Why isn't Zack Snyder directing the 300 sequel? And who is?

While the Dawn of the Dead remake was the film that first made us take notice of Zack Snyder, his visceral adaptation of Frank Miller's legendary graphic novel 300 made him a Hollywood heavyweight. So why isn't he getting behind the camera for Xerxes, based on Miller's ancient Greek follow-up?

Before Snyder got the nod from Warner Brothers and Christopher Nolan to take charge of the next Superman film, he was fully intending to write and direct Xerxes. But now, according to New York Magazine, the Xerxes gig has just been offered to Sherlock Holmes' Guy Ritchie. So what happened?

Look who just got called in to help with Batman vs. Superman: Frank Miller!

Director Zach Snyder has his hands full trying to put together the first big-screen meeting of Batman and Superman, but it sounds like he’s calling in the big guns to figure out the details.

A report from The Independent indicates Snyder has set up a meeting with legendary comic writer and artist Frank Miller to discuss the project, which sounds like a very smart move. Why? Because Miller wrote the comic arc they’re looking to for inspiration with the script.

Dolly the Sheep cloner considers re-creating woolly mammoth

We're soon going to be able to live forever.

One resuscitation expert offered recently that death will be reversible.

So the distinctions between the past and present, between history and dreaming, may blur considerably.

It was delightful, therefore, to read Wednesday morning that a world-famous scientist is musing about re-creating a woolly mammoth.

See what Yoda and 7 other sci-fi icons almost looked like in awesome concept art

Yoda, Hagrid, Buzz Lightyear -- they're all film icons, but what were they originally supposed to look like?

When it comes to character sketches versus the final, cinematic result, you never know what you'll discover. Sometimes the original intent remains entirely or in part until the very end. Other times, the sketch and the product are as far from each other as two things can be.

36 percent admit to cursing, punching their computers

A survey reveals that more than a third of Americans assault their computers, in one way or another, because the machines frustrate them.

In most human transactions, I believe I am lied to around two-thirds of the time.

Perhaps you too have such a suspicion. Perhaps that suspicion will be confirmed by the survey I am about to spread before your eyes.

Super telescope captures sensational image of Andromeda galaxy

If you thought the Milky Way was the bee's knees, wait till you see this unreal high-definition shot of our nearest spiral galaxy neighbor.

Astronomers have captured a sensational high-resolution image of the Andromeda galaxy located 2.5 million light years (14,696,563,432,959,020,000 miles) from Earth. No illustration, no mock-up -- it's the real deal, and it's breathtaking.

The stunning mosaic comes from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Subaru Telescope located atop Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano. Attached to the facility's 26-foot telescope is a 3-ton 870-megapixel still camera called the Hyper-Suprime Cam (HSC), which features an extremely wide 1.5-degree field of view.

Xbox One designed to stay powered on for 10 years straight

In a few months both Microsoft and Sony will launch their next-gen consoles. It's going to be one helluva a holiday. And there will almost certainly be hardware shortages. While Microsoft originally intended for the Xbox One to be an "always on" entertainment box that would require an Internet connection check-in (the requirement has since been reversed), the console was designed with another "always on" feature in mind, too.

Google to offer high-speed Wi-Fi access at all U.S. Starbucks!

Google's experiment to bring super high-speed Internet access to select communities via itsGoogle Fiber program has reportedly been a success. But some fans of the company based in major tech hubs where the service is unavailable have been feeling a little left out. Well, it appears that everyone will now have the opportunity to experience at least one version of high-speed Internet access from Google thanks to a new partnership with Starbucks.

Mobile POS Will Surpass $2 Billion in 2013, iPad As Cash Register

When Apple AAPL -0.54% began using mobile devices in their stores, people in retail started paying attention. According to a recent study from research firm IHL Group, 28 percent of North American retailers plan to adopt Mobile POS in some form by the end of 2013. The Mobile POS market will surpass $2 Billion in hardware/software sales in North America this year.

Clarification: This data is not consumer point of sales transaction value, but sales of POS equipment hardware and software.

Overall, mobile in retail is now a $5.7 Billion business worldwide and continues to grow rapidly. It is the single fastest moving trend in retail since Internet was added to the stores, according to IHL Group.

