999news

Muammar Gaddafi Death

2011-10-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

Libyan authorities are planning a secret burial within the next few hours for ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi following his capture and death.

The BBC's Caroline Hawley in Tripoli says officials early on Friday were still undecided as to where and how it should take place.

Earlier, officials said Col Gaddafi had been killed in crossfire after being captured in his birthplace of Sirte.
Nato is expected to declare an end to its Libya campaign in the coming hours.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the alliance's military operation in Libya could be considered "finished" with the death of Col Gaddafi.

"I think we can say that the military operation is finished, that the whole of Libyan territory is under the control of the National Transitional Council (NTC) and that, subject to a few transitory measures in the week to come, the Nato operation has arrived at its end," he told Europe 1 radio from India.
Our correspondent says that amid scenes of celebration across Libya, the authorities now have to decide how to deal with Col Gaddafi's death and in particular his burial.
However, questions are mounting as to exactly what happened in his last moments following his capture in Sirte, she adds.

The deposed leader's body was believed to still be in Misrata on Friday morning - the town he was taken to following his capture in Sirte.
Authorities have denied he was executed.

Golden pistol

Mr Jibril said Col Gaddafi had been shot in the head in an exchange between Gaddafi loyalists and NTC fighters following his capture.

Video footage suggests Col Gaddafi was dragged through the streets.
An NTC fighter told the BBC he found the former Libyan leader hiding in a drainage pipe and he had begged him not to shoot.

The fighter showed reporters a golden pistol he said he had taken from Col Gaddafi.
Senior NTC member Mohammed Sayeh told the BBC he doubted that the colonel was killed intentionally, but added: "Even if he was killed intentionally, I think he deserves this."

He added: "If they kill him 1,000 times, I think it will not pay back the Libyans what he has done. We've lost over 70,000 of our best men because of this monster."
UK-based human rights group Amnesty International called for "a full, independent and impartial inquiry" into the circumstances of Col Gaddafi's death.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an ally and friend of the colonel, called his death deplorable.
"They murdered him," Chavez told reporters.

Despite the controversy, celebrations continued late into the night in towns and cities across Libya.
Groups of young men fired guns in the air, and drivers honked their horns in jubilation.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, said Col Gaddafi's death marked the start of a new era for the Libyan people.

Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that with the death of Col Gaddafi, an end to the alliance's involvement in the country "has now moved much closer".

"After 42 years, Col Gaddafi's rule of fear has finally come to an end," he said. "I call on all Libyans to put aside their differences and work together to build a brighter future."
Nato's seven-month campaign of air strikes was carried out under a UN mandate authorising the use of force to protect civilians in Libya.
Nato has carried out some 26,000 sorties and almost 10,000 strike missions.
Corpse filmed

Col Gaddafi was toppled from power in August after 42 years in charge of the country.
He was making his last stand in Sirte alongside two of his sons, Mutassim and Saif al-Islam, according to reports.

A body that officials identified as that of Mutassim has been shown on Libyan TV.
A reporter with Reuters news agency described how the body of Mutassim - the former national security adviser to the Libyan government - had been laid out on blankets on the floor of a house in the city of Misrata, while people jostled to take pictures of the corpse with their mobile phones.
There are conflicting reports as to the whereabouts of Saif al-Islam.

Acting Justice Minister Mohammad al-Alagi told AP news agency that Saif al-Islam had been captured and taken to hospital with a leg wound.
But another NTC official said his whereabouts were unknown.

Mobile phone brain cancer link rejected

2011-10-21T01:27:00.000-07:00

The risk mobiles present has been much debated over the past 20 years as use of the phones has soared.
The latest study led by the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Denmark looked at more than 350,000 people with mobile phones over an 18-year period.

Researchers concluded users were at no greater risk than anyone else of developing brain cancer.
The findings, published on the British Medical Journal website, come after a series of studies have come to similar conclusions.

'Reassuring' But there has also been some research casting doubt on mobile phone safety, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that they could still be carcinogenic.
In doing so, the WHO put mobile phones in the same category as coffee, meaning a link could not be ruled out but could not be proved either.
The Department of Health continue to advise that anyone under the age of 16 should use mobile phones only for essential purposes and keep all calls short.

These results are the strongest evidence yet that using a mobile phone does not seem to increase the risk of cancers of the brain or central nervous system in adults”

End Quote Hazel Nunn Cancer Research UK

The Danish study, which built on previous research that has already been published by carrying out a longer follow-up, found there was no significant difference in rates of brain or central nervous system cancers among those who had mobiles and those that did not.

Of the 358,403 mobile phone owners looked at, 356 gliomas (a type of brain cancer) and 846 cancers of the central nervous system were seen - both in line with incidence rates among those who did not own a mobile.

Even among those who had had mobiles the longest - 13 years or more - the risk was no higher, the researchers concluded.

But they still said mobile phone use warranted continued follow up to ensure cancers were not developing over the longer term, and to see what the effect was in children.
Hazel Nunn, head of evidence and health information at Cancer Research UK, said: "These results are the strongest evidence yet that using a mobile phone does not seem to increase the risk of cancers of the brain or central nervous system in adults."

Prof Anders Ahlbom, from Sweden's Karolinska Institute, praised the way the study was conducted, adding the findings were "reassuring".
Prof David Spiegelhalter, an expert specialising in the understanding of risk who is based at the University of Cambridge, said: "The mobile phone records only go up to 1995 and so the comparison is mainly between early and late adopters, but the lack of any effect on brain tumours is still very important evidence."
And Prof Malcolm Sperrin, director of medical physics at Royal Berkshire Hospital, said: "The findings clearly reveal that there is no additional overall risk of developing a cancer in the brain although there does seem to be some minor, and not statistically significant, variations in the type of cancer."

But the researchers themselves do accept there were some limitations to the study, including the exclusion of "corporate subscriptions", thereby excluding people who used their phones for business purposes, who could be among the heaviest users.

Health Insurance

2011-10-21T01:23:00.000-07:00

Willing umbrella before it rains. This maxim is precisely applied in our daily lives. We as humans can not know the future. Now we may be healthy, but if the Lord wills, perhaps next week we hit a disease that we do not expect before.

Are you already making preparations to face the possibility of pain in the future? How is your financial plan? Do you realize, that the cost of hospital medicine + doctor + is not cheap? Can you pay all that when the time comes?

This website aims to introduce the concept of health insurance to you. With health insurance, medical expenses will be covered by insurance companies. Please read the following article to add to your understanding:

Why do we need health insurance?
Insurance Calculator
Insurance programs

If you are interested to participate in health insurance and are still confused, you can request a free consultation from us. We will answer your questions and provide relevant information.

Not the iPhone5, Just the iPhone4S

2011-10-21T01:20:00.000-07:00

The latest generation of Apple’s smartphone has been waiting the past few weeks was not the iPhone5. No new models with screens wider or thinner design than as the rumored iPhone4. Apple announced its newest product, the iPhone4S, in a press conference in Cupertino, California, United States, Tuesday (04/10/2011).

iPhone4S is Apple’s first product launched under the leadership of Tim Cook as CEO to replace Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs did not appear at all on stage. Tim Cook opened the event with a showcase achievement Apple before the iPhone4S was announced at the peak of the event.

In appearance, the same as the iPhone4 that has been circulating for almost a year with the screen size and the same thickness. However, new features, better than its predecessor’s. iPhone4S using the processor and graphics card with AppleA5 dual-core chips like those used iPad2 thus providing twice the performance and multimedia access experience seven times faster.

IPhone camera according to the latest predictions, namely the 8-megapixel sensor that produces images with a maximum size of 3264 x 2448 pixels. Interestingly, it can record video with 1080p HD quality. This product uses the new Image Signal Processor designed for Apple to do facial recognition and introduction of white balance 26 per cent better. The lenses are composed of five layers so as to produce images 30 percent sharper and equipped with infrared filters to produce a more natural color. Just takes 1.1 seconds for the first time shooting.

