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Biotech

$350 Test Screens For 100 Single-Gene Disorders 4

Posted by samzenpus from the your-sample-please dept.
TechRev_AL writes "Prospective parents could soon be screened for around 100 genetic diseases that they might pass on to their children. Counsyl, a Stanford University startup based in Redwood City, CA, has developed the necessary genetic test — it costs $349 and is already covered by some major insurers. For most people, screening recommendations are currently limited to the chronic lung disease cystic fibrosis, with broader testing offered to some ethnic groups. The new technology could make this kind of screening far more common."
Patents

IBM "Invents" 40-Minute Meetings 161

Posted by CmdrTaco from the that's-a-great-idea dept.
theodp writes "On Thursday, the USPTO disclosed that self-described patent reform leader IBM wants a patent covering its System and Method for Enhancing Productivity. So what exactly have the four IBM inventors — including two Distinguished Engineers — come up with? In a nutshell, the invention consists of not permitting business meetings to be scheduled for a full hour during certain parts of the day. From the application: 'The observation is that if an hour were shorter, by a small amount, we would be more focused, and accomplish the same amount of work, but in less real time, thereby increasing productivity.'" I just knew someone would one up my 43-minute-meeting patent. That's why I've already begun intense R&D on my latest invention: the 37-minute meeting! Register early for an early-bird discount. Register even earlier for more of one.
Power

A New Way To Produce Hydrogen 204

Posted by kdawson from the doctor-clark-i-presume dept.
Iddo Genuth writes "Scientists at Pennsylvania State University and Virginia Commonwealth University are producing hydrogen by exposing clusters of aluminum atoms to water. Rather than relying on the electronic properties of the aluminum, this new process depends on the geometric distribution of atoms within the clusters. It requires the presence of 'Lewis acids' and 'Lewis bases' in those atoms (water can act as either). Unlike most hydrogen production processes, this method can be used at room temperature and doesn't require the application of heat or electricity to work. The researchers experimented with a variety of different aluminum cluster patterns, discovering three that result in hydrogen production."
Cellphones

Submission + - Japanese "hate" for iPhone all a big mista (appleinsider.com)

Submitted by
MBCook
MBCook writes: "AppleInsider has posed a great article explaining that Wired's story about Japanese iPhone hate (/. discussion) was completely false and has been edited at least twice. The comments in the article were recycled and taken out of context, with those interviewed blogging about the mistakes. The piece then goes on to analyze the iPhone's standing in Japan, as well as some of the major factors working for and against it. At last it points out that the Wall Street Journal tried the same myth of failure just after the phone's launch in Japan, recycled from the myth the year before, pushed by a research company with a possible anti-Apple agenda."
Image

6-Year-Old Says Grand Theft Auto Taught Him To Drive 504

Posted by timothy from the buck-beats-scapegoat dept.
nandemoari writes "A six-year-old who recently stole his parents' car and drove it into a utility pole has passed the buck onto a familiar scapegoat: the video game, Grand Theft Auto. Rockstar Games' controversial Grand Theft Auto video game has been criticized by parent groups and crusaders (or in the eyes of gamers, nincompoops) like former lawyer Jack Thompson for years (Thompson once tried to link the Virginia Tech slayings to late-night Counterstrike sessions. He's since been disbarred). However, not as of yet has anyone under the age of, oh, ten, blamed the game for a car theft."
Image

Inventor Builds Robot Wife 469

Posted by samzenpus from the you-lonely-lonely-man dept.
Inventor Le Trung must really like the book "The Stepford Wives," because he has built the dream of every lonely man without hope, a robot wife. Le's wife, Aiko, starts the day by reading him the newspaper headlines and they go for a drives in the countryside. Le says his relationship with Aiko hasn't strayed into the bedroom, but a few tweaks could turn her into a sexual partner, even redesigning her to have a simulated orgasm. *Shudder*
Businesses

Circuit City Files For Bankruptcy 574

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the i-bet-their-execs-got-cashed-out dept.
WillDraven is just one of many who writes to tell us that Circuit City, the United States' 2nd largest consumer electronics retailer, has filed for bankruptcy under chapter 11. This news comes as no surprise as the company has been in financial trouble, recently announcing that it will be closing over one fifth of its stores and laying off 17% of its US employees in the process. "Larger rival Best Buy, which is based in Minneapolis, has said it might take over stores that distressed rivals close. Yet a flood of discounted merchandise from liquidating Circuit City stores could hurt Best Buy during this holiday shopping season, said Jefferies & Co analyst Dan Binder."
Mars

Next-Gen Mars Rover In Danger of Cancellation 210

Posted by timothy from the infinite-possibilities-finite-taxpayers dept.
OriginalArlen writes "NASA's next-generation rover, the nuclear-powered, laser-equipped Mars Science Laboratory is reported to be at a serious risk of cancellation due to budget and schedule overruns, including non-delivery of vital parts by a subcontractor. Costs are running over $2B so far, and the already thin schedule of Mars missions planned for the next decade — with budget ring-fenced for an outer-planets flagship mission — is in danger of further cuts."

Comment Re:Budget too small (Score 1) 358

by miked1001 (#20555333) Attached to: Entry-Level Astronomy?
It's true that spending a lot of money can get you a good photography setup, but you really should try something before a significant investment like the above poster. Here are a couple of tricks I've learned by doing astrophotography on a substandard setup:

If your mount isn't ideal or you have a stock tripod for your telescope, your camera will weigh heavy and shake hanging off the scope. One way to help that situation is to simply buy a remote trigger for your camera. The scope won't move enough by itself to cause horrible vibration, but you touching it to hit the shutter will. Wind will also cause your camera/scope to shake so get somewhere sheltered from the wind side if possible.

I would recommend anyone starting off in astronomy to go start off by finding all of the Messier objects. They are a catalogue of galaxies, nebulas, and clusters that can be observed with a modest scope but are quite spectacular.

Good luck, i abhor living in the city and i envy you.
Power

Z Machine Advances Fusion Race 220

Posted by kdawson from the collaborating-with-Siberians dept.
Sandia Labs has announced a new milestone in Linear Transformer Driver technology that aims to solve one of the biggest obstacles to practical fusion reactors. Getting the current needed to "spark" a burst of fusion is doable; getting a constant series of sparks going to create a continuous chain of fusion bursts has never been achieved. The LTD, which allows the Sandia Z machine to fire once every 10.2 seconds, makes it look achievable. The press release (which has been picked up in a few places, but with no further analysis) says that practical fusion power could now be 20 years off.

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