MOST IMPARTIAL

Awesome Mouse works in air

2009-09-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

To use the mouse Gyration Air Mouse Elite, you do not need a mat on the desktop, not enough - you do not need and the table itself. Gyration Air Mouse Elite Gyration Air Mouse Elite is designed to work in the air!
С Windows Internet Explorer, PowerPoint With the help of motion sensors and software MotionTools she picks up the slightest movement of the brush, allowing the user to work with different applications Windows (such as Internet Explorer, PowerPoint, etc.). And she does this even at 30 m from the computer, and despite the wall. The mouse weighs slightly less than 100 grams, so that the wave it will not be hard. Gyration Air Mouse Elite By the way, Gyration Air Mouse Elite can be used as a normal mouse - it provides built-in laser sensor.Worth $ 100, complete with wireless keyboard - $ 150.

Awesome Rabbit USB Hands Warmer

2009-09-21T13:19:00.001-07:00

Here’s something that would fit nicely in an updated version of the 10 USB Gadgets to Help You Through the Winter article – the rabbit USB hands warmer.

Just plug it into the USB port to heat up the hand warmer. Moreover, you can unplug the USB cable if you are not working in front of the computer.

Its separated USB cable design allows you to wear it freely.

Product Specifications:

* Cutie rabbit design
* Warm your hands while you are working
* Wrist support for supporting your tired wrist when using Mouse or Keyboard
* Built-in heating pad
* 5 mins up to 46 degrees
* Plug and play
* Powered by USB
* Suitable for hand size: 170*110mm (approx.)
* Cable length: 150cm (approx.)
* Size: 210*130*40mm
* Weight: 150g

Rabbit USB Hands Warmer

Beautiful Nintendo DS Chocolate Case

2009-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, you have probably seen them before; the chocolate inspired cases – like this one for iPod Shuffle or this one for iPhones and iPods. The latest addition to this yummy line of cases is one for the Nintendo DS Lite handheld game console.

A hard plastic case is designed in sweet chocolate shape. It turns your NDS into a bar of chocolate.
Product Specifications:

* Special chocolate design
* Best fit size
* Weight: 50g

Awesome Motorcycle Helmet USB Aromatherapy Humidifier

2009-08-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

This USB aroma humidifier, designed to look like a motorcycle helmet, will help you increase the humidity in a room and it can also be used as a fragrance oil burner for aromatherapy.
Features:

* Motorcycle helmet shape design humidifier
* Relieve your breath, eyes, month, throat and skin in dry seasons
* You can also add few drops of essential oil and enjoy aromatherapy
* USB/battery operated for your best convenient
* Generates moisture by cool ultrasonic waves, safe and quiet
* Excellent vision effect, LED light illuminate to water tank when operating
* On/Off switch
* Water tank capacity: 185ml (approx.)
* Ultrasonic frequencey: 2.4Mhz ~ 2.7Mhz
* Dimension: 135 x 120 x 110mm (approx.)
* Weight: 284g

Awesome Batman Cufflinks

2009-07-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

We have already featured a bunch of superhero cufflinks here at GeekAlerts, like Captain America, Wolverine Spiderman and Superman, so let’s throw in a nice Batman pair as well.

Each pair is made of finely polished platinum/rhodium alloy to ensure optimum smoothness of surface. Comes with a free gift box.

Dimensions approximately: 1.1 cm x 2.0 cm.

Awesome Flower Webcam with 12 LEDs

2009-07-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, believe it or not, it’s yet another flower inspired gadget. This time it’s a lotus USB 2.0 web camera that will look great together with the daisy flower baby camera monitor.

This Lotus-Shaped USB Webcam will give you a 640×480 resolution at 30 frames per second. It comes with a built-in microphone and 12 bright white LED lights. This allows you to use the web camera without any problems in low light conditions.

Features:

* Built-in 12 LED lamp and microphone.
* Large Window Capture Size: 640 x 480
* Frame Rate: VGA, 30 frame/second
* White Balance: Automatic
* Exposal Control: Automatic
* Flash Control: Automatic
* Interface: USB 2.0
* Microphone Plug: 3.5mm
* Flexible metal neck for any angle adjustment.
* Separated switch for LED light and bottom suction cup.
* System Requirements: Windows XP, VISTA.
* Cable Length: ~124cm
* Dimension: ~7.6(D) x 20.1(H)cm
* Weight: 260g

The Flower Webcam with 12 LEDs is available over at the Uxsight.com website for $24.69.

Awesome Heart-Shaped USB Webcam

2009-05-16T23:49:00.000-07:00

This heart-shaped USB 2.0 compliant web camera will give you a 640×480 resolution at 30 frames per second. Simply clip the cam on your monitor or let it stand on your desk.

The left side of the web cam is rotatable to be a heart shape. It is designed with a microphone and a touch sensitive LED lights. Let you chat freely in the dark environment. Get one today and start chatting away with your family and friends.

Features:

* Frame Rate: VGA, 30 frame/second
* White Balance: Automatic
* Exposal Control: Automatic
* Flash Control: Automatic
* Resoultion: 640 x 480
* Capture high-quality VGA (640 x 480) video
* Send video e-mails anywhere
* Excellent still image capture
* Video recording
* Video conference
* Record the moving image
* Security function
* With the tilt swiveling base
* USB 2.0 interface
* Driver free for Windows XP/Vista
* Dimension: 50 x 75 x 68mm
* Weight: 120g

Cute little cow USB Hub design

2009-05-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

Here’s a fun new USB 2.0 compliant 4-port hub for those of you who enjoyed the colorful USB cow speaker that we wrote about here at GeekAlerts late last year.
Product Specifications:
* USB 2.0 backward compatible with USB 1.1
* Cute little cow design
* It will sound 3 cow calls when you plug it into the USB port
* Size: 90*50*48mm
* Weight: 50g
The CowCow USB 4-Port Hub is available in white, blue, gold or yellow and the product can be purchased through the Gadget4all.com website for $12 a pop.

Cool Puppy Speaker

2009-05-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

They are the WONSPUSB from Japan trust technology. With Dalmatian on the right and Charles Spaniel on the left, these USB-powered computer speakers deliver an output of 2W x 2ch. It also comes with a wired remote control that comes in the shape of a guitar. The WONSPUSB puppy speaker is available in Japan for 3980 Yen ($40). More pictures after the break.

Beautiful USB Bamboo Fountain

2009-05-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

If you want to try to add a little zen to your workplace, this USB bamboo fountain with flowing water might give you a nice relaxing and soothing effect - or, maybe it won’t.

Features

* USB operated
* Flowing waters create a calm, soothing effect
* Create a relaxing peaceful environment
* Material: durable Polyresin
* Dimension: 16 x 12.5 x 12.5cm (H x W x D)
* Weight: 363g

Here’s a video of the USB bamboo fountain in action:

The USB Bamboo Fountain is available over at the USB Geek website for $25. They also have a USB Illuminated Bamboo Fountain with multicolored LEDs for the same price.

Drillers strike scientific gold after breaking into magma chamber by accident

2008-12-17T04:43:00.000-08:00

A crew drilling on the Big Island of Hawaii has struck scientific gold after accidentally breaking into a molten lava chamber underground for the first time.

Magma - the molten rock that is the central ingredient in the evolution of planets, has never been found in its natural habitat before now.

The chance discovery far beneath the Earth's surface gives scientists an unprecedented opportunity to study the important substance.

As scientists, we've hypothesized about the nature and behavior of magma in literally countless studies, but before now the real thing has never been found or been physically investigated,' Professor Bruce Marsh from The Johns Hopkins University said.

Magma reaches temperatures of more than 1,000C underground before it is ejected from the earth in volcanoes in lava spouts.

'Once magma erupts, it begins cooling unusually quickly and it loses any gases that it may contain, so it really is a different animal,' Professor Marsh said.

'We've never seen, until now, the real animal in its natural habitat. And it's not going anywhere: it's caged, so to speak.'

The chamber also contains a highly unusual type called 'dacite', which is not common in the geology of Hawaii. It is believed to be made by, in effect, distilling basalt, the material which makes up the floor of the ocean.
Professor Marsh, nicknamed the 'Magma PI,' has spent his career investigating the processes by which magma is forced from the bowels of the planet to the surface and creates the geologic features - continents, mountains, valleys - among which we live.

He is collaborating on the find with William Teplow, a consultant to Nevada-based Ormat Technologies. They announced the discovery yesterday at the 2008 meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

The company discovered the magma during drilling operations at its Puna Geothermal Venture power plant in October 2005.

They hit a chamber of the magma about a mile and a half down while drilling an injection well. The substance quickly rose about 20 feet up into the drill hole before becoming glasslike as it cooled. Ormat workers redrilled the area several times, with the same result.

The company has installed a permanent seismic and ground monitoring network to provide early warning of any impending volcanic activity for the power plant and

Buried in each other's arms: Scientists discover remains of world's most ancient nuclear family

2008-11-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

The Flintstones may not have been so far-fetched after all.

A team of archaeologists have discovered the remains of the earliest known nuclear family - a Stone Age mother, father and two sons who lived more than 4,600 years ago.

The find sheds tantalising new light on the life of our prehistoric ancestors living at the dawn of civilisation in Europe. It also suggests that modern family values have been thriving since before the time of Stonehenge.

The family - who appear to have been slaughtered in a raid by a rival tribe - were identified from fragments of DNA in their skeletons. The boys were aged eight and four.

They were buried near three other graves containing the skeletons of nine others.

Many of the bodies had injuries - suggesting that they were victims of a violent raid from a rival tribe or village. One women had a stone projectile point in her spine, and another had a fractured skull. Several bodies had injuries on their arms and hands.

Dr Alistair Pike, head of archaeology at the University of Bristol, who took part in the study, said: "This is a particularly significant find because it is the first time we can conclusively prove a family has been buried together.

"Graves which have been discovered pre-dating this find show mass collections of maybe hundreds of skeletons thrown together.

"This grave could be a watershed in the rise of the significance of the family, as previous evidence shows that around this time inheritable wealth became an important factor in family life.

"Whoever buried the family obviously knew they were family and deemed it important they were buried together facing one-another."

The burials took place in Germany around the same time that Stonehenge was being erected in England.

The family were buried near three other graves containing the skeletons of nine other people in a Stone Age cemetery at Eulau in Saxony-Anhalt.

They were discovered in 2005, but the DNA tests have only just been completed.

The mother was aged around 35 to 50 - old age for those days. She was carefully laid to rest on her left side with her head pointing towards the rising sun. The father - who was between 40 and 60 - was placed in a mirror position.

However, unusually for the period, the boys were positioned facing their parents, the scientists report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Another 13 bodies were buried near by around the same time.

Other couples nearby were touchingly buried face-to-face with their arms and hands interlinked.

Each of the graves contained at least one child - ranging from newborn babies to children aged ten years old. There were no teenagers or young adults.

Dr Wolfgang Haak of the University of Adelaide, who led the study, said: "By establishing the genetic links between the two adults and two children buried together in one grave, we have established the presence of the classic nuclear family in a prehistoric context in Central Europe - to our knowledge the oldest authentic molecular genetic evidence so far.

'Their unity in death suggests a unity in life.'

As well as discovering the family ties between the bodies, the researchers also studied the chemical make up of their teeth to find out where they spent their childhood.

Growing teeth contain tell-tale traces of the minerals and metals in the food that a child eats.

They found that many of the women spent their childhoods in a different region from the men and children. That suggests that women were marrying out of their families and moving to the location of their new male partners.

Dr Alistair Pike said: 'Such traditions would have been important to avoid inbreeding and to forge kinship networks with other communities.'

The remains are now on permanent display in the Landesmuseum Sachsen-Anhalt in Germany.

The changes faced by our prehistoric ancestors

The third century BC was the end of an era for our prehistoric ancestors.

It was the dying days of the Stone Age, a time when the old bone and flint tools which had served mankind for millennia were being replaced with new-fangled metals like copper.

New farming techniques - and new livestock - were arriving from the warmer lands of the south and east.

And people were on the move - crossing the English Channel, exploring the islands off Europe's coast and trekking across the continent.

The Neolithic farmers of Germany lived in small villages in rectangular homes made of wooden posts and twigs, covered in a thick layer of clay and chalk.

The roofs were thatched allowing smoke from the central fire to escape. The huts were large enough for a big family to huddle around the central fireplace.

By 2600BC prehistoric families had been farming for thousands of years.

They were skilled at growing wheat and barley, and keeping pigs, cattle and sheep.

Dogs had been domesticated and would have been used as companions as well as protection.

They used the wheat to make bread and cakes, and possibly even beer.

They still gathered what food they could from the wild - apples, nuts, cherries, honey, peas and berries.

Although Neolithic means new stone age, it should really be called the copper age. Copper axes and knives were used by the wealthy - although stone tools and arrow heads were more common.

The clothes were simple. They wore leather coats and jackets, woollen leggings and maybe even simple shoes made from animal skins tied up with twine. They made pots and beakers, and decorated them with a distinctive cord design.

Almost nothing is known about their culture and beliefs. But the tender way they treated the dead, placing tools and jewellery around the carefully positioned body, suggests a belief in the afterlife.

In Britain at this time, society was organised enough to arrange the creation of the huge monuments of Stonehenge - using vast slabs dragged from Wales - and Silbury Hill, a vast mound of earth 130ft high.

Thousands flee as wildfires scorch LA and threaten to plunge the city into darkness

2008-11-16T01:35:00.000-08:00

Wildfires threatening Los Angeles could plunge the entire city and its 3.8million inhabitants into darkness.

A massive blaze in the heavily populated San Fernando Valley broke out on Thursday night, destroying dozens of properties and threatening vital power supply lines.

Fanned by 70mph winds, the fire has spread over 2,600 acres, forcing 10,000 residents to evacuate.
LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has declared a state of emergency.

He said: 'This is the worst fire we've had for more than a dozen years.

'People should prepare for rolling blackouts throughout the city.'

As these pictures show, the blaze has left some of the most sought-after addresses in southern California looking like the aftermath of a nuclear attack.
Yesterday, West Wing actor Rob Lowe, whose family was among the residents evacuated in the face of 200ft-high flames, described the bushfire transformation of the wealthy neighbourhood of Montecito as ‘like something from Armageddon’.

Mr Lowe told how he and his son were forced to flee their home after a phone call from his wife telling them to 'Get out'.

She said the Californian town of Montecito, a favourite celebrity hideaway where the actor's neighbours include Oprah Winfrey and John Cleese, was going up in flames.

'We got in the car and pulled out of the driveway and the entire mountain behind us was in flames 200 feet high, shooting into the air,' he said.

'It was like something from Armageddon.'
Neighbours in the posh suburb were last night still coming to terms with the damage wreaked by what started as a small fire in the hills above the town.

Within five hours 100 luxury homes – one belonging to Back To The Future actor Christopher Lloyd – had been reduced to ashes.

Cars were left charred, their alloy wheels melting in the inferno. Fanned by 70mph winds, known locally as ‘sundowners’, the fire raged out of control over 2,000 acres of prime California real estate.

More than 1,000 firemen, supported by water-dropping helicopters, fought the fire as temperatures reached in excess of 70C (158F).

The only consolation was that just 13 people were injured.

So far the huge wildfire has destroyed at least 70 multi-million dollar mansions in the town.

Rosie Neeley, 31, fled with her parents before their house was consumed by fire overnight.

