoa butter with cheaper fats and still call the resulting product 'chocolate.' The reason: the substitution would allow them to use fewer beans and to sell off the butter for cosmetics and such."
The issue is not whether it would be legal for them to make it this way... this is America — they can do what they want. The issue is whether it would be legal for them to package the fake chocolate AS chocolate (and not something like "diluted chocolate substitute — contains 10% actual chocolate") so that consumers wouldn't know the difference (before tasting it). Kids would ultimately be eating this stuff. Could Corporate America really go so far just to squeeze more out of a buck?"
This New York Times Op-Ed (registration maybe required) describes how "Industrial confectioners have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to be able to replace cocoa butter with cheaper fats and still call the resulting product 'chocolate.' The reason: the substitution would allow them to use fewer beans and to sell off the butter for cosmetics and such."
The issue is not whether it would be legal for them to make it this way... this is America — they can do what they want. The issue is whether it would be legal for them to package the fake chocolate AS chocolate (and not something like "diluted chocolate substitute — contains 10% actual chocolate") so that consumers wouldn't know the difference (before tasting it). Kids would ultimately be eating this stuff. Could Corporate America really go so far just to squeeze more out of a buck?"
Submission + - Anheuser Busch has USDA changing 'Organic' (organicconsumers.org)
paulevans writes: "Anheuser Busch, Wal-Mart and other for-profit corporations have seeked and are getting a definition change on '95% Organic'. Such a change would allow for Anheuser Busch to "sell its 'Organic Wild Hops Beer' without using any organic hops at all".
Other changes would allow "sausages, brats, and breakfast links labeled as "USDA Organic" '..' to contain intestines from factory farmed animals raised on chemically grown feed, synthetic hormones, and antibiotics."
It is amazing how powerful the almighty dollar really is."
Other changes would allow "sausages, brats, and breakfast links labeled as "USDA Organic" '..' to contain intestines from factory farmed animals raised on chemically grown feed, synthetic hormones, and antibiotics."
It is amazing how powerful the almighty dollar really is."