Connection supports GSM and CDMA networks at the same time thus giving greater convenience to the user to select the desired service. iPhone4S also has a direct use of IOS 5 that comes with new features. Data access capabilities with high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) also increased from a maximum of 7.2 Mbps on the iPhone4 to 14.4 Mbps on the iPhone 4S. iPhone4S does not yet support the 4G technology LTE.

This will be the first smartphone that supports voice recognition feature that is named Siri. The user can give commands to the various menus such as playing music, GPS navigation, and search contacts. Siri is designed to be a personal assistant that helps users answer questions directly.

iPhone4S will be available starting October 14, 2011 with white and black model with a price of 199 dollars for the 16 GB version, 299 dollars for 32 GB, and 399 U.S. dollars for 64 GB. Everything is of course to purchase a data package subscription contract two years in the U.S.. Apple is adding distribution channels through the Sprint Nextel in the U.S. than AT & T and Verizon Wireless. Besides the U.S., the first debut will also be available in Canada, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, and Japan. Following 24 other states on October 28, 2011.

The presence of iPhone4S nor more economical models like the rumors that circulated earlier. However, Apple is definitely strategy remains the same, that is so new products are present, the old models come down in price. iPhone3GS with 8GB model and even provided free of charge to customers with a two-year contract in the U.S., while the iPhone4 with 8GB model priced at only 99 U.S. dollars with the same contract.

Foxconn Producing About 150,000 iPhones 5 Per Day

2011-10-21T01:17:00.001-07:00

One of the largest hardware manufacturing company in China, Foxconn, reported an average producing of 150,000 units the iPhone 5 every day. This information is reported by the website of Taiwan, DigiTimes web-site and quoted Forbes, today.

The site reported that all the component suppliers fully operational for Apple’s latest smartphone that his form is still mysterious. Said to be mysterious because rumors will release the iPhone 5 has not been clear until now. Among other lens manufacturers Largan Precision, a supplier of glass G-Tech Optoelectronics, and battery manufacturers and Dynapack Simplo.

In addition, Apple is expected to distribute the iPhone 5 about 5-6 million units this month alone. Until the end of the year, shipments of the iPhone 5 will reach 22 million units.

Apart from Foxconn, Apple’s also provides contract production of iPhone 5 to Pegatron Technology. However, only about 15 percent of the total product to be marketed and will not be distributed until next year.
Until now, the iPhone 5 launch plan is still a rumor. Apple seal any product information that may be launched and did not respond to rumors developed as before. Only Apple is reported to have lost a prototype product that is being developed and are known is called the iPhone 5.

Last Rumors, iPhone 5 will be launched October 21, 2011. The shape is predicted to be thinner, but with a wider screen that is 4 inches. The camera used is based on the possibility of 8-megapixel photos that revealed the results on the internet. Let’s wait the official news from Apple.
You can read added information about iphone 5 cases.

Your Path to Successful Control of Diabetes

2011-10-21T00:57:00.001-07:00

If you've had diabetes for a year or more, you've probably already learned the skills you need to manage your condition, yet it's natural to feel overwhelmed at times. You can make your management plan easier to live with. Try these tips to help keep yourself on the path to good health.

Evaluate your lifestyle

Write down the things in your life that make it hard to stick with your routine. Then think of ways to improve the situation. Here are some suggestions:

Keep stress under control. Stress is a normal part of life. It can be short term, such as having to wait in line when you’re in a hurry, or long term such as living in a difficult marriage. Mental stress causes the body to produce extra hormones. These hormones make it difficult to control your blood sugar. Short-term stress will go away, but long-term stress won’t—and it may make it difficult to manage your diabetes. You can keep stress under control through exercise, hobbies, community activities, and relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises.
Get moving. Make it easy to get exercise. Exercise will help control your blood sugar, reduce stress, and control weight. Join a gym close to home or keep your walking shoes by the front door for a quick jaunt after dinner. Recruit your spouse or a friend—exercising with a partner can be motivating.
Eat well. Good nutrition and a careful meal plan will make it easier to manage your diabetes and control your weight. Buy nutritious foods. Stock your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber foods. You're less likely to succumb to cravings if high-fat treats are out of reach.
Stay up to date. Keep up with recommended screening exams and immunizations for you and your family. Although your attention is focused on managing your diabetes, don’t forget to have recommended dental checkups, cholesterol and cancer screenings recommended for your age and gender, and vaccinations, such as an annual flu shot or a one-time pneumonia shot. Your children and spouse should get appropriate screenings and vaccinations, too. Healthy family members will help keep you healthy and reduce stress.
Know what to do when you get sick. Colds, the flu, and intestinal upsets are common, but they can make control of your blood sugar more difficult. Talk with your health care provider and plan how you will take care of yourself if you become ill.

Encourage support

If family or friends seem to be undermining your efforts, sit down and talk seriously with them about how important their support is to you and to your efforts. Let them know what you need to do to control your diabetes and how they can help. Also, take a look at your own behavior. An on-again, off-again approach to diabetes management can confuse people.
If you don't belong to a support group, consider joining one. Also, think about offering support to people who have just been diagnosed. Helping others can help reinforce your efforts. Look for a group through your local clinic or the American Diabetes Association.

Prepare for setbacks

Everyone has setbacks. When you veer off course, try not to beat yourself up; that will only increase your risk for a relapse. Rather, ask yourself what made you start to slip:

Are your goals too high? Small, easy-to-attain goals are easier to stick with.
Are you having trouble sticking with your plan? Now may be the time to assess how well your management plan matches your lifestyle. Then talk with your doctor about making some changes.

You're more likely to overcome temporary setbacks if you get right back on track. Give yourself credit for all the progress you've made, and focus on what you can learn from the experience.

Reward yourself

Make it part of your diabetes management plan to set reasonable goals, and then treat yourself when you reach one. For example, when you fit in four or more exercise sessions in one week, take your medicine at the right time for a week or have only a small slice of cake on a special occasion, give yourself a nonfood reward. Keep a list of these rewards handy.
Because you have diabetes, you've made many changes that we all should make for good health. Instead of focusing on what you've given up, try to remember what you have to gain from your healthy habits. A positive attitude can help you keep up with those habits for life.

First iPhone 4S Siri

2011-10-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

The first iPhone 4S ad has aired on TV and very prominently features Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant exclusive to Apple's newest handset. The ad shows several people talking to their iPhones, asking questions, looking up directions, setting up reminders -- all in very natural language. Siri itself doesn't appear until near the end of the video, though, so people who've never heard of the feature before may find this commercial somewhat confusing at first.
We've embedded a version of the commercial below (hat tip to Engadget) that someone filmed off their TV. The official ad hasn't shown up on Apple's site or its YouTube channel as of this writing, so we'll update this post later on when it does.

What Are Structured Settlements

2011-10-12T01:46:00.000-07:00

In this article, we wanted to provide a good overview of structured settlements. Interestingly, most people have heard this phrase but when asked what these settlements are, and what they mean, not many can provide a detailed answer. Although not everyone would need to understand structured settlements, if you are one that does, the information provided would prove helpful.

In summary, structured settlements are a type of insurance payment a person received in compensation for some type of personal injury. The intention of this type of policy is to provide the individual with long-term and consistent income as a means of covering not just medical expenses, but also to help with cost of living expenses. What makes this type of insurance different than most is that instead of being paid one lump sum, the individual would receive payments on a regular basis, either monthly or annually.

