Author: Serkadis

It’s no secret that we live in a world of moral panics — where new technologies are feared by those who don’t understand them, often leading to regulations that block their potential. For years now, a number of politicians have sought laws to ban social networks in schools, assuming that they are either bad or simply inappropriate for schools. While those laws have yet to pass, many schools already do ban access to social networks and other sites. I’ve never quite understood how this makes sense. Rather than training students to use those sites properly, now they’re seen as forbidden — which only makes them more attractive to students, while making it even clearer that students won’t be prepared to handle those sites properly. On top of that, as more powerful mobile phones become popular, students will easily bypass the school’s own network and access those sites on their own — and there will be nothing the schools can do about it.

So it’s nice to see a sensible opinion piece in Slate arguing that rather than ban or block social online services like Facebook and YouTube, schools should be embracing them and looking for ways to incorporate them into the learning process. There are a variety of strong arguments for why this makes sense, but two that stick out:

1. Students already like using these sites quite a bit. Using those sites to make other things more relevant and interesting seems like a good way to reach kids in a manner that they understand, and which doesn’t feel quite as much like “education,” but more like something fun that they want to do.
2. Using these kinds of free tools may be cheaper, easier and much more effective than a number of the super expensive e-learning tools out there, which would require a steep learning curve anyway. But incorporating lesson plans and info and assignments into the tools that students already use would be both cheaper and more likely to actually be used.

Of course, some will decry that these sites are automatically bad for kids — or that it makes no sense to waste time on such issues. But the fact is kids are going to use these sites no matter what. Ignoring that doesn’t change that. Banning the sites doesn’t change that. It just makes the activity more underground without any oversight or reasonable lessons. But incorporating the technology into the educational efforts could actually get a lot more attention. Yes, some of the examples in the Slate article seem pretty lame (and would be seen as such by the kids), but if done right, it really could add a lot more value to students’ educations.

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The Illinois legislature is wishing state residents a Happy New Year by enacting 300 new laws for them to follow in 2010

Beginning tomorrow a bevy of new statues will go on the books, and some of them will affect millions of people.

To make life easier, we’ve sorted through the list and plucked the laws that will have the most impact on you:

Bowling alleys are now protected from civil suits if they post signage warning about the dangers of wearing bowling shoes outdoors.

Elementary and High Schools are now required to study Mexican-American History.

The department of transportation can post signs that prohibit truckers from using loud brakes known as “jake brakes.”

“How’s my driving” stickers, complete with area code and phone numbers, will be required for school buses.

September becomes Brain Aneurysm Month.

17-year-olds will be tried in juvenile court for misdemeanors.

Toy makers must place intricate warning labels for children’s toys that contain between 40 and 300 parts per million of lead.

Sending, receiving or reading electronic transmissions on your cell phone while driving is illegal.

Sex offenders are barred from accessing social networking sites while on parole, probation, court supervision or supervised release.

Sex offenders are also prohibited from using computer software to delete info from a computer they’ve used.

All flags flown outside of government buildings must have been made in the USA.

Retailers that sell alcoholic beverages must post a sign advising customers: “If you need assistance for substance abuse, please call the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse at 1-800-843-6154.”

This news story was originally posted on NBCchicago.com.

I’ll be taking Friday off for the turnover to a new decade, the 2010s. And yes, it is a new decade.
The way I see it, the decade-counting scheme is different from the sometimes-confusing convention for centuries and millennia: If you’re talking about the third millennium or the 21st century, you start with 2001. That’s because the ordinal numbers “third” and “21st” are used in the context of a counting system that started with the year 1, not the year zero. But if you’re talking…(read more)

As so many people make health goals on January 1, how about some help with avoiding stress in 2010?

Everyone has stress. Some of us just don’t realize it. Author Roberta Lee M.D. believes that many of us also suffer from “SuperStress,” which has evolved from the frenetic pace of modern life. Lee’s new book, The SuperStress Solution, will be released by Random House on January 12. The book includes a four-week program with a plan for offsetting the physical and emotional effects of stress.

Lee’s article below gives you some tips on avoiding SuperStress (or just regular stress) in 2010.

Reduce SuperStress in the New Year!
by Roberta Lee M.D., Author of The SuperStress Solution

Each New Year, we doctors hear our patients’ wistful declarations of resolve to change their health. As I listen I silently hope that this year those promises will come to pass! I know that 60% of Americans die from illnesses connected to poor choices in lifestyle, such as overeating, lack of exercise and smoking. Whatever your specific goals, my vested interest is to see my patients aspirations take hold and succeed. But I also might have different priorities than you do for yourself. Here are my top health wishes for all my patients . . . see if you think that adopting some or all of these might help you reach your own resolutions, too:

Make health goals practical. Everybody loves to make lofty goals but such high-flying targets make it harder to achieve success.

