America's Largest Rocket Launches Top-Secret Spy Satellite

The United States' largest rocket launched a spy satellite on a hush-hush mission Wednesday (Aug. 28).
An unmanned Delta 4-Heavy rocket lifted off the pad at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base at 2:03 p.m. EDT (1803 GMT) Wednesday, carrying a classified payload to a polar orbit for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
"Today's launch is dedicated to the men and women who serve for our nation's freedom," a commentator said a few minutes into the liftoff. [See more photos of today's spy satellite launch]
It's unclear what intelligence the spacecraft, which is known as NROL-65, will collect as it zips around our planet. Because of the clandestine nature of the mission, it entered a planned media blackout about seven minutes after liftoff.

UK: Syria attack would be legal, Justified.

LONDON (AP) — Britain's leaders said Thursday it would be legal under humanitarian doctrine to launch a military strike against Syria even without authorization from the United Nations Security Council.

Prime Minister David Cameron's office said the legal conditions have been met for taking action against Syria for allegedly launching a chemical attack against civilians in a Damascus suburb last week. The British leader has been at the forefront of calls for action, but his push is expected to be slowed by objections from the opposition Labour Party and a stand-off at the U.N.
Cameron's office released intelligence and legal documents meant to bolster the case that chemical weapons were used by the Syrian government and that retaliation would be justified. The documents were made public in advance of a debate in the British Parliament.

The Mom Phrase I Really Can’t Stand >

There are three words moms say to other moms that make me cringe. You generally hear more seasoned moms saying this to newer moms. And, full disclosure, it's something I've caught myself saying in the past. But I've made a real effort to rein it in because I think it's dismissive, unhelpful and kind of holier than thou. All things I don't want to be to other moms. The offending phrase: "Just wait until…"
Just. Wait. Until. These words are often said in response to something you might tell another mom about your parenting experience. And rather than acknowledge your statement or commiserate or offer a helpful tip, a "just wait until…" flies out of her mouth.

Only the brave visit Egypt as its tourism industry crashes

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — There’s nothing like being on the brink of civil war to turn a nation’s hottest tourist destinations into ghost towns.

It should be high season for this famed Red Sea resort town, which is beloved by Europeans but more known in the U.S. as the site of several failed peace efforts between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Indeed, tourists from Scandinavia, Russia and the U.K. usually clog the town's glittering casinos and dance clubs. Visitors marvel at the luxury hotels and come from near and far for its stunning scuba diving.

Miley Cyrus Twerking VMA

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Miley Cyrus is quite the popular young woman these days.

The singer's racy performance of "We Can't Stop" at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, where she shared the stage and her foam appendage with Robin Thicke, has drawn strong reaction from both viewers and the media.

Love or hate the performance, it has resonated hugely across the social media landscape, and has even bolstered Cyrus' album, single and video sales.
As TheWrap previously reported, Cyrus' twerking fueled a Twitter record with an unprecedented 306,100 tweets-per-minute, according to MTV. By VMAs-end, Cyrus had been referenced 4.5 million times on the social site.

Las Vegas casino seeks to evict raunchy nightclub

LAS VEGAS (AP) — It turns out that even in Sin City, some sins are hard to overlook.

The Palazzo hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip is trying to evict a 10-month-old nightclub for shows it says are so raunchy that they violate obscenity laws. It says actors — some nearly naked — toss condoms into the crowd and simulate sex acts and bestiality on stage.
The club is seeking a restraining order to halt the closure, arguing that simulated sex acts don't constitute obscenity.

Russia sending warships to the Mediterranean: report

Russia will "over the next few days" be sending an anti-submarine ship and a missile cruiser to the Mediterranean as the West prepares for possible strikes against Syria, the Interfax news agency said on Thursday.

"The well-known situation shaping up in the eastern Mediterranean called for certain corrections to the make-up of the naval forces," a source in the Russian General Staff told Interfax.
"A large anti-submarine ship of the Northern Fleet will join them (the existing naval forces) over the next few days.

Sandra Bullock Has the Best Day Ever as 'Gravity' Lifts Off in Venice

The 70th Venice International Film Festival is officially underway, and the first shining star of this year's incarnation of the prestigious event is the woman who once managed to keep a bus above 50 miles per hour through Los Angeles traffic.

Sandra Bullock started the festival out in style at the opening ceremony and premiere of her new film, "Gravity." The "Speed" beauty looked stunning at the Palazzo del Cinema on Wednesday in an incredible red J. Mendel gown. It's the second fashion impression the star has made at the festival, as she previously arrived with co-star and longtime friend George Clooney for the "Gravity" photocall in a pink, green and orange dress designed by Alex Perry.

Fears of a Larger War in the Middle East

Will the phrase “Guns of August” one day refer not only to the prelude to World War I in 1914 but also to the prelude to a Middle East war in 2013?

