Category: News

At TEDxWhitechapel on January 13, 2013, Graham Hancock gave a passionately argued talk in which he described the transformative impact that ayahuasca (containing the drug DMT) had had on him and argued that responsible adult usage of such drugs was a fundamental right. The talk was viewed more than 130,000 times on YouTube.

TED’s scientific advisors who viewed the talk expressed to us grave concerns about it. For example, it suggests a world view in which DMT can connect users directly to “seemingly intelligent entities which communicate with us telepathically.” Graham Hancock does state he makes no claim to the reality status of these entities, but he also argues that they can teach and heal us, claims that are well outside orthodox scientific thinking.

Our advisors recommended that the talk be should not be distributed without being framed with caution. So… this is that caution. We invite scientists, skeptics, knowledge-seekers and supporters — and Graham himself, if he’s willing — to join in a conversation over this talk.

Is this an idea worth spreading, or misinformation? Good science or bad science? What’s the evidence for either position?

There’s only one rule for the conversation. Comments need to be phrased in respectful terms. Those that are intemperate or unnecessarily insulting will be removed.

Join the conversation here, where it’s possible to upvote comments, sort by recency or rating, and see all comments in one page. We look forward to the discussion.

Not all venture capitalists are fleeing the cleantech sector. On Tuesday The Westly Group — the fund managed by former California controller Steve Westly — announced that it’s closed on a $160 million fund that it will invest into cleantech companies. The firm raised funds from investors like Citi, E.ON and SK Group.

The firm’s previous fund was for $127 million, and the Westly Group has been working on raising this current fund for awhile (since mid 2011). Originally the fund was targeted at $175 million. The Westly Group is a little different from other investment firms in that it says its principals have invested more than $50 million of their own money into the company’s funds over the years.

The firm has been one of the more successful cleantech investors out there. Three of The Westly Group’s portfolio companies have gone public on the NASDAQ, including electric car company Tesla, biofuel company Amyris, and Chinese recycling company China Recycling Energy Corporation (CREG). The firm says on its website that “at the end of 2010, we had returned nearly all of invested capital to our limited partners.”

Not all of the Westly Group’s startups have done well, of course. Solar company Amonix has been struggling. Waste-to-fuel startup Enerkem withdrew its IPO plans last year.

With this fund, The Westly Group joins the elite club of venture firms that will continue to make new cleantech investments, including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital and Braemar Energy Ventures.

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Nilofer Merchant, author of 11 Rules for Creating Value in the Social Era, outlines the steps to reach new customers.

Google announced a new feature for the AdSense ad review center, which lets you check landing pages for ads from within your account. This builds on a recent announcement, which let you search for ads by images.

“If you’re looking for more insight into your users’ experience with the ads on your site, the landing page view offers you a quick and easy view of what users see when clicking on an ad,” explains AdSense software engineer Pedro Diaz. “This in turn will help you make a more informed decision about whether or not an ad is suitable for your audience.”

You can find the feature when you log in to your AdSense account, and go to the “Allow and block ads” tab. Hover over ads, and you’ll see a small magnifying glass in the corner, which will show you the landing page preview.

The feature is only available in accounts with English set as the language preference, though it will roll out to other languages in time.

If the idea of someone bypassing your lock screen — even with an overly tedious combination of taps and swipes — makes you nervous, you’re going to want to make sure to get the latest software update for iOS 6.

On Tuesday Apple pushed iOS 6.1.3, which fixes a bug that could allow someone to access a locked iPhone even without knowing the phone’s password. The security flaw was discovered in February by an iPhone owner, who then posted his findings to YouTube. Apple acknowledged the bug at the time and said it would be fixed in a software update.

iOS 6.1.3 update also included various but unspecified “improvements” to the Apple Maps app for users in Japan.

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This is a weird one.

As you may remember, Jackass star Ryan Dunn drunkenly crashed his Porsche in West Goshen, Pennsylvania back in the summer of 2011, killing himself and his passenger.

And apparently, someone recovered some small parts from the crash and is attempting to sell them on Craigslist.