ReelzChannel CEO Defends Controversial JFK Documentary Theory: President Was Killed by Accidental Secret Service Shot

ReelzChannel is getting back into the Kennedy family business, and once again likely to make some waves. In November, the network that aired the Emmy-winning 2011 miniseries "The Kennedys" will debut "JFK: The Smoking Gun," a new documentary offering the theory that John F. Kennedy was killed, not by Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle, but by the friendly-fire bullet of an inexperienced Secret Service agent. It is a theory that has been around awhile and has had a difficult track record and the news that Reelz is airing a show based on it has already ignited anger in this hotly disputed stretch of history.

Pirate Bay Fails To Raise Money For Party

I know this is going to come as a shock to most people but relying on freeloading pirates for the money to throw a party is a remarkably bad idea. Whodathunkit? 

During the second week of July the Swedish Pirates began a crowd-funding drive for people to contribute towards tickets, but a week later just 30 people had chipped in around 38,730 Swedish kronor, less than 10% of the 450,000 kronor ($69,293) goal. Realizing that the 450K goal was too ambitious, the organizers reduced it dramatically. At the time of writing it sits at 200,000 kronor ($30,798) but even that amount is proving problematic.

Twitter Copyright Takedowns Up 76%

Who knew Twitter was such a hot bed copyright infringement?

First published on July 2, 2012, our bi-annual Twitter Transparency Report highlights trends in government requests we've received for account information, goverment requests we've received for content removal, and copyright notices (both takedown notices and counter notices) we've received. The report also provides insight into whether or not we take action on these requests.

Facebook Introduces Embedded Posts

Ugh, do we really need Facebook embedded posts?

Today, we're introducing Embedded Posts, a social plugin that lets you easily add public posts from Facebook to your blog or web site. Embedded Posts are a way to put public posts - by a Page or a person on Facebook - into the content of your web site or web page. The Embedded Post will show any media attached to it, as well as the number of likes, shares, and comments that the post has. Embedding posts will let people using your web site see the same rich information that is shown on Facebook.com, and they will enable people to follow or like content authors or Pages directly from the embed.

Student left in DEA cell to get $4 million from US

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A 25-year old college student has reached a $4.1 million settlement with the federal government after he was abandoned in a windowless Drug Enforcement Administration cell for more than four days without food or water, his attorneys said Tuesday.

The DEA introduced national detention standards as a result of the ordeal involving Daniel Chong, including daily inspections and a requirement for cameras in cells, said Julia Yoo, one of his lawyers.

Chong said he drank his own urine to stay alive, hallucinated that agents were trying to poison him with gases through the vents, and tried to carve a farewell message to his mother in his arm.

It remained unclear how the situation occurred, and no one has been disciplined, said Eugene Iredale, another attorney for Chong. The Justice Department's inspector general is investigating.

"It sounded like it was an accident — a really, really bad, horrible accident," Chong said.

Does your credit card come with an on-call concierge who can snag you those coveted tickets to a sold-out Justin Bieber concert? Does your plastic get you into exclusive airport lounges with gourmet buffets, free drinks, personal electronics-charging stations and private bathrooms? How about a free round of golf at a posh club?

If your answer to all of the above is "no," you’re probably not an elite credit card holder.

As the rich get richer, the credit card industry has increasingly been pursuing this slice of the marketplace, appealing to their taste for luxury hotel upgrades, shopping services and always available “lifestyle managers.” And some of these elite cards aren’t even available in the U.S. – banks have been ramping up their offerings to the affluent in Asia and the Middle East. Indeed, a May report by The Boston Consulting Group found the highest density of millionaires was in Qatar, where 143 out of every 1,000 households have private wealth of at least $1 million. This was followed by Switzerland, Kuwait, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Here are some of the priciest credit cards around. Most come with sky-high annual fees, spending requirements and investable assets minimums.

1. American Express Centurion
Annual fee: $2,500

When it launched in 1999, American Express’s Centurion card, made from titanium, essentially defined the premium card category, and it’s still the most exclusive card out there. Cardholders pay a one-time $5,000 joining fee and $2,500 annually. They also must spend at least $250,000 annually on an Amex Platinum or Gold card.

Michael Dolen, founder and CEO of CreditCardForum.com, says the Centurion isn’t that much better than the AmexPlatinum Card, which gives you many of the same benefits for only a $450 annual fee. What you can’t get with the Platinum card, however, is elite status on Delta and US Airways. That means Centurion holders are eligible for free first-class upgrades on those airlines when flying domestically – and when space is available, says Brian Kelly, of ThePointsGuy.com.