Make a simple plan to achieve your goals. There is nothing worse than steering towards a goal without a strategy to achieve a successful outcome.

Maintain an exercise routine. Be creative in designing “reward surprises” as incentives to keep yourself going. For example, when I use the treadmill for aerobic exercise I need more entertainment than just watching what’s on TV or listening to music as I huff and puff towards a healthy heart rate. Instead, I buy or rent DVDs of TV shows that I had always wanted to see (and never had time to watch) and only watch them when I work out. Now, I want to get to the next program and see what happens — but I’ll only let myself watch if I am on the treadmill.

Increase physical activity and benchmark your progress. One of the easiest ways to begin moving more is to buy a pedometer and measure how much you are already walking. People who use pedometers walk an average of one mile more than those who do not measure their steps! Aim for 10,000 steps a day, or the equivalent of 5 miles. This might seem like a lot of walking, but you might be surprised to learn how many steps you take in a given day when you start keeping track. One way to increase your overall number of steps is to add mileage by 500 steps each week.

Get more sleep. Sleep deprivation affects mental health. It also decreases a hormone that signals fullness known as leptin. The less leptin, the more you overeat which, in turn, depresses the release of growth hormone during our sleep. The less growth hormone, the harder it will be for your body to build muscle mass, rejuvenate skin and strengthen bones.

See your doctor or primary healthcare advocate. Annual physicals and preventive gynecological exams are an essential part of staying healthy, yet only 21% of adults get a preventive physical exam! Don’t be part of that statistic — commit to making and keeping this one important appointment this year.

Do routine screening tests. Mammograms, Pap tests, prostate and prostate specific antigen (psa) tests and colonoscopies detect breast, cervical, prostate and colon cancer. Early intervention in these cancers improves the statistics for successful outcomes, so talk to your doctor about your need for these tests. Your doctor should also regularly check your cholesterol, vitamin D levels, blood count and routine blood chemistries.

Love something, someone or experience the feeling of being grateful for 5 minutes every day! Dr. Robert Emmons, research expert on gratitude and Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Positive Psychology, wrote “[First] the practice of gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25%. Second, this is not hard to achieve — a few hours writing a gratitude journal over 3 weeks can create an effect that lasts 6 months if not more. Third, that cultivating gratitude brings other health effects, such as longer and better quality sleep time.”

To reduce stress, and avoid SuperStress, try this today:

Simple as it sounds; focused breathing — during which you think about your breath as you inhale and exhale — is a very effective stress-management technique. A slow, full breath triggers physical and cognitive changes that promote relaxation. Deep breathing helps release tension and anxiety and is a great energizer because the deeper the breath, the more your body is flooded with life-fueling oxygen. A full breath begins with the diaphragm pushing downward so that the stomach extends out. As your lungs fill with air, your chest expands. When you exhale, the reverse occurs — your chest settles first and then your stomach.

• When anxiety strikes or you find yourself focusing on negative thoughts, immediately exhale through your mouth.
• Now, open your lungs, and breathe in through your nose, drawing in a fresh, cleansing air to the count of four.
• Exhale again slowly to the count of five.
• Repeat four times.

Copyright © 2009 Roberta Lee M.D., author of The SuperStress Solution

Author Bio
Roberta Lee, M.D., author of The SuperStress Solution, is vice chair of the Department of Integrative Medicine, director of Continuing Medical Education, and co-director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel’s Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Lee attended George Washington University Medical School and is one of the four graduates in the first class from the Program of Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona conducted by Andrew Weil, M.D.

For more information please visit superstresssolution.com.

(Book image via Random House; Clouds via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Lower Your Stress in 2010

Envivio, provider of technology that compresses video so it can be displayed via televisions, computer screens or mobile phones, has raised $1 million in debt financing, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in South San Francisco, the company is backed by Atlantic Bridge, Credit Agricole Private Equity, Crescendo Ventures, The Solidarity Fund, Innovacom, Harbinger, HarbourVest, Intel Capital, NTT Finance, Saints Capital, Samsung Ventures America and Sigma Designs.

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Raydiance, which claims to be working on “ultrafast lasers” with applications in microelectronics, solar panel manufacturing, eye surgeries, dermatology and cancer treatments, has brought in $3.1 million of an expected $5 million round of funding. Based in Petaluma, Calif., the company is backed by Greenstreet Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. It raised $20 million in a fourth round of funding last year.

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Google’s forthcoming smart phone, apparently, has the power to change fortunes. Following speculation that Chinese battery manufacturer BAK (CBAK) won the supply contract for Google’s phone, BAK stock rose 63 percent. After BAK’s chief financial officer Tony Shen denied these rumors, BAK stock dropped 24 percent and is at 2.79 at time of publishing (9:45 AM PST). The amazing thing here is that BAK hasn’t announced anything else of note. BAK’s valuation has been changing around speculation that they might supply batteries for a single model of phone.