'When we saw the flames coming down the canyon, we knew it was too late.' she said.

Longtime residents Cheryl and Gary Jensen, both 59, said they, too, were first alerted to the danger by a phone call and drove away as flames neared.

They returned yesterday to find their $2million home leveled, a half-melted refrigerator still visible in the remains of their kitchen.
'It's all dust now,' said Mrs Jensen.

The brush fire engulfed more than 800 acres in about six hours on Thursday, ripping through entire blocks of mansions in a community dubbed 'America's Riviera.'

TV helicopters showed several large homes in flames on the steep hillsides of the town around five miles south of the city of Santa Barbara.

Firefighters were largely powerless to stop the destruction.

Montecito is about 90 miles from Los Angeles in coastal Santa Barbara County.

Comedian Cleese recently listed his £6m oceanfront Montecito home, he co-owns with his third ex-wife Alyce Faye Eichelberger, for sale.

The Monty Python star also had an equestrian ranch in the town which he sold in July for £8.3m.
About 2,500 residents were forced to flee the flames, and 20,000 people in the wider area were without power.

'From just watching, it’s grown significantly in size. It’s a very serious situation.

'Emergency personnel are in the area. We’ve got calls out for additional emergency personnel,' Santa Barbara county spokesman William Boyer told theThe Santa Maria Times.
'It looked like lava coming down a volcano,' Leslie Hollis Lopez said as she gathered belongings from her house.

'It’s very tenuous. We’re hoping the winds are favorable.'

Michaelo Rosso told KCAL TV as he prepared to leave his home: 'You can just hear the explosions ... of vehicles, homes,' . 'It sounds like the Fourth of July out here.'
A residence hall and several classrooms were destroyed at Westmont College, a private Christian university, and about 800 students were evacuated to the school's fireproof gymnasium, where they were out of harm's way.

By early Friday, the relentless fire had spread five miles north to the fringes of Santa Barbara city, where at least 20 homes were damaged, officials said.
In an unusual - and risky - move, three water-dropping helicopters were dispatched to the area. Such missions are not normally undertaken at night.

Many of the homes in the area are holiday or second homes.

Other residents include mobile-phone pioneer Craig McCaw, and Google Inc chief executive Eric Schmidt, who reportedly paid about $20m for comedian Ellen DeGeneres' compound earlier this year.

Moon mission inspires India to launch own version of Google Earth

2008-11-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

Space-hungry India is planning to launch an improved version of Google Earth using its own satellite system, just weeks after conquering the moon.

Its space agency hopes to unveil a prototype of Bhuvan - the Sanskrit for Earth - by December and launch the programme to the public by March.

Officials claim the mapping system will generate clearer images and zoom into a distance of just 10m.
The state-owned service, which will initially cover only India, will be free to use on the web.

'We've created a lot of value added products out of satellite data of the Indian region', Dr. V. Jayaramna, a director at Isra, told the Financial Times.

'We will introduce Bhuvan in phases. Over the next three to four months, the first lot [of map data] will come out and then more in a systematic manner.'

The move comes just weeks after India stepped up its position in the space race with the blast-off of the country's first unmanned space mission to the moon.
Chandrayaan-1, which was built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will create a 3D map of the lunar surface over two years.

India is following in the footsteps of rival China, after the emerging Asian power celebrated its first space walk in September.

'What we have started is a remarkable journey,' G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of ISRO, said.

Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter is expected to mark the achievement tomorrow as it drops a probe, painted in the colours of the Indian flag, on the moon's surface.
But critics argue that India should address the poverty at home before competing with space leaders including China and Japan.

The latest project has sparked speculation that India will develop its own global positioning system, providing for TomTom-like devices for cars.

It is already working towards a satellite-based global aviation navigation system.

And scientists revealed earlier this week that designs for an Aditya spacecraft to study the sun are nearly complete.

Google Earth displays satellite images of varying resolution of the Earth's surface, giving users a bird's eye view of things like houses and cars.

Mysterious glowing aurora over Saturn confounds scientists

2008-11-13T07:57:00.000-08:00

A stunning light display over Saturn has stumped scientists who say it behaves unlike any other planetary aurora known in our solar system.

The blueish-green glow was found over the ringed planet's north polar region just like Earth's northern lights.

It was discovered by the infrared instruments on NASA's Cassini spacecraft.
'We've never seen an aurora like this elsewhere,' said Tom Stallard, a scientist working with Cassini data at the University of Leicester.

'This aurora covers an enormous area across the pole. Our current ideas on what forms Saturn's aurora predict that this region should be empty, so finding such a bright aurora here is a fantastic surprise.'

Auroras are caused by charged particles streaming along the magnetic field lines of a planet into its atmosphere.

Particles from the sun cause Earth's auroras. Many, but not all, of the auroras at Jupiter and Saturn are caused by particles trapped within the magnetic environments of those planets.
Jupiter's main auroral ring is caused by interactions in Jupiter's magnetic environment and remains constant in size. Saturn's main aurora is caused by the solar wind, and changes size dramatically as the wind varies. However, the newly observed aurora at Saturn doesn't fit into either category.

The new infrared aurora appears in a region hidden from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Cassini observed it when the spacecraft flew near Saturn's polar region.

In infrared light, the aurora sometimes fills the region from around 82 degrees north all the way over the pole. This new aurora is also constantly changing, even disappearing within a 45 minute-period.

'There is something special and unforeseen about this planet's magnetosphere and the way it interacts with the solar wind and the planet's atmosphere,' Cassini scientist Nick Achilleos from the University College London said.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.

Ancient Rome rises from the ruins thanks to Google Earth

2008-11-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Ancient Rome has risen from the ruins thanks to a new version of Google Earth that lets you tour the city on your computer in 3D.

Visitors can explore the capital of the Roman Empire as it was in 320 AD - regarded by many historians as its heyday.

The three dimensional world - created by Google and available to download for free - lets users stand in the centre of the Forum, stroll across the arena of the Colosseum or fly through the Arch of Constantine.
,
Each building has been carefully reconstructed and positioned using historical records, perfectly recreating the biggest and most important metropolis of the ancient world.

Google claims the site will be invaluable to historians, students and school children - as well as helping to bring the city to life for tourists.

Although some city centres such as San Francisco and Munich and famous landmarks have been recreated in three dimensions, this is the first time users have been able to walk around an ancient city.

Only 300 original ruins of the great capital are still standing today but Google created the computer model based on 6,700 buildings reconstructed by students and scholars from the time of Emperor Constantine - the first Roman Christian emperor. Pop-up 'information bubbles' provide extra detail at 250 sites around the ancient city.

Bernard Frische, director for the Institute of Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia who was involved in recreating the virtual Rome, said: 'The project is the continuation of five centuries of research by scholars, architects and artists since the Renaissance who have attempted to restore the ruins of the ancient city with words, maps and images.

'The partnership with Google Earth is another step in creating a virtual time machine which our children and grandchildren will use to study the history of Rome.'

Google joined forces with the Rome Reborn Project and Past Perfect Productions to create the computer graphics.

It is based on a physical model - the Plastico di Roma Antica - created by archaeologists and model makers between 1933 and 1974 and which is housed in a Roman museum.

The biggest building is the Colosseum - the elliptical amphitheatre at the heart of the city where Gladiatorial battles were fought for up to 80,000 spectators.

The model also reveals how Trajan's Column - a 125ft monument at the centre of the Forum - can be seen from across the city - and lets explorers tour Ludus Magnus - the gladiatorial training school.

The Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno added: 'Ancient Rome 3D is a great opportunity to rediscover the importance of Ancient Roman culture, which is at the base of the Italian, European and, more generally, Western identities.'

More than 400 million people have downloaded Google Earth since it was launched in June, 2005.

The Earth at night: Stunning images of the cities that light up the globe

2008-11-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

It may look like an intriguing star constellation far away in space, but these lights are actually far closer to home. This image shows London at night as viewed by the International Space Station.

Taken by astronaut Donald Pettit on his last mission on the ISS, it shows England's capital shortly after 7.22pm on a cloudy February 4, 2003. He is due to return to space for the second time on the shuttle Endeavour later this week and no doubt looks forward to capturing yet more stunning images.

London's orbital motorway, the M25, is most clearly running south of the city. The darkened Thames river estuary fans out to the east, while dark pockets slightly west of the densely packed lights in the centre reveal Hyde Park and Regent's Park.

Mr Pettit captured his images after he constructed a device called a camera mount called a barn-door tracker on board the station.
Enlarge window

It is commonly used by astronomers on the ground to capture images of the stars, which compensates for the rotation of the Earth relative to the stars. However, Mr Pettit used it to compensate for the movement of the space station relative to the Earth below.

The careful coordination kept the target city in the same position during a long exposure, producing detailed photos. The astronauts have now captured hundreds of images of cities from around the world with this technique with a level of detail of about 60 metres.

Border cities like Ciudad Juaréz, Mexico and El Paso, Texas, show cultural differences influencing city planning.

On the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, El Paso is marked by the brightly-lit Interstate Highway that cuts through the city. The American-style grids of the city differs markedly from Ciudad Juaréz, which has a European inspired pattern of curved streets.

Cities from different regions of the Earth can also be identified by the different colours that the lights throw off. Japanese cities such as Tokyo glow a cooler blue-green than other regions of the world and patches of orange along the shore of Tokyo Bay reveal more advanced orange sodium vapour lamps, compared to the light green mercury vapour lamps inland.

As populations expand and urban areas grow, individual cities will merge into ever larger bright blobs. More roads will connect those cities to form an illuminated, lace-like web across the continents. And the snappers on the ISS no doubt hope there will be someone up in space to chart the changes.

Pictured: The eco-friendly power plant that uses 624 giant movable mirrors to create electricity

2008-11-08T00:39:00.000-08:00

From a distance it looks like an elaborate laser light show.

But this tower wreathed in light is the first part of a massive solar energy project to provide an alternative to burning fossil fuels.

The 'solucar' solar park, near Seville, Spain, produces 11 megawatts of electricity from the sun's rays, collected by 624 giant movable mirrors.

The mirrors, known as heliostats, concentrate the rays onto the top of a 100 metre tower, where it is used to produce steam to drive a turbine, which then produces electricity.

With around 320 days a year of sunshine, there's no shortage of fuel, and the entire park was created by Spanish engineering companies.

It is the first of a set of solar power generation plants aimed at generating 300 megawatts of electricity by 2013.

Cops find crack pipe in woman's buttocks

2008-11-06T12:44:00.001-08:00

Police who arrested a woman for stealing money from a car found a glass crack pipe hidden between her buttocks.

Cops made the surprise discovery during a routine search on Evelyn Russo while she was being booked for taking $2 in change.

Russo, 38, of Palm City, Florida, had denied having any drugs or drug paraphernalia on her.

She was charged with auto burglary and introducing contraband into a detention facility. Russo was being held on $5,000 bail on Wednesday.

The flawless flautist: The musical robot that plays Flight Of The Bumblebee perfectly

2008-11-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

Classical musicians could have good reason to be worried as scientists have developed a musical robot that makes no mistakes.

Waseda University’s robotic flautist can play the challenging musical score of the ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ almost flawlessly.

And the robot has been designed with a human-like quality that allows it to engage with the audience, making in a contender for concert performances.

The Waseda Flutist No. 4 Refined IV was unveiled at the BioRob 2008 conference in Arizona two weeks ago.

Thanks to a series of technical advances, the latest version makes smoother transitions between notes than the original model built in 2003.

The robot’s mouth and lungs have been carefully designed to mimic the expert air control of a professional flautist.

The scientists created artificial lips with the elasticity of human lips and embedded pins, which control their shape.

The robot’s tongue has been redesigned to enable the double-tonguing technique – the high-speed playing used throughout the famous ‘Flight of the Bumblee’.

It even has an in-built mechanism to create vibrato, which can take human players years to master, that changes the amplitude and frequency of the robot’s airflow.

The lungs are composed of two air-tight acrylic cases, with a bellow that allows them to breathe in and out.

And the robot's eyes have two cameras that allow it to interact with the audience and other musicians, so we could soon see it playing duets with people.

Research on the musical robot began in 1990, with the aim that it would eventually rival human musicians.

But the WF-4RIV is more than just a gimmick. The makers hope to make it sophisticated enough to achieve better human-computer interaction and then teach music to pupils.

Rocket woman builds 300mph jet car in her back garden

2008-11-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

Speed demon Carolynne Campbell has built a 300mph rocket car in her back garden that goes from 0-100mph in less than half a second.

The fearsome motor is 10 times more powerful than Lewis Hamilton's F1 car.

Its four hybrid rockets are fuelled by nitrous oxide and bio-fuel and produce a total 8,000lbs of thrust - equivalent to the power of a Red Arrows jet fighter.

Carolynne, 57, has spent £40,000 and five years designing and building the 400kg monster from scratch. She had to apply for an explosives licence before firing up the engines - which reach an incredible 2,500 degrees C.

Carolynne started the dream project with partner David Knight, 64, after seeing a dragster car fitted with a rocket at the Santa Pod race track, in Northants.

But David was forced to take a back seat after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, leaving designated driver Carolynne to do the bulk of the construction.

The full-time carer, from Rushden, Northants., who is trained in graphic design, has been tinkering with cars since she was a child.

She managed to muddle through with the advice of David who has been involved in drag racing and building cars for 30 years.

She said: 'I've mucked around with cars and engines since I was a kid, and I studied design, so between us, we worked it out.

'Our original model had just one engine but I thought it was a bit slow, so instead of just one rocket, we've fitted four.'

The car - called 'Laffin Gas' - costs £500 to take for a spin, using 35kg of nitrous oxide.

Carolynne's hybrid rockets are fired into life by a small firework that ignites nitrous oxygen, splitting the oxygen and nitrogen into separate gases.
The oxygen burns a solid fuel, rape seed oil, that is soaked into dense cardboard tubes.

Carolynne can throttle up and down and shut the rockets off quickly by controlling the flow of liquid nitrous into the rocket.

The chassis of the car is made of aeroplane grade aluminium, titanium and chromium molybdenum steel. It is brought to a halt with two parachutes.

Constrained by the cost, Carolynne only puts Laffin Gas through its paces four or five times a year on a quarter mile dragster track at the Shakespeare County Raceway, Warwickshire.

She has so far reached speeds of 200mph but hopes to hit 300mph on their next trial in January - which would make her the fastest woman in UK.

Carolynne is unfazed at driving at high speeds.

She said: 'I get nervous before I drive but only because we always have spectators and I worry the rockets won't work.

'Its actually quite a smooth ride and not too noisy.'

Financing Laffin Gas - which would have cost £250,000 if built by professionals - has been a struggle, especially after David was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2004.

The mechanical engineer has since undergone seven operations to remove the tumour which have damaged his short term memory and impaired his movement.

The money for materials and fuel has come from restoring and selling old cars and motorbikes.

Essential safety equipment, such as a helmet and a fireproof suit has been donated by well wishers.

Carolynne said: 'Working on the car and raising the dosh to buy parts has helped me take my mind off David's illness.

'I used it as a form of stress relief to cope with visiting him in hospital every day.'

Carolynne hopes to be able perform with the rocket car in the future, touring Europe.

How I discovered the finer points of acupuncture

2008-11-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

With growing clinical evidence of its effectiveness in treating everything from post-operative pain and nausea to backache, acupuncture has gained acceptance in mainstream medicine.

