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Noah checks out Nokia’s N97 Mini – the little brother to the trainwreck that is the N97. Can a smaller form factor and redesigned QWERTY board make the mini a winner?

Salzburg, Austria | Memento Mori

The thing about skulls is that, it can be remarkably hard prove whos they were.

Of course, one can tell things like gender, age, sometimes history of disease or injury from a skull, therefore making a mismatch easy to identify. But if all those match up, it gets a bit more difficult to make a definite positive match. With the advent of DNA, in theory one should be able to scrap a little bone, run some tests, and viola: definitive proof of skull ownership… Alas, it is not so simple in the real world.

In 1902 the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria came into the possession of what was said to be Mozarts skull. Missing its lower jaw, this skull matched a historical record indicating that Joseph Rothmayer a gravedigger had taken the skull from the group grave in which Mozart was buried ten years after Mozart’s death in 1791.

Though often said to be buried in a mass or paupers grave, Mozart was actually buried in a grave with only four or five other bodies in it, a standard middle class burial procedure in those times. According to the story the grave digger attached a wire to the skull so he knew which one it would be when he went to retrieve it. (That he would have waited ten years to do so, though casts some doubt on this claim.) From there the passed through various hands, a sexton, a Dr. Hyrtl’s phrenologist collection — which excluding Mozart’s skull would go on to become the Mutter Museum’s skull collection — before ending up in the hands of the Mozarteum in 1902.

So it was with great excitement that in 2006, 104 years after acquiring it, the Mozarteum was going to prove once and for all that it was Mozart’s skull. The plan was to test the skulls DNA against the DNA of Mozart’s relatives, taken from his maternal grandmother and niece’s thigh bones. The results were dismaying.

Using Mitochondrial DNA, the results came back suggesting that not only was the skull unrelated to the family remains, but that the family remains were unrelated to each other, casting doubt on the authenticity of the remains of the maternal grandmother and niece as well. The result was neither fully negative, nor positive, but once more: inconclusive.

Perhaps the best case for the skull being that of Mozart’s is the evidence that it took a hard hit about a year before Mozart’s death. This would be consistent with the headaches that Mozart described in his last year of life and provide some additional explanation of his early death.

However, this too is ultimately speculative, and the mystery of Mozart’s skull will, for the time being, simply have to remain unsolved.

Still at the Mozarteum, the skull is no longer on display, as it unnerved a number of the docents. However with an advance request, a showing of the skull may be given.

Earlier in the morning (12:01 a.m. to be exact) Ford released all the details and images of the 2011 Ford Mustang GT that will make its debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show next month.

We now have a video of the 2011 Mustang GT showing off its new 5.0L V8.

Refresher: The 2011 Ford Mustang GT is powered by a 5.0L 4-valve Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) V8 engine producion 412-hp with a peak torque of 390 lb-ft. Transmission choices include a 6-speed automatic, which helps deliver an estimated fuel-economy of 17/25 mpg (city/highway). A standard 6-speed manual is also available.

Follow the jump for the video.

2011 Ford Mustang GT:

2011 Ford Mustang GT in Action:

2011 Ford Mustang GT:

– By: Stephen Calogera

Junk bonds have been on fire this year, generating returns of over 50%. For this trade, the credit crunch appears over and it's pretty clear that Uncle Sam has your back if things turn south. Or at least that's the belief.

By nature of providing financial breathing room for the entire private sector via low interest rates and easy money for the banks, while helping the less levered companies, you at the same time unavoidably provide a huge get-out-of-jail card to highly leveraged companies financed with high yield debt. In fact, the U.S. is prodding banks to lend more right now, which means easy re-financing for leveraged or operationally-challenged companies with debt maturing in the near term.

So is the junk rally over? Well given a historically awesome year for 2009, it's hard to ask for a repeat, but Citi's John Fenn thinks that investors will continue pouring money into high yield bond funds. Want to see moral hazard in all its glory? Then look no further than the junk bond market of 2009... and 2010:

After a record-setting year of mutual fund inflows, next year likely brings some respite, but not much. Even with high yield yielding 9%, the asset class is relatively attractive from a risk-return perspective, and the experience emerging from past recessions suggests significant inflows are likely to persist beyond one year. Certainly, $32 billion of retail inflows trumps the next highest year on record, 2003, by a comfortable $4 billion. However, during the period the size of the market has grown by roughly 40%. As Figure 13 indicates, on a percentage basis, retail flows in 2009 were less than 2003 and also a number of years in the nineties when the market was much smaller. The takeaway, in our view, is a repeat of the 2001-2003 period for high-yield mutual funds implies another $32 billion of inflows over 2010 and 2011.