Joe.ie tipped me to the posting, which comes from Philadelphia. It offers up the parts (small enough to fit inside a shoebox) for $300.

Apparently, the original collector doesn’t want them anymore – because they may be haunted.

“A week after the accident I went to the accident and scooped up minor parts I saw lying on the ground. The parts are all remotely tiny, and all fit in a shoebox. I don’t want them anymore because weird shit has happened since I put it under my bed. I guess it’s because it’s a weird thing to have, but I was a huge Jackass fan and thought it would be a cool something to have. If you want proof they are his parts, I have pictures of the crash site I took myself,” reads the ad.

We’ve tried to contact the poster and will let you know if we find anything else out. I guess you really can find anything on Craigslist.

We need accountability Mr. President!

Tanzanian President Dr. Jakaya Kikwete looked bemused as we greeted him with a classroom-like chorus; “Welcome to the education lab, Mr President!”

The education ‘laboratory’ was one of six that government leaders visited in a conference facility on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.  Down the corridor, other labs were thrashing out topics including water, agriculture, energy, transport and revenue collection; collectively six (with education) priority sectors that need to dramatically improve performance and quickly deliver results needed for Tanzania’s sustainable growth and poverty alleviation.

The 2012 census charts a booming population – up a staggering 10.5 million to around 45 million people in just 10 years.  With the population projected to double in just another 26 years, that’s a lot more schools, roads, water pipes, electricity and food needed just to keep up, let alone create jobs and economic growth that can lift many more Tanzanians out of poverty.

The Big Fast Results initiative is a Malaysian concept that uses labs to bring together around 30 sector experts from a range of backgrounds to work collaboratively together for 8 weeks.  They diagnose constraints, identify strategies that can quickly improve the situation and then construct detailed implementation plans and budgets to deliver tangible change in the coming two years.  The process is being led and facilitated by a team from the Malaysian Prime Minster’s Performance and Delivery Unit PEMANDU that under Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Sri Idris Jala have achieved impressive results in their home country and are now eager to share the approach in a productive South – South Knowledge Exchange.

South South Leadership Exchange

A key lab concept I learnt was that in ‘labspeak’ we typically plan from 30,000 feet (high up in plane, no detail), but that a 3 feet plan (a very detailed large scale map, skimming the surface) is needed to make sure responsibilities are properly assigned and understood. Equally important is political buy-in to budget, release and monitor government funds to implement the plans. In week 3 of the lab I was astounded to see that the Vice-President came on Monday, the Prime Minister on Wednesday and a full presidential delegation on the Friday –  this was unlike any education planning event I had been to before!

Absent Teachers Piechart

Will it work or fizzle away to pipe dreams?  Well the sceptic in me was pleased to see the right issues being raised and some promising solutions proposed.  Teacher motivation is very low and leads to average teacher attendance rates of only 50% as a recent survey showed, no wonder student exam results have plummeted.   Both the President and the PEMANDU CEO welcomed low cost accountability measures (Tanzania has joined the Open Government Partnership under Dr. Kikwete).  Empowering headteachers with toolkits to let them truly lead and manage schools was proposed, balanced with publicly ranking school performance using traffic light colour schemes and scorecards.  Measuring the basic learning ‘3R’ skills of early grade students and offering remedial classes for those who had fallen behind also makes a lot of sense, but how will teacher training and extra study be rapidly organised and paid for?  Telling was another poster that highlighted the volume of funds, both government and development part that needed to be ‘unlocked’ from red tape that for two years had impeded the development of new community secondary schools.

Within another 5 weeks of the labs to run, I hope that the detailed, achieveable 3 feet plans emerge without crash landing and that the political leadership and goodwill generated can translate into action that can re-energise Tanzania to deliver for its people.  Spending a long time in South East Asia before my current ‘DFID Africa’ days, I have seen the Asian tigers in action and it will be most welcome to see the best of their approach be translated into transformative action for Africa.  Our regular sector dialogue and planning process has felt jaded and perhaps too driven by western donors at times, so perhaps this is what’s needed to get homegrown action that the government and people of Tanzania can believe in?

I wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention the fact that DFID is assisting to finance the Big Results Now! Labs, following a visit President Kikwete made to see the Malaysian approach in action.  We hope that it can inject some life and accountable results delivery into the Tanzanian development scene.   Hopefully I’ll be able to report something ‘big and fast’ in the not too distant future!

You may have noticed in recent months that there is a big push on the part of smartphone manufacturers to sell the “security” of their devices. This is needed to obtain greater acceptance in the corporate world and to encourage consumers to use their devices for secure transactions. The latest manufacturer to join the frenzy is ZTE, the world’s fourth largest smartphone producer. Today ZTE announced a partnership with Intrepidus to evaluate the security mechanisms of ZTE devices. Intrepidus is a security testing company that specifically focuses on mobile devices, applications, systems and networks.

According to their press release, ZTE is partnering with Intrepidus to identify vulnerabilities, conduct penetration testing, perform reverse engineering, and review source code. ZTE is pursuing this course because “the need to protect personal information becomes more important each day.” You can check out the full press release after the break.

ZTE and Intrepidus Announce Partnership to Ensure Smartphone Security

RICHARDSON, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”) (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a publicly-listed global provider of mobile handsets, telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today announced a partnership with leading provider of mobile application and device security services, Intrepidus, an NCC Group company.

ZTE is the world’s fourth largest smartphone manufacturer and partners with all of the major US carriers. The company has seen tremendous growth in the United States in the past few years and continues to invest heavily in the US market. ZTE has long been regarded as a leader in international standards; in partnering with Intrepidus, ZTE now seeks to become a leader in smartphone security.

As part of the agreement, Intrepidus will evaluate the security mechanisms of ZTE-manufactured smartphones. This evaluation includes identifying potential vulnerabilities; conducting penetration testing of ZTE device management interfaces and ZTE device features; and performing reverse engineering and source code review. The security testing will enable ZTE to deliver a wide range of smart, stylish choices for smartphone users with the added peace of mind that their device is secure.

“Our work with Intrepidus stands as an important milestone in handset security,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO, ZTE USA, and President, North America Region, ZTE. “With the increasing number of transactions carried out on smartphones, the need to protect personal information becomes more important each day. At ZTE, we have always been committed to making world-class technology accessible to everyone; now our work with Intrepidus will ensure that our customers can continue to connect in meaningful, innovative and affordable ways without questioning the security of their smartphones.”

This is the first step in a series of actions the company plans to take regarding smartphone security. ZTE hopes to work closely with carriers, app developers, policymakers and industry organizations to raise awareness among consumers about best practices and guidelines for handset security.

About ZTE USA

ZTE USA is a subsidiary of ZTE Corporation (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a leading global provider of mobile handsets, telecommunications equipment and network solutions. ZTE USA is dedicated to making quality communications technology accessible to all. The company draws on more than 25 years of experience and research investment to deliver smart, affordable, quality choices for infrastructure and mobile data device customers nationwide. For more information, visit www.zteusa.com.

About ZTE

ZTE is a publicly-listed global provider of mobile handsets, telecommunications equipment and network solutions with the most comprehensive product range covering virtually every sector of the wireline, wireless, service and terminals markets. The company delivers innovative, custom-made products and services to over 500 operators in more than 140 countries, helping them to meet the changing needs of their customers while achieving continued revenue growth. ZTE’s 2010 revenue led the industry with a 21% increase to USD10.609 billion. ZTE commits 10 percent of its revenue to research and development and takes a leading role in a wide range of international bodies developing emerging telecoms standards. A company with sound corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, ZTE is a member of the UN Global Compact. ZTE is China’s only listed telecom manufacturer, publicly traded on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ). For more information, please visit www.zte.com.cn.

About Intrepidus Group

Expert US security testing company Intrepidus Group, works with organizations to pinpoint and eradicate security flaws in mobile devices, applications, systems and networks.

A leader in the field of mobile security research, testing & advice, Intrepidus assesses mobile applications, trains developers to code defensively, and evaluates the security mechanisms of cutting edge telecommunications products and smart phone devices.

Intrepidus was established in 2006 and is part of leading global information assurance organization NCC Group plc.

