Personal Brand Interview: Anthony Fisher | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

Interview with personal branding expert and life coach Anthony Fisher.

Your Health & Wellness Blog: Great resource

These two guys are based out of SE Michigan and provide a great service to the general public. I was first impressed with their free advice on common household problems but then I viewed their website and was astonished at the large ...

Body-image distortion predicts onset of unsafe weight-loss behaviors

Normal weight and underweight teenage girls who falsely believe they are overweight are at significantly greater risk of succumbing to unnecessary and unsafe weight-loss behaviors than girls who can accurately assess their weight status, according to new research by an expert in eating disorders and body-image perception.

Research examines relationship between body-image distortion and weight-loss behaviors

Normal weight and underweight teenage girls who falsely believe they are overweight are at significantly greater risk of succumbing to unnecessary and unsafe weight-loss behaviors than girls who can accurately assess their weight status, according to new research by a University of Illinois expert in eating disorders and body-image perception.

False body-image may cause unsafe weight-loss behaviour

Normal weight and underweight teenaged girls who falsely believe they are overweight are at a high risk of unsafe weight-loss behaviour, says a new study.

What causes weight loss in the elderly?

Home > Topics > What Causes Weight Loss In The Elderly? What causes weight loss in the elderly?

Weight Loss Survey: Diet Personality: Are You a Chocomaniac, French Fry Fiend, or Carbo Craver?

"The Top 3 Diet Personalities and Their Weight Loss Patterns" from a multi-year, 2,200 person weight loss survey conducted by ScrewYourDiet.com are documented (PRWeb Jun 16, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/06/prweb4145004.htm

John Goodman Says Weight Loss Will Be "An Ongoing Process"

John Goodman showed off his significantly trimmer body on CBS' Late Night with David Letterman this week, telling the host his weight loss is going to be "an ongoing process for the rest of my life." Check out photos of Goodman through the years The 57-year-old actor, widely known for his role in the popular sitcom Roseanne , told Letterman on Wednesday that, at his heaviest weight, he was ...

Body-Image Distortion Predicts Onset Of Unsafe Weight-Loss Behaviors

Normal weight and underweight teenage girls who falsely believe they are overweight are at significantly greater risk of succumbing to unnecessary and unsafe weight-loss behaviors than girls who can accurately assess their weight status, according to new research by a University of Illinois expert in eating disorders and body-image perception.Janet M.

Brilliance Weight Loss Will Give You the Tools for Effective Weight Loss

No matter how your weight loss efforts may have stalled before, a new Seattle based team, Brilliance Weight Loss, has now launched to help take the guesswork and frustration out of losing fat. Brilliance will offer online advice, articles and weight loss plans and products to help people lose weight and gain better health. (PRWeb Jun 17, 2010) Read the full story at http://www ...

Nutrition: Is Organic Worth It?

In our quest for a healthier life style and following a better more nutritious diet we are some times faced with decisions. Is it better for me to purchase natural, organic and hormone free foods? What do these things mean?

We Can Say That Nutrition Play A Super Role In The health Of Human Body

Get ready to experience a volume of information of the healthiest foods in the world. Here is a list of the top ten super foods that most health experts agree on. You should tell everyone you know about these foods and enjoy them at your next meal. From fruits and vegetables, to whole grains, nuts, beans and legumes, this power-packed nutritional inventory will take you into the best years of your life and beyond. Fruits 1. Cantaloupe Only a quarter of cantaloupe pro...

Nutrition Improvements For Lunchtime. Make The Grade For Mom And Kids

Busy parents often face the daily challenge of packing a school lunch that meets their nutrition standards while keeping the taste kids' love. The good news is that there is an answer to this lunchtime dilemma.

Nutrition Improvements For Lunchtime. Make The Grade For Mom And Kids

Busy parents often face the daily challenge of packing a school lunch that meets their nutrition standards while keeping the taste kids' love. The good news is that there is an answer to this lunchtime dilemma.

Nutrition Improvements For Lunchtime. Make The Grade For Mom And Kids

Busy parents often face the daily challenge of packing a school lunch that meets their nutrition standards while keeping the taste kids' love. The good news is that there is an answer to this lunchtime dilemma.

Fruit and health vs fast food

1. Love manifested in food2. We are what we eat3. Strong as a lion4. picky eating

Fruit and health vs fast food

1. Love manifested in food2. We are what we eat3. Strong as a lion4. picky eating

Fruit and health vs fast food

1. Love manifested in food2. We are what we eat3. Strong as a lion4. picky eating

Fruit and health vs fast food

1. Love manifested in food2. We are what we eat3. Strong as a lion4. picky eating

Fruit and health vs fast food

1. Love manifested in food2. We are what we eat3. Strong as a lion4. picky eating

Fruit and health vs fast food

1. Love manifested in food2. We are what we eat3. Strong as a lion4. picky eating

Nutrition Needs in the Golden Years

Many a proverb has been dedicated to how our attitudes and expectations evolve as we pass through life's seasons, but far less has been written about how our nutrition needs change as we enter the golden years.

Nutrition Needs in the Golden Years

Many a proverb has been dedicated to how our attitudes and expectations evolve as we pass through life's seasons, but far less has been written about how our nutrition needs change as we enter the golden years.

Nutrition Needs in the Golden Years

Many a proverb has been dedicated to how our attitudes and expectations evolve as we pass through life's seasons, but far less has been written about how our nutrition needs change as we enter the golden years.

Nutrition Needs in the Golden Years

Many a proverb has been dedicated to how our attitudes and expectations evolve as we pass through life's seasons, but far less has been written about how our nutrition needs change as we enter the golden years.

Nutrition Spray

This little helper entitled "Rescue Remedy" will not cause you to lose weight over the night. In fact, it will not cause you to lose or gain any weight at all: consisting of natural ingredients, it is meant to relax and ease you. Why can't you do it yourself you ask? That's a question worth exploring, but putting that aside, it turns out that most of the human population tend to feel tensions under these or other conditions. Not so long ago one of my best friends got marri...

Nutrition Zeroes or Heroes? Four Misunderstood Foods

While superfoods like blueberries, tomatoes and spinach have achieved the nutrition equivalent of celebrity status, other fruits and vegetables generate little excitement - and even confusion.

Nutritional Applications That Help Fight Against Asthma

Asthma diagnoses have increased in today's society over the last 40 years. The causes can vary, but there are some excellent nutritional elements that can

Nutritional Benefits of Whey Protein

Adequate nutrition for your body before and after strenuous work-outs is important in order for you to reap the maximum benefits from your efforts. An increasingly popular way of achieving this is through the use of natural Whey Protein supplements.

Nutritional Immunology - Gastrointestinal Drugs

Rather than choosing good nutrition, people depend on gastrointestinal drugs to calm their troubled insides only to continue.....

Nutritional Immunology - The Best Solution

We are born inherently with the best doctor in the world - our immune system. When the immune system......