But to those who have never tried it, the treatment, in which the skin is pricked with needles at key points of the body, may still seem strange and mysterious.

According to acupuncture theory, points lie along meridians of the body - or channels - through which chi, a vital energy, is said to flow.

Although there is no physical basis for this concept in Western medical terms, over thousands of years (and patients) Chinese doctors have discovered certain effects when a needle is inserted into these points.

And the British Medical Association, it seems, agrees. In 2000 it approved acupuncture for conditions that included back and dental pain - and it is routinely offered on the NHS.

I first visited a Chinese doctor ten years ago. I was 25, a yoga teacher, and despite countless tests, dermatologists could find no cause for the eczema I had suffered for eight years on my face, back, chest and legs.
I hoped acupuncture would provide what I was looking for. But needles scared me and I hated blood tests.

After my first session I could barely believe it. I'd hardly felt a thing.

I walked out with seven bags of 'herbs', which I was to brew up like tea and drink twice a day. The acupuncture cost £35 and the herbs, to last a week, were a further £30.

After six weeks my eczema began to clear up.

I visited a doctor for acupuncture once a month for two years and the treatment ended when I decided my condition was under control.

It was this incredible experience that led me to train as a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) at the University of Westminster in London.

I worked as an acupuncturist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, treating HIV and AIDS patients, before moving into private practice.

Life at the sharp end

Q: What does 'acupuncture' mean?

A: It comes from the Latin acus, meaning 'needle', and pungere, to 'prick'. The technique is more than 2,000 years old, although there is evidence of similar practices from the early Bronze Age, around 3,000 BC.

Q: How does it work?

A: Some studies suggest that the pain-killing action is associated with the release of natural endorphins, and others that inserting needles into certain points 'switches off' electrical nerve pathways that make the brain recognise pain. Despite more than 10,000 published papers there is no conclusive answer.

Q: What does acupuncture treat?

A: It can be effective in the treatment of chronic lower back pain, neck pain, post-operative nausea and vomiting, headaches, and other nerve pain relief. Combining acupuncture with conventional infertility treatments such as IVF greatly improves the success rates. In China, it is used to treat skin conditions, digestive or sleeping problems, depression and stress.

Q: Does it hurt?

A: No. The needles are much finer than those used to draw blood. A dull ache or heaviness around the needle is a normal sensation to expect. It should never feel sharp.

Q: What are the needles made of?

A: Traditional needles were made of bone, stone, or metal. Modern disposable ones are made of stainless steel with a smooth rounded end.

Q: Are there any adverse effects?

A: Minor bleeding is seen in about three per cent of patients, which stops after a few minutes. Around two per cent will experience bruising.

Q: Can you have acupuncture alongside conventional medicine?

A: Yes. China devotes 25 per cent of its annual health budget to TCM therapies, used in conjunction with modern Western medicine. Here it is part of a treatment 'package'.

Q: How long does treatment usually last?

A: A single treatment lasts about an hour. Five weeks of one-a-week treatment, with a review, is standard.

Q: What ages is it suitable for?

A: Any age, even babies. But with children under seven finger-tapping is used, not needles.

Formula Zero: As Hamilton gears up for the Grand Prix, McLaren unveil the radical F1 car of the future

2008-10-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

With Lewis Hamilton poised for glory this weekend, the McLaren driver's team has unveiled its spectacular take on the F1 car of the future.

The sleek Formula Zero Racer would race on steep, transparent tracks, allowing spectators a clear view of the action - even from below.

The concept car, designed by Mercedes, is one of nine ambitious designs entered in the LA Design Challenge 2008.

Nine Southern Californian studios will go head to head in the contest to develop the best racing car for ‘Motorsports in 2025’.

Formula Zero Racer is designed to mix the thrill of F1, the dynamics of bobsledding and the efficiency of yachting.

Mercedes says the design is reminiscent of the Mercedes Benz racing heritage of the 1930s.

But Formula Zero, geared to form part of F1’s green revolution, would be loaded with high-tech features to extract the maximum thrust from electric motors, with an aero-efficient solar skin and an aerodynamic rigid sail.

So while Hamilton will be hurtling towards the finish line on Sunday, racing stars would also score vital points for energy efficiency in the revamped sport of 2025.

Each team would be allocated the same amount of stored energy, with winners determined not only by time but also energy efficiency.

Google's rival to iPhone and Blackberry go on sale in UK today

2008-10-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

Google's first mobile phone will go on sale in Britain from today.

The G1 is aimed squarely at competing with Apple's iPhone and RIM's Blackberry. It will be available exclusively from TMobile.

The handset is the first of several expected to use Google's software, called Android.
A Google T-Mobile G1 mobile telephone is seen on display at a T-Mobile store in New York

The Google G1 phone: Experts believe it lacks the 'cool factor'

The company hopes that by linking the handset to its email and websearch products, it can drive traffic and lucrative advertising to its site.

Unlike the iPhone, Google has allowed developers to create free software for the handset. Although Apple does let consumers download extra software, it is tightly controlled and many applications must be paid for.

The G1 will be available for free to customers signing up for T-Mobile's £40-and-above tariffs, which include unlimited data for web surfing.

But some analysts claim the phone may struggle to compete with the iPhone. Ernest Doku of mobile phone comparison site Omio.com said: 'Despite the popularity of the Google brand, the G1's design lacks the inherent cool factor that made the iPhone 3G such a mass-market success.'

He believes Google could tarnish its brand if the phone fails: 'The launch of the G1 is important not only because it's Google's first foray into the mobile market, but because it's also the launch of an entirely new mobile phone operating system.

'Android is the equivalent of releasing an alternative to Microsoft's Windows - and equally as risky.'

The phone went on sale in the US last week, and the Evening Standard has tested the American version which is very similar to the British model.

Users navigate either touching the screen or via a small trackpad. Under the screen hides a full qwerty keyboard, which does give it an edge over the iPhone.

But the G1 doesn't have the slickness of its Apple rival.

With Google's might behind it, it's well worth keeping an eye out for future versions - but for now, it's really one for internet addicts rather than average consumers.

TECH KNOW: GOOGLEPHONE'S RIVALS

When Google's G1 mobile phone going on sale tomorrow, it faces tough competition from the rest of the phone industry. Here are its main competitors:

APPLE IPHONE:

Superb touchscreen and the best music player around - but the on screen keyboard can be fiddly. From free on contract, 2 megapixel camera, 16gb memory.

5/5, apple.com

BLACKBERRY BOLD:

Excellent email phone, although doesn't quite have the web browsing capabilities of the iPhone. From free on contract, 2 megapixel camera, 1gb memory (expandable via memory card).

5/5, blackberry.com

NOKIA N96:

The best here for phone features, and a decent all rounder with a superb camera.
From free on contract, 5 megapixel camera, 16gb memory (expandable via memory card).

U.S. fighter pilot: 'I was ordered to fire 24 rockets at UFO flying over East Anglia'

2008-10-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

Former US Air Force fighter pilot Milton Torres is convinced he had an encounter with an alien spaceship in the skies over England in the 1950s.

He was warned to keep quiet about the incident, but eventually talked about it 31 years later, the newly-released Ministry of Defence files show.

On the night of May 20 1957, Dr Torres, then aged 25, was on standby at RAF Manston in Kent when he received an urgent order to scramble.

He was told to intercept a UFO with "very unusual flight patterns" over East Anglia that ground radar operators had been tracking for some time.

It was so cloudy he could not see anything, but the object showed up clearly on his radar as similar in size to a B-52 bomber.

He was then ordered to fire a full salvo of 24 rockets at the object - something that came as a sobering shock to him.

But before he could carry out this instruction the UFO suddenly darted off and disappeared from his scope in a matter of seconds.

The next day a man claiming to be from the US National Security Agency threatened him with losing his flying status if he told anyone what happened.

Dr Torres, now 77 and living in Miami, Florida, said he was flying at about Mach 0.92, while the UFO was travelling at over Mach 10.

He said: "I think it was an alien spacecraft. It had a propulsion system that was beyond us - either magnetism or anti-gravity."

Until 1967 the MoD had a policy of destroying UFO files every five years because they were considered of "transitory interest".

This means the incident could have vanished without a trace had Dr Torres not been moved to mention it at a USAF veterans reunion in 1988.

The retired civil engineering professor urged people with more information about the strange encounter to come forward.

"There are people who are still alive on Earth who know about this. I'm talking about the RAF, USAF, whatever," he said.

Dr David Clarke, a UFO expert and journalism lecturer, suspects the US military may have been testing a top-secret machine designed to project phantom aircraft on to Soviet radar.

"I think the most likely explanation is that he was basically a pawn in some sort of exercise involving electronic spoofing warfare," he said.

But Dr Torres remains convinced what he saw on the radar came from beyond our solar system, insisting: "This is something that's not man-made."

Secret MoD documents released for the first time also show how the captain of Flight AZ 284 had a similar close encounter to Milton Torres.

As the pilot began his descent into Heathrow, he saw something alarming overhead.

Shaped like a missile, the object suddenly veered across the airliner's path causing the pilot to shout 'Look out!' as he attempted to avert a mid-air collision 22,000ft above the Kent countryside.

Travelling at an estimated 120mph, it passed less than 1,000ft from the passenger jet before disappearing from radar screens, leaving the pilot and accident investigators baffled.

The documents reveal that Ministry of Defence staff accept that an Unidentified Flying Object zooming above Lydd caused the near miss.

The incident took place at 7.58pm on April 21, 1991, and was investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority and military experts.

Having ruled out the possibility of it being a missile, weather balloon or space rocket, the MoD was forced to conclude that it was a genuine UFO and close the inquiry.

The unexplained close encounter is one of many recounted in military UFO documents released today by the National Archives.

The Alitalia aircraft was on a routine flight from Milan to Heathrow with 57 people on board when the ten-foot long object, which had no exhaust flame, was spotted by pilot Achille Zaghetti.

He told accident investigators: 'I saw for about 3.4 seconds a flying object, very similar to a missile, light brown coloured.

'At once I said, "Look out, look out" to my co-pilot, who saw what I had seen.

'As soon as the object crossed us I asked the ACC (area control centre) operator if he saw something on his screen and he answered, "I see an unknown target 10nm ( nautical miles) behind you".'

At 10.25pm that night there was a report to Brentwood police in Essex of a dark flying object in the sky which had no engine noise or lights.

Southern TV also broadcast a story about a 14-year-old boy who reported seeing a missile flying at low level before climbing through the cloud and disappearing on the same evening.

Radar images of the object showed that the UFO was initially labelled 'cruise missile??' but checks on Army firing ranges and U.S. and British naval ships established that it was not a military weapon or 'space related' activity.

On July 2 a secret MoD report concluded: 'These departments have not been able to confirm the identity of the object sighted by the Alitalia crew.

'In the absence of any clear evidence which could be used to identify the object, it is our intention to treat this sighting like that of any other Unidentified Flying Object and therefore we will not be undertaking any further investigation into the sighting.'

Other incidents recorded in military files the same year include a 'wingless projectile' seen on June 17, 1991.
Four passengers on board a Boeing 737 saw it pass beneath the airliner as it climbed from Gatwick Airport headed for Hamburg.

Gatwick air traffic controllers were alerted but said they were 'unaware of anything unusual occurring at that time'.

A weather balloon had been released in the area around this time, but the description and timing did not match the wingless object, according to military files.

On July 15 the crew of a Britannia Airways 737 descending into Gatwick at 14,000ft reported seeing a 'small black lozenge-shaped object' travelling at high speed just 100 yards from the aircraft.

Air traffic control confirmed a 'primary contact' visible on the radar ten nautical miles behind the 737 travelling at 120mph.

Immediately air traffic controllers warned a following aircraft to turn left to avoid the object, although the pilot said he never saw it.

An investigation completed in April 1992 was unable to explain the incident but suggested the unidentified object could have been an escaped balloon.

Pictured: The stuntman who went for a record-breaking bicycle ride along a wire strung 135ft in the air

2008-10-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Taking urban bicycling to a new level, Nik Wallenda slowly pedaled among the city's morning commuters - about 135 feet above the street.

His trek spanned 235 feet along a wire suspended between a crane and the roof of the Prudential Center arena. It set a world record for the longest bicycle passage on a wire without a safety net.

Wallenda is a seventh-generation member of a circus family that's gained fame as both 'The Flying Wallendas' and 'The Great Wallendas'.

'I never expected to see something like this in Newark because just nothing ever came here,' said Makhan Taylor, 27, a Newark native.

Wallenda, who performs in the circus' Bellobration show, walked the wire across Mulberry Street and returned via bicycle to set a mark with Guinness World Records.

The stunt featured several frightening moments that left onlookers gasping, including a cell phone call placed halfway through the walk.

'He's getting a hot stock tip,' quipped Todd Andrews, 44.

Wallenda was actually calling NBC's "Today" Show, which televised the stunt live.

The 29-year-old daredevil said he ran into several unscripted challenges, which included the rear rim on his tireless bicycle slipping toward the end of the ride as the wire angled upward to the arena's roof.

A set of brackets securing stabilizer wires to the main cable were too thick and also caused problems for him.

'They were like speed bumps,' said Wallenda, who hopes to set another record by traversing the Grand Canyon on a high wire next year.

Wallenda said he realised how much Newark had riding on his success and held the stunt here partly to draw attention to the progress being made by the Booker administration.

'That was one of the reasons I chose this area,' Wallenda says. 'It's a wonderful area. It's been cleaned up.'

His daredevil feat marks the return of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus to Newark after a 52-year absence.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker stood in front of a crowd of more than 400 onlookers who gaped at Wallenda's performance.

Allowing the attention-getting feat to be performed above downtown during the morning commute is the latest gamble for the 39-year-old Booker, who spent nights in an RV parked at some of Newark's most dangerous street corners early in his political career to highlight neglected neighborhoods.

'We're doing everything we can to lift the city and it would have been tragic if he had fallen,' Booker said.

Apple unveils new laptop that ditches mouse for iPhone-inspired touchpad

2008-10-15T11:46:00.001-07:00

Apple have unveiled their latest laptop, which ditches the mousepad in favour of a glass multi-touch trackpad similar to the technology used on their iPhone.

Chief executive Steve Jobs, who revealed the new MacBook range at company headquarters in California, said he believed they would be a 'huge success'.

The sensitive trackpad has 39 per cent more tracking area compared to the old mousepad. The key new feature and will allow users to switch between applications with their fingertips and zoom in and out of web pages and documents.

Consumers will also have the ability to pinch, rotate and swipe objects on the screen.
An Apple spokesman said: 'The entire trackpad surface is also a button, allowing users to both track and click virtually anywhere on the trackpad. Users can easily enable multiple virtual buttons in software, such as right-clicking.'

The product, which is already available to buy, has attracted favourable reviews. PC Magazine said the design alone would appeal to 'Mac fanatics and would-be Windows converts'.
Steve Jobs

'The typing experience is very responsive. The navigating is both better and more unique', they said.

'Swiping upwards with four fingers will trigger the Expose application, while swiping four fingers downwards will bring up the dashboard. Finally, applying three fingers will let you swipe through photos.'

Apple have also increased processor speeds and hard disk storage space for storing music and photos in all its MacBook machines.

In a move designed to counter-act the effects of the credit crunch, the technology giant lowered prices by up to $700 (£350), although the starting price for the range in the UK increased from £699 to £719.

