Ooo, the planet is fine..
Monday, July 13, 2009
Want to keep your wallet? Carry a baby picture
What would you do if you found a wallet on the street? Leave it? Take it to a police station? Post it back to the owner? Keep it, even?
The answer, scientists have found, depends rather more on evolution than morality.
Hundreds of wallets were planted on the streets of Edinburgh by psychologists last year. Perhaps surprisingly, nearly half of the 240 wallets were posted back. But there was a twist.
Richard Wiseman, a psychologist, and his team inserted one of four photographs behind a clear plastic window inside, showing either a smiling baby, a cute puppy, a happy family or a contented elderly couple. Some wallets had no image and some had charity papers inside.
When faced with the photograph of the baby people were far more likely to send the wallet back, the study found. In fact, only one in ten were hard-hearted enough not to do so. With no picture to tug at the emotions, just one in seven were sent back.
According to Dr Wiseman the result reflects a compassionate instinct towards vulnerable infants that people have evolved to ensure the survival of future generations. “The baby kicked off a caring feeling in people, which is not surprising from an evolutionary perspective,” he said.
[Via]
Friday, July 10, 2009
Women spend nearly one year deciding what to wear
Women will spend almost one year of their lives deciding what to wear, a study found.
Choosing outfits for work, nights out, dinner parties, holidays, gym and other activities means the average female will spend 287 days rifling through their wardrobe.
The biggest chunk of that time is used up picking a killer ensemble for Friday or Saturday nights out or selecting the right clothes for a holiday.
Experts found on average women spend 16 minutes every weekday morning deciding what to wear and around 14 minutes on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
The study also found on average women will try on two outfits each morning before coming to a final decision. And one in two women spend 15 minutes the night before work working out what to wear.
[Via]
Burger King apology to Hindus for advert
Burger King has been forced to apologise to Hindus after it showed a revered Indian goddess with a 'forbidden' Whopper burger.
The advertisement shows a picture of Lakshmi, the Indian goddess of wealth, about to eat one of the beef burgers, which are forbidden under Hindu religion.
The fast food chain quickly withdrew the advertisement from its stores in Spain after Hindus across the world complained at the denigration of their religion.
The advertisement shows a picture of Lakshmi, the Indian goddess of wealth, above one of the burgers, which are forbidden under Hindu religion.
[Via]
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Daily ejaculation boosts sperm quality
Men seeking to become a dad should have sex each day, or ejaculate daily, for a week before their partner ovulates in order to maximise sperm quality, according to a study presented on Tuesday.
Australian fertility specialist David Greening recruited 118 men whose sperm had a higher-than-normal level of DNA damage.
Before the test, on average 34 percent of the group's sperm was rated as damaged, meaning that it was classified as "poor" in quality. Among individuals, this ranged from 15 percent to 98 percent.
The men were asked to ejaculate daily for seven days, but were not given any drugs or told to make any changes to lifestyle.
After seven days, their sperm was examined again.
The average of damaged sperm fell to 26 percent, placing it in the category of "fair" in quality.
Fourth-fifths of the men saw an increase in sperm quality, and many of them moved into the "good" range and out of the "poor" or "fair" categories.
[Via]
Monday, July 06, 2009
Workers have daily smile scans
Japanese railway workers face enforced "smile scans" every morning in a bid to boost their customer services, it has been claimed.
More than 500 staff at Keihin Electric Express Railway are expected to be subjected to daily face scans by "smile police" bosses.
The "smile scan" software, developed by the Japanese company Omron, produces a sweeping analysis of a smile based on facial characteristics, from lip curves and eye movements to wrinkles.
After scanning a face, the device produces a rating between zero to 100 depending on the estimated value of the fulfilled potential of a person's biggest smile.
For those with a below-par grin, one of an array of smile-boosting messages will op up on the computer screen ranging from "you still look too serious" to "lift up your mouth corners", according to the Mainichi Daily News.
[Via]
New rollercoaster crowned the world's steepest
Thrill-seekers are set to be scared senseless by a new record-breaking rollercoaster ride which is the steepest ever.
The "Mumbo Jumbo" coaster at the Flamingo Land Park, near Malton, North Yorks, plunges passengers down 112 degrees and puts them through similar forces to those experienced by jet pilots.
The £4 million ride, which lasts for 38 seconds, has been confirmed as the world's steepest by Guinness World of Records.