By having consistent income, the individual now has the ability to take care of bills for him/her and the family at present time and in the future. In addition, receiving money on a regular basis from a structured settlement offers peace of mind. Obviously, if you have experienced a personal injury, that in itself is difficult enough but then to worry about how the doctors and other creditors will be paid is something you should never have to face. With a structured settlement, the stress of finances is eliminated.

Overall, structured settlements offer incredible benefits but as with most things in life, a few pitfalls should be understood. Therefore, before you make the decision to sign a formal contract with the insurance company, it would be important to gain insight into a few things so ultimately, you end up making the best decision possible. Remember, structured settlements are designed to be long-term solutions so the things you decide on today would have an impact on your life for some time to come.

For starters, make sure you ask about the various payment options. Typically, many insurance companies will advise that payments would be paid monthly or annually but in truth, most also pay bi-monthly or a combination of all payment options. In fact, you could choose to have one payment of the year larger than the rest. For instance, you may want a bigger chunk of the policy money at the beginning or ending of the year. In other words, payment options for a structured settlement are generally more flexible than you may initially be lead to believe.

Another thing you need to consider is what happens if you were to decide to sell the structured settlement. This means instead of receiving regular payments, you would sell the settlement to a special company for a fee and in return, they would give you the lump sum. If you talk to a financial expert, he or she would tell you that the last thing you want to do is sell a structured settlement. While having all the money at once is a very attractive proposition, the reason is that you pay a large portion for that privilege. For this reason, selling a structured settlement should always be a last resort.

Now, if you find yourself in a situation where you need all the money, which does happen, then it would be imperative to understand the rules associated with your settlement for selling. In some cases, the insurance policy may have a clause that makes it impossible, or at least difficult to sell. Again, before you choose to purchase a policy of this type, make sure you know what the selling options are, if ever needed.

Finally, the amount of the structured settlement needs to be carefully considered. Of course, you would need to buy what you can afford but again, you want to think long-term. Buying a policy for one dollar amount today may seem adequate. However, but what happens if you hold onto that policy for five years and then something happens where the money was needed. The initial amount may be inadequate because of inflation. Therefore, always think long-term when it comes to buying a structured settlement.

About Bankrupcty

2011-10-12T01:25:00.001-07:00

Bankruptcy.
That word sends chills up the spine. If you're facing the prospect of bankruptcy or in the middle of it right now, you know it's a living nightmare. It can devastate your job, destroy your marriage and steal your peace of mind.
Kathy called my radio show ready to file bankruptcy. Her debts were overwhelming, and her cheating husband had left with his girlfriend. The house was in his name, as was all the debt except $11,000. Kathy was 20 years old, and her brilliant uncle—a lawyer from California—told her to file bankruptcy. Kathy was beat up, beat down, and deserted without help, but she was not bankrupt. When her soon-to-be ex-husband ends up with all the debt in his name, he may be bankrupt, but Kathy won't be.

Why Avoid Bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy is not something I recommend any more than I would recommend divorce. Are there times when good people see no way out and file bankruptcy? Yes, but I will still talk you out of bankruptcy if given the opportunity. Few people who have been through bankruptcy would report that it is a painless wiping-clean of the slate, after which you merrily trot off into your future to start fresh.

Don't let anyone fool you. I have been through bankruptcy and have worked with bankruptcy for decades, and it is not a place you want to visit. Bankruptcy is listed in the top five life-altering negative events that we can go through, along with divorce, severe illness, disability, and loss of a loved one. I would never say that bankruptcy is as bad as losing a loved one, but it is life-altering and leaves deep wounds both to the psyche and the credit report.

Types of Bankruptcy

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, which is total bankruptcy, stays on your credit report for10 years. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, more like a payment plan, stays on your credit report for seven years. Bankruptcy, however, is for life. Loan applications and many job applications ask if you have ever filed for bankruptcy. Ever. If you lie to get a loan because your bankruptcy is very old, technically you have committed criminal fraud.
Most bankruptcy cases can be avoided with proper help, such as our certified counselors and the Total Money Makeover. Your Total Money Makeover may involve extensive amputation of stuff, which will be painful, but bankruptcy is much more painful. If you take the thoughtful step backward to get on solid ground instead of looking at the false allure of the quick fix that bankruptcy seems to offer, you will win more quickly and easily. I know from personal experience the pain of bankruptcy, foreclosure, and lawsuits. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and it is not worth it.

Child dental health care tips

2011-10-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Care and maintenance of oral health should start early, and childhood is the perfect time for it. Parents play an important role here because the parents are directly every day interacting with children and take full responsibility for children's health, especially dental health. Here are tips and things that deserve the attention of parents:

Provide adequate calcium intake for your child's teeth strong. The amount of recommended calcium intake for children aged 4-8 years is as much as 800mg. Milk is a good source of calcium for kids.

Avoid giving drinks sugar in a bottle (milk bottle) to your baby or child. Why? as this can cause damage (caries / hole) tooth, especially dental caries in the front of your child. This type of tooth decay is very rapid development.

Brush your child's teeth, if they have not been able to brush their own teeth. Then teaching them brushing their teeth, until they can do it themselves. Watch the way they brush their teeth, whether it is appropriate or not.

10 signs of pregnancy

2011-10-10T11:24:00.001-07:00

Not sure you are pregnant have your period a week too late? Despite pregnancy test pack to test, sometimes believe changes to the body as a sign of pregnancy is still a powerful way.

Here are 10 signs to make sure whether or not you are pregnant? yuk, we check:

1. Nipple / breast softer

If you are pregnant, you will recognize that the breasts and nipples become tender around three weeks after conception (when your period about a week late). Maybe breasts feel swollen, similar to the current period.

2. Appears spots and cramping

When you're pregnant, usually marked by the appearance of pink spots on the underwear that occur during implantation (when the embryo attach to the lining of the uterus. This happens about 8-10 days after ovulation, a bit earlier than the arrival time of menstruation).

We sometimes misconstrued as menstruation, only a shorter time than normal menstruation. Cramps are also common in early pregnancy. Until the second trimester of pregnancy, cramps like this will appear. Contractions of the uterus occur regularly, increasing with exercise, orgasm and even a change of position.

3. Darkening of the areola

In early pregnancy, you may recognize the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple) begin to become darker and larger in diameter. It is believed that the growing darkness of the color of the areola helps the newborn find the nipple to suckle. You may also be recognized that the vein in the breast become more visible because the tension in the breast.

4. Excessively tired

If you are pregnant, the most common symptom in the first eight to ten weeks is feeling tired. During pregnancy, the body undergoes significant changes in metabolism. All your body needs to make adjustments to new processes fetal growth. for most women, fatigue will go at 12 weeks gestation.

5. Nausea and vomiting

If you are pregnant, early pregnancy, a few days after conception, may be experiencing morning sickness. Morning sickness is actually the wrong name, because in fact, nausea and vomiting can occur at any time: morning, noon, night.

6. Frequent urination

When your period is one to two weeks late, maybe the desire to urinate more often than usual. This is because the growing fetus in the uterus pressing the urinary tract. So was dying for a pee.

7. Constipation

Defecation (BAB) is difficult and not smooth? This commonly occurs in early pregnancy. Growth hormones produced during pregnancy cause the intestines become more flexible and less efficient.

8. Increased basal body temperature

Well, we can be sure you're pregnant if basal body temperature increases, the time period that should come missed. and not down to the level prior to ovulation. Moment of conception, the fertilized ovum in the fallopian tubes, and requires about a week to the uterus, in which the fertilized ovum will stick in there.

9. Menstruation did not come.

This is a sign of early pregnancy, especially if used regular menstruation. Combined with the positive signs in the above, chances are you are pregnant.