Historic Sea Fort Reborn as Luxury Hotel (PHOTOS)

Built in 1867 to repel the French navy, the sea fortress Spitbank Fort located off the south coast of England has stood immovable for centuries. It has weathered winds, crashing waves and rising tides, housing cannons, muzzle-loading guns and later, breech-loading guns. Today, it houses a circular plunge pool and sauna in its former rooftop gun emplacement, and its ammunition store has been converted into a wine-tasting room.

The historic sea-granite Spitbank Fort reopened as a luxury spa hotel and retreat in 2012, with eight bedroom suites offering sea views, bar, sunbathing decks, restaurant, and even fire pits.

Student sues Ford claiming smugglers stole key codes to plant pot

Life along the border with Mexico and the United States carries a special set of hazards. Take for an extreme example people who need to cross the bridges between Juarez and El Paso on a daily basis — and have been targeted by drug gangs who break into their cars, plant drugs and then have them retrieved on the other side, all without the owners knowledge.

After being snared in one such scheme that nearly put him in federal prison, one Texas resident has sued Ford, claiming the automaker made it all too easy for unscrupulous locksmiths to duplicate his keys, as they did with at least three other people to haul some 500 lbs. of pot across the border.

No takers for 'Schindler's List' up for auction

An auction for one of “Schindler’s Lists” had no bids on eBay.

The list was put up for sale on July 18, and ran for 10 days, until July 28. The auction, which started at an eye-popping $3 million for the piece of Holocaust history, was open only to approved bidders. 

The winning bidder would be required to pay a $10,000 deposit. The remaining amount owed would be due within seven days. The winner also would need to pick up the document in Israel.

The list is named for German businessman Oskar Schindler, who compiled the 801 names of workers he deemed essential for his enamel factory, thus sparing them from concentration camps.

Only four original lists are known to exist, including the one up for auction dated April 18, 1945, which is described as 14 onionskin pages long.

TSA Workers Breach Security, Sleep on the Job: Report

Transportation Security Administration officers were cited for more than 9,600 cases of misconduct from 2010 to 2012, according to a new government report that shows agency employees often received light punishments for sneaking prohibited items past scanners or napping on the job.

The report, released Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office, found nearly 2,000 cases of screeners who were sleeping, not following procedures or allowing relatives to bypass security checkpoints. More than 3,000 screeners showed up late, not at all or left the job without permission, GAO reported.

In one instance of misconduct, a security officer left a checkpoint to help a relative check in and then came back with the family member's bag and allowed it to go around security. A TSA supervisor saw the misconduct and insisted the bag be screened, according to the report.

Nasdaq stocks posting largest volume decreases

NEW YORK (AP) -- A look at the 10 biggest volume decliners on Nasdaq at the close of trading:

Colonial Financial Services Inc. : Approximately 100 shares changed hands, a 97.0 decrease from its 65-day average volume. The shares fell $.02 or .1 percent to $14.08.

1st Constitution Bancorp : Approximately 100 shares changed hands, a 97.7 decrease from its 65-day average volume. The shares remained unchanged at $9.60.

Hamilton Bncp (HBK): Approximately 100 shares changed hands, a 97.0 decrease from its 65-day average volume. The shares remained unchanged at $13.50.

Homeowners confess their dumbest remodeling mistakes

Even if you don't expect every last detail of your kitchen renovation to turn out perfectly, you probably plan on coming close, without any major mistakes. Yet remodeling goofs—like boxing in the fridge or mounting the cabinets out of reach—happen more often than you might think. The good news: Nailing down the essentials that will make your kitchen comfortable, functional, and stylish for years to come is easy if you know what they are. We talked with homeowners to find out which design oversights and outright blunders caused them the most grief. Here are their most regretted missteps, and advice on how to sidestep them.

Reports: Simon Cowell Becoming a Dad?!

The U.K. tabloids are all abuzz this week about a famous baby, and it's not Prince George. It has just been revealed that eternal bachelor Simon Cowell is going to be a dad — and the mother of his unborn child is actually the estranged wife of one of his good friends.

According to Us Weekly and People, 36-year-old socialite Lauren Silverman — who is still legally married to Simon's pal, New York real estate tycoon Andrew Silverman — is 10 weeks pregnant with 53-year-old Simon's first child.