That is the ominous question posed by Roger Boyes, the diplomatic editor of the Times of London and a foreign correspondent for the past 35 years.
“The direction of events in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Iran should keep us awake at night. History is taking a dangerous turn,” he writes. “The region certainly cannot sustain two wars — Syria’s bloody insurgency and a near-civil war in Egypt — without wrecking established peace treaties and the normal mechanisms for defusing conflict.”
I sat down with Boyes in our London newsroom. He acknowledged that the conflicts coursing through a half-dozen Middle Eastern countries did not come from a single source, nor did they stem from a single reason.

Diesel comeback: Model tally set to double for 2014

At 46 miles per gallon highway, the new Chevy Cruze Turbo Diesel gives even hybrids a run for their (gas) money.

The number of diesel models on the U.S. market should double during the 2014 model-year, according to various industry-watchers, the high-mileage powertrain technology set to get its biggest boost since falling out of favor with American motorists back in the 1980s.

The surge reflects the advent of new diesel technology that not only maintains an estimated 30 percent mileage advantage over gasoline engines, but also resolves traditional concerns such as noise, roughness and foul-smelling emissions.

It also reflects the return to the diesel market by manufacturers like General Motors, the emergence of new makers including Nissan, and the expansion of offerings by diesel leaders such as Volkswagen and is luxury arm Audi.

Minnesota Teen Pulls Wolf's Jaws Off His Head With Bare Hands

Noah Graham was lying outside his tent at a camp ground in rural Minnesota early Saturday morning when he suddenly felt something on his head.
"[I had] just no sense at all that it was there until it was actually on my head," Noah, 16, of Solway, Minn., said.
On Noah's head was a gray wolf that had approached him from behind and bit him in the back of his head.
"I didn't hear the wolf coming. I didn't see it," said Noah, who was camping with friends on Lake Winnibigoshish near Cass Lake.
By the time Noah realized what was happening, the wolf had part of his head in its mouth. Noah reached back and used his own hands to pull his head free from the wolf's jaws, leaving him with a four-inch gash in his head and deep scratches.

Syria says 'terrorists' will strike Europe with chemical weapons

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday that the United States, Britain and France helped "terrorists" use chemical weapons in Syria, and that the same groups would soon use them against Europe.

Speaking to reporters outside the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus, Faisal Maqdad said he had presented U.N. chemical weapons inspectors with evidence that "armed terrorist groups" had used sarin gas in all the sites of alleged attacks.

"We repeat that the terrorist groups are the ones that used (chemical weapons) with the help of the United States, the United Kingdom and France, and this has to stop," he said. "This means these chemical weapons will soon be used by the same groups against the people of Europe," he added. VIDEO

Swimming made safer with this headband

The Wilton YMCA summer camp in Wilton, Conn., offers kids a classic summertime experience. Hundreds of children make use of the camps’ amenities, including its natural pond swimming hole.

One unique aspect of the campers’ swimming experience? Everyone is required to wear a headband, containing technology that alerts lifeguards when a child’s head is underwater too long. At first glance, the headbands may look a little odd or space agey, but they are helping make the Wilton YMCA swim area one of the safest in the country.
It’s all about having fun … and being safe
To keep its swimmers safe, the Wilton YMCA employs a legion of lifeguards, its main line of defense. But believing you can never be too careful, it has also installed a $30,000 Wahooo Swim Monitoring System, the first one in use anywhere in the United States.

Don't get caught using eco-friendly light bulbs in Glenn Beck's office

Do anything to combat global warming in Glenn Beck’s office? You’re fired.

To prove his case against global warming, which Beck labels a “load of socialist, communist crap,” the right-wing talk-show host announced his war against energy-efficient light bulbs.

On air, he asked a staffer to write a memo that threatened to fire anyone caught using one. The YouTube video of the moment was picked up by Grist.

"I'm dead serious," Beck said on his radio program, as his employees titter nervously. "I fire the person that starts to purchase fluorescent light bulbs, unless that is the only light bulb for a very specific reason, and I want to be cc'd on what that reason is." How about to light a dark room? Is that reason enough?

Sony Vaio Pro 13

I dare say Sony’s Vaio Pro 13 is everything you could want in an ultrabook. Until the MacBook Air gets a much-needed screen upgrade (when’s that happening, Apple?), this svelte number from Sony is arguably the best ultralight money can buy.

Let’s start with the “ultra” part of the equation. At 2.3 pounds, it’s the lightest 13.3-inch laptop I’ve ever tested, and by far the most lightweight machine I’ve seen in the Windows 8/touchscreen era — a full half pound lighter than the vaunted Toshiba KIRABook. Clad in black carbon fiber, it’s so light I thought maybe the battery wasn’t installed when I first picked it up. (It’s non-replaceable, so that answers that question.) At 18 mm thick, it’s also right in line with some of the thinnest ultrabooks on the market.

