GeorgeHopkin.com

We've moved

2007-09-05T02:42:00.000+04:00

See you here - http://www.georgehopkin.com

The online brand of you

2006-04-18T17:55:00.000+04:00

I was chatting to a high-profile Dubai media professional the other day and his name popped into my head while I was carrying out some web work later that day.

As I often do, I checked the availability of his name as a dot com domain. (For example: georgehopkin.com for George Hopkin). The geek in me insists I do this quite often for people I meet!

The media professional in question has a reasonably rare surname but very common first name, so I was surprised to find that 'hisname.com' was available. I mentioned this in passing to him, but he wasn't impressed.

"What do I need that for?" he asked. "I don't write poetry and I'm not that big a fan of any pop bands."

The implication being that 'yourname.com' is only good for angst-ridden teenagers who want to put their dreary diaries online for friends and family to read (or not).

But think about it: your name is your own personal brand. People are 'Googling' you all the time, believe me, and if you want to retain control over the information found when they carry out this search, storing it at 'yourname.com' is a terrific idea.

Those who are members of online business networks such as Ryze.com and openBC.com are already convinced of the benefits of putting their information 'out there'. And take a look at the runaway success of MySpace.com - the next generation of kids will never know a time when having personal info online felt a bit creepy.

And that dreary online diary for the benefit of friends and family? Well, that sounds very much like a blog, and blogs have evolved into a fantastic (and cheap) marketing and communications tool for CEOs. So even if you don't feel like blogging about pop bands and poetry, you can still put a blog to good business use.

It won't stop there either. Personal podcasts (essentially audio diaries) are growing in popularity and video is also creeping into the mix. To see this in action take a look at YouTube.com (which I predict will get snapped up by a major player like Google in the near future).

So consider checking if 'yourname.com' is available. If it is, consider securing it - don't forget there are almost certainly other people out there with the same name, so if you don't do it, someone else will!

And if it is available and you do secure it, a blog (call it an 'online journal' if the word blog makes you wince) might help find you your next big business contact, contract or job.

The Dubai media professional was right about one thing, though. We can all probably do without hearing more bad poetry.

Some useful links:

Check if yourname.com is available: http://www.register.com
Start a blog: http://www.blogger.com
"Broadcast yourself": http://www.youtube.com

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media

NASA mission detects significant Antarctic ice mass loss

2006-03-03T01:36:00.000+04:00

Scientists were able to conduct the first-ever gravity survey of the entire Antarctic ice sheet using data from the joint NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). This comprehensive study found the ice sheet's mass has decreased significantly from 2002 to 2005.

Isabella Velicogna and John Wahr, both from the University of Colorado, Boulder, conducted the study. They demonstrated for the first time that Antarctica's ice sheet lost a significant amount of mass since the launch of GRACE in 2002. The estimated mass loss was enough to raise global sea level about 1.2 millimeters (0.05 inches) during the survey period; about 13 percent of the overall observed sea level rise for the same period. The researchers found Antarctica's ice sheet decreased by 152 (plus or minus 80) cubic kilometers of ice annually between April 2002 and August 2005.

That is about how much water the United States consumes in three months (a cubic kilometer is one trillion liters; approximately 264 billion gallons of water). This represents a change of about 0.4 millimeters (.016 inches) per year to global sea level rise. Most of the mass loss came from the West Antarctic ice sheet.

"Antarctica is Earth's largest reservoir of fresh water," Velicogna said. "The GRACE mission is unique in its ability to measure mass changes directly for entire ice sheets and can determine how Earth's mass distribution changes over time. Because ice sheets are a large source of uncertainties in projections of sea level change, this represents a very important step toward more accurate prediction, and has important societal and economic impacts. As more GRACE data become available, it will become feasible to search for longer-term changes in the rate of Antarctic mass loss," she said.

Source: NASA More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

UAE joins the space race

2006-02-18T16:12:00.000+04:00

This is just round the corner from me (kind of), so I'll be keeping tabs on this. And it's tagged 'Odd' until we see some form of honest-to-goodness work on this project.

Space Adventures, Ltd., the world's leading space experiences company, announced today its plans to develop a commercial spaceport in Ras Al-Khaimah (the UAE), with plans to expand globally. Other potential spaceport locations include Asia, specifically Singapore, and North America.

The total estimated cost of the global spaceport development project is at least $265 million (USD) and will be funded by various parties, along with shared investments by Space Adventures and the government of Ras Al-Khaimah.

The company, which organized orbital flights for all of the world's private space explorers, also announces that His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Ras Al-Khaimah, along with the UAE Department of Civilian Aviation, have granted clearance to operate suborbital spaceflights in their air space.

The UAE spaceport, planned to be located less than an hour drive from Dubai, already has commitments for $30 million (USD).

Source: Space Adventures More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Hear this, young yobs

2006-02-18T16:00:00.000+04:00

A gadget emitting a high pitched noise that can only be heard by youngsters is being used in the fight against surly teenagers.

Source: ITN More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Google stepping out into the 'real world'

2005-11-25T21:16:00.000+04:00

Google may already be dominant on the web but now it is stretching its wings to the physical world as well. Google Space, at Terminal One of London's Heathrow airport, will allow people to log onto the net and check e-mail while they wait for flights.

Source: BBC More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

Asteroid collision: Bruce Willis out of a job

2005-11-10T07:19:00.000+04:00

Two Nasa astronauts say they have devised a plan to stop an asteroid potentially colliding with Earth. The US spacemen Edward Lu and Stanley Love propose sending up a huge rocket to "tow" away any such objects. Their vehicle would simply hover over the asteroid and use gravity as a "towline" to move it out of danger.

Source: BBC More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

Whale-eating zombie sea worms from the deep

2005-10-21T12:51:00.000+04:00

A new species of marine worm that lives off whale bones on the sea floor has been described by scientists.

The creature was found on a minke carcass in relatively shallow water close to Tjarno Marine Laboratory on the Swedish coast.

Such "zombie worms", as they are often called, are known from the deep waters of the Pacific but their presence in the North Sea is a major surprise.

Source: BBC. More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science

WiFi-n-Fries

2005-10-19T14:32:00.000+04:00

Nintendo has joined forces with McDonald's to offer free wireless internet access in the US for its DS handheld games console. The service means McDonald's customers will be able to play selected DS titles against other gamers around the globe.