10. Pregnancy test.

If you want to verify the truth, do it with a test pack which can be freely bought in pharmacies. Accurate urine test for pregnancy 10-14 days of age. Remember, pregnancy tests that can be done at home was not necessarily 100% correct, even after a blood check though. If all test results are negative, while you feel like a pregnant, do more tests. This time to the gynecologist.

History of Asbestos.

2011-10-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Diagnosis of lung-related illnesses linked to asbestos exposure occurred as early as 50 AD, during the time the Romans used asbestos. In the 1800s, industries in the United States extensively used asbestos in large manufacturing and milling plants. By the 1900, workers in the industries were already showing signs of asbestos-related diseases, including asbestos cancer and mesothelioma.

Our time line provides you with dates and important information to educate yourself on the truth about how long industries have known of the dangers of asbestos.
Time Line of Key Events

1927 – Dr. W.E. Cook – publishes an article in the British Medical Journal that asbestosis is known to cause death

1930 – Merewether & Price – publishes the first clinical study examining hundreds of workers in England's asbestos industry. The study is released with the following findings:

Asbestos can cause death
Asbestos products are hazardous
Education of workers is key

1932 – Memo on Silicosis and Asbestosis - finds that asbestos products are a health hazard

1935 – Lynch & Smith – Asbestos linked to lung cancer in multiple cases reviewed

1949 – Journal of the American Medical Association – Asbestos causes cancer

1950 – Newsweek – Asbestos causes cancer

1955 – Doll Study – Sir William Richard Doll was a renowned British physiologist. He published that asbestos caused cancer, which he indicated was proven beyond a doubt

1960 – Wagner Study – Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma

1964 – Dr. Irving Selikoff study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Science – Asbestos products cause cancer

1965 – Selikoff / Hueper Publication – Many occupations are in danger of asbestos cancer

1972 – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – Asbestos regulations passed

1977 – Consumer Product Safety Commission – Bans asbestos joint compound

In spite of OSHA measures to tighten asbestos use and ensure protection of workers, people are still exposed to this dangerous substance today. Legislative measures are being proposed but are still under consideration.

It is important to communicate any known asbestos exposure to your doctor in order to receive appropriate mesothelioma treatment. It is also important to remember that your exposure could have been prevented. If you find you have mesothelioma, or another asbestos disease, you should consider contacting both a physician well-versed in treating these diseases and an attorney who knows how to assist you in taking appropriate steps to ensure your future, as well as your family's future.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer

2011-10-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer affecting the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen.

Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. Although uncommon, mesothelioma cancer is no longer considered rare. The primary cause and risk factor for mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.

Making a correct mesothelioma diagnosis is particularly difficult for doctors because the disease often presents with symptoms that mimic other common ailments. There is no known cure for mesothelioma, but treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy have helped to improve the typical mesothelioma prognosis.

Pleural mesothelioma (affecting the lung’s protective lining in the chest cavity) represents about three quarters of all mesothelioma incidence. Peritoneal mesothelioma which affects the abdominal cavity and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the cardiac cavity comprise the remainder. Testicular mesothelioma is extremely rare and is typically presents with metastases of the peritoneal variety. There are three recognized mesothelioma cell-types. Between 50 and 70% of all mesotheliomas are of the epithelial variety. While prognosis is generally poor, these are considered less aggressive than sarcomatoid mesothelioma and biphasic mesothelioma, which comprise the remainder of diagnoses.
Mesothelioma Cancer

The cavities within the body encompassing the chest, abdomen, and heart are surround by a membrane of cells known as the mesothelium. Mesothelial cells assist in general organ functions. The mesothelium is particularly important to organs which are commonly in motion, such as expansion or contraction of the lungs, stomach, or heart. Lubrication from the mesothelial cells allows free range of motion within the body. The mesothelium of the chest, abdomen, and cardiac cavity are called the pleura, the peritoneum, and the pericardium, respectively. Each of these groupings of mesothelial cells are extremely critical to the functions of the body structures which they encompass.

Malignancies (cancerous tumors) occurring within the mesothelial membranes are known as malignant mesothelioma, or simply mesothelioma. Benign tumors of the mesothelium are known to occur, but are much rarer than the more common mesothelioma cancer.

While tumors of the mesothelium were first recognized in the late 18th century, it was not until the middle of the 20th century that this particular cancer was studied and examined with more detail. It was at this time where suspicions of the cancer’s causal relationship with asbestos exposure became more substantiated. A joint study through the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the University of the Witswaterand/Johannesburg General Hospital in South Africa provided the most compelling evidence of the nexus between asbestos exposure and the development of pleural mesothelioma.

Incidence of mesothelioma is still quite rare, with only 2,500-3000 diagnoses in the United States each year. There was a spike in reported diagnoses between 1970 and 1984, which has been attributed to the latency period between diagnosis and the height of industrial exposures- which occurred roughly 40-60 years prior to this time. Exposure was common in nearly all industries but was particularly common in the WWII-era military industrial cycle, including Navy Shipyards.

Although this cancer is much more common in men over the age of 60 (largely attributed to the industrial exposures within male-dominated industries), mesothelioma in women and children has been described as well. Mesothelioma causes for diagnosis in women and children are mainly attributed to secondary exposure to asbestos, as it was not uncommon for men to bring asbestos back into the home on their body or clothing if proper cleaning facilities were not available on site.

Mesothelioma is diagnosed through a comprehensive combination of biopsy and imaging scans.

Mesothelioma can be a difficult malignancy to diagnose because the symptoms and pathology of the disease closely resemble other respiratory conditions. For this reason, misdiagnosis is not uncommon in mesothelioma patients. Symptoms of mesothelioma include chest pain, chronic cough, effusions of the chest and abdomen, and the presence of blood in lung fluid.

Diagnostic surgeries, including a biopsy, will typically be required to determine the type of malignant cells that are present in the body. Typically a body imaging scan, including a magnetic resonance image (MRI) or computer topography (CT scan) will be required to determine the extent and location of the disease.

Mesothelioma patients are generally referred by their personal physicians to one of the many renowned mesothelioma doctors in the United States. These oncologists are well versed in the disease behavior and pathology and are the most familiar with cutting-edge mesothelioma treatment options. Dr. David Sugarbaker of the Brigham and Women's Hospital, an extension of Harvard University and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, is at the forefront of mesothelioma treatment through the International Mesothelioma Program.

While mesothelioma is typically advanced at diagnosis, treatment options are available.

Mesothelioma, while certainly an aggressive disease, is a treatable malignancy. While there is no cure for mesothelioma, treatment options including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are available for many patients. While a combination of Alimta® and Cisplatin is currently the only FDA approved chemotherapy regimen, several clinical trials are currently in progress utilizing other drugs including Gemcitabine and Onconase, with many showing dramatically improved results in certain cancer patients.

Radiation therapy is also utilized, but typically in conjunction with other treatment methods like surgery and chemotherapy. Surgical resection of mesothelioma is possible in early-stage-diagnosed patients. Aggressive surgeries such as extrapleural pneumonectomy can extend survival rates far beyond previously-thought timeframes. Diagnostic and palliative surgeries such as pleurocentesis and pleurodesis are also common in patients of malignant mesothelioma cancer.

Alternative therapies have also been used effectively by many mesothelioma patients to assist in managing symptoms of the disease and conventional treatments. These treatments are mainly preferential but can be extremely valuable to many patients.

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is only caused by exposure to asbestos, though cases have been documented in children or other individuals with no asbestos history. Asbestos is a microscopic and naturally-occuring mineral that lodges in the pleural lining of the lungs and the peritoneal lining of the abdominal cavity. In most cases, several years will pass (up to 60) before mesothelioma develops in those who had been exposed to asbestos.

