5:44 PM
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/06/darpa-push-solar-cells-tough-enough-to-handle-a-war/
Mexican drug cartels now maintain permanent lookout bases in strategic locations in the hills of southern Arizona so that their scouts can monitor everything that Arizona law enforcement officials do. The report said that multiple US agents say that the situation is more dangerous than ever now that the cartels have such a strong position on the US side of the border and that morale is down among many of those who patrol the border area:
http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/mexican-cartels-operate-permanent-lookout-bases-arizona-monitor-us-law-enforcement
Iran has publicly admitted that it took a major step towards building nuclear weapons by enriching uranium to 20%. So, Iran has publicly stated that it has violated the Brazil-Turkey-Iran deal from two months ago that was supposed to address the issue about Iran's nuclear development:
http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/iran-takes-major-step-toward-bomb
Rice researchers used an off-the-shelf digital camera to create an inexpensive device that is powerful enough to distinguish between cells with cancer and healthy cells...they just have to look at the LCD monitor on the back of the camera!
http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=14449&SnID=701112012
Eco-conscious consumers have increasingly been using reusable shopping bags, but a study found that 97% of shoppers do not regularly (if ever) clean those bags. The study found that half the reusable bags tested positive for coliform bacteria and 12% had E. coli bacteria. These bacteria and others contribute to the 76 million cases of food poisoning each year:
http://news.discovery.com/human/reusable-shopping-bags-green-but-unclean.html
The iPhone 4 sold extremely well as expected, selling out just about everywhere around the country:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2010-06-25-iphone25_ST_N.htm?csp=hf
Apple responded to the complaints that people are having with the reception issues with the iPhone 4 by acknowledging that there is a problem with talking on the phone if people have their hand on certain parts of the phone. They say that the problem is NOT a software or production problem, they say that people need to hold their phone differently or buy their case for the iPhone 4:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/apple-responds-over-iphone-4-reception-issues-youre-holding-th/
The class action lawsuit filed against Apple and AT&T over the discontinued unlimited-data plan for the iPad 3G has been expanded. The suit claims that Apple and AT&T "baited" them into purchasing an iPad 3G with the promise of a flexible unlimited data plan and then took away the unlimited data plan option within weeks after their purchase:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/class-action-against-apple-and-att-is-amended/?ref=technology
EA announced that it welcomes iPhone 4 with the release of NCAA Football that has been specifically designed to maximize the power of iPhone 4's new Retina display. EA Mobile already dominates the iPhone App chart with 12 of the top 20 grossing titles:
http://www.fiercemobilecontent.com/press-releases/ea-mobile-dominates-top-app-store-charts-blockbuster-brands-day-iphone-4-launch
RIM's stock dropped even after they announced that their quarterly profit rose almost 20% and beat expectations. Investors are worried that the BlackBerry is losing market share to Apple and other smartphones:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/RIM-shares-drop-BlackBerry-rb-3187099058.html?x=0
One indication of RIM's problems are that developers are much more interested in creating Apps for the Apple and Android platforms than any other platform (including BlackBerry and Windows Mobile). The report concludes that "Apple and Google are now playing chess while everyone else plays catch up." Interest in tablet application development has spiked since the iPad debut and 62% of developers are interested in creating apps for Android Tablets (even though none exist yet). Developers feel that Apple has the best near-term outlook and App Store, but the Android platform has the best long-term outlook:
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/23/developer-interest-in-tablets-soars/
The Samsung Galaxy S family of Android smartphones appears to be getting close to the goal of getting it on all 4 major wireless carriers in the US. It will be the Samsung Vibrant on T-Mobile and the Captivate on AT&T:
http://www.gearlog.com/2010/06/t-mobile_announces_samsung_vib.php
Only 12% of retailers have websites optimized for mobile phones:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=130864
Tourists were shocked to see a crocodile eating a shark at a National Park--the shark was estimated to be at least 10 feet long, but the crocodile had already bitten it into 2 pieces when the tourists took this photo that went with this article:
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/24/158631_ntnews.html
The terms of Tiger Woods' divorce are pretty amazing to me--Tiger has an estimated net worth of $900 million and his ex-wife will get $750 million...she will get the new $80 million Florida mansion and Tiger cannot introduce their kids to any of the women he is with unless he's married to the woman. Elin Nordegren agreed to a confidentiality clause, so the very private Tiger Woods will avoid her giving any interviews or writing a book...but that monetary split (WAY more than half!) surprised me. Yahoo and others report that under their prenup Elin was to receive $20 million after 10 years of marriage...so, Tiger *really* messed up to agree to give $750 million:
http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2010/06/25/tiger-woods-divorce-is-ridiculous/