Source: BBC. More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Internet | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Velociraptor - just a big sweety, really

2005-10-12T16:36:00.000+04:00

The Velociraptor dinosaur made famous by the Hollywood movie Jurassic Park may not have been quite the super-efficient killer we all thought.

Source: BBC [More here.]

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

You dirty rat

2005-10-11T15:50:00.000+04:00

People who keep rodents as pets should take care not to catch salmonella, experts advise. The American Centers for Disease Control has reports of 28 people, including seven young children, who have caught strains of the bacteria carried by pet rats, mice and hamsters.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Robot cars are up to the Challenge

2005-10-09T13:30:00.000+04:00

Three driverless robotic vehicles led by Stanford University on Saturday crossed the finish line of a $2 million Pentagon-sponsored robot race across the rugged Mojave Desert...As Stanford's Volkswagen robot dubbed Stanley crossed the finish line, a group of Stanford students erupted into cheers and carried their team leader, Sebastian Thrun, on their shoulders. "The impossible has been achieved," said Thrun, throwing his cap into the crowd.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Robot fish in London

2005-10-08T12:30:00.000+04:00

The world's first autonomous robotic fish are the latest attraction at the London Aquarium. Biologically inspired by the common carp, the new designs can avoid objects and swim around a specially designed tank entirely of their own accord.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

"Typical American" doesn't exisit?

2005-10-07T17:27:00.000+04:00

The passionate Italian, the conscientious German, the in-your-face American -- all common stereotypes with little basis in reality, according to a new survey measuring the accuracy of national character stereotypes from 49 cultures around the world.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Well, yes, it's a plane, actually.

2005-10-07T11:09:00.000+04:00

With the graceful flight of hawks and eagles in mind, NASA aerospace engineer Michael Allen hand-launched a lightweight motorized model sailplane over the Southern California desert recently, hoping it would catch plumes of rising air called thermals.

It did just that, not once but numerous times - without human intervention - during a series of research flights at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, validating his premise that using thermal lift could significantly extend the range and endurance of small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) without a corresponding increase in fuel requirements.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Alien Vs. Predator for real

2005-10-06T12:10:00.002+04:00

This is a movie in the making:

Alligators have clashed with nonnative pythons before in the Everglades. But when a 13-foot python tried to swallow a 6-foot gator recently, the result wasn't pretty. The snake apparently bit off too much gator — and ruptured from the girth of its prey. The python was found with the gator's hindquarters protruding from its midsection. Its stomach still surrounded the alligator's head, shoulders, and forelimbs.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Pop culture

Grand Prix rocket racing

2005-10-05T15:07:00.000+04:00

If you enjoyed the pod racing scene in Star Wars or have spent an hour or five lost in WipeOut on the Playstations 1 and 2, how cool does this sound:

Peter Diamandis, the man behind the $10m X-Prize for suborbital space travel, has brought forward his new initiative: the Rocket Racing League. The RRL will see Grand Prix-style races between rocket planes, flown by top pilots through a "3D trackway" just 5,000ft (1,500m) above the ground. The first "X-Racers" will be built for the series, but it is hoped new teams will soon enter with novel designs.

More here.

Official site is here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Today San Francisco, tomorrow the world, and the Solar System the day after that

2005-10-02T13:28:00.000+04:00

...they don't come more cosmically successful than Google, a company whose workforce is ballooning by hundreds of workers per month and which recently raised more than $4 billion for new projects by selling shares in the company. It announced Wednesday it was to build a research complex at NASA's Research Center and collaborate with the space agency's scientists.

However, before we consider the possibility of Google conquering the entire galaxy...A representative from the search engine colossus explained NASA and Google have done little more than ink a "memorandum of understanding," committing the two parties to work together in a range of areas including IT solutions, data management and nanotechnology.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Odd | Science | Pop culture

"It wasn't me, honest."

2005-10-02T13:18:00.000+04:00

Many organisations are turning a blind eye to the risks posed by PCs left unattended but logged in to networks, says a new analysis from Gartner. The main risk is that confidential information could be accessed and changed as a means of carrying out fraud, but the tendency of employees to send bogus or prank e-mails is also noted. The latter can have potentially serious legal consequences.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Internet | Odd | Pop culture

Google to unwire San Francisco

2005-10-02T13:14:00.000+04:00

Google Inc. has offered to blanket San Francisco with free wireless Internet access at no cost to the city, placing a marquee name behind Mayor Gavin Newsom's effort to get all residents online whether they are at home, in a park or in a cafe. The offer by the popular Mountain View search engine was one of more than a dozen competing bids received by the city before its deadline Friday. Officials will review the submissions and decide which, if any, of the candidates gets the green light to build the so called Wi-Fi service, which would be free or inexpensive for users.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

Now it's killer bats?

2005-10-01T15:43:00.000+04:00

The likely source of the respiratory disease Sars is the horseshoe bat, a new study suggests. Researchers found a virus closely related to the Sars coronavirus in bats from three regions of China.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Flu pandemic "could kill up to 150 million people"

2005-09-30T11:06:00.000+04:00

A leading United Nations official has warned there could be a new influenza outbreak at any time which could kill up to 150 million people.
Dr David Nabarro said the influenza pandemic was likely to be caused by a mutation of the virus that is currently causing bird flu in Asia.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

Goodbye North Pole?

2005-09-29T08:37:00.000+04:00

If you're planning a trip to the Arctic ice cap, try not too leave it too long:

The Arctic ice cap is on track to disappear within a century, according to a study published yesterday. The satellite survey by the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC), and the space agency Nasa reveals that for the fourth consecutive year there has been "a stunning reduction" in Arctic sea ice at the end of the northern summer, placing species such as polar bears at risk.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

The $100 laptop

2005-09-29T08:32:00.000+04:00

As a part of what he says is his life's most important work, MIT Media Labs director Nicholas Negroponte is on course to deliver a $100 laptop to the people who need it most: the world's children.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

"Mythical" monster caught on film

2005-09-28T18:03:00.000+04:00

A live, adult giant squid has been caught on camera in the wild for the very first time. Japanese researchers took pictures of the elusive creature hunting 900m down, enveloping its prey by coiling its tentacles into a ball.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Cameroon's killer lakes

2005-09-28T18:01:00.000+04:00

More work is needed urgently to prevent potentially fatal releases of gas from two lakes in Cameroon, scientists say... In 1984, a sudden release of carbon dioxide from Lake Monoun killed about 40 people by suffocation. Two years later, a similar incident at Lake Nyos resulted in much larger loss of life, estimated at nearly 2,000 people.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science

Of (bald) mice and men

2005-09-27T14:37:00.000+04:00

Scientists believe manipulating genes within hair cells can reverse baldness. Researchers found it was possible to re-grow fur on bald mice by correcting a gene mutation, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

World's first interactive drama series?

