Author: Serkadis

Researchers recently learned that Quercetin, a popular antioxidant, inhibits the synthesis of proteins needed for Hepatitis C replication.

Natural compound blocks hepatitis C infection

Finding may lead to a new treatment

January 4, 2010: Researchers have identified two cellular proteins that are important factors in hepatitis C virus infection, a finding that may result in the approval of new and less toxic treatments for the disease, which can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis.

An estimated 270 to 300 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C and the conventional treatments – interferon and ribavirin – can have significant side effects. A new drug targeting cellular proteins rather than viral proteins would be a valuable addition to the treatment arsenal, said Samuel French, an assistant professor of pathology and senior author of the study.

French and his team set out to identify the cellular factors involved in hepatitis C replication and, using mass spectrometry, found that heat shock proteins (HSPs) 40 and 70 were important for viral infection. HSP 70 was previously known to be involved, but HSP 40 was linked for the first time to hepatitis C infection, French said. They further showed that the natural compound Quercetin, which inhibits the synthesis of these proteins, significantly inhibits viral infection in tissue culture.

Continue reading the entire article:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/uoc–ncb010410.php

Contact: Kim Irwin
[email protected]
310-206-2805
University of California – Los Angeles

It may be time to stop looking at Amanda Bynes as the cute little comedienne from Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show – perhaps the image of the blonde stunner all grown up and slithering around the Feb. issue of Maxim in her bra and panties will help with the transition.

“I had the best time on this shoot,” the former What I Like About You star says in a new interview with the men’s mag. “I think every shot I did was sexy. Some people still see me as a kid, but I’m a 23-year-old woman now.”

“I want to show people who I am,” she adds. “My parents were like, “Does this mean you’re gonna do sexy movies now?” I said, “Well, if they’re done the right way, then maybe!’ I mean, I’m not gonna do porn, but if it’s a Leonardo DiCaprio movie or whatever…”

Think of this as your own personal trainer that you keep in your pocket. DirectLifeis a personalized fitness program that is meant to create awareness of your activity levels and help you set and attain goals. It is a wearable monitor that records your daily movements and then transfers that information to a website and emails you summaries of your progress.

You are also afforded access to an online professional coach and you can choose to track yourself amongst your family and friends. You will have a personal webpage with your stats, tips and activity ideas, personalized activity plan, with realistic goals, and weekly feedback summaries by e-mail with motivational tips. The approach DirectLife takes is unique because it works to change habits in your daily routine. It focuses on making everyday life more active, rather than expecting people to have dedicated times at which they work out, play sports or exercise. Does Wii Fitness count? The site recommends companies to use this as a means to “encourage” employees to be healthy and thus lower insurance costs. That’s just a little too 1984 for my taste. The DirectLife website offers more information.

Fart machines have struck again! Juvenile? Yes…but you can’t help but laugh. Everyone seems to agree that the best reaction comes about 42 seconds in. [Digg]

We were troubled last month by reports that SOCAN, a music collection society up in Canada, was looking to get buskers (street performers) to pay performance fees. Now more details are coming out on this story. It really involves TransLink, the Vancouver-area transit authority, and SOCAN, with SOCAN demanding a lot more money from TransLink. Apparently, TransLink quickly caved and agreed to a massive increase in fees, which it is immediately dumping on the buskers themselves — even though most “venues” cover any such fees themselves. It turns out that Buskers in TransLink stations already had to pay $75/year — but now if they want to play during the Olympics, that will be a separate $50 fee just for the Olympics, and the new annual fee will probably be around $300. For busking. I wonder what they want to charge you for humming or singing along?

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In case you missed it, we’ve got the full details on the the six new Lumix point-and-shoots Panasonic introduced at CES this week. Ultraslim, video, touchscreens, oh my!

PANASONIC INTRODUCES LUMIX FH-SERIES DIGITAL CAMERAS, PACKED WITH WIDE-ANGLE LENSES AND POWERFUL ZOOMS

Panasonic LUMIX FH20 Ideal for Sophisticated Users Looking for Compact Digital Camera Capable of HD-Quality Photos and Video & Powerful 8x Optical Zoom

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 6, 2010) – Panasonic today introduced the new FH-Series to its 2010 line of LUMIX digital cameras, which includes the LUMIX DMC-FH20 (14.1-megapixels), LUMIX FH3 (14.1-megapixels) and LUMIX FH1 (12.1-megapixels). The LUMIX FH-Series are slim, pocketable models that pack a 28mm wide-angle lens with 8x optical zoom for the FH20 and 5x optical zoom for the FH3/FH1. All models can record High Definition video and thanks to iA (Intelligent Auto) – are extremely easy to use.

