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  • NuVasive Takes a Different Angle, Shakes Up Spinal Surgery Business

    nuvasive
    Luke Timmerman wrote:

    Writing about life sciences innovation around the country, I hear stories every day of companies that envision transforming medical standards of care through new drugs or devices. San Diego-based NuVasive is living the dream right now.

    NuVasive (NASDAQ: NUVA), as its name suggests, has developed a less invasive way for surgeons to do spinal fusion surgeries. It was a bold and innovative idea when the company was founded in 1995, and when it first brought this system to the U.S. market more than five years ago. Now the leading edge is becoming mainstream as more doctors learn the procedure, and patients like basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton share their NuVasive success stories. Not even hard questions from insurers who balked at paying the bills seem to have slowed the company’s success—or the growth of NuVasive’s shares on Wall Street.

    More than 5 million Americans suffer from some form of chronic back pain, and that has created a spinal fusion surgery market worth an estimated $5.1 billion a year in the U.S. Big medical device players like Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and Synthes are leaders in this market with replacement disks, screws and rods that surgeons use to hold the vertebrae in place. But NuVasive has been grabbing market share, and boosting sales at a greater than 40 percent annual clip for years. The company expects to grow sales by more than 30 percent this year, on its way to estimated annual sales of as much as $500 million.

    When a couple major private insurers, Aetna and UnitedHealth, publicly stated last year they wanted to see more evidence that the NuVasive system was as good as advertised, spinal surgeons and patients leapt to the company’s defense. The insurers backed off within six months and said they would go back to reimbursing the product. Walton, who suffered from excrutiating back pain for years, recently told a Union-Tribune sports columnist that “I’m getting back into the game of life,” after he had the NuVasive surgery done.

    “At the end of the day, this is a higher efficacy procedure. We really have a better, faster, cheaper procedure for our patients, the people we serve,” says Michael Lambert, NuVasive’s chief financial officer.

    I got an in-depth overview of the company, and the spinal market, from Lambert and Patrick Williams, the company’s vice president of finance and investor relations, when I visited their office in San Diego a couple weeks ago. What NuVasive does is really different from what its competitors have been offering surgeons and their patients.

    The anatomy is quite interesting. Around age 30, people have the maximum amount of water in the intravertebral tissues, which work like shock absorbers in the spine, Lambert says. But that gradually goes downhill as we age. The space between vertebrae shrinks, nerves get pinched, and …Next Page »

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  • Closing Time: Miguel Olivo catches on in Colorado

    There’s always a fantasy story in Colorado, so let’s start in the thin air with our Monday recap, then slowly work our way back towards sea level.

    Miguel Olivo(notes) only had one hit in Monday’s loss to Arizona but on a slow roto day, I’m going to use this space to promote the underrated backstop. Olivo’s ownership level is still under 50 percent and that’s not right; he’s off to a .311 start with five homers in his new city and he’s basically thrown Chris Iannetta(notes) (.133 average) out of the way. The 2010 catcher pool looked spotty in March and it’s been even worse in actuality (losing Miguel Montero(notes) really hurts); when production shows up with someone like Olivo, you need to take advantage.

    Olivo’s career batting average (.244) gets some fantasy owners off the scent, but this isn’t the time to get sensitive to that number. He hit .251 as a semi-regular in Kansas City the last two years, and the Colorado backdrop could help Olivo push the average into the .260 range. And keep in mind the position we’re talking about; for every Joe Mauer(notes) that hits .300-plus behind the plate, you can find 3-4 backstops who can’t hit their way out of a paper bag. Even if we take a mild average hit here, it’s probably worth it for the power exchange; Olivo’s quietly collected 67 homers the last four years and he should be good for 20-plus in the Rocky Mountains.

    Olivo’s not a great defender but that hasn’t been a big issue with Colorado to this point; he’s started 60 percent of the games through three weeks and the ratio has been even more slanted to Olivo lately. Forget what you thought about Olivo in years past, he will be a fantasy asset in all formats in 2010.

    Clint Barmes(notes) went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts, pushing his average down to .192. Not the best time for a slump with Eric Young in town; Young had a double off the bench and later scored a run. Knowing how Jim Tracy likes his lineup bingo, you get the idea Young might see a start at some point in this series.

