October 29, 2010

It’s retirement time for the oldest Space Shuttle. The crew of Discovery is preparing for its final launch on an 11-day mission. NASA now plans just one more shuttle flight in February before ending the program that began in 1982. Discovery returned America to space two times -- it was the first shuttle to launch again after both the Challenger and Columbia disasters. Source Link
 

Imagine having a cell phone with a battery that lasts ten times longer. That’s a goal of a new European research project that aims to tackle the problem of inefficient power use in today’s electronic devices. The scientists also want to eliminate “standby” power use by TV’s and other devices that draw electricity even when they’re turned off. Source Link


Can America’s favorite comedy TV news anchors offer a serious counterpoint to the angrier elements of the conservative movement? That question may be answered this weekend with a gathering on the National Mall in Washington. Comedians Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert will have tongue-in-cheek as they host “The Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Keep Fear Alive.” Source Link

October 28, 2010

Detroit automakers are closing the gap in quality versus foreign models, according to the latest Consumer Reports Magazine reliability rankings. General Motors showed the most improvement in the 2010 survey of car owners. The Ford brand ranked 10th in the survey, while Chrysler was last. The magazine’s annual rankings are among the top factors in decision-making for car buyers. Source Link

Noticing less spam in your email in-box these days? The New York Times is reporting that authorities in Russia have shut down a major spam distributor that may have been responsible for up to 20% of those Viagra ads and other junk flowing through the world’s email systems. It’s one of the first such crackdowns in Russia where much of the world’s spam originates. Source Link

The Food and Drug Administration is warning parents and anyone who dresses up for Halloween to be careful with face painting. The FDA says you should only use paint that’s made for the skin and follow directions carefully. It’s also a good idea to do a test painting on a small patch of skin a few days before Halloween to check for possible allergic reactions. Source Link

October 27, 2010

Death has been kind to the estate of Michael Jackson. Forbes Magazine says Jackson was the top earner among dead celebrities in 2009, bringing in $275 million from record sales, a documentary movie and a new Las Vegas show featuring his music. Elvis Presley dropped to number-two on the list, followed by author J.R.R. Tolkein, cartoonist Charles Schultz and former Beatle John Lennon. Source Link


What the iPod was to the new millennium, the Walkman was to the 1980’s, but now the grandfather of portable music players is being unplugged. Sony says it has stopped production of the classic Walkman cassette player in Japan. When it debuted in 1979, the Walkman revolutionized the way people listened to their music collection by making it portable and personal with headphones. Source Link

The Texas Rangers head into tonight’s first game of the World Series in San Francisco hoping to find a way to break an 11-game losing streak in previous interleague play against the Giants at home. Texas has never beaten San Francisco in their home ballpark, and four of the seven games in the World Series will be played in San Francisco. Source Link

October 26, 2010

Big-rigs, school buses, delivery vans and even garbage trucks would come under new fuel efficiency standards being proposed by the White House. The measure would aim for up to 20% improvement in truck fuel economy over five years beginning in 2014. The effort would be part of an overall goal to raise average fuel economy for all vehicles to near 40 miles per gallon in the next decade. Source Link

 

If other people’s smoking drives you crazy, a new study says it may be doing the same for the smoker. The findings show that heavy smoking during middle age can double the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in their 70’s and 80’s. Researchers say it’s not just heavy smokers who faced the increased risks.  More than five million Americans now suffer from Alzheimer’s. Source Link 

Want to keep your friends on Facebook? Remember to skip the trivial updates and the controversial topics. In a survey of Facebook users done by the University of Colorado-Denver, respondents said the top reasons why they un-friended people were because they posted too often on trivial topics or on polarizing issues like politics or religion. Source Link

October 25, 2010

Haiti has yet to recover from a massive earthquake nine months ago that killed 300,000 people, but is the Caribbean island nation on the brink of yet another deadly quake? Scientists say they’ve identified a new fault line where pressure is building. Little rebuilding has taken place since the January earthquake in Haiti, and a cholera outbreak is the latest scourge for survivors. Source Link
 

