5:57 PM
http://sandiego.subwayfreshbuzz.com/
The latest Chinese manufacturing scandal is counterfeit *condoms* that instead of protecting against diseases could actually spread diseases, with estimates that 1/3 of the condoms sold in some parts of China being counterfeit. Investigators also found that used condoms are being recycled into hair products that could infect people with HIV, warts, or other diseases if they hold the rubber bands or strings in their mouths while weaving their hair into plaits or buns:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-china-condoms21-2010jan21,0,3174579.story
NSF grant to launch world's first open-source genetic parts production facility:
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2010/01/20_biofab_synthetic_biology.shtml
15-day-old baby was found alive under a crumbled house in Haiti after spending 8 days (more than half her life!) without food or water after the earthquake:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703837004575013032264113008.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond
Man crushed under a pile of rubble from the Haiti earthquake survived with the help of an iPhone first-aid App that taught him how to treat his wounds:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/haiti-survivor-iphone/
Sony Ericsson does not plan to delay the release of its Android-based smartphone in China despite Motorola and Samsung delaying the release of their Android-based phones that were supposed to have been released yesterday:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60K0T020100121?type=technologyNews
Nokia is offering free navigation service (with walk and drive navigation tools) for their phones to match Google's free navigation service. Beginning in March, all new Nokia GPS-enabled smartphones will include the new version of Ovi Maps, preloaded with local country map data, walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides:
http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/story/nokia-launches-free-ovi-maps-navigation-service/2010-01-21
Garmin-Asus is going to release its first Android-based phone (and a Windows Mobile smartphone also) next month...but the free Navigation services by Android and Nokia hurts a key selling point for Garmin:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/garmin-asus-release-first-android-phone-next-month/2010-01-21?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
Verizon is pricing the Palm Pre and Pixi smartphones the same as Sprint, but the Palm Plus on Verizon has twice the memory (16 GB vs. 8 GB) than the Pre on Sprint and the Pixi Plus on Verizon adds WiFi. Both Palm phones on Verizon can be used as WiFi hotspots but the Sprint versions cannot...though at $40 per month for 5 GB of data, will people actually pay Verizon for that?
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/verizons-wifi-hotspot-service-webos-devices-cost-40/2010-01-21?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
For $20 per year people can get a 911 system for their pets--anyone who finds a lost or distressed pet can call the number on the ID tag\ and will immediately be connected to a live operator who basically serves as a 911 dispatch operator:
http://urgentcomm.com/policy_and_law/commentary/pet-protector-911-comparison-20100121/
NASA is having a hard time selling its space shuttles, so they dropped the price from $42 million to $28.8 million. They also are giving away for FREE (they had been trying to sell them for $400k to $880k each) the actual engines from the shuttle:
http://blogs.federaltimes.com/federal-times-blog/2010/01/18/for-sale-space-shuttles-slightly-used-bargain-price/
Man called police to complain how he paid for sex and his prostitute didn't deliver services advertised...the prostitute was arrested, but the man was also arrested because he admitted to paying for sex in his complaint to the police:
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Man%2C+woman+arrested+after+sex+fraud+complaint&articleId=072898d8-0b43-48bc-98ac-2be1a1171590