Despite the 63 percent gains on 12.29, BAK is down 26 percent over the last three months.

The phone in question is the Nexus One. Following weeks of speculation, we are expecting release information by mid January, probably at a press event Google announced on January 5. The phone will likely be available unlocked and unsubsidized from Google, which would be the first time Google has sold hardware to consumers. The unsubsidized price is $530.

It will also be available subsidized with a two year contract from T-Mobile. The T-Mobile plan will include 500 voice minutes with text and data included for $80 a month. The phone will be built to Google’s specifications by HTC, unlike other Android phones that were built as manufacturers thought they should be. This is all according to a leaked internal document.

BAK has posted two straight years of losses. About two thirds of their business is in cell phone batteries. Another rough third is in laptop batteries and the rest is tied up in its expansion to the automotive battery business. To date, BAK has not been certified to supply OEMs and focuses on the replacement business. A week ago, CBAK announced it had won a $1 million contract to supply bus batteries in China.

If anyone doubted the power of Google before, let them now be convinced. Nothing is official about the Nexus One’s release or even its existence. None the less, rumors about who might supply the batteries for the Nexus One are driving stock prices. The Droid may have disappointed some but the Nexus One might just quietly sidle up into iPhone territory, sales wise.

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Lithium Technologies, builder of customer relations channels like customized forums, blogs and social networks for other companies, has brought in $18 million of an anticipated $23 millon round of venture funding, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in Emeryville, Calif., the company is backed by Benchmark Capital, Emergence Capital Partners and Shasta Ventures. It has raised $39 million to date.

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Atieva, maker of advanced batteries for plug-in cars, has brought in $7 million in equity, according to a filing with the SEC. Based in Mountain View, Calif., the company is backed by the China Environment Fund and Venrock.

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C3, a secretive company working on a new way to gauge carbon emissions footprints, has brought in $26 million of an anticipated $43.4 million third round of venture funding, according to a filing with the SEC.

Despite facing several key competitors in the space, including Carbon Trust, Hara and Carbonetworks, C3 already seems to be setting itself apart — recruiting heavyweights like former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham for its board. The starpower isn’t surprising, considering that the San Mateo, Calif. company was founded by Thomas Siebel — the man who sold Siebel Systems to Oracle for $5.7 billion.

This cast may already say a lot about C3. The combined intellect of the management team, which includes former Siebel executive Patricia House (one of Fortune’s 50 most powerful women), is surely impressive. But the tone is overwhelmingly conservative. As TechCrunch points out, Siebel was a major proponent of Sarah Palin’s during the election. That’s how conservative.

Considering that Republicans in the Senate are almost unanimously resolved to crush any climate bill that includes a carbon cap-and-trade system, emissions management doesn’t appear to be high on the party’s list. The right-wing has been vocal in its hatred for cap-and-trade, claiming that it will only hurt the U.S.’s already weak economy. So why does C3, a seemingly conservative company, look like it will be measuring carbon emissions for the express purpose of making a cap-and-trade system work better?

The only argument that seems to make sense is that C3 will be more focused on the energy security piece of carbon and emissions management. The presence of Rice on the company’s board also suggests that it will be more international in scope, which makes a security bent more likely.

But this prediction is inconsistent with comments made earlier this year by the C3 team suggesting that the company would be developing enterprise software to help companies keep track of and reduce their carbon emissions. Still, it’s unclear why Rice, Abrahams and Siebel would be rallying behind a startup with such modest ambitions in an already crowded space. I guess we’ll have to wait and see in 2010.

The $26 million reported was raised in several chunks since the company’s founding in January of this year. It has yet to disclose any of its investors.

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Using an app to tweet about sexting? One university wants you to watch your language.

Lake Superior State University, though no doubt a fine institution of higher learning, doesn’t have big name recognition. But it does have one annual PR stunt created by the school’s public relations director back in 1975: a “word banishment” list for the year that just ended.

The list’s full name, “List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness,” pretty much sums up its function. For 2010, four tech terms made the cut.

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All of you Google Voice fans better be excited because 2010 is possibly shaping up to be the year Google Voice will become VOIP capable. In an interview with eWeek, Google Executive Bradley Horowitz revealed that Google indeed plans to implement VOIP services in the coming year, thus allowing Google Voice users to use VOIP services with a data connection.

Horowitz had this to say:What we’re trying to do with telephony is give people a seamless experience that frees up their telephony communication from the silos where it’s lived for the last decade. Voicemail, my contacts, all of those things have been segregated from the rest of my Web experience. We have big plans to do a better job.

As someone who uses Google Voice daily, I am extremely excited about this. As always, we will keep you informed when more definitive information comes forward.  Lets hop its true!