    Justin Upton’s(notes) sore shin turned out to be no big deal, as he took his usual spot in the lineup Monday and gave us a 4-1-1-1 line with a stolen base. Upton’s .208 batting average has some fantasy owners a little jumpy, but see the big picture here: he’s on pace to hit 25 homers, steal 34 bases and score 119 runs. He’s fine.

    Dan Haren’s(notes) got a history of pitching well in Coors Field and Monday was no exception (8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K). Worry not if you’re tied to the Colorado offense; Kris Benson(notes) comes calling Tuesday.

    Sometimes you lose with your best stuff and sometimes you get by with your mediocre stuff; that’s been the case with Jonathan Sanchez(notes) lately. He was utterly untouchable against San Diego last week (one hitter over seven innings, 10 K) but had to settle for a loss when his mates couldn’t solve Mat Latos(notes). Contrast that to Monday’s ballgame: Sanchez only went five innings against Philly and was in constant trouble (three hits, five walks), but he limited the damage to just one run while his teammates were able to consistently score against Roy Halladay(notes) (7 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 5 K).

    Sanchez remains the same conundrum we saw last year – the stuff is jaw-dropping (33 K in 24.1 IP) but he’s not throwing enough strikes (13 BB). He’s gotten a break so far with three home starts out of four; last year he had 19 road assignments compared to 13 at home. He’ll get another Bay Area assignment Sunday when Colorado comes to town.

    Maybe it’s just time to accept that Josh Beckett(notes) isn’t the ace he’s cracked up to be. The Blue Jays kicked him around for eight runs Monday, pushing his ERA up to 7.22, but crooked numbers are nothing new with Beckett. He’s made 127 starts since joining the Red Sox, and on 30 occasions he’s allowed five or more runs (h/t, Boston Herald). It might seem a little cruel to criticize Beckett given that Monday’s game featured 25 runs and 34 hits, but it comes with the ADP territory. You didn’t spend a sixth-round pick on Dana Eveland(notes).

    You name it, it wasn’t working for Beckett at Toronto. He couldn’t locate his fastball, a pitch that’s been surprisingly mediocre for him since the beginning of 2009 (the Pitch Type Values on Fangraphs illustrate this nicely). Beckett hung a couple of curves and the Jays didn’t miss them. His change didn’t fool anyone, either.

    Working in the AL East is a nasty place for a pitcher to do his business. Beckett has a 7.34 ERA for his career against Toronto, he’s at 5.51 for his career against the Yanks, and he’s got a 4.53 ERA whenever he pitches at Fenway. His career numbers are sharp against Tampa Bay but you can make a case that the Rays have the AL’s best offense in 2010. Beckett isn’t going to be this bad all year, we all know that, but is he going to be All-Star good again? If you’ve got cause for optimism, pitch for Beckett in the comments.

    The Indians have the worst offense in the American League through three weeks and they didn’t put up much of a fight against the underrated Jeff Weaver(notes) Monday, but we should at least mention Austin Kearns(notes), who’s been active of late. Kearns went 3-for-4 with a homer, steal and walk at Anaheim, and he also had a three-hit game (with a steal) on the weekend. The average mixed-league owner doesn’t need to react to this news, but if you play in a jumbo-sized group, maybe you’ll want to kick the tires on Kearns for a few days. Then you can come back on Friday or so and kick me for mentioning Kearns in the first place.

    Josh Johnson(notes) hasn’t had the most consistent year to this point – he’s racked up 29 strikeouts over his three best starts but just five whiffs (against seven walks) in his other two turns – but when you add it all together he’s one of the most bankable arms in the majors. The Padres couldn’t figure him out Monday, as Johnson allowed just three hits in a complete game masterpiece (1 R, 1 BB, 12 K). If you’re one of the Friar faithful, don’t click through to the highlights. Mat Latos turned in his worst start of the year (seven runs) and didn’t make it out of the third inning.

    For some reason the Brewers have absolutely taken the Pirates out behind the woodshed in their four meetings this year, taking each game and outscoring the Bucs 53-4. It’s a good thing Milwaukee hit just two homers in Monday’s 17-3 victory, we wouldn’t want to see Bernie Brewer suffer a herniated disc in his back. The frustrated Pirates held a 30-minute, closed-door meeting after the game, but it’s hard to like their chances Tuesday with unheralded Brian Burres(notes) taking the hill. If you’re invested in the Milwaukee offense, here’s the box score and bon appetit.

