5:20 PM
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/01/killer-micro-drone/
The University of North Dakota is offering the world's first BS degree for UAV pilots:
http://news.discovery.com/human/unmanned-aerial-vehicles-flight-school.html
One hot area of research for fighting global warming is the underground burial of CO2. Scientists say that buried volcanic rocks (basalt) under NY, New Jersey and New England may be the key--the CO2 injected into basalt undergoes natural chemical reactions that will eventually turn it into a solid mineral resembling limestone:
http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2611
The Think City electric cars will be built in Elkhart, Indiana after a big competition between possible candidate cities was completed:
http://green.autoblog.com/2010/01/05/officially-official-think-will-build-city-electric-car-in-elkh/
Discovery, Sony, and Imax will launch a 3D TV network in 2011. ESPN will be in 3D starting this June! Having 3D content available will be a huge boost to all of the efforts to try to convince the public to buy the 3D TVs that will start to become widely available this year:
http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/01/discover-sony-and-imax-will-launch-3d.html
Stem cell technique will enable a facelifts *without* surgery, using fat from a patient's stomach to get the stem cells needed to perform the facelift:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/beauty/Now-get-a-facelift-without-surgery/articleshow/5412297.cms
Biotech company has been able to use stem cells to fight against brain cancer:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9481397
Zinc fingers can be used for a variety of treatments, including a potential cure for AIDS. Only one man seems to have been cured of AIDS--to treat his leukemia he had a bone marrow transplant from a donor who was naturally immune to the AIDS virus:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/health/research/29zinc.html?_r=1
It looks like 700 MHz wireless microphones may be banned soon--they are widely used in churches, schools, and other venues. It has been known for years that the manufacturers of wireless microphones were breaking the law by using frequencies for their microphones that are reserved for public safety and licensed users:
http://urgentcomm.com/policy_and_law/news/fcc-700mhz-wireless-microphone-20100105/
It appears that Verizon will announce at CES that they will have the Palm Pre and Pixi, with the Palm smartphones being upgraded versions of the phones for Sprint (including extra memory on the Verizon phones):
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aduGjteuID24
Nokia escalated its patent fight against Apple by asking a federal court to ban the import of the iPhone, iPod and Mac products:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/nokia-files-fresh-suit-battle-apple/2010-01-05?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
Feature on how the Android OS gained significantly with consumers in 2009 and that trend is expected to continue through 2010. As of September 2009, Android was last among smartphone OS options with consumers, and 90 days later Android jumped over Windows Mobile and Palm to get to second. In September, Apple was preferred by 32% of smartphone consumers while Android was preferred by 6%...and in December Apple was down to 28% and Android was up to 21%:
http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/android-explodes-consumer-consciousness/2010-01-04
Article about the Nexus One unveiling at today's press conference:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/google-debuts-android-powered-nexus-one-superphone/
Portland man is accused of cutting or gluing women's hair while they ride on the bus:
http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_16032/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=izrx0EAd
I did not realize that when you sign a receipt on a debit card Visa gets 75 cents per hundred dollars spent, and they charge less than half of that if you punch in your PIN code:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/05visa.html?hp
Tampa family had twins, with one baby born right before the New Year and the other born right after the New Year. So, they had the last baby of 2009 and the first baby of 2010!
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2010/1/1/family_has_last_baby_of_2009_first_baby_of_2010.html
People with Windows Mobile smartphones may be receiving text messages from the year 2016--there is a bug somewhere that confuses 2010 and 2016 for Windows Mobile:
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2010/01/are_you_receiving_sms_messages_from_2016.html
For Lori (who saw the IMAX 3D version of Avatar with me yesterday)--commentary discussing the reasons why conservatives hate the Avatar movie:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/01/avatar-why-do-conservatives-hate-the-most-popular-movie-in-years.html