“With the new Panasonic LUMIX FH-Series, consumers will be thrilled to see small, easy-to-use digital cameras that do not compromise quality or advanced features. Though there are similarities within the family, we expect slightly different users for each model. The step-up FH20 will be attractive for sophisticated digital camera users who want a longer zoom, perhaps to take photos of their kids playing sports,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “Meanwhile, for the LUMIX FH3/1, we expect first-time buyers who may not be as concerned with a long zoom, but who still demand high performance and ease-of-use will be drawn to these models.”

The LUMIX FH-Series features High Definition (HD) 720p motion jpeg video recording capabilities. By recording 1280 x 720p at a smooth 30 fps, in addition to WVGA (848 x 480) and normal VGA (640 x 480), the LUMIX FH-Series makes it easy to view videos on a PC or upload it seamlessly to YouTube*1 with the bundled PHOTOfunSTUDIO version 5.0 software. All models are compatible with Windows® 7*2 and can take HD-quality still photos that fill a 16:9 HDTV. Users with a Panasonic VIERA® HDTV can enjoy a slideshow of photos simply by inserting an SD Memory Card into the HDTV’s SD Memory Card Image Viewer slot.

Panasonic’s popular iA mode, a suite of technologies that engage automatically – with no setting changes needed by the user – makes it easy for anyone to take beautiful photos. Panasonic iA includes the following: MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) to help reduce blurry photos due to hand-shake; Intelligent ISO Control to help reduce blur when the subject is moving; Face Detection to ensure registered faces are captured in focus with appropriate exposure and unwanted red eyes are digitally corrected; and Intelligent Scene Selector which selects the best option from: Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery and newly-added Sunset. There is even a dedicated iA button, letting users engage easily with one click. The three models also have a 2.7″ 230,000-dot Intelligent LCD, meaning the LCD detects the lighting conditions and controls the brightness level in 11 fine steps, to display with the most appropriate setting.

The Panasonic LUMIX FH-Series includes the Venus Engine IV image processor, which features advanced signal processing technology to produce a fast response time. The shutter release time lag on the FH20 and FH3 is approximately 0.006 second; and approximately 0.007 second for the FH1. The Auto Focus on the three models can lock on the subject in minimum 0.35 second*3.

Other features of the Panasonic LUMIX FH-Series digital cameras include:

* Quick Setting – Allows the users’ most frequently-used settings, such as O.I.S., consecutive shooting, Auto Focus Point, White Balance – to be easily accessed through the “Quick Menu” button. There’s no need to open several menu screens to adjust them – the user simply selects convenient icons displayed on the menu.
* Scene Modes: Baby, Pet and Sports modes let the user choose the setting and the camera does the rest. Users can also record the name/birthday of a child or pet and embed the information in the photo and have it printed if desired.
* Photo Frame: Put attractive borders around the photo and when printed, the photos look like postcards in picture frames.
* My Scene – Lets the user customize specific Scene modes that they like best, so they can quickly and conveniently switch instantly to the mode
* Macro Zoom – Pulls subjects even closer by using 3x digital zoom, and captures even more dramatic close-ups.
* SDXC Computability – Compatible with SDXC Memory Cards, including Panasonic’s newly announced 48 GB*4 and 64 GB SDXC Memory Cards – to enable high capacity content storage and fast data transfer speeds.
* Battery Life – The FH20 can take up to 300 images and the FH3/FH1 can take up to 310 images on a single battery charge*5.

Pricing and availability for the Panasonic LUMIX FH20, LUMIX DMC-FH3 and LUMIX DMC-FH1 will be announced 30 days prior to shipping date. Encased in a brushed metal-finished panel, the FH20 will be available in silver, black, red and violet models. The LUMIX FH3 and FH1 will be available in silver and black.