'It just doesn't really add up': YouTube gun enthusiast found dead likely knew his killer, brother and wife say!

• Authorities found Keith Ratliff, 32, dead at his office on January 3 with a single bullet wound in the head
• His brother and wife say he likely knew his killer.
  
• ‘For him not to pull out that gun and try to defend himself, he had to feel comfortable around somebody’ brother Kelly Ratliff said

The brother and wife of online celebrity gun enthusiast Keith Ratliff, who was found dead shot once in the head, say the victim likely knew his killer.
‘For him not to pull out that gun and try to defend himself, he had to feel comfortable around somebody,’ his brother Kelly Ratliff told ABC News affiliate WSB-TV. ‘Either that or he was ambushed.’

Fired For Calling Out Non-Tipping Customer On Twitter

When has it ever been a good idea to chastise a customer on Twitter for not tipping? Unless you are the owner of your company or you like unemployment, I'm inclined to say "never."

So when a food truck worker in Manhattan saw his crew had been left without a tip on a $170 order placed by a multinational shareholder advisory service, he took his frustration to Twitter — and got fired for it.

A Day In The Life Of An eBay Now Deliveryman

The quote of the day is sponsored by eBay Now, Trojan and Astroglide. Thanks to Sparky for the link.

Whenever you get orders for condoms and lube, those customers expect you to be there within an hour.

Former Mozilla CEO To Run Security Software Maker AVG

This ought to be an interesting match-up don't you think?

Kovacs, who's in his mid-50s, comes to AVG several months after he stepped down as the CEO of Mozilla. AVG's previous CEO, J.R. Smith, moved to an advisory role with the company in March, after six years leading of leading AVG during a period of massive user adoption of its core product, AVG Anti-Virus Free.

Copper theft 'like an epidemic' sweeping US

Copper is such a hot commodity that thieves are going after the metal anywhere they can find it: an electrical power station in Wichita, Kan., or half a dozen middle-class homes in Morris Township, N.J. Even on a Utah highway construction site, crooks managed to abscond with six miles of copper wire.

Those are just a handful of recent targets across the U.S. in the $1 billion business of copper theft.

"There's no question the theft has gotten much, much worse," said Mike Adelizzi, president of the American Supply Association , a nonprofit group representing distributors and suppliers in the plumbing, heating, cooling and industrial pipe industries.

"There was a perception that copper theft slowed down after the recession, and the rise in commodity prices seemed to ease off," he said. "But that's not the case. The theft has only been growing."

Hero dog saves owner, grandson from fire!

Just two weeks after he was rescued from a shelter "Bear," a 150-pound Mastiff, saved his owners right back. When a blaze broke out during the night at her Long Island home, Carol Swinson's fire alarms failed to go off. It was Bear, who jumped on her to wake her, who saved Swinson and her 9-year-old grandson. Swinson says she was startled at first because Bear had been good about following the rule of staying off her bed. A very grateful Swinson says, "I'll do right by that dog for the rest of my life." VIDEO

Jetpack man soars over U.S. alongside B-17 bomber

Yves Rossy, known as Jetman, wowed attendees at the EEA air show, which also hosted Terrafugia's flying car.

Next time you're stuck in traffic, just imagine soaring above it all with a personal jetpack like Yves Rossy. The Swiss adventurer just made his debut U.S. flight in grand style.

Jetman, as Rossy is known, appeared alongside a vintage B-17 bomber at the EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wis., in his first public flight in the U.S.

He flew in formation with the bomber, coming within several feet of the fuselage, before parachuting to a safe landing.

Princesses in north India win a royal fortune

NEW DELHI (AP) — It has all the makings of a best-selling novel. An Indian maharaja crowned as a toddler and rich beyond imagination falls into a deep depression in old age after losing his only son.

After his own death a few months later, his daughters, the princesses, don't get the palaces, gold and vast lands they claim as their birthright. Instead, they are given a few dollars a month from palace officials they accuse of scheming to usurp the royal billions with a forged will. The fight rages for decades.

On Saturday, an Indian court brought the chapter to a close, ruling that the will of Maharaja Harinder Singh Brar of Faridkot was fabricated.

