Feed CNET Tech: Apple now officially owns Beatles' Apple Corps Logo (cnet.com)
A company had opposed Apple's ownership of the logo, but the electronics giant was issued the registered trademark yesterday, according to Patently Apple.
Submission + - How do you eat a Triceratops? Start by ripping the head off (nature.com)
scibri writes: Once a Tyrannosaurus took down a Triceratops, how did it go about eating it? By looking at the bite marks on Triceratops fossils, a group of paleontologists have pieced together the steps, and created an illustrated guide. Step one? Pull off the head.
Submission + - Real-time phone call translator app to be offered by NTT Docomo (bbc.co.uk)
another random user writes: An app offering real-time translations is to allow people in Japan to speak to foreigners over the phone with both parties using their native tongue.
NTT Docomo — the country's biggest mobile network — will initially convert Japanese to English, Mandarin and Korean, with other languages to follow.
The products have the potential to let companies avoid having to use specially trained multilingual staff, helping them cut costs. They could also aid tourism. However, the software involved cannot offer perfect translations, limiting its use in some situations.
NTT Docomo — the country's biggest mobile network — will initially convert Japanese to English, Mandarin and Korean, with other languages to follow.
The products have the potential to let companies avoid having to use specially trained multilingual staff, helping them cut costs. They could also aid tourism. However, the software involved cannot offer perfect translations, limiting its use in some situations.
Submission + - Scientists can read your dreams (nature.com)
scibri writes: Scientists have learned how to discover what you are dreaming about while you sleep.
A team of Japanese researchers scanned the brains of three people as they slept, and compared the scans to those of the same people looking at photos of common objects. They were then able to tell, with 75% — 80% accuracy, if one of those images appeared in a dream.
A team of Japanese researchers scanned the brains of three people as they slept, and compared the scans to those of the same people looking at photos of common objects. They were then able to tell, with 75% — 80% accuracy, if one of those images appeared in a dream.
Submission + - Starting next year, Brazil wants to track all cars electronically (google.com.br) 1
juliohm writes: "As of Januay, Brazil intends to put into action a new system that will track vehicles of all kinds via radio frequency chips. It will take a few years to accomplish, but authorities will eventually require all vehicles to have an electronic chip installed, which will match every car to its rightfull owner. The chip will send the car's identification to antennas on highways and streets, soon to be spread all over the country. Eventually, it will be illegal to own a car without one.
Besides real time monitoring of traffic conditions, authorities will be able to integrate all kinds of services, such as traffic tickets, licensing and annual taxes, automatic toll charge, and much more. Benefits also include more security, since the system will make it harder for thieves to run far away with stolen vehicles, much less leave the country with one."
Besides real time monitoring of traffic conditions, authorities will be able to integrate all kinds of services, such as traffic tickets, licensing and annual taxes, automatic toll charge, and much more. Benefits also include more security, since the system will make it harder for thieves to run far away with stolen vehicles, much less leave the country with one."
Submission + - Now, Einstein's brain is an interactive iPad app (indianexpress.com)
puddingebola writes: From the article, "After Einstein's death, a pathologist named Thomas Harvey performed an autopsy, removing the scientist's brain, hoping that future researchers could discover the secrets behind his genius. However, as the tissue was preserved before modern imagingtechnology, it may be difficult to figure out exactly where in Einstein's brain each slide originated. The new app organises the slides into general brain regions, however, it does not map them with precision to an anatomical model."
Submission + - "I'm Lovin' It": Fast-Food Logos 'Imprinted' in Children's Brains, Study Says (medicaldaily.com) 1
bbianca127 writes: A study has found that fast-food logos are branded into the minds of children at an early age, perhaps fueling the U.S.'s obesity epidemic. The study showed children 60 logos from popular food brands and 60 logos from popular non-food brands. Researchers found that, when shown images of fast-food brands, the parts of kids' brains linked with pleasure and appetite lit up. This is concerning because marketers tap into those portions of the brain long before children develop self-control, and most foods marketed to kids are high in calories, sugar, sodium, and fat.
Submission + - U.S. Beer Is Cheaper Than Anywhere Else in the World 1
derekmead writes: It’s frustrating to drop $7 on a pint of beer in New York City, as it turns out, Americans have the cheapest beer on Earth. International bank UBS gathered data about the median wages and average retail prices of a 500mL (pint) beer in 150 countries. Those data were compiled to figure out how many minutes of work it takes the average worker of a country to earn enough money to buy a beer.
It’s funny that UBS analysts are spending time looking at beer, but considering that beer is beloved and nigh essential everywhere, it offers an interesting comparison between commodities and wages. For example, India tops the least, with the median worker having to work nearly an hour to afford a pint thanks to extremely low wages. In the U.S. however, where wages are relatively high and the cost of the average beer is quite low (thanks to those super-massive macrobreweries out there), it takes the median worker about five minutes of labor to afford a retail (store-, not bar-bought) pint. That’s the shortest amount of time in the world, which means that, relatively speaking, beer is cheaper here than anywhere else.