However, there was no sign of a sub £500 budget 'netbook' computer that had been anticipated, with Jobs claiming Apple were in 'a nascent market that's just getting started.'

Many of Apple's rivals have cut laptop prices or released cheap, streamlined new machines in recent months.

The Asus Eee PC, which costs just £200, sold out almost everywhere it went on sale.

German zoo owner's dramatic rescue after 12ft python tried to eat her head

2008-10-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

A female zoo owner in Germany was rescued at the weekend by colleagues after a 12 foot long python began trying to swallow her.

Renate Klosse became the prey for Tiger python Antonia, 24, at the reptile zoo she runs at Uhldingen near Stuttgart.

The nine-stone snake with 70 sharp teeth attacked Renate as she cleaned out her cage.
The jaws of the snake opened so wide that, with one lunge, she was able to completely cover the woman’s face,' said a police spokeswoman.

'She feared that with a few more gulps her head would be inside.'

Renate instinctively stuck her thumbs into the jawbone of the snake to try to get it to relieve its pressure.

Colleagues then sprayed water hoses on to it and it finally slithered off.

Python expert Jan Knoll from Hamburg said: 'Pressure on the jaw would have given the reptile pain.

'The water would have made it lose its sense of smell and disorient it.'

Renate needed hospital treatment for bites and shock.

Antonia had to settle for a supper of live white rats instead.

Skydiver killed after crash-landing on spectators as he delivered match ball before football international

2008-10-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

A skydiver died when his chute malfunctioned and he crash-landed on two spectators at a football match in a freak accident in France.

Parchutist Sylvain Chabrol, 42, had been meant to 'deliver' the match ball to the players by dropping onto the pitch from the air as a stunt at a game between France and Ukraine under 18s.

But instead he hit a pitchside floodlight, then plummeted into the crowd, killing himself and injuring two teenage boys aged 16 and 17.

Chabrol was one of seven parachutists taking part in the display at the Saint-Denis-de-L'Hotel stadium near Orleans, south of Paris, on Thursday evening.

Bernadette Rousseau, President of the Orleans Loiret Parachute Club, said: "We are all totally horrified that what was intended to be a spectacular stunt for the fans and players turned into this awful tragedy.

"Sylvain was an experienced parachutist and we still have no idea why this happened."

Bernadette, one of the seven taking part in the display, added: "As I came into land I saw the emergency services dashing to one end of the pitch.

"Sylvain was lying there, with two other people beside him on the ground.

"When his chute malfunctionned, he had hit a large floodlight, then bounced off aand fallen into the crowd by the side of the pitch.

"He landed on two teenagers, injuring them both, and killing himself."

Spectator Daniel Yvelard added: "This body just seemed to come out of nowhere.

Because his chute had apparently not opened properly, he was probably along way ahead of the the other coming into land.

"Suddenly there was a loud crash as he landed at high speed at two youngsters near the side of the pitch waiting for the game to start." Local mayor Jean-Pierre Garnier said: "It was a truly appalling accident.

"It was supposed to be a happy occasion, with the added attraction that the ball was being delivered from the air."

A police spokesman said the 17-year-old named as Quentin had suffered serious injuries while the 16-year-old suffered fractures and bruising. Both were being treated at hospital in Orleans.

He added: "A full investigation will be opened into the precise cause of this terrible accident." ends +++

Out of this world: First Chinese man walks in space

2008-09-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Astronaut Zhai Zhigang became the first Chinese man to walk in space today, clambering out of China's Shenzhou VII space craft and waving to the camera.

'I'm feeling quite well. I greet the Chinese people and the people of the world,' Zhai said as he climbed out of the craft, his historic achievement carried live on state television.

Zhai, the 41-year-old son of a snack-seller chosen for the first 'extra-vehicular activity,' unveiled a small Chinese flag, helped by colleague Liu Boming, who also briefly popped his head out of the capsule.

The third crew member, Jing Haipeng, monitored the ship from inside the re-entry module.

Zhai safely returned inside the craft after about 13 minutes. The walk marked the highpoint of China's third manned space journey, which has received blanket media coverage.

Top Communist Party officials including President Hu Jintao watched the spacewalk from a Beijing command centre, breaking into applause with the successful completion of each stage of the manoeuvre.

'Your success represents a new breakthrough in our manned space programme,' Hu told the astronauts in a scripted exchange that was also broadcast live.

Zhai wore a £2m Chinese-made suit made up of ten layers and weighing 120kg. It took the three astronauts or 'taikonauts' 15 hours to piece together.Liu wore a Russian-made one and acted as a back-up.

The risky manoeuvre is a step towards China's longer-term goal of assembling a space lab and then a larger space station.

The fast-growing Asian power wants to be sure of a say in how space and its potential resources are used.

China's Communist Party leaders are celebrating the latest space mission, hailing the country's achievements in a year in which Beijing has staged a successful Olympics and coped with a devastating earthquake in Sichuan.

'On this flight, Chinese people's footprints will be left in space for the first time,' state media Xinhua news said.

'This will give the world yet something else to marvel about China in this extraordinary year of 2008.'

Zhai embarked on his walk after receiving a clean bill of health from doctors on the ground at mission control, Xinhua said.

China's first manned spaceflight was in 2003. A second, two-manned flight followed in 2005. The only other countries that have sent people into space are Russia and the United States.

Shenzhou VII took off on Thursday and is due to land on the northern steppes of Inner Mongolia on Sunday.

While out in space, Zhai will make tests and launch a football-sized 'companion satellite' to monitor the walk and broadcast it back to Earth, where hundreds of millions of Chinese are likely to be glued to their televisions.

Big bird: Experts unveil skull of giant duck with teeth and the wingspan of a family car

2008-09-26T12:44:00.001-07:00

They are ducks - but not as we know them.

Instead of the fluffy little creatures seen today, these big birds boasted 'teeth', a 16ft wingspan and once flew over Britain.

Today, scientists announced the discovery of fossil skulls of these birds buried in clay on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.

It is not the first time fossils of these duck have been found, but the experts believe this find is among the best-preserved.

The enormous birds, known as Dasornis, soared over the wetlands of prehistoric southern England when the land which now covers London, Essex and Kent was underwater.

Related to present-day ducks and geese, 50 million years ago these giants once skimmed the waters, snapping up fish and squid with their bony-toothed beak.

Their massive wingspan - the length of a family car - also meant they could cover huge distances. Dasornis was in many ways similar to the modern albatross.

Dr Gerald Mayr, from the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, who described the find today in the journal Palaeontology, said: 'Imagine a bird like an ocean-going goose, almost the size of a small plane.

'By today's standards these were pretty bizarre animals, but perhaps the strangest thing about them is that they had sharp, tooth-like projections along the cutting edges of the beak.

'Like all living birds, Dasornis had a beak made of keratin, the same substance as our hair and fingernails, but it also had these bony "pseudo-teeth".

'No living birds have true teeth because their distant ancestors did away with them more than 100 million years ago, probably to save weight and make flying easier.

'But the bony-toothed birds, like Dasornis, are unique among birds in that they reinvented tooth-like structures by evolving these bony spikes.'

The fossil is in a collection at the Karlsruhe Natural History Museum, Germany.

Fish surprise scientists by glowing red under the waves

2008-09-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

Fish have found a colourful way of communicating under the ocean waves - by glowing red.

The find has surprised marine biologists, who presumed the crimson hue had no importance to fish.

They made the assumption because sea-water absorbs ‘red’ wavelengths of sunlight causing objects which look red at the surface to appear grey or black at depths below 10m.

However, researchers have now found at least 32 species can glow red below this depth.

Nico Michiels, from the University of Tübingen, Germany, led the team that captured striking images of the fluorescence at work.

He said: 'Our discovery shows that there is a lot of red fluorescence that is very indicative of an active role of red in fish communication.'

Because the light is coming from the fish themselves and not filtering down from the surface, the red glow remains visible at depth and is easily seen at close distances.

The authors speculated that red fluorescence may function as a 'private communication system' or attraction signal, as proposed for other fluorescent animals.

Pictured: The moment a jet boat was smashed to pieces in a 145mph crash... and the driver swam away unharmed

2008-09-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

This is the astonishing moment a speedboat disintegrated in a high speed crash - and the driver walked away completely unharmed.

Crowds watched in horror as the boat Whiskey River flipped over at 145mph and was smashed into pieces at it repeatedly somersaulted with its driver inside.

Mark Workentine was pulled out of the water and taken to an ambulance - but walked away unhurt, saying his worst injury was a bruise on his arm.

'Anytime you crash these things you are lucky to be alive,' he said just minutes after the crash at the San Diego Thunderboat Regatta.

Later, he said: 'It's awesome. I'm very lucky. I've had friends lose their lives doing it.' Amazingly, he insists it has not dampened his desire to race again.

'I can't wait to get back in,' he said. 'I'd get back in tomorrow if they'd build me another boat.'

Asked how much the broken boat cost, he sighed: 'I don't want to even think about it.' But he admitted that the boat's owner 'is very grumpy with me'.

Amazing dunes reveal climate change on Mars

2008-09-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Spectacular detailed images of Mars have revealed how climate change shaped the Red Planet over millions of years.

More than 1,000 observations taken by the high resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed details on the surface as small as a desk.

A number of dramatic icy dunes are thought to reflect how the Martian climate changed over time.

One picture shows layered deposits in the north polar region, which have formed a layered stack of dusty ice up to two miles thick. The layer exposed on the cliff face shows not just dusty ice but sand as well, suggesting each layer was a dune field that was only later covered by ice as the temperature cooled.

The colours seen in the images are not the natural colours seen with normal human vision, but are important to distinguish ice, frost, dust and rock on the Martian surface.

The 1,005 Mars observations made between April 26 and July 21st are the latest to be released by scientists working on the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. The camera has revealed the highest resolution images of a planet's surface ever seen from an orbiter.

'Scientists all over the world are already using these images to understand many previously-unexplained phenomena on the Red Planet. We might also discover brand new types of features never seen before,' a spokesman said.

The data forms part of NASA's mission archive, called the Planetary Data System.

The orbiter is being used to identify minerals and individual rock outcrops - information needed to choose future Mars landing sites.

Alfred McEwen, HiRISE principal investigator, is involved in selecting the best possible landing site for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory that is slated to launch in 2009.

He said recent evidence from both U.S. and European Mars orbiters shows clays that contain iron, magnesium and aluminium are widespread throughout ancient Mars bedrock.

'That's a shocking discovery,' he said.

'The actual environments and processes that deposited and altered these clay minerals is poorly understood. But these places have very quickly become where we have to go with future rovers and sample-return missions.'

Scientists hope studies of Mars will reveal more about how the Earth was formed. They believe life in our solar system formed during or even before the Late Heavy Bombardment of 3.9 billion years ago, when large impact craters were formed on the Moon and the surrounding planets.

'We know that Mars underwent heavy bombardment and that it was water-ice rich,' McEwen said.

'The rock record from this time is much better preserved on Mars than it is on Earth.'

HiRISE images show that part of Mars' hardened, ancient crust is exposed on the planet's surface as 'megabreccia,' a collection of large, chaotic rock fragments that formed from energetic events, mostly large impacts on ancient Mars.Three potential sites for the new Mars Science Laboratory are within rover reach of the deposits.

Crows are brainier than your average apes

2008-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

They may be popularly considered to be 'bird-brained' but crows are actually better at physical reasoning than our primate cousins, scientists say.

New Caledonian crows are famous for their ability to make complex tools out of twigs and leaves. Now scientists believes they are more able than apes when finding a way to access food without it falling into a trap.

Scientists at the University of Auckland presented crows with a trap-tube puzzle. In this task the birds had to extract food from a horizontal tube in a direction that avoided a trap.

When the crows were presented with variations of the problem where arbitrary cues were removed, the crows continued to solve the problem. This suggested the crows had not simply learnt how to solve it through association.

The scientist then presented the crows with a trap-tube with two holes. One hole was bottomless, allowing food to fall through it and out of the trap. The other hole had a base and so trapped food that was pulled into it.

The crows failed to consistently solve this problem and appeared reluctant to pull the food into either hole. This suggested the crows were using the position of the hole to guide their actions.

Finally, the crows were presented with a trap-table puzzle. In this problem an animal has to choose between pulling food across a wooden table or pulling food into a hole set in the table.

In a recent study 20 individuals from the great ape species were unable to transfer their knowledge from the trap-table and trap-tube or vice versa, despite the fact that both these puzzles work in the same way.

Strikingly the crows in The University of Auckland study were able to solve the trap-table problem after their experience with the trap-tube.

By solving the trap-table the crows demonstrated that they had not just learnt to pull away from the specific hole in the Perspex trap-tube, but could generalise what they understood to a novel problem.

'The crows’ success with the trap-table suggests that the crows were transferring their causal understanding to this novel problem by analogical reasoning,' Professor Russell Gray of the Department of Psychology said.

'However, the crows didn’t understand the difference between a hole with a bottom and one without. This suggests the level of cognition here is intermediate between human-like reasoning and associative learning.'

The research by Dr Gavin Hunt and Professor Russell Gray appeared online in the Proceedings of the Royal Society: B

Ancient 'ant from Mars' discovered in Amazon rainforest

2008-09-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

A new species of predatory insect known as the 'ant from Mars' because of its unusual alien characteristics, has been discovered in the Amazon rainforest.

The ant, Martialis heureka, is blind and lives underground and was probably a descendant of the very first ants to evolve. It is two to three millimetres long, very pale, has no eyes and a large lower jaw.

It was discovered in Brazil by evolutionary biologist Christian Rabeling from the University of Texas, who said the ant had a combination of characteristics that had never been recorded before.

Rabeling said his discovery will help biologists better understand the biodiversity and evolution of the insects.

'This discovery hints at a wealth of species, possibly of great evolutionary importance, still hidden in the soils of the remaining rainforests,' he wrote in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Rabeling collected the only known specimen of the new ant species in 2003 from leaf-litter at the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária in Manaus, Brazil.

He and his colleagues found that the ant was a new species and subfamily of ants after analysing DNA from the ants' legs.

Ants evolved over 120 million years ago from wasp ancestors. They probably evolved quickly into many different lineages, with ants specializing to lives in the soil, leaf-litter or trees.

'This discovery lends support to the idea that blind subterranean predator ants arose at the dawn of ant evolution,' Rabeling said.

He speculated that the new ant species evolved adaptations over time to its subterranean habitat, such as its loss of eyes, while retaining some of its ancestor's physical characteristics.

From boatyard to scrapyard , thanks to Hurricane Ike's £7bn trail of destruction

2008-09-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

They lie piled on top of each other like a heap of broken toys, snatched up then discarded by a brute called Ike.

These mangled wrecks at a Galveston boatyard demonstrate the ferocity of the hurricane that tore into Texas on Saturday.

Yesterday, the biggest search and rescue operation in the state’s history was under way with nearly 2,000 people plucked to safety from their flooded homes. Hundreds more are awaiting rescue.

The confirmed death toll from Hurricane Ike stood at 13.

But search teams stocked with body bags were scouring communities including Galveston, where 20,000 ignored a mandatory evacuation order.

‘We hope for the best but I want to prepare people for the fact that we may have some fatalities,’ said

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff. Some told remarkable stories of survival.

Denis Covington, 63, of Port Bolivar, southeast of Houston, had his home smashed in two by a falling pylon.