[Via]
Man runs 100 yards on fire and breaks world record
A Scottish nurse broke a world record by setting himself on fire and running for nearly 100 yards engulfed in a ball of flames.
Keith Malcolm, from Aberdeen, was doused in petrol before sprinting 259ft ablaze to beat the previous fire-run record of 227ft.
To claim the record the amateur stuntman wore eight layers of protective clothing, including four layers of fireproof undergarments, a Formula One fireproof jacket and three overalls.
He also wore three fire hoods and a helmet and coated himself in special protective "stunt gel" so he would not be harmed by the flames, which are believed to have reached 1,000C.
[Via]
Coffee may reverse Alzheimer's
Drinking five cups of coffee a day could reverse memory problems seen in Alzheimer's disease, US scientists say.
The Florida research, carried out on mice, also suggested caffeine hampered the production of the protein plaques which are the hallmark of the disease.
Previous research has also suggested a protective effect from caffeine.
[Via]
Microsoft drops vomiting ad after complaints
After a wave of complaints from customers, Microsoft has dropped a controversial online ad for its Internet Explorer web browser that featured a vomiting woman.
The spot, which hit the internet earlier this week, had received a mixed reception from web users.
In the minute-long advert, Dean Cain - the actor best known for playing Superman in the 1990s TV series - fronts a spoof public information film highlighting the features of the new software.
[Via]
Sunday, July 05, 2009
UFO spotted over theme park in Virginia
Denna Smith, a writer who filmed a circular shape hovering in the sky over Virginia, in the United States, says she believes it is a space ship.
[Via]
Friday, July 03, 2009
Staff strip naked to improve morale
Staff at a design and marketing company in Newcastle spent a day working together naked after being told it would improve their morale.
David Taylor, a business psychologist, told workers at design and marketing onebestway, in Newcastle upon Tyne, that a Naked Friday idea would boost their team spirit.
He was called in to help the firm after six staff members were forced into taking redundancies at the start of the credit crunch.
Mr Taylor told them that, by stripping off their clothes, staff could also strip away inhibitions and talk to each other more openly and honestly.
He said: "Inviting an organisation to go naked is the most extreme technique I've used. It may seem weird but it works. It's the ultimate expression of trust in yourself and each other."
[Via]
Geek Love – Post-it Style
Like the video? I highly recommended Signs, a simple short film about love and communication in the cold, harsh world that is the life of a single, friendless office geek.
World's Biggest Alarm Clock Shakes You Out of Bed
This computer-controlled alarm clock is touted as the world's largest. To be more specific, he mounted a large air cylinder to the head of his bed and a valve, controlled by a computer, which he programmed to wake him up in the morning.
[Via]
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Michael Jackson's fans commit suicide
According to Michael Jackson's largest online fan club, MJ fanatics have been recently committing suicide because of the pop star's tragic death.
Gary Taylor, who runs MJJcommunity.com, recently said, "I know there has been an increase, I now believe the figure is 12. I believe there may have been one Briton who has taken their life. It is a serious situation that these people are going through but Michael Jackson would never want this. He would want them to live."
[Via]
Why junk food really is addictive
Ice cream and chocolate bars are addictive because the mix of ingredients in them activates our "bliss point", according to Professor David Kessler, a leading scientist.
Snacks, cereals and ready meals can trigger the brain in the same way as tobacco, according to the former head of America's food standards watchdog.
Professor Kessler, ex-commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), claims that manufacturers have created combinations of fat, sugar and salt that are so tasty many people cannot stop eating them even when full.
He argues that manufacturers are seeking to trigger a "bliss point" when people eat certain products, leaving them hungry for more.
[Via]
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Google produces Gmail Ninja guide
Become a Gmail Ninja
Learn tips and tricks to save time, increase your productivity, and manage your email efficiently. Start with the tips that are right for you, based on how much email you get each day.
Baldness calculator promises to predict men's hair loss
A pioneering new computer program that predicts if and when men will go bald is being offered to British men.
The 'baldness calculator' - said to be the world's first reliable tool for predicting hair loss - has been a huge hit with men in other countries.
The program calculates the exact age at which someone will go bald or have lost most of their hair or provides reassurance by predicting that they will still have a full head of hair in old age.
More than half a million German men used it within ten days of it being unveiled there and three million men have tried it out globally so far.