Mountainside cliff crashes into water

"There it goes....There it goes," says the narrator of a new UGC video that captures a mountainside cliff when it crashes into the ocean. We're still getting the details of where it took place, but regardless the dramatic scene is startling. Do you have a guess where this is?  VIDEO

NJ coast shipwreck is steamer that sank in 1860

The hulking wreck has been a regular destination for divers but a riddle to historians: What ship came to rest in 85 feet of water 10 miles off New Jersey's coastline?

Now, federal officials have an answer.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that it has confirmed that the ship is the Robert J. Walker, an iron-hulled steamer doing mapping work for the U.S. Coast Survey that sank 153 years ago after a violent collision with a 250-ton schooner.
Twenty sailors aboard the Walker died, making it the worst accident in the history of the U.S. Coast Survey or its successor, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Second-Largest Dogfighting Raid Saves 367 Dogs

The dogs were seized in Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Animal Rescue team. The United Stated Attorney's Office and FBI assisted on the raid. VIDEO

Boa Constrictor Seen Eating Howler Monkey in a First

If a snake eats a monkey in the forest and no one sees it, does it make a difference? New evidence suggests that it does.
For the first time, scientists have witnessed a boa constrictor attacking and eating a howler monkey. The finding, and boa-eating-monkey video, is noteworthy since reports of primates being eaten by predators are relatively rare, according to the study, published this month in the journal Primates.
"This may cause us to rethink how vulnerable [these] primates are to predation," said Paul Garber, a primatologist at the University of Illinois, who wasn't involved in the study.
Vulnerable to predators

'Knight Rider' Superfan Builds Amazing Replica Car

Chris Palmer has serious 80's nostalgia. So much so that he spent three painstaking years building a replica of KITT, the awesome car from the TV show Knight Rider. Chris started with a 1991 Pontiac Trans Am, but because it was nine years newer than the KITT model, he purchased four other Trans Ams. Two from 1982 and two from 1983, and began swapping out the panels and bodywork to make it look like the original. He also installed dual dashboard monitors, the signature front bumper and the same vanity Michigan license plate. Nice work, Chris! Check out more cool car videos at the Hagerty Car Insurance page: https://www.youtube.com/user/HagertyKnowsClassics.

13th Century Abbey Features Alien Gargoyle!

Pictures of a gargoyle on Paisley Abbey in Scotland have been showing up this week on image and link hosting sites like imgur and Reddit, and they all ask the same question: "Why does a 13th Century Scottish abbey have a gargoyle that looks like the alien from the movie Alien?" Well, it turns out the gargoyles were redone in the 1990's, and it's possible one of the stonemasons is just a huge fan of sci-fi. No word on whether he prefers Ridley Scott or James Cameron. VIDEO

Water found on moon hints at mystery source beneath the surface

An orbiting spacecraft has detected water on the moon - and scientists believe that it came from a mystery source deep beneath the lunar surface.
An orbiting spacecraft has detected water on the moon - and scientists believe that it came from a mystery source deep beneath the lunar surface.

It’s the first time “magmatic” water - water from deep inside the moon - has been detected from orbit.

Samples of water had been found on the moon by the Apollo missions, but scientists believed for decades that they must have been contamination carried from Earth.

The new find, by NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument aboard the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, is the first evidence of water coming from inside the moon.

New York Times, Twitter hacked by Syrian group

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Media companies, including the New York Times, Twitter and the Huffington Post, lost control of some of their websites Tuesday after hackers supporting the Syrian government breached the Australian Internet company that manages many major site addresses.
The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), a hacker group that has attacked media organizations it considers hostile to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, claimed credit for the Twitter and Huffington Post hacks in a series of Twitter messages.

Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Unveiled Next Week

The smartwatch race begins next week. After months of leaks and speculation, Samsung has confirmed to the Korea Times that it plans to announce its Galaxy Gear smartwatch at an event at the annual IFA technology tradeshow in Berlin on Sept. 4.

In the same conversation with the Korea Times, Lee Young-hee, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile business, confirmed that the Galaxy Note III, Samsung's pen-equipped, big-screen phone whose details have been teased in media invitations, would also be announced at the event.

But after consistent speculation that Apple and Google have been working on competing smartwatches, the big focus is on Samsung's watch.

NYPD designates mosques as terrorism organizations

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Police Department has secretly labeled entire mosques as terrorist organizations, a designation that allows police to use informants to record sermons and spy on imams, often without specific evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Designating an entire mosque as a terrorism enterprise means that anyone who attends prayer services there is a potential subject of an investigation and fair game for surveillance.

Since the 9/11 attacks, the NYPD has opened at least a dozen "terrorism enterprise investigations" into mosques, according to interviews and confidential police documents. The TEI, as it is known, is a police tool intended to help investigate terrorist cells and the like.