We're not saying junk bond yields should rally, as in they're good value. The point is that money is likely to keep pouring into them. Until they get slaughtered and it's too late. Unless they're bailed out again.

(Via Citi Investment Research, High Yield - Outlook and Strategy, John Fenn, 23 December 2009)

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See Also:

• Investors Push Junk Bond ETF To Highs Of The Year
• Poor Americans Going Gaga For Fatty Junk Food
• The U.S. Junk Bond Bubble Is Accelerating

It’s not easy to migrate to Windows 7 from Windows XP. Core incompatibilities just make it inherently difficult.

In the next year, it is likely that the enterprise will face the challenges of this migration, especially as new workstations are purchased.

The challenge is compounded by the fact that Microsoft does not offer a clear migration path to Windows 7. Further, a number of legacy applications will not work in Windows 7, no matter how well the software is moved.

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Virtualization software such as that from ZInstall can make the process of switching to Windows 7 a bit easier.

ZInstall offers two “TV stations,” meaning the company uses virtualization so the user may see both Windows 7 and Windows XP on the desktop. This gives the user the ability to move to Windows 7 at their own pace.

ZInstall migrates all applications, settings and files from the old system to the new one, with no reinstalls.

The virtualization technology means every application works on Windows 7 just like on Windows XP.

ZInstall supports two main scenarios:

• Migration between two personal computers from one with Windows XP to a new one with Windows 7.
• Migration to Windows 7 on an existing personal computer.

Virtualization is proving to be highly popular in the enterprise. Companies such as Citrix and VMWare are making small fortunes selling its virtualization technologies. ZInstall is banking on this trend with its virtualization technology designed to take the headache out of switching from Windows XP to Windows 7.

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Rock Band is gearing up for another batch of country DLC this week. The “Going Country Pack 02″ will include many of the songs that were previously exclusive to the standalone Rock Band Country Track Pack disc.

Xbox 360 and Wii owners can start their downloads tomorrow, December 29. PlayStation 3 owners will unfortunately have to wait until Thursday, January 7 for their country western fix. Individual tracks are set for the usual $1.99 (160 Microsoft points; 200 Wii Points) apiece, while the seven-track bundle will set you back $10.99 (880 Microsoft points).

The full list of upcoming DLC follows:

• “Good Time” by Alan Jackson
• “Cry Lonely” by Cross Canadian Ragweed
• “She’s Country” by Jason Aldean
• “I Told You So” by Keith Urban
• “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers
• “This One’s For the Girls” by Martina McBride
• “Any Man of Mine” Shania Twain

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Capcom has recently outsourced a number of projects to western developers, including the upcoming Dead Rising 2. It appears that they will continue with that strategy going forward, but with more defined roles for western development houses and Capcom’s in-house teams.

In a Q&A on the company’s investor relations site (via Joystiq), a Capcom representative writes that the Bionic Commando reboot “demonstrated the difficulty of outsourcing the development of [a] new title to overseas companies.” Developed by the now defunct GRIN, the reboot received mixed reviews when it was released earlier this year.

In light of that experience, Capcom is considering giving franchises with “well-established characters and universal themes” to international developers. Should they go forward with this new strategy, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the likes of Resident Evil outsourced to western studios.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Hyundai

The compact C-segment is shaping up to be a real battleground over the next couple of years with some very stylish new entries. Chevrolet and Ford will, of course, have the Cruze and the all-new Focus – and the Honda Civic is due for a substantial refresh in another year or two. Not to be outdone, the next-generation Hyundai Elantra should arrive in about a year and it looks like it will be following the pattern set by the swoopy mid-size YF Sonata that just debuted at the LA Auto Show.