Both halves crashed into 14ft of floodwater. ‘I had to spend the second half of the hurricane in a tree just clinging on. The rain was like nails sticking in to me,’ he said.

Ike came ashore at Galveston in the early hours of Saturday, bringing a 20ft storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico and causing an estimated £7billion damage.

Nearly five million people are without electricity along the Gulf coast, and many have no running water.

Ellie Cox, 22, was airlifted from Galveston with her husband Lester and their three children, including disabled six-month-old baby Juilianna after spending the storm cowering in their third floor apartment.

A tree fell on their roof and water rose up around them.

‘I’m not going back, there’s nothing left for us now,’ she said.

Karen and Paul Thompson, both 57, were winched from their home on stilts in Crystal Beach after huddling together in a bedroom as the hurricane ripped the house around them and 14 feet of water crashed in from the Gulf.

At one point a large boat was flung past their window.

‘We called the Coastguard for help but they said they couldn’t get out to us, it was too dangerous,’ said Mrs Thompson after being winched off her porch along with her husband and five dogs.

‘I was scared to death. Glass was being blown out of the windows, things were hitting the house, the roof was being torn off.’

Mr Thompson said: ‘There were rows and rows of houses at Crystal Beach but there ain’t no more.’

Ike tore into Texas, coming ashore at Galveston in the early hours of yesterday.

It brought a 20 feet storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico and pounded the region, including the city of Houston, with eight hours of hurricane force winds.

President George Bush declared 29 Texas counties and parts of Louisiana a major disaster area.

Thousands of National Guard, military troops, police, fire and ambulance teams from around the country were assisting the recovery effort.

Nearly five million people along the Gulf coast were without power, and some were warned it could be up to a month before their electricity is restored.

Many were also left without running water.

And Pump prices jumped above $5 per gallon in some parts of America yesterday s Hurricane Ike left refineries and pipelines idled and destroyed at least 10 offshore petroleum platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tens of thousands of homes were destroyed or seriously damaged in the fury of the storm and insurance industry officials estimated the damage would exceed £7billion.

Humanitarian teams planned to hand out one million ready-meals and 1.5 million gallons of water a day.

More than 40,000 Texans remained in emergency shelters, officials said, and many areas remained under curfew to discourage looters.

President Bush, who was due to visit Texas today, said: ‘This was a tough storm and it’s one that’s going to require time for people to recover.’

Dinosaurs weren't that big or clever... just really, really lucky

2008-09-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Dinosaurs didn't rule the Earth because they were the fittest - they just got really, really lucky, according to scientists.

Tyrannosaurus Rex and the rest of his species were actually dominated by a bunch of giant crocodiles. Dinosaurs were were just fortunate to avoid two mass extinctions that wiped out their rivals.

Crurotarsal archosaurs weighed ten tonnes and grew to 12m (40ft) but were wiped out by a massive storm in the Triassic period, leaving dinosaurs with free rein.

Scientists believe dinosaurs fared better than the crurotarsans because many of them walked on two legs, not four, and they may have been warm-blooded.

'There was no sign that dinosaurs were eventually going to succeed,' said researcher Steve Brusatte of Columbia University.

'If 210 million years ago, we had to bet on which group would dominate, all reasonable gamblers would go with crurotarsans.

'It's not that the dinosaurs weren't doing well. The crurotarsans were doing more.'

Two massive storms, one possibly caused by an asteroid, led to the extinction of many species, including almost all crocodiles.

'The dinosaurs not only got lucky, but they got lucky twice,' Mr Brusatte said.

But well before the Jurassic period, when dinosaurs ruled, the crurotarsans - with 45cm (18in) teeth - vastly outnumbered them, the team from the University of Bristol wrote in the journal Science.

'The fundamental question is why were the dinosaurs able to become so dominant,' Mr Brusatte said.

'Evolution on a big scale often times is a matter of luck.'

Apart from the crurotarsans, there were phytosaurs that looked and lived a lot like today's crocodiles, staying submerged in rivers or lakes until attacking a victim.

The North American phytosaur Smilosuchus grew to 12m (39ft) long.

Others called rauisuchians were land predators with four powerful legs, massive skulls and flesh-tearing teeth.

Both were far more impressive than the typical dinosaur predator of the time like Coelophysis, a relatively lightly built, two-legged hunter about 3m (10ft) long.

The dinosaur plant eaters of the time like Plateosaurus were getting big, but were less varied than the plant-eating crurotarsans such as the heavily armoured aetosaurs.

Pictured: The dramatic scene after a 'Red Arrows' Hawk jet crash-landed and smashed into RAF base

2008-09-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

As car park prangs go, this was more serious than the average shunt.

But it could have been far worse --considering it involved a runaway RAF Hawk jet.

The £5million aircraft was due to become part of the Red Arrows fleet and was being delivered to RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to be sprayed in the display team's signature red livery when it crashed on landing and skidded off the runway.

The Hawk hurtled across the airfield, smashing into a crew building and three cars before coming to a rest next to the air traffic control tower, smashing some of the building's windows in the process.

The two-man crew ejected during the drama and were treated in hospital for their injuries.

The Hawk was understood to have been flown by Wing Commander David Firth-Wigglesworth, 43, the Red Arrows' Senior Flying Officer.

A witness to the crash said: 'As the aircraft touched down, its undercarriage-gave way and it swerved to the right. Two loud bangs followed as the aircrew ejected.'

A source at RAF Cranwell added: 'A friend of mine had just left the building hit by the Hawk. If he hadn't left when he did, he wouldn't be here now.'

An investigation is being carried out into the cause of the accident.

Bionic breakthrough as prosthetic lets woman 'feel' her missing hand

2008-09-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

A bizarre discovery by the woman fitted with the world's most advanced bionic arm could pave the way for hi-tech limbs that feel as well as move.

When surgeons fitted Claudia Mitchell's £2million prosthetic, they hot-wired it to her brain via her original shoulder nerves so she could control the mechanical arm by thought alone.

But now she can also 'feel' sensations in her missing hand.

Miss Mitchell, a former US marine, lost her left arm at the shoulder in a motorcycle accident in 2004.

Because her real arm had been severed almost at the shoulder, she had lost the use of the nerves that ought to have been able to control a conventional prosthetic.

But in a new surgical technique called 'targeted reinnervation', her dormant shoulder nerves were implanted in her chest, away from the damaged area.

Now when Miss Mitchell wants to move her arm, her brain sends a signal to the chest muscle rather than to her useless shoulder.

'We have rewired her,' said Dr Todd Kuiken, the American who devised the technique.

Electrical pulses from her chest muscle are transmitted to the bionic limb where a computer decodes them and turns them into arm movements.

By thought alone, Miss Mitchell, of Ellicott City, Maryland, can bend her wrist back, move her thumb and clench her fingers.

'I have what I call my "eureka moments,"' she said. 'There are a lot of daily tasks that people don't even think about being able to do that I can do now.'

But the twist came four months after her 2006 operation as Miss Mitchell was taking a shower.

When the hot water hit her chest, she felt it on her missing left hand.

She found that touching her chest or applying heat and cold to it would give her the sensation of pressure, warmth or coolness in her lost arm.

This was because doctors had moved not only her motor nerves but also her sensation nerves.

'Claudia was the first person that we did this on. We purposely directed her hand sensation nerves onto some chest skin, and it worked,' Dr Kuiken, of Chicago's Rehabilitation Institute, told ABC News.

Paul Marasco, a touch specialist at the institute, has since charted the way Miss Mitchell's hand sensations correspond with locations on her chest.

Depending on her chest is touched, he said, 'She has the distinct sense of her joints being bent back in particular ways, and she has feelings of her skin being stretched.'

Researchers hope Miss Mitchell's experiences - bizarre as they are - will open up major improvements in prosthetic technology.

She has become an honorary member of the research team, even spending her holidays testing out new equipment.

The goal is creating a prosthetic arm properly equipped with feeling.

'When you touch something with this prosthetic hand, it will feel like your hand. When you touch your hot cup of coffee, you'll know it's warm,' Dr Kuiken said.

Woman swallows screwdriver after dentist's fumble

2008-09-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

A man told on Monday how his wife ended up swallowing part of a screwdriver during a visit to a Hungarian dentist.

Mary Reilly, 69, was being treated with implants to improve her dentures in Budapest when the dentist accidentally dropped one of his screwdriver bits down her throat.

Mrs Reilly, of Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, was rushed to hospital in a taxi after the bit lodged in her lungs during the visit at the end of 2006.

She then spent £2,200 getting her teeth fixed in the UK at a local dentists.
Today, her husband John Reilly, 67, said: 'The bit slipped out of the dentist's hands and went straight down her throat. She had to go to hospital to have it removed.

'It all happened that quickly, we didn't have time to think. I think people should know what they are letting themselves in for.'

Mrs Reilly told the Lincolnshire Echo: 'I was a bit naive when I went to Hungary and I did not do enough research.

'If I did it again I would go to three or four clinics in the UK to get quotes. You need to know what treatment you are having done before you go.

Pictured: The frozen fighter jet tested in icy conditions... in South Korea

2008-09-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

Covered in frost and dripping in icicles, this plane resembles a frozen lolly more than a fighter jet.

The F-4E Phantom fighter is being put through its paces at the brand new aircraft testing centre in Seosan, South Korea.

Most of South Korea's 700 strong airforce, including their 80 F-4E fighter bombers, are American designed.

South Korea shares a hostile border with Communist-run North Korea. There has been long-standing animosity between the two regions following the Korean War from 1950-1953.

Although South Korea has the 25th largest population in the world, it has the sixth highest amount of active troops.

However, on October 4, 2007, former South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, signed an eight-point agreement on issues of permanent peace, high-level talks and economic cooperation.

Most of South Korea's 700 strong airforce, including their 80 F-4E fighter bombers, are American designed.

South Korea shares a hostile border with Communist-run North Korea. There has been long-standing animosity between the two regions following the Korean War from 1950-1953.

Although South Korea has the 25th largest population in the world, it has the sixth highest amount of active troops.

However, on October 4, 2007, former South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, signed an eight-point agreement on issues of permanent peace, high-level talks and economic cooperation.

Meet Evans the Atom, who will end the world on Wednesday

2008-09-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

The man behind the world’s biggest scientific experiment, which critics claim could cause the end of the world, is a Welsh miner’s son who has admitted blowing things up as a child.

Dr Lyn Evans, who has been dubbed Evans the Atom, will this week switch on a giant particle accelerator designed to unlock the secrets of the Big Bang.

But the 63-year-old physicist revealed yesterday that his passion for science was fuelled by the relatively small bangs he had created with his chemistry set at his council house in Aberdare in the Welsh valleys.

‘I was more interested in chemistry than physics when I was young,’ he said.

‘I had a number of chemistry sets. Like everybody, I used to make explosives. I even blew the fuses of the whole house a few times.’

His interest in physics grew at his boys-only grammar school, where lessons had an added attraction because they were attended by girls bussed in from a nearby school that lacked a physics teacher.

On Wednesday, Dr Evans will fire up the Large Hadron Collider, a 17-mile-long doughnut-shaped tunnel that will smash sub-atomic particles together at nearly the speed of light.

Built by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), the collider lies beneath the French-Swiss border, near the institution’s headquarters in Geneva, at depths ranging from 170ft to 600ft.

The aim of the £4.4billion experiment is to recreate the conditions that existed a fraction of a second after the Big Bang – the birth of the universe – and provide vital clues to the building blocks of life.

It will track the spray of particles thrown out by collisions in a search for the elusive Higgs Boson, a theoretical entity that supposedly lends weight, or mass, to the elementary particles. So important is this mysterious substance that it has been called the ‘God Particle’.

Scientists also hope to shed some light on the invisible material that exists between particles – dubbed ‘dark matter’ as no one knows what it really is – which makes up most of the universe.

But a handful of scientists believe that the experiment could create a shower of unstable black holes that could ‘eat’ the planet from within, and they are launching last-ditch efforts to halt it in the courts.

One of them, Professor Otto Rossler, a retired German chemist, said he feared the experiment may create a devastating quasar – a mass of energy fuelled by black holes – inside the Earth.

‘Nothing will happen for at least four years,’ he said. ‘Then someone will spot a light ray coming out of the Indian Ocean during the night and no one will be able to explain it.

‘A few weeks later, we will see a similar beam of particles coming out of the soil on the other side of the planet. Then we will know there is a little quasar inside the planet.’

Prof Rossler said that as the spinning-top-like quasar devoured the world from within, the two jets emanating from it would grow and catastrophes such as earthquakes and tsunamis would occur at the points they emerged from the Earth.

‘The weather will change completely, wiping out life, and very soon the whole planet will be eaten in a magnificent scenario – if you could watch it from the moon. A Biblical Armageddon. Even cloud and fire will form, as it says in the Bible.’

He said that attempts were still being made in the European Court of Human Rights to halt the experiment on the grounds that it violated the right to life. The court has, however, already rejected calls for a temporary delay in the project, and it is unlikely to come to a speedy decision about whether the CERN experiment should be halted for good.

Meanwhile Dr Walter Wagner, an American scientist who has been warning about the dangers of particle accelerators for 20 years, is awaiting a ruling on a lawsuit he filed a fortnight ago in his home state of Hawaii.

He fears the experiments might unwittingly create something he calls a ‘strangelet’ that could result in a fusion reaction that might ultimately turn the Earth into a supernova, or an exploding star.

But Dr Evans, the leader of the project, who has devoted 14 years of his life to building the vast particle accelerator, is dismissive of the doom-mongers.

In fact, he is so relaxed about the project, he even wears shorts to work.

He said that Prof Rossler was a ‘crazy’ retired professor who had invented his own theory of relativity.

‘We have shown him where his elementary errors are, but of course people like that just will not listen,’ said Dr Evans.

Meanwhile, Dr Wagner’s fears were ‘totally and completely’ unfounded. ‘There are thousands of scientists around the world who have been preparing this machine and they know what they are talking about, unlike these guys,’ he added.

Dr Evans says his real nightmare is not that he will destroy the world but that, with the cameras rolling, the machine will break down. ‘This is not the first accelerator I have commissioned, but the first under the glare of the whole world,’ he said.

‘My main worry is that we’ve got a huge amount of equipment and it is new. If something trips off, we are down for hours and we have all these Press people sitting around.

‘We are not used to that. We are used to setting things up quietly and announcing it afterwards.’

* Experiment produces lab rap hit

The Large Hadron Collider may be causing fears for the future of the world, but it has become the bizarre setting for an unlikely music hit.

Written and performed by 23-year-old Kate McAlpine, who works in the Press office at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland, the video features Kate and two background dancers bopping about in lab coats.

A long way from rap’s usual subjects of violence and crime, the rap focuses on the science of high-energy particle physics. One section goes: ‘Two beams of protons/ swing ’round./ Through the ring they ride/’til in the hearts of the detectors/ they’re made to collide!/ And all that energy packed/ in that tiny room/ becomes mass,/ particles created from the vacuum.’

Kate, who wrote her first physics rap while studying at Michigan State University, says: ‘Rap and physics are culturally miles apart and I find it amusing to throw them together.’

A CERN spokesman said: ‘We love the rap and the science is spot on.’

Fetch Fido! The robotic dog that could revolutionise the military

2008-09-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

A robot dog that runs, climbs rough terrain and carries heavy loads has become an internet sensation after video footage attracted millions of viewers.

BigDog was created by engineering company Boston Dynamics for the American military.