Many TEIs stretch for years, allowing surveillance to continue even though the NYPD has never criminally charged a mosque or Islamic organization with operating as a terrorism enterprise.

The documents show in detail how, in its hunt for terrorists, the NYPD investigated countless innocent New York Muslims and put information about them in secret police files. As a tactic, opening an enterprise investigation on a mosque is so potentially invasive that while the NYPD conducted at least a dozen, the FBI never did one, according to interviews with federal law enforcement officials.

Great white shark shows amazing healing power

Guadalupe Island predator that endured a savage bite to the head last year astonishes divers by reappearing, with its seemingly fatal wound all but closed; 'I thought I'd never see him again'

A savage bite to the head by an adult great white shark would almost always be fatal–unless another great white shark is at the receiving end of such an attack.
The top image, captured last week by Rachel Montero of SharkDiver.com, shows a Guadalupe Island great white affectionately known as Chugey. The Shark Diver crew was pleased to see the 15-foot male shark, but surprised that he was still alive and astonished by how quickly his ominous-looking wound was healing.

10 most improved car redesigns

With each redesigned model that we purchase to test at our Auto Test Center, we’re eager to find out how significantly it ups its game. The most successful recent redesign is the Chevrolet Impala, a sedan that gained 32 points compared to its predecessor. It literally went from zero to hero, or from being a non-recommended outdated and outclassed car to one of the very best on the market. And the Impala isn’t alone.

We have seen many cars make notable gains through a redesign, just as we have seen some true disappointments.

UN inspectors in new Syria mission as West prepares to strike

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.N. chemical weapons investigators crossed Syria's front line into rebel-held territory on Wednesday for a second visit to the scene of a poison gas attack that has triggered Western plans for war.
U.S. President Barack Obama and his European and Middle East allies have already blamed President Bashar al-Assad for last week's killing of hundreds of civilians. But the U.N. experts, who were first allowed to cross the front line by Assad's forces on Monday, are still engaged in gathering evidence.
As long as inspectors remain in Syria, Western attacks are improbable, given the risk they would pose to the team's safety. A Reuters journalist saw U.N. cars leave a hotel in government-controlled central Damascus. An opposition activist later said they were starting work in the eastern suburb of Zamalka.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed that the inspection team must be given "time to do its job".
With the price of oil and gold soaring and world stock markets hit by fears of an unpredictable new phase of the Syrian civil war, which has split the Middle East on sectarian lines, only the timing of air strikes still seems in much doubt.

Stanley Kubrick's 7 'non-submersible units' that made 2001 an unforgettable film

It probably comes as no surprise to Stanley Kubrick fans that the secret of 2001: A Space Odyssey's success is, at least in part, very analytical.
Throughout his incredible career, Kubrick gained a reputation as a meticulous perfectionist willing to spend years on a film if it meant he got the results he wanted. Nowhere is that legendary attention to detail more evident than in his classic sci-fi effort 2001: A Space Odyssey, a film even die-hard fans are still arguing about more than four decades after its release.

Unused concept art shows how Klingons could've looked in Trek 2

We finally got to hang out with some Klingons in Star Trek Into Darkness, but they could’ve looked a whole lot different.

Artist Neville Page has released several CGI mockups showing the various Klingon designs that were considering during the development process, and there are some wildly different looks that could’ve wound up on the big screen.

Vin Diesel says he originally talked with Marvel about starring in his OWN movie

He may be playing Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, but that wasn't Marvel's original plan for Vin Diesel.
Despite being known mostly for voicing the Iron Giant and playing Riddick, Diesel is actually a pretty versatile actor. Marvel recognized this when they first had him come in to talk about his potential involvement in their upcoming movies.

Washable baby bootie doubles as breathing monitor - Owlet

In the first couple days of its crowdfunding campaign, the Owlet baby monitor raises more than a third of its goal of $100,000. The monitor measures heart rate, oxygen levels, skin temp, sleep quality, and more.

The Owlet Vitals Monitor includes a four-sensor pulse oximeter and accelerometer to measure several health metrics.

(Credit: Owlet Baby Care)
I confess: the first morning of my baby's life I woke up with a jolt, terrified that because I'd slept so soundly she was surely no longer breathing.

Cloud car startup snags $6M, ex-Microsoft exec Sinofsky

Local Motion, a company that provides access and analytics for car fleets, gets $6 million in funding led by Andreessen Horowitz and its board partner, Steven Sinofsky.

Silicon Valley startup Local Motion has picked up $6 million in funding, as well as a new board member in former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky.

High-tech views of the massive Yosemite Rim Fire

Since the fire first sparked less than two weeks ago, it has grown into one of the largest in California history. New technology by Esri lets onlookers see the flames' path of destruction in real time.