Nutritional Immunology - The Cold War

Runny nose, stuffy head, congestion, sore throat, hay fever, asthma attack - the annoying symptoms of a cold war waging closer to home. Although it has long been said that there is no cure for the common cold, sufferers seem willing to...

Nutritional Supplements: Are They Really Essential For Good Health

Why should I take nutritional supplements? Can't I just eat healthy, exercise, drink plenty of water, etc.? A fair question. After all, quality nutritional supplements are not cheap. Let's look at the arguments for taking nutritional supplements in addition to a healthy lifestyle. Argument #1: Our foods no longer contain the nutrition they should Due to modern processing and farming methods, foods that should be high in certain nutrients no longer are. For example, the ...

Nutritional Supplements and False Claims, Perfect Together!

Have you ever thought about using supplements that claim to make you lose weight and help you perform better physically? This article discusses whether these products really deliver on their claims or whether most are just helping you to waste your money.

Oh my Gosh! - What should I eat?

Super foods can be a confusing subject with everyone voicing their belief of what a super food is. Truth is you have to search for yourself. True super foods have amino acids as well as other nutrients that are essential for your health. Deciding what to consume is a personnel choice that requires your attention.

Oil And Vinegar In Glass For Your Health, And Your Mom

Eating healthy is one thing, but finding and keeping fresh organic olive oil and vinegar is quite another. Managing our weight need not be done with mundane eating habits. We know fresh green salads can help. Thus, Oil and Vinegar has become a staple for many of us. Italian food, balsamic vinaigrettes, and even fabulous bread dipping recipes need the best oil and vinegar for great taste. So, after we find quality condiments, how do we keep them fresh yet properly presented on...

Omega 3 - How Will It Benefit You?

Thinking about adding Omega 3 to your daily diet? There is no doubt about Omega 3 offering benefits to a lot of people, we will get into more about that later. The essential fatty acids in Omega 3 have long been known for their many health benefits. Many clinical studies have proven that the biggest benefits come from DHA and EPA, these fatty acids are only found in fish oils, although you would still get some health benefits when taking Omega 3 from plant sources, it is r...

Optimising Nutrition On A Vegetarian Diet

What you need to know as a vegetarian to ensure you get the right vitamins and minerals

Organic and Natural Products

This article summarizes USDA and NOSB rules for labeling organic and all-natural foods.

Organic Food For A Better Environment And Health

You must have heard about organic food, haven't you? What do you know about it? Imagine if your spinach, broccoli, carrots, celery, apples, oranges, pears, and other fruits and vegetables on your table do not contain chemical substances. A healthier body will be yours ever. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic food is produced by farmers to emphasize renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental...

The Importance Of Good Alkaline Foods

It's a fact that Scientists have found that an acidic body is more susceptible to sickness like colds and flu than an alkaline body is, so thats why knowing the differences between alkaline and acidic foods are so important to our health.

Top Dieting Mistakes

General mistakes during dieting, why do we fail most of the times when dieting, what do we miss in order to have a successful, long-lasting dieting results? Don't miss this artice to find out, what are the common mistakes people do when going for a diet.

DIABETES AND PH MIRACLE DIET

Diabetes is a dangerous and dreadful disease. In fact, it kills. It is also recognised as one of the leading cause of the untimely death the world had ever recorded. Despite the heath professionals effort all over the globe. The ailments continue to increase at an alarming rate. Obesity rates is also rising on daily basis and this had led to type ii diabetes called onset diabetes.

Simple Liver Detox Programs

Our liver plays an important role in having a healthy and energetic body. But it is the organ that is given least importance because of a little understanding on its functions. The liver is one of the largest organs in our body that performs vital roles for a well and proper functioning of the other major organs.

How To Do Weight Loss Goal Setting And Stay Committed To It

The biggest challenge in weight loss for most people is not goal setting but how to stay committed with the goal. In this article, I will share with you some tips you can use to stay committed to your weight loss goal.

Weight Loss Secrets for the Master Cleanse

The Master Cleanse is a detoxification program that expels all unwanted toxins from the body by using a lemonade mixture. The Cleanse is also now majorly used as a safe and simple way of losing weight.

Fasting for weight loss | Fast Weight Loss Guides

Fasting was accepted as a voluntary and temporary fasting early as the most effective form of weight loss therapy input into medicine (Hippocrates, Paracelsus). To the revival of fasting therapy in modern times have been particularly TANNER, DEWEY, RIEDLIN, including BUCHINGER great service.

How to lose weight without dieting | Fast Weight Loss Guides

Technically speaking, losing weight is easy to cut - just your daily intake of calories and more exercise. If your body does not consider it necessary to extract the energy from the food you consume, it will start to burn the fat deposits in the waist and other parts of the body. So the most natural way to get your weight loss is a diet that consume energy, it reduces and regular exercises to keep burning energy.

Green tea weight loss | Fast Weight Loss Guides

A study is now to prove the effect of catechin tea. In the first group there are 17 male volunteers, all normal-to overweight and aged 24-46 years. This consumed daily 340 ml of Oolong tea with 690 mg of catechin. On the other hand, the control group of 18 subjects who consumed a cup of tea under the same conditions with about 22 mg of catechin.

Acknowledging what you *have* done

I often see in health seekers that we tend to focus on what has not been done or achieved as opposed to what we have already accomplished with body/health/weight as it is easy to forget as we move forward.

The Ultimate Flat Abs Diet

Looking for a diet that can give you abs washboard and get sixpack of your dreams? Or if you are a woman, a completely flat stomach? Belly fat is the issue and can be quite hard to get rid of, unless you do this.

Here's to Shopping Wisely: Foods That Lower Blood Pressure

What you eat is what defines you, including your health. Now remember this since this is an important strategy that you may want to adopt when you want to have a healthy body and mind. You don't want to go the way of compulsive shoppers who simply snap whatever items that caught their fancy in supermarkets, and people who simply follow the whims of their appetites. This should not be the case for you when you want to have a healthy heart and a healthy being.

Axis Chiropractic of Lee's Summit: EWG Guide on Pesticides

The EWG guide to produce helps consumers choose foods that are low in pesticides, decreasing the risk of toxic contamination. Choosing the right foods and maintaining proper nutrition is key to avoiding illness and disease.

Low Carb Diet Side Effects

Many people curious about starting a low carb diet wonder if there are side effects they need to be aware of before getting started. Many also wonder if there are harmful low carb diet side effects too, so let's look at the most common side effects of low carb dieting, and talk about whether any of these are harmful.

What Are The Pros and Cons of Low Carb Diets?

Before starting a low carb diet, you're probably curious what the actual pros and cons of low carb diets are, right? Looking at both pros and cons can help you make a more informed, educated decision as to whether a low carb diet is right for you, so let's summarize some of the common pros and cons of low carb diets here-

Will a Low Carb Diet Pill Help?