A new study suggests that by the year 2050, one in three Americans could be suffering from diabetes. That would be triple the rate of diabetes today. The study says growing rates of obesity will add to the number of Type 2 diabetes cases. People will also be living longer with diabetes and spending twice the average amount on health care to control the disease. Source Link
 

Baseball’s World Series match-up is set. The San Francisco Giants will take their National League pennant into the Fall Classic against the American League champion Texas Rangers. Game One is Wednesday night in Texas. It’s the first time the Rangers have reached the World Series The last time the Giants played in the Major League Baseball championship was in 1989. Source Link

October 22, 2010

With all the talk of DVR’s and TiVo’s, you’d think that most everyone is time-shifting their TV viewing. But a new survey says the opposite is true. It shows that nearly 70% of Americans still watch their favorite television shows at the time they are broadcast, and only 16% record them to watch at a later date. But the survey also says the younger the viewer, the more likely they are to time-shift. Source Link 

That Jet Blue flight attendant who made headlines with his dramatic resignation using the escape chute of a parked jetliner has pleaded guilty to criminal mischief charges. Steven Slater will attend counseling sessions for one year in a program for defendants with mental health issues. Slater announced his resignation and slid out of the jet after an encounter with an irate passenger. Source Link 

Last year’s World Series teams are still battling to play in this year’s Fall Classic. The defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies avoided elimination by beating the San Francisco Giants last night. The Phillies trail the Giants three games to two -- the same deficit faced by the defending world champion New York Yankees in their American League series with the Texas Rangers. Source Link 

October 21, 2010

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling two million baby strollers after four infants have died because of strangulation accidents. The Graco Quattro Tour and MetroLite strollers were sold at Babies R Us, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart between November 2000 and December 2007. Owners can contact Graco for a free repair kit. Source Link

One out of three teenagers is considering delaying or skipping plans to go to college because of the expense. The survey by the brokerage firm TD Ameritrade shows that nearly 80% of teens want to crate a plan to share the cost of college with their parents. Teenagers are also split on whether a big-name college degree is worth the extra cost of higher tuition. Source Link

In a final national survey before the upcoming mid-term elections, it looks like Republicans could score major victories in their quest to reclaim control of Congress. The Associated Press poll of likely voters shows they believe the GOP would do a better job than Democrats on handling the economy, creating jobs and running the government and more than half disapprove of president Obama’s job performance. Source Link

October 20, 2010

The Pentagon has ordered its recruiters to accept openly gay applicants for military service. The move comes after a federal judge threw out the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule that has prevented openly gay persons from serving. That ruling could still be appealed, but among the first to apply under the new orders were several former service members who were discharged because they were openly gay. Source Link

America’s retailers are looking for a greener Christmas with a new survey showing that shoppers will spend more money this holiday season. The National Retail Federation says it estimates that the typical shopper will spend about $688 on holiday gifts. That’s an increase of 1% and marks the first time in three years that the estimate has increased. Source Link

The actor known to millions as “Mr. C” has passed away. Tom Bosley played the father Howard Cunningham in the classic TV sitcom “Happy Days,” a nostalgic look at the America of the 1950’s that ran from 1974 to 1984. The 83-year old Bosley was battling lung cancer. His death comes just a few days after the death of actress Barbara Billingsley, who played the mother in TV’s “Leave It To Beaver.” Source Link

October 19, 2010

Only about half of those who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 say they’ll go to the polls for mid-term elections two weeks from now. An Associated Press survey also found that about one-in-four Obama voters are considering defecting to the GOP in the upcoming election, and two-thirds who supported Obama now say they’ve lost hope for any change in Washington. Source Link