[Via]
King Of Pop Michael Jackson Dies At 50
King of Pop Michael Jackson died Thursday at a Los Angeles hospital where he was rushed around 1 p.m. PT by paramedics. Jackson, 50, suffered cardiac arrest.
[Via]
Legless frogs mystery solved
Scientists think they have resolved one of the most controversial environmental issues of the past decade: the curious case of the missing frogs' legs.
Around the world, frogs are found with missing or misshaped limbs, a striking deformity that many researchers believe is caused by chemical pollution.
However, tests on frogs and toads have revealed a more natural, benign cause.
The deformed frogs are actually victims of the predatory habits of dragonfly nymphs, which eat the legs of tadpoles.
[Via]
Thursday, June 25, 2009
PocketCM Keyboard for Windows Mobile
Why another keyboard for Windows Mobile?
Because:
- It can be used with fingers
- It suggest word based on letter position
- It trigger the key when your remove your finger from the screen, not when you press it.
- It can be customized
- It's a standard Windows Mobile SIP, so to use it you have to select it as the input method, therefore it can be used in (almost) any application.
Another issue with most keyboard: how to put enough key to make them easy to find, while still be usable?
PocketCM offer "symbol pad", pressing a key for a given amount of time (250ms by default), will bring a "sub keyboard layout", where you'll be able to find useful symbol. For instance, by default, pressing the symbol key (123#?) will allow you to quickly select the right punctuation.
Most keyboard tries to replicate the physical keyboard we all know... with alt, ctrl, shift, etc... That's a good approach but not very finger friendly.
PocketCM goes a step further: why you need ctrl key? Most of the people responded: for copy/cut and paste. So PocketCM keyboard bring you easy access to cut/copy/paste. Simply press and hold the enter key for 250ms.
Download PocketCM Keyboard for FREE via Product Page
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Washing machine that uses one cup of water
An environmentally-friendly washing machine developed in Britain that uses only one cup of water to clean clothes could be on sale next year.
The appliance, which could save billions of litres of water a year, has been developed at the University of Leeds.
It uses less than 10 per cent of the water of conventional machines and 30 per cent less energy by replacing most of the water with thousands of tiny reusable plastic beads to attract and absorb dirt under humid conditions.
Xeros, the company behind the technology, will start selling the machine to commercial customers such as hotels and dry cleaners before taking the idea to ordinary household consumers
Only a small amount of water and detergent is needed to dampen the clothes, loosen stains and create the water vapour that allows the beads to work. After the cycle is finished, the beads fall through a mesh in the machine’s drum and can be re-used up to a hundred times.
[Via]
Sunday, June 21, 2009
25 awesome FREE Cross-platform games
Regardless of what operating system you run on your computer, it doesn't have to be all work and no play. Here's a list of games that you can install on Windows, Mac, and Linux (and some even on BeOS and BSD). Enjoy!
[Via]
A(H1N1): First school in Malaysia closed
SJK(C) Jalan Davidson is the first school in Malaysia to be closed after an 11-year-old student testing positive on Friday for the Influeza A(H1N1) was found to have transmitted the virus to two classmates.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the National Security Council agreed to close the school until June 26 and its students and staff numbering some 2,100 were home quarantined.
[Via]
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Happiest day of the year is June 19, according to formula
Psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall has devised a formula to pinpoint the day we are all most likely to feel the cheeriest.
The former NHS psychologist and Cardiff University lecturer said people should forget credit crunch worries because the secret of happiness lies with things which are free.
Dr Arnall, 44, who runs the Feelconsultancy.com happiness clinics, said feel-good sensations are enjoying time with friends and loves ones, appreciating nature in the sunshine and looking forward to the weekend and a holiday.
His complicated mathematic formula is: O + (N x S) + Cpm/T + He.
Put simply, he gave values to each symbol and added being outdoors (O) to nature (N) multiplied by social interaction (S), added memories of childhood summers (Cpm) divided by the temperature (T), and added excitement about holidays (He).
[Via]
Blarney Stone named world's most unhygienic attraction
Kissing the Blareny Stone in Ireland could give you more than just the gift of the gab after it was named as the world's most unhygienic tourist attraction.
Researchers said the Stone, kissed by up to 400,000 people a year, rates as the most germ-filled of sites - although it admitted it had no scientific evidence to back its case.
Local legend has it that visitors who bend over backwards to kiss the stone built into Blarney Castle, near Cork, Ireland, are rewarded with the 'gift of the gab'.