For more information, please visit www.intrepidusgroup.com

Come comment on this article: ZTE and Intrepidus partner on smartphone security issue

AMC announced that the “Dead Yourself” app, which lets you turn yourself into a walker, has come to Android. AMC says in a blog post:

For two months AMC’s Dead Yourself app has been taking the world by storm, turning men, women, children and pets into zombies. Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet: Dead Yourself is now available on Android-powered smartphones. Simply download the Dead Yourself app from Google Play, take a photo of yourself, zombify it, then watch as your transformation contributes to the global pandemic.

The app was previously available for the web and for iOS.

It’s a big week for fans of the show. The soundtrack was just made available, and the Survival Instinct video game just came out.

More The Walking Dead fun here.

HTC caused quite a stir last week in New York City where they were showing off the One outside of Samsung Unpacked, and giving away branded cans of Pringles. To no surprise, a video was uploaded to YouTube which shows off the HTC One and gets people’s reactions. Both HTC and Samsung are going head to head with the upcoming release of their next flagship smartphones, and HTC has a lot of work moving forward if they want to recapture Android market share. You can check out the video below and let us know what you think in the comments.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: HTC Blog

Come comment on this article: HTC Trolling Samsung Unpacked Leads To ‘One On The Street’ Video

Earlier today we reported on some members of TeamHacksung expressing an unwillingness to develop a ROM for Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy S 4 smartphone. The news certainly set the ‘net abuzz, but it appears the comments may not be as “official” as originally thought. The CyanogenMod Team has posted on their Google+ page a statement indicating no official position had been established regarding the Galaxy S 4 and that one would not be established until the device was available for retail purchases.

In the posting, the CM team reminds folks that announcements regarding support for devices will be communicated via their official channels on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, or their blog. The CM team also points out the comments from this morning posted by XpLoDWilD were just the opinions of four members of TeamHacksung who do not speak on behalf of CyanogenMod.

Those looking forward to getting CM running on a Galaxy S 4 can breathe a little easier for now.

source: +CyanogenMod

Come comment on this article: No CM support for Galaxy S 4? Not so fast says CyanogenMod team

Just in time for Easter, the locals in Guizhou, China have been dumbfounded to encounter a chicken that is repeatedly laying monster-sized eggs.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that a woman in the Chinese village told reporters that her hen began laying the huge eggs last week, and has produced several of them. She stated that she feeds the chicken rice, as opposed to her other chickens, which get corn. When the first massive egg was laid, she told reporters, she thought the hen was dying.

The eggs reportedly weigh over twice as much as normal eggs. It’s easy to see why. In the video below the woman and friends crack one of the eggs for cameras, showing that it holds two yolks and an entire other egg within its shell. The nested egg’s yolk brings the total to three yolks – enough for a proper omelette.

At a time where HTC needs a smartphone sales hit, the company is facing a new challenge. Its new flagship phone, the HTC One, may be delayed in some markets, mainly because HTC can’t get all the components it needs for the new smartphone. According to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday, the issue isn’t because the parts aren’t necessarily available; the problem is that HTC is no longer considered a top-tier hardware customer.

HTC specifically stated to the WSJ that the camera parts and metal frames are hard to come by. And to an extent, these parts are relatively unique. The HTC One touts “ultrapixels” in the camera, which use sensors with larger pixels for better clarity and low-light performance. And the phone’s metal frame is all new.

It appears, however, that if hardware component makers had more confidence in HTC’s ability to sell smartphones — and thus increase component orders — HTC would have the parts it needs. Instead, component makers may be focusing production line efforts on partners such as Apple and Samsung, which continue to outsell all others in the smartphone market.

Indeed, HTC’s sales woes have been a sore spot; it recently has had a string of months with decreased sales growth and reduced future expectation. In turn, this hurts the company’s component demand forecasts, which can’t make hardware partners happy.

Per an HTC executive speaking to the WSJ: “The company has a problem managing its component suppliers as it has changed its order forecasts drastically and frequently following last year’s unexpected slump in shipments.”