We’ve recently seen spy shots of the Elantra’s exterior that shares many cues with the Sonata and looks like that carries over inside as well. Judging by these new spy shots, the Elantra will be getting a similar hooded instrument cluster and prominent center stack. Interestingly, the central air vents are located comparatively low on the dashboard below the audio controls.

Interestingly, the car pictured uses a gated shift lever, as the pre-production Sonatas that we saw did. However, the production Sonata will have a straight PRNDL shift pattern with a leather boot and we suspect the Elantra will follow a similar route.

[Source: Hyundai-Blog]

Spy Shots: 2011 Hyundai Elantra interior images grace the Interwebs originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ford

Let’s just call today – December 28, 2009 – Mustang 5.0 Day and be done with it, okay? We’ve seen lots of pictures and even more information about the 2011 Ford Mustang GT and it’s bad to its baffled sump 5.0-liter 32-valve V8. But that’s just a bunch of static information. The kids today, they demand action! After all, what good are “teh Internets” without video? Especially Mustang 5.0 video?

That’s precisely what the good folks at Ford have provided for our consumption/enjoyment. Warning: this is not Top Gear. The video you are about to watch is typical OEM B-roll. Meaning no tires will be smoked, no apexes clipped, no music will be thumped. All you’ll see is the new 2011 Mustang GT driving around. And then parked. So while it’s not the most exciting video in the history of the world, it is the very first of the new Mustang strutting its stuff.

Now, as a bonus, we’re also throwing in some footage of the new 5.0 V8 on a dynometer. We already know the power ratings (412 horsepower @ 6,500 RPM, 390 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM), but in the video, we get to see the motor race almost all the way up to its 7,000 RPM redline. And, because we are who we are, we’re tossing in one more bonus video to make you smile. Hey, it’s the holidays. So, make the jump and watch ‘em.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading VIDEO: 2011 Ford Mustang GT shown rollin’ with its 5.0

VIDEO: 2011 Ford Mustang GT shown rollin’ with its 5.0 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huge-headed humans called Boskops lived in Africa with Homo sapiens until just 10,000 years ago. What happened to them? Shouldn’t their superior intellect have given them a survival advantage? We internally activate many thoughts at once, but we can retrieve only one at a time. Could the Boskop brain have achieved the ability to retrieve one memory while effortlessly processing others in the background, a split-screen effect enabling far more power of attention?

Each of us balances the world that is actually out there against our mind’s own internally constructed version of it. Maintaining this balance is one of life’s daily challenges. We occasionally act on our imagined view of the world, sometimes thoroughly startling those around us. (“Why are you yelling at me? I wasn’t angry with you—you only thought I was.”) Our big brains give us such powers of extrapolation that we may extrapolate straight out of reality, into worlds that are possible but that never actually happened. Boskop’s greater brains and extended internal representations may have made it easier for them to accurately predict and interpret the world, to match their internal representations with real external events.

Perhaps, though, it also made the Boskops excessively internal and self-reflective. With their perhaps astonishing insights, they may have become a species of dreamers with an internal mental life literally beyond anything we can imagine.

After the xpPhone was announced back in May, word of its development went surprisingly quiet – enough so, in fact, that I’d been convinced the project had gone the way of Duke Nukem Forever.

With this recent media dump, however, the xpPhone is looking more real than ever. ITG released a handful of prototype images just weeks ago, and followed it up shortly thereafter with a video of the Windows XP-powered handset booting up. This latest video goes on to show a bit of what the phone can actually do — that is, make phone calls in Windows XP.

With that, there’s not much doubt left in our mind on whether or not this thing will make it to the shelves; whether or not anyone will actually buy it, however, is still up for debate.

Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0

While bullet trains in Europe were stuck due to bad weather last week, China launched a new high speed train on Saturday that travels with an average speed of 217 mph. The Harmony Express can reach up to 243 mph, which makes it the fastest train in the world.

It travels the distance of 683 miles from Wuhan to Guangzhou in less than 3 hours that previously took 11 hours. [Examiner: Compare that to Amtrak’s Silver Meteor – the 641-mile journey from New York to Charleston, SC takes 14 hours.]