In many cases, those diagnosed with mesothelioma who are known to have been exposed to asbestos may be eligible for financial compensation from asbestos manufacturers for their illness. Those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and were exposed to asbestos should fill out the brief form on this page. We'll rush you a complimentary mesothelioma and asbestos exposure information kit detailing new mesothelioma treatments, active clinical trials, top doctors, as well as how to obtain compensation for asbestos-related health conditions like mesothelioma.

10 Fruits and Vegetables High In Antioxidan

2011-10-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Antioxidants are used by the body to fight cell damaging free radicals. Research continues to reveal more and more functions of antioxidants in maintaining health. The following ten fruits and vegetables are especially high in antioxidants.

Blueberries
The USDA ranked blueberries highest in antioxidants out of 40 other common fruits and vegetables. Some of the antioxidants they contain are anthocyanins, phenolic, ellagic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Kale
Kale is vey high in beta-carotene, lutein, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are very high in beta-carotene, selenium, anthocyanins, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is very high in beta-carotene, lutein, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C.

Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are very high in selenium and vitamin C.

Carrots
Carrots contain beta-carotene, selenium, lutein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Canteloupe
Canteloupe contains beta-carotene, selenium and vitamin E, vitamin A and vitamin C.

Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are high in beta carotene, flavenoids, selenium, cysteine, lutein and vitamins A and C.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are high in beta-carotene, selenium, lycopene, lutein, and vitamin E, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

Olives
Olives are high in beta-carotene, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Farmers expect stable rapeseed-mustard prices for the next crop

2011-10-10T11:12:00.001-07:00

AHMEDABAD: With the sowing of mustard in Punjab beginning from mid October to November agriculture scientist at the Punab Agriculture University (PAU)predict prices to remain stable.

"The estimated higher global and domestic oilseeds production due to higher acreage and favorable weather conditions is likely to keep rapeseed-mustard prices stable during the coming marketing season, "said Dr Jagrup Singh Sidhu, in charge, Agricultural Market Intelligence Centre (AMIC), Department of Economics and Sociology, PAU. He added that zero import tariffs on edible oils would continue to encourage sufficient imports of palm and other edible oils which is likely to increase by 4 %to reach 9 million tons.

Mustard, one of the most important oilseed crops in India, contributes around 35% in total vegetable oil production to the country. "As part of our research we expect prices in the range of Rs 2250-2450 per quintal during April and May, 2012, depending on the government edible oil import policy and trends in the international edible oil prices,"said Dr Sidhu. Market prices of rapeseed-mustard in the major growing states ruled between Rs. 2250-2700 during 2010-11. The government increased the minimum support price of mustard from Rs 1850 to Rs 2120 per quintal for the marketing season 2011-12.

The centre also wish to add that mustard oil is the third most important edible oil produced in the world after soy oil and palm oil, said Dr Sidhu, revealing that the global oilseed supplies and ending stocks for the year 2010-11 are estimated higher due to increase in production by 2.8 million tons at 447 million tons. However, the world production of rapeseed-mustard is estimated to decline during 2010-2011 from 60.5 million tons to 57.2 million tons due to lower crops in major mustard producing countries such as European Union, China and Canada, he said.

Dr Sidhu said that the production of rapeseed-mustard in the country was estimated at 7.1 million tonnes with area under the crop increasing by 11% at 7.2 million hectares compared to the last year. Rajasthan the leading mustard producing state in India contributing about 45% of total production followed by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and West Bengal. Hapur, Jaipur, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Indore, Alwar, Bharatpur and Sri Ganganagar were the major trading centres for this crop.

In Punjab, the area and production of rapeseed-mustard slightly increased from 27,000 hectares and 35,000 tonnes during 2009-10 to 28,000 hectares and 38,000 tonnes during 2010-11 respectively. The major proportion of the area is concentrated in districts of Ferozepur, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Mansa. Most of the rapeseed-mustard produce is marketed during April and May.

Easier for Japan to live with strong yen than tame it

2011-10-10T11:10:00.001-07:00

TOKYO: Few in Japan seem to harbour any illusions that the latest efforts to tame the yen can push it away from record highs far enough and for long enough to make much of a difference.

A look at forces behind the yen's strength suggests possible lasting remedies -- policies that would make the world's No. 3 economy less export-reliant and reduce its unwanted safe-haven appeal. The problem is most would take time and a political consensus that Japan sorely lacks, so in the meantime everyone sticks to a time-honoured ritual.

The script goes like this: Exporters warn how expensive it has become to be patriotic and keep production at home, officials intervene or threaten to do so and offer subsidies and soft loans as painkillers, while markets take it all in stride.

"This has little to do with the yen's strength," Takuji Okubo, chief economist at Societe Generale in Tokyo says about proposed subsidies to firms expanding local production and a $100 billion credit line to help foreign acquisitions.

"It's all about lobbying. Bureaucrats approach companies and ask them what they want and they say this is what we want."

Analysts say companies that shop abroad to take advantage of the yen's strength would have done so without extra incentives, while subsidies will not stem the "hollowing out" of the Japanese manufacturing. The yen is one of many reasons why companies are shifting production abroad: lower taxes, cheaper labour and proximity to markets that grow also count.

Interventions and monetary easing by the Bank of Japan have helped keep aggressive one-way speculative bets on the yen in check, but there is widespread scepticism those can counter market forces supported by trade and investment flows.

So what could work? In the near-term, Japan should focus on pumping reconstruction funds into the economy's bloodstream rather than obsess about the yen, says Naomi Fink, equity strategist at Jefferies Ltd in Tokyo.

"There's 12 trillion yen reconstruction budget that waits for approval. Fiscal policy is of much greater importance than forex or monetary policy and they need to spend it."

In the longer run, Japan could for example start by encouraging more imports, opening up its markets via free trade pacts.

Japanese business has lobbied for such pacts as a way to expand abroad, but they should also boost imports, particularly of agricultural products, lifting demand for foreign currencies.

HOOKED ON EXPORTS

That is important because, despite the outcry over a strong yen, Japan remains a major net exporter and continues to chalk up considerable trade and current account surpluses that underpin the yen.

More ambitiously Japan should tackle reforms aimed at reviving the domestic economy.

They would have a two-fold effect: bring trade flows closer to balance, addressing one source of yen strength, and also make the economy less dependent on exports.

Trade accounts for about a third of Japan's economic output, not much more than in the United States or the European Union as a whole and less than in China, Germany or France, according to the World Trade Organization.

But with shrinking working-age population and stagnant incomes, virtually all growth that Japan manages to eke out is driven by overseas markets.

Masafumi Yamamoto, chief currency strategist at Barclays Capital in Tokyo, says corporate tax cuts advocated as a way of keeping businesses at home were needed, but were not a magical cure given stiff competition from low tax Asian rivals.

Gold up by Rs 260, silver by Rs 500 on global cues

2011-10-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Both the precious metals, gold and silver, recovered today on fresh buying by stockists, driven by a firming trend in global markets. While gold rebounded by Rs 260 to Rs 26,920 per 10 grams, silver rose by Rs 500 to Rs 53,500 per kg.

Market analysts said fresh buying by stockists in line with a firming trend in the international markets, mainly led to a recovery move in both gold and silver prices.

Gold in global markets, rose by 1.4 per cent to USD 1,660.28 an ounce in London.

Physical buying of gold ahead of 'Dhanterus' and 'Diwali', also supported the uptrend to some extent.

On the domestic front, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity recovered by Rs 260 each to Rs 26,920 and Rs 26,780 per 10 grams, respectively. The metal had lost Rs 250 in the previous session. Sovereigns followed suit and gained Rs 50 to Rs 21,950 per piece of eight grams.

Similarly, silver ready rebounded by Rs 500 to Rs 53,500 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 530 to Rs 52,795 per kg, respectively.