PANASONIC’S NEW LUMIX FP-SERIES DIGITAL CAMERAS FEATURE SLEEK DESIGN AND ULTRA-SLIM PROFILE FOR USERS WITH STYLE

Panasonic LUMIX FP3 Digital Camera, Complete with Folded Optics Design, Features 3.0″ Touch-Screen LCD and Ultra-Slim Profile for Easy Carry

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 6, 2010) – Panasonic today announces new LUMIX digital cameras for the 2010 line with the additions to the ultra-slim FP-Series, the LUMIX DMC-FP3 and FP1. Both FP-Series models have a 4x optical zoom with a folded optics design so the front has a flat and stylish design, featuring a newly-adopted lens cover that protects the lens, and also serves as the camera’s power switch. The Panasonic LUMIX FP3 also features an intuitive 3.0″ touch-screen LCD for an easy-to-use operation combined with buttons.

The LUMIX FP3 (14.1-megapixel) features a 3.0″ touch-screen LCD, while the LUMIX FP1 has 12.1-megapixels and a 2.7″ 230,000-dot LCD. The newly adopted, 3.0-inch touch screen LCD on the LUMIX FP3 provides an intuitive control thanks to a hybrid operation combined with the four major operation buttons. The touch-screen operation is fluid and smooth – whether in record or playback mode. While recording, once the frame is composed, users can simply touch the area they want focused before pressing the shutter button. In playback mode, users can drag the image across the screen with their finger to browse the collection of photos, as though it is a page in a book. Both models include Intelligent LCD, which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level of the LCD in 11 fine steps, to offer a display with the most appropriate clarity in any situation.

“Panasonic’s new LUMIX FP-Series models are designed to be sleek in appearance and easy-to-use, perfect for a user who is concerned with the look and style of their digital camera, but does not want to compromise performance,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “Starting with how the camera is turned on – simply by sliding the lens cover, the FP-Series is innovative and uniquely designed. Add our Intelligent Auto Mode, making it easy for consumers to take High Definition-quality photos, plus an intuitive touch-screen, and we are confident the LUMIX FP3 will be a standout this year.”

Panasonic’s popular iA (intelligent auto) mode, a suite of technologies that engage automatically – no setting changes needed by the user – makes it easy for anyone to take beautiful photos. The LUMIX FP3 and FP1 include iA with the following technologies: MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) to help reduce blurry photos due to hand-shake; Intelligent ISO Control to help reduce blur when the subject is moving; Face Detection to ensure registered faces are captured in focus with appropriate exposure and unwanted red eyes are digitally corrected; and Intelligent Scene Selector which automatically selects the best option from six popular Scene modes: Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery and newly added Sunset. To make it even easier, the new FP-Series models feature the dedicated iA button, which lets the user engage iA easily with a click of the button.

New to the FP-Series is High Definition (HD) video recording capability at 1280 x 720p at a smooth 30 fps, in addition to WVGA (848 x 480) and normal VGA (640 x 480). The FP-Series models are compatible with Windows® 7*. Also, the new FP-Series models include the Venus Engine IV processing engine, which supports a fast response time. The shutter release time lag is approximately 0.006 second for FP3 and 0.007 second for the FP1. With fast shutter speeds, the Panasonic FP-Series makes it easy to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities. Both LUMIX FP-models also have a start-up time of approximately 0.97 second.

Other features of the Panasonic LUMIX FP3 and FP1 include:

· Quick Setting – Allows the users’ most frequently-used settings, such as O.I.S., consecutive shooting, Auto Focus Point, White Balance – to be easily accessed through the “Quick Menu” button. There’s no need to open several menu screens to adjust them – the user simply selects convenient icons displayed on the menu.
· Scene Modes: Variety of options, such as Baby, Pet and Sports – lets the user set in this Mode and the camera does the rest. Users can also record the name/birthday of a child or pet and embed the information in the photo and have it printed if desired.
· Photo Frame: Put attractive borders around the photo and when printed, the photos look like postcards in picture frames.
· My Scene – Lets the user customize specific Scene modes that they like best, so they can quickly and conveniently switch instantly to the mode.
· Macro Zoom – Pulls subjects even closer by using 3x digital zoom, and captures even more dramatic close-ups.
· SDXC Computability – Compatible with SDXC Memory Cards, including Panasonic’s newly announced 64 GB** and 48 GB SDXC Memory Cards – to enable high capacity content storage and fast data transfer speeds.
· Battery Life – Can take up to 300 images on a single battery charge***.

