4:09 PM
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/01/05/Anthrax-false-alarm-disrupts-Alabama/UPI-42701262733489/
The Bakersfield airport was shut down and evacuated when a man had 5 Gatorade bottles full of a suspicious-looking liquid that smelled of a strong chemical odor and sent 2 of the screeners to the hospital for nausea when they examined it. The liquid turned out to be *honey*, but they are not sure why it tested positive for explosives and sent the screeners to the hospital:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60449120100106
Mom is fighting to be able to be buried with her son who died in Iraq. Unfortunately, DoD policy only allows spouses or children of dead veterans to be buried with the veteran, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has granted waivers for 4 requests from dead soldiers' parents since 2005. Unfortunately, VA policy states that she has to die first to get the waiver and she wants to know before she dies that she will be buried with her son:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010503866.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics
US software company apparently had its software stolen by the Chinese government and is now suing for $2.2 billion in damages from the Chinese government and its partners that were going to use the stolen software (Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, Asus, and BenQ). LOTD links from last year included information on how the Chinese government used the code verbatim, even leaving in the in-line comments stating that the code was from the US company:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/06/china_green_dam/
It appears that NASA wants to use the formation flying spacecraft developed by MIT to get kids interested in science and technology. I was an adviser for a spacecraft cluster project when I was a professor and I think that this has great potential to interest high school kids to go into Engineering:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/01/hey-kids-spacecraft-cluster-control-is-fun/
Article examining if barefoot running is better than running with the latest shoe technology with shock absorbers, special cushioning and arch support:
http://www.parade.com/health/2010/01/03-barefoot-running.html
The rumor mill seems to indicate that Verizon is the partner for Apple's iTablet (a LOT of analysts seem to indicate that) and that Apple is working on a CDMA iPhone for Verizon but Apple and Verizon have not agreed on Verizon's subsidy for the phone:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/rumor-mill-verizon-partner-apples-tablet/2010-01-06?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
AT&T announced that they will launch 5 Android-based phones (including the Dell smartphone) in the first half of this year and that all 5 will be exclusive to AT&T. Going from 0 to 5 Android phones is a great jump for AT&T!
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10426673-269.html
This article about Google's Nexus One phone mentioned something that I missed in the news yesterday--Verizon will sell the Nexus One phone in the Spring (probably subsidized to the price T-Mobile is offering now):
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/google-unveils-nexus-one-smartphone/2010-01-05?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
Here is a roundup of industry reaction to the Nexus One:
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sound-reaction-goolges-nexus-one/2010-01-06?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
These "capsule" hotels in Tokyo really look like something from that old Seinfeld episode...it is sad that people are living in a cubicle the size of a coffin:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/02/business/global/02capsule.html
It looks like Hollywood is moving towards having movies unavailable from Netflix until 28 days after they are out on DVD, as a way for them to try to get people to buy DVDs or pay for Video-on-Demand:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/01/warner-bros-new-releases-to-stay-off-netflix-for-28-days.html
Seal Shield has developed a *dishwasher safe* cell phone, for people who worry about bacteria in cell phones. Having a waterproof phone would also be useful for people who accidentally soak their phones...including someone who I won't name (but am married to) who needed a replacement phone after drowning her phone:
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/41314.php?s=h