But internet travel website TripAdvisor.com believes those who kiss the stone are likely to end up with something else other than fluent speech as it is so germ ridden.
[Via]
The secrets of ant sleep revealed
Queen ants dozily dream, while worker ants are forced to get by taking power naps, the first study of the sleeping habits of ants has revealed.
Queen fire ants fall into relatively long, deep sleeps and kip for an average of nine hours every day.
By contrast, workers sleep just half as much and get to rest by taking hundreds of short power naps.
This division of rest may help explain why queens live for years, while worker ants typically only live for months.
It also ensures that enough worker ants are awake at any one time to protect and serve the colony.
Deby Cassill of the University of South Florida in St Petersburg, US teamed with colleagues Skye Brown and Devon Swick of the same university, and George Yanev of the University of Texas in Arlington, US to study the sleeping patterns of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta.
[Via]
Alcohol goes to the head in six minutes, scientists say
For the first time, researchers have proved the rapid changes that drinking alcohol causes in human brain cells.
Previous tests on how alcohol affects the brain have only been done on animals.
Scientists set out to test the well-known saying that just one drink can quickly go to your head.
Only six minutes after consuming an amount of alcohol equivalent to three glasses of beer or two glasses of wine, leading to a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.06 percent, changes had already taken place in brain cells.
The researchers from Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany said it is known the brain reacts quickly to alcohol, but wanted to find out how rapid the effect was.
[Via]
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
University claims Apple's glossy screens may cause injury
An Australian University is warning its faculty and students about some potential adverse health effects of using Apple's notebook and other products with high gloss screens, saying prolonged use could lead to injury if precautionary measures aren't adopted.
The advisory, published a few months ago by Brisbane, Australia-based Queensland University of Technology on its Health and Safety website, specifically addresses Mac users with Apple 'glass' or high gloss monitor screens and urges them to assess the manner in which those products are positioned and used.
"Reflections and glare on high gloss monitor screens and their relation to the angle of the monitor screen, could cause the operator to adopt awkward postures when viewing the monitor screen and using related equipment," the advisory says. "These reflections on the screen can be from internal and external sources such as the overhead lighting and/or position of windows."
Queensland recommends that users of such products conduct an assessment of the area in which those products are to be used to ensure the sources of reflections and glare are eliminated or minimised to reduce the potential for injury. It advises users to close their blinds or window shades and place the glossy displays at a 90 degree angle to any overhead lighting to minimise glare and reflection.
The university even goes as far as to recommend that students and faculty consider not purchasing products with glossy displays. Those who must, however, are urged to consult with a "Facilities Management Lighting engineer to determine if overhead lighting can be modified e.g. tube removed and still provide adequate levels of light to enable reading, writing and screen based equipment work tasks to be performed."
Other recommendations for those who must use glossy displays include adjusting the contrast to a 'low brightness' setting, which the school says will increases readability for users of high gloss monitor screens with a glass surface.
[Via]
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
iPhone OS gets an update
The long wait is almost over for iPhone and iPod touch owners as the much-anticipated iPhone OS 3.0 update which will available soon for download June 18.
Users can expect a number of significant improvements with the newly added Spotlight search feature that will allow them to search the entire device across mail, iPod music/videos and other applications.
Other notable changes include the long requested widescreen keyboard modes for all major applications such as Mail and Notes that will give users a larger keyboard to type messages on.
Extending beyond the keyboard, Apple has also added widescreen modes for other key applications like contacts and Stocks, which will show stock performance in greater detail.
Cut and paste, another long-awaited feature also marks its debut in iPhone OS 3.0. Users can now double tap on text to highlight text they wish to cut or copy or accurately drag across text to select specific words.
There’s also a handy clipboard where you can store all your copied text onto for later use.
Additionally, the feature also extends to selecting text and pictures on webpages to be copied and pasted on e-mails.
The new update will also bring localised language support in Bahasa Malaysia.
Other updates like the ability to send MMS messages and Internet tethering, whereby the iPhone 3G serves as a modem for a computer, are still unconfirmed. For more up-to-date information on this, visit
www.maxis.com.my/iphone.
The iPhone OS 3.0 update is free for iPhone users while iPod touch users will have to pay US$9.95 (RM35.10). The update is available via iTunes 8.2.