The raging Yosemite Rim Fire is blazing a path through one of the country's most beloved national parks. As of Tuesday the fire is 20 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, but it is still threatening to burn through Redwood forests and ranger stations. What's more, it has left tens of thousands of charred acres in its wake.
Mapping software company Esri has created an interactive map that let's people on the Web see exactly what is happening on the ground in California. This map has three views: critical points of interest, fire progression, and Yosemite fire history.

EA: Our Games Won't Require An Online Connection

Hopefully this starts a trend of publishers and developers making games that do not require an online connection to play their games.

What that does NOT mean is that every game we ship will require an online connection. Many, if not most, of our games include single-player, offline modes that you can play entirely without an Internet connection, if you so choose. We know that’s something many of our players want, and we will continue to deliver it.

Apple Acquires Swedish Firm AlgoTrim, A Company That Does Mobile Media And Data Compression

Apple has acquired AlgoTrim, a Swedish startup that builds codecs and designs solutions that maximize performance of data, mobile imaging, video and computer graphics while minimizing memory requirements, according to a new report by Swedish emerging industry news service Rapidus, confirmed separately by TechCrunch. The helps Apple in terms of allowing it to build more efficient media deliver for mobile devices, that use less bandwidth while preserving quality.
The last major news from AlgoTrim came out back in March 2012, when it announced that it would be powering a Photo Album app for Japanese carrier KDDI, via a JPEG processor it created that could improve JPEG processing up to six times vs. traditional LibJPEG standard processing tech used in Android devices. AlgoTrim has been around since 2005, and its flagship product, the Code Compression Library (designed to reduce the size of mobile device firmware) has been in use on mobile devices since 2006.

Mexican drug cartels force kidnap victims to fight to the death in barbaric gladiator-style contests

Mexican drug lords are forcing kidnap victims to engage in fights to the death.
In a chilling twist to the drugs violence that has so far claimed over 40,000 lives, men are given machetes and knives and ordered at gunpoint to fight for their lives in gladiator-style contests.
The winner is often 'rewarded' by being forced to go on a suicide mission and kill rival cartel members by shooting up their town.
The idea of the contest is for cartel bosses to find new recruits who are willing to kill without mercy.

Barbaric: Forensic workers recover bodies from a mass grave near Acapulco, Mexico. Drug cartels have been forcing kidnap victims to fight to the death in 'gladiator' contests

Cranston responds to rumor he'll be Batman vs. Superman's Lex Luthor

 

With the critical hit series Breaking Bad winding down, rumors have run wild that star Bryan Cranston might be headed to the DC universe to play one of Superman’s biggest baddies. So what does he think of all the buzz?

Not surprisingly, the bald antihero is extremely interested in taking on the role of Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman, though he didn’t go so far as confirming that talks are taking place.

3D printed rings will take the hassle out of mass transit fares

 

Whether you're dealing with New York's dilapidated, "historic" subway system or cruising along in the London tube, mass transit can be kind of a chore. Making sure you have the right fare and fishing out your card from whatever deep dark corner of your bag or wallet you stored it in can easily make you of that crucial train.

Samsung Galaxy Note III may have 4K video recording

 

Getting people to drop serious cash on a 4K TV (unless you want a Seiki) is a difficult proposition when there is virtually no native 4K content to watch. Sure, many 4K TVs can upscale 1080p content, but it isn't the same.
Samsung could change all of that, if the latest report from The Korea Economic Times pans out. According to the report, Samsung's third-generation Galaxy Note, which will be unveiled on September 4 in Berlin, will be capable of recording 4K resolution videos.

Xbox One gamepad features over 40 enhancements for better gaming

 

For the most part, Microsoft's walking down the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" route for its Xbox One controller. Unlike Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PlayStation 4, the Xbox One doesn't have any kind of touchscreen or touchpad or built-in speakers. Instead, the controller's focus is on precision, comfort and realism.
Two years in the making, Microsoft touts the Xbox One controller has over 40 "enhancements." The main improvements include the internal battery compartment, grippier analogs and impulse triggers, but there are a lot of little details that the company researched and obsessed over in order to make it the best controller possible.

Car with world's first voice-activated LED projection dashboard

 

Since at least the 1980s, dashboards have played an integral role in how we interact with our cars. The switches, knobs and dedicated displays housed below (and sometimes on) our windshields keep us tuned in to the world around us.
But the way that we interact with that dashboard itself might be about to change. This new concept car — the Monza developed by Vauxhall — features a single, modular LED projection display which will function as an integrated infotainment system. Driving information, navigation, communication and even entertainment will all be presented "when necessary" across the dash and center console.