However, silver coins lacked necessary follow up support at existing higher levels and declined by Rs 1,000 to Rs 60,000 for buying and Rs 61,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

European pledge sparks Wall Street rally

2011-10-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK: US stocks rallied on Monday as investor sentiment was buoyed by a pledge by German and French leaders to tackle the euro zone debt crisis.

The S&P 500 topped a key technical level for the first time in more than two months in what could be a bullish signal.

Markets looked again to Europe for direction. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised on Sunday to unveil a comprehensive new package to ease the euro zone's debt crisis.

A move to nationalize Franco-Belgian bank Dexia was seen as an indication that governments would step in and keep large lenders from going under.

If the market perceives results could fail to stop the spread of the sovereign debt crisis beyond Greece, could spark a new wave of selling.

"The market gave Merkel and Sarkozy the benefit of the doubt. They know they have to come up with specifics," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey.

She said the Dexia rescue showed European governments "can act quickly and decisively," boosting hopes for real action ahead.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 266.33 points, or 2.40 percent, to 11,369.45. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 32.24 points, or 2.79 percent, to 1,187.70. The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 74.04 points, or 2.99 percent, to 2,553.39.

Bank stocks were lifted as the Franco-German pledge and the Dexia rescue helped to ease concerns that U.S. lenders would be exposed to losses at their European counterparts.

The KBW bank index jumped 4 percent, with JPMorgan Chase & Co gaining 4.6 percent to $32.11 and Bank of America Corp up 5 percent to $6.19.

The benchmark S&P 500 climbed above its 50-day moving average for the first time since late July. If it holds above that level at the close, it could trigger a bullish technical signal and generate more buying in the days ahead.

Netflix Inc jumped 4.6 percent to $122.66 after its chief executive reversed an unpopular decision to separate the DVD rental business and online video streaming service.

Government offices and the bond market are closed for the U.S. Columbus Day holiday and may produce lighter-than-usual equities volume.

Garmin Edge 200: Cheap GPS for Cyclists

2011-10-10T11:03:00.001-07:00

While there are GPS units in the market that cater to cyclists, most of them are pretty expensive. Garmin has just unveiled its Edge 200, a cheaper version of the Edge 500. It has similar features without the non-essential ones. For instance, the Edge 200 does not have a navigation function or the ability to gather data from power meters, heart rate monitors, and cadence sensors.

But what the Edge 200 can do, however, is to map the routes you have taken, let you download them through USB, and share them via Garmin Connect. It can also provide basic info like speed, distance, calories burn, and time, without having to connect another hardware. The Edge 200 can store up to 130 hours of biking memory, as well as having a 14-hour battery life.

Price For The Garmin Edge 200 : $149.99.

Fujifilm X10 Classic Digital Camera

2011-10-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

While some people like their new devices futuristic looking, there are also quite a handful of people who yearn for some touch of nostalgia of days gone by. That is why popular classic items are still in high demand in some markets. Device lovers can have a taste of both the future and the past in a digital camera with Fujifilm’s new X10 Classic Digital Camera.

For those who like things in retro design but with technologically advanced features, the Fujifilm X10 Digital Camera would surely be an appealing choice. Inside this somewhat classic inspired camera is a 2/3 12MP EXR CMOS sensor with a high definition Fujinon F2.0 wide angle to F2.8 telephoto, 4x optical zoom lens. It is also capable of shooting clear and detailed images as well as record in 1080p Full HD video.

But what remains striking with the Fujifilm X10 is its classic look. The retro design is evident in its die-cast magnesium allow exterior and with manual mode dials for control typical of classic cameras. But what might give it away as an advanced digital camera from the outside is its 2.8 inch 460K dot high contrast LCD screen at the back for viewing images or video playback. The Fujifilm X10 Digital Camera is expected to be available sometime in November. There’s no word yet on how much it will cost.

Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders exceed one million in first 24 hours

2011-10-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Last year's iPhone 4 launch brought more than 600,000 pre-orders within the first 24 hours.

This year, that number nearly doubled, topping one million within one day of the device's pre-order availability through AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.

Those that haven't pre-ordered the iPhone 4S can line up at Apple stores beginning at 8 a.m. on October 14th, or you can try your luck at pre-ordering now, though you may need to wait an extra week or two to get your hands on Apple's new iOS smartphone. Jump past the break for Apple's PR.

engadget

Welcome to Growing Up Geek

2011-10-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today we have Hacker Extraordinaire (and host of his own show), Benjamin J. Heckendorn!

As a kid growing up in Richland Center, WI, I sometimes had to be extra creative in finding things to occupy my time, and my creativity naturally gravitated toward all things technology. Soldering, erector sets and deconstructing toys were the epicenter of my young life. Taking things apart to find out how they worked was essentially a rite of passage for me to becoming the geeky man I am today.

I got my first taste of programming in elementary school on a collection of even-then old Apple II's, but I really got into it wholesale when, at age 11, I got my first computer - an Atari 800. While still ancient for the time, I did a lot of programming on it and learned a lot of fundamentals that are useful to this day.

During my teenage years, I started to veer off the technology path a bit and dipped my feet in the pool of independent film making. I bought a camcorder and just started filming movies, using two VCRs taped together to edit whatever footage was captured (little did I know how useful this skill would be later in life!). Aside from film making throughout my young adulthood, I dabbled in many tech-related hobbies, but never forgot my love for gaming, electronics and programming.

At age 22, I had my first "real job" as a graphic artist and I was able to use my layout and design skills to build my first mod -- I hacked an Atari 2600 gaming system to make it smaller, portable and complete with a graphic arts-inspired enclosure. I created a "Geocities" site about the project to share with friends, and I quickly realized how many other "geeks" there were with interests in obscure hobbies. At this point in time, the "geek culture" hadn't really caught on so I was very surprised by the level of interest I received in the mod -- anywhere from 50-75 emails a day!

After a segment on TechTV in 2004, where I talked about the process of making portable units, I was offered a book deal from Wiley Publishing, Inc., and my book Hacking Video Game Consoles was born.

Looking back, modding the Atari 2600 was probably the best idea I have ever had; it certainly opened many doors for me career-wise, and it taught me to keep pushing forward on what I was really passionate about, a lesson I've come to appreciate greatly throughout my life.

After the book, I was lucky enough to eventually turn my addiction to video games into a career, entering the corporate working world in 2004 building video game prototypes for a range of companies. It was then that I realized being a geek was an incredibly positive attribute that allowed me to use my unique skills to help those with limited accessibility.

My newfound career allowed me to attempt another build I'd always wanted to try: a pinball machine. I combined my fascination with the mechanical aspects of pinball and my appreciation for the work of thespian Bill Paxton and thus, the Bill Paxton Pinball Machine was born! I spent many grueling hours building that machine, but I loved the challenge and learning how pinball machines work -- and it's always fun to inspire others. I have a few ideas for future pinball machine builds, but my fellow pinball junkies will just have to wait and see if those pan out.

That brings us to the present. Last year, I embarked on a new journey as internet television host of element14's "The Ben Heck Show," an online show dedicated to educating viewers on the underlying technology powering each of the featured mods. With my interest in modding and element14's collaborative engineering community, it was a perfect match. I'm doing what I love and it complements element14's ongoing commitment to help like-minded individuals collaborate and exchange ideas to inspire new and innovative designs. Season One was a glaring success, and I attribute that to the enthusiasm and interaction of the show's viewers.

