Tag Archives: approach

Wikileaks: Anonymous stops dropping DDoS bombs, starts dropping science

Sean Bonner is one of the guys behind Metblogs, Neoteny Labs, Crash Space and has previously been involved with art galleries and record labels of the punk rock variety. If this image is to be believed—and I have no reason not to, other than that I found it on the internet—the rebel squadrons behind Anonymous (attn. “news” hacks – that would be an entirely different group from Wikileaks and/or Wikipedia) are about to change their approach. So far, as we've witnessed, they have been launching point-and-click distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks at companies perceived as the enemies of Wikileaks. Those targets included Mastercard, Paypal, and Visa (companies that froze donation funding), and Amazon (which denied hosting services). The new approach suggests more sophisticated thinking. This new mission, apparently, is to actually read the cables Wikileaks has published and find the most interesting bits that haven't been publicized yet, then publicize them. In my opinion, this action would have far more positive impact. Anonymous often repeats the Orwell quote, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” Looks like they decided to take those words to heart. http://boingboing.net/2010/12/09/anonymous-stops-drop.html added by: ras_menelik

Researchers Ditch Toxic Nanoparticle Chemicals for Delicious Cinnamon

Nanoparticles these days are quietly being slipped into products and processes as diverse as electronics, healthcare products (like sunscreen), and pharmaceuticals to fight cancer. http://www.dailytech.com/Arsenic+Nanoparticle+Fights+Breast+Cancer/article19058…. But for all that promise, there's a dark side. In order to make nanoparticles like tiny gold nanoparticles( http://www.dailytech.com/Gold+Nanoparticles+Dont+Just+Look+Pretty+They+Fight+Can… ) or titanium dioxide nanoparticles, caustic chemicals frequently are required. Scientists are concerned that minute quantities of those chemicals could harm the human body( http://www.dailytech.com/Nanotech+the+New+Asbestos+Carbon+Nanotube+Toxicity/arti… ), causing cancer or other diseases. But a University of Missouri research team, led by MU Physics and Radiology Professor Kattesh Katti thinks they have a solution — cinnamon. The team mixed gold salts in water with cinnamon and discovered that they remarkably formed nanoparticles. Typically such particles form only when exposed to an electric field or when toxic chemicals are added to the mix. Fellow radiology professor Raghuraman Kannan, who participated in the study, comments, “The procedure we have developed is non-toxic. No chemicals are used in the generation of gold nanoparticles, except gold salts. It is a true 'green' process.” Professor Katti adds, “From our work in green nanotechnology, it is clear that cinnamon — and other species such as herbs, leaves and seeds — will serve as a reservoir of phytochemicals and has the capability to convert metals into nanoparticles. Therefore, our approach to 'green' nanotechnology creates a renaissance symbolizing the indispensable role of Mother Nature in all future nanotechnological developments.” More serendipitous yet, the cinammon nanoparticles were found to release phytochemicals found in cinnamon debris. These phytochemicals have been shown to kill or reduce the growth of certain types of cancer cells. So not only are these particles non-toxic, but they also fight cancer. Professor Katti elates, “Our gold nanoparticles are not only ecologically and biologically benign, they also are biologically active against cancer cells.” It all sounds too good to be true, but the team insists that the approach is reliable. They hope to ready it for production so that the new cinnamon-gold nanoparticles can replace existing toxic varieties. The study on the work was published in the journal Pharmaceutical Research. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20872051 added by: toyotabedzrock

Chevrolet Cruze Eco to Have Variable Geometry Air Shutter for Better MPG

Photo: GM Don’t Let More Air In Than You Need There are all kinds of tricks to make cars more aerodynamic (and thus more fuel-efficient- here’s an extreme DIY example ). One of those tricks is to have a variable geometry air shutter at the front of the vehicle to let more air in when the engine needs cooling, and to reduce wind drag by letting less air in at higher speeds or when the engine doesn’t need cooling. Check out the video below…. Read the full story on TreeHugger

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Chevrolet Cruze Eco to Have Variable Geometry Air Shutter for Better MPG

The DIY Approach to Reviving a Dying Street (Video)

Cities Can Be Green, But They Must First be Livable Straight from London, England, our friend Elizabeth Press

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The DIY Approach to Reviving a Dying Street (Video)

REVIEW: Girl Who Played with Fire Goes Through the Tiresome Swede-Goth Motions

The novels of the late Stieg Larsson are the little Saabs that could: These three posthumously published thrillers — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest — might have been nothing more than an entertaining genre-fiction exercise, the sort of thing that might, at best, achieve some sort of cult status. Instead, they’ve become the books that everyone and their grandmothers seem to be reading, and the Swedish movie based on the first book in the series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, directed by Niels Arden Oplev, became a surprise U.S. hit last year. Hollywood is, of course, preparing its own David Fincher-directed version, but those of us who are allegedly in the know are supposed to automatically prefer the Swedish version, with its dour approach to torture and violence and its efficient “He did it because he’s crazy, that’s why” wrap-up. Because the movie is long, colorless, uncompromising and, well, Swedish, it’s got to be better than any future American version, right?

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REVIEW: Girl Who Played with Fire Goes Through the Tiresome Swede-Goth Motions

Tiger Woods Opens Up At Masters Press Conference

‘I acted terribly, poorly, made just terrible decisions that hurt people close to me,’ he says before his return to golf. By Eric Ditzian Tiger Woods at the Masters on Monday Photo: Jamie Squire/ Getty Images Days before Tiger Woods makes his competitive comeback at the Masters Tournament, the star golfer took questions during his first open-ended press conference since his numerous extramarital affairs were revealed in November. He answered questions about the details surrounding his post-Thanksgiving car accident, his relationship with his family and the difficulty of returning to his sport after the scandal. “Having to look at myself in a light I never wanted to look at myself — that was difficult,” he said. “How far astray I got from my core fundamentals and core morals my mom and dad taught me. … The other difficult part over the last few months is just the constant harassment to my family. My wife and kids being photographed everywhere they go, being badgered. That’s tough on them, because it’s very difficult to heal.” He also spoke about the pain it caused him to miss his son’s first birthday party during a 45-day stint at an in-patient treatment facility. “I acted terribly, poorly, made just terrible decisions that hurt people close to me,” he said. Yet, while Woods spoke openly about his personal failings, he became tight-lipped when questions hit a few sensitive areas. He was evasive when it came to numerous questions about his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs and the type of therapy he received during in-patient treatment. Asked if his wife, Elin, was planning to turn up at the Masters, Woods was equally curt: “Elin is not coming. I’m excited to play this week.” When asked if Ambien played a role in his accident (witnesses at the scene described him as groggy), Woods said tersely, “It’s a closed case.” Woods did reveal that the injuries for which he was treated at the hospital following the accident were a sore neck and a cut lip that required five stitches. He also admitted to taking Ambien and Vicodin at certain points in his career, from the period after his father’s death to the times during which he underwent surgery. Woods also spoke about how the sex scandal had altered not just his approach to his personal and family life, but his approach to the game of golf as well. “I’m actually going to try and not get as hot when I play,” he said. “But then again, when I’m not as hot, I’m not going to be as exuberant either. I can’t play one without the other.” That did not mean that his competitive drive had vanished. “Nothing’s changed,” said the four-time Masters winner. “I’m going to try to go out there and win this thing.” What did you think of Tiger’s statements? Will you tune in to the Masters to see if his golf game has changed? Let us know in the comments!

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Tiger Woods Opens Up At Masters Press Conference

Who Wants to Smell Like Kim Kardashian?

Have you ever wanted to smell like Ray J’s semen? This is your chance! Because posing in one bikini and being paid to show up at parties makes one an expert in the world of perfume, Kim Kardashian will soon come out with her own fragrance. The reality TV star will team with Lighthouse Beauty, the same company behind 50 Cent’s upcoming men’s scent.

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Who Wants to Smell Like Kim Kardashian?

Sex Ads Are Spec Ads, Okay?

Look, it is a scandalously explicit blowjob-oriented advertisement for the Sprite beverage! But wait, Twitterererers: this is a spec ad.

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Sex Ads Are Spec Ads, Okay?

The Management Consultants Who Will End Condé Nast As We Know It

That was quick. Here is the grim memo that Condé Nast Chuck CEO Townsend just sent out announcing that it is bringing in McKinsey & Company to “develop new perspectives on optimizing our approach to business.” This will be brutal.

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The Management Consultants Who Will End Condé Nast As We Know It