Link Collection

The Army's new autonomous UGVs recently passed realistic testing for patrolling streets in a village:
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htarm/articles/20090818.aspx


UC-SD has created a series of agile robots that incorporate feedback--a hopping rover (iHop), a miniature treaded rover (Switchblade) and a self-propelled, self-guided sphere (iceCube):
http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=877


Robot-assisted endoscopic technique has enabled Korean doctors to successfully treat 200 consecutive patients with thyroid cancer. This robot-assisted technique has several technical and cosmetic benefits than traditional operations:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-08/wsw-nrs081909.php


New organic liquid developed that can pull harmful gases such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide out of industrial emissions from power plants. This can allow power plants to capture double the amount of harmful gases in a way that uses no water, less energy and saves money.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-08/dnnl-ss081409.php


The Department of Homeland Security Secretary under Pres. Bush (Tom Ridge) has a new book out where he wrote that politics were behind raising the terror level in the days before the 2004 presidential vote:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/21/ridge.townsend/index.html?eref=rss_latest


Study (using GPS) found that people who try to walk in a straight line actually end up walking in circles if there was nothing to help them guide their way:
http://www.rdmag.com/General-Sciences-Walk-in-Circles-Its-Natural/


Twitter is adding the capability to add longitude and latitude information to tweets. I see the benefit of readers to know exactly where a person is...but do people posting to twitter (such as celebrities) really want to give away their location to anyone?
http://blog.twitter.com/2009/08/location-location-location.html


The EEOC filed an age-discrimination lawsuit against AT&T because it denied older employees the chance to be rehired because they retired under early retirement plans:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Agency-files-apf-3748088302.html?x=0&.v=5


American Airlines now has 100 airplanes with WiFi service and they are scheduled to reach 150 airplanes by the end of this year:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/american-airlines-continues-its-high-flying-domestic-expansion-aircells-gogo-inflight?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal


There is a controversy over Bud Light cans being made with school colors--25+ Universities have asked Anheuser-Busch to drop the campaign near their campuses, but other schools have no problem with the campaign:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125081310939148053.html


For Lori: Paula Abdul will not be on Ugly Betty as rumored and will not be a judge on Dancing with the Stars...in part because she is still hoping to be on American Idol:
http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/16/paula-abdul-american-idol-comeback/