Article Tags: ClimateGate, Headline Story, Met Office, Piers Corbyn, YouTube

WeatherAction New Year Message

• Jan AND Feb will be unusually cold in Britain, Ireland, & Europe – Standard Meteorology / ‘Global Warming’ forecasts will fail AGAIN.
• ‘Man-Made Climate Change’ is failed science based on fraudulent data
• Met Office & Global Warmers blasted for ongoing forecast failures

Click source to read FULL message from Piers Corbyn

Source: weatheraction.com

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2009 Sleepers: The Best Games You Didn’t Play

Once you’re done with Mario and Modern Warfare, hunt down this baker’s dozen
of overlooked greats.

By Jeremy Parish

Even with all the fall 2009 releases that were delayed into 2010, it’s still been a heck of a year for games. Blockbusters everywhere! You couldn’t walk to the bus without tripping over one, it seems. And with all that obsessing over the big-name hits, a huge number of worthy also-rans have gone almost completely overlooked by gamers at large. Well, that just doesn’t sit right with us. Sure, we like the triple-A titles as much as the next batch of game-obsessed nerds, but we love the little guys, too. So, we’ve put together a baker’s dozen of overlooked or sleeper games that you might have missed amidst all the furor. At the very least, they’ll give you something to do before March hits and we’re drowning in goodness again.

<!– 10. –> A Boy and His Blob

Dev: WayForward | Pub: Majesco | Platform: Wii

Less a remake than a total overhaul of an inspired but uneven NES classic, WayForward’s take on A Boy and His Blob is visually stunning — and almost as difficult. By getting rid of the concept of limited lives and building in a generous checkpoint system, the developer was able to create a platformer that consists of hundreds of challenging little puzzles strung together in a package that manages not to frustrate despite its difficulty… well, except the bosses, which tend to inspire infuriated hair-pulling. A curious blend of storybook charm and old-school videogame challenge, it’s a true Wii gem.

<!– 10. –> Critter Crunch

Dev: Capybara | Platform: iPhone/PS3

Critter Crunch is basically Magical Drop mixed with Space Invaders and dressed up with a cute rendition of the food chain, which means it’s a fast-paced puzzler that arguably teaches kids about nature. (Red in tooth and claw and all that.) Really, though, it’s just a fun, addictive game that perfectly fits the iPhone platform (and isn’t too shabby on PSN, either). The object-matching puzzle genre is pretty well tapped out by now, but Critter Crunch is the most memorable entry to hit this crowded field in quite some time — and at $1.99 on iPhone and $6.99 on PSN, the price is just right.

<!– 10. –> Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II

Dev: Relic | Pub: THQ | Platform: PC

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Crunching the numbers on venture capital investments in green technology companies in 2009, Greentech Media Research (GTM) finds the sector both weathered this year’s financial storm, and thrived in terms of total deals. More startups shared the wealth in 2009, with 356 deals, up from 350 deals in 2008 and just 222 deals in 2007

But […]

Filed under: Etc.

About this time every year, news outlets like ours wax nostalgic over the past year, compiling the highlights, lowlights, bloopers, and everything in between that happened in the last 365 days. Notes are compared, calendars dates are circled, lists are conjured. Understandably, other than leaving you with 100 of our greatest automotive photographs this year, we’d largely prefer to forget this year in automotive history altogether, soaked as it is with red ink and spattered with the blood of fallen brands.

So instead of rehashing the past, we’d like to hear what your automotive-themed New Year’s resolutions are for 2010. Do you plan on buying a new car? Finally taking up autocrossing? Mastering the art of the Scandanavian Flick? Take the fam on a road trip that follows the route in National Lampoon’s Vacation? Perhaps you have more modest goals – learning how change out your spark plugs, say, or finishing that Testors model kit gathering dust on that shelf in the basement. Maybe it’s just scraping out that crud that has mysteriously congealed in your cupholders or finally beating your nephew at Mario Kart. No matter how big or how small, we want to hear about your automotive plans for 2010. Drop us a line or two in Comments… and have a safe and happy New Year’s!

[Image: Warner Bros.]

AB Asks: What are your New Year’s automotive resolutions for 2010? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Asus Eee Stick might be dead, folks. According to a Digitimes report, the company has slashed the development department down to only 20 team members from the original 100 and more cuts might be coming. Long story short, the department isn’t delivering the goods. I mean, have we ever seen a good use of the Eee Stick? It’s not like the Eee netbooks were ever that great at gaming.

The original idea of turning a PC into a Wii was solid, but Asus never really marketed the products outside of an novelty Eee accessory. Off-the-wall accessories like the Eee Stick rarely stick around anyway. Chances are if we don’t hear anything about the product next week at CES, the Eee Stick will be put out to the pasture to quietly fade away like the rumor suggests.

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