The robot, which is the size of a large dog, is powered by a gasoline engine that drives its hydraulic system.

In trials the intrepid hound was able to run at 4 mph, climb slopes up to 35 degrees steep and walk across rubble while carrying a 340lb load.

The robotic rover has legs that move like an animal's and can absorb shock by repositioning its three joints up to 500 times a second .

During a demonstration video, which was viewed by more than 6m people on YouTube, it managed to keep its footing on an uneven surface after being shoved sideways.

BigDog has an on-board computer that helps it to balance, steer and navigate as conditions vary. Other sensors focus on the internal state of the robot, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature and battery charge.

Current models are remote-controlled from bases, however it is believed scientists are working on sight sensors that will allow BigDog to make basic movement decisions.

The project was sponsored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which comes up with radical inventions for the military.

Watch BigDog in action here...

Teenage girl's head 'doubles in size' after drinking an exotic holiday cocktail in Crete

2008-09-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

A teenager has vowed never to touch alcohol again after an exotic holiday cocktail containing a 'secret ingredient' caused her head to swell to abnormal proportions.

Corinne Coyle, 19, was rushed to hospital in Crete's popular party resort of Malia after just a few sips.

The cocktail, bought in a Greek bar for 10 euros (£7.80), and served in a bowl, is said to contain a mixture of Baileys, chilli powder, tequila, absinthe, ouzo, vodka, cider and gin, plus a 'secret ingredient'.

Today Corinne was safely back home after her ordeal but her facial features have still not returned to normal.

As she tried to sleep off the devastating side-effects in a darkened room, her mum Fiona Roth, 43, of Astonbury Green, Easterside, explained how one drink turned her daughter's dream holiday into a nightmare.

She said: 'She drank about a third of it then her friend said 'have you seen your head?' Then Corinne said 'I know, I have brain-freeze'.

'When they went to the toilet her forehead had doubled in size. She panicked and they got into a taxi and went to hospital."

Corinne, who went on holiday last week with her friend Nicola Galbraith, 21, a nursery nurse, also of Middlesbrough, was put on a drip and tablets and spent two days in hospital following the Friday scare.

Doctors said the swelling was caused by a chemical reaction and they had seen a similar incident within the last couple of weeks.

Fiona, a home care assistant, said: 'She couldn't see out of her right eye because of the swelling. It was the first bar they had been to that night. Within 20 minutes of drinking it that was the reaction she got.'

Corinne, an administrator in media and arts at the University of Teesside and a former pupil at Macmillan Academy, Middlesbrough, was flown home in the early hours of Tuesday morning and has spent the last two days being examined at the James Cook University Hospital and by her GP.

Doctors are still waiting for the results.

Corinne tried to get home earlier but she was not allowed to fly due to the swelling. However, she sent pictures on her phone to her mum.

Fiona said: 'I couldn't even recognise my own daughter. I just hope to God it goes back to normal because she's a really pretty girl. I just hope there's no lasting damage.

'I tried to get a flight out but I couldn't get one in time. I felt useless. I just wanted to be with her.

'The swelling went down a bit but then the flight back made it worse again with the altitude.

'Corinne has a little beauty spot on the corner of her right eye and it's dropped down her face by about an inch.'

The teenager, who lives with her mum, sister Ashleigh Coyle, 14, and Fiona's husband Stephen Roth, 42, has vowed never to drink again.

Her mother said she was relieved to have daughter back at home.

How a cruel disease is paralysing a little boy - and no one knows what it is or if it will kill him

2008-09-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

The holiday photos show a beautiful blond boy trotting along the beach, kicking a football determinedly and giggling with his daddy.

But Lewis Jeynes's mum, Samantha, admits she never looks at these snaps - taken in France in September 2005 - it's simply too painful.

For her boy is now trapped in a body that doesn't work. The once-lively and active four-year-old can no longer talk, eat, move his limbs or even support his own head.
And, heartbreakingly, his large brown eyes are still filled with intelligent curiosity, a constant reminder of the old Lewis, a toddler whose energy promised so much.

'It hurts too much to look at those photos now. He's never going to run, kick a ball or make sand castles again - not without a miracle,' says Samantha, 39, cradling Lewis in her arms.

What makes their story even more tragic is that doctors have no idea what is wrong.

Indeed, Lewis's condition has continued to baffle a succession of medical experts.

He's had hundreds of blood tests, biopsies, MRI scans, a lumbar puncture, allergy tests - and all have come back absolutely clear.

'On paper, Lewis is perfectly healthy,' says Samantha, who's given up her clerical business in order to be Lewis's full-time carer at home in Doncaster.

'No one can explain why this has happened to him.

'Until recently, I used to feel full of anger. Why us? Why has this happened to my boy?

'Now we just live day by day and treasure the highlights, such as when he gives us one of his gorgeous smiles.'

For the first two years of his life, Lewis passed every developmental milestone.

He sat up at six months, started to crawl at nine months, and was walking at 17 months, trotting after his older brother Sam, now 15, from Samantha's first marriage.
Lewis started to limp

Just before his second birthday in February 2006, Lewis started to limp on his right leg.

'His leg was X-rayed but they could see nothing, so assured us it was just an "irritable hip" - when the tissue around the hip bone becomes inflamed - and that it was quite common in boys of Lewis's age. A week's rest cleared it up.'

But two months later, in April, Lewis started limping again on the same leg.

'At first, our GP thought it was a return of the irritable hip but a few days later he couldn't take any weight on his right leg.

'Instead of walking, Lewis reverted to crawling everywhere, which was worrying.

'But I never thought it was anything serious - in every other way, he was his usual self.'

Lewis's family saw a paediatric neurologist at Sheffield Children's Hospital a week later. An MRI brain scan, blood and urine tests all came back normal.

'It was so frustrating,' says Samantha. 'Why couldn't he run around like other boys his age as he'd been doing just months before?'

Then in July 2006, Lewis suffered a seizure. An MRI scan and tests to diagnose epilepsy showed slight abnormalities in the brain, but nothing conclusive.

'The scan showed his brain function was totally normal.

'We left hospital with totally mixed emotions - relieved we hadn't been given a frightening diagnosis, but anxious that no one knew what was wrong.'

With the couple due to get married the next day, it was a fraught time.

'We'd been planning the wedding for two years and the original plan was for Lewis to be a page boy.

'He looked adorable in his suit, but while the other children ran around, he was crawling on the carpet,' says Samantha.

On their honeymoon in Spain, Lewis wasn't himself either.

'Lewis had started swinging his hips, as if his joints were sore, and he seemed tired all the time.'
His body started to shut down

From then on, Lewis's body started to shut down.

His left hand clenched up permanently in a fist so he couldn't use it.

He stopped crawling and lost neck movement, so much so his head had to be propped up with cushions. Then he lost movement in his right arm.

By Christmas, he was having trouble swallowing, choking on pureed food.

'That was the most terrifying time - watching our beautiful baby's body shut down - and feeling utterly powerless,' says Samantha.

'We were stuck in a never-ending round of hospital consultations and social services appointments for help with our now severely disabled son.'

Samantha and James's family videos are heart-breaking; instead of recording the joyful steps of childhood, they realised they were recording the last times their son could to do things independently.

'There's one video where Lewis is struggling to eat a yogurt in his high chair.

'His left hand can't hold the pot so he's trying to do it one-handed, and he keeps trying and trying', says Samantha tearfully.

Throughout this time, Lewis was in and out of hospital for more tests and intensive physiotherapy sessions to try to strengthen his degenerating muscles.

'He hates the needles in blood tests but he's so brave,' says Samantha. 'He even received a WellChild Bravery Award from Prince Harry last year.'

In November, he had a lumbar puncture to test a sample of fluid from his spinal column for rare neurometabolic diseases and progressive neurological disorders.

The seriousness of these tests, coupled with Lewis's deterioration, terrified his parents.

'Until you have a child who's sick, you can never imagine the emotional roller-coaster of hope and terror, and then hope again,' says Samantha.

To their relief, the initial results from the lumbar puncture tests came back negative.

The next stage was skin and muscle biopsies to test for Batten Disease, a rare metabolic condition.
Skin and bones

Just days after Christmas, Lewis stopped being able to swallow. He choked on teaspoons of food and in six days had lost 3lb, dramatic for a child weighing just 1 1/2st.

'He was skin and bones,' says Samantha. 'That's when he started being tube fed. It was a bleak time.'

Three weeks later, Lewis came home and his parents started making plans for the long-term care of their son.

Now constantly tube fed and unable to support his head, Lewis was more dependent on them than a newborn.

'It was such a huge responsibility to get used to giving him his tube feeds and his medication to control his seizures,' says Samantha.

'I was constantly worrying, not sleeping because I was so scared that he wasn't going to wake up. I still sleep with him every night.'

Lewis's condition seemed to have stabilised, but the cause of his illness remained a mystery.

In April 2007, the family travelled to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London to see the world expert in neurological metabolic diseases, Professor Robert Surtees.

'He suggested a nerve biopsy for rare genetic disorders, but they all came back normal,' says Samantha.

'We were so hopeful because he was presented to us as the God of neurology and then he died suddenly in August.

'It was as if all our hopes of finding a cause and perhaps even a cure had died, too.'

Lewis's paediatric neurologist at Sheffield Children's Hospital describes his condition as a 'progressive neurological condition now in a static phase', meaning it's not getting better or worse.

'I've been told that no diagnosis would fit all Lewis's symptoms, something occasionally seen in children with neurological disorders.'
Round-the-clock care

So without a firm diagnosis, Lewis's family have had no choice but to settle into a routine of round-the-clock care.

Thankfully, Lewis's mystery condition appears to have stabilised, but he still needs weekly physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to try to increase what little movement he has.

Since last July, he has been fed through a tube straight into his stomach, with each feed taking up to six hours.

When Lewis isn't suffering from the chest infections he's prone to, he attends a special school in Doncaster during term times.

'It was really hard for me at first,' admits Samantha.

'I used to sit in the parents' room, worried sick that he wouldn't be looked after properly and would miss me.

'Now I've learnt to relax and I'll go to the supermarket or for a run.'

While Samantha is Lewis's devoted carer, the family have put all their effort into raising funds for Lewis and other children with undiagnosed neurologically degenerative conditions.

Their new goal is to raise the enormous sum of £19,000 for a computer - a Smartbox MyTobii - which Lewis can control with eye movements, allowing him to communicate for the first time.

'They've just had one installed at Lewis's school and it's amazing,' says Samantha excitedly.

'The computer is like a key for Lewis, a key that will unlock a more rewarding and fulfilling life.

'Soon he'll be able to use it to learn to read and to talk to us.

'When Lewis was a baby, he was so perfect, I never ever thought something so terrible as this could happen to him,' says Samantha.

'Thank God, he's still with us and bright as a button, but it hurts to see him trapped in his body like this. And with absolutely no explanation as to why.'

So for now his family have learnt to treasure the precious moments Lewis gives them.

'He loves being "whooshed" in his wheelchair towards someone in front of him,' says Samantha.

'He loves it so much he sometimes almost laughs. That's a great sound, Lewis almost laughing.

'It rips at your heart and brings tears to your eyes.'

Kim Kardashian Ready for Dancing With the Stars

2008-09-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Kim Kardashian will shake her booty when season seven of Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) premieres on Sept. 22. "I decided to do the show because I feel like never in my life will I ever have the opportunity to do something like this," Kim, 27, tells Life & Style in an interview this week.

"My greatest challenge will be this new foot injury. I cut my toe pretty bad on a mirrored desk that was cracked, and I just pray it will heal fast!" her nasy cut was even fatured on TMZ.Com and had some thinking she wouldn't be able to compete. But she says is ready and looking fiward to it.

Kim will be competing against singer Tony Braxton, 41, Lance Bass, 29, actor Ted McGinley, 50, actress Cloris Leachman, 82, former NFL star Warren Sapp, 35, chef Rocco DiSpirito, 41, Olympic gold medalists Maurice Greene, 34.

Misty May-Treanor, 29, comedian Jeffrey Ross, 42, actor Cody Linley, 18, Brooke Burke, 36, and Susan Lucci, 61. Says Kim, "I'm so excited to learn these dance moves. And it doesn't hurt that I'll get in the best shape of my life!"

Oh mummy! Archaeologists unearth ancient tribe members sacrificed 1,300 years ago

2008-08-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Piercing blue eyes undimmed by the passing of 1,300 years, this is the Lady of the Mask – a mummy whose discovery could reveal the secrets of a lost culture.

She was found by archaeologists excavating a pyramid in Peru’s capital city Lima,
alongside two other adult mummies and the sacrificial remains of a child.

It is the first time a tomb from the region’s Wari culture has been discovered intact and gives historians the chance to pin down exactly how the pre-Incas buried their dead.

The mummy - assumed to be a noblewoman because of the ornate mask - was found in a crouching position surrounded by ceramics and textiles associated with female weavers.

“Her face startled me at first,” said 19-year-old Miguel Angel, one of the workers who carried her body out of the tomb.

“I wasn’t expecting to find anything like that.”

Earlier in the week, workers at the Huaca Pucllana site removed two adult mummies found lying near the lady of the mask.

Archaeologists have been excavating the area for three years and while they found plenty of artefacts, the 30 other tombs uncovered had been looted.

The Wari, who came from Peru’s southern highlands and ruled a vast area of the country from 500 to 1000 AD, conducted multiple burials and sent their loved ones into the afterlife with provisions and the tools of their trade.

“We’d discovered other tombs before,” Isabel Flores, the dig’s director, said. “But they always had holes or were damaged. Never had we found a whole tomb like this one – intact.

“The sacrifices were very common, particularly of children and young girls. They were part of their ritual offerings to the sea and the land.”

Two other masks were found near the bodies but the archaeologists believe the blue-eyed mummy was the only important woman among the dead.

“The mask had very firm eyes, they seemed very strong, and it shocked the workers as much as the archaeologists,” Ms Flores said.

Tests are being carried out on the other adult mummies to find out what sex they are but Ms Flores said identifying the noblewoman’s gender was relatively simple.

When in good condition, Wari tombs can be identified by the ceramic and textile offerings placed around the dead.

Small children were often sacrificed and it is common to find their bodies alongside adult ones.

Archaeologists said the child discovered with the adult mummies at Huaca Pucllana was most likely sacrificed.

The discovery confirms the Wari people buried their dead in what is now Lima and offers a more complete picture of how burials were carried out.

Madonna's Hitler storm

2008-08-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Madonna has come under fire for comparing US Presidential candidate John McCain to Adolf Hitler.

An image of McCain flashed on screen alongside images of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe at the first night of her 'Sticky and Sweet' world tour in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, Wales, on Saturday (23.08.08).

The images were shown as Madonna performed her song 'Get Stupid'.

Tucker Bounds, an outraged spokesperson for McCain's campaign, used the opportunity to take a swipe at McCain's Presidential rival Barack Obama.

He said: "The comparisons are outrageous, unacceptable and crudely divisive all at the same time.

"It clearly shows that when it comes to supporting Barack Obama, his fellow worldwide celebrities refuse to consider any smear or attack off limits."

While McCain - the Republican party candidate for the November US election - was shown opposite despots, his rival, Democratic candidate Barack Obama was juxtaposed with pictures of peace activist Mahatma Ghandi and late Beatles singer John Lennon in the same song.

Meanwhile, Madonna has reportedly been forced out of her own gym by noisy construction workers.