Oliver and his crew are coming for you in 1st poster for Arrow S2

 

The CW has tweeted out the first poster for Arrow season two. We've come a long way from the solo shots of Oliver Queen in his hood. This time around, the whole gang's getting in on the action. The poster features Oliver (Stephen Amell), Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards), Diggle (David Ramsey), Slade (Manu Bennett), Thea (Willa Holland), Roy (Colton Haynes) and Laurel (Katie Cassidy).

Gilliam finally fixes nagging Time Bandits problem 30 years later

 

If you happen to pick up the recent Blu-ray release of Terry Gilliam’s cult hit Time Bandits, you might notice things look a little bit different this time around.

The 1981 sci-fi fantasy tale stands up remarkably well, largely due to its sharp writing and compelling story. But the effects left a bit to be desired — and Gilliam has finally broken down and digitally altered a small (but annoying) gaffe that has persisted since the film was first made.

Salyut: humanity's first space station

 

When the United States successfully landed men on the Moon in 1969, it changed the landscape of space exploration. In America, the success of Apollo left the space program searching for an ongoing purpose in the face of imminent cancellation. In the Soviet Union, losing the race to the Moon solidified the inertia that had dogged the country’s manned lunar landing efforts. In both nations, leaders were looking for the next big move in space, and in the Soviet Union, this next step became the Salyut space station.

The 10 Most Dangerous Dog Breeds Based on Biting and Fatality Statistics

 
 We wish we could say that all dog breeds were safe.  We wish we could say that every time a dog attacks a human, another dog, or another animal wasn’t said dog’s fault.  But remember folks, dogs are animals first and foremost just like we humans are.  And some animal species are inherently more dangerous than other species.  It’s just the way it is.  We’re not posting this article to discourage you from buying these dog breeds.  We just want to make you aware of the statistics out there.  The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association conducted a twenty year study on the most dangerous dog breeds, and here are the top 10 most dangerous dog breeds based on the amount of fatalities they have caused.  We should also note that NONE of these breeds are really all that dangerous and don’t be afraid to purchase any of them…… LINK

The Government Sells Your Personal Data!!!

According to this article, the government sells your personal information. What kind of "personal info" are they selling? Voter info, business, medical, death, home sales, foreclosure, tax info, student info, you name it, the government is selling it.

"It feels like a betrayal," Meer said. "Because our government is supposed to protect us, not to sell our information and profit from us." Spokesperson Andrew Cole confirms the Secretary of State sells business information for monetary amounts ranging from $200 to $12,000, depending on frequency and amount of information requested. But, Cole says the fees only cover the costs of running the databases.

Russia warns of 'catastrophic consequences' if Syria hit

Russia on Tuesday warned a military intervention in Syria could have "catastrophic consequences" for the region and called on the international community to show "prudence" over the crisis.

"Attempts to bypass the Security Council, once again to create artificial groundless excuses for a military intervention in the region are fraught with new suffering in Syria and catastrophic consequences for other countries of the Middle East and North Africa," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

"We are calling on our American partners and all members of the world community to demonstrate prudence (and) strict observance of international law, especially the fundamental principles of the UN Charter," ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.

U.S. Auto Quality Crushed Again as Trend Toward Imports Returns

After many years of quality improvement, according to most industry research, U.S. car companies apparently have fallen back into old habits. New data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) shows that cars made by non-U.S. manufacturers have eclipsed those of the Big Three in terms of how consumers view the quality of their vehicles.

The new survey puts Mercedes (with a score of 88 out of 100) and Toyota Motor Corp.'s (TM) luxury brand Lexus (87) at the top of the list, which is not unusual based on results from other research studies. Toyota (86) and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (HMC) (86), also near the top, have moved back up on most lists after a period in which American cars had caught or even passed them in polls. Toyota's demise may have been caused by recalls that hit millions of its cars. The public apparently has forgotten that.

Facebook Friends Could Change Your Credit Score~!

I'm sorry, I have to unfriend you. I swear, it's not you. Really, it's not...it's your credit score.

Some financial lending companies have found that social connections can be a good indicator of a person's creditworthiness. One such company, Lenddo, determines if you're friends on Facebook (FB) with someone who was late paying back a loan to Lenddo. If so, that's bad news for you. It's even worse news if the delinquent friend is someone you frequently interact with.

Facebook Global Government Requests Report

In the first six months of this year alone, Facebook has received requests for data on more than 38,000 members from government entities. The company says that it has handed over at least "some" data 79 percent of the time.
Transparency and trust are core values at Facebook. We strive to embody them in all aspects of our services, including our approach to responding to government data requests. We want to make sure that the people who use our service understand the nature and extent of the requests we receive and the strict policies and processes we have in place to handle them. We are pleased to release our first Global Government Requests Report, which details the following:

• Which countries requested information from Facebook about our users
• The number of requests received from each of those countries
• The number of users/user accounts specified in those requests
• The percentage of these requests in which we were required by law to disclose at least some data

How To Instagram For Old People

Because learning shouldn't stop, just because you almost have.