Ark. district arming more than 20 teachers, staff

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. (AP) — As Cheyne Dougan rounded the corner at Clarksville High School, he saw three students on the floor moaning and crying. In a split-second, two more ran out of a nearby classroom.

"He's got a gun," one of them shouted as Dougan approached with his pistol drawn. Inside, he found one student holding another at gunpoint. Dougan aimed and fired three rounds at the gunman.

Preparing for such scenarios has become common for police after aschool shooting in Connecticut last December left 20 children and six teachers dead. But Dougan is no policeman. He's the assistant principal of this school in Arkansas, and when classes resume in August, he will walk the halls with a 9 mm handgun.

Disabled Man Claims Delta Forced Him to Crawl

A partially paralyzed man is suing Delta Airlines, claiming he was forced to crawl on and off his flights and across the tarmac because he wasn't provided with the equipment he needed to board and exit the plane, according to a complaint.

D. Baraka Kanaan, 40, of Haiku, Hawaii, filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Hawaii against Delta Airlines and 20 of the carrier's employees and agents. The suit, filed on July 23, seeks damages after he endured "intense physical and extreme emotional suffering" from the ordeal.

2014 BMW i3 electric car attempts a revolution from within

It looks like a prop from a science fiction movie. It’s the oddest vehicle built with a BMW badge since the company stopped making Isetta bubble cars in 1962. But the 2014 BMW i3 electric car revealed today rolls out as the most technically advanced effort by an automaker to make electric cars viable.

Like all major automakers, BMW has to build electric vehicles to meet regulations around the world, especially in California, which requires automakers to either sell their own EVs or pay their competitors who do so. BMW had experimented with an electric version of its 3-Series sedan, but chose to build a custom-designed EV meant to serve as an urban commuter in the world’s increasingly crowded cities — one meant to maximize its environmental credentials.

Stop Screwing Up Your Job Search In These Ten Ways

When New York career coach Sarah Stamboulie was working at financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald in the human resources department some years ago, she was about to hire a support staffer. At the final stage in the process, she called the woman’s last employer, expecting to hear a glowing recommendation. Instead, the employer spoke haltingly and without enthusiasm. “It was totally damning with faint praise,” says Stamboulie. “They were basically saying this person never showed up and their attendance was bad.” Stamboulie, who has also worked in human resources at Morgan Stanley and Nortel Networks, before a stint in Columbia Business School’s alumni career services office and then in her own coaching firm, says she has seen this problem frequently over the years. Job candidates give out references who only grudgingly endorse their qualifications.

Weiner falls to 4th in new NYC mayoral poll

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City mayoral hopeful Anthony Weiner plunged to fourth place among Democrats in a poll taken since he admitted to having illicit online exchanges with women even after he resigned from Congress amid a sexting scandal.

The poll — which Weiner led just five days ago — also showed about half of likely Democratic voters saying Weiner should abandon hismayoral bid.

Weiner's support fell from 26 percent last week to 16 percent in Monday's Quinnipiac University poll. Last week's survey was taken largely before Weiner's latest scandal was revealed.

Man building 3D-printed Aston Martin

Ivan Sentch of New Zealand has printed about three-quarters of the mold parts for his handmade Aston Martin DB4. Would you drive it?

Aston Martin only made about 1,200 DB4 cars back in the day, and today some versions can fetch millions at auction. But Ivan Sentch is 3D-printing his own.

The resident of Auckland, New Zealand, has printed nearly three-quarters of the sections for his replica of the classic sports car.

Sentch is recreating a 1961 series II Aston Martin DB4 by 3D-printing plastic plugs for the car's fiberglass body. The mechanical bits will come from an old Nissan Skyline.

Moscow Subway To Use Devices To Read Data On Phones

What's up with all the weird stuff going on in Russia today? Maybe they do this stuff all the time and we just don't hear about it.

The head of police for Moscow's subway system has said stations will soon be equipped with devices that can read the data on the mobile telephones of passengers. In the July 29 edition of "Izvestia," Moscow Metro police chief Andrei Mokhov said the device would be used to help locate stolen mobile phones.

Appeals Court: Cops Can Track Cellphones Without Warrants

The courts have decided that, at least for now, no warrant is required to track cell phones. Who knows what the law will be next week. 

A divided federal appeals court ruled today that the government does not need a probable-cause warrant to access mobile-phone subscribers’ cell-site information, a decision reversing lower court decisions that said the location data was protected by the Fourth Amendment.