Pricing and availability for the Panasonic LUMIX FP3 and FP1 will be announced 30 days prior to shipping date. Both models are built of solid, high-quality aluminum, and will be available in the following colors: silver, black and navy for the LUMIX FP3; silver, black, red, blue and pink for LUMIX FP1. For more information on these Panasonic LUMIX digital camera models, please visit www.panasonic.com/ces2010.

PANASONIC’S NEW LUMIX DMC-F3 DIGITAL CAMERA DELIVERS ON STYLE AND CONVENIENCE FOR ENTRY-LEVEL USER

New LUMIX F3 Digital Camera is Compact with 4x Optical Zoom and High Definition Video Recording Capabilities

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 6, 2010) – Panasonic today introduces a new entry-level digital camera, the LUMIX DMC-F3, which has been designed with simplicity in mind, without overlooking the importance of style and performance. The 12.1-Megapixel LUMIX DMC-F3 has an impressive 4x optical zoom, considering its small size, as well as Panasonic’s shooting-assistant, Auto Scene Mode. The LUMIX F3 also records dynamic High Definition video in 1280 x 720p, at a smooth 30 fps, in addition to WVGA (848 x 480) and normal VGA (640 x 480). The LUMIX F3 is equipped with a 28mm wide-angle lens, a high-sensitivity CCD, and an Extra Optical Zoom function which extends zoom power to 7.8x, plus a 2.7″ 230,000-dot resolution LCD designed so the user can clearly see it while shooting still photos and videos.

“The Panasonic LUMIX F3 was designed for the casual and frequent user who wants a digital camera that is not only small and stylish in design, but that has sophisticated features to help enrich the photo-taking experience,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronic Company. “With extended zoom and Auto Scene Mode, the Panasonic LUMIX F3 can take high-quality photos and videos, while still being easy-to-use and small enough to fit in your pocket.”

Other features include, Auto Scene Mode, which when activated, includes the following three shooting-assist functions:

· Intelligent ISO Control prevents the blurring of a moving subject by optimizing shutter speed and ISO settings to render sharp, clear images. On the LUMIX F3, unwanted red-eyes are digitally corrected and backlight compensation automatically activates.

· Face Detection helps to clearly capture registered faces and focus on faces with the appropriate exposure. This is helpful when trying to focus on one person within a group.

· Intelligent Scene Selector automatically selects one of six scene modes that best suits the shooting situation – Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery.

Additionally, the Panasonic LUMIX F3 also has a Digital Image Stabilizer which helps suppress hand-shake and prevent blurry photos. The Panasonic LUMIX F3 has an auto power LCD function which detects light conditions and automatically boosts the LCD backlighting by a maximum of 40% when shooting outdoors to secure clarity and visibility of the screen. In addition to supporting conventional SD/SDHC Memory Cards, the LUMIX F3 is compatible with SDXC Memory Cards, including Panasonic’s newly announced 48 GB* and 64 GB SDXC Memory Cards – to enable high capacity content storage and fast data transfer speeds. The LUMIX F3 is compatible with Windows 7**.

Pricing and availability for the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-F3 will be announced 30 days prior to shipping date. The Panasonic LUMIX F3 will come in silver and black models. For more information on these LUMIX models, please visit: www.panasonic.com/ces2010.

Teen Queen Miley Cyrus is saying goodbye to the Disney Channel Original series that shot her to tween superstardom.

The upcoming fourth season of Hannah Montana will be its last, The New York Post said Friday.

“You never know in this business… but right now we’re scheduled to wrap [forever] after shooting this new batch of episodes,” Disney Channel Worldwide’s senior VP/programming Adam Bonnett tells The Post.

Production on the fourth season is scheduled to begin Jan. 18 and end this summer.

The plot of the final season will reportedly mirror Miley’s own life, as her character must decided if she is going to trade her secret double life as a pop star in for the life of a normal American teen.

The network does not know how many episodes it will shoot or when it would wrap it’s season, but noted there are enough new episodes to air through 2011.

The Drudge Report has an image of a woman from an airport scanner up right now. It’s scandalous enough as is, but it’s shockingly easy to make it look even more like a normal nude photograph.

Reader Sigfried discovered that by simply inverting the image in Photoshop, you restore the photo to a more realistic tint. Of course, we’re not sure where this image came from or if it’s an accurate example of what these machines produce. But if so, let me just deliver a message to all you airport security workers out there: I just got out of a cold pool, I swear.

It’s not going to stump an expert, but there will probably be a couple questions in Mental Floss’ Cable Connector Quiz that could trip you up. Try it yourself and let us know what you scored.