It’s funny that UBS analysts are spending time looking at beer, but considering that beer is beloved and nigh essential everywhere, it offers an interesting comparison between commodities and wages. For example, India tops the least, with the median worker having to work nearly an hour to afford a pint thanks to extremely low wages. In the U.S. however, where wages are relatively high and the cost of the average beer is quite low (thanks to those super-massive macrobreweries out there), it takes the median worker about five minutes of labor to afford a retail (store-, not bar-bought) pint. That’s the shortest amount of time in the world, which means that, relatively speaking, beer is cheaper here than anywhere else.
Submission + - Facebook wants YOU to grass-up friends not using their real name (computerworlduk.com)
Qedward writes: Freedom to go under a pseudonym is, miraculously, one freedom to survive the security lock-down of the previous decade. Now Facebook wants to change this.
James Firth shows Facebook is clamping down on pseudonyms, with an interesting screenshot of being asked whether a friend is using their real name.
James Firth shows Facebook is clamping down on pseudonyms, with an interesting screenshot of being asked whether a friend is using their real name.
Submission + - Your moral compass is reversible (nature.com)
scibri writes: Your moral positions may be more flexible than you think. Researchers in Sweden have tricked people into reversing their opinions on moral issues, even to the point of constructing good arguments to support the opposite of their original positions (paper in PLOS ONE).
They used a "magic trick" to reverse a person's responses to such moral issues as "Large-scale governmental surveillance of e-mail and Internet traffic ought to be forbidden as a means to combat international crime and terrorism", by switching "forbidden" to "permitted" when the subject turned the page of the questionaire. When asked to read back the questions and answers, about half of the subjects did not detect the changes, and a full 53% of participants argued unequivocally for the opposite of their original attitude in at least one of the manipulated statements.
They used a "magic trick" to reverse a person's responses to such moral issues as "Large-scale governmental surveillance of e-mail and Internet traffic ought to be forbidden as a means to combat international crime and terrorism", by switching "forbidden" to "permitted" when the subject turned the page of the questionaire. When asked to read back the questions and answers, about half of the subjects did not detect the changes, and a full 53% of participants argued unequivocally for the opposite of their original attitude in at least one of the manipulated statements.
Submission + - U.S. House STEM visa bill fails (computerworld.com) 2
dcblogs writes: A Republican-led effort to issue up to 55,000 STEM visas a year to students who earn advanced degrees at U.S. universities was defeated Thursday in a House vote. It needed a two-thirds vote, or about 290 ayes, for approval. Its supporters came up short, 257 to 158. Both parties support green cards for science, technology, engineering and math advanced degree grads, but can't agree on legislation. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who has introduced his own STEM bill, urged House leaders to seek new negotiations: "A bipartisan compromise can easily be ready for the lame duck session. There is too broad a consensus in favor of this policy to settle for gridlock."
Submission + - No smiles at NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (nj.com)
Presto Vivace writes: "N.J. bans big smiles from driver's license photos
"The state has banned motorists from making big smiles because such expressions don't work with facial recognition software.
Submission + - U.S. Dropped Nukes On Beer, And It Was a Good Idea, Too (vice.com)
pigrabbitbear writes: "Is bottled beer nuclear bombproof? The United States government conducted a couple tests in the 1950s to find out—it exploded nuclear bombs with “packaged commercial beverages” deposited at varying distances from the blast center to see if beer and soda would be safe to drink afterwards. The finding? Yep, surviving bottled and canned drinks can be consumed in the event of a nuclear holocaust, without major health risks."
Submission + - Man who sued neighbor, claiming Wi-Fi Made Him Sick, loses lawsuit (santafenewmexican.com) 1
McGruber writes: Arthur Firstenberg, the Santa Fe, New Mexico man who sued his neighbors, claiming their Wi-Fi made him sick (http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/03/30/1334227/man-sues-neighbor-claiming-wi-fi-made-him-sick), has lost what might have been his final round in court.
According to the Santa Fe NewMexican (http://www.santafenewmexican.com/localnews/091912Firstenberg), state District Judge Sarah Singleton ruled that no scientific study has yet proved that electromagnetic stimulus adversely impacts personal health.
While he lost the lawsuit, he did score a victory: the neighbors he sued have moved out of Santa Fe.
According to the Santa Fe NewMexican (http://www.santafenewmexican.com/localnews/091912Firstenberg), state District Judge Sarah Singleton ruled that no scientific study has yet proved that electromagnetic stimulus adversely impacts personal health.
While he lost the lawsuit, he did score a victory: the neighbors he sued have moved out of Santa Fe.
Submission + - Richard Branson "determined to start a population on Mars" 1
RocketAcademy writes: "British billionaire Richard Branson, whose Virgin Galactic company is backing the development of SpaceShip Two, has told CBS News he is "determined to start a population on Mars."
Branson isn't the only billionaire interested in the Red Planet. Elon Musk, founder of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), wants to put humans on Mars in the next 12 to 15 years.."
Branson isn't the only billionaire interested in the Red Planet. Elon Musk, founder of Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), wants to put humans on Mars in the next 12 to 15 years.."
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