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In slightly over six years, the members of Second Life have lived out over one billion hours in a virtual world. To give you a sense of the popularity of SL, one billion hours equates to slightly over 115,000 years. With that much time on our hands, you can imagine what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into!

If you happen to be in London between now and December 23, 2009, you may want to stop by the Sci-Fi Surgery exhibit at the Qvist Gallery at the Hunterian Museum. Put on by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the exhibit features some pretty weird medical robots, as well as depictions of medical gadgets from film, anime, and sci-fi literature. Here are 7 robotic members of the exhibit that you just may find visiting your person some day....

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.

A study at the Women's Health Program at Monash University in Australia explored the links between sexual satisfaction and other aspects of mental health, particularly "well-being" and "vitality."  Don't shy off there, boomers... the research included women aged 20 to 65!

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."

Let me introduce you to Phragmatopoma californica, the sandcastle worm, if you haven't already met. This incredibly self-contained worm, found on the southern coast of California, not only gathers its own materials to build its home, but uses its own bio-produced cement to superglue the materials together, creating its own permanent honeycomb housing - under water!

Twitter's cool search engine gets an added boost of fire power from Google Sidewiki. On September 29, 2009 both apps joined forces to improve the effectiveness of Kutano's search capability.

Thirsty at twilight - or after reading or watching Twilight? Slake your blood-lust by grabbing a transfusion bag of Blood Energy Potion, the best bloody drink around!

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.

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!

Mining social media has been an illusive task. A multitude of analytics are available, but no one comprehensive tool to really cut through the clutter. A new product in development by Microsoft Advertising under the code-name "LookingGlass" may be the help brands are looking for. It claims to monitor and analyze social networks up close and personal.

The thought of eating genetically grown veggies is one thing, but meat and fish grown from pre-mixed muscle cells and nutrients...? I just can't bring myself to say hmm...yummy.

Apps, Apps, Apps! Everywhere you look, there is a new all-purpose-handy-dandy-must-have-app to enhance your Twitter experience. It was only a matter of time for someone to consider opening up a store where you can shop to your heart's content off of one Web site versus the hundreds that are out there.

An aging population facing mobility issues is the intended target of the Honda U3-X electric unicycle, but the style, design and performance of this "personal mobility" device should appeal to those of ANY generation.

From a Harvard dorm room to a multibillion dollar enterprise, the origins of the dynamic trio who created the social network goliath Facebook is virtually unknown to the general public. Sex and the social network  apparently go hand and hand. Who would have thunk?

Gizmodo, the Internet's premiere gadget guide is hosting the second annual Gizmodo Gallery. The gallery, which opened today in New York City and closes September 27, is totally interactive, but it's not online. It's live! And its collection of one-of-a-kind original gadgets are every geek's wet dream.

A battle with CNN proved he was 'King of the Hill' on Twitter (with now over 3.6 million followers), and an updated version of 'Candid Camera' called 'Punk'd," were some of the initiatives Ashton Kutcher accomplished after starting his own social media company called "Katalyst Media."

When you buy a bed or food bowls or toys for your pets, you believe that they are safe.  Or maybe you just hope they are not harmful, depending on how skeptical you are.  Perhaps you assume that the government would have recalled a product if it were not healthy for your pet.  Maybe it would, if the government tested all products, but it doesn't.  Who will?  Who does?

Many brands are trying to harness the power of social media for monetization purposes. Traditional marketing, by itself can no longer achieve the levels of success it reached in the past. However when combining both old and new school, one could benefit from the synergies that are created, and Foursquare is positioning itself to do just that.