    Pittsburgh’s struggles to the side, there’s an interesting buying opportunity on reliever Evan Meek(notes). He worked two scoreless innings in the middle of Monday’s mess, and his seasonal stats are calling for your attention (13 IP, 11 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 13 K). He’s got a fastball in the 94 mph range and so far he’s been successful with his entire arsenal in 2010 (slider, cutter, change). Joel Hanrahan(notes) hasn’t thrown the ball well out of the gate so far and he’s still a work in progress anyway; if you’re looking to hedge against Octavio Dotel(notes), Meek would be my pick.

    Handshakes: Feel free to ignore the rogue save from Bruce Chen(notes) in Kansas City (yes, he’s still in the league). Chen retired Ichiro Suzuki(notes) for the last out; Joakim Soria(notes) received the night off after throwing 47 pitches the two previous days. … Jonathan Papelbon(notes) picked a good time for his second 1-2-3 inning of the year, setting down the Jays quickly and putting an end to Monday’s keg tapper. … Brian Fuentes(notes) struck out the side against Cleveland and Chad Qualls(notes) did the same at Colorado, albeit Qualls also allowed two hits and a run. … Ryan Franklin(notes) keeps skating by; he allowed two ninth-inning hits to the Braves but a double play helped him finish the job. … Jose Valverde(notes) had no problems with the Rangers, hitting the strike zone on 7-of-10 pitches. He’s only got four strikeouts over nine innings, but his other numbers look fine.

    Speed Round: Carlos Zambrano(notes) retired five of the six men he faced Monday, coming through in a clutch situation, a tie ballgame in the eighth and ninth. The Cubs eventually put away the Nats in the tenth on a bases-loaded walk, picking up a victory for Carlos Marmol(notes) (scoreless inning, one hit allowed). … Maybe the Tigers have figured something out on Neftali Feliz(notes) that no one else has. Miguel Cabrera(notes) and Brandon Inge(notes) hit back-to-back homers off Feliz in the ninth Monday, brewing up a 6-6 tie, and the Tigers also roughed up Feliz Friday night (1 IP, 3 H, 2 R). … Justin Smoak(notes) is just 1-for-11 through four games, though he has walked five times. … Jason Heyward(notes) is in a 1-for-17 slump since his homer against the Phillies last week (pushing his average down to .234), and he’s also whiffed 24 times over 64 at-bats. Of course, plenty of good things are happening when he makes contact (four homers, 16 RBIs).

  • Solar panels for the White House

    white-house-solar-panels.jpg
    Nothing would set a better eco-conscious example to the people of the United States than the White House going solar powered itself. And that’s exactly what companies are trying to convince the White House to do. So much, that these companies are even offering these panels for free, not that the White House can’t afford a whole array of them.

    President Jimmy Carter had taken a green step in 1979 had installed some of these soak-in-the-sun devices, which were stripped off in 1986. A 17.85 kilowatt solar array can help the White House reduce its bills by a sweet 81%. That’s about $1,610 per month. 102 solar panels, each generating 175 watts on the roof of the White House will help offset carbon emissions that equal 1.5 million cars annually. Looks like it’s about time for the White House to add a shade of green to its roofs!

    [CoolerPlanet]

  • Train powered by beef tallow by Amtrak

    Beef-Powered-Passenger-Train.jpg
    You aren’t the only one who loves a nice juicy beef steak. This train loves it just as much as you do. To run between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer is powered up 20% by a beef based biofuel. 80% is powered up using regular diesel. With a grant of $274,000 from the Federal Railroad Administration, this train will run for the next 12 months on this route.

    Using cow tallow or fat from cattle, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions are reduced by 10%. It also decreases particulates by 15% and sulfates by 20%. This sure is a cleaner alternative compared to diesel. And no, cows will not be killed specifically for this purpose. The fat is obtained from animals that are to be used for meat. The guys at PETA are sure to skip travelling by this train though.

    [FastCompany]

  • U.S. Transport Stocks Are Rolling Over

    Continuing our digestion of recent sector and industry performance data, this chart below shows how multiple U.S. transportation industries (namely Trucking, Water Transport, Railroads, and Air Freight) underperformed the S&P 500 last week, despite outperforming during the last trailing month.

    This is highlighted by the dark grey vs. red bars below.

    Chart

    On a year-to-date basis, all industries below have underperformed the S&P 500 except for Air Freight.