As I embark on an all new second season of "The Ben Heck Show," set to go live on October 10th, I plan to dig even deeper into my inner "geek" and hopefully try my hand at some new and interesting hacks and builds, like using embedded systems and products I'm not familiar with to not only teach the audience what they can be used for, but teach myself as well. I was fortunate to realize early on that if you want to do something, do it. Never let fear be a factor and dissuade you from accomplishing big things. The path to becoming the person I am today has been a winding one, filled with twists and turns galore, but deep down I always knew that "geek" is not only who I have become, but what I was born to be. And so my story goes: toy-destroyer turned video gamer turned programmer turned movie maker turned author turned electronics hacker / modder show host. It's been the ride of a lifetime, and I wouldn't trade my journey to "geeky" adulthood for the world.

Ben Heck has been a contributor to Engadget, a staple of our DIY coverage and a huge friend and asset to the entire hacker community. He even let us inside of his kingdom for an Engadget Show shoot. These days, he can be found on Twitter (@benheck) and schooling us all as host of "The Ben Heck Show."

engadget

Nokia Tries To Play It Cool With New Dubstep Ringtone

2011-10-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

OK, Nokia, we get it: you want to be cool. The Nokia/Monster headphones spotted a few days back was a start, but what better way to attract a hip young crowd than to jazz up your iconic jingle with some dubstep?
In fairness, Nokia didn’t actually design the thing themselves. Instead, they launched a contest last September where they asked people to submit fresh takes on Grande Valse, the Spanish guitar tune that’s been burned into every Nokia user’s brain since 1994.

The Finnish company received over 6,000 entries (some of which weren’t even ringtones, apparently), and a panel of 7 judges sifted through all of them to find a winner.

Valerio Alessandro Sizzi’s dubstep remix took top honors, and netted the 22-year old audio designer a $10,000 prize. On top of that, his submission will soon be baked into the software of 100 million Nokia phones, and may soon appear in a pocket near you.
In Sizzi’s own words:

“I just thought as a sound designer that a sparkling, up-to-date and with a certain coolness version of the Nokia Tune would have been perfect to attract young and “cool-hunting” customers.”

We’ll have to see about that. Nokia’s got a lot of work to do if they want to cast off their stodgy reputation, and a dubstep ringtone could go either way. In its defense, the ringtone is surprisingly catchy (at least for the first few times you hear it), but only time will tell if Nokia can gain some more traction among the younger set.

Angelina Jolie's Sons Get Fish Pedicures!

2011-10-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

Angelina Jolie insists on giving her children a broad view of the world, and part of that learning is in good fun.

The actress – and first-time screenwriter/director – told October's Vanity Fair that she sent her sons to get an infamous fish pedicure while they were staying in Malta earlier this summer.

"The boys got this crazy fish pedicure," Jolie said. "It's one of those things you shouldn't talk about in an interview and yet ... There are fish here that eat the dead skin off your feet. I thought it would be fun to send the boys."

Jolie didn't join her sons, which include Maddox, 10, Pax, 7, and Knox, 3, but was waiting for them at home. When they returned from their treatment, "they were in hysterics," she said.

"They said it was ticklish," she continued. "The rest of us hung out at the house. We have a nice house, and swim and paint and play with the turtle. There's a turtle."

Our future: Empty pockets, except for our phones

2011-10-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a Googley vision for the future:

"We definitely hope one day you can walk out of the house with your phone in your hand -- and nothing else," said Marc Freed-Finnegan, the company's product manager for Google Wallet. It aims to digitize everything in your pockets in coming years by collapsing all that paper, plastic and metal into one device: the smartphone.

The idea of using the mobile phone as a credit card, driver's license, transit pass, digital coupon collector, house key, hotel key, corporate ID and more probably sounds pretty sci-fi-futurey. But it's almost practical when you consider the history of the smartphone.

Since the Apple iPhone debuted in 2007 (it's considered by most tech analysts to be the first true smartphone, running apps and functioning as a pocket computer), technologists have been cramming ever more functionality into these Swiss Army Knife-like gadgets.

Our phones have replaced many other once-common tools, from GPS devices (remember those?) to handheld gaming consoles, point-and-shoot cameras, calendars, notebooks, newspapers and portable music players.

Now they're conquering new territory, most notably the wallet.
From there, who knows? Analysts expect phones to get so smart that they could delay your alarm clock if an airline delays your morning flight. Apple's new "humble personal assistant," named Siri, is a step in that direction. And technologists are working on phone prototypes that could be built into clothing, could project their screens on your skin or, in the way-off future, would have flexible and stretchable screens.
"Mobile phones are definitely becoming a center of all of our lives, I think," Freed-Finnegan said. "When you're carrying around this small computer, you can do all kinds of things with it."

The phone-as-wallet trend started in South Korea and Japan about five years ago, and it's been talked about in the U.S. for some time. But it only became a reality September 19, when the Google Wallet app went public for Nexus S smartphones on Sprint's network. That's a relatively small subset of people (Google wouldn't say how many), but the company says it's just an early implementation of what's to come.
Here's how it works at checkout:

Instead of pulling out a credit card to pay for your purchase, you get out your phone. Then you tap it on an NFC reader (these are becoming more common in stores and are usually labeled "PayPass" along with a little radio-wave icon) to log the payment. You have to enter a PIN for security.

Google Wallet currently works only with Citi MasterCard. Google also has a prepaid card of its own that you can load up with money from a bank or credit card account.
Some reviewers say the service is clunky.

"Other forms of payment are easier and quicker," said Jeff Blyskal, a senior editor at Consumer Reports, who tested Google Wallet in San Francisco.

"I don't think the Google wallet or any of these digital wallets are going to replace your leather wallet," he said. "I just don't think it will happen."

The phone-wallet technology is promising and probably will be a significant part of the mobile future, but it has to get easier to use, said Will Stofega, director of mobile device technology and trends at IDC, an analyst firm.
"I think the phone as wallet is a good place to start, and one of the things that has to happen is it has to be easy ... and it has to be accepted all over," he said.

Google says Google Wallet will continue to develop. The company hopes that, at some point, this smartphone app will carry loyalty cards and digital coupons so someone could just tap their phone and, all at once, also get discounts from a grocery store loyalty program or spend a Groupon deal they had in the queue.

In the longer term, the company and others hope to jam the rest of the contents of your pockets -- identification cards, transit passes, keys and the like -- into your phone, too. The details are far from worked out, but a phone with an NFC chip could be used to unlock doors and to identify a person. (Here's one reason Google Wallet isn't all that popular yet; only a handful of smartphones in the U.S. have such a chip in them, including the Google Nexus S and two BlackBerry models, which don't work with Google Wallet.)
For a hotel key, a clerk could transfer a key permission to the guest's phone upon check-in. Then the phone would communicate with a door lock in the same way it would with a cashier: by passing identifying information back and forth and unlocking the door.

Lots of hardware and industry standards might need to be changed to make something like that happen. And there will probably be security issues as well.

Even more complicated would be the phone-based drivers' license, since state governments would need to approve that. Google said there would obviously also have to be some form of authentication technology employed so the digital license couldn't be faked. That's a long way out, Freed-Finnegan said.
But the company thinks the digital wallet is a smart place to begin.

We're really just getting started, he said.

Go Trick-or-Treating with Mary-Kate & Ashley

2011-10-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

In this month’s installment of StyleMint‘s video series, T Moment, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen show off their fun sides — and their dancing skills!
<iframe width=580" height="320" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MN6Zy3xW2Ok" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

While previous episodes feature the designers barbecuing and outfit swapping, the October video is interactive: answer the questions correctly and receive a discount code worth 15 percent off your next T-shirt order.
Highlights include watching Mary-Kate lasso Ashley with a leather whip, seeing the girls shuffle around in South Park masks and watching their lattes morph into lightsabers. We couldn’t make this stuff up!

Kristin Davis is a new mom!

2011-10-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Kristin Davis is a new mom!

The Sex and the City star, 46, welcomed daughter Gemma Rose Davis through domestic adoption a few months ago, PEOPLE has confirmed exclusively.