2005-09-27T14:29:00.000+04:00

Channel 4 is to broadcast what it believes to be the world's first interactive drama series. Dubplate Drama will give viewers the chance to shape the plot by voting on the outcome of each episode's ending.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

Palm switches to Big Bill - fans cry foul

2005-09-27T06:49:00.000+04:00

When Palm announced today that its new smartphone would run an operating system from Microsoft, it was the equivalent of Coca-Cola agreeing to fill its bottles with Pepsi.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Pop culture

The next space race

2005-09-26T18:01:00.000+04:00

China announced plans to launch its second manned space mission on Oct. 13 and return five days later. The launch of Shenzhou VI is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Base, in the Gobi desert in northern China, the state-run China News Service reported on Sunday. The military-backed space program is a major prestige project for the communist government. China hopes to land an unmanned probe on the moon by 2010 and operate a space station.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

"Genetic engineering taken to another level"

2005-09-25T20:49:00.000+04:00

Scientists have successfully transplanted human chromosomes into mice, a first that promises to transform medical research into the genetic causes of disease. But according to David King, of the pressure group Human Genetics Alert, the potential breakthrough comes at too high a cost. "Creating organisms with whole chromosomes from another species is genetic engineering taken to another level.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

More flu pandemic stuff

2005-09-25T20:45:00.000+04:00

Great piece from the FT about a bird flu "nightmare scenario":

The scenario sends shivers down epidemiologists' spines: in Indonesia a taxi driver develops a fever and dies, the latest victim of the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu. His wife grows ill and also dies. So do his children. And within 10 days so do many of his passengers, victims of a newly mutated virus that has finally found an efficient way to leap among humans...Welcome to the global flu pandemic.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

Woman give up nookie for "diarised" babies

2005-09-25T20:42:00.000+04:00

Women are increasingly seeking inappropriate IVF treatment because they do not have the time or inclination for a sex life and want to "diarise" their busy lives.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science

More intelligent design nonsense

2005-09-24T12:25:00.000+04:00

A new battle over teaching about man's origins in U.S. schools goes to court for the first time next week, pitting Christian conservatives against educators and scientists in a trial viewed as the biggest test of the issue since the late 1980s. Eleven parents of students at a Pennsylvania high school are suing over the school district's decision to include "intelligent design" -- an alternative to evolution that involves a God-like creator -- in the curriculum of ninth-grade biology classes.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Tap, tap, tap - there goes your password

2005-09-21T20:15:00.000+04:00

Researchers at UC Berkeley have now proved that, using a device as simple as a $10 microphone, software can learn to recognize the sound of keystrokes as they're typed, and reveal the characters with 96 percent accuracy. Worst of all, in this era of needing passwords to access all sorts of things online, there's no good way to stop it.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Internet | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Those Google wifi rumours

2005-09-21T20:12:00.000+04:00

Search expert John Battelle, author of "The Search"--which details Google's rise to prominence in the search space--said that if Google actually is planning to offer free WiFi, the move would provide both increased ad revenues as well as a public relations windfall. "If it does work, it's yet another massive scaled free service that makes Google the good guy," he said. "It'll probably be paired with significant local advertising opportunities, and significant distribution for their AdWords advertising."

But don't hold your breath for Google WiFi on a nationwide, much less international scale. More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

Face facts: new transplant would cause identity crisis

2005-09-21T11:30:00.000+04:00

Not for the first time surgeons are planning to perform the world's first face transplant. The expertise already exists but in the past doctors have shied away, fearing the emotional consequences of this medical taboo.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Hackers choose cash over kudos

2005-09-20T10:32:00.000+04:00

Uh-oh:

Online criminal activity of nearly every variety surged in the first half of 2005, fueled in large part by an increase in software security flaws and in the number of home computers being used against their owners' wishes to distribute spam, spyware and viruses, according to a new report.

More here.

And:

Widespread attacks by hackers seeking notoriety are becoming less popular, as cyber-criminals instead focus on targeted attacks for profit, Symantec reported today in its biannual Internet Security Threat Report.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

That latest back-to-the-moon news

2005-09-19T21:55:00.000+04:00

The US space agency Nasa has announced plans to return to the Moon by 2020. Nasa administrator Michael Griffin said four astronauts would be sent in a new space vehicle, in a project that would cost $104bn.

More here.

And Nasa news here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

Brand plug Beeb shocker probe thing

2005-09-19T13:46:00.000+04:00

The BBC has launched an investigation into claims that companies are paying up to £40,000 to get their products featured in the corporation's programmes. The practice is thought to be widespread, according to a story in the Sunday Times yesterday, which alleged as many as 50 cases had been found where major brands had bought product placement spots in BBC programmes. The practice is said to be so common that some BBC programmes rely on the free gifts to outfit sets and characters.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media

More back-to-the-moon news

2005-09-19T13:39:00.000+04:00

And even more news due from Nasa later today, apparently, but for now:

NASA briefed senior White House officials Wednesday on its plan to spend $100 billion and the next 12 years building the spacecraft and rockets it needs to put humans back on the Moon by 2018. The U.S. space agency now expects to roll out its lunar exploration plan to key Congressional committees on Friday and to the broader public through a news conference on Monday, Washington sources tell SPACE.com.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

Climate change: past the point of no return?

2005-09-17T22:46:00.000+04:00

A record loss of sea ice in the Arctic this summer has convinced scientists that the northern hemisphere may have crossed a critical threshold beyond which the climate may never recover. Scientists fear that the Arctic has now entered an irreversible phase of warming which will accelerate the loss of the polar sea ice that has helped to keep the climate stable for thousands of years.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Science | Pop culture

Plague mice on the loose?