When you're trying to lose weight, sometimes you get desparate. Particularly if you haven't yet found the best way for you personally to lose weight quickly and steadily. Many people however, have discovered that a low to moderate carb lifestyle is what works best for helping them lose the extra body weight and fat, plus maintain those weight losses for many years to come.

Getting Started With a Low Carb Diet Plan

Once you've finally made the decision to lose weight, and you've decided you want to try a low carb diet plan, the hard part is practically over. All you need to do now is simply get started. So let's look at what your first several days of a low carb diet plan might be like.

What You Should Know about Healthy Lactation and Post Pregnancy Diet

Nutritious pregnancy diet and post pregnancy diet need to follow one right after the other for the continued health of mother and child. This is especially true if moms wish to breastfeed their new babies.

Myths and Nutrition for Pregnant Women

Nutrition for pregnant women, like all dietary issues is not without its pitfalls, wives' tales and outright fabrications. Knowing what a quality diet during pregnancy is and how it supplies excellent nutrition for pregnant women is important.

Fad Diets: Why Fad Diets Fail!

Nutrition is important in burning and losing fat. You have to learn what your body needs and what it does not. People have changed their lives permanently, by simply altering what they put into their bodies and you can do it too. This is not a new diet or trend.

The Importance of Tomato to Protect Your Heart

Tomato is a kind of fruits that is always interesting to serve. It is not only delicious, but also healthy. That is why, recently, a scientist from Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, launches a supplement that contains tomato extract. In fact, this supplement is called by medical world as a medicine for heart disease.

How Do You Benefit From Taking The Milk Thistle Detox At All?

People who are conscious about their health must be well acquainted with the term "detox". This term is basically a short form for detoxification. The milk thistle detox is one of the most popular detoxifying processes in the market nowadays. So, if you are not that acquainted with this amazing detox process, this article is about everything you should know about the milk thistle detox

How to Lose Weight with Miracle Fruit

Losing weight is fun and easy using Miracle Fruit. Added benefits are that it's safe, easy to use and 100% natural - it's a berry!

The Diet Solution Program Review - An Honest Review

A review of The Diet Solution Program.

Do Brains of Obese Individuals Respond Differently to Food?

Findings suggest that brain function associated with food motivation differs in obese and non-obese adults and may well explain the different susceptibilities to weight gain and variability in response to diet interventions.

InNexus Biotechnology Inc.-Company Report

Bharatbook.com added a new report on "InNexus Biotechnology Inc.-Company Report" into its market report catalogue for reselling.

Why Weight Loss Efforts Fail

For many of us who are overweight, losing that unwanted fat is a rather uphill task. I'm sure many of you, yours truly included, have had gone through numerous diet programs only to do it half way and started to pile up more weight thereafter. So the cycle continues with no light at the end of the tunnel.

Weight Loss is Inexpensive

Dieting or trying to lose weight has now become an expensive affair. It shouldn't be, right? But the unfortunate reality is that losing weight today requires many of us to fork out considerably amount of money.

Move Around to Lose Weight!

If you want to lose that extra weight, it is vital for you to not only observe good eating and healthy diet but also to exercise. Yes, the dreaded exercise. I know it's difficult for many overweight people out there to exercise as with our extra baggage, it is no easy feat. I know...been there done that!

Choosing a Weight Loss Program

The market today is overloaded with weight loss and diet programs. From complete weight loss regime to simply various diet pills and supplement programs, users today are indeed spoiled for choices.

HP's Windows Tablet Appears Dead; WebOS Tablet Lives

Oh, for those halcyon days of early January. Microsoft's Steve Ballmer was on stage, Hewlett-Packard tablet in hand, and the iPad was still officially a rumor.

Six months later, it's a brave new world. HP is buying Palm, the the Apple iPad is now the geek accoutrement du jour, and the poor HP Slate? Locked in a closet, if not a dustbin.

Forrester's Sarah Rotman Epps helped host her firm's Untethered conference Wednesday in New York City, and generated this tweet: "HP: WebOS tablet coming. No comment on Windows device."

Phil McKinney, a gregarious sort of gentleman, was scheduled to speak at the conference, where Technlogizer's Harry McCracken said he asked about the fate of the Slate. McKinney offered up the no comment of doom, which led Epps, McCracken and other attendees to bury the poor Slate in the grave of ignominy.

At least we know that Palm's webOS lives.

Shapeways: 3D Printing for Pros, Hobbyists—and Really, Anyone

I first heard about Shapeways in 2008: It's a Web-based service that prints and sells user-designed 3D objects. I liked the DIY sound of it, as well as the cutting-edge-tech aspect. Not being adept in a computer design myself, I ordered one of the customizable, already-designed objects (the Lightpoem candle holder) and loved it. I wound up recommending Shapeways as a really different and creative place to find gifts.

Shapeways has come a long way since then. It's added more printable materials, full colors, many user designs, and new ways to customize objects. Tony Hoffman and I recently had a conversation with Shapeways CEO Peter Weijmarshausen to find out what's new and coming up for the site.

According to Weijmarshausen, Shapeways now boasts close to a thousand individual "shops" set up by independent designers selling their Shapeway creations (sort of a cross between Etsy and Quirky), with some making upward of $1,000 a month. "The idea is to create a community," he told us, and the Shapeways community is certainly flourishing, with an active forum and blog as well as frequent contests for designers. Also fostering that sense of community: The Co-Creator model, where buyers can team up with their choice of designer to tweak and customize a design.

The CEO was also bullish on the new printable materials, including alumide, plastic mixed with aluminum powder; milky-white matte glass, made from recycled materials; and full-color plastic. Some are only temporary, such as the gold-plated stainless steel, available just until June 15. Weijmarshausen explained that they add new materials gradually, as each type requires its own printer.

Sony Announces 3D-Capable Bravia TVs for Pre-Sale

Sony today announced that its 3D Bravia HGTVs are available for pre-sale at all Sony stores. The products will be in retail stores this July.

Sony's HDTVs come in 40-, 46-, 52-, 55-, and 60-inch screens. Prices range from $2,100 for the KDL-40HX800 to $5,000 for the XBR-60LX900.

The Bravia XBR-LX900 HDTV comes with two pairs of active shutter glasses and a built-in 3D sync transmitter. Models with the Monolithic Design, Edge LED backlight come with Wi-Fi (802.11n) enable easy broadband connection to home networks and allows access to Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Platform and BRAVIA Internet Widgets, and Qriocity, Sony's new video service.

The Bravia XBR-HX909 series is completed with the separate purchase of active shutter glasses at $150 a pair, and a sync transmitter at around $50. The model comes with full HD (1920p by 1080p) as well as Sony's Intelligent Dynamic LED backlight, which allows detail to be seen clearly in dark areas as brighter spots are exactly that, bright. Included is an RS-232c I/0 terminal for custom installation applications. 52-inch XBR-52HX909 models with the Monolithic Design run for $4,000 and the 46-inch XBR-46HX909 runs for around $3,500.

Shutter glasses and a sync transmitter must also be purchased separately for the Bravia KDL-HX800 series, which also comes with LED backlight with local dimming. This series offers the 55-inch KDL-55HX800 for around $3,400, the 46-inch KDL-46HX800 for around $2,700, and the 40-inch KDL-40HX800 for about $2,100.

Customers who purchase and register the above-mentioned new models can rely on receiving Cloudy WIth a Chance of Meatballs and Deep Sea on Blu-ray. A video game demo is also included featuring PAIN, MotorStorm: Pacific Riff, and full game downloads of WipEout HD and Super StarDust HD.

Also available in July are Sony's Blu-ray 3D BDP-S770 player with built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n) for $300 and full HD 1080p 5.1 channel Blu-ray 3D-capable home theater system (BDV-HZ970W)_that includes a USB wireless LAN adapter.

Feeling overwhelmed? Let Justin Timberlake or Peyton Manning--both featured in the marketing campaign--break it down for you.

New iPhone Data Plans: Is 200MB Enough?

Quick Drive: Audi A3 TDI Beats Hybrids on the Highway

The Audi A3 TDI puts hybrids to shame on the highway. This little turbo-diesel station wagon gets 42 mpg with a 600-mile cruising range on the highway. Around town, it's rated at a reasonable, albeit less-than-hybrid, 30 mpg. Minimum buy-in runs just over $30,000 for something about the size of (pardon the crude comparison) an old Saturn station wagon. For the price you do get the industry's most tasteful cockpit.

Drive a Ferrari in Your Living Room

You may never get behind the wheel of a Ferrari, but Thrustmaster is offering the next best thing. In June, the gaming peripheral company is releasing the Ferrari Wireless GT Cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition, a cockpit ensemble that includes a wheel and pedal set. The entire contraption folds up small for storage or transportation.

The Ferrari cockpit weighs 23 pounds, so it's stable, and it's built with a wide, solid base. It has a wireless range of more than 30 feet and can run for 50 hours on a set of batteries. It can also be adjusted to fit either kids or adults. Pick one up next month for $249.99.

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Pandigital Releases $199 Full-Color Touchscreen Novel eReader

The era of the color e-book reader is upon us. Granted, it was rather forcefully nudged along by the Apple iPad, but the Pandigital e-reader seems likely to be yet another nail in the coffin of the current crop of black-and-white readers, such as the Amazon Kindle in its various iterations.

Pandigital today announced that it has extended beyond its digital photo-frame roots with the release of the Novel eReader, a $199 e-book reader with a 7-inch TFT LCD color touchscreen display. The device features access to Barnes & Noble's eBookstore and the company's LendMe technology, which lets users share e-books with friends.

The Novel has 800-by-600 resolution, Wi-Fi, a mini-USB port, a SD/MMC slot, and 1GB of built-in memory. It can read a number of file formats, including PDF, ePub, and HTML.

The Novel eReader ships in June.

Intel Moves on from Yahoo Widget Partnership with Google TV

In 2008, Intel partnered with a search engine provider, staking a claim in the world of Internet-connected TVs. No, it obviously wasn't Google, but Yahoo, and the first "widget" TVs.

Intel's representative at the time was Eric Kim, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Home Group. On Thursday, I ran into Kim again at the Logitech suite, where the company was showing off its Google TV companion device behind closed doors.

Kim received a demonstration of the Google TV technology just before I did. His reaction? "Very innovative."

Given Intel's previous partnership with Yahoo, why was Intel backing rival Google? According to Kim, the first Yahoo devices were "simple types of applications," lacking the interactivity of the full Web. The Google TV technology "doesn't need selling," he said, calling it the "right place to be" for Intel.

Intel continues to partner with Yahoo on its Connected TV initiative, and will continue to support it, he said.

Integra Ships 3D-Ready Receiver

We're all going to hear a lot more about 3D home video this year, and Integra is ready for the revolution. It has introduced two 3D-video-ready THX Select 2 Plus certified home theater receivers. They allow home theater owners to take full advantage of that extra dimension in video and sound.

The Integra DTR-30.2 and the DTR-20.2 use HDMI 1.4a A/V, so they can pass 3D signals from the player to a 3D video display, while simultaneously extracting uncompressed full-definition soundtracks using Dolby True-HD or DTS-HS Master Audio. They're compatible with 3D broadcast formats, and have five rear HDMI inputs and one output. The DTR-30.2 also has a front panel HDMI input. They're available now for $800 and $600.

Data Usage on Cell Phones Now Trumps Voice Calls

This was bound to happen at some point.

Although almost 90 percent of U.S. households now have a cell phone, the amount of voice minutes consumed has stayed relatively flat. But for the first time, wireless industry association CTIA reports that the amount of data in text, e-mail messages, streaming video, music, and other apps on mobile devices in 2009 surpassed the amount of voice data in calls, according to the New York Times.

"Originally, talking was the only cellphone application," said Dan Hesse, chief executive of Sprint Nextel, in the article. "But now it's less than half of the traffic on mobile networks." He added that within the next few years, it's possible cell phone users will pay primarily for the data they use instead of by voice minutes.

Sharp Launches 3D Mobile Device Camera

Sharp Corporation has unveiled a 3D camera module for mobile devices that could capture high-definition 720p 3D video images.

To do this, a 3D camera requires peripheral circuitry that applies image processing between two images, taken with two cameras that capture images simultaneously for the right and left eyes. This is bit of a trick to pull off for something that can squeeze into a four ounce cell phone, but that appears to be what Sharp has accomplished here.

The company said it will begin shipping samples in July, and will begin mass production later in 2010.

Last month, Sharp Corporation announced it was also working on 3D-capable cell phone displays that won't require special 3D glasses in order to view properly. (via FierceMobileContent)

Spacecraft to Conduct Massive Experiment--With Lasers

NASA and ESA are planning to launch three spacecraft into orbit around the sun some three million miles apart, and then have them shoot lasers at each other, Popular Science reports.

You may want to stop for a moment and just bask in the coolness of that idea. Back yet? The purpose of this project will be to prove one last part of Einstein's theory of relativity: the existence of gravitational waves, or "huge ripples in time and space that flow outwards from the collision of huge celestial bodies like black holes," as the report said.

To do this, NASA and ESA will deploy LISA, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna; it consists of three spacecraft that will fire lasers at each other and measure the relative positions of floating cubes of gold and platinum alloy--with a precision of 40 millionths of a millionth of a meter.

The project is set for launch in 2020.

Nokia, Harman Connect the Car to Smartphones

Nokia and in-car entertaiment company Harman said Monday that the two companies intend to develop a smartphone-to-car interface that could pass information back and forth between the two computing systems.

Neither company revealed a timetable to complete development. Nokia and Harman indicated that the physical connnection would be made via a USB cord, with Bluetooth as a backup for short-range trips. However, the Bluetooth connection could also quickly drain the phone's battery, the two companies noted.

However, both companies said that they could add the functionality of the other device to augment its own.

Specifically, it appears that the two companies envision the smartphone as a communications and possibly authentication device, capable of feeding data to the automotive system and vice versa. In one example given in a joint statement the companies released on Monday, a car low on gas/petrol would alert the phone, which would then search out a list of nearby gas stations. The partnership also assumes that locations like parking garages would be able to signal their availability, and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) would be able to tap into the connection as well.

"House" Finale Shot on a Canon DSLR

Canon reported on Monday that the season finale of "House" has been shot entirely on a high-end digital SLR, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The episode marks the "first network prime-time drama" to be shot on a digital SLR.

Based on a preview clip I saw, the finale involves some sort of disaster trapping House and the case beneath a building. I'm not entirely sure if the video actually plays a role in the plot or not, or if it's strictly incidental.

In any event, shooting a high-profile show like "House" on a digital SLR should validate the HD video capabilities that manufacturers like Canon have begun adding to their high-end and even mod-range cameras - even if Canon didn't specifically say that the video shot was in HD.

In addition to shooting the episode on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF lenses were used for a complete Canon workflow for image capture, Canon said. "Recording every second of footage to compact flash cards, the crew for HOUSE took full advantage of a completely digital workflow and was able to complete filming the entire episode in just 10 days," the company said.

The finale ends tonight at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Fox.

Happy Birthday, YouTube! Our Favorite Videos from the Past Five Years

Nintendo, American Heart Association Promote 'Active Play'

Nintendo is teaming up with the American Heart Association to promote its Wii consoles as a means to stay active.Under the deal, Wii boxes will soon include the AHA brand, Nintendo and AHA will jointly host a health summit, and Nintendo consoles will be on display at future AHA health walks. They have also launched a Web site at activeplaynow.com."The two organizations come from different worlds but share the common goal of helping consumers discover how active-play video games contribute to healthy living," according to the site.The partnership focuses on the Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports Resort, and the original Wii console. Boxes for these products will soon include an AHA stamp of approval, and an encouragement to purchase active-play games.

Revolutionary Solar Charger Doesn't Rely on the Sun

You've probably seen another solar-powered charger that looks a lot like the Kiwi U-Powered, but this one has a difference: Besides charging from solar panels, it also charges from any USB source, such as a car charger or wall charger. That makes it a little less green, but a lot more useful. If you've ever tried to use a solar-powered charger, you've probably discovered that they require a lot of strong sunlight for a full charge. The U-Powered works with the sun when you have it, but can also charge from a USB connection to save time.

This is the first in a line of four environmentally-friendly products coming from Kiwi Choice this summer and fall. Once you've powered up your U-Powered, use it to charge your iPhone, BlackBerry, digital camera, or other portable device. The charger comes with 11 connectors for a range of devices, as well as a USB and wall charger. Get it for $49.99 from KiwiChoice.com.

OmniVision Delivers Smallest 1080p HD Sensor

You'd better comb that hair, because you could soon be videochatting with a much sharper picture. OmniVision Technologies of Santa Clara, California, has introduced the OV2720, a 1/6-inch native 1080p high-definition CMOS image sensor, the first of its kind to provide 1080p HD. The sensor could soon find its way into notebooks, netbooks, webcams, and video conferencing applications. The OV2720 uses a proprietary sensor technology to improve image quality.

This sensor offers 1080p video in a size small enough to meet the module and height requirements of today's thin notebook designs. OmniVision is currently testing the sensor with its tier-one customers. It should go into mass production in June.

CERN Kicks LHC Network Into High Gear

Scientists at CERN have powered up the Large Hadron Collider's high-speed network and downstream data storage, in an effort to begin recording and analyzing streams of data from experiments averaging over a gigabyte per second, according to the UK's Inquirer.

The LHC Computing Grid, a high-speed network of computer clusters at scientific institutions around the globe, consists of 100,000 processors across 130 organizations in 34 countries. The grid is organized into four tiers, and distributes data over private fiber-optic cable as well as portions of the Internet to researchers, the article said.

A separate BBC News article is reporting that the LHC could begin probing unexplored domains in particle physics by the end of the summer. The machine has already seen half a billion particle collisions since it first crossed the beams in November 2009, Egon. (Image credit: CERN/LHC Atlas)

Seagate Confirms 3TB Drive, Possible 32-Bit OS Issue

Not that it should come as a huge surprise that a major hard disk manufacturer is working on ever-larger storage capacities, but a Seagate senior product manager has confirmed to Thinq that the company is planning to unveil a 3TB hard disk later this year.

Barbara Craig, the product manager, said that the move to 3TB involves a heck of a lot more work than upping the areal density this time around. "The root of the problem is the original LBA (logical block addressing) standard, which can't assign addresses to capacities in excess of 2.1TB," the report said--a problem that's been lying in wait since Microsoft and IBM developed the original DOS standard in 1980.

The potential ramifications of this so far appear to be what OSes will be compatible with 3TB drives.

Craig said that Seagate plans to extend the standard to Long LBA addressing, which would work in 64-bit Windows 7 and Vista as well as Linux, but wouldn't work in 32-bit Vista or any version of Windows XP, the report said. In fact, it's possible that XP may not even see the first 2.1TB portion of a larger drive, either. This brings back memories, doesn't it?

Roku to Stream Ultimate Fighting Championship Content

Roku is teaming up with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to offer all major UFC events on its streaming set-top Roku box. The first event will be UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 29.

"We are always looking at the latest technology and the newest ways to bring the UFC experience to our fans," Dana White, UFC president, said in a statement.

"The Roku player is capable of delivering amazing live events, in HD, on the TV. We are excited to be UFC's lead partner in bringing the total UFC experience - from live events and classic fights to insider previews, countdowns, and training coverage - to fans everywhere, whenever they want it," said Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku.

Roku will also provide users with access to the UFC Vault, a collection of archived fights, as well as access to UFC pre-fight events like weigh-ins and press conferences.

The Roku player debuted in 2008, originally billed as Netflix player. Pricing starts at $79.99 for the standard model and goes up to $99.99 for the HD version.

Should Consumer Protection Laws Exempt Car Dealers?

If you were to pick a handful of businesses the average consumer would describe as capable of sticking it to buyers, the top of the list would have auto dealers along with, say, mattress stores, payday loan firms, and bankruptcy-assistance firms. Car dealers are running a full-court lobbying press for exemption from pending consumer protection legislation. Proponents of better protection laws include some groups you'd never imagine, such as the military, which says the hassles of dealing with car dealers and car-loan provisions hurt our military preparedness. Much of the consumer protection laws affecting dealers is at the state level. Dealers say that's enough.

10 Years of Unscrambled GPS: The Best Is Yet to Come

In the 10 years since President Clinton ordered the military to unscramble the GPS signal, the big benefit has been to increase accuracy from about 100 yards to just a few feet. It makes navigation devices more accurate. Before, when civilians got what was called selective availability, GPS knew more or less if you were on the highway; now it knows if you're centered in your lane. It's still not good enough for autonomous driving. But there are other benefits we'll see before we see self-driving cars:

Plasma Rocket Could Get Asteroid Mission

VASIMR, the plasma rocket capable of reducing travel time to Mars by over 80 percent, may soon get its own dedicated mission to visit an asteroid, according to Discovery News.

Originally, VASIMR (the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket) was being built as a spare for another heading to the International Space station. But by heading for an asteroid, it could serve as a powerful demonstration of VASIMR's plasma-based technology, the report said.

"The engine is actually firing right now," VASIMR inventor and physicist Franklin Chang-Diaz told Discovery News. "We have lots of hurdles and challenges; we have lots of work to do. But if you look at what has happened in the last five years since we left NASA, it's been amazing."

VASIMR is on target for a 2014 launch to the space station; Chang-Diaz is building two engine spares, one of which could set sail for a completely different mission that NASA doesn't invest in. Check out the full report for details.

Grace Brings the Internet to your Stereo

We're seeing a lot of Internet radios lately, such as the Logitech Squeezebox line, but they all have one thing in common: They're all tabletop radios with built-in speakers. What if you already have a great stereo and you'd like to add Internet radio stations to it? Rather than pay for a tabletop unit you don't need, consider the Grace Solo.

The Solo doesn't include speakers, so it's perfect for people with stereos or powered speakers they'd prefer to use. It includes 802.11g Wi-Fi and a remote, and can connect with over 18,000 radio stations. It also works with Sirius Premium Internet radio, Live365, NPR, iheart, and NOAA weather radio. Pick it up for $124.99. It's available online now, and will be in Sears and Best Buy stores in July.

Upcoming NASA Telescope Passes Critical Milestone

NASA scientists announced that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an infrared telescope that can look further back in the universe's history than ever before, has officially met all science and engineering requirements ahead of its upcoming mission, Space.com reports.

The $5 billion JWST is a sort-of-successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, but its focus on the infrared spectrum means we'll likely see less of the gorgeous astrophotography we've become used to from Hubble, at least from this spacecraft.

That said, the JWST can observe older light, see deeper into the universe, and provide important clues about the Big Bang and the evolution of our own solar system, the report said--not to mention the formation of star systems capable of supporting extraterrestrial life.

The JWST is scheduled to enter hardware production in 2012 ahead of its planned launch in 2014.

Columbia Sportwear Omni-Heat Boots Heat Your Feet

Who knew that Columbia Sportwear would be the one to make your Bennie and the Jets dreams come true? Soon you can have electric boots, just like Bennie herself, thanks to the company's recently-announced line of Omni-Heat clothing. While the entire line looks warm and toasty, two of the men's boots and two of the women's boots will include a compact battery capable of heating your feet for hours. Tired of frostbitten toes? Then you'll love them.

The included battery will charge in four hours via an included USB cable, and you'll control the heating with a simple light-up button on the side of each boot. Press the button and the soles will begin to warm up. It may not sound that attractive in May, but you'll think differently by the time they're launched on September 1.

Now all you need is a mohair suit.

Space Shuttle Launch (and Tweetup) Set for May 14

After passing the rigorous Flight Readiness Review (FRR) that precedes every launch, the Space Shuttle Atlantis was cleared today for a scheduled liftoff at May 14 at 2:20 p.m. ET. To coincide with the launch, NASA has organized a tweetup similar to the highly successful event held last November for Atlantis's most recent launch. This time, 150 lucky participants--including PCMag.com Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff as well as myself--will travel to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the two-day event, meet with shuttle technicians, managers, engineers, and astronauts, and view the Shuttle launch from NASA's press site.

Today, mission managers unanimously voted to maintain the May 14 launch date, which had been tentatively set months ago. The clearance was announced moments ago at a NASA press conference.

Netflix Crafts Custom Channel for Roku

Netflix said Thursday that the company has just finished crafting a targeted Netflix channel specifically for the Roku set-top box.

The new channel differs from other Netflix streaming solutions already in the market in the following ways, according to a spokesman:

1.) Users can search the entire Netflix Instant Streaming Library from your TV screen
2.) They can browse and play movies and TV shows on the TV via our new immersive user interface
3.) Users can add movies and TV shows to the Instant Queue for watching later

The new channel will roll out in June.

Avatar Director, NASA Building 3-D Mars Rover Camera

James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of Avatar and Titantic, has linked up with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to build a high resolution 3-D camera for Curiosity, the next-generation Mars rover, Discovery News reports.

Malin Space Science Systems, the company behind the fixed-focal-length lens cameras for the rover, will build the actual 3-D mast camera as well, with Cameron listed as "co-investigator," the report said.

Back in 1999, Cameron produced a TV mini-series and an IMAX film depicting the first humans to live on Mars. No word yet on what kind of glasses we're all going to need to see the 3-D images coming down from the rover for the first time.

New Smartphone Memory Boosts Battery Life

Samsung has announced a new kind of memory module, built from phase change material, that's three times faster than existing flash memory and could boost battery life by up to 20 percent, BBC News reports.

Phase change material for memory is an idea that dates back over four decades, but it's only now becoming a possibility for today's mobile devices. In essence, the material can record or erase data when heated, and tends to use far less power than existing equivalents.

The material can be constructed in a variety of ways, but the most common is a glass-like alloy of germanium, antimony, and titanium. Heating the material turns it into two separate forms with very different electrical resistances, meaning it can represent binary 0s and 1s, the report said.

The company plans to begin producing 40-nanometer, 512 megabit (Mbit) phase change memory (PCM) chips en masse toward the end of 2010, and will build them in the same format as existing designs. This way, vendors needing a little extra battery life can drop them right into existing production runs.

Apple Facing Government Antitrust Inquiry?

Apple may be the subject of either a Department of Justice or Federal Trade Commission inquiry focusing on its iPad/iPhone development practices, according to a report on Monday.

The New York Post reported that the two agencies are "locked in negotiations" over whether or not Apple barred competition by forcing its developers to use only Apple's programming tools, and presumably, avoid using Adobe's Flash technology.


As the Post noted, an inquiry does not mean a criminal investigation, merely questions Apple will be obligated to answer.

It's the latest chapter in the ongoing saga, which began with Apple's iPhone OS 4 launch. Accompanying language in the software development kit said that developers "must not call any private APIs," an oblique reference to Flash. Apple also noted that developers had to write their code directly in C, C++, or Objective-C. Weeks later, Adobe said it was halting Flash development for the iPhone OS platform, and an Adobe evangelist added an inflammatory memo.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs then fired back, calling Flash a "closed system" in an open letter to Adobe and to the software industry at large. Jobs identified a number of objections to Flash including its reliability, security, and performance, and its ability to access what Jobs referred to as the "Open Web".

But the real reason, Jobs wrote, was simply that Flash represented a bottleneck to third-party apps. Apple, Jobs wrote, "cannot be at the mercy of a third party deciding if and when they will make our enhancements available to our developers." Adobe has no interest in writing the best possible iPhone, iPod, and iPad apps, Jobs argued.

"It is their goal to help developers write cross platform apps. And Adobe has been painfully slow to adopt enhancements to Apple's platforms," Jobs wrote.


The FTC had not responded to a request for comment at press time. Apple was also unavailable before West Coast business hours.

Apple iPad Hits One Million Sales

The Apple iPad hit another major milestone on Friday with the sale of the one millionth iPad, after a little less than a month of retail availability. It took 74 days for the first iPhone to hit that number. The company had celebrated the sale of the 500,000th iPad on April 14th.Apple CEO Steve Jobs said about the milestone, "Demand continues to exceed supply and we're working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers."The iPad first went on sale on April 3rd. In its first 28 days, iPad users have downloaded more than 12 million apps and 1.5 million e-books. The 5,000th iPad app was recently introduced in the iTunes App Store. Including those apps designed for the iPhone, that's a total of more than 200,000 apps that can run on the device.The 3G version of the iPad was released on April 30th in the U.S.

Hercules XPS 2.0 35 Speakers Stress Portability

Your notebook's built-in speakers might be fine when you're by yourself, but can they do the job when you want to share a song with friends? And what if you're watching a streaming television show--can the sound reach you when you sit back a few feet?

The answer is to choose speakers that are just as portable as your computer. Hercules is introducing the XPS 2.0 35 USB speakers, which get all the power they need from a USB port, so there's no electrical cord. They even come with a padded carrying case for when you're on the go.

Look for them in June for a list price of $19.99. Hercules will also introduce in June the XPS 5.1 70 Slim, a set of four speakers and one sub-woofer, for $99.99 list.

Joby's New Gorillapod Offers Magnetic Attraction

It's hard not to love the original Joby Gorillapod, a tripod that lets you use your camera in new locations by adding flexible legs. The company's latest is the Gorillapod Magnetic. Its three flexible legs have powerful magnets on their feet, letting you anchor your camera on any magnetic surface. You can also wrap the legs around a pole or branch, or use them as a tripod on an uneven surface. It's like getting the original Gorillapod, but with a helpful extra.

The Gorillapod Magnetic works with cameras up to 11.5 ounces, and weighs 2.5 ounces. You can pick it up on Amazon for a list price of $24.95. Joby has also announced that the original Gorillapod is now available in four sizes, and works with cameras up to 11.5 pounds.

Sony Adds Extended Warranties for PSP, PS3

Gamers worried about accidentally dropping their PSPs or spilling Red Bull on their PlayStation 3s can rest a bit easier: Sony began offering extended warranties for each on Monday.

The Sony Protection Plan, which are priced up to $59.99 for two years, cover both the PS3 and the PSP. Gamers can also purchase a special "accidental damage" warranty from Sony to cover the PSP, which pays for repairs to a cracked screen.

Sony's new extended warranties include:

PS3: A one-year extension ($44.99) or a two-year extension ($59.99)
PSP: A one year extension ($29.99) or a two-year extensions ($39.99). The PSP with accidental damage waiver will be priced at $39.99 for a year's worth of coverage, or $49.99 for two years. Both the PSP-3000 and PSPgo are covered.

"The PlayStation brand has long been synonymous with the highest quality in engineering and design, and it's because of the reliability of the PS3 and PSP systems that we can offer the PlayStation Protection Plan," said Glenn Nash, vice president, operations, SCEA, in a statement. "We have heard from consumers that they're interested in an extended service plan that's backed directly by SCEA and leverages our technical expertise. While both the PS3 and PSP systems are designed with future-proof technology and built for long lifecycles, we're looking forward to offering this service to consumers looking for added peace of mind."

There's a catch, though.

LG Unveils Android-Powered Ally

LG has announced--sort of--the Ally, the company's first Android-powered smartphone.

Rather than taking a more traditional route to unveiling a new cell phone, which would be staging a public event or dedicating a press release, the company has alluded to the Ally's existence in a company statement about an advertising tie-in to Iron Man 2, along with a movie-themed Web site for the device.

Customers buying an LG Ally on its release May 20th, or an existing LG Chocolate Touch or LG enV Touch, will receive a special edition Iron Man 2 comic book created by Marvel.

The Ally itself? It features an Iron Man 2 "augmented reality app," plus a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a full touch screen front panel. Still no official word on specs.

The last time LG did something like this was with the middling Incite, which the company tied to the middling remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

BlackBerry First Predicted in 1909

It turns out Nikola Tesla, the famed electric engineer, first predicted the existence of the BlackBerry over 100 years ago.

As the UK-based Telegraph reports, Tesla, who died in 1943, made a prediction about a portable messaging service in Popular Mechanics magazine in 1909. He wrote in the magazine that one day it would be possible to transmit wireless messages all over the world, and that wireless was the only way the use of electricity could truly thrive.

Tesla "imagined such a hand-held device would be simple to use and that, one day, everyone in the world would communicate to friends using it," and that this "would usher in a new era of technology."

The prediction was part of a magazine presentation titled "108 Years of Futurism," made by Seth Porges, the magazine's current technology editor, to industry executives in New York, the report said. (Popular Mechanics launched 108 years ago in 1902.)

Tesla's name lives on in Tesla Motors, the electric car company. Meanwhile, we're still waiting for flying cars and personal helicopters. Can someone get on that already?

Look Out: 'Zombie' Satellite Out of Control in Orbit

An intense solar storm in early April may have knocked an Intelsat communications satellite out of its orbit, and could cause possible signal interference with other nearby spacecraft, Space.com reports.

"In what industry officials called an unprecedented event, Intelsat's Galaxy 15 communications satellite has remained fully 'on,' with its C-band telecommunications payload still functioning even as it has left its assigned orbital slot of 133 degrees west longitude 36,000 kilometers over the equator."

The report said that the satellite, launched in 2005, first stopped communicating with ground controllers last month, and that it has begun moving eastward into the path of other satellites.

Everyone is apprised of the situation, including competing firms. The satellite is still pointing towards Earth, and will likely continue to do so until late July or August, assuming ground control can't recover it before then.

The satellite was built by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Virginia; the first possible satellite in its path is the AMC-11 C-band satellite, owned by SES of Luxembourg. (Image credit: Orbital Sciences/Intelsat 18 rendering)

Blizzard Rages on Saturn

And here you thought the D.C. area "snowmageddon" was big--this one is about five times its size.

NASA astronomers and amateur skywatchers are currently transfixed by a massive blizzard raging on Saturn, one that's large enough to see from Earth, Space.com reports.