By repeatedly reducing component orders, it’s simply a safer bet for companies that make smartphone parts to focus their production lines on companies that are selling more smartphones than before in a consistent manner. It’s all well and good to create an innovative new smartphone; my limited hands on time with the HTC One suggests it’s a solid step forward for HTC. But if markets have little confidence in the company behind the product, making a sales comeback becomes a much tougher road to tread.

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Canon is said to be working on a new smaller DSLR called the EOS-b (or Kiss X7 in Asia), according to a series of recent reports, including one today from Japanese blog Digicame-info (via Canon Rumors). The new much smaller entry-level body will also come with a new kit lens, a version of the EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 complete with STM, Canon’s new AF motor that’s designed to reduce or eliminate AF noise when shooting video, as well as produce smoother incremental zoom.

The camera will have an 18 million pixel APS-C sensor with a Digic 5 processor, as well as a fixed 1.04 million dot 3-inch LCD display. The camera overall seems to borrow a lot from the recently released Canon T4i, but it has a much smaller physical footprint, as you can see from the side-by-side comparison pic below.

Some advantages the camera will have include what looks like a new hybrid CMOS AF system with a wider range than the one introduced on the T4i, and it also looks to use the LP-E12 battery pack Canon introduced for the EOS-M mirrorless interchangeable lens camera system it introduced last year.

The big advantages are the extremely small body size, which also weighs around 30 percent less than the T4i in addition to taking up less space. At only 370g body-only, the so-called EOS-b would be a small carry-anywhere camera without the compromises of a mirrorless compact (slower AF, manual focus-by-wire, lack of a true optical viewfinder, etc.).

Canon Rumors says this new DSLR will retail for around $799 for the kit when it debuts in the U.S., which could happen sometime in May. If true, it might be a very attractive option for anyone looking for a cheap and portable entry point into DSLR photography, though Canon’s decision to keep introducing new products into its lineup without really removing any does seem a bit perplexing. Lackluster performance of the too-compromised EOS M might be behind the development of the EOS-b, but it’ll be interesting to see if a super-small DSLR entices them more than a strong ILC competitor.

At TEDxWhitechapel on January 13, 2013, Rupert Sheldrake gave a provocative talk in which he suggests that modern science is based on ten dogmas, and makes the case that none of them hold up to scrutiny. According to him, these dogmas — including, for example, that nature is mechanical and purposeless, that the laws and constants of nature are fixed, and that psychic phenomena like telepathy are impossible — have held back the pursuit of knowledge.

TED’s scientific advisors have questioned whether his list is a fair description of scientific assumptions — indeed, several of the dogmas are actually active areas of science inquiry (including whether physical ‘constants’ are really unchanging) — and believe there is little evidence for some of Sheldrake’s more radical claims, such as his theory of morphic resonance, and claim that the speed of light has been changing. They recommended that the talk be should not be distributed without being framed with caution. Accordingly, we have reposted his talk here, with the above cautionary introduction. We invite scientists, skeptics, knowledge-seekers and supporters — and Sheldrake himself, if he’s willing — to join in a conversation over this talk.

Is this an idea worth spreading, or misinformation? Does Sheldrake accurately describe scientists’ beliefs and are his theories credible? What’s the evidence for either position?

There’s only one rule for the conversation. Comments need to be phrased in respectful terms. Those that are intemperate or unnecessarily insulting will be removed.

Join the conversation here, where it’s possible to upvote comments, sort by recency or rating, and see all comments in one page. We look forward to the discussion.

Chromebooks are slowly making their way around the world as Google introduces more consumers to its idea of what personal computing should look like. Now consumers, schools and businesses in six more countries can take advantage of the affordable computing provided by Chromebook.

Google announced today that Chromebooks are now available for purchase in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and The Netherlands. Consumers can go ahead and pick up a new Chromebook from Google itself or a licensed reseller today.

The Chromebooks available for purchase today include those from Acer, HP and Samsung. It’s not immediately clear if the $1,300 Chromebook Pixel will be available in these countries as well.

As for schools and businesses, Google expects that those organizations may have some questions. For schools, Google in Education will be hosting a number of Hangouts next week to address any questions or concerns schools may have with the Chromebooks for Education program: