Eyejusters: Perscription change with the twist of a knob

[ youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tuuQ9HFzy0A]

Eyejusters are just like a regular set of glasses except they are self-adjustable, allowing the wearer to alter the focus at the twist of a dial. It is hoped that the glasses will be able to help those in the developing world who don’t have access to the glasses they need.

via LinkNotes: 06/01/2012 – 07/01/2012.

Pasta-shaped radio waves beamed across Venice

A group of Italian and Swedish researchers appears to have solved the problem of radio congestion by cleverly twisting radio waves into the shape of fusilli pasta, allowing a potentially infinite number of channels to be broadcast and received.Furthermore, the researchers have demonstrated this in real-life conditions by beaming two twisted radio waves across the waters of Venice. Their results have been reported on March 2, in the Institute of Physics and German Physical Society’s New Journal of Physics. …

“You just have to try sending a text message at midnight on New Year’s Eve to realise how congested the bands are,” said lead author Dr Fabrizio Tamburini.

The researchers, from the University of Padova, Italy, and the Angstrom Laboratory, Sweden, devised a solution to this by manipulating waves so that they can hold more than one channel of information. A wave can twist about its axis a certain number of times in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, meaning there are several configurations that it can adopt.

“In a three-dimensional perspective, this phase twist looks like a fusilli-pasta-shaped beam. Each of these twisted beams can be independently generated, propagated and detected even in the very same frequency band, behaving as independent communication channels,” Tamburini continued. To demonstrate this, the researchers transmitted two twisted radio waves, in the 2.4 GHz band, over a distance of 442 metres from a lighthouse on San Georgio Island to a satellite dish on a balcony of Palazzo Ducale on the mainland of Venice, where it was able to pick up the two separate channels.

“Within reasonable economic boundaries, one can think about using five orbital angular momentum states, from -5 counter-clockwise up to 5 clockwise, including untwisted waves. In this instance, we can have 11 channels in one frequency band.”

It is possible to use multiplexing, like in digital TV, on each of these to implement even more channels on the same states, which means one could obtain 55 channels in the same frequency band,” said Tamburini.

In addition to increasing the quantity of information being passed around our planet, this new discovery could also help lend an insight into objects far out in our galaxy.

Black holes, for example, are constantly rotating and as waves pass them, they are forced to twist in line with the black hole.According to Tamburini, analysing the incoming waves from the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A, could help astronomers obtain crucial information about the rotation of this “million-solar mass monster.”

via Pasta-shaped radio waves beamed across Venice.

How do you make a photon spiral as it moves? What is it orbiting?

New ‘Mars One’ mission aims to establish first human colony on Mars by 2023

An independent space launch company aims to put four people on Mars by April 2023 – and the team will not be coming back.

Mars One claims that a new crew of four will join every two years as the explorers build their settlement, and that by 2033 there will be 20 people living on Mars.

The company has been in talks with independent space suppliers such as Space X, which recently launched the first privately owned rocket to the Space Station.

The Dutch company is backed by a Nobel prize winning physicist, Gerard ‘t Hooft – and also by Paul Romer, co-creator of Big Brother.

The company aims to start training astronauts next year – and will turn the selection and training programme into a ‘media event’ similar to a reality show.

‘We see this as a journey that belongs to us all, and it is for this reason that we will make every step one that we take together,’ says the company.

‘This will also be our way to finance the mission: the mission to Mars will be the biggest media event ever!

‘The entire world will be able to watch and help with decisions as the teams of settlers are selected, follow their extensive training and preparation for the mission and of course observe their settling on Mars once arrived. The emigrated astronauts will share their experiences with us as they build their new home, conduct experiments and explore Mars.’

Mars One’s plan has been in development since 2011. …

Big Brother creator Römer says, ‘When the Mars One founders first approached me, asking whether they could speak to me about a mission to Mars, my first response was ‘these people are crazy. What can they do that NASA’s can’t?’

‘That conversation made it clear to me, however. They think so creatively, and outside of the box and the concept of a ‘one-way’ mission is both outrageous and exciting. These aspects are what brought me to the idea of making the mission the biggest media event in the world. Reality meets talent show with no ending and the whole world watching. Now there’s a pitch!’ …

Reader Comment: US Government already has bases on Mars. It is inhabited by us, since 1982. – Jonathan, San Jose, CA

via New ‘Mars One’ mission aims to establish first human colony on Red Planet by 2023 | Mail Online.

Dream:ON – The App to Influence Your Dreams

Before going to bed you indicate the type of dream you would like to have and when you want to wake up. You then place your iPhone on your bed and go to sleep. Dream:ON then activates and begins monitoring your sleep pattern.

When Dream:ON senses that you are dreaming, it plays a ‘soundscape’ that has been carefully designed to help create your desired dream. Whilst your chosen soundscape is playing, Dream:ON continues to monitor your movement and adjusts the volume accordingly to ensure you’re not woken up.

“We have created a new way of carrying out mass participation experiments. We still know relatively little about the science of dreaming and this app may provide a real breakthrough in changing how we dream, and record and track those dreams.” ~ Professor Richard Wiseman …

Almost everyone dreams several times each night. However, research suggests that people vary in their ability to incorporate the Soundscapes into their dreams and it may take several nights before Dream:ON is effective.

Dream:ON Features
Dream:ON includes a free and fully functional smart alarm that will gently sound before your chosen time in the morning, waking you up at the optimum moment in order to leave you feeling refreshed and happy. ….

via Dream:ON – The App to Influence Your Dreams.

The United Arab Emirates to build the world’s first Sand Stadium

The Sand Stadium or as it’s actually being called, “The Rock Stadium” is set to be build in the Al Ain desert.The ground will be build below ground level to make sure heat levels are more easily controlled.As to the numbers, the stadium will facilitate 40,000 spectators, and will come at a cost of 3.5 billion UAE dirham or $953 million. …

via The United Arab Emirates plan to build the world’s first Sand Stadium.

MAXIMUM FALSE FLAG ALERT: Nobel winner economist says Alien Invasion Defense will Save Economy

Nobel laureate economist Paul Krugman repeated his assertion this week that the United States could benefit economically if the government began pouring money into anti-ET defense in preparation for a possible alien invasion of Earth.

Even a faked war of the worlds scare might help, he suggested.

The Huffington Post reached out to some experts who share an intense interest in the idea that earthlings are not the only intelligent game in town — or space.

We asked, If there were an ET threat and if the U.S. government were to suddenly rechannel its budgets into preparing an anti-alien defense, would that ultimately save our economy? Their responses varied, ranging from skepticism to enthusiasm.

via Paul Krugman’s Alien Invasion Defense Idea To Save Economy Gets Brickbats, Bouquets From Experts.

Yes, yes its all very simple. With their UFO technology, the US will stage an Alien invasion. They will use concentrated Gamma rays to internally combust humans at such strengths that one second you’re standing there and next thing you’re a puff of dust in the wind. They will wipe out most of the human race and then pretend to beat the so called Aliens and claim victory. – anonymousCoward, GodlikeProductions

Ah, so the crop circles were just target practice.

Or perhaps the real aliens will attack during the planned fake alien invasion. Just remember the lesson of the Wizard of Oz. If the invasion happens, keep cool and look behind the curtain.

Falling 16ft CACTUS crushes man, breaks his back and punctures him with over 146 needle wounds

A city worker in Arizona is in intensive care after a 16ft-tall saguaro cactus fell on him and pinned him to the ground.

Officials in Yuma say William Mason, 40, was responding to an emergency water leak Tuesday in a Yuma subdivision when the saguaro, the largest cactus in the country, fell on him.

Other members in his work crew were able to free him and call 911.

The Yuma Sun reports Mr Mason’s family saying he suffered multiple injuries including a broken back, leg, as well as internal injuries and a fever.

By Thursday 146 cactus spines were removed from his body with many more remaining.

Mr Mason remains hospitalized at Yuma Regional Medical Center with his mother-in-law, Caroline Ashley, telling the Sun that Mr Mason went into surgery on late Thursday.

‘We’ll have to see how the surgery goes to learn the extent of his injuries,’ Ms Ashley said.

‘It was a horrible accident. He’s in very serious condition. We don’t even know if he will live. We’re all praying for him,’ she said while waiting to hear more from her daughter.

Saguaro cactuses can weigh anywhere from hundreds of pounds to more than several thousand pounds, depending on how much water they’re holding.

According to the Sun, their roots are usually only four to six inches deep in the ground, while anchored by a larger, single tap root.

The cause for the plant’s fall is currently under investigation.

A pulmonologist, trauma orthopedic surgeon, regular orthopedic doctor, spinal specialist, general surgeon, infectious control doctor and hospitalist are all treating Mr Mason.

via William Mason suffered broken back and 146 needle wounds after crushed by a falling 16ft CACTUS | Mail Online.

Good luck Mr Mason. Big fan of your jars.  Climate change is shifting the rain in Az, but I’m not sure if this bastard of a cactus that attacked Mr Mason was suffering from too much or too little water. Is there a cactus doctor who can explain this falling behavior?

More on Az climate change:

Most areas of the United States are now receiving more total annual rainfall than they did 50 years ago. There is significant regional variability in this trend, however. Adding up the total regional positive and negative trends, the U.S. as a whole is now receiving five percent more precipitation each year. The Northeast and northern Midwest have shown the greatest increases in average annual rainfall, with the Southeast and Southwest exhibiting the greatest rainfall reduction trends. Some of the Nation’s most pronounced rainfall reduction trends have occurred in Arizona. While most of the state has experienced around five percent reduction in annual rainfall levels, parts of the southwest corner of the state have witnessed as much as a 40 percent drop.

Yuma, Arizona. Home of the horrid falling cactus.

Unmanned drones pose Olympic risk + New Research: Drones Can Easily Be Hijacked

London residents may be concerned about the military sticking missiles on top of their roofs over the Olympics, but that might not be only danger from the skies at the Games.

According to Professor Robert Dewar, former Emeritus Professor at New York University and founder of software firm AdaCore, rumoured plans to use unmanned aerial drones to monitor crowds at the events could have catastrophic consequences.

He believes that there are concerns that unmanned aircraft could malfunction if the software code used in operating them is not up to a sufficiently high standard.

“We do have to worry about them falling down on somebody’s head,” he said, speaking with TechEye. “The repercussions from an accident of that kind at the Olympics would be huge, it would set back the cause for using drones for surveillance indefinitely, I would expect.”

“The consequences of misjudging it are very significant,” Dewar said. “If someone was to be injured due to a drone crashing, it would really be a major issue, and the Olympics would be remembered for that incident.”

While there has been no official confirmation that drones will be used by the police to monitor crowds during the games, there has been speculation in the press, and Dewar is concerned that without proper planning the drones could present a risk.

via Prison Planet.com » Unmanned drones pose Olympic risk.

As exponentially more government and law enforcement drones take to the skies over America, new research has highlighted the fact that the unmanned vehicles are extremely vulnerable and can be relatively easily hijacked and controlled.

Professor Todd Humphreys and his team at the University of Texas at Austin’s Radionavigation Laboratory are warning that the drones could be “spoofed” and taken over by anyone with the right readily available equipment.

Fox News reports that Humphreys built an advanced spoofer at a cost of just $1000, and has successfully infiltrated the GPS systems of several drones. All he has to do is send a more powerful signal to the drone than it is receiving from an orbiting satellite and he can make the vehicle do anything he commands.

“In 5 or 10 years you have 30,000 drones in the airspace,” Humphreys told Fox News. “Each one of these could be a potential missile used against us.”

What’s more, both the Department of Homeland Security and the FAA are aware of the issue, but are doing little to alleviate the problem.

Last week, Humphreys demonstrated to officials from both agencies how he could repeatedly take control of a drone and fly it where ever he liked.

The majority of drones that are being deployed in US airspace now function using unencrypted civilian GPS, leaving them wide open to attack.

“I’m worried about them crashing into other planes,” Humphreys told Fox News. “I’m worried about them crashing into buildings. We could get collisions in the air and there could be loss of life, so we want to prevent this and get out in front of the problem.”

“What if you could take down one of these drones delivering FedEx packages and use that as your missile? That’s the same mentality the 9-11 attackers had,” Humphreys said.

Last month it was reported that a mystery object, believed to be a surveillance drone almost did cause a mid air collision with with a commercial jet.

via PrisonPlanet

In a few years drones will be competing in the Olympics, not just pretending to be hijacked as they crash into people.

3 police killed in Mexico City airport shooting

Gunmen opened fire on federal police officers at Mexico City’s international airport Monday, killing three, officials said.

Two of the officers died at the scene, while a third was transported to a hospital and died there.

The gunmen were suspected drug traffickers and opened fire as police closed in on them, the Public Security Ministry said in a statement.

It was not clear whether there had been any arrests.

The shooting took place at Benito Juarez International Airport, the country’s busiest.

Last year, authorities there seized 198 pounds (90 kilograms) of cocaine, the ministry said. So far this year, they have seized 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of the drug.

More than 47,500 people have died in drug-related violence throughout Mexico since December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon announced plans to deploy troops in efforts to combat drug cartels.

The violence is worse outside the heavily policed capital, though crime still manages to creep in.

Murder rates in Mexico City are half the national rate of 18 per 100,000 residents and are lower than homicide rates in U.S. cities like New Orleans and Washington.

via 3 police killed in Mexico City airport shooting – CNN.com.

Facebook just switched your default e-mail address (without telling 900million users)

Whether you’ve noticed or not, you have a new primary e-mail address listed as your Facebook contact, and most likely it’s an address you’ve never used.

The social-networking site has quietly replaced your default e-mail addresses such as Gmail and Yahoo! with your @Facebook.com address, an e-mail service option the company launched a few years ago and synced with Timeline in April.

“As we announced back in April, we’ve been updating addresses on Facebook to make them consistent across our site,” a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable. “In addition to everyone receiving an address, we’re also rolling out a new setting that gives people the choice to decide which addresses they want to show on their Timelines.”

First spotted on Saturday by blogger Gervase Markham, the e-mail address you once listed as your point of contact is now hidden in the site’s database and your assigned @Facebook.com address is highlighted for friends to see.If you ever changed your Facebook vanity URL, that serves as the prefix of your Facebook e-mail address (i.e. Facebook.com/John.Smith would be John.Smith@Facebook.com). For those that never added a vanity URL, Facebook has assigned numbers to serve as your email account name.

via Facebook just switched your default e-mail address – CNN.com.

Facebook. The anti-privacy people.  Now with new adding stalking app.