Kevin Smith says Affleck only did Daredevil because he thought he couldn't be Batman

The director who hired Affleck more than anyone reveals the truth about Daredevil.
The debate over Ben Affleck as Batman rages on. This time, Kevin Smith gives us some concrete evidence as to why Affleck will treat the role with respect -- and it has to do with Daredevil.
We already heard Patton Oswalt talk about how Daredevil taught Ben Affleck how not to make a superhero movie, but what Smith has to add to the conversation is something else entirely. It turns out that Affleck only did Daredevil because he thought it was the closest he'd ever get to being Batman.

Thousands petition to unmask Affleck from Batman role

The protest movement against Academy Award winner Ben Affleck taking on the role of Batman reaches the petition stage.

Some Batman fans are feeling a little grumpy.

(Credit: Grumpycats.com)
The announcement that Ben Affleck will don the hallowed Batsuit for the upcoming "Man of Steel" sequel has led to what can fairly be described as a massive hissyfit from some fans. To see just how massive, we can check in at Change.org, where more than 75,000 people have signed a petition to register their disgust and demand Affleck's removal from the role.

Study: 40 hours of complex StarCraft is good for the brain

Complicated real-time strategy game situations, researchers say, can boost cognitive flexibility -- the ability to allocate the brain's resources under changing circumstances.

StarCraft pits humans and two alien species against each other in a real-time strategy game that requires players to keep track of military operations, resources, and manufacturing.

(Credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
Playing 40 hours or Starcraft, the real-time strategy game pitting humans and two alien species against each other, can make people think more flexibly.

Ticker tape tweets let you hashtag like it's 1867

Charmingly nostalgic homemade Twittertape Machine prints out tweets instead of stock prices. Alexander Graham Bell totally would have tweeted to Watson on this thing.

If you can post to Twitter using Morse Code, you should darn well be able to get tweets via ticker tape.
Enter the Twittertape Machine, which eschews annoyingly modern smartphone screens for a printed feed of tweets and mentions delivered in the style of the 19th-century ticker tape machine.
"This astounding device will print a permanent copy of all tweets yet requires no ink or computer," reads the site for the standalone contraption, which British Web developer Adam Vaughan built from scratch with used parts from clocks and other objects.

Hacker Jacob Appelbaum to Testify at Pirate Bay Founder Appeal

Something tells me that, in the eyes of the law, the testimony of a high profile notorious hacker isn't going to help another hacker overturn a hacking conviction.

One of the world’s most famous hackers will give testimony next week on behalf of Pirate Bay founder Gottfrid Svartholm. Tor developer and former Wikileaks spokesman Jacob Appelbaum, previously described as "the most dangerous man in cyberspace" and recently linked to an Edward Snowden interview, will be attempting to add weight to claims that third parties carried out the hack attacks that Svartholm was jailed for earlier this year.

Watching Movies on the Oculus Rift

It looks like the Oculus Rift is still a work in progress when it comes to watching movies on the device.

Some of these apps simulate the theater experience, complete with rows of seating and a giant screen on the wall in front of you—not to mention the use of the tilt sensors to emulate your head's movement. But for me, all I wanted was for the movie to be floating in the blackness in front of me—with no fancy tilt controls or anything else.

Playing RTS Games Improves Your Cognitive Flexibility

The good news: A new study shows that playing real-time strategy games improves your cognitive flexibility. The bad news: No one has ever picked up a girl by bragging about their cognitive flexibility.

Training in action video games can increase the speed of perceptual processing. However, it is unknown whether video-game training can lead to broad-based changes in higher-level competencies such as cognitive flexibility, a core and neurally distributed component of cognition. To determine whether video gaming can enhance cognitive flexibility and, if so, why these changes occur, the current study compares two versions of a real-time strategy (RTS) game.

Amazon Steps Up the War of the Warehouses

It’s difficult to believe that Amazon, the mega corporation, actually lost money last year? That’s a fact according to Amazon and it’s due to the competitive war of warehousing between Amazon and the other giants of the industry, namely eBay and Walmart, among others. Amazon is determined to stay on top of the game (or war) at almost any cost.

But Jeff Bezos, chief executive, appears to be focused on beating out the competition. eBay has also rolled out same-day delivery in a number of cities, and Wal-Mart, which has 4,700 stores in the U.S., can tap its stores for online deliveries.

Bid on a piece of NASA history

Have you ever wanted to own a piece of NASA history? Here's your chance: NASA is currently seeking bidders for three of its launch pads used during moon missions. Originally built in 1967, each 3700 ton pad was officially used at the Kennedy Space Center to not only carry the Apollo moon program's rockets from an assembly area to the launch site, but to also send those rockets into space. The launch pads were later redesigned to accommodate space shuttles and were used regularly until 2010. Note that it's just the pads themselves that are for sale, not the crawler transporters.