The 50-year-old singer spent £12 million converting the Georgian house next door to her London home into a state-of- the-art workout room.

But after several months of noisy drilling, leering and suggestive whistling from nearby workers, she has switched to another gym.

A friend close to the star said: "Madonna felt as if she has been living in a siege situation. The noise of the drilling meant she was forced to listen to her iPod at full volume, potentially damaging her ears."

Madonna has since moved to her personal trainer's gym.

Her 'Sticky and Sweet' world tour continues in Nice, France, tonight (26.08.08) before moving on to Germany and Switzerland.

Couple offered sex with child for used car

2008-08-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

A sordid San Antonio couple is accused of trying to trying to trade sex with the woman's 5-year-old daughter for an apartment, a used car and child care for her 10-month old daughter.
Jennifer Richards, 25, and her married boyfriend, Sean Michael Block, 40, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Stein Nowak on Friday. Richards is charged with using interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor. Block is charged with distributing child pornography.
Nowak ordered Block held. Richards' detention hearing was delayed until Tuesday, the San Antonio Express-News reported Sunday.
According to an affidavit unsealed last Tuesday, the investigation began when an informant told the FBI about a text message allegedly sent by Block reading: „Nice piece 5 yrs old belongs to my gf and she wants to sell it.“
Richards and Block crafted a deal that, in addition to the apartment and used car, included child care for Richards' 10-month-old daughter, whose sexual service the couple intended to sell later, Rex Miller, the FBI's lead agent on the case, testified.
The couple had also hoped to blackmail the informant, Miller said.
Richards „was of the belief that these sexual interactions would be a positive experience for (her daughter) and that Richards would receive sexual gratification“ from watching, according to the affidavit.
Authorities said both children are no longer in Richards' custody and that neither child was sold for sex.
After reviewing computers the couple used and listening to taped conversations, Miller determined Block and Richards were making further plans to abduct, rape and „carve up“ a teenage runaway.
Block allegedly sent an e-mail with a link to a Russian child pornography site, according to the affidavit.
Ronald Guyer, Block's lawyer, acknowledged the severity of the charges. But Guyer told the judge that there was no evidence that the behavior progressed beyond Block's fantasy.
„There has been no action on his part,“ Guyer told Nowak.
Richard's attorney did not immediately return a call or e-mail left Sunday by The Associated Press seeking comment.
The couple worked at the Cheesecake Factory at North Star Mall, where he was a bartender and she was a waitress.
Court records show that Block's now-estranged wife Sarah Block filed for a protective order earlier this week on behalf of the couple's 14-month-old child. Her lawyer said she filed for divorce Friday.

Up to 150 tourists dead as plane is ripped apart in runway fireball

2008-08-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Almost 150 people were feared dead last night after a tourist plane crashed 'in a scene from Hell' and burst into flames at Madrid airport.

The Spanair jet with 164 passengers and nine crew on board split in two as it smashed back on to the runway just seconds after lifting off.

There were reports of an explosion and a fire breaking out in an engine. The plane, an MD-82, had earlier been delayed from take-off for an hour for checks on a reported mechanical fault.

An unconfirmed report said the crash happened on the pilot's second attempt at a take-off.

There were several children on board, including two babies. It was not immediately known if the babies were among the dead.

Around 27 survivors were pulled alive from the wreckage and 23 of them were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

At least one is thought to have died on the way to hospital.

Spain's Interior Ministry confirmed late last night that at least 45 people had died, but Spanish media said the true figure was likely to be about 150.

Civil Guard officer Guillermo Altares said: 'There is nothing left resembling a plane. It is horrific. It is totally burned.'

Another rescue worker said: 'It's the closest thing to a scene from Hell that you'll ever see. There was almost nothing left of the plane.'

Herbigio Corral, who headed the rescue effort, told reporters: 'Only the tail was recognisable, there was wreckage scattered all over the place and dead bodies
across a wide area. A lot of them were children.'

The flight packed with holidaymakers was heading from the Spanish capital's main Barajas airport to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.

The British Embassy in Madrid last night sent staff to Barajas airport - Europe's fourth busiest, carrying more than 50million passengers last year - to try to establish if any Britons were involved in the crash.

Some 17million British holidaymakers visit Spain every year and more than a million British expats are thought to live in the country.

Seven German holidaymakers were said to have been on board, while a Canary Islands official said passengers also included Swedes and Dutch.

Spanair's head of press Adolfo Lazaro said: 'The flight crashed on take-off at 14.45pm [13.45 UK time].

'We will not be providing passenger names or details until the families of all passengers on board have been contacted. We will not speculate on the cause of the crash.'

The plane took off more than an hour late from the airport's Terminal 2 after suffering technical difficulties, it was reported.

Witnesses said the left engine burst into flames at the moment the aircraft left the ground - known as 'the point of no return.'

The jet skidded off the runway near Terminal 4, crashed, split in two and burst into flames.

Fire spread to grassy areas around the runway and columns of thick black smoke poured from the wreckage.

Some 170 police, and 230 paramedics raced to the scene. Seventy firemen using 11 fire engines took two hours to put out the blaze.

They had difficulty entering the charred wreckage because of the temperature inside, and helicopters had to be called in to dump water on to the plane.

Last night Spain's prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero interrupted his holidays to go to the scene and the Spanish flag is to fly at half mast in the Olympic village in Beijing.

While the cause of the crash was last night unclear, aviation experts say that even where an engine fails during take-off, today's sophisticated aircraft are designed in such a way that they can still land safely.

When both engines failed on a British Airways Boeing 777 approaching Heathrow airport earlier this year, pilots were able to perform an emergency landing with only minor injuries.

In the case of Spanair flight JK5022, this points to an engine fire which could have caused shrapnel to erupt into the fuselage, fatally damaging aviation systems.

The accident comes as Majorca-based Spanair - a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines Systems - suffers one of the most difficult years in its 22-year history, with pilots threatening to strike over swingeing job cuts just hours before the crash.
Factfile

* The MD-82 is a medium range, single-aisle plane that has mostly been phased out in Europe because its high fuel use makes it expensive
* The 15-year-old Boeing-manufactured plane in the crash yesterday was one of 15 owned by Spanair and has a capacity of 172 passengers and crew
* The crash was the first in Madrid since 1983, when two airliners collided on the runway in heavy fog
* The MD-80 series, which includes the MD-82, came into operation in 1979 and has been involved in at least ten fatal crashes, with an overall loss of 1,000 lives

Ultra-Slim USB Keyboard

2008-08-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Looking for a keyboard to match the Super-Slim USB Mouse and the World’s Smallest Bluetooth Dongle? Maybe this palm-sized USB 2.0 model will be right up your alley.

Features:

* USB 2.0
* 77 keys, well arranged
* Small in size, light in weight
* Support Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
* Size: 218*110*14mm
* Weight: 220g

The USB Slim Keyboard is available from the gadget4all.com website for $22.

Rotatable iPod Alarm Clock

2008-08-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

This black stylish L-shaped alarm clock is “specifically designed to take advantage of the iPod Touch’s variable aspect screen.” This means that the clock display will adjust if you would decide to rotate the device to watch a video on the iPod.

Features:

* Wake and sleep to your iPod music or movies
* Change orientation to watch videos
* EXB Expanded Bass and Reson8 speaker technology for great sound
* Charges iPod
* Stylish space-saving design fits any decor
* Battery backup maintains time/alarm settings during power failures
* Aux/MP3 line-in jack for non-docking iPod models, MP3/CD players and other audio devices
* Snooze bar
* Remote Control Included

The iH41BR - Rotatable Alarm Clock for iPod Touch is available from the Home Audio website for $79.99. A remote control is also included in the price.

School robots divide experts over teaching of phonics

2008-08-09T11:25:00.001-07:00

"Wow," says Charlie, five, when he first sees Red the Robot.

"He doesn't look like a robot," says his best friend, Roxy, also five. "Robots aren't usually that ugly."

The two children from London's East End are learning to read using phonics at school. They sound out the letters using perfect phonetic pronunciation and seem confident using Red's scanner on the pages of the book to identify the right letters and short words.
Four-year-olds love a cuddly toy - especially one that can speak, has flashing lights and is allowed in class. Red the Robot is all those things, but he won't play Power Rangers. Instead, he wants to sit down to some good, old-fashioned phonics.

An army of Red the Robots is being deployed in schools and nurseries to help pupils as young as three learn to read. The 40cm-high toy can read stories and quiz pupils on their ABCs. Its manufacturer says it captures the imagination of children put off by traditional classes at a time when the government is desperately worried about children's literacy skills.

But it has been labelled a gimmick by opponents of phonics, the well-established but sometimes controversial method of teaching reading whereby children learn each sound then go on to decipher whole words. Red - rapid educational development - costs £130, inclusive of reading material. About 200 have been bought by schools and three local authorities have signed up to distribute them through primaries.

Academics at the Institute of Education who undertook an evaluation in three schools concluded that the robot "makes learning fun" where used appropriately. Children seemed to love it but teachers were "less inclined" to allow the robot to take the whole class. Dylan Wiliam, acting head of the institute, says: "The research on the use of such technology shows that when it is well-designed it can actually be better than teaching even by the best teachers."

Its manufacturer, Headstart, the educational wing of the toy company Impact International, says it could become an important aid to improving reading and writing. Representatives have had meetings with the Qualification and Curriculum Authority in an attempt to win the government's backing.

But some child experts expressed concern. Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, said: "Robots can't teach. The only effective teaching is by breathing, living teachers who can look a pupil in the eye and respond to them."

It comes amid a battle over the inclusion of phonics in new targets for nurseries and childminders. From September all early years providers will have to show that children are reaching 69 separate goals by the time they start school at the age of four or five.

One says they must be able to "use phonic knowledge to write simple words and make phonetically plausible attempts at more complex words". The children's authors Philip Pullman and Michael Morpurgo have joined dozens of academics to oppose the reforms.

Margaret Edgington, of the OpenEye campaign, set up to oppose the government's proposals, said: "Of course children might take to it but that does not necessarily mean it's good for them. Three-year-olds should not be doing phonics. They should do what's normal in nurseries: singing, rhyming and playing."

But Red is having a bad day. Sometimes he forgets which book he's reading. Sometimes his mind drifts and he goes quiet in the middle of one of the exercises, which are designed to be perfectly in tune with what Charlie and Roxy are learning at school.

Usually there would be a teacher or assistant to sort the problems out but we all look at the robot a bit disappointedly.

"I'm bored," declares Charlie.

What's good about Red? "He's red," says Roxy.

What's bad about Red? "He doesn't work," says Charlie.

Who's better, the robot or your teacher? "The robot," says Charlie.

Charlie and Roxy settle in to playing "teachers" with the robot and an assortment of cuddly toys. Ten minutes later Red the Robot is happily teaching penguins to cross a road safely.

R2-D2 Projection Alarm Clock

2008-08-08T14:47:00.001-07:00

Wesco Limited, a toy manufacturer in Cheshire, England, will later this year release release a projection alarm clock in the shape of the popular Star Wars R2-D2 character.

Artoo will be able to tell you the current time in two ways; with large red digits projected on your wall, or from the small LCD display located on the front of the can-shaped astromech droid.
The R2-D2 Projection Alarm Clock from Wesco Limited will be released in October and can now be pre-ordered from Play.com (£17.99) or Amazon UK ( £19.99).

Nymph - Insect Inspired Lamp

2008-08-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Nymph, as in “the immature form of some insects”, is the name of this odd and cool looking lamp by Site Specific Design - an interior and furniture design company based in Brooklyn, New York.

Body made of a two-part fiberglass mold- white lacquer finish. Light covers made of Corian. Legs 5/8” hollow steel tubes each curve is unique to its location- white powder coat finish.
The Nymph lamp measures 19(H) x 15(W) x 31(L) inches and will set you back $2,600.

Lisco USB Snake - Wearable Computer Accessory

2008-08-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

Lisco, created by the Finnish designer Laurent Hongisto, is a USB cable that you can wear in a fashionable manner, like a bracelet around your wrist.

You can use the USB snake to recharge your mobile through your laptop while travelling, transfer your pictures from your camera or just use it as a data cable for your portable hard drives.
Head over to Yanko Design for some more pictures of the Lisco USB Snake.

Philips LivingColors LED Lamp - Mini Edition

2008-08-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

Remember the beautiful LivingColors LED Lamp from last year? Philips is now about to release a mini version, featuring 256 different color modes.

Although smaller in size the Mini LivingColors still emits an amazing amount of light like its predecessor. The unit itself now looks even better and would fit into a multitude of environments, whether that’s an office or bedroom or living room! You can change your room dramatically in an instant without the need for a single drop of paint.

The lamp has integrated with the colour wheel which means no more searching for the remote control! It can stay static on any one of 256 variables or can continuously loop for the ultimate party effect!
Features:

* Change the colour of you walls as often as you change your mind
* Choose from 256 different colours or loop continuously
* Long lasting high powered LEDs (red, green, and blue)
* Intuitive colour wheel to select colour
* Energy consumption 7.5 W
* 230-240 v
* Light Output: 70 Lumen
* White or black units fit with most decors.

The Philips Mini LivingColors is expected to arrive at the end of September 2008 and can be pre-ordered from Red5 for £85 (about $166 USD).

Webcam with Fan and LED Light

2008-07-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

This 4-in-1 USB 2.0 webcam features - apart from the web camera functionality - a fan for hot summer days, a microphone and a LED light.

Features:

* USB 2.0
* Excellent Still Image Capture
* Video Recording
* Video Conference
* Work with any chatting software, like ICQ, MSN and Skype, etc
* Built in sucker with lock
* Built in Microphone & Fan
* Built in LED light
* LED Dimmer switch
* Fan on/off button
* Support Window XP/Vista
* Driver free for Windows XP/Vista
* Dimension: 75 x 75 x 228mm (approx.)
* Weight: 211g

You can get the above black USB 4-in-1 Web Cam from USB Brando for $23, or you can get a dark gray model from GizFever.com the same price.

8GB Light Bulb USB Flash Drive

2008-07-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

This nice looking USB 2.0 compliant flash drive is designed like a light bulb and small enough to hang on a keyring, but still powerful enough to carry up to 8GB of your most important files.

Product Specifications:

* USB 2.0 interface
* Internal memory: 8GB
* Small in size and portable
* Size: 60*28*28mm
* Weight: 25g

Star Wars MP3 Player

2008-07-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

The front of this black Star Wars themed MP3 player features a big close-up of Darth Vader with glowing red eyes and a shiny helmet. So far, so good…

But the even darker side of this product is its specs. The MP3 player only features 512MB of memory and a display that looks like it’s from the 80s.

A small bonus is that it comes with a built-in radio.

The Star Wars MP3 Player is currently out of stock over at Amazon.co.uk, but the ForbiddenPlanet website will release a similar product (see image above) for £39.99 (about $80 USD) at the end of this month.

Car-Shaped Bluetooth Mouse

2008-07-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

The Estilo GT Bluetooth mouse is equipped with two LED headlights that lights up when the mouse is plugged in (this feature can be switched off).

The mouse also allows you to switch between a 500, 800 or 1600dpi resolution by clicking the left and right buttons simultaneously.

Features:

* On/Off switch design
* Mouse resolution is easily to change by clicking the Left and Right buttons simultaneously
* Works with the Bluetooth enabled notebook or use Tiny USB Bluetooth V2.0+EDR Adapter as a recevier
* Interface: Bluetooth
* Resolution: 500/1000/1600dpi
* Frequency: 2.4GHz
* Receiving Distance: 10M
* Frame Rate: 3200fps
* Support Window XP/Vista, Mac 10.2 or above
* Dimension: 114 x 55 x 36mm
* Weight: 64g

The Estilo GT Bluetooth Mouse ($38) is available over at USB Brando.

Batman: The Dark Knight - Scale 1:6 Figures

2008-06-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

The new Batman film “The Dark Knight” opens next month and soon you will be able to get your hands on these cool looking scale 1:6 figures.

These plastic collectibles are offered in two versions; the Batmobile and the Batpod. Both features movable parts and headlights that light up.

The Batmobile and the Batpod scale 1:6 figures will be available during Q4 2008 from the Hot Toys website. No word on pricing yet.

iRetroPhone - Rotary Dial Phone App for iPhone

2008-06-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

The iRetroPhone for Apple’s iPhone is fun application that uses realistic sound effects and animations to simulate an old rotary dial phone.

Here’s a video demonstration of the iRetroPhone:

The iRetroPhone will soon be available in the iPhone App Store.

Skateboard iPod Speaker Shelf

2008-06-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

These cool skateboard shelfs will not only store your miscellaneous bits and pieces, they also feature two built-in 3-inch speakers and an iPod dock.

The Skateboard Speaker Shelf is made of MDF and measures 29(L) x 5.5(W) x 8(H) inches. The product is available in pink or brown for $129 from the PBteen website.

USB Cell Phone Booster

2008-06-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Cell Ranger is a USB powered device that will give 2-3 bars extra signal for any cell phone or 3G data card. Simply plug the signal booster into your computer’s USB port, place the antenna near a window, and start enjoying your new and improved reception.

Cell Ranger products contain a microprocessor that actively analyzes the signals that your cell phone is receiving. By comparing the signal strengths of different towers, the microprocessor self-tunes to the correct channels. This innovative technology means that Cell Ranger products are carrier friendly – they only amplifies the signals that your cell phone needs.

The USB powered Cell Ranger is available for $150 from getcellranger.com, who also offers a 12V powered model for the same price.

USB Mini Mouse Speaker

2008-06-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

No, not a mouse as in pointing device for computers, this is a portable speaker designed to look like the small animal with the same name.

The tiny rechargeable speaker connects to MP3 players, PDAs, CD players and other digital products using a standard 3.5mm stereo audio plug. To charge it, simply connect the mouse to your computer’s USB port.

The Rechargeable USB Mini Mouse Speaker is available from the Deal Extreme website for $6.35. Cables and a neck strap are all included in the price.

SmartTalk - Use Any Headphones with iPhone

2008-06-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

The SmartTalk is a clever little iPhone adapter from Griffin, featuring a control module and a noise-canceling microphone. This allows you to use your favorite pair of earphones with the iPhone and still retain all the functions.

When you’re listening to your tunes, SmartTalk’s control button lets you Play, Pause, Skip forward or backward. When you get an incoming call, the same button answers the call or lets you send it to voicemail.

Features:

* Adds a microphone and an iPhone control button to your favorite earphones
* Answer calls or send them to voicemail
* Play, pause and skip through your tunes
* High-sensitivity microphone for crystal-clear phone conversations
* 30-inch cable sheathed in nylon braiding for strength, good looks and durability

The SmartTalk is available for $19.99 over at the Griffin website.

Space Invaders Keychains

2008-06-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

These cool looking Space Invaders keychains from the Japanese video game developer Taito are made of crystal clear acrylic, each one with a colorful pixel invader captured inside.

The Space Invaders Keychain Set contains three keychains; a blue, a yellow and a red one. The product is available from NCSX for $8.50.

Star Wars Kites

2008-06-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

If fishing isn’t your cup of tea, here is another fun way to spend those hot summer days in a true Star Wars style.

This new line of Star Wars kites will start to ship in July and can now be pre-ordered from the official Star Wars shop.

There are six different models to chose from:

* Darth Vader Superflyer Kite ($38.99)
* Darth Vader Superflyer Kite ($26.99)
* Darth Vader Helmet Kite ($39.99)
* Jedi Duel Delta Kite ($29.99)
* Yoda Parafoil 5 Kite ($29.99)
* R2-D2 Kite ($34.99)

New Aneo Webcam with Interactive Games

2008-06-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

You might remember this Web Camera with Interactive Games from earlier this year. Aneo, the company behind the product, has now released a new version of this computer accessory.

ANEO ANWC0804 is a new gaming experience for you to stretch and relax while you are working under stressful and heavy workload. It is a web camera with three PC video interactive games: Kungfu, Super Knight, and Funny Stair.

ANEO ANWC0804 puts YOU into the theme and in real-time puts your moves on the screen while you are in front of the PC.

Features:

* Resolution: 1.3 Megapixel
* Interface: USB1.1/2.0
* Frame Rate: 320 x 240 up 30 frame/sec (CIF)
* Frame Rate: 640 x 480 up 15 frame/sec (VGA)
* Automatic white balance
* Automatic colour compensated
* Dynamic image E-mail
* Manual Focus
* Special Effect (optional)
* Built-in microphone (optional)
* Support Window 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS 10.4
* **PC Video interactive games support Window Only
* 3 different interactive games
* Dimension: 90 x 44 x 40mm (approx.)
* Weight: 54g

The ANEO ANWC0804 Web Camera ($33) is available from USB Brando.

Butterfly Webcam

2008-06-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

For those of you who enjoyed the Travel Butterfly Computer Mouse, here’s a fun USB 2.0 compliant webcam that might be right up your alley.

Features:

* USB 2.0 Compatible, driver Free Web Cam
* 6 white LEDs with LED brightness controller
* High definition: 1.3 Mega pixels CMOS (640×480)
* Frame rate: 640×480 @ 15 frame/sec, 24-bit RGB
* Focus range: 30mm-Infinity
* Automatic color compensated and white balance
* Support OS: Windows Vista, XP, 2000, ME, 98SE
* Height: 25cm
* Weight: 155g

The USB Butterfly Webcam is available in two different colors, green and blue, for $20 over at the USB Geek website.

USB Airplane Fan

2008-06-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

The aviators out there can now keep cool during their flight simulator sessions in front of the computer, using this USB fan shaped like an airplane.

Features:

* USB-powered
* Gentle cool breeze
* Soft safe plastic fan blades
* The propeller won’t cut your fingers if you decide to play with it
* Quiet motor
* On/Off power switch
* Weight: 60g

The USB Airplane Fan is available in two colors, white or blue, for $10 over at the USB Geek website.

R/C Stealth Boat

2008-06-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

This black cool radio-controlled stealth boat, almost looking like something you would find in a Batman movie, is capable of speeds up to 30 km/h (18.6 mph).

The stealth boat twists and turns with great control and accelerates up to its top speed in seconds. Here’s a video showing the R/C stealth boat in action:
It will take 4 hours to charge up but you do get a run time of 30 mins at flat out speeds. It’s easy to get to grips with so no previous experience is required. It has a safety feature which will only spin the propeller’s when they have made contact with water and can hit speeds of 30kmh!

The R/C Stealth Boat is available from Red5 for £45 (about $88 USD).

Mousetrap Mousepad

2008-06-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Tired of your old boring mousepad? Maybe this fun model from the Hong Kong-based design studio ChilliChilly can spice up your desk.

The Mousetrap Mousepad is made of pvc/rubber and measures 6 x 12.5 inches. The product is available from the Shopmodi website for $12.

UFO USB Hub

2008-06-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

This UFO inspired USB 2.0 compliant hub allows you to connect up to four different USB devices at the same time, using the eject button equipped ports.

Features:

* Fully compliant with USB 2.0 specification
* Backwards compatible with USB 1.1
* Transfer rate up to 480Mbps
* Ejection switch for each USB port
* Plug and play
* Support windows 2000/XP/Vista or Mac OS X
* Dimension: 67 x 67 x 39mm (approx.)
* Weight: 59g

The USB UFO 4-Port Hub is available from the USB Brando website for $17.

WowWee Tri-Bot in Action (Video)

2008-06-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

This new video from RobotsRule covers the important features and capabilities of the latest successor in WowWee’s Robosapien line of robots, the Tri-Bot.

Here is the accompanying written review, which contains secret tips and tricks for getting the most out of your Tri-Bot robot that are not covered in the video, along with a comprehensive breakdown of the Tri-Bot’s features and what it’s like to play with him.

USB Webcam with Speaker and Microphone

2008-05-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

This silver-colored, ball-shaped USB 2.0 web camera is rotatable 360 degrees and features both a built-in microphone and a speaker.

Features:

* Driverless for Windows XP SP2/Vista and Linux
* One USB cable, Plug & Play
* Foldable, can place any place even LCD Monitor
* Video Frame Rate: VGA, 30 frame/second
* WhiteBalance: Automatic
* Exposal Control: Automatic
* Flash Control: Automatic
* Build-in Hi-Fi Baffle Box
* Build-in audio chip
* USB 2.0 Interface
* Rotation 360

The USB Webcam with Speaker and Microphone, which will be available in mid June over at GizFever.com, can be pre-ordered for $31.99.

iPhone Case by Oakley

2008-05-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

Oakley’s iPhone case is made of lightweight molded Unobtanium and will give a good protection to your phone with its durable sure-grip design.

The side has an open face for the screen, and the case geometry gives you full access to cord connections and controls. If you’re ready to go mobile with some style, this is the case you’ve been looking for.

Features:

* Lightweight molded Unobtainium® rubber
* Open face for full view and access to touch screen
* Sits on its side to let you view video
* Offers convenient access to controls and cord jacks

The Oakley iPhone Case is available from oakley.com for $30.

2.4GHz Wireless Mini Mouse

2008-05-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

This tiny lightweight mouse operates using a 2.4GHz wireless connection and weighs only 32g, making it a great computer accessory when traveling.

Features

* Mouse speed: 400 / 800 / 1600 dpi, 3200fps
* After recharge, the mouse can be used for 21 days (3 hours utillzation per day). In the case of continuous usage, the power can last for 70 hours
* Compact and light design, ideal for traveling
* Transmission rang: 7 meters
* Support Window ME/2000/XP/Vista, Mac OSX 10.2 or above (support USB port only)
* 2 Colors availables - Black and Siliver
* Dimension: 68 x 38 x 28mm (approx.) (Mouse)
* Weight: 32g

The Tiny 2.4GHz Wireless Mouse is available in black or silver for $29 over at USB Brando. A USB charging cable and a USB receiver is included in the price.

Stylish USB Laptop Speaker

2008-05-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

This cool little USB speaker will allow you to turn the music up to a level that your built-in speakers probably won’t be able to.

USB connection provides battery-free and wireless power for clean and clear sound to go; flexible gooseneck construction allows for customized speaker placement.

The USB Laptop Speaker measures 3.25(W) x 7(H) x 1.25(D) inches and is available from the UrbanOutfitters.com website for $39.

Strawberry USB Flash Drive

2008-05-17T03:52:00.000-07:00

This fun little USB flash drive comes in the shape of a tasty looking strawberry and features a storage capacity of 1 gigabyte.

Features:

* Mac and PC compatible
* Includes: 1 GB USB flash memory drive, instructional booklet.
* 1.5(W) x 2(H) inches
* Plastic, electronics

The USB 1GB Strawberry is available for $50 over at UrbanOutfitters.com.

Bluetooth Cassette Tape Adapter

2008-05-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

This Bluetooth adapter is designed like an old cassette tape and connects with mobile phones, MP3 players, PCs, PDAs and other devices that support the wireless Bluetooth technology.

Features:

* Bluetooth audio tapes adapter specification: Version 1.2, Class 2, 10meters
* Car charger input: DC 12V-24V
* Car charger output: DC 5V
* Normal charge time: more than 2hrs
* Talk time: 5 hrs
* Standby timers: 120 hrs
* Build-in the rechargeable lithium battery
* Dimensions: 100mm x 64mm x 10mm
* Net weight: 40g

The Flexii Bluetooth Cassette Adapter is available from Vavolo for $39.99, or you can get it from Uxcell for $34.99.

Hello Kitty Mobile Phone with Speakers

2008-05-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

We have seen both a slider and a candy bar Hello Kitty mobile phone earlier, but never before a model that comes with a separate pair of speakers.

This GSM 900/1800 phone measures 90×49×15 mm , weighs 75 grams and will give you 120-150 minutes of talktime and 80-120 hours of standby time.

It features a 2.2-inch screen with 260,000 colors at a resolution of 176 × 220 pixels, and a 1,3 megapixel camera with audio and video support. The built-in MP3 player allows you to jump to the next track by shaking the phone.

Features:

* 64 polyphonic ringtones; support format: MP3, Midi, WAV, AMR
* Camera: 1.3 million pixels; support audio recording, support pendulum white balance, exposure compensation, the maximum supported resolution of 1280 * 1024 photo
* 64 MB memory size. 512 M TF maximum support expansion cards to support expansion
* Games: Throwing Bosons, F1 car, UFO Invasion, Intelligent Puzzles
* Supports USB Direct Reading (XP) system
* Image Format: JPG, GIF
* MP3 music player
* 16-LED flash sidebar

The Hello Kitty Mobile Phone with Speakers is sold by the Chinese Schenzen Fvman Electronics company. No word on pricing or availability though.

There is one question remaining: what’s up with those speakers? There is no info whatsoever about them, but they seem to ship together with the phone.

Egg-Shaped USB Speaker

2008-05-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

If you enjoyed the Egg-Shaped USB Photo Frame with Digital Clock from last week, this little speaker will probably be right up your alley.

The speaker is available i four different colors - black, blue, red or silver - and is described as “small in size but big in bass”. The built-in battery charges every time you hook up the speaker via your computer’s USB port, so that you can use it on-the-go.

The Easter Egg Tumbler Speaker is available from GizFever.com for $17.99.

seiko slimstick tracks your every move

2008-04-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

This modern twist on the classic pedometer doesn’t just track your steps, it lets you keep tabs on the quality of the exercise you get during your day-to-day life.

Unlike meters that just count your steps, the Seiko SlimStick uses modern dual-axis accelerometers to track the magnitude of your movements, giving greater value to more intensive exercise. Just clip the compact SlimStick onto your clothes or stick it in a pocket, and it’ll track your activity level.

The SlimStick can count calories burned over the course of the day, amount of time you were active, the number of steps you walked as well as an overall exercise quality score. It’ll store up to twelve weeks of summary data, so you can check your progress over time.

All those smarts fit into a sleek brushed aluminum case that’s just about the size of a pack of chewing gum. They’re available in silver, pink or gold metal finishes, and retail between ¥5,775 and ¥6,984 (appx. $55 to $67 USD). Seiko is currently selling these only in Japan, where you can find them at AssistOn.

Super Mario Singing Glow Star

2008-04-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

This little desktop gadget companion flashes on and off and plays the Super Mario Brothers music with a simple push of a button on the back and the star.

Features

* Push a button on the back and the star pulses on-and-off and plays the invincibility song from Super Mario
* Included stand
* Mounting hole on back for wall mounting
* Imported from Japan
* Officially Licensed Nintendo Product
* Requires 2 AAA Batteries. Not Included
* Stands 5.75 inches high

The Super Mario Singing Glow Star ($17.99) is available from ThinkGeek.