The good news is that we can get much more detail about the storm, courtesy of NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which is currently orbiting Saturn. However, NASA was first tipped off by amateur astronomers here on Earth, the report said.

Part of the problem is that Cassini's imaging and spectrometer observations are locked in place months in advance, while the storm may appear and disappear in a matter of weeks. Cassini has other instruments dedicated to gathering weather-related data just like this, though, and is currently having a field day with the storm.

(The above image is from amateur astronomer Christopher Go, courtesy of NASA/JPL Caltech/GSFC).

MoGo Combines iPhone Case and Headset

With the launch of the next iPhone only a month or two away and the shape of the 4G iPhone changed from the 3GS (according to Gizmodo), isn't this a bad time to introduce a high-end iPhone case? MoGo doesn't think so. It just announced the MoGo Talk XD for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, a case and a Bluetooth headset in one. Get it and you'll always have a wireless headset close at hand.

The included headset includes a "SoundShape" design that contours to your ear, and delivers more than 15dB of passive noise cancellation. It's good for 4 hours of talk time on a charge, or 72 hours of standby time. You can pick the set up for $129 at the MoGo Store.

Gelaskins Offers a Trippy Trio

The only problem with using a Gelaskins cover that features the artwork of one of its latest three artists is that people are going to talk to you. If you're sitting in Starbucks with a cover this beautiful and trippy on your laptop or phone, the person next to you won't be able to resist asking about it. You're going to lose time when you could be working, or just checking your Facebook.

Joe Sorren, who created the three images in the middle, lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, making works that seem troubled and beautiful at the same time. Nanami Cowdroy, on the left, lives in Australia and creates edgy and intricate black-and-white works. BUA, on the right, lives in Los Angeles, but his work is full of the music of his native New York.

Zettabytes: the New Petabytes, but Much Bigger

Remember when a gigabyte seemed gargantuan? The Telegraph UK reports that the total amount of digital information we humans have created will surpass the measure of the petabyte this year and take us into the era of the zettabyte, which is equivalent to 1 million petabytes, or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes.

Zettabyte is a new term created to accomodate the exponential increase of data creation, inspired by social networking, image, and video files, and the wealth of new kinds of devices on which bytes can be stored. The Telegraph reports that IDC, which released the new figures, had first estimated the world's digital output in 2007 to be at 161,000 petabytes; in the next ten years it expects the digital universe to expand by a factor of 44.

BlackBerry First Predicted in 1909

It turns out Nikola Tesla, the famed electric engineer, first predicted the existence of the BlackBerry over 100 years ago.

As the UK-based Telegraph reports, Tesla, who died in 1943, made a prediction about a portable messaging service in Popular Mechanics magazine in 1909. He wrote in the magazine that one day it would be possible to transmit wireless messages all over the world, and that wireless was the only way the use of electricity could truly thrive.

Tesla "imagined such a hand-held device would be simple to use and that, one day, everyone in the world would communicate to friends using it," and that this "would usher in a new era of technology."

The prediction was part of a magazine presentation titled "108 Years of Futurism," made by Seth Porges, the magazine's current technology editor, to industry executives in New York, the report said. (Popular Mechanics launched 108 years ago in 1902.)

Tesla's name lives on in Tesla Motors, the electric car company. Meanwhile, we're still waiting for flying cars and personal helicopters. Can someone get on that already?

Grace Brings the Internet to your Stereo

We're seeing a lot of Internet radios lately, such as the Logitech Squeezebox line, but they all have one thing in common: They're all tabletop radios with built-in speakers. What if you already have a great stereo and you'd like to add Internet radio stations to it? Rather than pay for a tabletop unit you don't need, consider the Grace Solo.

The Solo doesn't include speakers, so it's perfect for people with stereos or powered speakers they'd prefer to use. It includes 802.11g Wi-Fi and a remote, and can connect with over 18,000 radio stations. It also works with Sirius Premium Internet radio, Live365, NPR, iheart, and NOAA weather radio. Pick it up for $124.99. It's available online now, and will be in Sears and Best Buy stores in July.

Space Shuttle Launch (and Tweetup) Set for May 14

After passing the rigorous Flight Readiness Review (FRR) that precedes every launch, the Space Shuttle Atlantis was cleared today for a scheduled liftoff at May 14 at 2:20 p.m. ET. To coincide with the launch, NASA has organized a tweetup similar to the highly successful event held last November for Atlantis's most recent launch. This time, 150 lucky participants--including PCMag.com Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff as well as myself--will travel to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the two-day event, meet with shuttle technicians, managers, engineers, and astronauts, and view the Shuttle launch from NASA's press site.

Today, mission managers unanimously voted to maintain the May 14 launch date, which had been tentatively set months ago. The clearance was announced moments ago at a NASA press conference.

$98 netbooks

Don’t get your hopes up on specs. The computer has a 300 MHz processor, 128 MB of RAM, 2 GB of flash storage and a 7-inch, 800-by-480 resolution screen. The two-cell battery lasts for two hours on a charge. You’re basically getting an over sized smart phone in terms of raw power, but at a killer price.

For $98, plus $15 shipping, you can get a small, weak netbook dubbed the “Smartbook 7.”

It includes three USB ports, an SD card slot, built-in 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, an ethernet jack, speakers, headphone out and microphone in. Plus, it’s available in five colors: Black, white, pink, red and green. A one-year warranty is included. The Smartbook 7 is being sold by a company I’ve never heard of, called ITA Computers.  They are the same one that made the Delstar 7-inch netbook, which K-Mart sold for $120 on Black Friday last year.

The name of the website is, 98dollarnetbook.com. 98dollarnetbook’s Web is fully-functional, but you can only  pay for the computer with PayPal.

Other Cheap Laptops and Accessories

Gelaskins Offers a Trippy Trio

The only problem with using a Gelaskins cover that features the artwork of one of its latest three artists is that people are going to talk to you. If you're sitting in Starbucks with a cover this beautiful and trippy on your laptop or phone, the person next to you won't be able to resist asking about it. You're going to lose time when you could be working, or just checking your Facebook.

Joe Sorren, who created the three images in the middle, lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, making works that seem troubled and beautiful at the same time. Nanami Cowdroy, on the left, lives in Australia and creates edgy and intricate black-and-white works. BUA, on the right, lives in Los Angeles, but his work is full of the music of his native New York.

Zettabytes: the New Petabytes, but Much Bigger

Remember when a gigabyte seemed gargantuan? The Telegraph UK reports that the total amount of digital information we humans have created will surpass the measure of the petabyte this year and take us into the era of the zettabyte, which is equivalent to 1 million petabytes, or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes.

Zettabyte is a new term created to accomodate the exponential increase of data creation, inspired by social networking, image, and video files, and the wealth of new kinds of devices on which bytes can be stored. The Telegraph reports that IDC, which released the new figures, had first estimated the world's digital output in 2007 to be at 161,000 petabytes; in the next ten years it expects the digital universe to expand by a factor of 44.

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