Justice Department Accidentally Outs Google In Data Demands Case!

Now that is funny, the government violated its own gag order on accident. No doubt some intern will be blamed and fired.

A Department of Justice court filing on August 23 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York didn't redact Google's name in one instance from the document [PDF], finally confirming what many had suspected: that Google was the unnamed company fighting the government's use of National Security Letters to gain access to company-owned data.

Allergy Tattoos: Should Kids Wear Warning Labels To School?

Temporary tattoos are not traditionally considered must-have back-to-school shopping items — but that could change. This year, some students with severe allergies are returning to class with their medical issues stamped on their skin for their own protection.

“Right now there's a huge awareness, whether because of going back to school or because of the recent incident in California,” SafetyTat founder and mother of three Michele Welsh told Yahoo! Shine. Welsh was referring to the recent tragic death of a 13-year-old girl with a peanut allergy at a Sacramento summer camp. “Unfortunately it sometimes takes something like that for people to say, 'Wow, it really can happen.'"

Skydiving without a 'chute just got cool with Oculus Rift

This, dear friends, is skyDIEving — the 'chuteless skydiving game for Oculus Rift. The game centers around your final moments as you dive headlong into the wild blue yonder. Heedless of what appear to be floating islands, you careen through the sky until you finally find your rest atop a jagged mountaintop.
While plummeting to your doom in immersive 3D is clearly good clean fun, there's always somebody willing to step over the line. Enter Dan Borenstein: the guy who strapped himself to a tree, 15 feet in the air, and simulated his own demise because he was afraid of real skydiving. We're pretty sure there's a high-priced therapy session somewhere in his rig, just waiting for the psychiatric community to grab it by the harness and shake it for all it's worth.

It's war! Siri mocks Google Glass

Try saying "OK Glass" to Siri and she now offers responses that are barbed with a tinge of contempt.

Siri and her family are fighting back.

(Credit: Rooster Teeth/YouTube Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
It's quite clear that within a year we'll all be walking down the street, talking to pieces of machinery, rather than people.
When Siri emerged, the excitement humans felt at being able to talk to their phones was palpable.
But along came a rival, Google Glass -- albeit, a rival with less style.
Prompted by @seanmbrage, the Verge began investigating reports that Siri was trash-talking Glass. It seems that when the command "OK Glass" was whispered to Siri, she retorted with various sniffy remarks.

Fos wearable LED panel lights up urban athletes

The Fos Kickstarter project wants to brighten up the athletic fashion world with flexible LED panels that can display workout achievements.

The Fos receives its animated display instructions wirelessly from your smartphone. It is geared for active people. Runners can display their heart rate. Bicyclists can display their speeds. Imagine seeing all the riders in the Tour de France kitted out with these.
Each Fos panel consists of white or blue LEDs, a microprocessor, flash memory, and a power supply. The panel is attached to a sheet of fabric and is extremely thin.

2013 MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet Arrivals

Former tween Disney star and Best Pop VMA winner Selena Gomez looked all grown up in a sophisticated, long-sleeved, dark blue gown with a lace bustier and silver heels. Eat your heart out, Biebs! PHOTOS

Apple readies completely redesigned Mac Pro for fall launch

Trash can resemblance jokes aside, Apple's completely revamped Mac Pro could change desktop computers forever, much like how the company's ultra thin and light MacBook Air spurred demand for svelte Ultrabooks with fast solid state drives.
Announced and teased in June, the new cylindrical Mac Pro is a professional Mac in a chassis that occupies only one-eighth of the volume of existing Mac Pro towers. Desktop computers are usually boxy towers for a very simple reason: expandability. Apple's new Mac Pro, which will be assembled in the U.S. and arrive this fall, looks to discard most of that.

Defibrulators for everyone, courtesy of drones

So, let's say you and your pals are hanging around Germany sometime soon. The beer is flowing, the bratwurst and pretzels are plentiful and the lederhosen is in full bloom — but then the worst happens. Someone has one sausage too many and is in cardiac arrest. With so many people crowding around the casks, there's no way for the paramedics to get here in time.

Rumor: Google building its own self-driving cars for 'robo taxis'

Although Google's self-driving cars have yet to become anywhere close to mainstream — they're only approved in three states including California, Nevada and Florida — it's not difficult to ponder all the doors (no pun intended) driverless cars could bring for humanity, especially for disabled folk, who are blind or unfit for driving.

Crazy concept brings the ocean breeze home in a bottle

Anyone who enjoys going to the beach will tell you that part of the mystique of the sea is the ocean breeze. Once you're breathing in that salty air, your stresses seem to melt away and all you want to do is take a nap on your beach towel. As it turns out, a lot of folks out there have found a wide array of health benefits that stem from breathing in salty air.