PC Industry Fights to Adapt as Tablets Muscle In

SEATTLE — The death of the personal computer may be an exaggeration. But the industry around personal computers seems to be in limbo.

Like the mainframe, which was said to be dead decades ago but has remained a meaningful business, the PC will almost certainly cheat death. True, mobile devices like the iPad will continue to gore PC sales. Those mobile devices, though, will most likely never satisfy spreadsheet masters, film editors and other workers who depend on multiple screens and the precision of a keyboard and mouse.

Still, there is a strong view among many longtime tech executives that the PC’s relevance will steadily diminish.

4 Major Myths about the Housing Recovery (VIDEO)

With home prices continuing to rise and interest rates so low, some are asking: Are we just inflating another housing bubble? And with low inventory being a major theme for housing, is a surplus of shadow inventory about to flood the market and bring home prices to a grinding halt — or cause them to come crashing down?
 
With so much interest in where the housing market is going, there’s also lots of speculation — and misinformation. So to debunk some of the biggest housing myths (as he sees them), we talked to Brendon DeSimone, real estate expert, blogger forZillow.com and author of the upcoming "Next Generation Real Estate: Smarter Buying and Faster Selling in Today’s Transformed Market."
 
Check out the video to see more on how DeSimone debunks these myths:

Cell Phone Dangers: Myth vs Fact

Americans are more reliant on their smart phones and laptops than ever before, but many of us are unaware of the potential harm our favorite gadgets could cause.

“As a society, we have become so dependent on these devices,” Dr. Roshini Raj says, “But the truth is, we don’t know some of the long term effects.”

Dr. Raj says that while doctors have yet to pinpoint a correlation between cell phone use and brain cancer, neuroscientists researching the case believe a link does exist.

It sounds like some scary stuff, but Dr. Raj has tips to avoid any harmful affects. First, don’t keep your phone in your pocket all day or anywhere too close to your body. Second, use speakerphone or a landline to restrict the amount time your cell is pressed against your head. Third, and most importantly, limit your child’s cell phone exposure.

Worst swarm of Alaskan mosquitoes ever?

In Alaska, the mosquito is the state bird, or so the joke goes because of the size and numbers of the bloodsucking insects. The mosquitoes can get so thick hikers have been known to walk while swatting them away with branches from a tree. They can be extremely annoying. Swarms of mosquitos can be particularly bad on the North Slope of the Brooks Range. How bad? This bad:

Taliban overwhelmed guards at Pakistan prison

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) — Prison guards said Tuesday that they were totally overwhelmed when around 150 heavily armed Taliban fighters staged a late-night attack on their jail in northwestPakistan, freeing over 250 prisoners including over three dozen suspected militants.

It was the second such attack by the Taliban on a prison in the northwest within the last 18 months. But even so, the security forces were totally unprepared for the raid, despite senior prison officials having received intelligence indicating an attack was likely. Over a dozen people were killed in the assault.

The incident in the town of Dera Ismail Khan raises serious questions about state institutions' capacity to battle a domestic Taliban insurgency that has raged for years and killed tens of thousands of security personnel and civilians.

Obama to propose 'grand bargain'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will propose a "grand bargain for middle-class jobs" on Tuesday that would cut the U.S. corporate tax rate and use billions of dollars in revenues generated by a business tax overhaul to fund projects aimed at creating jobs.

His goal, to be outlined in a speech at an Amazon.com Inc facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is to break through congressional gridlock by trying to find a formula that satisfies both Republicans and Democrats.

Motorcycle helmets getting first head-up display High Gear Media

Reevu is a company keen on reinventing the helmet as we know it. Most recently, the company touted a rearview camera that keeps track of the action going on behind your head. This is rather useful for motorcyclists and could be adapted by those racing open-top cars.

Now Reevu is looking to push commercial helmet technology even further. Get ready to get your fighter pilot style on, because helmets are getting head-up displays.

Explosion of ‘really, really big’ mosquitoes expected later this summer!

Mosquitoes thrive in humid, wet weather, which is why, if you live on the East Coast, you’ve probably swatted away more bugs than usual this summer. And its only going to get worse.

"We're going to see this explosion ... of really, really big mosquitoes, especially in the Southeast," said Paul Walsh of The Weather Channel.