"This is something I have wanted for a very long time," Davis tells PEOPLE. "Having this wish come true is even more gratifying than I ever had imagined. I feel so blessed."

Davis, who is a global ambassador for Oxfam and a patron for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, will next be seen in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

'Give Us a Year' to Have Kids,Kim Kardashian

2011-10-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Newlywed reality star Kim Kardashian has said she's ready for kids – and now she's put a specific timeframe on the project.

"I think we want to figure out where he's going to play an where we're going to live [first]," Kardashian, 30, told Ryan Seacrest Friday on his KIIS-FM radio show of her plans to start a family with husband Kris Humphries, who is unsure which basketball team he'll play for while the NBA lockout is in effect.

But, she added cryptically, they will be thinking about the prospected date soon: "Give us a year."

She also says their lives are so entwined that she'd slow down her glamorous Los Angeles-New York lifestyle without a second thought if necessary.

Asked what she would do if Humphries was picked up by the Oklahoma Thunder basketball team, for example, Kardashian replied, "I would go to Oklahoma City. We're not going to live a separate life."

And while the couple – who is now based in New York – is frenetically busy, they still find married life blissful.

"We are six or seven weeks in … his is six and a half," she said. "I feel good. It was kind of crazy to go right from our wedding straight to New York."

She added, "It's been work non-stop, and I think [Kris] finally appreciates all the hard work we do. It's like, 'I'm running off here to do this' … there's so much going on. He finally gets it."

Of course, things aren't always perfect. She explained what was behind a pre-wedding spat with her husband over wedding-planning duties.

"I asked him to do a few things," she said. "And he kept on being so opinionated … but when I asked him to do something, nothing would happen … It would take him forever to do something. So I think I finally just lost it and was like, 'I can't do his seating chart, I can't do any of the things on his side of the family.' It was just really frustrating because all of my things were done. So I just lost it."

More will be revealed about the wedding on Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event, airing Sunday at 8/7 central and Monday at 9/8 central on E!

Two American economists won the Nobel Prize

2011-10-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

Two American economists won the Nobel Prize for economics on Monday for their work studying how changes in government policies or economic shocks affect a nation's economy.

Thomas Sargent, a professor at New York University, and Christopher Sims, a professor at Princeton University, both 68, will share the award and the $1.49 million prize money for the work they do together.
While the global economy has been shaken by a series of shocks and policy responses, Sims said the research that won the award doesn't have any direct solutions for what ails various countries.

But the methods he and Sargent have developed could be used to help guide policymakers, he said.
"I don't think my research and methods have any simple direct implications for the current situation," he said in a telephone press conference with reporters in Sweden. "They point to ways to try to unravel why our current situation developed, and new research may lead us out of it."

Asked how he would invest his share of the winnings, Sims said he would keep it in cash while he considers what to do with it.

Sims and Sargent have known each other for decades, both receiving their doctorates from Harvard in 1968. While their research was carried out independently, the work of each is considered to be complementary. Sargent was traveling to Princeton Monday morning to appear with his colleague.
The Nobel committee's announcement said Sims and Sargent's work studies the two-way relationship between policy and the economy -- how policy affects the economy and vice versa.

"The laureates' seminal work during the 1970s and 1980s has been adopted by both researchers and policymakers throughout the world," said the committee's statement. "Today, the methods developed by Sargent and Sims are essential tools in macroeconomic analysis."

Among the issues the two studied were the effects of interest rate and inflation target changes by central banks and the impact of economic shocks such as oil price spikes.

Computer virus hits U.S.and drone fleet

2011-10-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

A computer virus has infected the cockpits of America's Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots' every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones.

Many Reapers and Predators, pictured above at the Creech Air Force Base in 2009, don't encrypt the video they transmit

The virus, first detected nearly two weeks ago by the military's Host-Based Security System, has not prevented pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada from flying their missions overseas. Nor have there been any confirmed incidents of classified information being lost or sent to an outside source. But the virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech's computers, network security specialists say. And the infection underscores the ongoing security risks in what has become the U.S. military's most important weapons system.

"We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back," says a source familiar with the network infection, one of three that told Danger Room about the virus. "We think it's benign. But we just don't know."
Military network security specialists aren't sure whether the virus and its so-called "keylogger" payload were introduced intentionally or by accident; it may be a common piece of malware that just happened to make its way into these sensitive networks.

The specialists don't know exactly how far the virus has spread. But they're sure that the infection has hit both classified and unclassified machines at Creech. That raises the possibility, at least, that secret data may have been captured by the keylogger, and then transmitted over the public internet to someone outside the military chain of command.

Drones have become America's tool of choice in both its conventional and shadow wars, allowing U.S. forces to attack targets and spy on its foes without risking American lives. Since President Obama assumed office, a fleet of approximately 30 CIA-directed drones have hit targets in Pakistan more than 230 times; all told, these drones have killed more than 2,000 suspected militants and civilians, according to the Washington Post. More than 150 additional Predator and Reaper drones, under U.S. Air Force control, watch over the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. American military drones struck 92 times in Libya between mid-April and late August. And late last month, an American drone killed top terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki -- part of an escalating unmanned air assault in the Horn of Africa and southern Arabian peninsula.

But despite their widespread use, the drone systems are known to have security flaws. Many Reapers and Predators don't encrypt the video they transmit to American troops on the ground. In the summer of 2009, U.S. forces discovered "days and days and hours and hours" of the drone footage on the laptops of Iraqi insurgents. A $26 piece of software allowed the militants to capture the video.

The lion's share of U.S. drone missions are flown by Air Force pilots stationed at Creech, a tiny outpost in the barren Nevada desert, 20 miles north of a state prison and adjacent to a one-story casino. In a nondescript building, down a largely unmarked hallway, is a series of rooms, each with a rack of servers and a "ground control station," or GCS. There, a drone pilot and a sensor operator sit in their flight suits in front of a series of screens. In the pilot's hand is the joystick, guiding the drone as it soars above Afghanistan, Iraq, or some other battlefield.

Some of the GCSs are classified secret, and used for conventional warzone surveillance duty. The GCSs handling more exotic operations are top secret. None of the remote cockpits are supposed to be connected to the public internet. Which means they are supposed to be largely immune to viruses and other network security threats.

But time and time again, the so-called "air gaps" between classified and public networks have been bridged, largely through the use of discs and removable drives. In late 2008, for example, the drives helped introduce the agent.btz worm to hundreds of thousands of Defense Department computers. The Pentagon is still disinfecting machines, three years later.

Use of the drives is now severely restricted throughout the military. But the base at Creech was one of the exceptions, until the virus hit. Predator and Reaper crews use removable hard drives to load map updates and transport mission videos from one computer to another. The virus is believed to have spread through these removable drives. Drone units at other Air Force bases worldwide have now been ordered to stop their use.

In the meantime, technicians at Creech are trying to get the virus off the GCS machines. It has not been easy. At first, they followed removal instructions posted on the website of the Kaspersky security firm. "But the virus kept coming back," a source familiar with the infection says. Eventually, the technicians had to use a software tool called BCWipe to completely erase the GCS' internal hard drives. "That meant rebuilding them from scratch" -- a time-consuming effort.

The Air Force declined to comment directly on the virus. "We generally do not discuss specific vulnerabilities, threats, or responses to our computer networks, since that helps people looking to exploit or attack our systems to refine their approach," says Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis, a spokesman for Air Combat Command, which oversees the drones and all other Air Force tactical aircraft. "We invest a lot in protecting and monitoring our systems to counter threats and ensure security, which includes a comprehensive response to viruses, worms, and other malware we discover."

However, insiders say that senior officers at Creech are being briefed daily on the virus.
"It's getting a lot of attention," the source says. "But no one's panicking. Yet."

source