    Thus the one-month rally vs. the S&P 500 has been aborted (we’re talking relative performance here), perhaps due to concerns over the strength of the global recovery going forward. Continued high oil prices might be another factor, which translate into elevated fuel prices for both transport companies and the U.S. consumers whose retail demand many transport names depend on. Note everything above is on a relative basis to the S&P 500, absolute total returns are below.

    Chart

    Join the conversation about this story »

  • Avatar Blu-Ray Customers Not Enjoying Their DRM-Crippled Discs

    The film studios apparently should have spent as much time making sure their DVD new release DRM actually works with popular Blu-Ray players as they did on their new 28 day new release delay scheme. Avatar, which of course Netflix and Redbox users now won’t be able to rent for a month, was released on DVD last Friday. While the title’s hype and box office success easily translated to disc sales records, AdamR writes in to note that some customers were rewarded for their purchase by finding out the disc wouldn’t play on many Blu-Ray players. While some users are able to fix the problem if they can manage to download new firmware that plays nice with the new Avatar DRM, new firmware for players like the Samsung BD-UP5000 doesn’t (and may not ever) exist. It’s almost as if the studios are trying to perfect the art of annoyance when it comes to Blu-Ray — something that has helped contribute to the platform’s less-than-anticipated adoption rates. While DVDs have always been loaded with unskippable crap (that ironically pirates don’t have to deal with) newer Blu-Ray DVDs seem to enjoy taking this to an entirely new level — with even more unskippable previews, promotions and warnings downloaded to your player via broadband.  Somehow the studios continue to believe that layers of seemingly-endless annoyances (DRM, delaying new releases, unskippable "features" — none of which pirates experience) are actually going to help keep piracy at bay and physical media relevant forever.

     

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  • Recycling, the best way to save our planet

    Recycling.jpg
    Everyone’s waking up to eco-consciousness now and most of us have probably realized the need to save our environment from the certain doom it’ll face as time goes by if we continue endangering it further. The best we can do at our home is recycling most of the stuff we usually dump in our garbage cans. Recycling helps decrease the amount of junk piled up at landfills and saves a whole lot of energy too!

    Switzerland currently is the country with the highest percentage of garbage recycling, around 52% that is, followed by Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Norway. Some countries use recycling as a profitable business, especially in Asian countries like Japan that met a profit of 360 billion dollars with recycling. China has 2.5 million people are involved in recycling activities.

    US currently recycle just 31.5% of its garbage. Using recycled paper would help save 544,000 trees in the United States, 9 cubic yards of soil from being used as landfill for every ton of cardboard recycled and 5% energy if aluminum is recycled instead of being produced.

    Numbers sure make people think harder. Hopefully these statistics do.

    [TheNewEcologist]

  • Spotify Now Allows iTunes Libraries To Be Uploaded [Music Streaming]

    Available now if you live in Europe or are particularly handy with an IP override, Spotify’s just released the latest version of the desktop client. iTunes libraries can be uploaded to Spotify for accessing anywhere, and social features added too. More »







  • US losing trees faster than any other country

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    San Francisco took the required steps. Maybe the rest of the United States should have a tree census too! The country is losing trees faster than any around the globe. Between the years 2000 and 2005, the US has lost a larger area of forest land and trees than any other country. It is one of the seven most heavily deforested nations around.

    The United States has lost around 46,000 square miles of forest area in those five years. That’s an area as big as Pennsylvania itself! The number is sure to have increased in the last five years too. Globally, our planet has lost around 400,000 square miles of forest cover. It’s about time we wake up and start planting more trees taken that their number is fast depleting.

    US_losing_trees_2.jpg

    [USA Today]

  • Neandertal genomics paper coming? | Gene Expression

    Last week I was emphasizing the fact that someone from Max Planck seemed to really be positive about the University of New Mexico research which indicates that there has been “archaic” admixture into the modern human lineage derived from Out-of-Africa. This was curious because Svante Pääbo is at the Max Planck Institute, and he’s reconstructing the Neandertal genome. I wasn’t going to do more than hint at rumors, so I’ll point to Thomas Mailund (after linking to posts on the topic of admixture or not) :

    I really look forward to reading the Neandertal paper and see what it has to say about gene flow between us and Neandertals. A few month ago, while I visited his group in Leipzig, Svante Pääbo actually promised to show me the draft, but it never happened. In Ohio in February I talked to one of the authors on the paper and he wouldn’t reveal anything… I guess I just have to wait and can only hope that it won’t be too long.

    Remember that I didn’t say anything, Thomas Mailund did. Though he wasn’t explicit either, so whatever conclusions you draw are your own. But perhaps a reminder that when people are talking about things in public that might seem curious or a bit farther than the evidence warrants, it may be an issue of you not knowing what they know.

  • Electric taxis hit Japanese roads

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    The next time you visit Japan, you’ll probably ride in an emission free taxi. Three new electric taxis hit the asphalt today, and probably more will follow suit in future. Japan currently has around 60,000 taxis, each guzzling gas and polluting the environment causing around 20% of the countries CO2 emissions. Together with a US firm, Better Place, Japan will soon wipe away these blemishing numbers with electric taxis.

    These taxis use switchable batteries. Instead of docking up every time the taxi runs out of juice, the battery can simply be switched for a charged one, while the drained one is left charging. This obviously increases the cars range to an extent. This concept is sure to grab the attention of taxi operators around the globe.

    Electric-taxis2.jpg

    [Techvert]

  • KFC Double Down Is Not Healthy, In Case You Had Any Doubts

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    As you likely already know, the latest buzz allover the Internet at the moment is the new fast food monstrosity, the KFC Double Down – a “sandwich” with no bread but rather two pieces of fried chicken with cheese sauce and bacon in between. I’ve resisted the urge to post on this up until now simply because I don’t think this thing deserves any more press. But, after doing my best to keep quiet on it, the flood gates can be held closed no longer. This thing is evil.

    It hardly seems worth the time to explain why this revolting thing with no food value isn’t good for you, however, in addition to the few articles I’ve read complaining that the Double Down won’t be making an appearance in Canada (hallelujah) I have actually read posts from people trying to justify its existence with comments like “not as bad as you might think” or “not even in the top ten of worst fast foods on the market.”

    Continue reading KFC Double Down Is Not Healthy, In Case You Had Any Doubts

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  • Gene Network Sciences Using Supercomputing to Match Patients with a Drug That Works

    GNS logo
    Ryan McBride wrote:

    Health insurers have wasted billions of dollars on reimbursing drugs that don’t work for certain patients. But Cambridge, MA-based Gene Network Sciences might have a cure for this spending ailment. It is using supercomputing technology to build databases that can match patients with the most suitable drugs or other treatments, company CEO Colin Hill says. Xconomy.

    This is a major change for Gene Network Sciences, which has formed a new subsidiary called GNS Healthcare to focus on the healthcare market. Since the Cornell physicists Hill and Iya Khalil formed the startup in 2000, it’s been known mostly for performing computer-simulated drug research with its signature reverse engineering/forward simulation technology for such major companies as Biogen Idec (NASDAQ:BIIB), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE). While Gene Network Sciences is continuing to work in drug research and development, Hill says, the healthcare market has been a major focus for the firm over the past year.

    Within the healthcare market, the company is initially seeking partnerships with pharmacy benefit management firms. These outfits, such as CVS Caremark (NYSE:CVS) and Medco Health Solutions (NYSE:MHS), handle prescription drug plans for more than 210 million Americans, the majority of the total U.S. population, according to the Pharmacy Care Management Association, an industry group based in Washington, DC. The PBMs, as they are often called, have already adopted e-prescribing to reduce errors and streamline how doctors order prescriptions for patients, and Hill says these companies have also implemented computer models. But the drug benefit mangers don’t have the artificial intelligence capabilities that his firm offers he says.

    “For the payers, it’s really about using innovation to deliver smart, more cost-effective medicines,” Hill says. “The next generation analytics, like GNS Healthcare provides, will match the right drugs to the right patients for the right price.”

    The company is taking a different technical approach from its drug R&D work to solve problems for healthcare customers, Hill says. For drug companies, Gene Network Sciences has …Next Page »












  • Ford Start Concept que suena a Ka global

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    En el Salón del Automóvil de Pekín hemos tenido la suerte de ver el nuevo Ford Start Concept, un prototipo de Ford para el mundo urbano que suena muy mucho al Ka global. Según la empresa norteamericana en 2050 el 70% de la población vivirá en áreas urbanas y este coche estará diseñado para ella.

    Con una longitud de 3,68 metros, una anchura de 1,69 metros y una altura de 1,41 metros el Ford Star será sin lugar a dudas un vehículo tremendamente manejable. Las medidas son notablemente parecidas a las del actual Ford Ka, lo que hace pensar que puede tratarse del precursor de un sucesor.

    El Start ha sido diseñado en California y uno de los aspectos que más se ha tenido en cuenta ha sido la utilización de materiales ligeros como el aluminio. Además, el reciclaje ha supuesto otro factor clave en la elaboración del vehículo, para que su impacto con el medio ambiente sea mínimo.

    Ford todavía no se ha pronunciado acerca de la cilindrada exacta, pero ha anunciado que podría presentar el comportamiento de un propulsor de 1,6 litros, lo que nos dejaría un rendimiento de entre 100 y 120 cv. Más que suficiente. Además, las emisiones sería muy bajas, sobre los 100 gramos de CO2 por kilómetro recorrido.

    Vía | ElMundo



  • Are crime dramas warping the legal system?

    The Economist has an interesting article on the ‘CSI effect’ which suggests that television crime dramas are altering jurors’ expectations of the relevance and power of scientific evidence and hence affecting how court judgements are made.

    The article is largely based on a forthcoming paper to be published in Forensic Science International that argues the ‘CSI effect’ is influencing how forensic evidence is interpreted and understood by professionals and the public alike.

    Nevertheless, both The Economist piece and the academic article in Forensic Science International are notable for the fact they are largely based on anecdotes.

    Actually, empirical (shall we say, forensic?) evidence for the effect is harder to come by. One of the few people who have systematically investigated the effect is trial judge and law professor Donald Shelton who came to significantly less alarming conclusions.

    In a study on the effect published in the National Institute of Journal, Shelton reported that although to effect did appear in places, it mainly effected expectations and the effect on actual decisions was inconsistent and largely insubstantial:

    There was scant evidence in our survey results that CSI viewers were either more or less likely to acquit defendants without scientific evidence. Only 4 of 13 scenarios showed somewhat significant differences between viewers and non-viewers on this issue, and they were inconsistent. Here are some of our findings:

    * In the “every crime” scenario, CSI viewers were more likely to convict without scientific evidence if eyewitness testimony was available.

    * In rape cases, CSI viewers were less likely to convict if DNA evidence was not presented.

    * In both the breaking-and-entering and theft scenarios, CSI viewers were more likely to convict if there was victim or other testimony, but no fingerprint evidence.

    Law professor Kimberlianne Podlas was even more damning in a paper [pdf] published in the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review, writing:

    Notwithstanding the popularity of such claims, they are not grounded in case-studies or statistical data of increases in acquittals. Rather, they are based on anecdotes about cases wherein law enforcement lost their case while believing it should have won. However, anecdotes are not an adequate substitute for empirical evidence or a logical theory of media influence.

    The ‘CSI effect’, it seems, probably wouldn’t stand up in court.

    UPDATE: Many thank to Mind Hacks reader Brett for emailing to say that the Stanford Law Review published an article on the supposed ‘CSI effect’ and why it lacks evidence last April, which is also notable for tackling the reasons for why it has gained a cultural foothold despite such flimsy support.

    Link to The Economist on the ‘CSI effect’ (via @crime_economist)
    Link to Forensic Science International paper.
    Link to study on ‘CSI effect’
    pdf of Podlas’ article on CSI effect ‘fiction’.

  • Guilt-free Sweets, Shedding Pounds Through Yoga and More

    Filed under:

    Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

    Is yoga good for weight loss? You bet — just ask this man, who says it helped him shed 365 pounds.

    Does your star sign play a role in your love life? Judge for yourself by checking out this anaylsis of the astrological compatibilities of some of our favorite celeb couples.

    Got a sweet tooth? Don’t fret — here are five sweet snacks that will hit the spot.

    Here’s another great reason to make sure you’re eating well — studies show it can help prevent skin cancer.

    Lost the momentum to go green now that Earth Day is over? Don’t worry — here are some simple ways to make your home more eco-friendly.

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  • Mobile Payment Provider Zong Raises $15 Million Following Spin-Off


    Zong Mobile Payments

    Mobile payment provider Zong of Palo Alto, Calif. has spun off from its Swiss parent Echovox and has raised $15 million to help pay for its rapid growth, which includes expanding into as many as two countries per month. The second round of capital was led by Matrix Partners.

    The company continues to aggressively pursue carrier partnerships so that it has access to even more subscribers, who in turn, can use their mobile phone bills to make virtual good purchases online in social networks or in gaming environments.

    Zong is perhaps best known for being the mobile payment provider for Facebook Credits, the virtual currency platform being deployed on the social network. Zong will have to move quickly as it faces steep competition for other well-funded venture that see mobile payments that investors—such as Matrix—are describing as the next PayPal-like opportunity.

    Other companies in the space include PayPal, San Francisco-based Boku, which recently raised $25 million, and Paris-based Hi-media, a publicly held company that is bringing its payments platform to the U.S. Zong’s CEO David Marcus said in an interview that Zong currently has 60 employees and will ramp up quickly to 100.

    The funding and spinoff mean Zong is now an independent company despite being started by Echovox back in 2008. As part of the investment, Dana Stalder, Matrix’s general partner, will join Zong’s board of directors. Stalder, who worked previously at PayPal, said “Zong clearly has all the attributes to build an industry-leading payment platform.” He said merchants in particular like the service because it increases check-out rates five to ten times better than a bank card, and enables consumers who don’t have credit card to participate in the virtual good economy.


  • Boy Genius Sells Blog And Reveals His Mysterious Identity


    Boy Genius Report Logo

    The blog consolidation continues with Mail.com Media’s acquisition of The Boy Genius Report, a top-visited mobile site known for digging up big scoops—while also remaining mysteriously hush-hush about the website owner’s identity.

    Along with the sale, Boy Genius revealed his name and story on how he got here: Jonathan Geller, an early-20s gadget fanatic, who owned his first cellphone at at 10, began writing for Engadget at 17 and started his own site back in 2006. Since then, he’s built a mini-media empire that gets roughly one million page views a month and is considered one of the top 50 most influential content sites across all categories.

    Mail.com Media has a network of media sites, including Nikki Finke’s Deadline.com, HollywoodLife.com and Movieline.com. Geller will continue as President, Editor-in-Chief, and General Manager of BGR, and will work directly with Mail.com’s Owner Jay Penske. The site’s name will be simplified to BGR.com. In keeping with tradition, Geller has kept one thing off the record: How much Mail.com paid for the site.

    In a blog post this evening, Geller details his run-up to success: “As I write this, BGR is, according to Technorati, ranked #49 out of every single site in the world. When I think back about how this was accomplished, and how with just a few great writers, and practically no infrastructure, we built something pretty mind blowing…”


  • How Single Woman Over 30 are Made to Feel Inferior

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    According to a study co-written by Dr. Elizabeth Sharp – “I’m a Loser, I’m Not Married, Let’s All Just Look at Me” – women who are single into their mid-thirties are often made to feel like social pariahs by friends, family and co-workers. (“Why aren’t you married yet?” is a very popular question.) Here, Sharp, a single, 36-year-old associate professor of family studies at Texas Tech University who co-wrote the study explains what she found out about how single women are treated, and how it makes them feel.

    Q: Can you explain what you found out by doing the study?

    A: The study focused on messages these women got from their social environments. A lot of the messages were pretty pejorative and intrusive, and the major finding was that at this time in their life – ages 28 to 34 – there was a lot of focus on their single status. It underscored their visibility and invisibility. The invisibility is their actual life experience of not being married by a certain age; some people would just assume they had kids because they were 31. Their younger siblings were starting to marry and have kids, and this felt awkward and not natural. They don’t really have any visible role models. As for visibility, they felt like they were under a lot of public scrutiny for being single at their age. Co-workers would ask why they aren’t married. But it’s rare to ask someone why they got married or why they decided to have children. These women were dealing with the assumption that they would be a lot happier if they were married.

    Q: Did you ask these women if they wanted to get married?

    Continue reading How Single Woman Over 30 are Made to Feel Inferior

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  • Porsche Presents 918 Spyder High-Performance Concept

    Porsche Presents 918 Spyder High-Performance Concept

    Porsche Presents 918 Spyder High-Performance Concept Sports Car
    This car is a high-performance mid-engined concept sports car with ultra-efficient, low-emission drive technology.

    With the release of the 918 Spyder, the company is further increasing its competence in hybrid technology.

    The prototype combines high-tech racing features and electro-mobility to offer a fascinating range of qualities.