2005-09-17T12:39:00.000+04:00

Three lab mice carrying deadly strains of plague have turned up missing from separate cages at a bioterror research facility in Newark, sparking a hushed, intensive investigation by federal and state authorities. Officials said the animals could have been stolen from the center or simply misplaced in a colossal accounting error at one of the top-level bio-containment labs in the state. The incident occurred more than two weeks ago and was confirmed only ... after questions were raised by The Star-Ledger.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Science | Pop culture

British army is ready for its close up

2005-09-16T21:43:00.000+04:00

The British army is offering its resources - including the hire of soldiers as movie extras - as a "one-stop shop" for film shoots in the UK and abroad. The advert [on www.moviemakersguide.com ] reads: "A vast range of authentic buildings and areas exemplifying many specific historical periods, wide tracts of land, lakes, coastal scenes and woodland, unmarked by modern features, form the army estate in the UK."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Pop culture

Hurricane Katrina: A sign of the times?

2005-09-15T23:32:00.000+04:00

An increase in the ferocity of hurricanes around the globe over the last 35 years may be attributable to global warming, a new report states. The study, which appears in the Sept. 16 issue of the journal Science, is perhaps one of the strongest scientific statements yet on a connection between hurricane activity and global warming.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

When bird flu lands in the UK

2005-09-15T11:50:00.000+04:00

The UK will have just weeks to brace itself for a flu pandemic once cases start spreading rapidly in Asia, experts warned. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has been using statistical models to estimate how soon a pandemic could start affecting the UK. But it seems that little can be done once the infection arrives, as just one case can soon multiply and infect many other people, who go on to infect even more. Dr John Edmunds, from the HPA's centre for infections: "There is only one thing that can be done to stop it, and that is to stamp it out at source and if you're lucky you can stop a pandemic developing at the source."

More here.

And the HPA FAQ on avian flu is here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

How long have you been looking at your computer screen today?

2005-09-15T00:05:00.000+04:00

"British adults spend up to 130,000 hours during their lifetime sitting in front of a computer or TV, eye health campaigners warn. People admitted spending up to 53 hours during a working week watching TV or staring at a computer screen."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

Google's blog search

2005-09-14T21:26:00.000+04:00

Yep, here it is: http://blogsearch.google.com

This is pretty damn good stuff, particularly for media professionals. For example, if I want to keep track of where my press release distribution site ClickPress is being mentioned or referenced in blogs, I can carry out this search:

http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&q=clickpress&btnG=Search+Blogs

But because this is Google, they also offer RSS feeds of the results, so the link below gives me 100 search results which I can plug into my RSS reader or headline aggregator:

http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch_feeds?hl=en&q=clickpress&btnG=Search+Blogs&num=100&output=rss

If there are any PR people out there NOT using this kind of technology to automate much of their press clipping chores, drop me a line and I'd be happy to show you how.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

Sweet dreams are made of cheese

2005-09-13T20:29:00.000+04:00

[I wish it was my headline, but it's not - it's The Mail's]

"For decades parents have warned their children not to have cheese before bedtime to prevent bad dreams. But researchers have disproved this old wife's tale and found that cheese could actually aid sleep. The study by the British Cheese Board, involved 200 volunteers in a week-long experiment. The cheese-munching volunteers reported no nasty dreams after a late night snack."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Schwarznegger to terminate video game violence?

2005-09-13T07:55:00.000+04:00

"The state of California looks set to become the second US state to pass laws restricting the sale of violent videogames to minors, after the California state senate and assembly both overwhelmingly voted in favour of AB1179. The bill, which began life as AB450 and has suffered multiple defeats and redraftings on the road to acceptance, has been proposed by assemblyman Leland Yee, an outspoken critic of the videogames industry's adult products. One final step exists before the bill enters law - it must be signed by Californian governor Arnold Schwarznegger, himself the star of several violent movies and games. Schwarznegger has 30 days in which to either sign or veto the bill."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Odd | Pop culture

Blast from the past

2005-09-12T23:34:00.000+04:00

"Scientists using NASA's Swift satellite and several ground-based telescopes have detected the most distant explosion yet, a gamma-ray burst from the edge of the visible universe. This powerful burst was detected September 4. It marks the death of a massive star and the birth of a black hole. It comes from an era soon after stars and galaxies first formed, about 500 million to 1 billion years after the Big Bang.

"We designed Swift to look for faint bursts coming from the edge of the Universe," said Swift principal investigator Dr. Neil Gehrels of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Now we've got one and it's fascinating. For the first time we can learn about individual stars from near the beginning of time. There are surely many more out there," he added."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

eBay finds its voice in new tech order

2005-09-12T20:53:00.000+04:00

"eBay has agreed to buy the fast-growing Internet start-up Skype in a move to add free Web telephone calls to its online auctions and fuel growth, the companies confirmed Monday."

More here.

eBay reckons this does not represent a diversion from its core business, but frankly speaking that's rubbish. They should simply admit they've put down a significant amount of cash for an industry leader outside of their current influence. If Google can make a play for the desktop and Amazon can get into search via A9, there's no reason eBay shouldn't stake a claim in net telephony.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet

Kevin Bacon on Six Degrees - no, really.

2005-09-12T16:17:00.000+04:00

"Through the years I have learned to tolerate and sometimes embrace the idea. People have asked me if I consider it an honour. Well, all it indicates is that I've been in a lot of movies with a lot of people... And if we take me out of the equation, it is a beautiful concept. If we could remember that every one of us on this planet is connected through six degrees of separation, that we all climbed out of the same swamp, maybe we wouldn't be so quick to rush to war or to turn our backs on our brothers in need."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Pop culture

Miserable Brits need treatment

2005-09-12T12:33:00.000+04:00

"A network of 250 treatment centres staffed by 10,000 therapists are needed urgently to tackle the epidemic of unhappiness that is Britain's "biggest social problem", a senior Government adviser says today. The Labour peer and adviser to No 10, Lord Layard...said: 'At any one time there are one million people with clinical depression and four million with clinical anxiety states. At present, people with depression or anxiety generally get pills or nothing. Only one in 10 people with these conditions get to see a therapist.'"

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Science | Pop culture

330ppm (That's 330 pages per minute)

2005-09-12T09:28:00.000+04:00

"IBM is stepping up its push into business publishing by launching what it calls the world's fastest printing system of its kind. The device, IBM said late Thursday, can churn out Tolstoy's "War and Peace" in less than a minute or print documents spanning the Empire State Building in less than 4 minutes. It starts at about $500,000 and the top-of-the-line version costs $1 million, said Robert Cooper, director of product printing for the Armonk, N.Y.-based company."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

BBC opens doors to video archives (Well, kind of)

2005-09-12T01:15:00.000+04:00

"For the first time in our history the BBC is opening its video archives to the UK public. Download nearly 100 clips especially chosen with VJ's in mind. We've scoured the archives for skylines, sunsets, seascapes, wildlife, time-lapse photography & retro gadgets. We will be adding new clips/programmes and launching a major VJ based competition over the next few months so keep coming back for the latest updates."

More here.

Interesting stuff - it's being offered under the Creative Archive Licence. FAQs here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

More on The Flying Spaghetti Monster

2005-09-12T00:57:00.000+04:00

"For a growing band of devoted followers, He is the Supreme Being; creator of the universe and all living things. To the rest of us, the Flying Spaghetti Monster looks like a giant heap of pasta and meatballs topped with eyeballs on stalks. As it turns out, both interpretations are correct."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Boom with a view

2005-09-11T17:50:00.000+04:00

"A U.S. Navy photographer with lightning-fast reflexes captured this image of a fighter plane blasting through a "sonic boom cloud" as the jet broke the sound barrier."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

National Geographic's New Orleans warning

2005-09-11T13:20:00.000+04:00

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a hurricane strike on New Orleans as one of the most dire threats to the nation, up there with a large earthquake in California or a terrorist attack on New York City."

And:

"Thousands drowned in the murky brew that was soon contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. Thousands more who survived the flood later perished from dehydration and disease as they waited to be rescued."

And:

"It took two months to pump the city dry, and by then the Big Easy was buried under a blanket of putrid sediment, a million people were homeless, and 50,000 were dead. It was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States."

Why the past tense? These are extracts from a National Geographic feature printed in October of last year. Chilling stuff.

More here.

Remeber this the next time NG or similar mag has a stunning artist's impression of an asteroid strike or some other "it'll never happen in our lifetime" disaster.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Embryos created by 'virgin conception'

2005-09-11T02:34:00.000+04:00

"Scientists have created the first human embryos in Britain by a technique of "virgin conception" that does not involve either fertilisation with sperm or cloning. The six embryos lived for between three and five days and were created as a potential source of human stem cells, which can develop into the body's specialised tissues such as brain nerves or bone."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Good day for pop science news

2005-09-09T19:54:00.000+04:00

"Scientists have developed an ultra-light limb that they claim can mimic the movement in a real hand better than any currently available."

More here.

"Pterosaur trackways recently found in Mexico suggest the animals could achieve a wingspan of 18m. There are also Romanian and Brazilian fossils from creatures that reached 13 or 14m (42-45ft) across. Compare this to today's biggest flying bird, the wandering albatross, which has a wingspan of about 3.5m (11.5ft)."

More here.

"Earth and Saturn's moon Titan show striking similarities because both occupy "sweet spots" in our Solar System, researchers have said. Many processes that occur on Earth also take place on this moon, say scientists participating in the US-European Cassini-Huygens mission. One scientist even sees a way that life could survive on the freezing world.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Odd | Science | Pop culture

More iPhony comments

2005-09-09T11:08:00.000+04:00

iPod-equipped ROKR a great decoy: But Apple may someday need a phone of its own?

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Pop culture

iAnticlimax

2005-09-09T09:35:00.000+04:00

Bloody hell, is that it?

Either Apple has genuinely screwed up, or this is a really clever ploy by the reasonably clever fella Steve Jobs.

iPod and iTunes now account for masses of Apple revenue, so:

• Either Apple have screwed up by allowing an okay-ish tech company like Motorola to come up with a product which might not be Apple, but is being linked with the company big time. (Oh, and it's nearly a year late, by most accounts)
• Or Jobs is testing the water.

People don't want a Motorola phone. They want a device that's been designed by Apple, looks like Apple and sold by Apple. WHO CARES if Motorola happens to make it! Apple plans to switch its desktops and laptops to Intel chips later this decade, but nobody will care - it'll still be a Mac.

What's happened with the ROKR (?) is that Apple has allowed Motorola to own the whole thing. A really bad move - unless this is just the first shot in an entirely new tech battle.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Odd | Pop culture

Gone phishing...at Yahoo!

2005-09-07T11:47:00.000+04:00

"Yahoo! is hosting thousands of fraudulent websites that have domain names containing the words "bank", "PayPal" or "eBay", according to a leading anti-spam group Spamhaus. Spamhaus claims Yahoo! is hosting almost 5,000 domain names using these words, many of which are linked to phishing scams.

Yahoo! says:

"This is the first we have heard of it. We need to investigate this to find out if [people] are violating terms of contract."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet

Big day for Apple?

2005-09-07T11:30:00.000+04:00

Apple makes its big announcement today, which everyone expects to be regarding the iPhone, iPodphone, or whatever it's going to be called.

They might have trademark problems with iPhone as a VoIP outfit already has www.iphone.com .

However, it's interesting to note that www.iphone.org redirects to the Apple site (and a quick whois lookup suggests it's not a Mac fan, but Apple itself in control of that domain).

Still, Apple could call it the iDontThinkYouShouldBuyThis and you just know it's going to shift millions of units regardless.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

A nice cool drink in the sandy dunes. Of Mars.

2005-09-06T11:44:00.000+04:00

"Scientists have found evidence that large amounts of water-ice hide within massive sand dunes on Mars. One of the dunes, which spans 6.5km and rises 475m above the Martian surface, may be the single largest sand dune in the entire Solar System. The icy dunes could be a valuable resource for any future manned missions to the planet, said Dr Mary Bourke.

The researcher presented her results to a science conference in Dublin. "If you're looking for a source of water for any future landers," said Dr Bourke, "I am advocating that you march up to your nearest sand dune."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science | Pop culture

TV first, nookie second. Maybe third if the kids need feeding

2005-09-05T14:16:00.000+04:00

"Television dictates our lives to such an extent that we fit our meals, conversations with other family members and even sex around how programmes are scheduled, a new report reveals. Thirty-seven per cent of the 30- to 50-year-olds questioned in the 2,000 adults polled claim to use the time between shows for household chores; and 16 per cent use the opportunity to attend to their children's needs.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Pop culture

Cheers! Booze to beat the hospital blues

2005-09-04T23:57:00.000+04:00

"AN NHS hospital is sending round an evening booze trolley — so patients can have a tipple in their beds. Spirits, wine and beer are available on a cancer ward for nightcaps and aperitifs. It is the first time in more than 20 years that free alcohol has been part of the treatment programme at North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Walkies!

2005-09-04T09:54:00.000+04:00

"It could be a dream or a nightmare -- scientists have created a robotic dog that tells you when it's time for your daily walk.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States plan to recruit Sony's "canine entertainment robot" Aibo into the obesity police.

The dog would be connected by radio to the bathroom scales, a pedometer and a personal organizer in which the owner would note his daily food intake, New Scientist magazine reported on Wednesday."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science | Pop culture

The Daily News, coming to a flexible screen near you

2005-09-02T08:53:00.000+04:00

Sounds dull:

"Building on its leading position in rollable displays and drawing on its considerable heritage in personal electronics, Philips Polymer Vision is revealing its Concept Readius at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) in Berlin, Germany, September 2-7. Philips Concept Readius is a prototype of a connected consumer device for business professionals unwilling to sacrifice readability, mobility, performance, or weight in a pocket-sized, e-reader concept."

Until you see the pix here and realise that this another important step towards those super cool interactive newspapers that keep cropping up in sci-fi movies.

And what about that trade mark, eh? The Readius. Oh dear.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Odd | Science | Pop culture

Google moves into dead trees

2005-09-02T08:44:00.000+04:00

This seems an odd move for Google:

"In its first significant expansion beyond the internet, Google has bought advertising in a handful of technology-industry magazines and resold chunks of the space to merchants already participating in its booming internet marketing network. The company confirmed the test, but provided few other details in a statement."

More here.

It seems a bit small fry for Google, but then again it's probably being handled as a marketing campaign for the search monster, rather than any massive revenue source in itself.

Still, makes you wonder what else Google has planned for 'the real world'. Are we going to see a Google consumer magazine at some point perhaps?

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Pop culture

Google Vs. Microsoft - the war continues

2005-09-01T15:46:00.000+04:00

Just a couple of weeks after Google Talk's less-then-spectacular launch, Microsoft starts blustering about its own VoIP plans:

"Microsoft yesterday sent a shudder through the traditional telecoms industry when it announced plans to develop an internet telephone service, allowing calls from computers to fixed line and mobile phones and other PCs.
The software company is bolstering its expertise through the acquisition of Teleo, a small San Francisco firm that makes voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology. Microsoft intends to integrate the technology into its systems and develop services allowing consumers to make calls from their desktop by the end of the year"

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Science | Pop culture

And still more iPod phone stuff, this time from the Beeb

2005-09-01T15:04:00.000+04:00

"Apple is poised to unveil a mobile phone that plays music just like its best-selling iPod. Made by Motorola the handset will have Apple iTunes onboard and will be available via the US Cingular phone service. The news was broken by analyst Roger Entner who said he had been briefed about the device and the partners producing it. None of the companies involved were prepared to comment on the revelations"

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Science | Pop culture

More on the Apple iPhone, or whatever it'll be called

2005-08-31T10:33:00.000+04:00

"Jupiter Research estimates the number of wireless phones that support music will surge to more than 70 million by 2010, surpassing the number of portable MP3 players."

More here.

So that'll be a phone, iPod music player (with seamless PC/MAC integration), car radio (just plug and play), home entertainment centre (again, just plug and play) and - eventually - fully formed PDA, all in one package.

And if Apple and Motorola get this right, they should have the lion's share of this 70 million plus market.

I guess there was a point to all that Newton stuff in the 90s after all.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Science | Pop culture

Is Apple about to announce the iPod phone?

2005-08-30T16:10:00.000+04:00

"Speculation on what Apple Computer Inc. will do next with its popular iPod rose to a fevered pitch Monday after the firm sent out invitations to a special event next week at San Francisco's Moscone West Convention Center.

The Cupertino firm sent e-mails to reporters and analysts on Monday morning. The messages included a photo of a jeans pocket with the message: "1, 000 songs in your pocket changed everything. Here we go again."

The event is scheduled for Sept. 7 at 10 a.m."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Science | Pop culture

Judy Garland's Ruby Slippers Stolen From Museum

2005-08-30T00:31:00.000+04:00

GRAND RAPIDS, MINN. (August 29, 2005) - The most recognizable pair of shoes in movie history – the sequined ruby slippers Dorothy wore in “The Wizard of Oz” – was reported stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota on Sunday, August 28. The slippers are one of four remaining pair of the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the filming of the 1939 classic movie. The Judy Garland Museum is the home of the world’s largest collection of Judy Garland memorabilia on exhibit to the public.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Odd | Pop Culture

Crashing into the snow, it came from Outer Space

2005-08-29T19:29:00.000+04:00

Doesn't this read like the opening scenes of Alien Vs. Predator? Or The Thing?

"On Sept. 3, 2004, the space-based infrared sensors of the U.S. Department of Defense detected an asteroid a little less than 10 meters across, at an altitude of 75 kilometers, descending off the coast of Antarctica. U.S. Department of Energy visible-light sensors built by Sandia National Laboratories, a National Nuclear Security Administration lab, also detected the intruder when it became a fireball at approximately 56 kilometers above Earth. Five infrasound stations, built to detect nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, registered acoustic waves from the speeding asteroid that were analyzed by LANL researcher Doug ReVelle. NASA's multispectral polar orbiting sensor then picked up the debris cloud formed by the disintegrating space rock."

But it's not - more here.

It didn't make much of a Deep Impact, but "some 7.5 hours after the initial observation, a cloud of anomalous material was detected in the upper stratosphere over Davis Station in Antarctica by ground-based lidar. "We noticed something unusual in the data," says Andrew Klekociuk, a research scientist at the Australian Antarctic division. "We'd never seen anything like this before - [a cloud that] sits vertically and things blow through it. It had a wispy nature, with thin layers separated by a few kilometers. Clouds are more consistent and last longer. This one blew through in about an hour."

More here.

Oh, and on the subject of asteroids, "astronomers are debating what to do about Earth's close encounter with an asteroid in 2029 and again in 2036 — passages that might be too close for comfort."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science

All hail the mighty Flying Spaghetti Monster

2005-08-28T12:51:00.000+04:00

"Move over, Darwin. Stand aside, Intelligent Design. The idea that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the world is demanding equal time in Kansas biology classrooms. In his corner are three moderate state school board members and a prominent Topeka attorney. They say this concept makes about as much sense as proposed science standards, favored by the board's religious conservative majority, that encourage schools to criticize evolution while they teach it."

More here.

Fantastic satire. And this site "has had 19 million visits, including 4 million in two days last week".

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet | Odd | Science

BBC plans to broadcast One and Two on the web

2005-08-27T10:44:00.000+04:00

"The BBC's TV channels could be made available on the internet, one of the corporation's top executives has said. A simulcast of BBC One or BBC Two, letting UK viewers see programmes on the web at the same time as they go out on TV, is being planned. Proposals to make clips available on mobile phones are also being speeded up, director of TV Jana Bennett said."

Only for UK residents, however.

Also: "The BBC received a "wake-up call" about the demand for new technology in March when the first episode of the new Doctor Who was leaked on to the internet, she said.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet

One in two journalists use blogs to source news

2005-08-26T10:54:00.001+04:00

"... the Euro RSCG Magnet study shows that more than half (51%) of journalists use Weblogs regularly—with 28% relying on them for day-to-day reporting."

More here.

And to reach those journalists, click here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet

Podcasting attracts venture capital

2005-08-26T10:46:00.000+04:00

"Last week venture capitalists Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital put $8.85 million into Podshow, the portal led by podcasting co-creator Adam Curry, while podcasting startup Odeo received an undisclosed sum from investors. Odeo is the latest project involving Evan Williams, who helped create the Blogger.com blogging system that's now part of the Google empire."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet

VHS vs. Betamax all over again

2005-08-24T10:09:00.000+04:00

"Japanese electronics giants Sony and Toshiba have abandoned their efforts to develop a single format for the next generation of DVDs, pitting the two rivals against each other in the battle for dominance of the multi-billion dollar market."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media

Google's IM and communications ambitions?

2005-08-23T22:54:00.000+04:00

"Google is set to introduce its own instant-messaging system, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday. Such a move would mark an expansion by the Web search leader into text and also voice communications."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet

Looking at the differences between East and West

2005-08-23T16:01:00.001+04:00

"Western and Eastern people look at the world in different ways, University of Michigan scientists have claimed. Researchers compared the way 26 Chinese and 25 US students viewed photographs of animals or inanimate objects set against complex backgrounds. Westerners' eyes tended to focus on the main subject while the eyes of their Eastern counterparts kept flicking to background details, they said. Its findings appear consistent with previous research which has suggested Eastern people think in a more holistic way than Westerners, instinctively paying greater heed to context. In contrast Westerners were thought to be more focused and analytical."

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Odd | Science

War!

2005-08-22T20:05:00.000+04:00

Google's new desktop search feature Sidebar could very well be seen as a declaration of war.

"Google today launches a desktop product that latches on to Microsoft's Windows software and may signal an ultimate intention to usurp the world's most popular operating platform."

More here.

Google's rustling up an extra $4 billion via a share offering and even named Microsoft and Yahoo! as it's main rivals in the associated regulatory paperwork.

Looks like Google is on a collision course with the two tech giants.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Media | Internet

Breaking the light barrier

2005-08-22T16:13:00.000+04:00

"A team of European researchers has demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to control the speed of light. The scientists, from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)...were able not only to slow light down by a factor of three from its usual speed of 300 million metres per second in a vacuum, but they have also accomplished the considerable feat of speeding it up – effectively making light go faster than the speed of light.

More here.

[+] Tags: George Hopkin | Science

More podcasting stuff

2005-08-22T11:46:00.000+04:00

"Melodeo, which makes peer-to-peer software that allows mobile users to listen to music on their cell phones, announced on Friday that it now offers software for podcasting on cell phones. The new software, called Mobilcast, will allow people to find and download podcasts on mobile phones."

More here.

Podcasts on phones. Cut-and-paste radio is just around the corner. Except it won't be radio, but everybody will still call it that. Once Joe User is offered a take-it-anywhere solution this is surely going to hit traditional radio broadcasters, particularly those that do not already stream their broadcast over the net.

On the hardware front, Sony's getting in on the action with this rather nice looking W800i -Walkman, cellphone and digital camera all-in-one.

And Apple already has a strong relationship with Motorola, so expect an iPod phone any time now.

Going up?

2005-08-21T13:58:00.000+04:00

"Scientists have created the ultimate ribbon. A thousand times thinner than a human hair and a few centimetres wide, the carbon sheet is stronger than steel for its weight, and could open the door to everything from artificial muscles to a space elevator capable of sending astronauts and tourists into orbit."

More here.

Sounds like science fiction nonsense? The space elevator entered into popular culture in Arthur C. Clarke's Fountains of Paradise.

But Clarke has a bit of track record for getting these things right. In 1945, he was the first to describe the principles of satellite communications with satellites in geostationary orbits.

And you can bet there were plenty of people at the time who tought that that was sci-fi rubbish as well.

Video game kids are Doomed

2005-08-21T13:27:00.000+04:00

"Violent video games can make children think and behave more aggressively in ways that resemble the effects of televised violence, according to a study released Thursday by the American Psychological Association. As a result the Washington, D.C., group called on the gaming industry to cut back on the violence in titles sold to kids."

More here.

Hunter S Thompson's parting shot

2005-08-20T13:12:00.000+04:00

"Friends and admirers of the gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson have been gathering in Aspen, Colorado for his final send-off - in a cannon shot. The writer's ashes are to be fired from a cannon on his Owl Farm home, exactly six months after he shot himself. Johnny Depp, who played Thompson in the film of his book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, paid for the cannon."

More here.

Camels in the US (no, not the cigarettes)

2005-08-20T12:22:00.000+04:00

And for the half a dozen or so Americans who do subscribe to the theory of evolution: "...lions, cheetahs, elephants and camels could soon roam parts of North America, Nature magazine reports. The plan, which is called Pleistocene re-wilding, is intended to be a proactive approach to conservation. The initiative would help endangered African animals while creating jobs, the Cornell University scientists say."

More here.

45 per cent of Americans subscribe to the Book of Genesis theory

2005-08-20T12:17:00.000+04:00

"A recent Gallup poll showed that 45 per cent of Americans subscribe to the Book of Genesis theory of our origins. Only about one-third are ready to accept the evolutionary propositions of Darwin."

More here.

More camera phone stuff

2005-08-19T12:27:00.000+04:00

UK road safety bods are making use of mobile phone camcorder footage in their latest ad campaign.

"The commercial is shot entirely on a mobile video phone and shows a group of real friends having a good time walking along a suburban street. One of them begins to cross the road, but is distracted by his friends. He looks one way as he steps into the road, but a car comes from the other direction and knocks him down."

Video is here, but keep in mind it's about five megs worth of file.

It's pretty hard hitting - literally - but is it real or fake? They appear deliberately vague about that...

I say fake.

Vote Walken 2008

2005-08-18T11:34:00.000+04:00

The United States needs more cowbell - and Christopher Walken is going to give it to them. Moviedom's favourite bad guy is running for presidency in 2008!

Except...he's not.

Bum.

But look out for news outlets picking it up as a real story for a day or two.

Doh! Apple's iPod blunder

2005-08-16T17:20:00.000+04:00

"Although Apple introduced the iPod in November 2001, it did not file a provisional patent application until July 2002, and a full application was filed only in October that year."

And guess what - Microsoft got in first with some key patents!

More here.

"Taking the piss" headlines frenzy

2005-08-16T16:25:00.000+04:00

"Physicists in Singapore have succeeded in creating the first paper battery that generates electricity from urine. This new battery will be the perfect power source for cheap, disposable healthcare test-kits for diseases such as diabetes. This research is published today in the Institute of Physics’ Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering."

More here.

Google - the other PR problem

2005-08-15T12:25:00.000+04:00

No, not PR as in page rank, PR as in public relations. Or to be specific, public relations disaster in the making.

News.com Googled Google CEO Eric Schmidt: http://news.com.com/Google+balances+privacy%2C+reach/2100-1032_3-5787483.html

"...spending 30 minutes on the Google search engine lets one discover that Schmidt, 50, was worth an estimated $1.5 billion last year. Earlier this year, he pulled in almost $90 million from sales of Google stock and made at least another $50 million selling shares in the past two months as the stock leaped to more than $300 a share. He and his wife Wendy live in the affluent town of Atherton, Calif., where, at a $10,000-a-plate political fund-raiser five years ago, presidential candidate Al Gore and his wife Tipper danced as Elton John belted out "Bennie and the Jets." Schmidt has also roamed the desert at the Burning Man art festival in Nevada, and is an avid amateur pilot."

Very cool bit of web journalism. Unfortunately, Google didn't think so. In fact, Google spat the dummy out, big time: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,68486,00.html

Cannibalism: the meat of the matter is...

2005-08-14T16:15:00.000+04:00

Scientists have used tissue engineering techniques to create honest-to-goodness edible meat in the lab.

Guardian Unlimited: Researchers have published details in a biotechnology journal describing a new technique which they hailed as the answer to the world's food shortage. Lumps of meat would be cultured in laboratory vats rather than carved from livestock reared on a farm."With a single cell, you could theoretically produce the world's annual meat supply," said Jason Matheny, an agricultural scientist at the University of Maryland. (When Meat Is Not Murder)

They're saying vegetarians who gave up eating meat because it was cruel to animals can now return to the dinner table and get stuck into some proper flesh.

"No animals died in order for you to eat this chicken nugget," goes the argument. "So there's no reason for you to stay off the meat now, is there?"

I'm not a vegetarian, but if you follow this logic it means we should be able to enjoy human flesh BBQs some time in the not-too-distant future. No person will have been killed to create the man burgers, so doesn't that remove any kind of moral problem?

You could even donate the cells yourself. And if you're going to go that far, don't be selfish - give the scientists permission to use your cells for mass production and spread yourself around a bit!

Another podcast observation

2005-08-09T20:06:00.001+04:00

The new directory in Apple's iTunes lists thousands of podcasts for Mac and PC users to subscribe to, and every one of them has the word 'FREE' next to its 'subscribe' button.

Good job too - most of them suck!

But content is king, so how long before someone has a podcast so good that instead of 'FREE' next to its subscribe info you find '$1.00'. A dollar? To listen to a radio show? Hell no!

But it's not a radio show, is it? It's either entertainment or information, it just happens to use audio to deliver the content.

A dollar for an exclusive interview with Tom Cruise? Fans would buy that. A dollar for pseudo-Bloomberg stock tips? Suckers would buy that.

Maybe a dollar's too much to begin with. How about 25 cents? Your payment goes through Apple, so you're happy enough with the secure transaction. Get 5,000 subscribers paying 25 cents each to listen to your killer content - whatever it is - and you're making $1,250 per podcast.

And, of course, Apple takes a cut of every transaction. That's why they're pushing podcasts in such a big way, because just around the corner could be a serious revenue source.

They already make a fortune from legal music sales, why shouldn't they do the same with 'pick-and-mix talk radio'?

Middle East blogs and a bit about podcasting

2005-08-08T23:37:00.000+04:00

Very kind of ITP's Campaign Middle East to mention my blog as one of 10 regional efforts highlighted in the most recent issue. It's a double-edged sword, mind, 'cos now I feel compelled to update it a bit more often.

The Campaign ME tidbit pointed out that in this March 10th post I'd predicted that mobile phone cams were going to play a key media role in the future. Four months later and we saw the appearance of Citizen Journalist following the London bombs.

BTW, if you do have a camera on your mobile phone and find yourself at the centre of a breaking news story, take a look at Scoopt.com

And here's another crystal ball exercise: podcasting is ready for the big time, and not just because the always-cool Flip Media are doing it.

No, the reason I reckon podcasting is about to go through the roof is because the latest version of Apple's iTunes incorporates automatic subscriptions and iPod syncing of podcasts. And that's for both Macs and PCs. Only a matter of time before all the MP3 players and podcast subs applications have this kind of feature incorporated. In fact, don't be surprised if the big-name web browsers have automatic podcast subscription options incorporated any time now.

Then you'd have true pick 'n' mix radio and once people concentrate on the overall solution rather than the word 'podcast', that's when it stops being a fad and starts being a killer app.