See Photos of Chinese Bullet Train >

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A fossil dwarf whale, first discovered in Australia over 70 years ago, had an unusual feeding habit. The whale sucked up mud pies in order to feast on sea bed critters, according to a new study. The fossil whale, thought to be between 25 and 28 million years old, hints that mud sucking might have been a precursor to the filter feeding used by today’s baleen whales [National Geographic News]. Modern filter feeders use what’s called baleen—tiny hair-like structures—to filter their prey from the seawater. The most famous, and the largest, baleen species is the blue whale, and the ancient dwarf whale may be a distant relative, say the researchers.

Oddly, the dwarf whale also had teeth, which the researchers speculate were used to chomp on bulky prey that their tongue and facial muscles slurped off the sea floor. Modern whales with baleen plates eat tiny prey such as krill and are distinct from toothed whales, which include beaked whales and orcas (aka killer whales). The ancient whale, Mammalodon colliveri, had a total body length of about 3m. But it appears to have been a bizarre evolutionary “splinter group” from the evolutionary lineage which later led to the 30m-long blue whale [BBC News]. Researchers say the dwarf whale most likely evolved from much larger ancestors and adds evidence to the theory that proto-baleen whales diversified into many experimental body forms, say the researchers, who published their work in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Related Content:
80beats: Oil and Gas Exploration Forces Whales to Speak Up
80beats: Whales Had Legs Until 40 Million Years Ago, Fossils Show
80beats: Primitive Proto-Whales May Have Clambered Ashore to Give Birth

Image: Carl Buell

Ten-year PS3 lifespan or no, Sony is apparently already working on the next PlayStation home console, if the reports we’ve seen so far are to be believed. Until we hear a confirmation (denials don’t work, see) these

Product DescriptionMangia-minus the meat and dairy-with these classic Italian dishes from the author of The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen. In the sumptuous style of classic Italian cuisine, this collection of delectably authentic recipes reinvents vegan. Mouth-watering dishes burst with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy fats like olive oil-all within an animal-free diet, ideal for lactose-intolerant eaters and vegetarians, too. Delicious I. . . More >>
Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy

Vegan Italiano: Meat-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy is a post from the Vegetarian Vitamins Guide blog where you can find suggestions and advice from vegetarians and vegans on vegetarian diets, supplements, vitamins and overall nutrition.

Related Vegetarian Vitamins Posts:

1. The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen Product DescriptionAfter years of research, scientists declared that the…
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Poor indoor air quality, chemicals, dust, nasty germs and more can affect your home and health; getting you sick and bringing the eco-quality of your home down a notch or two. All of these issues can also seem overwhelming to fix. Where should you even start?

Luckily, not all changes to improve your home and health are hard, too time consuming, or even expensive. This year vow make some simple changes that will improve your home’s health and greenness factors at the same time.

Learn to love plants: Plenty of indoor house plants actually fight indoor air pollution and improve your overall air quality. Plus, plants look great so it’s a double perk.

Dust smarter: Polluted dust is one of the major ways people are exposed to indoor pollution. Luckily dust is an easy fix. Dust often and use a wet cloth. Anytime you dust with a dry cloth or worse a feather duster you’re just mixing the air up. Don’t use chemical laden products like furniture dusting spray just use plain ol’ water on a cloth. For floors vacuuming is good to grab up dust on carpets (see below) but hard floors like other areas need to be cleaned often to remove the dust. Plain water and a mop works fine.

Vacuum with a filter: Traditional vacuums tend to stir up dust just like when you dust with a dry cloth. However vacuums with HEPA filters do help remove toxins, allergens, and dust much more efficiently. Something to keep in mind when shopping for a HEPA filter vacuum is to check the price of refill filters. Some brands cost more than others and if you don’t change them when recommended the vacuum won’t work as well.

Skip the shoes: Inside the house you shouldn’t wear shoes. Shoes drag in tons of icky pesticides, chemicals, dust, and more and then deposit said gross stuff all over your home. Get a nice big mat, set it outside your door, then wipe your feet and remove your shoes in an entry area.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Green your home and health for the new year

Moving of the Math Library into Main Library began today, Monday, December 28.  The Math Collection will be shelved in the northeast portion of 2nd floor. 

The movers will be using Elevator B throughout the process. Please be alert for fast moving book carts (both empty and full) in the northern portion of first and second floors of the library. Also, the north fire doors will have to be open for periods of time to accommodate the move which will make the areas near the north entrance colder than usual.