Under new guidelines, the ABC’s of CPR now start with a big dose of “C.” The American Heart Association says bystanders should begin vigorous chest compressions -- at least 100 per minute -- as soon as a suspected heart attack occurs and until help arrives. The old “ABC” rules called for clearing the airway and establishing breathing first. Source Link

A majority of American drivers are rolling on a ride that’s too soft to be safe. A survey of customers in tire stores in 31 cities nationwide showed that 55% of cars have one underinflated tire, which can effect performance, fuel efficiency and safety. Researchers say drivers may depend too much on tire monitoring systems that will only alert after a tire has lost a quarter of its pressure. Source Link 

October 18, 2010

Washington won’t turn a blind eye to marijuana use even if voters in California decide to legalize the personal use of pot. Attorney General Eric Holder says the passage of Proposition 19 on the November ballot will not stop drug agents from enforcing federal laws. The measure, if passed, would allow individuals to grow and possess marijuana for personal use. Source Link

For those who think that sagging skin is a pain, there are Botox injections. And now the short-term wrinkle remedy may also help with the pain of migraine headaches. The FDA has approved Botox for chronic migraine sufferers. Botox injections in the head and neck have been shown to dull the pain of migraine headaches. Source Link
 

The actress who portrayed one of America’s most famous TV moms has passed away. Barbara Billingsley was the epitome of suburban smart playing June Cleaver in the TV show “Leave It To Beaver” from 1958 to 1963. Billingsley said she was so identified with the role of Beaver Cleaver’s mom that it typecast her for the rest of her life. She was 94. Source Link

October 15, 2010

President Obama wants to postpone a federal judge’s order that would end the controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule for gays in the military. Obama says he wants the policy to end, but the issue should be resolved by the U.S. Congress and not the courts. The move may anger those who backed Obama in 2008 in the hope that he would quickly end the practice that bans gays from serving openly in the military. Source Link
 

Cell phone bill shock could become a thing of the past under new rules proposed by the Federal Communications Commission. The plan would require cell phone companies to send alerts when customers are about to reach their monthly limits on voice, text and data services and before they are hit with additional roaming charges. Source Link
 

A new study says those who are most in denial about America’s obesity problem are the obese themselves. Researchers in Texas who interviewed more than 2,000 people found many who misidentified their body size and downplayed their risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attacks. The findings could help doctors develop new ways to approach the issue for obese patients. Source Link

October 14, 2010

All of those 33 Chilean miners have been brought to safety on the surface in a rescue effort that took nearly a full day. The foreman of the group was the last to make the trip up through 2,000 feet of rock in a rescue capsule. The group whose ordeal captured the world’s attention becomes the longest survivors of a mine collapse, having spent 69 days underground. Source Link
 

When you think of gang activity, you probably think of illegal drugs, vice and gambling, but how about health care fraud? The government says it has broken up the largest criminal fraud in America’s history by arresting dozens of members of an Armenian gang working in five states who used phantom health clinics and other schemes to defraud Medicare of $163 million. Source Link
 

Times of economic distress usually bring a jump in crime, but the opposite has happened now. The FBI says it’s crime survey of U.S. residents for 2009 shows the lowest levels of violent and property crimes since such record keeping began 37 years ago. The numbers from the survey correspond to a drop in crimes as reported by police agencies nationwide. Source Link

October 13, 2010

The first of those 33 miners trapped underground in Chile for over two months has been brought to the surface. The rescue effort could take over a day to complete as the miners ride to the surface one-by-one in a special cage that was designed with help from NASA. The miners are being shielded from the news media as they emerge to meet family and then leave the site for a medical check-up. Source Link
 

Republican or Democrat, one thing almost all Americans can agree on is that they’re not happy with the state of the U.S. economy. An ABC News/Yahoo! News poll shows that 60% of those surveyed are dissatisfied with the state of the economy, and another 25% are downright angry, with many more of them Republicans who blame President Obama for mishandling the economic recovery. Source Link

