International

The 2009 Nobel Prize In Chemistry: Ribosomes Bring Life To DNA

by Myra Per-Lee

Our DNA would mean very little if it were not for ribosomes, because ribosomes transform DNA into living matter. But scientists did not know exactly how ribosomes function or even what ribosomes look like until the works of Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz, and Ada E. Yonath shared their knowledge of the structure and workings of these life-giving structures. These scientists are the 2009 recipients of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

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The 2009 Nobel Prize In Physics: Core Developments In Communications Networking

by Myra Per-Lee

Where would Google, Facebook, and Twitter be today without the inventions of Charles K. Kao, Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith? Non-existent. Likewise, Apple, IBM, and the hundreds of other companies that exploit the inventions of these men might not even be around. And then there are the many millions of people all over the world that are users of these technologies: we'd still be in the dark ages of communication.

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Tweetup In Space, The Final Frontier

by Ron Callari

Twitter has conquered a lot of international territory around the world, but tweeting into Space is definitely allowing man to go where no man has gone before. Astronauts Nicole Stoff and Jeff Williams who are currently circumnavigating the globe at five miles a second will attend a Tweetup while in space.

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Twitter's Landmark Tweet Against Impostors

by Ron Callari

Twitter's landmark case strikes the first blow at Internet anonymity and identity theft with the issuance of one single tweet. But where is that 140 character message that was responsible for breaking new legal ground? Inquiring minds want to know.

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The 2009 Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine: The Protective Role Of Telomeres In Cell Division

by Myra Per-Lee

The 100th Nobel Prize® ever awarded was given today to scientists Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak for their work in the discovery of "how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase." They received the 2009 Nobel Prize In Physiology or Medicine. It was the first time in the Nobel Assembly's history that two women have received the honor at the same time.

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LemonAid Beverage Company: Drink For A Great Cause!

by Beth Hodgson

Sometimes what makes a company stand out from the crowd is their unique name. LemonAid Beverages simply changes the way the name of a common beverage is written and makes people wonder whether it resulted from an unfortunate clerical issue or something else entirely. Rest assured, the spelling of LemonAid is intentional, and you'll want to read on because this is one business that supports a good cause.

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Panda Poop Can Clean Up Your Crap

by Steve Levenstein

Panda poop is green... who knew? Evidently researchers from Kitasato University in Tokyo did, and now the many hours they spent analyzing the anal leavings of giant pandas has them smelling like roses.

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Evacuate Your Pets Quickly With The Pre-Packed Pet Emergency Evacuation Jacket

by Lady Bee

As usual, the jacket's Japanese designers leave nothing out when it comes to pet care, and nothing when it comes to the efficiency of the Emergency Jacket. And, no pun intended, this utilitarian jacket even has quite the fashionable flare!

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Decorated Contact Lens Cases Offer a New Vision of Cuteness

by Steve Levenstein

Having covered every square inch of their cell phones with faux gems, roses, tiny cakes and Hello Kitty faces, Japan's legions of cute-obsessed girls are moving on to other daily use objects like contact lens cases.

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Volkswagen L1 Claims Title of World's Most Fuel Efficient Automobile

by George Delozier

Since first being introduced in 2002, the Volkswagen L1 Concept has been dubbed the most fuel efficient automobile in the world. While this is a lofty claim on the part of VW, the evidence to support this title seems to be sufficient.

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Jewnail Cosmetics Look Good, Sound Nasty

by Steve Levenstein

Jewnail, a range of women's nail care and cosmetic products from Jill&Lovers of Japan, may have an unfortunate name but it's really about fashion, not fascism.

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Audi E-Tron Concept Promises 3319lb/ft of Green Excitement

by George Delozier

Even the most exotic sports cars available today cannot match the potential acceleration of a high output electrically powered sports car. This is mostly due to full torque available at 0 RPMs. To really drive this point home, Audi has developed the E-Tron, which could easily become the next generation of high end sports cars.

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Pepsi Azuki, Japan's Weird Seasonal Soda for Has Beans

by Steve Levenstein

Pepsi Japan has done it again - the seasonal, weird, limited-time flavor of Pepsi Azuki soda exudes the rich maroon hue and subtle sweet taste of prepared red Azuki beans.

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Google Wave Wants You!

by Ron Callari

It's a little bit county! It's a little bit rock 'n roll! It's one over-sized network mash-up! Google Wave is part Outlook, IM, calendar, Twitter, wiki, spreadsheets/docs/presentation, picture sharing, social media, forums, maps and just about everything else on the web, but the kitchen sink! It's what some have called "email on steroids."

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Consumer-Generated Ads vs Mad Men

by Ron Callari

Web 2.0 has not only ushered in social media, it fostered a movement of consumer-generated content and crowdsourcing. We can believe and trust in things we read and view if its endorsed by one of our friends, business associates or social networks chums. Traditional advertising? ... not so much! Consumer-generated content as a sea-change has gained so much traction that even advertising in a lot of respects is now controlled by the public.

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Pop-Up Bar In Bolivia Is The World’s First Cocaine Distribution Lounge

by Beth Hodgson

We've seen marijuana cafes located in California, but on the other side of the globe there's now a bar that's the first of its kind and it serves a drug that is surrounded by even more controversy, particularly as unlike marijuana, there is no talk of move towards legalization.

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Dual Fuel Bus to Decrease Emissions and Increase Public Transit Usage

by George Delozier

Even though using public transportation within a city greatly reduces the overall amount of pollution, this doesn’t stop people from demanding cleaner and more efficient means. A new kind of bus being launched in Britain may be able to provide the perfect solution to such demands, as well as bring a halt to the reliance on diesel.

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Top Ten Massive Multiplayer Online Games on Facebook

by Ron Callari

So why are they called "Massive Multiplayer Online" Games, or MMOs for short? Because the popularity of social media gaming has gone through roof and the numbers of players now engaged have skyrocketed into the millions. While many MMOs can be played on stand-alone systems like Play Station, Nintendo and Xbox game players, the latest trend is registering for the online versions of these games on the world's largest social network...Facebook!

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Top Five Hotel Mobile Apps

by Ron Callari

Although a little late to the party, hotels are finally jumping on the mobile app band-wagon. The development of free applications can now extend a hotel's service beyond the front desk, beyond its Web site... right onto your mobile device. Since hotel guests are always on the go, whether for business or pleasure, what better access is there than getting one's hotel info right on their smartphone?

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Tokyo Game Show 2009 Booth Companions Shatter Stereotypes - NOT!

by Steve Levenstein

Come for the gaming, stay for the girls! The 2009 Tokyo Game Show got off to a bang with the Parading Of The Booth Babes, or "Companions" as they're currently called.

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