[Mental Floss via Neatorama]

Sprint (NYSE: S) hosted a surprisingly splashy event tonight at CES complete with comedian Frank Caliendo, food prepared by Chef Mario Batali and guest appearances by Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer and Best Buy’s CEO Brian Dunn. With all of the hoopla, everyone expected a big announcement like a new Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) tablet, or a WiMax phone. The crowd seemed a bit disappointed when Sprint instead unveiled the Overdrive, a Wi-Fi router that connects to the Sprint 3G and 4G network. Still, the device represents the next evolution of WiMax high-speed broadband.

The Overdrive will become available on Jan. 10 and costs $99 with a two-year contract. The monthly contract will run you about $60 for service, and users will be able to connect five Wi-Fi enabled devices at a time. Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse: “2010 is the year of Sprint 4G…If your device has Wi-Fi, Sprint wants you to be free to connect that device anywhere.”

Best Buy’s Dunn said the device will be available in 182 stores and Ballmer was pretty much there to show his enthusiasm for the service, adding that even his son asked for one for Christmas.

Palm (NSDQ: PALM) unveiled two new devices today at CES for Verizon Wireless—the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus. But the more important announcements of the day revolved around new software and developer programs, which badly needed attention if the handset maker was going to stay competitive against Apple’s and Google’s growing app stores.

The press conference had the feeling of an Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) event, where the audience hung on CEO Jon Rubinstein’s every word, and clapped easily for even such incremental announcements as video-capturing on the phone. Still, Palm did have a lot to talk about. In February, it will release a new version of the operating system that will enable video-capturing and editing and full Flash support (one of the first in the mobile industry).

Palm also announced the ability for the phones to play 3D games, and new developer-focused projects, such as opening its developer kit to the public, providing $1 million in cash incentives for the hottest apps; and a PDK that will allow plug-ins for common developer languages, such as C++.

Game Development: Up until now the Palm webOS was not known for hardcore gaming, and was restricted to casual games. Starting today, seven new 3D games were released into the App Catalog, including titles from EA, Gameloft (EPA: GFT), Laminar Research and Glu (NSDQ: GLUU). Release.

Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus: The most exciting part of these phone launches on the Verizon Wireless network is an application Palm is calling the “mobile hotspot,” which gives customers the option of creating a personal Wi-Fi cloud surrounding their device. The cloud is capable of sharing internet connectivity with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as notebooks, netbooks, cameras, gaming devices or portable media/MP3 players. No prices were given for the devices or the service. They will be available Jan. 25. Release.

Developer Program: As of today, the Palm webOS developer program is now open to any developer, after previously being in a private beta. The SDK is available at http://developer.palm.com. To encourage developers to jump on board, Palm announced a $1 million developer “Hot Apps” bonus program. Release.

If I were a gamer, I’d probably be a lot more excited by being one of the very first to play the highly anticipated BioShock 2, set for sale next month, and I was most honored to be shown my way around the game by developer Jesse Attard. (Not so honored to be killed in seconds, but, hey.) I’m a tech geek, though, and what really grabbed me was how the high-bandwidth game is being delivered at CES: on Sprint’s just-announced 4G Overdrive and without any latency issues. The tiny drive is serving up the game on eight large screens in a parking lot at CES, courtesy of a partnership between Fox Digital’s IGN and Sprint (NYSE: S).

IGN, which usually creates Launch Pad experiences on IGN.com, has a Launch Pad tent as part of the Sprint compound in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center. This was a bit of a risk for Sprint. CES is notoriously tough on connections; my efforts to upload a simple five-minute video were torpedoed repeatedly. But the WiMax appeared to work flawlessly, delivering the game in all its glory (sorry, no game photos allowed) while streaming music, too. Anyone see otherwise?

Angelina Jolie will be having a little less face time on magazines and billboards — the stunning actress has been dropped as the face of the St. John fashion house, Women’s Wear Daily said on Friday.

“[Jolie] overshadowed the brand,” according St. John’s chief executive officer Glenn McMahon, who says Angie’s celebrity status was too much for the label. “We wanted to make a clean break from actresses and steer away from blondes and cleanse the palette.”

“We needed to show a modern point of view of St. John,” McMahon added. “We have evolved.”

Redhead Karen Elson has replaced Jolie as St. John’s Spring/Summer 2010 spokesmodel.