The government ban on offshore oil drilling imposed after the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been lifted by the Obama administration. Officials say new rules will reduce the risk of another blowout like the one that caused the biggest oil spill in the nation’s history. Under the new regulations, an oil company CEO will be legally responsible for certifying the safety of a rig. Source Link

October 12, 2010

You can count America’s 58 million Social Security recipients among those whose incomes are frozen. They’ll have to make-do with their current monthly check for another year, as there will be no cost-of-living increase for 2011. It’s the second year in a row that low inflation has eliminated the annual adjustment that’s been part of the program since 1975.  Source Link

While embattled homeowners may cheer the thought of a nationwide moratorium on foreclosures, the trade group that represents investors who buy those distressed properties says the move would be “catastrophic” to the economy, because it would freeze the flow of capital from housing sales. Several national lenders have stopped foreclosure proceedings amid investigations into shoddy paperwork.

Microsoft is jumping back into the crowded smartphone market by unveiling a new lineup that runs on the new Windows Phone 7 platform. The move could be Microsoft's last chance to catch up in the smartphone market, as Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android system are locked in a battle to be the leader in running the next generation of smartphones. Source Link 

October 11, 2010

After more than two months stranded nearly a mile below ground, rescue is now closer than ever for that group of Chilean miners. A two-foot wide escape tunnel that was completed over the weekend is being reinforced with steel pipe that will make it easier for a rescue capsule to move the miners one-by-one to freedom. Source Link

Will the iPhone be ready to rule the air on the Verizon network next year? The Wall Street Journal says Apple will begin offering the iPhone to Verizon customers in early 2011. A recent survey showed that nearly half of current iPhone owners would switch to Verizon from AT&T if they could keep their iPhone. Source Link

The national “ do not call” list protects us from telemarketers, but would you support a “do not track” list to keep Internet marketers from tracing your web visits? A new survey says 85% of parents want an opt-in system where you choose to have your visits tracked. But the move could impact the advertising revenue that keeps some web sites free. Source Link

October 8, 2010

Think your dog or cat has an unique name? A pet health insurance company has come up with a Top Ten List of unusual names among its clientele. For cats, the winners include clever twists like Bing Clawsby, Cleocatra and Purr Diem. The dog names feature visual gems such as Lord Chubby Pruneface, Flopsy Squeakerton and Pickle Von Corndog. Source Link
 

For managing high blood pressure, a study says how much you weigh is more important that how much you exercise. Researchers say overweight or obese people were more likely to have a high blood pressure, and how in-shape they were only had a small impact on their blood pressure. Only people of normal weight got a blood pressure benefit from better fitness.
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Android comes before Apple in the dictionary -- and that’ll also be the case for smartphone users worldwide. An industry report predicts that Google’s Android system will become the world’s number-two smartphone operating system next year, leapfrogging Microsoft, Blackberry and Apple, which kicked off the smartphone era with the iPhone in 2007. Source Link

October 7, 2010

 New research suggests that people who eat plenty of fish oil and other omega-3 fatty acids could cut their risk of colon cancer. Those who consumed the most omega-3’s had half the risk of colon cancer than those who got the least. In addition to fish, omega-3’s are found in foods like walnut oil, flax-seed oil and leafy green vegetables. Source Link

Looking for the perfect jewelry gift -- and money is no object? Why not pick up the diamond ring that’s up for sale at a Christie’s auction in New York later this month. The rare vivid blue triangular diamond is the size of a quarter and weighs in at nearly 11 karats. It’s paired with a nearly 10 karat white diamond in the same shape. The ring could sell for $12 million. Source Link

When it comes to the biggest names in fast food hamburgers, a new survey claims Americans are not lovin’ it. Consumer Reports Magazine says McDonald’s hamburgers ranked last in a reader survey of 18 restaurant chains. Burger King was slightly better, as was Wendy’s, but none of the biggest names ranked in the top ten, which was headed up by the West Coast’s In-and-Out Burger chain Source Link 

October 6, 2010

Is there a roadmap to a long life that’s hidden in our genes? Scientists think they’ve found a clue to how people can live to age 100 after examining more than a thousand centenarians. The genetic patterns point to late onset of age-related diseases like dementia, but they don’t guarantee a super-long life, because lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking and overeating can still trump genetics. Source Link

Science may soon be able to accurately predict whether you’ll keep the promises you make. Researchers using MRI scans have located a part of the brain where activity indicates the likelihood that you’ll follow through with thoughts and plans. Testing showed the scans were more accurate than a person’s own predictions about whether they would keep a promise. Source Link

Getting out of your seat could be the first step to a longer life. A new study shows that sitting six hours a day or more can decrease your life span, regardless of how much exercise you get at other times. Researchers say time spent sitting can change metabolism and raise the risk of obesity and cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Source Link 

October 5, 2010

Cutting billions in health care costs could be a simple as remembering to take that pill every day. A study by one of the nation's biggest prescription providers says people who forget to take their medicine as directed or skimp on refills suffer side effects that require $106 billion a year in medical care. The study says another $50 billion could be saved if Americans would switch from brand-name drugs to lower-cost generics that are just as effective. Source Link

Sleeping less leads to eating more, according to a new study that looked at what happens to appetites when people skimp on their daily rest. Men ate bigger breakfasts and dinners, packing in 500 more calories each day when they were sleep-deprived. Researchers say shorter sleep cycles trigger the brain to eat more, drawing on ancient habits from when early man ate more during the longer days of summer when food was bountiful. Source Link

It may be a case of, "do as I say, not as I do" for some parents who lecture their teens about texting while driving. A study by the Pew Research Center shows that adults are just as likely to text message while driving as are 16 and 17-year olds. According to the study,  about one-in-four of those behind the wheel are texting and three out of four adults admit to talking on their cell phone while driving.  Source Link

October 4, 2010

Most people find it annoying to listen to someone else engaged in a cell phone conversation, and now there's a scientific explanation for it. Researchers at Cornell University say their study shows that it's more difficult to tune out half a conversation because our brains are trying to fill in the blanks for what we can't hear. The study also shows that the same distraction could be a problem for drivers if they have to listen to a passenger talking on a cell phone. Source Link 

 A new study adds scientific weight to what many parents already knew -- teenage boys can eat you out of house and home. The study showed that boys between the ages of 14 and 17 averaged 2,000 calories for lunch alone. That's a typical full day of calories for children.  Teenage girls eat more in their younger adolescent years but not a much as boys do. While it's bad news for the grocery budget, the good news is that parents need not worry about the extra calories unless boys begin to gain weight. Source Link

 A new luxury resort opening at Walt Disney World boasts private suites for lounging in air- conditioned comfort or relaxing outdoors, it's own water park and lots of activities. But it's strictly for the four-legged set. The new Best Friends Pet Care Resort will accommodate, dogs, cats and even pocket pets like guinea pigs and hamsters that can relax and be pampered while their human counterparts enjoy the Florida theme park. Source Link 

October 1, 2010

Congress has called it a year, with members now heading home to begin campaigning for re-election in one of the toughest political seasons in a generation. Lawmakers left behind pending legislation involving tax cuts, child nutrition and the federal budget. There’s some talk of a lame duck session of Congress to be held after the November elections to take up the controversial measures. Source Link

The poster child for the government’s financial bailout of 2008 has a plan to pay back the American people. AIG says it will repay $46 billion by next spring. The Treasury Department pumped billions into AIG to keep it from collapsing and setting-off a domino effect across the American economy. Source Link

The biggest name in social networking makes the jump from the computer screen to the silver screen, but it’s founder may not be too happy about all the attention. The creation of Facebook is the subject of the new movie, “The Social Network” the hits theaters today. The film depicts Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg betraying his partners to take control of the fledgling service. Source Link