Heavier-than-normal rainfall and a late break to summer has been providing ideal conditions for mosquito breeding, according to Walsh.

"What mosquitoes really like is lots and lots of standing water and warm, humid air," Walsh said on "Big Data Download."

A few things to keep in mind to avoid being bitten while enjoying dinner al fresco: cover up, use insect repellent and since mosquitoes use their eyesight to spot a target, avoid bright or dark clothes. And stand still; the critters are tracking your every move.

Vampire robot vants to suck your blood

The first of its kind, Veebot is a prototype robotic phlebotomist, designed to get all Dracula on your arm. It's supposed to be as good as a human at finding a vein and drawing your blood.

Feel any better about getting your blood drawn? Yah, me neither.

I love it when robots do new things, but I have to admit I get more than a shadow of terror at the prospect of needle-wielding robots. Blame it on the "Star Wars" torture droid.

I know. That's just an atavistic meatsack response. We should all welcome the evolution ofvenipuncture, from leeches to hypodermic needles to robots.

Breaking Not So Bad: Watch Aaron Paul Surprise a Van Full of Tourists

Aaron Paul has proven over and over again that he's the coolest TV star around, and now there's even more proof.

The "Breaking Bad" star surprised a group of Irish tourists in a sightseeing van in front of his Hollywood home. To the shock of Paul McNeive and his family, the two-time Emmy winner spied the tour bus and actually came outside to greet them!

"Sometimes I see the van, and sometimes I don't. And when I do, I always try to say hello," he told McNeive, who captured the encounter on camera.

New Samsung ad to iPhone users: You're featureless

Whenever you get on a plane, you always want to know what your phone seatmate's got, don't you?

You slide one eye across just to check whether they're as tastefully forward as you are.

If it's a phone you're interested in -- and your seatmate doesn't smell so bad -- you might ask about it. If it's a BlackBerry, you go back to texting your lover that you miss her more than ten-color rainbows.

This is the encounter upon which Samsung has based its latest attempt to make iPhone users feel a touch inadequate.

Motion-powered bird backpacks take flight

Back-to-school shopping isn't just for people. Some birds are getting backpacks, too. Researchers at the Laboratory for Intelligent Machine Systems at Cornell University are developing tiny high-tech backpacks to collect information on bird flight patterns.

Birds aren't beasts of burden, so one of the biggest challenges around gathering flight data is finding ways to monitor the birds that don't interrupt their flying mechanisms. That's where motion-powered devices come in. "You can't put a 9-volt battery on a bird, so you need a lightweight energy source," says Cornell doctoral candidate Michael Shafer.

Apple Sued Over Mandatory Employee Bag Checks

Apple lines up its employees to search them before leaving work every day and all anyone is concerned about is not being paid while they are treated like criminals? 

Two former workers from Apple stores in New York and Los Angeles filed a complaint in San Francisco federal court on Thursday regarding this policy. These employees claim that they had to stand in lines up to 30 minutes long every day for store managers to check their bags and ensure they weren't smuggling home stolen goods.

Watch Out For Gas Pump Skimmers - Oklahoma

Just great, not only do we have to look out for skimmers on ATMs, now we can't use our credit cards at gas pumps without worrying about getting ripped off. 

 

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Muskogee, Okla. says two men indicted this month for skimming would rent a vehicle, check into a local hotel and place skimming devices on gas pumps at Murphy’s filling stations located in the parking lots of Wal-Mart retail stores. The fraud devices included a card skimmer and a fake PIN pad overlay designed to capture PINs from customers who paid at the pump with a debit card.

Researchers Discover Novel Material For Cooling Electronic Devices

Scientist are saying that cubic boron arsenide has a higher thermal conductivity than diamond. Ummm, while that is cool and all, let's just hope it is cheaper than diamonds. 

A team of theoretical physicists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Boston College has identified cubic boron arsenide as a material with an extraordinarily high thermal conductivity and the potential to transfer heat more effectively from electronic devices than diamond, the best-known thermal conductor to date.

Scientist Banned From Revealing Codes To Start Luxury Cars

Neat hack but, let's be realistic, did this researcher really think the judge was going to rule in his favor? 

A British-based computer scientist has been banned from publishing an academic paper revealing the secret codes used to start luxury cars including Porsches, Audis, Bentleys and Lamborghinis as it could lead to the theft of millions of vehicles, a judge has ruled.