[Via]
Sunday, June 14, 2009
World's 10 ugliest plants
Ugly Top 10
1 Bastard cobas (Cyphostemma juttae)
A slow-growing, ornamental plant that can reach 6ft, also called wild grape, tree grape and Namibian grape. Plants are found in Namibia. The large shiny leaves tend to fall during winter and grape-like bunches appear near the end of summer.
2 Birthworts (Aristolochia gigantea)
Also referred to as pipe vines, they are widespread and appear in various climates. The basis of the plant is an intertwining stem with simple leaves. The flowers have a strong scent.
3 Elephant's trunk (Pachypodium namaquanum)
Found in the North Cape of Namibia, the plant consists of a thick trunk, densely covered in spines. There is a crown at the top appearing during the growing months of winter, and velvet-textured flowers appear from August to October.
4 Corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanium)
This plant only blooms every four to six years within its 40-year life expectancy. The flower is described as the world's largest; reaching 5ft high and 4ft wide. For eight hours of the three-day bloom, the flower emits a smell that is described as rotting flesh, attracting a carrion-eating beetle, for pollination. The plant is also known as an aphrodisiac.
5 Tree tumbo (Welwitschia mirabilis)
The plant, found in south-west Africa, specifically Namibia and Angola, is considered a living fossil. Initially, the plant grows two leaves from one thick trunk and, as the plant continues to grow, the leaves may split. Some plants are estimated to be more than 1,000 years old.
6 Thorn of the cross (Colletia paradoxa)
Also known as gigs, curumamil, cross or crown of the cross. From South America, this slow-growing shrub with greyish flowers blooms in March and April. Often used as an ornamental plant for its fragrance, it is under threat of extinction, due to a loss of habitat.
7 Stinky squid (Pseudocolus fusiformis)
A mushroom first reported in Pittsburgh, North America, in 1915. Often found at the edge of woods, in parks and gardens, usually in summer and autumn. The body first resembles a puffball, but later splits to form a stalk with arms that taper.
8 Sea onion (Bowiea volubilis)
Also known as the climbing onion, this plant originates from South Africa. The bulb is a pale green, with half growing underground. New branches appear each year, making it look like an elongated asparagus, with greenish flowers.
9 Vegetable sheep (Raoulia eximia)
Named because of the way it looks from a distance, this is found in New Zealand's Southern Alps. This shrub forms grey-white mounds and can spread 5ft. Tiny leaves are covered in hairs, with flowers beneath.
10 Monkey cups (Nepenthes)
Also commonly known as tropical pitcher plants, this plant comes from a family of more than 120 species. They are vine-forming, originating from south China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The plant grows as a climbing vine.
[Via]
Getting married or moving in with a partner will make you fat
Couples who live together are more than twice as likely to become obese than those who live separately, new research shows.
The study to be published next month in the journal Obesity also showed that the risk of obesity rises the longer people live together.
Penny Gordon-Larsen, associate professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, found some positive health benefits to marriage, including decreased cigarette smoking and lower mortality.
She said people living together – married or not – tended to eat meals together, possibly cooking bigger meals or eating out more often than they did when they were single.
They were more likely to watch television together instead of going to the gym or playing a sport. Her research found that couples who lived together for more than two years – especially those who were married – were most likely to display similar obesity patterns and physical behaviours.
[Via]
Karaoke Fail
Korean boy singing "Tuts My Barreh", by Mariah Carey.
Don't miss audition by Bulgarian Idol, Ken Lee (Mariah Carey - Without You)
[Via]
14-year-old hit by 30,000 mph space meteorite
A schoolboy has survived a direct hit by a meteorite after it fell to earth at 30,000mph.
Gerrit Blank, 14, was on his way to school when he saw "ball of light" heading straight towards him from the sky.
A red hot, pea-sized piece of rock then hit his hand before bouncing off and causing a foot wide crater in the ground.
The teenager survived the strike, the chances of which are just 1 in a million - but with a nasty three-inch long scar on his hand.
He said: "At first I just saw a large ball of light, and then I suddenly felt a pain in my hand.
"Then a split second after that there was an enormous bang like a crash of thunder."
"The noise that came after the flash of light was so loud that my ears were ringing for hours afterwards.
"When it hit me it knocked me flying and then was still going fast enough to bury itself into the road," he explained.
Scientists are now studying the pea-sized meteorite which crashed to Earth in Essen, Germany.
"I am really keen on science and my teachers discovered that the fragment is really magnetic," said Gerrit.
Chemical tests on the rock have proved it had fallen from space.
[Via]
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